Business Owners Tell All

In this candid and energizing episode, Julie Cole shares the story of how she left a career in law to co-found Mabel’s Labels, all while raising six kids and navigating the challenges of early entrepreneurship. From launching in a basement with her sister and two friends to growing into a business with a 20,000 sq. ft. facility and 50+ employees, Julie walks us through the grit, risk, and reality behind building a brand parents tru...

In this episode, Jamie Seeker sits down with self-made entrepreneur Yousef Benhamida, who turned a one-bedroom apartment and a few hundred dollars into Humboldts Secret Supplies—now one of the top-selling plant nutrient brands in the U.S.

Yousef opens up about how success came not just through hustle, but from rock bottom moments, personal loss, and radical discipline. From taking stimulants to stay awake through 16-hour workdays to...

In this powerful and heartfelt episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie Seeker sits down with Kyle Bachus, co-founder of Bachus & Schanker, LLC in Denver, Colorado. From his early inspiration as a 17-year old arguing in a mock Supreme Court, to founding one of the most respected personal injury law firms in the region, Kyle shares what it really takes to build a values-driven business — one rooted in justice, ...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie Seeker sits down with Juan Cruz, founder and managing attorney of JCA Law, PLLC, a Texas-based education law firm with offices in Laredo, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi. With nearly 30 years of legal experience and a track record that includes a win before the Texas Supreme Court, Juan shares the grit, strategy, and heart it took to build a respected firm from scrat...

In this insightful and candid episode, Joseph Nagle, Head of Strategy at Pando Electric, shares how his team is disrupting the EV charging space by simplifying the tech, targeting underserved communities, and building a resilient, mission-aligned company culture.

From securing a $5.4 million state grant to pioneering smart outlet charging that cuts costs and maintenance, Joseph walks us through what it takes to build a scalable and ...

In this episode, Jamie sits down with Jake Malott, the founder of Whitestone DCI, a Los Angeles-based consulting firm that specializes in preconstruction project management and land use consulting. From giving Segway tours and dressing as a pineapple to breaking through LA’s regulatory red tape, Jake’s journey into business ownership is anything but conventional.

He shares how persistence, creativity, and valuing his own work were k...

In this episode, Dr. Lauren Jones, a veterinarian and Director of Veterinary Medicine at Shepherd Veterinary Solutions, shares her deeply personal and powerful journey from childhood dreams of vet med to burnout, evolution, and bold leadership. Now based in Phoenix, Arizona, Lauren owns and leads the Animal Hospital of Chester County remotely, while serving the broader industry through tech and advocacy work. She opens up about the...

In this insightful episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, host Jamie Seeker talks with Justin Tollefson, Principal at Pearson Design Group, a boutique architecture firm based in Bozeman, Montana known for designing stunning, story-driven homes. Justin opens up about his 20+ year journey with the firm, how his leadership style has evolved, and what it really takes to run a design-focused business with heart. From buildi...

In this inspiring episode, Jamie Seeker sits down with Dr. Michael Remson, President and CEO of KeyNote, home of the San Diego Youth Symphony, located in San Diego’s historic Balboa Park. Michael shares his powerful journey from growing up in musical theater in New York City to becoming a nationally respected nonprofit arts leader. He dives into how music shaped his life from a young age, how early access to arts education builds f...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie Seeker sits down with Shay Wheat, Certified Event Producer™ and CEO of Grace & Ease Productions. Shay shares her powerful journey from managing apartments and doing network marketing to producing multi-million dollar events for powerhouse names like Dr. Oz and Lisa Nichols.

We dive into how events became her ultimate business-building tool, how she pivoted to virt...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie Seeker sits down with Miguel Adao, CEO of Voler Systems, to explore what it means to be a truly global leader. With a career that’s taken him across eight countries, five languages, and leadership roles at Pepsi, HP, VMware, and more, Miguel shares how cultural intelligence has shaped his leadership philosophy and career path.

Now based in Sunnyvale, California, Migue...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie sits down with Bryce North, founder and CEO of Don’t Be A Little Pitch, a bold media and branding company headquartered in Manila, with global reach. Bryce shares how he went from startup founder to media magnet — landing deals on Dragons’ Den, scaling companies across 40+ countries, and raising over $600K through crowdfunding — all by mastering the power of storytel...

In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes Jamie sits down with Daniel Woodroffe, the visionary behind dwg., a landscape architecture firm based in Austin, Texas (and now London) that's on a mission to reshape urban environments through art, ecology, and purpose-driven design.

Daniel shares his journey from growing up in England to launching a globally respected firm that transforms overlooked and often toxic urban s...

In this episode of What It Takes: Business Owners Tell All, Jamie sits down with Claude Burns, Founder and CEO of Office Libations, to unpack his journey from serving in the U.S. Navy to building one of the fastest-growing companies in workplace hospitality. Claude shares how the lessons learned aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and his experience with elite Navy teams shaped his leadership style and business values. From launching cr...

In this episode of What It Takes: Business Owners Tell All, host Jamie Seeker sits down with Ryan Teicher, CEO of REDCOM Design & Construction, to explore the unique path he’s taken across family business, corporate leadership, and now steering a legacy company into a more sustainable and scalable future. With over 25 years of experience in the construction and real estate world, Ryan shares candid insights into what it takes t...

In this episode of What It Takes: Business Owners Tell All, host Jamie Seeker sits down with Evan Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Riverview Systems Group, Inc., a Silicon Valley-based live event production company with a 38-year track record of staging unforgettable experiences for major global brands like Google, Apple, and Cisco.

Evan shares the unlikely blend of theater and accounting that led to his success, how he kept his team...