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Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®

Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®

Susan Sly 372 Episodes Apr 9, 2026

Raw and Real Entrepreneurship is hosted by award-winning entrepreneur Susan Sly. She interviews successful founders and business leaders about the realities of building and running companies. The show explores both highs and lows, including startup struggles, resilience, and hard work. New interviews are released weekly, featuring guests who share candid stories and practical lessons from their entrepreneurial journeys.

Episodes

From Full-Time Government Job, and no Entrepreneurial Experience to Building a Luxury Interior Design Franchise | Alisa Sparks
From Full-Time Government Job, and no Entrepreneurial Experience to Building a Luxury Interior Design Franchise | Alisa Sparks Apr 9, 2026 54:25 What does it really take to walk away from stability and build something from scratch?In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®, Susan Sly sits down with Alisa Sparks, Founder and CEO of Linden Creek. They unpack Alisa's journey from managing multi-million-dollar budgets for Naval aircraft to building a luxury interior design, home staging, and Airbnb setup brand. Linden Creek is now franc
From Alice + Olivia to AI: Reinventing Entrepreneurship and Building Community with Rebecca Matchett
From Alice + Olivia to AI: Reinventing Entrepreneurship and Building Community with Rebecca Matchett Mar 31, 2026 56:43 This episode features a conversation with Rebecca Matchett, co-founder and COO of Synchrony, about the grit, courage, and resilience required to build a business—even in the face of deep personal and professional reinvention.Rebecca shares her entrepreneurial journey, starting with a volume-focused lemonade stand and later co-founding the iconic fashion brand Alice + Olivia, where she learned the
How a Shark Tank Deal Led to a Multi-Million Dollar Exit to Hickory Farms — with Tracey Wheeler Noonan, Co-Founder of Wicked Good Cupcakes
How a Shark Tank Deal Led to a Multi-Million Dollar Exit to Hickory Farms — with Tracey Wheeler Noonan, Co-Founder of Wicked Good Cupcakes Oct 27, 2025 01:01:06 In this inspiring episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®, Susan Sly sits down with Tracey Wheeler Noonan, co-founder of Wicked Good Cupcakes, to uncover how a Shark Tank appearance led to a multi-million dollar exit to Hickory Farms. Tracey shares the behind-the-scenes story of landing a deal with Kevin O’Leary, navigating public scrutiny, building a scalable business from a home kitchen, and w
From Watching The Price Is Right to a $1 Billion Valuation: Shawn D. Nelson, Founder and CEO of Lovesac
From Watching The Price Is Right to a $1 Billion Valuation: Shawn D. Nelson, Founder and CEO of Lovesac Oct 20, 2025 01:00:24 Could watching a game show inspire the creation of a billion-dollar company? In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®, host Susan Sly sits down with Shawn Nelson, founder and CEO of Lovesac, who shares how a lightbulb moment during The Price Is Right led to 27 years of building a public company—through bootstrapping, winning $1 million from Richard Branson on reality TV, surviving Chapter
How This Founder Got Her Product in 700 Targets and Counting with Aimee LeMaire, Founder of Zeya
How This Founder Got Her Product in 700 Targets and Counting with Aimee LeMaire, Founder of Zeya Oct 13, 2025 50:10 What does it take to launch a female-founded brand in 700 Target stores—with no prior CPG experience? In this raw and real conversation, Susan Sly sits down with Amiee LeMaire, founder of ZEYA, the first true innovation in home fragrance since Febreze. Discover how this former Hollywood producer transformed a deeply personal passion for non-toxic, functional fragrance into a fast-growing brand sel
From Dorm Room Startup to $100M Valuation with Alex Smereczniak, Founder of Franzy
From Dorm Room Startup to $100M Valuation with Alex Smereczniak, Founder of Franzy Oct 6, 2025 45:12 What if the path to business ownership didn’t require a million dollars—or even quitting your job?In this episode, Susan Sly sits down with Alex Smereczniak, founder of Franzy—an AI-powered platform on a mission to create one million entrepreneurs by reimagining franchising. After scaling a laundry startup to a $100M valuation, Alex is now focused on using technology to democratize business owners
AI, Disruption, and What It Really Takes to Lead in Uncertain Times with Dr. Toni Collis
AI, Disruption, and What It Really Takes to Lead in Uncertain Times with Dr. Toni Collis Sep 29, 2025 51:55 In a time of AI, rapid change, and constant disruption, what does it really take to lead?Susan Sly sits down with physicist, tech executive, and executive leadership coach Dr. Toni Collis for a candid conversation about the realities of leadership in uncertain times. From subtle bias and burnout to walking away from a successful tech career, Toni shares how she rebuilt her path with purpose and no
Doing It Guilty: How Inherited Trauma Shapes Entrepreneurs and What It Takes to Break the Cycle with Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck
Doing It Guilty: How Inherited Trauma Shapes Entrepreneurs and What It Takes to Break the Cycle with Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck Jul 10, 2025 51:13 What if the anxiety, overworking, or self-doubt you feel as an entrepreneur isn’t just about your business, but the patterns you inherited?In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®, Susan Sly sits down with trauma-informed psychologist Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck to explore how inherited trauma and cultural expectations shape entrepreneurs. From high-achievers who feel like they’re always “
How This Founder Rebuilt After $90K in Debt and What He’d Never Do Again with Daniel Bussius, Founder of Built by Love®
How This Founder Rebuilt After $90K in Debt and What He’d Never Do Again with Daniel Bussius, Founder of Built by Love® Jun 5, 2025 51:50 What does it really look like to build a business while silently drowning in debt? In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, host Susan Sly sits down with Daniel Bussius, founder and CEO of Built by Love®, as he shares how he ended up $90,000 in personal debt—and the decision he now calls his biggest mistake. He opens up about scrapping a fully produced course, initiating a software build
Saying No to the Wrong Six Figures: How Clarity Became Clara Capano’s Most Profitable Skill
Saying No to the Wrong Six Figures: How Clarity Became Clara Capano’s Most Profitable Skill May 22, 2025 38:53 What happens when success looks good on paper but feels empty? Clara Capano opens up about why she walked away from a lucrative six-figure opportunity—because it didn’t align with her values,  vision, or role as a mom. In this episode, Clara and Susan unpack what it takes to lead with clarity—and how that decision became the start of greater purpose, profit, and peace. Clara shares the intent
From Building Target’s Iconic Brands to Disrupting Women’s Health with Sally Mueller, Co-Founder of Womaness
From Building Target’s Iconic Brands to Disrupting Women’s Health with Sally Mueller, Co-Founder of Womaness May 15, 2025 56:18 Sally Mueller helped shape the modern retail experience—leading iconic designer collaborations and category reinventions during her 25-year career at Target. Now, she’s co-founder and CEO of Womaness, a fast-growing brand breaking the silence around menopause and empowering women in midlife. In this raw conversation, Susan Sly and Sally unpack what it takes to pivot from powerhouse executive to st
The Collision That Changed Everything: Mark Divine on Leadership, Healing, and Alignment
The Collision That Changed Everything: Mark Divine on Leadership, Healing, and Alignment May 8, 2025 01:03:19 After a devastating snowmobile accident at 40 mph that left him with 18 broken bones and punctured lungs, Navy SEAL Commander and CEO Mark Divine knew something had to change—not just in his body, but in his leadership. In this powerful episode, Mark joins Susan Sly to share how the crash became a defining turning point: dismantling outdated business models, releasing toxic partnerships, and rebui

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