Ryan Vesler, founder of HOMAGE, joins Startup to Storefront to share the story behind one of the most beloved vintage-inspired sportswear brands in the game. From an accidental cease-and-desist email with Larry Bird that turned into HOMAGE’s first licensing deal, to partnerships with the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and exclusive collaborations with Jason Kelce, Travis Kelce, Ryan Reynolds, and Rob McElhenney - Ryan breaks down how HOMAGE built an emotional connection with fans and investors alike.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Ryan turned his love for Ohio State into the legendary Archie Griffin T-shirt

• Why trading cards became a core inspiration for HOMAGE’s nostalgic aesthetic

• The inside story behind HOMAGE’s collaboration with Travis & Jason Kelce on New Heights

Follow along as Ryan shares how authenticity, emotion, and storytelling have helped HOMAGE become a cult favorite for sports fans everywhere.

Today’s guest is Jorge Perez, creator of the STFU Method, author, agent, producer, keynote speaker, and host of the Outliers TV podcast. With over 20 years of experience in entertainment and personal development, Jorge has spent his life helping people break toxic cycles and reclaim their power.

You’ve seen his work on Bravo, heard his voice on stage, and maybe even watched his award winning documentary on LA’s homelessness crisis, but his latest project goes even deeper. His new book, The Shut The Fu*k Up Method, is a no fluff, call you out while lifting you up guide to mastering your mindset.

Jorge wrote the book after seeing too many people stay stuck, even after attending every seminar and reading every self help book on the shelf. His message? You don’t need more advice, you need to shut the fu*k up... to the voice in your head that’s been lying to you.

In today’s episode, we dive into:

• What the STFU Method actually is and how it helps people get unstuck
• Why so many of us get trapped in the spiral of complaining
• How to identify your self sabotaging thoughts and silence them
• The mindset shifts that create real, lasting transformation

If you’ve been looking for a way to stop spinning your wheels, reclaim your focus, and finally move forward, this episode is the wake up call you didn’t know you needed.

It all started with a date.

For Gabriella Labi, food has always been a source of joy, but after years of battling gut issues, inflammation, and bloating, she was forced to rethink her relationship with indulgence. Still, as a true food lover, she wasn’t willing to give up dessert. She wanted something decadent and nourishing, something that satisfied without the sugar crash or guilt.

At the same time, Tonya Reznikovich was convinced that if dessert wasn’t rich and indulgent, it simply wasn’t worth it. When Tonya’s sharp business instincts met Gabi’s wellness-first mindset, Gato was born.

Their goal? To redefine indulgence, with nut-butter-stuffed, chocolate-drizzled dates that taste as good as they make you feel.

What started as a personal solution soon became something much bigger. From sharing treats with friends and family to setting up shop at LA farmers markets, Gato quickly built a loyal community that treated these confections as part of their self-care rituals. Those markets weren’t just sales channels, they were the heart of the brand, a place to test, connect, and grow. Fast-forward, and Gato is now available in retail stores across the country, riding a wave of momentum that doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

On this week’s episode of Startup to Storefront, Gabi and Tonya walk us through their journey of building a better-for-you dessert brand without compromising on flavor, texture, or emotional satisfaction.

You’ll learn:

• The Co-Man Milestone, how they navigated production roadblocks and found the right manufacturing partner

• The surprisingly personal story behind the name GATO

• What happened when Goop came calling, including the emotional tears that came with a major wellness partnership

This is a story of turning necessity into innovation, indulgence into wellness, and a date into a movement.

What if booking a nightclub was as easy as reserving a table for dinner?

That’s the vision behind Discotech, the world’s #1 nightlife app, and this week on Startup to Storefront, we sat down with co-founder Ian Chen to hear how he and his team are transforming the way we party.

With 1.5M+ app installs and users in over 120 cities across five continents, Discotech is more than a party app, it’s a platform that bridges technology, culture, and commerce to modernize an industry that’s long operated on paper guest lists and text threads.

Their platform helps clubs boost sales, streamline promoter workflows, and connect with a young, highly engaged audience, 88% of whom are between 18–45. And they’re just getting started.

In this episode, Ian shares:
— How the sober-curious movement is impacting club culture and creating space for new kinds of nightlife
— Why Gen Z is opting for quality over chaos and what venues need to do to stay relevant
— How Discotech is solving one of the industry's biggest pain points: outdated promoter systems

Whether you're in hospitality, tech, or just love a good founder story, this episode's for you.

From the very beginning, Tosi set out to solve a simple but powerful problem: how do we stay on the path to wellness when the world is full of snacks that derail us? The answer: create clean, crunchy, real food that actually fuels your life, not distracts from it. This week on Startup to Storefront, we sit down with the founders of Tosi, the brand behind the plant-powered bars made with simple, organic ingredients and none of the junk. We unpack how they turned personal observations about health and nutrition into a full-blown movement that’s now stocked everywhere from your local health shop to major retailers like Peet’s Coffee and Costco. At its core, Tosi is about trust, trusting what’s in your food, trusting your body, and trusting that doing the right thing (even when it’s not flashy) pays off. 💡

On this week’s episode, you’ll learn:

– How a pair of flashy shoes and a handful of cashews led to a chance encounter at Pavilions -and ultimately landed Tosi in Peet’s Coffee nationwide

– What really happens behind the scenes at a Costco roadshow, and why in-person connection with customers is still one of the brand’s most powerful growth tools

– How to bounce back from life's humbling moments, overcome embarrassment, and reclaim your strength through purpose-driven work

Plus: we’re teaming up with Tosi for a delicious giveaway. The announcement drops Wednesday, so make sure you’re following along. Because it’s not too good to be true. It’s simply too good.

This week on Startup to Storefront, we’re talking luxury spirits, bold branding, and storytelling with the team behind Wilde Irish Gin.

Co-founder Stuart Hall launched Wilde Irish Gin in 2021 with the vision of creating a premium Irish spirit that blends heritage, artistry, and unforgettable flavor. With a background in entertainment, marketing, and tech, Stuart brings a fresh perspective to a centuries-old category.

Joining him is Billy Ray, a legend in the spirits world and Wilde’s Brand Director. From leading global campaigns for Ciroc and Woodford Reserve to launching award-winning mixer brand Mixwell, Billy’s mission has always been the same: create unforgettable experiences, not just drinks.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Building a luxury gin brand from the ground up

• Why storytelling matters in the spirits world

• The intersection of flavor, culture, and identity

This week on Startup to Storefront, we’re joined by Lindsey Johnson, cofounder and CEO of Weezie, the brand redefining what it means to treat yourself with truly elevated bath essentials.

It all started when her longtime friend Liz had a lackluster experience searching for luxury towels. Newly married and recently moved, she couldn’t believe how underwhelming the options were—so she called Lindsey. Together, they set out to modernize the linen market, and after years of research, they launched Weezie: plush, absorbent, and meticulously crafted towels and robes made in Portugal and finished by hand in Atlanta.

On this week’s episode you’ll learn:

• How Lindsey and Liz went from friends to cofounders

• What it takes to build a product that actually lives up to the hype

• Why resilience and critical thinking are key to scaling a startup

This week on Startup to Storefront, we’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, better known as Dr. B, a world-renowned gastroenterologist, bestselling author, and founder of 38TERA, a company revolutionizing the gut health space. Dr. B has built his career around one core idea: that the key to unlocking better energy, stronger immunity, and even better mental health starts with your gut. His books, Fiber Fueled and The Fiber Fueled Cookbook, became instant bestsellers, and his mission to teach the world about the microbiome has reached thousands through platforms like Diary of a CEO and The Rich Roll Podcast. In today’s episode, Dr. B shares his journey from frustrated physician to founder, launching DMN — Daily Microbiome Nutrition — to finally offer a gut supplement he could stand behind. We also dive into the outrageous diet myths flooding TikTok, the real impact of gut health on your everyday life, and why it might just be the key to unlocking your full potential.

On this week's episode you'll learn:

✨ How to transform your gut health (and your life)

✨ What it really takes to launch a brand with a loyal community

✨ The surprising connection between coffee and gut health

Let’s dive in.