Small Business Unscripted

Lendistry
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Management
  • Updated Semimonthly

Anyone who’s built a business knows it never goes exactly according to plan. Every entrepreneur has a different story and their own stack of hard-won lessons. This is the show that takes you behind the scenes of building and scaling a successful business. Join host Everett Sands, CEO of Lendistry, as he and a diverse set of entrepreneurs and leaders throw out the usual questions and get real about the motivations, secrets, and strategies that brought them where they are today. Through triumphs and disruptions, there is no script - there’s only the story. This is Small Business Unscripted with Everett Sands. Brought to you by the team at Lendistry.

  1. Aug 5

    Hard Questions First: Stacy Bernstein's Partnership Playbook

    Stacy Bernstein ran her first company with two partners she never had a hard conversation with. No exit plan, no defined roles, and eventually an artist stuck doing budgets while Stacy took a call with Target’s CMO from her car, breastfeeding a three-week-old and asking herself what she was doing. When she started All Better Co. with co-founder Merav, the first thing they set up was their divorce: what happens if this doesn’t work? Stacy and Everett get specific about what makes the second partnership hold. Stacy and Merav sit in opposite silos (operations for Merav, brand for Stacy) and follow a rule for disagreements: say your piece, and if it’s the other person’s silo and they stand firm, you acquiesce. They also cover why two creatives need a grownup in the room, how partners in different seasons of life have to talk about it out loud, and the payoff of getting the partnership right — nine months of pure customer research that surfaced a white space in the first aid aisle nobody had touched in decades. If you have a co-founder, or are about to choose one, this is the conversation to hear first. Subscribe to Small Business Unscripted wherever you listen. What You'll Learn: Why the first conversation with a new business partner should be about how you’d split up, and what happened when Stacy skipped it the first time How Stacy and Merav divide All Better Co. into two silos, and the acquiesce rule they use when they disagree inside each other’s territory Why partners at different life stages — newborns versus older kids — is a real business variable that has to be discussed, not managed around Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (00:56) Career, Quality of Life & Money (01:38) Lessons from an Athlete's Mindset (03:21) NHL Roots & Storytelling (06:35) Scaling Challenges & Knowing When to Exit (08:57) Founder Partnerships & Tough Conversations (14:43) Pivoting into CPG (15:35) The Idea Behind All Better Co. (17:02) Why Everyday First Aid Needed Innovation (18:29) Naming All Better Co. (19:37) Competing Against Industry Giants (22:28) Big Vision, BHAGs & Acquisition (25:05) Dividing Founder Responsibilities (27:29) Pivoting with Purpose (29:47) Celebrating the Wins (32:15) Founder Advice & Taking Risks Stacy's Highlights: “The first thing I did with my partner now, Merav — the first thing we talked about was our divorce. That was the first thing we actually set up: what if it doesn’t work?” “If I disagree on something that’s in Merav’s silo and I say my piece, and if it’s something that she’s willing to say, ‘No, I stand firm on this,’ then I acquiesce. That’s your silo, and we have to be willing to sit in that.” “Yes, you can have two creatives, but if you have two real creatives, then you need a grownup in the room.” Connect: Connect with Everett: http://linkedin.com/in/everettksands Connect with Stacy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacy-bernstein-1b59a328/ Learn more about the All Better Co.: https://allbetterco.com/ Continue the conversation: smallbusinessunscripted.com Learn more about Lendistry: lendistry.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. Jul 8

    The Hidden Cost of Impatient Money: Kevin Klowden on Small Business Lending

    When the government pumped trillions into the financial system after the Great Recession, the money was supposed to flow downstream. It didn't. Kevin Klowden, Executive Director at the Milken Institute, watched the capital aggregate in the hands of large institutions while community banks collapsed and minority-owned lenders disappeared. The result: a generation of small businesses born into a capital desert. Kevin and Everett trace the structural failures behind that gap — from Dodd-Frank regulations that disincentivized small-scale risk, to the destruction of the informal know-your-customer relationships that once made local lending work, to the stark absence of small business credit data that still plagues the system today. They also get specific about solutions: data portability frameworks, government loan guarantees that pay for themselves, and what the fintech lenders that actually survived learned from the ones that burned out. Subscribe to Small Business Unscripted for conversations with the economists, founders, and operators who understand how capital actually moves — and what's in the way. What You'll Learn: Why the post-2008 bailout capital never reached small businesses — and how the regulatory response made the gap permanent What the early fintech lenders that collapsed got wrong about know-your-customer, and why data-rich lenders price risk better and charge less How loan guarantees from government and foundation sources can reduce borrowing costs without requiring a giveaway — and why short-term thinking keeps the model from scaling Chapters: [00:00] Quick Fix Bailouts [00:36] Meet Kevin Clouden [01:09] Quality of Life as an Economic Driver [02:19] The Economics of Place [03:58] Who's Actually Underserved? [08:06] What Economic Mobility Really Means [09:30] Fintech & Alternative Finance Options [12:38] Know Your Customer in Lending [16:54] Speed vs. Better Terms: The Tradeoff [17:16] Data Portability in Trade Finance [20:37] The Gap Between Lenders and Borrowers [24:09] Women, Childcare & Small Business [28:27] How Guarantees Reduce Lending Risk [31:56] Why Small Business Credit Still Lags [36:00] Tariffs, Supply Chains & Pricing Pressure [41:01] Final Advice for Small Business Owners Kevin’s Highlights: "The biggest problem with TARP, the biggest problem with quantitative easing, wasn't the idea behind it. It was the fact that everybody went with, 'Let's show that we're acting quickly, and let's get the money out the door.' There weren't incentives put in place to make sure the money got everywhere it needed to." "Payday lenders exist because people are unbanked or underbanked. And that happens because there is that lack of trust — either the institution not trusting the individual, or the individual not trusting the institution." "This isn't a zero-sum game. This country succeeds because lots of different businesses grow together. And as long as we remember that — that this is how people have economic mobility, because they can keep doing better — that's what we want to see." Connect: Connect with Everett: http://linkedin.com/in/everettksands Connect with Kevin: http://linkedin.com/in/kevinklowden Learn more about the Milken Institute: milkeninstitute.org Continue the conversation: smallbusinessunscripted.com Learn more about Lendistry: lendistry.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  3. Jun 3

    Credibility Over Contracts: Stephanie Graves on PR That Builds Brands

    Stephanie Graves didn't build Lee Andrews Group from scratch. The founder had passed away, the institutional knowledge was gone, and there were seven employees left holding a name. What she built from there came down to one thing: credibility. Show up, do what you said, deliver—and repeat that enough times that relationships become your most valuable asset. In this episode, Stephanie breaks down why most businesses misuse PR, why AI is pushing her industry back toward cultural competence and human touch, and why the real measure of a PR strategy isn't impressions—it's trust. Follow Small Business Unscripted so you never miss a conversation. 3 Takeaways: Why PR only hired during a crisis is a strategy that guarantees you'll always be playing defense How Stephanie uses values alignment as a hard client filter, and why protecting your firm's credibility is worth more long-term than any single contract Why credibility, not headcount, is what scaled Lee Andrews Group from 7 to nearly 70 people Chapters: [00:20] Meet PR Leader Stephanie Graves [00:51] Rethinking Career Priorities [01:19] From Law School to Politics [01:45] PR Explained  [02:49] Inside Lee Andrews Group [05:49] Biggest Lessons From Acquiring a Business [08:22] Hiring, Delegation & Building a Team [09:43] Avoiding Shiny Objects & AI Distractions [10:57] Earned Media vs Paid Media [11:39] Turning Vision Into Real Execution [13:01] How to Build Trust & Credibility [13:59] When to Fire the Wrong Client [15:17] Civic Leadership & Giving Back in LA [17:21] Boards, Community & Local Impact [20:34] Most Common PR Mistakes [22:59] When to Hire a PR Agency [24:08] Scaling Smarter, Not Bigger [25:46] Advice for Women Founders Stephanie’s Highlights: "Relationships are gold. No one's going to give you anything for free until you really show yourself as credible." "He disagreed with me, so I fired him. That's not always the best business decision. But our ethos is community driven." "You don't want someone else to tell your story. It's like a plant—you have to continue to water it, or it dies." Connect: Stephanie Graves: www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-graves-51b159322/  Everett Sands: www.linkedin.com/in/everettksands Resources: Learn more about Lendistry: lendistry.com Learn more about Lee Andrews Group: https://leeandrewsgroup.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  4. May 6

    Start With Your Why: Kevin Keane on Business Transformation

    Kevin Keane started his career at PwC learning one thing above all else: the most valuable thing a consultant can do is tell leaders what no one inside the building will. From there he built a career helping major companies (including Toyota's massive relocation and merger to Plano, Texas) that broke most organizations.  Now as COO of Directed Action, he's focused on making those same tools accessible to small businesses. Kevin and Everett dig into what management consulting actually is (and when you actually need it), why transformation fails when leaders can't articulate their why, and how a disciplined process of asking the right questions—not having all the answers—is what separates a great consultant from an expensive talker. Kevin also makes the case that the most valuable first step for any entrepreneur is going to a banker: because a lender will tell you the truth. Follow Small Business Unscripted so you never miss a conversation. 3 Takeaways: Your "why" isn't just motivational language. It's the only thing that makes transformation, innovation, and culture actually hold together under pressure. How to know when you need a board member versus a consultant—and why confusing the two keeps entrepreneurs stuck at the same level. Going to a banker before you hire a consultant might be the most honest strategic feedback you can get. Chapters: [01:31] How Kevin Got Into Consulting [02:45] Why Companies Hire Consultants [08:38] Big vs. Small Company Playbooks [10:51] Why Innovation Needs a Clear Purpose [12:22] Toyota's Business Transformation Story [17:32] How Founders Should Value Their Time [19:51] Finding Mentors and Building Skills [27:08] Small Transformations That Matter [30:17] The Reality of Business Funding [32:14] Aligning Culture and Core Values [34:15] Most Common Business Mistakes [35:50] Affordable Business Help Options [37:49] DIY Consulting Using AI Tools Kevin’s Highlights: "You have to tell 'em their babies ugly. You have to be independent enough and confident enough to say to leaders, this isn't working." "You're simply not gonna grow in a very effective way unless you can understand what your personal value proposition is—beyond the fact that you're a founder." Connect: Kevin Keane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinakeane/ Everett Sands: www.linkedin.com/in/everettksands Resources: Learn more about Lendistry: lendistry.com Learn more about Directed Action: https://directedaction.com/ Want to learn from Kevin and the team at Directed Action? Find upcoming events:  https://actionpath.directedaction.com/events/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  5. Apr 8

    How Melissa Butler Built The Lip Bar Into a Nationwide Beauty Brand

    Melissa Butler was working at Barclays when she started making lipstick in her New York apartment. 1,500+ batches later, her scrappiness paid off with a spot on Shark Tank. She didn’t get the deal, but she did leave with a powerful lesson in branding instead. Now, The Lip Bar is sold on Target shelves nationwide—the retailer’s largest Black-owned beauty brand.  In this episode, Melissa takes us through her incredible journey from the apartment kitchen to the CEO chair, including the advice from Mark Cuban that changed everything, how she landed a deal with a major retailer, knowing when it’s time to quit your job and go all-in, and much more.   ➜ Follow Small Business Unscripted so you never miss a conversation. 3 Takeaways: Build your community before you build your product. Know the difference between working capital and growth capital. Your personal brand is your business's biggest asset. Chapters: [00:25] Meet Melissa Butler [02:47] From Detroit Roots to Wall Street [04:20] Quitting Finance to Start a Lipstick Brand [07:23] Learning Cosmetic Chemistry from Scratch [11:09] When to Quit Your Job [14:26] Shark Tank: What Really Happened [23:44] Raising Capital & Landing Target [32:38] Scaling the Brand: Retail, Marketing & Growth [45:30] Final Advice for Founders Melissa’s Highlights: "I saw this group of women who felt like they were aging outside of their beauty—and this idea that beauty has a time limit. That's another box I don't appreciate and I don't want to play up." "Beauty will happen wherever I choose." "A lot of founders make the mistake of thinking they need dollars when they need efficiency, or they need creativity, or they need to build a better community." Connect: ➜ Melissa Butler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-butler-4b7ba766/  ➜ Everett Sands: www.linkedin.com/in/everettksands Resources: ➜ Learn more about Lendistry: lendistry.com ➜ Learn more about The Lip Bar: thelipbar.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  6. Mar 11

    Every Founder is a Fundraiser: Isabel Guzman on Capital and Growth

    Isabel Guzman didn't plan on a career in policy. She planned on building businesses — starting in the front office of her father's veterinary practice, continuing through Wharton, Penn, and a stint at Procter & Gamble, and eventually back to California to help her dad scale what had become a chain of hospitals. Government found her, not the other way around. But once she was in, she went deep — and what she learned about how capital actually flows to small businesses changed how she thinks about everything. In this episode, Isabel joins Everett to break down the most common and costly misconceptions small business owners have about working with the government: why the grant era of COVID was an anomaly, not a baseline; why getting a "no" from one SBA lender doesn't mean the door is closed; and why building a strong private-sector portfolio is the single most important thing a founder can do before pursuing government contracts.  Follow Small Business Unscripted so you never miss a conversation. 3 Takeaways: Government capital has shifted back to loans. Founders who built on COVID-era grants need to recalibrate. Past performance is the entry ticket to government contracting (and most small businesses skip building it). LA's mega-events are a rare, time-bound revenue window. The businesses that benefit will treat it as a strategy, not a backdrop. Timestamps: [05:50] Why Isabel Left Corporate for Public Service [09:45] The LA Mega Events Opportunity [12:00] The Funding Story That Saved a Business [14:10] Biggest Mistakes with Government Capital [18:55] How to Win Government Contracts Isabel’s Best Insights: "One of the biggest hats you wear as an entrepreneur is a fundraiser for your company. Your ability to sustain and grow really relies on your ability to understand how to fundraise — loans, equity, grants, depending on your structure. I wish they had told me that in the beginning." "Expect that [getting government contracts] is going to be hard work to learn the rules of the road. Building up your portfolio of private companies can really help you advance further in the government contracting space." "I'm proud now to say everywhere I go that I've failed multiple times. But that doesn't mean I don't keep going." Connect: Isabel Guzman: www.linkedin.com/in/isabelcguzman Everett Sands: www.linkedin.com/in/everettksands  Learn more about Lendistry: lendistry.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  7. Feb 11

    Bet on Yourself: Emory Jones on Building Paper Planes & Walking Your Own Path

    Emory Jones went from a 13,000-person town in Maryland to Brooklyn at 16 with no family connections. Fashion was his communicator—the thing that helped him navigate rooms and build a career that spans Rocawear, Puma, and the creation of Paper Planes. But Emory's real superpower isn't just design—it's understanding that people buy energy and lifestyle before they buy product. He shares how he helped bring Puma back into cultural conversation after years of being ignored and the moment a nickname from his past became a movement about self-belief. This episode goes deep on building brands that match how you actually live, why comfort and function beat hype every time, and how walking—literally just walking with people—has become Emory's secret weapon for business, relationships, and creativity. What You'll Learn: Why you can't pick your customer anymore (and why that's actually freeing)How to be the best version of yourself in every room without losing your identityWhy paid marketing is an amplifier, not a driverThe power of building lifestyle brands around your actual lifestyleHow accountability to yourself changes everythingEmory:  "Growing up, coming from where we come from, we wake up and bet on everything but ourselves. Everything—the gang, the block, anybody. We bet on everything but yourself." "Fashion has always been my communicator. Before I know what you do or where you're at, I can figure you out by sight. That alone helped me balance rooms." "If you're building something, you can't pick and choose who your customer is anymore. The guy across the street that you didn't think was your customer? That's your customer. Don't set yourself up for disappointment." Links & Resources: Follow Everett on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/everettksands Follow Emory on Instagram: @vegas_jonesLearn more about Paper Planes: www.paperplane.shopLearn more about Lendistry: lendistry.comKeep the conversation going at smallbusinessunscripted.com Timestamps: 01:00 – Early Career and Influences 02:05 – The Journey to New York and Rockawear 07:00 – Challenges and Lessons in Merchandising 10:35 – The Birth of Paper Planes 16:35 – Puma Collaboration and Legacy 21:40 – Bet on Yourself Philosophy 26:10 – Building a Lifestyle Brand 31:00 – Advice for Young Entrepreneurs 32:30 – Looking Forward: Plans for 2026 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  8. Jan 7

    300 Rejections to Unicorn Status: How Wemimo Abbey Built Esusu

    Wemimo Abbey immigrated from Lagos, Nigeria at 17. When he and his mother tried to borrow money, they were turned away by a major bank and sent to a payday lender charging over 400% interest. His mother sold his father's wedding ring to get them started in America. That experience became the foundation for Esusu, a fintech platform that reports rental payment data to credit bureaus—helping millions establish or improve credit scores. Before Esusu, less than 3% of the $1.4 trillion renters pay annually showed up on credit reports. Wemimo shares how he and co-founder faced 326 rejections, got kicked out of a Denny's for being $100,000 in credit card debt, and still pushed forward. They created a win-win-win model: landlords get more on-time payments, renters build credit, and lenders can better assess risk. The result? Over $50 billion unlocked in economic activity, bipartisan support in Congress, and partnerships with Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Zillow. What you'll learn: Why timing matters more than originality when launching an ideaHow to create win-win-win scenarios for all stakeholdersThe power of stakeholder mapping: finding your entry pointThe co-CEO model: why sharing leadership can be a strengthHow to turn customer rejection into your biggest relationshipWemimo:  "Life is too short to work on win-lose. I am just not interested. It doesn't get me out of bed. Money does not motivate me. Impact gets me on a high." "We always say think outside the box, but we never let people outside the box engage. That tells you how lopsided access to capital really is." "Be caught trying. In life, you're gonna be knocked down. People will tell you no. Your ideas won't work. You're gonna have heartache in life. You just gotta show up and be caught trying." Links & Resources: Follow Everett on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/everettksands Follow Wemimo on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/wemimoabbeyLearn more about Esusu: esusurent.comLearn more about Lendistry: lendistry.comKeep the conversation going at smallbusinessunscripted.com Timestamps: 01:50 – Early Life and Education in Nigeria 04:05 – Entrepreneurial Beginnings and Early Ventures 08:10 – Corporate America and the Birth of Esusu 11:25 – The Power of Rental Data in Credit Scoring 17:15 –Scaling and Impact of Esusu 21:25 – The Importance of Win-Win-Win Scenarios 22:35 – Overcoming Challenges and Rejections 27:30 – The Co-CEO Structure at Esusu 30:00 – Partnerships and Customer Focus Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Anyone who’s built a business knows it never goes exactly according to plan. Every entrepreneur has a different story and their own stack of hard-won lessons. This is the show that takes you behind the scenes of building and scaling a successful business. Join host Everett Sands, CEO of Lendistry, as he and a diverse set of entrepreneurs and leaders throw out the usual questions and get real about the motivations, secrets, and strategies that brought them where they are today. Through triumphs and disruptions, there is no script - there’s only the story. This is Small Business Unscripted with Everett Sands. Brought to you by the team at Lendistry.

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