Ashwinn Krishnaswamy is the co-founder of Oklahoma Smokes, which produces a nicotine-free, tobacco-free cigarette substitute for smokers looking to quit. With no full-time employees and no paid media investment in its first year, he created Oklahoma Smokes to >$500k. He has extensive knowledge of starting and growing startups and consumer brands, and also runs an NYC based agency Forge, which works with viral consumer brands that have been rated as Oprah's #1 gift of the year and a snack food brand that has become a viral sensation. In this episode, we discuss the road to entrepreneurship, some of the blunders and traps you may fall into, and some of Ashwinn's lessons on how he applies them to businesses moving forward, including direct-to-consumer companies with certain business models. At the conclusion of the interview, Ashwinn has provided you some of the essential details to consider as you plan for starting a business and expanding it.