Summary
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Jeff Amerine, Grace Gill, and Harrison Kitson are joined by Tahmina Watson, founder of Watson Immigration Law, a Seattle-based law firm that exclusively practices in the area of United State immigration and naturalization law. Throughout the episode, Tahmina discusses the challenges many immigrant entrepreneurs face when trying to obtain their visas, the importance of advocacy, the power of making someone else’s dreams come true, her latest book The Startup Visa: U.S. Immigration Visa Guide for Startups and Founders, and much more!
Show Notes
(0:51) Introducing Tahmina Watson
(2:51) Immigration Challenges for Entrepreneurs
(10:05) Skills-Based Immigration Policies
(13:48) Catering to a Diverse Population
(15:46) Tahmina’s Inspiration for Writing a Book
(20:58) The Startup Visa: U.S. Immigration Visa Guide for Startups and Founders
(25:33) The Power of Good Karma
(30:10) Advice to the Younger Self and Closing Thoughts
Links
The Startup Visa: U.S. Immigration Visa Guide for Startups and Founders
Quotes
“Immigrants do get the job done, but entrepreneurship is also a throughline in the American history. And so if we are looking to have an America that is going to be prosperous for our children [and] our grandchildren, we need to keep the eye on the ball of making sure that the next generation of entrepreneurs come to the U.S. And this is where we have the next Google and the next thing that’s going to change the world.” - Tahmina Watson, (7:15)
“One of the things that is so important for me to explain so that people understand it is that when businesses cannot fill their positions, who is the loser? It’s the American consumer that is the loser. It’s the American tax purse that is the loser. You know, we are not helping ourselves by not thinking about the various tools that can solve our economic problems, and immigration is one of those tools.” - Tahmina Watson, (9:33)
“I love being here. America’s given me my home. My children are here, and I want a country that my children can prosper in and their children can prosper in. And I think we need to use our voices with every tool possible—particularly immigration—to make that happen.” - Tahmina Watson, (13:27)
Summary
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Victoria Dickerson are joined by Noel Sosa, manager of Rox Radio Group. With four different stations across Northwest Arkansas, Rox Radio Group is the largest independent radio company in the region. Growing up, Noel dreamed of becoming an emcee, and by his late teens, he was opening for some big names in the hip-hop scene. When a local radio station manager pulled Noel aside after a show and offered him a job, Noel decided to give radio a shot. With hands-on experience and training, Noel has now spent twenty-two years in the industry. Throughout the episode, Noel, Jeff, Caleb, and Victoria discuss Noel’s start in radio, how podcasts and radio can work together, becoming a staple in your community, and much more.
Show Notes
(0:57) Introducing Noel Sosa and Rox Radio Group
(5:50) Noel’s Favorite Part of Radio
(7:24) Noel’s Love for Boxing
(12:51) Golf’s Impact on Noel’s Life
(16:20) Are Podcasts and Radio Conflicting Interests?
(20:22) Selling to Advertisers
(25:07) Becoming a Community Staple
(28:29) Radio Listener Demographics
(33:39) Connecting Through Music
(36:53) Maintaining Brand Consistency
(38:50) Advice to the Younger Self
(41:36) Closing Thoughts
Links
Quotes
“If you look at the data that is available, radio is doing very well. It’s just so accessible. It’s so accessible to where if I don’t reach you specifically, I’m going to reach someone you know. If there’s a message that my advertiser is trying to get out, we’re going to get that message out…Radio is still extremely viable—one of the most viable products out there.” - Noel Sosa, (17:00)
“You need to be as present [in] as many places as possible. Meet people where they are—and obviously, I’m a radio company. I’m always going to make sure that that is our foundation, but what are we doing to interact in those other spaces? Podcasting, streaming, or do our DJs put together playlists, things like that.” - Noel Sosa, (18:51)
“We’re a local outfit just like you are. We care. We live here. We have relationships here. Our friends live here. Our family lives here. We vote in this community. You know what I mean? We care about what happens here, which means we’re going to care about the work that we do for you. Because if we don’t have these relationships, we don’t have a business, right?” - Noel Sosa, (23:46)
“If you earn someone’s trust, you earn their business or their listenership. They want to know where you’re at and they listen and value what you say or what you’re talking about. I think if you’re genuine and you keep your word, it comes off.” - Noel Sosa, (27:13)
Summary
In this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Victoria Dickerson interview Yoon Kim, founder of Outdoor Media Summit and Outdoor ECOM. Yoon shares his entrepreneurial journey, including failed attempts and success stories. He also discusses his personal life, including how he met his partner and his perspective on life and business. He offers insights into the struggles and triumphs of entrepreneurship and provides inspiration for those looking to start their own business.
Show Notes
(0:57) Yoon’s Origin Story and Entrepreneurial Journey
(6:33) Yoon’s Current Projects
(11:25) Arkansas’s Involvement in Outdoor Recreation
(18:17) Outdoor ECOM and AI
(24:15) Yoon’s Choice to Give Back
(31:27) What Keep’s Yoon Up at Night?
(37:17) Advice to the Younger Self
(39:33) Closing Thoughts
Links
Quotes
“I think just being super patient and waiting for the right opportunity and then taking advantage of it—that’s kind of my way [the] way I look at my style of entrepreneurship.” - Yoon Kim, (3:47)
“It’s cool because in Arkansas, we’re leaders in some of these [outdoor spaces]. We’re the brown trout capital of the world and the mountain bike capital of the world. Pretty soon we’re going to be one of the paddle capitals of the world. We have the Paddle Industry Association that was formed here in Northwest Arkansas. So we have leadership in different pockets of these outdoor industries.” - Yoon Kim, (12:38)
Summary
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Victoria Dickerson are joined by FR8relay co-founder and CEO Aayush Thakur. FR8relay is an Arkansas-based technology company working to create a more efficient, profitable, and sustainable trucking logistics ecosystem. With 70% of US freight being moved by trucks, core inefficiencies in traditional long-haul trucking operations threaten the industry’s future. Luckily, Aayush and FR8relay have a solution that can save companies money, decrease driver turnover, and create a more sustainable trucking future.
Show Notes
(0:54) Introducing Aayush Thakur and FR8relay
(1:24) Aayush’s Origin Story
(9:10) Issues with Autonomous and Semi-Autonomous Vehicles
(13:40) FR8relay’s Solution
(16:12) Electric Semi-Trucks
(18:23) Leaving Memphis for Northwest Arkansas
(23:05) FR8relay’s Ideal Customer
(25:40) Cutting Down on Driver Churn
(28:46) Advice to the Younger Self and Closing Thoughts
Links
Quotes
“Yes, our model will work and enable everything to happen today, not [in] twenty years. You don’t have to burn any money. We are efficient. We can work with the same human people today.” - Aayush Thakur, (14:19)
“Before coming [to Northwest Arkansas], we had raised $200,000…and then after coming [to Northwest Arkansas] and being connected to people, we were able to raise $1.3 million. That’s just the dollar figures. And you take that and then you see the number of connections we have made.” - Aayush Thakur, (20:38)
“We actually take a simple process and make it more complex. But by making it more complex, we see a lot of savings in that…We start with one shipment. We collect 10 of those, for example, and then we would run them through a blender, and then you will get smaller chunks of trips out of it, where it creates these little loops for each of the drivers to come back home, while each of the trailers is getting to the final destination.” - Aayush Thakur, (25:07)
“If you are trying to do forced PR where you say, we’ll do this for the driver, we’ll give them bonuses…those things are really great, and you should do that, but the main thing people are struggling with [on the road] is family. It’s that sense of belonging, a sense of fulfillment that is missing.” - Aayush Thakur, (26:44)
Summary
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Victoria Dickerson sit down with Zak Heald, Owner of Intercut Productions, a full-service video production agency in Bentonville, Arkansas. Zak shares about his early start in entrepreneurship and how he created Intercut Productions with a DBA the day he turned 16. Throughout the episode, Zak discusses how his team utilizes AI to increase productivity, his passion for aviation, and the power of ask.
Show Notes
(0:54) Introducing Zak Heald
(1:19) Zak’s Origin Story
(11:30) Building a Business and Learning on the Fly
(19:44) Zak’s Take on Machine Learning and AI
(30:22) Bentonville Studios
(34:49) Filming in Northwest Arkansas vs. Filming in Other Cities
(39:26) Supporting the Local Economy
(40:51) Incentive to Film in Arkansas
(47:03) Dozen Duzit
(52:46) Advice to the Younger Self | The Power of Ask
(57:00) Closing Thoughts
Links
Quotes
“We realized early on that we could build the business if we just had cash flow. Like, that was going to be the key to building the business was cash flow. And so we started pursuing those jobs that provided that cash flow. For us right out of the gate, that was weddings.” - Zak Heald, (14:54)
“I’ve just learned to set long-term goals, keep people really happy, provide as much value as you can, and it always comes back around.” - Zak Heald, (19:35)
“The more people understand AI, the more they use it, and the better they understand how it comes up with its answers, the more powerful it will become for people…once you understand how it’s being taught and all that, the ideas will come to you. How can I use this to better my business or to start a new business altogether?” - Zak Heald, (28:18)
“Our biggest thing right now is we want to provide that base infrastructure. Provide a place that productions can call home, whether they shoot in our studio, whether they just use it for offices and for building sets and all that kind of stuff. Regardless, we just want it to be a home base, a place that productions can feel like…it is their place.” - Zak Heald, (35:53)