In celebration of the first annual Small Business Festival in Austin Texas, I conducted 11 interviews with entrepreneurs and business leaders. Below you can listen to the wisdom they share.
BRIAN SMITH, FOUNDER OF UGG BOOTS
My interview with Justin was unique. Instead of the typical question and answer interview, Justin encouraged a conversation about my business and our early growth challenges in a way I haven’t thought about in a decade. The result was a really wonderful discussion about our customer and sales challenges and how we got traction in the market in a way that will resonate with all type and size of business owner.
KOY MCDERMOTT, FOUNDER OF LEADERS INSPIRE LEADERS
Justin’s interviewing skills are fantastic. He has a really great way of being able to tease and pull the greatness out of each guest he has.
SOPHIE ROUSMANIERE, CO-FOUNDER OF IRONTHORN MEDIA
It was wonderful to experience to work with Justin. As a film maker I do a lot of interviews, both in front of and behind the camera. While working with Justin it became clear to me that he has a special way of listening that helps him ask the righ questions so as to get to the root of what is important. It was the best professional interview about my company that I’ve had. Justin summed up what we were doing better than even I could.
| Brian Smith – Founder of UGG Boots | 15:08 | Unique insights into the birth of a global brand. Brian walks us through the early days of this multi-million dollar company and the hardships of getting his first customers and making UGG his full time job. |
| Jae Kim – Founder of Chilantro BBQ | 24:49 | From food trucks to millions of dollars, Jae tells us how he found success in Kimchi fries and building a business around “the 4 wins”. Great example of vision and values in action. |
| Joshua Bingaman – Founder of Helm Boots | 19:02 | Humble serial entrepreneur tells us about his journey building a boot brand and overcoming challenges along the way. Joshua gives some great advice and calls out that you have to have a little crazy in your eye and be willing to run a race that never ends. |
| Sophie Rousmanier – Founder of Iron Thorn Media | 15:44 | Owner of a for profit and non-profit, producer and film maker, and story teller, Sophie talks to us about her passions and dialing into a great business that can meet personal and professional goals. |
| Jennifer McNevin – Co-Owner of Manuel’s Restaurant | 14:37 | Family owned with multiple locations, Jennifer tells us about trusting the customer to grow your business. Starting with a dream and working hard worked until a critical moment in the business forced them to overcome like never before. |
| Koy McDermott – Founder of Level Up Institute | 15:56 | With personal triumph in his own life, Koy talks about the importance of relationships, mentors, and a strong vision. “Don’t fall in love with the product, fall in love with the problem”. |
| Olivia O’neal – Owner of Sugar Mama’s Bake Shop | 10:15 | With a vision that “food is community”, Olivia tells us what it takes to run a business that gives back to the community and turns a profit. |
| Ramon Ray – Founder of Smart Hustle Magazine | 16:10 | Speaker, author, entrepreneur, Ramon opens up about entrepreneurial depression, experiencing failures and helpful advice on how to succeed. |
| Eric Lassberg General Manager of KXAN | 12:52 | With more than 100 employees across three stations, the market is competitive and Eric helps us understand what it’s like to run a demanding business while also trying to help all his customers (other local business owners) succeed. |
| Madison Wickham – Founder of Grandex Media | 12:20 | Creator of multiple businesses with a focus on humor and the college crowd. Have a listen as Madison walks us through some of his key insights in building businesses that get a lot of attention. |
| Emily Leach – Founder of Freelance Conference | 14:30 | Experienced Tedx organizer has a passion for freelancers. Realizing there was no formal conference for freelancers to connect, she created one. Listen in as she talks about the daring bets she made on herself, how much she accomplished in 3 months, and how she made a difference in her creative community. |
