The 57th episode of Simply Business features a powerful founder story that’s as timely as it is moving. Michael Sandefur, co-founder of SafeEvac, shares how his journey from environmental consulting to inventing a school safety technology was driven by purpose and prayer.

Following national tragedies and a conversation with his co-founder, Michael realized that chaos, not just violence is the killer in school shootings.

That insight led to the development of SafeEvac: a cutting-edge emergency system embedded in exit signs.

These signs now use AI, microphones, cameras, and sensors to detect threats and guide people in real time during emergencies giving voice and direction where there's typically only panic.

The system helps first responders navigate to threats in seconds, using light signals and audio cues.

And while the school market is a focus, the solution is scalable to government, commercial, and industrial buildings worldwide.

Michael’s passion and humility shine as he walks us through invention, funding, and validation and the emotional moments that fuel his mission.

🎧 Tune in to hear

• How a simple exit sign became a lifesaving smart device

• The power of faith, purpose, and invention at any age

• What it takes to take an idea to a 10-patent product and a 10-person startup team

• Why bipartisan support and grassroots momentum could make SafeEvac a national standard

Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to support more stories like this one.

How Brad Blankenship scaled a startup from the back of a truck into a regional commercial powerhouse by staying people-focused, faith-led, and future-minded.

⭐ Inspirational Snippet: “You have to be motivated by something greater than the dollar… You have to want to help people. You have to want to be a problem solver.”

How do you grow a construction company from the back of a car to 80+ employees and hundreds of subcontractors? For Brad Blankenship, CEO of Skyguard Commercial Services, it started with faith, grit, and a desire to serve.

In the 56th episode of Simply Business, Brad Blankenship shares the inside story of how Skyguard pivoted from residential roofing to large-scale commercial projects, working with hospitals, multifamily podium builds, and some of the nation’s top general contractors.

Brad opens up about the values that drive his leadership from creating opportunities for immigrant professionals to ensuring his employees can be home on weekends.

This is more than a business success story it's a blueprint for scaling with heart, leading through challenge, and building something that lasts.

🔹 Creating a culture of opportunity, respect, and growth

🔹 Transitioning from small residential jobs to complex commercial work

🔹 The role of faith in business leadership

🔹 Overcoming unexpected shocks like COVID and global supply disruptions

🔹 Staying humble, mission-driven, and team-focused

👉 Tune in for practical inspiration on how to scale a company while staying grounded.

🎧 Listen now, subscribe, and leave a review to support the show!

In the 55th episode of Simply Business, John sits down with Paula Blankenship, founder of a thriving DTC paint brand, to unpack her extraordinary entrepreneurial journey.

From humble beginnings at her kitchen table to scaling into an 8-figure powerhouse,

Paula shares how she transformed a simple DIY project into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Discover how early Facebook traction validated her business idea, why she ditched big-box retail for direct-to-consumer success, and how she navigated pandemic-induced chaos to take control of her supply chain by acquiring her contract manufacturer.

Paula opens up about the tough decisions, like scrapping lucrative deals for long-term freedom, and her inspiring choice to share ownership with her employees through an ESOP.

Key themes include:

Turning passion into profit Pivoting from wholesale to DTC

Leadership resilience in crisis

The power of employee ownership

Building a business for legacy, not just exit

🎯 Listen in for Paula's "lead from the trees" philosophy and a refreshing take on running a business by intuition, not instruction manuals.

If you’re building, growing, or exiting your business, this episode is packed with actionable insights and real-talk wisdom.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave us a review!