Built on Passion

Problems are opportunities in disguise if you know how to solve them. Take Mark Koep as an example. He sold all his belongings and embarked on a year-long adventure, during which he discovered the challenges of locating campgrounds with ease. Being an ambitious entrepreneur, he decided to solve this problem, giving birth to Campground Views — ultimate campground and RV park directory, trusted by tens of thousands of campers as their primary source for finding their next camping spot. How did Mark achieve such a remarkable feat, and what was the process like? In this episode, Mark Koep reveals the evolution of his brand over the past decade, transforming it into a multimillion-dollar enterprise.  You'll gain valuable insights and learn important lessons about the camping and RV industry, whether you're interested in starting your own venture or simply enjoy outdoor adventures. Listen now! Show highlights include: How being a “dummy” entrepreneur can turn your wildest dreams into realities. (2:06)  The sneaky professional way to have a product market fit for your startup brand and avoid generational loss.  (4:56)  How to leapfrog your competitors using a consumer first approach. (7:08)  The wrong way to market RV parks, bad enough to get you unlimited nasty reviews that could hurt your business forever. (12:48) How campground views technology can increase your online booking by 244%. (14:43) A simple, yet powerful lesson for newbies wanting to make a fortune out of the Camping and RV industry. (17:40)

Rome, like your favorite brands, was not built in a day — it takes years of humble beginnings.  And while it is easier to dismiss these humble beginnings, they can serve as learning opportunities for many people. That’s why we invited Tayson Whittaker, founder of outdoors vitals, to this episode.  From selling sleeping bags to a full range of ultralight products, raking in 6-7 figures. — Tayson has got the sauce.  And in this episode, he uncovers what it takes to go from $0 to millions in your business. Plus, he reveals how to build a long-term profitable consumer-focused brand. Listen now! Show highlights include: The "fail & learn" approach to unlock more business growth than you've ever imagined.. (5:53) How to use your brand's remarkable results to secure A-level partnerships that will quickly put your brand on the map (8:09) How to use third parties to target and run ads for 2x better your normal ROAS. (11:52)  A "dignified" way to build highly loyal followers for your brand without incentivizing them 24/7.  (16:17)  Why outdoor space is the wrong place to make your first/next million bucks. (21:31) 

Trends can turn into huge opportunities when properly capitalized on.  Like in 2020, during the big bike boom. Since there was a smaller supply of bikes and surging demand, the founders of Ride1Up capitalized on this to build a budding brand.  How were they able to do this?  In this episode, Daniel Urbino, a certified public accountant turned CEO of Ride1up, reveals how to identify an urgent market need to build a high-ticket direct-to-customer brand.  Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or simply interested in the business side of biking, this episode is for you.  Listen now! Show highlights include: How to build a mutually beneficial relationship with your customers while making your competitors irrelevant. (1:17) 2 no-brainer ways to stand out among hundreds of competitors in whatever niche you're building your brand in.  (4:54) How to make customers buy your products “blindly” by leveraging “UGC”  (8:47) The sneaky way to get your product on major media sites for free. (9:16)  3 top tier ways to use e-bikes for maximum utility satisfaction.  (17:48)

Do you ever wonder what motivates entrepreneurs to start their own businesses? For John Crissy, Founder of Gut Armor and a champion of gut health, his passion for creating top-notch gut health products that help people heal, and his desire to break free from the 9-5 grind, inspired him to start his own brand. But what can John's experience teach you? In this episode, he shares his insights on how you can build a successful brand from scratch to acquisition.  Whether you're interested in improving your own gut health or dreaming of launching your own brand, John's expertise can help guide you on your journey. Listen now! Show highlights include: The "now or never" mindset to break free from 9 to 5 and start your dream business. (3:57)  How to use "WH" to get the most bioavailable prebiotics and probiotics. (6:26) How to prevent a lot of gut issues before they happen using the “F” approach. (8:28)  The top two things that butyrate helps heal, so you can say goodbye to nagging health concerns. (9:00)  The top 3 challenges of running Gut Armour for supplement industry newcomers. (13:04) How to use Amazon and Shopify to efficiently build an acquirable brand. (16:00)

As we evolve, so do our needs, resulting in a scarcity of products to meet them. So what can we do? Well, by innovating and creating more products based on your needs   so that you can meet your needs and the needs of thousands of others in the same shoes. How? In this episode, Arjan Chima, Co-Founder and CEO of Centr, shares his inspiring journey of turning a lack of products that fit his needs into a thriving brand. You'll discover how to build a brand in a highly regulated but not widely known industry like CBD. Listen now! Show highlights include: How to approach naming ideation to have the perfect consumer-focused brand name that people want to support before they even know you. (5:20) The C-factor to that can help you scale exponentially without stress. (6:19) The "exit" mindset that could cost you your brand (and the mindset you should have instead if you want to build a reputable brand.) (8:15) How to build a better brand than your competitors using "consumer scenarios" (8:49) How to overcome obstacles with advertising regulated products like CBD (16:38) The "Centr" method of regaining what life's demands have taken away from you. (22:36)  

Businesses that aren’t considered “sexy” (like odor removal brands, for example) have an unfair competitive edge against “sexier” businesses: They’re more likely to be recession-proof! But how can you launch and scale one? In today's episode, Fresh Wave's Heidi Brown, Thought Leader, Innovator, and Catalyst, discusses how you can use her combined private and public sector experience to drive growth for similar companies. You'll discover how to innovate, develop, and launch new products that can keep your business growing (even as recessions loom). Listen now! Show highlights include: How to use the DII approach to become more relevant in your industry and keep customers for a long time.(6:40) How to gain an unfair competitive advantage and increase customer trust by leveraging third-party testing (8:17) The "Customer Surge" delivery system you can use to attract customers at scale. (9:53) The "small and portable" approach for creating a product that can be used anywhere. (12:32) How to determine the effectiveness of your marketing so that you don't blow your entire marketing budget on a flawed ad. (19:42)

How badly do you want to live the American dream? Waking up in your own home, being your own boss, having a sustainable family, and so on. Well, Boris Chung, founder of A Better Treat, did just that. He transitioned from being a full-time employee at a well-established company to running his own brand from scratch. What drives him? What is he doing differently that could help you in your own business? In this episode, you'll discover how Boris started his pet food company out of a love for his pet and a desire to live the American dream. And he reveals his most impactful scaling secrets, so you can scale your business too. This episode is for all aspiring founders and those interested in exploring the pet niche as a business. Listen now! Show highlights include: The first thing to do before starting any passion-built business to prevent bankrupting yourself (3:20) How to use the "subscribe and save" method to keep your dog from starving. (11:36) How to deal with loneliness as a solo founder using the "MG" approach. (14:00) The 'TPT' verification to look out for when buying pet foods & treats to avoid losing your pets to bad feeding. (16:16)

Every industry has problems that must be solved, and innovation transforms these problems into new opportunities. A good example is MADE's founders, who saw a need for fitting outdoor apparel and launched what is now an award-winning brand with tens of satisfied customers. What did they do and how? In this episode, you'll discover how the founding team from MADE transformed from an idea to a well-known brand (and how you can do the same). Listen now! Show highlights include: How you can leverage the limiting size problem in the outdoor industry to build a booming brand using a custom-made method. (8:48) How to avoid running a net loss apparel brand using the “custom made” approach. (so that you don’t go bankrupt) (10:46) The "many options" system for satisfying your customers and keeping them coming back for more. (11:50) How to keep your refund rate low to zero by double-checking these 2 things before shipping. (15:46) The uncommon mindset of CEOs that gives you consistent customers that throw their wallets at you every time. (18:11)

Skin care businesses release additional products, convincing customers that they need each one to achieve the glowing skin they dream about. But what if you could have better skin with fewer products? In this episode, you'll discover how Murphy Bishop II & his partner are using a home-made approach to create multipurpose skincare products. This episode also shows you how to create and market a "not so common" product, so your brand dominates (even in a broad industry like cosmetics). Listen now! Show highlights include: How skincare sets squander your money while producing no real results. (7:11) Big cosmetic brands are opposed to this "unusual" marketing approach that saves customers’ money (and how to duplicate this approach in your business) (7:46) How to use this common, but overlooked type of messaging to generate massive product sales. (11:04) Why partnering with large retailers doesn't favor budding brands. (16:51)

Many times we believe chasing our passion means giving up our dreams of growing wealthy because passion isn’t monetizable.  But little did we know that the more you chase your passion, the more you see problems around it you can solve and, well, profit from.  That’s what Joe Maio of NOM Nutrition did after giving up his dentist career to chase his passion: outdoor sports. After identifying a problem in the outdoor sports industry, he transformed it into a money-making business.  In this episode, you'll discover how Joe founded NOM nutrition - an endurance focused nutrition. And how you can mimic Joe’s success to transform your passion into a six -figure business & beyond.   Listen now! Show highlights include: How to create an error-free product by leveraging target audience beta testing. (2:11) How you can uncover passion-related problems (that you can turn into a business) by asking enough “WH” questions. (4:51) The 2 core use cases of NOM Nutrition that can help you with your workouts and outdoor activities.  (11:14) A common, yet magical approach to build trust with customers who are unfamiliar with your product's ingredients. (11:46)