Taylor Fowler’s journey to entrepreneurship has been full of adventure and experimentation. Her numerous jobs taught her many valuable lessons about herself and her work. As her desire for creative expression grew, she realized that running her own business would give her the freedom she needed to pursue the projects that fascinated her most. The summer of 2020 became a turning point for Taylor as she reevaluated her priorities and the direction of her career. Today, she works with a variety of local artists, personalities, and brands to help them craft authentic stories that resonate with their audiences.

Jason DeRose has been a teacher, trainer, gym owner, and supplement company entrepreneur, but his role as a coach is what best defines him. In our conversation, he describes himself as someone who enjoys helping and developing others. He has been doing this his whole life, and it’s what drives and motivates him on a daily basis. In this episode, Jason describes the ups and downs he has gone through in his career, including a false accusation that temporarily cost him his job at a local high school. He also talks about his passion for the gym business and how he learned to navigate the complex supplement industry in order to launch Gymsupps, a family-owned private label supplement company.

Carolyn Keller created Curio412 in order to put her unique skills and abilities to work in helping organizations of all types to reach their philanthropic goals. Her background in non-profit operations combined with her understanding of for-profit impact management allows her to work successfully on both sides of the giving equation. In this episode, we discuss why companies can and should build giving back into the DNA of their organizations and the importance of doing it authentically and in alignment with their missions.

Jordan Schulz and Zach Miller first collaborated as a music duo in 2019. After spending significant time with one another writing music and performing onstage, they realized that their off-stage skill sets were also a strong match. Jordan’s marketing, design, and media background combined with Zach’s audio engineering and production knowledge culminated in the creation of Lifeside Studios. Today, they offer a full suite of services to aspiring and established musicians, which has supported the growth of artistic talent in the Pittsburgh region.

A chance meeting between Elisabeth Leach and Andrea Belen-Sandhorst in the fall of 2019 turned into the creation of a thriving organization. Elisabeth and Andrea discovered they had much in common when it came to what they were looking for in a networking group. In early 2020, they launched The Women’s Collective Pittsburgh in order to create a welcoming and powerful community of female entrepreneurs and career professionals in our region. In this episode, Elisabeth talks about the tenacity that drove her to keep their doors open during the early days of the pandemic and the important role organizations like hers play in supporting and nurturing professional women of all types.

Emily Bezak, the founder of Emily Bezak Writes and host of the Marketers in PJs Podcast, is a professional communicator, marketer, and freelance writer. She is a prolific blogger and social media content creator with a significant presence on LinkedIn and Twitter. She also manages a popular Slack channel for marketers and creatives. In this episode, Emily talks about her love for writing and the challenges of transitioning from a freelancer to a full-time business owner.

After a poor golf club fitting experience, Jan Receski went home and searched online for an option that was more inclusive for women. Surprised by the lack of options, she knew something had to be done. The prospect of starting a business that combined her love for golf with the idea of addressing an important social issue was all the fuel she needed to give it a go. Determined to realize her vision, Jan wasn’t going to let the pandemic stop her, despite the complications that it created with her bank financing. Today, she operates OnPar Now, a state-of-the-art indoor golf facility located in the Strip District’s newly renovated Produce Terminal Building.

The best and most challenging thing that happened during James Mauler’s professional career was when he was terminated from the company he worked for in the early 1990s. This gave him the motivation he needed to start his own firm, and he launched Cadnetics the very next day. In this episode, Jim candidly discusses the meaning of this pivotal moment in his career and the risk he took in getting a cutting-edge tech company off the ground. He also discusses why he left college in order to pursue a more hands-on approach to his learning and how this paid off for him in the long run.

Although people refer to Patrick Colletti as a founder, he really prefers the term “refounder” when he describes his role in Net Health’s transformation. He was still fairly new with the company when he discovered that it was in trouble and on the brink of failure. As a last-ditch effort, the board of directors asked Patrick and another colleague if they wanted to have a go at turning the business around. The details of this story are highlighted in Patrick’s new book called "Refounder: how transformational leaders take what’s broken and make it better." In this episode, we talk about the “refounding principles” highlighted in the book, as well as what everyday people can do to apply these turnaround concepts in their personal lives and businesses.

What started as side project eventually turned into a full-time career for Jess Iacullo. Hungry Jess Big City began as a food photo blog and Instagram page where she could express her creativity and showcase her work to potential employers. Today, Jess has over 35,000 followers on Instagram and an impressive roster of local and national clients and brand sponsorships. In 2020, she had to overcome a major obstacle when she received a “cease and desist” letter from someone claiming to have the rights to a similar business name. After successfully rebranding her company, Jess acknowledges that although this was a painful experience, it has made her a better business owner in the long run.