Hello Chaos

Samantha Levitin hadn’t taken a real day off in 16 years. She worked through her honeymoon and wrote pitches the night before her water broke. So when maternity leave finally made her stop, she didn’t rest. She got restless. In the middle of it, she walked away from the New York PR firm she’d been with for 13 years, no plan in hand, and found out the network she’d spent a career building had been waiting on her the whole time.Three months later, Levitin Collective had its first signed client, The Maze, an alcohol free members club she started working with while it was still a construction site. It built a 2,600 person waitlist before the doors opened. The rest of her business came the same way, through referrals and the moms she met at a baby music class she joined just to have people to talk to. She didn’t want to be the mommy PR girl. That network became her pipeline anyway. A year into running her own firm, she still won’t hire, because clients who hire her get her. She turns down work that doesn’t fit, sends some of it to other publicists, and she’s betting AI makes earned media more valuable, not less. If you’ve been waiting to go out on your own, or trying to grow without a marketing machine behind you, here’s what Samantha learned in her first year.1️⃣ Your next client is already in your contactsSamantha spent 16 years building relationships without ever asking them for anything. The day she announced she was going out on her own, people lined up with intros, and her first client came through a friend’s phone call. Before you spend a dollar on ads or cold outreach, tell the people who already know your work what you’re building. Skip that, and you’ll pay strangers for attention your network would’ve given you for free.2️⃣ Saying no is how a solo founder scalesSamantha won’t hire right now, because clients who hire her get her, not a junior they’ve never met. She turns down work that doesn’t fit her brand and sends some of it to other publicists who’ll do it better. That protects the reason people refer her in the first place. Take every client that comes your way, and you’ll end up overbooked, off brand, and handing off the thing people actually paid for.3️⃣ AI can only recommend what’s already written about youWhen someone asks ChatGPT or Claude for the best company in your space, the answer comes from what’s been published. Samantha sees that as the strongest case for earned media right now. Press, features, and thought leadership pieces are what AI pulls from. If nobody’s writing about you, you don’t exist in the answer, no matter how good your work is.Timestamps0:00 Meet Samantha Levitin and Levitin Collective0:55 Sixteen years in PR without a single day off1:33 She left her firm in the middle of maternity leave with no plan2:02 The phone call that turned a maybe into a business3:00 Why the worst case of going out on your own isn’t that bad3:54 The network she had all along and never used4:29 How a club under construction became her first client6:44 Why she won’t hire, and what clients get instead7:11 She didn’t want to be the mommy PR girl. Then it paid off8:15 How a baby music class became her office9:46 From construction site to a 2,600 person waitlist12:28 Saying no to work that doesn’t fit, a year in13:51 Why AI search makes PR more valuable, not less15:19 How to answer the client who wants guaranteed ROI17:15 Why she sends business to her competitors20:57 What working for herself taught her about her own strength22:36 The founder who never really logs off29:00 Agency life vs in house, and why speed wins for her30:53 The only advice she got was do it already32:07 The connector habit that keeps bringing in business36:28 Why she wouldn’t change a thing about her business today39:56 Running Manhattan with bags of shoes, and how she found PR42:45 The networks that feed a solo founder’s pipeline46:51 Her advice to anyone still waiting to start47:55 How small businesses should actually use PR49:14 Why relationships are the one thing AI can’t pitch50:58 Where to find Samantha and Levitin CollectiveSamantha built Levitin Collective on the network she didn’t know she had, so if you’re ready to get your story in front of the right people, find her here.WebsiteLinkedInInstagram Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and share it with your network. We encourage you to join our community HERE and connect with us on social media for the latest updates and more great content.Connect With Us:LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

C.W. Hawley teaches leaders how to own their time. Then she launched her own firm and found herself on her laptop on Saturday mornings, breaking the rules she built a business around. A nurse who climbed to operations VP in senior living, she could run a massive portfolio with her eyes closed. Selling herself was a different story. After a layoff, with every door she tried closing on her, she finally started Let’s Talk Time, the time strategy firm people had been telling her to build for years.The hardest shift wasn’t the workload. It was going from a paycheck that shows up after a bad week to earning nothing unless she closes. She’d spent years teaching that dreams die between strategy and execution, then found herself stuck in that same gap. What pulled her out is what she teaches. Time management keeps you walking faster on a treadmill. Time strategy gets you somewhere. She starts with a real time audit, not the story you tell yourself about your day, then sets goals by cutting before adding and planning for the hard part before it hits. Less than a year in, she’s made her first hires and is building toward a podcast of her own. If you started a business for freedom and ended up working more than ever, here’s what she wants you to know.1️⃣ Time freedom is earned, not handed to foundersC.W. started her firm believing working for herself meant owning her calendar. Instead she’s booking calls on Saturday mornings and on for every sales call. The freedom is real, but it comes after you build the systems, not before. Block your rest like you block client work, or the business will take every hour you leave open.2️⃣ Your memory is lying about where your time goesEveryone tells themselves a story about how they spend their day, and that story is usually better than the truth. C.W. has clients log seven days in real time, energy levels and outcomes included. Skip it and you’ll keep fixing the wrong problem. Track it as it happens, then build your plan around what’s actually there.3️⃣ Cut something before you set your next goalSMART goals tell you if a goal is sound. They don’t tell you how to get there or what has to go first. C.W. starts every goal with elimination, whether it’s a distraction, a task you haven’t delegated, or a belief holding you back. Add without subtracting and you’re just stacking more on a full plate and walking faster on the same treadmill.Timestamps0:00 Meet C.W. Hawley and Let’s Talk Time1:11 How a nurse turned operations VP got obsessed with time2:15 Laid off, and the choice she’d been avoiding for years3:14 She looked great on paper and still couldn’t land a job4:52 Why building your own brand is scarier than losing a paycheck5:19 Where dreams die, and how she got stuck there too6:10 She could run operations blindfolded. Sales was another story10:08 Time management vs time strategy, and why most adults never learned either12:31 The time freedom myth that caught the time strategist16:32 You’re in a relationship with time, and it might be toxic17:29 Why the 5 a.m. routine won’t work for everyone21:19 The seven day audit that shows how you really spend your time22:48 Why SMART goals leave you without a plan27:34 Treadmill or track, and the time debt you never get back28:59 Why founders tune out the word consistency31:56 The goal framework that starts with what to cut33:22 The step almost everyone skips when setting goals35:17 Why rest is part of the work, not a reward37:20 Where she found real help in year one44:05 Nobody warns you that founders are always on46:25 The startup spending she’d skip if she did it again49:14 Why this chapter feels more fulfilling than nursing52:27 The early advice that stopped her in her tracks55:47 Where to find C.W. and Let’s Talk TimeC.W. had to live her own time strategy the hard way before she could sell it, so if you’re tired of walking faster on the same treadmill, find her here.WebsiteLinkedIn Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and share it with your network. We encourage you to join our community HERE and connect with us on social media for the latest updates and more great content.Connect With Us:LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

Marcus Blair lost his job during COVID and kept every single bill. So he did what you do when rent is due. He took whatever work would pay, from ecommerce builds to SEO, even though Omega Business Solutions was never meant to be a marketing company. Six years later, he'll tell you the hardest part wasn't the work. It was the advice. Niche down. Raise money. Get the expensive website. All of it sounded right, and almost none of it fit the stage he was in.Before Omega, Marcus ran digital transformation projects as a general manager at a multinational. Bootstrapping a startup taught him a different set of rules. He raised money too early because it felt like an accomplishment, then realized a check isn't a business model, and VC exit math could leave him with the same payday after years of extra pressure. One night, half a bottle of bourbon in and stuck bouncing between his CRM, accounting, and email, he wondered why he couldn't search his own business the way Google searches the internet. That thread became CoreIQ, an AI business intelligence platform that pulls scattered company data into one place. Now he's building toward an exit, which means handing off founder led sales, the one thing he still won't let go of. If you've ever followed advice that was right for someone else's stage, here's how Marcus learned to tell the difference.1️⃣ Good advice at the wrong stage is bad adviceNiche down is smart once you have a pipeline. When the internet bill is due and you have no clients, turning work away is how you go under. Marcus took whatever paid in the early years, and that's what kept Omega alive. Before you act on advice, figure out what stage the person giving it is actually talking about.2️⃣ Raising money isn't the same as making moneyMarcus thought a raise was the win. It's not a business model, and it moves the finish line. A bootstrapped company doing $3 million a year might sell for $10 to $15 million, but VC investors won't care about that number. Decide what exit actually changes your family's life before you give up equity chasing a bigger one.3️⃣ If you're the bottleneck, your business is worth lessMarcus wants to sell Omega, and he knows no buyer pays top dollar for a company that stops when the founder goes on vacation. Sales is still the thing he can't hand off, and he's honest that it'll be a tough moment. Build a system that generates and closes leads without you before you need it. Otherwise you're choosing your pride over the payout.Timestamps:0:00 Meet Marcus Blair, Omega Business Solutions, and CoreIQ1:07 He lost his job during COVID but kept every bill1:41 His friend has 40 employees and still doesn't feel like he knows what he's doing3:09 Why real direction took six years to show up4:41 Niche down, they said, but the internet bill still came due10:13 The fundraising mistake that felt like a win11:15 The exit math nobody shows you before you take VC money14:14 Why AI efficiency is table stakes and talent is the real fight19:33 Half a bottle of bourbon and the late night search that became CoreIQ23:00 He bought Salesforce Enterprise for a team of four24:16 How 12 people can do the work of 20 with AI25:12 The one thing he still won't hand off27:10 If you're the bottleneck, your exit is worth less29:20 How a one month hire walked into a bank meeting ready31:00 Building an AI chief of staff without handing it the keys35:30 The cheesecake side hustle and the motorcycle racing years39:27 Why he hires for potential and pays for it later41:19 Startup people vs sustainer people, and why the wrong fit drags45:26 The moment you start a business, you become a lead47:44 The $10,000 website he didn't need50:34 Why the marketing checklist fails B2B founders58:26 Why AI websites look like AI, and how he fixed his59:54 Getting a website 85% of the way there in five hours1:05:00 The word that sums up his journey, and the one he wants next1:06:56 What happened when he admitted his struggles in front of a class1:08:14 He told a client the risk out loud and still won the deal1:09:40 Why Omega won't take clients chasing headcount cuts1:10:58 Where to find Marcus and OmegaMarcus is building the AI tools he sells and telling founders the truth about what they can't do, so if you want a straight answer on AI for your business, find him here.WebsiteLinkedInInstagram Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and share it with your network. We encourage you to join our community HERE and connect with us on social media for the latest updates and more great content.Connect With Us:LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

Lon White built a career on knowing exactly how things go wrong. For 25 years he was the person companies called in a crisis, running pandemic response, threat assessments, and high risk executive travel. He even ran his own consulting firm. But a career spent measuring risk kept him from the big swing. Then his co founder's family lost $40,000 in a single night to online sweepstakes fraud, and the math flipped. Not building Villari became the bigger risk.Villari blocks scam links before they ever reach a vulnerable loved one, starting with seniors, who lost $7.7 billion to online fraud in 2025 while their kids sit behind corporate firewalls at work. But the real story is how a risk guy builds a startup. Lon bootstrapped the first year, went narrow before going wide, and is pitching only mission aligned angel investors, because the wrong check can turn a founder into a full time expectation manager. He's building slow on purpose, alongside a childhood friend and the mentor from his first job, and betting on a long game most investors don't want to fund. If you've ever talked yourself out of starting because you could list every way it fails, here's what 25 years of measuring risk taught him about when to swing, whose money to take, and where to start.1️⃣ Not starting can be the bigger riskLon spent 25 years assessing risk, and it kept him on the sidelines. A Marc Randolph keynote gave him the frame he needed, an appetite for risk, an idea, and the energy to chase it relentlessly. The shift came when he weighed the cost of staying put as seriously as the cost of failing. Only price the downside of acting and you'll wait forever.2️⃣ Interview investors like they're interviewing youLon learned that funding is about a philosophical match, not just money. A small check can come with Friday updates, board seat demands, and targets that don't fit your plan. Take the wrong one and you stop building and start managing expectations. Pitch the rooms that share your timeline and walk away from the rest.3️⃣ Go narrow first or get lost everywhereVillari could protect anyone, from small businesses to kids. Lon's co founder Lou pushed the team to start with one group, vulnerable seniors, and nail it. Narrow is what makes messaging, targeting, and measurement actually work. Try to be for everyone on day one and you'll never know what's working.Timestamps0:00 Meet Lon White and Villari1:24 The $40,000 night that started it all4:50 Every office tower has a firewall. Your parents don't.7:51 Why taking mom's iPad away is the wrong fix11:30 Going narrow first when you could sell to everyone13:23 25 years of running toward chaos for a living19:58 Why his consulting firm could never scale past him21:16 The teenager who was the only one not fooled24:03 The crap moments and the wall he's bracing for26:26 An investor deck built in a cabin on four days' notice27:44 How a career in risk kept him from the big swing33:24 Why he'd take a stable foundation over a bigger customer count36:55 Building with a childhood friend and his first boss41:45 Bootstrapping first, then hunting for the right angels43:48 The Friday update investor and why you're interviewing them too49:52 From Granny Guard to Villari, the naming fight54:32 The two things he'd change today57:28 Long game, and why patience is the hardest part1:02:23 The idea they bought at 11pm in his backyard1:05:18 Where to find Lon and VillariLon spent a career measuring risk before deciding the biggest one was never starting, so if there's a big swing you keep putting off, find him here.WebsiteLinkedInInstagram Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and share it with your network. We encourage you to join our community HERE and connect with us on social media for the latest updates and more great content.Connect With Us:LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

Katie LeDoux had the résumé. The Smithsonian, the Kennedy Center, and a clear idea for helping nonprofits get funded. She figured that was enough. It wasn't. When she launched Sunflower Grant Writers, she was new to Omaha, didn't know anyone, and the world was shut down. Clients didn't line up at her door. She'd finish her work by 11am and spend the rest of the day cleaning a house that had never been cleaner.What she learned the slow way is what a lot of founders learn too late. People want to know you before they hire you, and no idea sells itself. She built her client pipeline one relationship at a time, then hit the next wall. Her first instinct was to hire people she could be in charge of. The team only started working once she hired people smarter than her and got out of their way. Now her grant writers are spread across the country and as far as New Zealand, she reviews instead of writes, and she finally has room to dream about what's next.If you're sitting on a good idea and wondering why nobody's calling, start here.1️⃣ A great idea won't fill your pipeline. People will.Katie assumed a good idea would bring clients to her. Cold calling nonprofits got her nowhere because people wanted to meet her first. Build relationships before you need the revenue, or spend your first year with a very clean house.2️⃣ Stop hiring people you can bossHer first instinct was to hire people she could manage. The team got better when she hired different skill sets and people with their own ideas, then let them own the work. Hire for control and your company never gets bigger than your own ceiling.3️⃣ Clarity is kinder than being niceKatie's early hiring mistakes came from avoiding hard conversations with people who weren't the right fit. Now she leads with a lesson from Brené Brown, clarity is kindness. Set the expectation, tell the truth, and let people respond. Skip that and you end up letting people take advantage of you.Timestamps0:00 Meet Katie LeDoux and Sunflower Grant Writers1:16 How an art history major learned grant writing at the Smithsonian2:43 When the dream job fell apart after the move to Omaha3:38 The wrong fit job that pushed her to go out on her own5:08 She built it and nobody came, the first year myth7:49 Why the founder stops writing and starts filling the pipeline8:13 The hiring mistake of wanting people she could be in charge of10:36 Why go do it works for some people and fails for others11:20 Hiring on gut instinct over the better résumé11:53 The delegation shift that finally gave her room to dream13:20 Why she named it Sunflower14:56 Flat fees, and why applying to the wrong foundation wastes your time16:46 What she'd do differently, network before you launch17:47 The Omaha founder community that cheers her on every day22:43 How she keeps a remote team connected and focused24:41 Jennifer's 641 challenge for building a life outside the business33:56 The idea she's building to help small nonprofits write their own grants36:07 Gritty now, dreamy next37:15 Stop trying to act like what you think a CEO should be38:32 Why she hasn't driven a car in 25 years39:54 The Brené Brown lesson that shaped how she leads42:12 The win she wants to celebrate a year from now42:59 Where to find Katie and Sunflower Grant WritersKatie built Sunflower Grant Writers one relationship at a time, so if you want to see how she's helping nonprofits get funded, find her here.WebsiteLinkedInInstagram Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and share it with your network. We encourage you to join our community HERE and connect with us on social media for the latest updates and more great content.Connect With Us:LinkedIn Instagram YouTube