The Claw

Chris Oberste and Lewis Motion of WEAV3D, along with Kenneth Wright, creator of the Klean Collar join Eric, live from TiE Atlanta’s TiE CON SE event to share their journey through product creation and business growth. The teams detail how local programs like TiE Atlanta provide mentors to help them avoid the pitfalls that can often accompany entrepreneurship.

Author, comedian, and startup advisor, Paul Ollinger joins Eric on the show for some laughs and tough truths as the two discuss what happens after you exit a business. Many business owners have a particular “number” or vacation spot in mind when they see an exit, but what happens 3-6 months after? Paul reminds business owners to always have a plan in place.

Techstars Entrepreneur in Residence, Chris Heivly, joins Eric from the 36 | 86 conference in Nashville, TN to explain why it’s “never too early” to join an accelerator. Chris, a fellow Inc Magazine columnist, shares his story of co-founding Map Quest, becoming an investor and joining the Techstars team all while remembering that the possibilities are endless when you’re an entrepreneur.

Creating a product is hard. Creating a product in the crowded space of energy drinks is even harder! Keith Vest, President and COO of Sunshine Beverages, joins Eric live at Dig South in Charleston, SC to share how they’ve done just that, what makes their product stand out and why they’ve focused their marketing efforts to “win the South.”

Obtaining office space runs much deeper than a design or look. Businesses must take into consideration the distance both clients and employees will drive among other details. Bryant Cornett, President of DTSpade, joins Eric to offer tips for new businesses seeking commercial real estate space and shares his story of seeking something more in his own business. 

In this first series of interviews from the 36 | 86 tech and entrepreneur conference in Nashville, TN, Eric is joined by Pendo Founder and CEO, Todd Olson. Todd explains how many cloud-based solutions are created for users but user behavior is rarely studied. Pendo seeks to remedy this disconnect between product and user by capturing behavior and providing feedback for a valuable experience.

TYE High School Teams, Contained Freshness and QuickFlite join Eric at TiE Atlanta's TiE CON SE to share what they learned while creating businesses! After 10 months of hard work, including a pitch presentation at TiE CON SE, the students explain the idea creation process and working together as a team to get things done.

Cheryl Fields, Founder of Lifestyle Wealth Group, joins Eric to talk business, cash flow and retirement for entrepreneurs. It true: “You’ve gotta have money to build a business.” So, how can you make more? Cheryl discusses the difference between insurance loans vs bank loans, P & L statements vs cash flow and how to retire with the most money in pocket from your business (before you’re 59!).

Looking for that perfect, “off the beaten path” restaurant to try while traveling? In comes CurEat! Founder and CEO, Stephen Mangano joins Eric from Dig South in Charleston, SC to share how his background in hospitality and real estate inspired him to create the app and help people connect over great food, beyond the regular restaurant review.

Steve Miller, Alternative Career Coach with The Entrepreneur's Source joins Eric to discuss ways to ease into entrepreneurship or business ownership. Franchising can be a great path… and this doesn’t mean buying a restaurant! Steve reminds potential business owners that having a business coach can help them navigate through the process of finding the right business to match their entrepreneurial style and life needs.