Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled

Some founders begin with investors, connections, or a clear path forward. Troy Alexander’s story began in a much harder place.   In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, host A.D. Edwards sits down with Troy Alexander, founder and CEO of T363 Skincare, for a powerful conversation about prison, accountability, discipline, reinvention, and building a men’s skincare brand from the ground up.   Troy opens up about the choices that led him to prison, the people who helped guide him during one of the lowest seasons of his life, and the habits that helped him rebuild after incarceration. He also shares how journaling, faith, self-respect, and personal discipline became part of his daily foundation.   The conversation also explores the business behind T363 Skincare, including product development, customer trust, men’s self-care, beauty industry hype, real innovation, and what it takes to build a brand with purpose.   WHAT YOU’LL LEARN   • How Troy Alexander turned prison into a turning point • Why journaling and self-reflection became part of his rebuilding process • What it takes to launch a men’s skincare brand in a competitive industry • Why self-care, discipline, and confidence are connected • How founders can keep moving when people doubt their vision • Why your past does not have to disqualify your future   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS   00:00 – Why Troy Alexander’s story matters 03:18 – The early signs that Troy wanted to build something 03:56 – The moment life moved in a direction he did not expect 08:51 – The mental shift that happened during incarceration 11:43 – The promise Troy made to himself after prison 16:12 – The daily habits that helped him rebuild 17:17 – How the conversation shifts into T363 Skincare 35:08 – What real innovation looks like in men’s skincare 39:11 – What Troy wants people to understand about reinvention   MEET THE GUEST   Troy Alexander is the founder and CEO of T363 Skincare, a men’s skincare brand built around self-care, discipline, and helping men take better care of themselves. His journey from prison to entrepreneurship is a story of accountability, resilience, and reinvention.   TOOLS, STRATEGIES, OR IDEAS MENTIONED   • Journaling as a discipline for rebuilding your life • Morning routines and personal accountability • Men’s skincare and self-care • Customer conversations and real-world feedback • T363 Voices • Building trust in a beauty and skincare brand   Troy Alexander’s story is a reminder that your past does not have to define your future. What matters most is the decision to change direction, take responsibility, and build something meaningful from the lessons life gives you.   Follow Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled for more founder stories, business lessons, and conversations about innovation, resilience, leadership, and entrepreneurship.   Watch on the BraveheartsTV Network and YouTube. Listen in the ALIVE Podcast Network app and on all major podcast platforms. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

What does it really take to turn everyday life, comedy, and personal struggle into a creator business that reaches people?   In the Season 2 premiere of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, host A.D. Edwards sits down with Adrian Alvarez, owner and CEO of AKA Skits and Giggles, for a real story behind breakthrough success.   Adrian shares how he started making videos long before he saw social media as a business, how childhood humor and family influence shaped his comedy, and how consistency helped him keep going when the audience was small and the doubts were loud.   This conversation also goes behind the scenes of the creator journey. Adrian talks about his wife’s serious health challenges, including kidney failure and dialysis, and how their audience responded with unexpected love and support when they chose to share that part of their life.   A.D. and Adrian also discuss what many people misunderstand about content creators, including the work behind the camera, learning equipment, building a brand, selling merchandise, handling customer service, getting monetized, setting up a business, and choosing to keep content clean and family-friendly.   This episode is for builders, doers, creators, entrepreneurs, and everyday innovators who are trying to turn an idea into something real without losing who they are in the process.   What You’ll Learn:   How Adrian Alvarez turned comedy into a growing creator business   Why consistency matters when nobody is watching yet   How personal challenges can become part of a deeper connection with an audience   Why clean content can be both a values decision and a smart business decision   What creators need to understand about monetization, merchandise, and treating content like a business   Meet the Guest:   Adrian Alvarez is the owner and CEO of AKA Skits and Giggles, a social media comedy brand built around relatable storytelling, clean humor, family culture, and connection.   Closing Insight:   If you are building something meaningful, start where you are, use what you have, and keep going long enough to get better.   Listen to Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled on the ALIVE Podcast Network and all major podcast platforms. Watch the video version on YouTube and BraveheartsTV Network.   Visit: InnovatorsUnveiled.com Host: A.D. Edwards Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

NOvukyc6A14Mlq1imrbw   What does it really take to turn a simple idea into a global brand when the road is full of setbacks, bad supplier deals, manufacturing problems, and hard decisions? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards sits down with Mike Watts, founder of Love Handle, to uncover the real story behind building one of the most recognizable smartphone accessory brands in the world. Mike shares practical founder lessons from licensing products, losing nearly half a million dollars in inventory, rebuilding through U.S.-based manufacturing, and staying committed to family ownership, quality, resilience, and long-term brand stewardship. What You’ll Learn: How Mike Watts turned a simple phone grip into a full smartphone accessory ecosystem Why going too far too fast can create costly problems for product-based businesses How to evaluate whether a product idea has real market potential Why quality, sampling, and customer experience matter when bringing an idea to market How Love Handle used U.S.-based manufacturing to create speed, flexibility, and a sustainable business advantage Why Mike chose family ownership and long-term vision instead of outside investors How storytelling helps customers see themselves as the hero of the brand experience Episode Highlights: 03:14 – Mike shares how side hustles, baseball cards, and early jobs shaped his entrepreneurial mindset 07:01 – The Pivotrim story and the lessons Mike learned about patents, manufacturing, packaging, and product protection 12:02 – How the Love Handle origin story began with a simple phone grip idea called Thing Sling 17:01 – Why Mike knew within two days that Love Handle could become a breakthrough product 18:38 – Mike explains his product evaluation checklist, including market size, problem size, liability, and whether the product can be demonstrated quickly 24:26 – The expensive early mistake that made Love Handle’s first launch harder than expected 26:14 – How a supplier quality issue led to a nearly half-million-dollar inventory loss 32:58 – Why Mike now advises founders to take affordable steps, start smaller, and be okay with selling out 38:49 – The Samsung order that helped prove Love Handle had real demand 45:45 – How U.S.-based manufacturing helped Love Handle control quality, move faster, and serve customers better 51:16 – How Mike missed Shark Tank but still built a relationship with Daymond John through persistence and hustle 60:47 – Why great brand storytelling should make the customer the hero 66:45 – Mike’s approach to servant leadership, company culture, and building a team people want to stay with Meet the Guest: Mike Watts is the founder of Love Handle, a family-run smartphone accessory company based in South Houston, Texas. After years of side hustles, product ventures, trade shows, and manufacturing lessons, Mike built Love Handle from a simple phone grip into a global brand known for practical design, customization, and U.S.-based production. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned: Product licensing and patent protection Trade show selling and product sampling Product evaluation checklist U.S.-based manufacturing Promotional product strategy Direct-to-consumer marketing Amazon pricing control Email, SMS, loyalty, and influencer marketing Blue Ocean Strategy Servant leadership Customer-centered brand storytelling Closing Insight and CTA: Mike’s story is a reminder that innovation rarely moves in a straight line. It is built through trial and error, affordable steps, quality decisions, and the willingness to keep going when the dream feels heavy. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

What should every entrepreneur understand before starting, scaling, or pivoting a business? In this Business Advantage Series episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Dr. Patrick J. Murphy about the deeper logic behind successful entrepreneurship. Dr. Murphy explains why founders should begin with real problems instead of prepackaged solutions, how opportunity and idea work together, why trial and error drives growth, and how entrepreneurs can build stronger teams, cultures, networks, and business models that last. What You’ll Learn Why the best business ideas begin with problems that founders genuinely care about How to tell the difference between a real opportunity and a good-sounding idea Why entrepreneurs should formalize early partnerships, even with family members or close friends How mission and values function like a compass when strategy changes Why business plans matter less in the earliest stages than feedback, adaptation, and traction How strong mentors, university ecosystems, and weak-tie networks can help founders grow Why growth always creates errors, and how smart entrepreneurs use those errors as feedback Episode Highlights 03:13 – Dr. Murphy shares how philosophy, epistemology, and the study of knowledge shaped his view of entrepreneurship 08:15 – Why every aspiring entrepreneur should start with a problem they care about solving 10:35 – How problems become opportunities before they become viable business ideas 13:18 – Why founders should use contracts and formal agreements, even with friends, spouses, or family members 17:04 – The artist and business-person model for building a balanced entrepreneurial team 20:05 – How mission and culture act like a compass when the business environment changes 23:52 – Why entrepreneurs do not always need to invent something brand new to create value 27:41 – The difference between opportunity, idea, and product-market fit 33:48 – Why Dr. Murphy is not a big fan of business plans in the earliest stages of entrepreneurship 39:15 – How universities and research frameworks can help entrepreneurs make better decisions 44:48 – Why wisdom, curiosity, and not caring too much what others think are powerful founder traits 53:03 – How founders can avoid analysis paralysis through intentional team building 59:11 – Why feedback loops help entrepreneurs balance vision with daily execution 1:04:44 – How strong communities help founders pivot when something is not working 1:09:15 – The right way to think about networking, weak ties, and second-order connections 1:20:01 – Why growth always creates waste, errors, and opportunities for innovation 1:28:07 – The five questions every investor needs answered before funding a business 1:31:01 – Why entrepreneurs should embrace “ready, fire, aim” instead of waiting for perfect certainty Meet the Guest Dr. Patrick J. Murphy is the Goodrich Endowed Chair at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a respected professor, entrepreneurship expert, and thought leader. His work connects academic research, entrepreneurial ecosystems, strategy, innovation, and real-world founder development. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Problem-first entrepreneurship Opportunity versus idea framework Artist and business-person team model Mission as compass, strategy as map Trial-and-error learning Effectuation and bricolage General systems theory Product-market fit as a symptom Weak-tie networking Second-order network connections Think globally, act locally Ready, fire, aim The five investor questions Error correction as the engine of growth Closing Insight and CTA Dr. Murphy’s central message is that entrepreneurship grows through the correction of error. Founders do not need perfect certainty before they begin. They need a real problem, a strong mission, the right people, and the courage to act, learn, adjust, and keep moving. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

How does a near-death health crisis become the starting point for a purpose-driven beverage brand? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Anna Cobb, founder of Rejuvenation, about turning a life-threatening allergic reaction into a clean energy beverage company built around resilience, plant science, wellness, and consumer education. Anna shares how she started in a Tuskegee University dorm room, built early momentum through family support and pop-up shops, entered retail, won pitch competitions, received the Black Ambition Prize, and continued expanding her vision with new plant-based beverage products like Okra Water. What You’ll Learn How Anna Cobb’s health crisis led her to create a clean, plant-based energy drink brand Why family support, faith, and resilience were essential in the early stages of Rejuvenation How a dorm-room operation evolved into a beverage company with retail traction What founders need to understand about beverage industry costs, sampling, slotting, and buyer psychology Why clean ingredients, label transparency, and consumer education matter in the wellness beverage market How pitch competitions helped Anna gain confidence, funding, and national recognition Why customer personas, branding, and strategic focus are critical for product-based entrepreneurs Episode Highlights 02:11 – Anna Cobb shares how a severe allergic reaction changed the direction of her life 04:09 – Waking up after weeks in the hospital and realizing the experience had become a calling 07:08 – How studying plant science at Tuskegee helped Anna connect wellness, agriculture, and clean ingredients 09:47 – Starting Vegan Queen Cuisine and building early demand for juices from a dorm room 12:35 – How Anna’s mother, grandmother, and family friend helped keep the business moving while she was at Purdue 15:21 – The early Rejuvenation flavors, including pineapple, apple, hibiscus, peach, and blackberry 16:02 – The launch of Okra Water and why the product is designed around hydration, beauty, and women’s wellness 20:40 – How Anna discovered Yassa, the Ecuadorian energy herb used in Rejuvenation 22:04 – The real production challenges of making juice by hand in small batches 25:35 – Why entrepreneurs need to understand scale, supply chain, licensing, and food regulations early 30:37 – How branding, color, booth presence, and personality helped Rejuvenation stand out 34:31 – Why beverage brands often need to give away large amounts of product before they gain traction 38:17 – How retail challenges pushed Anna to learn fundraising, pitch competitions, and business strategy 41:58 – Winning pitch competitions and receiving support from Black Ambition 45:23 – Anna’s retail advice for founders trying to get into grocery stores 50:05 – Why label reading, clean ingredients, and wellness education are part of Rejuvenation’s mission 54:34 – How Rejuvenation’s bold energy branding differs from Okra Water’s calming self-care positioning 58:39 – The strategic importance of clean books, margins, and knowing your numbers 1:00:07 – How Anna leads her team by identifying strengths, creating collaboration, and hiring carefully 1:01:50 – How Rejuvenation is expanding through four wellness pillars: energy, hydration, focus, and digestion 1:03:10 – The personal habits that help Anna stay resilient, including prayer, journaling, and coaching volleyball Meet the Guest Anna Cobb is the founder of Rejuvenation, a plant-based energy beverage company inspired by her own health crisis and rooted in clean ingredients, wellness education, and plant science. She is also a Black Ambition Prize recipient and an emerging founder building a beverage company around energy, hydration, focus, digestion, and culturally resonant wellness. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Plant-based beverage formulation Clean energy drink positioning Yassa, an energy herb from Ecuador Dorm-room product testing Pop-up shops and farmers markets Food and beverage accelerator programs Pitch competitions Black Ambition Prize Retail region strategy Beverage buyer psychology Customer persona mapping Four wellness pillars: energy, hydration, focus, and digestion AI-assisted brand and customer research Clean bookkeeping and margin tracking Strength-based team leadership Closing Insight and CTA Anna’s story is a powerful reminder that innovation can begin in crisis, but it grows through resilience, learning, and the willingness to keep moving through rejection. Her journey shows that purpose-driven entrepreneurship is not only about having a product. It is about knowing who you serve, why it matters, and how to keep improving until the right customers find you. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

What does it really take to turn an idea into a real product that can survive the journey from sketch to shelf? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Carmine Denisco, president of the United Inventors Association, about the invention process, product development, licensing, patents, prototyping, manufacturing, and the common mistakes that stop great ideas before they reach the market. Carmine shares practical inventor lessons from decades of helping creators move from inspiration to real-world products, with a strong focus on education, strategy, mentorship, and protecting inventors from costly missteps. What You’ll Learn Why inventors need education, mentorship, and a clear process before spending money How to take the emotion out of an idea and evaluate whether it has real market potential Why getting a patent is not always the first step in the invention journey How licensing has changed, and why companies now want proof that a product can sell What red flags to watch for when dealing with invention submission companies Why successful inventors often build teams instead of trying to do everything alone How AI, 3D printing, rapid prototyping, e-commerce, and social media are changing the product development landscape Episode Highlights 02:40 – Carmine shares how taking things apart as a kid shaped his love for invention and problem solving 04:22 – The first product Carmine invented and the hard lesson he learned when the idea was taken 06:23 – Why mentorship matters and how not asking for help led to early missteps 08:08 – How working with Bob Circosta and Home Shopping Network helped Carmine commit to product development 10:15 – The biggest early challenge inventors face: not understanding the right sequence of development 12:27 – Why inventors need to remove emotion from their ideas and test them against the market 15:10 – How Earmark Sourcing began by helping inventors who were not ready for retail or TV shopping 18:05 – Why many first-time inventors spend money on patents too early 20:22 – The traits Carmine sees in inventors who successfully reach licensing or launch 22:06 – When an inventor should think about patents, design patents, provisional patents, and product protection 25:00 – How e-commerce, Amazon, TikTok Shop, and direct-to-consumer selling changed the invention landscape 27:02 – Why timing matters, and why being first to market is not always the best path 31:05 – The mission of the United Inventors Association and how it supports inventors through education and connections 33:16 – Carmine’s warning about invention submission companies and why inventors should be cautious 39:48 – Why a patent is not enough if you cannot afford to enforce it 42:08 – How licensing deals have changed and why proof of sales matters more than ever 45:12 – Why performance guarantees matter in licensing contracts 47:32 – The Scrub Daddy story and what inventors can learn from perseverance 49:05 – Where Carmine sees the next opportunities for inventors and why niche markets matter 50:10 – How AI, 3D printing, and rapid prototyping can help small inventors move faster Meet the Guest Carmine Denisco is an inventor, entrepreneur, product development expert, and president of the United Inventors Association. Through his work with inventors, product developers, Shark Tank companies, manufacturers, and innovation networks, Carmine helps creators turn ideas into real products while avoiding common mistakes in patents, licensing, prototyping, and manufacturing. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned United Inventors Association Earmark Sourcing Product development sequencing Market testing Customer laser focus Provisional patents Design patents Trademarks Licensing agreements Performance guarantees Direct-to-consumer selling Home shopping and retail channels Amazon, TikTok Shop, and social commerce 3D printing Rapid prototyping AI-assisted invention research Manufacturing partners Niche market strategy Inventor education and mentorship Closing Insight and CTA Carmine’s message is clear: a good idea is only the beginning. Successful inventors need process, protection, feedback, market proof, the right team, and the humility to learn before they spend too much money in the wrong direction. The inventors who make it are the ones who keep going, keep learning, and surround themselves with people who can help turn possibility into a product. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW   Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

How do you save a 100-year-old company without losing the history that made people love it in the first place? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Brian and Sally Krichbaum, the husband-and-wife owners of Gilbert Chocolates, about buying, preserving, and modernizing a beloved Jackson, Michigan chocolate company with more than a century of history. They share how they brought production back downtown, protected legacy recipes, upgraded old equipment with practical engineering, survived COVID, expanded retail and e-commerce, and learned what it means to be caretakers of a brand the community still holds close. What You’ll Learn How Brian and Sally Krichbaum became the owners of a historic chocolate company Why they see themselves as caretakers of Gilbert Chocolates, not just business owners How they balance century-old recipes with modern production improvements Why moving production back to downtown Jackson mattered to the community How e-commerce, rewards programs, DoorDash, and online ordering fit into a classic chocolate business Why avoiding debt can be one of the most important decisions for small business survival What married entrepreneurs can learn from running a company together Episode Highlights 02:31 – Brian and Sally share their professional paths before buying Gilbert Chocolates 04:20 – How Brian discovered the company while consulting for the previous owner 06:07 – The moment Sally realized they were really going to buy the business 08:06 – Taking over right before the Christmas season and learning retail through baptism by fire 10:48 – Why Brian and Sally see themselves as caretakers of Gilbert Chocolates’ legacy 13:08 – How Gilbert Chocolates’ history connects to Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan 14:42 – Preserving original recipes while using modern ingredient sourcing 17:26 – The 120-year-old marble tables and candy equipment still used in production 20:10 – How sugar-free, dairy-free, and specialty chocolates fit into the product mix 25:32 – Why moving the company back downtown was such a meaningful operational and community decision 28:46 – Renovating an abandoned historic building and carrying out coal dust by hand 32:08 – Rebuilding more in-house production, including cherry cordials and peanut butter cups 34:37 – Modern retail tools, including rewards programs, app ordering, and DoorDash delivery 36:02 – The real operational challenge of shipping chocolate through e-commerce 39:23 – How customer demand led Gilbert Chocolates to introduce Dubai chocolates 42:20 – The business decisions Brian and Sally are most proud of, including staying open during COVID 45:16 – How they balance marriage, work, and shared leadership 48:12 – Dividing responsibilities between operations, equipment, finance, hiring, and store management 51:05 – Community involvement, historical society events, chocolate fountains, and local partnerships 54:30 – Why they consider themselves brand stewards more than brand innovators 57:38 – The biggest advice for entrepreneurs buying or reviving a legacy business: avoid unnecessary debt 59:45 – Leadership lessons about matching actions with words and staying calm as the person others watch Meet the Guest Brian and Sally Krichbaum are the owners of Gilbert Chocolates, a historic chocolate company based in Jackson, Michigan. Since purchasing the company in 2013, they have worked to preserve its legacy, bring production back downtown, maintain century-old traditions, and grow the business through practical innovation, community connection, and careful stewardship. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Legacy business acquisition Historic brand stewardship Downtown revitalization Recipe preservation In-house candy production Equipment modernization PLC-controlled chocolate machinery Rewards programs E-commerce fulfillment DoorDash local delivery Customer-driven product development Dairy-free and sugar-free product options Community partnerships Wholesale and corporate gifting Chocolate tours Debt avoidance Practical engineering upgrades Family business leadership Closing Insight and CTA Brian and Sally’s story shows that preserving a legacy does not mean refusing to change. It means knowing what must never be lost, then improving the systems around it so the business can keep serving the next generation. For Gilbert Chocolates, that means honoring the recipes, the history, the community, and the craft while making careful decisions that keep the company strong. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

What does it take to break barriers, reinvent yourself, and build success across completely different industries? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Dr. Rochel Marie Lawson, a registered nurse, entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and founder of the first woman-owned, minority-owned telecommunications installation company in the United States. Dr. Lawson shares how she moved from nursing into telecom, built a company in a male-dominated industry, learned to trust her intuition, and developed a life philosophy rooted in resilience, wellness, mindset, and legacy. What You’ll Learn How Dr. Rochel Marie Lawson went from registered nurse to telecom entrepreneur What it took to build a woman-owned, minority-owned telecom company in Silicon Valley Why resilience, tenacity, and self-belief are essential for entrepreneurs facing rejection How childhood lessons in sports shaped Dr. Lawson’s approach to success, visualization, and failure Why reinvention does not always mean abandoning old identities How wellness, mindset, meditation, and gratitude support long-term entrepreneurial success Why legal structure, clean books, and the right professional network matter when building wealth Episode Highlights 02:07 – Dr. Lawson shares her Silicon Valley roots and how growing up around boys shaped her tenacity 05:01 – Facing resistance as a young African American woman in the good old boys network of construction and telecom 09:02 – Why Dr. Lawson moved from communications to engineering, nursing, and eventually entrepreneurship 12:06 – Starting a telecom company with her husband and landing major clients within weeks 15:44 – How nursing, trauma care, and emergency medicine prepared her for business challenges 19:03 – Why she never saw setbacks as failures, only lessons with wisdom attached 21:05 – The childhood baseball story that revealed her early determination 23:22 – The track and field mentor who taught her visualization, affirmations, meditation, and success mindset 27:05 – Why she trusted telecom as the right opportunity, even before the industry fully emerged 30:09 – How reinvention works when you keep your old identities as tools instead of discarding them 33:02 – Advice for entrepreneurs who hear the voice asking, “Who am I to do this?” 35:11 – Why it is never too late to start something meaningful 37:02 – What “the queen of feeling fabulous” means in everyday life 41:28 – Wellness practices that help entrepreneurs stay grounded, healthy, and productive 46:20 – Why every business starts with similar fundamentals: plan, strategy, execution, and structure 49:02 – How Dr. Lawson learned to manage money, legal structure, books, and business systems 52:09 – The danger of spending to keep up with the Joneses 55:44 – Why entrepreneurs should surround themselves with more successful people 58:01 – How the National Association of Women Business Owners helped Dr. Lawson grow her company and her network Meet the Guest Dr. Rochel Marie Lawson is an entrepreneur, registered nurse, best-selling author, podcast host, wellness advocate, and founder of a groundbreaking telecommunications installation company. Known as the Queen of Feeling Fabulous, she helps people connect wellness, wisdom, wealth, mindset, and personal transformation. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Visualization Affirmations Meditation Gratitude practice Strategic planning Business implementation checkpoints Legal and accounting structure Professional networking National Association of Women Business Owners Wellness, wisdom, and wealth framework Morning lemon water ritual Mindset and resilience practices Gut-check decision making Third eye and crown chakra awareness Entrepreneurial legacy building 365 Days of Affirmations for a Year in Bliss Closing Insight and CTA Dr. Lawson’s story is a reminder that reinvention is not about starting over from nothing. It is about carrying your lessons, identities, skills, scars, and wisdom into the next opportunity with courage. Her journey shows that success is built through resilience, self-belief, wellness, structure, and the willingness to keep moving forward even when the path is difficult. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

What if the real difference between a struggling team and a thriving organization is not more money, more talent, or more hours, but better leadership? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Nick Edwards, co-founder of 410 Consulting Group and 410 Studios, founder of the nonprofit Impact 320, certified executive coach, and author of Big Dreams, Small Steps. Nick shares how leaders can create clarity, build consistency, scale people and profits, and develop the kind of legacy that outlives the business itself. What You’ll Learn Why healthy leadership requires spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical strength How Nick’s background as a pastor, police officer, entrepreneur, and coach shaped his leadership philosophy Why leaders must learn to say no in order to protect focus and long-term growth How clear vision helps organizations avoid distraction, confusion, and stalled progress Why systems create time, time creates money, and money creates opportunity How DISC personality assessments can help leaders communicate with different types of people Why entrepreneurs need to work on the business, not only in the business How small daily steps can turn big dreams into real progress Episode Highlights 02:17 – Nick shares his Dallas roots, family life, and early background 03:20 – How being a pastor, police officer, entrepreneur, and executive coach prepared him to lead leaders 05:05 – Why healthy leadership includes spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health 07:10 – How working with a life coach helped Nick invest in his own personal growth 09:04 – The origin of My Leadership Coach, 410 Consulting Group, and 410 Studios 11:13 – Why Impact 320 focuses on empowering men, strengthening families, and shaping generations 13:18 – The challenge of marketing yourself when you are the product 15:02 – Why getting started is the number one rule of success 17:07 – The difference between managing tasks and leading people 18:45 – Why high-level leaders are great at saying no 21:07 – How lack of clear vision causes organizations to stall 23:08 – Why integrity fights for you in rooms where you are absent 24:38 – How Big Dreams, Small Steps helps leaders move from vision to execution 29:02 – Why small steps create lasting growth and momentum 32:15 – How a leader’s mindset determines whether an organization is ready to scale 35:05 – Why vision must be communicated repeatedly before people truly catch it 37:00 – How clarity helps leaders reduce chaos and confusion 39:02 – Using DISC personality styles to communicate in the language each team member understands 42:12 – Why systems create consistency, time, money, and opportunity 45:12 – How to measure leadership effectiveness beyond financial metrics 47:18 – The first small step entrepreneurs should take when they do not know where to begin 49:02 – Why Nick wants to learn something new and add value to someone every day 50:31 – Why balance is a myth and leaders need to be fully present where they are 51:48 – How solution-based thinking helps leaders move beyond either-or answers Meet the Guest Nick Edwards is the co-founder of 410 Consulting Group and 410 Studios, founder of Impact 320, certified executive coach, leadership trainer, speaker, and author of Big Dreams, Small Steps. Through My Leadership Coach, he helps leaders clarify vision, strengthen communication, overcome obstacles, and achieve greater results in life, leadership, and business. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned My Leadership Coach 410 Consulting Group 410 Studios Impact 320 Big Dreams, Small Steps John Maxwell Leadership Team DISC personality assessment Vision as destination Small steps framework Solution-based thinking People plus systems equals results Systems equal time Time equals money Money equals opportunity Working on the business versus working in the business Learning something new every day Adding value every day Integrity-based leadership Closing Insight and CTA Nick’s message is clear: leadership that scales begins with clarity, consistency, integrity, and the willingness to grow first as a person. When leaders know where they are going, communicate the vision often, build systems, and invest in people, they create organizations that can grow beyond one person’s effort. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

What if the chaos behind product drops, ticket launches, sneaker releases, and high-demand sales could be made fairer for real fans? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Michael Dodsworth, founder and CEO of Fanfare, about fixing the broken systems behind product drops, ticket queues, hype launches, and scarcity-driven commerce. Michael shares how his background at Salesforce, Optimizely, Rival, and Ticketmaster shaped his approach to building a platform that protects fan trust, removes bots and bad actors, handles massive traffic surges, and helps brands create fairer, smarter, more memorable launch experiences. What You’ll Learn Why high-demand product drops and ticket launches often feel unfair to real fans How bots, bad actors, scalpers, and secondary markets distort scarcity-based launches What brands lose when a launch crashes or fans feel the system is rigged How Fanfare uses technology to manage traffic surges, identify real fans, and improve fairness Why “no-sale data” matters, especially for fans who tried to buy but missed out How emotional loyalty can turn a product drop into a deeper brand experience Why experiential commerce is becoming more important for brands, creators, artists, and event organizers Episode Highlights 01:08 – Michael explains the frustration that inspired Fanfare, from ticket queues to sneaker drops 03:32 – Why scarce products, concerts, and high-hype launches create painful consumer experiences 05:16 – How Michael’s experience at Salesforce, Optimizely, Rival, and Ticketmaster shaped his engineering approach 07:47 – The Taylor Swift presale failure and why it became a major example of broken ticketing systems 10:08 – Why many tickets are already gone before a general public sale even begins 12:07 – How Fanfare identifies unlucky real fans and helps brands reward them in future drops 14:39 – Why Ticketmaster’s acquisition of Rival deepened Michael’s frustration with broken launch systems 17:10 – The fears and unknowns Michael faced as a first-time founder 19:07 – Why Fanfare is built for experiential commerce, product drops, pop-ups, and fan-first launch moments 21:22 – How a failed launch can damage the trust between a brand and its customers 23:03 – How Fanfare handles millions of fans arriving at once without the system falling apart 25:01 – Why emotional loyalty matters in sneakers, live events, luxury products, and fandom-driven commerce 28:16 – How Fanfare prepares for massive traffic surges during high-demand launches 31:06 – Why “no-sale data” helps brands understand the fans who tried to buy but missed out 34:03 – Fanfare’s multi-layered approach to bot defense 37:06 – How brands balance fairness, hype, and manufactured scarcity 40:24 – How AI can help brands understand launch data and create better customer experiences 43:06 – The culture Michael wants to build at Fanfare: autonomy, trust, and adult responsibility 45:48 – Why small teams need clarity, alignment, and a strong understanding of the mission 48:21 – Leadership lessons from failure, engineering outages, and supportive postmortems 50:02 – Why fan-first experiences can turn customers into brand advocates 51:14 – Michael’s vision for bringing Fanfare into real-world communal events and pop-ups 53:02 – The founder resilience lesson Michael learned from Touching the Void Meet the Guest Michael Dodsworth is the founder and CEO of Fanfare, a platform designed to make high-demand product drops, ticketing events, and experiential commerce launches smarter, fairer, and more resilient. With experience at Salesforce, Optimizely, Rival, and Ticketmaster, Michael brings deep engineering and startup expertise to one of the most frustrating problems in modern fan commerce. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Fanfare Experiential commerce Product drop infrastructure Fan-first launch design Bot defense No-sale data Emotional loyalty Waitlist fairness Loyalty-based access Distributed architecture Serverless infrastructure Traffic surge management AI-assisted data analysis Customer profile intelligence Scarcity-based commerce Launch postmortems Founder resilience Pop-up and live-event commerce Closing Insight and CTA Michael’s story shows that a product launch is more than a transaction. For fans, it can be an emotional moment tied to identity, loyalty, excitement, and trust. When brands treat that moment carelessly, they lose more than a sale. They lose confidence. Fanfare is working to make those moments fairer, more transparent, and more valuable for both fans and brands. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

Can you build something big in technology outside of Silicon Valley? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Dan Ward, co-founder and president of Detroit Labs, about building a nationally recognized technology company from Detroit, creating people-first software, and leading through the realities of entrepreneurship. Dan shares how Detroit’s blue-collar work ethic shaped the company’s culture, why innovation is not limited by geography, and how founders can build strong teams, learn from failure, and create technology that solves real problems for real people. What You’ll Learn How Dan Ward went from IT help desk work to co-founding Detroit Labs Why Detroit’s blue-collar culture shaped the company’s approach to technology How to build a tech company outside of Silicon Valley Why service businesses need clients and cash flow faster than product startups How failure, layoffs, and talent loss shaped Dan’s leadership philosophy Why culture, flexibility, and employee ownership matter in a growing company How Detroit Labs balances innovation with usability and practical customer needs Why AI can be a powerful tool for research, learning, and staying current Episode Highlights 01:42 – Dan explains how AI is changing technology and helping leaders stay current 03:12 – Growing up in Michigan and discovering technology through college IT help desk work 05:04 – Why help desk experience helped Dan learn communication, empathy, and problem solving 07:03 – Working directly with Dan Gilbert at Quicken Loans and learning from an entrepreneurial leader 09:13 – How Detroit Labs came together through relationships, introductions, and a bigger vision 12:04 – Why getting clients quickly is critical for a technology services company 14:02 – How Detroit’s blue-collar work ethic influenced the culture of Detroit Labs 16:19 – Moving from the romantic idea of entrepreneurship to the hard work of sales and execution 18:32 – The Chevrolet Super Bowl app project and the lesson Detroit Labs learned about always selling 22:01 – How the great resignation challenged Detroit Labs and forced the company to respond 26:10 – Why founders need to decide whether they are going to quit or solve the problem in front of them 29:04 – The pros and cons of building a tech company in Silicon Valley versus Detroit 32:12 – How Detroit Labs created a culture where employees felt ownership over the workspace 36:15 – Building practical technology through user testing, including the Jimmy John’s mobile app 40:12 – Why leaders need to accept failure before they can learn from it 42:05 – How data and client honesty helped Detroit Labs correct an e-commerce flow that was not working 45:06 – What being a Google Cloud application development partner means for Detroit Labs 47:00 – Why Dan sees innovation as cumulative, not always one big breakthrough 50:28 – Why healthy growth matters more than chasing growth at any cost 53:09 – Leadership lessons on honesty, accountability, and taking responsibility with clients 56:14 – Why founders should choose opportunities that fit their business model and capacity 58:02 – The difference between building an app for an existing company and building a company around an app 1:00:05 – Dan’s advice for entrepreneurs building technology outside traditional tech hubs Meet the Guest Dan Ward is the co-founder and president of Detroit Labs, a Detroit-based technology company that designs and builds mobile apps, websites, and digital solutions for major brands. His leadership is shaped by Detroit’s blue-collar work ethic, practical innovation, strong culture, and a belief that great technology companies can be built outside Silicon Valley. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Detroit Labs Google Cloud application development AI-assisted research Mobile app development Software services model Dedicated cross-functional teams Onshore development User testing Hallway testing Customer-centered design Practical innovation Blue-collar technology culture Cash-flow-positive services business Client honesty and accountability Healthy sustainable growth Remote-friendly work culture Talent retention Founder resilience Working with major brands like Jimmy John’s and General Motors Closing Insight and CTA Dan’s story shows that innovation is not limited to Silicon Valley. It can grow from Detroit, from practical problem solving, from strong culture, and from teams that are willing to do the hard work behind the scenes. For founders and technology leaders, the lesson is clear: build around real customers, stay honest when things go wrong, keep learning, and create a company where people can do great work without losing the rest of their lives. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

How do you turn a $24 lawn mowing job into one of the largest franchise networks in the world? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Jim Penman, founder of Jim’s Group, about how he went from a struggling Ph.D. student mowing lawns on the side to building a franchise network with more than 5,000 franchisees. Jim shares how customer service, ethical decision-making, relentless improvement, franchisee-first systems, and a strong sense of purpose helped him build a business that grew far beyond what he ever imagined. What You’ll Learn How Jim Penman turned a side hustle into a global franchise network Why he chose franchising after first trying subcontractors and selling lawn mowing rounds How a franchisee-first model helped Jim’s Group scale Why customer service became the foundation of the company’s growth How ethical decisions can become powerful business advantages Why small improvements matter more than big speeches or grand visions What entrepreneurs can learn from service businesses, rejection, and starting with very little Episode Highlights 01:50 – Jim shares why he never imagined becoming an entrepreneur until age 30 03:12 – How a failed academic path pushed him to build a business that could fund his research 05:18 – Why lawn mowing started as a practical student job, not a grand business plan 07:02 – How competition led Jim to study franchising and create a better model for franchisees 10:15 – Why Jim designed his franchise system around protections, support, and franchisee welfare 12:48 – How Jim’s Group grew from one franchisee to more than 5,000 14:31 – Why franchising allowed him to scale service quality beyond subcontractors 16:06 – The three principles behind Jim’s Group: franchisee welfare, customer service, and careful selection 18:45 – Starting with limited money, heavy debt, and a deeply frugal lifestyle 21:10 – How Jim learned that “selling” worked best when he stopped selling and focused on helping people 24:03 – Why franchisees trusted him after he gave honest advice, even when it seemed against his own interest 27:22 – Why Jim believes great customer service starts with obsession over the customer 30:06 – How small, continuous improvements created large-scale growth over time 32:17 – Why personal hardship, especially losing contact with his children after divorce, was harder than any business challenge 35:01 – The importance of family, meaning, and purpose beyond money 37:26 – How Jim handles customer complaints and why he personally responds when needed 40:08 – Why the customer is not always right and how Jim supports franchisees when they are treated unfairly 42:12 – What makes Jim’s Group unusual in the franchise world, including franchisee protections and voting rights 44:16 – Jim’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs starting with nothing but a side hustle and a dream Meet the Guest Jim Penman is the founder of Jim’s Group, one of the world’s largest franchise networks, with thousands of franchisees across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and beyond. Starting with one lawn mower and a simple service business, he built a franchise model centered on customer service, franchisee support, ethical leadership, and constant improvement. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Jim’s Group Franchisee-first franchising Customer service systems Franchisee selection process Lead fee system Warranty fund Franchisee support meetings Franchisee voting protections Service business model Lawn mowing rounds Subcontractor model Ethical selling Continuous improvement Sweat equity Customer complaint response Birth rate research Epigenetics research No Other Success Birth Rate Crisis Closing Insight and CTA Jim’s story shows that entrepreneurship does not always begin with a polished plan, a big investment, or a glamorous industry. Sometimes it begins with a basic service, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to doing small things better every day. His journey proves that customer trust, ethical leadership, and support for the people doing the work can turn a simple side hustle into a global franchise system. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

How do you make a brand unforgettable in a world full of sameness? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Michael Dargie, founder of Make More Creative, author of Brand Jitsu, and host of the Rebel Rebel podcast. Michael explains how entrepreneurs can use authenticity, storytelling, creativity, and discipline to build brands that people actually remember. Drawing from Japanese jiu-jitsu, theater, improv, podcasting, and decades of creative strategy, he shares why the strongest brands are not built on hype. They are built on truth, clarity, and the courage to show up differently. What You’ll Learn What Brand Jitsu means and how it connects storytelling with brand strategy Why honesty and authenticity matter more than flashy marketing How entrepreneurs can stand out without copying competitors Why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools in business innovation How improv, theater, podcasting, and martial arts shaped Michael’s creative philosophy Why small businesses should focus on truth, purpose, and the people they serve How vulnerability, persistence, and consistency help entrepreneurs build memorable brands Episode Highlights 01:31 – Michael explains the meaning of Brand Jitsu and why it is about the technique of story 03:28 – How Japanese jiu-jitsu shaped Michael’s belief in simple, immediate, usable systems 05:08 – Why many brands fall into sameness and how honesty helps them stand apart 06:51 – The universal principle behind Brand Jitsu: find, shape, and share your story so people get it 08:17 – How leaving the big-brand corporate world led Michael to start Make More Creative 11:33 – Why Michael wanted to help small businesses show up like big brands 13:42 – How service, purpose, and truth help entrepreneurs balance creativity with business fundamentals 16:01 – Why entrepreneurs should not ignore competitors, but should stay focused on their own truth 18:12 – Why Michael prefers that people feel a mission instead of simply reading a mission statement 20:05 – How storytelling helps customers see themselves inside the brand experience 23:42 – Why Michael believes successful people are often humble servants with a clear purpose 26:05 – How theater and improv shaped Michael’s ability to keep stories moving forward 29:17 – The unexpected complexity of producing a major video project for a university client 33:26 – How the Rebel Rebel podcast began as a way to meet creative rebels and entrepreneurs 35:28 – Why Michael carefully screens podcast guests for fit, story, and purpose 38:14 – What podcasting has taught Michael about humility, service, and meaningful work 40:26 – How Drop Bear and Panda Save the World evolved into Drop Bear and Panda Save Canada 43:05 – Michael’s view on the future of podcasting and why human stories still matter 45:06 – Why leaving corporate life helped Michael build a new relationship with work 46:47 – How martial arts gave Michael a no-quit mindset in business 48:36 – Why creative blocks require changing the environment and doing something different 49:21 – The biggest risk Michael is glad he took and why truth matters in personal and professional life Meet the Guest Michael Dargie is the founder of Make More Creative, author of Brand Jitsu, host of the Rebel Rebel podcast, and co-host of Drop Bear and Panda Save the World and Drop Bear and Panda Save Canada. His work blends brand strategy, storytelling, martial arts philosophy, improv, creativity, and entrepreneurship to help people and companies become more memorable by becoming more honest. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Brand Jitsu Make More Creative Rebel Rebel podcast Drop Bear and Panda Save the World Drop Bear and Panda Save Canada Japanese jiu-jitsu Find, shape, and share your story Brand authenticity Brand DNA Brand promise Story-driven branding We-to-you ratio Improv “yes, and” mindset Not a game, not a sport Creative rebel positioning Guest intake process Nine-minute pre-interview Service-based brand strategy Truth-centered branding Closing Insight and CTA Michael’s message is simple and powerful: truth matters. A memorable brand does not need to be perfect, polished, or louder than everyone else. It needs to be clear, honest, useful, and real. When entrepreneurs understand who they serve, why they do the work, and how to tell that story in a way people can feel, they create brands that stand apart. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

 How do you turn a family recipe, a personal reunion, and a legacy of love into a nationally recognized tequila brand? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Debbie Medina-Gach, co-founder of Señor Rio Tequila, about building an ultra-premium tequila brand rooted in family, tradition, resilience, and purpose. Debbie shares how reconnecting with her father after 30 years led to the discovery of a three-generation tequila recipe, how she and her late husband Jonathan built the brand one bottle at a time, and how Señor Rio now gives back through the We Care Crusade, supporting families of children with special needs. What You’ll Learn How a father-daughter reunion in Mexico became the origin story of Señor Rio Tequila Why Debbie and Jonathan took a leap of faith into the spirits industry with no formal background How traditional tequila-making methods shaped Señor Rio’s flavor, quality, and identity What it takes to build a premium spirits brand without massive marketing budgets How Total Wine & More became a key retail partner for the brand Why Señor Rio connects business growth with purpose through the We Care Crusade How resilience, faith, family legacy, and giving back helped Debbie keep going after loss Episode Highlights 01:42 – Debbie shares how reconnecting with her father after 30 years led to the beginning of Señor Rio 04:12 – The unlabeled bottle of tequila that helped break the ice between father and daughter 06:02 – Why Debbie and Jonathan believed they could bring the family tequila recipe to market 07:58 – How Señor Rio was named after Debbie’s father and her maiden name, Rivera 09:10 – Debbie reflects on building the company with her late husband Jonathan 11:24 – How Jonathan’s accounting background helped with licensing, trademarks, and business structure 13:05 – Why agave farming, aging, roasting, and cognac barrels matter to Señor Rio’s flavor profile 16:18 – How Señor Rio’s agaves are grown in the volcanic soil of Jalisco, Mexico 18:12 – The challenge of launching an ultra-premium tequila brand without deep marketing pockets 20:45 – How Debbie and Jonathan hand-sold bottles to restaurants, bars, liquor stores, and country clubs 22:11 – How Señor Rio earned placement with Total Wine & More as an exclusive national brand 25:25 – Debbie discusses being a minority woman-owned brand in a male-dominated spirits industry 27:18 – How We Care Crusade grew from Señor Rio’s commitment to giving back 29:30 – Why Debbie created We Care Crusade to support families raising children with special needs 31:09 – How Debbie’s granddaughters Catalina and Claudia inspired her focus on Angelman syndrome awareness 33:44 – Debbie introduces her book, One Bottle at a Time: A True Love Story, 50 Tequila Craft Cocktails 36:01 – How Debbie kept going through financial pressure, loss, and the temptation to quit 38:05 – How actor Joe Mantegna became involved with Señor Rio as a co-owner and supporter 40:18 – What makes Señor Rio stand apart in the premium tequila market 41:32 – The hidden message inside Señor Rio bottles and the deeper meaning behind the brand Meet the Guest Debbie Medina-Gach is the co-founder of Señor Rio Tequila, a minority woman-owned ultra-premium tequila brand rooted in a three-generation family recipe from Jalisco, Mexico. She is also the founder of We Care Crusade, a nonprofit supporting families of children with special needs, and the author of One Bottle at a Time: A True Love Story, 50 Tequila Craft Cocktails. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Señor Rio Tequila Jalisco International Imports We Care Crusade One Bottle at a Time Family recipe branding Ultra-premium tequila positioning Additive-free tequila principles Single-estate agave sourcing Lowlands of Jalisco Roasted agave production Double distillation Cognac barrel aging Total Wine & More exclusive retail strategy Brand ambassador sampling Tequila with a cause Angelman syndrome awareness Minority woman-owned certification Celebrity partnership with Joe Mantegna Closing Insight and CTA Debbie’s story shows that the strongest brands are often built from the most personal places. Señor Rio is not just a tequila brand. It is a family legacy, a love story, a tribute to heritage, and a vehicle for helping families who need support. Her journey is a reminder that lasting brands are built through values, persistence, purpose, and the courage to keep going one bottle at a time. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

How do you start a business with almost nothing, rebuild your life from rock bottom, and turn belief into opportunity for other people? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Mario Kelly, founder of Believe 313 Staffing, about going from homelessness and $27 in cleaning supplies to building multiple businesses rooted in faith, grit, second chances, and Detroit resilience. Mario shares how selling “Believe” wristbands helped him survive, how he manifested and rebuilt a home in Rosedale Park, how a cleaning opportunity during COVID became a business, and how Believe 313 Staffing now helps returning citizens, underserved workers, and people with overlooked potential rebuild their futures. What You’ll Learn How Mario Kelly turned personal crisis into a new entrepreneurial beginning Why belief, faith, manifestation, and action all played a role in his transformation How he sold wristbands downtown and reinvested the money into a house and business foundation How a $27 cleaning supply purchase turned into thousands of dollars in early revenue Why Believe 313 Staffing focuses on second chances, returning citizens, and underserved workers How Mario identifies hidden talent in people others might overlook Why AI will not simply replace people, but will reward people who learn how to use it well Episode Highlights 01:42 – Mario explains the meaning behind Believe 313 and why belief is a mindset 04:02 – The life-changing moment when his marriage ended and he was left with $1,500 06:18 – How the phrase “believe in yourself” became the foundation for his wristband hustle 08:02 – Sleeping in his car in Rosedale Park while visualizing the neighborhood as his future home 10:13 – Selling Believe wristbands downtown and turning small donations into real profit 12:08 – How Detroit City Council helped amplify the Believe 313 message 14:20 – Why Mario chose entrepreneurship instead of returning to another unfulfilling job 16:08 – Finding a neglected house in the exact neighborhood he had been manifesting 18:12 – Buying the house for $6,500 and rebuilding it room by room with YouTube, sweat equity, and discipline 21:03 – How faith, prayer, and persistence helped him keep going through hard nights 23:20 – How Believe 313 Cleaning began after a tour of Shinola revealed a business opportunity 27:02 – Learning the value of research, pricing, and contracts after nearly underbidding a major cleaning job 30:04 – Turning $27 in cleaning supplies into $4,500 in revenue within six days 32:15 – How COVID-era cleaning work created the foundation for Believe 313 Staffing 34:24 – Why Mario recruits from halfway houses and focuses on work-release opportunities 36:18 – How Cage Rage helps returning citizens build resumes, soft skills, businesses, LLCs, and new futures 38:45 – Mario’s view on AI, automation, and why people who master AI will replace people who ignore it 42:11 – How listening helps Mario identify hidden potential in workers 45:08 – Why second chances are central to Believe 313’s mission 48:09 – Success stories of returning citizens who became supervisors, entrepreneurs, and business owners 51:42 – Balancing compassion with discipline when running a sustainable business 54:11 – Why mentorship helped Mario avoid costly mistakes and grow faster 56:36 – Mario’s vision for Believe 313, Believe in AI, and the future of his companies Meet the Guest Mario Kelly is the founder of Believe 313 Staffing, Believe 313 Cleaning, Cage Rage, and Believe in AI. A fifth-generation Detroiter, entrepreneur, author, and second-chance advocate, Mario built his businesses from personal hardship and now uses them to create jobs, support returning citizens, and help people discover their own potential. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Believe 313 Staffing Believe 313 Cleaning Cage Rage Believe in AI Believe wristbands Manifestation practice Rosedale Park visualization YouTube University Freedom of Information Act research CDC disinfectant research Electrostatic fogging Returning citizen employment Work-release hiring Halfway house recruitment Resume building Soft skills training LLC and EIN setup ChatGPT Mastery AI prompt training Dan Gilbert’s 19 Isms Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich “Numbers and money don’t lead, they follow” Closing Insight and CTA Mario’s story proves that starting with almost nothing does not mean you have nothing to build from. Belief, faith, discipline, listening, mentorship, and action can become a foundation when money is scarce. His journey is also a reminder that people are more than their worst moment. When someone is given a real opportunity, the right structure, and a reason to believe again, a second chance can become a new future. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

How do you turn a simple visual-content problem into a technology platform that helps set the standard for an entire industry? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Henry Woodman, founder of ICE Portal, about the entrepreneurial journey behind the internet content exchange platform that changed how hotels manage and distribute visual content across travel websites. Henry shares how early ventures in photography, video games, travel media, virtual tours, and hospitality content led him to build a SaaS platform that helped major hotel brands deliver accurate photos to online travel agencies around the world. What You’ll Learn How Henry Woodman’s early entrepreneurial instincts shaped his later business success Why ICE Portal became important to hotels, travel websites, and online booking platforms How virtual tours led Henry into hospitality image management and content distribution Why solving a real industry problem matters more than chasing a trendy idea How bootstrapping helped Henry stay lean, disciplined, and prepared Why documentation, process, and operational discipline made ICE Portal attractive to buyers What entrepreneurs can learn from strategic exits, timing, preparation, and knowing their number Episode Highlights 02:12 – Henry explains what ICE Portal does and why hotel images across travel websites often came from its servers 04:25 – Growing up in South Florida and discovering early entrepreneurial opportunities 05:40 – Selling switchblades as a teenager and learning the basics of buying low and selling higher 07:05 – Starting a pet photography side hustle with a darkroom in his bathroom 08:15 – How a Pac-Man addiction led Henry to place video games inside laundromats 10:28 – Why early entrepreneurship taught him to look for problems, opportunities, and timing 12:14 – How Henry moved from media and travel films into virtual tours 15:02 – Seeing a CD-ROM virtual reality tour and realizing travel visuals could be produced differently 17:20 – How virtual tours evolved into the need for hotel photo distribution 19:16 – Why hotels needed a better way to send accurate images to Expedia, Booking, and other travel sites 22:05 – Why Henry chose not to pursue real estate visuals and stayed focused on hospitality 24:18 – How Starwood became an early adopter and helped ICE Portal build credibility 27:04 – The challenge of convincing hotel companies and travel platforms to trust the technology 29:18 – How ICE Portal competed against a dominant incumbent and eventually gained ground 32:06 – Why the end of exclusive contracts opened the door for rapid growth 34:09 – How ICE Portal grew from Starwood to Wyndham and then to tens of thousands of hotels 36:24 – How Henry learned to scale by studying business, reading Traction, and building processes 39:41 – Why bootstrapping forced discipline and helped Henry avoid wasteful spending 41:10 – Why attitude, hunger, and cultural fit mattered more than skills alone when building the team 43:06 – How phantom stock helped retain key employees and made the company more attractive to buyers 45:12 – How partnerships with conferences helped ICE Portal gain visibility without large marketing budgets 47:28 – Preparing for acquisition through documentation, process, and operational readiness 49:16 – How Henry knew his number before selling the company 51:05 – Why ICE Portal’s SaaS model, margins, hotel network, and hospitality relationships made it attractive to buyers 53:30 – Henry’s advice for entrepreneurs planning a successful exit 55:04 – How AI is shaping Henry’s next creative venture around his book The Reincarnation of Marie Meet the Guest Henry Woodman is an entrepreneur, media producer, author, and founder of ICE Portal, a hospitality technology platform that helped hotels manage and distribute visual content to travel websites around the world. After building and exiting ICE Portal, Henry has continued exploring storytelling, technology, AI, and media through new creative projects, including his book The Reincarnation of Marie. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned ICE Portal Internet Content Exchange Portal Hospitality visual-content distribution Hotel image management Online travel agencies Expedia, Booking, Travelocity, and other travel platforms Virtual tours CD-ROM travel media SaaS business model API connections Image tagging and categorization Global distribution systems Starwood Hotels Wyndham Hotels Bootstrapping Traction by Gino Wickman KPIs Process documentation Phantom stock Strategic exit planning AI text-to-video The Reincarnation of Marie Closing Insight and CTA Henry’s story shows that innovation often begins by solving one practical problem, then following the next problem that appears. ICE Portal did not start as a polished technology empire. It grew from photography, travel media, virtual tours, customer needs, hotel image problems, and years of disciplined execution. For entrepreneurs, the lesson is clear: solve a real problem, document your systems, stay prepared, and know what kind of exit would truly change your life. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

How do you turn a forgotten daily routine into a global luxury grooming brand? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Eric Malka, co-founder of The Art of Shaving, about how passion, strategy, branding, and execution helped transform men’s shaving from a basic drugstore habit into a luxury self-care experience. Eric shares how he and his wife started with $12,000, opened a tiny Manhattan store, built a premium grooming category, expanded through major retailers, and eventually sold the company to Procter & Gamble. He also discusses clean beauty, consumer health, brand building, and his current work through Strategic Brand Investments. What You’ll Learn How The Art of Shaving began with a small shop, old-fashioned shaving products, and aromatherapy formulas Why execution matters more than having a completely original idea How luxury branding helped create a new category in men’s grooming Why customer experience, ritual, packaging, scent, and store design became central to the brand How wholesale partnerships with Neiman Marcus, Saks, Bloomingdale’s, and other retailers helped the company scale What entrepreneurs need to understand before selling a company Why clean beauty, transparency, and ingredient awareness matter in the future of personal care Episode Highlights 02:05 – Eric shares how old-fashioned shaving shops in London and his wife’s aromatherapy work inspired The Art of Shaving 04:18 – Selling their car and opening the first Manhattan store with only $12,000 05:41 – Why starting quickly mattered more than waiting for the perfect plan 07:04 – How an early supplier conflict pushed Eric and his wife to create their own product line 09:03 – Why The Art of Shaving entered an underserved luxury category instead of competing in mass-market shaving 10:52 – How branding, public relations, and media attention helped the company grow 12:18 – Creating an in-store experience through scent, music, barber services, packaging, and atmosphere 14:05 – Why customers connected with the morning shaving ritual as an early form of men’s self-care 15:07 – The Neiman Marcus opportunity that showed Eric the brand could become something much bigger 17:12 – How The Art of Shaving scaled from boutique stores into 800 retail locations 18:42 – Why raising money often means beginning the path toward an eventual exit 20:08 – Lessons Eric learned while negotiating the sale to Procter & Gamble 22:24 – Why entrepreneurs should understand that bankers and brokers may not be fully aligned with their interests 24:03 – Why founders need to know their selling threshold before entering acquisition talks 25:55 – How selling the company changed Eric’s view of entrepreneurship, health, mindset, and financial freedom 28:10 – Why Eric would have brought in investors and a management team earlier if he could do one thing differently 30:20 – How Eric shifted into clean beauty, wellness, and Strategic Brand Investments after selling The Art of Shaving 33:06 – Why ingredient transparency became central to his work in beauty and personal care 35:12 – How consumer demand for clean products is rising, but misinformation remains a major problem 37:02 – Brands Eric is currently working with, including Jack Henry, Barberino, and Miami Beach Bum 39:05 – Why consumers need to read ingredient labels and protect themselves in a lightly regulated industry 40:24 – Why innovation, differentiation, and emotional connection separate real brands from ordinary companies 42:16 – How company culture grows from shared values, purpose, and customer obsession 44:03 – Eric’s daily routine around family, exercise, meditation, tea, and health 45:30 – Why entrepreneurship often comes from rule-breaking, challenging norms, and refusing the status quo 46:40 – Why the future of beauty and wellness may include a return to brick-and-mortar retail Meet the Guest Eric Malka is the co-founder of The Art of Shaving, the luxury men’s grooming brand later acquired by Procter & Gamble. He is also an entrepreneur, investor, clean beauty advocate, and founder of Strategic Brand Investments, where he supports emerging brands in wellness, grooming, beauty, and personal care. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned The Art of Shaving Procter & Gamble acquisition Strategic Brand Investments Ingredients Jack Henry Barberino Miami Beach Bum Luxury grooming category creation Aromatherapy-based product formulation Premium retail strategy Neiman Marcus shop-in-shop model Wholesale scaling Public relations as brand growth Experiential retail Customer advocacy Men’s self-care ritual Clean beauty Ingredient transparency Non-toxic formulations Founder exit planning M&A negotiation Selling threshold Brand versus company distinction Closing Insight and CTA Eric’s story shows that a powerful brand is not built by copying what already exists. It is built by finding an overlooked category, serving the customer better than anyone else, and creating an experience people want to return to. The Art of Shaving succeeded because it turned a simple routine into a meaningful ritual. His later work in clean beauty and brand investment shows that the same principles still apply: innovate, differentiate, protect the customer, and build with purpose. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

How do you succeed as an independent filmmaker when you do not have film school, industry gatekeepers, or a clear roadmap guiding the way? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with John Wayne S. III, filmmaker, producer, director, writer, and founder of Londyn Town Pictures, about building a creative career through persistence, relationships, resourcefulness, and entrepreneurial thinking. John shares how he unexpectedly entered filmmaking after losing a job, learned the business from the ground up, moved from production assistant work to music videos, commercials, and feature films, and why creative entrepreneurs must understand both artistry and execution. What You’ll Learn How John Wayne S. III accidentally entered the film industry and discovered his calling Why relationships, dependability, and reputation matter in entertainment entrepreneurship How music videos, commercials, and independent films each taught different business lessons Why filmmakers need to understand writing, producing, directing, budgeting, and paperwork How to balance creative vision with financial reality Why branding matters early for creative entrepreneurs How John thinks about AI, streaming, and the future of independent filmmaking Episode Highlights 02:20 – John explains how a mistaken phone call led him to work on an indie film instead of pursuing medicine 04:25 – How working on Scenes for the Soul introduced him to film production and music videos in Chicago 06:02 – The third-grade memory that helped John realize he was doing what he was meant to do 08:10 – Why starting without film school helped him learn by doing and avoid preconceived limits 10:02 – How early production assistant work taught him dependability, communication, and follow-through 12:30 – Why criticism about not being “black enough” pushed John to create his own opportunities 15:08 – How relationships from the music industry helped him launch his own production work 18:20 – Why entrepreneurs in creative industries must create opportunities instead of waiting to be discovered 20:34 – How John moved from music videos into commercials by finding businesses with strong products but weak visual branding 24:05 – Why creatives need to understand producing, budgets, timelines, and business constraints 27:15 – How John thinks about personal branding versus company branding for entrepreneurs and creators 30:02 – Why John looks for team members who can think creatively without simply solving every problem with money 33:10 – How to keep a team aligned by finding the right people and building trust over time 36:05 – Why setbacks are part of the process and why happiness, optimism, and focus are choices 38:20 – How daily lists help John stay organized across multiple creative projects 40:06 – The story behind Red All Over and how John approached gun violence from both sides of the issue 43:10 – How divorce delayed the release of Red All Over and what that taught him about life and creativity 45:12 – Why John now looks for projects that align with what investors, distributors, and audiences already care about 47:05 – John discusses False Prophets, a film about a woman who creates a Ponzi scheme inside her father’s church 50:08 – John previews Hard Holiday, a Christmas film about addiction, redemption, and rebuilding a life 53:02 – Why John says he makes films because he wants to “live forever” through his work 56:20 – The practical advice he gives creatives: be open, do the paperwork, and build the foundation first 59:10 – John’s advice to stay focused, stay determined, and lead the people who depend on you Meet the Guest John Wayne S. III is a filmmaker, producer, director, writer, and founder of Londyn Town Pictures. His career spans music videos, commercials, independent films, and creative consulting, with work shaped by Chicago, entrepreneurship, storytelling, and a commitment to creating opportunities instead of waiting for permission. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Londyn Town Pictures Music video production Commercial directing Independent filmmaking Production assistant path Production coordinating Production management Writing to budget Completion bond Film financing Investor alignment Personal branding Company branding Creative problem solving Team alignment Daily task lists Red All Over False Prophets Hard Holiday Soundtrack strategy Streaming distribution AI in filmmaking Paperwork, contracts, publishing, and copyrights Closing Insight and CTA John’s story shows that filmmaking is not only a creative journey. It is an entrepreneurial one. Talent matters, but so do relationships, preparation, budgeting, paperwork, leadership, and the ability to keep moving when the path is unclear. His message for creators is direct: be open, build the foundation, do the paperwork, and create your own opportunities instead of waiting for someone else to give you permission. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

How do you make your brand message clear enough for people to remember, trust, and act on? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Glenn Rudin, branding expert, communications strategist, author of A Brand in Your Hand, and founder of Always Been Creative. Glenn explains why entrepreneurs must treat themselves like products, package their message with intention, and communicate their value with clarity, confidence, and authenticity. Drawing from decades in sales, product development, marketing, and coaching, he shares practical lessons on elevator pitches, personal branding, storytelling, first impressions, and how to stand out in competitive markets. What You’ll Learn Why entrepreneurs need to think of themselves as brands, not just business owners How first impressions, body language, confidence, and clarity shape business opportunities Why simple messaging is often more powerful than complicated explanations How to avoid overtalking during elevator pitches, investor conversations, and sales meetings Why authenticity and audience understanding are essential in today’s digital marketplace How storytelling helps customers connect with a brand’s heritage, purpose, and promise How AI can support messaging work without replacing the human voice behind the brand Episode Highlights 01:20 – Glenn shares his background growing up in northern New Jersey and developing an early entrepreneurial spirit 03:18 – How snow shoveling, car washing, and selling New Kids on the Block hats taught early business lessons 05:05 – Why riding along with his father, an electronics salesman, became Glenn’s first real sales training 07:10 – How Glenn learned that people buy from those they know, like, trust, and respect 09:18 – Why Glenn came to see people as products that need branding, packaging, and clear communication 11:45 – What makes an entrepreneur’s message memorable when pitching investors, partners, or customers 13:52 – Why overtalking and overcomplicating are two of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make 16:08 – How preparation helps business owners deliver a clear pitch without rambling 18:12 – A client story about repositioning a chef from lunch delivery to high-end private dining experiences 22:05 – Glenn introduces A Brand in Your Hand and explains why he wrote it as a rhyming business book 24:34 – Why ideas must move from your head to paper before they become real business opportunities 26:50 – How writing the book helped Glenn refine his coaching approach for entrepreneurs and business owners 29:02 – The branding challenge behind naming Always Been Creative and securing a strong identity 31:05 – Why hiring a coach can help business owners stop wasting time searching for answers alone 34:12 – How businesses in competitive markets must study competitors and find true differentiation 37:05 – Why authenticity is critical in branding, especially in a crowded digital world 39:18 – How knowing your exact audience helps you speak in a way that feels real and relevant 41:06 – Why storytelling gives brands heritage, emotional connection, and memorability 43:24 – How founders must balance personal branding with professional brand representation 45:18 – Glenn’s perspective on AI, messaging, and the danger of relying on generic automated content 47:05 – The reward of seeing a product or brand move from concept to major retail shelves 48:02 – Glenn previews his next book, The Story of You, focused on the life experiences that shape personal identity Meet the Guest Glenn Rudin is a sales, marketing, branding, and communications strategist known as The Message Master. He is the founder of Always Been Creative and the author of A Brand in Your Hand, a rhyming business book designed to help entrepreneurs understand personal branding, messaging, elevator pitches, and the power of making a clear first impression. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Always Been Creative The Message Master A Brand in Your Hand Personal branding Elevator pitch development First-impression strategy Audience evaluation Mission statement development Product development Brand positioning Brand differentiation Storytelling in branding Authentic messaging Competitive analysis Coaching as business acceleration AI-assisted messaging LinkedIn branding Message Master Thoughts The Story of You Closing Insight and CTA Glenn’s message is clear: a great idea is only the beginning. To make it real, entrepreneurs must write it down, clarify who it serves, shape the message, and communicate it in a way people can understand quickly. The strongest brands are not always the loudest or most complicated. They are the clearest, most authentic, and most intentionally presented. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

How do you turn a simple healthy snack idea into a new category on the shelves of Walmart and Sam’s Club? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Llance Kezner, co-founder of Millie’s Sipping Broth, about how he and his wife, Lori, transformed a homemade wellness idea into an award-winning, nationally distributed food brand. What started as a healthier alternative to bouillon cubes for Lori’s school-day snack became a plant-based sipping broth in a tea bag, built for people who want a savory, satisfying, low-calorie option between meals. Llance shares lessons on product testing, customer feedback, retail growth, food innovation, and what it really takes to create a new category in the health-conscious food and beverage market. What You’ll Learn How Millie’s Sipping Broth began as a simple solution for a healthier snack during the workday Why customer feedback at Pike Place Market helped shape the product, pitch, and name How Llance and Lori moved from kitchen experiments to professional food manufacturing Why finding the people who truly need your product is more important than trying to sell to everyone How Weight Watchers, Walmart, and Sam’s Club helped expand Millie’s national reach Why innovation requires flexibility, fast learning, and a willingness to adjust in motion How plant-based ingredients, shelf-stable packaging, and dry broth formats support health and sustainability Episode Highlights 01:36 – Llance shares his background growing up in Bellevue, Washington 02:22 – How growing up in a family of entrepreneurs shaped his early view of business 03:06 – Selling Christmas trees as a six-year-old and learning how to sell through conversation 04:38 – How creativity showed up early for both Llance and his wife, Lori 06:02 – Why health and wellness became part of the product story through Lori’s everyday needs 07:05 – How Lori’s teacher schedule and desire for a healthy snack led to the first broth idea 08:08 – Why Llance created a healthier alternative to bouillon cubes 09:11 – The first kitchen experiment using Lipton tea bags and a tomato basil broth blend 10:24 – The problem Millie’s was designed to solve: a savory, satisfying snack without sugar, caffeine, or junk food 12:15 – Moving from homemade samples to a co-packer and professional production 13:40 – Why they needed both manufacturing support and proof that customers would pay for the product 14:52 – Testing the minimum viable product at Pike Place Market in Seattle 15:35 – How selling hot broth in summer helped them perfect a five-to-ten-second pitch 16:48 – Why creating a new category brought both opportunity and ongoing challenges 18:10 – How weight-conscious consumers helped Millie’s find its first strong market fit 20:22 – How Weight Watchers discovered Millie’s during COVID and introduced the product to millions of subscribers 22:18 – How Millie’s expanded into Walmart, Sam’s Club, Amazon, and thousands of retail locations 24:11 – Winning the Specialty Food Association’s Sofi Gold Award for Outstanding Hot Beverage 26:02 – Why awards build credibility, but the product still has to win on taste and usefulness 27:14 – How Walmart’s Open Call led to a golden ticket and a major retail opportunity 29:18 – Scaling from small production runs to making more product in a week than they previously made in a year 31:02 – Why customer feedback led them to change the name from Millie’s Savory Teas to Millie’s Sipping Broth 33:05 – Why innovation means solving real problems instead of reinventing products that already exist 35:14 – How plant-based ingredients became a natural part of the brand because Lori is vegetarian 37:08 – Why Millie’s focuses on flavor first, with health as a strong added benefit 39:12 – How dry broth reduces the need to ship water and supports a more sustainable format 40:48 – The most rewarding customer feedback, including people using Millie’s during chemotherapy or in hospitals 42:22 – Lessons from early manufacturing challenges and why mistakes help entrepreneurs learn where the trap doors are 43:48 – How Llance and Lori balance working together, family life, and entrepreneurship from home 45:10 – New international-inspired flavors and potential food service opportunities 46:21 – Llance’s vision for broth as an airline beverage option alongside coffee and tea 47:33 – Why health-conscious food and beverage products will keep growing with younger consumers 49:38 – The legacy Llance hopes to build through Millie’s and the entrepreneurial lessons he wants to pass to his children Meet the Guest Llance Kezner is the co-founder of Millie’s Sipping Broth, a plant-based savory broth in a tea bag created with his wife, Lori. The brand has won a Sofi Gold Award, reached national retailers including Walmart and Sam’s Club, and created a new way for consumers to enjoy healthy, satisfying broth as a snack, beverage, or wellness ritual. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Millie’s Sipping Broth Plant-based sipping broth Savory snack alternative Tomato basil broth Minimum viable product Pike Place Market testing Five-to-ten-second sales pitch Co-packer manufacturing Weight Watchers discovery Walmart Open Call Walmart golden ticket Sam’s Club retail launch Specialty Food Association Sofi Gold Award Direct-to-consumer sales Customer feedback loops Health-conscious snacking Intermittent fasting support Vegan food innovation Shelf-stable dry broth Sustainable packaging Food service opportunities Airline beverage concept Closing Insight and CTA Llance’s story shows that innovation often starts with a small, personal problem. Millie’s Sipping Broth began as a better snack for one busy teacher, then grew because other people recognized the same need in their own lives. The lesson for entrepreneurs is clear: get the idea in front of real customers, listen closely, stay flexible, and build for the people who truly need what you offer. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

How do resilient entrepreneurs turn rejection, uncertainty, and hard lessons into lasting business differentiation? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Barry LaBov, founder and CEO of LaBov Marketing Communications and Training, about entrepreneurship, creativity, branding, differentiation, and the power of relationships. Barry shares how his early life in music unexpectedly prepared him for business, why trust and word of mouth still matter in a digital marketing world, and how entrepreneurs can identify what makes them truly different before trying to scale. What You’ll Learn Why entrepreneurship is often less about freedom and more about commitment, persistence, and responsibility How Barry’s experience in rock bands and music production shaped his understanding of business, products, and customer experience Why relationships, trust, and one-client-at-a-time service still matter in modern marketing How rejection can become a filter instead of a stopping point Why differentiation starts with discovering what customers already value about you How founders can build a culture around what makes their company unique Why early entrepreneurs should think small, serve deeply, and let satisfied customers become advocates Episode Highlights 01:15 – Barry’s background as founder and CEO of LaBov Marketing Communications and Training 03:30 – Why entrepreneurship often means working whichever 12 hours of the day are required 05:02 – How Barry’s early rock band experience taught him about products, performance, and customer experience 07:05 – The death of Barry’s father and how it pushed him to focus his creative energy into business 08:42 – Why Barry discovered that creativity, not music alone, was his true passion 10:15 – How marketing has changed through digital tools, but still depends on doing great work for one client at a time 12:04 – Why Barry bootstrapped his business and did not take a salary for seven years 14:18 – The painful rejection from a New York music publisher who told Barry he had no talent 16:02 – How the very next meeting with Billy Joel’s publishing company led to a song being accepted 18:10 – Why entrepreneurs cannot let one bad meeting define the future of their dream 19:28 – How a trusted client convinced Barry to move from jingle writing into full-service marketing and advertising 21:06 – Why Barry chose entrepreneurship over becoming someone else’s employee 22:45 – What differentiation really means for a brand, product, or service 24:12 – Why Barry starts by discovering what already makes a client unique instead of inventing something artificial 25:20 – The customer question that can reveal your strongest differentiator: “What are we doing that you do not want us to stop?” 27:02 – Why employees must understand and celebrate differentiation before the market does 29:08 – The kind of clients Barry works with and why mindset matters more than company size 31:35 – Barry’s advice for entrepreneurs trying to build identity with limited resources 33:02 – Why small business owners should avoid compromising the quality of what they create 34:15 – Why serving one or two clients exceptionally well can be more powerful than chasing mass marketing too early 35:48 – How customer referrals and word of mouth become the strongest early growth engine Meet the Guest Barry LaBov is the founder and CEO of LaBov Marketing Communications and Training, a two-time Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year recipient, BBB Torch Award for Ethics recipient, author, speaker, and branding strategist. His work focuses on helping companies discover, name, celebrate, and communicate what makes them uniquely valuable. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned LaBov Marketing Communications and Training L Squared Global Investments Plow Digital The Power of Differentiation Brand reengineering Customer loyalty Employee engagement Dealer and distributor performance Differentiation discovery Customer feedback interviews Employee culture alignment One-client-at-a-time growth Word-of-mouth marketing Bootstrapped business growth Relationship-based selling Brand storytelling Psychographic client fit Young Presidents Organization Sycamore Hills Golf Club Closing Insight and CTA Barry’s story shows that entrepreneurship is built through persistence, trust, creativity, and the courage to keep going after rejection. The strongest brands do not always win because they are louder or larger. They win because they understand what makes them different, deliver it consistently, and turn customers and employees into believers. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.

What does entrepreneurship really require after the excitement of the idea fades and the hard work begins? In this inaugural episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Arius Websterberry, entrepreneur, marketing strategist, author, and creator of Launch Ignition, about the real mindset, structure, and discipline required to build a business. Arius shares how his entrepreneurial instincts began with a childhood dog-walking hustle, grew through event promotion and digital marketing, and eventually turned into a system for helping other entrepreneurs move from idea to execution. What You’ll Learn Why entrepreneurship starts with solving a real need, not just chasing a personal hobby How Arius learned early that the market decides whether an idea matters Why entrepreneurs need structure, discipline, and accountability, not just freedom How event promotion taught Arius sales, marketing, logistics, and audience-building Why sometimes taking a job can give entrepreneurs the skills and training they need for the next business How Launch Ignition helps founders build stronger business foundations before scaling Why content creation needs a repeatable process, especially for solopreneurs and small business owners Episode Highlights 01:35 – Arius shares how his first business started at age 10 when he noticed neighborhood dogs were not being walked 03:20 – Why his first dog-walking business was profitable but quickly shut down by his mother 05:02 – How watching major entrepreneur-brands shaped his early view of business and possibility 06:54 – Why many people mistake hobbies for businesses 08:10 – The two mindset shifts entrepreneurs need: market validation and structured work habits 10:45 – Why entrepreneurship is not an escape from discipline, schedules, or accountability 12:18 – How throwing parties in high school and college introduced Arius to promotion and event marketing 14:02 – Moving from parties to concert promotion, street teams, billboards, radio spots, and large-scale event marketing 16:30 – How the 2009 and 2010 economic crash forced Arius to rebuild in Texas 18:14 – Why doing what you have to do can create the foundation for doing what you want to do 20:32 – How a regular job at a major digital marketing company gave Arius formal training and structure 22:41 – Why taking a step back sometimes prepares entrepreneurs to move forward stronger 24:15 – How turning away unprepared agency clients revealed the need for entrepreneur coaching 26:48 – Why ads exposed weak systems, poor organization, and cracks in early-stage businesses 28:42 – How Arius created the first version of Launch Ignition to help entrepreneurs build stronger foundations 31:06 – How ChatGPT and AI became central to the Launch Ignition system 33:20 – The three-part Launch Ignition model: software, one-on-one coaching, and group accountability 35:04 – Why mindset coaching became an important addition to the program 35:55 – Arius introduces Content Cannon, his book on creating a month of business content in one day 36:25 – Why “done is better than perfect” matters for entrepreneurs starting from garages, closets, or wherever they can begin Meet the Guest Arius Websterberry is an entrepreneur, digital marketing strategist, business coach, author, and creator of Launch Ignition, a program designed to help entrepreneurs move from business idea to profitability. He is also the author of Content Cannon, a practical guide for creating a month of business content in one day. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Launch Ignition Content Cannon Digital marketing Event promotion Street teams Billboard advertising Radio spots Social media marketing Google Ads training Market validation Entrepreneur mindset Business structure Sales machine development AI-assisted business planning ChatGPT for entrepreneurs One-on-one coaching Group accountability Launch Ignition’s nine-step framework Content batching “Done is better than perfect” Closing Insight and CTA Arius’ story shows that entrepreneurship is not only about having a dream. It is about testing the market, building structure, accepting accountability, learning from setbacks, and doing the work even when the path is uncomfortable. The real truth about entrepreneurship is that freedom comes after discipline, not before it. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.