Mary Hagen knew early she wanted to build something — launching her first business at 20. Today, she’s the CEO of Colossal, a company that’s quietly reshaped how fundraising works. Since joining, Mary has scaled Colossal by over 1000%, helping generate more than $207 million for nonprofits like the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Baby2Baby, PAWS, and the James Beard Foundation. But the real shift is how that money gets raised. Instead of relying on a few major donors, Colossal built a model around digital competitions and community participation — turning thousands of small contributions into millions raised. In this conversation, Mary breaks down what it actually takes to grow a purpose-driven company, why she believes leadership is about showing up — not just saying the right things — and how modern fundraising is moving away from exclusivity toward something far more accessible.

Make sure to check them out at: https://colossal.org

Check out my new book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4kRKGTX

Watch our mini-doc - Starting Small: The Raw Truth Behind Entrepreneurship and the American Dream: https://youtu.be/eHuq93wIxs0?si=eDB-ycngvWNapRLO

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Starting Small is powered by Riverside.fm, the AI-powered platform that lets you record, edit, repurpose,and distribute studio-quality content as easily as if you had a crew behind you. Check them out now at https://creators.riverside.com/CameronNagle

Julian Tcherassi didn’t start Magiktea trying to compete with traditional tea brands. He found something most people had never heard of — palo azul, a tree bark used for centuries as a natural kidney remedy.

When brewed, it does something unexpected. It turns bright blue in the light, thanks to its high concentration of polyphenols — with studies showing it contains up to 8x more antioxidants than green tea.

That discovery became Magiktea — an alkaline, caffeine-free tea built around function, not just flavor.

Today, Magiktea is stocked in over 1,000 retail locations, including Erewhon, Vitamin Shoppe, Bristol Farms, Lassens, Chamberlin’s, and Fruitful Yield — growing quietly in the better-for-you beverage space.

Make sure to check them out at: https://magiktea.com/

Make sure to check them out at: https://www.dangerjonescreative.com/

Check out my new book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4kRKGTX

Watch our mini-doc - Starting Small: The Raw Truth Behind Entrepreneurship and the American Dream: https://youtu.be/eHuq93wIxs0?si=eDB-ycngvWNapRLO

Visit Starting Small Media: https://startingsmallmedia.org/

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Thank you to this episodes mid-break sponsor, Birdieball. It’s not your typical carpet mat — they use this aerated foam and turf setup that actually gives you a true roll, so the ball stays on line and reacts like a real green. You can customize the size, adjust speed, even add breaks and different hole setups — so you’re not just mindlessly hitting straight putts, you’re actually working on your game. I’ve got mine set up at home and it’s just made it way easier to get reps in consistently. If you’re trying to tighten up your putting without getting to the course every day, go check out BirdieBall at https://www.birdieball.com

Starting Small is powered by Riverside.fm, the AI-powered platform that lets you record, edit, repurpose,and distribute studio-quality content as easily as if you had a crew behind you. Check them out now at https://creators.riverside.com/CameronNagle

David Thurston didn’t set out to build the fastest-growing hair color brand in professional beauty history. But that’s exactly what happened.

As the founder of Pulp Riot, David created a brand that shook up the salon industry — bold colors, artist-first culture, and a community that felt more like a movement than a product line. Just 23 months after launch, Pulp Riot was acquired by L’Oréal for $150M.

The day the deal closed, David was sitting in a Jersey Mike’s when a bank notification popped up: $85M had just hit his account.

Seven years later, he and his wife Alexis are back building — this time with Danger Jones, a brand that blends hair color, fashion, and film into something entirely different from traditional beauty companies. No corporate playbook. No venture capital. Just creativity, community, and a belief that artists deserve a brand that actually represents them.

In this episode, David shares the full story behind Pulp Riot’s meteoric rise, what really happens after a life-changing exit, and why he decided to start over — building Danger Jones from scratch across 43 countries.

Make sure to check them out at: https://www.dangerjonescreative.com/

Check out my new book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4kRKGTX

Watch our mini-doc - Starting Small: The Raw Truth Behind Entrepreneurship and the American Dream: https://youtu.be/eHuq93wIxs0?si=eDB-ycngvWNapRLO

Visit Starting Small Media: https://startingsmallmedia.org/

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LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/cameronnagle

Thank you to this episode's mid-break sponsor, Morelux.

If you’re someone who practices at home — golf, baseball, or really any ball sport — you know how hard it is to find gear that’s actually built to take a beating. That’s what impressed me about Morelux.

They sent over one of their heavy-duty frame and net setups, and the first thing I noticed was the build quality. Their systems use thick steel frames and high-density mesh designed to absorb serious impact — not the flimsy nets that wobble or tear after a few sessions.

It’s been perfect for our space. Super quick to set up, incredibly sturdy, and honestly just makes practicing way more fun.

Make sure to check them our at https://www.morelux.store/