Going Deep With Aaron Watson

Wendy Downs is an artist who learned to be an entrepreneur. Her company, Moop, was founded in 2007 in western Massachusetts. She has since moved to Pittsburgh, where her small team design and manufactures every waxed canvas bag.   In a 35-minute conversation, we cover her expertise in e-commerce, design, small batch manufacturing, and textile manufacturing.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Wendy’s Challenge; Find the thing you love and exercise it.   Connect with Wendy Instagram Facebook 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 & Account Building Podcast Production, Strategy Consulting, and Guest Acquisition   If you aren’t creating or curating content regularly, your clients and customers might forget you’re open for business. YouTube Instagram   If you liked this interview, check

Pittsburgh has been in the news recently for robots and restaurants. But it’s still a blue collar town.   In a sweeping discussion, Aaron & Neil Ashbaugh discuss the opportunities for good pay and consistent work offered by roles in manufacturing. The industry is facing a cliff over the next ten years as Baby Boomers continue to retire, leaving companies hungry for talent.   New Century Careers is training the next generation and excited about the opportunity.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Neil’s Challenge; Read. Never stop learning.   Books Blink by Malcolm Gladwell Iacocca: An Autobiography by Lee Iacocca It Doesn't Take a Hero: The Autobiography of General Norman Schwarzkopf Walt Disney biography Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi   Connect with Neil Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Website ashbaugh@ncsquared.com   Underwritten by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a few key service offerings. Documenta

Niche.com generated 50,000,000 unique visitors last year. They announced a $6.6M Series B round of fundraising in February 2018. They've come a long way from their humble beginnings in 2002.   In my interview with Luke Skurman, the Founder & CEO of Niche.com, we discuss the challenges of raising venture capital as an established company, the marketing & business development talent in Pittsburgh, and importance of aiming at a big target.   Luke is also a Co-Founder of Ascender, a non-profit, 501(c)(3), focusing on bolstering innovation and entrepreneurship in the Pittsburgh region. They host the annual Thrival Innovation + Music Festival every year in Pittsburgh.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Luke’s Challenge; The more you give, the more you get back. Have an impact in a meaningful way through service.   Connect with Luke Twitter LinkedIn Website Underwritten by Piper Creative A digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis specializing in a

Jake Wheatley joined the United States Marine Corps in 1989. He needed more discipline and that’s exactly what her got.   He has since translated the skills and lessons he learned serving in the Gulf War into a career in public service.   Jake Wheatley is a Democratic politician from the state of Pennsylvania. He represents the 19th district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives which includes a number of areas in the city of Pittsburgh including: the Hill District, North Side, South Side, Allentown, Hazelwood, Downtown Pittsburgh, The Bluff, Knoxville, Beltzhoover, Manchester, Arlington, Arlington Heights and, North, South and West Oakland.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Books Mentioned The Art of War by Sun Tzu The Autobiography of Malcolm X Smoketown: The Untold Story of the Other Great Black Renaissance by Mark Whitaker Making Ideas Matter by Dwight Evans   Jake’s Challenge; Get involved in your neighborhood. Democracy demands your talents to be active in

Rich, President & CEO of Innovation Works, leads one of the nation’s most active early-stage investors. In this conversation, we discuss a recent report IW authored with Ernst & Young that detailed the last decade of venture investing in the region.   Some highlights of recent activity include the $225 million acquisition of security awareness trainer Wombat Security by California-based Proofpoint and the $1 billion round of funding recently raised by self-driving car intelligence provider ArgoAI from Ford.   Further, Pittsburgh tech companies have attracted over $3.5 billion in funding over the past 10 years, including $2.1 billion in the past five years. What will this mean for the future of the region?   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Rich’s Challenge; Advocate for the startup community in your region to elected officials.   Connect with Rich LinkedIn Twitter Website   Connect with Piper Creative YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Website   If you liked thi

From an early age, Hannah developed a love for art and creating, and has grown those passions into hard skills that could build a business.   She started HPMedia in 10th grade and was dedicated to growing it part-time throughout high school. After graduating in 2016, she started an apprenticeship/entrepreneurship program called Praxis. After apprenticing at a digital marketing agency, Hannah found sustainable success in full-time creative work.   Piper Creative offers her the opportunity to guide and mentor the next generation of creatives while leveraging their skills to transform brands and drive business outcomes.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Hannah’s Challenge; Look at your daily routine and find 10 minutes to study a completely novel subject.   Connect with Hannah Instagram Twitter   Connect with Piper Creative YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Website   If you liked this interview, check out the video where we launched Piper Creative. Subscribe on iTunes

Lisa is the the President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation. She calls upon over 20 years of experience in the marketplace in sales and marketing and senior management roles, as well as ministry leadership experience, to coach leaders in her day-to-day work.   Lisa provides executive leadership for business development and donor relationships and evaluates and develops new initiatives and partnerships that advance the mission and vision of PLF. Lisa also brings this diverse and invaluable expertise to her role as a Leadership Foundations Senior Associate serving the global network of Local Leadership Foundations.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Lisa’s Challenge; Look at your calendar for tomorrow and assess how you are stewarding yourself. Are you allocating your time correctly?   Connect with Lisa LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Website   Connect with Piper Creative YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Website   If you liked this interview, check out episode

David Cristello had no background in accounting. He’s not a coder. Yet, he is the founder of a fast-growing accounting software startup called Jetpack Workflow.   How’d that happen? David diligently interviewed business owners until he found an untapped opportunity, then struck with full force.   He’s driven to solve painful problems with smart, passionate, and empathetic people and is building his company in Pittsburgh.   Jetpack Workflow is used by thousands of accountants in 12+ countries to help them better manage their client work.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   David’s Challenge; Go sell something in the next 24 hours. An old item around the house, a service you want to offer, or anything you can think of.   Mentioned Dan Kennedy John Carlton Gary Halpert   Connect with David LinkedIn Twitter Website david@jetpackworkflow.com   Connect with Piper Creative YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Website   If you liked this interview, check out our interviews with ot

RE2 Robotics CEO & founder Jorgen Pedersen is responsible for the strategic direction of the Company, developing partnerships and alliances, and overseeing the day-to-day operations.   Jorgen has contributed to the growth of the unmanned systems market for the past 20 years, beginning his career at Carnegie Mellon's National Robotics Engineering Center.   Jorgen is the 2016 Carnegie Science Start-up Entrepreneur of the Year recipient. He has also been recognized for his technology leadership by the Department of Defense. Jorgen was presented with the 2008 Army SBIR Achievement Award for the development of the Small Robot Toolkit for unmanned ground vehicles and the 2011 Tibbetts Award for SBIR Excellence.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Jorgen’s Challenge; Get outside of your comfort zone. Take a risk.   Connect with Jorgen LinkedIn Jorgen's Twitter Website RE2 Robotics Twitter   Connect with Piper Creative YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Website   If you like

We want to talk about what we're learning. If you like this, please let us know in the comments. We appreciate Solomon, Paul, and Michael for submitting questions :) Send questions you have to hannah (at) pipercreative (dot) co  Want to work with us? www.pipercreative.co  Shot and Edited by Hannah Phillips https://www.instagram.com/hpmedia/

Nisha Blackwell is the founder & lead design curator of Knotzland Bowties. Founded in 2014, Knotzland specializes in custom handmade bow ties made from repurposed and reclaimed materials.   Driven by her passion for the environment and reducing waste, Nisha began Knotzland to create distinctive, fashionable goods that speak to the individuality of her customers. Dedicated to sourcing high-quality, salvaged materials, Knotzland issues limited edition, one-of-a-kind bow ties.   Nisha was recently named to Facebook’s small business council. We discuss her humble beginnings, how Instagram has been crucial for growing her business, and how mentors have played a role in her business.   Mentioned The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems by Van Jones   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Nisha’s Challenges; Support makers & businesses of color and find creative ways to reuse and upcycle material.   Connect with Knotzland Instagram Twitter

Michael is an ethicist, writer, artist, educator, and concerned citizen based out of Pittsburgh, PA. He received his PhD from CU-Boulder's Department of Computer Science in Fall 2017. He wrote a thesis focused on the use of socio-technical narrative as a way of communicating, comprehending, teaching, and debating the ethics of new and near-future technologies. His research spans topics such as design fiction, technology ethics, classroom design, engineering ethics pedagogy, futures, and risk.   Michael now serves as the executive director at Community Forge, a mission-driven organization dedicated to rehabbing the Johnston Elementary School in Wilkinsburg, PA into a community centered focused on education, arts, civics, and local business development.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Michael’s Challenge; Either go to an unfamiliar neighborhood and try to venture into a small business or venue and talk to someone there.   Connect with Community Forge Community Forge Web

Search funds are a distinct style of private equity firm that raises a small amount of capital to go find a business to buy. Generational Transfer Entrepreneurs is a private investment firm that works with a group of entrepreneurial operators (Operators-in-Residence) that are looking to individually acquire, operate and grow a privately held businesses. GTE provides business owners with a unique transition opportunity with the entrepreneurs at GTE ready to step into the ownership role with the goal of nurturing and creating long-term value for the company. Jamie talks with Aaron in this episode about the attributes he looks for in OiRs, how his business works, and the importance of self-awareness.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Jamie’s Challenge; Analyze yourself and construct a daily schedule that puts you in a position to do your best work. Self-awareness is a superpower.   Connect with Jamie LinkedIn Website   If you liked this interview, check out episode 269

Todd Bishop the is co-founder and managing editor of GeekWire, a leading technology news site based in Seattle. His company recently completed a one-month residence in Pittsburgh and learned about the burgeoning tech scene and the likelihood of Amazon setting up their HQ2 in town.   Bishop has covered Microsoft, Amazon, and the technology industry for more than a decade in Seattle, most recently as a reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He launched his blog about Microsoft in September 2003, building it into a widely used resource for tracking the software giant.   In February 2008, Bishop was the first to publish internal Microsoft emails in which company executives privately criticized the Windows Vista operating system, even as they publicly praised it. His coverage of Bill Gates' departure from daily life at the company was published by papers including the New York Post. His blog has received honors including a 2008 Best in Business Award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

Pittsburgh is well-known for the robotics and maker movements popping up around town. The software companies have been a bit lacking.   So, I wanted to feature Ryan Green, founder & CEO of Gridwise. Gridwise provides insights into events and activities around your city, so rideshare drivers can drive smarter, increase their daily trips and make more money.   We discuss finding a technical co-founder, the risks of starting a startup, and how Ryan is thinking about the future of the company.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Ryan’s Challenge; Take the time to know the person driving your rideshare vehicle.   Connect with Ryan LinkedIn Twitter Website   If you liked this interview, check out our other interviews with Pittsburgh movers & shakers. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | PodBay

Key Terms CAC - Customer acquisition cost LTV - Lifetime Value ARR - Annual Recurring Revenue MRR - Monthly Recurring Revenue Churn Rate - % of customers that stop paying for your product/service   Ned is one of two founding partners at Birchmere Ventures, which is primarily focused on seed SaaS and marketplace investments. He led Birchmere’s investment in Cvent and served on its board for 11 years.   His other notable investments include TenMarks (acquired by Amazon), Neolinear (acquired by Cadence Design Systems), Peloton Technologies, Presence Learning, Identified Technologies, Modsy, Gem, Gradeslam, Mapper.ai, Ikos, SubCentral, OneKloud, Sleeperbot, and Treatspace.   We cover the 101 of venture capital and how the Pittsburgh startup ecosystem has evolved. Watch the behind-the-scenes on Piper Creative’s vlog.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Ned’s Challenge; Run personal experiments like intermittent fasting.   Connect with Ned LinkedIn Twitter Website ned@birchmer

This is part two of our series on Instagram Chance will be speaking at our April 12th Instagram seminar in Pittsburgh. Get your tickets now.   Chancellor Humphrey is one of the most promising young creators in Pittsburgh. Even though he calls himself out for “sounding old” in this interview, he’s really just at the beginning of a very promising career.   In addition to top-notch photography skills, Chance has built an event series called Creatives Drink with his business partner Cody Baker. Once a quarter, they throw a really fun party at venues around Pittsburgh that is free to attend and consists of a diverse mix of attendees.   In this conversation, we touch on building your photography skills, throwing great parties, and stealing like an artist.   Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Chance’s Challenge; Don’t let fear paralyze you. Take action.   Connect with Chance Instagram Website   If you liked this interview, check out episode 184 with the Drinking Partners Ed Bai

This is part one of a two-part series on Instagram. Erin will be speaking at our April 12th Instagram seminar in Pittsburgh. Get your tickets now.    Erin Bachman is a wife and mother of two.  At her website, Caffeine & Cuddles, she documents the trials and tribulations of being a new mom.   Her content and career, through brand deals and sponsorship, represents the brave new world of niche influencer marketing. While building a community and sharing her daily life, Erin has found a way to be a stay at home mom and contribute an income to her household.   During pregnancy and postpartum, she stumbled across the mommy blogging world and fell in love with how helpful and open women were with their experiences.  She also learned a thing or two about building an Instagram account that drives meaningful business results. Never miss one of our best episodes by subscribing to the newsletter.   Erin’s Challenge; Take one thing you learned from the interview and implement it on your own account.   Connect with Er

I don’t think I have ever been this excited about a professional project in my entire life. My new company, Piper Creative, is a a digital agency that provides strategy, delivery, and analysis. We specialize in a few key service offerings.   Instagram Content Production & Account Building Podcast Production, Strategy Consulting, and Guest Acquisition Documentary-as-a-Service (Vlogging 2.0)   You don’t have to be interested in being a client to reach out and set up a meeting. I’d love to talk with you about it.   Watch the day-to-day growth of the Company on YouTube.   Connect with Piper Creative Facebook Instagram Twitter Website Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | PodBay

ZeroSixEight Founder Dan Bull spoke at the 2018 Going Deep Summit about second chances, entrepreneurship, and human potential. Damon's company is Codex Security; https://www.codexsecure.com/ Get your tickets for GDS 2019 before prices go up https://www.eventbrite.com/e/going-deep-summit-20-tickets-42614583366 Produced and Edited by Aaron Watson Twitter - https://twitter.com/AaronWatson59 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aaronwatson59/ Snapchat - https://www.snapchat.com/add/aaron_watson Newsletter - http://www.goingdeepwithaaron.com/join.html Livestream Video Produced and Captured by Work Hard Digital