Inner Edison Podcast by Ed Parcaut

In this episode of Inner Edison Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Mike Deaton for a conversation about layoffs, entrepreneurship, land investing, and reinventing life after corporate America. Mike shares how he spent more than two decades in big tech operations and supply chain before getting laid off, then deciding not to jump back into another W-2 job. Instead, he and his wife stepped into the world of vacant land investing, buying property below market value and reselling it through cash sales and owner financing. The conversation covers the mindset shift from employee to entrepreneur, learning to tolerate risk, direct mail marketing, choosing the right land markets, understanding county dynamics, and why failure feels different once you are building something of your own. This is a practical episode for anyone interested in real estate, side income, entrepreneurship, or creating more control over their future. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) #InnerEdisonPodcast #EdParcaut #MikeDeaton #LandInvesting #LandFlipping #RealEstateEntrepreneurship #OwnerFinancing #PassiveIncome #EntrepreneurialMindset #CorporateLayoff #VacantLand #RealEstatePodcast #FlippingDirt #BusinessFreedom #RiskAndReward

In this episode of Inner Edison Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Kira Shishkin, founder of Informed Now, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, media trust, and the challenge of building a better way to consume news. Kira shares how her life experience across Ukraine, Israel, and the United States shaped her perspective on information conflict and why she became convinced that bad information is not just annoying, but dangerous. She explains how that conviction led her to build Informed Now, a platform focused on news minimalism, cleaner sourcing, and helping people understand major events without the usual manipulation, overload, and partisan distortion. The conversation explores primary-source reporting, human review, AI-assisted filtering, the economics of modern media, and why so many people no longer trust the news they consume. It is also a conversation about founder conviction: seeing a broken system, deciding not to accept it, and building something different. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) #InnerEdisonPodcast #EdParcaut #KiraShishkin #informed.now #NewsMinimalism #MediaStartup #Entrepreneurship #MediaTrust #InformationOverload #UnbiasedNews #FutureOfNews #StartupFounder #AIAndNews #PrimarySources #Innovation

In this episode of Inner Edison Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Mike Jesowshek for a practical conversation about small business taxes, proactive planning, and the financial mistakes that keep entrepreneurs stuck. Mike explains why most business owners think about taxes too late, why tax prep is not the same as tax planning, and how better bookkeeping, better structure, and better strategy can legally reduce what a business owner owes. He also shares how his own path started in online marketing and finance before evolving into bookkeeping, accounting, and ultimately a stronger focus on tax planning for entrepreneurs. The conversation covers LLCs versus S corporations, the role of bookkeepers, CPAs, and fractional CFOs, the difference between filing returns and building strategy, and why too many business owners rely on reactive advice instead of planning ahead. This is a strong episode for entrepreneurs who want more clarity, more control, and fewer tax surprises. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) #InnerEdisonPodcast #EdParcaut #MikeJesowshek #TaxElm #SmallBusinessTaxPlanning #TaxStrategy #EntrepreneurTaxes #BusinessTaxSavings #CPAForEntrepreneurs #TaxPlanning #LLCvSCorp #Bookkeeping #BusinessGrowth #FractionalCFO #SmallBusinessFinance

In this episode of Inner Edison Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Randy Gage for a powerful conversation about failure, prosperity, mindset, and reinvention. Randy shares the hard truth of his early life, including poverty, addiction, arrest, and the painful wake-up calls that forced him to change direction. From there, he walks through the long process of rebuilding himself through daily self-development, mindset work, entrepreneurship, and eventually speaking, writing, and teaching prosperity principles around the world. The conversation also explores Randy's framework for prosperity, which goes far beyond money. He breaks down the four quadrants of prosperity: resources, health and wellness, spiritual harmony, and significance. Ed and Randy also discuss self-sabotage, social media addiction, algorithm-driven culture, and why protecting your focus may be one of the most important success habits today. This is an honest episode about hitting bottom, doing the work, rewiring your thinking, and building a life that becomes bigger than survival. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) #InnerEdisonPodcast #EdParcaut #RandyGage #ProsperityMindset #PersonalDevelopment #SuccessMindset #SelfSabotage #WealthBuilding #PersonalGrowth #EntrepreneurMindset #PovertyConsciousness #PowerProsperityPodcast #MindsetShift #SuccessThroughFailure #Significance

In this episode of Inner Edison Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with John DeDakis for a wide-ranging conversation about journalism, media, fiction writing, personal loss, and reinvention. John shares stories from a 45-year journalism career that included covering the White House and spending 25 years at CNN, including his final years on The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. He talks about what changed in modern media, why trust matters, and how his desire for a creative outlet led him into fiction. That path was anything but easy. John explains that it took years, dozens of agent queries, and many major revisions before his first novel was finally published. The conversation also turns deeply personal. John reflects on grief, including the loss of his sister and son, and how those experiences found their way into his novels, his teaching, and his work helping others write. This is an honest episode about persistence, second acts, creativity, and using storytelling as a way to make sense of life. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) #InnerEdisonPodcast #EdParcaut #JohnDeDakis #WritingCoach #AuthorJourney #CreativeReinvention #Journalism #Storytelling #FictionWriting #PublishingJourney #GriefAndWriting #WolfBlitzer #CNN #Novelist #WritingAsHealing

In this episode of Inner Edison Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Evan Poling, founder of BizRetire, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, startup friction, and what it really takes to build a marketplace business. Evan shares the story behind BizRetire, a platform designed to connect business buyers and sellers more directly and reduce the bottlenecks of the traditional broker-driven process. The discussion explores why so many businesses never sell, why founders often fail to think about exit strategy early enough, and how a seemingly simple business idea becomes much harder when you are serving two different sides of a marketplace at once. This episode is also about founder reality: slow builds, website delays, marketing confusion, pricing lessons, outsourcing mistakes, and learning how to focus on the problem you actually solve. If you enjoy honest conversations about entrepreneurship and building something from scratch, this one delivers. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) #InnerEdisonPodcast #EdParcaut #EvanPoling #BizRetire #Entrepreneurship #StartupStory #BusinessAcquisitions #BuyingABusiness #SellingABusiness #FounderJourney #MarketplaceStartup #ExitStrategy #SmallBusiness #StartupLessons #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of Inner Edison Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Aubrey Amatelli, founder of PayRio (https://www.payrio.co), for a conversation about entrepreneurship, payment processing, and building a business in highly regulated markets. Aubrey shares how her path moved from Silicon Valley startups into more than a decade at JPMorgan, and eventually into founding PayRio (https://www.payrio.co) to support cannabis, alternative medicine, and other difficult-to-serve industries. She talks about spotting a real gap in the market, taking the risk to build something on her own, and learning how to grow by niching down instead of trying to serve everyone. The conversation also explores startup leadership, being the only woman in the C-suite at a previous company, building with purpose, preparing for regulatory change, and how founders have to adapt when the market shifts under them. #InnerEdisonPodcast #EdParcaut #AubreyAmatelli #PayRio #FintechStartup #CannabisPayments #PaymentProcessing #FemaleFounder #StartupLeadership #Entrepreneurship #RegulatedIndustries #MerchantServices #Fintech #FounderJourney #Innovation

In this episode of Inner Edison Podcast, Ed Parcaut sits down with Chad Link and Rob Brower to talk about the idea behind Swivel and why they believe the real estate industry is overdue for disruption. Chad brings nearly two decades of real estate experience, including brokerage ownership, agent training, and thousands of transactions. Rob brings a background in digital media, technology, and business ownership. Together, they break down the flaws they see in the current real estate ecosystem, especially the way third-party platforms profit from leads and referral fees while agents, buyers, and sellers carry the cost. This conversation covers entrepreneurship, industry frustration, startup vision, consumer value, and what it takes to build a platform designed to return more money and control to the people actually in the transaction. If you like conversations about disruption, innovation, and building solutions from real-world experience, this episode is for you. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) #InnerEdison #EdParcaut #ChadLink #RobBrower #Swivel #Swyvvl #RealEstateStartup #PropTech #EntrepreneurPodcast #StartupStory #BusinessInnovation #RealEstateInnovation #FounderJourney #HousingIndustry #DisruptiveInnovation

Join Ed Parcaut as he sits down with Téa Phillips, inventor and founder of MetaFlex Glove, for an inspiring discussion on creativity, resilience, and the realities of building a mission-driven startup. In this episode, Téa Phillips shares her journey from growing up in a family of tinkerers and makers to developing a Class 1 medical device designed to help people with hand pain and mobility challenges. Together, Ed Parcaut and Téa Phillips dive into: The early inspirations from her inventor father and entrepreneurial grandparents Real-world challenges of launching an innovative medical product How MetaFlex Glove addresses issues like arthritis, carpal tunnel, and sports injuries The ups and downs of entrepreneurship: manufacturing hurdles, FDA regulations, hiring lessons, and fundraising Why building something meaningful is worth every struggle Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or interested in the power of purposeful invention, this episode offers practical insights and a dose of motivation. Learn more about MetaFlex Glove at metaflexglove.com and connect with Téa on LinkedIn or Instagram. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) #Entrepreneurship #MedicalDevices #Startups #Innovation #GripStrength #MetaFlexGlove #HandHealth #Wellness #ArthritisRelief #FounderStory #PodcastInterview #BusinessJourney #StrengthTraining #AthleteRecovery #SmallBusiness #WomenInSTEM #Invention #HealthcareInnovation #Resilience #Persistence

Join Ed Parcaut, host of the Inner Edison Podcast, for a dynamic conversation with Catrina Mitchum and Vincent Weberink as they explore the world of online course creation, learning design, and the evolving landscape of adult education. In this episode, Catrina Mitchum shares her journey from higher education to building her own business focused on helping entrepreneurs and educators create effective, engaging online courses. Discover why so many online courses fall short, how to avoid common pitfalls, and what it really takes to guide learners from point A to point B. Key topics discussed include: The importance of understanding your ideal learner and their needs How to collect meaningful feedback to improve your courses Striking the right balance between video, audio, and interactive content Leveraging instructional design without overwhelming your audience The role of community and implementation in adult learning The pros and cons of using AI for course creation Whether you're launching your first course, refining an existing program, or passionate about effective online learning, this conversation is packed with valuable insights and practical advice. Connect with Catrina Mitchum on LinkedIn (the only Katrina with a C Mitchum!) and check out her YouTube channel, Course Creator Playbook, for more tips on creating impactful learning experiences. Tune in for an honest, candid discussion about what truly works in online education and how you can help your learners succeed. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) #InnerEdison #Podcast #CatrinaMitchum #CourseCreation #OnlineCourses #InstructionalDesign #EdParcaut #Education #Learning #Entrepreneurship #AIinEducation #Veterans #Teaching #CourseDesign #Podcasting #CourseCreator #BusinessGrowth #EdTech #MarketResearch #CommunityBuilding