In this episode, we break down how smart vending machines and phone charging stations are creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs.

We dive into:
• How to start a vending machine business• How passive income works with vending• The rise of charging station rentals• Real insights from building VendBoss• What you need to get started

This is one of the fastest-growing automated business models right now and most people are still sleeping on it.

👇 Learn more or get started:
https://vbosscharging.com/ola/services/free-30-min-new-team-member-consultation

👇 Learn more Purchase at:

https://vendbossllc.com/

Responsiveness is respect.

The busiest, most successful people in business don’t disappear — they communicate. They close loops. They don’t leave people guessing, spiraling, or chasing clarity.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why silence kills momentum in business

• How slow or nonexistent responses damage trust, deals, and culture

• What real operators do differently when it comes to communication

• Clear do’s and don’ts for email, text, Slack, CRM, and client communication

• Why any response is better than no response

• How your response time sets the standard for your entire organization

This applies to every form of communication — email, text, internal messages, client follow-ups, and leadership decisions.

If you’re building a company, leading a team, closing deals, or trying to operate at a higher level, this episode will challenge how you communicate — and why it matters more than you think.

Real leaders don’t go dark.
Real operators close the loop.
And when there’s respect, you’ll never have to chase clarity.

🎙️ Subscribe to The Alpha Edge CEO Podcast for real strategy, real execution, and real-world leadership lessons.

Bradd Fisher: The Tough Road to Business — Grit, Failure & Building What Lasts

Entrepreneurship isn’t built overnight — it’s forged through pressure, setbacks, and hard decisions.

In this episode of the Alpha Edge CEO Lounge, we sit down with Bradd Fisher, founder of Profound Technologies and formerly of RSD and ICD Systems, to unpack the real journey behind building a successful business. Bradd shares the challenges most founders don’t talk about — early failures, uncomfortable leadership moments, and the resilience required to keep moving forward when the road gets tough.

This conversation dives deep into what it truly takes to survive and scale in business: grit over talent, lessons learned the hard way, and why the toughest seasons often produce the strongest operators.

If you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, or someone considering taking the leap, this episode delivers raw insight, real perspective, and hard-earned wisdom from someone who’s lived it.

No hype. No shortcuts. Just the truth about the road to business.

In this episode of the Alpha Edge CEO Lounge, Loren breaks down four game-changing pillars of entrepreneurship: knowing when to take your side hustle full-time, learning when to work for free vs. when to charge your worth, shifting from selling to serving, and the biggest lessons learned from scaling multiple businesses.

You’ll hear the real triggers that pushed Loren to go all in, the mindset behind saying “yes” to opportunities before you understand them, and how owning companies across alarms, fitness, vending, consulting, and media shaped his approach to leadership and growth.

This episode is raw, practical, and built for anyone who’s ready to take the next step in their business journey.

Real leaders. Real strategy. Real talk.
Welcome to the Alpha Edge CEO Lounge.

In this episode, Loren sits down with Larry Waters, founder of Electrify My Home, to break down how he built a thriving business in the fast-growing home electrification industry. Larry shares his journey, the challenges of scaling a technical trade, how to educate customers in a new market, and what it really takes to lead a company through rapid growth. Packed with strategy and real talk for entrepreneurs looking to build, innovate, or dominate their niche.

Starting a business isn’t about logos, websites, or waiting for the perfect timing. It’s about getting clear on what you want to build, pushing through fear, and taking real action before you feel ready. In Episode 2 of The Alpha Edge CEO Lounge, Loren Dougherty sits down with himself in a powerful, honest dialogue about what truly happens before you launch a business.

This is a raw look behind the curtain — not a motivational quote, but the real process and mindset shifts every entrepreneur faces. Loren breaks down the first real steps of entrepreneurship and the fears most people never talk about, using his own journey building Alpha Alarm & Audio, Elite Fitness Dixon, VendBoss, and How2Consulting as the foundation.

In this episode, Loren discusses:

• The #1 first step every entrepreneur must take: getting brutally clear on the problem you solve
• How to validate an idea quickly — with real customers, not friends
• Why starting messy is better than planning yourself into paralysis
• The three biggest fears people face when starting a business
• How those fears showed up in Loren’s life and shaped his journey
• Why fear never fully disappears — you just get better at moving through it
• How to build confidence through action, not waiting

Loren opens up about the early stages of his entrepreneurial path — the fear of failing publicly, looking stupid, losing money, or not knowing enough. He shares how these fears impacted him when building multiple companies from scratch, and how each business forced him to grow into the next version of himself.

You’ll hear how he pushed forward even when people were watching, when the pressure was high, and when there was no guarantee of success. This episode is full of straight talk for anyone who's thinking about starting a business or stuck overthinking the details.

You’ll learn:
– The difference between “wantrepreneurs” and real founders
– Why clarity comes from doing, not thinking
– How to move through fear without letting it stop your momentum
– The mindset shift that can change your entire future
– How to take the first step today, even if you feel unprepared
– Why perfection is the enemy of progress

If you’re looking for a real roadmap to the beginning of entrepreneurship — not the sugarcoated version — this episode will give you the truth. The fears are real. The doubts are real. But so is the opportunity on the other side of taking action.

If you’re watching on YouTube or any platform, make sure to subscribe and smash that like button so you never miss an episode. Big interviews with top CEOs and founders are coming soon, and you don’t want to miss the strategies they’ll share.

This is your reminder:
There is no perfect moment to start.
There is no perfect plan.
There is only fear, clarity, and your first step.

Press play — and get moving.

Welcome to the very first episode of the Alpha Edge CEO Lounge — the show built for doers, builders, and entrepreneurs who are ready to level up. In this kickoff episode, host Loren Dougherty lays out exactly what this podcast will be, how each episode will flow, and what you can expect as a listener who’s hungry for real leadership and real strategy.

Loren also takes you behind the curtain of his own story — from growing up with a relentless work ethic, to building multiple companies across security, fitness, vending, consulting, and beyond. He shares the struggles, turning points, and mindset shifts that shaped who he is today, and why he believes anyone can create a life and business they’re proud of if they’re willing to take action.

This episode sets the foundation for everything to come. You’ll hear:

🔥 What the Alpha Edge CEO Lounge is really about
🔥 Why entrepreneurship isn’t for watchers — only for doers
🔥 What future episodes will cover and how each guest will bring real, tactical value
🔥 Loren’s journey from employee to multi-business owner
🔥 The mistakes, failures, and breakthroughs that shaped his entire path
🔥 How this podcast will become your weekly launchpad to growth, discipline, and leadership

Whether you're just starting a business or scaling something big, this first episode will motivate you, center you, and set the tone for a powerful journey ahead.

Welcome to the circle.
Welcome to Alpha Edge.