In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores welcomes Pranav Dalal, founder and CEO of Office Beacon. Pranav shares how he pioneered remote staffing long before it became a trend, scaling his global team to thousands of full-time employees across four countries. Discover how he identifies strategic "hooks," builds world-class teams, and leverages both human capital and AI to help businesses thrive. Learn about his unique lead generation strategies, the role of KPIs in onboarding, and why he believes outsourcing is key to scaling smart. Whether you're a startup founder, business leader, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with lessons on resilience, strategy, and global scalability.

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In this inspiring episode, Gabriel Flores interviews Libby DeLucien—multi-business owner, software founder, and children’s book author—about her remarkable entrepreneurial journey. Libby shares how she went from growing up in a family that owned the largest herd of Asian elephants in North America to launching residential cleaning companies, recruiting tech, and SaaS solutions. After losing everything in a divorce, Libby rebuilt from experience, not from scratch, scaling multiple ventures and creating impact in the process. Tune in to hear how she leverages AI, bootstraps software from real-world gaps, and balances life as a wife, mother, and founder.

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In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Colby Varley, Vice President and Co-owner of ATS Salinas, a 40-year-old logistics firm specializing in refrigerated transportation. From driving trucks to leading operations, Colby shares his full-circle journey in the high-stakes world of perishable produce. Tune in to discover how cold chain logistics supports your favorite grocery aisle, the business lessons Colby learned in the salad bowl of America, and why customer service and specialization are the true keys to long-term success. Whether you're in logistics, food supply, or just curious about where your lettuce comes from, this episode delivers.

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In Episode 207 of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, Corey Morris, CEO of Voltage and author of The Digital Marketing Success Plan, shares how he transitioned from agency employee to owner—while learning the hard truths about profitability, digital marketing ROI, and building a focused team culture.

Corey walks through how he went from managing operations to acquiring the business, what financial red flags to look out for, and why focusing on your strengths—not every shiny service—is key to sustainable growth. He also reveals how his agency narrowed its scope to specialize in SEO, Google Ads, and web development, ditching services that no longer aligned with performance or passion.

Whether you're a digital marketer, creative agency leader, or entrepreneur scaling your service-based business, this episode is packed with tactical lessons and mindset shifts you won’t want to miss.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and theshadesofe.com

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In Episode 206 of The Shades of Entrepreneurship™, Jonathan Ronzio, co-founder and CMO of Trainual, shares how systems, structure, and documented processes are the keys to scaling a business—and unlocking creative freedom for founders.

From adventure filmmaking to building one of the top business ops platforms, Jonathan opens up about the identity shift that comes with stepping into operations and why “you can’t scale chaos.” He explains how onboarding systems, process clarity, and team alignment help founders work on the business instead of staying trapped in it.

Whether you're a creative founder, an early-stage entrepreneur, or a leader scaling a growing team, this episode is packed with actionable insights on how to build a business that works—with or without you.

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In Episode 205 of The Shades of Entrepreneurship™, Gabriel Flores interviews John Horn, CEO of StubGroup, a digital marketing agency built around strategy-first advertising. John shares how he helped build the company from the ground up, why understanding a client’s business context is crucial, and how Stub Group helps companies overcome ad account suspensions and scale smarter.

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In Episode 204 of The Shades of Entrepreneurship™, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Izzy Rosenzweig, founder and CEO of Portless, to discuss how he's rethinking global e-commerce fulfillment. From struggling brand owner to innovator, Izzy shares how the Portless model slashes lead times, improves cash flow, and supports brands manufacturing in Asia by shipping directly to consumers.

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In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship™, host Gabriel Flores sits down with James Hilovsky, CEO of The Fran Dream, to explore the world of franchise ownership. James shares his transition from the fast-food industry to franchise consulting, the steps to evaluate a good opportunity, and why networking is crucial to franchise success.

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Wilson Zehr, founder of Zairmail, joins The Shades of Entrepreneurship to share how direct mail is evolving in the digital age. From launching hybrid mail solutions to creating Speedy, a tool for one-to-one mailing, Wilson explains how automation and audience targeting make direct mail more effective than ever. He breaks down the benefits of first-class vs. standard A mail and shares a real-world campaign success in Eastern Oregon. If you're in real estate, insurance, or service-based industries, this episode is a must-listen.

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Unlock the secrets to entrepreneurial success with host Gabriel Flores on The Shades of Entrepreneurship™ by understanding the role of open source software in empowering businesses. Hear how David Young build Federated Computer's suite of tools is transforming the way entrepreneurs build and customize their infrastructure for optimal performance.

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