You Can't Afford Me

Samuel Anderson

Making the leap from employment to entrepreneurship can be a scary time. The biggest fear people have is the unknown. Here on the “You Can’t Afford Me Podast” we speak with hustlers and innovators on how to make the most of your journey. If you have questions we have answers.

  1. How A Travel Planner Builds Trips You Cannot Google

    2D AGO

    How A Travel Planner Builds Trips You Cannot Google

    You can book a trip in minutes, but can you build a trip that actually feels like you? We sit down with Joe Foster, owner of Living Your Bucket Listed Travel, to talk about what separates a basic booking from a true bucket list experience and why the difference shows up when you land, not when you click “confirm.” We get into the real-world value of working with a travel agent or travel planner in the age of Expedia and AI. Joe breaks down how commission is often already built into the price you see online, why an agent can sometimes find better rates, and what happens when a flight, hotel, or excursion goes sideways in a foreign country. His sports analogy says it best: anybody can draw up the play, but you need someone who can make the save when the play breaks. From Italy and Curacao to culture shifts around food quality, customs, and how you’re treated abroad, we talk about travel as perspective, not just entertainment. Joe shares bucket list travel stories like a Rose Bowl trip and a Pro Football Hall of Fame birthday with VIP touches you can’t easily DIY, plus ideas for dream golf trips and golf travel packages. If you’re planning a destination wedding, honeymoon, group travel, or a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, hit play and take notes. Subscribe, share this with your favorite travel friend, and leave a review, what’s the one trip you refuse to die without taking? Support the show www.themrpreneur.com

    26 min
  2. A Sudden Firing Forces A Chef To Bet On Himself

    MAR 25

    A Sudden Firing Forces A Chef To Bet On Himself

    He gets fired 89 days into a six figure job, then wakes up to EMTs in his bedroom after a seizure he never saw coming. That could have been the end of the story, but for Gary it becomes the moment he stops waiting for “security” and starts building something real. We talk with Gary from TNC Custom Catering Events about the messy, unfiltered road into catering and entrepreneurship: learning to cook as a kid, the anxiety that comes with food being so subjective, and why one negative comment can hit harder than a room full of compliments. He shares how a cloudy day run and a simple message in his head flips his mindset from stuck to moving forward, even when he has no clear next step. From there, we get practical about the catering business. Gary explains why catering can be a lower overhead entry point than a restaurant, what it’s like to cook for 150 people out of your own kitchen, and how equipment, timing, and food safety shape every decision. We also get into menu strategy, why he lets customers dictate the menu, how travel expands his flavors, and why his default answer to tough requests is “yes” followed by the work to make it happen. Finally, we dig into growth, big client budgets, free tastings, building a one stop event experience, and what changes when your spouse becomes a true partner in the business. If you got value from this one, subscribe, share it with a founder friend, and leave a review. What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken to bet on yourself? Support the show www.themrpreneur.com

    48 min
  3. One Million Views In 28 Days

    MAR 20

    One Million Views In 28 Days

    One million views in 28 days without being a massive influencer sounds impossible until you see the breakdown. I go platform by platform and share exactly what I posted, how often I posted, and what the analytics actually said across TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you run a business, build a personal brand, or manage social media for clients, this is the kind of real-world scoreboard that makes the path feel simple again. We talk about why TikTok is built for discovery and how a high-volume short form video schedule can wake up the algorithm fast, even from a small follower base. I share the hard numbers: views, likes, profile visits, and shares, plus what those signals mean for organic reach and lead generation. Then I explain how I repurpose content across platforms, why YouTube Shorts can add meaningful watch time with minimal extra production, and why Facebook still matters when you care about attention that converts on the back end. LinkedIn gets the honest take: spam, low energy engagement, and the reality that long form, factual, story-based content often outperforms quick clips there. Instagram brings it home with Reels, Stories, and the metric I want every creator to chase: non-follower views. The bigger message is straightforward and uncomfortable: growth comes from consistency and determination, not perfect gear, perfect lighting, or waiting until you “feel like it.” If you want more tactical social media marketing insights like this, subscribe, follow, share this with a friend who needs a push, and leave a review. What platform are you committing to for the next 28 days? Support the show www.themrpreneur.com

    17 min
  4. How A Nurse Practitioner Built A Mobile IV Wellness Business In Richmond Virginia

    MAR 18

    How A Nurse Practitioner Built A Mobile IV Wellness Business In Richmond Virginia

    Your body sends signals you can’t afford to ignore and sometimes the simplest fix is hydration, delivered the fastest way possible. We sit down with April, a family nurse practitioner and the founder of Inovitamin Solutions in Richmond, Virginia, to unpack what mobile IV hydration therapy and IV vitamin infusions actually do, who they’re for, and why convenience can be a legitimate health advantage when the alternative is waiting hours in an emergency room or pushing through work while depleted. We get specific about safety and outcomes: experienced IV nurses, what a basic hydration drip includes, why absorption is dramatically higher through an IV than many oral supplements, and how to think about urine color as a practical dehydration check. April also shares real-world use cases from busy executives who stay in meetings while getting fluids to elderly clients trying to avoid repeat ER visits, plus a clear look at vitamin support like vitamin D, magnesium, and B12 for energy, mood, sleep, and brain fog in a world full of processed food. Then we shift to the entrepreneur side: how she started as a side hustle, hired contractors first to keep overhead low, what startup costs really look like, and the marketing mistakes she’d never repeat, including long print contracts that don’t match the target audience. We also talk medical weight loss, microdosing GLP-1s to reduce food noise, and why coaching, protein, fiber, and hydration still matter. If you care about wellness, mobile healthcare, or building a service business the smart way, hit play, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a review with your biggest takeaway. Support the show www.themrpreneur.com

    1h 2m
  5. Makeup Brushes, Backroads, And “Sugar Honey Iced Tea”

    MAR 11

    Makeup Brushes, Backroads, And “Sugar Honey Iced Tea”

    What happens when childhood pageants, Army discipline, and a love for beauty collide? We sit down with Kiersta, founder of Artistry by K, to unpack how a five-year-old’s stage sparkle turned into a luxury bridal brand built on grit, service, and smart systems. From North Carolina roots to back-to-back wedding seasons, she shows how legal setup, strict sanitation, and a reinvestment mindset turn side gigs into sustainable revenue. We get real about the messy middle. Kiersta opens up about leaving corporate roles that clashed with motherhood, navigating single-parent logistics, and making the leap without a safety net—except sheer determination and a partner who believed. She breaks down the first-year playbook: starting with a lean kit, documenting workflows, pricing with confidence, and using social media like a storefront. When COVID hit, she didn’t pause; she pivoted—protecting clients, honoring reschedules, and keeping the referral flywheel spinning. The conversation moves from craft to scale. We explore the crowded beauty market and why visibility now matters as much as mastery. Kiersta shares how digital masterclasses extend her reach, create recurring income, and help both clients and aspiring artists grow at home. Then we dive into the power of rooms—the conferences, founders, and celebrity stylists who expand your ceiling—and why you should pay to get in them. Her toughest lesson? Hiring to a luxury standard and protecting the brand promise at every touchpoint. If you’re building a service business, dreaming of bridal work, or balancing entrepreneurship with parenting, this episode is a field guide. You’ll leave with practical steps, mindset shifts, and a reminder that purpose is the engine and process is the map. Love what you heard? Follow, share with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review so more creators can find us. Support the show www.themrpreneur.com

    1 hr
  6. From Online School To AI: A Teen Entrepreneur’s Playbook

    MAR 4

    From Online School To AI: A Teen Entrepreneur’s Playbook

    What if a 17-year-old could show you a cleaner path to freedom than most adults? Meet Jeremiah Schwartz, a young founder who traded hallway chatter for online school, rebuilt his algorithm to feed him mentors instead of memes, and launched an AI automations agency designed to give service businesses their time back. We dig into the exact choices that created leverage: two-hour deep work blocks, partnerships that warm up leads, and the conviction to reinvest profits instead of buying the first shiny flex.  We get tactical about AI without the hype. Jeremiah explains where automations make the biggest dent—lead handling, follow-ups, content workflows—and where humans need to stay in the loop. We compare ChatGPT and Gemini for day-to-day work, talk about using AI to learn faster, and sketch a near-term future where entrepreneurship becomes more accessible because the tools handle the grunt work. The takeaway is clear: AI won’t replace you, but someone using it well will outpace you.  Then we zoom out. This is a masterclass in choosing assets over appearances. Jeremiah breaks down why equity and real estate matter more than a logo on the hood, how to let assets pay for luxuries, and why an abundance mindset turns “no” into “not yet.” We talk health and discipline as non-negotiables, the compounding power of the right rooms and mentors, and the faith principles that keep ambition grounded—wisdom over noise, stewardship over status, impact over impulse.  If you’re a student, an early-stage founder, or a seasoned operator hungry for cleaner systems, this conversation gives you both the mindset and the moves. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs a reset, and leave a review with the one habit you’ll change this week—what’s your first step toward real freedom? Support the show www.themrpreneur.com

    52 min
  7. From Dream Manor To Living Zoo Retreat

    FEB 25

    From Dream Manor To Living Zoo Retreat

    What if your morning coffee came with a giraffe strolling past your window? We sit down with Molly to unpack the bold vision behind Wilde Manor, a restored 1854 estate in Halifax County transforming into a stay-over safari that blends hands-on animal encounters with real conservation impact. This is a rare peek behind the curtain of exotic animal care, hospitality design, and the relentless grit it takes to open a zoological facility from scratch. Molly traces her path from vet tech school to exotic medicine while her husband honed behavioral training and exhibit design—two skill sets that power an experience built for animal welfare and guest wonder. We talk through the tough parts most people never see: zoning battles in one county that shut the door after a year of effort, fifteen-hour supervisor meetings in another, seven-figure insurance requirements, and the daily logistics of housing giraffes in Virginia winters, caring for African penguins, and coordinating specialized animal transport. Along the way, we explore why overnight stays unlock deeper empathy than a quick lap through a zoo and how thoughtful habitats, heated barns, and pasture design balance guest access with animal choice. Money meets mission here. While zoological facilities can generate strong revenue, Wilde Manor hardwires giving into the model: a percentage of every booking supports conservation programs in Africa. Molly shares stories from multiple trips across the continent and explains how ecotourism dollars protect wildlife and communities. We also dig into the mental health benefits of immersion in nature—rolling hills, birdsong, and quiet trails—as a counterweight to the screen-heavy grind of entrepreneurship. If you care about animals, meaningful travel, or the reality of building something original, this conversation delivers practical insight and honest encouragement. Come for the penguins and giraffes; stay for the blueprint on resilience, regulation, and purpose-driven design. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves wildlife, and leave a review to help more people find the show. Support the show www.themrpreneur.com

    25 min
  8. How A Nonprofit Turned A City Into A Movement

    FEB 19

    How A Nonprofit Turned A City Into A Movement

    What if a city could turn movement into its superpower? We sat down with Will, executive director of Sports Backers, to unpack how Richmond’s biggest runs, boldest trails, and friendliest training teams all connect to one mission: make active living easy, joyful, and safe for everyone. You know the finish lines—the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K, the Richmond Marathon, Riverrock—but the real magic is what happens before and after: beginner-friendly coaching, injury-prevention and nutrition clinics, and a culture that helps first-timers turn a 10-minute walk into a lifelong habit. We dive into Bike Walk RVA’s push for protected lanes, safer crossings, and traffic-calming that saves lives and invites more people outside. Will shares the vision for the 43-mile Fall Line Trail linking Ashland to Petersburg—connecting neighborhoods, two HBCUs, schools, and parks with equitable access to recreation and transportation. We talk practical safety, why bikes belong on the road, and how design reduces human error. The throughline is simple: better streets build healthier people and stronger communities. Behind the scenes, Sports Backers runs a lean, mission-driven team that still shows up at 4 a.m. to set barricades and welcome thousands to shared rituals that define Richmond. Will’s path—from unloading trucks to the ED seat—highlights a culture of gratitude, collaboration, and growth. We get honest about nonprofit careers, fulfillment and pay, and why investing in people builds decade-long tenures. Plus, clear on-ramps to get involved: volunteer on a course, coach a youth run club, advocate for safer design, or join a training team and find your pace. Ready to move with us? Listen now, share it with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a review with the one change your street needs most. Subscribe so you never miss the next step. Support the show www.themrpreneur.com

    37 min
5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Making the leap from employment to entrepreneurship can be a scary time. The biggest fear people have is the unknown. Here on the “You Can’t Afford Me Podast” we speak with hustlers and innovators on how to make the most of your journey. If you have questions we have answers.