Summary:
A familiar face joined us this week with some great updates! Edwin Ortiz, founder of Rejoicy, stopped by to tell us all about the traction, vision, and future of this service. Rejoicy helps small businesses create websites and start selling in less than 10 minutes, which is a victory if we have ever heard one. Hear all about empowering merchants and being where your customers are in this episode.
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes:
(0:53) Introducing Edwin Ortiz
(1:47) Serial Entrepreneurship Starting with Luncher
(3:42) Who Should Use Rejoicy?
(8:24) Shopping Local Internationally
(10:20) Let’s Talk About Techstars
(13:49) Farmer's Markets Are an Open Door
(16:00) Building Brand Awareness
(18:00) Pandemic Impact on Online Market
(20:23) Serial Entrepreneurship
(23:55) Five Year Plan
(35:26) Closing Remarks
Links:
Quotes:
"That's probably our beachhead; bakers, makers, movers, and shakers." (5:57) - Edwin Ortiz
"We see a lot of opportunity for the international market, but in a very hyper-local way." (8:40) - Edwin Ortiz
"We want to empower all those local merchants." (16:13) - Edwin Ortiz
"It's okay to learn from other people. It's okay to talk about competitors. Don't be scared." (21:22) - Edwin Ortiz
"eCommerce on its own is not important. It is the fact that your customers are there that matters."
(31:19) - Edwin Ortiz
Summary:
The Startup Junkies were joined by an NWA legend on this 279th podcast episode! We are excited to introduce you to Steuart Walton, the co-founder of Runway Group. Not that only, but he is also the founder of Game Composites and serves on many boards, including Walmart, Crystal Bridges, and The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. To say he is a busy man would be an understatement, and we were thrilled to have him on the podcast with us!
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes:
(0:58) Introducing Steuart Walton
(4:56) What To Expect From a Post-Covid Arkansas
(7:09) Aspiring to be the Center of Excellence for Outdoor Recreation
(13:13) Arkansas, the Underdog
(21:29) The Future of Aviation and Aerospace in Arkansas
(32:56) The Long-term Horizon
(39:58) Closing Remarks
Links:
Quotes:
"The real economic impact of COVID in my mind was the initial disruption."
(2:30) - Steuart Walton
"The state of Arkansas is one of the most underappreciated states in terms of natural beauty." (7:57) - Steuart Walton
"I think when folks underestimate you and then you have almost impossibly high expectations for yourself… Those two ingredients actually set you up to go a long way and to make a lot of progress in a really short [amount of] time." (17:34) - Steuart Walton
"If you have success, it's not going to be like, 'Oh my gosh, I was successful and all my problems went away!' Your problems are just gonna look a little different, but they're still going to be there and they are still going to be real. They're still going to drag you down if you don't address them." (38:31) - Steuart Walton
Summary:
Thanks for joining us for another Startup Junkie episode!
This week we welcome special guest Howard Tiersky of FROM, a Digital Transformation Agency, onto our podcast! We are also joined by co-hosts Caleb Talley and Davis Mcentire, who were both honored and excited to discuss the digital transformation age with Tiersky.
Tune in now!
Shownotes:
(1:00) Introducing Howard Tiersky of FROM
(4:56) The Evolution of Brands Needing an Online Presence
(7:30) The Process of Evaluating Your Digital Marketing
(10:44) Difference Between Art and Business
(12:04) Addressing Website Problems 101
(18:42) The Journey Into Public Speaking
(22:49) What Does Winning Look Like?
(26:56) From the Dot Com Days to Today
(31:28) Three Ways to Make Digital Customers LOVE Your Brand
(32:52) Advice to the Past Self
(34:56) Closing Remarks
Links:
Quotes:
"You think you've got a great website because it's pretty, but here's a video of people sitting down trying to use it, and they're trying to solve particular problems. They have a decision process they're going through and you are not meeting their needs."
(8:23) - Howard Tiersky
"Whether it's a website or an app or any kind of touch point with the customer, I think the first thing you want to ask is 'What's our definition of success?'"
(12:33) - Howard Tiersky
"The three things that make brands that are really loved is one, meeting customer's needs, two, occasionally doing something extra that delights the customer, and the third is to stand for something that the customer really cares about." (31:34) - Howard Tiersky
Summary:
Welcome to the Startup Junkies Podcast!
Episode 277 finds our hosts Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Davis McEntire sitting around the table with none other than Dean Matt Waller of the Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. We discuss topics around the growth and future of Northwest Arkansas, falling in love with entrepreneurship, and leaving a legacy of a life well lived. This is an inspiring episode and we are excited for you guys to get to hear it!
Thank you for tuning in!
Shownotes:
(0:50) Introducing Matt Waller
(1:45) A Brief History of Walton College of Business
(10:28) Outdoor Recreation Business
(13:03) Upcoming Masters Programs
(18:14) Building Healthy Young Business People
(24:03) From Entrepreneurship to Deanship
(33:23) Venture Capital Firm and Working through Chemo
(44:17) Advice to Waller’s Younger Self
(49:07) Wrap Up
Links:
Sam M. Walton College of Business
Quotes:
"That's one of the changes, when I first got here 27 years ago, people would come get a job and then leave. There weren't as many jobs in Arkansas. Now there's lots of jobs in Arkansas." (16:44) - Matt Waller
"We want students to come in and leave as E.P.I.C. business people: excellence, professionalism, innovation, collegiality." (18:49) - Matt Waller
"I love business. I don't feel like I'm working most of the time. My whole life I always don't feel like I'm working." (28:35) Matt Waller
I think there have been times in my life where I've tried to do things I'm not good at. And now that I know I'm comfortable enough now, Yeah, that's something I would not do good at. And so I'm not going to do it (45:55) - Matt Waller
"There's two problems people have. They let fear hold them back, I've done that a time or two, or two they let hubris hurt them."
(46:11) - Matt Waller
Summary:
Welcome to the Startup Junkies Podcast!
This episode is hosted by the usual crew including Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Davis McEntire. For our end of the year special we wanted to recap some of our favorite moments on the Startup Junkie Podcast! We go through our top episodes of 2021 so if you are wanting more from one of these Startup Junkies then go back to past episodes and hear it all!
Tune in today!
Shownotes:
(0:52) Introduction to 2021 Recap
(2:03) Data on Deck with TJ Sangram of SupplyPike | Ep. 267
(6:14) Shifting The Dollar to NWA Food & Beverage Industry w/ Kim Bryden
of Cureate | Ep. 262
(13:43) Buying The Farm w/ Carter Malloy & Michael Iseman of AcreTrader | Ep. 258
(18:31) Building Sustainable Talent with Tim Miller | Ep. 263
(24:22) An Overnight Success Story 6 Years in the Making with Vance & Spencer of Lineus Medical | Ep.248
(28:18) Wrap Up
Links:
Ep. 267: Data on Deck w/ TJ Sangam of Supply Pike
Ep. 262 Shifting The Dollar to NWA Food and Beverage Industry with Kim Bryden of Cureate
Ep. 258 Buying The Farm with Carter Malloy & Michael Iseman of AcreTrader
Ep. 263 Building Sustainable Talent with Tim Miller of Central Standard
Ep. 248 An Overnight Success Story 6 Years in the Making with Vance and Spencer of Lineus Medical
Quotes:
"A lot of times suppliers don't even know that they're hemorrhaging tons of money, so we help identify that." (3:14) - TJ Sangam
"I'd like to work with people that, I don't know, care about stable cash flow; who actually build businesses that are of, and from their communities." (13:20) - Kim Bryden
"That's the thing that we care about the most as a business is making sure we hire incredible people. So we hire very slowly." (16:42) - Carter Malloy
"I think our message resonates. They see that we care about their career and want to help them find an industry." (19:06) - Tim Miller
"It'll become painfully obvious when it's time to leave your current employer for your entrepreneurial endeavor." (28:40)- Ep. 248, Spencer Jones
Summary
Welcome to the Startup Junkies Podcast!
This episode is hosted by the usual crew including Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley and Davis McEntire. The special guest joining this show is Paul Chambers, the co-founder and CEO of Subscription Trade Association. Paul has an extensive expertise in the subscription commerce economy going back to more than two decades. He has been recognized by national and international publications for his work in this space and we loved getting to talk with him!
Tune in today!
Shownotes
(1:11) Introducing Paul Chambers of Subscription Trade Association
(1:41) What is the Subscription Trade Association?
(3:26) Stumbling Into an Idea
(6:06) The Art of Subscription Businesses
(11:54) It all started with selling popcorn!
(17:34) What’s next for SUBTA?
(22:34) Team Building Extraordinaire
(28:04) Advice to his younger self
(30:14) Wrap Up
Links
SUBTA Trade Association Website
Quotes
"We didn't set out to build an event to make millions of dollars just to be a money grab type of scenario. We set out to help find a community and create a community."
(5:30) - Paul Chambers
"By leading with the best intentions and just focusing on growing a business, growing a good business, and doing the right things, the rest tends to follow."
(22:50) - Paul Chambers
"One thing I share with my team is that it's okay to make mistakes as long as we learn from our lessons and don't make those same mistakes again."
(28:26) - Paul Chambers
"I had an entrepreneur tell me one time, you just gotta look yourself in the mirror and not believe your own BS."
(29:56) - Paul Chambers
Summary
Welcome to the Startup Junkies Podcast!
Beau & Kourtney Barrett, Founders of JUNK Brands, join the Startup Junkies Podcast for episode 274. Beau and Kourtney detail the start of JUNK Brands, and how it grew to become the nationally recognized headband company that it is today. They discuss the importance of listening to the market and providing customers with authentic products that leave them coming back for more. Beau and Kourtney also explore the subculture that helped them scale, and how to use your community as leverage to keep growing. They are huge advocates for the entrepreneurial community here in Northwest Arkansas, and we cap off the discussion talking about what new venture is brewing in the Barrett family, and the "What's Next!?" question that they have been asked a thousand times. Enjoy!
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(1:34) Introducing Kourtney and Beau Barrett
(1:54) It all starts with chickens.
(6:09) ...But How did it turn into headbands?
(11:16) Branding “JUNK”
(12:54) Living the Entrepreneurial Dream
(15:32) Scaling and selling in the early stages.
(23:50) The good, bad, and the ugly
(36:52) Advice on Starting Up
(38:38) Wrap Up
Links
Michael Iseman
Quotes
"As we thought through it [branding the headbands as JUNK] the more we really liked it. That the brand didn't take itself too seriously, that it was fun, that it was high quality and just kind of represented our attitude about the whole thing."
(11:56) - Kourtney Barrett
"When you first create a product, when somebody authentically buys that product, who is not your mom, your brother, or somebody that you know is doing it out of obligation... That is all an entrepreneur needs to fuel the fire."
(14:14) - Beau Barrett
"Finding the subcultures where you can become relevant and grow organically (especially in apparel) is super important."
(23:21) - Beau Barrett
Summary
Welcome to the Startup Junkies Podcast!
We had the opportunity to meet with James Farmer of EasyBins for episode 273! In this post-pandemic world, getting things to your doorstep sometimes is the only way to go. Look no further than EasyBins! Learn how James and his company are bringing hype back to the dinner table and making things easy, not just convenient. Don’t miss this episode!
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(1:44) Introducing James Farmer and EasyBins
(3:06) Why their Model Works
(7:24) Power of Word of Mouth & Competitive Pricing
(10:05) The Story Of James Farmer
(16:48) What It Costs To Be Up At Night
(21:24) Success in 5 Years
(28:50) Fighting Scammers
(32:13) Beyond Delivery
(36:38) Changing Habits From Restaurants To Dining Room Table
(42:40) Customer Logistics
(46:14) Wrap Up & Advice
Links
Quotes
"There's a difference between convenience and easy. And it's EasyBins, not ConvenienceBins." (2:43) - James Farmer
"The first couple people you hire are going to set your culture." (12:53) - James Farmer
"[On competitors] Do things they're not doing." ( 23:43) - James Farmer
"Food is one of the very few things that we derive identity from. We have a relationship with food." (25:53) - James Farmer
Summary
Welcome to the Startup Junkie's podcast!
For this holiday season, we are rebroadcasting an episode that was an absolute joy to record. Our regular host, Jeff Amerine, was joined by the former executive director of Startup Junkie Foundation, Haley Allgood. They had the opportunity to sit and chat with Luke and Natalie of Freckled Hen Farmhouse, a shop that began as a social media account and transformed into a retail store. Through featuring products during an at-home renovation, Luke and Natalie started what would be a fantastic functional and sustainable home goods and gifts store on College Avenue in Northwest Arkansas. You will want to visit this store as Christmas is quickly approaching!
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(1:40) Introducing Natalie and Luke Freeman
(2:10) From Farmers to Freckled Hen Farmhouse Shop
(6:06) Curating the Merchandise
(5:14) Utilitarianism and Beauty
(9:20) Credibility of Suppliers
(10:59) The Next Five Years
(14:48) Financing Without Savings
(18:25) Physical Location Vs. Online Store Growth
(23:06) How to Invest Your Time Well as an Entrepreneur
(26:14) Wrap Up
Links
Luke Freeman and Natalie Freeman
Quotes
"It's really grown into something that's more than a gift store, it's a one-stop shop for people buying meaningful gifts for people they love, and also a place for people to find items that inspire them to live a well-lived meaningful life."
(8:45) - Luke Freeman
"I feel like maybe my end goal is not necessarily a retail store, but it's always been building community."
(12:47) - Natalie Freeman
"We rented a cabin for a weekend and sat down and hammered out the business plan. We disconnected, no wifi. It was just us pencil and paper writing out this inspiration, this idea that had come to us."
(15:39) - Luke Freeman
"[On creating an online business first.] So just knowing that we're only going to grow as our customer requests, I just think it's a better business decision for us."
(20:53) - Natalie Freeman
Summary
Our hosts, Jeff Amerine and Matthew Ward, speak with Kris Reid of Ardor SEO on this week's episode. This podcast recording is a never-before-seen interview from earlier this year, and you will NOT want to miss it. Kris Reid speaks to us on search engine optimization and how it is a foundational piece of having a successful website. Without users finding your website, how do you actually make a profit? Kris Reid and Ardo SEO have the solution to this problem, so tune in now!
Shownotes
(0:50) Introducing Kris Reid
(2:03) From Software Engineering to SEO
(4:02) Is SEO Growth Hacking?
(5:14) Common Mistakes with Clients
(9:04) Ideal Customer
(14:40) AI, Machine Learning, and SEO
(18:53) Ardor SEO and VC
(21:25) Profit First Mentality
(24:29) The Why for Kris
(26:05) Future Casting with Kris
(27:59) Wrap Up
Links
Quotes
"Most people think that they need a website, but you don't, if you're not going to rank it, what's the point? --- It's words that sell. And those words need to get in front of people's faces. If you spend 30 grand on a website and no one sees it, what's the point?"
(4:13) - Kris Reid
"What we're trying to do is build up our clients' authorities to get them trusted by Google, so that Google will reward them with lots of traffic and customers."
(5:05) - Kris Reid
"That's what Google's looking for, to build up your trust... If it's some tiny little new site, that's not worth anything. If it's a big, strong authority site like the FBI or a university, that's a big, strong credible backlink… that's the secret of Google."
(8:24) - Kris Reid
Summary
Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Davis McEntire sit down with Louis Bowen, co-founder of Pacific GeneTech Limited as well as founder of Asia Capital Management Limited in Hong Kong. In this week's episode, we discuss Louis' entrepreneurial journey, his relocation to Hong Kong along the way, and how he tackled making a difference in the Asian markets as he founded one of the first private investment banking firms in the area as well as operating Pacific GeneTech, a vaccination development and commercialization firm.
Don't miss this one, tune in!
Shownotes
(1:16) Introducing Louis Bowen
(6:08) Pacific GeneTech
(13:14) Long Cycle Commercialization of Intellectual Property
(18:44) H5N1 Scare
(23:44) Raising Capital Internationally Vs. Domestically
(27:08) Evolution of Asian Market Today
(34:21) Pacific GeneTech and NWA
(37:13) Human Health and on The Horizon
(39:13) Advice to Younger Self
(38:13) Wrap Up
Links
Pacific GeneTech
Quotes
"Not many entrepreneurs have an appreciation for how long-cycle commercialization of intellectual property, particularly as it relates to human or even animal health, requires a kind of long-term commitment and patience."
(13:18) - Jeff Amerine
"One reason why we chose Northwest Arkansas was that we wanted to be close to the source of technology, we wanted to continue to work with the university."
(31:20) - Louis Bowen
"There's a real skill in being able to take technology out of the lab and turn it into a reality."
(35:01) - Louis Bowen
"I probably felt as though I could solve more problems than I could in the investing world. You know, nothing goes in a straight line. There's nothing linear investing in early businesses, early stage businesses."
(40:48) - Louis Bowen
269: Taking Notes on the Changing Work Environment with Phil Libin
Summary
Welcome back to the podcast!
We are the Startup Junkies, and this is episode 269. Our hosts for this episode contain the usual Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Davis McEntire and are also joined by the prodigal son himself, Matthew Ward! We had the pleasure of talking to Phil Libin who is a serial entrepreneur and just a fun guy! We laughed, chatted, and got to dive into his latest ventures, Mmhmm and All Turtles.
Don't miss this one, tune in!
Shownotes
(1:31) Introducing Phil Libin
(3:33) Why move to Bentonville, Arkansas?
(6:41) Genesis and future casting for Mmhmm
(12:24) All Turtles Philosophy
(18:15) Out of Office vs. In-Person Benefits
(21:08) Commentary of Evolving VC World
(30:37) Paradigm Shifts in Apple, AI, and Machine Learning.
(35:39) Advice to Younger Self
(38:13) Wrap Up
Links
Quotes
"Quality of life improves quality of work and quality of work improves quality of life."
(8:16) - Phil Libin
"We're never going back to anything, we're going forward. We're not going back to the way things were... We are going forward to the way things should be."
(19:13) - Phil Libin
"I care about brilliant people having a chance to show their brilliance and make high impact products. And I don't want them to waste their time making startups first."
(25:25)
Summary
Welcome to episode 268 of the Startup Junkie's Podcast!
Jeff Amerine, Davis McEntire, and Caleb Talley spend time with Jesse Randall, CEO and Founder of Sweater. This platform allows everyday investors to access the most exclusive asset class, Venture Capital. This episode will cover Jesse's journey as a tried-and-true entrepreneur. Sweater aims to disrupt the way venture capital is done.
In other words, you'll want to tune in!
Shownotes
(1:36) Introducing Jesse Randall
(3:52) How is Sweater different?
(6:41) Sweater's Venture Capital Structure
(8:28) Stage Focus within Sweater
(9:27) Syndicating, Leading, or Following?
(13:00) Identifying Strategic Partners
(17:31) How did Sweater Come About?
(22:13) Being a Public Investment Company
(28:54) The Next 5 Years for Sweater
(31:44) Day To Day Challenges
(34:24)Advice to Younger Self
(36:33) Wrap Up
Links
Quotes
"People have this desire to be entertained and they want something to brag about on the weekends, and have something to talk about with their friends, and being an investor is an element of their personal brand and a little bit of status associated with it."
(3:34) Jesse Randall
"They are great businesses and I'm grateful that they have the opportunity to raise money... They just typically don't qualify to raise money for VC funds."
(5:36) - Jesse Randall
"[On advice to younger self] I would say, freaking learn how to sell. Number one rule, learn how to sell something."
(34:46) - Jesse Randall
https://www.startupjunkie.org/
https://wlj.com/
Welcome to episode 267 of the Startup Junkie's Podcast!
Caleb Talley and Jeff Amerine are joined by TJ Sangam, CEO and co-founder of SupplyPike. This company seeks to help suppliers focus on growing their business while they do the other work of building and informing collaborative products through machine learning and artificial intelligence. From topics circling the disruptions within supply-chain in 2020, to the wild wild west of NFT’s and cryptocurrency, to a future of deep fake and AI, buckle up and get ready for this episode!
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(1:22) Introducing SupplyPike
(3:13) Entrepreneur Journey of TJ Sangam
(5:20) SupplyPike’s Response to Disruptions in Global Supply Chain
(8:44) Surprising Data in 2020-2021
(9:27) Supply Community
(11:20) Anticipated Supply Acquisitions in the Future
(13:36) A Dip into Cryptoworld & AI
(22:40) What’s Next for SupplyPike?
(26:50) New Product Launch: Data Lab
(41:17) Advice To Younger Self
(43:32) Wrap Up
Links
Quotes
“A lot of times suppliers don't even know that they're hemorrhaging tons of money So we help identify that.”
(2:28) - TJ Sangam
“[Small CPG’s] expertise is in making the product, not necessarily supplying them.”
(6:19) - TJ Sangam
“We want to use this data to model supply chain behavior.”
(23:42) - TJ Sangam
"We want to automate replenishment, which is the bulk of what happens in supply-chain."
(24:36) - TJ Sangam
Welcome to episode 266 of the Startup Junkie's Podcast!
For this episode, Caleb Talley and Jeff Amerine sit down with Hall T. Martin of TEN Capital Network. Whether it's discovering helpful tips on improving your pitches to VC funds or how to get the most out of raising capital for your startup, you will NOT want to miss this one!
Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(0:55) Introducing Hall T. Martin
(5:14) Creating TEN Capital Network
(7:26) Venture Scaling Route
(11:41) Funding as a Service
(14:47) What's Next for the Funding World?
(20:53) Recipe for a Successful Angel Network
(25:16) Events for Startups
(26:59) Simplifying Reports On Investments
(29:58) Why Join Angel Investing?
(32:01) Advice To Younger Self
(33:30) Wrap Up
Links
Quotes
"It was all about student education, student experience, and job placement. The angels that came together, that was their 'why.' That's where I really learned that if the "why" is just to make money, you're going to have a 30% turnover rate every 12 to 18 months."
(4:17) - Hall T. Martin
"I'm amazed how many people are out pitching... yet they really haven't finished the deck, they really haven't put the financial projections together. I always coach them, 'Let's get the basics together.' "
(7:43) - Hall T. Martin
"I think the key is to number one, find what your 'why’ is. Why would we come together? What is our mission? What are we going to do?"
(21:09) - Hall T. Martin
"Investing is not so much about the finance, it's about building relationships."
(32:19) - Hall T. Martin