[Swim & eCommerce Series] The Strategy Behind Consumer Tech Growth With Bruce Borenstein

Bruce Borenstein is the Founder and CEO of OPN Sound, a company specializing in innovative open-ear audio technology. A veteran technology executive with over 40 years of leadership experience, he co-founded AfterShokz, now Shokz, helping pioneer the open-ear audio category and scale the company to tens of millions in sales. Bruce is a recipient of the Consumer Technology Association's Innovation Entrepreneur Award and the author of Beyond the Startup: What Every Founder Needs to Know After Launch. He also advises emerging technology companies through PH Advisors, helping founders navigate commercialization, partnerships, and business growth. In this episode… A great idea is only the beginning — the real challenge is turning innovation into a brand customers choose. Breaking into major retailers is only part of the challenge — how do you create demand, drive sell-through, and build customer loyalty that supports long-term growth? With decades of experience in consumer technology, Bruce Borenstein credits passion, partnerships, and customer education as the foundation of sustainable growth. He highlights how leveraging established industry connections opened doors with major retailers, while close collaboration with retail partners turned shelf space into sales. Bruce also emphasizes the value of exceptional customer service, including lifetime warranty to build trust and loyalty. His experience shows that successfully introducing a new product category requires more than innovation — it takes strategic pricing, thoughtful distribution, and a long-term focus on customer value. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Bruce Borenstein, Founder and CEO of OPN Sound, to discuss building and scaling innovative consumer technology brands. They explore launching a new product category, breaking into major retailers, and creating effective distribution strategies. Bruce also shares insights on pricing, customer loyalty, and the lessons founders need to scale successfully.

Adi Klevit is the CEO of Business Success Consulting Group, where she helps businesses scale and grow by implementing efficient business infrastructure, processes, and systems. Their company is made up of experts who create, document, and implement processes and procedures for small- and medium-sized companies that want to scale or expand, or for those gearing up for transition. She is also the host of the Systems Simplified podcast and an international speaker. Adam Gelhausen is the Managing Partner of Palindrome LLP, a private investment firm that acquires established businesses and focuses on long-term ownership, founder legacy, and company culture. He leads the firm's portfolio management strategy and oversees the valuation and acquisition of new investment opportunities. Adam has more than 20 years of investment management experience, including senior analyst and portfolio management roles at Wellington Management. He earned a bachelor of science in business from Washington State University. In this episode… What does it take to unlock growth in an established business without losing the knowledge and culture that made it successful? When critical know-how lives in people's heads and teams are accustomed to doing things the same way, how can leaders build systems that create lasting growth? Adam Gelhausen, a seasoned investor focused on established businesses, believes sustainable growth starts with understanding how a company actually operates before making changes. He emphasizes learning directly from employees, developing focused 100-day plans, and aligning teams around transparent metrics and regularly updated dashboards. Adi Klevit, a business growth and process improvement expert, highlights the importance of capturing tacit knowledge — the unwritten habits, decisions, and expertise that often live in an owner's or employee's head — and turning it into documented, repeatable processes. Together, they show how operational discipline, collaborative leadership, and effective systems can overcome resistance to change, create owner independence, and make businesses more scalable and valuable. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Adam Gelhausen and Adi Klevit to discuss scaling established businesses through systems and operational excellence. They explore documenting tacit knowledge, implementing technology and KPIs, and gaining team buy-in for change. Adam and Adi also share practical approaches to operational improvement, process implementation, and building businesses that can grow without depending too heavily on individual people.

Karl Hughes is the CEO of The Podcast Consultant, a podcast production company that helps business and financial industry experts build authority and generate long-term value through audio and video content. He also serves as CEO of Rise25, where he helps B2B companies generate clients, referrals, and strategic partnerships through podcasts, and is the Founder of Draft.dev, a developer content agency he launched in 2020. Karl also hosts Retained Trust, a podcast featuring conversations with digital service entrepreneurs about building, scaling, and selling successful service agencies. In this episode… Acquiring an agency can accelerate growth, but a successful deal requires far more than finding a profitable business and agreeing on a price. Buyers must evaluate the people, financials, positioning, and long-term fit while preserving the strengths that made the company valuable in the first place. What does it take to make an agency acquisition work well beyond the closing table? For Karl Hughes, a former software engineer turned multi-business entrepreneur and experienced agency acquirer, the strongest deals are built on trust, careful due diligence, and post-acquisition patience. He highlights the importance of choosing a buyer or seller you can work with throughout diligence, transition, and any long-term payout structure, rather than focusing solely on the biggest number. Buyers also need the discipline to observe before making major changes, since established teams, processes, and client relationships may already be working well. As acquisition experience grows, criteria can become more flexible, allowing buyers to recognize opportunities in companies with solid revenue or leadership even when the financials are not perfect. Karl also emphasizes the value of sharpening a company's positioning after acquisition by identifying where it already succeeds and doubling down on that niche. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Karl Hughes, CEO of The Podcast Consultant, to discuss smarter agency acquisitions. They explore building trust with sellers, refining acquisition criteria, and positioning acquired companies for growth. Karl also shares how to integrate businesses without disrupting what already works.

Manoj Saxena is the Founder and CEO of Trustwise, an AI safety company focused on helping enterprises securely deploy and control agentic AI systems. A pioneer in responsible AI, he was the first General Manager of IBM Watson and is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Responsible AI Institute, a global nonprofit focused on advancing trustworthy and responsible AI. A serial entrepreneur and University of Texas at Austin lecturer, Manoj has founded two venture-backed software companies acquired by Commerce One and IBM and holds 34 software patents. In this episode… As AI evolves from answering questions to making decisions and taking action, the risks to businesses are becoming harder to see and control. Hidden instructions or improper access to sensitive data can expose information, trigger unauthorized actions, and disrupt operations. How can organizations harness AI's power without losing control? For Manoj Saxena, a pioneer in Trusted Artificial Intelligence, organizations need a control layer that ensures AI acts according to policy, intent, and compliance. He highlights a three-step approach — assess, control, and optimize — to identify risks, apply tailored policies, and simulate AI behavior before deployment. He also shares real-world examples of silent breaches and explains why autonomous agents require clear boundaries, oversight, and accountability. These safeguards allow businesses to innovate with AI while reducing risk and maintaining trust. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Manoj Saxena, Founder and CEO of Trustwise, to discuss controlling the risks of enterprise AI. They explore silent AI breaches, governing autonomous agents, and building responsible AI systems. Manoj also shares emerging AI revenue models and lessons from auto racing.

Matt Watson is the Founder and CEO of Full Scale, an offshore software development company that helps U.S. companies build dedicated software engineering teams in the Philippines. A four-time tech founder and longtime CTO, he previously co-founded VinSolutions, an automotive software company that AutoTrader.com acquired in 2011, and later founded the developer-tools company Stackify. Matt brings more than 20 years of engineering and startup leadership experience to helping companies build and scale high-performing software teams. He is also the author of Product Driven and host of the Startup Hustle podcast. In this episode… As AI transforms how companies build software, they are rethinking what it takes to scale development teams without sacrificing quality, speed, or accountability. With global talent and increasingly capable AI tools changing the economics of software development, how can leaders build teams that are both more efficient and more effective? According to Matt Watson, a serial SaaS founder and longtime software leader, companies can scale development more effectively by combining offshore talent with AI-powered workflows while keeping human judgment at the center. He highlights how staff augmentation allows Philippines-based developers to work directly within a company's existing teams instead of operating as a separate outsourced unit. This approach can give businesses greater flexibility and access to experienced talent while maintaining stronger team integration. Matt also explains how AI tools, MCP servers, and shared plugins can streamline operations by connecting business systems, surfacing information, and standardizing repeatable workflows. As AI accelerates execution, he emphasizes that product thinking becomes even more valuable because teams still need people who can determine what to build, why it matters, and whether the outcome actually serves the customer. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Matt Watson, Founder and CEO of Full Scale, to discuss the future of software teams. They explore offshore staff augmentation, AI-powered business workflows, and why product thinking matters more as development accelerates. Matt also shares how AI is reshaping marketing and website development.

Sequoya Borgman is the Founder and CEO of Borgman Capital, a private equity firm focused on acquiring and growing lower middle-market businesses across the United States. Since founding the firm in 2017, Sequoya has led investments in more than 20 companies and built a network of over 500 accredited investors. With over two decades of mergers and acquisitions experience, including leadership roles at RSM US LLP and KPMG LLP, Sequoya brings expertise in deal structuring, due diligence, and value creation. His investment philosophy emphasizes trust, long-term value creation, and preserving the legacies of the business owners he partners with. In this episode… Building a successful investment firm takes more than financial expertise — it requires resilience, calculated risk-taking, and the ability to keep moving when deals fall apart. But what happens when years of preparation lead to a major setback just as an entrepreneurial dream is beginning? For Sequoya Borgman, a private equity leader with more than two decades of mergers and acquisitions experience, resilience, relationships, and a strong work ethic are essential to turning setbacks into opportunities. He highlights how lessons from a humble upbringing shaped his approach to risk, persistence, and business. When his first planned acquisition collapsed at the last minute, he relied on relationships and persistence to secure an even better opportunity. These experiences ultimately shaped his thoughtful approach to deal-making, company growth, and long-term partnerships with business owners. He also emphasizes the importance of trust, careful evaluation, and adapting to changing market conditions. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Sequoya Borgman, Founder and CEO of Borgman Capital, to discuss building a resilient private equity firm. They explore turning failed deals into opportunities, evaluating businesses, and building lasting relationships with owners and investors. Sequoya also shares lessons from navigating COVID-19, changing valuations, and successful exits.

Joseph Lee is the Co-founder and CEO of Supademo, an AI-powered platform that helps teams create interactive product demos and guides for sales, marketing, onboarding, and customer education. He leads Supademo's product vision and growth, building intuitive, self-guided experiences that enable companies to simplify product education and drive engagement. Previously, Joseph co-founded Freshline, a B2B e-commerce platform for food distributors, where he served as CPO and led product strategy and execution from customer insight through product development. In this episode… Product demos are no longer just a sales tool — they can shape how prospects understand a product, how customers learn to use it, and how teams drive adoption at scale. But what makes a demo effective enough to move users from curiosity to real product value? Joseph Lee, a two-time startup founder and product builder, says the most effective demos help customers understand value faster by letting them experience a product rather than passively watch it. He highlights the power of interactive, self-serve experiences that can support sales, onboarding, training, enablement, and product education. Supademo's product-led approach also allows users to experience advanced features through reverse trials, while AI helps teams personalize, translate, maintain, and scale demos more efficiently. As these experiences become more intelligent and agentic, companies can guide users through workflows with less friction and help them reach meaningful outcomes sooner. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz speaks with Joseph Lee, Co-founder and CEO of Supademo, about using product demos to accelerate sales, onboarding, and adoption. They discuss interactive self-serve demos, AI-powered personalization, and in-app product education. Joseph also shares how Supademo evolved from SaaS into an agentic demo platform.

Sim Desai is the Founder and CEO of Hiive, a marketplace that provides liquidity for private company shares. Since its commercial launch in 2022, Hiive has surpassed $5 billion in closed transaction volume and reached a $123 million revenue run rate while maintaining profitability. With nearly two decades of experience in private equity and secondary markets, Sim is passionate about bringing greater transparency and efficiency to the private-company secondary market. In this episode… What if employees and investors had a clearer path to unlock the value of private company shares before an IPO? As private markets continue to grow, what would it take to make liquidity more transparent, efficient, and accessible? For Sim Desai, a private markets and secondary-market expert, technology can transform an opaque, fragmented private share market into a more centralized, automated marketplace. He highlights how structured liquidity options, the Hiive50 index, and a dual-sided marketplace can give shareholders greater access while allowing companies to maintain control. These innovations bring greater transparency, efficiency, and flexibility to private market transactions. Sim also shares lessons from building trust, creating network effects, and using automation to scale. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Sim Desai to discuss the evolution of private market liquidity. They explore private stock trading, the Hiive50, and employee equity access. Sim also shares lessons on competitive intelligence, growth, and entrepreneurship.

Douglas Feller is the Founder of MyHarvest, a personal growth platform offering free courses, career resources, housing support, and tools to help people build stability and opportunity. An entrepreneur with experience in real estate investing and asphalt business ownership, he rebuilt his career after serving time in federal prison, later building and selling his asphalt company. His own experience with the challenges of reentry helped inspire MyHarvest's mission. Today, Douglas focuses on creating resources that support personal growth, skills, second chances, and stronger paths forward for people from diverse backgrounds. Tom Ruwitch is the Founder and CEO of Story Power Marketing, a marketing company that helps experts create compelling, client-attracting content through storytelling. A content marketing pioneer with more than 30 years of experience, he helps business leaders turn expertise into clear messaging, stronger connections, and business growth. He is also the Founder and CEO of Implementum, which combines strategy, technology, and done-for-you teams to simplify and accelerate growth. Earlier, Tom founded email marketing company MarketVolt in 2001, expanding his work in digital marketing, automation, and business growth. In this episode… Sustainable growth rarely comes from adding more tools, tactics, or ideas just for the sake of doing more. The real advantage comes from choosing resources that sharpen your thinking, strengthen your systems, and help you act with greater intention. So what does smarter growth actually look like in practice? Douglas Feller and Tom Ruwitch suggest that smarter growth comes from combining the right resources with focused systems, practical learning, and a willingness to keep improving. They highlight the value of mentors, specialization, proven frameworks, technology, and curiosity as tools for making better business decisions. Douglas emphasizes learning through experience, surrounding yourself with strong mentors, and knowing when to focus on a specific niche, while Tom stresses connecting strategy, technology, and team into one cohesive system. Tom also explains how customized AI and automation can turn conversations and existing content into useful marketing assets rather than generic output. Together, their insights show that sustainable growth is less about chasing every new tactic and more about building systems that help ideas translate into consistent action. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz speaks with Douglas Feller and Tom Ruwitch about the tools and ideas behind smarter growth. They explore valuable business resources, stronger marketing systems, and practical uses of AI and automation. Douglas and Tom also share lessons on mentorship, storytelling, curiosity, and turning knowledge into action.

Nir Eyal is a bestselling author, behavioral science expert, and keynote speaker who helps individuals and organizations understand how psychology and technology shape human behavior. He is the author of the bestselling books Hooked, Indistractable, and Beyond Belief, which have sold over one million copies, been translated into over 30 languages, and earned recognition from The New York Times, Amazon, Audible, and The Globe and Mail. A former Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer, Nir has worked with organizations, including JPMorgan Chase and the US Air Force and invested in companies including Canva and Kahoot. He helps people build better habits, improve focus, and reach their full potential. In this episode… Why do some people turn knowledge into lasting change while others remain stuck in the same patterns? We have access to more books, podcasts, and expert advice than ever before, yet lasting transformation often feels out of reach. If information isn't the problem, what is the missing piece that drives real change? Nir Eyal, bestselling author and behavioral science expert, says lasting change begins by examining the beliefs behind our actions. He explains that sustained motivation depends not only on knowing what to do and understanding the benefits, but also on having beliefs that support persistence. Rather than treating beliefs as fixed truths, Nir encourages viewing them as tools that can be tested and reshaped. He illustrates this through examples ranging from Serena Williams' coach using "belief hacking" to build confidence to Amazon's "Day One" philosophy of continual innovation. He also shares practical methods, including inquiry-based stress reduction, to help people challenge limiting beliefs, improve relationships, and unlock greater personal and professional potential. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Nir Eyal to discuss how beliefs shape performance, leadership, and personal growth. They explore why persistence matters more than talent, how leaders cultivate empowering beliefs, and practical ways to reframe limiting mindsets. Nir also shares why questioning common psychological assumptions can lead to better decisions and lasting change.