StartupNation Radio

On this week's episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff talks to three Detroit entrepreneurs: Brad Baxter and Jacob Zuppke of AutoPets and Doug Schwartz of Detroit Wick.

First up are AutoPets' leaders: Baxter, CEO, and Zuppke, president and COO. AutoPets creates products to make the lives of pets and their owners easier, such as the Litter-Robot.

During the interview, Baxter and Zuppke discuss:

• How the idea for the company came to life
• How the company pivoted after losing money the first five years
• How AutoPets' Litter-Robot works
• How they shifted AutoPets' business model
• How they used actual cats for influencer marketing

For more information on AutoPets, visit the official website, and follow on LinkedIn.

Next up is Schwartz, founder of Detroit Wick and Trip Wipes. Detroit Wick is a sensory marketing agency that creates custom fragrances through candles, while Trip Wipes produces sustainable hand sanitizing wipes.

During the interview, Schwartz explains:

• Why he decided to start two companies
• How he found his way to the fragrance industry
• How his sales went from 100,000 to 13 million
• Why you should build your brand around passion, not money
• Keys to setting up your business for success

For more information on Detroit Wick, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook and Pinterest. For more information on Trip Wipes, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook.

We’ll be back next weekend with another exciting episode of StartupNation Radio! Stay tuned.

Do you have a great entrepreneurial success story to share? Tell us your story here and you could be featured on an upcoming episode of StartupNation Radio.

On this week's episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff talks to StartupNation's new subject matter experts: Shay Berman of Digital Resource, Greg Packer of AccessPoint and Michael Spath of Kapnick Insurance Group.

First up is Berman, the founder and president of Digital Resource, a digital marketing agency. He is StartupNation's digital marketing expert.

During the interview, Berman discusses:

• The three keys entrepreneurs can use to drive awareness
• Why social media plays such a large role into consumers' buying and decision-making processes
• How to know which market will fit your business' needs
• Why paid ads are the best way to get traffic quickly
• How to grow your organic social media presence

For more information about Digital Resource, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Next is Packer, president of AccessPoint, a business that provides human resource services. Packer is StartupNation's human resources expert.

During the interview, Packer explains:

• How AccessPoint works and why it's beneficial for employers
• When an employer should intersect with a company like AccessPoint
• How work and employment has changed since the pandemic
• What companies should pay attention to post-COVID-19
• Why entrepreneurs should focus on executing their core vision

For more information about AccessPoint, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Next is Michael Spath, a client executive for Michigan-based Kapnick Insurance Group, a full-service insurance brokerage. He is StartupNation's insurance expert.

During the interview, Spath talks about:

• How he went from owning a small business to going into the insurance world
• Why everyone needs insurance
• What coverage is crucial for small business owners
• How a business owner's policy works
• Why every business owner should invest in cyber insurance

For more information about Kapnick Insurance Group, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook and LinkedIn.

On today's food-themed episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff talks to food entrepreneurs Jessica Harold and Patrick Hingst of Kookys N Cream and chef Laura Romito of High 5 Salts with Benefits.

First up is Harold and Hingst, the co-founders of Kookys n Cream, a Michigan-based cookie shop in Lapeer known for its cookie blend called "cookie cream."

During the interview, Harold and Hingst discuss:

• What Kookys n Cream offers
• How they "kookify" traditional desserts
• How they came up with the business idea
• Why they're looking toward franchising
• How TikTok helped them get a surge in orders and how they handled the influx

For more information about Kookys n Cream, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook and Instagram.

Next up is Romito, a chef who founded High 5 Salts with Benefits, an organic seasoning blend.

During the interview, Romito explains:

• How she turned her concoction she previously used just for herself into a business
• An explanation of the five tastes of people's tongues
• Why she created the product to avoid working in restaurants forever
• How she switched from the teaching world to the food industry
• How she made her business scale

For more information about High 5 Salts with Benefits, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook.

On today's business coaching-themed episode of StartupNation, Jeff brings on Jon Dwoskin. Dwoskin is a business coach, author, speaker and podcaster who has coached everyone from solopreneurs to Fortune 500 companies.

On today's Amazon-themed episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff is joined by co-host Matt Damman and talks to Derek Gaskins of Aleva Stores and Retail Bloom and Michelle Covey of GS1.

Gaskins is the president and founder of Aleva Stores, a retailer with a focus in medical supplies that assists brands in finding their way through e-commerce marketplaces like Amazon. He is also the chairman and co-founder of Retail Bloom, a service provider that helps businesses improve sales production in e-commerce marketplaces like Amazon.

During the interview, Gaskins discusses:

• How he started from eBay
• How to run your business primarily through Amazon
• Why you need to approach Amazon with a differentiation in strategy or product
• How Retail Bloom can help your small business thrive in e-commerce marketplaces
• How Aleva Stores works

For more information about Aleva Stores, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook and LinkedIn. For more information about Retail Bloom, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Next is Covey, the vice president of retail apparel and general merchandise of GS1, an organization that develops business communication standards and gave birth to the barcode.

During the interview, Covey talks about:

• How barcodes work/are generated
• The different barcode options for your business
• Why you shouldn't turn universal product codes (UPCs) on until they go to market
• Amazon's initiatives on preventing counterfeit UPCs
• Why UPCs are the key to online searching

For more information about GS1, visit the official website.

On today's travel-themed episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff talks to KT Maviglia-Morgan and Jordan Morgan of On Arrival - The Traveler’s Podcast, Sally Bunnell of NaviSavi and Andrea Schubiner of Wanderful Journeys.

Morgan is an American-born Slovenian professional basketball player who played college basketball at the University of Michigan. Maviglia-Morgan was crowned Miss Michigan in 2014 and is the founder of The KT Maviglia Fund, which helps Michigan residents with hearing loss. Together, the duo host On Arrival, a travel-based podcast.

During the interview, Morgan and Maviglia-Morgan discuss:

• How Morgan balances being a professional athlete and maintaining a business
• Why they decided to create a travel brand
• How they plan to expand to booking and designing trips
• How to build a successful podcast
• How to immerse yourself in the business world

For more information about On Arrival, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.

Next is Bunnell, the founder and CEO of NaviSavi, a video-only travel app that shows prospective travelers what they're in for on their vacation of choice.

During the interview, Bunnell talks about:

• How the app works
• How it went from a TV show idea to an app
• Why the app doesn't allow photos, reviews or editing
• How and why user-generated content drives the app
• How people can be approved to send in videos and start earning compensation

For more information about NaviSavi, visit the official website, and follow on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Next is Schubiner, founder of Wanderful Journeys, a boutique travel business that designs one-of-a-kind travel itineraries for customers.

During the interview, Schubiner explains:

• How she went from having a travel blog to a full-fledged business
• How she came to realize travel is her passion
• How being a travel advisor works
• How the business brings in revenue
• Why travel is booming now more than ever

For more information, visit the official website, and follow on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

We’ll be back next weekend with another exciting episode of StartupNation Radio! Stay tuned.

On today's franchise-themed episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff is joined by co-host Chris McCuiston of Goldfish Swim School and two featured guests: Dr. Mary Mason of Little Medical School and Manish Vakil of Tumbles Kids' Gyms.

McCuiston is the co-founder and CEO of Goldfish Swim School, the premier learn-to-swim facility for kids ages 4 months to 12 years. This year, the Michigan-based company is celebrating its 15th year in business.

During the interview, McCuiston discusses:

• Why entrepreneurs should consider going the franchise route and its advantages
• What the basic essentials behind franchising are
• Why every business should have a recipe it follows
• Why the franchise model helps to scale
• How Goldfish Swim School continues to succeed

For more information about Goldfish Swim School, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Next is Dr. Mason, the founder of Little Medical School, an educational company that teaches kids about the sciences surrounding health care.

During the interview, Dr. Mason explains:

• How she turned a hobby into a successful business
• Why she decided franchising was the best option for her business
• How Little Medical School's franchisees succeed
• Why taking risks is the key to success
• Why franchising gives businesses a head start

For more information about Little Medical School, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Next is Vakil, the founder and CEO of Tumbles Kids' Gyms, which focuses on physical fitness while incorporating science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) programs.

During the interview, Vakil talks about:

• How he started as a franchisee
• How the company is expanding to other continents
• How having a master franchisee gives businesses much more access
• What types of advisors he used to help him expand and enter into other countries
• How the company is continuing to thrive

For more information about Tumbles Kids' Gyms, visit the official website, and follow on LinkedIn.

Finally, all the guests come back together to discuss franchise disclosure documents and how to put together a business plan successfully.

We’ll be back next weekend with another exciting episode of StartupNation Radio! Stay tuned.

On today's episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff is joined by co-host, Brian Calley, president of the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM), and two featured guests: Patti Eisenbraun, co-owner of Brown Iron Brewhouse, and Derek Dickow, founder of Steward Media and Board of Directors member of SBAM.

Calley, who is the former the lieutenant governor of Michigan, is the president of SBAM and will soon be its CEO. SBAM aims to help local small businesses find their footing and grow. It is the only statewide and state-based association that focuses solely on serving the needs of Michigan’s small business community, and has been in operation since 1969.

During the interview, Calley discusses:

• His transition from commercial banker to lieutenant governor to businessman
• How the SBAM does more than just advocate for small businesses
• How SBAM's membership levels work and what resources are provided
• His view of politics today
• Why he plans to dedicate the rest of his life to SBAM

For more information about SBAM, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Next, Calley and Jeff talk to Eisenbraun, the owner of Brown Iron Brewhouse, a smokehouse, full-service restaurant and brewery.

During the interview, Eisenbraun talks about: 

• How Brown Iron Brewhouse opened its second restaurant on March 1, 2020, right around the time the pandemic took over
• Why its business model worked before the pandemic, and how the staff had to change it completely due COVID-19
• How the business has maintained its staff during the tumultuous year
• Why Brown Iron Brewhouse pays its workers' health and dental insurance if they work a minimum of 30 hours per week
• How the business has recovered its customer base

For more information about Brown Iron Brewhouse, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Next, Calley and Jeff chat with Derek Dickow, who in addition to being the founder of a PR and political relations firm, is also on the Board of Directors for SBAM.

During the interview, Dickow explains:

• How he responded to the pandemic
• How he facilitated worthwhile programming during a difficult year
• Why some may adapt to a lifelong hybrid world
• Why he spends an hour a day connecting people
• How SBAM plans to move forward post-pandemic

For more information about SBAM, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Finally, all the guests come back together to discuss how small businesses can recover from the pandemic.

On today's episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff interviews two entrepreneurs: Bode Miller of SKEO and Sara Moll of Vin Social.

First up is Miller, who is the most decorated male American alpine ski racer of all time, known for 33 World Cup wins, two overall titles, four world championships and six Olympic medals. Now, he is founding partner at SKEO, an app that measures and tracks data on your smartphone in your pocket while skiing.

During the interview, Miller discusses:

• How he approaches his work
• His journey from the sports world into the business world
• How he's built a brand from skiing
• Why he decided to go into the business world and develop SKEO after retiring

For more information about SKEO, visit the official website, and follow on Facebook and Instagram.

Next up, Jeff talks to Moll, the founder and CEO of Vin Social, an online wine education program and hospitality solution that allows for virtual wine tasting and more.

During the segment, Moll talks about:

• Vin Social's equity crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder
• How she went from the fashion industry to the wine world
• How she came up with the idea for Vin Social
• How focusing on the source helped her develop Vin Social
• Why she wanted Vin Social to be an e-commerce platform
• How the pandemic helped her business

For more information, visit Vin Social's website, and follow on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

On today's episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff interviews three cannabis entrepreneurs: James Reina and Alvaro Ortega of Jibby Coffee and Jerome Crawford of Pleasantrees.

First up are Reina and Ortega, co-founders of Jibby Coffee, a business out of Miami, Florida, that fuses its coffee with cannabis (CBD).

During the interview, Reina and Ortega discuss:

• Why they decided to blend CBD into the already lauded commodity of coffee
• How they got their business going during the COVID-19 lockdown
• How they overcame adversity after a cold front ruined their growing coffee
• How they personalize each order
• Their plans for Jibby Coffee's future

For more information, visit Jibby Coffee's website, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Next up, Jeff talks to Crawford, director of legal operations and social equity of Pleasantrees, a Michigan-based cannabis dispensary that's vertically integrated.

During the segment, Crawford talks about:

• How CEO and founder Randall Buckman went from knocking on doors to creating a booming business
• Pleasantrees' plans to open a retail store in Massachusetts soon
• How Crawford went from a performer, lawyer and model to an entrepreneur
• How the pandemic impacted Pleasantrees
• Where Pleasantrees is going from here

For more information, visit Pleasantrees' website, and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.