Claim OwnershipThe Reluctant Entrepreneur Podcast
Subscribed: 0Played: 0
Subscribe
© Mike Konrad
Description
I’m your host, Mike Konrad, the author of The Reluctant Entrepreneur - Anatomy of a Business Start-Up - From Uncertainty to Unstoppable, available on Amazon as a paperback, e-book, and an audible book, and I’m excited to share real stories that reveal the many paths people take to build their own businesses.
Whether you stumbled into entrepreneurship or you’ve always known it was your calling, this podcast is for you.
Let’s start with what it means to be a reluctant entrepreneur. Many entrepreneurs don’t set out with a grand plan to build a business.
Maybe you worked for a company that didn’t value your vision, and one day you thought, “I could do this myself”, that was my story. Or maybe life pushed you in an unexpected direction—losing a job, facing a personal crisis, or discovering a passion that grew into a business. Reluctant entrepreneurs often find themselves starting a business not because they always dreamed of it, but because it was the best—or only—option available.
And then there are intentional entrepreneurs. These are the people who’ve known from the start that they were meant to create something of their own.
They may have planned meticulously, crafted their vision, and followed a well-laid path to build a business. Intentional entrepreneurs are often seen as risk-takers, those with a drive to innovate, disrupt, and lead in their industries.
But even with all the planning in the world, intentional entrepreneurs face their own share of unexpected challenges, setbacks, and doubts.
On The Reluctant Entrepreneur podcast, we celebrate both types of entrepreneurs—the ones who jump in with both feet, and the ones who tiptoe cautiously into the water.
So, join me as we explore the many ways people navigate the complex and rewarding world of entrepreneurship.
Whether you’re here for inspiration, advice, or just a great story, I hope you find something valuable in every episode of The Reluctant Entrepreneur Podcast.
Whether you stumbled into entrepreneurship or you’ve always known it was your calling, this podcast is for you.
Let’s start with what it means to be a reluctant entrepreneur. Many entrepreneurs don’t set out with a grand plan to build a business.
Maybe you worked for a company that didn’t value your vision, and one day you thought, “I could do this myself”, that was my story. Or maybe life pushed you in an unexpected direction—losing a job, facing a personal crisis, or discovering a passion that grew into a business. Reluctant entrepreneurs often find themselves starting a business not because they always dreamed of it, but because it was the best—or only—option available.
And then there are intentional entrepreneurs. These are the people who’ve known from the start that they were meant to create something of their own.
They may have planned meticulously, crafted their vision, and followed a well-laid path to build a business. Intentional entrepreneurs are often seen as risk-takers, those with a drive to innovate, disrupt, and lead in their industries.
But even with all the planning in the world, intentional entrepreneurs face their own share of unexpected challenges, setbacks, and doubts.
On The Reluctant Entrepreneur podcast, we celebrate both types of entrepreneurs—the ones who jump in with both feet, and the ones who tiptoe cautiously into the water.
So, join me as we explore the many ways people navigate the complex and rewarding world of entrepreneurship.
Whether you’re here for inspiration, advice, or just a great story, I hope you find something valuable in every episode of The Reluctant Entrepreneur Podcast.
163 Episodes
Reverse
How do you turn a creative skill into a business?Joe Eftihiou began his career in audio production, studying music technology and working in studios across the UK. He later founded Claricast, a podcast production company that helps businesses plan, produce, and grow podcasts that support their goals.In this episode of The Reluctant Entrepreneur, Joe shares his path from audio engineer to business owner and explains how entrepreneurs can use podcasting to build authority, reach decision-makers, and create meaningful business relationships. We also discuss what to consider before starting a podcast, how to avoid common missteps, and why a show needs a clear purpose beyond simply sounding good.Learn more about Joe and Claricast:https://claricast.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-eftihiou/If you found value in this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with another entrepreneur.#TheReluctantEntrepreneur #Entrepreneurship #Podcasting #SmallBusiness #Claricast
What does it take to grow a business by building it, buying one, or combining both approaches?In this episode of The Reluctant Entrepreneur, Karl Hughes shares his path from leading software teams to founding Draft.dev, which grew to $2.5 million in revenue within two years. He also discusses his move into acquiring and growing podcast production companies, including the lessons he learned from bringing established businesses together.We talk about the challenges of rapid growth, how to decide whether to build or buy, what entrepreneurs should focus on after an acquisition, and how Karl’s definition of success has changed along the way.One entrepreneur. Eight questions. Thirty minutes. Lessons you can use.Draft.devhttps://draft.devThe Podcast Consultanthttps://thepodcastconsultant.com
WHEN FEAR BECAME MY BUSINESS PARTNERIT COST ME 49% OF MY COMPANYOne of the most expensive decisions I ever made didn’t cost me anything on the day I made it.I gave away 49 percent of my company.My business partner agreed to work for the first year without a salary in exchange for sweat equity. His contribution was legitimate, and when I decided to buy him out, I paid him the salary he had deferred.But the ownership negotiation was another matter.He demanded $200,000. The company had only $10,100 in the bank.I withdrew $10,000 in twenty-dollar bills, leaving the company with just $100. During a meeting with our attorneys, I slowly built a pyramid of cash in the center of the conference table.“That’s it. That’s all the money I have. Take it or leave it.”His attorney called it a cheap stunt. My partner took the money.This episode isn’t about blaming my former partner. The mistake was mine. I allowed fear, insecurity, and assumptions to influence one of the most important decisions an entrepreneur can make.In Episode 6 of Lessons From a Reluctant Entrepreneur, I share what happened when fear disguised itself as sound business judgment and why a temporary insecurity can create a permanent obligation.Before making a major decision, ask yourself: Would I make this same decision if I weren’t afraid?#Entrepreneurship #BusinessLessons #Leadership #BusinessOwnership #ReluctantEntrepreneur
Every entrepreneur loves the sound of a sale being made. The customer says yes, the invoice gets paid, the transaction goes through, and for a brief moment, everything feels like it’s working.But then comes the part we don’t always talk about.The fees. The margins. The systems. The hidden costs of getting paid. And for many business owners, those small percentages add up to something much larger than they realize.Today’s guest is Viktor Popovic, President of Avendo, a company focused on helping businesses rethink the way they process payments, protect margins, and build smarter systems around one of the most basic parts of business: getting paid.But this conversation isn’t just about payments. It’s about the entrepreneurial journey behind the solution.Viktor has built, sold, and returned to business ownership. He understands the pressure of making big decisions without perfect information, the importance of resilience, and the challenge of building a company that doesn’t depend entirely on the founder.In this episode, we’ll talk about how his early life experiences shaped his view of risk and leadership, what motivated him to jump back into entrepreneurship after selling his first business, and the moment he recognized that the payment industry needed a better answer.We’ll also talk about systems, margins, founder dependency, and what entrepreneurs can do before they’re forced to adapt under pressure.Avendohttps://www.avendo.tech
Most people start a business because they want more freedom, more control, and the opportunity to build something of their own. But somewhere along the way, many entrepreneurs discover that they haven’t created freedom at all. They’ve created a demanding job with an unreasonable boss: themselves.My guest today is Louis Swart, a business builder, coach, author, and founder of Ironbrij. Over a career spanning more than 35 years, Louis has built and sold companies, managed hundreds of employees, and learned firsthand what happens when a business becomes too dependent on its owner.His first business taught him a painful lesson when he discovered that it had little value without him. He later applied those lessons to build more scalable companies, including one that sold for $5 million and another that grew to approximately $35 million in revenue with 450 employees.Louis is also the author of The B Myth: How Successful People Accidentally Build Businesses That Steal Their Lives. Today, he helps entrepreneurs escape the daily operational grind through smarter delegation, practical systems, virtual assistants, and the thoughtful use of artificial intelligence.IronBrijhttps://ironbrij.com.au
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States