In this episode of Lawsuits & Lessons, host John Fagerholm, employment defense attorney and business advocate, and co-host Steve Cooper, comedian and veteran podcaster, sit down with serial entrepreneur CR Celona — a visionary who helped pioneer influencer marketing with his company Speaker and now leads innovation in the AI-powered creative space.

John and Steve dive deep into CR’s journey from early tech startup successes to building CreatorUp, an AI-driven content platform partnered with Google, Harvard, and UCLA. They explore how risk tolerance fuels entrepreneurship, what lessons come from scaling too fast, and how to balance innovation with ethics in the era of AI. The conversation flows from startup war stories to legal insights on liability, employee risk, and even a timely discussion of how CTE and class actions shape today’s legal headlines.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How risk tolerance defines entrepreneurship — and why failure can be the best teacher
• The rise (and fall) of Speaker and what it taught about scaling responsibly
• How AI is transforming creative industries and where the legal gray areas lie
• What every startup founder should know about protecting their business legally
• When companies are liable for employee actions — and when they’re not
• Why mentorship, relationships, and trust matter more than transactions
• How to “give your lawyer carry” — and why early legal partnerships pay off

Hosts:
John Fagerholm: defendmybiz.com
Steve Cooper: coopertalk.net

Guest:
CR Celona: Entrepreneur, AI innovator, and founder at CreatorUp — find him on LinkedIn or by searching “CR Celona” across platforms.

If you’re an entrepreneur, founder, or just fascinated by where tech and law collide, subscribe to Lawsuits & Lessons on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen. New episodes every other week — and if you enjoyed this one, share it with someone who loves smart conversation and startup stories with real-world legal lessons.

In Episode 2 of Lawsuits & Lessons, host John Fagerholm (employment defense attorney & entrepreneur) and co-host Steve Cooper welcome multi-hyphenate creator Marvin V. Acuna—film/TV producer, restaurateur, and founder of MoBal. Marvin shares how Hollywood producing skills (planning, logistics, relationships) translate to building scalable companies, why discipline (mind, body, workflow) is a competitive edge, and how he defended his rights when a partner tried to cut him out of a studio deal. John adds legal context on California employer risk, First Amendment myths at work, and why smart hiring beats fixing bad fits.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How producing films maps to leading and scaling any business
• Why daily discipline (meditation, fitness, workflow) creates calm under pressure
• Practical uses of AI to reclaim time and improve decisions
• The partnership playbook: red flags, role clarity, and enforcing your rights
• John’s legal take: free speech vs. private employment—what’s actually protected
• California realities: wage/hour & FEHA claims, arbitration tradeoffs, and settlement math
• Hiring truths: it’s easier to hire right than to fire wrong
• Pricing vs. wages: the squeeze small operators face when costs rise

Hosts:
John Fagerholm: defendmybiz.com
Steve Cooper: coopertalk.net

Call to Action:
If you’re a founder, owner, or HR pro who wants real stories and actionable takeaways, follow and subscribe to Lawsuits & Lessons on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen. New episodes every other week—leave a quick rating/review to help other business owners find the show!

In the premiere episode of Lawsuits & Lessons, co-hosts John Fagerholm, employment defense attorney and business advocate, and Steve Cooper, comedian and veteran podcaster, sit down to share John’s story — from Navy firebrand and serial entrepreneur to entertainment lawyer, and ultimately, a defender of business owners in California’s high-stakes legal climate.

Steve and John dive into how lawsuits shaped John’s career path, the hustle of starting a law firm from scratch, landing Curtis Blow as his first client, and why he left the music industry to champion employers against California’s ever-growing wave of employee lawsuits. Along the way, they explore what makes a good litigator, the role of creativity in defense strategy, and why John believes entrepreneurship is more “wolf” than “dog.”

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How repeated lawsuits inspired John to become a lawyer himself
• The surprising story of how Curtis Blow became his first client
• Why John shifted from entertainment law to employment defense
• How California law stacks the deck against business owners — and what that means for employers
• The mindset and creativity it takes to be an effective litigator
• John’s entrepreneurial philosophy, from living on credit cards to building a thriving practice
• Why social media can be both a weapon and a liability in modern lawsuits
• What to expect from upcoming Lawsuits & Lessons episodes

Hosts:

• John Fagerholm: defendmybiz.com
• Steve Cooper: coopertalk.net

Welcome to Lawsuits & Lessons! In this trailer, you’ll meet your hosts: John Fagerholm, an employment defense attorney and business advocate who knows the ins and outs of workplace law, and Steve Cooper, a veteran comedian and podcast host who knows nothing about the law but plenty about keeping things entertaining.

Together, John and Steve break down real workplace issues, dive into bizarre legal cases, and decode the ever-confusing world of employment law — all with a fun, refreshing twist. Whether you manage five employees or five hundred, sooner or later, you’ll run into a legal issue. That’s where Lawsuits & Lessons come in.

This isn’t your average HR seminar. It’s candid, engaging, and packed with stories you’ll actually remember — plus the lessons that could save your business. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the first full episode!