ABOUT THIS EPISODE
How To Make Your First Million Without Investors - James Thornton And Harry Sardinas
Most entrepreneurs chase funding too early—and that’s exactly why they fail.
James Thornton, Founder & CEO of Daz 3D and serial entrepreneur, has built companies that lasted by focusing on what matters before raising a single dollar.
The truth? Capital doesn't create great businesses. Solving real problems does.
🔹 Build the right team before you scale
🔹 Create demand before expanding supply
🔹 Build your reputation alongside your product
🔹 Celebrate small wins to sustain momentum
🔹 Pivot before the market forces you to
Success isn't about hype. It's about building something valuable enough to survive long after the excitement fades.
About the guest:
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Utah before moving to Chicago, where I led business divisions at Apogee Enterprises and helped develop innovative consumer electronics partnerships with companies such as Sony and Samsung. While in Chicago, I also completed my master’s degree at the University of Notre Dame.
About 15 years ago, I returned to Utah to serve as CEO of Cricut, where I helped grow the company from startup stage to nearly $1 billion in retail revenue over six years. Following Cricut’s acquisition by Bank of America, I became active in board leadership and angel investing, which eventually led me to join the board of Daz 3D.
00:00 – Introduction
02:00 – 5 Steps to Your First Million
04:00 – The Reality of Tech Startups
06:00 – Learning from Failure
08:00 – Becoming CEO of Daz 3D
10:00 – Surviving in Tech
12:00 – Working with Meta & Roblox
14:00 – Competing with Industry Giants
16:00 – Keeping Creators Loyal
18:00 – Business Growth Strategy
20:00 – Finding Your Niche
22:00 – AI & 3D Innovation
24:00 – Advice for Tech Founders
26:00 – Investors & AI
28:00 – Closing Thoughts
About The Host:
Get ready for Harry Sardinas Speaking, where inspiration meets action! He has spoken at the same events where world-class speakers such as Tony Robbins and Les Brown also spoke.
Harry Sardinas is a Business Growth Strategist, Empowerment, Public Speaking, and Leadership Coach based in London. Through Harry Sardinas Coaching, he inspires and empowers entrepreneurs, gold medalists, celebrities, investors, millionaires, and leaders to unlock their full potential, achieve business success, and make a lasting impact in their industries.
With 288,000+ followers and a mission to recognize entrepreneurs and connect visionary investors with business opportunities, Harry Sardinas Events, such as Speakers Are Leaders Awards and Entrepreneurs Are Leaders, empowers individuals to grow, lead, and create lasting improvements in their lives and businesses.
Harry Sardinas Workshops help companies transform their products into global brands both from the stage and in front of the camera through his signature program, Speakers Are Leaders, which has reached over 10,000 attendees on stages worldwide and more than 1 million people online.
🎙 Harry Sardinas Podcast Unstoppable features over 500 millionaires and entrepreneurs who share their journeys, challenges, and key lessons on how they have grown their businesses. We believe every founder has the potential to be wealthy, healthy, and happy. To join this empowering movement, book your spot here: https://www.harrysardinas.com/Podcast
👉 Explore events, speaking, branding, and marketing solutions for entrepreneurs and influencers here: https://linktr.ee/harrysardinas
📩 Whatsapp Harry Sardinas at +44 7775 596554 to collaborate. -
***********************************************************
Getting featured is free. 🎧 Listening is free. But creating this podcast takes time, energy, and resources. If you’d like to support Harry’s mission to inspire people worldwide, contribute here: https://support.harrysardinas.com/e/unstoppablepodcast
Your support keeps the Unstoppable Podcast alive and growing.
***********************************************************
IMPORTANT: Earnings and Legal Disclaimers
We don’t believe in get-rich-quick programs or guarantees of specific outcomes. We believe in hard work, adding value, and serving others, and our programs are designed to help you achieve those goals. As stated by law, we cannot and do not make any guarantees regarding your ability to achieve financial results, earn money, or improve your health using our ideas, information, programs, or strategies. Your success depends on your own efforts, skills, and circumstances, which are beyond our control.
We are here to support you by sharing our strategies to help you progress, but nothing on this page, any of our websites, videos, marketing materials, or in our emails constitutes a promise or guarantee of future earnings, financial outcomes, or health improvements. Any financial or health-related examples, estimates, projections, or past results referenced are for illustrative purposes only and reflect the views of the hosts and guests. They should not be considered as exact, actual, or assured results. If you have any questions, please contact us at hello@harrysardinas.com
"Unstoppable Podcast - Harry Sardinas," podcast brings you inspiring conversations with influential millionaires, angel investors, property investors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs who are making a massive difference in the world with their innovative products and services.
Most entrepreneurs chase funding too early—and that’s exactly why they fail.
James Thornton, Founder & CEO of Daz 3D and serial entrepreneur, has built companies that lasted by focusing on what matters before raising a single dollar.
The truth? Capital doesn't create great businesses. Solving real problems does.
🔹 Build the right team before you scale
🔹 Create demand before expanding supply
🔹 Build your reputation alongside your product
🔹 Celebrate small wins to sustain momentum
🔹 Pivot before the market forces you to
Success isn't about hype. It's about building something valuable enough to survive long after the excitement fades.
About the guest:
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Utah before moving to Chicago, where I led business divisions at Apogee Enterprises and helped develop innovative consumer electronics partnerships with companies such as Sony and Samsung. While in Chicago, I also completed my master’s degree at the University of Notre Dame.
About 15 years ago, I returned to Utah to serve as CEO of Cricut, where I helped grow the company from startup stage to nearly $1 billion in retail revenue over six years. Following Cricut’s acquisition by Bank of America, I became active in board leadership and angel investing, which eventually led me to join the board of Daz 3D.
00:00 – Introduction
02:00 – 5 Steps to Your First Million
04:00 – The Reality of Tech Startups
06:00 – Learning from Failure
08:00 – Becoming CEO of Daz 3D
10:00 – Surviving in Tech
12:00 – Working with Meta & Roblox
14:00 – Competing with Industry Giants
16:00 – Keeping Creators Loyal
18:00 – Business Growth Strategy
20:00 – Finding Your Niche
22:00 – AI & 3D Innovation
24:00 – Advice for Tech Founders
26:00 – Investors & AI
28:00 – Closing Thoughts
About The Host:
Get ready for Harry Sardinas Speaking, where inspiration meets action! He has spoken at the same events where world-class speakers such as Tony Robbins and Les Brown also spoke.
Harry Sardinas is a Business Growth Strategist, Empowerment, Public Speaking, and Leadership Coach based in London. Through Harry Sardinas Coaching, he inspires and empowers entrepreneurs, gold medalists, celebrities, investors, millionaires, and leaders to unlock their full potential, achieve business success, and make a lasting impact in their industries.
With 288,000+ followers and a mission to recognize entrepreneurs and connect visionary investors with business opportunities, Harry Sardinas Events, such as Speakers Are Leaders Awards and Entrepreneurs Are Leaders, empowers individuals to grow, lead, and create lasting improvements in their lives and businesses.
Harry Sardinas Workshops help companies transform their products into global brands both from the stage and in front of the camera through his signature program, Speakers Are Leaders, which has reached over 10,000 attendees on stages worldwide and more than 1 million people online.
🎙 Harry Sardinas Podcast Unstoppable features over 500 millionaires and entrepreneurs who share their journeys, challenges, and key lessons on how they have grown their businesses. We believe every founder has the potential to be wealthy, healthy, and happy. To join this empowering movement, book your spot here: https://www.harrysardinas.com/Podcast
👉 Explore events, speaking, branding, and marketing solutions for entrepreneurs and influencers here: https://linktr.ee/harrysardinas
📩 Whatsapp Harry Sardinas at +44 7775 596554 to collaborate. -
***********************************************************
Getting featured is free. 🎧 Listening is free. But creating this podcast takes time, energy, and resources. If you’d like to support Harry’s mission to inspire people worldwide, contribute here: https://support.harrysardinas.com/e/unstoppablepodcast
Your support keeps the Unstoppable Podcast alive and growing.
***********************************************************
IMPORTANT: Earnings and Legal Disclaimers
We don’t believe in get-rich-quick programs or guarantees of specific outcomes. We believe in hard work, adding value, and serving others, and our programs are designed to help you achieve those goals. As stated by law, we cannot and do not make any guarantees regarding your ability to achieve financial results, earn money, or improve your health using our ideas, information, programs, or strategies. Your success depends on your own efforts, skills, and circumstances, which are beyond our control.
We are here to support you by sharing our strategies to help you progress, but nothing on this page, any of our websites, videos, marketing materials, or in our emails constitutes a promise or guarantee of future earnings, financial outcomes, or health improvements. Any financial or health-related examples, estimates, projections, or past results referenced are for illustrative purposes only and reflect the views of the hosts and guests. They should not be considered as exact, actual, or assured results. If you have any questions, please contact us at hello@harrysardinas.com
"Unstoppable Podcast - Harry Sardinas," podcast brings you inspiring conversations with influential millionaires, angel investors, property investors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs who are making a massive difference in the world with their innovative products and services.
English
United States
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