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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The Founder Shift: From Doing the Work to Leading the Work
<p>In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie Seeker interviews Mike Farrell, Founder and CEO of Landscape Management Group in Columbus, Ohio. Mike shares how he started in 2008 by knocking on doors with a push mower, wheelbarrow, and handmade business cards to pay for college, then gradually turned that hustle into a multi-city landscaping business.</p><p>The conversation centers heavily on business planning, but from a real-world founder perspective rather than a textbook one. Mike explains that while he did create a business plan early on and even won a college business plan competition...
Women in leadership, business strategy, and intentional planning in mission‑driven organizations
<h2><br></h2><p>Amber Sheikh joins Jamie Seeker for a powerful conversation on what it truly takes to lead — not just a business, but a mission. As the founder and CEO of Chic Impact, Amber supports nonprofit organizations across California by strengthening their fundraising, leadership, and strategic planning. But her journey to ownership was anything but linear.</p><p>In this episode, Amber shares how her early work in poverty alleviation abroad revealed a major gap in nonprofit operations, ultimately leading her into fundraising, consulting, and eventually ownership. She opens up about buying her firm during the pandemic while na...
Food Fire + Knives: Where Business Meets the Dinner Table
<h2><br></h2><p>Michael shares his journey from a 14-year-old working at a produce stand to a CIA-trained chef who hit burnout and reinvented his career. That pivot led to the creation of Food, Fire, and Knives — a private chef platform that now serves clients across the country, bringing restaurant-quality dining into homes. What began as side gigs turned into a full-scale business that empowers chefs to regain control of their careers.</p><p>This episode dives deep into:</p>His unconventional founder storyBuilding a nationwide team of chefsHR systems and culture buildingLeadership lessonsAnd of course, what it really ta...
Your Team’s New Superpower? An AI That Actually Does the Work
<p>In this episode, Jamie sits down with Seva Ustinov, a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Elly Analytics — a performance marketing company reimagined with an internal AI Operating System at its core.</p><p>Seva shares his 20-year journey from founding a marketing agency in Russia to scaling a tech company in the U.S., and how the chaos of managing large teams led him to create a unified AI-powered “company brain.”</p><p>But what sets this conversation apart is the focus on HR, team dynamics, and operations — not just tech. Seva breaks down how automation and intelligent agents h...
Lead with Fire, Build with Precision: How Great Companies (and People) Are Mad
<p>In this dynamic and honest conversation, Jamie Seeker sits down with visionary entrepreneur Chaz Wolfe and serial integrator Jake Isaacs, co-founders of Gathering The Kings, to unpack what it really takes to build and lead a high-performing team.</p><p>Set in the context of HR and people strategy, the episode dives deep into how business owners transition from doing everything themselves to leading others effectively, and how culture, clarity, mindset, and courage are critical ingredients to scaling with purpose.</p><p>Their Kansas City-based mastermind is more than a business growth engine — it’s a movement built around help...
From Profile to Pipeline: How LinkedIn Psychology Helps Founders Hire Smarter
<p>In this episode, Jamie sits down with Eli Igra Serfaty to unpack how startup founders can transform LinkedIn from a passive platform into an active hiring and branding engine. Drawing from his background in venture capital and his journey building MAIA Digital — Israel’s top LinkedIn marketing agency — Eli shares frameworks, case studies, and tactical tips to optimize founder presence, build employer brands, and attract better talent.</p><h2>📝 Show Notes</h2><p>Topics Covered:</p>Why most founders underestimate LinkedIn’s power for hiringFirst impressions on LinkedIn — and why profile optimization matters as much as a websiteThe psychology of scroll-sto...
Breaking the Mold, One Reinvention at a Time
<p>Hank shares his unconventional path into IT leadership — beginning with time on Capitol Hill, renewable energy work at the Department of Energy, military service as an infantry officer, oil & gas, and private equity acquisition through a search fund. He eventually returned to Kentucky and found the role at NetGain through LinkedIn.</p><p>The conversation focuses heavily on hiring in a highly competitive industry, why culture fit beats technical skill, and NetGain’s emphasis on developing people from within. Hank explains that nearly everyone at NetGain is client-facing, which means they must hire engineers who not only know technology but...
Inside GrassRoots: How Laura Woodard Finds, Grows, and Keeps the Right People
<p>In this episode, Jamie sits down with Laura Woodard, known as the Medical Marketing Maven, to talk about something all business owners face: how to build a team that really works. Laura shares how her personal journey caring for family members at the end of life inspired her to launch GrassRoots Medical Marketing — a Tampa-based agency helping private medical practices grow through ethical, effective marketing.</p><p>But the heart of the conversation is about HR — how she hires, trains, supports, and builds a remote culture with intention. From her background in tech and corporate life to her deeply empa...
People Before Process: Building Systems That Support Humans First
<p>In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, Jamie sits down with Kasandra Murray, founder of Unlucky Umbrella, a marketing and operations consultancy based in Columbus, Ohio. Kasandra offers a refreshing people‑first perspective on how businesses can grow sustainably by aligning marketing, operations, and HR.</p><p>Kasandra shares how most organizational issues stem from broken processes—not broken people—and explains why focusing on documentation, hands‑on training, and open dialogue creates healthier, more resilient teams. Drawing from her experience in the manufacturing industry, she reveals how shifting to process‑first systems increased employee retention...
The Hidden Battle After the Injury: Bridging the Legal Gap
<h3>In this heartfelt and insightful episode, host Jamie Seeker welcomes Laura Moore, a powerhouse entrepreneur and founder of Moore Injury Funding, a boutique legal funding firm based near Atlanta, Georgia. Laura opens up about her personal journey from injury and financial stress to building a purpose-driven company that helps others bridge the financial gap between injury and justice.</h3><p>The episode centers around a key question: How do you run a people-first business in a high-stress industry—and keep your team engaged, aligned, and supported?</p><p>Laura shares her real-world HR challenges, the importance of strong company cu...
