

The Turning Pro Podcast
Ben Sharf
Turning Pro is a weekly in-person podcast featuring top founders and creators uncovering real-time lessons on personal and business growth — including their own ‘Turning Pro’ moments. Hosted by Ben Sharf.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 4, 2024 • 56min
#040: From Basement to Boardroom: Eli Taylor-Lemire on how POSH raised $31M
Eli Taylor-Lemire is the co-founder and CPO of POSH, a software product for live experiences that has raised $31 million in funding to date. Eli's journey from college dropout to leading a successful company is both inspiring and insightful, showcasing his ventures in video production and coding, as well as his ability to navigate the challenges of scaling a startup during a pandemic. In this episode, we uncover the compelling story behind POSH's founding and growth, exploring how Eli navigated the challenges of early-stage startups. Join us for an in-depth conversation filled with practical advice and inspiring anecdotes from Eli's entrepreneurial journey.

Jun 27, 2024 • 51min
#039: How to Build Successful Brands: Emmett Shine Shares His Creative Process and Business Insights
Emmett Shine is an innovative entrepreneur and designer known for his unique approach to brand building and creative direction. As the co-founder of Gin Lane, Pattern Brands, and Little Plains, he has transformed the landscape of digital and physical products through his exceptional vision and dedication.In this episode of Turning Pro, we explore Emmett's fascinating journey from the early days of Gin Lane to his latest ventures. Emmett shares insights on his creative process, the importance of surrounding yourself with talented individuals, and his relentless pursuit of excellence. We delve into how Emmett balances creativity with business acumen, his experiences working with high-profile clients, and the lessons he has learned along the way.

Jun 20, 2024 • 57min
#038: How a $6M Contract Unleashed a New Level of Biohacking: Ketone-IQ’s Michael Brandt Tells All
Michael Brandt is the co-founder and CEO of Ketone-IQ, an innovative startup that transitioned from a niche biohacker concept to a renowned brand in the health and wellness sector after signing a $6 million contract with the US Department of Defense.In this episode, we delve into Michael's remarkable journey from creating the world’s first ketone shot to partnering with the Tour de France-winning cycling team, Visma. We uncover how Ketone-IQ expanded its reach and how this CEO made the ultimate leap from tech to nutrition thanks to his passion for human performance and development.

Jun 6, 2024 • 41min
#037: Ryan Chen & Kent Yoshimura - NeuroGum’s $10M Bet on the Future of Health
Ryan Chen and Kent Yoshimura are the Co-Founders of NeuroGum, an LA-based wellness brand that sells clinically studied nootropics to help people feel more energized, focused, and calm.In this episode, the NeuroGum team unpacks their own Turning Pro moments while scaling the health brand, how they’ve managed to overcome major obstacles and hurdles, and why more founders should remember to celebrate wins at every stage of their company’s growth journey.

May 30, 2024 • 57min
#036: Jacklyn Dallas - Tactics to Scale YouTube to 200K+ Subscribers
Jacklyn Dallas is the Founder & CEO of NothingButTech, one of the fastest growing media companies in the world that focuses on consumer tech trends. As the platform’s audience has grown, Jacklyn has hosted 1-on-1 interviews with tech giants like Google CEO Sundar Pichai.In this episode, we get an inside look at Jacklyn’s content workflow, how creators and founders can find their unique voices, and her personal tactics to blend creativity and entrepreneurship.

May 23, 2024 • 41min
#035: Peter Kang - 18+ Years of Agency Lessons Learned at Barrel
Peter Kang is the Co-Founder & CEO at Barrel, a creative and digital marketing agency in New York City that specializes in designing digital experiences for consumer brands. Before launching Barrel, Peter worked on Wall Street as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers.In this episode, we discuss the highs and lows of agency life, the importance of team support when things aren’t going right, and Peter’s lessons learned from running Barrel for 18 years.

May 16, 2024 • 57min
#034: John Coyle - Triple Whale’s $14 Billion Shopify Opportunity
John Coyle is the Head of Professional Services at Triple Whale, a rapidly growing e-comm infra startup building the operating system for Shopify brands. Before joining Triple Whale, John was the CMO for Team Strategery and Ander, and the founder of Explosive Growth Marketing.In this episode, we get an inside look at John’s relentless growth mindset, making the jump from a founder to an employee, and the ROI in authenticity and storytelling for content creation.

May 9, 2024 • 53min
#033: Noah Tucker - Inside Social Snowball’s Insane Growth (2,000+ Brands)
Noah Tucker is the Founder & CEO at Social Snowball, an affiliate & referral marketing platform driving millions in revenue for over 2,000 brands like Solawave, Obvi, and Javy Coffee.In this episode, we cover Noah’s journey scaling his company as a non-technical founder, challenges faced when starting a business solo, and the highs and lows of rapid growth.

May 2, 2024 • 59min
#032: Drew Marconi - Navigating the Future of DTC Profit Optimization
Drew Marconi is the Co-Founder & CEO at Intelligems, a profit optimization platform built for ecommerce brands like OpenStore, Branch, Obvi, and many more. Before launching Intelligems, Drew served the VP of Marketplace Ops at Via where he built out their data analytics function.In this episode, we dive deep into the value of coaching in personal and professional growth, transitioning from reactive to proactive communication, signing and closing million-dollar brands, and designing Intelligems’ GTM and demand gen content playbooks.

Apr 25, 2024 • 44min
#031: David J. Sitt - Building the Next Billion-Dollar Fulfillment Brand
David J. Sitt is the Founder & CEO of Ship Essential, one of the fastest growing e-commerce fulfillment partners in the country. Based in New York City, Ship Essential partners with major consumer brands like Madhappy, Atoms, Cadence, Lechery, Brunch, and many more.In this episode, we unpack David’s lessons on balancing work and family life, building a business model focused on fast delivery and best-in-class customer service, scaling Ship Essential from its origins in Brooklyn basement spaces, and his own Turning Pro journey.


