Business Owners Tell All

In this inspiring conversation, Jamie Seeker sits down with Derek Taussig — Army veteran, ultra-marathoner, and CEO of Taussig Landscape — to unpack what it really means to build a business with heart. Derek shares how mowing lawns as a teen evolved into running a full-service landscaping company with a powerful mission: enriching lives through the outdoors.

From battlefield lessons in leadership to business systems and employee dev...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, host Jamie Seeker sits down with Óscar Rubio, Founder and CEO of Lodgerin, a Madrid- and Miami-based proptech company redefining international mobility.

What started as Óscar’s personal struggle to find housing in the UK evolved into a global digital ecosystem that now manages over 90,000 rental units worldwide — connecting universities, companies, and property owners with ...

🎙️ Episode Summary

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, host Jamie Seeker sits down with Dina Shanowitz, mother of five and founder/CEO of Zomee, a maternity and baby care brand based in Florida.

Dina shares how her difficult first breastfeeding journey — exclusively pumping for a NICU baby with an outdated, inconvenient pump — inspired her to design a better solution. Zomee was born from that mission...

In this episode, Tom Nassr dives into how business owners can think differently about process management, workflow design, and automation — not just for efficiency, but to unlock their team’s creativity and focus. Tom shares his evolution from philosophy major to design agency founder to automation strategist. With practical stories and frameworks, he offers a refreshing, human-first take on how to streamline operations without los...

In this episode of Business Owner Tell All: What It Takes host Jamie Seeker sits down with Dr. Connor Glass, Founder & CEO of Phantom Neuro, based in Austin, Texas. Connor shares his journey from aspiring military officer to medical researcher to startup founder, ultimately creating a neurotechnology company that’s revolutionizing how prosthetics connect with the human body.

With Phantom Neuro’s recent $19 million Series A raise...

In this episode, Jamie Seeker talks with Dr. Damodar “Damo” Sahu, a global tech leader and philanthropist who’s turning AI into a force for good. Based in Northville, Michigan, Data Safeguard Inc. is an AI-powered data privacy and synthetic fraud prevention company helping enterprises protect digital identities before cybercriminals can exploit them.

Dr. Sahu shares his journey — from growing up in a small town in Odisha, India, to ...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie Seeker speaks with Seth Kamens, founder of Kamens & Associates, a full-service accounting and consulting firm based in Livingston, NJ, just 30 minutes outside New York City.

Seth’s career path wasn’t straightforward—after stints in Washington, D.C., recovering from a serious illness, and working at powerhouse firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Deloitte, and...

In this powerful episode, Jamie Seeker sits down with Jim Parrish, founder of Parrish Law Firm, PLLC, based in Northern Virginia. Jim shares how he built a multi-million-dollar personal injury practice rooted in values and client trust—all on a contingency-fee model where the firm only gets paid if clients win.

Drawing from his early days inside the insurance industry, Jim now uses that knowledge to fight for accident victims in car...

Tammy Lisi, affectionately known as The Unicorn Chemist, joins Jamie Seeker to share her unconventional journey from chemistry intern to neurophysiology researcher to co-founding Formulate Robotics, a tech-powered contract manufacturing company operating out of rural Iowa. In this deeply authentic episode, Tammy opens up about breaking into male-dominated STEM fields, the emotional weight of fundraising, lessons learned from hiring...

Pete Bernard’s journey spans from launching firmware startups in high school to leading major innovations at Microsoft and now reshaping the global conversation around Edge AI. In this conversation, Pete breaks down the mindset behind product innovation, why timing and customer clarity matter more than features, and how conviction, collaboration, and education play critical roles in staying ahead in fast-evolving tech landscapes.

Fr...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Brett Swarts, founder of Capital Gains Tax Solutions, shares how financial loss, faith, and family values shaped his mission to help others exit wisely. After watching a client (and his own family) lose everything due to poor financial planning, Brett made it his life’s work to educate high-net-worth individuals on the power of the Deferred Sales Trust (DST). He opens up a...

In this candid and deeply relatable conversation, Gregory Vetter, co-founder of Tessemae’s and current CEO of Alta Fresh Foods, joins What It Takes to talk about the real cost of entrepreneurship—with a focus on financials. Drawing from his honest and hilarious book Undressed, Greg shares his multi-phase “Money Quest” journey, including investor pitfalls, oil spills, media hype, board takeovers, and ultimately, how bankruptcy led t...

In this episode, Jamie Seeker talks with Matthew Neill Davis, founder of Davis Business Law—a firm that has scaled to nine locations across the Midwest and South, making the rare leap onto the Inc. 5000 list. Matthew shares how he built a multi-office law firm from Enid, Oklahoma, his philosophy behind the "Strong Protected Business System," and real-world lessons in preventing disaster before it strikes.

A heavy metal guitarist and...

In this mind-expanding episode, Jamie Seeker sits down with Ajay Malik—CEO of StudioX-AI, futurist, inventor, and former tech exec at Google, Cisco, HP, and Motorola. Now based in San Jose, California, Ajay shares how his obsession with innovation led to 100+ patents and the founding of StudioX, an AI platform built to democratize predictive insights for businesses.

Ajay discusses the ethics of AI, financial planning with machine le...

In this episode, she unpacks how authenticity, strategic financial planning, leadership evolution, and bold branding helped her business not just survive—but scale. From creating “Stoplight Reports” to empowering global teams, Arielle offers practical advice with raw honesty and high energy.

📝 Key Interview Notes

🔥 Startup Story

• Arielle didn’t start with Marketing 411—she had several businesses that didn’t make...

In this episode, Laura dives into her growth strategy, from starting her firm in her living room to making intentional hiring decisions and scaling while staying mission-driven. She also breaks down how she approached financial planning, cash flow, and the importance of knowing when to ask for help. Her perspective on balancing business with empathy, motherhood, and personal leadership makes this episode especially empowering for w...

In this insightful episode, Randy Lorensen shares his unexpected journey from poker pro to national franchise founder. He talks candidly about starting Premium Cabinets with no background in design or construction, and how his drive for continual growth led him to systematize the business for national scalability. Randy also dives deep into financial mindset, offering practical tips for business owners, and previews his upcoming bo...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, host Jamie Seeker sits down with Jonathan Raymond, the founder and CEO of Ren AI, a coaching technology company based in San Diego, California. With a background that spans law, tech entrepreneurship, and nonprofit leadership, Jonathan shares how he discovered the missing link in leadership: authentic, emotionally intelligent conversations.

We dig into:

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