Modern Founders

Choosing between easy clients and your ideal clients defines your business trajectory. Here is why it matters.

Building a service business is rarely just about filling your roster as fast as possible. Many founders fall into the trap of prioritizing rapid client acquisition over long-term fit, which often leads to burnout and high churn rates later on.

Focusing on your ideal clients often requires more patience, but it creates a stronger foundation for sustainable business growth. I am sharing my own experiences with these difficult decisions and the shift in mindset required to stop settling for whoever says yes first.

Subscribe for more breakdowns on building a business from the ground up, and let me know in the comments: do you currently prioritize speed or fit when signing new accounts?

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernfounders.pod/
Website: https://meloadmedia.com/
Youtube:  @Modern.Founders

0:00 The Dilemma of Client Selection
1:09 Defining Your Ideal Client Profile
2:41 Scaling Small vs. Landing Big
5:16 Targeting Your Market Strategy
8:04 Actionable Steps for Growth

Follow me on socials:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernfounders.pod/
Website: https://meloadmedia.com/

Pricing your services as an early-stage entrepreneur is harder than people make it sound.

When I started my business, I spent a lot of time looking at what other agencies were charging and trying to figure out where I fit. But over the last year, I’ve realized pricing isn’t just about charging as much as possible. It’s about finding a price where you can deliver real value, keep clients around, and actually build something sustainable.

In this solo episode of Modern Founders, I break down what I’ve learned about pricing services, undercutting the market when you’re starting out, hiring to increase capacity, and why I believe client churn can kill a business faster than almost anything else.

We also get into the bigger question: do you want to maximize what you can make as a one-person operation, or build a company that can eventually grow beyond you?

I’m still figuring this out in real time, and that’s the point of these solo episodes sharing what’s working, what isn’t, and what I’m learning while actually trying to build the business.

If you’re building something of your own, drop your thoughts or questions in the comments.

Subscribe to Modern Founders for more conversations about the reality of building a business from the ground up.

Thanks for tuning in!! If you like what you see go check out my socials:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernfounders.pod/
Website: https://meloadmedia.com/

Thanks for tuning in!! If you like what you see go check out my socials:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernfounders.pod/
Website: https://meloadmedia.com/

Building a team is one of the biggest challenges an early-stage entrepreneur will face but hiring full-time employees may not be the best place to start.

In this episode, Barrett sits down with Sue Bortone, founder of Noble Talent, to discuss how entrepreneurs can build a strong team without taking on unnecessary overhead.

Sue shares how to identify the weaknesses holding your business back, use fractional and freelance talent effectively, create better processes, and know when it is finally time to make your first hire.

We also discuss:

• Why you should hire for your weaknesses
• The benefits of fractional and freelance talent
• How to find people you can trust
• What to budget for your first hire
• Why cheaper talent can sometimes cost you more
• How Sue grew Noble Talent from a solo business into a team
• Why networking is essential for early-stage founders

Connect with Sue and learn more about Noble Talent:

Website: https://www.nobletalent.group/

Follow Modern Founders for honest conversations, practical strategies, and lessons for building your business:

Instagram: ModernFounder.pod
YouTube:  @Modern.Founders 
Website: https://meloadmedia.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with founders and experts who can help you build smarter, grow your team, and move your business forward.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Introduction
01:47 – How Sue entered the recruiting industry
03:17 – Why she created Noble Talent
04:41 – The biggest hiring mistake solo entrepreneurs make
06:35 – Identifying the weaknesses in your business
07:05 – What fractional hiring means
08:38 – Why freelancers work well for small businesses
10:17 – Where to find reliable freelance talent
11:37 – Fiverr, LinkedIn, and freelance platforms
13:41 – How much should you budget for your first hire?
16:07 – Hiring entry-level talent
18:32 – Managing remote and international teams
21:19 – Creating processes before making a hire
23:06 – Using advisors for only a few hours per quarter
25:52 – Sue’s journey from employee to founder
28:31 – Building a more transparent recruiting company
31:19 – The challenges of Sue’s first year in business
33:27 – Building relationships instead of making cold pitches
35:14 – Sue’s biggest advice for early-stage entrepreneurs

Most business advice online makes entrepreneurship look easier than it really is.

Jerry Brazie has built more than a dozen companies and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. In this episode, he shares the realities of building a business, making sales, hiring employees, balancing family, and pushing through discomfort.

We discuss why founders need to stay involved in their businesses, why hiring too early can hurt you, and why real conversations will always matter more than online shortcuts.

CONNECT WITH JERRY

The Kronos Group:
https://thekronosgroup.org/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jerrybrazie/

FOLLOW MODERN FOUNDERS

YouTube:
 @Modern.Founders 

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/modernfounders.pod/

Work with Barrett:
https://meloadmedia.com/

5 Questions Every Early-Stage Entrepreneur Must Answer

What do you do when shit hits the fan and your podcast guests fall through? You pivot, you hit record, and you make something out of nothing. That is Business 101.

In this rare solo episode, I'm getting completely out of my comfort zone to tackle 5 questions that early-stage entrepreneurs face the exact same hurdles I’m navigating in real-time. No "guru" hype, no Miami condo LARPing just raw, honest truths about building a company from the ground up.

Inside the Episode:

Question 1: How do you know if you're building something real or just doing busy work?

Question 2: When should you actually hire your first person? (Plus: My breakdown on outsourcing video editing and thumbnails).

Question 3: Why does business feel so much harder than the advice makes it sound online?

Question 4: What should early-stage founders focus on first: Brand, Sales, Systems, or Content?

Question 5: How do you keep pushing forward when the results feel painfully slow?

**** The power of uncapped potential and loving the daily hustle.

Connect With Us & Support the Show
💬 Join the Conversation: I want to hear from you. How do you keep going when results feel slow? What's your business superpower? Drop your thoughts, questions, or your take on "business LARPers" in the comments below!

Subscribe to  @Modern.Founders  Don't miss an episode. Hit that subscribe button and turn on notifications!

Instagram: Follow us @modernfounders.pod for daily clips, value drops, and behind-the-scenes content.

And as always if your looking for affordable, high-impact digital marketing, social media management, or ads that actually move the needle for small businesses. Check out my agency: MeloAd Media.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernfounders.pod/
YouTube:  @Modern.Founders 
My Website: https://meloadmedia.com/

In this solo episode of the Modern Founders Podcast, Barrett talks through what the first 8 months of building a business have actually looked like.

No fluff. No fake highlight reel. Just the honest reality of starting from scratch, getting your first clients, working more than you expected, figuring out what you’re actually good at, and learning how to think long-term as an early-stage founder.

This episode is for anyone building a business, thinking about starting one, or trying to figure out what kind of company they actually want to create.

The biggest takeaway: don’t just chase what’s hot right now. Build around what you’re good at, what you can stick with, and what has the potential to grow over the next 10, 15, or 25 years.

Follow Modern Founders for more real conversations and lessons from early-stage entrepreneurs.

Timestamps:
0:00 – Welcome to the solo episode
0:45 – Who Barrett is and what Meload Media does
1:45 – What 8 months in business has really felt like
2:30 – Entrepreneurship vs. a 9–5
4:30 – Why Barrett started his business
6:30 – The risk and pressure of starting young
7:25 – How he got into social media and content
9:45 – Getting let go and starting the LLC
11:40 – The first client and early months
13:00 – Moving from LinkedIn management to full-stack marketing
15:30 – Building a business that can actually scale
16:10 – Scalable industries vs. service businesses
18:30 – The difference between hot trends and long-term businesses
21:00 – What makes Barrett’s marketing approach different
23:00 – Why now is a great time to build
24:15 – Thoughts on AI agencies and AI consulting
28:30 – What young founders should focus on
30:30 – Final thoughts on business, money, and legacy

Connect with Chad Owen:
Chad's Website: https://www.stimulus.io/

Connect With Me:
MeloAd Media: https://meloadmedia.com/
Barrett Williams: https://www.instagram.com/modernfounders.pod/

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Modern Founders, Barrett sits down with AI consultant Chad Owen to discuss how early-stage entrepreneurs can use AI employees to scale without growing a team. Chad shares his transition from filmmaker to consulting, why founders quietly become their own company bottlenecks, and how to practical steps to delegate menial tasks like inbox management, sales prep, and onboarding workflows to AI

Work Smarter, Not Harder: We drop actionable strategy teardowns like this every single week to help you scale your business automatically. Hit that SUBSCRIBE button and turn on notifications to join a community of modern founders building the future. Like this video if you're ready to get out of your own way!

The Reality of 25 Years in Tech & Business with Mike LaVista 🚀

In this episode of Modern Founders, I sit down with Mike LaVista, the founder of CAXI. Over the last 25 years, Mike has navigated the rapidly changing world of technology, shifting his company from hand-coding in Notepad to building advanced AI-driven solutions.

We talk openly about the mistakes, the growth spikes that almost broke the business, and the frameworks he used to scale.

🔗 Connect With Us

Follow Barrett Williams & Modern Founders:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernfounders.pod/

Connect with Mike LaVista & CAXI:

Website: https://www.caxy.com/
Mike's LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaellavista/

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction & The Evolution of CAXI
01:25 - Staying Ahead of the 25-Year Tech Curve
02:10 - The Mistake of Skipping Industry Conferences
03:15 - Using Data & AI to Solve Real Customer Problems
05:28 - US-Based Teams vs. The Chaos of Offshore Outsourcing
06:15 - How AI is Wiping Out Overseas Tasks
08:14 - The Citibank Breakthrough: Going from Zero to One Thousand
09:39 - Surviving the Growth Spikes That Almost Killed Us
11:44 - The Startup Dilemma: Pricing Strategy & Cash Flow
13:42 - Moving Beyond "Hiring People You Like"
18:06 - Hire Slow, Fire Fast: A Founder's Real Job
18:44 - Validating Ideas: Talking to Customers First
20:55 - Burning the Boats: Handling Self-Doubt & Loneliness
26:13 - Side-Hustlers: The 80/20 Rule for Product
27:25 - Narrow the Focus, Broaden the Market: Finding a Niche
31:30 - Staying Sane: Long-Term Visions & Goal Setting
33:38 - Loving the Game & Making Your Own Luck
39:07 - Shifting from Developer to Sales Lead
41:15 - Systems Thinking: The E-Myth Playbook
43:03 - Rapid Fire: Essential Books & Underrated Advantages