The Entrepreneur Ethos

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On this episode of The Entrepreneur Ethos, host Jarie Bolander interviews Michael Barnett, the founder of Loanspark Marketplace. Michael shares his insights on the importance of finance for small businesses and startups, highlighting the difficulties they face in obtaining capital. He explains that Loanspark's marketplace model connects small businesses to lenders or individuals with capital or lines of credit. Michael emphasizes the need for clear and simple language when explaining these concepts for better understanding. 

Moving on to Loanspark Marketplace, Michael explains that they specialize in serving a wide range of small businesses, from startups to companies that have been established for a century. They primarily focus on main street businesses like coffee shops, pizza stores, and clothing stores. Loanspark partners with various companies, including platforms, banks, finance companies, and business services companies, to offer their services to customers. Michael praises his marketing team for their blogging efforts on loanspark.com and highlights the importance of feeling comfortable with the person assisting in the loan process. He also warns about unscrupulous individuals and companies in the loan industry. Michael emphasizes the need for thorough consultations and understanding the business needs of clients before providing loans. 

He mentions that Loanspark differentiates itself by having sales staff who act as advocates for small business owners. These staff members conduct interviews with clients to understand their needs, goals, past experiences, and financial considerations, in order to create a personalized plan and strategy for obtaining the best loan product at the best price. Michael believes that building relationships with customers is crucial and values having a specific person that customers trust at Loanspark. Customers often call their original agent for advice and potential future loans. Loanspark Marketplace also allows other businesses, like banks, to utilize their platform as a marketplace.

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On this episode of The Entrepreneur Ethos, we have a fascinating interview with Priyanka Vazirani. The discussion covers a wide range of topics related to entrepreneurship and building successful ventures. Priyanka shares her experiences and insights as a co-founder of a social startup and her current role in creating a platform for content distribution. The conversation starts with an exploration of how her team curates and summarizes content from trending topics on social media. Utilizing Chargebee and AI technology, they work 16 hours a day to provide scheduled and non-time-sensitive content for their users. 

Priyanka emphasizes the importance of complementary co-founders and the need for trust and shared vision in building successful partnerships. During the interview, the importance of discoverability and instant visibility in capturing users' attention is discussed. Priyanka highlights the unique selling point of her platform, providing a glimpse of content to help users decide if it's worth investing their time in. She also shares statistics on user engagement, with 50% of daily active users clicking on at least one piece of content. The conversation then shifts towards Priyanka's journey as an entrepreneur. 

She shares her experience starting a social startup called Benefactory, which successfully ran campaigns in India and the US. However, negative media portrayal led to a decline in participation in one of their campaigns. The discussion explores different business models, successful book strategies, and the value of building a community for entrepreneurs. Towards the end of the episode, the host expresses gratitude to Priyanka for sharing her insights and experiences. They invite listeners to share and review the podcast, join the email list, and check out the host's book "The Entrepreneur Ethos."

[00:01:14] Finance journey led to social impact startup.

[00:03:40] Epsilon appeals to both Gen Z and Millennials.

[00:10:11] High school friends turned cofounders in startup.

[00:11:15] Friends start endurance events, fascinating cofounder dynamics.

[00:16:54] Dashboard curates, AI summarizes, content scheduled. 24/7 coverage.

[00:18:55] Everyone is a media company; find distribution.

[00:21:37] Longer content still important for browsing. Discoverability key. Preview before committing.

[00:25:33] Different skills, divided tasks, shared vision. Volv: Gen Z and millennial go-to app.

[00:31:52] Sanpar's newsletter had a powerful referral engine.

[00:35:33] Involving customers in the product development process.

[00:37:39] Great convo, thanks for being on show

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On this episode of The Entrepreneur Ethos, our guest Charlie Meaden shares their insights on various topics ranging from martial arts to AI to entrepreneurship. They draw parallels between the calm and confidence of individuals in wrestling or martial arts after a good performance and the mindset required for entrepreneurship. They emphasize the importance of being hungry, humble, and a team player in the entrepreneurial journey. The guest speaker also discusses the application of generative AI in understanding market dynamics and making better investment decisions, as well as the lessons they learned about leadership and decision-making from esports and gaming. They stress the need to focus on a few defining decisions that can be game-changers and share their experiences in martial arts, highlighting the importance of learning from different disciplines and body types. Additionally, our guest speaker reflects on the uncertainties of the future and the role of AI in predicting outcomes. They discuss their journey from goldsmithing to technology and their experiences in starting an esports platform. Finally, they talk about their vision to help people become financially literate and make regular contributions through their wealth management platform. Tune in to this episode of The Entrepreneur Ethos for valuable insights and perspectives from our guest.

00:01:50 Goldsmith turned gamer and programmer starts investing platform.

00:07:14 Markets and investing are not linear; financial literacy and generative AI can help understand historical dynamics for trading opportunities.

00:12:09 Advancements in PCB design improve productivity.

00:13:47 AI offers ownership and income uncertainty.

00:18:55 Ethics, optimism, uncertainty in the goldsmithing industry.

00:22:27 Esports and gaming taught me leadership and decision-making. Communication and detachment from outcomes are key. Make the best decision with available information. Avoid decision fatigue by minimizing choices.

00:27:12 Entrepreneurs appreciate Game Theory and learning from losses.

00:29:22 Blue belt in jujitsu, big guy, humbled. Wife died, found purpose in jujitsu.

00:34:27 Learn from different body types in jiu jitsu

00:37:07 Different games, different rules, fascinating martial arts.

00:40:59 Podcast: Learn, share, review, improve, follow, connect.

- The correlation between wrestling/martial arts and entrepreneurship

   - Being calm and confident after a good performance

   - Constant learning and remaining humble

- Key traits for entrepreneurship

   - Being hungry, humble, and a team player

- Importance of helping others in training and not relying solely on physicality

- Linear compounding in investing and its limitations

- Understanding market dynamics and history through financial literacy and generative AI

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On this episode of The Entrepreneur Ethos, Jarie Bolander speaks with Gboyega Adebayo about his journey as an entrepreneur. Adebayo shares his experience of pursuing three business ideas simultaneously and realizing it was unsustainable. He talks about his podcast, the Be Helpful podcast, and his startup, Yensil, both aimed at helping aspiring entrepreneurs. Adebayo emphasizes the importance of solving problems that one is passionate about, rather than just trying to make money. He encourages experimentation and learning from others. Adebayo also shares his thoughts on the importance of community among entrepreneurs and how cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco are good environments for entrepreneurship. Finally, he discusses the significance of community and the ecosystem, using the example of the many coffee shops in his town and promoting entrepreneurship.

00:02:00 Entrepreneurial drive led to current career.

00:05:56 Entrepreneurship is lonely without coworkers.

00:09:24 Introverted editor reflects on pandemic work changes.

00:13:02 Entrepreneurs need shared experience and support.

00:16:27 Friend's coffee shop promotes community and entrepreneurship.

00:19:45 Work at United disrupted by 9/11. Entrepreneurship important.

00:23:41 Startup Yensil: sell professional docs on Etsy.

00:27:35 Obsessed with solving problem, launched product late.

00:30:43 Engineer struggles with selling own creations.

00:33:15 Learn from others, podcast is my experiment.

00:38:25 Inflection points at 1k, 10k, 100k.

00:39:58 Boyega's evolution leads to self-improvement.

00:42:55 Entrepreneur Ethos podcast, learn, share, improve.

Topics covered in the audio session:

- The speaker's learning style and how it influences their podcast and startup

- The importance of focusing on problem-solving and experimentation

- The speaker's introverted nature and their thoughts on working with others

- The speaker's background in business and entrepreneurship

- The speaker's startup, Yensil, and its inspiration and purpose

- The speaker's personal growth and advice for embracing challenges

- The speaker's experience launching a product and the importance of building an audience

- The shared struggle and sense of mission among entrepreneurs

- The importance of having a community of like-minded individuals

- The benefit of entrepreneurship for communities and the greater world

- The speaker's thoughts on coffee shops and the entrepreneurial ecosystem

• https://yencil.com/

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On this episode of The Entrepreneur Ethos, the host, Jarie Bolander, talks with Nick Spoors and Mike Mills about their mathematical investing aggressive growth fund and the importance of knowing your target audience. The discussion covers topics such as creating machine learning algorithms from scratch, expanding networks, and navigating heavily regulated industries. Nick and Mike share their history and discuss their interest in applying mathematical theories to investing. The speaker also delves into the importance of pure mathematics and explores concepts such as the Axiom of Choice and hypercomputing. Overall, this episode provides insight into the intersection of mathematics and investing, as well as the challenges and innovations in the industry.

[00:02:40] College friendship led to successful fund.

[00:04:35] Nick found investing applied abstract mathematics

[00:10:36] Researching pure math for novel applications.

[00:12:43] "Axiom of choice: Math's fundamental principle"

[00:17:16] Inventing investment strategy into a business product.

[00:19:06] Learning from Nick; sometimes needs help.

[00:22:44] Know your audience to target effectively.

[00:28:24] Launching investment firm through regulated industry. Communication hurdle.

[00:31:14] Mathematical investing fund seeks aggressive long-term growth.

[00:36:30] Hypercomputing: A new frontier beyond Turing machines.

[00:38:42] Accelerating advancements in computing and imagination's limits.

[00:42:34] Small steps add up to exponential change.

[00:45:49] Podcast outro: Learn, share, follow, read, get better.

- Explanation of the mathematical investing aggressive growth fund

- Analyzing the short term past to predict the long term future

- Use of own machine learning algorithms rather than overcrowded public ones

- Plan to hire 100 mathematicians to replicate old think tank

- Differential advantage in using math and investing together

- Importance of knowing target audience and dialogue responses to potential investors

- Expansion of network over the years

- Specific dialogue responses and ability to discern conversations not worth pursuing

- Encounter with potential investors who seem like a good fit but do not like what they do

- Challenges faced by the speaker's company

- Navigating a heavily regulated industry

- Communicating message to appropriate audience

- Fine-tuning message to potential clients' interests

- Background and shared interest of Nick Spoors and Mike Mills

- Nick's interest in applying mathematical theories to investing

- Mike's introduction of the Banach-Tarski paradox

- Appreciation for entrepreneurs who think differently and take risks to create new categories

- Speaker's learning from interactions with Nick Spoors

- Nick's ability to explain things in a way that fits the listener's learning style

- Learning to communicate without Nick's help but knowing when to bring him in for technical and deep conversations

- Interest in researching pure mathematics for new applications in investing

- Discussion of mathematics principles and concepts

- Importance of mathematics in understanding the physical world and foundational principles of AI and machine learning

- Axiom of choice and its connection to complex adaptive systems

- Hypercomputing and its potential for the future with advancements in AI and quantum computing

• https://www.infinitaryfund.com/

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On this episode of The Entrepreneur Ethos, host Jarie Bolander invites guest Matt Shields to discuss the importance of a blue-collar work ethic for success in various fields, including entrepreneurship. Shields shares personal anecdotes that emphasize this point, as well as the need for humility and responsibility in leadership. The discussion also covers the impact of current economic challenges on businesses, the importance of instilling foundational values in oneself, and the benefits of being a servant leader. Throughout the episode, Shields advocates for taking a positive outlook on life, even during difficult times.

00:01:24 Real estate experience since childhood, electrical apprenticeship, technology company, multi-family real estate investment.

00:07:06 Blue collar work ethic drives entrepreneurship success.

00:09:06 "Servant leadership" concept: Lead by serving.

00:14:36 Boss doesn't have to do "drudgery stuff".

00:17:23 Early service jobs build empathy for people.

00:21:10 Businesses impacted, tech disruption minimal, investment opportunities.

00:25:39 Capitalism and democracy are important for human thriving.

00:28:54 Find positives in every situation, avoid negativity.

00:32:16 Loss led to positive changes in life.

00:38:50 Core values as verbs improve collaboration dynamics.

00:44:02 Podcast creator encourages feedback and sharing.

Topics covered in "The Entrepreneur Ethos - Matt Shields" episode:

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Hey everyone. Stay tuned to the end of the interview where I’ll give you some actionable insights that I learned from my guest. These insights are also in the show notes. As always, thanks for listening.

Now on to my guest for today, James Swanwick, founder of Alcohol Free Lifestyle, a program for high-achievers, executives and entrepreneurs to learn how to live alcohol-free. 

As you might expect, James' program originated in his own experience. For him, alcohol didn't have huge consequences, but it also didn't help him any either. He realized he was living a life of mediocrity, and targeted his daily drinking as one of the prime reasons. He wanted to feel better physically, think more  clearly, advance in his professional life, and have better relationships. So in March 2010, he decided to  give up drinking, and he hasn't had a drink since.  Soon after James decided to give up alcohol, he got an offer to be a SportsCenter anchor, a huge career step. He also lost weight, found himself thinking more clearly and having better relationships. 

After a few years, James found himself giving advice to others on how to stop drinking, which led to the creation of a program to help people quit drinking in 90 days. James now runs two businesses that bring in $2 million —  and he credits becoming alcohol free for a big part of his success. He also says his ability to be compassionate and empathetic has grown, and his relationships and health are much improved, and he sees similar results in his clients. 

Now, let’s get better together.

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Hey everyone. Stay tuned to the end of the interview where I’ll give you some actionable insights that I learned from my guest. These insights are also in the show notes. As always, thanks for listening.

Now on to my guest for today, Will Sacks, CEO and founder of Fulcrum Venture Accelerator and Kindara, a femtech company. 

Will studied engineering in college; he says he loved making things. He was also interested in creating environmentally sustainable solutions. His first company was Lumetro, which sold energy-efficient lighting solutions. Kindara came about when he fell in love and was introduced to using tech to help with fertility tracking. Kindara was acquired in 2019, and Will started Fulcrum, a fundraising accelerator for mission-driven entrepreneurs. 

Will explains in this episode that of all the jobs an entrepreneur has to do, fundraising is one that can't be delegated. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs are not very good at it, so that's where Fulcrum helps. Fulcrum is now working with its seventh cohort to help entrepreneurs raise money. Will explains that getting funded is like dating as well as sales —it's all about doing your research, connections, and finding the right fit. The areas where Fulcrum helps is in storytelling, organization and persistence, and identifying what he calls the intangibles — the energy behind the ideas and people. While he's an engineer and businessman, Will is also a musician and has learned that tuning into how he feels when meeting someone new — whether it's to play music or to hire someone — has been key in making better choices.

Now, let’s get better together.

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Hey everyone. Stay tuned to the end of the interview where I’ll give you some actionable insights that I learned from my guest. These insights are also in the show notes. As always, thanks for listening.

Now on to my guest for today, Andrei Zinkevich, cofounder of FullFunnel.io. 

Andrei, the son of a salesman, started playing soccer when he was four. When his soccer career was cut short by injuries in his teens, Andrei decided to follow in his father's footsteps. After five years in sales, he'd found success, largely through networking and building personal relationships. But this was a strategy that didn't scale well. Andrei moved into marketing, where he tried to keep the focus on personalization. Andrei began a blog sharing what he knew, offering courses and publishing a book. Eventually his recognition grew to the point where he was being invited to speak at conferences, like the one he attended in Spain. This is where he met one of his followers who had taken his first course. Vlad, a software engineer and musician, eventually joined him in cofounding FullFunnel.io. 

With FullFunnel, Andrei helps sales and marketing teams be more effective. He offers a lot of content online, mainly through LinkedIn, in addition to courses from his site. He focuses on helping companies grow by playing the long game. Growth hacks can help early on, but growing companies need more sustainable strategies. Andrei credits his training in sports with instilling in him the discipline needed to consistently continue to generate content, which helps him to connect with others and get noticed. Andrei advises businesses to think beyond sales and to continue to ask for feedback and nurture relationships with existing customers. He also stresses the importance of being able to withstand losses and failure, of knowing there will be some bad days, learning from them and moving on.

Now, let’s get better together.

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Hey everyone. Stay tuned to the end of the interview where I’ll give you some actionable insights that I learned from my guest. These insights are also in the show notes. As always, thanks for listening.

Now on to my guest for today, Pete Huang, co-founder of The Neuron, a daily newsletter dedicated to the latest news about artificial intelligence. 

Pete started writing online when he was a teenager as a copywriter. After college he worked as an analyst at McKinsey then with a number of startups in tech. Throughout the interview, Pete expressed how exciting and interesting he found working in tech, and is particularly excited to see what will happen as AI becomes mainstream. 

How, ultimately, will AI affect business and entrepreneurship? Pete's not sure yet, but he's excited to see what happens next. Some of the questions and thoughts he shared in our talk:

Now, let’s get better together.

If you're interested in building a business around AI:

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