Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we meet Jerry Cahn, CEO of Age Brilliantly—a psychologist, attorney, and serial entrepreneur on a mission to redefine longevity. Jerry shares his "Shanghai moment" of self-reflection that sparked the idea for Age Brilliantly, a platform helping people plan for 100-year lives through community, assessments like the upcoming Fulfillment Index, and multi-generational mentorship. He reveals how the company’s "8 Essentials" framework (from purpose to financial freedom) empowers members to break ageist stereotypes, citing inspiring members like 92-year-old entrepreneur Ed and 101-year-old Iris, who landed a Wall Street Journal front-page feature.

Jerry unpacks Age Brilliantly’s unique model: a future public company where members are shareholders, blending free weekly workshops with premium coaching and tools. He discusses Project Thrive, their corporate initiative addressing AI-driven workforce shifts, caregiver challenges, and the "sandwich generation." With plans to expand globally, Jerry’s advice is timeless: "Start with the assumption you’ll live to 100—how do you want to spend those opportunity years?" His "Age Brilliantly Mindset" reframes longevity as a marathon, not a sprint, where compounding growth applies to life’s 8 dimensions, not just finances.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we dive into the inspiring journey of Aaron Golub, founder of Precision Search. Aaron, the first legally blind athlete to play Division I football at Tulane University and a former NFL free agent, shares how his unique background shaped his entrepreneurial mindset. He discusses how Precision Search revolutionizes SEO accessibility through programmatic SEO, automating long-tail keyword strategies to help businesses—from speakers to e-commerce brands—boost their online presence efficiently. Aaron also opens up about founder-led sales, overcoming challenges in SaaS, and his vision for scaling Precision Search into an 8-9 figure company.

Aaron’s pragmatic approach to learning (like mastering ads before outsourcing) and resilience (“don’t be afraid to fail”) offer gold for aspiring entrepreneurs. He breaks down Precision Search’s $500/month SaaS model, ideal clients (WordPress/Shopify users), and acquisition strategies (cold outreach, SEO, and upcoming ads). The conversation explores the future of SEO amid AI, affiliate partnerships, and why understanding every business lever is key to scaling.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Alexa Szymanowski, founder of The Elevated Social, a boutique content marketing agency helping founders and creatives turn video content into predictable revenue. Alexa shares her unconventional journey from psychology grad to agency CEO—including how a layoff pushed her to bet on herself. She reveals her agency’s 3-tiered offer system (from high-ticket retainers to DIY templates) and why niching your services (not just your client) is key for early-stage growth.

Alexa dives into her lead-gen playbook (LinkedIn, email newsletters, and free resources) and why Montana’s "slow" market forced her to expand nationally. She also shares hard-won lessons on overcoming self-doubt, pricing confidently, and why delegation is the secret to scaling. For new founders, her advice is golden: "Trust yourself sooner—what you don’t know, you’ll figure out."

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Dr. Melody Garcia, founder and CEO of Soul Script Global, a transformative consultancy empowering leaders in business, legacy leadership, and ethical impact. Dr. Garcia shares her journey from corporate America to entrepreneurship, revealing how her unique framework—combining Six Sigma, trauma-informed care, and emotional intelligence—helps Fortune 100 companies, governments, and changemakers achieve sustainable growth. She discusses the challenges of transitioning from structured corporate life to the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship and the importance of mindset, heartset, and soulset in leadership.

Dr. Garcia also dives into her mission of reducing human suffering through strategic consulting, her high-level networking strategies (including meetings with global leaders), and why AI can’t replace human emotional intelligence in business. She offers invaluable advice for new entrepreneurs, emphasizing the need for evidence-based mentorship, innovative thinking, and mastering the art of communication in high-stakes environments.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm chats with Gavin Hewitson, founder of In-box, an email marketing agency helping e-commerce and B2B businesses maximize ROI through automation and CRM strategies. Gavin shares his unconventional journey from touring stand-up comedian to email marketing entrepreneur, revealing how he landed his first clients by sending 600 personalized Loom videos. He breaks down his agency’s unique approach to cold email campaigns, lead nurturing, and high-converting automations—proving that email is far from dead.

Gavin also dives into his growth strategies, including aggressive personal branding (daily LinkedIn/Twitter posts, YouTube content) and leveraging Upwork automation to land big clients. He shares hard-earned lessons on pricing confidently, avoiding unnecessary co-founders, and why entrepreneurship is as much about personal growth as profit. For new agency owners, his advice is simple: charge more, document your journey, and focus on predictable lead flow.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Adam Walter, President of Humanize IT, to explore how his unique SaaS platform is transforming MSPs (Managed Service Providers) from tech support into strategic business advisors. Adam shares his journey from corporate sysadmin to fractional CIO, revealing how identifying gaps in client communication led him to develop software that automatically compiles project data into actionable insights. He discusses the shift from expensive conference marketing to organic growth through podcasts and newsletters, and why Humanize IT's "done-with-you" coaching model helps MSPs demonstrate value beyond just fixing tech issues.

Adam dives into his vision for the next 12 months, including groundbreaking features like automated client email digests and partnerships with enterprise MSP networks. He offers hard-won advice for entrepreneurs about staying focused amidst market noise ("run the Coldplay") and the importance of deep market research before building solutions. Tune in for insights on balancing product development with customer education, and why Adam believes the future of MSP success lies in human relationships rather than technical prowess alone.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Del Barajas, founder and CEO of B5 Marketing, to explore his entrepreneurial journey from revitalizing his family's restaurant to building a thriving digital marketing agency. Del shares how his mother's struggles as a small business owner inspired him to launch B5 Marketing in 2006, which now helps businesses of all sizes with AI-driven strategies, web development, and data-powered growth. He emphasizes the importance of transparency in client relationships and adapting to industry shifts, revealing how their flagship "B5 AI Drive" product transforms websites into first-party data aggregators for smarter marketing.

Del dives into his philosophy of "just starting" despite imperfections, detailing how B5 Marketing's services evolved organically from client needs—from one-off media projects to retainers. He discusses balancing solopreneurship with scaling, the power of attention-based marketing in today's landscape, and tools like ChatGPT-4 and Opus Clip that streamline operations. Tune in for insights on building trust through delivery and why adaptability is the key to longevity in digital marketing.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Anita Nielsen, founder and president of LDK Advisory Services, to explore her journey from corporate sales enablement to building a psychology-driven training business. Anita shares how quitting her job over a 60-slide presentation sparked her mission to replace one-size-fits-all sales training with customized solutions, leading to her bestselling book Beat the Bots and flagship programs like the Psyched to Sell masterclass. She reveals how her 11-year referral-based business is now pivoting to scalable content strategies while maintaining the human connection that makes her approach unique.

Anita dives into the future of sales enablement, arguing that AI advancements make human skills like empathy and active listening more valuable than ever. She discusses balancing solopreneurship with growth, her plans to systemize LDK's culture during scaling, and why protecting client relationships remains non-negotiable. Tune in for insights on leveraging psychology in sales, knowing when to automate vs. stay hands-on, and why "value is in the eye of the buyer" should guide every founder's decisions.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Peter Nicholson, founder of Skinny, to explore how this lean creative studio is disrupting traditional agency models. Peter shares how decades as a Chief Creative Officer at top agencies led him to launch Skinny in 2023, offering flexible, AI-powered brand solutions for funded startups and mid-size companies underserved by conventional firms. He reveals why rejecting retainers for project-based work and maintaining hands-on involvement with just 4-5 clients at a time allows Skinny to deliver faster, more customized results while preserving creative integrity.

Peter dives into the future of retail marketing, arguing traditional retailers must shift from being destinations to "going to the people" through micro-audience strategies and platform-native content. He discusses Skinny's proprietary AI tools that amplify small budgets, why he turns down clients who aren't ready to fix their customer journeys first, and the non-negotiable rule that keeps him fulfilled: only working with brands he genuinely believes in. Tune in for insights on balancing scalability with creative control and why temporary challenges are worth the freedom of founder-led work.

 In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Gordon Duncan, founder of Capitalized Marketing and Consulting, to explore his unique "done-with-you" approach to marketing. Gordon shares his journey from English teacher to pastor to marketing entrepreneur, revealing how his educational background shaped his agency's philosophy of empowering clients through coaching while providing full-service support. He discusses the challenges of balancing local roots with national expansion, and why his North American-based calling service and daily 7 AM client videos create unmatched results for real estate agents and small businesses.

Gordon dives into his counterintuitive approach of prioritizing organic growth over paid ads, explaining how his team produces 450 pieces of content weekly to prove marketing concepts work. He shares hard-won lessons about economic resilience, including his pivot to 90-day trial programs during market downturns, and offers sage advice for new entrepreneurs: "No amount of social media matters if you're not actually touching real people." Tune in for insights on building personal brands that convert, and why Gordon believes health and positivity are non-negotiable for business success.