215: Navigating the Unpredictable Journey From Failure to Triumph, With Stuart McKeown, Co-Founder of Gleam

33 years ago, Brian Scudamore was sitting in a McDonald’s drive-thru when he saw his future–a beat-up pickup truck filled with junk. Scudamore started a junk-hauling business to pay for college, but what was supposed to fund his education ended up inspiring him to drop out. Today, Scudamore’s transformed his junk hauling side hustle, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, into a North American franchise business worth $600M. People told Scudamore that it was impossible to franchise his business, but he’s proven them wrong by expanding his model into other brands like WOW 1 DAY PAINTING and Shack Shine.   Listen to Brian and Nathan discuss: Rebranding his business name to 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Transitioning from a corporate to a franchise business Expanding his model into WOW 1 DAY PAINTING and Shack Shine How “The CEO Whisperer” Cameron Herold helped scale the business The 3 types of entrepreneurship paths The compounding growth of franchise businesses His new book BYOB: Build Your Own Business, Be Your Own Boss What Shaq taught him about franchising  And much more franchise business advice…       Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.   Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.    Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

7 Loka 202245min

Airtasker is Australia's #1 marketplace for local services. Over the past decade, they've acquired more than 4.3M registered users, built a worth of $255M, created a $1.7B value of job opportunities, and went public. But founder Tim Fung still feels the pains from the first 3 years, when everything he assumed about the business was wrong. He's learned that through the victories and failures of scaling a startup, remaining focused on providing value over profit is what lasts.    Listen to Nathan and Tim discuss:  The importance of going all-in on a startup Starting a business with 2 marketplaces  The 90-day wakeup call for founders  Inspiring users to use your product Sharing problems with your team Not putting off hard decisions Building a feedback muscle within your business And much more startup advice…     Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.   Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.    Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

28 Syys 202247min

Davie Fogarty created Australia's fastest-growing ecommerce brand, The Oodie, which sells wearable blankets and accessories. But success didn't happen overnight. After multiple failed businesses, at 24 years old, Davie had a chip on his shoulder to prove he could succeed. So in 2017, he started 2 ecommerce businesses, and they both took off immediately. In the past 4 years, Davie has grown his company of 5 major brands called the Davie Group to $400M in sales. In this episode, you'll learn exactly what it takes to build an incredible ecommerce brand in 2022 and some of the pitfalls to avoid.    Listen to Nathan and Davie discuss:  Davie's early failed business attempts  The pros and cons of having something to prove Why bootstrapped founders become a jack of all trades  What was special about The Oodie as a product and brand How to create and test ecommerce products  How competition affects your ads  Why good marketing instills trust  Attribution tools and the changes in advertising  And much more ecommerce advice…       Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.   Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.    Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

21 Syys 202257min

Jen Proctor loved being a performer. But when her dream to be a professional singer ended, she pledged to be a good person in the entertainment industry, something she knew wasn't a given. So in 2015, she launched her agency Cultivated Entertainment and works with clients like Meta, Pharrell, Drew Barrymore, the Obama Foundation, Stand Up for Cancer, and the Primetime Emmy Awards. She's built her agency based on the vision of seeing a need and filling it. So if you're interested in working with talent from actors to TikTok stars, this episode is for you.    Listen to Nathan and Jen discuss: Her early career as a field producer at Fox Why everything is an emergency in the entertainment industry Cultivating a superpower around talent Myths about working with celebrities and talent Why honesty is an essential part of relationship building Why she'll never forget an hour she had with Betty White  Working on the Dear Class of 2020 project with the Obama's  Negotiating and talent search tips   The three gatekeepers of celebrity talent Short-lead versus long-lead talent And much more talent relations strategies…       Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.   Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.    Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

14 Syys 202238min

Kendra Scott started her self-titled billion-dollar jewelry business out of failure. Her first business failed after 5 years, and she started selling handmade jewelry door-to-door as a side hustle. Now, Kendra Scott Jewelry is a billion-dollar business with 100 retail locations across the US. But success didn't come quickly. Through personal struggles, recessions, and rejections, Scott built a fashion business driven by an unforgettable customer experience.    Listen to Nathan and Kendra discuss: What she learned from her failed business  Fundraising and dealing with rejection The best piece of business advice she still follows  Shifting her business model from wholesale to retail The nightclub atmosphere of Kendra Scott stores  How philanthropy creates customer loyalty  How to weather the storm as a founder  Her new entrepreneurial memoir Born to Shine And much more founder advice…       Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.   Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.    Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

7 Syys 202247min

Michele Romanow joined the cast of CBC's Dragons' Den in 2014 after successfully selling her digital coupon business SnapSaves to Groupon. At 28 years old, she was the youngest "dragon" on the show, but that didn't stop her from innovating. During her second episode, Michele decided to flip the traditional Dragons' Den pitch from equity to revenue.    The decision led to the creation of the investment company Clearco and the invention of the revenue-based financing category. The model helps fund ecommerce companies fast and affordable, where founders pay a set percentage only when they make revenue. To date, Clearco has invested $4B in 10,000 founders in 11 countries across the world.    Listen to Nathan and Michele discuss:  Why her first business was a caviar fishery  Acquiring customers through sidewalk chalk  Creating the Clearco model by shifting the Dragons' Den model Accepting rejection as part of the job Taking advice from people that you want to be How to build the relentless muscle  How data removes bias from funding decisions  Stories and lessons from Dragons' Den  And much more ecommerce funding advice… Foundr & Clearco have teamed up to help you increase cash flow & extend payment terms for your online business: https://clear.co/partner/bnpl/foundr/  Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.  Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.    Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

1 Syys 202242min

After his first startup went public in 2016, Tony Jamous took time off to align what he does with what he believes in. In his previous company, Nexmo, he saw the power of distributed hiring worldwide and how it changed people’s lives. So in January of 2020, he started Oyster, a software company that helps make it possible for companies everywhere to hire people anywhere. The timing of Oyster was perfect, 2 months later, remote work changed forever. Oyster’s raised 230M in 2 years, and its network includes 100 nationalities distributed across 70 countries. The business grew 20x last year and is in the top 2% of all VC-backed companies in employee engagement.   Listen to Nathan and Tony discuss: Growing up during a civil war in Lebanon  What living in 10 different countries taught him about people Taking 10 flights to Casablanca to pay his first employee  Strategies for leading a global and remote business  The perfect timing of Oyster’s launch in 2020 The importance of risk management in decision making What he looks for in companies to invest into  And much more remote leadership advice…       Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.   Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.    Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

26 Elo 202247min

In 2011, Lauryn Evarts Bosstick was in college and looking for a community. When a sorority came knocking, Lauryn turned to blogging instead, asking herself the questions every entrepreneur asks: How can I create this and do it better? After 3 years of blogging 7 days a week, Lauryn built Skinny Confidential into a community and a full-time business.    Today, The Skinny Confidential brand garners more than 2 million monthly impressions, and the podcast currently boasts more than 90 million downloads. In addition, Lauryn, alongside her partner Michael, launched a podcast incubator called Dear Media, which focuses on women's voices and narratives.    Listen to Nathan discuss with Lauryn and Michael about: How Lauryn built a loyal following as a college student  The early days of podcasting and how it's evolved Launching the HIM & HER spinoff podcast Launching their first branded product  Strategies to focus on your core audience  Why they've never missed a bi-weekly show Lauryn's book The Skinny Confidential's Get the F*ck Out of the Sun Starting their podcast incubator and identifying talent  And much more media business advice…       Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment and let us know! And don't forget to leave us a 5-star review if you loved this episode.   Wait, there's more… If you enjoy the Foundr podcast, check out our free trainings. Get exclusive, actionable advice from some of the world's best entrepreneurs.    Speak with our friendly course experts to get clarity on the next steps for your idea, business or career. You will get tailored insights from results achieved by our proven practitioners as well as thousands of students. Book a call now...    For more Foundr content, follow us on your favorite platform:  Foundr.com Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Magazine

18 Elo 202252min