Think Forward Podcast

Sadra Khorvash
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  • Self-Improvement
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Just a curious Canadian young man picking the brains of people he finds interesting

  1. 2d ago

    He Made a Client $1.6M and Never Got Paid

    Merek Van Bylandt, co-founder of Dominant Media, explains how he went from working on film sets to running a social media agency with 40 to 55% net margins. He talks about a client who made $1.6 million in six months but never paid the agreed 15% cut. He also covers how moving into a garage and then signing a $4,000 a month apartment lease pushed the business to double.In this raw interview, Merek Van Bylandt lays out the agency models that failed, including the Growth Operating revenue share deal and an unlimited editing offer that looked too good to be true. He shares the five fundamentals a mentor used to fix his margins: being accountable for the finances, fixing funnel bottlenecks, talking to clients wherever they prefer, holding mandatory client check-ins, and steering clear of distracting projects like an AI script writing agent. He also explains why net profit matters more than gross revenue and walks through his 3:30 AM daily routine. If your agency brings in revenue but you have no profit to show for it, this episode will change how you run it.Which lesson from Merek hit you hardest? Drop it in the comments.Subscribe for weekly founder stories on mindset, startups, and scaling.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Introduction00:15 - Why a Normal Career Path Wasn't Enough01:41 - From Film Sets to Failed Dropshipping09:17 - Landing the First $3,500 Client10:05 - Agency Ups and Downs: Revenue Share and Unlimited Editing20:39 - Net Profit vs Gross Revenue21:42 - The 5 Business Fundamentals From His Mentor29:00 - Why the AI Script Agent Failed30:14 - Why He Still Takes 95% of Client Calls30:47 - His 3:30 AM Daily RoutineKey Themes:Social media marketing agency growth | Agency net profit margins | Revenue share deal gone wrong | Unlimited editing offer mistakes | Using financial pressure to grow a business | Fixing marketing funnel bottlenecks | Client retention and check-ins | Entrepreneur daily routine🔔 Subscribe to Think Forward Podcast for weekly stories on mindset, startups, and scaling.Follow us:✅ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hwOppw3mfk8UvqGP57rLs?si=3e87ffd6722f4edd✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadra.manouchehri/✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadra-khorvash-ab9bb4210/?originalSubdomain=ca✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.manouch✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkforwardpodcast/ #AgencyGrowth #EntrepreneurMindset #socialmediaagency

  2. 6d ago

    The Real Reason You Don’t Have Premium Clients

    Samuel Games, founder of Canine Car Care, explains why understanding psychology is his unfair advantage: it lets him charge higher prices, market with less effort, and build a team that performs. This is how to sell the feeling instead of the service, find your bottleneck, and attract premium clients.In this raw interview, Sam breaks down his "don't be that guy" approach to social pressure marketing, the ad copy formula that moves people from pain point to dream outcome, and the difference between internal and external urgency. He also shares how he tracks close rate, show rate, and lead quality to find the real constraint in his business, how he incentivizes his team, and the time an employee almost sued him. If you run a service business and can't land premium clients, his framework will change how you market and hire.Which lesson from Sam hit you hardest? Drop it in the comments.Subscribe for weekly founder stories on mindset, startups, and scaling.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Introduction06:05 - Why AI Is an Echo Chamber09:52 - The One Skill He'd Keep If His Business Disappeared10:50 - Business Psychology: Sell the Feeling, Not the Service11:50 - The Ad Copy Formula: Pain Point to Dream Outcome15:04 - "Don't Be That Guy" and Internal vs. External Urgency17:56 - The Employee Who Almost Sued Him20:36 - How to Incentivize Your Team24:38 - Finding Your Bottleneck: Close Rate, Show Rate & Lead Quality29:24 - His Best Advice: Trust YourselfKey Themes:Marketing psychology for small business | Selling emotion over features | Social pressure and "don't be that guy" ads | Internal vs external urgency | Hiring and incentivizing employees | Finding your business bottleneck | AI as an echo chamber | Car detailing business🔔 Subscribe to Think Forward Podcast for weekly stories on mindset, startups, and scaling.Follow us:✅ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hwOppw3mfk8UvqGP57rLs?si=3e87ffd6722f4edd✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadra.manouchehri/✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadra-khorvash-ab9bb4210/?originalSubdomain=ca✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.manouch✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkforwardpodcast/#MarketingPsychology #CarDetailingBusiness #EntrepreneurMindset

  3. Sep 25

    You Only Silence What You're Afraid Of: Is There a War on Christianity?

    Carter Griffin went from never going to church to fully surrendering his life to Jesus after healing from depression and a knee injury. This is how to find faith, submit to God, and build a daily relationship with Jesus.In this raw conversation, Carter breaks down his exact journey to Christianity, why God's reality became undeniable to him, what submitting to God actually means, how to pray and read Scripture daily, and how the Bible explains Old vs New Testament, the Trinity, and end times. If you are curious about Jesus, struggling with doubt, or want to experience God's peace for yourself, his framework for opening your heart and letting go will change how you think.What part of Carter's testimony hit you hardest? Drop it in the comments.Subscribe for weekly founder stories on mindset, startups, and scaling.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Introduction00:37 - Who Is Carter Griffin, Follower Of Jesus?02:04 - Finding God Without Growing Up Christian04:47 - How To Experience God For Yourself06:40 - What It Really Means To Submit To God11:47 - Proof Of God: Healed Knee Injury And Miracle Healing16:25 - Old Testament Vs New Testament Explained Simply19:54 - Fruits Of The Spirit: What Defines A True Christian26:20 - End Times Prophecy And Current World Events28:36 - Daily Prayer And Bible Reading Routine To Stay Close To JesusKey Themes: Finding faith without growing up Christian | What it means to submit to God | How to pray and read the Bible daily | Old Testament vs New Testament explained | Fruits of the Spirit and true Christianity | End times prophecy and current world eventsFollow us:✅ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hwOppw3mfk8UvqGP57rLs?si=3e87ffd6722f4edd✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadra.manouchehri/✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadra-khorvash-ab9bb4210/?originalSubdomain=ca✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.manouch✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkforwardpodcast/#ChristianFaith #FindingJesus #HowToPray

  4. Sep 23

    The Sadra Podcast #18 Bijan Ahmadian | Law, Entrepreneurship & Parenthood | (#13 Part-III)

    Timestamps:00:08 Working with Farris LLP - One of the leading Law firms in Canada01:46 The most interesting cases that Bijan has overtaken06:19 Family & its role as a substantial rite of passage09:03 Importance of Travelling11:08 What advice do you have for the younger generation?13:51 What is the meaning of life?

  5. Sep 23

    The Sadra Podcast #15 Bijan Ahmadian | Law, Entrepreneurship & Parenthood | Part-II

    Timestamps: 0:00 Fighting the Law Society of B.C.19:42 How much power does the Law Society of B.C. hold?27:28 Bijan's petition against the dysregulated power in the judicial system34:07 Owning your law firmLinks:Bijan socials -- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bijanahma... -- Instagram:   / bijanlaw

  6. Sep 23

    The Sadra Podcast #13 Bijan Ahmadian | Law, Entrepreneurship & Parenthood | Part-I

    Timestamps: 0:00:00 Intro0:02:20 Why choose Canada?0:04:46 Value of University Education0:05:59 How was life before you moved to Canada?0:08:50 How did you end up in Dubai?0:12:45 Being part of the UBC Board of Governers0:17:24 Odyssey Bar & Online Content Management systems0:22:44 Confrontational approach in EntrepreneurshipLinks:UBC LipDub 2011 YT link:    • [OFFICIAL] UBC LipDub - Raise Your Gl...  Global News Cover on Viral LipDub Video: https://globalnews.ca/news/113981/vid...Bijan socials -- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bijanahma... -- Instagram:   / bijanlaw

  7. Sep 11

    How to GROW a Car Detailing Business to $20,000/month

    20-year-old Samuel Games went from reselling vintage clothes to building a $700+ per-detail car detailing business for dog owners. This is how to start a business with no money, find your bottleneck, and scale.In this raw interview, Sam breaks down his exact entrepreneur mindset, how low self-esteem fueled his drive, why he niched into Canine Car Care, how Google Ads got him to his first 20K month, and how Facebook Ads made him #1 in Victoria. If you're stuck at 3-4K/month, his framework for finding your business bottleneck and ruthlessly fixing it will change how you think.What part of Sam's journey hit you hardest? Drop it in the comments. Subscribe for weekly founder stories on mindset, startups, and scaling.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Introduction00:48 - Who is Samuel Games, Founder of Canine Car Care?01:30 - How He Started: Reselling Vintage Clothes as a Teen02:15 - Starting a Car Detailing Business & Hitting $3-4K/Month03:05 - The Pivot: Why He Niched Into Dog-Owner Detailing04:10 - Rebrand Failure, Then First $20K Month with Google Ads05:15 - Google Ads Died: Scaling with Facebook Ads to #1 in Victoria08:44 - The #1 Growth Lesson: Finding Your Business Bottleneck09:07 - Laughed At For Wanting To Be a Millionaire13:17 - Reframing Bullying & Low Self-Esteem Into DriveKey Themes: Starting a business with no money | Car detailing business niche strategy | Finding and fixing business bottlenecks | Entrepreneur mindset and identity | Turning low self-esteem into drive | Scaling from $3K to $20K months 🔔 Subscribe to Think Forward Podcast for weekly stories on mindset, startups, and scaling.Follow us: ✅ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hwOppw3mfk8UvqGP57rLs?si=3e87ffd6722f4edd ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadra.manouchehri/ ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadra-khorvash-ab9bb4210/?originalSubdomain=ca ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.manouch ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkforwardpodcast/#EntrepreneurMindset #CarDetailingBusiness #HowToStartABusiness

  8. Aug 28

    The Brutal Truth Behind AI Killing ACTING | Actor's Honest Answer

    In this episode, Actor and Content Creator Ryan Pugh reveals why he did not take over his family's chocolate factory, how Shooter's Chocolates scaled to Costco and Whole Foods, and what it really takes to build an acting career in 2026.You will learn how chocolate shot glasses are actually manufactured, why most aspiring actors never book paid roles, and how AI is reshaping creative careers and the future of entertainment.What we have covered:✅ Inside the family chocolate factory supplying Costco and Whole Foods✅ How chocolate shot glasses, cups and mints are actually manufactured✅ Private label vs retail strategy for chocolate brands✅ Why he chose acting and content creation over the family business✅ How to break into acting: background work, agents, self-tapes and auditions✅ From horror feature films to a Super Bowl commercial: Real acting economics✅ Vertical dramas and phone soap operas: The next entertainment format✅ How AI is threatening acting and creative careers✅ Mindset, willpower and advice for building a career in creative fields✅ UGC creation, going viral and the Pedro Pascal story on The Last of Us setTIMESTAMPS:0:00 - Introduction0:41 - Meet Ryan Pugh: Actor & Content Creator0:53 - Shooters Chocolates: Origin Story19:00 - Nepotism, Industry Connections & The Audition Process27:23 - Inside an Audition: Memorizing Lines & Landing His First Lead Role41:23 - Super Bowl Commercial, Pay Rates & Buyouts44:33 - The Actor Strike, AI, and the Rise of Vertical Dramas49:07 - Will AI Replace Actors?54:49 - Who Controls AI, and Who Profits From It?57:11 - AI, Monopolies, and the Next 50 Years1:14:25 - UGC, Nook, and Content Creation as a Side Hustle1:16:50 - The Pedro Pascal Story on Set1:17:21 - Final Three: Ego, Business Advice, and the Meaning of LifeKey Themes:Family chocolate factory business model | Chocolate manufacturing process explained | How to become an actor in Hollywood | Acting auditions and commercial buyouts explained | Vertical dramas and phone soap opera trend | AI impact on creative careers🔔 Follow & listen to Think Forward Podcast for weekly conversations with founders, creators, and industry experts.Follow us: ✅ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hwOppw3mfk8UvqGP57rLs?si=3e87ffd6722f4edd ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadra.manouchehri/ ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadra-khorvash-ab9bb4210/?originalSubdomain=ca ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.manouch ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkforwardpodcast/© Think Forward Podcast. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced without prior written permission.

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About

Just a curious Canadian young man picking the brains of people he finds interesting

Information

  • Creator
    Sadra Khorvash
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    114
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Sadra Khorvash
  • Show Website
    Think Forward Podcast