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All Episodes
Welcome to the Founderz Lounge Show Notes Feed.
Founderz Lounge is where Don Varady, Co-Founder of Clean Eatz, and Stephen “Steve” Bon, Co-Founder of Bon’s Eye Marketing, kick back and talk all things business and bullsh*t. If you have ever grabbed a drink with friends to blow off entrepreneurial steam, rant about the grind, or share a big win, you just walked into that moment online.
Here in the show notes feed, you’ll find guest links, episode timestamps, and a running list of every conversation so you can dig deeper into the lessons, replay your favorite rants, and catch the moves that might just change how you build. Pull up a seat and stay awhile.
Business & Bullsh*t: Franchisor With 100+ Units Starts A Franchise From Scratch (EP #105)
In this episode, Steve puts Don through a full reset of Clean Eatz and asks what he would keep, what he would change, and what he would never do again after more than a decade of building and scaling a franchise brand.
3 days ago2 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: Founder Bottleneck Warning Signs (EP #104)
In this episode, Don and Steve break down the warning signs that show up when founder leadership turns into control, micromanagement, and too many decisions running through one person.
Sep 142 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: Do I Really Need a CEO? Founders Discuss Executive Leadership (EP #103)
In this episode, Don and Steve break down executive leadership through the lens of founders who have actually made the hires, gotten some right, and learned from the ones that did not work.
Sep 72 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: When to Build a Marketing Team or Hire an Agency (EP #102)
When should you build an in-house marketing team, and when does it make more sense to hire an agency?
Don and Steve break down the real tradeoffs between internal marketing and outsourced marketing, including cost, brand knowledge, creative quality, speed, accountability, and what changes as a business grows.
Aug 312 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: $500K to Fix a Failing Franchise. How Would You Spend It? (EP #101)
What would you do if you had $500,000 to fix a struggling franchise?
Don gives Steve a hypothetical 30-unit restaurant brand called “Taters” and forces him to make the hard calls. Do you pause franchise sales? Spend on operations or marketing? Fix unit economics or the brand experience? And at what point is the founder no longer the right CEO?
Aug 242 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: Founder Truths We Learned The Hard Way So You Don’t Have To (EP #100)
For the 100th episode of The Founderz Lounge, Don and Steve look back at the founder truths, business lessons, mistakes, and hard-earned realities that keep showing up when you are actually building something real.
Aug 172 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: Phone Books, Cemetery Rent, and the End of Sex Sells (EP #99)
In this Business & Bullsh*t episode, Don and Steve break down the weird, funny, and surprisingly useful business lessons hiding in marketing, consumer behavior, AI, and old-school advertising that somehow still exists.
Aug 102 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: Scented Billboards, Tiny Homes, and the Death of Celebrity Trust (EP #98)
In this Business & Bullsh*t episode, Don and Steve break down the strange, funny, and surprisingly useful business lessons hiding inside modern marketing trends.
Aug 32 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: Do You Want a Good Nut by Tom Brady and Other Founder Hot Takes (EP #97)
In this Business & Bullsh*t episode, Don and Steve are back with founder hot takes on weird products, smart brands, bad marketing ideas, and the business trends that make you stop and ask, “Who approved this?”
Jul 272 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: Growth Exposes the Founder Before It Exposes the Business (EP #94)
In this episode of Business & Bullsh*t, Don and Steve break down why growth exposes the founder before it exposes the business.
Jul 62 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: The Rise of the Super Franchisee EP (#92)
The Founderz Lounge Episode #92 with Don Varady and Steve Bon.
Jun 222 min read
He Built a Gym People Actually Believe In w/ Jeff Washington of Mission Fit (EP #91)
In this episode, Don and Steve sit down with Jeff Washington of Mission Fit to talk about what it really takes to build a gym people actually believe in. Jeff shares how his military background, coaching experience, and frustration with gimmicky workouts helped shape Mission Fit into a fitness brand built around strength, coaching, and real community instead of hype.
Jun 152 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: Nostalgia Marketing Is Winning in 2026 (EP #90)
The Founderz Lounge Episode #90 with Don Varady and Steve Bon.
Jun 82 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: Community Still Wins in a Distracted Digital World (EP #89)
The Founderz Lounge Episode #89 with Don Varady and Steve Bon.
Jun 12 min read
How to Become a Successful Franchisee w/ Matt Hall (EP #88)
In this episode, Don and Steve sit down with Matt Hall to break down what actually makes a successful franchisee. Matt shares his story from the factory floor to becoming one of the top operators in the Clean Eatz system, and why consistency, process, and community involvement matter more than hype.
May 252 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: Why Simple Businesses Will Win in 2026 (EP #87)
The Founderz Lounge Episode #87 with Don Varady and Steve Bon.
May 182 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: The Real Reasons Franchisees and Business Owners Fail in 2026 (EP #86)
The Founderz Lounge Episode #86 with Don Varady and Steve Bon.
May 113 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: The Fake Guru Era Has Gone Too Far (EP #83)
The Founderz Lounge Episode #83 with Don Varady and Steve Bon.
Apr 202 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: AI and Fake Experts Are Destroying Businesses (EP #82)
The Founderz Lounge Episode #82 with Don Varady and Steve Bon.
Apr 132 min read
Business & Bullsh*t: The CEO Playbook Is Broken (EP #80)
Don and Steve are back with another round of Business & Bullsh*t, where real entrepreneurs break down what founders actually face versus what business culture pretends is true.
Mar 302 min read
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