Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, we sit down with James Hilovsky, founder and CEO of The Fran Dream, a franchise consulting firm dedicated to helping aspiring entrepreneurs find the perfect franchise opportunities. With over 20 years of experience in the fast-food industry—including scaling a single franchise location to over 100 units—James shares his journey from corporate leadership to empowering others, particularly retired athletes, through franchise ownership. He breaks down his unique, no-cost-to-clients business model (where he’s paid by franchisors) and the challenges of navigating long sales cycles, tire-kickers, and lead generation in this niche space.

James reveals his strategies for building a robust pipeline through franchise portals, LinkedIn, and networking at events like golf tournaments, while also discussing his vision for scaling The Fran Dream further. He offers golden advice for aspiring franchise owners: “Bet on yourself—most entrepreneurs wish they’d done it sooner.” Whether you’re curious about franchising, seeking a playbook-driven business model, or looking to pivot into entrepreneurship, this episode is packed with actionable insights on turning franchise dreams into reality.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Karyn Vadnais, we dive into the entrepreneurial journey of Virginie "Ginny" Delaitre, the visionary founder and CEO of VDS Digital Agency. Ginny shares how she transformed her award-winning UX marketing agency from a design-focused startup into a pioneering force in user-centric digital strategies. With her proprietary UX Marketing methodology, she reveals how blending AI, data analytics, and human expertise creates seamless customer experiences that drive long-term growth for B2B and B2C clients 35.

Ginny gets candid about the pivotal moments that shaped her business—from overcoming the limitations of a referral-based model to developing in-house AI tools that streamline content creation for 40+ social media accounts. She emphasizes the non-negotiables of agency success: upfront payments ("If you don’t give me a dollar, I don’t exist"), ruthless subscription audits (after facing $1,000/month in tool costs), and her upcoming keynote at the 8th Global Conference on Women’s Rise, where she’ll champion UX Marketing as a foundation for female entrepreneurs 110. For founders scaling service businesses, Ginny’s hard-won advice on pricing, client acquisition, and systematizing growth offers a masterclass in resilience.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, we sit down with Dr. Tim J. Smith, the physicist-turned-pricing-guru behind Wiglaf Pricing, who reveals how he's helping Fortune 500 companies like Siemens and Medtronic unlock millions through strategic pricing. With his new AI-powered tool Signi (launching at $500/user/month), Tim is democratizing price segmentation analysis—allowing manufacturers and tech firms to predict negotiated prices instantly without the million-dollar enterprise software implementations. The conversation peels back layers of pricing strategy most founders never consider, from commercial policy design to the surprising size of pricing teams at major corporations (200+ specialists at companies like WM and JB Hunt).

Tim shares hard-won lessons from 24 years in the pricing trenches—including why ChatGPT will never disrupt this space ("your pricing data is your crown jewels") and how economic uncertainty impacts consulting demand. For founders scaling in 2025, he offers a crucial distinction between "forced" vs. "choice" entrepreneurs, emphasizing network-building and constant experimentation over rigid planning. Listeners get an insider's look at Tim's academic rigor (he still teaches at DePaul University) meeting startup hustle as he validates Signi's MVP—proving even PhD-level pricing strategies can be productized for daily use.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Karyn Vadnais, we sit down with Rusty Tugman, founder of Rusty Tugman Coaching and Consulting, as he shares his unconventional journey from accidental entrepreneur to ICF-certified leadership coach. What began as a favor for a friend struggling with team dynamics blossomed into a thriving side business, with Rusty revealing how he maintains quality by intentionally limiting himself to just 3 clients at a time. He breaks down his signature 6-session coaching framework (spaced every other week) and why giving clients "off-ramps" creates better outcomes than rigid long-term contracts.

Rusty offers rare insights for service-based entrepreneurs on balancing passion projects with full-time work, including the unexpected advantage of selective client intake ("The luxury of saying no"). As the conversation turns to AI's impact on coaching, he shares how he's proactively experimenting with emerging tools while staying grounded in the human connection that makes coaching transformative. For anyone considering the leap from employee to entrepreneur, Rusty's measured approach to scaling—and his hard-won advice to "focus on adding value, but first know your value"—provides a refreshing alternative to hustle culture.

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Karyn Vadnais, Jeff Kinsey (aka "Ski"), the visionary behind RhinoGATOR_ai, shares his entrepreneurial evolution from newspaper advertising to revolutionizing AI-powered marketing solutions. He reveals how his 2009 job board concept—which outperformed Monster by 10x—paved the way for his current platform, integrating seven language models to combat the "feast or famine" cycle for solo entrepreneurs. Ski breaks down his "Theory of Constraints" philosophy, emphasizing fixing the weakest link to help clients double revenue in 90 days, while offering candid insights into scaling challenges ("We're one and three-quarter people right now") and his ambitious goal to make RhinoGATOR the go-to tool for marketing agencies within a year 1.

The conversation explores Ski’s contrarian advice for aspiring founders ("Buy a franchise first"), the mechanics of AI agent technology (including CAPTCHA-solving capabilities), and the future of automated lead generation. He also highlights marketing’s "5th P"—the "Purple Cow" of remarkability—as the key differentiator for thriving businesses. Listeners gain a rare glimpse into the intersection of AI innovation and entrepreneurial grit, with Ski’s roadmap targeting waitlist demand in 90 days and beyond. 

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Karyn Vadnais, we meet Bob Britz, the entrepreneurial force behind Career Coach Services, who reveals how his childhood candy bar sales hustle evolved into a nationwide career coaching empire. Bob shares his unconventional journey from 4 different careers to solving the universal job search problem: "People weren't seeing resumes or making decisions." He breaks down his behavior-driven methodology that achieves a 100% success rate for clients landing jobs through his networking system, while exposing the pitfalls of AI-generated resumes flooding the market today.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, we dive into the inspiring journey of Jennifer Perri, founder and CEO of SHERO Life & Empowerment Coaching,LLC. Jennifer shares her powerful story of overcoming an abusive marriage, financial struggles, and a life-threatening battle with Guillain-Barré syndrome to become a certified divorce coach, financial therapist, and five-time bestselling author. She discusses her mission to help women navigate life’s toughest transitions through her unique CAPE method—Clarity and Confidence, Alignment and Authenticity, Passion and Purpose, and Empowered Execution—and her new affordable membership community, the Rise and Thrive Society.

Jennifer opens up about her evolution from one-on-one coaching to scalable group programs, her strategies for leveraging social media to build a million-strong following, and her vision to expand globally while reaching eight-figure revenue. She also offers invaluable advice for female entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of clarity, boundary-setting, and surrounding yourself with the right support system. Whether you’re rebuilding after divorce, seeking financial empowerment, or scaling a purpose-driven business, Jennifer’s insights are a rallying cry to step into your power and make 2025 your best year yet.

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Mishal Saeed, we meet Brent Willson, founder of Customer-Led Innovations Consulting and former military veteran turned product strategist. Based in rural Utah, Brent shares how his unconventional journey from industrial dust collection systems to fine art logistics shaped his "product triangle" framework - blending company vision, customer needs, and core competencies to build sustainable products. 

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Mishal Saeed, we sit down with Kristine Palmer and Paola Camacho, the dynamic co-founders of Over Coffee Consulting. These former finance professionals turned marketing mavens share how their friendship and shared frustrations with fragmented digital marketing solutions led them to launch their boutique agency. Specializing in omni-channel strategies for healthcare providers and small businesses, they reveal their unique "consultative selling" approach—starting with solving one urgent problem (like a broken website) to earn trust, then expanding into full-service partnerships.

Kristine and Paola dive into their referral-driven growth model, emphasizing authentic relationship-building through retreats, pickleball, and even doctor's office chats! They also tackle the challenges of scaling while maintaining quality, their cautious adoption of AI (without losing human creativity), and their vision for 2025—including doubling revenue by focusing on clients with management teams ready to delegate. Packed with wisdom on partnerships, niching down, and resisting "shiny object syndrome," this episode is a masterclass in building a marketing agency with heart.

In this episode of Founders, Future, with host Ammar Elm, Johanna Ottolinger, founder and CEO of WIT Advisory & Consulting, shares her mission to redefine tech consulting by fostering gender equality and mentorship. Drawing from her 20 years in the male-dominated tech industry, Johanna discusses how her experiences with imposter syndrome and leadership roles inspired her to create a unique advisory model—pairing senior women advisors with emerging talent to deliver real-world solutions while keeping services accessible for small businesses.

Johanna delves into the challenges of scaling her platform, the importance of overcoming self-doubt (or the "monkey mind"), and her vision for a more inclusive tech ecosystem. She offers candid insights on resilience, the power of authentic networks, and why traditional consulting needs reinvention—providing actionable advice for founders navigating uncertainty and aligning their businesses with their values. A must-listen for anyone passionate about the future of work, mentorship, and equitable innovation.