In this episode of "Founders Future," host Laura Skinner engages in an insightful conversation with Tim Fullerton, the CEO of Fullerton Strategies, a digital marketing agency he founded in March 2023. Tim shares his unique journey, highlighting over 20 years of experience in both political and business marketing, including his role in President Obama's first campaign and his tenure at WeWork. He discusses the dual nature of his agency, which offers fractional CMO services and creative marketing solutions, catering to smaller and mid-sized companies. Tim reflects on the challenges of establishing a go-to-market strategy, revealing that most of his initial business came from organic leads on LinkedIn. As he looks to scale, he emphasizes the importance of diversifying client acquisition methods, including content creation and outbound efforts, while maintaining a focus on sustainable growth. The episode delves into the intricacies of marketing, the need for specialized roles, and the balance between personal and professional life as an entrepreneur. Tim's passion for helping businesses navigate their marketing challenges shines through, making this episode a valuable resource for aspiring entrepreneurs and marketers alike.

In this episode of "Founders Future," host Joe Fitzgerald welcomes Stacy Savage, the founder of 0 Waste Strategies, an environmental consulting firm dedicated to helping businesses and institutions reduce waste and implement sustainable practices. Stacy shares her journey from growing up in the oil and gas industry in Southeast Texas to becoming a passionate advocate for environmental justice and sustainability. She discusses the services her company offers, including waste audits, building assessments, and true zero waste facility certification, emphasizing the financial and environmental benefits of waste reduction. Stacy reflects on her transition from employee to entrepreneur, highlighting the mindset shift required to value her expertise appropriately. The conversation also touches on the importance of social media in acquiring clients and the goal of changing the way businesses operate to view waste as a valuable resource. Stacy encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to educate themselves and engage with her for guidance, particularly emphasizing the need for more women in the waste management sector. This inspiring episode showcases Stacy's commitment to making a positive impact on the environment and empowering others to join the movement toward sustainability.

In this episode of the Founders Future podcast, host Joseph Fitzgerald interviews Suprava Sabat, co-founder of Acquisition X, a lead generation company that helps service-based and software-based businesses improve their go-to-market strategies. Suprava shares her entrepreneurial journey, which began as a freelancer in social media marketing and lead generation. Recognizing a common pain point among her clients—the need for more leads—she and her co-founder Divyanshi launched Acquisition X about a year and a half ago.

The conversation delves into the challenges of building a business, with Suprava highlighting the difficulties of hiring and building a competent team. She emphasizes the importance of empathy in leadership, both when managing team members and working with clients. As the company evolves, Suprava reveals plans to explore creating a software-based business that complements their current lead generation services.

Discussing B2B marketing trends, Suprava notes a shift towards more creative and human-centered approaches, moving away from traditional corporate communication styles. She shares her unique lead generation strategy of reaching out to companies actively hiring, demonstrating the value of her agency over in-house solutions. Throughout the interview, Suprava offers advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, cautioning against hastily launching an agency without first gaining experience as a freelancer and building a solid client base.

The episode concludes with Suprava inviting listeners to explore Acquisition X's resources through their website acquisition.x.pro and their community called "Client Magnets," which provides lead generation strategies for young entrepreneurs.

In this episode of *Founders Future*, host Joseph Fitzgerald interviews Chintan Shah, founder of The Super Coach, a career coaching business dedicated to helping Indian professionals in the U.S. find meaningful job opportunities. Chintan shares how his personal journey—from corporate employee to entrepreneur—inspired him to create a platform that empowers others to navigate the complexities of job searching and career growth. 

Chintan reflects on the lessons learned from his early career, where his work ethic and ability to switch jobs strategically helped him gain valuable experience. Drawing inspiration from his grandfather’s wisdom about challenging norms, he transitioned to entrepreneurship in 2022, driven by a passion for assisting others in building fulfilling careers. 

The conversation explores the challenges Chintan faced, including the mindset shift required to leave a secure corporate paycheck and embrace the uncertainty of entrepreneurship. He highlights the importance of “messy action,” taking intentional steps even when everything isn’t perfect, and leveraging feedback to improve continuously. 

Chintan also discusses his priorities for The Super Coach, including scaling the business sustainably, integrating technology to expand reach, and building a team to reduce reliance on himself. Looking ahead, he envisions leveraging AI and other tools to address the evolving expectations of job seekers and employers in a rapidly changing labor market. 

This episode offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals looking to take bold steps in their careers, making it a must-listen for those seeking inspiration and actionable advice.

In this engaging episode of Founders Future, host Joseph Fitzgerald sits down with Dan Silivestru, CEO and co-founder of Chocolate Soup, a company revolutionizing employee appreciation through personalized gifting. Dan shares how his company helps employers celebrate milestones—like birthdays, work anniversaries, and even pet birthdays—using thoughtful, customized gifts and creative concepts like Lego figurines tailored to each employee.

Dan reflects on the origins of Chocolate Soup, which stemmed from a deeply personal lesson learned when a previous venture wound down. The loyalty and dedication his team demonstrated during challenging times inspired him to create a business focused on making employees feel truly valued. Chocolate Soup was born as a solution to help companies foster that same sense of care and connection, regardless of their size or resources.

The conversation delves into the challenges of building a sustainable business model, scaling operations, and transitioning from physical offices to supporting fully remote teams during the pandemic. Dan shares how his company overcame these hurdles by incorporating innovative practices like handwritten notes and continually refreshing their gifting themes to maintain authenticity.

Looking ahead, Dan outlines ambitious plans to expand Chocolate Soup into the U.S. market, emphasizing the importance of leveraging photogenic, shareable products to fuel organic growth and brand awareness. He also offers invaluable advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: focus on validating your product early, don’t wait for perfection, and build something you’re genuinely passionate about.

This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs and HR leaders seeking creative ways to strengthen workplace culture and drive employee loyalty.

In this episode of *Founders Future*, host Joseph Fitzgerald sits down with Wayne Dunn, founder of CSR Training Institute, to discuss his inspiring journey in building a company dedicated to aligning business, social, and environmental value. With over 30 years of experience in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability, Wayne shares his unique perspective on how businesses can simultaneously drive profit and positive impact. 

Wayne recounts the origins of CSR Training Institute, from his early days negotiating agreements between indigenous communities and mining companies to working with organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank. His career has been defined by a commitment to finding innovative ways for businesses to create shared value for their stakeholders, communities, and the environment. 

The conversation explores key challenges Wayne faced as an entrepreneur, including resisting conventional business models in favor of hands-on consulting and problem-solving. He also discusses his decision not to scale his business traditionally but to focus instead on creating meaningful impact through his projects and clients. 

Wayne offers practical advice for entrepreneurs, including his “Ready, Fire, Aim” philosophy, encouraging individuals to take action, learn from mistakes, and refine their approach as they move forward. He also shares insights into the growing importance of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors for businesses and how customer preferences are increasingly influenced by transparency and impact. 

This episode is packed with lessons on how to build a purpose-driven business, create stakeholder value, and navigate the ever-evolving landscape of sustainability and corporate responsibility.

In this episode of "Founders Future," host Laura Skinner interviews Richard White, the CEO and founder of Fathom, an innovative AI notetaking tool designed to streamline the meeting experience. Richard shares the inspiration behind Fathom, which emerged during the surge of virtual meetings in 2020, highlighting the challenges of taking notes while engaging in discussions. He explains how Fathom integrates seamlessly with platforms like Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, automatically capturing and organizing meeting notes into CRM systems and Slack channels. The conversation delves into Fathom's unique freemium model, which prioritizes user growth and engagement over immediate monetization, allowing the product to gain traction through word-of-mouth referrals. Richard discusses the competitive landscape, particularly in relation to established players like Gong, and emphasizes Fathom's commitment to providing a user-friendly experience with rapid note delivery. As the episode unfolds, Richard reveals exciting future developments for Fathom, including advanced AI capabilities that will enhance the tool's functionality for both individual users and managers, ultimately transforming how teams manage and utilize meeting insights.

This episode of Founders Future features an interview with Wayne Cole, founder of Sterling Executive Group. Wayne discusses the company's unique focus on leadership development through confidential peer groups for CEOs and senior executives. Sterling Executive Group distinguishes itself by focusing on the difference between leadership and management, helping leaders shift their focus from "being in the business" to "being on the business." The episode also explores the challenges of segmenting the market for these peer groups, finding the right fit for members, and ensuring the groups are engaging and valuable. Wayne shares insights on the importance of defining clear accountabilities within a leadership team and the need for a strategic vision that extends beyond year-end statements. He also offers his perspective on the future of the executive leadership development industry, emphasizing the need to separate leadership issues from management issues and to focus on developing leadership competencies. Finally, Wayne provides crucial advice for founders: understand and validate the perceived value of your product or service in the market, as good ideas alone are not enough for long-term success.

In this episode of "Founders Future," host Joe Fitzgerald engages in an insightful conversation with Cara-Lyn Giovanniello, the founder of CLG Coaching. Cara-Lyn shares her journey into the coaching space, emphasizing her belief in the democratization of leadership and the importance of emotional, relational, and strategic intelligence in business. She reflects on her experiences in the corporate world, particularly her role in learning and development, which sparked her desire to create a more impactful approach to leadership training. Cara-Lyn discusses the challenges of entrepreneurship, including the necessity of resilience and the value of learning from failures, which she refers to as "frequent adventures in learning." As she looks to the future, Cara-Lyn aims to transition from being a vendor to a strategic partner for organizations, focusing on holistic leadership development. She encourages aspiring business owners to embrace their beliefs, maintain fortitude in the face of setbacks, and find joy in the entrepreneurial journey. The episode concludes with Cara-Lyn inviting listeners to connect with her through her website, emphasizing her commitment to supporting others in their business endeavors.

In this episode of "Founders Future" hosted by Laura Skinner, Sriram, the co-founder and CEO of Link, shares the compelling story of his startup addressing a critical gap in the small business technology ecosystem. Drawing from his experiences at companies like PayPal and eBay, Sriram recognized that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) often struggle with outdated technology stacks and complex app integrations. His company, Link, provides a solution by partnering with platforms like Shopify and Lightspeed to streamline onboarding, migrations, and technology integrations for merchants.

The podcast delves into Link's unique go-to-market strategy, which focuses on a partnership-led model without relying on traditional sales teams. Sriram emphasizes their goal of scaling efficiently, potentially reaching $5 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) without expanding their sales team significantly. They are currently in a scaling phase, strategically building their business through targeted partnerships, trade show presence, and word-of-mouth referrals.

A key highlight of the conversation is Sriram's commitment to profitability and sustainable growth. Unlike many startups that burn cash, Link is intentionally keeping operations lean and focusing on creating a merchant-centric model. Their mission is to be a lifelong technology partner for SMBs, helping them navigate complex tech migrations and integrations. With a distributed team across India, US, and Canada, Link is positioning itself as a solution-oriented platform that truly understands and addresses the technological challenges faced by small businesses.