DissedMedia: A Startup Story

What happens after the startup exit?

In Episode 45, Kevin Rice shares the real story behind scaling a digital agency to 250 employees, navigating high-pressure Fortune 500 clients, surviving a COVID-driven restaurant tech pivot, and discovering that executive success doesn’t guarantee personal fulfillment.

After co-founding and exiting his consultancy, Kevin realized burnout, emotional disconnection, and “robot mode” had quietly ta...

What does it really take to build an entrepreneurial mindset, and how do you actually apply it when figuring out how to start a consulting business that generates real revenue? In this episode, April Palmer (aka Hot Mess Boss) breaks down the realities of startup growth strategy, revenue generation, consulting business models, customer discovery, and why most founders fail before they figure out how startups truly make money.

April...

Cash flow is the lifeblood of every business, and mismanaging it is one of the fastest ways founders lose control of their runway. In this episode of DissedMedia: A Startup Story, we sit down with Kunal Bhasin, CEO of 1West, to break down how smart founders approach small business financing options, non-dilutive funding, and cash flow management without giving up equity.

Kunal shares real-world insights on SBA loan requirements, SB...

What does it really take to achieve bootstrapped business growth, without venture capital, hype, or chasing every new marketing trend?

In this episode of DissedMedia: A Startup Story, Ben sits down with Lindsay Pinchuk, founder of Bump Club and Beyond, to break down how she built a community-first media business from scratch, scaled it to seven figures, and successfully exited, without outside funding.

Lindsay shares the real behin...

What if mediocrity isn’t your ceiling but a choice you’re unconsciously making?

In this powerful and deeply honest episode of DissedMedia: A Startup Story, host Ben sits down with Mark Dulaney to unpack the hard truths about ownership, urgency, discipline, and reinventing your life after failure.

After surviving cancer, financial setbacks, and decades of starting over, Mark reached a defini...

Struggling to fund your CPG business as you scale into major retailers like Walmart and Target? Emily Reeves, VP of Capital Solutions at Bridge Marketplace, reveals how consumer product founders can access working capital without giving up equity. In this episode, discover proven financing strategies including purchase order financing, invoice factorin...

Nearshoring can be the difference between a startup that crawls and a startup that ships. In Episode 39 of DissedMedia: A Startup Story, Ben Olmos sits down with Brian Samson, founder of Plug Technologies, to break down how founders and operators can scale teams in Latin America (especially Mexico and Argentina) to extend runway, move faster, and keep real-time collaboration with US time zones.

Brian shares how he went from US tale...

What if half the country could not safely eat at most restaurants and no one was talking about it?

In this episode of DissedMedia: A Startup Story, we sit down with Dylan McDonnell, founder of Foodini, to explore the future of food transparency, dietary safety, and why ingredient data is becoming a major competitive advantage for restaurants.

Diagnosed with celiac disease at age 10, Dylan left a successful career in corporate law t...

What does it really take to build companies that work consistently, predictably, and without leadership heroics? In Episode 37 of DissedMedia: A Startup Story, Ben talks with Chris Hallberg, an EOS Implementer (since 2014) and leadership coach known for his “Business Sergeant” approach to execution and accountability.

Chris breaks down how leadership teams can reduce confusion, tighten alignment, and create “one source of truth” fo...

Raising capital is one of the hardest, and most misunderstood, parts of building a startup. In this episode of DissedMedia: A Startup Story, we sit down with Robert Harary, venture capitalist and founder of Decko and Raisi, to break down what actually gets investors to say yes.

Robert shares his insider playbook on startup fundraising, from crafting pitch decks that capture attention in under 30 seconds to building investor...

What does it really take to build a successful podcast, and an online business, from scratch? In this powerful conversation, podcasting legend Cliff Ravenscraft shares the full story behind coaching top creators, leaving a family business, surviving burnout, and building a multi-six-figure business teaching others to launch shows the right way.

Cliff breaks down the 11-step blueprint founders should follow before launching a show, ...

In this episode of DissedMedia: A Startup Story, Ben sits down with Vijay Rajendran, startup coach, venture builder, and author of The Funding Framework, to unpack how startups evolve beyond the founder stage. Vijay shares the realities of scaling from vision to structure, explaining why sustainable growth depends on leadership maturity, clear communication, and the right balance of funding, sales, and people.

Drawing from ye...

In this episode of DissedMedia: A Startup Story, Ben sits down with AI author, podcaster, and digital marketing expert Matt Rouse to answer one of the biggest questions of our time: Will AI take my job?

Matt breaks down what industries are truly at risk, why AI’s rapid acceleration is misunderstood, and how business owners and knowledge workers can partner with AI instead of fearing it. From the evolution of early computing to toda...

If entrepreneurship feels like driving with the brake on, this conversation with coach and Human Liberation founder Joel Bein will help you end the cycle. In this episode of DissedMedia A Startup Story we go beyond morning routines and quick fixes to address the root of anxiety, self-doubt, and negative self talk. Joel introduces a method of “unlearning” to dissolve deep-seated beliefs so patterns like “I’m not good enough” lose th...

In this episode of DissedMedia: A Startup Story host Ben Olmos sits down with Dr. Eboni L. Truss, founder of The Unbecoming Movement, to explore what happens when professional success comes at the expense of personal authenticity. Dr. Truss shares her powerful story of “unspaghetti-ing” her life, untangling success from self-worth, to rediscover alignment, purpose, and peace. Together, she and Ben discuss the masks leaders wear, th...

Entrepreneur Dave Burnett reveals how resilience, SEO mastery, and authenticity turn setbacks into growth in this DissedMedia Startup Story. In this episode of DissedMedia: A Startup Story, host Ben Olmos sits down with entrepreneur and investor Dave Burnett, founder of AOK Marketing, PromotionalProducts.com, and co-founder of Achievers.com, which later sold for over $100 million. From launching his first startup in college to over...

Filmmaker and entrepreneur Jake Isham joins DissedMedia A Startup Story to share how persistence, authenticity, and creative storytelling shaped his path from acting to founding Power Thread Productions.

Jake discusses how he helps brands and creators find their voice through film and why telling your story matters more than waiting for the “perfect” moment. He shares lessons on consistency, creative risk-taking, and the mindset th...

In this episode, Ben talks with Jason Fishman, Co-Founder and CEO of DNA Digital Niche Agency, about how startups can raise capital through Reg CF, Reg A+, and digital investor marketing. Jason shares what he’s learned from running 500+ investor campaigns that have collectively raised nine figures in capital, spanning industries from fintech and real estate to consumer products and AI.

We explore how founders can attract investors ...

Is email marketing outdated, or is it the most powerful growth engine small businesses aren’t fully leveraging? In this episode of DissedMedia A Startup Story, I sit down with Perry Sheraw, a marketing automation specialist who has spent more than two decades helping companies, from e-commerce startups to healthcare innovators, turn inboxes into revenue engines.

From her early days in print journalism to building marketing systems ...