Melissa Cash isn’t just reshaping children’s screen time—she’s redefining the future of learning and creativity. In this deeply insightful episode, Melissa, the co-founder and CEO of Pok Pok, shares how her own childhood learning struggles inspired a lifelong pursuit to create playful, purposeful, and non-addictive digital experiences for kids. From her early days at Disney designing for one of the world’s most beloved brands to raising a $3 million seed round while nine months pregnant, Melissa's story is one of vision, grit, and mission-driven leadership.

Pete and Melissa dive deep into topics like the psychology of screen time, the balance between play and learning, and how thoughtful design can nurture a child’s imagination instead of draining it. You’ll also hear how Pok Pok is turning heads in tech by intentionally avoiding addictive features, and why the company is betting on creativity over clicks. This conversation is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, parents, and anyone curious about building a business that puts human development at the center.

🔎 Find Out More About Melissa Cash

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-cash/

https://www.playpokpok.com

https://www.instagram.com/playpokpok/

📚 Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Melissa Cash

01:28 - The Childhood Moment That Shaped Her Learning Philosophy

06:26 - From Arts High School to Designing Baby Products at Disney

09:05 - What Disney Taught Her About Brand, Play, and Creativity

14:00 - Why Pok Pok Rejects Addictive Design for Kids

21:46 - The Unlikely Origin Story of Pok Pok

25:58 - Defining the Digital Playroom

36:03 - Fundraising While Nine Months Pregnant

44:16 - Getting Women on the Cap Table: The Hard Road

46:18 - Reinventing Company Culture with Black Box Day

57:00 - The 10-Year Vision for Pok Pok

🔗 Other Links & Resources:

The Power of Play by David Elkind - https://a.co/d/hwrjIhh

The Courage to Be Disliked - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501197274

Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1619630346

🔴 Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/

TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

#founderstory #femaleentrepreneur #pokpok

What if your voice could replace your keyboard—and be smarter than Siri ever dreamed of? Meet Tanay Kothari, the CEO and co-founder of Wispr Flow, a voice-first AI company redefining how we interact with technology. From teaching himself to code at age nine to building and selling a company fresh out of Stanford, Tanay’s journey is a masterclass in entrepreneurial obsession, resilience, and product-driven thinking.

In this episode, Tanay shares how his childhood dream of building Jarvis (yes, Iron Man’s assistant) led him to develop one of the most exciting voice AI tools today. We dive into the difference between good engineering and great design, why most voice assistants fail, and what it really takes to lead teams and raise capital in Silicon Valley. If you're into startups, AI, or just love hearing from product-obsessed founders, this one's a must-listen.

✨ Listeners of Forward Obsessed can sign up for 1 FREE month of Flow:

https://ref.flowvoice.ai/pete

🔎 Find Out More About Tanay Kothari and Wispr Flow:

https://x.com/tankots

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tankots/

https://ref.wisprflow.ai/fopod

https://www.linkedin.com/company/wisprflow

https://x.com/WisprFlow

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction to Tanay Kothari

04:17 - Entrepreneurial Roots: Tanay’s Parents and Early Hustles

08:00 - Simples Inc: A 12-Year-Old Builds His First Company

10:10 - Going Viral with Convert.cc and Google’s Cease & Desist

18:39 - Journey to Stanford and Embracing Silicon Valley

25:06 - Learning to Lead: From Engineer to Team Manager

33:22 - The Hardest Part of Scaling: Managing People

38:12 - Deep Values Alignment: Early Co-Founder Conversations

45:36 - What Makes Wispr Flow Different from Every Other Voice Tool

50:45 - How Wispr Flow Fixes Transcription Accuracy

54:57 - Product Hunt Success: Tips for a Top Launch

59:47 - The Future of Voice Interfaces and Contextual AI

🔗 Other Links & Resources:

The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062367544

The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465050654

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553208845

DISC Leadership Framework: https://www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc

🔴 Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/

TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

#ai #entrepreneurship #founderstory

What does it take to scale a business from a $20,000 launch to over $100 million in revenue? In this episode of Forward Obsessed, entrepreneur Sean Busch takes us through his incredible journey—from a small-town kid flipping car parts in high school to founding and selling the household cleaning brand Puracy. Along the way, Sean shares how he leveraged Amazon’s early days, built a direct-to-consumer powerhouse, and navigated the challenges of big-box retail.

Sean opens up about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, including the moment he was fired just before Christmas, the brutal cash-flow struggles of expanding into Target and Walmart, and the pivotal decision to exit his company. He also shares key lessons on craftsmanship vs. commerce, the importance of customer obsession, and why having the right CFO can make or break your business. Now, with his newest venture, Dad Mode, Sean is applying everything he learned to build another game-changing brand.

Whether you're a founder, a business leader, or just someone fascinated by the journey of building something from the ground up, this conversation is packed with invaluable insights.

🔎 Find Out More About Sean Busch

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seantbusch/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stb416/

Dad Mode: https://godadmode.com/

Puracy: https://puracy.com/

Chapters

00:00 - A First for Forward Obsessed

03:15 - Sean’s Early Hustles & Entrepreneurial Roots

10:45 - From Car Detailing to Medical Sales

18:30 - The Leap Into E-Commerce & Building Puracy

25:50 - Cracking the Amazon Playbook

32:15 - Scaling to Retail: The Target & Walmart Challenge

40:05 - Surviving Cash Flow Nightmares

48:20 - The Emotional Toll of Entrepreneurship

55:10 - The Exit: Selling Puracy

1:02:30 - Lessons Learned & Advice for Founders

1:10:00 - Sean’s Next Venture: Dad Mode

🔗 Other Links & Resources

The Honest Company by Jessica Alba (Book): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1609619110

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries (Book): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307887898

Amazon FBA: https://sell.amazon.com/fulfillment-by-amazon

Singer Automotive: https://singervehicledesign.com/

Seven Generation (CPG): https://www.seventhgeneration.com/

🔴 Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/

TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

#entrepreneurship #startups #businessgrowth

Mike Lloyd’s entrepreneurial story began with a simple childhood side hustle—burning CDs for friends in his small Michigan hometown. That spark of ingenuity set him on a journey from studying at MIT and Harvard to launching and scaling companies that reshaped industries. In this episode of Forward Obsessed, Mike delves into the pivotal moments that defined his path, sharing the highs and lows of his journey.

He opens up about the painful lessons learned from his first failed startup and how he transformed those experiences into a winning formula for success. Mike reveals the critical importance of mastering distribution, his obsession with solving meaningful problems, and how COVID and Bitcoin propelled his cyber insurance company to the forefront of the industry. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or simply love a compelling story of resilience and growth, this conversation is full of inspiration and actionable wisdom.

🔎 Find Out More About Mike Lloyd

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikelloyddotme/

Pine View Insurance Group: https://www.pvig.com/

Corvus Insurance: https://www.corvusinsurance.com

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Mike Lloyd

04:10 - Small-Town Beginnings: Burned CDs & the Hacker Spirit

08:45 - Learning Early Business Lessons

13:00 - From Soccer Dreams to VMI and MIT

19:30 - Why Engineering Shapes Problem-Solvers

24:15 - The Shift from Academia to Startups

29:00 - First-Time Founder Failures and Hard Lessons

35:20 - Obsessing Over Distribution: A Game-Changer

39:40 - Building Corvus Insurance with Phil Edmondson

44:15 - The Role of Brokers in Insurance Distribution

50:00 - Finding Product-Market Fit in Cyber Insurance

55:30 - COVID as a Catalyst for Cyber Insurance Growth

01:03:15 - Bitcoin’s Role in Cybersecurity’s Evolution

01:08:20 - Fundraising Tips for Entrepreneurs

01:14:45 - Partnering with Travelers: A Behind-the-Scenes Look

01:22:30 - Lessons in Failure, Resilience, and Letting Go

01:30:00 - Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Parents

🔗 Other Links & Resources:

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062292986

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062273205 Measure What Matters by John Doerr: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0525536221

🔴 Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forwardobsessed

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

#entrepreneurship #startups #forwardobsessed

In this episode of Forward Obsessed, we sit down with Anthony Ng Monica, a visionary entrepreneur whose journey from humble beginnings to leading an internationally recognized e-commerce technology company is nothing short of inspiring. Anthony shares his early entrepreneurial ventures, from pirating software to funding his education by cold-calling businesses. He candidly discusses the lessons learned while building Swogo, a cutting-edge product recommendation engine that has transformed how global retailers drive cross-sell and upsell opportunities.

Join us as Anthony unpacks the critical pivots that defined Swogo’s path to success—from its early B2C focus to becoming a B2B powerhouse and ultimately innovating with AI-driven product bundling. Learn how his cultural heritage, family dynamics, and relentless focus on learning shaped his business acumen. Whether you’re scaling your own venture or looking for strategies to pivot and grow, Anthony’s story is filled with practical advice and game-changing insights.

🔎 Find Out More About Anthony Ng Monica

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyngmonica/

Daily Body Coach: https://www.dailybodycoach.com/

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Anthony Ng Monica

04:10 - Growing Up Between Cultures: Macau, Portugal, and the UK

08:45 - The Spark for Entrepreneurship: Early Influences

14:30 - Breaking into Business: Cold Calling and Selling Websites

20:20 - Launching Swogo: The Early Days of Product Recommendations

25:15 - The Pivot: Transitioning from B2C to B2B

32:45 - The Big Breakthrough: Solving E-commerce Cross-Selling Challenges

41:10 - Overcoming Challenges: Five Co-Founders and Scaling the Business

50:00 - Lessons from a Global Journey: Focus, Learning, and Resilience

56:30 - Working with Global Clients: Breaking into Major Markets

1:04:20 - Leveraging Accelerator Programs for Growth

1:10:50 - Long-Term Vision and the Future of E-commerce

🔗 Other Links & Resources

Good to Great (book) by Jim Collins: https://a.co/d/eDIM5so

Swogo: https://www.swogo.com/

🔴 Support & Connect

Forward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/

TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

#entrepreneurship #ecommerce #startuplife

As we approach the summer, the Forward Obsessed podcast is taking a brief but much needed break from creating new entrepreneurial content for you, our incredible listeners. We're grateful for the remarkable guests who have made season three a success, and we have some amazing stuff coming down the pipeline. During this hiatus, we invite you to stay engaged with us: visit our YouTube channel, subscribe, leave comments, and share your favorite episodes. Your feedback is invaluable and helps us shape future content - Don't forget to visit www.forwardobsessed.com to share your favorite moments and suggestions for future guests. We're committed to exploring all facets of entrepreneurship, and your support keeps us in this podcasting game.

We also have an important announcement: this is the final episode with our executive producer, Robert Roche. Since day one, Robert has been instrumental in every facet of the production process, from finding guests, to the full production of the episode, clips, and articles, all the way through answering your questions and comments on our social channels. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors and hope to collaborate again in the future. Robert, thank you for your dedication, creativity, and passion. Your presence will be greatly missed.

From Robert: Please stay in touch! If you ever have a question about podcasting or content management, find Robert P. Roche III on Linkedin.

Support & ConnectForward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forwardobsessedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

Sam Parr, the founder of The Hustle and the host of the My First Million podcast, shares his entrepreneurial journey from his humble beginnings in St. Louis, Missouri, to building and selling successful companies. Parr's early hustles, including selling whiskey online and running a hot dog stand, laid the foundation for his future endeavors. Despite a setback with Airbnb, Parr persevered and started a roommate matching business, which he eventually sold to Apartment List.

Parr's success with The Hustle, growing the company's newsletter to over 1.5 million subscribers, is a testament to his skills in hiring passionate people and his ability to "brute force" a company to success. He offers valuable insights on the emotional challenges of selling a company and the importance of focus and perseverance in building a successful business.

This episode is a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs, founders, MBA students, and managers, as it provides practical advice and inspiration from someone who has successfully navigated the ups and downs of the startup world. Parr's candid discussion of his experiences, from cold calling to angel investing and growing a podcast, offers a wealth of knowledge for those looking to build and scale their own ventures.

Episode Outline

(00:00:00) Introduction of Sam Parr

(00:01:28) Sam Parr's background and early entrepreneurial ventures

(00:10:00) Building and selling a roommate matching company

(00:14:02) Starting The Hustle and growing the newsletter

(00:22:36) Hiring strategies and building a strong company culture

(00:29:00) The emotional journey of selling The Hustle to HubSpot

(00:35:00) Life after the acquisition and starting a new company, Hampton

(00:40:45) Branding, positioning, and pricing strategies

(00:44:49) The art of the cold call and its importance in business

(00:50:00) Angel investing experiences and lessons learned

(00:55:00) Building a community with Hampton and differentiating from competitors

(01:02:04) The power of personal branding and visibility

(01:07:31) Hiring and working with CEOs

(01:13:57) The impact of fatherhood on entrepreneurship and personal growth

(01:17:31) Strategies for growing a successful podcast

Episode Links

The Hustle (company): https://thehustle.co/My First Million (podcast): https://www.mfmpod.com/Hampton (company): https://joinhampton.com/Sam's List (website) - https://samslist.co/The Game (book) - https://www.amazon.com/Game-Penetrating-Secret-Society-Artists/dp/0060554738Glengarry Glen Ross (movie): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glengarry_Glen_Ross_(film)

Support & ConnectForward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forwardobsessedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/