Going Deep With Aaron Watson

LegalSifter is on a mission to bring affordable legal services to the world by empowering people with artificial intelligence. Kevin Miller joined the startup to help prove the business model and scale the company.   Previously, Kevin has served as Chief Operating Officer Industrial Scientific Corporation, helped launch an online version of Argosy University, and spent half a decade at FreeMarkets, in the global sourcing and procurement software space.   In this podcast, we discuss artificial intelligence replacing vs augmenting humans, how Kevin prepared to be a CEO throughout his career, and the climate for raising capital in and outside of Pittsburgh.   Kevin is also a licensed attorney in the state of Ohio.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Kevin’s Challenge; Take 15 minutes to research artificial intelligence being applied to your industry.   Connect with Kevin LinkedIn Twitter Website   Mentioned The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will

Skycision is on a mission to help the global agriculture industry grow more efficiently. Food production has to increase by 70% by 2050 to feed the anticipated 2 billion person increase in the global population.   Skycision offers a solution to help the global agriculture industry grow more efficiently by identifying crop stress earlier in the growing season, and optimizing field inputs to enhance crop production.   We spoke with Brendan about building a remote team, the commercial applications of drone technology, and recruiting talent.   Today, 795 million people going hungry. I’m hoping Skycision can help change that.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Brendan’s Challenge; Only check your email twice a day and see how that impacts your productivity.   Tools Mentioned Jira Boomerang Zoom Slack   Connect with Brendan Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Website   Underwritten by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a few ke

Tucker Max is an American author and public speaker. He chronicled his drinking and sexual encounters in the form of short stories on his website TuckerMax.com,which has received millions of visitors since Max launched it as the result of a bet in 2000.   I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell was a New York Times #1 Bestseller and made the Bestseller List each year from 2006 to 2012. It has sold over one million copies worldwide, including 400,000 copies in 2009 alone. In 2010, he released a book titled Assholes Finish First, and in 2012 marked the literary releases of both Hilarity Ensues and Sloppy Seconds: The Tucker Max Leftovers. He was a 2009 Time 100 finalist based on internet votes, although he did not make the magazine list   His new company is Book in a Box, a service for helping busy experts transfer their wisdom into a book format. The company interviews clients in a systematic way that properly structures their ideas. They then turn those words into a book. All clients need to do, as the author, is answ

After the fireside chat with Anthony Freeze, we took questions from the audience about Instagram, podcasting, and running kickass events. Some video from this event is at the end of Episode 015 of This Is Piper.

Over the course of a 90-minute conversation, at Industrious Coworking space, we discussed  Instagram, podcasting, and running kickass events.   We also discussed the genesis of Piper Creative and our plans for the future.   Super grateful to Anthony Freeze for conducting a great interview. LinkedIn

Mark DeSantis is currently CEO of RoadBotics, an AI-based product that monitors and manages roadway infrastructure. Previously, he has co-founded an energy hedge fund, a GE Ventures-backed energy predictive analytics company, and a venture-backed online tutoring company.   Why build a company focused on road maintenance? There is a desperate need to efficiently and effectively monitor and maintain the world's civil infrastructure. His company, RoadBotics, uses smartphone sensors to inexpensively monitor streets, roads, highways, sidewalks and bridges and to lower maintenance costs.   We discuss training machine learning algorithms, the career arc of an entrepreneur, and what Mark has learned from his past startups.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Mark’s Challenge; Find the alternative viewpoint and empathetically consume it before arguing.   Mentioned Lincoln-Douglas Debates   Connect with Mark Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Website   Underwritten by Piper Creative A digi

A decade ago, very few people thought a blog could be a business. Today, it’s common knowledge.   Nicki Zevola Benvenuti hopped on the trend very early, starting her website, FutureDerm.com, in 2008. It now helps more than 500,000 people a month discover hard-to-find scientific information on skincare, to make sense of marketing claims, and to find what is best for their skin a plethora of products in a crowded marketplace.   Now, she is leveraging her fluency in digital media to help other brands grow. At FutureDerm Media, her team has successfully guided brands to 500% traffic growth and accelerated sales over the course of six months.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Nicki’s Challenge; Do something. Every Day.   Connect with Nicki Twitter LinkedIn Website   Underwritten by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a few key service offerings. Documentary-as-a-Service (Vlogging 2.0) Instagram Content Production &am

This episode was an opportunity to pester one of my good friends, Brad Driscoll, with questions

Halima Tammy Thompson's moved to Pittsburgh as a child and was faced with homelessness, loss and countless obstacles.  Years later, she has fused 20+ years of experience in the Real Estate Industry and 8 years of working in the nonprofit sector as a Credit Counselor.       Tammy is a Poverty Expert, Nationally Sought After Speaker, Executive Producer of We Wear The Mask, a documentary released in 2017 highlighting the stigma associated with women in poverty. She provides counseling services with integrity, inspiration, compassion and confidentiality.   In the episode, we discuss cycles of poverty, the impact of trauma over a lifetime, and the victims of the 2008 Financial Recession.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Tammy’s Challenge; Step outside your comfort zone.   Connect with Tammy LinkedIn Website Circlespgh.org   Underwritten by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a few key service offerings. Documentary-

This interview will dispel the notion that you can’t develop creativity.   Allen Gannett is the founder and CEO of TrackMaven, a marketing analytics platform whose clients have included Microsoft, Marriott, Saks Fifth Avenue, Home Depot, Aetna, Honda, and GE. He has been on the “30 Under 30” lists for both Inc. and Forbes.   His upcoming book, The Creative Curve, is on how anyone can achieve moments of creative genius. I really enjoyed reading it.   He was also once a very pitiful runner-up on Wheel of Fortune.   Watch Allen Speak at the 2019 Going Deep Summit   Allen’s Challenge; Stop believing that creativity is naturally easy for anyone.   Allen’s Book The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea, at the Right Time by Allen Gannett   Connect with Allen Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Website   Underwritten by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a few key service offerings. Documentary-as-a-Service (Vlogging 2.0) Instagram Content Production & Ac

In this episode of #PiperAnswers, we touch on a few topics that frankly, most entrepreneurs would think are too tedious or boring to share. We also talk about our editing process and how much time we actually spend working on Piper.   How did you incorporate your business? What did you use to set up your website? What is Hannah's editing process? How many hours per week do you spend on your own content? How much do you allocate to extra projects? How many side projects are you operating? Do you work with contractors?   Follow Katelyn, who was kind enough to help develop these questions. https://www.instagram.com/katelynlesk/   This Podcast is Powered by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a few key service offerings. Documentary-as-a-Service (Vlogging 2.0) Instagram Content Production & Account Building Podcast Production, Strategy Consulting, and Guest Acquisition   If you aren’t creating or curating content regularly, your clients and customers

When you think of a polling company, you probably think of Nielsen or Gallup. John Dick is going to change that.   As the Founder and CEO of CivicScience, John is building a modern consumer and media analytics company based in Pittsburgh. He and his team are reinventing consumer polling for a digital and mobile-first environment.   We discuss how polling has gotten more difficult as media and telecommunications have become more fragmented, the challenges of hiring technical and marketing talent, and how looking at the data has made John more empathetic.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   John’s Challenge; Get out of your tribe. Your surroundings are too curated.   Connect with John LinkedIn Twitter Website   Mentioned Episode 303 with Luke Skurman of Niche.com Episode 248 with Seth Stephens-Davidowitz   Underwritten by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a few key service offerings. Documentary-as-a-Service (Vl

Lynsie Campbell is the founder of LaneSpotter, a navigation tool that helps cyclists find safe routes. It’s the result of her avid cycling habit and DNA as a “serial entrepreneur.”   She started LaneSpotter after a ride with her then one-year-old son, who was strapped into a seat on her bike.   Campbell previously co-founded of the online ticketing platform ShowClix. She also started a dog walking business while living in San Francisco for a few years.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Lynsie’s Challenge; Get on a bike. Explore somewhere new.   Connect with Lynsie Facebook Twitter Instagram Website   Underwritten by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a few key service offerings. Documentary-as-a-Service (Vlogging 2.0) Instagram Content Production & Account Building Podcast Production, Strategy Consulting, and Guest Acquisition   If you aren’t creating or curating content regularly, your clients and customer

In this episode, we discuss where Pittsburgh has been and where it’s going.   Bill Flanagan is the Chief Corporate Relations Officer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. Bill guides the development of regional and organizational messaging strategy and supervises Investor Relations activities, including membership development and fundraising.   An experienced broadcast journalist, Bill has told the story of the transformation of the economy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for more than 30-years. He serves as host and producer of “Our Region’s Business,” a weekly business public affairs program on WPXI-TV. As President of The Pittsburgh G-20 Partnership in 2009, Bill helped to organize the public/private partnership of organizations from across southwestern Pennsylvania that came together to welcome the world for the Summit.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Bill’s Challenge; Take ownership and agency of making your community better. Meet someone new from a

Jay is COO of The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute (ARM). ARM is an independent non-profit that won an $80 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to become the leading catalyst of robotics innovation and expertise to accelerate growth in US-based manufacturing and the high value careers.   It is also supported by an additional $173 million in commitments from more than 100 members and partners in industry, academia, technology, government and economic development groups.   We discuss how ARM is deploying its capital, the challenges associated with bringing more manufacturing jobs back to America, and the limitations of modern robotics technologies.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Jay’s Challenge; Consider jobs in advanced manufacturing.   Connect with Jay LinkedIn Twitter Website   Underwritten by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a few key service offerings. Documentary-as-a-Service

Stephen Warley teaches people the life skills that matter for business.   My mission is to relieve people of their work anxieties by empowering them to design their own work.   The evolutionary fear of losing the acceptance of others is often more powerful than the desire to strike out on our own. He sees his job as empowering his readers to stop living up to the ideals of others and to start living up to their own ideals.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Stephen’s Challenge; Find 30 minutes to set aside every week for yourself. YOU are your most important client.   Books Mentioned The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.   Connect with Stephen Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Website   Underwritten by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a few key service offerings. Documentary-as-a-Service (Vlogging 2.0) I

Instead, he’d prefer to offer his perspective. He’s built a $40,000,000 real estate portfolio through hard work, persistence, and patience. Being raised by a single parent in a two bedroom, low income apartment in Mt. Oliver doesn’t usually breed success, but Joe Calloway’s story is anything but usual. Joe went from those unfortunate circumstances to being the largest single family home buyer in Pittsburgh.   With little direction in life and few marketable skills, Joe enlisted in the US Navy in 1997. Using his military reenlistment bonus, Joe bought his first property in 2004. For his early projects he served as investor, contractor, designer, and property manager, giving him first-hand experience which proved to be invaluable.   Joe formed RE360 in 2009 and has grown the company’s rental portfolio to 270 units with a monthly gross rental income of $229,000. 2014 alone saw the rags-to-riches Calloway invest $5 million and purchase 72 homes, making him the largest housing buyer in Pittsburgh for the second ye

Dinesh is a self-professed technophile, in addition to a speaker, mentor, and entrepreneur. He has taken part in three separate companies getting acquired, the third for over $200 million dollars. These days he stays busy investing, mentoring, and sharing wisdom.   He initially went to university for sciences, which lead him to a career in software. It wasn’t long before he realized that his pay would hit a ceiling. He saw the sales guys driving Porsches and Jaguars—and wanted in. Little did he know that his passions were in unlocking a business' potential, which goes far beyond the sale.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Dinesh’s Challenge; Count your “I can’t”s over the course of one week, then work to change one to “I can”.   http://www.goingdeepwithaaron.com/podcast   Connect with Dinesh LinkedIn Twitter Website If you liked this interview, check out episode 118 with Kevin Kelly where we discuss the technological trends that will shape our future.

Bill Laboon is currently teaching Software Quality Assurance, Software Engineering, and the Computer Science Capstone course at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, he advises numerous students for projects, independent research, and their academic and professional careers.   He prepares students to develop high-quality software in a "real-world" environment. That real world is fast including more and more cryptocurrencies.   In this discussion, we cover the basics of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Zcash, Monero, Ripple, Dash, and Bitcoin Cash.   Great primer for those just learning about cryptocurrencies beyond Bitcoin.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Connect with Bill Twitter LinkedIn   Bill’s Book Strength in Numbers: A Novel of Cryptocurrency by Bill Laboon   Underwritten by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a few key service offerings. Documentary-as-a-Service (Vlogging 2.0) Instagram Content Production &

Self-driving cars are coming. Ford is betting $1 billion dollars over five years that Argo Ai can make it happen.   CEO Bryan Salesky calls upon his experience leading the software engineering for Tartan Racing, Carnegie Mellon’s winning entry in the DARPA Urban Challenge as he tries to build the future.   He also was on the Google self-driving car team. While at Google, Bryan was director of hardware development, and was responsible for development and manufacture of Google’s portfolio of hardware, which included self-driving sensors, computers and several vehicle development programs.   Do not miss this interview.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Bryan’s Challenge; Choose a day of the week where you commute and do not use your phone.   Connect with Bryan LinkedIn Website   Underwritten by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a few key service offerings. Documentary-as-a-Service (Vlogging 2.0) Instagram Content