🎙 Inventive Journey | Real Stories From the Startup Survival Club

Devin @ Miller IP
  • 5.0 (28)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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Buckle up for real stories from startup founders and small business heroes who survived the chaos, laughed at the mistakes, and still built something awesome. 🚀 Each episode dives into the wild ride of turning ideas into impact—complete with hard lessons, lucky breaks, and plenty of caffeine. ☕️ Entrepreneurs, this is your pit stop for honest insights and unexpected laughs.

  1. 🚀 From Wall Street to Startups: How Paige Arnof-Fenn Built a 24-Year Marketing Powerhouse Without a Business Plan

    2D AGO

    🚀 From Wall Street to Startups: How Paige Arnof-Fenn Built a 24-Year Marketing Powerhouse Without a Business Plan

    Paige Arnof-Fenn’s entrepreneurial journey didn’t start with a business plan — it started with curiosity, courage, and a willingness to pivot. In this episode of Inventive Journey, Paige shares how she went from Wall Street financial analyst to building a 24-year global marketing firm by trusting her instincts and leaning into what she loved most. Raised in a family of bankers, Paige assumed finance was her destiny. After earning a degree in economics, she landed on Wall Street and quickly realized that while she was good at the work, it didn’t energize her. A single conversation changed her career trajectory when a colleague pointed out that everything Paige enjoyed about banking — planning events, managing promotions, and shaping perception — was actually marketing. That insight led her to business school, where she discovered a natural talent that reshaped her future. Paige went on to work at iconic companies like Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola, gaining world-class training in branding, positioning, and strategy. But when the internet boom of the late 1990s arrived, she took a risk that surprised everyone around her. Leaving behind corporate stability, Paige joined early-stage startups where speed, experimentation, and direct customer feedback ruled the day. Those experiences rewired how she thought about growth and innovation. After three successful startup exits, the events of 9/11 abruptly changed the business landscape. Marketing budgets disappeared, companies panicked, and uncertainty ruled. Instead of stepping back, Paige leaned forward. Her network of founders, investors, and executives reached out for help — and she said yes. Without writing a business plan or opening an office, she began connecting great people with real problems that needed solving. That decision led to the creation of Mavens & Moguls, a virtual marketing firm built decades before remote work became mainstream. Paige scaled the business organically through relationships and referrals, assembling a global team of experts who could move fast and adapt to change. The firm survived the dot-com crash, the Great Recession, and COVID by staying lean, flexible, and focused on results. In this conversation, Paige also shares hard-earned leadership lessons — including when loyalty can hold a business back, why culture matters more than titles, and how building the right team is essential for long-term success. She explains why branding is no longer optional and why everyone, not just celebrities, is a brand in today’s digital world. This episode is packed with insights for founders, marketers, and anyone navigating career pivots. Paige’s story proves that success doesn’t always come from careful planning — sometimes it comes from being brave enough to follow what feels right and smart enough to evolve when the world changes. To chat about this one-on-one, grab a free consult at strategymeeting.com

    38 min
  2. 💡 Three Heart Attacks, Losing $30 Million, and the Lesson That Rebuilt Everything | Robert White

    4D AGO

    💡 Three Heart Attacks, Losing $30 Million, and the Lesson That Rebuilt Everything | Robert White

    What if your biggest business failure turned out to be your most valuable leadership lesson? In this episode of The Inventive Journey, host Devin Miller sits down with Robert White, a seasoned entrepreneur, trainer, and executive coach whose career spans decades, continents, and more than a few hard-earned wake-up calls. Robert’s story isn’t polished for headlines—it’s honest, uncomfortable, and deeply instructive for founders, executives, and anyone building something that involves people. Robert grew up in poverty and discovered early success as a teenage radio personality in Wisconsin. By most external measures, he was “winning” early in life. But momentum without maturity has a cost. Within a decade, Robert found himself broke, divorced, and recovering from three heart attacks before the age of 25. His health, relationships, and career were all under strain. The turning point didn’t come from a new business strategy or a better product. It came from a personal reckoning. After attending a human-potential seminar, Robert was forced to confront how his own behavior, mindset, and lack of accountability were getting in the way of success. That shift—from blame to responsibility—became the foundation for everything that followed. Robert went on to build and lead major training organizations, including Lifespring in the U.S. and Arc International in Asia. Across multiple companies, more than 1.4 million people graduated from programs he founded or led. At the height of success, Robert had wealth, influence, and options—including an unsolicited acquisition offer worth tens of millions of dollars. And then came the decision that changed everything. Believing systems could replace leadership, Robert stepped away too early. Thought leadership faded. Culture weakened. The business unraveled. The financial loss totaled $30 million—a number that still stings, but taught a lesson far more valuable than money. In this episode, Robert and Devin dive into what really caused that collapse, why culture cannot be delegated, and how founder absence impacts people-driven organizations. They also discuss due diligence failures, the danger of comfort, and why “just start” remains one of the most powerful pieces of advice for entrepreneurs at any stage. Today, Robert works with executive teams and leaders, helping them align culture, accountability, and strategy so success doesn’t implode from the inside. His insights are especially relevant for founders navigating growth, exits, or the temptation to step away too soon. If you’ve ever wondered when to hold on, when to let go, or how to rebuild after a major setback, this episode delivers clarity without sugarcoating the truth. To chat about this one-on-one, grab a free consult at strategymeeting.com

    37 min
  3. 🎧 From Broadway to AI Strategy — Yuri Cataldo

    JAN 9

    🎧 From Broadway to AI Strategy — Yuri Cataldo

    Yuri Cataldo’s journey is proof that innovation favors the adaptable. Trained at Juilliard and Yale Drama School, Yuri began his career designing for Broadway and film. When the 2008 financial crisis disrupted the arts, he pivoted — teaching, waiting tables, and launching a bottled water startup from rural Indiana. Through storytelling-driven marketing and early digital testing, the brand landed in Whole Foods, earned international recognition, and gained national exposure before regulatory barriers forced its closure. Rather than retreat, Yuri leaned into entrepreneurship education, ran a nearly $1M crowdfunding campaign, and ultimately joined Autodesk. Today, he operates inside Autodesk Research, analyzing AI competitors and helping teams distinguish real innovation from marketing noise. This episode explores resilience, creativity, marketing ownership, and the legal realities founders often overlook. 🎧 Listen now — and discover more at lawwithmiller.com.

    37 min
  4. From Candy Sales to Global Tech — Luis Derechin

    JAN 7

    From Candy Sales to Global Tech — Luis Derechin

    Entrepreneurship rarely starts with a perfectly crafted business plan — and Luis Derechin’s journey proves it. In this episode of Inventive Journey, Devin Miller sits down with Luis to unpack more than 40 years of real-world entrepreneurship, beginning with a childhood hustle selling Mexican candy across borders and evolving into multimillion-dollar businesses, venture-backed tech, and global workforce strategy. Luis was born in Mexico and raised in Southern California, moving fluidly between cultures at an early age. That cross-border exposure shaped his instinct for spotting opportunity. His first business ended in the principal’s office, but the lesson stuck: when there’s demand, someone will fill it — and smart entrepreneurs pay attention early. As a young adult, Luis partnered with his father to build an import-export company, sourcing housewares from Europe and Asia and distributing them throughout Mexico. The business grew rapidly, only to be nearly wiped out during Mexico’s devastating economic crisis in the mid-1990s. Instead of walking away, Luis rebuilt — launching a direct sales organization that scaled even larger and taught him the realities of incentives, logistics, and leadership at scale. In the early 2000s, Luis caught what many entrepreneurs recognize as “the tech bug.” He helped build what became Mexico’s first startup to raise U.S. venture capital, eventually relocating to the United States and serving in executive leadership through years of intense growth and, ultimately, acquisition. The experience exposed him to the pressures of venture funding, global teams, and the operational discipline required to survive in fast-moving tech environments. Today, Luis focuses on nearshoring and offshoring strategy, helping companies avoid the costly mistakes he’s seen — and made — when building teams across borders. He’s also the author of a book detailing where companies go wrong and how founders can approach global expansion with clarity instead of shortcuts. This episode isn’t about overnight success or startup hype. It’s about durability, reinvention, and understanding that entrepreneurship is a long game shaped by economic cycles, culture, and execution. If you’re building, scaling, or expanding internationally — or recovering from setbacks — Luis Derechin’s story offers grounded, hard-earned insight you can apply immediately. To learn more about protecting your ideas, brands, and innovations as you grow, visit lawwithmiller.com. 🎙️ Listen now and discover what four decades of entrepreneurship really teaches.

    31 min
  5. From Suits to Custom Homes with Trapper Roderick

    12/29/2025

    From Suits to Custom Homes with Trapper Roderick

    Every entrepreneur has a moment that changes everything — and for Trapper Roderick, that moment happened on a rooftop in high school, sheeting a house while his dad was out of town. That early taste of responsibility sparked a lifelong love of building… even if his path took a surprising detour along the way. In this episode, Trapper walks through his remarkable journey:👉 learning construction from his father and grandfather,👉 diving into college entrepreneurship,👉 running a global custom suit business,👉 returning to construction during COVID, and👉 building a respected luxury contracting brand. The suit business came from a single frustrating moment — when no tailor would make what he wanted. So he created it himself, sourcing manufacturing overseas, designing bold marketing campaigns, and working with athletes and executives nationwide. It grew fast, gained media attention, and made him a recognizable name in custom fashion. But even with all the success, he knew construction was home. During the pandemic, while the world paused, Trapper pivoted back. He sold his suit company and launched Roderick Builders, starting with remodels, then modular work, and eventually high-end custom homes and spec projects. His family legacy in the industry, paired with modern systems and social media presence, fueled rapid growth. What sets Trapper apart is his passion for elevating the entire construction field. Through the Contractors Coalition, he works with other builders to share contracts, improve pricing models, and raise industry standards. He’s also educating clients — helping them understand the real cost, value, and trust required to build a truly custom home. His reflections on burnout, financial discipline, and the emotional weight contractors carry offer powerful insight. And his forward-looking vision — expanding into more spec homes, attracting aligned investors, and shaping better industry practices — shows a leader committed to long-term impact. If you’re an entrepreneur navigating a pivot or building something new, this episode will remind you:The right path isn’t always the first one. But it’s the one that keeps calling you back. Dive in and hear Trapper’s full journey — it’s a story of clarity, courage, and building a life aligned with real passion.

    39 min
  6. Building a Business on Your Terms — Jacob Dean

    12/19/2025

    Building a Business on Your Terms — Jacob Dean

    When Jacob Dean looks back on his career, the through-line isn’t a straight path — it’s a steady climb built on curiosity, discipline, and the courage to rethink what success should look like. Raised in Northeast Ohio in a family of educators, Jacob grew up with a traditional definition of stability: find a good job, work hard, and build a dependable life. Entrepreneurship wasn’t part of the conversation. Yet over time, Jacob discovered that he was drawn to something bigger — the intersection of law, business, and strategy. After majoring in finance, Jacob chose law school at a time when the economy was uncertain and job prospects were slim. But that step opened the door to a series of defining opportunities: working in the tax department at Procter & Gamble, clerking for the U.S. Tax Court, completing an LLM at Georgetown, and gaining meaningful experience in both law firm and in-house roles. Each chapter gave him new layers of expertise — tax structure, corporate operations, nonprofit compliance, and business management. Despite the steady progression, something deeper was brewing. Jacob realized that what energized him most wasn’t just the practice of law — it was understanding how businesses run, how decisions get made, and how structure shapes success. He enjoyed the legal work, but he felt most at home thinking like an operator and strategist. Then came a turning point: turning 40. Instead of seeing it as a crisis, Jacob treated it as a moment of reflection — a chance to pause long enough to ask, What do I want the next decade to look like? The answer was clear: it was time to build something of his own. With support from family and colleagues, Jacob made the leap into entrepreneurship and launched his own firm. Unlike many attorneys who see the business side as a distraction, Jacob embraces it. He believes law firms should operate like true businesses — strategic, structured, and growth-minded — rather than relying on outdated norms or reactive hiring. His combined experience in tax and corporate law gives him a unique ability to help founders avoid pitfalls and build with intention. In this episode of The Inventive Journey, Jacob shares the decisions that shaped him, the pressure he once felt to take opportunities out of fear, and the mindset shift that now guides his career. He talks openly about learning to trust himself, redefining what a “successful” legal career looks like, and why entrepreneurship still excites him every day. His advice for new founders is refreshingly simple: get good help. Whether you’re forming a company, raising capital, managing risk, or planning for growth, trying to do everything alone can cost far more than it saves. Good advisors, good structure, and good decision-making create the runway that businesses need to thrive. Jacob’s story isn’t just about leaving a job — it’s about stepping into a role he was already preparing for through every chapter of his career. It’s a reminder that experience compounds, reflection matters, and it’s never too late to build a business on your own terms.

    39 min
  7. Unlocking Customer Insights Through AI — Jon Stamell

    12/17/2025

    Unlocking Customer Insights Through AI — Jon Stamell

    Discover how entrepreneur Jon Stamell built a multimillion-dollar agency, consulted CEOs, and now leads AI innovation to uncover the motivations behind customer behavior. From Detroit to global trade shows to pioneering psychographic AI, Jon’s journey is a masterclass in reinvention, curiosity, and strategic thinking.⭐ Learn the biggest mistakes he made, the insights he gained, and his best advice for today’s founders.

    30 min
  8. 🎧 From Racquetball to Revenue Leadership — Kristie Jones

    12/12/2025

    🎧 From Racquetball to Revenue Leadership — Kristie Jones

    In this episode of The Inventive Journey, host Devin Miller interviews Kristie Jones, a sales strategist who turned her early experiences in athletics, hospitality, and SaaS leadership into a consultancy helping startups build strong sales foundations. Kristie shares why waiting tables taught her more about sales than any corporate role, how she navigated multiple reorganizations, why startups mis-hire so often, and how AI is transforming go-to-market strategy forever. Perfect for founders, sales leaders, and anyone building a modern revenue engine.

    36 min
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Buckle up for real stories from startup founders and small business heroes who survived the chaos, laughed at the mistakes, and still built something awesome. 🚀 Each episode dives into the wild ride of turning ideas into impact—complete with hard lessons, lucky breaks, and plenty of caffeine. ☕️ Entrepreneurs, this is your pit stop for honest insights and unexpected laughs.

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