Podcasts about 500m

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Everyone loved Dolly Parton, Paris Hilton's birthday nudes, Reggie Watt loves Ketamine, and Target's racist Halloween costume. PLUS - WATP Karl takes on TJ & Amy, Amy Poehler with Rosie O'Donnell and the rest of the Dabbleverse. Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80. Condolences to her Goddaughter, Miley Cyrus. Donald Trump was a big fan. Marc recommends Normal, but he's getting some flak for the choice. Drew liked it. Hayden Panettiere's mother won't go away. Be careful riding zebras out there. The Big Ten will NOT allow failed NFL players to return to their schools. The SEC follows suit. Aryna Sabalenka is called out for her trashy tennis outfit. Hilton 1: Perez Hilton is not getting much sympathy following his hospitalization. Brittany Romano thinks her friend Lindsay Clancy's trial is hilarious. Karl from WATP drops by to promote his band's live television performance, discuss Howard Stern's employee exodus, Amy 'Robes' and TJ Holmes still podcasting to nobody, incredible Jerry Banfield coverage, Rosie O'Donnell blabs on Good Hang with Amy Poehler, and Jimmy Kimmel joins Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard alongside his awful wife. Roberto is a big fan of Jobriath. Hilton 2: Paris Hilton celebrated her 45th birthday by releasing nudes. Turns out she has quite a few dongs in her 45 years. Sports: San Francisco 49ers owner busted buying prostitutes. Cheap ones too despite being worth $500M. San Fran's coach has had a tough time lately too. Brandon Aiyuk is struggling with the electricity in the air. Deshaun Watson Cleveland Brown's starting QB. Turns out football gives you CTE as 1 in 4 dead NFL players from 2016 - 2021 had the condition. Sammy Sosa is reversing his whiteness. We miss steroids. The statistics are in and Meghan Markle is confirmed a bitch. The blur-faced brats will likely be omitted from their yearbook. Meghan needs to learn her history on the monarchy. Pretty soon someone is going to steal Harry away from her and she is mad. Reggie Watts loves drugs... especially Ketamine. His ex, Katherine McCollough, committed suicide after their breakup. At least we learn what 'Bufo' is. Merch is available if you want to rep the show. Word of mouth, brah. If you'd like to help support the show… consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (Drew Lane, Marc Fellhauer, Trudi Daniels, Jim Bentley, BranDon, and Roberto).

Steve Hartman and Veejay Huskey start off the show discussing Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, and why the Browns should go to Sanders after Watsons comments. Veejay gives his hottest takes of the 2026 NFL season then Steve brings up Jeanie Buss having her governship taken away from her and why this is a battle she will fight for and can win. The guys also discuss James Harden signing a 3-year $97M deal at 37 years old and why he's not worth even close to that at this point in his career. He will become the third player to earn $500M in his career. Steve and Veejay discuss the economics of sports and how NFL players are now going back to college to play another year of College Football before going back to the NFL. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luigi Mangione pleads guilty, Eli Zaret stops by, John Hinckley Jr. on the interview circuit, Selena Gomez fraud allegations, Alex Cooper pretends to know business on CNBC, and Fox 2 responds to Taryn Asher's lawsuit. Eli Zaret drops by the studio to discuss the disappointing weekend for the Detroit Tigers, the endless drama in the WNBA, Tony Romo about to be blown out at CBS, Kyle Whittingham loves Ohio State, Jayden Daniels super butthurt that LSU allowed someone to wear his number, the Super Bowl Champs snatch up Terrion Arnold, the new badass TV screen at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois, the sale of the LA Lakers and much more. RIP Creem editor Dave Marsh. The Woodward Dream Cruise went down. A brawl went down Duggan's Irish Pub. There was also a brawl in Birmingham. We look at Drew's pictures for some reason. The mob will NOT allow Frankie Valli to retire. Some new footage of Michael Jackson dropped. Drew finally caught the biopic an enjoyed it. Mario Bosco is alive and short. Fox 2 declares Taryn Asher prone to 'outbursts' and a video drops of her upset at work. The story did remind the world that Roop Raj got a DUI. Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to federal stalking. He remains a loser. The "Mangionistas" have attained press passes. John Hinckley Jr. is making the podcast rounds. Patti Davis isn't happy about it. Get your John Hinckley signed headshot today! Loser Chad Hickman kills 5 and himself in Lake City, Michigan. Nice tattoo, dork. Pregnant Alex Cooper's has ditch talk of bj's for high profile interviews. Her company is somehow worth $500M. She did an interview with CNBC and dances around Dave Portnoy's claims she threatened sexual harassment claims and blabs about her podcast and future endeavors. Selena Gomez and her mother are phonies and accused of fraud with their mental health startup. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have the Fecal Midas Touch and have been advised to go away. They need more money for the boring Invictus Games. Nepo-Babies: Redmond O'Neal is looking great in court for attempted murder and flashes awesome new tattoos. Nick Reiner is a whiner and will not receive his parent's money. Perez Hilton's sister is spilling about his live stream meltdown. Corey Feldman is rocking to the elderly. He continues to pop off against Hollywood pedophiles. UPDATE: Corey's elderly cash cow has died. Jenna Jameson has married for the 4th time. No influencers are welcome in Nantucket. Our favorite mobster, Carmine Gotti Agnello, had some time shaved off his prison time. Merch is available if you want to rep the show. Word of mouth, brah. If you'd like to help support the show… consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (Drew Lane, Marc Fellhauer, Trudi Daniels, Jim Bentley, BranDon, and Roberto).

Every leader eventually faces a moment when the numbers stop making sense.For Amit Bendov, Co-Founder and CEO of Gong, that moment came during what he calls "the quarter from hell." Sales were collapsing, investors were asking tough questions, and every report looked normal. The CRM had data—but none of the answers.That painful experience sparked an idea that would become Gong, one of the world's leading AI-powered revenue platforms, now generating more than $500 million in annual recurring revenue.In this episode of Lead the Team, Amit shares the leadership lessons behind that defining moment and explains how AI is changing the way leaders understand customers, coach teams, and make better decisions.In this episode:Why "the quarter from hell" became the origin story of GongThe leadership blind spot that almost every executive facesWhy traditional CRM systems fail when leaders need answers mostHow AI helps leaders spot problems before it's too lateThe operating rhythm used by elite sales organizationsThe hiring traits Amit looks for in future leadersWhy ownership and curiosity separate great leaders from everyone elseWhether you're a CEO, founder, executive, sales leader, or entrepreneur, this conversation offers practical lessons on leading through uncertainty, building better teams, and using AI to create a lasting competitive advantage.-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Unwell raised $$ at a $500M valuation… but Alex Cooper's business model is still unwritten.Paramount might not close its Warner Bros acquisition… which would result in the biggest late fee of all time.Candy Crush is 15 years old and still has 81 million users… because you can never win it.Plus, the LA Lakers just sold for a record $12.5B - more than any team in any sport anywhere.$MSFT $PARA $DIS $PGGrab your Tickets to the IPO Tour: Our In-Person OfferingSan Francisco 9/23: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1C0064AFB5F688BDBoston 10/14: https://tickets.citywinery.com/event/tboy-the-ipo-tour-in-person-offering-8cdhupSeattle 11/4 (21+): https://www.axs.com/events/1446394/the-best-one-yet-ticketsNEWSLETTER: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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was sponsored by Cardiff    LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/ Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/   Today's Dropping Bombs episode delivers a masterclass in scaling with Todd Hayes, the automotive industry veteran who's spent nearly four decades turning fragmented mom-and-pop repair shops into a $65 million private equity platform — with a billion-dollar valuation as his next target.   Todd breaks down the exact playbook behind scaling a single shop from $225,000 to $1.2 million a month, why most private equity roll-ups are just "Frankenstein" collections dressed up as platforms, and the de-risking strategy that lets him buy businesses for pennies while staying debt-free.   If you think auto repair means greasy overalls and thin margins, this conversation will change how you see the entire industry — and how you build any business.    

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster details Sounds Profitable's five-day takeover of New York City's Terminal 5 in September, spanning the partner-only Business Summit, the IAB Podcast Upfront after party, and Podcast Movement NYC.Quill and CoHost CEO Fatima Zaidi argues brand podcasts fail from unclear purpose rather than small budgets, and offers a three-part test for building shows that survive budget cuts.Alex Cooper's Unwell takes its first outside investment from Patrick Whitesell's firm WTSL at a $500 million valuation, signaling continued investor appetite for podcast creator IP.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

Today in the business of podcasting:Tom Webster details Sounds Profitable's five-day takeover of New York City's Terminal 5 in September, spanning the partner-only Business Summit, the IAB Podcast Upfront after party, and Podcast Movement NYC.Quill and CoHost CEO Fatima Zaidi argues brand podcasts fail from unclear purpose rather than small budgets, and offers a three-part test for building shows that survive budget cuts.Alex Cooper's Unwell takes its first outside investment from Patrick Whitesell's firm WTSL at a $500 million valuation, signaling continued investor appetite for podcast creator IP.To find links to these, and every article covered in today's episode, click here. You can also subscribe to The Download's newsletter to receive the full issue straight to your email inbox every day.

If you want to leave corporate America in the next 6-18 months - you should check out our Action Academy Community

Smylie and Charlie dive deep into LIV Golf's uncertain future, breaking down the reported $250 million investment from BC Partners, the shift to a player-equity model, and what a 10-event "LIV 2.0" schedule would actually look like. They also unpack the confirmed cancellation of the Team Championship in Michigan, leaving Indianapolis as the tour's lone remaining event of 2026.Plus: Bryson DeChambeau's headline-grabbing New York Post quotes, why he might be the one player who keeps LIV alive no matter what, the brutal math facing Jon Rahm if he wants back on the PGA Tour, LIV's business missteps (from its team-branding strategy to its mounting legal bills), and a fun hypothetical — could a Bryson-led YouTube golf tour actually work?Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow!Chapters0:00 Intro & why we're breaking down LIV's future1:52 LIV 2.0 restructuring — bankruptcy, equity, and the "$250M mini tour"5:12 Who's funding this? BC Partners and the players-investors standoff8:30 Which players get a fast track back — Rahm and Niemann9:24 Bryson's New York Post quotes, dissected10:26 Bryson's YouTube empire and why he's all-in on LIV14:56 The failed $500M ask from PIF16:14 Bryson's major exemptions status through 202917:41 Bryson is the engine keeping LIV alive19:50 The Q-School pathway back to the PGA Tour22:24 LIV 2.0's reality check: purses shrink from $40M to $15M24:37 Who pays the penalty? Koepka's buyback and Rahm's price tag27:37 Jon Rahm's business decision29:09 LIV's mistakes: legal fees and a fumbled team-branding strategy33:25 The road not taken — a joint venture instead of a rival tour36:34 Could LIV become a YouTube-native golf brand?38:21 Selling YouTube golf to sponsors — the measurement problem40:36 Hypothetical: a Bryson-led touring roadshow42:28 LIV's other lawsuits: Premier Golf League and Mobii Systems47:17 Prediction: Rahm's decision and a September deadline#golf #LIV #pgatour #jonrahm #brysondechambeau #smylieshow #smyliekaufman

What does AI actually look like on a construction jobsite in 2026 — not the hype, the reality? In this episode of Voices of CFMA, host Sal Marino talks with Cindy Ly, founder of ToolBox Consulting, about her unconventional path from industrial construction cost control to yoga teaching in Europe to leading AI strategy for hundreds of construction companies. Cindy shares what she's seen across the industry in the last six months, where AI adoption is accelerating, where it's stalling, and why data standardization matters more than the tools themselves. In this episode:- Cindy's path from $500M industrial mega-projects to yoga teacher training in Europe and back to construction- Why she believes AI is a catalyst, not the solution, and data is the real work- The gap between field operations and financial control, and how AI is starting to close it- Common mistakes leadership teams make when rolling out AI tools- Her advice for CFOs and controllers navigating AI adoption right nowChapters: 00:00 Intro & welcome Cindy Ly 00:35 What Cindy does now 01:11 Growing up near Chicago, drawn to construction 02:06 From pharmacy major to construction management at Purdue 02:36 Industrial construction: blast furnaces and coke batteries 03:04 Burnout, and becoming a yoga teacher in Europe 05:26 The pivot into construction technology 06:36 Hiding her career changes from her parents 07:35 How yoga reshaped her approach to work 09:30 Reconnecting with the industry 10:10 The data problem before AI was a buzzword 12:49 What pulled her toward AI specifically 15:38 Her first AI project: Groundbreak 2025 and Procore 18:01 Why she started ToolBox Consulting 20:50 Hard lessons and the value of a slow burn 23:33 Where AI adoption is accelerating and stalling 25:27 Field operations vs. financial control 27:33 Hackathons and vibe coding, explained 30:27 Common mistakes in AI rollouts 32:07 Her #1 piece of advice for CFOs and controllers 32:59 Life outside work: DJing 34:06 Final advice: keep an open mindConnect with Cindy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ly-cindyt/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ToolboxTechTalkAbout Voices of CFMA: Voices of CFMA brings you conversations with construction financial professionals and industry leaders on the trends, tools, and ideas shaping construction finance. Learn more at cfma.org. #ConstructionAI #ConstructionTechnology #CFMA #ConstructionFinance

What happens when your net worth reaches $500 million, but exists almost entirely on paper? For Martin Tobias, watching that concentrated position fall roughly 90% became a lasting lesson about liquidity, risk, and the difference between appearing wealthy and possessing durable wealth.Martin is the founder and managing partner of Incisive Ventures, a pre-seed venture capital firm focused on B2B software companies that reduce friction at scale. A three-time venture-backed CEO, Martin raised more than $500 million across his companies and completed two IPOs. His career also includes Accenture, Microsoft, and a venture partner role at Ignition Partners. He has since invested in eight companies that reached unicorn status.In this conversation, Martin joins Sam Silverman to trace his progression from corporate employee to founder, angel investor, and professional venture manager. He explains how early Microsoft equity created life-changing wealth, why delaying that opportunity carried an enormous cost, and how his experience with concentrated IPO stock shaped the way he protects capital today.Martin and Sam also examine the power-law economics of venture capital. They discuss why most early-stage investments may fail, why a 10x outcome may still be insufficient within a diversified fund, and how a small number of 100x outliers can determine the performance of an entire portfolio.In this conversation:How Microsoft equity created founder-level wealth for a corporate employeeWhy delaying Microsoft's offer by one year carried a $20 million opportunity costWhy a $500 million paper net worth was not the same as accessible cashHow IPO lockups and concentrated stock complicate personal liquidityWhy Martin placed most of a major win into conservative, cash-flowing assetsHow AI is changing entry-level careers and traditional training groundsWhy Martin focuses on capital-efficient, pre-seed B2B softwareWhat he looks for in founding teams and their distribution advantagesWhy his angel portfolio underperformed his professionally managed venture portfolioHow deal flow, selection bias, and adequate runway affect investment outcomesWhy venture funds depend on extreme outliers rather than consistent moderate winsHow aspiring venture managers can build credibility before raising a blind poolTopics covered: Martin Tobias, Incisive Ventures, venture capital, pre-seed investing, B2B software, startup equity, founder liquidity, concentrated stock positions, angel investing, power-law returns, portfolio construction, wealth preservation, AI and careersGuest: Martin Tobias, founder and managing partner of Incisive Ventureshttps://incisive.vc/Newsletter:https://www.mechanicsofmoney.coWebsite:https://silvermancapital.comFollow the Mechanics of Money for weekly conversations on private markets, alternative investments, and the mechanics behind building real wealth.#venturecapital #preseed #startupinvesting #b2bsoftware #angelinvesting #wealthstrategy #privateinvestments #mechanicsofmoney

How does a brand sell car-sized orders online? Discover the omnichannel, Amazon, AI, and customer acquisition strategies behind hundreds of millions in e-commerce sales. ► Watch The Podcasts On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Helium10SeriousSellersPodcast?sub_confirmation=1 ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft What does it take to sell hundreds of millions of dollars online, and what happens when the average customer order can cost as much as a car? In this episode, Bradley Sutton catches up with Alvaro Lopez, SVP of Marketing at Flooret, in Switzerland to unpack his journey from studying international relations to becoming an experienced e-commerce operator. Along the way, Alvaro built and exited his own Amazon business, helped scale Solo Stove and its sister brands across international marketplaces, and managed an Amazon portfolio that grew to nearly $65 million in annual sales. Today, Alvaro is applying those lessons at Flooret, a premium flooring company that built much of its success through direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Selling flooring online creates a very different customer journey than selling a typical Amazon product. Customers often begin by purchasing small samples before committing to a full flooring order covering around 1,000 square feet. That makes understanding customer acquisition costs, sample-to-order conversion rates, and the entire purchasing funnel especially important. Now, Flooret is expanding further into marketplaces like Amazon and Home Depot by meeting customers where they already want to shop. Alvaro explains why sellers should stop thinking of themselves as simply an “Amazon brand” and instead focus on building a true omnichannel business. That means establishing a direct relationship with customers through a website, email, and SMS while still taking advantage of Amazon's massive bottom-of-the-funnel demand. He also breaks down how Helium 10 can help larger brands estimate their realistic obtainable market and determine how much opportunity actually exists inside a category. The conversation also dives into AI, lean teams, and finding opportunities that create the greatest impact with the least effort. Alvaro believes AI should amplify strong employees rather than automatically replace them, especially in areas like creative production, reporting, and business analysis. His final advice is simple but powerful: regularly step back and identify the highest-impact opportunities in your business. Sometimes the next big win is more revenue—but improving shipping costs, customer service, retention, or returns can be just as valuable to your bottom line. In episode 760 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Bradley and Alvaro discuss: 00:00 - Introduction 02:28 - From Diplomacy To E-Commerce 04:43 - Launching And Exiting His Amazon Brand 06:54 - Scaling Solo Stove On Amazon 08:41 - Building A Massive Flooring Brand Online 11:13 - Expanding Beyond Direct-To-Consumer 15:28 - How The Flooring Sample Funnel Works 18:31 - Bringing High-Ticket Flooring To Amazon 23:12 - Stop Being Just An Amazon Brand 24:11 - Building Your Website, Email, And SMS 27:53 - Using Helium 10 For Market Sizing 30:17 - Using AI To Amplify Your Team 33:16 - The Effort-Impact Scorecard Strategy

Today's episode features two Action Academy members Jake And Dhriti @coffeemetchaiIf you want to leave corporate America in the next 6-18 months - you should check out our Action Academy Community

Andrew, Ben, and Tom discuss Berkshire Hathaway finally deploying its cash pile with the $6.8 billion purchase of Taylor Morrison Homes, a $10 billion new stake in Google now among its top five holdings, and $4.5 billion in buybacks, prompting the question of whether Buffett's years of caution are giving way to optimism, operating earnings up 24% and utilities profit up 27% even as BNSF and Geico continue to lag, TSMC's strong July sales supporting Q3 guidance for 46-48% revenue growth, a rough stretch for agriculture with Taylor Farms recalling jalapeño products in a salmonella outbreak following an earlier Cyclospora scare, and Treasury Wine Estates taking a $500 million charge and retreating from its US "masstige" strategy as global wine consumption hits its lowest level since the 1960sJoin our live YouTube stream Monday through Friday at 8:30 AM EST:http://www.youtube.com/@TheMorningMarketBriefingPlease see disclosures:https://www.narwhal.com/disclosure

In this episode, Stewart Alsop sits down with Mark Quadros, founder of GrowthOG and former link-building agency owner, for a wide-ranging conversation covering the state of Facebook ads and paid marketing, the decline of traditional SEO and backlink building in the age of AI, how Google and Cloudflare are jockeying for position as AI search reshapes the internet, and the messy economics of AI-generated video versus real footage (including Mark's work with Google Omni and Epidemic Sounds). They also get into monetization shifts across YouTube, Substack, and TikTok, the "reality disturbance" thesis behind Stewart's show with his father, and where video content and AI video ads are headed next. Find Mark Quadros on X @dherealmark and at his website, markxquadros.com.Timestamps00:00 Stewart welcomes Mark Quadros, discussing his shift from link building to GrowthOG and diving into Facebook ads and paid marketing.05:00 They explore AI psychosis and how AI-driven discovery is replacing traditional Google search behavior.10:00 Talk turns to bloated b2b ad budgets and why large companies struggle to adapt efficiently to AI.15:00 Mark shares his Bitcoin background, the "every company becomes a bank" theory, and his agency's slow decline.20:00 Deep dive into AEO, llms.txt, Cloudflare, and concerns over AI companies scraping the open internet.25:00 Conversation shifts to video, FFmpeg, open-source tools, and Mark's years living in Thailand.30:00 Mark recounts YouTube demonetization of AI content and pivoting back toward b2b clients.35:00 They unpack ghostwriting, ethical writing tensions, and how backlink value was really priced.40:00 Discussion of Google and YouTube killing old SEO playbooks, tied to shifting interest rates.45:00 Mark details pricing AI video ads, working with Google Omni and Epidemic Sounds, blending real footage with AI.50:00 Closing thoughts on the "reality disturbance" thesis and the value of human connection over AI.Key InsightsLink building is dying but not dead. Mark's SEO agency business peaked around 2022 working with brands like monday.com and HubSpot, but AI has steadily eroded the value of backlinks. There's still budget for links, just far less than during the gold rush years of 2018-2022.Big companies waste money because they can't track it. B2B companies spending $2-500M+ a year in revenue often can't account for where ad and vendor spend actually goes. Once a budget exists, it gets allocated regardless of efficiency, especially in large organizations too bureaucratic to figure out AI.AI is changing product discovery itself. Instead of searching Google and choosing from options, people now get AI recommendations directly, shifting the entire model of how consumers find products, which threatens the search-and-link economy that powered SEO for two decades.The open internet may be closing. Concerns about Anthropic, OpenAI, and China scraping content freely, including old books, have pushed creators like Stewart to restrict access to older podcast episodes. This marks a cultural shift away from the openness that defined the early internet era.AEO and llms.txt are the new frontier, and nobody fully understands them yet. Much like early SEO in 2001, there's a new discipline forming around how AI agents discover and read content, but no established playbook exists, leaving even experienced marketers uncertain.AI-generated video is a high-effort, low-margin trap. Mark found that fully AI-generated ads were nearly unprofitable given the time needed to get results right, while blending real human footage with AI-altered environments (using tools like Google Omni) produced better, faster, more believable results.YouTube's AI demonetization wave hit creators hard. As AI-generated content flooded YouTube, the platform cracked down broadly, devastating even legitimate animators and renderers. This pushed Mark to pivot away from consumer video tools back toward serving his existing B2B client base.

Five years ago Rob Ward came on the show as co-founder and CEO of Quad Lock, the phone-mount brand he and Chris Peters bootstrapped from a Kickstarter campaign. Since then he's taken the big exit, Quad Lock sold to Thule for $500M at the end of 2024, and walked away entirely.He's spent the time since coaching basketball, picking up his kids, and building The DTC Playbook, a free interactive platform packing everything he learned scaling Quad Lock into frameworks any founder can use. This conversation is the post-exit reflection: what he sees now that he couldn't from the inside, the opinions that built the business, and why he gave the whole playbook away for nothing.We get properly nerdy on the frameworks. Why revenue is vanity and unit economics are the truth, his Three Gates for customer acquisition, why new-customer CAC beats ROAS, and why brand is the only real moat left in a world where a six-month-old brand can look like a billion-dollar one.In this episode:Watch customer economics, not topline, because CAC is owned by the whole business, not just performance marketingBrand is the moat, since products are easy to copy and trust built over years is notRun leaner than you think, and use the gap between what AI can do and how it's actually implemented as your edgeConnect with Rob Ward Explore The DTC PlaybookSubscribe to the Add To Cart newsletter  SMS us to Suggest a Guest Connect with Nathan Bush Join the Add To Cart Community 

If you want to leave corporate America in the next 6-18 months - you should check out our Action Academy Community

If you want to leave corporate America in the next 6-18 months - you should check out our Action Academy Community

Ryan Pineda sits down with Matt Wright to unpack how he built Australia's largest online car-buying company into a $500M business with a nine-figure exit to Toyota, while revealing the personal sacrifices, burnout, and lessons about balancing ambition, faith, and family that came with it.⁣⁣Connect with Matt - ⁣https://www.founderfindsfuture.com/⁣https://www.instagram.com/founderfindsfuture/⁣https://www.youtube.com/@realmattwright⁣__________⁣⁣If you'd like my team to run your marketing & sales department to scale your business apply here https://www.pinedapartners.com⁣⁣Join our private mastermind for elite business leaders who golf. https://www.mastermind19.com⁣⁣Want to be featured on the Wealthy Way Podcast? Apply here https://www.wealthyway.com⁣⁣If you want to start your real estate investing business, we'll give you 1:1 coaching, seller leads, software, & everything you need. https://www.wealthyinvestor.com⁣⁣Tired of paying so much in taxes every year? We'll give you strategy, tax prep, and accounting all in one place. https://www.taylor-tax.com⁣⁣Join free Bible studies and workshops for Christian business leaders. https://www.tentmakers.us⁣__________⁣Chapters:⁣00:32 - Intro & Big Exit⁣01:46 - Building the Business & Burnout⁣06:42 - Scaling, Strategy & Sale⁣15:01 - Hiring & Due Diligence⁣17:00 - Toyota Sale & Advisory Role⁣19:23 - Success & Life After Exit⁣30:02 - Cost of Success⁣32:00 - Family vs. Business⁣34:02 - Life Perspective⁣45:03 - Priorities & Time⁣47:58 - Founder Finds Future⁣55:00 - Balance & Faith⁣1:00:05 - Location & Flight Times⁣1:02:03 - Australia, New Zealand & US Energy⁣1:04:09 - Taxes, Structure & Wealth Mindset

Introduction How much of your agency's new business comes from a source you don't control? Jake Cash spent five and a half years inside GEICO's national agency marketing operation, managing more than $500 million in ad spend, and watched the fastest-growing agencies ride a single channel up and then back down. On this episode of the Insurtech Leadership Podcast, he and host Joshua R. Hollander get into what it takes for a P&C agency to own its growth engine instead of renting it, and why the answer usually starts with the book of business the agency already has. Guest Bio Jake Cash is the Founder and CEO of Senryx Group, a Carmel, Indiana firm that builds marketing systems P&C agencies own and run themselves. At GEICO he led agency marketing strategy for more than 300 agencies nationwide, managed over $500 million in ad spend, and negotiated partnerships with Meta, Google, and NBA and MLB teams. He left that Fortune 500 seat (the same day his wife returned from maternity leave and his daughter started daycare) to build Senryx around a diagnostic-first model with no retainer lock-in: assess and plan, build the systems, then train the agency's own team to run them. His goal for most clients is self-sufficiency within six to twelve months. Key Topics -The five buckets of dependence - Carrier, channel, tactic, people, and vendor dependency, and how Senryx diagnoses which ones are capping an agency's growth. -The 50% red flag - Why more than half of new business coming from one source is a vulnerability, and the first question every owner should be able to answer. -From 100 to 800 policies a month - The 18-month rebuild of a Texas personal lines agency, and the channel mix (Google ads, Meta ads, cross-sell email, organic social) behind it. -The book you already have - Retention runs seven to nine times cheaper than acquisition, and cross-sell revenue is already sitting in the existing client base. -Owning your data - Lead vendors sell the same lead to five or ten agencies and share nothing, while owned ad accounts and email put the numbers in the agency's hands. -AI: admin speed over content volume - Where AI actually helps an agency today, why unedited AI content fails, and Senryx's early tests running ads inside ChatGPT. -Hiring for growth mindset - What roughly 30 hires in 10 years taught Jake, and why owners have to stop wearing every hat around the $1M revenue mark. Notable Quotes "If you don't know where you're getting new business from, then you're just flying blind." "A lot of times there's kind of a secret pile of cash that's already sitting in your book of business." "You're just getting the average of the internet as the reply." "If we get to a point where they don't need us anymore, then we've done our job." Resources Guest: Senryx Group: https://www.senryx.com/ Free two-minute Marketing Independence assessment: https://www.senryx.com/podcast Jake Cash on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakecash/ Host & Organization: Joshua R. Hollander on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuarhollander/ Horton International (USA): https://www.horton-usa.com/ Insurtech Leadership Podcast (LinkedIn Showcase): https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/insurtech-leadership-show Subscribe & Review If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe on your favorite platform and leave a review. The Insurtech Leadership Podcast is available on YouTube, Podbean, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

If you want to leave corporate America in the next 6-18 months - you should check out our Action Academy Community

「なぜ深夜のバイパスに…9歳男児が車にはねられ意識不明の重体　出入り可能な交差点から約500m離れた現場　広島・福山市」　1日未明、広島県福山市の国道バイパスで9歳の男の子が車にはねられ意識不明の重体です。警察によりますと1日午前2時15分ごろ、広島県福山市の国道2号「赤坂バイパス」の上りで、道路上にいた9歳の小学3年生の男の子が、54歳の会社員が運転する軽自動車にはねられました。運転していた会社員が消防に通報し、男の子は病院に搬送されましたが全身を強く打ち、骨折するなどして意識不明の重体です。現場は片側1車線の直線のバイパス道路で、歩行者の出入りが可能な近くの一般道の交差点からは約500メートルも離れていたということです。警察は男の子がどうしてバイパスに入り込んだのか、道路を横断しようとしていたのかなど詳しい事故の経緯などについて調べています。

How do you turn degraded farmland into an investable climate asset? Living Carbon has raised $76M in equity and unlocked $500M in project finance by combining reforestation, biomass, and long-term infrastructure thinking.Living Carbon restores degraded agricultural and mine lands through reforestation while developing biomass supply chains for industrial customers..Maddie Hall is the co-founder and CEO of Living Carbon. Before launching the company, she worked at OpenAI and Y Combinator.How to unlock project finance for climate startups — Why demonstrating repeatable execution, securing blue-chip customers, and reducing underwriting risk enabled Living Carbon to raise $500M beyond traditional venture capital.Why degraded land beats pristine forests — How abandoned farmland and former mine sites create stronger economics, lower land costs, and higher carbon additionality while avoiding competition with food production.Building two businesses within one company — Why Living Carbon separates its carbon credit business from its biomass platform, generating multiple revenue streams without relying entirely on voluntary carbon markets.Ignoring carbon market hype — Why Maddie focuses on building a business that will still matter in 2030 instead of chasing today's policy changes, pricing swings, or investor excitement.Leadership lessons from scaling startups — Why founders should catastrophize less, become comfortable with rejection, stop optimizing for being liked, and build routines that support long-term resilience.--1️⃣ Join our confidential CEO community.Private CEO group for VC/PE-backed climate tech founders navigating capital, strategy, and scale. Capped at 45 CEOs. → entrepreneursforimpact.com2️⃣ Join 40,000 professionals who get our newsletter.Climate tech finance, strategy, leadership. 2-min read. → entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com3️⃣ Leave a podcast review.If you got value, take 30 seconds and do the community a favor. It helps push more capital and talent toward scalable climate solutions.

In this episode, Jeremy sits down with Owen Carr, Chief Marketing Officer at Spreetail and host of the CarrTalk! podcast. Owen breaks down how Spreetail grew from a $500 million business to $1.8 billion in revenue by operating as an end-to-end e-commerce accelerator for durable and hard goods across 20+ channels, including Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Home Depot. He explains why heavy-ground logistics and sub-40-hour delivery speeds are critical growth levers, how their 9-facility network functions without relying on Amazon FBA, and why operational hygiene and left-to-right metrics (LTRs) are essential when scaling past the $1 billion mark.

When is the right time to sell your CPG brand?In this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark Young and Justin Girouard break down one of the biggest—and most emotional—decisions every entrepreneur faces: when to exit. They explain why the best time to prepare for a sale is years before you plan to sell, how buyers actually value brands, and what separates a $50M exit from a $500M+ exit.You'll learn why buyers aren't purchasing your history—they're buying your future.In this episode:Why founders should start preparing for an exit 3 years in advanceThe biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make before sellingHow strategic buyers value growth differently than private equityWhy momentum matters more than current revenueThe 10 signs your company may be ready for an acquisitionThe exit readiness scorecard every founder should useReal acquisition examples including Rao's, RXBAR, Kind, Native, Cremo, - Primal Kitchen, and moreHow to build a company that can thrive without the founderOne of the biggest takeaways:"The right price to sell your company is when someone offers you more than you'd pay for it yourself."Whether you're planning to sell next year or ten years from now, this conversation will change how you think about building enterprise value.

The FY2027 budget dropped. The Research Council dug in. And suddenly a massive gap appeared — one that no official document explained. Citizens Research Council's Bob Schneider joins Guy Gordon on the #FactsMatter pod this week to unpack Michigan's FY 2027 budget and how Schneider's analysis revealed a $600–$900 million gap that wasn't visible in any public document. Within hours of his analysis being published, state leaders acknowledged quiet maneuvers involving SOAR lapses, unused reserves, and leftover federal dollars. In this episode, Bob and Guy break down the SOAR lapse, federal stimulus shifts, and the transparency issues behind the state's budget process, plus the $500M challenge awaiting in FY2028. A clear, nonpartisan look at what's really happening inside Michigan's finances, why it matters, and what it means for the next administration. If you care about transparency, this conversation is essential.

AI isn't changing media. It's changing what a media company is.For years, creators monetized through sponsorships, advertising and subscriptions. Today, the most successful creators look more like startup founders than entertainers—building software, venture funds, holding companies and entirely new businesses.In this solo episode, Olga argues that the unit of value has changed. Content is no longer the product. Ideas are.We explore:• Why the biggest creators increasingly resemble venture-backed companies• Why AI transforms one conversation into an entire content ecosystem• Why "repurposing" is becoming an outdated concept• Why judgment—not content creation—becomes the scarce resource in the AI era• Why Google partnered with Alex Cooper instead of another advertising agency• What Steven Bartlett's business model reveals about the future of creator companies• Why venture firms like a16z and Lightspeed are investing in media as a competitive advantage• Why every company—from startups to private equity firms—may eventually need a media armIf content becomes infinitely abundant, what becomes valuable instead?Subscribe to ⁠The J Curve Insider⁠ newsletter for deeper insights and follow Olga on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠.

Welcome to another edition of Retail Roundup—your weekly brief helping retail leaders decode the biggest shifts in retail, AI, and commerce. In this week's episode, Jeremy sits down with Martin Bailie (MWB Advisory) and Kimberly Morgan (The Fashion Tech Exec) to break down how three major retail moves signal a definitive shift away from safe, superficial trends toward bold execution. INSIDE THE EPISODE: - Marketplaces As Infrastructure: GameStop's CEO Ryan Cohen put $500M of his own capital toward acquiring eBay (a company 5x GameStop's size). Regardless of the outcome, it shows massive conviction in combining physical store networks with marketplace scale to power modern commerce. - Practical AI Execution: Instacart acquired computer-vision startup Arpalus to track shelf inventory in real time. Shoppers will experience fewer substitutions and out-of-stock items. (For more on Instacart's infrastructure moves, check out our interview with the Chief Commercial Officer, Ryan Hamburger, here) - Profits Over Growth: Reformation's $1B IPO filing will test public market appetite for direct-to-consumer brands. The standards have changed: investors now prioritize healthy margins, sane customer acquisition costs, and durable unit economics over raw expansion. Different headlines, same story. Safe, incremental moves aren't cutting it anymore. Moving ahead right now takes clear strategy, strong execution, and real financial discipline.

Ready to make better business decisions? Get your FREE copy of Jeff Dudan's book, *Discernment*, and learn the principles that have helped build multiple industry-leading companies What does it really take to build a half-billion-dollar business from a parking lot? In this episode of Unemployable, Jeff Dudan sits down with Burn Boot Camp co-founder Devan Kline for one of the most honest conversations we've had on entrepreneurship, leadership, fitness, family, franchising, personal growth, and building a championship culture. Devan opens up about growing up in chaos, overcoming adversity, scaling Burn Boot Camp to nearly 500 locations, partnering with Kevin Hart and Marshmello, why he gave up alcohol, how fitness literally saves lives, and why great businesses are built by serving people—not chasing profits. Whether you're an entrepreneur, franchise owner, business leader, or simply looking for motivation to become the best version of yourself, this episode is packed with practical lessons you can apply immediately. 

Ready to make better business decisions? Get your FREE copy of Jeff Dudan's book, *Discernment*, and learn the principles that have helped build multiple industry-leading companies What does it really take to build a half-billion-dollar business from a parking lot? In this episode of Unemployable, Jeff Dudan sits down with Burn Boot Camp co-founder Devan Kline for one of the most honest conversations we've had on entrepreneurship, leadership, fitness, family, franchising, personal growth, and building a championship culture. Devan opens up about growing up in chaos, overcoming adversity, scaling Burn Boot Camp to nearly 500 locations, partnering with Kevin Hart and Marshmello, why he gave up alcohol, how fitness literally saves lives, and why great businesses are built by serving people—not chasing profits. Whether you're an entrepreneur, franchise owner, business leader, or simply looking for motivation to become the best version of yourself, this episode is packed with practical lessons you can apply immediately. 

You don't need a title to lead. You need a decision. I used to think leadership was something you "got"… a promotion, a corner office, a name on the door. Then I sat down with a guy who built his from nothing. Tim Lupinacci is the CEO of Baker Donelson, a Top 100 U.S. law firm, and the author of Everybody Leads. But before any of that, he was just a guy who decided to show up better… one car ride, one conversation, one small commitment at a time. Today he's leading 1,300+ people and pouring into underserved communities through his nonprofit work. On this episode, he breaks down exactly how that happened…and how it can happen for you too. In this episode, you'll hear: Why your title has nothing to do with whether you're actually leading The myth of "work-life balance" (and what to chase instead) What courageous leadership actually costs How Tim turned around a $500M firm…and finally wrote the book he kept putting off KEY QUOTES "Everybody's a leader." - Tim Lupinacci "Waters never part until your feet get wet… You have to take that step and believe in yourself." - Tim Lupinacci "Work-life integration isn't about balance. It's about harmony." - Tim Lupinacci "Courageous leadership is being confident, out front, unshakable, resilient, adaptable, having a growth mindset, and encouraging others." - Tim Lupinacci CONNECT WITH TIM Book: Everybody Leads (USE code TIMLEADS for a discount) Website (Baker Donelson): https://bakerdonelson.com Website (non-profit): https://everybodyleads.org Linkedin: in/Tim-Lupinacci IG/FB: @timlupinacci NEXT STEPS Listen to the full episode: https://jamesreid.com/tim-lupinacci-cuc Want to bring your best home more consistently? Take the Invisible Four™ Assessment and uncover what's quietly blocking you: https://jamesreid.com/assessment Follow J.R. on Social (@jamesJRreid): Facebook | Instagram | Linkedin | X | YouTube Visit J.R.'s website: https://jamesreid.com RATE & REVIEW this episode on Apple: https://jamesreid.com/review. We'd love it if you could drop a review or 5-star rating! Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. SHARE this episode with someone who wants to be challenged, pushed, and positioned to come up clutch more often. SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss out on any new episodes and Special Guests! Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. LISTEN to previous episodes on Apple, Spotify, or whatever podcast platform you prefer!

What does it take to write the very first check into a company that has almost nothing to show yet, sometimes not even a finished idea?Afore Capital helped invent the pre-seed category. When Gaurav Jain and Anamitra Banerji started the firm ten years ago, "pre-seed" was almost a slight, a label for founders who couldn't raise a proper seed round. They set out to build the world's largest pre-seed fund anyway, closing $47 million on a $40 million target, and every fund since has closed above plan. Afore now runs more than $500 million across four funds, with top-quartile DPI on the first three. The idea has become so mainstream that when Sequoia launched its latest fund, it said, "I guess we're pre-seed investors too."The real substance of the conversation is how Gaurav thinks. He is clear about what matters most in venture, and the order tends to surprise people. Being in the very best companies matters more than anything else, ownership comes after that, and the entry price that so many investors fixate on matters least, because fifty per cent of zero is still zero. He is also convinced that the genuine bottleneck is talent. There is a great deal of money in the world and very few people who can build something truly large, which is why at the earliest stage founders tend to choose their investors as much as investors choose them. You give a founder a million dollars with no collateral, and then you still have to convince them to take it. A pre-seed pitch, he says, is almost entirely storytelling with very little data behind it.If you want to understand how the earliest checks actually get written, and what it really costs to say no, this episode is worth your time.00:00 - Trailer01:00 - From Dehradun to Google to starting Afore02:08 - The Waterloo co-op that talked him out of every job03:18 - Back when "pre-seed" was an insult05:44 - When Sequoia said "I guess we're pre-seed investors too"07:26 - Afore's three products, and the experiments that failed09:01 - Hightouch was a travel company when they invested11:02 - Goldcast: no visa, no money, funded anyway12:07 - The through line is always the team14:44 - The Ramp miss17:24 - "Founders pick us more than we pick them"18:45 - The constraint isn't capital, it's talent22:24 - The Solana miss, when it was still Loom Protocol24:46 - Ramp's Super Bowl ad, the buses, his wife's business25:32 - What he looks for in founders28:50 - Coachability, happy ears, and the Mom Test31:28 - The biggest mistake: falling in love with the idea35:04 - The three things that matter, and "50% of zero is still zero"39:25 - "100% storytelling, 0% data"41:25 - Investing in India, and the fear of being dumb capital44:41 - "Sign the deal before Monday"47:26 - One engineer now does the job of 2051:43 - Raising from LPs, the undiscussed part of VC-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us Fan Mail

Jing Yang, Asia Bureau Chief, talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about DeepSeek's IPO plans and their almost $500M annualized revenue. We also talk with Leo Schwartz about NY's data center moratorium and the reactions of the Trump administration, Aaron Holmes about Microsoft's security overhaul, and we get into an AI dividend proposal with ACME's Scott Stanford.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/microsofts-new-security-chief-replaces-top-execs-force-ai-overhaulSubscribe: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agendaTITV airs weekdays on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Follow us:X: https://x.com/theinformationIG: https://www.instagram.com/theinformation/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@titv.theinformationLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theinformation/Chapters:00:00 - Introduction01:13 - DeepSeek Financials & Shanghai IPO14:06 - NY Data Center Moratorium & Trump EO22:52 - Microsoft Security Division Overhaul30:09 - Should AI Giants Pay an AI Dividend?

SaaStr 867: $0 to $500M ARR in 13 Months. Inside Higgsfield's Viral AI Growth with Alex Mashrabov, co-founder and CEO Most companies take years to get to $10M ARR. Higgsfield got there in eight weeks, then kept going. In 11 months they crossed $300M with 120 people and no traditional sales team. Jason Lemkin has been a customer since near the beginning, using Higgsfield to build every video asset for SaaStr, and in this session he sits down with co-founder and CEO Alex Mashrabov to get the real story behind the numbers: what actually drove the growth, what they built that nobody else had, and what they got wrong along the way.  The answers are more surprising than the headline. Seventy percent of their revenue comes from the creative agencies they're disrupting. Their biggest product bet was camera controls, something no one asked for. And they've reoriented the entire company three times in under a year, each time based on a signal most founders would have missed. You'll learn: How Higgsfield went from zero to $10M ARR in eight weeks and what the specific product unlock was Why 70% of revenue at a video AI company comes from agencies, and what that says about how disruption actually works How they think about being "a wrapper" and where the real margin and defensibility comes from What $1,000 ACV looks like vs. Canva's $200, and how they keep marching customers up the value stack How a team of 80 engineers and 70 in-house creatives building together is actually a competitive advantage What ARR honestly means for a company like this, straight from the founder

SanMar just pulled Bella+Canvas exclusively in-house — 37 days after telling the market nothing would change. Bruce and Steven break down the timeline, why S&S Activewear's private-equity playbook just got disrupted, and whether Gildan is circling S&S next.

Part Two: Stephan Bajaio on Digital VisibilityAnika continues her conversation with Stephan Bajaio, diving deeper into what it really means to lead people in a way that outlasts you. Moving beyond business strategy, this episode explores the human side of leadership—passion, failure, servant leadership, mindfulness, and the balance between "vibe" and "logic" that defines sustainable team culture.In this conversation, Stephan shares his framework for leadership rooted in four core beliefs, his daily Tefillin practice and gratitude ritual, why Performance Improvement Plans are misused as firing mechanisms, and how parenting a daughter influences his approach to building confident, empowered teams.In This EpisodeThe four pillars of leadership: passion, failure, servant leadership, and empowermentWhy passion can't be taught—only discoveredCreating environments where vulnerability and failure are welcomed, not punishedFlipping the org chart: servant leadership as a behavior, not a positionHow to empower people in small doses and build their confidence through affirmationThe myth of PIPs as firing tools—and how they actually transform performanceWhy not every high performer should become a managerThe "human being" vs. "human doing" trap and how to escape itDaily mindfulness practices: Tefillin, gratitude, and intentionalityVibe + Logic: the duality that defines sustainable businessWhy your company culture is defined by how people leave, not how they arriveKey Timestamps02:28 – The four pillars of leadership begin04:01 – Failure is not only welcome, it's expected08:58 – Leadership is a behavior, not a position13:09 – Empower your people first—in small doses with follow-up affirmation18:51 – PIPs aren't meant to fire someone—that's corporate nonsense31:00 – The "human being" vs. "human doing" trap and daily mindfulness practice43:06 – Building confident, independent women and team members44:40 – Vibe + Logic: the duality that defines sustainable business50:00 – Stephan to participate in upcoming AI and workforce skills podcastsKey Insights & TakeawaysInsight 1: Passion Is Discovered, Not TaughtThe most valuable asset in leadership can't be developed through training programs. It has to exist within people. Stephan's approach to hiring is built on understanding what motivates people—what gets them up in the morning—because that's the fuel that carries them through failure and challenges.Insight 2: Leadership Is a Behavior, Not a PositionThe title doesn't make you a leader. Your actions do. Servant leadership means flipping the traditional org chart so your job becomes supporting those around you, not commanding from above. This shift in mindset changes everything about how teams respond to you.Insight 3: Empower in Small Doses, Then AffirmDon't just hand someone a big responsibility and walk away. Give them leadership opportunities in manageable pieces, then follow up with genuine affirmation. The power of a thank you is shocking—people often overlook how much courage it took someone to step outside their comfort zone.Insight 4: PIPs Should Improve, Not FirePerformance Improvement Plans are routinely misused as mechanisms to force people out. When done right, PIPs actually transform performance. Stephan has seen people on PIPs become star players because they understood the company wasn't trying to get rid of them—it was trying to help them succeed.Insight 5: Your Culture Is Defined by How People LeaveThe way employees exit your company says more about your culture than how you bring them in. If you're not celebrating the alumni who've gone on to bigger things, you're missing the point. People aren't assets to trap—they're people to empower.Insight 6: Being Requires Daily PracticeIt's too easy to go through life doing without ever being present. Stephan's two-year Tefillin practice—binding, prayer, gratitude—forces him to stop and recognize what he's grateful for. These rituals look different for everyone, but what matters is the intentionality.Insight 7: Vibe + Logic Is the Balance That WorksLeadership requires both creativity ("vibe") and technical rigor ("logic"). You need both—a Picasso without a frame is worthless, and a frame without art is empty. The key is recognizing where you're weak and building complementary teams that offset your blindspots.Resources & Links MentionedVibeLogic.com – Stephan's digital strategy firmConductor – The enterprise SEO platform he co-foundedPractical Pedagogy: The Art of Teaching for the Future of Work – New PodcastAbout Stephan BajaioStephan Bajaio is a leadership strategist and founder of VibeLogic, a digital strategy firm focused on making businesses visible to the customers who need them most. With 25 years in digital marketing, he co-founded Conductor (scaled to 65 people serving Fortune 500 brands), navigated a WeWork acquisition that took the company to $500M+ valuation, and stepped away when the timing was right. He's also a father to a five-year-old and a practitioner of daily mindfulness through Jewish rituals and gratitude practice.Connect with StephanLinkedInVibeLogic.comYouTube: VibeLogicSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you want to leave corporate America in the next 6-18 months - you should check out our Action Academy Community

This episode was sponsored by Cardiff    LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/ Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/ Kevin Trudeau is back on Dropping Bombs — the man who sold tens of millions of books worldwide, built a $25 billion empire from nothing, and spent nearly a decade in federal prison for refusing to stay silent.   Kevin pulls back the curtain on the pharmaceutical lies he exposed before RFK made it mainstream, the corrupt judge who finally admitted he was biased, and the government's true motive for destroying him. He breaks down the fly-on-the-wall wealth training the ultra-rich use that nobody talks about, the energy clearing method that unlocked a 40% revenue surge overnight, and the dangerous mistake you're making every time you say "I am."   This is the conversation the government spent years trying to prevent. If you're ready to see exactly how power, money, and control actually work — press play now. ______________   Today's Dropping Bombs episode delivers the conversation they never wanted recorded — Kevin Trudeau, the man the government spent a decade trying to silence, and failed.   Kevin returns (as highly requested) to break down the fly-on-the-wall wealth training the ultra-rich use that nobody talks about, the energy clearing method that unlocked a 40% revenue surge in three days, and the dangerous mistake you're making every time you say "I am." Plus, the cliffhanger    This conversation isn't just about exposing the dark side of power — it's about empowering you to take charge of your life and manifest the reality you desire. If you're ready to break free from the limiting beliefs that have been quietly controlling you, press play now.   Plus, Kevin finally answers the cliffhanger that had everyone talking at the end of Part 1. Missed it? Watch here: https://youtu.be/GEVDLhw-6tQ?si=VICe5cgz_mmpk--R ____________ This conversation is packed with insights on manifestation, the nature of belief, and the significance of personal experience. If you're ready to unlock your true potential and embrace a life of abundance, this episode is a must-listen!   [Insert Timestamps here]  

Joe's Premium Subscription: www.standardgrain.comGrain Markets and Other Stuff Links —Apple PodcastsSpotifyTikTokYouTubeFutures and options trading involves risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone.

Wednesday, July 1, 2026 Today, Today, Birthright Citizenship hangs on by a thread while transgender rights and campaign finance are gutted by the Supreme Court; the Justice Department is now zero for eleven in voter roll smash and grab; Donald gave a secret $500m no-bid contract to Clark Construction for his ballroom; Meta contractors posed as teenagers to prompt rival chatbots about suicide, sex, and drugs; a federal judge orders Donald to end his efforts to kill Hudson Tunnel funding; a judge rules that nursing is a professional degree for student loan purposes but drops theology; former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper holds a 14-point lead over Republican Michael Whately in the state's open US Senate race; the Alaska Supreme Court rules that Dan Sullivan can be on the state's primary ballot; the New Jersey Rep that has been missing for months - Tom Kean - has reappeared; DC will pay $50k to a man detained while protesting the National Guard using the Star Wars Imperial March; plus Allison and Dana deliver your Good News. Thank You, IQBAR Text DAILYBEANS to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply.  Thank You, Fast Growing Trees Get 20% off your first purchase  FastGrowingTrees.com/dailybeans Join The Daily Beans and give a gift today to ensure The Trevor Project can continue its crucial work in the face of continued challenges. Donate to The Trevor Project - Daily Beans Podcast The Latest Breakdown:The Breakdown | Trump DOJ in Crisis after Major Epstein Ruling StoriesBirthright citizenship ruling: Supreme Court rejects Trump's proposed limits | AP News Supreme Court Rules Title IX Means "Biological Sex" In Devastating Anti-Trans Ruling | Erin In The Morning DOJ voter roll grab is now 0-11 as judge dismisses New Hampshire lawsuit | Democracy Docket Trump is using a $500M no-bid contract to build his White House ballroom | The Washington Post Meta Contractors Posed as Teens to Prompt Rival Chatbots About Suicide, Sex, and Drugs | WIRED Judge Orders Trump to End Efforts to Kill Hudson Tunnel Funding | The New York Times Poll: Cooper holds 14-point lead over Whatley as Trump stays underwater | Carolina Journal Alaska Supreme Court says a man with the same name as US Sen. 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Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he covers today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this Listener Q&A episode of The Wright Report, Bryan breaks down the Supreme Court's 6-to-3 ruling striking down Trump's birthright citizenship executive order, walking through Justice Thomas's sweeping dissent, Justice Kavanaugh's narrow path forward, and a full menu of options from new legislation to a Convention of States to what Bryan calls the Bukele Options. Bryan then turns to the bigger picture, laying out a blunt assessment of what a future Democrat presidency means for open borders, deportations, and the survival of the Republic, and why he says the time to make a plan is right now, not in two or ten years. Listener questions drive the rest of the episode, covering the Supreme Court's transgender sports ruling, the Communist Control Act of 1954, how conservatives can get into local races despite imperfect pasts, and whether young men can be the generation that turns the tide against Marxism in America. Plus, good news for rural America as Trump invests $500M to keep small meatpackers competitive, a South Dakota storm that took down 20 wind turbines exposes the fragility of green energy, and German researchers announce a promising compound that may slow the progression of Huntington's Disease. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32   Keywords: Bryan Dean Wright, The Wright Report, birthright citizenship, 14th Amendment, Supreme Court ruling, Justice Thomas dissent, Justice Kavanaugh, Convention of States, Bukele Options, filibuster, SAVE America Act, AOC 2028, Communist Democrats, transgender sports ruling, gender dysphoria, Communist Control Act 1954, DSA Marxists, local elections conservatives, green energy wind turbines South Dakota, solar panels inverters China, Trump meatpackers $500M, small slaughterhouses rural America, Huntington's Disease treatment, AN LE 138b compound, Wednesday Q&A, listener questions

SEO in the AI Era: Stephan Bajaio on Digital VisibilityStephan Bajaio spent 25 years watching Fortune 500 companies sit on goldmines they never excavated. As co-founder of Conductor and survivor of the WeWork acquisition, he learned something most entrepreneurs never do: your greatest competitive advantage isn't your product—it's the expertise of the people who built it. Yet most companies hide their leadership behind generic bios and outdated headshots. This episode isn't about chasing the latest AI trend or obsessing over search rankings. It's about the uncomfortable reality that you're probably invisible to the exact customers who desperately need you. If you've built something real but nobody knows who you are, Stephan's playbook changes the game.In This EpisodeThe origin story nobody tells: how Stephan earned his "Chief Evangelist" title at ConductorScaling at warp speed: what it's like to watch a company grow from 3,000 to 13,000 employees in 2.5 yearsThe WeWork chapter: why surviving an acquisition by an imploding company taught him more than success ever couldTeam culture that outlasts you: why recruiting from your clients is the highest complimentThe incremental growth philosophy: one step outside your comfort zone, then back inWhy documenting your wins matters more than you think (and why AI makes it critical)The SEO death narrative is wrong—here's why the data tells a different storyBuilding tools for the gap: how he created an SEO-to-Executive translator because the translation didn't existPredictive AI vs. chatbots: where the real future of technology actually livesTimestamps00:00 The introduction: 25 years in digital marketing made him wise, not cynical01:32 Earning your co-founder title: why it had to mean something04:14 The first big bet: building SEO onboarding when clients didn't know they needed it10:52 The WeWork story: how a chance elevator meeting led to a $500M+ valuation15:23 Adam Newman's vision and why scale without cohesion breaks companies18:46 The real measure of success: how many of your clients want to work for you?20:00 The comfort zone circle: growth happens one step at a time23:39 Documenting your achievements: the institutional memory problem nobody talks about24:50 Podcasting during COVID: how he saw around the corner when others didn't31:47 The leadership page crisis: why your "About Us" is costing you millions35:51 SEO in 2026: every prediction of its death was wrong38:14 The future isn't chatbots—it's predictive intelligence with rich data42:16 The SEO-Exec translator: making the technical accessible to decision-makers44:06 Interactive content as the second coming of the internetKey Insights & TakeawaysInsight #1: Your Invisibility Problem Isn't About Content—It's About Strategy Stephan walks into company "About Us" pages for clients with CIOs on their boards, industry veterans with 20+ years of expertise, and finds: generic bios, no video, no authored content, no proof of expertise. These aren't small companies. These are enterprises leaving their greatest asset completely undiscovered. The fix isn't more content—it's treating your people like the product they actually are.Insight #2: Every "Death of SEO" Prediction Has Been Wrong Voice search was supposed to kill it. Mobile was supposed to kill it. Panda, Penguin, every algorithm update—all supposed to be the end. ChatGPT was supposed to be the final nail. Meanwhile, search remains the only place people tell you the truth about what they need. The companies winning aren't chasing trends. They're building the data, content, and wisdom that makes them discoverable wherever people search.Insight #3: Imposter Syndrome Isn't a Weakness—It's Your Guardrail After 25 years, after building a $500M+ company, after speaking on stages worldwide, Stephan still gets butterflies. He still feels like he hasn't earned his seat in the room. And he's right to feel that way—because the moment you stop questioning yourself is the moment you stop learning. Confidence without humility is arrogance masquerading as expertise.Insight #4: Scale Without Tribal Knowledge Is Chaos WeWork grew from 3,000 to 13,000 employees in 2.5 years. Every meeting had a new executive from Amazon, PayPal, or eBay. Nobody had been there long enough to know how anything actually worked. Good intentions don't survive that kind of speed. Your competitive advantage in hypergrowth isn't hiring faster—it's documenting what you know before you forget it.Insight #5: AI Doesn't Create Value—It Amplifies What You Already Have The companies winning in AI aren't building better chatbots. They're the ones controlling the data moat. Apple got this right: the agent is just a vehicle. The data is the prize. If you don't have rich, documented expertise sitting on your website, no AI tool will save you. Your competitive advantage isn't a new technology—it's the wisdom you've already built that nobody else has captured.Insight #6: The Future of AI Is Invisible, Not Conversational Forget chatbots. Imagine your AI knowing you're running late to dinner, that it's raining, that you like EDM while driving, that your dinner companion loves sushi, and it seamlessly reroutes you, books an alternative restaurant, handles the parking, and adjusts your music—all without asking you a single question. That's predictive intelligence. That's where we're actually headed. Most companies are still trying to build the chatbot version.Resources & Links MentionedVibeLogic.comSEO-Exec Translator (interactive tool for translating technical SEO to executive language)Search From Home Podcast (Stephan's daily COVID-era podcast)Conductor (the enterprise SEO platform he co-founded)About Stephan BajaioAfter 25 years in digital marketing, Stephan Bajaio has forgotten more about marketing strategy than most people will ever learn. He co-founded Conductor, grew it to a 65-person global team serving Fortune 500 brands, navigated a WeWork acquisition that took the company to $500M+ valuation, and walked away when it was time. He's been Chief Evangelist, CMO, and now CEO of VibeLogic—a digital strategy firm built on the uncomfortable truth that most businesses are invisible to the customers who need them most. He's also a father to a five-year-old who has zero respect for his calendar, and he's still figuring out how to be a human being instead of a human doing.Connect with StephanLinkedInVibeLogic.comYouTube: VibeLogicSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today is the 1,000th episode of Action Academy (:If you want to leave corporate America in the next 6-18 months - you should check out our Action Academy Community

Send us Fan MailLEARN THE CAPITAL RAISING STRATEGIES AND FRAMEWORKS used by alternative asset professionals: https://go.fundraisecapital.co/applyThis episode is brought to you by Reef Pass | Serial Acquisition Investors: Reef Pass Investors has spent the last 10 years focused on partnering with founders to launch and build long-term holding companies, and has a proven track record doing exactly that.To reach out to Reef Pass Investors, email holdcofounders@reefpassinvestors.comHow does a real estate fund manager land a $500 million commitment from one of the world's largest insurers when his firm is barely two years old?Discover the answers with a real playbook from someone who actually did in this  episode of Making Billions with Ryan Miller.This week on Making Billions, Ryan Miller sits down with Josh Parker, the founder of Ancora, who built a half-billion-dollar partnership with Legal & General, by doing three things that every fund manager, emerging GP, and capital allocator needs to understand: reputation, relationships, and repeatable results. Josh breaks down exactly how that deal happened, what the two-year closing process looked like, how COVID nearly derailed it, and why patience is the single most underrated skill in institutional fundraising. If you are wondering how to raise institutional capital, how to make a fund institutional ready, or how fund managers maintain conviction during uncertain markets, this conversation is a must listen for you![THE HOST]: Ryan Miller is a fund manager, capital strategist, and former CFO turned angel investor in technology and energy. He is the founder of Fund Raise Capital and Aequor Capital Partners, and has mentored over 1,000 fund managers across private equity, private credit, venture capital, real estate, and alternative assets globally.[THE GUEST]: Josh Parker is Ancora's Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. A national leader in the anchor institution and innovation sectors, he has unique investment experience. Over his career he has experienced industry success that includes developing a combined 5 million square feet totaling over $4.5 billion in value. Subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTOe79EXLDsROQ0z3YLnu1QQConnect with Ryan Miller:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rcmiller1/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanmilleroffical/X: https://x.com/_MakingBillionsWebsite: https://making-billions.com/Support the showDISCLAIMER: This podcast is for entertainment and general informational purposes only — not legal, financial, tax, or investment advice. Nothing herein constitutes a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any security or investment product. Past performance does not indicate future results. Always consult qualified legal, financial, and tax professionals before making any investment decision. NAME NOTICE: "Making Billions with Ryan Miller" reflects the profile and aspirations of guests featured — it is not a promise, projection, guarantee, or representation of any financial result, income, or outcome for any listener, viewer, or reader. Most individuals who consume this content do not raise any particular amount of capital, and many achieve no financial result whatsoever. "Fund Raise Capital" is a brand identifier only — it is not a promise, guarantee, or representation that any member, subscriber, or listener will raise capital, attract investors, or achieve any financial or professional outcome. This show does not constitute a business opportunity, franchise, investment program, or offer of any product or service of any kind. No part of this show should be construed as a solicitation for investment in any way. Guest views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show or host. Host and/or guests may hold positions in assets discussed. This episode may contain paid sponsorships, advertisements, or endorsements. Sponsored content is identified where...

We kick the show off with a much-needed Brandon Aiyuk update (01:55), a tribute to Russell Wilson's retirement, and details on new contracts for Patrick Mahomes and Christian Watson. Heifetz also had to bring up the Odell Beckham Jr. redemption tour with the Giants. (Spoiler: He's terrified.) The lads also check in on a bunch of other stuff like pirates (01:05:48) and Jameson Williams's new home (43:32) before hitting some emails (01:09:26). Reminders: We're sending a request up to The Seven for their lists for The Hottest NFL QB Rankings. Please email us your lists at ringerfantasyfootball@gmail.com. We send our blessings. We're also looking for anything on pirates and new dad advice. Ghosts, chodes, all welcome. (00:00) Intro (01:57) Brandon Aiyuk (13:27) Russell Wilson retires (27:14) Patrick Mahomes signs $500 million contract (43:32) Jameson Williams bought a house (01:05:48) Emails Discord link: https://discord.gg/Ge8bbYHrau Check out The Ringer's 2026 Fantasy Football Rankings: https://theringer.com/fantasy-football/2026-preseason Email us! ringerfantasyfootball@gmail.com Follow Aunt Jan on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@janclare.64 Hosts: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, and Craig Horlbeck Producers: Austin Gayle, Abou Kamara, Carlos Chiriboga, Cameron Dinwiddie, and Nikhil Behal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you want to leave corporate America in the next 6-18 months - you should check out our Action Academy Community

If you want to leave corporate America in the next 6-18 months - you should check out our Action Academy Community

If you want to leave corporate America in the next 6-18 months - you should check out our Action Academy Community