The Business Method: Interviewing Billionaires, Billion Dollar Founders & the World’s Most Successful People 🎧🔥

Today, we’re diving into a conversation about one of the most overlooked truths in entrepreneurship: scaling isn’t about working harder; it’s about building systems that work without you. And today’s guest is someone who has mastered exactly that at the highest level.

Our guest is Sam Goodner, a former Swiss Army officer turned entrepreneur and operator who has helped build and scale companies into industry leaders. Sam is the founder of Catapult Systems, which became Microsoft’s largest software partner, and the former president of Flash Parking, where he helped grow the company from just 12 employees to over 800 across 30 states and six countries, ultimately reaching a $1B valuation in 2022.

But what makes Sam different isn’t just the scale; it’s how he thinks.

Drawing from his Swiss Army background, Sam brings a disciplined, systems-first approach to leadership. He shares why decentralized decision-making is critical to growth, why many entrepreneurs celebrate outcomes more than execution, and how real scale comes from codifying best practices into repeatable playbooks. He breaks down the exact phases of growth at Flash from early startup days to cloud adoption, marketplace expansion, dynamic pricing, and the future of smart-city mobility.

His journey is a masterclass in leadership, clarity, and building organizations that can operate at a high level without constant founder involvement. From hiring based on core values to simplifying operations with the 80/20 rule, to embracing AI as a once-in-a-generation opportunity, Sam shares the frameworks that allowed him to scale efficiently and sustainably.

In this episode, we unpack what it really takes to move from founder-led chaos to system-driven growth and why the future belongs to leaders who can build teams, structure decisions, and get out of their own way.

It’s a powerful conversation on discipline, scale, and building something that lasts.

 Episode Highlights:

00:00 AI Edge Intro
00:24 Meet Sam Goodner
01:36 Swiss Army Lessons
04:12 Decentralized Decisions
04:58 Swiss vs US Execution
07:39 Billion Dollar Pillars
09:53 Breaking Seven Figures
11:12 Codify Playbooks
14:50 Best In World Advantage
16:45 Flash Growth Chapters
20:00 Smart Cities Future
21:43 Core Values In Chaos
23:49 Hiring For Core Values
24:52 Scaling Leadership Transitions
28:41 People First Billion Scale
29:44 Simplify And Focus
32:32 Building Aligned Teams
36:23 Topgrading Interview Method
38:06 Grit And Work Ethic
39:26 Focus Beats Shiny Objects
41:21 Mentors And Peer Groups
42:53 AI Native Advantage
44:09 Book Like Clockwork
45:37 Final Advice Find Mentors

Connect with Sam

Website: https://samgoodner.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodner

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

X (Twitter):  https://x.com/goodner

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In this episode of The Business Method Podcast, host Chris Reynolds sits down with entrepreneur and CEO Angelica, who shares the remarkable story of stepping into leadership when her family’s company was on the verge of collapse and turning it into a billion-dollar turnaround.

Angelica opens up about saying yes to the scariest opportunity of her career: becoming CEO of OmniLife and Chivas at a time when the company was nearing bankruptcy. Faced with enormous pressure, she restructured leadership, rebuilt operations and supply chains, unified branding across international markets, and made difficult decisions including layoffs while implementing a bold people-first culture.

Throughout the conversation, Angelica reveals how fear can actually be a powerful signal for growth and why she encourages entrepreneurs, especially women to take action even when they feel afraid. She also shares her early experiences working in her family’s energy business, the discrimination she faced as a woman in leadership, and the inner work that helped her build resilience, confidence, and clarity.

Beyond business, Angelica introduces NOWFUL, her wellness system designed to help people reconnect with themselves through simple daily rituals. The system includes AI-powered affirmation cards, a mushroom complex, anchoring oils, magnesium sleep cream, and a 30-day challenge focused on breathing, gratitude, and positive habits.

This episode is a powerful conversation about leadership, resilience, fear, wellness, and the mindset required to rebuild companies and transform lives.

🎧 Episode Highlights:

00:00 Fear Fuels Action
03:11 Meet Angelica’s Resume
04:15 The Scariest Yes
04:57 Turning Bankruptcy Around
06:06 Fear vs Failure Mindset
06:49 OmniLife and Chivas Explained
07:38 Chapter One Restructure Leadership
08:45 Chapter Two Fix Operations
10:56 People First Policies
12:41 Hard Layoffs and Backlash
15:30 Public Scrutiny as a Woman
17:08 The Inner Void and Self Worth
18:02 Early Work and Discrimination
19:19 Earning the CEO Seat
22:35 Women Leaders Build Differently
24:46 Inner Confidence Built
25:28 Leading in Male Spaces
26:40 Cooperation Beats Ego
27:33 Advice to Women Founders
28:09 Real Power Within
28:38 Why Mouthful Exists
29:12 Wellness as Superpower
30:31 Mouthful System Overview
31:04 AI Affirmation Cards
32:22 Mushrooms Oil Magnesium
34:31 Daily Wellness Habits
35:55 Workout and Lemon Water
37:02 Rapid Fire Questions
37:46 Rest and Burnout Lessons
39:52 30 Day Reconnect Challenge
41:03 B2B Partnerships and Culture
42:20 Core Values in Cards
43:39 Final Message and Farewell

 

Connect with Angelica

Website: https://angelicafuentes.com/

NOWFUL: https://nowful.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelicafuentes63/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelica-fuentes

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/angelicafuentes

 

 Subscribe to The Business Method Podcast

 Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/
 Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheBusinessMethod
 Spotify: http://bit.ly/SpotifyTheBusinessMethod

 Follow Chris Reynolds:
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 https://linktr.ee/ChrisReynoldsLive

In this episode of The Business Method Podcast, host Chris Reynolds sits down with Kenneth “Hap” Klopp, the legendary former CEO who transformed The North Face from a small outdoor brand into a globally recognized powerhouse.

From his early days growing up in Spokane, Washington, to leading one of the most iconic outdoor apparel companies in the world, Hap shares the leadership philosophy that drove his success, one rooted in understanding people, building authentic culture, and balancing commercial growth with environmental responsibility.

Hap opens up about how The North Face built demand rather than simply following it, the innovative branding strategies that helped define the company, and the importance of storytelling in creating lasting brand value. He also reflects on sustainability, employee engagement, and how true innovation often comes from staying focused on long-term purpose rather than short-term wins.

Today, Hap continues to inspire future entrepreneurs through teaching and mentorship, sharing decades of hard-earned lessons about leadership, resilience, and building meaningful businesses.

This episode is packed with insights on brand-building, sustainability, leadership, and innovation straight from one of the outdoor industry’s most influential pioneers.

 Episode Highlights:
00:00 Introduction to Hap Klopp and The North Face
01:27 Hap Klopp's Early Inspirations and Philosophy
03:49 Challenges and Lessons in Business
07:19 Building The North Face Brand
12:18 Environmental Commitment and Innovations
16:10 The Impact and Legacy of The North Face
19:06 Company Culture and Employee Development
23:37 Branding and Storytelling
29:54 Chapters of Growth and Survival
32:13 Maintaining Employee Engagement
35:19 Creating Demand vs. Following Demand
37:40 The Importance of Focus and Survival
43:10 Influencer Marketing Before It Was Cool
46:28 The Myth of Overnight Success
48:35 Lessons from Bucky Fuller
51:29 Connecting with Nature
01:00:05 Final Thoughts and Resources

 

 Connect with Hap Klopp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hapklopp/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hap-klopp-b3b976/

Twitter (X): https://x.com/HapKlopp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ALMOSTbyHap/

 Subscribe to The Business Method Podcast
 Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/
 Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TheBusinessMethod
 Spotify: http://bit.ly/SpotifyTheBusinessMethod

 Follow Chris Reynolds:
Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn — @chrisreynoldslive
 https://linktr.ee/ChrisReynoldsLive

In this episode of The Business Method Podcast, host Chris Reynolds sits down with Uri Levine, the co-founder of Waze, a GPS navigation app acquired by Google for $1.1 billion, and Move It, a public transit app acquired by Intel for just shy of $1 billion. Uri shares invaluable insights on the rollercoaster journey of entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of creating value, falling in love with the problem, and building strong teams. He discusses strategies to identify problems worth solving, iterating based on customer feedback, and fostering a company culture that encourages value creation and hard decision-making. Listen in for Uri's practical advice on scaling companies from early-stage ideas to global impact, and his thoughts on maintaining high user engagement and overcoming challenges in the startup ecosystem.

 
Episode Highlights:

00:00 Introduction to Billion Dollar Founders
00:34 Meet Uri Levine: The Billion Dollar Exit King
01:40 The Essence of Entrepreneurship: Creating Value
02:07 Falling in Love with the Problem
03:48 The Journey of Failures and Iterations
08:24 Discovering the Idea for Waze
09:46 The Evolution of Waze
11:57 The Importance of Product-Market Fit
14:02 Strategies for Growth and User Acquisition
19:49 The Role of Word of Mouth in Waze's Success
28:55 The Unique Value of Waze
30:06 Maintaining Customer Engagement
31:26 The Importance of Experimentation
32:33 Meeting Steve Wozniak
34:02 Understanding User Behavior
36:54 The Challenge of Hiring and Firing
38:37 Building a Winning Team
43:10 Creating a Positive Work Culture
47:51 The Role of Value Creation
53:31 Final Thoughts and Advice
 

Connect with Uri Levine

Website: https://urilevine.com/
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ulevine/

LinkedIn: https://il.linkedin.com/in/uri-levine

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/UriLevine1

Subscribe to The Business Method Podcast
 Website: thebusinessmethod.com
 Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/TheBusinessMethod
 Google Podcasts: bit.ly/TheBusinessMethodGooglePodcasts
 Spotify: bit.ly/SpotifyTheBusinessMethod

 
 Follow Chris Reynolds:
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 https://linktr.ee/ChrisReynoldsLive

In this episode of The Business Method Podcast, host Chris Reynolds sits down with legendary venture capitalist Tim Draper — the man behind early investments in Tesla, SpaceX, Hotmail, Skype, and Bitcoin.

Tim shares how his bold approach to risk, belief in innovation, and commitment to empowering people have shaped a new generation of entrepreneurs. From building Draper University to backing technologies once deemed “impossible,” Draper reveals the mindset and vision that helped him redefine venture capital.

He also opens up about the importance of embracing failure, encouraging freedom through technology, and creating environments that nurture innovation, lessons that have influenced founders and investors across the world.

Episode Highlights:
 
00:00 Introduction to Tim Draper
00:35 Tim Draper's Early Investments
01:07 Meet the Drapers and Draper America Tour
02:46 Global Innovation Hotspots
04:56 Creating Entrepreneurial Cities
06:29 Challenges of Building a New Country
12:04 Evaluating Investment Opportunities
18:26 The Draper Legacy in Venture Capital
20:37 The Importance of Personal Connections in Deals
21:02 Lessons Passed Down Through Generations
21:50 Embracing Failure and Taking Risks
22:53 Thoughts on Abolishing the SEC
23:40 The Impact of Overregulation on Innovation
27:46 Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Investments
31:32 Reflections on Picking Winners
33:52 Favorite Books and Influences
36:01 Final Thoughts and Farewell
 
 Connect with Tim Draper
Website: https://www.draper.vc/
 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timdraper/

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

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/timdraper

Draper University: https://www.draperuniversity.com/

 Subscribe to The Business Method Podcast
 Website: thebusinessmethod.com
 Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/TheBusinessMethod
 Google Podcasts: bit.ly/TheBusinessMethodGooglePodcasts
 Spotify: bit.ly/SpotifyTheBusinessMethod

 
 Follow Chris Reynolds:
Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn — @chrisreynoldslive
 https://linktr.ee/ChrisReynoldsLive