A Founder's Life

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life

 • YouTube:   @AFoundersLife  
 • LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
 • Instagram: @afounderslife
  • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
 • Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Melissa Washington

• Website: womenveteransalliance.org

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/washingtonmelissa/

• Instagram: [@womenveteransalliance]

What happens when a Navy veteran, laid off during the 2009 recession, decides to create her own opportunities? For Melissa Washington, it led to teaching LinkedIn workshops at her dining room table, joining LinkedIn itself, and ultimately founding the Women Veterans Alliance — now a global organization serving women across the world.

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Melissa shares her journey from military service to corporate HR, to entrepreneurship and nonprofit leadership. She opens up about family, faith, balance, and why her favorite advice is simple: you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:
•How Melissa turned a layoff into a launchpad for entrepreneurship
•What she learned working inside LinkedIn during its growth years
•Why she created Women Veterans Alliance — and how it’s grown globally
•The role of family and faith in her entrepreneurial journey
•How she defines health as holistic: physical, mental, financial, and business
•Why balance means taking charge of your calendar and building discipline
•The power of asking: overcoming imposter syndrome to seize opportunity

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)
0:32 – Meet Melissa Washington: Navy veteran, entrepreneur, founder
1:08 – From Navy to HR to layoff in 2009
1:52 – Teaching LinkedIn workshops at her dining room table
2:40 – Hired at LinkedIn → global travel and opportunities
3:25 – Launching Women Veterans Alliance in 2015
4:19 – Family: 31-year marriage, raising a daughter, support system
5:00 – Defining health beyond medicine: financial, business, physical, mental
6:07 – Fitness routines, nutrition challenges, and faith as mental health
6:56 – Fun: travel, cruises, and family genealogy projects
7:59 – Defining balance: taking Fridays off, owning her calendar
8:30 – Pivotal moment: adopting her daughter through foster care
9:06 – Advice to entrepreneurs: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”
10:06 – Where to find Melissa (Women Veterans Alliance + socials)

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life

 • YouTube:   @AFoundersLife  
 • LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
 • Instagram: @afounderslife
  • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
 • Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Jose Nava
 • Website: https://leviebranding.com/
 • Instagram: [@leviebranding]
 • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josenava/
 • Personal Handle: [@futuristhuman]

What happens when an architect stumbles into branding by accident — and builds a global agency out of it? For Jose Nava, it led to the creation of Levie Branding, a design and branding firm with offices in Miami and Atlanta and a team working worldwide.

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Jose shares how he and his wife co-founded Levie, the pivotal role family and vision have played in their journey, and why he believes clarity of vision — paired with faith — is the ultimate entrepreneurial advantage.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:
 • How Jose transitioned from architecture to branding and design
 • The story of building Levie with his wife as co-founder and partner
 • Why family, faith, and vision are central to his life and business
 • The global projects Levie has led — from F1 Miami to Boeing
 • How he balances health, fun, and business as a founder and parent
 • Why developing a clear vision is his top advice for entrepreneurs

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)
0:32 – Meet Jose Nava: architect turned branding founder
1:52 – Starting Levie Branding with his wife
4:40 – From Miami roots to global clients (Boeing, F1 Miami, Brookfield)
6:11 – What family means to Jose
7:44 – Health practices: sprints, jump rope, calisthenics, fasting
13:30 – Fun: family time, walks in nature, travel, restaurants
16:53 – Defining a balanced life: 2 out of 3 rule (family, health, business)
18:42 – Pivotal moment: moving from Mexico to the U.S. + meeting his wife
21:30 – Advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: develop a clear vision and trust the process
23:12 – Where to find Jose (Levie Branding, socials)

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life

 • YouTube:   @AFoundersLife  
 • LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
 • Instagram: @afounderslife
  • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
 • Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Mac Frederick
 • Website: https://www.needmomentum.com/
 • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macfrederick/
 • Instagram: [@macfrederick]

What happens when Google fires you for building a side hustle? For Mac Frederick, it was the push that launched him into full-time entrepreneurship.

Mac is the founder of Momentum Digital, a Philadelphia-based digital agency he’s grown over the past 10 years. In this episode, he shares the highs and lows of agency life, why family is everything in business, and the role health and balance play in surviving as a founder.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:
•How getting fired from Google led to Momentum Digital
•The realities of building an agency from scratch
•Why health and fitness are crucial for mental clarity as an entrepreneur
•How balance shifts across different stages of the founder journey
•Why not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur (and how to know if you are)
•Mac’s advice: understanding yourself before building your business

👉 Subscribe now for more raw founder stories, lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)
0:38 – Meet Mac Frederick: from rural PA to Google to founder
1:21 – How getting fired pushed him to start Momentum Digital
3:17 – Family and choosing the right business partners
4:48 – Health, sports, and the role of fitness in mental clarity
6:13 – Fun: travel, sports, golf, and exploring the world
7:08 – Redefining balance as career evolves
8:46 – The harsh realities of entrepreneurship vs. 9–5 jobs
10:13 – Advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: understand yourself first
11:56 – Where to find Mac

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life

 • YouTube:   @AFoundersLife  
 • LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
 • Instagram: @afounderslife
  • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
 • Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Dusty Holcomb
• Website: https://arcqusgroup.com/
 • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustyholcomb/
 • Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZyQtk0CvmpZX7cVNeHQhz?si=c58c51c90bcb453a

What happens when a seasoned CEO leaves the corporate world to build something new? For Dusty Holcomb, it meant rediscovering leadership as service and learning to distill what matters most in business and life.

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Dusty shares how being homeschooled shaped his curiosity, why presence is the secret ingredient to great leadership and family life, and how he transitioned from scaling large organizations to founding his own firm, Arcus Group.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:
•Why leadership is really about empowering others
•How to shift from corporate intrapreneur to true entrepreneur
•The role of mentors, family, and small moments in shaping leaders
•Why health and daily practices (sleep, movement, meditation) matter most
•How to embrace balance as tension, not perfection
•Dusty’s advice to aspiring founders: distill and focus on the next step

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)
0:30 – Dusty introduces himself: “recovering leader”
1:10 – From homeschooling to psychology and leadership
3:22 – Becoming an entrepreneur after 28 years in corporate leadership
3:25 – Family life with wife Tara and 3 kids
4:28 – Small moments with kids and lessons from the gym
6:34 – Health practices: sleep, movement, routines, meditation
8:39 – Fun: outdoors, boating, hiking, history reading
10:12 – Presence and optimism as a way of life
13:04 – No-asshole rule in business and life
15:44 – Balance as tension and intentional focus
18:43 – Meditation as a circuit breaker
19:11 – Pivotal moment: overcoming doubt and proving resilience
21:11 – Advice to entrepreneurs: distill and focus relentlessly
22:25 – Where to find Dusty (Arcus Group, LinkedIn, podcast)

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life

•YouTube:   @AFoundersLife  
•LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
•Instagram: @afounderslife
 •Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
•Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Daniel Saks
•Website: https://www.landbase.com/
•LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielsaks/
•Company's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/landbase/

⸻

What do you do when your 100-year-old family business shuts down at the height of the Great Recession? For Daniel Saks, it was the spark to build a new generation of digital entrepreneurship.

Daniel is the co-founder of AppDirect, a global SaaS platform now approaching a $1B revenue run rate, and the founder of Landbase, an AI-driven go-to-market company recently backed by Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Ventures in a $30M Series A.

🔥 In this episode, you’ll learn:
•How Daniel went from Niagara Falls furniture store to Silicon Valley tech leader
•Lessons from scaling AppDirect to 1,200+ employees serving millions worldwide
•Why he started Landbase to tackle the biggest founder pain point: growth
•How family remains central while raising two young kids
•The balance frameworks that keep him healthy and grounded
•Why conviction in your vision is the ultimate founder advantage

👉 Subscribe now for more raw founder stories, lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)
0:34 – From family furniture store to founding AppDirect
1:44 – Scaling AppDirect to a billion-dollar run rate
2:00 – Founding Landbase: AI-driven go-to-market
2:56 – Family life and raising young kids
3:27 – Health: from burnout to balance frameworks
6:31 – Fun through travel, nature, and music
7:39 – Pivotal decision: taking the leap into entrepreneurship
9:36 – Advice: conviction in your vision above all else
10:46 – How to connect with Daniel

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life

• YouTube:   @AFoundersLife  
• LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
•  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – David Mink

• Website: [AvalancheMedia.com]
• LinkedIn: [David’s LinkedIn]

What do custom mattresses, thyroid cancer, and a 50-person marketing agency have in common? 💡

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, David Mink, CEO of Avalanche Media, shares his incredible journey from building one of the first custom mattress e-commerce businesses to scaling a thriving digital marketing agency — all while raising six kids and overcoming a serious health scare.

What you’ll learn in this conversation:

• How David went from hotline operator → mattress startup → agency founder
• Why family is the engine that drives his entrepreneurial journey
• Lessons from scaling Avalanche Media into a 50-person team
• How a cancer diagnosis reshaped his approach to health and discipline
• The four-part formula he uses to define true balance (physical, mental, social, spiritual)
• Why becoming a pattern recognizer is the ultimate entrepreneurial skill

👉 Subscribe now for more raw founder stories, lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)

0:35 – Meet David Mink, CEO of Avalanche Media

2:11 – From hotline operator to custom mattress startup

5:34 – Growing Avalanche Media into a 50-person agency

5:42 – Family as the engine and the “why”

9:00 – Health scare: thyroid cancer & transformation

13:24 – Leading by example for his kids

16:07 – Fun: skiing, boating, mountain biking, fly fishing

17:05 – Defining balance: physical, mental, social, spiritual

18:50 – Pivotal advice from a “successful uncle”

21:43 – David’s advice: become a great pattern recognizer

22:52 – Where to find David

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life

• YouTube: [Your Channel Link]
• LinkedIn: [Your LinkedIn Page]
• Instagram: [Your Instagram Handle]
• Newsletter: [Your Signup Link]

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Mike Jerman

• Website: https://numerafinance.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikejerman/

What makes someone leave a stable career at PwC to take the terrifying leap into entrepreneurship? 💡

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Mike Jerman shares his journey from Air Force captain to PwC director to founder of Hollywell Partners — and why family was the driving force behind it all.

What you’ll learn in this conversation:

• Why Mike left PwC to start his own firm
• How Hollywell Partners grew to 40+ people before acquisition
• The importance of family as the “core,” not just a priority
• Why health must be a non-negotiable for entrepreneurs
• Pivotal moments that shaped Mike’s perspective on life and work
• His advice for aspiring and current entrepreneurs on going all in

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and practical wisdom.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)

0:34 – Mike introduces himself: Air Force → PwC → Hollywell Partners

1:17 – Why leaving PwC was so terrifying

3:51 – Pivoting Hollywell to meet client needs

5:03 – Family as the well that refills you

6:21 – Health as a non-negotiable discipline

6:38 – Fun: soccer, Liverpool, books, and home life

8:08 – Balance: the “three circles” of family, friends, and work

11:09 – Pivotal moments: London train epiphany & selling his firm

13:37 – Advice for aspiring vs. current entrepreneurs

16:20 – Where to find Mike

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

Season 3 of A Founder’s Life was full of real moments—vulnerable stories, practical wisdom, and a reminder that entrepreneurship isn’t just about building a business… it’s about building a life.

In this special recap, I’ve pulled together some of my favorite reflections from our guests on:
• Curiosity and the courage to start
• Redefining what balance really means
• Letting go of control and trusting your team
• Owning your time—and your calendar
• Playing the long game and being ready to pivot

If you missed any episodes, now’s the time to catch up.

🎧 Season 3 Recap now live on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
#founderslife #entrepreneurship #leadership #worklifebalance #personalgrowth #seasonrecap

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
•YouTube:  ⁨@AFoundersLife⁩  
•LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
•Instagram: @afounderslife

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Fletcher Wilson
•Company's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/throne-labs/
•Website: https://thronelabs.co/
•LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fletcher-wilson-a216a16/
•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thronebathrooms/

How do you build a company around the problems no one else wants to touch? 🛠️

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Fletcher Wilson, co-founder and CEO of Throne Labs, shares his journey from building medical devices to reinventing public bathroom infrastructure — and why tackling “unsexy” problems can unlock massive impact.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:

• Why starting with need-finding creates lasting businesses
• Lessons from building both a medical device company and Throne Labs
• How Throne is solving the public bathroom crisis across U.S. cities
• The role of family and balance in a founder’s chaotic life
• Why young entrepreneurs should seek failure points, not just solutions
• How older founders can succeed by delegating and trusting their teams

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and practical wisdom.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)

0:33 – Fletcher introduces himself & Throne Labs

2:00 – From Stanford Biodesign to need-finding lessons

5:03 – Reinventing public bathroom infrastructure

6:17 – How Throne works: modular, clean, and city-ready

8:00 – Safety, security & user accountability model

11:47 – Family life with four young kids

12:20 – Health, exercise, and nightly runs

13:19 – Fun through competition: pickleball, bowling, poker

14:27 – Defining balance: efficiency + family-first

18:15 – Pivotal moment: becoming a father of three

20:06 – Advice for young vs. older entrepreneurs

23:12 – How to connect with Fletcher & Throne

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

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Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

Too many founders burn out because they never build the systems their business needs. 🔑

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Adi Klevit, founder of Business Success Consulting Group, shares how to turn chaos into clarity by documenting, optimizing, and implementing processes that actually work.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:

• Why most entrepreneurs resist systemization — and why that’s dangerous
• How processes create freedom, not restriction
• The difference between documentation and implementation
• How Adi defines balance (it’s not what you think)
• Her pivotal leap from corporate success to entrepreneurship

Learn more about Business Consulting Group:

 Business Success Consulting Group

Connect with Adi:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adiklevit/

👉 Subscribe now for more raw stories and practical tools for founders.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)

0:32 – Adi Klevit introduces herself

1:02 – From industrial engineering to entrepreneurship

2:01 – Business Success Consulting Group: done-for-you process documentation

2:10 – Family, connection, and balance

2:39 – Health, fitness, and sleep discipline

3:50 – Fun & outdoors in Oregon

4:53 – Redefining balance as accomplishment + intention

7:21 – Pivotal moment: taking the leap to start her business

9:15 – Advice for entrepreneurs: follow your purpose and believe in it

9:57 – Where to find Adi online

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1