Building While Flying

What is modern fatherhood? How do you build an authentic brand, and remain true to it over time? How do you pitch a show to Food Network? Is being in reality TV worth it? All these and more are answered in this week's episode of Building While Flying—so buckle up, it's gonna be a ride!

Welcome to Building While Flying!

This weekly podcast is brought to you by the Sasha Group. We're the small-to-medium-sized business arm of the VaynerX family of companies. We help ambitious companies build strong brands that flex with the times through strategy, branding, media, and marketing.

In ever-changing times, businesses and brands have to shift and adapt. And across all sectors, there is an air of experimentation. Business owners are trying new things out in the wild; building the plane while flying.

Our pilots, Katie Hankinson and Mickey Cloud, will be talking to a diverse range of business leaders and founders. They'll explore how these guests tackle various challenges while staying resilient and committed to growth. Through these real-life examples of strategies put into practice, we hope to inspire you to experiment and develop your own strategies as we all navigate these uncertain times together.

Ryan Fey and his best friend Mark Anderson are redefining what it means to be modern dads.

After growing up in rural Ohio, Ryan Fey moved to New York City after college to start his career in PR and advertising. When burnout hit, Fey and his friend and work partner Mark Anderson turned to their creative side hustle, a pilot for a series about defining California barbecue. A whirlwind crowdfunding campaign and off-the-cuff email to a Food Network producer later, they met with Guy Fieri and landed a spot on Guy's Big Project to bring their show Grill Dads to life. Several years later, the Grill Dads brand is stronger than ever—and there's more where that came from!

In this week's episode, Mickey and Ryan dig into each step of Ryan's career, and how it led him to the next. From PR agencies in New York to Thanksgiving in the back yard with 60 friends in California, each step brought him closer to his goal of building a lifestyle he knew he would be happy living. Ryan breaks down each intentional phase of building Grill Dads into a platform to bring levity to others through food: from their Food Network days to exciting new developments coming later this year. Most importantly, though, Ryan says their mission of reinventing what it means to be a modern dad is what drives them and keeps their brand strong. Staying true to your brand (and yourself) isn't always easy, but when you're strong in your mission and vision, the results speak for themselves.

Other in-flight topics:

• Starting a career in New York City
• Pitching a show idea to Food Network
• Authenticity and staying true to your brand
• Importance of intellectual property (IP)
• Reinventing the modern dad
• Doing business with your best friend

Links:

• Website: https://www.thegrilldads.com/
• Instagram @thegrilldads
• Food Network: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/the-grill-dads

The beauty industry is often seen as shallow, and it's not often taken very seriously. One entrepreneur is out to change that stigma and make a difference. Real-estate investor turned beauty entrepreneur Arah Sims brings her passion for purpose to the industry, while empowering people everywhere to explore a new form of self-expression.

Welcome to Building While Flying!

This weekly podcast is brought to you by the Sasha Group. We're the small-to-medium-sized business arm of the VaynerX family of companies. We help ambitious companies build strong brands that flex with the times through strategy, branding, media, and marketing.

In ever-changing times, businesses and brands have to shift and adapt. And across all sectors, there is an air of experimentation. Business owners are trying new things out in the wild; building the plane while flying.

Our pilots, Katie Hankinson and Mickey Cloud, will be talking to a diverse range of business leaders and founders. They'll explore how these guests tackle various challenges while staying resilient and committed to growth. Through these real-life examples of strategies put into practice, we hope to inspire you to experiment and develop your own strategies as we all navigate these uncertain times together.

Arah Sims is turning something she grew up with—nail art—into a vehicle for self-expression and activism.

Arah began her entrepreneurial journey in real estate and property management after college. Then when COVID-19 hit in 2020, she, like the rest of the world, had to pivot. After realizing how much she and others missed their self-care routines, Kyutee Beauty was born. Kyutee is a trail-blazing beauty brand that inspires and empowers people to expand the canvas of self-expression to their nails.

In her conversation with Katie, Arah shares each step of her journey thus far. She talks about the initial support from Michelle Obama's When We All Vote organization and early influencer partnerships, and how those opportunities set Kyutee up for later success. Kyutee Beauty is also part of Cantu Elevate, a program created in partnership with The Sasha Group to help Black female beauty entrepreneurs navigate today's marketing landscape and grow beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Arah stresses the importance of "passion with a purpose" and emphasizes her desire to do her part to share her message with people across the country. Arah also discusses the importance of mentorship, especially for Black female entrepreneurs, and how having support systems and sounding boards make a difference in her business and life.

Other in-flight topics:

• Real estate investment
• Identifying opportunities during hard times
• Working with influencers and partners that align with your goals
• Developing a strong foundation for young brands
• The entrepreneurship skill set
• Importance of mentorship as entrepreneurs
• Role as a mentor for fellow Black female entrepreneurs
• Entrepreneurship out of necessity
• Cantu Elevate, a program created in partnership with The Sasha Group to help Black female beauty entrepreneurs navigate today's marketing landscape

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/kyuteenails/?hl=en https://kyutee.com/ TikTok - @kyuteenails

In-flight Question: What do you want the next collab for Kyutee to be?

What does it mean to be a "conscious entrepreneur" and lead a purpose-driven business and brand? This week's episode of Building While Flying answers that question (and more!) and addresses the need for more companies to start doing the same.

Welcome to Building While Flying!

This weekly podcast is brought to you by the Sasha Group. We're the small-to-medium-sized business arm of the VaynerX family of companies. We help ambitious companies build strong brands that flex with the times through strategy, branding, media, and marketing.

In ever-changing times, businesses and brands have to shift and adapt. And across all sectors, there is an air of experimentation. Business owners are trying new things out in the wild; building the plane while flying.

Our pilots, Katie Hankinson and Mickey Cloud, will be talking to a diverse range of business leaders and founders. They'll explore how these guests tackle various challenges while staying resilient and committed to growth. Through these real-life examples of strategies put into practice, we hope to inspire you to experiment and develop your own strategies as we all navigate these uncertain times together.

Kevin Shelhamer's business is driven by one big question: "Is what we're doing, doing good?"

Kevin Shelhamer is a marketing and branding executive turned conscious entrepreneur, and Co-Founder of Rescue Plastics, a new startup dedicated to removing plastics from waterways and transforming it into high-performance fabric for active and leisure wear clothing. After working in startups and agencies, Rescue Plastics was born with the idea of leveraging something bad for good.

In this week's episode, Katie and Kevin unpack "conscious entrepreneurship" from all angles. Kevin shares the Rescue Plastics origin story and the questions that drive his team and business every day. He and Katie discuss the differences between branding a more traditional, non-purpose-driven business and a purpose-driven business. At the end of the day, Kevin says, it's about doing good and making people's lives better, and challenging other companies to do the same.

Other in-flight topics:

• What is "conscious entrepreneurship"?
• How Rescue Plastics was born
• Leading a purpose-driven company and brand
• How can brands and companies help people live better lives?
• Accountability and integrity in sustainable businesses
• Branding for a "traditional" business vs. branding for a purpose-driven company

Entrepreneurship looks different for everyone, and the definition often changes throughout your career and life—and that’s okay. Everyone is entrepreneurial to a degree, and embracing that entrepreneurial spirit will only open unimaginable doors. 

Welcome to Building While Flying!

This weekly podcast is brought to you by the Sasha Group. We’re the small-to-medium-sized business arm of the VaynerX family of companies. We help ambitious companies build strong brands that flex with the times through strategy, branding, media, and marketing.

In ever-changing times, businesses and brands have to shift and adapt. And across all sectors, there is an air of experimentation. Business owners are trying new things out in the wild;  building the plane while flying.

Our pilots, Katie Hankinson and Mickey Cloud, will be talking to a diverse range of business leaders and founders. They’ll explore how these guests tackle various challenges while staying resilient and committed to growth. Through these real-life examples of strategies put into practice, we hope to inspire you to experiment and develop your own strategies as we all navigate these uncertain times together. 

Jon Troutman and Nate Scherotter’s entrepreneurial paths have been anything but ordinary. 

As two VaynerX OGs, they’ve worked with Gary in many different ways—from Wine Library to Office of the CEO to most recently, Empathy Wines. Now they’re both VPs at Constellation Brands, a Fortune 500 wine, beer, and spirits portfolio company which bought Empathy Wines in 2020. 

In their conversation with Mickey, Jon and Nate break down each step of their careers, from getting in the door at VaynerMedia in the early 2010s, to founding Empathy Wines, a direct-to-consumer wine brand with Gary (in 2019), to joining Constellation Brands last year. They define what entrepreneurship means for themselves; dive into the mindset shift from working for an entrepreneur (like Gary) to being one yourself; share how Empathy Wines is making waves in a traditionally wholesale-based industry; the advantages of a one-to-one customer-brand relationship; and much more.

Other in-flight topics:

• How Jon and Nate both landed in the wine world (and working for Gary)
• How entrepreneurship varies from person to person
• Entrepreneurship vs. Intrapreneurship 
• The mindset shift from working for an entrepreneur to being one
• The origin story of Empathy Wines.
• Standing out as DTC in a wholesale-based industry

Links:

Follow Jon on Instagram @trouty - https://www.instagram.com/trouty

Follow Nate on Instagram @nscherot - https://www.instagram.com/nscherot

 @EmpathyWines

https://empathywines.com

Being a female entrepreneur and business owner is no piece of cake—between breakdowns of all magnitudes, funding struggles, burnout, a pandemic, and anything else the universe throws their way. But with the right guidance, support, and a heavy dose of empathy, you can Build Like a Woman with intention and firepower. 

Welcome to Building While Flying! 

This weekly podcast is brought to you by the Sasha Group. We’re the small-to-medium-sized business arm of the VaynerX family of companies. We help ambitious companies build strong brands that flex with the times through strategy, branding media and marketing.

In ever-changing times, businesses and brands have to shift and adapt. And across all sectors, there is an air of experimentation. Business owners are trying new things out in the wild;  building the plane while flying.

Our pilots, Katie Hankinson and Mickey Cloud, will be talking to a diverse range of business leaders and founders. They’ll explore how these guests tackle various challenges while staying resilient and committed to growth. Through these real-life examples of strategies put into practice, we hope to inspire you to experiment and develop your own strategies as we all navigate these uncertain times together. 

Kathleen Griffith’s path to entrepreneurship was full of “happy accidents.”

She says herself in her conversation with Katie: “There’s a greater plan than the one you can devise for yourself.” Her hunger for entrepreneurship appeared in childhood. It eventually led to her founding Grayce & Co, an agency which helps Fortune 500 brands speak and market authentically to women, and Build Like a Woman, a global platform providing inspiration, tools and community for women to rise and thrive in all aspects of their businesses and lives.

In their conversation, Kathleen and Katie dive into the realities of entrepreneurship for women. They share some staggering statistics—like how two-thirds of women bootstrap their businesses—discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women, how “Big B” and “little b” breakdowns impact your business, and the importance of empathy in your marketing approach. Kathleen also shares some signs of optimism and opportunity for women entrepreneurs coming out of the pandemic. This is just the beginning; we’ll be seeing a lot more if her predictions are on target!

If you’re feeling inspired after listening to this episode of Building While Flying, here are some ways you can support women-owned businesses:

• Shop from women-owned businesses.
• Tell your friends and family about your favorite women-owned businesses.
• Follow them online to hear more of their perspectives. 
• Share their content. 
• Check on your business-owning friends. 
• Ask how they’re doing and how you can support them.

Other in-flight topics:

• How Kathleen started her businesses
• Surprising stats about women-owned businesses
• Challenges and opportunities for women entrepreneurs
• How breakdowns lead to breakthroughs
• 3 key patterns we can see in female consumers
• The best advice for brands on marketing to women
• The future of women-owned businesses post-pandemic 

As entrepreneurs and business owners, pivoting and adapting is in our DNA. But that doesn’t mean it’s always a breeze. Determination, hard work, and grit can help us navigate and overcome even the most difficult pivots in our careers—and lives.

Welcome to Building While Flying! 

This weekly podcast is brought to you by the Sasha Group. We’re the small-to-medium-sized business arm of the VaynerX family of companies. We help ambitious companies build strong brands that flex with the times through strategy, branding media and marketing.

In ever-changing times, businesses and brands have to shift and adapt. And across all sectors, there is an air of experimentation. Business owners are trying new things out in the wild;  building the plane while flying.

Our pilots, Katie Hankinson and Mickey Cloud, will be talking to a diverse range of business leaders and founders. They’ll explore how these guests tackle various challenges while staying resilient and committed to growth. Through these real-life examples of strategies put into practice, we hope to inspire you to experiment and develop your own strategies as we all navigate these uncertain times together. 

Matt Brown is an expert in pivots. 

His career has been full of them—from leaving college to work as a technical recruiter, to keeping up with the platforms that literally drive his business, to adapting to the remote working environment, and much more. After realizing the disconnect between manufacturers and the retailers that sell their products, Matt launched ThumbStopper, a SaaS social media marketing company, to help bridge the gap between online and IRL inventory and retailers’ and brands’ social media presences. 

In this episode of Building While Flying, Mickey and Matt unpack the macro and micro pivots at each step of his career. Matt explains how ThumbStopper came to be, and talks about how adapting to new data and updates constantly changes the dynamics of conversations he has with his clients and partners. He revisits a career nightmare involving a Craigslist terms and conditions update that made nearly half of his revenue disappear overnight, and how his team persevered to quickly build a solution. Lastly, Matt and Mickey discuss the importance of company culture and team building, and how those impact talent retention over time. 

What's a moment in your business where you've been too reliant on a platform and something shifted, and how did you navigate that?

Other in-flight topics: 

• Matt’s career path
• Adapting your business based on new data, statistics, and platform updates
• Grit and determination during challenging times
• Impacts of remote work
• Importance of culture and team-building
• Advice for entrepreneurs

Links:

@thumbst0pper - https://www.instagram.com/thumbst0pper/

Youtube.com/c/Thumbstopper

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewbrown23

We often put the tech world in one lump category. But the truth is, there are niches upon niches when it comes to tech. Sports tech is a little-known sector that doesn’t come with a playbook. You have to find your zone as you go.

Welcome to Building While Flying!

This weekly podcast is brought to you by the Sasha Group. We’re the consultancy meets agency arm of the VaynerX family of companies. We help ambitious companies build strong brands that flex with the times through strategy, branding media and marketing.

In ever-changing times, businesses and brands have to shift and adapt. And across all sectors, there is an air of experimentation. Business owners are trying new things out in the wild;  building the plane while flying.

Alex Wu is finding his zone within the sports tech world with HomeCourt.

From marketing to startups to presidential campaigns, Alex has had quite the career. Now a Founding Team member of NEX Team, Inc., a mobile AI company, he gets to combine his love of sports and tech. Alex’s small talented team consists of former Apple, Google and Facebook employees navigating the primarily untapped market of sports apps. HomeCourt is the first smartphone app built with NEX Team’s core tech. It allows you to use your phone camera to count, track and chart your basketball shots in real-time. It then provides instant video review and stats analysis to challenge yourself and improve your game.

In this episode, Mickey gets the opportunity to relive his UVA days a bit with his old friend Alex. Besides the basketball talk, they get into the nuts and bolts of what it takes to start a project like HomeCourt. Like everything else, a pivot was required when the pandemic hit, so they dive into the logistics of “building while flying” in the sports tech world. When creating such an innovative product, it’s essential to find your zone and not expect a slam dunk right out of the gate. It’s all about patience, adapting, and serving your community of users.

Other in-flight topics:

• Alex’s diverse career background
• Working on the Obama campaign
• Forcing yourself to learn
• Pivoting in unprecedented times
• Alex’s in-flight checklist

Links:

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwuming/

Follow Alex on Twitter - https://twitter.com/awu85?lang=en

HomeCourt - https://www.homecourt.ai/

Building your personal brand doesn’t have to be complicated. Taking the path of least resistance by making small authentic moves is a great way to start.

Welcome to Building While Flying!

This weekly podcast is brought to you by the Sasha Group. We’re the consultancy meets agency arm of the VaynerX family of companies. We help ambitious companies build strong brands that flex with the times through strategy, branding media and marketing.

In ever-changing times, businesses and brands have to shift and adapt. And across all sectors, there is an air of experimentation. Business owners are trying new things out in the wild;  building the plane while flying.

Our pilots, Katie Hankinson and Mickey Cloud, will be talking to a diverse range of business leaders and founders. They’ll explore how these guests tackle various challenges while staying resilient and committed to growth. Through these real-life examples of strategies put into practice, we hope to inspire you to experiment and develop your own strategies as we all navigate these uncertain times together. 

Brittany Krystle is a personal branding expert.

Before Brittany began her journey of personal branding and podcasting, she was part of the VaynerX family. In fact, helping Gary Vaynerchuk build his brand made Brittany realize she had a knack and a passion for this sort of thing. Besides her successful business, she is also the host of the top-rated podcast Beyond Influential. In both her business and her podcast, Brittany emphasizes that your personal brand is your business. And the most effective way to build your brand is by being authentic.

You don’t have to have a giant personality to build a successful brand. In this episode, Katie and Brittany explore personal branding at its core. Brittany explains that influence isn’t about talent or luck; it’s about strategy. And being strategic in your branding will be a constant work in progress. But it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming, complicated burden. Taking the path of least resistance is always Brittany’s advice to apprehensive business owners. You don’t have to jump into personal branding full force. Just take baby steps to put yourself and your business out there, authentically.

Other in-flight topics:

• Brittany’s journey to personal branding
• Being authentically yourself online
• Who are you? Who do you serve?
• Repurposing Content
• The 3 C’s

Links:

Check out Brittany’s Website

Connect with Brittany on LinkedIn

Follow Brittany on Instagram

Listen to Brittany’s Podcast Beyond Influential

Unfortunately, coming up with a brilliant idea or inventing a life-saving product isn’t enough to launch a successful business. Sometimes learning to network is just as important as your business model.

Welcome to Building While Flying!

This weekly podcast is brought to you by the Sasha Group. We’re the consultancy meets agency arm of the VaynerX family of companies. We help ambitious companies build strong brands that flex with the times through strategy, branding media and marketing.

In ever-changing times, businesses and brands have to shift and adapt. And across all sectors, there is an air of experimentation. Business owners are trying new things out in the wild;  building the plane while flying.

Our pilots, Katie Hankinson and Mickey Cloud, will be talking to a diverse range of business leaders and founders. They’ll explore how these guests tackle various challenges while staying resilient and committed to growth. Through these real-life examples of strategies put into practice, we hope to inspire you to experiment and develop your own strategies as we all navigate these uncertain times together. 

Felicia Jackson invented the CPR Wrap to save lives. Now she’s learning how to network.

In a moment of sheer terror, Felicia Jackson, an experienced healthcare worker at the time, realized that even CPR-trained individuals could freeze in a life-threatening situation. When her 2-year-old son was choking, Felicia found herself panicking while her husband took over CPR to save her son’s life. Then shortly after, Felicia had a dream about a way to prepare for those exact moments. That’s how the CPR Wrap was born. This life-saving product gives you a template and instructions on how and where to do CPR so that you can grasp a bit of much-needed clarity in a terrifying moment.

As impressive as her product is, Felicia is still learning how to grow her reach, and ultimately her company. In this episode, Mickey and Felicia discuss all things networking and what she's learned along the way. She gives us some great tips for finding networking opportunities in your local entrepreneurial ecosystem. And she shares some of her biggest challenges in her journey to make the CPR Wrap successful. It’s not every day we get to chat with an entrepreneur that is literally saving lives, so we enjoyed every minute of this one. 

Other in-flight topics:

• The terrifying story of how CPR Wrap was born
• Creative ways Felicia networks
• Finding help in your local entrepreneurial ecosystem
• Being transparent as a business owner
• Chatting with Gwyneth Paltrow
• Chronicles of a Female Founder
• Felicia’s pre-flight checklist

Links:

CPR Wrap - https://cprwrap.com/ 

Connect with Felicia on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicia-jackson-42b29a59/

Watch Felicia’s TedX Talk: Three Dynamics to Life-Saving Success - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWCfABs1g0o

Final Thought: In your business, what is that one piece of advice from a mentor that stuck with you over time and helped move your business forward?

Reinvention is about looking at your current situation and seeing the possibilities for more. This can apply to your personal life, or in your business, brand or company.

Welcome to Building While Flying!

This weekly podcast is brought to you by the Sasha Group. We’re the consultancy meets agency arm of the VaynerX family of companies. We help ambitious companies build strong brands that flex with the times through strategy, branding media and marketing.

In ever-changing times, businesses and brands have to shift and adapt. And across all sectors, there is an air of experimentation. Business owners are trying new things out in the wild;  building the plane while flying.

Our pilots, Katie Hankinson and Mickey Cloud, will be talking to a diverse range of business leaders and founders. They’ll explore how these guests tackle various challenges while staying resilient and committed to growth. Through these real-life examples of strategies put into practice, we hope to inspire you to experiment and develop your own strategies as we all navigate these uncertain times together. 

Kathi Sharpe-Ross is the queen of reinvention.

Kathi is the owner and founder of The Sharpe Alliance, an agency that builds businesses and brands through corporate and entertaining marketing, sponsorship, new media initiatives, strategic and tactical campaign development, event production, public relations, and so much more. Covering so many different kinds of clients through so many different platforms may seem a bit much for some. But not for Kathi. She’s used to going her own way and carving her own path.

Kathi’s new book Reinvent Your Life: What Are You Waiting For? is full of all the “power tools” you need to let go of your fears and launch your adventure. Kathi’s a pro at reinvention. And she gives businesses, brands and people the confidence they need to take on the scary prospect of change and evolution.

This interview was recorded in the early fall of 2020, so you may notice some differences from our regular format. Friendly reminder: we’re so focused on the concept of “building while flying” that we tend to do it a bit with this podcast! In this episode, Katie chats with Kathi about how her outside-the-box thinking and perspective has propelled her career. She also touches on why it’s so important to bring aspects that you love about your life into your business. Kathi is such a positive force, this conversation left us feeling so inspired to reinvent.

Other in-flight topics:

• Kathi’s early career
• Starting a business while in college
• The power tools Kathi values most
• Business curveballs
• Reinvention in business
• Creating a business roadmap

Links:

The Sharpe Alliance - https://www.sharpealliance.com/

The Reinvention Exchange - https://www.thereinventionexchange.com/

Reinvent Your Life Book - https://www.thereinventionexchange.com/inside

Kathi’s Podcast The Power of Reinvention - https://open.spotify.com/show/6Vm4JPKBszuW6xoCrHTrlA