The Playbook Behind 10 Profitable Businesses | The Scaling Podcast EP 10

Shannon Jean has built 10+ businesses over the past 25 years—including a $3M handbag company and a repair service that Apple tried to shut down. In this episode, he breaks down the simple, repeatable systems behind each venture.

From flipping gear and launching a podcast with 600+ episodes, to mentoring others on how to make their first $1,000—this conversation is a masterclass in sustainable entrepreneurship.

We talk mindset, leverage, and why Shannon focuses on building real businesses instead of chasing unicorns.

Timestamps (Full) 0:00 – Intro 1:08 – Shannon's first flip: vintage gear and Apple repairs 5:40 – The business that Apple tried to shut down 8:15 – From $500 sales to a $3M handbag brand 12:30 – The $1,000 Brain Switch (start your first business here) 16:42 – Why Shannon builds "boring" businesses 20:18 – Starting a podcast that scaled to 5K downloads/day 25:10 – Playbooks vs passion: why repeatability wins 30:45 – The mindset shift that leads to real independence 34:20 – Shannon's advice to founders at any stage 38:54 – Systems Goals: how Shannon avoids burnout 41:25 – The lawsuit that cost $1M—and what it taught him 46:15 – Why Shannon never took outside money 49:08 – Letting go: how he stepped back from operations 52:00 – Finding purpose after the "big exit" 54:55 – How to find community as a solo entrepreneur 59:10 – The secret power of asking, "Can I help you?" 1:02:18 – Shannon's business group: content, connection, and shirts 1:05:30 – What founders really need (but don't talk about) 1:08:24 – Final thoughts + where to follow Shannon