Hunter Bergman, founder of XPM (Experience Marketing) and producer of Build in Norfolk, shares his entrepreneurial journey from small-town Nebraska to leading a growing marketing agency. His path demonstrates how community spaces and mentorship can nurture startup success in Northeast Nebraska's evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

• Started entrepreneurial ventures early, influenced by his mother's side hustles
• Developed passion for media and storytelling through student newspaper at Northeast Community College
• Founded XPM to help medium-sized companies "level up their marketing" with comprehensive team services
• Grew from two people to seven team members in just three years
• Credits mentorship and community at Intersect Coworking for business growth and personal development
• Found crucial support through 1 Million Cups weekly meetings for visionary thinking and networking
• Learned the importance of understanding personal strengths and setting boundaries for sustainable growth
• Uses tools like Clifton Strengths Assessment to better manage teams and delegate responsibilities
• Is developing a side project called "Hi-AI" to help small businesses leverage artificial intelligence

Hunter and XPM help produce the Build in Norfolk Podcast, which is officially relaunching for season 2 with this episode. From 1MC to more events at Intersect, Emma and Hunter plan to grow their audience and extend conversations from the space to the digital realm with this podcast.

Have you ever wondered how a simple idea could transform into a thriving business? If so, this engaging podcast episode is just the ticket. We're joined by Jake Christensen, the visionary behind LawnHero.com, a revolutionary platform that has reshaped the lawn care industry. Inspired by the ease and efficiency of Uber and Lyft, Jake presents a fascinating account of how he built an on-demand lawn mowing service.

As our conversation unfolds, Jake takes us behind the scenes of his entrepreneurial journey. From identifying a gap in the market to building a user-friendly platform, he shares his wisdom on turning ideas into reality. Discover how he navigated challenges and built a successful business by connecting with the right people, asking pertinent questions, and understanding customer needs. He also shares his arsenal of invaluable tools, from Wix and Canva to the Google Suite, that helped him streamline his operations.

Finally, Jake offers some golden nuggets of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of persistence and action. Despite naysayers and obstacles, it's essential to hold true to your vision and take the necessary steps to bring it to fruition. Jake's story is a testament to the power of tenacity, creativity, and resourcefulness. So, tune in for an enlightening, inspiring conversation with Jake Christensen and get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of LawnHero.com.

Welcome to the Build in Norfolk Podcast! Today's episode features a special guest who is a seed-stage venture capital investor and an active supporter of Nebraska's startup ecosystem. In this conversation, we will be covering a variety of topics including:

• Understanding the importance of having a North Star and how it can help guide your business decisions.
• Risk appetite - What it means and why it's essential to consider when building your business.
• Nebraska's superpower - the value of being part of a connected community and how it can help your business thrive.
• The pitfalls of focusing solely on the amount of money raised in Nebraska as an indicator of a healthy startup ecosystem.
• The importance of customer validation - why you shouldn't skip this step in building your business.

Join us as we dive into these topics and gain valuable insights from our guest's experiences as a venture capital investor and startup ecosystem supporter in Nebraska.

Books:

• Mindset: The New Psychology of Sucess by Carol S. Dweck
• Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink
• Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Connect with Ben Williamson on LinkedIn.

Visit the Invest Nebraska website for more information