# From Construction to Shark Tank: How a Paper Clip Became a Multi-Million Dollar Business

> For Immediate Release · Release No. 81. Episode 81 · 35 min · September 22, 2025 · Hosted by Ronnie Spellman.

DALLAS, TX — September 22, 2025 — In this episode of the Business Decoded podcast, guest Rick Hopper, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Readerest, shares his remarkable life and business story. The interview traces his journey from a career in construction and a battle with drug addiction to becoming a successful inventor and appearing on Shark Tank. Hopper emphasizes that his path was not linear, marked by both personal struggle and business failures, but was ultimately defined by a strong sense of purpose, self-discipline, and faith. He explains the origin of his magnetic eyeglass holder, Readerest, and details his strategic approach to market testing and pricing before pitching his product. Hopper’s story highlights the importance of resilience, learning from past experiences, and maintaining unwavering self-belief, ultimately leading to a successful business and a platform to help others.

## Listen to this story

- [Audio (MP3)](https://anchor.fm/s/f9c994c0/podcast/play/108066128/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-8-9%2F407183567-44100-2-a4791b3b952a6.mp3)
- [Full video interview on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id9VusIuKRw)

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## More releases

- [Newer release · No. 82 — The Owner vs. The Operator: Jonathan Marques' Blueprint for Building a Business That Works for You](https://businessdecodedpodcast.com/press/82-the-owner-vs-the-operator-jonathan-marques-blueprint-for/llms.txt)
- [Older release · No. 80 — The FoodiFy Formula: How a College Student Revolutionized Restaurant Marketing](https://businessdecodedpodcast.com/press/80-the-foodify-formula-how-a-college-student-revolutionized-restaurant/llms.txt)
- [Back to the Archive](https://businessdecodedpodcast.com/press/llms.txt)

## About Business Decoded

Business Decoded is a weekly interview podcast hosted by Ronnie Spellman and recorded in Dallas, Texas. Since May 2024 the show has published more than 130 episodes with founders, CEOs and operators — including the former CEO of Blockbuster and 7-Eleven, the CEO of the Dallas News Corporation, and the President of the Dallas Business Journal. Episodes are available on every major podcast platform.

- Name: Business Decoded Podcast
- Host: Ronnie Spellman
- Based in: Dallas, Texas
- Episodes: 145
- On air since: May 2024
- Cadence: Weekly
- Recorded in: Dallas, TX
- Listen: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-decoded/id1763740523), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Ildz9DtHaibIZ93SSe6Ci), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessDecodedPodcast), iHeart (https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-business-decoded-226671025/), Amazon Music (https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/57c19cd0-3bfc-4db8-811e-10a40da80458/business-decoded), RSS (https://anchor.fm/s/f9c994c0/podcast/rss)
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- Produced by: Andy Costa Films (https://www.andycostafilms.com)

Page: https://businessdecodedpodcast.com/press/81-from-construction-to-shark-tank-how-a-paper-clip

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