From the Ground Up: The Podcast for Entrepreneurs

From the Ground Up takes you inside the stories of building a business from first idea to final exit and life beyond. Host Leo Kelly, CEO of Verdence Capital Advisors, sits down with entrepreneurs and CEOs who've been through it all: the early struggles, the pivot points, the close calls, and the decisions that defined their companies. Each episode reveals what it actually takes to build and scale a business, as well as the lessons that shaped their success. Whether they're navigating their exit strategy, reflecting on a completed sale, or sharing what life looks like on the other side of the transaction, these founders offer insights they wish they'd had from the start. If you're building something, thinking about your next chapter, or wondering what comes after the sale, these are the conversations that happen behind closed doors.

From the Ground Up: The Podcast for Entrepreneurs is a business podcast hosted by Leo Kelly, with 16 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Leo Kelly hosts From the Ground Up: The Podcast for Entrepreneurs, a business show with 16 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #15

  How Richie Huffman Built a National Preschool Franchise | Episode 015 | 03-31-26

  Mar 31, 20261h 3mS1

  <p>A 3am bakery route, a first real estate deal at 18, a tanning salon built on a gut call, and then the bold move: sell it all to go all-in on early childhood education. Richie Huffman, founder of Celebree, joins us to unpack the real story behind building a preschool business that scales, then turning it into a fast-growing franchise with schools across the country. If you care about entrepreneurship, franchising, and building a business that lasts, this conversation is packed with practical lessons and hard-earned perspective. <br/><br/>We dig into the moments that changed Richie’s trajectory: watching his...

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  Episode #14

  Don Jones Turned Air Ambulance and Organ Transport a Multi-Million $$ Business | Episode 014 | 09-30-2025

  Sep 30, 20251 hourS1

  <p>What if you fell off a cliff in Congo? What if you needed an organ to save your life? These are the real-world problems solved by businesses built on precision logistics and flawless execution.<br/><br/>Don Jones built multiple life-saving businesses in emergency medical transport and organ transportation, creating companies where perfect execution was non-negotiable and logistics were hyper-complex. His story demonstrates how determination, operational excellence, and mission-driven culture can create remarkable businesses that save lives daily.<br/><br/>His company, NORA (Nationwide Organ Recovery Transport Alliance), grew from just 12 employees and six vehicles to over 1,100 employees and 325...

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  Episode #13

  Dillon Baxter is Switching the Plastic Narrative | Episode 013 | 08-28-2025

  Aug 28, 202546 minS1

  <p>What if plastic could disappear in just 8 weeks instead of 1,000 years? That's the revolutionary promise behind Plant Switch, a company transforming how we think about sustainable materials.<br/><br/>Dillon Baxter, founder of PlantSwitch, walks us through his experience  creating a truly biodegradable alternative to plastic that doesn't compromise on performance or break the bank. Unlike those dreaded paper straws that dissolve in your drink or flimsy wooden utensils that splinter, PlantSwitch products maintain the durability and functionality we expect from plastic while completely biodegrading in as little as two months.<br/><br/>The implications are staggering. With microplastics n...

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  Episode #12

  Dennis Satyshur: Stories from Caves Valley, Golf Legends, and BMW's Return | Episode 012 | 07-29-2025

  Jul 29, 20251h 6mS1

  <p>Imagine transforming bare dirt into one of America's most prestigious golf destinations. Dennis Satyshur helped do exactly that at Caves Valley Golf Club, and his journey exemplifies entrepreneurial vision in an unexpected setting.<br/><br/>When Satyshur first interviewed at Caves Valley in 1990, the "club" consisted of a trailer on empty land. Taking a career-defining risk at age 40, he left his established position at Baltimore Country Club to help build something extraordinary from scratch. "I felt like this was time to take a chance," Satyshur reflects, recognizing the perfect alignment between his skills and the vision for a national...

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  Episode #11

  Paul Palmieri: AI's Next Big Wave Investing in the Future | Episode 011 | 06-26-2025

  Jun 26, 20251h 13mS1

  <p>What if the most valuable AI companies of the next decade haven't even been founded yet? While everyone's talking about ChatGPT and large language models, the real revolution lies ahead in the applications built on this infrastructure, just as Uber transformed transportation by building on mobile technology.<br/><br/>Paul Palmieri, founder of Grit Capital Partners and former founder of unicorn company Millennial Media, brings a unique perspective to this pivotal moment in technological history. Having witnessed firsthand the mobile revolution while at Verizon in the early 2000s, Palmieri sees striking parallels to today's AI explosion. The infrastructure builders...

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Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

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