This week the guys talk with Rita Mitchell, Director of the Pine Belt Small Business Development Center, and Lori Watts, President of the Marion County Development Partnership. They discuss the vital role their organizations play in supporting businesses, from startups to established enterprises, especially in times of crises like natural disasters, economic downswings, and even global pandemics!

The conversation highlights how these centers provide free, confidential counseling and connect entrepreneurs with essential resources – emphasizing the importance of planning, realistic expectations, and adaptability in the ever-evolving business landscape. They also take some time to discuss the impact of AI on small businesses and share insights on common pitfalls for entrepreneurs, such as seeking non-existent grants and insufficient market research.

If you have ever wondered how the SBDC or your local county development partnership can help take your company to the next level, be sure to check out this episode on the platform of your choice!

Special thanks to Indicium for editing this episode!

The week the guys talk about the 2016 movie, The Founder, a period drama that tells the story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned two brothers’ innovative fast-food burger joint (McDonald’s) into the biggest restaurant in the world.

Caleb and Chris reflect on Kroc’s ambition, persistence, and ruthlessness, and how any of these talents (when taken to their extreme) can do as much harm as good. The guys also take some time to reflect on entrepreneurship more broadly, including the challenges of starting a business, and the personal sacrifices involved, using Kroc’s story as a point of comparison.

The conversation touches on balancing ambition with personal life, the importance of persistence, and the realities of the business world compared to idealized social media portrayals.

Check out the guys’ chat about this movie on the platform of your choice.

Special thanks to Indicium for editing this episode!

Hey Everybody, we just found out over the weekend that the Sippi Podcast has made it to the final round of the Top Five Podcasts for Festival South’s Best of the Pine Belt! Sincere thanks to those of you that nominated and then voted for us to make it to this final stage!

You can hear the guys briefly chat about it on the podcast player of your choice. If you want to check out the other South MS podcasts that made it to the final round, click here!

The Sippi Podcast is back with Season Four! The hosts, Caleb & Chris, return after a six-week break and discuss their time off, with Caleb providing an update on his dissertation and coffee business. They also discuss the current state of podcasting, noting high failure rates and the rise of celebrity-hosted shows. A significant portion of the episode focuses on the increasing impact of artificial intelligence, particularly new AI tools for conversational interaction* (see the duck quack footnote below) and coding, and the hosts ponder the ethical considerations and rapid advancements in the field. Finally, they introduce tariffs as a future topic for discussion due to perceived misinformation and their real-world effects on businesses like Caleb's coffee shop.

*And yes, duck quacks were inserted into the episode because one of the AI bots decided to overshare information about Chris’ personal life. Fortunately for him, it’s not a video podcast or you would have seen how much he was blushing when this unexpected event occurred!

Sincere thanks to Chris for editing this episode. He really wanted to edit this one for some reason…

Listen to the guys discuss their various scattered topics on the podcast platform of your choice!

The guys temporarily come out of their six-week break to discuss an EXTREMELY bizarre event that happened recently on April Fool’s Day. In this episode, the guys talk about “War Thunder”, a video game known for its addictive "taps and sinks" economy, which haphazardly lead to the game developer's controversial April Fool's joke that involved a TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLAR in-game purchase.

Check out their chat about this insane series of events on the platform of your choice!

Special thanks to Chris for editing this episode so that Zac can still enjoy the break!

This week the guys reflect on their first year and 50 episodes of the Sippi Podcast! Which is a little ironic, considering the rookie technical mistakes they made just trying to get this particular episode recorded.

In celebration of one year, the guys decide to relax and wonder off on numerous side topics, including a recount of the humorous origin story behind Caleb’s drink, the "Cafe Slider," which involved a run-in with Coca-Cola.

Looking ahead, they announce a six-week break to prepare for their next goal, Season Four of the Sippi Podcast, which intends to add an additional 50 published episodes to the catalog! The guys take a moment to earnestly solicit listener feedback on future topics and the show's general direction, including potentially incorporating more casual discussions alongside their entrepreneurial content. They also share anecdotes about listener engagement and their own evolving perspectives on the podcast's format and audience.

Catch out our last episode of the season on your platform of choice!

Sincere thanks to Indicium for editing this episode!

This week the guys get a young politician’s fresh perspective – and when we say “young” we mean it! The guys sit down with 19-year-old entrepreneur and mayoral candidate, Caymen Watts!

Caymen discusses his candidacy for mayor of Columbia, Mississippi, and makes the argument that youth and lack of traditional political experience opens the door to new ideas and innovative problem solving. The discussion explores his background as a local athlete and businessman, his motivation to serve his community, and his plans for revitalizing the town, including addressing neglected properties and fostering new economic opportunities. Watts also shares his commonsense approach to politics and his thinking behind running as a Republican while emphasizing his desire to represent all people in his town, regardless of party affiliation.

If you need an encouraging reminder that there are still politicians out there who place pragmatism over party, this is an episode you don’t want to miss! Sincere thanks to Caymen Watts for getting behind the microphone and giving all of us an example of what we can look forward to with our newest generation of political leaders! You can check out this chat on your platform of choice by clicking the link here.

Also, sincere thanks to Indicium for editing this episode so quickly for the upcoming election!

This week the guys heard an incredible personal journey story from veteran and entrepreneur, Casey Patterson! Casey recounts his journey from a difficult upbringing and military service to his eventual founding of Alli CBD Marketplace, a company that aims to increase integrity and transparency in the American-grown hemp industry.

Consistent with his company’s mission, Casey is also extremely transparent on a personal level. He shares painful firsthand encounters with crime on his college campus, abject racism in the military, and how CBD helped him manage his own battles with physical pain and anxiety. The episode explores the complexities of the CBD industry, its regulations, and Alli's laser sharp focus to verify trustworthy, lab-tested, CBD products from family-owned farms.

Special thanks to Casey for traveling all the way from Atlanta to get behind the mic with us and share his amazing story!

Special thanks to Indicium for editing this episode!