Success Stories with Steve Cross

Steve Cross
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Every entrepreneur has a story. The interesting ones come from people who actually did the work. Success Stories is where Steve Cross sits down with CEOs, founders, and operators who’ve actually done the work. These are honest conversations about building companies—what worked, what broke, and the real decisions behind growth. No hype. No guru energy. Just practical insight for leaders who want clarity and lessons they can apply. If you care about building better companies (& surviving the process) you’re in the right place. Want to be part of the conversation? Hit me up at stevecross.wtf.

  1. 4d ago

    Stop Making Cheap Shit That’s Built to Fail

    Most people see a broken system and bitch about it. Andrew Hess decided to build something better. In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with Andrew, owner of Hess Solutions, to talk about leaving the employee mindset behind and building a machine shop around quality, integrity, and actually giving a damn about the customer. They get into CNC machining, prototyping, 3D modeling, product development, working 16-hour days, and Andrew’s vision of helping people turn an idea into something they can actually manufacture and sell. About Our Guest Andrew Hess is the owner of Hess Solutions, a Northeast Ohio machine shop specializing in CNC and manual machining, prototyping, product development, and 3D modeling. After more than a decade in the trades, Andrew took Hess Solutions full time with a simple philosophy: make things that lasts and treat the customer like a partner, not a transaction. Now he’s building toward a one-stop shop where entrepreneurs can take products from idea to production. About Success Stories Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow. From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results. If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale. 👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf  👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/. #SuccessStories #Entrepreneurship #Manufacturing #CNCMachining #Machining #SmallBusiness #BusinessOwner #ProductDevelopment #Prototyping #AmericanManufacturing #EntrepreneurMindset #MadeInOhio

  2. Sep 22

    Why Sarah Gallagher Trombley Walked Away From Big Tech

    Most parents have no clue what their kids are actually being exposed to online. The scary part? A lot of the people who built this stuff are worried, too. In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with Sarah Gallagher Trombley, founder of Digital Mom Media and former Snapchat employee, to talk about raising kids in a world dominated by screens. They get into social media, post-COVID screen habits, tech regulation, parental peer pressure, and why protecting your kids sometimes means letting them be pissed at you. About Our Guest Sarah Gallagher Trombley is the founder and CEO of Digital Mom Media, an education platform helping parents navigate technology without losing their minds. After a career spanning media and tech, including Flipboard and Snapchat, she turned her insider knowledge into newsletters, courses, speaking, consulting, and coaching for parents trying to make smarter calls about their kids and screens. About Success Stories Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow. From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results. If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale. 👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf  👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/. #SuccessStories #DigitalParenting #ParentingInTheDigitalAge #ScreenTime #SocialMediaSafety #KidsAndTechnology #OnlineSafety #BigTech #DigitalWellness #Entrepreneurship

  3. Sep 15

    Stop Hiring for Skill. Start Hiring for Character.

    Dave Hataj grew up in a gear shop because that’s what his family did. No grand career plan. No polished path to success. Just work. In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross talks with the owner of Edgerton Gear about taking over a dysfunctional family business, getting his ass kicked trying to change its culture, and realizing that being good at your job means nothing if you’re miserable to work with. They also get into the skilled trades crisis, why businesses keep complaining about finding workers instead of developing them, and how Dave turned those lessons into Craftsman with Character, a program now helping companies invest in young people instead of just saying that “nobody wants to work anymore.” About Our Guest Dave Hataj is the owner of Edgerton Gear and founder of Craftsman with Character. After decades of rebuilding his family business and its culture, he’s now handing Edgerton Gear to the next generation and helping other companies rethink how they hire, mentor, and develop people. He’s also the author of Good Work and The Craftsman Code, exploring why character, purpose, and giving a damn about people matter more than another corporate leadership buzzword. About Success Stories Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow. From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results. If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale. 👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf  👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/. #SuccessStories #SkilledTrades #BlueCollar #Manufacturing #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #WorkforceDevelopment #CompanyCulture #Mentorship #FamilyBusiness #SkilledLabor #BusinessLeadership

  4. Sep 8

    He Spent 10 Years Building Something That Made $0

    Jozsef Bogdan came to Canada with $200, one suitcase, and no English. Now he’s trying to turn wasted industrial heat into usable electricity. In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross talks with the NISO Energy founder about starting over at 35, chasing a technology that didn’t work, spending years in R&D without revenue, and refusing to quit. They dig into what NISO is building, the ugly reality of funding new technology, and why entrepreneurs should try to kill their own idea before wasting years proving it sucks. About Our Guest Jozsef Bogdan is the founder and CEO of NISO Energy, an energy technology company developing systems that turn industrial waste heat into electricity. After years of research, failures, pivots, and persistence, NISO is preparing to raise capital and take its technology from the lab into heavy industry, with much bigger ambitions beyond that. About Success Stories Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow. From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results. If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale. 👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf  👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/. #SuccessStories #Entrepreneurship #EnergyInnovation #CleanEnergy #EnergyTechnology #Thermoelectric #WasteHeat #IndustrialInnovation #EmergingTechnology #StartupLife #FounderJourney #BusinessGrowth #ResearchAndDevelopment #FutureOfEnergy #HeavyIndustry #Innovation

  5. Sep 1

    People-First Doesn’t Mean Putting Up With B******t

    Georgia Rittenberg answered a Craigslist ad for a part-time customer service job. Less than five years later, she was running the company. In this episode, Steve Cross talks with Georgia about going from customer service to CEO, learning leadership the hard way, hiring people you might have to fire, and knowing when to stop taking everyone else’s advice and trust your gut. They also get into scaling ComputerCare, building a people-first culture, and using AI to make people better at their jobs, not replace them. About Our Guest Georgia Rittenberg is the CEO and co-owner of ComputerCare, an end-to-end IT asset management company supporting businesses globally. She joined the company in 2011 as a part-time customer service rep before taking over leadership less than five years later. Today, Georgia leads roughly 135 employees while growing ComputerCare around its mission of bringing “the human side of hardware” to IT asset management. About Success Stories Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow. From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results. If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale. 👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf  👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/. #SuccessStories #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #CEO #BusinessGrowth #BusinessLeadership #CompanyCulture #ScalingBusiness #LeadershipLessons #ITAssetManagement #ArtificialIntelligence #AIinBusiness #WomenInLeadership #FounderMindset #BusinessPodcast #EntrepreneurPodcast

  6. Aug 25

    Brandon Bornancin Lost Millions Before Making $250M

    Brandon Bornancin grew up broke, made millions, bankrupt a startup, walked away from a million-dollar sales career, and spent three years struggling while trying to build Seamless.AI. In this episode, Steve Cross and Brandon get into what building a $250M company actually costs: the failed businesses, brutal hours, lost friendships, bad hires, scaling problems, and the decision to keep going when quitting would've been a hell of a lot easier. About Our Guest Brandon Bornancin is the founder and CEO of Seamless.AI, an AI-powered sales automation platform with more than 1.5 million users and $250 million in sales. Before Seamless.AI, Brandon sold for IBM Interactive and Google, went broke building a failed startup, and taught himself how to sell his way out of it. He’s also written seven books, including Scale Your Sales, his playbook for finding prospects, closing deals, and scaling without all the b******t. About Success Stories Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow. From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results. If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale. 👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf  👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/. #Entrepreneurship #SeamlessAI #Sales #SalesAutomation #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #StartupLife #BusinessGrowth #ScalingBusiness #FounderLife #SalesStrategy #B2BSales #BusinessSuccess #StartupFailure #Leadership #SuccessStories #WTF

  7. Aug 18

    Most Entrepreneurs Learn This Too Late

    Most people build a career by following a plan. Sam Hilsman built his by chasing problems nobody else wanted to solve. In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with the CloudFruit founder and CEO to talk about what actually happens when you stop playing it safe. They dive into corporate complacency, the messy reality of entrepreneurship, why most founders build before anyone wants what they're selling, and how AI is completely rewriting the rules for software companies. About Our Guest Sam Hilsman is the Founder and CEO of CloudFruit, a software development and ERP consulting firm specializing in custom software, enterprise systems, and AI-powered solutions. Drawing on experience across healthcare IT, enterprise architecture, and technology leadership, he helps organizations solve complex operational challenges while building products designed to scale. About Success Stories Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow. From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results. If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale. 👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf  👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/. #SuccessStories #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #FounderJourney #Leadership #StartupLife #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #SoftwareDevelopment #EntrepreneurMindset #BusinessOwner

  8. Aug 11

    AI Can't Save a Bad Company.

    What do ministry, entrepreneurship, and AI have in common? More than you'd think. In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with Gumbo CEO Dustin Nimmo to talk about building companies that actually put people first while embracing AI without buying into the hype. They dig into leadership, culture, entrepreneurship, and why curiosity (not fear) is what separates companies that adapt from the ones that get left behind. About Our Guest Dustin Nimmo is the CEO and co-founder of Gumbo, an AI product studio that helps organizations build AI-powered software, launch digital products, and integrate AI into their businesses. With a background spanning ministry, leadership roles at Procter & Gamble and Kroger Health, and AI product development, Dustin combines technical expertise with a people-first approach to building teams, companies, and lasting impact. About Success Stories Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow. From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results. If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale. 👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf  👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/. #SuccessStories #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #BusinessGrowth #StartupFounder #BusinessLeadership #Innovation #FounderJourney #TechLeadership #ProductDevelopment

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Every entrepreneur has a story. The interesting ones come from people who actually did the work. Success Stories is where Steve Cross sits down with CEOs, founders, and operators who’ve actually done the work. These are honest conversations about building companies—what worked, what broke, and the real decisions behind growth. No hype. No guru energy. Just practical insight for leaders who want clarity and lessons they can apply. If you care about building better companies (& surviving the process) you’re in the right place. Want to be part of the conversation? Hit me up at stevecross.wtf.

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