Podcast appearances and mentions of david adelman

Dover and Cecil kicked off the show reacting to the Nuggets' tough loss to the Lakers from over the weekend. How much blame goes on David Adelman? The guys gave their thoughts on the Avs losing to the Jets. Just because the Broncos are running it back and not bringing in outside players, can we say that the Broncos will be in the AFC Championship again next season? With the March Madness bracket out, Dover asked Cecil if he would take the top four seeds or the field in this year's tournament? 

In the 2nd hour, Dover and Cecil reacted to the Nuggets blowing it against the Lakers from over the weekend. The guys heard from David Adelman on what happened defensively on Austin Reaves' missed free throw that he got back. The fellas heard from Jared Bednar talking about how the Avs loss because they had a lack of energy going into the game. Are there any free agents that the Broncos should still target? 

In the 3rd hour, Dover and Cecil recapped how bad the Nuggets were against the Lakers. How much blame needs to go on David Adelman for how things fell apart in the fourth quarter and OT. Are there any free agents that the Broncos should still go out and target? The fellas took a look around the NFL. Could the Rams trade for A.J. Brown? 

The Denver Nuggets did the "foul up three" gambit and it bit them in the ass with a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. What this says about David Adelman and the Nuggets as they put themselves very much behind the 8 ball. Also Jeff talks about how Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon are providing the emotional leadership they wont get from the head coach. Enjoy the show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach, Phil and the guys compete in their weekly trivia competition against the morning show. Will we be able to get off the schneid and beat the morning show's 2-2 performance from earlier today? We react to the Broncos lack of movement this offseason and not having added any players outside of their organization to this point. We hear from George Paton and his thoughts on not being able to be aggressive in free agency every year and how the drafts deep position classes impact how they spend on free agents. Will we see the Broncos make a splashy trade with the cap space they've freed up by restructuring contracts? We react to the Nuggets improbable win last night in San Antonio where they were down big in their second game in two nights. The guys give the Nuggets their credit for their gritty performance and we hear from David Adelman and his thoughts on team staying with it. 

In the 3rd hour, Dover and Cecil gave their thoughts on the Nuggets losing to the Thunder last night. Cecil wonders if David Adelman knows his rotation at this point of the season. The guys reacted to a WR that the Broncos once again missed out on. What do the Avs need to do tonight to beat Edmonton. 

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue to react to NFL free agency and the lack of moves the Broncos have made to this point. We examine all the Broncos moves to bring back players from their team last year including Sam Ehlinger, JK Dobbins and more. Zach shares the details on Paxton Lynch playing indoor football for the Colorado Spartans. We react to the moves made within the AFC west with the Raiders spending big on their new center Tyler Linderbaum, adding linebackers, and more. Will the Raiders be a bigger challenge in 2026 than many assumed? Zach asks if the Nuggets are not meant to be after Jamal Murray went down with an injury in the same game Aaron Gordon finally returned from missing extended time. We hear from David Adelman and his thoughts on getting blown out by the Knicks on Friday. What did the guys make of the Avs' power play while going 0-5 in Sunday's game vs the Wild? 

0:00 - Friday was NHL trade deadline madness! The deal was dead, and then it wasn't. The Colorado Avalanche brought back Nazem Kadri! Then, the Avs beat both the Stars and Wild in a shootout. What a truly wild weekend for the Avs. One downside - Landy suffered an extra-unfortunate injury in the Dallas game and will miss some time.20:24 - The Broncos gave TE Adam Trautman a 3-year x $18.5 mil contract. Take that, DragonSlayer69. Brett's a little confused by the deal, though. What DOES he want to see the Broncos do in Free Agency as this so-called "legal tampering" period opens up?35:15 - The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat. The Nuggets got absolutely OBLITERATED and embarrassed by the New York Knickerbockers at Ball Arena on Friday night. They lost by 39 POINTS. Oof. And to make matters worse...David Adelman's postgame press conference was drowned out by the sounds of the Knicks blasting music in the locker room.

Geno Smith was cut by the Raiders and Maxx Crosby was traded to the Ravens. The Broncos are bringing back a key member of their defense - Justin Strnad. Nuggets head coach David Adelman admits the team sucks. Logan Paul wants to fight an NFL player - but the WWE shut down that idea. The return of Kadri to the Avs has to be the final piece to seal their path to the cup. And Paxton Lynch made his debut for the Colorado Spartans. So naturally we heard feom Paxton the Pirate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

00:00 Avs trade for Nic Roy, David Adelman comments on Nikola Jokic.20:45 Irrelevant sports franchises.38:50 Jamal Murray, CSU hoops, DJ Moore traded to Bills.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss Russell Wilson "defending" himself on a podcast when talking about the back and forth between him and Sean Payton. Zach and Phil dive into the Broncos plans as NFL free agency beings in less than a week. Will the Broncos re-vamp the offensive line? Could Ben Powers be a cut or trade candidate as he heads into the last year of his contract? We react to the Nuggets winning a tight one against a bad team in the Jazz. Zach voices his frustrations with how Jokic reacts to aggressive defenses and tries to foul-bait. What do the guys make of David Adelman's adjustments and trying out a double big lineup with Val and Jokic? Zach shares the impressive stats Nathan MacKinnon is putting up this season and how he is likely on his way to another MVP trophy. 

00:00 More on the Nuggets losses.13:25 Jeff Legwold joins the show.32:35 David Adelman comments.

Richie Carni and Brandon Stokley with Mark Schlereth kick off the third hour having some hard discussions about the Nuggets. They debate whether the Nuggets lost the MPJ trade and whether it’s a mistake to trust David Adelman with the title window. They address the hottest topics on the text line and YouTube chat like Punxsutawney Riche and Stoke’s new slippers possibly being redundant considering his terrible little dog still roams the house. Our Senior Editor at Denver Sports.com, James Merilatt, joins us live in studio to bash the coaches who reside at Ball Arena.  

Joker got angry after Lu Dort of OKC tripped him, and Charles Barkley said he understands Jokic's reaction. Also, I want to see fighting in basketball. What's the biggest issue with the Denver Nuggets - Injuries or coaching? We hear from David Adelman and Nikola Jokic. Head coach of University of Colorado's men's basketball team - Tad Boyle, hates technology in sports. We hear as he goes full boomer. Where will Kyler Murray end up? Maybe the New York Jets. Bengals just re-signed Colorado's own Dalton Risner to a 1 year deal. The Eagles have a high asking price for AJ Brown - will anyone take the bait? I make an against the grain prediction with the Colorado Rockies… They're going to be in the MLB playoff hunt this season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ethereal Encounters welcomes David Adelman – The People's Lawyer, LIVE, February 27th, 2026 - Friday, 3:10 PM EST Topic: Manufactured Minds: Programming Inside the System https://thepeopleslawyeruk.com Bio: David Adelman, aka, The People's Lawyer, is Cambridge University educated and a qualified Solicitor by training. But as a young man, David soon turned his back on conventional work and office incarceration to explore life by actually living it. After teaching English in Spain for several years, back in the UK he was awarded funding to teach a card game for thinking and social skills in schools around the country. His experience in the education system led to him to research and author a book now published as ‘School – No Place for Children' He gave a keynote speech at the Glastonbury Symposium in July 2019 and was about to embark on a nationwide tour on education when COVID hit town. The result is now visible on this site and available at in-person live talks and online courses to massively upgrade people's general sense of their own power.

Ethereal Encounters welcomes Flat Earth Dave, LIVE, February 26th, 2026 Thursday, 5:10 PM EST Topic: Is Reality Curated for Us? The Age of Engineered Belief www.flatearthdave.com BIO: Flat Earth Dave hails from the East Coast of the United States, where he was born and raised. He began his Flat Earth journey when he left his very lucrative corporate job and started his own company. As a hobby, he hosted a conspiracy comedy show at a NYC comedy club for three years. After many fans urged him to look at what he considered a ridiculous notion called "Flat Earth", he sought to disprove this conspiracy and put it to bed once and for all. It was then that he discovered that Flat Earth was, in fact, the true Earth, and he hasn't looked back. He is now on a mission to awaken the world to the Flat Earth theory. https://flatearthdave.com

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were in full two man game mode when it mattered most but the Nuggets clutch time struggles continue. The Denver Nuggets had multiple double digit leads but once again they were reeled back in. OKC comes storming back in the 4th Quarter and David Adelman blew two timeouts early in the 4th. A brewhaha between Lu Dort and Nikola Jokic got both teams going. It fueled the battle towards overtime but OKC got the last laugh without SGA and Dort in OT. Koz was on the call from Oklahoma City. 

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into Sean Payton and the Broncos offense, a day after Davis Webb was announced as the Broncos play caller. Should we trust a 14-3 team with a young quarterback to a first time play caller in Webb? Are the Broncos entering a championship or bust window after the success they had last season? We hear from Sean Payton and his thoughts on if the Broncos needed a new player caller. Will Webb's and Payton's offensive philosophies align? Will Sean Payton take back play calling duties at any point this season? Today's "Three Count" features Mike Zimmer interviewing with the Broncos for a role on the coaching staff, Kareem Jackson serving as a regional scout for the Broncos, and David Adelman saying he hopes to have the Nuggets fully healthy for the final 20 games of the regular season. We react to Calvin Booth's comments on why he was fired from the Nuggets, especially his comments on making his job look too easy. 

On the latest Mortcast on CSG and MHS Jeff talks about how David Adelman's personality plays a big part in the Nuggets issues in clutch time and at home and how the solution to "fix" that problem is Nikola Jokic taking the reigns and leading this team like he did in the playoffs last year. Enjoy the show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mike Evans and Brandon Stokley with Mark Schlereth open the second hour ranting about the beanie babies that the Olympians all got as they recap a US victory in the Gold Medal Game. Mike gets the players’ take on how the Nuggets need to approach their end-of-game problems, is this on David Adelman to fix or the players? They speculate how much clarity we’ll get into the play calling situation between Sean Payton and Davis Webb as they get Stink’s insight into new passing game coordinator Johnny Morton’s time in Detroit. The Morning Crew wrap up the second hour in 4 Down Territory where they cover the Bears possibly moving to Indiana, the tush push being preserved, and onside kick alternatives.  

Mike Evans and Brandon Stokley kick off today’s show celebrating the US Men’s Hockey Team’s gold medal victory at the Olympics. Mike calls out David Adelman for his excuses after the Nuggets gave up a 4th quarter lead to lose in San Francisco. Johnny Morton is the new passing game coordinator for the Broncos and Mike tells everybody why the longtime Payton protege got a raw deal at his last stop and how important he could be for Bo’s all-important 3rd year. They discuss the Gold Medal Game coming down to 3-on-3 overtime hockey and all the controversy that came out of it. The guys discuss what a disappointing loss the Olympic Finals was for Canada and they wonder how the Avs’ players like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar will respond to the huge loss. Mike and Stoke wrap up the first hour airing their concerns about the Nuggets’ lack of mental fortitude.  

Mike Evans and Brandon Stokley with Mark Schlereth open the fourth hour pointing out the incredible power of international hockey, putting one of the most overlooked sports in America into the spotlight after the instant classic between Team USA and Team Canada. They rant about how ridiculous it is that Connor McDavid won Olympic Tournament MVP over Hellebuyck before calling out David Adelman for pre-empting excuses for his team. Stoke invites Stink out for anniversary mani-pedi's before they preview the underwear Olympics: the NFL Scouting Combine. How much value does the Combine have in evaluating talent? The Morning Crew cap off today’s show reflecting on the US Men’s Hockey Gold Medal one more time.  

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil question what the Broncos will do with John-Franklin Meyers this off season? Zach shares the expected contract for JFM and the guys debate if it would be worth it for the Broncos to bring him back. If the guys could pick one of JK Dobbins, Alex Singleton, or Justin Strnad to return to the Broncos next season, who would they pick? We react to the Olympic Gold medal match from yesterday. Did Jack Hughes and Connor Hellebuyck become American sports icons in yesterday's win? How concerning is it we keep seeing a trend for the Nuggets after they lost another clutch game against the Warriors over the weekend? We hear from Jokic and David Adelman on the loss and how the Nuggets didn't come out at the beginning of the game the right way. 

Mike Evans and Brandon Stokley kick off today’s show reveling in the US Women’s Hockey Team winning the gold medal over Canada. The guys recap the Nuggets’ close loss to the Clippers and the end of game problems that have been haunting them. They put a moratorium on their Friday McD’s and share weekend plans before they get an “Is It Just Me” about the competition in the western conference. The guys talk down a Nuggets fan who is calling out David Adelman for his coaching and they debate who the most delusional fanbase in sports is. The 6am Duo wrap up the first hour discussing the Broncos’ needs this offseason being awfully similar to their to-do list from last year.  

In hour 4 of The Drive, Phil and John Davis continue their conversation on the upcoming USA vs Canada gold medal match. Which country had the more impressive win today? What are the biggest keys for the US to upset Canada? Will Sunday morning's game be an all-time moment for the sport of hockey? We pivot to the Nuggets and react to their loss last night in a close game vs the Clippers. How much is David Adelman to blame for last night's loss? How concerning were Jokic and Murray's turnovers? We breakdown what the Broncos should do with Evan Engram this offseason. Will Davis Webb be able to use Engram better in 2026? We wrap up the show with Chad Andrus joining the show to discuss the Broncos wide receiver room and if Courtland Sutton is a true number one receiver. 

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil go through and rank the AFC quarterbacks. Is Bo Nix a top 5 AFC quarterback? Who would the guys pick between Nix and Drake Maye? Has Nix surpassed Justin Herbert with Herbert's lack of playoff success? DenverSports.com's Jake Shapiro joins the show to discuss the Nuggets signing Spencer Jones to a full NBA contract and how the Nuggets health has impacted their regular season record. How will David Adelman handle the starting rotation when the Nuggets are fully healthy and could Adelman burn bridges by benching Christian Braun? We wrap up the show breaking down the Avalanche players shinning in the Olympics the last two weeks. 

On the latest Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets Post All-Star Break schedule and what it means for the team. How will the team figure out their defensive issues heading into the home stretch? What will Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and David Adelman do to set the tone? Ryan discusses the schedule and makes three predictions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Denver Nuggets barely beat the blatantly tanking Memphis Grizzlies last night in a game that featured 9 turnovers from Nikola Jokic. Ugh. This team clearly needs the All Star Break which begins now for them. Also Jeff talks about the Spencer Jones contract thing. Don't send poor David Adelman out there to talk about it, also this is all about avoiding the tax. Enjoy the show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Nuggets topped the Grizzlies, 122-116 last night and will head into the All-Star Break at 35-20. Overall thoughts on the first-half of the season. How has David Adelman done in his first season as head coach? Should he be considered for Coach of the Year? Who on the Nuggets roster have been the biggest surprises this season? NFL.com ranked Bo Nix as the 18th best quarterback. Is this ranking accurate and what does Nix have to do to move higher up on the list? Men's Olympic ice hockey continues today with the U.S. playing Latvia and Canada playing Czechia. Is this must watch TV? If the United States plays Canada, who are you rooting for? A look back at the 1980 Miracle On Ice. Check out another episode of Hot Takes with Eric Goodman and Troy Renck! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mike Evans and Brandon Stokley with Mark Schlereth open the fourth hour celebrating an anniversary and the players reflect on their lives after football. Our 9News Broncos Insider Mike Klis gave the guys insight into a couple of the Broncos’ key free agents, and they discuss whether they want these guys back in the fold. They look at the free agent and rookie TE’s that the Broncos should be looking at in March. The Morning Crew caps off today’s show discussing David Adelman’s approach compared to Michael Malone.  

In the 3rd hour, Dover and Cecil discussed if last night's Nuggets loss was a bad loss for David Adelman. Why couldn't the Nuggets close things out in the fourth quarter? The fellas took a look at NFL.com's latest 3-round mock draft. On Bo's Board, the guys make the case for the Broncos adding Dallas Goedert. Would it be a bad idea if the NFL allows teams to trade draft picks up to five years instead of just three years into the future? 

On the latest Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn discusses the MVP race between Nikola Jokic and Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander that still has life despite Jokic's absence. He breaks down Jokic's chances to catch SGA, what's next for David Adelman and Nuggets post ASB, and previews tonight's matchup vs James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 - Schefty reported there was an earthquake in SF, then hopped on our show. He breaks Geological news, then breaks NFL news. What doesn't this guy do?14:21 - Aside from the possibility of Jokic winning MVP, which is more likely: Peyton Watson wins Most Improved Player, Tim Hardaway Jr wins 6th man of the year, or David Adelman is Coach of the Year?32:38 - This weekend, a boxer got punched so hard that his fake hair fell off. Yikes. And somehow, he won the fight by decision. Nope! If your toupee falls off mid-fight, that's an automatic L in our book. 

0:00 - Aaron Gordon, welcome to the DENVER NUGGETS RE-EVALUATED IN 4-6 WEEKS CLUB! These poor Nugs can't stay healthy. At least David Adelman gave us some good news yesterday about Jokic's recovery progress. 13:34 - Ja'Quan McMillian is a restricted free agent. Should the Broncos retain his services? How about the rest of their impending free agents on defense?31:12 - The Avs are stuck in the mud right now, man. The Colorado Wagon has come to a complete stop. 

Bruce Haertl and Troy Renck are in for Hot Takes on a Friday morning. Peyton Watson scored a career-high 35 points in the Nuggets win last night in Washington DC. Has Watson played himself into a full-time starter? Has this injury spurt for the Nuggets actually been a good thing in terms on discovery for David Adelman? Full Broncos vs. Patriots AFC Championship Game preview. How big of a factor can J.K. Dobbins be? What are the realistic expectations for Jarrett Stidham? What type of game plan will Sean Payton draw up? And how different will it be from what it would've looked like with Nix? Finally, what's the one thing that absolutely has to happen on Sunday to give the Broncos a chance? Final score predictions. Check out a Football Friday edition of Hot Takes! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 - Check the forecast. I think Hell might be freezing over. The Indiana Football Hoosiers are national champions. No matter how you feel about Curt Cignetti, you have to admit that he orchestrated one of the greatest turnarounds in sports history. 16:26 - We still have no idea what Goalie Interference is. We don't know, Coach Bednar doesn't know, the players don't know, and the league don't know. But at least we're all on the same page.33:29 - David Adelman is a lifelong Bills fan and has said as much. Are we okay with that? Is it okay for the head coach of a Denver sports team to vocally support a non-Denver sports team? Especially when his Bills face off against the Broncos?

Mike Evans and Brandon Stokley kick off today’s show kicking off a full weekend of playoff football between college and the pros. Do you think it’s a bad idea and a bad look for the College Football Semifinals to play on a weeknight? Mike believes David Adelman has earned his stripes after the Nuggets notched another improbable win on the road. The 6am Duo give the 6am listeners a chance to hear what our ESPN NFL Analyst, Dan Orlovsky, unearthed about Bo Nix in the clutch. The guys react to John Elway’ glowing praise for the current Broncos core between Bo Nix’s clutch gene and Sean Payton’s COTY case. Mike and Stoke wrap up the first hour hearing Joel Klatt’s concerns about the Broncos backing into the playoffs and asking the question: If Jamal Murray isn’t an All-Star this year, will it ever happen?  

Mike Evans and Brandon Stokley with Mark Schlereth open the fourth hour pointing out the Broncos' areas of improvement over the bye. They make the case for David Adelman to enter the Coach of the Year conversation after the Nuggets’ last two wins and they make the case for Jamal Murray to make his first All Star Game as well. The Morning Crew take on The Drive’s toughest trivia for The Fan’s weekly Trivia Challenge, how will they perform after their own bye weeks? Mike, Stink, and Stoke cap off today’s show hearing two legendary Broncos QB’s talking about the current QB.  

0:00 - One final Avs game in 2025! How's Jared Bednar feeling about his squad? On Monday in his postgame interview, he said he was concerned about the Power Play. Why? Can we expect to see Logan O'Connor any time soon? And most importantly, which member of the morning show would Bednar NOT want to see his daughter date? 20:53 - Against all odds, Vic is embarking on an impossible mission. He's determined to reach his goal, even if his body isn't built for the task. 34:29 - RIP MTV 3 even though it hasn't had any M for like 20 years at this point. We'll miss seeing 24 straight hours of Ridiculousness. (btw the "Real" MTV song Moser had me to play was "Lay It Down.")After that, how much will you judge David Adelman based on the non-Jokic games over the next month? 

0:00 - We can speculate all we want about how good or bad Jokic's injury is. But none of it matters until we get the MRI results back. The rumors are just that: rumors.14:43 - FINALLY! MRI confirmed no structural damage to Jokic's left knee. It was a hyperextension injury. He'll be re-evaluated in 4 weeks. That doesn't mean he'll be back in 4 weeks. He'll be re-evaluated. So the Nuggets will be without him for at least a month, maybe more. Still, that's really good news considering how bad his injury looked yesterday.31:45 - 4 weeks minimum without Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets will need to adapt and re-invent themselves. David Adelman, time to earn your stripes as a coach. Show us how deep the playbook goes. 

0:00 - Vic, Mose, and Mat Smith talk Nuggets and hear from head coach David Adelman after their 135-112 win over the Jazz on Monday night. Up next they give their Keys to the Game as the team travels to Dallas to take on the Mavericks.15:35 - One of the most special-est guests in ML&K history joins the program: Denver Broncos legend, all-around Denver legend, NFL Hall of Famer John Elway hops on the show to talk his Netflix documentary out streaming today. He also talks Bo Nix, highlights from his career, and more! I'm serious Vic and Mose are like two kids in a candy store I've never seen em so happy.34:57 - The boys are still riding high from that John Elway interview, but there's still some leftovers to take care of from Broncos-Jags. They listen to some audio from Coach Payton's Zoom conference on Monday to finally debrief last Sunday's loss.

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire one person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world has the hustle and grit to deliver. My guest: David Adelman is the CEO of Campus Apartments, founder of Darco Capital, and co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers. During our conversation, we discussed how losing a basketball bet at age 11 changed his life, investing his bar mitzvah money in real estate, becoming CEO at 25, his grandfather's Holocaust survival story, and why it gives him perspective on struggle, embracing failure, the trade-offs of building something excellent, and what he looks for when hiring leaders. Key Learnings "Why not me? Why not now?" David's mantra cuts through all the overthinking and excuses we make. When he saw other people building national real estate portfolios, he didn't wonder if it was possible—he asked why he couldn't do it. Stop waiting for permission. Stop waiting for the perfect moment. Ask yourself: why not me? Why not now? Make mistakes, just not the same one twice. David doesn't expect perfection from himself or his team. He expects learning. Fail fast, fail forward, but don't repeat the same failure. That's not growth—that's negligence. Embrace the suck, but evolve through it. David's grandfather survived the Holocaust after his wife and children were murdered. He escaped, joined the resistance, and rebuilt his life from nothing. When David thinks about that, he says: "No matter what, I don't know struggle." That's perspective. Most of what we call struggle is just discomfort. Understanding that doesn't make your challenges disappear... It makes them manageable. If your grandfather could survive the unthinkable, you can handle the hard day in front of you. At age 11, David challenged family friend Alan Horwitz to a basketball game and made a wager. Horwitz didn't let the kid win, and David lost his basketball, football, and baseball glove. To get them back, he had to go to Campus Apartments every Saturday to sweep sawdust and stack lumber. This losing bet became his entry into a billion-dollar career. At 13, David gambled his $2,000 bar mitzvah money by investing it with Horwitz in a building at 45th and Pine Streets in Philadelphia - a property his company still owns today. By age 17, he bought his first solely owned investment property. David was accepted into Temple University Beasley School of Law but chose to become a Property Manager at Campus Apartments instead. At age 25 in 1997, he became CEO of Campus Apartments. His grandfather, Sam Wasserman, was captured by the Nazis in 1942 and taken to the Sobibor concentration camp, where his wife and two children were immediately executed. Wasserman escaped during an organized revolt, joined the resistance, was wounded in battle, and was cared for by a woman named Sophie, who became his second wife. David said, "I feel a deep connection to him and what he went through. It's more like a sense of duty to honor him." David says, "I bet on jockeys, not horses. I ask, 'If the thing fails, would we support them again?' To be clear, a lot of our [investments] are going to fail.' He learned the hard way: "Friends would say, 'Here's a deal, put in X amount,' so you know, it's $250,000 or $500,000 or $1 million. I realized very quickly that it's probably a money-losing prospect to just invest in a friend of a friend's idea or because someone at your country club is investing in it." "It's called working off your debt." I literally lost everything to my "Uncle" Alan in 30 minutes when I was 11. My baseball glove, football, basketball, even my bank book. Every Saturday, I had to stack lumber and sweep sawdust to get one item back. Two years later, at my Bar Mitzvah, my parents asked if I wanted to give my gift money to my grandfather, who was good at picking stocks. I said no, I want to give it to Uncle Alan and buy real estate. At 13, I drove around with him, picked the biggest building he owned, handed him $2,000, and became a partner. My grandfather was in Poland with a wife and two kids when the Nazis rounded him up. There were two lines. One for men, one for women, and children. He never saw his wife and kids again. He escaped from the Sobibor prison camp, became a freedom fighter, got shot, and was in a hospital recovering when a woman checking on her brother saw this lonely soldier and went over to check on him. That was my grandmother. My mother was born in a displaced persons camp after the war. "No matter what, when I'm getting the crap kicked out of me in business or anything else, I don't know struggle." I think about my grandfather and what he went through. "That guy knew pressure and made it through the other side. So I have to stop being a little bitch about it and lean in." Uncle Alan always said, "Whatever you do in life, it shouldn't feel like work." I have never said I'm going to work. I say I'm going to the office. Now, am I tired sometimes? A hundred percent. Did I miss a lot of stuff with my kids? Absolutely, and I have deep regret over that. With success and money comes a price, too. Becoming a CEO at 25. "Why not me and why not now?" I live my life by this mantra. In the 1990s, no one was doing student housing at large scale nationally. I saw this white space, and I'm like, fuck it, let's do it. "I'm not afraid to fail. And I think if you're not afraid to fail, it's a freedom." "Embrace the suck." Not everything's gonna be fun. Some things are hard. But sometimes when you push through them, you get to another side. Sometimes you don't, and pulling the plug is okay if it's not working. I've gotten good at understanding that a business might be a great opportunity, a great idea, at the wrong time. When building something…If you aren't willing to make sacrifices earlier in your career and build that foundation for the future, being an entrepreneur might not be for you. I made choices to miss things with my wife and kids. Were all those things I missed worth it? Probably not. My daughters are 21 and 23 now, and I missed a lot of their early growing up. Four years ago, I apologized to my older one, and she said, "You know what, we remember this dad more than that dad." "It's never too late to make a change." After you've done okay financially, it has to be about something else. The guys and women I roll with—"it's not about money. You either are wired to get up and work hard every day and do it, and it has to be about something else." It could be about providing opportunities for the people who work with you, or solving complex problems, or creating a business you're excited about. "I don't think I'm the smartest guy in the room." You have to be open to learning.  I continue to want to learn about other people's businesses. If I meet somebody, I'm like, tell me about that business. If you have that inquisitive mind, some guy tells me he's in the widget business, and I'll think of ten things they should try to do. "I am never too embarrassed to say I don't know something." When we were selecting architects and contractors for the arena, I spoke to owners of the newest stadiums. Just lessons learned about the process. When I mentor kids, I tell them most people are afraid to say "I don't know" or "I don't understand." "If you're embarrassed for looking stupid, isn't it worse if you don't know what you're doing down the road because you didn't ask?" "People don't know how to listen anymore. People wait to talk." They don't listen. When I have dinner with my youngest daughter, I hand her my phone so I won't be on it. I want to be there, I want to be attentive. Why are you wasting time meeting with people if you're not gonna listen to them? "Make lots of mistakes. Just don't make the same one twice." Try hard. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. The worst thing that happens is someone says no. I met my wife in a bar, literally in line for pizza. Turns out she was the school teacher two different women had told me I needed to call. The funny part is my buddy was talking to her best friend. He married her, I married Hailey, and our kids are best friends. When it comes to sales. "Don't bullshit people. That's my number one goal." People can tell. Even at an early age, I had the humility to say I don't know everything. Here's my business plan, here's why I think I can scale Campus Apartments across the country when that wasn't being done. When I'm hiring or promoting leaders, I look for three things. One is trust—I need to trust them. Two is creating an open line of communication. Three, "I don't think you're a successful leader or CEO if you're not willing to listen." There are a lot of dictator type CEOs. That's not me. Some of them work. "I don't manage from fear, I manage from bringing in opinions." For me, it's about having people who, in their individual swim lanes, are better at those jobs than you are. The DeSean Jackson situation taught me about leading with curiosity. He made some anti-Semitic comments, and people came to me saying we need to cancel him. "Before I get there, I actually just want to find out what his intent was." The things he said were based on him being uninformed about the hurtfulness of those words. Not only was he willing to understand that, but he said, "Can you take me to your Holocaust memorial and actually educate me?" He came with his mom, no press. "It would be nice to take a moment before you're ready to convict somebody and actually have a conversation." When I'm looking at investments, I really have to understand the product. I joke, "Do my kids at least understand it?" Number two: Who's the founder? People matter. I ask myself, if this thing goes bad, and as long as the guy's not a crook, would I invest with them again? "I have to be more than just money in the deal." I like knowing when my influence and input can help make a difference. I think it's strategic thinking, introductions, and being a sounding board. The hardest part about being a founder is that they're afraid to tell investors bad news. "Bad news doesn't get better with time." Advice to young professionals. "Try to get noticed for the right reasons." Show up and go to work. Go get coffee when you see your boss's boss there. Don't be afraid to introduce yourself. Ask lots of questions. Be the person who says, "Could you explain that to me?" Folks in my position really respect that. "Don't be afraid to put out a bad idea." I hate working from home because I think people are screwed by the opportunity to interact with people and better their career and learn things. You're robbed of chance encounters, of overhearing conversations, of learning by proximity. We're building this arena in downtown Philly, not taking any city capital, and doing good things for the city. We came together with Comcast who owns the Flyers. "It's gonna be the best live entertainment venue in the world, located in Philadelphia." We're opening in 2030 with a WNBA team. For those counting Philly out, you're wrong—we're doing great shit here. Reflection Questions David's grandfather survived the Holocaust, which gives David a profound perspective on what real pressure and struggle actually look like. What experiences in your own life or family history could you draw on to reframe the "struggles" you face in your work or personal life? He lives by the mantra "Why not me? Why not now?" and says that not being afraid to fail is a freedom. What opportunity are you currently overthinking or waiting on "permission" for? What would change if you asked yourself those two questions right now? David regrets missing parts of his daughters' childhoods while building his businesses, but his daughter told him, "We remember this dad more than that dad." Meaning it's never too late to make a change. What relationship in your life needs you to show up differently, and what's one concrete thing you could change this week? More Learning From The Learning Leader Show #126: Jayson Gaignard - Mastermind Talks #273: Chip Conley – How To Be Wise Beyond Your Years #476: Kat Cole - Reflection Questions, Humble Confidence, Building Trust Time Stamps: 01:51 David Edelman's Early Lessons in Business 03:58 Investing at a Young Age 06:12 Family History and Holocaust Survival 09:53 Balancing Ambition and Family 18:17 Sustaining Excellence and Learning from Others 25:38 The Art of Listening and Being Present 26:16 Lessons from Childhood and Parenting 26:47 The Story of Meeting My Wife 28:23 The Importance of Taking Risks 29:52 Sales and Leadership Philosophy 30:54 Building a Nationwide Business 32:07 Hiring and Promoting Leaders 35:34 Handling Controversy with Compassion 38:15 Investment Strategies and Favorite Ventures 41:36 The Future of Philadelphia's Arena Project 44:05 Advice for Young Professionals 46:45 EOPC