Shows
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakTwo Exits Before 20: What This Young Founder Knows About Building, Leading & Letting GoIn this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak is joined by Austin Copeland—a 21-year-old founder who’s already built and sold two companies, including COMPREADY, acquired by CosmicWire. From founding a nonprofit at 13 that delivered over 13,000 shoes to kids in Africa, to managing a 25-person team at global esports giant TSM, Austin’s journey is driven by one mission: improving people’s lives.He unpacks how he went from gaming enthusiast to building an analytics model that led to six-figure player buyouts, what it takes to stay true to yourself in high-pressure environments, and why being surround...2025-07-231h 08
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakSwan Sit on The Future of Belonging: Defining a New Era By Building Real Community in a Disconnected WorldIn this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Swan Sit, a trailblazing operator and creator at the intersection of corporate leadership, digital transformation, and consumer connection. With an impressive background as the Global Head of Digital Marketing at Nike, Revlon, and Estée Lauder, Swan now advises startups, sits on public company boards, and brings value to millions as a creator and speaker.Swan shares her journey from a disciplined immigrant upbringing to transforming some of the world’s most iconic brands. She opens up about navigating the dot-com crash, pivoting into the creator eco...2025-07-161h 30
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakThe Realest Founder Story Yet: No English, No Money, and 5 Kids- Here’s How She Did ItIn this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with his own mother, Rachel Spivak, for an intimate and powerful conversation that spans generations, continents, and entrepreneurial journeys. Born in the small Israeli town of Ofakim as one of 13 siblings, Rachel shares her story of resilience, ambition, and unwavering love for her family. From leaving her home at age 13 to go off to school, to raising five boys in Canada, her life is a testament to grit, sacrifice, and entrepreneurial instinct.Rachel recounts building a new life in Canada with no job, no English, and three...2025-07-091h 26
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakHow Integrity, Grit, and Real Estate Deals Built Mark Shapiro's LegacyIn this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak speaks with Mark Shapiro, founder of Shapiro Capital, a seasoned real estate investor with over four decades of experience. Mark shares his journey from selling gum in elementary school to building a multimillion-dollar real estate empire. He offers valuable insights into the mindset, drive, and strategies that led him to success, as well as the lessons learned from both his victories and setbacks.Mark delves into his early real estate experiences, creative financing tactics, and the importance of simplicity and discipline in both business and life. His approach to...2025-07-021h 30
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakShelby Sapp Didn’t Just Break Into Sales, She Rebuilt It For Women EverywhereIn this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Shelby Sapp, the founder of She Sells Academy, the world’s largest all-women remote sales academy. After beginning her career in door-to-door pest control sales, Shelby realized traditional sales models weren’t built for women or the lifestyle they wanted. With She Sells, she’s built a community of over 3,000 women mastering high-ticket remote sales, unlocking financial independence and freedom along the way.Shelby discusses her journey from figure skater to powerhouse sales trainer, the critical role of mindset and visualization in success, and how her mother...2025-06-251h 15
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakFrom Selling Shaved Ice to Scaling a National Food EmpireIn this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Gaston Becherano Cohen, CEO of Smorgasburg—the largest weekly open-air food market in the U.S. Gaston shares how a solo trip to Japan reignited his entrepreneurial drive and ultimately led him from shaved ice vendor to acquiring the entire Smorgasburg brand. His journey includes launching, and losing, a café during COVID, starting over in Miami, and building markets that now draw millions of visitors.He speaks candidly about scaling with lean teams, trusting his instincts, and launching his Japanese tea brand, Motorcycle Matcha. This conversation div...2025-06-181h 04
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakRejection, Sexism, and 100 Investor No’s: How She Still Raised $500K and Changed an IndustryIn this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Rajia Abdelaziz, Founder & CEO of invisaWear—a groundbreaking company creating discreet safety tech inside stylish jewelry. A Forbes 30 Under 30 cover honoree and a standout in the personal safety space, Rajia has built an eight-figure brand, raised over $3 million, and secured major partnerships with ADT and TELUS.Rajia shares how she turned down a job at Google to pursue a college project that would go on to save lives. She opens up about facing rejection, fundraising setbacks, and personal sacrifice, all while building a mission-driven brand from th...2025-06-111h 12
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakMaking 250k in 10 Days With No Product: How This Founder Figured "It" OutIn this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Jason Wong, founder of Paking Duck, a packaging company trusted by leading DTC brands like Arrae, Quest Nutrition, and Madhappy. Jason shares his journey from a teenager running affiliate blogs and viral meme businesses, to building a powerhouse in the packaging space, blending creativity with operational excellence.Jason dives into how packaging became his passion, why it’s one of the highest-leverage parts of the customer journey, and how investing in people has helped him scale multiple businesses. He also opens up about building confidence through ac...2025-05-281h 00
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakKevin O’Leary’s Advice on Mastering Focus and Scaling FasterIn this episode of Founder2Founder, Chris Meade sits down with Kevin O'Leary, a successful entrepreneur and investor also known as "Mr. Wonderful”, appearing on shows such as Dragons' Den and Shark Tank. Kevin dives into the current landscape of advertising, explaining why he's pivoting his portfolio companies towards television through his new platform, WonderAds. He breaks down how TV has become a powerful yet under-utilized channel for brands looking to scale cost-effectively, offering a competitive edge over rising social media costs.Kevin also discusses the critical components of successful brand scaling, the importance of mastering Customer Ac...2025-05-2120 min
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakThe Relentless Drive to Win: How IQBAR Was Built One Chapter at a TimeIn this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Will Nitze, Founder & CEO of IQBAR, the leading brain-and-body nutrition startup in America. Will shares how his competitive spirit and obsession with winning drove him to build a thriving brand dedicated to brain food and cognitive nutrition. He reflects on his journey from playing competitive sports to attending Harvard, where he first realized that building something impactful was more important than just making money.Will also discusses launching IQBAR through a successful Kickstarter campaign, scaling with major retailers, and maintaining a lean, efficient team. He opens...2025-05-141h 43
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakBuilt in Her Memory: How Losing His Sister Redefined His Life, Business, and LegacyIn this episode of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak sits down with Josh Goldstein. Josh was a high-level college baseball player and MBA student when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to appear on reality TV changed everything. After the tragic and very public loss of his sister on national television, Josh turned unimaginable grief into powerful growth. Now, just a few years later, he’s built a seven-figure online fitness business empowering thousands of women, launched a supplement brand rooted in positivity, and created a personal brand focused on mindset, transformation, and authenticity. This episode dives deep into what it...2025-05-071h 23
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakThe Unfair Founder Advantage: How Dominic Used Crypto Profits and 1 Job to Build an EmpireIn this episode of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak sits down with Dominic Purpura. Dominic Purpura is the founder and owner of MELA, a rapidly growing watermelon water company. After acquiring the business in 2021 following a successful cryptocurrency investment, he completely rebranded it, transforming a $25,000 monthly operation into one approaching $1 million monthly with national 7-Eleven distribution on the horizon. Influenced by his entrepreneurial father and uncle, Purpura implements a structured goal-setting system across five categories: health, wealth, wisdom, happiness, and travel. He's known for his equity-sharing leadership approach, treating employees as partners. His mission is to establish watermelon water...2025-04-301h 30
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakRebuilding Purpose After a Major Exit and How The Work Doesn’t End When You SucceedIn this episode of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak sits down with serial entrepreneur David Segal, best known for building DAVIDsTEA into a $200M brand and now serving as President of Highbeam. David shares the full arc of his entrepreneurial journey, starting with the humble beginnings of DAVIDsTEA, through the grind of expansion and the thrill of going public, to the surprising emotional lows that followed a major exit. With refreshing honesty, he opens up about his feelings after selling the company, how he found renewed purpose, and the process of reshaping his identity beyond his business....2025-04-231h 14
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakA Framework for Founders On How To Check In Before You Check OutIn this episode of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak sits down with Adam Klasner. Adam Mordechai Klasner is a widely respected personal growth facilitator, committed to empowering individuals and nurturing meaningful relationships. He masterfully integrates diverse modalities and techniques, including Breathwork, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Family Constellations, and Imago facilitation, to guide his clients on transformative journeys. Adam's approach centers on a holistic comprehension of his clients' inner worlds and their connections with others. By harmoniously merging these aspects, he skillfully helps clients achieve profound self-awareness, heal past wounds, enhance communication, and foster profound harmony in their relationships. I...2025-04-161h 32
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakThe Secret to Scale? It Wasn’t Capital — It Was Community.In this episode of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak sits down with Gary Lipovetsky. Gary Lipovetsky is a digital entrepreneur, strategist, and creator with a track record of building and scaling online businesses. As the co-architect of Valeria Inc., he helped transform Valeria’s audience into a thriving global media company. Before that, he founded a top 100 global website with 200 million monthly sessions at its peak, built multiple successful social platforms, and raised $32 million in venture capital for an eCommerce startup within its first year. Now, Gary also mentors hundreds of creators through Creator Method, an academy helping them ma...2025-04-091h 42
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakFrom 3D Printer to Multimillion-Dollar Brand: The Playbook for Turning Simple Ideas Into Real Revenue – Without Chasing the SpotlightIn this episode of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak sits down with Jay Conohan. Jay Conohan is the founder of The Loud Cup Company, a serial entrepreneur, inventor, and proud father of three. With a relentless drive to figure things out, he’s built his career on resilience, hard lessons, and a willingness to bet on himself. From launching the Bath n Play, to juggling multiple ventures while holding a day job, Jay has faced failures head-on and turned them into stepping stones. He believes in fairness, brutal honesty, and proving people wrong when they count him out. With no...2025-04-021h 31
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakHow to Go From Nothing to a Multimillion-Dollar Brand Without Outside FundingIn this episode of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak sits down with Lior Ohayon. Lior is a serial entrepreneur from Toronto, now based in Miami with his family. Finding early success in the internet marketing world, he eventually transitioned into tech and landed on e-commerce. His most recent co-founded business Hush, sold to a publicly traded company for a landmark $48M deal. Now he spends his time helping other startups find their voice and refine their story for a major exit.Lior Ohayon shares how he went from dropping out of school to building Hush into one...2025-03-261h 11
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakUsing a Relentless Mindset to Build and Sell a Nine-Figure EmpireIn this episode of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak sits down with Anne Mahlum. Anne is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and speaker known for building impactful businesses. She founded Back on My Feet, a nonprofit helping individuals experiencing homelessness, and [solidcore], one of the nation’s fastest-growing fitness brands. Under her leadership, [solidcore] expanded to 120+ locations and raised $210M. After successfully exiting in 2023, Anne now invests, advises, and speaks on leadership, risk-taking, and living boldly. In this conversation, Anne shares how she bet on herself, overcame self-doubt, and made bold decisions to scale her business rapidly. She bre...2025-03-191h 38
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakHow to Run Your Business with True Authenticity, Momentum and The Superpower of Being Unapologetically YourselfIn the first official episode of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak along with Cohost Chris Meade, welcome Jake Karls. Jake is Co-founder and Chief Rainmaker of Mid-Day Squares, the better for you chocolate brand that went from a kitchen table idea to a North American sensation. Known for his unapologetic authenticity and refreshingly relatable approach, Jake has been recognized as a rising star in the business world. He made Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for Food and Beverage, and is currently a finalist for EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year awards.Jake shares his journey of embracing his superpower, bein...2025-03-121h 11
Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakWelcome to Founder2Founder with Aaron SpivakIn the short teaser trailer of Founder2Founder, host Aaron Spivak sets the stage for what listeners can expect from this raw and unfiltered podcast. Fuelled by his passion for entrepreneurship, Aaron will be sharing the real stories behind building a business, from the late nights and brutal setbacks, to the game-changing moments that make it all worthwhile. His goal is simple: to bring candid conversations with fellow founders to a bigger stage, diving deep into the grit, growth, and the mindset needed to keep pushing forward when most would quit.Whether it’s solo episodes exploring Aa...2025-03-1203 min