The best entrepreneurial advice isn’t usually found in books.

It’s found in the people who have actually built businesses.

Over the course of Season 6 of A Founder’s Life, we sat down with founders who have built companies from scratch, overcome incredible setbacks, scaled across industries, and learned lessons that only experience can teach.

In this special episode, we’ve pulled together some of the most powerful moments from the season.

You’ll hear why:

* Your mindset is your biggest competitive advantage.
* Balance isn’t about doing less, it’s about knowing when to step back.
* Confidence often comes before success.
* The hardest seasons create the strongest founders.
* And sometimes the best advice is simply… don’t quit.

Whether you’re building your first company, leading a growing team, or looking for your next breakthrough, these conversations are packed with practical wisdom you can apply immediately.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz, helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify & Apple Podcast: https://linktr.ee/afounderslife

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Grant McCrabb

Website: https://www.geotrekvans.com

LinkedIn (Grant): https://www.linkedin.com/in/grant-mccrabb-51b0242b5/

LinkedIn (GeoTrek Vans): https://www.linkedin.com/company/geotrek-vans

What does it take to turn a side hustle into one of the fastest-growing camper van manufacturers in the country?

In this episode, Grant McCrabb shares how he and his cousin started flipping used camper vans during the post-pandemic outdoor boom before launching GeoTrek Vans, a direct-to-consumer manufacturer disrupting the RV industry through better quality, smarter engineering, and a customer-first approach.

Grant also shares the lessons he’s learned from scaling rapidly, competing in ultra-endurance races, and overcoming one of the most pivotal moments of his life after his father’s skiing accident.

This conversation is about resilience, calculated risk, leadership, endurance, and why sometimes the best advice is simply to go for it.

What you’ll learn:

• How GeoTrek Vans grew from a side hustle into a manufacturing company

• Why endurance sports mirror entrepreneurship

• The importance of hiring people smarter than yourself

• How resilience shapes long-term success

• Why aspiring entrepreneurs should stop waiting and start building

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz, helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify & Apple Podcast: https://linktr.ee/afounderslife

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Kate Liburdi

Website: https://conversifi.com
Platform: https://app.conversifi.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateliburdi/

What happens when a project burns through a million dollars and still doesn’t work?

In this episode, Kate Liburdi, Co-Founder and CEO of Conversifi, shares one of the most valuable lessons of her career, how a failed software project became the foundation for everything she learned about leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Kate discusses building Conversifi into a platform used by more than 100 universities, helping language learners connect with native speakers around the world through authentic conversations and cultural exchange.

We also talk about startups, family, productivity, focus, language learning, and why entrepreneurs often need to remove complexity instead of adding more to their business.

What you’ll learn:

• The leadership lesson behind a $1 million failure
• Why focus is one of the most valuable entrepreneurial skills
• How Conversifi is changing language learning
• The importance of feedback and collaboration in product development
• Why subtraction often creates more growth than addition

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz, helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify & Apple Podcast: https://linktr.ee/afounderslife

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Mike Schroeder

Website: https://roundstoneinsurance.com
Company's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roundstone
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelaschroeder
YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/roundstoneinsurance

What does it take to build a business that lasts more than two decades?

In this episode, Mike Schroeder, Founder and President of Roundstone Insurance, shares his entrepreneurial journey from a childhood fascination with business ownership to building one of the leading health insurance captive programs in the United States.

Mike explains how he applied established insurance principles to healthcare, creating a model that gives employers more control, more transparency, and more savings.

We also discuss family, accountability, leadership, health, travel, and why entrepreneurs must learn when to push harder—and when to step back.

What you’ll learn:

• Why ownership creates a different mindset
• How Roundstone transformed health insurance through captive structures
• Why family often becomes the driving force behind entrepreneurship
• The role of fitness, gratitude, and faith in long-term success
• Why entrepreneurs must get comfortable with accountability

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz, helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify & Apple Podcast: https://linktr.ee/afounderslife

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Sarah Walker

Website: https://nuanceinteriors.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nuanceinteriors
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahplattwalker/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nuanceinteriors

Can your home actually improve your health, focus, and quality of life?

In this episode, Sarah Walker, Founder and Principal Designer of Nuance Interior Design, shares how a life-changing car accident led her to rethink the relationship between wellness and the spaces we live in.

Sarah explains how she helps families and family offices create homes that support longevity, recovery, connection, and overall well-being. We discuss sustainability, healthy living, family life, entrepreneurship, and why our environments have a bigger impact on our health than most people realize.

This conversation is a fascinating look at the intersection of design, wellness, and intentional living.

What you’ll learn:

• How your home impacts your physical and mental health
• Why wellness design goes beyond spas and gyms
• The role of sustainability in modern living
• How family influences business and life decisions
• Why entrepreneurs should seek help sooner

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz, helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify & Apple Podcast: https://linktr.ee/afounderslife

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Josh Otero

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshotero/
Elanah AI: https://elanah.ai
Warrior GMR Foundation: https://warriorgmrfoundation.org

What happens when a personal mission becomes a company with the potential to save lives?

In this episode, Josh Otero shares his journey from athlete, financial services professional, CrossFit gym owner, and entrepreneur to founding **Elanah AI**, a platform focused on mental readiness and proactive support for veterans, service members, and their families.

Josh explains how tragic events during COVID inspired him to launch the Warrior GMR Foundation and eventually create an AI-powered platform designed to provide confidential support when people need it most.

We also discuss mental health, resilience, endurance sports, leadership, family, and why entrepreneurs must learn to keep moving forward through failure.

What you’ll learn:

• How tragedy inspired the creation of Elanah AI
• Why mental readiness matters before crisis happens
• Lessons from ultra-marathons and Ironman races
• How failure helps entrepreneurs grow
• Why persistence is one of the most important founder traits

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz, helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify & Apple Podcast: https://linktr.ee/afounderslife

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Rusty Fulling

Website: https://www.fullingmgmt.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rustyfulling/
Company's LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/fulling-management-&-accounting

What happens when burnout lands you in the hospital?

In this episode, Rusty Fulling shares how overwhelming stress and unhealthy work habits pushed him to completely rethink his career and eventually launch his own accounting and fractional CFO business.

Rusty opens up about the early years of entrepreneurship, balancing faith, family, and business, and the lessons he learned about saying “no” to the wrong opportunities — even when they looked financially attractive.

We also discuss running, health, purpose-driven work, mentorship, and why entrepreneurs should never try to build alone.

What you’ll learn:

• Why burnout can become a wake-up call
• The importance of defining your ideal client
• Why saying “no” can protect your business
• How purpose improves health and performance
• Why entrepreneurs need strong community and support systems

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz, helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify & Apple Podcast: https://linktr.ee/afounderslife

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Bruno Drummond

Website: https://drummondadvisors.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdrummond/

What does it take to go from the bottom of a Brazilian favela to building multiple international businesses?

In this episode, Bruno Drummond shares his incredible entrepreneurial journey, from selling baked goods in high school to founding Drummond Advisors and multiple SaaS and real estate businesses across the U.S., Brazil, and beyond.

Bruno opens up about growing up in difficult environments, developing a relentless growth mindset, and why learning languages and acquiring knowledge became his path forward. We also discuss leadership, parenting, health, mental resilience, and why your mind can either become your greatest ally or your biggest enemy.

This is a powerful conversation about pressure, discipline, growth, and building a life with intention.

What you’ll learn:

• Why mindset determines entrepreneurial success

• How Bruno built companies across multiple industries

• Why knowledge is the key to long-term growth

• The importance of family structure and intentional parenting

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1