The Shades of Entrepreneurship™ is a top-tier entrepreneurial podcast featuring real conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and small business owners. Tune in for startup success stories, actionable business growth strategies, and honest reflections on the entrepreneurial journey. Each episode is packed with entrepreneurship tips and tricks, startup funding tips, and founder insights to help you build, scale, and lead with confidence. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just getting started, this podcast is your guide to unlocking business owners' success secrets and turning vision into venture.
The Shades of Entrepreneurship™ is a top-tier entrepreneurial podcast featuring real conversations with entrepreneurs, founders and small business owners. Tune in for startup success stories, actionable business growth strategies, and honest reflections on the entrepreneurial journey. Each episode is packed with entrepreneurship tips and tricks, startup funding tips, and founder insights to help you build, scale, and lead with confidence. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just getting started, this podcast is your guide to unlocking business owners' success secrets and turning vision into venture.
In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores welcomes Pranav Dalal, founder and CEO of Office Beacon. Pranav shares how he pioneered remote staffing long before it became a trend, scaling his global team to thousands of full-time employees across four countries. Discover how he identifies strategic "hooks," builds world-class teams, and leverages both human capital and AI to help businesses thrive. Learn about his unique lead generation strategies, the role of KPIs in onboarding, and why he believes outsourcing is key to scaling smart. Whether you're a startup founder, business leader, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with lessons on resilience, strategy, and global scalability.
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In this inspiring episode, Gabriel Flores interviews Libby DeLucien—multi-business owner, software founder, and children’s book author—about her remarkable entrepreneurial journey. Libby shares how she went from growing up in a family that owned the largest herd of Asian elephants in North America to launching residential cleaning companies, recruiting tech, and SaaS solutions. After losing everything in a divorce, Libby rebuilt from experience, not from scratch, scaling multiple ventures and creating impact in the process. Tune in to hear how she leverages AI, bootstraps software from real-world gaps, and balances life as a wife, mother, and founder.
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In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Colby Varley, Vice President and Co-owner of ATS Salinas, a 40-year-old logistics firm specializing in refrigerated transportation. From driving trucks to leading operations, Colby shares his full-circle journey in the high-stakes world of perishable produce. Tune in to discover how cold chain logistics supports your favorite grocery aisle, the business lessons Colby learned in the salad bowl of America, and why customer service and specialization are the true keys to long-term success. Whether you're in logistics, food supply, or just curious about where your lettuce comes from, this episode delivers.
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In Episode 207 of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, Corey Morris, CEO of Voltage and author of The Digital Marketing Success Plan, shares how he transitioned from agency employee to owner—while learning the hard truths about profitability, digital marketing ROI, and building a focused team culture.
Corey walks through how he went from managing operations to acquiring the business, what financial red flags to look out for, and why focusing on your strengths—not every shiny service—is key to sustainable growth. He also reveals how his agency narrowed its scope to specialize in SEO, Google Ads, and web development, ditching services that no longer aligned with performance or passion.
Whether you're a digital marketer, creative agency leader, or entrepreneur scaling your service-based business, this episode is packed with tactical lessons and mindset shifts you won’t want to miss.
🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and theshadesofe.com
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In Episode 206 of The Shades of Entrepreneurship™, Jonathan Ronzio, co-founder and CMO of Trainual, shares how systems, structure, and documented processes are the keys to scaling a business—and unlocking creative freedom for founders.
From adventure filmmaking to building one of the top business ops platforms, Jonathan opens up about the identity shift that comes with stepping into operations and why “you can’t scale chaos.” He explains how onboarding systems, process clarity, and team alignment help founders work on the business instead of staying trapped in it.
Whether you're a creative founder, an early-stage entrepreneur, or a leader scaling a growing team, this episode is packed with actionable insights on how to build a business that works—with or without you.
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In Episode 205 of The Shades of Entrepreneurship™, Gabriel Flores interviews John Horn, CEO of StubGroup, a digital marketing agency built around strategy-first advertising. John shares how he helped build the company from the ground up, why understanding a client’s business context is crucial, and how Stub Group helps companies overcome ad account suspensions and scale smarter.
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In Episode 204 of The Shades of Entrepreneurship™, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Izzy Rosenzweig, founder and CEO of Portless, to discuss how he's rethinking global e-commerce fulfillment. From struggling brand owner to innovator, Izzy shares how the Portless model slashes lead times, improves cash flow, and supports brands manufacturing in Asia by shipping directly to consumers.
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In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship™, host Gabriel Flores sits down with James Hilovsky, CEO of The Fran Dream, to explore the world of franchise ownership. James shares his transition from the fast-food industry to franchise consulting, the steps to evaluate a good opportunity, and why networking is crucial to franchise success.
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Wilson Zehr, founder of Zairmail, joins The Shades of Entrepreneurship to share how direct mail is evolving in the digital age. From launching hybrid mail solutions to creating Speedy, a tool for one-to-one mailing, Wilson explains how automation and audience targeting make direct mail more effective than ever. He breaks down the benefits of first-class vs. standard A mail and shares a real-world campaign success in Eastern Oregon. If you're in real estate, insurance, or service-based industries, this episode is a must-listen.
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Unlock the secrets to entrepreneurial success with host Gabriel Flores on The Shades of Entrepreneurship™ by understanding the role of open source software in empowering businesses. Hear how David Young build Federated Computer's suite of tools is transforming the way entrepreneurs build and customize their infrastructure for optimal performance.
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Join host Gabriel Flores on The Shades of Entrepreneurship™ in this exclusive interview as Johnathan Grzybowski reveals the key strategies behind Penji's creative subscription service, revolutionizing graphic design, web development, and marketing. Gain invaluable insights into solving real, large problems, fostering clear communication, and navigating the challenges of entrepreneurial growth.
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Discover the key steps entrepreneurs should take to develop a robust intellectual property (IP) strategy on The Shades of Entrepreneurship™ featuring Jeff Holman, CEO of Intellectual Strategies. Explore the significance of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets in protecting your brand assets and innovations. Learn how to avoid common IP mistakes and build a strong foundation for your business.
Connect and follow Jeff Holman on social media:
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On this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Dario Valenza, founder of Carbonix, to explore his journey from America’s Cup yacht racing to developing cutting-edge long-range drones.
Dario shares how he applied his expertise in aerodynamics and composite structures to create fixed-wing VTOL drones designed for critical infrastructure inspection. They discuss Carbonix’s business model, strategic partnerships, and expansion into the U.S. market, along with the future of automated drone operations.
Tune in to learn how innovation and precision engineering are reshaping aerial technology!
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On this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Maxwell Nee, an entrepreneur-turned-investor, to discuss his journey from corporate banking to building and scaling businesses. Maxwell shares insights into the entrepreneurial vs. investor mindset, his experience launching ventures in Singapore’s sustainable industries, and his investment in ScoreApp, a powerful quiz-based marketing platform.
We also dive into strategies for high profitability with minimal marketing spend, avoiding burnout, and surrounding yourself with top talent. Tune in for a masterclass in business growth, smart investing, and the future of entrepreneurship!
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On this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Molly Rose Speed, Founder of Virtual Assistant Academy, to discuss the power of outsourcing and how virtual assistants can transform the way entrepreneurs run their businesses. Molly Rose shares her journey from corporate life to building a business that trains top-tier virtual assistants, helping business owners reclaim their time and scale efficiently.
Join us as we dive into the future of remote work, automation, and the essential skills needed to build a successful VA business. Tune in for valuable insights on productivity, delegation, and the entrepreneurial mindset!
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In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, Gabriel sits down with Kris Jones, author of From Click to Clients and owner of Red Door Designs, to explore the transformative power of storytelling in marketing. Kris shares how a compelling brand story can help businesses connect with their audience and convert visitors into loyal clients, even in challenging economic times.
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In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Don Berger to explore the transformative power of belonging in the workplace. Don shares his personal journey—from being adopted and moving from Israel to the U.S., to founding a successful event planning software company. He discusses how his experiences inspired him to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) while recognizing that true belonging goes beyond corporate strategies. Don dives into his framework from The Quest to help individuals find personal belonging and introduces his latest venture: intimate retreat centers designed to foster connection and community. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about building inclusive cultures and creating spaces where people truly feel they belong.
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In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores interviews Aaron Rokstad, third-generation entrepreneur in the power industry and founder of Rokstad Power. Aaron shares his journey from growing up in a family-owned utility business to launching Rokstad Power in 2008. He discusses the evolving challenges of the power line industry, including labor shortages and rising demand driven by AI, data centers, and electric vehicles. Aaron also opens up about Rokstad Power’s recent financial struggles and a hostile takeover attempt, offering valuable lessons on creative financing and the importance of company culture. Tune in to hear how Aaron is turning adversity into opportunity and preparing for his next entrepreneurial venture.
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In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores sits down with Jeff Greenfield, CEO of Provalytics, to discuss the evolution of marketing in the digital age. Jeff shares how marketers must adapt to the rise of social media and shifting consumer behavior by moving beyond traditional media strategies. He challenges the industry’s reliance on clicks and cost-per-click metrics, emphasizing the importance of brand awareness and impression data. Jeff also explains how privacy changes, like Apple’s iOS updates, have reshaped marketing analytics and how Provalytics uses aggregated data to measure effectiveness. Learn how consolidating marketing data into a single source of truth can drive smarter decisions and bigger results.
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In this episode of The Shades of Entrepreneurship, host Gabriel Flores sits down with 5x Founder Adam Pener, owner of Portland-based venture studio AP Works, to discuss how Adam evaluates risk, why the Founder's vision is key in investment decisions, and the importance of family and mental health for entrepreneurs. Adam shares his journey from national security analyst to entrepreneur, the inspiration behind his rapidly-scaling Sniper Bladeworks venture (www.snniperbladeworks.com), and how he dug in and led one of the world's most important medical device breakthroughs following COVID.
DISCOUNT: Listeners can use Adam's discount code - Bladedog - at checkout to receive 15% off their Sniper Bladeworks knife or merch purchase!
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