Claim OwnershipThe Turning Pro Podcast
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© The Turning Pro Podcast 2023
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Turning Pro is a weekly in-person podcast featuring top founders and creators uncovering real-time lessons on personal and business growth — including their own ‘Turning Pro’ moments. Hosted by Ben Sharf.
90 Episodes
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Jason Levin is the founder of MemeLord.com, the meme marketing software that’s turning internet jokes into serious business.Jason’s been making memes since middle school, but what started as a way to make friends laugh has evolved into a multi-million-dollar media and software empire. From ghostwriting viral posts for founders to running brand accounts for Fortune 500s, Jason has built a playbook for using humor as a growth engine.In this episode, Jason shares how he turned silliness into a career, why “cringe” is actually a moat, and the power of showing up online as your unfiltered self. He breaks down the real economics of the meme business, the tools that give him a competitive edge, and why most brands completely miss the mark when trying to be funny.
JT Barnett is the founder and CEO of Creator X, the content agency helping brands think like creators and act like media companies.JT’s path is anything but traditional. He started out as a professional hockey player, then pivoted into content, building viral platforms like Honey House and helping breakout brands like Poppi win on social by going all in on community and authenticity.In this episode, JT shares why most brands fail at content, how to actually build emotional connection at scale, and why the future of marketing will be led by creators who deeply understand their audience. He also opens up about quitting hockey with zero dollars, building from scratch, and the exact playbook his wife used to grow her wellness company, Form, into a community-powered rocket ship.
London Glorfield is the co-founder and CEO of Kickback, the cult-favorite consumer tech brand designing retro-inspired products that help Gen Z unplug from their phones and reclaim their time.London’s story is wild. He started out in the music industry as a teenager, signed with RCA Records at 17, and built a fanbase touring across Asia. After stepping away from music, he turned his focus to building companies that blend creativity with cultural insight.In this episode, London opens up about what it really takes to build something meaningful in a noisy world. He shares how a 145 percent tariff hike nearly broke the company, why most people misunderstand creative discipline, and how Kickback is building the anti-iPhone for a generation craving real connection.
Katie Hunt is the co-founder and CEO of Oh Norman!, the wellness brand redefining pet care and built from scratch with actress and animal activist Kaley Cuoco.Katie’s story is anything but linear. She went from being an extra on Gossip Girl and answering customer calls at Warby Parker to co-founding Everywhere Ventures and relaunching Hinge from the ground up. But after the pandemic forced her to move home at 36, she started over this time building a company on her own terms.In this episode, Katie opens up about what it really takes to build a business sustainably. She shares the burnout that broke her, the lessons she brought from Warby and Hinge, and why her all-women team runs a multimillion dollar brand without a single Slack channel.
Tom Shea is the founder and CEO of Adgile, the company turning last-mile delivery trucks into mobile billboards and proving real ROI for every brand on the road.Five years ago, Tom was ready to walk away. The company had burned $1.8 million, his Series A deal collapsed at the finish line, and his co-founders left. But instead of giving up, he stayed in the game and quietly turned Adgile into one of the most exciting businesses in out-of-home advertising.In this episode, Tom breaks down how he built a profitable, scalable company by thinking differently about physical space. He explains how their attribution tech works, shares the early moments that almost killed the business, and opens up about walking away from a $7 million deal to stay independent.
Chad Cohen is the founder of Fortem Media, a creative agency helping brands land at the center of culture, and the co-founder of Unofficial Run Club, one of the fastest-growing running communities in the world.Two years ago, Chad hit a wall. Burnt out and mentally exhausted, he turned to therapy and was given a challenge that would change everything: run the New York City Marathon.Since then, he’s built a thriving agency, scaled a global community, and brought on a full-time videographer to document every step.In this episode, Chad opens up about how movement helped rebuild his mindset. He talks about the highs and lows of agency life, building a personal brand with intention, learning to manage a team while always on the move, and why he doesn't believe in turning pro.
Sydney Karmes-Wainer is the founder of French Squirrel, a cult-favorite snack brand built on hormone health, gut-friendly ingredients, and showing up authentically both online and off.She started by posting recipes on Instagram. Five years later, she’s running a fast-growing CPG company, educating her audience on wellness, and selling out her products at launch.In this episode, Sydney gets candid about what it actually takes to build in public. She opens up about pricing psychology, walking away from conventional advice, the loneliness of solo entrepreneurship, and how one conversation with Andrew Huberman reminded her she’s on the right path.
Chris Hladczuk is the co-founder and CEO of Hanover Park, an AI-native fund admin helping top venture firms run smarter and faster.Before starting Hanover, Chris scaled Meow to $1.5 billion in assets as Chief Revenue Officer, built a strong online audience, and learned how to win through founder-led sales.In this episode, he shares his full playbook. He breaks down how to pitch high-trust clients, what it takes to build a sticky product in fintech, why SaaS is losing its edge, and how he closed a $25 million deal after 26 follow-ups.This is a conversation about selling with obsession, building with urgency, and staying relentless in a crowded market.
At just 16, Shirah Benarde had a dream that sparked one of the most innovative drink safety products on the market: NightCap.Fast forward to today, and she's a Shark Tank alum, public speaker, and Gen Z founder making legislative change in California and beyond. In this episode, Shirah joins us to talk through everything: dropping out of college, navigating imposter syndrome, leading a company while still figuring it all out herself, and passing a bill to mandate drink covers in every California bar.This is a story about building from scratch, trusting your gut, and staying grounded when the mission gets bigger than you.
Aaron Schwartz has built and sold startups, advised 30+ founders, and helped raise millions. Now he’s back in the trenches as co-founder and president of Orita.ai - a platform helping brands fix email deliverability and segment smarter using AI.In this wide-ranging episode, Aaron opens up about the chaos of early-stage founding, what most people get wrong about go-to-market, and why he’s more focused than ever on building for durability, not just scale.This is a masterclass for any operator, advisor, or founder figuring out how to go pro without losing their mind.
Jon Laster is a stand-up comic, MC at the Comedy Cellar, and now founder and CEO of Blapp, an app that maps and sells Black-owned businesses.In this powerful episode, Jon shares how the murder of George Floyd led him to shift gears from punchlines to product-building. What started as an idea during lockdown is now a growing tech platform with real impact: helping Black-owned businesses get discovered, generate revenue, and stay alive.Jon opens up about what it really takes to build a startup with no traditional tech background, how he convinced names like Chris Rock and Tiffany Haddish to invest, and why he sees comedy as the ultimate founder bootcamp. This is a conversation about resilience, reinvention, and staying scrappy — no matter how many nights you bomb on stage.
Bobby Shmurda (real name Ackquille Jean Pollard) is a musician, entrepreneur, and cultural force who joins us to unpack his radical transformation from the streets to the boardroom. Best known for his explosive rise in hip-hop and time behind bars, Bobby is now all-in on building wealth, investing in startups, and giving back through hands-on community work. In this episode, Bobby opens up about how prison gave him the structure to run multiple businesses, why he refuses traditional managers to maintain control, and how he’s applying street smarts to venture capital. He breaks down the moment he got serious about generational wealth, the lessons he learned reading contracts inside a jail cell, and why he proudly calls himself a “pimp nerd” obsessed with equity, margin points, and capital gains. This is Bobby Shmurda like you’ve never heard him before.
Max Crowley, host of The Early Podcast, joins us to unpack his wild career journey - starting as employee #25 at Uber, launching a mobile-first coffee startup that was later acquired by GoPuff, and stepping into the high-stakes world of startup fundraising and operations at scale.In this episode, Max breaks down what it was like building Uber’s early operations from the ground up, why scrappy talent always wins, and how Bandit, his app-based coffee shop, pivoted and sold during the height of COVID. He shares what he learned in the trenches as Chief of Staff to GoPuff’s founders, how he thinks about hiring A+ players, and why his new obsession is building in public through storytelling.He also opens up about imposter syndrome, the art of reinvention, and what it means to stay in the game long enough to find your next thing.00:00:00 – Introduction: Meet Max Crowley, Host of The Early Podcast00:03:49 – Reinvention Mode: What Max Learned from Taking a Step Back00:13:13 – The Invisible Contract: Why Consistency Builds Trust00:14:21 – Early Days at Uber: Max Was Employee #2500:23:13 – Uber Began with Just a Text Message00:40:19 – Founding Bandit: The Idea Behind the App-First Coffee Shop00:58:49 – Don’t Feel Like a Founder? Go Join a Rocket Ship01:00:39 – Max’s Turning Pro Moment: Joining Uber at Age 24
Allie Egan, founder and CEO of Veracity, joins us to unpack how her personal health journey led to launching one of the most innovative brands in holistic wellness. After stints in banking, private equity, and high-growth DTC fashion, Allie built Veracity to help people get to the root of their health issues, starting with hormone and biofactor testing.In this episode, Allie shares the story behind reversing her own Hashimoto’s diagnosis, how she balances building a venture-backed business with raising two kids, and the systemic issues in modern healthcare that inspired her to act. She also dives into practical wellness advice, the business of building trust in supplements, and why education, not hype, is the real growth engine.00:00:00 – Introduction: Meet Allie Egan, Founder & CEO of Veracity00:04:04 – The Health Scare That Changed Everything: Diagnosed with Hashimoto’s00:09:17 – Why Founders Need to Question Everything - Even Their Doctors00:21:29 – No Such Thing as Balance: How Allie structures work, family, and focus00:29:35 – Why Wellness Is Broken: A fresh take on preventative health and biohacking00:37:29 – The Most Overhyped Wellness Trend (and what to do instead)00:39:21 – Why You Shouldn’t Use Mouthwash (and other gut health surprises)00:46:09 – From Operator to CEO: The future of DTC and what’s changing in e-commerce00:51:10 – Why She Runs Marathons: The mindset behind endurance - at work and in life
Ben Buaron, founder and CEO of Windmill Growth, joins us to unpack his incredible leap from Israeli combat officer and aspiring lawyer to running a 7-figure bootstrapped startup in New York City. In this episode, Ben breaks down how his military background shaped his leadership mindset, what it took to scale Windmill from zero to $1M+ ARR in under a year, and why personal growth became the foundation for business success.--- #EntrepreneurPodcast, #FounderAdvice, #BusinessGrowthTips, #Selfimprovement #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategies #PersonalDevelopment #Advice #TurningProPodcast #BenSharf #AdrianAlfieri #Podcast #Founder #Growth
Jacob Catalano, founder and entrepreneur, knows what it takes to push boundaries in tech and entrepreneurship. After selling his first startup to Snapchat, where he worked on game-changing projects like "My AI", Jacob co-founded Flock*, a product studio revolutionizing content creation with conversational AI. Their flagship product, dubbed an “AI ghostwriter,” helps users express their ideas effortlessly through natural dialogue.In this episode, Jacob opens up about iterating on startup ideas, building a dynamic partnership with his co-founder, and the lessons from Snapchat that shaped his approach to entrepreneurship. He also dives into early-stage investing, balancing vision with pragmatism, and why persistence is the ultimate tool for success.*This episode of Turning Pro Podcast was filmed in 2024.--#EntrepreneurPodcast, #FounderAdvice, #BusinessGrowthTips, #Selfimprovement #Entrepreneurs #BusinessStrategies #PersonalDevelopment #Advice #TurningProPodcast #BenSharf #AdrianAlfieri #Podcast #Founder #Growth
Alex Song, founder and CEO of Proxima, joins us to share his remarkable journey from the high-stakes world of finance to revolutionizing customer acquisition with cutting-edge data intelligence. Drawing from his experience as a DTC brand operator, Alex built Proxima into a transformative platform that helps brands navigate the complexities of the post-iOS privacy landscape. In this episode, Alex opens up about the emotional highs and lows of entrepreneurship, the key decisions that shaped his leadership style, and the hard-won lessons on resilience. He shares how he inspires his team with a unified vision, maintains momentum through uncertainty, and stays laser-focused on his mission while balancing personal growth with the demands of scaling a groundbreaking company.
Taylor Brandt, newly appointed Partner at Headline, joins us to unpack the nuances of venture capital through the lens of an operator-turned-investor. With a career that spans leading growth at Rockets of Awesome to navigating the challenges of early-stage VC, Taylor brings a wealth of knowledge and practical insights. In this episode, Taylor discusses the shifting dynamics of the VC landscape, the traits of founders who succeed, and the art of balancing portfolio management with sourcing new deals. She also dives into the value of storytelling, the importance of understanding venture capital as an asset class, and the evolving role of infrastructure businesses.*Taylor was a Principal at Headline when this episode was filmed.
Brian Von Ancken, founder of Wellness Growth Mastermind, joins us to share how he is building a game-changing community for wellness leaders. As the founder of the number-one member network for wellness professionals, Brian focuses on giving businesses an edge through curated connections, expert feedback, and unparalleled access to industry insights. In this episode, he dives into how he balances family and entrepreneurship, the trends redefining wellness today, and why intentional routines are essential for success. Brian also opens up about the strength in vulnerability, the value of authentic connections, and how building thriving communities can drive meaningful growth.
Meet Nico Ferreyra, co-founder and CEO of Default, the "Costco of go-to-market SaaS." Nico is on a mission to simplify inbound tooling for RevOps and marketing teams. Born in Argentina, he worked his way through the startup worlds of San Francisco and New York, bringing a unique perspective to the challenges of building a company. In this episode, Nico shares his approach to transitioning from founder-led sales to scalable growth strategies. He discusses fundraising without a pitch deck, the power of storytelling in early-stage growth, and the key moments that shaped his journey.
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