Contacts
Info
Welcome to builders — where John Busby interviews business leaders, changemakers and investors on scaling your business, navigating your career and building great brands. Guests include the co-inventor of Siri,...
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Welcome to builders — where John Busby interviews business leaders, changemakers and investors on scaling your business, navigating your career and building great brands. Guests include the co-inventor of Siri, the first business leader of Xbox, and first-time startup CEOs. At builders you'll get insights from others to apply to your own business or career. Subscribe today — for whatever business you're building. This is builders from business.com.
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Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
29 APR 2025 · Episode 90: Most 20-somethings are busy doing soul-searching to find a career path. But by his mid-20’s, John Sampogna was already starting and scaling a successful agency. Within just a few years of co-founding Wondersauce, he grew it from zero clients to over 100 employees without outside funding. In this episode of the builders podcast, John shares how he made the leap from employee to founder, what it took to survive early challenges, and how he’s kept Wondersauce thriving through constant change. We’re going inside the mind of an agency founder: How to build, grow, and survive.
Watch more builders episodes here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg
22 APR 2025 · Episode 89: Seasoned investor Tasneem Dohadwala, founder of Excelestar Ventures, shares the ins and outs of early-stage investing in medtech and deep tech. Get a window into Excelestar's investment thesis, how they evaluate product-market fit, and read into the current funding climate in economic uncertainty. Tasneem also discusses her firm's commitment to diversity in leadership, support for women- and minority-led startups, and her perspective on the Boston startup ecosystem. John Busby makes sure to get builders listeners career insights from her journey from Lehman Brothers to venture capital, while also relaying the realities of startup leadership, and advice for how to support portfolio founders.
8 APR 2025 · Episode 88: Many brands and companies struggle with differentiation. Brand marketing expert Barry LaBov joins John to show us what true brand differentiation looks like. Barry LaBov is a two-time Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the founder of LaBov Marketing Communications and Training, a firm that’s helped brands like Audi, BMW, The Macallan, and dozens more figure out what makes them truly different — and how to turn that into serious business momentum. Learn how to re-engineer (not just re-brand) your brand from the best on today’s episode of builders.
Barry’s Podcast, Difference Talks:
https://www.differencetalks.com/Watch more builders episodes here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKgSign up for the free b. newsletter:
https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/
1 APR 2025 · Episode 87: What does it take to escape the dreaded business plateau and get to a new level? In this episode of builders, host John Busby sits down with Leslie Hassler, founder of Your Biz Rules, to talk about the gritty, complex reality of growth. She shares what she’s learned from leading a fractional C-Suite firm and helping clients succeed. These are the practical insights you’ll need to scale, and not fail. Get Your Biz Rules resources made for builders listeners: https://yourbizrules.com/builders
Watch more builders episodes here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKgSign up for the free b. newsletter:
https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/
25 MAR 2025 · Episode 86: Is Jeff Levick the most disruptive man in marketing? He’s the former Spotify Chief Revenue Officer, AOL President of Global Advertising, and Google executive—known for steering some of the biggest names in tech through hypergrowth and innovation. In this episode of the builders Podcast, host John Busby talks with Jeff about a whole new way to hire marketing talent, and why Gen Z’s approach to work might be the best thing to happen to leadership in decades. Learn why his company, We Are Rosie, may be the disruptor that the marketing world needs.
More about We Are Rosie:
https://wearerosie.com/
Watch more builders episodes here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg
Sign up for the free b. newsletter:
https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/
18 MAR 2025 · Episode 85: The home services industry has long lagged behind in digital transformation—until now. In this episode of the builders Podcast, host John Busby sits down with Eddie and Andrew Prchal, co-founders of Gunner Roofing, to discuss how they became the first company to sell a roof online and how they’re reshaping customer experience in home services.
Check out Gunner Roofing: https://www.gunnerroofing.com
Watch builders here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg
Sign up for the free b. newsletter:
https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/
4 MAR 2025 · Episode 84: In this episode, John Busby meets with Gregg Majewski, former CEO of Jimmy John’s, who shares his proven strategies for restaurant growth, franchising, and operational excellence. When Gregg joined Jimmy John’s, the brand had just 30 locations—under his leadership, it expanded to over 300, revolutionizing fast-casual dining with its freaky fast delivery model and an unshakable commitment to quality, cleanliness, and efficiency. Now, as CEO of Craveworthy Brands, he’s building the next wave of successful restaurant concepts, with a portfolio spanning everything from craft burgers to gourmet cinnamon rolls. Listen in.
Watch builders here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg
Sign up for the free b. newsletter:
https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/
Subscribe to Gregg’s podcast, “Room for Seconds” here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/room-for-seconds/id1737506338
25 FEB 2025 · Episode 83: Meet Ken Basin, entertainment lawyer and author of The Business of Television. Today, he breaks down the economics of Hollywood, the rise and fall of cable, and what’s next for streaming. Learn how networks decide which shows survive, why actors are making millions per episode, and how AI is already changing the industry. Plus, Ken shares insights on where Hollywood is going.
Watch builders here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg
Sign up for the free b. newsletter:
https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/
Get Ken Basin’s book The Business of Television:https://amzn.to/40VHrSdhttps://amzn.to/4k2JFb0
18 FEB 2025 · Episode 82: If you want to avoid the common pitfalls that hold startups back and learn from someone who’s seen it all—from Series A struggles to IPO successes—this episode is for you. Mona Sabet is a startup advisor, tech executive, and corporate development leader with a track record of scaling companies, securing acquisitions, and driving high-growth strategies. Learn from her experience leading multi-million dollar deals, and as founder of HiPower, a network for executive women. Learn how to recognize true product-market fit, pivot effectively, and scale without losing momentum. Mona shares insider strategies on preparing for acquisitions, making the right hires, and ensuring your startup’s culture evolves as you grow. Plus, discover how HiPower is helping women accelerate their careers.
Watch builders here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg
Sign up for the free b. newsletter: https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/
See her book, Sail to Scale: https://amzn.to/40VHrSd
More about Hipower: https://hipower.org/
11 FEB 2025 · Episode 81: In today’s episode, we’re joined by Verdine Baker, President of StretchLab, to explore how the assisted stretching industry is transforming health and wellness. Verdine shares his personal journey from athlete to wellness leader, the challenges of scaling StretchLab to over 500 locations worldwide, and the science behind why stretching isn’t just for elite athletes. Discover how assisted stretching enhances recovery, boosts flexibility, and fits into holistic health routines. Plus, Verdine discusses StretchLab's rapid international expansion, the surprising rise of youth athletes as clients, and the launch of their new loyalty program, Class Points.
Watch builders here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1c5-IC2urkFeHIzcp8FfKg
Sign up for the free b. newsletter:
https://www.business.com/b-newsletter/
Learn more about StretchLab:
https://www.stretchlab.com/
Welcome to builders — where John Busby interviews business leaders, changemakers and investors on scaling your business, navigating your career and building great brands. Guests include the co-inventor of Siri,...
show more
Welcome to builders — where John Busby interviews business leaders, changemakers and investors on scaling your business, navigating your career and building great brands. Guests include the co-inventor of Siri, the first business leader of Xbox, and first-time startup CEOs. At builders you'll get insights from others to apply to your own business or career. Subscribe today — for whatever business you're building. This is builders from business.com.
show less
Information
| Author | John Busby |
| Organization | John Busby |
| Categories | Marketing , Careers , Entrepreneurship |
| Website | www.spreaker.com |
| marketing@centerfield.com |
Copyright 2025 - Spreaker Inc. an iHeartMedia Company
