Episodes & Featured Guests
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Nate Ruben
In this engaging episode of the Be Helpful Podcast, host Gboyega Adebayo sits down with Nate Ruben, founder of N8 Ventures. Nate shares his insights on entrepreneurship, time management, and finding balance. He emphasizes the importance of defining your end goal and impact, using time wisely, and integrating all aspects of your life. He also discusses the challenges of overcommitment and the need to listen to your body's needs.
Tanya Alvarez
Tanya Alvarez is the founder of Owners Up. In this open discussion Tanya emphasizes the importance of goal setting, accountability, and overcoming distractions for entrepreneurs.
Tanya highlights the importance of defining a fulfilling life outside of business success, encouraging entrepreneurs to focus on creating a life they want rather than striving to be the biggest or best in every aspect of their business.
This is a wide and varied discussion, Tanya is bright and engaging. a great conversation with some wonderful take aways!
Dr. Jeff Michaels
In this engaging episode of the Be Helpful Podcast, host Gboyega Adebayo sits down with Dr. Jeff Michaels, an accomplished optometrist and managing partner at Family Vision Care of Richmond. Dr. Michaels shares powerful insights into the importance of customer service, the challenges of managing a historic practice, and the significance of continual learning and innovation. Tune in to glean profound wisdom from Dr. Michaels' journey and apply it to your entrepreneurial voyage.
BrandonDavid Hawkins
Meet BrandonDavid Hawkins, the Co-Founder & Connector at Music Tech Ventures and Founder of Grassroots Communication Technologies. An entrepreneur connecting artists and entrepreneurs in order to drive innovation in music.
Nyene Baker
In this episode, Nyene unveils the symbiotic relationship between his visionary entrepreneurship and the extraordinary tapestry of his life experiences. His story is a living testament to the unyielding human spirit and the power to forge triumph from tribulations. Tune in to unravel the intricate threads of Nyene Baker's life, where resilience, determination, and triumph illuminate the path from adversity to an empowered present.
Mira Taylor
Mira Taylor is an Integrative Therapist, Subconscious Medium & Organizational Wellness Consultant who focuses on guiding her clientele toward total wellness by combining concepts of psychology, spirituality, philosophy, and sustainable lifestyle and business practices.
Jarie Bolander
Explore the captivating insights shared by entrepreneur and author Jarie Bolander in these thought-provoking podcast episodes. Delve into the realms of creativity, innovation, ethical entrepreneurship, and the transformative power of artificial intelligence. Gain valuable knowledge on mastering product-market fit, harnessing AI's potential, and fostering inclusivity in entrepreneurial ventures. Join us for engaging discussions that inspire and empower entrepreneurs to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of business with purpose and innovation.
Ravi Kurani
Join us for a captivating conversation with Ravi Kurani, the visionary founder of Sutro, a renowned water sensing robot company. In this insightful interview, Ravi shares his entrepreneurial journey, offering valuable insights and practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. From the early stages of prototyping and validating ideas to building a strong team and raising capital, Ravi's experiences provide a wealth of knowledge. Discover the power of local startup events, the art of navigating funding options, and the significance of managing ego and embracing unattachment. Tune in to unlock the secrets of building a thriving hardware startup and gain inspiration from Ravi's remarkable story of innovation and success.
Sarah Lockwood
Join us for a captivating conversation with Sarah Lockwood, co-founder and CEO of Hivecast, as we dive deep into the world of podcasting, evaluating business opportunities, and overcoming entrepreneurial challenges. In these episodes, Sarah shares her invaluable insights on leveraging podcasting as a powerful tool for business growth and the art of evaluating opportunities with cautious optimism. She also opens up about her personal journey as a leader, highlighting the challenges faced by entrepreneurs and the importance of vulnerability and resilience. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, these episodes are packed with actionable strategies, wisdom, and inspiration to help you unlock your full potential.
Evan Marshall
In a dynamic podcast interview, host Gboyega Adebayo engages with Evan Marshall, the Chief Operating Officer of Black Menswear. They explore various topics, including leveraging side hustles for career pivots, the origins and impact of Black Menswear as a cultural agency, effective content creation, the science behind virality, goal setting, communication skills for leaders, strategic partnerships, challenges with black gatekeepers, and the satisfaction of making a meaningful impact.
Brian Moon
In this episode series of the Be Helpful Podcast, host Gboyega Adebayo sits down with Brian Moon, Founder of The Moon Group, a successful real estate brokerage in Chicago, IL. Over the three episodes, Brian shares his passion for teaching, building a team, effective hiring, negotiation, and other insights from his career journey.
Kevin Touch
This 3-part interview with Kevin Touch explores his balanced approach to entrepreneurship and practical tips on starting a business. From navigating the food and beverage industry to exploring artificial intelligence, the Middle Road Energy founder shares his experience and insights. With fun banter and insightful discussion, this series of the Be Helpful Podcast offers a refreshing perspective on entrepreneurship.
Jade McDonald
Host Gboyega Adebayo interviews Jade McDonald, Chief Product Officer of Navigate Maternity, in a series of three episodes about building and launching a remote startup. The series covers navigating pitch competitions, fundraising, and determining the minimum viable product (MVP) for success. Jade also provides valuable insights into founder productivity and time management, with inspiring anecdotes and actionable advice for entrepreneurs.
Dana Broder
Dana’s path to entrepreneurship was lined with many challenges, but she did not let them stop her for long. She was determined to hustle and make it happen for herself. When an opportunity arose to work at the Trunk Club, Dana went for it and refused to give up, even when they initially thought she was a bad fit for their work culture. Ultimately, she proved everyone wrong and went from having zero connections to selling the most of anyone in the history of the Trunk Club in her first month. It would have been easy for Dana to become too overwhelmed by the obstacles and give up, especially while struggling with her sobriety, but instead she doubled down, clung to her dream, and made it happen.
Kiley Peters
“My team is actually the biggest reason why I opted not to sell Brainchild and to shut it down instead; because I knew if I were to sell, I would have to sell my team,” explains Kiley Peters, founder of RAYNE IX, an executive consultancy for women entrepreneurs. Kiley began her entrepreneurship journey with Brainchild Studios, a digital content strategy agency. In today’s episode, Kiley shares why she chose to shut down Brainchild Studios, what she learned from shutting down a business, and why she decided to found RAYNE IX.
Dr. Jason Romesburg
Dr. Jason Romesburg is the Founder of Running Lights Beverage, a beverage start-up based out of Williamsburg, VA. Jason shares how his work as a neuroradiologist surprisingly was very entrepreneurial and unknowingly sharpened some of his business skills. We explore lessons from failed investments, the importance of building an MVP, and how he goes about learning a new industry while still practicing medicine and raising a family.
Randall Townsel
As a native Chicagoan, Randall Townsel grew up loving football and pursuing a dream of freedom. After a life-altering event, he pivoted from his professional football pursuits and into Corporate America. But realizing that his unlimited efforts were not matched with unlimited rewards, he decided to pursue a career in real estate development. Randall doesn’t disappoint with the wisdom. Whether you want to learn how to get into real estate or need some motivation, this episode is a great listen.
Juliana Rogers
Juliana Rogers, an online brand strategist based in Germany. As a former professional ballerina, multilingual interpreter, and overall creative person, Juliana reflects on foray into entrepreneurship. While most agree that building a brand is the most important thing in starting an online business, what does that actually mean? Juliana shares her perspective on defining your brand and building a strategy, before you spend money on logo designs and marketing help
Steve Valentor
In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking to Steve Valentor, Founder and Managing Director of Polynomial Ventures, a Chicago based venture capital firm. We explore his experience as an entrepreneur and his unique perspective now being a venture capitalist and teacher at DePaul University.
For listeners worried about money holding their idea back, Steve shares some great alternatives to funding your business. And for those flustered by Finance and Accounting, Steve highlights the only two financial statements you need to know! I hope you enjoy this episode and leave a review telling us what you learned.
Jen Bowles
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work in real estate? Or maybe you're a seasoned pro and are looking for ways to take your business to the next level. In either case, social media is a great place to start. This week we're chatting with Jen Bowles, a real estate agent turned broker who found her home in social media. Tune in to learn how she uses different platforms to connect with clients and grow her brokerage, JBO Home. You might just be surprised at some of the things she's doing!