Brandon Barnum didn't have a lot of consistency in his early life. His parents split up, and he was constantly moving across the nation with his mother. She was more of a free-spirit, and wasn't really focused on finances, so Brandon grew up living off of food stamps and government assistance. As young as twelve years old, he knew he wanted a different life for himself and he found his consistency in thriving to make a better life for himself.

In college, Brandon got a degree in marketing but always had plans to one day open his own business. After college, he went to work in marketing for a law office but was only making $20,000 a year. At the age of 24, he got full custody of his two year old son. That's when he decided he needed to pursue his entreprenuerial passions. He asked his boss to lay him off so he could collect unemployment for a short time, and he went and started working in the mortgage industry. While he didn't know much about mortgages, he knew he wanted to do things a little differently.

He set up a website at that time, which at the time was not being used much to set up a localized version of a Zillow to help attract more clients.

In 18 months, he 10x his income making over $200,000 a year. After about a decade in the mortgage industry, he realized the power of relationships in the industry. He founded a company which would merge to one day become refer.com. After taking refer.com to 5 million users, he had a successful exit.

Now, Brandon runs HOA.com to provider better solutions for homeowner associations nationwide. He has also written the book Raving Referrals to help everyone understand the power of referrals.

Allison Vick was always baking things as a kid. For one of her birthday's her parents bought her an Easy Bake Oven. She loved trying different recipes, but as she grew older, she never really though of baking as a profession.

She went to NCSU for degrees in Textiles and and Spanish. After she graduated, she took a job working for a travel abroad company in Austin, TX. While she enjoyed the work she did, she realized it wasn't her passion. She took a huge risk, and left her job to work in the bakery at Whole Foods for $9/hr. After two years of learning everything she could at Whole Foods, she started working as a pastry chef in different restaurants in Texas.

After the birth of her son, she moved back to her home state of North Carolina and started her own business, Little Blue Macaron. Initially she sold at Farmers Markets, but eventually grew to wanting to open a retail location.

However, her husband and her opened a very unique concept. Little Blue Bakehouse, effectively a dessert food hall, allowed her to sell her macarons in retail, while also giving other small businesses a chance to share a commercial kitchen with a retail front.

Join us for a mouthwatering episode as we dive into the story of Nathan and Audrey Simons, the creative minds behind Simons Says Dip This, a one-of-a-kind ice cream parlor where you call the shots on how your favorite treat gets dressed.

Their journey is as unique as their concept. Nathan and Audrey's whirlwind romance led to marriage just three months after they met at church in 2006. Nathan's passion for cooking led him to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and later to acclaimed kitchens in North Carolina and New York.

Audrey, a UNC Chapel Hill graduate in English Literature and German, transitioned from financial advising to guest services, discovering her knack for enhancing customer experiences.

The idea for Simons Says Dip This sparked during a late-night drive to Atlanta, reminiscing about their love for dipped ice cream cones. Fast forward to 2020, and their dream became a reality. Now, three years later, they're not only thriving but also gearing up to open a second location.