Anything But Typical

Gary Frey & Ben McDonald
  • 5.0 (23)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Daily

Gary Frey & Ben McDonald host round table conversations discussing entrepreneurship, leadership, and success on your own terms.

  1. Sep 22

    178: Christian Klender | From Motor Sports to Watches

    Christian Klender’s career has taken him from software engineering and professional motorsports to building Watches of Charlotte. In this episode of Anything But Typical, Christian shares how he broke into racing, helped build McLaren’s presence in Charlotte, and eventually made the jump into entrepreneurship. We also talk about turning a passion for watches into a business, building trust with customers, raising capital, managing risk, and why sustainable growth matters more than simply getting bigger. In This Episode: • Breaking into professional motorsports • Working with IndyCar, NASCAR, and McLaren • Leaving the stability of a traditional career • Building Watches of Charlotte • Turning a passion into a profitable business • Building trust in high-value sales • Managing risk, investors, and growth • Staying grounded through career and life transitions Learn more about Christian: WatchesofCharlotte.com Instagram: @WatchesofCharlotte

  2. Sep 8

    177: Built Through Constant Change: William McKee on Entrepreneurship, Technology & AI

    William McKee didn’t set out to become an entrepreneur. His path moved through engineering, technology, philosophy, travel, teaching, and eventually into building Knowmad Digital Marketing. In this episode of Anything But Typical, William McKee joins Gary Frey and Ben to share how curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to keep evolving helped shape both his life and his business. The conversation explores William’s early exposure to technology, the unconventional journey that led him into entrepreneurship, and what it has taken to keep Knowmad relevant through decades of change. From the early days of the internet to SEO, digital marketing, and now AI, William explains why staying curious has become one of his greatest advantages. He also opens up about the realities of business growth, including costly pivots, finding the right support system, working alongside another visionary, building stronger processes, and learning when to step back and let the team operate in their strengths.   Resources Mentioned Knowmad Digital Marketing, EO Accelerator, HubSpot, Marketing AI Institute / SmarterX, Charlotte Business Exchange, and EOS. Connect With William McKee Learn more about Knowmad Digital Marketing at www.knowmad.com. You can also find William McKee on LinkedIn by searching for William McKee in Charlotte. About Anything But Typical Anything But Typical shares real stories from entrepreneurs—not just the wins. Subscribe and share for more conversations about entrepreneurship, leadership, growth, and everything that happens along the way.

  3. Aug 25

    176: From Race Car Driver to Team Owner: Erin Vogel on Leadership & Women in Motorsports

    **Episode Summary:** Erin Vogel, semi-retired sports car racing driver and founder of AE Victory Racing, shares her journey from growing up in a family of racing pioneers to becoming a team owner on a mission to create opportunities for women in motorsports. She discusses overcoming imposter syndrome, navigating a male-dominated sport, the messy transition from driver to team owner, and the leadership lessons learned along the way — including the importance of delegation, building culture, and embracing failure as fuel for growth.   Where to Find Erin --- **Connect with Erin:** - Instagram: @ErinVogelRacing and @AEVictoryRacing - TikTok: @AEVictoryRacing - Website: www.aevictoryracing.com

  4. Aug 11

    175: David Wurtzbacher — Building a People-First Business

    David Wurtzbacher — Building a People-First Business What does it really look like to put people first while building and scaling a business? In this episode of Anything But Typical, Gary and Ben sit down with David Wurtzbacher, Founder and CEO of Ascend, to talk about leadership, entrepreneurship, culture, and building organizations where people have the opportunity to flourish. David shares lessons from his journey through JPMorgan, Lightwave Dental, and ultimately founding Ascend — including why character matters in M&A, how Ascend is working to preserve the independence of entrepreneurial CPA firms, and why long-term thinking often requires making decisions that can't immediately be measured on a spreadsheet. The conversation also explores the importance of stepping out of the day-to-day to work on the business, developing a coachable mindset, investing in future leaders, and intentionally designing a life that goes beyond professional success. In This Episode: What it means to lead people toward an inspiring vision Why Ascend takes a People First approach to growth Preserving independence and culture during acquisitions Choosing the right people — not simply the right deal Why leaders have to make time to work on the business The role of executive coaching and lifelong learning Creating opportunities for the next generation of leaders David's perspective on faith, purpose, and living an abundant life About David Wurtzbacher David Wurtzbacher is the Founder and CEO of Ascend, a platform built to help entrepreneurial CPA firms grow and transform while preserving their independence, culture, people, and approach to serving clients. Resources Ascend: ascendtogether.com Ascend on LinkedIn: Search “Ascend” on LinkedIn Connect with David: Find David Wurtzbacher on LinkedIn About Anything But Typical Anything But Typical shares the real stories behind entrepreneurship — not just the wins, but the challenges, decisions, lessons, and experiences that shape the journey. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and share it with someone who could benefit from the conversation.

  5. Jul 29

    174: From Corporate Banking to Physical Copper: Allen Cates on Trust, Failure & Reinvention

    From Corporate Banking to Physical Copper: Allen Cates on Trust, Failure & Reinvention Allen Cates’ entrepreneurial journey has taken him across countries, industries, and some incredibly difficult business lessons. Growing up in Canada, Australia, England, and the United States taught him how to adapt quickly, appreciate different perspectives, and become comfortable entering unfamiliar environments. In this episode of Anything But Typical, Allen shares how his career in banking prepared him to purchase and operate a small business—and why he eventually knew it was time to move on. He also opens up about investing with a trusted business leader who was later discovered to be forging financial records. That experience forced Allen to confront failure, forgive himself, strengthen his approach to due diligence, and rebuild his confidence. Allen also explains the mission behind Kilo Reserve and how the company gives investors access to physical industrial metals. The conversation explores copper’s role in electrical infrastructure, electric vehicles, AI data centers, and the power grid, along with the differences between owning physical metal and investing through mining stocks, ETFs, or futures. In This Episode How an international childhood shaped Allen’s adaptability and leadership Why every piece of feedback deserves consideration The value of learning “on someone else’s dime” What Allen learned from buying and selling a small business Why entrepreneurs must become comfortable with failure Recovering emotionally after betrayal by a trusted business partner The importance of understanding the asset behind an investment How Kilo Reserve makes physical industrial metals more accessible Why following the process matters more than one final result Key Takeaway Failure does not have to become your identity. Allen’s story demonstrates the importance of acknowledging what happened, learning from it, forgiving yourself, and carrying those lessons into the next opportunity. Connect With Allen and Learn More Kilo Reserve: Official website Allen Cates on LinkedIn Kilo Reserve on LinkedIn BizBuySell: Explore businesses available for purchase Subscribe to Anything But Typical for more honest conversations with entrepreneurs about the successes, failures, pivots, and lessons that shaped their journeys.

  6. Jul 14

    173: Building EarthKind: Integrity, Innovation, and Knowing When to Let Go with Kari Warberg Block

    Brief Summary Kari Warberg Block joins Gary Frey and Ben McDonald to share her anything-but-typical journey from growing up in an entrepreneurial family to founding EarthKind, a nationally recognized plant-based pest-prevention company. Kari discusses the near-death experience that changed the direction of her life, the challenges of creating a new product category, and why she temporarily removed her products from major retailers to protect customer trust. She also shares how she learned to release control, build a diverse leadership team, and transition out of the CEO role without selling her company. Resources Mentioned EarthKind Kari Warberg Block Plant-based pest prevention Regenerative and organic agriculture Environmental Protection Agency Calls to Action Learn more about EarthKind: earthkind.com Connect with Kari Warberg Block: kariwarbergblock.com Subscribe to Anything But Typical for more real stories from entrepreneurs. Like, share, and send this episode to a business owner or founder.

  7. Jun 30

    172: Alex Harris: Redefining Impossible Through Everest, Faith, Failure, and The Munga

    Alex Harris — explorer, mountaineer, speaker, entrepreneur, endurance athlete, and creator of The Munga, a 700-mile nonstop bike race across South Africa. Brief Summary In this episode of Anything But Typical, Gary Frey and Ben sit down with Alex Harris, a South African explorer whose life has been shaped by curiosity, risk, faith, and the pursuit of what most people would call impossible. Alex shares how a childhood dream of becoming a Jedi and astronaut eventually led him into mountaineering, Everest expeditions, entrepreneurship, ultra-endurance racing, and the creation of The Munga. From surviving the deadly 1996 Everest season to hearing God speak in a tent at 22,000 feet, Alex’s story is about more than adventure. It is about learning when to push forward, when to turn around, how failure forms us, and why the greatest exploration may be discovering how God uniquely made you.   Book Alex Harris as a speaker: Alex Harris – Texas Speakers Bureau Learn more about The Munga: The Munga MTB Follow The Munga on social media: Instagram – @mungamtb Facebook – The Munga YouTube – The Munga MTB Race

  8. Jun 16

    171: Randy Golenberg on Finding a Way, Rebuilding After Loss, and Loving the Work

    When venture capital takes over your family business, you can do everything right — and still lose. Randy Golenberg lived it. He spent 14 years in his family's caulk manufacturing business before private equity involvement triggered its collapse into bankruptcy. That bankruptcy became the catalyst for his next chapter: building Spark Your Brand from scratch, running it for 25 years, and ultimately selling it to AdCom Group. In this episode, Randy shares the unfiltered story — from sweeping floors in his dad's factory to negotiating a multi-million dollar exit. No hype. Real lessons on resilience, knowing when to sell, and why "you don't control outcomes, you only control actions."   Randy Golenberg Randy Golenberg is an entrepreneur, brand strategist, and business leader based in Cleveland, Ohio. After rebuilding from the collapse of his family business, Randy founded and grew Spark Your Brand over 25 years. Today, he is part of the AdCom Group, where he focuses on business development, integrated brand strategy, and helping clients create meaningful return on their investment. Connect with Randy LinkedIn: Randy Golenberg Instagram: @JewInThePew Company: AdCom Group

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5
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Gary Frey & Ben McDonald host round table conversations discussing entrepreneurship, leadership, and success on your own terms.

Information

  • Creator
    Gary Frey & Ben McDonald
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    178
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Anything But Typical