The journey to building and scaling a successful business is messy, challenging, and full of lessons. 

In this special episode of After the First Million, we reflect on the most impactful conversations from the past year, highlighting the key themes that define the entrepreneurial journey.

A special thanks to our guests who joined us this year:

• Tiffany Sauder, CEO of Element Three
• Dagan Xavier, founder of Label Insight
• Devin Bramhall, former CEO of Animalz
• Rich Hagberg, founder of Hagberg Consulting Group
• Adam Weber, co-founder of Bluebridge and Emplify
• Sims Foster, co-founder of Foster Supply Hospitality
• Kevin Bailey, co-founder of Dreamfuel
• Lindsay Roselle, COO of BossBabe
• Jeremy Reymer, founder of DriverReach 
• Lindsay Tjepkema, co-founder of Casted
• Nick Smarrelli, former CEO of GadellNet
• Lee Rubin, founder of Confetti
• Michael King, founder of KFE Solutions and The CFO Accelerator
• Brian Powers, founder of PactSafe (now Ironclad)
• Mark Caswell, former CEO of Resultant
• Sharon Rechter, co-founder of First Media
• Steven Plappert, co-founder of Forecastr
• Chad Peterman, president and CEO of Peterman Brothers

Join us as we reflect on these lessons and carry them into the year ahead.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Risk and resilience in entrepreneurship: Success comes from embracing failure as part of the journey. Building resilience allows entrepreneurs to push through challenges and keep their vision alive.
• Leadership and personal growth: Great leadership starts with personal growth. By understanding their strengths and areas for improvement, leaders can evolve alongside their businesses.
• Balancing work with personal life and mental health: Sustainable success requires balance. Prioritizing wellness enables leaders to show up more effectively for their teams and families.
• Building and maintaining company culture: Culture is what makes a business thrive. Align your team with core values to create stronger connections and long-term success.
• Navigating growth and scaling challenges: Scaling is about adaptability. Leaders who stay agile and focus on repeatable processes are better prepared to overcome the complexities of growth.

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00 ) Reflecting on a year of business lessons 
(04:38 ) Risk and resilience in entrepreneurship
(07:29 ) Leadership and personal growth
(11:03 ) Balancing work, personal life, and mental health
(16:28 ) Building and maintaining company culture
(21:34 ) Navigating growth and scaling challenges
(25:45 ) Here’s to the next million