Most people don’t think twice about doing laundry. Turns out, it’s one of the biggest sources of microplastic pollution on the planet.

In this episode, Steve Cross sits down with Max Pennington, co-founder and CEO of CLEANR, to break down how a random discovery turned into a real company solving a real problem. They get into what it actually looks like to build a physical product from scratch: prototypes, patents, manufacturing headaches, investor dynamics, and the kind of failures you don’t see on LinkedIn. This is a conversation about figuring it out as you go, and why “good enough” usually isn’t.

About Our Guest

Max Pennington is the co-founder and CEO of CLEANR, a company focused on removing microplastics from everyday water systems. With a background in chemical engineering from Case Western, he helped develop a patented vortex filtration system that captures over 90% of microplastics from laundry.

CLEANR has already launched its first product and is pushing toward a bigger goal: getting this tech built directly into washing machines and expanding into whole-home water filtration. Max is in the middle of building it, figuring out product, market, and scale in real time.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#SuccessStories #Startup #BuildInPublic #FounderJourney #HardTech #ProductDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #StartupLessons #CleanTech #Microplastics #WaterInnovation #Sustainability #FutureOfTech #Manufacturing #Startups #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #RealConversations #NoBS

This episode flips the typical “success story” on its head. Sean Hackett didn’t follow a clean, linear path. He went from competitive academics to acting, got knocked off course, learned business the hard way in the Chicago Board of Trade, and eventually found his way into the plumbing and construction world. What you get here isn’t theory; it’s decades of real-world experience around pressure, money, leadership, and what actually builds trust in business. The conversation centers on responsiveness, accountability, and why most people lose opportunities simply by not doing the basics consistently. It’s a grounded, no-BS look at how success is really built over time.

About Our Guest

Sean Hackett is the job coordinator at R. Carrozza Plumbing in the Chicago market, where he manages bids, proposals, and project coordination across a wide range of construction work. Before that, he spent years at the Chicago Board of Trade, working his way up from runner to broker and eventually leading a team through some of the most high-pressure financial environments imaginable, including trading during 9/11. That experience shaped how he approaches business today: know your customers, respond fast, stay accountable, and don’t cut corners with other people’s money. His background blends blue-collar industry knowledge, financial market discipline, and a strong belief that relationships (and reputation) are everything.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#Entrepreneurship #StartupStory #BusinessGrowth #FounderLife #WomenInBusiness #SuccessStories #Leadership #BuildInPublic #Hustle #Mindset #StartupJourney #BusinessPodcast #ScaleUp #NoExcuses

This episode with Tom Berka, owner of Badlands Distribution, is a real look at what it actually takes to build something from nothing; no polished startup story, just hard work, risk, and figuring it out as you go. Tom walks through his journey from running delivery routes in the middle of the night to scaling a multi-state distribution business with hundreds of accounts. The conversation dives into the realities of growth: why most obstacles are worse in your head, how saying yes too often can hurt you, and the hard shift from employee to owner. It’s a blunt, practical breakdown of risk, execution, and what it really means to build a business that survives.

About Our Guest

Tom Berka is the owner of Badlands Distribution, a logistics and distribution company operating across Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, the Dakotas, and beyond. He built the business from the ground up after years in delivery and commercial distribution, turning a small opportunity with just a few dozen accounts into a company with hundreds of delivery points and a growing team. Tom specializes in scaling distribution in underserved markets (which most companies avoid) and has built his business on execution, reliability, and long-term partnerships with major brands like Nestlé and Unilever.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#entrepreneurship #businessgrowth #smallbusiness #logistics #distribution #leadership #founderstory #startupjourney #riskandreward #businessowner #growthmindset #successstories #scalingbusiness #operations #realbusiness

This episode cuts through the polished success narrative and gets real about what it actually takes to build something from nothing. Marisa Sergi, CEO of L’uva Bella Winery, walks through the uncomfortable parts most people avoid: rejection, burnout, identity hits, and making hard business decisions when your emotions are tied to the brand. From launching a wine company as a college project to scaling multiple businesses across wine, RTDs, and craft beer, this conversation is about resilience, adapting to a shifting market, and having the guts to keep going when the data (and the world) doesn’t make it easy.

About Our Guest

Marisa Sergi is the CEO of L’uva Bella Winery and a multi-brand operator in the beverage industry. She started her entrepreneurial journey with Redhead Wine as a college capstone project, eventually turning it into a real business through relentless cold outreach and persistence. Since then, she has helped scale L’uva Bella into a national beverage company, expanded into RTD products like Hartzler boozy cocktails, and played a key role in repositioning brands like The Brew Kettle. Known for her hands-on approach and ability to spot opportunity in shifting markets, Marisa blends grit, adaptability, and real-world execution to build and grow companies in highly competitive industries.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#Entrepreneurship #StartupStory #BusinessGrowth #FounderLife #WomenInBusiness #SuccessStories #Leadership #BuildInPublic #Hustle #Mindset #StartupJourney #BusinessPodcast #ScaleUp #NoExcuses

In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with Tim Petrey, CEO of HD Growth Partners. Tim breaks down the moments that actually changed his trajectory, from getting called out by a high school guidance counselor to finding a mentor who pushed him to think bigger than the limits he had set for himself. They talk about building a company the hard way, why mentorship matters, how one client interaction changed the direction of the firm, and why HD Growth Partners moved beyond transactional tax work into deeper advisory relationships. The conversation also gets into leadership, culture, growth, and why businesses that refuse to evolve (especially with technology and AI) won’t survive the next decade.

About Our Guest

Tim Petrey is the CEO of HD Growth Partners and the kind of operator who built his career the hard way: through pressure, responsibility, relationships, and learning from people who were willing to tell him the truth. In this episode, he shares how early loss, lack of a safety net, and the right mentors shaped the way he leads today. Tim’s perspective on leadership, accountability, culture, AI, and the future of accounting is sharp, practical, and earned the old-fashioned way: by getting punched in the face by business and getting back up anyway.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#SuccessStories #TimPetrey #HDGrowthPartners #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #Mentorship #BusinessPodcast #EntrepreneurMindset #StartupLessons #FounderJourney #BusinessAdvice #EntrepreneurLife #BuildInPublic #BusinessLeadership #AIinBusiness #ScalingBusiness

In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with Josh and Christina Mikels, the husband-and-wife team behind Mr. Electric of Winter Garden. They walk through how Josh went from engineering and corporate leadership to betting on a franchise, why they chose a proven playbook instead of building from scratch, and what it actually took to grow the business while raising five kids. It’s a straightforward conversation about risk, long nights, slow growth, and the reality that building a business will test your family just as much as your work ethic.

About Our Guest

Josh and Christina Mikels are the co-owners of Mr. Electric of Winter Garden. Josh brought an engineering mindset, operational discipline, and a strong drive to build something of his own. Christina helped shape that path by prioritizing family, flexibility, and long-term stability. Together, they built the company from a small startup into a multimillion-dollar electrical service business focused on strong customer service, steady growth, and a clear plan for the future.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#SuccessStories #MrElectric #WinterGarden #Entrepreneurship #FamilyBusiness #SmallBusinessGrowth #FranchiseBusiness #HomeServices #BusinessOwnership #Leadership #FounderStory #MarriageAndBusiness #WorkLifeBalance #BusinessPodcast

The housing industry is broken: slow, expensive, and wildly inefficient. In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with Vikas Enti, CEO and co-founder of Reframe Systems, to talk about why that’s the case and what it takes to actually fix it. Vikas explains how his team is using robotics, software, and micro-factories to rethink how homes get built, why construction hasn’t improved productivity in decades, and what happens when you try to challenge an entire industry. It’s a blunt conversation about startups, scaling hardware, and the reality of building something hard.

About Our Guest

Vikas Enti is the CEO and co-founder of Reframe Systems. With a background in mechanical engineering and robotics, including more than a decade scaling systems at Amazon Robotics, he launched Reframe to rethink how homes are built. His focus is on using advanced manufacturing to deliver high-quality homes faster, more predictably, and at a lower cost.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#SuccessStories #Podcast #FounderJourney #Entrepreneurship #StartupFounders #HousingCrisis #ConstructionInnovation #PropTech #Robotics #StartupJourney #BusinessLeadership #BuildingTheFuture

In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross talks with Ryan Schreiber, Founder and CEO of Streamline, about leaving a stable career to build a solution to streaming fragmentation, starting with sports fans. Ryan shares how personal frustration turned into a product, why early versions were too broad, and how focusing on the right user improved retention and traction. They discuss the shift from B2B to B2C, the realities of startup timelines, handling rejection, and the importance of focus, data, and community in building something that lasts.

About Our Guest

Ryan Schreiber is the Founder and CEO of Streamline, a sports-first app that helps users see what’s on, where to watch it, and how to manage streaming subscriptions more efficiently. After beginning his career in investment banking and spending nearly a decade at tech company Vertical Knowledge, Ryan left in 2024 to launch Streamline. The company is growing in Northern Ohio, refining monetization, and preparing to scale through partnerships and paid features.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#SuccessStories #Podcast #StartupLife #FounderJourney #EntrepreneurMindset #BuildInPublic #SportsTech #StreamingWars #ProductMarketFit #OhioStartups #BetOnYourself #GrowthMode