American Business Story with Taylor Walden

Taylor Walden
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Each week, you'll hear from a business owner on what it’s really like to grow and run a business. Business books and theory are helpful, but nothing beats mentorship and lived experience. This podcast is everything I needed (and still need) to hear as an entrepreneur building businesses myself. Episodes drop on Wednesdays. Subscribe to join the conversation.

  1. 4d ago ·  Video

    How an ER Doctor Escaped Burnout, Built a Real Estate Business, and is Revolutionizing Primary Care

    Dr. Raj Patel grew up in a motel that his family ran, and he never lived in an actual house until he left for college. There was no yard. Just a concrete parking lot, a bike, and days spent learning how to clean rooms and fix broken things with his dad. At the time, he didn't love it. Now, he credits his upbringing for his strong work ethic. He went on to become a physician and spent 15 years working in emergency medicine, watching healthcare become “corporatized” - more volume driven and less patient focused. And eventually, he walked away. During our conversation, Raj walks through starting a short term rental company that catered exclusively to traveling healthcare workers, filing a lawsuit again someone who copied his entire real estate concept and website word for word, and why he chose to build a concierge practice without the monthly membership fee that most direct primary care offices require. He also gets real about burnout in emergency medicine, why 90% of his patients are school teachers and construction workers with insurance who choose to pay out of pocket anyway, and the revolutionary ultrasound facial mapping technique his practice uses (and teaches to other practices) to reduce the risks associated with facial injections. This episode is an honest look at what it looks like to leave a stable career, build something from scratch twice, and create a healthcare experience people are willing to pay for even when insurance would cover it somewhere else. Connect with Dr. Patel and Denali East Group: Visit denalieastgroup.com or find them on Instagram @denalieastgroup and @aesthetics_training_academy About the Host: Taylor Walden is the founder of Radiate Prints and a serial entrepreneur who started her first business in her dorm room at East Carolina University. American Business Story highlights the stories of business leaders and entrepreneurs. More American Business Story: Thank you for your continued support of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast! Know someone who should be a guest? Nominate them! Head to the Radiate Prints website (https://radiateprints.com/radiateprints/shop/page/shoptalk) and fill out our nomination form under the "Podcast" tab. You can find more episodes of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe-9mDwEvElrOVCAROBzYTw⁠), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shop-talk-business-leaders-share-their-story/id1825982148⁠), and Spotify. We release new episodes weekly on Wednesdays! Connect with Radiate Prints: We print apparel people love to wear. If you need t-shirts, hoodies, hats, or a company store for your organization, reach out to us! Taylor and the team would love to help. @radiateprints on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn Website: https://radiateprints.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/radiateprints TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@radiateprints

    How an ER Doctor Escaped Burnout, Built a Real Estate Business, and is Revolutionizing Primary Care

  2. Sep 23 ·  Video

    "Leading from the Bench" | Dr. Kaitlyn Spencer on Buying and Building a Thriving Dental Practice

    Kaitlyn bought Beacon Dental from the practice she worked at as an employee. She didn't start from scratch. She didn't have a blueprint handed to her either. She just knew she wanted to own a practice, stayed vocal about it, worked hard, and when the crossroads came, she asked. They said yes. This week on American Business Story with Taylor Walden, Taylor sits down with Dr. Kaitlyn Spencer, owner of Beacon Dental, to talk about what it's really like to transition from employee to owner in a growing dental practice. During the conversation, Kaitlyn walks through outgrowing her space and deciding to build a new standalone facility, hiring her first office manager, and the constant tension between being a high achiever and wanting to be remembered as a great mom first. Before she was a dentist, she was a D1 volleyball player at UNC Chapel Hill. The mindset of consistency when no one's watching that she developed as an athlete shapes the way she runs her business today. Connect with Beacon Dental: Find Beacon Dental on social media or visit their location in Winterville, North Carolina About the Host: Taylor Walden is the founder of Radiate Prints and a serial entrepreneur who started her first business in her dorm room at East Carolina University. American Business Story highlights the stories of business leaders and entrepreneurs. More American Business Story: Thank you for your continued support of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast! Know someone who should be a guest? Nominate them! Head to the Radiate Prints website (https://radiateprints.com/radiateprints/shop/page/shoptalk) and fill out our nomination form under the "Podcast" tab. You can find more episodes of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe-9mDwEvElrOVCAROBzYTw⁠), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shop-talk-business-leaders-share-their-story/id1825982148⁠), and Spotify. We release new episodes weekly on Wednesdays! Connect with Radiate Prints: We print apparel people love to wear. If you need t-shirts, hoodies, hats, or a company store for your organization, reach out to us! Taylor and the team would love to help. @radiateprints on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn Website: https://radiateprints.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/radiateprints TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@radiateprints

    "Leading from the Bench" | Dr. Kaitlyn Spencer on Buying and Building a Thriving Dental Practice

  3. Sep 16 ·  Video

    "I Sold My Car to Make Payroll" | Building Thriving Chiropractic Clinics with No Business Experience

    In the early days of his clinic, Brian Wirth sold his car to make payroll. The IRS showed up in his waiting room. He was grinding 70 to 80 hours a week between two jobs just to keep the lights on in a small chiropractic office in Greenville, North Carolina. How do you get from there, to a thriving business with nearly 30 employees and 3 locations? This week on American Business Story with Taylor Walden, Taylor sits down with Dr. Brian Wirth of Wirth Chiropractic to talk about what it's really like to start a healthcare practice from scratch, fresh out of school with no prior business experience. During the conversation, Brian walks through the first few years of the business barely surviving - even working a second job just to float the bills. And as the business grew, hHe gets real about why he treats more desk workers than athletes, the power of muscle mass, and why asking for help is the fastest way to stop failing. Connect with Wirth Chiropractic: Find Wirth Chiropractic on Facebook and Instagram or visit their locations in Greenville and Kinston, North Carolina About the Host: Taylor Walden is the founder of Radiate Prints and a serial entrepreneur who started her first business in her dorm room at East Carolina University. American Business Story highlights the stories of business leaders and entrepreneurs. More American Business Story: Thank you for your continued support of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast! Know someone who should be a guest? Nominate them! Head to the Radiate Prints website (https://radiateprints.com/radiateprints/shop/page/shoptalk) and fill out our nomination form under the "Podcast" tab. You can find more episodes of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe-9mDwEvElrOVCAROBzYTw⁠), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shop-talk-business-leaders-share-their-story/id1825982148⁠), and Spotify. We release new episodes weekly on Wednesdays! Connect with Radiate Prints: We print apparel people love to wear. If you need t-shirts, hoodies, hats, or a company store for your organization, reach out to us! Taylor and the team would love to help. @radiateprints on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn Website: https://radiateprints.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/radiateprints TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@radiateprints

    "I Sold My Car to Make Payroll" | Building Thriving Chiropractic Clinics with No Business Experience

  4. Sep 9 ·  Video

    Why 94% of Business Owners Regret How They Sold - Dave Hunt on Planning Your Exit Strategy

    Dave Hunt sold his first steer at a 4-H fair when he was 12 years old. His dad took the money and put it into a mutual fund, and every quarter they'd sit down and look at the statements together. Dave didn't fully understand what he was looking at, but he understood one thing: the money was growing. Years later, sitting in a fraternity meeting at Western Illinois University, a guest speaker who was 10 years older said something that changed everything. He said, "What we do is change people's lives." Dave had never thought about financial advising that way before. That moment set the trajectory for the next 30 years. This week on American Business Story with Taylor Walden, Taylor sits down with Dave Hunt of Integrated Private Wealth East, to talk about what it's really like to help business owners navigate one of the biggest financial events of their lives: selling their business. Dave shares the story of going door to door selling aluminum siding in college to learn sales, spending 24 years at Edward Jones before going independent, and why only 6% of business owners who sell their business have no regrets about how it went down. During the conversation, Dave walks through the core team every business owner needs before they sell, why removing yourself from day to day operations actually increases the value of your business, and the mindset shift that happens when you stop being a generalist and start serving a niche. He also gets real about the client who threatened to shoot him, why resilience might be the most underrated skill in business, and the 20 AI agents his brother built that replaced six to eight employees for $1,500 a month. This episode covers wealth management, business exits, and why surrounding yourself with the right professionals early can save you millions in mistakes later. Connect with Dave Hunt: IntegratedPWEast.com or call 252.756.7005 About the Host: Taylor Walden is the founder of Radiate Prints and a serial entrepreneur who started her first business in her dorm room at East Carolina University. American Business Story highlights the stories of business leaders and entrepreneurs. More American Business Story: Thank you for your continued support of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast! Know someone who should be a guest? Nominate them! Head to the Radiate Prints website (https://radiateprints.com/radiateprints/shop/page/shoptalk) and fill out our nomination form under the "Podcast" tab. You can find more episodes of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe-9mDwEvElrOVCAROBzYTw⁠), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shop-talk-business-leaders-share-their-story/id1825982148⁠), and Spotify. We release new episodes weekly on Wednesdays! Connect with Radiate Prints: We print apparel people love to wear. If you need t-shirts, hoodies, hats, or a company store for your organization, reach out to us! Taylor and the team would love to help. @radiateprints on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn Website: https://radiateprints.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/radiateprints TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@radiateprints

    Why 94% of Business Owners Regret How They Sold - Dave Hunt on Planning Your Exit Strategy

  5. Sep 2 ·  Video

    "I'll Never Learn All This" - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome to Build a Thriving Construction Business

    Kathy bought a commercial building in her early 20s with big dreams of historic preservation and downtown development. The project was an epic failure. The bank loaned money to anyone back then, and she walked away with debt that took years to pay off. But that failure taught her something: she needed to learn more about construction. So she went back to ECU, got her degree in construction management, raised three kids, worked in the nonprofit world, and waited. This week on American Business Story with Taylor Walden, Taylor sits down with Kathy Herring, founder of KDL Construction. Kathy shares the story of working for another builder and learning what to do and what not to do, why communication is the difference between a good contractor and one you never want to call again, and the floor install that went so wrong they ripped it out and started over three times because her reputation mattered more than the cost. She also gets real about imposter syndrome, the weight of being responsible for someone's largest financial investment, and why understanding your values and your money are the two things every business owner needs to get right. Connect with KDL Construction: Find KDL Construction on Facebook and Instagram or visit kdlconstructionllc.com About the Host: Taylor Walden is the founder of Radiate Prints and a serial entrepreneur who started her first business in her dorm room at East Carolina University. American Business Story highlights the stories of business leaders and entrepreneurs. More American Business Story: Thank you for your continued support of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast! Know someone who should be a guest? Nominate them! Head to the Radiate Prints website (https://radiateprints.com/radiateprints/shop/page/shoptalk) and fill out our nomination form under the "Podcast" tab. You can find more episodes of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe-9mDwEvElrOVCAROBzYTw⁠), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shop-talk-business-leaders-share-their-story/id1825982148⁠), and Spotify. We release new episodes weekly on Wednesdays! Connect with Radiate Prints: We print apparel people love to wear. If you need t-shirts, hoodies, hats, or a company store for your organization, reach out to us! Taylor and the team would love to help. @radiateprints on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn Website: https://radiateprints.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/radiateprints TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@radiateprints

    "I'll Never Learn All This" - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome to Build a Thriving Construction Business

  6. Aug 26

    How 1 Viral Video Turned into a Media Company Creating for World Class Brands | Hunter Harrison

    Hunter Harrison was sitting in a bank office doing the same thing day after day when he stumbled onto a six second video app called Vine. He had no plans to start a business. He just thought stop motion was cool. So he made a video, posted it, and the next day Vine featured it as an editor's pick. He woke up with thousands of followers. Then world class brands like Samsung started calling. This week on American Business Story with Taylor Walden, Taylor sits down with Hunter Harrison, serial entrepreneur and founder of Smash Waffles and Catch Creative Agency, to talk about what it's really like to accidentally build an influencer marketing business before influencer marketing even existed. Hunter shares the story of picking up South Korean executives from the Raleigh airport with a briefcase handcuffed to their wrist, faking a studio in his garage with signs he printed the night before, and charging $10,000 for six seconds of content shot on an iPhone. He also gets real about why he started Smash Waffles out of a church kitchen, what he wishes he'd done differently when investors came knocking, and why he thinks AI characters are about to take over social media whether we like it or not. This episode is an honest look at building businesses by accident, riding waves before anyone else sees them coming, and learning when to pause instead of just running faster. Connect with Hunter Wells: Find Catch Creative on Instagram @madebycatch or visit madebycatch.com Check out Strange Maple Syrup @strangesyrups or visit strangesyrups.com About the Host: Taylor Walden is the founder of Radiate Prints and a serial entrepreneur who started her first business in her dorm room at East Carolina University. American Business Story highlights the stories of business leaders and entrepreneurs. More American Business Story: Thank you for your continued support of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast! Know someone who should be a guest? Nominate them! Head to the Radiate Prints website (https://radiateprints.com/radiateprints/shop/page/shoptalk) and fill out our nomination form under the "Podcast" tab. You can find more episodes of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe-9mDwEvElrOVCAROBzYTw⁠), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shop-talk-business-leaders-share-their-story/id1825982148⁠), and Spotify. We release new episodes weekly on Wednesdays! Connect with Radiate Prints: We print apparel people love to wear. If you need t-shirts, hoodies, hats, or a company store for your organization, reach out to us! Taylor and the team would love to help. @radiateprints on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn Website: https://radiateprints.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/radiateprints TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@radiateprints

    How 1 Viral Video Turned into a Media Company Creating for World Class Brands | Hunter Harrison

  7. Aug 19 ·  Video

    How a Random Mr. Beast Visit, 4,000 Disc Golf Discs, and Hacky Sacks Built a Thriving Local Business

    Vince walked into Play It Again Sports to buy a couple of disc golf discs and overheard they were hiring. Eleven years later, he's running the store and has grown the business tremendously through unique marketing efforts, finding ways to connect with the community, and staying on top of sports trends. This week on American Business Story with Taylor Walden, Taylor sits down with Vince Tricarico of Play It Again Sports in Greenville, to talk about what it's really like to run a new and used sporting goods store. Vince shares the story of the day Mr. Beast showed up with five U-Haul trucks and cleared the shelves, and how he turned a small disc golf section into a 4,000-disc catalog that has people lining up to shop in his store at 4 a.m. on National Disc Golf Day. He also gets real about the Bat Bros effect on baseball bat sales, designing disc golf courses across Eastern North Carolina, and why supporting youth leagues isn't just good marketing, it's what keeps local business alive. This episode is an honest look at local brick and mortar business, what it means to connect with your local community as a business, and what happens when you're open to walking through doors you didn't expect. Connect with Play It Again Sports: Find Play It Again Sports Greenville on Facebook and Instagram @pisgreenvillenc About the Host: Taylor Walden is the founder of Radiate Prints and a serial entrepreneur who started her first business in her dorm room at East Carolina University. American Business Story highlights the stories of business leaders and entrepreneurs. More American Business Story: Thank you for your continued support of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast! Know someone who should be a guest? Nominate them! Head to the Radiate Prints website (https://radiateprints.com/radiateprints/shop/page/shoptalk) and fill out our nomination form under the "Podcast" tab. You can find more episodes of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe-9mDwEvElrOVCAROBzYTw⁠), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shop-talk-business-leaders-share-their-story/id1825982148⁠), and Spotify. We release new episodes weekly on Wednesdays! Connect with Radiate Prints: We print apparel people love to wear. If you need t-shirts, hoodies, hats, or a company store for your organization, reach out to us! Taylor and the team would love to help. @radiateprints on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn Website: https://radiateprints.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/radiateprints TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@radiateprints

    How a Random Mr. Beast Visit, 4,000 Disc Golf Discs, and Hacky Sacks Built a Thriving Local Business

  8. Aug 12

    "There's a Plane in My House" | Responding to Disasters and Running a Business on Faith, Not Fear

    Chris Miles didn't set out to start a restoration company. He was sitting on his couch one night reading a book about ministry in the marketplace when he felt the Holy Spirit tell him to go into business for himself. He had no idea what that business would be. His wife, a schoolteacher, thought he'd lost his mind. But soon enough he found himself in the restoration business, cleaning clothes after house fires. This week on American Business Story with Taylor Walden, Taylor sits down with Chris Miles, founder of RevitaLife, to talk about what it's really like to walk people through the worst days of their lives. Chris shares the story of the airplane that flew into a second floor bonus room in Manteo (and yes, the pilot and his son walked away without a scratch), why most people don't understand their insurance policies until it's too late, and the moment God showed him he was carrying things he was never meant to carry. During our conversation, Chris walks through why he shifted his business from residential to commercial work, what advice he has for business owners on developing an Emergency Response Plans so you can be proactive instead of reactive, and the two prayers God told him were the only things he needed to ask for. He also gets real about operating by faith instead of fear, why electrical fires are some of the worst he's seen, and the advice his dad gave him that still guides every decision: at the end of the day, just do the right thing. This episode is an honest, unfiltered look at what it takes to serve people in crisis, how to build a business with humility, and why surrounding yourself with good counsel might be the most important decision you ever make. Connect with RevitaLife: www.revitalifeinc.com About the Host: Taylor Walden is the founder of Radiate Prints and a serial entrepreneur who started her first business in her dorm room at East Carolina University. American Business Story highlights the stories of business leaders and entrepreneurs. More American Business Story: Thank you for your continued support of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast! Know someone who should be a guest? Nominate them! Head to the Radiate Prints website (https://radiateprints.com/radiateprints/shop/page/shoptalk) and fill out our nomination form under the "Podcast" tab. You can find more episodes of the American Business Story with Taylor Walden Podcast on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe-9mDwEvElrOVCAROBzYTw%E2%81%A0), Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shop-talk-business-leaders-share-their-story/id1825982148%E2%81%A0), and Spotify. We release new episodes weekly on Wednesdays! Connect with Radiate Prints: We print apparel people love to wear. If you need t-shirts, hoodies, hats, or a company store for your organization, reach out to us! Taylor and the team would love to help. @radiateprints on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn Website: https://radiateprints.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/radiateprints TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@radiateprints

    "There's a Plane in My House" | Responding to Disasters and Running a Business on Faith, Not Fear
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Each week, you'll hear from a business owner on what it’s really like to grow and run a business. Business books and theory are helpful, but nothing beats mentorship and lived experience. This podcast is everything I needed (and still need) to hear as an entrepreneur building businesses myself. Episodes drop on Wednesdays. Subscribe to join the conversation.

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