What happens when you finally reach the goal you've been chasing—and immediately start chasing the next one?

In this episode of Simply Business, John Jennings sits down with Jeff Swartz, CEO and Founder of Qujam, a hyper-local advertising platform helping businesses access geofencing and location-based marketing.

Jeff has spent more than 20 years in marketing and advertising and more than a decade as an entrepreneur. He built and sold his own advertising agency before making the leap from a service business into technology. He's also an adjunct professor at Duquesne University and the author of The Intentional Leap: Lessons and Learnings for Newer Entrepreneurs.

Jeff and John talk about preparing financially for entrepreneurship, building with intention, solving real customer problems, and learning to lead a business when you're no longer the expert at everything.

But one of the biggest lessons is more personal: there is no finish line.

Entrepreneurs are constantly setting new goals, reaching new milestones, and moving the target. Jeff shares why he's learned to focus more on the journey—and to stop long enough to “pop little champagne bottles” and recognize how far the business has already come.

They also explore why owners need to get out of the weeds, how to build a long-term vision without becoming trapped by it, and why your best mentor may actually be many different people rather than one person whose playbook you try to copy.

If you're building something and constantly asking, “What's next?”, this conversation is a reminder that growth matters—but so does appreciating what you've already built.

Listen to the full episode, subscribe to Simply Business, and share it with another entrepreneur who needs to hear it.

What happens when you've already built a successful company, sold it for $20 million—and decide to start all over again?

For Nellie Akalp, the second time was much harder than the first.

In this episode of Simply Business, John Jennings sits down with Nellie, CEO of CorpNet, to talk about entrepreneurship, resilience, purpose, and what it really takes to build a business that lasts.

Nellie and her husband started their first company with just $100 from their Southern California apartment and eventually sold it to Intuit for $20 million. But retirement wasn't for her. She needed purpose, so they returned to entrepreneurship and built CorpNet.

This time, success didn't come easily.

Nellie shares what she learned from nearly a decade of struggle, why entrepreneurs have to become comfortable hearing "no," and why failure is very different from giving up. She also explains how CorpNet turned changing market conditions into opportunity, how the company is embracing AI without eliminating the human touch, and why great talent and culture remain critical as a business grows.

Perhaps the biggest lesson is also the simplest: you may not know what you're capable of until you're actually in it.

If you're building a business, struggling through a difficult season, or sitting on an idea you've been afraid to launch, this conversation is a reminder to keep testing, keep adapting, and keep knocking on doors.

Listen to the full episode, subscribe to Simply Business, and share it with an entrepreneur who needs to hear this message.

What happens when you leave the security of a large firm and decide to bet on yourself?

In this episode of Simply Business, John Jennings sits down with Steve Wallace, Managing Attorney and Founder of Wallace Law, a multi-state law firm serving clients across Florida, Texas, and New York. With more than 26 years of experience in bankruptcy, real estate, distressed assets, and business law, Steve brings both a legal perspective and the firsthand experience of a longtime small business owner.

Steve shares why he chose entrepreneurship over the traditional big-firm path, what it means to operate without a safety net, and why adaptability is essential to building a sustainable business. He and John also explore financial discipline, scaling responsibly, the challenges facing small businesses today, and the importance of knowing when to say no to the wrong client.

At the center of the conversation is one simple idea: believe in yourself enough to bet on yourself.

Steve also shares why he sees himself as a problem solver and deal-maker—not a deal breaker—and why serving the client's real goal matters more than simply generating billable hours.

If you're building a business, considering making the leap into entrepreneurship, or navigating uncertainty in your company, this conversation offers practical perspective from someone who has spent decades doing exactly that.

Listen to the full episode, subscribe to Simply Business, and share it with another business owner who needs the reminder that sometimes the best investment you can make is in yourself.