I Wouldn't Start A Business In 2026 Unless I Was The Most Expensive

In this episode, we're talking with Haley Duncan about how she went from near bankruptcy to building a multimillion dollar business doing $156K+ per month in just 12 months. Haley shares how she launched a viral product, leveraged social media, and scaled through strategic outreach. Check out Seald Wellness: https://sealdwellness.com/  If you want to start a business like Haley's, join the bootcamp at https://capitalism.com/bootcamp Timestamps (0:00) Haley's journey from bankruptcy to $2-5M annually (2:00) Early wins with KDP journals (5:00) The first failed e-commerce business and hard lessons (10:00) Taking control of bookkeeping and learning the fundamentals (15:00) Maxing out credit cards to fund inventory (20:00) Finding the right product idea with a manufacturer (25:00) Building the launch list with a simple email (30:00) Creating viral content across platforms (35:00) Why mouth tape was the perfect viral product (40:00) Going all in on influencer outreach (45:00) Building a raving fan base through one-on-one outreach (50:00) Scaling with ad agencies (60:00) Testing and reinvesting in top content (70:00) How hitting $1M shifts your mindset (80:00) Applying the playbook to future products

In this episode, we're talking with Mike Tecku, founder of Momentum Shake, about how he's building an eight-figure business while working just two focused hours a day. Mike shares his philosophy on in-house manufacturing, product quality, and designing a business around your lifestyle. Get on the waiting list for the next Capitalism cohort at https://capitalism.com/bootcamp Timestamps: (0:00) Can you build a $100M business without compromising your lifestyle? (2:00) Mike brought manufacturing completely in-house (5:00) Premium ingredients strategy: sourcing and processing vanilla for six months (10:00) Mike's rules for decision-making and avoiding low-quality work (15:00) other business models: $20M/month companies that lose money (20:00) Philosophy of the matrix: accepting the game rather than fighting it (25:00) Maximizing joy in the process and living in the present (30:00) iodized salt story: creating invisible impact at scale (40:00) Three years of research into body chemistry and nutritional deficiencies (50:00) Thinking at the cellular level: reimagining how bodies work (1:00:00) Wealth redefined: understanding true richness beyond money (1:15:00) Building systems that thrive without you: creating real business value (1:25:00) Overcoming his resistance to marketing to scale Momentum further

In this episode, we're breaking down why having the most expensive product in your market gives you the best chance at building a real business. From the placebo effect to premium branding strategy, this is the case for raising your prices instead of cutting them. Get on the waiting list at https://capitalism.com/bootcamp Timestamps (0:00) Why premium pricing strategy wins in e-commerce (1:00) The counterintuitive thesis (2:00) The placebo effect in Parkinson's treatment and consumer (3:00) How higher prices increase customer expectations and satisfaction (4:00) Margin protects your presence as a business owner (5:00) Building better systems and customer experience with profitability (7:00) Why luxury dealerships deliver better experiences than used (8:00) The math of discounting premium vs cheap products (9:00) Using aggressive discounts on premium products to acquire (11:00) Why premium discounts feel like events, not gimmicks (12:00) Margin funds the marketing that actually grows your (13:00) Why e-commerce entrepreneurs use price instead of marketing (14:00) Combining discounts and advertising for competitive advantage (15:00) AG One case study (18:00) What premium branding actually means (19:00) Kill Switch sleep supplement (21:00) Doubling your price requires upgrading your entire brand (23:00) Premium pricing as a forcing function for better (25:00) Pricing resistance is a self-worth issue (26:00) How to market premium products (27:00) Real marketing compares your product to inaction, not (29:00) Switch Supplements example (30:00) Connecting product benefits to customer life outcomes (32:00) The premium marketing funnel (35:00) Building premium brands on Amazon and TikTok Shop (36:00) Email relationships drive conversion more than sales pages (38:00) Final wrap

In this episode, we're talking with Neal Conlon, who has raised over $300 million across multiple companies, about the hidden levers that unlock eight-figure valuations. Neal reveals how a protein bar company with almost no revenue secured a $10M valuation and shares frameworks for building a business worth far more than you think. Work with the team on building businesses and exits at https://capitalism.com/partners Learn more at https://capitalism.com Timestamps (0:00) Intro - Your business may be worth more  (1:45) Neal's $300M+ fundraising background  (4:00) The protein bar company story - from almost (6:00) Key numbers that determine company value (8:00) Moving from founder-dependent to scalable (10:00) Revenue per seat and valuation multiples - new (12:00) Understanding comparable companies and what they've raised or (14:00) Using retention and unit economics to drive growth (16:00) The pitch deck - the first step in (18:00) Market saturation vs market opportunity (20:00) Types of investors — VCs, angel investors, and (22:00) Making it feel real with actual investor money (24:00) The importance of experiencing these concepts to truly (26:00) Building your product roadmap and demonstrating market validation (28:00) Collecting real feedback from potential buyers vs friends (30:00) Moving from $300K profit to $1.5M valuation through (32:00) The first lever — improving the offer and (34:00) Identifying multiple levers — bookkeeping and software platform (36:00) How small changes in processes can dramatically increase (38:00) The healthcare company example - valuing by brand (40:00) Empowering your team and moving yourself out of (42:00) Case study — going from $8M to $50M (44:00) Transitioning from trader to owner mindset - revaluing (46:00) Hiring the right people to replace founder dependencies (48:00) The power of hiring specialists to handle entire departments (50:00) Creating multiple revenue streams and business units (52:00) Portfolio approach — combining multiple businesses under one

This new pasta brand just hit $1 million... right on track for the "12 Months to $1 Million" timeline. In this episode, we go through the step-by-step playbook the founder used to get to 7-figures on his first product. Then, Ryan explores the next moves that will take the brand from $1M to $10M over the next 3 years. If you want to sit down like this and build a plan to get to $10M, visit https://capitalism.com/partners Timestamps (0:00) Intro: $1M in 12 months case study breakdown (1:00) Irick's background as content creator in low-carb space (2:00) Why Irick decided to build his own product (3:00) The math of renting attention vs building equity (5:00) The audience size advantage in content creation (10:00) Product development and first steps (15:00) Launch strategy to an 8-million person audience (20:00) Month-by-month growth and sales peaks (25:00) The algorithm myth: stopping content posts (30:00) Cash flow and inventory management strategy (35:00) The backup plan before scaling (50:00) Debt financing and inventory payoff process (55:00) Margins and the cost of scaling (1:00:00) Hiring operators and building the team (1:05:00) What breaks when you scale operations (1:10:00) Sales channels: TikTok vs Amazon strategy (1:15:00) Revenue distribution across platforms

In this episode, we're walking through a real case study on how to prepare an e-commerce business for a $10M+ exit. We break down the tax planning strategies, financial recasting, and recurring revenue plays that can double or triple your valuation. Learn more about our cohorts and how you can partner with us at Capitalism.com, head to https://capitalism.com/partners   Timestamps (0:00) Introduction: Positioning a $7M revenue business for a $10M+ exit (2:00) Standard Problem: Most founders settle for 3X multiple, leaving (5:00) Business Valuation Works: Why 3X profit multiple is incomplete (7:00) Hidden Costs: Seller notes and payment structures dramatically reduce actual proceeds (9:00) Ryan's $16M Sale Mistake: Walked away with only $7.2M due (12:00) Tax Hack: Small business exemption can make a $10M exit 100% tax-free (14:00) Strategy #1: Use trailing 12-month numbers to capture growth momentum (18:00) Recasting books from cash to accrual (21:00) Moving Beyond 4X: How to reach 5X, 6X, or even 7X multiples (23:00) Building Recurring Revenue: TikTok Shop and Subscribe & Save create buyer confidence (29:00) Reducing Founder's Risk: Systemize yourself out of the business to increase valuation (34:00) Setting Your Terms: Walk in with your own deal terms (36:00) Negotiation Floor: $10M cash minimum OR 6X EBITDA on a seller note (41:00) Plan Ahead: Start optimizing your business 6-12 months before exit (43:00) Call-to-Action: Learn more about Ryan's coaching program  

What 1-3 decisions could you make that would dramatically simplify your life?  I (Ryan) asked myself this question earlier this year, and it served as a "forcing function" for me to make hard decisions in my life and business. What would my business look like if it was simple? What could become possible if I had more time to think? What skills might I learn if I had more mental capacity?  In this episode, I share some of the decisions that I made - and am considering making - in order to free up more space, and how I plan to use that new capacity to serve at a deeper, more meaningful level.

When life feels uncertain and everything is falling apart... this is what to do when you don't know what to do.  Life is like an ETF; there are good things and bad things in your life "portfolio." We don't notice our improvements, and we are freaked out by our setbacks. Still, things tend to go up over time. The trick is staying the game long enough to let compounding returns kick in. When everything is falling apart, we prepare for the next opportunity... and the opportunity of a lifetime tends to come around at least once a year, as long as we are ready for them. 

In this episode, we break down what's happening across the portfolio as of March 2026, including the wins, setbacks, and a possible exit. You'll hear the numbers behind Sheer Strength's brand pivot, what's driving a 40% jump in profits, and how Switch Supplements is becoming a multi-7-figure business. Not everything is working, though. A few projects are on the struggle bus and are dragging down the overall portfolio. However, there's also a $10M exit brewing inside the Capitalism Fund, a $1M raise coming for one of the portfolio's fastest-growing brands... and some changes coming to Capitalism.com. 

Aegetic is a self defense brand started by member of The One Percent Cody doing $12k per month.  In this episode of Brand Reviews, we're helping cody get his content, landing page, and amazon listing dialed in so that he can scale to $25k a month and beyond.  If you want your brand to be reviewed on the podcast, head to https://capitalism.com/100k to submit your business for feedback!  What do you want to see next on the podcast? Comment down below!