Just Go Grind

Lucas Pols is the founder of Spark xyz, a technology platform built to connect incubators and accelerators with early-stage start-ups and help with their talent management. He has written a 40-article series discussing the topics of entrepreneurship and founder failures. Lucas also currently writes for Forbes and does speaking engagements around Los Angeles. As a Principal at Quake, Lucas is focusing on expanding Quake’s venture capital and angel relationships. He is also providing operational guidance to the portfolio companies on a range of topics including leadership, recruiting, and sales. In this episode, Lucas tells us the tough but fulfilling work of a hybrid entrepreneur - providing insights on both entrepreneurship and venture capital.

Sam Simones became a Certified Financial Planner at the age of 26, something less than 1% of financial advisors do, but decided to leave the field and pursue a different life path. Sam now works in two domains - business coaching and real estate - and in this episode he shares a high level view of starting side hustles and how he's forged his own unique career path. As you'll hear in this episode, Sam thinks in his own way, and provides a unique perspective for career switchers and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Lucas Lee-Tyson is the founder and CEO of Growth Cave, an independent marketing consultancy and agency. Launched in June of 2018, Growth Cave helps businesses grow online by providing 1:1 consulting and an extensive online training center to educate business owners on how to create, manage, and scale effective Facebook Ad campaigns. Prior to Growth Cave and freelancing, Lucas created and grew numerous online side-projects, including an affiliate blog which drove over $85,000 in revenue to the Amazon Affiliate Program. He has worked and consulted with numerous multi-million dollar businesses, mainly in the eCommerce and technology verticals. Born and raised in the quiet suburbs of Connecticut, Lucas currently lives in Boston while attending Babson College, studying marketing analytics and entrepreneurship and plans to graduate in May of 2020. In this episode Lucas shares how he built his marketing consultancy and many of the best practices for using Facebook Advertising to grow your business.

Joe Teglia owned and operated a major Southeast Wisconsin asphalt and concrete site construction services and asphalt material provider for 30+ years with his focus on project management, new pavement and pavement reconstruction design, operations management, and asphalt material production. As an experienced project manager with a career total of both public and private sector infrastructure projects totaling in excess of $300 million, Joe recently started Site Advice to provide site management consulting services to clients. In this episode of the podcast, we discuss Joe's incredible career journey, including the ups and downs Joe experienced through growing a multimillion dollar company and ultimately how that experience turned into what he's doing now with Side Advice.

Artur Meyster is the CTO of the Y Combinator backed startup Career Karma, co-host of the wildly popular Breaking Into Startups Podcast, and earlier in his career switched from 3 years of investment banking to tech by becoming a self-taught software engineer. Career Karma is a career development platform for people looking to break into the tech industry. The Breaking Into Startups Podcast features inspiring stories of people who broke into tech from non-traditional backgrounds. In this episode we talk about how Artur made his big career switch, how the Breaking Into Startups Podcast was born and how it became so popular, and how people can break into the technology industry, even if they have a non-traditional background.

Quentin Allums is a LinkedIn influencer, speaker, community builder; as well as the CEO of Urban Misfit Ventures, a fast growing startup based out of Milwaukee. He has amassed over 10 million views on LinkedIn content. On his channel #justQ he covers the stories of amazing people across the globe, speaks about personal stories, and gives tips on storytelling and business. Quentin has also been named Top 30 LinkedIn Influencers by GDMS America, spoke at VidCon 2018 the largest video conferences in the world, and has a TEDx talk coming up in April of 2019. Show notes: https://www.justgogrind.com/podcast Just Go Grind Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justgogrind/ Just Go Grind Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justgogrind/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/ 

In the first episode of the Just Go Grind podcast with multiple guests, we have Sera Alper, the Founder & CEO of PMSBOX, and Desiree Hostettler, head of PR & Media Relations. PMSBOX is a monthly subscription box that includes five items (plus a bonus token item) to improve women's menstrual experience. With every box purchased, PMSBOX gives one box of menstrual supplies in India or Turkey to a woman in need. Sera Alper is a visionary, an advertising guru who does not take “no” for an answer. She brings the vision forward and eliminates any roadblocks along the way. She is a fearless leader who has an admirable reputation in the influencing community. Desiree Hostettler is an aspiring polymath, curious mind, and a culture enthusiast. It drives her mad to not know something, so every morning the first order of business is reading the news and updating herself on essential topics. Passionate about academia, journalism, and communications, she hopes one day to receive her Ph.D. When her thirst for knowledge has ceased, she enjoys composing songs, singing, playing the guitar, reading, writing and trying to finish the dozen something books she started, watching art cinema, traveling, learning a new language, and volunteering at museums.

Mikey Taylor is the current President and Managing Principle of Commune Capital, a private equity real estate investment firm. A serial entrepreneur at heart, he first found success with nearly two decades of professional skateboarding. Throughout his career Mikey held lucrative sponsorship contracts with DC Shoe Co., GoPro Cameras and Alien Workshop. Over his tenure, he had over 100 signature skateboard decks, 7 pro model shoes and was one of the most recognizable pro skateboarders on the planet. Not one to rest on his laurels, early in his career, Mikey was already thinking about life after skateboarding. What’s next was co-founding and the eventual launch of Saint Archer Brewing Company. This San Diego based craft beer company and its first of its kind business model, led to quick success and a multi-million dollar purchase by MillerCoors Company in 2015. Since then, Mikey has been busy, co-founding Sovern Skateboards, Avni Intelligence (an entrepreneur education platform and podcast) and most importantly Commune Capital. Armed with only a high school education but more than a lifetime of real world experience, Mikey is committed to helping the next generation define the new American dream. Born and raised in Southern California, Mikey resides in Newberry Park with his wife Jen and their two young daughters. Show notes: https://www.justgogrind.com/mikey-taylor-podcast  Just Go Grind Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justgogrind/ Just Go Grind Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justgogrind/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/ 

Michelle Pyan is the owner of COMMERCIAL INVESTIGATIONS LLC (CI), a licensed private investigative agency. COMMERCIAL INVESTIGATIONS LLC is a certified woman-owned business. Michelle founded the agency in 2004 and is responsible for growing the business with a proactive approach - setting new standards in the background investigations industry. As President she is responsible for the strategic direction that assists their multi-industry client base of corporations. Commercial Investigations LLC presently does business worldwide for small, medium sized, and Fortune 500 companies, as well as not-for-profit organizations. COMMERCIAL INVESTIGATIONS LLC is a business and human resource solutions organization. The core business of CI involves background investigations - from pre-employment, to merger and acquisitions, to other types of business transactions background investigations. In addition to background investigations CI offers Identity Protection Assessments, Applicant Tracking Systems, Employee Assessments, Drug Testing, Pre-employment Physicals, E-Verify, Electronic I-9s, and more services related to business risk mitigation. Michelle is passionate about background investigations; she believes that businesses need to take advantage of all ethical, legal and available options to assure that the appropriate applicant for a particular position is hired. Michelle’s passion allows CI clients to be consistently confident with their hiring decisions. Her expertise and experience provide CI clients with the best possible services available, including accurate, timely and cost-effective investigative assistance bundled with superior service. Michelle has been examining the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other state and federal laws applicable to background investigations and human resources since 1998. Michelle is frequently a keynote speaker to various trade and professional associations. She has led seminars and discussions concerning background investigations, payroll fraud, business risk mitigation, and more. She has also published several related articles. She is an also active member with The National Association of Background Screeners (NAPBS) and the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO). In 2009, Michelle was awarded the Business Review Woman to Watch / Women Who Mean Business award. Michelle has been a licensed private investigator in the states of Wisconsin, Florida, and New York since 1991. She also has experience in human resources since 1993. She has an MBA from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and a BS from Winona State University majoring in Paralegal Studies / Pre-law. Michelle splits her time between the New York and Florida offices of COMMERCIAL INVESTIGATIONS LLC. Michelle and her husband, Bill, enjoy golf and music in their leisure time. Show notes: https://www.justgogrind.com/michelle-pyan-podcast/ Just Go Grind Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justgogrind/ Just Go Grind Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justgogrind/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/ 

Cassandra Cummings is the Founder and CEO of August Nine, a technology led creative company that designs brand experiences across social media, content and community. She got her start in marketing in the gaming industry, and moved on to lead content and event production for Splash! Animals, an award winning live art show featured at TEDx and Downtown Disney. After graduating in Global Business from Cal State San Marcos, she moved to Spain to learn a new culture, and launch her career in tech. There, she became founding member of the marketing team at Product School, where she hosted 100 online events for 50,000 people with speakers from Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, Slack, Amazon and more. Her true passions are traveling, food and art which were combined during her seven months in Amsterdam, where she was often found riding her bike while juggling a chocolate croissant and a gallery pass. In this episode of the Just Go Grind Podcast we discuss how to break in and succeed in product management, how to create an effective content strategy for your business, how Cassandra decided to launch her digital agency, and much more! Show notes: https://www.justgogrind.com/cassandra-cummings-podcast Just Go Grind Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justgogrind/ Just Go Grind Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justgogrind/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/