Podcast
Rebellious Times Podcast
Hosted by Chris Januszewski · EN
Hosted by Chris Januszewski, founder of Rebel Commerce Solutions, the Rebellious Times Podcast explores the human side of tech innovation — from bold founders scaling B2B SaaS startups to employees navigating the realities of AI-era transformation. We unpack founder journeys, AI-powered growth, product innovation, and the future of work — while addressing how these shifts impact mental health, family life, identity, and purpose. This podcast gives voice to everyone building or adapting in the new economy. From mindset breakthroughs to scalable sales, marketing, and partnership systems — tune in for real stories and tactical insights that power predictable growth.
31episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
ASP10: Built Between Two Cultures – Turning Heritage Into a Marketing Advantage
1w ago00:32:52Tap to summarizeUde Rosales is the Founder of Digital Pulse Innovations, an Austin-based Hispanic marketing agency specializing in websites, SEO, paid advertising, and culturally authentic marketing strategies. Drawing on his experience growing up between Wisconsin and South Texas, he helps businesses build meaningful relationships with both English and Spanish-speaking audiences. Beyond agency leadership, Ude is passionate about mentorship, community engagement, and creating opportunities for the next generation of marketers. Through Digital Pulse Innovations, he continues the entrepreneurial legacy started by his family's print business while helping organizations grow through authentic, relationship-driven marketing.
Transcribe →ASP9: The Second Website Problem – Why DIY Sites Eventually Need Experts
2w ago00:30:30Tap to summarizeKelsey Gilbert-Kreiling is the Founder and CEO of Week of the Website, a Chicago-based agency that helps businesses launch strategic Squarespace websites through a unique one-week sprint process. With a background in fashion design, hospitality, and digital strategy, she has spent more than a decade helping organizations create websites that support growth, visibility, and customer engagement. In addition to leading Week of the Website, Kelsey is the creator of Eventually Ticketing, a Squarespace-native event ticketing platform. She is passionate about entrepreneurship, product development, AI-powered workflows, and building businesses that create space for both professional success and family life.
Transcribe →S&L9: Inside Drayage – The Hidden Engine of the Supply Chain
3w ago00:28:59Tap to summarizePaul Lascault is the CEO of Long Road Transportation, a transportation and drayage company serving customers throughout the Pacific Northwest. With extensive experience in freight movement, fleet operations, and supply chain management, Paul has built a reputation for operational excellence and customer-focused service. As a logistics leader, Paul believes success comes from combining strong relationships, disciplined operations, and a motivated team. His expertise spans transportation strategy, port logistics, equipment management, and navigating the complex challenges facing modern supply chains.
Transcribe →S&L8: Life Is What We Make It – TikTok Dad Building With Purpose
3w ago00:33:17Tap to summarizeRandy Vlasic is the Founder and CEO of LIWMI Logistics, a freight brokerage focused on helping middle-market companies optimize transportation, improve visibility, and create better customer experiences. After building and successfully exiting his first logistics business, Randy launched LIWMI Logistics with a mission to create a company centered around relationships, purpose, and long-term impact. Beyond logistics, Randy is the host of the Life Is What We Make It podcast and an advocate for personal growth, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Through his content and social media presence, he shares lessons learned from business, family life, and overcoming personal challenges to help others build meaningful lives and careers.
Transcribe →ASP8: Marketing to Mexico: What Agencies Get Wrong And How to Win
3w ago00:38:30Tap to summarizePietro Mina is the CEO of Uno Web Design, a Mexico-based digital marketing agency specializing in web design, SEO, and AI-powered visibility strategies. After teaching himself web development and marketing, Pietro built the agency from the ground up, serving clients across Mexico and the United States. Driven by a passion for entrepreneurship and human-centered business, Pietro has expanded beyond traditional web design into SEO, AI search optimization, and community-focused projects. Together with his wife, he is also developing Abordo Hub, a creative initiative designed to help artists, small businesses, and mission-driven organizations thrive in the digital age.
Transcribe →ASP7: Solving Amazon for the Hardest Categories: Inside the Avenue7 Playbook
4w agoTap to summarizeJason Boyce is the Founder and CEO of Avenue7Media, a leading e-commerce agency that helps brands grow on Amazon, Walmart Marketplace, and other online retail channels. As one of the early Amazon sellers, he has firsthand experience building and scaling businesses in the evolving world of e-commerce. Today, Jason leads a global team focused on helping brands navigate marketplace complexity through strategic planning, operational excellence, and his proprietary Seven Avenues framework. His expertise spans product development, marketplace growth, competitive analysis, and emerging technologies such as AI.
Transcribe →S&L7: A 21-Year-Old Taking on the 3PL Industry – Building a Logistics Company in College
4w ago00:35:47Tap to summarizeLuca Conner is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Pack'N, a third-party logistics company focused on direct-to-consumer fulfillment for e-commerce brands. After beginning his entrepreneurial journey as a teenager selling products online, Luca co-founded Pack'N while attending college and has helped grow the company into a rapidly expanding logistics operation serving brands across multiple industries. Passionate about entrepreneurship, technology, and operational excellence, Luca represents a new generation of founders who are embracing risk, innovation, and continuous learning. Alongside building Pack'N, he continues his studies while developing a long-term vision for transforming the post-purchase experience in e-commerce.
Transcribe →Episode 49: Building the future from a dorm room – The Mindset of a 20-Year-Old Founder
Jun 300:30:18Tap to summarizeAmeen Raisi is the Co-Founder and COO of What2Do, a social discovery platform designed to help people connect through real-world experiences. While studying molecular and cellular biology and public health at Johns Hopkins University, he is helping build a startup focused on reducing loneliness and increasing social engagement among young adults. Beyond What2Do, Ameen is an accomplished content creator who has built a large Pittsburgh Steelers community online. His work reflects a passion for entrepreneurship, community building, and creating meaningful connections both online and offline.
Transcribe →ASP6: Crowdfunding as a capital alternative: How Smart Startups Win when VCs say no
May 2900:38:03Tap to summarizeJustin Starbird, CEO of The Aebli Group, discusses crowdfunding for startups, alternative capital strategies, founder engagement, and building communities that drive growth.
Transcribe →ASP5: Why the Best Customer Experiences Still Feel Physical
May 2600:25:11Tap to summarizeWhy the Best Customer Experiences Still Feel Physical In this episode of the Rebellious Times Podcast, I sat down with John Petri, CEO of Fuel BMC, to discuss entrepreneurship, sports culture, branding, resilience, and what it takes to build a successful sports branding agency. “The rise of the analog is here.” That line from Mark Stern perfectly captures a shift many businesses are starting to feel. In this episode of the Rebellious Times Podcast, I sat down with Mark Stern, CEO of Custom Box Agency, to discuss entrepreneurship, customer experience marketing, physical product engagement, health transformation, and why human connection matters more than ever in the AI era. This episode fits both our Austin Startup Series and Agency Spotlight Series because Mark is building something genuinely different inside the marketing world. From Corporate Consulting to Entrepreneurship Mark’s story starts far away from entrepreneurship. He grew up in Alabama believing success followed a very traditional path: college graduate school corporate career financial security That mindset eventually led him into management consulting at Deloitte after earning his MBA at Duke University. On paper, everything looked successful. In reality, the lifestyle became exhausting. For six years, Mark lived the “road warrior” consulting life: constant flights endless travel high pressure little personal balance Eventually, he hit a point where he realized: “This can’t be it.” That moment became the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey. The Problem That Created Custom Box Agency One of the things I appreciated most about this conversation was how practical the origin story was. Custom Box Agency did not start because Mark wanted to launch an agency. It started because he became frustrated buying expensive digital products, masterminds, and programs that still left customers confused and overwhelmed. His thought was simple: “Why not physically send people everything they need to succeed?” That insight eventually evolved into Custom Box Agency. Today, the company helps businesses create physical onboarding and customer experience campaigns designed to: improve engagement increase retention streamline onboarding enhance customer success Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Mark Stern and Custom Box Agency03:02 Mark’s Journey from Corporate to Entrepreneurship06:06 Understanding Custom Box Agency’s Offerings09:07 The Importance of Physical Experiences in a Digital World11:59 Differentiation and Positioning in the Market14:50 Health Transformation and Its Impact on Business23:51 Conclusion and Call to Action Why Physical Experiences Matter More in the AI Era This was probably the strongest theme of the entire episode. As AI-generated content explodes, Mark believes people are increasingly craving: physical experiences authenticity human connection trust He described it as: “digital distrust.” That idea really resonated with me. As more interactions become automated, physical experiences become more memorable because they feel real. That creates a huge opportunity for businesses willing to think differently. It’s Not About Swag One thing Mark emphasized repeatedly: Custom Box Agency is not simply shipping branded merchandise. Instead, they engineer experiences. That includes: onboarding systems journey maps printed resources physical tools gamified customer journeys retention campaigns The goal is to help customers achieve outcomes faster while creating stronger emotional connection along the way. The Unexpected Health Conversation One of the most interesting parts of this episode came unexpectedly. Mark shared his personal health transformation journey after realizing he had reached a breaking point physically during COVID. At one stage, he reached 250 pounds and began questioning how sustainable his lifestyle really was. What followed was a complete shift in: fitness nutrition accountability sleep energy management The deeper insight was powerful: If your health becomes the weakest link, eventually your business suffers too. That part of the conversation felt especially relevant for founders and agency owners. Entrepreneurship, Identity, and Reinvention Underneath the agency discussion, this episode was really about reinvention. Mark walked away from the traditional definition of success to build something more aligned with: creativity freedom <li data-section-...
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