The Brand, Sweat, & Tears Podcast

Alex Lawrence is a talented tech entrepreneur, professor in the Professional Sales Dept at Weber State University, and now the owner and founder of EV Auto - a unique electric vehicle auto dealership that carries all makes and models of EV autos. His unique approach and commitment to an incredible buyer experience has enabled his dealership to experience early success and has put them on track to be the premiere EV auto dealership not only in Utah, but eventually the country. We had a blast recording this episode "on the road" in one of Alex's Tesla Plaid Model S cars. We started with a literal bang - check it out! https://evauto.com/ This episode was sponsored by Awsm (www.awsm.com) - a software platform that gives consumer brands the ability to leverage a small amount of their equity to multiply their revenue, increase their margins, reward their brand ambassadors, and turn their customers into raving fans.

Nate and Vanessa Quigley are the dynamic duo behind Chatbooks - automatically printed photo books using favorite images from your phone, computer, and social media feeds. Success hasn't come overnight - they have spent a lot of sweat and tears over the years to get their business to where it is now, and somehow through it all have grown closer together as a couple. Listen to the story of how they eventually found true product-market fit and grew rapidly from there. They are both incredibly talented yet humble entrepreneurs who have raised a great group of kids while building an amazing product and company together. This episode was sponsored by Awsm (www.awsm.com) - a software platform that gives consumer brands the ability to leverage a small amount of their equity to multiply their revenue, increase their margins, reward their brand ambassadors, and turn their customers into raving fans. www.chatbooks.com

Ben Perkins: collegiate soccer player, apparel entrepreneur, quarter-zip pullover supermodel. At the age of 13, Ben hatched the idea that would later become Blue and White Collar, then ultimately &Collar - a nearly indestructable but simultaneously comfortable dress shirt that was durable, stain repellant, soft, wrinkle-free, and machine-washable. Ben shares his journey to becoming a consumer brand creator and the joys and challenges of bringing a physical product idea to life. Check it out! www.andcollar.com This episode was sponsored by Awsm (www.awsm.com) - a software platform that gives consumer brands the ability to leverage a small amount of their equity to multiply their revenue, increase their margins, reward their brand ambassadors, and turn their customers into raving fans.

Nicole Tanner is a humble, talented, driven, friendly, optimistic entrepreneur and creator. She created a movement with her drive-thru drink shop, Swig, and popularized a phrase with the "dirty" soda. Many competitors have attempted to replicate her model, but Swig continues to grow and thrive centered on Nicole's relentless focus on quality, customer service, and the sweetest combinations of drinks for all ages. While it hasn't always been smooth sailing, Nicole has found the right partners and the right combinations of mix-ins to help her dream grow well beyond her first store in sunny St. George, Utah. This episode was fun! I want to thank my sponsors: Awsm (www.awsm.com) - a platform that allows consumer brands to easily share ownership with their agencies, their influencers and brand ambassadors, their customers, and their employees. It's like Venmo for ownership. Creatably (www.creatably.com) - a video creative and growth advertising agency helping consumer brands grow their audiences, and their revenue, exponentially.

Rob Poleki, the founder and creator of Washie, is getting crap done! Washie's first product is a commercial toilet seat that has a smart motion-activated sensor the dispenses anti-bacterial foam onto the seat, allowing the user to wipe and disinfect the seat with a piece of toilet paper before using. More sanitary than the paper seat shields, and easier to use! Rob talks about the crazy and creative things he had to do to get his invention in front of early customers and potential investors, and the grind behind bootstrapping a new product to market. Rob's got an infectious smile and a never-give-up attitude - and his product is super cool. You won't want to miss this one! https://www.washiepro.com/ This episode was sponsored by Awsm (www.awsm.com) - a platform that makes it wicked easy for consumer brands to share equity ownership with their agency partners, their influencers and brand ambassadors, their customers and fans, and their employees.

Drew Manning started Fit2Fat2Fit over 10 years ago in order to help people who have struggled with their weight, nutrition, self-esteem, and mental health achieve a healthier, happier lifestyle. In order to gain more empathy for his clients he gained 75 lbs in 6 months, then lost that 75 lbs in the following 6 months. He documented his journey and shared it with the world. This unique and amazing transformation process caught national media attention, and helped him catapult his training programs into the spotlight. A few years ago, he did it again! This time with the help of social media he tracked his daily decline as well as his progress back to fit, and invited many of his clients and social media audience to join him - which I did! In the course of a year, following Drew's program, I lost 65 lbs. I still need to lose about 35-40 more, but I'm a big fan of Drew's and his program and was very lucky to have him on the podcast as a guest. Check out his amazing story, and how he turns vulnerability into a strength while helping his clients to do the same. www.fit2fat2fit.com I want to thank my sponsors: Awsm (www.awsm.com) - a platform that allows consumer brands to easily share ownership with their agencies, their influencers and brand ambassadors, their customers, and their employees. It's like Venmo for ownership. Creatably (www.creatably.com) - a video creative and growth advertising agency helping consumer brands grow their audiences, and their revenue, exponentially. Graystoke Networks (www.graystokenetworks.com) - a full-service podcast management agency that helps busy executives with every aspect of launching and managing their own podcast.

Allison Roberts is a driven, energetic, talented entrepreneur who is creating a fitness and exercise movement called Burst Fitness, targeted at extremely busy parents or individuals who want to get the benefits of intense exercise but are too busy to spend a lot of time at the gym, or who are not physically capable of performing typical weight-lifting or cardio exercises. Levering a methodology called QBE (Quick Burst Exercise), Allison went from delivering a baby to placing in a bodybuilder contest (with no prior experience) in about 6 months! Listen to Allison's inspiration behind creating her app and this movement, and the challenges and rewarding moments so far. https://www.burstfitnessapp.com/ Hat tip to my sponsors: Awsm.com - a platform for brands to share ownership with their agency partners, their influencers and brand ambassadors, their customers, and even their employees. Ownership is Awsm, and Awsm is ownership. Creatably - a video creative and growth advertising agency helping consumer brands grow their audiences, and their revenue, exponentially. Graystoke Networks - a full-service podcast management agency that helps busy executives with every aspect of launching and managing their own podcast.

AJ Brau is an amazing entrepreneur and creator who started taking apart electronics at the age of 8, started coding and creating in the digital world at the age of 12, and built her first app at the age of 14. This digital wunderkind is now the CEO and Founder of Wander (www.wandermaps.com) - an app that has detailed maps of popular tourist destinations and parks that help travelers navigate and appreciate all that these amazing locations have to offer. Other maps get you there - Wander helps you navigate the details of the actual location, even if you don't have an internet connection. AJ has had incredible mentors over the years - starting with her dad - including Josh James, Travis Hansen, and Brandon Fugal. She's humble and confident and was a pleasure to chat with on this episode of Brand, Sweat, & Tears. Check it out! www.wandermaps.com Hat tip to my sponsors: Awsm.com - a platform for brands to share ownership with their agency partners, their influencers and brand ambassadors, their customers, and even their employees. Ownership is Awsm, and Awsm is ownership. Creatably - a video creative and growth advertising agency helping consumer brands grow their audiences, and their revenue, exponentially. Graystoke Networks - a full-service podcast management agency that helps busy executives with every aspect of launching and managing their own podcast.

Alex Burge started SHYFT Global to help consumer brands design, source, manufacture, and ship their products efficiently, with the ultimate objective to be able to do that with their own products. Somewhere along the line, he recruited Levi "The White Mamba" Lindsay to the team (a marketing wizard who doesn't know the word failure) and they are off to the races - driven by Levi's intense 20-hr-per-week hustle ethic and Alex's never-say-die positive attitude this team is destined for greatness. I was mostly laughing the whole time, so tune in to this "most ghetto" of podcast episodes! #entrepreneurship #startups #ecommerce #consumergoods #doglover Also available on Apple and Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Rumble, and other popular podcasting platforms. www.shyftglobal.com www.kanodog.com

CEO of Wildland Coffee Zach Frantz joins this episode of Brand, Sweat & Tears to talk creating business ideas the lazy way and getting creative with his business model. Join us as we discuss overcoming low product demand, sacrificing the brand for the good of the business, and knowing all of your options when it comes to marketing. #coffee #wildlands #entrepreneurship #branding #brandingsolutions #lazy #marketing #businessstrategy

Hear the impressive story of how Scott Porter, founder of artisan churros brand San Diablo put together his business IN THREE DAYS to be ready for a local festival debut that would set him on the path to success. Find out how Porter has applied his core belief in exceptional customer experiences across various industries with great success. Scott's "wicked good, heaven sent" confection-filled artisan churros are not only amazing at events, but can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home with his "Fiesta-in-a-box" ecommerce package. Scott is passionate and driven and was a blast to interview on this episode of Brand, Sweat, & Tears. Check it out! #churros #success #utah #entrepreneurship #startups #creators #ecommerce #consumergoods #dessert #snacks #bakery #baker #business #founders

Jay Davis, the CEO of Pillow Cube and Creatably , joins this podcast to share his story and expertise on how to create viral content on social media for marketing and the different sales techniques that have worked for him. He also talks about the importance of testing products and sampling techniques to ensure that your product is a perfect fit for your customer. This is a must listen for anyone who wants to learn more about entrepreneurship and the ins and outs of running a successful business. #Creatably #Pillowcube #socialmediamarketing #samplingtechniques #viralvideo #entrepreneurship

In this episode Dave interviews Bennett Maxwell, the founder of Dirty Dough - a franchise-ownership cookie company. Dirty Dough makes wicked good uniquely-flavored cookies with gooey fillings and tasty toppings. But they don't just sell cookies - they empower entrepreneurs all over the country to start and run their own businesses, achieve financial freedom, and support Dirty Dough's non-profit, Life is Sweet, which helps youth strengthen their mental health. Dirty Dough's mission statement, Find Joy and Fulfillment Despite Life’s Dirtiness, is inspired by the messy concoctions their growing fan base love to devour. Bennett is an amazing entrepreneur, a great human, and it was awesome to have him on the podcast! We didn't even discuss the "cookie wars" (well, maybe a tiny bit). Give it a listen! Dirty Dough: https://dirtydoughcookies.com/ Bennett Maxwell : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennett-maxwell-703717126/

Eric Lo, the founder of Krado (www.krado.co) and Dave got to talk about Krado's origins and Eric's entrepreneurial journey to this point. Krado has developed a very cool smart plant sensor, associated mobile app, and a plant database that together enable consumers to take care of their various house plants in an optimal fashion, without having to become plant experts. Their sensors can be 3D printed at home (very cool) and they can automatically send you the correct nutrients for your specific plant and geography. Eric and Dave discuss a Solarpunk vs Cyberpunk future, and how smart cities (as currently imagined) really aren't that smart unless they include the strategic inclusion of plants beyond just their aesthetic appeal. Eric is a brilliant biochemist and passionate entrepreneur and it was fun learning what he has planned for the future of Krado!

Jamie and Michelle Parker founded SMMT Outdoor after years of product leadership stints at Nike and Jaybird. Building on inspiration from his youth, Jamie wanted to build a mountain + marine tote bag that is both beautiful and functional. Jamie has brought an exceptional new product to life! SMMT's mantra is "what comes after is earned" and Jamie and Michele are building a new outdoor brand with a clear purpose and a bright future.

The Brand, Sweat, & Tears podcast consists of interviews with the coolest consumer product Creators and Founders, the innovators and inventors who are bringing (or who have brought) amazing new products to life, that have the potential to benefit a large number of people. The purpose of the podcast is to inspire more Creators to get the great ideas out of their heads and into the world, while also giving consumers the chance to get to know these Creators and the purpose and vision behind the brands they are building.