Archives: Episodes

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Aaron Wood about building multiple businesses and the lessons that come with growth. Aaron explains how one business led to another, creating steady revenue across different seasons. He shares that rapid growth can create problems if you are not prepared with the right people, systems, and cash flow. We discuss the daily challenges of entrepreneurship, from licensing and inspections to staffing and customer expectations. Aaron also talks about the costs many people never see behind recreational sports businesses and why dependable employees remain one of his biggest challenges. We cover the value of planning for each stage of growth, investing in marketing that delivers results, avoiding expensive software mistakes, and never cutting corners on safety. Aaron closes by explaining why he believes business owners should stand behind the value of their work instead of giving discounts every time a customer asks.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Tina White to talk about what entrepreneurship really looks like. We discuss how owning a business means longer hours, more responsibility, and learning not to take rejection personally. Tina shares how a conversation with her insurance agent led her into the industry and why she also makes time for singing, fitness, and other passions. We talk about building relationships, staying active, and choosing purpose over comfort. She explains why independent insurance agents still matter in a world where people buy coverage online without understanding what they are getting. We also cover the importance of time management, measuring the return on marketing, and staying disciplined with money. Tina believes business owners must accept stress, keep moving forward, and never lose hope. It is a conversation about resilience, serving people, and sticking with the work even when it gets hard.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Hannah Hage of First American Insurance to talk about business, insurance, burnout, and faith. Hannah shares how she got into insurance after people kept telling her she would be good at it. Now she helps people protect their homes, cars, businesses, and assets while also helping some buyers find coverage that allows them to close on a home. We talk about how insurance is often misunderstood. It is meant for major losses, not home maintenance. Hannah also explains how storms and claims can cause insurance companies to tighten up, raise rates, or stop taking certain business. Her biggest lesson in business comes from learning she cannot help everyone. After working 16-hour days and damaging her health, she hires help and learns to build the business without burning herself out. Her advice is simple: keep going, even when business gets hard.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I celebrate America’s 250th birthday by looking at the spirit of liberty, work, risk, and innovation that has shaped this country. I start with Benjamin Franklin and the founders, who built a system where people could make their own choices, take responsibility, and benefit from their own effort. I then move through the late 1800s, when inventors and industrialists like Edison, Tesla, Bell, Carnegie, and Rockefeller helped build the modern world through electricity, communication, steel, railroads, and industry. I also talk about how workers used that same liberty to organize and push for better treatment. From there, I look at Henry Ford, American manufacturing, World War II, and the rise of the American Century. The story continues into the digital age with Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk. My point is simple. America keeps creating room for builders, and that is worth celebrating.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Akaya Robey of Kyber Kai Academy, a combat and fight choreography school in Charleston, West Virginia. I learn how a hobby that started years ago grew into a business that is becoming his full time focus. Akaya shares how he brought lightsaber choreography from New York to West Virginia, built a community around it, and recently transitioned the organization into an LLC. We talk about the difference between choreography and full contact saber combat, the equipment involved, and the global competitions that exist in the sport. He opens up about investing too much in gear before having enough students and the lessons that came from that mistake. We also discuss networking, handling criticism, working with different kinds of people, and staying open to new opportunities. Akaya’s message is simple: keep going. No matter what others say, persistence and consistency are what move both a business and a passion forward.

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with Jordan Garcia to talk about his work in property and casualty insurance and the lessons he has learned in sales. Jordan shares how he moved from car sales into insurance after meeting an agent who inspired him to pursue the industry. We discuss the importance of helping people find the right coverage instead of simply choosing the cheapest option, and how many people focus on convenience without thinking about long term financial protection. Jordan talks about an early mistake of giving everyone the same sales presentation and how feedback helped him learn to meet people where they are. We also cover common misconceptions about insurance, the value of networking through organizations like the Huntington Chamber of Commerce, and why sales professionals need to get comfortable being wrong and learning from mistakes. Jordan is also working to expand his Spanish insurance vocabulary so he can better serve more clients. Throughout our conversation, he emphasizes treating people the way they want to be treated and building relationships based on understanding and trust.