Default Profitable

Welcome aboard another episode of Default Profitable, where we get real about the strategies that turn businesses into consistent cash machines. This time, I sat down with Mikkel Thorup, the expat expert who's bootstrapped his way from a tough school experience to running a 32-person team at ExpatMoney.com. We dive into his wild backstory—getting labeled with a learning disability as a kid, ditching public education early, and turning global travels into a powerhouse consulting firm that helps high-net-worth folks with offshore taxes, immigration, investments, and more. It's all about spotting market gaps, outsourcing everything but your genius, and making profitable your everyday reality.
Have you ever wondered what happens when a "special school" kid flips the script on the system and builds an empire without a single loan or investor? What does it take to circumnavigate the globe 400 times, live in nine countries, and consult ultra-wealthy clients on dodging stress while going offshore? How do you bootstrap a business from solo hustler to a team of 32, all while outsourcing cooking, cleaning, and driving to focus on family and flow? And speaking of family, Mikkel's got four kids (with a fifth on the way) and still crushes 10-hour workdays—turns out, that dyslexia his teachers called a brain glitch is now his superpower for hyper-focus, leaving him billing at $1,200 an hour without burning out.
Learn more about Mikkel Thorup and ExpatMoney.com at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikkelthorup.
Listen to more Indianapolis Business Leaders at https://defaultprofitable.com or subscribe to Default Profitable on your favorite podcast platform.

Hey folks, buckle up for a no-nonsense chat with Danny Bobrow, who's turned a string of "you're fired" moments into a powerhouse career helping dentists crush it in marketing and beyond. We dive into his wild ride starting back in '89, when dental marketing was basically a swear word, and how he built a niche empire by spotting what pros really needed—solid leads, killer phone skills, and a bigger purpose like linking oral health to overall wellness. From ditching the corporate grind to founding game-changers like the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health and his Climb for a Cause foundation, Danny lays out the real talk on staying profitable while making a difference that sticks.
Have you ever wondered what flips the switch from unemployable hot mess to unstoppable entrepreneur? What does it take to spot a goldmine niche like dental marketing and scale it from label-pushing to full-blown consultancy? Or how mastering the art of first impressions on the phone can quadruple your ROI without dropping extra cash? Danny breaks it down, sharing how aligning your hustle with a mission bigger than bucks—like boosting public health or volunteering overseas—keeps you fired up and clients loyal. And get this: the guy's an adventure athlete who's summited peaks worldwide, proving that putting one foot in front of the other works just as well in business as it does on a mountain—though he admits his early office was a dining room table, dodging eviction notices like a pro.
Learn more about Danny Bobrow and Climb for a Cause at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannybobrow.
Listen to more Indianapolis Business Leaders at https://defaultprofitable.com or subscribe to Default Profitable on your favorite podcast platform.

Dive into this episode of Default Profitable where I chat with Mark Shriner, a globe-trotting entrepreneur who's turned his Asia-Pacific expertise into a thriving consulting gig and now leads Breeze Docs, an AI-powered platform that's revolutionizing how businesses tackle RFPs and security questionnaires. We cover everything from his wild ride building businesses across Asia to the hard-knock lessons of going solo, like pricing your worth and ditching the squirrels for bigger game. It's a no-BS look at what it takes to shift from corporate home runs to owning your own scoreboard, all while Mark shares tales from his sailboat office during San Francisco tech week.
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to 5X a company's revenue in Asia, only to watch new owners shrug it off and leave you starting from scratch? What does it take to juggle solopreneur chaos, from chief everything officer duties to realizing you're underpricing your genius? And how do you spot the elephant clients that pay off without the Nordstrom-level risks that could sink your ship? Mark breaks it down with real talk on focusing your strengths, saying no to distractions, and building long-term fractional roles that keep the feathers out of your chicken dinners. Fun fact: This guy's so committed to efficiency, he sailed 800 miles just to avoid a boring hotel stay—talk about breezing through life!
Learn more about Mark Shriner and Breeze Docs at https://www.linkedin.com/in/markshriner.
Listen to more Indianapolis Business Leaders at https://defaultprofitable.com or subscribe to Default Profitable on your favorite podcast platform.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to bootstrap a supplement line as a kid, then pivot to lingerie exports and construction gigs? What does it take to bounce back from near-bankruptcies and turn those lessons into an 8-phase blueprint that guarantees launches in 120 days? How can you snag SBA loans, nail competitive edges, and start cash-positive with pre-booked clients? And hey, Azgari's got that squirrel brain from her dad, starting male enhancement products because, well, sometimes you gotta energize the market – literally!
In this episode, we meet Azgari Lipshy, a true serial entrepreneur who's been hustling since she was 16, jumping from supplement manufacturing and garment exports to running two construction companies today. We get into her wild ride of building and exiting businesses, the big mistakes that shaped her, and how she's turned all that into a passion for guiding aspiring founders through a streamlined system to launch profitable service-based ventures without the usual chaos. It's all about smart strategies, from validating ideas to scaling with teams and tech, making sure profit isn't some random win but your everyday reality.
Learn more about Azgari Lipshy and Azgari at https://www.linkedin.com/in/azgari-lipshy.
Listen to more Indianapolis Business Leaders at https://defaultprofitable.com or subscribe to Default Profitable on your favorite podcast platform.

 
In this episode of Default Profitable, Matt sits down with George Turkette, the guy behind Turchetti's, Indy's own USDA-certified wholesale salumeria cranking out top-notch charcuterie. We get into his wild ride from being a broke line cook in downtown restaurants to accidentally launching a business after a chance meeting – maybe with a little wine involved. George opens up about ditching the restaurant grind, navigating heavy regulations in meat processing, and the hard lessons on scaling up without losing your sanity or passion along the way.
Ever wondered how a broken collarbone could kickstart a salami empire? What does it take to pivot from chef life to full-on entrepreneur, especially when you're winging it at 25? How do you learn to delegate so you're not drowning in a thousand daily questions, and why's it crucial to double your startup cash expectations? And get this – George admits his early decisions were more about Instagram likes than solid business strategy, but hey, live and learn, right?
Interrested in investing in Turchetti's Meats? https://wefunder.com/turchettis.salumeria 
Learn more about George Turkette and Turchetti's at https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeturkette.
Listen to more Indianapolis Business Leaders at https://defaultprofitable.com or subscribe to Default Profitable on your favorite podcast platform.

What does it take to turn your passion into a thriving business? In this episode of the Default Profitable podcast, host Matt Nettleton sits down with Jason Barnaby, the dynamic founder of Firestarters Inc., to explore the rollercoaster journey of entrepreneurship. From his days as a ski bum in Colorado to running a coffee shop in Poland and founding a business fueled by his love for sales and people development, Jason shares the gritty realities of starting and growing a passion-driven business. They dive into navigating failure, embracing authenticity, and the emotional highs and lows of going it alone, all while keeping it real with Matt’s signature blend of humor and heart.
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to lose your corporate job and leap into the unknown? Or how to separate your personal worth from your business’s success? Jason tackles these questions with raw honesty, recounting how his daughter’s blunt question about his job sparked a life-changing pivot. He shares hard-won lessons on resilience, the power of community, and why you should never get complacent when things are going well. Fun fact: Jason’s brief stint as a coffee shop owner in Poland was such a disaster, he jokingly calls it a masterclass in what not to do—but it taught him failure is just an event, not who you are.
Learn more about Jason Barnaby and Firestarters Inc. at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbarnaby/.
Listen to more Indianapolis Business Leaders at https://defaultprofitable.com or subscribe to Default Profitable on your favorite podcast platform.

In this episode of the Default Profitable Podcast, I sit down with Matt Hunckler, a serial entrepreneur who's turned bruises and breakthroughs into a thriving tech community powerhouse. We dive into his journey from digitizing vinyl records in high school to founding Powderkeg, chatting about the gritty realities of starting service businesses, navigating pivots, and scaling tech ecosystems right here in Indiana. It's all about those early hustles, community-driven growth, and the hard lessons that come from serving others before chasing profits—perfect for anyone grinding through their own business adventures.
Have you ever wondered what happens when a casual beer meetup explodes into a nationwide tech network? What does it take to pivot from free advice in your inbox to a membership model that actually pays the bills? And how do you know when to zoom in on talent matching during a pandemic or double down on peer groups for CEOs hungry for real talk? Matt shares it all, wrapping up with a funny nod to his reluctant start—turns out, getting conned into community organizing at Binkley's bar was the best "mistake" he never planned.
Learn more about Matt Hunckler and Powderkeg at https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunckler.
Listen to more Indianapolis Business Leaders at https://defaultprofitable.com or subscribe to Default Profitable on your favorite podcast platform.

Matt Nettleton, Host of Default Profitable: Bootstrapped Businesses Don't Need a Plan—Just Guts and Adjustments
In this milestone episode of Default Profitable, host Matt Nettleton takes a solo dive into the podcast's journey after 150 episodes, reflecting on the raw realities of bootstrapped businesses. Drawing from interviews with 143 Indianapolis entrepreneurs—from a lasagna chef turned commercial kitchen owner to a freight giant with 800 employees—Matt highlights the consistent themes of resourcefulness, trial-by-fire decisions, and the myth-busting truth that most successful ventures start without perfect plans or deep pockets. He announces an exciting pivot: expanding guest invites beyond Indy to any bootstrapped business owner nationwide, focusing on revenue-generating stories that impact economies, employees, and markets, while keeping episodes punchy at 20 minutes.
Have you ever wondered why bootstrapped founders thrive on scarcity while funded ones often flounder in bad choices? What does it take to launch without six months' savings, a flawless strategy, or even a clear grasp of what clients actually want to buy? Ever pondered how 143 real-world entrepreneurs ditched the internet checklists, embraced worthless plans that taught invaluable lessons, and pivoted from selling what they loved to what pays the bills? And why does understanding your market mean realizing your passions might not match buyer needs? M
Learn more about Matt Nettleton at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattnettleton.
Listen to more Bootstrap Business Leaders at https://defaultprofitable.com or subscribe to Default Profitable on your favorite podcast platform.

In this episode of Default Profitable, I sit down with Ashley Beck Cuellar, a sales powerhouse who's traded 17 years of slinging automotive direct mail for building her own coaching empire. We dive into the wild ride of leaving a cushy gig at Perk Marketing, the eye-opening realities of entrepreneurship, and why having an outside sales coach isn't just nice—it's a game-changer for ditching robotic pitches and selling like a real human. From outbound hustles to leveraging LinkedIn like a pro, Ashley shares the gritty details on starting, growing, and managing a sales training business without all the fluff.
Have you ever wondered why everyone assumes sales pros come with built-in coaches, only to find out most are flying solo? What does it take to bootstrap a full-cycle sales training outfit after feeding a software startup beast for years? Ever pondered how dropping flyers at local businesses or tapping "best places to work" lists can snag your first clients? And why does selling yourself feel like straight-up narcissism when you're killer at hawking everyone else's stuff? 
Learn more about Ashley Beck Cuellar and Sales Spark at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-beck-cuellar.
Listen to more Indianapolis Business Leaders at https://defaultprofitable.com or subscribe to Default Profitable on your favorite podcast platform.

In this episode of Default Profitable, I sit down with Mike Hurley, a lifelong Indianapolis resident who's turned his sales and marketing savvy into a thriving digital agency called WarmUp. We dive into his journey from side hustle to full-time venture, including the tough pivot after losing a co-founder during COVID, and how he's navigated the wild ride of entrepreneurship—balancing failures, funding, and finding profitability in a market that's got agencies on the ropes.
Ever wondered what it takes to ditch the corporate paycheck for the chaos of building your own biz, only to reinvent it mid-stream after tragedy strikes? Or how slowing down to craft killer checklists can save your sanity and scale your operations? What kind of grit turns a B2B SaaS flop into a go-to-market engineering powerhouse that's cashflow positive today? Mike shares it all, wrapping up with a humorous nod to his early days raising a "fart in the wind" round from friends and family—proof that even small bets can lead to big wins if you're willing to learn fast.
Learn more about Mike Hurley and WarmUp at https://www.linkedin.com/in/warmupmike.
Listen to more Indianapolis Business Leaders at https://defaultprofitable.com or subscribe to Default Profitable on your favorite podcast platform.