Business Growth & Scaling Episodes

After nearly two decades in the high-stakes tech and finance industries, Mike Conway traded his corporate career for the entrepreneurial grind. He’s now the founder and CEO of Arcodo, a SaaS platform designed to help indie game developers plan, manage, and launch their games. In this episode, Mike shares the raw and real journey of bootstrapping a business, from finding a scalable idea to overcoming the introverted engineer’s fear of marketing and community building. This episode is a masterclas...

Tim Cassidy shares his incredible journey from a 14-year career as a "clipboard commando" for the federal government to co-founding Online CE Credits, a seven-figure online education platform. Tim gets brutally honest about the realities of scaling a business, detailing the inflection points, the mental toll, and the near-crippling fear that comes with downturns after periods of massive success. This episode is a masterclass in perseverance, revealing how Tim’s company experienced 350% revenue g...

From firefighter and paramedic to the CEO of a multi-location lighting company, Chris Rios shares the gritty details of how he turned a simple side hustle into a thriving, multi-service business. His journey with Ultra Shine Holiday Lights is a masterclass in grit, strategic growth, and the power of continuous learning. This episode is packed with value for any entrepreneur feeling stuck, as Chris breaks down how he navigated pricing a premium service in a small town, leveraged technology to man...

This episode features a truly unique and inspiring story: the mother-daughter duo behind Corporate Coach & Co. (C3), a business that’s been thriving for over 32 years. Carrie Mayers, the "accidental entrepreneur" founder, shares her journey of building a powerhouse consulting firm purely on referrals, while her daughter, Sam Mayers, explains her intentional leap from the hyper-structured corporate world of PwC to join the family business. This conversation is a masterclass in blending decades of...

Tired of thinking of HR as just paperwork and a necessary evil? In this episode, 20-year HR veteran Melanie Parrish flips the script, revealing how to transform your people strategy from a dreaded cost center into a powerful growth driver. She explains that for small businesses, people solutions aren't about bureaucracy; they're about building a customized, intentional foundation that scales culture, retains top talent, and directly fuels your bottom line. This episode is packed with practical, ...

Tired of hearing that your industry is "dead"? In this episode, David Drucker, a 42-year veteran of the printing world, proves that mastery and innovation can make any craft thrive. He shares his incredible journey of starting a business at 23 with no experience, navigating three major economic crises, and reinventing himself from a local shop to a global influencer. David explains why your clients "don't know what they don't know" and how educating them is your biggest sales advantage. This epi...

Are you building a business or just creating a high-stress job for yourself? Christy Cox, founder of VeriScale, joins the show to share how she went from building a misaligned multimillion-dollar company to creating a business that fuels her dream lifestyle of traveling the country in a camper with her family. This episode is a masterclass in how to escape the "founder's trap," where you become the single biggest bottleneck to your own growth. Christy breaks down her Founder Freedom System, reve...

Ever dream of selling your business for a life-changing sum or acquiring another company to fast-track your growth? This episode demystifies the intimidating world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). We're joined by Brad Bostic, an M&A expert who went from a corporate career to launching his own firm, Bostic Advisory, after an unexpected layoff. Brad breaks down the complex process of buying and selling companies into actionable advice for entrepreneurs at any stage. You'll learn what truly drive...

Are you a successful business owner who feels stuck, overworked, and trapped in the day-to-day operations? This episode is your guide to breaking free. Fractional CEO Justin Wilhelms joins the show to reveal why many entrepreneurs hit a growth plateau and how to shatter it by stepping into the true CEO function. He explains that being a great practitioner isn't enough; you must build scalable systems and lead your people effectively. This episode is packed with value, as Justin introduces the "W...

Tired of hearing "content is king" but have zero time to create it? This episode is your solution. We sit down with expert ghostwriter and publisher Kristin Clark to demystify the process of turning your expertise into powerful books and articles, even if you hate writing. Kristin reveals how a ghostwriter can authentically capture your unique voice, transform your scattered ideas into a structured masterpiece, and position you as a go-to authority in your field. This isn't just about outsourcin...

In today's episode we sit down with Jake Hartman, an astrophysicist-turned-entrepreneur who transformed his personal struggle with depression into a powerful tech solution. Jake shares his incredible journey from studying neutron stars at MIT and working at Google to building q.buzz, an app designed for longitudinal surveys—or, in simple terms, tracking things over time to see real patterns and progress. This episode is a masterclass in how to turn a personal problem into a scalable business ide...

Anissa Bouderraoui, a multilingual mom of three and former CFO, shares her journey of transforming a personal passion into LingoCircle, a cutting-edge bilingual education platform. She reveals how she combines live, human-led classes with personalized AI-powered games to create an engaging learning experience for children. This episode is a masterclass for entrepreneurs on how to execute a big idea step-by-step, build a mission-driven company, and strategically navigate both B2C and B2B markets....

What does it mean to build a business with true care and integrity? Angel Ortiz, founder of Zitro Construction Services, joins us to share his incredible journey from helping rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to leading one of the premier construction companies in the region. This episode is a masterclass in turning a crisis into a mission-driven business, honoring a family legacy, and embedding quality into every aspect of your operations. Angel reveals how he navigates difficult clie...

Tired of feeling like you're constantly fighting fires in your business? This episode is your guide to shifting from a reactive founder to a strategic and confident CEO. Leadership expert Kelly Kienzle joins the show to break down her research on the top three challenges every leader faces today: confusion, reactivity, and burnout. More importantly, she provides a clear, data-backed roadmap to move toward clarity, proactivity, and renewed energy. This episode is packed with tangible tools and mi...

In this episode, Brian sits down with Anthony Brown, a second-generation entrepreneur who is revolutionizing a highly technical and niche industry. Anthony shares the incredible story of growing up in his father’s lubrication systems business and how a strategic partnership led him to launch APEX Lubrication, a tech-forward company using machine learning to solve major industrial problems. This conversation is a masterclass in long-term vision, proving that the seeds you plant today can lead to ...

Ever feel like you’re missing out on the financial stability of a 9-to-5? This episode tackles the often-ignored (but crucial) conversation about long-term financial planning for entrepreneurs. We're not just talking to a financial expert; we're learning from Chris Stemler, a true serial entrepreneur who has built an impressive portfolio of seven different companies, from an event venue to a 3D home printing business. Chris breaks down complex topics like ERISA and 401ks in a way that’s actually...

In this episode, Brian sits down with Rachel Jackson, an interior designer who has carved out a powerful niche by creating wellness-centered, sensory-friendly spaces. Rachel shares her incredible journey of turning personal experience—navigating her own ADHD and her son’s sensory needs—into a thriving business that supports neurodiverse households. This conversation is a masterclass in finding your unique value proposition, serving an underserved market, and building a business fueled by a power...

In this powerful episode, Brian sits down with Nadine Keller, who scaled her first consulting business to over seven figures. Nadine shares her transparent and inspiring journey, from the early struggles and devastating setbacks of entrepreneurship to the personal tragedy that prompted a major pivot. She reveals how she shifted from helping wealthy institutions get wealthier to building a heart-centered business dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs thrive. This episode is packed with value, ...

In this episode, Brian sits down with Mike Paradise—CFO of Chirocare of Florida and founder of Paradise Automation Solutions—to uncover how he’s helping small businesses scale smarter through automation and AI. With a finance background from PwC to Ryder, Mike blends strategic thinking with tech implementation in ways that increase revenue while decreasing headcount. Whether you're a solopreneur or managing a small team, this episode reveals how to rethink workflows, align expenses with outcome...

Tired of the "move fast and break things" mantra leading to broken products and unhappy customers? This episode is your antidote. We sit down with Megan Maloney, a 20+ year Quality Assurance (QA) veteran and founder of Maloney and Associates, who has built a career on making sure good products see the light of day. Megan unpacks why "quality" isn't a stuffy corporate term, but a vital business strategy for earning trust and scaling successfully. She reveals how her experience, from the military ...

Eric Schell didn’t just flip homes—he flipped the script on how property repairs are handled. In this episode, you’ll meet the founder and CEO of OneTap, a smart repair request system designed to eliminate the bottlenecks and inefficiencies that plague maintenance workflows. With a background in construction and real estate, Eric brings a rare blend of hands-on experience and visionary thinking to tech entrepreneurship. Whether you're a solo founder or running a team, this conversation will insp...

In this powerfully inspiring episode, Caroline Breeding shares how she went from being an occupational therapist to founding and scaling over 50 healthcare businesses across seven states. But this isn’t just a story about success—it’s a masterclass in servant leadership, adaptability, and creating real impact through entrepreneurship. Caroline’s ability to merge healthcare expertise with business savvy has helped her revolutionize post-acute care, and now she’s disrupting continuing education wi...

Ian Newell brings a rare blend of battlefield intelligence, technical leadership, and entrepreneurial grit to the table. As the founder of Golden Hour Technologies, Ian is solving critical infrastructure problems in maritime autonomy and secure communication systems—pioneering solutions that affect national security, logistics, and global operations. In this episode, you'll learn how his military deployment, Space Force work, and AI-driven innovations shaped his founder journey. Whether you're j...

In this powerful episode, Rukmini Banerjee shares how she’s using technology to solve one of the most pressing challenges facing modern families: caring for aging loved ones while juggling careers and children. As the founder of CuroNow, Rukmini is building a mobile platform that reduces cognitive overload for caregivers by organizing tasks, enabling collaboration, and enhancing communication. Her career spans leadership roles at high-growth startups and global corporations, but her entrepreneu...