Built for This

In this powerhouse episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with media pioneer Larry Namer, co-founder of E! Entertainment Television and chairman of multiple global media ventures, to unpack how a scrappy startup became a worldwide entertainment brand.

Larry shares how E! launched with just $2.5 million, 11 employees, and 31 interns, eventually expanding into 142 countries. But this conversation goes far beyond celebrity c...

What if explosive growth is not about taking bigger risks, but about refusing to make predictable mistakes?

In this episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Matthew Neill Davis, attorney, entrepreneur, and founder of Davis Business Law, a firm that achieved more than 1000% growth in eight years and became one of the rare law firms to earn a place on the Inc. 5000 list.

Matthew reveals that the secret behind that growth...

In this episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with multi-passionate entrepreneur and architect Lance Cayko to unpack what it truly means to build something that endures.

Lance shares how being laid off early in his career became the spark that led him to found multiple seven-figure companies grounded in culture, customer service, and steady growth. Instead of chasing scale for status, he focused on intentional expansion,...

In this forward-thinking episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Jason Wong, award-winning packaging innovator and CEO of PackinDuck, to explore how technology, media, and manufacturing can combine to transform a traditional industry.

After building and scaling multiple consumer brands, Jason experienced the friction of unreliable overseas manufacturing firsthand. Rather than accepting the status quo, he invested dire...

In this soulful and expansive episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Sal Salcedo, renowned hair artist, educator, and founder of Nova Arts Salon.

What begins as a conversation about hair quickly unfolds into something far deeper: identity, magnetism, creativity, sustainability, and business as a vehicle for cultural impact. Sal shares how growing up in Mexico, immigrating to the United States, and navigating the ego-...

In this powerful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Scott Neil, co-founder of Horse Soldier Bourbon and American Freedom Distillery, to explore what it truly takes to build a legacy brand designed to outlast its founders.

Scott shares his journey from serving in U.S. Army Special Forces, including being among the first teams inserted into Afghanistan after 9/11, to co-founding a bourbon company rooted in authenti...

In this inspiring episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Michael Black, founder and CEO of Success Tutoring, one of the fastest-growing education franchises in Australia with a rapidly expanding global footprint.

Michael shares how he started a small tutoring business in his parents’ spare bedroom at just seventeen years old and grew it into a purpose-driven franchise operating across Australia, New Zealand, the Unit...

In this candid and eye-opening episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Chantelle-Shakila Tiagi, founder of TIAGI, a global creative production agency with offices in London, Los Angeles, and Mumbai.

Chantelle pulls back the curtain on what production in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle really looks like. Beyond the glamour, she explains the reality of coordinating dozens of moving parts on every shoot, managing crises b...

In this episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Matt Dorman, co-founder and president of Endeavor, a digital solutions agency that helps manufacturers and enterprise organizations modernize outdated websites, CMS platforms, and digital infrastructure.

With more than 30 years of experience building enterprise platforms for companies like Time Inc. and Fox News, Matt brings a grounded perspective that blends deep techni...

In this thoughtful and deeply grounded episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Armen Alajian, co-owner of ARTO Brick & Tile, a California-based, family-founded company known for its handcrafted architectural surfaces and timeless design.

Armen shares how growing up surrounded by raw materials, craftsmanship, and hands-on creation shaped not only the products ARTO makes, but the philosophy behind the business itsel...

In this meaningful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Brian and Sally Krichbaum, the owners and stewards of Gilbert Chocolates, a historic chocolate company founded in 1893 and deeply rooted in the community of Jackson, Michigan.

Brian and Sally share the honest story of acquiring a once-thriving business that had dwindled to just five employees, and the intentional, disciplined path they chose to rebuild it. Wit...

In this thoughtful and grounding episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Angelo D’Amico, President and CEO of a global manufacturing company based in Ontario, Canada, generating more than $25 million in annual sales.

Angelo brings a rare blend of economics, management consulting, and philosophy into the conversation, offering a deeply human perspective on what leadership actually looks like in practice. He shares how ...

In this powerful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Don “The Dragon” Wilson, one of the most accomplished kickboxers in history and a prolific action film star whose career spans more than four decades.

Don shares how the same principles that made him an eleven-time world champion also allowed him to build a successful second career in Hollywood. From setting clear goals and ignoring naysayers, to mastering funda...

In this thoughtful and nostalgic episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Claudio Ulrich, a veteran film licensing and distribution expert with more than 30 years in the industry and the founder of Focus Media.

Claudio pulls back the curtain on the world of film distribution, revealing the immense amount of unseen work required to bring a movie from original film reels to a finished home release. From licensing rights ...

In this inspiring episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Carlos Lauchu, a nationally recognized STEM education leader with more than 25 years of experience reshaping how students learn science and technology.

Carlos shares how a moment of deep frustration early in his teaching career became the catalyst for creating Science Academy STEM Magnet, now one of the top-ranked schools in the United States. Rather than accep...

In this refreshing and thought-provoking episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Erik Braund, founder and CEO of Katmai, a virtual office platform built around one bold idea: work should feel human again.

Drawing on a background in music, film production, and creative leadership, Erik explains why real collaboration does not come from back-to-back calendar invites. After watching remote work explode during COVID, he s...

In this powerful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Jarrod Adreon, a behind-the-scenes operator who has helped build and scale companies generating over $100 million annually, all without chasing visibility, titles, or personal branding.

Jarrod shares a raw and deeply personal journey that includes homelessness, failed businesses, broken partnerships, crushing debt, and surviving industry-shaking events like the ...

In this episode of Built for This, Carly sits down with Charles Read, founder of GetPayroll, decorated Marine veteran, CPA, and author of The Payroll Book: A Guide for Small Businesses and Startups.

With over 50 years of financial leadership experience, Charles shares the hard-earned wisdom that every entrepreneur needs to hear — from understanding cashflow and building loyal teams to keeping your ego in check as a leader.

Whether ...

In this inspiring episode of Built for This, Carly sits down with Joseph Merhi, the Syrian-born filmmaker and entrepreneur who co-founded PM Entertainment alongside her father, Rick Pepin. Starting with $400, a high school diploma, and a dream that began at age twelve, Joseph went on to help build one of the most prolific independent studios in Hollywood — producing more than 100 films and TV projects for major networks and interna...