The Builders

In this episode of The Builders, Matt sits down with Oksana Kovalchuk, founder and CEO of a long-running UI/UX agency with a story that feels like a masterclass in survival, rebuilding, and sheer entrepreneurial grit. Oksana founded her company at twenty, grew it to seventy people, and enjoyed years of booming demand… until a perfect storm hit. COVID wiped out more than half of their clients, and the partner supplying 80 percent of their revenue suddenly stopped paying, leaving her with over $100,000 in unpaid invoices and a team she could no longer support. What followed was a crash many founders quietly fear: blocked messages, disappearing partners, and the realization that her agency had to shrink from seventy people to only five just to survive. Oksana talks candidly about the emotional fallout, the denial and grief that follow a blow like this, and the moment she accepted that she had to fire people she cared about in order to keep the company alive. Through it all, she frames business as an instrument — something that should ultimately make your life better, not hollow you out.But the rebuild is where the real builder’s mindset emerges. With a tiny team, she clawed the agency back by taking any project she could find, relearning sales discipline, and reestablishing the fundamentals she’d been able to ignore during the boom years. Her honesty about mistakes, trust, cash discipline, and leadership under pressure offers a blueprint for founders navigating their own storms. This conversation is equal parts cautionary tale and reminder that you can rebuild from almost anything if you stay clear-eyed, humble, and willing to do the work.Key Takeaways (4–6 bullets)Growing fast is exciting, but relying on one revenue source is a structural risk that compounds silently.Crises force clarity — from financial discipline to team alignment to true client loyalty.Cash flow rules everything; a profitable business can collapse if payments stop.Leadership during collapse requires emotional resilience and decisive action, even when it hurts.A smaller, tighter, more intentional team can often rebuild stronger than a bloated one.You can come back from almost anything if you stay humble, rebuild your systems, and start again. Tune in for a raw, honest story of collapse, resilience, and the real work of rebuilding — a reminder that builders aren’t defined by what breaks, but by what they choose to rebuild next.

In this episode of The Builders, Matt talks with Damon Darnall, a lifelong flyer and the founder of Sky Eye Network. Damon has been building and flying drones since the 1970s, long before the industry existed. What began as a childhood obsession turned into a career shaped by persistence, skill, and a fascination with what flight can unlock.Damon shares how the long path of building shaped his entrepreneurial mindset. From spending 13 months assembling his first drone kit, to destroying it in seven seconds and rebuilding it over and over, to competing at high levels and setting world records, every chapter pushed him toward new possibilities. His first commercial break came with a 32-foot advertising blimp that led him into arenas, promotions, and eventually a career as the go-to drone guy for a wide mix of industries.Today the civilian drone industry has crossed $30B in annual revenue, and projections show it could reach $1.5 trillion within eight years. Damon explains why this moment is a rare window for builders. The tech is easier to adopt, the demand is rising fast, and many industries still have major gaps that drones can fill.Key TakeawaysHow Damon turned a lifelong passion into a career built on experimentation and resilienceWhat the 32-foot blimp project taught him about pitching, rejection, and finding the right marketHow drones transformed inspections, safety, cinematography, advertising, and search and rescueThe shift in drone technology that lowered the barrier from thousands of flight hours to fast adoptionWhy the drone industry is moving from $30B toward $1.5T and where builders can create opportunityA preview of Part 2 that dives into Sky Eye Network, dronepreneur training, and real-world businesses

In this milestone solo episode, Matt Levenhagen pulls back the curtain on how he now builds — with AI employees as part of his core team. After scaling down his agency and returning to hands-on development, Matt discovered a new rhythm: collaborating daily with Claude, Composer, Codex, ChatGPT (Atlas), and Grok. These digital teammates help plan, code, debug, research, and even design. Through real examples, Matt shows how each one contributes to his workflow and how this collaboration has reignited his passion for creating and problem-solving.Far from replacing people, these AI employees extend what’s possible for both Unified Web Design and ⁠UnifiedLabs.ai⁠. Matt reflects on the practical lessons, the creative breakthroughs, and how this shift will influence future hiring — where developers are expected to partner with AI rather than avoid it. It’s an inside look at how one builder is redefining what it means to have a team in 2025. 🔑 Key TakeawaysAI employees are part of Matt’s real core team — daily collaborators, not replacements.Real-world examples show how each model adds value to the creative process.Future hires will be empowered by AI fluency and collaboration skills.Efficiency meets creativity: faster builds, deeper experimentation.UnifiedLabs.ai stands as the proving ground for this new hybrid model.The Builders’ spirit endures: revealing how things are truly built — by people, process, and now, AI.

In this episode, Matt sits down with Nikita Vakhrushev, founder and CEO of Aspekt, an eCommerce retention agency helping brands grow smarter through email and SMS marketing. Nikita’s journey from high school side hustles to leading a specialized agency is a story of experimentation, focus, and persistence. What started as a love for design and selling custom t-shirts evolved into a deep understanding of how to engage and retain customers in a crowded digital landscape.Nikita shares how his early experiences tinkering with Shopify stores, print-on-demand, and Facebook ads gave him the foundation for building his own business. But the real turning point came when he realized the power of focus—niching down to retention marketing and cutting out distractions from running multiple services. That clarity allowed Aspekt to scale, grow a team, and refine a process that delivers real value to over 100 eCommerce brands.From hiring and leadership lessons to tactical insights on email flows, segmentation, and customer lifetime value, this conversation highlights the first principles of building a modern digital agency. It’s not about doing everything—it’s about doing the right things really well.Key Takeaways🎯 Focus Wins: Scaling came when Nikita narrowed services to email and SMS, cutting noise and complexity.🧩 Start by Building Something: His first business—selling custom merch—was the foundation for every skill he uses today.💬 Retention - Acquisition: Sustainable eCommerce growth depends on nurturing relationships, not just chasing new customers.👥 Hiring by Instinct: After hundreds of interviews, Nikita learned how to spot genuine talent versus rehearsed answers.⚙️ Systems Over Chaos: Documented processes, automation, and client clarity drive better results and happier teams.🧠 Keep Learning by Doing: Every stage of his journey—from solo freelancer to agency leader—came through hands-on experimentation.

Aleksandar Svetski’s story is one of bold moves, brutal lessons, and a relentless drive to build. He made his first million by 23—then lost it all when government policy shifts crushed his solar energy business. From sales to renewable energy, from hospitality to tech startups, Svetski’s path has been anything but straight. Each rise and fall hardened his conviction in one thing: true builders create systems that outlast them.That conviction led him to Bitcoin. As an entrepreneur and one of the most prolific Bitcoin writers of the late 2010s, Svetski helped reframe the narrative around Bitcoin—not as a speculative asset, but as a savings instrument and a tool for personal sovereignty. He went on to co-found the world’s first Bitcoin savings app, sparking an entire category of products that followed his lead.Today, he’s just as focused on the why as the how. Through his books—The Uncommunist Manifesto and The Bushido of Bitcoin—and his latest venture, Sattlantis, Svetski blends philosophy with practicality, challenging entrepreneurs to think deeper about what they’re building and why. His message is clear: decentralization isn’t just a financial model—it’s a mindset.Key TakeawaysFailure is the best teacher. Losing millions early forced Svetski to build with deeper intention.Bitcoin is philosophy in motion. It’s less about money and more about freedom, responsibility, and virtue.Government intervention can both create and destroy markets. Builders must adapt quickly and think independently.True builders think long-term. Each project—win or lose—teaches resilience and systems thinking.Writing clarifies purpose. His books reflect not just crypto ideology but timeless principles of discipline and ethics.Decentralization starts with individuals. Building a freer world begins with personal sovereignty and moral grounding.

In this episode of The Builders Podcast, Matt sits down with Isioma Utomi, leadership development consultant and founder of Catalyst Experience Solutions, to unpack what it really takes to help people succeed at work — not just perform tasks. Isioma’s journey began in engineering and process improvement, where she learned that behind every efficient system are people who make it work. Over time, her curiosity about what drives success led her to create the PEER Framework — a practical model built around four core pillars: Priorities, Education, Enablement, and Relationships.Through this framework, she helps leaders and organizations think intentionally about how they work, grow, and win. The conversation dives into how leadership is less about authority and more about designing environments where people thrive. From starting workshops during COVID to building a full-fledged consultancy, Isioma shares her story of transformation, responsibility, and purpose.Her insights remind us that success isn’t an accident — it’s built through clarity, systems, and genuine human connection.🔑 Key TakeawaysSuccess starts with self-awareness. Understanding your purpose and priorities sets the foundation for everything else.Leadership is design. The best leaders intentionally create systems and cultures that help people succeed.Relationships matter most. Professional growth is built on authentic connection and collaboration.Enablement is the modern differentiator. Technology, habits, and environment shape performance as much as skills do.Courage creates clarity. Taking the leap — from corporate to entrepreneurship — often leads to deeper purpose and alignment. A thoughtful, human-centered conversation about building leaders who don’t just adapt to change — they design it.

In this episode of The Builders, Matt sits down with Ed Oyama, founder of Super Simple Marketing, to unpack what it really means to simplify — in business, in messaging, and especially on camera. Ed shares his unexpected journey from math major and aspiring game designer to educator and entrepreneur, including 12 years in Asia running English programs and learning the art of communication the hard way. Through that experience, he discovered a universal truth: complexity kills momentum.Now, Ed helps smart professionals create simple, authentic videos that connect, convert, and build trust. This episode explores how simplifying your message can lead to clearer communication, better marketing, and stronger relationships with your audience.🔑 Key Takeaways:Simplicity is a strategy. The clearer your message, the stronger your connection.Perfectionism kills progress. Authenticity and action are more persuasive than polish.Testing beats guessing. Build through experimentation and feedback, not theory.Video builds trust. Simple videos create genuine connections that drive sales and impact.Keep it human. Whether teaching or marketing, empathy and clarity always win. If you’ve ever overthought your content—or hesitated to hit “record”—this episode will show you how to start small, stay simple, and build something meaningful through video.

In this episode of The Builders Podcast, host Matt Levenhagen sits down with Lorie Spence and Carolyn Pritchard, co-founders of Bridge Medical Communications—a life-sciences agency that helps biotech and pharmaceutical companies better connect with healthcare providers and improve patient outcomes. Together, they explore what it truly takes to build a lasting partnership, navigate change in the healthcare industry, and grow a business that balances purpose, innovation, and trust.You’ll hear how two women from different professional paths—one from nursing, the other from communications—came together to build a company that thrives on collaboration and shared values. Fourteen years later, their story is a masterclass in what it means to build together.Key TakeawaysStrong partnerships start with shared purpose, not just complementary skills. Lorie and Carolyn credit their longevity to alignment in values and vision before all else.Plan the partnership like you’d plan the business. Early on, they created a structured model that defined roles, expectations, and communication rhythms—key to avoiding common co-founder pitfalls.Boutique scale = big advantage. By staying intentionally lean, Bridge can remain nimble, innovative, and deeply connected to client needs—something larger agencies often struggle with.Purpose drives resilience. Their backgrounds in healthcare give deeper meaning to their work, keeping the mission of improving patient outcomes at the center.Women building in healthcare are shaping the future. Lorie and Carolyn’s leadership shows how empathy, collaboration, and adaptability create not only strong companies, but stronger industry connections.Longevity is built on trust and adaptability. Fourteen years in, Bridge continues to evolve by anticipating change, mentoring others, and holding onto the values that sparked its creation.

On this episode of The Builders, Matt sits down with Tiffany Slowinski, owner of Team Spark Advisors and an Executive Advisor using Culture Index to help leaders stop guessing about people. Tiffany shares how a zigzag career through psychology, journalism, counseling, and local media sales led her to people analytics—and why builders should treat talent like any other core system: define the job, measure the fit, and manage to how people are wired. They break down how a quick word-choice survey surfaces innate drives, making it easier to place the right people in the right seats and coach them effectively. Tiffany walks through real-world scenarios—stuck employees, misaligned roles, and the lure of “industry experience”—showing how data clarifies whether to coach, re-seat, or part ways. The result: better hires, clearer management, and teams that actually build.Key TakeawaysStop winging it: use people data to hire and manage with intent.A 10-minute survey can reveal innate strengths and role fit.Coach to wiring: adjust communication, motivation, and expectations.Hire for fit within existing team dynamics, not just résumés.Don’t over-index on industry experience; look for the right drives.Distinguish managers from doers—align the job to the person.When performance doesn’t rebound, make the hard (humane) call.Software makes the data actionable—no manual number-crunching.

Stephen Wilson Downey returns to The Builders to share what changed since his last visit and why he pivoted from building an AI WordPress maintenance plugin to doubling down on services at Speire. We talk through the hard lessons behind that shift—protecting the “core” business, the realities of cost/scale, and how clear communication and measurable ROI became the bedrock of growth and client retention.From there, we unpack GEO—Generative Engine Optimization—and why builders must evolve from “ranking pages” to “being the answer” as behavior shifts to AI Overviews, LLM search, and voice assistants. Stephen contrasts GEO with classic SEO, emphasizing research around real questions (not just keywords) and the need to show up where assistants actually pull answers.The episode gets tactical: orchestrate credible multi‑channel signals (site, YouTube with transcripts, Reddit/communities, maps/listings, and third‑party reviews), apply E‑E‑A‑T across everything, and keep content fresh so you’re consistently cited. We also hit PR/trade journals for authority, and Stephen’s simple playbook: map ICPs, cluster their questions, publish answer‑first content across channels, and maintain cadence.Key TakeawaysBe the answer, not just a result: Shift from chasing blue links to being the concise, credible answer assistants surface.Signals > single channel: Build consistent signals across website, YouTube (with transcripts), Reddit/communities, maps, listings, and reviews.E‑E‑A‑T everywhere: Show Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness in every artifact—owned content, PR, and third‑party sources.Freshness & cadence matter: Update often; assistants vary citations and reward up‑to‑date, active sources.Protect the core while experimenting: Keep your main value engine healthy; retention follows relationships + ROI.Simple GEO playbook: ICPs → question clusters → multi‑format, answer‑first content → broad distribution → iterate.