Audacity of Entrepreneurs

What does it take to launch a business in an industry where you have no experience, no contacts, and no credibility, right as that industry is falling apart?

In this episode of Audacity of Entrepreneurs, Nick Uresin sits down with Tom Truitt, founder of Music Row Search, to explore how a management consulting headhunter became the go-to executive recruiter for the music industry.

Tom spent the first 13 years of his career recruiting for the world's largest consulting firms during the first internet boom, eventually managing about 75 people. But after the tech bubble burst and 9/11, he realized he wasn't having fun anymore. He sold his interest, waited out a non-compete, and spent five years selling Cranium, then the hottest board game on earth.

In 2007, he came home from a long trip and told his wife he was getting into the music business. While meeting senior executives on Music Row in Nashville, he kept asking one question: who are the go-to headhunters in this industry? The answer was always the same. Nobody.

So he became one. Tom launched Music Row Search in the spring of 2007, just as digital disruption was tearing through the record business and a year before the financial crisis. His first search came through a single phone call and landed him Beyoncé's management company as a client.

Now, nearly 20 years later, Tom shares how he survived the 2008 recession, launched a video job-pitch startup, joined a company that was acquired by AOL, relaunched his search firm, and built a platform that keeps bringing him business.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Why Tom walked away from a successful headhunting career at 40

How asking one simple question revealed a gap in the music industry

How he landed Beyoncé's management company as his first client

Why every early search he landed had "digital" in the title

The challenge of building a business that serves two audiences

Why the client comes first in executive search

Why Tom proudly calls himself a headhunter

How the 2008 recession nearly sank his business

How a Christmas video shoot in August inspired a new startup

How Your Elevator Pitch helped job seekers stand out with video

How a venture capital rejection led to a role at Studio Now and an AOL acquisition

Why he kept Music Row Search alive on the back burner

How the Zulu Principle explains the power of a narrow niche

How live events and a 300-episode webinar series became his marketing engine

How a Variety feature led to joining Turnkey's sports search practice

Why selling books door to door gave him thick skin and a short memory

If you're an entrepreneur, executive recruiter, career changer, or founder thinking about entering an industry from the outside, this conversation is packed with practical lessons about spotting gaps, building relationships, surviving downturns, and owning a niche.

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#Entrepreneurship #ExecutiveSearch #MusicIndustry #Headhunter #Recruiting #MusicBusiness #NicheBusiness #Entrepreneur #BusinessGrowth #AudacityOfEntrepreneurs

What happens when you want out of a business you built with a partner, and nobody planned for that moment?

In this episode of Audacity of Entrepreneurs, Nick Uresin sits down with Tara Coomans, CEO and founder of Avaans Media PR, to explore what she learned from selling her shares to business partners twice, and the forward-looking metric most companies ignore.

Tara started her first business in event marketing at 24 and sold it to her partner four years later. She then took a job at a trade magazine, and within a short time she and two colleagues bought the magazine and a trade show. They added more publications and events before she exited again, this time through a buyout that took years and required a lawyer for her to get paid.

Those two exits taught her the lesson she now puts first: plan for someone to leave before you ever open the doors. That means talking through valuation, buyout terms, and shareholder rights while everyone still agrees.

Today, Tara runs a PR agency that helps growth-stage companies in regulated industries secure earned media. She shares why share of voice compared to market share is one of the few metrics that tells you where your business is heading, not just where it has been.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Why you should plan your exit when you write your business plan

How selling to a partner differs from selling to a third party or private equity firm

Why emotions and sweat equity complicate partner buyouts

How a shareholders agreement can spell out buyout rights and valuation in advance

How to record sweat equity so it can be converted later

Why going into business with friends, family, or a spouse is a risky move

What happens when a partner's spouse suddenly gains influence in the business

How Tara knew it was time to leave each of her businesses

What share of voice is and how to measure it

Why share of voice greater than market share signals growth, and less signals decline

How share of voice strengthens your position in acquisition, IPO, and investment conversations

Why impressions and media hit counts matter less than how people perceive your company

How podcasts, earned media, contributed articles, and your own content build share of voice

Why "all news is good news" is a risky belief, especially in the age of AI

How smaller businesses can track share of voice without expensive platforms

How growing up with an entrepreneurial father shaped Tara's path

If you're an entrepreneur, business owner, co-founder, or growth-stage leader, this conversation is packed with practical lessons about partnerships, exit planning, company valuation, and building the visibility that drives future growth.

Subscribe to Audacity of Entrepreneurs for more unfiltered conversations with founders, executives, and business leaders about the decisions, challenges, and strategies behind building remarkable companies.

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#Entrepreneurship #BusinessPartnership #ExitStrategy #ShareOfVoice #PublicRelations #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneur #EarnedMedia #BusinessValuation #AudacityOfEntrepreneurs

How do you turn corporate messaging into authentic human connection, build trust with high-stakes audiences, and elevate your brand through cinematic storytelling?

Together, they explore how business leaders can bridge the gap between entertainment-quality media and commercial marketing to build long-term authority and customer loyalty.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Why standard corporate video fails and how documentary principles fill the gap

How to bridge the divide between commercial marketing and independent filmmaking

The power of series-based content for sustained audience engagement and touchpoints

Why high-stakes industries (like healthcare) require longer-form, information-rich storytelling

How high-end broadcast production values instantly elevate brand authority

The mechanics of motion content strategy, production, and activation

How executing 48-hour sight-unseen shoots builds high-impact content on tight schedules

Why human intelligence and authentic connection will outlast automated creative AI

How documenting real human experiences leaves a lasting business and visual legacy

Whether you're launching your first startup or leading an established company, this conversation is packed with practical strategies you can implement immediately.

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, Like, Subscribe, and turn on notifications for more conversations with founders, executives, and entrepreneurs building remarkable businesses.

#Entrepreneurship #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #ScalingBusiness #EOS #BusinessSystems #KPIs #Amazon #Startup #CompanyCulture

How do you turn your expertise into authority, authority into trust, and your personal story into a lasting business legacy?

Greg Mischio is a writer, entrepreneur, and digital marketing strategist with a strong focus on content and thought leadership. Through Winbound, he helps businesses use expertise, research, storytelling, and strategic distribution to establish authority. He also brings a deep passion for writing, including books and memoirs that preserve people's experiences and ideas.

Greg explains that true authority ultimately comes down to trust. He shares how personal experience, original research, and credible third-party experts can strengthen thought leadership. He also discusses why business leaders should be visible in their company's content and how podcasts can create powerful relationships beyond traditional marketing.

Greg explains how conversations, podcasts, books, and personal stories can deepen relationships and preserve valuable experiences. For him, legacy is ultimately measured by the impact you make, not simply by the success you achieve.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Why authority is ultimately built on trust

How personal experience and storytelling strengthen credibility

The role of research and third-party expertise in thought leadership

Why executives should be visible in their company's content

How to balance content creation with effective distribution

Why podcasts can become powerful relationship-building tools

How content can create business-development opportunities

Why your personal story may be more valuable than you realize

How documenting your experiences can contribute to your legacy

Why lasting impact matters beyond financial success

If you're an entrepreneur, agency owner, business leader, or aspiring founder, this conversation is packed with practical lessons about making the leap, finding your competitive advantage, acquiring customers, and building a business that lasts.

Subscribe to Audacity of Entrepreneurs for more unfiltered conversations with founders, executives, and business leaders about the decisions, challenges, and strategies behind building remarkable companies.

About Audacity of Entrepreneurs

Hosted by Nick Uresin, Audacity of Entrepreneurs features conversations with founders, CEOs, and business leaders sharing practical insights on entrepreneurship, leadership, sales, and business growth.

#Entrepreneurship #Marketing #BusinessGrowth #AgencyOwner #Entrepreneur #DigitalMarketing #PersonalBrand #PodcastMarketing #AI #AudacityOfEntrepreneurs

What if your customers could become one of the strongest forces helping you grow your business?

In this insightful episode of Audacity of Entrepreneurs, Nick Uresin sits down with Stephen Dean, COO & Co-founder of Keona Health, for a practical conversation about customer relationships, healthcare call centers, referrals, product development, resilience, and turning customers into advocates.

Stephen shares how Keona Health works with healthcare call centers using a healthcare CRM designed to improve patient service, simplify complex workflows, and help organizations operate more effectively. He explains why healthcare call centers can be incredibly difficult to manage, with some workflows involving millions of possible paths and agents often needing months of training before they can work independently.

But the conversation goes much deeper.

Stephen explains how Keona Health builds close customer relationships through regular operational meetings, executive reviews, data analysis, focus groups, and customer communities. By listening carefully, measuring what customers may take for granted, and helping them solve real problems, the company creates relationships based on mutual investment.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Why strong customer relationships can become a powerful growth engine

How regular operational meetings help uncover customer pain points

Why executive conversations should focus on business results and strategic goals

How Keona Health measures complex healthcare call center workflows

Why comparing performance over time can reveal meaningful improvements

How customer data can become useful marketing content

Why warm referrals can be more effective than cold outreach

How case studies can turn satisfied customers into advocates

Why listening to customers can lead to valuable product ideas

How customer feedback helped shape Keona Health's healthcare CRM

Why measuring a problem matters before trying to solve it

How collaboration can make customers feel invested in a product

Why mutual investment is at the center of strong customer relationships

How Stephen's early life on a farm helped shape his resilience

Why entrepreneurs need to keep investing in others during difficult times

Stephen also opens up about growing up on a farm, moving frequently after his father began working for a military contractor, living in 14 states, working inside early-stage startups, and eventually discovering that entrepreneurship gave him something traditional employment could not.

He also shares how Keona Health's first product evolved after a customer encouraged the company to expand beyond its original focus. That customer feedback helped shape the broader healthcare CRM Keona Health provides today.

His message is simple but powerful: measure what your customers take for granted, help them improve it, and they can become some of your strongest advocates.

If you're an entrepreneur, SaaS founder, executive, or business leader looking to improve customer retention, generate referrals, develop better products, or build deeper customer relationships, this conversation offers practical lessons you can apply.

🎙️ Listen to the full episode and discover how stronger customer relationships can help you improve your product, create advocates, and grow your business.

#Entrepreneurship #CustomerSuccess #SaaS #HealthcareTechnology #CustomerExperience #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #ProductDevelopment #CustomerRetention #AudacityOfEntrepreneurs

What if one of the best ways to build stronger teams is simply to play more?

In this episode of Audacity of Entrepreneurs, we sit down with Meredith Martini, CEO of PlayWorks Group LLC, to explore how play can help build trust, psychological safety, stronger relationships, and more engaged teams. Learn why play is more than just having fun, how leaders can bring playful thinking into everyday work, and why team building works best when it becomes part of company culture.

You'll also hear practical ideas for icebreakers, playful communication, remote team activities, and handling workplace tension in healthier ways. Meredith shares why leaders should start small, respect employee boundaries, make play part of the regular work rhythm, and create environments where people feel comfortable connecting, contributing, and speaking up.

Why play can help build trust and psychological safety at work

How leaders can introduce play without making employees uncomfortable

Simple icebreakers that help teams connect and communicate

How curiosity, humor, and storytelling can create a more playful culture

Why employees should have the choice to participate at their comfort level

How remote and global teams can use play to build stronger connections

Why team building should happen during work hours whenever possible

How regular play can strengthen trust, engagement, and team relationships

Why play can support learning, creativity, innovation, and performance

The business cost of low engagement, poor retention, and employee turnover

Meredith also shares how her childhood, family experiences, work with young people, and study of counseling helped shape her understanding of the power of play and eventually influenced the work she does today.

Whether you lead an in-person, hybrid, or fully remote team, this conversation offers practical ways to make play part of your workplace culture while building stronger relationships and more connected teams.

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, Like, Subscribe, and turn on notifications for more conversations with founders, executives, and entrepreneurs building remarkable businesses.

#Entrepreneurship #Leadership #TeamBuilding #CompanyCulture #EmployeeEngagement #WorkplaceCulture #PsychologicalSafety #RemoteTeams #PlayAtWork #BusinessGrowth

What if getting unstuck in business starts with understanding what you can control, measuring what truly matters, and building a clear plan for the future?

In this insightful episode of Audacity of Entrepreneurs, Nick Uresin sits down with Melanie Asher, MBA, CEPA, Adjunct Professor at Saint Martin’s University, Co-Founder & CEO at Validera, and Founder & Fractional Executive at Omicle, for a practical conversation about business growth, valuation, changing markets, customer acquisition, and long-term planning.

Melanie shares how businesses can respond when revenue is inconsistent, growth has stalled, or market conditions are changing. Instead of focusing on outside forces that cannot be controlled, she explains why founders should examine their strategy, systems, policies, technology, metrics, and other areas they can directly improve.

At the center of the conversation is Melanie's Unstuck Audit, a methodology that examines nine key areas of a business, including vision and strategy alignment, brand positioning, go-to-market and revenue maturity, founder dependency and leadership, operational maturity, financial performance, risk, compliance and IP, growth and expansion readiness, and transition, exit and personal readiness.

The goal is not to predict exactly what will happen five years from now. It is to build a stronger and more valuable business that is prepared to adapt when conditions change.

In this episode, you'll discover:

How the Unstuck Audit helps businesses identify where they are stuck

Why founders should focus first on what they can control

How to turn a long-term business vision into an actionable plan

Why a 5-year plan should prepare a company for change, not try to predict the future

The nine business areas examined through the Unstuck Audit

How business readiness and market attractiveness affect business value

Why founder dependency can become a major barrier to scaling

How leadership alignment can influence business growth

Why likes, comments, and shares may not be the metrics that matter most

How the right metrics can connect business activity to meaningful goals

Why licensing or franchising can sometimes create new paths for growth

How AI is changing marketing, testing, advertising, and customer acquisition

Why personal referrals continue to create strong trust in B2B sales

Why podcasting can require patience before producing meaningful business results

Melanie also shares her own path into entrepreneurship. She explains how curiosity shaped her journey, from asking questions in school and college to discovering entrepreneurship through hands-on projects. That same curiosity continues to influence how she approaches business problems today.

The conversation also explores how companies such as Amazon and Netflix adapted their strategies as markets and technology changed, and why businesses need the ability to adjust instead of simply chasing what happened last week.

Her message is clear: you cannot predict every change, but you can build a business that is better prepared for what comes next.

If you're an entrepreneur, founder, or business leader dealing with inconsistent revenue, stalled growth, changing market conditions, or long-term planning, this conversation offers a practical way to understand where your business stands and what to improve next.

🎙️ Listen to the full episode to discover how the Unstuck Audit can help you create a 5-year plan, strengthen your business, increase its value, and prepare for growth.

#Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #BusinessStrategy #Leadership #UnstuckAudit #BusinessValuation #StrategicPlanning #B2BMarketing #FounderLeadership #AudacityOfEntrepreneurs

Jennifer shares the hard lessons behind building a successful business, from taking a 50% pay cut and leaving a $10.5 million company to creating a business on her own terms. She discusses entrepreneurship, leadership, resilience, rejection, execution, client value, and why she refuses to rely on long-term contracts. Jennifer also explains why fundamentals always matter, why she embraces doing things differently, and why she sees herself simply as a business owner—not a “woman business owner.” This conversation is about choosing the harder path, pushing yourself, creating value, and making the most of the opportunities in front of you.

#WomenInBusiness #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #CareerGrowth #BusinessLeadership #WomenLeaders #ProfessionalGrowth #SuccessMindset #Entrepreneur #Resilience

Remote work offers flexibility, but it can also create one of the biggest challenges for distributed teams: isolation.

Jacqueline Wales discusses the realities of remote work and why staying connected matters even when employees are comfortable working from home. The conversation explores remote teams, workplace connection, hybrid work, employee engagement, and the importance of maintaining strong relationships across geographically distributed organizations.

Discover why the future of work isn't just about where people work—it’s also about how connected they feel to their teams.

Topics covered: remote work, workplace isolation, hybrid work, remote teams, employee engagement, workplace culture, distributed teams, and the future of work.

#RemoteWork #HybridWork #RemoteTeams #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeEngagement #FutureOfWork #DistributedTeams #Leadership #WorkplaceConnection #AudacityOfEntrepreneurs

What does it take to become #1 in your sector and build a company buyers actually want to acquire?

Nick sits down with Mark Addison, CEO and founder of Rocket Science, to explore category creation, bold positioning, thought leadership, business growth, valuation, and successful exits. Mark shares lessons from launching 31 brands and being involved in 16 successful exits, including how to uncover the “non-obvious” value inside a business, turn it into a credible audacious claim, and use strategic positioning to become a market leader. He also reveals lessons from a medical software company with 22 million records, an ad blocker that reached 1.3 billion downloads, and a wine business that grew from zero to $20 million in ARR.

#AudacityOfEntrepreneurs #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #MarketingStrategy #CategoryCreation #BusinessValuation #ThoughtLeadership #StartupGrowth #MergersAndAcquisitions #Leadership