Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, we sit down with Burton G, owner and CEO of WordAgents, a remote content agency bringing human expertise to AI-powered SEO. Burton shares his unconventional journey into entrepreneurship through acquisition—buying an existing business rather than starting from scratch—and the challenges of pivoting a content agency in the age of ChatGPT. He reveals why he’s betting on a "human-in-the-loop" approach to SEO, combining AI efficiency with veteran writers’ insights to create content that stands out in an increasingly automated landscape.

Burton opens up about the realities of buying a business, including underestimated hurdles like building a network from scratch and refining an offer in a shifting market. He discusses his focus on serving small business owners transitioning from referral-based growth to inbound leads, and why he’s prioritizing offer refinement over aggressive lead gen—for now. For aspiring acquisition entrepreneurs, his advice is stark yet optimistic: "Trust people, but verify everything… and accept that some risks are worth taking."

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we sit down with Caroline Fitz-Roy, CEO and founder of Fitz-Roy & Associates, a recruitment firm specializing in executive search and clinical hiring for mission-driven healthcare startups and social enterprises. Caroline shares her journey from Fortune 500 companies to launching her own firm, the unique challenges of recruiting for high-impact organizations, and her vision for scaling a purpose-driven business in an evolving industry. She also dives into the future of recruitment, the role of AI, and why deep human connections will always be at the heart of successful hiring.

Caroline discusses how she’s transforming leadership hiring for mental health and healthcare startups, the importance of aligning talent with mission-driven work, and her strategies for navigating a competitive market. She offers invaluable advice for job seekers and founders alike—emphasizing the power of direct outreach, relationship-building, and staying ahead of industry shifts. Whether you're scaling a startup or looking to make a career move with impact, this episode is packed with insights on recruiting, leadership, and building a business with purpose. 

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Anatalia Macik, founder of Conda Consulting, a strategic firm revolutionizing how businesses win federal contracts through cohesive messaging and process optimization. Anatalia shares her unexpected entrepreneurial journey—from being laid off in 2023 to building a consultancy that bridges the gap between marketing, sales, and proposal development for government contractors. She reveals how her "holistic storytelling" approach helps clients align their brand narrative across departments, turning disjointed efforts into winning strategies that have secured multi-million dollar contracts.

Anatalia dives into the challenges of solopreneurship in the federal contracting space, where agility and adaptability are paramount amid constant policy shifts. She discusses her plans to scale Conda Consulting by systemizing her proprietary frameworks while maintaining the human touch that makes her proposals stand out—including her innovative use of AI-powered tools like VisibleThread to analyze and strengthen bid documents. For any founder navigating the complex world of government contracting, Anatalia offers hard-won wisdom on why consistency in messaging isn't just nice-to-have, but the difference between winning bids and costly misses.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we sit down with Thomas Sephakis, founder and CEO of Intelligent Staffing Company, a global workforce solutions firm operating in 55+ countries. With 32 years in the staffing industry, Thomas shares how he evolved from a regional perm-placement shop to a full-service powerhouse offering temp staffing, retained executive search, payroll, and employer-of-record services. He reveals why staffing is "the most lucrative business you can be in"—but also one of the hardest, requiring relentless adaptation to economic cycles, AI disruption, and the human element of matching talent with purpose.

Thomas dives into post-Covid recovery strategies, including his pivot to "full-desk" recruiters who sell and recruit, and why healthcare (especially OT/PT roles), accounting, and cybersecurity are today’s hottest markets. He also shares hard-won lessons on leadership: why turnover was zero for his first decade, how to weather industry storms (like the RPO decline due to AI), and why "don’t ask your team to do what you won’t" is his non-negotiable rule. For entrepreneurs, his advice is simple: "Persistence beats resistance—never take ‘no’ as the final answer."

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Bob Graham, founder of SpearPoint, a unique service helping entrepreneurs transform their expertise into powerful lead-generating books. With 30+ years as an English teacher at Johns Hopkins and a journalism background, Bob reveals how he helps clients craft books that position them as thought leaders - like the financial advisor whose book brought in 4 new high-net-worth clients in one month. He shares his "book therapy" approach, where deep-dive interviews help business owners uncover stories they didn't even realize made them unique, turning their knowledge into compelling narratives that attract ideal clients.

Bob discusses the surprising scalability of his niche service, currently aiming for 4 books/month, and his experiments with systematizing the process while maintaining the human touch that makes his books resonate. He drops golden insights on why most business books fail ("they're written for the author, not the audience") and how his $7,500-$35,000 books deliver ROI by getting entrepreneurs on stages, into media, and in front of dream clients. For any founder who's thought "I'm not expert enough to write a book," Bob's passionate case for why your story matters will change your mind.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Marcie Shelton, founder and CEO of Leaders Partner, a leadership coaching and strategy consultancy dedicated to transforming organizations through intentional leadership development. Marcie shares her journey from corporate America burnout to building a purpose-driven business, sparked by her move to Sacramento during the pandemic. She reveals how her "slow and steady" approach—focusing on community building and authentic connections—laid the foundation for her consulting success, while also discussing her innovative second venture, Give to Lead, which reimagines corporate philanthropy by replacing traditional marketing swag with nonprofit donations.

Marcie dives into her philosophy of leadership transformation, emphasizing that real change starts when leaders humbly recognize their role in organizational challenges. She explains her tailored coaching approach, from one-on-one executive sessions to organizational roadmaps built on data-driven insights. With refreshing honesty, Marcie reflects on the balance between scalability and personal fulfillment in consulting, advocating for a "medium pace" that prioritizes impact over burnout. Her dual mission—helping leaders thrive while diverting marketing waste to nonprofits—showcases her unique blend of pragmatism and purpose.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Steve Rix, founder and CEO of Playlab, a company revolutionizing workplace culture through the power of play. Steve shares his deeply personal journey—from battling depression after business failures and divorce to a life-changing moment on a Hawaiian beach where two children asked, "Hey mister, do you want to play?"—which sparked his mission to integrate play into corporate environments. He explains how Playlab helps companies boost engagement, innovation, and well-being through immersive, data-driven "play experiments" that uncover employee insights while fostering joy.

Steve dives into the neuroscience behind play, revealing how curiosity and dopamine-driven engagement can transform workplaces. He discusses Playlab’s unique approach, from virtual murder-mystery team-building exercises to helping leaders create psychologically safe, high-performance cultures. With clients like Virgin and a focus on companies prioritizing employee well-being, Steve’s vision is clear: "Until you’re as excited to show up on Monday as you are to leave on Friday, Playlab hasn’t done its job."

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Christopher Flowers, founder of the Here's The Deal Podcast and video marketing strategist. Chris shares his journey from a 30-year career in commercial finance to empowering entrepreneurs through authentic, cost-effective video marketing. He discusses the importance of proactive business strategies, storytelling, and building genuine connections in an AI-driven world.

Christopher emphasizes the power of video content in helping small businesses stand out without massive marketing budgets. He reveals his approach to making clients feel comfortable on camera, his vision for scaling his agency, and why thinking "three moves ahead" is crucial for long-term success. From military discipline to business growth, Chris offers actionable insights for founders looking to elevate their brand.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jay Encarnacion sits down with David Fradin, founder of Spice Catalyst and veteran product leader behind Apple’s first PC hard drive and HP’s golden era. With 47 years of experience, David reveals how his "SPICE" framework (Strategy, Processes, Information, Customer Understanding, and Employee Competencies) tackles the trillion-dollar problem of product failure—35% of new products flop annually. He shares how Spice Catalyst’s training and consulting empower companies like Cisco and Capital One to build "insanely great products," while debunking myths about product management (hint: it’s not project management).

David also discusses his global impact—from transforming product education in India to nearly having his book adopted across Chinese schools—and his crusade to rebrand "Product Managers" as "Product Success Managers." He emphasizes values-driven leadership (learned from HP and Apple) as the bedrock of long-term growth and why granular customer insights—not just "jobs to be done"—are the key to product-market fit.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Shri Kanase, founder of Yoru Marketing, to explore how he transformed his own e-commerce struggles into a thriving Google Ads agency. Shri shares his journey from flipping garage items to scaling 7-figure brands—and how frustration with impersonal agencies led him to launch Yoru in 2021. He reveals his "anti-AI" approach to e-commerce marketing, emphasizing human-centric strategies that prioritize profitability over automation, and how his organic content engine (YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter) fuels predictable growth despite platform volatility.

Shri breaks down Yoru’s unique "two-call" sales process (with a 60–70% close rate) and why he trains media buyers—not traditional closers—to handle technical client consultations. He also discusses the agency’s 15–20% monthly growth targets, the pitfalls of comparing your journey to others’, and his bold prediction: as competitors rush to AI, Yoru’s custom, human-driven service will stand out even more.