Brand, Sweat, & Tears

29 : Shawn Nelson - Lovesac

Shawn Nelson is the founder and CEO of LoveSac. What started out as a giant foam "beanbag" company and just a side hustle for Shawn in college turned out to be one of the top furniture companies in the U.S., and an innovative and design-forward consumer brand. Over the past 25 years of crazy ups and downs, including winning a reality TV show hosted by Richard Branson, Shawn has learned a lot of life, and business, lessons. He captured those lessons in a book: "Let Me Save You 25 Years", and is also the host of his own podcast with the same title. Shawn was very gracious to accept my invitation to be on the BST podcast, and it was great diving into some of the details of his entrepreneurial journey and the insights he's gained over the past 2.5 decades of business building and personal development. Book: Let Me Save You 25 Years: Mistakes, Miracles, and Lessons from the Lovesac Story [https://www.amazon.com/Let-Me-Save-You-Years/dp/B0D2LJZC57/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3CFYGRKPOKJTA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Vy4fMuQ1GZM-kMvgizIV6A.SVGCfFSwH7WlGN-ctdsk0YXlNagIKdEJXsbNKCbVAvU&dib_tag=se&keywords=let+me+save+you+25+years+book&qid=1721958639&s=audible&sprefix=Let+Me+Save+y%2Caudible%2C158&sr=1-1] Podcast: Let Me Save You 25 Years [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/let-me-save-you-25-years/id1714646855] This episode was sponsored by Awsm (www.awsm.com) - a platform that makes it easy for brands to use small amounts of equity to reward and motivate their customers, influencers, and fans. It’s like Venmo for equity. Ownership is Awsm! The Brand, Sweat, & Tears podcast is available on YouTube and all popular podcast platforms.

28 : Jon Pierre Francia - Life Cider

Jon Pierre (JP) Francia is another long-time friend of mine, and has one of the most varied and interesting backgrounds of anyone I know. He's a pilot, a chef, a branding and marketing wizard, a video producer and artist, inventor, and multi-time founder and creator. He was a flight instructor, he created a TV series called Andy's Airplanes, he was the founder and chief creative mind behind the fast food franchise Sweeto Burrito, and is most recently the founder and creator of a new apple-cider-vinegar health beverage called Life Cider. We talked about the many things he's learned from his various adventures, and what drives him to create. Grab some Life Cider and settle in for another interesting episode! www.lifecider.com This episode was sponsored by Awsm (www.awsm.com) - a platform that makes it easy for brands to create a pool of equity to reward and motivate their customers, influencers, and fans. Ownership is Awsm! The Brand, Sweat, & Tears podcast is available on all popular podcast platforms.

27 : Bubba Page - Influence Ventures

Bubba and I go way back. We met over 15 years ago when we were both doing our first startup ventures. We've been friends and have supported each other ever since, including working on one startup - Quotadeck / Outro together. Bubba has done almost everything in startup land! He had a chair company, a lead generation company, a sales software company, and built a budgeting + parenting + smart family living seminar / content / consumer goods company with his spouse, Jordan. Bubba is a social media influencer and has also done many angel investments into consumer products and B2B software companies. Most recently he started his own investor syndicate, Influence Ventures, where he and many influencer friends in his network invest in companies that they can help grow not only with their cash, but also by promoting them to their vast networks. Bubba is energetic, passionate, talented, and one of the most connected people I know. We talk about shared ownership, startups, and investing in software as well as consumer products. Enjoy! https://influence.vc/ This episode was sponsored by Awsm (www.awsm.com) - a platform that makes it easy for private companies to use a small pool of their equity to reward and motivate their employees, contractors, partners, brand ambassadors, creators, customers, and fans. It’s like Venmo for equity. Ownership is Awsm! The Brand, Sweat, & Tears podcast is available on all popular podcast platforms.

26 : Rachel Nilsson - Rags

Rachel Nilsson is a rock star creator and the founder of Rags. A brand born out of necessity, Rachel started designing and sewing clothing for her kids when she couldn't afford to buy them expensive brands, and didn't like many of their offerings anyway. She wanted something functional and unique, fashionable but affordable. She started making them for her kids and then others wanted them so she started selling them online and each new product drop started to sell out via word of mouth, sometimes in just minutes. She went on Shark Tank and struck a deal with one of the sharks, but then decided not to take it as her brand was already growing rapidly and she could barely keep up with demand. Over time, she's added more styles and products and has learned a lot about herself, the business of e-commerce, and creating a brand that means something. She's had great mentors in her father and in fellow consumer product experts, including Jeremy Andrus the CEO of Traeger Grills. Almost every founder I've interviewed on this podcast, including Rachel, had no prior experience or knowledge or training in consumer products before they started. She's an inspiration to future consumer product founders, especially working moms who are trying to do it all. www.rags.com This episode was sponsored by Awsm (www.awsm.com) - a platform that makes it easy for brands to use small amounts of equity to reward and motivate their customers, influencers, and fans. It’s like Venmo for equity. Awsm is Ownership, and ownership is Awsm! The Brand, Sweat, & Tears podcast is also available on YouTube and all popular podcast platforms.

25 : Karalynne Call - Just Ingredients

Karalynne Call, Certified Nutritionist, is the Founder and CEO of Just Ingredients, a health and wellness company dedicated to inspiring people to live healthier, happier lives. Recognized as one of Utah’s Top 10 Fastest-Growing companies, Just Ingredients offers 200+ nutrition and personal care products made with nourishing, real, and natural ingredients. Karalynne has a strong influence on social media and has grown her Instagram community, @Just.Ingredients, to over 1 million people where she educates about the importance of knowing about the ingredients we put in and on our body. Her Top 20 ranking podcast, Just Ingredients, has been host to nationally renowned experts and doctors who help her share the best ingredients for life. Karalynne’s passion for mental health, educating others, and creating nourishing products has transformed lives and inspired millions. Shop Just Ingredients at justingredients.us [https://justingredients.us/] Learn more on Instagram @just.ingredients [https://www.instagram.com/just.ingredients/?hl=en] Listen to The Just Ingredients Podcast [https://soundcloud.com/user-487512762-956954447] This episode was sponsored by Awsm (www.awsm.com) - a platform that makes it easy for brands to use small amounts of equity to reward and motivate their customers, influencers, and fans. It’s like Venmo for equity. Awsm is Ownership, and ownership is Awsm! The Brand, Sweat, & Tears podcast is available on YouTube and all popular podcast platforms.