James Shockley-Temple left the Air Force in 2007 to get his MBA at Darden. Despite graduating in the aftermath of the Great Recession, he bought his first math tutoring franchise in 2009. Since then, he's bought and built his way to 24 locations and counting.

In this episode, we cover:

* James’ journey from the Air Force to getting an MBA to SMB ownership

* Turning a struggling acquisition into one of the top-performing Mathnasium locations

* The ideal customer, purchase journey, and unit economics of math tutoring

* Tactics for hiring for tutors and unit managers

* How math tutoring impacts more than just grades

Where to find James & Mathnasium:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jatemple/

* Website: https://www.mathnasium.com/

Dr. Adam Broussard is a board certified anesthesiologist, SMB investor and recent SMB owner. In 2024, he started That 1 Painter New Orleans, a commercial and residential painting contractor. In this episode, we dig into the mechanics of running a painting contractor, from estimates to crews and more.

In this interview, we cover:

* Decoupling his income from hours spent in the OR

* Anatomy of a painting job

* How weather and contractor delays can impact working capital

* Standing out through service and crew management

* Opening a second location in Baton Rouge

Where to find Adam & That 1 Painter:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-broussardmd/

* Twitter: @adambroussardmd

* Website: https://that1painter.com/new-orleans/

Tyler Mumford quit his SaaS sales job last year to launch GrindTime Stump Grinding. He made $9K in revenue the first month and is on track to gross $200K in 2025.

In this interview, we cover:

* Finding a business with a B2B sales motion

* How to assemble your equipment on a budget

* Walk-through of a typical job

* Building a brand in the stump grinding space

Where you can find Tyler and GrindTime:

* X: @StumpGuyTy

* Website: https://utahstumppros.com/

Alex Caruso is the owner-operator behind POM Industries, the maker of POM pepper spray. After starting the business 8 years ago with $30K, he's since scaled to $5M in revenue through sheer grit, guerilla marketing and the support of industry veterans.

In this interview, we dig into:

* The process of launching a manufactured product

* Challenges of marketing pepper spray

* Role of industry advisors and conferences

* Streamlining the manufacturing process

Where you can find Alex and POM:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-caruso-a0569899

* Instagram: @pompepperspray

* Website: pompepperspray.com