• Episode Summary & Player
• Full Transcript
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• Wild Business Growth podcast Summary

Episode 311: Jake Peters – The Modern Travel Agency, Fora Co-Founder

Jake Peters, the Co-Founder and Chief Product & Technology Officer of Fora, joins the show to share his journey from studying computer science to building The Modern Travel Agency. Hear why the travel industry is ripe for disruption, the tools & flexibility Fora offers travel advisors, how to stand out with your tech, how to write bedtime stories with ChatGPT & AI, and the best travel perks. This episode covers everything from world travel to Wallace & Gromit. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• C-3PO
• How often is Jake doing the coding these days
• Trigonometry vs. Geometry
• How does Fora work for travel advisors
• What is Jake most proud of with the Fora tech
• How do you stay present with your kids after a work day
• The Tickling Fantôme
• The Mercedes-Benz Thunk

Connect with Jake at ForaTravel.com and on LinkedIn.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Technology
  • [0:26] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:35] Connect with Jake at ForaTravel.com and on LinkedIn
  • [1:53] C-3PO, George Lucas
  • [2:32] What first got Jake interested in technology (tech)
  • [2:52] Mac, AppleTalk Cables
  • [3:25] Dial-Up Modem
  • [4:01] Harvard University
  • [4:29] Cisco Routers
  • [4:45] Computer Science (CompSci), University of Pennsylvania (Penn), Queuing Theory
  • [6:02] How often is Jake doing the coding these days

• The Fora Story
  • [7:42] How did Jake first hear about Fora
  • [8:35] Henley Vazquez, Evan Frank
  • [10:12] ADD/ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
  • [11:24] Ivy League
  • [12:10] Why is the travel industry ripe for disruption
  • [13:54] Virtuoso
  • [14:35] Instagram (IG), TikTok
  • [16:03] OTA (Online Travel Agency)
  • [16:58] Customer Acquisition
  • [17:05] Google Ads, Google Maps
  • [17:52] Trigonometry vs. Geometry
  • [19:28] Cara Bognar – Wild Business Growth podcast #306: NIL Sports Lessons, Top Tier Lessons Founder
  • [20:15] How does Fora work for travel advisors
  • [20:56] Compass
  • [21:29] Integrated Marketing
  • [23:32] Google
  • [25:24] Boo
  • [25:30] Casper the Friendly Ghost
  • [25:52] How does Fora create the best travel experience for travelers
  • [27:18] Galápagos Islands
  • [27:28] WhatsApp
  • [28:18] Valerie Wilson
  • [28:45] Sommelier
  • [29:02] VC (Venture Capital)
  • [29:28] Utility Infielder or Utility Outfielder
  • [29:36] What is Jake most proud of with the Fora tech
  • [30:38] GDS (Global Distribution System)
  • [31:18] API (Application Programming Interface)
  • [33:49] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Jake
  • [33:50] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • [34:32] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23

• Inspiration & Creativity: Work-Life Balance with 2 Startups & 3 Young Kids
  • [34:56] BERO
  • [35:09] How do you work in a startup when you have young children
  • [36:56] How do you stay present with your kids after a work day
  • [37:20] Apple Watch, Email
  • [38:12] ChatGPT, The Tickling Fantôme
  • [38:46] Slack
  • [39:45] How do you write bedtime stories with ChatGPT
  • [40:07] Reddit
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [40:18] Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC)
  • [41:48] Creature Comforts, Wallace & Gromit
  • [42:25] What’s Jake’s favorite perk as a traveler
  • [43:33] Dana & I’s Spain & Portugal Trip
  • [43:52] Chaise Lounge
  • [44:05] What’s the most difficult class Jake took at The Wharton School
  • [45:05] What’s his biggest pet peeve
  • [45:38] Mercedes-Benz Thunk
  • [47:45] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • [48:20] Costa Brava, Mallorca
  • [49:28] Connect with Jake at ForaTravel.com and on LinkedIn
  • [50:01] What are Jake’s Final Thoughts
  • [50:10] Servant Leadership
  • [50:48] Setting the Table by Danny Meyer, The Salt Shaker Theory of Leadership, The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
  • [52:00] Follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
  • [52:09] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Jake
  • [52:14] Check out the Wild Business Growth podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [52:15] Connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and Threads @MaxBranstetter and TikTok @WildBusinessGrowth
  • [52:16] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [52:19] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding and professional-looking podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Jake Peters on the Wild Business Growth podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about it. And travel via Fora with them. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur or innovator joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the crazy creative and unusual ways they grew their business, and provides tips for you to do it, too. Hear the woman who became the voice of Siri, the man who’s reinventing the sandcastle, how GaryVee’s partners are turning the wine world upside down, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

Episode 123: Katie Witkop – Founding Designer of Faire, Side Hustle Florist

Katie Witkop, the Founding Designer of Faire, joins the show to share her journey from packaging design to leading the design of the online wholesale marketplace. Hear what’s driven Faire’s growth, how to build a team from the ground up, construct a creative work environment, adjust your brand and site design over time, and the type of flower she can’t get enough of. This episode covers everything from building a startup to the oddly satisfying. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• Packaging Design vs. Website Design
• How did Katie start her career before joining Faire
• How do you hire the right employees
• What has led to Faire’s growth
• How did Katie’s job interview go
• What makes a creative office space
• Calm vs. Headspace
• What is the funniest product ever sold on Faire

Connect with Katie at Faire.com, on Instagram at @KatieWitkop, and on LinkedIn.

Enjoy the shooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Intro
  • [0:28] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com for help using your podcast as a business-building tool
  • [0:42] “ABC” by The Jackson 5
  • [0:51] Connect with Katie at Faire.com, on Instagram at @KatieWitkop, and on LinkedIn
  • [1:02] Faire valuation
  • [1:32] Faire
  • [2:05] How does designing physical products compare to designing websites
  • [2:20] Williams Sonoma, Packaging Designer
  • [2:37] SKUs (Stock Keeping Units)
  • [3:28] Punchcut
  • [3:35] Agency
  • [5:18] How did Katie’s early career experiences help her become a Founding Designer
  • [6:02] Trade Show Booths, NY NOW
  • [6:18] UX (User Experience), Credit Karma
  • [6:37] Faire is based in the Bay Area (couldn’t resist)
  • [6:58] What made Katie switch from packaging design to digital design
  • [7:58] iOS, Android
• The Faire Story & Being a Founding Designer
  • [8:41] How did Katie hear about Faire in the first place
  • [8:55] Print Design
  • [9:09] Square, Max Rhodes
  • [9:15] Yes, my name is also Max
  • [9:21] Y Combinator
  • [9:47] How did Katie’s other interview with Max go
  • [11:46] What was her first project at Faire
  • [12:08] Keynote Presentation, Wireframe
  • [12:41] Microsite, Nike
  • [13:22] Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
  • [13:39] How did Katie build the design for Faire’s portfolio while keeping it delightful
  • [14:26] Customers vs. Consumers
  • [15:17] What was a key learning early on that made Katie adjust the design
  • [16:48] Hero Image
  • [16:59] Makers, Brands
  • [17:58] Logotype
  • [18:52] Sales
  • [19:06] How has Katie adjusted the design as site traffic increased
  • [20:10] Sub-brands
  • [20:15] Customer Interviews, Retailer
  • [20:43] Commerce
  • [21:03] Tech (Technology)
  • [21:16] Apple
  • [22:35] How do you build a team from the ground up
  • [23:08] Design Team
  • [23:32] Recruiting, Head of Design
  • [24:13] Robin Bigio
  • [24:29] How does Faire’s hiring process today compare to the start
  • [25:00] Biz Ops (Business Operations), Data Scientists, Engineers
  • [25:48] How has Faire been able to achieve their growth
  • [26:13] Work Ethic
  • [27:08] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool

• Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
  • [27:50] What makes a creative work environment
  • [28:45] Mission, Brit Epperson, Interior Design
  • [30:41] HQ (Headquarters), Founder
  • [31:16] How do you create a successful and positive work environment
  • [32:18] What are Katie’s favorite hobbies
  • [32:42] Side Hustle Florist, Floral Design
  • [33:12] Marina of San Francisco
• Wild Business Shoutout of the Week
  • [35:15] Calm
  • [35:22] Instagram, Headspace
  • [35:38] Instagram Video Ads
  • [36:19] Pee-wee’s Playhouse (AHHHHHHHH!)
  • [36:24] Oddly Satisfying
  • [36:32] Did the ad make Katie switch from Calm to Headspace
  • [37:23] Marketing
• The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
  • [37:49] What is a quirk Katie has
  • [38:10] Katie’s Corgi Watson
  • [38:21] Co-Worker
  • [38:50] Email, Slack, iMessage
  • [39:19] Social Media, MaxPodcasting
  • [39:35] What weird talent does Katie have
  • [40:14] Photoshoots
  • [40:51] Stylist
  • [41:13] What is Katie’s biggest pet peeve
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [42:29] Transamerica Pyramid
  • [42:36] What is a photoshoot styling tip
  • [43:52] 2020 Dumpster Fire Ornament
  • [44:06] Garden Roses
  • [44:15] David Austin Roses
  • [45:01] Connect with Katie at Faire.com, on Instagram at @KatieWitkop, and on LinkedIn
  • [45:26] What are Katie’s final thoughts
  • [45:34] Buckminster Fuller
  • [45:51] Subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast
  • [46:02] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on GoodPods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [46:05] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn at @MaxBranstetter
  • [46:08] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – Jungle Tribe – provided by Jamendo

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but dreading the time commitment? I’ve got you covered. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Katie Witkop on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!