The Unshakeables

After a sudden health crisis rocked his family, Patrick Hall made an unexpected move: he bought a flower shop. Elan Flowers wasn’t just a creative venture—it was a lifeline. For Patrick, becoming a small business owner was the only way he could guarantee healthcare, financial stability, and a sense of control in a moment that felt anything but secure. 

In this episode, Ben Walter is joined by Dr. Laurie Sant...

Aadeel Akhtar always knew he wanted to help people, but instead of following the traditional path through medicine, he took a detour that led to something a little more electric: building a bionic hand. He started his company Psyonic to merge engineering with compassion and transform the prosthetics industry, but it didn’t come easily. Dead batteries, buggy code, and even a missing patient nearly cost him his shot. 

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When Benjamin Haugh was 19, he opened his business, All Nation Restoration—not because he wanted to, but because it was the only option he had. Born into challenging circumstances and overcoming adversity at a young age, Benjamin and All Nation Restoration have become a pillar of the Austin, TX community, helping people rebuild and pick up the pieces when disaster strikes. A terrible flood personally affected Benjamin, provin...

Transitioning your business isn’t something that happens overnight — it takes thoughtful planning to make sure everything goes smoothly. In this special episode of The Unshakeables, Ben sits with Adam Frank, Head of Wealth Planning and Advice, at JPMorgan Chase as they break down the steps every business owner should take to prepare for the future, whether passing a business on to a family member, a partner, or sel...

Growing up in New York City's Chinatown, Cory Ng and his friends were entrepreneurial from an early age, selling items like T-shirts, ice cream, and bikes. For their next chapter, Cory’s group decided to open a restaurant called the Potluck Club. The paperwork, construction and approvals were overwhelming, even before a contractor ran off with $50,000 of Cory's money. Fortunately, his entrepreneurial drive, along with a littl...

Join Justin Richmond and Ben Walter, CEO of Chase For Business, for a special conversation about finding success in the music industry through non-traditional means. Ben shares his insights on balancing risk while scaling a business, as they talk about how the indie label XL Recordings built a sustainable business model by making unorthodox business decisions. He also shares how artists often have an edge in creating original busin...

You may know Sloane Stephens from her prowess on the tennis court. You should also know her for her business savvy. She launched the Sloane Stephens Foundation in 2013 to get rackets into the hands of the Compton Unified School District. Ten years later she was set to launch Doc & Glo, her self-funded skincare company, when a web designer noticed all of the product packaging she’d approved had been ripped off from another...

When Don Hejny toured with big country artists, he had a sweaty problem: his glasses would not stay put on his nose. Annoyed at constantly having to adjust them, he took matters into his own hands. He found inspiration from a childhood tool - surf wax - and after three years of tinkering, NerdWax was born. He took his idea to Kickstarter, then to Shark Tank, then finally to Instagram, when he nearly lost all of his sales ...

Kilee Nickels never set out to be a CEO, but when her first pair of custom-made earrings became a huge hit, she knew she had to turn her passion into a business. From that moment, Nickel & Suede was born. But the journey hasn’t been without challenges — early on, Kilee faced everything from growing pains to a near $20K scam that could’ve ended everything. On today’s episode, Ben is joined in the co-host ...

In a previous episode of The Unshakeables, Ben spoke with Kilee Nickels of Nickel & Suede about a near $20,000 scam. In this bonus episode, Ben continues his conversation with Darius Kingsley, head of banking practices at JP Morgan Chase, to discuss the growing threats of fraud targeting businesses. Darius shares insights on evolving scam tactics and offers practical advice on how businesses can stay vigilant and protected.

See ...

Tim Harford is joined by Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and the host of "The Unshakeables" podcast, to explore the story of the trailblazing Widow Clicquot. Her namesake brand Veuve Clicquot revolutionized the champagne industry in the 19th century. Tim and Ben look at how she defied expectations and built one of the most iconic businesses in history. 

This episode is sponsored by Chase for Business. For a full list of ...

A few years ago, Zahra Hargens-Illiff discovered batteries light her up. She built her own battery prototype in her garage and hit the VC circuit. But after a series of disappointing rejections, she took matters into her own hands and bootstrapped her first few products. A decision that took a lot of courage but one that is paying off. Join Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith as they chat with Zahra about a clean energy future. Discov...

George Esquivel started making shoes for himself and some friends, up-and-coming musicians in Southern California. Soon, Hollywood came calling. And it wasn’t just celebrities who took notice. A film financier did, too. He said he wanted to invest in the company,  but George soon realized his intentions weren’t what they seemed.

Join Ben and special guest host Kathleen Griffith as they speak to George about ...

The Unshakeables is back for Season 2 — and it’s kicking off with an episode you absolutely won’t want to miss. Listen in as Ben Walter sits with a very special guest: chairman and CEO of JPMorganChase, Jamie Dimon. One of the world’s most respected financial thought leaders, Jamie will connect the dots between the current challenges facing small business owners and the broader financial land...

Welcome to The Unshakeables, Season 2, featuring new interviews with small business owners who share their make-or-break moments and the resilience it took to persevere. Join CEO of Chase for Business and host Ben Walter, along with a special lineup of co-hosts, as they pull back the curtain with entrepreneurs who tell their unfiltered and inspiring stories. The Unshakeables is brought to you by Chase for Business an...

The idea for Fresh Bloom Bins struck Tia Johnson like lightning on a hot summer day. After struggling with a dirty trash can and a teenager reluctant to clean it, Tia was inspired to start her own trash can cleaning business. She hit the ground running, quickly landing a government pilot program.

In this episode, as we continue to celebrate business across the country, Ben heads to Ohio to talk with Tia Johnson of Fresh Bloom Bin...

Quanetta “Q” McNeal loves two things: people and logistics. When she had the chance to combine these interests and launch her own company with her employer's support, she jumped in feet first. But starting her logistics business came with surprises no one could anticipate, like packages mysteriously disappearing, traffic jams stretching for miles and delivery trucks veering off course and crashing into trees. 

Join Ben as he chats ...

When Craig Rupp left Iowa in the 80s, he never wanted to step foot on a farm again. A whirlwind career as an engineer took him to some of the biggest companies - Motorola, Apple, Samsung - but he always felt a strong connection to his roots. He had an idea he couldn’t shake - an opportunity to change farming forever. Introducing Sabanto and its best-in-class Autonomous Operator, Steward. On the day of their first big test, the trac...