In this episode of the Stay Broke Podcast, we’re joined by Graeson McGaha, a North Carolina comedian who’s built a loyal audience through viral generational humor, family-driven comedy, and authentic storytelling.

This conversation goes beyond jokes. Graeson shares the behind-the-scenes reality of growing from content creator to touring comedian and business owner. We talk about social media growth, building a merch operation, staying consistent, and navigating the pressure that comes with scaling a personal brand.

It’s an honest mix of comedy, business, and real-life lessons for anyone trying to turn creativity into opportunity.

In this episode of the Stay Broke Podcast, we sit down with Aaron Wright, a serial entrepreneur who built and sold multiple pharmaceutical-based businesses before opening iSmash Wake Forest.

Aaron shares how he knew early in life that he wanted to be an entrepreneur, why experience often matters more than formal education, and what most people misunderstand about franchising.

We cover:

1. Early signs of entrepreneurship
2. Education vs real-world experience
3. Building and exiting healthcare businesses
4. Franchising myths and realities
5. Startup costs, growth strategy, and due diligence
6. Mentorship, customer experience, and long-term thinking

This episode is a real-world look at entrepreneurship without hype. It’s about learning by doing, avoiding costly mistakes, and building businesses that actually last.

In this episode of the Stay Broke Podcast, Randy sits down with Ryan McEvoy, a former college hockey player turned multi-unit operator, franchise owner, and founder of a mission-driven nonprofit.

Ryan’s journey started with discipline and sacrifice. When he opened his first uBreakiFix location, his business partner fronted the startup costs. Ryan moved into the cheapest apartment he could find, had no furniture, and sometimes slept at the store because it was easier and safer. For more than six months, sleeping on the floor was part of the process. Buying a bed felt like a milestone.

That focus helped Ryan scale to 12 locations across multiple states using reinvested cash flow instead of bank loans. Years later, he sold all 12 stores and his home in the same week, moved to North Carolina, and started over.

Today, Ryan is a franchise owner of Jeff’s Bagel Run, where he operates in Wake Forest and helps test ideas that could eventually become permanent menu items across the brand. He also founded 127 Haven, a nonprofit focused on creating family-based homes for orphaned children in Uganda, funded through business systems rather than donations.

In this episode, we talk about:

1. What can break when you scale beyond one location
2. The difference between owning a business and operating one
3. Why franchising is never passive, even at the brand level
4. Why food businesses are harder than tech
5. Using discipline and systems to start over the right way

This conversation is not about shortcuts or hype.

It is about execution, ownership, and building something that lasts.