From the Ground Up: The Unfiltered Stories Behind Startup Success

About From the Ground Up: The Unfiltered Stories Behind Startup Success

From the Ground Up takes you inside the stories of building a business from first idea to final exit and life beyond. Host Leo Kelly, CEO of Verdence Capital Advisors, sits down with entrepreneurs and CEOs who've been through it all: the early struggles, the pivot points, the close calls, and the decisions that defined their companies. Each episode reveals what it actually takes to build and scale a business, as well as the lessons that shaped their success. Whether they're navigating their exit strategy, reflecting on a completed sale, or sharing what life looks like on the other side of the transaction, these founders offer insights they wish they'd had from the start. If you're building something, thinking about your next chapter, or wondering what comes after the sale, these are the conversations that happen behind closed doors.

Publisher

Leo Kelly

Category

business · business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Apr 2024

Latest episode

31 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   31 Mar 2026

   How Richie Huffman Built a National Preschool Franchise | Episode 015 | 03-31-26

   A 3am bakery route, a first real estate deal at 18, a tanning salon built on a gut call, and then the bold move: sell it all to go all-in on early childhood education. Richie Huffman, founder of Celebree, joins us to unpack the real story behind building a preschool business that scales, then turning it into a fast-growing franchise with schools across the country. If you care about entrepreneurship, franchising, and building a business that lasts, this conversation is packed with practical l...

2. 

   30 Sept 2025

   Don Jones Turned Air Ambulance and Organ Transport a Multi-Million $$ Business | Episode 014 | 09-30-2025

   What if you fell off a cliff in Congo? What if you needed an organ to save your life? These are the real-world problems solved by businesses built on precision logistics and flawless execution. Don Jones built multiple life-saving businesses in emergency medical transport and organ transportation, creating companies where perfect execution was non-negotiable and logistics were hyper-complex. His story demonstrates how determination, operational excellence, and mission-driven culture can crea...

3. 

   28 Aug 2025

   Dillon Baxter is Switching the Plastic Narrative | Episode 013 | 08-28-2025

   What if plastic could disappear in just 8 weeks instead of 1,000 years? That's the revolutionary promise behind Plant Switch, a company transforming how we think about sustainable materials. Dillon Baxter, founder of PlantSwitch, walks us through his experience creating a truly biodegradable alternative to plastic that doesn't compromise on performance or break the bank. Unlike those dreaded paper straws that dissolve in your drink or flimsy wooden utensils that splinter, PlantSwitch p...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

79,289

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

26

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

0