Entrepreneur Stories 4⃣ Inspiration

Carey Smith founded Big Ass Fans in 1999 and served as its Chief Big Ass until the company's sale in 2017. Under his guidance, Big Ass Fans grew an average of 30% a year, with offices across the globe. It made the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies 11 consecutive years — a feat achieved by only 34 othe

Rick Skidmore is the Founder and CEO at Timberlane, Inc. Having been born an entrepreneur, it should have been clear early on that despite considerable success in the insurance and investment industry, Rick's future was outside the traditional career path. Rick founded his current company, Timberlane Inc., in 1995, bas

Jim Kalb is currently the President of OptiFuse, an innovative high-growth manufacturer of power protection components distributed by high-quality select wholesalers throughout the world. OptiFuse has been listed on the Inc. 5000 for the last 5 years, as well as being named as one of Forbe's magazines "25 Best Small Co

Anne Hed is a lifetime resident of Minnesota. Her history as a business owner began back in the 1980’s, when she raced as a professional triathlete. She completed eight Ironman Triathlons in Hawaii, and met her late husband, Steve, through the sport. He became one of her first sponsors...   This Episode is Sponsored By

Mark Lazarchic is the CEO of Serenity Venture Group. He describes himself as a serial entrepreneur with eyes always open. Mark is the owner of multiple successful startup businesses in very competitive markets. Mark has spent the last 10 years being amazed at the level of mediocrity accepted by the public in business.

Charles J. Bonfiglio is the Franchise Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Tint World. The company is a privately owned franchise chain of independent retail window tinting, mobile electronics, auto accessories and appearance centers. As the lead executive of Tint World, Charles is responsible for all functions related