How do you grow from a first acquisition with just 9 employees into an organization of more than 2,000 people?

For Charbel Louis Karam, the answer wasn’t perfect planning. It was learning to evaluate risk, make decisions without having every answer, recognize mistakes quickly, and keep moving.

Charbel is the CEO and Managing Partner of Spectrum Killian Dental Lab Alliance. His unconventional career took him from commercial aviation and aerospace leadership at Airbus and Pratt & Whitney Canada into manufacturing, private equity, entrepreneurship, acquisitions, and the rapidly changing dental laboratory industry.

In this CONDENSED edition of From The Ground Up Show, Charbel explains why leaders must become comfortable making decisions with roughly 70% of the available information. Drawing on his experience flying search-and-rescue and medevac missions, he shares what aviation taught him about pressure, preparation, and calculated risk.

He also describes leaving the resources and security of private equity to run a small business, where cash flow, payroll, and every purchasing decision suddenly mattered. That experience taught him lessons about money and operations that an MBA and years of analyzing businesses could not.

Charbel and Erick Loden discuss recognizing overlooked opportunities, turning founder-dependent craftsmanship into repeatable systems, and building the people and infrastructure required to scale. They also examine why good leaders admit bad decisions, correct course quickly, and refuse to let overthinking become an excuse for inaction.

As Charbel puts it, “You’re not going to PowerPoint your way to success.”

This focused episode brings together the most useful lessons from a much larger conversation about entrepreneurship, acquisitions, leadership, risk, and scaling a company without losing what made it valuable.

Follow From The Ground Up Show CONDENSED in your podcast app, and share this episode with someone building or leading a business.

WATCH THE CONVERSATION

Full episode:
https://youtu.be/rvOcqFISL24

CONDENSED episode:
https://youtu.be/LraZ4Uj2c10

LISTEN TO EVERY FORMAT

From The Ground Up Show:
https://pod.link/1846907140

From The Ground Up Show CONDENSED:
https://pod.link/6806079674

From The Ground Up Show: Topics:
https://pod.link/6808750058

WATCH FOCUSED TOPICS

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLud9Edq6T5ZwT7z38p86WE6DUpEhbbaFU

THE WEEK’S CONVERSATIONS, IN ONE EMAIL

Choose the depth that fits your time: the full conversation, a roughly 20-minute CONDENSED edition, or a focused Topics episode.

Join the From The Ground Up Show newsletter:
https://fromthegroundupshow.com/newsletter/

GUEST & RESOURCES

Charbel Louis Karam on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charbellouis

Spectrum Killian Dental Lab Alliance:
https://skdla.com

Spectrum Killian on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/skdla

PARTNERS & SPONSORS

MacArthur Company:
https://www.macarthurco.com

Athlete Fresh:
https://athletefresh.shop/fromthegroundupshow

ABOUT FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW

Real stories. Hard lessons. Stronger foundations. From The Ground Up Show features honest conversations and practical lessons for owners, operators, tradespeople, entrepreneurs, and leaders building something that lasts.

https://fromthegroundupshow.com

Jonathan Domsky's entrepreneurial journey began with a one-way ticket to China, a chance encounter that became a love story, and a determination to build a life with more freedom. That path led Jonathan and his wife to launch Kidorable from a studio apartment and grow it into a global children's accessories brand.

In this condensed conversation, Jonathan explains how Kidorable grew from $40,000 in first-year sales to a multimillion-dollar business, why the Great Recession forced a painful but necessary pivot toward e-commerce, and how a values-driven culture helped the company scale without losing its humanity.

Jonathan also shares his practical approach to standard operating procedures: train people clearly, give them the confidence to make decisions, and make the first SOP a rule for when not to follow an SOP. It is a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, adaptability, leadership, purpose, and building systems that help people thrive.

Connect on LinkedIn: Search for Jonathan Domsky

THE WEEK'S CONVERSATIONS, IN ONE EMAIL

Choose the depth that fits your time: the full conversation, a roughly 20-minute CONDENSED edition, or a focused Topics episode.

Join the From The Ground Up Show newsletter: https://fromthegroundupshow.com/newsletter/

WATCH THIS CONDENSED EPISODE

YouTube: https://youtu.be/pzwNXIhLPyQ

WATCH THE FULL-LENGTH EPISODE

YouTube: https://youtu.be/aWHllkTAYTk

GO DEEPER WITH FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW

This is From The Ground Up Show CONDENSED: the conversation in roughly 20 minutes. Get more context, stories, and lessons in the full-length interviews.

Watch and subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@FromTheGroundUp-k9p

Listen to the full show: https://pod.link/1846907140

MORE FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW CONDENSED

YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa9BVKGD64tA

Podcast apps: https://pod.link/6806079674

GUEST & RESOURCES

Jonathan Domsky - Untangled Coaching: https://untangled-coaching.com

Jonathan Domsky on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-personal-growth-coach

PARTNERS & SPONSORS

https://www.macarthurco.com

https://athletefresh.shop/fromthegroundupshow

ABOUT FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW

Real stories. Hard lessons. Stronger foundations. From The Ground Up Show delivers honest business and leadership conversations and practical lessons for owners, operators, tradespeople, entrepreneurs, and leaders building something that lasts—with hearts, hands, and hustle.

Hosted by Erick Loden, a former commercial roofing company owner and business advisor. From 2014 to 2025, he owned and ran his roofing company, growing annual revenue more than eightfold and operating profit nearly fifteenfold before completing a successful internal sale.

Website: https://www.fromthegroundupshow.com

Have a question for Erick or an upcoming guest?

https://fromthegroundupshow.com/ask-a-question/

Have a story built through hearts, hands, and hustle? Apply to be a guest and tell your story:

https://fromthegroundupshow.com/be-a-guest/

#Entrepreneurship #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #PurposeDrivenBusiness #FromTheGroundUpShow

Former New South Wales Police Detective Sergeant Craig Semple spent 25 years working homicide investigations, drug operations, and outlaw motorcycle gang cases. He loved the danger, the camaraderie, and the hunt — until the pressure he kept hidden began dismantling his sleep, health, identity, and family life.

In this condensed edition, Craig recounts the major organized-crime investigation that capped his career, the warning signs of post-traumatic stress disorder he concealed for years, and the psychological breakdown that ultimately forced him out of policing.

He speaks candidly about depression, the collapse of his marriage, a suicide attempt, and the lesson he now shares everywhere: getting help early can radically change the outcome.

Craig also explains how he approached recovery like a detective. He built a practical wellbeing plan from exercise, meditation, cognitive behavioral strategies, and very small daily actions — including a deceptively simple rule for returning to surfing: just get wet.

This conversation is about the cost of appearing bulletproof, the courage required to ask for help, and how people can rebuild purpose after the identity that defined them disappears.

IN THIS CONDENSED CONVERSATION

• The final investigation: A coordinated operation targeting an entire outlaw motorcycle gang chapter.

• The hidden injury: How nightmares, hypervigilance, sleep deprivation, alcohol, and emotional numbing accumulated.

• The personal cost: Loss of career, identity, control, marriage, and the crisis that followed.

• The early-help lesson: Why a handful of timely sessions might have prevented years of suffering and hundreds of later appointments.

• The recovery plan: How small, repeatable actions helped Craig rebuild direction, momentum, and purpose.

THE WEEK'S CONVERSATIONS, IN ONE EMAIL

Choose the depth that fits your time: the full conversation, a roughly 20-minute CONDENSED edition, or a focused Topics episode.

Join the From The Ground Up Show newsletter: https://fromthegroundupshow.com/newsletter/

WATCH THIS CONDENSED EPISODE

YouTube: https://youtu.be/2C65Adp0z9Q

WATCH THE FULL-LENGTH EPISODE

YouTube: https://youtu.be/5pxPUIFg1BY

GO DEEPER WITH FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW

This is From The Ground Up Show CONDENSED: the conversation in roughly 20 minutes. Get more context, stories, and lessons in the full-length interviews.

Watch and subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@FromTheGroundUp-k9p

Listen to the full show: https://pod.link/1846907140

MORE FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW CONDENSED

YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa9BVKGD64tA

Podcast apps: https://pod.link/6806079674

GUEST & RESOURCES

Mentality Plus: mentalityplus.com.au

Craig's story: mentalityplus.com.au/my-story

Craig's books: mentalityplus.com.au/buy-book

LinkedIn: Craig Semple

Instagram: @semple_mentality

PARTNERS & SPONSORS

MacArthur Co.: macarthurco.com

Athlete Fresh: athletefresh.shop/fromthegroundupshow

ABOUT FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW

Real stories. Hard lessons. Stronger foundations. From The Ground Up Show delivers honest business and leadership conversations and practical lessons for owners, operators, tradespeople, entrepreneurs, and leaders building something that lasts—with hearts, hands, and hustle.

Hosted by Erick Loden, a former commercial roofing company owner and business advisor. From 2014 to 2025, he owned and ran his roofing company, growing annual revenue more than eightfold and operating profit nearly fifteenfold before completing a successful internal sale.

Website: https://www.fromthegroundupshow.com

Have a question for Erick or an upcoming guest?

https://fromthegroundupshow.com/ask-a-question/

Have a story built through hearts, hands, and hustle? Apply to be a guest and tell your story:

https://fromthegroundupshow.com/be-a-guest/

#CraigSemple #MentalHealth #PTSD #Resilience #Leadership #PoliceStories #FromTheGroundUpShow #FTGUSCondensed

What happens when you quit successful corporate careers, travel the world looking for a business idea, and eventually stumble across a beer spa in Poland? Jessica and Damien knew they wanted to build something together—but they didn’t know exactly what. So they left their careers in New York City, traveled through 25 countries over 14 months, and studied unusual business concepts along the way. A coin flip eventually sent them to Eastern Europe, where a rainy day in Poland introduced them to the idea that would become Oakwell Beer Spa. In this FTGUS CONDENSED conversation, Jessica and Damien share how they went from discovering an unconventional idea to actually building the business—including an underfunded construction project, buying used equipment at auctions, working side jobs to keep going, and figuring things out as they went. They also explain what happened when Oakwell opened to far more demand than expected, why they became obsessive about the customer experience, and the lesson they believe every aspiring entrepreneur should understand before turning a passion into a business.

In this condensed episode:

Why Jessica and Damien walked away from corporate careers

Traveling 25 countries in search of a scalable business idea

The coin flip that ultimately led them to Oakwell Beer Spa

Building an unusual concept with limited capital

Getting creative when the construction budget fell apart

Launching to overwhelming demand

Protecting the customer experience while learning on the fly

Why passion alone isn’t enough to build a successful business

THE WEEK'S CONVERSATIONS, IN ONE EMAIL

Choose the depth that fits your time: the full conversation, a roughly 20-minute CONDENSED edition, or a focused Topics episode.

Join the From The Ground Up Show newsletter: https://fromthegroundupshow.com/newsletter/

WATCH THIS CONDENSED EPISODE

YouTube: https://youtu.be/-zBofWKI1qk

WATCH THE FULL-LENGTH EPISODE

YouTube: https://youtu.be/qP81T5NVqwY

GO DEEPER WITH FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW

This is From The Ground Up Show CONDENSED: the conversation in roughly 20 minutes. Get more context, stories, and lessons in the full-length interviews.

Watch and subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@FromTheGroundUp-k9p

Listen to the full show: https://pod.link/1846907140

MORE FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW CONDENSED

YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa9BVKGD64tA

Podcast apps: https://pod.link/6806079674

GUEST & RESOURCES

https://oakwellfranchise.com/

https://oakwell.com/

PARTNERS & SPONSORS

https://www.macarthurco.com

https://athletefresh.shop/fromthegroundupshow

ABOUT FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW

Real stories. Hard lessons. Stronger foundations. From The Ground Up Show delivers honest business and leadership conversations and practical lessons for owners, operators, tradespeople, entrepreneurs, and leaders building something that lasts—with hearts, hands, and hustle.

Hosted by Erick Loden, a former commercial roofing company owner and business advisor. From 2014 to 2025, he owned and ran his roofing company, growing annual revenue more than eightfold and operating profit nearly fifteenfold before completing a successful internal sale.

Website: https://www.fromthegroundupshow.com

Have a question for Erick or an upcoming guest?

https://fromthegroundupshow.com/ask-a-question/

Have a story built through hearts, hands, and hustle? Apply to be a guest and tell your story:

https://fromthegroundupshow.com/be-a-guest/

#Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #SmallBusiness #FounderStory #HospitalityBusiness #Franchising #FromTheGroundUpShow

Dashaun Bryantwent from flunking out of college and working retail to closing four roofingdeals in his first week. In this focused edition, the Roof Hustlers founderexplains how an unexpected sales job revealed his talent for coaching, why hestarted publishing before the audience arrived, and how he finally chose thebrand over the security of active selling.

THE WEEK'S CONVERSATIONS, IN ONE EMAIL

Choose thedepth that fits your time: the full conversation, a roughly 20-minute CONDENSEDedition, or a focused Topics episode.

Join the FromThe Ground Up Show newsletter: https://fromthegroundupshow.com/newsletter/

IN THIS EPISODE

• Growing up inManatee County, flunking out of college, and working retail before salesentered the picture

• Closing fourroofing deals in his first week and discovering that he could train others towin

• Spotting atraining gap, launching Roof Hustlers, and building an audience throughconsistent useful content

• Growing froma $300 gift-card speaking job to national training work and manufacturer events

• Leavingactive roofing sales, protecting the reputation he had built, and focusingfully on Roof Hustlers

WATCH THIS CONDENSED EPISODE

YouTube: https://youtu.be/JqbVAstlTOc

WATCH THE FULL-LENGTH EPISODE

YouTube: https://youtu.be/MTf-BWMWA4E

GO DEEPER WITH FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW

This is FromThe Ground Up Show CONDENSED: the conversation in roughly 20 minutes. Get morecontext, stories, and lessons in the full-length interviews.

Watch andsubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@FromTheGroundUp-k9p

Listen to thefull show: https://pod.link/1846907140

MORE FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW CONDENSED

YouTubeplaylist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa9BVKGD64tA

Podcast apps: https://pod.link/6806079674

GUEST & RESOURCES

Dashaun Bryantand Roof Hustlers: https://roofhustlers.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@roofhustlers6686

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roofhustlers/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@roofhustlers

Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/roofhustlers/

PARTNERS & SPONSORS

MacArthurCompany offers local building-material service with a dedicated salesperson andthe resources to serve large customers: https://www.macarthurco.com

Athlete Freshis designed to remove sweat, bacteria, and residue from work and athleticclothing. The episode offer is 25% off a first order, and 5% of every purchasegoes to charity: https://athletefresh.shop/fromthegroundupshow

ABOUT FROM THE GROUND UP SHOW

Real stories.Hard lessons. Stronger foundations. From The Ground Up Show delivers honestbusiness and leadership conversations and practical lessons for owners,operators, tradespeople, entrepreneurs, and leaders building something thatlasts—with hearts, hands, and hustle.

Hosted by ErickLoden, a former commercial roofing company owner and business advisor. From2014 to 2025, he owned and ran his roofing company, growing annual revenue morethan eightfold and operating profit nearly fifteenfold before completing asuccessful internal sale.

Website: https://www.fromthegroundupshow.com

Have a questionfor Erick or an upcoming guest?

https://fromthegroundupshow.com/ask-a-question/

Have a storybuilt through hearts, hands, and hustle? Apply to be a guest and tell yourstory:

https://fromthegroundupshow.com/be-a-guest/