Founder2Founder with Aaron Spivak

In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Jamie Crozier, owner of Thunder Bay Hydraulics and founder of Atlas Elite Autolifts. Jamie leads multiple industrial businesses based in Northern Ontario, including Custom Hydraulics, and has built a reputation for blending hands-on manufacturing with modern innovation. From hydraulic cylinder repair, to designing luxury car lift systems for high-end residential homes across North America, Jamie is reshaping what legacy manufacturing can look like today.Jamie shares how he entered entrepreneurship later in life, stepping into a blue-collar industry with no formal business background and learning everything from the ground up. He breaks down how customer feedback led to the creation of Atlas Elite, why he’s taking bold R&D risks in a 90-year-old industry, and how family, partnership, and long-term thinking continue to shape the way he builds companies that last.Chapters: 02:26 – Jamie’s Unexpected Path Into Entrepreneurship 03:36 – From Political Science to Sales and Industrial Supply 05:32 – The First Signals of Business Ownership 06:51 – The Role of His Wife and Business Partner 08:40 – Founding Atlas Elite Autolifts 10:07 – Identifying a Gap in the Luxury Car Lift Market 12:31 – Using Customer Feedback to Drive Design 13:24 – Early Mistakes With Construction Integration 15:36 – The Most Unique Projects They’ve Built 16:26 – Bringing a Car Lift Into a Living Room 18:24 – Engineering for High-Value Vehicles 19:17 – Growing Up in a Blue-Collar Household 21:06 – Why His Father Pushed Him Toward University 23:21 – Family, Motivation, and Staying Grounded 26:21 – Building a Business His Kids Can See 29:32 – Why Physical Businesses Still Matter 30:49 – Risk Tolerance as a Competitive Advantage 32:08 – Innovating Inside a 90-Year-Old Industry 34:10 – Designing for the Harshest Environments 37:02 – Where Hydraulics Is Headed Next 41:02 – Finding Purpose Later in the Journey 42:52 – The Power of an Outside Perspective 45:38 – Partnership, Belief, and Thinking Bigger 48:07 – Breaking Generational Limiting Beliefs 50:42 – Giving Back to the Northern Ontario Business Community 54:09 – Values, Integrity, and Choosing the Right People 56:17 – Commit Fully and Build With IntentionGuest Links:Website: https://www.atlaselitelifts.comLinkedIn: Jamie CrozierThe Founders Club: The premier community for founders pursuing excellence in the mind, body, and business.Stay Connected!Aaron Spivak:IG: @‌SpivakLinkedinThe Founders ClubIG: @‌TheFoundersClubWebsite www.foundersclubofficial.com Founder2Founder:TikTok @‌Founder2FounderPodcastYoutube @‌Founder2Founder.Podcast

In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Rebecca Sunnen Kallaus, founder of Business Done Better and creator of the 5-Engine Operating System. With over a decade in business operations, Rebecca has helped companies from solo ventures to $20M+ scale with structure, clarity, and sustainability. She’s also played a direct role in shaping tools at HighLevel to better support founder-led businesses.Rebecca shares the full story behind how she built her career, from working unpaid at a failing health clinic, to surviving financial collapse, homelessness, and personal trauma, all while launching her first business. She breaks down how she leaned into systems thinking, intuition, and self-trust to build a company that now supports some of the fastest-growing businesses in the space.Chapters: 02:26 – Early Signs Of Entrepreneurship 03:36 – How Her Upbringing Shaped Her Drive 05:32 – Wanting Structure But Needing To Build It Herself 06:51 – Why She Wasn't Allowed To Work In School 08:40 – Choosing Psychology With No Real Plan 10:07 – Studying Holistic Health And Systems 12:31 – Saving Lives At A Wellness Clinic, But Not Getting Paid 13:24 – The First Major Financial Loss 15:36 – Moving To Hawaii And Taking Another Hit 16:26 – The Relationship That Taught Her Everything 18:24 – Losing $25k+ In One Year 19:17 – Starting Her First Business While Homeless 21:06 – Meeting A Mentor Who Saved Her Life 23:21 – The Moment Everything Began To Change 26:21 – The Power Of Reframing Good Vs Bad 29:32 – Losing Hope, And What Got Her Through 30:49 – Why A Clear “Why” Matters 32:08 – Her Deeper Purpose Behind Helping Founders 34:10 – Building Trust In Yourself 37:02 – Why Intuition Never Lies 41:02 – Breaking Down Her 5-Engine Operating System 42:52 – Why Most Founders Start Backwards 45:38 – Beating Out Major Players For Big Clients 48:07 – What She'd Tell Her Younger Self 50:42 – Finding Clarity In Silence 54:09 – Final Thoughts On Intuition, Momentum, And RebuildingGuest Links:Website: https://businessdonebetter.co/LinkedIn: Rebecca KallausThe Founders Club: The premier community for founders pursuing excellence in the mind, body, and business.Stay Connected!Aaron Spivak:IG: @‌SpivakLinkedinThe Founders ClubIG: @‌TheFoundersClubWebsite www.foundersclubofficial.com Founder2Founder:TikTok @‌Founder2FounderPodcastYoutube @‌Founder2Founder.Podcast

In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Richart Ruddie, serial entrepreneur, art collector, and founder of CaptainCompliance.com. Richart has built and exited multiple ventures across marketing, tech, and real estate, including one of the largest ORM agencies in the U.S.From hustling calling cards as a teen, to selling a business at 24, Richart breaks down how he built a career by spotting overlooked opportunities and outworking everyone in the room. He shares the hard lessons behind scaling, selling, hiring, and why ignoring compliance could cost your company everything.Chapters:02:26 – Growing Up in Baltimore & Entrepreneurial Roots 03:35 – First Job Punching Calling Cards at Age 12 05:39 – Why “$10M” Isn’t the End Goal 07:19 – How College Shaped His Hustle 09:41 – Graduating Debt-Free Through Work Ethic 11:01 – Grit vs. Moats: Why Outworking Wins 12:06 – Giving First: A Foundational Principle 14:16 – Books That Changed His Life 19:44 – The First Business Exit: Dumpster Rentals at 24 21:13 – Breaking Into SEO & Internet Arbitrage 23:32 – How He Scaled a Boring Business Fast 25:39 – Selling Leads in a Non-Tech Industry 26:46 – Exit Strategy: When to Sell and Why 28:06 – Building Profile Defenders From a Craigslist Ad 29:25 – Scaling to $90K/Month in Under a Year 31:00 – Private Equity Exit in 2023: How It Went Down 32:11 – Systems vs. Team: What Buyers Really Look For 33:49 – Why He Left 7x Revenue Growth on the Table 37:48 – The Compliance Opportunity Most Founders Miss 40:07 – From Removal Services to Privacy Software 41:54 – Understanding Regulatory Risk in Scaling 44:31 – Real Lawsuits: The Wake-Up Call for Founders 46:55 – How $500/Month Could Have Saved a $5M Lawsuit 49:08 – Hiring Strategy: Culture, Grit & Technical Testing 50:46 – The One Interview Question That Says It All 53:44 – Building & Exiting in a Hyper-Competitive Market 55:19 – Advice to His 15-Year-Old Self 58:08 – Why Going Deep, Not Wide, Builds Real AdvantageGuest Links: Website: https://captaincompliance.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richartruddie/The Founders Club: The premier community for founders pursuing excellence in the mind, body, and business.Stay Connected!Aaron Spivak:IG: @‌SpivakLinkedinThe Founders ClubIG: @‌TheFoundersClubWebsite www.foundersclubofficial.com Founder2Founder:TikTok @‌Founder2FounderPodcastYoutube @‌Founder2Founder.Podcast

In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with media entrepreneur, author, and political commentator Armstrong Williams. From growing up on a tobacco farm in South Carolina as one of 10 siblings, to becoming one of the most influential minority-owned media executives in the country, Armstrong shares how discipline, faith, and preparation shaped every stage of his journey. He is the founder of Howard Stirk Holdings, co-owner of The Baltimore Sun, and host of multiple nationally syndicated TV and radio shows.Armstrong breaks down how early lessons in personal finance, responsibility, and character led him to build long-term wealth and credibility. He reflects on the people and decisions that shaped his career, including his relationship with Senator Strom Thurmond, investing in real estate before 30, and why he refuses to compromise on principle, even when it costs him. His approach to relationships, leadership, and legacy is a blueprint for staying grounded while building big.Chapters02:42 – Growing Up on a Farm & Learning Discipline from His Parents05:56 – Meeting Senator Strom Thurmond: A Life-Altering Moment06:32 – Interning in DC & Discovering His Calling08:43 – Naivety, Risk & Being Ready When Opportunity Arrives11:42 – The Story of His Father Buying Their Family Farm14:56 – Early Lessons on Judging Character as Individuals, Not Groups17:29 – How His Upbringing Influenced the Naming of His Company19:12 – Getting Cut Off Financially & Learning He Was an Entrepreneur21:46 – His Father's Rule: Always Squirrel Away 20%23:09 – The $200 Check That Turned Into $42K: His First Business Win26:31 – Convincing Richard Pryor to Speak for Black History Month28:16 – Meeting His First Business Mentor Through This Event29:36 – Investing $25K That Turned Into $7M by Age 2730:35 – The Power of Long-Term Wealth & Strategic Investing34:53 – The Importance of Giving Back & Empowering Others36:25 – Why Most Young Entrepreneurs Don’t Understand Morality39:05 – Managing Hundreds of Relationships with Intention44:13 – Creating & Scaling Howard Stirk Holdings49:56 – Buying His First Network TV Stations51:12 – The Power of Local Media and Deciding Elections54:03 – Why He’ll Never Be Compromised by Advertisers57:20 – Why Revenge Is a Dangerous Game in Business & Politics59:33 – On Mistakes, Regret, and Taking Full Responsibility1:03:39 – Why He Personally Signs Every Check in His Business1:05:45 – The Power of Hard Conversations and Emotional Maturity1:10:35 – Intuition, Spiritual Currency & Reading Energy1:15:56 – Why Soul > Strategy for Long-Term Success1:23:28 – The One Thing Young Founders Need to Start Doing1:35:26 – Advice to His 17-Year-Old SelfGuest Links:Website: armstrongwilliams.comInstagram: @realarmstrongwilliamsX: @arightside The Founders Club: The premier community for founders pursuing excellence in the mind, body, and business.Stay Connected!Aaron Spivak:IG: @‌SpivakLinkedinThe Founders ClubIG: @‌TheFoundersClubWebsite www.foundersclubofficial.com Founder2Founder:TikTok @‌Founder2FounderPodcastYoutube @‌Founder2Founder.Podcast

In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Brandon Pourmorady, founder of Adhesive Media, a powerhouse influencer marketing agency that’s brokered over $20M in YouTube sponsorships to date. Based in Miami and representing over 200 creators monthly, Brandon is at the forefront of the creator economy, matching performance-driven YouTube channels with leading consumer brands. But his journey didn’t start in luxury, it began with bar mitzvah money, garage storage startups, and cold emails sent from a college dorm.Brandon opens up about the formative failures that built his grit, how selling loans at 19 gave him confidence to sell anything, and why taking an underpaid internship taught him more than college ever could. This is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and showing up every day even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.Chapters: 01:17 – Brandon’s Early Drive and Childhood Goals 02:16 – Discovering “Think and Grow Rich” at 15 04:42 – Visualizing Success Before School Every Day 05:47 – Brandon’s First Business Attempt: Amazon FBA 07:31 – Launching Airbnb for Storage and Failing Fast 08:42 – Building a Party App in College That Didn’t Scale 09:20 – Why College Slowed Him Down 12:49 – Advice for Teens: Don’t Trade Learning for “Cool” 14:00 – Taking a Sales Internship at 19 17:22 – Cold Email That Got Him the Job 18:20 – Running 40% of a Pipeline at 19 19:36 – Losing Momentum After Failing at Mask Sales 21:45 – Cold Emailing a Founder and Working for Free 22:50 – Selling Sponsorships for Magic Mind’s Podcast 23:37 – First Six-Figure Deal With Miller Lite 25:00 – Quitting His Job to Go All-In on Adhesive 26:51 – How to Learn While Getting Paid 28:16 – The Real Timeline to $1M in Deals 30:31 – The Power of Apprenticeship Over Courses 31:30 – Why His Age Was an Advantage 32:24 – Using Honest Cold Emails to Land Clients 36:51 – Training Like an Athlete to Compete in Music 38:52 – Being Driven by Integrity Over Approval 40:10 – The Version of Himself He’s Avoiding 43:55 – Rejecting Who He Was at 18 45:50 – Why Reaching Your Potential Matters 47:26 – What He Wants to Be Remembered For 50:02 – Finding Deep Community at Founders Club 52:30 – The ROI of Showing Up 54:35 – Accountability and Environment Fueling Growth 56:02 – Advice to His 16-Year-Old Self 1:00:15 – What Founders Miss Most After the ExitGuest Links:https://www.adhesivemedia.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonpourmoradyhttps://www.instagram.com/brandonpomoThe Founders Club: The premier community for founders pursuing excellence in the mind, body, and business.The Founders Club: The premier community for founders pursuing excellence in the mind, body, and business.Stay Connected!Aaron Spivak:IG: @‌SpivakLinkedinThe Founders ClubIG: @‌TheFoundersClubWebsite www.foundersclubofficial.com Founder2Founder:TikTok @‌Founder2FounderPodcastYoutube @‌Founder2Founder.Podcast