In The Thick of It

In this bonus episode of In the Thick of It, a longtime friend of Scott’s, Adam Curran, gives his advice on how business owners should go about leasing or buying their first property.

Adam Curran, Managing Principal at Holt Lunsford Commercial, shares the importance of working with an experienced broker and the qualifying questions you should be asking them. Plus, he gives his perspective on trends in the real estate market today.

Other topics discussed:

• When you should lease or buy a property (and benefits of each)
• The importance of having a 10-year business plan
• Advice for someone looking to start a career in commercial real estate

About Adam:

Adam Curran joined Holt Lunsford Commercial in 2023 and serves as Managing Principal Industrial Tenant Representation. He is responsible for leading the industrial tenant representation service line at HLC, training and overseeing brokers and advising clients on industrial property leasing, sales, and subleasing.

Prior to joining HLC, Adam was a Senior Director at Cushman & Wakefield (CW) where he completed over 4.8 million square feet of industrial transactions and trained/mentored young agents entering the business. During his tenure at CW, he successfully negotiated transactions for BMW, SiteOne Landscape Supply, GC Packaging, and PODS to name a few. Previously, he served as COO/Vice President of Mercer Company and a Market Director at NAI Robert Lynn. Adam has completed over 10 million square feet of industrial transactions throughout his near 20-year career.

About Holt Lunsford Commercial:

Holt Lunsford Commercial is a Dallas-based full service commercial real estate firm.

The company’s core lines of business include Investments, Project Leasing, Tenant Representation, Property and Facility Management, Accounting, Development Services and Construction Management, Insurance Consulting, and Multi-Family. We are comprised of a team of talented professionals who are guided by a set of values that defines our company’s corporate culture. We use our knowledge, our talent, and our influence to help others make wise real estate decisions.

To learn more, visit https://holtlunsford.com/

In this bonus episode of In the Thick of It, Scott is joined by Chris Goheen, President of Workforce Go!, a leading HR and payroll solutions provider. 

Handling payroll and HR functions in-house can be complex and time-consuming, especially for growing SMBs. Chris covers the common challenges business owners face, such as keeping up with changes in HR technology and how to navigate compliances and regulations.

Chris gives advice on finding the right HR resource for your business, as well as best practices for boosting employee engagement.

Whether you currently handle these functions in-house or are considering outsourcing, tune in to hear Chris’s advice on how to position your people and business for success.

About Chris:
Chris Goheen is the President of Workforce Go!. Chris has a passionate belief that people are the most important factor in the consistent success of any organization’s business results. He brings clients knowledge garnered over his 21 plus years of experience in solution implementation, training, consulting, and people management with tenured expertise in employer solutions, including talent acquisition, paperless employee engagement, time & labor management, risk mitigation and compliance, employee, benefits, payroll administration, and decision support. Chris is a proactive team member, great listener, and phenomenal organizational leader.

About Workforce Go!
Through leading HCM technology, organizations can have it all without sacrificing service. Receive one-on-one client training and support. Deal with experienced service professionals who understand your business inside and out while leaving your HCM complexities to Workforce Go!. Receive best-in-class solutions while still receiving personalized support.
To learn more, visit

On this episode of In The Thick of It, the tables are turned and Scott sits in the hot seat to tell his own founder story.

Melissa Bell, Director of Sales and Marketing at Venn Technology, asks Scott all his favorite questions about his own entrepreneurial experiences. He shares memories of life growing up, his college days at Texas A&M, and the jobs that led him to discover his true passion: helping people eliminate manual processes with automation.

Scott highlights the importance of finding a role that aligns with one’s values and the significance of learning from different people and opportunities, even if they don’t directly lead to one’s desired career path.

Today, Venn Technology is a company commonly described as “fun” by partners and clients. This reigns true because of Scott’s passion to build a company he’d want to work for.

About Scott:
Venn Technology's founder, Scott Hollrah, has been a regular listener of the podcast How I Built This. The show focuses on founders who have made it big. They tell the story of how they created their company that turned into a huge brand and, ultimately, their exit. As much as he loves and learns from it, Scott is really interested in hearing from founders who are still building and growing their companies—founders who are “in the thick of it."

About Venn Technology:
Venn Technology is an award-winning professional services firm that partners with midsize organizations and software publishers to implement systems and automate workflows that free people to focus on what they are best at. With expertise in accounting, ERP, and CRM integrations, our pre-built and custom workflows are designed to put an end to siloed processes—saving clients time and money by eliminating error-prone, time-robbing manual operations that cause continual frustration and put organizations at risk. Our mission: Integrate, automate, be free!

To learn more, visit venntechnology.com

In this bonus episode of In the Thick of It, outsourced accounting expert Patrick Tam joins Scott to discuss the advantages of third-party financial support for any business.

Running the financial and accounting aspects of a business is complex, time consuming, and often outside of the wheelhouse for most entrepreneurs and business owners. That’s why many companies, both small startups and larger established businesses, are turning to outsourced accounting firms.

As the CEO of Bright Balance Accounting, a fractional accounting and finance firm, Patrick has more than 15 years experience in finance across multiple industries. Tune in to learn when it makes sense to outsource your accounting, what to look for in a firm, and how the right partner can provide strategic advice to grow your business.

About Bright Balance:
Bright Balance delivers cost-efficient, quality transaction processing, accounting, financial reporting, and financial analysis services to the middle market using an integrated onshore and offshore team. They strive to offer unmatched professional service in the most flexible and cost-efficient, quality transaction processing, accounting, and FP&A / CFO augmentation to the middle market, with a team of people who maintain a high level of trust, love to deliver results, and have fun doing it!

To learn more, visit brightbal.com

In this episode of In the Thick of It, Scott sits down with Cody Durham, founder of 10 Gage Ridge Roofing, a leading roofing company specializing in providing high-quality roofing solutions for residential and commercial properties. Cody shares his unique career journey from running Texas A&M’s Chili Fest in college to owning a Jimmy John's. 

He speaks of feeling like the “black sheep of the family” when he didn’t pursue a career in education and major life events that led him to discover his passion: roofing.

Tune in to hear Cody’s advice on mentorship, staying true to yourself, and how every experience and personal connection leads to something. Aspiring founders and entrepreneurs will gain valuable takeaways in this episode, like recognizing the strengths of others in coexistence with your own.

About Cody:
Cody Durham is the founder and driving force behind 10 Gage Ridge Roofing. With over two decades of sales and entrepreneurial experience, Cody established 10 Gage Ridge Roofing in 2017, embarking on a journey that has seen steady growth year after year. Beyond the 10 Gage Ridge, he loves spending time in the great outdoors traveling, hunting, and fishing. Whether it's spending quality time with his family or embarking on countless adventures in an effort to visit all of the national parks across the U.S., Cody's passion for life is evident in everything he does.

About 10 Gage Ridge Roofing:
10 Gage Ridge Roofing, founded in 2017 by Cody Durham, is a leading roofing company based in Mansfield, Texas. With a commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction, we specialize in providing high-quality roofing solutions for residential and commercial properties. Our team of experienced professionals is dedicated to delivering superior craftsmanship and reliable service on every project.

To learn more, visit 10gageridgeroofing.com.

With 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, Jim Taugher, founder of CI Design, Inc., offers advice on how to become a great founder in today’s episode. 

Raised in rural Wisconsin, Jim followed his creative passions for art, music, and design, attending college in Arizona before moving back home to launch CI Design, a branding and design agency, at the age of 25.

Today, CI Design employs over 40 people and is a leading design agency in Milwaukee. Tune in to hear why Jim stresses the importance of purposeful evolution, surrounding yourself with the right people, learning from failures, and caring deeply about company culture.

About Jim:
For more than 30 years, Jim has shared his passion for brand with hundreds of clients. In addition to leading us as CEO, Jim remains a creative force for CI Design as Executive Creative Director. His leadership and creative solutions are a foundation for CI Design’s culture and offerings. From our foundation as a Branding Company, Jim has helped to grow CI Design into a full-service strategic marketing force complete with marketing strategy, UX, enterprise-level Web and App products, compelling video storytelling, and tradeshow and event solutions.

About CI Design:
We are a Brand and Marketing Agency. CID pairs story and strategy to bring creative insights for B2B companies that deliver results. From branding and marketing strategy, to video production and web development, content marketing and SEO strategy, we help propel marketers toward their goals with Creative Intelligence™ and thoughtful executions. In partnership with our clients and their teams, we maximize the power of their brands to convert the curious to customers.

To learn more, visit cidesigninc.com

On this episode of In the Thick of It, Scott interviews Rick Elmore, Founder & CEO of Simply Noted, an automated handwritten notes company. Rick shares his unique journey that shaped his unrelenting drive and competitiveness, from losing his father at a young age to becoming a college football standout. Though he played in the NFL, Rick quickly realized it wasn’t his lifelong passion. 

He tapped into his curiosity about business and sales during corporate roles before taking the ultimate risk to start Simply Noted. Rick candidly details the realities of bootstrapping a tech company for over five years without investors while teaching himself software development, supply chain logistics and more.

Tune in to hear Rick’s outlook on building company culture, avoiding growth traps, and focusing on relationships over quick wins. He leaves founders with advice on knowing priorities, smart risks, and bringing teams along. Rick proves with tenacity and a willingness to learn, unconventional entrepreneurial paths can thrive.

About Rick:
Rick Elmore is an entrepreneur, sales and marketing expert, and a former college and professional football athlete. As the founder of Simply Noted, Rick has developed the world's first AI writing robot technology with 6 patents pending. This technology uses real pen and ink to scale handwritten communication.

About Simply Noted:
Simply Noted stands as the premier global technology leader in the handwritten notes industry. Our API-first platform revolutionizes the way genuine handwritten notes are created and distributed, offering a seamless integration for businesses. Entirely customer-funded, we collaborate with hundreds of leading startups and Fortune 5000 companies, empowering them to automate and scale their handwritten outreach efforts effectively.

To learn more, visit simplynoted.com. 

Get inside the mind of a scrappy solo founder as we talk with Brian Borichevsky, the CEO and pioneer behind indoor golf entertainment startup ROK Golf. With no prior experience starting his own business but equipped with ample vision, Brian bootstrapped his unique concept from the ground up, tapping into his life savings to open the first high-tech swing analysis bay location in 2018.

In this episode, Brian gives an inside look at the Tribe of solo entrepreneurs by sharing his real-world journey - the idea lightbulb moment, navigating start-up unknowns and learning curves as a new dad and founder in parallel, to persisting through early COVID headwinds through sheer grit.

Brian transparently details the exhilarating reality of bringing a pioneering business to life, dispelling myths of overnight success and glory along the way. New founders and solopreneurs will gain tangible tips on fearlessly executing on a vision despite inevitable challenges, while ultimately keeping the purpose, product and customer experience at the core.

About Brian:
Recently we asked our followers what questions we should start including in our founder interviews.  There were so many great ones and one in particular was perfect for our next guest.  Should you make a business out of your passions or hobbies? 

In this episode, I speak with Brian Borichevsky, founder and CEO of ROK Golf, an indoor golf entertainment company with locations in Austin, Texas. Brian shares his entrepreneurial journey, from watching his father build a successful meat provisions business to starting his own fantasy sports software venture before regulations changed. He then tapped into his life savings to launch ROK Golf during a chaotic time in his personal life.

We dive into the gritty realities of those early days, like realizing he had no point-of-sale system to take payments just days before opening. Brian also shares the steep learning curve of leasing retail space, hiring employees, managing cash flow, and delegating tasks. 

Ultimately, Brian's passion for golf and vision to create better jobs in an industry he loves is what sustains him through the rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship.

About ROK Golf:
ROK Golf operates state-of-the-art indoor golf facilities created to bring elite Trackman technology to the whole of the golf world.  Designed by an avid golfer, for avid golfers, ROK Golf combines top technology with incredible instructors and master fitters in a seriously fun atmosphere where golfers can practice, take lessons, compete or just have a blast with friends all on your schedule.  Combining practice, instruction and fitting in one holistic model, ROK Golf is here to help in all areas of the game.  ROK Golf was founded in 2018 in Austin Texas and has locations in Westlake and Bee Cave.

To learn more, visit rokgolf.com. 

In this bonus episode of In the Thick of It, HR expert Ben Haile joins Scott to explain why many founders turn to third-party experts when their businesses start to scale.They discuss how early-stage companies leverage outsourced HR services to establish infrastructure for talent management while avoiding common pitfalls.

Learn when the right timing is for founders to invest in HR expertise, what the implementation process typically entails, and what the ongoing outsourced relationship provides. Discover some of the everyday people challenges HR outsourcing helps solve around compliance, documentation, terminations, and more. Ben also breaks down how the regulatory environment continues evolving with technology innovations, employment trends toward independent contracting, and shifting political dynamics.

If managing your team is the least favorite, yet critical, part of your emerging venture, this episode provides a blueprint for effectively outsourcing those functions so you can focus on your core business.

About Ben:
Ben graduated from Texas A&M in 2003 and began a career with an HR Consulting start up, Ethos HR Online, a subsidiary of Ethos Group, headquartered in Las Colinas, TX.  Ethos HR focused on meeting the Employee Relations needs of the retail Automotive Industry. As Ethos HR grew to become Ethos Group Compliance Solutions, Ben has enjoyed growing with the company, working in just about every role we have, from Customer Service to Field Rep to HR Specialist and now serving as a senior member of the leadership team.  Today EGCS help people in 12 different industries with their HR, Compliance and Safety needs, and Ben enjoys successfully combining his personal mission with his daily work.

About Ethos Group:
Ethos Group Compliance Solutions is the pioneer of compliance as a culture.  We help small to midsize organizations all over the United States identify and overcome obstacles with customized solutions in the Human Resource, Consumer Protections, Cyber Security and Safety space.  We use a combination of old fashioned in person consulting with the latest in software innovation to tailor solutions for your unique situation.

To learn more, visit egcs.com. 

In this episode of In the Thick of It, Scott interviews Andy Morehouse, founder and CEO of Talewind, about his journey in the entrepreneurial trenches.

After working for over a decade in his father’s HR tech company, Andy made the decision to strike out on his own. He shares what propelled him to make the leap, early hiring missteps, the angst of letting employees go, and near catastrophe when engineering factions failed to collaborate. Andy also opens up about the personal side of entrepreneurship - how he copes and finds work-life balance while managing the demands of both a high-growth startup and a family of six.

Far from portraying overnight success, his story personifies the perseverance required to create something from nothing. Andy’s openness about failures and false starts underscores the importance of commitment to vision and learning from mistakes on the winding road of business building.

About Andy:
Andy is the founder and CEO of Talewind, a sales automation platform designed to bring accuracy, consistency, speed, and a better buyer experience to every deal. Prior to starting Talewind, Andy was the Vice President of Business Development at the HR technology and software firm Perceptyx, where he helped grow annual revenue more than 2000% over 10 years. Andy has closed seven-figure software deals with Fortune ranked companies including Apple, Microsoft, FedEx, American Airlines, and many others. Through those experiences, he felt the tools that sales teams were using could be improved using automation, which led to Talewind. Andy lives in Temecula, CA with his wife and four children.

About Tailwind:
Talewind is a sales automation platform based in Temecula, CA, where we're focused on pouring our passion for people and sales into a radically better approach to the sales process. Talewind’s sales engine is built around each of our client’s sales documents and processes, able to automatically generate all sales documents and content for every deal, no matter the complexity.  

To learn more, visit talewind.com.