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David Royce went from a broke college kid in a door-to-door pest control job to building and selling four service businesses for nine-figure exits by applying Silicon Valley systems to an unsexy blue-collar industry. In this interview, he breaks down exactly how he scaled Aptive Environmental to over $500M in revenue, created a training engine that produced top-1% sales performers, and built a culture that became a recruiting magnet in a commodity market. For founders interested in recurring revenue, service businesses, systems, or operational excellence, this episode is a blueprint for building a scalable, sellable company from scratch. What you'll learn in this interview: • How David turned a “crappy summer job” into four nine-figure exits • The sales framework that took him from total failure to top 1% in one week • Why following your passion is overrated and unsexy industries create the biggest opportunities • The systemised sales engine and training playbook that scaled nationwide • How he built a white-collar culture inside a blue-collar business • Why paranoia is a competitive advantage and how to avoid the “screw-up phase” • How to structure a company for maximum exit value • The strategy behind selling three companies to the same buyer • How software, gamification, and AI supercharged efficiency and sales • What founders must understand about recurring revenue and private-equity rollups By the end of this episode, you'll understand the exact principles David used to build scalable operations, dominate an overlooked market, and turn recurring revenue into generational wealth — giving you the roadmap to build a company buyers compete for. SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to https://your.omnisend.com/foundr to get started. HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application → Already have a store? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/ CONNECT WITH DAVID ROYCE LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-royce-22539425/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/thedavidroyce/ FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt Website → https://www.foundr.com Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/foundr/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/foundr Twitter → https://www.twitter.com/foundr LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/ Podcast → https://www.foundr.com/podcast
In this episode of Quah (Q & A), Sal, Adam & Justin coach four Pump Heads via Zoom. Mind Pump Fit Tip: Guaranteed ways to build muscle. (2:40) The benefits of filtering the water you wash yourself with. (20:24) Living in a toxic world. (23:41) Stern looks. (31:41) Reminiscing on 10 years of Mind Pump. (33:00) Attaching responsibility. (41:07) Speaking identity into your kids. (43:43) Beware of ripping off BIG players. (46:57) Mind Pump Recommends Sean Combs: The Reckoning on Netflix. (49:55) CEO's hot mic blunder. (54:12) Epic Waymo fail! (56:55) AI or human made. (58:02) #ListenerCoaching call #1 – How do I put together a group workout that doesn't suck? (1:03:10) #ListenerCoaching call #2 – Can you foresee any issues using ChatGPT to provide a protocol of supplementation based on a recent blood test? (1:15:00) #ListenerCoaching call #3 – My problem is that I don't want to eat anymore. Where does the threshold end of me being this is enough food and I don't need to eat anymore? (1:25:51) #ListenerCoaching call #4 – I'm afraid if I don't train every day, I'll get fat. Help me get over this fear. (1:37:18) Related Links/Products Mentioned Get Coached by Mind Pump, live! Visit https://www.mplivecaller.com Visit Jolie for an exclusive offer for Mind Pump listeners! **For the first time ever, Jolie is offering an exclusive 20% off discount. This is the perfect opportunity to give yourself or someone special a gift that will get used every day and truly transform everyday routines. ** Visit Our Place for an exclusive offer for Mind Pump listeners! **Code MINDPUMP at checkout to save up to 35% sitewide now through January 12th. See why more than a million people have made the switch to Our Place kitchenware. With their 100-day risk-free trial, free shipping, and free returns, you can shop with total confidence. Shop the Our Place Holiday Sale right now! MAPS 15 FORTY PLUS 50% half from Dec. 14-20th. Code DECEMBER50 at checkout. Mind Pump Store Implications of sleep loss or sleep deprivation on muscle strength: a systematic review Stop Working Out And Start Practicing – Mind Pump Blog Mind Pump # 1230: Surviving & Thriving in a Toxic World With Max Lugavere The Start of Mind Pump | Mini Documentary Fig and Eagle Russian crypto scammer in $500M scheme and his wife dismembered as part of gruesome extortion plot: authorities Watch Sean Combs: The Reckoning | Netflix Official Site Campbell's Cans VP After Hot-Mic Insults Go Public Get a free Sample Pack of LMNT's most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase! As always, LMNT offers no-questions-asked refunds on all orders. The 8-count LMNT Sample Pack doubles down on our most popular flavors: Citrus Salt, Raspberry Salt, Watermelon Salt, and Orange Salt (2 stick packs of each flavor): Visit DrinkLMNT.com/MindPump MAPS Prime Pro Webinar Mind Pump #2457: Four Mistakes That Destroy Your Metabolism Sal Di Stefano's Journey in Faith & Fitness – Mind Pump TV DON'T listen to your body! | Mind Pump 2736 - YouTube Mind Pump Podcast – YouTube Mind Pump Free Resources People Mentioned Max Lugavere (@maxlugavere) Instagram Scott Donnell (@imscottdonnell) Instagram Mind Pump Fitness Coaching (@mindpumppersonaltraining) Instagram
This Day in Legal History: Project Blue Book EndsOn this day in legal history, December 17, 1969, the U.S. Air Force officially terminated Project Blue Book, its two-decade-long investigation into unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Launched in 1952 during a peak in UFO sightings and Cold War anxiety, Project Blue Book reviewed over 12,000 reports of aerial phenomena. The Air Force concluded that most sightings could be explained by natural phenomena, aircraft, or hoaxes, and found no evidence of extraterrestrial activity or threats to national security. With its closure, the government effectively stepped back from public-facing UFO investigations, although some believe military interest continued behind closed doors.Legally, the end of Project Blue Book catalyzed decades of litigation and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, as citizens, journalists, and researchers sought access to government-held UFO data. The skeptical legal view has often emphasized that classified information typically relates to military technology or surveillance programs, not alien spacecraft. Despite popular culture's fixation on extraterrestrials, courts have routinely deferred to executive branch claims of national security in resisting full transparency.While the project's conclusion did not trigger direct legislation, it helped shape a legal culture around government secrecy, classification standards, and the public's right to know. It also fueled persistent legal tension between conspiratorial narratives and evidentiary standards. As UFOs—now reframed as “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAPs)—have resurfaced in congressional hearings in recent years, Blue Book remains a touchstone for the limits of disclosure and the enduring gap between public curiosity and provable claims.Skepticism remains warranted: decades later, no clear evidence has emerged to support the claim of extraterrestrial contact—despite tens of thousands of pages released and re-litigated under FOIA.U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston expressed openness to again striking down a Trump policy that allows for the rapid deportation of migrants to third countries without meaningful notice or an opportunity to raise fears of persecution or torture. The case challenges Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policies that permit deportation to countries other than a migrant's country of origin, often with as little as six hours' notice. Judge Murphy had previously issued an injunction in April to halt such deportations, arguing they violated due process, but the Supreme Court paused that order in June via its “shadow docket” without providing detailed reasoning.Despite acknowledging the likely involvement of the Supreme Court again, Murphy indicated that he may still rule on the merits of the case, though any decision would likely be temporarily stayed. The lawsuit, a class action, targets a DHS memo from March and guidance from July that permits deportations based on “credible” diplomatic assurances. Plaintiffs argue these policies fall short of constitutional protections, while the Justice Department insists migrants already have opportunities to raise objections during proceedings. The judge criticized the lack of clarity from the Supreme Court's earlier intervention and emphasized the importance of due process in removal proceedings.US judge open to again striking down Trump policy on third-country deportations | ReutersA Trump-appointed federal appeals court judge has argued that constitutional rights do not extend to immigrants who entered the United States unlawfully, a position he laid out in a partial dissent in a Second Amendment case. Sixth Circuit Judge Amul Thapar agreed with upholding a federal ban on firearm possession by undocumented immigrants but rejected the majority's reasoning. Instead, he argued the case should have been resolved by declaring that only U.S. citizens are included in “the people” protected by the Constitution. Thapar relied heavily on the Constitution's preamble and an originalist reading of history, asserting that the Founders never intended constitutional protections to apply to non-citizens, especially those unlawfully present.The majority opinion rejected that framing, pointing to Supreme Court precedent recognizing that non-citizens who develop substantial connections to the country may invoke constitutional rights. Thapar went further, suggesting that even the First and Fourth Amendments were not originally meant to protect non-citizens. The case arose from a challenge by a Guatemalan national convicted of unlawfully possessing firearms, but Thapar's reasoning reached far beyond gun regulation. His dissent echoes arguments long advanced by the Trump administration and aligns with his status as a former Trump Supreme Court shortlist candidate.From my perspective, this is a racist, xenophobic, and profoundly ahistorical take that threatens to usher in a shameful new era of American jurisprudence. It reflects either a fundamental misunderstanding of constitutional law or a wanton, careerist obsequiousness to Trumpism, delivered with the unmistakable tone of someone auditioning for a Supreme Court seat while extolling the flavor of boot. Judge Thapar is an embarrassment to the bench.Judge Thapar's theory represents a fundamental shift away from the traditional understanding of constitutional rights as inherent and inalienable—that is, rights present in every individual that the government is bound to respect, not rights it doles out at its discretion. By asserting that non-citizens, especially those here unlawfully, are not part of “the people” and therefore not entitled to constitutional protections, Thapar effectively treats these rights as government-bestowed privileges rather than limits on state power–that should frighten citizens, as well.But if rights are inherent, as our legal tradition holds, and yet non-citizens don't possess them, the implication is clear: they are being denied not because of legal status, but because of a presumed inferiority. That's not a theory of constitutional law—it's a supremacist framework gussied up in originalist language.Trump-appointed judge argues US Constitution's rights do not extend to non-citizens | Reuters3-D animator Eric Ryder filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in California federal court against Disney and director James Cameron, alleging that the 2022 film Avatar: The Way of Water copied substantial elements from his science fiction story KRZ. Ryder claims he collaborated with Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment in the late 1990s on developing a film based on KRZ, and that key features of Avatar 2—including anthropomorphic beings, a vast oceanic world, and an exploitative Earth corporation mining a moon called Europa—mirror those from his work.Ryder previously sued over the first Avatar film in 2011, but that case was dismissed when a California state court ruled Cameron had created Avatar before Ryder submitted his material. Ryder insists this new case is not an attempt to relitigate the past, but rather to address new alleged acts of copying specific to The Way of Water, such as the central plot point involving an animal-based substance that extends human life, which he says did not appear in the original Avatar.Ryder is seeking at least $500 million in damages and a court order to block the release of the upcoming Avatar 3: Fire and Ash. His lawyer described the alleged copying as “blatant and egregious.” Disney and Lightstorm have not yet commented publicly on the lawsuit.Disney, James Cameron sued for copyright infringement over ‘Avatar' | Reuters This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe
Most contractors wait too long to prepare their business for a sale—and lose millions because of it. In this episode, I talk with Cameron Bishop, Managing Director at Raincatcher, about what it really takes to make your construction company buyer-ready in the next 12 months. Cam brings 40+ years of executive and M&A experience and has completed more than 70 transactions worth over $500M. He breaks down the biggest deal killers, the accounting mistakes that stall closings, how to remove owner dependency, and why customer concentration over 20% scares buyers away.
Brands crossing the $100M line, roughly speaking, face a privileged danger : deceleration. It happens very quickly once you hit max ACV or even ¾ of your category's max ACV. If you didn't prepare for this, you will have to act fast. It's very hard to an emerging brand to get past $500M and stay growing like KIND. The solution is to aim for the opposite - acceleration, even when it seems least likely to happen.Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com
Big 12's $500M deal with RedBird & Weatherford Capital, President Donald Trump on NIL & college sports, Michigan expands its investigation and more.We would love to know what you think of the show and you can let us know on social media @D1ticker.If you are not subscribed to D1.ticker, you can and should subscribe at www.d1ticker.com/.
Japan's Yukino Yoshida Wins Gold in Women's 500m at World Cup in Norway
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/AnalyticJoin The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0KAnalytic Dreamz delivers the complete data-rich story behind Nat King Cole's timeless masterpiece “The Christmas Song” (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire). From its 1945 heat-wave origins by Mel Tormé & Robert Wells to Nat's four official recordings (1946–1961), Analytic Dreamz traces how the 1961 stereo version became the definitive holiday standard.Explore the historic chart journey: 62-year climb to Hot 100 Top 10 (#9 in 2023), Grammy Hall of Fame induction, 6× Platinum certification, 500M+ annual streams, and current 2024 dominance (27.4M weekly streams, #1 R&B Digital Sales). Analytic Dreamz breaks down Nat's barrier-breaking career, posthumous sales records, sync impact (Home Alone, Elf), and why it remains BMI's most-performed Christmas song ever. Essential holiday listening.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
YouTube Title Options (Pick Your Favorite):Most Clickable:"Former Cop Warns: We Have 1,000 Days Until AGI Changes Everything""AI Will Be Smarter Than Every Human Combined - Here's What Happens Next""The AI Kill Switch Won't Work - And I'll Tell You Why""China Just Built Better AI for $5 Million (While We Spent $500 Million)""Why Panic About AI Will Get Us All Killed - A Cop's Perspective""AGI in 1,000 Days: The One Thing Nobody's Talking About""Trump Just Gave China Our Best AI Chips - But It's Already Too Late"My Top Pick: "We Have 1,000 Days Until AGI - Former Cop Explains Why Staying Calm Might Save Humanity"YouTube Description (4,997 characters):We're approximately 1,000 days into the ChatGPT revolution, and experts predict we have another 1,000 days until Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) arrives. That's less than three years until everything changes. As a former LAPD officer with 25+ years in law enforcement, I learned one fundamental truth: the moment you lose your head, you lose your ability to make sound decisions. That lesson applies now more than ever.
Having helped grow Duckhorn from $5M to $500M in revenue and the sales team from 1 to >100 people, Pete Przbylinksi, former Chief Sales Officer of The Duckhorn Portfolio for nearly 30 years, has a deep understanding of managing US wholesale markets. In this two-part episode, Pete dives into every aspect of managing a wholesale sales team, including incentive structures and collaborating with distributors.Detailed Show Notes: Duckhorn went from 50k cases / ~$5M in revenue / 14-15 employees (1995) to ~$500M revenue (2024)The Duckhorn PortfolioDuck themed: Duckhorn Vineyards (1978), Decoy (2nd label originally), Paraduxx (1994), Goldeneye, Migration, CanvasbackAcquisitions: Calera (2017), Kosta Browne (2018), Sonoma Cutrer (2024)Keys to Duckhorn's successBrand equity - focused on Merlot, which was hot in 1980s-1990s and catapulted wineryKey assets - #1 people, #2 brand equityThe French Paradox (1991) created big demand for red wineTable stakes are good scores, showing up in the market, hosting guestsSales team grew from 1 person to >100 (~85 in the field)No perfect way to calculate ROI for sales people1st method: too many cases & distributors to manage, needed more people2nd method: quantified expected incremental sales from more people (data was full of holes)Final method: managed to target of 8-10% sales opex / revenue, because a KPI for SLT and BoardSales team rolesRegional Managers, over a series of states (50-60% of time working w/ distributors, the rest out in the market or internal analysis and reporting)District Managers, geographically concentrated, go into accounts you want to be inNational Accounts, on and off-premise; a challenge to determine which accounts are national vs regional, ended up doing it case by case and assigning accountsDistributor consolidation led to wineries needed to do the work they cannot doE.g. - identifying underrepresented accounts and coming up with action plan by regionIdentifying top salespeopleLook at overall contribution margin for the regionShare of business in market (using IRI, distributor reports, account base)Gross Profit%, identifies amount of trade spend usedHow responsive they are, their handle on the market, their decision making#1 method: do they bring new ideas to the tableIncentivizing salespeopleBonuses must be meaningful (25-35% is meaningful), higher for higher levelsLook at contribution margin relative to budgetUsed a curve (
Some staffing changes near the top at Apple were announced this week, with Alan Dye, design guy, moving to Meta getting a lot of press. But many say good riddance. There was also plenty of other tech news dropping this week, we try to get you caught up with what you need to know. Of course, we have some great tips for you and even a special guest during our picks of the week. All so you can get out there and tech better! Gadget Gift Guide for Geeks Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) After Apple refusal, Indian government completes U-turn on mandatory iPhone app (03:00) MAIN TOPIC: Apple Design is a changing (04:45) Apple design executive Alan Dye poached by Meta in major coup Apple design boss Alan Dye departing for Meta Alan.app Apple announces executive transitions Apple chief Johny Srouji confirms he isn't going anywhere DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Get a Callback Reminder for a Missed Call (13:10) JUST THE HEADLINES: (19:10) End-to-end encrypted smart toilet camera is not actually end-to-end encrypted Cloudflare says it has fended off 416 billion AI bot scrape requests in five months Amazon starts testing 'ultra-fast' 30-minute deliveries Woman hailed as hero for smashing man's Meta smart glasses on subway All of Russia's Porsches were bricked by a mysterious satellite outage HBO Max forgot to remove a 'vomit hose' crew member in Mad Men 4K Oregon sportswear giant Columbia pledges to give 'the company' to anyone who can prove the Earth is flat TAKES: YouTube introduces its own version of Spotify Wrapped for videos (21:30) Even Microsoft's retro holiday sweaters are having Copilot forced upon them (26:35) Bending Spoons to acquire Eventbrite in $500M all-cash deal (30:00) Netflix agrees to buy Warner Bros. in an $82.7-billion deal that will transform Hollywood (32:05) Microsoft December 2025 Patch Tuesday (34:55) BONUS ODD TAKE: An online collection of found cassette tapes (36:25) PICKS OF THE WEEK: Dave: Headlamp Rechargeable 2PCS, 230° Wide Beam Head Lamp LED with Motion Sensor for Adults - Camping Accessories Gear, Waterproof Head Light Flashlight for Hiking, Running, Repairing, Fishing, Cycling (39:30) Nate: Bambu Lab A1 Mini 3D Printer, Support Multi-Color 3D Printing, Set Up in 20 Mins, High Speed & Precision, Full-Auto Calibration & Active Flow Rate Compensation, ≤48 dB Quiet FDM 3D Printers (44:00) Gadget Gift Guide for Geeks RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (52:35)
Ben Criddle talks BYU sports every weekday from 2 to 6 pm.Today's Co-Hosts: Ben Criddle (@criddlebenjamin)Subscribe to the Cougar Sports with Ben Criddle podcast:Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-sports-with-ben-criddle/id99676
In this episode, Carolyn and Amber pull back the curtain on a $500M cybersecurity company that came to Passetto stuck in last-touch reporting, declining win rates, an overreliance on product trials, and zero visibility into what SDRs were actually working.In just 14 days, their Growth Sprint surfaced what months of internal analysis couldn't: the true drivers of revenue, why trials convert at only 5%, why hand-raisers deliver 2X the deal size and win rate, and how 40% of opportunities are created with no traceable sales trigger at all.We walk through the exact before-and-after: their revenue architecture score, the missing SDR prospecting layer, the downstream impact of “low-signal” opportunities, and the data that finally gives the team conviction to modernize their demand engine.Even with strong tools and a mature sales motion, they're operating with only 55% revenue visibility, record-low win rates, and a demand strategy built almost entirely on trials—until the Sprint changes the trajectory.We break down the insights their team uncovers:Why 55% of SDR workload comes from trials that win at only 5%How high-intent hand raisers deliver 2X the ACV and more than 2X the win rateWhy only 35% of opportunities show early-stage signalsHow more than 40% of opportunities have no traceable prospecting trigger at allAnd how a two-week sprint becomes the “forcing function” they need to move from uncertainty to a clear set of strategic prioritiesA powerful example of what happens when companies finally get the full-funnel visibility they've been missing.
Undiscovered Entrepreneur ..Start-up, online business, podcast
Did you like the episode? Send me a text and let me know!! From Streets to Success: Jerry Brazie on Building $500M in Revenue | The Undiscovered Entrepreneur Episode Description Jerry Brazie went from living in a $25/week flophouse at 17 to building and selling a dozen businesses generating nearly $500 million in revenue. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Jerry shares the pivotal moment at 14 that changed everything, why "everything is your fault" became his superpower, and the brutal truths about entrepreneurship that influencers won't tell you. Key Takeaways • The "everything is your fault" mindset that transforms victims into builders • Why waiting for the perfect time guarantees failure • How perspective becomes an entrepreneur's greatest superpower • The loneliness of entrepreneurship and how peer groups solve it • Why passion-based businesses often fail (and what to do instead) Time Stamps [00:00] Introduction and Jerry's incredible backstory [04:00] The pivotal moment: beaten and left for dead at 14 [08:00] Why "everything is your fault" is actually empowering [13:00] The mistake new entrepreneurs make when seeking advice [25:00] Breaking the perfectionism trap that keeps people stuck [33:00] Dealing with entrepreneurial loneliness [38:00] The power of peer-to-peer mentorship groups [43:00] Battling imposter syndrome even after massive success [46:00] Six-month goals and launching The Kronos Group Guest Bio Jerry Brazie is a serial entrepreneur, 15-year-old high school dropout, and founder of The Kronos Group peer-to-peer mentorship program. With 30+ years building businesses across transportation, real estate, and consulting, Jerry has managed 10,000+ employees and generated $500M+ in revenue. Connect with Jerry Website: kronosgroup.org Podcast: The Kronos Group Podcast (formerly The Jerry Brazie Podcast) Ideal for: Business owners doing $1-25M in annual revenue Mentioned Resources • Peer-to-peer business groups for entrepreneurs • The Kronos Group mentorship program #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #StartupAdvice #Mindset #PeerMentorship #SmallBusiness #EntrepreneurLife #OvercomingAdversity #BusinessPodcast #SuccessStory #GenerationalPoverty #WorkEthic #ImposterSyndrStan.store/skoob for your black Friday coaching deal right now!! For a 15% discount on your first purchase go RYZEsuoerfoods.com use code PODNA15 Thank you for being a Skoobeliever!! If you have questions about the show or you want to be a guest please contact me at one of these social mediasTwitter......... ..@djskoob2021 Facebook.........Facebook.com/skoobamiInstagram..... instagram.com/uepodcast2021tiktok....... @djskoob2021Email............... Uepodcast2021@gmail.com Skoob at Gettin' Basted Facebook PageAcross The Start Line Facebook Community Find out what one of the four hurdles of stop is affecting you the most!!Black Friday coaching Sale now!! 65% off original price! go to stan.store/skoob to book your appointment and take advantage of this limited time offer! On Twitter @doittodaycoachdoingittodaycoaching@gmailcom
Jess sits down with Ali Alfaraj, founder of Tru Cinnamon — the first cinnamon water brand based in Los Angeles — to explore the intersection between entrepreneurship, awakening, identity, and the deeper purpose behind building something tangible in the world.Ali's journey is anything but linear. Born between Kuwait and Italy, raised between the Middle East and Los Angeles, he grew up navigating instability, cultural duality, and profound feelings of abandonment. These early experiences shaped him into a hyper-independent achiever, driving him into a decade-long career in real estate private equity, where he helped raise over $500M in capital. Yet behind the success, there was an inner emptiness—a dimming of light—that eventually catalyzed a spiritual awakening.This conversation moves through the pivotal territories of childhood wounds, identity, survival patterns, and the collapse of ego-driven paths. Ali shares how ayahuasca, meditation, and frequency work opened him back into love, trust, and surrender—initiating his transition from high-finance to conscious entrepreneurship.Today, Tru Cinnamon is not “just a beverage.”It is a movement.A transmission.A vessel for intentional living, simplicity, and awareness.Together, Jess and Ali explore how a product can hold a frequency; how design, story, movement, and taste can become a spiritual portal; and why entrepreneurship so often mirrors the spiritual path — complete with dark nights, voids, breakthroughs, and profound transformations.• Ali's childhood and how instability shaped his hyper-independencePatterns of abandonment, cultural duality, and how early wounds prepared him for entrepreneurship. • The pivot from private equity to spiritual awakeningHow raising millions in capital brought external success but internal collapse — and why awakening often begins at the peak of “achievement.” • Ayahuasca, God, frequency, and the collapse of old narrativesThe moment Ali felt unconditional love, the challenge of integrating awakening, and why awareness doesn't immediately dissolve old patterns. • Entrepreneurship as a spiritual pathWhy building a company requires trust, surrender, resilience, and devotion — and how business mirrors the awakening process. • The vision and energetics behind Tru CinnamonWhy the product is only the vessel, how intentionality shapes frequency, and why consumers feel the soul of a founder through design and taste. • The future of brand-building in a spiritually awakening worldCompetition vs. contribution, authenticity over extraction, and the rise of emotionally resonant brands for Gen Z and beyond. • Living in the unknown & trusting the next stepWhy Ali believes the inability to see the whole path is a sign you're in the right place — and how to hold faith through uncertainty. “Every version of my past was part of the whole I was here to remember.”— Ali“Entrepreneurship and spirituality are the same journey — both require trust, surrender, and the courage to sit in the unknown.”— Ali“The product is the vessel, but the movement is awareness — returning people to themselves, even for a moment.”— Ali“The real liberation is releasing the stories we cling to, not accumulating more success.”— JessThis conversation is for founders, creators, healers, and anyone navigating the collision of identity, ambition, and awakening. It's a deep dive into the why behind building something meaningful — and a reminder that the spiritual path and the entrepreneurial path are inseparable when done with integrity.Expect to walk away with:• a renewed sense of trust in your own path• clarity on the role of frequency in brand-building• a deeper understanding of the spiritual awakening process• inspiration for creating from alignment, not survivalConnect with Ali AlFarajwww.instagram.com/afarajwww.instagram.com/trucinnamonConnect with Jess Fentonwww.instagram.com/goinwardwww.goinward.co.uk
From building Medal into a 12M-user game clipping platform with 3.8B highlight moments to turning down a reported $500M offer from OpenAI (https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-offered-pay-500-million-startup-videogame-data) and raising a $134M seed from Khosla (https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/16/general-intuition-lands-134m-seed-to-teach-agents-spatial-reasoning-using-video-game-clips/) to spin out General Intuition, Pim is betting that world models trained on peak human gameplay are the next frontier after LLMs. We sat down with Pim to dig into why game highlights are “episodic memory for simulation” (and how Medal's privacy-first action labels became a world-model goldmine https://medal.tv/blog/posts/enabling-state-of-the-art-security-and-protections-on-medals-new-apm-and-controller-overlay-features), what it takes to build fully vision-based agents that just see frames and output actions in real time, how General Intuition transfers from games to real-world video and then into robotics, why world models and LLMs are complementary rather than rivals, what founders with proprietary datasets should know before selling or licensing to labs, and his bet that spatial-temporal foundation models will power 80% of future atoms-to-atoms interactions in both simulation and the real world. We discuss: How Medal's 3.8B action-labeled highlight clips became a privacy-preserving goldmine for world models Building fully vision-based agents that only see frames and output actions yet play like (and sometimes better than) humans Transferring from arcade-style games to realistic games to real-world video using the same perception–action recipe Why world models need actions, memory, and partial observability (smoke, occlusion, camera shake) vs. “just” pretty video generation Distilling giant policies into tiny real-time models that still navigate, hide, and peek corners like real players Pim's path from RuneScape private servers, Tourette's, and reverse engineering to leading a frontier world-model lab How data-rich founders should think about valuing their datasets, negotiating with big labs, and deciding when to go independent GI's first customers: replacing brittle behavior trees in games, engines, and controller-based robots with a “frames in, actions out” API Using Medal clips as “episodic memory of simulation” to move from imitation learning to RL via world models and negative events The 2030 vision: spatial–temporal foundation models that power the majority of atoms-to-atoms interactions in simulation and the real world — Pim X: https://x.com/PimDeWitte LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pimdw/ Where to find Latent Space X: https://x.com/latentspacepod Substack: https://www.latent.space/ Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and Medal's Gaming Data Advantage 00:02:08 Exclusive Demo: Vision-Based Gaming Agents 00:06:17 Action Prediction and Real-World Video Transfer 00:08:41 World Models: Interactive Video Generation 00:13:42 From Runescape to AI: Pim's Founder Journey 00:16:45 The Research Foundations: Diamond, Genie, and SEMA 00:33:03 Vinod Khosla's Largest Seed Bet Since OpenAI 00:35:04 Data Moats and Why GI Stayed Independent 00:38:42 Self-Teaching AI Fundamentals: The Francois Fleuret Course 00:40:28 Defining World Models vs Video Generation 00:41:52 Why Simulation Complexity Favors World Models 00:43:30 World Labs, Yann LeCun, and the Spatial Intelligence Race 00:50:08 Business Model: APIs, Agents, and Game Developer Partnerships 00:58:57 From Imitation Learning to RL: Making Clips Playable 01:00:15 Open Research, Academic Partnerships, and Hiring 01:02:09 2030 Vision: 80 Percent of Atoms-to-Atoms AI Interactions
At 22 years old, Eugene Kang bought a tiny jerky business from an 80-year-old butcher he met on a road trip. It was doing about $500K a year and relied entirely on private-label production. Over the next fourteen years, he rebuilt everything — the brand, the manufacturing, the product strategy — transforming it into Archer, one of the fastest-growing companies in meat snacks. From navigating USDA operations as a first-time founder, to unlocking national retail doors through a licensed Sriracha SKU that flipped early “no's” into “yeses”, Eugene grew Archer into a projected $500M brand by 2026, with 90% YoY growth in 2024. In this conversation, he breaks down the operational grind, the rebrand from Country Archer to Archer, and how sticks became the engine behind one of the biggest category expansions in modern snacking. Make sure to check out Archer at: https://archerjerky.com/ Check out my new book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4kRKGTX Register for Starting Small Summit 2026: https://startingsmallmedia.org/startingsmallsummit Watch our mini-doc - Starting Small: The Raw Truth Behind Entrepreneurship and the American Dream: https://youtu.be/eHuq93wIxs0?si=eDB-ycngvWNapRLO Visit Starting Small Media: https://startingsmallmedia.org/ Subscribe to exclusive Starting Small emails: https://startingsmallmedia.org/newsletter-signup Follow Starting Small: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingsmallpod/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Startingsmallpod/?modal=admin_todo_tour LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/cameronnagle
Episode 728: Neal and Toby discuss Trump's proposal to slash fuel efficiency standards, rolling back a Biden-era policy. Then, Spotify Wrapped is upon us. Get ready for everybody showing off how basic their music tastes are. Also, a little known private equity firm Bending Spoons just swept up Eventbrite for $500M. Meanwhile, Neal shares his favorite numbers on Waymo cars, Boston rent, and how we commute. Finally, the search for the tragic missing Malaysia airplane is back on. Check out https://www.linkedIn.com/mbd for more. Get your MBD live show tickets here! https://www.tinyurl.com/MBD-HOLIDAY Subscribe to Morning Brew Daily for more of the news you need to start your day. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. Listen to Morning Brew Daily Here: https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note Watch Morning Brew Daily Here: https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
00:10:21 — Trump Declares Biden's Autopen Orders Invalid Knight breaks down Trump's claim that all autopen-signed Biden documents are void, warning this could unleash unprecedented legal and political chaos. 00:13:40 — Trump Will Never Go After Fauci Knight argues Trump cannot revoke Fauci-related decisions because he still embraces Operation Warp Speed and refuses to acknowledge vaccine harm. 00:15:14 — Rare-Earth Crisis Caused by U.S. Policy Failures Knight details how America lost control of rare-earth production due to political corruption, EPA restrictions, and China's strategic long-term planning. 00:37:44 — AEI & Johns Hopkins Exposed for Designing Lockdowns Knight reacts to evidence that AEI and Johns Hopkins crafted the original U.S. lockdown strategy — revealing the establishment origins of the Covid regime. 00:44:55 — Autopsies Show Vaccine Injury Across Multiple Organs Knight reviews new pathology data demonstrating widespread organ damage linked to mRNA vaccines, challenging official narratives on vaccine safety. 00:47:19 — Global Spike in Kidney Failure After Vaccination Knight highlights dramatic rises in fatal renal injury across multiple countries, calling it one of the clearest indicators of vaccine-associated harm. 00:58:24 — MIT Predicts AI Will Erase 20 Million U.S. Jobs Knight explains MIT's model showing that AI could immediately wipe out one-eighth of American employment, triggering a corporate-engineered depression. 00:59:10 — AI Job Loss Becomes a Trillion-Dollar Wealth Transfer Knight argues AI isn't replacing workers for efficiency but to funnel $1.2 trillion in wages upward to corporate elites. 01:06:38 — Anthropic's “AI Soul” Document Reveals Transhumanist Agenda Knight exposes how AI developers deliberately push the idea of machine consciousness to manipulate public perception and normalize post-human ideology. 01:14:37 — Businesses Abandon AI After Failure to Deliver Results Knight shows Census Bureau data revealing steep declines in AI adoption, demonstrating widespread disillusionment after years of hype. 02:03:03 — Billionaire Silver Purchase Exposes Fragile Supply Chain Tony reveals a single $500M silver order stressed dealers nationwide, proving how thin and unstable the physical silver market has become. 02:08:56 — National Silver Supply Crisis: Mining Cannot Meet Demand Knight and Tony explain how global silver production is collapsing even as industrial and governmental demand soars, creating unstoppable upward pressure on prices. Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHT Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.
00:10:21 — Trump Declares Biden's Autopen Orders Invalid Knight breaks down Trump's claim that all autopen-signed Biden documents are void, warning this could unleash unprecedented legal and political chaos. 00:13:40 — Trump Will Never Go After Fauci Knight argues Trump cannot revoke Fauci-related decisions because he still embraces Operation Warp Speed and refuses to acknowledge vaccine harm. 00:15:14 — Rare-Earth Crisis Caused by U.S. Policy Failures Knight details how America lost control of rare-earth production due to political corruption, EPA restrictions, and China's strategic long-term planning. 00:37:44 — AEI & Johns Hopkins Exposed for Designing Lockdowns Knight reacts to evidence that AEI and Johns Hopkins crafted the original U.S. lockdown strategy — revealing the establishment origins of the Covid regime. 00:44:55 — Autopsies Show Vaccine Injury Across Multiple Organs Knight reviews new pathology data demonstrating widespread organ damage linked to mRNA vaccines, challenging official narratives on vaccine safety. 00:47:19 — Global Spike in Kidney Failure After Vaccination Knight highlights dramatic rises in fatal renal injury across multiple countries, calling it one of the clearest indicators of vaccine-associated harm. 00:58:24 — MIT Predicts AI Will Erase 20 Million U.S. Jobs Knight explains MIT's model showing that AI could immediately wipe out one-eighth of American employment, triggering a corporate-engineered depression. 00:59:10 — AI Job Loss Becomes a Trillion-Dollar Wealth Transfer Knight argues AI isn't replacing workers for efficiency but to funnel $1.2 trillion in wages upward to corporate elites. 01:06:38 — Anthropic's “AI Soul” Document Reveals Transhumanist Agenda Knight exposes how AI developers deliberately push the idea of machine consciousness to manipulate public perception and normalize post-human ideology. 01:14:37 — Businesses Abandon AI After Failure to Deliver Results Knight shows Census Bureau data revealing steep declines in AI adoption, demonstrating widespread disillusionment after years of hype. 02:03:03 — Billionaire Silver Purchase Exposes Fragile Supply Chain Tony reveals a single $500M silver order stressed dealers nationwide, proving how thin and unstable the physical silver market has become. 02:08:56 — National Silver Supply Crisis: Mining Cannot Meet Demand Knight and Tony explain how global silver production is collapsing even as industrial and governmental demand soars, creating unstoppable upward pressure on prices. Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHT Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
AGENDA: 04:20 Thrive and OpenAI Partnership 07:14 Databricks Raising $5BN at $134BN Valuation: Cheap or Not? 17:39 Eventbrite Acquired by Bending Spoons for $500M 21:39 Pagerduty's $1BN Market Cap, Just 2x Revenue 26:59 The TAM Trap: Why SaaS Is Like Japan 37:42 Lessons from Companies Hitting $100M ARR 44:57 The Future of Labour Markets is F****** 52:10 The Importance of Compounding in Investments 56:45 The Relevance Game in Venture Capital 01:05:01 Supabase at $5BN or Lovable at $6BN: Which One?
Apple design chief Alan Dye exits for Meta, OpenAI sounds a “code red” as Google surges in AI, Sony A7V is out, Bending Spoons may be the tech world's Thanos, and we rank Apple's products, but correctly.Ad-Free + Bonus EpisodesShow Notes via EmailWatch on YouTube!Join the CommunityEmail Us@stephenrobles on Threads@jasonaten on ThreadsMusic by: Breakmaster Cylinder------------------------------Sponsors:Framer: Start creating for free at framer.com/design, anduse code PRIMARY for a free month of Framer Pro.Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at: shopify.com/primaryGusto - Try Gusto today at gusto.com/primary, and get three months free when you run your first payroll!------------------------------Links from the showThis Shortcut Will Give You the Year-End Recap that Apple Won'tScreen Time 2025 ShortcutYouTube 'Recap' is a video version of Spotify WrappedApple AI Chief John Giannandrea Retiring After Siri Delays - MacRumorsApple design boss Alan Dye departing for Meta - 9to5Macto commemorate alan dye moving from apple to meta, here's one of his best quotesToday we're establishing a new creative studio in Reality Labs led by Alan Dye, who has spent nearly 20 years leading design at Apple.Bending Spoons to acquire Eventbrite in $500M all-cash deal - Tech.euOpenAI declares ‘code red' as Google catches up in AI race | The VergeChatGPT ads are on the way, but iPhone users can avoid them - 9to5MacHands-on: Sony's A7 V uses a partially stacked sensor for silent shooting | The VergeSony a7 V Review: The End Game - YouTubeSara Dietschy's Sony Grid - InstagramRunway says its new text-to-video AI generator has ‘unprecedented' accuracy | The VergeOnly Good Use of AI - InstagramApple unveils the winners of the 2025 App Store Awards - AppleThe best Apple gadgets, ranked | The VergeThe iPad's Software Problem Is Permanent - YouTube ★ Support this podcast ★
Canadian travelers are pulling back from the U.S., hotel loyalty enters a new era of personalization, and Eventbrite gets a $500 million reboot. On today's Skift Daily Briefing, Sarah Dandashy breaks down why the U.S. is losing its most reliable inbound market, how loyalty programs are shifting from points to experiences, and what Eventbrite's acquisition signals for the future of event tech. This episode is brought to you by Amazon! To learn more, go to advertising.amazon.com Articles Referenced: The Unraveling of U.S.-Canada Travel The Great Reinvention of Hotel Loyalty Bending Spoons to Acquire Eventbrite in $500 Million Cash Deal Honorable Mention: @AskAConcierge on IG Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
Plus - Bending Spoons agrees to buy Eventbrite for $500M; YouTube releases its first-ever recap of videos you've watched Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ian Roberts is the co-founder & CEO of Hive.co, a leading fan-engagement and marketing automation platform built for event promoters and musicians. Since launching Hive in 2014, Ian has helped transform the way artists and promoters use data—powering over $500M in ticket sales through smarter email, SMS, and presale campaigns. With a background in product, growth, and digital strategy, he's dedicated to helping creators build sustainable careers by turning ticket buyers into long-term fans through data-driven insights and marketing tools.In this episode, Ian reveals how artists can turn fan data into revenue, loyalty, and repeat ticket sales in a rapidly evolving music landscape.Key TakeawaysHow artists can use email, SMS, and fan data to drive engagement and build dependable revenue streams.Practical contest, merch, and presale strategies that deepen loyalty and turn casual listeners into superfans.How AI and automation will reshape the future of music marketing, making it easier to grow and monetize a fan base.---→ Learn more about Ian and Hive at Hive.co.Book an Artist Breakthrough Session with the Modern Musician team: https://apply.modernmusician.me/podcast
Is the next $500M entertainment franchise hiding inside a Roblox game your kids are already playing? In this Metavertising episode, Ely Santos sits down with James Purell — founder of Building Blocks, Roblox verified creator, and the mind behind one of the largest Roblox news accounts @RBXevents_ — to unpack how games like Steal a Brain Rot, Grow a Garden and Dress to Impress are quietly becoming the new Marvel-style IP factories.They dive deep into what brands get wrong on Roblox, how UGC worlds beat traditional ad formats, and why the smartest move for IP owners might be to partner with fan-made games instead of shutting them down.
Check out my newsletter at https://TKOPOD.com and join my new community at https://TKOwners.com━Beehiiv is the newsletter platform I've used for over a year and a half because their data shows you exactly what's working. Get 30% off three months at beehiiv.com/chrisAnd right now, for Black Friday, you can use Promo Code: 2025BFCM for 20% off any annual plan.━Quick update before you dive in. We're shifting our upload schedule from three times a week to two. Instead of Mo-Wed-Fri, we'll now be posting every Tuesday and Friday. With all the new formats we're producing, three a week became tough to keep at the level we want. This new cadence will help us keep the quality high.I sat down with Connor Gross ( https://x.com/c_gro ) in New York and we went deep on one simple idea taking proven products and changing the form factor to unlock ridiculous upside. We talk about how Billy Mays, OxiClean, and late night infomercials turned into today's DTC and TikTok style direct response, then riff on everything from “AG1 in a gummy” and brands like Grüns, Starface pimple stickers, and stain remover stickers for kids clothes, all the way to race day temporary tattoos that show your elevation profile and aid stations. From there we get into filtration for cyclists and runners, mouth tape for performance and pollution, third party testing apps like SuppCo and Seed Oil Scout, and the crazy opportunity in being the trusted auditor for supplements, snacks, and food labels. We wrap by talking about city based silent retreat concepts inspired by OtherShip, how to productize attention and stillness in a noisy world, and why there is so much money sitting in boring categories if you are willing to innovate on packaging, distribution, and trust.Enjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: tkopod.co/p-ytAsk me a question on or off the show here: http://tkopod.co/p-askLearn more about me: http://tkopod.co/p-cjkLearn about my company: http://tkopod.co/p-cofFollow me on Twitter here: http://tkopod.co/p-xFree weekly business ideas newsletter: http://tkopod.co/p-nlShare this podcast: http://tkopod.co/p-allScrape small business data: http://tkopod.co/p-os---
This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome Todd Zion, the Founder and CEO of Akston, a biotechnology company pioneering a new class of long-acting therapeutics for companion animals. Todd, who previously founded a company that engineered the first clinically tested glucose-responsive insulin, explains why his pivot from a $500M human health exit to the pet health market makes perfect sense. Todd details how Akston's Ambifect platform is being used to develop treatments for chronic pain, dermatitis, and cancer that can last for six months or even a year on a single dose, reducing the burden on pet owners and veterinary teams. He also provides a candid look at the streamlined regulatory pathways in veterinary medicine compared to human health, and how their manufacturing platform is poised to make these cutting-edge biologics more accessible and cost-effective for everyday pet care. Learn more about Akston. Todd recommends "Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health" by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, Kathryn Bowers.
Jerry spoke to Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae. He also spoke to Minister Norma Foley.
Steven Guo, Program Manager at Carnegie Mellon's Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, shares how he's helping CMU founders scale through the VentureBridge accelerator (alumni have raise over $200M and are valued at over $500M) and a thriving alumni innovation network. With a systems-thinking approach to building startup ecosystems, Steven reveals how community, mentorship, and collaboration fuel lasting impact.
Monad just launched Mainnet! That's why Ryan sits down with Monad co-founder Keone Hon today. We ask the blunt question: do we really need another general-purpose L1? Why not just build this as an Ethereum L2 instead? Keone explains how Monad's parallel, pipelined EVM works under tight consumer-hardware constraints (32GB RAM, 2TB SSD, 100 Mbps), delivering ~500M gas/sec, 400ms blocks, and fast finality while preserving decentralization. Enjoy the episode! ------
Bio: Philip Krim is the Co-Founder and CEO of Montauk Climate. Previously he founded early-stage investment firm Montauk Ventures. He also co-founded, led, and served as Chairman of Casper Sleep, scaling it to over $500M in revenue, taking it public on the NYSE, and overseeing its eventual sale. Mr. Krim is a Director of the Travis Manion Foundation and on the Leadership Council of the Robin Hood Foundation. He holds a B.B.A. in Marketing from the Red McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin Bio: Evan Caron is Co-Founder and CIO of Montauk Climate with over 20 years of experience in energy, electricity risk, and commodity management. He previously led Venture at Riverstone Holdings, a $40B energy investment firm, and co-founded ClearTrace, an ESG data platform for emissions tracking. Evan is also Co-Founder of Daylight Energy, a community energy software network. He serves on the Board of RPower, a distributed energy platform backed by Isquared, and previously served on MP2 Energy's Board before its acquisition by Shell. Earlier in his career, Evan held senior roles at Deutsche Bank, Mercuria, and Trailstone. Links: Montauk Capital site Clear Current site Haven Energy site Electron X site Phillip's email Phillip LinkedIn Evan LinkedIn
"We're always running at 100%. Some people love that. I think it's like an adrenaline rush."That's how Katie Coulson describes leading Skanska Advanced Technology—where construction projects that typically take 2-3 years get done in a fraction of the time.In today's episode of Bricks & Bytes, we had Katie Coulson from Skanska Advanced Technology and we got to learn about how they're building data centers and semiconductor fabs at tech company speed, why they're often starting construction before the design is even finalized, and what 31 years in construction has taught her about the future of the industry... and many more!Tune in to find out about:✅ How Skanska's vertical unit model combines national tech expertise with local market knowledge to deliver high-speed projects across the US✅ Why the traditional construction bell curve doesn't exist in data center and semiconductor work—and the type of people who thrive in that chaos✅ The sophisticated subcontractor relationships that make it possible to mobilize quickly across different markets✅ Katie's predictions on AI, offsite manufacturing, and robotics as solutions to construction's labor challenges (especially as remote work isn't an option for field teams)If you're building in the data center or semiconductor space, or just curious about how construction is adapting to move at tech speed, this one's for you. Watch the full episode now. Link in the comment!
Trevor G. Blake is living proof that you don't need hustle, chaos, or a massive team to build extraordinary success. Growing up in a tough Liverpool neighborhood, Trevor refused to accept the limits around him. He joined the Royal Navy, came to the U.S., and went on to build seven companies—exiting for over $400 million, all without a single employee. In this episode, Trent and Trevor dig into the mindset, clarity, and intention that shape success. Trevor breaks down why action beats perfection, how the 5-hour workday unlocks performance, and why the "hub model" helps founders stay agile and stress-free. You'll also hear the heartfelt story of the animal sanctuary he ran with his late wife—and how compassion led to serving challenged youth in surprising ways. This conversation blends neuroscience, intention, and practical structure into a roadmap for building a deeply successful—and deeply meaningful—life. Inside the Episode: Escaping a predetermined path and redesigning a life with intention How Trevor built seven companies and sold them without employees The 5-hour workday model and "Business Without Hustle" The hub model vs. traditional hiring Neuroscience, intention, and manifesting transformational outcomes Lessons from the animal sanctuary and community impact About Trevor: Trevor Blake is the New York Times bestselling author of Three Simple Steps, creator of online programs teaching the science of manifestation, and founder of a $500M cancer-research company. Connect with Trevor G. Blake: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trevorgblake/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trevorgblakeauthor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-g-blake/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrevorGBlake Don't Miss a Single Episode of WINNERS FIND A WAY If this conversation pushed your thinking, you'll want to stay plugged in.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/AnalyticJoin The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0KAnalytic Dreamz dives deep into the 15-year reign of “Telephone” – the 2010 cultural juggernaut from The Fame Monster that peaked #3 Hot 100, #1 UK, moved 4.88M global downloads, earned triple platinum UK status, and sits at 498M+ YouTube views while approaching 500M in 2025. From its Tarantino-inspired 9.5-minute video sequel to “Paparazzi,” Britney Spears' rejected demo, Glee sales spikes, Super Bowl surges, and 107M UK streams, Analytic Dreamz unpacks every stat and milestone.Now in 2025, Analytic Dreamz analyzes the explosive “Telephone II” teases: Gaga's Mayhem Ball Tour bee-emoji nods, “You've been a very bad girl” callbacks, Vanity Fair lie detector confirmations, and viral fan connections between Beyoncé's “Texas Hold 'Em” visuals and the original Pussy Wagon era. With both icons at career peaks – Beyoncé post-Act II and Gaga riding “Die With a Smile” momentum – Analytic Dreamz examines why Telephone II could be the biggest pop event of the decade. Real stats, real legacy, real anticipation.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Daniel Wagner, CEO of Rezolve AI (RZLV), returns to Market on Close to talk about how the company aims to achieve $500 million ARR by the end of 2026. He says Microsoft (MSFT) and Alphabet (GOOGL) allowing access to their platforms add value to the ecommerce software company. Daniel adds that arguments for an A.I. bubble are "misguided." ======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about
Amit walked away from being President of 1-800-Flowers after scaling it from $500M to $2B because he saw smart people trapped in dumb systems. His insight: half of global GDP is 90% manual work—salespeople entering data instead of selling, technicians reading manuals instead of fixing. He started Instalily in Spring 2023 when everyone said AI agents were impossible. Instead of replacing workers, he built AI that finds signals in noise—telling each salesperson exactly which deal to focus on right now. The results are insane: $1M ARR within months, tripling revenue year two, delivering $150M+ value to single customers. His secret? While competitors pitched flashy demos, Amit's team attended 100+ trade shows to understand actual operator pain. They hired fresh AI grads who "shipped fearlessly" instead of senior talent stuck in old paradigms.Why You Should Listen:How "operator market fit" beats product market fit for enterprise salesThe GTM playbook that hit $1M ARR in months by attending 100+ trade showsWhy hiring AI-native grads crushed hiring senior talent for AI productsHow focusing on time-to-value unlocked enterprise dealsThe counterintuitive approach: augment the best parts of jobs, not the worstKeywords:startup podcast, startup podcast for founders, Instalily, Amit Shah, AI agents, enterprise sales, operator market fit, B2B SaaS, AI automation, vertical SaaS00:00:00 Intro00:04:42 Leaving 1-800-Flowers00:09:55 Starting when everyone said AI agents were impossible00:11:51 The vision—amplify the best parts of work, not replace the worst00:16:59 Operator market fit over product market fit00:20:48 Landing first $2B enterprise customers 00:29:00 The 100+ trade show GTM strategy that actually worked00:33:02 Why they hired AI-native grads instead of senior talent00:34:51 Hitting $1M ARR in monthsRetrySend me a message to let me know what you think!
Bitcoin just spent a year at all-time highs without a classic blow-off top—so did we actually already live through the bull market without feeling it? In this episode we walk through the red days, the compressed four-year cycle, and why a 60K–70K BTC “bottom” could trigger a slow-motion extinction event for miners. We break down what that means for network security, why miner incentives matter more than most people want to admit, and how NAT as a second subsidy fits into this picture if hash price keeps getting crushed. From there we zoom out and compare this cycle to the last one: DeFi, NFTs, GameFi, and the Metaverse versus Ordinals, memecoins-as-a-service, AI agents, and the OtherSide. We talk about why the metaverse hype died so fast, whether Yuga's $500M land sale can ever be justified, and how insanely fast humanoid robots are evolving in China, Russia, and the U.S.—plus what that means for labor, isolation, and the inevitability of digital economies. Finally, we connect it all to the macro race between China and the U.S.: gold versus digital rails, state-level attack surfaces on Bitcoin, and why all of these tailwinds converge into a “lightning in a bottle” moment for NAT, DMT, and Bitcoin-aligned incentives. If you're a miner, builder, or long-term crypto investor trying to understand what happens if this really was the top—and how to position around security budgets, hash power, and new subsidy layers—this one's for you. Drop your questions in the comments, follow us on X, and join the NAT Telegram to go deeper into the miner incentive war. Nothing in this video is financial advice; do your own research. Topics: First up, Bitcoin just spent a year at all-time highs without a classic blow-off top—so did we actually already live through the bull market without feeling it? Next, We talk about why the metaverse hype died so fast and Finally, why all of these tailwinds converge into a “lightning in a bottle” moment for NAT, DMT, and Bitcoin-aligned incentives. Please like and subscribe on your favorite podcasting app! Sign up for a free newsletter: www.theblockrunner.com Follow us on: Youtube: https://bit.ly/TBlkRnnrYouTube Twitter: bit.ly/TBR-Twitter Telegram: bit.ly/TBR-Telegram Discord: bit.ly/TBR-Discord $NAT Telegram: https://t.me/dmt_nat
Matt Gottesman is a 3x founder, podcaster and writer... and has successfully intertwined his life's work with his passions, purpose and interests. He is the creator of The Niche is You podcast, and is currently ranked #25 in Philosophy for his Substack of the same name. His publishing and production company Nah, Bigger Media, has emerged as a platform (1B+ impressions, 500M+ video views & 300K+ social media followers) for emerging voices who share his vision of purpose-driven entrepreneurship. With an extensive background, an MBA in International Business and over 20+ years in tech & media, he's worked and partnered with some of the most iconic brands such as Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy. His prolific writing style has become instantly recognisable through his ability to make profound concepts feel accessible and actionable have become a compass for millions seeking clarity in an increasingly complex world. Links: Writing: mattgottesman.substack.com Podcast: The Niche Is You Website: mattgottesman.com Instagram: @mattgottesman Apparel: The Niche Is You Twitter: @matt_gottesman Linkedin: /in/mattgottesman Connect with Ruby: Connect with Ruby: https://www.instagram.com/rubykmarsh/ Creator Club Business Coaching
Blake Lively says she's owed $500M for her legal battle with Justin Baldoni. She's calling on her celebrity friends (Emily Blunt, Alexis Blidel, America Ferrera, & More) to prove her case. Plus, Jed Wallace officially gets dismissed! Take advantage of Soul's Black Friday-Cyber Monday deal now! For a limited time, get 40% off your entire order! Go to https://www.getsoul.com/ and use the code NOFILTER Become a Member of No Filter: ALL ACCESS: https://allaccess.supercast.com/ Shop New Merch now: https://merchlabs.com/collections/zack-peter?srsltid=AfmBOoqqnV3kfsOYPubFFxCQdpCuGjVgssGIXZRXHcLPH9t4GjiKoaio Watch Disaster Daters: https://open.spotify.com/show/3L4GLnKwz9Uy5dT8Ey1VPi Book a personalized message on Cameo: https://v.cameo.com/e/QxWQhpd1TIb
Get the guide to build your own unicorn billion dollar biz: https://clickhubspot.com/fgk Episode 761: Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) sits down with Ryan Smith ( https://x.com/ryanqualtrics ) – the high school dropout who built an $8B company and bought an NBA team. — Show Notes: (0:00) 1.9 GPA to $2B (9:47) Starting Qualtrics (14:02) Focus (24:00) How to be top 1% at sales (26:17) Turning down $500M (31:37) Working backwards (3814) Buying an NBA team (43:51) The 9 most important minutes of the day — Links: • Qualtrics - https://www.qualtrics.com/ • Utah Jazz - https://www.nba.com/jazz/ — Check Out Shaan's Stuff: • Shaan's weekly email - https://www.shaanpuri.com • Visit https://www.somewhere.com/mfm to hire worldwide talent like Shaan and get $500 off for being an MFM listener. Hire developers, assistants, marketing pros, sales teams and more for 80% less than US equivalents. • Mercury - Need a bank for your company? Go check out Mercury (mercury.com). Shaan uses it for all of his companies! Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC — Check Out Sam's Stuff: • Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/ • Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/ • Copy That - https://copythat.com • Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth • Sam's List - http://samslist.co/ My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano
In 2010, software engineer Natalie Gordon was pregnant– and fed up with the overwhelming baby aisles in big box stores. So she quit her computer job to code the registry she wished existed. No pink-and-blue giraffes. No allegiance to a single store. Just a universal list that let friends give the real help that new parents need—from strollers to diaper services to dog-walking.Natalie coded the first lines of Babylist during her son's nap time. She managed customer support, pitched bloggers from coffee shops, and learned growth the hard way—first through affiliates, then with a pivotal Pinterest bet, and finally by taking on her own inventory (and all the headaches that come with it). Along the way she wrestled with hiring, firing, fundraising, and the identity shift from founder to CEO. Today, Babylist is one of the most trusted parenting platforms in the U.S., with a retail arm, editorial content, and a program for providing breast pumps. This is a masterclass in living a problem–and building a solution. You'll learn:How to spot a customer pain point and design an MVP around itThe power of slow viralityHow to use a small seed round without losing controlThe painful path from affiliate revenue to first-party e-commerceStumbles with hiring – and firing– as a first-time CEOHow paid growth works on visual platforms like PinterestHow “controlling your destiny” justifies a hard shift in business modelHow coaching and feedback helps you evolve from founder to leaderTimestamps:05:32 - Learning to solve hard problems at Amazon -08:28 - Sabbatical in Latin America: Natalie's first (failed) business and what it taught her17:50 - A meltdown in a superstore → the Babylist “aha” moment19:40 - Designing a universal registry, dog-walking included24:42 - Blitzing the mommy blogs, a “pregnant hacker” post on Hacker News30:01 - Why $140/month revenue felt like a victory39:18 - Going solo at an Accelerator, and the agony of early hiring and firing49:29 - From “slowly viral” to real scale, and how Pinterest helped58:09 - Affiliate links to in-house inventory → piles of bassinets in the office 1:01:57 - COVID's unexpected windfall, the health wedge (breast pumps & beyond)This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Introducing the All Def SquADD Cast show “Versus". It's a podcast with the OG SquADD! Each week, the SquADD will debate topics and vote at the end to see what wins. Versus airs every Monday and you can download and listen wherever podcasts are found. Special Guest Roxxy Haze Dion Lack Brent Taylor This Week We Discuss Skyscraper Window Cleaner vs Light House Worker Be A Professional Stripper At Assisted Living Homes vs A Roaster At The Special Olympics Monthly Eating Contest Of Your Most Hated Food vs Only Have Hotdog Water As A Drink Again S/o To Our Sponsors Cash App Download Cash App And Use The Code CASHAPP10 At Sign Up At Receive $10 When You Send A Friend $5. Terms Apply
Victor Orlovski of R136 Ventures joins Nick to discuss From CTO to $500M AUM: Entry Point Discipline, Why People Matter at Every Stage, and the AI-Driven Future of Banking. In this episode we cover: Exit Strategies and Market Challenges Risks and Opportunities in Late-Stage Investments Banking and FinTech Challenges Future of Financial Markets and AI in Banking Impact of AI on Financial Institutions Role of Founders in the AI Era Guest Links: Victor's LinkedIn Victor's X R136's LinkedIn R136's Website The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/AnalyticJoin The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0KDive into Segment: Shakira – “Hips Don't Lie” (2025 Spotify Anniversary Remix ft. Ed Sheeran & Beéle) on Notorious Mass Effect with Analytic Dreamz. This comprehensive breakdown explores Shakira's iconic career, from her 1995 breakthrough Pies Descalzos (4M+ sales) to 125M+ global records as the top-selling Latin female artist. Analytic Dreamz analyzes the original 2006 #1 hit in 55 countries, its 2B+ Spotify streams, and the 2025 remix celebrating Oral Fixation Vol. 2's 20th anniversary. Featuring Ed Sheeran's acoustic depth and Beéle's Afro-Latin rhythms, the remix re-entered Global Spotify Top 10 within one week. Full statistics include 4.1M US downloads, 9,637 weekly radio spins record, FIFA 2006 surge (+300% Europe), Super Bowl LIV boost (+194%), and TikTok's 500M+ dance streams. Analytic Dreamz examines genre fusion of reggaeton, cumbia, pop, hip-hop; cultural legacy influencing Karol G and Rosalía; plus 2025 tour tie-ins resuming in Colombia. Discover sales breakdowns, chart milestones, and why this remains Shakira's defining US Hot 100 #1 anthem bridging Latin globalization across generations.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Canyon Ranch is opening a $500M hotel in Austin, but for just 1 customer… Women.The internet broke yesterday because of Amazon Web Services… It's too connected to fail. TiVo, the TV pioneer, just sold its last TiVo… It's a case study in “moats vs islands.”Plus, the Louvre theft in Paris isn't unique… Art crime has been hitting an all-time high.$AMZN $MAR $NFLXNEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.