What happens when a $180,000 M&A attorney has a panic attack on the way to work and throws away his legal career for escape rooms? Raleigh Williams built Alcatraz Escape Games from zero to a $26 million exit across four entertainment brands in Utah, Arizona, and Texas. After leaving a prestigious law firm against his father's wishes, Raleigh spent two years in his in-laws' basement before creating an entertainment empire. In this episode of Startups with Stu, host Stuart Draper explores Raleigh's transformation from self-employed business owner to asset builder, including the brutal reality of being told his profitable business was "worth zero" by strategic buyers. Raleigh shares insights on the three stages of entrepreneurship, surviving COVID with $350,000 monthly rent obligations, and why he represented himself through nine transactions instead of using investment bankers. He reveals the mindset shifts required to build a sell-able business and his current work helping entrepreneurs through exitOS and his book "The Creator's Call."

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What happens when a former security company CEO discovers a protein bar so good his kids beg for it daily? Jason Christensen went from teaching business students to building Blue Unicorn, a protein bar brand growing 25% month-over-month with 50% subscription sales. After selling his first company to private equity and spending five years as a BYU professor, Jason stumbled into the food industry when he tasted Dr. Luke Tolley's "unicorn" creation - a fluffy protein bar with impossible nutrition that actually tastes like dessert. In this episode of Startups with Stu, host Stuart Draper dives into Jason's transition from service-based business to consumer products, including the nightmare of promising 3,000 bars before knowing how to make them and the expensive lessons of manufacturing mistakes. Jason shares insights on building subscription-based food businesses, leveraging university partnerships for talent, and the emotional decision to leave comfortable retirement for the startup grind. He reveals why parents hide Blue Unicorn bars from their kids and his strategy for geographic retail expansion across western states.

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-tolley-4900a26/

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What happens when a successful NYC model loses everything, battles depression, and discovers her life purpose through a rescue horse? Natalia Graf-Anders transformed her darkest moment into a multi-million dollar equestrian empire that's revolutionizing how women see themselves in riding apparel. After years of modeling and corporate sales left her empty and dependent on Adderall, Natalia moved back home with nothing but found healing through horses. In this episode of Startups with Stu, host Stuart Draper explores Natalia's journey from three products in her apartment to building Sync Equestrian into a business targeting $5-6 million this year, up from $2.1 million last year. Natalia reveals her psychology-based advertising strategies, the manifestation practices that fuel her success, and her approach to building an empowerment-focused brand that sets trends instead of following them. She shares insights on nervous system training for money mindset, the importance of trusting business intuition, and scaling from solo founder to leading a team while maintaining authentic brand messaging.

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What if you could legally exclude up to $10 million from taxes when selling your startup? Richard Levychin from Galleros Robinson breaks down the Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) Section 1202 tax code that most founders overlook until it's too late. In this episode of Startups with Stu with host Stuart Draper, Richard explains how proper entity structure and timing can save entrepreneurs millions during exit events, sharing real cases where clients turned $100K investments into $9 million payouts. Stuart Draper explores the critical setup requirements, five year holding periods, and conversion strategies for LLCs and S-Corps looking to qualify. From Delaware C-Corporation benefits to advanced tax mitigation techniques rated on a 1 to 10 risk scale, this conversation delivers actionable insights for companies in their growth stage. Richard also reveals common due diligence pitfalls that kill deals and why having the right advisory team makes the difference between keeping your wealth and losing it to Uncle Sam.

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-levychin-cpa-cgma-b22386/

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What separates fundable startups from those that never attract angel investment? Akbar Jaffer, angel investor and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Grand Canyon University, has evaluated hundreds of startups through his nine-company founding experience at Snapfish, ZorroSign, and other ventures. In this episode of Startups with Stu with host Stuart Draper, Akbar reveals his systematic 6-point investment criteria that determines whether he writes a check or walks away. Stuart explores Akbar's methodology for assessing market position, founder expertise, and team composition, plus his requirement that founders have skin-in-the-game through personal financial investment. Akbar explains his preference for three-founder teams over solo entrepreneurs or larger groups, shares examples of world-changing startups that attracted his investment, and discusses the scaling potential indicators that signal strong exit opportunities for angel investors.

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Website: https://marketing-qa.com/

Snapfish: https://www.snapfish.com/home

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Ryan Petersen transforms startup planning by using ChatGPT as his business development partner for Swintros, a new job platform technology. In this episode of Startups with Stu, host Stuart Draper watches as Ryan generates a complete business plan in real time using just one simple prompt to ChatGPT 4.0. The AI instantly creates executive summaries, market analysis, financial projections, and go-to-market strategies based on previous conversations Ryan had with the system. Stuart and Ryan show live adjustments to pricing models and financial forecasts, revealing exactly what's possible when you feed AI the right information upfront. Ryan shares his approach to working with AI rather than against it, emphasizing that tools like ChatGPT excel at business validation and identifying gaps entrepreneurs might miss. Building a startup in 2025 has never been more accessible, and this episode proves that comprehensive business planning no longer requires extensive spreadsheet knowledge or market research skills.

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What happens when chips on your shoulder fuel two successful exits but leave you empty at the finish line? Tom Telford sold his institutional finance companies for eight figures by age 37, only to discover his anger-driven motivation vanished the moment he achieved financial freedom. In this episode of Startups with Stu with host Stuart Draper, Tom Telford, shares his transformation from proving doubters wrong to building LEVO Mind Care with three women partners focused on the biological side of mental health treatment. Stuart Draper explores Tom's disciplined goal-setting approach that turned a struggling student with ADHD into a serial entrepreneur, his strategic pivot from banking to credit unions during the 2008 crisis, and the prayer-based mentorship philosophy that connected him with industry giants. Tom reveals the biopsychosocial model of mental health care, explains why physical assessment often precedes therapy, and discusses his mission to become the most generous mental health business owner ever while elevating women leaders in healthcare.

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-telford-2168514/

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

Company Website: https://levomind.com/

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What happens when a small-town hairdresser discovers her clients need more than just a haircut? Tami Hymas built five successful businesses in rural Idaho, but her biggest venture yet tackles childhood emotional wellness through cartoon characters that help kids identify and process their feelings. In this episode of StartUps with Stu, Tami shares her journey from salon owner to startup founder, revealing how she invested $500,000 to create the InUPowers program now being tested in juvenile detention centers and schools. Stuart Draper dives deep into Tami's mission-driven approach, exploring the challenges of scaling an education technology business beyond local markets. From government contracts to classroom management tools, this conversation unpacks the reality of building a business that aims to heal young minds while generating sustainable revenue. Tami's story demonstrates that sometimes the most unexpected entrepreneurs create the most needed solutions.