For nearly three decades, Drew Griffin worked in healthcare as a hyperbaric wound care nurse, helping patients navigate some of life’s most difficult medical challenges. Along the way, he developed a deep appreciation for solving problems, improving outcomes, and helping people regain control of their lives.That mindset eventually led him somewhere unexpected. After recognizing how smartphones could help diabetic patients better manage their health, Drew taught himself software development and launched one of the early mobile apps focused on diabetic tracking. The app quickly gained traction, reaching tens of thousands of users and opening his eyes to the scale of impact technology could create.In this episode, Drew shares his journey from healthcare to entrepreneurship, the lessons learned from building software and marketing businesses, and how local newsletters became the foundation of a completely different approach to local marketing. He explains why owning an audience may be one of the most valuable assets a business can create and how newsletters are helping agencies build trust before they ever make a sales pitch. Along the way, he discusses building software, navigating industry shifts, embracing AI, and helping business owners create new opportunities through audience-first thinking.

Key Takeaways

• Why solving real problems is often the foundation of successful products and businesses.
• How a healthcare career unexpectedly prepared Drew for entrepreneurship.
• What he learned from building and selling an early mobile app.
• Why traditional agency sales became harder as local marketing became commoditized.
• How local newsletters create owned audiences that businesses can reach directly.
• Why building an audience first can completely change the sales conversation.