The First Customer
Ever wondered how to use your experience to start or grow a business?
The First Customer intimately dissects successful entrepreneurs journeys to their first customer. Learn from practical real-life examples of regular people transforming into superheroes by starting their own business.
Buckle up … the rocket is taking off!
Episodes
191 episodes
The First Customer - Empowering Tech Founders to Build Successful Companies with Vladimir Baranov
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Vladimir Baranov, CEO and founder of Human Interfaces.Vladimir had early exposure to the turbulent Russian business climate, which made him cautious about entrepreneurship, but his experie...
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Season 1
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Episode 192
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20:28
The First Customer - Why Niching Down is the Fast Track to Product-Market Fit with CEO Peter Bonney
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Peter Bonney, CEO and founder of Fastbreak RFP.Peter shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his childhood in a small town in Massachusetts. Growing up with a father who ran sho...
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Season 1
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Episode 191
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20:16
The First Customer - What Risk-Taking Looks Like When You Have a Plan with CEO Shae Feltz
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Shae Feltz, CEO and founder of NOTICS, an IT service provider based in Minneapolis. Shae delves into his humble beginnings in Brainerd, Minnesota, where he learned early on that work...
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Season 1
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Episode 190
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25:53
The First Customer - From Supply Chain Snags to Seamless Solutions with Founder and CEO Brian Glick
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Brian Glick, CEO and founder of Chain.io Brian traced his inspiration to a family background in leadership and entrepreneurship, coupled with firsthand experience in customs brokerag...
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Season 1
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Episode 189
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20:48
The First Customer - Paving a Path from Rocks to a Dynamic Creative Agency with CEO Jon Wise
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jon Wise, the founder and CEO of Jon Wise Creative (JWC). Jon started his childhood in suburban Atlanta, where his father ran a local software store. Jon recalls his earliest entrepr...
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Season 1
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Episode 188
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22:01
The First Customer - Creating Relational Ecosystems for Leaders and Teams with CEO Etienne de Bruin
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Etienne de Bruin, Founder and CEO of 7CTOs.Etienne shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his upbringing in South Africa to founding his organization that supports technology l...
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Season 1
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Episode 187
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36:08
The First Customer - The Role of Personalized Nutrition in Holistic Wellness with CEO Rachel Sanders
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Rachel Sanders, CEO and Co-Founder of Rootine.Rachel shares the transformative journey behind her health and wellness brand. Rootine’s mission is to empower individuals with personalized,...
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Season 1
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Episode 186
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23:20
The First Customer - Demystifying Backend Development with Founders Hunter Fortuin and Tom Carmona
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Hunter Fortuin and Tom Carmona, co-founders of Wolfjaw Studios. Based in Troy, New York, Wolfjaw specializes in backend development for online gaming services, tackling the complex s...
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Season 1
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Episode 185
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30:10
The First Customer - The Three To Twelve Month Rule in Personal Branding with CEO Jason Barnard
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jason Barnard, CEO of Kalicube.Jason recounts his beginnings in the music industry, where he started a record label after failing to secure a deal for his band. This led him to his first ...
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Season 1
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Episode 184
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22:49
The First Customer - The Power of Community in Building A Successful Consultancy with Dave Reinhold
In this episode, I was very, very lucky enough to interview my former boss, Dave Reinhold, Founder of VentureCPO. Growing up in New York, Dave recounts his first “business” selling bubble gum and fans to classmates, reflecting a lifelon...
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Season 1
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Episode 183
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22:52
The First Customer - The Secret Sauce For Success in Cybersecurity with Co-Founder Deanna Sheward
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Deanna Sheward, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Capablanca.Deanna shares her unique journey from academia to entrepreneurship. She recounts how her background in art, architecture...
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Season 1
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Episode 182
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24:05
The First Customer - The Quiet Wins: The Formula for Progress with Founder and CEO Sean Languedoc
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Sean Languedoc, Founder and CEO of Outforce AI.Sean recounts his unconventional start in business, inspired by advice to "learn by doing" instead of pursuing an MBA. He shares his experie...
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Season 1
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Episode 181
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25:23
The First Customer - Pioneering Solutions for an Inclusive Future with Founder Jordan Saunders
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jordan Saunders, founder and CEO of NextLink Labs.Jordan reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his early days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, building computers at age 12. H...
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Season 1
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Episode 180
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22:46
The First Customer - Aligning People, Purpose, and Progress with Co-Founder Alex Levin
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Alex Levin, Co-Founder and CEO of Regal.io.Alex grew up in Manhattan with a father who ran a steel service business. Alex absorbed early lessons about business operations and efficiency. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 179
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21:12
The First Customer - How To Drive Impactful SEO and Conversion Strategies with CEO Dave Schneider
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Dave Schneider, the CEO of Shortlist.io.Dave shares his upbringing in Ashland, Massachusetts, a small town where entrepreneurship was not encouraged. He explains how his early life and fa...
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Season 1
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Episode 178
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26:51
The First Customer - Decoding Value Creation Through Pricing Strategies with Founder Dan Balcauski
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Dan Balcauski, founder and CPO of Product Tranquility.Dan shared his backstory, growing up in Chicago with no direct entrepreneurial influences but finding his path through engineering an...
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Season 1
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Episode 177
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25:54
The First Customer - Embracing the Wild Ride of Breaking Barriers with Founder Donnie Boivin
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Donnie Boivin, Founder and CEO of Success Champions Network.Donnie grew up in a blue-collar family, and never considered starting a business until he was in his 40s. Inspired by thought l...
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Season 1
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Episode 176
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23:17
The First Customer - The Power of Subscription Models in E-Commerce with Co-founder Baird Hall
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Baird Hall, co-founder of Churnkey. Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, Baird didn’t start his first company until he was 27, though he feels he could have begun earlier. His first v...
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Season 1
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Episode 175
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23:23
The First Customer - How to Find Your Authentic Voice in A Crowded Market with CEO Lynn Whitbeck
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Lynn Whitbeck, Founder and CEO of Petite2Queen.Lynn grew up in a mid-sized town, and her experience in the Girl Scouts, where she spearheaded a cookie-selling strategy with a shy friend, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 174
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22:36
The First Customer - The Transition from Services to Product-focused Business with CTO Len Covello
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Len Covello, CTO and Co-founder of Engage People. Len discusses his early influences, including growing up in Toronto and being inspired by his father, who was an entrepreneur in the cate...
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Season 1
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Episode 173
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24:20
The First Customer - How To Ace Your Business Strategy with Co-Founder Andrew Watson
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Andrew Watson, Co-Founder of Igloo Media. Andrew recounts his upbringing in Italy and England, and how his initial aspirations as a tennis player eventually led him to entrepreneurship in...
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Season 1
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Episode 172
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16:39
The First Customer - Building A Legacy In Ice Cream with Founder Sanket Karamchandani
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Sanket Karamchandani, Founder of Miss Neeta's Ice Cream Parlor. Sanket shared his entrepreneurial journey from a childhood dream inspired by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar to becoming a ...
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Season 1
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Episode 171
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19:18
The First Customer - Raising the Bar in Digital Journalism with Co-founder and CEO Christopher Wink
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview a very, very, special friend, Christopher Wink, Co-founder and CEO of Technical.ly.Chris discussed his upbringing in a rural corner of Northwest New Jersey, which lacked exposure to techn...
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Season 1
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Episode 170
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33:49
The First Customer - Leveraging AI to Transform and Innovate Business Models with CEO Jeff Bruno
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Jeff Bruno, CEO and Co-founder of B.Modelr. Jeff shares his entrepreneurial journey, which began in Philadelphia, and how his passion for small business finance led him to create his frac...
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Season 1
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Episode 169
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24:53
The First Customer - From West Coast Setbacks to Mobile App Stardom with CEO Jedidiah Weller
In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview a very special friend, Jedidiah Weller, the CEO and Founder of Open Forge and Startup Wars. Jedidiah shares his entrepreneurial journey, beginning in rural Pennsylvania, where he grew up ...
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Season 1
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Episode 168
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33:52
