About the show
As we hear The Startup Story of some of the most successful companies in the world our focus is singular…
To give you the belief and courage to Start Your Story.
Every successful startup began with a single decision. It’s not about the dream, it’s not about the vision, it’s about having the courage to take that very first step -- to start.
How did UBER grow to $50 billion? How did Spanx become massively successful without one dime of venture capital? The stories are out there. But The Startup Story goes even deeper. What exactly did they do to go from idea to launch? What was that first step and how did they decide to take it?
Each week, hear from the courageous founders behind some of the most successful brands in the world as they share their Startup Story. We’ll unpack the early beginnings, and uncover those first steps that ultimately led them to where they are today.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur who’s in the thick of it and not making much progress, or feeling stuck in the fear of failure, not sure if you have what it takes, this podcast was created for you.
The Startup Story on social media
Episode List
-
Eva Gerrits, founder of Energetek
May 21st, 2019 | Season 1 | 47 mins 56 secs
This week I would like to introduce you to the co-founder and CEO of Energetek, Eva Gerrits. Energetek is an energy brokerage and consultant company that is also focused on renewable alternatives. If you are unaware of the commercial and industrial industry space then know that Eva is paving a way for other female entrepreneurs and leadership as this industry is heavily dominated by males.
-
Ladan Davia, founder of Beeya
May 14th, 2019 | Season 1 | 51 mins 48 secs
This week’s featured founder is Ladan Davia of Beeya. Beeya is a company that is changing the way recruiters and job searchers are connecting. Improving the job search process has been attempted numerous times, it’s true. But so has online dating and that never stopped innovation. Beeya is the real deal and so is its founder, Ladan Davia.
-
Mia Plecic, founder of Her Organics
May 7th, 2019 | Season 1 | 1 hr 11 mins
Our guest this week is Mia Plecic. Mia is 27 years old and has started 6 companies all leading her towards her current startup, Her Organics Australia. Her Organics is a subscription service through which women can sign up to have tampons delivered automatically each month. The company, Her Organics, is Mia’s 6th startup and her 5th e-commerce startup. In fact, when she was just 22 years old she launched her first e-commerce product and reached $30,000 in daily revenue within 6 months! However, that success did not come without some very serious challenges, which we discussed in this fascinating episode.
-
Jon Verlee, founder of Breeze
April 30th, 2019 | Season 1 | 51 mins 31 secs
Jon Verlee is the founder of Breeze Church Management Software. I was given Jon’s name from a friend who was emphatic about Jon’s story being told. Part of her enthusiasm for Jon’s story is that it is one that so many people can look to as a potential template for their journey.
-
Emma Rose Cohen, co-founder of FinalStraw
April 23rd, 2019 | Season 1 | 52 mins 36 secs
This week’s featured founder is Emma Rose Cohen, CEO and co-founder of FinalStraw. FinalStraw is a collapsible and reusable straw for a sucking alternative that will help reduce plastic waste across the globe. The inspirational and educational side of her story includes a Kickstarter experience that many hope for when they launch their Kickstarter campaign. In fact, FinalStraw raised $1.89 million during their campaign.
-
Darbie Angell, founder of Darbie Angell
April 16th, 2019 | Season 1 | 1 hr 3 mins
This week’s featured founder has a remarkable story and provides powerful inspiration for other entrepreneurs. Today I welcome Darbie Angell, creator/designer/founder of “Darbie Angell,” a brand icon and maker of bold and fashionable dinnerware.
Darbie started her company without a single contact in the industry. While she was working at one of the largest law firms in the country she went into labor with her daughter when she was five months pregnant. It was then that Darbie was put on bed rest for four months, and while on bed rest, she decided that she wanted to start a company by combining her passion to impact the world with her knowledge in design. The real startup story of Darbie Angell is that Darbie wanted to show her soon-to-be daughter how to dare to dream big!
-
Goli Kalkhoran, founder of USIE Booth and Creator/Host of the Lessons From A Quitter Podcast
April 9th, 2019 | Season 1 | 54 mins 7 secs
Our guest this week is an overachiever in all areas of life. Goli Kalkhoran is the founder of USIE Booth and Creator and Host of the Lessons From A Quitter Podcast. Goli attended Law School at California Berkley and became a successful attorney, earning a high six-figure salary. But she was absolutely miserable. During her time on maternity leave, she explored what her life could be if she could design it to be fully aligned with how she was wired. In doing so, she became a quitter!
-
Neely Powell, founder of Charleston Shoe Company
April 2nd, 2019 | Season 1 | 1 hr 56 secs
This week’s guest is an absolute fireball of a human being. I’d like to introduce you to Neely Powell, the founder of The Charleston Shoe Co. Her story runs at 100 mph from the minute her journey gets rolling. She started her business as a side hustle in college. Since then, the growth that The Charleston Shoe Company is experiencing is remarkable. At the time of this recording, Neely has opened 20 stores and is in the midst of opening another 6 stores nationwide within the next 6 weeks!
-
Ilana Zivkovich, founder of WERQ
March 26th, 2019 | Season 1 | 1 hr 5 mins
In January, I posted a call for Female Founders on our LinkedIn company page with hopes of being introduced to more female founders to feature on The Startup Story. Today’s guest was mentioned more times than any other person. After spending some time with her, I am fairly confident I know why she was thought of by so many other people…because she is someone that is always looking to help others.
This week I am joined by Ilana Zivkovich, the founder of WERQ; a strategic leadership advisory firm. WERQ helps teams look at their strategy, process, and people to ensure all of these pillars will best support their business.
-
Tiffany Sorya, founder of Novel Education Group
March 19th, 2019 | Season 1 | 56 mins 2 secs
When I started The Startup Story I would have never expected to be interviewing a founder
of a homeschool group, but here we are. This week, Tiffany Sorya, founder of Novel Education Group, shares the many unconventional pieces that have comprised her entrepreneurial journey to this point. It makes sense that her story would be unconventional since her goal is to meet the educational needs of those whose lives are unconventional. Her first two clients were Kylie and Kendall Jenner, and she continued working with other high-profile children such as those of Fortune 100 executives. -
Clint Harp, co-founder of Harp Design Co.
March 12th, 2019 | Season 1 | 1 hr 36 mins
This week’s episode was a special one for me to create. Why? Well it was not due to the celebrity status of our featured founder nor was it due to his gift for handcrafted woodworking (although I am fascinated by woodworking). This episode was special because of how incredibly similar my entrepreneurial story was to this week’s guest, Clint Harp.
-
Barry Stiles, founder of TRUEGRID Pavers
March 5th, 2019 | Season 1 | 1 hr 5 mins
This week’s featured founder is Barry Stiles, Founder and CEO of TRUEGRID Pavers. Yes, a paving company. My hope in exploring stories like Barry’s is that you will process his challenges and triumphs to see the commonality within your own journey, too. And yes, when most people think of a startup they immediately think of technology. But every single business you interact with was a startup at some point. That is why I love exploring the startup stories of a diverse collective of founders, like Barry and TRUEGRID Pavers.
-
Eric Solis, founder of Movocash
February 26th, 2019 | Season 1 | 1 hr 7 mins
As you may already know, The Startup Story is a new podcast. And if you are an avid podcast listener, then you know that the production quality of many new podcasts can be...well, less than stellar. But what you probably have noticed is that the production quality of this podcast is really good. And that’s not because of pure luck. The reason the production quality is so good is due to our incredible sponsor MovoCash and its founder, Eric Solis. Because of their sponsorship, we are able to enlist the aid of top notch podcast producers. But I am not here to talk to you today about podcast production, instead I am thrilled to introduce you to Eric Solis, founder of MovoCash. Today, you will get to hear his startup journey.
-
Brandon "Monk" Muñoz, founder of Monkwood Studio
February 19th, 2019 | Season 1 | 1 hr 5 mins
I'm huge fan of incredibly creative individuals, especially those involved in woodworking. And my guest this week, Brandon "Monk" Muñoz, is a handcrafted furniture designer and artist. He is the founder of Monkwood Studio where he designs unique furniture and interiors that change the atmosphere of work, living spaces and retail establishments. His work includes some of the most beautiful studio desks and tables you will ever see.
-
Bryan Elliott, founder of The Goodbrain Digital Studios
February 12th, 2019 | Season 1 | 57 mins 26 secs
Today, you will hear the startup story of Bryan Elliott, founder of The Goodbrain Digital Studios and creator of Behind the Brand Show. I’ve been following Byran’s work for few years now with intrigue. He has helped to build audiences and engagement for some of the biggest movies. He has also produced original video content (for movies on DVD), managed brand partnerships and movie titles with advertising budgets of over $30M. As you’ll hear in today’s episode, there are many patterns that set us up for what is to come in the future, like the ability to adapt in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. Bryan’s story is one enveloped in resiliency.
-
Steve Glaveski, founder of Collective Campus & author of Employee to Entrepreneur
February 5th, 2019 | Season 1 | 1 hr 8 mins
This week we’d like to introduce you to Steve Glaveski, CEO and Co-Founder of Collective Campus and author of Employee to Entrepreneur: How to Earn Your Freedom and Do Work that Matters. Unlike some of the past founders we’ve featured so far on this podcast, Steve had zero aspirations to be an entrepreneur growing up and spent his 20’s navigating the corporate hallways of some of the largest firms in Australia and internationally.