The SmallBizChat Podcast: Hit It and Quit It with Clarence Wooten and Susan Hull Walker

In this episode of The SmallBizChat, Melinda Emerson starts with an introduction, providing an overview of the podcast and encouraging subscriptions. Melinda then introduces the “Hit It and Quit It” segment, where she engages in a rapid-fire discussion about business favorites, including podcasts, apps, marketing tricks, and books.

Clarence Wooten is a serial entrepreneur, technology innovator, and CEO of Cofounder.AI, where he helps entrepreneurs transform ideas into investor-ready startups using artificial intelligence. A pioneer in digital media and venture creation, he has founded and scaled multiple successful technology companies throughout his career. Passionate about innovation, Clarence empowers founders to accelerate product development, validate business models, and build high-growth companies that create lasting economic impact. For more details, visit www.cofounder.ai.

Susan Hull Walker is the Founder of IBU Atelier, a global initiative that helps women-led artisan enterprises scale through product development, branding, operational mentorship, and international retail strategy. A longtime advocate for women entrepreneurs and heritage craftsmanship, Susan has dedicated her career to creating economic opportunities for artisan communities around the world. Through IBU Atelier, she is connecting traditional makers with global markets, proving that handcrafted, culturally rooted products can become thriving, sustainable businesses without sacrificing authenticity. For more information: https://ibumovement.org

Listen to the podcast below:

Podcasts Mentioned:

All In Podcast with Chamath, Jason, Sacks, and Friedberg
Poetry Unbound with Pádraig Ó Tuama
Hidden Brain by NPR

Apps Mentioned:

Old School Marketing Tips:

Build a landing page. If I want to build a business or a product, I build a landing page as if the product already exists. I put a price tag on it. And when a person clicks buy, I just get their first name, last name and email address and then tell them they’re on a wait list and then leverage that signal to know whether or not it is worth building.
Everything we do with marketing is really storytelling. Let people speak for themselves and speak about what they’re doing, telling the stories. Stories always sell.
Write a handwritten note to someone. We’re so email prone. If you send someone a note on personal stationery, that is something they are not throwing away. And there’s value in that.