How Kevin Surace Built 95 Patents with Decades of AI Experience
Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!
Release Date: 05/13/2026
How Bernard Huang Went From College Poker Winnings to a Mid-Seven-Figure SEO Company
Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!
In this episode of the Niche Pursuits Podcast, Jared Bauman sits down with entrepreneur Bernard Huang to discuss his incredible journey from making six figures playing online poker in college to building and exiting the SEO platform ClearScope. Bernard shares lessons from a failed restaurant franchise, seven years in Silicon Valley, and growing a bootstrapped SaaS business to mid-seven figures. The conversation also explores how AI is reshaping SEO, content creation, and software, including why Bernard believes today's internet economics are changing faster than ever. If you're interested in...
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How John Nanci Built a Business With 50% of Revenue Coming From Cocoa Beans
Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!
In this episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Jared Bauman talks with John Nanci, founder of Chocolate Alchemy, about turning a background in analytical chemistry into a leading bean-to-bar chocolate business. John shares the personal tragedy that led him to go full-time, why he avoided debt, and how offering free education built lasting customer trust. They also discuss scaling to multiple warehouses, simplifying product lines, and finding a niche where your expertise stands out. Whether you're starting a side hustle or growing a business, this episode offers practical insights for...
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How Jeff Price Built a $2M Concrete Business in 12 Months
Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!
In this episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Jared Bauman sits down with Jeff Price to discuss how he grew Texas Slab Guys into a concrete business with a $2 million annual revenue run rate in just 12 months after leaving a career in fintech. Jeff shares why he chose a "boring" business, the hiring lessons he learned early on, and the customer service strategies that fueled rapid growth. He also explains how AI tools, including custom quoting software and voice agents, help qualify leads, save time, and win projects without replacing the people doing the work. The interview shows how Jeff...
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How Chad Howard Built a $4.5 Million Porta Potty Business in Less Than Two Years
Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!
Chad Howard left a 10-year corporate career at Procter & Gamble to build Halftime Rentals, a porta-potty business now on pace to reach $4.5 million in annual revenue. In this episode, he shares how he raised money, went all in from day one, and used a major Hurricane Helene response to accelerate growth. We also talk about Google reviews, 24/7 emergency service, customer service, driver incentives, and why “boring” businesses can be so profitable. Chad’s story is packed with lessons on speed, risk, and how to build a serious service business fast. Sponsor:...
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How Nick Gray Turned a Side Hobby Into a $3M Exit
Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!
Nick Gray joins the Niche Pursuits Podcast to share how he turned casual museum tours for friends into Museum Hack, which led to a multi-million-dollar exit. He breaks down how charging for the tours changed the business, why hiring comedians and actors helped him scale, and how seller financing made the sale possible. Nick also talks about writing The 2-Hour Cocktail Party, spending $60,000 on self-publishing, and whether books still make sense in the age of AI. The conversation then shifts into personal websites, SEO, GEO, and why owning your name online may matter more than ever. ...
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How Ben Bozzay Turned His Own Problem Into a $20K/Month SaaS
Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!
In this episode, Jared talks with Ben Bozzay about how Tech Lockdown grew from a personal internet-use problem into a SaaS business doing $20K MRR. Ben shares how he went from free content on Medium, Reddit, and YouTube to paid guides, 300 early customers, and a full-time business after getting laid off. They also discuss the SEO strategy that brought in up to 70,000 monthly organic visitors, as well as how technical content helped him reach a highly specific audience. Ben also shares what’s next for Tech Lockdown and his second product, LivingRoom. Sponsor: Quiet LightGet a...
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How Brian Casel Used 20 Years of Experience to Build an AI-First Company
Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!
Brian Casel joins the Niche Pursuits Podcast to share how he built Builder Methods, an AI education business grown through YouTube, email, community, and AI agents. He breaks down his content process, including why 15 to 20-minute videos can take days to produce and how some AI-focused videos have reached 50K to 60K views. Brian also explains how Builder Methods Pro now includes 100+ training videos and a community of hundreds of builders. The episode wraps up by showing how business owners can use agents for repeatable tasks without needing deep coding experience. Sponsor: Quiet LightGet a...
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How Brian Winum Built 700+ Niche Sites from a Single Domain
Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!
Brian Winum returns to the Niche Pursuits Podcast to share his advanced SEO system for building authority across Google, AI platforms, and affiliate sites. He breaks down his WP multi-site strategy, including how a single domain can support 700 to 800 subdomains and help address indexing challenges. Brian also explains his use of LLMS.txt files, entity silos, tiered link building, EEAT signals, and AI automation. This is a packed interview for anyone interested in scaling content sites, improving AI visibility, and building stronger trust signals online. Sponsor: Quiet LightGet a free,...
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How Nina Clapperton Built a $150K/Month Content Business After Google HCU
Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!
Nina Clapperton returns to the Niche Pursuits podcast to share how she’s grown her content business after HCU by focusing less on traffic and more on community, funnels, and revenue. She breaks down how her SEO sales funnel strategy connects blog posts, email, Facebook groups, YouTube, affiliate offers, and products. Nina also shares eye-opening numbers, including multiple $100K months, a $150K month, and an older travel blog still earning $5K per month from affiliates. This episode is packed with ideas for content creators rethinking how blogging works today. Sponsor: Quiet...
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How Taegan Goddard Built a Paid News Subscription Business With Up to 5M Monthly Readers
Niche Pursuits Podcast: Find Your Next "Niche" Business Idea!
Taegan Goddard of Political Wire shares how he turned a site with 4-5 million monthly visitors into a more predictable subscription business. He explains why relying solely on programmatic ads can create revenue volatility and how his $80 annual membership helps smooth income. We also discuss bundling member benefits, such as exclusive analysis, ad-free access, a private podcast, newsletters, games, and community features. Taegan shares pricing lessons, churn-reduction ideas, and explains why publishers may be undercharging their most loyal audience. Sponsor: Quiet LightGet a free,...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Niche Pursuits podcast, Kevin Surace shares lessons from building companies across 30 industries, earning 95 patents, and working in AI since the 1990s. He explains how founders can spot problems people are willing to pay to solve, why timing matters, and what gives businesses lasting power today.
Kevin also explains why more than 5,000 AI companies have been funded while only a small fraction may succeed, and how creators and business owners can work in an AI-first way. The interview gives concrete examples of product-market fit, positioning, market timing, and the mistakes that stall promising startups today.
Sponsor: Quiet Light
Get a free, confidential valuation at https://quietlight.com/!
Links & Resources
Learn more about Kevin: https://www.kevinsurace.com/
Connect via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ksurace/
Follow @kevinsurace on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinsurace/
Follow him on X: https://x.com/kevinsurace
Visit @kevin_surace's posts on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevin_surace
Check out Kevin's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.surace/
Watch @kskoolstuff on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kskoolstuff
Get 'The Joy-Success Cycle' book: https://www.joysuccesscycle.com/
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