The Startup Junkies Podcast Jeff Amerine

Summary
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley and Harrison Kitson are joined by Kenny Tomlin, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of CourtAvenue, a cutting-edge digital transformation company. Founded in 2020, Court Avenue, headquartered in Austin, partners with Fortune 500 clients to harness emerging technologies, transforming client interactions, and optimizing business operations. Its focus has increasingly shifted towards AI-driven solutions, helping companies adapt and innovate in an ever-accelerating tech landscape.
A key facet of CourtAvenue’s strategy is its selective approach to incubating boutique services and technologies. This includes ventures like an experiential design business and a platform focused on conversational commerce using AI. By incubating these specialized entities, CourtAvenue not only addresses immediate market needs but also anticipates future technological trends. Kenny’s broader vision for Court Avenue includes potential expansion into new markets such as Latin America, Asia, and Europe, signifying a commitment to global growth. Additionally, CourtAvenue’s selective nature regarding co-founding and incubating entities ensures each venture aligns with its core values and strategic objectives.
In this conversation, Kenny offers advice on identifying opportunities within emerging technologies like AI, navigating the evolving digital landscape, and the essential mindset required for long-term entrepreneurial success. Drawing from his experiences at the forefront of digital innovation, including founding and selling companies like Rockfish, Kenny highlights the paramount importance of building strong relationships, continuous learning, and embracing the unpredictable nature of entrepreneurship.
 
Show Notes
(0:00) Introduction to Kenny Tomlin
(6:40) Navigating the Digital Transformation
(9:42) About CourtAvenue
(13:29) The Process of Incubating Companies
(17:26) Kenny’s Entrepreneurial Experience
(25:35) What Winning Looks Like to Kenny
(29:28) CourtAvenue’s Future Vision
(32:45) Advice to Younger Self
(39:38) Closing Question
 
Links
Caleb Talley
Harrison Kitson
Startup Junkie
Startup Junkie YouTube
Kenny Tomlin
CourtAvenue
 

Summary
On Episode 4 of the latest Startup Junkie Podcast Series, host Daniel Koonce welcomes the founder of Scarlet Letter Beverage Co., Jesse Core. Daniel and Jesse discuss how Core Brewing developed into Scarlet Letter Beverage Co. Jesse dives into how his team approaches flavor innovation, their partnership with Sam’s Club, and how he modernized brewing in Northwest Arkansas. Join us to learn how to listen to the data to figure out what the consumer wants, how to get over the hump of growing pains and establish the right capacity and resources to get out ahead of growing demand, and how to follow market trends. Tune in to hear about Scarlet Letter’s newest product hitting the market this summer. 
 
Links
Daniel Koonce
Startup Junkie
Startup Junkie YouTube
Jesse Core
Scarlet Letter Beverage Co.

Summary
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Daniel Koonce dive into the world of specialty coffee with Jon Allen, co-founder and creative director of Onyx Coffee Lab. Founded in 2012 with the mantra “Never Settle for Good Enough,” Onyx has built an award-winning team of roasters that ship freshly roasted coffee worldwide and serve unique brews in four locations across Northwest Arkansas. 
Jon’s, and his wife and fellow co-founder, Andrea’s, commitment to exceptional coffee led them to a method they call relationship coffee, meaning that for seventy percent of the coffee they import, they visit the farms where it is grown and pay the producers directly. This approach allows them to establish their standards for coffee quality and ensures transparency with Onyx Coffee Lab consumers because they share detailed purchase information on Onyx’s website. Visitors can see the price paid to the producer, the market commodity price at the time of purchase, the fair trade price, the import costs, and the individuals involved in bringing the coffee to the United States.
Throughout the episode, Jon discusses Onyx's unique approach to sourcing, roasting, and distributing high-quality coffee, which includes transparency in pricing, traceability to the farmers, and a deep respect for the coffee's origin. He also shares insights into the industry's evolution, the growing demand for specialty coffee worldwide, and the importance of supporting sustainable practices at the source. This conversation offers a glimpse into the passion, dedication, and innovation driving the craft coffee movement that has taken off in Northwest Arkansas. 
 
Show Notes
(0:00) Introduction to Jon Allen
(1:03) About Onyx Coffee Lab
(3:57) Onyx’s Origin Story
(6:01) Pricing Transparency
(9:04) Focusing on Green Coffee
(15:10) From Coffee Roasting to Consulting
(22:33) The Rise of Coffee Ventures
(29:50) Onyx’s Interior Design Vision and Narrative
(34:58) Advice to Younger Self
(38:15) Closing Question
 
Links
Caleb Talley
Jeff Amerine
Daniel Koonce
Startup Junkie
Startup Junkie YouTube
Jon Allen
Onyx Coffee Lab

Summary
En esta edición número 9 de Startup Junkie en español, entrevistamos a Juan Bahena, un destacado emprendedor en la industria restaurantera especializada en comida mexicana. Juan nos lleva a través de su inspirador viaje con Tula, su aclamado restaurante ubicado en Downtown Fayetteville. Tula no solo se distingue por su auténtica cocina mexicana, sino también por la experiencia única que ofrece a cada cliente. Desde platillos tradicionales hasta innovaciones culinarias, Juan nos muestra cómo ha creado un lugar que va más allá de la comida, fomentando una comunidad vibrante y apasionada alrededor de su negocio.
Descubre cómo Tula ha llegado a ser un referente en Fayetteville, donde cada comida es una celebración de la cultura mexicana y cada visitante se convierte en parte de una gran familia.
¡No te pierdas esta conversación llena de inspiración y sabor!
 
Show Notes
(00:11) Introduction to Juan Bahena
(02:38) The Inspiration behind Tula Mexican Restaurant
(04:05) About Tula’s Menu
(07:23) The Dining Experience at Tula
(09:32) Finding Your Value
(12:37) Tula’s Rule
(15:26) Tula’s Ideal Customer
(17:23) Overcoming Career Obstacles
(22:16) Business vs Community
(37:24) Behind the Scenes of Tula
(41:44) How to Get in Touch
(47:34) Advice for Younger Self
 
Links
Claudia Scott
Startup Junkie
Kiva Northwest Arkansas
Ana Ortiz
Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll)
Andres Balderrama
Juan Bahena
Tula Mexican Restaurant

Summary
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Daniel Koonce and Jeff Amerine sit down with co-founders of Few.io, Arlton Lowry and Zackery Hill. Few.io is an award-winning agency helping get digital products to market faster through strategy, UX/UI, and development for web and mobile applications. 
Few’s goal is to have a positive impact in people’s lives, including its employees, believing that if it focuses on people and quality of work, the rest will take care of itself. With Few’s proven partner approach, its clients’ success is also its success. From concept-to-scale, Few:
Talks to Users: Discovers pain points, goals, and preferences so clients can create a product that addresses those needs in the most effective way possible.
Develops a Strategy: Delivers a clear plan of action around user needs and business goals, allowing teams to work together more efficiently and effectively.
Designs Solutions: Designs an intuitive and visually appealing user interface that enhances the user experience, reducing the user learning curve and increasing adoption.
Builds to Scale: Allows access to experienced developers and engineers that play a pivotal role in ensuring products are functional, secure, and scalable.
Ships Products: Provides the support needed to launch and scale products confidently through quality assurance, testing to branding, and go-to-market strategy.
Throughout the episode, Arlton and Zack share Few's journey from a creative conference to a thriving digital agency, their approach to fostering innovation and problem-solving for their clients, and the importance of strategic risk-taking in business growth.
 
Show Notes
(0:00) Introduction
(0:38) Few.io’s Origin Story
(2:24) The Key to Few’s Success
(6:15) About Few’s Culture
(9:34) Few’s Remote Team
(14:43) Promoting Curiosity
(17:36) The Impact of AI
(22:40) Few’s Ideal Customer Profile
(27:15) Managing Risk with Startup Clients
(33:52) Growing up in Arkansas
(36:04) Few’s Collaboration with the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
(40:24) Advice for Beginner Developers
(43:15) What’s Next for Few.io
(46:37) Advice to Younger Self
(49:46) Closing Question
 
Links
Daniel Koonce
Jeff Amerine
Startup Junkie
Startup Junkie YouTube
Arlton Lowry
Zackery Hill
Few.io

Summary
On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Harrison Kitson and Kristopher Adams sit down with Gavin Magee, founder of Fayetteville City Lifestyle, a community-focused digital magazine aiming to connect residents to the people, places, and things that make Fayetteville such a special town. Whether readers are native to Northwest Arkansas or are new to the area, the Fayetteville City Lifestyle is a one-stop-shop for hyper local, expertly created content that inspires and connects communities.
Rather than taking a content-first approach like other publications, the City Lifestyle stands out by positioning people first, ultimately creating a platform that highlights the best of what Fayetteville has to offer by the people who represent it best. City Lifestyle’s mission is to inspire, instruct, and uplift readers through entertaining articles, detailed and searchable listings of local eateries and businesses, and by sharing unique experiences and events in and around their area. 
Throughout the episode, Gavin shares his entrepreneurial journey in franchising a national publication, discusses discovering hidden gems to partnering with local businesses, and emphasizes the importance of storytelling and fostering a sense of pride in the city he calls home.
 
Show Notes
(0:00) Introduction
(0:39) About Gavin Magee and Fayetteville City Lifestyle
(5:46) Gavin’s Backstory
(9:55) Exploring City Lifestyle’s Content
(14:03) Appealing to the People of Fayetteville
(16:59) Identifying Business Partners
(21:29) Obstacles That Gavin Had to Overcome
(25:59) The Future Vision of City Lifestyle
(30:03) Advice to Younger Self
(32:51) Closing Thoughts
 
Links
Harrison Kitson
Kristopher Adams
Startup Junkie
Startup Junkie YouTube
Gavin Magee
Fayetteville City Lifestyle