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Artwork for Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®

Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®

Susan Sly
Entrepreneurship
Artificial Intelligence
Startups
Visible
Clarity
Content Creation
Franchising
Real Estate
Personal Development
Franzy
Women Entrepreneurs
Rent App
Minimum Marketable Product
Venture Capital
Mental Health
Credit History
Investment
Startup
Linkedin
Iteration

Get ready to step into the unfiltered world of entrepreneurship with the award-winning entrepreneur Susan Sly on the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship® podcast. Recognized and featured by major media outlets such as Forbes, MIT Sloan Management Review, CNBC, Fox, and CNN, Susan brings an exceptional blend of real-world experience and hard-earned knowledge to the podcasting stage. As the co-founder of ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes374Founded13 years ago
Categories
EntrepreneurshipEducationHow ToBusiness

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Artwork for Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®

Latest Episodes

What does it really take to walk away from stability and build something from scratch?

In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®, Susan Sly sits down with Alisa Sparks, Founder and CEO of Linden Creek. They unpack Alisa's journey from managi... more

This episode features a conversation with Rebecca Matchett, co-founder and COO of Synchrony, about the grit, courage, and resilience required to build a business—even in the face of deep personal and professional reinvention.

Rebecca shares her entr... more

YouTube

In this inspiring episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®, Susan Sly sits down with Tracey Wheeler Noonan, co-founder of Wicked Good Cupcakes, to uncover how a Shark Tank appearance led to a multi-million dollar exit to Hickory Farms. Tracey shares... more

Could watching a game show inspire the creation of a billion-dollar company? In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®, host Susan Sly sits down with Shawn Nelson, founder and CEO of Lovesac, who shares how a lightbulb moment during The Price... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Alisa Sparks
Founder and CEO of Linden Creek
Linden Creek
Episode: From Full-Time Government Job, and no Entrepreneurial Experience to Building a Luxury Interior Design Franchise | Alisa Sparks
Rebecca Matchett
Co-founder and COO of Synchrony
Synchrony
Episode: From Alice + Olivia to AI: Reinventing Entrepreneurship and Building Community with Rebecca Matchett
Tracey Wheeler Noonan
Co-Founder of Wicked Good Cupcakes
Wicked Good Cupcakes
Episode: How a Shark Tank Deal Led to a Multi-Million Dollar Exit to Hickory Farms — with Tracey Wheeler Noonan, Co-Founder of Wicked Good Cupcakes
Shawn D. Nelson
Founder and CEO of Lovesac, and best-selling author of Let Me Save You 25 Years.
Lovesac
Episode: From Watching The Price Is Right to a $1 Billion Valuation: Shawn D. Nelson, Founder and CEO of Lovesac
Aimee LeMaire
Founder of ZEYA, a brand bringing clean, luxury fragrance products to homes
ZEYA
Episode: How This Founder Got Her Product in 700 Targets and Counting with Aimee LeMaire, Founder of Zeya
Alex Smereczniak
Founder of Franzy, aiming to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs through franchising
Franzy
Episode: From Dorm Room Startup to $100M Valuation with Alex Smereczniak, Founder of Franzy
Dr. Toni Collis
Award-winning executive coach and speaker helping women in technology step into strategic leadership roles.
Leading Women in Tech
Episode: AI, Disruption, and What It Really Takes to Lead in Uncertain Times with Dr. Toni Collis
Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck
First-generation Iranian-American trauma-informed psychologist specializing in working with children of immigrants
Noor Therapy and Wellness
Episode: Doing It Guilty: How Inherited Trauma Shapes Entrepreneurs and What It Takes to Break the Cycle with Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck
Daniel Bussius
Founder and CEO of Built By Love
Built By Love
Episode: How This Founder Rebuilt After $90K in Debt and What He’d Never Do Again with Daniel Bussius, Founder of Built by Love®

Host

Susan Sly
Host of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 161 ratings
  • Conversations Every Entrepreneur Needs To Hear, You’ll Be Glad You Did

    Raw and Real Entrepreneurship® lives up to its name—offering unfiltered, honest, and inspiring conversations with entrepreneurs who tell it like it is. Susan Sly does an outstanding job pulling out the real stories behind the success: the struggles, the pivots, and the mindset shifts. This podcast doesn’t sugarcoat the journey—it celebrates the grit, resilience, and truth of entrepreneurship. If you're tired of surface-level content and want to feel seen and motivated as a business owner, this i... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    lavhill
    United States8 months ago
  • The REAL Story

    Susan gets the REAL story from her guests about what entrepreneurship is like, this podcast is a must listen.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dave Gulas
    United Statesa year ago
  • Susan is one of my heros!

    Susan isn’t just another expert voice out in the world of podcasting and business—she’s also the type of woman with the type of life I desire to model and be like! How refreshing to find a leader to learn from like her! Thank you for putting out such an excellent show, Susan!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    leo7168
    United States2 years ago
  • Thank you Susan!

    I have had the privilege of learning from Susan Sly that past few years on business, tech and entrepreneurship and I love to listen to her podcast episodes to stay in tune with current trends. I have gained so much knowledge and wisdom to help me in my own business.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SoniaChernochan
    Canada2 years ago
  • Thank you

    What a incredible interview with Kathy! Adore you both! Sometimes we feel like we are alone on all these challenges 🩷thank you for sharing!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    dreja isababe
    Canada3 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Listeners praise the show's mix of personal stories and leadership lessons and its supportive, motivational tone.
The host delivers honest, unfiltered conversations that reveal the realities of building a business.
Guests provide practical, actionable takeaways rather than fluff.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

From Full-Time Government Job, and no Entrepreneurial Experience to Building a Luxury Interior Design Franchise | Alisa Sparks
Q: What was the hardest obstacle when starting Linden Creek and how did you address it?
The hardest early obstacle was finding and retaining customers, which was overcome by rapid niche development, leveraging referrals, and building systems to scale while maintaining personal involvement in the vision; eventually cash-flow and inventory management challenges were addressed through strategic pricing, efficient capital planning, and disciplined growth.
From Full-Time Government Job, and no Entrepreneurial Experience to Building a Luxury Interior Design Franchise | Alisa Sparks
Q: Are entrepreneurs born or made?
Entrepreneurs are made through a combination of mindset, resilience, and practical skill-building; it's about developing courage, learning from challenges, and cultivating the ability to pivot and adapt rather than a fixed trait. The guest emphasizes that one can learn the necessary skills, but heart and character are built through experience.
From Alice + Olivia to AI: Reinventing Entrepreneurship and Building Community with Rebecca Matchett
Q: What is your thought process when diving into an unfamiliar field like AI?
Rebecca emphasizes embracing the challenge, seeking safety in collaboration, and building a core team with complementary strengths to overcome fear and push forward.
From Alice + Olivia to AI: Reinventing Entrepreneurship and Building Community with Rebecca Matchett
Q: What did you learn about pants and fabrics that listeners might find unexpected?
The big lesson was using upholstery fabrics as a differentiator in Alice and Olivia, which created a distinctive look and put them on the map, despite the practical challenges of fabrics not designed for apparel.
From Alice + Olivia to AI: Reinventing Entrepreneurship and Building Community with Rebecca Matchett
Q: What was your first business that you ever started?
Rebecca describes a lemonade stand in Boston that taught her about pricing strategies, volume, and recognizing the value of differentiators—lessons she later applied to fashion and tech ventures.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®

What is Raw and Real Entrepreneurship® about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on unfiltered, real-world entrepreneurship, featuring candid conversations with founders and leaders across tech, consumer goods, health, and services. Episodes frequently explore resilience, fundraising, leadership under pressure, personal growth, and the mindset shifts required to scale a business. A consistent throughline is practical takeaways—something listeners can apply immediately—along with honest reflections on failures, pivots, and the human side of building companies. A standout aspect is its emphasis on women founders and leadership in male-dominated spaces, plus a willingness to tackle emotionally charged topics like trauma, self-advocacy, and work-life balance while maintaining an upbeat, motivational tone.

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Which podcasts are similar to Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®:

1. Faith in Culture

How many episodes of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship® are there?

Raw and Real Entrepreneurship® launched 13 years ago and published 374 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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Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®?

Recent guests on Raw and Real Entrepreneurship® include:

1. Alisa Sparks
2. Rebecca Matchett
3. Tracey Wheeler Noonan
4. Shawn D. Nelson
5. Aimee LeMaire
6. Alex Smereczniak
7. Dr. Toni Collis
8. Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck

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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