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Coffee, Chaos, & Cashflow

☕️ Coffee, Chaos & Cashflow 🎙️
Fueling your business journey with real talk, laughs, and a dash of caffeine! Join Eric Griffin, Aram Street, & Yemi Ogunbase as they share wins, missteps, and candid advice on turning chaos into cashflow. Real stories, real lessons—entrepreneurship, unfiltered. 🎧

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S5 · E67
August 27 · 43 min
#67 Rachel Edenfield of Swell: Care Before the Crisis
Send us Fan Mail This week we sit down with Rachel Edenfield, founder and CEO of Swell — a preventative mental and relational health platform built to make care radically more accessible. A former social worker turned product builder who's raised $1.7M and started by serving warfighters and their families 🎖️, Rachel reframes the whole category: the question isn't "is there an app for mental health," it's whether you can build help for the people least likely to ask for it — and reach them before the crisis, not after. The insight underneath Swell is that most people who need help don't identify as needing it, so the app meets them at the early signals instead — a fight with your partner, "I want to perform at work but can't get motivated" — and quietly applies the kind of clinical interventions you'd get in therapy years earlier. Rachel walks through the mechanics: a proprietary 63-trait archetyping engine, and a "Connections" feature that can predict relationship dynamics (like the pursue-withdraw loop couples fall into) and coach you through them 🧠. She's clear it's not a therapy replacement — even if therapy were free tomorrow, there are only enough U.S. therapists for about 12% of the people who request a session — so Swell works as the tier before a therapist, softening resistance, freeing up clinicians, and escalating to real help when its risk detection flags someone. Then the founder story, which is a saga of its own: a still-active musician raised by a single mom, briefly homeless as a kid, who hustled custom MySpace layouts and once started a Robin-Hood credit-card-processing company to undo her own sales job's markups — before web design, a stint at Lyft through its IPO, and product roles in epidemiology and defense tech. She's refreshingly blunt about the money: 330-plus investors, genuinely terrible timing (SVB's collapse, rising rates, a mental-health VC hangover), landing a TRICARE contract by spotting a C-SPAN hearing and cold-calling a senator's office, and the hard-won conviction that revenue is the only thing that matters — and that founders, not VCs, are the ones creating the value 💸. In this episode: The real question: building help for the people least likely to ask Why "preventative" — catching patterns years before therapy How Swell works: the 63-trait archetyping engine and "Connections" Why software can't (and shouldn't) replace therapy — the 12% shortage Why she started with the military community From social worker to product builder — via MySpace layouts and Lyft The $1.7M raise: 330 investors, brutal timing, and refusing to die Landing a TRICARE contract through a C-SPAN clip and a cold call Fundraising truths: revenue is king, and who really holds the power Building a startup in Louisville instead of on the coasts Find Rachel & Swell: App: Swell in the App Store · getswell.app LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/redenfield/ She writes for the startup newsletter The Distill: https://kycombinator.beehiiv.com/ Support the show
S5 · E66
August 20 · 37 min
#66 Meet Gabbi McErlean: Horses, Hustle & the Third Chair
Send us Fan Mail New season, new voice. For four seasons the third chair belonged to Eric — this season it's Gabbi McErlean, and today Aram and Yemi flip her into the guest seat so you can finally meet the woman, myth, and legend (aka G Funk 🎙️). She even runs her own intro! Gabbi walks us down what she calls her windy road. She grew up in California wanting to be a vet — mostly because it looked like her only way to work with horses. When chem, microbio, and calc made the case for "mercy," she swapped the vet track for a marketing degree, having realized her real gift is rapport and that, in her words, marketing is sales. She moved to Kentucky at twenty for a horse-training job, paid her dues mucking a twenty-stall barn, and ran headfirst into the horse world's brutal price of entry — so she built a marketing career to fund the horse life instead of chasing the horse life broke 🐎. Then come the turning points: an equestrian-apparel marketing gig that folded in February 2020, a jobless stretch of the shutdown (Google Ads certs, Bojack Horseman, and cooking Matt dinner two feet from his work-from-home desk), and a landing at Fleet Feet where the franchise model and life as "number two" lit the entrepreneurial fuse — you can propose all the changes you want, but you don't get teeth without owning it. Now she's an agency marketer living in paid media, websites, and CRM, breeding sport horses on the side because "they're a business now," and she says yes to a business podcast for the same reason she says yes to everything: the hunger to keep learning outside her own lane. In this episode: The windy road: wanting to be a vet, but really just wanting horses Leaving the vet track for marketing, and why "marketing is sales" Paying dues in the horse world and its brutal price of entry Getting laid off in Feb 2020 and riding out the shutdown Fleet Feet, the franchise model, and the itch to own something Breeding sport horses as an actual business (write-offs and all) Lightning round: the coffee order, the cruise she'd never take, and her most-Kentucky confession Find Gabbi: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellafunk/ Marketing: https://www.spottysquadmarketing.com/ Horses: https://www.spottysquadwarmbloods.com/
S5 · E65
August 13 · 29 min
#65 Edd MacKey on Building a Future for a 140-Year-Old Opera House
Send us Fan Mail A building that was very nearly a parking lot is now one of the most storied stages in Kentucky. This week Aram and Gabbi sit down with Edd MacKey — from Mt. Sterling by way of the Bahamas, a former LFUCG engineering technician who helped design the trails Lexington walks and bikes on, and now the man running the Lexington Opera House 🎭. (The friendship started, as Aram recalls it, in a Kroger checkout line.) Edd makes a case that engineering and the arts aren't nearly as far apart as they look — everything from the sciences to the cosmos is design, he says, and the performing arts are just a more flamboyant sphere of it. From there the history pours out: the Opera House's original site at Broadway and Main, where the Hilton now stands and where Kentucky's first governor was inaugurated; how talking pictures gutted theaters nationwide and turned this one into a movie house before it shuttered entirely; and how absentee owners with no stake in the community left it slated for demolition in the 1970s. It was saved by locals who were invested — W.T. Young, Jim Host, and George and Linda Carey, with Linda spearheading the effort — at the same moment the city was spending $40 million on Rupp Arena. Gabbi asks the important question about ghosts. Edd can neither confirm nor deny 👻. The rescue came with foresight that still defines the building: the Opera House Fund, which in fifty-plus years has put more than $13 million toward helping local performing arts groups afford a stage that would otherwise be out of reach. Edd explains the two halves of his job — managing thirteen local companies that each use the stage two to three times a year, plus the Broadway Live touring series now marking fifty years in Lexington — and how the calendar actually gets built, with Broadway dates locked first (touring routes wait for no one), then local groups slotting into their three optimum dates each. He also walks through Broadway Buddies, the thirteen-year-old outreach program started by Linda Carey and his predecessor Luann Franklin, which brings roughly 250 underserved kids a season in for a tour, theater etiquette, and a session with the technical crew on how spotlights, fog, and flying scenery actually work — then brings them back to watch a real Broadway show, paid for by donors 🎟️. Then the conversation widens to the whole ecosystem Edd sits at the center of: the Fayette County Public Arts Commission, which evolved from an approval body into a funded one that backs murals, sculptures, and gardens across the county; and the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington, now led by Grammy-winning artistic director and Lexington native Zach Brock. He shares a surprising thread between his birthplace and his adopted city — discovering E.P. Taylor's monument at Thoroughbred Park, a Kentucky horseman who developed property in Nassau and was tied to a Bahamian racetrack dating to the 1700s 🐎. And he closes with what still happens inside those walls: one of the country's first integrated stage productions in the early 1920s, Josephine Baker, three Netflix comedy specials, a UK Opera broadcast seen by millions on KET, and The Lexington Theatre Company's Les Misérables, the highest-grossing production in their history. In this episode: Why an engineer ended up running an opera house The original Broadway and Main site, and Kentucky's first gubernatorial inauguration How talking pictures killed America's theaters, and how this one nearly became a parking lot The locals who saved it, and why absentee ownership abandons a community The Opera House Fund: $13M+ over fifty years for local performing arts Two jobs in one — thirteen local companies plus fifty years of Broadway Live How the season calendar actually gets built Broadway Buddies: ~250 kids a season, and what changes when they know how the fog works Becoming "comedy central for Central Kentucky," Netflix specials and all The Public Arts Commission, murals, and funding neighborhood art Chamber Music Festival of Lexington and Grammy winner Zach Brock A Bahamas-to-Bluegrass connection hiding in Thoroughbred Park Basketball, bourbon, and horses — and why Lexington's mix is its strength Find the Lexington Opera House: Website: https://www.lexingtonoperahouse.com Broadway Live & Variety Live lineup: https://www.centralbankcenter.com/lexington-opera-house/broadway-live-variety-live
S5 · E64
August 6 · 38 min
#64 Built to Outlast You: Craft, Legacy, and the Long Way Around feat. Pat Martelli
Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build something still standing in a hundred years? This week Aram, Yemi, and Gabbi sit down with Pat Martelli — master carpenter, former high school history teacher, and founder of Boone Creek Construction — for his first-ever podcast appearance 🎙️. The conversation is about the tension at the heart of modern building: an industry that rewards speed and efficiency, and a builder stubbornly convinced the techniques that have stood the test of time are still the ones worth using. Pat opens on what actually separates a builder from the guy with "quality craftsmanship" painted on his trailer over the cheapest house wrap money can buy. He talks sourcing premier suppliers from out of state — including the airtight Arizona-built Western Windows going into a winery project, the first building in Kentucky to have them — and why he refuses to mark up materials, adding only his builder's fee to whatever crosses his desk. It's a practice other builders call crazy, but Pat's math is long-term: spend fifteen or twenty grand up front, or watch the client pay forty to fix it in a year. As Aram's dad used to put it, you can do it right the first time or right the sixth time, but eventually someone will have to do it right 🔨. From there it gets personal. Pat grew up on his father's job sites, started digging ditches as an eighth-grade summer laborer, and worked his way up through framing and trim carpentry. Then he spent five years teaching high school history and coaching swim — a passion job he says he'd return to tomorrow if he won the lottery — until he did the math on a sub-$40K salary and realized his summer trim-carpentry side business was earning half that in two months. He shares the story of a student on the run from police who turned up hiding in his classroom, and how that same instinct now goes into mentoring blue-collar guys in their twenties who are being told by influencers they're on the wrong track. The crew also gets into the tech that's helped and hurt: 4G walkie-talkies (a deliberate step backward Pat loves, and a moment of silence for Nextel), construction management software, Pinterest boards that quietly torch budgets, and AI renderings that finally let clients show a builder what's actually in their head. Then the legacy question — and Pat's answer isn't only buildings. It's the block mason's job site with four living generations on it, a ninety-year-old still packing mud, and a check that feeds all of them. When Gabbi asks what someone tearing into his work a century from now should find, Pat deadpans that he leaves a Boone Creek token in every house, immediately admits he doesn't, and Aram is fairly sure he's going to start 😄. In this episode: What actually separates a quality builder from the marketing on the trailer Sourcing premium materials, and the first Western Windows install in Kentucky No material markup: why Pat's "unusual" pricing is a long-game referral strategy Spend it now or spend double later — the real cost of cutting corners From eighth-grade laborer to master carpenter to business owner Five years teaching history, and why he left (and would go back) Mentorship, strong role models, and the pipeline into the trades 4G walkie-talkies, jobsite communication, and the Nextel we lost Pinterest budget blowups and how AI renderings are changing client conversations Building a company that runs without him — systems, foremen, and being a present father Legacy as buildings and relationships: four generations on one job site Boone Creek Millwork: bourbon barrel goods, and a third business on the way Find Boone Creek: Boone Creek Construction: https://boonecreekconstruction.com/ Boone Creek Millwork: https://boonecreekmillwork.com/ — bourbon barrel coasters, muddlers, cigar rests and more 🥃 Support the show
S5 · E63
July 30 · 33 min
#63 Alex Smith on Selling the Invisible: The Business of First Impressions
Send us Fan Mail What do you sell when your best work is invisible? This week Aram, Yemi, and Gabbi sit down with Alex Smith, who spent five years in digital marketing before becoming business developer at Green Solutions Land Care, a veteran-owned commercial landscaping and site-work company in Lexington. His big idea: curb appeal isn't lawn care, it's a first-impressions business — the kind people only notice when something's gone wrong. Alex breaks down the "three-ring binder" a client once taught him — the landscape, the front office, and (yes) the bathroom — and how nailing all three wins people every time. He gets into the hidden costs owners miss until they're expensive (those 12:30 a.m. sprinklers quietly wrecking your turf and your water bill), and the fleet of 52-inch all-electric autonomous mowers that turned a four-man, ten-hour Danville property into a four-hour cycle — roughly 15% labor savings on year one 🤖. Then the conversation widens: the military precision behind a veteran-owned crew, the seasonal whiplash of a job that changes four times a year (mowing to snow-and-ice, with dormant-season cutbacks keeping local crews working through winter ❄️), and the private-equity roll-up wave reshaping the industry — why Alex bets that staying local, accessible, and relationship-driven is the real moat when the competition's billing you from an office in Dallas. He closes with where the industry's headed (electric equipment, AI-assisted irrigation) and one thing every property manager should check today: the trip-hazard trench between the sidewalk and the turf. In this episode: Why curb appeal is really a first-impressions business — and the "three-ring binder" that wins clients What translated from digital marketing to landscaping (and what didn't) Autonomous electric mowers: real labor savings, and a local thought-leadership play Reading the customer — industrial vs. retail vs. multifamily first impressions Veteran-owned culture, crew buy-in, and military-grade logistics Running a business whose job description changes every season The private-equity roll-up wave and the case for staying local Where the industry's going: electric equipment and AI in irrigation Find Green Solutions Land Care: Website: https://greensolutionslandcare.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/green_solutions_landcare/ Connect with Alex: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsmith02/ Support the show
S5 · E62
July 23 · 47 min
#62 Brisket, Bitcoin & Solar Panels — The Serial Builder feat. Michael B. Stevenson II
Send us Fan Mail What do utility-scale solar, Bitcoin mining, hotshot trucking, and Texas barbecue have in common? Michael B. Stevenson II has built in all four. This week Aram and Yemi are joined by guest host Gabbi McErlean to talk with Yemi's brother Michael — a builder who turned a 12-year solar career into a launchpad for venture after venture, and is now betting it all on brisket. 🤠 Michael takes us from graduating into solar and building Sunscreen, a QA/QC app born out of eight-inch paper binders, to Mine2Hodl — the garage Ethereum rig (once running out of a hotel room 😅) that grew into a ~3-megawatt Bitcoin self-mining and hosting operation. He breaks down why hosting beats self-mining for steady cashflow, how a 401(k) rollover (ROBS) funded his second mining company Hash Hive, and the July 4th phone call that ended his trucking company Open Air Logistics overnight. 💥 Then the heart of it: That Good Smoke — the New Age Tex-Mex concept he co-founded with his fiancée (an Army-vet cook 🎖️), run as a five-kid family business. Pecan-wood, 18-hour smoked brisket, everything from scratch, signature sauces heading to retail shelves, and a plan to go from food truck to brick-and-mortar. Michael's leaving his project-management career at the end of August to chase it full-time — and his advice for anyone scared to leap? Just go for it. 🙌 In this episode: 12 years in solar & building the Sunscreen app (and the equity lesson he learned the hard way) Mine2Hodl: from a $5K hobby rig to a 3MW operation — hosting vs. self-mining explained Using a ROBS 401(k) rollover to launch Hash Hive Open Air Logistics and knowing when to walk away That Good Smoke: family business, from-scratch Tex-Mex, and sauces going retail Legacy, calculated risk, and betting on yourself 🔗 Find That Good Smoke: Website: https://www.thatgoodsmoke.com
S5 · E61
July 16 · 41 min
#61 Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught? Feat. David Hasler
Send us Fan Mail Can entrepreneurship actually be taught — or do you just have to go get punched in the mouth? It's an old jab: those who can't do, teach. David Hasler is the awkward counterexample. He spent fifteen years in finance leadership, running the org for Walmart's $125B U.S. grocery business (and later Health & Wellness), led a treasury project that saved store operations over $1B — and then chose to go teach founders how to raise fifty grand. 🎓 He's now Kentucky's 2022 Startup Coach of the Year, 2023 Startup Mentor of the Year, a lecturer in entrepreneurship, and the guy who built the Startup Ecosystem Roadmap that maps the founder's journey from "is there a there-there?" all the way to IPO. In this conversation, David makes the case that education doesn't replace the arena — it reduces uncertainty before you walk into it. 🗺️ What we get into: 🔥 Whether entrepreneurship education is ever just snake oil — and how to spot real content vs. feel-good platitudes 📈 What actually transfers from Fortune 1 finance to a pre-seed startup, and what he had to unlearn 🧭 The Startup Ecosystem Map and the Three Key Questions that keep new founders from drowning in information overload 🤝 "Finding your Jeff" — why the visionary needs the integrator, and what Henry Ford owed James Couzens 💸 Why founders are chronically financially illiterate, and how a simple model beats a beautiful pitch deck 🌎 Kentucky vs. the coasts vs. Denmark — how regional risk profiles and collaboration models change what's possible 🏗️ Building culture on purpose in the early days, before it builds itself 🤖 How AI is compressing the entrepreneurship classroom — and why case studies should be dissected, not admired 🏘️ Collaboration over competition, and how regions stop exporting their own "economic refugees" Whether you're building something, teaching someone who is, or trying to grow the ecosystem around you — this one's for you. ⚡ Connect with David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhasler/ Reach out for a copy of the Startup Ecosystem Map: coffeechaoscashflow@gmail.com Coffee, Chaos, & Cashflow. Season 5. Support the show
S4 · E60
May 14 · 44 min
#60 Leaving a Winning Hand: How Zack Wallace Built ABRI on a Foundation of Real Expertise
Send us Fan Mail Most entrepreneurs are told to “fail fast” and move quickly. Zack Wallace did the opposite. After becoming the nation’s top advisor at a Fortune 100 firm at an early age, he walked away from a winning hand to build something better: ABRI, a company built on true all-in-one advice across tax, legal, investment, and insurance. In this episode, Zack shares why mastering an established role first made him a better founder, what most inexperienced financial entrepreneurs get wrong, and how his hard-won expertise shaped ABRI’s culture, team, and client experience. If you’ve ever considered leaving a successful career to start your own thing – or simply want to know what real financial integration looks like – this conversation is for you. Check out ABRI: https://abri.io/ Connect with Zack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zack-wallace-cfp%C2%AE-clu%C2%AE-ricp%C2%AE-197aa521/ Support the show
S4 · E59
May 7 · 46 min
#59 Building Trust in Public Sector Leadership: Insights from Dr. Asa James Swan
Send us Fan Mail What does it take to lead when the roads, bridges, and winter storms don’t wait for a perfect plan? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Asa James Swan—founder and CEO of GREAT Leaders, former Chief of Staff and Legislative Liaison for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), and the nation’s first-ever Chief Leadership Officer for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Before Asa helped shape leadership training across the state, he was in the trenches of one of government’s most demanding agencies: the Cabinet responsible for Kentucky’s entire transportation infrastructure. We explore how he applied the five pillars of GREAT leadership (Gritty, Relational, Equipped, Authentic, Transformational) to navigate bureaucracy, lead legacy employees, manage crises, and build trust in a high-stakes public safety environment. Whether you lead a team of two or two thousand, this conversation is packed with real-world lessons on how to stay authentic, equip your people, and drive change when the pressure is on. Connect with Asa: https://great-leaders.org/begin-the-conversation/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/asa-james-swan/ Support the show
S4 · E58
April 30 · 30 min
#58 How Flip Phones and Core Values Shape a Unique Hospitality Business with the Warford Bros
Send us Fan Mail What happens when two brothers decide to run a modern short-term rental company… without a single smartphone between them? Meet Allen and Luke Warford, the co-founders of Inndoorsy—a hospitality business built on honor, excellence, beauty, and an intentionally slow, faith-driven life. In this episode, we sit down with these self-described "old souls" to talk about how they manage property design, guest relations, and daily operations Plus, Allen and Luke share the one rule that keeps their brotherhood intact, and why a non-hurried life might be the ultimate competitive advantage in hospitality. If you've ever dreamed of starting an STR business without losing your soul, your family time, or your peace—this one's for you. P.S. Unbeknownst to us, Luke's recording had stopped about halfway through the episode. So if you're wondering why it's just Aram and Allen talking through the second half, it's because technology doesn't always cooperate. Check out Inndoorsy and book a stay: https://www.inndoorsy.com/ Connect with the guys: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allen-warford-9751b51a2/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-warford-01b5b7256/ Support the show
S4 · E57
April 23 · 44 min
#57 Ieasha Allen on The Art of the Slow Build: Why Some Ideas Need a Decade to Bloom
Send us Fan Mail In this engaging interview, Ieasha Allen shares the inspiring journey of transforming a historic building into The Melroy, a vibrant social club in downtown Lexington. Discover the decade-long process, strategic decisions, and community-focused vision behind this unique project that blends culture, entrepreneurship, and community development. Follow The Melroy: https://www.instagram.com/themelroylex/ Connect with Ieasha: contact@themelroy.com Support the show
S4 · E56
April 16 · 39 min
#56 Rob Perez on The Case for Hiring in Recovery
Send us Fan Mail Rob Perez, a seasoned restaurant veteran, shares his journey from Hard Rock Cafes to founding DV8 Kitchen, a social enterprise employing people in recovery. Discover how his innovative approach is transforming the restaurant industry and creating sustainable employment opportunities for those overcoming addiction. https://dv8kitchen.com/ Connect with Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robperez64/ rob@dv8kitchen.com Support the show
S4 · E55
April 9 · 34 min
#55 Beyond the Spreadsheet: A Finance Leader’s Journey to Mentor of the Year with David Hasler
Send us Fan Mail David Hasler has led finance and strategy for some of the biggest names in business—Walmart ($125B grocery division), Procter & Gamble, Bath & Body Works, and The Body Shop. He's sat in the CFO chair and navigated private-equity pressure. But his most interesting chapter might be the one he's writing now: as a one-person consulting firm founder, Kentucky's Startup Mentor of the Year, and a guy who bootstrapped his way to over $1M in revenue using "free credit from Facebook." In this episode, David pulls back the curtain on the moments that shaped him—saving a plant from shutdown, creating P&G's first brand divestiture playbook, pitching "intrapreneurial" ideas inside Walmart that saved over $1B, and yes, the hard lessons that he calls "failures of sorts." You'll hear what it's really like to go from the C-suite to solo consulting, and how "being present" became his most effective marketing strategy. Whether you're a startup founder, a corporate finance veteran, or just someone who loves a good story about reinvention, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom, hard-earned humility, and a surprising amount of heart. Connect with David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhasler/ Support the show
S4 · E54
March 12 · 32 min
#54 Horses, Bourbon, and Bottom Lines: Tourism in the Bluegrass with Matt Noble
Send us Fan Mail Matt Noble, president of the Bluegrass Tourism Marketing Association (BTMA), discusses his background in marketing and the unique challenges and opportunities in promoting tourism in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. He highlights the economic impact of tourism, the importance of networking for small businesses, and the changing demographics of visitors. Noble also shares insights on emerging trends in tourism, workforce challenges in the hospitality industry, and offers recommendations for visitors to Lexington. Check out the BTMA: http://btmaky.org/ Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-c-noble/ Support the show
S4 · E53
March 5 · 35 min
#53 What Does a City Owe Its Past? A Conversation with the Blue Grass Trust
Send us Fan Mail In this engaging conversation, Aram Street hosts Erica Friis and Zak Leonard from the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation. They discuss their personal journeys into historic preservation, the importance of public engagement, and the unique challenges faced in Lexington. The conversation covers various aspects of preservation, including educational initiatives, case studies, and the balance between development and preservation. They also highlight the significance of community involvement and the upcoming Preservation Center at Hopemont, aiming to foster a deeper understanding of historic preservation in Central Kentucky. Connect with the Blue Grass Trust: https://www.bluegrasstrust.org/members Zak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zak-leonard-0925ba2a1/ Erica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-friis-5aa626232/ Support the show
S4 · E52
February 26 · 29 min
#52 Why Your LinkedIn Likes Don't Pay the Bills: A Masterclass in High-Intent Marketing with Xavier Johnson
Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Aram interviews Xavier Johnson, the owner of Rise and Run Media, about transforming LinkedIn from a simple posting platform into a powerful revenue engine for B2B companies. They discuss the importance of thought leadership, the balance between professional authority and engagement, and the significance of conversations in building trust. Xavier shares insights on organic versus paid strategies, key metrics for success, and the shift from text to video content on LinkedIn. The episode concludes with actionable advice for B2B companies looking to enhance their LinkedIn presence. Connect with Xavier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xavier-johnson-/ Email: xavier@riseandrunmedia.com Support the show
S4 · E51
February 19 · 27 min
#51 Silicon Valley to Style Valley: The Cross-Industry Genius of Anya Cheng
Send us Fan Mail From landing in the US with a single degree and facing months of rejection to leading product operations for some of the world's most recognizable brands, Anya Cheng's journey is a masterclass in resilience and strategic reinvention. As a former product lead at Meta and Target, and Head of Product at eBay, she helped shape the digital experiences of millions. Now, she's channeling that unparalleled expertise into her own venture: Taelor, an AI-powered platform that's personalizing the way men discover and wear clothing. In this episode, Anya pulls back the curtain on the cultural nuances between tech giants and retail empires, reveals the product philosophy that works across any industry, and explains the pivotal moment that inspired her to leap from corporate titan to founder. Get ready for a conversation filled with hard-won wisdom, from the boardroom to the startup frontier. Connect with Anya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anyacheng/ Check out Taelor: https://taelor.style/ Use code PODCAST25 for 25% off! Support the show
S4 · E50
February 12 · 32 min
#50 Operational Efficiency: The Tech Priorities for a Market Leader with Will Burroughs
Send us Fan Mail Will Burroughs draws upon his deep expertise in web performance and system optimization, with a specialized focus on the construction industry. He shares insights on the importance of understanding client needs and details how his diagnostic approach is being used in his new role at BC Solutions to audit and improve their digital service delivery. The discussion also covers the tools and techniques used for performance optimization, the role of AI in business automation, and valuable advice for early-stage startups. Burroughs emphasizes the significance of focusing on operational efficiencies and the advantages of being a larger player in a smaller market. Connect with Will: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-carson-burroughs/ https://bcsolutions.dev/ Support the show
S4 · E49
February 5 · 29 min
#49 Essential Innovations: A New Blueprint for Civic Impact with Ben Reno-Weber
Send us Fan Mail Ben Reno-Weber discusses his entrepreneurial journey and the creation of Essential Innovations, a venture focused on providing workforce solutions and connecting employers with available resources. The discussion covers insights from the Five Across pitch competition, the challenges faced by businesses in hiring, and the innovative approaches to navigating funding opportunities. Ben emphasizes the importance of understanding the market and leading with a strong business model while also addressing social impact. Check out Essential Innovations: https://www.essentialinno.com/ Connect with Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrenoweber/ Support the show
S3 · E48
Nov 13, 2025 · 30 min
#48 From Corporate Ladder to Solo Mission: The Simon Law Story
Send us Fan Mail Get ready for an inspiring chat with Nate Simon! 🎙️ He opens up about his leap from corporate lawyer to founding his own firm, Simon Law ⚖️, and breaks down his unique, no-fluff approach to serving the construction industry. 🏗️ Nate gets real about blending work with life, giving back to the community, 💝 and using tech to make legal help faster and more accessible. 💻 He’s a fierce advocate for small business owners and shares why solid legal representation is a game-changer. Plus, he reveals how he prioritizes family and health 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦💪 while building a successful practice that truly makes a difference. Connect with Nate: https://simonlawky.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathansimon/ Support the show

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