The Founder Who Sold His Hot Chicken Restaurant and Walked Into the Woods with Joe DeLoss

BONUS Episode! Joe DeLoss on Ego, Service, and Modern Masculinity

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2110753/fan_mail/new] After we wrapped my conversation with Joe DeLoss, we kept talking. What started as a conversation about marriage turned into something much bigger: masculinity, ego, service, leadership, and why so many men seem to be struggling to find their footing right now. Joe shares his perspective on the version of masculinity that's being celebrated online, why he thinks it's missing the mark, and what he's learned through building businesses, navigating marriage, raising daughters, and doing the ongoing work of understanding himself. We talk about strength, vulnerability, accountability, and the difference between chasing trophies and becoming the kind of person your family, community, and relationships can actually count on. It's a short conversation, but one that felt too important to leave on the cutting room floor. If you enjoyed my full conversation with Joe, consider this the bonus chapter.

The Founder Who Sold His Hot Chicken Restaurant and Walked Into the Woods with Joe DeLoss

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2110753/fan_mail/new] Joe DeLoss is best known as the founder of Hot Chicken Takeover, one of Columbus’s most recognizable restaurant stories. But this conversation is not really about chicken. Joe talks with Keri about the rise of Hot Chicken Takeover, the ego that came with it, the people impacted by his leadership, and the personal reckoning that followed. He is honest about marriage, fatherhood, masculinity, ambition, and the uncomfortable reality that success does not automatically make you whole. Now, Joe lives in Mount Vernon and is building Baker Road, a hospitality and retreat concept rooted in nature, adventure, discomfort, and real human connection. Think less corporate retreat, more walking into the woods and remembering you are still a person. This conversation moves from Columbus entrepreneurship to 100-mile runs, natural burials, leadership, vultures, marriage, and what the next chapter of Joe’s work looks like. At its heart, this conversation is about what happens when success forces you to face yourself. Joe’s story is a reminder that growth isn't always glamorous. Sometimes, the real work begins after the big win, when you have to decide who you want to become next.

How to Build a Bigger Life Without Shrinking Yourself with Elizabeth McCormick

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2110753/fan_mail/new] Elizabeth Blount McCormick doesn't think women should play small. As CEO of Uniglobe Travel Designers, she helped navigate one of the most challenging periods in modern business history when COVID brought the travel industry to a standstill. Today, she's leading a nationally recognized company, setting audacious growth goals, and challenging conventional thinking about leadership, ambition, and success. We talk about building through uncertainty, why women need to get more comfortable talking about money, the importance of finding the right rooms and communities, and what it means to be the first Black woman to join YPO Columbus. We also get into entrepreneurship, mental athleticism, self-care, motherhood, identity, and the mindset shifts that help people keep moving when things get hard. If you've ever felt stuck, underestimated, or like you're playing smaller than you're capable of, this one's for you.

Why Most Entrepreneurs Never Actually Start with Nick Braun

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2110753/fan_mail/new] Most people talk about ideas. Very few actually write the check and start. Nick Braun went from building a pet insurance comparison company to scaling a water filtration business doing millions in revenue. But this conversation is really about risk, timing, relationships, and why entrepreneurship in the Midwest looks different than Silicon Valley. We talk about building businesses in Columbus, raising four kids, moving to San Diego, selling to Petco, funding local entrepreneurs, and why community matters more than people think. Also: Brandon Road lore, Upper Arlington real estate, and a very real debate about what should replace Bed Bath & Beyond.

Shark Tank, Building Brave & Redefining Success with Megan Pando

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2110753/fan_mail/new] Sixty seconds of total silence doesn’t sound that long… until you’re standing on a Persian rug making eye contact with some of the most famous investors in America. This week, Megan Pando joins me to talk about what Shark Tank actually feels like from the inside — the nerves, the pressure, the mindset shifts, and what happened after the cameras stopped rolling. But this episode goes way deeper than TV. We talk about: ✨ Building Makers Social through uncertainty, failed deals, and brutal “in-between” seasons ✨ Getting ghosted in business and the stories we create when people don’t close the loop ✨ Why scaling fast isn’t always the goal ✨ Franchising vs. corporate growth and protecting culture while growing ✨ Being a single mom entrepreneur ✨ Handling criticism without losing yourself ✨ Grief, emo music, bravery, freedom, and redefining success on your own terms This conversation is honest, funny, emotional, and probably way too relatable if you’ve ever questioned yourself while building something big. And maybe the biggest takeaway? Trying new things while you’re bad at them might actually be the whole point. 👇 Drop a comment: What does success look like for you right now? If this episode hit home: ✔️ Subscribe to The Keri Croft Show ✔️ Send this to a friend chasing something scary ✔️ Leave a review — it helps us grow and keeps these conversations going And Keep Moving, Baby!