The Game Changing Attorney Podcast with Michael Mogill

417. The Secret to Building a Brand People Love with Steve Carse

15 snips

Nov 25, 2025

Steve Carse, founder of King of Pops and author of 'Work Is Fun,' shares his journey from a single cart to a beloved brand. He emphasizes that true differentiation stems from curiosity and community connection. Steve reflects on overcoming early doubts, transforming challenges during COVID into new opportunities, and the importance of a strong culture in scaling. He also highlights the unique aspects of hiring enthusiastic team members and creating shared experiences to foster engagement. Plus, parenting reshaped his leadership approach and connection with customers.

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ANECDOTE

Humble Start With A Push Cart

Steve started King of Pops with $7,000 and a single push cart because he couldn't afford a shop.
The cart constraint became an advantage and defined the brand's early identity.

INSIGHT

Differentiate Through Flavor Curation

Standing out with adventurous flavors helped differentiate King of Pops from supermarket offerings.
They balanced adventurous and familiar flavors after customer feedback to broaden appeal.

INSIGHT

Process And Sourcing Build Durable Advantage

Product quality, sourcing, and process created a defensible artisan advantage at scale.
Small-batch technique and process choices (like fast freezing) improved texture and taste.

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What if the thing that makes your business unforgettable has nothing to do with the product and everything to do with the people and purpose behind it?

In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Steve Carse, founder of King of Pops, to unpack how an idea became one of Atlanta’s most beloved brands. From pushing a single cart up the street to producing tens of thousands of pops a day, Steve shares what it really takes to build a culture-driven company, stay relevant, and scale without losing your identity.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Why true differentiation starts with curiosity, courage, and a willingness to stand out
How to build a brand that grows through authentic community connection
What it takes to scale culture, empower your team, and expand into new markets

Want to build something people rave about and love doing it? This episode shows you what it requires.

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Show Notes:

02:34 — Steve shares why showing up consistently matters more than talent or timing

03:52 — The early fear that King of Pops might be a fad and how they pushed through uncertainty

07:30 — How artisan-level craft, sourcing, and process became their lasting competitive advantage

09:40 — The moment Steve realized the brand was becoming something bigger than a seasonal idea

12:36 — The challenge of scaling a beloved local brand into unfamiliar markets

14:07 — How COVID unexpectedly unlocked a new business model and created the cartrepreneur movement

19:39 — Why culture must be driven from the front and why leaders must care more than anyone else

38:24 — How becoming a parent changed Steve’s leadership, perspective, and purpose

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Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

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