Episodes & Featured Guests
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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!
Lesline Pittman
If you're searching for your purpose in life, look no further than your passions! By pursuing what you love and making it your job, you can live a life that is both meaningful and profitable. Take it from our guest Lesline—a busy mom who accidentally became an entrepreneur when she followed her heart and started teaching yoga classes to other busy moms. Listen to this episode to learn how she found balance by creating her business.
Gregg Goodhart
Do you want to be successful at anything? You do not need talent. You do need all the answers. You do not need to memorize books. You simply need a good learning strategy. At its core, learning is a brain-based activity, and brain science and our guest in this episode, Gregg Goodhart, The Learning Coach, tell us that our approach can make all the difference!
Keiashia “Key” Wood
Do you love hair, makeup, and beauty? So does Keiashia Wood and she's turned that love into a successful business called Key 2 Glam. Listen here to learn how she did the not-so-glamorous things like working multiple jobs and going to school simultaneously in order to pursue this glamorous gig. Now, she doesn’t just love makeovers, but she loves making over 6 figures too.
Ryann Dowdy
As a female entrepreneur, it can be easy to feel like an imposter. You're hustling 24/7, trying to make your business a success, and constantly second-guessing yourself. But guess what? You're not alone. Be in the Room is a community for female entrepreneurs, founded by Ryann Dowdy, where you can share your struggles and triumphs, vent about the challenges you're facing, and get advice and support from other female leaders. Whether you're just starting out on your entrepreneurial journey or you're a seasoned pro, Be in the Room has room for you to be who you want to be. So come on in and join the conversation!
Jay Stephens
Financial freedom. It's a phrase that gets tossed around a lot, but what does it actually mean? For some people, it might mean being able to quit their day job and do whatever they want. For others, it might be simply having enough money saved up so that they're not worried about money all the time. Regardless of how you define it, do you know how to go about achieving it? Jay Stephens, CEO of My Wealth Journey, LLC does and we talk to her about it in this episode!
Lyonel Dougè and Vic Boddie
So how can you join the Creative Revolution? It's easy! Start by listening to this episode! The Co-Founders of TipSnaps, Lyonel Dougé and Vic Boddie, share their experience creating a platform that allows creators of color to monetize their content while closing wealth gaps in the Creator Economy. Unleash your creativity by listening now!
Adele Leah
If you do your job, enjoy the evenings and weekends, and pay the bills but deep down find yourself wanting more from your work, is that enough? It's time to dream bigger and to take your career up a notch! Adele Leah, Career and Transformational Coach has an amazing superpower; helping us tap into our own natural superpowers so that we can live the life we truly deserve! Press play to listen to Adele Leah's advice on listening to our hearts when it comes to making our jobs feel like play!
Niels Vandecasteele
The sustainable fashion scene is taking off and Niels Vandecasteele is at the forefront! In this podcast, you’ll learn how his company, Sunday, brings together artists and designers from all over the world to create clothes with purpose - changing lives by empowering people through creative expression.
Andrew Martino
Do you love good food, but hate the hassle of cooking or leaving your house? Starving for a new food ordering experience? Andrew Martino, a culinary genius, and owner of Ghost Truck Kitchen created a revolutionary delivery service with a menu that will tantalize your taste buds! Listen in to learn how Ghost Truck Kitchen feeds Andrew Martino’s local community and his soul.
Jason Campbell
Wish you knew how to build a brand so you can stop sitting on the sidelines? Hear from founder of Brand B Sports. He left the corporate world creating his personal brand as an entrepreneur and now he has a ball building brands for professional athletes with major players like the NBA, NFL, and NHL!
Robert Schulte
in this episode I sit down with Robert Schulte, Founder of the Honey Network. We talk about how his family’s beekeeping business lended an opportunity to put his learnings from school into action. While these entrepreneurial experiences have helped him in his career thus far, it has enabled him to recognize his true mission, attracting young people into the honey business. I think you’ll admire Robert’s passion for his product, his mission, and truly being helpful to others.
Ryan Johnson
After realizing the impact gaming had on interactions with his son and the strong desire to build a business with family, Ryan Johnson knew his next entrepreneurial venture. With the mission to create new opportunities for underserved communities, 361 Commission provides first-class management services to underserved gamers, game developers and content creators. Ryan shares his experience of entering the gaming industry and endless learnings from his other entrepreneurial ventures.
Brittany Williams
After noticing friends and family frequently asking for advice and feedback on their college applications, Brittany Williams saw an opportunity to turn this repeated favor that she enjoyed doing into a side hustle. On top of her incredibly impressive and demanding career, Brittany runs AdmissionsHelp, an undergraduate and MBA admissions consulting service. Her side hustle story is extremely relatable, from coming up with a name to figuring out what to charge. She also discusses her desire to keep AdmissionsHelp as a side hustle given her other career aspirations.
Michelle Amore & Johnny Cooke
At an industry event, Michelle Amore had unknowingly sat next to her future business partner, Johnny Cooke. Separately, they had been trying to tackle challenges in the exercise industry but from different perspectives. Upon journey forces, Michelle and Johnny founded Precision Human Performance, a personal training studio in Chicago that uniquely combines exercise, science, and education. In this episode, we cover the importance of finding a business partner that complements your skills, What it takes to build a successful business partnership, and much more.
Sean Moran
Exploring passions and maintaining the relationships along the way has been at the core of Sean Moran’s entrepreneurial journey. Sean is the owner of Dashing Chicago, a luxury footwear retailer located in downtown Chicago. In our conversation, we dive into Sean’s experience opening and running stores before he finally opened Dashing in Spring 2021. He highlights the importance of persistence, patience, and relationships. All of which have enabled Dashing to be the premier Alden and Edward Green retailer in the Midwest.
Rob Volk
Learning how to be an effective CEO is a different growth journey than being an entrepreneur. Rob Volk leads Foxbox Digital, a rapidly growing digital product agency. In this conversation we explore Rob’s learnings from transitioning from co-founder and CTO in his previous role to founder and CEO with Foxbox. Through this conversation, we learn about how important of branding your culture and lead with your company’s values. This is a great episode for future CEOs.
George Davis Jr.
Sometimes, the critical first step to launching a business is having the audacity to believe that you can be successful. George Davis Jr., the owner of Muse Coffee Studio in Chicago, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the work it took to achieve the milestone of launching his small business. Starting with an abstract vision for a soulful coffee studio, Muse is an art gallery styled coffee mosaic in Chicago's Near West Side neighborhood. In our conversation we explore the feelings of self-doubt, get to the starting line, identifying what truly differentiates your product, and more.
Ken Jee
An aspiring professional athlete turned YouTuber, Ken Jee truly embodies the idea of making a living doing what you love. In our conversation, Ken talks about how his passions have led his business interests, and how that mindset has expanded his definition of "entrepreneurship". Additionally, we talk about the power of repetitions and the importance of embracing "small, acceptable failures". We explore the feeling of imposter syndrome and how consistently seeing personal growth through his videos helps him combat this feeling.