Stuck in a 9-to-5 and wondering how to escape the grind?

You’re not alone and today's guest proves there's another way.

Meet Bart Merrell, the Side Hustle Samurai.

He never had a "real job" and built a thriving lifestyle by stacking creative side hustles from DJing high school dances to launching a dog training business and even monetizing his own amputation story (yes, really).

In this episode, Bart reveals exactly how he finds profitable ideas in everyday life and teaches you how to do the same. Whether you're itching to leave your job or just want more freedom and security, Bart's mindset and method will help you discover income streams hiding in plain sight.

Key Takeaways:

• Why picking the wrong side hustle is the #1 mistake most people make

• The 6-list process Bart uses to identify your ideal income stream

• How he turned dog training into a $100K+ business with no prior experience

• What losing his leg taught him about monetizing even the hardest moments

• How to spot your “acres of diamonds” (aka opportunities right under your nose)

• Why multiple streams of income = real freedom and peace of mind

About the Guest:

He has never had a real job – and believes you don’t need one either.

In the small dusty podunk farming community of Animas, New Mexico (two hundred plus people), his high school friends needed entertainment. So, at age fifteen, Bart created his own mobile DJ company. He started with a four-year-old Sanyo all-in-one stereo system – complete with eight track player – and began organizing weekend dances. He rented the community center, hired an off duty sheriff’s deputy, his mom and dad took money at the door and Bart spun records.

He continued to add to his system until it sported a light tree, Peavey SP1 subwoofers, SP3 mids and tweeters tri-amped with five thousand watts of power. You are probably laughing at this, but it was a rockin’ system in its day.

And it was a rockin’ dance business, which he grew (adding consistently to his professional sound and lighting system) into a viable enterprise which ultimately helped him through college. He then sold the business and moved forward to his next business adventure.

Links:

https://bartmerrell.com/

Fast Five Questions

1. If you woke up and your business was gone, you have $500, a laptop, a place to live, and food, what would you do first? “I would be aware of the opportunities around me... I speak fluent Japanese. We could start a Japanese conversation class just like that.”

2. What is the biggest mistake that you have made in business? “I discovered a Topgolf-style driving range in Japan in 1994... I didn’t take action because the number of zeros scared me. I could’ve been first to bring it to the U.S.”

3. What is a book that you would recommend? “Monetize Your Mindset — my book on how to think differently, not what to do also anything by Gary Vee. His approach to the thank-you economy and content creation has inspired me.”

4. What is a tool that you use every day that you would recommend? “Go High Level. It runs the backend of my business—it’s powerful and scalable.”

5. What is your definition of freedom? “Doing what I want, when I want to. Or in my mentor’s words—living life on your own terms.”

About Jeff:

Jeff spent the early part of his career working for others. Jeff had started 5 businesses that failed before he had his first success. Since that time he has learned the principles of a successful business and has been able to build and grow multiple seven-figure businesses. Jeff lives in the Austin area and is actively...

Feeling stuck in a cubicle or overwhelmed in your business with no way out?

Many couples dream of working together and building a business—but the reality often leads to stress, miscommunication, and burnout.

Larry and Sue Pruett have been there.

After 20+ years of working jobs and building businesses side-by-side, they sold their e-commerce company and transitioned into purpose-driven coaching. Along the way, they faced debt, burnout, shifting roles, and raising five kids—all while staying united in marriage and business.

In this episode, they share how they built freedom through intentional planning, multiple income streams, and aligning their marriage with their mission. Whether you're a solopreneur, a married business owner, or just dreaming of your Freedom Day, this episode will show you what's possible.

Key Takeaways:

• How to build a business with your spouse without ruining your marriage

• The strategy they used to leave their jobs and go all-in on e-commerce

• Why they saved 6 months of expenses (and toilet paper!) before quitting

• The biggest mistake they made in business—and how they recovered

• How their family mission statement became their most powerful business tool

• Why helping couples in business is their ultimate calling

About the Guest:

Larry and Sue have been married for over 35 years and are parents of five adult children. They have been entrepreneurs for over 20 years, with the last 12+ years being full-time. They are business and marriage coaches who help married entrepreneurs build the business of their dreams ... side by side!

Links:

https://www.sidebysidebusiness.com/

Fast Five Questions:

1. If you woke up and your business was gone, you have $500, a laptop, a place to live, and food, what would you do first? "I would just go right back into building this up. I'd be trying to build up the email list. I would be doing everything I could to get on podcasts... And I think we'd start reaching out to people and start selling things on consignment."

2. What is the biggest mistake that you have made in business? "Going into debt for our business... it was just this big burden that we carried until we could climb out from that."

3. What is a book that you would recommend? “Profit First by Mike Michalowicz and Simple Money Rich Life by Bob Lotich.”

4. What is a tool that you use every day that you would recommend? “Our Family Mission Statement. It helps us make decisions, say no more often, and filter new opportunities—even with ChatGPT prompts.”

5. What is your definition of freedom? “Being able to pick your schedule… You get to decide how and when you do things.”

About Jeff:

Jeff spent the early part of his career working for others. Jeff had started 5 businesses that failed before he had his first success. Since that time he has learned the principles of a successful business and has been able to build and grow multiple seven-figure businesses. Jeff lives in the Austin area and is actively working in his community and supporting the growth of small businesses. He is a board member of the Incubator.Edu program at Vista Ridge High School and is on the board of directors of the Leander Educational Excellence Foundation

Connect with the Freedom Nation podcast at https://freedom-nation-podcast.captivate.fm/

Connect with Jeff:

Instagram:

Charley Johnson had it all—by traditional standards.

He was a successful business owner with 85 employees, pulling seven figures. But he was miserable.

Overworked, overwhelmed, and never home, Charley realized he was climbing the wrong mountain. So he did what few entrepreneurs have the courage to do: he burned it all down. He sold his company, built a simpler life, and began redefining what success and freedom really mean.

In this episode, Charley shares the raw truth about burnout, the guilt of selling a business built on hustle, and how he rebuilt a life around time, peace, and purpose. If you’ve ever questioned the price of “success,” this episode will resonate deeply.

Key Takeaways:

• Success ≠ Scale: Why Charley walked away from a thriving business with 85 employees

• Burnout Warning Signs: How being constantly “on” crushed his peace—and nearly his health

• The Myth of Always Needing More: What he learned by cutting his income in half but doubling his happiness

• From CEO to Solo: How Charley built a lean, 4-person business that pays him more and demands less

• Redefining Freedom: Why “just enough” is a powerful number—and how you can find yours

About the Guest:

Charley Johnson is a trailblazing business leader with over 20 years of corporate experience, 7 years as President of the Pay It Forward Foundation, and a decade of study with an enlightened teacher—a path that most often leads to leaving the material world behind. Instead, [Your Name] chose to bridge the worlds of business and consciousness, offering a rare blend of executive insight and elevated clarity.

As one of the world’s first Chief Consciousness Officers (CCO), Charley partners with visionary companies ready to lead in a rapidly evolving world—where technology, division, and distraction challenge human connection more than ever. The CCO role is designed to help organizations maintain their human core while embracing emerging technologies like AI.

Serving as a neutral, conscious presence inside the organization, a CCO helps CEOs, executives, and teams see past conditioning and blind spots, enabling more creative, open-minded solutions. In an age of unprecedented polarization, this role fosters connection, alignment, and purpose-driven leadership from the inside out.

[Your Name]'s revolutionary “Consciousness Training” is a versatile and transformative approach used by executives, athletes, couples, and spiritual seekers alike. Whether the goal is better business understanding, personal clarity, or deeper relationships, this work unlocks a higher level of performance by returning to the source of all knowledge—consciousness itself.

Now, Charley is on a mission to help forward-thinking leaders and organizations shape a future where clarity, connection, and consciousness are the competitive edge.

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjconsciousness/

Fast Five Questions:

1. If you woke up and your business was gone, you have $500, a laptop, a place to live, and food, what would you do first? "The same thing. The same thing. Yep, yep. Figure out something with consciousness within humanity, how to expand it."

2. What is the biggest mistake that you have made in business? "Being too loose with money, too nice. Thinking that I was supposed to take away everyone’s problems and help them when that was probably a lesson they needed to learn. I’d be a lot better off if I was just a little bit more conservative and understood money and investing more."

3. What is a book that you would recommend? "Truth Has No Sides. Just for the