Episodes - INspired INsider - Inspirational Business Interviews with Successful Entrepreneurs and Founders with Dr. Jeremy Weisz

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Helping People Kick Sugar Once and For All with Tara Bosch Founder of SmartSweets

Tara Bosch is the founder of SmartSweets, her mission is to help you kick sugar! She started SmartSweets after forming an unhealthy relationship with food and seeing the negative effects sugar has on our health. After spending months recipe testing in her kitchen with a gummy bear mold from Amazon, Tara created a healthy gummy bear. Tara and her team were able to raise 3.6 million dollars to get their business off the ground. Today, you can find SmartSweets in over 10,000 stores like Whole Foods, Target, GNC and many online channels.

Click to Watch – Learn about kicking sugar from your diet!

Why We Need More Transparency in Business with Courtney Nichols Gould Founder of SmartyPants Vitamins

Courtney Nichols Gould is the CEO of SmartyPants Vitamins. SmartyPants Vitamins have a gummy obsession which started because they believed that the very best vitamins are an all in one combination of different nutrients that would save money, time and peace of mind for customers. Their products can be found on Amazon, in Whole Foods, Kroger, Target, Costco and many more locations all over the US. Their bottle is the one with the cute owl winking at you. For every bottle sold they make a 1 for 1 grant to Vitamin Angels to provide children in need with nutrients and they have made over 6.2 million nutrient grants to date. Click to Watch – Learn about the value of transparency!

The Impact of Automation and Email Marketing with Tom Kulzer Founder of AWeber

Tom Kulzer is the founder of AWeber. AWeber is one of the top email marketing providers on the planet and helps over 100,000 businesses build their audience. Tom started AWeber all the way back in 1998.

Click to Watch – Learn about the impact of automation and email marketing!

Designing a Natural Recovery Drink from Scratch with Dave Colina Co-Founder of O2

Dave Colina is the co-founder of O2 which started in Columbus, OH in 2014. O2 Oxygenated Natural Recovery drink was created by a CrossFit trainer and a medical doctor who were sick of unhealthy sports and energy drinks. It has electrolytes, natural caffeine, and added oxygen to help your body process toxins faster. They’ve gone from slinging O2 out of the back of a Prius to becoming a top seller at hundreds of CrossFit gyms and Whole Foods stores in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, DC and Maryland as well as Krogers.

Click to Watch – Learn about creating a natural recovery drink!

Eliminating Waste, One Phone Case at a Time with Matthew Bertulli Co-Founder of Demac Media

Matthew Bertulli is the co-founder of Demac Media and Pela Case. Pela Case is the world’s first compostable phone case. This helps cut down on the billion cases produced each year that will probably end up in the ocean. Demac Media is an award-winning ecommerce products and services company based out of Toronto, Ontario. They are one of the largest Magento Gold partners in Canada and one of the top Magento partners globally and a Shopify partner as well. Their 90 person staff provides ecommerce platform technology and managed services to retailers, manufacturers, and wholesale distributors selling direct to consumer or business to business.

Click to Watch – Learn about eliminating waste!

Why its Smart to Lead with Transparency with Nathan Resnick Founder of Sourcify

Nathan Resnick is a sourcing pro and the founder of Sourcify. He has built multiple ecommerce companies, 7-figure Kickstarter projects, and speaks fluent Mandarin. Sourcify is the fastest growing sourcing platform backed by Y Combinator that helps hundreds of companies manufacture products around the world. Nathan even managed to get a cease and desist from Connor McGregor, yes, the UFC competitor.

Click to Watch – Learn about the value of transparency!

Keeping People Safe from their Electronic Devices with Cary Subel & Alaey Kumar Co-Founders of SafeSleeve

Co-founders of SafeSleeve, Cary Subel and Alaey Kumar are both industrial engineers from Cal Poly. SafeSleeve is a manufacturer of radiation blocking laptop and phone cases and accessories. Their distribution includes major retailers in the U.S, on Amazon, walmart.com, jet.com along with SafeSleeve’s website and distributors in Europe, Australia, and Singapore. What started with a laptop and one cell phone (iPhone) case, has expanded into cases for nearly all mobile devices as the company boasts more than 100 products and is expanding to screen protectors and car mounts. SafeSleeve’s revenue more than doubled and sales are at about 3,000 units per month, up from 500 two years ago. SafeSleeve’s products have reached more than 40 countries, and they are looking to expand to the Middle East.

Click to Watch – Learn about protecting yourself from your electronics!

Fueling High Performance with Steve O’Dell and Robbie Page Founders of Tenzo Tea

Steve O’Dell and Robbie Page are the co-founders of Tenzo Tea. They run a matcha tea company based in Santa Monica, CA. Tenzo Matcha Green Tea is grown in Kagoshima, Japan. Their products can be found at various coffee shops and smoothie facilities all over California and online at tenzotea.co and not on Amazon.

Click to Watch – Hear all about Fueling High Performance!

Developing Sustainable Solutions from Beer Waste with Dan Kurzrock Co-Founder of ReGrained

Dan Kurzrock is the Co-Founder of ReGrained. ReGrained leverages technology and culinary science to transform beer waste into food. They call this edible upcycling. I was surprised to learn that only about 10% of the ingredients used to brew beer end up in your glass. ReGrained takes the spent grain waste from local brewery partners and they build recipes around it with other locally sourced ingredients to craft delicious, healthy, and inherently sustainable foods.

Click to Watch – Hear all about sustainable solutions!

[Chicago Business Series] Developing a Vegan Gelato That Tastes Great with Kailey Donewald Co-Founder of Sacred Serve

Kailey Donewald is the co-founder of Sacred Serve, a Chicago-based company innovating ice cream that is fully organic, raw vegan gelato made from whole coconuts. All flavors are dairy-free, vegan, and paleo and strictly free of gluten, dairy, corn, soy, GMOs, stabilizers, fillers and preservatives. They are challenging the conventional route of pint-sized packaging with their super unique looking 10oz containers. They have 40 locations across Chicago.

Click to Watch – Hear about making vegan gelato!

Breaking the Glass Ceiling & Paving the Way for Women Entrepreneurs with Dame Stephanie Shirley Founder of The Shirley Foundation

Dame Stephanie Shirley was known to business contacts as Steve because in a male-dominated business world she would sign letters with her pen name. She has an amazing book called, “Let It Go” where she documents her life and starts with her experience as an unaccompanied child refugee at age 5 where her parents wanted to protect her from perishing in the Holocaust. Her early experience of the ‘glass ceiling’ at work because of gender discrimination encouraged her to set up her own business which, she did in 1962 with only 6 pounds. Dame created one of UK’s first software startups. She forged the path for not only women but the whole computing industry. While planning to start a family, Dame hit on the idea of offering part-time employment to professional women with dependants. Essentially, she had pioneered freelance driven business and wanted it to be woman-owned. The IT business prospered with a lot of hard work and, in 1996 the company was floated on the London Stock Exchange earning hundreds of millions of pounds and had employed 8,500 people. This wealth has enabled her to devote her time and resources to giving something back to society, Dame ranks among the world’s leading philanthropists. In 2013, she appeared on BBC Radio and discussed why she had given away more than £67 million of her personal wealth to different projects. She has supported strategic projects in the fields of autism (her son, Giles was autistic) and IT. Her focus on autism is done via The Shirley Foundation. They facilitate scientific research aimed to understand what Autism is as opposed to what it looks like.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[3:00] Jeremy introduces his guest, Dame Stephanie Shirley.
[6:30] Dame Stephanie opens up about her parents sending her on the Kindertransport.
[17:15] What is Holocaust guilt? How has it impacted Dame Stephanie?
[19:30] How Dame Stephanie got into business ownership and why IT.
[24:50] What did the early years of computer coding look like?
[27:00] Enduring challenging times and how Derek supported her through it all.
[30:50] How fixed prices helped the business grow.
[34:00] Why co-ownership was so important to Dame Stephanie.
[36:00] What were some of the largest projects Dame Stephanie & her team worked on?
[39:00] The challenges of growing the team and building a solid staff.
[41:15] What led Dame Stephanie to bring on a CEO?
[43:40] Dame Stephanie talks about caring for her son, Giles.
[47:45] What is the Shirley Foundation?
[50:10] How has the field of autism research advanced over the years?
[53:30] AI is the future.
[55:00] Why we should embrace the perspective of autistic individuals.
[58:40] Dame Stephanie’s high point in her career.

In this episode…

Imagine what it would be like to have door after door of opportunity closed in your face? Would you be able to preserve and find a way to succeed or would it discourage you beyond hope? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from the renowned philanthropist and entertainer, Dame Stephanie Shirley. In her conversation with Jeremy, Dame Stephanie opens up about her early life as a child refugee, how she got started in the IT sector, what led her to start her own business, challenges she has faced along the way, and much more! Don’t miss a minute of this powerful and intriguing episode featuring Dame Stephanie!How have you responded to adversity and challenges in your life? Have they made you stronger or do they continue to inflict pain? Do you find yourself somehow walking the line between both? Dame Stephanie looks back to her early childhood as a refugee fleeing Germany during World War Two as a source of both pain and strength. The memory is understandably painful as it is tragic, having to say goodbye to her parents and embark on a new life in England, the event has caused Dame Stephanie to live with survivors guilt for most of her life. In spite of all this pain, she also finds a way to draw strength. She views her life as a gift and one she is not willing to waste! The resilience and perseverance that pushed Dame Stephanie forward from her painful childhood years also fueled her rise as an entrepreneur. Getting told to sit out of certain conversations and areas of influence due to her sex did not sit right with Dame Stephanie, she was determined to forge her own way forward. With the support and encouragement of her husband, Derek, Dame Stephanie went on to start her own organization in 1962 offering part-time employment to professional women with dependants. It’s amazing to hear from someone who was so driven and passionate about paving the way forward, not only for herself but for others as well.Let’s face it, no one is a powerhouse of success unto themselves. Often behind every wealthy and efficient leader is a team of men and women who keep the organization running. What steps have you taken to build a solid team around you? Dame Stephanie knew that she couldn’t succeed all on her own, she would need to choose the right people to bring on her team and keep the business headed in an upward direction. Though she had some significant struggles with some close individuals leaving her organization, she was able to bounce back. Dame Stephanie also came to the point in her career where she stepped out and placed her trust and the direction of her organization in the hands of a CEO!As you’ve progressed through your career, have you considered how you can give back to those who are less fortunate than you? In what ways can you leverage your success to give back? For Dame Stephanie, the impulse to give back came from two sources, her career in IT and her son Giles. As a successful businesswoman, Dame Stephanie utilized her authority to empower the women in her organization through her co-ownership strategy. Then she went to work pouring her time and resources into advocacy and research work in the field of autism to help individuals like her son, Giles. What can you learn from Dame Stephanie’s story?

Resources Mentioned on this episode

Sponsor for this episode

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Insider Stories from Top Leaders & Entrepreneurs…

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Starting From Scratch and Rebuilding with Jordan Harbinger Host of The Jordan Harbinger Show

Jordan Harbinger is a Wall Street lawyer turned talk show host, social dynamics expert, and entrepreneur. After hosting a top 50 iTunes podcast for over a decade that had nearly four million downloads a month, with guests like Shaquille O’Neil it was all taken away (except the relationships). Now Jordan’s interviews can be found on The Jordan Harbinger Show, where he deconstructs the playbooks of the most successful people on earth and shares their strategies and insights with the rest of us. On the personal side, Jordan speaks five languages, traveled through war zones, and has been kidnapped — twice. He also met his wife because of his podcast.

Click to Watch – Learn about rebuilding after disappointment!

Why We Need Kid Friendly Sports Drinks with Velana Colon Co-Founder of Kplus Organics

Velana Colon is the co-founder of Kplus Organics and she is on a mission to change the way kids hydrate. Velana created K+ Organic Sports drinks with young athletes in mind because its made with all natural flavors and coloring; it contains only natural and organic sweeteners. Velana Colón and her founding partner, Savannah James, are mamas on a mission to give kids a better option for sports drinks. Velana was a college athlete and was always aware of the impact of nutrition. But after having three children, her interest in healthy food for busy families became a personal passion. Savannah James is a successful businesswoman and she knows hydration all too well, having front row seats with her three kids participating in athletics as well as her husband, Lebron James.

Click to Watch – Hear about developing a kids sports drink!

Inside the Mind of a Serial Entrepreneur with Josh Felber Co-Founder of Primal Life Organics

Josh Felber is a Co-Founder of Primal Life Organics and host of the hit show, Making Bank. He is a serial entrepreneur with more than 28 years of starting and growing several multi-million dollar companies (including one with $5 Billion in annual revenues). He is married with 3 kids and has twin boys.

Click to Watch – Inside the mind of a serial entrepreneur!

Discovering a New and Delicious Way to Eat Beans with Maddy Hasulak Founder of Love Grown

Maddy Hasulak is the founder of Love Grown, established in 2009. Love Grown has a mission to make cereals healthier, their tagline is, “Beans for breakfast.” Their cereals are made with a blend of navy, lentil and garbanzo beans with flavors such as Chocolate and Strawberry Power O’s. In addition to cereals for kids and adults, they also have ancient grain granola and regular granola. They can be found in thousands of stores across in the US such as Sprouts, Kroger, Whole Foods, Safeway, Natural Grocer, and many more.

Click to Watch – Learn about a new way to eat beans!

[Shark Tank Series] Bringing a Party Punch to the Marketplace with Aimy Steadman Co-Founder of Beatbox Beverages

Today we have Aimy Steadman co-founder of Beatbox Beverages who started the company with Justin Fenchel, Jason Schiek, Dan Singer, and Brad Schultz. They were drawn together by their love for music and the entrepreneurial spirit of Austin, Texas. the founders of Beatbox Beverages set out to make the world’s tastiest portable party punch, and since 2011 have grown into a million dollar company with distribution in Krogers, 7-11, Walmart, HEB, Ralphs and many more all over the country. They were even featured on the hit TV show Shark Tank!

Click to Watch – Learn about marketing party punch!

Bringing a Delicious Gluten Free Bread Alternative to the Marketplace with Sadie Scheffer Founder of Bread SRSLY

Today we have Sadie Scheffer founder of Bread SRSLY, it’s the Bay area’s first gluten-free sourdough bread company. The company began late in 2011 after a bout of gluten-free sourdough experiments in Sadie’s home kitchen. The bread is free of any gluten, eggs, dairy, soy, sugar, tree nuts, peanuts, potatoes and some other things I am missing….but I am sure it is not free of good taste! She began to send 40, 60, 100 loaves out into the world, delivered by ladies on bikes. Most weeks she biked 100 miles plus to get the bread out. They are now found in stores all over California and have expanded into Arizona and Idaho including some regional Whole Foods and Safeway’s. Production has gone from her home kitchen to their 6th commercial kitchen.

Click to Watch – Learn about gluten-free bread alternatives!

The Power of Storytelling in Marketing with Jon Olafsson Founder of Icelandic Water Holdings

Today we have Jon Olafsson, co-founder of Icelandic Water Holdings. He has spent the last 30 years building successful companies from the ground up and transforming them into industry leaders and he has done this in a variety of fields including entertainment, media, construction and many more. Jon started to build a media and broadcasting portfolio when he founded Skifan, Iceland’s largest music recording and distribution company with distributing rights for a variety of music and film companies such as Sony, Universal, Warner Music, Columbia Pictures, Miramax, 20th Century Fox and more. Jon co-founded the Icelandic Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), before moving into television in 1990, when he took over the Icelandic Television Corporation (ITC). In 1999, Jon merged all of his companies (Skifan and IBC) under one umbrella to form Northern Lights Communications, Inc. (NLC) – Olafsson served as chairman until November 2003 when he sold everything and stepped down to co-found Icelandic Water Holdings with his son in 2004. Jon oversees Icelandic Glacial water which is born and bottled in Ölfus, Iceland. It is the world’s first certified CarbonNeutral® natural spring bottled water for both product and operations. Which means it is an environmental pioneer in the industry, using 100% natural green energy in the form of geothermal and hydroelectric power to fuel production.

Click to Watch – Learn about storytelling in marketing!

The Value of Discovering Your Worth with Marketing Expert, Adrienne Richardson

Today I have a force of nature, Adrienne Richardson. First of all, you don’t mess with a hockey mom from New Jersey. I like to brag about her that she is one of the top marketing experts around. I don’t like to pigeonhole her even though it is on her site that she is a Facebook Ad expert because she is so sharp when it comes to messaging, copywriting, funnels and direct response marketing and there is so much more that goes into the campaigns that she runs for people. What I want Adrienne’s tagline to be is “Hi, I am Adrienne and I drive cold traffic (people who don’t know you) into an automated webinar and have it spit out millions of dollars on the other side.” Of course, Adrienne work with top people who have systems in place to do this and she has spent tens of millions of dollars on Facebook so she knows what works and what doesn’t. Adrienne has a laundry list of amazing clients like Russ Ruffino, University of California, and many more.

Click to Watch – Learn about discovering your worth!