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. 1d ago

    "Started in Our House, Grew to 210 Employees" | Building a Wireless Empire on EOS with Brandon Tate

    Brandon and Tamira Tate started a wireless company out of their house, and built it into the largest U.S. Cellular dealer in America with retail stores across 10 states with more than 200 employees. This week on American Business Story with Taylor Walden, Taylor sits down with Brandon Tate to talk about what it's really like to scale a retail business across multiple states using powerful processes, a pay for performance structure that never changed, and the Traction EOS system that allowed them to replicate culture and production at a rapid pace. During the conversation, Brandon walks through why going from one location to two was the hardest thing they ever did, and why he chose to emulate McDonald's approach to building scalable systems in his company. He also shares why they built a completely virtual leadership team pre-COVID, and what happened when T-Mobile bought out US Cellular and ultimately dissolved their business, but opened the door to something new. This episode is an honest look at building systems that scale, leading with mission, vision, and core values, and what it means to steep those values into every level of your organization so deeply that people behave like owners even when you're not in the room. Connect with Brandon Tate: Reach out to Brandon at brandon@atlanticwireless.com or visit AtlanticWireless.com to learn more about his consulting work with Tate Consulting Group. 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

    "Started in Our House, Grew to 210 Employees" | Building a Wireless Empire on EOS with Brandon Tate

  2. Oct 14 ·  Video

    “Your Business Can’t Be Your Identity” | Kristi Overton Johnson on Prison Ministry Reaching Millions

    She held the women's world slalom ski record for 18 years. Now she's reaching 2.6 million people behind bars. Kristi Overton Johnson, world champion water skier and founder of Victorious Living, joins Taylor on American Business Story to share how she built a nonprofit that "delivers hope" to more than 3,000 prisons nationwide. During our conversation, Kristi opens up about what it really took to become a world champion, why she decided to start a prison ministry, what she believes every non-profit needs to do to be successful, and what happens when you build an identity around what you do — and then can't do it anymore. From a letter written by an old friend behind bars, to walking into a federal prison for the first time with nothing but a panic button she didn't know how to use, Kristi's story is one of unlikely calling, relentless obedience, and the kind of grit that doesn't stay on the water. Connect with Victorious Living: Learn more about Victorious Living at VLmin.org 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

    “Your Business Can’t Be Your Identity” | Kristi Overton Johnson on Prison Ministry Reaching Millions

  3. Oct 7 ·  Video

    Retired at 50 Without a Plan | From VP of 650 Stores to Building America's Largest C12 Franchise

    Robert Beaman retired at 50 from a 30 year career in convenience stores. He had climbed the corporate ladder from clerk to VP of operations for a 650 store company. He had a stable income, a good reputation, and no real plan for what came next. He just knew he was done. His wife asked what they were going to do. His answer? I don't know. Then one day, while standing in line at a gas station, he ran into a friend who said he was heading to a C12 meeting. Robert had never heard of C12. But that random encounter became the launching point for what is now the largest C12 franchise in America, spanning all of coastal and eastern North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia with more than 400 Christian business owners participating in monthly business forums. This week on American Business Story with Taylor Walden, Taylor sits down with Robert Beaman as he shares the story of working at a convenience store while going to college, climbing the corporate ladder through multiple acquisitions, and the conversation with God on his back patio that removed every ounce of fear he had about losing his job, his home, and his reputation. During the conversation, Robert walks through helping business owners bring faith to work in practical ways, why mission, vision, and core values are the foundation of a thriving company, and the transformation stories of real business owners who went from struggling to hitting financial targets years ahead of schedule. This episode shows what stepping out in faith looks like when you don’t have a plan, and what it means to build great businesses for a greater purpose. Connect with Robert Beaman and C12: Learn more about C12 and find a group near you at https://www.c12midatlantic.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

    Retired at 50 Without a Plan | From VP of 650 Stores to Building America's Largest C12 Franchise

  4. Sep 30 ·  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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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
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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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