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 6- Steven Stark- How Thriftworld Built 8 Stores Without Selling Out
What does it take to grow a thrift store empire in a world obsessed with fast fashion? In this episode of The Unscripted Climb, we sit down with Steve Stark, founder of Thriftworld—an Omaha-based thrift chain now spanning eight locations—to uncover the real journey behind building a sustainable business that actually scales.
Steve doesn’t hold back. He dives into the 12-year grind of growth, the myths surrounding thrift stores, and how his team reinvented the thrifting experience to feel more like a treasure hunt than a discount bin. You'll hear how e-commerce reshaped their strategy, why culture and leadership became his secret weapon, and how COVID nearly wrecked everything—but didn’t.
Whether you’re a fan of entrepreneurship, marketing strategy, sustainability, or you just love a good business underdog story—this episode delivers. Unfiltered, real, and packed with hard-earned insight.
What You'll Learn:
- How Steve transitioned from a family biz into the thrift economy
- The operational differences between Thriftworld and Goodwill
- Why branding and experience matter—even in secondhand retail
- How to lead with empathy, define clear roles, and grow a resilient team
- The marketing strategies that turned Thriftworld into a regional brand
- What COVID taught him about business (hint: adapt or die)
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