Episode 116: Bruce Currin, CEO, SunriseITsolutionsGroup,LLC

Episode 116: Bruce Currin, CEO, SunriseITsolutionsGroup,LLC

In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Bruce Currin, CEO of Sunrise IT Solutions Group, shares the story of a 19-year-old Texas-based cabling infrastructure company that has survived and thrived by staying nimble, building genuine relationships, and knowing when to say no. What began as a data center migration business at a time when almost nobody else was doing it has evolved into a full-service infrastructure company serving schools, prisons, fire and security firms, and now some of the largest data center development projects in the country. Bruce discusses how a strategic decision to launch his own staffing agency five years ago eliminated the expensive middleman model he had relied on for years, dramatically improved his margins, and gave him the ability to scale his workforce up or down across the country with a speed that most competitors simply cannot match. The conversation covers how Sunrise navigated the COVID era by staying deeply embedded with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, whose 104-facility infrastructure upgrade never stopped, and how the post-COVID market explosion brought the company to 150% growth just halfway through 2026, with even larger projects on the horizon. Bruce speaks candidly about the challenge of managing a flexible contractor workforce where reliability is never guaranteed, and why he converts his best contractors to W-2 employees to build a dependable core team. He also shares a piece of advice that every startup founder should hear: rapid advancement can shut a company down just as fast as a slow market can, and hitting singles consistently beats swinging for a home run you are not resourced to handle. With an exit strategy taking shape over the next two to five years, Bruce is building toward a handoff that protects the employees and culture he has spent nearly two decades creating. Connect: Website: https://www.sunriseitsg.com [https://www.sunriseitsg.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunriseitsolutions [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunriseitsolutions]

Episode 115: Betsy Frost, CEO, Q Mixers

In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Betsy Frost, CEO of Q Mixers, discuss her journey leading one of America's largest premium mixer brands and the realities of scaling consumer packaged goods (CPG) businesses. Betsy shares how her career evolved from purpose-driven startups to leadership roles at General Mills before ultimately returning to entrepreneurial companies. She reflects on the challenges of navigating both rapid business growth and difficult contractions, emphasizing the importance of transparent leadership, scenario planning, supply chain resilience, and maintaining a strong company culture. Drawing from years of experience advising founders, she offers practical insights into making tough strategic decisions, supporting employees through organizational change, and balancing innovation with sustainable growth. The conversation also explores how Q Mixers is positioning itself for its next phase of expansion through consumer-focused innovation, including the launch of Q Refreshers and new national partnerships such as American Airlines. Betsy discusses why understanding customer behavior, retailer priorities, and operational readiness are essential for long-term success, particularly in highly competitive consumer markets. Throughout the episode, she highlights the value of staying true to a company's core mission while adapting to changing market conditions, offering actionable advice for entrepreneurs and business leaders looking to scale without losing the qualities that made their business successful in the first place. Connect: Website: https://qmixers.com [https://qmixers.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23253267517&gbraid=0AAAAAD9D5Fz99GhDtZyCf9t4A1x0Hw2pu&gclid=CjwKCAjwx7LSBhB3EiwAjcodxEjA3aydqAxMNaziAlXyf_1n3ucbBybLu82lx9iKhCW59RYcGqWH7RoCv48QAvD_BwE] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-frost [https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-frost/?isSelfProfile=false]

Episode 114: Ameen Nassiri, Founder & CEO, SPS Worldwide LLC

In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Ameen Nassiri, founder and CEO of SPS Worldwide, shares the story of a company that grew from a catalog promotional products business into a specialized design, development, and manufacturing powerhouse trusted by some of the world's most demanding luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Prada, L'Oreal, Nike, and Bulgari. What began with a cold call to Boeing at age 24, fueled by nothing more than a shared love of the Flyers and the kind of fearless ignorance only youth can provide, evolved over 25 years into a firm renowned for fully custom promotional programs that go far beyond putting a logo on a pen. Ameen traces the pivotal moment he walked out of a job after a new CEO told him to remind clients how lucky they were to work with the company, and how a phone call to his father, a physician who believed that serving others is a privilege and not a power play, provided the $20,000 and the conviction he needed to start something of his own. The conversation covers two of the most instructive inflection points in SPS Worldwide's history: a deliberate and painful decision in 2014 to cut the company in half by eliminating two underperforming business lines in order to double revenue, and the post-COVID surge that sent orders flying in faster than the team could process them. Ameen discusses how investing in technology during the downturn prepared the company to scale without a proportional increase in headcount, how AI is now helping his team reclaim 10 hours a week without eliminating a single role, and why he believes the rise of artificial intelligence is actually intensifying the human desire for real connection, which is exactly what luxury retail has always depended on. His closing message for founders is as direct as the man himself: failure is only final if you quit, and the people who will be replaced are not those threatened by AI but those who refuse to learn it. Connect: Website: https://www.spsworldwide.com [https://www.spsworldwide.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameen-nassiri-2178018 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameen-nassiri-2178018/?isSelfProfile=false]

Episode 113: Chris Bradley, Chief Marketing Officer, VERITIV

In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Chris Bradley, Chief Marketing Officer of Veritiv Packaging and Supply Chain Solutions, offers a rare inside look at how a nearly $7 billion specialty packaging distributor thinks and operates like an entrepreneurial solutions partner rather than a traditional distributor. With more than 1,000 sales reps, 121 distribution centers across North America, and a design team of over 120 packaging engineers, Veritiv serves businesses of every size by taking a total cost of ownership approach to packaging, helping customers reduce carrying costs, reclaim warehouse space, automate manual processes, and navigate the increasingly complex demands of major retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Target. Chris shares how Veritiv's just-in-time inventory model, co-packing and kitting capabilities, and deep supply chain expertise make the company far more than a vendor, positioning it as a strategic growth partner for the small and midsize businesses it serves. The conversation covers how Veritiv helps customers through both contraction and rapid growth, from redesigning cold chain packaging to hit a lower freight cost threshold to building custom retail displays for a brand making its first appearance on a Costco pallet. Chris also pulls back the curtain on Veritiv's AI Transformation Lab, where the company is deploying agentic AI to handle manual order entry, optimize logistics networks through digital twins, and build product recommendation engines that give sales reps instant access to solutions from 7,000 suppliers. He closes with a clear message for small business owners: find a packaging partner that goes beyond price, embrace AI before it becomes a competitive disadvantage, and build the kind of organizational resilience that lets you capture opportunity no matter what the market throws at you. Connect: Website: https://www.veritivcorp.com [https://www.veritivcorp.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismbradley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismbradley]

Episode 112: Alexander Tuttle, Founding Partner, Tuttle Yick LLP

In this episode of the Think Small Podcast, Alex Tuttle, founding and managing partner of Tuttle Yick LLP, shares the winding, self-made path that took him from a small town in Connecticut through law school in Washington, D.C., a master's program in real estate at NYU, and a series of increasingly specialized roles in construction and real estate law before landing in a cubicle in the Daily Planet building next to a stranger he met in a cab, who would eventually become his partner. Built entirely on word of mouth and long-term client relationships rather than advertising or transactional work, Tuttle Yick has grown into a 17-person boutique firm in New York City with three core practice areas: commercial real estate, construction law, and commercial litigation, along with a rapidly growing niche in the complex licensing agreements that govern construction access between neighboring properties in one of the densest cities in the world. The conversation explores the firm's evolution from a one-man operation where Alex touched everything to a multi-partner boutique navigating the real challenges of scaling systems, billing processes, and team redundancy, challenges that are common to every growing services business but particularly acute in law. Alex speaks candidly about how the pandemic turned out to be manageable because construction never stopped, and about how the firm is now grappling with one of the most honest questions in professional services today: what does AI actually mean for a business built on human expertise, confidentiality, and billable hours? He closes with a refreshingly grounded vision for the future, one focused less on headcount and square footage and more on keeping their eyes open to organic opportunity and rounding out the practice with complementary areas that can weather any economic cycle. Connect: Website: https://www.tuttleyick.com [https://www.tuttleyick.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adtuttle [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adtuttle/?isSelfProfile=false]