Founders in Full
Founders in Full explores the future of family-focused solutions—from innovative tech startups to mission-driven services and products that help parents, caregivers, and families thrive.
Each episode features candid conversations with founders on what it really takes to start and scale: from customer research and product-market fit to brand positioning and marketing strategies that drive growth.
Whether you’re a family-focused founder, investor, or advocate, you’ll hear real stories and practical lessons on finding your ideal customer, crafting trust-building messaging, choosing the right channels, and prioritizing time and budget when every decision counts.
Hosted by Dan Ritzke—Fractional CMO and FamTech Marketing Consultant—Founders in Full shares the stories and insights of the people shaping the next generation of family-centered solutions.
Founders in Full
Paul Richardson - Tumbleweed
Paul Richardson, Founder of Tumbleweed, shares how his own family experiences—and a 20-year career in healthcare—sparked the idea for a digital platform that helps families plan for aging and end-of-life. After losing six loved ones in six years and seeing first-hand how disorganized the process can be, Paul built Tumbleweed to simplify everything from storing key documents to closing gaps in planning and even supporting families after a death.
We explore:
✅ How a four-month cross-country road trip helped Paul process grief and inspired the earliest version of Tumbleweed
✅ Why early customer interviews shifted the product from post-death support to proactive pre-planning
✅ How Tumbleweed partners with insurance carriers to help policyholders get organized and protect their families
✅ Lessons from building an MVP in just a few months and iterating quickly
✅ Why a founder-led brand and authentic storytelling are critical in a space as personal as aging and end-of-life planning
Paul shares candid insights on navigating the “sandwich generation,” building a startup in a highly emotional category, and why empathy and lived experience can be a powerful competitive advantage.
👉 Learn more about Tumbleweed: https://tumbleweedplan.com/
👉 Connect with Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulhrichardsonjr/
👉 Listen to the Sandwhiched podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/19UOaQ0j9jITHkCvrfKlHR
Connect with me (Dan Ritzke):
I’m a Fractional CMO who helps FamTech companies position their brand, sharpen their messaging, create marketing strategies that drive growth, and oversee execution to make sure those plans turn into results.
👉 Visit my website: https://danritzke.com/
👉 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ritzke/
Apply to be on the podcast or nominate a founder:
👉 Founders in Full: https://danritzke.com/podcast/