With 80% of new businesses seemingly destined to fail, the odds are stacked against most entrepreneurs. But today’s guest is on a mission to shift that equation. From overcoming financial hardship and a lawsuit that nearly bankrupted him to reshaping his leadership style and creating a winning team culture, today’s conversation is all about what it takes to build and scale a thriving business.

Mike Konrad is the founder and CEO of Aqueous Technologies, a public speaker, podcast host, and author of The Reluctant Entrepreneur. Mike shares his 40-year journey in the electronics manufacturing industry, from leaving his corporate job in the early 90s to create an innovative business through dedication and a core belief that reliability matters.

In this conversation, you’ll hear how Mike navigated the operational challenges of entrepreneurship and underwent a profound transformation as a leader. He shares how building a sustainable company required evolving from naivety to knowledge, from arrogance to savvy, and from poor risk assessment to awareness.

One of his biggest breakthroughs came when he recognized the need to set aside his ego—the very trait that helped launch the business—to empower others, hire smarter, and scale with intention.

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

• Why the traits that help start a business often sabotage its long-term growth.

• The costly lawsuit that nearly ended Mike's company—and how his ego and tenacity helped survive it.

• How naivety and bad risk assessment fueled his early success.

• Why company culture and team fit are critical for new hires in a growing company.

• How counterintuitive ideas from a mentor helped shift his mindset and achieve greater success.

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Big-box pet stores may offer convenience, but they often fall short when it comes to personalized service, expert nutrition advice, and a deeper overall commitment to pet wellness.

Today’s guest recognized this gap in the industry and set out to build a franchise model that delivered on all fronts—without sacrificing community values or sustainability. His goal: to empower local pet store owners with the tools and support to thrive in a competitive market where natural food and nutrition are expected from pet owners.

Michael Seitz is the CEO and Chairman of EarthWise Pet, one of only four national pet retail franchisors in the United States. Since joining his family’s business in 2005, Michael has grown the brand from a handful of stores into a nationwide operation with over 200 retail locations and a rapidly growing mobile grooming platform. His unconventional journey has shaped a unique, people-first approach to scaling a multi billion dollar franchising business in the pet industry.

In this episode, Michael shares how EarthWise Pet has differentiated itself through holistic nutrition, pet services, and sustainable sourcing. He shares his expertise on what it truly takes to scale a successful franchise, why mobile grooming services are now a multi-million-dollar growth engine.

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

• Why Michael left dental school to rejoin the family business.
• How EarthWise scaled from 3 stores to over 200 locations.
• The evolution from natural pet food to sustainable sourcing.
• How grooming services have become a huge growth driver, especially for new franchises.
• How EarthWise Pet uses AI to improve marketing and efficiency.

Find All Interview Resources Here - www.bayntree.com/113

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After years of service in the U.S. Navy, and a successful career in the corporate world, Michael Roviello found himself battling crippling neck and back pain. This led to a less-than-successful surgery and self-medicating with alcohol and prescription pain meds.

When faced with the prospect of having another surgery, he embarked on a healing journey that didn't come with more prescriptions or procedures, but through nature, ancient healing traditions, and deep introspection.

Today, Michael is the co-founder of Optimyze, a wellness studio in Phoenix, Arizona. Optimyze has become a community that empowers others to take personal responsibility for their physical, mental, and emotional health through natural healing methods.

In our conversation, Michael shares how his search for answers led him to meet Wim Hof and leave his corporate job to explore plant medicine, the science, and the benefits of cold plunges, breathwork, and energy practices. This experience ultimately reshaped his view of wellness and how the human body is equipped to deal with stress and health issues naturally and holistically.

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

• Michael’s journey from the U.S. Navy to become an entrepreneur.
• How plant medicine and ceremonial practices transformed Michael’s life.
• The benefits of cold therapy and exercise as a way of stressing our body to improve wellness.
• The link between technology and common health issues and autoimmune diseases.
• The importance of setting boundaries with staff and customers as an entrepreneur.

More resources and info > https://www.bayntree.com/112