In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with Kristina Fahl to unpack how a daily school run problem became an InsurTech mission. After more than fifteen years in large financial institutions, Kristina left a stable career to launch a student transportation company. She scaled fast, hit the wall on commercial auto insurance economics, then joined venture backed teams to learn how risk is structured at scale. Today at Shuttlebee she is unlocking trapped supply in student transportation by equipping small operators with tools, training, and embedded insurance so they can deliver big fleet standards safely and reliably.

The conversation is candid about imposter syndrome, learning in public, and turning setbacks into operating advantages. Kristina explains how she moved from purely tactical problem solving to strategy and people first leadership, why feedback loops and community make or break momentum, and how preparedness reduces anxiety when safety and compliance are on the line.

Guest Bio

Kristina Fahl is the founder and CEO of Shuttlebee, an InsurTech platform that merges predictive dispatch, compliance automation, and embedded commercial auto insurance to expand safe and reliable student transportation. Previously she led operations at Bus.com, scaling logistics across North America, managing vendor compliance, and leading end to end RFPs for institutional clients. Her inspiration for Shuttlebee came from running an award winning student transportation company where she saw strong small operators priced out of insurance. Kristina is a graduate of RevTech Labs Accelerator Cohort 22 and Scout InsurTech’s Recognized Leader program. Her mission is to make student transportation safer, smarter, and more accessible.

Episode Breakdown

• From Corporate Comfort to Startup Chaos (00:00 – 02:15)

Why Kristina walked away from 15 years in financial services, the school drop off problem that sparked her first venture, and the hard lesson of insurance costs that forced a shutdown.

• Finding Her Footing in Transportation (02:15 – 03:25)

Joining venture backed startups, leading operations at Bus.com, and stepping into insurance and regulatory work that would shape Shuttlebee.

• Confidence, Rage, and Imposter Syndrome (03:25 – 06:25)

The reality of building in a male dominated industry, the power of frustration as fuel, and why imposter syndrome never fully disappears.

• Failing Forward and Listening Hard (06:25 – 09:14)

Reframing failure as essential to growth, learning to see blind spots, and surrounding herself with people unafraid to tell her the truth.

• Momentum and Venture Backing (10:03 – 11:26)

How Shuttlebee shifted from a grind uphill to a venture backed company with growing speed, thanks to the right team, board, and advisors.

• Measuring Leadership in Real Time (12:41 – 15:37)

Why reviews should hold no surprises, the practice of writing letters to her future self, and how intentional check-ins build stronger teams.

• The Limits of Optimism (25:22 – 26:31)

Believing in people’s potential vs seeing where they are today, and how optimism without balance can lead to tough leadership calls.

• The Power of Community and Asking for Help (27:58 – 30:29)

Why networking felt intimidating at first, and how mentors and peers turned into the biggest accelerators of growth.

• Preparedness Over Anxiety (32:59 – 37:06)

Her morning and evening routines, the difference between aspirational and realistic habits, and how maximizing what can be controlled allows her to sleep.

• Defining Success by Joy (37:50 – 39:48)

Why joy, challenging company, and day-to-day wins matter more than a rigid ten-year plan.

Summary

Kristina Fahl’s story is a blueprint for resilient operating in a regulated industry. She turned a personal logistics problem into a company, learned the limits of unit economics, and returned with an InsurTech platform that gives small operators the safety, compliance, and insurance backbone of a big fleet. The episode delivers practical lessons on reframing failure, building candid feedback loops, using community as a force multiplier, and measuring leadership by how fast the people around you grow.

Relevant Links

🔗 Connect with Kristina Fahl on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kristinagfahl

🔗 Listen to more episodes of Culturally Sound: corethos.com/culturally-sound

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with Brian Purkiss to trace his path from customizing MySpace layouts to leading high performing eCommerce teams. Brian explains why he left college when coursework lagged real world tech, what agency life taught him about wearing every hat, and how moving in house unlocked long term ownership of product, performance, and growth.

The conversation digs into servant leadership in technical teams, the shift from being in the code to empowering experts, and the practical ways positivity, structure, and shared ownership multiply output. Brian also offers a grounded view on AI, exploring where it is already valuable in processing unstructured information and where hype outpaces reliability with autonomy and hallucinations.

Whether you are scaling an online store, leading cross functional product work, or modernizing your team’s operating system, this episode is a field guide to building websites and teams that actually move the numbers.

Guest Bio

Brian Purkiss is a well rounded web professional with 18 years of experience designing, developing, growing, and optimizing high performing websites across agencies and eCommerce brands. As Digital Product Manager at OnePet, he designs and executes product roadmaps that blend quick wins with durable long term growth.

A servant leader, Brian pairs collaborative leadership with a solution and data driven approach to product management, creating conditions for ownership, retention, and multiplicative team output.

Selected accomplishments

• Reversed decline at an eCommerce brand and guided it back to growth

• Built a top 1 percent conversion rate eCommerce site in two years (AMMD), driven by constant analysis, iteration, team collaboration, optimization, and A/B testing

• Maintained 100 percent team retention through COVID and the Great Resignation while scaling from the smallest to the largest team in marketing and operations

• Repeatedly grew store revenue despite industry downturns

• Built a personal project end to end that reached one million pageviews in the first year and two million shortly after, with 8 to 10 pageviews per visit and less than 10 percent bounce rate

Episode Breakdown

From MySpace to Web Careers (00:00 – 12:00)

Self teaching HTML and CSS to customize profiles, early agency rotations, and why he left college when coursework lagged industry reality.

Agency Hats to In House Ownership (12:00 – 25:00)

What one and done projects teach and why longer horizons, integrated stacks, and compounding improvements pulled him in house.

From Coder to Leader (25:00 – 40:00)

Staying technical enough to ask the right questions while letting specialists own execution, creating space for subject matter expertise to win.

The Referee Meeting that Changed Everything (40:00 – 50:00)

A collaborative problem solving session on automated discounting where Brian only asked questions and captured ideas, turning many good ideas into one great solution.

Communication Overhaul and Humility (50:00 – 60:00)

Moving from blunt to tactful and effective. Influences include Extreme Ownership, How to Win Friends and Influence People with shared agreement first, Ryan Holiday’s stoicism, and Peak Performance.

Culture, Safety, and AI Boundaries (60:00 – 70:00)

Building psychological safety for experimentation with AI while setting guardrails so core work still ships.

AI: Useful Now vs Hype (70:00 – 78:00)

Real value today is processing unstructured information, market research synthesis, and structured back and forth ideation. Limits include unreliable autonomy, hallucinated packages and tools, and lack of accountability.

Mantras, Blind Spots, and Success (78:00 – 90:00)

Mantras include singular focus and last year’s trio of discipline, consistency, and structure. Biggest fear is unseen blind spots. Success means meaningful relationships, steady growth, conquering challenges, and a peaceful life. Favorite hero is Captain America.

Summary

Brian Purkiss shows how durable growth online comes from compounding improvements, clear product roadmaps, relentless optimization, and a leadership style that multiplies team output. His playbook blends technical fluency with servant leadership, creating safety, setting structure, and letting experts own the details. On AI, he separates signal from noise, using it to process information and pressure test thinking but never abdicating accountability to tools that still hallucinate. The result is a pragmatic blueprint for building websites and teams that keep charts moving up and to the right.

Relevant Links

🔗 Connect with Brian on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianpurkiss/

🔗 Listen to more episodes of Culturally Sound — corethos.com/culturally-sound

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with James Church, author of the Amazon best-selling book Investable Entrepreneur and co-founder of Robot Mascot, to explore why so many great business ideas fail to raise the funding they deserve.

James has spent years helping founders bridge the gap between vision and investment. From spotting the “zombie stare” investors give when pitches fall flat to building a proven process that makes entrepreneurs 40x more likely to secure capital, he shares what it really takes to turn a bold idea into an investable business.

This conversation dives into the realities of scaling an agency, the power of niching down, and why clear communication is the single most underrated skill for any founder. Whether you are raising your first round or rethinking your growth strategy, this episode offers a masterclass in how to win investor confidence and avoid the costly mistakes that sink too many startups.

Guest Bio

James Church is the author of the Amazon best-selling book Investable Entrepreneur: How to Convince Investors Your Business is the One to Back and the co-founder and COO of Robot Mascot, a global award-winning investment readiness agency.

He has been featured in Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazine and won Business Advisor of the Year at the Growing Business Awards. Through Robot Mascot, his clients have secured more than £200M in funding and are 40x more likely to raise investment. The agency is the preferred pitch partner to international VCs, Crowdcube, Republic, SeedLegals, and global accelerator programs.

Episode Breakdown

From Branding to Investment Readiness (00:00 – 12:00)

How James went from design and communication into the fundraising world and why founders needed a new approach to pitching.

The “Zombie Stare” Problem (12:00 – 25:00)

What happens when investors stop listening and how James built a formula to fix it.

Scaling Pains and Hard Lessons (25:00 – 40:00)

The mistakes that nearly broke Robot Mascot, from hiring missteps to scaling too fast.

The Power of Niching Down (40:00 – 50:00)

Why focusing on a hyper-specific niche transformed the agency’s growth.

Becoming a Key Person of Influence (50:00 – 60:00)

How publishing Investable Entrepreneur turned James into a thought leader and trusted advisor in the investment space.

Sustainable Growth and the Road Ahead (60:00 – 70:00)

What James has learned about building systems, sustaining momentum, and staying resilient as a founder.

Summary

James Church has dedicated his career to helping founders present clear, credible, and compelling cases to investors. His work shows that fundraising success is not about flashy pitches but about structure, clarity, and confidence. This episode reveals the tools and mindset shifts every entrepreneur needs to secure capital and build a business that lasts.

Relevant Links

🔗 Connect with James on LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/jamescchurch

🔗 Listen to more episodes of Culturally Sound – www.corethos.com/culturally-sound

Overview

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with Jeff Parnell—interim CEO, trusted advisor, and author of the upcoming book The Heart of Transition—to explore how businesses can unlock transformative growth when they lean into change instead of fearing it.

With over 30 years in C-level roles spanning ecommerce, B2B, retail, manufacturing, and more, Jeff shares what it really means to navigate the messy middle—when companies get stuck, lose momentum, or hit a wall.

From rebuilding a tech incubator to tripling a stagnant ecommerce business, Jeff doesn’t speak from theory—he speaks from execution. This conversation unpacks why transition is the most overlooked phase of growth, what it takes to lead through it, and how founders can build systems that scale without losing their soul.

Whether you’re prepping for succession, navigating a plateau, or simply trying to make the numbers work, this episode offers a rare glimpse into the mindset of a leader who’s been through it all—and come out stronger.

Guest Bio

Jeff Parnell is a seasoned executive, growth strategist, and operator with over three decades of experience across digital and direct marketing, consumer products, ecommerce, B2B, and manufacturing. He’s served 15+ years as a CEO and now provides fractional CEO services focused on execution, exit planning, and organizational transformation.

Known for his relentless energy and deep operational insight, Jeff is the author of the upcoming book The Heart of Transition—a playbook for helping companies (and their leaders) move through stuck phases and into sustainable growth. His philosophy is simple: don’t just plan—execute. And always lead with heart.

Episode Breakdown

The Problem with “Stuck” (00:00 – 10:00)

• Why so many businesses plateau—and how to know if you're in one
• What “transition” really means in a business context
• The danger of operating without a clear growth path

The Early Years + Blazing His Own Trail (10:00 – 25:00)

• Making the numbers work in the catalog era
• Becoming a CEO with no playbook—only outcomes
• Why energy, intuition, and execution still beat theory

The Power of Interim Leadership (25:00 – 40:00)

• How Jeff steps into leadership gaps and creates clarity
• The difference between advisory and operational help
• Real stories of rebuilding, turning around, and scaling up

Systems, Succession & Scale (40:00 – 55:00)

• Why every founder should plan their own exit—even early
• How to build systems that grow beyond the founder
• What Jeff teaches CEOs about letting go without giving up

Legacy & The Heart of Transition (55:00 – 65:00)

• Jeff’s life-threatening medical scare—and what it taught him
• Why “transition” isn’t a weakness, but a superpower
• How to create lasting value that outlives your role

Summary

Jeff Parnell built his career helping companies make the hard pivots most leaders avoid. From $100M ecommerce launches to founder exits and recovery playbooks, his approach blends heart, hustle, and hardcore execution.

In a world obsessed with hypergrowth, Jeff invites us to slow down, assess, and transition with purpose. Because building something that lasts isn’t just about scale—it’s about knowing when and how to evolve.

Whether you're leading a legacy company or scaling a startup, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership, transition, and the real cost of staying stuck.

Relevant Links

🔗 Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/jeffparnell

🔗 Listen to more episodes of Culturally Sound – https://corethos.com/culturally-sound/

Overview

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with Matt Haney — founder of Sinclair Ventures — to explore what it really takes to scale as a visionary entrepreneur.

Matt’s journey has taken him from real estate investing before the 2008 crash to consumer products, private equity, and now running Sinclair Ventures, a fractional COO consultancy. His perspective is simple but rare: vision alone won’t grow a company. It takes humility to admit when you’ve tapped out, and hustle to bring in the right systems and leaders to keep moving forward.

From navigating layoffs during COVID to helping $10M+ founders step out of the chaos, Matt shares how humility, curiosity, and structure create space for growth. This conversation dives deep into leadership blind spots, the rise of AI, and why the best entrepreneurs know when to get out of their own way.

Guest Bio

Matt Haney is the founder of Sinclair Ventures, a consultancy providing fractional COO services to visionary entrepreneurs. With over 20 years of experience across real estate, consumer products, and private equity-backed companies, Matt specializes in building systems, guiding leadership teams, and bridging the gap between vision and execution. Known for his candid and curious approach, he helps small to midsize businesses scale by putting the right people in the right seats — and teaching founders the humility it takes to let go.

Episode Breakdown

Visionaries Need Operators (00:00 – 06:00)

• Why Sinclair Ventures focuses on fractional COO work
• The flooring installer who grew a $10M business — and admitted he needed help
• The humility it takes for founders to say, “I’ve gone as far as I can”

From Real Estate to Fractional COO (06:00 – 12:00)

• Matt’s early career in a family office and the 2008 financial crash
• Lessons learned from visionary leaders who had ideas but couldn’t execute alone
• The moment Matt realized his “place” was beside visionaries as their right-hand operator

Humility, Vulnerability & Candid Leadership (12:00 – 20:00)

• Why leaders who lack humility get stuck — and humble leaders thrive
• How quarterly reviews reveal blind spots and spark honest conversations
• Why candor + curiosity beat “yes-men” cultures every time

The Toughest Moments (20:00 – 27:00)

• Navigating layoffs during COVID and restructuring a company in crisis
• Why outside perspective helps leaders through their hardest calls
• The difference between leaders who adapt vs. those who spiral

AI, Data & the Future of Work (27:00 – 33:00)

• How small businesses are underusing AI
• Practical ways AI can transform analysis and decision-making
• Why curiosity and adaptability will decide who thrives in the new landscape

Success, Family & Leadership Philosophy (33:00 – 45:00)

• Matt’s three words: Curious, Humble, Playful
• Why family time defines success more than revenue
• The mantra: Stay curious, work hard, be kind

Summary

Matt Haney has built a career on pairing vision with execution. Through Sinclair Ventures, he helps entrepreneurs who’ve outgrown their businesses find structure, leadership, and clarity — without losing their spark. This episode is about more than operations; it’s about humility, vulnerability, and the kind of leadership that invites candor instead of control.

Whether you’re a founder, a second-in-command, or building your career inside a growing company, Matt’s story will shift how you see leadership — and remind you that curiosity, humility, and hustle are still the keys to growth.

Relevant Links

🔗 Connect with Matt on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattlhaney/

🔗 Listen to more episodes of Culturally Sound – https://corethos.com/culturally-sound/

Overview

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with Essi Monneus, founder of Automatreex LLC, to explore how automation and systems design are quietly reshaping the way modern businesses operate.

A certified project manager with a double master’s in IT and business, Essi has spent over a decade helping companies streamline operations, reclaim time, and scale smarter—not harder. From her early days learning to code after pivoting out of the pharmaceutical industry, to building Automatreex into a trusted optimization partner for startups and enterprises alike, Essi shares how she’s turning everyday bottlenecks into opportunities for transformation.

This episode dives deep into the hidden costs of manual work, the ethical dimensions of automation, and why creating human-centered systems is the real secret to business longevity. If you’re a founder, leader, or team builder looking to free up time and boost impact, this conversation will change the way you think about systems, leadership, and the future of work.

Guest Bio

Essi Monneus is the founder and CEO of Automatreex LLC, an agency specializing in business process optimization and automation. With certifications in PMP, Scrum, Lean Six Sigma, and expert-level mastery of tools like Monday.com, ClickUp, Asana, Make.com, and Zapier, Essi helps companies of all sizes design scalable systems that drive efficiency and growth. A passionate advocate for ethical tech and human-centered automation, Essi brings over 12 years of experience at the intersection of IT, business strategy, and operations. Her mission: help leaders reclaim time, eliminate bottlenecks, and build businesses that run smoothly—without burning out their teams.

Episode Breakdown

– From Africa to Automatreex (00:00 – 10:00)

• Essi’s childhood curiosity about tech

• Moving to the U.S. and pivoting from biotech to software

• Teaching herself to code and building her first applications

– The Rise of Automatreex (10:00 – 25:00)

• How she founded her agency

• Helping clients automate onboarding, invoicing, lead management, and more

• The real-world impact of saving 50% of time and costs

– Automation, Ethics & AI (25:00 – 40:00)

• Why AI is both a massive opportunity and a risk

• The importance of protecting client data and designing secure systems

• How AI agents and automation will reshape small business operations

– Scaling Leadership Through Systems (40:00 – 55:00)

• Why founders need systems before scaling

• How Automatreex matches tech solutions to team needs

• Building a culture of trust, clarity, and shared ownership

– Vision, Legacy & What’s Next (55:00 – 65:00)

• Essi’s upcoming self-led courses for founders

• Why she believes automation is about empowerment, not replacement

• Her personal mantra for leadership and resilience

Summary

Essi Monneus knows that behind every thriving business is a well-designed system. As the founder of Automatreex LLC, she’s on a mission to help leaders stop wasting time on repetitive tasks and start building companies that work with them, not against them. In this episode, Essi shares her journey from self-taught coder to sought-after automation expert, breaking down how ethical, human-centered systems can transform how we lead, collaborate, and grow. If you’re ready to unlock more freedom and scalability in your work, Essi’s insights will leave you inspired and ready to take action.

Relevant Links

🔗 Connect with Essi on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/essimonneus

🔗 Learn more about Automatreex – automatreex.com

🔗 Listen to more episodes of Culturally Sound – corethos.com/culturally-sound

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with Brad Beach—CEO of Jobvious and founder of Tailored Management—to explore how one of the most overlooked sectors of the workforce is about to be transformed.

Brad is a pioneer in the world of contingent labor, having spent three decades navigating the complex systems behind staffing, recruitment, and contract work. Now, he’s taking on his boldest challenge yet: disrupting a $1.3 trillion industry with a platform that turns referrals into income and networks into opportunity.

From the early days of building a global staffing firm to launching Jobvious in the middle of a broken labor landscape, Brad shares how legacy models are failing—and how his platform offers a future where talent, trust, and transparency take center stage.

If you’ve ever hired, managed, or been part of a flexible workforce, this episode will change how you think about the future of work.

Brad Beach is a thought leader and veteran entrepreneur in the contingent labor and staffing space. He founded Tailored Management over 25 years ago, growing it into a global provider of workforce solutions. Now, as the founder and CEO of Jobvious, Brad is disrupting outdated staffing models with an innovative, incentive-based platform that reimagines how companies connect with contract talent. His mission is clear: build a system that rewards people, restores trust, and redefines how modern work gets done.

– What Is Contingent Labor? (00:00 – 07:00)

• Understanding the $1.3T industry most leaders overlook

• How contract work became nearly half of the U.S. workforce

• Why most staffing models are broken

– The Origin of Jobvious (07:00 – 20:00)

• Brad’s moment of insight—inside an Uber

• What the staffing industry got wrong

• Why referrals + passive income = the future of work

– How It Works (20:00 – 35:00)

• From AI-matched referrals to network-based hiring

• How one referral can lead to $13K+ in passive income

• Why Jobvious is reshaping workplace culture, retention, and engagement

– Culture, Trust & Innovation (35:00 – 50:00)

• Building environments where people feel ownership

• The impact of platform-based work on team dynamics

• Why culture isn’t built with policies—it’s built with people

– Legacy, Leadership & the Road Ahead (50:00 – 60:00)

• What Brad learned after beating cancer

• His take on remote work, AI, and the future of leadership

• What success really means—and why he’s just getting started

Brad Beach has built a career on seeing what others miss. In a world where staffing has become transactional and rigid, he’s bringing heart, humanity, and innovation back to the equation. Jobvious isn’t just another tech platform—it’s a movement to reward relationships, decentralize opportunity, and give everyday people a stake in the future of work. Whether you lead a startup or a global workforce, Brad’s story will challenge how you think about talent, leadership, and what’s possible when we redesign systems with people in mind.

🔗 Connect with Brad on LinkedIn

🔗 Listen to more episodes of Culturally Sound

Overview

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with Dr. Kristine Gentry, cultural anthropologist and CEO of Culture Grove, to unpack what truly drives a thriving workplace culture—and why most organizations get it wrong.

With 25+ years of experience decoding human behavior, Kristine shares why real culture change doesn’t come from ping-pong tables or feel-good values—it comes from understanding the invisible systems that shape behavior, power, and trust inside organizations.

From unifying fragmented institutions to guiding C-suite leaders through transformation, she reveals how to build cultures that don’t just engage employees—they ignite performance and create real results.

Whether you lead a startup or a global team, this episode is a must-listen for anyone serious about turning culture into strategy.

Guest Bio

Dr. Kristine Gentry is a cultural anthropologist and the CEO of Culture Grove, a consultancy that helps organizations transform culture from the inside out. With a career spanning academia, executive leadership, and strategy development in complex systems, she brings a research-driven, people-first approach to sustainable organizational growth.

🔗 Connect with Kristine: linkedin.com/in/kristine-mckenzie-gentry

Episode Breakdown

– Anthropology Meets Leadership (00:00 – 10:00)

• How Kristine transitioned from academia to boardrooms

• Why anthropology is the missing lens in culture strategy

– Culture Is Infrastructure (10:00 – 20:00)

• How to move from perks to purpose

• Why most culture programs fail—and how to build ones that last

– Measuring What Matters (20:00 – 30:00)

• What high turnover and disengagement are really telling you

• Turning qualitative insight into strategic impact

– Culture in Action (30:00 – 40:00)

• Real-world case studies: from disengaged teams to award-winning cultures

• How Culture Grove drives measurable results

– The Future of Culture Work (40:00 – 50:00)

• Why culture is every leader’s responsibility

• How Kristine’s “Foundations” program creates meaningful, lasting change

Summary

Dr. Kristine Gentry doesn’t just consult on culture—she transforms it. As CEO of Culture Grove, she helps leaders cut through surface-level solutions and architect cultures rooted in clarity, trust, and human insight. If you're ready to build a workplace where people and business thrive, this conversation is your roadmap.

Relevant Links

🔗 Learn more about Culture Grove: culturegrove.com

🔗 Listen to more episodes of Culturally Sound: corethos.com/culturally-sound

Overview

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with Ross Kolodiazhnyi, a FinTech visionary and board member of Launch United, to explore the future of finance through the lens of blockchain, AI, and digital innovation.

From transforming Eastern European banking to leading crypto products with millions of users, Ross shares how he went from spreadsheets in legacy institutions to building future-proof payment systems powered by stablecoins and decentralized technology.

This episode dives deep into what’s next for global payments, how AI is redefining back-office operations, and why the best innovations start with real needs—not just big ideas. Whether you’re in finance, tech, or venture building, Ross offers an unfiltered look at scaling meaningful ventures in the most volatile markets on the planet.

Guest Bio

Ross Kolodiazhnyi is a serial entrepreneur, product strategist, and board member at Launch United. With a background spanning FinTech, blockchain, and AI, Ross has led high-growth ventures serving over 8 million users across 130 countries. He specializes in product innovation, go-to-market strategy, and building businesses that solve real-world problems at scale.

Episode Breakdown

– From Banks to Blockchain (00:00 – 07:00)

• How Ross went from legacy banking in Eastern Europe to launching crypto platforms with 6M+ users

• Spotting trends before they scale—and acting fast

– Building Products That Solve Real Problems (07:00 – 15:00)

• Why incubators need more than “cool ideas”

• How Launch United only backs products with real demand, not vanity innovation

– Stablecoins & the Future of Payments (15:00 – 25:00)

• Why traditional payments are broken

• How blockchain-based stablecoins will quietly power the next wave of global finance

– Automating Financial Operations with AI (25:00 – 35:00)

• The rise of AI-driven accounting agents

• Why transactional efficiency is the next frontier for startups and enterprises

– Principles of Sustainable Innovation (35:00 – 45:00)

• Why hype isn't strategy—and what really builds long-term ventures

• How Ross balances freedom, discipline, and impact across every venture

Summary

Ross Kolodiazhnyi doesn’t just talk innovation—he lives it. From building global crypto products to shaping the future of finance through Launch United, Ross brings a grounded, practical perspective to technology, trust, and scale. This episode is a must-listen for anyone building in FinTech, AI, or Web3.

Relevant Links

🔗 Connect with Ross on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ruslank

🔗 Listen to more episodes of Culturally Sound: corethos.com/culturally-sound

Overview

In this episode of Culturally Sound, Chandler Cutler sits down with John Tyreman, Founder of Red Cedar Marketing, to explore what it takes to build trust, relevance, and resonance in today’s B2B landscape.

With a background rooted in brand strategy, market research, and demand generation, John brings a refreshingly human approach to marketing—one that’s driven by curiosity, clarity, and connection. He breaks down how modern B2B brands can move beyond vanity metrics and lead with insight, not noise.

This conversation is about more than lead funnels and LinkedIn posts. It’s about building brands people actually believe in. Whether you’re a founder, marketer, or consultant, this episode is packed with practical ways to align your voice, your value, and your vision.

Guest Bio

John Tyreman is the Founder of Red Cedar Marketing, a consultancy helping B2B service providers build brands that break through the noise. Known for his thoughtful takes on brand awareness, positioning, and research-driven content, John is also the host of the B2B Growth Marketers podcast. His work focuses on aligning strategy with audience insight to create meaningful and measurable brand growth.

Episode Breakdown

Human-Centered Marketing (00:00 – 09:20)

• Why most B2B brands sound the same—and how to stand out
• The shift from transactional to trust-based marketing
• How to create messaging that actually lands

Research as a Brand Strategy Tool (09:20 – 17:50)

• How John uses research to uncover what buyers really want
• Turning qualitative insights into powerful positioning
• Why smart marketers treat research as an advantage

Building Brand Relevance (17:50 – 27:30)

• What it means to be “top of mind” in a saturated market
• Rethinking awareness beyond impressions and likes
• The importance of consistency and category leadership

The Content That Converts (27:30 – 35:00)

• What John’s learned from podcasting and thought leadership
• How to create content that speaks to your audience, not at them
• Balancing expertise with authenticity in every post

Marketing as Relationship-Building (35:00 – 42:00)

• Why brand is built in the moments between the sale
• The ROI of trust in long sales cycles
• What most agencies get wrong about B2B buyers

Summary

John Tyreman isn’t chasing trends—he’s helping redefine what sustainable B2B marketing looks like. This episode is a practical, insightful deep dive into building brand equity the right way: through listening, clarity, and consistent value. Whether you lead marketing or run your own firm, John’s approach will challenge how you think about growth—and remind you that the best brands don’t just sell. They connect.

Relevant Links

🔗 Connect with John on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johntyreman

🔗 Follow John on X (Twitter): x.com/John_Tyreman

🔗 Listen to more episodes of Culturally Sound: corethos.com/culturally-sound