The First Customer

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Drew Sechrist, CEO and co-founder of Connect The Dots.

Drew shares how a small-town upbringing in Pennsylvania, lessons from his entrepreneur father, and an early seat at the table as employee #36 at shaped his approach to business and relationships. Drew reflects on the culture of Silicon Valley, the power of aligned incentives, and how seeing firsthand the impact of equity ownership...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Ryan Rusnak, CTO and co-founder of Airspace. 

Ryan shares how, as a psychology graduate with a passion for technology, he found his way into solving one of the most critical logistics challenges in the world. Ryan reflects on his journey from building websites and software applications to studying human-computer interaction where he learned that great software isn't about writing...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview John Weidenhammer, founder and CEO of Weidenhammer, a company he started nearly five decades ago and grew into a global digital services organization. 

John shares how an unexpected opportunity with Baldwin Hardware and entrepreneur Severin Fayerman became the catalyst for launching his business with just $100 in the bank. He reflects on the early ERP project that helped establis...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview the Proofpoint Capital founders Dan Goldsmith, Matt Wallach, and Jonathan Brassington. 

From Jonathan’s upbringing among traders in Guyana to Matt’s competitive lessons on the soccer field and Dan’s drive to tackle challenges others avoided, the trio shares how their unique backgrounds influenced their approach to building successful companies. They also reflect...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Christine Churchwell, Co-founder of SlimeZilla.  

Christine shares how a childhood fascination with slime turned into an unexpected family business built alongside her son and daughter. Growing up in Philadelphia, Christine developed a strong desire to create opportunities and lasting stability for her family. Drawing on her experience as an educator and childcare center director...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Nick Halverson, CTO and Co-founder of Hirebus.

Growing up near Salt Lake City, Nick reflects on the freedom his parents gave him to think independently, the challenges that led him down a destructive path of addiction, and the life-changing journey that helped him rebuild his future. From selling painted pine cones and experimenting with dropshipping to overcoming years of chaos and f...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Alex Hillman, co-founder of Indy Hall.

Alex reflects on growing up in small-town Pennsylvania, the entrepreneurial influence of his father, and how his mother introduced him to the power of organizing and advocacy through simple but meaningful lessons at a young age. From navigating isolation as a freelance web developer to discovering the importance of connection, Alex explai...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Martin Lukac, co-founder and CTO of Nexleaf Analytics. 

Martin shares how his early work in wireless sensor networks during his PhD at University of California Los Angeles laid the foundation for building systems that collect and translate data into actionable insights. From deploying seismic monitoring networks across Latin America to tackling global health challenges, his journ...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Ryan Johnson, the CTO and VP of Engineering at Seek.

Growing up on a farm in Central California, Ryan learned early lessons about hard work, authenticity, and service—values that later guided him through the fast-moving world of startups and engineering leadership. From working on the early product team at Livescribe to launching a web development agency by literally walking doo...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Bo Motlagh and Frank Shultz, co-founders of United Effects Ventures.

Bo shares how his upbringing in a family of business owners instilled an early work ethic, while Frank reflects on lessons learned from growing up with an entrepreneurial father and bootstrapping his own companies. Together, they discuss the origins of United Effects Ventures, the pivots that shaped their business mo...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview the leadership team behind Appalachia Technologies—partners Mike Romano and Brian Stone, along with president Mike Williams.

Mike Romano talked about how the company first came together more than two decades ago, starting with his entrepreneurial push to build something of his own after years of experience in the military and the cybersecurity world. He and Brian took th...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Ryan Rosett, Co-CEO and founder of Credibly.

Ryan shares how growing up in a family of entrepreneurs in Detroit influenced his understanding of the ebbs and flows of small businesses and taught him the value of surrounding himself with specialists rather than doing everything himself. From running coffee shops to real estate development and bridge lending, Ryan reflects on the lessons...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Eric Gremminger, CEO and Co-founder of ERP Health.

Eric reflects on his early life in Pennsylvania, the creative influence of his upbringing, and his first entrepreneurial venture blending fitness and psychology. What began as a passion project—helping people recondition their mindset through physical training—laid the groundwork for a deeper mission rooted in behavioral h...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Carl Gould, co-founder and CTO of Inductive Automation.

Growing up in California’s Bay Area during the rise of the modern internet, Carl developed an early fascination with computers that eventually led him to study computer science at UC Davis. What began as a summer project connecting industrial machine data to SQL databases soon evolved into a full software platform used by e...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Matt Cullerton, founder of Mavric Tech and creator of Apso. 

Matt reflects on growing up in Reston, Virginia, early lessons from working in restaurants, and his first venture — an independent music label launched while working at Northrop Grumman. From navigating the volatility of the music industry — including brushes with artists like Diplo — Matt shares how t...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview with Dan Goldsmith, co-founder and chairman of Tendo and co-founder of Proofpoint Capital. 

Dan shares stories from his Philadelphia roots, the early formation of his grit, and the mindset that has guided his career — from running a mobile DJ business in high school to building and scaling multiple technology companies. He offers a thoughtful perspective on perseverance, ex...

In this episode,  I was lucky enough to interview Joel Reed, CEO and founder of Open Arc.

Joel starts to unpack the long, nonlinear journey of building a software consulting company that’s lasted more than 20 years. Joel shares how a career plateau, the 2008 financial crisis, and a humbling professional low point ultimately pushed him to start Open Arc. From working four 10-hour days to fund the business on the side, to l...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Calvin Hendryx-Parker, CTO and co-founder of Six Feet Up.

Calvin shares the origin story behind Six Feet Up’s unforgettable name—drawn from his family’s mortuary business—and how servant leadership, community involvement, and trust became foundational principles for building a durable software consultancy. From hosting websites on a literal coffee-table server ...

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Bill Near, Founder and CEO of Helios, a performance wearable helping hockey players and teams improve faster through motion-based data and video integration.

Bill breaks down Helios’ first-principles approach to avoiding “tech fatigue” by delivering recurring, practical value—most notably through time-saving video workflows and emerging AI-driven coach...