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Melissa Cash isn’t just reshaping children’s screen time—she’s redefining the future of learning and creativity. In this deeply insightful episode, Melissa, the co-founder and CEO of Pok Pok, shares how her own childhood learning struggles inspired a lifelong pursuit to create playful, purposeful, and non-addictive digital experiences for kids. From her early days at Disney designing for one of the world’s most beloved brands to raising a $3 million seed round while nine months pregnant, Melissa's story is one of vision, grit, and mission-driven leadership.

Pete and Melissa dive deep into topics like the psychology of screen time, the balance between play and learning, and how thoughtful design can nurture a child’s imagination instead of draining it. You’ll also hear how Pok Pok is turning heads in tech by intentionally avoiding addictive features, and why the company is betting on creativity over clicks. This conversation is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, parents, and anyone curious about building a business that puts human development at the center.

🔎 Find Out More About Melissa Cash
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissacash/
https://www.playpokpok.com
https://www.instagram.com/playpokpok/

📚 Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Melissa Cash
01:28 - The Childhood Moment That Shaped Her Learning Philosophy
06:26 - From Arts High School to Designing Baby Products at Disney
09:05 - What Disney Taught Her About Brand, Play, and Creativity
14:00 - Why Pok Pok Rejects Addictive Design for Kids
21:46 - The Unlikely Origin Story of Pok Pok
25:58 - Defining the Digital Playroom
36:03 - Fundraising While Nine Months Pregnant
44:16 - Getting Women on the Cap Table: The Hard Road
46:18 - Reinventing Company Culture with Black Box Day
57:00 - The 10-Year Vision for Pok Pok

🔗 Other Links & Resources:
The Power of Play by David Elkind - https://a.co/d/hwrjIhh
The Courage to Be Disliked - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501197274
Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1619630346

🔴 Support & Connect
Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

founderstory #femaleentrepreneur #pokpok

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What happens when your dream startup fails, you lose everything—including other people’s money—and you still choose to build again?

In this episode of Forward Obsessed, host Pete Sena sits down with Katelyn Bourgoin, the founder of Why We Buy and Unignorable, to talk about her incredible journey—from PR school to startup bankruptcy to becoming one of the internet’s most trusted voices on buyer psychology. This is an unfiltered conversation about the emotional toll of failure, the power of transparency, and how Katelyn rebuilt her business and personal brand into a seven-figure media company—one smart insight at a time.

You’ll learn why most startups get customer research wrong, how to write messaging that actually converts, and why AI is both a gift and a threat to creatives. Plus, Katelyn shares how she turned her pain into purpose and found her niche by helping others sell with empathy and science.

If you’re a founder, creator, marketer—or just someone trying to figure out what’s next—this episode will give you the clarity, courage, and tools to move forward.

🔎 Find Out More About Katelyn Bourgoin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbourgoin
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/KateBour
Why We Buy: https://www.learnwhywebuy.com
Unignorable: https://www.beunignorable.com
Nudge Podcast (hosted by collaborator Phil Agnew): https://www.nudgepodcast.com

📕 Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to Forward Obsessed with Katelyn Bourgoin
03:05 – The English major who found her way to marketing
06:42 – How startup failure led to radical transparency
11:18 – Going viral by owning her story
15:10 – Building “Why We Buy” and discovering buyer psychology
18:47 – Lessons from working with early-stage startups
23:20 – Why founders often don’t understand their customers
27:14 – Wallet Opening Words and the psychology of conversion
32:02 – The myth of “don’t sell time for dollars”
36:40 – Being a solo founder: freedom vs. pressure
40:22 – AI, creativity, and the 80/20 rule
44:33 – What makes messaging unignorable
49:12 – Scaling Unignorable: helping founders amplify bold ideas
52:17 – Final advice for creators and founders

🔗 Other Links & Resources:

Alchemy by Rory Sutherland https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062388412
Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501109804
Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger https://www.amazon.com/dp/1451686587
Influence by Robert Cialdini https://www.amazon.com/dp/006124189X
Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein https://www.amazon.com/dp/014311526X

🔴 Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

ai #buyerpsychology #founderstory

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What if your voice could replace your keyboard—and be smarter than Siri ever dreamed of? Meet Tanay Kothari, the CEO and co-founder of Wispr Flow, a voice-first AI company redefining how we interact with technology. From teaching himself to code at age nine to building and selling a company fresh out of Stanford, Tanay’s journey is a masterclass in entrepreneurial obsession, resilience, and product-driven thinking.

In this episode, Tanay shares how his childhood dream of building Jarvis (yes, Iron Man’s assistant) led him to develop one of the most exciting voice AI tools today. We dive into the difference between good engineering and great design, why most voice assistants fail, and what it really takes to lead teams and raise capital in Silicon Valley. If you're into startups, AI, or just love hearing from product-obsessed founders, this one's a must-listen.

✨ Listeners of Forward Obsessed can sign up for 1 FREE month of Flow:
https://ref.flowvoice.ai/pete

🔎 Find Out More About Tanay Kothari and Wispr Flow:

https://x.com/tankots
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tankots/
https://ref.wisprflow.ai/fopod
https://www.linkedin.com/company/wisprflow
https://x.com/WisprFlow

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction to Tanay Kothari
04:17 - Entrepreneurial Roots: Tanay’s Parents and Early Hustles
08:00 - Simples Inc: A 12-Year-Old Builds His First Company
10:10 - Going Viral with Convert.cc and Google’s Cease & Desist
18:39 - Journey to Stanford and Embracing Silicon Valley
25:06 - Learning to Lead: From Engineer to Team Manager
33:22 - The Hardest Part of Scaling: Managing People
38:12 - Deep Values Alignment: Early Co-Founder Conversations
45:36 - What Makes Wispr Flow Different from Every Other Voice Tool
50:45 - How Wispr Flow Fixes Transcription Accuracy
54:57 - Product Hunt Success: Tips for a Top Launch
59:47 - The Future of Voice Interfaces and Contextual AI

🔗 Other Links & Resources:

The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062367544
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465050654
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553208845
DISC Leadership Framework: https://www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc

🔴 Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

ai #entrepreneurship #founderstory

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What does it take to scale a business from a $20,000 launch to over $100 million in revenue? In this episode of Forward Obsessed, entrepreneur Sean Busch takes us through his incredible journey—from a small-town kid flipping car parts in high school to founding and selling the household cleaning brand Puracy. Along the way, Sean shares how he leveraged Amazon’s early days, built a direct-to-consumer powerhouse, and navigated the challenges of big-box retail.

Sean opens up about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, including the moment he was fired just before Christmas, the brutal cash-flow struggles of expanding into Target and Walmart, and the pivotal decision to exit his company. He also shares key lessons on craftsmanship vs. commerce, the importance of customer obsession, and why having the right CFO can make or break your business. Now, with his newest venture, Dad Mode, Sean is applying everything he learned to build another game-changing brand.

Whether you're a founder, a business leader, or just someone fascinated by the journey of building something from the ground up, this conversation is packed with invaluable insights.

🔎 Find Out More About Sean Busch

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seantbusch
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stb416/
Dad Mode: https://godadmode.com/
Puracy: https://puracy.com/

Chapters

00:00 - A First for Forward Obsessed
03:15 - Sean’s Early Hustles & Entrepreneurial Roots
10:45 - From Car Detailing to Medical Sales
18:30 - The Leap Into E-Commerce & Building Puracy
25:50 - Cracking the Amazon Playbook
32:15 - Scaling to Retail: The Target & Walmart Challenge
40:05 - Surviving Cash Flow Nightmares
48:20 - The Emotional Toll of Entrepreneurship
55:10 - The Exit: Selling Puracy
1:02:30 - Lessons Learned & Advice for Founders
1:10:00 - Sean’s Next Venture: Dad Mode

🔗 Other Links & Resources

The Honest Company by Jessica Alba (Book): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1609619110
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries (Book): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307887898
Amazon FBA: https://sell.amazon.com/fulfillment-by-amazon
Singer Automotive: https://singervehicledesign.com/
Seven Generation (CPG): https://www.seventhgeneration.com/

🔴 Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

entrepreneurship #startups #businessgrowth

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Mike Lloyd’s entrepreneurial story began with a simple childhood side hustle—burning CDs for friends in his small Michigan hometown. That spark of ingenuity set him on a journey from studying at MIT and Harvard to launching and scaling companies that reshaped industries. In this episode of Forward Obsessed, Mike delves into the pivotal moments that defined his path, sharing the highs and lows of his journey.

He opens up about the painful lessons learned from his first failed startup and how he transformed those experiences into a winning formula for success. Mike reveals the critical importance of mastering distribution, his obsession with solving meaningful problems, and how COVID and Bitcoin propelled his cyber insurance company to the forefront of the industry. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or simply love a compelling story of resilience and growth, this conversation is full of inspiration and actionable wisdom.

🔎 Find Out More About Mike Lloyd
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikelloyd
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeLloyd
Corvus Insurance: https://www.corvusinsurance.com

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Mike Lloyd
04:10 - Small-Town Beginnings: Burned CDs & the Hacker Spirit
08:45 - Learning Early Business Lessons
13:00 - From Soccer Dreams to VMI and MIT
19:30 - Why Engineering Shapes Problem-Solvers
24:15 - The Shift from Academia to Startups
29:00 - First-Time Founder Failures and Hard Lessons
35:20 - Obsessing Over Distribution: A Game-Changer
39:40 - Building Corvus Insurance with Phil Edmondson
44:15 - The Role of Brokers in Insurance Distribution
50:00 - Finding Product-Market Fit in Cyber Insurance
55:30 - COVID as a Catalyst for Cyber Insurance Growth
01:03:15 - Bitcoin’s Role in Cybersecurity’s Evolution
01:08:20 - Fundraising Tips for Entrepreneurs
01:14:45 - Partnering with Travelers: A Behind-the-Scenes Look
01:22:30 - Lessons in Failure, Resilience, and Letting Go
01:30:00 - Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Parents

🔗 Other Links & Resources:

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062292986
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062273205
Measure What Matters by John Doerr: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0525536221

🔴 Support & Connect
Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forwardobsessed
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

entrepreneurship #startups #forwardobsessed

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In this episode of Forward Obsessed, we sit down with Anthony Ng Monica, a visionary entrepreneur whose journey from humble beginnings to leading an internationally recognized e-commerce technology company is nothing short of inspiring. Anthony shares his early entrepreneurial ventures, from pirating software to funding his education by cold-calling businesses. He candidly discusses the lessons learned while building Swogo, a cutting-edge product recommendation engine that has transformed how global retailers drive cross-sell and upsell opportunities.

Join us as Anthony unpacks the critical pivots that defined Swogo’s path to success—from its early B2C focus to becoming a B2B powerhouse and ultimately innovating with AI-driven product bundling. Learn how his cultural heritage, family dynamics, and relentless focus on learning shaped his business acumen. Whether you’re scaling your own venture or looking for strategies to pivot and grow, Anthony’s story is filled with practical advice and game-changing insights.

🔎 Find Out More About Anthony Ng Monica

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyngmonica/

Daily Body Coach: https://www.dailybodycoach.com/

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Anthony Ng Monica
04:10 - Growing Up Between Cultures: Macau, Portugal, and the UK
08:45 - The Spark for Entrepreneurship: Early Influences
14:30 - Breaking into Business: Cold Calling and Selling Websites
20:20 - Launching Swogo: The Early Days of Product Recommendations
25:15 - The Pivot: Transitioning from B2C to B2B
32:45 - The Big Breakthrough: Solving E-commerce Cross-Selling Challenges
41:10 - Overcoming Challenges: Five Co-Founders and Scaling the Business
50:00 - Lessons from a Global Journey: Focus, Learning, and Resilience
56:30 - Working with Global Clients: Breaking into Major Markets
1:04:20 - Leveraging Accelerator Programs for Growth
1:10:50 - Long-Term Vision and the Future of E-commerce

🔗 Other Links & Resources

Good to Great (book) by Jim Collins: https://a.co/d/eDIM5so
Swogo: https://www.swogo.com/

🔴 Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

entrepreneurship #ecommerce #startuplife

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As we approach the summer, the Forward Obsessed podcast is taking a brief but much needed break from creating new entrepreneurial content for you, our incredible listeners. We're grateful for the remarkable guests who have made season three a success, and we have some amazing stuff coming down the pipeline. During this hiatus, we invite you to stay engaged with us: visit our YouTube channel, subscribe, leave comments, and share your favorite episodes. Your feedback is invaluable and helps us shape future content - Don't forget to visit www.forwardobsessed.com to share your favorite moments and suggestions for future guests. We're committed to exploring all facets of entrepreneurship, and your support keeps us in this podcasting game.

We also have an important announcement: this is the final episode with our executive producer, Robert Roche. Since day one, Robert has been instrumental in every facet of the production process, from finding guests, to the full production of the episode, clips, and articles, all the way through answering your questions and comments on our social channels. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors and hope to collaborate again in the future. Robert, thank you for your dedication, creativity, and passion. Your presence will be greatly missed.

From Robert: Please stay in touch! If you ever have a question about podcasting or content management, find Robert P. Roche III on Linkedin.

Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forwardobsessed
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

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Sam Parr, the founder of The Hustle and the host of the My First Million podcast, shares his entrepreneurial journey from his humble beginnings in St. Louis, Missouri, to building and selling successful companies. Parr's early hustles, including selling whiskey online and running a hot dog stand, laid the foundation for his future endeavors. Despite a setback with Airbnb, Parr persevered and started a roommate matching business, which he eventually sold to Apartment List.

Parr's success with The Hustle, growing the company's newsletter to over 1.5 million subscribers, is a testament to his skills in hiring passionate people and his ability to "brute force" a company to success. He offers valuable insights on the emotional challenges of selling a company and the importance of focus and perseverance in building a successful business.

This episode is a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs, founders, MBA students, and managers, as it provides practical advice and inspiration from someone who has successfully navigated the ups and downs of the startup world. Parr's candid discussion of his experiences, from cold calling to angel investing and growing a podcast, offers a wealth of knowledge for those looking to build and scale their own ventures.

Episode Outline

(00:00:00) Introduction of Sam Parr

(00:01:28) Sam Parr's background and early entrepreneurial ventures

(00:10:00) Building and selling a roommate matching company

(00:14:02) Starting The Hustle and growing the newsletter

(00:22:36) Hiring strategies and building a strong company culture

(00:29:00) The emotional journey of selling The Hustle to HubSpot

(00:35:00) Life after the acquisition and starting a new company, Hampton

(00:40:45) Branding, positioning, and pricing strategies

(00:44:49) The art of the cold call and its importance in business

(00:50:00) Angel investing experiences and lessons learned

(00:55:00) Building a community with Hampton and differentiating from competitors

(01:02:04) The power of personal branding and visibility

(01:07:31) Hiring and working with CEOs

(01:13:57) The impact of fatherhood on entrepreneurship and personal growth

(01:17:31) Strategies for growing a successful podcast

Episode Links

The Hustle (company): https://thehustle.co/
My First Million (podcast): https://www.mfmpod.com/
Hampton (company): https://joinhampton.com/
Sam's List (website) - https://samslist.co/
The Game (book) - https://www.amazon.com/Game-Penetrating-Secret-Society-Artists/dp/0060554738
Glengarry Glen Ross (movie): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glengarry_Glen_Ross_(film)

Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forwardobsessed
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

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Ben Lamson is the Head Of Revenue at Paperspace, a GPU cloud and software stack for machine learning and artificial intelligence developers, which was recently acquired by Digital Ocean. Previously, he was the co-founder and CEO of WeDidIt, a crowdfunding platform for nonprofits that was acquired by a private equity firm. Lamson's entrepreneurial journey began in his early twenties, inspired by his parents, who were both successful small business owners despite not having college degrees. Growing up in a close-knit family in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Lamson learned the value of hard work and determination from a young age. In college, Lamson pursued his passion for wrestling, becoming a Division I athlete at American University.

Lamson's career in sales began at Meltwater Group, where he met his future co-founder, Sisu Suh. Together, they left Meltwater to start WeDidIt, hacking their way through the startup process by entering business plan competitions, winning grants, and participating in accelerator programs. Through their scrappy efforts, they raised a total of $3.5 million for WeDidIt before successfully exiting to a private equity firm. After the acquisition, Lamson joined Paperspace as the Revenue Leader, where he implemented a product-led growth strategy that resulted in a 350% revenue increase in just 12 months. His success caught the attention of Digital Ocean, who acquired Paperspace in 2023.

Throughout the interview, Lamson shares valuable insights and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, such as the importance of being curious, asking the right questions, and constantly learning. He emphasizes the value of resilience and grit, drawing parallels between the challenges of wrestling and the struggles of building a startup. Lamson also discusses the future of generative AI and its potential impact on various industries. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, sales, product-led growth, and the future of AI. Lamson's inspiring journey from college wrestler to successful startup founder and revenue leader is a testament to the power of hard work, determination, and continuous learning.

Episode Outline

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:07:49) Discovery of wrestling passion and its impact

(00:17:21) Service industry experience and lessons learned

(00:21:58) Starting a tech company with a co-founder from Meltwater

(00:26:29) Idea evolution and the aha moment for WeDidIt

(00:28:46) Hacking the startup journey through accelerators and competitions

(00:31:18) Raising funds and extending runway through odd jobs

(00:40:45) Joining Paperspace and implementing product-led growth strategy

(00:54:33) Paperspace acquisition by Digital Ocean

(00:56:20) The experience of a successful exit

(01:02:22) Advice for non-technical professionals entering the tech industry

(01:04:00) Importance of curiosity in personal and professional growth

(01:09:58) Mental models for success in wrestling and sales

(01:12:35) Importance of repetition and constant refinement

(01:14:17) Turning unhappy customers into happy ones

(01:16:08) Transitioning from sales to product-led growth

(01:20:55) Navigating the stressful acquisition process with Paperspace

(01:24:30) Balancing ego and humility in leadership

(01:26:36) Hacking the fundraising process through alternative methods

(01:30:11) The moment the wire hit after the successful exit

(01:33:54) Staying at Paperspace post-acquisition and future plans

(01:38:02) Coolest use cases of AI seen in the past month

(01:41:56) Concerns about big players in the AI space and the need for regulation

Episode Links

Paperspace: https://www.paperspace.com/
Digital Ocean: https://www.digitalocean.com/
Meltwater Group: https://www.meltwater.com/en
Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminlamson/
Jason Lemkin on having a mentor budget for VPs of sales: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/do-your-vps-have-mentor-budget-jason-m-lemkin-2c/?trk=public_post

Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forwardobsessed
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

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Aaron Lyles is the Founder and CEO of CommonAlly, a company that builds two-sided marketplaces to connect organizations with hard-to-reach communities in a way that empowers people and gives them agency over their data. Aaron's entrepreneurial journey began at a young age when he started a snowboarding magazine in high school despite challenges with ADHD. This experience taught him the value of passion, perseverance, and creative problem-solving. After college, Aaron founded a photography firm called Pixel Lab, which later evolved into a video production collective called Multiple Mammals.

The idea for CommonAlly was born out of Aaron's desire to create a more empathetic and less polarized world, especially for his young daughter, in the midst of the tumultuous 2016 election. He raised money from friends, family and dev firms to build the platform. Recently, CommonAlly was acquired by Small Great Ventures, allowing Aaron to continue pursuing his vision with the necessary resources and support. Throughout the interview, Aaron shares valuable insights and candid stories about the challenges of entrepreneurship, from difficult co-founder splits to navigating the acquisition process.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in mission-driven entrepreneurship and the real-world challenges and triumphs of building a startup. Aaron's story offers an honest and inspiring look at the entrepreneurial journey, with lessons on resilience, adaptability, and staying true to one's values in the face of adversity. Aspiring founders and business leaders will come away with practical insights and wisdom they can apply to their own ventures.

Episode Outline

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:03:47) Growing up with ADHD in the 80s and learning to navigate life differently

(00:05:12) Starting a snowboarding magazine in high school

(00:07:54) Overcoming academic struggles and getting into Emerson College

(00:10:21) Founding Pixel Lab photography business and evolving into Multiple Mammals

(00:17:07) Inspiration for starting CommonAlly during the 2016 election to combat polarization

(00:20:39) Challenges of being a solo founder and the importance of having the right partners

(00:25:34) Building a creative collective model with Multiple Mammals

(00:31:02) Pivoting CommonAlly's business model to focus on a two-sided marketplace

(00:37:29) Navigating the acquisition process with Small Great Ventures

(00:47:11) The role of AI in enhancing CommonAlly's offerings

(00:48:42) Lessons learned and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

(00:52:36) Fundraising challenges and the importance of strategic partnerships for growth

(00:57:15) The evolution of CommonAlly's services

(01:02:54) The significance of CommonAlly's acquisition and the continuation of Aaron's vision

(01:06:09) The importance of mission-driven entrepreneurship and staying true to one's values

(01:11:42) Closing thoughts and how to connect with CommonAlly for potential partnerships

Episode Links

CommonAlly (current company): https://www.commonally.com/
Multiple Mammals (previous company): https://www.multiplemammals.com/
Small Great Ventures (acquired CommonAlly): https://www.smallgreat.co/
Emerson College (attended): https://emerson.edu/

Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
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Kat Hantas is the co-founder of 21 Seeds, an infused tequila brand that was acquired by Diageo for $160 Million after just three years in business, being the largest exit ever by a female-founded spirits brand. Previously, Kat had a 15-year career in the film industry, working at Creative Artists Agency and as an independent producer developing horror and music-driven films.

In this interview, Kat shares her entrepreneurial journey, from starting her first business right out of college to pivoting to a film career focused on specific niches to launching 21 Seeds to solve her own pain points around finding an easy-to-drink, low-calorie alternative to wine and cocktails. 21 Seeds differentiated itself by targeting a specific customer - women and moms - with an elevated, all-natural infused tequila. The brand took off quickly, landing national distribution in under two years.

Kat shares candid insights useful for entrepreneurs and business leaders, including the importance of focusing relentlessly on a specific customer, hiring people with complementary skills, building a culture of respect and results, and understanding the operational drivers in your business. This is a must-listen interview for anyone interested in consumer products, branding, entrepreneurship, and learning from a founder who defied the odds to build a category-creating brand and successful exit in record time.

Episode Outline

Here is a concise outline of the key topics discussed in the interview, with timestamps:

(00:00:00) Introduction and overview of Kat Hantas' background
(00:04:13) Kat's childhood in Peru and moving to the US with her mother
(00:11:07) Impact of seeing her mother's work ethic and hustle
(00:14:39) Early entrepreneurial ventures and lessons learned
(00:22:06) Working in the film industry after college
(00:38:49) Challenges and ultimate failure of the movie "Taking Five"
(00:48:26) Stepping back from work to focus on family and early motherhood
(00:54:20) Health issues leading to switch from wine to infused tequila
(01:03:08) Recognizing the market opportunity for elevated infused tequila
(01:13:06) Launching 21 Seeds with her sister and co-founder in 2019
(01:15:58) Choosing Diageo as the acquirer for 21 Seeds
(01:21:58) The intensive due diligence process leading up to acquisition
(01:24:10) The emotional impact of the exit and concern for the team
(01:30:40) Advice for building an excellent team with separate swim lanes
(01:34:40) Dealing with copycats and the importance of speed to market
(01:38:13) Reflections on the 21 Seeds journey and future plans

Episode Links

21Seeds (company co-founded by Kat Hantas): www.21Seeds.com
21Seeds Instagram: www.instagram.com/21seeds
Kat’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathantas/
Kat’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-hantas-ba0621163/

Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
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Peter Thum is the Co-Founder and CEO of Muse, an AI-powered website builder and collaboration platform. He was previously the Founder of Ethos Water, which he successfully sold to Starbucks in 2005. Thum has also founded Fonderie 47, a company that transforms AK-47 assault rifles from African war zones into high-end jewelry and accessories, and Liberty United, which employs a similar model to reduce gun violence in the United States.

In this interview, Thum shares invaluable insights and experiences from his entrepreneurial journey, particularly the challenges and triumphs of building Ethos Water from a $10,000 startup to a major acquisition by Starbucks. He discusses the importance of bootstrapping, resourcefulness, and unwavering commitment to one's mission, even in the face of adversity. Thum also highlights the significance of strategic partnerships, as exemplified by his collaboration with Howard Schultz, which amplified the impact of Ethos Water and brought clean water access to millions of people in developing countries.

For young entrepreneurs, founders, MBA students, and managers, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. Thum's journey illustrates the importance of perseverance, adaptability, and the potential for businesses to drive positive social change. His experiences serve as a roadmap for navigating the complexities of building a mission-driven business while simultaneously making a meaningful impact on the world.

Episode Outline

(00:00:00) Introduction and overview of Peter Thum's background

(00:05:17) Peter's childhood in Korea and parents' careers

(00:09:39) Impact of losing his father at age 14

(00:14:01) Playing college football and being a team captain

(00:20:47) Early career at Gallo Winery and desire to move to Germany

(00:27:56) Decision to attend Kellogg School of Management

(00:32:39) Working at McKinsey & Company after business school

(00:44:43) Inspiration for Ethos Water during McKinsey projects

(01:03:21) Bootstrapping and launching Ethos Water

(01:18:27) Getting Ethos Water into Whole Foods and Starbucks

(01:32:13) Selling Ethos Water to Starbucks

(01:43:40) The social impact of Ethos Water with Starbucks' reach

(01:50:45) Founding Foundry 47 to transform AK-47s into luxury items

(01:56:03) Creating Liberty United to reduce gun violence in the US

(01:58:58) Co-founding Muse, an AI-powered no-code platform

(02:05:01) Muse's vision to democratize tech for all skill levels

Episode Links

Ethos Water
Starbucks
Fonderie 47 (founded by Peter Thum)
Liberty United (founded by Peter Thum)
Muse (current company, co-founded by Peter Thum)
McKinsey & Company (former employer)
Gallo Winery (former employer)
Kellogg School of Management (alma mater)

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Lindsey Andrews is the founder of Minibar, an on-demand alcohol delivery service that was acquired by Reserve Bar in 2021. Andrews is now the Founder and CEO of Revido, an app designed to revolutionize the way we review and recommend products and services.

Andrews' entrepreneurial journey began when she and her co-founder recognized the need for a convenient alcohol delivery service during their "takeout tuesdays," leading to founding the online alcohol delivery service, MiniBar. Throughout the interview, Andrews shares valuable insights and experiences from her entrepreneurial journey that led to Minibar’s acquisition. She discusses the challenges of navigating the highly regulated alcohol industry and the importance of having a strong network of advisors and investors. Andrews also touches on the difficulties of fundraising as a first-time entrepreneur and a woman in a male-dominated industry.

This episode is a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs, founders, MBA students, and managers. Andrews' journey is an excellent example of how to navigate the challenges of building a successful startup in a highly regulated industry. Her insights on fundraising, team building, and work-life balance are invaluable for anyone looking to start or grow a business. Additionally, her experience with the acquisition of Minibar and her decision to start a new venture provide a unique perspective on the different paths entrepreneurs can take after a successful exit.

Episode Outline

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:02:58) Lindsey Andrews' upbringing and early exposure to business

(00:07:07) Educational journey at Stanford and Wharton

(00:10:11) Early career experiences at Fresh Direct, Amazon, and Quidsi

(00:15:30) Aha moment and founding Minibar

(00:20:15) Navigating regulatory challenges in the alcohol delivery industry

(00:23:18) Fundraising challenges and lessons learned

(00:26:05) Building a strong team and leveraging outsourced talent

(00:30:39) Positioning and marketing strategies for Minibar

(00:35:41) Losing a term sheet and managing cash burn during difficult times

(00:42:44) Balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood

(00:45:41) Growth and impact of COVID-19 on Minibar's business

(00:49:52) Decision to sell Minibar and the acquisition process

(00:53:38) Taking time off and deciding to start a new venture, Revito

(00:58:17) Inspiration behind Revido and challenges of building a new startup

(01:02:59) Fundraising for Revido and current challenges

(01:08:12) Lindsey's daughter's perception of her as an entrepreneur

(01:11:08) Conclusion and key takeaways for aspiring entrepreneurs and founders

Episode Links

⁠Minibar⁠ - Lindsey Andrews' on-demand alcohol delivery startup

⁠Revido⁠ - Lindsey Andrews' new venture focused on trusted recommendations

⁠Reserve Bar⁠ - The company that acquired Minibar in 2021

⁠Fresh Direct⁠ - Lindsey Andrews worked here prior to founding Minibar

Support & Connect

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Jason Kirby is the Founder of Thunder.VC, an AI-powered investment bank that helps startups navigate the fundraising process. Previously, he was the Co-Founder and President of Liquid Sky, a cloud gaming company acquired by Walmart in 2018, and the President and COO of Generation Esports, an esports platform for schools that raised $11 million in funding.

Throughout the interview, Kirby shares valuable insights and lessons learned, such as the importance of setting deal terms before diving into due diligence, focusing on customer acquisition instead of fundraising, and the challenges of managing investor expectations. He also discusses his experience thriving in chaos and his ability to align teams towards a common goal.

Kirby's story is one of resilience, adaptability, and perseverance in the face of numerous challenges and setbacks. He emphasizes the value of learning from failure, building strong relationships, and staying committed to one's vision. His journey from photographer to successful tech founder and investor is an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the world of startups, fundraising, and entrepreneurship. Kirby's firsthand accounts of navigating acquisitions, pivoting business models, and managing team dynamics provide invaluable lessons for founders, MBA students, and managers alike. His story serves as a reminder that success often comes from embracing chaos, learning from failure, and never giving up.

Episode Outline

(00:00:00) Introduction and sponsorship messages
(00:03:15) Jason Kirby's early entrepreneurial journey and photography business
(00:10:32) Launching San Diego Photography Classes and the importance of asking questions
(00:15:19) Transitioning from photographer to business person with Toggly marketplace
(00:23:09) Raising capital for Togally and the importance of targeting the right investors
(00:26:25) Almost getting acquired by Kodak and lessons learned
(00:29:40) Joining Liquid Sky as Co-Founder and raising $12 million
(00:36:17) Samsung's acquisition offer and the deal falling through
(00:41:15) Pivoting Liquid Sky's business model and securing enterprise contracts
(00:43:44) Getting acquired by Walmart and the stressful acquisition process
(00:49:54) Becoming a Walmart employee and the shutdown of the gaming project
(00:51:51) Consulting for Generation Esports and helping them scale
(00:56:56) Raising funds for Generation Esports and navigating the COVID-19 pandemic
(01:02:45) Leaving Generation Esports due to differences in vision
(01:05:04) Founding Thunder.VC and building an AI-powered investment bank
(01:09:16) Identifying people who thrive in chaos and the importance of perseverance

Episode Links

Thunder.VC: https://web.thunder.vc/
Jason Kirby's Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonkirby
Jason Kirby's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki (Book): Amazon Link
Jason Kirby's podcast: Fundraising Demystified

Visit our sponsors:

Daas Good: ⁠www.daasgood.design⁠

Digital Surgeons: ⁠www.weareds.com⁠

Support & Connect

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Jess Lynch is currently the Cofounder and Founding Partner at Raiz Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm using data and community to reimagine startup investing. She was previously the Cofounder and CEO of Wishroute, a scalable behavior change platform that was acquired in 2022.

Throughout her journey, Jess has demonstrated remarkable resilience and leadership. This includes overcoming challenges like running out of cash and weathering the pandemic's impact on Wishroute's initial customers. She successfully led her company through an M&A process despite a difficult experience with one large potential acquirer. Jess credits her success to intuition, problem-obsession, and genuinely caring for people.

The interview touches on many topics valuable to founders and business leaders. Jess emphasizes the importance of having a technical co-founder or trusted advisor early on. She shares recommendations for managing fear, getting comfortable with discomfort, and pushing past the limits of your comfort zone. Additional insights include lessons learned from fundraising, managing investor relationships, preparing for acquisition, and running an accelerator program.

A key theme is Jess' remarkable perseverance and her development of an innate sense for when to push forward versus when it's time to change course. Her story demonstrates that entrepreneurial success requires hard work and also an element of luck or good timing. Overall, Jess Lynch provides a wealth of practical knowledge and inspiration for anyone interested in startups, venture capital, or leadership. This is a must-listen episode packed with forward-thinking wisdom.

Episode Outline

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:02:06) Early entrepreneurial interests and family backdrop
(00:05:31) Brother's juvenile diabetes diagnosis inspires family lifestyle changes
(00:07:16) Educational background at Babson College
(00:10:59) Early career in forensic accounting at PwC
(00:15:33) Leaving corporate career to pursue entrepreneurial path
(00:18:22) Working on BP oil spill litigation
(00:23:32) Finding the idea for Wishroute while at Babson MBA program
(00:25:37) Launching Wishroute and early traction
(00:27:34) Pandemic causes pivot from gyms to direct-to-consumer
(00:30:58) Fundraising challenges as a female founder without technical background
(00:32:04) Mental health during startup struggles and running out of cash
(00:36:41) Large potential acquirer ends up building internally instead
(00:42:26) Emotionally difficult decision to pursue acquisition of Wishroute
(00:43:04) Warning signs when deal-making with large companies
(00:44:51) Importance of letter of intent in M&A process
(00:47:19) Securing acquisition despite numerous setbacks
(00:49:20) Lifelong lessons in resilience from journey
(00:50:07) Reluctance to jump back into startup founder role after acquisition
(00:53:30) Currently supporting portfolio companies and investing in CT

Episode Links

Wishroute (founded by Jess Lynch): https://www.wishroute.com/

Raiz Capital (co-founded by Jess Lynch) https://raiz.vc/

Babson College: https://www.babson.edu/

Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/

Suggestic: https://suggestic.com/

Guidely: https://guidely.com/

Jessica Lynch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicallynch/

Jessica Lynch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessicallynch

Lenny's newsletter - https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/

The Lean Startup book - https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898

Brian Chesky episode on Lenny's newsletter - https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/brian-cheskys-contrarian-approach

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Adi Eckhouse Barzilai is the Co-Founder and CEO of RealFace, a facial recognition software company that was acquired by Apple Inc. She was previously in brand management at Procter & Gamble. As founder of RealFace, Adi helped pioneer mobile facial recognition capabilities that later became integral to Apple’s FaceID unlock feature. RealFace provided the core IP and engineering talent behind making robust facial authentication seamless for iPhone users worldwide. After multiple pivots and surviving high-stakes fundraising stresses familiar to most early-stage founders, Adi successfully negotiated an acquisition deal with Apple.

Throughout a wide-ranging interview, Adi shares hard-won lessons from her entrepreneurial journey in the high-risk world of consumer tech startups. For young founders, she strongly advocates getting hands-on experience learning computer science to better grasp future opportunities. Adi also believes time working at a top corporation exposes priceless insights on how elite marketing, product development, and operational scale-up works behind the scenes.

Episode Outline

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:02:00) Adi's background and early entrepreneurial influences

(00:06:00) Studying computer science and working at Procter & Gamble

(00:10:00) Getting an MBA from Columbia Business School

(00:14:00) The importance of branding for startups

(00:17:00) Adi's thoughts on MBAs and issues of antisemitism on campus

(00:20:00) The hostage crisis in Gaza

(00:23:00) Defining what a brand is

(00:26:00) Why investing in brand matters for startups

(00:30:00) Pivoting RealFace from a consumer app to facial recognition

(00:35:00) The challenges of being a startup founder/CEO

(00:40:00) Having the entrepreneurial "bug" and the importance of co-founders

(00:45:00) Differentiating between tech and product companies

(00:48:00) The niche strategy behind RealFace's technology

(00:55:00) Connecting with Apple and maintaining secrecy

(01:00:00) Negotiating the acquisition deal with Apple

(01:05:00) The emotional rollercoaster of the startup journey

(01:10:00) Adi's feeling when the Apple acquisition closed

(01:15:00) Trying to launch a nonprofit after the exit

(01:20:00) Why Adi is passionate about education and empowering girls

Episode Links

Procter & Gamble (former employer): https://us.pg.com/

RealFace (Co-Founder and CEO): https://www.timesofisrael.com/apple-buys-israels-facial-recognition-firm-realface-report/

Adi’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adi-eckhouse-barzilai-8000928/

Support & Connect

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Alex Dubin is the Founder and CEO of BettorOff, a sports betting platform designed to bring transparency and integrity to bettors through blockchain technology. After a few early career twists and turns, Alex Dubin leveraged a chance meeting in a poker game to pivot into sports betting just as daily fantasy sports (DFS) was taking off. He helped set up an investment fund that delivered over 70% returns by deploying algorithms and analytics to beat platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel. However, regulatory changes aimed at these DFS market leaders ultimately crushed Alex’s fund after an impressive 23 month run. Showing perseverance, he co-founded a sports data and analytics company focused on the exploding esports industry and was acquired within two years.

Alex then combined his passion for sports and his legal background to co-found BettorOff. With over 50 million sports bettors in the U.S. relying on questionable information sources, BettorOff verifies betting records and gives handicappers an equitable way to build reputation and community. The company wants to be the go-to source for sportsbook players and content creators in a niche Alex calls the “OnlyFans for sports betting”. He believes relentless pursuit of purpose and passion is key to thriving through the startup wilderness.

Episode Outline

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:01:29) Early career and background

(00:04:48) College struggles and resilience

(00:07:01) Getting Miami Heat internship

(00:10:00) Learning from Coach Pat Riley

(00:14:44) Launching fantasy sports fund

(00:18:26) Leaving law firm

(00:22:45) Shutting down the fund

(00:24:37) Pivoting to sports data startup

(00:26:34) ESPN partnership

(00:30:56) Acquisition by SportsGrid

(00:35:27) Starting BettorOff

(00:41:03) Building remote teams

(00:44:31) Fundraising approach

(00:48:19) Previous startup exits

(00:50:07) Parent reactions

(00:52:15) Vision for BettorOff

(00:55:52) Handicapper transparency

(01:00:07) Sports betting portfolio model

(01:02:18) Social network aspects

(01:06:57) Remote work culture

(01:17:53) Monetization models

(01:20:10) Market viability

Episode Links

BettorOff: https://www.bettoroff.com/
Miami Heat: https://www.nba.com/heat

Alex’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-dubin-41834261/

Pat RIley Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Riley

Winning Time (TV SHow): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winning_Time:_The_Rise_of_the_Lakers_Dynasty

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Beverly Parenti is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and cofounder of The Last Mile, a nonprofit providing technology training to incarcerated individuals. She has founded and cofounded several other successful companies, including First Virtual Holdings, one of the first online payment systems, which went public in the 1990s.

In the interview, Parenti stresses the importance of grit, resilience, choosing the right partners, and providing second chances. She recounts the origins of her entrepreneurial spirit from her parents, both survivors of the holocaust, along with the incredible story of her father escaping the Nazis. She discusses cofounding First Virtual Holdings and other startups, as well as cofounding the KickLabs accelerator, which successfully launched massive companies like Wish.com. Her current project is The Last Mile, which provides training in coding, web development, and other technical skills to prepare incarcerated individuals for careers in technology upon release. The organization has expanded to 8 states and gained support from leaders in business, government, and philanthropy. Parenti emphasizes the need to break generational cycles of incarceration and allow individuals to become productive members of society. Her journey and the work of The Last Mile showcase the power of purposeful work, compassion, and redemption.

Episode Outline

(00:00:00) Introduction of Beverly Parenti

(00:02:10) Parenti's childhood and entrepreneurial parents

(00:08:53) Launching the First Virtual Holdings payment system

(00:14:01) Moving to California and starting retail businesses

(00:21:34) Getting into tech/consulting in San Francisco

(00:25:57) Meeting Chris Redlitz and joining his startup

(00:30:34) Taking First Virtual Holdings public

(00:31:03) Leaving First Virtual Holdings and consulting

(00:33:48) Joining AdAuction.com with Chris Redlitz

(00:44:27) Starting KickLabs Accelerator

(00:51:02) KickLabs success stories like Wish.com

(00:55:50) Partnership with Chris Redlitz

(01:05:59) Cofounding The Last Mile nonprofit

(01:11:39) Expanding The Last Mile to reduce recidivism

Episode Links

Marketplace Consulting: https://www.marketplaceconsultinggroup.com/

The Last Mile: https://thelastmile.org/

The Last Mile Radio: https://thelastmileradio.org/

HBR Case Study on First Virtual Holdings: https://store.hbr.org/product/first-virtual-holdings-inc-a/98E007#:~:text=Source%3A%20Ivey%20Publishing-,First%20Virtual%20Holdings%2C%20Inc.,and%20services%20over%20the%20Internet.

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This year, we had 25 incredible interviews. 25 deep dives into the rollercoaster experience of building a company - taking an aha moment, nurturing it into a tangible idea for a business, building a team, getting funding, growing, failing, pivoting, growing again, failing again, exploding, and then - who knows. Every story is different - and yet, our team has been able to tease out some of the throughlines from all of these stories, the fundamental truths of entrepreneurship. We are taking everything we are learning, and we are creating a book - the ultimate field guide to building a business. Next Year, we will be taking the first 50 episodes of forward Obsessed and will distill this priceless entrepreneurial knowledge into a single book, one that we plan to get into your hands by next summer. Stay tuned :)

Being Forward Obsessed means taking your learnings from the past and applying them to the endeavors of the future with unbending resolve, curiosity, and ambition. One thing we have learned is that we have the best fanbase ever - thanks to people like you, sharing our episodes and clips, we reached over 3 million people in 2024 across all our channels.

As our year draws to a close, We are doing our yearly wrap, and we need your help, the audience, the listeners, who we do it for, to find the best clip. We have decided to award 5 of you a free Forward Obsessed T-shirt, one of the legendary “Progress, Pitfalls, and Pivots” mugs you see on every episode, and a signed copy of the Forward Obsessed book when it drops next year. In order to be eligible, you have to do the following: Pick out your favorite Forward Obsessed clip from our social media, share it to your instagram, share it to your instagram TikTok, share it to your instagram LinkedIn account, and Tag us so we can see it, and you will be in the running

From the entire team here at Digital Surgeons in New Haven Connecticut, we would like to thank you, the viewers and listeners, for your support, your feedback, your energy, and your genuine excitement that you shared with us in the last year. As a part of our end-of-year tradition, we decided to compile the top moment from every episode in the last year, as chosen by our viewers and listeners through their engagement. Like last year, It was tough to omit any piece of knowledge that our amazing guests brought to the table, as every episode presents a brilliant perspective on what it means to be an entrepreneur. I hope you enjoy these clips, take inspiration from these outstanding minds, and step into the new year refreshed and Forward Obsessed.

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Ben Kartzman is the COO of Mediaocean, a multi-billion dollar ad tech company. He was previously the CEO and co-founder of SpongeCell, an ad tech startup that was acquired by FlashTalking. Kartzman has successfully navigated multiple acquisitions and integrations throughout his career in ad tech.

In this interview, Kartzman outlines his journey from college soccer player to serial entrepreneur. He shares stories and lessons learned from the rise and fall of several startups, including gritting through the dot-com crash and having to lay off employees during the 2008 financial crisis. Kartzman stresses the importance of autonomy, transparency, building the right team, and learning to balance optimism with realism as an entrepreneur. He also provides an inside look at acquisition negotiations and building rapport with potential buyers. For entrepreneurs and aspiring founders, this interview offers hard-won wisdom on persevering through difficult times, pivoting business models, and creating successful exits. Kartzman shows that with resilience, adaptability, and the right teammates, one can navigate the turbulent waters of the startup world to build substantial companies.

Episode Outline

(00:00:00) Introduction of Guest: Ben Kartzman
(00:04:43) Kartzman's Early Interest in Entrepreneurship
(00:10:13) Kartzman's Experience During the Dot-Com Bubble
(00:14:28) Pivoting to Consulting
(00:18:18) Learning Entrepreneurial Skills Through Consulting
(00:20:09) Key Lessons from Early Mentors
(00:23:33) Working at a Startup While Having a Full-Time Job
(00:27:03) Kartzman's Strong Work Ethic and Drive
(00:29:03) Modeling Entrepreneurship and Work Ethic for His Kids
(00:35:31) Founding SpongeCell and Early Pivots
(00:39:04) Focusing on Revenue Instead of Fundraising
(00:41:19) Making Difficult Decisions Like Layoffs
(00:43:52) SpongeCell's Innovations in Ad Tech
(00:45:26) The Dangers of Prematurely Scaling
(00:49:55) Navigating Shifts in Market Dynamics
(00:52:17) Thoughts on Middle Management
(00:53:01) Acquisition Offers and Deciding to Remain Independent
(01:00:39) Navigating Conflicts with Investors
(01:04:40) Choosing the Right Acquirer
(01:08:23) Traits to Look for in a Buyer
(01:10:35) Was the FlashTalking Acquisition Serendipitous?
(01:12:38) Joining FlashTalking Post-Acquisition
(01:18:49) The Importance of Retaining Your Team Through Exits
(01:19:33) Being COO of a Multi-Billion Dollar Company
(01:21:49) Does Kartzman Miss Being a Startup CEO?
(01:25:13) The State of Ad Tech Innovation Today

Episode Links

Mediaocean: https://www.mediaocean.com/

FlashTalking: https://www.flashtalking.com/

SpongeCell: https://www.spongecell.com/

Toga Builders: http://www.togabuilders.com/

Carnegie Mellon University: https://www.cmu.edu/

Seabridge: https://www.seabridgegold.com/

BridgeLine: https://www.bridgeline.com/

Accenture: https://www.accenture.com/

Union Square Ventures: https://www.usv.com/

Dissidia/Guidestar: https://www.guidestar.org/

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Andre Swanston is the former CEO and Co-Founder of Tru Optik, a data and analytics company focused on connected TV (CTV) and streaming media. Tru Optik was acquired by TransUnion for over $100 million when Andre was under 40 years old.

Andre has an incredible backstory, growing up in the Bronx as the son of immigrants from St. Kitts and Nevis. He attended a prestigious boarding school on scholarship, which opened up opportunities but also required tremendous personal sacrifice and perseverance. After dabbling in restaurants, nightlife promotion and financial services, Andre had the vision to create TruOptik when he saw streaming media was going to transform the industry.

Despite the many systemic obstacles facing Black founders in fundraising and scaling startups, Andre managed to bootstrap early operations and eventually raise VC funding for Tru Optik. He built an exceptionally diverse leadership team that out-hustled the competition. Tru Optik focused on dominating the nascent connected TV space years before it became the center of digital media. Their technology and exclusive partnerships enabled them to accelerate rapidly when streaming demand exploded during the pandemic.

Now Andre has set his ambitious sights on bringing an MLS soccer team to Connecticut by 2026. He sees huge untapped potential in making it one of the most valuable soccer clubs globally, with the state's dense population, high income, passion for sports, and strategic location in the Northeast market. His bold goals, perseverance in the face of obstacles, and commitment to his team make Andre a standout founder story.

Episode Outline(00:02:00) Andre's immigrant upbringing and early drive for education
(00:05:38) Getting a scholarship to a prep school and grinding with independence
(00:10:00) Dealing with stereotypes and recognizing common motivations
(00:13:32) The evolution of his family's status over generations
(00:15:37) Attempts at entrepreneurship with restaurants and nightlife promotions
(00:21:28) Witnessing friends and clients pursuing startup investments
(00:23:42) Recognizing streaming media as the future and assembling a founding team
(00:28:41) His wife becoming a crucial partner in the business
(00:32:04) Strategically building an exceptionally diverse team
(00:34:01) Dominating the market by focusing early on connected TV
(00:37:04) The systemic funding obstacles facing Black founders
(00:39:30) Locking in partnerships and IPs years in advance of the streaming boom
(00:42:16) Structuring an acquisition deal to reward the team's sacrifice
(00:44:00) Weighing future fundraising potential vs securing a strategic win
(00:46:47) Bold visions setting the stage for going after an MLS team
(00:51:46) Assessing the untapped market potential in Connecticut

Episode LinksAndre’s LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreswanston/)

Andre’s Website (https://www.swanston.org/)

Andre’s Twitter (https://twitter.com/AndreSwanston)

TruOptik, Acquired by TransUnion) (https://www.transunion.com/)

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Jared James is an entrepreneur, investor, speaker, and author who was previously the #1 ranked realtor in the country. He has built numerous successful companies across industries like real estate, marketing, technology, and business coaching, and is an accomplished public speaker.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Jared shares insights from his journey starting with formative childhood experiences that ignited his entrepreneurial drive from a young age. He talks about the mindset shifts that propelled his success, including learning to run a business rather than just working hard, focusing on avoiding failure rather than chasing validation, and leveraging skills like public speaking and relationship-building. Jared provides tactical advice for entrepreneurs looking to build visibility and connect directly with their audience. He stresses the power of social media, email marketing, and speaking engagements to reach potential customers. A key mindset shift he recommends is creating content with no expectation of immediate returns.

The interview covers topics like authentic self-expression, managing success, and navigating criticism. He also shares how he stays grounded through constant self-reflection.

Episode Outline

• (00:00:00) Introduction to Jared James
• (00:02:00) Jared's childhood and entrepreneurial beginnings
• (00:07:15) Jared's experience working odd jobs and realizing he wanted more
• (00:10:00) Jared getting into real estate and becoming number one agent in the country
• (00:15:00) The difference between working hard and working smart
• (00:20:00) Jared's uncle advising him to aim higher in life
• (00:25:00) Jared transitioning into public speaking and building his personal brand
• (00:30:00) Being your authentic self publicly vs. privately
• (00:35:00) Responding to jokes/comments that offend some people
• (00:40:00) The duality and insecurities within successful people
• (00:45:00) Jared building direct relationships with his audience
• (00:50:00) Jared's journey with writing books
• (00:55:00) The role of feedback and criticism in becoming successful
• (01:00:00) Jared being introverted and letting few people see his full personality
• (01:05:00) Drawing boundaries on how much of yourself to share publicly
• (01:10:00) Jared's portfolio of companies and entrepreneurial pursuits
• (01:15:00) The real estate industry and reactions to lawsuits
• (01:20:00) Jared's First Up real estate tech company
• (01:25:00) Jared acquiring companies to solve problems he sees
• (01:30:00) Jared leveraging everything in his life to do more with less
• (01:35:00) Rejecting the fear of rejection and putting yourself out there
• (01:40:00) Where to find Jared online

Episode Links

• Connect with Jared: https://www.connectwithjared.com/
• Website: https://www.jaredjamestoday.com/
• Enjoy Success Today (Book): https://www.amazon.com/ENJOY-SUCCESS-TODAY-Thriving-Business/dp/160145855X
• Get Out of Your Way (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Get-Out-YOUR-Jared-James/dp/1633672786

Podcast Info

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

Support & Connect

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Arun Nijhawan is the co-founder and CEO of Menda Health, a startup using therapy to provide drug and surgery-free treatment for chronic pain. He was previously co-founder of FillMyFork, a startup focused on healthy eating that was acquired by FoodSmart. Nijhawan studied astrophysics in college before moving to Silicon Valley to participate in the prestigious Alchemist accelerator program run by billionaire VC Tim Draper. He overcame significant health challenges starting from a young age, including lifelong kidney disease that required a transplant at age 18 and years of debilitating chronic back pain.

In this wide-ranging interview, Nijhawan shares his origin story as the son of immigrant entrepreneurs and discusses the difficulties facing children of immigrants navigating between cultures. Nijhawan also talks about developing chronic back pain while working at FoodSmart, which led him on a journey of research and discovery into new ways of treating chronic pain focused on the brain and nervous system rather than just the physical structure.

The interview provides an inside look at Nijhawan's latest venture Menda Health, which takes a similar approach to treating chronic pain by training therapists and using technology to increase access. He explains how they pivoted to a tech-enabled services model and now accept insurance to remove barriers for patients. Nijhawan argues passionately that the current healthcare system is failing people with chronic pain, costing $650 billion annually, and needs to change its focus from surgeries and medications to nervous system-based treatments. For young entrepreneurs, he shares lessons on bootstrapping and patience in startup journeys.

OUTLINE:

(00:02:00) Growing up as son of immigrant entrepreneurs
(00:05:00) Navigating Indian and American cultures
(00:07:15) Overcoming health challenges from a young age
(00:10:00) Developing chronic back pain while working at startup
(00:12:30) Embarking on research into new chronic pain treatments
(00:17:00) Having a pivotal moment realizing pain pathways changing
(00:20:00) Founding chronic pain treatment startup Menda Health
(00:25:00) Pivoting from app to tech-enabled services model
(00:30:00) Raising first funding round for Menda Health
(00:35:00) Being acquired by FoodSmart with first startup
(00:40:00) Moving from hustle culture to slower, patient approach
(00:45:00) Explaining how chronic pain is often brain-created
(00:50:00) Detailing the high cost of ineffective chronic pain treatment
(00:55:00) Achieving pain freedom with nervous system-based care
(01:00:00) Providing Chronic Pain treatment through virtual therapy
(01:05:00) Building infrastructure to scale impact
(01:10:00) Fostering human connection to address root of pain
(01:15:00) Envisioning paradigm shift in how pain is addressed

EPISODE LINKS:

• Arun’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunnijhawan/
• Arun’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nijhawhat
• Menda Health: https://www.menda.health/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Alan Lazowski is the founder and CEO of LAZ Parking, the largest privately held parking company in the United States. Alan has grown LAZ Parking from being a valet parking attendant to running over 3,600 locations and 1.5 million parking spaces across 41 states. The company manages over $2 billion in annual revenue.

The interview focuses heavily on stories from Alan's family background. Alan's parents are both Holocaust survivors from Poland; Alan’s father was only 11 years old when the Nazis invaded his village. Through an incredible story of perseverance, Alan’s father survived the ordeal and came to America to build a new life with his wife, a survivor from the same village in Poland.

Alan credits his persistence and "never give up" attitude to his family's story of surviving against all odds. The stories from Alan's childhood underpin the culture and values at LAZ Parking today, such as leading with love, believing in second chances, and valuing employees as family.

Overall, this interview provides a fascinating origin story of a successful parking empire, from Alan's humble beginnings to running one of the largest companies of it’s kind in the United States. More importantly, it offers inspiration, wisdom, and values that any entrepreneur or leader should learn from. Alan's perseverance and philosophy is a model to follow.

OUTLINE:

(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:30) Alan's origin story and family background as Holocaust survivor
(00:07:00) Surviving the Nazi ghetto and selection that saved Alan's father's life
(00:10:00) Father's journey as refugee to America and becoming a rabbi
(00:13:00) Starting the valet parking business in college
(00:18:00) Expanding into parking garage management
(00:19:00) Surviving real estate crash and $8M debt
(00:23:00) Building company culture and leading with love
(00:26:00) Giving second chances (Will Cordero story)
(00:29:00) Being generous and the "yes" mentality
(00:31:00) Supporting other entrepreneurs
(00:35:00) Surviving the COVID pandemic
(00:40:00) Developing resilience
(00:44:00) Continuous learning and education
(00:49:00) Hopes for a movie about his family's story
(00:53:00) Focus on people's passion, not just profits
(00:57:00) Unlocking potential and talent in employees
(01:00:00) Pivoting during COVID with new ideas and innovations

EPISODE LINKS:

• LAZ Parking: https://www.lazparking.com/
• Conscious Capitalism: https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/
• Faith and Destiny (book by Alan's father): https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Destiny-Philip-Lazowski/dp/0977959619
• Into the Forest (book about Alan's mother by Rebecca Frankel): https://www.amazon.com/Into-Forest-Holocaust-Survival-Triumph/dp/1250267641

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Wiley Cerilli is a serial entrepreneur and founder of companies like Seamless Web, SinglePlatform, and Good Uncle. He was previously the VP and General Manager of Constant Contact after they acquired his company SinglePlatform for $100 million. Throughout his career, Cerilli has experienced immense personal and professional growth, including overcoming the tragic loss of his father at a young age.

The interview covers Cerilli's inspirational journey, from losing his father while in high school and becoming "CEO" of his family, to the lessons he learned from successful exits at Seamless Web and SinglePlatform. He provides tactical advice for entrepreneurs on topics like fundraising, hiring, sales, product development, and maintaining work-life balance through difficult times. Cerilli stresses the importance of community and resilience when dealing with trauma and chaos. He shares vulnerable stories and actionable frameworks like "Test, Tune, Scale" that provide invaluable insights for young founders. This emotional yet practical interview exemplifies how entrepreneurs can draw strength from hardship, build empathy and vision, and manifest success through perseverance.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00:00) Intro
• (00:00:31) Introduction to Wiley Cerilli's background and entrepreneurial journey
• (00:02:39) Losing his father to cancer at a young age and the impact on his family
• (00:05:50) Overcoming adversity and tragedy through entrepreneurship
• (00:07:15) Getting his start in startups at Seamless Web
• (00:10:00) Starting Single Platform and lessons on fundraising
• (00:14:02) Founding ghost kitchen startup Good Uncle
• (00:17:02) Entrepreneurial mindset and creating urgency
• (00:22:39) Exiting Single Platform to Constant Contact
• (00:28:27) Research on childhood loss and achievement
• (00:31:36) Starting the non-profit Experience Camps
• (00:35:18) Balancing urgency and breaking people in business
• (00:43:22) Being ahead of the market with Good Uncle
• (00:52:14) Building sales teams and call centers
• (01:00:38) Emotions after a big exit
• (01:06:14) Grieving as an entrepreneur
• (01:10:00) Skipping steps when scaling companies
• (01:15:11) Selling Good Uncle to Aramark
• (01:17:02) Founding House Account and digitizing home services

EPISODE LINKS:

• Wiley’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wileycerilli/
• Wiley’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/wileycerilli?lang=en
• Seamless Web: https://www.seamless.com/
• SinglePlatform: https://my2.singleplatform.com
• Good Uncle: https://www.gooduncle.com/
• Experience Camps: https://experiencecamps.org/
• David and Goliath Book: https://www.amazon.com/David-Goliath-Underdogs-Misfits-Battling/dp/0316204374
• Thinking Fast and Slow Book: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-and-Slow-audiobook/dp/B005Z9GAJG
• The Perfect Storm Movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177971/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Chris Redlitz is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Last Mile, leading a national movement across our country to provide in-prison technology education and post-incarceration mentorship to justice-involved people across the United States. Chris had previously sold a chain of running stores called Second Sole, founded and sold AdAuction.Com, co-founded Kicklabs, and co-founded Transmedia Capital, a fund and incubator that has helped launch and grow 38 tech companies to massive exits.

After spending his young-adult years on adventures around the world, including a 3-person sailing trip to Hawaii with no digital navigation equipment, Chris followed his passion for ultra-running and founded Second Sole, a retail store in California for high-level running equipment. Chris’ leadership in that space caught the attention of the rapidly growing sportswear giant Reebok, and Chris' meteoric rise in Reebok and his instrumental role in its massive IPO was the first of many profound successes in his life. Sensing the impending dot-com boom, Chris ventured into the digital realm at the perfect moment, leading to multiple successful acquisitions.

Throughout the interview, Chris shares personal stories and anecdotes that shed light on the realities of entrepreneurship. From the pain of a failed IPO to the importance of having a supportive partner, Chris' stories captivate and inspire listeners. Chris' experience and wisdom offer valuable lessons and insights for navigating the challenges and opportunities that come with building a business.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) Intro
• (2:00) Early years as a rebel
• (6:40) Dropping out college to sail to Hawaii
• (13:00) Where my rebellious spirit came from
• (16:30) Becoming addicted to running and opening a running store
• (19:00) Joining Reebok as they grew from $10M to $4B
• (21:41) Why Nike succeeded where Reebok failed
• (24:04) Transitioning into the Dot Com Boom with AdAuction.com
• (27:00) What the Dot Com Boom was like
• (30:00) The mental benefits of running
• (37:00) Recovering from the Dot Com crash
• (41:30) Starting a VC company that actually cares about their founders
• (52:00) Know which moonshot idea to invest into
• (56:15) Why are VC funds going dry?
• (1:03:25) Why Safenotes killed the VC industry
• (1:09:53) The Last Mile - Technology training in prison
• (1:13:49) Entrepreneurship in prison
• (1:18:00) Building a movement across political lines
• (1:20:30) Why previously incarcerated people are the hardest workers
• (1:24:40) Building a company by and for incarcerated people

EPISODE LINKS:

• The Last Mile: https://thelastmile.org/
• The Last Mile WIkipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Mile_(prison_rehabilitation_program)
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TLM
• LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-last-mile/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxnslwxnp3acFh13V-uvvJQ
• Chris’ Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisredlitz
• Chris’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisredlitz/
• Chris’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/credlitz/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Eric Rosow is the CEO and Co-founder of Diameter Health. He was previously the Founder and CEO of Premise Corporation and has extensive experience in healthcare technology and entrepreneurship. Under his leadership, Diameter Health’s innovative technology has been adopted by major health systems across the country, and was acquired by Availity in 2022.

In this episode, Rosow shares insights and entrepreneurial stories from across the healthcare landscape. He discusses his journey as a founder, starting with his early days at Hartford Hospital where he identified a need for better data management in healthcare. This led to the creation of Premise Corporation, which developed a bed management dashboard and gained clients including prestigious hospitals and health systems.

Eric delves into the challenges he faced in transitioning from a consulting firm to a product company and how they found their competitive advantage in data improvement processes. He emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs and market demand, utilizing the Pragmatic marketing framework.

Throughout the episode, Eric discusses the significance of establishing a strong team and maintaining transparent communication. He also highlights the value of mentorship, recounting his partnerships and the impact they had on his journey as a young founder and CEO.

Through the power of metaphor (and real-life experience) Eric explains his passion for rowing and the transformative power it can have on inner-city youth, drawing parallels between the dedication required in rowing and entrepreneurship. He also reveals his interest in bees, discussing their healing benefits and his recent endeavors into being a beekeeper.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) Intro
• (1:47) Early years
• (4:20) Developing the entrepreneurial mindset
• (6:05) How competitive rowing changed my life
• (9:25) Brute force vs. “swing”
• (15:45) Why I started in medical engineering
• (18:00) Developing “air traffic control” for a hospital
• (21:02) Transitioning from being an employee to being a founder
• (23:51) Raising money for my first startup
• (27:16) How to build a good board for your business
• (31:20) Getting acquired, almost by accident
• (36:09) Founding Diameter Health
• (38:21) What is an “onlyness factor?”
• (43:50) How to build a great team culture
• (48:45) Selling Diameter Health
• (51:33) The art of the start
• (54:00) What CEO’s can learn from bees

EPISODE LINKS:

• Diameter Health
• Alleycorp
• Eric’s LinkedIn
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things (Book)
• The Boys In The Boat (Book
• The Wisdom Of Bees (Book)
• Thinking In Bets (Book)
• A Most Beautiful Thing (Movie)

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Yasha Filippenko is exiting founder of Sailplay, a B2C marketing automation platform, and the founder of Intch, a professional social networking platform. Born in Kazakhstan and later moving to Russia, Yasha specialized in mathematics, a path that eventually led him into the realm of technology. His tech career kicked off at Yandex, Russia's largest search engine, providing him with invaluable industry insights and experiences. Yasha then moved on to launch his first company, navigating through a series of challenges before successfully exiting. His entrepreneurial journey didn't stop there; after a stint at a venture capital firm where he further honed his business acumen, he initiated his most recent venture, Inch.

In the interview, Yasha delves into an array of relevant and informative topics for young entrepreneurs, founders, business owners, and MBA students. He shares the story of his humble beginnings, providing listeners with a candid account of the twists and turns he encountered while building and exiting his first company. Yasha's experience in both startup and venture capital realms offers listeners valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of launching and scaling a business. Furthermore, the journey of Inch, his latest venture, provides practical insights into the tenacity and vision required to sustain and grow a successful enterprise. This episode is a treasure trove of entrepreneurial wisdom, from understanding market dynamics to navigating venture capital, making it a must-listen for those keen on the entrepreneurial journey.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) Intro
• (1:34) Early years in Kazakhstan in a tiny town
• (4:00) Why I became obsessed with math
• (7:58) How I began my interest in entrepreneurship
• (12:30) What are the most important skills of a project manager?
• (15:00) Getting started at Yandex
• (18:45) “I can do it better” - my reason to become an entrepreneur
• (22:03) The concept behind SailPlay
• (26:00) Raising money and almost getting acquired
• (30:00) Why our first acquisition fell apart
• (37:14) What I learned from a failed acquisition
• (43:05) What is product market fit?
• (46:54) Fast nickels are better than slow dimes
• (49:40) When the wire hit from our acquisition
• (54:13) In an acquisition, the devil is in the details
• (57:40) Why I went into venture capital
• (59:40) Why I founded Intch
• (1:09:45) How we are different than LinkedIn and Indeed
• (1:16:42) LinkedIn is overrun with spam
• (1:20:00) Fixing incentives for users on professional social media platforms
• (1:28:00) Replacing employees with Chat GPT

EPISODE LINKS:

• Sailplay: https://sailplay.net/
• Inch: https://intch.org/
• Yasha’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yfilippenko/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Explore the fast-paced world of video marketing and user generated content with Lucas Loeffler, exiting founder of QuickFrame. In this interview, Lucas talks about his early years as a part-planner and rule-bender, his rapid rise and fall in the world of football, and re-discovering his identity after losing the ability to play his favorite sport. Lucas talks about why he turned down a six-figure dream job out of college, what inspired him to become an entrepreneur, and how he discovered the concept for a multi-million dollar company while pranking people on Craigslist. This interview dives deep into the world of marketing, media management, and the often convoluted process of building and selling your business.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) Intro
• (2:00) Early years and family influences
• (9:45) Being a rule breaker and playing football in school
• (14:11) Rediscovering my identity after losing the ability to play football
• (17:30) Turning down a six-figure offer out of college
• (20:31) Doing business development at Identified
• (25:54) “I don't want to work for you - I want to BE you.”
• (28:00) What is business development?
• (29:45) Deciding to go to Wharton for Business School
• (32:00) Founding QuickFrame with a Craigslist experiment
• (39:24) Starting a company with $50,000
• (44:10) Building a tech company team from scratch
• (47:00) Maintaining stamina for 6 years of hard work
• (50:10) Getting our first customer - Pepsi
• (54:00) Fundraising through scrappy means
• (58:15) Investors always choose the jockey over the horse
• (1:03:30) Pivoting from raising money to cutting my team
• (1:10:20) Balancing institutional and strategic interests
• (1:13:30) Getting acquired by Ryan Reynolds at Mountain Digital
• (1:18:05) When the wire dropped
• (1:22:40) Being an employee again

EPISODE LINKS:

• Quickfrrame: https://quickframe.com/
• Mountain Digital: https://mountain.com/
• Lucas’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-loeffler-25887a24/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Ryan Shank is the exited founder of PhoneWagon, the founder of Cameo Ventures, and the founder of ShareWillow.

In this interview, dive into Ryan’s incredible entrepreneurial journey as he takes you through his early aha moments, bumpy periods of rapid growth, struggling with addiction, and finally getting his company acquired. Ryan opens up about his struggles with addiction and self-doubt, the pressure he faced as a founder, and the journey of finding balance in his life. He highlights the importance of seeking accountability, structure, and support systems. Ryan's story serves as an inspiration to entrepreneurs and founders who face challenges, reminding them that with determination, self-reflection, and a positive mindset, they can overcome obstacles and build successful ventures.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) Intro
• (2:18) Early years
• (4:30) First experiences in hustling and sales
• (14:03) My first sales job at a startup
• (17:00) The entrepreneur’s mindset
• (20:00) Going through my first acquisition
• (25:07) Getting sued for a blogpost
• (27:00) Over Communicate with your team
• (30:50) Mastering inbound marketing
• (30:45) What is product/market fit?
• (35:00) Getting acquired and exiting
• (41:00) Becoming a founding entrepreneur
• (44:45) Going from an idea to a real company
• (54:30) Realizing I was struggling with an addiction
• (57:31) We didn’t have “true product/market fit”
• (1:04:00) What I learned from addiction treatment
• (1:08:00) Getting acquired while in addiction treatment
• (1:13:57) When employees steal from your company
• (1:18:54) Why do acquisitions include escrow?
• (1:21:00) Life after selling my company
• (1:24:31) Being transparent about my past
• (1:26:50) Why entrepreneurs are often neurodivergent
• (1:31:30) Going all in on ShareWillow
• (1:39:26) My non-negotiables to maintain mental health

EPISODE LINKS:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-shank-94508328/
• Cameo Ventures: https://www.cameoventures.com/
• Sharewillow: https://www.sharewillow.com/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Gioel Molinari is the Founder of Autostrada, a boutique automotive club and showroom in Westport, CT. He was previously the exiting Founder of ClariFi and President of Butterfly Network, a medical device company that is democratizing healthcare by making medical imaging as accessible as a stethoscope.

In this episode, David Salinas and Pete Sena sit down with entrepreneur and leader Gioel Molinari to discuss various topics relating to entrepreneurship, leadership skills, and growing companies. Gioel shares his diverse journey, ranging from being a partner at Bridgewater, to starting from scratch while dealing with depression, to building one of the most innovative medical device companies in the world. Delve into the challenges Gioel faced when tasked with getting FDA clearance for a handheld ultrasound product and the lessons learned about the long cycle times and high costs associated with making hardware changes. Explore Gioel's belief in self-education and the value of practical skills over structured education. Gioel dives into the current state of the technology business, the importance of a motivated and gritty workforce, and the potential for other countries to surpass if they don't pick up their game.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) Intro
• (2:00) Early years
• (3:31) Entrepreneurship is in your DNA
• (7:00) Family businesses and crafts
• (13:30) Working in family businesses as a child
• (17:21) Instilling work ethic in young people
• (24:30) Speed, Simplicity, and Scaling
• (30:37) Finding and utilizing world-class talent
• (38:35) Dealing with the egos of talented people
• (45:57) Why get an education in Chemical Engineering?
• (51:04) Timing is everything in entrepreneurship
• (54:40) Pivoting to E-Commerce
• (59:30) The Wall-Street Quant Crash
• (1:04:50) Defining product market fit
• (1:09:20) Why startups are unglamorous meat grinders
• (1:20:40) How I got fired from Bridgewater
• (1:25:15) Dealing with depression and starting at Butterfly
• (1:33:13) Changing healthcare with a handheld ultrasound device
• (1:38:00) Innovating in healthcare with e-commerce
• (1:43:53) Pitching is about storytelling
• (1:47:20) You are the best person to run your company
• (1:53:46) Autostrada

EPISODE LINKS:

• Gioel’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gioelmolinari/
• Autostrada Event Page: https://onthemarcevents.com/venues/autostrada-westport
• Autostrada Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autostradawestport/?hl=en

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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John Owen is the Co-founder and formerly the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Jetblue Airlines. John is currently an Angel Investor, Venture Partner, and advisor for multiple brands.

In this episode of Forward Obsessed, David and Pete speak with John Owen, co-founder of JetBlue, about his experiences in starting one of the largest airlines in the United States. Starting with his early experiences at Southwest Airlines, John discusses the importance of creating a positive company culture and hiring employees who fit that culture. Learn about the value of hiring for attitude and the need to rectify hiring mistakes before they negatively impact the work environment, especially when starting a business and experiencing rapid growth. Explore John’s decision-making process in building a successful brand, and how he focuses on the importance of differentiating Jetblue’s product from the competition. For young entrepreneurs and leaders, the message is clear: create a cohesive team, prioritize attitude over qualifications, and differentiate your product in a way that makes it stand out from competitors.

Key Topics:

• Co-founding and growing Jetblue
• Impact of 9/11 on the airline industry and creative solutions
• Creating Core Values for JetBlue: Safety, Caring, Integrity, Fun, and Passion
• Building an Airline Brand
• Creating and Leading a Positive Corporate Culture

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) Intro
• (2:00) Growing up in “small-town” Oklahoma
• (4:30) Going to Wharton
• (8:00) The inspiration behind getting a pilots license
• (11:45) My first job with American Airlines
• (16:30) The terrible culture and practices at American Airlines
• (21:57) The power of corporate culture for Southwest Airlines
• (24:55) Psychic income
• (26:30) Why Herb Kellerher was such a strong leader at Southwest
• (29:30) The successful growth strategy of Southwest Airlines
• (32:00) How to handle teams that are complaining and lazy
• (36:00) Acquiring Morris Air and achieving rapid growth
• (44:30) How David Neeleman was set up for failure at Southwest
• (48:19) Co-founding JetBlue
• (55:30) Achieving “super speed” and agility at JetBlue
• (1:01:00) The “Boeing Killer”
• (1:04:00) Managing a visionary leader
• (1:08:00) KPI’s can cause negative behavioral incentives
• (1:11:25) How JetBlue survived 9/11
• (1:19:00) JetBlue’s incredible IPO
• (1:22:00) Jetblue’s focus on design and marketing
• (1:29:40) The new, cheap business model for airlines
• (1:35:30) Transitioning to Volite Airlines

EPISODE LINKS:

• Jetblue Airlines: https://www.jetblue.com/
• John’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-owen-a22a43ab/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Neil Bainton is the Co-Creator and COO of Mailchimp, and is currently an investor, advisor, and photographer.

On this episode of Forward Obsessed, Neil Bainton discusses his unique career journey, starting with learning Russian during the Cold War and actually moving to Russia at the end of the Cold War to work for DuPont. Neil recalls Russia as an “entrepreneurial black slate,” transitioning to work for Pepsi, creating successful (and sometimes fervent) promotional campaigns in Russia. Neil talks about the challenges of doing business in Russia, returning to the US to participate in the dotcom boom, and recalls his early business that led to helping build MailChimp.

Throughout the episode, Bainton highlights the importance of design and innovation in staying ahead of competitors, and how the internet has drastically changed the business landscape. Tune in to this insightful episode as Bainton shares his wisdom and perspective gained from his unique journey. The episode also highlights some of the unique aspects of MailChimp's success, such as their passionate focus on design, their 'Forever Free' offering, their ability to compete with larger companies, and why Neil decided to eventually exit the business to pursue a better personal life.

Key Entrepreneurial Topics From This Interview

• The importance of design and user experience for a startup's success
• Going against industry norms and embracing competitors' new ideas
• The benefits of being an extremely lean team that can out-innovate competitors
• The challenges of doing business in a country with lack of rule of law to protect businesses
• The importance of addressing spam and automation in product development
• The success of a "Forever Free" model for a unique approach to the market
• The value of advertising in international markets, despite tough competition
• The potential for fraud in today's world, and the importance of protecting business assets
• The impact of changes in market dynamics and emerging competition.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) Intro
• (2:02) Early Years
• (3:36) Going to Russia as a young man
• (8:13) The dichotomy between Communism and Capitalism
• (16:29) Why Wharton is so good at producing excellent MBAs
• (20:37) Working with Dupont in the Soviet Union
• (24:53) Where does work ethic come from?
• (26:40) Transitioning to Pepsi
• (30:08) How Russian businesses use fear to do business
• (35:14) Being too early in fintech
• (46:30) Fostering entrepreneurship in large companies
• (48:50) Cultivating a work environment of experimentation and creativity
• (50:00) Joining MailChimp as #4 on the team
• (53:30) Designing the “voice” and experience of MailChimp
• (1:00:00) Using “forever free” and product-led growth strategies
• (1:04:00) Why I left MailChimp

EPISODE LINKS:

• Website: https://www.neilbainton.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nbainton/
• Photography: https://www.neilbainton.photos/

RELATED KEYWORDS

DuPont, Lycra, Russian manufacturers, textiles, hosiery, competition, fear, tax inspectors, regulatory challenges, Russian culture, communism, group-focused, individual rights, Soviet Union, bankrupt, national TV, rules, Putin, SaaS product launches, go-to-market, referral strategies, MailChimp, Atlanta, funding, design, user experience, out-innovating, competitors, winner-takes-all, auto tag tool, Cold War era, rule of law, privatization, oligarchs, developers, capital, spam, Email Genome Project, Forever Free, Forward Obsessed, Woodbridge, Pepsi, Stolichnaya Vodka, Coke, salty snacks, safety-oriented culture, gunpowder, high market concentration, margins, consumer-oriented, Conoco, government approval, advertising, market dynamics, matching halves promotion, fraud.

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Steve Shwartz is an award winning author, angel investor, serial entrepreneur, and one of the foundational engineers behind AI technologies like natural language processing.

On this episode of Forward Obsessed, we dive deep into the profitable (and tumultuous) world of Artificial Intelligence and AI Language Models. Our guest is Steve Schwartz, an accomplished AI engineer, author, investor, and entrepreneur who has built and sold multiple companies and novel AI technologies. Steve shares his incredible story of developing AI language models in the 80’s, his insights on the current state of AI, and analyzes the tools and technologies being used in the AI arms race. We discuss Steve's background and his unlikely transition from academia to entrepreneurship, how language models worked then vs. now, Chat GPT, and the potential for AI to transform the way our society operates. Finally, we also dive into potential use cases and concerns around AI, "killer robots," and reflect on the future of Artificial Intelligence.

6 Key Entrepreneurial Topics From This Interview

• The importance of creativity and effective communication as the two biggest competitive advantages in business.
• The possibility of using AI tools, like Chat GPT, as assistants to reduce workload and increase productivity.
• The importance of learning from failures and setbacks and seeking guidance and mentorship.
• The impact of rapid technological advancements on businesses and the need to adapt and innovate.
• The value of finding niche markets and creating premium products.
• The potential of AI technology and its impact on society, such as its use in different industries and concerns about ethics and safety

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (1:51) - Early years in Cape Cod with entrepreneurial parents
• (3:35) - “I learned to hate entrepreneurship and business as a kid”
• (5:05) - Attending an experimental school in Florida
• (9:38) - Going to Johns Hopkins for a PhD
• (13:28) - Creating an AI program to predict horse racing results
• (17:33) - Pivoting from teaching to being an entrepreneur
• (22:45) - What is a natural language interface?
• (28:58) - Making AI language models for an Oil rigging company
• (32:02) - Building Intelligent Business Systems
• (36:34) - Why AI was unpopular in the 1980’s
• (38:05) - Why I don’t invest in academics
• (41:25) - Being too early with a brilliant idea
• (46:20) - How to avoid accounting scandals
• (52:30) - Dealing with stress during scandal
• (58:01) - Pitfalls and disasters while trying to sell my business
• (1:00:30) - Add a “Best Efforts” clause to your contracts
• (1:05:30) - What is a CTO?
• (1:10:08) - Founder teams will make or break a good idea
• (1:15:00) - Why Al Subbloie is changing the game
• (1:21:05) - Joining Tangoe and Device42
• (1:27:30) - The recent call to slow AI development
• (1:30:00) - What ChatGPT isn’t as powerful as people think
• (1:36:00) - Good uses for ChatGPT
• (1:45:20) - The future of AI technology
• (1:50:00) - The best places to invest in AI

EPISODE LINKS:

• AI Perspectives: https://www.aiperspectives.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveshwartz/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sshwartz?lang=en
• Steve’s Book: https://www.aiperspectives.com/evil-robots/

RELATED KEYWORDS

multimodal model, Zapier, Make, SaaS tools, Chat GPT, plugin architecture, AI, Auto GBT, Pine Cone, vector embeddings, reinforcement learning, GPD, creativity, communication, assistant, productivity, four-day workweek, career change, Intelligent Business Systems, natural language interfaces, Lisp, Digital Equipment Corporation, Knowledgeware, AI arms race, killer robots, monitors, Bert Green, supervised learning, horse racing, Lenny, golf hat business, mahogany stand, Hopkins, Steve Costlin, Stephen Pinker, Jeff Hinton, Yale, Roger Shank, neurosurgery.

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Michael Kalman is the Chief Strategy Officer for PersonalRX, Advisory Board Member for iCleanse, and was previously the founder and CEO of MediaCrossing, a digital marketing agency which sold to Kubient in 2021.

Kalman is a media and digital marketing expert who has been in the industry since 1990. On this episode of Forward Obsessed, learn about how a group of people started a trading desk to offer programmatic digital media to middle-market clients, and how their focus on good governance and hiring the right professionals led to a successful sale of the company. Hear about the importance of having a core team that believes in the vision of the business, finding personal relationships that can help improve oneself, as well as the importance of balancing work and personal life. Build better teams with Michael’s tips for identifying individuals with passion and integrating them into an established group. Interested in selling your business? Learn about Michael’s top tips for setting your acquisition up for success.

Key Topics:

• Importance of work ethic and giving back
• Creating a successful trading desk
• Importance of having a core team with shared empathy and goals
• The importance of finding personal relationships as an entrepreneur
• Balancing work and personal life
• Learning from mistakes and negative feedback
• The importance of passion and creating a healthy company culture
• Strategies for a successful sale of a business

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (1:30) - Early years at a small agency
• (7:53) - The first time I got my “teeth kicked in” by a client
• (12:00) - Your client wants you to succeed
• (14:43) - The root of every personal and professional problem
• (17:27) - The hardest challenge that agencies face
• (20:30) - The problem with unspoken expectations
• (24:14) - Reliance on social media can be a disservice for brands
• (27:41) - Finding a way to grow through a niche
• (33:15) - What made MediaCrossing different from other agencies
• (39:45) - How NOT to structure your company
• (45:21) - Learning to let people down as a leader
• (50:40) - Strategies when you become overwhelmed
• (54:27) - Taking mental health days are key to growth
• (59:14) - Learning to take care of yourself and your family
• (1:02:24) - Teaching work ethic to your children
• (1:08:30) - How to cultivate passion in your team
• (1:16:00) - Managing (and firing) underperformers
• (1:21:15) - Selling a private company to a public company
• (1:29:03) - There are no shortcuts to selling your business
• (1:35:20) - How the pandemic restrictions killed our industry
• (1:39:11) - What’s next for the American economy
• (1:42:30) - How to build a company in a “remote work first” generation

EPISODE LINKS:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkkalman/
• PersonalRX: https://www.linkedin.com/company/personalrx/
• iCLeanse: https://www.icleanse.com/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Larry Janesky is the CEO and Founder of Basement Systems, Contractor Nation, The School Of Entrepreneurship, and owns over 30 businesses across the United States. Larry is also one of the most accomplished desert motorcycle racers in the world, and has competed and won the Baja 1000 Desert race multiple times. On this episode of Forward Obsessed, we dive into the importance of focusing our attention on positive and constructive things that align with our goals. We discuss how negative news and media can be detrimental to our well-being and how to combat it. Larry shares their personal childhood experiences that helped shape their work ethic and the lessons they teach their own children, as well as the strategies for effective sales presentations and the importance of being able to connect with different personality types.Larry also shares his experience competing in a 1000 mile desert motorcycle race and the lessons they learned from it. We delve into the idea of perseverance and not giving up despite obstacles that come our way. Join us as we explore the importance of investing in our own education and producing value to help society function.OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (1:15) - Learning ambition at a young age
• (5:28) - Growing up in Bridgeport Connecticut
• (10:22) - Raising kids to be rabid learners
• (15:28) - Reputation and trust are everything in business
• (17:25) - How to cultivate ambition in others?
• (21:00) - The “no job too small” mentality leads to success
• (27:00) - How to handle fear as an entrepreneur
• (29:30) - A marble for every week I am alive
• (32:20) - Fear and negativity is easy
• (34:29) - You create the world you live in by what you pay attention to
• (38:55) - Entrepreneurship is about seeing who you can become
• (43:30) - Building a basement waterproofing empire
• (50:40) - An extraordinary life of shared experiences
• (54:38) - If you are doing a presentation, you are doing a show
• (1:00:41) - Work once, get paid forever
• (1:03:07) - Founding a school of entrepreneurship
• (1:11:13) - Iron sharpens iron: Winning the Baja 1000 motorcycle race
• (1:27:48) - What is means to never give up

EPISODE LINKS:

• Laryy’s Daily Newsletter: www.thinkdaily.com
• The School Of Entrepreneurship: www.Thesoe.com
• Into the dust documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYaQLS-7ejU
• The Highest Calling Book: https://shop.thehighestcallingbook.com/
• Personal Website: https://www.larryjanesky.com/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

KEYWORDS:

positive thinking, attention, focus, master skill, media, solutions, childhood experiences, identity, financial struggles, hard work, entrepreneurship, sales, leadership training, Broadway show, personality types, introvert, Baja 1000 race, Iron Man, fear, honest, taking chances, failure, limited time, value creation, character, discipline, college education, Eagle Scout, work-life balance, teaching, leadership abilities, entrepreneurship school, perseverance, talent, moral responsibility, desert motorcycle race, "Into the Dust" movie, Iron Man class, anaphylactic shock, tapping out, limited resources.

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David Cancel is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Drift, the world's first conversational marketing and sales technology company. David is a Bronx native who dropped out of college to pursue his career in tech. He has been part of six exits, including HubSpot, where he was the CTO responsible for revolutionizing their products and taking the company from a $100 million valuation to a public company worth $12 billion. He also founded Drift, which is currently the first company to focus on conversational marketing and AI, and recently acquired at a valuation of $1 Billion. His philosophy and dedication to his craft is evident in his achievements and contributions to the tech industry.

The interview covers a range of personal and professional topics including cultivating work ethic, how to promote diversity in tech, raising money as a sales process, the importance of branding, discovering arbitrage opportunities in marketing, and intimately knowing one's strengths and weaknesses.

David’s experiences and perspectives are fundamentally unique and inspiring - if you have never watched the entirety of an episode, let this be the first.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (2:30) - Early years in the boogie down
• (11:39) - Learning how to grow up in a city
• (15:43) - First job in a Chinese-owned Warehouse
• (19:12) - Why I dropped out of college
• (23:35) - Getting my first job in coding
• (27:46) - Transitioning from student to entrepreneur
• (30:17) - Being seen as a CTO in the startup industry
• (36:40) - Why everyone is too specialized
• (39:25) - Breaking into an industry where people don’t look like you
• (47:00) - Founding Compete
• (52:53) - Why I love raising money for a startup
• (01:02:00) - The best way to approach a layoff
• (01:08;00) - The concept behind Performable
• (01:12:00) - Working for Hubspot after getting acquired
• (01:20:00) - Rebuilding the code behind Hubspot from the ground up
• (01:24:00) - What makes a visionary product leader?
• (01:30:50) - How to enter into a good business partnership
• (01:39:00) - Founding Drift
• (01:43:30) - The importance of branding in a saturated market
• (01:54:00) - Transitioning from founder to Executive Chair

EPISODE LINKS:

• Episode Transcript: https://ds.link/DavidCancel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dcancel/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/dcancel
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cancel
• Drift: https://www.drift.com/
• Hubspot: https://www.hubspot.com/
• Conversational Marketing Book: https://www.amazon.com/Conversational-Marketing-Companies-Chatbots-Generate/dp/1119541832

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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A.J Wasserstein is Lecturer in the Practice of Management at the Yale School of Management, and was previously the Founder and CEO of ArchivesOne, a document storage company that sold to Iron Mountain after 17 years of operation and growth.

School is in session with A.J as he recounts his experiences with choosing an industry for its ideal economic characteristics, using “programmatic acquisitions” to steadily grow into a national brand, and experiencing a sense of loss when he sold his company after 17 years. Learn about the unique world of Search Fund Entrepreneurship, why passion for the product is not necessary when starting a business, and why being a “10x10+” entrepreneur is the best road to achieving happiness in your career.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (2:33) - Early years
• (5:11) - Why MBA students don’t usually start their own business
• (10:29) - Why economic models matter for entrepreneurs
• (12:11) - Understanding economic characteristics
• (16:30) - How do you learn to make acquisitions?
• (19:52) - The difference between an acquisition and an integration
• (22:00) - How to grow your business with “programmatic acquisitions”
• (26:57) - The three kinds of acquisitions
• (31:27) - Is passion for the product necessary in entrepreneurship?
• (35:20) - How to cultivate passion
• (37:37) - What is a Search Fund?
• (45:15) - The track, the horse, and the jockey
• (49:45) - How fast should an entrepreneur move?
• (53:50) - Using economic characteristics to choose an industry
• (59:45) - Why 10x10+ Entrepreneurs are the happiest
• (01:04:00) - What is “enlightened human capital”?
• (01:11:00) - How does an entrepreneur achieve balance?
• (01:16:41) - The Entrepreneur’s Epilogue
• (01:28:22) - Defining happiness and success

EPISODE LINKS:

• Yale University Profile and list of publications: https://som.yale.edu/faculty-research/faculty-directory/j-wasserstein
• Stanford Search Fund Study: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/2022-search-fund-study-selected-observations

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Ranjit Bindra is a serial Biotech entrepreneur and Professor of Medicine at Yale University. He is Cofounder of Cybrexa, Alphina, and B3 Therapeutics, and is the Cofounder and CEO of Modifi Bio.

Dive into the world of a “creative scientist” turned entrepreneur as Ranjit recounts his early years in an entrepreneurial household, developing a passion for science and biology, and finding his personal mission to fight cancer when his father died before he graduated from Med school. Learn about what it takes to make the perfect pitch deck, how to build a team with great chemistry, filtering toxic personalities from the workplace, and tips for time management.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (2:30) - Early years
• (4:55) - Having creative, entrepreneurial parents
• (6:30) - What is a “creative scientist”?
• (10:45) - New questions unlock new possibilities
• (12:58) - Different scientists “personas”
• (15:45) - The line between dedication and delusion
• (21:45) - Playing in a band in college
• (24:30) - My father died of cancer while I was learning about it
• (28:20) - How to join in the fight against cancer
• (32:45) - Founding Helix with a pitch deck
• (36:30) - The right way to approach entrepreneurship
• (38:00) - What makes a winning pitch?
• (45:20) - What failure feels like
• (48:30) - What is the chemistry of a great team?
• (51:30) - What is the formula for trust?
• (58:20) - Filtering for toxic personalities in the hiring process
• (01:06:00) - Founding Cybrexa
• (01:10:00) - Branding in science and biotech
• (01:15:25) - Raising money in biotech
• (01:21:00) - Signs of a healthy acquisition
• (01:22:15) - Founding Alphina
• (01:24:45) - Anti-aging technologies
• (01:27:30) - Running a virtual company and Zoom Fatigue
• (01:38:15) - Learning to be a CEO for Modifi Bio
• (01:42:15) - Time management techniques

EPISODE LINKS:

• Ranjit’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/ranjitbindra
• Ranjit’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranjit-bindra-777b174/
• Modifi Bio: https://modifibio.com/
• Mybrexa: http://www.cybrexa.com/
• Article on CEO Time Management: https://hbr.org/2018/07/how-ceos-manage-time
• Owl Virtual Work Technology (Mentioned By Pete): https://owllabs.com/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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John Edelman is the President and CEO of Heller, an American modern design company that makes and sells indoor/outdoor furniture and accessories. John was previously the CEO of Design Within Reach, which was sold to Herman Miller in 2014.OUTLINE:* (00:00) - Intro * (4:09) - Early years in an entrepreneurial home * (8:13) - Advice for starting a new company * (11:00) - The Importance Of Taste * (14:20) - Learning to love modern design * (18:30) - The art of the flip * (22:27) - Getting a visit from Andy Warhol * (24:35) - The power of window displays * (27:33) - Tips for running a family business * (29:47) - Changing the strategy at Edelman Leather * (33:25) - Dealing with family in your business * (35:37) - Using your competition to power growth * (40:15) - Discovering the Brazilian show business * (42:50) - Selling the family business * (48:09) - Keeping your family happy while running a business * (50:19) - Almost losing a deal in the last moment * (56:06) - How to motivate your team * (1:07:12) - Selling Design Within Reach * (1:16:26) - The 10/80/10 Management Model * (1:19:33) - After selling Design Within Reach * (1:21:24) - Failing in the vodka industry * (1:24:26) - Having a partnership and also a friendship * (1:27:36) - Running the legendary design brand, Heller

EPISODE LINKS:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-edelman-4361a012/ * Heller: https://hellerinc.com/ * Design Within Reach: https://www.dwr.com/ * Herman Miller: https://www.hermanmiller.com/

PODCAST INFO:* Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/ * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05 * YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z * YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:* Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Josh Cohen is Founder and President of Junkluggers, one of the largest franchised junk removal services in the world. Step into the world of making trash into treasure as Josh recounts having his “aha-moment” around a fire with some friends in Australia, starting a company with Bar Mitzvah money and a pickup truck called “Old Rusty,” and the winding road to selling his business in 2022. Josh talks about building a robust culture, the risks of growing a company too quickly, tips on how to franchise your business, and finding strength to dig out of the lowest point in your career.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (2:30) - Early years in Australia
• (8;00) - Nearly going out of business three times
• (10:50) - Selling Junkluggers on my 40th birthday
• (13:00) - Making mistakes and learning from them
• (16:00) - How I became a stronger leader
• (18:30) - Building a strong culture
• (22:45) - Pivoting to a franchise model
• (27:44) - Making mistakes in franchising
• (32:24) - Don’t spend too much time planning your business
• (36:45) - How to franchise your business
• (42:00) - Using financial transparency to build culture
• (46:20) - Driving compliance in a franchise
• (53:00) - Working with Larry Janesky and Basement Systems
• (57:28) - The lowest point in my career
• (1:01:20) - Hitting explosive growth during COVID
• (1:07:00) - Shopping for potential acquirers
• (1:10:00) - Junkluggers…after being acquired
• 1:17:00) - Founding Remix Market

EPISODE LINKS:

• Junkluggers website: https://www.junkluggers.com/
• Josh’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junkluggerjosh/
• Josh’s email: josh@junkuggers.com

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Matt Melander was the Founder, President, and CFO at LEVIA, a cannabis beverage company that has become one of the largest brands in the cannabis edibles industry. After selling his company in 2022, Matt is now focusing on transforming the cannabis industry and developing innovative cannabinoid products. In this episode, step into Matt’s past as he relates the inspirational story of his grandfather, who built a company that survived losing a third of their workforce in 9/11 and fought to support every family through the tragedy. Learn about the deep morals and values that Matt has used to guide his life, from the darkest times to building a cannabis company that has transformed the edibles industry. Hear from Matt on what effective altruism in leadership looks like, how to hold the course against persistent headwinds, and why getting acquired is not always the best path forward. OUTLINE:* (00:00) - Intro * (2:30) - Influences from my grandfather * (4:10) - Losing a third of a company in 9/11 * (5:46) - What it means to treat a company like “family” * (9:00) - Effective Altruism in leadership * (10:00) - Losing a sibling at a young age * (17:50) - Becoming An Entrepreneur * (21:00) - Entering The Cannabis Industry * (24:45) - Roadblocks to building a cannabis brand * (31:40) - Holding the course against headwinds * (37:00) - Building a brand during the pandemic * (39:00) - We were forced to change the name of our company * (42:00) - Changing lives with an alternative to alcohol * (47:48) - Getting wined and dined by billionaires for an acquisition * (50:00) - Going Through An Acquisition * (58:30) - Lessons For Aspiring Entrepreneurs

EPISODE LINKS:* Levia: https://levia.buzz/ * Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-melander-320b6250/

FAVORITE BOOKS:* “The Culture Code” By Daniel Coyle: https://danielcoyle.com/the-culture-code/ * “Let My People Go Surfing” By Yvon Chouinard: https://www.amazon.com/Let-People-Surfing-Education-Businessman/dp/0143037838

PODCAST INFO:* Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/ * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05 * YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z * YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:* Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Claudia Reuter is Director of The Roberts Innovation Fund at Yale Ventures, author of "Yes, You Can Do This!", and host of the Podcast, “The 43 Percent”. Claudia was previously the founder of SchoolChapters, which was acquired by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2014. She was then the General Manager of Americas East for Techstars, one of the largest startup accelerator programs in the world.

In this episode, Claudia describes what almost half of Americans experience in their lives - dropping out of the workforce for their family. Hear her own story of having children, attempting in vain to re-enter the workforce, and finding her successful path through entrepreneurship.We take a look at encouraging a growth mindset, what it means to create a “culture of learning,” and why “leaning in” isn’t the only option for working mothers.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (2:00) - Early Years
• (6:15) - Learning To Love Web Development At A Young Age
• (9:00) - How to Encourage A Growth Mindset
• (13:20) - My “Aha Moment" Behind Becoming An Entrepreneur
• (17:30) - Founding Little Chapters
• (23:00) - Pivoting My Technology To Found A New Company
• (27:21) - Raising Money For The First Time
• (32:00) - Growing In A Culture Of Learning
• (34:00) - Joining Techstars
• (43:00) - Leaning In Vs. Leaning Out As A Female Founder
• (47:30) - Why 43% Of People Drop Out Of The Workforce
• (51:00) - What Is The “Motherhood Penalty” In Society?
• (59:00) - Working With Startups At Yale Ventures

EPISODE LINKS:

• The 43% Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-43-percent/id1450780307
• Yes, You Can Do This, By Claudia Reuter: https://www.amazon.com/Women-Start-Scale-Build-Techstars/dp/1119625602
• Claudia’s Website: https://www.claudiareuter.com/
• Claudia’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-reuter-6ba4635/

FAVORITE BOOKS:

• “Mindset” by Carol Dweck: https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/1400062756
• “Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg: https://www.amazon.com/Lean-In-Sheryl-Sandberg-audiobook/dp/B00B3Z5U0G

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Kevin Rakin is the co-founder of HighCape Capital, a growth equity firm that finances and assists innovative life sciences companies transition from the initial stages of their business cycle into successful, thriving organizations.

In this episode, we’ll take you through Kevin’s journey and how he founded multiple biotech companies and took them to IPO and acquisition.

We’ll take a look at the exploding industry of Biotech and its fast-paced startup culture that clashes with the bureaucracy of some of the biggest businesses in the world. You’ll learn about topics like the difficulties of going through a merger, why buying a failing business could be a good investment, and how to attract the best talent to your team.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (2:00) - Early Years
• (4:49) - Why Biotech Caught My Attention
• (7:00) - Developing Pattern Recognition
• (08:50) - The Complexity Of Biotech
• (12:45) - First Principles Of Building A Company
• (14:25) - The Thin line Between Crazy And Fraudulence
• (16:11) - Vision Without Execution Is Hallucination
• (19:00) - The Mental Shift In Business School
• (21:19) - No-one Was Coming To Rescue Us
• (24:00) - Difficulties Of Going Through A Merger
• (26:40) - Why Big Business Is Not For Me
• (29:20) - Buying A Failing Business
• (34:46) - Selling A Company The Night Before An IPO
• (41:51) - Giving Up Six Feet Away From Gold
• (47:30) - Learning To Understand Financial Instruments
• (51:29) - Founding HighCape Capital
• (57:30) - Founding a SPAC Fund
• (1:00:51) - My Best Piece Of Advice For Entrepreneurs
• (1:03:42) - How Do You Attract The Best Team?

EPISODE LINKS:

• HighCape Capital - https://www.highcape.com/
• CTInnovations Page - https://ctinnovations.com/member/kevin-rakin/
• LinkedIn Page - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-rakin-13264b4/

HIS FAVORITE BOOK:

• Jim Collins, “Good To Great” https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Companies-_Others-Dont_/dp/B0047T9BDW

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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What a year it has been. 20 episodes, 20 brilliant minds sharing the vast spectrum of the entrepreneurial experience. We heard about “back of the napkin” aha moments, tooth and nail bootstrapping, overcoming every form of adversity, the hardest failures and the sweetest victories. We learned priceless lessons about building partnerships, scrappy fundraising, trusting others, learning to lead, pursuing curiosity, and finding that most elusive concept of all - a true purpose that guides every action in life. To our guests, we have only deep gratitude, for their unique knowledge, and for helping us to make Forward Obsessed into what it is today.

As a parting gift heading into 2023, we decided to compile the top moment from every episode in the last year, as chosen by our viewers and listeners through their engagement.

We hope you enjoy these clips, take inspiration from these wonderful minds, and step into the new year refreshed and Forward Obsessed.

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Kevin Rocco was the Founder and CEO of Biorez, a Biotechnology company that invented a regenerative and absorbable ligament brace called the Biobrace. Biorez was acquired by Conmed in 2022 for $250 Million dollars, and Kevin is now working as VP of Bioinductive Technologies at Conmed.

In this interview, get the fresh perspective of a founder that went through every pitfall and pivot imaginable, and how he was able to successfully sell his business at the peak of its valuation. Learn about Kevin’s perspective on engineering innovation within teams, how to “hack” getting a PhD, his learnings from raising money, convincing investors to pivot, and how he turned his lack of experience into an essential asset.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (3:00) - Origin Story
• (4:00) - Large Companies Struggle To Innovate
• (5:58) - Entrepreneurs Shouldn’t Avoid Taking Risks
• (9:19) - How To Build An Innovation Engine
• (15:28) - How I Hacked Getting A PhD
• (20:20) - Your Life Doesn’t Have To Stay On A Traditional Track
• (23:15) - Being Number Two At A Startup
• (28:00) - Experiencing Failure In A Startup
• (31:00) - Learning To Raise Money
• (36:34) - Your Story Is Your Strategy
• (41:20) - The Big Pivot
• (43:53) - Can Inexperience Drive Success?
• (48:25) - Learn From Competitors To Beat Them
• (52:41) - Venture Capital Incentivizes Businesses To Burn Money
• (58:00) - Raising Money Always Sucks
• (1:06:20) - All Deals Take Six Months, and Deals Never Happen
• (1:10:00) - Tips For Entrepreneurs

EPISODE LINKS:

• Biorez: https://biorez.com/
• Conmed: https://www.conmed.com/en-us/
• Kevin Rocco on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinrocco/

HIS FAVORITE BOOK:

• Jim Collins, “Good To Great”: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Al Subbloie is president and CEO of Budderfly, the fastest growing Energy Efficiency as a Service company in the United States.

In this episode, learn about the importance of macro-dynamics when starting a business, why fear holds most entrepreneurs back, and whether grinding hard is better than having talent. Listen to Al’s philosophy about turning a loss into a win, finding pleasure in your work, and being disciplined about curiosity.

OUTLINE:

Here's the timestamps for the episode:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (5:00) - Cutting My Teeth At Anderson Consulting
• (6:40) - Fear Holds Entrepreneurs Back
• (9:40) - Starting My First business
• (12:00) - Look At Macro-dynamics When Starting A Business
• (15:00) - Why I Founded Tangoe
• (24:00) - The Intersection of Sports And Business
• (26:00) - Grinding Vs. Talent
• (28:15) - What Is It Like Going Public?
• (31:25) - How To Turn A Loss Into A Win
• (35:25) - Learning To See Work As Play
• (41:11) - How To Find Your Passion
• (43:23) - Be Disciplined About Curiosity

EPISODE LINKS:

• Budderfly: https://www.budderfly.com/
• Tangoe: https://www.tangoe.com/
• Al’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/al-subbloie-92b5302/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Barry Nalebuff is Co-Founder of Honest tea, Kombrewcha, Real Made Foods, and Just Ice Tea. Barry is also a professor at Yale School Of Management, and has authored multiple award-winning books.

In this episode, learn how Barry co-founded multiple successful food and beverage products using real economic principles. Class is in-session: Dive into concepts like declining margins of utility, arbitrage, games of inversion and symmetry, and negotiation tactics like “splitting the pie.” Don’t forget to take notes as Barry explains how these concepts helped him build a successful business that sold for $43 Million.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (06:46) - The Idea Behind Founding Honest Tea
• (11:17) - The Declining Margin Of Utility
• (15:15) - You Can’t Have Lovers If you Don’t Have Haters
• (17:34) - How To Make “Honest” Products
• (20:00) - Origin Of The Name “Honest Tea”
• (22:09) - Personal Financial Guarantees In Entrepreneurship
• (24:51) - What Does It Mean To “Split The Pie”
• (25:44) - Selling Honest Tea to Coca Cola
• (28:57) - Never Offer A Deal You Wouldn’t Take Yourself
• (38:38) - What Is “Just Ice Tea”
• (44:27) - What Is The Game Of Arbitrage?
• (48:04) - The Games of Inversion and Symmetry
• (51:49) - Pitfalls

EPISODE LINKS:

• Just Ice Tea: https://eatthechange.com/products/just-ice-tea
• Honest Kids: https://www.honestorganic.com/products/honest-kids
• Real Made Foods: https://realmadefoods.com/
• Eat The Change: https://eatthechange.com/
• Personal Website: https://barrynalebuff.com

BOOKS BY OUR GUEST:

• Split the Pie: https://www.splitthepiebook.com/
• The Art of Strategy: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Strategy-Theorists-Success-Business/dp/0393337170
• Why Not?: https://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Ingenuity-Solve-Problems-Small/dp/1591391539

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Charlie Munger’s Mental Model of Inversion: https://modelthinkers.com/mental-model/inversion
• Never Split The Difference (Chris Voss): https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-Depended/dp/0062407805

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Meg Sanders is CEO of Canna Provisions, a chain of cannabis dispensaries in New England. She worked directly with the governor of Colorado to develop its cannabis laws, then personally led the charge by opening one of the state’s first dispensaries. Meg is now one of the biggest forces in the new Massachusetts cannabis cultivation and consumer sales fields.

Tune in to explore the ups and downs of the Cannabis industry, the importance of compliance, and what it means to be an ‘accidental entrepreneur.’ In this episode you’ll learn about what quiet quitting is, how companies should try to make better humans, and why everyone should buy weed from women. Listen in to learn from Meg about why women must take a seat at the table, and how men can be better allies to their peers.

OUTLINE:

Here's the timestamps for the episode:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (2:00) - Early Years
• (6:22) - Compliance In the Cannabis Industry
• (7:38) - Accidental Entrepreneurship
• (11:40) - Best Resources For Leaders
• (13:50) - What is Quiet Quitting?
• (16:28) - Leaders Are Put On A Pedestal
• (21:12) - Leaders Must Develop Their Own Teams
• (23:14) - Companies Should Try To Make Better Humans
• (26:18) - Buy Weed From Women
• (35:40) - The Drug War Is Not Over
• (39:45) - What Is Missing From The MSO World?
• (42:45) - Learn To Get Back Up When You Fail
• (46:40) - What Is The Future Of Canna Provisions?
• (52:32) - Women Must Take A Seat At The Table

EPISODE LINKS:

• Canna Provisions: https://cannaprovisions.com/
• Meg Sanders Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-sanders-16001441/
• Meg Sanders Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megajuana_mass/

BOOKS OUR GUEST LOVES:

• Dare To Lead, Brené Brown: https://www.amazon.com/Dare-Lead-Brave-Conversations-Hearts/dp/0399592520
• Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• CliftonStrength Test: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx
• It’s The Manager: https://www.gallup.com/itsthemanager/home.aspx

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Miles Lasater is the CEO and Founding Partner of Purpose Built Ventures. In this episode, hear from Miles on why learning to sell at a young age is so important to learn entrepreneurship, and how you can manage your time more effectively to create new habits. Miles dives into the pitfalls behind taking a company public, the real role of a start-up investor, and what it means to be a “purpose built venture.”

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (2:00) - Early college years
• (3:50) - Working in food service gives transferable skills
• (8:45) - Starting his first business, “Help With Home Computers”
• (10:25) - Founding Higher One in college
• (14:25) - How did Higher One help university students?
• (18:48) - How do new entrepreneurs pick a partner?
• (32:05) - Books and podcasts for developing leadership skills
• (36:15) - Time management and making habits
• (42:19) - Running a public company is painful
• (47:13) - What is it like to take a company public?
• (52:01) - Developing pattern recognition skills
• (55:00) - The role of a start-up investor
• (57:55) - What is Purpose Built Ventures?

EPISODE LINKS:

• Purpose Build Ventures: https://www.purposebuilt.vc/
• Higher One: https://www.linkedin.com/company/higher-one
• Miles Lasater LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mileslasater/
• Miles' Podcast, "Startups For Good": https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startups-for-good/id1538756698
• Miles' Newsletter, Venture Patterns: https://venturepatterns.com/blog/general/start-here-welcome-to-venture-patterns/

BOOKS OUR GUEST LOVES:

• The 15 Commandments Of Conscious Leadership - Jim Dethmer
• Getting Things Done - David Allen
• The Great CEO within - Matt Mochary
• Shoe Dog - Phil Knight
• Miracle Morning - Hal Elrod

PODCASTS OUR GUEST LOVES

• How I Built This: https://www.npr.org/series/490248027/how-i-built-this
• Acquired: https://www.acquired.fm/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Ned Lamont is the Governor of the State of Connecticut. In this episode, learn about the governor’s early years as he transitioned from running a local newspaper to founding Campus Televideo, a telecoms company that was acquired by Apogee in 2015. Hear about his pivot into politics, and how he measures success as Governor of the State of Connecticut. Governor Lamont shares his personal experiences as he led the state through the pandemic, delving into how he designed a strategy that helped Connecticut have one of the best outcomes in the country. In the end of the episode, Governor Lamont shares his ideas for the future of entrepreneurship in his state.

OUTLINE:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (1:00) - Early Years As A Journalist
• (4:21) - Founding Campus Televideo
• (6:11) - Pivoting From Entrepreneurship To Politics
• (7:10) - How Does A Politician Measure Success?
• (9:10) - How To Lead Through A Pandemic
• (11:05) - Why Did Connecticut Do Well During the Pandemic?
• (12:10) - Tips To Develop Entrepreneurial Skills
• (13:51) - Dealing With Mental Health During A Crisis
• (18:00) - How I Built My Administration
• (19:58) - What Is The Future Of Entrepreneurship In Connecticut?

EPISODE LINKS:

• Website: https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/govnedlamont
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/GovNedLamont
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/govnedlamont/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Matt McCooe is the CEO of Connecticut Innovations, a strategic venture capital firm and leading source of financing for Connecticut's technology, consumer, and life sciences companies.

In this episode, learn what it takes to get funded by one of the top VCs in Connecticut. Explore what breakthrough entrepreneurs all have in common, which heuristics are used by VCs when they choose a project, and whether delusions of grandeur are helpful when establishing a business.

OUTLINE:

Here's the timestamps for the episode:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (1:41) - What is a “state venture capital arm?”
• (6:12) - What do breakthrough entrepreneurs have in common?
• (7:57) - What heuristics are used to fund new projects?
• (11:02) - Characteristics of exceptional founders
• (14:00) - Cultivating clarity of vision and purpose
• (15:45) - Jockey or Horse?
• (18:33) - Hustling in the early years
• (22:22) - Selling Brazilian soft drinks in a first job
• (27:14) - What does it feel like to lose?
• (28:47) - Founding a Telecom business at the end of the boom
• (40:55) - Theranos and delusions of grandeur
• (44:28) - Good Venture Capitalists can sense BS
• (50:00) - ADD is a superpower
• (55:00) - Columbia University Science and Technology Ventures
• (57:03) - What Is Connecticut Innovations
• (1:04:15) - How successful is Connecticut Innovations?
• (1:09:00) - The Future of Connecticut Innovations

EPISODE LINKS:

• Connecticut Innovations: https://ctinnovations.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/connecticut-innovations/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Austin McChord is the CEO of Casana, a healthcare technology start-up dedicated to improving the health and wellness of patients via at-home health monitoring. Austin was previously the founder and CEO of Datto incorporated, exited that company in a $1.5 Billion acquisition, and is the Founder of Norwalk Havoc Combat Robotics.

In this episode, explore Austin’s incredible journey from getting terrible grades at Rochester Institute of Technology, to founding and exiting a company valued at $1.5 Billion. Learn about incrementally building a new company, what selling your business really feels like, why every interaction that a leader has is meaningful, and why having fun is always the most important goal.

OUTLINE:

Here's the timestamps for the episode:

• (00:00) - Intro
• (03:15) - Getting a bad GPA at Rochester Institute of Technology
• (12:45) - Being told not to start a company by an advisor
• (15:25) - What is Datto?
• (17:10) - Losing a million dollars from a small mistake
• (22:01) - Where confidence comes from
• (25:55) - Building Datto and taking it public
• (31:20) - What it’s like to sell a company
• (34:29) - Evolving into a leader of over 700 employees
• (37:20) - Learning how to evolve and delegating tasks
• (47:35) - Becoming a different version of myself
• (49:30) - Founding Havoc Robotics
• (54:45) - Founding Casana
• (1:00:12) - Learning to have fun in life

EPISODE LINKS:

• Datto: https://www.datto.com/
• Casana: https://casanacare.com/
• Norwalk Havoc Robotics League: https://nhrl.io/
• Outsiders Fund: https://outsidersfund.com/
• Austin’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/austinmcchord

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• TikTok: https://tiktok.com/digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Chris Allen is the CEO of iCleanse, which is known for their UV-C rapid disinfection devices that clean cell phones. He was previously the Founder and CEO of iDevices, which was acquired by Hubbell Incorporated in 2017.

In this episode, dive into the difficult path of inventing a new product and taking it to a global market. Learn about how Chris Allen was able to get his new iGrill device into Apple retail stores, and what it was like to be a leader with no business background at the top of a rapidly growing company.. Hear how Chris was able to get out of $1.4 million in debt, how he dealt with subversive leadership, and why he started a company that can clean any phone in 15 seconds with UV light.

OUTLINE:

Here's the timestamps for the episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(1:40) - Self Introduction

(3:00) - Founding iGrill and getting into Apple retail

(7:15) - Learning to be a leader without a business background

(11:30) - Experiencing struggle and making sacrifices

(21:00) - Getting out of $1.4 million in debt with an amazing team

(25:00) - Dealing with a “snake” on your team

(28:00) - Rapid phone disinfection and founding iCleanse

(43:00) - Life after selling a company

EPISODE LINKS:

• iDevices: https://idevicesinc.com/
• iCleanse Swift UV: https://icleanse.com/

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Jenny Lawton is the Executive Vice President of Bolster, a marketplace to connect high-growth companies with executive talent. Previously, Jenny was the Chief Innovation Officer and COO of Techstars, she was also the CEO of MakerBot Industries, a global leader in desktop 3D printing.

In this episode, learn what it takes to navigate the process of an acquisition, when to sell your company, why self-care is critical in leadership, how to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem, why having a mentor is essential, and more.

OUTLINE:

Here's the timestamps for the episode:

• (00:30) - Introduction
• (02:00) - Early years as a young mother and entrepreneur
• (16:14) - Selling a business and the acquisition process
• (26:45) - Pitfalls and tough times
• (39:00) - Makerbot Industries
• (47:00) - Challenges of going public
• (49:45) - Transitioning to LittleBits
• (51:57) - Bringing structure to innovative disruption
• (54:50) - Creating entrepreneurial ecosystems in cities
• (1:05:09) - What is Bolster?
• (1:08) - Importance of having a mentor

EPISODE LINKS:

• Bolster: https://bolster.com/
• Makerbot: https://www.makerbot.com/

📚 BOOK RECS:

• The Third Wave by Steve Case: https://www.amazon.com/Third-Wave-Entrepreneurs-Vision-Future/dp/1501132598
• Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark Winters: ​​https://www.amazon.com/Rocket-Fuel-Essential-Combination-Business/dp/1942952317

PODCAST INFO:

• Podcast website: https://forwardobsessed.com/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forward-obsessed/id1615760781
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2TrkOZ7xL7WSlzc2mrwXuC?si=aa5e7790aca64e05
• YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5b9WPqVXz_qlfXgK3hHPs4z
• YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-ldUUGxQZ5Yt0LiPml0y6pNUSrqHzWql

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

• Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/digitalsurgeons
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/

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Dive into the world of innovation and crisis management with Josh Geballe, Associate Provost for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Yale University. Josh was previously the COO for the State of Connecticut under Governor Ned Lamont. During Josh’s tenure as COO, he oversaw Connecticut’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this episode, Josh reveals his method for making effective changes in governmental organizations, explores how a crisis can facilitate innovation, and describes the kind of leadership skills needed to inspire your team through difficult times. Additionally, Josh talks about what it takes for start-ups to succeed, why “fire fast, hire slow” is easier said than done, and discuss how Yale is facilitating an entrepreneurial renaissance in New Haven.

💡 Learn more about Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Yale

📚 Books that our guest loves:

Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

Visit us at Forward Obsessed and join the conversation.

We Design Demand. Learn more about Digital Surgeons

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Dive into the rapidly growing world of Inbound Marketing with Bob Ruffolo, Founder and CEO of IMPACT, a company focused on helping people find success with inbound marketing through education, events, and agency services. After building his first website in 7th grade, Bob realized he had a talent for web design and a knack for helping people with marketing their business.

Bob started as a freelance Web Designer, then transitioned to creating IMPACT from the ground up. Bob built IMPACT as an inbound marketing firm, but over time transitioned the company’s model into a coaching and consulting firm after partnering with Marcus Sheridan, Author of “They Ask You Answer”

In this interview, listen to Bob’s cautionary tale about entrepreneurial partnerships, how to protect your interests when starting a business, and how honesty and transparency are the most important aspects of a healthy company culture. You’ll get an inside look on the loneliness of leadership, gain a better understanding on why “empathy flows down” in a hierarchy, and learn how a leader must understand how power dynamics change as a business grows.

👀Learn more about IMPACT

📖Read “They Ask You Answer” By Marcus Sheridan

📚Other books our guest can’t live without:

• “Rocket Fuel” by Gino Wickman
• “Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen” by Donald Miller
• “Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't” by Verne Harnish

Visit us at Forward Obsessed and join the conversation.

We Design Demand. Learn more about Digital Surgeons

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Dive into the technology that helps governments solve problems with Ben Berkowitz, founder of the civic engagement SaaS SeeClickFix. When it comes to city affairs, Ben has always been an actively engaged citizen of New Haven, CT. One day, while trying to report some graffiti in his neighborhood to an unresponsive phone voicemail, Ben realized there had to be a better way to communicate problems to the local government. That is the origin of how Ben founded SeeClickFix, a civic engagement software that allows citizens to report issues to local governments through an app. In the last 15 years over 9 million reports to dozens of government agencies around the world have been submitted through this innovative software. After overseeing an acquisition by CivicPlus, Ben has since made an early retirement.

In this interview, you’ll learn about Ben’s use of transcendental meditation to stay present in every moment, why leaving social media was one of the best decisions he ever made, and how he designed his retirement in a way that works for his family. If you’re interested in exploring the growing entrepreneurial landscape in New Haven and some of the unique companies and maker-spaces that make it ideal for young founders, check out the links below.

👀 Learn more about SeeClickFix.

🔧 Explore the maker-space Make Haven.

Visit us at Forward Obsessed and join the conversation.

We Design Demand. Learn more about Digital Surgeons

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Dive into the gritty, fast-paced world of combat robotics with Kelly Biderman, CEO of the Norwalk Havoc Robotics League.

Get an inside look on the world of combat robotics, a sport for which dedicated fans will travel hundreds of miles, or watch 13 hours of a livestream, to see hand-made robots fight… and possibly explode. In this interview, Kelly celebrates the incredibly talented builders, the dedicated and diverse fanbase, and describes what her hopes for the future of combat robotics looks like.

Explore Kelly’s past in media, including being Chief of Staff to the CEO of Katie Couric Media, how she fell into this niche sport, and why she fell in love with it. Kelly explains her leadership style that is helping this unique company expand their reach, why delegating to the experts is an important part of managing, what it means to be “Builder First,” and how she “Commits to the Pour” with everything she does.

🤖 Buy tickets for NHRL’s next event from July 16-17: https://nhrl.io/wiki/index.php/Norwalk_Havoc_Robot_League

https://nhrl.io/

💻 Join NHRL’s Discord: https://discord.com/invite/ppMRZme

👀 Watch NHRL’s live streams and subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/NorwalkHavoc

📚 A book our guest can’t live without: The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency - By Chris Whipple

📺 A show our guest recommends: https://www.fox.com/lego-masters/

Visit us at Forward Obsessed and join the conversation.

We Design Demand. Learn more about Digital Surgeons

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Join Pete and David as they dive into the world of craft brewing with Alisa Bowens-Mercado, Founder, CEO, and Brewmaster at Rhythm Brewing Company. 

Learn about Alisa’s journey founding one of the nation’s first breweries that is owned and run by a woman of color. From a young age, Alisa was inspired by her grandmothers who both drank lagers and encouraged Alisa to “find her rhythm” in life. In this interview, we explore what it means to find your rhythm, discuss why building a brand is like telling a story, and learn about Alisa’s most important mantra that she repeats every day: 

“When you walk into a room, and you are the only person that looks like you in that room, know that you are in the right room. That is where change happens.”

You can use the Rhythm Finder at https://rhythmbrewingco.com/ to locate places that distribute Rhythm Brewing Beers.

If you’d like to learn more about Rhythm Brewing Company, contact Alisa at alisa@rhythmbrewingco.com

Visit us at Forward Obsessed and join the conversation: www.forwardobsessed.com

We Design Demand. Learn more about Digital Surgeons: www.digitalsurgeons.com

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Join Pete and David as they dive into the world of data analytics with Andy Greenawalt, Founder and CEO of Storyhub.

In a world where every company claims to be data-driven, very few decisions are actually ever made using that data Andy has created a new way to decentralize and translate the complicated language of data analytics like no one else.

In this interview, learn about Andy's early successes, a happy accident that made one of his companies into a reality, and why having a truly bad day puts every other day into real context.

With Andy as your guide, wade through the murky waters of data analytics. Learn why most companies don't know how to use their data, the difficulties of data translation between "Spock" types and "Kirk" types, and why first movers in an industry can often fail.

Learn more about StoryHub at https://www.storyhub.ai/

A podcast that Andy Recommends: DadPod

A book Andy can't live without: Trillion Dollar Coach by Bill Campbell

Visit us at Forward Obsessed and join the conversation:www.forwardobsessed.com

We Design Demand. Learn more about Digital Surgeons: www.digitalsurgeons.com

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Join Pete and David as they dive into the world of FinTech & Entrepreneurship with Matthew Murphy, Early Stage Investor and General Partner at Montage Ventures.

Matthew took advantage of a sudden opportunity in his early 20's to join the rapidly growing FinTech startup, E-Trade, a decision that changed the trajectory of his life and career in the most unexpected way. We dive into some of Matthew’s incredible highs and difficult lows, discussing the resilience and work ethic it took to create a series of start-ups in a volatile industry, FinTech.

Learn about the art of the pivot, whether or not the snooze button is your friend, what being afraid to fail can do for your business, and why an overfunded startup can lead to a disaster. As a successful venture capitalist, Matthew offers advice on how a founder can best make initial contact for a pitch meeting, and why great leaders are the key to having great teams.

Matthew is also the owner of Unwritten Wines (https://unwrittenwines.com/) and encourages all listeners to use the code "Podcast" at checkout for a limited-time discount.

Find out more about Montage Ventures: https://montageventures.com/

Books our guest swears by:

• "Trillion Dollar Coach," Bill Campbell

Visit us at Forward Obsessed and join the conversation.

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Join Pete and David as they dive into the world of technology and entrepreneurship with Founder and CEO of Compass MSP, Ari Santiago.

Ari’s story is truly inspirational, from his childhood days of when he started his first business selling bubble gum, to becoming paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 13 due to a skiing accident. The journey of overcoming adversity led to Ari’s passion in computers, which solidified the foundation of his career in information technology at the age of 14.

Despite these setbacks, Ari’s entrepreneurial instincts and his unflappable spirit enabled him to build a multi-million dollar company that received a spot on Inc Magazine's list of fastest growing privately held companies in the US, as well as recognition from Marcum Tech as one of the Top 40 fastest growing technology companies in Connecticut.

Learn about how Ari was able to overcome the trauma of his accident, and turn a disability into an empowering cornerstone of his career. Ari also explains the number one secret to his success has been experimentation, experimentation, experimentation - and that taking the L.E.A.P could change the course of your career.

Find out more about Compass MSP: https://compassmsp.com/

Books our guest swears by:

• The Dip, by Seth Godin
• Drive, by Daniel Pink

Visit us at Forward Obsessed and join the conversation.

We Design Demand. Learn more about Digital Surgeons

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Join Pete and David as they dive into the world of infused tequila with Founder and CEO of 21 Seeds, Kat Hantas. Kat explains her entrepreneurial journey of working in the television and film industry, transitioning to becoming a full-time mother, then discovering a massive product opportunity in the tequila industry through her own life experiences. 

Learn about Kat's journey & origin story of founding 21 Seeds.  This conversation outlines Kat’s methods of observation and market research that allowed her to find an unserved demographic in the alcohol industry. She also shares her perspective on building a team and raising capital from a new idea, and how her ability to follow her instincts led to growth & overall success for the brand.

In this interview, listeners will learn about how to connect with a specific target audience demographic, how to use personal experiences and cultural observation to find customers by tapping into trends, and how becoming a CEO is not about gaining control of a company, but about letting that control go to a team you trust. 

Find a 21 Seeds product at a store near you: https://www.21seeds.com/ 

Visit us at Forward Obsessed and join the conversation. 

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Join Pete and David as they dive into the twists and turns of the direct-to-consumer thrift clothing industry with Topper Luciani, founder of Goodfair. Learn about how the rising popularity of thrift shopping has unveiled the harmful effects of the clothing industry that fast fashion has created for our society and planet. Topper dives into why he's dedicated his life (and created Goodfair) to save the planet through thrifting.

Learn about Topper's journey, from buying and reselling used ties on Ebay, to building the skills of a savvy entrepreneur in the clothing industry. Topper’s successes and failures led him to founding Goodfair, an online used clothing store with a mission to "save the world with thrift."

In this interview, Topper explains his perspectives on branding as a form of communication, his insights on essential tools that every direct-to-consumer brand should utilize, and his personal philosophy that guides his life as well as his business.

Entrepreneurial Tools for the Road:

• Klaviyo: A marketing platform that helps eCommerce store owners deliver a more personalized experience for their customers through automated email and SMS pathways.
• ShipStation: A shipping software for eCommerce fulfillment, exceptionally efficient at syncing, managing, and shipping orders with detailed analytics.
• CartHook: A private Shopify application which enables online vendors to build customizable one-page checkouts and post-purchase one-click upsells.
• Kustomer: A new type of CRM for customer service that uses data-driven processes so clients can resolve conversations quickly across a wide variety of platforms.

Books our guest swears by:

• Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
• Principles, by Ray Dalio

We Design Demand. Learn more about Digital Surgeons