In Episode 36 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel sits down with D. Kellogg, founder of D’s Spot, for one of the most unique—and wild—episodes yet. Joined by multiple reptile guests (including a 14-foot Burmese python), this conversation is equal parts business, mission, and unforgettable experience.
After a 35-year career as a truck driver, D’s life took a dramatic turn following a heart attack and multiple surgeries. What started as a personal interest in reptiles evolved into something much bigger: a nonprofit exotic reptile rescue focused on education, rehabilitation, and giving these animals a second chance.
In this episode, Samuel and D dive into:
Building a nonprofit from scratch (and the reality of getting a 501(c)(3))
The difference between rescuing vs. breeding animals—and why D chose one

• What it takes to care for 200+ reptiles
• The economics behind feeding and housing exotic animals
• How D’s Spot is creating hands-on educational experiences for kids
• Plans to build a full reptile facility, event space, and community attraction

D also shares incredible stories—from rescuing animals across multiple states to transforming neglected reptiles back to health—and explains why his mission isn’t about profit, but impact.
This episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes the most meaningful businesses are built out of adversity, passion, and a willingness to serve something bigger than yourself.

Hear more at https://killergrowthh.com/podcast

In Episode 35 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Dave Shaw, owner of Shaw’s Pest Control, for a conversation that blends blue-collar grit, long-term discipline, and what it really takes to build a business the right way.
Dave shares his journey from an 18-year-old answering a newspaper ad to spending 30 years mastering his craft before taking a leap of faith to start his own company. What followed was a complete reset—no customers, a strict non-compete, and the challenge of building a brand from scratch after decades in the industry.
The conversation dives into:

• Why Dave walked away from a 30-year career to start over
• The risk of entrepreneurship later in life
• Building a service business through reputation and referrals
• The importance of customer cooperation in problem-solving
• Why attention to detail is a competitive advantage
• Growing from 0 to 1,100+ recurring customers
• The difference between doing a job and owning a business

Dave also breaks down the realities of pest control—from termites and treatment methods to common DIY mistakes—and shares lessons learned from 40 years in the field.
This episode is a masterclass in consistency, humility, and building something that lasts—one customer at a time.

Hear more at https://killergrowth.com/podcast

In Episode 34 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Dan Kreis, founder of Circle Consulting, for a deep conversation about business ownership, systems thinking, and the difference between owning a job and owning a company.

Dan shares his unconventional journey—from dropping out of college and becoming an aircraft mechanic to building and eventually selling a ServiceMaster franchise with 30 employees. Along the way he discovered a simple but powerful truth: most entrepreneurs don’t build businesses… they build jobs with demanding bosses—and that boss is themselves.

The conversation explores:

- Why most business owners accidentally trap themselves in operations

- The difference between consulting and coaching

- How asking the right questions can uncover deeper business problems

- Why systems and processes are the only way to buy back your time

- The “owner outside the box” concept for structuring a real company

- Why time is the real product every business sells

Dan also explains how his coaching model helps entrepreneurs step out of the day-to-day grind and start building businesses that can operate without them. Through his groups and one-on-one coaching, he focuses on helping owners move from reactionary problem solving to intentional business design.

This episode is a thoughtful dive into leadership, identity, and the hard questions every entrepreneur eventually has to face.

See more at https://killergrowth.com

In Episode 33 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Ryan Murry, CEO of ICI Insurance, to talk about leadership, legacy, and building one of Kansas’ most respected insurance brokerages.

Ryan shares his path from El Dorado to Chicago and back again, where he unexpectedly stepped into leadership after the passing of his father, longtime ICI leader Tom Murry. What followed were some of the most challenging years of his life—learning to lead a 22-person company, preserving his father’s legacy, and proving to himself he could carry the business forward.

In this conversation, Ryan and Samuel discuss:

• Taking over a family business under pressure

• The “18-month rule” that helped Ryan find his leadership rhythm

• How ICI grew from ~20 employees to 75

• Why consolidation is reshaping the insurance industry

• The role of acquisitions vs. organic growth

• The hidden world of reinsurance and why insurance premiums spike

• Why specialization is the future for insurance brokers

Ryan also explains how ICI has completed six acquisitions in eight years, expanded to business in 48 states, and is approaching $100 million in written premium while staying locally owned and community focused.

This episode is a deep look into leadership under pressure, strategic growth, and what it takes to scale a professional services firm while honoring the legacy that built it.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

In Episode 32 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Matt Carselowey of Walnut Valley Packing to unpack the business of meat processing, retail expansion, and building a vertically integrated brand in rural Kansas.
Matt shares how he grew up selling pork at farmers markets in fifth grade, watched his dad purchase a struggling processing plant in 2004, and learned the business from the ground up—boning out beef, cleaning floors, and eventually stepping into leadership.
The conversation pulls back the curtain on:

• What actually happens inside a USDA-inspected processing plant
• Why there’s a federal inspector in the building every single day
• The economics of co-packing vs. owning the retail margin
• How a Black Friday ground beef sale turned into traffic control chaos
• Why a $4.50/lb ground beef strategy transformed their retail model
• Creating signature products like the Grizzly Burger
• Balancing custom processing, wholesale, and direct-to-consumer sales

Matt also opens up about leaving for corporate life, coming back to the family business, tightening systems, and building something valuable enough to sell—even if he never plans to.
This episode is a masterclass in operational grit, customer experience obsession, and evolving a blue-collar business into a scalable retail brand.
And yes… it ends the right way.Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

In Episode 31 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Jason Garraway, founder of 316 Health Insurance, for one of the most transparent conversations we’ve had about healthcare, business ethics, and building trust in a broken system.
Jason shares his journey from ministry to commission-only insurance sales, and how a pivotal life shift in 2015 reshaped both his faith and his business philosophy. What started as a sales career evolved into a mission: helping families navigate the most confusing industry in America with clarity and advocacy.
The conversation unpacks:

• What’s actually broken in health insurance
• The real impact of the Affordable Care Act
• Why premiums spike and subsidies disappear
• The five ways individuals can approach coverage
• How blended strategies can outperform traditional plans
• Why trust is the real currency in business

Jason also shares a powerful story of walking alongside a family during a stage-three cancer diagnosis — demonstrating how advocacy, not just policies, can change outcomes.
This episode is a deep dive into innovation inside regulation, faith-driven leadership, and what it looks like to build a business that prioritizes people over commissions.Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

In Episode 30 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel takes the show to the streets — literally.Standing in the middle of Times Square with a cardboard sign that reads, “Business Owner? Be on my podcast!”, Samuel spends 90 minutes interviewing complete strangers about their businesses, their growth challenges, and the realities of entrepreneurship.What follows is part experiment, part psychology lesson, and part crash course in rejection.From tutoring companies and residential remodelers…To freight networking agencies and barbers building clientele…To electricians, wrestling promoters, and even a knife-recycling startup idea in London…This episode captures raw, unfiltered conversations with real business owners navigating growth in real time.You’ll hear:- The most common growth obstacles entrepreneurs face-Why “just start” keeps coming up- The power of word of mouth- How family involvement accelerates growth- The reality of compliance, payroll, and overhead- And what it feels like to get rejected dozens of times in public :)This is entrepreneurship without the studio lighting. No prep. No polish. Just business owners sharing what they’re building — in the middle of one of the busiest intersections in the world.And maybe the biggest lesson?Rejection gets easier the more you lean into it.Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

In Episode 29 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Andy Brickley, owner of AJ Services and Lighthouse Drilling, for a deep dive into the realities of the Kansas oil field.
A fifth-generation oilfield operator, Andy shares how he started a pipe testing business straight out of high school, grew it through trial and error, and expanded into roustabout services, production ownership, and eventually drilling rigs. He breaks down how an oil well is drilled, completed, produced, and maintained—along with the hard lessons learned from equipment failures, volatile oil prices, and managing crews in one of the toughest industries in America.
The conversation covers:

• The full lifecycle of an oil well
• Why drilling is “the hardest way to make a buck”
• How global oil prices affect small operators
• The difference between Kansas fields and Texas horizontals
• Why production ownership is his real passion
• And the leadership philosophy behind AJ Services: Faith, Family, Finances

This episode is a masterclass in grit, long-term thinking, and building something durable in a boom-and-bust industry.
Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

In Episode 28 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Kristin Bogner of Learning Lab Wichita to explore one of the most important and debated topics in America today: how we educate our kids.
Kristin shares her journey from earning a journalism degree to teaching high school for 12 years, launching a healthy vending startup, and ultimately stepping into nonprofit leadership in the education innovation space. Now part of a first-of-its-kind learning hub in Wichita, Kristin helps support multiple education models—public school partnerships, private schools, homeschool groups, and microschools—all under one roof.
The conversation dives into:

• Why traditional education hasn’t changed in decades
• The rise of homeschool and hybrid models
• The impact of AI and technology on young brains
• Personalized learning vs. one-size-fits-all classrooms
• Public-private partnerships in education
• Why staying “in the room” with different perspectives matters

Kristin also reflects on entrepreneurship, mentorship, and how her late father’s influence shaped her approach to leadership and innovation.
This episode is a thoughtful, balanced look at the future of K–12 education and why innovation, flexibility, and community collaboration may be the key to helping the next generation thrive.
Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

In Episode 27 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Noah Sims for one of the most intense and unconventional conversations we’ve ever recorded.

Noah shares his story from growing up in Georgia to working brutal factory jobs, managing a Cold Stone Creamery, going through culinary school, and eventually becoming a Top 4 finalist on MasterChef. But what happens after reality TV fame is not what anyone expects.

Noah explains how disaster relief work in the Bahamas became the turning point that shaped his life, eventually leading him to Ukraine—where he has spent years helping refugees, feeding civilians, supporting humanitarian operations, and working alongside major organizations in active war zones.

The episode dives into Noah’s firsthand experiences in Ukraine, including food truck missions, drone warfare realities, living under air raid sirens, and his belief that supporting Ukraine is both a moral responsibility and a broken promise the West made decades ago.

This episode contains strong language, raw emotion, and bold opinions—but it also contains something rare: a real look into sacrifice, conviction, and what it means to live a life of purpose when comfort is no longer the goal.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com