Episodes
Alli Webb is the co-founder of Drybar, the influential chain of hairstyling shops that has changed how women across the country do their hair. Drybar was named one of Entrepreneur magazine’s Top 100 Brilliant Ideas of 2010, and Alli has since gone on to invest in other businesses that make a major difference in our quality of life. From massage to jewelry to talk therapy, Alli wants her customers to feel good. Today, we talk to her about her single-minded approach to services, how she came...
Published 08/23/21
Published 08/23/21
Natasha Case introduces herself by saying, “I’m an ice cream lady.” Trained as an architect and a former Disney Imagineer, Natasha got her ice cream company, Coolhaus, off the ground back in 2009: she had an armload of ice cream sandwiches, a barely functional former postal truck, and a dream to change the game of icy sweet treats for millennials. She was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2014, and Coolhaus is now changing dairy cases across America. Natasha tells us how she makes a living.
Published 08/16/21
Ben Towers is one of those kids that you can’t help but admire: at the ripe old age of 22, when most of his peers are still in school, he’s launched several businesses, worked with the British Royal Family, travelled internationally, and wrestled with topics as diverse as good mentorship and good mental health. His latest project is Tahora, an app aimed at creating happier employees. In this week’s episode, we talk to the business wunderkind about getting started when he was thirteen years...
Published 08/09/21
In this week’s episode, we’re talking to documentary filmmaker Erin Bagwell, director of Dream, Girl and Year One. Erin, who was featured as part of Oprah’s SuperSoul100 in 2016, tells powerful stories about women and their real-life experiences, ranging from female entrepreneurs in New York City to the early days of motherhood. She shares with us how she made a movie with Kickstarter support, gave her films a successful afterlife, and about that time she premiered a movie at The White House.
Published 08/03/21
Josh Temple is the kind of contractor homeowners naturally trust. He’s built up his bona fides as a construction wizard since the mid-1990s, and has married his passion for home renovation with his background in acting and improv: he’s been the builder on shows like Disaster House on the DIY Network, and the host of NBC’s America’s Toughest Jobs. Josh is also passionate about his work with Boys Town, a residential facility for at-risk youth. In this episode, we talk to Josh about managing...
Published 07/26/21
Emily Thompson refers to Imposter Syndrome as "Fraudy Feelings". In this Nerdisode, she shares her top tips to vanish them in your day-to-day.
Published 07/23/21
Emily Thompson has the ultimate glow-up story: she bought her first business when she was just 18, launched a successful Etsy store while still in college, built a web design agency, launched a podcast, and then...burned out like so many entrepreneurs do. Her present-day success comes from cultivating a post-burnout mindset that works for her: she’s now the founder and CEO of Almanac Supply Co., and she still runs her amazing Being Boss podcast. Today, we talk about letting go, business...
Published 07/19/21
Sanjay Parekh is one of those multi-hyphenate entrepreneurs that we can barely keep up with: he’s a tech mogul, an event founder, a podcast host, and a board member for several high-profile organizations. He lists “inventor” on his resume, and for good reason: NetAcuity, his patented location targeting technology, has helped companies like IKEA and FedEx serve their customers better. In this week’s episode, we talk to Sanjay about raising capital, how the tech landscape has changed for the...
Published 07/12/21
If you’re a designer who’s just launched a blockbuster handbag—the kind that’s been snapped up by celebrities like Halle Berry and Jennifer Lawrence—you’re probably not content to rest on your laurels. Rebecca Minkoff launched the Morning After Bag in 2005, and while it quickly became a staple for the young Hollywood set, Rebecca wanted more. She’s since branched out into shoes, apparel, even perfume, all designed to appeal to a rock-and-roll bohemian aesthetic. This week we talk to Rebecca...
Published 07/05/21
Normally what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, but for Paddy Moogan, a trip to Sin City launched him on a whole new professional path. Paddy had been working as a senior-level executive at a marketing agency when a friend invited him to start their own shop together. After mulling it over for an entire thirty minutes, Paddy decided he was ready to take the leap. They launched Aira, a digital marketing agency, in 2015, and now have clients across the UK. Their tagline is “An agency you’ll...
Published 06/28/21
As an entrepreneur, JJ Ramberg has been on both sides of the coin. She spent 13 years hosting MSNBC’s Your Business, telling small-business stories and offering tons of real-life advice; she’s also launched her own tech businesses at the same time. She’s now the co-founder of three start-ups, including GoodPods, a social media app for podcasts and their listeners. We talk to her about building tech companies, family dynamics, and working for a good cause.
Published 06/21/21
This week, we talked to Lisa Song Sutton, a self-described “serial entrepreneur” and multi-faceted businessperson in our episode. In her role on the StartupNV board, she’s seen more than her fair share of investment pitches—on this Nerdisode, she shares her top tips for nailing yours.
Published 06/17/21
What do boozy cupcakes and real estate have in common? If you’re Lisa Song Sutton, Las Vegas-based entrepreneur and former Miss Nevada, they’re just two parts of a wildly diverse business portfolio. Lisa is a former model and lawyer immersed in the entrepreneurial world: she’s both a small-business owner herself and an angel investor. Today we talk to her about her passion for diversification.
Published 06/14/21
On this week’s Nerdisode, Nayamka Roberts Smith, aka Nai, the labeautyologist, gives us her tried-and-true methods for building an authentic and engaged social media audience.
Published 06/10/21
Nayamka “Nai” Roberts-Smith, also known as LABeautyologist, is a powerhouse esthetician who has leveraged her social media platforms to grow her business, her audience, and her voice.
Published 06/07/21
Earlier this week, mega-event planner and reality TV host David Tutera talked to us about his path to success; in our Nerdisode, he gives us the nitty-gritty on keeping his clients on budget and your team happy.
Published 06/03/21
David Tutera is an event planner to the stars: he’s done Elton John’s wedding and Matthew McConaughey’s gala events. He’s also a celebrity in his own right, with his reality TV shows offering a behind-the-scenes look at his events. This week, he shares his origin story (a singing telegram is involved!) and how he stayed afloat when in-person gatherings were off-limits.
Published 05/31/21
Erica Mandy is the creator and host of The Newsworthy, a “fast, fair and fun” daily news podcast that breaks down the headlines in fifteen minutes or less. She’s up against the heavy hitters—NPR, The New York Times, and CBS News—so today we talk to her about what running a small podcast in a big pond is like.
Published 05/24/21
This week, we talked to poet and artist Morgan Harper Nichols. In our I Make A Living: Nerdisode, she shares what gets her inspired.
Published 05/20/21
In today’s episode, we check in with multi-hyphenate Morgan Harper Nichols, who makes her living as a poet, artist, musician, author, and podcaster. We talk about trading the music industry for poetry and art, the importance of listening to your followers, and how happy accidents have led her on this journey. We also talk about how a recent diagnosis affected her path and perspective on life.
Published 05/17/21
Welcome to the second Nerdisode of the Season. These accompanying minisodes distill a bit of wisdom from our Monday guests. This week we talked to Carl Smith, who shared how he started his incredible digital community, Bureau of Digital, inspired by his 11-year old daughter’s curiosity.
Published 05/13/21
On this week’s episode of I Make A Living, we’re sitting down with Carl Smith, owner of Bureau of Digital, an online space where owners, operators, project managers, and designers trade knowledge and build each other up. Carl shares his experiences of crafting authentic online communities: his goal is to make everyone feel like they’re supposed to be at his events, and he’s got a team showing him the way.
Published 05/10/21
Coming in hot! I Make A Living: Nerdisodes give you little tips to make a big difference in your business. Remember to subscribe to our channel and check out the full episode with Bryan on our feed.
Published 05/06/21
We’re kicking off season four of the I Make A Living podcast with Bryan Clayton, CEO and founder of GreenPal, a mobile app that connects customers to lawn care companies. Clayton’s first career was in landscaping, and he leveraged his expertise to build “Uber for lawn care” from the ground up. He’s done it by being really good at one thing, listening to his customers, and taking himself on a hero’s journey through the business’ ups and downs.
Published 05/03/21