THIS is a Thing

Have you ever looked at a business and thought, "Wow, I cannot believe that is a thing!"? We’re not here to talk about big tech or main street businesses… we’re here to celebrate all of cool, unique, and unusual businesses in between. Get ready to meet water park owners, plant sitters, magicians, and go kart mechanics. We’ll talk to these founders about how they came up with their wild idea, why they decided to launch their business, what success means to them and why they love their work. Hosted by Dana Mauriello a serial entrepreneur and professor of entrepreneurship at NYU.

THIS is a Thing is a business podcast hosted by Dana Mauriello, with 33 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.

Dana Mauriello hosts THIS is a Thing, a business show with 33 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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  THIS is a Thing

  Ep 32: Kevin Prince, Heads in the Sky

  Aug 14, 202626 min

  Kevin Prince spent 15 years building marketing and social strategy at places like NBC, CBS, Gawker Media, and Netflix, always chasing the feeling of building something new. Then a headline-grabbing project for the 2023 Grammy Awards led him to drones, and Heads in the Sky was born. In this episode, Kevin shares how a flexible contractor gig gave him the afternoons to explore side projects, how a conversation in a golf cart turned into a company by the end of the night, and how three friends at his very first drone show became his first three customers. We also talk about why he thinks owning your own business might be a safer bet than a corporate job in entertainment right now, and how AI has changed the way he builds. Heads in the Sky: https://www.headsinthesky.com/ Dana's Newsletter: nationofdoers.substack.com

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  THIS is a Thing

  Ep 31: Will Petz, Quiet Events

  Aug 7, 202629 min

  Will Petz discovered silent discos on a cruise ship with his parents — dancing to music DJs play directly into your headphones — and thought it was the stupid until he tried it and realized it was amazing. At the time, Will was working in finance and IT — first moving computers on Wall Street for J.P. Morgan, then running the BlackBerry rollout at Lehman Brothers — when he decided to build his own headphones, throw his first silent disco party in New York, and see what happened. That party was the start of Quiet Events. In this episode, Will talks about deliberately separating himself from the brand after a painful lesson from his first business, manufacturing his own headphones in China with his savings, why he turned down Mark Cuban's money on Shark Tank, and why Quiet Events might be at your next basketball game. Quiet Events: https://www.quietevents.com Dana's Newsletter: nationofdoers.substack.com

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  THIS is a Thing

  Ep 30: Ken Decker, Composite Effects (CFX)

  Jul 30, 202628 min

  Ken Decker set out to make monster masks and movie props — and ended up also building hyperrealistic silicone human heart models used to train medical professionals. In this episode, he talks about how he found his way onto a Hollywood film set with no union card and no connections, taught himself mold-making from a VHS tape, started a prop shop and grew it into a company that supplies both Hollywood and now the medical industry. It's a conversation about showing up, saying yes before you know how, and staying flexible when your customers show you where the business actually wants to go. Composite Effects: compositeeffects.comDana's Newsletter: nationofdoers.substack.com

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  THIS is a Thing

  Ep 29: Loren Ostrow, Living Out

  Jul 24, 202627 min

  Loren Ostrow spent over two decades thinking about building senior housing for the LGBTQ community before he ever broke ground. In this episode, he tells the story of Living Out — one of the first senior living communities in the country built specifically for LGBTQ seniors — and how it finally came together in Palm Springs with his business partner of 50 years, Paul Alanis. We talk about why Loren was so certain this would work, how he raised $29 million in equity in three weeks, the fight to win over a skeptical lender, and the lesson from his mom that's shaped every partnership in his career. Living Out: livingout.com Dana's Newsletter: nationofdoers.substack.com

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  THIS is a Thing

  Ep 28: Dave Campbell, Taco Cat Games

  Jul 16, 202629 min

  Dave Campbell spent years scribbling game ideas on index cards during long drives as a traveling salesman before Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza became an international hit, selling over 12 million copies. In this episode, Dave shares how he taught himself to recognize when a prototype has "electricity," why he ran his game company as a side hustle for years before leaving his day job, and what happened when a random viral video sent Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza from garage prototype to shelves at Target, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble. We also get into the moments that surprised even him, and what's coming next from Taco Cat Games. Taco Cat Games: https://tacocatgames.com/ Dana's Newsletter: nationofdoers.substack.com

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