

Wild Business Growth
Max Branstetter
Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur shares the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business - and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy's Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter, Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 27, 2026 • 50min
#358: Jess Loseke – Midwest Barrel Co., Used Bourbon Barrels & Wine Barrels
Jess Loseke, the Co-Founder of Midwest Barrel Co., joins the show to share her journey from suffering a scary injury to building the top provider of premium used bourbon, whiskey, and wine barrels. Hear how to find your niche market, the best way to manage your inventory, how to make tough decisions as an entrepreneur, how to find that risk-taking ability you had at the beginning, and a lesson in barrel anatomy. Connect with Jess at MidwestBarrelCo.com, JessLoseke.com, on social media @JessLoseke & @TheBarrelGirl, and on LinkedIn

Mar 5, 2026 • 42min
#357: David Lee – Nex Playground, Active Video Games for Your Living Room
David Lee, the Co-Founder & CEO of Nex and Nex Playground, joins the show to share his journey from selling a company to Apple to creating the smart little cube with active video games that transforms your living room. Hear how to break down a complicated problem, how David & team put all this cool technology in a small box, how to build a subscription model, how Steve Jobs gave feedback, and David's history with former NBA player David Lee. Connect with David at NexPlayground.com, PlayThatMovesYou.com, on social media @NexPlayground, and on LinkedIn

Feb 25, 2026 • 28min
#356: Ben Lamm – Woolly Mammoth De-Extinction, Colossal Biosciences
Ben Lamm, the Founder & CEO of Colossal Biosciences, joins the show to share his journey from 5 successful exits to creating the company trying to de-extinct the woolly mammoth. Hear how to become a serial entrepreneur, the impact of bringing back woolly mammoths, whether the world is ready for de-extinction, mind-blowing aspects of genetics & DNA, and the other species Ben wants to bring back. Connect with Ben at Colossal.com, on X @Colossal, and on LinkedIn

Feb 20, 2026 • 36min
#355: Vy Nguyen – Avocado Green Mattress, Top Organic Mattress
Vy Nguyen, the Co-CEO of Avocado Green Mattress & Avocado Green Brands, joins the show to share his journey from growing up in his family furniture business to creating the top organic mattress. Hear how to offer a high-quality organic product, how to stand out as a brand, how to inspire repeat customers, how to take a 1-minute nap, and where to travel in Vietnam. Connect with Vy at AvocadoGreenMattress.com and on LinkedIn

Feb 11, 2026 • 41min
#354: Dr. Kathrin Hamm – Bearaby, Weighted Blankets & Naps
Dr. Kathrin Hamm, the Founder & CEO of Bearaby, joins the show to share her journey from the best nap of her life to creating the brand of weighted blankets & home wellness products. Hear how to get comfortable taking risks as an entrepreneur, how to quickly scale your business, how to become the leader in your product category, the science behind weighted blankets & napping, and Kathrin's famous puppet shows. Connect with Kathrin at Bearaby.com, @MyBearaby on Instagram, and on LinkedIn

Feb 5, 2026 • 46min
#353: Dylan McDonnell – Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Restaurant Menus, Foodini
Dylan McDonnell, the Founder & CEO of Foodini, joins the show to share his journey from finding out he has celiac disease to creating the dietary intelligence company with personalized menus for over 150 diets & allergens. Hear how celiac disease works, how Foodini keeps allergies & dietary restrictions simple for restaurants, how Foodini improves the food experience at stadiums, the place Dylan's traveled to that didn't live up to the hype, and his all-time favorite memory as a sports fan. Connect with Dylan at Foodini.co and on LinkedIn

Dec 10, 2025 • 57min
#352: Jason Liebig – Candy Historian, Collecting Candy
Jason Liebig, the Candy Historian and TV Consultant & Storyteller, joins the show to share his journey from DC Comics & Marvel Comics to becoming the leading expert on candy, snacks, and nostalgia for shows like Stranger Things and Mad Men. Hear how to get good at collecting things, the top candy entrepreneurship stories, which candies are related to each other, the most unusual candies in history, and the most creative use of chocolate. Connect with Jason at CollectingCandy.com, on social media @CollectingCandy, and on LinkedIn

Dec 4, 2025 • 43min
#351: Fran Maier – BabyQuip, Match.com
Fran Maier, the Founder & CEO of BabyQuip and Co-Founder of Match.com, joins the show to share her journey from starting the 1st online dating site to creating the #1 baby gear rental service for traveling families. Hear how to keep your business simple, how to build a business powered by moms, how BabyQuip started partnering with Vrbo, how to define your ideal customer avatar, and the best things to do in Santa Fe. Connect with Fran at BabyQuip.com and on LinkedIn

Nov 26, 2025 • 48min
#350: Emma Weinberg – Buttah
Emma Weinberg, the Co-Founder of Buttah and Best Maid of Honor in History, joins the show for a very special family edition during Thanksgiving week to be interviewed by her cousin's husband, Max Branstetter. Hear how she met her husband Ben from across the pond, her manufacturing trips to Turkey, how she successfully teased Buttah's first drop, the best memories from skiing in Stratton, and the New York vs. London Edition of Rapid-Fire Q&A. Connect with Emma at ButtahLondon.com, on Instagram & TikTok @ButtahLondon, and on Instagram @EmmaGWein

Nov 19, 2025 • 44min
#349: Jamie Sonneville – 5th-Generation Farmer, Agri-Trak
Jamie Sonneville, the Founder & CEO of Agri-Trak, joins the show to share her journey from 5th-generation farmer to creating the farm labor tracking software. Hear what many people get wrong about farmers, what to do in your Pre-MVP stage, how to stop doing things the way you've always done them, The Apple Segment, and why Wegmans has such a diehard following. Connect with Jamie at Agri-Trak.com and on LinkedIn


