198: Colin McGuire - How a “Hustle Portfolio” Ignited a National Brand

What if the fastest way to build something big is to stop chasing fast money?

Sean Phelps reconnects with Colin McGuire, a College Works alum he worked alongside in the Illinois division two decades ago. Colin went from a self-described, generally unemployable student with severe ADHD to running a growth marketing agency and launching Glimmr, a superfood haircare brand now scaling fast inside Target.

They get into the messy 20-year road most people never see. The T-shirt hustles, the wooden toothbrushes, a viral prank gift site, the broke nights in Vegas, and the hundred-plus door-to-door sales pitches that later helped him walk into Target HQ and win. Colin breaks down why staying calm keeps you in the arena, how one skill compounds over a decade, and why patience beats hype.

If you are waiting to feel ready or chasing the next shiny thing online, this conversation is your wake-up call. Listen now.

Timestamped Highlights

00:56 – The three-part definition of excellence that starts with a surprising word

02:11 – The truth behind the overnight success nobody talks about

05:06 – Why being generally unemployable turned out to be an advantage

07:50 – The classroom moment that made door-to-door sales sound perfect

21:12 – His first six-figure profit came from the most boring product imaginable

30:09 – Broke in a 40-dollar Vegas motel, he meets the partner who changes everything

36:55 – The real growth numbers, and where Glimmr goes nationwide next

41:03 – No boardroom, no PowerPoint: the Target pitch that almost fell apart

47:53 – The one skill he tells every young person to master first

About The Guest

Colin McGuire is the co-founder and CEO of Boomn, a full-service growth marketing agency he started in 2017, and the CEO and co-founder of Glimmr, a superfood hair care brand built around its 10-minute hair mask. A College Works Painting alum and Illinois State University graduate, Colin spent years building and selling a portfolio of scrappy ecommerce businesses before turning that hard-won experience into an agency and a fast-scaling consumer brand now expanding across Target and other major retailers.

🔗 LinkedIn

Mentioned Resources

• Glimmr (superfood hair care brand)
• Boomn (growth marketing agency)
• College Works Painting
• Illinois State University
• Springdale Ventures
• Target
• TJX Companies (Canada retail partner)
• TikTok Shop
• Udemy (GAAP accounting course)
• Kickstarter
• Flippa (website marketplace)
• Amazon
• Shopify
• WooCommerce

Important Links

• Grow, do great work, and lead the way: National Services Group (NSG)
• Join our Student Professional Program: Internship Application
• Connect with Matt on LinkedIn
• Watch full interviews on YouTube

The Edge of Excellence is an original podcast hosted by Matthew Stewart. Brought to you by College Works. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.