How They're Here
By Tyler Webb
Episodes every OTHER Wednesday.
How They're HereSep 18, 2019
S2 E023: Kyle Hale | Former COO of Bite Squad
This week you'll hear a conversation I had with former Bite Squad COO, Kyle Hale.
Bite Squad is a restaurant delivery service that was founded here in Minneapolis, and is prominent for providing excellent service whether delivery or take-out. They are partnered with local restaurants, maintain a robust customer service, and utilize a fleet of environmentally friendly vehicles to get fresh food from the restaurant straight to the customer, quickly and hassle free! They are widely regarded as one of the city’s most successful tech start-ups.
Kyle Hale is an entrepreneur and technology executive who built the foundation of his career in sales and operations with both B2B and B2C high growth technology companies. His roles span the fitness industry, multi-unit operations in QSR, e-commerce, selling software to the enterprise and most recently as partner and COO of Bite Squad, the restaurant delivery service which was acquired for $321M in January of 2019.
As COO Kyle led customer support, dispatch, field operations, and cross matrix managed sales, marketing, and product with the CEOs. A unique generalist with expansive domain knowledge in sales, marketing automation, product/software development, full-cycle recruiting, leadership, and strategy execution. More creative than an executive, he has a non-egotistical approach with a focus on developing the psychology and performance of his team through 1-1 mentoring.
After building two companies to acquisition in the last 7 years, he is now consulting with startups in the midwest, serves as a dad to his son, Sky, and is working to start a children’s clothing line.
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S2 E022: Nick McLaughlin | Stationary Astronaut
This week I have one of the more unique conversations I’ve had in a while with Minnesota’s resident “dot connector and glue piece,” Nick McLaughlin aka the Stationary Astronaut. On the surface, Stationary Astronaut is a philanthropic media and event company, but deeper than that it’s the culmination of all Nick’s entire life… the good, the bad and the ugly. In this episode we dig into all of it, we talk about what makes up the fabric of an entrepreneur and what someone in my position can be doing to cut their teeth and shape themselves for the next 10 years. Enjoy!
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S2 E021: Jackson LeFebvre | Co-Founder & CEO of ParkPoolr
**NOTE** Upon going back to edit this episode, the first 33ish minutes of this podcast’s audio file vanished. Poof, gone, nada, nothing. So you’ll have to bear with some below average camera audio until about minute 33 when the microphones kick back in. Sorry for my seeming incompetencies. I won’t be sorry, I’ll be better.
This week I sat down with Jackson LeFebvre, the co-founder and CEO of ParkPoolr. ParkPoolr is a web-based app that crowd-sources parking spots for large events, such as sports, concerts or even the Minnesota State Fair. While this is his first official business venture, Jackson has always been a man of ideas and an admirer of entrepreneurs like Elon Musk. But it took a trip to Hong Kong (where he met his co-founder Landon Butterworth), for Jackson to realize that the trajectory he was on at the University of Minnesota of studying finance and entrepreneurship was much like that of most of his other classmates. Aspiring for more, Jackson took his semester abroad as a leap of faith, which catalyzed the start of ParkPoolr and the rest of his professional career. Since, Jackson and ParkPoolr have won the MN Cup (an entrepreneurship competition in which the winner pockets $40,000), been featured on numerous media outlets, and on boarded thousands of potential parkers thanks to the Minnesota United season and Minnesota State Fair.
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S2 E020: Ross Larson | Co-Founder & COO of Float
This week you'll hear the second part of a two part series chronicling the start of Minnesota-based tech start-up, Float. COO and Co-Founder of Float, Ross Larson, describe the web-based service as the "Airbnb of boats," which simply allows boat owners to rent out their boats when they're not using them. Ross’s story is one that looks a lot like anyone else's. He went to school at Iowa State, studied engineering and had a good paying sales job in Chicago after graduation. However, for Ross, there was still something that felt unfinished. The conversations he and his life-long friend Jake McHenry had about starting a business never fully came to fruition. That all changed when Jake called Ross with a recent relocation he had in an MBA class: Airbnb for boats. Ross loved the idea but was skeptical about leaving his young career in Chicago. That was until he had a life-altering tipping point. His mom died unexpectedly, which caused Ross to face the music. He realized he wanted to be doing something more with his life, so he quit, packed his bags and moved into Jake’s mom’s basement in Minnesota. Hear the whole story, and the mindset that got him here in this week's episode!
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S2 E019: Jake McHenry | Co-Founder and CEO of Float
This week you'll hear the first part of a two part series chronicling the start of Minnesota-based tech start-up, Float. CEO and Co-Founder of Float, Jake McHenry, describe the web-based service as the "Airbnb of boats," which simply allows boat owners to rent out their boats when they're not using them. Jake's story is one grounded in entrepreneurship, work and constant progress and it started younger than most as he began working for his parent's ballroom dance studio around the age of 5. From there, his entrepreneurial ambitions grew, although briefly side-tracked during his time in school and working at Target. But even as he was pursuing a more "traditional" career, the wheels never stoped turning and him and his co-founder / life-long friend, Ross Larson (next week's episode), and an epiphany struck while in an MBA class here at Carlson for peer-to-peer rentals for boats. Hear the whole story, and the mindset that got him here in this week's episode!
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S2 E018: Peter Schultze | Co-Founder and CEO of Plyo
Peter Schultze started Plyo out of the Carlson School of Management here at the University of Minnesota, and while the app hasn't always looked the same, Peter and his co-founder have been consistently driven by their mission of helping students build healthier behaviors in one of the most formidable times of their life. Plyo helps students do this by tracking how much time they spend at their university's fitness center and allowing them to earn points that they can use for discounts at area restaurants, stores and even online. Peter and I discuss his journey into entrepreneurship, starting all the way back in elementary school and continuing through a variety of other ventures including a music label and a digital agency. Peter now works full time on Plyo, recently stepping away from his degree program at Carlson, and aims to take the platform to more Big 10 schools, students and businesses in 2020 with his growing team of now 4 employees.
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S2 E017: Sports Videography, 1.9 Million Followers and Top High School Recruits | Josh Englert
This week I sat down with Josh Englert, videographer for SLAM. SLAM is a print and online basketball publication with millions of followers aggregated across multiple platforms. Josh has been working with them for over a year as a freelance videographer and editor, and is responsible for shooting some of Minnesota’s top high school recruits including Jalen Suggs, Page Bueckers and Chet Holmgren. I organically stumbled across Josh’s fast-paced and hard-hitting edits about a month ago, and was immediately intrigued by the infrastructure that SLAM has built with independent creators. Josh sheds a light into how this world of scalable content works, and shares what it’s like to work for these world-wide brands from the perspective of a creator.
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S2 E016: Tech, Start Ups and Studying Entrepreneurship | Taran Johal
Listen to Taran Johal, co-founder and CEO of app Tavolo, discuss how he’s working to reimagine the restaurant industry while still in school. Taran and his two co-founders started Tavolo in early 2018 and have already partnered with 16 Minneapolis restaurants, placed as a semi-finalist in the MN Cup and have begun attracting a local base of users. Taran sheds some light into his daily schedule and how he manages to balance a full class load with a young company. His perspective into the life of an entrepreneur just goes to show the amount of work it takes to find success with your own venture, and how it’s possible to remain fulfilled and motivated through a process that is all too often draining and destructive.
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NOYB 3: He Flew From Pennsylvania for This | Myles Biggs
Myles Biggs is How They’re Here’s first EVER recurring guest, and this conversation might top the last (S1 E005). Myles gives his perspective on being a creator as a busy professional, husband, MBA student and dad and also gives me (and the rest of the young creators out there) some sage advice for our 20’s. Myles also tells stories like how he used his podcast to get a job as a Director of Marketing, quitting his job running a $50 million business and so much more.
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NOYB 2 | I Went To Nebraska: Will Stone
This week I had a conversation with one of my very best friends, Will Stone. While I had never actually met Will before, we have known each other for over a year all the way back from our Athlete Nation days. Will now spends his days doing incredible graphic design work for the University of Nebraska (like seriously, insane). We talk about all things life and career, reflecting and projecting. I can’t wait to listen back on this episode years from now and hear how far we’ve come. Enjoy!
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S2 E015 | Start-Ups, Hustle and Doing Things Your Way: Jackson Jones
This week I sit down with the founder of Fingrprint, Jackson Jones. Fingrprint is a corporate gifting company that makes custom wooden pieces for companies and brands to the likes of Gary Vee, Young and Reckless and countless more. Jackson has an unmatched determination to succeed, and it shows in how he talks about Fingrprint and his journey to become a full time entrepreneur.
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NOYB 1: We're Back, But What Are We? | Tyler Webb
I'm taking to the mic alone for a solo episode where I describe where I've been, what I've been up to and where me and this podcast are going. If you're here to listen to an interview with someone more accomplished than I, tune in next week. But if you want to learn a little more about what's going through my mind these days, then you might want to stay tuned (or not, honestly I could care less).
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S2 E014: Social Media, Entrepreneurship & Sports | Hunter Radenslaben
S2 Trailer: How They're Here Returns 9/4/19!
We’re back! Our first episode releases 9/8/19 with Hunter Radenslaben, Founder of Athlete Nation. New episodes will now release EVERY week. I’ll also be pushing content hard on IG and LinkedIn (my new favorite platforms) with my new, niche down message to better reach creatives & entrepreneurs in the Midwest. I also got a proper DSLR camera (not to brag), so be on the lookout for some good (maybe great) content.
Instagram | https://instagram.com/howtheyrehere
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/howtheyrehere/
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Final Episode S1: The End of How They're Here?
What is going on everyone, welcome to the final episode of How They’re Here. As always I’m Tyler Webb, and this week I’m doing things a little differently.
When I say this is the final episode, you’ll have to allow me to explain a little bit more. I hope you can bear me talking alone for 52 minutes, and please note: if you’re here for the typical interview content that’s not this (but be sure to check out the backlog of 13 episodes).
I’ll let the episode say the rest, but thank you so much for your support and encouragement up to this point.
Enjoy!
Best of S1 E013: How to Learn What You Want
Here are just a few of the best parts from an invaluable conversation I had with career coach, teacher, author, speaker and the inspiration for this podcast, Chad Ellsworth.
Listen to the full episode for exclusive insights that you're not to going to find anywhere else.
I know I’ve told this story before, but for those of you who don’t know; Chad taught a class that I was in called “Career Skills” where we learned everything from job interview skills to LinkedIn formatting. This class got me thinking about the unformalized nature of our careers and education, and how there was a gap in our ability to learn about specific professions because they just aren’t taught in school.
I started the podcast by telling Chad this story, and then we got into what I believe to be the most valuable content about college, jobs and life that I’ve had the privilege of sharing.
We touch on everything from how to pick the right career (or if there even is such a thing), the value going and not going to college, how to deal with a dissonance of interests and career, his new book on heroic leadership and so much more.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to navigate your own professional lives and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
S1 E013: How to Learn What You Want
What is going on everyone, welcome to the 13th episode of How They’re Here. As always I’m Tyler Webb, and last week I was fortunate enough to talk with career coach, teacher, author, speaker and the inspiration for this podcast, Chad Ellsworth.
I know I’ve told this story before, but for those of you who don’t know; Chad taught a class that I was in called “Career Skills” where we learned everything from job interview skills to LinkedIn formatting. This class got me thinking about the unformalized nature of our careers and education, and how there was a gap in our ability to learn about specific professions because they just aren’t taught in school.
I started the podcast by telling Chad this story, and then we got into what I believe to be the most valuable content about college, jobs and life that I’ve had the privilege of sharing.
We touch on everything from how to pick the right career (or if there even is such a thing), the value going and not going to college, how to deal with a dissonance of interests and career, his new book on heroic leadership and so much more.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to navigate your own professional lives and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
Best of S1 E012: 2019 Guide to Social Media
Here are just a few of the best parts from a highly valuable chat I had with social media guru, coach, consultant, influencer and founder of Twin Cities Collective, Jenna Redfield.
Listen to the full episode for exclusive insights that you're not to going to find anywhere else.
Jenna was very gracious with her time and allowed me to pick her brain on anything and everything social, free of charge! This episode is jam packed with value from beginning to end, and acts almost as a mini consultation session.
We cover everything from how Jenna grew a hyper-engaged following of over 14,000 creators and entrepreneurs in the Twin Cities area, her favorite free tools to create content in 2019, the platforms you should (and shouldn't) be using, her biggest social media pet peeves, and even how she games the dreaded Instagram algorithm.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to grow your social media following and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
S1 E012: 2019 Guide to Social Media
What is going on everyone, welcome to the 12th episode of How They’re Here. As always I’m Tyler Webb, and the other week I was able to sit down with a social media guru, coach, consultant, influencer and founder of Twin Cities Collective, Jenna Redfield.
Jenna was very gracious with her time and allowed me to pick her brain on anything and everything social, free of charge! This episode is jam packed with value from beginning to end, and acts almost as a mini consultation session.
We cover everything from how Jenna grew a hyper-engaged following of over 14,000 creators and entrepreneurs in the Twin Cities area, her favorite free tools to create content in 2019, the platforms you should (and shouldn't) be using, her biggest social media pet peeves, and even how she games the dreaded Instagram algorithm.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to grow your social media following and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
Best of S1 E011: Why Your Hustle Isn't Impressive
Here are just a few of the best points from one of my favorite conversations to date with the CEO and Founder of the digital media agency the Social Butterfly, Brandon Poliszuk.
Listen to the full episode for exclusive insights that you're not to going to find anywhere else.
Coincidentally, Brandon’s interview was the first one I recorded on video which I find fitting given his and his teams videography and photography abilities, and while this production will be no where near the quality of a Social Butterfly video, it gives you an additional insight into who Brandon is and how he’s growing his agency.
What started out of a college bedroom, turned office is now a growing agency that is already working with top brands, athletes and personalities nationwide, and behind this crazy growth is a 23 year old CEO and self-proclaimed grinder.
Brandon’s story is insane when you consider the fact that he had never even picked up a camera much before launching the Butterfly, and now he and his team of talented creators are shooting with pro athletes, multimillion dollar brands and even Gary Vee. Brandon and I talk about this evolution in his career, how he picked up these skills so quickly, how the Butterfly is gaining business at such a rapid pace, the outline to collaboration and providing value, the problem with “Hustle Culture,” and the crazy set of circumstances that led him to working directly with Gary Vee.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how being a leader, networker and an entrepreneur and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
S1 E011: Why Your Hustle Isn't Impressive
What is going on everyone, welcome to the 11th episode of How They’re Here. As always I’m Tyler Webb, and last week I recorded one of my favorite conversations to date with the CEO and Founder of the digital media agency the Social Butterfly, Brandon Poliszuk.
Coincidentally, Brandon’s interview was the first one I recorded on video which I find fitting given his and his teams videography and photography abilities, and while this production will be no where near the quality of a Social Butterfly video, it gives you an additional insight into who Brandon is and how he’s growing his agency.
What started out of a college bedroom, turned office is now a growing agency that is already working with top brands, athletes and personalities nationwide, and behind this crazy growth is a 23 year old CEO and self-proclaimed grinder.
Brandon’s story is insane when you consider the fact that he had never even picked up a camera much before launching the Butterfly, and now he and his team of talented creators are shooting with pro athletes, multimillion dollar brands and even Gary Vee. Brandon and I talk about this evolution in his career, how he picked up these skills so quickly, how the Butterfly is gaining business at such a rapid pace, the outline to collaboration and providing value, the problem with “Hustle Culture,” and the crazy set of circumstances that led him to working directly with Gary Vee.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how being a leader, networker and an entrepreneur and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
Best of S1 E010: Tackling America's Addiction Crisis with Personal Experience
Here are just a few of the best points from a really unique and interesting conversation with the founder of AdditionU, Jay Louricas.
Listen to the full episode for exclusive insights into the apparel and branding that you're not to going to find anywhere else.
Jay’s life started out pretty ordinary. He was your typical suburban kid in your typical suburban family, but this all came to a screeching halt when his dad got addicted to drugs. This launched the rest of Jay’s life into an unpredictable spiral, with his dad popping in and out of his home, often high and unruly. Jay even recounts a specific instance in middle school in which he came home to find that his dad had stolen literally everything in his bedroom, including the bed.
Now this brief summary does not do justice to what Jay has had to overcome, and while we don’t dive too deeply in the personal aspect of Jay’s life on this podcast, I do encourage you to hear about it in an interview he did on the Backpocket Podcast.
Nevertheless, Jay has turned this unfortunate circumstance into a platform to help other families who are suffering from the effects of addiction. Jay describes the platform as the resource he, his mom and his sister never had and hopes to provide invaluable video and teaching resources to families, schools and clinics across the country to break the stereotype and taboo around families with a loved one struggling with addition.
Hear how Jay is turning his raw passion into a feasible career, the resources he’s using to get started, the mistakes and failed ventures he’s had along the way and so much more.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to start to formalize your own passion, and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
S1 E010: Tackling America's Addiction Crisis with Personal Experience
What is going on everyone, welcome to the tenth episode of How They’re Here. As always I’m Tyler Webb, and last week I had a really unique and interesting conversation with the founder of AdditionU, Jay Louricas.
Jay’s life started out pretty ordinary. He was your typical suburban kid in your typical suburban family, but this all came to a screeching halt when his dad got addicted to drugs. This launched the rest of Jay’s life into an unpredictable spiral, with his dad popping in and out of his home, often high and unruly. Jay even recounts a specific instance in middle school in which he came home to find that his dad had stolen literally everything in his bedroom, including the bed.
Now this brief summary does not do justice to what Jay has had to overcome, and while we don’t dive too deeply in the personal aspect of Jay’s life on this podcast, I do encourage you to hear about it in an interview he did on the Backpocket Podcast.
Nevertheless, Jay has turned this unfortunate circumstance into a platform to help other families who are suffering from the effects of addiction. Jay describes the platform as the resource he, his mom and his sister never had and hopes to provide invaluable video and teaching resources to families, schools and clinics across the country to break the stereotype and taboo around families with a loved one struggling with addition.
Hear how Jay is turning his raw passion into a feasible career, the resources he’s using to get started, the mistakes and failed ventures he’s had along the way and so much more.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to start to formalize your own passion, and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
Best of S1 E009: Custom Sunglasses Company Rules Instagram
Here are just a few of the best points from a phenomenal conversation I had the founder and CEO of Skyline Specs, Scott Ballard.
Listen to the full episode for exclusive insights into the apparel and branding that you're not to going to find anywhere else.
Scott and I were firing on all of the same cylinders, from being students, to studying entrepreneurship, to starting a side hustle (or two) in school, to growing accounts with 10’s of thousands of followers, to freelancing our social media work, we had a ton in common which made for a great conversation and even better podcast episode.
Scott founded Skyline Specs as a class project, but now his custom engraved wooden-framed sunglasses can be seen representing nearly every major city across the country. Scott is using the power of social media influencers, the Mall of America and unabashed salesmanship to grow this business podcast by podcast.
I would recommend you stick around for the full episode this week (I mean, I think it’s in your best interest to listen to the full episode every week) because Scott and I get into some really interesting territory about buying Instagram accounts, leveraging 60,000+ followings, selling through Instagram, the reason behind making sunglasses and how he finds his creative and entrepreneurial passions.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to become a better business person, influencer or creator, and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
S1 E009: Custom Sunglasses Company Rules Instagram
What is going on everyone, welcome to the ninth episode of How They’re Here. As always I’m Tyler Webb, and last week I was able to have a phenomenal conversation with the founder and CEO of Skyline Specs, Scott Ballard.
Scott and I were firing on all of the same cylinders, from being students, to studying entrepreneurship, to starting a side hustle (or two) in school, to growing accounts with 10’s of thousands of followers, to freelancing our social media work, we had a ton in common which made for a great conversation and even better podcast episode.
Scott founded Skyline Specs as a class project, but now his custom engraved wooden-framed sunglasses can be seen representing nearly every major city across the country. Scott is using the power of social media influencers, the Mall of America and unabashed salesmanship to grow this business podcast by podcast.
I would recommend you stick around for the full episode this week (I mean, I think it’s in your best interest to listen to the full episode every week) because Scott and I get into some really interesting territory about buying Instagram accounts, leveraging 60,000+ followings, selling through Instagram, the reason behind making sunglasses and how he finds his creative and entrepreneurial passions.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to become a better business person, influencer or creator, and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
Best of S1 E008: How to Grow a Side-Hustle in an Over-Saturated Market
Here are just a few of the best points from a fantastic conversation I had with Army Officer, Marketing Strategist and Co-Founder of MB Outdoors Apparel, Austin Dummer.
Listen to the full episode for exclusive insights into the apparel and branding that you're not to going to find anywhere else.
Austin had some fantastic stories to share, both about the inspiration and aspirations he and his partners hold for the brand. As an Army Officer, professional marketer, and co-founder, Austin is able to provide a ton of insight into what and why MB Outdoors stands for what it does. For those of you who don’t know, the name MB Outdoors stands for “Midwest Backcountry Outdoors” and has developed into a prominent brand for adventurers and outdoorsmen alike across the midwest. But it also stands for a strong pillar of values that Austin and his co-founders share, to support several veteran organizations with proceeds coming from each product sold.
With this foundation of regional community and veteran support, MB Outdoors is growing faster than ever. Austin and I dive into the idea of growing a brand in such a short time, why they chose the saturated apparel market, the stupid mistakes they made, how they set up a revenue positive workflow model with team-members in different states, the role of social media and influencers, and their plans to scale the whole operation.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to start your own brand or business (apparel or otherwise), and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
S1 E008: How to Grow a Side-Hustle in an Over-Saturated Market
What is going on everyone, welcome to the eight episode of How They’re Here. As always I’m Tyler Webb, and last week I had the pleasure of sitting down with the co-founder of MB Outdoors Apparel, Austin Dummer.
Austin had some fantastic stories to share, both about the inspiration and aspirations he and his partners hold for the brand. As an Army Officer, professional marketer, and co-founder, Austin is able to provide a ton of insight into what and why MB Outdoors stands for what it does. For those of you who don’t know, the name MB Outdoors stands for “Midwest Backcountry Outdoors” and has developed into a prominent brand for adventurers and outdoorsmen alike across the midwest. But it also stands for a strong pillar of values that Austin and his co-founders share, to support several veteran organizations with proceeds coming from each product sold.
With this foundation of regional community and veteran support, MB Outdoors is growing faster than ever. Austin and I dive into the idea of growing a brand in such a short time, why they chose the saturated apparel market, the stupid mistakes they made, how they set up a revenue positive workflow model with team-members in different states, the role of social media and influencers, and their plans to scale the whole operation.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to start your own brand or business (apparel or otherwise), and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
Best of S1 E007: Turning 140,000 Twitter Followers Into a Full-Time Job
Here are just a few of the best points from a great conversation I had with long-time friend, colleague, former influencer and current social media lead for the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee’s athletic department, Frank Kugel.
Listen to the full episode for exclusive insights into the podcast/media industry you're not to going to find anywhere else.
Frank was one of the first guys I thought of to interview when I started this podcast because he not only checks the boxes of someone who has and continues to have entrepreneurial success, but he’s someone I always enjoy talking to about everything from life to social media.
Frank got his start as a young founder of a popular Twitter account called I Live For Football. His work through the account reached upwards of 25 million athletes, coaches and fans monthly, and his leadership of a young team of content creators helped grow the account’s reach to over 140,000 followers.
I, myself, was a part of this team and was fortunate to work with Frank for almost 2 years in creating a football community that was nationally recognized.
In this episode, Frank and I talked about how he grew an audience of this magnitude at the young age of 14, his favorite run-ins with professional athletes and fans, how he leveraged this high school passion-project into a revenue driving business and later job at one of Wisconsin’s primer Division 1 sports program, and the professional obstacles he’s had to overcome at such a young age.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to jump start your professional careers with social media, and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
S1 E007: Turning 140,000 Twitter Followers Into a Full-Time Job
What is going on everyone, welcome to the seventh episode of How They’re Here. As always I’m Tyler Webb, and today we have a personally highly anticipated episode with long-time friend, colleague, former influencer and current social media lead for the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee’s athletic department, Frank Kugel.
Frank was one of the first guys I thought of to interview when I started this podcast because he not only checks the boxes of someone who has and continues to have entrepreneurial success, but he’s someone I always enjoy talking to about everything from life to social media.
Frank got his start as a young founder of a popular Twitter account called I Live For Football. His work through the account reached upwards of 25 million athletes, coaches and fans monthly, and his leadership of a young team of content creators helped grow the account’s reach to over 140,000 followers.
I, myself, was a part of this team and was fortunate to work with Frank for almost 2 years in creating a football community that was nationally recognized.
In this episode, Frank and I talked about how he grew an audience of this magnitude at the young age of 14, his favorite run-ins with professional athletes and fans, how he leveraged this high school passion-project into a revenue driving business and later job at one of Wisconsin’s primer Division 1 sports program, and the professional obstacles he’s had to overcome at such a young age.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to jump start your professional careers with social media, and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
Best of S1 E006: From Never Using a Camera to Touring the Country in 3 Years
Here are just a few of the best points from a great conversation I had with the photographer, film maker and student, Josh Moe.
Listen to the full episode for exclusive insights into the podcast/media industry you're not to going to find anywhere else.
Josh was an extremely interesting guy to talk to, because he is straddling the line between being a traditional student seeking a fairly standard job after graduation and becoming an entrepreneurial film-maker and photographer who is touring the country with artists, forward-thinking businesses and friends.
Josh’s perspective into creative work is even more interesting when you consider the fact that 3 years ago he hadn’t even picked up a camera yet, but now he’s on his way to making a living with one. In this episode we discuss what Josh believes to be the necessary traits of an aspiring photographer, videographer and entrepreneur, how to navigate the complex ecosystem of creative professionals in your area, and his strategy to growing his brand as a business.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to move forward in such an interesting and complicated industry, and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
S1 E006: From Never Using a Camera to Touring the Country in 3 Years
What is going on everyone, welcome to the sixth episode of How They’re Here. As always I’m Tyler Webb, and today we have an excellent episode with Josh Moe, photographer and videographer studying business at the University of Minnesota.
Josh was an extremely interesting guy to talk to, because he is straddling the line between being a traditional student seeking a fairly standard job after graduation and becoming an entrepreneurial film-maker and photographer who is touring the country with artists, forward-thinking businesses and friends.
Josh’s perspective into creative work is even more interesting when you consider the fact that 3 years ago he hadn’t even picked up a camera yet, but now he’s on his way to making a living with one. In this episode we discuss what Josh believes to be the necessary traits of an aspiring photographer, videographer and entrepreneur, how to navigate the complex ecosystem of creative professionals in your area, and his strategy to growing his brand as a business.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to move forward in such an interesting and complicated industry, and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
Best of S1 E005: Starting a Media Company to Interview the World
Here are just a few of the best points from an extremely valuable conversation I had with the founder and host of “Relish the Journey” Media, Myles Biggs.
Listen to the full episode for exclusive insights into the podcast/media industry you're not to going to find anywhere else.
Myles is a lot like you and me- he’s worked his way up in his 9-5 job, his first son is about to turn one, and he started a media company with the goal of interviewing the world. And while the last point might not *actually* be all that common, Myles still has countless stories and experiences that any person with an interest in podcasting can learn from, because the fact of the matter is Myles' self-proclaimed best quality is his inexplicable drive to try and learn new things.
This episode is jam packed with highly valuable and multi-layered conversation on starting a venture like a podcast when you still have the normal 9-5 obligation. The insightful nuance of how Myles attacks new problems, avoids being content and is evolving as a creative professional is beneficial to anyone who has a similar desire to create.
Also be sure to check out Myles' podcast, “Relish the Journey” anywhere you listen to podcasts to hear my interview. We talked about my story, my passions and what drives me to create ventures like this very podcast. That episode will release tomorrow- Thursday, January 3rd, so be sure to check it out for a never-before heard perspective into how I attack every single day.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to start your own podcast, and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
S1 E005: Starting a Media Company to Interview the World
What is going on everyone, welcome to the fifth episode of How They’re Here. As always I’m Tyler Webb, and last week I was able to hop on a call with the founder and host of “Relish the Journey” Media, Myles Biggs.
Myles is a lot like you and me- he’s worked his way up in his 9-5 job, his first son is about to turn one, and he started a media company with the goal of interviewing the world. And while the last point might not *actually* be all that common, Myles still has countless stories and experiences that any person with an interest in podcasting can learn from, because the fact of the matter is Myles' self-proclaimed best quality is his inexplicable drive to try and learn new things.
This episode is jam packed with highly valuable and multi-layered conversation on starting a venture like a podcast when you still have the normal 9-5 obligation. The insightful nuance of how Myles attacks new problems, avoids being content and is evolving as a creative professional is beneficial to anyone who has a similar desire to create.
Also be sure to check out Myles' podcast, “Relish the Journey” anywhere you listen to podcasts to hear my interview. We talked about my story, my passions and what drives me to create ventures like this very podcast. That episode will release tomorrow- Thursday, January 3rd, so be sure to check it out for a never-before heard perspective into how I attack every single day.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to start your own podcast, and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
Best of S1 E004: Co-Founder of the Iconic Great Lakes Clothing Co.
Listen to the full episode for exclusive insights into the apparel industry and entrepreneurship you're not to going to find anywhere else.
Spencer’s story resonated so strongly with me like I know it will for many of you, because his is one of pretty average origins. He’s a Minnesota bred guy who loves spending time at the lake, the only difference between his story and that of many others is that while he was a student at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, him and his business partner David started an apparel company from their car.
David and Spencer have since scaled Great Lakes Clothing to become one of the most prominent, and recognizable clothing brands in the midwest, and their small team continues to grow the Great Lakes’ product line and brand to new heights. In our conversation, Spencer and I talk about how the university system isn’t always the best for entrepreneurs, how he found early success selling shirts out of his car, the biggest lessons he learned out of college, his favorite tool for new businesses, and how companies should use social media in 2019.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to start your own business (apparel or otherwise), and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
S1 E004: Co-Founder of the Iconic Great Lakes Clothing Co.
Spencer’s story resonated so strongly with me like I know it will for many of you, because his is one of pretty average origins. He’s a Minnesota bred guy who loves spending time at the lake, the only difference between his story and that of many others is that while he was a student at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, him and his business partner David started an apparel company from their car.
David and Spencer have since scaled Great Lakes Clothing to become one of the most prominent, and recognizable clothing brands in the midwest, and their small team continues to grow the Great Lakes’ product line and brand to new heights. In our conversation, Spencer and I talk about how the university system isn’t always the best for entrepreneurs, how he found early success selling shirts out of his car, the biggest lessons he learned out of college, his favorite tool for new businesses, and how companies should use social media in 2019.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to start your own business (apparel or otherwise), and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
Best of S1 E003: Creating Video Content in Sports as a Full Time Job
Here are just a few of the bright spots from an outstanding conversation I had with Chris Jackson, Digital Content Coordinator for the University of Minnesota Athletic Department.
Listen to the full episode for exclusive insights into the industry you're not to going to find anywhere else.
Chris’ story is second to none. He started his career as a videographer by making high school football highlight tapes so that him and his friends could get recruited to play college football. After accepting an offer to play Division 1 Football at FAU, Chris continued the evolution into his film career by starting his own production company. Once he graduated, he began training for the NFL but soon realized that he was going to have to make a choice: Pursue his career in video or his career in the NFL.
Chris’ choice to pursue his creative passion landed him here in Minneapolis, MN and even though that decision came with its fair share of strife- it’s a decision that Chris has never regretted making. In our conversation Chris will share just exactly how he got started, what mindset he used to get through the rejection and how he’s been able to be successful in an industry that costs so much to get into, and a few tips he thinks every aspiring creator should know.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to get into such a competitive industry , and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
S1 E003: Creating Video Content in Sports as a Full Time Job
Chris’ story is second to none. He started his career as a videographer by making high school football highlight tapes so that him and his friends could get recruited to play college football. After accepting an offer to play Division 1 Football at FAU, Chris continued the evolution into his film career by starting his own production company. Once he graduated, he began training for the NFL but soon realized that he was going to have to make a choice: Pursue his career in video or his career in the NFL.
Chris’ choice to pursue his creative passion landed him here in Minneapolis, MN and even though that decision came with its fair share of strife- it’s a decision that Chris has never regretted making. In our conversation Chris will share just exactly how he got started, what mindset he used to get through the rejection and how he’s been able to be successful in an industry that costs so much to get into, and a few tips he thinks every aspiring creator should know.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and learn a thing or two about how to get into such a competitive industry , and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
Best of S1 E002: How to Start Creating Content Out of Your House, with a Day Job
You can also listen to the full, unabridged episode 002 on this page!
Andrew and Declan host the BackPocket podcast out of a studio they built in their attic, and they were kind enough to invite me up and record this episode with them. They’re two hilarious guys who make this episode really easy to listen to, but they also shared with me some incredible tips and hacks to starting a podcast and content-based company from scratch.
They started just like everyone else, a couple of college students with no equipment, experience or knowledge of podcasting or content creation, but through almost a year and a half hustling, meeting people, and trying new things they’ve been able to grow a brand and a show that touches several thousand people every day. In this episode we talked about the first purchase they made, the time they almost quit, the pitfalls they almost fell into and how they scaled the whole operation.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and earn some useful information into how to possibly start a podcast, or content-based side hustle of your own, and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
S1 002: How to Start Creating Content Out of Your House, with a Day Job
Andrew and Declan host the BackPocket podcast out of a studio they built in their attic, and they were kind enough to invite me up and record this episode with them. They’re two hilarious guys who make this episode really easy to listen to, but they also shared with me some incredible tips and hacks to starting a podcast and content-based company from scratch.
They started just like everyone else, a couple of college students with no equipment, experience or knowledge of podcasting or content creation, but through almost a year and a half hustling, meeting people, and trying new things they’ve been able to grow a brand and a show that touches several thousand people every day. In this episode we talked about the first purchase they made, the time they almost quit, the pitfalls they almost fell into and how they scaled the whole operation.
I hope you all enjoy this episode, and earn some useful information into how to possibly start a podcast, or content-based side hustle of your own, and gain some valuable insight into how they’re here.
Best of S1 E001: Founding 4+ Companies & CEO of Target's Latest Start-Up
You can also listen to the full, unabridged episode 001 on this page!
Bharat’s latest venture, Runerra, is an app that helps you get food and groceries delivered with people who already live near you, and it can help you earn some extra cash for yourself.
Bharat is an extremely busy guy, so I am fortunate to have been able to pick his brain for as long as I did, and we ended up talking about a ton of things- not only about how Runerra got started, but how he even came to be an entrepreneur starting all the way back at just 15 years old. Bharat actually recently dropped out of college to work on Runerra full time, so he has a lot of valuable insight into what it truly takes to be an entrepreneur and not somebody who is, as he calls it, a "wantra-prenuer".
I hope you enjoy our conversation and learn from Bharat’s experience as a serial entrepreneur and CEO and gain some valuable insight into how he’s here.
S1 E001: Founding 4+ Companies & CEO of Target's Latest Start-Up
Bharat’s latest venture, Runerra, is an app that helps you get food and groceries delivered with people who already live near you, and it can help you earn some extra cash for yourself.
Bharat is an extremely busy guy, so I am fortunate to have been able to pick his brain for as long as I did, and we ended up talking about a ton of things- not only about how Runerra got started, but how he even came to be an entrepreneur starting all the way back at just 15 years old. Bharat actually recently dropped out of college to work on Runerra full time, so he has a lot of valuable insight into what it truly takes to be an entrepreneur and not somebody who is, as he calls it, a "wantra-prenuer".
I hope you enjoy our conversation and learn from Bharat’s experience as a serial entrepreneur and CEO and gain some valuable insight into how he’s here.
Teaser Episode: What is "How They're Here?"
If you’re a student, professional, aspiring entrepreneur or struggling creative you know that there are just some things you can’t be taught in school. We go through high school, college, graduate school and beyond learning theories and definitions but we’re rarely taught how to get the jobs we actually want- jobs as founders, CEOs, content creators, artists, musicians and so much more.
The only way that we might have found out about how to do this stuff is through hear-say, or one-off pieces of advice, but there’s no one place to turn for information about the things we really need to know.
If any of that sounds like a thought you might have had at one point, this is the spot for you. On How They’re Here, we’re going to dig into the experiences, mindsets and perspectives of people who are doing the jobs you want to do so that you can turn around and use it in your own lives.
No one is teaching us these things, so we have to take the learning into our own hands through the experiences of others, and what better way to do this than finding out How They’re Here.
The first episodes of How They’re here will premiere on November 7th and will be available every other Wednesday wherever you listen to podcasts. In the meantime; check us out on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook by searching How They’re Here or find me online @tylermwebb to connect. Thank you for listening and I’ll talk to you all soon- peace!