Purpose Chasers Podcast

In Episode 119 of the Purpose Chasers Podcast, host Mark Crandall sits down with Evan and Jon of Lightwork Exchange. They delve into their evolution from passionate pin collectors to influential creators within the jam band scene, particularly their collaboration with Dogs in a Pile. Discover how their commitment to original designs and community engagement has fostered a vibrant fan culture. This episode offers insights into the intersection of art, music, and community building.

Mark Crandall interviews Scott Hannay, the multi-talented keyboardist known for 8-bit remixes, unforgettable sit-ins, and helping bring the Mihali Band to life.Scott opens up about his early inspiration from video game music, his rise in the jam scene through humility and service, and how his journey has brought him full circle—from solo gigs to stage tech to headlining with Mihali.This episode is for the Frends, the gamers, the dreamers, and anyone chasing purpose in the shadows of adversity.

What happens when you hand 6- to 14-year-olds a business plan template and a booth? You get 150+ confident kid-CEOs. Dr. Carolyn Colleen returns to Purpose Chasers to reveal: • The Children’s Business Fair model (and why no participation trophies matter) • “Peace-table” conflict skills that build lifelong leaders • How a song written for her became the anthem of the Fierce Foundation • The profit-for-purpose loop funding scholarships and scaling impact If this inspires you, subscribe to the show and share Dr. Carolyn’s story with one parent or educator today!

Episode 116 : Radio Days & Beyond: Bobby J from Rockaway × Produced by NefThe Purpose Chasers Podcast with Mark Crandall @organicwordnerdNostalgia-drenched boom-bap meets Brooklyn precision. Bobby J from Rockaway and super-producer Nef have created a collection of work together. This episode we breakdown the in's and out's of Bobby J from Rockaway and Produced by Nef's work. Featuring: Radio Days EP, single “The Hangover,” and “From the Jump” (ft. J57) into underground staples—and why real, in-the-room collaboration still crushes template beats.Origins & Hustle – Bobby J’s Rockaway roots, Nef’s Maine-to-Brooklyn grind under DJ Premier & Statik SelektahCreative Chemistry – From a chance studio cleanup to a decade-long partnershipTrack SpotlightsRadio Days EP: golden-era textures, live strings, vinyl crackleThe Hangover: cinematic horns + raw lyricismFrom the Jump: neck-snap drums, J57 synergyNef’s Production Philosophy – Turning “good” into “legendary,” one mix tweak at a timeTake-Home

Why is a shreddy, fan-favorite like One Time Weekend still stuck in the mid-day slots? In this punchy sit-down we unpack the “headliner conspiracy,” their DIY booking grind, and the studio marathon fueling their next drop.Hit Play, Then… What You’ll Learn Catch OTW Live

Host Mark Crandall sits down with hip-hop producer Produced by Nef to trace his journey from late-night bedroom sessions in New Hampshire to collaborating with legends in Brooklyn. Discover how Nef turned his beats into a business—leveraging SEO, digital asset management, and passive-income models—to build a sustainable career in music.Purpose Chasers is your backstage pass to the art and business of creative success. Hosted by Mark Crandall—veteran entrepreneur turned artist advocate—each episode dives deep into how musicians, producers, speakers, and visual creators can transform passion projects into thriving, sustainable enterprises. We cover everything from mastering organic marketing and SEO for your personal brand to negotiating contracts that protect your creative vision and financial future.Join us for candid conversations with top-tier artists, producers, and industry experts as they share real-world lessons on growing digital assets, building passive income streams, and maintaining personal well-be

It's no secret that Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs drives and motivates human behavior. Each stage is the motivating factor behind what you are doing and why you are doing it. When it comes to business, these needs only intensify when it comes to you and your employees.    Suppose you want to create a successful business where the success is mutually beneficial for everyone involved. In that case, you must start with the first level of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. After understanding your employee's needs, you also need to recognize and understand your needs as the entrepreneur and owner of the company.    Purpose Chasers, if you missed last week's episode where I broke down Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and how to fit the company's vision with your employee's driving factors and behaviors, I invite you to go back and listen to part one. Last week, I took a deep dive into recognizing and understanding your employees' needs, specifically how you can help them attain them and how you and your team will reap

According to Abraham Maslow, all humans operate inside a Hierarchy of Needs. The Hierarchy of Needs includes Physiological Needs, Safety, Love and Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization. These needs are what drive and motivate human behavior. When it comes to business, creating a vision for your employees to align themselves with is the key to recruiting and maintaining employees.    This week, I'm sharing a quick overview of the 5 Stages of the Hierarchy of Needs and how to fit the company's vision with your employees' driving factors and behaviors. Once you recognize and understand your employees' needs and how you can help them attain them, you and your team will reap many benefits, including maximum production, happiness, and self-fulfillment.   Purpose Chasers, be sure to tune in next week as I share part two of how Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs applies to business, specifically how it applies to entrepreneurs and business owners.    Topics Discussed: Abraham Maslow’s Hierarch

This week, I'm sharing the lessons learned from terminating two individuals who are near and dear to me. Terminating employees who are like friends and family is one of the most challenging decisions I've ever had to make in business. But one of the most valuable takeaways is the importance of asking how YOU can do better. How can you be a better leader and team leader? What areas can you improve on to future-proof the relationships in and out of your company?    While entrepreneurs and team leaders don't regularly ask this, it's important to instill it into your team. When you own up to your mistakes and treat others equally, you create a strong accountability structure moving forward that everyone can pick up on. On the flip side, just as owning up to your mistakes is necessary for team success, so is praise and appreciation. Ensuring that you point out the achievements of your team members lets them know that you're investing in their growth and security.    Purpose Chasers, be sure to

If you're an active listener of the show, then you might remember Episode 100, where I chatted with Nathaniel Bruno, Owner of Community Solar Authority, about my entrepreneurial journey and how he helped me get started. It was a fantastic conversation about the two main lessons I learned in entrepreneurship and the incredible insight I gleaned from Nat's own experiences. Well, Purpose Chasers, I decided to bring him back for an all-new episode.  Nat Been has been an entrepreneur since college and is currently on his 6th business. He's lived in a van for three years and traveled all over the US and overseas. Now, homesteading in Texas, he's been running a solar business without ever meeting his business partners in person ever since Covid-19. In this episode, Nat shares his own entrepreneurial journey and how he became a community authority within the solar industry.  Be sure to listen in as we discuss the truth behind what it takes to be a business owner, how to grow your business and scale yourself

If you lead your business with honesty and integrity, you’re setting yourself up for a successful company. While building a scalable company isn’t for the faint of heart, it is doable and it can be done the right way. You just have to nurture your relationships and honor your previous agreements.    But sometimes other people don’t always hold their end of the bargain. One of the key lessons I share this week is how a $8k error made by a former supplier has made my company more money than I can count. One of the most important lessons you can learn from your mistakes is how to leverage your errors in order to grow. Owning up to your mistakes and recognizing ways to improve will help you create stronger relationships and scale your company. When you constantly evaluate what you’re doing and how you’re doing it, the room for error shrinks over time.    Not only can you leverage your mistakes but you can also leverage your relationships. Though, the number one thing you have to remember about

If you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, or industry leader, then you’ve more than likely heard the phrase, “cashflow is king” or “cash is king.” Just because you make millions of dollars a year doesn’t mean you pocket millions of dollars. On paper, it may look like you’ve made tons of money per job, but in practice, you may be losing more money than you even realize. But what if I told you there’s a better strategy? One that can ensure you’re getting paid first while also paying your employees and paying off any surprises along the way. (i.e., renting equipment).   This week, I’m sharing the formula that I’ve created within my own companies to ensure each business is in a healthy financial state. One of the biggest pieces of this formula is recognizing that your finances can’t be a guessing game. There has to be an effective mathematical equation put in place to predictably hit your margins every time. Once the needs of the customers are met, and the job is completed, then you can start paying yoursel

In this episode Frank Crinite shares the journey of branding himself to sell over 100 cars per month on average.  With 0 marketing dollars Frank has built his livilihood on the word of mouth of all of his previous customers. Gain access to resources and/or work with Mark or his marketing team direct visit: www.markcrandall.net

This week, I’m sharing how my company went from $0 to $1.5 million in solar sold in a five-month span. While many people see this as a wild unicorn, luck of the draw experience, there’s just no such thing. By putting systems and automations in place, doing the work with honesty and integrity, building relationships with our clients, and keeping them in the know at all times, my team and I were able to grow and scale in an authentic way. Everyone wants to grow and scale their business, but not everyone is willing to put the work in. Too many businesses are profit driven and completely void of strong customer relationships. Yes, growing and scaling your business is possible. But you must first focus on strengthening your relationships. Not just the relationships you have with your team but also the relationships you have with your clients and potential clients. To future-proof your company, you have to first lead with honesty and integrity. Topics Discussed: Why there’s no such thing as beginners luck The REAL

There is no such thing as “slot machine” growth, only slow and steady growth. Too many business owners make uneducated guesses about their financial health. But in order to grow and scale your business, you must take out the guessing game and start figuring out the correct mathematical equation. In order to do that, you must first put the systems and automations in place to take your business to the next level.    This week, I'm sharing how I 6x’ed Energy Shield of New Hampshire with just a Google Document and a CRM in just two short years and how we went from 5 employees to 15 and counting.    When I first moved back to New Hampshire and gained ownership of Energy Shield of New Hampshire, there were no systems in place. There was no way to track customer appointments, deposits or final payments, materials ordered, and there was no schedule of projects from start to finish. There was a lot of money being thrown out the door.    So I got busy building systems, hiring the right peo

No amount of money can determine your worth. If you're unhappy with where you are and what you're doing, the dollar signs mean nothing. You could be making millions of dollars, but that doesn't mean a thing if you're constantly feeling like you're running in circles, utterly dissatisfied with where you're at in life. Tired of feeling stressed out, bogged down with work, and frustrated with how you're feeling at the end of the day? Then this episode is for you.  This week, I'm diving into the epiphany I had four years ago around the difference between working off a retainer to working for ownership. I also walk you through the moment that completely changed my life and business for the better. After taking ownership of 8 companies over the past few years, I've gained incredible insight into how to run a better business model, the main ingredient for authentic and effective marketing, and how to strengthen my relationships with clients and friends-turned-business partners. Be sure to listen in as I share m

In 2020, I went inward. In a pursuit to tap into my deer calling, I paused Purpose Chasers®, put my head down, and went all in on doing the inner work. With the growing rise of Covid-19, I removed the pressure and noise from my life, both online and offline, to limit the negative space around me and fulfill what I had been called to do. In a span of fewer than two years, I’ve gained incredible insight, made strong relationships, scaled businesses, and, the best part, my second son was born.    This week marks the first solo episode I’ve recorded since July of 2020. Back in 2020, I shared my gratitude with the Purpose Chasers® community and all the lessons I learned along the way. Now, I’m going all in helping individuals grow and scale their companies with no end in sight. By putting the systems in place, growing the right team, and tracking your metrics, it has never been a better time to scale out of your company and take back your most precious asset: time.    Topics Discussed: Why yo

Are you looking at the world as transactions or relationships? Tired of robo-pitching out to the wind in hopes of finding average places to land? If you’ve been wanting to develop long-lasting relationships, then now is the time to change your method! Our guest this week shares the importance of treating potential podcast guests as future friendships and how to lead with heart. This week, I am talking with Tom Schwab, Author, Speaker, Teacher, and Podcast Interview Marketing Pioneer. Tom shares incredible insight into why our main goal should always be about creating and maintaining friendships. When we lead with a heart of service, we are able to increase the level of impactful conversations and create meaningful relationships. Join us this week as we learn why our relationships are more than just click funnels and robo-pitches.  Topics Discussed: Treating people as relationships instead of pitching baseballs The importance of adding value to others Understanding that more is not always better  Sh

What do you want to create in life? If you could pick one thing to do for the rest of your life, what would it be? Who would you like to become?    This week, I am talking with Nat Bruno about the two main lessons I’ve learned from him since the start of my entrepreneurial journey nearly six years ago. Nat has since guided me down the entrepreneurial path by sharing incredible resources and insight from his own experiences. And I want to do the same for you.    Your dreams of traveling the world with your significant other or ensuring a spot at your child’s championship game while your business runs itself don’t have to be in vain. If you could do, create, or become anything in this world, what would it be, and what do you have to change to make them happen? What is preventing you from living the life of your dreams and achieving your biggest goals?   Topics Discussed: Why your number ONE business consultant is Google Understanding that cashflow is KING in business The greatest misc

Are you living with unwanted F.A.T.? Do you often feel depressed, stressed, or less than in any area of your life? If you struggle to own your worth or struggle with feeling confident in yourself, then you might just be lettering F.A.T. get in the way of stepping into your greatest potential.   This week, I am talking with Natalie Jill, Fat Loss Expert turned High-Performance Coach and host of the Leveling Up podcast. Natalie shares with us how she kills FAT for a living, both the fat on our bodies AND the F.A.T. getting in the way of showing up for ourselves. We discuss the importance of focusing on relationships in and outside of business as well as how to define your own version of success. Join us this week as we continue to change the way society views hustle and why we need to burn our false assumed truths.  Topics Discussed: How F.A.T. (false assumed truths) is holding us back The dangers of living a false life Why keeping up appearances keeps us down Stages of comparison (and why it r