Cherry Assistant original podcast
Behind the Founders is where we breakdown how founders actually run their businesses. from hiring to scaling and hard decisions. Produced by Cherry Assistant.
Latest episodeBuilding the Future of STEM Education: How Vitalis Mutwiri Is Using AI & 3D to Transform LearningThe archive
Episode 3800:33:12
Episode 38: Carmen Dörwald talks to Vitalis Mutwiri about building an early-stage education technology startup, navigating limited resources, assembling a team, engaging education stakeholders, and finding the balance between AI and huma...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 3700:37:13
Carmen Dörwald talks to Tom Simic about building a business from the ground up, the financial strategies that drive profitability, scaling a virtual CFO firm, and the lessons learned from hiring and managing remote talent. Tom Simic is t...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 3600:36:40
Episode 36: Carmen Dörwald talks to Iain Cahill about using AI to transform productivity, building businesses around customer needs, and strategically using offshore talent to scale during a critical growth phase Ian Cahill is the founde...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 3500:36:07
Episode 35: Carmen Dörwald talks to Charles Cormier about inding product-market fit, the importance of sales and choosing the right ICP, using podcasts to generate qualified leads, building companies around AI, and his unconventional app...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 3400:26:44
Episode 34: Ben Deckey talks to Ravid Razak about the impact of AI on the industry, the pivot in the business model, valuable insights into the operational structure, outsourcing, and work-life balance as a founder. Ravid Razak is the fo...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 3300:30:15
Episode 33: Carmen Dörwald talks to Chris Gulotta about the misconceptions, challenges of AI and the importance of balancing efficiency and the human element. Chris Gulotta is the founder of NxtLayr.AI, a business helping companies under...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 3200:31:58
Episode 32: Ryan Bulpitt talks to Marlen Madrigal about the importance of passion, resilience, and the human side of hiring as a staffing agency founder. Marlen Madrigal was a former executive assistant with more than 12 years of experie...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 3100:38:25
Episode 31: Ryan Bulpitt talks to Lysander Cuevas Jr. about leveraging AI, SEO, and human connection in growing his consulting firm and helping clients adapt to rapid technological change. Lysander Cuevas Jr. reveals how he transitioned...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 3000:46:39
Episode 30: Carmen Dörwald talks to Lisa Spark about how unexpected life events propelled her into entrepreneurship and the lessons learned from her global travels. After her mother fell ill, Lisa helped run a family business, which ulti...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 2900:26:43
Episode 29: Ryan Bulpitt talks to Willa Kammerer about building a business around identity, personal branding, delegation, AI, and taking action before you have everything figured out. Willa Kammerer is a 17+ year entrepreneur and founde...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 2800:30:56
Episode 28: Carmen Dörwald talks to Ashley Janelle about her journey of identifying gaps in traditional UX training, leading her to develop a program that offers hands-on mentorship and personalized coaching. Ashley Janelle is an award-w...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 2700:24:28
Episode 27: Carmen Dörwald talks to Austin Rohleder about building a founder-first marketing agency, leveraging AI and data, and the realities of growing a business from the ground up. Austin Rohleder is the founder of Capstone Marketing...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 2600:23:41
Episode 26: Carmen Dörwald talks to Saadi Sabah about taking the leap from corporate employment, learning to delegate, building a team and sustainable client relationships, and using AI and automation to scale more efficiently. Saadi Sab...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 2500:37:05
Episode 25: Carmen Dörwald talks to Erik Gross about the importance of fundamentals in tech education, the impact of AI, and the value of building a diverse student body. Erik Gross is the co-founder of The Tech Academy, a software devel...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 2400:44:50
Episode 24: Carmen Dörwald talks to Nicky Fairclough about scaling too quickly, learning from costly mistakes, using AI to build leaner businesses, knowing when to pivot, and designing a business around the life you actually want. Nicky...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 2300:26:31
Episode 23: Carmen Dörwald talks to Marcel Löwigt about how to harness technology to scale your business effectively without the burden of high agency retainers. Marcel Löwigt is a serial entrepreneur with more than 18 years of experienc...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 2200:28:57
Episode 22: Carmen Dörwald talks to Natasha Bhogal about the importance of building long-term client relationships, learning to lean into resistance, and why founders don't always need to follow the conventional definition of success. Na...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 2100:34:32
Episode 21: Carmen Dörwald talks to Chuck Thokey about building high-performing sales teams, developing talent, and transforming sales through ethical coaching and AI-powered simulations. Chuck Thokey is the Co-Founder of Top Rep, a lead...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 2000:32:06
Episode 20: Carmen Dörwald talks to Christopher Haywood about innovative approaches to executive search and evolving practices over 15 years. Christopher Haywood is the founder of Strategic Executives Agency, specializing in executive se...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 1900:25:55
Episode 19: Carmen Dörwald talks to Stephanie Reese about the role of AI, talent, leadership and capacity challenges in mission-driven organizations. Stephanie Reese is the founder of Higher and Thread, where she helps mission-driven org...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 1800:44:05
Episode 18: Carmen Dörwald talks to Lisa Colantuono about her 25-year journey in agency search consulting, the importance of trust, relationship-building, and authentic care in business success. Lisa Colantuono is the founder of Agency S...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 1700:28:05
Episode 17: Carmen Dörwald talks to Kavian Spells about his journey from engineering to digital entrepreneurship, transition to Colombia, the importance of strategy, branding, and leveraging AI in building a successful online business. K...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 1600:26:35
Episode 16: Carmen Dörwald talks to Jan Barlow about how her holistic approach helps marginalized groups, including veterans, foster care alumni, and formerly incarcerated individuals, find meaningful employment and purpose. Jan Barlow f...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 1500:26:15
Episode 15: Ben Deckey talks to Ayad Mirjan about his journey of building Orange Bag Laundry from a residential service to a nationwide B2B logistics and laundry company. They discuss insights on automation, hiring, scaling, and maintain...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 1400:24:12
Episode 14: Carmen Dörwald talks to Cornel Armariei about revolutionizing mobility for the visually impaired through advanced AI and robotics. Cornell's journey to founding .Lumen began in a family where everyone except him lived with a...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 1300:31:46
Episode 13: Carmen Dörwald talks to Sailesh Pattnaik about his journey from personal tragedy to healthcare innovation with AI, the challenges of building AI solutions in healthcare, team setup, and future plans for global expansion. Afte...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 1200:38:48
Episode 12: Carmen Dörwald talks to Dellyn Lee about his journey from in-house recruiting to building his own brand, Dylan Digital, blending gaming and career coaching, innovative strategies for job hunting, the role of AI, and how to ba...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 1100:34:46
Episode 11: Carmen Dörwald talks to Liz Rivas about building meaningful connections in a digital world, overcoming loneliness through community, and turning a personal challenge into a global platform for women travelers. Liz Rivas is th...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 1000:26:50
Episode 10: Carmen Dörwald talks to Brendan Lebitsch about his entrepreneurial journey, insights into manufacturing and sourcing in China, and how AI tools are transforming his business operations. Brendan Lebitsch founded High Life Tech...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 900:38:30
Episode 9: Carmen Dörwald talks to Tyler Raciti 38:03 Personal Journey and Final Thoughts
Listen to the episodeEpisode 800:22:34
Episode 8: Carmen Dörwald talks to Terri Trovato about expert insights on digital marketing strategies and the role of AI in enhancing creativity. Terry Trovato has over thirteen years of experience in digital marketing, navigating throu...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 700:29:39
Episode 7: Carmen Dörwald talks to Quy Tran about the importance of resilience and adaptability in navigating and recognizing career changes, industry challenges and new opportunities during crises. Quy Tran is the founder of Sound Life...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 600:42:23
Episode 6: Carmen Dörwald talks to Rickard Jean-Noel about strategies for growth, overcoming challenges, and leveraging social media and AI to build his multifaceted career in his non-profit.Rickard Jean-Noel is the executive director an...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 500:30:59
Episode 5: Carmen Dörwald talks to Chad Vavra about using AI to accelerate entrepreneurship, validate business ideas, and help small teams achieve more without increasing headcount. Chad Vavra, founder of ChatAgency.ai, shares his journe...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 400:39:23
Episode 4: Carmen Dörwald talks to Kimberly Celic about the importance of leadership, culture, and hiring the right people for company growth and success. Kim Celic is the Founder and CEO of Transformative People Solutions. With extensiv...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 300:35:27
// Episode 3: DhungJoo Kim talks to Leonard Jackson about how to transform your life through taking action. Leonard Jackson has starred in over 200 commercials while being a full time parent and building a company, Norfleet Transportatio...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 200:29:28
Episode 2: Aleksandar Hadzhiyski talks to Carmen Dörwald about his inspiring journey from professional basketball to founding Titan Agency, a thriving marketing firm. Discover how Aleksandar leverages AI and team empowerment to drive suc...
Listen to the episodeEpisode 100:07:08
What does it actually take to scale a modern financial services company?In this episode of Behind the Founder, we sit down with Andrew Baker, founder of Financial Haus, to break down exactly how he built and scaled his business from the...
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