Humans of Growth: Stories & Strategies Behind Business Growth & Business Development

In this episode of Humans of Growth, host Aly Hathcock talks with serial founder and futurist Alan Smithson, creator of Unlimited Awesome - a new kind of education platform that uses AI and gamification to teach life and business skills.
Alan shares his journey from inventing touchscreen DJ technology and launching one of the world’s first metaverse companies to building next-generation learning systems. Along the way, he breaks down how emerging tech like AI, VR, and XR are transforming not just education, but marketing, training, and global business growth.
You’ll hear:
✔ How VR and 3D tech revolutionized brand experiences for companies like Samsung, Siemens, and Mastercard
✔ Why AI-driven automation and 3D generation mark the next leap for marketing and retail
✔ The philosophy behind creating tools that empower- not replace- human creativity
✔ How consistency, creation, and curiosity outperform any algorithm or SEO trick
✔ Why business leaders need to think critically about data, decentralization, and digital ethics
This episode dives deep into the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and human potential - and what it really means to grow a business in the age of AI.______________________RESOURCES:
Get help finding the right marketing partner.Learn more about Unlimited Awesome.
 

In this episode of Humans of Growth, host Aly Hathcock sits down with Sam Miller, CEO and co-founder of Kasheesh, a fintech app that lets users split purchases across multiple credit, debit, and gift cards.What started with a real-life pain point and a single Reddit thread has grown into a seamless digital solution reshaping how Americans manage liquidity. But it didn’t come easy. From navigating skeptical investors and battling financial institutions to building SOC 2–compliant infrastructure and earning organic user trust, Sam shares how Kasheesh scaled... without spending a dime on ads.You’ll learn:✔ Why Kasheesh grew fast with zero paid marketing✔ How Reddit and Quora fueled product-led growth✔ What VCs and banks misunderstood about their customer base✔ How SmartSplit (AI) helps users protect their credit score✔ The role of internal culture, hiring, and sprint cycles in fast-moving product innovation✔ Why financial literacy is core to Kasheesh growth strategyWhether you're building a fintech product or trying to scale without performance marketing, this episode is a masterclass in customer-centric growth, scrappy GTM, and building trust through product.
______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner.Learn more about Kasheesh here.

What if launching a lending business was as easy as launching an online store?In this episode of Humans of Growth, we sit down with Deji, CEO of Lendsqr, to explore how his platform is making it possible to build scalable lending businesses... without coding, massive overhead, or big-bank bureaucracy. From funding underserved communities to streamlining compliance in 190+ countries, Lendsqr is reimagining what’s possible in the credit space.You’ll learn:
Why “Shopify for lending” isn’t just a metaphor—it’s a movement
What most founders get wrong when launching loan products
How to scale into 190+ countries without physical infrastructure
How SEO, programmatic content, and ChatGPT are fueling their growth
The mistakes Deji wouldn’t avoid if he could start over
How to combine values, vision, and smart systems to build globally
This episode is a must-listen for SaaS founders, fintech operators, or anyone obsessed with scalable systems and underserved markets.______________________
RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner.Get help acquiring business funding.

What happens when you build a business so good… you don’t need to market it?
In this episode of Humans of Growth, we sit down with Terry Kerr and Liz Nowlin to unpack how Mid South Home Buyers became one of the most trusted turnkey real estate companies in the country—without relying on traditional marketing channels.
We explore how they grew from managing their first few properties to thousands under management, using trust, referrals, and operational excellence to create a growth flywheel that runs on reputation.
What we cover:
How a Memphis-based operation became a go-to for passive real estate investors
The systems that turn first-time buyers into repeat investors
Why education and transparency outperform traditional sales
The power of investing in people—for both residents and clients
How Liz and Terry approach brand trust, lead nurturing, and high-stakes financial decisions
What most turnkey real estate firms get wrong about long-term growth
This episode is a masterclass in scaling through integrity, clarity, and consistency—without dumping dollars into paid ads.______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner.Get help acquiring business funding.

If you’ve ever Googled “business loan” and ended up confused or denied—this episode is for you.
We sit down with Ray Smith, CEO of Trycera, to unpack why most founders are denied funding (and don’t know why), how to build real business credit that doesn’t touch your personal score, and what lenders are actually looking for in 2025.
You’ll learn:
Why most business loan applications fail—and how to fix it
How to build business credit tied to your EIN, not your SSN
What lenders check before you even apply (and how to prep for it)
Why founders need a “dream team” more than a better pitch deck
How to get fast wins and long-term capital through smart planning
The one thing every SaaS startup should do before hiring developers
Whether you’re a startup, service business, or brick-and-mortar founder, this episode will give you the tools (and roadmap) to unlock funding without the fear, fluff, or frustration.______________________RESOURCES:Get help finding the right marketing partner.
Get help acquiring business funding.

Smart companies are scaling faster than ever through AI with leaner teams and better margins.
In this episode of Humans of Growth, we unpack how automation, AI, and strategic operations are transforming growth for service-based businesses. From financial advisory firms to fast-moving startups, we explore how leaders are using systems—not headcount—to unlock scale.
You’ll learn:
How to identify automation opportunities that actually save money
Why AI fails without human-first systems
The right time to invest in operations vs. marketing
How to turn messy data into growth fuel
What most founders get wrong about “scaling”
Why reverse mentorship is the future of leadership
The companies winning right now aren’t the ones working harder—they’re the ones working smarter.
This conversation will help you future‑proof your business, your systems, and your team for the next era of intelligent growth.
 
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RESOURCES:
Need help finding a marketing agency to scale your business? Check out PerissonNetwork.com
 
Learn more about INVST at invst.com
 

Most nonprofits market through guilt-ridden storytelling.Pando markets through joy—and it's driving real results.
In this episode of Humans of Growth, host Aly Hathcock sits down with Daniel Morford, Senior Director of Marketing and Events at The Pando Initiative, to explore how one education nonprofit rebranded itself, rebuilt trust with donors, and scaled into 40+ schools—without relying on trauma stories or outdated fundraising tactics.
Inside the episode:
How Pando crafted a feel-good brand in a pain-driven sector
The marketing ops system behind collecting 60+ success stories every quarter
Why “initiative” beats “program” in donor messaging
The events-as-content playbook fueling brand awareness and donor retention
How red carpet experiences and food fests became emotional engagement machines
The role of local partnerships over national grant-chasing
Why authenticity and student voice are Pando’s most powerful growth levers
Daniel doesn’t just talk theory—he’s in the trenches building marketing systems that scale. This episode is for anyone building a brand with limited resources, big vision, and a mission worth celebrating.
 
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RESOURCES:
Learn more about the work the Pando Initiative does at Pandokids.org.
Get connected to Daniel here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-morford-187a45137/
Need help finding a marketing agency to scale your business? Check out PerissonNetwork.com
 

What happens when a former burnout entrepreneur, bankruptcy survivor, and accidental TikTok influencer becomes the only marketer at a fast-growing financial services company?
In this episode of Humans of Growth, Whitney Catalano, Marketing Manager at Financial Gym, shares how she turned personal financial failure into a marketing superpower—and how she’s rebuilding the growth engine of a beloved but outdated brand.
We talk about:
Why consumer trust is the real growth strategy in financial services
How storytelling and vulnerability fuel brand loyalty (even in money markets)
Why webinars are dead (and how to replace them with high-converting funnels)
The unexpected TikTok content that made her a "bankruptcy influencer"
The shift from hustle culture to operational marketing (and why KPIs saved her)
Why partnerships, referrals, and Google Ads are outperforming social media
What small teams must do to actually scale marketing without burning out
Whether you’re a solo marketer at a startup, a brand leader rethinking your funnel, or a founder navigating content strategy in the chaos of modern platforms—this episode is packed with lessons on growth, trust, and sustainable marketing.
 
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RESOURCES:Learn more about Financial Gym.Get marketing help now.

What if your most powerful customer acquisition strategy wasn’t paid ads, cold email, or trade shows… but authentic LinkedIn content and a spaghetti-covered toddler?
In this episode of Humans of Growth, Aly Hathcock interviews Caleb Avery, founder and CEO of Tilled—a fast-growing Stripe alternative that helps SaaS platforms launch embedded payments and generate new revenue streams in weeks.
We dive into how Caleb built a high-converting marketing engine that:
Outperformed outbound sales through founder-led thought leadership
Created inbound demand with zero product—just pain point marketing
Scaled revenue while shrinking headcount by automating low-leverage work
Used build-week culture to unlock team-wide innovation and operational efficiency
Caleb also breaks down what’s working on LinkedIn in a sea of AI spam, why personal storytelling drives real pipeline, and how to turn marketing into a long-game growth multiplier—not just a cost center.
Topics covered include:• Product-led growth• Inbound marketing strategies• Founder branding on LinkedIn• B2B SaaS marketing• Vertical SaaS monetization• Demand generation vs lead gen• Culture-driven growth
Whether you're a startup founder, growth marketer, or B2B SaaS leader, this episode is packed with practical strategies to drive pipeline, retention, and revenue.----
RESOURCES:Find your dream marketing agency at PerissonNetwork.comLearn more about Tilled at tilled.com.
 

In this episode of Humans of Growth, host Aly Hathcock sits down with Leah Keggi , Marketing Manager at Spearhead Global, one of the fastest-growing companies in spirits packaging and design.
With over a decade of experience in alcohol marketing, Leah has worked across beer, wine, and spirits—supporting everything from emerging CPG startups to legacy liquor brands. Now at Spearhead, she helps alcohol brands rethink their packaging not just as a product necessity, but as a powerful marketing and brand positioning tool.
We explore how the alcohol industry is contracting post-COVID, what that means for brands trying to scale, and how strategic packaging design can become a brand’s most powerful sales asset—especially when combined with omnichannel marketing, social media campaigns, and category-specific messaging.
You’ll also hear how Spearhead shifted their B2B messaging from "packaging supplier" to "brand partner"—resulting in higher engagement, stronger lead generation, and deeper customer loyalty. This episode is packed with insights for B2B marketers, CPG brand managers, alcohol marketing teams, and anyone navigating the intersection of sales enablement and brand storytelling.
In this episode, we cover...
The post-pandemic market contraction in alcohol and spirits
How to use packaging as a brand differentiator on the retail shelf
The psychology behind consumer buying decisions in wine & spirits
Why legacy brands often overestimate awareness
The role of color psychology and container shape in packaging design
Building a sales-forward marketing strategy that drives case velocity
Why marketers must “sell internally” to align with sales and leadership
Using LinkedIn marketing and thought leadership to humanize B2B
How brand storytelling beats feature-heavy messaging in B2B
Why attribution is broken—and how to market in a world of messy data
Balancing AI automation with the need for human connection
Lessons from building campaigns for stadiums and sports partnerships
The evolution of consumer behavior in the alcohol category
How smaller alcohol brands can justify investing in top-of-funnel content
Need help with marketing for your business? Check out PerissonNetwork.com to get connected to a top-tier marketing agency.Find Leah Keggi at LeahKeggi.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahkeggi/Learn more about Spearhead Global over at spearheadglobal.com.