Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur | Start and Grow Your Own Business

Dr. Mariela Feldman shares her incredible journey from moving to the U.S. from Argentina to co-founding, scaling, and successfully exiting her first company, which served thousands of families. Now, with her new venture, Armonía Coaching, she’s taking her expertise global. This episode is a masterclass in scaling a service-based business with integrity, expanding into overlooked international markets, and leading with unshakable core values. Dr. Mariela’s story proves that you can build a highly profitable business while making a profound, positive impact on the world, offering a powerful roadmap for any entrepreneur who wants to merge passion with profit.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
How to identify and serve massive, untapped international markets that are desperate for your expertise.
A brilliant talent retention strategy that turns employee moves into organic business expansion opportunities.
The critical lesson of when and how to delegate effectively to break through growth plateaus and empower your team.
How to balance deep, specialized knowledge with the sharp business acumen required to run a successful company.
Why grounding your business in core values like trust and accountability is the ultimate long-term growth strategy.
A practical framework for leveraging AI as a powerful tool without falling into the trap of replacing essential human judgment.
The secret to creating a powerful brand name that perfectly encapsulates your company's mission and resonates with your ideal customer.
📝 About Dr. Mariela Feldman
Dr. Mariela Feldman is the founder of Armonía Coaching, a company dedicated to providing training and certification for behavior analysts and autism professionals worldwide. She previously co-founded A Change in Trajectory (ACT), an organization she grew over 16 years to include 8 locations, serving thousands of families before its successful acquisition. Originally from Argentina, Dr. Mariela combines her deep clinical expertise in applied behavior analysis with a doctorate in organizational leadership, giving her a unique perspective on building mission-driven businesses that scale globally and serve underserved communities.
🎯 Mariela’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"There's no perfect time to start a business... just go for it... It's important to stick to your values, and that will go really far."
📢 Memorable Quotes
“I think for the first 7 years of my company, I did so much myself and I realized, ‘I think I need to delegate now.’ That helps me be available for other important business things... and that also helps others grow.” – Dr. Mariela Feldman
“It's about seeing the potential in other people when maybe they don't see themselves yet, believing in people and giving them opportunities. I think that's really huge for leadership.” – Dr. Mariela Feldman
"If something doesn't happen the way it's supposed to be, it's no one's fault. It's just that someone didn't follow the protocol... It's not about anyone's fault, it's just that the processes didn't work as well as we thought they would." – Dr. Mariela Feldman
💡 Actionable Takeaways
Define your non-negotiable core values. Write them down and use them as a filter for every major business decision you make this week.
Identify one recurring task you're currently doing that you can delegate. Create a simple process document and hand it off to a team member to free up your time for high-impact activities.
Look for an underserved community within your niche. Is there a geographic, demographic, or language-based group that is being overlooked by your competitors?
Create a clear protocol for one recurring process in your business. This will improve communication, reduce errors, and remove blame from the equation when things go wrong.
🔗 Links & Resources
Website: https://www.armoniaco.com/
Connect with Mariela on LinkedIn
Follow Mariela on Instagram
Follow Armonía Coaching on LinkedIn

In an age where our attention is the most sought-after commodity, how can we as entrepreneurs protect our focus and build businesses that truly serve people? This episode features Terry Gromes Jr, a former robotics engineer who is now the founder and CEO of The Canary Project. Terry breaks down why our relationship with technology is broken and how he's building a mission-driven company to fix it. He shares a powerful perspective on viewing attention as a currency, arguing that the most successful companies of the future won't just compete for money, but for the conscious focus of their customers. This is a must-listen for any entrepreneur looking to reclaim their own intentionality and build a business that makes a real impact in a distracted world.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🚀 How to find a “worthwhile problem” to solve, and why this is more powerful than chasing a “brilliant idea.”
💰 Why “attention is the new currency” and how to shift your marketing mindset to compete for focus, not just dollars.
🤝 The power of community in product design and how to build a solution that’s 7x more likely to succeed by incorporating group accountability.
🧠 How to arm your customers with tools for decision-making rather than a one-size-fits-all solution, fostering autonomy and loyalty.
📈 Why you don’t have to be anti-technology to solve tech-related problems, and how to build a solution within the very ecosystem you aim to improve.
🗣️ The art of using powerful analogies (like the invention of the traffic light) to explain your business's mission and connect with any audience.
📝 About Terry Gromes Jr.
Terry Gromes Jr is the founder and CEO of The Canary Project, an Ohio-based initiative dedicated to helping families and communities build healthier relationships with technology. Coming from a unique background in industrial robotics and software development, Terry now focuses on the intersection of technology, culture, and human behavior. His work is centered on restoring human connection and intentionality in an era of constant digital distraction, making him a powerful voice for entrepreneurs navigating the attention economy.
🎯 Terry’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"Use the analogy of the grocery store. It's a place where hundreds of strangers with different beliefs, incomes, and goals all peacefully navigate the same space... How do you help your product and service stand out?"
📢 Memorable Quotes
 “The approach would be to find worthwhile problems rather than having brilliant ideas. It's about doing something that is meaningful, that has a purpose, that does influence other people in a positive way.” – Terry Gromes
“Historically, companies would compete for money. Not so much today. They're competing for our attention. It is the new currency. And so, that means that ourselves, we are the product.” – Terry Gromes
“Unlike money, attention doesn't announce its departure. It's unconscious. It's invisible. And that's why it's so easy that it can slip away.” – Terry Gromes
💡 Actionable Takeaways
✅ Audit your own attention for one day. Notice how many times you unconsciously pick up your phone and apply that awareness to how you can better capture your target customer's focus.
✅ Ask yourself: Is my business solving a “worthwhile problem” or just promoting a “brilliant idea”? A meaningful mission is more sustainable.
✅ Brainstorm a simple analogy for your business. How can you explain what you do in a way that relates to a universal human experience, like Terry’s grocery store or traffic light examples?
✅ Think about how you can add a community element to your product or service to increase accountability and success rates for your customers.
🔗 Links & Resources
Website: https://www.thecanaryproject.org/
Substack: https://substack.com/@thecurrencyofattention
Connect with Terry on LinkedIn
Follow The Canary Project on LinkedIn

In this episode, serial entrepreneur Tess Michaels unveils the brilliant model behind Clasp, her venture-backed company that’s tackling the dual crisis of healthcare talent shortages and overwhelming student debt. Dubbed the "ROTC for healthcare," Clasp creates a powerful win-win by enabling employers to invest in future talent while they're still in school, helping repay their student loans in exchange for a multi-year work commitment. This episode is a masterclass in identifying a massive, systemic problem and building an elegant, scalable solution. For any entrepreneur looking to build a mission-driven company, Tess breaks down how to create a category, align incentives for all parties, and turn macro-economic headwinds into powerful tailwinds for growth.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
How to build a “win-win” business model that aligns the incentives of two distinct groups (in this case, employers and students).
Why being sector-specific is a superpower for your go-to-market strategy, creating follower effects and establishing you as an expert.
The strategy for repurposing "wasted dollars" in an industry (like sign-on bonuses with negative ROI) into a powerful, value-driven solution.
How to turn major industry changes and potential threats into massive opportunities that strengthen your company’s position.
Practical ways to embed an AI-first culture in your company, from "AI Champions" to dedicated labs, to boost efficiency and evolve your hiring.
The power of "no" and why turning down the wrong customers and hires, even in the early days, is critical for building a durable business.
📝 About Tess Michaels
Tess Michaels is the Founder and CEO of Clasp, a mission-driven, venture-backed company bridging the gap between education and employment in healthcare. A serial entrepreneur, Tess successfully exited her first company while earning her bachelor's degrees at the Wharton School before getting her MBA at Harvard Business School. Coming from a family of healthcare professionals, Tess combines a deep personal passion for the industry with sharp business acumen to solve one of its most pressing challenges: the critical shortage of clinical talent.
🎯 Tess’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"The biggest learning I've had in building a business is the power of no. Some of the smartest decisions we've made are the ones where saying yes would have been easier, but standing firm and saying no actually got us further."
📢 Memorable Quotes
"Startup years are like dog years. It is so true. Every single year feels like 7 years have gone by. You've lived a lifetime." – Tess Michaels
"You can always think about any change as a headwind. But the reality is how you react to it can really turn it or transform it into a tailwind." – Tess Michaels
"For every $10,000 you put in a sign-on bonus, you get $2,800 worth of value. So it's a negative 72% ROI, yet everyone does it because their peers do it." – Tess Michaels
💡 Actionable Takeaways
✅ Analyze your industry for "wasted dollars" (like inefficient bonuses or high agency fees) and brainstorm how to repurpose that capital into a retention-focused benefit.
✅ Implement a "character check" in your hiring process by having senior candidates interview with junior team members to see how they behave when they think no one is watching.
✅ Define your ideal customer profile beyond just revenue potential. Include values and cultural alignment to protect your brand and ensure you build healthy, long-term partnerships.
✅ Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, dominate a niche. Become an expert in one sector to build credibility, network effects, and a repeatable sales motion.
🔗 Links & Resources
Website: http://www.clasp.com/
Connect with Tess on LinkedIn
Follow Clasp on LinkedIn

Dr. Amanda Young joins the show to share her incredible journey from a PhD in Gerontology to founding MAL Consulting, a firm at the forefront of the booming aging-in-place industry. She breaks down how she turned deep frustration with her corporate role into the catalyst for launching a business that solves a massive societal need. This episode is a masterclass for any wantrepreneur or entrepreneur on how to leverage unique expertise, identify a scalable business model in an overlooked market, and embrace the critical "no margin, no mission" mindset required to build a sustainable and impactful company.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🚀 How to turn deep industry expertise and a PhD into a highly specialized, in-demand consulting business.
💰 The “no margin, no mission” principle: Why profitability is essential for impact, even if you’re running a mission-driven or nonprofit-focused business.
🧠 Strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome, even when you are a top expert in your field with decades of experience.
📈 How to identify and capitalize on a massive, underserved market need driven by undeniable demographic shifts.
🗣️ The power of using data and case studies to sell a new, disruptive business model to risk-averse leadership and boards.
🔥 How frustration with your current job can be the ultimate fuel for launching your own successful venture.
📝 About Dr. Amanda Young
Dr. Amanda Young is the founder and CEO of MAL Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping nonprofit senior living organizations launch and operate Continuing Care at Home programs. With a PhD in Leadership in Gerontology and two decades of experience in aging services, she is a leading subject matter expert in her field. Dr. Amanda’s unique power comes from her hands-on experience building these programs from the ground up, giving her an unparalleled blend of operational know-how and strategic vision that she now uses to help organizations nationwide expand their mission.
🎯 Amanda’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"You have to understand how much your time and all of your proprietary information that you have in your head, that is worth something."
📢 Memorable Quotes
“If there's no margin, there's no mission. So just because organizations are nonprofit doesn't mean that they're not out there making a profit because they need to.” – Dr. Amanda Young
“I remember the second that I heard that at the board meeting after I got off, I literally filed my LLC that day and said, you know what, I can do this. I'm going to do it myself.” – Dr. Amanda Young
“We don't really ask the consumers themselves, you know, how do you want to be served? And I think that this model allows us to do that.” – Dr. Amanda Young
💡 Actionable Takeaways
✅ Assess Your "Proprietary Information": Take a moment to list the unique knowledge and skills you possess. How can you package this expertise to solve a specific, high-value problem for a niche audience?
✅ Embrace the "No Margin, No Mission" Mindset: Review your current pricing structure. Are you charging enough to not only survive but to thrive and reinvest in your business's growth and mission?
✅ Find Your Catalyst in Frustration: Identify a key frustration in your current job or industry. Instead of seeing it as a negative, use it as fuel to brainstorm a business that provides a better solution.
✅ Arm Yourself with Data: When pitching a new idea or service, especially to a skeptical audience, support your proposal with hard data, compelling case studies, and clear financial benefits.
🔗 Links & Resources
Website: https://www.malconsulting.co/
Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn
Follow MAL Consulting on LinkedIn

In a world of fragmented industries and complex problems, how can one entrepreneur bridge the gaps to create meaningful, systemic change? Robert Espinoza, founder of The CareWorks Project, joins us to share his incredible journey from navigating his parents' long-term care needs to launching a social enterprise that brings together the public, private, and philanthropic sectors. This episode is a masterclass in turning personal experience into a powerful mission and building a vehicle for tangible impact. Robert breaks down why the most effective solutions come from connecting disconnected groups and why “practical action” is the entrepreneur’s greatest superpower. Tune in to learn how to identify opportunities in market failures, leverage cross-sector collaboration for innovation, and find the courage to take the uncomfortable leap that separates wantrepreneurs from world-changers.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🚀 How to transform a personal pain point into a scalable social enterprise that addresses a major market failure.
🤝 Why breaking down industry silos and bringing together diverse stakeholders (nonprofits, businesses, government) is the ultimate competitive advantage.
🧠 A powerful mindset shift: How to view your nonprofit or for-profit venture as a "social change organization" focused on sustainability and impact.
🤖 The entrepreneur's guide to AI: How to strategically implement technology to increase efficiency and enhance human-centric services, not just replace them.
🗺️ The "work backward" method: A practical framework for mapping out your business strategy by starting with your ultimate goal and building the steps to get there.
⚖️ The perfect balance for taking the leap: How to get comfortable enough to start and uncomfortable enough to truly innovate and succeed.
📝 About Robert Espinoza
Robert Espinoza is the founder and CEO of The CareWorks Project, a social enterprise dedicated to redesigning long-term care, caregiving, and workforce systems. With a rich background that includes roles as CEO of the National Skills Coalition and Executive Vice President of Policy at PHI, he is a nationally recognized strategist who operates at the intersection of the public, private, and philanthropic sectors. Robert’s unique perspective is shaped by both his professional expertise and his personal journey navigating the healthcare system, making him a powerful voice for creating practical, human-centered solutions to society's most complex challenges.
🎯 Robert’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"I needed to be both comfortable enough to take a step forward and uncomfortable enough to push myself to go even further... How comfortable do you have to be to move forward and how uncomfortable do you have to be to actually take the leap? That's the question."
📢 Memorable Quotes
"I think of an entrepreneur as somebody that can exist in any sector... but they're saying, 'Look, the status quo isn't exactly what's working.'... Let me imagine something that rattles the status quo." – Robert Espinoza
"We're all in this kind of mutually reinforcing web, and if you fix one part of it, you fix it for all of us." – Robert Espinoza
"There's nothing more frustrating to me than when I read a policy proposal that is completely out of tune with how a state's law or its systems work... The opposite, impractical, it's just a turnoff." – Robert Espinoza
💡 Actionable Takeaways
✅ Identify the "silos" in your industry. Make a list of stakeholders from different sectors (e.g., nonprofit, corporate, government, academia) who you could connect with to find new opportunities.
✅ Map your next major goal by working backward. Define the ultimate outcome you want to achieve, then outline the specific, practical steps required to get there.
✅ Audit your administrative tasks. Pinpoint 1-2 areas where AI tools could free up your time to focus on high-value, human-centric work like client relationships or strategic partnerships.
✅ Embrace the "uncomfortable leap." Identify one action you've been avoiding because it feels risky or uncertain, and commit to taking that step this week.
🔗 Links & Resources
Website: https://www.careworksproject.co
Substack: https://careactually.substack.com
Connect with Robert on LinkedIn
Follow The CareWorks Project on LinkedIn