The Hat That Changed Everything: Siegelman Stable

Max Siegelman had a logo before he had a brand — borrowed from his father's harness racing stable, Siegelman Stable. The logo felt like it was meant to be on a hat, so when the pandemic hit, Max put $600 down and started making them. No outside money, no rapid scaling. He funded each production run…

BONUS: How Small Businesses Endure for Generations

How do some small businesses stand the test of time? In today’s mini episode, Maya talks with Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and host of “The Unshakeables” podcast, about what helps businesses endure across generations – from adaptability and grit to a deep connection with their communities.…

Ninety Years of Noodles: Borgatti's Ravioli & Egg Noodles

Christopher Borgatti learned the business from his father. His son, Christopher, learned it from him. Since 1935, four generations of Borgattis have been rolling pasta in the same Bronx shop through the Depression, through WWII, through changing neighborhoods, through the internet age and through a…

Unravel, Rebuild, Repeat: OSOMTEX

Patricia Ermecheo always knew she would build something. She just didn’t know what — until she saw mountains of discarded clothing headed for landfills. When she couldn’t find a way to break textiles back down into usable fiber, she built one. That company became OSOMTEX. But building a solution no…

The Refugee Who Led a Software Revolution - with Ben Walter

Millionaire-making tech start-ups are most often associated with Silicon Valley. But this software revolution begins on a woman’s kitchen table in rural Britain in the 1960s. Steve Shirley faced extraordinary odds. After escaping Nazi Germany as a child, she later encountered workplace discriminati…

Is AI Here to Help You Grow, Build, or Replace Your Business?: Live from SXSW

Everyone's talking about AI. In boardrooms, in government and around the kitchen tables — it's everywhere. But what does it actually mean for small businesses, and how are they using it to get ahead?   Recorded live at South by Southwest, Ben and Kathleen are joined onstage by Oz Woloshyn — journ…

Who’s Running the Shop?: Gretna Machine Shop

Nubia Perez had a plan for her life — marry abroad, raise trilingual kids and build something global. But when her father fell ill, Gretna Machine Shop needed her more than her plans did. The family business was suddenly without direction, and Nubia stepped in to put out fires. But the business did…

How to Stop Work From Taking Over Your Life

Work doesn’t end when the workday does. Even after we close our laptops, our minds keep replaying awkward meetings, looming deadlines, and unfinished to-do lists. Over time, that “always on” mentality can quietly hijack our relationships, our health, and our happiness. Dr. Laurie sits down with ps…

For the Love of Dogs: Cleveland Veterinary Rehabilitation

There are movies about how a dog can change your life — but for Dr. Laura Surovi and Michael Sivo, it actually happened. Laura had recently built a successful mobile vet practice, but the long drives were exhausting. Then in 2016, they met Chauncy, a rescue with serious injuries and no local rehab …

The Business of Early Detection: Breath Diagnostics

Dr. Victor Van Berkel lost his father to lung cancer — the deadliest cancer in the U.S., in part because it’s so difficult to detect early. That loss inspired Breath Diagnostics, a start-up using breath samples and microchip technology to identify cancer. But groundbreaking science doesn’t always t…