.png)
The Unscripted Climb
Welcome to The Unscripted Climb. This is the podcast where business gets real and the filters get left at the door.
Hosted by Chris Beecham, a no-fluff entrepreneur who’s sold plasma to keep the lights on, and Natalie Micale, a branding expert who’s built more than her fair share of empires from scratch. We’re here to talk about what actually happens behind the highlight reels.
This isn’t your manifest your best life show. This is for the founders, leaders, and business owners who’ve white-knuckled their way through growth, failure, reinvention, and maybe a public meltdown or two.
Why Listen?
Because behind every shiny brand is a messy middle.
We ask the questions most podcasts won’t
- What was your biggest screw-up
- How close were you to quitting
- And what kept you from walking away
What You’ll Hear:
• Wild origin stories
• Marketing disasters and comebacks
• Real-talk sales advice
• Team dynamics that don’t make it into LinkedIn posts
• And the kind of lessons you only learn after failing hard
Our Vibe?
Dry humor. Sharp insights. Candid convos with zero corporate gloss.
If you're tired of recycled advice and ready for the honest version of entrepreneurship, you're in the right place.
Subscribe and join the climb. Awkward stumbles and all.
The Unscripted Climb
Ep 1 – Chris Beecham: From Selling Plasma to Selling Merch
🎙️ Episode 1: How Losing Everything Became the Start of Everything
Welcome to the relaunch of The Unscripted Climb, where business isn’t always pretty—but it’s always real. Host Chris Beecham kicks things off by sharing his own story of screwing things up, starting over, and building again (and again).
From riding high in real estate to bottoming out in bankruptcy court, Chris talks through what it actually takes to rebuild a life and a business—without the LinkedIn fluff.
This is for the entrepreneurs who’ve cried in their car, second-guessed everything, and kept going anyway.
What You’ll Hear:
- How the 2008 market crash wrecked his first business
- The gym that bankrupted him
- How Empire Painting rose from the ashes
- Why Perch Merch exists (and how it’s still fighting to grow)
- Juggling two podcasts, multiple businesses, and some mild sanity
🚨 Sponsored by Real Life (and also: Perch Merch + Oh Hello Agency)
We’re not here to sell you cheap pens—we help businesses build brand loyalty through custom merch, smart marketing, and premium design.
💥 Want a free merch or brand audit? Just ask. No pressure, just people helping people.
👉 Perch-Merch.com
👉 OhHelloAgency.com
⏱️ Timestamps for the Skippers:
- 00:42 – Losing it all in the 2008 crash
- 08:57 – Buying a gym (and regretting everything)
- 18:54 – Rebuilding with Empire Painting
- 27:31 – Starting Perch Merch while still figuring it out
- 36:23 – Lessons in trust, marketing, and sheer survival
📈 Keywords
entrepreneurship journey, business after bankruptcy, real estate market crash, failed gym story, starting over in business, building a painting company, starting a screen printing business, promotional products, brand marketing agency, Perch Merch, Oh Hello Agency, podcast for business owners, real business advice
💬 Brought to you by Perch Merch — where your merch game levels up, or you don’t play at all. And Oh Hello Agency — where brands get their act together.
💥 Want a free merch or brand audit? Just ask. No pressure, just people helping people.
👉 Perch-Merch.com
👉 OhHelloAgency.co
🔗 Connect with Us: