Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur | Start and Grow Your Own Business

Michael La Spisa is an entrepreneur who embodies the spirit of leveraging every experience for the next big thing. He joins the podcast to break down his journey from co-founding Googipet, a 7-figure natural dog supplement brand, to launching OptiCommerceAI, a B2B service that helps businesses implement cutting-edge AI solutions. This episode is a masterclass in modern entrepreneurship, showing how to scale an e-commerce brand in a hyper-competitive market and then use that expertise to build a high-value service business. For wantrepreneurs and entrepreneurs, Michael provides a practical roadmap on how to use AI not just as a tool, but as a core operating system to save time, money, and create unparalleled leverage.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🚀 How to build an "AI Second Brain" to centralize your business data and 10x your team's output.
💰 The data-driven strategy for launching a successful product on Amazon and navigating its competitive landscape.
📈 Why launching new products is a key inflection point for scaling an e-commerce business from 6 to 7 figures.
🤖 How to leverage new platforms like TikTok Shop and cold email outreach to grow beyond traditional channels like Amazon.
🧠 The mindset shift required to move from growth-at-all-costs to a more sustainable, profit-focused business model.
🛠️ How you can build powerful software and applications for your business with AI, even with no prior coding experience.
Myth-Busting: Why e-commerce is not passive income and what it really takes to succeed long-term.
📝 About Michael La Spisa
Michael La Spisa is a 27-year-old entrepreneur and father whose drive was shaped by his immigrant parents' work ethic. He is the co-founder of Googipet, a 7-figure natural dog supplement company he started with his brothers, which focuses on helping dogs live healthier lives. Drawing from his experience scaling Googipet, Michael founded OptiCommerceAI, a B2B business dedicated to helping other companies create massive leverage by integrating AI into their operations. Michael’s unique perspective comes from being in the trenches of both a product-based e-commerce brand and a forward-thinking AI service business, giving him unparalleled insight into the future of entrepreneurship.
🎯 Michael’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"Just start. Just start building stuff, start working... now with the leverage that you could unlock with AI, there's really nothing you can't do."
📢 Memorable Quotes
“The humans that have tools always beat the humans that don't have tools. And that's preceded throughout history.” – Michael La Spisa
“If you get into [e-commerce] thinking it's going to be passive, you're in for a rude awakening and you're probably going to fail. Because it's definitely a very actively managed business.” – Michael La Spisa
“Within a month, my brother launched a SaaS for Googipet that manages our Amazon platform... with no prior coding experience. That's kind of when I realized the power of this and how anyone could really learn it.” – Michael La Spisa
💡 Actionable Takeaways
✅ Stop treating AI like a simple search engine. Start building a centralized "second brain" or AI Operating System (AIOS) by feeding it your business's contextual data in a dedicated folder or system.
✅ Identify the single biggest bottleneck in your daily operations. Spend one hour this week brainstorming and experimenting with how an AI tool or agent could automate or streamline that specific task.
✅ If you run an e-commerce business, audit your product line. Identify an opportunity to launch a complementary product that can increase your average order value and customer lifetime value.
✅ Schedule "deep work" blocks into your calendar. Protect 4-5 hours of uninterrupted time, free from meetings and notifications, to maximize your creative and strategic output.
🔗 Links & Resources
OptiCommerceAI’s website: https://www.opticommerceai.com/
Googipet’s website: http://www.googipet.com/
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn
Follow OptiCommerceAI on LinkedIn
Follow Googipet on LinkedIn

Ever get trapped in the paralyzing gap between where you are today and your massive, world-changing vision for the future? It’s a feeling every entrepreneur knows well. This Solo Sunday, Brian dives into a powerful mindset shift that combats this exact feeling: shrinking your time horizon. Inspired by a brilliant insight from creator Sahil Bloom, Brian breaks down why focusing on winning the next hour — not the next year — is the ultimate key to building unstoppable momentum. If you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or impatient with your progress, this episode is the tactical and philosophical reset you need to start making real, tangible progress right now.
✨ Why This Matters for You
Shrinking your time horizon is the secret to turning ambition into action:
It’s the ultimate cure for analysis paralysis. Instead of getting overwhelmed by 5,000 possibilities, you only have to choose one positive action for the next hour.
It turns massive, daunting goals into a series of simple, achievable wins, building your confidence along the way.
It gives you permission to be imperfect. You don’t have to win every day to win the week, and you don’t have to win every hour to win the day.
It proves that real, sustainable momentum isn’t born from grand gestures, but from the consistent compounding of small, immediate actions.
📝 Key Takeaways
Momentum is a Byproduct of Movement. You can’t think your way to momentum. You have to act. The easiest way to act is to focus on one small, positive thing you can do right now.
Win the Hour, Then Do It Again. Stop trying to conquer the year or the month. Ask yourself, “How can I win this hour?” A successful day is just a collection of a few successful hours.
You Don’t Need a Perfect Record. Hall of Famers fail more than they succeed. To win the year, you only need to win 7 out of 12 months. To win the week, you only need 4 out of 7 days. Give yourself grace.
A Closed Loop Creates Confidence. Completing a single, tangible task—whether it's mowing the lawn or sending 10 outreach emails—provides a feeling of accomplishment that fuels your next action.
Choice is Always Present. At any given moment, you have the power to choose what you do with the next hour. Making a conscious, positive choice is how you take back control from the feeling of overwhelm.
🚀 Put It Into Action
This week, practice shrinking your time horizon with this simple audit:
When you feel overwhelmed by your to-do list, stop and ask: “What is the ONE thing I can accomplish in the next 60 minutes that will move me forward?”
Schedule one "power hour" each day. For that single hour, eliminate all distractions and focus on one high-impact task.
The next time a day doesn't go as planned, remind yourself that you can still win the week. Focus on making the next day a small win.
🔗 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 feels stuck and needs a jolt of momentum
📣 Special Thanks and Shout Out to a Brilliant Creator!
A huge thank you to Sahil Bloom for the incredible tweet that inspired this entire episode. His ability to distill complex ideas into actionable wisdom is a gift. Brian highly recommends you follow Sahil on Twitter for more game-changing insights that will make you a better thinker and entrepreneur.

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