You Can't Afford Me
Making the leap from employment to entrepreneurship can be a scary time. The biggest fear people have is the unknown. Here on the “You Can’t Afford Me Podast” we speak with hustlers and innovators on how to make the most of your journey. If you have questions we have answers.
Episodes
106 episodes
From Compton To Credit Fixer Through Code
Somebody offered Khabir “KB” Muhammed $50 million for his company and he said no. That moment is just the headline. The real story is how a kid from Compton turns pressure into discipline, uses sports and computer science to build a career, get...
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A Former Ballerina Turns Reinvention Into A Thriving Mom Fitness Business
A career-ending injury can take more than your paycheck. It can take your identity. Natalie Russell lived that firsthand as a professional ballet dancer, then had to rebuild from zero, across countries, careers, and seasons of motherhood. Her s...
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Swim Coach To CEO
You probably think you know the YMCA. A pool. A gym. A place you went as a kid. Then Jody Alexander, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Richmond, sits down with us and reveals the much bigger truth: the Y is a community engine that mixes ...
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The Nonprofit Funding Blueprint For Bigger Gifts
If your nonprofit is hustling for small donations but still feels broke, the math might be the problem, not your mission. We sit down with Trevor Bragdon, founder of Seven Figure Fundraising, and get real about where nonprofit funding actually ...
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We Rebuild A Wedding Division Around Two Creatives Who Actually Love Weddings
Cake gets eaten. Flowers fade. The one thing that can outlive your wedding day by decades is the story you save. We sit down with Slade and Kinsley, the two creatives who sparked our decision to reopen Enso's wedding division, and we get honest...
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How A Music Career Built An Insurance Entrepreneur
Rod Powell didn’t wake up planning to work in insurance. He spent two decades building a music career, learning the hard way how the business really works, and discovering the one lesson that translates everywhere: if you don’t own the asset, y...
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Building A Startup At IHOP Until 3 AM
A lot of people talk about “building something.” Cameron and Sam actually do it, fast. Cameron is a Virginia Tech student with a deep coding background. Sam is a longtime hustler who has already scaled real service businesses through door-to-do...
How A Travel Planner Builds Trips You Cannot Google
You can book a trip in minutes, but can you build a trip that actually feels like you? We sit down with Joe Foster, owner of Living Your Bucket Listed Travel, to talk about what separates a basic booking from a true bucket list experience and w...
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A Sudden Firing Forces A Chef To Bet On Himself
He gets fired 89 days into a six figure job, then wakes up to EMTs in his bedroom after a seizure he never saw coming. That could have been the end of the story, but for Gary it becomes the moment he stops waiting for “security” and starts buil...
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One Million Views In 28 Days
One million views in 28 days without being a massive influencer sounds impossible until you see the breakdown. I go platform by platform and share exactly what I posted, how often I posted, and what the analytics actually said across TikTok, Yo...
How A Nurse Practitioner Built A Mobile IV Wellness Business In Richmond Virginia
Your body sends signals you can’t afford to ignore and sometimes the simplest fix is hydration, delivered the fastest way possible. We sit down with April, a family nurse practitioner and the founder of Inovitamin Solutions in Richmond, Virgini...
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Makeup Brushes, Backroads, And “Sugar Honey Iced Tea”
What happens when childhood pageants, Army discipline, and a love for beauty collide? We sit down with Kiersta, founder of Artistry by K, to unpack how a five-year-old’s stage sparkle turned into a luxury bridal brand built on grit, service, an...
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From Online School To AI: A Teen Entrepreneur’s Playbook
What if a 17-year-old could show you a cleaner path to freedom than most adults? Meet Jeremiah Schwartz, a young founder who traded hallway chatter for online school, rebuilt his algorithm to feed him mentors instead of memes, and launched an A...
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From Dream Manor To Living Zoo Retreat
What if your morning coffee came with a giraffe strolling past your window? We sit down with Molly to unpack the bold vision behind Wilde Manor, a restored 1854 estate in Halifax County transforming into a stay-over safari that blends hands-on ...
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How A Nonprofit Turned A City Into A Movement
What if a city could turn movement into its superpower? We sat down with Will, executive director of Sports Backers, to unpack how Richmond’s biggest runs, boldest trails, and friendliest training teams all connect to one mission: make active l...
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Why A Nonprofit Newsroom Might Save Your City
The daily paper used to be how we learned our city. Then the habits moved online, and a lot of essential coverage never made the jump. Michael Phillips, editor and founder of The Richmonder, joins us to share how a nonprofit newsroom is rebuild...
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How Smarter Systems, Clear Stories, And Engaged Boards Transform Nonprofits
Want a nonprofit that runs like a mission-driven powerhouse instead of a tired hustle? We sit down with fundraising consultant Nick Sollog to unpack the real levers that move revenue and impact: clean systems, aligned teams, strong boards, and ...
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One Woman’s Journey From Burnout To Community Impact
What happens when a safe room in your grandmother’s house becomes the blueprint for community change? We sit down with Tonya Pulliam, executive director and founder, to unpack a two-part mission: housing and life skills for young adults aging o...
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Tim Hightower On Money, Mindset, And Building A Flag Football Movement
A single scholarship. A rookie Super Bowl. A second act built on patience, process, and purpose. Tim Hightower joins us to share how a less than 1% journey through the NFL became a blueprint for entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and communi...
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She Turned Panic Into A Plan And Grew A Multi-Stream Beauty Business
What does it take to build a resilient beauty brand when the ground vanishes beneath your feet? Whitney’s story begins with family scissors and a high school cosmetology license, but the turning point hits hard: her salon closes with almost no ...
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How A Restaurateur Turned A $10K Bet Into An Outdoor Hospitality Venture
You don’t need a flight to feel far away. In our conversation with Kevin Wilson, we explore how a former sushi chef and restaurant owner is building Camp Yellow Cardinal, a 24.5-acre glamping retreat designed for couples who crave nature withou...
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I Didn’t Sign Up For A Paycheck, I Signed Up For Opportunity
What if the fastest path to growth isn’t quitting your job, but changing how you show up inside it? Jessica Thomas joins us to share how she moved from healthcare operations through a pandemic storm into real estate leadership, co‑founding Impa...
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From Broke To Booked: A Salon Owner’s Grit Journey
The glossy version of entrepreneurship skips the chapters that actually build empires: selling your car to fund fixtures, skipping paychecks to make payroll, and showing up at the front desk the day your team walks out. Natalie takes us into th...
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When Machines Replaced His Job, He Chose To Learn Them And Built A Business
The moment machines rolled into the Netflix DVD warehouse, James had a choice: stay comfortable at the tables up front or learn the new tech no one wanted to touch. He chose the hard thing. That decision didn’t just save a job; it rewired how h...
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How A Local Realtor Turned Green Screen Reels Into Real Leads
What if your next client found you because you explained their future neighborhood better than anyone else? We sit down with Amanda of Richmond Living to unpack how she turned local curiosity into a thriving, search-driven real estate funnel—wi...
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