Josh Owen never looked at himself as an entrepreneur. He formed his first company Tryon Solutions to do some consulting work, and before he knew it, the company had grown to the point where it had about 100 employees. For Josh, it was time to try another idea, which required funding.  Even after a $2.5M raise…

As the managing director of VentureSouth, Charlie Banks has invested over $60 million in over 90 companies. Some of them have been amazing success stories – but he’s seen  his share of failures as well.  Today, he talks about what the founder should be looking for in an investment partner, and he shares the one…

For entrepreneurs, seeking funding from a venture capital firm can seem intimidating. But, it’s important to remember that those investors are entrepreneurs, too. In this episode, learn about what it took to start Leeds Illuminate, a venture fund founded by Susan Cates in 2020. Transcript Trevor: Today’s guest is Susan Cates, managing partner at Leeds…

Today we’re diving deep into what most startups dream about and are striving for – the exit. Hutchison PLLC partner and mergers & acquisitions expert attorney Dan Fuchs shares what both founders and buyers should be looking out for throughout the acquisition process. Transcript Trevor Schimdt: Today’s guest is Dan Fuchs, one of the partners…

Jessica Mitsch Homes has always been focused on teaching and helping others, but she had no clue that that passion would lead her into a career in tech.  Today, Jessica talks about her company’s start in American Underground, why she’s passionate about cultivating talent from underrepresented groups, and what’s ahead for her growing startup. Jessica…

How can leaders foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture – even when their business is first starting out?  When every dollar and every minute matters, culture can be secondary to everything else that needs to be done to keep the business afloat. So today, Donald Thompson shares how he created an affordable solution to…

After decades of writing business ideas down, Philip Freeman decided to start Murphy’s Naturals so he could solve a simple problem – his wife kept getting stung by mosquitos.  And then when that business grew too big for his garage, he founded The Loading Dock to solve his new problem – and help other entrepreneurs…

Trevor Schmidt is guesting today to talk all about intellectual property – the different kinds of IP, mistakes he sees startups making, and the IP steps you should take when founding a company. If you have questions on patents, trademarks, trade secrets, or copyrights, Trevor has answers. Transcript Jason Gillikin: Hey everyone, before we get…

Back in 1991, Tom Finegan was working for a consulting firm that was doing very well – except he felt like the firm cared more about the bottom line than the success of their clients. So Tom made the scary leap to entrepreneurship, and he now has 30 years of startup and leadership lessons to…

Moise Khayrallah grew up in Lebanon, and saw firsthand what real danger looks like as bombs exploded nearby during the Lebanese Civil War. Upon coming to America, Moise had already seen the worst that could happen, so difficult decisions or tense conversations – things that might stress out some entrepreneurs – that all came easy…