THE FLIP SIDE with Andy Mai

Join Andy as he explores topics on personal improvement, mindset, and business life as a young entrepreneur.Fresh episodes every week! Subscribe to get notified of our updates! For sponsorships please email us at theflipsidepodcastcshow@gmail.comWelcome to The Flip Side!

THE FLIP SIDE with Andy Mai is a education podcast hosted by Andy Mai, with 342 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Andy Mai hosts THE FLIP SIDE with Andy Mai, a education show with 342 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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  Episode #263

  TFS#263 - Adam Bohn Creator Of Adventure Quest Turned Down $84,000,000 To Sell His Game

  Aug 10, 20262h 18mS3

  Adam Bohn is the founder and CEO of Artix Entertainment and the creator of AdventureQuest, one of the longest-running online RPGs. A self-taught game developer, he has spent over two decades building beloved games, fostering a passionate player community, and growing an independent game studio known for titles like DragonFable, MechQuest, EpicDuel, and AdventureQuest Worlds . Connect with Adam Bohn! https://www.instagram.com/artixkrieger https://www.artix.com 0:00 - Introduction 1:33 - Meet Adam Bohn 3:09 - Andy on Growing Up with AdventureQuest 4:52 - How AdventureQuest Began 5:54 - How Adam Learned to Code 7:51 - Going to the Gym with His Crew 8:41 - Creating 1,000 Games Before AQ 10:15 - The Story Behind Land of Rising Evil 11:10 - Land of Rising Evil into AQ 11:32 - How Adam Named AdventureQuest 12:03 - Adam's Goal for AQ's Growth 13:09 - How Adam Started Making Money from His Game 14:34 - Upgrading and Adding Features to AQ 16:08 - How Captain Rhubarb Helped Fix the Game 19:30 - AQ Worlds Infinity's $2.149M Kickstarter 20:02 - Recruiting Talented Players from the Community 20:30 - How AQ Has Delivered Weekly Content for 24 Years 21:14 - How Buying Advertising Changed Everything 23:43 - Artix Entertainment Reaches $500k/month in Ads 2007 26:41 - How He Scaled His Company 27:25 - Creation of DragonFable 29:07 - Adam on the Launch of DragonFable 30:27 - Artix Entertainment Operated Out of Adam's House 36:01 - Adam on Working Side Jobs While Making AQ 38:15 - The Success of DragonFable 38:46 - Why Creators Should Promote Their Work 40:04 - His Journey Making Games 44:13 - MechQuest Surpasses DragonFable's Launch 44:42 - Adam on AQ Worlds' Rough Start Before Success 49:14 - Artix Entertainment Receives an $84 Million Acquisition Offer 51:57 - Artix's Real-Time Payment and Sales Tracking System Surprises Larger Companies 52:59 - The Story Behind the EpicDuel Acquisition 54:20 - How the Company Grew from Adam's House into Multiple Offices 57:38 - Adam Looks Back on 2015's Toughest Moments 59:07 - Adam on Bringing AQ into 3D 1:00:08 - The Story Behind Artix's First Mobile Game, Battle Gems 1:01:06 - How a Four-Day Business Seminar Reset His Mindset 1:03:40 - Adam Decides to Turn the Company Around and Recommit to AQ 3D 1:06:06 - Adam's Journey Launching the Kickstarter for AdventureQuest 3D 1:12:25 - How Artix Entertainment Monetizes Its Games 1:13:37 - Adam on the Growth of Artix's Development Team 1:18:12 - Adam Talks About Artix Entertainment's 20th Anniversary Celebration 1:19:41 - Adam Explains His Philosophy of Taking Massive Action 1:23:14 - Adam's First Game, Dungeons and DoomKnights 1:28:58 - Adam Talks About the Three Circles Philosophy 1:29:42 - The Story Behind Dungeons and DoomKnights 8-Bit/NES and Lessons from the Project 1:36:15 - Remaking AdventureQuest Worlds into AdventureQuest Worlds Infinity 1:38:13 - Adam Talks About Launching the Kickstarter for AdventureQuest Worlds Infinity 1:41:30 - AdventureQuest Worlds Infinity: From a $1 Kickstarter Tier to 214 Million Percent Funded 1:42:45 - AdventureQuest Worlds Infinity's $500, $1,500, and $5,000 Custom Reward Tiers 1:47:02 - Adam Talks About IoDA (Item of Digital Awesomeness) 1:48:13 - Adam Talks About the Kickstarter Backer Rewards 1:50:46 - Adam on Rebuilding the Original Development Team 1:52:21 - Adam Shares Plans for Multi-Platform Game Releases 1:53:35 - Artix Entertainment Looks Ahead to Its 25th Anniversary 1:54:34 - Andy Recalls Playing MapleStory as a Child 1:56:45 - Andy Asks Adam About GTA 6 and Where the Gaming Industry Is Heading 1:58:18 - Adam Talks About the Kickstarter's $250 Statues 1:59:51 - Adam Talks About the Alpha Testing of AdventureQuest Worlds Infinity 2:01:38 - Adam Shares How He Found His COO 2:04:50 - Adam Talks About the Company's Large Office and the Shift Toward Remote Work 2:07:30 - Adam's Recent Life Discoveries 2:14:34 - Adam's Personal Goals and Focus for the Next Six Months 2:17:23 - Connect with Adam Bohn 2:17:43 - Outro

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  Episode #261

  TFS#262 - Andrew McDonald: Inside Sydney's Last Bespoke Handcrafted Shoemaker

  Jul 13, 20261h 8mS3

  Andrew McDonald is an Australian master shoemaker and founder of A. McDonald Shoemaker, a bespoke footwear workshop based in Sydney's historic Strand Arcade. Since establishing his business in 1990, Andrew has spent more than three decades handcrafting custom shoes renowned for their exceptional fit, durability, and timeless design. A 1996 Churchill Fellow, he trained with master shoemakers in Britain and France before bringing traditional European techniques back to Australia. Connect with Andrew McDonald! https://andrewmcdonald.com.au https://www.instagram.com/amdshoemaker CHAPTERS: 0:00 – Introduction 1:18 – Meet Andrew McDonald 1:41 – Andrew's shoemaking workshop 3:33 – How custom shoe lasts are made to fit each customer's feet 5:16 – How Andrew turns foot measurements into a custom shoes 6:24 – Different toe shapes and how to choose the right style 7:25 – Why Andrew offers multiple shoe widths instead of more designs 8:38 – The story behind Andrew's sneaker-boot design 9:39 – What actually makes a shoe comfortable? 10:39 – Andrew shares which shoes last the longest 11:34 – Andrew's 7-year-old boots and building shoes to last for decades 12:52 – Why traditional shoes have raised toes 14:14 – Handmade leather bags and designing products that age beautifully 15:15 – How Andrew decides which products to create 16:08 – Where Andrew sources premium leather 18:33 – Andrew explains how leather is sourced from animals 19:57 – Andrew showcases a transparent kangaroo leather shoe 21:35 – Why premium shoes use leather instead of plastic supports 22:46 – Why leather soles outperform synthetic materials 24:31 – Why quality shoelaces matter more than people think 26:33 – Andrew talks about hand-dyeing leather and creating custom shoe colors 27:39 – How a shoe should actually fit your feet 28:42 – Why quality leather shoes need a break-in period 29:43 – What shoe support really means for your feet 30:30 – What impresses a master shoemaker when he sees someone else's shoes 32:08 – Why Andrew chose The Strand and his journey through Sydney retail 34:38 – Andrew talks about Sydney's emerging bespoke fashion districts 35:22 – Is custom shoemaking a dying industry? 35:49 – What has kept Andrew passionate after 35 years 36:52 – What Andrew's typical workday looks like 37:27 – Andrew talks about building a shoemaking team and training craftsmen 38:05 – How Matthew joined the business with no shoemaking experience 39:54 – Why running a shoemaking business is harder than making shoes 41:21 – Andrew's custom order backlog and 12-week production process 42:17 – Step-by-step: How a custom shoe is made 43:05 – How Andrew tracks every custom order 43:21 – Andrew measures and analyzes Andy's feet 52:27 – Andrew talks about the ready-to-wear shoes available in their store 53:02 – Wallets, bracelets, and other handmade leather goods 54:55 – Ready-to-wear vs. custom-made shoes 55:45 – Why Andrew manufactures his ready-to-wear shoes in Vietnam 56:58 – How AI could change custom footwear in the future 59:13 – Why the future of retail is all about customer experience 59:55 – Andrew talks about customer loyalty after more than 35 years in business 1:00:33 – Andrew talks about a loyal customer who reordered 16 pairs of shoes over 10 years 1:01:38 – Reordering custom shoes without another fitting 1:02:38 – Andrew's advice for entrepreneurs pursuing what they love 1:03:59 – Andrew shares the hardest years of building the business 1:05:04 – Andrew talks about hustling for orders during difficult times 1:05:43 – Why chasing rapid business growth is a mistake 1:06:03 – Will Andrew's children continue the family business? 1:07:14 – Outro

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  Episode #259

  TFS#261 - James Wakefield, Building Australia's $40M/Year Custom Suit Empire (Institchu)

  Jul 6, 20261h 53mS3

  James Wakefield is the co-founder and Managing Director of Institchu , an Australian made-to-measure tailoring company he launched with Robin McGowan in 2012. Under his leadership, Institchu has grown into one of Australia's leading custom menswear brands by combining traditional tailoring with modern technology and an omnichannel retail experience. Wakefield is passionate about using innovation to make premium custom clothing more accessible, while building a scalable business focused on exceptional customer service and personalization. Connect with Institchu! https://www.instagram.com/institchu Visit Institchu: https://institchu.com CHAPTERS: 0:00 Introduction 1:19 Meet James and the story behind Institchu 3:23 Why Institchu consolidates showrooms instead of opening more locations 4:42 How Institchu acquires customers 6:01 Pricing evolution from $199 to $2.5K per suit 7:38 Why made-to-measure suits are expensive 8:39 Where most bespoke suits are actually made 9:33 History of Institchu's flagship showroom 11:56 Learning tailoring with no fashion experience 14:37 Building a grounded company culture 16:10 The complete Institchu customer experience 21:09 Why Institchu built its own technology platform 23:13 Online orders vs. showroom appointments 25:09 Hiring philosophy and finding great people 26:27 Typical customer appointment length 27:24 Fabrics, customization, and apparel beyond suits 29:10 Managing demand and future expansion 30:50 Tour of Institchu's second showroom 32:01 Negotiating commercial leases 33:04 Showroom capacity and operations 33:36 Bringing marketing completely in-house 35:38 Customer lifetime value and repeat business 36:12 How the Institchu team is structured 38:07 Scaling nationwide from Sydney 39:01 Staying ahead with AI and technology 44:41 Tracking profitability by garment 46:22 Learning and implementing AI tools 47:52 Managing large wedding suit orders 49:37 James' custom suit and fabric choices 51:00 Life after Drapr AI and Jerome Clothing 55:20 Tariffs and the supply chain 56:35 Manufacturing partnerships 58:21 Owning vs. leasing retail locations 59:33 Where Institchu stores its fabrics 1:00:20 Weddings, growth, and expanding beyond suits 1:02:52 Friends-and-family discounts as marketing 1:04:26 Why personalization is the future of fashion 1:06:30 Advice for founders running out of runway 1:08:51 Hiring people for long-term success 1:10:40 Entrepreneurship, marriage, and family 1:13:12 When James quit his job to go all-in 1:14:58 Choosing the next showroom location 1:17:43 Testing new markets before expansion 1:19:24 Filling pop-up stores without large ad budgets 1:20:34 Hosting wedding-style whiskey nights 1:21:50 Partnerships that fueled growth 1:23:45 The mentors who shaped Institchu 1:28:38 Building teams for new showrooms 1:30:35 Employee incentives and compensation 1:31:56 Why every showroom manager also sells 1:33:44 Motivating staff beyond commissions 1:35:40 Turning customer service into a competition 1:36:54 Managing multiple showrooms 1:37:57 Balancing meetings and leadership 1:38:35 Institchu's long-term vision 1:40:03 Family life 1:41:10 Fabrics and the suit ordering process 1:44:08 Cheapest vs. most expensive fabrics 1:46:17 Why Institchu chooses Australian Merino wool 1:48:10 Technology behind manufacturing in China 1:50:02 Handmade suits with 70,000 hand stitches 1:51:04 The one evergreen suit every man should own 1:53:00 Connect with James 1:53:18 Outro

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  Episode #260

  TFS#260 - Sebastian Siegel: The Truth About AI, Exosomes & Human Consciousness

  Jun 29, 20261h 5mS3

  Sebastian Siegel is a British-American filmmaker, author, and speaker. He directed the film Grace and Grit , based on Ken Wilber's book, which premiered at The Chinese Theatre IMAX and now streams on Apple and Amazon in the US, and on Netflix in most international territories. Siegel writes on consciousness and depth psychology, with work that often blends philosophy and dynamic story telling. Connect with Sebastian Siegel! instagram.com/sebastiansiegel1 x.com/sebastiansiegel Watch his TEDx Talk on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L64AOAXoABg Visit his Website to learn more! http://www.DeeplyConscious.com Watch his Youtube Series: The Eight Questions https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrsuqkj6LGLWyYzTyceEsjJoVeeJMl_qJ&si=Syp2iceWyg2FWdP3 Learn more about Exosomes here! https://www.aexo.bio CHAPTERS: 0:00 – Introduction 2:17 – Meet Sebastian Siegel 3:23 – Sebastian talks about exosomes and stem cells 8:06 – Sebastian on supporting AEXO.bio's exosome approach 09:18 – How exosomes may aid recovery, healing, and rejuvenation 16:18 – What is the difference between exosomes and stem cells? 18:38 – How did Sebastian solve the puzzle of making money doing what he loves? 26:06 – Why saying “no” creates the energy to fully show up when you say “yes” 29:30 – How has Sebastian’s perspective on AI evolved over the last two years? 34:12 – Why AI-generated communication risks homogenizing human consciousness 35:02 – Why influencers and short-form creators may face challenges in an AI-driven future 37:53 – What is Sebastian’s upcoming chess film, Labyrinth, about, and how did the idea originate? 43:17 – Sebastian shares how he finds actors who fit the characters in his film Grace and Grit 47:40 – How does Sebastian handle rejection, fundraising, and relentless follow-up? 50:13 – How should you price your services when a friend or mentor hires you? 53:40 – Why many people undervalue access, wisdom, and meaningful connections 55:30 – Sebastian talks about how he maintains and builds relationships with people he admires 57:26 – Sebastian shares how he and Bobby Kennedy became friends 58:52 – Andy shares his insights on how Star Wars relates to Biblical stories 1:01:18 – Sebastian discusses the Mahabharata connection behind his chess film about Abhimanyu Mishra 1:03:55 – Connect with Sebastian 1:04:54 – Outro

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  Episode #259

  TFS#259 - Victoria Montgomery Story Behind Big Think (8.8M+ Subs) & Her New AI Company Vault Stamp

  Jun 15, 20261h 15mS3

  Victoria Montgomery Brown is an entrepreneur, author, and media executive best known as the co-founder and former CEO of Big Think , one of the world's leading thought leadership and educational media platforms. Since launching Big Think in 2007, she helped grow it into a global destination for ideas, featuring renowned experts such as Michio Kaku, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and other influential thinkers. Brown holds a BA from McGill University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is also the author of Digital Goddess: The Unfiltered Lessons of a Female Entrepreneur and currently serves as CEO of Vault Stamp, a company focused on protecting creators and brands from AI-generated content misuse and digital impersonation. Connect with Victoria! https://www.linkedin.com/in/vrmontgomerybrown https://www.digitalgoddess.com https://vaultstamp.com CHAPTERS: 0:00 – Introduction 0:59 – Meet Victoria Montgomery Brown 1:31 – What the New York tech scene is like today 2:29 – How Andy first discovered Big Think 3:18 – The origin story of Big Think 4:10 – Is AI content helping or hurting thought leadership? 6:28 – Advice for building a content brand without a budget 8:51 – Victoria’s purpose behind creating Big Think 9:56 – Victoria’s career before launching Big Think 11:52 – How she reached out to Michio Kaku, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and other world-class thinkers 13:08 – Thoughts on vertical video vs. horizontal content 15:09 – Which content format has the most longevity? 16:18 – Why Victoria sold Big Think after 14 years 17:56 – Victoria talks about how Big Think made money 19:37 – Victoria discusses selling thought leadership content to enterprises 20:50 – How to find and close large corporate clients 23:22 – The biggest mistake founders make when pitching sponsors 26:35 – What to do when you can’t offer enough value yet 28:33 – Victoria talks about balancing passion projects with sponsor demands 31:18 – Andy’s fear of monetizing his podcast 32:24 – Victoria’s advice on finding podcast sponsors 33:14 – What Victoria did after exiting Big Think 34:08 – What she has been focused on over the last six months 35:29 – Victoria shares how she started working with Vault Stamp 36:29 – How to know if an idea is actually worth investing in 39:07 – What problem does Vault Stamp solve? 41:35 – How Vault Stamp protects creators from AI theft 43:39 – How Vault Stamp helps protect musicians and copyright owners through provenance 44:12 – Victoria’s approach to pricing new products 45:24 – Early customer success stories using Vault Stamp 46:10 – What the “Automatic Takedowns” feature in Vault Stamp actually means 47:44 – Victoria’s day-to-day life as a CEO 49:23 – Balancing entrepreneurship, relationships, and life choices 50:55 – Why authenticity matters in relationships and business 52:55 – AI clones, Joe Rogan deepfakes, and digital identity protection 54:01 – Victoria talks about her book Digital Goddess 54:52 – Advice for successful female entrepreneurs seeking relationships 57:48 – Following your passion vs. chasing revenue 1:00:31 – Building a business while running out of runway 1:02:51 – Victoria’s recent life discoveries 1:05:44 – Letting go of ventures that aren’t working 1:08:13 – Why Vault Stamp gained more traction than her previous venture 1:09:31 – Victoria talks about the importance of in-person events 1:12:05 – Victoria’s personal goals and focus for the next six months 1:13:48 – Connect with Victoria 1:14:13 – Outro

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