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LEVEL FOUR: $8M to $20M
GROWING PAINS & OPERATIONAL COMPLEXITY 

On today’s episode of The Business Game, we’re sitting down with Melissa Drew, Founder and CEO of InSite BUILD, a construction management firm delivering complex government and institutional projects across the Mid-Atlantic. 

After a 20-year career leading large-scale construction projects for national contractors, Melissa launched InSite BUILD and landed a $53 million project almost immediately, forcing the company to operate at a level most businesses take years to grow into. 

Melissa shares the realities of scaling inside the construction industry, why relationships became the foundation of her business, and the leadership lessons she learned after losing key team members during a difficult growth phase. She also explains why empathy has become one of her greatest advantages on job sites, and how she’s building a culture that prioritises both accountability and humanity in a traditionally tough industry. 

If you’re trying to scale a business, build strong culture, lead teams under pressure, or grow without compromising your standards? This episode is for you! 
 

Let’s dive in,
with Melissa Drew: 

• how she landed a $53M project at the very start of the business 
• the leadership mistakes that cost her valuable team members 
• why relationships matter more than anything in construction 
• what “bonding capacity” really means — and why it limits growth 
• how empathy improves safety, performance, and accountability 
• the realities of leading in a male-dominated industry 
• why culture matters most when money is on the line 
• the systems and structure she invested in from day one 
• how to keep startup teams motivated during difficult growth phases 
• why treating people like humans creates better performance 

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

LEVEL TWO: $1M to $3M:  

FIRST TEAMS, FIRST SYSTEMS, FOUNDER LED 

In today’s episode of The Business Game, we’re sitting down with Mark Story, construction consultant, turnaround specialist, and founder of Commercial Construction Services LLC. 

For nearly 40 years, Mark has worked on high-stakes construction projects across government infrastructure, stadiums, data centres, and large-scale commercial developments, often stepping in when projects were already heading off the rails. 

In this episode, Mark breaks down why most project failures begin long before construction starts, the hidden dangers of weak systems and poor planning, and why compliance becomes unavoidable as businesses grow. 

He also shares the realities of running a founder-led consultancy, the pressure of carrying accountability on major projects, and the lessons he’s learned helping teams recover when timelines, budgets, and trust are all under pressure. 

If you’re building a service business, managing complex projects, or trying to scale without becoming the bottleneck yourself, this episode is packed with practical lessons. 

Let’s dive in,
with Mark Story: 

• Why most project failures begin before the work starts 
• The hidden cost of weak systems and poor planning 
• Why compliance becomes unavoidable as you grow 
• How founders accidentally become the bottleneck 
• Lessons from rescuing failing projects under pressure 
• What Level 2 founders should implement earlier 
• Leadership, accountability, and managing chaos at scale 

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

LEVEL 6: $50M – $150M
GOVERNANCE, DATA & SERIOUS INFRASTRUCTURE

In today’s episode of The Business Game, we’re sitting down with Jesse Vidrine, Founder of Vidrine Pharmaceutical Group and President & Co-Owner of Boudreaux’s New Drug Store, a pharmacist-owned compounding pharmacy that has exploded from a small local operation into a national business licensed across 45+ U.S. states. 

After buying the pharmacy just weeks before COVID hit, Jesse and his wife Kylie faced what sounds more like a disaster movie than a business journey: denied by 9 banks, a Category 4 hurricane, floods, ice storms, and moments where payroll nearly didn’t get paid. Somehow, through all of it, they scaled the company over 800% in just 24 months. 

In this episode, Jesse breaks down what it really takes to scale inside one of the most tightly regulated industries in the world, where there’s no room for mistakes, compliance is everything, and growth only happens if your systems, people, and leadership evolve fast enough to survive it.

If you’re building a business under pressure, navigating rapid growth, or trying to scale without breaking the machine, this episode is for you.

Let’s dive in,
 with Jesse Vidrine:

•  how they survived COVID, hurricanes, floods & near-bankruptcy 
•  why patients, not doctors, changed healthcare forever 
•  how they grew from 6 employees to 100+ 
•  the real reason most founders fail under pressure 
•  why “risk it for the biscuit” became their business philosophy 
•  how AI and automation are transforming modern pharmacy operations 
•  why peptides could become bigger than the GLP-1 boom 
•  the leadership lessons that come from scaling in a zero-mistake industry

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

LEVEL 1: $0 – $1M
STARTUP & SURVIVAL STAGE

Andrew Whittle is the Co-Founder of Being Wear, a gender-free, sensory-friendly underwear brand inspired by his daughter’s experience with ASD and ADHD.

In this episode, Andrew shares how a personal family challenge turned into a startup, the lessons he’s learned building an early-stage brand, and the realities of trying to grow without massive resources or outside capital.

From product simplification and repeat customers to founder burnout and financial pressure, this episode is an honest look at what Level 1 of business really feels like.

Let's dive in
with Andrew Whittle:

•  Sensory-friendly clothing & underserved markets 
•  Starting a business from personal experience 
•  Bootstrapping a brand 
•  Startup pressure & uncertainty 
•  Product-market fit 
•  Early-stage growth challenges 
•  Founder mindset & resilience 

If you're building a brand, testing product-market fit, or looking for practical insights from someone making it work, this is the episode for you.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

LEVEL 1: $0 – $1M
STARTUP & SURVIVAL STAGE
In today’s episode of The Business Game, we’re sitting down with Andrea Tortella, Founder and CEO of Thrad – the company building advertising infrastructure for AI, placing ads directly inside conversations with large language models.

After working at Perplexity and becoming obsessed with the shift from browsing to answers, Andrea realised the internet was changing fast — and that traditional advertising models might not survive the AI era. Now, Thrad is already serving millions of ads globally, working with everyone from startups to Fortune 500 brands.
Building from the centre of Silicon Valley’s AI boom, Andrea shares why advertising inside AI conversations is inevitable, how conversational AI is completely changing the internet, and what it’s really like building a startup in one of the fastest-moving industries on earth.

If you’re building in AI, marketing, SaaS, or trying to understand where the internet is heading next… This episode is for you.

Let’s dive in, with Andrea Tortella:
• why the internet is shifting from browsing to AI answers
• the real reason AI products will need advertising to survive
• what ads inside ChatGPT-style conversations actually look like
• why “bad ads” ruined advertising’s reputation
• how conversational AI could completely change marketing
• building a startup at the centre of Silicon Valley’s AI boom
• the challenge of creating a category that doesn’t fully exist yet
• why speed is becoming one of the biggest advantages in marketing
• the unconventional marketing stunt that helped put Thrad on the map
• how AI could change the relationship between brands and customers forever

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

LEVEL ONE: $0 to $1M: STARTUP & SURVIVAL STAGE 

In today’s episode of The Business Game, we’re sitting down with Lori Ana Valentin, analytical chemist, former forensic scientist... and Founder of Radiant Journey, where she helps scientists, engineers, and high-performing professionals navigate burnout, leadership pressure, and the hidden psychological cost of high-stress work. 

After years working inside the State Police Crime Lab analysing homicide and criminal cases, Lori began noticing the emotional toll that exposure to trauma was having on professionals behind the scenes – and decided to do something about it. 

Now building a business while balancing full-time work and single motherhood, Lori shares what vicarious trauma actually looks like, why high performers silently carry emotional pressure for years, and how emotional intelligence became the unexpected skill that transformed both her leadership and her business. 

If you’re building a business, carrying pressure behind the scenes, or trying to perform at a high level without burning yourself into the ground… This episode is for you. 

Let’s dive in,  
with Lori Ana Valentin: 

• what vicarious trauma actually is — and why most people miss it 
• how working homicide cases affects people behind the scenes 
• why burnout often isn’t the real problem 
• the hidden psychological cost of high performance 
• how COVID exposed emotional pressure people were already carrying 
• building a business while working full-time 
• balancing entrepreneurship and single motherhood 
• why emotional intelligence became her biggest advantage 
• the leadership side of stress nobody talks about 
• how to recognise when pressure is silently affecting your life 

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

LEVEL FIVE: ORGANISER
$20M to $50M 

On today’s episode of The Business Game, we’re sitting down with Tim Vipond, Co-Founder and CEO of Corporate Finance Institute, a global education platform training finance professionals in over 200 countries. 

After building a $20M+ business off the back of SEO and digital distribution, Tim shares how he turned content into a global growth engine, and why scaling an education company is far more complex than it looks from the outside. 

If you’re trying to scale your business, expand globally, integrate AI, or build something that doesn’t rely on you day-to-day, this episode is for you. 

Let’s dive in,
with Tim Vipond: 

• how SEO became the growth engine behind a global business
• why certifications outperform traditional online courses
• what actually breaks when you scale into 200+ countries
• the real challenge of pricing a product globally
• how AI is changing both the way they operate, and what they sell 
• the leadership shift from operator to CEO at $30M+ 
• what founders get wrong about scaling digital education 
• how to think about distribution before product 
• the hidden complexity behind ‘simple’ online businesses 
• what could stall the next phase of growth – and how to avoid it 

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

LEVEL SEVEN: GLOBAL LEADER
$150M to $500M

On today’s episode of The Business Game, we’re sitting down with Jay Aldebert, Chief Growth Officer at International Services Inc, and a profit strategist who has analysed more than 80,000 privately held businesses over the past 25 years. 

Having generated billions in consulting outcomes, Jay shares why most business owners don’t actually understand how their company makes money...  and how focusing on growth instead of profit is quietly destroying businesses at every level. 

If you’re trying to scale your business, improve cash flow, increase profitability, or build something that creates real long-term value - this episode is for you! 

Let’s dive in, 
with Jay Aldebert: 

• why most businesses struggle with profitability (even at high revenue) 
• the truth about cash flow, debt, and working capital 
• why growth alone won’t fix your business 
• how to design profit instead of hoping for it 
• the biggest financial mistakes founders make when scaling 
• why accounting is a lagging indicator — not a control system 
• how to build a business that actually creates value 
• what determines the real worth of your business 
• why selling more won’t solve underlying problems 
• how to think about profit, structure, and long-term wealth 

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

LEVEL FOUR: SCALE BUILDER
$8M to $20M 

On today’s episode of The Business Game, we’re sitting down with Ben Gilliland, Founder of Future Proof Property Intelligence, a business tackling one of the biggest and fastest-growing threats facing homeowners today: the collision of climate risk and insurance. 

With over 37 million homes already at extreme risk, and $22 trillion in real estate on the line, Ben breaks down what’s actually happening behind rising premiums, insurers pulling out of entire regions, why most people still don’t see it coming - and what his company is doing to help. 

If you own property, are scaling a business in a complex market, or are trying to build something that requires real-world behaviour change… This episode is for you! 

Let’s dive in, with Ben Gilliland: 

• why climate risk and insurance risk are now the same conversation 
 • what’s really happening when insurance companies pull out of neighbourhoods 
 • how millions of homes could become uninsurable over the next 20 years 
 • the real reason most homeowners aren’t taking action yet 
 • how AI is being used to assess and fix property-level risk 
 • why this problem is bigger than construction – and requires system-level thinking 
 • the tension between homeowners and insurers (and why both sides are right!) 
 • what breaks first when you try to scale across multiple industries 
 • how this could trigger foreclosures, housing instability, and mass migration 
 • what needs to happen now to prevent a much bigger crisis 

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

LEVEL TWO: $1M to $3M: EARLY BUILDER

In today’s episode of The Business Game, we’re sitting down with Sarah Forrai, Co-Founder of Contour Cube, the viral tool designed to make facial icing easy and accessible for everyone.

With organic endorsement from Kendall Jenner, over 1 billion views on social media, and features in GRAZIA and the Daily Mail, Sarah breaks down for us how she created the viral moments that skyrocketed her brand - and the reality behind the scenes of trying to capitalise on that momentum.

If you’re building a product, hiring your first team, or trying to turn attention into predictable revenue… This episode is for you!

Let’s dive in, with Sarah Forrai:

• how a 3D-printed prototype turned into a $3M+ business
 • what actually happens when your product goes viral overnight
 • why views and demand don’t guarantee stability
 • the moment they had millions watching… but no product to sell
 • how they collected 20,000 emails while out of stock
 • why supply chain nearly broke the business
 • the reality of scaling with a lean team
 • what most founders misunderstand about “demand”
 • how social media can build or break a product business
 • what it takes to turn momentum into something sustainable

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level.