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I'm very excited to welcome Umberto Fedeli back for his third conversation. In our first two conversations — episode 135 and episode 171 — we explored Umberto's remarkable life journey, deep-rooted wisdom, and how he's mastered the craft of building authentic relationships and connecting people across business, politics, and philanthropy. Those episodes are timeless and packed with valuable insights — I highly recommend listening to them to set the stage for today's discussion.In this episode, we delve deeper into these foundational ideas, unpacking the origins of Umberto's relentless commitment to relationships, mentorship, and personal growth. We explore how to navigate the delicate balance between patience and persistence, between progress and perfection, and ultimately, how to cultivate resilience and rationality during times of uncertainty. We also dive into Umberto's perspective on the current state of the world — from economics and politics to tariffs. We talk about volatility, the fundamental human need for love and connection, regrets, legacy, and much more.Please enjoy this insightful, continued discussion with Umberto Fedeli.On a technical note, due to unexpected issues with our recording equipment at the time of this session, portions of the episode were lost. These segments have been audibly enhanced using speech technology in an effort to restore clarity and continuity. We appreciate your understanding regarding any subtle auditory or phonetic inconsistencies.-----LINKS:https://www.thefedeligroup.com/-----SPONSOR:Roundstone InsuranceRoundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company's passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Robert Marks founded Fidelity Voice and Data in 1999 with just a $600 investment, which he grew into a business generating over $30 million in revenue, making it one of the largest telecommunications and cloud services competitors throughout the Midwest. The company focused on providing high-speed Internet access to various industries.After selling the company in 2015, Robert turned his attention to giving back to his local community through various philanthropic initiatives.In 2020, however, Robert's entrepreneurial spirit led him to solve a deeply personal problem during the pandemic—centered around the difficulty of sharing personal media with family. He raised $1.2 million and founded Projector as a keepsake company, building a personal streaming platform for legacy and memory preservation—the platform he wished had existed. The company now has thousands of subscribers, and Robert is in the process of raising a larger venture round to scale Projector.In our conversation, we unpack Robert's journey as an entrepreneur, his transition from B2B to B2C, the nuances and opportunities within the keepsake and legacy market, how AI serves as technological leverage to lower the barriers to building companies, the lessons he imparts as an educator, the importance of corporate culture, his love for Cleveland, and much more!-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/-robertmarks/ https://projector.app/-----SPONSORS: Impact Architects & NinetyImpact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Lay of The Land podcast. Today, we're doing something a bit different as I take on the role of guest on other podcasts to discuss recent developments in my journey and offer a glimpse of what lies ahead.As some of you may know, I've recently embarked on a new professional path by joining the founding team of The O.H.I.O. Fund. In the near future, I'll be recording a dedicated episode to delve deeper into The O.H.I.O. Fund alongside some of my partners. In the meantime, join me in these conversations as I share my insights and experiences about transitioning to this exciting new venture, reflect on building Axuall, Lay of The Land, Cleveland, and much more!In this specific conversation, I sat down with Paul O'Connor of the Rust Belt Rundown podcast, hosted by Rust Belt Recruiting. We've actually featured Rust Belt Recruiting on Lay of The Land's 180th episode featuring Taylor Evans — so please go check out that episode if you want to hear more about Taylor Evans' journey and Rust Belt Recruiting's story!With that, please enjoy my conversation with Paul O'Connor.-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Throughout his career, Hanna Kassis has overseen $1.5 billion in capital deployment. Hanna began his entrepreneurial journey in Youngstown, where he managed Tim Ryan's congressional campaign from 2008 to 2011. This early taste of independence would prove formative for his future ventures. Though he initially pursued law school in Chicago with intentions of becoming a tax attorney, Hanna's entrepreneurial spirit led him to found OAREX Capital Markets while still a student. The company secured seed funding from Dan Gilbert's Bizdom and later raised substantial institutional capital—$50M from a global asset management firm and a $50M line of credit from East West Bank—to build an innovative online ad revenue exchange.After successfully scaling OAREX, Hanna exited in 2022 by selling his majority stake to his investor group. His entrepreneurial drive led him to expand into new ventures, including the acquisition and revitalization of Whistle Taproom (formerly Whistle & Keg), which has become a Downtown Cleveland premier game day destination. When Silicon Valley Bank collapsed in 2023, Hanna recognized an opportunity and launched Babylon Asset Management. Under his leadership, Babylon has invested in 170 alternative loans, participated in 12 senior loans to other lenders, and helped 36 companies raise debt capital. Hanna was one of the first people I met in Cleveland, and it was a pleasure to finally have him on the podcast-----LINKS:https://babylonassets.com/about/https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannakassis/https://oarex.com/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
It is with a heavy heart that I honor Bob Sopko's memory by revisiting Lay of The Land's 12th episode. While no conversation could ever fully capture the breadth or depth of his legacy, I hope this episode relays an essence of his spirit, his unwavering commitment to supporting others, and his vision for Cleveland's entrepreneurial future. Bob will be deeply missed, but I believe his influence will continue to resonate through the community he devoted himself to and the people whose lives he touched.Bob Sopko was a true champion of Cleveland's entrepreneurial spirit. His passion for entrepreneurship was boundless, and he dedicated so much of himself to helping others take their initial steps in trying to build something meaningful — whether it was connecting people within our ecosystem or simply showing up to every entrepreneurial event in Cleveland… he undeniably left a lasting and positive mark on so many students, alumni, founders, and early-stage companies. Bob was one of the first people I got to know when I came to Cleveland. He became an early and outsized supporter of Lay of The Land, and more importantly, taught me a lot about the value of giving without expectation, the power of connecting people, and the significance of building a strong community. Bob Sopko Obituary: https://www.buschcares.com/obituaries/Robert-David-Sopko?obId=34008478
Ryan Schreiber is a long-time Clevelander and major advocate for the city, as well as the founder and CEO of Streamline, an innovative mobile platform tackling one of the streaming industry's most pressing challenges—helping users navigate the increasingly fragmented world of content and entertainment, from sports to shows and movies, across over 200 streaming platforms.With over $1.6 million in funding raised since founding the company earlier in 2024, Ryan is on a mission to transform how we discover and share content.Before launching Streamline, Ryan played a pivotal role in building Vertical Knowledge—another Cleveland-based company that was recently acquired by Babel Street, a leading identity intelligence and risk operations company. Beyond entrepreneurship, Ryan was an investment banker with KeyBanc Capital Markets here in Cleveland after graduating with honors from Middlebury College in 2013. He is a Board Trustee at University School and captain of Spin for Stu—a cycling initiative that's raised nearly $1 million for cancer research.In our conversation today, we'll explore Ryan's journey from finance to tech entrepreneurship, overcoming the fear of failure, delving into the problems Streamline is solving in the streaming landscape, and unpacking how the proverbial "Cleveland Chip" on Ryan's shoulder has shaped his approach to building a consumer technology company!-----LINKS:Connect with Ryan Schreiber: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-schreiber-a12aa181/Download Streamline: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/streamline-what-you-watch/id6502956109Insta: @streamline.watch Twitter: @watchstreamline TikTok: @streamlineapp YouTube: @streamlineapp Facebook: @watchstreamline LinkedIn: @watchstreamline -----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Jim Weisman, CEO of Ingine, exploring deep into the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcareIn our world where healthcare costs are soaring and drug development timelines stretch into decades, Ingine is revolutionizing how we can analyze complex medical and healthcare data to produce better knowledge to create better medicine. By leveraging quantum mechanics principles and advanced probabilistic mathematics, they're tackling some of healthcare's most pressing challenges - from drug discovery to personalized medicine. Co-founded by Dr. Barry Robson, a former Chief Science Officer at IBM's Global Life Sciences division, Ingine aims to unlock the full potential of life sciences data.Jim brings over three decades of experience in healthcare and management to Ingine. Building on an educational foundation from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania and Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management, his extensive experience includes leadership roles at BioEnterprise and HealthSync, strategic consulting for major financial institutions, and roles at organizations like OrthoBrain — which we've featured here on Lay of The Land back on Episode 56 — in addition to his service as President of the Ohio Venture Association where he led the effort to effort to establish VentureOhio — a state-wide venture capital association.This was an insightful and reflective conversation. We explored Jim's journey, the pioneering technology and mathematics driving Ingine, transitioning from concept and academia to reality, the challenges of building a deep-technology company in Cleveland, learning from the market, and ultimately, Ingine's vision for the future of personalized medicine.-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimweisman/https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-robson-phd-dsc-fellow-royal-society-of-medicine-5913a11b/https://ingine.com/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Lance Hill, CEO of Within3, has led one of Cleveland's most well-capitalized startups, raising over $100 million to transform how the healthcare and life sciences industries communicate. What began in 2007 as a secure peer-to-peer platform for physicians quickly evolved into something much more ambitious—a solution to break down communication barriers in life sciences and accelerate the development of life-changing therapies for patients worldwide. Under Lance's leadership, Within3 has become indispensable to the world's top pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies, engaging over 70,000 patients and healthcare providers globally. Today, the platform supports over 65% of the top 50 drugs worldwide, helping organizations move with greater velocity toward delivering critical treatments to patients.In this episode, we dive deep into Lance's journey from corporate life to entrepreneurship, explore how he navigated pivotal shifts in his business model, and unpack the lessons he's learned about leadership, technology's role in scaling a company, and fostering a winning culture.-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lancehillprofile/https://within3.com/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Lay of The Land podcast. Today, we're doing something a bit different as I take on the role of guest on other podcasts to discuss recent developments in my journey and offer a glimpse of what lies ahead.As some of you may know, I've recently embarked on a new professional path by joining the founding team of The O.H.I.O. Fund. In the near future, I'll be recording a dedicated episode to delve deeper into The O.H.I.O. Fund alongside some of my partners. In the meantime, join me in these conversations as I share my insights and experiences about transitioning to this exciting new venture, reflect on building Axuall, Lay of The Land, Cleveland, and much more!In this particular conversation, I sit down with Ashtyn Morris from The Marketing Moves podcast, hosted by VividFront. We've previously featured VividFront on Lay of The Land's 124th episode with Andrew Spott—so be sure to check that out if you're interested in hearing more about VividFront and Andrew's journey.With that, enjoy my conversation with Ashtyn Morris.-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Chas Withers, chairman and CEO of Dix & Eaton, the storied Cleveland integrated communications firm, known for its specialization in marketing communications, Crisis management, and investor relations, which has partnered with its clients to drive impact and results in their public relations since 1952.While Chas has led the firm as CEO since 2015, he's overseen many aspects of the business prior serving as COO and leader of the marketing communications, technology, emerging growth and interactive services practices for about seven years.Chas first worked at Dix & Eaton though as a senior account executive between 1995 and 1997 before joining Answerthink, a Miami-based international consulting firm, as managing director where he played a pivotal role in the Company's IPO and oversaw over 1,500 employees.Chas has also served as a director of media relations at Case Western Reserve University and held similar roles with Malone Public Relations and Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron.This conversation is a masterclass on communications and the story of Dix and Eaton — Chas offers his perspective on running towards the fire and addressing thorny situations head-on, stewardship in high-stakes situations that span the multiples constituents of shareholders, employees, customers, legislators, communities, and the media, employee ownership, technology's implications for communications and marketing, the significance of Cleveland in Dix & Eaton's story, and a whole lot more.-----LINKS:Connect with Chas Withers on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaswithers/Dix & Eaton Website: https://www.dix-eaton.com/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Joe Pulizzi is a serial entrepreneur and deeply passionate about all things content marketing and entrepreneurship —he is the bestselling author of seven books including Content Inc., selling over 500,000 copies worldwide with his work featured New York Times, Insider, Entrepreneur, and other notable publicationshe hosts multiple podcasts and writes Orangeletter, a weekly newsletter with over 50,000 subscribers delivering actionable life, marketing, and business tips for content entrepreneurs,He's also the founder of multiple successful startups including, Content Entrepreneur Expo (which is hosted here in Cleveland where Joe and his family live), Content Marketing Institute (which he successfully exited in 2016), Content Marketing World, and The Tilt where he's crafting the future of publishing, providing authors with the tools, support, and platform to turn their stories into published successes.The thread that ties Joe's work together is content marketing, a term he first used in 2001 and has championed since. In just a few minutes of talking with Joe, it's easy to grasp why he's amassed hundreds of thousands of followers across social media platforms like LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and others.-----LINKS:https://www.joepulizzi.com/https://cex.events/https://www.thetilt.com/X / Twitter: @JoePulizziLinkedIn: Joe Pulizzi-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Aaron Hoffman and John Zinno — co-founders of DeliverThat, based in Canton Ohio.Friends for life, the two of them started this business out of Ohio University in 2016 off the bat of a viral tweet and have since proceeded to revolutionize catering delivery with over $300 million dollars of catering delivery under their belt, a network of over 25,000 active drivers on their platform, operational in all major cities in all 50 states, helping over 500 brands elevate their catering.This is an awesome story of entrepreneurship, constant learning, and overcoming adversity along the way. We cover the evolution of their business model to set the standard for catering delivery and setup, profitable growth and cashflow positivity, recapitalizations, personally developing as a leader, mistakes made, building with friends, and a whole lot more.-----LINKS:https://www.ideliverthat.com/https://www.linkedin.com/company/deliverthat/https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-zinno-b28b6370/https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhoffman02/https://www.instagram.com/deliverthatco/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Andrew Rising, CEO of Encore Ventures Labs.As someone who believes deeply in the opportunity for Cleveland's future, I find Andrew's journey to be an inspiring and optimisitc one… …Deeply rooted in the heart of Cleveland's west side where he grew up before embarking on a decade-long adventure in the Bay Area—a place where innovation and venture capital converged to create world changing technologies. Andrew has spent his career at the intersection of talent and venture capital — from Google to Addepar to Redpoint Ventures — ultimately carving out a unique path that led him to co-found and successfully exit a startup to Human Capital in one of the most competitive ecosystems in the world. But despite his success on the West Coast, Cleveland was always home.In a full-circle moment, Andrew returned to his hometown in 2022, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a vision to bridge the gap between Cleveland's rich industrial heritage and its promising industrial future. Today, he's leading the charge as the founder of Encore Venture Labs, a venture studio dedicated to revitalizing the region's legacy by harnessing current macro trends with the region's unique attributes.Andrew's story is one of return, reinvestment, and a deep commitment to driving the next wave of growth in Northeast Ohio. As soon as I met Andrew, I knew one day he'd come on the podcast when the time was right, and it's exciting that time has come. I'm proud to consider Andrew a friend and am excited to share some of his reflections and experience-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewrising/https://www.encoreventurelabs.com/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Franco Kraiselburd — Co-Founder and CEO of Asclepii — building the next generation of tissue engineering therapeutics for wound healing.I've recently heard a life's work described as a lifelong quest to build something for others that expresses who you are. It feels to me that Franco is not just building a company, but has found his life's work and is truly pursuing a grand mission.Grounded in an international childhood living across the United States, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Chile, Franco began his scientific career at the early age of 12, and has spent the last 9 years dedicating his life to the development of accessible and impactful advanced medical devices, translating the ideas from several different labs within the Tissue Engineering field into reality and the market.After 5 years working in the University of São Paulo (Brazil), Franco moved to Cleveland, OH, to work in the Regenerative Medicine field as a Biomedical Engineering student at Case Western Reserve University with Dr. Arnold Caplan, the Father of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and the very person who's research had inspired him to set off down this path in the first place.A scientist and entrepreneur, Franco is constantly trying to bridge the worlds ideas and reality. His wound care innovations are internationally recognized, being awarded a Gold Medal at the 2019 GENIUS Olympiad, nominated for 2025 Forbes Under 30 and MIT Innovators Under 35, and a finalist in the Rising Tech Star category of Ohio's 2023 Best of Tech Awards.Accolades and recognition aside, I can just express personally having gotten to know Franco and listented to him tell his story, that his mind is a wonderful thing to behold and we're lucky to have him as an entreprenuer in Celveland-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/francokrais/https://www.asclepii.com/home-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
John Vickers, Founder & CEO of Blue Abyss.John is building one of the most ambitious and inspiring projects I've come across in my time exploring what people are building in Cleveland!After spending eight years in the British Army, John completed his service at the rank of Corporal in 1991 and transitioned to a civilian career where he worked in management consulting, and leadership roles across IBM and GE Capital.In 2004, grounded in his desire to prepare for an imagined future of proliferated human spaceflight and extreme environment exploration, he founded Blue Abyss to deliver the World's foremost extreme environment research, development, testing and training facilities — unlocking our ability to ask and seek to answer some of the most important questions in the exploration of space, aerospace, medical, marine, and other robotic technologies.Adjacent to Cleveland Hopkins International Aiport, and close to NASA Glenn's headquarters, Blue Abyss is developing the world's largest and deepest R&D Pool, measuring 40 meters by 50 meters on the surface with a 16m wide shaft plunging to a depth of 50 meters with a volume capacity of 42,000 cubic meters of water.The Facility will also house ancillary extreme environment capabilities forHuman Centrifuges to enable training and physiology research at high Gs.Hypobaric and Hyperbaric Chambers to enabling training and research in pressurized environments.and Parabolic Flight to enable microgravity research, training, and public discovery.Furthermore, in addition to servicing a gamut of industries from offshore energy to the growing human spaceflight sector, John is deeply committed to education and inspiring young people to explore and learn about the world around them.This conversation feels right out of science fiction, but it's on track to become science reality.We discuss the balance of ambition and humility, the formative experience of his international upbringing, the influence of his military background and mentors like astronauts and his brother-in-law Sergeant Ian McKay, his appreciation of Cleveland, leadership, persistence, and ultimately the impact he hopes to have with Blue Abyss.-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnvickers1https://blueabyss.uk/blog/post/blue-abyss-ohio-land-purchase-completehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbgJ01B89So&ab_channel=BlueAbyss-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Laura Bennett and Alex Krooglik, co-founders of Embrace Pet Insurance, which was sold in 2023 for $1.5 billion to JAB Holding Company.The duo founded Embrace Pet Insurance after graduating from Penn's Wharton School of Business in 2003 and moving to Cleveland, where they built and grew this e-commerce, specialist insurance company selling pet insurance directly to pet owners — from their first policy sold in October 2006 to insuring over 500,000 pets across the country and handling over 4.6 million claims to date, with more than 1 million in 2023 alone.Having both stepped away from their business a few years prior, this conversation is a truly reflective one. We cover the crucible moments for the company: effectively creating a new market category and overcoming the complex regulations of pet insurance, the evolution of their relationship as co-founders, the sheer tenacity, persistence, determination and consistency required of entrepreneurship, earned lessons on founder equity and company ownership, becoming one of Jumpstart's first investments, the significance of immigrants and entrepreneurship in the US, ...and a whole lot more! I believe Laura and Alex's story is one that should be familiar to far more in Cleveland than it may be, and I'm very excited to share it with you today!-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/krooglik/https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurabennett/https://www.embracepetinsurance.com/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Dan Nitowsky, Chair of TIGER 21 Cleveland.Dan, like me is a native New Yorker who has made Cleveland his home & has spent 30 years here in Cleveland as a highly accomplished executive with a proven history of success in distribution and manufacturing, with leadership roles in the Electrical Distribution industry — where expanded Mars Electric from one single location to 11 locations through Northeast Ohio and grew sales from under $10 million to over $53 million. This was all prior to his work in peer-group leadership, where his expertise led him to be a Peer Advisory Group Chair for Vistage Worldwide — one of the world's largest executive coaching organizations for small and mid-sized businesses — in addition to his current work as the inaugural Chair for TIGER 21's Cleveland Chapter.TIGER 21 is the premier peer membership organization for ultra-high-net-worth individuals. The organization has over 1,400 members with over $20 million in investable assets, respectively, across over 50 cities worldwide, and it has more than $160 billion in personal assets collectively.In his role as a Chair for TIGER 21 in this inaugural Cleveland Chapter, Dan facilitates a trusted and confidential community of entrepreneurs here that provides Members with their board of directors and helps facilitate learning and conversation for those who are motivated to grow and protect their wealth while building a lasting legacy.In our conversation, we explore what professional peer groups even are, the unique challenges that come after a major financial liquidity event, solutions for a balanced life, what kind of thought is afforded to legacy, how to instill good grounded values into your children with extraordinary family wealth, insights around wealth preservation, and many more esoteric topics discussed by TIGER 21 members.This is a fascinating discussion behind the scenes of what can transpire for those on the other side of entrepreneurial success and wealth-----LINKS:https://tiger21.com/locations/cleveland/https://www.linkedin.com/in/dnitowsky/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Fred DiSanto, Chairman and CEO of Ancora — the Cleveland-based investment firm with nearly $10B in assets under management and over 100 employees — which he's led since 2006!Before Ancora, Fred had an expansive investing career, most recently overseeing investment management, private banking, and Trust and Banking Services at Fifth Third Bank. Fifth Third Bank acquired Maxus Investment Group in 2001, which previously merged with Gelfand Partners Asset Management back in 1997, where Fred served as Managing Partner.Today, Fred sits on the boards of Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation (AP), The Eastern Company (EML), and Regional Brands, Inc. (RGBD). He is the former Chair of the Board of Regents of St. Ignatius High School in Ohio City, the former Chair and current Trustee of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, and the current Chair of the Board of Trustees at Case Western Reserve University where he also earned his Bachelor's and MBA!This conversation is full of wisdom and amazing stories from Fred — we cover the influence of his competitive spirit, the business of activist investing — specifically exploring Fred's approach through the lens of Ancora's recent campaign to seat directors at Norfolk Southern in the wake of the catastrophic train derailment incident in East Palestine, Ohio — the lost of art of hand-written notes, lessons learned from his mentors, the power of employee ownership and incentives in driving behavior and outcomes, the importance of dot connecting, effective deal-making, and so much more!-----LINKS:https://ancora.net/https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddisanto/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Taylor Evans — Founder and President of Rust Belt Recruiting, a leading local manufacturing recruiting agency, which also hosts a kindred-spirit podcast to Lay Of The Land, called Rust Belt Rundowns, where they are amplifying the stories of local manufacturing executives and leaders across Northeast Ohio.Today's conversation explores Taylor's path to entrepreneurship grounded in his passions for economic and social impact, workforce development, and community revitalization.We'll unpack the rich industrious history of the Rust Belt and Northeast Ohio, the 20th century hollowing out of that capacity, and the current signs of a manufacturing renaissance and return to skilled trades across manufacturing and light industrials! We talk about the differences in staffing and recruiting, the importance of brand, the power of business operating systems like EOS, the entrepreneurial operating system, and other macro topics like upskilling & re-shoring, all through the lens of building Rust Belt Recruiting and the learnings Taylor has acquired building over time!Outside of his work as a founder, Taylor is actively plugged in civically via the Council of Smaller Enterprises — the small business group of Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) — as the chair of COSE's small business Caucus and Vice Chair of COSE's board of advisors, in addition to his work on the Talent Development Council of Team NEO. I enjoyed hearing Taylor's perspective on the future of manufacturing in Ohio and Rust Belt Recruiting's role in it.-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorevans1/https://www.instagram.com/rustbeltrecruiting/https://rustbeltrecruiting.com/https://rustbeltrecruiting.com/podcast/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
My guests this week are my friends and partners over at Impact Architects —who many of you will note are the longest time supporters of Lay of The Land and the community building work we're doing together — Kris Snyder and Jim Haviland who've spent over a decade together as serial entrepnuers building companies like Ninety, Vox, and Impact Architects here in Cleveland.For the last year or so: Kris, Jim, and I have sat down to to debrief Lay of The Land episodes after they are published — I've always been so enamored by the insights Jim and Kris have been able to extract from each episodes, I've come to look forward to their learnings and musings like I do from my favorite podcasts that I listen to. So I'm thrilled to announce here that they've opened up these insights and weekly debriefs in the form of a video podcast so that more people can tune in and benefit from them!Available now, you will be able to join their quick discussions, debrief of Lay of The Land, and recapping of other developments in Cleveland's entrepnuerial community going forward.In this weeks episode I'm republishing their account of Craig Hassal — CEO of Playhouse Square and Lay of The Land's 175th conversation. Weekly Impact by Lay of The Land is linked in today's show notes and I'd encourage you to search for it in your podcast player now and subscribe to not miss episodes likes this one and others like their reflections on Matt Buder Shapiro — Lay of The Land's 14th and 170th episodes — who's company Vytalize health was just ranked Number 1 on the 2024 Inc 5000 list, as the fastest growing company in the country with $1.5 billion in revenue last year, a three year top line growth of 90,778 percent, and that is not a typo.So with that, please enjoy Weekly Impact with Kris Snyder and Jim Haviland.--------------------------------------TakeawaysChanging the negative perception of Cleveland and embracing its rich history and authenticity is crucial for the city's growth and success.Cities go through cyclical phases, and it's important to focus on a gentle rise rather than boom and bust cycles.Intentional introductions of value, infused with context and trust, can lead to meaningful connections and collaborations.Building high-trust relationships requires frequency, depth, and duration in conversations.Upcoming events like the Cleveland Innovation Summit provide opportunities for networking and learning from successful entrepreneurs.Sound Bites"Outside of maybe the US, no one thinks of Cleveland that way.""Every city has some cycles. I think he was advocating that we're probably on the upcycle.""Your purpose should be expansive as you want because you're not going to over-accomplish your purpose."ChaptersIntroduction and Non-Traditional Entrepreneurial JourneysAuthenticity and Active Pride in ClevelandThe Cyclical Nature of CitiesIntentional Introductions of Value and Building TrustUpcoming Events in ClevelandThis week's Lay of the Land episode reviewed:https://www.layoftheland.fm/175-craig-hassall-playhouse-square-inspire-the-world-clevelands-artistic-renaissance/Other Lay of the Land Episodes mentioned:https://www.layoftheland.fm/15-justin-bibb-mayor-of-cleveland/https://www.layoftheland.fm/20-mac-anderson-cleveland-kitchen/https://www.layoftheland.fm/86-dallas-hogensen-felux/https://www.layoftheland.fm/14https://www.layoftheland.fm/170Other References:https://www.onesixone.ventures/
Sandor Gyerman and Jared Anderson, the dynamic co-founders of Andor Creative.Founded in 2018 when they were Sophomores at Cleveland State University, Andor Creative was born to find more innovative ways to produce advertising and marketing content for companies, bridging the gap between Gen Z and established businesses in Greater Cleveland.Since inception, their campaigns have generated over 100 million organic views across various social media platforms and their impressive and growing list of over 50 clients includes industry giants like Mercedes Benz USA, Nissan, and Volvo USA, to prominent individuals including a dozen NFL players, all from their office in Downtown Cleveland.In our conversation, we'll explore the origins of their friendship, the influence of D1 collegiate sports on their approach to business, hustling door to door to get the business off the ground, the influence Cleveland has had on their work, their creative process, their takes on Gen Z, how to break through the noise and stay relevant and authentic in the ever-changing world of social media, and lots more!-----LINKS:https://andorcreative.com/homehttps://www.instagram.com/andorcreative/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandor-gyerman-108979172/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-anderson-03a1ba161/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
-----LINKS:-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Mike Malley, President and CEO of Malley's Chocolates.If you grew up in northeast Ohio it's very likely you know of Malley's Chocolates, a staple of this community, providing delicious chocolate candies & treats for over eight decades now with nearly two dozen retail stores across the region and a modern chocolate-making 60,000 sq foot factory off Brookpark Road in Southwest Cleveland!Under Mike's leadership, the company has not only preserved its cherished traditions, but also embraced innovation and growth as it approaches its 90th anniversary.In this very fun and insightful conversation, we'll dive into the fascinating history of Malley's Chocolates from its roots in the mid-1930s, explore the challenges and dynamics of running a family business over multiple generations, cultivating Malley Moments, the decision to raise outside private capital in 2023 to expand the business, how Mike thinks about legacy, Cleveland, and a whole lot more!-----LINKS: https://malleys.com/https://www.instagram.com/Malleyschocolate/https://x.com/MalleysCHOC-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Craig Hassall, CEO of Playhouse SquareCraig is a mainstay in the international theater community, with decades of experience operating and curating the most prestigious venues across Europe and Australia. Over his career, in addition to his role as CEO of the Royal Albert Hall in London, he was also CEO of Opera Australia which oversees the Sydney Opera House, and he was the managing director of the English National Ballet. He also held senior roles for major projects including the 2000 and 2012 Olympic Games in Sydney and London, respectively, in addition to many other endeavors!In 2022, Craig was named as the new President and CEO of Playhouse Square — one of the world's premier arts districts & second largest performing arts center in the United States, outside of NYC. Playhouse Square has an amazing history here in Cleveland dating back to the early 1920's, and today is home to a plethora of resident organizations:The City Club of Cleveland, Cleveland Ballet,Cleveland International Film Festival, Cleveland Play House, Cleveland State University Department of Theatre and Dance, DANCECleveland, Great Lakes TheaterTri-C JazzFest, ...and more — in addition to its role as one of Broadway's premier touring partners.I loved the opportunity to sit down with Craig — as a fellow non-native-Clevelander, it's always fun to find a kindred spirit with a shared appreciation for this city, the excellence within it, and the opportunity ahead of it, on a world stage. In this great conversation, Craig and I unpack his love for performance arts, the arc of his professional career and his path to Cleveland, the history and state of Playhouse Square today, and his ambitious vision for the future.-----LINKS:https://www.playhousesquare.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-hassall-4bb7469/https://www.instagram.com/playhousesquare-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman — Founders @ Double G FilmsThis is a truly special episode — I always love exploring the parallels between entrepreneurship and art and in our conversation today, we get to explore the fascinating journey behind 'Lost and Found in Cleveland,' the upcoming feature film and brainchild of Keith and Marisa, which brings the captivating magic of antique appraisals to the big screen through the powerful narratives of five individuals in quest of the American Dream, all grounded in the post-industrial landscape of Cleveland, OhioThe film showcases a diverse set of historical Cleveland locations and boasts an all-star cast including Emmy and Golden Globe winner Martin Sheen (Grace and Frankie), Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (Far from Heaven), Oscar nominee June Squibb (Nebraska), Golden Globe winner Stacy Keach (Nebraska), Independent Spirit Award winner Yvette Yates Redick (Inherent Vice) and Tony Award winner Santino Fontana (Broadway's Tootsie).In our conversation, we dive into Keith and Marisa's upbringing, the intersection of their professional paths & the creation of their production company, Double G Films. We spend the bulk of conversation though on the decade-long creative process to bring this film to life — from writing, directing, fundraising, casting, and beyond — and the unique role Cleveland plays both in their art and in their personal lives, the tactical challenges of making a film, the power of storytelling, and a whole lot more!-----LINKS:Lost & Found in Cleveland IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4601732/Connect with Keith Gerchak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithgerchak/Connect with Marisa Guterman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisa-guterman-187677a9/Double G Films: https://www.doublegfilms.com/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Mitchell Vargo, Partner at Forward Hospitality Group.Since its founding in 2015, the Cleveland-based Hospitality Group has built out unique entertainment, bar, and restaurant experiences locally and all across the country — from here in Cleveland to Chicago, Miami, and beyond!The breadth of concepts spans FWD — the large-scale day and nightclub built on a shipyard in the East Flats with a quintessential Cleveland industrial backdrop, coined the Ibiza of the midwest and pulling some of the largest names from EDM and beyond, like Rick Ross, DeadMau5, Steve Aoki, Afrojack and more … also my personal favorite. Across the spectrum, Forward has built out Goodnight John Boy, the 70's-themed disco bar, Welcome to the Farm, a Nashville-inspired country music bar, Shake It, a casual burger joint, and lots more.This conversation was a lot of fun — Mitch and I unpack the intersection of hospitality and entrepreneurship, the perception, branding and evolution of Cleveland as a city, the business of nightlife, Mitch's path to this line of work and how he manages himself and others through it, and a whole lot more!-----LINKS:Forward Hospitality Group: https://www.forwardhg.com/FWD Day + Nightclub: https://www.forwardhg.com/fwd-day-nightclubGoodnight John Boy: https://goodnightjb.com/Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchvargo/https://www.instagram.com/forwardhospitalityhttps://www.instagram.com/fwdnightclub/Connect with Mitch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchell-vargo/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Ian Maurer — Chief Technology Officer at GenomOncology and co-lead of the Cancer Informatics for Cancer Centers' AI working group.With over two decades of software experience, Ian has led GenomOncology — a Cleveland-based software company — in their pursuit to provide the healthcare community with data-driven insights to improve cancer care and strengthen precision oncology programs by transforming valuable, but unusable data, into actionable oncology treatment options and strategic insights.Founded back in 2012 and backed by Cleveland-local investors like JumpStart, NorthCoast Ventures, and Zapis Capital, GenomOncology was early to understand the implications of the convergence of genomics and artificial intelligence as it applies to oncology and Ian has been pivotal in architecting and creating their precision oncology platform to this end.This was an incredibly insightful and informative discussion — Ian lays out the state of precision oncology and cancer care, how the field has progressed over time, the founding and evolution of GenomOncology to meliorate this space, solving hard problems, building in Cleveland, the ever-changing frontiers of AI and genomics, exponential technology, and a whole lot more!-----LINKS:Ian Maurer's Personal Website: https://imaurer.com/Connect with Ian Maurer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianmaurer/Follow Ian Maurer on Twitter/X: https://x.com/imaurerGenomOncology: https://www.genomoncology.com/Follow GenomOncology on Twitter/x: https://x.com/GenomOncology-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Umberto P. Fedeli — Founder, President, and CEO of The Fedeli GroupI first had the opportunity to speak with Umberto on this podcast just over a year ago! At the time, our conversation extended far beyond what we were able to include in the original episode exploring his Italian heritage & Cleveland upbringing, the evolution of his career, life philosophies, the power of networking & connecting people, and his approach to business as both an investor and entrepreneur as the founder of one of the largest risk management and insurance firms in Ohio — to set the right context for today's conversation, I'd encourage you to listen to Umberto share his perspective on Lay of The Land's 135th episode.In our conversation today, we pick up where we left off and continue to unpack Umberto's abundance of wisdom, earned learnings, and insights over his career and life—spanning themes from investing, commitment to lifelong learning, character & personal growth, happiness, fulfillment & significance, money & motivation, purpose & meaning, giving back and lots more!-----LINKS:Learn more about The Fedeli Group — https://www.thefedeligroup.com/Follow the Fedeli Group on Twitter — https://twitter.com/TheFedeliGroup-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Matt Buder Shapiro — Chief Marketing Officer at Vytalize Health, Previously Founder at MedPilot (Acquired)I first spoke to Matt on this podcast 3 years ago. At the time, as a co-founder and chief marketing officer of MedPilot, he was navigating an acquisition to Vytalize Health after having built the company to help service over a million patients. I said at the time that Matt's journey is a big win for Cleveland startups and the ecosystem writ large, and today's conversation underlines that point.Three years on and proudly part of Vytalize Health, Matt serves as Vytalize's Chief Marketing Officer, which has now raised over $200mm in funding to fuel their revenue growth of over 150,000% as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country in pursuit of their mission to accelerate the transition to value-based care for patients by taking care of the doctors who take care of us.From this new vantage point, we talk about how Matt navigated the acquisition, the lessons learned along the way, the power of storytelling, collaborating with other local founders — like Mac Anderson from Cleveland Kitchen (Episode #20) and Andre Cisco, Manager of MGK and XX Brands (Episode #162) — to invest in over 30 other founders over the last few years, working on Mayor Justin Bibb's campaign & term (Episode #15), his perspective on Cleveland and a whole lot more.If you want to go deeper on the specifics of MedPilot and Matt's background, I'd encourage you to listen to him break it down on Lay of The Land's 14th episode.-----LINKS:Follow Matt Buder Shapiro on X: https://x.com/mbudershapiroConnect with Matt Buder Shapiro: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattbudershapiro/Vytalize Health: https://www.vytalizehealth.com/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Aaron Slodov — CEO of Atomic Industries, a company he co-founded back in 2019 and has raised over $20 million from leading investors like Toyota Ventures, Impatient Ventures, Narya Capital, 8090 Industries, and others!Atomic is on a mission to exascale the American manufacturing sector, starting with making tool and die-making orders of magnitude easier and faster through advanced automation.Through the lens of Aaron's underlying techno-industrialist philosophy, we'll unpack what exascaling our industrial base even means, confronting the post-industrial myth and the rich history of manufacturing in Ohio, the opportunity for technology and the implications of automation in building physical things, why more young smart ambitious people should consider careers in manufacturing and heavy industry relative to software-as-a-service companies, the pursuit of Monozukuri, Atomic Industries role to play in all of this, and a whole lot more.(You can find a link to Aaron's techno-industrialist manifesto, published in February of 2024 in the show-notes to this episode)Prior to Atomic, Aaron studied physics in college, pursued a PhD in power systems engineering where he focused on electrical grid infrastructure and energy storage systems, had a stint at Google as an Operations Engineer, and then went on in 2014 to co-found Remesh, an AI-market-research startup, which has gone on to raise over $40mm in funding. This was one of my favorite conversations on the podcast so far — Aaron's passion for applying technology to solve big-picture social and scientific problems and his ambition to build companies to that end is inspiring!(As a disclaimer to this episode, I am personally a small investor in Atomic Industries)-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/abslodov/https://twitter.com/aphysicisthttps://www.atomic.industries/https://www.piratewires.com/p/techno-industrialist-manifestohttps://twitter.com/newindustrials-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Darren Small, co-founder and CEO of Oko.With over a decade of experience on Wall Street, Darren's analytical background from the world of investment banking, stocks, and data, equipped him with a keen eye for efficiency and growth opportunities which he's now applied to the world of logistics!Darren co-founded Oko back in 2021 after witnessing firsthand the transformative power of streamlining logistics operations. Since then, as CEO, Darren has raised $4 million in funding for the business and assembled a team of nimble operators dedicated to revolutionizing trucking operations, delivering greater efficiency throughout the international and middle-mile supply chains with automated solutions to enable businesses to move goods more effectively!This conversation was a lot of fun — Darren is a deep thinker with a ton of insightful perspectives. We cover his journey to Cleveland, how to effectively pivot, his approach to leadership and cherishing the journey and moments along the way, the implications of automation in our supply chains, and ultimately the future of simplified logistics Darren envisions and Oko's role in shaping it.-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenallansmall/https://oko.trade/-----SPONSORS:Lay of the Land is brought to you by JumpStart, providing services and resources to fuel the growth of technology startups across Ohio. JumpStart's experienced advisors offer personalized business services to help you overcome challenges and prepare to raise capital. With 1:1 advising, workshops, and accelerator programs, JumpStart has helped thousands of entrepreneurs — many of whom we've heard from here on Lay of The Land — transition from the early growth stage to venture-readiness. Additionally, founders can tap into a network of resources in marketing, software development, finance, and talent recruitment to drive their companies forward. To learn more about JumpStart please go to JumpStartInc.org/startups to get started today.-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
John Kempf — founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA), a regenerative agronomy company started back in 2006 to share the knowledge, tools, and systems that regenerate farm profitability, soil health, and plant health, all while reducing the need for fertilizers and pesticides.Under John's leadership, AEA has grown to be trusted by over 10,000 growers across the world to deliver exceptional yield and quality improvement results on over 4 million collective acres of fruit, nut, vegetable, and broad acre crops all while profitably generating over $20mm in revenue last year and raising over $2.5 million in crowdfunding.From a recognition that our existing food system is fundamentally broken, John's vision is one that agriculture — the source of so many challenges in our world today — has the capacity to be the solution to those very challenges, where the process of growing food regenerates land, revitalizes rural communities, produces food that improves our health, and leads to farming landscapes that are beautiful, vibrant and clean.In addition to building AEA, John is also the host of the Regenerative Agriculture podcast — one of the leading agriculture podcasts in the country, with millions of downloads— where he interviews leading farmers and scientists on the practices and science that accelerate the healing of soil, crops, livestock, and our relationship to land.It's hard not to be inspired after meeting with John — he is clearly pushing the envelope of what is possible and necessary — unaccepting of the status quo and limitations of conventional agriculture; his passion and enthusiasm are infectious and his progress with AEA is more than compelling. This was such a fun and educational conversation — from unpacking the larger concept of regenerative agriculture to hearing about the influence of his Amish upbringing and much more.-----LINKS:https://johnkempf.com/https://advancingecoag.com/https://regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRApdrU3BA0Pzo6MNWTD2jghttps://www.instagram.com/advancingecoag/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Adam Graybill, co-founder and CEO of Journey Biosciences.With a robust 20-year tenure in the diabetes market, Adam has been at the forefront of assembling purpose-driven teams and forging impactful strategic partnerships across the healthcare landscape; having played an instrumental role in building the Cardinal Health At Home business to a billion-plus dollar entity, ultimately serving over 300,000 individuals with type 1 diabetes each year.Deeply understanding of the demands and burden that come with managing a chronic condition, like a diabetes diagnosis, Adam co-founded Journey Biosciences with Dr. Paul Beisswenger to positively impact the >20 million diabetes patients in the US, and ~37 million Americans who suffer from chronic kidney disease.Journey Biosciences has launched the first predictive screening for people with diabetes that identifies patients at risk of chronic kidney disease before any clinical signs or symptoms, allowing clinicians to then take swift, targeted action with intensive interventions, resulting in life-saving and cost-saving benefits. Technically NaviDKD is Journey Bioscience's clinically validated and CPT code-certified screening for adult diabetes patients — it utilizes measurements of AGEs, A1C, eGFR, and other personal information — providing insight into long-term complications of diabetes, blood glucose levels over time, and overall kidney function — to stratify individuals into three distinct risk categoriesThis was an awesome conversation — Adam is incredibly passionate about meliorating the lives of individuals affected by chronic health conditions and it was inspiring to hear how he's built Journey Biosciences to that end. We cover his motivations, doing the work you're meant to be doing, the journey of Journey Biosciences, and a whole lot more!-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgraybill/https://www.journeybio.life/https://www.instagram.com/journeybio.life/https://twitter.com/journeybio-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Phil Londrico, Founder & CEO of JaTango — an interactive broadcasting and e-commerce platform that gives individuals the power to host their own live shopping channel anywhere.For many years now, we've seen e-commerce grow, sparking an entire industry of new brands, channels, and technology stacks. Today, everything from a legacy department store to your local grocery store to a faraway fashion boutique is “online” and at your fingertips. But the actual experience of shopping hasn't changed very much. We still generally begin browsing with a specific item in mind and it all feels pretty transactional. Traditional e-commerce platforms often fail to deliver that joy of discovery you feel when shopping in person.This is what makes livestream shopping, which has already gone mainstream in China, fueling over $150 billion in Gross Merchandise Value… so fascinating. With that in mind — JaTango, based here in Cleveland, is bringing that intimacy and connection to the buying experience through their own immersive liveshopping — taking the best of the analog television shopping “buy now!” experiences and putting it into the hands of DIY sellers.Phil has long been a visionary, growing up in his family business as one of the largest growers of Christmas Trees in the USA, responsible for many millions in annual revenue securing major national chains, including Walmart, Central Hardware, Tractor Supply, Handy Andy, and many more. As head of IT Development, he created, produced, and patented a mechanical product that was extensively sold in national chain stores, including Walmart, K-mart, and AAA Travel Agency.In 2006, Phil was early to envision streaming entertainment, co-founding Rock Me TV, one of the first internet television networks.This conversation was a ton of fun — Phil is full of energy and passion for bringing people together through commerce and breaking down the barriers between buyers and sellers — We cover what it's been like building on the frontier of technology, the importance of timing, lessons learned from his family business, the future of commerce, and lots more!-----LINKS:https://jatango.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillondrico/-----SPONSORS: Lay of the Land is brought to you by JumpStart, providing services and resources to fuel the growth of technology startups across Ohio. JumpStart's experienced advisors offer personalized business services to help you overcome challenges and prepare to raise capital. With 1:1 advising, workshops, and accelerator programs, JumpStart has helped thousands of entrepreneurs — many of whom we've heard from here on Lay of The Land — transition from the early growth stage to venture-readiness. Additionally, founders can tap into a network of resources in marketing, software development, finance, and talent recruitment to drive their companies forward. To learn more about JumpStart please go to JumpStartInc.org/startups to get started today.-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Dr. James Kenyon, Director of NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OhioThe road to the Moon goes through Cleveland. With a budget of approximately $900 million, a staff of more than 3,200 civil servants, over 725 patents, and over 120 R&D 100 Awards, Glenn — under Dr. Kenyon's leadership and in accordance with NASA's mandates — is providing integral support to Artemis, NASA's mission to return us to the Moon, overseeing the service module that will propel the Orion Space Capsule out of Earth's orbit and around the Moon.Founded in 1941, Glenn Research Center has led NASA's electric propulsion development efforts and been integral in many of NASA's most famous missions transforming aviation and space exploration — from Mercury and Apollo to the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station; playing important roles in robotic exploration missions, including the Mars rovers and Cassini's mission to Saturn.Prior to becoming Glenn's director. Dr. Kenyon served as director of the Advanced Air Vehicles Program in the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) at NASA Headquarters in Washington, led advanced programs and technology at Pratt & Whitney, and worked for 17 years in the Department of Defense where he was responsible for strategic planning, policy guidance and management oversight of DoD aerospace science and technology programs.This conversation tapped into my latent childhood love and curiosity for exploring the great cosmos around spaceship Earth — Dr. Kenyon and I explore his passion for aerospace and path to NASA, the history and evolution of the Glenn Research Center, and its significant impact here in Cleveland, his reflections on leadership, decision making and talent, and ultimately what's on the horizon, for exploring the unknown in both air and space.-----LINKS:Connect with Dr. James Kenyon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kenyon-204174172NASA's Office of STEM Engagement: https://www.nasa.gov/glenn-stem/NASA's Internships: https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/internship-programs/Doing Business with NASA Glenn: https://www.nasa.gov/glenn-business-and-partnerships/NASA Glenn's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nasaglenn/NASA Glenn's X: https://twitter.com/NASAglenn-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Ryan McManus — founder and CEO of SHARE MobilityRyan is passionate about solving workforce and rural mobility challenges, creating and affording equitable access to transportation, and ultimately changing the way people actually commute.To this end, SHARE Mobility, which raised over $12 million in funding from investors like JumpStart Ventures here in Cleveland, JobsOhio, Iron Gate Capital, Seamless Capital, and Venn Ventures among others, is a mobility-as-a-service platform empowering companies and municipalities to seamlessly implement a new transportation program or optimize existing ones as part of an employee benefits program.Practically, this has resulted in exciting mobility programs and pilots like one with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's (GCRTA) to expand equitable access to employment opportunities in Solon for all the Greater Cleveland region, providing first and last-mile ridings from public transit centers to employment sites.In a world where many frontline workers don't have access to a car and we're increasingly thinking about mobility holistically, Ryan has a fascinating and unique perspective on autonomous vehicles, connected car innovations, multimodal transportation, the transition to mobility subscriptions from car ownership, what mobility-as-a-service even is, and a whole lot more. I enjoyed getting to learn from Ryan about where this space is headed, SHARE Mobility's role in shaping it, and his reflections on entrepreneurship.-----LINKS:https://www.sharemobility.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanpmcmanus/https://twitter.com/rynmcmnshttps://twitter.com/ridewithsharehttps://www.instagram.com/ridewithshare-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Today we're running a replay of one of my favorite conversations from 2022 with Lila Mills of Signal Cleveland. Since we last spoke, Signal Cleveland has continuously produced reliable daily journalism across a plethora of local topics and built Cleveland Documenters, a group of nearly 700 greater Cleveland residents, representing nearly every zip code in the county, who are trained and paid to cover public meetings. Additionally, launched in December 2023, Signal Akron joined Signal Cleveland as the 2nd newsroom within the Signal Ohio network of independent and community-led non-profit newsrooms — now representative of one of the largest local nonprofit news startups in the country with more than 20 staff and over $15 million raised so far.I have a deep-rooted belief in the importance of local storytelling, as a way to inspire, educate, and build community locally; it's one of the many reasons I love doing Lay of The Land, and it's why I think this conversation about Signal Cleveland resonates so broadly and why I've become such an advocate and supporter for the work they're doing — what local storytelling is to the community, local journalism is to democracy and society overall!--Lila has been working in community and media for more than 20 years. She most recently spent almost 11 years with the nationally-recognized community building program Neighborhood Connections where her work ranged from editing a community newspaper to serving as associate director. Prior to that, Mills was a student newspaper advisor at Cuyahoga Community College and a reporter at the Plain Dealer. Born and raised on the southeast side of Cleveland, Lila is a first-generation college graduate with degrees from Columbia University.From 2000 to 2020, the newspaper industry's advertising revenue fell by an estimated 80%, from 2000 to 2018, weekday newspaper circulation fell from 55.8 million households to an estimated 28.6 million, 1800 communities have lost their local newsroom since 2004, over 2000 papers have closed since 2004 and there's been a 60% reduction newsroom jobs since 2008 — needless to say, access to Local News across the country is waning.Signal Cleveland — a nonprofit initiative formed by The American Journalism Project and a coalition of Ohio-based organizations like the Cleveland Foundation, the John S. And James L. Knight Foundation, Sisters of Charity Foundation, the Visible Voice Charitable Fund, and the Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation — aiming to be a trusted source of daily news and information for Greater Clevelanders.Lila has incredible perspective working through all of the challenges that come with starting a newsroom from scratch with real understanding of the Cleveland nuance — very much enjoyed hearing her thoughts on the whole endeavor and the implications this can have for Cleveland!--Learn more about Signal ClevelandLearn more about the American Journalism ProjectConnect with Lila Mills on LinkedInFollow Signal Cleveland on Twitter @signalclevelandFollow Signal Cleveland on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/signalcleveland/-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjef...
Andre Cisco — Manager for MGK and XX Brands, Brand Strategist and Investor, co-owner of the 27 Club — the coffee lounge and kitchen here in Cleveland — and Managing Partner at Dead Logic, a marketing strategy and brand management firm.Andre is a serial entrepreneur with more than 10 years of entertainment, international logistics, and merchandising experience — Invested in wealth building through ownership and community, he is dedicated to creating businesses that disrupt, educate, and enhance opportunities while creating access and equity across industries.This was such a fun conversation getting to exploring Dre's upbringing and ties to Cleveland, the intersection of art and business, the history and evolution of his relationship with MGK, starting a label, bringing Drake to Ohio for the first, giving back to the community here in Cleveland, balance, luck, motivations, reinvention, fatherhood and enjoying the journey along the way.-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----LINKS:https://www.instagram.com/andreciscoxx/https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrecisco/https://www.instagram.com/deadlogiccreate/https://www.deadlogic.co/https://www.instagram.com/27clubcoffee/-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Rick Stockburger, CEO of BRITE Energy Innovators.Located in the City of Warren, just outside Youngstown in the Mahoning Valley, BRITE was founded in 2010 as a non-profit focused on the acceleration of energy technology in Northeast Ohio. Since then, and under Rick's leadership, BRITE has helped over 600 companies, creating approximately 2100 jobs, and channeling >$250 million dollars into BRITE's network of companies.Providing signature start-up programs, a networked ecosystem, and strategic presence to unleash the energy revolution across Ohio, Appalachia, and the Midwest writ large, BRITE serves a variety of clients providing solutions to today's challenges and defining tomorrow's opportunities in energy storage, grid resilience, and mobility and transportation.Rick comes to BRITE as a Northeast Ohio native, a decorated combat veteran serving the US over nearly 7 years in the early 2000s and in operations across the world, as well as a kindred believer to myself, in the power of storytelling, having spearheaded an award-winning “Red, White, and Blueprints: A Rust Belt Documentary” telling the stories of some of the most innovative initiatives, individuals and ideas in the Rust Belt from Detroit to Buffalo to Cleveland and beyond!This was an awesome conversation — we cover Rick's journey to BRITE, involving a serendipitous run-in with Dave Grohl (a fellow Warren, Ohio native), Voltage Valley, the dependency and interconnectedness of everything energy, some of the most compelling companies within BRITE's network, including some who's stories we've shared here on Lay of The Land like LAND energy (back on Episode 48), Octet Scientific (back on Episode 118) with their founders, Scott Colosimo and Onas Bolton respectively, changing perceptions about Nuclear, Rick's learnings along the way, and ultimately the opportunity and ability for this region ability to lead in energy production, electrification of things, and energy storage going.-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----LINKS:https://brite.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickstockburger/https://twitter.com/BRITEpeoplehttps://www.instagram.com/britepeopleRed, White, and Blueprints: A Rust Belt Documentary-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Kyle Maggard, Founder & CEO of Over Easy.Kyle started OverEasy in the fall of 2018, reflecting on his time as a former college athlete at Westpoint and as an Army Captain where living a healthy and active life wasn't just his passion, but his job. As a busy father, husband, and entrepreneur, he came to recognize that staying fit and eating healthy were harder than they sounded in his busy lifestyle, and without a convenient and nutritious option to start his day, set out to create one for himself.Over East started with a year of Kyle iterating and testing different recipes while still at Harvard Business School, until he found the right combination for the company's first product — a delicious, high protein, high fiber oat-based breakfast bar, believing that a good breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day.Since moving back to Cleveland, Kyle raised $5 million in funding for the business and has grown Over Easy's distribution across national retailers like Wegmans, Giant Foods, and others including Whole Foods, who was Kyle's first partner.While aiming to cater to all consumers, Over Easy found an early niche among both college and professional athletes as collegiate athletic programs were among the brand's first customers in January 2020 and the bars are now supplied to over 20 NFL locker rooms and a few dozen MLB, NBA, WNBA, and NHL locker rooms.Kyle exudes passion for the business and for Cleveland — While Over Easy started with a breakfast bar, it is more than apparent after talking with Kyle, even only for a few minutes, that his ambitions to fix a broken food system, starting with breakfast, are far greater and his desire to help build up the Cleveland entrepreneurial community is inspiring. It was a ton of fun to learn from Kyle how he thinks about branding, leadership, quality, excellence, motivations, enjoying the process, his vision for the future, challenges faced along the way, and lots more!-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----LINKS:https://overeasyfoods.com/https://www.instagram.com/overeasyfoodshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kylejmaggard27/Mitch Kroll's Lay of The Land Episode-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Azadeh Hardiman — Business Leader of Level20, the new business incubator of Progressive Insurance, one of the largest insurance carriers in the US (which was founded and still headquartered here in Cleveland)!As the new business incubator, Level20 is focused on addressing the unmet needs of current Progressive customers and the general population, by understanding the real problems people face every day, deserving of real solutions. Azadeh and her team drive growth beyond insurance to develop new ideas, products, and services that help these people.Azadeh joined Progressive in 2015 as a Director where she led the user experience strategy and design for several large-scale digital customer initiates; introduced product design tools and internal processes to Progressive; and grew the team to include digital product strategy, design, copywriting, and analytics.Before joining Progressive, Azadeh was a founding member of mPortal, a start-up technology company that focused on a single idea: people will want to use data on phones (note: seven years before the iPhone was introduced). As part of the founding team, she wore many hats including operations, product management, business development, and marketing as she helped grow mPortal into a profitable company in less than three years and worked on product strategy for companies such as Verizon, Disney, ESPN, Time Warner, Comcast, Reliance, and Telus.In addition to her work at Progressive and Level20, Azadeh, who's based in Shaker Heights with her husband and three children, has served in leadership roles on several nonprofit boards and is currently on the Board of The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio and President of the UVA Alumni Club for Northeast Ohio.In our conversation today, we peel back the curtain on what "intrapreneurship" looks like, comparing and contrasting what it's like to build a traditional startup vs. innovating from within a large corporate organization, the kinds of initiatives Level20 has taken on thus far and the work still to be done — from home maintenance to flexible term life insurance, to financial wellness offerings, their presence here in Cleveland, her reflections on leadership and growth, and a whole lot more.-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/azadeh-hardiman/https://www.level20.com/https://www.progressive.com/-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Nick Dadas — Co-Founder of University Tees, SISU Lifestyle, Acton Academy Lakeside, ISI, and MasterPlan Coach.In 2003, still a sophomore at Miami University, Nick co-founded University Tees after trying to organize a t-shirt order for his business fraternity and becoming frustrated with his experience; so he and his co-founder, Joe, decided there had to be a better way and like all good entrepreneurs, they started their own company. Since then, University Tees has gone on to grow into the premier custom apparel brand for the college market with over 700 campus managers at over 300 colleges nationwide, over 150 full-time employees, and with expanded capabilities for the corporate market where they've built a reputation for excellence, servicing large-scale distributors and retail programs at volume across the country from their brand new full-service production facility in Cleveland.In addition:Nick founded SISU Lifestyle, a leading Sauna manufacturing company and brand focused on affording the best sauna experience possible.He founded the Acton Academy Lakeside, a one-room schoolhouse for the 21st century and for his own 3 children and other families who share this desire for an innovative approach to education.He founded The ISI Life (standing for Iron Sharpens Iron), where he hosts a podcast of his own and has built a community for men in pursuit of developing habits for success, establishing life-giving relationships, and building momentum towards a life of excellenceHe founded MasterPlan Coach, a comprehensive executive coaching program for entrepreneurs seeking to achieve authentic success across their personal and professional life.All in, Nick is a true entrepreneur, applying his problem-solving mindset to all aspects of life and thematically tying his work together to a foundational principle of Developing People and Changing Lives — a topic which we'll unpack in our conversation today. This was such an engaging conversation — Nick is intentional and full of wisdom and candor; it was a real joy getting to hear his story and reflections.-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----LINKSConnect with Nick Dadas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-dadas-7623534/Follow Nick Dadas on X: https://twitter.com/nickdadasUniversity Tees: https://universitytees.com/Follow University Tees on X: https://www.twitter.com/universityteesFollow University Tees on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/universitytees/SISU: https://sisulifestyle.com/pages/our-storyActon Academy Lakeside: https://actonlakeside.com/about/-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Reilly Berk, CEO of Berk Enterprises.Founded back in 1946 by her grandparents, Suzanne and Harold Berk, Berk Enterprises boasts a diverse history that began with the creation of the "QuicKill" insecticide and the subsequent founding of Berk Exterminating Company in Warren, Ohio. Evolving, the company expanded its ventures into numismatics, leading to the Warren Coin Shop, and later transformed into Berk Paper and Supply, carrying janitorial products such as tissues, napkins, and paper towels. In 1976, Berk Paper and Supply evolved into Berk Enterprises, when the company underwent transformative changes, introducing innovations like the novelty drinkware line for the concession industry and the Environ product line which consists of earth-friendly alternatives.Today Berk Enterprises, Inc. maintains an impressive catalog of over 4,000 food service disposables such as plastic cutlery, straws, cups, to-go containers, and much more as they service over 3,000 different customers, including some of the largest restaurant chains, as well as schools, entertainment venues. theaters, stadiums, and fairs, in addition to supplying the nation's largest food service distributors with multiple distribution centers across the country.Guided by familial dedication, Reilly, who was recently recognized by Forbes as a 30 under 30 in Cleveland, now serves as the CEO of Berk Enterprises, overseeing over 115 employees and with a drive and vision to continue to shape the industry with Berk Enterprises' legacy, values, and expanding product offerings.This was a really fun conversation as we unpack what it was like becoming CEO in her early 20s, the history and evolution of the family business, Reilly's perspective on management and leadership, and what is in store for Berk going forward.-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----LINKS:Berk Enterprises: https://berkbrands.com/Connect with Reilly Berk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reillyberk/-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Mary Cowan, the President of NCS Credit, based here in the greater Cleveland area.The story of NCS Credit is one of family, growth, and success anchored in a belief of uncompromising excellence and ever-advancing technology. Founded in 1970 by Howard V. Cowan as a commercial collection agency, NCS Credit's goal was to form trusted partnerships and provide exceptional debt recovery services for its clients. In the early 1980s NCS Credit earned a reputation as a leading authority in the corporate credit industry and expanded its services to meet the needs of its credit professionals by adding the Construction, UCC, and Publication Service GroupsMary joined the company in 1990, shortly after the sudden and tragic death of her father Howard Cowan; The entire family rallied and resolutely continued to pursue Howard's vision forward.Today, under Mary's leadership, NCS Credit serves clients across the US and Canada as a commercial debt recovery service — protecting many billions of dollars over their more than 50 years of service across many industries like manufacturing, construction, food distribution, and energy, in addition to educating thousands of credit professionals — guided by their belief that everyone should get paid for the work that they doThis was a fun and educational conversation for me. Mary talks about the hard things she experienced and navigated as part of her entrepreneurial journey, the trials and tribulations turning around suffering culture, morale, and performance to an organization now recognized seven times over as a Northeast Ohio top workplace, the challenges of being a 2nd generation leader, the power of business operating systems, and a whole lot more.-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----LINKS:Connect with Mary Cowan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-cowan-94b4266/NCS Credit: https://www.ncscredit.com/-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Ethan Holmes — founder and CEO of Holmes Mouthwatering, a Cleveland-based manufacturer of all-natural applesauce, made with Ohio-grown apples, pears, and local apple cider. To date, over 50,000 customers have purchased and consumed Holmes' products, processing over 500,000 pounds of apples and delivering over 250,000 units to consumers across the US. Holmes Mouthwatering applesauce can be found in retailers including Heinen's, Whole Foods Market, Kroger and Giant Eagle, among others.Inspired by his Grandfather who had always made food at home from scratch, when Ethan was 15 years old, he asked hi, how to make applesauce and this passion was born. Armed with 100 pounds of apples that his parents gifted him for Christmas, Ethan chopped, cooked, and experimented until his recipe was perfect.Over a decade later, with national expansion, ~$800,000 in capital from programs like Cleveland Chain Reaction and the Chobani Incubator, it was a ton of fun to hear from Ethan about his journey building Holmes Mouthwatering and the work he's doing to inspire the next generation of Cleveland entrepreneurs through his own initiative!-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----LINKS:Connect with Ethan Holmes on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-holmes-2b5b0124/Holmes Mouthwatering: https://holmesmouthwatering.com/Follow Holmes Mouthwatering on X: https://twitter.com/holmesasauceFollow Holmes Mouthwatering on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holmesmouthwatering-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Mohamed Kamara, founder and CEO of InovCares.Grounded in a sobering reality: The United States has the highest rates of maternal mortality in the industrialized world. In May 2017, having lost both his sister and aunt to preventable pregnancy-related causes, Mo found himself in a place with the motivation and determination to confront this maternal mortality crisis head-on.Mo ultimately founded InovCares to this end — to address the concerns of women of color who are, unfortunately, often dismissed in healthcare settings. Where in addition, many of them do not receive culturally humble and competent care that promotes trust between patients and providers. The cumulative effect of these dynamics is diminished confidence in healthcare, misdiagnosis, improper treatment, and, ultimately, worse outcomes for women of color and their babies — amounting to over $32B in total maternal morbidity costs across US births.InovCares' platform — which has already supported over 5,000 women of color with over 10,000 virtual consultations so far and is backed by organizations like Andreessen Horowitz TxO Fund, Ohio Impact Fund, and Jumpstart Foundry — is designed to minimize common barriers faced by pregnant and post-partum women by reducing costs, wait times and transportation needs, improving patient access to essential testing and prescriptions, providing a range of culturally competent specialists, and empowering and educating patients through easy access to online content.Mo's story is incredibly inspiring and it was a real pleasure to learn more about his journey so far.-----SPONSORS: JumpStartJumpStartLay of the Land is brought to you by JumpStart, providing services and resources to fuel the growth of technology startups across Ohio. JumpStart's experienced advisors offer personalized business services to help you overcome challenges and prepare to raise capital. With 1:1 advising, workshops, and accelerator programs, JumpStart has helped thousands of entrepreneurs — many of whom we've heard from here on Lay of The Land — transition from the early growth stage to venture-readiness. Additionally, founders can tap into a network of resources in marketing, software development, finance, and talent recruitment to drive their companies forward. to learn more about JumpStart please go to JumpStartInc.org/startups to get started today.-----LINKS:InovCares Website: https://www.inovcares.com/Connect with Mo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohamedkamara/InovCares on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inovcares-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
David Tirpak, founder of Miracle K9 Training — Since founding the company in 2019, David has grown Miracle K9 Training to a thriving 15-person organization, a multi-million-dollar top-line revenue business, and one of the most respected dog training centers in Northeast Ohio! David's dog training story started when he got his very first dog, Vera. As someone who has never had dogs growing up and didn't really know what he was doing with one, the first logical step seemed like finding a dog trainer to learn everything he could from. After working with three different dog trainers and working under another for over two years, he started to realize that there was a huge gap in the dog training world for true behavioral rehabilitation.Shortly after David started his first dog training company, Heights Canine Dog Training, he spent the next three years traveling the country to meet other world-renowned dog trainers and dedicated himself to creating dog training programs geared towards helping the everyday dog owner to be successful long term with dogs that have more serious behavioral issues. In those three years, David helped to build Heights Canine into a thriving business with three locations across Ohio gaining national recognition for the work they were doing.In January 2019, David left the company to get back to what he loves doing — training dogs — and formed Miracle K9 Training, a specialized dog training facility that was first and foremost, a dog training center, which meant more specialized staff, a larger group of trainers, and additional services like daycare, boarding, and grooming that have an emphasis on keeping the dogs mentally stimulated and structured during their stay.David (recent Forbes 30 Under 30 Cleveland winner) has such a genuine passion and enthusiasm for this work, it was a real joy to learn more about his journey, philosophy on dogs, growth as an entrepreneur, and impact here in Northeast Ohio.-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----LINKS:https://miraclek9training.com/tiktok.com/@miraclek9traininginstagram.com/miraclek9trainingfacebook.com/miraclek9trainingtwitter.com/davidmiraclek9-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Jim Pshock, Founder of Bravo Wellness, which he successfully exited to Medical Mutual in 2020.After 20 years working in the insurance industry, Jim observed a need and a niche for employee wellness incentives, as health claims data indicated that the vast majority of healthcare spending is related to lifestyle-influenced & largely preventable claims. Health risks such as obesity, tobacco use, and low participation in health screenings that provide early detection of problems were directly correlated with rising costs in healthcare and a poorer quality of life for millions of people.In 2008, Jim founded Bravo Wellness to improve these lifestyle numbers, saving all parties involved a significant amount of money and improving and extending the lifespans of participating people by offering an outcomes and progress-based-incentive-program that rewards those achieving health goals and provides alternatives for those who are medically unable to meet those goals.From inception to acquisition, Jim grew Bravo Wellness to serve over 2 million members nationally with over 175 employees, 150 of which were here in Cleveland.This was an awesome conversation and Jim is an awesome person — we cover everything from the wisdom of lessons learned in kindergarten, to the power of incentives in everyday life, post-acquisition reflections, to what Jim is focused on now, with the bandwidth to invest in other entrepreneurs, advise, consult and be intentional about his work as he spends more time with his family.-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----LINKS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-pshock-0343a0a/https://www.medmutual.com/https://www.bravowell.com/-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Kaleb Dumot — founder of Integrity Power Search here in Cleveland, a boutique search firm for technology companies all across the US and Canada. Since starting Integrity Power Search out of his parent's basement in 2012, Kaleb has drastically grown the firm, successfully executing over 2,000+ retained searches with client companies that have collectively created $100's billions of value in exits, many of whose stories we've shared here on Lay of The Land like Dallas Hogensen from Felux (Episode 86), AC Evans from Drips (Episode 39), and others like RVShare (Episode 10). In addition, Integrity Power Search has worked with many other prominent organizations like Klarna, StockX, Duolingo, and over a hundred others, backed by many of the top-tier funds and investors in the industry!In our conversation today, we unpack Kaleb's journey building IPS — taking it from a garage startup to the full-stack search firm for high-growth startups and technology companies that it has become today, and we cover recruiting, entrepreneurship, and all things talent. Kaleb has awesome perspective on these topics having worked with so many startups over their stages of growth and been a direct witness to the evolution of Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, Ohio, and the larger Midwest startup ecosystems over the last decade.-----SPONSORS: John Carroll University Boler College of Business || Impact Architects & NinetyJohn Carroll University Boler College of Business: https://business.jcu.edu/ As we've heard time and time again from entrepreneurs on Lay of The Land — many of whom are proud alumni of John Carroll University — success in this ever-changing world of business requires a dynamic and innovative mindset, deep understanding of emerging technology and systems, strong ethics, leadership prowess, acute business acumen… all qualities nurtured through the Boler College of Business!With 4 different MBA programs of study — spanning Professional, Online, Hybrid, and 1-Year-Flexible — The Boler College of Business provides flexible timelines and various class structures for each MBA Track — including online, in-person, hybrid and asynchronous — to offer the most effective options for you, in addition to the ability to participate in an elective International Study Tour, providing unparalleled opportunities to expand your global business knowledge by networking with local companies overseas and experiencing a new culture.The career impact of a Boler MBA is formative and will help prepare you for this future of business and get more out of your career. To learn more about John Carroll University's Boler MBA programs, please go to business.jcu.eduThe Boler College of Business is fully accredited by AACSB International, the highest accreditation a College of Business can have.Impact Architects & NinetyLay of The Land is brought to you by Ninety. As a Lay of The Land listener, you can leverage a free trial with Ninety, the platform that helps teams build great companies and the only officially licensed software for EOS® — used by over 7,000 companies and 100,000 users!This episode is brought to you by Impact Architects. As we share the stories of entrepreneurs building incredible organizations throughout NEO, Impact Architects helps those leaders — many of whom we've heard from as guests on Lay of The Land — realize their visions and build great organizations. I believe in Impact Architects and the people behind it so much, that I have actually joined them personally in their mission to help leaders gain focus, align together, and thrive by doing what they love! As a listener, you can sit down for a free consultation with Impact Architects by visiting ia.layoftheland.fm!-----LINKS:Learn more about Integrity Power Search — https://www.integritypowersearch.com/Connect with Kaleb Dumot on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalebdumot/-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
Every 50th episode on Lay of The Land thus far, I've tried to honor the request I occasionally get, that from time to time, listeners would like to hear more of my own thoughts and flip the proverbial script from host to guest....On the 50th episode, I explored my own professional journey, the concept of startup ecosystems, and what it takes to get the entrepreneurial flywheel going…On the 100th episode, I reflected on what universal lessons I think we can take with us from Lay of The Land: what are the patterns and commonalities across all of the stories we've heard from people trying to build great things — from what inspires and motivates founders to pursue entrepreneurship in the first place, to where founding ideas actually come from, to the meaning and importance of culture.Which brings us to episode 150. Personally, I'm much more a fan of listening than I am of speaking; to reference the greatest Cleveland entrepreneur of all time, who unfortunately we won't get the opportunity to ever have on the podcast as he passed away in 1937, but fortunately, there is quite a lot written and documented about John D. Rockefeller — he often recited a poem that reads:A wise old owl lived in an oakthe more he saw the less he spokethe less he spoke, the more he heardwhy aren't we all like that wise old bird?For me, this poem resonates deeply. Lay of The Land has become my Oak Tree in that regard as it allows me to hear, to listen, and to learn! With that said, for the 150th episode of Lay of The Land, I'll continue the tradition of taking a deliberate pause, deviating from the wisdom of the owl, and share some of my own thinking.Fortunately, my friend Jonathan Satovsky runs his own podcast called Wisdom, Wealth, and Wellness and hosted me as a guest there where I got to share some of this thinking… and really in great company as he's featured many far wiser than myself on his podcast like:Dan Ariely, one of the pioneers of behavioral economics, Greg Harden, an executive and performance coach to folks like Tom Brady and Michael Phelps, Joel Greenblatt, a renowned value investor and author of one of the books actually that got me into investing many years ago… and many others! In our episode, which I'm resharing on Lay of The Land today, I get to unpack a whole variety of unfettered reflections on entrepreneurship, product management, investing, passion and ambition, the race to the bottom of attention, founding insights, flanuering and a lot more! I really enjoyed being the guest on the podcast for once… So with that, I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did — and if you do, I encourage you check out other episodes from Jonathan's podcast as well !-----Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and many more.Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/Follow Jeffrey Stern on X @sternJefe — https://twitter.com/sternjefeFollow Lay of The Land on X @podlayofthelandhttps://www.jeffreys.page/
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