Witness Business

Brandon McCraney left a corporate VP track to become the master blender behind Old Raleigh Distillery. And the road there involved getting rejected by 12 different banks, liquidating his own 401(k) days before Christmas, and personally chiseling plaster off an 80-foot wall by hand because he couldn't afford to pay someone else to do it. In this episode, Brandon breaks down how he turned a "crazy whiskey collector" hobby into a blending operation that's released over 180 unique whiskeys in a single year, why he thinks the bourbon industry's biggest brands are all making the same strategic mistake, and how a flooded market and a wave of hedge-fund speculation quietly reshaped the whole business. Plus the SBA loan story that'll make you rethink what "qualified" even means.

Be sure to check out the Show Notes!

Follow us on Instagram: @witnessbusiness
Follow Olde Raleigh on Instagram: @olderaleighdistillery

Jeff Rose has done it all. From the military, to becoming a CFP, to earning hundreds of thousands of dollars per month BLOGGING, to now earning a full-time income posting on Facebook. Not selling digital products, courses, affiliates... Just straight from Meta, earning on Facebook views and engagement. How does he do it? How does Facebook's content monetization program worK? How can YOU take advantage of what Meta is doing right now? This one covers all the bases, including story after story of the many successes and failures along the way.

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Follow us on Instagram: @witnessbusiness
Follow Jeff on Instagram: @jjeffrose

Also check out Wealth Hacker on Youtube

When Carolyn was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 31, every gluten-free cookie she tried fell apart into chalky dust. So the former Department of Defense consultant turned stockbroker decided to build a better one herself, and Mightylicious was born. In this episode, she walks us through baking tens of thousands of inedible cookies in a tiny New York apartment, engineering her own flour blend when none existed, talking her way into Whole Foods with three sample bags and no commercial kitchen, and raising $5 million in 48 hours off a cold-email campaign to 10,000 strangers. It's a masterclass in grit, scrappiness, and refusing to take "lucky" for an answer. Plus the baking science behind why you should always reach for the salted butter. A must-listen for anyone with a big idea and the stubbornness to chase it.

Be sure to check out the Show Notes!

Follow us on Instagram: @witnessbusiness
Follow Mightylicious on Instagram: @mightyliciousfoods

In this episode, we chat with entrepreneur and former NFL player Rick Elmore, founder of Simply Noted, to talk about how he went from pro football to medical sales to building a multi-million-dollar startup powered by robotifcs and handwritten marketing. Rick shares how a simple business idea turned into an innovative tech company, the challenges of entrepreneurship, validating a startup idea, hiring to scale a business, and why handwritten notes still outperform digital marketing in today's AI-driven world.

Be sure to check out the Show Notes!

Follow us on Instagram: @witnessbusiness

In this episode, we sit down with Josh Sprague, founder of Orange Mud and Seven Clay, and we unpack how his mindset turned his own frustrations into 7-figure businesses. When you can’t find a hydration pack that works for you, just try to build one and see what happens. Or when you can’t find a custom embroidery company to do what you ask, just buy the machine and try to do it yourself. Josh gives us a masterclass in execution, resourcefulness, and why taking imperfect action can be your biggest competitive advantage.
If you’ve ever had a business idea but overthought your way out of starting, this episode will challenge you to stop waiting around and just try.

Be sure to check out the Show Notes!

Follow us on Instagram: @witnessbusiness
Follow Josh on Instagram: @jcsprag

Which would you choose... starting a business from scratch, or buying into a proven franchise?

In this episode, Abbie shares the story behind why she and her husband chose franchising with Scooter's Coffee, and how that decisions shaped their path into entrepreneurship. From the personal "why", to the to the financial realities, to hiring employees, we unpack what it actually looks like to step into business ownership through a franchise.

Be sure to check out the Show Notes!

Follow us on Instagram: @witnessbusiness
Follow Scooters on Instagram: @scooterscoffee.downersgrove.il

In this episode, we sit down with the couple behind a one-of-a-kind beer bath business you've probably never heard of. Until now. After quitting their jobs, Jessica and Damien spent 14 months traveling the world in search of a business idea, eventually discovering beer spas in Poland. They went on to study similar experiences across different countries and blending the best elements into their own concept, Oakwell Beer Spa. From navigating the challenges of launching in Denver (including pitching the city for funding) to building a unique customer experience and now stepping into franchising, this is a wild, insightful story about betting on an unconventional idea and making it work.

Be sure to check out the Show Notes!

Follow us on Instagram: @witnessbusiness
Follow Oakwell on Instagram: @oakwellbeerspa

In this episode, we sit down with Bryan Clayton, an entrepreneur who built and exited an 8-figure lawn care company before launching GreenPal, a marketplace app that is essentially "Uber for lawn care". Bryan shares the real founder story behind building a service business, scaling a local lawn care company, navigating a successful business exit, and then starting over to build a tech startup. marketplace that now connects 300,000+ homeowners to lawn care professionals. If you're interested in entrepreneurship, small business ideas, startups, side hustles, or scaling a service-based business, this episode breaks down the practical steps Bryan took to transform a simple lawn mowing business into a major entrepreneurial success.

Be sure to check out the Show Notes!

Follow us on Instagram: @witnessbusiness
Follow Bryan on Instagram: @bryanmclayton

In this episode, we sit down with Greg Lernihan to discover how he and his former colleague built from scratch the $3 billion tech giant Convergint Technologies. We learn about the successful 20-year careers they had previously, and why they chose to abandon the safety net of good job to build something from the ground up. From feelings of inadequacy, to hiring employees, to creating culture, to leaving a legacy, Greg spares no details. Whether you aspire to build something big, or you're in the middle of it, you won't want to skip this one!

Be sure to check out the Show Notes!

Follow us on Instagram: @witnessbusiness

After years of saving to pursue a simpler, more self-sufficient life, Jenni and her husband moved their family to a 16-acre plot of land in Alabama to more fully embrace living off the land. This is where Five Oaks Farm was born. Along the way, however, an autoimmune disease led Jenni on a sourdough journey. She began sewing beeswax-lined bread bags from fabrics she loved, and quietly grew this into a multi-million-dollar brand. In this episode, Jenni shares the unlikely path that led to her bread bag success, how she was able to change the stories of 50+ women, and why staying true to the story behind the product became her greatest competitive advantage.

Be sure to check out the Show Notes!

Follow us on Instagram: @witnessbusiness
Follow Jenni on Instagram: @fiveoaksfarmal