Innovator Insights
This podcast celebrates the visionaries, the risk-takers, and the disruptors who are shaping the future of consumer product innovation and e-commerce. We love to spotlight consumer product entrepreneurs, e-commerce titans, and sustainability champions to share their insights and expertise. Think you'd be a great guest on our show? Apply at https://podcast.gembah.com/podcast-guest-home-page.
Episodes
29 - From Restaurants to Retail: How Jeff Norling Built Henning Lee on Relationships, Not Algorithms
Jeff Norling’s entrepreneurial path didn’t start in a boardroom, it started in the kitchen.
After years of running family-named cafés across Minnesota, Jeff took the leap into consumer goods, launching Outset, a brand that redefined grilling accessories for specialty retailers.
Today, as founder of Henning Lee, he’s building a product company rooted in craftsmanship, personal connection, and staying small by design.
In thi...
From dropping out of music school to building a multi-brand powerhouse, Michael Sirpilla’s journey is a masterclass in resilience and reinvention.
In this episode of Innovator Insights, Michael shares how Society Brands scaled through disciplined execution, smart acquisitions, and an unshakable focus on data-driven decisions.
We discuss:
- Why obsession (not balance) fuels success
- The mindset shift from employee to founder
- How to buil...
Andrew Ackerman has seen startups from every angle, as a founder and investor.
In this episode of Innovator Insights, Andrew joins Henrik Johansson to share the frameworks, stories, and lessons that shape successful founders, and the painful truths behind those who fail.
You’ll hear:
🔗 Why startups are like chains, not ropes, and how one weak link can break everything
📉 The “three dimensions of pain” every product must solve ...
What does it take to turn a scrappy idea into a global wellness business?
In this episode of Innovator Insights, Henrik Johansson sits down with Sebastian Mierau, co-founder of Healthy Global and CEO of Clearlight Saunas. Sebastian shares his unconventional path, from struggling in school with dyslexia, to testing his first business idea by selling saunas online before he even had any in stock, and even living in a van to make it wo...
How does an investigative journalist become the CEO of a fast-growing, venture-backed retail disruptor?
In this episode of Innovator Insights, Shraysi Tandon, former business reporter and director of the award-winning documentary Invisible Hands, shares her journey from uncovering child labor in global supply chains to launching KidC, a sustainable e-commerce platform tackling the $1 trillion returns crisis in the U.S.
We discuss:
What do you get when you mix sharp business instincts with a pun-based brand name?
In this episode of Innovator Insights, we’re joined by Colin McIntosh, the founder of Sheets & Giggles, a company that disrupted the sleepy bedding category with humor, heart, and hustle. Colin shares how he turned a joke into a crowdfunding success story, his lessons from being fired (three times), and why not tying your identity to your st...
How do you scale a family business into a thriving B2B powerhouse while staying true to your values?
In this episode of Innovator Insights, I sit down with Todd Steinberg, owner and founder of Plush in a Rush, to hear how he turned a small Dallas-based distributorship into a $5M operation known for custom teddy bears, loyal customers, and genuine heart.
Todd shares how he inherited the business, modernized it with e‑comme...
How do you launch a new product brand into retail, before it even exists?
In this episode of Innovator Insights, we sit down with Jim and Melissa Schifman, co-founders of Project Hive Pet Company, to unpack their unconventional go-to-market journey: launching a full line of toys and treats into retail before COVID hit, and before they’d even completed manufacturing.
We explore:
- Why they skipped the DTC-first playbook a...
What do sweaty warehouses, spreadsheets, and side projects have in common? They all shaped Jagath Narayan’s journey from a curious coder in India to the founder and CEO of Ordoro, a software platform that powers the operations behind successful e-commerce brands.
In this episode, Jagath shares how he:
- Validated Ordoro’s idea by working in a literal Texas warehouse
- Built the MVP before raising a single dollar
- Found his technic...
Getting your product on retail shelves is only half the battle, the real challenge is staying there.
In this week’s episode of Innovator Insights, we sit down with Yohan Jacob, founder of Retailbound and former buyer for giants like OfficeMax and Sears. With over 30 years of experience on both sides of the desk, Johan shares hard-earned wisdom on what it really takes to succeed in retail, from pitch decks to pricing strategy to sell...
What happens when a classically trained artist becomes a three-time tech founder?
In this episode of Innovator Insights, we sit down with Dana Loberg, founder of MovieLaLa, MojiLaLa, and Leo AR, to explore her unlikely journey from painting and copywriting to leading cutting-edge ventures in augmented reality.
Dana shares:
- Why burnout in corporate America pushed her toward entrepreneurship
- The importance of choosing the...
What happens after you exit a company you built from the ground up?
In this episode of Innovator Insights, we talk to Connor Tomkies—founder of DelegateIt, Embark Vet, and Support Ninja (an Inc. 500 company). After bootstrapping and selling Support Ninja, Connor found himself in an unexpected identity shift. Instead of slowing down, he pivoted—launching a podcast, investing through Operator Equity, and building a 300-member en...
What does it take to successfully sell your online business—and why should you plan your exit from the very start? In this episode, we sit down with Blake Hutchison, CEO of Flippa, the world's leading marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Blake shares his entrepreneurial journey—from bootstrapping newsletters and specialty marketplaces to scaling e-commerce giants and eventually becoming CEO at Flippa.
Discover criti...
Is there a better way to validate your next big idea than showing it to real customers—before you go all in? In this episode, we sit down with Justin Chen, co-founder and CEO of PickFu, the user-testing platform empowering thousands of entrepreneurs to make data-driven decisions on everything from book covers to brand packaging. Justin takes us behind the scenes of building a global SaaS business—bootstrapped and fully remote—from ...
What does it really take to revolutionize spine surgery? Sometimes, it’s more than a brilliant concept—it’s about surviving the impossible. In this episode, we sit with Alyssa Huffman, the visionary CEO behind ALLUMIN8 and Ortho Med Solutions. Alyssa shares her journey from overcoming a traumatic brain injury and personal setbacks to spearheading “therapeutic hardware,” a breakthrough approach that could forever change orthopedic a...
What really happens when you sell your startup? It's not always champagne and private jets. In this episode, Adam Rosen shares his raw and unfiltered journey as an entrepreneur. From starting a business straight out of college to navigating the emotional and financial highs and lows of selling his company.
Discover the unexpected challenges of building a tech startup, the reality of exits that don’t make headlines, and why execution...
Your host, Henrik Johansson, talks with the Engineer, Founder, and Chairman of the Board at DefenderShield, Daniel DeBaun. Daniel shares his journey from a traditional engineering career in telecommunications and aerospace to entrepreneurship in electromagnetic radiation (EMF) protection. He discusses the inception of Defender Shield, sparked by personal concerns about EMF exposure from devices like laptops and cell phones. Daneil ...
Your host, Henrik Johansson, talks with the CEO of Versadesk, Chris Laudadio. Chris shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his early days in real estate and fitness equipment sales to founding Versadesk, a company specializing in ergonomic office furniture. Chris covers the challenges of U.S. manufacturing, the importance of customer feedback, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on business operations. Chris emphasiz...
Your host, Henrik Johansson, talks with the Founder of Bubbly-Doo, Toine Habets. Toine is a personalized children's product company. Toine shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from university projects to building a multimillion-dollar business. The discussion covers the inception of Bubbly-Doo, the challenges in achieving product-market fit, and the importance of licensing and partnerships with larger brands like Peppa Pig....
Your host, Henrik Johansson, talks with the Founder and CEO of InstaSteam, Ari Hirsch. Ari shares his entrepreneurial journey, detailing the creation of InstaSteam; the world's first electricity-free clothing steamer. He discusses the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of resilience, and the strategies employed to grow his business. The conversation covers manufacturing processes, supply chain diversifica...
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