17 years, $1M to $250M. A seat at the top. One year ago, I chose to leave it all
By Jesse Eisenberg Streettalk · November 6, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
17 years, $1M to $250M. A seat at the top. One year ago, I chose to leave it all to start again from the bottom.
I had the title, the financial security, a team I loved, and responsibilities I knew by heart. I traded all of it for no salary. Just a bet on what StreetTalk could become.
I look back today thinking I must have been delusional because I expected to be where we are, yet I recognize our path has not been standard by any definition.
Here's what the bet actually looked like:
The validation came fast. In the early days I took almost every sales call because I wanted to understand our buyer. Brands smiled as I showed them our videos. They couldn't hide how interested they were. Many gave verbal commitments on the first call.
I was used to 2- to 3-month sales cycles. Within weeks I knew we had something.
The hardest part came from somewhere I never expected.
In a single week I went to the ER twice with anxiety attacks, which if you've ever had one, like me, you probably thought it was something more serious. I'd never had one in my life.
They didn't hit in the middle of a chaotic day. They hit at night after the work slowed down.
I didn't even feel stressed but I learned there was a level of pressure that lives underneath everything when you're the person ultimately accountable for it all. I'm a first-time CEO.
And then came the moments that made it worth it:
🎤 Creating a category: we coined AGC (Authentic Generated Content) because UGC had become scripted and our work isn't. We capture real conversations about products wherever they happen: on the street, at events, on podcasts, at gyms, inside retail stores, with customers, founders, and employees.
📺 Being featured on The TODAY Show as the company changing advertising.
📈 1 year in, 200+ clients, and a team I'd go to war with.
None of it happens without Josh Suggs ( Street interview Ads ) and Luke Thorburg, MBA, who built the foundation and believed in what we could become together. And every person at StreetTalk who is betting on us today.
If your gut has been telling you something for a while, like mine was, listen. Bet on yourself. I'll support you if I can.