RadEO

Entrepreneurs Organization South Africa

Hello and welcome to RadEO a podcast by Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs. It is hosted by Ross Drakes. In this podcast, we share the stories of EO entrepreneurs, their personal stories, some insight into their entrepreneurial journey and the lessons from how they think about their business today.

  1. #61 Ami Kassar | From the kitchen table to global networks

    09/16/2025

    #61 Ami Kassar | From the kitchen table to global networks

    In this episode, Ross Drakes speaks to Ami Kassar, founder and CEO of Multifunding and creator of EO’s Grit Group. Ami shares how childhood memories of immigrant families around his kitchen table shaped his philosophy of generosity and peer learning. They explore the realities of starting again after corporate collapse, the discipline of saying no, and why business owners should focus on fundamentals before chasing shiny frameworks. This conversation shows how clarity, truth, and community can unlock resilience and growth. Key Takeaways: - Peer learning provides practical solutions faster than top-down advice. - Get the basics right before adding new systems or frameworks. - Access to flexible capital helps businesses handle uncertainty. - Turning down the wrong client creates better long-term outcomes. - Community and generosity are essential for sustainable growth. Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or Overcast. This episode is a reminder that entrepreneurship is sustained by generosity, honesty, and learning together around the ‘big kitchen table.’ More About Ami Kassar Ami Kassar is the founder and CEO of Multifunding, a national advisory firm that has helped thousands of entrepreneurs navigate the complex world of growth financing. He is also the creator of EO’s Grit Group, a member-led community that started as a WhatsApp group and now connects about 1,500 entrepreneurs for real-time support. He has advised countless entrepreneurs on financing strategies that align with their vision and values. He is the author of “The Growth Dilemma,” which shares insights on using debt and equity to unlock growth without losing control. Ami has dedicated his career to assisting business owners in making courageous, informed financial decisions that foster sustainable success and long-term freedom.

    35 min
  2. #60 Carrie Schochet | From Forced Entrepreneurship to Purple Squirrel Hunter: Building Success Through Community

    08/19/2025

    #60 Carrie Schochet | From Forced Entrepreneurship to Purple Squirrel Hunter: Building Success Through Community

    In this episode, Ross Drakes sits down with Carrie Schochet, founder of Purple Squirrel Advisors, who got "forced" into entrepreneurship when circumstances changed after maternity leave. From starting as a single recruiter competing against global firms to building a thriving business by hunting "purple squirrels" (the impossible-to-find perfect candidates), Carrie shares her strategic approach to finding opportunities in the spaces others avoid. The conversation covers her journey from pre-med to accidentally discovering recruiting, the power of community building, surviving a devastating ski accident that changed her relationship with her business, and why your identity as an entrepreneur shouldn't be tied to a single company. This is a story about resilience, strategic thinking, and the unexpected gifts that come from being forced out of your comfort zone. Key Takeaways: Find opportunities where others won't goCommunity is your competitive advantage Sometimes you need to be forced into your destinyYour identity should be an entrepreneur, not just your business The right team permits you to lead differently Subscribe on ⁠iTunes⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠Overcast⁠   More About Carrie Schochet Carrie is the Founder and CEO of Purple Squirrel Advisors, a boutique executive search firm based in Troy. Passionate about helping companies grow by creating exceptional leadership teams, she has spent the past 16 years connecting C-level and senior executives with leadership positions in finance, accounting, human resources, operations, sales, and marketing. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 2001, she spent over a decade advancing her career at one of the nation's leading recruitment and staffing firms in Chicago. In 2012, she moved back to the Detroit area to be closer to her family. On January 1, 2015, she founded Purple Squirrel Advisors with the mission of designing a consultative, white-glove recruitment process customised to each client. Carrie is also the founder of CFO Next, a group she launched in early 2013 after discovering a lack of resources and networking opportunities for transitioning or unemployed senior financial executives. She also uses her network and resources as Co-Chair of the Career Services Committee for Financial Executives International (FEI), a non-profit organisation with the mission to support senior finance executives through professional development and networking. She is the Learning Chair for the Entrepreneurs Organisation Detroit Chapter and sits on the ACG Detroit Board as Women's Forum Chair. Carrie is a passionate philanthropist who has raised money for 100 Women Who Care - Greater Rochester Area, and in 2016, co-founded 100 Businesses Who Care to connect executives who want to make a philanthropic impact on the Metro-Detroit community.

    45 min
  3. #57 Joss Du Trevou | How a budget hotel chain taught Joss everything about leadership

    04/22/2025

    #57 Joss Du Trevou | How a budget hotel chain taught Joss everything about leadership

    What if the way you lead is the very thing holding your business back? In this episode of RadEO,  Ross sits down with Joss Du Trevou, a leadership coach who has spent years helping high-performing entrepreneurs, CEOs, and teams get out of their own way. Joss believes that most business problems aren’t external; they’re internal. Your fears, mindset, and habits shape how you show up as a leader. If you’re not paying attention, they might be the biggest bottleneck in your business. Key Takeaways: Your leadership sets the ceiling for your business growth.  Most leaders are blind to their own weaknesses.  You don’t need all the answers. We get into self-sabotage, imposter syndrome, the power of coaching, and why ego is the silent killer of business growth. If you’re a founder, CEO, or just someone trying to figure out how to lead better, this episode will change your thoughts about leadership. Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify or Overcast. Enjoy. More about Joss Du Trevou Joss Du Trevou has been on both sides of leadership; running billion-rand corporate teams and scaling his own family business. Now, he helps entrepreneurs do what he had to learn the hard way: get out of their own way. He grew Ecomotel from 3 to 6 branches, scaling revenue past R30 million while building a team that could run without him. Before that? 18 years in investment banking, leading teams at ABSA, Nedbank, and global banks, managing billions in corporate finance. Now, as an ICF-accredited executive coach, EO mentor, and UCT Business School coach, he helps founders stop micromanaging, overworking, and getting stuck in the weeds so they can actually lead. Because if your business falls apart the second you step back, you don’t own a business, you own a prison.

    36 min
  4. #56 Ronen Aires | Breathwork, cold plunges & the science of resetting your brain as an entrepreneur

    04/01/2025

    #56 Ronen Aires | Breathwork, cold plunges & the science of resetting your brain as an entrepreneur

    Building a business is supposed to give you freedom. So why does it so often feel like a prison? In this episode of RadEO, I sit down with Ronen Aires - entrepreneur, author, speaker, and the guy who swears by breathwork, cold plunges, and unconventional ways to unlock peak performance. Ronen co-founded Student Village, scaling it into South Africa’s leading student marketing agency. But along the way, he fell into the trap so many entrepreneurs do: chronic stress, exhaustion, and feeling like he was suffocating under his own success. We talk about: 💡 Entrepreneurial psychosis: Why founders get trapped in their own heads 💡 How to break the cycle of stress, anxiety, and burnout 💡 Why work-life “balance” is a myth and what to do instead 💡 The unexpected ways breathwork, movement, and extreme environments can reset your brain If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stuck in survival mode, or like your business is running you instead of the other way around, this one’s for you. Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify or Overcast   More About Ronen Aires Ronen Aires built a business that connected global brands to South Africa’s youth, but somewhere along the way, he lost connection with himself. As the co-founder of Student Village, he helped scale it into South Africa’s leading student marketing agency. He’s spent decades mentoring young talent, advising brands, and shaping the future of Gen Z marketing. But behind the success, Ronen was running on empty, trapped in the endless cycle of high performance, high stress, and burnout. That’s when everything changed. Ronen went deep into human performance, breathwork, movement, and mental wellness - learning from some of the world’s top experts, from Andrew Huberman to Steven Kotler. Now, as a speaker, author, and coach, he helps leaders rewire their minds, unlock their best selves, and stop running businesses that drain the life out of them. His philosophy? You don’t need more hustle, you need better habits.

    27 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Hello and welcome to RadEO a podcast by Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs. It is hosted by Ross Drakes. In this podcast, we share the stories of EO entrepreneurs, their personal stories, some insight into their entrepreneurial journey and the lessons from how they think about their business today.