Better Together

Real Talk for People Building Real Businesses. Hosted by Kelly and Shawn Sundsvold | Powered by GoldBear Media About the Podcast: Better Together cuts through the noise with authentic stories from small business owners who’ve faced challenges, found resilience, and discovered growth in unexpected places. Each episode dives into what really happens behind the highlight reel—because business isn’t built in isolation. It’s built through connection, collaboration, and the courage to keep showing up. This podcast is all about real conversations that remind us we’re not alone in the journey of entrepreneurship.

Better Together is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 59 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Better Together, a business show with 59 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Better Together

  From Digital Marketing to Shark Tank: Doug Bard's Wave Tape Story

  Oct 1, 202630 min

  Everyone has lost five minutes of their life trying to find the end of a packing tape roll. Doug Bard decided to fix it. In this episode of Better Together, Doug shares the origin story behind Wave Tape - a deceptively simple product solving one of the most universally frustrating problems in packaging. From the first idea to market validation, Shark Tank application, and everything in between, Doug pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to bring a product to life. Connect with Doug - https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglasbard/ He gets honest about the zigzags - the setbacks, the pivots, the moments where most people would have quit. And he talks about what kept him going: family support, genuine belief in the product, and a stubbornness about solving a problem that millions of people deal with every single day. His background in digital marketing gave him a unique lens on branding and storytelling - and the way he built Wave Tape's identity around family and authenticity shows exactly how a simple product can become something people genuinely connect with. For aspiring inventors, entrepreneurs balancing a full-time job with a startup dream, or anyone who's ever had a product idea and wondered if it could actually work - this episode is for you. Watch the full episode and share your biggest takeaway in the comments below. Better Together is the 2026 Best Podcast in Maryland winner, hosted by Shawn and Kelly Sundsvold, co-owners of GoldBear Media. Each episode is a real, unscripted conversation with a founder or entrepreneur about the business they've built - the wins, the failures, and everything they learned along the way. Better Together is brought to you by GoldBear Media helping business owners turn scattered marketing into a real, connected strategy. Learn more at goldbear.media. #BetterTogetherPodcast #Entrepreneurship #ProductInvention #WaveTape #SharkTank #Innovation #StartupJourney #DougBard #GoldBearMedia

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  Better Together

  Making Athlete Wealth Last for Generations - Zac O'Brien

  Sep 28, 202628 min

  Most people assume professional athletes are set for life. The reality is far more complicated - and far more costly when nobody's paying attention. In this episode of Better Together, Zac O'Brien pulls back the curtain on what managing the financial lives of professional athletes actually looks like. The mistakes nobody warns them about, the tax planning opportunities most high earners miss completely, and why building a legacy requires a lot more than a big paycheck. Zac breaks down the invasive approval process required to work with NFL players, why athletes consistently outspend their income without proper financial education, and how understanding someone's financial DNA - the relationship with money they developed in childhood - shapes every decision they make as adults. He also gets into what happens when the career ends. The transition out of sports is one of the most financially dangerous moments in an athlete's life - and proactive planning is the only thing that changes the outcome. For high earners, business owners, or anyone serious about building wealth that actually lasts - this episode is packed with insight that goes well beyond sports. Watch the full episode and share your biggest takeaway in the comments below. Connect with Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-obrien/ Better Together is the 2026 Best Podcast in Maryland winner, hosted by Shawn and Kelly Sundsvold, co-owners of GoldBear Media. Each episode is a real, unscripted conversation with a founder or entrepreneur about the business they've built - the wins, the failures, and everything they learned along the way. Better Together is brought to you by GoldBear Media - helping business owners turn scattered marketing into a real, connected strategy. Learn more at goldbear.media. #BetterTogetherPodcast #FinancialPlanning #Athletes #WealthManagement #Legacy #TaxPlanning #ZachOBrien #GoldBearMedia #SportsFinance

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  Better Together

  From Backpacking Africa to Building a Global Business - Valerie Bowden

  Sep 24, 202627 min

  Valerie Bowden backpacked across Africa, fell in love with Ethiopia, stayed for eight years - and built a thriving outsourcing company that's changing how the world thinks about global talent. In this episode of Better Together, Valerie shares the story behind Cradle - how she started it while pregnant, scaled it to explosive growth, and built a team of talented women across Africa that's outperforming every expectation. She gets honest about the misconceptions Western media has created around Africa, why many African countries are actually safer than the US, and how hiring her first assistant tripled her business in three months. She also talks about the real challenge nobody prepares you for - balancing motherhood with building a company, transitioning from founder to CEO, and learning to let go so the business can actually grow. For entrepreneurs building remotely, founders navigating growth and personal life, or anyone curious about the untapped potential of global talent - this one is a must listen. Watch the full episode and share your biggest takeaway in the comments below. Connect with Valerie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriebowden/ Better Together is the 2026 Best Podcast in Maryland winner, hosted by Shawn and Kelly Sundsvold, co-owners of GoldBear Media. Each episode is a real, unscripted conversation with a founder or entrepreneur about the business they've built - the wins, the failures, and everything they learned along the way. Better Together is brought to you by GoldBear Media - helping business owners turn scattered marketing into a real, connected strategy. Learn more at goldbear.media. #BetterTogetherPodcast #Outsourcing #Entrepreneurship #WomenInBusiness #Africa #RemoteWork #BusinessGrowth #ValerieBowden #GoldBearMedia #GlobalTalent

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  Better Together

  The Last Book Written by a Human - Jeff Burningham

  Sep 21, 202633 min

  Jeff Burningham sold his first tech company at 26. Ran for governor. Built and exited multiple businesses. And then hit a wall that no amount of external success could fix. In this episode of Better Together, Jeff gets honest about what happens when you achieve everything you thought you wanted - and realize it wasn't the point. He shares his journey through what he calls the dark night of the soul, how he rebuilt from the inside out, and why he believes AI is less a threat to humanity and more a cosmic mirror reflecting exactly who we are. His book - The Last Book Written by a Human - explores what it means to stay human in a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence. And the conversation goes deep on letting go of outcomes, building character through small daily habits, and why true fulfillment has nothing to do with what you accomplish on paper. For entrepreneurs chasing the next exit, leaders navigating uncertainty, or anyone questioning whether the life they're building is actually the one they want - this episode will stop you in your tracks. Watch the full episode and share your biggest takeaway in the comments below. Connect with Jeff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-burningham-15a01a7b/ Better Together is the 2026 Best Podcast in Maryland winner, hosted by Shawn and Kelly Sundsvold, co-owners of GoldBear Media. Each episode is a real, unscripted conversation with a founder or entrepreneur about the business they've built - the wins, the failures, and everything they learned along the way. Better Together is brought to you by GoldBear Media - helping business owners turn scattered marketing into a real, connected strategy. Learn more at goldbear.media . #BetterTogetherPodcast #AI #Entrepreneurship #PersonalGrowth #Leadership #JeffBurningham #HumanPotential #GoldBearMedia #MindsetShift

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  Better Together

  Fractional Leadership with Fred Garlington

  Sep 17, 202638 min

  Most small businesses don't need a full-time COO. They need the right person, at the right time, for exactly as long as it takes to fix what's broken and build what's missing. That's exactly what Fred Garlington does. In this episode of Better Together, Fred - fractional COO and founder of Zero Point Creations - breaks down what fractional leadership actually looks like in practice, how he builds trust quickly inside new organizations, and why the most common blind spot in growing companies isn't strategy or sales. It's confusing revenue for profit. He's helped companies scale from 8M to 25M - and what he's found consistently is that growth without discipline is just expensive chaos. Saying no to the wrong opportunities, refusing to chase bad money with good, and building operational clarity that lets a founder finally step back - that's the real work. Oh - and he also shares how running a band taught him more about operations than he expected. Connect with Fred: Fred Garlington | LinkedIn Better Together is the 2026 Best Podcast in Maryland winner, hosted by Shawn and Kelly Sundsvold, co-owners of GoldBear Media. Each episode is a real, unscripted conversation with a founder or entrepreneur about the business they've built - the wins, the failures, and everything they learned along the way. Better Together is brought to you by GoldBear Media - helping business owners turn scattered marketing into a real, connected strategy. Learn more at goldbear.media . #BetterTogetherPodcast #FractionalCOO #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Operations #GoldBearMedia #FredGarlington

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