Alex ( @Aebridgeman ) is joined by Richard Emery ( @Richardemery2 ). In this episode, my guest is Richard Emery, who has held various notable positions in business aviation sales at brands like Canadair, Bombardier, Gulfstream, and Hawker Beechcraft. Richard shares his experiences in different sales cultures, managing high-performing teams, and participating in brand turnarounds. The discussion covers his leadership style, team management, and the skills relevant to CEOs. Additionally, the episo...
May 27, 2025•57 min
In this episode of Think Like an Owner, I sit down with Delray Dobbins, Director of Sales at Engine Assurance Program (EAP), to dive into one of the most overlooked yet essential components of business aviation: jet engine maintenance programs. With a career spanning Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, and now EAP, Delray brings a deep and practical perspective on the engine lifecycle—and what operators need to understand to avoid million-dollar surprises. We talk about how engine programs work, w...
May 13, 2025•59 min
Watch the full episode with Dave Whorton here - https://youtu.be/KPcgK3lm-mw
May 09, 2025•16 min
In this episode of Think Like an Owner , I sit down with Dave Whorton, founder of Tugboat Institute and author of Another Way , to explore a different path for entrepreneurs—one built on permanence, purpose, and long-term thinking. After an early career in venture capital and tech startups, Dave walked away from the high-growth, high-exit model to focus on what he calls “Evergreen companies.” We talk about the origins of Tugboat Institute and the principles behind Evergreen businesses: profitabl...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 4 min
My guest today is Henry Schuck, founder and CEO at ZoomInfo, one of the most successful data businesses in recent times with a market cap today around $12B. I’ve been looking forward to this podcast for a long time because Henry has proven to be an effective founder, acquirer, and public CEO capital allocator, which is a rare combination of skills to find in a single CEO. He’s thought very deeply about building high performing organizations, sales functions, and how his own role needs to evolve ...
Apr 29, 2025•45 min
From Episode 265 with Erika Armstrong. Watch the full video on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/Nc2vgTLhbYA
Apr 25, 2025•12 min
In this episode of Think Like an Owner, I sit down with Erika Armstrong, a pilot, author, and aviation expert whose career has taken her from corporate jets to major airlines to the university classroom. Erika shares stories from her early days in aviation, from sleeping on crash pads with seven other pilots to flying charter flights into some of the most challenging airports in the country. We dive into what it was really like working in aviation in the 1980s and 90s, how pilot training has evo...
Apr 22, 2025•57 min
Watch the full episode here - https://youtu.be/GTxWeRXap9Q
Apr 11, 2025•5 min
In this episode of Think Like an Owner, I sit down with Kathryn Poehling Seymour, President and CEO of First Supply, a fifth-generation, family-owned distribution business with over 700 employees and 53 locations across the Midwest. We cover everything from leading a 128-year-old company through generational transition to building one of the largest distribution centers in company history. Kathryn shares what it was like taking over as CEO during COVID, the insights she gained from touring every...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/UTNl0xeSgZY
Mar 28, 2025•14 min
In this episode of Think Like an Owner , I sit down with Hill Hamrick , Co-CEO of Central Storage & Warehouse , to explore how he and his team run a complex, high-volume cold storage business that ships hundreds of millions of frozen food products across North America every year. We dive into how Hill and his co-CEO, Sam, transitioned from first-time owners into strategic leaders of a 24/6, labor-intensive operation. Hill shares how they learned the business from the ground up, why building ...
Mar 25, 2025•1 hr 5 min
From Episode 262 of Think Like an Owner. Watch the full episode here.
Mar 14, 2025•8 min
In this episode of Think Like an Owner , I sit down with Trey Bryson , an aviation industry veteran with deep experience across business aviation, commercial MRO, and aircraft completions . Trey shares how his career has spanned everything from customizing luxury VIP jets —including designing in-air hot tubs and modular gyms —to founding Jet Works , an independent MRO business. We dive into: The major differences between commercial and business aviation maintenance How speed and efficiency drive...
Mar 11, 2025•48 min
In this episode of Think Like an Owner , I sit down with Eric Legvold and Trey Darr of Davinci Jets to explore the business of private aviation management and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) services . We dive into how Davinci Jets was built from the ground up , the evolution of private jet management, and why the company has remained profitable every year since its founding . Eric shares how the company pivoted from its original single-seat charter concept to full-service aircraft manag...
Mar 04, 2025•48 min
In this episode of Think Like an Owner , I sit down with David Neeleman , one of the most accomplished entrepreneurs in aviation history. With a track record that includes founding five airlines —Morris Air (sold to Southwest), WestJet, JetBlue, Azul, and now Breeze Airways—David has built transformative companies across three different countries and reshaped the industry at every step. Given my work at Airframe Group focusing on aviation service companies, I wanted to understand the core princi...
Feb 25, 2025•54 min
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bmq6URHPLJ0
Feb 21, 2025•17 min
In this episode of Think Like an Owner, we’re tackling one of the most critical elements of scaling a business—building a world-class talent engine. Joining me are Jake Dancyger and Cyrus Symoom, co-CEOs of Clariti, who have spent the last five years growing their company from 20 employees to over 120. We break down the entire talent lifecycle, from sourcing and hiring top performers to coaching, retaining, and structuring career growth for long-term success. They share the hard lessons learned,...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 259
In this episode of Think Like an Owner , I’m diving into one of the most crucial aspects of scaling a business—building and optimizing high-performing sales teams. To bring you the best insights, I’ve pulled together wisdom from past conversations with some of the sharpest minds in the game, including Tim Strickland, Mahesh Rajasekharan, Michael Coscetta, Dennis Dresser, and Ben Tagoe. We’re breaking down the strategies behind structuring and growing a powerhouse sales organization, hiring and c...
Feb 11, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 258
From Episode 257. Watcht the full episode here: https://youtu.be/x1utcQzmxjI
Jan 24, 2025•10 min
Ep.257: Alex ( @aebridgeman ) is joined by Steuart Botchford ( @Botchford ) and Sam Hyde. In this episode, I sit down with Sam Hyde and Steuart Botchford to dive into their journey of acquiring and growing Northstar Fertility, a leading surrogacy and egg donation agency. Sam and Steuart share their insights from building and managing the business, including how they identified value levers early on and prioritized investments in sales and marketing to drive growth. They also discuss their innova...
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 257
From Ep.256 with Corgy Bengtzen. Get the full episode here.
Jan 17, 2025•9 min
Ep.256: Alex ( @aebridgeman ) is joined by Cory Bengtzen ( @Cory-Bengtzen ). In this episode, I sit down with Cory Bengtzen, founder and CEO of SkyShare, to explore his entrepreneurial journey from the auto industry to building a vertically integrated private aviation business. Cory shares how his passion for aviation inspired him to leave the car business and start an airplane brokerage with no prior industry experience. He recounts his early days of cold-calling aircraft owners, developing a f...
Jan 14, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 256
From Ep. 255 with Savneet Singh. Get the full episode here.
Jan 10, 2025•11 min
Ep.255: Alex ( @aebridgeman ) is joined by Savneet Singh ( @SavneetS ). In this episode, I sit down with Savneet Singh, CEO of PAR Technology, to explore the interplay between urgency, culture, and leadership in building a successful public company. We discuss how Savneet has embedded a sense of urgency as a core value at PAR and how it drives decision-making, team alignment, and outcomes across the organization. Our conversation delves into PAR's unique approach to team evaluation and incentivi...
Jan 07, 2025•56 min•Season 1Ep. 255
From Ep.254 of Think Like an Owner. Listen to the full episode here.
Jan 03, 2025•8 min
Ep.254: Alex ( @aebridgeman ) is joined by Tim Wade ( @Twade889 ). In this interview, we dive deep into safety in the aviation industry with Tim, the Director of Environmental Health and Safety at FlexJet. We discuss the current safety landscape, Tim's role, and the importance of a Safety Management System (SMS). The conversation highlights the transition from the 60s' and 70s' rough aviation safety records to today's hyper-focused safety protocols. Tim sheds light on the sometimes negative perc...
Dec 31, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 254
Welcome to a special holiday episode of Think Like an Owner ! For this unique experiment, we’ve compiled highlights, concepts, and invaluable ideas from some of our most popular episodes, creating a "mega episode" filled with wisdom from multiple accomplished guests. The focus? M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions)—a topic that captivated our audience throughout the year. This episode features clips from insightful conversations with: Roland Lessard , Co-CEO of Morningside ( Episode 209 ) Tom Klein...
Dec 24, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 253
Ep.252: Alex ( @aebridgeman ) is joined by Savneet Singh ( @SavneetS ). My guest today is Savneet Signh, CEO of PAR Technology, a billion-dollar market cap publicly traded point of sale software business serving the restaurant industry. I’ve been following Savneet’s career since college when he went on Invest Like the Best talking about acquiring software businesses through his holding company Tera. Through that work he connected with PAR, joining the board and eventually replacing the CEO. Sinc...
Dec 10, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 252
Ep.251: Alex ( @Aebridgeman ) is joined by Richard Emery ( @Richardemery2 ). In this episode, my guest is Richard Emery, who has held various notable positions in business aviation sales at brands like Canadair, Bombardier, Gulfstream, and Hawker Beechcraft. Richard shares his experiences in different sales cultures, managing high-performing teams, and participating in brand turnarounds. The discussion covers his leadership style, team management, and the skills relevant to CEOs. Additionally, t...
Nov 26, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 243
My guest on this episode is Craig Fuller. Craig is the founder of FreightWaves, a data and media business focused on freight and supply chains. FreightWaves is a VC backed company with $19 million in revenue with editorial content, a data product, job board, video content, and multiple podcasts. Prior to FreightWaves, Craig had no background in media but has built quite a playbook for media businesses with a data component. Craig, as of a month ago, is also the new owner of Flying Magazine, an i...
Nov 19, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 250
