Founding DC

#15, Shizu Okusa on scaling wellness brand Apothékary to $40M, gaining TikTok halo effect and avoiding founder blind spots

Apothékary sells one tincture every 90 seconds on TikTok. That's not luck — it's nine months of disciplined investment before a single dollar came back. Shizu Okusa is the founder of Apothékary, a nature-based wellness brand she built from zero to $40 million in revenue and into 1,800 retail doors in six years. But her origin story is not what you'd expect. She walked away from a Wall Street trading desk to work on a banana farm in Mozambique for $30 a day. Dan and Shizu dig into why, how Shizu stays immune to praise and criticism, the cost of blind spots and what second-time founders still get wrong. This is a conversation about believing in yourself before anyone else does — and what it looks like to build a company rooted in both numbers and humanity. If you're a founder, entrepreneur or business leader looking for lessons on leadership, resilience, scaling and building something that matters, this is the conversation for you. Subscribe and listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

#14, Gov. Wes Moore on entrepreneurship, leadership and governing like a founder

Think of Gov. Wes Moore as Maryland’s chief entrepreneurial officer. He didn't take a traditional path to the top. He served in a combat zone in Afghanistan, built an edtech company, wrote multiple bestselling books and became Maryland's first Black governor by running as an anti-establishment Democrat, initially polling at less than 1%. In this episode, the governor leaves the politics at the door and talks with host Dan Simons as a founder, leader and entrepreneur. They discuss what military service teaches you about startup culture, how to lead a 60,000-person organization while still moving like a startup, what it takes to rebrand an entire state, how mission-driven leaders measure success and why the best entrepreneurs are the ones who climb without a rope. If you're a founder, entrepreneur or business leader looking for lessons on leadership, resilience, scaling and building something that matters, this is the conversation for you. Subscribe and listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and watch the full episode on YouTube [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEn6CAtXKj7Tq3HdH95hn_vHuf3hCTKcu&si=3sPD6l7euVZKXIwu]. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

#13, Carla Hall on failure, joy and the mindset that builds entrepreneurs

Reinvention isn’t a setback. It’s a strategy. Award-winning chef and beloved TV personality, Carla Hall, shares the mindset that helped her pivot careers, build an authentic brand and keep growing. For her, success isn’t linear. It’s built through intentional choices, learning from failure and trusting your voice. This episode is packed with practical insights, including why failure is just experience in disguise, how knowing yourself fuels better decisions, why joy is a competitive advantage and when to walk away and start fresh. This is an episode entrepreneurs won’t want to miss. Hall reminds us that we don’t win by avoiding change. We win by leaning into it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

#12, Manifest’s KJ Hughes on what it takes to turn a barbershop into a cultural movement

Raised in Washington, D.C., amid hustle and ambition, KJ Hughes turned life lessons into what the world was missing: Manifest is a cultural connector that blends barbershop, speakeasy, restaurant and high-end fashion into a new model for belonging. As founder and CEO, KJ reveals how his early life shaped his entrepreneurial mindset and why relationships have become his greatest business asset. We learn how solving real human problems led him from promoting parties and managing elite athletes to building one of D.C.’s most innovative destinations. It’s a must-listen for entrepreneurs ready to build businesses with purpose, resilience and lasting impact. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

#11, Total Wine & More’s David Trone: Strategies behind a $6B retail giant

Forget overnight success. David Trone built Total Wine & More into a $6 billion, category-defining retailer spanning 30 states — without outside investment. In this episode, he breaks down the deliberate strategies behind pricing innovation, regulatory navigation, operational rigor and people-first systems in one of America’s most complex retail industries. It’s a masterclass for entrepreneurs focused on durable advantage, margin discipline and long-term value creation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].