Inspired Insider With Dr. Jeremy Weisz | Ecommerce Interviews | Entrepreneurship | Inspirational Stories | Business Lessons

Ryan Lee is the founder of REWIND and the Superfood bar. The company can be found on rewindtoday.com - Ryan has over twenty-two years in the health and fitness industry (Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology, Created the world's fastest workout video, etc). Anyone who follows Ryan knows he is obsessed with living a good and healthy life with his wife and four kids at the forefront. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:20] Jeremy introduces his guest, Ryan Lee. [2:40] Ryan talks about his marketing efforts. [5:15] Why isn’t the Rewind Bar available on Amazon? [8:45] The value of nurturing long-term relationships. [10:30] What is next for REWIND? In this episode… Should you play to your strengths or focus on shoring up your weaknesses? How will you respond to this question both personally and professionally? Why would you take a different approach between the two? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from entrepreneur and innovator Ryan Lee. In his conversation with Jeremy, Ryan opens up abo

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.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:12] Jeremy introduces his guests, Carey Subel & Alaey Kumar. [2:30] What are the scientific findings around cell phone radiation? [8:15] Cell phones actually have warnings to

Dan Meadors is a co-founder of The Wholesale Formula with Eric Lambert. They began selling on Amazon as a hobby with an original investment of only $600. They worked nights and weekends buying products on clearance at local retail stores and selling them on Amazon for a profit. It only took a few months before they saw the potential to turn this hobby into a business as they both left their day jobs to sell on Amazon full-time. Since then they have been able to generate over $20,000,000 in sales on Amazon. Dan and Eric have developed their own unique system to take advantage of wholesale opportunities called The Wholesale Formula. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:25] Jeremy introduces his guest, Dan Meadors. [2:30] What is the difference between branded and unbranded wholesale? [4:30] Feedback from using The Wholesale Formula. [8:20] Dan opens up about challenges they’ve faced along the way. [11:45] The proudest moment in business for Dan. [13:45] How to connect with Dan and The Wholesale Formula.

Habib Salo is the CEO of Young Nails. They have been serving the nail care industry for over 20 years. Habib and Greg (Habib’s older brother) run the business and their mom decided to start her own business at the age of 49. She had a passion for the nail industry and they did everything to support her. Greg, the older brother, became a licensed nail technician after switching gears from firefighter training. Habib took a detour from medical school and a life in music. Young Nails Inc., is a professional nail care manufacturing company exporting to over 40 countries worldwide and distributing domestically to over 3000 stores. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:40] Jeremy introduces his guest, Habib Salo. [4:00] Reinventing the business & focusing on social media engagement. [9:30] What causes Young Nails videos to get high views? [13:30] Who is the Young Nails audience? [15:30] Getting products into Trade Shows and Salons. [18:00] How Habib’s mom started the business. [24:00] Early challenges in t

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.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:55] Jeremy introduces his guest, Tara Bosch. [3:15] Lessons learned along the way. [6:20] How Tara keeps her products from melting while in transit. [8:00] A low moment in business for Tara. [9:45] Milestone reached, getting on the shelves at Whole Foods. In this episode… How do small business owners get through the challenges of early development to push through their doubts to find sustained success? Is it possible to learn from mist

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. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:33] Jeremy introduces his guests, Steve O’Dell and Robbie Page. [2:45] How did Steve and Robbie meet? What were there future plans in college? [9:30] Steve talks about some early business ventures. [13:50] Where did the idea of Tenzo Tea come from? [16:30] Steve opens up about dropping out of college and his study habits. [21:10] Key leaders and thinkers entrepreneurs should study. [24:50] Preparing for success. [29:20] Recovering from mistakes. [31:30] Discovering Matcha Tea and coming up with the idea of Tenzo Tea. [37:00] Why did the guys decide not to sell their product on Amazon? [38:30] How did the packaging process go? [40:30] The value of connecting w

[One Question] Charting a Way Forward and The Power of Networking with Mike McKim Co-Founder of Cuvee Coffee Mike McKim is the co-founder of Cuvee Coffee Roasting Company. Cuvee Coffee Roasting Company has been providing independent coffee houses and coffee enthusiasts with sustainable artisan blends, single origin, and estate coffees since 1998. Mike is also a board chairman at the non-profit, Operation Supply Drop that supports today's active duty military and their families. Cuvee Coffee is a nationally recognized specialty coffee roaster with its roots firmly established in Texas. Cuvee Coffee and cold brew can be found at their website, Whole Foods, Heb, Central Market, Target, and soon to be limited Safeways. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:35] Jeremy introduces his guest, Mike McKim. [3:00] Tools and resources that Mike and his team use to succeed. [4:50] Mike’s lowest moment in his career. [6:30] The power of networking. [8:00] Mike shares some proud moments in his career. [9:45] What led M

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. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:05] Jeremy introduces his guest, Daniel Kurzrock. [2:30] Daniel talks about the first product he created. [8:30] Venturing into snack bars. [12:45] Daniel talks about all the possibilities available with their experimental flour. [15:00] What is the brainstorming process like for Daniel and his team? [17:30] Connecting with Tom and TerraCycle. [20:00] Daniel talks about the influence of his grandfather. [22:30] Early career interests and the budding entrepreneurial spirit. [30:30] Bootstrapping the busines

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. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:15] Jeremy introduces his guest, Courtney Nichols Gould. [2:45] What led Courtney to take SmartyPants Vitamins to retail stores? [7:00] The value of embracing customer feedback. [9:30] Courtney talks about some of their bestselling vitamins. [11:00] Why did Courtney and her team divide their products based on gender? [12:45] Courtney shares her low an

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. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:15] Jeremy introduces his guest, Kailey Donewald. [2:30] What was the first iteration of Sacred Serve? [4:00] How Kailey ended up in Bali. [7:00] Lessons learned from working in an organics company. [9:45] Experimenting with different batches at home and perfecting the recipe. [18:00] Dealing with slow production and getting the product in retail stores. [21:50] Setting the right cost and figuring out the right packaging. [27:15] Playing to strengths and setting the right roles. [33:00] Different distribution options th

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 YCombinator 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. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:15] Jeremy introduces his guest, Nathan Resnick. [2:20] A low moment in business for Nathan. [8:15] Nathan talks about milestones he’s proud of. [10:30] How did Nathan get a cease and desist letter from Connor McGregor? In this episode… What does it take to weather the storm of adversity and personal loss to come out the other side ready to build a business? Most people don’t have what it takes to start a business under the best circumstances let alone personal and professional losses! On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from business leader and entrepreneur,

Dame Stephanie Shirley, 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 p

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. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [2:25] Jeremy introduces his guest, Jordan Harbinger. [4:30] Jordan talks about his wife, Jen and how she impacts his podcast. [15:45] What has it been like rebuilding the podcast from scratch? [26:00] Jordan talks about the team he has built around him. [28:30] What is Jordan’s “Hustle Mode” like? [33:30] Jordan shares why he

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. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:22] I welcome my guest, Velana Colon. [3:00] Velana talks about competing in division 1 tennis. [6:10] How did Velana’s grandfather impact her view of business? [12:00] What does Velana do to impart he

Matthew Bertulli is the co-founder of Demac Media 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.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:16] Jeremy welcomes his guest, Matthew Bertulli. [3:10] Matthew talks about email notifications and conversion rates. [5:00] Why reviews are so important. [7:45] The biggest mistake that ecommerce leaders are making with data. [11:20] Matthew shares some bumps along the way and building a healthy culture. [15:50] A proud moment in bu

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. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:50] Jeremy introduces his guest, Josh Felber. [3:00] Josh talks about his Bag O’ Supplements. [7:15] How did Josh get started with supplements? How is working with his wife? [10:45] What is intermediate fasting? Why is it helpful? [19:45] Challenges that Josh is facing with Primal Life Organics. [21:45] Spreading the word and gathering a following. [24:00] The challenge of dealing with outsourcing. [26:30] Josh runs through his career in business. [31:30] What has been Josh’s strategy for creating and selling startups? [44:00] The biggest win for Josh in his career. What are his favorite masterminds? [47:45] Josh talks about his vivid vision for Primal Life Organics. [5

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. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:12] Jeremy introduces his guests, Carey Subel & Alaey Kumar. [2:00] Low moments in business. [5:00] A significant milestone worth celebrating. [6:30] What is the plan for bringi

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.  Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:25] Jeremy introduces his guest, Maddy Hasulak. [2:30] Maddy talks about the first product she attempted to create. [4:00] Overcoming the growing pains of a new business. [7:15] What were the early days of Love Grown like? [11:30] Maddy opens up about the evolution of production. [15:00] What were the first new products that Maddy rolled out? [18:15] How did Maddy come up with the idea to make cereal out of beans? [21:30] Maddy talks about Love Grown g

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 was sick of unhealthy sports and energy drinks. O2 has electrolytes, natural caffeine, and added oxygen to help your body process toxins faster. Dave has 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. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:18] Jeremy introduces his guest, Dave Colina. [2:30] Mistakes made along the way. [12:00] Correcting a mistake and sticking to the value of honesty and transparency. [16:00] A high point on the journey. In this episode… When was the last time that you learned from a mistake or miss opportunity? Do you make a habit of taking the time to learn from mistakes and challenges you face along the way? On this episode of Inspired Insider, you’ll hear from business

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! Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [1:20] Jeremy introduces his guest, Aimy Steadman. [3:00] Aimy shares a little bit about her background and childhood. [6:45] How did the idea for Beatbox Beverages come about? [11:20] What was the launch and marketing effort like? [14:45] Amiy talks about the crazy stage of life getting the business off the ground. [17:30] What was it like getting featured on Shark Tank? [23:30] The struggle of growing too fast. [26:00] How did Aimy an