Ep. 145 The Power of Risk, Resilience, and “Yes or No” with Kurt Karjalainen

In this episode of Unblocked, I sit down with entrepreneur Kurt Karjalainen, owner of Premier Merchants Group, LLC. What started as a college side hustle with a single ATM has grown into a thriving business with more than 3,000 ATMs across 42 states.

Kurt shares:

• How he spotted opportunity in a market others overlooked.
• Why being willing to start as a beginner matters more than being perfect.
• The sales mindset shift that took him from frustration to traction = “I want a yes or a no, but not a maybe.”
• His philosophy of time freedom and why it shaped every decision he made.
• The creative problem-solving that turned financial roadblocks into partnerships that fueled massive growth.

If you’ve ever wrestled with fear of failure, indecision, or perfectionism, Kurt’s story is proof that persistence, clarity, and a bias for action can create unimaginable results.

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this.

Links and Resources:

• Order my #1 New Release book In Pursuit
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• Get your complimentary copy of The Unblocked Journal to help bring awareness to perfectionist thinking and what it's creating in your life.
• Join My Do The Thing Community

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Connect with Kurt: [e-mail]

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