Built from Scratch

Five Founders on Hiring Employee #1

In this episode, I sit down with five entrepreneurs under 30 to discuss their experiences hiring their first full-time employee. These founders come from diverse industries, including food, collectibles, and labor staffing.

You’ll hear from:

• Finn Gomez – Detroit Salsa Company
• Olivia Gargett – OG’s Bakery
• Chad Tjugum – Rarirty Coin Markets
• Adam Green – Stunio
• Zach Richards – Caddy Moving

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Originally from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Canyon grew up as a multifaceted athlete, playing both baseball and hockey.

His entrepreneurial journey began in 2019 when, as a senior in high school, he started a landscaping company called CP Landscaping Services.

In September 2020, he decided to pursue a degree in finance and real estate, enrolling at the University of Wisconsin.

Towards the end of his college career, he launched a company called “Side Shift,” which began as a school project and has since grown into a business operating on 1,000 campuses with over 30,000 users.

Since founding the company in January 2024, he has secured partnerships with brands like Doritos and Hot Sauce, raised over $200,000 in funding, and recently broke into the top 25 business apps on the App Store.

Canyon is only 22 years old.

Contact Info for Canyon:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/canyonpergande/

Website: https://www.canyonpergande.com/

Sideshift:

Website: https://www.sideshift.app/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_sideshift/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sideshiftapp?_t=8n18cjc5Eeh&_r=1

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sideshiftapp/

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Sebastian earned his BBA from Babson College, graduating with the prestigious Dean’s Award Platinum Pin.

He started his career as a Social Media Manager at ERIFIXSocial, building digital strategies from the ground up.

In the underground rap scene, he made a name for himself as CHESCO, battling his way up to landing a Red Bull sponsorship.

He’s also an Airbnb property owner, proving that his business acumen extends far beyond marketing.

But what really sets him apart is that he didn’t take the traditional startup route. No VC funding, no big investors, instead, he bootstrapped Interlix with nothing but sweat, sacrifice, and persistence.

Sebastian went from rap battles to business battles, his journey is all about resilience, reinvention, and making it happen on his own terms.

Sebastian is only 22 years old

Contact info for Sebastian:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.franchesco.p/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/S.Franchesco.P/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SebastianFranchescoParedes

Interlix Staffing Info:

Website: https://www.interlixstaffing.com

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In this episode, I share my thoughts on the ten phases of building the To-Do Dudes team - from hiring neighborhood kids to creating a structured leadership and efficient field team operation. 

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Originally from Edina, Minnesota, Michael started his entrepreneurial journey at a young age by reselling vintage clothes.

In 2021, while attending Grand Canyon University, he went on to co-founded Chewk’s Cookies. What began in a dorm room quickly grew into a thriving business with two food trucks, a storefront, and features in outlets like Phoenix New Times.

After selling his share of the company in January of 2024, Michael is now the Wholesale Accounts Lead at Dodo Coffee Co. in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he’s bringing his passion for people and storytelling to the world of coffee.

Michael is just 22 years old.

Contact Info for Michael:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-blum-9a53a7270/

Substack: https://substack.com/@cookieman18?r=4izwwb&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page

Chewk’s Cookies:

Website: https://www.chewkscookies.com/

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Originally from Wyandotte, Michigan, Finn's journey began in middle school with a class assignment creating a pretend business. Inspired by his great-grandmother salsa recipe, he turned his idea into reality.

Starting with local samples, it has grown into a storefront featured in 40 markets, including three Meijer stores.

Finn has been featured on NPR, Fox 2 Detroit, along with other local news sources. Has been a competitor in the Michigan Founders Fund Summit, and a talented trumpeter performing with five ensembles, including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Civic Youth Band.

Now a senior at Michigan State University, Finn continues to impact his community and pursue his dreams.

Finn is only 22 years old.

Contact Info for Finn:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finn-gomez-728522199/

Detroit Salsa Company:

Website: https://www.detroitsalsa.com

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DetroitSalsaCo/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/detroitsalsaco

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Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Hunter’s entrepreneurial journey began in 5th grade, selling snow cones, flipping Jordan sneakers, and turning Goodwill finds into eBay gold.

While he started strong, his path wasn’t without challenges. Living with a learning disability and battling self-doubt, Hunter transformed these obstacles into fuel for his success.

He went on to study Entrepreneurship at Ball State University, and during that time launched Simpler Living LLC with $250,000 in capital, a 300-person waiting list, and the opportunity to audition for Shark Tank.

After graduation, Hunter managed 17 Jiffy Lube locations before transitioning to his current role as President of a company, working under the mentorship of leaders running $100M+ businesses. 

Hunter is just 25 years old.

Contact Info for Hunter: 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterjbeale/ 

High School Hustle: 
Website: https://highschoolhustle.org/about 
Email: [email protected]

Other Resources: 
Personalized AI note-taking: Plaud.ai 

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Originally from Manitoba, Canada, Maddie began her entrepreneurial journey at 13, landing a fashion internship with Triple Flip after pitching her designs to over 150 businesses.

By high school, she co-founded Social Clothing, transforming a class project celebrating Canadian traditions into a full-time passion.

In 2020, Maddie launched MAD Social Agency as a side hustle, quickly scaling it into a thriving full-service marketing agency.

Today, Maddie leads a 30-person team, boasts a LinkedIn following of 18,000, has completed over 400 projects across three countries, and holds a spot on Canada’s 30 Under 30.

Maddie is just 23 years old.

Contact Info for Maddie: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddie-thompson-68188818b/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddie.theresa/?hl=en 

Mad Social Agency:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madsocialagency/?hl=en 

Website: https://www.madsocialagency.com/ 

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Originally from Huntington Beach, California, Jake’s entrepreneurial journey began at just 8 years old, selling hockey tape outside his local rink. Over the years, he’s built six businesses, including JPS Surfboards and Chore Hub, which employed 180 students to serve over 3,000 homeowners annually.

At the end of 2022, Jake launched Snow Scholars, connecting college students with homeowners needing help shoveling snow. His innovative vision caught national attention on Shark Tank Season 16, where he secured a $150,000 investment from Mark Cuban to scale the business. With plans to expand to 26 college towns by next year, the vision for Snow Scholars is just getting started.

Jake is only 22 years old.

Contact Info for Jake: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakejpiekarski/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Snow Scholars: 

Website: https://www.snowscholars.com/ 

Extra Links: 

JBS Surfboard Video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVopD-ndBXw&t=163s&ab_channel=CARTERTH1 

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In this episode, I’m sharing my personal journey with performance evaluations—what we got wrong at first, what we’re doing better now, and how we plan to level up in the future to build stronger leaders.

I’ll break it down into three parts:

1. What We Did at the Start: And why it didn’t work.
2. What We Do Now: It’s better, but still a work in progress.
3. Where We’re Going: The changes we’ll make to truly develop leaders.

If you’re frustrated with not getting the best out of your team, wondering if your direction is even landing, or just starting to figure out performance reviews, this one’s for you.

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