STARTUP or SHUTUP! | Small Business & Entrepreneurship Podcast with Colin Fraley

Founder interviews meet creator economy strategy. In this deep dive, PK Fire reveals how they transitioned from software engineering to building a thriving event and community business—and how that founder mindset applies to launching any venture. Learn the business validation techniques behind community building, the power of early partnerships, and why today's best entrepreneurs are doubling down on experiences and niche audiences. A must-listen for solopreneurs and small business owners exploring alternative revenue streams.

Jason VanDevere shares his experience with silent retreats and how they have shaped his perspective and goals. He discusses the impact of silent retreats on his clarity, goal-setting, and overall happiness, emphasizing the shift from self-focused goals to others-focused goals.

Takeaways

• Silent retreats provide clarity and perspective
• Shift from self-focused goals to others-focused goals

Chapters

• 00:00 The Impact of Silent Retreats

The conversation emphasizes the importance of cultivating empathy and understanding others' perspectives, highlighting its impact on various aspects of business and life.

Takeaways

• Cultivate empathy
• Understanding others' perspectives

Chapters

• 00:00 Cultivating Empathy for Success

The conversation delves into the challenges of overcoming self-doubt and ageism in the online business world, highlighting the journey of empowerment and resilience.

Takeaways

• Overcoming self-doubt
• Empowering older professionals

Chapters

• 00:00 Overcoming Self-Doubt and Ageism in Online Business

A rapid-fire interview with a nail technician covering personal preferences, industry trends, and elevator pitch for her salon.

Takeaways

• Nail technician preferences
• Industry trends
• Elevator pitch for salon

Chapters

• 00:00 Personal Preferences and Rapid Questions

The conversation delves into the use of social media for marketing and brand promotion, highlighting the impact of Instagram on booking success. It also explores the role of happy clients as promoters and the influence of community in client engagement.

Takeaways

• Social media as a marketing tool
• Leveraging happy clients for promotion

Chapters

• 00:00 Marketing, Community, and Brand

Thinking about how to start a nail business in Chicago? In this episode, Owner Nasjali Cruz of NBN Nails (NBN Chicago) breaks down exactly how she built a bookings-driven studio in Lakeview—covering Gel-X, structured gel, acrylic, pricing strategy, policies that prevent no-shows, marketing that fills the calendar, and when to expand beyond nails.

What you’ll learn

• Step-by-step: turning nail skills into a real nail tech business

• Services to offer (Gel-X, structured gel, acrylic) and how to position each

• Pricing & timing: setting rates by time blocks, complexity, and product cost

• Policies that protect profits (deposits, cancellation/no-show)

• Chicago marketing: IG/UGC, reviews, and local partnerships that actually book

• Hiring & standards for a consistent client experience

• Smart expansion (adjacent beauty services) and the KPIs to watch

About the guest
Nasjali Cruz, owner of NBN Nails (NBN Chicago), opened her a Lakeview studio at age 18 & is known for structured gel, Gel-X, acrylic, and a polished client experience.

Book NBN Chicago:nbnchicago.glossgenius.com

About this show
Startup or Shutup! spotlights real founders building real businesses—tactics you can use this week. Subscribe for more nail salon owner interviews, small business marketing, and how-to episodes.

Keywordsstart a nail business in Chicago, nail salon Chicago, nail tech pricing, Gel-X Chicago, structured gel Chicago, acrylic nails Chicago, how to start a nail salon, nail tech marketing, booking policies no-show, small business podcast

Hashtags#NailBusiness #ChicagoNails #GelX #StructuredGel #AcrylicNails #NailTech #NailSalonOwner #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #StartupOrShutup

🚀 Startup founders, side-hustlers, and builders: this episode features Andrew Ackerman—entrepreneur, author, and startup strategist—breaking down what actually moves the needle from idea → execution → traction.

We talk about startup success, entrepreneur mindset, business strategy, product-market fit, fundraising basics, customer discovery, and the real-world decisions founders face when building under pressure. If you’re searching for practical advice on how to start a business, how to validate an idea, or how to grow a startup, this one’s for you.

📘 Andrew’s book (recommended): Entrepreneur’s Odyssey: An Approach to Startup Success
https://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurs-Odyssey-Approach-Startup-Success/dp/1032883545/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

🌐 Learn more about Andrew:
https://www.andrewbackerman.com

What you will learn in this episode:

• How to avoid “busy work” and focus on traction-driving actions

• A clear framework for idea validation and early customer discovery

• Common mistakes founders make with MVPs, messaging, and positioning

• How to think about go-to-market when you don’t have a big budget

• The mindset shifts that separate wishful thinking from repeatable execution

Founder and People Ops leader Abby Gates (Sproutwise) joins Startup or Shutup! with host Colin Fraley to show early-stage teams how to hire their first employees, build a 10-day onboarding plan, and turn values into an operating system that scales. We cover fractional HR vs. project support, lightweight performance cycles, compensation basics for seed/Series A, and scrappy recognition rituals that actually boost retention. Plus: our Rapid Fire round, a not-so-fun fact on the VC funding gap for diverse founders (and what People Ops can do about it), the Michigan founder lens on talent, and Abby’s candid Shutup Moment—the toughest lesson she now teaches so you don’t repeat it. Perfect for solo founders, startup CEOs, and first-time hiring managers who need practical playbooks, not fluff.

In this powerful episode, host Colin Fraley sits down with Carol Tice, an award-winning business journalist turned online entrepreneur, to unpack how getting fired became the best thing that ever happened to her.

Carol shares how she transformed her career setback into a multimillion-dollar success story — building a 1,500-member paid community for freelance writers, scaling it to nearly $6 million in revenue, and selling it for life-changing money. From there, she hit the road in an RV with her husband and launched her latest venture, Community Growth Academy, helping coaches, creators, and consultants build thriving paid communities of their own.

💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How getting fired can spark your greatest entrepreneurial breakthrough

• The secret to building a loyal, paying community online

• The behind-the-scenes story of scaling and selling a membership business

• How to balance freedom, travel, and business on the road

• Why Gen Z is leading the next wave of crowdfunding and solopreneurship

🎧 Whether you’re a solopreneur, podcaster, creator, or startup dreamer, this episode will remind you that sometimes getting fired isn’t the end — it’s your invitation to finally build something of your own.

✨ Supported by PeerFounder:
If you’ve ever wanted to start your own business but didn’t know where to begin, PeerFounder helps you get your first yes and your first $500 to start or grow your idea — no credit checks, no gatekeepers. Pay it back successfully and unlock $2,500, then $7,000 to really launch your vision. Join now for lifetime access as one of the first 1,000 users at PeerFounder.com.