Founder2Founder with Aaron Spivak

In this episode of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak sits down with Adrian Aidid, Founder and CEO of LDX Digital, a top Google and YouTube Ads agency that manages over $11 million in monthly ad spend. Adrian is no stranger to scaling brands, he’s helped grow eight companies to over $100K/day in spend and engineered acquisition systems responsible for hundreds of millions in revenue. But before becoming one of the most respected operators in the performance marketing space, Adrian’s journey began in government housing in Bristol, England.
Adrian opens up about how growing up with a single refugee mother shaped his relentless drive, how a failed job transfer became the catalyst for his entrepreneurial breakthrough, and the exact steps he took to go from running Facebook ads for local shops to building one of the most trusted agencies for global e-commerce brands. He also shares the importance of giving without expectations and the unique infrastructure LDX builds to turn traffic into scalable, profitable growth. This is an unfiltered look at grit, clarity, and scaling with precision.
Chapters:
 02:10 - Growing Up in Government Housing in Bristol
 03:46 - Lessons from Watching His Mother Work 3 Jobs
 05:10 - The “Death Ground” Mindset that Fueled Adrian’s Drive
 06:32 - Getting Into Party Promotions and Sales in London
 08:04 - The First Exposure to Marketing and Ad Agencies
 09:25 - How The Alchemist Inspired a Move to NYC
 11:14 - Entering Wall Street with No Network and High Stakes
 15:15 - Environment Over Willpower: Why New York Changed Everything
 16:54 - The “Come to Jesus” Moment After Getting Sent Back to the UK
 20:58 - Starting From Scratch: Door-to-Door Sales for Local Businesses
 23:26 - Getting His First Client and Making the Move to London
 24:50 - Transitioning from Local to Ecomm and Making Real Money
 26:18 - Pivoting Early to Google Ads Before iOS Updates Hit
 28:45 - Scaling a Brand from Zero to $38M in 2 Years
 30:22 - How LDX Builds Funnels, Pages, and Upsell Structures for Scale
 32:07 - Google Compliance, Cold Traffic Mastery, and Platform Relationships
 34:40 - Balancing Data and Intuition in Big Growth Decisions
 38:36 - Giving Without Expectation and Why It Works
 41:59 - Building Relationships Without ROI Expectations
 44:16 - Miami, Culture, and Creating the Right Environment to Thrive
 46:59 - How Community Shapes Outcomes and Reduces Isolation
 48:40 - The Power of Proximity and Being Around the Right People
 50:13 - What Adrian Would Tell His 19-Year-Old Self
 52:44 - Why Founders Need to Prioritize Character, Not Just Skills
 55:08 - The Ultimate Test: Would You Grab a Beer With Them?
 56:27 - Why Vibes and Energy Matter More Than Credentials
Guest Links:
Website: https://www.ldxdigital.com
LinkedIn: Adrian Aidid
The Founders Club: The premier community for founders pursuing excellence in the mind, body, and business.

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Aaron Spivak:
IG: @‌Spivak
Linkedin

The Founders Club
IG: @‌TheFoundersClub
Website www.foundersclubofficial.com
Founder2Founder:
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Youtube @‌Founder2Founder.Podcast

In this episode of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak sits down with Karen Quintos, former Chief Customer Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Dell Technologies. Karen’s career spans multiple industries and decades of leadership at the highest levels, including Merck, Citibank, and Dell, where she led through some of the company’s most pivotal transformations. Known for her rare blend of operational rigor and soulful leadership, Karen opens up about navigating billion-dollar decisions while staying anchored in values, faith, and purpose.
Karen reflects on the defining moments that shaped her career, from managing 1,000+ manufacturing employees at age 30, to working directly with Michael Dell. She unpacks what it means to lead with authenticity, how she infused soul into a Fortune 500 brand, and why servant leadership, humility, and staying people-centered are her greatest assets. This episode is a powerful reminder that success doesn’t have to cost you your integrity and that leadership grounded in purpose can drive both performance and legacy.
Chapters:
 02:42 – Growing Up on a Farm: Faith, Family and Hard Work
 04:15 – Meeting Her Husband at Merck and Building a 40 Year Marriage
 05:29 – Knowing She Wasn’t Meant to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom
 07:21 – From Staff Role to Plant Manager: Learning Servant Leadership
 09:48 – Early Mistakes, Union Threats and Listening to the Frontline
 12:50 – Leaving Merck, Regretting Citibank and the Pivot to Dell
 16:20 – How Karen Was Offered the CMO Role at Dell
 18:11 – Why Michael Dell Chose Her: Customer-Centric Leadership
 22:16 – Rebranding with Purpose: Tech for Good and Employee Alignment
 23:15 – Internal vs. External Marketing: Why It Starts Within
 27:07 – People First: Why Technology is a People Business
 28:06 – Where Karen’s Soul-Driven Leadership Comes From
 30:37 – Head vs. Heart: Operating with Conviction and Integrity
 32:06 – Writing Her Book: You Can Be Successful Without Losing Your Soul
 35:34 – Redefining Success at Every Stage of Life
 37:49 – Playing the Long Game: Why Patience is Power
 40:59 – The Knot in Your Stomach: Staying Curious and Grounded
 42:28 – Learning from Leaders Around the Boardroom Table
 45:52 – The Most Underrated Leadership Trait
 47:55 – An Example of CEO Vulnerability and Transparency
 51:04 – How Karen Supported Women Through Dell’s Entrepreneur Network
 52:48 – Communities That Create Life-Changing Moments
 55:14 – Why We Avoid the Environments That Will Help us Grow
 57:52 – When the Same Knot Lingers: Making the Leap
 58:44 – Advice to Her 13-Year-Old Self: Courage, Confidence Compassion
 1:02:46 – Female Founders on Love, Marriage and Building Together
Guest Links:
Instagram: Karenhquintos
LinkedIn: Karen Quintos
Twitter: Karenhquintos
The Founders Club: The premier community for founders pursuing excellence in the mind, body, and business.

Stay Connected!
Aaron Spivak:
IG: @‌Spivak
Linkedin

The Founders Club
IG: @‌TheFoundersClub
Website www.foundersclubofficial.com
Founder2Founder:
TikTok @‌Founder2FounderPodcast
Youtube @‌Founder2Founder.Podcast

In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak returns with Chris Meade for a founder-to-founder deep dive on the biggest insights shaping business growth in 2026. After surveying over 1,000 members from inside The Founders Club, they uncovered five powerful patterns that separate the founders who are doubling their growth from those who stay stuck. The truth? It’s not about doing more, it’s about going deeper on what’s already working.
Together, they unpack the mindset shifts, tactical strategies, and daily disciplines top founders are leaning into this year. From clarity of vision to committing to one channel, empowering teams, building real founder connections, and using AI as leverage (not leadership), this episode is packed with hard-earned insights and actionable takeaways. Whether you’re scaling past $10M or just trying to get momentum back, this is the playbook for founders ready to build with purpose

Chapters:
01:03 – The Truth About Founders Who Break Through
02:08 – Why Clarity and Focus Beat Chaos
03:47 – Avoiding Shiny Object Syndrome in 2026
05:25 – The Anxiety That Comes from Lack of Vision
06:44 – Ask Yourself: Is Your Business Even Scalable?
08:30 – One Channel. One Plan. No Distractions.
09:49 – The Founders Who Are Crushing It Aren’t Multichannel
11:00 – Are You Testing a Channel or Building It?
12:51 – The Difference Between Committing vs. Experimenting
14:06 – The Real Reason Founders Don’t Go All In
17:01 – Creating Feedback Loops to Build Momentum
19:05 – Why Small Wins Shouldn’t Be Overlooked
20:01 – Founder Bottlenecks and How to Eliminate Them
22:04 – Panic Execution Is a Sign of Broken Systems
23:42 – Giving Teams Ownership of Their "Piano"
25:12 – The Power of Real-World, In-Person Connection
26:10 – Your Network is Who Picks Up the Phone When It Gets Hard
28:08 – Give First: The Foundation of True Founder Relationships
30:02 – What Real Founder Support Looks Like
33:58 – Why Your Circle Defines Your Trajectory
35:35 – AI is Leverage, Not Leadership
42:03 – AI for Speed and Margin, Not for Connection
44:58 – Clear Strategy, Committed Team, One Goal
48:35 – Inside the Vision for Founders Club 2026
51:17 – Why Integrity is Everything as You Scale
53:24 – Designing Events That Actually Serve Founders
56:09 – The Power of Physical Spaces in a Digital World
58:10 – Are We Building Community the Right Way?
1:06:30 – Why Gender-Specific Events Are Unlocking Deeper Growth
1:08:00 – Founders Forum LA: Our Biggest Event Ever
1:11:45 – Redefining Sponsorships to Actually Add Value
1:14:06 – The New Perks Members Actually Use
1:16:22 – 2025 Was Chaos, 2026 is Clarity

Guest Links: 
Instagram @chrismeade & @crossnetgame
Website: https://vivereltd.com/pages/crossnet
The Founders Club: The premier community for founders pursuing excellence in the mind, body, and business.

Stay Connected!
Aaron Spivak:
IG: @‌Spivak
Linkedin

The Founders Club
IG: @‌TheFoundersClub
Website www.foundersclubofficial.com
Founder2Founder:
TikTok @‌Founder2FounderPodcast
Youtube @‌Founder2Founder.Podcast

In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Adam Wexler, Founder and Executive Chairman of PrizePicks, the largest paid fantasy sports platform in North America. With a career spanning from music tech startups to influencer marketing software and now dominating the fantasy sports industry, Adam is a prime example of what it means to build with vision, grit, and resilience. Beyond PrizePicks, Adam has launched multiple ventures, served as a pioneer in fantasy sports innovation, and continues to shape the industry through his not-for-profit initiatives and leadership as an active board member.
Adam opens up about his early years experimenting with product-market fit, including his first startup GoRankem, the transition into B2B SaaS with Insightpool, and the eventual creation of PrizePicks after enduring setbacks that would have stopped most founders in their tracks. He shares battle-tested lessons on resourcefulness, hiring with culture in mind, building when no one is watching, and maintaining momentum through uncertainty. This is a masterclass in entrepreneurial durability, from scrappy beginnings to strategic exits, told with honesty, clarity, and tactical wisdom.
Chapters:
 02:20 – Discovering the Startup Bug During Birthright Trip
 06:23 – Finding His First Technical Co-Founder
 08:13 – Building GoRankem and the Power of Crowdsourced Music Discovery
 11:57 – The Harsh Reality of Monetizing B2C
 14:39 – Using Kickstarter Before Crowdfunding Was a Word
 18:58 – Becoming the First Tech Startup to Raise on Kickstarter
 22:04 – Resourcefulness and the Art of Bootstrapping
 25:00 – Lessons From Chapter One: Necessity Breeds Hustle
 28:27 – The Canoe Test and Hiring With Intention
 31:41 – Culture as a Defensible Advantage
 34:33 – The Birth of Insightpool and Enterprise B2B SaaS
 39:45 – Spinning Up Multiple Ventures at Once
 44:09 – Identifying Influencers and Building the Next Chapter
 47:36 – Scaling Insightpool Through Enterprise Clients
 51:10 – Transitioning From CEO to Chief Strategy Officer
 55:12 – How Letting Go of Ego Opens Bigger Doors
 59:24 – The Origin of PrizePicks and Pursuing B2C Upside
 1:03:42 – The Collapse of Fantasy Sports in 2015
 1:16:25 – Founding PrizePicks Amid Regulatory Turmoil
 1:20:45 – Navigating COVID and Keeping the Business Alive
 1:29:41 – The Barbados Offsite and the ClearCo Connection
 1:36:04 – Reflecting on Legacy and Impact Post-Exit
 1:39:43 – What’s Next: Not-for-Profit, Special Projects, and Brand Stewardship
 1:43:34 – Advice to His Younger Self: Let Adversity Mold You
Guest Links:
Website: https://www.prizepicks.com/
https://thehiddenjams.org/
Instagram: @thewordpainter
LinkedIn: Adam Wexler
The Founders Club: The premier community for founders pursuing excellence in the mind, body, and business.

Stay Connected!
Aaron Spivak:
IG: @‌Spivak
Linkedin

The Founders Club
IG: @‌TheFoundersClub
Website www.foundersclubofficial.com
Founder2Founder:
TikTok @‌Founder2FounderPodcast
Youtube @‌Founder2Founder.Podcast

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 Intention
Guest Links:
Website: https://www.atlaselitelifts.com
LinkedIn: Jamie Crozier
The Founders Club: The premier community for founders pursuing excellence in the mind, body, and business.

Stay Connected!
Aaron Spivak:
IG: @‌Spivak
Linkedin

The Founders Club
IG: @‌TheFoundersClub
Website www.foundersclubofficial.com
Founder2Founder:
TikTok @‌Founder2FounderPodcast
Youtube @‌Founder2Founder.Podcast