The Entrepreneur's Logbook: Lessons from Growing Businesses

Zachary Bernard
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

The Entrepreneur's Logbook brings you inside the minds of today's most successful business leaders to uncover the strategies, decisions, and frameworks driving extraordinary growth. Each episode features founders and CEOs sharing their proven approaches to scaling teams, expanding market share, and building thriving companies. Our guests - from bootstrapped success stories to venture-backed innovators - break down the exact systems, processes, and strategies you can use to grow your company. No fluff, just actionable insights you can apply to your business. Whether you're leading a growing team, aiming to break through revenue plateaus, or planning your next expansion, each episode delivers tested playbooks and practical wisdom from leaders who've turned small businesses into market leaders. Think of it as your masterclass in sustainable business growth.

  1. Sep 15

    Mike Curtis of Trader's Edge Network: The Money Press Approach to Consistent Market Returns

    In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Logbook, Zachary speaks with Mike Curtis, Chief Operating Officer of Traders Edge Network. Mike opens up about his introduction to the markets at just twelve years old and the first painful lesson he learned when an earnings event wiped out a trade. From that moment on, he shifted away from trying to predict every market move and toward designing rule-based, repeatable strategies that put risk management first. Today, he’s personally mentored hundreds of everyday investors, helping them replace guesswork with defined processes that generate consistent income through options rather than gambling on volatile swings. Zach and Mike dive into the heart of those risk-first approaches, from constructing simple covered-call and protective-put “insurance” positions to the signature weekly “Money Press” spread that aims to deliver small, reliable returns. They discuss how even modest accounts of just a few thousand dollars can get rolling, why setting clear milestones and carving out a half hour twice a week to learn the fundamentals makes all the difference, and how treating trading like any other skill, complete with study, practice, and accountability, helps investors stick with the plan. For anyone curious about getting started in options or looking to tighten up their risk controls, Mike’s blend of practical advice and mentoring insights makes this episode a must-listen. Timestamps Early introduction to trading and first lesson learned from a loss at age 12 – 00:18 Impact of the 2008 crash on adopting a risk-first, conservative strategy – 01:45 The emotional component of trading and why discipline beats impulse – 03:59 Traders Edge Network’s on-ramp process for new investors to place their first trades – 07:59 Structuring option spreads as “insurance” to define and limit downside risk – 11:32 Connect with Mike https://www.tradersedgenetwork.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-c-curtis/ Sponsored by We Feature You PR - Helping entrepreneurs build thought leadership through strategic podcast placements and launching their own shows. Ready to amplify your voice? Get in touch today. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction and guest background(00:01:29) - Mike's early trading experience and 2008 crash lessons(00:03:21) - Emotions and trading psychology(00:05:10) - Building a repeatable, risk-managed trading system(00:07:23) - Getting started: onboarding new traders(00:10:47) - Options vs. gambling: the insurance analogy(00:16:15) - What separates consistent traders from quitters(00:21:36) - Realistic time and money commitments to start trading(00:23:45) - Milestones, celebrations, and staying motivated(00:26:39) - Parting advice and where to learn more(00:29:31) - Closing remarks

  2. Sep 9

    Alberto Gimeno of Invofox on Building a Data Extraction API That Just Works

    In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Logbook, Zachary speaks with Alberto Gimeno, co-founder and CEO of Invofox, a document-parsing and data-extraction API trusted by more than 150 companies across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. A Spanish mathematician and computer scientist, Alberto spent nearly a decade building startups in Madrid before spotting the unstructured-data challenge while consulting for a client. Since launching Invofox in 2022 and graduating from Y Combinator’s Summer ’22 batch, he’s raised $11.5 million, moved the company’s headquarters to San Francisco, and overseen the processing of well over 100 million documents a year.  Zach and Alberto dig into one of the hardest lessons for any entrepreneur: focus. Drawing on missteps from previous ventures and early stumbles at Invofox, Alberto explains why saying “no” to easy revenue and adjacent opportunities is critical, especially when you’re building an initial product-market fit.  They discuss why a narrow, highly optimized roadmap wins over feature creep, how complexity and technical debt can spiral, and why founders should weigh the real cost of building and maintaining an in-house solution versus plugging in a specialized API. The conversation then shifts to the nuts and bolts of Invofox’s technology: how it blends traditional and layout-aware OCR, in-house machine-learning models, and the latest LLMs and VLMs into custom pipelines that balance accuracy, latency, reliability, and cost.  Alberto paints a clear picture of the build-versus-buy trade-off in document-heavy industries, mortgage, insurance, healthcare, and beyond, and debunks the Silicon Valley bubble around AI. He shares how most companies worldwide are only beginning to scratch the surface of AI’s potential and how Invofox can help them safely unlock automation at scale.  Timestamps Introduction to Alberto Jimeno and Invofox – 00:46 The importance of focus for startup success – 02:53 How Invofox’s API parses unstructured documents into usable data – 09:12 Build vs. buy: The hidden costs of in-house AI document solutions – 18:51 The AI adoption gap: Silicon Valley bubble vs. global reality – 27:41 Connect with Alberto https://www.invofox.com/en/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/gimenoalberto/ https://x.com/al_gimeno Sponsored by We Feature You PR - Helping entrepreneurs build thought leadership through strategic podcast placements and launching their own shows. Ready to amplify your voice? Get in touch today. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! Chapters (00:00:00) - What's the Secret to AI's Success?(00:00:30) - The Entrepreneur's Logbook Podcast(00:01:38) - What's One Thing That I'd Do Differently As An Entreprene(00:08:20) - How We Optimized the Document Process with InvoFox(00:17:28) - Will Microsoft Build In House?(00:26:24) - Tim Ferriss: The Silicon Valley bubble on AI(00:32:26) - How to Reach Invo Fox

  3. Sep 1

    Steve Nolan, Ariel Group: Transparency, Trust and Customer-Centric Culture

    In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Logbook, Zachary speaks with Steve Nolan, CEO of Ariel Group, a leadership-development and executive-coaching firm that helps some of the world’s best-known organizations build leaders who communicate with clarity and lead with real presence.  With more than 30 years of experience transforming companies from the inside, whether as CRO at The Myers-Briggs Company or guiding organizations through major acquisitions, Steve shares the principles he’s uncovered about what really drives long-term growth. Throughout their conversation, Zach and Steve break down why curiosity trumps assumptions, how to uncover the gap between what leaders think is broken and what truly needs fixing, and why behavior change must be managed as an ongoing system rather than a one-off event.  Steve delves into the often-overlooked power of asking better questions (“Do you know that, or do you think that?”) and explains how small “leaks” in customer retention, single-threaded relationships, untested assumptions, out-of-date pricing or simply neglecting to resell value, can quietly bleed revenue. He argues that no amount of new-customer acquisition will make up for the slow drain that goes unchecked.  From his work at Ariel Group, Steve shows how diagnostic rigor, akin to a doctor ruling out every possible cause of a chronic nosebleed, uncovers the root of organizational “symptoms” and brings teams back to higher performance. The conversation closes on the themes of culture and AI. Treating a company like a living organism, Steve emphasizes transparency, an unwavering focus on customer experience, and an open-door style of leadership that gives every employee a clear view of how their role connects to value creation.  And while AI promises powerful productivity gains, he underlines the need for a “human in the loop” design: leveraging technology to amplify judgment and accelerate learning, not to replace the essential conversations, accountability and trust-building that only people can deliver. Timestamps Embracing Curiosity and Challenging Assumptions – 02:24 Identifying Root Causes vs. Surface Symptoms in Leadership Challenges – 04:58 The Limitations of Financial Dashboards and the Need for Qualitative Context – 07:35 Tackling Revenue Leakage: Retention, Single-Threaded Relationships, and Pricing Gaps – 11:57 Achieving Lasting Behavior Change through Systems, Reinforcement, and a Human-in-the-Loop – 17:13 Connect with Steve https://www.arielgroup.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolansteven Sponsored by We Feature You PR - Helping entrepreneurs build thought leadership through strategic podcast placements and launching their own shows. Ready to amplify your voice? Get in touch today. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! Chapters (00:00:00) - The Entrepreneur's Outcome Logbook(00:00:39) - Steve Nolan(00:01:57) - Career Reboot: Being Curious(00:04:29) - How to Fix a Company's Problems?(00:07:27) - Steve Crowell: The Numbers Don't Tell the Full Story(00:11:30) - Revenue leakage is an important issue for business growth(00:16:41) - How Do Leadership Training Programs Change Behavior?(00:20:29) - What is the Company Culture?(00:21:37) - Aerial Group's CEO on Company Culture(00:25:31) - The Living Organization(00:26:58) - Leadership Challenges in AI(00:32:19) - A message for Leaders on AI

  4. Aug 28

    Brooke MacLean of Marketwake: Building Culture as the Ultimate Growth Strategy

    In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Logbook, Zachary speaks with Brooke MacLean, CEO of Marketwake, an Atlanta-based growth marketing agency that marries data and creative storytelling.  Brooke shares how she scaled Marketwake to nearly 80 employees, landed on the Inc. 5000 list six times, and earned a spot on Inc.’s Best Places to Work for five consecutive years. She also reflects on her early leadership crash course as CEO of an email automation startup at 26 and her current passion for backing founders through Marketwake Ventures.  Together, Zachary and Brooke dive into the messy, childlike exploration every entrepreneur must embrace, why getting your legal foundations right from day one matters more than perfecting your branding, and how teaching your team to think for themselves builds true leaders. They tackle marketing strategy in uncertain times and explain why cutting ad spend can undermine both your growth and your brand’s perceived health.  You’ll hear Brooke’s unconventional take on keeping marketing alive during downturns, plus her vivid anecdotes about annual company retreats (think Iceland, Belize, maybe not Big Sky skiing). The conversation wraps with a deep look at culture as the ultimate growth flywheel. Brooke explains Marketwake’s transparent, profit-sharing model and her “debate room” approach to adopting AI, ensuring human judgment remains central to every decision.  From avoiding copy-and-paste marketing traps to reclaiming your brand’s soul in an AI-driven world, this episode is packed with practical lessons for founders, marketers, and leaders looking to scale without losing what makes their company unique. Timestamps Lessons on legal foundations and empowering team leaders – 02:32 Importance of sustaining marketing spend in downturns – 06:04 Treating company culture as a compound growth strategy – 10:25 Profit-sharing and transparency to foster team ownership – 14:57 Responsible AI adoption with debate rooms and critical thinking – 22:23 Connect with Brooke https://www.marketwake.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookebmaclean/ https://www.instagram.com/brookebmaclean Sponsored by We Feature You PR - Helping entrepreneurs build thought leadership through strategic podcast placements and launching their own shows. Ready to amplify your voice? Get in touch today. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! Chapters (00:00:00) - The Future of Ideas Is in the AI(00:00:27) - The Entrepreneur's Output Logbook(00:01:57) - What's One Thing That You Wish You Had Done Differently?(00:05:25) - Have We Caved on Marketing?(00:09:22) - The Secret to Building a Good Culture(00:11:56) - Ways of Building a Good Company Culture(00:14:29) - What Makes a Bootstrapped Company So Different?(00:16:14) - Can You Copy The Competition?(00:21:53) - How We're Using AI in Creative(00:27:50) - In the Age of AI, Creativity is Key(00:28:56) - The Secret to Building a Successful Company(00:31:57) - Marky Wake: Brook Melan on Marketing

  5. Aug 21

    How Microf’s Zenon Olbrys Helps Contractors Close Deals When Traditional Lenders Say No

    In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Logbook, Zachary speaks with Zenon Olbrys, CEO of Microf, a company that helps homeowners finance essential HVAC and water-heater replacements through a flexible lease-to-own program when traditional lenders turn them away.  Zenon’s path to Microf is anything but conventional: after 17 years leading companies through the chaos of post-communist Central and Eastern Europe, he spent time in the trenches as a home-improvement contractor in the U.S. Those experiences taught him the power of pairing talented people with the right technology, and the courage to overhaul systems early on.  In their conversation, Zach and Zenon dig into his “tech-first” philosophy, how he’d do things differently if he had to rebuild a business today, and why getting your processes right up front makes scaling and capital raising so much smoother. The heart of the episode is Microf’s mission to unlock financing for the 40 percent of homeowners who don’t qualify for prime loans, all while helping contractors close deals they’d otherwise lose.  Zenon explains how alternative data models and a secured lease-ownership structure let Microf approve up to three-quarters of applicants, keep rates reasonable, and manage risk. He also makes the case for “good friction”, a few extra minutes of human hand-holding that boosts conversions, clarifies lease-to-own terms, and strengthens customer relationships. As HVAC prices soar and consumers tighten their belts, Zach and Zenon explore why contractors must lead with monthly payments rather than sticker prices, pivot toward repairs and maintenance, and embrace adaptability.  Finally, Zenon leaves home-service entrepreneurs with a rallying cry: trades are more critical than ever, technology can’t wait, and focusing on what customers truly need will see you through any economic cycle. Timestamps Prioritizing technology investment early in a venture – 02:26 Building a startup by nailing processes and tech before raising capital – 03:24 How Microf’s lease-to-own financing helps homeowners turned down by banks – 06:07 Credit-environment shifts and their impact on contractors and customers – 08:09 Embracing “good friction”: balancing speed with hand-holding and clarity – 16:22 Connect with Zenon https://microf.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zenon-olbrys-6102b644/ Sponsored by We Feature You PR - Helping entrepreneurs build thought leadership through strategic podcast placements and launching their own shows. Ready to amplify your voice? Get in touch today. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

  6. Aug 19

    The Fraud Detective: Rich Kahn of Anura.io on Outsmarting Marketing Bots

    In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Logbook, Zachary speaks with Rich Kahn, CEO and co-founder of Anura.io, the leading ad-fraud detection platform that uncovers bots, malware, and fake clicks siphoning off marketing budgets.  Rich traces his entrepreneurial roots back to writing his first video game at age nine and publishing it by twelve. After decades of bootstrapping multiple web ventures and watching ad fraud quietly erode campaign performance, he launched Anura.io to give marketers a real-time window into the true quality of their traffic. Along the way, they discuss his switch from self-funding to considering outside capital, the pros and cons of each approach, and the value investors can bring beyond dollars.  Zach and Rich then dive deep into what ad fraud looks like today, from bots that spoof residential IP addresses to human-run fraud farms slipping past traditional filters. Listeners learn how fraud quietly drains as much as 40 percent or more of ad spend, why false positives in many solutions can scare off genuine customers, and how Anura.io’s data-driven, third-party architecture delivers 99.999 percent accuracy with a written guarantee.  Rich closes with practical advice for anyone running digital ads: get a free Traffic Quality Audit at Anura.io to see exactly how much fraud is nibbling at your budget, and start putting those reclaimed dollars back into campaigns that really convert. Timestamps Bootstrapping vs. Raising Capital – 02:29 Understanding Ad Fraud & How It Works – 05:25 Scale & Financial Impact of Ad Fraud (165 Billion Lost) – 07:29 False Positives & Guarantee of Accuracy in Fraud Detection – 13:08 Free Traffic Quality Audit Offer by Anura.io – 26:51 Connect with Rich https://www.anura.io https://www.linkedin.com/in/richkahn/ Sponsored by We Feature You PR - Helping entrepreneurs build thought leadership through strategic podcast placements and launching their own shows. Ready to amplify your voice? Get in touch today. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! Chapters (00:00:00) - Outlook Logbook(00:00:39) - Rich Khan on How Underwriter IO Found Ad Fraud(00:01:26) - If You Had to Reboot Your Business, What Would You Do Different(00:04:37) - How to Identify Ad Fraudsters(00:09:09) - Anora Fraud Detection: What Fraud Looks Like Today(00:15:56) - Are False positives Bad for Business?(00:19:32) - Marketing Fraud: How to Shut Down It(00:22:04) - What Happens If Frauds Stop?(00:26:06) - How to Mitigate Digital Marketing Fraud?

  7. Aug 12

    Hacking Your Financial Future: Insights from Loral Langemeier of Integrated Wealth Systems

    In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Logbook, Zachary speaks with Loral Langemeier, CEO and founder of Live Out Loud, about her two-decade journey as “the Millionaire Maker.” Together they explore why wealth isn’t a one-off windfall but a repeatable cycle of building income-generating assets, reinforcing your tax and corporate foundations, and then reinvesting those gains for lasting growth. Loral shares her advice on what she would do differently if she could start over, namely, begin earlier, assemble a team faster, and treat building wealth with the same urgency most reserve for their day jobs. Zach and Loral dig into the nuts and bolts of her gap-analysis framework, explaining how to assess “lazy” assets (like underperforming retirement accounts or real estate), create rules for cash flow, and generate “fast-cash” wins that build confidence and momentum. They also debunk the myth of passive income, rebranding it “p-active” to highlight the ongoing effort required to keep money moving. Along the way, Loral stresses the danger of fragmented financial advice and makes the case for an integrated team of experts—tax strategists, estate lawyers, real-estate professionals, and more, who coordinate around your goals. Listeners will come away with practical steps for locking in tax savings as a “profit center,” jump-starting new income streams with simple outreach, and mastering the mindset and habits that separate those who build real wealth from those who stay stuck. Timestamps 1. Restarting Your Wealth Journey: Start Earlier and Build Your Team Faster – 00:02:06 2. The Wealth-Building Process: Gap Analysis, Income Generation, Asset Cycle & Tax Foundations – 00:04:02 3. Debunking the Passive-Income Myth: Introducing “Pactive” Income – 00:05:51 4. Integrated Wealth Systems: Why Holistic Tax Strategy and Team Coordination Matter – 00:09:02 5. The Power of Knowledge, Mindset & Urgency in Creating Lasting Wealth – 00:23:10 Connect with Loral Website: askloral.com/logbook LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorallangemeier Check out Loral's book: https://a.co/d/0dxPyNVJ Sponsored by We Feature You PR - Helping entrepreneurs build thought leadership through strategic podcast placements and launching their own shows. Ready to amplify your voice? Get in touch today. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! Chapters (00:00:00) - No More Passive Investing(00:00:19) - The Entrepreneur's Logbook Podcast(00:01:48) - What Did Would I Do Differently?(00:03:34) - How to Build Wealth With Passive Income(00:08:36) - What Keeps People Stuck Following the Wrong Advice(00:14:49) - How to Get Out of Tax Debt(00:19:59) - The Secret to Canadian Millionaires(00:21:01) - Talking About Money in Your Career(00:22:25) - MRK: It's Not Just Money(00:27:54) - How to Get a Lead in Your Grief(00:29:20) - How to Get Your Money in Order

  8. Jul 31

    Why Your Next Workout Should Be a Trampoline: JumpSport’s Steve Carver Explains

    In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Logbook, Zachary speaks with Steve Carver, product development director and master trainer at Jump Sport. Zach and Steve kick things off by exploring Steve’s unlikely journey from gym front-desk clerk to “Mr. Bouncer,” a fitness celebrity who has championed rebounding for more than three decades.  Along the way, Steve shares the biggest lesson he’d tell his younger self, choose work you love over money alone, and explains how defining your “why,” committing fully, and crafting a realistic plan can help anyone break out of a fitness or career rut. Listeners will appreciate Steve’s candid advice on staying present, giving 100 percent of whatever you have each day, and treating every goal, no matter how small, as the first step on the path to lasting success.  The conversation then pivots to the power of rebounding on a Jump Sport trampoline, where Steve debunks common myths and highlights the science behind low-impact, high-intensity movement. He details research showing that just 12 minutes of trampolining can burn as many calories as 20 minutes on a treadmill, all while reducing ground impact by up to 80 percent and engaging more muscle groups in three-dimensional space.  Beyond fitness, Steve explains how gentle bouncing helps regulate stress, boost mood-lifting hormones, and speed recovery by stimulating lymph flow. He also introduces Liquid Hydrogen, Jump Sport’s molecular hydrogen electrolyte drink, as a cutting-edge tool for reducing oxidative stress, supporting mitochondrial health, and promoting faster post-workout recovery. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a busy professional looking for a fun way to stay active, this episode offers fresh insights, practical tips, and plenty of inspiration to get moving, trampoline or not. Timestamps Choosing a career based on passion vs. money – 04:06 Overcoming fitness plateaus: finding your “why” and creating a plan – 06:43 Debunking rebounding myths: low-impact, high-intensity benefits – 14:01 Rebounding for mental wellness: mood, stress relief, postpartum support – 24:28 Molecular hydrogen in recovery: benefits and application – 31:56 Connect with Steve https://www.jumpsport.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-carver-95133841/ https://www.instagram.com/carvercompletefitness/ Sponsored by We Feature You PR - Helping entrepreneurs build thought leadership through strategic podcast placements and launching their own shows. Ready to amplify your voice? Get in touch today. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! Chapters (00:00:00) - The Entrepreneur's Logbook Podcast(00:00:32) - Steve Carver on National Fitness Transformation(00:02:14) - Steve Ballentine on Starting His Career(00:04:51) - How to Get Out Of Your Fitness Rut(00:11:46) - Rebounding(00:17:10) - Jumping On A Trampoline(00:21:13) - Trampolines Are Fun For Exercise(00:22:21) - Trampoline(00:26:27) - Jumpsport Founder on His Trampoline(00:30:07) - Tramploline and Recovery(00:36:14) - Rebounding

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The Entrepreneur's Logbook brings you inside the minds of today's most successful business leaders to uncover the strategies, decisions, and frameworks driving extraordinary growth. Each episode features founders and CEOs sharing their proven approaches to scaling teams, expanding market share, and building thriving companies. Our guests - from bootstrapped success stories to venture-backed innovators - break down the exact systems, processes, and strategies you can use to grow your company. No fluff, just actionable insights you can apply to your business. Whether you're leading a growing team, aiming to break through revenue plateaus, or planning your next expansion, each episode delivers tested playbooks and practical wisdom from leaders who've turned small businesses into market leaders. Think of it as your masterclass in sustainable business growth.

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