Founders and Empanadas

Founders and Empanadas

By NeoWorkBusinessEntrepreneurship
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Founders and Empanadas episodes

  • How To Not Destroy Yourself While Building Your Company, With Ryan Vaughn, CEO of Inside Out Leadership

    Meet Ryan Vaughn - coach, CEO at Inside-Out Leadership. Over 15 years, he founded and led three companies. His last venture, VNN, became the largest and fastest-growing high school sports marketing platform in the US. He raised $20M from leading VCs, building a team of over 100 employees and scaling VNN to capture nearly 20% of the US market. From pitching to scaling and managing hyper-growth, Ryan's lived the full startup lifecycle.

    But behind the scenes, Ryan struggled with tying his self-worth to his company's success. After a tough exit from VNN, he set out on a journey of self-discovery and learned to build companies as a true expression of himself. Now, as a coach, he helps other founders navigate the difficulties of startup life and personal growth.
    In this episode, Ryan breaks down the mental and emotional battles that many startup founders fight in private. As someone who's been in the trenches myself, I appreciated Ryan's honesty and vulnerability. From burnout to the illusion of control, identity crises, and the power of authenticity, Ryan's journey mirrors the hidden struggles many of us face.

    43 min
  • A Deep-Dive Q+A With Joshua Eidelman, The Founder of NeoWork

    This episode is a bit different from our usual format. Instead of hosting a guest, Joshua Eidelman, CEO at NeoWork, is taking the hot seat to address the questions that have been hitting my DMs.

    From the strategic advantages of outsourcing to the challenges of managing remote teams across different cultures, he delves into the nitty-gritty of building and scaling a business, and also touch on some of the personal challenges that come with being a founder, including managing mental health and finding support networks.
    Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur looking to optimize your operations or a first-time founder navigating the complexities of starting a business, this Q&A session will give you some practical insights and actionable advice.

    11 min
  • From Writer to $1M Closer: The Sales Tactics That Saved Rob Hoffman’s Career

    Starting as a writer, Rob Hoffman’s career took a turn when he jumped into sales at a startup, closing $500,000 in his first year and doubling that the next. This was the foundation for co-founding Contact Studios, where Rob serves as CEO and leverages his blend of content expertise and sales acumen to help marketers scale their content production without increasing headcount.

    In this episode, Rob discusses the emotional rollercoaster of balancing sales with other startup duties, the power of authenticity in closing deals, and the art of leveraging diverse skills in the sales process. Rob's insights on his current challenge – transitioning from being the primary salesperson to building a dedicated sales team – offer lessons for founders trying to scale themselves out of wearing all the hats.
    Key topics we cover:
    - The emotional toll of sales and the importance of self-care
    - Mastering the art of question-based selling
    - Harnessing authenticity and showmanship in sales calls
    - Leveraging diverse skills, like writing, in the sales process
    - Strategies for transitioning out of founder-led sales

    37 min
  • Inside the [Hive] Mind of beehiiv’s CEO, Tyler Denk

    This week's episode features Tyler Denk, the brilliant mind behind beehiiv. If you aren’t familiar, Tyler's journey is one that's sure to inspire - from teaching himself how to code and founding his first company, VentureStorm, to playing an instrumental role in Morning Brew's incredible growth and $75 million exit. Now, as the CEO and Co-Founder of beehiiv, Tyler is empowering creators and publishers to engage with their audiences like never before.

    If you're looking for practical advice, entertaining stories, and an unfiltered look at the journey of building a successful company, you won't want to miss this episode.
    Key Topics:
    - Be Your Authentic Self to Create an Awesome Remote Culture
    - Tap into the Superpowers of a Global Team
    - Embrace Transparency to Build Genuine Connections
    - Stay Nimble as You Grow
    - Celebrate Your Users' Wins

    41 min
  • Product Launches & Sustainable Business Practices Through the Lens of Crowdfunding Expert Mark Pecota

    In this very special first episode of Founders & Empanadas, I had the pleasure of chatting with Mark Pecota, the CEO and Co-Founder of LaunchBoom. Mark's journey in crowdfunding started back in 2013 with the EcoQube campaign on Kickstarter and he has since helped clients raise over $100 million across 40+ countries. He also wrote the best-selling book Crowdfunded (seriously, just search "crowdfunding" on Amazon).

    Mark went deep into the world of product launches and building sustainable businesses. While we talked a lot about crowdfunding, Mark's insights apply to broader challenges faced by founders today. We got into building momentum before a launch, understanding your audience, and adapting when the market throws you a curveball. What I found particularly interesting was Mark's journey from running a general marketing agency to focusing specifically on crowdfunding - it's a great example of how finding your niche can lead to some pretty amazing things.
    If you're curious about the ins and outs of successful product launches or just looking for some fresh perspectives on growing a business, I think you'll find our chat with Mark both insightful and relatable.
    Here are the key insights we explored in this episode:
    — The Power of Pre-Launch Preparation in Ensuring Campaign Success
    — Shifting Focus to Customer-Centric Storytelling for Effective Marketing
    — Leveraging Technology to Scale While Maintaining Personalized Service
    — Building Sustainable Businesses Beyond Initial Campaign Success
    — Adapting to Market Shifts and Economic Changes

    42 min

About Founders and Empanadas

From the publisher's feed

Hey, I'm Joshua Eidelman, Founder and CEO of NeoWork. Throughout my career, I've explored the hidden challenges founders face. From creating an AR startup to working at Bird during hypergrowth, I've…