In this conversation, John Kanarowski shares his extensive experience in the tech industry, particularly in sales and customer support. He discusses his journey from co-founding Deal Deal during the early internet era to leading Implicit, a company focused on AI-driven customer support solutions. John emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs, the impact of AI on the workforce, and the significance of maintaining a positive mindset in the face of change. He also reflects on personal milestones and the value of resilience in both personal and professional life.takeaways

• John has been working remotely for nearly 20 years, long before it became mainstream.
• He co-founded Deal Deal during the early days of the internet, capitalizing on emerging e-commerce trends.
• Implicit focuses on improving customer support for companies with complex products using AI.
• The company aims to provide high accuracy in customer support solutions right from the start.
• Understanding the target market is crucial; medium-sized enterprises often have the same needs as large ones but less strategic interest in building solutions.
• Customer feedback during onboarding highlights the speed and accuracy of the product.
• Sales strategies should focus on understanding customer problems and the economic value of solutions.
• The freemium model allows potential customers to experience the product with minimal barriers.
• AI is seen as a transformative tool that can enhance productivity and creativity in the workforce.
• Resilience and focus are key traits for success in entrepreneurship.

Sound Bites

• "We can get customers up and running in hours."
• "It's all about mindset in how you approach it."
• "It's an underrated skill to know when to quit."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:06 Career Journey and Remote Work

06:02 Founding Deal Deal and Early Internet Ventures

09:03 Transition to AI and Customer Support Solutions

11:48 Product Development and Target Market

15:05 Customer Engagement and Feedback

17:45 Freemium Model and Market Strategy

21:06 Sales Philosophy and Player-Coach Dynamics

30:21 Sales Conversations and Market Insights

32:12 Evolution of Sales in the AI Era

35:39 Key Lessons in Go-to-Market Strategies

39:09 Understanding Competition and Customer Expectations

43:29 AI's Impact on the Workforce and Future Trends

51:19 Personal and Professional Peaks

keywords: AI, customer support, remote work, entrepreneurship, sales strategies, product innovation, technology, business leadership, market trends, personal growth

In this episode of the Peaking Podcast, Bryan Mikolaitis interviews John Bodrozic, a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Home Zada. John shares his journey from a mechanical engineer in the construction industry to a successful software entrepreneur. He discusses the challenges and decisions he faced when starting his first company, the importance of understanding personal circumstances in entrepreneurship, and the dynamics of co-founder relationships. John also introduces Home Zada, a platform designed to help homeowners manage their properties more effectively, highlighting its features and market strategy. In this conversation, John Bodrozic discusses the evolution of HomeZada, a platform designed for homeowners. He emphasizes the importance of building a consumer-centric platform, the challenges of scaling a startup, and the significance of effective B2C marketing. The discussion also highlights the transformative impact of AI on homeowner solutions and concludes with personal insights on entrepreneurship and the journey of building a business.

In this episode of the Peaking Podcast, Bryan Mikolaitis interviews Terry James, CEO of Offleashed, a social app designed to connect pet lovers. Terry shares his journey from finance to the pet industry, emphasizing the importance of pets in building community and connection. He discusses the challenges of transitioning to technology, the role of AI in enhancing user experience, and the growth of the Offleashed community. The conversation highlights the significance of real-life interactions and the future roadmap for Offleashed, inviting listeners to join the mission.

Takeaways

Terry James is the CEO and co-founder of Offleashed.Offleashed connects pet lovers through a social app.Pets play a crucial role in community building.Terry's background includes finance and real estate.The pandemic highlighted the need for connection through pets.Building a trustworthy team is essential for success.Technology and AI are vital for enhancing user experience.Community events foster real-life connections among pet owners.Offleashed is expanding to more cities across the U.S.The app aims to support all types of pet parents.

Sound Bites

"Technology helps us impact more lives.""AI is essential for better matchmaking.""Community events are our special sauce."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Offleashed and Terry James
01:30 Terry's Journey to the Pet Industry
04:29 The Impact of Pets on Community and Connection
07:06 Building a Strong Team for Offleashed
10:34 Lessons Learned in the Tech Space
13:50 Leveraging AI for Better Connections
18:37 Community Growth and User Engagement
23:46 Event Coordination and Community Building
26:35 Future Roadmap and Capital Raising
31:21 How to Join the Offleashed Community

In this episode of the Peaking Podcast, host Bryan Mikolaitis speaks with Mazarine Treyz, an accomplished author, podcaster, and entrepreneur. Mazarine shares her extensive background in the nonprofit sector and her transition to helping small business owners secure government contracts. The conversation delves into the importance of embracing failure, the nuances of government contracting, and the resources available for entrepreneurs. Mazarine emphasizes the significance of networking, understanding RFPs, and the benefits of COVID certification for minority-owned businesses. She also shares success stories of clients who have thrived through government contracts, highlighting the potential for lucrative opportunities in this space.

Takeaways

Embrace the magical power of quitting and failure.
Failures can be more instructive than successes.
Online advertising may not yield the best ROI.
Government contracts can be accessed for free through local programs.
Teaming and subcontracting serve different purposes in proposals.
COVID certification can enhance contract opportunities for minority businesses.
Networking is essential for building relationships in government contracting.
Focus on local and state contracts for quicker results.
Requesting previous winning proposals can provide valuable insights.
Government contracting can lead to significant income opportunities.

Sound Bites

"Embrace the magical power of quitting and failure."
"I love talking about my failures."
"Don't put your money in online advertising."
"You can get government contracts for free."
"Focus on state and local first."
"Government contracting can be extremely lucrative."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Mazarine Treyz
01:09 Mazarine's Journey in Nonprofit and Business
03:23 Embracing Failure and Learning
05:02 Failures in Marketing and Advertising
08:20 Leveraging Government Contracts
11:34 Understanding Government Contracting Programs
14:01 Teaming vs. Subcontracting Explained
15:54 Getting COVID Certified for Government Contracts
18:40 Networking for Government Contracts
20:58 Political Climate and Its Impact on Contracts
23:10 Navigating RFPs and Upcoming Contracts
28:43 Success Stories in Government Contracting
32:15 Resources and Support for Entrepreneurs

Summary

In this engaging conversation, Kathy Long, founder and CEO of Adept Exec, shares her non-linear career journey, emphasizing the importance of community, values, and innovation in entrepreneurship. She discusses her mission to create a neuro-affirming workplace and the development of the Nixit app, designed to support neurodiverse individuals. Kathy also highlights the significance of employee ownership, non-negotiables in business, and the challenges of funding, offering valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and recent graduates.

Chapters

00:00 Kathy Long's Journey: A Non-Linear Career Path

04:41 The Birth of Adept Exec and Nixit

10:53 Creating a Neuro-Affirming Workplace

19:32 Nixit: The AI Companion for Neurodivergent Individuals

28:00 Building a Culture of Ownership and Accountability

33:28 Navigating Honesty and Communication in Neurodivergent Spaces

35:02 Exploring Market Opportunities in Accessibility Tech

36:44 Defining Non-Negotiables in Business Leadership

38:17 The Importance of Operational Excellence and Focus

40:57 The Role of a Chief of Staff in Startups

45:00 Common Mistakes Business Owners Make

49:06 Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital: Making the Right Choice

51:40 The Risks of Venture Capital and Startup Culture

55:47 Essential Skills for Recent Graduates in Tech

01:00:13 Preparing for Startup Life: Lessons Learned

01:03:41 Final Thoughts and Reflections on Leadership

SummaryIn this episode of the Peaking Podcast, Wyatt Carr sits down with Philip Van Drunen — a self-described accidental entrepreneur and the founder of multiple ventures, including a company that builds interactive exhibits for children’s museums and Captional, a real-time captioning and translation platform for live events.

Philip shares his unconventional path into entrepreneurship, the creative challenges of designing engaging museum experiences, and how Captional is pushing the boundaries of multilingual communication in real time. The conversation explores the business models behind his ventures, the future of accessible tech at events, and his foray into the RV fiber industry — where he’s tackling the challenge of delivering high-speed internet to mobile communities.

Along the way, Philip opens up about the lessons he’s learned: the importance of storytelling in marketing, building a life that supports both innovation and family, and the mindset required to navigate multiple industries with curiosity and grit.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Philipp Van Drunen

01:25 The Journey of an Accidental Entrepreneur

05:10 Building Interactive Exhibits for Children's Museums

12:37 The Business Model Behind Museum Projects

14:19 Innovating with Captional: Real-Time Captions and Translation

32:17 Future Prospects and Business Model of Captional

34:54 Enhancing Event Transcription and Translation

37:30 Diving into the RV Fiber Business

51:22 Innovating Internet Solutions for RV Parks

56:22 Entrepreneurial Lessons and Future Focus

In this conversation, Viral Shah, the Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Data Button, shares his journey from mechanical engineering to the tech industry, highlighting his experiences at Microsoft and the lessons learned in product development. He discusses the inception of Data Button, a platform designed to empower small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to create their own software solutions without the need for extensive technical knowledge. Viral emphasizes the importance of user feedback in the development process and shares success stories from customers who have benefited from Data Button's capabilities. In this conversation, Bryan Mikolaitis and Viral discuss the challenges of technology sprawl, the importance of pragmatic solutions in software development, and the role of AI in enhancing customer support. They explore the future of Data Button, including its partnership with Google and the potential for building agents that can streamline various processes. The discussion highlights the need for user-friendly tools that cater to specific business needs while also addressing the human element in AI interactions.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Viral Shah and Data Button
02:12 Viral's Journey: From Engineering to AI
06:30 Building AI Products at Microsoft
09:36 Transitioning to Entrepreneurship and Design
12:20 The Birth of Data Button
15:23 Solving Problems for SMBs with Data Button
18:25 User Experience and Success Stories
23:16 Navigating Technology Sprawl
26:57 Building Pragmatic Solutions
29:55 Understanding Hosting and Infrastructure
33:29 The Human Element in AI Support
36:51 The Future of Data Button and AI Integration
40:50 Imagining Future Agents

Keywords 

AI agents, Data Button, Viral Shah, entrepreneurship, software development, user experience, SMB solutions, Microsoft, product management, design agency, technology sprawl, pragmatic solutions, hosting infrastructure, AI support, Data Button, future of AI, agent building, customer experience, software development, business tools

Summary

In this conversation, Barbara Tallent, co-founder and CEO of AtSign, discusses her journey in the tech industry, the mission of AtSign to enhance internet security and privacy, and the innovative approaches they are taking to address current cybersecurity challenges. She shares insights on building a company culture, the importance of people in a startup, and her experiences as a woman in tech. The discussion also touches on the future of security, funding strategies, and the impact of AtSign's technology on critical infrastructure.

Summary

Wyatt Carr shares his experience during Ironman Texas, detailing the excitement leading up to the race, the unfortunate bike crash that resulted in a broken clavicle, and the support he received from fellow racers and spectators. He reflects on the importance of community and resilience in the face of adversity, emphasizing that the journey is just as important as the destination.

In this episode, Chris Sopher, CEO and co-founder of Letterhead, shares his journey in the media industry, discussing his early influences, the evolution of media, and the importance of community engagement. He emphasizes the need for new media professionals to understand the business context of their work and highlights emerging roles in audience development. Chris also reflects on his entrepreneurial journey and the significance of place in fostering community connections, ultimately leading to the creation of Letterhead, a tool designed to enhance email marketing and content management for various organizations. In this conversation, Chris Sopher discusses the evolution of email marketing, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and the potential of email as a first-party data channel. He shares insights on the challenges businesses face in maximizing email effectiveness and how software solutions can streamline these efforts. Sopher also highlights diverse user profiles across industries and shares success stories that illustrate the impact of effective email strategies. Additionally, he addresses the role of AI in content creation, advocating for a balanced approach that empowers human creativity while leveraging technological advancements.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Chris Sopher and Letterhead

01:20 Early Influences in Media and Journalism

05:37 Evolution of the Media Industry

09:09 Key Skills for New Media Professionals

12:26 Emerging Roles in Media

15:00 Entrepreneurial Journey and Community Engagement

19:25 Understanding Community Needs in Media

24:16 Overview of Letterhead's Mission and Tools

24:46 The Evolution of Email Engagement

30:24 Unlocking Email's Potential

35:25 Diverse User Profiles and Industries

36:46 Success Stories in Email Marketing

40:01 AI's Impact on Content Creation