Rising Tide Startups

You don’t always need to beat the biggest players. Sometimes the smarter move is finding the space they don’t own, and OWNING IT.

Darren Gallop is the CEO of Carbide, a cybersecurity company helping organizations build stronger, more resilient security from the top down. His entrepreneurial path started far outside cybersecurity, from running a record label during the Napster era to later building software platforms used for major global events like Coachella and Burning Man.

Along the way, Darren faced the kind of challenges that force a founder to rethink how they compete, including industry disruption, trademark battles, rebranding, and the pressure of going up against companies with far deeper pockets.

In this episode of Rising Tide Startups, Kevin and Darren talk about what happens when chasing the biggest players stops making sense and a more focused path starts to emerge. They also dig into sustainable growth, finding a niche worth owning, the difference between real security and security theater, and how AI is changing the way software and cybersecurity work.



Whether you’re building in a crowded market, questioning the way you’ve been approaching growth, or trying to figure out where your business can truly stand apart, this conversation may change the way you think about competition.

Key Takeaways:

• Embrace Rebranding Resilience. Unexpected pivots can become opportunities to reset and move forward.
• Recognize Niche Limitations. A niche can build a strong business without needing massive scale.
• Prioritize Substance Over Theater. Real value comes from doing the work, not just checking boxes.
• Adopt AI for Augmentation. Use AI to strengthen human thinking, not replace it.
• Resist Hyper-Growth Pressure. Slower, focused growth can create a healthier, more sustainable business.
• Listen to Customers Over Noise. Customer needs matter more than whatever the market is shouting about.
• Focus on Future Trajectory. Build for where the industry is going, not just where it is today.

Listen to the full conversation here:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@risingtidestartups 
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rising-tide-startups/id1330525474 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2eq7unl70TRPsBhjLEsNZR 

Connect with Darren:

• Website: carbidesecure.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrengallop/
• Book Website: builttotrustbook.com

Closing thought:

“Skate to where the puck is going. For years, we felt like we were just playing catch-up with Silicon Valley companies with all the big checks. Now we’ve built the confidence and vision to stop chasing and actually innovate.”— Darren Gallup 

If you enjoyed this conversation with Darren, please head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify to leave us a 5-star rating and review! Your support helps us keep the rising tide high and introduces more incredible startup stories to listeners worldwide.

Shoutout to our Great Sponsors: 

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Scaling three companies as a solo founder sounds impossible until you see what Eric Levine has built with AI.

Eric is the founder of Strategy Engine AI, ScubaZen, and Venice Threads Company. Before entrepreneurship, he worked at Meta, leading global strategy across Facebook and Instagram while helping improve operational efficiency. After four years, he left corporate life without a clear next step, right as generative AI was beginning to reshape how businesses could be built.

With no technical background and no coding experience, Eric taught himself how to use tools like Claude Code and custom AI agents to create the infrastructure behind his companies. Today, he runs all three ventures as a one-person team from a co-working space in Venice Beach and shares what he is learning through Eric Grows Companies, where he helps founders build practical AI systems of their own.

In this episode, Kevin sits down with Eric to talk about using AI as a strategic thought partner, taking ownership of web infrastructure for AI search and AEO, building with autonomous agents, and creating systems that allow a solo founder to scale without sacrificing personal peace.

Key Takeaways

• Own Your Digital Foundation. More control over your website can improve how AI finds and cites your content.
• Use AI to Challenge You. The best tools question assumptions instead of simply agreeing.
• Prioritize Better Content. Human-refined, high-quality content is more likely to stay visible in AI search.
• Protect Your Peace. Build in a way that supports your well-being, not just growth.
• Create Daily Anchors. Fixed routines add structure to an otherwise flexible schedule.
• Build Systems That Keep Running. Automation reduces the amount of work that depends on you.

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@risingtidestartups 
• Apple Podcast:
• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rising-tide-startups/id1330525474 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2eq7unl70TRPsBhjLEsNZR 
• Website: https://risingtidestartups.com/

• Website: https://ericgrows.com/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EricGrowsCompanies

Closing Thought

“Your inner self is going to know what the right answer is. It just takes the guts to follow it. Your happiness is in your control. It’s not anyone else’s responsibility. If you don’t take the leap, you may keep feeling that way forever.” — Eric Levine 

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The most fulfilling kind of success has less to do with what you build for yourself and more to do with what you’re able to give to others.

Our guest today is Joe Daly, founder of Daly Goods, a custom leather goods company rooted in Waco, Texas. Born in Minnesota, Joe met his wife in Missouri before eventually putting down roots in the Lone Star State. Behind his craftsmanship is a deep commitment to helping people give meaningful gifts while using his business to model radical, intentional generosity.

In this episode, host Kevin Prewett sits down with Joe to trace his journey from managing complex operations and inventory to taking the leap into full-time entrepreneurship. Joe shares how a simple leatherworking kit grew into a thriving brand, along with the operational challenges, pricing decisions, and patience required to build a physical product business centered on quality.

Together, they explore the deeper purpose behind building a values-driven venture. Joe shares how shifting the focus from profit margins to serving others can redefine success, offering a refreshing perspective on business as a vehicle for generosity, stewardship, and lasting legacy.

• The Ultimate Life Strategy. True fulfillment stems from active generosity, creating an impact that revenue alone can never achieve.
• Mastery Begins with Patience. Building a quality product requires embracing steep learning curves and committing to continuous refinement.
• Evolve Beyond Trial and Error. Scaling beyond a hobby demands transitioning from casual experimentation to repeatable systems and operational structure.
• Value Over Price Tag. Competing on price is a race to the bottom; focusing on craft and connection justifies premium positioning.
• Serve First, Sell Second. Reframing sales as genuine problem-solving builds deep customer loyalty that advertising cannot buy.
• Embrace Purposeful Stewardship. Treating a business as a platform for service fundamentally improves leadership, culture, and community impact.

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@risingtidestartups 
• Apple Podcast:
• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rising-tide-startups/id1330525474 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2eq7unl70TRPsBhjLEsNZR 
• Website: https://risingtidestartups.com/

• Website: https://dalygoods.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dalygoodsco/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-daly-67b31928/

Closing Thought

 "It really is more blessed to give than receive. Ff you want to live a good life, be generous. That's the ultimate 'life hack.' And it's not a hack—it's just true." — Joe Daly



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Most businesses do not have a lead problem. They have a follow-up problem hiding in plain sight.

For Aly Samaha, follow-up is not a desperate sales tactic. It is a system for recovering money that businesses have already earned but failed to capture. Over the last two years, his approach has helped bring in $2.37 million in cash from silent opportunities while working just one to two calls a day. His philosophy is simple: stop chasing more when there is already money sitting inside your pipeline.

In this episode, Kevin sits down with Aly to break down the sales “hustle lie” and why high-ticket founders, coaches, and sales teams often overlook the warmest opportunities they already have. Aly explains how his background in startups, operations, and closing shaped his obsession with leaving zero stones unturned, and why smart follow-up begins before the call ever ends.

Together, they unpack how to revive quiet prospects without sounding needy, pestering leads, or relying on aggressive sales tactics. Aly shares why good follow-up depends on clarity, proximity, and energy management, and how business owners can focus their attention on the few deals closest to the finish line instead of treating every prospect the same.

The conversation is a practical reminder that sales is not just about more activity. It is about knowing where trust already exists, staying human in the follow-up, and building a system that turns neglected conversations into recovered revenue.

• Reframe the Silence. A quiet lead is not always a lost deal. Sometimes the problem becomes urgent later, and the right follow-up keeps you close without pressuring the prospect.
• Work the Pipeline You Already Have. Before chasing new leads or increasing ad spend, look at the warm conversations, past calls, and stalled opportunities already sitting in your CRM. 
• Follow Up Before the Call Ends. Strong follow-up starts by identifying the real objection on the sales call, so the next message feels relevant instead of random. 
• Detach From the Outcome. When you focus on the process instead of forcing the close, you become more useful, less needy, and more trusted. 
• Give Away Strategy, Sell Execution. Sharing frameworks, templates, and advice builds goodwill. The paid value comes from helping business owners implement the system. 
• Prioritize the Closest Deals. Not every lead deserves the same energy. Focus your best attention on the prospects closest to the finish line, then use systems for the rest. 
• Build Follow-Up Systems. Memory is not a revenue strategy. Clean pipelines, simple sequences, and consistent outreach keep warm leads from disappearing. 

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@risingtidestartups 
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rising-tide-startups/id1330525474 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2eq7unl70TRPsBhjLEsNZR 

• Free 60-Min Pipeline Audit: http://alysamaha.com/kevin 
• Website: alysamaha.com
• LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/samsonsamaha
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samsonsamaha/

My guest Aly Samaha put his entire follow-up system in one place and made it free for you, every script and sequence behind $2.37M in recovered deals: https://alysamaha.com/kevin

Closing Thought

"Marry the process, but divorce yourself from the outcome. The best salespeople stay focused on what they can control, stay close without pressure, and build trust long before the deal is ready to close." — Aly Samaha

• Naviqus Virtual Services - Hassle-free administrative support services that are efficient, affordable, and tailored to your needs. Check out https://naviqus.com now to jumpstart your business for 2025!
• Podbrand Media - Have you ever considered starting your own podcast for your company or brand?  Podbrandmedia.com can help.  
• Rising Tide Members: Special thanks to our supporters and community members who make this show possible. Learn how to join at risingtidestartups.com.

A layoff isn't always a setback. Sometimes it's the boost you need! After being laid off from a strategic advisory firm, Madilyn pulled her existing LLC off the shelf and made the decision to stop climbing the corporate ladder. With a master’s in marketing and years of experience working alongside business creators, she stepped into entrepreneurship with a clear focus: helping agency owners finally give their own brands the same strategic attention they give their clients. Today, Madilyn leads M & Co, a North Carolina brand strategy consultancy for marketing and creative agency owners. Acting as a “second brain,” she helps founders sharpen their positioning, clarify their messaging, and maintain a brand presence that reflects the quality of work they are already delivering for others. In this episode, Kevin sits down with Madilyn to unpack how she landed two clients within four months of launching, moved from theory-heavy business courses into real client work, worked through pricing imposter syndrome, and built a relationship-first outreach approach that feels more human than traditional cold calling. Key Takeaways Solve one problem exceptionally well. Clarity on your specific solution and niche beats trying to appeal to everyone. Relationships are your first marketing channel. Networks, testimonials, and case studies build credibility long before any formal campaign does. Treat the business like a business on day one. Real systems and a professional mindset early create momentum that compounds. Lead with value. Ungated resources and quick wins earn trust faster than pitching ever will. Comfort follows the scary decision, not the other way around. Clarity and confidence show up after you act, not before. Price for where you're going. Don't anchor your rates to an old corporate salary; build them around the business you're actually creating. Delegation is freedom. Clean SOPs get routine work off your plate so you can focus on growth. Listen to the Episode YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@risingtidestartups Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rising-tide-startups/id1330525474 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2eq7unl70TRPsBhjLEsNZR Website: https://risingtidestartups.com/ Connect with Madilyn Kent Website: https://mandco.io LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madilynkent/ Closing Thought "Take the jump. Take the leap. It is worth it. There will be struggles, but nothing in life comes without them. So do it." Sponsor Shoutouts Naviqus Virtual Services - Hassle-free administrative support services that are efficient, affordable, and tailored to your needs. Check out https://naviqus.com now to jumpstart your business for 2025! Podbrand Media - Have you ever considered starting your own podcast for your company or brand? Podbrandmedia.com can help. Affordable and effective in content creation and lead generation!