Founder2Founder with Aaron Spivak
Entrepreneurship isn’t just a career—it’s a relentless, all-consuming way of life.
Welcome to Founder2Founder a raw and unfiltered podcast where host Aaron Spivak pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build something from the ground up. No sugarcoating, no overnight success stories—just deep, honest conversations with some of the most driven, underrated, and game-changing founders of our time. From brutal setbacks to game-changing mindset shifts, Aaron goes beyond the polished success stories to uncover the unglamorous, deeply personal side of building a business.
As a seasoned entrepreneur himself, Aaron goes beneath the surface and gets into the nitty-gritty of what it truly takes to succeed. He’ll dive into the habits, behaviors, and routines that set elite founders apart, the tactics and strategies that are working today, and the mindset shifts required to push through the hardest moments. Through raw personal stories, late-night struggles, and breakthrough moments, guests open up about what it really means to grow, not just as a founder, but as a person.
Each week, Aaron sits down with visionary entrepreneurs from high-growth startup founders to seasoned CEOs, for real, unfiltered conversations about the highs, lows, and everything in between. Whether you're scaling a company, launching your first venture, or just looking for inspiration, this podcast will give you the insights, motivation, and real-world advice you won’t get just anywhere. If you're ready to strip away the illusion and get real about what it means to build, sacrifice, and thrive, this is the podcast for you. Join us every Wednesday!
Founder2Founder with Aaron Spivak
From a $900 Bank Account to a $50M Brand: Chris Meade on Building CROSSNET
In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Chris Mead, co-founder of CROSSNET and Founders Club, for his most open and personal conversation to date. From a small Connecticut town, to building one of the fastest-growing backyard sports brands in America, Chris unpacks the highs, lows, and lessons of scaling a startup from scratch.
They dive into the origins of CROSSNET, the $1M mistake during an acquisition, the toll of leadership decisions, and how those experiences shaped the vision for Founders Club. If you’re navigating the founder journey, this episode is packed with the kind of honest insights you won’t get anywhere else.
Chapters:
02:49 – Growing Up in Small-Town Connecticut
04:40 – From Film School, to HBO, to Burnout
06:30 – Learning Amazon Dropshipping in College
08:26 – Fired, Broke, and Starting Over at Uber
12:49 – Inventing CROSSNET in a Backyard
15:06 – Quitting Jobs and Moving to Miami
17:49 – Going All-In with Marketing
19:21 – $87K to $9.8M: CROSSNET’s Hockey Stick Growth
21:30 – The Year Everything Went Wrong
25:19 – The Mistake of Not Cutting Fast Enough
28:10 – Trusting the Wrong CFO and Losing Sight
30:01 – The Acquisition That Fell Apart
33:50 – Picking the Wrong Buyer for the Wrong Reasons
35:10 – The Second Exit: Why Vivier Was the Right Fit
38:15 – What He’d Tell His Younger Self
42:04 – Why He Wouldn’t Change a Thing
42:46 – Building Founders Club from Scratch
46:41 – What Makes the Community Work
49:29 – There’s No Real Community for Founders… Until Now
51:07 – What a Great Member Looks Like
54:10 – Building a Life Beyond the Business
57:15 – Relationships Compound Like Capital
58:19 – Founders Forum and the Future of Events
1:00:51 – The Long-Term Vision for Founders Club
1:06:49 – Why This Will Never Be a Suit-and-Tie Club
Guest Links:
Instagram: @crossnetgame & @chrismeade
Website: https://vivereltd.com/pages/crossnet
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Aaron Spivak:
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The Founders Club
Instagram @TheFoundersClub
Website www.foundersclubofficial.com
Founder2Founder:
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