1063 episodes
Inventing vs. Innovating: Reimagining "Waste" as Commercially Viable Products | Stuart Jenkins (MU Classic)
03/09/2026 | 43 mins.#1064 What if the key to breakthrough innovation isn’t inventing something new — but seeing value where everyone else sees waste? In this episode, host Kirsten Tyrrel sits down with Stuart Jenkins, a lifelong athlete turned footwear innovator, to unpack an incredible entrepreneurial journey that blends grit, patience, and purpose. Stuart shares how his background as an Olympic Trials–qualifying marathon runner shaped his mindset for startups, why he believes preparation is everything, and how decades in the footwear industry led him to reimagine massive amounts of discarded foam as high-performance, commercially viable products. From licensing early innovations to Reebok, to helping bring HOKA to life, to building a sustainable footwear brand that transformed industry “waste” into products worn by elite athletes — and even featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things — this conversation is a masterclass in innovation, persistence, and seeing opportunity where others see trash!
(Original Air Date - 1/7/26)
What we discuss with Stuart:
+ Olympic Trials mindset
+ 1000:1 preparation principle
+ Athlete to entrepreneur journey
+ Footwear innovation origins
+ Commercializing ideas vs inventing
+ Turning waste into resources
+ Sustainability beyond marketing
+ Building factories from scratch
+ Rejection, luck, and persistence
+ Seeing truth before trends
Thank you, Stuart!
Check out Blumaka at Blumaka.com.
Check out Fleks Footwear at FleksFootwear.com.
Watch the video podcast of this episode!
Get your FREE 5 Minute Business Plan at MillionaireUniversity.com/Plan
To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit MillionaireUniversity.com/Sponsors
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices- #1063 What if protecting your audience meant walking away from millions of dollars — because the long-term trust was worth more than the quick payday? In Part 2 of this two-part episode, host Britlyn Williams continues her conversation with Kathryn Nicolai, creator of Nothing Much Happens, to explore the creative and business decisions behind growing a beloved sleep-story brand. Kathryn shares why new products like books, podcasts, and her app have often started as creative decisions rather than business ones, how she stays disciplined while writing every story herself, and why learning to delegate has been one of her biggest lessons as an entrepreneur. She also reveals why she once turned down millions in potential ad revenue to protect the listener experience, how subscriptions have become the company’s biggest revenue stream, and why she eventually changed her stance on dynamic ads to build a more sustainable business. Plus, Kathryn discusses building a brand around trust, creating an inclusive world listeners can return to night after night, and taking calculated risks without sacrificing the quality that made Nothing Much Happens successful in the first place!
What we discuss with Kathryn:
+ Creating from creativity, not strategy
+ Delegating to the right people
+ Building a disciplined writing routine
+ Protecting the listener experience
+ Walking away from millions
+ Subscriptions as the top revenue stream
+ Learning to embrace dynamic ads
+ Building an inclusive brand
+ Taking calculated business risks
+ Balancing creativity, growth, and rest
Thank you, Kathryn!
Check out Nothing Much Happens at NothingMuchHappens.com.
Listen to Nothing Much Happens.
Purchase On the Street Where You Live.
Follow Kathryn on Instagram and YouTube.
Get your FREE 5 Minute Business Plan at MillionaireUniversity.com/Plan
To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit MillionaireUniversity.com/Sponsors
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices - #1062 What if a simple bedtime routine you’d used since childhood could grow into a business with millions of downloads, books, an app, and an entire team behind it? In Part 1 of this two-part episode, host Britlyn Williams sits down with Kathryn Nicolai, creator of Nothing Much Happens, to unpack how she went from owning a small-town yoga studio to building one of the most recognizable brands in the sleep-story space. Kathryn shares how she launched the podcast in just five or six weeks, grew almost entirely through word of mouth, and turned calming bedtime stories for grownups into a nightly habit for listeners around the world. She also breaks down why consistency and quality matter more than chasing virality, how authenticity helps build a loyal audience, and the lessons she learned while expanding from a one-person creative project into a larger business with books, multiple podcasts, an app, and a growing team!
What we discuss with Kathryn:
+ From yoga teacher to podcaster
+ Launching in just six weeks
+ Growing through word of mouth
+ Finding an underserved niche
+ Quality over virality
+ Creating addictive sleep routines
+ Building an authentic audience
+ Expanding into books and apps
+ Hiring the right team
+ Turning an audience into a business
Thank you, Kathryn!
Check out Nothing Much Happens at NothingMuchHappens.com.
Listen to Nothing Much Happens.
Purchase On the Street Where You Live.
Follow Kathryn on Instagram and YouTube.
Get your FREE 5 Minute Business Plan at MillionaireUniversity.com/Plan
To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit MillionaireUniversity.com/Sponsors
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices "What Do You Really Want?" Leveraging Identity-Driven Business Growth | Cassie Shea (MU Classic)
01/09/2026 | 48 mins.#1061 What if the biggest thing holding your business back isn’t strategy or execution — but the identity you’re operating from? In this episode, host Brien Gearin sits down with Cassie Shea, founder of The Possibility Investor, to unpack what it really means to iterate with your identity as a business owner. Cassie shares how her journey from running a $14M company at 28 to logging 3,500+ coaching hours shaped her core framework: Desire → Deserving → Decisions — starting with the deceptively hard question, “What do you want?” Together, they explore why so many entrepreneurs hit an invisible “deserve ceiling,” how proving energy can quietly drive (and drain) growth, and how constraints — like health, seasons of life, or boredom — can become the catalyst for smarter, more sustainable business evolution. Cassie also previews her free 3D Assessment and where listeners can connect with her as she launches The Possibility Investor!
(Original Air Date - 12/31/25)
What we discuss with Cassie:
+ Identity-driven business growth
+ Iterating with your identity
+ Desire → Deserving → Decisions framework
+ The “deserve ceiling”
+ Proving vs. creating
+ Boredom as a signal
+ Constraints fuel creativity
+ Building beyond scarcity
+ Frameworks over hustle
Thank you, Cassie!
Follow Cassie on LinkedIn.
Watch the video podcast of this episode!
Get your FREE 5 Minute Business Plan at MillionaireUniversity.com/Plan
To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit MillionaireUniversity.com/Sponsors
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesHe Built a Coffee Brand on the Side — Now 65% of Customers Come Back (Part 2/2)
31/08/2026 | 26 mins.#1060 What if the key to growing a product business isn’t doing more yourself — but building it so you barely have to touch the product at all? In Part 2 of this two-part episode, host Britlyn Williams continues her conversation with Eli Mash, founder of Makor Coffee, to break down the systems and strategies that have allowed him to grow the brand alongside a full-time career. Eli shares how he found manufacturing partners, used smaller distributors and in-store demos to break into retail, and outsourced production, fulfillment, advertising, and social media so he can focus primarily on operations, finance, and growth. He also explains why knowing your margins is critical in a physical product business, how bundles and a $60 free-shipping threshold increased average order value by roughly 15%, and why repeat customers can make the difference between burning cash and building a sustainable company. Plus, Eli opens up about influencer marketing, Amazon, handling negative feedback, and the mindset that helps him keep going through the inevitable ups and downs of entrepreneurship — including his advice to anyone with a business idea: take one small step every day!
What we discuss with Eli:
+ Sourcing organic ingredients
+ Finding manufacturing partners
+ Breaking into retail stores
+ Using distributors to scale
+ Increasing average order value
+ Bundles and free shipping
+ Outsourcing to third parties
+ Influencer marketing lessons
+ Knowing your margins
+ Building one step at a time
Thank you, Eli!
Check out Part 1 of this episode.
Check out Makor Coffee at MakorCoffee.com.
Follow Eli on Instagram.
Watch the video podcast of this episode!
Get your FREE 5 Minute Business Plan at MillionaireUniversity.com/Plan
To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit MillionaireUniversity.com/Sponsors
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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