Earning the Right to Connect with Prospects

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In this episode, I sit down with David Fastuca, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Locomote. David shares the raw, behind-the-scenes truth of building, scaling, and exiting a startup without raising external capital. We explore the emotional challenges of entrepreneurship, the toll it takes on relationships, and why success without alignment can still feel like failure.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:15) - How David started Locomote and scaled without funding

(06:32) - The personal cost of building a business

(10:55) - Dealing with burnout and founder guilt

(13:44) - Navigating identity crises post-exit

(18:20) - How his business affected his marriage

(22:11) - What true alignment in business and life looks like

(25:40) - Stepping back from ego-driven decisions

(28:55) - Why purpose matters more than success

(33:28) - What David would change if he started over

(37:10) - Mental health strategies for founders

(41:45) - Closing thoughts

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