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builders from business.com
builders from business.com episodes
- Scaling Beauty Brands with Vanessa Yakobson, CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar & LashkindVanessa Jakobson, CEO and partner at Blo Blow Dry Bar and Lashkind, shares how she helped scale one of North America’s most recognizable beauty service brands. With over 120 locations across the U.S. and Canada, Vanessa opens up about the decision to franchise, lessons from the pandemic, and why customer lifetime value is the name of the game. She also shares her thoughts on economic uncertainty, changing real estate trends, and how the brand stays current through training, memberships, and community engagement. If you're interested in how service brands scale, adapt, and grow, this episode is for you.
🔗 Resources & Links:
Learn more about Blo Dry Bar: https://blomedry.com/
Learn more about LashKind: https://www.wearelashkind.com/
🎧 Listen and subscribe to the Builders Podcast: https://plinkhq.com/i/1608075598?to=page
📢 Watch the builders Podcast on YouTube: / businessdotcomvideo27 min - Starting and Scaling a Successful Agency in Your Mid 20’s! With Wondersauce CEO John SampognaEpisode 90: Most 20-somethings are busy doing soul-searching to find a career path. But by his mid-20’s, John Sampogna was already starting and scaling a successful agency. Within just a few years of co-founding Wondersauce, he grew it from zero clients to over 100 employees without outside funding. In this episode of the builders podcast, John shares how he made the leap from employee to founder, what it took to survive early challenges, and how he’s kept Wondersauce thriving through constant change. We’re going inside the mind of an agency founder: How to build, grow, and survive.
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg26 min - Investing in Early-Stage MedTech and Tech with Excelestar Founder Tasneem DohadwalaEpisode 89: Seasoned investor Tasneem Dohadwala, founder of Excelestar Ventures, shares the ins and outs of early-stage investing in medtech and deep tech. Get a window into Excelestar's investment thesis, how they evaluate product-market fit, and read into the current funding climate in economic uncertainty. Tasneem also discusses her firm's commitment to diversity in leadership, support for women- and minority-led startups, and her perspective on the Boston startup ecosystem. John Busby makes sure to get builders listeners career insights from her journey from Lehman Brothers to venture capital, while also relaying the realities of startup leadership, and advice for how to support portfolio founders.35 min
- Discovering & Re-Engineering Your Brand with Barry LabovEpisode 88: Many brands and companies struggle with differentiation. Brand marketing expert Barry LaBov joins John to show us what true brand differentiation looks like. Barry LaBov is a two-time Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the founder of LaBov Marketing Communications and Training, a firm that’s helped brands like Audi, BMW, The Macallan, and dozens more figure out what makes them truly different — and how to turn that into serious business momentum. Learn how to re-engineer (not just re-brand) your brand from the best on today’s episode of builders.
Barry’s Podcast, Difference Talks: https://www.differencetalks.com/
Watch more builders episodes here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKgSign up for the free b. newsletter:
https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/31 min - Why Do Some Small Businesses Scale When Others Don’t – With Leslie Hassler of Your Biz RulesEpisode 87: What does it take to escape the dreaded business plateau and get to a new level? In this episode of builders, host John Busby sits down with Leslie Hassler, founder of Your Biz Rules, to talk about the gritty, complex reality of growth. She shares what she’s learned from leading a fractional C-Suite firm and helping clients succeed. These are the practical insights you’ll need to scale, and not fail. Get Your Biz Rules resources made for builders listeners: https://yourbizrules.com/builders
Watch more builders episodes here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKgSign up for the free b. newsletter:
https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/26 min - Redefining How Marketing Works with We Are Rosie CEO Jeff LevickEpisode 86: Is Jeff Levick the most disruptive man in marketing? He’s the former Spotify Chief Revenue Officer, AOL President of Global Advertising, and Google executive—known for steering some of the biggest names in tech through hypergrowth and innovation. In this episode of the builders Podcast, host John Busby talks with Jeff about a whole new way to hire marketing talent, and why Gen Z’s approach to work might be the best thing to happen to leadership in decades. Learn why his company, We Are Rosie, may be the disruptor that the marketing world needs.
More about We Are Rosie:
https://wearerosie.com/
Watch more builders episodes here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg
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https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/25 min - Transforming the Roofing Industry with Eddie and Andrew PrchalEpisode 85: The home services industry has long lagged behind in digital transformation—until now. In this episode of the builders Podcast, host John Busby sits down with Eddie and Andrew Prchal, co-founders of Gunner Roofing, to discuss how they became the first company to sell a roof online and how they’re reshaping customer experience in home services.
Check out Gunner Roofing: https://www.gunnerroofing.com
Watch builders here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg
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https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/23 min - Gregg Majewski CEO of Craveworthy BrandsEpisode 84: In this episode, John Busby meets with Gregg Majewski, former CEO of Jimmy John’s, who shares his proven strategies for restaurant growth, franchising, and operational excellence. When Gregg joined Jimmy John’s, the brand had just 30 locations—under his leadership, it expanded to over 300, revolutionizing fast-casual dining with its freaky fast delivery model and an unshakable commitment to quality, cleanliness, and efficiency. Now, as CEO of Craveworthy Brands, he’s building the next wave of successful restaurant concepts, with a portfolio spanning everything from craft burgers to gourmet cinnamon rolls. Listen in.
Watch builders here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg
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https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/
Subscribe to Gregg’s podcast, “Room for Seconds” here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/room-for-seconds/id173750633822 min - The Business of Television in 2025 with Ken BasinEpisode 83: Meet Ken Basin, entertainment lawyer and author of The Business of Television. Today, he breaks down the economics of Hollywood, the rise and fall of cable, and what’s next for streaming. Learn how networks decide which shows survive, why actors are making millions per episode, and how AI is already changing the industry. Plus, Ken shares insights on where Hollywood is going.
Watch builders here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg
Sign up for the free b. newsletter:
https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/
Get Ken Basin’s book The Business of Television: https://amzn.to/4k2JFb044 min - The Common Mistakes that Hold Startups Back with Mona SabetEpisode 82: If you want to avoid the common pitfalls that hold startups back and learn from someone who’s seen it all—from Series A struggles to IPO successes—this episode is for you. Mona Sabet is a startup advisor, tech executive, and corporate development leader with a track record of scaling companies, securing acquisitions, and driving high-growth strategies. Learn from her experience leading multi-million dollar deals, and as founder of HiPower, a network for executive women. Learn how to recognize true product-market fit, pivot effectively, and scale without losing momentum. Mona shares insider strategies on preparing for acquisitions, making the right hires, and ensuring your startup’s culture evolves as you grow. Plus, discover how HiPower is helping women accelerate their careers.
Watch builders here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg
Sign up for the free b. newsletter: https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/
See her book, Sail to Scale: https://amzn.to/40VHrSd
More about Hipower: https://hipower.org/32 min
About builders from business.com
From the publisher's feed
Welcome to builders — where John Busby interviews business leaders, changemakers and investors on scaling your business, navigating your career and building great brands. Guests include…
the co-inventor of Siri, the first business leader of Xbox, and first-time startup CEOs. At builders you'll get insights from others to apply to your own business or career. Subscribe today — for whatever business you're building. This is builders from business.com.