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School of Hard Knocks Podcast

The School of Hard Knocks
Entrepreneurship
Real Estate
Sales
Sales Training
Personal Branding
Personal Growth
Human Psychology
Travel
Business Management
Health and Wellness
Mindset
Cultural Differences
Artificial Intelligence
Mentorship
Personal Development
Social Media Marketing
Gold's Gym
Financial Literacy
Sunlife Organics
Faith

Feauturing the Worlds Top Entrepreneurs and Creators Brought to you by The School of Hard Knocks Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes69Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Business

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Artwork for School of Hard Knocks Podcast

Latest Episodes

David Royce is an entrepreneur and sales leader who built and sold five pest control companies for more than $1 billion in combined value. Starting as a broke college student in door-to-door sales, he went on to create high-performance sales organiza... more

Blake Johnson is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and sold five companies, including a $97 million exit and the sale of Byte for more than $1 billion. After nearly losing his first business during the 2008 financial crisis, he developed a discip... more

YouTube

Dr. Jason Wersland is the inventor of the Theragun and the founder of Therabody, the global wellness company that transformed percussive therapy and recovery.

After a serious motorcycle accident left him in extreme pain, Jason created the first Ther... more

David Stout is the founder of WebAI, an artificial intelligence company publicly valued at $2.5 billion. After growing up on a Michigan ranch, he launched a web services company in college that generated more than $750,000 annually before leaving sch... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Blake Johnson
Founder of Byte, later exited for over $1B
Byte
Episode: Blake Johnson | He Had $7,000 Left… Then Sold His Companies for $1.1 Billion
Dr. Jason Wersland
Inventor of Theragun; chiropractor and founder of Therabody
Therabody
Episode: Dr. Jason Wersland | How a Terrible Motorcycle Accident Led to the Invention of Theragun
David Stout
Founder and CEO of WebAI
WebAI
Episode: David Stout | He Started With a $400 Loan… Now His AI Company Is Worth $2.5 Billion
Mike Sherbakov
Investor and founder of The Veteran Fund; veteran-focused tech investor
The Veteran Fund
Episode: Mike Sherbakov | He Came To America With Nothing… Now He Funds $1 Billion Companies
John Imah
Tech entrepreneur, founder of SpreeAI; former Samsung, Take-Two, Twitch, Meta, Snapchat executive
SpreeAI; previously Samsung, Take-Two Interactive, Twitch, Meta, Snapchat
Episode: John Imah | He Sold 2 Tech Companies At 16… Now His AI Company Is Worth $1.5 Billion
Ronen Harari
Toy industry pioneer, co-founder of Spin Master
Spin Master
Episode: Ronnen Harary | Meet The Billionaire Toymaker Who Turned 5,000 Toys Into $2 Billion
Lynnwood Bibbens
Founder and CEO of ReachTV
ReachTV
Episode: Lynnwood Bibbens | He Sold Cutco Knives In College… Then Built A $2 Billion Empire
Peter Tuchman
Longest-standing trader on the NYSE floor, famous for the nickname 'Einstein of Wall Street'
Professional trader, Wall Street
Episode: Peter Tuchman | He Survived Every Stock Market Crash… Now He Trades $1 Billion/Day
Greg LaVecchia
Founder of Bloom (energy drinks and supplements)
Bloom
Episode: Greg LaVecchia | He Had a 2.5 GPA… Now He’s Got a $1 Billion Brand

Hosts

James
Host of the featured podcast series; appears across multiple seasons with roles tied to the School of Hard Knocks branding.
Jack
Co-host and primary collaborator across the show, frequently guiding interviews and discussion.
Josh
Co-host who participates in interviews and provides interview facilitation.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 128 ratings
  • Great podcast to inspire young kids!

    Really enjoy hearing the stories of so many successful people! It’s very inspiring to hear how people have overcome hardship to be the successful business men and women they are today. I just wish they would do two things: first, bleep out profanity so that I could let my young kids listen to the show—I really want them to hear these stories, but every now and again guests will use strong language. Second, it would be great if they could summarize what the company is/does when they first introd... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Euny S
    United States17 days ago
  • Love the content but

    The volume levels were inconsistent. I kept having to adjust it because some parts were too low and others too loud compared to other podcasts

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Giailoi
    United States2 months ago
  • Dream it -Believe it -Achieve it

    Great content! I love it! Very few people know about the book Psyco Cybernetics! It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. I really enjoyed Dr. Forbes Riley- the PITCH QUEEN!

    I finally have my pit nailed down🙌

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Denesellers
    United States5 months ago
  • Great

    Found you bc of the Ken Coleman pod. Love the interview with Neil Patel

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Avid pod listener7
    United States9 months ago
  • Love this!

    Love love love this! Great advice but I’d love if the guests could be clearer about timeline for their stories and if they’re a long time ago, how they relate to today!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Caacohen
    United States9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Critiques often cite audio quality inconsistencies and occasional assumes knowledge of companies.
Guests frequently praised for candor and practical frameworks for scaling businesses.
Listeners appreciate the actionable business takeaways and founder-focused stories.
Shows are seen as valuable for sponsors looking to reach founders and growth-stage professionals.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#150
Canada/Business
Apple Podcasts
#57
United Arab Emirates/Business
Apple Podcasts
#157
Philippines/Business
Apple Podcasts
#226
India/Business
Apple Podcasts
#239
South Africa/Business

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

David Stout | He Started With a $400 Loan… Now His AI Company Is Worth $2.5 Billion
Q: How did you transition from bootstrap to fundraising and what was the hardest moment?
We focused on de-risking with a concrete demo running on a laptop, proving the tech before raising, which helped us attract investors despite initial no's.
Blake Johnson | He Had $7,000 Left… Then Sold His Companies for $1.1 Billion
Q: How do you manage team structure when starting new ventures to ensure consistency and avoid past mistakes?
Blake prefers bringing a core group of trusted teammates with meaningful equity, hiring from the top down for critical roles, and ensuring that skills translate across ventures while preserving the fundamentals of accounting, legal, and marketing.
Blake Johnson | He Had $7,000 Left… Then Sold His Companies for $1.1 Billion
Q: What is the essential framework you use to start a company with acquisitions in mind from day one?
The framework centers on a large total addressable market, universal appeal across buyers, favorable acquisition costs, scalable infrastructure, and clear, repeatable paths to profitability that appeal to buyers like private equity or strategic purchasers.
Blake Johnson | He Had $7,000 Left… Then Sold His Companies for $1.1 Billion
Q: Why did you decide never to raise outside capital and bootstrap Byte to a billion-dollar exit?
Blake argues that self-funding keeps founders disciplined, forces rigorous unit economics, and prevents lazy spending, which ultimately creates stronger fundamentals and a more compelling acquisition target.
John Imah | He Sold 2 Tech Companies At 16… Now His AI Company Is Worth $1.5 Billion
Q: How do you manage growth and maintain culture when scaling to a billion-dollar company?
He stresses focusing on the now, aligning with ambitious five- to ten-year goals without allowing them to distract from execution, and maintaining core values—kindness, smart work, and speed—while giving teams ownership and encouraging experimentation.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
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Frequently Asked Questions About School of Hard Knocks Podcast

What is School of Hard Knocks Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show features high-profile founders, operators, and investors who built multi-billion-dollar businesses or led notable scaleups. Episodes center on bootstrapping vs. fundraising, disciplined growth, product-market fit, and strategic exits, with a strong emphasis on real-world lessons, resilience, and leadership. Guests span technology, fintech, consumer brands, media, and health tech, often sharing origin stories, pivots, and the mindset behind durable companies. A standout trait is the practical, playbook-like guidance aimed at builders who value ownership, operational rigor, and long-term impact. The format tends to mix origin stories with actionable frameworks, making it useful for aspiring founders, growth-stage executives, and inv... more

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Which podcasts are similar to School of Hard Knocks Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with School of Hard Knocks Podcast:

1. The Game with Alex Hormozi
2. The Martell Method w/ Dan Martell
3. The Cardone Zone
4. Bedros Keuilian Podcast Show
5. Wealthy Way

How many episodes of School of Hard Knocks Podcast are there?

School of Hard Knocks Podcast launched 3 years ago and published 69 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on School of Hard Knocks Podcast?

Recent guests on School of Hard Knocks Podcast include:

1. Blake Johnson
2. Dr. Jason Wersland
3. David Stout
4. Mike Sherbakov
5. John Imah
6. Ronen Harari
7. Lynnwood Bibbens
8. Peter Tuchman

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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