How I Built My Small Business
2025 Communicator Award of Excellence in the Educational Series category
2024 + 2025 People's Choice Podcast Awards Finalist Nominee x 2
Named "One of the Best Business Podcasts" by Ramsey
In 'How I Built My Small Business,' we explore real-life entrepreneurship and building a meaningful, balanced life.
The show’s guests (diverse in industry, experience, and background) open up about the real stories behind building a business: the wins, the mistakes, and the values that shape their choices.
This is not a business show focused on the numbers of the game. It’s about the founder’s journey and their way of thinking. If you are looking for a show that talks about top line, bottom line, profit margin, and mainly financial info… this is not the show for you.
While you’ll find some episodes in Season One (and sporadically thereafter) that include financials, the host’s interest is more in the human(s) behind the business.
Sometimes an episode is a masterclass, other times it’s an honest, heart-opening connection between two people. There’s always curiosity, growth, and learning through storytelling… with a sprinkle of life wisdom.
Every guest has started a business at some point in their journey, and the line-up includes a 50/50 split of women and men.
Whether you're a founder, dreamer, curious individual or lifelong learner, I hope each episode makes you think or leaves you with at least one spark that inspires your own path or broadens your perspective.
Thank you for listening. Let’s learn together.
My Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty/
Behind-The-Scenes: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost
Episodes
100 episodes
How I Cured My Two Autoimmune Conditions
This is my personal story and is not business-related.It's the reason why I have taken the last month off from podcasting and interviewing... because about a month ago, I got the lab results back showing that not only have my thyroid pan...
Nik Hulewsky - He Put $180k Down. Then Built and Grew $18m in Businesses.
Today’s episode is with fellow podcaster and now friend, Nik Hulewsky of Nikonomics - a gre...
How to Start a Christmas Lighting Business: Listener Q&A
🎄 Ever thought about running a Christmas light business? This is your behind-the-scenes masterclass.In this special episode, a podcast listener flips the mic and interviews the host, Anne McGinty, about how she started a seasona...
Chris Smith - What it really takes to run Award-Winning SONOMA PIZZA CO.
Chris Smith is the co-founder and co-owner of Sonoma Pizza Co., an artisan pizzeria in Forestville, California, which he launched in 2022 with his wife, Eda Atasoy. After three decades in...
Israa Nasir - Escaping TOXIC PRODUCTIVITY
Israa Nasir is a New York City–based psychotherapist, writer, and the founder of WellGuide, a digital community dedicated to mental health awareness. ...
Johnny Rickard - Train for Life: Martial Arts Wisdom from THE REFINERY NZ
Johnny Rickard calls in from Raglan, New Zealand, where he has built a full-time martial arts dojo on his family’s ancestral land.Johnny was a dedicated schoolteacher for 15 years when l...
Dr. Sarah Daccarett - What Everyone Needs to Know About Perimenopause
Dr. Sarah Daccarett is a board-certified physician, hormone specialist, and founder and CEO of
Jason Graystone's Path to Financial Independence (Why Freedom Is the Real Currency)
Today’s guest is Jason Graystone, a professional investor, trader, entrepreneur, and founder of the Tiers of Freedom program. He’s the author of
Summer Reset: Why I’m Sitting By the Pool Instead of the Mic (And Why That Matters)
Elizabeth Husserl - The POWER OF ENOUGH: Redefining Wealth, Well-Being, and What Really Matters
Today’s guest is Elizabeth Husserl, a financial advisor, registered investment advisor representative, and the co-founder of Peak360 Wealth Management...
Loren Vandegrift - 2025 Insights from BUSINESS EXITS broker on sales, values, and trends
Today, I’m excited to bring back a guest whose first episode was one of the most listened to of Season 1 and in May this year, it topped the charts again as the most streamed episode on Spotify.Loren Vandegrift is a partner at
Lauren Vermette — How to Invest in a Franchise on the Side (Without Quitting Your Job)
Today’s guest is Lauren Vermette, founder and CEO of Franchisee Insight.Lauren has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between franchisees and franchisors, offering a unique perspecti...
John Clapham - From Volcom Australia/ NZ CEO to RAGLAN SURF EMPORIUM
I met John Clapham or "JC" in Raglan, New Zealand last year when I walked into his shop hoping they weren’t yet closing and said while huffing from my brisk walk, “What time do you close?” He responded with a smile, “depends on whos...
Anne McGinty — Finding My Voice: Lessons from Season 2 (So Far)
What began as a tribute to my dad has unexpectedly become part of my healing journey, transforming from purely business and entrepreneurship to learning through storytelling. How I Built My Small Business recently won a ...
David Pope - Buying a Business in Your 40s: Would You Move Your Family? The KAYTECH, INC. Story
Today’s guest is Dave Pope, a friend of mine from college who spent 14 years in sales in the Northeast before making a bold move and buying Kaytech, Inc., a surface preparation company based in Greenville, South Carolina. At the tim...
Samantha Rose - Behind-The-Scenes with a 3x NYT Bestselling GHOSTWRITER
Today’s guest is Samantha Rose, an Emmy award-winning television writer and three-time New York Times Bestselling ghostwriter.She’s the founder of
Glenn Harrold - The Voice Behind Meditations That Have Helped Millions
Today’s guest is Glenn Harrold, a meditation guide whose relax and sleep well recordings have personally helped me get much needed rest at times when I’m tired but wired.Glenn is an internation...
Neri Karra Sillaman - PIONEERS: What 46% of Fortune 500 Founders Have in Common (And What You Can Learn From Them)
As the daughter of immigrants, I’ve often turned to my own parents’ story for inspiration, a belief that we’re all capable of achieving anything we truly believe in, and a reminder that taking risks is often the key to making meaningful leaps i...
Josh Davis phD - The Hidden Science of Communication: NEUROLINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING
Today’s episode is not so much about starting a business, but a glimpse into the neuroscience of influence and the power of Neurolinguistic Programming. My guest is Dr. Josh Davis<...
Jennifer Tsay - Free Photo Shoots to $9M Revenue: The Surprising Business Model of SHOOTT
Jennifer Tsay is the co-founder and CEO of Shoott - with two Ts, a fast-growing company making professional photography more accessible for clients and a reliable supplemental income for ...
Lloyd Rooney – Dyslexia, Determination, and 135 Employees: THE JETSON GROUP Story
Today we have Lloyd Rooney sharing his journey - from leaving the traditional schooling system at 12 due to dyslexia, learning how he learned best, to bartending in the UK and now owner-operating multiple restaurants in New Zealand, em...
Tara Bielawski - Connecting the Seen and Unseen: A Personal Journey Into MEDIUMSHIP
Tara Bielawski is a medium and today’s conversation is not so much about starting a business and more so about perspective, her gift and her journey to mediumship.Losing my dad was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through, and it’s what ...
Dr. Bill and Braden Rawls - CELLULAR WELLNESS: The Missing Piece in Modern Medicine
Today’s conversation with Dr. Bill Rawls and Braden Rawls is about understanding health at a cellular level.Dr. Bill Rawls is a licensed physician with over 30 years of experience in medicine. After ...
Kerri Futch - A Candid Year One at WOLF AND FOX, a Wisconsin Winery
Kerri Futch is a friend of mine who moved from Northern California to Wisconsin to be closer to family and to chase a dream vision for a Wolf and Fox, boutique winery and an event space.This ep...
Duncan Wardle - Set Your Creativity Free Inside the IMAGINATION EMPORIUM
This interview was so entertaining to host because I felt like I was back in college for an hour and had the most interesting guest teacher who made me laugh, play games, and have fun - all while learning.Duncan Wardle, the former head o...
