🚀 Startup founders, side-hustlers, and builders: this episode features Andrew Ackerman—entrepreneur, author, and startup strategist—breaking down what actually moves the needle from idea → execution → traction.

We talk about startup success, entrepreneur mindset, business strategy, product-market fit, fundraising basics, customer discovery, and the real-world decisions founders face when building under pressure. If you’re searching for practical advice on how to start a business, how to validate an idea, or how to grow a startup, this one’s for you.

📘 Andrew’s book (recommended): Entrepreneur’s Odyssey: An Approach to Startup Success
https://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurs-Odyssey-Approach-Startup-Success/dp/1032883545/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

🌐 Learn more about Andrew:
https://www.andrewbackerman.com

What you will learn in this episode:

• How to avoid “busy work” and focus on traction-driving actions

• A clear framework for idea validation and early customer discovery

• Common mistakes founders make with MVPs, messaging, and positioning

• How to think about go-to-market when you don’t have a big budget

• The mindset shifts that separate wishful thinking from repeatable execution

Founder and People Ops leader Abby Gates (Sproutwise) joins Startup or Shutup! with host Colin Fraley to show early-stage teams how to hire their first employees, build a 10-day onboarding plan, and turn values into an operating system that scales. We cover fractional HR vs. project support, lightweight performance cycles, compensation basics for seed/Series A, and scrappy recognition rituals that actually boost retention. Plus: our Rapid Fire round, a not-so-fun fact on the VC funding gap for diverse founders (and what People Ops can do about it), the Michigan founder lens on talent, and Abby’s candid Shutup Moment—the toughest lesson she now teaches so you don’t repeat it. Perfect for solo founders, startup CEOs, and first-time hiring managers who need practical playbooks, not fluff.

In this powerful episode, host Colin Fraley sits down with Carol Tice, an award-winning business journalist turned online entrepreneur, to unpack how getting fired became the best thing that ever happened to her.

Carol shares how she transformed her career setback into a multimillion-dollar success story — building a 1,500-member paid community for freelance writers, scaling it to nearly $6 million in revenue, and selling it for life-changing money. From there, she hit the road in an RV with her husband and launched her latest venture, Community Growth Academy, helping coaches, creators, and consultants build thriving paid communities of their own.

💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How getting fired can spark your greatest entrepreneurial breakthrough

• The secret to building a loyal, paying community online

• The behind-the-scenes story of scaling and selling a membership business

• How to balance freedom, travel, and business on the road

• Why Gen Z is leading the next wave of crowdfunding and solopreneurship

🎧 Whether you’re a solopreneur, podcaster, creator, or startup dreamer, this episode will remind you that sometimes getting fired isn’t the end — it’s your invitation to finally build something of your own.

✨ Supported by PeerFounder:
If you’ve ever wanted to start your own business but didn’t know where to begin, PeerFounder helps you get your first yes and your first $500 to start or grow your idea — no credit checks, no gatekeepers. Pay it back successfully and unlock $2,500, then $7,000 to really launch your vision. Join now for lifetime access as one of the first 1,000 users at PeerFounder.com.

Rob Finlay is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and bestselling author of Beyond the Building and Hey, Dad…, a life-advice book inspired by his journey as a father of four. Over the past 25+ years, he’s built and successfully exited four companies, pioneered debt optimization strategies in commercial real estate, and founded Thirty Capital and Defease With Ease, helping advise billions in transactions. Today, Rob’s focus spans AI, data analytics, leadership, and sustainable agriculture — proving that business success and long-term impact can go hand in hand.

In this episode of Startup or Shutup!, host Colin Fraley dives deep into Rob’s entrepreneurial journey — from scaling in volatile markets to balancing profit with purpose.

Conversation Breakdown:

• Rob’s early spark for entrepreneurship and lessons from multiple business exits

• The evolution of commercial real estate and how AI is transforming the industry

• What sustainable agriculture taught him about patience, resilience, and leadership

• The story behind his bestselling books Beyond the Building and Hey, Dad…

• His “Shut Up Moment” — the leap that changed everything

• • Why legacy and impact drive his decisions more than ever before

  
  

  Tune in to learn how Rob combines innovation, leadership, and sustainability to build a legacy that truly goes beyond the building.

  🎙️ Sponsored by PeerFounder.com — the free-market crowdfunding platform empowering entrepreneurs to launch, fund, and grow their business on their own terms.

  
  

In this episode of Startup or Shutup!, host Colin Fraley sits down with Ken Barton — a former Chicago volleyball teammate turned real estate investor and now tech founder of Offa, the Seed-stage app connecting investors to off-market properties faster (think Tinder for real estate deals). Ken shares how he went from buying his first property in Orlando to spotting major pain points in the real estate market, building Offa, launching in the app stores, and preparing for his Seed round. We dive into the biggest challenges so far, the vision for Offa’s growth, and what it takes to turn frustration into innovation.

If you’re interested in real estate investing, proptech, or the journey of launching a Seed-stage startup, this conversation is packed with insights and energy.

This episode is sponsored by PeerFounder.com — where founders fund their ideas and funders support them with optional cash returns.

Entrepreneurs waste countless hours doing everything themselves — but delegation is the real growth hack. In this episode of Startup or Shutup!, host Colin Fraley sits down with Renee Hastings, CEO of Executive Help Now! and host of Renee Speaks, to uncover how she scaled a virtual assistance agency that helps leaders free up time, grow faster, and even launch successful podcasts. Sponsored by PeerFounder.com.

Episode Breakdown

• Intro & Renee’s Origin Story

• Building Executive Help Now!

• Delegation & Scaling for Founders

• Podcasting & Media Ops

• Fun Fact Break

• Shutup Moment

• Future of Work & Final Insights

💡 Interested in being a guest on the show? Click here to apply!

In this episode of Startup or Shutup!, host Colin Fraley sits down with Melinda Jackson, founder of Melinda Jackson Public Relations, to talk about building a PR agency rooted in authenticity, earned media, and organic storytelling.

From her upbringing in North Carolina, to breaking into the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, Melinda shares her journey of burnout, reinvention, and creating a PR firm that champions clients she truly believes in.

You’ll learn:

• How authenticity is becoming the new metric for PR success

• Actionable PR tips for solopreneurs, side-hustlers, and founders on a budget

• The importance of balancing mental health with entrepreneurship

• Melinda’s lessons in starting and scaling her own agency

• A “Shut Up! Moment” story you won’t want to miss

This episode is sponsored by PeerFounder.com — the launchpad for solopreneurs, creators, and dreamers ready to crowdfund their business ideas. PeerFounder’s crowdfunding launches October 1st!

📌 Learn more about Melinda here:

• Website: melindajacksonpr.com

• Instagram: @melindajacksonpr

• LinkedIn: Melinda Jackson

🎙️ Interested in being a guest? Click Here!

How Dinora Built Luxuria: Chicago Nightlife, Beauty Business & Trans Latina Entrepreneurship

What does it take to build a nightlife empire rooted in beauty, identity, and community?

In this episode of Startup or Shutup!, Colin sits down with Dinora — a trans Latina powerhouse, professional beautician, and cofounder of Luxuria Productions, one of Chicago’s most vibrant queer nightlife collectives.

From growing up first-gen in a Mexican immigrant household to stepping into her truth as a trans woman, Dinora takes us on a powerful journey of resilience, reinvention, and radical joy. She opens up about breaking into the beauty industry, carving out her space in nightlife, and what it really takes to go from working for someone else to building your own table.

💄 From brushes to business
🌙 From behind the scenes to headlining the scene
💥 And from hesitation to her “Shutup moment” — this episode is a must-listen.

🧠 We cover:

• Growing up first-gen and trans in America

• Navigating the beauty industry as a trans Latina

• Starting Luxeria and claiming space in nightlife

• Entrepreneurship, funding, and staying true to your vision

• What’s next for the future of nightlife in 2025

• Dinora’s shutup moment that changed everything

✨ Follow Dinora: @TheRealDinora
📲 Follow the show on IG & TikTok: @startuporshutup.pod
🎧 New episodes every other Tuesday.

If you're building something bold — or even thinking about it — this episode is your permission to start.