In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Dan Abel Jr., the Chief Chocolate Officer of Bissinger’s Chocolate.

Dan shares how his family grew up immersed in the candy business—starting from a small family-run operation in 1981 to acquiring and leading the iconic Bissinger’s brand today. Dan walks us through their unique family dynamic, how each sibling found their place in the business, and what it’s really like behind the scenes of a chocolate kitchen—from caramel science to flavor innovation and why making candy is as much art as it is chemistry.

Dan also dives into the story behind Bissinger’s newest luxury product, the 1668 Collection, a meticulously designed line of shell-molded confections inspired by the brand’s royal French heritage. With flavors like cinnamon pear caramel and blood orange truffles, Dan describes how he personally locked himself in the R&D lab to bring this vision to life. Dan also touches on seasonal creativity, overlooked fruits like pears, why certain candies have stood the test of time, and what makes Bissinger’s chocolate different from the rest. It’s a delicious blend of tradition, innovation, and entrepreneurial storytelling—perfect for anyone curious about the business of chocolate.

Step inside the kitchen of Bissinger’s as Dan Abel Jr. shares the flavors, stories, and craftsmanship that define the brand in this episode of The First Customer!


Guest Info:
Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolatier
http://www.bissingers.com


Dan Abel Jr.'s LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-abel-jr-15541765/

Connect with Jay on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/
The First Customer Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcast
The First Customer podcast website
https://www.firstcustomerpodcast.com
Follow The First Customer on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Adam Dakin, President and CEO of Keriton.

Adam’s entrepreneurial journey starts with selling hats and t-shirts in college before building multiple venture-backed startups and leading health tech investments at DreamIt Ventures. When Keriton’s investors seek new leadership, Adam steps in with a plan to stabilize finances, restructure the team, bring sales and marketing in-house, and close key enterprise healthcare deals. His approach pays off, securing major wins like a 32-hospital Intermountain Healthcare partnership that doubles the company’s size. Adam reflects on the challenges of selling into complex healthcare systems, the importance of trust and customization in enterprise sales, and why patient safety leaves no room for “good enough” in medical software.

Adam explains the critical safety issues hospitals face when tracking and delivering the correct mother’s milk or formula to vulnerable infants. A single mix-up can lead to disease transmission, allergic reactions, or other severe complications, triggering months of testing and follow-up. Keriton’s platform eliminates these risks by tracking every bottle’s location, contents, ownership, and expiration date, preventing misfeeds and expired milk from reaching patients. Adam shares how his personal experience with a child in the NICU and hearing passionate feedback from nurses deepened his commitment to the mission.

Explore Adam Daikin’s mission to merge business savvy with infant safety in this episode of The First Customer!

Guest Info:
Keriton
https://www.keriton.com


Adam Daikin's LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamdakin/

Connect with Jay on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/
The First Customer Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcast
The First Customer podcast website
https://www.firstcustomerpodcast.com
Follow The First Customer on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Paul Byrne, President of Razoyo, a Texas-based custom software development company.

Paul shared how growing up in an entrepreneurial family in Wichita, Kansas—where his mom ran a fabric shop and his dad tinkered with tech ventures—planted the seeds for his own journey. We discussed how the concept of entrepreneurship has evolved from packing circuit boards around kitchen tables to building viral businesses on TikTok, like his daughter recently did. Paul also highlighted how today's lower barriers to entry create exciting possibilities for aspiring founders, especially those balancing family and other commitments.

Paul also walked us through the early days of Razoyo, from helping transform a data-entry business to landing eBay as one of their first clients. He explained how the company now specializes in rescuing struggling software systems, refining prototypes, and building scalable custom applications. Referrals and platform partnerships drive most of Razoyo’s business, and Paul emphasized the importance of nurturing relationships with strategic partners over time. He also shared advice for entrepreneurs on choosing a niche—even in unfamiliar industries—by being curious, asking the right questions, and embracing discomfort.

Discover Paul Byrne’s story of quiet grit, clever pivots, and building Razoyo from the ground up in this episode of The First Customer!


Guest Info:
Razoyo
http://razoyo.com

Paul Byrne's LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pwbyrne/

Want to be a guest on The First Customer? Send Jay Aigner a message on PodMatch here.

Connect with Jay on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/
The First Customer Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcast
The First Customer podcast website
https://www.firstcustomerpodcast.com
Follow The First Customer on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Nicky Senyard, CEO and founder of Fintel Connect.

Nicky shared the journey behind Fintel Connect—a digital acquisition platform that helps financial institutions across North America grow their customer base through affiliate marketing. She explained how the platform acts like the “plumbing” between banks and publishers like NerdWallet or Credit Karma, using a CPA (cost-per-acquisition) model that rewards performance and delivers real value.

Nicky also opened up about her roots in Australia and how the country's rugged environment shaped her entrepreneurial resilience. Before Fintel, she built and successfully exited the world’s largest affiliate platform for regulated online gambling. We talked about everything from building networks in unfamiliar markets to earning trust in a highly regulated space like financial services. Nicky emphasized the importance of curiosity, authenticity, and solving real problems—especially when selling to institutions that don’t always know what they’re missing.

Sit back and hear Nicky's biggest takeaway from years of building businesses in this episode of The First Customer!

Guest Info:
Fintel Connect
https://www.fintelconnect.com

Nicky Senyard's LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickysenyard/

Want to be a guest on The First Customer? Send Jay Aigner a message on PodMatch here.

Connect with Jay on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/
The First Customer Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcast
The First Customer podcast website
https://www.firstcustomerpodcast.com
Follow The First Customer on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview serial entrepreneur Eric McHugh once again!

Eric dives into his latest venture, dataing.io, an AI-powered matchmaking app built to challenge the typical swipe-based dating model. He shares how the Web3 space supports his builder mindset and leads to the creation of Hold On Labs, a platform that launches products focused on meaningful connection. With dating.io, the goal is to create intentional, high-quality matches using AI-generated personality tags based on users’ social media and digital activity. Unlike Tinder or Hinge, which aim to keep users engaged and swiping, dating.io focuses on helping people find lasting matches and offers a “relationship butler” that helps couples with date planning, gift ideas, and relationship support.

Eric also shares their go-to-market strategy, which focuses on building local communities by starting with Southern California colleges through campus events, partnerships, and free photography incentives. The team is currently focused on gaining users, with a goal of reaching 10,000 in Los Angeles before expanding further. Monetization is not the immediate priority, but future plans include earning a share from date bookings and offering targeted brand placements. Eric points out that AI is not just a trendy term for them; it powers the platform’s ability to understand behavior and preferences, leading to smarter and more accurate matches.

Be intrigued by Eric McHugh’s pursuit of meaningful tech, smarter matchmaking, and the vibes behind dataing.io in this episode of The First Customer!

Guest Info:
dataing.io
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dataing/id6478563884

Eric McHugh's LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericdouglasmchugh/

Want to be a guest on The First Customer? Send Jay Aigner a message on PodMatch here.

Connect with Jay on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/
The First Customer Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcast
The First Customer podcast website
https://www.firstcustomerpodcast.com
Follow The First Customer on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Keilian Knudsen and Prags Mugunthan, co-founders of Pangea.ai.

Keilian and Prags explored their journey from university roommates in Scotland to building a global tech talent platform. Keilian described how growing up in Switzerland with an American mother and Norwegian father gave him a multicultural view of the world and a drive to create something of his own. Prags shared how moving from Sri Lanka to Norway at a young age gave him access to education and opportunity, which shaped his path toward entrepreneurship. Their first ventures included a sandblasting startup and a digital memory bank, both of which failed but pushed them to solve the problem they encountered firsthand—how hard it was to find and hire reliable software developers.

That problem led to the birth of Digital Knights, a service-based business that eventually became Pangea. Keilian and Prags candidly shared about the tough early days, including running out of money, borrowing from friends and family, and nearly walking away from it all. What kept them going was their shared vision and complementary strengths. They also emphasized the importance of building repeatable systems and processes, especially after realizing that excessive hustle without structure could limit their growth.

Discover how missed hires, borrowed savings, and unwavering conviction led Keilian and Prags to build Pangea in this episode of The First Customer!

Guest Info:
Pangea.ai
https://www.pangea.ai

Keilian Knudsen's LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/keilian/

Prags Mugunthan's LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pragsm/

Want to be a guest on The First Customer? Send Jay Aigner a message on PodMatch here.

Connect with Jay on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/
The First Customer Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcast
The First Customer podcast website
https://www.firstcustomerpodcast.com
Follow The First Customer on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Aubrey Amatelli, Founder and CEO of PayRio—the first payment provider focused exclusively on alternative medicine.

Aubrey shared how her roots in Silicon Valley and a traditional finance career at JP Morgan eventually led her to launch PayRio, combining her passion for cannabis and her expertise in payments. She walked me through the complicated regulatory landscape that makes payment processing for cannabis so challenging and explained how PayRio uses creative, compliant workarounds like ATM rails and wallet tech to support dispensaries and e-commerce businesses.

Aubrey also opened up about the emotional transition from corporate life to cannabis entrepreneurship, including the fear and eventual empowerment that came with “coming out” on LinkedIn. Aubrey discussed how her startup journey began with cold calls and a scrappy three-person team, and how PayRio has grown to serve both mom-and-pop dispensaries and multi-state operators alike.

Let’s drive all the way to San Francisco and dive into Aubrey Amatelli’s bold leap from Wall Street to CBD tech in this episode of The First Customer!

Guest Info:
PayRio
https://payrio.co/

Aubrey Amatelli's LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aubreyamatelli/

Want to be a guest on The First Customer? Send Jay Aigner a message on PodMatch here.

Connect with Jay on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/
The First Customer Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcast
The First Customer podcast website
https://www.firstcustomerpodcast.com
Follow The First Customer on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Ben Fellows, CEO and founder of Loop QA.

Ben shares how his company addresses the growing need for highly skilled, mid-to-senior QA professionals in a market lacking structured training and clear entry paths. Loop QA focuses on embedding experienced testers directly into teams at startups and enterprises, filling a critical talent gap with candidates who bring technical expertise, product understanding, and emotional intelligence. Ben explains how many successful QA professionals arrive from unconventional paths—often self-taught or transitioning from roles in development or customer success—and highlights the industry's broader need to recognize QA as a strategic, trust-building function rather than a final checkpoint.

Ben also opens up about his personal journey into entrepreneurship, shaped by watching his mother run her own business and a brief stint in politics that led him to the fast-paced world of startups. He describes the early days of Loop QA, including the unconventional strategy of offering free QA services to build a client base, and how that experience shaped the company’s sales and growth philosophy. He reflects on the evolving nature of QA’s role within organizations, the emotional toll of being seen as the “last line of defense,” and the importance of creating a healthy quality culture.

Whether you're trying to hire QA talent, break into the field, or simply want to better understand the mindset behind it, this episode of The First Customer delivers clarity, context, and plenty of relatable moments!

Guest Info:
Loop QA
http://www.workwithloop.com

Ben Fellows' LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-f-44778426/

Want to be a guest on The First Customer? Send Jay Aigner a message on PodMatch here.

Connect with Jay on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/
The First Customer Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcast
The First Customer podcast website
https://www.firstcustomerpodcast.com
Follow The First Customer on LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/