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Finding Founders

Finding Founders

By Finding Founders

A podcast about vulnerability and entrepreneurship — learn from the life stories of founders 🚀, activists ✊, and even drug lords 💊

Our aim is to inspire you and let's face it... you aren't inspired when you hear about success. Real inspiration comes from hearing someone's lowest moment, and rising with their success. Using music, sfx, and voiceover, we interview the founders of companies, movements, and even drug cartels to reveal vulnerability so you can learn from victory. I’m your host, Samuel Donner, and together with my team we aim to inspire and educate a global community of leaders.
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#62 Raising Millions and Trying to Keep It | Kevin Gibbon on Scaling Companies the Right Way | Airhouse

Finding FoundersMar 11, 2021

00:00
48:04
How to Make a Billion Dollars Selling Cups: Founder Wisdom #077 - Mike Beckham
Mar 17, 202219:07
#106 Ege Tutuncu - How to Collab with a Supermodel by Chucking a Package Over Her Fence | The Fashion Series
Mar 10, 202230:39
The Death of a Guru: Founder Wisdom #076 - Alisha Flecky
Mar 03, 202227:56
#105: Jason Y. Lee - The Disney of Empathy | Jubilee Media
Feb 24, 202253:44
Dissecting Humans to Understand Humanity: Founder Wisdom #075 - Gil Hedley
Feb 17, 202216:19
Escaping Gangs through Animation & Storyboards: Founder Wisdom #074 - Jay Oliva
Feb 11, 202224:48
 Slow Fashion and Radically Inclusive Clothing : Founder Wisdom #073 - Hanna Baror-Padilla
Feb 07, 202222:54
From Hand Painting Clothes in His Mom's Garage to Teaching the Next Generation of Fashion: Founder Wisdom #072 - Manuel Jackson
Feb 03, 202214:29
Are Introverts Better at Selling?: Founder Wisdom #071 - Tom Alaimo
Feb 01, 202216:28
The Curse of Being Too Early: Founder Wisdom #070 - Stephane Roulland
Jan 28, 202213:05
9 Figures for a Business Started in an Apartment: Founder Wisdom #069 - Jonathan Skogmo

9 Figures for a Business Started in an Apartment: Founder Wisdom #069 - Jonathan Skogmo

This is an update to an episode we did a while back in April of 2020. And we’re doing an update because Jonathan Skogmo, founder of Jukin Media, has some pretty big news… recently he sold his company for a reported $140 million dollars. In this episode we take a behind the scenes look at that 9 figure deal, and try to understand emotionally what it’s like to sell a company you’ve built from your apartment over the last decade.

A bit more about Jon: He’s the founder of Jukin which is an innovative media company that focuses on user-generated content. What is user-generated content? Well, it’s stuff like a video of a mom laughing hysterically while wearing a Chewbacca mask. That video is known as Chewbacca mom and the original video alone received over 140 million views. In fact, the video became so popular that this Chewbacca mask completely sold out around the world. Although the Chewbacca mom, otherwise known as Candace Payne, technically owns the video, the right to license that video belongs to Jukin. By acquiring viral videos, like this one, Jukin media has amassed 200 million fans and receives 3 billion views every month.

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Jan 25, 202222:24
#104: Laura Osuri - Finding an Afghan Refugee a Home | The Afghanistan Series
Jan 21, 202234:55
Founding the University of Cannabis 🍁: Founder Wisdom #068 - Kevin Greene
Jan 18, 202219:11
#103 How a Mammogram Converted a Pastor to a Nudist - Jeff & Judy Bowman | Alternative Communities
Jan 13, 202254:51
Disrupting the Fast Beauty Industry: Founder Wisdom #067 - Liah Yoo
Jan 10, 202225:23
#102: Marnie Gustavson - Falling for Afghanistan Before the Fall | The Afghanistan Series
Jan 07, 202247:57
How to Get Rich Without Being Lucky: Founder Wisdom #066 - Eric Jorgenson
Jan 04, 202219:51
#101 David Pulcifer - A Castle in a Forest: A Dream in Progress | Alternative Communities

#101 David Pulcifer - A Castle in a Forest: A Dream in Progress | Alternative Communities

So when I talked to today's guests it was during the Halloween Haunt, an event took place in the same village as my LARPing adventure with John Basset (episode #96). But this interview would be extra special because I would be talking to the head honcho of the LARPs in that area... David Pulcifer.


David Pulcifer is the President of the LARP City Project, an organization with the goal of creating the best Live Action Role Play (LARP) sites across the United States. David has over 20 years of experience, and the LARP City Project is currently pursuing an ambitious goal to build 6 permanent LARP sites across the country over the next 2 decades. David believes in the positive impact of Live Action Role Play, and that it can improve the lives of gamers’ through the encouragement of creativity, positive social interaction, and physical health.

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Website: findingfounders.co

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Dec 30, 202148:58
Antarctica, Zoom Interviews, & Dropping Everything: Founder Wisdom #065 - Andrew Warner

Antarctica, Zoom Interviews, & Dropping Everything: Founder Wisdom #065 - Andrew Warner

This is a follow up interview with Andrew Warner (episode 48)-- we told his life story back in November of 2020. Quick recap on Andrew.

Shortly after college, Andrew was handling millions of dollars and taking on massive risk. Only a few years later, he’d resign from that frantic lifestyle, jump ship and head for a respite in the Caribbean. It was here he reflected on his life and returned to his youth, a childhood filled with libraries, books, and learning. He realized that his own life with all the peaks and valleys of the entrepreneurial journey, mirrors that of his initial mentors who lived within the pages of those books. He took those lessons, founded a few companies, and now continues to learn from entrepreneurs with his show Mixergy, asking the question: What do startup founders know that you don’t?

Since our initial interview, we've stayed in touch and he's been giving me great advice. In this episode of founder wisdom we're going to dive into his new book, we're going to learn how to focus on the big vision and ignore noise, and finally he's going to detail how he uses his interview skills to create better relationships and business opportunities. 

Towards the end of the episode I'll ask him some advice on the projects I've been working on!

You can buy Andrew's new book, Stop Asking Questions, right now on Amazon.

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

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Website: findingfounders.co

Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/

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Dec 27, 202124:19
#100 Joe Saavedra: NFTs, $69M jpgs, & Infinite objects
Dec 23, 202147:01
Foraging for Fungi in Firepower Filled Forests: Founder Wisdom #064 - Giuliana Furci
Dec 21, 202125:58
#99 Lori Kay: A Weekend at a Nudist Lodge | Alternative Communities
Dec 18, 202158:47
21st Century Students & The Classrooms of the Future: Founder Wisdom #063 - Elyse Burden
Dec 13, 202112:35
#98: Forrest Garvin - How To Survive Anything: Y2K, Financial Crises, & Pandemics | Alternative Communities
Dec 09, 202140:31
Finding Your Ice Cream Sundae: Founder Wisdom #062 - Eric Molinsky
Dec 06, 202119:55
#97 Daisy Luther - Preparing for the Worst, Freezing to Death, & Dumpster Groceries | Alternative Communities
Dec 02, 202148:03
Work From Anywhere, Skydiving Midday, & The Importance of Free Time: Founder Wisdom #061 - Chris Bello
Nov 29, 202117:32
#96: John Basset - Elves, Knights, and Gnomes: How Fantasy Shapes Our Reality | Alternative Communities
Nov 25, 202146:52
Bullying in Africa, The Nobel Peace Prize, & Turning down $400k: Founder Wisdom #060 - Christina Catalano
Nov 22, 202120:08
#95 Hala Taha - Hot 97, The MTV Show that Never Was, and Accidentally Making $2 Million
Nov 18, 202141:11
How to Start a 6-Figure Coaching Business From Scratch: Founder Wisdom #059 - Maxwell Nee

How to Start a 6-Figure Coaching Business From Scratch: Founder Wisdom #059 - Maxwell Nee

This is a followup episode with Maxwell Nee from High-Performing Coach. He teaches us how to make our businesses pandemic proof, how he's scaled his business, and the tools and strategies you need to start your own coaching business.

If you'd like to grow your own podcast check out our coaching cohort --> The Pod30

A bit about Maxwell: Maxwell Née spent the majority of his life pursuing a stable career, which left him listless. After 5 years at his corporate banking job, Maxwell had a moment of realization, he didn't like what his life was becoming. To combat his current life path, he picked up and moved across the world from Australia to Canada. He decided to finally start over and pursue what excited him most. This would lead to High-Performing Coach, an online coaching service that has seen amazing growth and success in the past year. In fact, Maxwell has been recognized by BRAINZ 500 Global Honoree for his work and continues to thrive in a career path he built for himself.

Check out our full episode with Maxwell Nee.

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

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Website: findingfounders.co

Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/

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Nov 16, 202123:01
#94: Erick Brimen - Founding a City, Arrest Threats, and Solving Poverty | Alternative Communities

#94: Erick Brimen - Founding a City, Arrest Threats, and Solving Poverty | Alternative Communities

How can private cities use entrepreneurship to create social good? In this episode, we meet Erick Brimen, businessman, entrepreneur, and founder of the special economic zone, Próspera. At an early age, Erick came face-to-face with the social and financial disadvantages that most people face. And that experience would eventually lead to the visionary project of prosperity districts, where entrepreneurship is used to achieve common good. But Erick’s journey was not all glitz and glamour. From not having enough money to buy groceries, to nearly getting arrested over rumors, Erick knows what it's like to experience failure. But through it all, his passion to help others prosper has guided him on a path of success, trust, and purpose.


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Website: findingfounders.co

Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/

Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/

Nov 13, 202151:39
The Battle Against "Big Pasta" Takes Shape: Founder Wisdom #058 - Dan Pashman
Nov 09, 202120:26
#93: My Grandma - The Co-Founder of My Family
Nov 06, 202146:02
Education in Afghanistan is a Human Right: Founder Wisdom #057 - Navid Seyedali

Education in Afghanistan is a Human Right: Founder Wisdom #057 - Navid Seyedali

Navid Seyedali was born in Iran and eventually began living around the world in places such as the US, Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia. These travels developed within him an exceptional sense of empathy, which, over 25 years ago, led Navid to help establish and further the Child Foundation. The organization's mission is to educate children around the world. Initially Navid began as a volunteer, but became increasingly more active which culminated in his current position where he serves as an advisor to the board of directors. Two of his major accomplishments include the creation of an Afghanistan sponsorship program during his first term of presidency, as well as the creation of the Afghanistan Crisis Fund during his time as an advisor. The ACF has distributed food to hundreds of families and continues to work tirelessly to educate children around the world.

Nov 01, 202116:46
#92: Jay Clue - How Escaping Jail Time and Dropping a Ph.D. Led to Baja Conservation | The Cabo Series
Oct 29, 202150:23
How a Gambling Lesson Won the Game of Debt Management: Founder Wisdom #056 - Jason Saltzman
Oct 25, 202129:49
#91: Karen Bradfield - How a Ruptured Appendix and a Dead Man On a Plane Turned an Engineer into a Divemaster | The Cabo Series
Oct 21, 202150:19
Accidentally Insulting Mark Cuban: Founder Wisdom #055 - Samuel Donner
Oct 19, 202119:16
#90: Philipp Moser - Surviving a Tsunami and Finding New Life in the Ocean | The Cabo Series
Oct 14, 202101:05:42
Using Her Last $3000 to Buy Turmeric: Founder Wisdom #054 - Sana Javeri Kadri
Oct 12, 202115:50
#89: Enrique Bascon - Finding Artistic Expression in Life and Death | The Cabo Series
Oct 07, 202101:07:08
Refugees, Kid Translators, and Teach for Senegal: Founder Wisdom #053 - Raby Gueye
Oct 05, 202122:11
#88: How His Darkest Moment Sparked a Culinary Empire 10 Million Strong - Andrew Rea | The Food, Conflict, and Unity Series

#88: How His Darkest Moment Sparked a Culinary Empire 10 Million Strong - Andrew Rea | The Food, Conflict, and Unity Series

In this episode, we hear from Andrew Rea, the creative mastermind behind the Babish Culinary Universe. He’s amassed over 9 million subscribers on YouTube alone, but the scale of his community is far from what’s most interesting about this interview.

With his humor and piercing honesty, Andrew shares a story of continuous self-improvement. Losing his mother at age 11 and enduring secondary school with no friends, he was dealt a handful of painful challenges early on in life. Upon graduating film school with flying colors and a crew of good friends, early adulthood slammed him with another set of roadblocks. Grinding endlessly to make a living, broken to his core by an emotionally abusive director and stuck in a failing marriage, Andrew spiraled into his darkest days of depression. Through every overwhelming bout of failure, loss, pain, and doubt, we learn how Andrew is able to pick himself up, grow into a better person and discover a more fulfilling life.

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Website: findingfounders.co

Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/

Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/

Oct 01, 202155:21
The Origin of Graffiti: Mexican Blackletter: Founder Wisdom #052 - Jay Clue
Sep 28, 202108:44
#87: First Nations, Drag Kings, and Bacon - Heat Laliberte | The Food, Conflict, and Unity Series

#87: First Nations, Drag Kings, and Bacon - Heat Laliberte | The Food, Conflict, and Unity Series

Who doesn’t love bacon? Today we sat down with Heat Laliberte, the owner and founder of One Arrow Meats, a Vancouver based, small-batch, hand-cured, naturally smoked, hormone-free bacon company. One Arrow is more than just bacon. It represents Heat’s indigenous heritage, his goals, and his ability to overcome obstacles.

Spending his childhood in Saskatchewan, the Cree-Metis Chef has called Vancouver home since 2002. After a youth that consisted of running away, racism, and struggling with his identity as a trans man, Heat found a strong sense of family amongst the LGTBQ+ community in Davie Village. Starting as a linecook, Heat would go onto working in the kitchen of top hotels and starting his own business venture.

Throughout his life, Heat has been on a journey to find himself, come to terms with his identity, achieve more and cook delicious food. One Arrow opened the door to reconnect with his heritage and his family.


Website: findingfounders.co

Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/

Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/


Links From the Episode

Heat’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/heat.laliberte/?hl=en

Heat’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatlaliberte/?originalSubdomain=ca

One Arrow’s Website https://www.onearrowmeats.com/

One Arrow’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onearrowyvr/?hl=en

VICE Article https://www.vice.com/en/article/kzd3yy/heat-laliberte-one-arrow-meats-vancouver

The Residential School System - Erin Hanson, September, 2020: https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/the_residential_school_system/

Residential Schools and the effects on Indigenous health and well-being in Canada - Piotr Wilk, Alana Maltby, & Martin Cooke, 03/02/2017: https://publichealthreviews.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40985-017-0055-6

Sep 24, 202101:00:14
Camel Cigarettes, $117B+ in Revenue, and Premature Ejaculation: Founder Wisdom #051 - Jay Clue
Sep 20, 202109:15
#86: The Horrific Living Conditions of Migrant Workers, NY During the AIDS Epidemic, and Fighting Food Insecurity - Rick Nahmias | The Food, Conflict, and Unity Series

#86: The Horrific Living Conditions of Migrant Workers, NY During the AIDS Epidemic, and Fighting Food Insecurity - Rick Nahmias | The Food, Conflict, and Unity Series

How is it possible that the people who are feeding us cannot afford food? That is one of the questions that pushed this week's founder to tackle food insecurity and look for solutions. In today’s episode of Finding Founders, join us and Rick Nahmias in exploring where our food comes from and who is responsible for the food on our tables.

Rick Nahmias is an LA native who, after working as a documentary photographer, decided to pursue his interest in food and cooking. He soon recognized the abundance of waste around him. From working on “The Migrant Project,” a book which highlighted the poor treatment of migrant farmworkers, to bringing attention to excess produce in his neighborhood through Craigslist ads, Rick is at the forefront of social justice and fighting food insecurity. His organization Food Forward combats food insecurity, food wastefulness and climate change.

We joined Rick early one morning in Glendale, harvested lemons off a tree, and came back to the roots of Food Forward.


Links From the Episode

Website: findingfounders.co

Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/

Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/

Rick’s Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-nahmias-95b0221/

Food Forward’s Website: https://foodforward.org/

The Migrant Project: https://unmpress.com/books/migrant-project/9780826344076

Rick Nahmias TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtjmNdiPLLg

Food Forward Results: https://foodforward.org/our-impact/our-results/

Sep 16, 202143:11
The Hard Part About Hard Seltzers: Founder Wisdom #050 - Holly Paul & Chris Tran

The Hard Part About Hard Seltzers: Founder Wisdom #050 - Holly Paul & Chris Tran

Sep 13, 202114:33
#85: Gail Simmons - Top Chef, The First to Reality TV, and Decaying Meat | The Food, Conflict, and Unity Series
Sep 09, 202151:56