Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur | Start and Grow Your Own Business

In this episode, Brian sits down with Lexi Matias, a growth strategist and the co-CEO of Patriot Path Solutions, a company built to solve a real-world problem with integrity. Lexi shares her incredible journey from running creative side hustles, like a jewelry business, to co-founding a mission-driven company that helps U.S. military veterans navigate the complexities of VA disability benefits. This episode is packed with value for entrepreneurs at any stage, revealing how to find a business idea in frustration, why your first "flop" businesses are your greatest teachers, and how to build powerful systems that allow you to scale with intention. Lexi’s story is a masterclass in turning personal passion and industry expertise into a business that creates both massive impact and financial success.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
How to find your high-impact business idea by identifying a broken system you know you can fix.
Why starting any business (even one that "flops") is the best way to learn the universal skills of marketing, sales, and operations.
The importance of implementing systems like a CRM from day one, even when you have zero revenue, to prepare for future growth.
A strategic approach to client qualification: why saying "no" to the wrong clients is key to serving the right ones perfectly.
How to break down an overwhelmingly complex problem into simple, actionable steps for your customers.
The power of structured meetings (like the EOS L10 model) to keep your leadership team aligned and drive rapid progress.
How to build a business where your personal "cup is full" by aligning your work with a meaningful mission.
📝 About Lexi Matias 
Lexi Matias is an entrepreneur and growth strategist with nearly two decades of experience building brands and scaling businesses. As the co-CEO of Patriot Path Solutions, she leads a mission-focused team dedicated to educating U.S. military veterans on their VA disability benefit options. Lexi’s approach is grounded in solving complex problems with clear, actionable solutions. Her unique perspective comes from a career of launching diverse ventures, allowing her to blend creative passion with a deep commitment to building businesses that grow with integrity and create a meaningful impact.
🎯 Lexi’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs 
"Listen to the voice inside your own head, whether it's good or bad... When you can slow down and you can have an internal conversation, you're always going to find the best answer."
📢 Memorable Quotes
“Rather than sit back and kind of just get frustrated about that, my husband and my business partner and I decided that we were actually going to do it better.”
“Having a system and having some organization, you started at the beginning. This way, once you scale up, you've already got the systems in place and you've worked through some of the kinks.”
“Part of being an entrepreneur is knowing that you're always going to have a foot in each door for a little while.”
🔗 Links & Resources
Visit Patriot Path Solutions’ website
Connect with Lexi on LinkedIn
Follow Patriot Path Solutions on LinkedIn
Follow Patriot Path Solutions on Instagram

Ever feel like you’re trying to force a business strategy that just doesn’t feel right? In this special Solo Sunday episode, Brian Lofrumento is pulling back the curtain on why one-size-fits-all advice is failing you. This episode isn’t meant to be listened to — it’s meant to be acted on. Brian spent his entire Sunday building a brand-new, powerful tool just for you: the "What Type of Entrepreneur Are You?" quiz. He explains why self-awareness is the most critical first step for any successful founder and invites you to discover your unique entrepreneurial archetype. This isn't just a quiz; it's the beginning of a roadmap tailored to your specific strengths, weaknesses, and personality.
Take the quiz right now for free at https://quiz.thewantrepreneurshow.com/
✨ Why This Matters for You 
Understanding your entrepreneur type is a game-changer for building a business that thrives:
It helps you stop forcing strategies that clash with your natural personality.
It reveals your unique strengths so you can double down on what you do best.
It shines a light on your blind spots, showing you exactly where you need support or a better system.
It gives you a personalized playbook for marketing, team dynamics, and even your relationship with money.
It’s the key to building a business that feels authentic and energizing, not draining.
📝 Key Takeaways
Self-Awareness is Foundational. Every successful entrepreneur's journey starts with a deep understanding of who they are and how they operate best.
Your Path is Unique. There is no single "right" way to build a business. Stop trying to copy someone else's playbook and start writing your own.
Filter Advice Through Your Lens. Knowing your archetype allows you to take advice from guests and gurus and adapt it in a way that will actually work for you.
Build Around Your Strengths. True success comes from leaning into what makes you different, not from trying to be someone you're not.
Action Unlocks Clarity. The entire point of this episode is to take immediate action. The value isn't in listening; it's in the self-discovery that comes from taking the quiz.
🚀 Put It Into Action 
This week, your mission is simple but powerful:
Take the brand new, completely free "What Type of Entrepreneur Are You?" quiz. It takes less than 10 minutes and you’ll get a detailed, insightful report immediately—no strings attached. Go to: quiz.thewantrepreneurshow.com
After you get your results, share your archetype with Brian! He’d love to hear your thoughts and insights. Drop him a personal email at [email protected].
🔗 Stay Connected
Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode
Connect with Brian on Instagram @imetbrian
Share this episode (and the quiz!) with a fellow entrepreneur who needs to find their unique path to success.

As entrepreneurs, we're constantly feeding data into AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, but have you ever stopped to ask: where does that data go, and who really owns it? In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with Joshua Rhines, a fourth-generation Montanan and the founder of CubCloud AI. Joshua is on a mission to bring AI infrastructure back to a local level, championing the concept of "Sovereign AI" to ensure your data stays yours. This conversation is a must-listen for any entrepreneur who wants to leverage the incredible power of AI without sacrificing security, privacy, or control. Joshua breaks down the complex world of AI infrastructure, data centers, and workflow automation into practical insights you can apply to make your business more efficient and secure.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🔐 Why "Sovereign AI" is crucial for protecting your sensitive business data and trade secrets from Big Tech.
⚙️ The real-world impact of AI infrastructure and why localized data centers are becoming a competitive advantage.
🚀 How to audit your business to identify repetitive tasks and automate 10-20 hours of work per week.
🤖 A non-technical founder's guide to understanding key AI concepts like RAG, agentic agents, and private LLMs.
📈 How AI can increase your team’s capacity and utility, allowing you to hire more people and scale faster, not replace them.
💡 How to get your business "AI-ready" by cleaning up and consolidating your data for maximum impact.
⚡️ Why the future of software development is about orchestrating AI agents, and how you can leverage it even without being a coder.
📝 About Joshua Rhines
Joshua Rhines is a fourth-generation Montanan whose career uniquely blends music, business, and technology. As the founder of CubCloud AI, he is dedicated to a powerful conviction: your data should stay yours. Drawing from his background as a musician, recording engineer, MBA graduate, and commercial real estate investor, Joshua brings a multifaceted perspective to the tech world. He is pioneering the development of local, sovereign AI infrastructure in Montana to empower businesses, ensure data privacy, and build a competitive edge for his community in the AI-driven economy.
🎯 Joshua’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"Be adaptable. In this industry right now, things are changing very quick... Integrate AI into your workflow as much as possible."
📢 Memorable Quotes
“The mom and pop shop of the Montanas, of the Idahos, of the Californians, of the Floridas, they can all benefit from workflow automation.” – Joshua Rhines
“Nobody is really trying to get rid of anybody. Everybody's just overworked, and may not have an extra $50,000 lying around to hire another employee. So I'm really seeing a ton of benefit for AI in Montana here.” – Joshua Rhines
“Entrepreneurship is a hard road and nobody's pushing your company forward but you. Try to surround yourself with good people, a good team, and do your best every day.” – Joshua Rhines
🔗 Links & Resources
Visit CubCloud AI’s website
Connect with Joshua on LinkedIn
Follow CubCloud AI on LinkedIn

In a world saturated with social media, how do you create a space for genuine connection and memory? Dr. Leslie Hemedes, a clinical psychologist turned tech founder, joins the show to share how she is answering that question. She details her journey from private practice to co-founding KeepsaiQ, a platform designed to preserve not just photos and videos, but the rich context, stories, and emotions behind them. This episode is a masterclass in leveraging your unique professional background to solve a deeply human problem. For any wantrepreneur or entrepreneur, Dr. Hemedes’ story is a powerful reminder that the most impactful businesses are often born from a desire to connect with what truly matters.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🚀 How to leverage your unique professional background to create a disruptive business idea that stands out.
🔒 The strategy behind building a private, community-focused platform in an era of social media fatigue and data mistrust.
🛠️ A founder's real-time perspective on building an MVP and why embracing user feedback is more important than perfection.
💡 How to turn a deep personal pain point—like preserving family stories—into a scalable and meaningful tech solution.
🧠 Why anchoring your business in a powerful "why" is the ultimate fuel for navigating the uncertainties of entrepreneurship.
🎮 The art of creating a "low-effort, high-engagement" user experience to ensure your product becomes a beloved habit.
📝 About Dr. Leslie Hemedes
Dr. Leslie Hemedes brings over a decade of experience as a clinical psychologist, supporting individuals and families through their most vulnerable moments. Guided by the belief that people grow when they truly understand themselves, she noticed a critical gap in how we preserve our digital lives—the meaning behind the moments was getting lost. This realization led her to found KeepsaiQ, a family-centered digital platform. Dr. Hemedes is now bridging the worlds of psychology and technology, building tools that help people stay connected to their stories, their families, and what matters most.
🎯 Leslie’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
Connect with your 'why' to stay grounded, and connect with communities so you don't have to go it alone—people want to help you succeed.
📢 Memorable Quotes
“When people feel seen, when they feel understood and they feel held... you tend to see folks have the ability to kind of transform, to change, to heal and to kind of grow.” – Dr. Leslie Hemedes
“Being able to connect with your why is something that I think is so essential... to feel grounded and anchored in noting, why am I doing this.” – Dr. Leslie Hemedes
“What I'm trying to create is something that is tangible, it's something that's concrete, and it's something that's easy to use, and doesn't take a lot from users, but allows you to kind of share your story, provide the context to maintain the meaning.” – Dr. Leslie Hemedes
🔗 Links & Resources
Visit KeepsaiQ’s website
Connect with Leslie on LinkedIn
Follow KeepsaiQ on LinkedIn

After two years in the making, this interview with Joey Boyer delivers a masterclass on aligning your inner truth with your outer execution. Joey, founder of Legendary Affinity, dives deep into the intersection of mindset and mechanics, revealing why so many entrepreneurs get stuck in a cycle of burnout and overwhelm. This episode is a must-listen for any entrepreneur who feels disconnected from their work, is chasing empty metrics, or struggles to build a business that is both impactful and sustainable. Joey provides the frameworks to bridge the gap between a powerful vision and the practical systems needed to bring it to life, ensuring you build a business that truly matters.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🧠 The True Meaning of Entrepreneurship: Discover why being an entrepreneur is more like being an artist than a merchant, and how this reframe can change your entire approach to business.
⚖️ The Three Pillars of Sustainable Success: Learn why you must balance Impact, Fulfillment, and Prosperity to avoid burnout and build a business that energizes you for the long haul.
🗺️ Why Vision is More Powerful Than KPIs: Understand the critical difference between a business vision and empty goals, and learn how to uncover the "why" that will guide every strategic decision you make.
🛠️ The "Be, Become, Build" Framework: Get Joey's powerful three-step cycle for aligning your state of being with the person you need to become and the systems you need to build for success.
🚫 The Hidden Cost of Skipping the Inner Work: Uncover how avoiding the deep work of finding your vision inevitably leads to burnout, failed ventures, and misaligned strategies.
🤖 Using AI as a Mindful Accelerant: Learn how to leverage AI not just for productivity, but for deeper self-reflection and clarity, ensuring technology serves your ultimate vision.
🌊 How to Be Like Water, Not a Rock: Embrace the concept of "the way" to navigate the ever-changing entrepreneurial landscape with flow and adaptability instead of force and resistance.
📝 About Joey Boyer 
Joey Boyer is the founder of Legendary Affinity, where he guides visionaries and purpose-driven leaders to turn their ambitious ideas into scalable, impactful realities. Blending transformational coaching with expert brand strategy, marketing, and systems design, Joey’s work sits at the unique intersection of mindset and mechanics. He has a rare talent for helping entrepreneurs get crystal clear on their core vision and then equipping them with the practical structure and systems needed to build a business that is both prosperous and fulfilling, without the burnout.
🎯 Joey’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs 
Take the time to get truly curious about what you genuinely want to create and bring into the world. Go deep, explore the layers of your "why," and understand that you are worthy of building that vision.
📢 Memorable Quotes
"Your vision is vital and your vision is the way. It's not about a destination... it is a constant way of being." – Joey Boyer
"Where we go wrong is thinking that [impact, fulfillment, and prosperity] are somehow separate. And they're not." – Joey Boyer
"You're gonna do this work either on your deathbed or you do it now. What's really gonna matter?" – Joey Boyer
🔗 Links & Resources
Visit Legendary Affinity’s website
Connect with Joey on LinkedIn
Follow Joey on Instagram
Follow Joey on YouTube