Built for This

In this soulful and expansive episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Sal Salcedo, renowned hair artist, educator, and founder of Nova Arts Salon.

What begins as a conversation about hair quickly unfolds into something far deeper: identity, magnetism, creativity, sustainability, and business as a vehicle for cultural impact. Sal shares how growing up in Mexico, immigrating to the United States, and navigating the ego-driven culture of the Los Angeles beauty industry led him to build something radically different. Nova Arts was never meant to be just a salon. It was designed as a sanctuary where artists and clients alike feel seen, empowered, and free to express their authentic selves.

Carly and Sal explore how business can be both artistic and philanthropic. From launching a “personal brand project” for his team each spring, to developing a green salon model in Mexico City, to reimagining the salon as a community art space, Sal demonstrates how entrepreneurship becomes powerful when it is built from inner alignment rather than imitation. This episode is a profound exploration of what happens when you stop copying industry archetypes and start creating from your own inner flame.

Key Themes:

Business as Self-Expression: Why sustainable success begins when your heart, mind, and mission are aligned.

Creativity as a Responsibility: How every person is an artist and why declaring yourself “not creative” limits your potential.

Culture Through Presence: Why leadership begins with the energy you bring into a space and how intentional culture creates magnetism.

Memorable Quotes:

“What we call magic is just magnetism when we are fully ourselves.”

About Sal Salcedo:

Driven by a vision of inclusivity and artistic freedom, he founded Nova Arts Salon as a space where creativity and self-expression thrive. Through his global #HAIRTOUR and his expansion into coaching and mentoring through Beyond Hair, Sal continues to elevate artistry, consciousness, and leadership within the beauty industry and beyond.

Connect with Sal Salcedo:

In this powerful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Scott Neil, co-founder of Horse Soldier Bourbon and American Freedom Distillery, to explore what it truly takes to build a legacy brand designed to outlast its founders.

Scott shares his journey from serving in U.S. Army Special Forces, including being among the first teams inserted into Afghanistan after 9/11, to co-founding a bourbon company rooted in authenticity, discipline, and long-term vision. What makes this conversation unique is the strategic lens Scott brings to entrepreneurship. From day one, Horse Soldier was built on a 100-year plan. Every decision, from production to partnerships, is filtered through a generational mindset rather than short-term gains.

Carly and Scott dive into the realities of scaling a premium spirits brand, where aging inventory ties up capital for years and patience is non-negotiable. They discuss investor communication, cash flow discipline, hiring for culture, succession planning, and the importance of building systems before chaos sets in. This episode is a masterclass in leadership that prioritizes endurance over ego and legacy over liquidity.

Key Themes:

Strategy Wins the War: Why long-term vision, not short-term wins, determines whether a company survives across generations.

You Cannot Rush Time: How bourbon production mirrors legacy building, requiring patience, capital discipline, and trust.

Culture Must Be Designed: Why structure, mentorship, communication rhythms, and shared purpose are essential as teams scale.

Memorable Quotes:

“Strategy wins the war, not the battle.”

About Scott Neil:

In 2015, alongside close friends John and Elizabeth, he co-founded American Freedom Distillery and launched Horse Soldier Bourbon. Inspired by the story of the Green Berets who rode horseback into combat in Afghanistan, the brand honors courage, craftsmanship, and the American spirit. Drawing from both centuries-old distilling techniques and modern innovation, Scott and his team created a premium bourbon rooted in authenticity and legacy.

Connect with Scott Neil:

In this inspiring episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Michael Black, founder and CEO of Success Tutoring, one of the fastest-growing education franchises in Australia with a rapidly expanding global footprint.

Michael shares how he started a small tutoring business in his parents’ spare bedroom at just seventeen years old and grew it into a purpose-driven franchise operating across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and beyond. What began as a way to earn money while studying quickly became a lifelong mission rooted in belief, impact, and helping people escape unfulfilling career paths.

Carly and Michael explore the powerful connection between mindset and scale, why vision must come before systems, and how failure shaped Michael’s resilience as a leader. They also unpack how franchising became a vehicle for creating meaningful opportunities for entrepreneurs while transforming how students experience learning. This episode is a reminder that businesses do not grow faster than their leaders, and that belief, humility, and purpose are often the true drivers of sustainable success.

Key Themes:

Businesses Grow Only as Fast as Their Leaders: Why personal development, self-awareness, and humility set the ceiling for scale.

Vision Comes Before Evidence: How operating from belief long before results appear shapes decisions and long-term outcomes.

Purpose Fuels Sustainable Growth: Why focusing on genuinely helping students and franchise partners created trust, loyalty, and momentum.

Memorable Quotes:

“A business will never grow more than the founder or CEO. The more you grow, the more the business grows.”

About Michael Black:

Connect with Michael Black:

In this candid and eye-opening episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Chantelle-Shakila Tiagi, founder of TIAGI, a global creative production agency with offices in London, Los Angeles, and Mumbai.

Chantelle pulls back the curtain on what production in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle really looks like. Beyond the glamour, she explains the reality of coordinating dozens of moving parts on every shoot, managing crises before they escalate, and taking responsibility for problems that are often outside a producer’s control. From missed flights and shifting talent to weather chaos and last-minute client changes, production is equal parts foresight, leadership, and emotional intelligence.

The conversation goes far beyond logistics. Carly and Chantelle explore leadership without ego, hiring for attitude over résumés, and building culture through trust and kindness. Chantelle also shares why she has intentionally kept TIAGI lean and bootstrapped, how motherhood reshaped her leadership style, and why modern consumers are shifting from excess toward experiences. This episode is a grounded look at creative entrepreneurship, sustainable growth, and building a business that supports life rather than consuming it.

Key Themes:

Producers Hold the Entire System Together: Why production is about human coordination, accountability, and crisis management, not just schedules and checklists.

Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill: How curiosity, enthusiasm, and emotional intelligence outperform impressive CVs every time.

Lean Businesses Create Freedom: Why staying bootstrapped allows flexibility, financial stability, and healthier relationships with both teams and clients.

Memorable Quotes:

“Producers are in charge of all the mistakes that are not their fault.”

About Chantelle-Shakila Tiagi:

Connect with Chantelle-Shakila:

In this episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Matt Dorman, co-founder and president of Endeavor, a digital solutions agency that helps manufacturers and enterprise organizations modernize outdated websites, CMS platforms, and digital infrastructure.

With more than 30 years of experience building enterprise platforms for companies like Time Inc. and Fox News, Matt brings a grounded perspective that blends deep technical expertise with practical leadership. Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, Endeavor made a deliberate decision to focus exclusively on technology, integrations, and implementation. That choice allowed the company to become best-in-class instead of broadly average.

Matt shares how a developer-first culture became a strategic advantage, improving retention, quality, and long-term client trust. He explains why protecting teams from unrealistic timelines leads to better outcomes, how remote work reshaped Endeavor well before it became the norm, and why strong boundaries with clients actually strengthen relationships. The conversation also explores enterprise cash flow realities, navigating AI disruption without panic, and how Matt’s vision evolved from eventually shutting the company down to building something worth passing on. This episode offers an honest, steady look at how to build a resilient tech business without burning people out.

Key Themes:

Focus Creates Leverage: How narrowing Endeavor’s scope to pure technology reduced complexity, built trust, and improved results for clients and team members alike.

Culture Is Built by Protecting People: Why realistic timelines, clear communication, and added support under pressure drive retention and long-term success.

Cash Flow Discipline Creates Stability: How reserves, owner involvement in billable work, and controlled costs allowed Endeavor to stay calm while serving enterprise clients.

Memorable Quotes:

“If you say yes to everything, you end up letting everyone down.”

About Matt Dorman:

Connect with Matt Dorman:

In this thoughtful and deeply grounded episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Armen Alajian, co-owner of ARTO Brick & Tile, a California-based, family-founded company known for its handcrafted architectural surfaces and timeless design.

Armen shares how growing up surrounded by raw materials, craftsmanship, and hands-on creation shaped not only the products ARTO makes, but the philosophy behind the business itself. What began as a necessity born from limited capital evolved into the company’s greatest strength, allowing ARTO to remain tactile, human, and distinct in an industry dominated by mass production and synthetic materials.

Carly and Armen explore what it truly takes to scale an artisan business without losing its soul. From navigating intense cash flow pressure and learning the importance of financial leadership, to hiring a strong CFO and building a people-first culture rooted in respect, Armen offers a rare, honest look at long-term leadership. The conversation also touches on family business dynamics, succession, and using commerce as a vehicle for connection, legacy, and meaning. This episode is both a masterclass in values-driven growth and a reflection on identity, craftsmanship, and what truly endures over time.

Key Themes:

Scarcity as a Source of Differentiation: How necessity, not strategy, led ARTO to handcrafted production and created an advantage that cannot be replicated at scale.

Cash Flow Protects Creativity: Why strong financial leadership is essential to sustain growth, support people, and preserve quality.

Culture Is Lived, Not Engineered: How humility, respect, and consistency created loyalty without relying on perks or performative culture.

Memorable Quotes:

“We didn’t stay handcrafted because we were smart. We stayed handcrafted because we were poor.”

About Armen Alajian:

Connect with Armen Alajian:

In this meaningful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Brian and Sally Krichbaum, the owners and stewards of Gilbert Chocolates, a historic chocolate company founded in 1893 and deeply rooted in the community of Jackson, Michigan.

Brian and Sally share the honest story of acquiring a once-thriving business that had dwindled to just five employees, and the intentional, disciplined path they chose to rebuild it. Without taking on debt or compromising quality, they focused on honoring the company’s legacy while modernizing the systems needed for sustainable growth. Drawing on Brian’s background in engineering and consulting and Sally’s leadership across retail, finance, and community engagement, they reveal how patience and clarity shaped every decision.

Carly, Brian, and Sally explore what it means to preserve history without becoming trapped by it. From protecting original recipes and century-old equipment to documenting processes, improving inventory systems, and empowering employees with trust and autonomy, this conversation highlights how craftsmanship, reserves, and long-term thinking create businesses that last. It is a powerful reminder that real success is built through intention, discipline, and respect for people — not shortcuts or hype.

Key Themes:

Disciplined Growth Creates Stability: Why financial restraint, reinvestment, and doing the work yourself allowed the business to triple without overextending.

Legacy Is a Strategic Advantage: How honoring history, recipes, and reputation became a source of trust and differentiation.

Systems Enable Freedom: Why clear documentation and standardized processes reduced stress, improved quality, and supported creativity.

Memorable Quotes:

“If you’re not growing, you’re dying.”

About Brian and Sally Krichbaum:

Connect with Brian and Sally Krichbaum:

In this thoughtful and grounding episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Angelo D’Amico, President and CEO of a global manufacturing company based in Ontario, Canada, generating more than $25 million in annual sales.

Angelo brings a rare blend of economics, management consulting, and philosophy into the conversation, offering a deeply human perspective on what leadership actually looks like in practice. He shares how stepping into an established organization required restraint rather than force, choosing observation, listening, and humility before making change.

Together, Carly and Angelo explore why values alignment matters more than technical skill, how trust is earned through service rather than authority, and why burnout is often a symptom of misalignment, not workload. They unpack generational differences in motivation, the hidden costs of ego-driven leadership, and the responsibility leaders carry in shaping cultures where people feel seen as humans, not treated as resources. This conversation reframes leadership as stewardship and challenges listeners to consider a powerful question: can the culture inside your company be better than the world outside it?

Key Themes:

Leadership Is Granted, Not Assigned: Why real influence comes from trust, consistency, and acting in the collective’s best interest.

Values Alignment Prevents Burnout: How meaning, not effort, determines whether work feels energizing or exhausting.

Culture Mirrors the Leader: Why the behaviors leaders model and tolerate define the entire organization.

Memorable Quotes:

“A leader is someone people trust to make decisions with everyone’s best interests at heart.”

About Angelo D’Amico:

Connect with Angelo D’Amico:

Website: https://www.angelodamicocanada.com 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/angelodamicocanada

In this powerful episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Don “The Dragon” Wilson, one of the most accomplished kickboxers in history and a prolific action film star whose career spans more than four decades.

Don shares how the same principles that made him an eleven-time world champion also allowed him to build a successful second career in Hollywood. From setting clear goals and ignoring naysayers, to mastering fundamentals and refusing to let ego sabotage preparation, Don breaks down the repeatable formula behind sustained excellence.

The conversation moves seamlessly between elite athletics, filmmaking, leadership, and personal growth. Don explains why ego can be useful in controlled doses but destructive when left unchecked. He reveals why humility, preparation, and respect for every role on the team were non-negotiable in both the ring and on set, and why longevity depends on never believing your own hype. This episode is a masterclass in discipline, mastery, and staying grounded while performing at the highest levels.

Key Themes:

Success Follows a Formula, Not Luck: Why preparation, research, and learning from experts determine whether opportunity becomes achievement.

Ego as a Tool, Not an Identity: How confidence fuels performance, but unchecked ego leads to complacency and decline.

Longevity Through Mastery and Humility: Why fundamentals, continuous improvement, and respect for the team create careers that last decades.

Memorable Quotes:

“Don’t believe your own press.”

About Don “The Dragon” Wilson:

Image Credit:

In this thoughtful and nostalgic episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Claudio Ulrich, a veteran film licensing and distribution expert with more than 30 years in the industry and the founder of Focus Media.

Claudio pulls back the curtain on the world of film distribution, revealing the immense amount of unseen work required to bring a movie from original film reels to a finished home release. From licensing rights and restoring 35mm film to creating artwork, subtitles, packaging, and bonus content, he explains why a finished disc represents craftsmanship, history, and care far beyond what most people ever see.

After experiencing burnout during the peak of the VHS and DVD boom, Claudio made a defining decision. Instead of chasing scale and volume, he chose collectors, quality, and meaning. That shift led to the creation of premium “media books” that transform restored films into collectible experiences. At its heart, this conversation is about choosing passion over pressure, redefining success, and building a life where work becomes a mission rather than a grind.

Key Themes:

Passion Outlasts Markets: Why industries do not truly disappear, and how following what you love can create sustainable niches even as markets change.

The Invisible Work Matters: A behind-the-scenes look at the complexity, cost, and care involved in preserving and distributing films properly.

Freedom Is Real Success: How Claudio designed a life centered on joy, creativity, and choice instead of constant scale and stress.

Memorable Quotes:

“I don’t see myself as a distributor. I see myself as a film lover who wants to share movies with other people.”

Connect with Claudio Ulrich:

Website: https://www.mm-u.ch 

Website: https://fokus-media.ch/