⚡Want to build a business that actually works? My team at Motive11 can help—websites, systems, and strategy for modern entrepreneurs → https://motive11.com

Julian Galluzzo shares how dropping out of school at 13, building agencies, and embracing AI-driven development reshaped his career — and why speed, curiosity, and progress matter more than credentials.

🔗 Connect with Julian Galluzzo:
Website: https://juliangalluzzo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-galluzzo-610379173
X: https://x.com/galluzzo_julian
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@galluzzojulian

🔗 Connect with Mark Szymanski:
Website: https://markszymanski.co
Facebook: https://mjs.link/FB
Instagram: https://mjs.link/IG
LinkedIn: https://mjs.link/LI
X: https://mjs.link/X
YouTube: https://mjs.link/YT

About the show:
Fueled By Progress is a podcast about candid conversations with builders, creators, and curious people—focused on decisions, disciplines, and stories that move us forward.

If you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve been here since episodes recorded in my car—thank you. We’re still just getting warmed up 💪

Host --- Mark Szymanski: https://markszymanski.co/links
Video/Audio Production --- Nathaniel DeHaven: https://elevatedmultimedia.com

Chapters:
0:00 Introducing Julian Galluzzo
4:03 From Freelancing to Running a 40-Person Agency
8:35 Why Speed Beats Perfection
13:48 How One Client Turned Into an Agency
17:23 When Building Turns Into Managing Everything
22:06 Leaving the Agency to Reclaim the Craft
24:54 Getting Fired and Accidentally Stealing an Agency
28:40 Joining Memberstack and Finding the Right Environment
33:21 Webflow vs WordPress From a Builder’s Perspective
41:14 Why WordPress Isn’t Outdated
49:00 The Moment AI Changed Everything
53:10 Building Real Apps With Claude and Gemini
59:02 Training AI to Design Better Than Humans
1:04:28 Why Knowing the Stack Still Matters
1:10:56 Is Vibe Coding Legit or Dangerous
1:18:53 Engineering Thinking vs Knowing Syntax
1:24:24 Do You Actually Want to Be the Boss
1:28:44 Would He Recommend Dropping Out of School
1:35:02 What Julian Is Actually Optimizing For
1:38:21 Where to Follow Julian’s Work

💡If you like how I think about business, technology, and systems on Fueled By Progress, you can find the best way to work with me or learn more at https://markszymanski.co/start

Stephanie Hudson shares her journey from freelance web developer to FocusWP founder, including how surviving a coma taught her the critical importance of business continuity planning that most solopreneurs completely ignore.

🔗 Connect with Stephanie Hudson:
Website: https://focuswp.co
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.hudson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/left-brain
X: https://x.com/stepherriffic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FocusWP

🔗 Connect with Mark Szymanski:
Website: https://markszymanski.co
Facebook: https://mjs.link/FB
Instagram: https://mjs.link/IG
LinkedIn: https://mjs.link/LI
X: https://mjs.link/X
YouTube: https://mjs.link/YT

About the show:
Fueled By Progress is a podcast about candid conversations with builders, creators, and curious people—focused on decisions, disciplines, and stories that move us forward.

If you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve been here since episodes recorded in my car—thank you. We’re still just getting warmed up 💪

Host --- Mark Szymanski: https://markszymanski.co/links
Video/Audio Production --- Nathaniel DeHaven: https://elevatedmultimedia.com

Chapters:
0:00 – Introducing Stephanie Hudson
2:25 – Growing Up in the 'Burgh (High School Colors & Sports Culture)
6:55 – Stephanie's Journey: From Pittsburgh to LA to North Carolina
10:50 – Discovering the WordPress Community
13:34 – The Hidden Ecosystem Behind WordPress
18:55 – How Focus on Your Biz Facebook Group Started
22:24 – Early Web Days: Dial-Up, Dreamweaver & Tables
29:19 – Meeting Tom & Starting Focus WP
36:41 – The Visionary vs. Integrator Problem (Rocket Fuel)
42:08 – Freelancer Struggles & Imposter Syndrome
48:43 – The Niche Discussion: Service vs. Audience
54:58 – Niching Into a Service (Not Just an Industry)
1:04:50 – The Coma Story: Getting "Hit by a Bus" for Real
1:09:22 – What Is a Continuity Plan?
1:14:37 – Password Managers & 2FA: Critical Single Points of Failure
1:23:38 – Pittsburgh Pride: Heinz Ketchup & Ranch Culture
1:29:00 – Mark's Content Strategy & Daily Videos Discussion
1:39:38 – Stephanie's Community Platform Dilemma (Facebook vs. Fluent)
1:49:30 – Body Doubling & ADHD Co-Working Ideas
1:56:57 – The 3D Glasses Website & Accessibility Controversy
2:02:25 – Agency Safety Net: The New Course & Service

⚡Want to build a business that actually works? My team at Motive11 can help—websites, systems, and strategy for modern entrepreneurs → https://motive11.com

A deep, raw conversation with Spencer Forman about the real state of WordPress, the entrepreneurial mindset, the cycles of reinvention, and how to build a life and business that actually makes sense.

🔗 Connect with Spencer Forman:
Website: https://spencerforman.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/spenceforman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencerforman
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/spencerforman
X: https://x.com/spencerforman
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WPLaunchify

🔗 Connect with Mark Szymanski:
Website: https://markszymanski.co
Facebook: https://mjs.link/FB
Instagram: https://mjs.link/IG
LinkedIn: https://mjs.link/LI
X: https://mjs.link/X
YouTube: https://mjs.link/YT

About the show:
Fueled By Progress is a podcast about candid conversations with builders, creators, and curious people—focused on decisions, disciplines, and stories that move us forward.

If you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve been here since episodes recorded in my car—thank you. We’re still just getting warmed up 💪

Host --- Mark Szymanski: https://markszymanski.co/links
Video/Audio Production --- Nathaniel DeHaven: https://elevatedmultimedia.com

Chapters:
0:00 – Introducing Spencer Forman
1:56 – Starting the Conversation
3:34 – Why Mark Started the Podcast
4:12 – Shared Entrepreneurial Energy
5:02 – The Three Stages of Life
5:43 – Reinvention vs Comfort
6:35 – Balancing Money, Ethics, and Happiness
7:16 – Comparison Is Poison
8:13 – Happiness vs Money Over a Lifetime
9:04 – Life Journeys, Setbacks, and Perspective
10:11 – Are We in a Human Reality Game?
10:36 – Finding Tribe and Identity
11:00 – Entrepreneurs as Problem Solvers
12:03 – Jumping Between Industries
12:34 – Entrepreneurs vs Employees
13:35 – Developing the Entrepreneurial Instinct
15:02 – Early Stories of Hustle
16:03 – The Pattern of Reinvention
17:11 – Seeing the Dots in Hindsight
18:57 – Why Mark Is Wired This Way
20:02 – Documenting Life and Introspection
21:03 – Journaling Through Hard Times
22:50 – Stoicism and Preparedness
24:38 – Looking Back at Hard Seasons
26:04 – Why Many Entrepreneurs Start After Crisis
28:05 – The Real Goal: Enough, Not Infinite
29:04 – The Boat Builder Parable
30:02 – Modern Wealth and Power Dynamics
31:22 – Escaping the Billion-Dollar Mindset
32:33 – What Money Actually Changes
33:26 – The Catalyst That Finally Forces Action
35:29 – Financial Illusions and True Needs
37:04 – Building the Nut First
39:49 – When the Rug Gets Pulled Out
41:06 – The Monopoly Analogy
43:03 – Why the Middle Class Got Squeezed
45:06 – Can We Fix It?
47:02 – Should Everyone Be an Entrepreneur?
48:01 – The World Needs All Roles
50:07 – How Boomers Broke the System
52:05 – The Coming Reset
53:46 – You Can’t Predict the Chaos
55:27 – Focus on What You Can Control
56:56 – Stop Worrying About What You Can’t Control
58:23 – Serenity, Stoicism, Reality
1:00:14 – Cause and Effect, Energy, Momentum
1:01:32 – WordPress Today: Problems and Potential
1:02:37 – What People Truly Need from WordPress
1:03:28 – Spencer’s Free-Call Strategy
1:04:47 – Mark’s Identity Problem: What Do You Sell?
1:05:50 – The Need for a Clear Niche
1:07:00 – Mark’s Superpowers: Data, Architecture, Systems
1:08:26 – Listening to the Market
1:10:00 – Mark’s Cycles of Obsession
1:11:09 – No Offers, No Sales Process
1:13:00 – You Can’t Sell Everything to Everyone
1:15:04 – The Value Ladder Reality Check
1:16:11 – Avoiding the Consultant Trap
1:18:02 – Reverse-Engineering the $30K Month Goal
1:20:06 – Messaging, Offers, and CTAs
1:21:40 – Reinventing When the Business Gets Heavy
1:23:10 – You Can’t Scale Doing Everything
1:25:02 – Productizing and Automating the Craft
1:26:21 – Why Mark Hasn’t Been Selling
1:28:01 – The Campfire Story of WordPress
1:29:59 – Understanding WordPress Lore
1:32:00 – The Emotional History of WordPress