Making with Purpose

MakerFlo
  • 5.0 (12)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the MakerFlo podcast — where creativity meets community and business gets real. Hosted by MakerFlo.com founders, Marc and John, this monthly show dives into the story behind the brand, from humble Etsy beginnings to building a nationally loved company. Expect raw conversations on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the maker mindset, plus guest appearances from creatives, team members, and industry leaders. Whether you're a small business owner or curious creator, tune in to get inspired and fired up!

Episodes

  1. 1D AGO

    Business Is HARD Until You Do This

    John and Marc sit down with business coach Tom Dougherty to break down two critical stages of business growth: systems and team. Tom explains how documenting processes, leveraging tools like Loom and Google Docs, and building the right team culture can free business owners from being the bottleneck in their own company. The conversation includes real examples from MakerFlo's growth journey, from trade show checklists to hiring decisions and workplace culture. Timestamps 00:00:00 Trailer00:00:21 Intro00:02:00 Systems Create Leverage00:03:45 Getting Systems Out of Your Head00:05:30 Loom and QR Codes for SOPs00:08:30 The Camcorder Method00:11:00 Systems for Infrequent Tasks00:13:30 System Ownership and Cross-Training00:15:30 When to Hire00:19:30 Hire Slow, Fire Fast00:22:30 Defining Your Ideal Candidate00:25:00 Valuing Your Time00:29:30 The Attorney Referral Story00:33:00 Building Team Culture00:37:30 Outro Follow Coach TomInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomdoc?igsh=dTZ2YmkwOG1kaGZ4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdougherty1Website - https://actioncoachofaz.com/tomdougherty/ Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website -makerflo.comFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok -https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

    38 min

  2. MAR 5

    Every Business Owner Needs To Hear This - Part 1

    John and Marc of Makerflo sit down with their long-time business coach, Coach Tom Doughtery, to walk through ActionCoach's six-step framework for scaling a business. The conversation covers mastery, marketing, goal-setting, financial management, and low-cost strategies for growing a maker-based business. Coach Tom draws on his own experience founding and exiting a paintball manufacturing company and launching Canada Goose in the US market.Timestamps - 00:00:00 Trailer00:01:03 Intro00:01:48 How John and Marc Found a Business Coach00:03:54 Coach Tom's Background and ActionCoach00:06:41 Coach Tom's Paintball Business Story00:21:55 Overview of the Six Steps Framework00:28:36 Step 1 – The Four Areas of Mastery00:44:51 Step 2 – Marketing and USP01:04:45 The Magic Five Ways Profit Formula01:07:54 Customer Lifetime Value and Retention01:10:23 Outro**Follow Coach Tom**Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomdoc?igsh=dTZ2YmkwOG1kaGZ4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdougherty1Website - https://actioncoachofaz.com/tomdougherty/Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website - makerflo.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

    1h 10m

  3. FEB 19

    How To Avoid Distractions as a Business Owner

    In the final part of the Making with Purpose podcast, Hosts John and Marc explore with Dr. K how environments shape execution in business and personal life, including physical, digital, social, and time aspects. They discuss setting up surroundings for success, the impact of surrounding oneself with higher-level peers, and building positive team cultures to reduce turnover. The conversation emphasizes treating people well as good business practice and concludes with ways to connect with Dr. K. Timestamps 00:00:00 Trailer 00:01:00 Intro 00:02:00 Environment influences execution 00:04:00 Average of five people 00:06:00 Physical environment setup 00:08:00 Digital environment management 00:10:00 Social environment importance 00:12:00 Time environment strategies 00:14:00 Networking with peers 00:16:00 Team culture building 00:18:00 Reducing employee turnover 00:20:00 Treating people well 00:22:00 Connecting with Dr. K 00:24:00 Outro Follow Dr. K -Instagram - Dr. Karthik Ramanan (@dr.karthikramanan) • Instagram photos and videosYoutube - EMOTIONAL HEALTH DEFINITION - What is Emotional Health?Facebook - Dr. Karthik Ramanan | Chandler AZ | FacebookLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkarthikramanan/ Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website - makerflo.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

    32 min

  4. FEB 12

    Why Protecting Your Energy Matters More Than Profits as a Maker

    In Part 3 of the Making with Purpose podcast, John and Marc discuss with Dr. K why personal energy levels predict business success more reliably than time or money. They explore detecting burnout through language and body cues, strategies to maximize energizing tasks while minimizing draining ones, and recommendations like the book Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell. The conversation highlights team dynamics for energy management, the role of purpose and impact in sustaining motivation, and leading with authenticity to foster high energy. Timestamps 00:00:00 Trailer 00:00:20 Intro 00:00:21 Energy as leading indicator 00:00:46 Energy vs time/money 00:01:16 Burnout detection on calls 00:01:31 Approaching burnout example 00:02:00 Optimizing personal energy 00:14:41 Purpose as energy fuel 00:14:48 Identifying draining activities 00:15:01 Gradual habit building 00:15:25 Epiphanies and realizations 00:15:35 High energy, high impact 00:15:43 Outro Follow Dr. K -Instagram - Dr. Karthik Ramanan (@dr.karthikramanan) • Instagram photos and videosYoutube - EMOTIONAL HEALTH DEFINITION - What is Emotional Health?Facebook - Dr. Karthik Ramanan | Chandler AZ | FacebookLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkarthikramanan/ Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website - makerflo.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

    16 min

  5. FEB 5

    How To Visualise Your Goals Into Existence as a Business Owner

    In part 2 of the Making with Purpose podcast, John and Marc sit down with Dr. K, MakerFlo’s emotional health coach, and explore visualization techniques backed by brain science to help entrepreneurs mentally rehearse success. It covers balancing big-picture thinking with action, daily visualization routines, preparing for setbacks, and making visualization effective rather than wishful thinking. The discussion ties visualization to personal identity and practical business growth. Timestamps: 00:00:00 Trailer00:00:24 Intro00:01:24 Brain science of memory and imagination00:02:39 Thinkers vs doers in entrepreneurship00:05:03 Visualization creates future memories00:06:02 Daily visualization routine00:07:37 Visualizing success and handling objections00:09:05 Free-throw shooting visualization evidence00:10:23 Carving out time for visualization00:11:05 168-hour weekly time audit00:13:10 Phone-free morning routine00:15:27 Constant vs scheduled visualization00:17:53 Effective visualization vs wishful thinking00:20:07 Aligning vision with practical strategy00:22:21 Visualization and personal identity00:23:03 Outro Follow Dr. K -Instagram - Dr. Karthik Ramanan (@dr.karthikramanan) • Instagram photos and videosYoutube - EMOTIONAL HEALTH DEFINITION - What is Emotional Health?Facebook - Dr. Karthik Ramanan | Chandler AZ | FacebookLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkarthikramanan/ Connect With Us -John & Marc Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/MakerFlo Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/Our Website - makerflo.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/makerfloTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.comJoin our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

    24 min

  6. JAN 29

    No BS Guide On How To Set Goals - Dr K

    In this episode of the Making with Purpose podcast, John and Marc interview Dr. K, MakerFlo’s emotional health coach, about his transition from Wall Street burnout to coaching. He discusses his rock bottom experience, the five pillars of emotional health, identity reinvention, and practical mindset strategies. The conversation covers goal setting for 2026, avoiding identity traps in business, accountability, and handling failure Timestamps: 00:00:00 Trailer 00:00:38 Intro 00:03:10 Welcoming Dr. K 00:04:46 Dr. K's backstory and Wall Street years 00:06:57 Rock bottom moment 00:09:00 Key transformation epiphany 00:11:06 Five pillars of emotional health 00:19:46 Learning from painful experiences 00:22:00 Reinventing identity 00:31:23 Identity traps and business comparison 00:58:05 Setting challenging yet achievable goals 01:05:00 Accountability strategies 01:09:39 Psychology of failure and rejection 01:22:00 Outro Follow Dr. K -Instagram - Dr. Karthik Ramanan (@dr.karthikramanan) • Instagram photos and videosYoutube - EMOTIONAL HEALTH DEFINITION - What is Emotional Health?Facebook - Dr. Karthik Ramanan | Chandler AZ | FacebookLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkarthikramanan/ Connect With Us - John & Marc Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnandmarc/ MakerFlo Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makerflo_/ Our Website - makerflo.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/makerflo TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makerflo.com Join our private Facebook community:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BT4HPCUak/ Join us live every day: https://makerflo.com/pages/makerflo-lives

    1h 23m

  7. JAN 1

    8 Tips To Get More Sales In The Customization Industry - Episode 6

    In this episode of the Making with Purpose podcast, John and Marc talk about how adding real, authentic value creates the foundation of loyalty, trust, and brand longevity. They break down the mindset shift from transactional selling to impact-driven creation, and why “giving first” always comes back full circle in business and life. The episode dives into how small intentional actions compound over time, why staying true to your purpose keeps you aligned during challenges, and how MakerFlo’s mission continues to shape the company’s culture, decisions, and community.

    1h 7m

  8. 12/30/2025

    Episode 5: From Garage To 8 Figures: MakerFlo's Team Culture

    In this episode of The MakerFlo Making with Purpose Podcast, the founders share how they built a business centred around people, not just profits. From free lunches and paid breaks to providing mental health support and a life coach for the team, they break down how “Be Good, Do Good, Spread Good” became more than a motto; it became the heart of MakerFlo.Stay till the end for a special bonus segment featuring real stories and experiences from MakerFlo’s own team members.

    1h 29m

  9. 10/01/2025

    The Best Conversation About China & US Manufacturing You’ll Ever Hear | Ep. 4

    We just spent two weeks in China filming inside our factories, and we're showing you everything. This episode takes you through the real manufacturing process - from our tumbler factory that uses 12-15 machines and tests every unit at 1000°F, to why the "Made in China = cheap" myth exists (American buyers demanded the cheapest products for decades). We share our $40,000 mistake with watch boxes, explain our "pride bigger than price" philosophy, and get brutally honest about trying to source Made in USA products. After 8 months of searching for cutting board manufacturers, dealing with constant ghosting, and facing 5-6x higher costs with no infrastructure support, we're proposing solutions while maintaining the same quality standards regardless of country.

    1h 17m

  10. 08/29/2025

    Epic Fails & Big Wins in Business - Making with Purpose Episode #3

    It started with a plan… and quickly went sideways. Maybe you’ve been there—things looking perfect on paper, only for reality to crash the party. In this episode, we take you through the moments that made us panic, laugh, and question our life choices. From projects that blew up in our faces to unexpected wins that changed the game, we’re sharing the raw, unfiltered journey from chaos to clarity. You’ll hear the stories behind the mistakes, the lessons we wished we’d learned sooner, and the surprising victories that reminded us why we keep going. It’s about more than just failing—it’s about learning fast, adapting, and finding the small wins that turn a rough day into progress. We’re spilling it all: the missteps that stung, the wins that felt impossible, and the mindset that kept us moving forward. Whether you’re chasing a dream, tackling a project, or just trying not to crash and burn, this episode is full of laughs, insights, and takeaways you can actually use. By the end, you might just see your own challenges differently—and maybe even start celebrating your own mini victories along the way. Epic fails, hard lessons, and the big wins that follow—this is our story, and it might just be yours too

    1h 12m

  11. 08/15/2025

    Making with Purpose Episode #2 - Selling Smart: Shopify, Etsy, & More!

    If you’re a maker, creator, or small business owner, one of the biggest questions you’ll face is: Where should I sell my products?! Do you set up shop on Etsy and tap into their huge handmade-loving audience? Do you build your own branded storefront on Shopify for maximum control? Or do you throw your hat in the ring with Amazon to chase massive reach (but also massive competition)? In this episode of Making with Purpose, we break it all down so you don’t have to waste time (or money) figuring it out the hard way. We go platform by platform, digging into the real pros and cons that most people won’t tell you: Etsy → Amazing for exposure and handmade credibility, but can you stand out in a sea of sellers and rising fees? Shopify → Total control and branding power, but do you have the traffic plan to back it up? Amazon → The biggest marketplace on the planet, but are you ready to fight copycats and razor-thin margins? We’ll also talk about the hidden traps that new sellers fall into, what kind of products thrive on each platform, and when it makes sense to move from one to another as your business grows. Plus, we share real-world strategies to help you build not just a storefront, but a sustainable brand that connects with your audience. This episode isn’t about hype—it’s about clarity. By the end, you’ll know which platform (or mix of platforms) is the smartest starting point for your unique goals, and how to approach e-commerce with confidence instead of confusion. Because making with purpose isn’t just about what you create—it’s about how you share it with the world.

    1h 20m
  12. Making with Purpose - Episode #1 - The History of MakerFlo

    06/30/2025

    Making with Purpose - Episode #1 - The History of MakerFlo

    Join Marc Pendergraft and John Modi in the first episode of "Making with Purpose" as we explore the journey of MakerFlo. We discuss challenges in product sourcing and quality control, emphasizing the importance of unique, high-quality offerings and a strong brand identity. Gain insights on connecting with audiences and fostering industry growth, with actionable advice for entrepreneurs!

    1h 7m
  • 12 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Welcome to the MakerFlo podcast — where creativity meets community and business gets real. Hosted by MakerFlo.com founders, Marc and John, this monthly show dives into the story behind the brand, from humble Etsy beginnings to building a nationally loved company. Expect raw conversations on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the maker mindset, plus guest appearances from creatives, team members, and industry leaders. Whether you're a small business owner or curious creator, tune in to get inspired and fired up!

Information

  • Creator
    MakerFlo
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © MakerFlo
  • Show Website
    Making with Purpose

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