<![CDATA[The Cost]]>Everybody talks about what it takes to build a successful business. Fewer talk about what it costs.

The Cost is a podcast about the decisions, sacrifices, and tradeoffs that come with building and growing a business.

Through candid conversations with founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders, we explore the moments that shaped their businesses, the decisions they got right, the mistakes they learned from, and the personal price of pursuing success.

Because behind every growing business are choices that don't always show up on a balance sheet.

And sometimes the biggest question isn't how much you can grow. It's how much you're willing to give up to get there.

]]>https://clairionai.com/thecostRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Wed, 04 Nov 2026 10:58:15 GMTSat, 17 Oct 2026 21:18:13 GMT60Kristopher Blakeman<p>Everybody talks about what it takes to build a successful business. Fewer talk about what it costs.</p><p><i><em>The Cost</em></i> is a podcast about the decisions, sacrifices, and tradeoffs that come with building and growing a business.</p><p>Through candid conversations with founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders, we explore the moments that shaped their businesses, the decisions they got right, the mistakes they learned from, and the personal price of pursuing success.</p><p>Because behind every growing business are choices that don't always show up on a balance sheet.</p><p>And sometimes the biggest question isn't how much you can grow. It's how much you're willing to give up to get there.</p>episodicKristopher Blakemankristopher@clairionai.comno<![CDATA[Amit Gir: Building Phox Health Without Losing the Human Touch]]>What does growth cost when the service you provide has real consequences for the people relying on it?


Amit Gir, MD, co-founder and CEO of Phox Health, joins Kristopher Blakeman to discuss the move from medicine into entrepreneurship, early apps that did not work, and the lessons that shaped a healthcare logistics business.


They talk about the time lost chasing the wrong ideas, building with limited resources, pairing technology with personal service, and learning to hand off responsibility as a company grows.


Learn more about Phox Health: https://phoxhealth.com

Connect with Amit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitgir

The Cost: https://clairionai.com/thecost

]]>https://clairionai.com/thecost081fe38c-108b-481f-8761-a6d24481bcbdSun, 01 Nov 2026 20:38:10 GMT<p>What does growth cost when the service you provide has real consequences for the people relying on it?</p><p><br /></p><p>Amit Gir, MD, co-founder and CEO of Phox Health, joins Kristopher Blakeman to discuss the move from medicine into entrepreneurship, early apps that did not work, and the lessons that shaped a healthcare logistics business.</p><p><br /></p><p>They talk about the time lost chasing the wrong ideas, building with limited resources, pairing technology with personal service, and learning to hand off responsibility as a company grows.</p><p><br /></p><p>Learn more about Phox Health: <a href="https://phoxhealth.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://phoxhealth.com</a></p><p>Connect with Amit: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitgir" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitgir</a></p><p>The Cost: <a href="https://clairionai.com/thecost" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://clairionai.com/thecost</a></p>no00:42:35Amit Gir: Building Phox Health Without Losing the Human Touchfull<![CDATA[What Growth Really Costs | Clinton Felts, Peak Energy Partners]]>Growth brings more than a bigger workload. It brings payroll, benefits, hard hiring decisions, and responsibility for the people who depend on you.


Kristopher Blakeman sits down with Clinton Felts of Peak Energy Partners to talk about the costs of building a business: navigating an unconventional path into engineering, learning the realities of health insurance and cash flow, earning trust, and giving employees a real path to ownership.


The Cost explores what growth asks of the people who pursue it—and what changes along the way.


Guest: Clinton Felts, Peak Energy Partners

Website: https://peakenergypartners.com


The Cost: https://clairionai.com/thecost

Host: Kristopher Blakeman | Clairion AI


]]>https://clairionai.com/thecost8d7a320f-210f-4e3e-b280-392fe0f567b0Sun, 25 Oct 2026 22:22:47 GMT<p>Growth brings more than a bigger workload. It brings payroll, benefits, hard hiring decisions, and responsibility for the people who depend on you.</p><p><br /></p><p>Kristopher Blakeman sits down with Clinton Felts of Peak Energy Partners to talk about the costs of building a business: navigating an unconventional path into engineering, learning the realities of health insurance and cash flow, earning trust, and giving employees a real path to ownership.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Cost explores what growth asks of the people who pursue it—and what changes along the way.</p><p><br /></p><p>Guest: Clinton Felts, Peak Energy Partners</p><p>Website: <a href="https://peakenergypartners.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://peakenergypartners.com</a></p><p><br /></p><p>The Cost: <a href="https://clairionai.com/thecost" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://clairionai.com/thecost</a></p><p>Host: Kristopher Blakeman | Clairion AI</p><p><br /></p>no00:36:282What Growth Really Costs | Clinton Felts, Peak Energy Partnersfull<![CDATA[What Building a Business Really Costs | Antonio Rogers & Ashton Bruton]]>Building a business costs more than money. Kristopher Blakeman sits down with Antonio Rogers and Ashton Bruton of Smartending to talk about the time, setbacks, and personal tradeoffs behind turning an idea into a business.


They discuss building a mobile ordering platform for venues, selling to both businesses and customers, and balancing entrepreneurship with work and personal life.


The Cost explores what founders give up, what they learn, and why they keep going.


Connect with Antonio and Ashton

Antonio Rogers: antonio.rogers@smartending.com

Ashton Bruton: admin@smartending.com

Smartending: https://smartending.com

]]>https://clairionai.com/thecostfdc53608-a4ec-4493-b1bf-684702c17222Mon, 19 Oct 2026 01:14:56 GMT<p>Building a business costs more than money. Kristopher Blakeman sits down with Antonio Rogers and Ashton Bruton of Smartending to talk about the time, setbacks, and personal tradeoffs behind turning an idea into a business.</p><p><br /></p><p>They discuss building a mobile ordering platform for venues, selling to both businesses and customers, and balancing entrepreneurship with work and personal life.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Cost explores what founders give up, what they learn, and why they keep going.</p><p><br /></p><p>Connect with Antonio and Ashton</p><p>Antonio Rogers: <a href="mailto:antonio.rogers@smartending.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">antonio.rogers@smartending.com</a></p><p>Ashton Bruton: <a href="mailto:admin@smartending.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">admin@smartending.com</a></p><p>Smartending: <a href="https://smartending.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://smartending.com</a></p>no00:38:0611What Building a Business Really Costs | Antonio Rogers & Ashton Brutonfull