Building From Scratch: The Serial Entrepreneur Playbook with April Seggebruch

Building From Scratch: The Serial Entrepreneur Playbook with April Seggebruch

In this full episode of the Woman Run Podcast, host Meredith sits down with serial entrepreneur April Seggebruch to look back on her journey from a central Illinois farm girl to a major business founder in Northwest Arkansas. April shares how growing up on a farm shaped her work ethic, jokingly noting that her upbringing is "probably where I got a lot of my persistent grit." Driven to find a path to a bigger city, she earned a basketball scholarship to the University of Arkansas, becoming the first in her family to graduate from college. April reflects warmly on her athletic days, laughing that her time on the court was "back when I actually lifted weights—now I just lift laptops." The conversation digs deep into her academic and professional evolution at the Walton College of Business, where pivotal mentorship from professors like Dr. Jensen and Dr. Carol Reeves completely changed her trajectory. April details the reality of co-founding the retail workforce management software platform Movista in 2010 with Stan Stanowski, calling their leap of faith "Mayday" because "we left our corporate jobs and started Movista the following week." She explains how they revolutionized a "pencil and paper era" into a company that grew to over 100 employees, and opens up about her transition away from the business to focus on her true passion as a builder, noting that in entrepreneurship, "there's no role you can be afraid to do... thus, there's no role you can shy away from learning." Meredith and April also discuss the critical economic and cultural importance of local independent businesses. April passionately defends the food and beverage industry as the heartbeat of the regional ecosystem, arguing that "without them, we wouldn't be cool—we wouldn't have the vibe that folks now flock to be within." Finally, April previews her latest venture as a partner at Good Gravy Group, a hospitality management company stepping in to revitalize iconic local brands. She shares an exclusive look at their mission to bring back the nostalgia of the beloved AQ Chicken brand to Springdale, alongside expansions for other favorites like Trash Ice Cream, jokingly admitting that while she loves the operational side of hospitality, she has "robot envy" for automation that can help local kitchens scale.

April Seggebruch's New Recipe for Success

Meredith and April Seggebruch discuss the future of the food and beverage industry on this episode of the Woman Run Podcast. They break down the topic into internal and external facing trends that are impacting shops and restaurants. Internal forces include the changing labor culture transitioning from a hierarchical command and control environment to a more humanely authentic and balanced relationship with employees. Technology is another major internal factor, with April noting the current lack of unified systems and the huge success of those who embrace Artificial Intelligence to build their own customized operational systems to save digital marketing subscription fees and mine data better. External forces feature the massive impact of GLP-1 usage on consumer habits, with users focusing less on the makeup of what they consume and simply consuming less overall, which changes dessert and value dynamics toward premium enjoyment and quality over quantity. They touch on contemporary branding trends in F&B, noting the retail gold of moving famous menu items from the kitchen to the retail shelf, as well as a fast-growing brand affiliation among younger generations similar to luxury goods that changes the way consumers socially identify with food.

Deanna Ray: The Shifting Tides of Corporate AI

In this episode of the Woman Run Podcast, the Meredith Lowry interviews Deanna Ray, the Chief Legal Officer for the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority, to unpack the intersections of local government, vendor negotiations, and the implementation of organizational artificial intelligence policies. Deanna describes her organization as a municipality or government agency that reclaimed used water, treated it, and discharged it back into the Arkansas River, adding that "water wastewater treatment actually is very technology-based." The catalyst for their conversation stems from recent state regulation, specifically Act 848 passed during the 2025 Arkansas legislative session. Deanna explains that under this act, "if you are a government agency that uses any type of AI, then you must have an AI policy." She clarifies that the law defines AI broadly, encompassing everyday features like text autocorrect, spelling tools, and automated note-takers rather than just generative text programs. An essential pillar of Act 848 is ensuring that artificial intelligence does not operate unchecked. Deanna emphasizes that under the law, "you must have a human component to it. You cannot let AI make any decisions... there has to be a human check on any of those decisions." Beyond state compliance, the episode highlights a collaborative, multi-departmental approach involving leadership, human resources, legal, and IT teams to refine these guidelines. A key area of concern is customer and employee data privacy, which Deanna describes as a major responsibility since "we are responsible for shepherding our customers and their information and our employees and their information." The hosts also discuss the practical challenges of software terms of use, noting that platforms like Microsoft Copilot often contain clauses designating the tool "for entertainment purposes only," meaning tech providers carry no liability for professional errors. This lack of vendor liability emphasizes the necessity of internal policies, as Deanna points out that "the AI vendors, they don't care if their stuff is misused because they've already decried all liability." The discussion covers a real-world learning experience where an IT director innocently used an AI note-taker during a Microsoft Teams meeting. This highlighted a massive legal risk, as using automated transcription can inadvertently destroy confidentiality. Deanna warns that if a note-taker records an internal conversation, it can "destroy attorney-client privilege" and create a record that becomes "foiable" under public records requests. This risk is reinforced by a recent ruling from the Southern District of New York. In that case, the government successfully subpoenaed a defendant's search and prompt history from a generative AI platform because information shared with commercial AI platforms lacks confidentiality. The episode addresses other technical shortcomings, such as AI "hallucinations." Deanna mentions that even top legal research databases have faced scrutiny because their specialized research bots were "putting out incorrect summaries of cases." This reinforces why continuous verification remains mandatory, since a language model "is a language prediction tool, and it's trying to give you the next word in the sequence." Ultimately, the episode encourages leaders to proactively engage with these technologies rather than avoiding them. Deanna concludes by urging organizations to adapt continuously, advising managers "to not be afraid of AI" but to "respect it" and commit to ongoing policy reviews as the software evolves.

Navigating the Waters of AI Policy with Deanna Ray

In this trailer, the host Meredith Lowry sits down with Deanna Ray, the Chief Legal Officer for the Little Rock Reclamation Authority, to discuss a rapidly evolving corporate necessity: AI Policy. Triggered by the Arkansas State Legislature’s Act 848, public and government entities are now legally required to establish formalized AI policies if they utilize any form of artificial intelligence. Deanna breaks down the legalities, risks, and essential guardrails organizations must implement to protect themselves, their employees, and their clients in the age of automation. Deanna explains that the state legislature passed Act 848 because "water wastewater treatment actually is very technology-based," requiring a proactive stance on regulation. However, she clarifies that AI is defined broadly under the law, meaning it isn't just about generative platforms. It applies to "any artificial intelligence," which can include text autocorrect, automated note-takers, and spelling or grammar checkers. A critical element of any policy is the absolute requirement for human oversight. Deanna emphasizes that organizations "should not allow your AI technology... to make decisions for your entity without some human oversight". While AI can help narrow down choices or provide data insights, the human component must remain the ultimate decision-maker. The hosts also look closely at data retention, privacy, and the massive risks associated with third-party platforms. They discuss the necessity of having a plan to "scrape back" data and manage offboarding when an employee leaves the company. This ensures that an individual hasn't "put anything out there that could possibly cause security breaches or privacy breaches". Furthermore, they uncover surprising liabilities hidden in standard software terms of use. When discussing popular tools like Microsoft Co-pilot, they reveal a startling clause in the terms of use: "It is for entertainment purposes only". Because of this, the tech companies carry absolutely no liability if an employee makes a mistake based on the platform's outputs. Another major risk involves the threat to confidentiality and attorney-client privilege when using automated AI note-takers. Deanna warns that "the last thing you want to do is destroy your attorney-client privilege because you or your client has used some sort of note-taker via AI". Recent court cases have already shown that if a defendant asks a generative AI program about their legal case before hiring counsel, the government can successfully subpoena those inputs and outputs because they are not deemed privileged or confidential. Finally, the policy must outline strict rules for acceptable use, specifically targeting free versus paid platforms. The hosts remind listeners that if an organization relies on free tools, "you're probably because you're the product". Once data is entered into a free tool, an organization loses "complete control of all of it". To combat these issues and the growing threat of "automation bias," organizations must strictly define who has access to AI and keep critical thinking at the forefront, remembering the age-old tech rule: "Garbage in, garbage out". "We do have to have the policy by law. In 2025, the state legislature passed Act 848, which requires any government or public entity to have an AI policy if they utilize any sort of artificial intelligence." — Deanna Ray "You should not allow your AI technology, whatever version that you use, to make decisions for your entity without some human oversight... Ultimately, you as the human component need to be making decisions." — Deanna Ray "The last thing you want to do is destroy your attorney-client privilege because you or your client has used some sort of note-taker via AI." — Deanna Ray

Mastering Business Communications and Storytelling with Kerri Jackson Case

In this deep-dive episode, Meredith Lowry speaks with Kerri Jackson Case about the evolution of "MarCom" (Marketing and Communications) and the vital role it plays in business. With over 20 years of experience transitioning from TV news reporting to corporate and boutique PR, Kerri explains how strategic communication is built on the foundation of storytelling. The conversation covers the tactical use of press releases in the age of AI, the importance of "plain English" in professional settings, and the personal "plot twists" of being a "whole person"—balancing motherhood, adoption, and entrepreneurship. The conversation explores the definition and necessity of MarCom (Marketing and Communications), which Kerri Jackson Case defines as the strategic act of delivering the right message through the most effective channel to a specific intended audience. A central theme is the importance of storytelling, with Kerri noting that people understand their world through narratives and that businesses must learn to tell stories about themselves that are fundamentally focused on the needs of the customer. The participants discuss the critical timing for engaging a communications professional, advising that they should be "at the table" from the very beginning of a business or project to identify potential barriers and prevent costly public relations blunders. This early involvement is particularly vital when mediating between legal departments and public perception; a communications expert can translate dense legal jargon into "plain English" that satisfies the spirit of the law without alienating or terrifying the audience. The episode also highlights the evolution of tactical tools like the press release, which Kerri defends as a vital instrument for establishing credibility not just with traditional newsrooms, but with search engine algorithms and AI models like ChatGPT. By using a Q&A or FAQ format in their digital infrastructure, businesses can ensure that AI pulls from trusted, authoritative sources when users ask questions about the brand. Finally, the discussion touches on the personal reality of being a "whole person" in the industry, emphasizing the challenges of balancing professional leadership with the unpredictable "plot twists" of family life and motherhood. SheSpeaks Communications https://shespeakscommunications.com/ [https://shespeakscommunications.com/]