Guest: Alexxander Purcell, DOT Solutions & Support Engineer

Industry: Trucking / Logistics / Compliance

Company: Verified First

Focus: FMCSA compliance, audit readiness, safety management, owner-operator success

Specialty: DOT-regulated fleets, safety consulting, freight operations, small business coaching

✅ Alexxander breaks down how truckers can get blacklisted with freight guard reports—and how one bad broker review can sideline you for months.

✅ Hear how he ran a business for five years while paying 20% in merchant fees, just to keep credit card payments flowing.

✅ Discover the truth behind gross vs. net revenue in trucking—and why drivers who think they’re being underpaid might be missing the real math.

✅ Alexxander shares brutally honest advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: “If you’re not ready to lose everything, don’t do it.”

✅ Learn about the chargeback trap—how rendering services doesn’t mean you’ll get paid, especially when the customer's spouse disputes the charge.

✅ He’s consulted over 3,000 trucking companies and reveals the most common myths, mistakes, and margin misconceptions in the industry.

✅ A candid discussion on generational privilege, market access, and why today’s “too many choices” can be just as paralyzing as yesterday’s scarcity.

✅ Personal reflections on entrepreneurship, family, legacy, and the grandmother he wishes he could’ve sought advice from before it all began.

In this raw and no-BS episode of The Innovators Impact, Darnell Perkins sits down with Alexxander Purcell, a DOT compliance expert and trucking industry veteran, to explore the real-life trenches of entrepreneurship in logistics. With a background that includes homelessness, merchant rejection, and paying sky-high processing fees just to stay afloat, Alexxander opens up about what it actually takes to build—and survive—in the freight world.

From helping thousands of owner-operators to guiding them through the gritty realities of FMCSA audits and financial pitfalls, Alexxander emphasizes the cost of ambition. He shares battle-tested lessons on why most people misunderstand profit margins in trucking, the dangers of underestimating overhead, and the emotional toll of trying to go solo in a brutal industry.

Whether you’re scaling a fleet, thinking of becoming an owner-operator, or simply curious about what business looks like when no one hands you the keys, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, clarity, and hard-won wisdom.

Q: What’s the biggest misconception truckers have about starting their own company?

A: That they’ll keep the gross. In reality, after costs, they may make less than when they were a company driver.

Q: How do freight guard reports impact drivers?

A: They can blacklist you with brokers for months—with no appeal process.

Q: What should people know about merchant accounts?

A: Just getting one can be a nightmare. Alexxander paid 20% in fees for years because mainstream banks shut him out.

Q: Why do most first-time entrepreneurs fail?

A: They underestimate the emotional, financial, and personal toll. You need full commitment—or it’ll break you.

Q: Is it easier to succeed today than for past generations?

A: Yes—and no. Today you have tools and access, but so many options can be just as paralyzing as no options at...

Company Stats:

Guest: Michael Blank, Arms, Munitions, & Capital Markets Professional

Industry: Firearms / Ammunition / Manufacturing

Company: Gen X Arms and Ammunition (GXAA)

Focus: Ammunition innovation, founder strategy, manufacturing ops, IP protection

Tech Stack: Ballistics, CNC machining, small batch ammo production, federal & state grant navigation

✅ Michael shares the highs and heartbreaks behind the 2545 Sharps round, a beloved cartridge that gained traction in the firearms community—yet earned him zero profit due to investor fallout.

✅ Learn how creative founders can access $85K+ demo gear, free shop time, or programming resources by simply asking and offering strategic value.

✅ Understand why federal research funding might cost you ownership of your idea—and why state-level grants or angel networks are safer options.

✅ Discover the dangers of bringing on the wrong capital partner too soon, and how one $500 misstep tanked a $25M raise.

✅ Michael walks us through the importance of surrounding yourself with a strong, experienced team—even if it delays your launch.

✅ Hear practical stories of navigating IP law, licensing traps, and how to protect your invention before it’s market-ready.

✅ Why falling in love with your idea can blind you to market reality—and how to test if anyone else actually wants it.

✅ Michael delivers a masterclass in tactical scrappiness—from bartering machine time to leveraging underutilized assets for prototyping.

✅ Get raw advice on founding solo, protecting your strategic vision, and avoiding common founder ego traps.

✅ This episode is a must-listen for builders in hardware, regulated industries, or anyone inventing against the odds.

In this episode of The Innovators Impact, host Darnell Perkins sits down with Michael Blank, a seasoned inventor and founder of Gen X Arms and Ammunition, to unpack the reality behind startup innovation in the firearms space. Michael’s story blends ingenuity, legal battles, heartbreak—and a whole lot of tactical wisdom.

From inventing the now-cult-favorite 2545 Sharps cartridge to being forced out of his own company by rogue investors, Michael pulls no punches as he reflects on what went right, what went sideways, and what every founder needs to understand before chasing a big raise.

He shares critical advice on working with manufacturers, leveraging equipment partners, and even how to borrow five-figure lasers for free if you make a compelling enough case. Michael also warns against the “free money” trap of federal R&D grants, which can come with IP ownership clauses that kill commercialization.

If you’re building anything physical—especially in a capital-intensive, regulated, or IP-heavy space—this conversation will arm you with real talk on surviving the grind, making smarter bets, and staying in control of your mission.

Q: How do you balance innovation with ownership protection?

A: Don't stop at your first patent. Lawyers miss key points. Learn what you need to protect—and do it fast.

Q: How do you fund big ideas without early capital?

A: Leverage relationships. Ask machine shops and suppliers for demo access, discounts, or programming time.

Q: What’s the biggest trap with government R&D support?

A: Federal grants can come with clauses that give away your IP. State grants are usually cleaner.

Q: What should founders focus on in the early days?

A: Build your team. Even if you’re introverted or early, credibility...

Guest: Josh Asbury, Founder of BrokerPro

Industry: Freight Tech / SaaS / AI Automation

Company: BrokerPro

Focus: TMS & workflow solutions for freight brokers and carriers

Tech Stack: AI, TMS platforms, automation tools, email triage, PDF parsing, content optimization

✅ Josh shares a powerful story of a small business owner moved to tears after finally gaining visibility into his own analytics, showcasing how tech can change lives.

✅ Learn why Josh believes AI should augment, not replace, teams—freeing people to do higher-value work rather than cutting headcount.

✅ Discover how freight brokers are leveraging automation to deal with high email volume, quote comparison, and quote response prioritization.

✅ Hear why Josh encourages his team to experiment with AI tools—but emphasizes thoughtful judgment, editing, and content quality.

✅ Josh and Darnell explore the “brain drain” risk in younger generations over-relying on AI without learning foundational skills.

✅ Explore how remote work, the pandemic, and generational shifts are shaping workplace culture—and how older professionals can help guide younger ones.

✅ Tech nostalgia meets future-thinking: from iPods and CDs to streaming and AI-powered development, this episode brings both heart and innovation.

In this episode of The Innovators Impact, host Darnell Perkins welcomes freight tech founder Josh Asbury for a deeply thoughtful conversation on AI, automation, leadership, and the human impact of technology. Josh, the founder of BrokerPro, blends hard-earned SaaS wisdom with personal stories—like the small business owner who got choked up seeing his Google Analytics for the first time.

Josh walks us through his belief that AI is a tool to empower—not replace—people. From back-office automation to quote filtering in the freight world, he explains how smart tools can help teams get to better decisions faster. But he also shares his concern about the long-term risks of over-reliance on AI, especially among younger professionals who may miss out on critical development in writing, coding, and communication.

This isn’t your average “tech will save us” chat. Josh opens up about how he leads his team to use AI with integrity, why judgment and editing still matter, and how his own tech journey—spanning multiple decades—shapes his perspective. Together with Darnell, they reflect on the responsibility of seasoned professionals to mentor the next wave of talent in an age where remote work, AI, and automation dominate the landscape.

Whether you’re building SaaS, working in logistics, or just trying to navigate the future of work, this episode will leave you with practical tools, real stories, and a renewed sense of what tech should really be about: people.

Q: Should AI help companies cut staff—or help them grow smarter?

A: Let AI handle the scut work. Reassign people to value-adding roles like business development or carrier relationship management.

Q: How do you prevent AI from becoming a crutch?

A: Expect your team to explore tools, but coach them to use judgment. AI helps, but editing and clarity still matter.

Q: What worries you about the next generation’s use of AI?

A: Brain drain. When kids rely too much on AI, they miss out on foundational skills—and the human mentorship that shapes real growth.

Q: What’s your company culture around AI adoption?

A: Full support—as long as it...