🎙 Inventive Journey | Real Stories From the Startup Survival Club

Devin @ Miller IP
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Buckle up for real stories from startup founders and small business heroes who survived the chaos, laughed at the mistakes, and still built something awesome. 🚀 Each episode dives into the wild ride of turning ideas into impact—complete with hard lessons, lucky breaks, and plenty of caffeine. ☕️ Entrepreneurs, this is your pit stop for honest insights and unexpected laughs.

  1. 🚀 From Dental Office to Digital CEO: Building a Profitable Virtual Business from Home

    1 DAY AGO

    🚀 From Dental Office to Digital CEO: Building a Profitable Virtual Business from Home

    What if the skills you’ve already mastered in a traditional job were enough to build a profitable, flexible business from home? In this episode of the Inventive Journey Podcast, host Devin Miller sits down with Haylee Gernert, an online business manager who transformed her career from dental office operations into a thriving virtual business. Haylee shares how she leveraged real-world experience—organization, communication, systems thinking, and client care—to create a sustainable work-from-home career without hype, hustle culture, or burning out. Haylee’s journey began in Northern California, where she entered a dental assisting program straight out of high school. Within days of graduating, she was earning an income while many of her peers were just beginning college. Over the next 15 years, she worked her way through nearly every role in the dental office, from chairside assisting to office management. Along the way, she developed a deep understanding of operations, conflict resolution, and how to make people feel supported—even in high-stress environments. As life changed and family priorities grew, Haylee began searching for a way to work from home. That search led her to the emerging world of virtual assisting. In the early days, virtual assistants were often former executive assistants or office managers working remotely long before it became mainstream. When COVID accelerated the shift to remote work, demand for skilled virtual professionals exploded. Haylee joined an agency to gain experience and structure, but soon realized she was capable of more than task execution. She wasn’t just checking boxes—she was solving problems, building systems, and thinking strategically. With the encouragement of mentors and clients, she began transitioning into higher-level work as an online business manager. In this conversation, Haylee breaks down the differences between virtual assistants and online business managers, the pros and cons of working with agencies, and how to know when it’s time to raise rates or step out on your own. She also shares candid lessons about setting boundaries, advocating for your value, and learning to fire clients when necessary. You’ll also hear Haylee’s advice for anyone starting a service-based business today, including why networking is one of the most underrated growth tools and how listening—really listening—can shape your offers more effectively than guessing ever could. This episode is a must-listen for professionals considering virtual work, freelancers looking to level up, or business owners curious about how online operators actually help companies scale. To chat about this one-on-one, grab a free consult at strategymeeting.com

    26 min
  2. 🔥 From Battlefield to Boardroom to Building Hope: Turning Survival into Strategy with Abraham George

    3 DAYS AGO

    🔥 From Battlefield to Boardroom to Building Hope: Turning Survival into Strategy with Abraham George

    In this episode of the Inventive Journey, host Devin Miller sits down with Abraham George, a man whose life proves that survival can be transformed into strategy—and strategy into lasting impact. Abraham’s journey begins in the Indian military, where at just 18 years old he was stationed along the Chinese border at 14,000 feet above sea level. While serving as an artillery officer, he narrowly survived a deadly dynamite explosion. That moment didn’t just change his career path—it reshaped his entire philosophy on purpose, service, and long-term thinking. Rather than rushing into answers, Abraham chose patience. He came to the United States in the late 1960s, studied at New York University’s Stern School of Business, and earned advanced degrees in international finance and developmental economics. After a brief but valuable experience at JP Morgan, he realized that a comfortable salary would never give him the leverage needed to address the deeper social issues he cared about. So he built his own company. At a time when computers were rare and startups had no safety nets, Abraham founded a financial risk-management software business. The first decade was brutally difficult—financially, emotionally, and professionally. He taught college courses at night, supported a growing family, and slowly refined a product the market wasn’t quite ready for yet. The second decade brought traction. The final five years brought a breakthrough. His company grew from three people working out of a basement into a global market leader with offices across the United States and Europe, eventually employing more than 150 people. When Abraham reached the point he had planned for decades, he exited the business—not to retire, but to begin his true mission. That mission was education. Using his own capital, Abraham moved to a remote village in India and founded a residential boarding school for children living below the poverty line. His approach rejected short-term charity in favor of long-term commitment—supporting each child from age four through college and into their first career. It was an 18- to 19-year intervention designed to break generational poverty from the bottom up. Today, his schools educate hundreds of students at a time, with graduates now working at companies like Microsoft, Ernst & Young, and ExxonMobil, and others studying in top universities around the world. His work challenges conventional thinking about philanthropy, proving that structure, discipline, and patience matter just as much in service as they do in business. Abraham also openly shares his failures—overexpansion, the dangers of running organizations as a one-person show, and the financial devastation of the 2008 crisis. Those lessons reinforce a central theme of this episode: whether in business or philanthropy, systems matter more than ego. This conversation is a powerful reminder that success doesn’t have to end at the exit—and that entrepreneurs willing to think long-term can build businesses that fund impact far beyond themselves. To chat about this one-on-one, grab a free consult at strategymeeting.com

    37 min
  3. 🔥 From Airbus to AI: A Founder’s Journey Through Fast and Slow Innovation

    20 FEB

    🔥 From Airbus to AI: A Founder’s Journey Through Fast and Slow Innovation

    Innovation rarely moves at a single speed. Some industries reward patience, structure, and decades-long planning. Others demand rapid experimentation, constant iteration, and a tolerance for uncertainty. Few founders understand both worlds firsthand—but Larissa Schneider does. In this episode of Inventive Journey, host Devin Miller sits down with Larissa to unpack a career that spans continents, industries, and radically different innovation timelines. From working in aerospace at Airbus—where products can take 20 to 30 years to reach the market—to building and scaling an AI startup to nearly 100 people in under two years, Larissa’s journey offers powerful lessons for modern founders. Born and raised in a small town in Germany, Larissa developed an early desire to experience the world beyond familiar borders. That curiosity took her to Australia for high school, the UK and France for university, and eventually into large multinational organizations. Along the way, she gained exposure to international teams, multiple languages, and the discipline required to operate inside massive enterprises. At Airbus, Larissa learned what “slow innovation” really means. Precision matters. Long-term thinking isn’t optional. And mistakes carry enormous consequences. While those lessons built rigor and patience, they also revealed a mismatch between the pace of the industry and the kind of impact she wanted to make. That realization led her to the Bay Area and into the startup ecosystem, where speed and experimentation define success. There, Larissa experienced the other extreme—shipping fast, learning in real time, and seeing results almost immediately. The contrast reshaped how she thinks about building companies, teams, and products. During COVID, she made another intentional pivot into cybersecurity, seeking both challenge and purpose. It was in that environment—alongside her future co-founders—that she witnessed the sudden rise of large language models. While consumers adopted AI tools almost overnight, businesses struggled to unlock real value. That gap sparked the idea for Unframe. Today, Unframe has grown rapidly across multiple continents, serving customers who return again and again as the platform expands across teams and departments. Larissa shares candid insights on what made that growth possible, including early hiring mistakes, the danger of over-polishing before demand exists, and why founders must be honest about the level of commitment startups require. She also offers advice that isn’t always popular but is deeply practical: startup life isn’t compatible with half-measures. The work is intense, the boundaries are thin, and the tradeoffs are real. But for those who choose it intentionally, the learning and momentum can be unmatched. This conversation is a must-listen for founders navigating AI, global teams, and fast-moving markets—especially those trying to balance speed with long-term discipline. To chat about this one-on-one, grab a free consult at strategymeeting.com

    27 min
  4. 🏁 Exit Ramp or Partnership: The Career Crossroads Every Big Law Attorney Faces

    11 FEB

    🏁 Exit Ramp or Partnership: The Career Crossroads Every Big Law Attorney Faces

    Every Big Law attorney eventually faces a defining moment—whether they talk about it openly or keep it quietly tucked away. It’s the point where the partner track feels closer than ever, yet somehow less appealing. Titles loom. Expectations shift. Compensation math stays murky. And the question becomes unavoidable: Is this really what success looks like? In this episode of Inventive Journey, host Devin Miller sits down with attorney Matthew Fornaro to explore that exact crossroads. Matthew shares his candid journey from Big Law associate to firm owner, unpacking the realities most attorneys don’t learn until they’re already deep inside the system. The conversation pulls back the curtain on partnership economics—how bonuses are calculated, why firm-wide performance can outweigh individual results, and how “making partner” often comes with strings attached that aren’t discussed in recruiting brochures. Matthew explains why the prestige of Big Law doesn’t always translate into autonomy, clarity, or control. From there, the discussion shifts to what happens when attorneys choose the exit ramp. Starting a firm doesn’t mean instant freedom—it means responsibility. Revenue resets to zero. Systems disappear. You become the attorney, marketer, operations manager, and strategist all at once. Matthew walks through what those early years actually look like, including lean periods, uncomfortable learning curves, and the slow process of building momentum. A major theme of the episode is the business education gap in law. Law school teaches legal analysis, not client acquisition or firm management. Matthew shares how targeted entrepreneurship programs and hands-on experience helped him close that gap, turning trial-and-error into systems and sustainability. Technology also plays a key role in modern firm ownership. Matthew discusses how tools—especially when used responsibly—can dramatically reduce overhead, improve efficiency, and allow solo and small firm attorneys to compete without recreating Big Law infrastructure. He’s also clear about the limits: AI is a tool, not a replacement for judgment, and careless use can do real damage. This episode isn’t anti–Big Law. It’s pro–intentional decision-making. Some attorneys thrive on the partner track. Others realize that ownership, flexibility, and equity matter more than titles. The real risk isn’t choosing one path over the other—it’s drifting into a future by default. If you’re an attorney questioning the long-term tradeoffs of partnership, curious about firm ownership, or simply trying to define success on your own terms, this conversation offers an honest, grounded perspective from someone who’s lived both sides. To chat about this one-on-one, grab a free consult at strategymeeting.com

    43 min
  5. 🚀 From Wall Street to Startups: How Paige Arnof-Fenn Built a 24-Year Marketing Powerhouse Without a Business Plan

    6 FEB

    🚀 From Wall Street to Startups: How Paige Arnof-Fenn Built a 24-Year Marketing Powerhouse Without a Business Plan

    Paige Arnof-Fenn’s entrepreneurial journey didn’t start with a business plan — it started with curiosity, courage, and a willingness to pivot. In this episode of Inventive Journey, Paige shares how she went from Wall Street financial analyst to building a 24-year global marketing firm by trusting her instincts and leaning into what she loved most. Raised in a family of bankers, Paige assumed finance was her destiny. After earning a degree in economics, she landed on Wall Street and quickly realized that while she was good at the work, it didn’t energize her. A single conversation changed her career trajectory when a colleague pointed out that everything Paige enjoyed about banking — planning events, managing promotions, and shaping perception — was actually marketing. That insight led her to business school, where she discovered a natural talent that reshaped her future. Paige went on to work at iconic companies like Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola, gaining world-class training in branding, positioning, and strategy. But when the internet boom of the late 1990s arrived, she took a risk that surprised everyone around her. Leaving behind corporate stability, Paige joined early-stage startups where speed, experimentation, and direct customer feedback ruled the day. Those experiences rewired how she thought about growth and innovation. After three successful startup exits, the events of 9/11 abruptly changed the business landscape. Marketing budgets disappeared, companies panicked, and uncertainty ruled. Instead of stepping back, Paige leaned forward. Her network of founders, investors, and executives reached out for help — and she said yes. Without writing a business plan or opening an office, she began connecting great people with real problems that needed solving. That decision led to the creation of Mavens & Moguls, a virtual marketing firm built decades before remote work became mainstream. Paige scaled the business organically through relationships and referrals, assembling a global team of experts who could move fast and adapt to change. The firm survived the dot-com crash, the Great Recession, and COVID by staying lean, flexible, and focused on results. In this conversation, Paige also shares hard-earned leadership lessons — including when loyalty can hold a business back, why culture matters more than titles, and how building the right team is essential for long-term success. She explains why branding is no longer optional and why everyone, not just celebrities, is a brand in today’s digital world. This episode is packed with insights for founders, marketers, and anyone navigating career pivots. Paige’s story proves that success doesn’t always come from careful planning — sometimes it comes from being brave enough to follow what feels right and smart enough to evolve when the world changes. To chat about this one-on-one, grab a free consult at strategymeeting.com

    38 min
  6. 💡 Three Heart Attacks, Losing $30 Million, and the Lesson That Rebuilt Everything | Robert White

    4 FEB

    💡 Three Heart Attacks, Losing $30 Million, and the Lesson That Rebuilt Everything | Robert White

    What if your biggest business failure turned out to be your most valuable leadership lesson? In this episode of The Inventive Journey, host Devin Miller sits down with Robert White, a seasoned entrepreneur, trainer, and executive coach whose career spans decades, continents, and more than a few hard-earned wake-up calls. Robert’s story isn’t polished for headlines—it’s honest, uncomfortable, and deeply instructive for founders, executives, and anyone building something that involves people. Robert grew up in poverty and discovered early success as a teenage radio personality in Wisconsin. By most external measures, he was “winning” early in life. But momentum without maturity has a cost. Within a decade, Robert found himself broke, divorced, and recovering from three heart attacks before the age of 25. His health, relationships, and career were all under strain. The turning point didn’t come from a new business strategy or a better product. It came from a personal reckoning. After attending a human-potential seminar, Robert was forced to confront how his own behavior, mindset, and lack of accountability were getting in the way of success. That shift—from blame to responsibility—became the foundation for everything that followed. Robert went on to build and lead major training organizations, including Lifespring in the U.S. and Arc International in Asia. Across multiple companies, more than 1.4 million people graduated from programs he founded or led. At the height of success, Robert had wealth, influence, and options—including an unsolicited acquisition offer worth tens of millions of dollars. And then came the decision that changed everything. Believing systems could replace leadership, Robert stepped away too early. Thought leadership faded. Culture weakened. The business unraveled. The financial loss totaled $30 million—a number that still stings, but taught a lesson far more valuable than money. In this episode, Robert and Devin dive into what really caused that collapse, why culture cannot be delegated, and how founder absence impacts people-driven organizations. They also discuss due diligence failures, the danger of comfort, and why “just start” remains one of the most powerful pieces of advice for entrepreneurs at any stage. Today, Robert works with executive teams and leaders, helping them align culture, accountability, and strategy so success doesn’t implode from the inside. His insights are especially relevant for founders navigating growth, exits, or the temptation to step away too soon. If you’ve ever wondered when to hold on, when to let go, or how to rebuild after a major setback, this episode delivers clarity without sugarcoating the truth. To chat about this one-on-one, grab a free consult at strategymeeting.com

    37 min
  7. 🎧 From Broadway to AI Strategy — Yuri Cataldo

    9 JAN

    🎧 From Broadway to AI Strategy — Yuri Cataldo

    Yuri Cataldo’s journey is proof that innovation favors the adaptable. Trained at Juilliard and Yale Drama School, Yuri began his career designing for Broadway and film. When the 2008 financial crisis disrupted the arts, he pivoted — teaching, waiting tables, and launching a bottled water startup from rural Indiana. Through storytelling-driven marketing and early digital testing, the brand landed in Whole Foods, earned international recognition, and gained national exposure before regulatory barriers forced its closure. Rather than retreat, Yuri leaned into entrepreneurship education, ran a nearly $1M crowdfunding campaign, and ultimately joined Autodesk. Today, he operates inside Autodesk Research, analyzing AI competitors and helping teams distinguish real innovation from marketing noise. This episode explores resilience, creativity, marketing ownership, and the legal realities founders often overlook. 🎧 Listen now — and discover more at lawwithmiller.com.

    37 min
  8. From Candy Sales to Global Tech — Luis Derechin

    7 JAN

    From Candy Sales to Global Tech — Luis Derechin

    Entrepreneurship rarely starts with a perfectly crafted business plan — and Luis Derechin’s journey proves it. In this episode of Inventive Journey, Devin Miller sits down with Luis to unpack more than 40 years of real-world entrepreneurship, beginning with a childhood hustle selling Mexican candy across borders and evolving into multimillion-dollar businesses, venture-backed tech, and global workforce strategy. Luis was born in Mexico and raised in Southern California, moving fluidly between cultures at an early age. That cross-border exposure shaped his instinct for spotting opportunity. His first business ended in the principal’s office, but the lesson stuck: when there’s demand, someone will fill it — and smart entrepreneurs pay attention early. As a young adult, Luis partnered with his father to build an import-export company, sourcing housewares from Europe and Asia and distributing them throughout Mexico. The business grew rapidly, only to be nearly wiped out during Mexico’s devastating economic crisis in the mid-1990s. Instead of walking away, Luis rebuilt — launching a direct sales organization that scaled even larger and taught him the realities of incentives, logistics, and leadership at scale. In the early 2000s, Luis caught what many entrepreneurs recognize as “the tech bug.” He helped build what became Mexico’s first startup to raise U.S. venture capital, eventually relocating to the United States and serving in executive leadership through years of intense growth and, ultimately, acquisition. The experience exposed him to the pressures of venture funding, global teams, and the operational discipline required to survive in fast-moving tech environments. Today, Luis focuses on nearshoring and offshoring strategy, helping companies avoid the costly mistakes he’s seen — and made — when building teams across borders. He’s also the author of a book detailing where companies go wrong and how founders can approach global expansion with clarity instead of shortcuts. This episode isn’t about overnight success or startup hype. It’s about durability, reinvention, and understanding that entrepreneurship is a long game shaped by economic cycles, culture, and execution. If you’re building, scaling, or expanding internationally — or recovering from setbacks — Luis Derechin’s story offers grounded, hard-earned insight you can apply immediately. To learn more about protecting your ideas, brands, and innovations as you grow, visit lawwithmiller.com. 🎙️ Listen now and discover what four decades of entrepreneurship really teaches.

    31 min
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Buckle up for real stories from startup founders and small business heroes who survived the chaos, laughed at the mistakes, and still built something awesome. 🚀 Each episode dives into the wild ride of turning ideas into impact—complete with hard lessons, lucky breaks, and plenty of caffeine. ☕️ Entrepreneurs, this is your pit stop for honest insights and unexpected laughs.

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