StartupNation Radio

On this very special edition of StartupNation Radio LIVE, Jeff is joined by co-host, Jamie Morris. Morris is a former running back who played at the University of Michigan at the college level, and for Washington in the NFL.

Together, Jeff and Jamie interview four experts on business and football and take questions from callers.

During the show, Jeff and Jamie chat with:

• Herman Moore, an NFL All-Pro, business owner, speaker and philanthropist.
• Jim Brandstatter, an American sports announcer who does the radio play-by-play for the Michigan Wolverines football team.
• John Wangler, a former football quarterback who played for the University of Michigan from 1977 to 1980.
• Lorenzo White, one of the greatest running backs in Michigan State history and the tenth player in the school's history to be inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame.

On today’s episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff is joined by leading business coach and co-host, Jon Dwoskin. Together, they interview three entrepreneurs who have pitched their businesses on “Shark Tank.”

Today’s featured guests are Renaldo Webb, founder of Pet Plate; Tate Stock, founder of Chirp; and Meredith Jurica, CEO of Makeup Junkie bags. Together, they share their “Shark Tank” experiences and offer up tips to aspiring entrepreneurs for perfecting your pitch in order to secure a deal.

But first, Jeff and Jon kick off the show by announcing their new joint business coaching program, “Business Builders,” which will feature live weekly business coaching sessions, a private Facebook group for members, expert guest speakers and more!

“The goal and the intent is very clean,” Dwoskin said of the “Business Builders” program. “We want to make coaching affordable for everybody. We want to be a resource to help you grow your business.”

“Business Builders” will launch in mid-March 2021, at an investment of $100 per month or $997 for the year.

To sign up to receive updates, please visit jondwoskin.com/business-builders or reach out to Jeff directly at [email protected].

Next up, Jeff and Jon introduce each of today’s guests, starting with Meredith Jurica, CEO of Makeup Junkie Bags, a lay-flat, leak-proof cosmetic bag created using a design that previously didn’t exist in the makeup industry. Jurica shares the deal she made on “Shark Tank” with Lori Greiner ($200,000 for 15% of her company) in early 2019, and what happened after the cameras stopped rolling.

Then, Jeff and Jon bring on Tate Stock, founder of Chirp, a company known for its Chirp Wheel, a device that helps to relieve back pain by stretching the muscles. Stock’s “Shark Tank” appearance aired in late October 2020, in which he struck a $900,000 deal for 2.5% of his company.

Lastly, Jeff and Jon introduce Renaldo Webb, founder of Pet Plate, a company that delivers nutritious dog food in convenient pre-portioned cups. While Webb did not receive a deal when he was on “Shark Tank” in 2016, he reflects on how he turned the obstacles that prevented him from securing a deal into the reasons Pet Plate has been so successful ever since.

Throughout the show, Jurica, Stock and Webb discuss the “Shark Tank” application process, share how aspiring entrepreneurs can increase their chances of getting a deal, and offer a look at the behind-the-scenes process that viewers at home don’t get to see.

On this episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff features three entrepreneurs who took control of their lives by starting businesses of their own. In sharing their stories, these entrepreneurs offer up the key moves they made that ultimately led to their great success.

First up is Heini Zachariassen, founder and CEO of the world’s most popular wine app, Vivino. With 46 million global users, Vivino is the world's largest wine community and the ultimate destination for discovering and purchasing wines.

During the interview, Zachariassen shares:

• How and why he started Vivino
• How he took a great idea and turned it into a great business
• The power of word-of-mouth
• The importance of teamwork
• The documentary, “Disrupting Wine,” about his entrepreneurial journey

To learn more, visit Vivino’s official website and check out Zachariassen’s YouTube series, “Raw Startup.”

Next, Jeff interviews Jamie Giovinazzo, president and founder of Eat Clean Bro, a healthy and convenient prepared meal delivery service.

After he spent years cooking healthy meals for his friends, and made several attempts at getting his business up and running, Giovinazzo started Eat Clean Bro in 2013. Today, Eat Clean Bro has made $17 million in sales.

During the show, Giovinazzo discusses:

• Why he started Eat Clean Bro out of a “moral obligation”
• The importance of having a positive outlook
• How his company gives back to the community
• Why entrepreneurship works

For more information, visit the Eat Clean Bro official website, and check out Giovinazzo’s articles on StartupNation to learn what he says is the key to success in entrepreneurship, and the importance of being self-reliant as an entrepreneur.

Lastly, Jeff chats with Eric Nalbone, head of marketing at Drum Technologies, a platform that allows businesses to promote offers and customers of those businesses to share those offers in exchange for compensation or a reward.

During the show, Nalbone shares:

• Why Drum waived its platform fees at launch
• The importance of prioritizing customers and community over profit at launch
• Examples of how customers are using the Drum platform
• How Drum utilizes influencer marketing
• What’s next for Drum

For more information, visit the official Drum.io website, or download the app, available for iOs and Android.

On this episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff is joined by guest co-host, Andrew Blake.

Blake is President of Blake’s Family of Companies and the founder of Blake’s Hard Cider, an independent, family-owned Michigan craft cidery located in Armada, Michigan.

When Blake returned to the family business after college, he knew he wanted to create a product that enriched the tradition and authenticity his family business was known for. Blake's Hard Cider was established in 2013 and has since brought in more than $100 million in sales.

During the show, Blake shares:

• The backstory of his family business, Blake Farms, and its evolution
• The importance of creating an experience for customers, not just a transaction
• How he came up with the idea for Blake's Hard Cider, and how he brought it to retail
• How Blake's Hard Cider has grown since its initial launch
• The importance of gathering feedback when launching a product
• How new entrepreneurs can establish partnerships with distributors
• The power of authenticity

On this episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff kicks off the first installment of “Ask the Expert,” a series with SCORE of Southeast Michigan that is designed to help answer the burning questions of our community’s small business owners.

Joining Jeff today are Armando Ojeda, southeast Michigan chapter chair of SCORE, and today’s expert guest, Angela Mitchell.

Angela is a SCORE mentor and financial services expert, as well as the founder of DNA Financial Services, where she helps small business owners with finances, bookkeeping, taxes and more.

During the show, Jeff, Armando and Angela take call-ins from listeners, covering topics including:

• Where to secure funding for your business when you’re relatively new to the small business community
• How to protect your personal assets when securing funding for your business
• How and when to hire more employees

The SCORE of Southeast Michigan team will be back for more “Ask the Expert” segments in 2021!

If you’re in need of some advice or next steps in your decision-making process, feel free to reach out to a SCORE mentor at semichigan.score.org or call (800) 634-0425.

In addition to weekly StartupNation Radio programming, tune in to News/Talk 760 AM WJR weekday mornings at 7:11 a.m. for the WJR Business Beat. Listeners outside of the Detroit area can listen live HERE.

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 today's episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff is joined by co-host Norm Pappas, president and CEO of Pappas Financial. Together, they interview two accomplished entrepreneurs: Jennifer Kluge and Jana Brownell.

On today's episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff is joined by co-host Norm Pappas, president and CEO of Pappas Financial. Together, they interview two accomplished entrepreneurs, Jennifer Kluge and Jana Brownell.

First up is Jennifer Kluge, president and CEO of the National Association for Business Resources (NABR) and president and CEO of MichBusiness,a community for Michigan business owners. Jennifer is also the CEO of Corp! Magazine.

During the interview, Jennifer discusses:

• How her company, MichBusiness, helps small- and medium-sized businesses to grow and flourish
• How Corp! Magazine has grown its presence in Michigan, while also expanding out of state
• How her organizations are helping businesses to pivot during the pandemic (while also making pivots of their own)
• What led her to join the business community
• Her advice and life lessons for entrepreneurs
• Her ongoing goal of helping young entrepreneurs succeed

For more information on Jennifer and her organizations, visit The Best and Brightest. You can also click to learn more about MichBusiness and Corp! Magazine.

Next up, Jeff and Norm chat with Jana Brownell, president and CEO of the Kirlin Company, a 125 year old family business that is a leader in specification grade commercial and healthcare lighting, headquartered in Detroit.

During the interview, Brownell shares:

• How she transitioned to working in her family business after working in the healthcare industry
• Her appreciation of working in the family business with her father
• How Kirlin has successfully differentiated itself from its competitors as an industry leader
• Her leadership experience
• Kirlin's collaborative work environment, and how they've been able to maintain safe interactions during the pandemic

To learn more about the Kirlin Company, visit the official website.

On today’s episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff chats with Kathryn Petralia and Amanda Lewan. Both guests speak to the changes that their respective businesses have faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

First up, Jeff chats with Kathryn Petralia, co-founder of Kabbage, an online financial technology company that provides funding directly to small businesses. Since its founding in 2009, Kabbage has provided more than $6 billion to SMBs through a fully-automated platform that allows customers to apply in minutes.

During the show, Petralia discusses:

• Her background in entrepreneurship and how she fell in love with being her own boss
• The early days of Kabbage
• The key steps in building Kabbage, from idea to the massive success it is today
• How Kabbage has pivoted during the COVID-19 crisis
• Where Kabbage is headed

For more information on Kabbage, visit the official website.

Next, Jeff introduces Amanda Lewan, co-founder and CEO of Bamboo Detroit, a co-working and shared office space in Detroit. Currently, Bamboo has approximately 200 hundred startup companies in its incubator.

During the segment, Lewan talks about:

• How Bamboo pivoted to a virtual environment at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis
• The behavioral changes related to co-working that will stick post-pandemic
• How work from home will be the new normal
• How the pandemic will impact the future of co-working spaces
• What Bamboo is doing to make its space safe during the pandemic

For more on Bamboo Detroit, check out the official website.

First up, Jeff welcomes Armando Ojeda, certified mentor with SCORE of Southeast Michigan, an organization that provides free mentorship, networking and educational services and resources to entrepreneurs.

During the interview, Ojeda discusses:

• How interest in entrepreneurship has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic
• The different types of mentors available through SCORE
• Workshops available for entrepreneurs through SCORE
• Success stories that have come out of the local SCORE chapter
• The new diversity initiative SCORE has implemented within its organization

For more information on SCORE of Southeast Michigan and its free resources, visit the official website.

Next up, Jeff chats with Sean Hurwitz, CEO and founder of PIXO VR, an innovative Detroit company that offers extended reality (XR) and virtual reality (VR) solutions for B2B on a global scale.

During the show, Hurwitz shares:

• What PIXO VR does and how the company got its start
• His entrepreneurial background
• The biggest problem PIXO VR is solving today
• The importance of relying on a team to execute your company's vision
• The PIXO VR business model
• The company's new product release, PIXO Apex

For more on PIXO VR, check out the official website.

On today’s episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff is joined by co-host, Norm Pappas, president and CEO of Pappas Financial. Together, they interview the Pappas brothers: Ed Pappas (a litigation attorney) and Rick Pappas (president of Davenport University).

The focus of today's show is the ability to be an entrepreneur and think entrepreneurially and how these skills can be applied to various careers and fields.

During the show, Ed discusses:

• His role with law firm Dickinson Wright
• Why you must be an entrepreneur to succeed in law
• The three Rs of business development: establishing reputation, respect and relationships

Rick shares:

• What his role leading Davenport University entails
• The entrepreneurial aspects of higher education

Together, the three Pappas brothers talk about:

• How to earn revenue when leading a university
• The key things that Rick is doing to make the business of the university work
• The importance of intrapreneurship within an organization
• How to market yourself as a lawyer
• The power of referrals
• The importance of building expertise within a given vertical
• Learning from failure
• How the trio have learned from each other as brothers
• Working hard versus working smart

This episode of StartupNation Radio is brought to you by Pappas Financial 

On today’s episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff is joined by co-host, Norm Pappas, president and CEO of Pappas Financial. Together, they interview two guests who have both been living and breathing entrepreneurship for years: Bruce Liebowitz and Marci Taran.

First up is Bruce Liebowitz, president of Post Guard, a company that manufacturers a variety of bollard products, including plastic bollard covers, bollard sleeves and more.

During the interview, Bruce shares:

• What is a bollard?
• When he first knew entrepreneurship was for him
• How he pivoted from the healthcare industry to selling bollard covers
• The common elements that apply in business across the board, regardless of industry
• Customer-employee connection
• What drives him
• His expert advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

Next up on the show, Jeff and Norm interview Marci Taran, CEO of Bradley + Company, a certified woman-owned, Michigan-based, promotional marketing company.

During the interview, Marci discusses:

• How Bradley + Company helps its clients share their story while driving engagement
• Her background and how her father mentored her in the family business from a young age
• The work she’s done since taking over as the company CEO in 2014
• The pressure and challenges that come along with taking over a family business
• The importance of continued learning
• What drives her