This episode cuts through the polished success narrative and gets real about what it actually takes to build something from nothing. Marisa Sergi, CEO of L’uva Bella Winery, walks through the uncomfortable parts most people avoid: rejection, burnout, identity hits, and making hard business decisions when your emotions are tied to the brand. From launching a wine company as a college project to scaling multiple businesses across wine, RTDs, and craft beer, this conversation is about resilience, adapting to a shifting market, and having the guts to keep going when the data (and the world) doesn’t make it easy.

About Our Guest

Marisa Sergi is the CEO of L’uva Bella Winery and a multi-brand operator in the beverage industry. She started her entrepreneurial journey with Redhead Wine as a college capstone project, eventually turning it into a real business through relentless cold outreach and persistence. Since then, she has helped scale L’uva Bella into a national beverage company, expanded into RTD products like Hartzler boozy cocktails, and played a key role in repositioning brands like The Brew Kettle. Known for her hands-on approach and ability to spot opportunity in shifting markets, Marisa blends grit, adaptability, and real-world execution to build and grow companies in highly competitive industries.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#Entrepreneurship #StartupStory #BusinessGrowth #FounderLife #WomenInBusiness #SuccessStories #Leadership #BuildInPublic #Hustle #Mindset #StartupJourney #BusinessPodcast #ScaleUp #NoExcuses

In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with Tim Petrey, CEO of HD Growth Partners. Tim breaks down the moments that actually changed his trajectory, from getting called out by a high school guidance counselor to finding a mentor who pushed him to think bigger than the limits he had set for himself. They talk about building a company the hard way, why mentorship matters, how one client interaction changed the direction of the firm, and why HD Growth Partners moved beyond transactional tax work into deeper advisory relationships. The conversation also gets into leadership, culture, growth, and why businesses that refuse to evolve (especially with technology and AI) won’t survive the next decade.

About Our Guest

Tim Petrey is the CEO of HD Growth Partners and the kind of operator who built his career the hard way: through pressure, responsibility, relationships, and learning from people who were willing to tell him the truth. In this episode, he shares how early loss, lack of a safety net, and the right mentors shaped the way he leads today. Tim’s perspective on leadership, accountability, culture, AI, and the future of accounting is sharp, practical, and earned the old-fashioned way: by getting punched in the face by business and getting back up anyway.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#SuccessStories #TimPetrey #HDGrowthPartners #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #Mentorship #BusinessPodcast #EntrepreneurMindset #StartupLessons #FounderJourney #BusinessAdvice #EntrepreneurLife #BuildInPublic #BusinessLeadership #AIinBusiness #ScalingBusiness

In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with Josh and Christina Mikels, the husband-and-wife team behind Mr. Electric of Winter Garden. They walk through how Josh went from engineering and corporate leadership to betting on a franchise, why they chose a proven playbook instead of building from scratch, and what it actually took to grow the business while raising five kids. It’s a straightforward conversation about risk, long nights, slow growth, and the reality that building a business will test your family just as much as your work ethic.

About Our Guest

Josh and Christina Mikels are the co-owners of Mr. Electric of Winter Garden. Josh brought an engineering mindset, operational discipline, and a strong drive to build something of his own. Christina helped shape that path by prioritizing family, flexibility, and long-term stability. Together, they built the company from a small startup into a multimillion-dollar electrical service business focused on strong customer service, steady growth, and a clear plan for the future.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#SuccessStories #MrElectric #WinterGarden #Entrepreneurship #FamilyBusiness #SmallBusinessGrowth #FranchiseBusiness #HomeServices #BusinessOwnership #Leadership #FounderStory #MarriageAndBusiness #WorkLifeBalance #BusinessPodcast

The housing industry is broken: slow, expensive, and wildly inefficient. In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with Vikas Enti, CEO and co-founder of Reframe Systems, to talk about why that’s the case and what it takes to actually fix it. Vikas explains how his team is using robotics, software, and micro-factories to rethink how homes get built, why construction hasn’t improved productivity in decades, and what happens when you try to challenge an entire industry. It’s a blunt conversation about startups, scaling hardware, and the reality of building something hard.

About Our Guest

Vikas Enti is the CEO and co-founder of Reframe Systems. With a background in mechanical engineering and robotics, including more than a decade scaling systems at Amazon Robotics, he launched Reframe to rethink how homes are built. His focus is on using advanced manufacturing to deliver high-quality homes faster, more predictably, and at a lower cost.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#SuccessStories #Podcast #FounderJourney #Entrepreneurship #StartupFounders #HousingCrisis #ConstructionInnovation #PropTech #Robotics #StartupJourney #BusinessLeadership #BuildingTheFuture

In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross talks with Ryan Schreiber, Founder and CEO of Streamline, about leaving a stable career to build a solution to streaming fragmentation, starting with sports fans. Ryan shares how personal frustration turned into a product, why early versions were too broad, and how focusing on the right user improved retention and traction. They discuss the shift from B2B to B2C, the realities of startup timelines, handling rejection, and the importance of focus, data, and community in building something that lasts.

About Our Guest

Ryan Schreiber is the Founder and CEO of Streamline, a sports-first app that helps users see what’s on, where to watch it, and how to manage streaming subscriptions more efficiently. After beginning his career in investment banking and spending nearly a decade at tech company Vertical Knowledge, Ryan left in 2024 to launch Streamline. The company is growing in Northern Ohio, refining monetization, and preparing to scale through partnerships and paid features.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#SuccessStories #Podcast #StartupLife #FounderJourney #EntrepreneurMindset #BuildInPublic #SportsTech #StreamingWars #ProductMarketFit #OhioStartups #BetOnYourself #GrowthMode

In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with Mike Brown, owner of McGregor Manufacturing, for a real-world conversation about what it actually takes to build and sustain a manufacturing business. From learning CNC machining in high school in the 80s to buying his first Haas machine on a leap of faith, Mike shares how hands-on skill, calculated risk, and a lot of hard lessons shaped his journey. They dive into everything from betting on new equipment, chasing the dream of owning your own product, managing employees with wildly different personalities, and the brutal reality of debt cycles in manufacturing. This is not a polished “overnight success” story; it’s a candid look at luck, timing, mistakes, and persistence in the trenches.

About Our Guest

Mike Brown is the owner of McGregor Manufacturing, a full-service machine shop specializing in Swiss machining, CNC milling and turning, fabrication, custom tooling, and precision production work. With decades of experience across manual machining, advanced CNC systems, cutter grinding, welding, and fabrication, Mike has built a reputation for solving complex manufacturing challenges and optimizing production for quality and efficiency. His journey spans building carburetors on manual machines, investing in advanced equipment like five-axis machines and wire EDM, and continually adapting to industry shifts, all while learning the hard way about leadership, hiring, debt, and the realities of entrepreneurship.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#SuccessStories #Podcast #ManufacturingLife #MachineShop #CNCmachining #SwissMachining #EntrepreneurTruth #BuiltNotBorn #ShopOwner #IndustrialBusiness #FounderLessons #HardLessons #BusinessReality #GoodFastCheap #OperatorMindset

In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with Jeffrey Poulin, President of SMB Packaging, to explore how a reluctant move from California to rural Mississippi and a childhood built on hard work laid the foundation for a 600,000+ square foot, three-location company serving Fortune 500 brands. Jeffrey shares how buying a garage-based side business from his father at 20 became the starting point for SMB Packaging, along with the hard-earned lessons in leadership, scalable growth, firing the wrong customers, building measurable KPIs, and redefining quality of life along the way.

About Our Guest

Jeffrey Poulin is the President of SMB Packaging, a contract packaging and 3PL partner based in Memphis, Tennessee. Since purchasing the business in 1997 at just 20 years old, he has grown it from a garage operation into a multi-location enterprise serving major national brands. Jeffrey is passionate about strategic and scalable growth, leadership development, and building businesses that balance performance with quality of life.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#SuccessStories #Podcast #Entrepreneurship #BusinessOwner #FounderJourney #SmallBusiness #BusinessGrowth #ScalingBusiness #Leadership #Operations #Manufacturing #Packaging #ContractPackaging #CoPacking #3PL #SupplyChain #Logistics #Warehousing #Fortune500 #MemphisBusiness #WorkEthic #Mindset #KPI #StrategicGrowth #QualityOfLife #StartupLessons #FamilyBusiness #Grit #BusinessAdvice #LinkedInCreators

In this episode of Success Stories, Steve Cross sits down with James Wesolaski, owner of Get Lit Electrical Services, to talk about what it really takes to bet on yourself under pressure. From juggling a full-time job and late-night side work during a divorce to launching his own company with zero capital, James shares the hard lessons behind eight years of growth: bootstrapping, cash flow mistakes, branding wins, hiring missteps, and the mindset shift from tradesman to CEO.

About Our Guest

James Wesolaski is the founder and owner of Get Lit Electrical Services, based in Glendale, Arizona. With 33 years of experience in the electrical trade and eight years running his own company, James has built a recognizable brand in a highly competitive industry. What started as side jobs after long workdays eventually became a full-fledged business fueled by grit, faith, and a relentless work ethic.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the podcast where Steve Cross sits down with the sharpest minds in business to unpack what it really takes to grow.

From scrappy upstarts to category leaders, each conversation reveals the mindset, strategies, and personal stories behind bold decisions and breakthrough moments. No fluff. No gurus. Just real founders, real operators, and real results.

If you're a growth-obsessed entrepreneur, marketing leader, or future founder, this playlist is your shortcut to hard-earned wisdom from those who've built it, scaled it, and lived to tell the tale.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

👉If you think you can hang, this link is for you. https://stevecross.wtf

👉 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

#SuccessStories #EntrepreneurMindset #BetOnYourself #SmallBusinessOwner #TradesLife #ElectricianLife #Bootstrapped #ServiceBusiness #FounderJourney #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipLessons #BuildYourBrand #CashFlow #FromEmployeeToCEO #LegacyBuilding