OnlyFounders
What really happens when two founders hit record?
Welcome to OnlyFounders, the unfiltered podcast where Anne Gillaspie and Matt Lo—two wildly different founders with wildly good chemistry—let you eavesdrop on the conversations that usually happen behind closed doors.
From the brand therapist brain of Anne (Fix & Form) to the tech-obsessed mind of Matt (ChipBot), these are the deep dives, off-the-rails riffs, and philosophical rabbit holes that business owners crave but rarely get. Think of it as your morning coffee with two founders who aren’t afraid to disagree, throw a little shade, and get real about the humanity and science of building things that last.
Business. Branding. Technology. Psychology. Strategy. Swearing. It’s all on the table.
Grab your mug. You’re invited.
Episodes
26 episodes
026: Half Effort, Half Outcome
Matt admits he could never work for anyone else — the moment he’s told to “just agree,” he checks out. That sparks a debate with Anne about ownership, leadership, and how every company mirrors its founder’s effort. Anne shares how her best coll...
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26:21
025: When Pain Meets Business: Boundaries, Burnout, and the Franchise Temptation
Anne opens up about her recent battle with nerve pain and how it’s forced her to rethink recovery — both physically and professionally. Matt draws a parallel between nerve pain and startup pain, sharing one of his hardest moments as a founder w...
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55:33
024: Share Your Freak: Building the Brand of You
Anne reveals her newest venture — the business of Anne — and introduces her bold new brand, Share Your Freak. It’s a raw conversation about embracing the quirks we hide, turning vulnerability into connection, and creating a bran...
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18:14
023: Surviving Disruption, Thriving in Community
In this episode, Matt and Anne sit down with entrepreneur Sandra Graves, founder of Innova Industries and founder of Hub HTX. Sandra shares her journey from a initial role in the intermodal shipping world to running two different businesses—one...
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1:04:20
022: Anne’s Finance Moves, Matt’s $500K Crypto Loss
Anne and Matt dig into how founders think about money, growth, and energy. Anne shares her recent dive into bonds, T-bills, and high-yield savings accounts—and why she treats checking accounts as “dead money.” Matt contrasts by explaining why a...
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50:26
021: The Planner vs. The Improviser - Travel, Poker, and Startup Pressure
Anne and Matt compare two founder mindsets: Anne thrives on preparation and systems, while Matt embraces last-minute decisions and unpredictability. From hunting flight deals to playing high-stakes poker, they unpack how different approaches to...
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1:09:30
020: Before the Exit: Branding, Valuation, and the Hidden Runway
Anne checks in from rainy Times Square with stories of DIY travel hacks and pitching her new workshop to New York business owners. Along the way, she and Matt get into what it really takes to prepare a business for acquisition — from v...
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26:09
019: Risk, Reward, and the Hunt for the One Big Marketing Win
Anne and Matt dive deep into the messy, thrilling, and often contradictory world of growth hacking. From coworking space partnerships and unscalable local plays to billboard-style ads with QR codes, Matt shares how he’s testing ChipBot’s fall g...
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48:42
018: Momentum Means Sacrifice, or Death by a Thousand Cuts
Anne and Matt dive into the unspoken cost of being the momentum driver in your business. They wrestle with boundaries, burnout, and what it really means to keep growth alive when you’re the one with skin in the game.Anne opens up about s...
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1:05:48
017: From Startup to Acquisition: Self-Care, 50 Employees, and Founder Lessons with Danika Brysha
Anne and Matt welcome their very first guest, longtime friend and self-care entrepreneur Danika Brysha. Together, they explore the unglamorous but transformative side of building both businesses and lives that actually work: from Danika’s journ...
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1:07:34
016: Navigating the Labyrinth: Challenges and Strategies in Podcast Marketing for "OnlyFounders"
Anne and Matt unpack the brutal, often overlooked reality of growing a podcast: from Apple’s infuriating review process to why even marketing pros hate promoting their work—plus, they share actionable strategies (live recordings, socia...
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54:26
015: "Breathe In Trust, Breathe Out Fear": The Founder's Rebirth & The Path to Personal Branding
Anne and Matt explore the intricate balance between professional aspirations and family duties, with Anne sharing how she prioritized her personal brand over other business ventures following Matt's question about her "one thing" and a fortunat...
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47:55
014: “AI's Double-Edged Sword”: Reshaping Work, Education & the Need for Human Comprehension
Anne and Matt dive deep into the pervasive influence of Artificial Intelligence, scrutinizing its rapid advancements and the consequent impact on various job markets and educational systems. They discuss how AI has already begun replacing roles...
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26:56
013: “The Human Touch vs. The Algorithm”: How Founders Win Attention (and Avoid 'Yuck Marketing')
Anne and Matt dive into the often-underestimated challenges of podcast distribution and marketing, questioning if the hardest part of their journey has just begun. They discuss the critical role of empathy and human connection in effective mark...
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28:15
012: “The 10X Thinker vs. The 10X Doer”: Why Founders Burn Out Without Execution Partners
Anne and Matt break down the founder’s most dangerous illusion: trying to be the visionary, the operator, and the technician all at once. From E-Myth’s three roles to the brutal drain of execution on future energy, they map out why “10...
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26:28
011: "Every Founder Has a Bark Collar Story": Panic, Guilt & the Systems That Break Us
Anne and Matt kick off with a weekend disaster—Anne’s dog, Noodles, gets caught in a bark-collar meltdown that spirals into chaos (and a bite). From there, they pivot hard into founder psychology: why crises hit hardest when you’re already stre...
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43:24
010: “Do You Even Work?”: Redefining Hustle, Ownership & the Founder Headspace
Anne and Matt ask a question most founders dodge: is this still fun? They dig into what “work” even means when your job is building ideas, making money for others, or just thinking alone on a walk. Anne wrestles with whether Fix & ...
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40:41
009: “The Visionary Becomes the Director”: How Founders Win in the Age of AI
Anne and Matt map out the next frontier of creative work—and it's not copywriting, coding, or design. It’s directing. From AI-powered staffing agencies to cross-cultural startup playbooks, they explore how founders need to evolve from builders ...
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28:40
008: “Lipstick on a Pig”: Manipulation, Marketing & the Ethics of Selling
Anne and Matt go deep on the blurry line between persuasion and manipulation—and what happens when you realize you can sell absolute sh*t if you want to. They dissect the ethics of marketing vs. branding, why donation-based models might be doom...
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19:31
007: “You Don’t Need AI. You Need Customers”: The Founder Trap of Overengineering
Anne and Matt riff on the wildest ideas they’d build if they started from scratch today. From vibe coding and AI-powered branding sprints to drone-delivered popsicles at playgrounds, this episode is a firehose of innovation meets realism. Anne ...
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33:31
006: “Marketing Doesn’t Matter If You Suck”: Real Talk on Product, Trust & Growth
Anne and Matt rip apart the illusion of modern marketing—where vanity metrics and fake reviews rule, and nobody fact-checks sh*t. They debate the ethics of “fake it till you make it,” explore why good SEO doesn’t mean paying an agency forever, ...
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38:25
005: “You Have No Time to Be Racist”: How Startups Strip Bias in the Name of Growth
Anne and Matt dive headfirst into one of the rawest convos in startup land: race, bias, and who actually gets hired. From language immersion to startup hiring pipelines, they ask what’s fair, what’s real, and what’s just PR. Anne unpacks her ow...
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45:15
004: “Business Plans Are Bullsh*t”: What Founders Actually Learn by Screwing Up
Anne and Matt unload on one of the most sacred cows in startup land: the business plan. From bootstrapping to burnout, they argue that movement—not modeling—is what drives real progress. Anne unpacks how her chaotic childhood wired her to thriv...
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58:37
003: “Everything Else Is Fake”: Why People Still Crave Realness in an AI World
Anne and Matt go deep on what it means to be human in an AI-generated world. From prompt hacks to table tennis at altitude, they debate when tech adds value—and when it just fakes the funk. Anne breaks down the hormonal truth behind founder ene...
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20:00
002: “Reverse Ranking Imperfection”: Why Founders Should Embrace the Mess
Anne and Matt dive deep into the messy reality of mixing friendship and business—and why it usually doesn’t work. They unpack the emotional landmines of hiring friends, share raw confessions about sacrificing pay, and debate when founders shoul...
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31:46