You Don't Need This Podcast Archives - Page 2 of 22

Traveled

Trevor Carlson visited 50+ countries in 5 years!

He’s also a friend, founder, content creator, and below-average salsa dancer. Pack your bag and ride along as we wind through an extended episode with wild stories from around the globe, a narrated break, writing fiction, thoughts on the future of You Don’t Need This Podcast, experiential wisdom brewed to keep us building together, and bonus footage where Ben shares what he wants from life.

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://lostandlore.com

https://FreshFuelMarketing.com

The Climb by Trevor Carlson (early access)

Roasted Reflections Break: Serendipitist

http://Traveled.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

EP44 – Do What You Love 🎙️ Scotty Russell

EP56 – Caffeinated Manifesto 2 🎙️ Ben McDougal

EP84 – Base Camp 🎙️ John Kallen

EP94 – Paving Paths 🎙️ Eric Engelmann

Man’s Search For Meaning -Viktor E. Frankl

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

YDNTP on YouTube

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 1 year ago July 16, 2025

You Don't Need This Podcast

Unrelenting

Abena Sankofa is an unrelenting author, founder, and fellow podcaster who hosts Black & Privileged in America. This leader celebrates Africana, challenges historical narratives, and advocates for a just world. Together, we share time on a Tuesday by chatting about reading, writing, podcasting, and building a healthy bookshelf.

After another narrated break, we update the “minority” business owner narrative, discuss ways to leverage resources geared just for you, and explore the perceived religious vibes that are more like the constant governance of cultural interactions within business environments and beyond.

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://AbenaSankofa.com

Omari’s Big Tree and the Mighty Djembe

“Iowa Nice” Interrupted | TEDxDesMoines

Roasted Reflections Break: Bookmarks

http://Unrelenting.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

EP33 – Health Equity 🎙️ Corey Dion Lewis

EP59 – Agents of Change 🎙️ Amner Martinez

EP65 – Aromatherapy 🎙️ Kourtney Perry

EP86 – Red Jalapeño 🎙️ Taufeek Shah

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

By Ben McDougal, 1 year ago July 9, 2025

You Don't Need This Podcast

Break Ground

Dan Knoup and Brandon Patterson lead the Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines. We break ground by hearing how these two leaders got into residential construction. We then hit on the hands-on nature of entrepreneurs who start (or acquire) a skilled trade or home building business.

After the break, we explore the tech-flavored frontiers of the home building industry, like AI in construction, online tools to enhance collaboration, smart homes, material science, and evolving talent. We then talk about how membership-based organizations can stay vibrant to deliver what’s needed now, while staying creative in ways members will appreciate later. We finish the job by discussing residential vs. commercial construction, how teams can build together, ways new founders can break into the home building industry, and fresh ways to keep us all building.

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://dsmhba.com

https://iowaskilledtrades.com

https://hbi.org

Roasted Reflections Break: Perpetual

http://Break-Ground.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

EP34 – Measured Twice 🎙️ Ryan Glick

EP83 – Prognostication 🎙️ Ehrich Pakala

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

YDNTP on YouTube

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 1 year ago July 2, 2025

You Don't Need This Podcast

Inverse Charisma

Jack Chimbetete learned to make others feel charismatic as a young leader in Zimbabwe. After this film maker experienced the Mandela Washington Fellowship, he forged a new path by moving to Iowa. We chat about growing up in Africa, producing content for TV, the African Live Network, tips for migration, and how to sequence storytelling to enhance any adventure.

After a euphoric break, Jack and Ben talk about what’s easy to do, but hard to maintain. They discuss being optimistic, while staying realistic and finish with ideas to help anyone build a network when you’re new to town.

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://jacksshackint.com

https://africalivenetwork.tv

https://onevoicedsm.org

https://cultureall.org

Roasted Reflections Break: Career Nirvana

http://Inverse-Charisma.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

EP37 – Power of Purpose 🎙️ Dwana Bradley

EP63 – Trapping Time 🎙️ Chris Lo

EP67 – Kups From Kenya 🎙️ Laban Njuguna

https://MandelaWashingtonFellowship.org

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

https://BenMcDougal.com/show-up

https://BenMcDougal.com/echos

Tiësto 🪩 New York City

https://BrianTracy.com

YDNTP on YouTube

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 1 year ago June 25, 2025

You Don't Need This Podcast

Student Founders

Ben was back at UW Stevens Point, speaking and collaborating inside the UW Stevens Point Center for Entrepreneurship. During his time on campus, Alex Suscha and Haley Densow joined him for another “In The Wild” jam session.

Hear how these two college student founders are building beyond the classroom by embracing the tension of going beyond the status quo. We speak about building a company while balancing school work, how to win pitch contests, and growing up in the connected era. For leaders who build on the timeline of now, this timeless episode is brewed just for you. Enjoy!

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://sourcerai.co

https://uwsp.edu/news/haley-densow-dormdash

https://x.com/SentrySchool/status/1896335458461778294

https://x.com/BENovator/status/1894227286326464568

http://Student-Founders.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

http://YouDontNeedThisKeynote.com

http://PlayforcePrinciples.com

EP17 – Schoolhouse Rock 🎙️ Anika Yadav

EP31 – What is School For? 🎙️ Russ Goerend

EP53 – Now & Later 🎙️ Evan Stanislawski + Matt Vollmer

EP54 – Blurring Lines 🎙️ Kevin Neuman + Chris Klesmith

EP69 – Generative Humans 🎙️ Chris Snider

EP81 – Technology Soup 🎙️ Carl Lippert

https://BenMcDougal.com/slide-deck-design

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

By Ben McDougal, 1 year ago June 18, 2025

Ben McDougal is a 2x author, 5x founder, podcaster, technologist, and teacher.

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 over a brew, read his writings, listened to his podcast, watched his films, or heard him speak. Along with being an intrapreneur, founder, and community leader, You Don’t Need This Book was published in 2021. The literary journey continued as 3 years of weekly writings evolved into the Roasted Reflections library, which paved a path for Brewed From Within, which hit bookshelves in 2026. If reading is not your thing, You Don’t Need This Podcast is more entertaining energy for the entrepreneurial lifestyle, featuring 100+ timeless episodes, all recorded in-studio with remarkable featured guests!

The quest that is FliteBrite also remains a compelling part of Ben’s work as a founder. Since 2012, their electronic serving system and beer festival app have ignited new opportunities for craft breweries and event organizers. This tasty story continues with fun, friendships, successes, learnings, and more fun, every step of the build.

Alongside his ventures, Ben caffeinated a nationwide movement called 1 Million Cups for 13+ years, before retiring in 2026. After leading 1MC Des Moines for 5 years, Ben collaborated inside the Kauffman Foundation as the @1MCMidwest Regional Rep for 8 years. What glorious collisions with generous leaders in countless communities. Ben learned a lot in that leadership role, as he supported volunteer organizers from 100+ communities throughout the United States!

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 worldwide.

Such experiential wisdom is translated into BENergy to energize different audiences. For example, You Don’t Need This Keynote activates students, while other workshops and keynotes accelerate fellow founders, side hustlers, and intrapreneurs.

While this is a delightful amuse-bouche, the full story is linked below and his creative museum visualizes work that feels like play. As you’ll see, 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