Entrepreneurial Excellence Podcast

Matt Wampler shows why entrepreneurial excellence is not about big ideas or hustle quotes, it is about execution when the stakes are real. He walks through what it feels like to step into a failing Jimmy John’s at 21, fix broken systems, and earn trust while working brutal hours. A big theme is leadership under pressure, when you choose standards over shortcuts, and when you decide not to be held hostage by the wrong people, even if it hurts in the moment. Matt is the CEO and co-founder of ClearCOGS, a prescriptive AI platform helping restaurants make better decisions on demand forecasting, staffing, and inventory. Before tech, he lived the operator life, early mornings, late nights, thin margins, constant people problems, and the kind of daily chaos most founders never experience. That operator empathy shaped how he builds today, he focuses less on shiny features and more on change management, adoption, and delivering guidance in a way restaurant teams will actually use. In this episode, Matt unpacks how he turned a broken store from 400K to 1.2M in 18 months, why culture can beat “perfect training,” and why doing the work yourself is the fastest way to get buy-in. He also breaks down what ClearCOGS really does, predicting what will happen tomorrow so operators can prep, staff, and order with less guessing. They also get into AI’s new reality, build fast, test fast, but do not confuse speed with wisdom, because you can now ship risky mistakes just as fast as good ideas. Key Topics: -Why buying a “broken” business can be the fastest way to learn real entrepreneurship -He turned 400K into 1.2M in 18 months, what actually changed behind the scenes -The leadership moment that matters most, choosing pain over being controlled -Why “culture” can beat a perfect training program in high pressure teams -How ClearCOGS predicts tomorrow, and why restaurants need decisions, not dashboards -Why AI adoption is a trust problem first, and a tech problem second Timestamps: 02:46 The real lesson founders miss, the business you love is not the business that pays 03:33 Entrepreneurial excellence is not a vibe, it is backbone plus execution 04:51 Walking into disaster, broken systems, zero standards, and he still said yes 06:59 The rule that makes bold founders early, take the risk while you can still recover 09:12 A manager tried to corner him, and he chose pain over being controlled 10:25 The moment the team flipped, they stopped watching and started helping 11:46 The turnaround play, stop “changing everything” and win one small fix per day 14:42 From 400K to 1.2M in 18 months, the grind behind the numbers 15:22 After a 22 hour shift, he signed the quit letter, then forgot it existed 18:19 The hiring truth nobody wants, it is easier to reset than to rewire habits 23:23 “Simple” is not “easy”, why franchise playbooks still fail in real life 29:43 Restaurant moneyball, the decision that saves profit before closing time 59:19 The trap metric that makes numbers look good while the brand dies Connect with - Matt Wampler: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/matthewjwampler Website - clearcogs.com/ hubs.ly/Q01LLR4X0 Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast: LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast⁠ Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24⁠Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.hirechore.com/resources/podcast

Vladimir Baranov shares why entrepreneurial excellence is not about perfect technology, but about real human connection. He explains how technically brilliant founders fail when they ignore people, how ego and bias distort decisions, and why market reality always beats technical elegance. Business, he argues, runs on psychology, trends, and the ability to truly listen. A three-time founder turned executive coach and the founder of Human Interfaces, Vladimir exited a wealth management SaaS company and worked across fintech and space tech before focusing on coaching technical founders. Today, he helps leaders overcome misalignment, communication gaps, and hidden cognitive bias that stall growth. In this episode, he unpacks why ideas are less important than people, how action generates the data founders need, and why open-ended questions unlock better sales and stronger teams. He also shares why delegation signals maturity and why success comes from collecting real experience, not just knowledge. Key Topics: -Why great tech fails without human connection -How ego and bias quietly destroy founder decisions -Why action beats overthinking in business -How misalignment kills teams before revenue does -Why people, not ideas, build winning companies Timestamps: 07:10 Why Technical Founders Hit an Invisible Ceiling 08:06 The High Risk Skill Nobody Trains, Human Interaction 10:39 Innovation Needs Therapy Level Understanding of People 17:06 Technical Skill in Isolation Is Just an Art Piece 19:55 Your Job as a Founder, Speak the Market’s Language 23:16 The Ego Trap, Thinking Your Model Is The Truth 27:42 The Question Shift That Kills Bias, Open Ended Over Close Ended 29:11 The Brutal Take, Most People Only Want to Talk About Themselves 37:14 Action Generates Data, The Simple Rule Most Founders Ignore 50:26 The Real Driver, People Buy Emotionally Not Logically 53:01 Market Reality Beats Technical Elegance, Every Time 55:09 The CEO Ego Problem, They Won’t Admit It’s a Bet 1:06:55 The Delegation Rule, Recurring and Schedulable Must Go 1:15:46 The Real Belief Shift, Ideas Are Less Important Than People 1:17:40 The Mushroom Line, Why Smart People Struggle at Business Connect with -Vladimir Baranov: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/vladimirbaranov Website: https://humaninterfaces.co/?utm_source=linkedin-contact Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.hirechore.com/resources/podcast

Lisa Carmen Wang shares how entrepreneurial excellence isn’t about winning early, but about holding a big vision and continuing when failure, rejection, and doubt show up again and again. She opens up about the moments when success still didn’t feel like enough, and why resilience, not talent or credentials, is what actually sustains long-term growth. Lisa is a founder, investor, author, and creator of Bad Bitch Empire, a global brand and movement built to challenge the invisible rules that keep women playing small. With a background spanning elite athletics, Wall Street, venture capital, and now music, she brings a rare perspective on identity, confidence, and what it really takes to build something bold without losing yourself in the process. In this episode, she breaks down how good girl conditioning quietly shapes ambition, why women are judged on past proof while men are rewarded for future vision, and how fear can become a compass instead of a stop sign. Key Topics: -Build entrepreneurial excellence through vision, resilience, and repeated failure -Break free from good girl conditioning that limits confidence and ambition -Redefine confidence by separating self-worth from outcomes and perfection -Use fear and discomfort as signals for growth and expansion -Create impact by aligning your work with identity, values, and truth 01:55 The Question That Instantly Reveals True Entrepreneurial Excellence 02:04 Big Vision With No Quit Even After Repeated Failure 03:31 The Realization She Was Still Playing by Patriarchal Rules 04:22 The 2 Percent Funding Reality That Women Are Expected to Accept 04:35 Good Girl Brainwashing and the Silent Rules That Keep Women Small 06:52 Why Women Are Asked About Past Proof While Men Are Asked About Future Vision 08:24 The Moment She Stopped Chasing Approval From People Who Didn’t Understand Her 11:05 After the Exit Why Success Still Didn’t Feel Like Enough 12:00 The One Question That Redefined Her Identity and Confidence 15:09 Why She Actively Chooses Discomfort as a Growth Strategy 22:11 The Truth Behind Confidence Fear, Breakdowns, and Doing It Anyway 24:15 How She Rewired Her Inner Critic Into a Cheerleader 27:26 The Hard Truth Your Greatest Freedom Is Past Your Deepest Fear 31:22 Why Being Loud, Proud, and Assertive Is Still Punished in Women 1:12:50 The One Line That Defines Entrepreneurial Excellence Focus on Who You’re Becoming Connect with - Lisa Carmen Wang: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/lisacarmenwang Website: https://www.lisawang.co/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisacarmenwang/ Instagram: @lisacarmenwang Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.levy.company/entrepreneurial-excellence

AJ Cassata shares how resilience gets built through real rejection, why most founders stall because they quit too early or keep switching directions, and how a predictable funnel only works when the messaging, offer, and follow-up are disciplined. AJ Cassata is the founder of Revenue Boost, an outbound agency that helps B2B businesses validate their positioning, generate qualified leads, and turn cold outreach into consistent sales calls without relying on ads or algorithms. In this episode, he breaks down the modern outbound stack, where AI personalization actually fits, why close rates collapse when objections stay hidden, and the one principle that ties everything together, you can’t fail if you don’t quit. Key Topics: -Lead Flow Is the First Domino in Any Business -The Messaging Fix That Makes Outbound Finally Work -Why AI Personalization Replaced “Spray and Pray” Outreach -The Close Rate Problem Is Usually an Unasked Objection -Consistency Wins, Quitting Just Looks Like “Pivoting” 01:25 Defining Entrepreneurial Excellence as “Problem-Solving Without Quitting” 03:34 Resilience Isn’t a Trait, It’s a Muscle 04:31 Motivation Comes From “Why” Plus Daily Habits 05:52 Lead Flow Is the First Domino in Business 08:29 Why Having Leads Beats Having a Perfect Product With No Attention 09:22 Messaging Is Half The Battle in Outbound 10:52 Segment First, Then Craft Specific Pain-Point Messaging 13:06 AI-Enabled SDRs and Personalization at Scale 16:18 The Hidden Cost of Hiring Isn’t Salary 17:40 When SDRs Still Make Sense in an AI World 21:20 Fixing a Weak Close Rate Starts With Funnel Truth 23:18 Sales Is Detective Work, Invite The Objection 24:25 Founder-Led Sales Is Non-Negotiable Early 26:06 Getting Better Fast With Coaches and AI Call Review 28:32 Sales Methodologies Share the Same Four Pillars 30:11 Speed and Follow-Up Signal Customer Experience 32:25 Why AJ Started Door-to-Door and Dropped Out 37:49 The Pivot Into Digital Marketing and First Clients 38:29 Building an Agency From a Sprinter Van 39:24 The Vietnam Move and Making Remote Work Sustainable 42:03 Constraints Breed Creativity in Remote Hiring and Selling 46:02 Marketing Fundamentals Before Channels 47:41 The Three Online Lead Engines Explained 50:33 Minimum Viable Online Presence for Trust 52:10 Outbound Now, Inbound Next for Compounding 54:09 The Growth Ceiling Is Usually Operations 56:38 The One Outbound Tool AJ Would Keep 57:12 Cold Email Isn’t Dead, Bad Cold Email Is 58:03 Cold Calling Still Works, Maybe Better Now 59:35 The One Book Every Founder Should Read on Offers 01:00:42 The Single Metric AJ Tracks Closest to Revenue 01:01:06 Advice to His 19-Year-Old Self 01:02:07 The One Rule That Ties It All Together Connect with -AJ Cassata: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/ajcassata Website: revenueboost.net/ facebook.com/groups/b2bsalesandmarketingsecrets Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.levy.company/entrepreneurial-excellence

In this episode, Scott Kelly, Founder and CEO of Black Dog Ventures, shares what actually separates founders who build real companies from those who stay stuck chasing capital. He talks openly about why fundraising is often mistaken for progress, why execution beats ideas every time, and why many startups fail not because of the market—but because founders don’t know when to let go, delegate, and lead. Scott breaks down what investors really look for, how trust is built long before money is involved, and why consistent momentum matters more than a perfect plan. He explains how strong teams are formed, why most founders underestimate the cost of doing everything themselves, and how small wins every two weeks compound into real traction. As technology makes it easier for anyone to build, Scott shares what still creates a true edge: relationships, credibility, and the willingness to keep moving forward when the answer is “no.” This conversation pulls back the curtain on venture, leadership, and what entrepreneurial excellence really looks like when the cameras are off. Key Topics: - Fundraising as a false signal of entrepreneurial success - Execution and delegation as the real drivers of scale - Trust and relationships as the foundation of venture outcomes - Traction over storytelling in winning investor confidence - Leadership built on humility, learning, and momentum Quote From The Episode: “Most entrepreneurs shouldn’t be raising money. They should be building their business.” - Scott Kelly Timestamp: [00:20] Fundraising Is a Vanity Metric—and Most Founders Get Excellence Wrong [11:09] Real Founders Let the Market Decide Instead of Scaling Too Early or Chasing Capital [20:58] How Relationship Capital Turns Simple Coffee Meetings Into Eight-Figure Deals [29:58] Trust Is the Ultimate Advantage in Venture—and the Fastest Way to Control Deal Flow [40:12] Winning Investors Without Raising Money: The Power of Relentless Progress Updates [50:18] The Founders Who Win Every Two Weeks Obsess Over Time, Delegation, and Speed [1:01:24] Building Defensible Moats in a World Where AI Makes Everyone Equal [1:13:25] Outro Connect with - Scott Kelly: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/blackdogceo Websites -blackdogventurepartners.com facebook.com/blackdogventurepartners/ Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.levy.company/entrepreneurial-excellence

In this episode, we sit down with Tyler Wagner, a college dropout who built an eight-figure business by doing the opposite of what most founders do. From risking everything at 20 years old to helping nearly 5,000 authors turn their ideas into influence, Tyler shares the raw truth behind failure, focus, partnerships, and the real value of writing a book in the AI age. Tyler opens up about the mindset shift that changed his life, why he ran toward failure instead of avoiding it, and how he turned one book into a multi-million-dollar company. He talks about ego, legacy, freedom, and the lonely part of reaching “success” that no one prepares you for. He also breaks down why partnerships beat ads, why most entrepreneurs quit too early, and why many founders still fear writing their first book. Tune in to learn the shifts that helped Tyler turn one book into an empire—and how you can shift your journey too. Key Topics: -The mindset shift that turns failure into a pathway to success -How writing a book becomes a real tool for influence and credibility -Why partnerships outperform ads for long-term business growth -The hidden challenges of reaching time freedom as an entrepreneur -The ego, legacy, and emotional drivers behind why founders publish books Quote From The Episode: “I actually like failure, because the more I fail, the closer I know I am to succeeding.” - Tyler Wagner Timestamp: [00:20] The Mindset Shift That Turns Dropouts Into Industry Leaders [12:15] How a 20-Year-Old Bestseller Exposed the Secret Value of Publishing [23:13] How Entrepreneurs Turn a $50K Book Into a Seven-Figure Funnel [34:40] How a College Dropout Scaled to Eight Figures by Doing the Opposite of Everyone Else [45:59] Conferences vs. Digital: The Surprising Truth About Where Real Relationships Are Built Today [56:38] How AI Is Quietly Killing Ghostwriting as We Know It [1:08:34] Why Partnerships Beat Ads, Content, and Virality—Every. Single. Time. [1:14:30] Outro Connect with - Tyler Wagner: LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/tylerbwagner Website - authorsunite.com/ partnerprofits.io Connect to Entrepreneurial-Excellence Podcast: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneurial-excellence-podcast Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@EntrepreneurialExcellencePod TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eepodcast24 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570329516959 Website - https://www.levy.company/entrepreneurial-excellence