21st Century Entrepreneurship

Latest Episodes:

Erica Bethe Levin: Are We Failing Our Babies with Food? Sep 19, 2024

Show notes

Erica Bethe Levin is the founder and CEO of Globowl, a baby and toddler food company on a mission to challenge the broken American baby food system. In our conversation, Erica exposes the shocking reality: “60% of American baby food is unhealthy and doesn’t live up to basic standards.” But she’s not stopping there—she’s on a quest to reintroduce children to the vibrant, textured foods enjoyed by the rest of the world.

We explored how Globowl stands apart by rejecting “sanitized, mushy purees” and embracing real food. “Baby food doesn’t have to be dumbed down because babies aren’t dumb,” Erica explains. Globowl’s recipes are crafted to help kids develop their palate early, leveraging the “flavor window between 4 and 18 months” to set them up for a lifetime of adventurous eating. With dishes inspired by global cuisines like pad thai and tikka masala, Erica is giving babies a taste of the world—literally. And she's doing it in a way that honors health, with no added sugars, allergens included, and FDA-reviewed labels. “We have every single label reviewed by an FDA attorney. I want to be able to say that we have done everything right.”

Erica also discussed the deeper mission behind Globowl—helping families build a connection to food and culture. “We’re teaching kids about the world, tolerance, open-mindedness, and curiosity through what they eat.” But it’s not just about the food. Her business also promotes an active, engaged family life, whether it’s sitting down to dinner or cooking together in the kitchen. As she puts it, "We get to teach our kids about our cultures, like my aunt’s pesto from Italy or matzo balls for Hanukkah.”

Some key takeaways:

Erica’s mission is to dismantle the misleading marketing of baby food, with companies selling sugar-laden pouches masquerading as healthy options. "Think about how many apples go into an applesauce pouch—it’s more than you could sit down and eat in one sitting."
She highlights how stripping foods of natural allergens has made American babies “10 times more likely to have food allergies than anywhere else in the world.”
With Globowl now available in over 450 stores, she’s already seeing major traction. The company has been featured in trade publications and earned recognition, including nominations for the Chicago Innovation Award and appearances on Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars, where she made it to the final round.

In addition to her business insights, Erica shares her personal journey as a serial entrepreneur and mother, reflecting on the importance of balancing her health and family life. “As an entrepreneur, we have the tendency to be 100% absorbed in our business, but if you don’t have your own health—whether physical or mental—you don’t have the business.” Erica practices what she preaches, making family dinners a priority and incorporating meditation and gratitude into her daily routine.

From rethinking baby food to reimagining work-life balance, Erica Beth Levin offers invaluable insights for entrepreneurs, parents, and anyone interested in building a business that disrupts an entire industry while fostering family connection.

Ryan Wimpey: How Do You Turn Dog Training Into a Thriving Business? Sep 17, 2024

Show notes

Ryan Wimpey is the visionary founder of Tip Top K9 Dog Training. We spoke about his journey from working an unfulfilling cubicle job to building a nationwide dog training empire. With over 18 years of experience and the training of 5,000+ dogs under his belt, Ryan shares the secrets behind his unique classical conditioning method and how it’s different from reward or punishment-based approaches.

One of the most surprising revelations is that dog training isn’t formally accredited. “Dog training is a trade,” Ryan says, “and just like every other trade, you really must apprentice.” His journey began with a personal search to solve his dog Curley’s behavioral issues. This ultimately led to developing a systematized, repeatable approach that simplifies the training process for both dogs and owners.

Ryan offers a clear breakdown of his innovative training system based on Pavlovian conditioning, explaining how it effectively teaches dogs to respond to commands without relying on food lures or negative reinforcement: “With classical conditioning, there's no reward, there's no punishment. We condition a response.” His approach involves using a remote training collar, a leash, and verbal commands to create reliable behavior in dogs—even when off-leash.

Beyond dog training, Ryan dives deep into the world of franchising. He explains the power of owning a Tip Top K9 franchise, emphasizing how it allows dog trainers to focus on their craft while corporate takes care of the business side: “We answer all of your incoming calls, book your appointments, and do your billing.” This heavy back-end support is what allows his franchisees to succeed where others might struggle.

Key Takeaways:

Classical conditioning offers a superior alternative to reward or punishment-based training, with results that last.
Franchising with support: From call centers to marketing, Tip Top K9’s system allows trainers to focus on their passion without being overwhelmed by business operations.
The importance of systems: Both in dog training and business, having a documented and repeatable method is key to long-term success.

This episode is packed with insights for anyone passionate about dog training, entrepreneurship, or both. Ryan's dedication to helping dogs live their best lives—and his ability to pass on that knowledge to others—makes this an episode you won’t want to miss.

Rob Murray: What Are the 5 Common Marketing Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make? Sep 16, 2024

Show notes

Rob Murray is the CEO and co-founder of Intrigue Media, and we spoke about the five most common marketing mistakes that entrepreneurs often make — and more importantly, how to avoid them. With over two decades of experience in marketing and advertising, Rob shared practical insights and solutions that have helped businesses achieve predictable success.

The first mistake is communicating to the wrong part of the brain. According to Rob, “People have a tendency to communicate to the neurocortex...but the neurocortex is not responsible for decision making. The limbic brain is responsible for decision making and emotions.” Entrepreneurs often focus on logic rather than emotion, which is where decision-making really happens.

The second mistake entrepreneurs make is assuming growth comes solely from new business. Rob clarifies, “People think sales and growth is a result of new business and often forget that there's an entire revenue model that can be optimized.” He emphasizes that business owners need to focus on all seven key variables of their revenue model, not just customer acquisition.

Mistake number three is talking about the business too much instead of focusing on the customer. “No one cares about you as a business owner…they care about two things: solving their problems and accomplishing their goals.” By making the customer the hero, businesses can build trust and credibility.

The fourth mistake is launching marketing efforts without a clear goal. Rob points out, “Usually people don’t have a business outcome in mind when starting marketing. They think it’s about impressions and social media posting versus actually trying to accomplish a business outcome.” Entrepreneurs must define what success looks like, whether it’s increasing leads, reducing cost per lead, or improving customer acquisition rates.

Lastly, Rob highlights the importance of benchmarking. “People don't have any benchmarks, so they don’t understand if they’re performing better or worse than peers in their industry.” Without knowing how well they’re doing compared to others, businesses risk underperforming and missing out on growth opportunities.

Key Takeaways:

Talk to the right part of the brain: Focus on the limbic brain, where emotions drive decisions.
Optimize the revenue model: Don’t just chase new business; improve conversion rates, pricing, and customer retention.
Make the customer the hero: “No one cares about you…they care about solving their problems.”
Have clear goals: Define specific business outcomes for your marketing, not just vanity metrics like impressions.
Benchmark against industry standards: Measure performance to ensure you’re not underperforming in comparison to your competitors.

These insights offer a roadmap for entrepreneurs looking to improve their marketing effectiveness and achieve measurable growth.

Weston Zimmerman: Are You Charging the Right Price for Your Work? Sep 14, 2024

Show notes

Weston Zimmerman is a seasoned contractor turned tech entrepreneur, and we spoke about one of the most common dilemmas in the contracting world: How do you know if you're charging the right price for your work? From his humble beginnings as a landscaper to becoming the CEO of SynkedUp, Weston has lived through the struggles of pricing projects and ensuring profitability, and he's here to share how he and his team solved these problems.

In this episode, we discussed how many contractors fall into the trap of pricing based on gut instinct rather than solid data. As Weston puts it, “You look to your left and your right, see what others are charging, and base your price on your own self-worth, which is almost always too low.” He emphasizes the importance of moving away from emotional pricing and adopting a repeatable system based on real numbers and overhead recovery.

A key takeaway is the transformative power of using systems and processes in your business. Weston shares his journey from using pen and paper and spreadsheets to building a tech solution that revolutionized how his company operated. “What was a three-hour task turned into a ten-minute task,” Weston recalls, demonstrating how much time and money can be saved when a proper system is in place. This episode will help you rethink how you approach pricing and business efficiency.

Zimmerman also explains how SynkedUp evolved from an internal tool for a small landscaping company to a widely adopted solution across North America. The episode covers the lessons learned in building systems that eliminate human error, streamline workflows, and ultimately ensure profitability. “Systems and processes are the keys out of the entrepreneurial prison,” Zimmerman says, offering a path for contractors to focus on their craft without getting bogged down in the administrative grind.

If you're in the trades or contracting industry, or if you're simply trying to build a scalable business, you’ll learn how to charge what you're worth, avoid common pricing pitfalls, and build a sustainable, thriving operation. This conversation is packed with actionable insights, real-world stories, and the hard-earned wisdom that Weston brings from his journey.

Key Takeaways:

Emotional vs. Mathematical Pricing: Avoid making pricing decisions based on emotion or comparison—use data and proper cost analysis instead.
The Importance of Systems: Implementing repeatable systems and processes can dramatically reduce time spent on administrative tasks and increase profitability.
Overhead Recovery: A business isn't just about covering direct costs—indirect overhead needs to be factored into pricing, or you'll end up wondering, "Where did the money go?"

Find out how you can start pricing profitably and gain the freedom to focus on what you love.

Nick Shaw: How Authenticity Drives Exponential Growth on YouTube Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

Nick Shaw is the co-founder and CEO of RP Strength, a fitness company that has seen explosive growth, particularly on YouTube. We spoke about the pivotal role authenticity has played in scaling their business, reaching millions of people, and transforming their approach to content creation.

In this episode, Nick shares how their shift towards embracing real, unfiltered communication helped them connect with their audience. “We really started leaning into that authenticity component...Lo and behold, people loved it.” He explains how stepping away from trying to please everyone allowed them to double down on their core demographic, contributing to RP Strength’s massive success—gaining over 2 million YouTube subscribers in just six months.

Key takeaways:

Authenticity over neutrality: "You can't be for everybody...you have to figure out who you're for and go after those folks with reckless abandon."
Value-based marketing: By giving away previously gated content for free, RP Strength grew their loyal community, with Nick citing, "We started putting out more and more content...and it helped us grow exponentially."
Dealing with criticism: As visibility increases, so does criticism. Nick advises to focus on the positive impact, noting, "You gotta stay focused on all the people that you are helping out.”

Nick’s insights provide a valuable lesson for entrepreneurs on how embracing your true voice and offering value upfront can lead to substantial, sustainable growth in the competitive world of social media.

Chris Rubin: How SMBs Can Leverage AI to Accelerate Growth Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

Chris Rubin is a seasoned marketing strategist with over 30 years of experience, blending AI with human creativity to amplify brand storytelling. We spoke about how small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can harness the power of AI to fuel growth, boost operational efficiency, and drive customer engagement.

Chris emphasized that AI is no longer just for large enterprises, highlighting how SMBs can now leverage the same powerful tools: “92% of large companies are seeing returns on AI investments—now it’s time for SMBs to reap the benefits.” He offered practical insights into how AI can streamline marketing processes, reduce operational costs, and help businesses generate value-driven content at scale.

One of the key takeaways from our conversation is the concept of augmented intelligence—AI working alongside human creativity, not replacing it: “The AI helps with automation, but the humans are in charge. It’s about using AI as a set of superpowers, not the final output.”

Chris also shared his unique methodology, developed over decades working with top brands, to create a comprehensive marketing strategy for businesses of any size. His process involves creating a strategic narrative that resonates emotionally with the target audience, turning brand strategy into a measurable growth engine.

Here are some important insights from the episode:

AI isn’t out of reach for SMBs: Chris offers a roadmap to start integrating AI, focusing first on business needs and existing resources.
Avoid over-reliance on AI: Human expertise is essential for making AI tools effective, especially in creative decision-making and customer engagement.
Data-driven content creation: With AI, SMBs can create value-rich content that resonates with their audience, without excessive costs or time investments.

Whether you're new to AI or looking for ways to expand its use in your business, this episode is packed with actionable advice on how to maximize AI’s potential to boost your brand’s growth.

Jeff Seder: How Tech and Tenacity Disrupted the Horse Racing Industry Sep 10, 2024

Show notes

Jeff Seder is a true innovator in the world of horse racing, blending cutting-edge technology with centuries-old tradition to revolutionize the industry. We spoke about his journey from a Harvard-educated lawyer to becoming the mastermind behind a system that produced the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. Jeff shares how he combined his passion for horses with modern science, creating an approach that measures factors traditional experts overlook.

In this episode, we explored his pioneering work with EQB, where he used advanced technologies like DNA analysis, high-speed photography, and ultrasound to improve horse selection. Jeff’s persistence in the face of skepticism led him to create a patented system that changed the game. As he puts it, "They buy horses for a million dollars that have things really wrong with them, and they don’t even know it."

We discussed the challenges of being a disruptor in an industry rooted in tradition. Jeff emphasized how entrepreneurs must "get the best of what they already have" before introducing innovation. His persistence, dubbed “Dogzilla,” was essential in overcoming early failures. He explains, "Each failure taught me something, and I didn’t just take whatever answer I got."

Key takeaways from the conversation:

Innovators must ask the hard questions: Jeff’s success came from questioning established practices and doing his own research when the data didn’t exist.
Technology meets tradition: Combining traditional horsemanship with modern technology can lead to groundbreaking results in any industry.
Physical and mental drive matters: Success is not just about physical advantage, but also about attitude and persistence—whether in horses or humans.

This episode offers a unique perspective on entrepreneurship, disruption, and how combining passion with technology can lead to unprecedented success.

Christopher Volk: How to Build Businesses That Create Wealth? Sep 07, 2024

Show notes

Christopher Volk is a seasoned entrepreneur and finance expert with decades of experience in commercial banking and building public companies. We spoke about how to create businesses that are worth more than they cost to build, exploring the essential factors behind wealth creation.

Drawing from his latest book The Value Equation, Christopher shared six critical variables that determine business success, from sales and operating profit margins to leveraging other people's money. "No company went out of business ever because they had too many sales," he explained, emphasizing the importance of focusing on these variables from day one.

Throughout the conversation, he addressed common misconceptions about wealth creation, like the idea that saving money alone is enough: "It's not enough. The people who become really rich are those who have companies worth more than they cost to create." Christopher stressed the value of developing a well-engineered business model early on, stating, "Re-engineering a company is so much harder than if you get it right the first time."

Listeners will learn not only how to build scalable and profitable business models but also how to attract investors by articulating a clear vision. Christopher's experience in leading businesses that garnered investments from giants like Berkshire Hathaway offers valuable lessons on leadership, risk management, and the creative process behind successful entrepreneurship.

Key Takeaways:

Understand the six key variables of The Value Equation to ensure long-term business profitability.
The best time to build a business model is from day one—re-engineering later can be costly and difficult.
"Entrepreneurs by their nature are optimists"—knowing when to take reasonable risks is essential for business success.
Leadership and a clear vision are as important as financials when attracting investors.

Christopher's insights will inspire both new entrepreneurs and seasoned business leaders to rethink how they create and scale their companies for maximum wealth and growth.

Avadhi Dhruv: How Can Harmony Drive Business Growth and Success? Sep 05, 2024

Show notes

Avadhi Dhruv is a bestselling author and heart-centered entrepreneur, and we spoke about the powerful intersection of harmony and business success. Drawing from her own experiences growing up in a multi-generational family business, Avadhi shares profound insights on how cultivating harmony within teams and families can lead to unprecedented business growth and personal fulfillment.

We also discussed her newest book, The Family Business Guru: A Secret Guide to Alchemize Conflict into Harmony, Lead with Confidence, and Generate Profits. Avadhi explained how the book addresses the challenges of running a family business while maintaining strong relationships with loved ones. She offers practical tools for making unified decisions, expressing differing opinions, and strengthening both business and family ties.

She emphasized, “Harmony has money in it. Quite literally, harmony, the word itself has money in it,” explaining how aligning relationships in the boardroom can unlock financial success. Avadhi shared her personal story of organizing a pivotal meeting that resolved discord within her family’s business leadership, helping them align on a unified strategy that saved the business from financial turmoil. Through her methods, leaders not only see a transformation in profits but also in personal fulfillment.

Key takeaways from this episode include:

Strategic Harmonization: Avadhi’s three-step process helps entrepreneurs realign relationships, streamline financials, and address emotional well-being.
The Power of Family Dynamics: Business owners must understand both verbal and nonverbal agreements within key relationships to unlock potential.
Holistic Business Growth: True success comes from balancing financials with emotional and spiritual growth, creating harmony within and outside the business.

If you’re ready to create harmony in your business and drive sustainable growth, this episode offers actionable steps and inspiring insights.

Mark Gray: Is Your Health Sacrificing Your Success? Sep 04, 2024

Show notes

Mark Gray is an experienced coach and the founder of the Paradigm Project coaching program. We spoke about the often overlooked connection between entrepreneurial success and personal health, and how stress management plays a critical role in both.

Mark shares his insights on a "very, very scary trend" he's noticed among entrepreneurs—sacrificing health for career success. He emphasizes that stress is not just a mental burden but can manifest physically, leading to chronic pain and long-term health issues. "Stress kills, but you need stress for success," Mark asserts, highlighting the delicate balance that must be struck.

Throughout the conversation, Mark draws on his decade-long experience working with high-performing business owners and executives to underline a vital message: If your health isn't your top priority, your success is on shaky ground. He candidly shares, "Your health and fitness needs to be right at the top," urging entrepreneurs to rethink their priorities.

Key takeaways from our discussion include:

The importance of stress management in maintaining both business success and physical well-being.
Real-life examples of entrepreneurs who transformed their businesses by prioritizing their health.
Practical advice on creating a personalized health plan that aligns with your business goals.

Mark also shares inspiring client stories, like one woman who overcame decades of chronic back pain to run her first 10k, proving that with the right approach, it's never too late to reclaim your health.

If you're an entrepreneur who's "smashing it" in business but feeling the toll on your body, this episode is a must-listen. Learn how to become "a stronger, healthier, happier, more confident version" of yourself and discover why your health is truly your greatest asset.

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