Episodes

Joey Mure, co-founder of Wealth Without Wall Street, joins Mark Perkins on The Necessary Entrepreneur to break down how entrepreneurs can build passive income and achieve financial freedom outside traditional Wall Street investing. In this episode, Joey explains why many high-income professionals remain financially stuck and how the “hamster wheel” keeps entrepreneurs trading time for money. He introduces the concept of Investor DNA, a framework that helps you identify which passive income stra...

Sean Patton, executive coach at Novus Global, entrepreneur, author of A Warrior’s Mindset: The 6 Keys to Greatness, and host of the No Limit Leadership podcast, joins Mark Perkins on The Necessary Entrepreneur for a focused conversation on leadership, mental performance, and what it actually takes to operate at a high level in business. Sean brings a unique perspective shaped by his experience as a founder and now as a coach working with high-performing leaders. In this episode, he breaks down ...

Randy Vlasic, founder and CEO of LIWMI Logistics, joins Mark Perkins on The Necessary Entrepreneur to break down why logistics is one of the most misunderstood advantages in business. Most companies treat it as a cost to minimize. Randy explains why it is actually a core driver of customer experience and long-term growth. Randy shares his unconventional path into entrepreneurship, from early setbacks to building a disciplined and high-performing logistics company. His approach is simple but unc...

Hiring is broken, and most companies do not realize how much it is costing them. In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, Mark Perkins sits down with Ryan Hogan, founder and CEO of Talent Harbor, to unpack what is really happening inside today’s hiring market and why traditional recruiting methods are failing both companies and candidates. Ryan brings a clear, operator-level perspective on talent acquisition, sharing how businesses can compete for top talent in a market defined by noise,...

What happens when the future of cybersecurity collides with the reality of financial risk? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, Mark Perkins sits down with Arthur Miller to unpack one of the most urgent and misunderstood shifts in modern business: quantum encryption and the coming wave of post-quantum cybersecurity threats. As quantum computing accelerates, the encryption systems that protect today’s financial institutions are rapidly approaching obsolescence. Arthur explains what th...

What separates businesses that scale from those that stall? According to Damon Flowers, it comes down to ownership, clarity, and the systems you build behind the scenes. In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Damon, founder of Modern Operators, to break down how entrepreneurs can move from chaos to clarity by building better operating systems, leveraging AI, and developing a true ownership mindset. Damon shares how business is not just a vehicle for pro...

What if the way customers discover products is completely broken? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Al Schuster, Co-Founder of SampleFinder, to unpack how brands can rethink product discovery, customer acquisition, and engagement in today’s crowded marketplace. Al shares the story behind building SampleFinder and how the company is helping brands connect directly with consumers through smarter sampling strategies. He explains why traditional market...

What does it take to build real, lasting wealth in industries most people don’t understand? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Beau Turner, Co-Founder and CEO of Abundant Mines, to explore how entrepreneurs can think differently about opportunity, risk, and long-term value creation. Beau breaks down the realities of the mining industry, one of the most misunderstood sectors in business, and explains how strategic thinking, patience, and disciplined ...

What if the biggest growth lever in your business isn’t sales, marketing, or operations but communication? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Joshua Altman, Managing Director of Beltway Media, to break down how entrepreneurs can use strategic communication to build trust, shape perception, and accelerate growth. Joshua explains why communication is not a support function. It is a core business function. He expands the definition of PR beyond media c...

What does it look like to build a business and a life over decades with real intention? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, Mark Perkins sits down with Ron Rubin, CEO of The Republic of Tea, entrepreneur, educator, and author of Gold in Your Backyard. Ron has spent more than 40 years studying, building, and refining what actually works in business. He has read over 1,500 business books and, more importantly, applied those lessons in the real world. This conversation is not about the...

What does it actually mean to build a business that lasts? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, Mark Perkins sits down with Jonathan Bates, founder of Patriot Growth Capital, to break down the principles behind building durable value, leading with purpose, and creating long-term impact through entrepreneurship. Jonathan brings a unique perspective shaped by military experience, capital markets, and hands-on work with veteran entrepreneurs. This conversation goes beyond tactics and in...

What if AI could think with you, not just work for you? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, Mark Perkins sits down with David Asarnow, Founder and CEO of Business Nitrogen, to break down how entrepreneurs are actually using AI to grow faster, make better decisions, and create real leverage inside their businesses. David is not speaking in theory. He works directly with founders and leadership teams to integrate AI into daily operations. This conversation shows what is working right ...

What if the most valuable asset in your business isn’t your product, your network, or your strategy… but your story? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Bill Blankschaen, founder of StoryBuilders and author of Your Story Advantage, to break down how entrepreneurs can turn their lived experiences into a powerful leadership and business tool. Bill shares why most entrepreneurs are sitting on untapped influence, how to overcome the internal barriers tha...

In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with artist, entrepreneur, and author Tim Packer to explore what it really takes to turn creativity into a profitable business. After leaving a career in law enforcement, Tim built a globally recognized art brand and has helped thousands of artists learn how to market, price, and sell their work. Tim shares the mindset shifts that separate hobbyists from entrepreneurs and explains why talent alone is rarely enough to bui...

What actually drives high performance in business and leadership? On this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Curtis Sprouse, Founder & CEO of EurekaConnect, LLC, to explore the science behind how humans perform, make decisions, and lead effectively. Drawing from behavioral science, neuroscience, and decades of leadership experience, Curtis explains why self-awareness, environment, and genetics all play a role in shaping how individuals and organizations per...

What if entrepreneurship is simply about getting on the right train, and staying on long enough to reach the next opportunity? On this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Skye Banks, COO of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), for a global conversation about small business, leadership, and what he calls the “Opportunity Train.” Operating in more than 80 countries, ICSB connects policymakers, educators, researchers, and entrepreneurs to strengt...

In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Justin Giuffrida, founder and CEO of Citizens All Day, to explore what it really takes to scale a hospitality brand while staying true to culture, community, and purpose. Justin shares his journey from Australia to the United States and how he built Citizens from a single New York City café into a multi-state, fast-growing lifestyle brand with ambitious national expansion plans. Along the way, he reveals the leaders...

In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with international bestselling author and long-term investing expert Robert Rolih to unpack the hidden realities of wealth creation that most entrepreneurs never learn. After building significant success as an entrepreneur, Robert lost much of his wealth by trusting traditional financial advisors and so-called experts. That painful experience launched him on a seven-year research journey into how the financial industry a...

In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Russell Breuer, CEO and founder of Spot & Tango, to discuss what it really takes to build and scale a direct-to-consumer brand in a competitive market. Russell shares the entrepreneurial mindset behind launching a premium pet food company and the realities of navigating the complex world of DTC growth, customer acquisition costs, retention metrics, and operational challenges. He explains why successful founders must...

In this powerful episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Karen Ann Canham, founder of Karen Ann Wellness, to explore a topic most entrepreneurs ignore until it becomes unavoidable: mental and emotional capacity. Karen shares how nervous system regulation, trauma awareness, and body-based healing directly impact leadership, decision-making, and business growth. This conversation goes beyond traditional mindset talk and dives into the physiological realities behind...

What does it really take to build a business that lasts, especially in a highly competitive, high-stakes industry? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Michael McCready, Founder and Principal of McCready Law, to unpack the mindset, discipline, and leadership required to grow a successful firm while staying grounded in purpose and client care. Michael shares his entrepreneurial journey of building a personal injury law firm from the ground up, emphasiz...

What if the business you worked so hard to build is the very thing stealing your time, energy, and joy? In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Michael Walsh, President of the Walsh Business Growth Institute and author of the 2025 book Freedom By Design: The Established Business Owner’s Guide to Grow, Make an Impact, and Find Joy Again. Michael has spent decades helping established entrepreneurs break free from chaos, overwork, and stagnation by installi...

In this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur, host Mark Perkins sits down with Walter Green, founder of the Say It Now Movement and author of the new book The Gratitude Express, for a deep and reflective conversation on human connection, leadership, and the power of asking better questions. Rather than focusing on tactics or traditional business frameworks, this episode explores what actually shapes meaningful lives and organizations. Walter shares why questions, not answers, are often the mos...

Dinakara Nagalla, technologist, Human-Centered AI Architect, and author of Becoming Human: Embracing Imperfection and Finding Purpose, joins Mark Perkins on The Necessary Entrepreneur for a thoughtful conversation about technology, humanity, and what gets lost when progress moves faster than understanding. Dinakara breaks down what human-centered AI really means, and why intelligence without context, empathy, and responsibility often creates more problems than it solves. Drawing on ideas from B...