How I Built My Small Business

Today, I’m excited to bring back a guest whose first episode was one of the most listened to of Season 1 and in May this year, it topped the charts again as the most streamed episode on Spotify.

Loren Vandegrift is a partner at Business Exits and has brokered over $500 million worth of business sales in just the past five years. He’s also no stranger to the founder journey himself... he previously built and led a couple of tech stra...

Today’s guest is Lauren Vermette, founder and CEO of Franchisee Insight.

Lauren has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between franchisees and franchisors, offering a unique perspective on the franchise industry.

She truly understands the challenges and rewards that come with franchise ownership, having successfully built and sold multiple units in her own portfolio.

Now, Lauren’s mission is to guide aspiring entrepreneurs throu...

I met John Clapham or "JC" in Raglan, New Zealand last year when I walked into his shop hoping they weren’t yet closing and said while huffing from my brisk walk, “What time do you close?” 

He responded with a smile, “depends on whose asking…LOL." 

And from there, we ended up chatting for about half an hour.

I left thinking, I want to hear more of this guy’s story.

JC didn’t go to college and worked his way up from taggi...

What began as a tribute to my dad has unexpectedly become part of my healing journey, transforming from purely business and entrepreneurship to learning through storytelling. 

How I Built My Small Business recently won a 2025 Communicator Award of Excellence as an educational series, validating the creative endeavor of hosting, editing, and producing this show.

• Season One focused on business creation and growth while Seas...

Today’s guest is Dave Pope, a friend of mine from college who spent 14 years in sales in the Northeast before making a bold move and buying Kaytech, Inc., a surface preparation company based in Greenville, South Carolina. 

At the time, he had no prior experience as a business owner.

In this episode, Dave shares what it’s really like before, during and after acquiring a small business with stories from his first year as an owner-opera...

Today’s guest is Samantha Rose, an Emmy award-winning television writer and three-time New York Times Bestselling ghostwriter.

She’s the founder of Yellow Sky Media, a literary development company that collaborates with celebrities, experts, and industry leaders to bring their powerful stories to life.

Recently, Samantha stepped into the spotlight with her own memoir, Giving Up The Ghost, a poignant exploration of the grief and unans...

Today’s guest is Glenn Harrold, a meditation guide whose relax and sleep well recordings have personally helped me get much needed rest at times when I’m tired but wired.

Glenn is an international best selling self-help author and one of the world’s most successful hypnotherapists. His guided meditations and mindfulness audio titles have been streamed over forty million times.

And, his CD title, Complete Relaxation, is the only gold ...

As the daughter of immigrants, I’ve often turned to my own parents’ story for inspiration, a belief that we’re all capable of achieving anything we truly believe in, and a reminder that taking risks is often the key to making meaningful leaps in life.

Today, I’m joined by Neri Karra Sillaman, who shares her extraordinary journey, from fleeing her home country as a refugee to building a global, multi-million dollar luxury brand, and ...

Today’s episode is not so much about starting a business, but a glimpse into the neuroscience of influence and the power of Neurolinguistic Programming.

 My guest is Dr. Josh Davis, PhD in psychology and neuroscience from Columbia University. He’s the international bestselling author of Two Awesome Hours and an upcoming title The Difference that Makes the Difference.

Josh is the founder of the Science-Based Leadership Institute, a so...

Jennifer Tsay is the co-founder and CEO of Shoott - with two Ts, a fast-growing company making professional photography more accessible for clients and a reliable supplemental income for photographers.

In just seven years, Shoott has grown from $800K to over $9 million in revenue, achieving operational profitability and expanding services to over sixty cities across the US.

"Jen" shares her journey in a very candidly and au...

Today we have Lloyd Rooney sharing his journey - from leaving the traditional schooling system at 12 due to dyslexia, learning how he learned best, to bartending in the UK and now owner-operating multiple restaurants in New Zealand, employing over 135 people.

Lloyed is a co-founder of The Jetson Group, a collection of distinctive restaurants in New Zealand:

The Quay, No. 8, Loco, and The Cove Cafe.

I had the chance to meet Lloyd and M...

Tara Bielawski is a medium and today’s conversation is not so much about starting a business and more so about perspective, her gift and her journey to mediumship.

Losing my dad was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through, and it’s what led me to start this podcast. Conversations like this, whether you believe in mediumship or not, are part of my journey of asking bigger questions about life, connection, and what really matters.

Bac...

Today’s conversation with Dr. Bill Rawls and Braden Rawls is about understanding health at a cellular level.

Dr. Bill Rawls is a licensed physician with over 30 years of experience in medicine. After facing a personal health crisis in his early forties, he turned to herbal and alternative medicine, restoring his health and becoming a leading voice in holistic wellness. He is the bestselling author of "The Cellular Wellness Solu...

Kerri Futch is a friend of mine who moved from Northern California to Wisconsin to be closer to family and to chase a dream vision for a Wolf and Fox, boutique winery and an event space.

This episode is more of a casual conversation and catch-up between friends, but there are oodles of nuggets in her story, her strategic approach, and you’ll get real-time insights and perspective into what it’s like being in the midst of a less than...

This interview was so entertaining to host because I felt like I was back in college for an hour and had the most interesting guest teacher who made me laugh, play games, and have fun - all while learning.

Duncan Wardle, the former head of innovation and creativity at Disney, is on a mission to teach people how to access their natural creative abilities, to be innovative, explore curiosity, connect through empathy and tap into one’s...

Today we’re diving into the world of publishing with Jackie Ashton—literary agent, journalist, and founder of Bookmark, a boutique agency helping thought leaders bring impactful books to life.

Before launching The Bookmark Agency, Jackie was an agent at Lucinda Literary, where she landed major publishing deals for authors like Dave Pell (Please Scream Inside Your Heart) and Scott Shigeoka (Seek). With a deep understanding of the pub...

Today’s episode is part of Podcasthon, a global effort bringing thousands of podcasts together to raise awareness for charitable causes.

My guest today is Christopher Helfrich, President and CEO of Eat. Learn. Play., the foundation he co-founded with Stephen and Ayesha Curry to tackle childhood hunger, early literacy, and active lifestyles for kids in Oakland.

Since launching in 2019, Eat. Learn. Play. has raised and invested over $3...

Laura Wachtel talks about how improv can make life—and work—better.

The principles of improv—like saying ‘yes, and,’ thinking on your feet, and embracing the unexpected—can transform how you communicate, lead, and handle challenges.

Laura is the owner of Zipline Improv, where she’s bringing improv out of the theater and into the real world—helping individuals, businesses, schools, and communities use play to sharpen listening, build ...

Ru Hill is the founder of Surf Simply, a globally renowned boutique coaching resort in Costa Rica that has transformed the way people learn to surf. Unlike traditional surf schools, Surf Simply takes a science-based, technique-driven approach, breaking down the complexities of surfing into teachable, measurable skills. This method has attracted everyone from complete beginners to seasoned surfers looking to refine their craft.

Beyon...