From Founder To CEO

Co-Founder of #1 Catholic App: Surrender

11 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Alex experienced a spiritual awakening that led him and his co-founders to build the the most downloaded and used Catholic app in the world. As the...

Founder of Spartan Races: "The Obstacle Is The Way" & His New CNBC TV Show

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Joe is as real as it gets. He is a Founder and CEO who tells it like it is and pushes himself to get better and be better...every day. What I truly ap...

Why Relinquish The Role Of CEO? - Award Winning Founder Tells His Story

26 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Enlisted Marine. Marine Officer. Husband. Father. Pharmaceutical Salesman. Firefighter. Founder & CEO. City Councilman. COVID-19 surv...

How this Founder powered back from a $100,000 lawsuit that nearly destroyed his business

01 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When you meet Chideha for the first time, you immediately know. You know he is a special person. You know he cares about every person he comes in...

25 Years As Founder Of #1 Blinds.com: Jay Steinfeld - "Be As Generous As You Can"

14 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Blinds.com is an incredible business story and Jay is an incredible Founder CEO. In his new book, he talks about the 4 Es...the foundational princi...

What to do when you make a BIG BAD decision

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Donnie is as transparent as you might expect, being a Marine. His amazing company is helping thousands of business owners connect with the right pe...

BIG 400TH INTERVIEW: Jason Fried discusses his controversial decision & its fallout

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

WOW! We could not have asked for a better 400th Podcast Episode Guest! And, Jason Fried delivered. He was super candid about a great many topics th...

What To Do When You Need To Exit 2 Co-Founders

30 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tutoring is big business. And, Myles and the team figured out how to provide this valuable service for FREE to thousands of students. It wasn't eas...

Shark Tank Founder: Deciding If You Want To Be CEO?

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You may remember Ashley from her appearance on ABC TV's "Shark Tank." At the end of the show, Ashley received and accepted an offer from Daymond Jo...

BIG EcoTech Founder: Use your "breakdown" as your "breakthrough"

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

My draw dropped open when Norman told me how much money in energy costs he saved a Brazilian company. He and his team take a decidedly business app...

"Unicorn" Founder/CEO: Growth Requires Defining New Team Member Scope

03 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What started as a side hustle, caught him by surprise when Google reached out with an intriguing offer. As a self-described, "not a people person,"...

Elias Guerra: Even a patient Founder needs more patience

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Surprising and delighting customers as they interact with their digital wallet is the expertise of Elias Guerra and his team at Popwallet. Many par...

The Courage To Share The Truth...When It Is Needed Most

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever heard a Founder say he enjoys buying business insurance. I thought so. It takes a special kind of Founder to tackle the business in...

The 22 Talk SHIFTs that will change your leadership...and life

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Krister and I last spoke in 2017 in episode 185. It was an intense conversation. Why? Because Krister's journey has been so intense. When I saw t...

Tara: Here is what I did when I was not delegating effectively

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic wreaked havoc on many businesses. But, how many of you know a Founder who launched DURING the pandemic? Allow me to introduce you to...

FOCUS: It's hard to do when you are like THIS Founder

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who doesn't like a good walk in the forest? It turns out that walking in the forest is even more important than we realize. Jared and his team ha...

The powerful combination of founder vulnerability & accountability

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A larger number of people in the United States are "gig workers." And, that number has increased steadily. Craig and his team know this and are on ...

BONUS: The 5 Steps To An Undefeated Marketing System

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Phillip's Book Click Here! Phillips Free Assessment: www.phillipstutts.com/insights  

Giving Up Sales To Scale The Company: True Story Of Growth

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tim has been a friend for quite some time. I admire him for so many reasons...not the least of which is his prowess at sales. In fact, it was this ...

Friday Founder Fundraising Forum: Lucas - Know WIIFM for each investor

16 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Know How To Connect With Investors: www.CrucialConnections.com GoLoot: https://www.igoloot.com/ Lucas On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-b...

How to overcome the Founder "all or nothing" fitness pitfall

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Zac Mason helps many Founders get fit. Zac on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachzac/ Zac on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coachzacmason ...

Setting Expectations Nearly Lost Him Investment $, Setting Objectives Got It Back

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I sincerely appreciated Lucas' candor. He and his team are quite innovative with their approach to creating experiences for brands and their custom...

The merits of being a "lazy" co-founder? Yes.

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Wool. An old friend with a new twist from a team that is on fire. Dan chronicles the rise of Unbound Merino and also the merits of being "The Lazy ...

What to do if a Co-founder isn't a fit any more

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Fix Your Fundraising Flubs: Join www.crucialconnections.com Matt's tech is terrific. Matt is too. :) He not only talks about why personalized video...

EXIT: His reasons for selling (and what you might consider)

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Need Help Raising Capital: www.crucialconnections.com Live events seem like a distant memory. But, not to Evan. He is a leading expert on the thing t...

Battling Cancer (Twice) & Shady Characters Made Her Stronger & Changed Her Business Model

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

JOIN THE WAIT LIST FOR CRUCIAL CONNECTIONS: www.crucialconnections.com Krista has beat cancer...twice. And, she worked her way through some shady ch...

Are You Backable? - Listen to what YOU can do to get the capital you need

14 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sign Up for Crucial Connections (www.crucialconnections.com) Have you ever wondered why some investors invest in your company and some don't? Have yo...

Founder Fundraising Myth #3: Your Power (Crucial Connections)

12 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Shift From Fundraising Failure To A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com Todd walks through Myth #3 of Founder Fundraising

Founder Fundraising Myth #2: Your Pitch (Crucial Connections)

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Shift From Fundraising Failure To A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com Todd walks through Myth #2 of Founder Fundraising

Founder Fundraising Myth #1: Your Persistence (Crucial Connections)

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Shift From Fundraising Failure To A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com Todd walks through Myth #1 of Founder Fundraising

Sponsorships For Capital: From Two Emmy Award Winning Co-Founders

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Become A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com This was such a FUN interview, with two people who quickly captured my heart. Nicole and Ma...

Overcoming The Discomfort Of Raising Capital

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Become A Fundraising Phenom: www.CrucialConnections.com Tyler is incredible. What he has been able to accomplish as a Founder while being a college s...

How To Recover From A Failed Financial Projection To Your Investors & Team Members

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Financial projections for a Founder CEO are quite precarious. On the one hand you want to be careful not to over promise because others are relying o...

How to be a Great Founder/Team Leader When YOU are a HIGH Achieving Person

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It takes a special person to be a wife, mother, physician, AND Founder. That special person is Dr. Allison Hull. Listen as Allison explains her pas...

Shae Bynes: Are You Moving Away From Something Or Toward Something?

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Wow. Shae! She will inspire you and move your heart. She shares her divinely inspired story as well as a few other really interesting topics: How and...

Founder Habits: He mastered them and he tells you how YOU can too

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Justin's enthusiasm for success is infectious. However, beneath that enthusiasm is a lifetime of struggles, challenges, and unique experiences that f...

Sequoia Capital Backed Founder: Create Hiring Processes That Scale

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who you let in and out of your life is VERY important. Who you let in and out of your networks is VERY important. Who you let into and out of your co...

What to do when your passions get the better of you

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I am a reluctant Cincinnati Bengals fan. (see their record for my reluctance justification). But, then again, I am not really a big football super fa...

Founder: Winning At Work/Life Boundaries

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

My wife was a military spouse for a short time period. It's a very challenging role to be in, for sure. Michelle and her co-founder have harnessed ...

FINTECH Unicorn ($2.42B) Co-Founder/CEO: Don't shelter the team from bad news

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

CB Insights lists the company that Mike Praeger founded as a FinTech unicorn. Take a look here. Mike has some incredible insights about the history...

Former SONIC CEO: Founders As "Masters Of None"

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I must admit...I could eat burgers from Sonic for every meal. So, when the former CEO of Sonic agreed to come on the show to help YOU learn from his ...

Are you letting your failures obscure your genius?

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Being an entrepreneur is challenging. Being an entrepreneur AND a parent is even more challenging. For some, being a black entrepreneurial parent can...

Mario: You don't need to hire people that you don't want to spend time with

29 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Mario and his team are the real deal. His passion for people and culture is quite inspiring. He and his company's work is legendary. That's why his st...

BONUS: Dr Choi - How To Use Neuroscience To Improve Your Performance

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Choi shares some incredible insights and actions you can take to leverage neuroscience in order to improve YOUR performance. His LinkedIn Profile:...

Being Friendly VS Being Friends, With Team Members

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you are looking to be inspired by a Founder's startup story, look no farther than this interview with Gwen. She sure does have grit and a lot of o...

How This Founder Overcame The Intimidation Factor

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We all lose loved ones. This year seemed particularly difficult. You might say I was quite touched by Joe's mission. He and his team are really try...

23 Year Old Founder: Compromising With Dev Team Led To More Success

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

COVID-19 has made it even more difficult for artists to launch and sustain a living. That's why I LOVE what Nicholas and his team are doing for art...

Berkshire Hathaway Bought His Companies, After He Learned To "Loosen His Grip"

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Some of you dream about building a great company and achieving a great exit by having your company bought by a company like Berkshire Hathaway. Th...

BONUS: How focusing on simplicity for his customer & for his business, generated MORE success

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Soviero, Founder of Signature, discusses how he and his team focused on simplicity for his customers AND his business and how that generated a lot...

When Co-Founders Part Ways: What Dan Learned About Himself

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dan is one of those guys that you immediately like. He is a former lacrosse players who just wants to help other lacrosse players. He explains why ...

BONUS: Zac Mason - The 4 Limiting Belief/Myths Of Founder Fitness

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Check out Zac's website: https://topmencoach.com/ Top Men Method Zac shares the 4 Limiting Beliefs/Myths that hold Founders back from achieving fitnes...

The Consequences Of Hiring People Just Like You

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

About a year ago I started paying attention to some of the new approaches to lead generation many Founder were using. They include quizes, calculator...

The Founder of The Factual Discovered He Wasn't A Good Product Manager

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I have always been passionate about great reporting and quality journalism. I started out as a paper delivery boy and later a journalist for a short ...

BONUS: Being A Couple & Co-Founders: How to make this unique relationship work

06 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Register For Their Couples Academy Event On Dec 1: https://justownit.co/the-couples-academy/ Justin and Alyse's website: https://justownit.co/ Justin ...

BONUS: Former NAVY SEAL, Errol Doebler: Great leaders foster psychological safety

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is one former Navy Seal you are going to want to listen two...twice...and read his book too: "The Process, Art, and Science of Leadership" Errol'...

The tension between our aspirations and the realities of entrepreneurship

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I think you may want to listen to this interview...twice. Shawn is incredible. He is one of the deepest thinking Founders I think I may have interv...

65,000 Barbers Use His App, But This One Thing Is Hard For Him To Give Up

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The relationship between the barber and the barber's client is very important. No one understands that more than Obi and his co-founder. They start...

Founder of Beachbody talks about building an "off ramp"

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you are looking for an example of a hardworking Founder & CEO, look no further than Carl Daikeler. Carl has been leading his company for 21 year...

Dunkin' Donuts CEO Shares The Story When Hubris Got The Better Of Him

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I grew up in Connecticut and LOVED when we were able to get Dunkin Donuts' Munchkins® Donut Hole Treats. So, many years later having the opportunity...

Kara Goldin: The Legendary Founder Of Hint Water On Her Biggest Challenge As A Leader

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

15 years ago, Kara and her husband, Theo, set on on a grand adventure. With no experience in the beverage industry, they wanted to create a beverage ...

Even THIS Founder Doesn't Get Hiring Right ALL The Time

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you aren't using a valid and reliable pre-employment assessment to augment your hiring efforts, then you may be missing an opportunity. Josh explai...

Think ALL Investor Money Is Good Money? Think Again. Johanan Explains Why

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Johanan has created a win-win-win with Algas Organics. He takes nuisance seaweed that washes up on the beaches of his island country, turns it into fe...

The LinkedIn Ads Guru On Switching Focus To The Team

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

AJ will impress you will his LinkedIn Ads knowledge, his dedication to his craft, and his work ethic. But, I think you'll also be impressed by AJ's ca...

Selling to Carvana And Now Working On Auto Loans: Can Cause Stress

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Nick and his fellow Founders had a big exit with Carvana. Yes, that Carvana. Now hey are tackling the car load market with a great deal of experience ...

Twice The Struggle - How She Succeeds & Overcomes Racism As An African-American Founder

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This was a hard conversation to have. I'm grateful to Rachel for trusting her story with me. All our entrepreneurial journeys have struggles that help...

BONUS: Queen City Angels: 4 Mistakes Founders Make Pitching Angel Investors

29 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Queen City Angels Entrepreneur Boot Camp September 22-23, 2020: Sign up HERE Scott Scott Jacobs, Executive Director of QCA, Shares 4 Mistakes Founder...

MarTech Founder shares some unique insights about who should attend "feature" meetings

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sponsored By: www.arrestfounderstress.com Meetings are are an interesting topic. When you combine that with SaaS "feature" talk, you can burn through...

Data Science & Bras: Heidi Zak innovates AND gets commitment on tough decisions

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sponsored By: Arrest Founder Stress Data science and bras? An unlikely combination? Not if you are a former Google employee and MIT grad. Heidi and ...

Ben Chestnut on receiving and acting on personally critiquing feedback

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sponsored By: Arrest Founder Stress Millions of entrepreneurs know about Mailchimp, because Mailchimp made millionaires of entrepreneurs known. What...

Conquering conflict avoidance helped fuel 50% annual growth for the past 2 years

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sponsored By: Arrest Founder Stress I always find it so fascinating when Founders create technology that helps creates win wins for everyone. That's ...

Learning to say no in order to grow

28 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Try our FREE Course: Arrest Founder Stress You can relate, right? Taking on customers, clients, business, etc. that maybe you should not have? Perhap...

BONUS: 4 Founders Just Talk About It

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

4 Founders Just Talk About It Talk about what? Race in America Erin Green: Founder of Verify Services Perry Jeffries III, Founder of The Entrepreneur...

COVID-19 Exploded Growth...Now He Had An Inventory Problem

21 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine selling millions of your product, but then having an inventory problem. That was the situation Greg faced. Listen to what he did and how he ha...

How This Founder Overcame Self-Confidence Issues And How You Can Too

14 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I have a special treat for you in this episode. I am VERY excited to introduce you to my long-time friend from way back in my neighborhood of Ansonia,...

Jake Checked His Ego And That Created More Growth

07 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sponsor: www.stressfreefounder.com I enjoyed speaking with Jake. He is an impressive Founder. And, I appreciate his candor about "ego." We can all lea...

Why Silicon Valley Culture Did Not Work For His Company

30 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sponsored by: www.StressFreeFounder.com Tobias is a Founder originally from Vienna. In this really interesting interview, he shares why introducing a ...

The BIG shift this Founder made that created explosive growth

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

SPONSRED BY: www.stressfreefounder.com Jason and his team have created a learning platform that is truly incredible. He started this in his early 20s ...

The One Question This Lawyer/Co-Founder Uses To Reveal Culture Fit

16 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Gut health is important to all of us. We need good "gut buddies" to stay healthy. And, we need good "team buddies" for our startups to thrive. Tina sh...

Why Do Celebrities Like Kelly Clarkson, Usher, and Tony Robbins Flock To This Founder/Doctor?

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You probably have seen Dr. Gundry. His book "The Plant Paradox" is a best seller. His supplements are widely popular and celebrities like Kelly Clarks...

COVID-19 Turned This Founder Into A "War-Time" Leader

05 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alex led his team through a huge nightmare. COVID-19 prompted him to quickly change his entire in-person SaaS conference business model. And, wow, he ...

Co-Founder of Netflix: When Reed Hastings said he is losing faith in me as CEO

02 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sponsored by: www.stressfreefounder.com Marc's new (relatively) book, "It Will Never Work" is really wonderful book. I like it because Marc seems to ...

4 Actions To Successfully Lead Through Crisis

26 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

SPONSORED BY: www.stressfreefounder.com Maria is a proud New Yorker and a skillful Founder. She has successfully navigated and pivoted her business th...

BONUS: 11 Components Of Your New Coronavirus Job Description

21 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pat and his team are having an enormous impact. Pat is the CEO of GAN, THE organization supporting the success of over 100 independent accelerators......

Battling COVID-19 With Great Tech While Transitioning From Founder To CEO

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Gunner and his team are on the front lines of battling COVID-19 and other pathogens in hospitals. Their amazing "tower" helps to lyze the "bugs" that ...

Conquer Perfectionism & Launch With This Founder's Advice

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Anand really believes in his mission. With over 20 years of experience in his industry, Anand has created something whose time has come...technology f...

BONUS: Bombed NAVY Ship Commander - How Founders Can Lead During COVID-19 Crisis

07 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

CDR Lippold bravely led his sailors during the horrific suicide bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 when 17 sailors died. Kirk understands what it takes t...

2008 Taught This Founder How To Win In 2020

05 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I asked Craig to come on the show because he is a wealth of knowledge and experience. Not only did his team just finish moving a considerable number o...

BONUS: The 3 NEW Messages Converting Customers in the Coronavirus Economy

30 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Phillip is a former guest on the show that I wanted to bring back for a good reason. His agency, Win BIG Media has an exclusive partnership with the l...

He received feedback that prompted him to change...so he did

28 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Now, more than ever, we need to know what is happening in the hearts and minds of our team members. Santiago and his team have married up software and...

BONUS: Jenny Kay - Founder Crisis Communication Tips During Covid-19

22 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Communications Expert & Attorney, Jenny Kay, shares Founder Crisis Communication Tips During Covid-19 Her Company: https://kaycommunications.co/ Her L...

He Sold His First Company To Kellogg's: Focus On One Fire At A Time

21 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

These are stressful times for many Founders. What usually is a challenging role to be in, has been turned into a crazy race to stay alive. That's why...

BONUS: KC Royals Pitcher, Author, & Speaker On Embracing "Sweaty Palms" During Crisis Leadership

15 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We dissect one of the pillars of Mike Robbin's new book: "We're All in This Together: Creating a Team Culture of High Performance, Trust, and Belongin...

Are You Tapping Into The Collective Wisdom Of Your Team?

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As we battle Covid-19, I was grateful that Johannes joined me on the podcast. His views on "collective intelligence" are quite inspiring. And, it's hi...

BONUS: How This Army Veteran & Founder Uses *V-U-C-A* To Lead Through The Covid-19 Crisis

09 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bobby Herrera is the successful Founder & CEO of The Populus Group, THE company that help you manage your non-permanent workforce. Bobby is also a U.S...

BONUS: 2 Todds W/ Podcasts: Our 5 Year Anniversary & His Successful Launch

08 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Todd O'Brien has a popular podcast you'll want to check out: http://keepitweirdmedia.com/podcast He and I talk about what we have learned interviewing...

Regional Airline CEO On A Key Lesson Of Remote Leadership

07 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew was guest #2, 5 years ago. It was truly an honor to have him back on the show where he discusses two key issues: 1) how he is navigating a pilo...

She had to let 98% of her 600 team members go: Here's how she did it

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

She grew SolidCore to over 70 locations and thousands of members including big fans like Michelle Obama. But, nothing has compared to the heart-wrench...

He wants to make you a Sales Hero, and Learned How NOT to be A Hero CEO

24 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine having an intelligence system that proactively finds the right information you need to craft the best messages for sales prospecting. That is ...

Are you surrounded by people who contribute or contaminate?

17 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are you contributing or contaminating? That is a question that Brad invites advisors, family members, friends, etc., (who desire to give advice to ris...

Evan Carmichael Has Over 2 Mill YouTube Subscribers And One BIG Fear

10 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You may know Evan. He is the guy with over 2 million subscribers on YouTube aiming to help you believe your entrepreneurial ambitions can come true. B...