Raw and Real Entrepreneurship

Raw and Real Entrepreneurship

Get ready to step into the unfiltered world of entrepreneurship with the award-winning entrepreneur Susan Sly on the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship podcast. Recognized and featured by major media outlets such as Forbes, MIT Sloan Management Review, CNBC, Fox, and CNN, Susan brings an exceptional blend of real-world experience and hard-earned knowledge to the podcasting stage. As the co-founder of a leading AI company, Susan harnesses her unique insider perspective to explore the hearts and minds of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. She presents candid, in-depth conversations that uncover the realities of their journeys, featuring enlightening discussions with illustrious founders like Glenn Stearns, Jesse Itzler, and Brandon Steiner. The Raw and Real Entrepreneurship Podcast is a dynamic and insightful show dedicated to revealing the unfiltered truths of entrepreneurship with new interviews every week. Through compelling stories and personal anecdotes, guests share their highs and lows, offering listeners a glimpse into the perseverance, resilience, and hard work required to navigate the unpredictable landscape of business ownership. From startup struggles to strategic growth, each episode provides valuable insights, practical advice, and actionable takeaways for aspiring and established entrepreneurs alike.

Episodes

From Joyent to Federated: Building Cloud Innovation, Losing His Company, and Disrupting Big Tech with David Young

May 1, 2025 • 54 mins
In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, Susan Sly sits down with David Young—founder of Federated Computer and the visionary behind Joyent, the cloud infrastructure company that powered Twitter and Tumblr before its $170M acquisition by Samsung. David shares an unfiltered account of building innovative cloud technology, losing his company due to personal struggles, and rebuilding his life through endurance sports and a...
Mark as Played

From The Bachelor to Brand Builder: Kirpa Sudick on Turning Personal Growth into a Scalable Business

April 21, 2025 • 35 mins
What happens when visibility doesn’t automatically lead to a business? For Kirpa Sudick — former contestant on The Bachelor Season 23 — the next step was clear: build a brand rooted in purpose and long-term value. In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, Susan Sly speaks with Kirpa about how she transitioned from public figure to business owner, scaling a coaching brand with authenticity, content strategy, and operational...
Mark as Played

How Sircles Raised $1M in 6 Days and Is Flipping the Review Model, with Founder John Worthington

April 14, 2025 • 47 mins
In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, Susan Sly sits down with John Worthington, founder of Sircles —a social recommendation app that raised over $1M in just six days on WeFunder and is on a mission to disrupt the Yelp model. They get candid about the real cost of building a startup, leading through chaos, and the emotional resilience required to scale. John shares his personal ‘why,’ how Sircles is creating a platform...
Mark as Played

The Realities of Startups, Pitching & AI’s Next Wave with Hikari Senju, Founder of Omneky

March 6, 2025 • 49 mins
In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, host Susan Sly sits down with Hikari Senju, Founder of Omneky, to discuss his journey from a creative childhood to scaling innovative startups. Hikari dives into his early entrepreneurial experiences, the rise of generative AI, and how AI is transforming advertising. He also reveals the challenges of raising capital—having pitched to hundreds of investors—the power of networking, an...
Mark as Played

AI Startups, Fundraising & The Pivot That Changed Everything with Susan Groeneveld, Founder of Sylvester.ai

February 27, 2025 • 51 mins
In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, Susan Sly sits down with Susan Groeneveld, Founder of Sylvester.ai, to discuss the bold pivot that reshaped her AI startup. Initially launched as a B2C pet health platform, Susan made the strategic decision to shift to B2B, securing key contracts to expand into veterinary clinics and successfully raising funding in today’s tough investment climate. Susan G shares practical insights...
Mark as Played

AI Disruption, Female Founders, & Raising Capital with Melinda Wittstock, Founder of Podopolo

February 4, 2025 • 52 mins
AI is shaking up industries, but what does it mean for female founders in today’s challenging funding environment? In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, Susan Sly sits down with five-time entrepreneur Melinda Wittstock—AI innovator, venture partner, and CEO of Podopolo. They break down the impact of AI disruptors like DeepSeek, the funding freeze on U.S. grants, and why women-led startups deliver higher returns yet stil...
Mark as Played

How Kaylee Lieffers Disrupted the Beauty Industry with Blanka’s Zero-Inventory Model

January 23, 2025 • 46 mins
Kaylee Lieffers, Co-Founder and CEO of Blanka, shares how she built a top Shopify beauty app that helps entrepreneurs launch private-label brands—without holding inventory.  From bootstrapping and startup struggles to funding, hiring, and overcoming imposter syndrome, Kaylee reveals key lessons in scaling a tech business. A must-listen for founders, startup leaders, and e-commerce entrepreneurs! About Kaylee Lieffers: Kaylee's jo...
Mark as Played

The Future of Content Creation and AI with Cody Schneider, Co-Founder of Swell AI

January 22, 2025 • 59 mins
In this Raw and Real Entrepreneurship episode, host Susan Sly sits down with Cody Schneider, Co-Founder of Swell AI. Together, they explore the dynamic landscape of startups, highlighting the rising trend of remote work and the power of global talent pools. Cody shares invaluable insights on scaling companies through innovative strategies like podcasting, live courses, and social media, emphasizing the critical role of community bu...
Mark as Played

From Registered Nurse to Entrepreneur: Revolutionizing Healthcare with Jasmine Bhatti, Founder of Navi Nurses

January 16, 2025 • 39 mins
In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, Susan Sly chats with Jasmine Bhatti, a Registered Nurse and founder of Navi Nurses, about her journey from COVID unit nurse to healthcare innovator. Learn how Jasmine bootstrapped her company, scaled to 200+ nurses, and disrupted the industry with patient-focused care. She shares insights on finding clients, building a team, and managing stress. Whether you’re starting out or scal...
Mark as Played

Navigating Startup Growth and Challenges with Gregory Shepard, Founder of BOSS Capital Partners

January 9, 2025 • 51 mins
In this inspiring episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, host Susan Sly sits down with Gregory Shepard, founder of BOSS Capital Partners, serial entrepreneur, and author of The Startup Life Cycle. Gregory shares insights from his groundbreaking research, including interviews with 1,200 founders, and highlights the phases where startups are most vulnerable—and how founders can navigate these challenges to achieve the ultimate goa...
Mark as Played

From the Parking Lot Workout to Fitness Empire: Empowering Women Through Fitness with Morgan Kline, Co-Founder of Burn Boot Camp

July 10, 2024 • 49 mins
In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, Susan Sly sits down with Morgan Kline, Co-Founder of Burn Boot Camp. Morgan shares her inspiring story of transitioning from parking lot boot camps to leading a thriving fitness franchise with over 400 locations and a best-selling book. The conversation touches on: Entrepreneurship & Career Transition: Morgan recounts how she left her corporate job to follow her passion, leveragi...
Mark as Played

Navigating Obstacles and Building High-Performing Teams with Karen Gordon, Founder of Simpli5

June 21, 2024 • 46 mins
In this Raw and Real Entrepreneurship episode, Susan Sly talks to Karen Gordon, Founder of Simpli5. Karen shares her journey from managing a thriving business with $1 million in monthly revenue to navigating that customer's bankruptcy. Her story highlights the importance of perseverance and strategic pivoting. Karen shares the practical implications of cognitive diversity. She discusses the importance of understanding one's streng...
Mark as Played

From Startup to Starbucks: How Chris Hunter Navigated The Crash of Four Loko and Landed On Top

May 22, 2024 • 41 mins
Ever wondered how a kid selling coloring books door-to-door could end up co-founding one of the hottest plant-based protein drink brands? In this Raw and Real Entrepreneurship episode, Susan Sly sits down with Chris Hunter, the unstoppable force behind KOIA. From hustling coloring book pictures in Youngstown, Ohio, to navigating the chaos of Four Loko, to breaking into major retailers like Starbucks with KOIA, Chris's journey is no...
Mark as Played

Unchained Ambition: Breaking Free from Debt to Build Dreams With Nick Fogle, Founder of Chunkey

May 15, 2024 • 52 mins
In this raw and riveting episode of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship Podcast, Susan Sly sits down with Nick Fogle, the resilient founder of Churnkey, to unpack the gritty truth of turning financial chaos into entrepreneurial gold. Their conversation dives deep into the whirlwind journey from crippling student loans to groundbreaking business success, offering a masterclass in transforming burdens into opportunities. Nick peels ba...
Mark as Played

How This Founder Raised $800K in Capital With No Experience to Acquire an $8m Business with Kevin Bibelhausen, Founder of Fruition Capital

May 8, 2024 • 57 mins
Join Susan Sly, Raw and Real Entrepreneurship host, as she interviews Kevin Bibelhausen, the mastermind behind Fruition Capital and Heritage Fabrics. This isn't your typical business chat; it's a deep dive into the mechanics of buying and selling businesses, focusing on the crucial role of cash flow and profitability. Kevin opens up about his unlikely path from opera singing to dominating the business acquisition game. He breaks d...
Mark as Played

Demystifying the Tech World: You Do Not Have to Be A Technical Founder To Start a Tech Company, with Award-Winning AI Entrepreneur Susan Sly

May 2, 2024 • 27 mins
In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, Susan Sly pulls back the curtain on what it truly means to be a founder in the tech industry, challenging the notion that deep coding skills are a prerequisite for creating successful tech products. From her journey as an Award-Winning AI entrepreneur and her education at MIT, Susan shares four practical strategies for taking a Minimum Marketable Product (MMP) to market. She discus...
Mark as Played

The One Skill Every Entrepreneur Needs - How to Crush Your Pitches with Best Selling Author, Strategist, and Entrepreneur, Terri Sjodin

April 24, 2024 • 45 mins
Join Susan Sly in this dynamic episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, featuring renowned public speaking expert and bestselling author Terri Sjodin. With over two decades of experience electrifying audiences and consulting for top corporations, CEOs, and Members of the U.S. Congress, Terri brings her sassy, fresh, and insightful expertise directly to you. In this episode, explore the powerful strategies from Terri's latest book...
Mark as Played

From the C-Suite to Building a Global Media Empire with Jeffrey Hayzlett, Founder of the C-Suite Network

April 23, 2024 • 37 mins
Join Susan Sly and Jeffrey Hayzlett, Founder of C-Suite Network, on Raw and Real Entrepreneurship for a dynamic conversation on entrepreneurial success. Jeffrey was the CMO of Kodak before leaving to launch his global media empire. A serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, innovator, and well-known media personality, Jeffrey has literally written the book on how to create results. In this episode, Jeffrey shares practical insigh...
Mark as Played

349. Disrupting the Real Estate and Rental Industry with Andrew Borovsky, Co-Founder of Visible

April 10, 2024 • 55 mins
Get ready to immerse yourself in the dynamic world of entrepreneurship, real estate, and economic insights. Join Susan as she sits down for a captivating conversation with serial entrepreneur and trailblazing product designer Andrew Borovsky, Co-Founder of Visible.   Andrew's journey from the corridors of Adobe and Apple to his current role as a seasoned entrepreneur is nothing short of inspiring. In this episode, he takes us thr...
Mark as Played

348. Innovating Entrepreneurship: Aimee Schuster on AI, Marketing, and Empowering Diverse Founders

April 3, 2024 • 46 mins
In this episode of "Raw and Real Entrepreneurship," Susan Sly has a dynamic conversation with Aimee Schuster, the founder of Bandwidth Strategy and a Josephine Collective angel network member. They discuss the challenges that women face in entrepreneurship and the importance of mentorship and support.    Aimee shares her journey from starting an eco-friendly business to becoming a fractional C-suite executive, emphasizing the val...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Mobile

Wearables

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.