Renegade Ventures

Ellie Puckett, CEO of Resonate Recordings, shares her journey into acquisition entrepreneurship, discussing her transition from technology startups to buying a portion of Resonate Recordings. She introduces two other entrepreneurs, Brian and Lydia, who have also made the switch from startups to acquisitions. Brian, a traditional software entrepreneur, and Lydia, an expert in tech systems and team building, share their experiences a...

In this episode of Renegade Ventures, co-hosts Ellie Puckett and Maggie Harlow welcome business leader and recruiter Renee Fulton, founder of Talis Group. What begins as a conversation between longtime colleagues unfolds into a thoughtful exploration of career pivots, values-based leadership, and the courage it takes to follow your own path.

Renee shares her early passion for accounting, nurtured by working alongside her father ...

In this episode, hosts Ellie and Maggie sit down with entrepreneur Tawana Bain to explore her journey of resilience and self-discovery. Reflecting on her high school graduation, Tawana shares feelings of fear and uncertainty, admitting she hadn't yet recognized her own gifts. Despite personal struggles, she recalls an innate ability to solve problems and connect with people. The discussion highlights the challenge of identifyin...

Amy Meredith, co-founder and executive director of UP for Women and Children, has transformed her personal and professional experiences into a mission to combat homelessness in Louisville. Drawing from her early involvement in her family's manufacturing business and subsequent roles in marketing and business development, Amy co-founded UP in 2017 with Andrea Scott. Recognizing a critical gap in services for women and children e...

Welcome to Renegade Ventures, where we explore diverse paths to business ownership. We dive into the world of acquiring, growing, and selling businesses by sharing the real-life journeys of women renegades who transformed the lives of their families, employees, and communities. Hosted by Ellie Puckett and Maggie Harlow—both business owners, acquisition experts, and advocates for women—this show is your guide to business ownership w...

In this episode Maggie and Ellie sit down with a rising-star and all around MVP - Olivia Wang of Wang’s Window Washing. From Olivia’s TWO master’s degrees, early itch for entrepreneurship, to her professional women’s tackle football career - Olivia tackles every goal head-on. This episode discusses the long-term goals of starting a small business, and how the lessons can be replicated and scaled. 

Young Dreamer’s Fund

Wang's Window W...

Today, Ellie and Maggie are joined by Jenna Ahern of Guardian Owl Digital. As a college student, she and two other women co-founded Bluegrass Premier, a field hockey club in Louisville, simply because they saw a need for it. She did not view this as business ownership at the time but rather as a practical solution to an unmet demand. After setting up the club, she decided to focus on her career in the automotive industry. It wasn’t...

What happens to your business if something were to happen to you? Who takes over when you retire? If someone walked in today and offered to buy your business, what would the magic number be? If you don’t have the answers, we get it. And so does Jessica Fialkovich, whose business consulting work at Exit Factor is designed to prepare business owners for all the above.

Experiencing the layoffs of 2008 was an eye-opening moment for Je...

Ellie and Maggie talk entrepreneurship with Rivergreen Cocktails' founder Danielle Mann.

A former OBGYN and current practicing hospitalist, Danielle discusses how her love of learning and the research skills she acquired studying medicine played a crucial role in developing Rivergreen Cocktails and their flagship all-natural premium gin canned cocktail. The three discuss timing, taking breaks, and weighing risks and responsibilitie...

Debbie Lowe was a woman before her time creating and leading a Information Technology company in Healthcare in 1998. The business started with her husband and grew to a full family affair until the time came to sell. She talks about navigating family transitions, finding a buyer in the midst of 2020, and rebuilding her career and creating a new business. 

Thank you to our Guest!

Connect + Follow Debbie on LinkedIn.

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Reportedly, 78% of Business owners are planning on the sale of their business to fund their retirement, but they know nearly nothing about the process or what their business is worth. Today’s episode talks about the process of selling your business. The pathway isn’t an easy one and that’s why Brokers exist! Today’s guest is my business partner and mentor Phil Eleson. He talks about buying and selling his business, and how that led...

The world of Venture Capital has captured headlines for years but there are many types of equity-based financing for different stages and styles of businesses. Today's episode is with Elizabeth Rounsavall, a woman who has worn many hats in the investing world! 

Venture Capital, Angel Investing, Private Equity, Real Estate, and Family office investing we touch on all of these types of equity financing and even the complexity of how t...

Debt financing can be a confusing and scary path to take to fund your business. Not only that, it's an option that isn’t widely accessible unless you already have money. This week’s episode we walk through the business loan options and the process. Our guest Shirie Hawkins has spent her career dedicated to small business owners and helping them get the resources they need. She has been a Commercial Banker doing SBA lending and the ...

Drive down any major road and you will see dozens of different franchise businesses. Have you ever considered what it would be like to own one? Today’s Guest Maggie Harlow is the owner of Signarama Downtown Louisville, and we walk through her process of deciding she wanted to own a business, to her choosing Signarama, to growing her business to a top-producing franchise in their 1500 locations. 

On today’s episode, we cover: 

• Doe...

Today’s guest took her entry-level position, and with time, talent, and some “dog”ged determination became CEO of Pet First pet insurance - just in time to manage their acquisition by powerhouse MetLife. 

Katie Blakeley has led teams through the excitement of fast growth, the anxiety of looming post-acquisition change, and the doldrums of extensive due diligence. Katie was unafraid to be aggressive in negotiations, standing confiden...

05. Business Buying 101: The Basics (What, Why, How + How Much?)

Host Ellie Puckett leads today’s conversation, a straightforward look at the initial steps you must take if you want to acquire a solidly-researched, revenue-generating, wealth-building real-life business. 

From exploring what kind of business you want to own, discovering your business buying boundaries, and the rarely discussed topic of Money - this not-to-be-missed ep...