Building While Flying
Welcome to Building While Flying: a weekly business podcast from Gary Vaynerchuk’s agency The Sasha Group. We are the small- to medium-sized business arm of VaynerX, the most contemporary independent holding company in the industry. At The Sasha Group, we teach, guide, and execute modern-day brand building and marketing for ambitious businesses looking for meaningful growth.
Building a business isn’t linear. The journey is wrought with turbulence, delays, and re-routes. Those who win are resilient, unafraid of challenges, and willing to flex in order to reach their destination. We get it; entrepreneurship is in our DNA, and we’re built of people with entrepreneurial experience and empathy.
Right now, times are volatile and ambiguous. Across all sectors, there is an air of experimentation. Brands and businesses are investigating new methods, exploring new paths, testing and learning, adapting, and, well, building the plane while flying. By adopting an uncertainty mindset, we can navigate the ever-changing skies of entrepreneurship together by listening, learning, applying, and sharing.
On Building While Flying, we hear from a diverse range of business leaders about how they face challenges head on and stay calm under pressure. Their stories are riddled with the unexpected and share how their strategies have been put into practice and changed their business.
Past episodes have featured stories of turning side hustles into main hustles, building businesses inspired by their families’ needs, dealing with rejection, selling the company they built, innovating better-for-you foods and products, and above all else, following their dreams and navigating the trials of entrepreneurship.
Thanks so much for flying with us. We’re glad you’re on this journey, too. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss our weekly episodes.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 29 minutes
- Episodes
- 99
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2023
Creating Content with Purpose - with Alex Kushneir (Icon Media)
Storytelling has been in Alex Kushneir’s blood since birth. After studying film and television (and playing football) at Baylor University, Alex cut his teeth in the production world working for comp…
Making “Unsexy” Brands Cool - with Libie Motchan, Co-Founder, Fulton
Not everyone can say they co-founded and built a brand while navigating business school. This week’s Building While Flying guest did just that—and this is only the beginning of her entrepreneurial jo…
What NIL Means for Brands and College Athletes - with Mike Neligan, CMO of VaynerSports
College athletics are going to look a lot different this year, thanks to the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules that were signed into effect earlier this year. Joining us this week on Building Whi…
Even Podcasts Need a Vacation - Special Announcement from hosts Katie Hankinson and Mickey Cloud
We’re keeping it short and sweet this week on Building While Flying. Mickey and Katie announce a hiatus from new episodes for the month of August. We’ve tested and learned—as is in our DNA—and it’s t…
Alan Stein Jr. Shares What NBA Superstars Taught Him About Business and Life
For this week’s podcast guest, almost every relationship, opportunity, and experience can be tied back to the sport of basketball. He now uses lessons from his own experiences and from some of the al…
Building Brands from Scratch with Margaret Wishingrad
Building a brand for your clients is one thing. Building your own brand and company—with your husband, no less—is a whole different adventure. But it’s one adventure that this week’s guest embarked u…
Bonus: Mickey Cloud and Gary Vaynerchuk Talk Entrepreneurial Spirit and Attracting Talent to New Cities at Powderkeg Unvalley Conference
Earlier this year, Mickey and Gary joined Matt Hunckler for the Powderkeg Unvalley Conference. Powderkeg is a network of local communities with global reach for tech entrepreneurs, investors, and top…
Barbecue Runs in the Family - with Duce Raymond (Sweet Baby Ray’s)
Some things just run in the family. Such is the case for this week’s guest. What started with a $2,000 investment and a dream is now one of the world’s most popular barbecue brands that people enjoy …
All In on Your People with Bret Oliverio (Sup Dogs)
The restaurant industry is not for the faint of heart, especially if you’re operating in college towns. When the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the industry, many businesses closed and let their …
Bringing Financial Services into a “Truly Digital” World - with Eric Fulwiler
It’s easy to tell when a company has become “truly digital”—especially in the financial services industry. This week’s guest discusses why being “truly digital” in fintech matters, and the best ways …
Running a Non-Profit Like a For-Profit - with Shawanda Mason-Moore & Jennifer Holder (The Chattery)
Non-profit owners, employees, donors, supporters—this week’s episode is for you! There are a lot of assumptions and stigmas surrounding non-profits and what it’s like to run them. This week’s guests …
Lessons from the Agency Side to the Brand Side with Mike Grillo, CEO and CO-Founder of Gravity Blankets
Agency life is packed full of lessons and experiences you’ll take with you on every next step of your career. For this week’s podcast guest, those lessons helped him build a multi-million dollar bran…
Relationship Building is the New Networking with Raleigh Anne Gray (Must Love Sports)
There’s a nuance between networking and relationship building. While the former can feel superficial and, at times, self-serving, our podcast guest this week explains how the latter can impact your c…
The Most Unpretentious Whiskey Brand Ever Made with JD Recobs and Chris Buglisi (Misunderstood Whiskey)
If entering the spirits industry—as rookies, no less—were easy, everyone would do it. Childhood best friends JD Recobs and Chris Buglisi are tackling this challenge head on with a unique product: whi…
The Joy of Being Replaced with Daniel Curtis
Live events were one of the biggest casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Daniel Curtis and his teams saw this as an opportunity to slow down, reflect, and find their next path forward.
Welcome to…
Saving the World One Bowl of Soup at a Time with Sara Polon, a.k.a., Soupergirl
Fixing the broken food system is no piece of cake—but one brand believes they can do it, one bowl of soup at a time.
Welcome to Building While Flying!
This weekly podcast is brought to you by the Sa…
Killing Don Draper and Redefining Modern Fatherhood with Ryan Fey
What is modern fatherhood? How do you build an authentic brand, and remain true to it over time? How do you pitch a show to Food Network? Is being in reality TV worth it? All these and more are answe…
Passion With Purpose with Arah Sims
The beauty industry is often seen as shallow, and it’s not often taken very seriously. One entrepreneur is out to change that stigma and make a difference. Real-estate investor turned beauty entrepre…
Conscious Entrepreneurship and Leveraging Bad for Good with Kevin Shelhamer
What does it mean to be a “conscious entrepreneur” and lead a purpose-driven business and brand? This week’s episode of Building While Flying answers that question (and more!) and addresses the need …