Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur | Start and Grow Your Own Business

Ever feel like you’re stuck trying to build an audience from scratch, wondering where your next customer will come from? In today's episode, Brian continues his special 7-day solo series by revealing one of the most powerful (and underrated) growth strategies he’s used across every business he’s built over the past 17 years. In this episode, he takes you all the way back to his dorm room days—starting with just three readers—and walks you through how leveraging other people’s audiences became the ultimate shortcut to growth. From guest posting and event sponsorships to podcast tours and course bundles, this episode is a masterclass in accelerating traction without waiting years to build your own platform. 
✨ Why This Matters for You
This isn’t just a tactic—it’s a mindset shift that can dramatically speed up your growth:
 You don’t need to build an audience from scratch to succeed—you can tap into ones that already exist. 
 It eliminates the slow, frustrating grind of trying to get attention in crowded spaces. 
 It creates win-win opportunities where you provide value and gain exposure. 
 It works across every business model—content, services, courses, and beyond. 
📝 Key Takeaways
Leverage Beats Starting From Zero. You don’t need to wait until you “have an audience.” Growth accelerates when you plug into audiences that already exist.
Guest Content Is a Growth Engine. Whether it’s blog posts, podcasts, or webinars, contributing valuable content to others’ platforms is one of the fastest ways to get discovered.
Solve Their Problem First. Brian’s success with guest posting came from understanding one key pain point: content creators always need more content. Lead with value.
Partnerships Create Shortcuts. From sponsoring events to joining course bundles, strategic partnerships can instantly put you in front of qualified audiences.
Exposure Over Immediate Revenue. Sometimes the smartest move is to sacrifice short-term income (like free course bundles) in exchange for long-term audience growth.
Repeatable Across Every Stage. From his first blog to his podcast and beyond, Brian has used this same strategy over and over—it’s not a one-time trick, it’s a core playbook.
🚀 Put It Into Action
Start leveraging other people’s audiences today:
 Identify 5 platforms (podcasts, blogs, communities) that already serve your ideal customer. 
 Reach out with a specific value offer—a tailored topic, article, or training just for their audience. 
 Think win-win: how does your contribution make their platform better? 
 Don’t overcomplicate it—your first opportunity could come from a simple, thoughtful email. 
 Challenge yourself: secure at least one collaboration or guest opportunity within the next 14 days. 
🔗 Stay Connected
 Subscribe so you don’t miss the rest of this week’s unconventional growth strategies 
 Get a FREE paperback copy of Brian’s book Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur!
→ Email [email protected] to claim yours 
 Connect with Brian on Instagram: @imetbrian
 Share this episode with someone who’s tired of trying to grow alone and needs a smarter path forward

Ever feel like you’re lost in a sea of conflicting advice, trying to compete with millions of others on social media? This week, Brian is kicking off a special 7-day series, pulling back the curtain on the unconventional, timeless strategies that have actually worked to grow his businesses over the past 17 years. In this first episode, he shares the powerful story of how he and his business partner went from awkwardly walking into a local sandwich shop to cracking the code on client acquisition. Discover the “selling to a room” strategy—a method that positions you as an expert, builds instant trust, and is just as effective for a local service business as it is for a global online course empire.
✨ Why This Matters for You 
This isn't just a story; it’s a playbook that can change how you get clients forever:
It’s a way to stand out in a noisy market by creating your own platform instead of renting space on someone else’s.
It flips the sales dynamic—you become the sought-after expert people line up to work with, not the solicitor knocking on doors.
It builds genuine relationships at scale, turning a room of strangers into warm leads in under an hour.
It works across industries. Whether you sell services, software, or online courses, leading with education is a winning formula.
📝 Key Takeaways
Education Is the Best Sales Tool. The most effective way to sell is to stop pitching and start teaching. When you solve a problem for free, people will gladly pay you to solve the bigger one.
Create Your Own Stage. Don’t just be another face in the crowd at networking events. The real leverage comes from being the person at the front of the room that everyone came to see.
Your “Room” Can Be Anywhere. This strategy isn’t limited to a physical space. Brian successfully translated his in-person workshop model into highly profitable online webinars to sell his courses.
Leverage Strategic Partnerships. Brian partnered with a local electrician for a free venue. Who in your network has an audience or a space that could be a win-win for both of you?
Momentum Follows Action. Brian and his partner didn’t have a perfect plan when they started, but their willingness to walk into businesses and talk to people created the momentum that led to their breakthrough idea.
🚀 Put It Into Action 
This week, start building your own “room” with these steps:
What’s one topic you can teach that solves a pressing problem for your ideal customer?
Brainstorm your "venue." Could you host a lunch-and-learn at a local Chamber of Commerce? A free 45-minute webinar on Zoom? A live Q&A on Instagram?
Outline a short presentation focused 90% on pure, actionable value. The sale should be the logical next step, not the entire focus.
Challenge yourself: Schedule your first event in the next 30 days. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to happen.
🔗 Stay Connected
Subscribe to the show so you don't miss any of the 7 unconventional growth strategies this week!
Get a FREE paperback copy of Brian's book, Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur! He found a stash during his move and wants to mail you one. Just email him at [email protected] to claim your copy.
Connect with Brian on Instagram @imetbrian
Share this episode with a fellow entrepreneur who needs a fresh, effective way to get more clients.

Ever felt so frustrated by your day job's inefficiencies that you wanted to build a solution yourself? That’s exactly what Colin Green did. As an institutional asset manager, Colin was tired of dealing with fragmented data and manual reporting in the multifamily real estate world. Instead of just complaining, he spent his nights and weekends building what would become BubbleGum BI, a game-changing business intelligence and AI platform.
This episode is a masterclass in turning deep industry expertise into a wildly successful tech company. You'll discover how Colin leveraged AI to tear down the traditional barriers to software development, creating a tool so effective it practically sold itself and led to an acquisition. For any wantrepreneur or entrepreneur sitting on an idea, Colin’s story is proof that the best businesses are built by people who have actually done the job and are brave enough to solve their own problems.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🚀 How to turn firsthand industry frustration into a scalable SaaS business idea.
🧠 Why the "build fast, fix later" philosophy is your key to outpacing the competition.
🤝 How to build a product with such a clear ROI that it leads to an unexpected acquisition offer.
🤖 The secret to using AI as a "reasoning tool" to build powerful, specialized software without being a coding expert.
📊 How to simplify complex data to help your customers make better, more profitable decisions instantly.
💡 The "figure it out" mindset that allows you to take action and build momentum while others are still planning.
📝 About Colin Green
Colin Green is the founder of BubbleGum BI, an AI and business intelligence platform purpose-built for the multifamily real estate industry. Coming from a background as an institutional asset manager, Colin experienced the pain of fragmented data and inefficient reporting firsthand. This unique perspective allowed him to build a solution that truly understands and solves the core problems of property owners and operators. Colin embodies the principle that the best tech is built by those who have lived the problem, making his journey from industry professional to tech founder an inspiring roadmap for entrepreneurs everywhere.
🎯 Colin’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
Borrowing from Mark Cuban, Colin’s best advice is simple yet profound: "The best time to start anything is yesterday."
📢 Memorable Quotes
“I would so much rather get on a plane that I'm flying and just continue to build it than to sit there for two years, build the plane, turn the key to the engine, and it doesn't start.” – Colin Green
“With AI, it kind of tore down the barrier to entry with building software.” – Colin Green
“The object of the business is to make money. So do more things that make more money and do less things that cost too much money. And figure stuff out as you go.” – Colin Green
🔗 Links & Resources
Visit BubbleGum BI’s Website
Connect with Colin on LinkedIn

Ever wonder if you should be running more than one business? In this episode, we dive into the incredible journey of Akash Singel, an immigrant entrepreneur who turned a single truck into two thriving business empires: an award-winning trucking company and a nationwide real estate investment firm. Akash reveals his deeply practical philosophy: don't bet everything on one business. This episode is packed with value for any wantrepreneur or entrepreneur, as Akash breaks down how to strategically diversify your income, manage risk in volatile markets, and leverage experience in one industry to create opportunities in another. He shares a powerful, no-nonsense approach to scaling that is built on service, loyalty, and a relentless commitment to learning.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🚀 How to Scale from 1 to 100: Learn the intentional strategies Akash used to grow from a single truck to a fleet of over 100, and how a people-first approach is the key to sustainable growth.
💰 The Art of Business Diversification: Discover why relying on a single business is a massive risk and how to strategically expand into different verticals to create a resilient business portfolio.
🤝 Leveraging One Business to Fuel Another: See how a practical need in his trucking business (parking for trucks) became the catalyst for his nationwide real estate investment firm.
🧠 The Immigrant Entrepreneur's Superpower: Understand how adopting a "blank slate" and "constant learner" mindset can give you a competitive edge, no matter your background.
🤖 Practical AI for Everyday Entrepreneurs: Akash shares exactly how he uses AI to analyze business costs, research new markets, and make smarter investment decisions without needing a team of analysts.
📈 Navigating Economic Highs and Lows: Get a grounded perspective on how to manage risk and stay the course through market volatility, from high fuel prices to shifting real estate trends.
📝 About Akash Singel
Akash Singel’s story is a classic immigrant entrepreneur journey fueled by hustle and strategic vision. After moving to the U.S. and earning his MBA, he started with a single truck, driving it himself to learn the industry from the inside out. He scaled that experience into two business empires: Faith Transport Service, an award-winning trucking company, and Singel Properties, a nationwide real estate investment firm. Akash’s unique perspective comes from his hands-on approach and his core belief in building a diversified portfolio of income streams to weather any economic storm.
🎯 Akash’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"Learning never ends. Just keep learning. And don't be afraid of failures. It's also a learning."
📢 Memorable Quotes
"If you have the right people with you, if you hire a right people with you, the business will never fail. You will always have more and more business." – Akash Singel
"Everything is risky. Whatever you do is risky... you have to have the confidence in you that you're going to make this work." – Akash Singel
"Being an immigrant... I was like an empty piece of white paper. Anything I can do, I can write anything on my life. So this is what I started with." – Akash Singel
🔗 Links & Resources
Visit Faith Transport Service’s website
Connect with Akash on LinkedIn
Follow Faith Transport Service on LinkedIn

In an era where no industry is safe from disruption, attorney-turned-entrepreneur Eric Hoffman is leading the charge in one of the most change-resistant sectors: the legal world. He joins the podcast to break down how he founded AI Esquire, a purpose-built AI voice and automation platform that solves a massive, invisible problem for law firms—the fact that they miss a staggering 64% of their calls. This episode is a masterclass in identifying a costly pain point and building a niche, credibility-anchored solution. Eric shares invaluable insights on building trust with a risk-averse audience, leveraging professional expertise to create a game-changing product, and the mindset required to push through the inevitable pain of starting a business. For any entrepreneur looking to innovate in a traditional space, this conversation is packed with actionable strategies.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
Turn Your Expertise into a Superpower: Discover how Eric leveraged his deep understanding as an attorney to build a solution ("by attorneys, for attorneys") that resonates deeply with his target market.
Solve the Invisible Problem: Learn to identify and quantify the "invisible and pervasive" problems in your industry that are costing businesses a fortune and build a business around the solution.
Build AI with Guardrails: Understand the critical importance of building trust and safety features into your tech, especially when serving a high-stakes or risk-averse industry.
Navigating Generational Tech Adoption: Get Eric’s take on why younger generations might actually prefer interacting with AI, and how to position your tech for different customer mindsets.
Automate to Elevate: See how AI can handle routine, administrative grunt work (like client intake and scheduling) to free up professionals to focus on their core, high-value work.
Capture Every Lead: Learn the strategic importance of answering every single call to initiate the client relationship immediately, preventing potential customers from going to your competitors.
📝 About Eric Hoffman
Eric Hoffman is an attorney turned tech founder who experienced the administrative burdens of running a law firm firsthand. This experience led him to create AI Esquire, an innovative AI voice and automation platform designed specifically for law firms. His core mission is to empower lawyers to focus on practicing law by letting intelligent AI handle the intake, scheduling, and administrative tasks. Eric’s unique position as both a legal professional and a tech entrepreneur gives him unparalleled insight into building solutions that are not only technologically advanced but also deeply respectful of the legal industry's regulations and client expectations.
🎯 Eric’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"It's very difficult in the beginning, but you have to keep working. You just have to keep doing it. And it really does lift... the fog will lift and it will be worth it."
📢 Memorable Quotes
"Generation X and older, they want to speak to people. But people that are younger than that, they don't even want to speak to people anymore... I personally would rather call and speak to AI than a person."
"When it is painful, just keep working... that friction, that pain, it goes away... suddenly you're educated on things, you understand things better, you make better decisions."
🔗 Links & Resources
Visit AI Esquire’s website
Connect with Eric on LinkedIn
Follow AI Esquire on LinkedIn