Family Archives - COMMUNITY BUILDER

Paving Paths

Eric Engelmann builds stuff. Let’s cheers to this leader’s early entrepreneurial experiences and the origins of so many projects (see bonus materials) that have paved different paths for fellow founders. We also discuss when teams need to raise financial capital and how to manage a board of advisors, then explore leveraging large clients, finding co-founders in a startup community, and being honest with the end game in mind.

After the break, we hear how Eric wants to be remembered and riff on if everyone has an entrepreneurial spirit. We celebrate co-founders in life, articulate venture studios, deal flow as an investor, the importance of computer science in education, and avoiding burnout within the long-term realm of evolving entrepreneurial ecosystems.

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://x.com/ericengelmann

https://geonetric.com

https://newbo.co

https://isaventures.com

https://novyventures.com

http://Paving-Paths.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

Roasted Reflections Break: Pain Relievers vs. Vitamins

https://entrefest.com

EP9 – Future of Work 🎙️ Nancy Mwirotsi

EP17 – Schoolhouse Rock 🎙️🎞️ Anika Yadav

EP30 – Exit Ramps 🎙️ Brian Crotty

EP77 – Problem Solving – Gerald Beranek

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 4 weeksJune 9, 2025 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Red Jalapeño

Taufeek Shah brings the heat! We pour on the sauce and dip into salsa as we hear how Lola’s Fine Sauces delivers spicy goodness in 22,000+ locations worldwide. Taufeek and Ben discuss the science of edible product development, freshness in a distributed supply chain, and physical experiences with digital depth.

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BONUS MATERIALS

Capsaicin 🌶️ TRPV1

https://LolasFineHotSauce.com

http://Red-Jalapeno.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

Roasted Reflections Break: Isochronal

EP28 – Let’s Get Phygital 🎙️ Sachin Sehgal

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

https://DMACC.edu/foundation

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 3 monthsApril 16, 2025 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Corporate Battleships

Jacob Kruse invests corporate innovation funds. Corporate venture capital is a growing trend, so let’s chat through how founders can interact with corporate partners and how internal innovation teams can leverage their position within an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

As an intrapreneur within the insurance industry, listen how to co-create with founders and stay in-tune with a startup community. Large companies must stay thirsty to stay ahead of the innovation curve and EP85 is brewed to help indispensable employees execute by staying curious as we lead from within.

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://DeltaDentalIA.com

https://GlobalInsuranceAccelerator.com

http://Corporate-Battleships.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

Roasted Reflections Break: Mentor Madness

https://BenMcDougal.com/champions-of-change

https://BenMcDougal.com/significance

EP30 – Exit Ramps 🎙️ Brian Crotty

EP40 – Big Business 🎙️ Joe Murphy

EP72 – Win Win Win 🎙️ Nicole Crain

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

Roasted Reflections on Discord

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 3 monthsApril 9, 2025 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Grandpa Dale

🎄 Holiday Special 🎄

Grandpa Dale visits the studio! At age 92, open this gift of a chat between a grandpa and his grandson. Recorded September 2024 and released on Christmas morning, EP70 is a love story to family, memories of riding a horse over a mile to school, peaceful gratitude, and so much more.

Ben had a number of ideas for narrating the break, so tune through to enjoy Santa is Real, then we keep the nestaglia brewing. Ben’s dad sat in on the fun and twas cool to record this neat family relic. Thanks to all who make Christmas special. Enjoy the holidays and this holiday special.

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BONUS MATERIALS

http://Grandpa-Dale.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

Roasted Reflections Break: Santa is Real

https://BenMcDougal.com/tag/family

By Ben McDougal, 6 monthsDecember 25, 2024 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Goosebumps

Nic Roth is an author, illustrator, and full-time artist. He is also Ben’s younger brother, so have fun sharing EP60 with a sibling and laugh out loud as we explore what it takes to be a full-time creative. We also talk about book publishing, becoming a muralist, and attending art school, before hearing Bloop from the Roasted Reflections library.

After the break, we invite leaders to always create, while at the same time, welcoming mistakes to brew lasting progress. BEN BOT then helps us compare invested time, versus spending, passing, and wasting time. After a few quick thoughts on being brothers, Nic wraps up EP60 by recognizing that belief in one’s self is contagious, as well as, how opportunities to collaborate awaits all of us, every step of the way.

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BONUS MATERIALS
https://NicRothStudio.com
http://Goosebumps.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com
Reading Break from Roasted Reflections: Bloop
http://CollectorHardbackEdition.com
http://RoastedReflections.com
http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 9 monthsOctober 16, 2024 ago

Ben McDougal is an author, founder, technologist, and entrepreneurial ecosystem builder in the connected era.

Ben has been called a polymath. He evolves ideas into reality and accelerates others through the art of connection. Check out the innovations this leader has activated over time!

You’ve likely met Ben or heard him speak.

You Don’t Need This Podcast has been the place to enjoy a podcast every Wednesday morning for a while now! McDougal’s latest creation unites 80+ timeless episodes, each with featured guests in-studio! Listen and watch as leaders brew through the fabrics of an entrepreneurial lifestyle. The content creation never stops either. 160+ writings are now minted into Roasted Reflections. This library is a literary journey for the mind and could present a compelling path toward an all-new format coming soon.

Shifting gears, the quest that is FliteBrite remains compelling and an active part of Ben’s journey as a founder. Since 2012, their electronic serving system and beer festival app have created tech-infused paths for craft breweries and event organizers. This tasty story continues to be written, with fun, friendships, successes, learnings, and more fun, every step of the build.

Alongside his ventures, Ben caffeinates a nationwide movement called 1 Million Cups. After leading 1MC Des Moines for 5 years, Ben now collaborates with the Kauffman Foundation as the @1MCMidwest Regional Rep. He’s been making a ruckus in this position for over 5 years. What glorious collision, with endless generous 1MC organizers, in countless entrepreneurial ecosystems. Ben loves this leadership role brewed to connect and support 1MC organizers from 100+ communities throughout the Midwest and nationwide!

When it comes to nationwide efforts, Ben also had the privilege of teaming up with Techstars as an Entrepreneur in Residence and Ecosystem Builder. Investing 2021-2023 to build through the Iowa Techstars Accelerator was fantastic. That marketing-flavored, community building, culture, and founder-support role allowed Ben to continue accelerating inspired entrepreneurs… while connecting mentors and investors from around the globe.

Such experiential wisdom is translated into BENergy as McDougal speaks with a variety of different audiences. For example, You Don’t Need This Keynote activates students, while other talks accelerate young professionals, founders, side hustlers, and intrapreneurs. Watch fantastic examples here, then let’s chat about your next event, keynote speaker ideas, workshop collaborations, and/or entrepreneurial initiatives.

There’s so much more too. The full story is linked below and a spacious museum will keep you appreciating work that feels like play. As you’ll see through stories, Ben also enjoys travel, golf, EDM expeditions, reading, Seth Godin, philosophy, wine, craft beer, pinball, and spending treasured time with his wife and daughter. May the best of your todays, be the worst of your tomorrows. Cheers!

FULL STORY