Story of a Startup

Jessica⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Dominick⁠⁠⁠ interview ⁠Frazer Milton⁠⁠⁠⁠, founder of Flying Fish Cannabis Company a proudly family owned MMMP Licensed Caregiver.

Frazer discusses his journey transitioning into a crowded marlet during COVID-19, and how he was able to ultimately succeed where so many others could not.

Jessica⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Dominick⁠⁠ interview Drew Burdick⁠, founder at StealthX who are a team of anti-consultants— "your SEAL team for quickly launching great digital experiences that create lifelong customers."

Drew discusses his journey from founding and exiting Boxybots, going corporate and the accompanying "golden handcuffs", to returning to his passion and entrepreneurship with a fresh perspective.

Jessica⁠ and ⁠Dominick⁠ interview Cristina Wilson, who after a successful media career took plunge to launch Mood House during the global pandemic. Located in Charlotte, NC, Cristina brings the city a modern way to relax and recharge and create a community that many locals now call home.

Jessica and Dominick interview Emin Israfil, an engineer, entrepreneur and co-founder of Rubbish, an AI company that analyzes photos to track, categorize, and manage waste for large-scale facilities. Emin takes us on his startup story and the power of curiosity.

Join Jessica and Dominick as Jessica shares her experience navigating the turmoil of the LA Fires. With her business, Carmela Ice Cream, her home, and her family impacted, Jessica reflects on the power of community and tapping into her entrepreneurial spirit.

Explore the businesses we discuss in this episode Carmela Ice Cream, SUN LOVE

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In this episode of Story of a Startup, we sit down with Florence Barras, co-owner of Sockerbit Candy, a pioneering Swedish candy company based in Los Angeles. Florence shares the leap of faith her and husband Stefan had to take to become the first company to import Swedish candy into the U.S., along with the tradition of “Saturday candy” — a cherished Swedish custom of indulging in sweets only on Saturdays.

Dominick, Jessica, and Florence have a conversation about what makes Swedish candy unique, the minimalist and adult-friendly designs of their candy stores, how social media trends have impacted their business, and what it takes to have a successful partnership with a significant other. 

Find Sockerbit Candy

Today we're sitting down with Ravi Kurani, water tech innovator and founder of Sutro, a startup helping keep our water safe. Ravi shares a unique founder story of growing up around the pool business, what he learned about entrepreneurship in his time at NASA, and what it takes to bring a forward-thinking hardware product to market. Plus get insights about securing B2B partnerships, navigating acquisitions, and balancing consumer needs with complex engineering.

Find Ravi at www.ravikurani.com

Learn more about Sutro's mission at www.mysutro.com

Dive deeper into the water industry with Liquid Assets, Ravi's podcast at https://liquidassets.cc

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:⁠www.linkedin.com/in/dominickmortarotti⁠⁠

www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-mortarotti-7227b5181

⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dmortarotti

⁠⁠www.instagram.com/jessicamortarotti⁠⁠

www.instagram.com/carmelaicecream

Jessica and Dominick speak with Aida Mollenkamp, the founder of Salt & Wind Travel, a food-focused travel experience curator.
In this episode, Aida discusses the challenges and triumphs of building her business, including her approach to curating culinary and cultural adventures for travelers and her commitment to building meaningful connections with local communities. She dives into the importance of mindset in entrepreneurship, the intersection of travel, food, and culture, revealing how overcoming self-doubt and embracing resilience has been crucial in her journey.
We'd love to hear from you. Reach out to us:
[email protected]
instagram.com/storyofastartuppodcast
Follow Salt & Wind Travel:
www.saltandwind.com
www.instagram.com/saltandwind
Follow Jessica & Dominick:
www.linkedin.com/in/dominickmortarotti
www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-mortarotti-7227b5181
www.instagram.com/dmortarotti
www.instagram.com/jessicamortarotti
www.instagram.com/carmelaicecream

It's time for another SUN LOVE update! Jessica and Dominick sit down to continue their discussion on the upcoming launch of their own startup, SUN LOVE.

Learn how Jessica and Dominick are utilizing LinkedIn and Pinterest for marketing, the legal side of product packaging, building mutually beneficial internship programs, and why every entrepreneur is familiar with mid-day showers. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned founder, or someone interested in the dynamics of innovation and growth, join us as we build up to the launch of SUN LOVE.

We'd love to hear from you. Reach out to us:

[email protected]⁠

instagram.com/storyofastartuppodcast

⁠⁠

Follow Jessica & Dominick:www.linkedin.com/in/dominickmortarotti
www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-mortarotti-7227b5181
www.instagram.com/dmortarotti
www.instagram.com/jessicamortarotti
www.instagram.com/carmelaicecream

Jessica and Dominick sit down with Jesse McMullin, a serial entrepreneur with an impressive track record of five startups and five successful exits. Jesse shares his unique journey from being a military medic to becoming a transformative figure in a broad range of industries, including healthcare, sports nutrition, and consumer packaged goods.

Learn about Jesse's approach to identifying and solving consumer pain points, leveraging data and ethnography for product innovation, and the importance of understanding human desires in business. Jesse also delves into the complexities of partnerships, offering candid advice on how to choose the right business partners and the pitfalls to avoid.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned founder, or someone interested in the dynamics of innovation and growth, this episode is packed with actionable insights and thought-provoking moments. Tune in to learn from Jesse’s wealth of experience and discover how you can apply these lessons to your own entrepreneurial journey.

Learn more about Jesse and how to reach him at www.https://jessemcmullin.com/

We'd love to hear from you. Reach out to us:
[email protected]⁠
instagram.com/storyofastartuppodcast⁠⁠
Follow Jessica & Dominick:www.linkedin.com/in/dominickmortarotti
www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-mortarotti-7227b5181
www.instagram.com/dmortarotti
www.instagram.com/jessicamortarotti
www.instagram.com/carmelaicecream