Innovate or Evaporate with Toph Day

IBJ Media Podcast Network
IBJ Media Podcast Network
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

Explore the relentless pace of change and the innovators who drive it. Each episode, we dive deep into the world of cutting-edge ideas, breakthrough technologies, and fearless pioneers who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

  1. 5d ago

    Scott Lingle and Hunter Beale on High School Hustle: 2,500 Teen Entrepreneurs and $150K in Prizes

    High School Hustle gives teenagers cash, mentors and a scoreboard to turn summer side jobs into real businesses, with students competing for $150,000 in prize money. High School Hustle co-founder Scott Lingle and executive director Hunter Beale explain how the program grew from a 20-student pilot to more than 2,500 young entrepreneurs across Indiana and 30 states. Their model is built around action: students make their first $100, log the revenue and receive a $100 grant to reinvest in equipment or supplies. Lingle and Beale break down the lunchroom recruiting strategy that uses a $100 bill, a QR code and a briefcase filled with $100,000 to get students pitching business ideas in 15 seconds. They also share the businesses students are building, from pressure washing, lawn care and car detailing to e-commerce, technology and sports-based babysitting. One freshman tracked 1,031 doors knocked, heard yes from roughly 80 customers and closed a $6,000 pressure washing job that produced about $5,100 in profit. The conversation explains why hiring employees, learning sales, handling rejection and testing multiple ideas can move teenagers from self-employment toward building larger businesses. Host Toph Day also asks about Orr Fellowship, mentorship, faith, the student marketplace and High School Hustle's plans for national expansion. Schools, students and mentors can get involved at highschoolhustle.org. Sponsors and donors can contact hunter@highschoolhustle.org.

    Scott Lingle and Hunter Beale on High School Hustle: 2,500 Teen Entrepreneurs and $150K in Prizes

  2. Sep 17

    Ashley Nora: From Corporate Chemist to Full-Time Artist

    How do you teach your children to follow their dreams when you aren’t living yours? After seven years as an analytical chemist, Ashley Nora left her corporate career to pursue the art she had loved since childhood. In this episode of Innovate or Evaporate, recorded at BUTTER in Indianapolis, she joins host Toph Day to share what it took to stop living someone else’s dream and start building her own. Ashley opens up about growing up in Mississippi, the moment motherhood changed her direction, and the spiritual experience in Eswatini that inspired her signature blue figures. She also explores her Tell Me Heaven Ain’t Black series and the deeply personal story behind her name—a tribute to her grandmother, Nora. The conversation goes beyond inspiration to the realities of creative entrepreneurship: learning contracts and licensing, advocating for timely payment, setting boundaries, and communicating honestly when things go wrong. Along the way, Ashley shares her perspective on faith, parenting, authenticity, and replacing negative self-talk with self-belief. This is a conversation about making people feel seen, protecting your values, and defining success by more than a job title or a bank balance.

    Ashley Nora: From Corporate Chemist to Full-Time Artist

  3. Sep 2

    Bryn Jones of St. Elmo Steak House: From Shrimp Cocktail to 4,000 Stores

    St. Elmo Steak House turned its famous shrimp cocktail sauce into a retail business reaching more than 4,000 stores nationwide, without turning the 125-year-old restaurant itself into a chain. Bryn Jones, vice president of marketing and retail at Huse Culinary, explains how the team extended a legacy hospitality brand into consumer products while trying to protect what makes the original restaurant special. The cocktail sauce started as a response to guest demand, grew through small local retailers, and eventually reached thousands of shelves. Jones describes why the bottled version is intentionally made hotter than the restaurant sauce, how horseradish loses heat over time, and why learning from an unsuccessful East Coast expansion changed the company's approach to growth. The same restaurant-first model now drives the spirits business. Sales data from cocktails served to guests helped guide products under St. Elmo Cocktails, while barrel sourcing created an opening for Rare Saint Whiskey. Barkeep Vodka grew from work on the espresso martini and uses a pressure filtration process designed to reduce bite, burn and aftertaste. Jones also explains his "first, best, only" framework for product innovation, why copying another company's playbook rarely works, and why curiosity, fast testing and a willingness to celebrate failure are central to finding what does work. He also discusses the complexity of alcohol distribution across state lines and Huse Culinary's move to expand Harry & Izzy's into Phoenix.

    Bryn Jones of St. Elmo Steak House: From Shrimp Cocktail to 4,000 Stores

  4. Aug 19

    GANGGANG Founders Malina Simone Bacon and Alan Bacon Jr. on the Creative Economy

    BUTTER Fine Art Fair is rewriting the economics of art fairs by sending 100% of artwork sales directly to artists and charging them no entry fee or commission. GANGGANG co-founders Malina Simone Bacon and Alan Bacon Jr. explain why they built BUTTER as a Black fine art fair centered on artist care, economic viability and a multi-sensory cultural experience. Visual art remains the headliner, but music, fashion, performance and conversation are designed to give visitors reasons to stay, ask questions and connect with the work. The couple traces GANGGANG's start in Indianapolis in 2020, when the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd pushed them to ask what an equitable city could look like if artists and culture were treated as essential infrastructure. They also challenge familiar labels such as "rocket scientist" and "starving artist," arguing that language can reinforce assumptions about intelligence, value and who deserves economic support. Host Toph Day asks how BUTTER grew from an Indianapolis experiment into a model attracting interest from other cities. The Bacons discuss the fair's non-negotiables, including 100% of sales going to artists, a focus on artists from the Black diaspora, a commitment to Indiana participation, free admission for visitors 18 and under, strong design and deep community involvement. They explain why Los Angeles took 18 months of relationship-building and why future expansion depends on being invited into a city rather than arriving with a preset formula. They also discuss building GANGGANG and BUTTER as a married couple while raising five children, and protecting family time when the work can easily become 24/7. Learn more about GANGGANG: https://ganggangculture.com/

    GANGGANG Founders Malina Simone Bacon and Alan Bacon Jr. on the Creative Economy

  5. Aug 5

    Alliance RV: Crowdsourcing a $500 Million Manufacturer

    Alliance RV grew from a rented conference room and a Facebook group into a $500 million manufacturer by asking RV owners what they wanted fixed. Coley Brady, co-founder of Alliance RV and founder and CEO of Alera Marine Group, explains how his team gathered thousands of customer ideas before taking its first RVs to market. That feedback shaped a focused strategy: fewer brands, one dealer per market and one product at each price point. Brady traces the operational foundation behind the growth, from his accounting career and 15 years at Heartland RV to personal guarantees, sweat equity and a first year without a salary. He describes building new factories on a 140-acre Elkhart campus, completing towable RVs in two to three days, and matching wholesale production to retail demand. He also recounts the five-week COVID shutdown, the surge in camping demand and the labor and supply chain constraints that followed. The company reached $500 million in 2025 revenue after producing 8,300 RVs. Brady says 2026 sales could reach $600 million to $625 million, including the acquisition of Midwest Automotive Designs, its entry into Class B motorized vehicles. He also details the launch of Alera Marine, which built about 100 pontoons in 2025 and is targeting about 400 in 2026 while expanding its dealer network. Innovate or Evaporate host Toph Day also asks about Elkhart's manufacturing cluster, capital efficiency, Monday KPI reviews, community involvement and Brady's interest in personal air taxis and autonomous RV travel. #AllianceRV #RVManufacturing #Entrepreneurship CHAPTERS: 0:00 The Crowdsourced RV Idea 1:00 Coley Brady and Alliance RV 3:00 Accounting Roots and Operational Discipline 4:00 Heartland RV and Family Influence 6:00 Launching Alliance in 2019 8:00 One Brand per Price Point 10:00 Building a Manufacturing Campus 12:00 Workforce Culture and Elkhart 14:00 Financing and Personal Guarantees 16:00 COVID Demand and Supply Strain 18:00 RV Production and Dealer Floor Plans 20:00 Midwest Automotive Designs Acquisition 21:00 Launching Alera Pontoon Boats 23:00 Growing the Marine Dealer Network 24:00 Independent RV Makers and Consolidation 25:00 Giving Back in Elkhart 27:00 Manufacturing KPIs and Retail Demand 29:00 Domestic Sourcing and Inventory Turns 31:00 Rapid Fire on Innovation 33:00 Personal Air Taxis and Autonomous RVs 35:00 Where to Buy Alliance and Alera

    Alliance RV: Crowdsourcing a $500 Million Manufacturer

  6. Jul 22

    Kenny Moore II: From Undrafted to Pro Bowl

    Kenny Moore II turned an undrafted start and a preseason release into a Pro Bowl career, then built a community mission that reaches far beyond football. Moore traces his path from Valdosta, Georgia, where he grew up as the only boy among seven children, to Valdosta State and the NFL. He explains how his mother's work ethic shaped him, why playing several sports helped him recognize patterns, and how film study became the foundation of his success as a defensive back. He recounts nearly losing his place in college over poor grades, hearing an administrator tell him football would lead nowhere, and deciding to leave school before his final season to pursue the league. After all-star games, regional combines and three pro days in five days, he signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent. A roster cut did not end the plan. The conversation also covers grief, Moore's reconciliation with his father, and the chest tap he uses as a tribute. Through the Love One Foundation, he says community service is an obligation rooted in the people who invested in him. His work has included youth mentorship, foster care outreach and hurricane relief that helped deliver 13,000 meals in Valdosta. Moore and host Toph Day examine youth sports specialization, the classroom work behind professional football, handling doubt without resentment, creativity as a form of relief, honest self-evaluation and mental wellness. Moore, a three-time Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, explains why proving supporters right matters more than proving critics wrong. Episode 45 of Innovate or Evaporate is hosted by Toph Day. Learn more at loveonefoundation.org and follow @mooreii.

    Kenny Moore II: From Undrafted to Pro Bowl

  7. Jul 8

    Katie Lucas on Leading Lucas Oil's 300-Product Empire

    Katie Lucas built her credibility in a hyper-traditional industry from scratch, starting as an outside marketing consultant before rising to president of Lucas Oil Products, one of America's most iconic industrial brands. The company ships more than 300 products across 48 countries, holds a multi-year NFL global partnership, and recently completed a historic headquarters relocation from California to Indiana. Lucas walks through the full arc of the business, from founder Forrest Lucas mixing his first fuel additive in frustration during cross-country trucking runs in 1989, to the operational discipline required to scale a privately held company past 600 employees without ever taking on debt. She discusses how she and her husband Morgan Lucas divide leadership responsibilities, why they brought Jim Collins in to work through organizational structure, and how closing California operations, though painful, was the clearest business decision they faced. Lucas also details Lucas Oil's long-running support of Ascension St. Vincent and Peyton Manning Children's Hospital, a new shoe bank partnership with Wheeler Mission and New Shoe Day, and her belief that corporate giving works best when companies stop competing for credit and start combining resources. On growth, she addresses the EV transition, a 23 percent spike in cost of goods, expanding the R&D team, and the tension between playing it safe and taking the kind of risk that produces something bigger than incremental gains. #LucasOil #InnovatePodcast #IndianaBusinessLeader 0:00 Introduction and Katie Lucas Overview 1:52 Childhood, Resilience, and Early Influences 3:45 Kelley School of Business and the Colts Dream Job 5:55 Lessons in Corporate Sales and Relationships 7:00 The Naming Rights Deal Built on Trust 7:55 How Forrest Lucas Started Lucas Oil in 1989 10:00 From Fuel Additive to 300-Plus Products 11:00 Katie's Path From Consultant to Lucas Oil 13:50 Walking the Plant Floor and Learning the Business 15:45 Drag Racing, Monster Trucks, and Brand Ambassadors 18:45 Joining Full Time and Building Strategy 20:45 Restructuring the Team and Jim Collins 23:30 Recruiting Talent to a Family Business Culture 26:00 The Railroad, the Ranch, and the Golf Course 28:00 Chief Administrative Officer to President 30:30 Co-Leading With Morgan and Defining Swim Lanes 32:00 What Keeps Katie Up at Night 34:00 AI, R&D, and the Physical Economy 35:20 Moving Headquarters From California to Indiana 37:30 Philanthropy, Tithing, and Community Commitment 39:30 New Shoe Day and Wheeler Mission 42:00 Advice on Mentorship and Continuous Learning 43:30 Rapid Fire: Embracing Change and Esther 4:14 45:00 Fixing Childhood Hunger and Final Thoughts

    Katie Lucas on Leading Lucas Oil's 300-Product Empire

  8. Jun 24

    David Becker: Building the First Internet Bank From Scratch

    David Becker saw friction where others saw stability, and in 1998 he built the first fully online bank in the United States with no branches, no tellers, and a safe full of candy bars to satisfy regulators. Becker, founder and CEO of First Internet Bank, traces the entire arc of his entrepreneurial career, from a childhood newspaper route in Indianapolis to five Inc. 500 companies spanning financial software, real-time ATM processing, educational technology, and point-of-sale systems. He describes the three-year regulatory gauntlet required to charter First Internet Bank, including a late-night phone call from a Washington official who had never made a business decision in his life, and how a full-page "Bank Naked" ad in USA Today helped land the bank's ideal customer: a high-net-worth, frequent traveler with an 780 average credit score. The conversation covers Becker's work bringing Switzerland's apprenticeship model to Indiana through the NCAPS program, his view that 70 percent of Indiana high school graduates have no credential post-graduation, and why he believes the Midwest dairy-farm work ethic remains a competitive advantage. He also addresses board construction, capital strategy for early-stage founders, and how First Internet Bank's AI-powered customer service bot answered 45 percent of incoming calls in one quarter with a net promoter score of 68. 0:00 Introduction and David Becker's Origin Story 3:50 Paper Routes, Hay Bales, and Early Business Lessons 5:50 Economic Development and the Missouri Recruitment Story 9:55 RDS, ViFi, and Becker's Other Inc. 500 Companies 13:45 Quitting the Boardroom to Start RDS 15:50 The ATM Fraud Problem That Inspired a Bank 17:45 Deciding to Start the First Internet Bank 18:55 Three Years of Regulatory Battles 22:45 The Friday Phone Call That Changed Everything 24:00 Launching the Bank: PR Blitz and USA Today Ads 30:50 First Internet Bank's Fishers Headquarters 31:55 Recruiting Talent and the Swiss Apprenticeship Model 40:45 Indiana Talent Pipeline and the 60 Percent Drain 43:50 AI, Customer Service Bots, and NPS Scores 53:30 Board Construction and Advice for Entrepreneurs 1:03:55 Rapid Fire Questions 1:07:45 How to Find First Internet Bank

    David Becker: Building the First Internet Bank From Scratch
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Explore the relentless pace of change and the innovators who drive it. Each episode, we dive deep into the world of cutting-edge ideas, breakthrough technologies, and fearless pioneers who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

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