Every Founder hits a moment where the business is too big to be small but too small to be big. I call it the stuck zone. And what you do next determines everything.

On this episode of the Founderology — Built to Breakthrough podcast, I talk with Jeff Perera, co-Founder of Jeff's Bagel Run and a member of the inaugural class of Visionary Restaurant Founders recognized at the Founderology Growth Summit. Jeff and I discussed the critical decisions that took him from a garage operation to nearly 30 locations and more opening weekly — and he held nothing back.

The Meeting He Said No to for Four Months

Someone kept knocking on Jeff's door with an opportunity that could change everything. He refused the meeting. Every single week for four months. Then a personal loss shifted his perspective, and he and his wife Danielle finally said yes. What happened in that room — and the gut-check that followed — is something every Founder who has ever been approached by a potential partner needs to hear.

The Title He Didn't Take

Most Founders would have demanded the CEO title. Jeff made a different call, and his reasoning reveals a level of self-awareness that separates Founders who scale from Founders who stall. This part of our conversation alone is worth pressing play.

Giving Away the Biggest Piece

Jeff and Danielle gave up a significant portion of the business they built with their own hands, blood, sweat and tears. How they reconciled that decision — and how Jeff reframes what "your piece of the pie" actually means at scale — will challenge every Founder who believes that holding on tight is the safest move.

The Hire That Changed Everything

The first two people Jeff brought on after forming his franchise company were not restaurant operators. They were software engineers. That decision continues to be questioned, however today it stands as one of the biggest competitive advantages in the brand. Jeff explains why, and how his logic applies far beyond bagels.

Why They Award Franchises and Never Sell Them

One word – AWARD and it creates a competitive difference. Jeff walks through how he evaluates alignment over ambition, and why saying no to eager candidates protects the long-term health of everything he has built. If you are scaling through franchising or partnerships of any kind, this is essential listening.

The Advice That Will Stop You in Your Tracks

Jeff closes with a snowstorm story and a piece of advice so simple it almost sounds too easy. But it is the exact shift every stuck Founder needs to make — and it is the opposite of what most people expect.

If you are a Founder asking yourself, "What do I do next?" This episode answers that question in so many real and meaningful ways.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts and hear real insights from Founders who are building brands to break through!

Kathleen Wood is the Founder of Kathleen Wood Partners, host of the Founderology — Built to Breakthrough podcast and co-host of the Founderology Growth Summit.

Community is not support. It is a strategic imperative.

Founders make stronger decisions when they stay connected to people, resources, and real-world insight.

That belief carries real weight when it comes from a leader who represents more than 1.5 million restaurant employees and an industry that fuels over $137 billion in economic impact. As CEO and president of the Texas Restaurant Association, Emily Williams Knight, Ed. D operates at the center of one of the most powerful restaurant communities in the country. Her work sits at the intersection of Founders, operators, policymakers, and partners, making her uniquely positioned to speak to the power of connection at scale.

That perspective anchors Kathleen Wood's conversation with Emily on Founderology: Built to Breakthrough—and it drives every part of the discussion. As markets move faster and decisions carry greater consequence, founders who stay connected gain clarity, perspective, and confidence. Connectivity becomes more than support. Connectivity becomes strategy.

When collective insights become action that drive results

In this episode, Kathleen and Emily talk directly about why Founders benefit from being part of strong communities, whether through state restaurant associations, industry networks, or experiences like the Founderology Growth Summit gatherings. Emily shares how connectivity through the Texas Restaurant Association creates alignment across operators, policymakers, and partners, turning shared insight into action and results.

The conversation highlights how Founders navigate complexity more effectively when they stay engaged with trusted peers and reliable information. Emily speaks from experience leading an organization that supports one of the largest economic engines in the country, where collective voices create outcomes that individual businesses cannot generate alone.

The real business impact of staying connected.

Kathleen and Emily explore how community shows up in practical ways:

• Founders gain faster clarity through shared experience
• Decisions improve when leaders stay informed and connected
• Advocacy becomes stronger when voices align
• Leadership confidence increases through trusted networks
• Growth accelerates when Founders learn together

The discussion also reinforces why industry associations and Founder communities matter now. Emily explains how collaboration reshaped outcomes during pivotal moments and why those lessons continue to apply as founders plan for the future. The same principles that work at scale also strengthen individual brands and leadership teams.

Where connection becomes a competitive advantage.

That belief in connection is why Emily will be speaking at the Founderology Growth Summit. The Summit is an experience that connects Founders to exchange insight, challenge assumptions, and make better decisions through shared experience. It creates space for real conversations that help leaders move forward with clarity.

One truth for 2026: Connectivity wins.

Throughout the episode, one truth remains consistent: Founders succeed faster and lead better when they stay connected.

• Community sharpens decision-making.
• Shared insight reduces isolation.
• Relationships create momentum.
• Your network does drive your net worth.

For Founders looking to succeed in 2026 and beyond, this podcast offers a clear takeaway:

Connectivity is the strategic imperative.

The Founderology Growth Summit is your Solution – Seats are still available: register now: www.founderologysummit.com - use this code Founders20

Listen to the full episode of Founderology: Built to Breakthrough to hear the complete conversation with Emily Williams Knight, Ed. D.

Almost a year ago, I stood on a plot of land in Austin with Ellis Winstanley. He pointed to an empty space and said, "Here's my vision. I'm going to have an event center there."

I remember thinking: yes, of course, you are and I was so confident it would happen we recorded our first podcast together announcing that the 2026 Founderology Growth Summit would be hosted at the new El Arroyo event center.

That's exactly what Ellis does. He sees what others don't. He asks the questions others won't. And he builds what others say can't be done.

Ellis is the Founder of NAR Ventures, Axial Shift, El Arroyo and several other groundbreaking companies. Here's what makes him different from most serial entrepreneurs/Founders I know: He doesn't just solve problems for himself. He invites others in to solve them together, and the solution ends up helping an entire industry.

In our latest Founderology podcast episode, Ellis and I discuss his Founder's journey, from being an 18-year-old who refused to accept he couldn't bartend ("Why not? I can legally do it") to building one of the most innovative hospitality brands in the country.

When someone told him something couldn't be done a certain way, he didn't argue. He just kept working it until he found a solution. Then he did the hard work of making it real.
Ellis's Founder's mindset has driven everything he's built:

• El Arroyo's transformation from a local Austin icon into an international phenomenon.
• A bold vision for rethinking casual dining at a time when the entire industry is under pressure.
• An approach to community development and experiences that meets people where they are, at an approachable price point.
• Developing technology that drives performance at every level of a restaurant.

Ellis shared something in our conversation that every Founder needs to hear right now. It's about what happens when you stop trying to figure everything out yourself and start asking the right people the right questions. I won't give it all away here. You need to hear him say it.

I will share: The advice he gives is the same approach that took him from running numbers on a 10-key calculator behind a bar to building a portfolio of companies that are genuinely changing how people experience hospitality.

If you're a Founder navigating 2026, wondering how to grow, how to scale, how to solve the problems that feel impossible right now, this episode is for you. Ellis' mindset inspires us all to ask "why not". Listen to the full episode of Founderology: Built to Break Through wherever you get your podcasts.

And if you want to connect with Ellis and 100 more Founders building businesses to break through, join us at the Founderology Growth Summit, Feb. 2-4, 2026, at the brand-new El Arroyo Event Center in Austin. Ellis will be delivering a keynote, "From Tacos to Tech: A Founder's Journey," and trust me, you don't want to miss it.

As Ellis consistently highlighted, it only takes one insight to change everything. One question. One room full of the right people. That's what the Founderology Growth Summit is all about.

Register now at www.founderologysummit.com - Let's make 2026 your year to break through