Killer Growth

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

In Episode 26 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Dustin Stanfield, owner of Stanfield Roofing and El Dorado Building Systems, to talk about leadership, commercial construction, and what it really takes to grow a blue-collar company without losing your standards.

Dustin shares his journey from training cutting horses across multiple states to working feedlots, riding pens, and eventually stepping into the family business in 2008. He explains how Stanfield Roofing began as a spray coating company, how the commercial roofing industry has evolved over the last two decades, and why customer service and quality workmanship are what separate long-term companies from low-bid contractors.

The conversation dives into commercial roofing systems like TPO, insulation requirements, the importance of roof maintenance programs, and why most roofing failures happen in the details—not the field membrane. Dustin also shares lessons from taking over ownership from his father in late 2024, the steep learning curve of business operations and legal compliance, and why implementing new software systems is one of the biggest growth levers in front of the company today.

They also discuss the acquisition of El Dorado Building Systems, building massive red iron structures, and how Dustin is thinking about scaling intentionally—growing the business while protecting culture, service, and trust.

This episode is a grounded look at ownership, operational maturity, and building something that lasts in a tough industry.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

In Episode 25 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Miguel Johns, founder of Milton AI, for an inspiring deep dive into entrepreneurship, fitness, and building a real software product through years of trial, pivots, and persistence.

Miguel shares how a career-ending college football injury forced him to rethink his future, leading him into health science, entrepreneurship, and eventually the mission of helping prevent chronic disease through scalable technology. He walks through the early days of launching KingFit, pitching at 1 Million Cups, raising capital, and learning painful lessons as a non-technical founder trying to build an AI-driven health platform before the technology was ready.

The conversation then shifts into the creation of Milton AI—an app designed to make nutrition tracking radically easier for everyday people and far more valuable for coaches. Miguel explains how Milton works, why simplicity drives adherence, how generative AI changed the game, and why coaches and trainers are the key to real accountability and long-term results.

They also discuss product development, SaaS strategy, monetization, scaling challenges, and Miguel’s vision for building an intelligence layer that empowers health professionals—not replaces them.

This episode is a masterclass in grit, founder growth, and building a tech product that actually solves a real-world problem.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

In Episode 24 of the Killer Growth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Troy Trussell, founder of Trussell Media and host of the Strategic Motion podcast, for a practical conversation on content creation, video production, and why trust is the real currency in marketing.
Troy shares his journey from graduating with a graphic design degree to unexpectedly stepping into video production when his agency bought cameras and put him in charge. From filming commercials to shooting weddings for over 20 years, Troy explains how his passion for storytelling evolved into a full-time business helping brands communicate clearly and professionally.
The conversation dives into the realities of podcasting and video as a marketing tool: why consistency matters more than perfection, why audio quality is non-negotiable, and how businesses can use podcasts to build a content engine, create networking opportunities, and generate trust at scale. Troy also breaks down what makes testimonial videos powerful, how to keep them authentic, and why AI will reshape content production while still leaving room for real people and real stories.
This episode is packed with insight for business owners, creators, and marketers who want to build a brand that feels human—and earns attention the right way.
Learn more at https://killergrowth.com