135ºF Podcast

The Discipline of Continuing

A short reflection on pressure, interruptions and why entrepreneurs...especially those building with limited resources... must learn not to let challenges redefine momentum. Sometimes the real discipline is simply continuing.

Opportunity, Emotions & Discipline

Part 2: Opportunity, Emotion & Discipline In bootstrap entrepreneurship, not every opportunity is aligned — and not every feeling deserves funding. In Part 2 of The Journeys Within the Journey series, we unpack the hidden cost of distraction, emotional decision-making, and undisciplined growth. When money is tight and pressure is high, everything feels urgent. But urgency isn’t strategy. This episode explores how to recognize true opportunity, separate ego from execution, and build the restraint required to protect your margins, your team, and your long-term vision. Because in bootstrap, distraction often looks like opportunity — but discipline builds legacy.

The Journeys within the Journey

The Journeys Within the Journey | A 3-Part Founder Series Most people think bootstrap entrepreneurship is one journey — start the business, get customers, make money, survive. But that’s not the real story. Inside every bootstrap journey are smaller, invisible journeys happening at the same time. The journey of hiring the right people. The journey of learning to train. The journey of recognizing real opportunity. The journey of managing emotion under pressure. The journey of mastering your time when you are the entire infrastructure. In this 3-part series, I break down the internal curriculum no one warns you about — the growth that has to happen inside the founder before it shows up in the business. This isn’t theory. This is lived experience — from food truck to brick-and-mortar. Bootstrap doesn’t just build revenue. It builds range. And sometimes the business grows only after you do

The Daily Internal Board Meeting

Before the emails. Before the kitchen. Before the meetings. Every bootstrap entrepreneur starts the day the same way — negotiating with themselves. In this episode of 135°F, Joshua breaks down the invisible work of building without investors, without a large team, and without a safety net. When you don’t have capital, your time becomes your currency. Your attention becomes your leverage. And your energy becomes your survival strategy. This is an honest conversation about the daily internal board meeting every founder faces: revenue vs. vision, urgent vs. important, survival vs. scale. If you're building from the ground up, this one is for you.

Balance is a Privilege

In this episode, Joshua Black discusses the myth of work-life balance and the unique challenges faced by bootstrap entrepreneurs, particularly African American founders. He highlights the structural barriers and funding gaps that affect black entrepreneurs, and redefines balance as a negotiation and rhythm. The conversation provides insight into the struggle, resilience, and intentional balance of entrepreneurs in the face of systemic challenges. Takeaways * Work-life balance is a privilege * Bootstrap entrepreneurs face unique challenges Chapters * 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview * 07:19 Adding Race to the Conversation * 13:19 Burnout and Structural Outcome