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Inside the Speakeasy Podcast - Your Key to Hidden Strategies & Success Stories from Top Entrepreneurs

Welcome to Inside the Speakeasy—the entrepreneur podcast that hands you the keys to rooms most never get access to.

Hosted by Eric Berman, this show is for founders, startup builders, marketers, and empire-minded creators who are done with surface-level noise and ready to unlock the hidden strategies, pivotal success stories, and raw truths behind elite business growth.

This is your key to the real game—the unfiltered conversations happening behind closed doors, at mastermind retreats, in late-night deal rooms, and during the “what the hell do I do now?” breakdowns that never make it to LinkedIn.

You’ll hear from the scrappiest, boldest, most unreasonably driven entrepreneurs in the U.S.—the ones who are scaling to 7–8 figures, failing forward, innovating under pressure, and rewriting the rules of success while no one’s watching.

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Because let’s be honest:

You’re doing well.

You’re sharp.

But deep down… you know you’re still playing small.

So stop chasing comfort.

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This is Inside the Speakeasy.

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Inside the Speakeasy Podcast - Your Key to Hidden Strategies & Success Stories from Top Entrepreneurs

Hidden Power of Physical Products in a Digital World

July 15, 2025 • Speakeasy Mastermind • Season 1 • Episode 12

There’s something powerful that happens when you stop trying to reach everyone and start building for the right people. That’s what today’s conversation with Mark Stern is all about—how honing in on your niche and leading with value can completely shift your business. We’re talking about the Law of Reciprocity, how thoughtful experiences can spark real connection, and why making it easy for people to support you actually leads to more growth.

Mark Stern knows a thing or two about standing out in crowded spaces. He’s the Founder of Custom Box Agency, a top product experience agency out of Austin, TX, and his journey from Deloitte consultant to Forbes Next 1,000 entrepreneur is full of unexpected turns. Mark breaks down why physical products still matter (big time), how to define success through your customer’s lens, and what it really looks like to create loyalty that lasts.

We also go deeper into the personal shifts that fueled Mark’s growth, including a major health wake-up call that changed everything. If you're tired of surface-level strategies and ready for substance, you'll walk away from this episode with ideas to level up your client experience and take care of yourself along the way. Tune in and see how powerful your niche and your customer touchpoints can really be.

Key Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Introduction.

[00:02:55] Mark’s entrepreneurial journey.

[00:10:39] Bold career change decision.

[00:12:39] Entrepreneurial freedom and potential.

[00:13:52] Marrying the digital with physical products.

[00:19:16] The power of niching down.

[00:21:30] Customer lifecycle phases explained.

[00:24:38] Defining success in business.

[00:27:24] Box design as an experience.

[00:30:50] Engineering replayability in experiences.

[00:33:45] Identity shift in business.