William McKee didn’t set out to become an entrepreneur. His path moved through engineering, technology, philosophy, travel, teaching, and eventually into building Knowmad Digital Marketing.

In this episode of Anything But Typical, William McKee joins Gary Frey and Ben to share how curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to keep evolving helped shape both his life and his business.

The conversation explores William’s early exposure to technology, the unconventional journey that led him into entrepreneurship, and what it has taken to keep Knowmad relevant through decades of change. From the early days of the internet to SEO, digital marketing, and now AI, William explains why staying curious has become one of his greatest advantages.

He also opens up about the realities of business growth, including costly pivots, finding the right support system, working alongside another visionary, building stronger processes, and learning when to step back and let the team operate in their strengths.

Resources Mentioned

Knowmad Digital Marketing, EO Accelerator, HubSpot, Marketing AI Institute / SmarterX, Charlotte Business Exchange, and EOS.

Connect With William McKee

Learn more about Knowmad Digital Marketing at www.knowmad.com. You can also find William McKee on LinkedIn by searching for William McKee in Charlotte.

About Anything But Typical

Anything But Typical shares real stories from entrepreneurs—not just the wins. Subscribe and share for more conversations about entrepreneurship, leadership, growth, and everything that happens along the way.

**Episode Summary:** Erin Vogel, semi-retired sports car racing driver and founder of AE Victory Racing, shares her journey from growing up in a family of racing pioneers to becoming a team owner on a mission to create opportunities for women in motorsports. She discusses overcoming imposter syndrome, navigating a male-dominated sport, the messy transition from driver to team owner, and the leadership lessons learned along the way — including the importance of delegation, building culture, and embracing failure as fuel for growth.

Where to Find Erin ---

**Connect with Erin:**

- Instagram: @ErinVogelRacing and @AEVictoryRacing

- TikTok: @AEVictoryRacing

- Website: www.aevictoryracing.com

What does it really look like to put people first while building and scaling a business?

In this episode of Anything But Typical, Gary and Ben sit down with David Wurtzbacher, Founder and CEO of Ascend, to talk about leadership, entrepreneurship, culture, and building organizations where people have the opportunity to flourish.

David shares lessons from his journey through JPMorgan, Lightwave Dental, and ultimately founding Ascend — including why character matters in M&A, how Ascend is working to preserve the independence of entrepreneurial CPA firms, and why long-term thinking often requires making decisions that can't immediately be measured on a spreadsheet.

The conversation also explores the importance of stepping out of the day-to-day to work on the business, developing a coachable mindset, investing in future leaders, and intentionally designing a life that goes beyond professional success.

• What it means to lead people toward an inspiring vision

• Why Ascend takes a People First approach to growth

• Preserving independence and culture during acquisitions

• Choosing the right people — not simply the right deal

• Why leaders have to make time to work on the business

• The role of executive coaching and lifelong learning

• Creating opportunities for the next generation of leaders

• David's perspective on faith, purpose, and living an abundant life

David Wurtzbacher is the Founder and CEO of Ascend, a platform built to help entrepreneurial CPA firms grow and transform while preserving their independence, culture, people, and approach to serving clients.

Ascend: ascendtogether.com Ascend on LinkedIn: Search “Ascend” on LinkedIn Connect with David: Find David Wurtzbacher on LinkedIn

Anything But Typical shares the real stories behind entrepreneurship — not just the wins, but the challenges, decisions, lessons, and experiences that shape the journey.

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