Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur | Start and Grow Your Own Business

Tired of hearing about AI as a vague, futuristic concept? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on what it really looks like to build and run a business on a fleet of AI agents. Drew Mehta, founder of ThinkFraction, joins us to share how he went from managing products for Major League Baseball and a $750B asset management firm to launching his own AI-native company. He doesn't just talk the talk; his company’s content, outreach, and research are all powered by AI agents he designed, with him as the "human in the loop." This episode is a masterclass in strategic AI implementation, teaching you how to stop chasing buzzwords and start solving real, costly business problems. You'll learn how to identify the right opportunities for automation, why human judgment is more valuable than ever, and how to gain a massive competitive edge without being a tech genius.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
How to Build Your Own AI Team: Learn the structure behind Drew’s "fleet of agents" that ideates content, drafts posts, and runs research, so you can replicate it in your business.
The #1 Mistake Businesses Make with AI: Discover why starting with the problem, not the tool, is the key to a positive ROI and avoiding costly over-engineering.
The "Intern" Framework for AI Risk: A simple but powerful mental model for deciding which tasks are safe to fully automate and where you absolutely need a human in the loop.
Deterministic vs. Probabilistic AI: Understand the crucial difference and when to use simple automation versus complex AI agents to save money and get better results.
Turning Operations into an Advantage: Learn why your internal processes and bottlenecks are the biggest untapped opportunities for leveraging AI to become faster and leaner than your competition.
Enhancing the Customer Experience with AI: See how AI can handle administrative tasks to free you up, improve response times, and create a better experience that wins you more customers.
📝 About Drew Mehta
 Drew Mehta is the founder of ThinkFraction and a 20-year veteran product manager who has built solutions for some of the biggest names in sports and finance, including Major League Baseball and the global asset management firm KKR. A problem-solver by nature, Drew became fascinated with AI's potential to solve complex business challenges. Instead of just advising from the sidelines, he built his entire company, ThinkFraction, on a foundation of AI agents he directs. This unique, hands-on experience gives him a practical and grounded perspective on how any business can leverage AI to operate more efficiently and effectively.
🎯 Drew’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"The biggest thing that stops you now is yourself. So don't let that be the reason why you don't take a risk."
📢 Memorable Quotes
“Everyone else grabs the tool and goes hunting for the problem, whereas I start with the problem.” – Drew Mehta
"You don't want to bring a machine gun to a pillow fight... Point AI at something a simple rule could have handled and you're paying a premium to do the job worse.” – Drew Mehta
"If you're not willing to let an intern do something, then I wouldn't let an AI do it either, especially with the stakes of your business." – Drew Mehta
💡 Actionable Takeaways
Identify Your Biggest Time Sink: For one week, track your tasks and identify the single most repetitive, time-consuming operational activity in your business. This is your first candidate for AI automation.
Apply the "Intern Test": Before automating a customer-facing or high-stakes process, ask, "Would I let a new intern handle this without my final approval?" Use the answer to decide where the "human in the loop" is non-negotiable.
Focus on a Workflow Problem First: Don't try to change your core product or service with AI. Instead, look for a workflow bottleneck, like lead intake or invoicing, and solve that first for a quick, measurable win.
Start with Simple Rules, Not Complex Agents: Before building an entire agentic system, see if a simple, rule-based automation (like an "if-then" workflow) can solve 80% of the problem.
🔗 Links & Resources
Visit ThinkFraction’s website
Connect with Drew on LinkedIn
Follow ThinkFraction on LinkedIn

In an era where AI can feel like a tool reserved for giant corporations, Margo and Nate Shulman are leveling the playing field. In this episode, the dynamic mother-son co-founding team behind NATEX AI pulls back the curtain on how they’re building truly bespoke AI solutions that deliver enterprise-level power to small and mid-sized businesses. They reveal why a "vertical" approach to solving industry-specific problems—from healthcare insurance denials to subcontractor workflows—is the key to creating massive value. This episode is a masterclass in how combining wildly different perspectives and skill sets can create an unstoppable entrepreneurial force, proving that you don't need a massive budget to harness the power of AI—you just need the right mindset.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🚀 Why a "vertical" business model beats a "horizontal" one, allowing you to become an indispensable resource for a specific niche.
🤖 How to build truly bespoke AI solutions that address the unique DNA of your customers, creating immense value and loyalty.
🤝 The power of a co-founding team with complementary skills and diverse backgrounds to innovate and solve complex problems.
💰 How to identify and automate administrative pain points in any industry, freeing up resources to focus on growth and customer experience.
🧠 Why AI is a tool to enhance human capability, not replace it, and how to implement it in a way that is non-intrusive and highly effective.
💡 How to make cutting-edge technology accessible and affordable for smaller businesses, opening up a massive and underserved market.
📈 Why now is the time to start learning and implementing AI in your business, and how surprisingly easy it is to get started.
📝 About Margo & Nate Shulman
Margo and Nate Shulman are the brilliant co-founders of NATEX AI, a company on a mission to democratize artificial intelligence for small and mid-sized businesses. Margo is a world-class business attorney whose journey took her from being a professional flutist in Leningrad to the highest echelons of big law and the Big Four. Her immigrant mindset and deep analytical business expertise provide the strategic foundation for their work. Nate, at just 14 years old, is a prodigy in the AI space, having developed a deep, self-directed passion for technology and coding from a young age. Together, their unique blend of seasoned business acumen and cutting-edge technical skill allows them to create powerful, purpose-built AI solutions that solve real-world problems.
🎯 Margo’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"Allow yourself to think in ways that you may not have previously thought... Realize AI is not going anywhere, it's here to stay. How can I, as a professional, as a human being, utilize it to the best possible way for myself?"
🎯 Nate’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"AI is insanely easy to start... If you're not very well-versed in AI, you're going to start falling behind and nobody wants that. So I think that's the number one thing a lot of people should think about."
📢 Memorable Quotes
"If you're doing it really horizontally, you really don't have the resources to improve your product in a measurable way... it's that saying, jack of all trades, master of none." – Nate Shulman
"It's always human in the seat, meaning that all the judgmental decisions, all the final calls are done by humans. Especially in our product." – Margo Shulman
"Since AI is the future, you really got to figure out a way to implement it correctly or else you're kind of going to get outpaced." – Nate Shulman
"It's a tool... to make your life a little better, but not to take over your life, as with all the technologies." – Margo Shulman
💡 Actionable Takeaways
✅ Start today by experimenting with a free AI chat interface to understand its basic capabilities and how you can use it for simple tasks.
✅ Identify one major administrative bottleneck or repetitive task in your business that could potentially be automated with a simple AI workflow.
✅ Reframe your thinking about AI from a "job replacer" to a "human enhancer" that improves customer experience and employee efficiency.
✅ Seek out a business partner or collaborator whose skills are the polar opposite of yours. Combine your strengths to create something truly innovative.
✅ Talk to potential customers in a specific niche to uncover their biggest "pain points" and brainstorm how a focused, vertical solution could solve them.
🔗 Links & Resources
Visit NATEX AI’s website
Connect with Nate on LinkedIn
Connect with Margo on LinkedIn
Follow NATEX AI on LinkedIn

Happy 4th of July! On this historic 250th anniversary of the United States, Brian Lofrumento shares a powerful and timely lesson for every entrepreneur and wantrepreneur. What if the most important part of the 4th of July story isn't the victory, but the declaration that came before it? In this Solo Sunday episode, Brian reveals a profound parallel between the Declaration of Independence and the entrepreneurial journey. He explores why true success doesn't start with results, but with a bold, public declaration of who you are and what you're building — long before the world agrees with you. This isn't just a history lesson; it's a call to action to stop waiting for proof and start declaring your own independence.
✨ Why This Matters for You
This mindset shift is the key to unlocking your entrepreneurial potential:
It frees you from the "tyranny of being picked" — no more waiting for a boss, a client, or an investor to give you permission.
It creates an identity shift, forcing you to act, decide, and commit like the founder you want to become.
It teaches you that commitment precedes results. The declaration is what fuels the fight, not the other way around.
It’s the ultimate antidote to imposter syndrome, because you're not trying to convince yourself; you're announcing who you already are.
📝 Key Takeaways
Declaration Precedes Independence. The Founding Fathers declared their independence while still in the middle of the fight. As an entrepreneur, you must declare your new identity before you see the results.
Pick Yourself. As author Seth Godin says, so much of life is about waiting to be picked. Entrepreneurship is the ultimate act of picking yourself.
Commitment, Not Consideration. Your journey doesn't start when you're "exploring" or "testing the waters." It starts with a definitive statement: "This is who I am now."
Announce Who You Already Are. A true declaration isn't about faking it. It’s about embodying the identity of an entrepreneur and letting your actions catch up to your commitment.
Celebrate the Declaration. We celebrate the day the declaration was made, not the day the war was won. This shows the immense power of that initial, committed choice.
🚀 Put It Into Action
This week, make your own Declaration of Independence:
Ask yourself Brian's question: "What declaration have you been postponing because you're waiting for proof?"
Write it down as a declarative statement. Not "I want to be..." but "I am a founder. I am a CEO. I am an entrepreneur."
Take one action today that aligns with that declaration. What would the person you just declared yourself to be do right now? Do that.
🔗 Stay Connected
Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode.
Connect with Brian on Instagram @imetbrian.
Share this episode with a fellow entrepreneur who needs to stop waiting and start declaring their own vision for the future.

In this episode, Brian sits down with Maxim Kheyfets, a brilliant founder with a rare blend of deep engineering expertise and a profound understanding of the human element in business. Maxim shares his journey from scaling major startups like Clear and Bread Finance to launching his own venture, AnyIntelli. He breaks down why process, not just technology, is the key to scalable growth in today's AI-driven world. This episode is a masterclass for any entrepreneur who wants to build resilient systems, foster effective teams, and adopt the long-term "infinite game" mindset required for sustainable success. Tune in to learn how to think like an engineer to build a business that lasts.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🚀 Why focusing on process first allows you to scale your team, technology, and operations effectively when growth hits.
🤖 A refreshing perspective on AI: Why it’s an opportunity that enhances human expertise rather than a threat that replaces it.
⚙️ The "Execution as Code" methodology: How to build a practice around your business that makes onboarding and decision-making more efficient.
🧠 How to apply systems-thinking from engineering to create a more resilient and predictable business organization.
📈 The surprising limiting factor that holds most businesses back (Hint: It’s not access to technology or capital).
⏳ Why treating your business as an "infinite game" instead of a sprint is the key to avoiding burnout and achieving long-term vision.
💡 How to find massive opportunities by solving problems in established markets, inspired by the unlikely origin story of IKEA.
📝 About Maxim Kheyfets
Maxim Kheyfets is the founder of AnyIntelli, a practice focused on SaaS software automation and building elastic environments for digital ventures. With a distinguished career as a DevOps, software, and data engineer, Maxim played a pivotal role in scaling startups like Clear and Bread Finance into public companies. His expertise lies in building high-performance, secure, and scalable systems, but his unique perspective is his deep appreciation for the human dynamics and processes that make technology truly effective.
🎯 Maxim’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"Business is not even a marathon... It's an infinite game."
📢 Memorable Quotes
“In order to change and fulfill 1% which is left, you still need to understand well 100%, especially in those environments where you move money, where you are responsible for security, where you're responsible for the health of the patient.” – Maxim Kheyfets
“None of those companies can move forward without a group of 1, 2, 3 people who sit together, figure out how we all operate… and what is the next step to move forward.” – Maxim Kheyfets
“The largest limiting factor is knowing that problem exists, especially for software engineers.” – Maxim Kheyfets
💡 Actionable Takeaways
✅ Adopt an "infinite game" mindset to guide your daily decisions, focusing on sustainability over short-term sprints.
✅ Document your core business processes now, even if you’re a solo founder. This creates a foundation for your future team to improve upon, not invent from scratch.
✅ Instead of fearing AI, ask your team: "How can we use this tool to understand our core work better and solve bigger problems?"
✅ Identify your biggest challenge (like sales) and approach it like an engineering problem: break it down, learn the system, and build a process to solve it.
🔗 Links & Resources
Visit AnyIntelli’s website
Connect with Maxim on LinkedIn
Follow AnyIntelli on LinkedIn

Ever dreamed of buying a business but felt completely out of your depth? This episode is your masterclass in demystifying the world of business acquisition. Carter Micklem, a former private equity VP, pulls back the curtain on the due diligence process, sharing the exact strategies institutional investors use to vet a company—and how you can apply them to your first (or next) purchase. He breaks down the difference between buying a business and starting a franchise, the critical data points to analyze, and why understanding the seller’s day-to-day role is the most overlooked factor in any deal. This isn't just theory; Carter used this exact playbook to leave his high-powered finance job and acquire his own successful lawn equipment dealership, which ultimately inspired him to launch The Diligence Pros. Tune in to gain the confidence and competence to make the biggest investment of your life the right way.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
How to think like an institutional investor by starting with your criteria first, not the specific business.
The key difference between buying a business (instant cash flow) and buying a franchise (a starter pack with strings attached).
A breakdown of "operating due diligence" and why analyzing customer data, product margins, and employee roles is more important than just reviewing tax returns.
Creative deal structuring secrets, like seller notes and earnouts, that can lower your upfront cash investment.
Why the seller’s day-to-day involvement is the single biggest risk factor in a small business acquisition and how to properly assess it.
How to remove emotion from the buying process to make objective, data-driven decisions that protect your investment.
The step-by-step process for taking calculated risks, from starting a small side hustle to acquiring a multi-location business.
📝 About Carter Micklem
Carter Micklem is the founder of The Diligence Pros, a firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs conduct institutional-grade due diligence when buying a business. He began his career in private equity, rising to Vice President where he led the investment and underwriting for numerous private companies. Feeling the entrepreneurial itch himself, Carter left the corporate world to acquire his own small business—a lawn equipment dealership in North Carolina. This firsthand experience of applying his high-level finance skills to a main-street business purchase gave him the unique perspective and inspiration to help other entrepreneurs navigate the acquisition process with confidence.
🎯 Carter’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
“Take the calculated risk. Do your research… but, you know, take the risk. I think getting out of the corporate world is night and day. Once you kind of make it to the other side, you can't imagine yourself going back.”
📢 Memorable Quotes
“Ultimately you're buying a business. Even if you're going to be the operator and it's your career, it's still the biggest investment you're ever going to make.” – Carter Micklem
“We're not here to look for smoking guns, skeletons in the closet, or a rocket ship that the seller doesn't know about... It's more of a mosaic, you know, a lot of little pieces. Ultimately, you zoom out and you see the whole picture.” – Carter Micklem
“You can't just trust because the bank approved you that you can afford that capital structure, or that that's a good idea to sign up for that.” – Carter Micklem
💡 Actionable Takeaways
If you're looking to buy a business, start networking with local business brokers in your target area instead of just browsing online marketplaces like BizBuySell.
When evaluating a business, go beyond the financials. Ask for operational data like customer lists, sales by product, and vendor agreements to analyze trends.
Before signing an LOI, spend significant time understanding the current owner’s daily tasks. Assess how much of the business's success is tied directly to them.
To de-risk your entrepreneurial journey, start a small-scale side business that requires a minimal investment to build your confidence and business acumen.
🔗 Links & Resources
Visit The Diligence Pros’ website
Connect with Carter on LinkedIn
Follow The Diligence Pros on LinkedIn