Back to the Basics with Justin McLeod

Being an educator that was raised by social activists, Mandela SH Dixon developed an innate understanding of social justice, education and equity, which she later channeled into training 650 underrepresented startup founders in tech that raised a combined $130 million in venture capital through her e-learning program Founder Gym. 💪🏽 In this episode, Mandela shares her journey of going from EdTech Founder to disrupting the startup world by teaching startups led by women and people of color how to raise venture capital. 💸 This episode is for if you are a(n): - Diverse founder who is looking to raise venture capital for their business - Investor who is considering investing in companies led by diverse founders. - Equity champion who advocates and supports diversity, equity, and inclusion in the business world

Sahil Lavingia shares how he used a minimalist mindset to produce maximum results in his business and personal life. In the latest podcast episode of Back to the Basics with Justin McLeod, Sahil Lavingia, Founder of Gumroad, shares his story of how a failed attempt at building a billon-dollar startup led him to redefining what it means to run a successful business by shifting to a minimalist mindset focused on profitability and productivity. This episode is for you if you are: An entrepreneur looking for ways to create a healthy balance in growing a sustainable business without scarifying your mental or physical health or personal identity.  An aspiring entrepreneur that's curious about what type of mindset you should have to start a business. Wanting to know how to break free from the expectations of others and define your own path to success.

Ben Chestnut turned his side hustle into a multi-billion dollar startup without raising any venture capital. In this episode of Back to the Basics with Justin McLeod, Ben Chestnut, Co-Founder of Mailchimp, shares his unconventional startup success story of going from web designer to startup founder, the decision to NOT take venture capital, what it takes to transition from a founder to a CEO, and how and why he sold his company to Intuit for $12 Billion. This episode is for you if you are: - Working a full-time job and have a startup on the side. - Questioning if you should raise venture capital or stay bootstrapped - Running a rapidly growing company and trying to determine what it truly means to be a CEO

Back to the Basics is a podcast series that highlights the backstory of resilient startup founders, investors, and operators in tech who have overcome the stereotypes and biases faced in the startup world to trailblaze their own path to success in a non-traditional way. These guests take us back to their humble beginnings as they share the trials and triumphs of their startup journey while providing listeners with actionable tips and tactics on running a successful startup. This show is powered by Surthrive. New Season, Dropping Soon!

Arlan Hamilton went from being homeless to building a venture capital firm that has managed over $20M in funds and has invested in 200 startup companies. In this episode, Arlan, Founder of Backstage Capital, shares her story of breaking into venture capital, what it's like raising money as a VC, and the type of mentality you need to have when being unapologetically disruptive in tech.

As a solo Black female-founder, Sevetri Wilson has made history multiple times for the millions of dollars she has raised for her startup, Resilia. In this episode, Sevetri shares her story of running a startup as a solo founder, shifting from bootstrapped to venture-backed, and breaking tech's status quo as a Black, solo, female-founder based in the South. 

Durantae Lucas is the Head of Finance at a venture capital firm that invested early in Calendly and SalesLoft, two unicorn startups valued at over $1 Billion. In this episode, Durantae of Atlanta Ventures shares tips on how to maintain cash flow and create a financial plan that could help your company become the next unicorn status startup.

Jermaine Brown transformed his love for luxury cars into a lucrative software company that drove $11 million dollars in revenue without raising any outside capital.  In this episode, Jermaine, Founder of CCAW Automative Group, shares his story of finding product market fit, bootstrapping his startup to millions, and how you can determine if you want to bootstrap your startup or raise venture capital.

Carlos Gonzalez started his career as an audio engineer in Atlanta mixing and mastering songs for popular rap artists like Future and Waka Flocka before learning how to code. In this episode, Carlos, Co-Founder of Tyrannosaurus Tech, shares his unconventional path of breaking into tech while sharing tips on transforming your idea into a clickable prototype, how to find your CTO, and best practices when outsourcing your development work to build your first product.

Back to the Basics is a podcast series that highlights the backstory of resilient startup founders, investors, and operators in tech who have overcome the stereotypes and biases faced in the startup world to trailblaze their own path to success in a non-traditional way. These guests take us back to their humble beginnings as they share the turmoils and triumphs of their startup journey while providing listeners with actionable tips and tactics on running a successful startup. This show is powered by Surthrive.