Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur | Start and Grow Your Own Business

Brian Lofrumento
undefined
Jul 26, 2025 • 37min

1189: Quit Pepsi. Spent $20K on an app. Then COVID hit. Here's how to PERSIST and build a successful company w/ Chris Randall

Chris Randall left a promising corporate career at Pepsi to follow a bigger calling—and built an innovative app-based cleaning company called Sweep. In this episode, he shares how a single idea during a long commute sparked a mission to create a frictionless, tech-powered cleaning solution for busy people. Chris dives into the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, from investing $20k into app development right before COVID hit, to cleaning homes himself while knocking on doors to survive.This episode is packed with real talk about resilience, product-market fit, and building systems that scale. Whether you're in tech, services, or somewhere in between, you'll walk away fired up and ready to take action.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business 🚀 How to validate and launch an app-based business from scratch—even during a pandemic 📦 Why ego can crush your business before it starts (and how humility opens doors) 🧠 How to think like an executive and engineer frictionless systems 💸 Why you should build pricing around customer clarity (not industry norms) 👥 How Chris created a two-sided marketplace without burning out 📈 The metrics and mindset that keep Chris focused on growth 🤖 How he's using AI to power operations, marketing, and systemization📝 About the Guest Chris Randall is the founder and CEO of Sweep, a tech-powered residential cleaning platform. After climbing the ranks at PepsiCo, Chris pivoted from corporate to startup life to solve a real-world problem—making house cleaning as easy and transparent as ordering an Uber. With no industry experience, he learned on the ground (literally), and today he leads one of West Michigan's most recognized local tech brands. Chris is also deeply active in community building, relationship-based marketing, and leveraging technology for scalable growth.🎯 Chris’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs “If you have a business idea, stop overthinking it. It’s not about finding the perfect idea—it’s about being the right person to build something great.” – Chris Randall💬 Key takeaways from Chris’s advice: ✔ The industry doesn’t have to be your passion—your execution can become your passion ✔ Focus on building a business, not just doing the work you’re skilled at ✔ Systems and scalability matter more than initial innovation📢 Memorable Quotes“Starting a business means putting ego aside and doing the dirty work—literally, in my case.” – Chris Randall “I launched a tech platform, but I had to knock on doors and clean houses to survive.” – Chris Randall “AI eliminates hours of work I used to dread. It’s like having a whole extra team.” – Chris Randall💡 Actionable Takeaways ✅ Price your services in a way that aligns with how customers actually think ✅ Use AI to streamline your operations, communication, and marketing ✅ Get involved in your local community—trust and relationships open doors ✅ Build systems now that will make scaling easy later, especially if franchising is on your radar🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit Sweep’s WebsiteConnect with Chris on LinkedInFollow Sweep LLC on LinkedIn
undefined
Jul 25, 2025 • 32min

1188: This AI model outperforms ChatGPT (and others) in Financial Planning(!!) and is bridging the wealth gap w/ John Kanalakis

In this episode, we dive into the intersection of AI, fintech, and financial literacy with John Kanalakis, founder and Head of AI at Tendi. With experience at Netflix and Roku, John now leads Tendi—a revolutionary platform that uses a proprietary AI model to act as a personal financial advisor. His mission? To bridge the financial literacy gap and reduce wealth disparities. This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs building tech, mission-driven, or AI-first products, and for anyone curious about building something meaningful from the ground up.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business 🚀 How to use real user behavior to train a proprietary AI model that solves niche problems 🤖 Why building your own AI engine creates a true competitive moat—beyond OpenAI wrappers 📈 The secret to making “boring” products (like finance apps) fun and user-centric 💰 Why Tendi’s pricing strategy unlocks mass accessibility while staying profitable 🔐 How to handle sensitive data in a consumer app while building user trust 🎯 How to build a mission-first startup that solves real societal problems ⚡ Why you need to move FAST in AI—and how to avoid overplanning📝 About the GuestJohn Kanalakis is the founder and Head of AI at Tendi, a platform delivering AI-powered personal financial guidance. With a background in AI research and leadership roles at Netflix and Roku, John is driving Tendi’s mission to close the financial literacy gap and reduce wealth disparities. Under his leadership, Tendi uses advanced AI to provide personalized insights on budgeting, debt reduction, saving, and investing—empowering users to take control of their financial future.🎯 Guest’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs “Anything you can turn into a number, you can apply AI to.”John urges entrepreneurs to think in data and act fast. He emphasizes the importance of:✔ Acting quickly in fast-moving markets like AI ✔ Owning your data moat and proprietary model ✔ Planning every detail before training an expensive AI system📢 Memorable Quotes “Those who can afford a personal financial advisor probably don’t need one. It’s the rest of us who do.” – John Kanalakis “You’ve got to move fast. The tools evolve fast. If you have an idea to fix a problem with data, jump on it.” – John Kanalakis “AI should never be about shaming—it’s about informing and helping people make better decisions.” – John Kanalakis💡 Actionable Takeaways✅ Train your own AI model using real user behavior to create a powerful product moat ✅ Make your product more fun and habit-forming—even in “boring” industries—through gamification ✅ Balance AI’s personalization with tone: make it friendly, not judgmental ✅ Lower the barrier to entry in pricing to serve underserved markets while leveraging AI for scalability🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit Tendi’s WebsiteConnect with John on LinkedInFollow Tendi Corp. on LinkedIn
undefined
Jul 24, 2025 • 34min

1187: This entrepreneur built a business around getting ETHICAL reviews the consistent way w/ Adam Melenkivitz

In this episode, Adam Melenkivitz, founder of Test Squared, reveals how he’s building trust in the chaotic world of Amazon reviews by helping brands generate honest, verified product reviews—without breaking the rules. Adam’s journey from scaling a physical product brand to launching an ethical review platform is packed with hard-won insights about brand credibility, sales velocity, and sustainable growth. Entrepreneurs will walk away with powerful strategies to ethically hack consumer trust, drive product momentum, and think creatively in saturated markets.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business 🚀 Why 20 reviews is the magic number that unlocks sales velocity on Amazon 🧠 How to build trust in a marketplace filled with black hat tactics 💡 Why ethical compliance is not a constraint but a competitive advantage 🛠️ Creative growth hacks for early-stage brands (like putting hats on heads before even getting into stores) 📈 How to think strategically about reviews as part of your broader marketing mix 📦 What makes a product listing conversion-ready (before even thinking about reviews) 🤝 Why building a brand—beyond just a product—is critical in today’s ecommerce world📝 About the Guest Adam is the founder of TestSquared, a platform that connects Amazon sellers with real product testers to generate compliant, verified purchases and authentic reviews.Before launching TestSquared, he scaled his previous venture, Alpine Dam, from a local brand to 15 retail stores across California and FBA warehouses in seven states. He also brings experience from roles at Thomson, NASDAQ, and NYSE.Adam’s mission is to restore integrity to the review economy—one product at a time.🎯 Adam’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs “Market differently. Be creative. Do what your competitors aren’t doing—and do it with integrity.”💡 Key Takeaways from Adam's Advice: ✔ Study and draw inspiration from companies outside your industry ✔ Don’t rely on paid ads—build organic, creative growth systems ✔ Authenticity and unconventional tactics (like grassroots giveaways) can break open new markets📢 Memorable Quotes “Leaving a review is almost a social contract as an online shopper now.” – Adam Melenkivitz “You can blow up your brand with just a couple of bad reviews—do it the right way from the start.” – Adam Melenkivitz “Put hats on heads. That’s how we broke into retail stores—impact first, then results.” – Adam Melenkivitz💡 Actionable Takeaways ✅ Audit your Amazon (or product) listing for completeness before chasing reviews ✅ Use tools like Fakespot to evaluate your own and competitors’ review authenticity ✅ Get creative with your launch strategy—grassroots tactics work ✅ Focus on verified purchases and ethical review generation for long-term credibility🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit Test Squared’s WebsiteConnect with Adam on LinkedInFollow Test Squared on LinkedInSend Adam an E-mail
undefined
Jul 23, 2025 • 31min

1186: Leveraging PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT lessons to ease cognitive loads for developers (and enabling more SaaS opportunities!) w/ Claire Knutson

In this episode, Claire Knutson, founder of Bold Minds and creator of Traverzer, shares how they're transforming the way software engineers work by simplifying complex processes and reducing cognitive load. With over 20 years in software development, Claire’s entrepreneurial journey is driven by a desire to build tools that bring joy, speed, and clarity to development teams. You’ll hear how Claire made the leap into full-time entrepreneurship, the philosophy behind their work, and how simplicity and mental health are central to their mission.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business 🚀 Why simplicity can be your startup’s greatest strength—and how to build with clarity 🧠 How to reduce cognitive load in your business for higher performance and team happiness ⚙️ What developers actually need to move faster and how that mindset applies to any industry 💬 Why communication is still the most underrated part of working with AI 🧭 How to filter out noise, distractions, and “feature creep” to focus on what truly matters ❤️ Why joy, resilience, and mental clarity aren’t just soft skills—they’re growth accelerators 🛠️ How Claire went from full-time engineer to founder, and what it takes to go “all in”📝 About the GuestClaire is the founder of Bold Minds and creator of Traverzer, a tool for software engineers built to simplify the hardest parts of working with evolving data models. With a background in software development and a mission to reduce cognitive load for engineers, Claire is rethinking how teams build systems—from prototypes to production—with resilience and joy.🎯 Claire’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs “Figure out how you’re self-sabotaging—and stop it.”Claire encourages founders to investigate the subconscious ways they might be holding themselves back.Key Takeaways: ✔ Identify behaviors driven by fear or ego (e.g., prioritizing looking smart over shipping) ✔ Get honest about what you’re truly committed to ✔ Your breakthrough might come from doing less, not more📢 Memorable Quotes “Simplicity isn’t just a design principle—it’s a productivity strategy.” – Claire Knutson “The more I let go, the more I can actually take in.” – Claire Knutson “I’m more committed to looking smart than shipping a product—that’s how I sabotage myself.” – Claire Knutson💡 Actionable Takeaways✅ Review your product or service—what complexity can be stripped away?✅ Use AI to assist, not overwhelm—master communication with it✅ Write down what’s in your head to free up mental space for creative work✅ Ask yourself: Am I doing this to look smart or to move forward?🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit Bold Minds’ WebsiteVisit Traverzer’s WebsiteConnect with Claire on LinkedInFollow Bold Minds Tech on LinkedIn
undefined
Jul 22, 2025 • 34min

1185: SPEED of execution, results, and profitability through PARTNERSHIPS, AI, and strategy w/ Jason Vazquez

In this episode, Brian sits down with Jason Vazquez—an ex-Deloitte M&A strategist turned serial entrepreneur and startup ecosystem builder. Jason’s ability to go from ideation to profitability in record time isn’t just impressive—it’s a masterclass in execution. He shares how he launched a luxury men’s skincare brand, co-founded a full-service marketing agency, and is now scaling Founders Feed, a game-changing community platform for startups and investors in New York City. This episode is jam-packed with lessons on speed, partnerships, and building value-first businesses without waiting for permission.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business 🚀 Why speed of execution is a competitive superpower—and how to build fast without burning out 🤝 How to build powerful partnerships by aligning with others' incentives 💡 The secret to launching brands quickly: solve a real problem and provide immediate value 🏗️ Why most founders overcomplicate their business—and what really moves the needle 🌱 How entrepreneurship mirrors personal growth (and how to turn self-discovery into success) 🌍 How to scale community impact by creating platforms instead of competing 🤖 How Jason uses AI to work at the speed of a 100-person team📝 About the GuestJason Vazquez is an entrepreneur and business strategist who has launched and scaled multiple ventures in a single year. With a background in M&A at Deloitte, he led multi-billion-dollar deals before transitioning into startups—founding a luxury men’s skincare brand and co-founding 1OneCreatives, a profitable marketing agency. He also launched Founders Feed, a networking hub for NYC founders and investors. Jason specializes in turning ideas into scalable businesses, leveraging partnerships, monetization strategies, and operational efficiency to drive smart, rapid growth.🎯 Guest’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs "Entrepreneurship isn’t something you force—it’s a natural next step in personal growth. If it’s driven by genuine curiosity and self-discovery, you can’t lose."Key Takeaways from Jason’s Advice: ✔️ Start by exploring who you are in different situations—business will follow ✔️ Don’t build a business to escape something—build it to create something ✔️ The most sustainable ventures come from wonder, not fear📢 Memorable Quotes “Don’t wait for permission. If what you’re doing creates value, go for it.” – Jason Vazquez “Your strengths will take you far—but your personal challenges will stop you dead in your tracks.” – Jason Vazquez “Business is just helping people as fast as you can. Everything else is noise.” – Jason Vazquez💡 Actionable Takeaways ✅ Want traction fast? Focus on solving a real problem with a real person near you ✅ Use AI (like your own RAG-based GPT model) to strategize, analyze, and accelerate your workflow ✅ Instead of competing with others, align incentives and cross-pollinate value🔗 Links & ResourcesConnect with Jason on LinkedInVisit Fever’s WebsiteVisit 1OneCreatives’ WebsiteVisit Bold Reserve’s WebsiteFollow 1OneCreatives on LinkedInFollow Bold Reserve on LinkedIn
undefined
Jul 21, 2025 • 38min

1184: From HGTV to using AI to revolutionize interior design AND great business systems w/ Rebecca Zajac

Rebecca Zajac is a powerhouse in the world of interior design with a rich background spanning TV production on HGTV and A&E, high-end home renovations, and now—tech entrepreneurship. In this episode, Rebecca shares how she’s using 3D scanning and AI to make beautifully designed renovations accessible to homeowners without big design budgets. Her approach blends creativity with operational brilliance and offers a blueprint for how entrepreneurs can stay ahead of the curve in disrupted industries.Whether you’re in design, tech, or any service industry, Rebecca’s insights will show you how to combine innovation, efficiency, and customer trust to create a standout business.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business🚀 How to transform a service-based business into a scalable tech-driven model 📱 The surprising power of LiDAR-equipped iPhones for business automation 💰 Why selling productized services can outperform traditional client work 🧠 How to use systems thinking to deliver high-end results with less effort 🔍 Why managing client expectations is your hidden sales and retention strategy 🤖 How to embrace AI without losing your creative edge or value as a human 💡 The three-tier decision-making system that speeds up creative projects and wins trust📝 About Rebecca ZajacRebecca is an accomplished interior designer with a portfolio spanning high-end residential projects and production design roles for major networks like HGTV and A+E. Her work has been featured in leading design publications, and she’s recognized as a trusted expert through TV appearances and design conventions. Today, she’s combining her creative expertise with innovations in computer vision and 3D technology to streamline and democratize the renovation process.🎯 Rebecca’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs “Even when you think you’ve made it—keep faking it. Confidence will take you further than anything else.”✔ Confidence earns trust—even before you feel ready✔ You’ll never know everything, but you can commit to figuring it out✔ Every project is a learning opportunity—don’t wait for perfection📢 Memorable Quotes “You can't beat the Internet. You have to figure out how to be friends with it.” – Rebecca Zajac “AI can’t create—it can only remix. But I can train it to work for me.” – Rebecca Zajac “I work super hard because I secretly want to be lazy. Systems let me do that.” – Rebecca Zajac💡 Actionable Takeaways ✅ Use 3D scanning and online quizzes to automate client onboarding and data collection ✅ Build a business around the buyer’s mindset—save them time, money, or overwhelm ✅ Establish systems that allow for creativity within structure ✅ Serve underserved markets by productizing your expertise and simplifying the process🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit Design By Numbers’ WebsiteConnect with Rebecca on LinkedInFollow Design By Numbers on LinkedIn
undefined
Jul 20, 2025 • 33min

1183: How the Digital Dentist became THE go-to person in his industry w/ Dr. Lorne Lavine

What happens when a former periodontist brings his lifelong passion for technology into one of the most overlooked corners of the healthcare industry? In this episode, you'll meet Dr. Lorne Lavine—also known as The Digital Dentist—who turned a niche IT consulting idea into a multi-decade business serving over 350 dental offices nationwide.This conversation is a masterclass in niching down, providing peace of mind as a service, and building long-term credibility in a highly specialized industry. Whether you're launching a new business or refining your service delivery, Dr. Lavine’s journey offers rich entrepreneurial lessons.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business 🦷 How niching down leads to instant credibility and customer trust 💻 Why peace of mind is the most valuable thing your service can offer 📈 How to evolve your business model every 5–6 years to stay ahead of industry shifts 🔐 Why cybersecurity, HIPAA compliance, and backups are overlooked risks—and how to turn them into revenue 🧠 The strategic value of education and proactive client communication 🛠️ How to productize your services while still offering flexibility to different client types 🎯 Why being known in your industry (even in a small niche) is more powerful than general popularity📝 About the Guest Dr. Lorne Lavine is the founder and president of The Digital Dentist, a leading managed service provider (MSP) dedicated exclusively to dental practices. A former practicing periodontist, Dr. Lavine brings a rare blend of medical, technological, and business expertise to the dental industry. Since 2002, he’s helped practices across North America stay compliant, secure, and digitally optimized. With a background in both clinical care and IT, he's become the go-to expert in dental technology and HIPAA compliance.🎯 Dr. Lorne’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs "Find something you truly love doing—the money will follow."Key Takeaways from Dr. Lavine's Advice: ✔ Passion leads to sustainability—especially when the entrepreneurial road gets hard ✔ If you're not excited to wake up and do the work, you might be in the wrong business ✔ Don’t optimize for income first; optimize for fulfillment, and success will follow📢 Memorable Quotes“Most dentists don’t realize until it’s too late—when their systems are down, their business is completely frozen.” – Dr. Lorne Lavine “We don’t sell IT services—we sell peace of mind.” – Dr. Lorne Lavine “You need to work with people you understand. That’s why we’ve been successful in dental—we speak their language.” – Dr. Lorne Lavine💡 Actionable Takeaways✅ Educate your market—even if they don’t realize they need your solution yet✅ Don’t wait for disaster to hit before building your business around continuity✅ Specialize in an underserved niche to become the trusted authority✅ Use your past experience as a differentiator—even if you’ve moved into a new industry🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit The Digital Dentist’s WebsiteConnect with Dr. Lorne on LinkedIn
undefined
Jul 19, 2025 • 34min

1182: THIS HIDDEN METRIC is the one that will ensure your business doesn't fail! Here are the customer success foundations w/ Beth Thornton

In this episode, Beth Thornton, founder of Thornton Advisory Solutions, shares her journey of building a career around customer success and how it became the cornerstone of her entrepreneurial venture. With over 18 years of experience, Beth has worked with startups, health systems, and wellness companies, turning customer engagement into lasting success stories. She explains why customer success is the backbone of long-term business growth, and how even early-stage startups can implement strategic customer success systems to boost investor confidence and retention.Beth also dives into the importance of customer journey mapping, metrics tracking, and how AI tools are revolutionizing customer success management. Entrepreneurs at any stage can benefit from her insights on systematizing customer experiences for scalable growth.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business🚀 Why customer success is the ultimate growth driver and how it directly impacts investor confidence.🔍 The power of customer journey mapping and how it transforms customer experience and retention.🔄 Metrics that matter: Discover which metrics you should be tracking from Day 1 to showcase growth and identify red flags early.🤝 How to proactively engage customers with regular check-ins and value-based communication to minimize churn.🛠️ Systematizing customer success even in early-stage startups—Beth shares the foundational steps to make it a seamless part of your business operations.💡 Leveraging AI for customer success—from automated follow-ups to smart notetaking during client meetings.📈 Why customer lifetime value is the ultimate lagging indicator of your business health and how to optimize it.📝 About the GuestBeth Thornton is the founder of Thornton Advisory Solutions, where she helps startups and early-stage companies build strong customer success foundations that boost investor confidence and drive long-term growth. With a background in exercise physiology and program management, Beth pivoted into the world of customer success, working with health systems and SaaS startups to build and refine their customer engagement strategies. Today, she focuses on helping founders map out their customer journey, increase retention, and maximize customer value through strategic touchpoints and technology-driven solutions.🎯 Beth's BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs"Track the metrics. Whatever you think is important, make sure that you have just even a Google Sheet and you are tracking it daily, weekly, monthly… so you can see that change over time."Key Takeaways from Beth's Advice:✅ Start tracking your most important metrics NOW—insights compound over time.✅ Use simple tools like Google Sheets if you're just starting—just get it documented.✅ Visibility into your data allows you to make proactive changes before they become problems.📢 Memorable Quote“If you don’t have a clear journey for your customer, you don’t know when they’re going to realize value.” – Beth Thornton💡 Actionable Takeaways✅ Schedule Consistent Check-Ins: Don’t wait for customers to reach out—proactively ensure they’re seeing value.✅ Automate Follow-Ups: Leverage tools and AI to lighten the load on your team and ensure no one falls through the cracks.🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit Thornton Advisory Solutions LLC’s WebsiteConnect with Beth on LinkedInFollow Thornton Advisory Solutions LLC on LinkedIn
undefined
Jul 18, 2025 • 33min

1181: How to build CONVICTION for your ideas (AND make them better with AI!) w/ Chad Vavra

Ever feel like you have a million-dollar idea but don't know the next step? Chad Vavra, a designer and developer with over 20 years of experience working with giants like Pixar, Google, and Meta, joins us to solve that exact problem. He breaks down how he’s democratizing the high-level strategies that used to cost companies hundreds of thousands of dollars and making them accessible to everyone. Chad introduces his platform, Chat Agency AI, a virtual consultant designed to help entrepreneurs validate ideas, get data-driven market analysis, and build unshakeable conviction. This episode is a masterclass in moving from a fuzzy idea to a concrete, validated business plan, using the power of AI to fill your knowledge gaps and give your idea the chance it deserves.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR BusinessHow to leverage AI as a "virtual co-founder" to fill your expertise gaps in finance, tech, or strategy.The power of systems thinking and why it’s crucial for building a complete and solid business strategy from the ground up.Why finding a competitor can be the ultimate validation for your idea, proving a market exists for your solution.How to use AI to get deep, contextual feedback on your idea, avoiding the surface-level, "feel-good" answers from generic chatbots.The critical mindset shift from viewing feedback as cynicism to seeing it as hope for a better product.How to start with a problem instead of an idea to generate powerful, market-needed business solutions.📝 About Chad Vavra Chad Vavra is a designer, developer, and team leader with over two decades of experience helping world-renowned companies like Pixar, Google, Meta, and Cisco bring innovative products to market. With a background that masterfully blends fine art and self-taught programming, Chad became a leader in the UX world, seeing firsthand how multi-million dollar strategies were built. His unique perspective combines creative systems thinking with technical execution, leading him to co-found Chat Agency AI. Through his company, he now focuses on democratizing the elite strategic processes he once implemented for enterprise clients, making them accessible and affordable for entrepreneurs everywhere.🎯 Chad’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs"Apply that optimism and hope to yourself and, you know, give it a shot. At the end of the day, you can always go back to work for somebody else. That option is always there. So, you know, definitely take the leap."📢 Memorable Quotes"I think that every idea deserves a chance." "My experience has been that new entrepreneurs... they don't necessarily know all of the steps that go into a really, really solid, really complete strategy. And so this sort of builds that for you.""What I saw with AI was that, you know, it's going to change the way we work... something like Chat Agency, that just gives you a jumpstart, that just saves you... three months of upfront time."💡 Actionable Takeaways✅ Test your next business idea on Chat Agency AI to get one free, data-driven analysis instead of relying on biased feedback from friends and family.✅ If you feel stuck, try defining a problem you want to solve instead of forcing an idea. Let a tool help you generate potential solutions.✅ Reframe your mindset: View critical feedback as a hopeful step toward a better product, not as cynical criticism of your vision.🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit Chat Agency AI’s WebsiteConnect with Chad on LinkedInFollow Chat Agency AI on LinkedIn
undefined
Jul 17, 2025 • 33min

1180: The tech CEO who operates at SCALE and whose company launched an AI receptionist w/ Artie Chang

In this episode, Brian sits down with Artie Chang, President & CEO of PanTerra Networks, a pioneer in unified cloud communications and AI-powered customer engagement. Artie shares how his decades of experience in tech—from Bell Labs to building RAID systems—led to the development of Streams.AI and Luna, their conversational AI receptionist transforming how businesses communicate.This episode is a masterclass in scaling tech, listening to customers, and thinking like a true CEO. Whether you're building AI tools, leading a team, or just navigating the next big thing, Artie offers a goldmine of insights.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business 🚀 Why refining good decisions over time turns them into GREAT decisions 🤖 How to responsibly integrate AI into your customer experience (without replacing humans) 🧠 The mindset shift from individual contributor to visionary CEO 🧩 How to scale AI solutions with customer trust, not in spite of it 🔁 Why feedback loops are crucial to innovation and company growth 📍 How Luna is trained in minutes and customized per location or business unit 🔥 The role of passion as a long-term driver in entrepreneurship📝 About the Guest Artie Chang is President & CEO of PanTerra Networks, a leader in unified cloud communications and AI-driven customer engagement. With a track record of scaling tech companies, he’s helped shape innovations from the first RAID 5 systems to the evolution of UCaaS. At PanTerra, Artie spearheads Streams.AI, an all-in-one platform featuring Luna, a conversational AI receptionist redefining customer interactions. He combines deep technical expertise with a customer-first approach to drive meaningful innovation.🎯 Artie’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs “Balance is everything. When you live a balanced life, you can fuel passion in both business and beyond.”💬 Key Takeaways from Artie’s Advice: ✔ Business success starts with life balance—don’t neglect family, health, or joy ✔ Passion is more sustainable when it’s supported by personal fulfillment ✔ A balanced mind makes better decisions and leads more effectively📢 Memorable Quotes “Passion is my alarm clock. I haven’t used one in 20 years.” – Artie Chang “To make a great decision, start with a good one and refine it over time.” – Artie Chang “Our job as CEOs is to grow and develop those around us—that becomes your value system.”💡 Actionable Takeaways ✅ Use AI to enhance your team’s productivity—not replace them ✅ Don’t wait for perfect conditions—make a decision and refine it as you go ✅ Carve out time for strategic CEO thinking, not just daily operations ✅ Build products with your customers, not just for them🔗 Links & ResourcesFollow PanTerra Networks on LinkedInConnect with Artie on LinkedInVisit PanTerra’s Website

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app