{"podcast":{"title":"Simply Business Podcast","slug":"simply-business-podcast-6744679","podcast_index_feed_id":6744679,"rss_url":"https://media.rss.com/simplybusiness/feed.xml","website_url":"https://johnkjennings.com","image_url":"https://media.rss.com/simplybusiness/20241111_111156_7291c720c23265d3df67467e21b04c29.png","author":"John K Jennings","episode_count":112,"summary":"A business interview Podcast made by business owners for business owners called ‘**Simply Business**'. We share real stories about real people in business making big things happen. Our goal is to inspire and educate current and future leaders through sharing success stories and key learnings from successful business leaders who have already navigated some of the challenges of business ownership. I believe that most business owners are working way too hard for much too little, and one of our issues is that we over-complexify things. I also believe the answers are almost always within us or within our reach. I like to say I’m a “simple man with simple ideas”. So that's why it's called “Simply Business”. And if you enjoy the show, maybe you'll enjoy my book. Check out \"Your Baby is Ugly\" on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Your-Baby-Ugly-truths-business/dp/1955342768/","last_synced_at":"2026-06-30T12:18:04.179082+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/simply-business-podcast-6744679"},"episode":{"title":"Bet on Yourself - How Doug Gardner Left Corporate Life, Built City Wide, and Learned the Long Game of Entrepreneurship","slug":"bet-on-yourself-how-doug-gardner-left-corporate-life-built-city-wide-and-learned-the-long-game-of-entrepreneurship","published_at":"2026-06-15T22:58:40+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/simply-business-podcast-6744679/bet-on-yourself-how-doug-gardner-left-corporate-life-built-city-wide-and-learned-the-long-game-of-entrepreneurship","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/simply-business-podcast-6744679","url":"https://rss.com/podcasts/simplybusiness/2918205","audio_url":"https://content.rss.com/episodes/245027/2918205/simplybusiness/2026_06_15_22_56_40_3df082bf-c051-4256-8702-2f280813598a.mp3","summary":"What does it really take to leave corporate life and build something of your own? In this episode of Simply Business , John Jennings sits down with Doug Gardner , owner of City Wide Facility Solutions of Louisville , to talk about entrepreneurship, calculated risk, and the realities of building a company over the long haul. Doug shares his journey from finance and medical sales into business ownership, why he chose the franchise route, and what he learned after nearly 14 years of growth. Inside this conversation: ✔ Taking the leap from employee to entrepreneur ✔ Why franchising isn’t the “easy button” ✔ The importance of capital planning ✔ Delayed gratification in business growth ✔ Building systems and strong teams ✔ Growing brand recognition and planning for the next decade Doug’s message is refreshingly simple: Business success isn’t instant. It takes risk. Patience. Sweat. And the willingness to bet on yourself. If you’re thinking about entrepreneurship—or already in the middle of the journey—this episode delivers practical wisdom and encouragement. Subscribe, listen, and join us for more conversations that simplify business.","meta_description":"What does it really take to leave corporate life and build something of your own? In this episode of Simply Business , John Jennings sits down with Doug G…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1512,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/simply-business-podcast-6744679/episodes/bet-on-yourself-how-doug-gardner-left-corporate-life-built-city-wide-and-learned-the-long-game-of-entrepreneurship/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/simply-business-podcast-6744679/bet-on-yourself-how-doug-gardner-left-corporate-life-built-city-wide-and-learned-the-long-game-of-entrepreneurship.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}