Podcasts about 25m

Your customer database might be worth more than you think.In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson sits down with Faraday founder Alex Coleman to break down how home service companies can turn the data they already collect into better marketing, smarter dispatching, and more replacement opportunities.They cover how Wilson uncovered millions of dollars in opportunities hidden inside old customer records, why equipment data becomes increasingly valuable as a contractor scales, and how back-office automation can tackle permits, warranties, rebates, and other processes that often fall through the cracks.John and Alex also dig into AI in the trades, where automation is actually useful, why AI still needs a human in the loop, and why contractors should think twice before building their own software instead of focusing on the core business.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━In This Episode━━━━━━━━━━━━━━• How old customer data can uncover millions in replacement opportunities• Why equipment age matters for marketing and dispatch• Turning service calls into long-term marketing assets• Using existing customer databases to drive more revenue• Automating permits, warranties, rebates, and back-office work• Why rebates can become a major source of missed profit• How data becomes more valuable as a home service company scales• Where AI is overpromised in the trades━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Connect━━━━━━━━━━━━━━John Wilsonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Alex Coleman / Faradayhttps://www.faraday.so/https://www.linkedin.com/company/faraday-ai/Owned and Operatedhttps://www.ownedandoperated.com/━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Sponsors━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Profit & GritRunning a $3M–$15M home service business? Profit & Grit helps contractors improve cash flow, pricing, forecasting, and profitability with guidance from an operator who's built and sold a $25M service business. Book your free 20-minute strategy call: https://www.profitandgrit.comSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

We're still surprised people did this but... 50+ founders worth $10M to $4B reveal their personal finances. Here it is: https://joinhampton.com/mw-wrWhy do we do this? Because if you're an aspirational person or someone who runs a business and is making money, it's incredibly challenging to figure out what to do. Information is impossible to find — and that's what we put together: the net worth reveal and why we do this podcast, Moneywise.He manages $1.5 billion for other people — and still tracks his own spending in a paper checkbook.Glenn Ullmann is a former Air Force pilot who left the military at 29 with a couple hundred thousand dollars, cold-called 200 strangers a day out of a Ponte Vedra phone book, and built Ullmann Wealth Partners into a $1.5 billion RIA that has never had a down year — including 2008. He stopped worrying about money somewhere north of $20 million. Now 63, he spends $30–40K a month, flies his own $1.25M Cirrus, gives more to charity than he can deduct, and still shows up to the office every day.This episode gets into the tension between saving and actually living: why Glenn tells clients with health issues to fly private before their kids do it with the inheritance, how a $10M portfolio pays you $300K a year in "rent" whether markets are up or down, and why he thinks stocks are a bad word. We also cover how he gave up 80% of his own firm to keep his partners, the paper ledger that runs his life, the client who started at $100 a month and now takes the best trips on earth, and why he'd tell a 20-year-old to study English or history instead of finance.Also, this podcast is made by Hampton, which is a community for founders doing on average $20 million a year in revenue. We saw a lot of these money conversations happening privately behind closed doors and we thought, "What the heck, let's make it public." If you are a founder, apply here: http://joinhampton.com/mwTimestamps:01:46 — Who Glenn is, what Ullmann Wealth Partners does, and why "returns don't matter if you rear-end Melinda Gates without an umbrella policy"04:16 — Growing up in his grandfather's plastics business, the Robin's-egg Cadillac, and the gold coin that says "your friendship means more to me than a pot of gold"06:26 — A Morgan Stanley account at 14, paper route money, and his first stock: Sears Roebuck07:44 — Nobody from his high school went to the military. He went to the Air Force Academy three days after graduation: "the best thing I ever did, other than marrying my spouse"11:50 — The Cirrus G7, the parachute that lowers the whole plane, and the button his wife can push if Glenn stops functioning mid-flight13:35 — From AWACS pilot to pharma rep to stockbroker: dialing 200 people a day, 10 conversations, one client17:45 — Net worth leaving the Air Force at 29 and the million-dollar goal on a piece of paper that "never happened"19:26 — The $2M–$20M client sweet spot, and why the firm has never contracted in 25 years — even 2007–200921:57 — Why he went from owning 100% of the firm to 20%: "How could they not have equity?"24:03 — The 11x17 "life map," and the client who was stabbed and left for dead in her New York apartment26:15 — HENRYs who save $10K a month and still need to be told to go enjoy the rest: "People get cancer. People die falling off a ledge."28:49 — "If you don't spend this money and fly first class, your kids will when you're dead"30:40 — The net worth where Glenn stopped worrying: "probably above 20"31:49 — Alimony, fun, and the pen-and-paper checkbook ledger a $1.5B wealth manager uses to track his Amex33:29 — The $1.25M four-seat plane, $40–50K a year to operate, and a $30–40K monthly burn before philanthropy35:10 — Giving appreciated stock and exceeding his deduction limit every year36:21 — Why he still goes to work at 63, the wingman system, three chronic illnesses, and "sometimes a founder needs to get out of the way"39:40 — The Melissa example: $100 a month in 1993 to the best trips on earth41:26 — Where to park $10M after a liquidity event: "you're going to collect around $300,000 a year in dividends and interest"42:55 — Not a real estate guy, the $100K driveway, and "I never invest in things that eat while I'm asleep"44:48 — 90% in global equity, and why "they're not stocks, they're companies"45:40 — Reframing an $80K private flight as a month and a half of portfolio income47:39 — What he'd tell a 20-year-old picking a major: English or historySponsors: Daily Body Coach - achieve your dream body with https://moneywise.dailybodycoach.comSubscribe to Moneywise: https://www.youtube.com/@themoneywisepodcastFollow Daniel on X: https://x.com/danielcberkListen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts: [search "Moneywise Hampton"]

The Daily Business and Finance Show - Tuesday, 25 August 2026 We get our business and finance news from Seeking Alpha and you should too! Subscribe to Seeking Alpha Premium for more in-depth market news and help support this podcast. Free for 14-days! Please click here for more info: Subscribe to Seeking Alpha Premium News Today's headlines: Nancy Pelosi discloses new buys of Intel, Bloom Energy How bullish is Cathie Wood about SpaceX? Amazon develops 'Tetromino' as it steps up warehouse automation Tesla raises Cybertruck prices by $5,000 in the U.S. 3 things to look out for on Tuesday AM Markets Need to Know: Canada tariffs, Alibaba buys, and more La Rosa Holdings regains Nasdaq listing rule compliance following 10-Q filing Bank of Montreal plans to repurchase up to 25M shares IPO watch: Oura, Dunkin' owner may go public in coming months Explanations from OpenAI ChatGPT API with proprietary prompts. This podcast provides information only and should not be construed as financial or business advice. This podcast is produced by Klassic Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Philadelphia Union remain unbeaten through interim head coach Ryan Richter's first six MLS games, as the Union and Austin played to a 1-1 draw at Q2 Stadium. Todd is joined by Evan Konigsberg to discuss the game and topics such as Neil Pierre's strong defensive performance, Ryan Richter's first six games in MLS, and Richter using the same starting XI against Austin that faced Inter Miami three days ago. Finally, Todd talks about the Blunder of the Week, which involves Crew Alexandra and Northampton Town. News: The Seattle Sounders have agreed to a deal to acquire star forward Dejan Joveljic from Sporting KC for $6M: [3:35] Sporting KC offered $25M for Nico Fernandez Mercau: [6:29] The San Jose Earthquakes agreed to a deal to acquire midfielder Eduard Löwen from St. Louis City: [13:00] Austin FC v Philadelphia Union: Cavan Sullivan's second goal / Andre Blake saves: [18:01] Ryan Richter goes with same XI as he did against Miami: [28:38] Bench options: [36:26] Ryan Richter through six MLS games: [44:35] Neil Pierre's strong performance: [53:07] Blunder of The Week: Crewe Alexandra's Josh March steals the ball coming from behind the Northampton goalkeeper to score the winner: [59:47]   Social Media: Twitter: @FreeKickPod Instagram: @FreeKickPod Facebook: @FreeKickPod YouTube: The Free Kick https://thefreekick.substack.com/   Jose's Social Media: Twitter: @JoserNunez91 https://nunezj.substack.com/   Evan's Social Media: Twitter: @evanknowsball https://philadelphiasoccernow.com/

In part one of Red Eye Radio with Gary McNamara and Eric Harley, a Seattle Times columnist resigns after the paper allegedly refused to run his 'Save Women's Sports' column. Matt Calkins says the rejected piece centered on two student athletes opposing transgender athletes in women's sports. Also NYC might subsidize local grocers losing business to Mamdani's city-owned stores / The New York Times loses a defamation suit, ordered to pay $9.25M to a former Alabama basketball player / and Gary returns to 'X' For more talk on the issues that matter to you, listen on radio stations across America Monday-Friday 12am-5am CT (1am-6am ET and 10pm-3am PT), download the RED EYE RADIO SHOW app, asking your smart speaker, or listening at RedEyeRadioShow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Home service businesses are getting more attention than ever. But are they really as good as they look?In this episode of Owned and Operated, John Wilson and Jack Carr talk about why HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and other home service businesses have become so popular; and why they're still incredibly hard to operate.They break down what makes home services attractive, the mistakes people make when buying into the trades, and where there's still opportunity as more buyers enter the space.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━In This Episode━━━━━━━━━━━━━━• Why more people are getting into the trades• What makes home services such an attractive business model• Why fragmentation creates so much opportunity• The reality of staffing, seasonality, and competition• Why running a home service business takes more than being smart• The biggest mistake people make when buying a home service company• The difference between buying a business and buying a job━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Connect━━━━━━━━━━━━━━John Wilsonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Jack Carrhttps://x.com/thehvacjackCatalyst https://www.ownedandoperated.com/catalyst━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Sponsors━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Quick StaffersHire trained HVAC and plumbing CSRs without the overhead of traditional hiring. Save $500 on your first placement with Quick Staffers: https://www.quickstaffers.com/ Profit & GritRunning a $3M–$15M home service business? Profit & Grit helps contractors improve cash flow, pricing, forecasting, and profitability with guidance from an operator who's built and sold a $25M service business. Book your free 20-minute strategy call: https://www.profitandgrit.comFieldPulseReady to ditch the whiteboard and spreadsheets? See how FieldPulse helps home service companies simplify scheduling, dispatching, invoicing, and more. Book a free demo: https://landing.fieldpulse.com/owned_and_operatedSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

Joshua Altman, founder of Beltway Media and former multimedia journalist at The Hill, joins Jeff Mains to unpack why "volume isn't a strategy" in PR and communications. Drawing on his experience seeing pitches from both the journalist's and strategist's side, Joshua explains why unsolicited press releases get ignored, how to target the right publications instead of chasing tier-one press, and why becoming "the signal, not the noise" matters more than shouting louder. The conversation dives deep into the fractional Chief Communications Officer (CCO) model, his Story-Narrative-Brand framework and Four Languages model (Read, See, Hear, Experience), how to measure something as intangible as trust, what makes a press release newsworthy, and how to build (and rehearse) a crisis communications plan before you ever need one.Key Takeaways4:41 — Unsolicited press releases have an open rate under 1%; solicited pitches (people who signed up for your list) get opened.5:20 — "Be the signal, not the noise": better targeting and relevance beat catchy subject lines.6:03 — Why front-page news is usually bad news, and why inside pages/push alerts are actually where you want to be.6:22 — Regional and trade publications (San Jose Business Journal, Austin Business Journal) often deliver better ROI than USA Today or the New York Times for 10–100 person, $2–25M companies.10:52 — Clients push back most on patience — results take 6+ months, not overnight.12:16 — The two things a fractional CCO focuses on: shaping perception and building/maintaining trust.13:14 — How to actually measure trust: ask "Would you refer us?" instead of "Do you trust us?", and analyze the tone of support complaints.14:58 — Buyers now need 30+ touchpoints to convert (up from the old 7–14), and most of those touchpoints get zero attribution credit.18:10 — What a CCO owns that a CMO doesn't: internal comms, investor relations, crisis comms — the "conductor" of the whole orchestra.27:05 — The Story-Narrative-Brand framework: story is what you tell friends at a bar, narrative connects the dots and gives the "why," brand is every touchpoint.28:52 — The Four Languages model: Read, See, Hear, Experience — and why founders should build all four from day one.31:26 — Why "Joe Smith is joining our board" isn't news, but "Elon Musk is joining our board" is — most founders overestimate what counts as newsworthy.35:00 — The ER wait-time app example: turning a feature ("we tell you wait times") into a story ("we've saved lives") by giving it a human frame.39:06 — Build your crisis communications plan like a fire drill — practice it quarterly, and always loop in lawyers and your insurance company from the start.42:02 — "It's not the crime, it's the cover-up" — say something fast, then use strategic silence only after your initial statement.45:40 — The question every founder should ask: "Are we building trust, or are we eroding it?"Tweetable Quotes"Be the signal, not the noise.""There's a reason they say, 'If it bleeds, it leads' — you don't want to be on the front page.""Every buying decision comes back to trust. No matter what business you're in, it comes back to trust.""It's not the crime, it's the cover-up.""Are we building trust? And follow that up with, are we eroding trust?""You could be putting out a lot of ads, but if you're spamming people, you're unintentionally eroding the trust you think you're building.""Story is what you tell your friends at the bar. Narrative connects the dots. Brand is every touchpoint people interact with."SaaS Leadership LessonsVolume isn't strategy. More press releases and louder shouting don't build trust — being worth paying attention to does.Target precision beats reach. A niche trade or regional publication read by your actual buyers often outperforms a national outlet.Measure trust indirectly. Use referral likelihood and complaint tone as proxies since trust can't be measured like an ad click.Build communications infrastructure early. Start with even 5 hours/month of fractional CCO support before you're at $3M+ revenue playing catch-up on your narrative.Every announcement needs a "why." A product update isn't news; connecting it to a larger story (industry trend, human impact) is what earns coverage.Plan your crisis response before you need it. Involve legal and insurance from day one, rehearse regularly, and always say something quickly rather than going silent.Guest ResourcesJoshua@beltway.mediabeltway.mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaialtman https://www.instagram.com/thecommschief/https://x.com/thecommschiefEpisode SponsorThe Futureproof Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfkXKUPZ5xuOqMPR7_gzGybncTtavyR1NThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/https://jeffmains.com/books/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmainsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/Instagram - https://instagram.com/jeffkmains

Send us Fan MailYou scaled past seven figures. The revenue is real. So is the exhaustion.In this episode, I sit down with Damiano Raveenthiran, founder of The Agency Business and an operator who built a 75-person, $8.4M agency, exited three companies, and now runs a portfolio of seven. He did what so many agency founders dream about: he removed himself from the center of his own business and turned it into an exit ready agency.Damiano shares the moment his son's health crisis forced him to step away, what he rebuilt on the other side, and the enterprise sales strategies that helped him close $25M in deals. He breaks down the shift from freelancer to CEO, the role AI automation plays in agency operations today, and why clarity on your purpose changes every decision you make.Connect with Damiano Raveenthiran: Website: theagency.business Instagram: @DamianoR YouTube: The Agency BusinessBooks Mentioned: Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb BlountI want to invite you to check out the Committed Mastermind, a community I help lead along with world-class leaders like JC and Karen Hite, Vinnie Fisher, and Jonathan Mast, plus incredible mentors like Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages, and many others.This is for entrepreneurs who want to build a thriving business without sacrificing their faith, their family, or their health.Check out the Committed Mastermind at https://committedmastermind.com/---- Check out Dr. William Attaway's new show, The Appreciation at Work Podcast!  Join Dr. William Attaway on the Catalytic Leadership podcast as he shares transformative insights to help high-performance entrepreneurs and agency owners achieve Clear-Minded Focus, Calm Control, and Confidence.Free 30-Minute Discovery Call:Ready to elevate your business? Book a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. William Attaway and start your journey to success.Connect with Dr. William Attaway:WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

This week: What should Liverpool FC fans expect from Jeff Bezos as a member of the storied club's new minority ownership group? We consult the Amazon leadership principles for the answer. Plus, a tip and an SEC filing lead to a scoop on a former Meta AI director's new startup, the GeekWire Editorial Board convenes to decide whether Dave Clark's Auger stays on the GeekWire 200 after moving its HQ to Dallas, and Microsoft quietly semi-retires its AI blob. Bezos and Liverpool FC Group including Jeff Bezos buys minority stake in Liverpool FC, with option to become controlling owner — CNBC Liverpool: FSG sell minority stake to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos-backed consortium led by Amit Bhatia — Sky Sports Bezos, Bhatia buy a stake in Liverpool: What does it mean for the club and FSG? — ESPN Bezos, Bhatia, Saverin buy Liverpool stake at $7 billion valuation — Sportico The Redmen TV — independent Liverpool FC fan channel Noosphere and the Form D Ex-Meta AI research director raises $10.25M from Trilogy and Madrona for stealth physical AI startup Kevin T. Carlberg — founder's research site Auger and the GeekWire 200 This former Amazon exec is moving his startup's HQ to Texas, and he has a few notes for Seattle Dave and Leigh Anne Clark move Auger headquarters to Dallas — D Magazine GeekWire 200 Seattle Engineering Centers New map traces Washington state's tech 'universe' to a few key hubs, and shows what's at risk 'We can't become callous': KIRO hosts debate what a startup's departure to Texas says about Seattle's business climate — MyNorthwest Microsoft and Mico Farewell, Mico: Microsoft's cute little AI blob is going the way of Bob Microsoft starts merging its Copilot consumer and business apps in advance of 'Super App' rollout With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Last Trade: BlackRock just cut the IBIT in-kind conversion minimum from $25M to $1M, and Jackson, Michael, and Brian ask whether the post-Cold Card rush out of self-custody and into the ETF is swapping one single point of failure for another. They break down the SEC and OCC moving on tokenized securities and a path for crypto firms to become banks as a Clarity Act plan B, Trump Media stacking real Bitcoin while divesting its other crypto, gold surging toward $4,500, and the wrench-attack reality that makes multi-institution custody matter.---

Building an apparel brand can feel like an uphill battle, especially when you're competing against industry giants with resources, data, and strategies you don't have access to. While many founders assume they're simply missing a piece of the puzzle, the reality is that the apparel industry is far more competitive than most entrepreneurs realize, and understanding how it really works can change everything. In this episode, I pull back the curtain on an eye-opening experience from my corporate career that completely changed the way I view the apparel industry. I share what happened during a leadership meeting at one of the world's biggest apparel companies, why emerging brands were seen as a threat despite holding only a tiny fraction of the market, and how that experience inspired me to dedicate my career to helping independent apparel founders succeed with the insider knowledge they've never been given.

London's better in a black cab. Get the https://blackcab.com app on Apple or Google Play. No surge pricing. Regulated fares. Professional drivers. Get 15% off your eSIM today—download the Saily app or visit https://saily.com/lwos and use code LWOS at checkout. With Tottenham set to have a very interesting season under Roberto De Zerbi, make sure you never miss an update with our brand new Substack. Download the Substack app for exclusive coverage of Last Word On Spurs: https://lastwordonspurs.substack.com/ Please also help grow our community and join us on Roundtable as we bring you all the latest Tottenham Hotspur news in written format over at: https://roundtable.io/sports/soccer/premier-league/tottenham On the latest episode of Last Word On Spurs, we discuss Micky van de Ven finally putting pen to paper on a new long-term contract and what his commitment means for the club moving forward. We then turn our attention to Djed Spence and the growing speculation surrounding a potential move to Inter Milan. Is a reported £25M fee simply absurd given Spence's performances at the World Cup, his development and the potential he still possesses? With Destiny Udogie continuing to have his own fitness concerns while also being linked with a move to AS Roma, would Spurs really be wise to allow Spence to leave? We also discuss Cristian Romero's expected departure to Atlético Madrid and how Tottenham are navigating the impending exit of their captain, before examining the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Lucas Bergvall, whose future remains up in the air as we enter the final weeks of the window. Finally, we assess Spurs' search for attacking reinforcements. Savinho and Cody Gakpo remain the club's primary targets, but with Manchester City and Liverpool unwilling to sanction their departures until permanent replacements are secured, Tottenham may need to explore alternative options. Despite fresh denials, we discuss whether Folarin Balogun could be a striker Spurs should seriously consider following reports linking the club with a potential move for the Arsenal forward. Independent Multi-Award Winning Tottenham Hotspur Fan Channel (Podcast) providing instant post-match analysis and previews to every single Spurs match along with a range of former players, managers & special guests. WEBSITE: www.lastwordonspurs.com #THFC #TOTTENHAM #SPURS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

She's the #1 AI trainer in the world. She's also, in my opinion, one of the best people leaders I've ever watched work.Nobody asks Callan about the second thing. This is that conversation — the call that had nothing to do with AI, the launch that broke live in front of 7,500 people, and what she did with her team in the 24 hours after.

Most people think of drones as toys. Alden Jones thinks of them as infrastructure. In this episode of The Product Podcast, Carlos (CEO at Product School) visits Skydio's California office to sit down with Alden Jones, VP of Product at Skydio, the autonomous drone company building "flying robots" for public safety, defense, and infrastructure inspection. With a history degree and a military background (he was a truck-driving officer running supply convoys in Iraq) rather than an engineering one, Alden explains how a vertically integrated company of nearly 1,000 people builds everything in house, from chip-level design to hardware, embedded software, and cloud, and why autonomy, not just flight, is the real product.He breaks down Skydio's "Drone as First Responder" (DFR) program, where a drone often reaches the scene before human officers, and the outcomes dashboard cities use to track response times. He compares the economics against police helicopters (roughly $3,000 an hour to operate and $10-25M to buy), walks through the defense and tactical ISR use cases shaped by the war in Ukraine, and explains how thousands of cheaper camera drones could democratize air support while saving lives. He covers physical security (where 90-95% of alarms turn out to be false), the work of earning FAA trust to unlock groundbreaking waivers, and why Skydio's $3.5B, five-year investment in US and allied supply chains is funded by revenue instead of debt. He also opens up the product org itself: roughly 20 product managers across the entire stack, "strike teams" that work like forward-deployed engineers, and a customer-first culture where PMs are expected to go watch the robot fly in the real world.What you'll learn:Why Skydio calls its products "flying robots," and the "toys to tools to infrastructure" thesisWhat full vertical integration looks like: chip-down design to cloud, all in houseHow "Drone as First Responder" changes 911 response, tracked in a live outcomes dashboardThe real economics of drones vs. police helicoptersHow the war in Ukraine reshaped Skydio's thinking on tactical ISR and democratizing air supportWhy 90-95% of physical security alarms are false, and how autonomous drones clear them at near-zero marginal costHow Skydio earns FAA trust to fly beyond visual line of sight and win first-mover waiversWhy a $3.5B, five-year US manufacturing commitment is funded by revenue, not debtHow one pilot flying multiple drones becomes possible only through real autonomyHow Skydio runs product with ~20 PMs, "strike teams," and a customer-first org designWhy shipping hardware plus software (the Tesla comparison) shapes a roughly two-year program cycleConnect with Alden Jones, VP of Product, Skydio:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldenljones/Host: Carlos, CEO at Product SchoolLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/villaumbrosia/About Skydio: Skydio is a US-based manufacturer of autonomous drones ("flying robots") for public safety, defense, security, and infrastructure inspection. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in California, the company is vertically integrated across hardware, autonomy software, and cloud.About the Product Podcast: Product School's podcast brings you candid conversations with the founders and product leaders shaping tech.Social Links:Find out more about Product School hereFollow our Podcast on TikTok hereFollow Product School on LinkedIn here

In this episode the hosts talk about a 30-year-old Maryland tent rental business generating over $1.25M in annual EBITDA, debating whether its remarkable stability outweighs the risks of seasonality, asset maintenance, and a premium asking price.Business Listing – https://www.bizbuysell.com/business-opportunity/special-events-tent-rental-company-highly-profitable/2526933/Welcome to Acquisitions Anonymous – the #1 podcast for small business M&A. Every week, we break down businesses for sale and talk about buying, operating, and growing them.Looking to build a professional website in minutes? Try Wix: https://wix.pxf.io/c/6898629/3115214/25616?trafcat=templateHubSpot is the backbone for how businesses scale without chaos. Try them out here: https://go.try-hubspot.com/OeG9VrSubscribe for more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@AcquisitionsAnonymousPodcast?sub_confirmation=1Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.acquanon.com/newsletter

In this episode the hosts talk about a 30-year-old Maryland tent rental business generating over $1.25M in annual EBITDA, debating whether its remarkable stability outweighs the risks of seasonality, asset maintenance, and a premium asking price.Business Listing – https://www.bizbuysell.com/business-opportunity/special-events-tent-rental-company-highly-profitable/2526933/Welcome to Acquisitions Anonymous – the #1 podcast for small business M&A. Every week, we break down businesses for sale and talk about buying, operating, and growing them.Looking to build a professional website in minutes? Try Wix: https://wix.pxf.io/c/6898629/3115214/25616?trafcat=templateHubSpot is the backbone for how businesses scale without chaos. Try them out here: https://go.try-hubspot.com/OeG9VrSubscribe for more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@AcquisitionsAnonymousPodcast?sub_confirmation=1Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.acquanon.com/newsletter

Podcast Episode Description "You are the leadership lid of your company. If you don't grow yourself, you will top out the growth of the company." Host Laurie Barkman sits down with Patrick Thean, co-founder of Rhythm Systems and author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Rhythm and The Journey to CEO Success. Patrick started his career at Oracle, founded Medicis — a supply chain software company — in 1991, grew it to $25 million in sales in seven years while making the Inc. 500 at #51, and sold it at 32 feeling not victorious, but lost. He then survived the dot-com bust, sold his stake in a second company he no longer felt passionate about, and eventually discovered his true calling: helping CEOs avoid being blindsided by the things that destroy companies not because of bad strategy — but because of poor execution. Patrick shares the lessons that only come from living through it: cash flow, burnout, identity crisis, accountability, self-awareness, and what it really takes to build a business that can thrive without you.   Key Insights Cash is oxygen — and revenue without collection is just a number. Patrick never missed payroll across all the companies he ran. The reason: he learned early that profit on paper means nothing if you haven't collected. Sales go up, profitability goes up, but if cash doesn't follow, the business dies. Cash is king — not revenue. A burnt-out founder CEO is not good for anyone. Patrick burned the candle at both ends and in the middle — and thought it was a badge of honor. It wasn't. He initially believed taking care of himself was selfish. The reframe: you are the leadership lid of your company. If you don't grow yourself, you cap the company's growth. Putting your oxygen mask on first isn't selfish — it's strategy. Most companies don't fail because of bad strategy. They fail because of poor execution. Strategy is fun — you can sit in a room and come up with ideas all day. The hard work hasn't started yet. Patrick's niece wanted to be an Olympian at 12. She made it — after a decade of consistent daily commitment. The gap between decision and getting it done is commitment. And most organizations can't close that gap. Accountability is about helping someone succeed — not punishing them for failing. Most leaders define accountability as consequences after the fact. Patrick reframes it: accountability starts at the beginning, helping the person understand what they need to do to succeed. If you're whacking someone on the head, it's already too late. Both parties must share the same philosophy — otherwise one sees coaching, the other sees micromanagement. The fish rots from the head — and that means you. When Patrick works with a struggling CEO, the first question he asks is: what part in this movie did you play? Not to assign blame — but to open the possibility that the leader is part of the problem. The leaders who grow the fastest are the ones willing to look in the mirror before they look at their team. Build a business that can run without you — before someone forces you to. Patrick's friend sold his company with one specific request: he didn't want to stay after the transaction closed. He got his wish — because he had trained a strong president who could run everything. The buyer didn't need him from day one. That's the goal. Build the machine, then make yourself optional.     Chapters: 00:04 Introduction of Patrick Thean 01:28 Patrick's Background — From Cornell to Oracle 02:01 Early Career Lessons at Oracle 02:56 Founding Medicis: Zero to $25M in 7 Years 03:22 Cash Is King — The Lesson Every Founder Learns Too Late 05:08 Selling Medicis at 32 — And What It Actually Felt Like 07:29 Burnout, Self-Care, and the Oxygen Mask Principle 10:18 Identity After the Exit — "I Don't Know If I Can Program Anymore" 12:53 The Dot-Com Company: Saving the Child You Don't Love 14:32 The Question That Changed Everything: What Do You LIKE To Do? 16:05 Why Transitions Are Hard Even When They're Positive 19:33 Execution vs. Strategy: Why Most Companies Fail 20:08 The Olympian Analogy — What Real Commitment Looks Like 23:09 Accountability: Helping People Succeed, Not Punishing Failure 25:27 The Fish Rots From the Head — And That Means You 25:53 What Part of the Movie Did You Play? 28:03 Do Most Leaders Have Self-Awareness? 29:22 Questions Every CEO Should Ask Themselves Regularly 32:41 The One Lesson for Founders Five Years From Transition 34:57 Patrick's Legacy: Helping Entrepreneurs Make Better Decisions 36:41 Books, Resources, and How to Connect with Patrick Thean   Is your business truly ready—and are you? Take the Succession Readiness Assessment to get a clear snapshot of where you stand and what to focus on next. https://btsherpa.com/succession P.S. Most owners don't realize where they stand until they're already in a transition. Take a few minutes now to understand your readiness—and give yourself more options later.   Connect with Laurie Barkman:  Website: https://lauriebarkman.me LinkedIn: in/lauriebarkman YouTube: @LaurieBarkman_BTSherpa   Connect with Patrick Thean: Website: http://rhythmsystems.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickthean Email: patrick@rhythmsystems.com    

Leaving the security of a steady paycheck to build your own apparel business is one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make. The uncertainty of replacing your income, finding clients, and giving up traditional benefits can feel overwhelming, but the freedom, flexibility, and opportunity to build a business on your own terms can make it one of the most rewarding decisions you'll ever make. In this episode, I sit down with two former colleagues and friends, Sarah White and Kayla Clarot, to talk about our journeys from the corporate apparel world into running our own businesses. We share the lessons we learned working in a high-pressure environment, how those experiences shaped our leadership styles, and why creating businesses rooted in collaboration, flexibility, and kindness has become our mission.

Discover how Justin Maxwell is redefining wealth planning for low to mid-market business owners ($1M–$25M revenue) through a fractional family office model. In this episode, Justin shares his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, his strategies for high-trust in-person client acquisition, and how he evaluates event opportunities. He also dives deep into the operational challenges of rapid scaling and how his team builds systems to prevent dropped client files. Ready to bring in a VA and get your schedule back? Pick a quick time on our schedule: https://bit.ly/4pRUaBg #WealthPlanning #FamilyOffice #ClientAcquisition #HighTrustSales #EventMarketing #B2BNetworking #BusinessScaling #BusinessOperations #SystemsAndProcesses #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship

Most construction owners think they have four exit options. Pass it to a kid. Sell to an employee. Sell to a competitor. Sell to private equity. The reality is harder. Private equity passes on most contractors. Competitors often aren't buying. That's why ESOPs are now the fastest-growing succession trend in construction. Kelly Finnell, CEO of EFS ESOP Consultants, has done 22 ESOPs for general and specialty contractors in recent years. In this episode, Kelly explains how the deal is actually structured, what the owner walks away with, and where most owners are wrong about "leaving money on the table." What you'll learn: Why construction is the fastest-growing industry for ESOPs in the country The three sources of capital that fund an ESOP: bank loan, seller note, excess cash How two contractors with $3M EBITDA sold for $25M to an ESOP after $12M offers from a strategic buyer Why an owner is not personally on the hook for the ESOP bank loan How to manage the repurchase obligation so it doesn't crush you in a down year The first two moves to make if you're 58 and seriously considering this path   Connect with Kelly Finnell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esopcoach/ Kelly's Website: www.execfin.com Kelly's Book, The ESOP Coach: https://www.amazon.com/ESOP-Coach-Ownership-Succession-Paperback/dp/B010CKUN9U National Center for Employee Ownership: https://www.nceo.org/ Free Succession Planning Guide: https://www.constructiongenius.com/free-succession-planning-guide

A 45-year mobile home park operator on why institutional funds won't touch his deal size, and why that's the edge.Summary:Ali Vahdat is an eighth-generation commercial real estate operator who has spent over 45 years buying, operating, and now exiting mobile home parks and manufactured housing communities, almost entirely across California. In this conversation, Ali explains the exact deal size where institutional capital stops looking and smaller operators can't scale, why the old rule that you have to start in residential before commercial doesn't hold up, and how a vertically integrated dealer arm turns vacant lots into a second profit center. He also walks through a live case study, a distressed 30-unit acquisition in Northern California, and a resident-ownership exit strategy he's testing that sells the land under the homes, not just the homes themselves.Key topics:Why big funds ignore the $5M to $25M deal range and how that becomes an advantageThe myth that you must start in residential before moving to commercialHow a vertically integrated dealer arm creates a second profit centerA live case study on a distressed 30-unit acquisition and its exit planThe "smell test" most operators skip before buyingWhy buying right, not selling right, decides 90 percent of the outcomeAbout the guest:Ali Vahdat is an eighth-generation commercial real estate operator with over 45 years of experience in mobile home parks and manufactured housing communities, currently running a fund through Rise360 Ventures.Links:

Home service marketing strategy isn't one-size-fits-all. In this Owned and Operated compilation, John Wilson sits down with Lisa Appleby and Ethan Wright of Service Scalers to break down the marketing systems, lead generation strategies, SEO, Google Ads, Local Services Ads, reviews, AI, and growth playbooks that help contractors scale from $1M to $10M+.Whether you own an HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, or other home service business, this episode explains where your next marketing dollar should go, how to generate higher-quality leads, improve conversion rates, and build a marketing engine that scales with your company.In This Episode The marketing roadmap from $1M to $10M in revenue  Where to invest your next marketing dollar  When to use Local Services Ads, PPC, SEO, and aggregators  Why speed-to-lead dramatically increases booked jobs  How online reviews impact rankings and revenue  The biggest marketing mistakes growing contractors make  How AI is changing SEO, Google Search, and digital marketing  The KPIs every contractor should actually be tracking ConnectJohn Wilson https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbwilson1/Lisa Appleby https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-appleby/?originalSubdomain=ukEthan Wright https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanwrighttx━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sponsors━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Comfort ConnectTurn one installation into years of repeat business with Comfort Connect. Give homeowners flexible payment options, stay connected after the job, and create new recurring revenue opportunities. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4wGXqSX YelpLooking for more qualified leads beyond Google? See how contractors are using Yelp to reach homeowners who are ready to book and diversify their lead generation. Learn more: https://business.yelp.com/campaign/ownedandoperated/ Profit & GritRunning a $3M–$15M home service business? Profit & Grit helps contractors improve cash flow, pricing, forecasting, and profitability with guidance from an operator who's built and sold a $25M service business. Book your free 20-minute strategy call: https://www.profitandgrit.comSend Us Mail!More Ways To Connect with O&OJohn's Podcast YouTube ChannelOwned and Operated Newsletter Bonus Videos From JohnLeave a ReviewJohn Wilson, CEO of Wilson CompaniesJack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

Wanna work with us? Schedule a call here: https://go.oncehub.com/bookacall In this episode of the Private Lenders Podcast, Chris Haddon sits down with Jason Seward, co-founder of 608B Capital, to break down exactly how he and his business partner, Bill, scaled their private lending portfolio from the ground up to more than $25 million in deployed capital. Jason shares the real story behind their growth—from leaving successful corporate careers and pivoting from real estate investing into private lending, to raising capital, building investor trust, creating efficient systems, and developing a reputation that keeps borrowers and investors coming back. In this episode, you'll learn: How Jason & Bill raised $25M+ in private capital Why raising capital was their biggest early challenge—and how they solved it The investor referral strategy that created a waiting list for new investments How exceptional customer service became their competitive advantage Why they're prioritizing profitable growth over rapid expansion Lessons learned from scaling a lending business, hiring the right team, and building operational systems How AI and automation are beginning to reshape the private lending industry Whether you're launching your first private lending business or looking to scale an established fund, this conversation is packed with actionable insights on capital raising, operations, borrower acquisition, and long-term business growth. ✅ Please like, subscribe, and share! ✅ Are you a new or experienced private lender or hard money lender? Join Jason Balin and Chris Haddon from Hard Money Bankers as they draw from their extensive experience running a successful hard money lending company since 2007. Tune in weekly with episodes related to all aspects of private lending. From discovering lucrative loan opportunities to securing private capital, effectively managing your loan portfolio, handling defaults, and much more, we've got you covered. ✔️ Tune in now and watch the full video podcast at www.privatelenderspodcast.com ✔️If you enjoyed this podcast we would appreciate a positive review... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-lenders-podcast/id1476153070 ✔️Make sure to check out the #1 Online Community For New and Experienced Private and Hard Money Lenders.. Create your account at www.hardmoneymastermind.com   FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL Get updates or reach out to Get updates on our Social Media Profiles! ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardmoneymastermind/ ✅ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardmoneymastermind  

Stepping into the role of CEO requires more than designing great products. It means shifting your mindset from working in your apparel brand to leading and growing it. Learning to delegate, trust your team, and focus on the bigger picture is what creates the foundation for long-term success. As I work to better understand the financial data behind my own business, build stronger leadership skills, and expand my team, I'm pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to transition from product designer to business owner. I explain why hiring before you feel ready, investing in expert guidance, and creating systems that empower your team can help you break through the growth ceiling that many apparel founders face.

Wall Street bemoeit zich met de toekomst van Bitcoin: BlackRock, Coinbase en Michael Saylor lanceren het Bitcoin Security Consortium om developers te sponsoren, met quantum computing als eerste focus — en dat roept bij bitcoiners herinneringen op aan de beruchte New York Agreement uit 2017. Verder eist de bearmarkt eindelijk zijn slachtoffers: faillissementen bij BitMEX, Poolin en Storj, en ontslagrondes van 30% bij Bybit en Gemini. Ook schuift de behandeling van de Clarity Act opnieuw door, terwijl de odds op invoering in 2026 dalen naar 25%. En na vijf jaar zonder rendement stellen we onszelf de eerlijke vraag: waarom zitten we eigenlijk nog in bitcoin?Probeer de eerste maand voor 5 euro (80% korting)Satoshi Radio wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door: Blockrise, Watson Law en onze hoofdsponsor Bitvavo.Timestamps(00:00:00) Welkom en Podcast Introductie(00:15:00) Waarom zitten we nog in bitcoin?(00:26:00) Bookmark van Peter: Bearmarkt leidt (eindelijk) tot faillissementen(00:00:00) Bookmark van Bart: Robinhood publiceert mooie kwartaalcijfers(00:35:30) Bookmark van Peter: Clarity Act - Wall Street steunt de invoering(00:46:50) Bookmark van Bart: MSTR Shenanigans(00:49:30) Bookmark van Bart: Bitcoin Security Consortium(01:08:00) Bookmark van Peter: Bitwise-rapport over de staking-economie(01:13:00) Bookmark van Peter: Morgan Stanley lanceert ETH en SOL ETF's (met staking ‘pass through')(01:24:00) Bookmark van Peter: Fed houdt de beleidsrente gelijk(01:31:30) Bookmark van Peter: Vat olie (Brent) weer ~90 dollarBookmarksBertBartMSTR ShenanigansWe repurchased 288,930 shares of $STRC for $25M at an average price of $86.52 per share.Strategy has increased its USD Reserve by $525 million, achieving 2.1 years of dividend coverage.The Bitcoin Security Consortium's first focus is quantum computing.Coinbase aankondigingSaylors AI Slop Essay: Ossify BitcoinRobinhood Posts Best Quarter Ever as Prediction Market and Robinhood Chain Take OffPeterBearmarkt leidt (eindelijk) tot faillissementenOntslagrondesClarity ActWall Street steunt de invoering van het wetsvoorstelZelfs de American Bankers Association is er wel over te sprekenMaar de behandeling ervan is weer doorgeschovenEr zijn Democraten die de wet wel willen……maar Cynthia Lummis weet het niet meerOndertussen dalen de odds richting de 25% (in 2026)Komt de verlossing via nieuwe ‘ethics'-tekst?SEC's Paul Atkins staat klaar om het gat te vullenBitwise-rapport over de staking-economie (65 pagina's)Duiding BitwiseWat inzichtenMorgan Stanley lanceert ETH en SOL ETF'smet 100% staking ‘pass through'Ironwood van Zcash is geactiveerdFed houdt de beleidsrente gelijkOfficiële beleidsverklaringPersconferentieOlieprijs is volatiel, en nog steeds ~40%+ hoger dan begin dit jaarVS en Iran stoppen niet met vechten (integendeel, Trump: “very hard”, “beating”)

Send us Fan MailFive family office investors and operators introduce themselves — a former Air Force pilot who built the US military's innovation arm, a second-gen family office focused on drone and security tech, a distressed real estate fund manager, a first-gen family office founder who invented a sleep supplement, and a 25-year PE managing partner. The intros lead directly into a live deal breakdown on distressed office space: a 200,000 sq ft Chicago building that traded at $25M bought for $2.5M, and a 390,000 sq ft downtown Chicago building that was a $160M deal acquired for $18.5M. The thesis: you don't need it to rebound 100%. Buying at these prices, 50% is more than enough.About Family Office ClubThe world's largest investor club in the family office space. 19 years. 300+ events. 16 million members. $1B+ in community transactions.

In this week's episode of the Coin Stories News Block powered exclusively by Ledn, we cover these major headlines related to Bitcoin, macroeconomics, and global finance: What the wave of Bitcoin company closures and bankruptcies tells us about where we are in the bear market 84% of Bitcoin is now held by long-term holders — the highest level ever recorded AI agents just paid each other in Bitcoin over Lightning for the first time BlackRock, Fidelity, and seven other institutions pledge $15M to protect Bitcoin from quantum threats — and critics are calling it "Big Bitcoin" Strategy repurchases $25M in STRC at $86.52 and boosts its cash reserve to $3.75 billion ---- The News Block is powered exclusively by Ledn – the global leader in Bitcoin-backed loans, issuing over $11 billion in loans since 2018, and they were the first to offer proof of reserves. With Ledn, you get custody loans, no credit checks, no monthly payments, and more. My followers get .25% off their first loan. Learn more at www.ledn.io/natalie  ---- Order Natalie's new book "Bitcoin is For Everyone," a simple introduction to Bitcoin and what's broken in our current financial system: https://amzn.to/3WzFzfU If you'd like to buy using Bitcoin, just head to https://shop.talkingbitcoin.com and pay in sats! ---- Read every story in the News Block with visuals and charts! Join our mailing list and subscribe to our free Bitcoin newsletter: https://thenewsblock.substack.com  —- References mentioned in the episode: BitMEX Ends Operations After 11 Years BitMart to Wind Down Its Exchange Satsuma Shareholders Approve Bitcoin Treasury Liquidation Smarter Web Company Sells Bitcoin to Repay Debt Poolin Files for Bankruptcy Poolin Files Chapter 11 and Sets $52 Million Floor Bid Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company Scraps Original SPAC Terms Jack Mallers Steps Down as Twenty One Capital CEO MARA Sells $1.5 Billion of Bitcoin Amid AI Shift Bitdeer Empties Its Bitcoin Treasury as Miners Pivot to AI Natalie Brunell Interviews MARA CEO Fred Thiel 84% of Bitcoin Is Held by Long-Term Holders Bitcoin Conviction Is at an All-Time High Lightning Labs Launches Wavelength Jensen Huang Explains Why Open AI Models Matter Mark Zuckerberg on Open Source and Preventing Centralization Elon Musk Says X's Code Will Be Open Source and Audited Jack Dorsey Announces Buzz Michael Levin Demonstrates Buzz and Wavelength Working Together Satoshi Nakamoto on the Root Problem With Conventional Currency Mike Schmidt Explains the Bitcoin Security Consortium Brian Armstrong on Preparing Bitcoin for Quantum Computing Official Bitcoin Security Consortium Announcement BlackRock, Coinbase and Strategy Join $15 Million Security Consortium Nine Firms Launch the Bitcoin Security Consortium Galaxy Launches the Bitcoin Quantum Readiness Initiative Strategy Overhauls Its Bitcoin Capital-Markets Metrics Strategy Announces Its New Bitcoin Capital-Markets Metrics ----  

Bringing investors into your apparel brand might seem like the fastest path to growth, but the wrong investment, or the wrong strategy, can put everything you've built at risk. In this episode we're breaking down why many apparel founders make costly mistakes after raising capital and explain how to use investment dollars strategically to build a stronger, more profitable business. We discuss why investing in education, hiring the right team, and testing products before scaling leads to better long-term results, while also exploring the dangers of chasing rapid growth and partnering with investors whose values don't align with your brand.

Wolfie has all the latest Nottingham Forest transfer news including Poku and Schlager!

We're still surprised people did this but... 50+ founders worth $10M to $4B reveal their personal finances. Here it is: https://joinhampton.com/mw-wrWhy do we do this? Because if you're an aspirational person or someone who runs a business and is making money, it's incredibly challenging to figure out what to do. Information is impossible to find — and that's what we put together: the net worth reveal and why we do this podcast, Moneywise.He got his first $5M check and expected to feel superhuman. The next day was one of the most disappointing of his life.Jesse Pujji walked away from a Goldman Sachs job where he made $500K at 25 — with a boss making $3M and a group head making $20M — to bootstrap an ad agency on $33K per partner and a stack of Amex cards. Ampush cracked the Facebook arbitrage before almost anyone: $100K in monthly revenue in June 2010 became $2M a month with $600K in EBITDA fourteen months later. He scaled it to half a billion in annual ad spend and 250 employees without raising a dollar, turned down $25M at 27, sold 20% to Red Ventures in 2015, and sold the whole thing to New Mountain Capital in 2022 for somewhere between $40M and $60M on a 35% stake. He never got the nine-figure number he made up in his head, and he says chasing it was the mistake.This episode gets into the exact allocation of a post-exit portfolio, why Jesse refuses to let his advisors put illiquid startup equity on his balance sheet, what $500K a year of "normal" spending actually buys, and why he asked his financial advisor how people possibly spend more than that. He's honest about the gap between the money he expected to change him and the money that didn't. And we spend real time on the part most founders avoid: three kids who never saw him grind, a Greenlight allowance split into thirds, a $63 JCPenney paycheck at 16 that taught him more than any of it, and the question of whether to leave them anything at all.Also, this podcast is made by Hampton, which is a community for founders doing on average $20 million a year in revenue. We saw a lot of these money conversations happening privately behind closed doors and we thought, "What the heck, let's make it public." If you are a founder, apply here: http://joinhampton.com/mwTimestamps:00:00 — Jesse's origin story: immigrant household in St. Louis, a snow shoveling business in middle school, and $33K each plus Amex cards to start Ampush02:00 — The Facebook arbitrage that changed everything: $100K/month in June 2010 to $2M in revenue and $600K in EBITDA fourteen months later02:49 — "Sandbox entrepreneurship" — Facebook cold-calls them: "Who the hell are you guys? You're one of our top 100 advertisers"04:24 — Why he left Goldman at 25 making $500K: "I would rather make half of my future expected earnings and do something I feel excited about"06:18 — The $25M offer two years in, why they said no, and the $3M dividend they took instead — $1M each, which bought his SF house07:30 — The made-up number that wrecked them: hoping for $150M, getting $60–75M offers, and turning down $190M in Marin stock09:24 — The Red Ventures deal and $5M after tax: "I thought I would get wings or superhuman strength... nothing changed"11:16 — 2022: selling to New Mountain and walking away without going with the deal13:12 — The exit number, on the record: a $40–60M range on a stake "a little bit more than a third"16:04 — The Zone of Genius framework, and why being a CEO sat in his zone of excellence — good at it, drained by it17:52 — Gateway X by the numbers19:06 — Whether the scarcity ever goes away: "nine days out of ten" became "one day out of ten," and the coach question he couldn't answer20:16 — The Deer Valley condo, and finally understanding why people buy vacation homes21:08 — Full portfolio breakdown and why he tells his advisors to mark his startup equity at zero23:24 — Annual spend 26:52 — The schedule that makes it work: Tuesdays and Thursdays he misses bedtime, Monday/Wednesday/Friday he doesn't, and he deletes Slack on vacation28:16 — The thing that keeps him up: "They've gotten all the fruits of the grind without actually observing the grind"29:23 — Greenlight, allowance equal to their age, and splitting it into thirds — spend, save, give30:19 — Running a Starbucks P&L with his 9-year-old daughter in the store32:30 — The four-bucket framework: spend it, give it to the government, give it to charity, or give it to your kids34:44 — A Schnucks family board member on generational wealth: "Money doesn't ruin kids. Lack of values does."35:36 — What Jesse wants said at his funeralSponsors: Daily Body Coach - achieve your dream body with https://moneywise.dailybodycoach.comSubscribe to Moneywise: https://www.youtube.com/@themoneywisepodcastFollow Daniel on X: https://x.com/danielcberkListen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts: [search "Moneywise Hampton"]

A 30-minute fix increased one company's revenue by $25M ARR. Hunter Harris has exited four companies and now helps Series A B2B SaaS startups fix the system problems slowing their engineering teams down. Hunter led product engineering at Silverpop, IBM, SalesLoft, Calendly, and Sendoso before founding Hunter Software Consulting. In this episode, he shares the through line of his entire career: most teams do not have a talent problem, they have a system problem and a strategy problem. He walks through the small changes that create disproportionate business impact, and how AI, done right, is unlocking hidden revenue. What We Cover: - Hunter's path from mowing lawns to exiting four companies - The one-line code change that increased revenue by $25M ARR in 30 minutes - The dashboard fix that catastrophically dropped churn and support tickets - Why simple Continuous Integration changes let one team release 1200% faster - Why slow engineering is riskier engineering, and how fast feedback loops fix it - The XY problem: why teams solve the wrong problem and miss the real one - Communication as the foundation of both code and leadership - Niceness versus kindness and how to have the hard conversations - Why AI scales off what you already have, good and bad - Fighting AI's verbosity bias and the vicious cycle that degrades output - Why you should think about tokens in terms of time, not cost - Building a library of AI skills and composing them into workflows - How a self-referencing loop cut Hunter's token costs by more than 99% Connect with Hunter Harris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhunterharris/ Website: huntersoftwareconsulting.com Podcast:  @BuildandBreakThroughPodcast   CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Hunter's background and the entrepreneurial streak 3:00 - Boy Scouts, Eagle Scout, and a foundational operating system 4:00 - Georgia Tech, the fiscal crisis, and a pivot to Japanese 5:30 - Teaching in South Korea and building for the Japanese government 8:00 - The crime tracking database that saved thousands of man hours 10:00 - Silverpop, Skunkworks, and the IBM acquisition 13:00 - Getting rocket-shipped through engineering roles 15:00 - SalesLoft: core values and the scalability of communication 16:00 - Calendly, commoditization, and seeing the writing on the wall 18:00 - Sendoso and the GDPR compliance sprint 20:30 - The self-service dashboard that crushed churn 22:00 - The one-line code change that added $25M in revenue 25:00 - Starting Hunter Software Consulting 26:00 - Why AI averages a 20% efficiency gain and how one client hit 1200% 27:00 - Why slow engineering is riskier and feedback loops are the key 30:00 - Who is your customer? Rethinking the definition 33:00 - What separates high-performing dev teams from stuck ones 36:00 - The high-horsepower, misaligned person problem 38:00 - Niceness versus kindness and the hard conversation 40:00 - Communication all the way down: from code to AI to leadership 42:00 - The misuses of AI and avoiding AI slop 44:30 - Verbosity bias and the vicious cycle that degrades AI output 47:00 - Tokens as time, not cost, and the Eisenhower matrix 49:30 - Test: just start using AI and get the reps 51:00 - Optimize: teaching your agent to build skills 55:00 - Scale: composing skills into workflows and self-improving loops 58:00 - Cutting token costs by more than 99% 1:00:00 - Where to find Hunter and the Build and Break Through podcast

Many apparel founders believe growing revenue is the key to building a successful brand, but revenue alone won't keep your business alive. Without healthy profit margins, even brands generating millions of dollars in sales can struggle with cash flow, inventory purchases, hiring, and long-term growth. In this episode of the Business of Apparel podcast, Rachel explains why profitability, not revenue, is the most important metric every apparel founder should be tracking. She shares real examples of brands that looked successful on paper but ultimately failed because they ignored their margins, along with practical guidance for calculating profitability, understanding company-wide weighted margins, and making smarter inventory and pricing decisions. Rachel also discusses how experienced mentorship and the right financial systems can help founders avoid expensive mistakes and build brands that are positioned for sustainable, long-term success.

Most nonprofits start with the tools. The better question is, what's the scalable opportunity technology can solve so your team can stay focused on the human interactions that matter most?With 1 in 2 people impacted by cancer in their lifetime, Mike Osborne and his team at Cancer Council Victoria are applying that thinking to one of their biggest pressure points: freeing up counselors from digging through systems so they can stay present and support more people in less time.Mike also reveals research-backed hot takes on AI-generated search summaries, and why teens are more likely to open up to a chatbot than talk to an adult.Resources & LinksConnect with Mike on LinkedIn and learn more about Cancer Council Victoria on their website. Bloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. See how one team surpassed a $1M match and raised $2.25M for their mission with Penny, Bloomerang's AI-powered fundraising strategist. Learn more at bloomerang.com.The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Antoine Pouppez co-founded neuroClues six years ago. Today it's raised over £25M and employs 40+ people across Belgium and France, building MedTech that treats neurological disorders through eye tracking.His approach from day one: if it's core to the product, you build it yourself, no matter how much longer or more expensive that is. James and Antoine get into why that decision holds up outside MedTech too, how he kept investors on side through a year long delay, and the one question that decides what's worth doing properly versus what can wait.More from James:Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com 

Yesterday a reporter at the All Star festivities called Paul Skenes a ‘future Yankee.' As annoying as it is – is it true? Does it anger you to hear people doing this? If Skenes costs 500+ million bucks, is it worth it for the Pirates to make that deal? What if a salary cap is instituted? The Penguins have agreed to terms with Nicholas Robertson after trading for his rights 2 weeks ago. The deal with Robertson is 2 years for $3.25M/year. His brother, Jason Robertson, is still with the Stars, but continues to be part of major trade rumors. What is the price looking like to acquire the 45-goal scorer? Afternoon radio host on 670 The Score in Chicago Matt Spiegel joined the show. Matt was able to tell us about Jacob Gonzalez, one of the newest Pirates. Gonzalez was acquired by the Pirates on Friday night in a deal with the White Sox. Matt said Gonzalez started to catch his stride in the minors, but was bumpy when he got called up to the bigs. The White Sox asked him to play 1B, which he played none of in the minors. Matt thinks the Sox may regret parting ways with Gonzalez if they have an injury or two in the second half. Matt thought Gonzalez actually made it difficult for the White Sox to take him out of the lineup even after a rocky start. Matt explained why the trade was made from the White Sox perspective, but he thinks Ben Cherington may find something here.

In this episode, the discussion focuses on a 54-year-old performance exhaust manufacturing business and the creative SBA financing structures, inventory risks, and seller financing strategies that could make—or break—the deal.Business Listing – https://www.sunbeltnetwork.com/sacramento-ca/buy-a-business/listings/listing-details/northern-california-exhaust-component-manufacturer-sc2139-53520/Welcome to Acquisitions Anonymous – the #1 podcast for small business M&A. Every week, we break down businesses for sale and talk about buying, operating, and growing them.Looking to build a professional website in minutes? Try Wix: https://wix.pxf.io/c/6898629/3115214/25616?trafcat=templateHubSpot is the backbone for how businesses scale without chaos. Try them out here: https://go.try-hubspot.com/OeG9VrSubscribe for more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@AcquisitionsAnonymousPodcast?sub_confirmation=1Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.acquanon.com/newsletter

For years, we've been searching for a better way to help Apparel Ffounders bridge the gap between learning industry concepts and actually applying them inside their businesses.   That's exactly why we're launching Boardroom Notes, a brand-new weekly Substack newsletter designed to help founders take the lessons from the Business of Apparel podcast and turn them into practical action.   In addition to Boardroom Notes, you can also subscribe to In the Margins with Rachel Erickson, a behind-the-scenes newsletter documenting the journey of writing and releasing my first book, The Business of Apparel. Whether you're trying to improve your margins, make smarter business decisions, or get an inside look at the ideas shaping my upcoming book, you'll want to join us over on Substack at https://businessofapparel.substack.com  

When apparel founders fail to create a profitable business, it's not because they lack talent or great product ideas. They struggle because they're forced to navigate a highly technical industry through expensive trial and error, often making costly mistakes that could have been avoided with the right guidance. In this episode of the Business of Apparel podcast, Rachel shares the common challenges she's seeing apparel founders face and explains why learning the industry as you go can put your business at risk. Through real client stories, she breaks down how poor product development processes, weak financial planning, inaccurate pricing, and unclear production documentation can quickly lead to cash flow problems, wasted inventory, and even business closure. Rachel also explains why building strong operational systems early, tracking profitability instead of just revenue, and seeking expert support can dramatically reduce risk and help founders build profitable, sustainable brands.

Most founders end up as their own default CFO, buried in spreadsheets, cash flow, and pricing decisions. In this episode of Growth Think Tank, Gene Hammett talks with Brennan de Raad, founder of Vessel Advisors (No. 2,665 on the Inc. 5000). We explore the key signs that it's time to bring in strategic financial leadership, especially as your business grows beyond $5 million in revenue and the founder is still managing the finances. Gene sits down with Brennan De Raad of Vessel Advisors to discuss how fractional CFOs, controllers, and back-office accounting teams help businesses gain financial clarity, improve cash flow visibility, and make better decisions with actionable reporting. We also dive into how AI is transforming recurring finance tasks, the importance of tracking leading indicators alongside traditional financial metrics, and why weekly revenue, cash flow forecasts, and sales activity deserve closer attention. The conversation wraps up with a practical discussion on pricing strategy and gross margin, two of the most overlooked drivers of sustainable growth and profitability. Episode Highlights & Time Stamps 0:03 Fractional CFO Basics 4:23 AI in Finance 7:19 When to Hire a CFO 15:03 Tracking the Right Numbers 19:47 Pricing and Margin Blind Spots 24:32 Final CFO Takeaways Key Takeaways The $5M threshold: Once a business crosses roughly $5M in revenue, it's usually strong enough to benefit from a fractional CFO but not yet large enough to justify a $250K–$600K full-time hire.  Warning signs it's time to hire: Financial reports stop making sense, revenue grows but cash stays tight, or the founder feels lost in a finance world they no longer fully understand.  AI is reshaping finance functions: Platforms like QuickBooks, NetSuite, and Sage are building in native AI agents, while tools like Claude are cutting cash-flow forecasting projects from hours down to a fast, natural-language process.  Fractional works at scale too: Vessel Advisors now supports companies north of $100M on a fractional basis, a shift from a decade ago when a $25M company "had to" have a full-time CFO.  Track leading indicators, not just lagging ones: Trailing 4–6 week revenue, a 13-week rolling cash forecast, and sales activity metrics (like meetings booked) give founders earlier warning signs than a monthly P&L.  The #1 hidden problem: Most companies haven't audited their actual pricing and gross margins in years; the deal they thought was a 35% margin project might really be closer to 4–12%.  Time is the real cost: Founders who stay in spreadsheets they should have delegated aren't just losing hours; they're losing the deals, meetings, and strategic moves that would have grown the business faster. Pricing increases rarely cost you customers: One example shared: a 9% average price increase across the board resulted in customer gratitude, not attrition, once the founder finally acted. This episode is a must-listen for CEOs and executives looking to lead innovation with purpose, scale responsibly with AI, and build cultures where people feel empowered to think boldly and grow. Connect With Today's Guest Brennan De Raad is the Founder & CEO of Vessel Advisors. Vessel Advisors provides Fractional CFO, Controller, and Back-Office Accounting services for growing businesses, helping founders gain financial clarity, improve cash flow, and scale with confidence. How to Connect with Brennan De Raad: LinkedIn: Brennan De Raad https://www.linkedin.com/in/brennanderaad/ Company Website: Vessel Advisors https://vesseladvisors.com/ – to learn more about his work and platform

Way too much of our human capacity is spent on tasks that DON'T require human empathy. That's how Tim Bachta from Children International is thinking about growth as his team works to expand from 220,000 to 275,000 children served.Tim shares how his team is using Microsoft Copilot to eliminate the manual work that's been slowing them down (like letter translation processes that once took months, to systems running in DAYS!) so their staff can focus on building relationships and supporting families.This episode is a powerful look at what happens when you stop asking, “how can we use AI?!” and start asking where your team's time is being wasted and who your champions are to help drive change.Resources & LinksConnect with Tim on LinkedIn and learn more about Children International on their website. Bloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. See how one team surpassed a $1M match and raised $2.25M for their mission with Penny, Bloomerang's AI-powered fundraising strategist. Learn more at bloomerang.com.The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

When James Reinhart walked into a Cambridge consignment store with a bag of business school clothes in 2008 – a J.Crew cashmere sweater, a Brooks Brothers coat – and was told they had no resale value, he didn't accept the answer. "I can't believe this cashmere sweater is worth zero," Reinhart tells Ken. That moment became Thredup. Sixteen years later, the company he co-founded as a broke ex-teacher earning $24K a year is a public marketplace approaching $400M in annual revenue, with 25M+ items sold this year across 35,000 brands.In this episode of The Retail Pilot, Ken sits down with James Reinhart – Co-Founder and CEO of Thredup – to unpack how a former 8th grade teacher built one of the most operationally complex companies in fashion. They explore the founding story, the "Netflix of shirts" pitch, the unit economics driving 80% gross margins, the Resale-as-a-Service partnerships with J.Crew, Athleta, Steve Madden, and Cotopaxi, the peer-to-peer launch competing with Poshmark and Depop, and the 4-day work week that became permanent.In this episode you'll learn:How a Cambridge consignment rejection and a J.Crew cashmere sweater became the genesis of ThredupWhy the first year ran on $70K with 7 employees – and why Boston VCs passed before Silicon Valley said yesThe "Netflix of shirts" original pitch – and why it was a "terrible business" that taught them everythingHow Thredup hit ~$400M in annual revenue and a 25% YoY increase in active buyersThe KPIs James actually tracks: contribution margins, LTV to CAC, and units per hour throughputThe supply-side strategy: why dominating sellers is the playbook (and what Airbnb, OpenTable, and Spotify taught him)Resale-as-a-Service: how J.Crew, Athleta, Steve Madden, and Cotopaxi power resale with ThredupThe direct listings launch: how Thredup is competing with Poshmark and DepopInside Thredup's distribution centers: hundreds of thousands of items processed daily, 1M+ photos a dayThe Dallas warehouse: 4 football fields, 4 stories high, 10M items, $600–700M in throughputHow AI is powering search, discovery, and Pinterest-board-to-shop curationThe 4-day work week experiment that never ended – and the sabbatical and maker day policies before itWhy Thredup went public – and why James thinks it made the company "so much better"This episode is for you if: you're a founder building operational moats, a retail operator exploring Resale-as-a-Service, an investor tracking unit economics, a brand leader weighing circularity, or an HR leader curious about the 4-day work week.Subscribe to The Retail Pilot for more conversations with retail leaders shaping the future of commerce.If you missed our last episode, where Denise Incandela unpacks Walmart's fashion transformation, be sure to tune in.Connect with Ken:-Follow Ken Pilot Ventures on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What does the latest recurring giving data actually tell us? In this special State of Recurring Giving episode, three leaders from CharityEngine, GivingTuesday Data Commons, and World Central Kitchen are joining me to unpack the latest recurring giving benchmarks AND one of the most compelling monthly giving case studies of the year.Together, we're exploring the trends shaping recurring giving today, why monthly donors generate nearly 3x the annual value of one-time donors, and how World Central Kitchen turned 2,800 new monthly donors into an estimated $6 million in lifetime value with their Kitchen Core monthly giving program.Resources & LinksA special thank you to CharityEngine for making this quarter's State of Recurring Giving webinar possible. Bloomerang is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. See how one team surpassed a $1M match and raised $2.25M for their mission with Penny, Bloomerang's AI-powered fundraising strategist. Learn more at bloomerang.com.The Monthly Giving Builder: Generate your comprehensive monthly giving plan and build your program step by step - with a guided companion working alongside you from start to finish. Let's Connect!Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Serin Silva is an intuitive strategic advisor and executive coach who helps powerhouse women move from stuck to strategic growth. After two decades leading transformation as a VP at Fortune 500 companies, including taking Williams-Sonoma to half a billion in sales and launching Hearst Corporation's first digital division, Serin now guides CEOs and executives to make clear, confident, and energetically aligned decisions in the moments that matter most. Her work blends sharp business strategy with intuitive insight, a rare combination that's helped clients scale from $10M to $25M, land CEO roles, and transform from self-doubt to self-belief. Serin helps high-achieving women recalibrate how they lead, turning overwhelm into clarity and performance into purpose. Her clients include leaders from Apple, Patreon, Airbnb, Genentech, UCLA, and Microsoft.  

What separates investors who scale from those who stay stuck? In this episode of the Abundance Mindset Podcast (Abundance Thursdays), Vinney Chopra and co-host Gualter Amarelo break down one wealth-building principle that's behind every deal Vinney has ever closed: accept what can't be changed — then create an advantage.   Vinney walks through the real numbers on his Columbus, Ohio hotel: bought for around $11M, undergoing a $25M renovation, converting from a Hilton into a full-service Marriott, and expanding from 195 doors to 230 keys — with a projected exit near $70M. You'll also hear how he turned 1,000 unused lockers into revenue-producing meeting rooms, refinanced his way out of a variable-rate apartment deal in Knoxville, and survived the COVID gut-punch when occupancy on a brand-new hotel fell from 87.5% to 25% overnight.   If you're a real estate investor, capital raiser, or aspiring syndicator trying to build wealth in a high interest rate environment, this conversation is a masterclass in solution-focused thinking. As Vinney says: whenever there's a big wall, there's always a window somewhere — you've got to find the window.   ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – "There's Always a Window": The Mindset Behind Every Deal 00:35 – The Columbus Hotel: A $25M Renovation Into a Full-Service Marriott 01:20 – Accept What Can't Be Changed → 195 Doors Become 230 Keys 02:15 – Estimating a $70M Exit (+ Accredited Investor Disclaimer) 03:00 – What a 506(c) Offering Actually Means for You 03:40 – 1,000 Lockers Into Meeting Rooms: Finding Hidden Revenue 04:25 – The Knoxville Apartment & the Variable-Rate Problem 05:00 – Refinancing the Wall Into a Window 06:00 – Why a HIGH Interest Rate Market Works in Your Favor 07:50 – The Hilton-to-Marriott Flag Change & Marriott "War Rooms" 08:40 – Control the Controllables 09:10 – The Banker Call That Saved $60K Now + $60K Every Year 11:00 – The Exit Plan: Sell, Go Passive, Manage the Managers 13:50 – Hospitality Roars Back + the New Tampa Acquisition 15:00 – Finding an Operator Who Isn't Stretched Too Thin 16:00 – No Capital or No Experience? Partner & Create an Advantage 18:30 – The COVID Gut-Punch: A Hotel Bought December 31, 2019 19:20 – From 25% Occupancy to a $6M → $12M Win 20:30 – Build a Mind That Hunts for Solutions 21:20 – FREE Books & Resources (the "Keep More" Tax Guide) 23:00 – Vinney's Closing Message  

Matt Arsenault, VP of Corporate Development & Strategic Alliances at Jamf Venture-backed companies are priced at their future state, not their current revenue. When growth stalls and another fundraising round stops making sense, the gap between VC valuation and what a strategic buyer will pay becomes the hardest conversation in any deal process. Matt Arsenault, VP of Corporate Development & Strategic Alliances at Jamf, has run this play across hundreds of targets. His work starts before the deal does, with the founder relationship, the cap table, and a clear-eyed conversation about risk tolerance that most corp dev teams never have.  What You'll Learn Why a $25M offer today can beat a $125M VC exit three years out How AI is shrinking the moat of wrapper-product startups and changing target screening The seven stakeholder groups in any acquisition and why most founders miss them How liquidation preferences and cap table structure change the math behind any offer Why VC relationships matter as much as founder relationships before a deal starts How to structure deals for underwater targets without losing the team What entrepreneurs should know about VC terms before taking their first check If you're working a deal where the founder's VC valuation is the first thing they said and the last thing they'll let go of, DealPilot, powered by M&A Science, gives you the guidance to close the gap without overpaying. ____________________ This episode of M&A Science is presented by DealRoom. DealRoom just launched the only MCP server built for Buyer-Led M&A™ — so your AI and your deal data finally work together. Connect Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot directly to DealRoom and let your AI read your pipeline, analyze due diligence documents, and automatically write findings back.  See for yourself: dealroom.net/mcp ____________________ Episode Chapters [00:01:14] Introduction and Kison's overview [00:03:32] Matt Arsenault's background and path into M&A [00:05:17] How VCs actually value companies: the two major components [00:06:52] Where VC and strategic buyer valuations diverge, and why [00:09:29] The current market for VC-backed acquisition targets [00:10:39] Rule of 40, profitable growth, and what AI is changing [00:25:01] The liquidation preference math: $25M today vs. $125M later [00:31:38] Cap table dynamics, voting power, and co-founder alignment [00:33:10] How to have the valuation conversation with a founder [00:35:35] How to structure deals when a company is underwater [00:36:45] Stakeholder management: severance, retention, and employee equity [00:44:03] Structural tools for bridging valuation gaps [00:49:21] What entrepreneurs should know before taking their first VC check [00:51:03] Due diligence war stories: what a code scan revealed

What if the real reason your business cannot scale is not your people, your market, or your effort, but that everything still depends on you? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Hector Alvarado, Co-Founder of Optimize Business Systems, who explains how small and mid-sized businesses can reduce founder bottlenecks by building stronger systems, clarifying roles, improving leadership, and ensuring consistent execution. He also explains why business owners must shift from day-to-day firefighting to strategic leadership if they want to build companies that can grow without being in constant emergency mode. Key Takeaways:→ Owner-dependent businesses struggle to scale because too many decisions flow back to the founder. → A business is harder to sell when its value depends entirely on the owner's day-to-day involvement.→ Second-line leaders are essential to building a scalable company. → Business owners need regular time away from the weeds to see the bigger strategic picture. → Strong systems are more than SOPs; they encompass leadership, execution, accountability, and clarity. Hector Alvarado is an entrepreneur, operations executive, and business consultant with 27+ years of experience transforming companies across the logistics, transportation, construction, and home-service industries. His expertise isn't theoretical—it's built on decades of diagnosing operational chaos, fixing broken systems, and leading organizations through high-stakes growth. One of Hector's most notable accomplishments was the complete turnaround of Willy's Trucking. As VP of Operations, he led the company from a $1.3M annual loss in 2018 to a profitable sale exceeding $25M in 2021—a feat that earned him industry-wide respect. Today, he serves as VP of Operations for the largest NGL and Butane hauler in Western Canada, overseeing large fleets, operational excellence, and strategic expansion. Hector is also a Lean Black Belt, Continuous Improvement Master Trainer, and EOS implementor, bringing a rare blend of tactical expertise and strategic leadership. Beyond his corporate roles, he runs three successful businesses under Family Legacy Industries and manages a growing real estate investment portfolio, providing firsthand insight into entrepreneurship and wealth-building. Connect With Hector:Website: https://optimizebusinesssystems.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optimize_business_systems/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Optimize-Business-Systems/61574764979478/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/optimize-business-systems/

In life, you need the 3 Cs.    The first one is connection.    In business, if you're the go-to guy for anything from attorneys, to doctors, or other service providers, you'll never have to go make new friends.  They'll come to you as long as you're doing the right things.    The second C is Capital.  You need money to run your business. And yes, those who are worth $50 million dollars sometimes need capital.  In order to keep things rolling, you have to have capital.    The last and most powerful C is Coaching.  I don't coach anyone, but you need to have a mentor to help you navigate where you want to go.    I suggest finding someone who is above you in business. If you are grossing $5M a year, find someone who is doing $20-$25M to help you.    Pay them for their time and save yours in the process by expediting your learning curve.    Stick to the 3 Cs and you'll have everything you need.    About the ReWire Podcast   The ReWire Podcast with Ryan Stewman – Dive into powerful insights as Ryan Stewman, the HardCore Closer, breaks down mental barriers and shares actionable steps to rewire your thoughts. Each episode is a fast-paced journey designed to reshape your mindset, align your actions, and guide you toward becoming the best version of yourself. Join in for a daily dose of real talk that empowers you to embrace change and unlock your full potential.    Learn how you can become a member of a powerful community consistently rewiring itself for success at ⁠https://www.jointheapex.com/⁠   Rise Above 

After building $25M across 10 franchise units, Josh Rathweg is now President of Cloudbound, and as Co-Founder of Presence on Purpose, he teaches entrepreneurs to lead with intention, integrity and impact. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. Your business doesn't plateau because of strategy; it plateaus because of your leadership presence. 2. Presence means pausing, reflecting, and responding intentionally instead of reacting on instinct. 3. You don't fix culture by fixing your team; you fix culture by fixing your presence first. Play Above the Clouds. Curated for fun, cultivated for development - CloudBound Sponsors HighLevel - The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies. Learn more at HighLevelFire.com. 50 Days - Join JLD on his free '50 Days to Something' video series on YouTube and create something special in 50 days.

In our 41st episode of This F*cking Guy, Erin and Alyssa dive deep into the past of the Dumb-a** Daddy's Boy, Jared Kushner. From slithering into the top Ivy League with help from his corrupt father, to being one of NYC's most soulless slumlords, to his abhorrent handling of COVID and his Middle East meddling under his father-in-law, this may be one of our more notorious nepo-baby guys yet.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.For Kushner, Israel Policy May Be Shaped by the Personal (NYT)Jared Kushner's Mysterious Role in the Trump Administration (The Atlantic)Epstein Files (DOJ)Jim McGreevey and His Main Man (NY Mag)Jared Kushner May Profit From Expanded Israeli Settlements (Jacobin)Jared Kushner says Gaza's ‘waterfront property could be very valuable' (The Guardian)Jared Kushner's Psychopathic Incompetence (The New Republic)“That's Their Problem”: How Jared Kushner Let the Markets Decide America's COVID-19 Fate (Vanity Fair)Five Reasons Why the Abraham Accords Are Ceding Ground to Arab-Iranian De-escalation (Baker Institute)Jared Kushner's Grandmother Bemoaned the “Closed Doors” That Faced Refugees to America (Pro Publica)Jared Kushner's ‘Breaking History' Is a Soulless and Very Selective Memoir (NYT)Why Did Cory Booker Vote to Confirm Jared Kushner's Dad? (The New Republican)I worked for Jared Kushner. He's the wrong businessman to reinvent government. (The Washington Post)Ivanka Trump Marries Jared Kushner in Lavish Ceremony (People)Kushner properties accused of illegally inflating rent (CBS News)AP Report: Kushner Companies regularly filed false documents with NYC (KSL)Kushner Companies Lied About Rent Stabilized Tenants on 30th Ave, 38th St Properties (QNS)The group of Kushner Villages tenants says the properties' fire sprinklers don't even work. (Legal Reader)Kushner Cos. fined $210K by New York for false documents (AP News)Port's New Head, Sued by Brother, Faces an Inquiry (Observer)How Jared Kushner's Bold Bets In The Middle East Made Him A Billionaire (Forbes)Jared Kushner's Net Worth Surges as He Joins Exclusive Club With Trump (Newsweek)Jared Kushner is back – and so are big questions about his financial ties (The Guardian)Jared Kushner Solicits Funds for His Firm While Working as Mideast Envoy (The New York Times)Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner walked into the White House with troubled finances but left with millions (INews)Newly Released Transcript Shows Jared Kushner Misled Congress About a Contact Involving Russia (Mother Jones)The Hill: Dem rep: Kushner ‘lied', should be investigated (lieu.house)Kushner ties to Russia questioned as Trump blasts media lies (MPRnews)Did Jared Kushner Help Russia Hack the Election With Fake News? Trump Son-in-Law's Digital Operation Under Investigation (Newsweek)Jared Kushner lied to NYC because he could get away with it (cityandstateny)Jared Kushner's Firm to Pay $3.25M for Deceiving & Cheating Tenants in Baltimore's “Kushnerville” (Democracy Now)People Are Talking (Again) About How Jared Kushner Got Into Harvard (Vogue)Trump White House had a secret crypto booster in Jared Kushner, new Mnuchin file dump shows (CNBC)Report: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner Made Their Secret Service Detail Go to Extreme Lengths “to Find a Bathroom” (Vanity Fair)Secret Service spent more than $16,000 on Kushner's UAE and Qatar trip. Both countries invested in his firm (Citizens For Ethics)What Secret Service spent on Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump's Whistler trip (CBS News)Kushner Deal in Serbia Follows Earlier Interest by Trump (The New York Times)Jared Kushner 'admitted Donald Trump lies to his base because he thinks they're stupid' (Independent)Jared Kushner once wanted Kanye West to lead a ‘healing church service' at the White House (Forward)Political Contributor and Developer Charles Kushner Sentenced to Maximum 24 Months for Witness Retaliation and Other Crimes (Justice.gov)Trump Pardons Jared Kushner's Dad, Who Paid a Prostitute to Seduce His Brother-in-Law (People)Trump chooses Jared Kushner's father for ambassador to France (BBC)U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner banned from meeting with French government over summons no-show (NBC News)