What do you do when life keeps throwing you curveballs? If you’re Sonia Patel, you pivot, get creative, and build something delicious. Sonia joins Jason and Shana to share how her journey took her from management consulting and education to founding Pure Spices, a woman-owned food manufacturing company with a mission close to home: creating boldly flavored foods that are free from top allergens. She also talks about launching Bold & Airy Bites, the freeze-dried snacks that are winning over taste buds one crunchy bite at a time. From supply chain headaches to brutally honest feedback from her kids, this episode is all about finding your purpose, trusting your path, and building a business on your own terms. And yes, there’s plenty of snack tasting along the way.

Rebecca had a simple thought over coffee: “You know what this town needs? A bookstore.” Then she told Ethan, and suddenly they were actually doing it. Now they’re building an independent bookstore from the ground up, complete with used books, local authors, craft beer, board games, community events, and a whole lot of late nights. Jason and Shana sit down with the couple to talk about turning a crazy idea into a real business, surviving layoffs, betting on themselves, and creating a place where people can actually slow down, hang out, and feel like they belong.

What happens when a longtime event planner finally decides to build the shop she’s been dreaming about? You get The Curated Cottage, a charming little spot in Aurora filled with plants, vintage finds, paper goods, crafts, and plenty of personality. Tara sits down with Jason and Shana to talk about taking the leap into brick-and-mortar retail, learning the ins and outs of her local community, and creating a space where people can slow down, get creative, and actually connect. Plus, there’s a shop cat named Mango who may or may not be the real boss.

Brad and Kelsey are already running a construction company—but that didn’t stop them from launching a new energy drink brand designed for blue-collar workers. In this episode of Aisle Be Damned, they share the challenges of developing their product, self-financing the business, getting into stores, and turning a crazy idea into a growing brand.

Welcome to the very first episode of Aisle Be Damned, hosted by Jason and Shana Wallenstein!

For our debut episode, Jason and Shana sit down with Josh Friedlander, a 16-year-old entrepreneur from Solon, Ohio, who has turned a passion for cooking and canning into a growing jam business carried in nearly 100 stores.

Josh shares how a hobby that started during COVID turned into a profitable food brand, from selling at farmers markets to personally pitching grocery buyers, building a team, and navigating the challenges of running a business while still in high school.

But Josh's story goes far beyond jam. He opens up about learning to navigate entrepreneurship with a stutter, pushing through uncomfortable situations, managing school alongside a rapidly growing company, and refusing to let what makes him different stand in the way of his dreams.

Jason and Shana also dig into the realities of scaling a food business, landing a 2,500-gift-box order, working with retailers, building a demo team, and figuring out what comes next.

It's an inspiring, funny, and surprisingly delicious conversation about entrepreneurship, perseverance, family, and what happens when you start thinking like a CEO before you've even graduated high school.

Welcome to Aisle Be Damned — we're just getting started.

We’re Shana and Jason Wallenstein. We’re married, and we own a hardware store together.

Which, as it turns out, is a really good way to learn a lot about business and maybe a little too much about each other.

Because owning a business never goes exactly the way you think it will.

The wins are bigger, the mistakes are more expensive, and some days you find yourself asking, “How the hell did we get here?”

So we started talking to other entrepreneurs, founders, retailers, and business owners about what it really takes to build something.

The good decisions. The bad decisions. The things nobody tells you until you’re already in it.

For better.

For worse.

For business.

This is Aisle Be Damned.