Ready to launch—or scale—the right way? In this episode of Scrushy on Business, Dave Greene and Richard Scrushy dig into what first-time founders need to know, from choosing the right corporate structure to validating your idea, finding mentors, winning investor confidence, and knowing when to finally pay yourself. Richard also teases an upcoming session with Troy University's Sorrell College of Business on how to take a company public—from SEC filings and "red herring" prospectus basics to running an investor roadshow.

• C-Corp vs. LLC vs. S-Corp for founders planning an IPO (and why many incorporate in Delaware)

• Public-company prep: audited financials, proxy/10-K/8-K awareness, clean cap tables, and leadership optics

• Roadshows & demand: oversubscription, pricing mechanics, and what institutional funds look for

• Startup triage with limited capital: product vs. team vs. marketing (and low-budget ways to get traction)

• Paying yourself: how Richard handled salary in year one at HealthSouth—and the milestone that changed it

• Mentors that matter: where to find them, how to compensate them, and why "big-boy loans" change the game

• Validate before you raise: friends & family pitfalls, market saturation (CBD example), and doing the math

• Investor red flags: lawsuits, overpaid insiders, all-family leadership teams, thin margins, me-too markets

• Idea vs. business: how homework, unit economics, team fit, and execution make the difference