Business Owners Tell All
On The Seeker Solution Podcast, your host, Jamie Seeker encourages business owners to tell all! They'll share not only their expertise, but their stories and their purpose and what it takes to run a successful business. We cover a wide range of topics – the good and exciting, the challenges and sometimes the ugly. Experiences and lessons learned that our guests have faced along the way. We believe that every person has a unique message which can make a positive impact . We let our guests share on the subjects they’re well-known for. No matter the topic, you’ll be hearing real s...
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In the Eye of the Storm: Standing Tall with Attorney Juan Cruz
<p>In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie Seeker sits down with Juan Cruz, founder and managing attorney of JCA Law, PLLC, a Texas-based education law firm with offices in Laredo, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi. With nearly 30 years of legal experience and a track record that includes a win before the Texas Supreme Court, Juan shares the grit, strategy, and heart it took to build a respected firm from scratch.</p><p>Juan opens up about:</p>Walking away from big law to follow his own visionBuilding a niche firm in education lawBalancing courtroom...
Charging Ahead: How Joseph Nagle Is Powering the EV Revolution at Home
<p>In this insightful and candid episode, Joseph Nagle, Head of Strategy at Pando Electric, shares how his team is disrupting the EV charging space by simplifying the tech, targeting underserved communities, and building a resilient, mission-aligned company culture.</p><p>From securing a $5.4 million state grant to pioneering smart outlet charging that cuts costs and maintenance, Joseph walks us through what it takes to build a scalable and meaningful solution in an emerging industry—while also opening up about leadership, hiring, and the importance of persistence.</p><h2>📝 EPISODE NOTES</h2><h3>🚀 Startup Journey & Industry Insights</h3>Pando Electric’s innovati...
The Road to Approval: Zoning Out the Noise with Jake Malott
<p>In this episode, Jamie sits down with Jake Malott, the founder of Whitestone DCI, a Los Angeles-based consulting firm that specializes in preconstruction project management and land use consulting. From giving Segway tours and dressing as a pineapple to breaking through LA’s regulatory red tape, Jake’s journey into business ownership is anything but conventional.</p><p>He shares how persistence, creativity, and valuing his own work were key to launching and sustaining his company — all while building a team, learning on the fly, and reinventing his pricing model in an ultra-competitive, bureaucratic environment.</p><p>Whether you’re in re...
The Joy Prescription: Inside the Vet Revolution to Thrive, Not Just Survive
<p>In this episode, Dr. Lauren Jones, a veterinarian and Director of Veterinary Medicine at Shepherd Veterinary Solutions, shares her deeply personal and powerful journey from childhood dreams of vet med to burnout, evolution, and bold leadership. Now based in Phoenix, Arizona, Lauren owns and leads the Animal Hospital of Chester County remotely, while serving the broader industry through tech and advocacy work. She opens up about the mental toll of veterinary work, the importance of human-centered leadership, and how embracing team input and streamlined software radically improved her practice and quality of life.</p><h2>📌 Key Notes & Takeaways:</h2><h3>...
Blueprints & Direction: What It Takes to Lead a Creative Business
<p>In this insightful episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, host Jamie Seeker talks with Justin Tollefson, Principal at Pearson Design Group, a boutique architecture firm based in Bozeman, Montana known for designing stunning, story-driven homes. Justin opens up about his 20+ year journey with the firm, how his leadership style has evolved, and what it really takes to run a design-focused business with heart. From building creative culture and hiring for character to developing young talent and navigating the less glamorous parts of leadership, this conversation gets real about the human side of architecture.</p><p>Whether...
Keeping the Music Alive: How Early Arts Education Builds Stronger Futures
<p>In this inspiring episode, Jamie Seeker sits down with Dr. Michael Remson, President and CEO of KeyNote, home of the San Diego Youth Symphony, located in San Diego’s historic Balboa Park. Michael shares his powerful journey from growing up in musical theater in New York City to becoming a nationally respected nonprofit arts leader. He dives into how music shaped his life from a young age, how early access to arts education builds future-ready skills in children, and why cradle-to-college programming is the future of inclusive arts access. He also opens up about the challenges of managing 80+ staff, re...
Lights, Camera, Revenue: How Events Became a Growth Engine
<p>In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie Seeker sits down with Shay Wheat, Certified Event Producer™ and CEO of Grace & Ease Productions. Shay shares her powerful journey from managing apartments and doing network marketing to producing multi-million dollar events for powerhouse names like Dr. Oz and Lisa Nichols.</p><p>We dive into how events became her ultimate business-building tool, how she pivoted to virtual when the world shut down, and what it really means to lead a business with grace and ease. Shay opens up about the backstage chaos that taught her the im...
Leading Without Borders: A Global Playbook for Modern Leadership
<p>In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie Seeker sits down with Miguel Adao, CEO of Voler Systems, to explore what it means to be a truly global leader. With a career that’s taken him across eight countries, five languages, and leadership roles at Pepsi, HP, VMware, and more, Miguel shares how cultural intelligence has shaped his leadership philosophy and career path.</p><p>Now based in Sunnyvale, California, Miguel leads Voler Systems with a unique mix of engineering expertise, marketing savvy, and global perspective. He dives into the lessons he’s learned working with...
Pitch Perfect: PR Lessons from a Dragons’ Den Deal-Maker
<p>In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie sits down with Bryce North, founder and CEO of Don’t Be A Little Pitch, a bold media and branding company headquartered in Manila, with global reach. Bryce shares how he went from startup founder to media magnet — landing deals on Dragons’ Den, scaling companies across 40+ countries, and raising over $600K through crowdfunding — all by mastering the power of storytelling and PR.</p><p>The episode dives into the tactical side of visibility — how to create media-worthy stories, build credibility from scratch, and stand out in a noisy star...
The Grit Behind the Green: Where Passion Meets Pavement
<p>In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes Jamie sits down with Daniel Woodroffe, the visionary behind dwg., a landscape architecture firm based in Austin, Texas (and now London) that's on a mission to reshape urban environments through art, ecology, and purpose-driven design.</p><p>Daniel shares his journey from growing up in England to launching a globally respected firm that transforms overlooked and often toxic urban sites into vibrant, biodiverse public spaces. He opens up about the challenges of leading a creative business, the battles fought to get meaningful projects like Springdale Green off the...
