Summary:
Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Davis McEntire sit down with Andrea Harding, the founder of Zipgig, an all-in-one booking platform and online marketplace for independent performance venues to book gigs with musicians and bands instantly. Andrea is a passionate entrepreneur driven to improve the lives of others through technology and software automation. Throughout the episode, Jeff, Matthew, Davis, and Andrea discuss Zipgig’s business model, the challenges Andrea experienced launching Zipgig, and the automation services Zipgig provides.
Shownotes:
(1:10) Introduction to Andrea Harding and Zipgig
(3:26) Andrea’s Career Before Zipgig
(5:24) Business Model of Zipgig
(6:42) Why Northwest Arkansas?
(11:27) Zipgig’s Target Audience
(15:08) Challenges Launching Zipgig
(18:10) Potentially Funding Zipgig
(21:22) The Automation Process Zipgig Provides
(28:03) Advice to Younger Self
(29:56) Closing Thoughts
Links:
Quotes:
“This is a really green space. There’s lots of ways that venues and bands need help and so there’s an opportunity for various subscription services, which I’m kind of testing a little bit, but definitely opportunities to monetize.” - Andrea Harding, (6:21)
“They don’t have any of that information. They’ve never even booked events. And so that’s the ideal customer because they really could benefit from a platform like Zipgig.” - Andrea Harding, (12:12)
“We really just wanna grow and we want to bring live music to places and make it easy where you might have a hard time booking.” - Andrea Harding, (25:35)
Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, Davis McEntire, and Victoria Dickerson sit down with Orson Weems, the executive director and co-founder of The Music Education Initiative, a diverse-led nonprofit that exists to engage, educate, and elevate the next generation of professionals in the business of music and entertainment. Prior to heading The Music Education Initiative, Orson worked as the chief operating officer with the legendary music and entertainment icon Al Bell and his global music, entertainment, and artist development company, Al Bell Presents. Throughout the episode, Jeff, Matthew, Davis, Victoria, and Orson discuss BC’s Blues Shack & Juke Joint and the initiative behind preserving the blues genre.
Shownotes:
(1:15) Introduction to Orson Weems
(1:49) Introduction to BC’s Blues Shack & Juke Joint
(6:04) The Influence of Tradition and Blues in the South
(9:04) What Fueled the Blues
(17:43) Initiatives Behind Preserving the Blues
(25:29) Orson’s Entrepreneurial Journey
(29:18) Demographics of the Blues
(36:14) Location of The Music Education Initiative
(42:00) Furthering The Music Education Initiative’s Mission
(44:39) Closing Thoughts
Links:
The Music Education Initiative
Quotes:
“These folks, they themselves were bringing enjoyment to people so that people could actually have some good times to try to think about things other than what they were dealing with in their tolls and everyday lives.” - Orson Weems, (8:16)
“... he likes to find rare and unique artists because when you have rare and unique artists that are giving something of themselves back to the audience where they can feel a memorable experience and they can go away talking about it.” - Orson Weems, (18:49)
“This exhibit here is for those that may not have seen what a larger juke joint was, but you can get a feel for it here with the way it’s been built and the way it’s open for the community.” - Orson Weems, (31:17)
Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Matthew Ward, and Davis McEntire sit down with Joe Payne, co-founder and CEO of Society of the Hourglass, as well as a serial entrepreneur who also founded Moxy Ox. After working for RevUnit for six years, Joe felt like he needed something different. So, after kicking around ideas for a while, he came across web3 and NFTs and founded the Society of the Hourglass to create new job opportunities and push the entertainment industry in Northwest Arkansas forward. Throughout the episode, Jeff, Matthew, Davis, and Joe discuss NFTs and the inspiration, challenges, and opportunities surrounding The Society of the Hourglass.
Shownotes:
(1:47) Introduction to Joe Payne
(3:12) Introduction to The Society of the Hourglass
(6:12) The Dynamic of the NFT Space
(13:17) The Society of the Hourglass Narrative
(16:19) How the Society of the Hourglass Started
(18:31) Inspiration behind the Society of the Hourglass
(20:52) Challenges with the NFT Space
(25:06) Opportunities for the Society of the Hourglass
(27:20) End Goal for the Society of the Hourglass
(29:45) Funding for the Society of the Hourglass
(33:53) NFTs as a Financial Related Asset
(39:47) Advice to Younger Self
(41:07) Closing Thoughts
Links:
Quotes:
“The spirit and ethos of the space is really leaning into decentralization and greater access and distribution for the everyday person…I think there is a really powerful move to be made and I think it’ll shift online things like e-commerce, entertainment, IP, and things like that.” - Joe Payne, (7:49)
“The spirit of what we’re trying to do though is just co-create with all of the people that are supporting early on and that’s where all of the really interesting and fun ideas come from. You’ve got people that get it and are involved because they want to contribute and put their mark on it.” - Joe Payne, (12:07)
“The possibilities are endless, right? I think really, it just comes down to how the market receives it and what people get excited about and where they want to see the brand brought to life.” - Joe Payne, (26:23)
Summary:
In this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley and Jeff Amerine talked with Stacy Taniguchi, a retired professor and a current senior consultant and managing partner at Beta Experiences. Beta Experiences is an innovative consulting venture backed by research and psychology, where clients are led to discover what their core values are so they can design a life of thriving. While he was a professor at BYU, Stacy became a tour guide. As Stacy met some other guides, they realized they had expertise in consulting, so they began taking people out into different environments and teaching them through experiences. Throughout the episode, Caleb, Jeff, and Stacy discussed how Beta Experiences came to be, what the experiences are like, and tips for creating a life where you can thrive.
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(1:03) Introductions
(1:30) Origin Story
(7:10) Client Base
(9:55) Informing the Work at Beta Experiences
(17:24) Backed by Academic Benchmarks and Psychology
(21:58) Enjoying the Journey
(29:33) The Experiences
(34:03) Landing the Plane and Advice to Younger Self
Links:
Quotes:
“...[We are] helping individuals take a look at their life and realize that you can either endure life or endure your business or endure your family, or you can work with us and we'll help you with certain types of tools to develop more of a thriving kind of environment.” Stacy Taniguchi, (8:47)
“So my hope is that this ‘choose to thrive’ that I'm trying to teach people is hopefully an avenue to give them some hope again, because what I teach is not complex. It's not rocket science…They're just creating a list, but there's a pathway to do it…We're not creating a bucket list. In fact, I tell people don't call this a bucket list. This is a list to thrive.” Stacy Taniguchi, (16:02)
“We just want people to get on board to start taking control of their future.” Stacy Taniguchi, (17:14)
“That's one thing that I've found through my research that you really need to do: to be able to create a list that's going to be meaningful, and in many cases, transformational, which in my mind, creates a life to thrive.” Stacy Taniguchi, (20:33)
“...We all come from [an] academic background [and] all of our stuff is evidence based…It's not just anecdotal — it's because we know research backs up what we're talking about.” Stacy Taniguchi, (33:33)
Summary:
In this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Grace Gill talked with David Baker and Eric Hinson, CEO and COO and co-founders of Parable, a company that preserves family legacies through the creation of documentaries. After starting their careers in different fields, David and Eric both felt that they were not contributing meaningfully to the world. Nearly three years after they had last met in person, the duo got together again and dreamt up Parable and began telling different families’ stories. Now, they enjoy making a difference and fulfilling their passions as they help others preserve their legacies. Throughout the episode, the hosts talked with David and Eric about their pasts that led them to create Parable, what the company does, and what legacy David and Eric hope to leave with Parable.
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(0:36) Welcome and Introductions
(1:30) The Story of Parable
(17:22) The Process
(20:18) Product Value
(34:31) Looking at Parable’s Future
(37:51) Eric and David’s Legacies
(44:24) Landing the Plane: Advice to Younger Self
Links:
Quotes:
“This seem[ed] like a really good idea, you know, to sit down and interview people. It gets that human side that I've been missing, working in products and marketing. And I just saw the power of it.” Eric Hinson, (6:39)
“Parable exists to turn stories into legacies.” David Baker, (16:26)
“People always say…look forward to the goal. But nobody ever thinks to look back to where you've come from, and that's the better way to measure success. How far have you come?” Eric Hinson, (22:28)
“...The product that we provide is a lot more than just capturing the stories. It's giving everyone a chance to connect in a way that they haven't ever really connected before.” David Baker, (27:17)
“I think there's something special to realizing that the people that we come from are human also. They become sort of mythical… in negative or positive ways over time. And they're not tangible in a way. This is an opportunity to humanize those individuals and hopefully kind of help someone understand how they're anchored in the world and where they come from.” David Baker, (34:02)
Summary:
In this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Grace Gill talked with Jordan Franklin, the CEO at Stratice, a human capital management firm. Though she originally planned to attend medical school, Jordan instead spent time working at a staffing agency and worked her way up to the number one salesperson. Eventually, Jordan decided to do her own thing and started Stratice in 2015. Now, the team at Stratice shares success with their clients as they help fill necessary roles and help companies achieve their goals. Throughout the episode, Caleb, Jeff, Grace, and Jordan discussed how Stratice works, the current war on talent, and the future of Stratice and the new company they are starting, Gumption.
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(1:10) Introductions
(2:23) All about Stratice
(7:11) Candidate Market
(11:53) Ideal Clients
(16:14) Putting Together Teams Vs. Filling Individual Roles
(19:19) Best and Worst of Owning a Business
(21:04) The Future of Stratice
(22:48) Gumption
(32:13) Landing the Plane and Advice to Younger Self
Links:
Quotes:
“...We go out whenever companies need a new headcount or are adding projects to their itinerary. We go out and help them find that staff. We do it differently than big companies. We do it more in a concierge service situation. We really want to be their partner.” Jordan Franklin, (2:29)
“I always wanted to help people. And, and as a young kid, helping people [meant working] as a doctor… And I didn't really think about, oh, well, there's multiple ways that you can help people. And so through recruiting, it really is another way of helping people. You don't realize how much of a counselor you are.” Jordan Franklin, (6:09)
“...I'm not just selling your position, I'm selling what you actually expect out of this person.” Jordan Franklin, (8:56)
“...[Going to a job board is] just not how things are done now. So it's got to change. It's also not how Gen Z wants to be hired. Like you're not going to go to a job board and go look for a job…You're going to go find someone and you're going to be like, ‘Hey, what you got out there?’” Jordan Franklin, (26:17)
“...Staffing has been around forever, right? Like, it's cool. You can rethink it somewhat. But if you really want to get down to it, we've got to rethink how to get people and how to get them into positions.” Jordan Franklin, (29:36)
Summary:
In this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Davis McEntire, and Grace Gill were joined by Joe Garafalo, the COO and co-founder of Mosaic, a technology company building its first strategic finance platform. Joe has a background in finance with a varied career history, but he has found his true passion in developing Mosaic in order to help companies do their jobs more efficiently. Though Mosaic is just getting started, they have a future of success and growth ahead of them. Throughout the episode, they discussed how Mosaic got started, what it looks like now, and what’s on the horizon.
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(1:15) Origin Story
(6:58) What Mosaic Looks Like Now
(7:40) Ease of Implementation
(8:48) Target Company Size
(9:45) Building Mosaic’s Teams
(13:11) Co-founder’s Journey
(14:32) What’s Next for Mosaic
(15:40) Weathering the Current Economic Storm
(22:31) Advice to Younger Self
Links:
Quotes:
“Once [the first version of Mosaic] was built, people would ask us questions and we would get back to them with an answer in a couple minutes. And they were like, ‘Hey, it used to take you guys like three or four weeks to respond to us’…so we showed them what we had built and they were like, ‘Hey, put a front end on top of this tool so that we can interact with it.’” Joe Garafalo, (4:32)
“What we're building at Mosaic is much more generalized so that any company can plug in, regardless of the nuances of their individual businesses.” Joe Garafalo, (6:00)
“As a founder, you should do all of the jobs across the company. So for us, we were three finance guys. We had never sold, we never did marketing, we never did product design. But the cool part about it was as you embark on the journey and you do all of those individual jobs, you learn what the qualities and the traits are, the skill sets that you need to then go out hire for.” Joe Garafalo, (11:03)
“The most important thing is we want to build an important company that helps people do their jobs more efficiently.” Joe Garafalo, (14:43)
Summary:
On this episode of the Startup Junkies podcast, hosts Jeff Amerine and Caleb Talley talked with Alyona Mysko, the CEO and Founder of Fuel Finance. Alyona has worked in finance for years and is an expert in financial planning and risk management. She started Fuel Finance about three years ago with the goal of making finance cool, efficient, and easy for founders. Throughout the episode, Jeff, Caleb, and Alyona discussed what it’s like running a business in Ukraine right now, stories of Fuel’s success, and how Fuel and other businesses are giving back to Ukraine.
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(1:00) Introduction to Alyona
(2:00) Origin Story
(3:37) How the War in Ukraine Is Affecting Businesses
(6:36) Fuel Gives Back
(9:20) How Can Others Help?
(11:05) Entrepreneurial Journey with Fuel
(13:26) The Future of Fuel
(15:24) Building the Team: An Experience in Resilience
(20:34) Landing the Plane - Advice to Younger Self
Links:
Quotes:
“I believe we make cool and easy finance for founders with our product, so they can really easily understand what is going on inside their business.” Alyona Mysko, (2:55)
“...We’re not [the] usual startup because we are profitable and...we do financial products, so we understand how to manage finance.” Alyona Mysko, (12:34)
“When you get all dashboards and all information and insights and graphs in several clicks…[that is] the future of finance.” Alyona Mysko, (13:04)
“...You should do it with passion, or not at all. So that's why…we have like all crazy team members. We're passionate, but also…we have this culture of responsibility inside…especially working with clients and for our customers and what we provide.” Alyona Mysko, (17:20)
Summary:
On this special edition 300th episode of the Startup Junkies podcast, current hosts Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Davis McEntire sat down with past hosts of the podcast.
Though each of them has a unique journey, these Startup Junkie members shared about how the podcast has played an integral role in getting them to where they are today. Throughout the episode, the group discussed an array of topics, including how Startup Junkie got started, what it’s like to be on the show, why Northwest Arkansas is an ideal area for the podcast’s home base, what their hopes are for the next 100 episodes, and much more.
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(4:26) How Startup Junkie Got Started
(8:57) Startup Junkie Guests
(20:17) Startup Junkie Is a Launching Pad
(24:39) The Beginning from Multiple Perspectives
(33:36) Vanity Statistics
(36:44) Showing Up and Staying with It
(45:51) Epigenetic: The People of Northwest Arkansas
(54:35) Hopes for the Next 100 Episodes
Links:
Quotes:
“Being an entrepreneur is like jumping out of a plane without a parachute and then figuring out how to build it on the way down.” Jon Cadieux, (11:29)
“...The ideas are not really what makes a startup successful or a company successful, it’s the people.” Michael Iseman, (18:01)
“We get to talk to some of the coolest people on the podcast.” Jeff Amerine, (22:52)
“...Free enterprise and the ability to create something from your own wits and to get people to rally around what you're doing is the salvation of the world.” Jeff Amerine, (40:27)
“There's no greater satisfaction than seeing people do well and being a small part of that journey…it's been a lot of fun and super gratifying.” Jeff Amerine, (53:51)
In this episode of the Startup Junkies podcast, hosts Jeff Amerine and Davis McEntire sat down with Nathan Beckord, the founder and CEO of Foundersuite. Foundersuite is a company that streamlines the process of fundraising and investor relations for startups. After working in investment banking, Nathan had an idea to build software to simplify the fundraising process for startups, and today, his company is helping thousands of other startups. Throughout the episode, Jeff, Davis, and Nathan discussed how Nathan got the idea for Foundersuite, what it offers, and how the company is supporting others in the startup process.
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(1:18) Origin Story
(2:48) What Is Foundersuite?
(8:52) Client Benefits with Foundersuite
(14:11) Investor CRM and Database
(16:18) Nathan’s End Game
(21:27) Advice to Younger Self and Closing Remarks
Links:
Quotes:
“It's been…kind of one foot in front of the other, just grinding away adding more features that people need for their fundraising journey.” Nathan Beckord, (4:20)
”I like to tell founders…there's…a couple of right ways and a thousand wrong ways to raise capital. We're trying to build these tools, like the bumpers at the bowling lane that kind of keep you in the right lane.” Nathan Beckord, (9:21)
“I believe there's a strong corollary between the speed at which your fundraising is going and the likelihood you are to actually be successful.” Nathan Beckord, (9:54)
“I built this because I really want to be a founder and…I knew fundraising, I had been doing that forever. That's like the one thing I really know deeply.” Nathan Beckord, (17:07)
Summary:
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Jeff Amerine and Caleb Talley sat down with Adam Zambanini, President of Residential Products at Trex Company. Trex is an alternative decking company that is one of the greenest companies in the world. Trex has been around for 25 years and recently is expanding into Arkansas. Throughout the episode, Jeff, Caleb, and Adam discussed what it’s like to work at Trex, why they’re expanding to Arkansas, and what the future of the company holds.
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(1:37) Trex to Arkansas
(5:48) Adam's Origin Story
(8:33) The Entrepreneurial Spirit
(10:48) Breaking Ground in Little Rock
(18:51) Experimenting with New Materials
(21:55) Finding Success at Trex
(25:20) Why Arkansas?
(31:27) The Future of Trex
(33:53) Advice to Younger Self and Closing Remarks
Links:
Quotes:
“So what we're doing is we're trying to create an outdoor living experience, right? We don't want to be just the decking and railing manufacturer. We want to be the solution to that threshold, to your back door.” Adam Zambanini, (5:14)
“I always tell people if there's something you can't accomplish at Trex, it’s kind of on you because the way we've built this company is there's been a lot of very, very smart people. There's been a lot of ideas and…there's a lot of collaboration throughout the walls of Trex. And so no idea is a bad idea. It's kind of our culture…there's a lot of support across the organization.” Adam Zambanini, (14:16)
“We love to get consumer feedback and we love to get contractor feedback because we don't exist without that consumer or that contractor.” Adam Zambanini, (17:55)
“We don't just want to just launch new products for new products sake. It's launch the right product…that the consumer wants. So we spend a lot of time and energy on those new products.” Adam Zambanini, (33:37)
Summary:
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Jeff Amerine and Caleb Talley talked with William Peng, co-founder and CEO of Northstar. This FinTech company enables employers to offer financial wellness as an employee benefit. William, a former product designer, co-founded the business to provide financial wellness through financial advice for The One Hundred Percent. Throughout the episode, Jeff, Caleb, and William discuss financial wellness, working for a startup, tech valuations, and much more!
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(0:43) Introducing William Peng and Northstar
(4:53) Encouraging Users to Get the Most Out of the Product
(6:32) How Working for a Startup Affected William’s Entrepreneurial Journey
(13:04) Tech Valuations
(14:59) Northstar’s Ideal Customer
(17:59) What Does Winning Look Like for William?
(22:30) Advice to Younger Self and Closing Thoughts
Links:
Quotes:
“There is a lack of resources for the majority of people—unless you’re already wealthy and can afford a financial advisor, for example—to make the best [financial] decisions for themselves.” William Peng, (3:37)
“With financial advice, it’s kind of the classic vitamin versus painkiller problem where people don’t generally sit around thinking ‘I need financial advice,’ unless they have a specific moment in time that they’re looking for it.” William Peng, (5:12)
“Our core [customer] base has a lot of high-growth tech companies of different sizes, from startups all the way to enterprises, but we also work with customers in other industries as well. It’s really important that we can support a wide diversity of backgrounds and employees, and not just those who have high-paying tech jobs.” William Peng, (15:15)
Thanks for tuning in!
Show Notes:
(1:27) Origin Story
(8:30) More about Mycelium
(12:47) Applications Running on It
(15:50) Onboarding Others
(19:52) The Game of Growing
(23:30) Paying the Bills and the Team
(26:15) The Future of Mycelium
(27:28) Advice to Younger Self and Closing Remarks
Links:
Quotes:
“...All of a sudden there was this network of computers decentralized all over the globe that managed and maintained the system as opposed to having a central authority or, you know, a meeting behind closed doors to do that.” Rishi Mittal, (4:06)
“The best way to look at IoT is we're really trying to build an information super sidewalk…where we don't need that high bandwidth, those real-time streaming applications…but we do need to send reliable information over long distances. And for that, you can use something kind of like a dedicated sidewalk for smaller bandwidth items.” Rishi Mittal, (11:11)
“The mission of Mycelium networks is to accelerate the world's adoption of decentralized networks. And we started with Helium, we’re starting in Northwest Arkansas, and we're just going to take it from there.” Rishi Mittal, (12:35)
“You're literally running over a low band sidewalk. Your batteries last longer, you can get those sensors really, really tiny and really, really cheap. So you could essentially deck out whatever you want with tracking or humidity sensors, or temperature sensors, whether it's setting up a deer camp or tracking your dog or testing the heat of your soil for your rose garden…just really anything you can think of. And a lot of these solutions can be implemented for under $20.” Rishi Mittal, (13:43)
”We just want to build. You know, we just want to bring more networks to Northwest Arkansas and open up the space here.” Rishi Mittal, (23:15)
Summary:
Welcome to another great episode of Startup Junkies!
On this episode of Startup Junkies, host Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Davis McEntire sit down with Josh Stanley, CEO of Cartwheel, a startup studio that creates B2B SaaS companies. Josh is a serial entrepreneur with vast experience in developing startups successfully and sharing his knowledge with others. Throughout the episode, Jeff, Caleb, Davis, and Josh discuss the methodology behind Cartwheel Startup Studio, the difference between venture and startup studios, and how regional growth is beneficial.
Shownotes:
(1:15) Introduction to Josh Stanley
(5:45) About Cartwheel Startup Studio
(9:08) Methodology behind Cartwheel
(18:36) Cadence of Startups
(24:00) Differences between Venture and Startup Studios
(27:09) Advice for People without Access to a Startup Studio
(40:30) Future of Cartwheel Startup Studio
(43:54) Cartwheel Startup Studio’s Mission
(45:00) Regional Growth
(50:40) Remote Work Narrative
(57:17) Closing Thoughts
Links:
Quotes:
“This is the right model…the idea of pulling forward failure…fail before you form and fund failure. Fail before you put time, people, resources, talent behind an idea. Fail first, then only fund the things that make the most sense...” - Josh Stanley, (7:11)
“If you get emotionally attached…you’re going to seek data that suggests this is the right idea. So, we remove that kind of cognitive basis layer that exists in all of us through this model. We take a macabre approach. We’re trying to kill ideas. If you look at it as, ‘How can I kill this idea?’ And if that idea won’t die, I guess I have to form it then.” - Josh Stanley, (9:55)
“There’s nothing wrong with that model…but, you are inheriting a change management problem. You have to change either culture, processes, ways of working, or just straight up talent…you’re inheriting mostly a blank slate. You’re not inheriting a finished product by any means.” - Josh Stanley, (31:40)
“I want to bring people off the sidelines. I want to help. We want our reach to be broader than just starting up new companies…we want to be immersive…what’s next is whatever the region needs…and hopefully the things we believe will add value, truly will add value.” - Josh Stanley, (43:54)
“That’s part of the energy that is tangible here…it doesn’t feel like a zero sum game. It doesn’t feel like you have to compete against others to win.” - Josh Stanley, (46:52)
In this episode of Startup Junkies, Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Davis McEntire sit down with Vance Reavie, founder and CEO of Junction AI. Vance is a multi-time founder, and he recently completed Fuel, a Northwest Arkansas-based accelerator that helps growth-stage artificial intelligence and machine learning startups become enterprise-ready. Throughout the episode, Jeff, Caleb, Davis, and Vance discuss Junction AI, Vance’s journey to Northwest Arkansas, building a launchpad for corporate innovation, and much more!
Shownotes
(1:26) Introducing Vance Reavie and Junction AI
(6:35) Allowing Yourself to Pivot
(9:19) What Does Winning Look Like?
(11:27) Vance’s Background and Transition to Arkansas
(14:59) Building the Junction AI Team
(19:40) Why Vance Is Excited to Be In NWA
(27:20) Advice for Young Talent
(30:56) Building a Launchpad for Corporate Innovation
(36:14) Advice for Vance’s Younger Self
(40:41) Closing Thoughts
Links
Quotes
“We had to understand, does what we do matter to the enterprise, and if it does, how are we going to get in there and sell it and make a success of it? So that’s why we wanted to [be a part of Fuel], and I was blown away by the program.” Vance Reavie, (6:24)
“They say the top three things that typically cause new ventures to fail is number one, you’re building something that no one wants. Two is you’ve hired wrong—you’ve got people in the wrong seats. And the third one is a lack of focus. And all three of those can be equally deadly.” Jeff Amerine, (8:34)
“...You get quite addicted to that idea that things can move this fast, and that’s a lot of fun. And it draws people in. People want to be part of it when they see this happening because, seriously, none of us want to do nothing or just be bored at work or whatever it is. We see something exciting happening and you’re drawn to those people or that project…” Vance Reavie, (32:26)