Jack Savage, Founder & CEO of Everyday Dose, built a 400,000-subscriber functional coffee brand from his dad's garage—but not before spending years as "the dumb kid" who needed extra time on tests, wore a suit on planes hoping to meet someone important, and cycled through ADHD medications that left him with facial tics and shame.

In this conversation, Jack opens up about the scarcity mindset he inherited from watching his father's business collapse, the $500K investment deal that fell through at the last second (leaving him in tears), and why discovering he had the CYP1A2 gene—which makes 50% of us caffeine-sensitive—changed everything about how he formulated Everyday Dose.

He also gets real about the unglamorous parts of scaling: living in his dad's garage at 33, battling a massive counterfeit crisis that cost the company customers and reputation, getting rejected by VCs who made him question his worth, and learning that friendships (even in business) have to be earned, not assumed.

Through it all, Jack kept returning to one framework: Dharma. Are you good at it? Are you passionate about it? Are you making an impact? Does it make you money? This conversation is about finding that alignment—and what happens when you finally do.

Key Takeaways & Topics

• Jack's early experiences with ADHD, shame, and overcompensating through ambition

• Why taste and clinical dosing became Everyday Dose's differentiator

• Building supply chain and formulation knowledge from scratch

• Moving into his dad's garage and bootstrapping the first version of the brand

• VC rejection, self-worth, and learning to scale without outside validation

• The emotional toll and operational cost of battling large-scale counterfeit products

• How Jack defines dharma and why alignment is a founder's most reliable compass

• Retention as a strategy: treating existing customers better than new ones

• Why "you can do anything, but you can't do everything"
• His weekly retro practice with 35 team members: what's going well, what's not, what needs to change
• The hidden gene that affects 50% of us and why Jack built a coffee specifically for slow caffeine metabolizers

The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com

Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com

Everyday Dose on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydaydose Everyday Dose: https://www.everydaydose.com

Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc

Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

Jewel went from a busking teenager living in her car to selling 30 million records worldwide—then walked away at the peak of her fame. While the world saw success, she was navigating panic attacks, trauma, and agorophobia. She realized she had broken a promise to herself made years earlier: to become a "happy, whole human—not a human full of holes."

In this conversation, Jewel reveals how she built a career on her own terms—even when those terms seemed irrational to the industry—and how she continues to redesign her life today with the same commitment to peace over profit. She shares spiritual lessons she learned while growing up in rural Alaska, why she believes we should look at anxiety like we do food poisoning, and the opportunity for "breaking down" she's looking forward to next.

Today, through her Inspiring Children Foundation and the Not Alone Challenge, she's helping others do the same by providing mental health tools for people who don't have access to therapy, privilege, or a safety net.

Entrepreneurs will recognize familiar terrain here: risk, self-doubt, scaling what works, walking away when it doesn't, and the personal evolution required to build anything that lasts.

• Leaving an abusive home at 15 and choosing agency over circumstance

• Turning down a $1M record deal to prioritize long-term well-being

• Why fame triggered old wounds and how she restructured her career around values

• The concept of "emotional inheritance" and rewiring harmful programming

• Anxiety as an ally: using discomfort as a decision-making barometer

• Making happiness measurable and non-negotiable as a founder

• How to walk away or redesign when your dream stops working

• The Inspiring Children Foundation and Not Alone Challenge: democratizing mental-health tools

• Creative reinvention at 51: shifting into art and entrepreneurship again

The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com

Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com

Jewel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jewel Not Alone Challenge: https://notalonechallenge.org

Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc

Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

Courtney Claghorn, Founder and President of SUGARED + BRONZED shares how she transformed a $1,000 side hustle into a 40-location beauty brand spanning seven states. What began as a solution to her frustration with overpriced spray tans is now a brand on track to do $50M in ARR in 2025.

In this conversation, Courtney opens up about bootstrapping for nearly a decade, the hard lesson of hiring the wrong "experts" after raising capital, and the series of personal crises that forced her to shift her focus from hustle to ROI. She shares what it's really like to rebuild a company's culture from the inside out and how learning to trust her gut over polished resumes became her biggest leadership advantage.

Now 15 years in, Courtney reflects on balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship, trading cortisol for breathwork, and redefining success on her own terms.

Key Takeaways and Topics

- How SUGARED + BRONZED started with $1,000 and a portable spray-tan machine - Bootstrapping to profitability during a recession - Why intuition often beats "expert advice" - The painful lessons of hiring for prestige over humility - Rebuilding company culture after leadership missteps - Surviving pandemic shutdowns and rebuilding stronger - Finding balance and presence after burnout - Breathwork and spirituality as tools for leadership clarity - How Courtney approaches growth, hiring, and decision-making today - The ROI of creating a joyful, values-driven workplace

The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com

Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com

Follow

SUGARED + BRONZED: https://www.sugaredandbronzed.com https://www.instagram.com/sugaredandbronzed/

Courtney: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyclaghorn

Megan: IG: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc

Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

Dave Asprey—serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and Bulletproof founder—went from making $6M by 26 to losing it all two years later. By 30, a health crash (testosterone lower than his mom's, multiple diagnoses) pushed him to spend millions hacking his biology. He ultimately built Bulletproof to $140M in annual revenue—then was removed from the board in what he calls a calculated coup that cost him hundreds of millions. Now, as CEO of Upgrade Labs, he's focused on making elite biohacking accessible.

This conversation goes well beyond cold plunges and butter coffee. Dave maps the decisions he wishes he'd made sooner: firing the $28M mistake, spotting narcissists quickly, and sorting win-win from win-lose people before they poison their business' culture. We explore how birth trauma shows up in leadership, why empathy drains while compassion sustains, and how to step out of the victim–perpetrator–savior triangle. He shares hiring guardrails (the "first-wiggle" rule, real reference checks, the 60-day policy) and therapeutic/energetic tools founders can use immediately.

If you're building through chaos—navigating toxic team members, your own triggers, or both—you'll leave with concrete ways to protect your company, your energy, and your judgment.

Key Takeaways and Topics

• The $28M lesson: recognize the "first wiggle" and act right away

• Four categories of people (win-win to win-lose) and who to hire

• Red flags: instant "best friend" chemistry, envy tells, and trauma bonds

• How to reference-check and background diligence

• Empathy vs. compassion: boundaries that protect teams and CEOs

• Business drama patterns and how leaders step out of them

• Forgiveness as a nervous-system reset; going no-contact with manipulators

• Energy as a leadership edge: willpower and decision quality

• Daily levers: intermittent fasting and nighttime darkness

The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com

Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com

Follow Dave Site: https://daveasprey.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/dave.asprey/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asprey/

Follow Megan IG: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc

Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

Daryl-Ann Denner, Co-Founder and CEO of nuuds, turned a personal frustration—why is the perfect T-shirt so hard to find?—into a nine-figure clothing brand that sold 50,000 units in its first seven minutes. What started as a blog and Instagram account turned into a company built on real body fittings, transparency, and loyalty from a super-engaged community.

In this episode, Daryl-Ann shares how she navigated postpartum anxiety while building a business, why she bets on herself instead of outside investors, and how a failed distribution partnership almost derailed nuuds' early momentum.

Key Takeaways and Topics

• How blogging in her 20s laid the foundation for launching NUUDS

• Leaving pre-med behind and embracing unexpected pivots

• Postpartum anxiety, therapy, and medication—and how it impacted her leadership

• Why she believes confidence is a "trained muscle"

• The decision to bootstrap nuuds and risk everything on the first production run

• Launch day chaos: near-website failure, selling out in seven minutes, and the emotional aftermath

• The failure of a flashy distribution partnership and what it taught her about integrity

• Why she rejects "perfect fit models" and builds clothing around real women's insecurities

• The role of community trust and transparency in scaling to nine figures

• Her mantra, "do it afraid," and what it means in practice

The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com

Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com

Follow NUUDS 🌐 https://www.nuuds.com/ 📱 IG: https://www.instagram.com/nuuds

Follow Daryl-Ann 📱 IG: https://www.instagram.com/darylanndenner 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darylanndenner

Follow Megan 📱 IG: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc

Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

Alina Roytberg and Lev Glazman, co-founders of Fresh, built one of the first modern skincare brands rooted in natural ingredients, sensorial experience, and emotional connection—long before "clean beauty" became a trend. In this episode, they share how they turned a personal frustration with conventional products into a business that caught the attention of Barneys, Sephora, and eventually LVMH.

We talk about the $10,000 gamble that launched their first store, the soap that flew off shelves without any marketing, and the costly mistake of chasing too many opportunities at once. They also open up about what it was really like being acquired by a luxury giant, maintaining creative control, and why clarity, discipline, and customer trust are still their guiding principles.

This is a conversation about growth with intention, learning through missteps, and staying connected to the original spark that started it all.

While our last episode officially wrapped Season 5, we couldn't resist sharing this bonus conversation before we take a short break. We'll be back next season—one more story of risk, resilience, and the long game of building something meaningful.

Key Takeaways and Topics:

• The emotional and sensory philosophy behind Fresh's product development
• Why their soaps sold out at Barneys within days—and what they did next
• The failed attempt to launch a subbrand (Index) at Bergdorf and the costly lesson in diluted focus
• Building a brand through education and storytelling—before the internet
• The early days of clean beauty and why they focused on what's in the product
• How LVMH acquired Fresh while allowing the founders to retain autonomy and creative control\
• Navigating acquisition and learning how to lead within a global conglomerate

The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com

Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com

Follow Fresh

Fresh IG: https://www.instagram.com/freshbeauty

Website: https://www.fresh.com/

Follow Megan

Ig: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau/

In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc

Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

Robbie Bent is the co-founder of Othership—a multi-million dollar wellness movement centered around sauna, breathwork, cold plunge, and emotional connection. After a devastating startup failure left him broke and struggling with addiction, what began as backyard ice bath experiments during COVID evolved into one of the most innovative wellness concepts today. In this raw conversation, Robbie shares how his darkest moments led to discovering somatic practices that not only saved his life but inspired a business helping thousands heal together.

Robbie and Megan explore why traditional therapy often falls short, how Othership became a "Trojan Horse" for emotional processing, and why the real transformation happens not in the sauna or ice bath—but in the vulnerable sharing that follows. Beyond the emotional insights, Robbie gets tactical about scaling brick-and-mortar businesses, dealing with copycats, founder mode versus delegation, and the profound loneliness of building something meaningful while trying to be a present father and husband.

This conversation reveals why the future of wellness isn't about optimizing alone; it's about witnessing each other's humanity—and healing in community.

• What Othership is and why it's more than sauna and ice baths

• The emotional regulation crisis and the new wave of wellness

• How hot/cold contrast therapy is a Trojan horse for emotional healing

• The science behind breathwork, group sharing, and co-regulation

• Why Robbie believes emotional health is "where fitness was in 2009"

• The story behind Othership's founders and their radically intentional space design

• Building emotional safety in a luxury-meets-humility environment

• From addiction and startup failure to healing and service

• How Robbie overcame shame, scarcity, and perfectionism

• The power of vulnerability and the healing force of group connection

• What makes Othership polarizing—and why that's the point

• Cult-like brand love, social wellness, and the death of shame

• How Robbie manages competition, fear, and founder pressure

• Why success is about how deeply you impact someone, not how many

The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com

Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com

Follow Othership 🌐 https://www.othership.us 📱 IG: https://www.instagram.com/othership/

Follow Robbie 📱 IG: http://instagram.com/robbiebent/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbiebent/

Follow Megan 📱 IG: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc

Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

Themes: entrepreneurship, emotional wellness, nervous system regulation, addiction recovery, startup failure, breathwork, cold plunge, sauna therapy, somatic healing, emotional health, mental health, loneliness epidemic, founder vulnerability, spirituality, conscious leadership, startup resilience, community building, trauma healing, modern rituals, behavioral change, boutique wellness, sharing circles, healing shame

Sasha Plavsic, Founder of ILIA Beauty, the clean cosmetics brand known for redefining performance makeup, opens up about what it took to build a $100M business from a garage and a $25,000 line of credit.

In this raw and vulnerable conversation, Sasha shares how a deeply personal quest to heal her skin led to the creation of ILIA, a brand that went on to help define the "clean beauty" category alongside industry giants like Sephora. But behind the brand's success story lies an untold reality of burnout, identity loss, and a literal health collapse that forced her to reckon with the cost of carrying it all.

From almost closing ILIA's doors to hiring a CEO and eventually selling a majority stake to the Courtin-Clarins family, Sasha walks us through the most defining and difficult moments of her journey.

Whether you're bootstrapping your first venture or navigating scale, Sasha's story is a powerful reminder that success should never come at the cost of your health or your joy.

Key Takeaways and Topics:

• How Sasha built ILIA Beauty from a garage with no outside funding for the first 7 years

• The personal skin struggles that led her to question conventional beauty products

• Why she rejected the "all natural" label and pioneered a hybrid formulation model

• Early setbacks, including being told labs couldn't make the products she envisioned

• The pivotal moment she considered shutting ILIA down—and what saved it

• The decision to hire a CEO and why it was the best move for the brand and her health

• How ILIA scaled from $5M to $100M, eventually catching the eye of the Courtin-Clarins family

• The physical collapse that forced Sasha to finally slow down—her kidneys started shutting down

• How hustle culture and perfectionism nearly cost her life, and what she's doing differently now

• The guilt and double standards faced by working mothers and women founders

• How Sasha protects her energy today: boundaries, executive coaching, and saying "no"

• Her advice to founders: trust your gut, delegate what drains you, and stop trying to do it all

The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com

Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com

Follow ILIA Beauty

Ig: https://www.instagram.com/iliabeauty

Follow Sasha

Ig: https://www.instagram.com/sashaplavsic

Follow Megan

Ig: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc

Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

Themes: entrepreneurship, clean beauty, burnout, founder health, motherhood, bootstrapping, female founders, exit strategy, scaling a startup, sustainable success, executive coaching, mental health, delegating, work-life balance, hustle culture, investor-free growth, ILIA Beauty, women in leadership, resilience, skin care innovation, founder vulnerability

Olivia Landau, Co-Founder and CEO of The Clear Cut—the largest digitally native natural diamond jewelry company in the United States—shares how a side hustle selling engagement rings through Instagram DMs transformed into a company that's hitting $100M in revenue.

Despite being dismissed by venture capitalists and warned by her family not to become an entrepreneur, Olivia Landau chose to bet on herself. Alongside her then-boyfriend (now husband and co-founder), Kyle, she took a leap of faith, walking away from the safe path and rejecting startup "best practices" that didn't feel aligned.

Instead of following the noise, she doubled down on what felt right: human connection, deep education, craftsmanship, and building slow and intentionally. Her voice is a powerful reminder of what can happen when you block out the noise, trust your gut, and build your way—even when everyone says you're doing it wrong.

Key Takeaways and Topics:

• How The Clear Cut started as an educational blog and Instagram side hustle

• Olivia's generational roots in the diamond industry and how that shaped her approach

• The myths around lab-grown vs. natural diamonds—and why she refuses to sell lab-created stones

• Fundraising rejection: Why no VCs would invest and how they raised $700K from angels and customers instead

• The Clear Cut's breakthrough moment during the pandemic and how their custom-built tech scaled the business

• Why "unscalable" things are worth doing first

• The emotional toll and impostor syndrome that come with fundraising and startup leadership

• How Olivia navigates being a new mom, co-founder, and CEO

• Debunking ethical misconceptions about natural diamonds—and why the real story matters

• Why having a personal brand and showing your face on social media can be a competitive advantage

• Her advice to aspiring founders: Don't wait for perfection, just take the first step

Disclaimer:

Olivia shares her view that natural diamonds can be more ethical than lab-grown alternatives. This is a nuanced topic; what is "ethical" depends on your values. Natural diamonds may support economies like Botswana's, while lab-grown stones produced with renewable energy may appeal to those prioritizing environmental impact.

Some stats shared from memory have been clarified:

• Diamonds make up 25–30% of Botswana's GDP, not 80% as mentioned (that figure refers to exports).

• Diamond revenues fund free primary education, subsidized secondary education, and universal healthcare in Botswana.

• While "stipends" aren't standard, the government provides scholarships and financial support to students and select groups.

We've included these clarifications to support informed decision-making.

The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com

Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com

Follow Olivia and The Clear Cut

Her Ig: https://www.instagram.com/olivialandau The Clear Cut: https://www.instagram.com/theclearcut

Follow Megan Ig: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau/ In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc

Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

Themes: entrepreneurship, diamond industry, The Clear Cut, venture capital, scaling a startup, personalized luxury, ethical sourcing, tech, jewelry, women founder, e-commerce, working with a partner, motherhood, impostor syndrome, custom jewelry, resilience, lab-grown diamonds, natural diamonds, storytelling, brand building

Join us for an unflinchingly honest conversation with Peter Rahal, founder of RXBAR (sold to Kellogg's for $600M) and David Protein. Once labeled "disabled" by the school system, Peter reveals how his dyslexia fueled his contrarian mindset, relentless hustle, and ability to spot market gaps others missed. Learn how childhood humiliation became his rocket fuel, why he refuses to celebrate wins, and how his "anti-authority" approach built two category-defining brands.

This episode is for entrepreneurs, neurodivergent thinkers, and anyone who's been told they don't fit the mold.

Key Takeaways and Topics:

• Peter Rahal's background in the food industry and how this influenced his entrepreneurial journey.
• The idea for RX Bar emerged from a gap in the market for paleo-friendly protein bars.
• Early partnerships can significantly impact the success of a startup.
• Scaling production requires understanding supply chains and manufacturing processes.
• Product market fit is crucial for the success of any consumer product.
• Rebranding helped RX Bar reach a broader audience and clarify the product's value proposition.
• Rahal's childhood experiences shaped his resilience and contrarian nature.
• The importance of teamwork and aligned values in partnerships cannot be overstated.
• His success in business came from organic growth and word-of-mouth marketing.
• Be very, very efficient with your time.
• Seek criticism, seek feedback.
• The positive feedback loop of being doing something you're good at is motivating.
• Your 20s are the time to go all in and take risks.

The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com

Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor and host of The Failure Factor. For more info visit https://meganbruneau.com

Follow Peter and his ventures:

His Ig: https://www.instagram.com/peterrahal David Protein: https://www.instagram.com/davidprotein

Follow Megan Ig: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau/ In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc

Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

Themes: RX Bar, entrepreneurship, protein bars, startup culture, product market fit, rebranding, personal growth, childhood experiences, resilience, business challenges, David Protein, dyslexia, work ethic, fatherhood, humility, business lessons, nutrition, leadership