PODCAST · business
You Can't Afford Me
by Samuel Anderson
Making the leap from employment to entrepreneurship can be a scary time. The biggest fear people have is the unknown. Here on the “You Can’t Afford Me Podast” we speak with hustlers and innovators on how to make the most of your journey. If you have questions we have answers.
Episodes
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You Can Use Anxiety Without Letting It Use You
Anxiety is everywhere right now, but nobody teaches you what it’s actually for. We sit down with Dr. Leslie Bottoms, therapist and owner of Wise Mind Counseling PLC in the Richmond, Virginia area, to get practical about mental health without the fluff. She shares what she’s seeing across therapy...
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The Secret Sauce Is Not The Sauce
A great restaurant is not built on a perfect recipe, it’s built on repeatable decisions. Chef and serial entrepreneur Paul Hubbard joins us to tell the real story behind Deep Run Roadhouse and his acquisition of Pearl’s Bake Shop in Richmond, Virginia, including the early days when the cash was...
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How A Mobile Coffee Trailer Becomes A Real Brand
A coffee business built inside a horse trailer sounds like a cute idea until you hear what it takes to make it real. We’re joined by Lori Traficanti, founder of Sipping Sunshine Cafe, to break down how she launched Goochland’s only independent coffee business and turned a mobile espresso bar into…
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What If Golf Improvement Was Built Like A Gym?
You’ve seen indoor golf spots that feel like a bar with a simulator. We wanted to know what happens when someone flips the model and builds a serious golf performance training facility instead and then drops it right in Richmond, Virginia. So we brought on Kai, owner of Tee Box Richmond, to walk…
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What Would You Risk To Do The Right Thing
Hidden fees don’t feel painful until you add them up, then you realize you’ve been funding someone else’s profit with your own margins. We sit down with PJ Gallagher, owner of Reliable Payments, to pull back the curtain on credit card processing, merchant services, and why so many small…
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A Family’s Loss Sparks A Statewide Screening Mission
Colon cancer is showing up younger, faster, and in people who never saw it coming, and that reality changes what “normal” health planning looks like. We sit down with Mindy Conklin, founder and executive director of Hitting Cancer Below the Belt, a Virginia colorectal cancer prevention nonprofit...
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You Can Buy Entrepreneurship Instead Of Starting From Zero
Starting a business from zero gets all the hype, but buying the right business can be the real cheat code. We bring on Chad Bowman, owner of The Shutter House of Richmond, to talk about why he chose franchise ownership in the home services world instead of building a brand completely from scratch...
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You Can Build A Music Career Without A Major Label
A 79 cent royalty check can either crush you or clarify the game. We’re joined by producer and songwriter Alex Mack (Easy Alex Mac), who went from a small town in Blackstone, Virginia to building a fast-growing career by treating music like both art and business, even while working a full-time IT...
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A First House Flip Funds A Juice Bar Dream
A lot of people talk about “multiple streams of income” like it’s a mood board. Ashley Lewis lives it, and she’s honest about the price. She’s the founder of BeatBox, a Richmond, Virginia juice bar and cafe, the owner of Melt Parlor, and she’s active in real estate fix and flip projects that…
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How A Richmond Moving Startup Builds Leaders And Loyal Customers
You know the moment when moving stops feeling like an “adult chore” and starts feeling like a full-body risk? We get into that reality with Chase Fuller, General Manager at Cavalier Moving, a Richmond moving company built on in-house training, speed, and trust. Chase’s path is the kind people...
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What Are You Spending Your Energy On
Something flips when you realize discipline is not a personality trait, it is a system you practice. I’m joined by Will, a long-time business owner in promotional marketing and the founder of a health coaching brand called The Primal Journey. We start with his path from Richmond to UPS sales...
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He Skipped The Senior Trip For A Camera
An 18-year-old college dropout running a fast-growing real estate media business sounds like a headline, but Preston Day makes it feel like a repeatable playbook. We talk with Preston, founder of The Perfect Plat in Richmond, Virginia, about how he went from zero experience to delivering real...
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You Don’t Need 20% Down To Start Buying Rentals
Car repossessed. Fired from a job that was supposed to be the “made it” moment. Then a decision: stop dabbling and start building. Martine Richardson joins us to tell the real story of how she climbed out of a rough season and built a multi-million dollar rental portfolio, even when she didn’t…
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You Can Build A Better Career By Staying Flexible
A million-dollar home used to signal one thing. Now it can mean almost anything, which is why we wanted a straight, behind-the-scenes look at what “luxury” actually means when you’re designing and building a true custom home. We’re joined by John Fleming, VP of Sales and Marketing for AR Homes...
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From Compton To Credit Fixer Through Code
Somebody offered Khabir “KB” Muhammed $50 million for his company and he said no. That moment is just the headline. The real story is how a kid from Compton turns pressure into discipline, uses sports and computer science to build a career, gets hit with corporate politics, and decides he will...
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A Former Ballerina Turns Reinvention Into A Thriving Mom Fitness Business
A career-ending injury can take more than your paycheck. It can take your identity. Natalie Russell lived that firsthand as a professional ballet dancer, then had to rebuild from zero, across countries, careers, and seasons of motherhood. Her story is equal parts reinvention and realism, and it...
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Swim Coach To CEO
You probably think you know the YMCA. A pool. A gym. A place you went as a kid. Then Jody Alexander, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Richmond, sits down with us and reveals the much bigger truth: the Y is a community engine that mixes public health, youth development, and real economic...
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The Nonprofit Funding Blueprint For Bigger Gifts
If your nonprofit is hustling for small donations but still feels broke, the math might be the problem, not your mission. We sit down with Trevor Bragdon, founder of Seven Figure Fundraising, and get real about where nonprofit funding actually comes from and why major donor fundraising is the…
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We Rebuild A Wedding Division Around Two Creatives Who Actually Love Weddings
Cake gets eaten. Flowers fade. The one thing that can outlive your wedding day by decades is the story you save. We sit down with Slade and Kinsley, the two creatives who sparked our decision to reopen Enso's wedding division, and we get honest about why wedding photography and wedding…
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How A Music Career Built An Insurance Entrepreneur
Rod Powell didn’t wake up planning to work in insurance. He spent two decades building a music career, learning the hard way how the business really works, and discovering the one lesson that translates everywhere: if you don’t own the asset, you don’t control the outcome. We talk through the...
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Building A Startup At IHOP Until 3 AM
A lot of people talk about “building something.” Cameron and Sam actually do it, fast. Cameron is a Virginia Tech student with a deep coding background. Sam is a longtime hustler who has already scaled real service businesses through door-to-door sales, tight follow-up, and recurring revenue.…
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How A Travel Planner Builds Trips You Cannot Google
You can book a trip in minutes, but can you build a trip that actually feels like you? We sit down with Joe Foster, owner of Living Your Bucket Listed Travel, to talk about what separates a basic booking from a true bucket list experience and why the difference shows up when you land, not when…
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A Sudden Firing Forces A Chef To Bet On Himself
He gets fired 89 days into a six figure job, then wakes up to EMTs in his bedroom after a seizure he never saw coming. That could have been the end of the story, but for Gary it becomes the moment he stops waiting for “security” and starts building something real. We talk with Gary from TNC…
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One Million Views In 28 Days
One million views in 28 days without being a massive influencer sounds impossible until you see the breakdown. I go platform by platform and share exactly what I posted, how often I posted, and what the analytics actually said across TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you run…
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How A Nurse Practitioner Built A Mobile IV Wellness Business In Richmond Virginia
Your body sends signals you can’t afford to ignore and sometimes the simplest fix is hydration, delivered the fastest way possible. We sit down with April, a family nurse practitioner and the founder of Inovitamin Solutions in Richmond, Virginia, to unpack what mobile IV hydration therapy and IV...
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Makeup Brushes, Backroads, And “Sugar Honey Iced Tea”
What happens when childhood pageants, Army discipline, and a love for beauty collide? We sit down with Kiersta, founder of Artistry by K, to unpack how a five-year-old’s stage sparkle turned into a luxury bridal brand built on grit, service, and smart systems. From North Carolina roots to...
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From Online School To AI: A Teen Entrepreneur’s Playbook
What if a 17-year-old could show you a cleaner path to freedom than most adults? Meet Jeremiah Schwartz, a young founder who traded hallway chatter for online school, rebuilt his algorithm to feed him mentors instead of memes, and launched an AI automations agency designed to give service...
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From Dream Manor To Living Zoo Retreat
What if your morning coffee came with a giraffe strolling past your window? We sit down with Molly to unpack the bold vision behind Wilde Manor, a restored 1854 estate in Halifax County transforming into a stay-over safari that blends hands-on animal encounters with real conservation impact. This...
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How A Nonprofit Turned A City Into A Movement
What if a city could turn movement into its superpower? We sat down with Will, executive director of Sports Backers, to unpack how Richmond’s biggest runs, boldest trails, and friendliest training teams all connect to one mission: make active living easy, joyful, and safe for everyone. You know…
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Why A Nonprofit Newsroom Might Save Your City
The daily paper used to be how we learned our city. Then the habits moved online, and a lot of essential coverage never made the jump. Michael Phillips, editor and founder of The Richmonder, joins us to share how a nonprofit newsroom is rebuilding local journalism with reader power, foundation...
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How Smarter Systems, Clear Stories, And Engaged Boards Transform Nonprofits
Want a nonprofit that runs like a mission-driven powerhouse instead of a tired hustle? We sit down with fundraising consultant Nick Sollog to unpack the real levers that move revenue and impact: clean systems, aligned teams, strong boards, and consistent visibility. From the inside workings of…
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One Woman’s Journey From Burnout To Community Impact
What happens when a safe room in your grandmother’s house becomes the blueprint for community change? We sit down with Tonya Pulliam, executive director and founder, to unpack a two-part mission: housing and life skills for young adults aging out of foster care, and a rebooted thrift...
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Tim Hightower On Money, Mindset, And Building A Flag Football Movement
A single scholarship. A rookie Super Bowl. A second act built on patience, process, and purpose. Tim Hightower joins us to share how a less than 1% journey through the NFL became a blueprint for entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and community-building that actually lasts. We start with the…
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She Turned Panic Into A Plan And Grew A Multi-Stream Beauty Business
What does it take to build a resilient beauty brand when the ground vanishes beneath your feet? Whitney’s story begins with family scissors and a high school cosmetology license, but the turning point hits hard: her salon closes with almost no notice while she’s seven months pregnant. That...
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How A Restaurateur Turned A $10K Bet Into An Outdoor Hospitality Venture
You don’t need a flight to feel far away. In our conversation with Kevin Wilson, we explore how a former sushi chef and restaurant owner is building Camp Yellow Cardinal, a 24.5-acre glamping retreat designed for couples who crave nature without sacrificing comfort. The vision is crisp: geodesic...
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I Didn’t Sign Up For A Paycheck, I Signed Up For Opportunity
What if the fastest path to growth isn’t quitting your job, but changing how you show up inside it? Jessica Thomas joins us to share how she moved from healthcare operations through a pandemic storm into real estate leadership, co‑founding Impact Leverage while serving as Director of Operations…
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From Broke To Booked: A Salon Owner’s Grit Journey
The glossy version of entrepreneurship skips the chapters that actually build empires: selling your car to fund fixtures, skipping paychecks to make payroll, and showing up at the front desk the day your team walks out. Natalie takes us into those rooms—how she left a legal career after…
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When Machines Replaced His Job, He Chose To Learn Them And Built A Business
The moment machines rolled into the Netflix DVD warehouse, James had a choice: stay comfortable at the tables up front or learn the new tech no one wanted to touch. He chose the hard thing. That decision didn’t just save a job; it rewired how he approaches risk, skill, and ownership—and it led to...
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How A Local Realtor Turned Green Screen Reels Into Real Leads
What if your next client found you because you explained their future neighborhood better than anyone else? We sit down with Amanda of Richmond Living to unpack how she turned local curiosity into a thriving, search-driven real estate funnel—without chasing empty vanity metrics. From neighborhood...
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Building Businesses, Setting Boundaries, And Starting Over
Risk without recklessness, rest without guilt, and the kind of reinvention that only comes from writing the truth down—this conversation with Monaca is a blueprint you can use today. We start with her military-rooted discipline and a decisive pivot from pharmacy to business, then follow the trail...
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Inside Sportable: How Adaptive Sports Build Community, Confidence, and Competition in Richmond
The conversation starts with a simple premise: when access is designed into sports, athletes don’t just participate—they excel. We sit down with Sportable’s Director of Strategic Partnerships to unpack how a small Richmond nonprofit grew from four staff to sixteen, expanded to 18+ adaptive…
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Your Office Isn’t Broken, It’s Boring: Make Meetings Not Suck
What if your meeting room could lower cortisol, sharpen attention, and make hard conversations easier? We sit down with Christian Markow of Lost Office to explore the overlooked science of workspace design—how plants, light, materials, scent, and music quietly rewire how teams think, feel, and...
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From Hobby Plants to a 40-Year Brand: Connie Hom on Retention, Culture, and Evolving Your Business
A $20 palm, a New Jersey sunroom, and a bold move to Virginia—Connie Hom traces how a simple love for plants became Buckingham Greenery, a 40-year interior landscaping brand known for retention, reliability, and real wellness at work. We dig into the early days when a tiny Yellow Pages ad landed...
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Kitchen Grit: Building a Design Business in Uncertain Times
What if fear—not money—is the real reason most dream renovations never happen? That’s the spark for this conversation with kitchen and bath designer Lea Yeager, who turned a health reset and a pandemic into the launchpad for a thriving, CAD-powered design studio. We get into the exact moves that...
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The Art of Entrepreneurial Evolution
Ever wonder how successful entrepreneurs navigate life's unexpected turns? Will, founder of Creative Project Management, takes us on a captivating journey from college soccer player to rapper to thriving business owner in this raw, unfiltered conversation about finding your path. When illness…
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Entrepreneurial Endurance: Four Decades of Business Evolution
Forty years of entrepreneurship creates wisdom that can't be taught in business school. Susan opens up about the remarkable journey that took her from a one-person company to leading Circle S Studio, an experience agency specializing in brand strategy and employee experience design. What begins…
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Leading with Biblical Principles in Business
Ever wondered how faith and business can intersect to create something extraordinary? Tony Ponsiglione's story illuminates this powerful connection through his remarkable journey from corporate executive to purpose-driven entrepreneur. Tony's path defies conventional career trajectories. With a...
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The Healing Touch: Physical Therapy Meets Yoga
The journey to wellness is rarely linear, and no one understands this better than Dr. Leah Johnson. After spending her early twenties in Costa Rica where a surprise yoga teacher training transformed her life, she embarked on a quest to understand why yoga made such a profound difference in her...
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Principal's Playbook: Six Leadership Keys to School Success
Leadership isn't just a position—it's action that transforms organizations and lives. Dr. Keith Hubbard, drawing from 30 years in public education, reveals why so many school leaders struggle despite their best intentions and offers a practical roadmap for meaningful change. As a former teacher,...
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Rise and Grind: How HD Bros Conquered Real Estate Media
What happens when you blend childhood friendship, entrepreneurial vision, and a keen eye for market opportunity? Chris Smith's journey with HD Bros Media provides a masterclass in sustainable business growth built on relationship foundations. From convincing his parents to split the cost of…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Making the leap from employment to entrepreneurship can be a scary time. The biggest fear people have is the unknown. Here on the “You Can’t Afford Me Podast” we speak with hustlers and innovators on how to make the most of your journey. If you have questions we have answers.
HOSTED BY
Samuel Anderson
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does You Can't Afford Me have?
You Can't Afford Me currently has 119 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is You Can't Afford Me about?
Making the leap from employment to entrepreneurship can be a scary time. The biggest fear people have is the unknown. Here on the “You Can’t Afford Me Podast” we speak with hustlers and innovators on how to make the most of your journey. If you have questions we have answers.
How often does You Can't Afford Me release new episodes?
You Can't Afford Me publishes regularly with 119 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to You Can't Afford Me?
You can listen to You Can't Afford Me on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts You Can't Afford Me?
You Can't Afford Me is created and hosted by Samuel Anderson.
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