"I want to build a platform, and my team wants to build a platform that blesses people—not a business empire, but a platform to bless people." – Charlie Workmon When you picture logistics companies, what do you see? Gruff individuals scrambling around hectic warehouses, driven only by tight deadlines? That's definitely the norm. But not in Charlie'…

“I’m not sure I ever really wanted to be an entrepreneur.” – Fabi Preslar Ever turned your biggest fear into your proudest achievement? That’s Fabi’s story. Inspired by her father’s ambitious (but unsuccessful) business ventures—from running a French restaurant in rural South Carolina to raising chinchillas—Fabi saw firsthand the risks of entrepren…

"My life is being a navigator and helping navigate people just get started." – Brian Ondrako Listening to Brian now, it's hard to imagine him as a young child in small-town NY, struggling with feelings of inadequacy & lack of self-belief, but those are his roots. A persistent negative mindset & placing blame on others were his defense mechanisms of…

“We just really love living life with other people.” – Monica Hickman Rural Tennessee might not seem like the obvious place to birth a business, but that’s just where David & Monica Hickman’s radical love for community – & their eventual business --was born. Neighbors helping neighbors & new faces at the dinner table were the norm & solidified the …

"I really do want to be known for getting the most out of the people around me and helping them grow."— Danny Mizrahi From New York's breakneck pace to building powerhouse companies, Danny Mizrahi is the ultimate growth champion. Whether launching tech startups or scaling businesses to the Inc. 5000, his approach is all about helping others reach n…

“The thing that most excites my soul is creating, establishing, developing, & then making sure it doesn’t die.” – Titus Bartolotta Locals in the Lake Norman area of Charlotte, NC know the name Bartolotta. That’s because Titus & his wife, Christina Bartolotta (also a podcast guest!), do more than run businesses there. They’re community builders, inv…

"You have to make decisions to really do the hard things… that's what leadership is." – Will Jones When Will was chosen to lead a well-known Charlotte, NC, philanthropy, he was thrilled. Service to others is woven into the fabric of his life. But he inherited a problem that too often plagues nonprofits: an unwavering passion for service hamstrung b…

“It’s all about the opportunity to inspire people.” – Johan Koornhof On the surface, Johan has much in common with the executives, business owners, and leaders he serves. He’s smart, successful, & entirely self-made. He owns his own company and serves as an ambassador to several organizations. But what sets him apart is that none of those things ca…

“People don’t think big enough.” – Tamara Bunte Growing up in the Midwest, Tamara assumed she’d follow the same path as everyone else: go to college, get a job, and work until retirement. She was smart, safe, and secure, the very values her community shared. But those values weren’t hers. Even as a young child, she was curious. Why are some people …

“Creative nerdery is my personal brand.” – Mike Montague Imagine for a moment you’re an HR rep reviewing resumes. Along comes a successful web designer turned DJ who later became an acclaimed sales expert, podcast host, and author, who later became an improv comedian—all while being a smash at each thing. Where would you put this person in your org…

“I’m just generally curious about a lot of things.” – Hollis Carter Entrepreneurs, inquisitive & risk-tolerant by nature, tend to have diverse backgrounds. Hollis’ is almost dizzying. This master of the side hustle has started more companies than you can count, beginning in early childhood. But it’s the SAAS company he built into a 7-figure virtual…

“I’m a relationship person at my core.” – Todd Hirschfeld Growing up, Todd had a seat at some impressive dinner tables, a perk of being the son of a celebrity attorney. Athletes, movie stars, and even the legendary Muhammad Ali graced his family’s dinner table on many occasions. For most people, kids especially, that kind of limelight would be blin…

"Business… that's just a vehicle to make community impact." -Chris Moxley Those of us lucky enough to call Charlotte, NC, home often joke about how rare it is to meet a native Charlottean (so many of us moved here for new opportunities). But Chris is one of those unicorns, born and raised in Charlotte, and his love for his city and its people has i…

“I get a real sense of purpose out of providing for others.” – Marc Hutto Expensive, frustrating, and typical—these are the words most employers and job seekers use to describe their experiences with recruiters. Sure, the position is eventually filled, but it costs a fortune, and there’s no guarantee the new employee will stick around. That’s why M…

“I want someone when they look at what I’m doing, to say, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.’” – Chris J. Loucy For many years, Chris’ entrepreneurial journey was the stuff of dreams. Following a successful stint in sales, he rolled the dice on his own flooring company & won…big time. He blew his competition out of the water & experienced …

"We think that we are providing benefits to somebody and incentives. Actually, we're creating little fires and warring factions." - Kevin D. Monaghan Most organizations incentivize key employees with creative pay & perks like equity splits. Better pay + better benefits = obviously happy employees who stick around, work hard, & grow the company. t's…

“I hated it, hated it with a passion.” — George Ramsay When George looks back on music lessons of his youth, he remembers only misery. Stuffy piano teachers, monotonous scales, and the dread of upcoming recitals made faking sickness a weekly occurrence. Music lessons were the enemy, and he’d do anything to miss them. But watching a high school frie…

“It’s important to us to help people see that they matter.” – Christina Bartolotta Christina & her husband, Titus, are no strangers to business success. From car sales to consulting, this dynamic duo seemingly does it all & very well. Today, you’ll find them in the kitchen of their newest endeavor & one of Lake Norman, NC’s newest & deeply loved re…

“I love our business model. It’s one where we can be truly honest with our clients.” Broc Buxton When cousins Jeffrey Wanner & Broc Buxton were growing up together, neither of them imagined that Broc would eventually join Jeff in building a company that would revolutionize the way other small businesses select professional employer organizations (P…

“I want people to recognize my passion for things – my passion for living, my passion for ensuring other people’s success.” — Reece M. Arlin, MBA When this car-loving, fitness-focused, self-proclaimed “terrible employee” graduated from college, he was certain buying & operating a gym was the path before him. But like most entrepreneurs, his first b…

“I just want to be known as a good guy.” – Palash Desai Most Ivy League business school graduates turned Silicon Valley execs aren’t known for their big hearts. Big profits, yes, but compassion & love for others take a distant back seat. Not so with Palash. In the middle of a very lucrative engineering career, he dropped it all to buy a two-person …

“So much of what I gain is from helping people in bad situations. Our clients, 95% of them are going through the worst time in their life.” – Jan Barefoot It isn’t unusual to hear firefighters or police officers talk about serving others on their worst days. Still, Jan Barefoot doesn’t wear a uniform or jump into action following a 911 call. She is…

“I love life. I love to make people smile.” – Wilton Rogers III Growing up on a farm, Wilton got his very first taste of entrepreneurship: selling eggs to his mother’s friends at church. But it wasn’t the money that made his heart soar ($2 was his weekly profit!). It was the happiness he felt providing something people needed. That joy became his g…

“When you don’t have a choice…the one thing you do get to choose is who you get to do it with, so don’t do it alone.” Robert F Williams In the 1990s, when financial deals & payouts came easy, Bob’s life looked like a page from a storybook: beautiful family, a booming investment business, and thousands of successful deals. But his story, like any go…

“People follow me for advice, but when I get feedback, it’s more about something business unrelated.” – Damon Burton If you don’t know Damon, you may be wondering why over 32,000 people follow him for advice on LinkedIn or flock to read his book, “Outrank.” If you do know him, you’ll know why seeking his advice is a no-brainer. This SEO expert has …

It’s easy to look at Renee & think that the comforts of Easy Street & a golden parachute allowed her to build the 13th largest woman-owned business in the Charlotte area & the only woman-owned industrial business in Union County (not to mention authoring a book & forming a foundation), but nothing could be further from the truth. A small-town girl …

A quick message first: We had audio issues for the first 16 minutes of the show. We cleaned it up as much as possible, but you'll notice a difference. Apologies for that! "It's really about fit & relationship." — Brad Batten When Johannes Zwick & Bradley Batten first met at Davidson College, neither imagined a future as partners in private equity. …

“I would love for people to one day, potentially, say that Mike put a piece of God in them… This is the goal of my life.” — Michael Metcalf Jr. Mike doesn’t mince words when it comes to his perspective on life. Maybe it’s because he witnessed the unthinkable as a young child or faced physical adversity on the football field at App State. Maybe his …

Ty Harmon, Founder and President at Harmon Construction, overcame hardship and instability growing up. His mother was never able to own a home. Ty went onto the construction management industry. When he was ready to step out on his own, Ty made sure to never forget his childhood. Ty's company is focused on giving clients "the exceptional constructi…

“It’s OK if I have a day where I work for 15 min.” – Chris Claflin. That’s a mind-blowing statement coming from a successful entrepreneur in property management, where words like “hustle” & “growth” flow with ease, but that’s the heart of Chris Claflin. It wasn’t always. One of 7 children born to a blue-collar household, Chris was schooled in the v…

This is a special episode of the Anything But Typical Show. Our own Gary Frey has published a book titled: Silence The Imposter Syndrome- 7 Weapons To Silence Imposter Syndrome. In this episode, Gary takes us behind the scenes of what it takes to get a book published. We talk about the options to publish such as self publishing, an independent publ…

Devan overcame childhood struggles with the help of baseball being a driving and motivating force in his life. It helped him stay out of trouble, strive for freedom early in life, and get to college. When Devan made the pros, everything was on track. So when he got released, Kline needed to figure out what was next. With no money and no ability to …

“Have the courage to suck.” – Brian K. Anders That’s uncommon advice coming from an engineer, but not every engineer has a heart like Brian. Nor do they have his experience. Brian gained his grit loading trucks at night to pay for school & his passion for client service watching his wife change lives as a private investigator. He rejected corporate…

In this episode, co-hosts Ben McDonald and Gary Frey discuss imposter syndrome in business and in life. Gary has written a book titled Silence The Imposter Syndrome, coming out October 2023. We talk about how imposter syndrome has been present in each of our lives. Ben shares what it was like being a 22 year old athletic director surrounded by 60 y…

This is a special Anything But Typical episode! Entrepreneurship runs in the family, as we interview co-host Gary Frey's son, Zach Frey. As a child, Zach would constantly be drawing. He had a fascination with drawing and designing shoes. This hobby turned into a career, with Frey working at brands such as Reebok, Puma, and Wolf & Shepherd. But the …

On the surface, Jeff Conway looks like a typical successful restauranteur: passionate about food, pursuing growth, dedicated to his family and community, but certainly living on “Easy Street”. What lies beneath, though, in an unbelievable tale: wild success followed by a false accusation & 13 months federal prison time, reflection, redemption, & ul…

“Just because you live in that environment doesn’t mean the environment has to live in you.” That perspective has served this week's guest, Emilio Guevara, well. Born to immigrant parents & growing up in one of the toughest & most devastated neighborhoods of the Bronx, Emilio’s path to success wasn’t handed to him. Seven children, the youngest four…

David Zerfoss' first lessons came from a farm in Western Pennsylvania. When Zerfoss was tasked with being the President of Husqvarna Professional Products North America, those lessons came in handy. He built a culture of leadership, focus, and purpose. "People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves that they can be a part of." His le…

Alignment and Priorities. That is how Chris Torchia wants to be known. That may explain how Chris has changed from his microbiology background to tech CEO with experiences running companies in different countries. This wide ranging conversation goes into how Torchia had his cryptocurrency mining equipment seized in Russia due to U.S. sanctions. He …

Kara Taddeo is not one to shy away from a challenge. In 2002, she became the General Manager of Hotel Belleclaire in New York City. To say this was a turnaround would be quite the understatement. What Kara could best describe as a "crack hotel", she turned into a 4 star hotel in uptown Manhattan. Her story of de-roaching the hotel and getting rid o…

Most entrepreneurs dream about growing their businesses, having a successful exit, taking a company public, and much more. Today's guest, Roger Braswell, has done it all. Roger was the Founder & CEO of Compact Power Equipment. In this episode, we talk about how Roger created and grew the business. He discusses the obstacles faced along the way and …

One episode was not enough to cover Reebok Founder Joe Foster's story. So here we are with Part 2. In this episode, Joe shares about Reebok's expansion from women's aerobic shoes to other sports and lines. He talks about how they had to be strategic with their expansions. Joe also shares one of his biggest business regrets. We discuss Reebok going …

As a grandson of the legendary J.W. Foster growing up in Bolton, England, running seemed to be in Joe Foster’s blood. Little did Joe know that winning an American “Webster’s New School & Office Dictionary” in a race at age seven would make a South African antelope synonymous with a multi-billion-dollar international shoe brand – Reebok. Joe proved …

As a Blackhawk helicopter pilot stationed in South Korea in the late ‘90s, Chris Videau took off for an R&R weekend with his buddies in search of a little fun and relaxation. What he found turned out to be his life’s calling. Instead of white sands and glistening water, the Army veteran instead found a horribly polluted beach, littered with plastic…

Manny Ohonme never wore a pair of shoes for the first 9 years of his life. When missionaries visited his village in Nigeria, they held a basketball shooting contest. The winner would receive a pair of sneakers. Manny won that competition, becoming the first person in his village to own a pair of shoes. More importantly, he was set on a path that wo…

Author of 50 Marketing Secrets of Growth Companies in Down Economic Times, and Me, Myself, & Inc., Sherre' DeMao has a plethora of writing experience. In between, Sherre' fixes businesses with her free time. DeMao is the Founder and CEO of BizGrowth. She has also been a fractional COO and CMO for multiple businesses. In this episode, Sherre' gets v…

Steered by faith and authenticity, Jim Dunn has been helping businesses grow for many years. After running his own Sandler Sales Franchise, Jim is now the Director of BGW Growth Services. A common hurdle Jim has faced when working with business owners is their fear of failure. “You cannot grow unless you’re willing to fail.” In this episode, Jim sh…

Angel Rutledge was an educator. Her first career choice, teaching 7th graders, was the path Angel envisioned for herself. Through a passion of adoption, Angel and her husband, Dan, adopted two kids from Liberia. Along that journey were many other families trying to do the same thing. The problem was, it was unorganized chaos. Angel and Dan solved t…

Phillip Lanier didn't realize he even started a business until years in. This accidental entrepreneurship journey almost came with an early exit. Lanier wasn't enjoying the business and was thinking about a way to sell. Instead, with business coaching and a voracious appetite for personal development, Phillip Lanier built a company that he loved wo…

Scott Dunstan, Owner & President at The Dunstan Group, has helped businesses utilize custom apparel and promotional merchandise to build their brands for years. So it may come as no surprise that when they started a podcast they named it the Brand Builders Podcast. Scott talks with us about how they go about understanding their audience. Figuring o…