Keep It Brief

Episoder

• 9x Founder Was Fired & Broke But Never Quit - Kim Perell 20.07.2026 56min

  Kim Perell built her first company with a $10,000 loan from her grandmother after getting laid off during the dot com crash. Now a nine time founder, investor in 150+ startups, and bestselling author, she explains why resilience beats confidence, how to build when nobody is coming to save you, and the mindset behind creating businesses worth hundreds of millions. SPOTIFY EPISODE_KIM PERELL.txtIn this episode:• Why rejection is feedback, and how to use it to build a better business.• The hiring, sales, and leadership lessons that helped scale from a kitchen table to a $235 million exit.• How investors evaluate founders, why product market fit matters, and the mistake that stops most entrepreneurs before they begin. SPOTIFY EPISODE_KIM PERELL.txtFor every episode, I take my own personal set of notes. DM BRIEF10 on Instagram and I’ll send you my notes and biggest takeaways from this episode. SPOTIFY EPISODE_KIM PERELL.txtFOLLOW KEEP IT BRIEF:📸 https://www.instagram.com/keepitbriefpodMORE FROM NATALIE DAWSON:📸 https://www.instagram.com/nataliedawson🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/@thenataliedawson💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenataliedawson/Teamwork: https://thenataliedawson.com/nd-teamworkTake my breakpoint quiz: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-NDbbqCheck out my next event: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-ndEEMORE FROM KIM PERELL:🌐 Website: https://100.co📸 https://www.instagram.com/kimperell/Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business operations and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright CardoneVentures.com 2025CHAPTERS00:00 The $10,000 loan that changed everything01:41 Why women founders are winning despite less funding04:07 Meet Kim Perell and her entrepreneurial track record05:19 Growing up with failure and learning resilience08:32 The dot com boom, layoffs, and hard business lessons12:33 Why every founder must learn sales16:10 Getting fired and betting on herself18:19 Starting a company from a kitchen table20:05 Comparison, confidence, and competing with yourself23:12 Scaling to $100 million and building winning teams26:17 Leadership, disagreement, and better decisions29:09 Life after a $235 million exit34:18 What Kim looks for before investing in a founder36:20 Mentorship, AI, and learning from customers40:17 The one question every founder should ask a mentor43:00 Removing opinion and letting customers decide44:54 Building purpose driven brands with Juni47:03 The mindset of playing to win48:00 The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make50:10 Teaching children resilience through failure52:15 Building a family legacy alongside business54:15 Why only quitting makes you a failure
• Inside the Strategy We Used to Scale Cardone Ventures (with Brandon Dawson) 13.07.2026 1t 9min

  In this episode of Keep It Brief, I sit down with my husband and Cardone Ventures co-founder Brandon Dawson to break down how he sold his last company, Audigy, for 77 times earnings after almost losing a $150 million deal the night before it closed.We unpack why 97% of small businesses never make it, and the one mistake that turned into an $800 million win.Comment KEEP IT BRIEF 9 on my latest Instagram post for a PDF of my notes and takeaways from this episode!FOLLOW KEEP IT BRIEF:📸 https://www.instagram.com/keepitbriefpodMORE FROM NATALIE DAWSON:📸 https://www.instagram.com/nataliedawson🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/@thenataliedawson💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenataliedawson/Teamwork: https://thenataliedawson.com/nd-teamworkTake my breakpoint quiz: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-NDbbqCheck out my next event: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-ndEEMORE FROM BRANDON DAWSON:🌐 Website: https://cardoneventures.com/Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business operations and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright [CardoneVentures.com] (https://cardoneventures.com) 2025
• $9B Ex-COO: People Pay Premium For ONLY One Thing - Jeff Zwiefel 06.07.2026 1t 9min

  In this episode of Keep It Brief, I sit down with Jeff Zwiefel, former President and COO of Life Time Fitness, to break down how he helped grow the company from $139M to $2.3B in revenue over 27 years. We unpack why charging too little almost capped their growth, why he walked away from a company now worth $9B, and the leadership rule he says separates good businesses from great ones...Comment KEEP IT BRIEF 8 on my latest Instagram post for a PDF of my notes and takeaways from this episode!
FOLLOW KEEP IT BRIEF:
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📸 https://www.instagram.com/nataliedawson
🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/@thenataliedawson
💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenataliedawson/
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Check out my next event: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-ndEEMORE FROM JEFF ZWIEFEL:
🌐 Website: https://10xhealthsystem.com/Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business operations and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright [CardoneVentures.com] (https://cardoneventures.com) 2025
• Ex Wall Street: The Lie Keeping Women Out of Finance - Tiger Sisters, Cherie Brooke & Jean Luo 29.06.2026 46min

  In this episode of Keep It Brief, I sit down with Jean Lou and Cherie Brooke, your Wall Street and Silicon Valley big sisters. Harvard MBA, Ex Goldman Sachs, Stanford MBA, Ex LinkedIn, these two are here to break down why women score lower than men in every single financial literacy category after a decade of tracking. We unpack why the gap has nothing to do with intelligence or access, why the finance world was never designed for women to win, and what they learned inside the rooms most women never get into.Comment Brief 7 on my latest Instagram post for a PDF of my notes and takeaways from this episode!FOLLOW KEEP IT BRIEF:📸 https://www.instagram.com/keepitbriefpodMORE FROM NATALIE DAWSON:📸 https://www.instagram.com/nataliedawson🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/@thenataliedawson💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenataliedawson/Teamwork: https://thenataliedawson.com/nd-teamworkTake my breakpoint quiz: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-NDbbqCheck out my next event: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-ndEEMORE FROM JEAN LOU AND CHERIE BROOKE:🌐 Website: https://tigersisterspodcast.com/Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business operations and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright CardoneVentures.com (https://cardoneventures.com) 2025
• Self-Made Millionaire: The Funding Trap Nobody Mentions - Allison McNamara 22.06.2026 1t 9min

  In this episode of Keep It Brief, I sit down with Allison McNamara, founder of Mara, about the moment a celebrity accidentally made her product sell out globally. We unpack why bootstrapping beats every funded competitor and why she didn't copy what already existed on the market.Comment Brief 6 on my latest Instagram post for a PDF of my notes and takeaways from this episode!FOLLOW KEEP IT BRIEF:📸 ⁠https://www.instagram.com/keepitbriefpodMORE FROM NATALIE DAWSON:📸⁠ https://www.instagram.com/nataliedawson🎥⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@thenataliedawson💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenataliedawsonTeamwork: ⁠https://thenataliedawson.com/nd-teamworkTake my breakpoint quiz: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-NDbbqCheck out my next event: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-ndEEMORE FROM ALLISON MCNAMARA:🌐 Website: https://themarabeauty.com/Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business operations and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright ⁠CardoneVentures.com (http://CardoneVentures.com) ⁠(⁠https://cardoneventures.com⁠) 2025
• $8B Founder: What AI Founders Know That You Don't - JD Ross 15.06.2026 1t 7min

  In this episode of Keep It Brief, we sit down with JD Ross, founder of Open Door and now WithCoverage, to break down why domain expertise plus AI tools is the formula winning in the next five years. We unpack why he turned down Sam Altman's offer to run OpenAI's business side, why traditional operators beat young tech founders at building AI businesses, and the simple philosophy that got him to $8 billion in revenue before he left.Comment Brief 5 on my latest Instagram post for a PDF of my notes and takeaways from this episode!FOLLOW KEEP IT BRIEF: 📸 ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/keepitbriefpodMORE FROM NATALIE DAWSON: 📸 ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/nataliedawson🎥⁠ ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thenataliedawson💼 ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenataliedawsonTeamwork: ⁠⁠https://thenataliedawson.com/nd-teamworkTake my breakpoint quiz: ⁠https://cardoneventures.com/yt-NDbbqCheck out my next event: ⁠https://cardoneventures.com/yt-ndEEMORE FROM JD ROSS:🌐 Website: https://www.withcoverage.comInformation shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business operations and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright [⁠⁠CardoneVentures.com⁠⁠] (⁠⁠https://cardoneventures.com⁠) 2025
• The Worst Business He Bought Made Him Rich - Ken Goodrich 08.06.2026 56min

  In this episode of Keep It Brief, I sit down with Ken Goodrich, The entrepreneur who acquired over 200 businesses, and turned around some of Americas longest running companies.We break down how a $500K acquisition turned into a multi-million dollar exit. He walks through his 1,000-day plan and why most service businesses will never attract a serious buyer. And he shares the one reframe that changes how you think about what you're building. Comment Brief 4 on my latest Instagram post for a PDF of my notes and takeaways from this episode!THE ULTIMATE SMALL BUSINESS SYSTEM:⁠https://cardoneventures.com/systemFOLLOW KEEP IT BRIEF: 📸 ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/keepitbriefpodMORE FROM NATALIE DAWSON: 📸 ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/nataliedawson🎥⁠ ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thenataliedawson💼 ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenataliedawsonTeamwork: ⁠⁠https://thenataliedawson.com/nd-teamworkTake my breakpoint quiz: ⁠https://cardoneventures.com/yt-NDbbqCheck out my next event: ⁠https://cardoneventures.com/yt-ndEEInformation shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business operations and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright [⁠⁠CardoneVentures.com⁠⁠] (⁠⁠https://cardoneventures.com⁠) 2025
• How This Single Mom Sold Her Business With Zero Investors - Ashley Tyrner-Dolce  01.06.2026 1t 11min

  In this episode of Keep It Brief, I sit down with Ashley Tyrner-Dolce, founder of Farmbox RX and Operating Partner at HLM Investment Partners, to break down how she built and sold a healthcare company without taking a single dollar from outside investors.She created a category that didn't exist until a single policy change made it possible. She makes the case that no matter how fast you're hiring, the founder has to stay the nucleus of sales. And she breaks down what it actually looks like to pivot your entire company identity while the plane is still in the air.Comment Brief 3 on my latest Instagram post for a PDF of my notes and takeaways from this episode! FOLLOW KEEP IT BRIEF: 📸 ⁠https://www.instagram.com/keepitbriefpodMORE FROM NATALIE DAWSON: 📸⁠ https://www.instagram.com/nataliedawson🎥⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@thenataliedawson💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenataliedawson/Teamwork: ⁠https://thenataliedawson.com/nd-teamworkTake my breakpoint quiz: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-NDbbqCheck out my next event: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-ndEEMORE FROM ASHLEY TYRNER-DOLCE: 🌐 Website: https://www.hlminvestmentpartners.com/Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business operations and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright [⁠CardoneVentures.com⁠] (⁠https://cardoneventures.com) 2025 
• Longevity CEO: Taking Risks and Building a $100M Empire - Sarah Lomas 25.05.2026 53min

  In this episode of Keep It Brief, I sit down with Sarah Lomas, founder and CEO of REVIV Global, to break down how she raised $75M and built a $100M precision health empire after being rejected 53 times in the UK. We unpack why she eventually left the country to find investors, why she says the first 40 rejections were her own fault, and the simple piece of homework that would have saved her years..Comment Brief 2 on my latest Instagram post for a PDF of my notes and takeaways from this episode!FOLLOW KEEP IT BRIEF:📸 https://www.instagram.com/keepitbriefpodMORE FROM NATALIE DAWSON:📸 https://www.instagram.com/nataliedawson🎥 https://www.tiktok.com/@thenataliedawson💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenataliedawson/Teamwork: https://thenataliedawson.com/nd-teamworkTake my breakpoint quiz: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-NDbbqCheck out my next event: https://cardoneventures.com/yt-ndEEMORE FROM SARAH LOMAS:🌐 Website: https://www.revivme.comInformation shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business operations and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright [CardoneVentures.com] (https://cardoneventures.com) 2025
• Negotiation and Closing, with former FBI hostage chief Chris Voss 18.05.2026 1t 20min

  In this episode of Keep It Brief, I sit down with Chris Voss to break down the negotiation frameworks every business owner should actually know. We unpack why chasing “yes” kills deals, and how one simple shift, getting the other side comfortable saying “no”, helped a recruiter cut 300 cold calls down to 75 while producing the same results.Chris also explains tactical empathy, why phrases like “it seems like…” open people up faster than “I understand,” and how labels can lower resistance in high-stakes conversations. We get into why “splitting the difference” creates lose-lose outcomes, the psychology behind bad compromises, and how the best negotiators build deals that hold long term.Finally, we break down the three emotional traits that drive peak performance in negotiation: curiosity, playfulness, and gratitude, and why your mindset impacts your ability to spot red flags before you walk into the wrong deal.Comment Brief 1 on my latest Instagram post for a PDF of my notes and takeaways from this episode!FOLLOW KEEP IT BRIEF: 📸 ⁠ https://www.instagram.com/keepitbriefpodMORE FROM NATALIE DAWSON: 📸 ⁠ 🎥 ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thenataliedawson💼 ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenataliedawson/Teamwork: ⁠https://thenataliedawson.com/nd-teamworkTake my breakpoint quiz: ⁠https://cardoneventures.com/yt-NDbbqCheck out my next event: ⁠https://cardoneventures.com/yt-ndEEMORE FROM CHRIS VOSS:🌐 Website: Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business operations and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright CardoneVentures.com⁠ ⁠ 2025
• Keep It Brief with Natalie Dawson 15.05.2026

  Keep It Brief Podcast With Natalie Dawson. New Episodes Every Monday!