# The Reluctant Entrepreneur Podcast

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244.md
RSS feed: https://www.spreaker.com/show/6346062/episodes/feed
Official site: https://www.mikekonrad.com
Author: Mike Konrad
Episodes: 127

## Resource

I’m your host, Mike Konrad, the author of The Reluctant Entrepreneur - Anatomy of a Business Start-Up - From Uncertainty to Unstoppable, available on Amazon as a paperback, e-book, and an audible book, and I’m excited to share real stories that reveal the many paths people take to build their own businesses. Whether you stumbled into entrepreneurship or you’ve always known it was your calling, this podcast is for you. Let’s start with what it means to be a reluctant entrepreneur. Many entrepreneurs don’t set out with a grand plan to build a business. Maybe you worked for a company that didn’t value your vision, and one day you thought, “I could do this myself”, that was my story. Or maybe life pushed you in an unexpected direction—losing a job, facing a personal crisis, or discovering a passion that grew into a business. Reluctant entrepreneurs often find themselves starting a business not because they always dreamed of it, but because it was the best—or only—option available. And then there are intentional entrepreneurs. These are the people who’ve known from the start that they were meant to create something of their own. They may have planned meticulously, crafted their vision,…

## Machine-readable

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Markdown: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244.md

## Episodes
- [The Business of Betting on Yourself: Jennie Blackwood on Confidence Through Action](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-business-of-betting-on-yourself-jennie-blackwood-on-confidence-through-action) — 2026-07-31T07:00:02+00:00
- [The Numbers Don't Lie: Max Emma on Bankruptcy, Bookkeeping, and Building a Franchise](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-numbers-don-t-lie-max-emma-on-bankruptcy-bookkeeping-and-building-a-franchise) — 2026-07-30T07:00:03+00:00
- [The Business of Giving a Damn: Justin Ricklefs on Purpose, Culture, and Entrepreneurship](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-business-of-giving-a-damn-justin-ricklefs-on-purpose-culture-and-entrepreneurship) — 2026-07-27T07:00:02+00:00
- [From Business Operator to Business Multiplier: Tom DuFore's Franchise Strategy](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/from-business-operator-to-business-multiplier-tom-dufore-s-franchise-strategy) — 2026-07-24T07:00:02+00:00
- [Lessons From a Reluctant Entrepreneur - The Myth of Being Your Own Boss - Episode 1](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/lessons-from-a-reluctant-entrepreneur-the-myth-of-being-your-own-boss-episode-1) — 2026-07-24T05:15:21+00:00
- [Coaching the Coaches: Adam Roach on Clarity, Confidence, and Building a Real Business](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/coaching-the-coaches-adam-roach-on-clarity-confidence-and-building-a-real-business) — 2026-07-22T07:00:02+00:00
- [The Business That Runs Without You: Alane Boyd on Automation, Exits, & Finding Purpose After Success](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-business-that-runs-without-you-alane-boyd-on-automation-exits-finding-purpose-after-success) — 2026-07-20T07:00:02+00:00
- [The Strength Within You: Jay Setchell on Resilience, Responsibility, and Never Giving Up](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-strength-within-you-jay-setchell-on-resilience-responsibility-and-never-giving-up) — 2026-07-17T07:00:02+00:00
- [From Filmmaker to Al Founder: Jason Sherman on Reinvention and Resilience](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/from-filmmaker-to-al-founder-jason-sherman-on-reinvention-and-resilience) — 2026-07-15T07:00:02+00:00
- [When Hard Work Stops Working: Marcia Riner on Profit, Focus, and Execution](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/when-hard-work-stops-working-marcia-riner-on-profit-focus-and-execution) — 2026-07-13T07:00:02+00:00
- [The Human Touch in Travel: Building a Travel Business in the Age of Online Booking With Ali Raymer](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-human-touch-in-travel-building-a-travel-business-in-the-age-of-online-booking-with-ali-raymer) — 2026-07-10T07:00:02+00:00
- [Before You Build the Business: Dennis Dowdell on Becoming the Person Success Requires](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/before-you-build-the-business-dennis-dowdell-on-becoming-the-person-success-requires) — 2026-07-08T07:00:02+00:00
- [When the Founder Is Still the Sales Department. Sean Shannon on Building a Business That Can Sell Without You](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/when-the-founder-is-still-the-sales-department-sean-shannon-on-building-a-business-that-can-sell-without-you) — 2026-07-06T19:28:13+00:00
- [The Fall of Enron: When Smart People Built a Stupid Lie](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-fall-of-enron-when-smart-people-built-a-stupid-lie) — 2026-07-06T08:00:02+00:00
- [Jonathan Maharaj on Helping Entrepreneurs Make Better Financial Decisions](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/jonathan-maharaj-on-helping-entrepreneurs-make-better-financial-decisions) — 2026-07-06T07:00:03+00:00
- [Reluctant Lessons - Boeing’s Descent: Culture, Crashes, and Consequences](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/reluctant-lessons-boeing-s-descent-culture-crashes-and-consequences) — 2026-07-06T06:01:33+00:00
- [Buying the Business, Rebuilding the Culture: Chad Bauer on Transforming a Legacy Agency](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/buying-the-business-rebuilding-the-culture-chad-bauer-on-transforming-a-legacy-agency) — 2026-07-03T22:14:16+00:00
- [When the Founder Is Still the Sales Department. Building a Business That Can Sell Without You](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/when-the-founder-is-still-the-sales-department-building-a-business-that-can-sell-without-you) — 2026-07-03T07:00:02+00:00
- [The Profit You Already Earned: Doug Brown on Finding Hidden Money in Founder-Led Companies](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-profit-you-already-earned-doug-brown-on-finding-hidden-money-in-founder-led-companies) — 2026-07-02T07:00:03+00:00
- [YOUR BUSINESS IS YOUR STORY: TURNING FOUNDER IDENTITY INTO GROWTH AUDIENCE - DAN GRECH](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/your-business-is-your-story-turning-founder-identity-into-growth-audience-dan-grech) — 2026-07-01T07:00:02+00:00
- [From MTV VJ to Music Education Founder: Andrew Ingkavet on Building Through Creativity](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/from-mtv-vj-to-music-education-founder-andrew-ingkavet-on-building-through-creativity) — 2026-06-30T07:00:02+00:00
- [The Fall of Theranos: Big Promises, Bigger Lies](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-fall-of-theranos-big-promises-bigger-lies) — 2026-06-29T08:00:04+00:00
- [Fueling Growth Without Outside Capital - Eliot Vancil on Discipline, Leadership, and Letting Go](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/fueling-growth-without-outside-capital-eliot-vancil-on-discipline-leadership-and-letting-go) — 2026-06-29T07:00:03+00:00
- [Steady Growth in a Chaotic Business - How Ari Pirutinsky Built an Agency Around Process & Boundaries](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/steady-growth-in-a-chaotic-business-how-ari-pirutinsky-built-an-agency-around-process-boundaries) — 2026-06-26T07:00:02+00:00
- [From Filmmaker to Founder: Christopher Weiher on Building a Creative Business That Cuts Through the Noise](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/from-filmmaker-to-founder-christopher-weiher-on-building-a-creative-business-that-cuts-through-the-noise) — 2026-06-24T07:00:02+00:00
- [100 Episodes Later: Why the Reluctant Entrepreneur Still Matters - Episode 100](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/100-episodes-later-why-the-reluctant-entrepreneur-still-matters-episode-100) — 2026-06-22T22:03:55+00:00
- [Reluctant Lessons: When the Mission Statement Couldn’t Pay the Rent](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/reluctant-lessons-when-the-mission-statement-couldn-t-pay-the-rent) — 2026-06-22T08:00:03+00:00
- [The Business of Being Useful - Nathan Gwilliam on Adoption.com & Entrepreneurial Purpose](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-business-of-being-useful-nathan-gwilliam-on-adoption-com-entrepreneurial-purpose) — 2026-06-22T07:00:03+00:00
- [The Fall of Borders: Big Stores, Big Revenue, Bigger Mistakes](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-fall-of-borders-big-stores-big-revenue-bigger-mistakes) — 2026-06-18T23:24:26+00:00
- [The Prosperity Mindset Shift - Randy Gage on Breaking Limiting Beliefs and Scaling Success](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-prosperity-mindset-shift-randy-gage-on-breaking-limiting-beliefs-and-scaling-success) — 2026-06-18T20:25:02+00:00
- [Turning Business into a Game Creatives Can Understand - With Gamify Business's Paul Pape](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/turning-business-into-a-game-creatives-can-understand-with-gamify-business-s-paul-pape) — 2026-06-17T07:00:03+00:00
- [When the Day Goes Off the Rails - Mridu Parikh on Focus, Systems, and Getting the Right Things Done](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/when-the-day-goes-off-the-rails-mridu-parikh-on-focus-systems-and-getting-the-right-things-done) — 2026-06-15T07:00:04+00:00
- [Salvatore Tirabassi on The Financial Mistakes That Kill Growing Companies](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/salvatore-tirabassi-on-the-financial-mistakes-that-kill-growing-companies) — 2026-06-14T15:00:04+00:00
- [Jack Oujo on Pressure, Decisions, & Trust Lessons From the Baseball Field and Business](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/jack-oujo-on-pressure-decisions-trust-lessons-from-the-baseball-field-and-business) — 2026-06-14T06:17:49+00:00
- [EA Clarke on How Founders Get Hiring Wrong -And What to Do Instead](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/ea-clarke-on-how-founders-get-hiring-wrong-and-what-to-do-instead) — 2026-06-14T06:10:38+00:00
- [The Camera Changed Everything - Anthony Prichard on Video, Trust, and Small Business Growth](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-camera-changed-everything-anthony-prichard-on-video-trust-and-small-business-growth) — 2026-06-12T07:00:03+00:00
- [From Setbacks to Swag Stores - Jay Sapovits on Entrepreneurship, Recovery, and Rebuilding](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/from-setbacks-to-swag-stores-jay-sapovits-on-entrepreneurship-recovery-and-rebuilding) — 2026-06-10T07:00:02+00:00
- [The Prosperity Mindset Shift - Randy Gage on Breaking Limiting Beliefs and Scaling Success](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-prosperity-mindset-shift-randy-gage-on-breaking-limiting-beliefs-and-scaling-success-2) — 2026-06-09T07:00:03+00:00
- [The Magic Is Not Magic: Vance Morris on Disney Systems, Bankruptcy, and Building Back](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-magic-is-not-magic-vance-morris-on-disney-systems-bankruptcy-and-building-back) — 2026-06-08T07:00:03+00:00
- [When the Founder Becomes the Bottleneck - Charlie Birch on Building a Brand That Can Grow Beyond You](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/when-the-founder-becomes-the-bottleneck-charlie-birch-on-building-a-brand-that-can-grow-beyond-you) — 2026-06-05T07:00:03+00:00
- [More Content Is Not Always the Answer - Rachel Allen on the Copy That Actually Builds Connection](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/more-content-is-not-always-the-answer-rachel-allen-on-the-copy-that-actually-builds-connection) — 2026-06-04T07:00:04+00:00
- [The Alignment Problem That Slows Down Companies - Fixing What's Beneath the Surface with Carly Pepin](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-alignment-problem-that-slows-down-companies-fixing-what-s-beneath-the-surface-with-carly-pepin) — 2026-06-04T00:48:51+00:00
- [Tanya Brody on How to Think Like Your Customer Before You Write a Single Word - Episode 84](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/tanya-brody-on-how-to-think-like-your-customer-before-you-write-a-single-word-episode-84) — 2026-05-13T07:09:09+00:00
- [Chris Anderson on Turning Listeners Into Leads - A Smarter Approach to Podcasting - Episode 83](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/chris-anderson-on-turning-listeners-into-leads-a-smarter-approach-to-podcasting-episode-83) — 2026-05-12T07:00:03+00:00
- [Rocky Lalvani: Why So Many Businesses Run Out of Cash. Profit on Paper Doesn't Mean Cash in the Bank - Episode 82](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/rocky-lalvani-why-so-many-businesses-run-out-of-cash-profit-on-paper-doesn-t-mean-cash-in-the-bank-episode-82) — 2026-05-11T07:09:21+00:00
- [Building a Brand Without Big Retail: Kate Assaraf's Main Street Strategy - Episode 80](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/building-a-brand-without-big-retail-kate-assaraf-s-main-street-strategy-episode-80) — 2026-05-10T02:06:28+00:00
- [Growing the Founder: Andrew Poles on the Leadership Gap in Entrepreneurship - Episode 79](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/growing-the-founder-andrew-poles-on-the-leadership-gap-in-entrepreneurship-episode-79) — 2026-05-10T01:46:22+00:00
- [Thinking Beyond Borders: How Bobby Casey Helps Entrepreneurs Build Global Businesses - Episode 78](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/thinking-beyond-borders-how-bobby-casey-helps-entrepreneurs-build-global-businesses-episode-78) — 2026-05-10T01:37:41+00:00
- [Entrepreneurship Without Borders: Brian Samson's Nearshoring Revolution - Episode 77](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/entrepreneurship-without-borders-brian-samson-s-nearshoring-revolution-episode-77) — 2026-05-10T01:30:02+00:00
- [From Startup and Sale to M&A Advisor: Marty Fahncke’s Journey - Episode 76](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/from-startup-and-sale-to-m-a-advisor-marty-fahncke-s-journey-episode-76) — 2026-05-10T01:14:07+00:00
- [Seven Books and 5 Million Listeners: Dr. Lee Baucom’s Platform-Building Journey - Episode 75](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/seven-books-and-5-million-listeners-dr-lee-baucom-s-platform-building-journey-episode-75) — 2026-05-10T01:07:11+00:00
- [The Dog Days of Startup Life: How Courtney Honda and Slava Borisov Built Pupte - Episode 81](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-dog-days-of-startup-life-how-courtney-honda-and-slava-borisov-built-pupte-episode-81) — 2026-05-08T07:00:02+00:00
- [The Toy Store That Became a Case Study: Toys "R" Us and Where It Went Wrong - Episode 7](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-toy-store-that-became-a-case-study-toys-r-us-and-where-it-went-wrong-episode-7) — 2026-05-05T07:00:02+00:00
- [Growing the Founder: Andrew Poles on the Leadership Gap in Entrepreneurship - Episode 79](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/growing-the-founder-andrew-poles-on-the-leadership-gap-in-entrepreneurship-episode-79-2) — 2026-05-04T07:09:12+00:00
- [The Accidental Entrepreneur: How Renee Hastings Turned Executive Support Into a Business - Episode 74](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-accidental-entrepreneur-how-renee-hastings-turned-executive-support-into-a-business-episode-74) — 2026-04-22T07:00:02+00:00
- [The Airline That Defined an Era  - Why Pan Am Couldn’t Survive the Next One - Episode 6](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-airline-that-defined-an-era-why-pan-am-couldn-t-survive-the-next-one-episode-6) — 2026-04-21T19:05:02+00:00
- [Why Smart Entrepreneurs Still Struggle With Sales - With John Lester - Episode 73](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/why-smart-entrepreneurs-still-struggle-with-sales-with-john-lester-episode-73) — 2026-04-20T07:00:02+00:00
- [Building a Business You Don't Lose Overnight: Lessons from Cybersecurity - With Michele Novack #72](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/building-a-business-you-don-t-lose-overnight-lessons-from-cybersecurity-with-michele-novack-72) — 2026-04-17T07:00:02+00:00
- [What Most Entrepreneurs Miss About Scaling:Lessons From Ivan Vislavskiy - Episode 71](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/what-most-entrepreneurs-miss-about-scaling-lessons-from-ivan-vislavskiy-episode-71) — 2026-04-15T07:00:03+00:00
- [Why High Performers Burn Out and How to Avoid It: Chaz Wolfe's Lessons from the Top - Episode 69](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/why-high-performers-burn-out-and-how-to-avoid-it-chaz-wolfe-s-lessons-from-the-top-episode-69) — 2026-04-13T07:00:02+00:00
- [The Unsexy Side of Entrepreneurship That Can Kill a Business - With Charles Read - Episode 68](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/the-unsexy-side-of-entrepreneurship-that-can-kill-a-business-with-charles-read-episode-68) — 2026-04-10T07:00:02+00:00
- [From Broke to Breakthrough: Ryan Clark on Strategic Messaging and Reluctant Entrepreneurship - #67](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/from-broke-to-breakthrough-ryan-clark-on-strategic-messaging-and-reluctant-entrepreneurship-67) — 2026-04-08T07:00:02+00:00
- [Rethinking Leadership Norms:Kim Miller-Hershon on What Actually Moves the Needle - Episode 66](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-reluctant-entrepreneur-podcast-7049244/rethinking-leadership-norms-kim-miller-hershon-on-what-actually-moves-the-needle-episode-66) — 2026-04-06T07:00:02+00:00

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