The Blueprint by Smoking Gun Creative Agency

He lost his wife, lived on the street, and went to jail. A few years later, Rick Hopper was on a path that would take him to ABC’s Shark Tank and became a millionaire.Rick Hopper is a serial entrepreneur, inventor, and author based in DFW - best known as the creator of ReadeREST, the magnetic eyeglass holder that became Lori Greiner's very first deal on Shark Tank. His new book, The Bridge from Idea to Money, distills everything he's learned going from zero to millions - twice.In this episode, Rick walks us through his drug addiction, launching his first company where he turned strips of plastic into $5 million a year in sales, and the ReadeREST origin story - including how he wore a bent paperclip for a year before anyone told him it was a real product.https://www.rickhopper.com/ –Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/Listen to the full uncut versions of all our episodes on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2FYwcQ6bj5IfrvRUP2m7ANhttps://www.nosmokenofire.com–Intro/outro music courtesy of Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)–Chapters:00:00 Welcome to the Blueprint, Rick Hopper00:04:17 Rick Hopper’s Origin Story00:09:29 Dos and Dids - I Can Do Anything00:14:26 Seasons of Life00:20:13 Addiction00:33:52 Kicking Addiction00:42:41 The Big Pivot00:49:17 The Path from Home Depot to Serial Entrepreneur00:56:25 Rick Hopper becomes an Inventor01:07:12 I’ve Got an Idea, but How Does it Become a Business?01:13:37 I Hear a Million Dollar Idea Every Day01:20:18 Partnerships 101 from Rick Hopper01:25:39 The Invention of ReadeREST01:30:57 What’s It Like Going on Shark Tank?01:40:14 Buying and Selling Companies01:46:15 What’s Next for Rick Hopper?

At 21, Brayden Stewart is already signed to Warner Chappell in Nashville and playing rock and roll "greasier than a chicken bone on the floor of a Jiffy Lube." He’s one of those rare youngsters who talks about music the way someone twice his age wishes they could.If you follow the show, you know we love our East Texas southern rock boys! Brayden grew up in Scurry, Texas and was raised on his dad's metal records and his grandma's Fleetwood Mac, grinding through Metallica riffs before he found Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson. That became his sound: alt-country, Americana, southern rock and grunge all at once. In this episode, Brayden walks through building his band from a bedroom looping pedal at 16, the TikTok moment that flooded him with show offers from the biggest booking agencies in the world, a just-completed 8-show run through Europe with Blacktop Mojo and Gorilla Riot, writing songs in Nashville for Warner Chappell, and a deep well of music knowledge. Be sure to follow Brayden and watch out for Gypsy’s Corner, dropping May 8!https://thebraydenstewart.com/–Brayden Stewart’s socials:https://www.instagram.com/braydenstewart.tx/https://www.facebook.com/p/Brayden-Stewart-Music-100083476539366/https://www.tiktok.com/@officialbraydenstewart–Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/Listen to the full uncut versions of all our episodes on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2FYwcQ6bj5IfrvRUP2m7ANhttps://www.nosmokenofire.com–Intro/outro music courtesy of Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)–Chapters:00:00:00 Welcome to The Blueprint, Brayden Stewart00:05:00 Growing Up on Metal and Grunge in East Texas00:16:48 Vocal Surgery and How Country Music Found Brayden Stewart00:28:48 Brayden’s Deep Music Knowledge00:39:05 Brayden’s Start in the Music Industry00:45:05 Brayden’s Rise in Popularity and Touring00:53:34 Staying Grounded as a Self-Critic01:01:53 Brayden Stewart's Songwriting Formula01:18:22 Everyone Needs Something of Their Own

This week’s guest is George DiGianni - he describes himself as a consultant, keynote speaker and entrepreneur, but DFW listeners also may know him from the radio station The Ticket! George dives into his Goal Compression program for success, tells us about his theory on “strategic discomfort,” shares insights for leaders and business owners, and more!https://georgedigianni.com/–Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/Listen to the full uncut versions of all our episodes on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2FYwcQ6bj5IfrvRUP2m7ANhttps://www.nosmokenofire.com--Intro/outro music by Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)

This week’s guest is Jeremy Dicken - a real estate broker from Greenville, Texas who took an unconventional path to his career. It’s not actually that far fetched to say Jeremy could teach a cow to sell a house!i We’re talking life experiences, the value of personal connections, the value of work ethic and some unconventional use of Airpods. This one’s a great episode to learn if you’re looking to enter the real estate industry and full of Jeremy’s patented sense of humor too!–Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/https://www.nosmokenofire.com--Intro/outro music by Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)

Our guest this week is esteemed artist Gregory Siff - known for his emotive art style, Gregory’s works have been included in MoMA PS1’s “Rockaway!”, “Vans Custom Culture” at the Whitney Museum of American Art and in luxury fashion house Saint Laurent’s F/W 2018 Collection. Plus, Gregory’s probably the nicest guy you’ll ever meet and he’s our first ever guest to bring live painting to the Blueprint. This podcast was truly a pleasure to make - enjoy!https://www.gregorysiff.com/–Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/https://www.nosmokenofire.com--Intro/outro music by Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)

This week on the pod, we’re talking to Brandon Copeland from Copeland Home Services - a Florida transplant to the DFW Metroplex who’s telling us about his quick rise to success in the home services industry. We’re getting down to brass tacks about running a tri-trade plumbing, HVAC and electric business, from customer relations to managing leads and more. A must-listen for nuggets of truth if you’re building a business!https://copelandairtexas.com/–Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/https://www.nosmokenofire.com--Intro/outro music by Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)–Chapters:00:00 - Welcome to the Blueprint, Brandon Copeland02:45 - The Solar Industry13:50 - Building Copeland Home Services27:18 - Marketing, Lead Gen, and Scaling Your Business47:11 - Importance of Customer Experience51:16 - Growing the BUsiness1:07:27 - Personal Passions. What Are You Working For?1:14:18 - The Veterinary Clinic1:26:27 - Closing Thoughts

This week, we have the stately Scott Graham of Pinpoint Merch joining us to commemorate the 69th episode of The Blueprint. Much to the behest of our producer, this is a scattershot conversation - in between off topic stories, Scott’s dropping knowledge about the apparel industry and sharing about some of his most vulnerable moments. (Listen for that story and let us know your thoughts)https://pinpointmerch.com/—Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/https://www.nosmokenofire.com--Intro/outro music by Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)

This week we’re excited to have Zyzick Owens remoting into the podcast! Zyzick’s the VP of Operations at Skyline Education - an academics, arts and athletics powerhouse with humble beginnings - and we’re getting into it all, starting with the story of Zyzick’s own mother founding the organization. We’re specifically focusing on AZ Compass Prep - as you’ll hear, they started small in a church and now they’re a Nike Elite school with a staggering list of athletic prospects, but they’ve stayed true to their non-negotiable academic focus.https://www.azcompassprep.com/https://www.skylineschools.com/–Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2FYwcQ6bj5IfrvRUP2m7ANhttps://www.nosmokenofire.com--Intro/outro music by Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)

This week we’re sitting down with Tony B of The Culture Connextion - he’s a marketing veteran who specializes in helping major brands navigate the complex landscape of cultural relevance. This one’s a discussion on culture, PR disasters, connecting with consumers the right way and more.https://www.cultureconnextion.com/–Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/https://www.nosmokenofire.com--Intro/outro music by Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)

For the first time, we have a repeat guest back for an update - from Gallery DeFi, not.travis and Kyle Sauter are on The Blueprint this week to talk about finally opening, their mission to make art more accessible for the Dallas community, their future vision for Gallery DeFi and all the twists and turns along the way.www.gallerydefi.io–Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/https://www.nosmokenofire.com--Intro/outro music by Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)

This week on the podcast we have Taylor Artman, CEO and founder of Surf & Turf Golf. Taylor takes us through his journey starting as a highly competitive junior and college golfer, sharing why he ultimately left the professional circuit after seven years to find a bigger purpose in the golf industry. Taylor pulls back the curtain on Surf & Turf’s unique business model, building its brand outside the box with "Hometown" collections, and running a company that’s more than just golf.https://surfandturfgolf.com/ –Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/https://www.nosmokenofire.com--Intro/outro music by Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)

After a short hiatus, we’re back! In a raw and inspiring return, we sit down with Weston Richey, founder of XCLUSIV PRODUCTIONS (you may also know him from Love Island). Weston takes us through his dramatic life journey, from growing up with a "perfect life" to having his world flipped upside down as a teenager. He shares the painful truth of abandonment, dealing with a turbulent family life, and the "furnace" moments that he says forged his unrelenting drive.Weston’s story is a masterclass in resilience, self-discovery, and intentional living. He discusses the power of letting go of the fear of judgment and his philosophy of transforming pain into purpose. This conversation is a profound look at how personal struggle and intentional relationships are the true foundation for lasting success and happiness.https://xclusivproductions.com/ –Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/smokingguncreativeagency/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/https://www.nosmokenofire.com--Intro/outro music by Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)

In this episode, we’re sitting down with Chef Franchesca Nor, the creative force and owner of Dive Coastal Cuisine in Dallas. Franchesca’s also a key figure at 4DWN - Dallas’s skate destination that also fights food insecurity. Franchesca’s story is about the personal journey - ups, downs, rebellion, and resilience.https://divecoastal.com/https://4dwn.org/ –Follow us:https://www.instagram.com/smokingguncreativeagency/https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/https://www.nosmokenofire.com--Intro/outro music by Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd)