Untold

About Untold

Welcome to the Untold podcast! Here, we're speaking with local businesses that are the best kept secrets of Utah. Find out their journey, their business challenges and tips, and hidden advice brought to light to help you with your own journey! We hope you enjoy! Please like, subscribe, and rate to never miss an episode! Jon

Publisher

Jon Spiesman

Category

business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Apr 2025

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

36 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026

   S02 E14 Selling to Fortune 100 Broke Our Product (We Were Only Half There) | Manoj Perumal

   What does it really take to grow a company from startup to enterprise — and what does that growth force you to give up? In this episode of Untold: The Best Kept Secrets of Utah, Jon sits down with Manoj Perumal, Co-Founder and President of Mojo AI, for an honest conversation about scaling a business, leadership, product development, enterprise customers, and the hidden cost of growth. Manoj shares what changed as Mojo AI grew from serving mid-market customers to working with large enterprise organizations, including the challenges of enterprise-scale product quality, organizational complexity, and adapting to the needs of Fortune 50 and Fortune 100 companies. They also explore one of the hardest parts of leadership: letting go. As a company grows, founders can't keep doing everything themselves. Manoj explains how he had to step back from product development, customer relationships, and day-to-day problem solving to focus on go-to-market strategy, processes, and the areas where the company needed him most. The conversation also goes deeper into workplace safety and risk management. With Safety Mojo focused on frontline workers in industries such as construction and oil and gas, Manoj explains why spending time in the field seeing how people actually work has become such an important part of building better products. You'll also hear about: * Scaling a startup from mid-market to enterprise customers * The hidden complexity of enterprise sales and product development * Leadership lessons from rapid company growth * Why founders need to learn to let go * Product-market fit and the journey from zero to one * Understanding frontline workers and customer needs * Workplace safety and risk management * How failure and iteration shape successful businesses * What marathon running taught Manoj about leadership and life * The mindset leaders need when building a company Manoj's advice for leaders starting their own growth journey is simple: don't let the fear of whether it will work stop you. Stay determined, keep figuring things out, and be willing to adapt along the way. If you're a founder, entrepreneur, executive, product leader, or anyone navigating the challenges of business growth, this conversation offers an honest look at what happens behind the success story. Watch the full episode and discover what growth really asks you to give up. #StartupGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #ScalingBusiness #ProductMarketFit #StartupLeadership #WorkplaceSafety #RiskManagement #EnterpriseSoftware #ConstructionSafety #OilAndGas Connect with Jon on LinkedIn where he shares leadership insights regularly: https://linkedin.com/in/jonspiesman Book a free exploration call with Jon here: https://calendly.com/d/ytw-khm-4r5?utm_source=LI&utm_campaign=Bio Listen to Untold on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0bshg8B2x1kX665eeYkk52 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untold/id1805797903 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa845f62-543e-44b2-a6f1-7704bccfc099/untold Untold is the podcast hosted by Jon Spiesman where we uncover the best-kept business secrets of Utah. Each week, we sit down with local entrepreneurs and business owners to explore their unique journeys, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the lessons they've learned along the way. Whether you're building your own business or just love a good underdog story, you'll find hidden gems of advice and inspiration in every episode. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Untold. Jon and the Untold podcast team #UntoldPodcastWithJon #UtahBusiness #EntrepreneurPodcast #JonSpiesman #SmallBusinessStories #LocalBusinessUtah #StartupJourney #PodcastForEntrepreneurs

2. 

   22 Sept 2026

   S02 E13 "What if I Suck at CEO? Guess What? I'll Be Fine" | Carine Strom Clark

   What does it really take to lead a company, build a meaningful career, and stop letting fear hold you back? In this episode of the Untold Podcast, Jon sits down with Carine Clark, CEO of First Colony Mortgage, for a candid conversation about leadership, resilience, confidence, career growth, and living with greater intention. Carine shares how a major health scare changed the way she approaches life and leadership. Rather than trying to do everything herself, she learned the importance of bringing people along, building teams that can succeed without her, and creating organizations that continue to work beautifully without their leader. The conversation explores what it means to be a CEO, including Carine's description of the role as "chief emotional officer." She talks about managing people, navigating founder-led companies, making difficult decisions, removing friction, and thinking years ahead rather than simply managing the day-to-day. Carine also opens up about overcoming self-doubt and why she wishes she had trusted herself sooner in her career. Her approach is simple: make a decision, move forward, recalibrate when necessary, and don't wait for everything to be perfect. The episode also touches on long-distance cycling, Carine's work with Huntsman Cancer Institute, mentoring entrepreneurs, giving back, family, travel, and the importance of making time for the things that truly matter. Key topics covered: • Leadership and the role of a CEO • Building teams that work without you • Overcoming self-doubt and fear of failure • Leadership after a major life experience • Founder and CEO relationships • Career growth and taking risks • Decision-making and recalibration • Creating meaningful work • Mentorship and giving back • Work-life balance and personal priorities • Cycling and perseverance • Making the most of your time • Building a legacy that lasts beyond you Carine Clark has spent her career leading companies and working with entrepreneurs, executives, and emerging leaders. In this conversation, she offers practical lessons on leadership, confidence, resilience, and making intentional choices in both work and life. If you're interested in leadership, entrepreneurship, career development, personal growth, executive leadership, or stories about people who have changed the way they approach life and work, this episode of Untold is for you. Subscribe to Untold for more conversations with leaders, entrepreneurs, and people sharing the experiences and lessons that shaped who they are. #Leadership #CEO #Entrepreneurship #CareerGrowth #PersonalGrowth #Resilience #ExecutiveLeadership #UntoldPodcast Connect with Jon on LinkedIn where he shares leadership insights regularly: https://linkedin.com/in/jonspiesman Book a free exploration call with Jon here: https://calendly.com/d/ytw-khm-4r5?utm_source=LI&utm_campaign=Bio Listen to Untold on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0bshg8B2x1kX665eeYkk52 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untold/id1805797903 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa845f62-543e-44b2-a6f1-7704bccfc099/untold Untold is the podcast hosted by Jon Spiesman where we uncover the best-kept business secrets of Utah. Each week, we sit down with local entrepreneurs and business owners to explore their unique journeys, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the lessons they've learned along the way. Whether you're building your own business or just love a good underdog story, you'll find hidden gems of advice and inspiration in every episode. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Untold. Jon and the Untold podcast team #UntoldPodcastWithJon #UtahBusiness #EntrepreneurPodcast #JonSpiesman #SmallBusinessStories #LocalBusinessUtah #StartupJourney #PodcastForEntrepreneurs

3. 

   1 Sept 2026

   S02 E12 I Built an AI Company So My 13-Year-Old Daughter Could Start a Business | Zach Barney

   What happens when a successful startup founder steps away from a thriving company to build something with a deeper personal purpose? In this episode of Untold: The Best Kept Secrets of Utah, Jon sits down with Zach Barney, Founder of RunzaAI, to talk about entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, family, startup lessons, and the decision to take a completely different path. Zach shares the story behind RunzaAI, an AI-powered platform designed to help non-technical entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, service businesses, and aspiring founders build and run a business without getting overwhelmed by technology. After years of building and leading a venture-backed SaaS startup, Zach explains what he learned about leadership, financial discipline, product development, distribution, and the realities of startup life and how those lessons are shaping the way he is building RunzaAI today. In this episode: * Why Zach decided to leave a successful startup and pursue a new mission * How his family influenced his decision to become an entrepreneur again * The story behind RunzaAI and how it was born from helping his teenage daughter start a cleaning business * How AI can help solopreneurs and small-business owners launch and manage their businesses * Why many entrepreneurs struggle with websites, apps, domains, DNS, software, and other technical barriers * The shift from building specifically for teenagers to creating a platform for entrepreneurs of all ages * Lessons Zach learned about startup funding, cash flow, and operating conservatively * Why distribution and user-led growth are central to RunzaAI's strategy * The importance of rapid product iteration and rigorous QA when building with AI * Zach's perspective on work-life integration versus work-life balance * Why he believes entrepreneurs should listen to their gut and take risks early * How AI could change the way the next generation learns, builds, and starts businesses Zach also opens up about the personal challenges behind his transition, the pressure of entrepreneurship, and why building something that can directly impact his children and other young entrepreneurs has become such an important part of his mission. About Zach Barney: Zach Barney is the Founder of RunzaAI, an AI-powered platform focused on making it easier for people to build and run businesses. With a background in sales, go-to-market leadership, SaaS, and startup building, Zach brings a practical founder's perspective to the rapidly changing world of AI and entrepreneurship. About RunzaAI: RunzaAI helps entrepreneurs turn ideas into functioning businesses by simplifying the technical and administrative work involved in launching and running a company. Subscribe to Untold for more conversations with entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders sharing the stories, lessons, and decisions behind what they are building. #ZachBarney #RunzaAI #AI #Entrepreneurship #StartupFounder #SmallBusiness #Solopreneur #ArtificialIntelligence #UtahEntrepreneurs #SaaS #StartupLife #BusinessAI #Entrepreneur Connect with Jon on LinkedIn where he shares leadership insights regularly: https://linkedin.com/in/jonspiesman Book a free exploration call with Jon here: https://calendly.com/d/ytw-khm-4r5?utm_source=LI&utm_campaign=Bio Listen to Untold on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0bshg8B2x1kX665eeYkk52 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untold/id1805797903 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa845f62-543e-44b2-a6f1-7704bccfc099/untold Untold is the podcast hosted by Jon Spiesman where we uncover the best-kept business secrets of Utah. Each week, we sit down with local entrepreneurs and business owners to explore their unique journeys, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the lessons they've learned along the way. Whether you're building your own business or just love a good underdog story, you'll find hidden gems of advice and inspiration in every episode. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Untold. Jon and the Untold podcast team #UntoldPodcastWithJon #UtahBusiness #EntrepreneurPodcast #JonSpiesman #SmallBusinessStories #LocalBusinessUtah #StartupJourney #PodcastForEntrepreneurs

Who has been a guest on Untold

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Ben Cahoon
• Rebecca Dutson
• a father
• Bruce Rowe
• Chad Meyerson

Reach and audience

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

YouTube views

23,254,586

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

3.7 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

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

Quality

19

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

0

Contact Untold

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Untold