Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, we explore the inspiring journey of Stephen Ingalls, CEO of Catalyzer, Inc., as he shares how he built a thriving leadership development firm from humble beginnings. Starting with just $883.50 from each of three co-founders, Steve discusses Catalyzer’s bootstrapped growth, achieving a consistent 15% year-over-year increase, and their unique approach to crafting tailored leadership programs that prioritize organizational needs over one-size-fits-all solutions. He also highlights the importance of working with companies that value their people and reveals key strategies behind their impressive 32.7% close rate on cold meetings.

Steve delves into the challenges of scaling a consulting business while maintaining quality, emphasizing the role of systems, processes, and hiring for character over expertise. Drawing from his West Point background, he explains why Catalyzer chose to remain an elite boutique firm rather than competing with industry giants and shares valuable insights on revenue targets, lead generation, and building people-centered organizations from the ground up. His story is a testament to the power of resilience, strategic planning, and staying true to core values in business.

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Karyn Vadnais, we dive deep into the entrepreneurial journey of Bob Reish, founder of Caveat Institute and certified business coach with over 17,000 hours of coaching experience. Bob shares his unique path from electronics student to master trainer, revealing how early setbacks in basketball and technical work ultimately led him to discover his true calling in coaching and leadership development. He discusses his philosophy of helping leaders transition "from success to significance" and explains why he's built his entire business model around serving others first rather than traditional lead generation tactics.

Throughout the conversation, Bob emphasizes the power of authentic relationships and his "network excellence" system, which has allowed him to build a thriving coaching practice without buying leads or making cold calls for over 20 years. He addresses the challenges facing the coaching industry, particularly the influx of unqualified practitioners, and stresses the importance of finding coaches who truly understand and listen to their clients. Bob also reveals his commitment to transparency by only teaching what he actively implements in his own businesses, and discusses his long-term relationship with his own coach, demonstrating that even successful coaches need guidance and accountability to continue growing.

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Karyn Vadnais, we dive deep into the world of experiential marketing with Grant Di Mille, president and founder of Sweeter. Grant shares his fascinating journey from spending over 20 years in traditional advertising with luxury brands to pivoting into mobile experiential marketing after the 2008 economic downturn. What started as a failed attempt at the mobile food business transformed into a pioneering concept that uses food trucks and custom vehicles as platforms for creating unforgettable brand experiences for clients like Spotify, MobileOne, and Megan Thee Stallion.

Grant reveals how Sweeter has evolved from word-of-mouth referrals to a boutique agency that specializes in creating authentic consumer-brand connections through innovative mobile experiences. He discusses the company's recent investment in glass wall trucks that can transform into anything from Broadway scenes to Prada boutiques, their expansion into national tours beyond their New York base, and their focus on fashion and beauty brands. Throughout the conversation, Grant emphasizes the importance of maintaining authentic human connections in an increasingly digital world, explaining how experiential marketing creates two-way conversations between brands and consumers while generating valuable social media content and brand loyalty.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Hady Mendez, founder of Boldly Speaking LLC, a Latina-owned business that empowers women and people of color through DEI-focused coaching, workshops, and speaking engagements. With over 20 years of corporate experience at companies like JPMorgan Chase, BNY Mellon, and Slack, Hady shares her journey from being "the first or the few or the only" in corporate rooms to building a mission-driven venture after her layoff from Salesforce. She discusses how her business has evolved from trying to solve every problem to finding her niche in empowering Latinas and women of color, and how she's built authentic relationships on LinkedIn with nearly 14,000 followers.

Hady opens up about the challenges of entrepreneurship, revealing that consistency in her business only began in the last six months after years of adaptation and resilience. She shares her revenue model that serves both corporations seeking to elevate their ERG leaders and individual coaching clients, while maintaining authenticity and transparency in all her interactions. The conversation covers her upcoming book launch in September, her approach to scaling through higher-value services rather than working harder, and her philosophy of building a diverse team of fellow Latinas. Hady emphasizes the importance of remaining steadfast, asking for help, and staying true to your mission while adapting to market needs.

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we dive deep into the journey of Dr. Michael Grosser, founder of Able Workplaces. Dr. Grosser brings over 20 years of international experience in diplomacy and organizational psychology, including a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology with a focus on interpersonal trust. His unique background spans work across 10+ countries with international organizations, embassies, and global firms, including leading major projects like workplace stress studies for 10,000 employees and national culture transformation programs during post-conflict recovery.

Founded in 2020 and based in New York, Able Workplaces is revolutionizing workplace culture through what Dr. Grosser calls "trust intelligence" - a productized approach to measuring and building interpersonal trust in high-stakes leadership environments. Moving away from traditional consulting models, the company is developing a three-tiered system: digital PDF toolkits, AI-enabled trust diagnostics and dashboards, and eventually SaaS licensing platforms. Dr. Grosser discusses the critical trust crisis facing modern workplaces (citing that only 24% of Americans trust company leadership), his strategic pivot from traditional coaching to technology-driven solutions, and his vision for scaling the business to $250K in year one while addressing what he calls the "broken" state of white-collar work environments.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Jon McGlothian, president and co-founder of TMOG Learning Center. Jon shares his journey from a military background with the 3rd Ranger Battalion to Fortune 500 corporate executive, and ultimately to founding his training and consulting organization in 2010. TMOG Learning Center provides specialized training in project management, Lean Six Sigma, and leadership development to both organizations and individuals, with a unique focus on serving the military community in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

What sets TMOG apart is their dual-benefit approach - delivering immediate organizational results while ensuring employees gain portable skills they can take with them throughout their careers. Jon discusses the challenges of building awareness in the training industry, overcoming trust issues from past negative experiences, and creating a supportive ecosystem where former students become customers, contractors, and even employees. He emphasizes the importance of staying close to clients, maintaining post-training relationships, and using the hero's journey framework to guide their approach to helping individuals and organizations achieve their professional development goals.

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Ammar Elm, we dive deep into the entrepreneurial journey of Christoph von Dühren, founder of CRACK1M.IO (formerly Growthbase), a specialized consultancy focused on helping B2B SaaS and Fintech startups break through the crucial $1 million ARR milestone. Christoph shares his transition from IT consulting for banks to building his own consultancy, including the challenges he faced during the crypto crisis and FTX collapse that severely impacted his target market. He explains his strategic decision to niche down specifically to complex B2B products in the SaaS and Fintech space, working primarily with early-stage companies that have often been "burned" by previous attempts at scaling.

The conversation explores Christoph's systematic approach to building scalable revenue systems for founders, his 12-18 month engagement model that transforms chaotic founder-led processes into structured playbooks, and his philosophy of working only with committed clients who understand the critical importance of proper distribution strategies. Operating as a solopreneur from Thailand, Christoph discusses his content-driven lead generation strategy, the challenges of educating European founders about systematic approaches to growth, and his vision for continuing to do work that energizes him while helping founders achieve sustainable success in an increasingly cautious economic environment.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Maximillian Porter, founder of Techify Agency, to explore his unique journey from psychology graduate to AI automation entrepreneur. After graduating from the University of Utah with a psychology background, Maximillian made a bold decision to leave a stable physical therapy franchise opportunity and drive seven hours to Salt Lake City with just enough money for rent and a vision to leverage AI in business. His "raw dog" drive in silence led to the breakthrough realization that businesses were losing massive revenue from leads who simply wouldn't answer phone calls, inspiring him to create an AI-powered SMS system that mimics human behavior to re-engage cold leads.

Maximillian shares how Techify Agency has revolutionized lead follow-up processes across multiple industries including roofing, solar, home services, mortgages, and real estate by using behavioral psychology integrated with AI to create natural, sales-trained text conversations. Operating on a pay-per-performance model, his AI system reaches out to "dead" leads after 48 hours, engages them in human-like conversations, handles objections, and books callbacks for sales teams. From his initial warm network outreach to his strategic LinkedIn prospecting approach focused on building genuine relationships with successful entrepreneurs, Maximillian discusses his plans to scale through strategic partnerships and his exciting pivot into the multifamily real estate space with AI leasing agents.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Gabriela Fiorentino, founder of Nest Earth, a consultancy and community at the intersection of sustainability, wellness, and impact investment. Gabriela shares her journey from architecture and urban design to creating Nest Earth, which was sparked by becoming a mother and feeling overwhelmed by the lack of eco-conscious support for parents. What started as a desire to create healthier homes for families has evolved into a comprehensive offering that includes both community resources and one-on-one consultancy services for parents with children ages 0-5.

Throughout the conversation, Gabriela discusses her dual business model, which includes an accessible community platform that serves as a "do-it-yourself" resource with expert guidance, and higher-touch consultancy services that typically run for three months and focus on creating healthier living spaces. She also reveals her expansion into working with small businesses and schools, recognizing the opportunity to help local establishments implement sustainable practices that save money while creating customer loyalty. Gabriela emphasizes the importance of starting before you're ready and gaining clarity through action, while sharing her goals of reaching consistent $20K+ monthly revenue and building authority in the sustainable living space.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Amar Elm sits down with Dr. E. Keith Murvin, CEO of Bright Future Group, LLC, a consultancy dedicated to empowering frontline managers with confidence, resilience, and high-impact leadership. Dr. Murvin brings a unique perspective from his extensive background spanning military service, HR leadership, academia, and strategic consulting. He identifies a critical gap in organizational development: frontline managers are often promoted based on technical skills rather than leadership capabilities, leaving them under-supported yet fully accountable for team results, engagement, and compliance.

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Murvin outlines his comprehensive approach to addressing this challenge through his book "Balance and Engage: The Front Line Manager's Playbook" and the self-paced Effectiveness Blueprint training program. His business model serves both individual frontline managers seeking professional development and organizations looking to scale leadership training across multiple managers. With a goal of reaching 10,000 subscription users over the next 12 months, Dr. Murvin focuses primarily on healthcare, government, and logistics sectors where frontline management support is most critically needed. He emphasizes the importance of providing over 100 practical tools and tips that managers can use long after completing the training, setting his approach apart from traditional leadership development programs.