We Mean Business

by The Next Rodeo

Season 1

New Rules of Business: Leadership, Brand & Building What Lasts | Betsey Locke on We Mean Business

What happens when an accomplished executive brings corporate-level strategy to everyday builders? On this episode of We Mean Business, veteran brand strategist Betsey Locke, President of The Next Rodeo, talks about leading global advertising strategies for financial powerhouses like Citi, Bank of America, HSBC, M&T Bank, and Regions Bank, and how she’s now leveraging modern tech to empower small businesses. Betsey also gets candid about navigating male-dominated corporate environments, normalizing motherhood in leadership, shifting management paradigms toward trust and positivity, and balancing high-stakes career ambitions with a sustainable personal life and a 30+ year marriage. Beyond business, she shares deeply practical lessons on negotiation, brand strategy, AI's role in amplifying human wisdom, and staying grounded in your personal values through every stage of growth. Her message for entrepreneurs is simple but powerful: remember that it’s both a journey and a destination—pursue your boldest goals while treating people right along the way. If you enjoyed the episode, pull up a seat by leaving a comment, share your biggest takeaway, and follow We Mean Business for more conversations about entrepreneurship, brand building, marketing, leadership and growth. Explore The Next Rodeo's creative marketing services: @thenextrodeo on social or www.thenextrodeo.com We Mean Business is an original podcast presented by The Next Rodeo and hosted by Chief Brand Officer Monica Richards. Thank you for pulling up a seat with us!

S1 · E3

Oct 1, 2026

48:13

Chaz Dean: Zero Compromises, Protecting Your Vision & Turning “No” Into a New Path

What happens when an entrepreneur refuses to compromise? On this episode of We Mean Business, hair care entrepreneur and celebrity stylist Chaz Dean, founder of WEN Hair & Body Care, talks about building his brand from the ground up, developing products differently, bootstrapping his business, and maintaining creative control as WEN grew. Dean also gets candid about navigating major business challenges, including a $26.3 million class-action lawsuit, standing by his product philosophy, and making difficult decisions to preserve his cruelty-free standards. Beyond business, he shares deeply personal lessons on resilience, loss, spirituality, and staying focused through rejection and adversity. His message for entrepreneurs is simple but powerful: don’t let “no” be the end of the conversation. Look for another way to get to “yes.” 🎧 Listen to the full episode of We Mean Business with Chaz Dean.

S1 · E2

Sep 17, 2026

51:44

How Charlotte Cruze Built Alice Mushrooms Into a $20+M Brand in 4 Years | We Mean Business

From producing for NBC’s Today Show to co-founding a $20M+ functional chocolate powerhouse, Charlotte Cruz is a masterclass in radical career reinvention and rapid business scaling. In this episode of We Mean Business, Alice Mushrooms co-founder and COO Charlotte Cruze sits down to share the visionary strategy behind her viral, brand-forward wellness supplement. Learn how she and her bi-coastal co-founder, Lindsay Goodstein, took a functional mushroom chocolate side hustle and scaled it into over 3,000 retail stores, backing the brand with over $8 million in funding from Unilever and celebrity angels like Zac Efron, Tiesto and Pedro Pascal. Charlotte breaks down the secrets to navigating early-stage funding, mastering cross-country co-founder relationships, and using meticulous creative ad strategy to find instant product-market fit. She dives into Alice’s unique approach to experiential and collaborative marketing - from a vintage 1969 ice cream truck at Coachella to high-profile partnerships with HBO’s The Last of Us and Joe & The Juice. Plus, Charlotte opens up about overcoming imposter syndrome as your business grows, the exact grounding practices she uses before entering a high-stakes fundraising boardroom, and her favorite AI workflow tools. Whether you are looking to pivot your career, scale a product-based business sustainably, or learn how to trust your gut instincts in the boardroom, this episode is packed with hard-won field notes for any entrepreneur who means business. Pull Up a Seat This is We Mean Business - a field guide for builders, believers, and bold operators. If you enjoyed the episode, pull up a seat by leaving a comment, share your biggest takeaway, and follow We Mean Business for more conversations about entrepreneurship, brand building, marketing, leadership and growth. Explore Alice Mushrooms and discover its functional mushroom chocolates @alice.mushrooms on social or www.alicemushrooms.com For the best moments and quick actionable insights from our show, connect with us on social @wemeanbusinesspod and for the full We Mean Business experience, join us on YouTube @wemeanbusinesspodcast We Mean Business is an original podcast brought to you by The Next Rodeo, in partnership with Connoisseur Media, produced by Good Mess Media, with music by JAM Music Collective. Thank you!

S1 · E1

Sep 3, 2026

59:43

Welcome to We Mean Business

Trailer

We Mean Business is the podcast we wish we'd had when we started building. It is a field guide for builders, believers and bold operators. Hosted by CBO Monica Richards, each episode brings you honest, unbridled insights from the founders, executives and operators from those inside the arena. Together, we unveil not just what successful leaders built, but how they think, lead and make decisions about business and life when the stakes are highest. Pull up a seat for fresh perspectives, practical principles and actionable lessons to help you create what’s next - Because the future belongs to those willing to build it. Presented by The Next Rodeo at www.thenextrodeo.com Find us on @wemeanbusinesspod

Sep 2, 2026

1:04