What inspired Peter to start a fitness equipment business? What are the books that Peter reads and the actions that Peter takes to help him discover his own blind spots? How did Peter overcome a painful change in his business involving a family member? All of this and more in today's show.

What was Brian's journey to become a successful artist? How did he end up selling his pieces at Willie Nelson's ranch? How does Brian make sure he has something to offer to people with any level of budget? All of this and more in today's episode!

What makes Silas Pollitt want to uproot everything and move every few years? What are the differences between working at high-end restaurants and starting your own pizza restaurant in a town of 5,000 people in Northern Vermont? What is it about the restaurant industry that attracts "misfits, pirates, and marauders" who tend to struggle with men ...…

Chicago Music Exchange has become an institution and a destination for guitar fans visiting The Windy City. How did CME get here? How is the store surviving and thriving in an era where more and more people are buying instruments online? What happens when an expensive guitar breaks? Who are the celebrities who frequent CME? Does CME really have ...…

Wow! We recorded an episode in the same room where Etta James recorded At Last...a new high for the show! What is Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation? Why did the Rolling Stones record their iconic record 12 x 5 in this room? What kind of ghosts are in the building that housed Chess Records? All of this and more in today's episode!…

I finally got to interview a food truck owner! And what a show it was...so much gold in this one. Why leave your well-paying job to start a food truck? What makes is worthwhile? What are pitfalls to watch for? This and more in today's episode.

Why was cutting part of his finger off a positive turning point for Patch Rubin? Why do Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day and Gary Clark, Jr. love Wide Sky Guitars? This episode follows Patch's path to becoming a guitar maker....and we also touch upon the psychology of bouncing back from setbacks and keeping going as a ...…

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you or your loved ones were harmed and needed your help? Would you be an asset or a liability? Justin Hurzeler and his partners started Atomic Legion to help regular people answer: "asset." When he is not going on SWAT calls or riding an ambulance as a first responder, Justin uses Atomic Legion as a v ...…

We are excited to have Mike and Jordan back on the show! Two years ago, we sat down with the founders of GoodWood NOLA to talk about their growing shop and the way they are impacting the custom furniture design and fabrication space. What happened with their business in those two years? Why are they getting a bigger shop? What has gone right an ...…

Jane and Bob went through a lot to open their high-end wine and spirits shop just steps from Frenchmen St. in New Orleans. What happened that almost derailed their opening? What amazing musicians have played the stories Steinway piano in their home? All of this and more in today's episode.

Josh used his marketing chops to grow his family's HVAC business into a multi-million dollar operation. How did he do it? How did he use reviews to power his growth? Josh teaches you all of his secrets and shares his stories from the front line of small business marketing in today's episode.

Nic and Diane Atwood are serious about real estate in Austin. They work closely with their clients and they help people find special opportunities and off-market properties. They are also awesome people, and connect the community through a weekly open mic they host in South Austin. Which major artists launched their career at the Irie Bean open ...…

Matt Richards takes old wooden radios from the early 20th century and turns them into guitar amplifiers. We sat down with Matt at a special time in his journey....he is making the leap to Square Amps being his full-time pursuit. What is it like to source old radios? How does an introvert look at self-promotion? Who are some of the artists who h ...…

SouthPop is an Austin institution! The South Austin Museum of Popular Culture is a funky, colorful, and amazing non-profit. Leea Mechling and her team serve as keepers of the torch for the history of popular culture in Austin, a city with a rich trove of stories, characters, songs, and art. What is it like to run a non-profit? What happens when ...…

Noel Escobar is a craftsman and bootmaker in Austin, Texas. He was born into the trade in South Texas, and has established himself as a presence in Austin for decades. Why do celebrities and everyday people from all over the world visit Noel to have custom boots made by him? What does Noel do to foster community? What kinds of events does he ho ...…

What a special episode! Colorado whiskey, great conversation, and an original song at the end. Th podcast itself was fantastic, and talked about dealing with the psychology of the blank page, getting out of our own way, and how to create (and complete) things/projects from scratch. Make sure you stick around until the end...Nick will put gooseb ...…

Grant and Karen are living the dream. And they also have their struggles, like all of us. In this episode, they share their story of how they became an in-demand guitar pedal company. From Grant's days as a touring drummer, to Karen's visual design skills, to the way they use social media and Google Analytics to grow their business. They also h ...…

Brett and his brother just won't give up. When their original idea for a drink had to be shelved because of a prohibitive required volume, they came up with another concept and successfully launched Moontower Matcha. We talk about matcha tea, the ins and outs of starting a beverage company, how to find distributors, and we also dive into how to ...…

Casey Carroll is really, really good at facebook ads. And it can be a complicated, overwhelming world. In this episode, we dissect how to figure out what is important for you to get started with Facebook ads for your small business. By the end of the episode, you will have a six-step guide that you can follow to tackle this seemingly daunting t ...…

Mercer is the man! You'll be really impressed by his story of constant reinvention and learning, but that's not all. Mercer will help you understand how to start demystifying online marketing, so you can start really making your marketing work for you. We had a fun talk, but more importantly, I learned a lot, and so will you :)…

Tara Dawn Chapman went from being a CIA agent to cold-emailing a bee farm. The email included her squat and deadlift numbers (beekeeping is hard work!). The rest, as they say, is history. Tara launched Two Hives Honey by putting hives in people's backyards. She then partnered with the hosts by harvesting the honey while teaching them beekeeping ...…

Today's episode is nothing short of magical. I sat down with Daniel Whittington, the new Chancellor of The Wizard Academy. We talk storytelling, business, and what it means to run a business school that tackles business from the right side of the brain. What is The Tower? Why are there statues of Don Quixote everywhere? What exactly are the Mag ...…

Mick Whitcomb takes old objects like typewriters and scales and makes funky awesome light fixtures out of them. His wife Paige makes beautiful tintype photography. Mick and Paige spend 300 days on the road with their dog, going to different art shows, setting up their booth, and making a living. They are based out of Springfield, Missouri, but ...…

Film cameras? Who shoots film cameras? It turns out an increasing number of people are becoming interested in film as an art medium and as a way to slow down an appreciate photography. Jeremiah Flynn talks about his store where he sells all kinds of film cameras and supplies, from the common to the exotic. We also discuss how he does tintype (o ...…

What would happen to your guitar if it got run over by a truck? Nothing, as long as it was in Calton case. Robert Steel tells us exactly what happened and what the guitar and the case looked like after it was all said and done. Robert is awesome, and he tells a lot of stories, from rock and roll celebrity stories to what it's like to manufactur ...…

Paul Jarvis just wrote a book called "Company of One" and sent me a copy. I read it cover to cover and found it really compelling, so we hosted him on the show. Paul talks about a different kind of business philosophy, where more is not always better. How do you build a Company of One to fit your lifestyle and goals? Why and how should you resi ...…

Kara is amazing. Do you want to learn how you can take your art and turn it into a business that makes $100k annually within one year? Kara has the blueprint! She is also writing a book about it, and we get a bit of a preview. Kara has a successful ceramics business in Austin, Texas, but this episode is about so much more than that....we cover ...…

Did Bill Murray really climb through the window of Willie Nelson's chapel during Luck Reunion? This is the 100th episode of Small Business War Stories, and this is the perfect way to celebrate, with an episode recorded at Willie Nelson's ranch Matt Bizer, Ellee Fletcher (Willie's grandniece) and I talked about the music business, Willie and his ...…

Jeffrey Stuffings left his job as an attorney to make farmhouse ales, a specialty form of beer in the Texas Hill Country right outside of Austin. He shared the formation story of his iconic brewery, and gave some amazing business tips and ideas, such as how to really unleash your mind with just a piece of paper, a pen, and a cup of coffee. This ...…

Barry Moltz has started three companies, written six books, and done innumerable articles and radio shows on small business. It's fair to say he has learned a thing or two about how to help small businesses! Today we discuss the main 5 reasons why businesses get stuck, and how to address each one. We also talk about various aspects of starting ...…

Two badass designer women got together in Austin, Texas to create Double Barrel Design. Megan Willin and Chelsea Scharbach merged their skills to create a firm that does space design (think 3D and architectural interior design) with 2D graphic design. Their work is awesome...and so is their story!

Wow...I got to sit down with Ryan Deiss! Ryan is one of my personal influences and one of the foremost digital marketing experts in the world. We talk about how to build your brand as a comic book or movie character, and how that builds the foundation for everything you communicate to your customers. Then we go into specific tactics to increase ...…

Our first follow-up episode in almost 100 podcasts! We re-visit Seth Lee Jones in Tulsa to talk about his new record Live at The Colony, his guitar building and repair business, and how he is planning on building recurring revenue streams for his business.

Today I sat down with Jeff Bean of Helix Metalworks in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We talked about what it means to be a job shop in the 21st Century, the history of metal fabrication, and what the future holds, including the prospects for 3D printing and American Manufacturing.

Today I sat down with Austin Peterson of Black Dog Traders. We dug into the refurbishment and custom fabrication of vintage-styled Toyota FJs. We also talked quite a bit about marketing, as Austin has a lot of experience using Adwords for his business.

Today we are joined by Laurel Barickman of Recspec, a design studio and art gallery in Austin, Texas.

Today we are joined by Leslie Crow of Leslie Crow Leather, a custom handcrafted leather goods shop in Austin, Texas.

Today we are joined by Amelia Raley of Sweet Ritual Ice Cream, a dairy free ice cream shop in Austin, Texas.

Today on Small Business War Stories we are joined by Caren Kelleher, owner of Gold Rush Vinyl in Austin, Texas.

Today on Small Business War Stories we are joined by Trey Ramirez, co-founder of Spokesman Coffee, a cafe by day and a bar by night, in Austin Texas.

Today on Small Business War Stories we are joined by Allyson Garro of Coco Coquette, a wig and makeup shop in Austin, Texas.

Today, on the last episode of the Soul of America Tour, we are joined by Jake Hurwitz. He shares his story of starting a student led creative agency, discovering his passion and picking himself back up after failure.

On today’s episode we are joined by Rob Nance of Rob Nance & the Lost Souls, a traveling band from North Carolina. Rob, Jordan, and Dylan have all been playing music since they were children. Inspired by the Southeast region, they began playing separately in bluegrass bands and ended up meeting each other through the community. Now, they make u ...…

On today’s episode we are joined by Bryan Deats of Fightforce, an amateur, semi-pro and professional mixed martial arts promotion company.

On today’s episode we are joined by Barb Heinze of Merlin’s Hide Out, a shop that specializes in customized, handmade, real buffalo hide products.

On today’s episode we are joined by Will Nowack and Ted Hansen, co-owners of The Bird, a fun bar and restaurant where you can enjoy the laid-back ambiance while having some great food.

On today’s episode we are joined by Daven Lee, CEO & founder of Love and Leche, a company who hand-crafts lotion bars and soaps from local farm-fresh ingredients.

On today’s episode we are joined by Joshua Gebreyes of Tibeb Leatherworks. Joshua is an architecture student interning from Ethiopia, who is crafting beautiful leather-bound journals and wallets using Ethiopian fabrics and prints.

On today’s episode we are joined by Robert Keith of Beartooth Group, an investment group that connects people to the American West by running ranch investment funds, representing ranch buyers, and managing habitat restoration.

On today’s episode we are joined by Derrick Montoya of 3D Kutz Barber Shop, Albuquerque's original and most exclusive MMA style barber shop.