Real Stories. Real Lessons. Real Growth.
Entrepreneurs’ Corner Podcast is where host John Misarti sits down with entrepreneurs and business owners for honest conversations about what it really takes to build something of their own.
Each episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real journey behind the business — how it started, the challenges along the way, the decisions that shaped it, the lessons learned, and what comes next.
From local business owners and service-based entrepreneurs to founders, operators, and online business owners, every guest brings a different story and perspective.
These aren’t polished success stories or scripted interviews. They’re real conversations about the wins, setbacks, mistakes, growth, and experiences that come with entrepreneurship.
If you’re building a business, thinking about starting one, or simply enjoy hearing the stories behind the people who make businesses happen, Entrepreneurs’ Corner Podcast is for you.
New conversations. New perspectives. Real entrepreneurs.
How to Build a Business Around Your Life, Network, and Expertise with Darren Tompkins!
Can you leave the W-2 world, build a company without bank loans or VC funding, and still design the business around the life you actually want?
In Episode 8 of the Entrepreneurs’ Corner Podcast, I sit down with Darren Tompkins, founder and CEO of VedaRay, to unpack how he made that transition.
Darren’s path took him from 13 years of military service into oil and gas, engineering support, recruiting, and eventually entrepreneurship.
Today, his business spans recruiting, project-based engineering support, and virtual professional services.
But this conversation goes beyond Darren’s origin story.
We dig into how AI is changing recruiting, including how Darren’s team uses it to evaluate candidates, compare resumes against job requirements, develop interview questions, and dramatically shorten parts of the hiring process.
We also talk about why hiring remains fundamentally human.
Darren explains why relationships and referrals have driven his business, why generic job descriptions aren’t enough anymore, and why entrepreneurs should look inside their existing networks for problems they already know how to solve.
What You’ll Learn
→ How Darren went from military service to corporate America to entrepreneurship
→ How he built his business through relationships and referrals
→ How AI can function as a force multiplier in recruiting
→ Why AI shouldn’t make the final hiring decision
→ What makes candidates actually want to apply for a job
→ How remote work changed employee expectations
→ Why knowing what not to do yourself is an entrepreneurial advantage
→ How to turn professional experience into a business opportunity
→ Why Darren built his company around his personal life
→ His two pieces of advice for anyone considering leaving their W-2
Got an awesome business journey? Apply to share your story on the Entrepreneurs’ Corner Podcast: https://entrepreneurscornerpodcast.com/booking
9 Oct 2026
AI for Business Leaders: Better Decisions, Stronger Judgment, and Smarter Implementation with Heather Mallette!
AI can give you an answer. But should it make the decision?
In Episode 7 of the Entrepreneurs’ Corner Podcast, I talk with Heather Mallette, founder and CEO of The Decision Line, about how entrepreneurs, CEOs, and senior leaders can use AI without outsourcing the human judgment that comes with making consequential business decisions.
Heather has more than 20 years of HR and executive leadership experience, and her framework draws a critical distinction between decisions AI can help automate and decisions where human accountability needs to remain firmly in control.
Routine, reversible, low-consequence decisions may allow for greater AI autonomy.
But when a decision affects people, money, ethics, reputation, strategy, or creates irreversible consequences, Heather argues that the need for human judgment becomes much greater.
We explore what that looks like in practice from employee retention and organizational conflict to broken processes, AI implementation, leadership feedback, and managing resistance to change.
What You’ll Learn:
• How to decide when AI should and shouldn’t have greater autonomy
• Why AI should inform decisions instead of replacing executive judgment
• How leaders can use AI as a devil’s advocate
• Why more information doesn’t guarantee a better decision
• Why AI can amplify broken systems instead of fixing them
• How to start AI adoption with one project or department
• The leadership mistake Heather sees repeatedly
• How Heather turned her experience in leadership, HR, and technology into The Decision Line
• Underused SBA resources entrepreneurs should know about
ABOUT HEATHER
Heather Mallette is the founder and CEO of The Decision Line. With more than 20 years of HR experience and a background in executive leadership, she works at the intersection of human judgment, leadership, and AI.
Learn more about The Decision Line:
[www.thedecisionline.net] (http://www.thedecisionline.net)
Heather also shares AI-related content on LinkedIn and invites listeners to DM her the word “judgment” to learn more about her framework.
WANT TO BE ON THE PODCAST?
Got an awesome business journey? Apply to share your story here:
https://entrepreneurscornerpodcast.com/booking
2 Oct 2026
Building Wealth Through Real Estate, Risk Management & Diversification with Johnny Lynum!
You don’t have to quit your job to start building your dream.
Johnny Lynum spent 20 years serving in the U.S. Air Force and built a real estate business along the way.
In Episode 6 of the Entrepreneurs’ Corner Podcast, I sit down with Johnny to unpack how he went from entrepreneurial beginnings in Alabama to military leadership, fix-and-flips, multifamily real estate, and eventually founding Lynum Capital Partners.
One of Johnny’s biggest advantages wasn’t simply knowing real estate. It was understanding risk.
We talk about how his Air Force experience taught him to lead teams and manage risk, how he built his first real estate operation around a full-time military career, and how an unexpected series of events eventually led him into multifamily investing.
Johnny also breaks down the structure behind his early apartment deals, including raising capital, using debt and equity, working with promissory notes, and listening to what investors actually wanted.
Then we explore the other side of building wealth: protecting and diversifying it.
Johnny explains why becoming a financial advisor changed how he thinks about concentration risk, 1031 exchanges, Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs), REITs, alternative investments, and building a financial strategy that doesn’t depend entirely on one asset class.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to build a business without immediately leaving your W-2
- How military leadership can translate into entrepreneurship
- Why entrepreneurs need to learn how to manage risk
- How Johnny moved from flipping houses to multifamily investing
- How he acquired his first 18-unit property
- How debt and equity can play different roles when raising capital
- How DSTs can factor into certain 1031 exchange strategies
- Why diversification became important even for an experienced real estate investor
- Johnny’s advice for finding mentors and taking consistent action
Got an awesome business journey? Apply to share your story here: https://entrepreneurscornerpodcast.com/booking
25 Sept 2026
Finding Your Purpose Through Leadership and Career Transitions with Brandon Jenkins!
The playbook that made you successful before may not be the one you need next.
In Episode 5 of the Entrepreneurs’ Corner Podcast, I sit down with executive coach and 26-year Navy veteran Brandon Jenkins to talk about leadership, purpose, career transitions, and why copying someone else’s formula for success can only take you so far.
Brandon spent much of his Navy career as a helicopter pilot before working in leader development at the U.S. Naval War College. Today, he coaches established leaders who are shifting arenas, from military to civilian life, W-2 careers to entrepreneurship, and team leadership into higher levels of responsibility.
One of the biggest ideas we explore is deceptively simple: context matters.
You’re different from the person whose strategy you’re trying to copy. Your business is different. Your environment is different. Your strengths are different.
So what actually works for you?
What You’ll Learn:
- Why copying another leader’s playbook can fail
- How to develop your own leadership identity
- Why purpose matters when things become difficult
- How values and energizing strengths influence your next move
- Coaching vs. consulting, advising, mentorship, and therapy
- Why personal and professional development are connected
- How coaching uses questions rather than prescriptions
- What executive coaching with Brandon looks like
- Who can benefit from leadership and transition coaching
Got an awesome business journey? Apply to share your story here: https://entrepreneurscornerpodcast.com/booking
18 Sept 2026
How Entrepreneurs Can Find Purpose, Mentors, and the Courage to Start with Jack Sparling!
You don’t need to have entrepreneurship completely figured out before you start.
Sometimes, you need to get comfortable being a beginner.
In Episode 4 of the Entrepreneurs’ Corner Podcast, I sit down with Jack Sparling, co-founder of Aspire Success, to talk about purpose-driven entrepreneurship, mentorship, coaching, personal development, and what it takes to keep moving forward when you’re learning as you go.
Jack started Aspire Success with his wife in 2011 while living in Japan. Their work began by helping people gain clarity around their careers, relationships, goals, and next steps. Now, as Jack builds the business into its next chapter, he’s experiencing another lesson firsthand: even decades of professional experience don’t eliminate the need to learn new skills.
Jack explains why entrepreneurs should ”fail forward,” why getting around the right mentors can accelerate growth, and how his ”Hot Poker Principle” can help you think differently about the people and information influencing you.
We also get practical about starting a consulting or coaching business, finding the right mentors, investing in your own development, and taking action before everything feels perfect.
What You’ll Learn:
• Why being a beginner can be an entrepreneurial advantage
• How to learn from failure instead of fearing it
• What Jack’s ”Hot Poker Principle” means for entrepreneurs
• Why your environment can accelerate or limit your growth
• How coaching and mentorship can close gaps in your knowledge
• Why purpose should come before business tactics
• How aspiring consultants can start building their path
• Why waiting for perfection can slow down progress
28 Aug 2026
Why Simple Businesses Win: Franchises, Recurring Revenue & Entrepreneurship with David Bisaillon!
Some of the best businesses aren’t glamorous. They’re businesses people need over and over again.
In Episode 3 of Entrepreneurs’ Corner Podcast, John Misarti talks with entrepreneur, franchise consultant, and business coach David Bisaillon about franchising, service businesses, recurring revenue, building systems, selling a company, and what it actually takes to become an entrepreneur.
David started his career in pest control before launching his own company. After years of building the business with his wife, he eventually sold it and moved into franchise consulting and coaching.
One lesson from that journey stands out:
Don’t overlook boring businesses.
Pest control. Gutter cleaning. Landscaping. Cleaning. Pressure washing.
These businesses may not sound exciting, but David explains why recurring customer needs can make them compelling entrepreneurial opportunities.
What You’ll Learn:
- How franchises can provide new entrepreneurs with a proven playbook
- Why financing can look different for an established franchise system
- What a franchise consultant actually does
- Why buying an existing business isn’t automatically easier than starting fresh
- What goes into preparing a company for sale
- How David discovered his pest control company had approximately 88% recurring revenue
- Why systems matter as a service business grows
- The personal tradeoffs that can come with entrepreneurship
- Why David’s one-word advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is ACTION
- Why recurring-revenue “boring businesses” continue to create opportunities
Got a story to share about your journey in business? Let’s talk:
https://entrepreneurscornerpodcast.com/booking
Subscribe to Entrepreneurs’ Corner Podcast for more conversations with business owners and entrepreneurs about what they’ve learned from building, operating, and growing businesses.
11 Aug 2026
How One Hunter Turned His Passion Into A Successful Bow Shop!
Running a successful specialty business takes more than technical skill: it takes trust, expertise, and genuine passion.
In this episode of Entrepreneurs' Corner Podcast, John Misarti sits down with Chris Heilbrun, owner of Big Sky Bow Shop, to discuss building a business around bowhunting, servicing compound bows and crossbows, and educating customers on proper equipment maintenance.
Chris also shares why customer relationships matter more than sales and offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to turn a hobby into a business.
What You'll Learn
How a bow shop actually operates
Why bow strings need regular replacement
Common maintenance mistakes hunters make
How customer service builds long-term loyalty
Advice for starting a niche retail business
Be My Guest. Book Now!https://entrepreneurscornerpodcast.com/booking
8 Jun 2026
CRM, AI, and Compliance: What Every Business Owner Needs to Know!
What happens when AI can answer calls, qualify leads, remember conversations, and work alongside your team?
In this episode of Corner Store Millionaires, John Misarti interviews Jordan Fleming, Co-Founder and Chairman of Smartphone.io, about the rise of conversational AI, AI voice agents, CRM automation, and the future of the AI workforce.
Jordan explains why many businesses are approaching AI incorrectly, how AI agents are transforming sales operations, and what entrepreneurs need to know about compliance, automation, and organizational design.
If you’re a business owner, real estate investor, sales leader, or entrepreneur trying to understand where AI is headed, this conversation delivers practical insights and forward-looking strategies.
Episode Highlights:
- The origin story of Smartphone.io
- Real-world AI agent examples
- AI-powered lead qualification
- FCC enforcement trends
- Building an AI-ready organization
- Jordan’s philosophy on entrepreneurship and success
Share Your Story: https://www.cornerstoremillionaires.com/
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