Built from Scratch
Welcome to Built from Scratch, a podcast hosted by Erik Libby, CEO and founder of the To-Do Dudes. On this show, Erik shares key lessons from his entrepreneurial journey and highlights the stories of entrepreneurs and business professionals who are all under 30. Built from Scratch is dedicated to spotlighting the next generation of leaders ready to change the world.
Episodes
34 episodes
Storage Scholars: Matt Gronberg (26)
Originally from Massachusetts, Matt dreamed of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.He started hustling early, launching a car detailing business at 13, proving his sales skills at 14 by selling a record-breaking 88 football booster cards, and...
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Episode 34
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46:07
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Lessons on Project Management
We're currently experiencing a period of growth at The To-Do Dudes as we begin expanding into new markets. With that, the challenges of project management have become more complex. What worked last year will not continue to work this year.<...
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Episode 33
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17:39
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Getting your First Customers
In this episode, I talk about going from zero customers to a few customers during our Daytona Beach expansion. Using Alex Hormozi’s strategy of his “Core Four” to get customers, I show how we have adopted this for our customer acquisition strat...
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Episode 32
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18:45
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Memos: Q1, 2025
This episode is a bit different. As I reflect on Q1 of 2025, I’ve pulled together unfiltered audio memos and videos from throughout the quarter. To keep things raw and authentic, I only removed pauses to make your listening experience smoother....
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Episode 31
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11:13
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Setting your Quarterly Goals
In this video I will talk about goal setting that took us from a failing company losing money, to hitting our first profitable year in 2024 with an even better outlook for 2025.
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Episode 30
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19:42
SharpStakes: Shubs Kaushal (22)
Originally from Canada, Shubs graduated from the Ivey Business School and began his career in Mergers & Acquisitions and Innovation Banking. He was also part of the founding team of a Y Combinator-backed startup.Now, Shubs is the Co-...
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Episode 29
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38:09
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How I Plan for an Effective Week
Is your week filled with distractions, an unorganized schedule, or, worse, no clear plan at all?In this episode, I break down my Sunday strategy for setting up a productive week. With a few simple adjustments, I’ve seen a big improvement...
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Episode 28
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10:49
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Five Founders on Hiring Employee #1
Five Founders on Hiring Employee #1In this episode, I sit down with five entrepreneurs under 30 to discuss their experiences hiring their first full-time employee. These founders come from diverse industries, including food, collectibles...
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Episode 27
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48:23
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Sideshift: Canyon Pergande (22)
Originally from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Canyon grew up as a multifaceted athlete, playing both baseball and hockey.His entrepreneurial journey began in 2019 when, as a senior in high school, he started a landscaping company called CP La...
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Episode 26
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28:02
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Interlix Staffing: Sebastian Paredes (22)
Sebastian earned his BBA from Babson College, graduating with the prestigious Dean’s Award Platinum Pin.He started his career as a Social Media Manager at ERIFIXSocial, building digital strategies from the ground up.In the undergr...
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Episode 25
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46:50
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Stages of Building a Team
In this episode, I share my thoughts on the ten phases of building the To-Do Dudes team - from hiring neighborhood kids to creating a structured leadership and efficient field team operation.
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Episode 24
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19:08
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Chewk’s Cookies: Michael Blum (22)
Originally from Edina, Minnesota, Michael started his entrepreneurial journey at a young age by reselling vintage clothes.In 2021, while attending Grand Canyon University, he went on to co-founded Chewk’s Cookies. What began in a dorm ro...
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Episode 23
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52:43
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Detroit Salsa Company: Finn Gomez (22)
Originally from Wyandotte, Michigan, Finn's journey began in middle school with a class assignment creating a pretend business. Inspired by his great-grandmother salsa recipe, he turned his idea into reality.Starting with local samples, ...
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Episode 22
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58:21
High School Hustle: Hunter Beale (25)
Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Hunter’s entrepreneurial journey began in 5th grade, selling snow cones, flipping Jordan sneakers, and turning Goodwill finds into eBay gold.While he started strong, his path wasn’t without challen...
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Episode 21
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1:14:29
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MAD Social Agency: Maddie Thompson (23)
Originally from Manitoba, Canada, Maddie began her entrepreneurial journey at 13, landing a fashion internship with Triple Flip after pitching her designs to over 150 businesses.By high school, she co-founded Social Clothing, transformin...
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Episode 20
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57:41
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Snow Scholars: Jake Piekarski (22)
Originally from Huntington Beach, California, Jake’s entrepreneurial journey began at just 8 years old, selling hockey tape outside his local rink. Over the years, he’s built six businesses, including JPS Surfboards and Chore Hub, which employe...
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Episode 19
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58:27
The Art of the Performance Evaluation
In this episode, I’m sharing my personal journey with performance evaluations—what we got wrong at first, what we’re doing better now, and how we plan to level up in the future to build stronger leaders.I’ll break it down into three part...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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16:46
Juice Products: Justin Pruitt (20)
Originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Justin grew up playing both basketball and football at a high level. In March 2022, he started attending Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, where he played Division II football.In...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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35:10
2024: The Year of Insights
From 2023 → 2024, I made five key changes that created for insightful takeaways. In this episode, I’m reflecting on those lessons and sharing the four adjustments I’m making to crush 2025. The new year is upon us—let’s make it the best one yet!...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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13:50
Prada Uchiha: Daniel Prada (23)
Originally from Bogota, Colombia Daniel’s family moved to the U.S. in 2015 in search of a better future. In 2019, he began his journey at Stetson University, initially pursuing a career in medicine, but quickly realized it wasn’t for him.
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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40:08
Homelead.ai: Kirolos Abdalla (25)
Originally from Egypt, Kiro’s journey to the US began after a devastating cybersecurity incident bankrupted his family’s multimillion-dollar business. Seeking a fresh start, Kiro moved to the US with a mountain of debt and a determination to re...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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1:02:12
Stunio: Adam Green (25)
From East Lansing, Michigan, Adam grew up playing the piano, excelling in hockey, engaging in the political climate and nurturing a passion for entrepreneurship.In 2017, Adam began his journey at Michigan State University, earning a bac...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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49:40
Founding Story: The To-Do Dudes
After 10 episodes of Built From Scratch, I took a moment to reflect on the highs and lows since founding The To-Do Dudes in 2020.In the past few years, we’ve served 2,500+ customers, completed over 5,000 projects, and earned 400...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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1:00:47
10 Questions That Shaped Our First 10 Episodes
In this episode of Built From Scratch, I’ve rounded up the top answers to 10 game-changing questions I asked my guests during the first 10 episodes.From figuring out if you’re an entrepreneur to overcoming setbacks and fi...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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25:16
Acreage Farms: Collin Topolski (27)
Originally from Syracuse, NY, Collin has always been passionate about innovation and problem-solving. Currently a PhD candidate at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he combines his expertise in tech and engineering to create impactful solut...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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35:21
