Start UP Season 2, television docuseries highlighting the struggles and victories of entrepreneurs in 12 cities across the United States, returns to public television this month (locally check Detroit Public Television WTVS for listings). START UP provides an up close and personal look into today’s small business success stories. In each episode, creator and host Gary Bredow, director Raisa Chura and producer Jenny Feterovich continue to reveal the experiences of individuals who have taken ideas and nurtured them into established businesses in an uncertain economy.
The series has been distributed to more than 350 public television stations nationwide and is shown in over 92% of the country.
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“START UP demystifies the process of starting and running a small business in today’s economic landscape,” said Gary Bredow, Start Up creator and show host. “The business owners featured in our series embody the spirit of the American entrepreneur and we hope that they will inspire viewers who dream of taking a leap and starting their own business.
Each episode of START UP features a well-known business leader who provides insight into the triumphs and pitfalls of entrepreneurship. Among those featured in the second season of the series include Daymond John, CEO of FUBU and Shark Branding and TV Personality on ABC Shark Tank, Slava Rubin, founder/CEO of Indiegogo.com and Julie Smolyansky, president CEO of Lifeway Foods.
Among the entrepreneurs featured in the series is Steve Meckley, owner of a Michigan-based apple orchard and cider mill who has recently found success in the hard cider market. Meckley’s success was hard earned, spending countless hours working on the family farm from the age that he was able to work. Steve has always wanted to take the family business in a new direction, so after purchasing the farm from his parents at full market value, he started to create a brand that would reach far beyond the local apple cider market. “We see tons of opportunities, but we believe in small growth and being able to pay cash for every level of our expansion.” says Steve Meckley.
“You have to really believe in what your doing, but debt can kill a business and I always try to apply the valuable lessons I’ve learned from my past. If we want something, the whole family meets and we discuss it, and if the time is right, we take that next step.” Meckley added.
Steve’s award winning hard cider was offered a distribution agreement with the regional Budweiser distributor. They’re now seeing the Meckley’s name in stores all across the region.
In its second season, START UP features small business owners in Atlanta GA, Louisville KY, Cedar Rapids IO, Nashville TN, Birmingham AL, Asheville NC, Edwardsville IL, Somerset Center MI, Iowa City IO, Madison WI, Minneapolis MN and St. Louis, MO. “It’s estimated that 85 percent of new businesses fail,” says Bredow. “From America’s heartland to the deep south, we are seeing average American’s doing extraordinary things, and we’re excited to share their stories.”
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