Summary
Welcome back to another episode of the Startup Junkies podcast! In this episode, Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Matthew Ward chat with James Hereford, co-founder and partner at Launch Factory. James is originally from Ponca City, Oklahoma, and he graduated with an undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma before earning an MBA from Rice University. Launch Factory is a venture studio that generates business ideas, pairs the ideas with founders, and provides the founders with the necessary tools to get the company off the ground. James and the guys talk about the venture studio model, launching businesses, planning for an exit, and much more. Thanks for listening!
Shownotes
(1:49) Introducing James Hereford and Launch Factory
(7:54) The venture studio model
(12:00) Recruiting founders
(16:29) Challenges with the scaling process
(21:59) What types of businesses is Launch Factory creating?
(23:54) Planning for an exit
(26:10) Advice for the younger self
(27:32) Wrap up
Links
Quotes
“We prioritize finding concepts that meet a certains et of business criteria. So, you know, we want to see potential for a $100+ million exit. We want to see fundable milestones within the first two years, because that 300k only gets you so far. And so, whatever the concept is, we have to be sure that around month 12 or 15, we’re going to be able to hit a milestone that we can go and raise a seed round on.” (22:15)
Sponsored by Tiny Capital: https://www.tinycapital.com/
Tiny partners with founders to give them quick, straightforward exits that protect their team and culture. We’ll make an offer within a week, close the deal within a month, and keep your business operating for the long term.
Get in touch at tinycapital.com/startupjunkies
Hey everyone, welcome back! This episode, Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Matthew Ward talk with Andrew Gibbs-Dabney & Kelsey Ferguson from LIVSN. LIVSN creates versatile, well-made clothing for people who value experiences more than stuff. They make good clothing with tried and true methods and with high-quality fabrics. During this talk, you will get to hear about the progress LIVSN has made since their last appearance on the podcast, upcoming launch of a new product on Kickstarter, and plans around new product lines in the near future. Thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(3:42) What is LIVSN up to?
(12:34) Rolling out a new pant design
(16:40) Joining a startup during a worldwide pandemic
(25:56) Raising a child while parenting a startup
(28:50) What’s next for LIVSN?
(33:36) LIVSN’s top markets
(35:36) Expectations for the Kickstarter
(36:39) Venture capital
(41:57) Advice to the younger self
(42:43) Wrap up
Links
Quotes
“You can buy your way into some stuff, but you know...If you’re getting your product on and in people’s hands, and they really start using it, that’s the way to [get media attention].” (10:57)
“I’ve always felt like the company has a different feel than many other companies I know. And if you look at the messaging that Andrew has created the entire time the brand has been alive, you’ll notice that we don’t shy away from being transparent about everything that we are good at and what we need to improve on and how we’re going to do that.” (17:46)
Sponsored by Tiny Capital: https://www.tinycapital.com/
Tiny partners with founders to give them quick, straightforward exits that protect their team and culture. We’ll make an offer within a week, close the deal within a month, and keep your business operating for the long term.
Get in touch at tinycapital.com/startupjunkies
Welcome to another week with the Startup Junkie crew! This week, Caleb Talley and Jeff Amerine have a talk with Deric Cahill, founder and CEO of Wicked BOLD Chocolate. Wicked BOLD Chocolate is a chocolate company that only uses organic & ethically sourced cacao in their process and commits to ingredient transparency. They source their cacao through Belize leveraging their partners at Chocolate Alchemy. In this episode, you will get to hear about the story behind Wicked BOLD Chocolate, the importance of being resilient during tough times, and thoughts around growing and managing their supply chain moving forward. Tune in with us!
Shownotes
(2:07) Introducing Deric Cahill and Wicked BOLD Chocolate
(7:41) Utilizing farmer’s markets and building an online presence
(12:56) Changing the way chocolate is perceived
(14:53) Growing the brand and exploring new territory
(23:42) Planning for future growth
(30:52) Collaborating with other businesses
(32:47) Advice for the younger self
(36:36) Wrap up
Links
Wicked BOLD Chocolate Instagram
Quotes
“Everything we do as a company, I want to be rooted in that. Like giving back and like empowering people to live life to the boldest. That’s our motto.” (16:26)
“Even if your stop at Wicked BOLD is a year, three years, five years, whatever it is, you’re leaving us better than when you came to us, and we’re positioning you to do whatever the hell you want to do to be as happy as possible.” (16:48)
Sponsored by Tiny Capital: https://www.tinycapital.com/
Tiny partners with founders to give them quick, straightforward exits that protect their team and culture. We’ll make an offer within a week, close the deal within a month, and keep your business operating for the long term.
Get in touch at tinycapital.com/startupjunkies
Hey everyone! Welcome back! This week, Caleb Talley and Jeff Amerine talk with Peter Joukov, COO and co-founder of inq Tattoos. Husband and wife team, Peter and Maria Joukov, founded inq Tattoos because they saw an unmet need in the market for today’s tattoo customer and a better way to work for today's tattoo artist. Leaning on their military, corporate, and business backgrounds, they created a modern and accessible tattoo experience for the everyday customer and a supportive space for professional artists. In this episode, you will get to hear about the story behind inq Tattoos, how they find the right franchisees, and certain challenges with franchising in different states. Thanks for listening in!
Shownotes
(2:19) Introducing Peter and inq
(8:15) Solving problems with unique solutions
(11:54) Effects of COVID-19
(14:14) Marketing in the tattoo industry
(16:56) Temporary vs permanent tattoos
(18:09) Franchising
(26:34) Controversial tattoos
(32:01) Advice to the younger self
(34:22) Wrap up
Links
Quotes
“Sometimes people don’t realize that things can be done differently. And if you’re having a problem and you solve a problem for yourself, you may be solving it for other people as well.” (11:27)
Sponsored by Tiny Capital: https://www.tinycapital.com/
Tiny partners with founders to give them quick, straightforward exits that protect their team and culture. We’ll make an offer within a week, close the deal within a month, and keep your business operating for the long term.
Get in touch at tinycapital.com/startupjunkies
In this episode, Caleb talks with Thomas F. “Mack” McLarty, III in an interview from Startup Junkie’s inaugural startup week event in September 2020. Mack is well-renowned for his business acumen, and he served as the White House Chief of Staff for President Bill Clinton’s administration. Caleb and Mack discuss a handful of entrepreneurial topics, as well as several things that Mack attributes to his success. You do not want to miss out on this standout episode!
Shownotes
(1:08) Introducing Mack McLarty
(3:20) The importance of positively impacting others
(6:01) How the late 90s became a golden age for entrepreneurs
(9:15) Closing the capital gap between the Heartland and the Coasts
(12:12) The Ferment Group’s investment criteria
(16:13) Advice for growth-oriented entrepreneurs taking on investors
(18:09) The government’s role in the democratization of innovation
(23:17) Widening investment opportunities while protecting investors
(25:35) Surrounding yourself with quality people
(28:25) Being true to yourself
(34:05) Succession planning
(37:32) Mack McLarty’s game-changing moments
(40:42) Mack McLarty’s legacy
Links
Quotes
“It is essential that the investor be aligned with the management and founder - entrepreneur - and vice versa. That the management and founder be aligned with the investor. As my father liked to often say, have as good a front-end understanding as you possible can have. In other words, understand really what the other is trying to accomplish.” (17:04)
“Human nature being what it is, people are going to naturally want to work for someone they respect, that they trust, and they feel who will be fair and even-handed in giving them an opportunity to succeed.” (27:28)
“If you are not finding meaning in what you’re doing and some joy and sense of accomplishment, you probably should be thinking about maybe shifting that at some point and doing something else.” (19:08)
Sponsored by Tiny Capital: https://www.tinycapital.com/
Tiny partners with founders to give them quick, straightforward exits that protect their team and culture. We’ll make an offer within a week, close the deal within a month, and keep your business operating for the long term.
Get in touch at tinycapital.com/startupjunkies
Shownotes
(1:26) Introducing Dr. Rogelio Garcia Contreras
(6:03) How Rogelio ended up at the University of Arkansas
(13:49) The social innovation challenge
(18:57) Rogelio shares a few highlights from the social innovation challenge
(26:09) Thinking outside the box
(38:04) Playing the long game
(44:38) Advice for the younger self
Links
Quotes
“Although social entrepreneurship has become a very popular rallying point...solutions to these kind of complex problems never come easy, right?” (16:19)
“I’m an optimist in the human spirit and resilience to come up with solutions down the road that address these issues. But it is imperative that we all are aware of the magnitude of the problem, but we also are aware of how we can connect.” (43:16)
Sponsored by Tiny Capital: https://www.tinycapital.com/
Tiny partners with founders to give them quick, straightforward exits that protect their team and culture. We’ll make an offer within a week, close the deal within a month, and keep your business operating for the long term.
Get in touch at tinycapital.com/startupjunkies
The Enactus team at the University of Arkansas is on the rise, and is headed to the Enactus National Competition to present three major projects in Kansas City for the first time in eight years. Director of Enactus at the University, Rachel Sullivant, explains the students’ projects. From a hybrid coffee & retail space that employs adults with developmental disabilities to a workshop allowing those experiencing homelessness to create and sell home décor, Enactus is on a mission to engage students and the community to tackle complex social issues through entrepreneurship.
Get to know Rachel, and how you can get involved with social entrepreneurship by reaching out to her at rsullivant@walton.uark.edu.
Learn more about Enactus here, and check out the idea behind the McMillon Innovation Studio here!
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Follow us on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook!
Hear the stories of other great startup businesses by listening to our previous podcasts here!
Hosts: Jeff Amerine & Michael Iseman
Chief Strategy Officer of RevUnit, Seth Waite, joins this episode of the Startup Junkies Podcast where we dive into the details of Fuel, the future of supply chain management, and the values that Seth has formed to guide his career. He is a futurist, philanthropist, and one of the facilitators for Fuel, a program led by RevUnit and Startup Junkie to help supply chain startups become enterprise-ready. Participants will receive mentoring, coaching, and connections with Walmart's Supply Chain Innovation team and leaders from CaseStack, Propack, Tyson, and other large enterprises.
Applications are open for the Fuel Accelerator: fuelaccelerator.com
RevUnit is very cool: revunit.com
Learn more about the man behind the microphone at sethwaite.com
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Hosts: Michael Iseman & Haley Allgood
Tom Chapman, Founder of Chapman and Company, joins this episode of The Startup Junkies Podcast recorded in Denver in the middle of the Startup Champions Network Fall Summit. Startup Champions Network is a group of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Builders similar to the Startup Junkies that meets twice a year to share best practices and stories. Tom, one of the original members of the network, gives us his take on the entrepreneurial ecosystem; and the importance of like-minded communities to come together and share great ideas. We discuss Angel Investment Networks, Omaha, the Nebraska Navy, and Tom even gives us an account of working for Enron early in his career during the days of exponential growth followed by massive layoffs. Lastly, Tom shares his mantra that, “when you get to a data-driven approach… you will recognize that entrepreneurship is the way for us to solve most the world’s problems, and to live a life that you can be happy and proud of.”
Tom’s Company: https://www.chapmanandcompany.
Tom’s Email: tchapman@chapmanandcompany.co
Tom’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/tchap623
Startup Champions: http://www.championsnetwork.
Get your weekly dose of entrepreneurial wisdom by subscribing to us on the Podcasts app!
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook!
Hear the stories of other great startup businesses by listening to our previous podcasts here!
Host: Michael Iseman
How does a startup, small firm, or entrepreneur with an innovative technology idea get the required facetime with a tech giant/mega retail corporation to pitch their next big idea and impact the world? Bryce Paden, co-founder of i2i Labs, has the solution in the unique form of a tech broker of sorts. Hardly a full year into business, he has proved, with an uncommon business model no less, that there is certainly a market for the service i2i Labs provides. The company curates and accredits small tech teams before helping them present their innovations to large corporations that have the resources to buy the technology, but not the time or man-power needed to create it. Bryce also gives us a sneak peek into his next business. Think recreational axe throwing. Get excited!
To contact a professional at i2i Labs, visit https://www.i2ilabs.co/
Get your weekly dose of entrepreneurial wisdom by subscribing to us on the Podcasts app!
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook!
Hear the stories of other great startup businesses by listening to our previous podcasts here!
Hosts: Jeff Amerine & Michael Iseman
jeff@startupjunkieconsulting.com
Michael@startupjunkie.org
Andrew Gibbs-Dabney, Founder and CEO of LIVSN Designs, joins The Startup Junkies Podcast to discuss his entrepreneurial journey. Andrew got his start in apparel working for Fayettechill as a warehouse employee, but the success of the company would lead him to play the role of CEO in 2 short years. His passion for outdoor recreational activities and apparel led him to create his own clothing line– LIVSN. The idea of offering high-quality, durable outdoor clothing for people who value experiences more than stuff has vaulted the launch of a successful Kickstarter campaign. In this episode, Andrew and the team explore a wide range of topics from work-life balance to overcoming all the obstacles that most startups face. We also focus on the future of LIVSN, and what Andrew plans to accomplish in the foreseeable future.
LIVSN: https://www.livsndesigns.com/
LIVSN kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/livsndesigns/hi-wool-fleece-and-flex-canvas-pants-built-for-lif
LIVSN Instagram: https://instagram.com/livsndesigns
Fayettechill: https://www.fayettechill.com/
Arkansas Interscholastic Cycling League: http://www.arkansasmtb.org/
BLK ELK Media: https://www.blkelkmedia.com/
Get your weekly dose of entrepreneurial wisdom by subscribing to us on the Podcasts app!
This episode was sponsored by Tiny. Tiny partners with founders to give them quick, straightforward exits that protect their team and culture.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook!
Hear the stories of other great startup businesses by listening to our previous podcasts here!
Hosts: Jeff Amerine & Michael Iseman