Just Get Started

Casey Brown, pricing expert and author of Fearless Pricing, shares her journey from chemical engineer to entrepreneur and pricing consultant. Casey unpacks why most businesses — regardless of size or industry — are leaving money on the table due to fear-based pricing decisions. She explains the psychology behind underpricing, the dangers of unnecessary discounting, and why a customer objecting on price is actually a buying signal. Casey also gets personal about her path from poverty to Fortune 500 to founder, the lessons of niching down early, the importance of meditation, and her evolving pursuit of a more intentional, peaceful pace of work.Chapters:00:00 Intro & Elevator Pitch03:10 The Origin of a Pricing Geek05:20 The Leap from Corporate to Entrepreneur10:10 Niche Down Sooner13:55 Post-It Note Wisdom17:50 Mantra & Mindset Under Pressure19:30 Imposter Syndrome & Self-Doubt26:55 Pricing Blind Spots & Fears30:55 How to Set the Right Price42:20 Price Objections Are Buying Signals44:50 Why You Need Pricing Meetings47:40 Action Item & Fearless PricingFind Casey Online:Personal Website: www.caseybrown.comBusiness Website: www.boostpricing.comLinkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/caseybrownboost/Youtube: www.youtube.com/@boostpricing👋It’s your host, Brian! Come say hi!Website: https://brianondrako.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/ Or, if you’re struggling with sales, join the Sales Skills For Founders newsletter and learn how to lead better sales conversations, spot weak deals early, and build a pipeline you can actually trust.📨 https://salesskillsforfounders.com

Tyler Denk built beehiiv after seeing how chaotic newsletter ops were at Morning Brew—writers pasting Google Docs into fragile HTML, ads tracked in spreadsheets, growth tools scattered everywhere. beehiiv’s goal: one ecosystem for publishing, growth loops, monetization, websites, surveys, and automations. Tyler explains the double-edged sword of shipping fast: it wins users, but every feature creates maintenance debt, and one weak feature can taint the whole product. He shares what newsletter formats win, why owned distribution matters for companies, and how he monetizes beyond ads through high-ticket founder masterminds.Chapters:0:00 Welcome + Tyler’s newsletter journey0:40 The Morning Brew problem: “duct-taped” systems everywhere3:04 Building the referral program + growth mechanics3:35 Leaving Morning Brew: non-compete tension and rebuilding trust4:42 beehiiv’s vision: growth + monetization + platform ecosystem6:07 Product philosophy: shipping fast vs. maintaining quality12:01 Fixing surveys + the “cool down week” operating rhythm15:19 What newsletter formats win right now?17:06 Big Desk Energy origin story17:49 If Tyler had to start over: what newsletter he’d build now20:36 Costa Rica masterminds + monetizing beyond sponsorships20:49 Rapid Fire Q1: Book that shaped him most22:35 Rapid Fire Q2: How he filters advice23:41 Rapid Fire Q3: Fear he hasn’t shaken27:45 Rapid Fire Q4: Reset button for stress31:09 Rapid Fire Q5: Fortune cookie message + “only control effort”36:57 Newsletter checklist for companies: why owned distribution matters41:27 Action item: test internally, iterate, then publish43:31 Wrap-up + where to find TylerBeehiiv: https://www.beehiiv.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-denk/ Twitter: https://x.com/denk_tweets Big Desk Energy Newsletter: https://mail.bigdeskenergy.com/ 👋It’s your host, Brian! Come say hi!Website: https://brianondrako.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/ Or, if you’re struggling with sales, join the Sales Skills For Founders newsletter and learn how to lead better sales conversations, spot weak deals early, and build a pipeline you can actually trust.📨 https://salesskillsforfounders.com

In this conversation, Justin pulls back the curtain on what actually makes a business last. Not hacks. Not virality. Not chasing quick wins. He talks about learning to solve real problems—the kind that keep people up at night—and why most “good ideas” fail because they never go deep enough. He shares how he tracks progress, how he thinks about money and energy, and why optionality matters more than speed.You’ll hear why action creates momentum, why saying “yes” changed the trajectory of his career, and how building a runway, relationships, and clarity gave him the freedom to reinvent himself—again and again.This isn’t an episode about getting rich fast.It’s about building something honest.Something sustainable.Something that still works when the hype fades.And if you’ve ever felt like you’re meant for more—but can’t quite name what that is—this conversation might help you take the next step.Chapters:0:00 — Introduction1:31 — The “brewery dream” + why you haven’t started (yet)4:29 — Why Justin shifted from tactics to deeper storytelling8:21 — Rapid Fire kickoff8:48 — Rapid Fire #1: Most valuable KPI (visitors to intended place)11:13 — Rapid Fire #2: Fear (irrelevance… and who you are after)14:38 — Rapid Fire #3: Meeting he never misses (weekly money meeting)16:23 — Rapid Fire #4: Mentor (Cyrus + the ZocDoc “yes to everything” story)19:07 — Rapid Fire #5: Fortune cookie message (get in rooms with opportunity)23:07 — How to quit smart: runway, pipeline, relationships (risk reduction)28:22 — Support at home: panic attack, burnout, and getting his life back33:28 — The unlock: life is a video game (reinvention > expertise)36:10 — The 3 pillars of a real business: pain, attention, offer40:01 — Finding the “bleeding neck” problem (how to dig past surface-level pain)45:08 — The long game + first action step: 15-min customer interviews (use AI to extract language)About Justin:Justin is a former startup executive who helped build two startups past valuations of $1B, teams of 150+ people, and raise over $300M in venture capital. After building his own one-person business past $10M, he’s helping 100,000+ experts turn their expertise into income with his masterclass, The Creator MBA.Find Justin Online:Website: https://justinwelsh.meMasterclass (Creator MBA): https://justinwelsh.link/the-creator-mbaTwitter: https://twitter.com/thejustinwelshLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinwelsh/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejustinwelsh👋It’s your host, Brian! Come say hi!Website: https://brianondrako.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/ Or, if you’re struggling with sales, join the Sales Skills For Founders newsletter and learn how to lead better sales conversations, spot weak deals early, and build a pipeline you can actually trust.📨 https://salesskillsforfounders.com

John Miles explains why burnout and disconnection often stem from one overlooked issue: mattering. He shares how chasing achievement without meaning leads to emptiness, and why intentional choices—especially in relationships—restore fulfillment. Through rapid-fire insights on sunk costs, mentorship, and self-doubt, John offers practical ways to realign with what truly matters, including why he believes these lessons must start in childhood.Chapters:00:00 — Welcome + stacking reps over time 01:35 — John’s mission: the idea of mattering 04:40 — Loneliness, burnout, and invisibility share one root 08:30 — Why modern life is eroding real connection12:40 — Rapid Fire #1: Sunk costs & knowing when to quit 16:55 — Rapid Fire #2: Who he admires but never met 20:15 — Rapid Fire #3: Almost quitting—and pushing through doubt 24:10 — Rapid Fire #4: Mentors and how to approach them correctly 28:20 — Rapid Fire #5: Planning the year vs spontaneity31:10 — Success, meaning, and the hedonic treadmill 35:40 — “Should vs Could”: values, control, and self-honesty 41:00 — Why John wrote children’s books about mattering 44:30 — Building the Matteringverse + where to find JohnFind John Online:Website: https://johnrmiles.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milesjohn/X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/John_RMilesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_r_miles/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTLdXATpxf8LP3riC0_mkKwTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@john_r_milesBlog: https://www.theignitedlife.net/Podcast: https://passionstruck.com/passion-struck-podcast/ 👋 It’s your host, Brian! Come say hi!Website: https://brianondrako.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/ Or, if you’re struggling with sales, join the Sales Skills For Founders newsletter and learn how to lead better sales conversations, spot weak deals early, and build a pipeline you can actually trust.📨 https://salesskillsforfounders.com/subscribe

Nick Gray (Founder of Museum Hack and Author of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party) is back — and this time the conversation goes beyond cocktail parties.(If you wanted to listen to our first episode together, you can ⁠find it here⁠.)Brian opens with a real-world test: hosting his first two-hour cocktail party, inviting “weak ties” into his home, and watching the surprising social physics play out (including 18 follow-up messages the next day). From there, Nick shares what he’s been building lately — from an AI-assisted museum donor database (Patron View) to a simple but overlooked edge most people still don’t use: proactive reputation management through a personal website.They dig into the mindset traps that quietly stall growth (like “adding too much value”), how to filter advice without getting pulled into noise, why focus is a real leadership skill, and why your digital footprint matters more than ever — especially if you’re job hunting, hiring, networking, or just trying to control what people find when they Google your name.If you’ve been “meaning to” build a better network, a stronger personal brand, or a more intentional online presence… this one is your push.Chapters:00:00 — Nick returns + both are married now (plus Brian’s cocktail party win)02:27 — Why the two-hour format works (and why people actually leave on time)03:38 — Nick’s recent focus: Patron View, personal websites, investing, and events04:30 — Rapid Fire #1: If you could only use ONE business tool…05:23 — Rapid Fire #2: WhisperFlow vs SuperWhisper + voice-to-text workflow07:23 — Rapid Fire #3: What Nick had to unlearn (stop “adding too much value”)09:00 — Rapid Fire #4: How Nick filters advice (context + “too far out of the game”)12:49 — Rapid Fire #5: A lightbulb moment that changed Nick’s trajectory (Cloudflare)14:35 — Why website speed matters (SEO, user behavior, bounce rates)15:16 — Nick’s mantra: “Focus” + designing environments to stay locked in17:14 — Pomodoro timers + why coworking pressure beats solo discipline17:58 — Reputation management: why Nick’s search results are strong (and why yours aren’t)19:49 — Why everyone should own a personal website (and what it should include)23:43 — What to write if you’re “not a writer” (surface area + conversational access points)27:18 — The real reason people avoid building a site (fear + identity + “who am I?”)36:21 — Job hunting reality: recruiters, AI filters, and how a website gives you an edge38:46 — The 2-step action plan: domain name → simple site (Carrd/WordPress)40:41 — Why being proactive matters (do it before you “need” it)42:07 — Where to find Nick + his $29/mo “done-for-you” website optionFind Nick Gray Online:Website: https://nickgray.net/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickgraynews/Twitter: https://x.com/nickgraynewsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickgraynews/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nickgrayTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nickgraynewsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/newfriend👋 It’s your host, Brian! Come say hi!Website: https://brianondrako.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/ Or, if you’re an early-stage B2B Founder, join the Sales Skills For Founders newsletter and learn how to lead better sales conversations, spot weak deals early, and build a pipeline you can actually trust.📨 https://salesskillsforfounders.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Episode 478 features Adriana Tica, Founder of Strategic AF, to share her in-depth State of Solopreneurship Report for 2025 and why it matters for your business in 2026.Chapters: 00:00 — Adriana returns + why solopreneur data matters 01:00 — Why she built the report (bad benchmarks + “MrBeast metrics”) 02:18 — Rapid Fire 1: fortune cookie message (unique like everyone else) 04:17 — Rapid Fire 2: her next “Just Get Started” (community in 2026) 07:15 — Rapid Fire 3: silencing the inner critic 09:43 — Rapid Fire 4: Perfectionism, delayed launches, typos, and the Pratt-Fall effect 12:00 — Rapid Fire 5: Do you learn more from wins or losses? (and the role of timing) 15:03 — The newsletter correlation: why top earners all have one 23:43 — LinkedIn drives revenue… but “owned channels” are the 2026 focus 26:14 — CTA strategy: reverse planning your content around offers 33:04 — Services as the cash cow + why products require massive trust/audience 36:36 — Revenue bragging vs profit reality (margins matter) 38:49 — The 2 biggest levers: owned channels + pick your business model 42:57 — Why you start with services, then productize from patterns 46:09 — Wrap-up + where to find AdrianaSolopreneurship can feel like you’re building in a vacuum until you realize you’ve been benchmarking your “pilot episode” against someone else’s “season three.” In this episode, Adriana Tica returns to break down her State of Solopreneurship Report. Why she built it (spoiler: rage), what the data actually says about making money as a solo operator, and the uncomfortable truth about chasing algorithms, “six-figure launches,” and creator-business hype.What you’ll learn:If you’re tired of marketing fluff and want real-world levers you can pull in 2026—this one’s for you.Why most solopreneur “benchmarks” are fake (and mentally expensive)The common thread among $500K–$1M+ solopreneurs (hint: newsletters)LinkedIn vs “owned channels” and how to stop renting your audienceHow to build CTAs that don’t feel gross (and actually convert)Services vs products: traffic game vs relationship gameWhy “7-figure business” talk is meaningless without margins👋 Go connect with Adriana:Website: https://adrianatica.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianatica/X: https://x.com/adriana_ticaMedium: https://medium.com/@adrianaticaDownload Adriana’s State of Solopreneurship Report: (https://www.adrianatica.com/the-state-of-solopreneurship-report-is-here-anniversary-edition-saf-156)👋Say Hi to your host, Brian!Web: https://brianondrako.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/ Or, if you’re an early-stage B2B Founder, join the Sales Skills For Founders newsletter and learn to “un-suck” at sales, one newsletter at a time.📨 https://salesskillsforfounders.beehiiv.com/subscribe 

Feeling “successful” on paper but quietly miserable inside?In this episode, I sit down with no BS success coach Lauren Hannon to talk about what happens when you blow up the life everyone else envies — the big house, the big paycheck, the in-ground pool — because you’re disgusted with how misaligned it feels.Lauren and I get into the real inner work behind change: listening to your gut, noticing disgust instead of numbing it, re-writing brutal self-talk, and taking the very first small step when you don’t know “what’s next” yet.If you’ve ever stayed in a high-paying role because you’re the breadwinner, afraid to start over, or unsure what else you’d even do, this one’s for you.00:00 – Introductions01:20 – Blowing up a “perfect” life: money, house, pool, status 02:05 – What a “no BS success coach” really does 05:28 – Rapid Fire intros 05:50 – Quit vs. push through: listening to your gut and your body 10:29 – The 9-option whiteboard for big decisions 15:25 – How Lauren talks to herself when things go badly 21:14 – Books that rewired her view of success, money & greatness 24:54 – Morning routines, auto-drip coffee, and protecting your energy 31:36 – The slow build to disgust: 2020, remote work & misalignment 38:19 – Why high earners stay stuck in jobs they’ve outgrown 42:45 – Breaking the doom-scroll cycle & why paying for help matters 47:18 – Step one if you’re quietly miserable in a “good” life 49:31 – How to connect with Lauren + closing thoughts👋 Say hi to Lauren:https://cupalo.io/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannonlauren/ 👋 Say hi to your host, BrianWeb: https://brianondrako.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/ Or, if you’re an early-stage B2B Founder, join the Sales Skills For Founders newsletter and learn to “un-suck” at sales, one newsletter at a time. 📨 https://salesskillsforfounders.beehiiv.com/subscribe

In this episode, Jeremie Kubicek returns for his third appearance to talk about his new book The Voice-Driven Leader and what it actually takes to develop people, not just manage them. We get into personality-driven onboarding, how to hire your first few team members, why equity is so often misallocated, and when to prune a business that isn’t working. Jeremie also shares humbling stories from the dot-com era, his favorite interview question, and why Elon Musk is the perfect example of intent plus relentless action.If you’re an early-stage founder trying to build a real team (not just a product), this one’s for you.Key Discussion Points:- Why “hyper-personalized” development beats one-size-fits-all training- The four stages of development: onboarding, immersion, empowerment, and multiplication- Speaking your team’s “voice language” so you can actually influence themJeremie's decision filter for saying “yes”- Why starting is way more mental than most founders expect- Why he admires Elon Musk’s mix of intent, action, and empowerment- How to find your early “Persons of Peace” instead of just filling roles- Jeremie's favorite hiring question: “Who are you?” (being vs doing)- Using pruning (not sunk costs) as a framework for tough founder decisions00:00 – Introduction 02:32 – Building a roadmap for developing people by personality type 03:25 – Speaking your team’s language: the five-voices metaphor & café-in-France example 05:03 – Five Voices AI: tone checks, onboarding prompts, and “no excuses” leadership06:07 – Rapid Fire Q1: Jeremie's decision filter – True North, DNA / skeleton / skin test 08:53 – Rapid Fire Q2: What people misunderstand about starting – belief, mindset & self-doubt 10:31 – Rapid Fire Q3: When Jeremie wanted to give up – pruning portfolio companies13:01 – How Jeremie thinks about equity: hired guns vs co-founders, earn-ins, sweat equity & phantom stock 18:12 – Rapid Fire Q4: Humbling dot-com failure in African-American haircare & not knowing your customer 20:00 – Apprenticeship, African-American haircare, and why startup fundamentals travel across industries21:38 – Rapid Fire Q5: Why Elon Musk embodies intent + action and empowered leadership 24:21 – Past vs present vs future: feeling responsible for what you built vs pruning for what’s next 27:40 – Listening like a founder: best-idea-wins, MVP thinking & the pressure of early hires31:26 – “Persons of Peace,” culture-first hiring, and why your first teammates can’t just want a J-O-B 34:25 – Jeremie's favorite interview question: “Who are you?” (being vs doing) 37:33 – Do founders need leadership coaching? Org clarity, financial plans & Sherpa team leaders41:22 – Resilience vs sunk cost: using pruning instead of “I have to see this through” 44:45 – Jeremie's next chapter: future of work, AI, forced diversification & entrepreneurship under pressure 46:32 – Wrapping up and where to find Jeremie onlineConnect with Jeremie Website: https://www.jeremiekubicek.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremiekubicek/ Book: The Voice-Driven Leader - https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Driven-Leader-Playbook-Personalized-Development/dp/1394150660 Connect with Brian 👋 It’s your host, Brian! Come say hi:Website: https://brianondrako.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/ PS - If you’re an early-stage B2B Founder, join the Sales Skills For Founders newsletter and learn to “un-suck” at sales, one newsletter at a time: https://salesskillsforfounders.beehiiv.com/subscribe

AI used to feel like a “someday” technology. Now it’s a power tool founders can use this weekend to build real products, validate ideas, and even qualify leads while they sleep. In this episode, I’m joined by Cooper Simson of Martell Ventures to talk about the real front lines of AI: shutting down a profitable AI startup, spotting bad ideas in a hype cycle, and using AI to build, sell, and iterate faster—without getting lost in the noise.Topics we cover:When AI actually “caught fire” and why development is becoming commoditizedHow Cooper turned grant writing into an AI startup (and why he shut it down even though it was working)Practical signals it might be time to wind down your product or pivotThe difference between product validation and true product–market fitWhat Martell Ventures looks for in founders (domain expertise + speed of action)Common AI founder mistakes: copycat products, no defensibility, and one-and-done toolsWhy so many founders struggle with sales (and how to sell problems, not features)How to use AI to 10x your output: system prompts, voice-to-text tools, and AI lead qualifiersA simple 2-step playbook to go from idea → customer conversations → weekend MVPCooper’s own “just get started” moment building a Shopify sales-tax tool for his fiancée’s businessChapters:0:00 – Introduction1:30 – Cooper’s first AI startup: grant-writing software in the “GPT 1.0” days 5:30 – Knowing when to shut down a ‘working’ business (government risk, sunk cost, AI catching up)10:10 – Rapid Fire Q1: The Post-It note he’d give the next generation (“Just go sell”) 11:35 – Rapid Fire Q2: Mantra when things get hard (glass-half-full & keep the sail up) 12:30 – Rapid Fire Q3: Priorities when everything feels urgent (Eisenhower Matrix in real life) 14:15 – Rapid Fire Q4: Staying motivated when the wins are slow to come 16:10 – Rapid Fire Q5: Cooper’s next Just Get Started moment (Shopify sales-tax tool for his fiancée)20:45 – What makes an AI idea worth building vs “because we can build it” 24:00 – Common founder mistakes: copycat AI, no defensibility, one-time-use tools & ignoring churn 29:15 – Why founders struggle with sales (and how to sell the problem, not the product) 33:30 – Practical AI for founders: voice tools, system prompts, AI callers & weekend MVPs 39:07 – Two concrete steps to go from idea → conversations → AI-built productFind Cooper Online:Website: https://www.danmartell.com/ventures/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cooper-simson-896957b1/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cooper.simson/Find your host, Brian, online:Web: https://brianondrako.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/If you’re an early-stage B2B Founder, learn to “un-suck” at sales, one newsletter at a time:📨 Sales Skills For Founders newsletter https://salesskillsforfounders.beehiiv.com/subscribe

In this conversation, Chris LaFay (Founder, Classic City Consulting) shares a decade of hard-won lessons on staying profitable, avoiding bloat, and building an agency that lasts. We dig into “one-glass focus,” why not niching can still be strategic, when to pass on work, partnerships without finders fees, pricing and retainers, and the KPI that quietly compounds new business: intentional outreach.In this episode, you’ll learnWhy “one glass” focus beats scattered growthProject variety vs. “niching down” (and how to niche by systems, not industry)The comparison trap: learning from peers without copy-pasting their playbookWhen referral partnerships work without commissions—and when they don’tThe 4 R’s growth engine: Retain → Reactivate → Referral → Recruit (new)Don’t hire on a hope: catching operational bloat before it sinks marginsPricing, retainers, and the “help agencies look great” strategyThe single KPI Chris tracks in good seasons: weekly intentional check-insHow to handle sunk costs with a “fans-first” lens (Savannah Bananas inspo)Mentorship as a cheat code for clarity and decisive actionChapters:00:00 Intro 09:04 One-Glass Focus: creator energy, momentum, and why projects stay interesting 11:29 Project Variety > Burnout: why new client problems keep the work fresh 14:15 Do You Need a Niche? Niching by WordPress/Shopify & repeatable frameworks 15:32 Peer Comparison Without Copy-Paste: learning from others, keeping identity 18:44 Outreach > Everything: how early agencies stall without consistent relationship-building 25:24 Partnerships Sans Finder Fees: when passing leads is the value (and exceptions) 31:10 Adding Value to Your Agency Network: beyond referrals; community & support 32:17 Risk You’re Glad You Took: the hiring lesson that reshaped the business 37:51 Silencing the Inner Critic: external processing & mentor mirrors 41:22 Most Valuable KPI: weekly intentional reach-outs (and why they compound) 46:55 Action Taker You Admire: David Feldman & decisive leadership 51:49 Sunk Costs & When to Quit: “fans-first” filter + staying lean on OPEXConnect with Chris:Founder – Classic City Consulting Website: https://classiccity.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lafay/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7aHdpQXccPOE9YTcDJe4gZConnect with Brian: Web:⁠ https://brianondrako.com⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/If you’re an early-stage B2B Founder, join the Sales Skills For Founders newsletter and learn to “un-suck” at sales, one newsletter at a time. 📨 https://salesskillsforfounders.beehiiv.com/subscribe