OnlyFounders

Anne Gillaspie
  • 4.9 (58)
  • Entrepreneurship

Honestly real conversations with founders who are building businesses, communities, and movements while breaking patterns, and leading with radical truth. No varnish. No script. Just showing up as humanly possible with your host, Anne Gillaspie.  Anne is the CEO & founder of Fix & Form | A Denver Branding Firm, co-founder of 10toLaunch, building launch ready brands in just ten days, and Anne Speaks where she activates global audiences with bold keynote speaking. She is raising three incredible kids with her partner in crime in Denver, Colorado. 

  1. Jul 20

    “I Taught Empathy for Years Before I Used It on Myself” | Rob Volpe | Ep02

    What happens when the "soft skill" everyone tells you to hide turns out to be the thing that built your business? Rob Volpe spent nearly two decades running Ignite 360, a consumer insights and strategy firm he bootstrapped, self-funded, and grew without ever missing payroll — before exiting through acquisition. Along the way he became known as the Empathy Activist, author of the award-winning Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time. His work is built on a simple, contrarian bet: empathy isn't a personality trait for the soft-hearted, it's an underused strategic tool that most leaders have talked themselves out of using. In today's episode, we talked about: • From qualitative researcher to founder, and the "old tapes" that told Rob empathy was a weakness, not a superpower • The contract that said "EMPLOYEE" in all caps, and the full body "no" that ended his path to ever working for someone else • Building Ignite 360 on relationships, not job postings, and why he hired for his own weaknesses first • The clients who wanted empathy in the work but not in the title, and what that says about the current cultural moment • His midlife crisis, the day the acquisition finally closed, and learning his business and his identity were never meant to be the same thing • Letting go of "should" on newsletters, talk titles, and recovery, and trusting his own timing instead "Don't let 'should' get in the way of good." On empathy at work: it's not a bug in the system, it's a feature we were literally born with. Rob spent his career teaching brands to notice what people actually feel underneath what they say. Turns out the hardest person to read that way was himself — and it took a contract, a cat named Domino, and one very loud "no" from the universe to get him there. Resources and links (Rob Volpe) Website: https://www.robvolpe.expert/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmpathyActivist Book: Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time: https://www.amazon.com/Tell-More-About-That-Conversation/dp/1774580896/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 Newsletter: https://readingbetweenthelines.beehiiv.com/ Watch this episode on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Rf7C2mbxg3s Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PuNBpWpZKzCnuwmFQOPI4?si=97a26df7e350478a Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/onlyfounders/id1832541527 Follow Anne Gillaspie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annegillaspie/ Follow Anne Gillaspie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annegillaspie/ Join Coffee Club: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevT9HVr57sn4fFUVpsWpcO-ZMeQKgftrg19tdVXPPrM5xQIQ/viewform Visit our website: https://theannegillaspie.com/

    “I Taught Empathy for Years Before I Used It on Myself” | Rob Volpe | Ep02

  2. Jul 14

    My Founder Story: Anne Gillaspie on Dying (and Being Reborn) as a Founder | Ep01

    What if the version of you that built your first business had to die for the next one to exist? Anne Gillaspie doesn't think that's a metaphor; she thinks it's happened to her three times. In this first-ever solo episode of OnlyFounders, host Anne Gillaspie steps out from behind the mic and into the story herself. She's the founder and CEO of Fix & Form, a Denver branding firm that's quietly rebuilt itself twice in 12 years, and a keynote speaker whose talks on truth-telling and burnout have started drawing crowds who want more than a business card exchange. This episode marks a reset for the show itself, a pivot from co-hosted banter to raw, unfiltered founder testimony, starting with Anne's own. In today’s episode, we talked about: • From brand manager to solo founder, and her "happy divorce" from her old identity • The three-month depression that accidentally launched her business • Why Fix & Form killed retainer marketing for one-time transformations • Miscarriage, motherhood, and rebuilding herself, more than once • Launching Anne's Coffee Club for founders who want real access "I believe that we have many rock bottoms. I believe that we have to die several times to reinvent ourselves and be reborn in this lifetime." She closes the episode with a story about a single birthday candle — and why, at 41, it was the first birthday she'd ever actually had. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/ELCol0jHRKg Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PuNBpWpZKzCnuwmFQOPI4?si=97a26df7e350478a Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/onlyfounders/id1832541527 Follow Anne Gillaspie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annegillaspie/ Follow Anne Gillaspie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annegillaspie/ Join Coffee Club: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevT9HVr57sn4fFUVpsWpcO-ZMeQKgftrg19tdVXPPrM5xQIQ/viewform Visit our website: https://theannegillaspie.com/ If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with another founder who needs to hear it.

    My Founder Story: Anne Gillaspie on Dying (and Being Reborn) as a Founder | Ep01

  3. Mar 24

    067: Why Not Me? Orly Zeewy on Female Entrepreneurship, the Bubble Wrap Story, and Redefining Failure

    In this episode, Anne and Matt sit down with Orly Zeewy, brand strategist and author of the upcoming book Why NOT Me? The Female Guide for Entrepreneurship, to unpack the unique challenges women face when building a business. Orly shares the story of her book's title—born from the universal imposter syndrome of "Why me?"—and explains why female founders need to embrace failure as feedback rather than a reflection of their self-worth. They also explore the dangers of "ugly babies" in business, including the surprising origins of bubble wrap. The group discusses why over-coaching can paralyze your progress and the flawed pricing mentalities that hold so many female entrepreneurs back. Whether you are navigating product-market fit or learning how to stand firmly in your zone of genius, this conversation is a masterclass in pivoting with purpose and finding your community. 🚨 Stuff You’ll Want to Remember: "Perfection is the enemy of good. This is what I hear from women all the time." — Orly"Do not let coaching stall the doing." — Anne"Failure is the whole, is the backbone of entrepreneurship. Because if you don't fail, you don't grow." — Orly"Just because it comes easily to you does not mean it has no value." — Orly📡 Where to Find Us Orly Zeewy → Zeewy Brands - LinkedInAnne → Fix & Form - LinkedInMatt → ChipBot - LinkedIn

    067: Why Not Me? Orly Zeewy on Female Entrepreneurship, the Bubble Wrap Story, and Redefining Failure

  4. Mar 19

    066: Is AI Killing SaaS? The Builder Bug and Why Execution Beats Planning

    In this episode, Matt and Anne dive deep into the rapidly shifting landscape of software development and how AI is empowering non-technical founders to build their own bespoke solutions. They discuss the current headwinds facing the SaaS market , the addictive nature of the "builder bug" , and why relying on common sense and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) can bridge the coding experience gap. Finally, they explore the ultimate dividing line in business today: why those who execute and ship quickly will outpace those who get stuck in endless loops of overthinking and planning. 🚨 Stuff You’ll Want to Remember: "For the folks that know what they're doing, AI is is an accelerator. And for the folks that have no no idea, AI is a detriment to their future." — Matt"At the core minimum, you need common sense to build up the experience gap that you have." — Matt"Don't let coaching stall the doing... you don't need coaching. You don't need more thinking. You need to just go do and go execute." — Anne"That information value is gone now. So what is remaining? Your ability to execute." — Matt📡 Where to Find Us Anne → Fix & Form - LinkedInMatt → ChipBot - LinkedIn

  5. Mar 17

    065: The Real Silver Tsunami, AI Mentorship, and the Future Workforce

    In this episode, Matt and Anne debate the looming impact of the "silver tsunami" and what it actually means for the future of business and the workforce. While Anne argues that older generations provide irreplaceable human mentorship, culture, and relationship-building skills that AI cannot replicate, Matt contends that task-based AI tools and video tutorials are already replacing the need for traditional corporate guidance. They explore whether the real generational business opportunity lies with the tech-savvy, well-capitalized 45-to-55 demographic, and how declining birth rates will force a massive shift in corporate productivity over the next two decades. Oh, and they also compare their coffee routines and how they use caffeine for peak productivity versus socializing. 🚨 Stuff You’ll Want to Remember: "The generation between 45 and 55. In my opinion, that's the silver tsunami wave..." — Matt"What you can't get when you type in a prompt to AI... is the mentorship from a human being that has personal stories and lived experiences." — Anne"I argue that promotions and excelling in your career happens from relationship building skills, which I don't believe you can learn on AI." — Anne"It's not exiting, there's less people entering. That's actually more scarier than the people exiting." — Matt📡 Where to Find Us  Anne → Fix & Form - LinkedIn Matt → ChipBot - LinkedIn

  6. Mar 12

    064: Battle Wounds and Boardrooms: Mojo's Evolution from Solo Hustler to Production Agency CEO

    In this inspiring episode, Anne and Matt are joined live from Los Angeles by Mojo, the founder and executive producer of Rainbow Creative. Mojo opens up about his incredible founder's journey, tracing his roots from customer service at Apple and marketing at Disney to launching coworking spaces for WeWork during their hyper-growth phase. He shares the raw truth about the physical and mental toll of scaling a mission-driven podcast agency to 25 shows while surviving on just four hours of sleep a night. Realizing he couldn't do it all, Mojo breaks down his crucial pivot to hiring a CFO, embracing executive coaching, and learning the true mechanics of profit and sustainable growth. Packed with lessons on leveraging your Rolodex as an "unfair advantage," this episode is a masterclass in rebounding from setbacks, owning your role as a true CEO, and leading with radical empathy. 🚨 Stuff You’ll Want to Remember: "What's a 10 in your life? Imagine if that's a 1—how do you make that into a 10? That 10, I try to make into another 10." — Mojo"...failing is, is an end successes are just metrics on a line." — Matt 📡 Where to Find Us Mojo → Rainbow Creative - InstagramAnne → Fix & Form - LinkedInMatt → ChipBot - LinkedIn

    064: Battle Wounds and Boardrooms: Mojo's Evolution from Solo Hustler to Production Agency CEO

  7. Mar 10

    063: The Power of Experience, Adapting to AI, and Building Your Next Chapter with Adrienne Arieff

    In this episode, Anne and Matt sit down with PR veteran and brand strategist Adrienne Arieff to discuss her journey from running a successful firm for a decade to launching a brand-new, mission-driven venture. Adrienne gets real about the harsh realities of industry shifts and job loss, sharing why she firmly believes that age and experience are actually professional superpowers rather than liabilities. The group dives into how Adrienne successfully integrated AI into her consulting workflow to stay highly competitive, the compounding value of a strong professional network, and she gives an exclusive first look at her "Next Chapter Shift" program—an eight-week cohort designed to help midlife women navigate major personal and professional transitions to build their ultimate "life resume." 🚨 Stuff You’ll Want to Remember: "If you're coming from a place of fear, you are not going to be as creative and you are certainly not going to be as productive." — Adrienne"The older you are, I do feel that you have the ability to say no comfortably, which allows you to filter out the things that you are more aligned on." — Anne "Anytime you're going zero to one, it's impossible to figure out where you're going in one year anyway, right? Because you don't even know if your hypothesis is right." — Matt📡 Where to Find Us Anne → Fix & Form - LinkedInMatt → ChipBot - LinkedInAdrienne → Instagram - YouTube

    063: The Power of Experience, Adapting to AI, and Building Your Next Chapter with Adrienne Arieff

  8. Mar 5

    062: The 2-Month Go-to-Market Cycle, AI Coding Tools, and Why "Live" is the New SEO

    In this episode, Matt and Anne dive into how AI is drastically accelerating the founder's journey, cutting the traditional six-month software go-to-market cycle down to just two months. Matt shares his insights on using AI tools to build a fully functional MVP in mere weeks, shifting a founder's focus from heavy development to rapid distribution. They also explore the changing landscape of SEO in the age of AI search and why showing up "live" to interact with your audience is becoming the ultimate differentiator to prove your brand's human authenticity. Finally, Matt drops a reality check on why soundboarding with the actual market—through sales or cancellations—beats relying solely on early supporters. 🚨 Stuff You’ll Want to Remember: "Showing up live is actually a bigger signal than anything because you can't AI-fi being live." — Matt "So instead of SEO, right, you're actually backing into the actual content of the website to make sure that AI can crawl it. And then also it's keyword rich for exactly what those search terms are that you want AI to find." — Anne"I like soundboarding with the market. That's the best way. Cause it's not, there's no better feeling than a sale or, or people even canceling the service..." — Matt📡 Where to Find Us Anne → Fix & Form - LinkedIn Matt → ChipBot - LinkedIn

See All (69)

4.9
out of 5
58 Ratings

About

Honestly real conversations with founders who are building businesses, communities, and movements while breaking patterns, and leading with radical truth. No varnish. No script. Just showing up as humanly possible with your host, Anne Gillaspie.  Anne is the CEO & founder of Fix & Form | A Denver Branding Firm, co-founder of 10toLaunch, building launch ready brands in just ten days, and Anne Speaks where she activates global audiences with bold keynote speaking. She is raising three incredible kids with her partner in crime in Denver, Colorado. 

Information

  • Creator
    Anne Gillaspie
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    69
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 OnlyFounders
  • Show Website
    OnlyFounders

You Might Also Like