Info

The Startup Junkies Podcast

The Startup Junkies podcast is hosted by Jeff Amerine and the team at Startup Junkie. We’ll cover topics ranging from getting started, planning, growing your business, proving your concept, leadership, marketing, exit strategies and so much more. We’ll interview business owners, entrepreneurs, experts and people we think will bring value to our audience. Subscribe, and together we'll take your business to the next level.
RSS Feed Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
2024
February
January


2023
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2022
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
March
February


2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2015
December
November
October
September
August
July
June


Categories

All Episodes
Archives
Categories
Now displaying: November, 2022

This is the Startup Junkies Podcast. These are the stories of the people that are afflicted with creating the next great products and services that are going to change lives - not just in America, but worldwide. We're going to tell the stories of the next great beer producer, products and apparel makers, and the stories of people that don't accept the status quo and that want to make things better. 

Welcome to the Startup Junkies Podcast.

Nov 28, 2022

Summary:

Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!

On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Victoria Dickerson sit down with Tim Swindle, a serial entrepreneur in the toy and game space and co-founder of Glacier Games. With his passion for outdoor sports, Tim teamed up with two others to create a new recreational game called PaddleSmash, which combines the best elements of Pickleball and Spikeball. Throughout the episode, Caleb, Jeff, Victoria, and Tim discuss how incorporating fun into your day is a necessity, building a business with Kickstarter, and how entrepreneurs should advertise their ideas, not safeguard them.  

 

Show Notes:

(0:55) Introduction to Tim

(1:27) Tim’s Origin Story

(5:16) The Development of PaddleSmash

(9:36) Tech vs Outdoor Sports

(13:41) The Importance of Having Fun

(17:33) Lessons Learned

(22:49) Increasing Your Surface Area

(26:01) The Kickstarter Experience

(29:17) Social Media Strategy

(32:34) Advice to Younger Self

(33:11) Closing Questions

 

Links:

Caleb Talley

Jeff Amerine

Victoria Dickerson

Tim Swindle

PaddleSmash

 

Quotes:

“There’s a resurgence to being low-tech right now. People spend so much time on their computers, laptops, iPads, and iPhones that you’re seeing physical board games and outdoor games becoming more popular. We’ve become so digital with society that they provide this opportunity to get back to actually interacting with each other.” - Tim Swindle, (12:07)

“That would be my biggest advice to entrepreneurs. Go out there, share your ideas, and talk to people. Don’t worry about anybody stealing it, that’s not going to happen. Get the real raw feedback as to whether or not you have something and can move forward.” - Tim Swindle, (25:01)

“People think Kickstarter is where you start, but a lot of times these people have gathered interest and email addresses prior to launching, and they engage that community once they go. Then the Kickstarter algorithm says they’re trending, and they start to show up everywhere. So focus on pre-marketing and building a community before you ever go live.” - Tim Swindle, (26:27)

Nov 21, 2022

 

Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!

 

On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Victoria Dickerson sit down with Brad Gentry, the CEO of Gentry Professional Services, an elite engineering consulting and talent acquisition firm that specializes in placing subject matter experts with clients that require specific knowledge. With over a decade of experience, Brad is experienced and skilled in engineering design, project management, and business development. Throughout the episode, Caleb, Jeff, Victoria, and Brad discuss preparing the next generation of labor workers and how a company’s culture is vital to success.

 

Show Notes:

(1:12) Introduction to Brad

(1:26) About Gentry Professional Services

(5:34) Challenges with the Labor Market

(8:06) Encouraging Employee Retention

(11:02) Navigating the CHIPS Act

(13:36) Technologies' Role in Supplementing Labor

(19:23) Gentry Professional Services Culture

(28:08) The Future of Gentry Professional Services

(32:02) Advice to Younger Self

(34:36) Closing Questions

 

Links:

Caleb Talley

Jeff Amerine

Victoria Dickerson

Brad Gentry

Gentry Professional Services

 

Quotes:

“The way that manifests itself today is when someone retires they may have someone who is two or three steps behind them in experience. So that generational gap has followed us as people have progressed through their careers.” - Brad Gentry, (4:37)

 

“We go through a vetting process of not just checking references, but also behavioral assessments because somebody can be the smartest person in the room but if they can’t work with others then it’s not going to be a good fit. So we do several things to assess not only their knowledge and skills, but also how well they interact with the team they’re going to be supporting.” - Brad Gentry, (16:15)

 

“We work hourly and that fits with retirees greatly…They’re coming back because they want to. So we want to make it a good experience for them and treat them like family. We found that if you let them have that autonomy, flexibility, and respect to work on what they want to, they will in turn represent you well to the clients.” - Brad Gentry, (25:04)

Nov 14, 2022

Summary:

Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!

On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley and Jeff Amerine sit down with Matthew Moore and Kyle Kellams of KUAF. Matthew is a reporter and producer for Ozarks at Large, a locally produced news podcast/daily show that covers news, sports, politics, arts, culture, and the quirky and unusual happenings in the Ozarks. Kyle has been the news director at KUAF for over twenty-five years and has been producing Ozarks at Large for over three decades. Throughout the episode, Caleb, Jeff, Matthew, and Kyle discuss the history and future of public radio, how podcasting has influenced traditional radio, and the burden of providing newsworthy content.  

 

Show Notes:

(0:57) Introduction to Matthew and Kyle

(2:03) Matthew and Kyle’s Origin Stories

(7:02) Marrying Podcasting with Traditional Radio

(8:57) Podcasting’s Effect on the Radio Business

(10:52) Providing News Coverage to Large Areas

(14:24) A Public Radio Station’s Business Model

(20:11) Changes in the Radio Industry

(24:18) Listening to Your Own Content

(27:05) Interesting Moments

(32:46) When Earned Media Makes Sense

(37:11) Advice to Younger Selves

(40:10) Closing Questions

 

Links:

Caleb Talley

Jeff Amerine

Matthew Moore

Kyle Kellams

Ozarks at Large

 

Quotes:

“I think for a certain number of people who had left radio for whatever reason, audio became cool again. For public radio, at least, podcasting is a natural rift back and forth.” - Kyle Kellams, (9:10)

“At Ozarks at Large sometimes we get to tell a different kind of story that you can really only tell on radio. If you were trying to tell that story in the paper or on TV, you would need different kinds of aids, but hearing someone tell a story from perfect memory in a way you can only do through audio is really cool.” - Matthew Moore, (13:42)

“I could talk forever about the fractured media landscape and the danger that it poses, but I think one of the great things going for us is there’s so many out there doing it like that and so few doing it like us, that we have people searching for the kind of radio we do.”- Kyle Kellams, (16:03)

“There’s this expectation of a kind of journalism, reporting, and storytelling they can hear from other stations like NPR. What they hear from Ozarks at Large is a very specific and very regional version of that. It’s high-quality and well-informed, unbiased storytelling.” - Matthew Moore, (16:34)

Nov 7, 2022

Summary:

Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!

On this episode, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and guest host Permjot Valia sit down with Elizabeth Prenger, founder and chief brand officer of Prose Creative, a company that helps brands and individuals connect with audiences by creating authentic relationships through their content and messaging. Elizabeth is also the co-founder as well as the marketing and public relations lead at FemHealth Founders, a startup that empowers female entrepreneurs to build and lead profitable women-centric companies. Throughout the episode, Caleb, Jeff, Permjot, and Elizabeth discuss the current product landscape and how women are making their voices heard through entrepreneurship. 

 

Show Notes:

(1:12) Introduction to Permjot

(2:10) Introduction to Elizabeth

(5:09) Elizabeth’s Entrepreneurial Origin Story

(10:45) Pain Points with the Current Product Landscape

(17:41) About Elizabeth’s New Prototype

(23:45) Launching FemHealth Founders

(27:40) The Response to FemHealth Founders

(33:28) Decision-Making Hierarchies between Women and Men

(37:38) New Postpartum Recovery Concepts

(40:25) Giving Women the Words to Identify Their Needs

(44:41) Advice to Younger Self

(48:38) Closing Thoughts

 

Links:

Caleb Talley

Jeff Amerine

Permjot Valia 

Elizabeth Prenger

Prose Creative LLC

FemHealth Founders

 

Quotes:

“One of the things I love the most about this journey of being an entrepreneur and launching these ideas is I’ve learned so much about things I wouldn’t have even considered looking into before.” - Elizabeth Prenger, (7:06)

“What I really liked and found refreshing about you [Elizabeth] was you didn’t talk about your identity, you were talking about the problem and the women who suffered from the problem and how your product solved that.” - Permjot Valia, (11:08)

“We have 80% of the buying power. Women are the primary purchaser in the retail and healthcare space. So we should be more involved. We should be making these products.” - Elizabeth Prenger, (28:43)

“If we as women feel more empowered to research, educate ourselves, ask questions, and be our own best advocate in this space, I think the outcomes of that can be really powerful. It can save lives. It can save families. It can save a lot of women.” - Elizabeth Prenger, (43:21)

 

1