Founder In Progress | Podcast on RSS.com

Founder In Progress

Founder In Progress

by 2C Media Inc.

Business Education

Season 2

The Founder Who Chose Brand Belief Over Easy Money

In Episode 116, we sit down with Louis-Julien Roy of Mountain Exposure to discuss his journey from ice climbing and mountain guiding to building and scaling a successful business in the outdoor industry. Louis-Julien shares lessons on bootstrapping, hiring the right people, building employee ownership, relationship-based selling, and playing the long game in business. We also discuss productivity, storytelling, leadership, AI, and why strong relationships remain one of the biggest competitive advantages in business. This episode is about patience, people, and building something that lasts. LEARN MORE about Louis-Julien Roy Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mountainexposure LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-julien-roy-575b9538/ - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mountain-exposure/ Website - https://www.mountainx.ca/ FOLLOW US on social media Instagram - https://instagram.com/2cmadeit/ Facebook - https://facebook.com/2CMadeIt LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/2cmadeit/ Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/2cmediainc Website - https://2cmedia.ca Want to raise a ruckus? Send us a message at https://www.2cmedia.ca/contact

The Delegation Secret Fixing CEO Decision Fatigue

In Episode 115, Taylor Ekrebe shares her powerful journey from working at Wells Fargo in Philadelphia to becoming a business owner and entrepreneur in Edmonton, Alberta. Taylor opens up about the health scare that changed the way she viewed work, life, and purpose. After moving to Canada and struggling to find traditional employment, she created her own opportunity by building a business focused on supporting CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs. In this episode, Taylor talks about knowing your value, setting boundaries, value-based pricing, delegation, building systems, working with her husband, and why empathy is one of the most important skills in business. She also shares how Edmonton’s entrepreneurial community helped her grow, and why success, for her, is about making people’s lives easier and showing love through her work. This is a conversation about resilience, entrepreneurship, balance, and building a business that supports the life you actually want to live.\ LEARN MORE about Taylor Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/taylor_fromvirtualeasebysimone/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorekrebe/ - https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtualeasebysimoneinc/ Website - https://www.virtualeasebysimone.com/ FOLLOW US on social media Instagram - https://instagram.com/2cmadeit/ Facebook - https://facebook.com/2CMadeIt LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/2cmadeit/ Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/2cmediainc Website - https://2cmedia.ca Want to raise a ruckus? Send us a message at https://www.2cmedia.ca/contact

The Mistake That Makes Your Business Impossible To Sell

In episode 113, we sit down with Matt Aubin, who has been running Keen Creative for over two decades, to talk about his journey as a creative entrepreneur, business owner, advisor, and community builder. Matt shares how his early days as a photographer shaped the way he sees business, creativity, leadership, and problem-solving. He also opens up about building culture, learning from failure, knowing when to close a business, and why entrepreneurs need strong communities around them. We also dive into Matt’s work with Climbing for Change, a nonprofit built around doing hard things, raising money for local charities, and showing people what they are capable of. From exit planning to leadership, imposter syndrome, and the lessons that come with entrepreneurship, this conversation is full of honest insight for anyone building something meaningful. LEARN MORE about Matt Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/keencreative/ - https://www.instagram.com/matt.aubin/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattaubin/ - https://www.linkedin.com/company/keen-creative/ Website - https://keencreative.com/ FOLLOW US on social media Instagram - https://instagram.com/2cmadeit/ Facebook - https://facebook.com/2CMadeIt LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/2cmadeit/ Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/2cmediainc Website - https://2cmedia.ca Want to raise a ruckus? Send us a message at https://www.2cmedia.ca/contact

The Chocolate Scientist: “Chocolate Isn’t Junk Food, It’s Fuel”

Episode 113 features Kristyn Carriere, founder of Seven Summit Snacks, a chocolate brand built for adventure, endurance, and everyday fuel. In this episode, Kristyn shares her journey from professional figure skating with Disney on Ice, to working in chocolate science at Cadbury, to launching her own CPG brand after a life-changing moment. She opens up about building Seven Summit Snacks from the ground up, navigating manufacturing challenges, growing a loyal community, and redefining chocolate as fuel for athletes, adventurers, and anyone chasing something bigger. We also dive into the realities of entrepreneurship, working with family, expanding into new markets, and why word-of-mouth and community are still some of the most powerful tools a brand can have. If you’re a founder, athlete, or someone building through uncertainty, this conversation is full of honest lessons on resilience, product-market fit, and staying committed to the vision. LEARN MORE about Kristyn Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/7summitssnacks/ - https://www.instagram.com/xtynspix/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristyncarriere/ - https://www.linkedin.com/company/seven-summits-snacks/ Website - https://sevensummitssnacks.com/?view=abconvert-index-r07shVnb&_abr=1 FOLLOW US on social media Instagram - https://instagram.com/2cmadeit/ Facebook - https://facebook.com/2CMadeIt LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/2cmadeit/ Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/2cmediainc Website - https://2cmedia.ca Want to raise a ruckus? Send us a message at https://www.2cmedia.ca/contact

How $5K Built 24/7 Care for Vulnerable Kids

In Episode 112, we sit down with Charles Wong, a Harvard graduate and founder of CarePros, to unpack how a side hustle built around culturally competent home care grew into a purpose-led care organization serving vulnerable children, youth, adults, and families across Alberta. Charles shares the personal experience that sparked the business, the challenges of scaling in the care industry, and why culture, trust, and outcomes have to be built into care from day one. We also talk about Indigenous youth, trauma-informed support, building the right team, and what it really takes to grow a company without losing sight of the mission. This conversation is honest, thoughtful, and a powerful look at what happens when entrepreneurship is driven by purpose, people, and long-term impact. LEARN MORE about Charles Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/charles.wong89/ - https://www.instagram.com/careprosab/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-wong-icd-d-58ba4522/ - https://www.linkedin.com/company/careprosab/ Website - https://carepros.ca/ FOLLOW US on social media Instagram - https://instagram.com/2cmadeit/ Facebook - https://facebook.com/2CMadeIt LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/2cmadeit/ Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/2cmediainc Website - https://2cmedia.ca Want to raise a ruckus? Send us a message at https://www.2cmedia.ca/contact

What Losing Your Biggest Customer Teaches You About Survival

In episode 111, we sit down with Garvin, a serial entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience building, buying, growing, and exiting businesses. Garvin shares the real side of entrepreneurship — starting with almost nothing, living lean in the early days, surviving “sky is falling” moments, losing a customer that represented 90% of revenue, and learning when it’s time to keep pushing versus when it’s time to walk away. We also dive into the lessons that only come from years in the game: choosing the right business partners, knowing your numbers, leading through pressure, preparing a business for sale, and redefining success after an exit. This conversation is packed with hard-earned wisdom for founders, business owners, and anyone trying to build something that last LEARN MORE about Garvin LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvin-weber-42874113/ - https://www.linkedin.com/company/venger-group/ Website - https://vengergroup.com/ FOLLOW US on social media Instagram - https://instagram.com/2cmadeit/ Facebook - https://facebook.com/2CMadeIt LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/2cmadeit/ Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/2cmediainc Website - https://2cmedia.ca Want to raise a ruckus? Send us a message at https://www.2cmedia.ca/contact

April Hicke: The Truth About Founder Burnout No One Says Out Loud

April Hickey, founder of Toast, joins us for Episode 110 to talk about burnout, leadership, and the pressure of building a company while trying to stay grounded. As seen on TEDx, April shares her idea of “the box” — the labels we place on ourselves and others that can quietly limit what we believe is possible. She explains how those boxes show up in leadership, entrepreneurship, mental health, and even the way we define success. In this conversation, April opens up about burning out in the first year of building Toast, what it felt like to lose excitement for the work she once loved, and why rest eventually became part of her strategy as a founder. She also talks about setting real boundaries, balancing purpose and profit, leading with psychological safety, building a team with trust, and creating a work environment where people can perform in the way that works best for them. This episode is an honest conversation about ambition, burnout, self-awareness, neurodiversity, and what it really takes to build a company without losing yourself in the process. LEARN MORE about April Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aprilhicke/ - https://www.instagram.com/try.toast/?hl=en LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilhicke/ - https://www.linkedin.com/company/trytoast/ Website - https://www.trytoast.ca/ FOLLOW US on social media Instagram - https://instagram.com/2cmadeit/ Facebook - https://facebook.com/2CMadeIt LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/2cmadeit/ Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/2cmediainc Website - https://2cmedia.ca Want to raise a ruckus? Send us a message at https://www.2cmedia.ca/contact

He Sacrificed Salary to Build Something That Mattered

In Episode 109, filmed in Monterrey, Mexico, Jorge shares the story of building Aldea, an education platform helping kindergartens focus more on children and less on administration. He breaks down the early days of the company, from launching an MVP and losing customers, to taking the risk of continuing when the project was almost shut down. Through that journey, Jorge discovered that conviction, sacrifice, and a clear sense of purpose were what kept the company moving forward. This conversation explores entrepreneurship, education, parenting, discipline, and what it means to build something that truly serves others. Jorge also shares why Aldea’s mission goes beyond software: helping teachers save time, giving parents peace of mind, and creating better experiences for children across Latin America

Why Enjoying the Ride Might Be the Smartest Business Advice

In Episode 108, filmed in Monterey, Mexico, Raul shares a personal conversation about entrepreneurship, perspective, and redefining success. This episode goes beyond startups. Raul reflects on grief, divorce, failure, and the mindset shift that helped him move from constant pressure to building with more meaning. He also shares his journey through multiple companies, his work in digital transformation for small and medium enterprises in Latin America, and why innovation often starts with seeing problems differently. This conversation is for anyone building a business, chasing success, or learning how to enjoy the ride along the way. LEARN MORE about Raul LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raulfernando/ - https://www.linkedin.com/company/zellship/ Website - https://zellship.com/ FOLLOW US on social media Instagram - https://instagram.com/2cmadeit/ Facebook - https://facebook.com/2CMadeIt LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/2cmadeit/ Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/2cmediainc Website - https://2cmedia.ca Want to raise a ruckus? Send us a message at https://www.2cmedia.ca/contact

Do This Instead of Traditional PR to Grow Your Brand

In Episode 107, filmed in Monterrey, Mexico, we sit down with Paola, the first Entrepreneur Agent of PR in Latin America and the United States, to explore the real meaning of visibility, trust, and connection in the entrepreneurial world. Paola shares how she built her business during the pandemic, why PR is about more than social media, and how founders can use media, podcasts, events, and storytelling to build credibility in the real world. She also opens up about burnout, personal branding, intuition, and the challenges of building a company around your own name. We also discuss Paola’s book, which dives into the Mexican startup ecosystem and the honest stories behind some of the country’s most important entrepreneurs. Throughout the conversation, Paola offers a grounded look at what it really takes to build trust, create meaningful connections, and stay human in a fast-moving business world LEARN MORE about Paola Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paolavillarrealc/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paolavillarrealcarvajal/ - https://www.linkedin.com/company/paola-villarreal-entrepreneur-agent/ FOLLOW US on social media Instagram - https://instagram.com/2cmadeit/ Facebook - https://facebook.com/2CMadeIt LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/2cmadeit/ Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/2cmediainc Website - https://2cmedia.ca Want to raise a ruckus? Send us a message at https://www.2cmedia.ca/contact

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