The Mobile Mavericks

This episode of Mobile Mavericks, hosted by Bob Lafon, Jasmine Martirossian, and Liliya Safronyuk, dives into the entrepreneurial journey of Kyle Wainwright, Founder and CEO of RefreshedTech, whose path from repairing his own broken iPhone to running one of the largest live‑selling electronics companies in the U.S. is nothing short of remarkable.

Kyle shares that his career began accidentally at age 23, when he shattered his first iPhone 3GS and couldn’t afford a replacement.  He ordered parts from China, fixed it himself, and after a failed first attempt, found himself repairing devices for friends and family.  A pivotal moment came when he partnered with an insurance company, buying cracked iPods for $20, repairing them for $12, and reselling them for $130.  Kyle happily remembers, “I was selling about 500 of these a week.”  That early hustle led to opening repair stores, eventually growing to 18 locations across Indiana and Michigan.

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Mobile Mavericks, the hosts, Bob Lafon, Jasmine Martirossian, and Liliya Safronyuk, sit down with Sean Cleland, VP – Mobility at B-Stock Solutions, for a conversation that goes far beyond the mobile industry.

Sean shares his remarkable journey from aspiring Air Force pilot to one of the pioneers of the mobile trade-in and recommerce industry.  After a medical condition abruptly ended his military aviation career, Sean was forced to completely rethink his future.  What followed was an unexpected transition into analytics and innovation at GameStop, where a single customer interaction with a teenager sparked the launch of the company’s highly successful mobile phone trade-in business.

This episode is equal parts leadership masterclass, entrepreneurship story, and personal reflection, offering valuable lessons for innovators, operators, entrepreneurs, and anyone navigating unexpected change in life or career.

What does it really take to build a successful career in the mobile industry?  According to Josh Beasley, it starts with embracing failure, staying adaptable, and never losing sight of the human side of leadership.

In the latest episode of Mobile Mavericks, Josh Beasley, CEO of Early Upgrade and President of Quick Ship Brands, shared an honest and refreshing conversation about his journey from a shy teenager working internships in the UK to leading two highly complementary businesses in the mobile lifecycle space.

A few standout takeaways from the discussion:

🔹 Failure is the Best Teacher – Josh spoke candidly about learning more from setbacks than successes. Early mistakes taught him the importance of structure, clarity, and resilience – lessons that shaped his leadership style today.

🔹 Adaptability Matters – From startups to Fortune 500 environments, Josh emphasized that effective leaders learn to adjust their approach based on the organization, culture, and people around them.

🔹 Empathy is a Leadership Superpower – One of the strongest themes of the episode was empathy. Josh explained how becoming a father transformed the way he leads – shifting from a purely performance-driven mindset to understanding the human realities behind every employee and business relationship.

🔹 Networks Are Everything – Josh highlighted how relationships built through business often become lifelong friendships and how surrounding yourself with smart, honest people accelerates both personal and professional growth.

🔹 Hard Work Alone Isn’t Enough – “Results matter,” Josh noted, but combining hard work with curiosity, self-awareness, and a genuine passion for the industry is what creates long-term success.

Beyond the business insights, this episode also delivered a lot of humor, authenticity, and candid storytelling – exactly what makes Mobile Mavericks conversations unique.

Big thanks to Josh Beasley for joining us and sharing such thoughtful perspectives on leadership, entrepreneurship, growth, and happiness.

#MobileIndustry #Entrepreneurship #LeadershipDevelopment

In our latest episode of Mobile Mavericks, we sat down with David McMillan,  Founder of Allied China Electronics and Smart Grade Group, for a candid look at entrepreneurship, global operations, and the realities of the mobile device ecosystem.

David shares his multicultural journey from Spain and France to Monaco, London, and ultimately Shenzhen, where a frustrating quality‑control issue pushed him to build his own operation on the ground. As he explains, “the only way to control the quality was to have my own operation there,” a decision that led to the creation of Allied in 2009.

Today, Allied provides independent testing and inspection services across Hong Kong and Shenzhen, supporting importers who rely on rigorous quality control in both used and refurbished device markets. Smart Grade, his second company, focuses on buyback programs for insurance partners and specializes in high‑damage devices and high‑value components like broken screens and rear cameras. As David notes, “broken smartphone screens have a lot of residual value,” a fact that fuels Smart Grade’s growing European footprint.

The conversation also dives into industry challenges of tightening margins, increasing regulation (e.g., GDPR), and the lack of transparency around spare‑parts traceability. David doesn’t shy away from calling out the “greenwashing” that often masks the true origins of refurbishment components.

We also explore his life split between Europe and China, the daily realities of managing two QC centers, and his perspective on what it takes to survive in this competitive space. His advice for newcomers is that quality is everything and that the learning curve never ends.

Listen to this thoughtful, global perspective from David Macmillan, a leader who has built two companies at the intersection of mobility, refurbishment, and circular economy.

This episode of Mobile Mavericks features Jason Najor, Founder and CEO of Super Fair Cellular, in a candid, wide-ranging conversation that blends entrepreneurial grit, industry insight, and deeply personal reflections on heritage, trust, and leadership.

Jason traces his journey back to his roots as a first-generation Chaldean-American in Detroit, shaped by an immigrant family that embodied resilience and work ethic. Starting in his family’s supermarket at age nine, he developed an early instinct for customer service and business operations. That foundation led him into the paging business as a teenager and, ultimately, into cellular, where he co-founded Super Fair Cellular at just 24 years old, initially operating out of a small corner of a grocery store.

From there, the conversation explores the evolution of the wireless industry. Jason describes the dramatic shift from the “wild west” of the late 1990s, when multiple layers of resellers thrived on high margins, to today’s leaner, more direct-to-consumer ecosystem. As margins compressed and technology advanced, traditional middlemen largely disappeared or repositioned themselves as consultants. The key differentiator now, he argues, is not access, but value, speed, and trust.

A recurring theme throughout the episode is reputation. In an industry often compared to the used car business, Jason emphasizes that trust is the ultimate currency. His philosophy is simple.  Specifically, tell the truth, even when it’s difficult, and always make things right when something goes wrong. That approach has enabled Super Fair Cellular to build a reputation that, in his words, is “gold.”  Reputations is a non-negotiable asset he refuses to compromise.

The discussion also dives into the realities of entrepreneurship, including the long hours, sacrifices, and trade-offs. Jason reflects on years of 14-hour workdays, and acknowledges the personal cost, particularly time away from family. However, he frames those sacrifices as intentional investments that created long-term stability and freedom. His perspective is pragmatic, as, in his view, you can’t have everything at once, but disciplined trade-offs can create lasting outcomes.

Leadership, Jason says, is grounded in humility and responsibility. He sees himself not as above his team, but accountable to them, especially given that many employees have been with him for over a decade, some for more than 20 years. That longevity, he notes, is both a competitive advantage and a reflection of trust built internally.

Beyond business, one of the most compelling parts of the episode centers on Jason’s commitment to preserving Chaldean culture. He shares the history of his community from migration out of Iraq to building a powerful entrepreneurial presence in Detroit, and highlights the urgent challenge of cultural and language preservation. Through his work with the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce and the Chaldean Community Foundation, he is actively investing in both assimilation support for new immigrants and long-term cultural preservation, including language programs, education, and a growing cultural center.

The episode closes with insights into what has allowed Super Fair Cellular to survive and thrive for nearly three decades in a volatile industry. Jason credits constant adaptation, independence (not answering to outside investors), and relentless reinvestment into the business. His ability to pivot with market changes, anticipate trends, and maintain strong relationships has been central to that longevity.

Overall, this conversation offers a nuanced look at entrepreneurship in a relationship-driven industry, underscored by a powerful message that success is built not just on strategy and execution, but on character, consistency, and the legacy you choose to leave behind.

From Precision to Trust – Building a Business That Gets Sought, Not Sold

In this episode of Mobile Mavericks, the conversation with Michael Leiberman, President of Aeris Protective Packaging Inc., unfolds as a deeply personal and candid journey, one that moves far beyond business strategy into the realities of growth, failure, as well as self-awareness.

Michael traces his entrepreneurial roots back to an unlikely source, a childhood spent watching a former Rolex technician meticulously take apart and rebuild watches. That early exposure to precision left a lasting imprint, helping shape a mindset where there was no room for error, and where craftsmanship and discipline became foundational to everything he would later build.

But his path was anything but linear.

From building decks as a kid to running multiple businesses, including an unexpected chapter baking cheesecakes out of his apartment just to make ends meet, Michael’s story is defined by hustle, adaptability, and learning the hard way. He openly admits that early ventures didn’t fail because of bad ideas, but because of poor execution, particularly given his tendency at that time to overpromise and underdeliver.

One of the most powerful themes in the episode is his evolution around truth and trust.

Michael reflects on a critical lesson that when you make a promise, it doesn’t just impact one person, it cascades across entire organizations. In his early career, trying to “please in the moment” led to broken trust and damaged relationships. The turning point came when he embraced radical honesty, recognizing that transparency, even when the news isn’t good, is the foundation of long-term success.

This shift fundamentally changed how he operates today. Trust is no longer a byproduct of the business.  It is the core of his business.

Another key insight is Michael’s self-awareness as a leader. He doesn’t position himself as a perfect CEO.  In fact, he does the opposite. He’s explicit about what he’s not good at, and credits much of his success to surrounding himself with people who complement his gaps. From bringing in operational expertise to focusing on his strengths in engineering and innovation, he demonstrates a level of humility that is rare and effective.

The conversation also highlights a powerful business philosophy – the goal is to be sought, not to seek.

Rather than chasing customers, Michael has built his company around referrals, reputation, and delivering measurable value. By consistently exceeding expectations, his business has reached a point where clients come to him already convinced.  This eliminates the need for heavy selling, and strengthens both margins and relationships.

At its heart, this episode is about earning trust at scale – through precision, honesty, and consistent delivery.

It’s a reminder that great businesses aren’t just built on products or ideas, but on the integrity of the relationships behind them, and that sometimes, the most important growth comes not from what you learn to do, but from what you learn to stop doing.

Listen to this episode now.

Mobile Mavericks with Marin Galvin (CTIA)

In this episode of Mobile Mavericks, co-hosts Jasmine Martirossian, Bob Lafon, and Liliya Safronyuk sit down with Marin Galvin of CTIA to unpack the realities and misconceptions shaping the mobile repair and reverse logistics industry.

Marin Galvin offers a candid look into CTIA’s role as a convener across the wireless ecosystem, emphasizing that its Reverse Logistics and Service Quality Program was built to serve both large enterprises and small businesses alike. She clarifies that the program’s original intent was to bring structure to what was once a “Wild West” environment, creating standards that distinguish reputable operators from bad actors.

A central theme of the conversation is the value of WISE certification, which focuses specifically on repair, refurbishment, and device handling processes. Unlike recycling certifications, WISE is designed to build consumer trust, ensuring that certified technicians and facilities follow rigorous protocols, particularly around data security and quality assurance. This trust is critical in giving consumers confidence to repair, trade in, or resell their devices.

This discussion also explores the tension between certification and perceived bureaucracy, especially among small business owners. Galvin highlights how certification can unlock access to larger ecosystems, including OEM partnerships and carrier programs.

Beyond certification, the episode surfaces a major industry challenge, which is the fact that millions of unused devices are sitting idle, particularly in enterprise environments. Driven by data security fears and lack of awareness, many devices are prematurely recycled instead of being reused.  This represents both an environmental and economic missed opportunity. The co-hosts and Galvin stress the urgent need for education, awareness, and stronger pathways to reuse.

Ultimately, this episode underscores the powerful idea that the future of the mobile industry depends not just on innovation, but on trust, standards, and circularity. Through collaboration, certification, and better consumer education, the industry has an opportunity to extend device lifecycles, reduce waste, and create more equitable access to repair.

Listen to this episode now.

In this episode of Mobile Mavericks, hosts Bob Lafon, Jasmine Martirossian, and Liliya Safronyuk sit down with Jerry Abramov, founder, chairman, and CEO of COS Phones, for a candid and wide-ranging conversation about the evolution of the mobile device industry, as well as the entrepreneurial journey behind it.

In this inaugural episode of Mobile Mavericks, hosts Bob Lafon, Jasmine Martirossian, and Liliya Safronyuk welcome a truly extraordinary guest – Hap Klopp, the visionary entrepreneur who built The North Face into one of the world’s most iconic outdoor brands.

In a wide-ranging and deeply insightful conversation, Hap Klopp reflects on the experiences that shaped his leadership philosophy and the unconventional thinking that helped define The North Face from its earliest days. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Klopp developed a deep connection to the outdoors that would later become the foundation of the company’s mission to enable people to explore the wilderness while respecting and protecting it.

The conversation explores how innovation often comes from questioning accepted practices. In the early years of The North Face, Klopp and his team repurposed surplus materials from the Vietnam War, such as aircraft aluminum and parachute fabric, to create lighter, more efficient outdoor equipment. Decades before the terms sustainability or circular economy entered the business vocabulary, these decisions reflected a practical commitment to resourcefulness and responsible manufacturing.

Hap Klopp also shares lessons about building organizations around purpose and people. Rather than hiring solely for credentials, he sought individuals with passion for the outdoors and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking. That culture of curiosity and experimentation helped drive product innovation and shaped the company’s enduring identity.

Throughout the discussion, Klopp emphasizes the importance of a company’s “North Star,” a clear set of values and mission that guide decisions even as markets and technologies evolve. As industries face accelerating change, he argues that leaders must be willing to disrupt their own assumptions, continually rethink how products are designed and used, and embrace models that prioritize reuse, repair, and longevity.

This episode sets the tone for Mobile Mavericks – thoughtful conversations with pioneering leaders whose ideas and experiences offer lessons far beyond their own industries.

Mobile Mavericks – The Story Behind Our Mobile Mavericks Podcast

Welcome to the introductory episode of Mobile Mavericks, where industry insight meets real conversation.

In this kickoff episode, co-hosts Bob Lafon, Jasmine Martirossian, and Liliya Safronyuk share how this podcast came to life, and and what listeners can expect from the journey ahead.

With decades of combined experience in the mobile, ITAD, and circular economy ecosystem, the hosts discuss their shared goal: creating a space where leaders in the industry can share not only their expertise, but the personal stories behind their success.

Mobile Mavericks aims to go beyond typical industry discussions. Each episode will bring together entrepreneurs, innovators, and pioneers from across the mobile and technology landscape to explore:

The hosts also highlight the global and diverse nature of the mobile industry, celebrating the many immigrant entrepreneurs and innovators who have helped shape it. By bringing these voices forward, the podcast seeks to strengthen the community, inspire future leaders, and elevate the conversation around the evolving mobile ecosystem.

Expect thoughtful insights, candid conversations, and a bit of humor along the way—because the best ideas often emerge when great minds collide in an open and authentic dialogue.

Join the Mobile Mavericks as they introduce a new platform for thought leadership, storytelling, and connection across the mobile industry.

Stay tuned for upcoming episodes featuring extraordinary guests—including pioneers whose innovations helped shape the modern reuse and sustainability movement.