In my latest episode of Inside the Lion's Den podcast, I had the privilege of sitting down with Brandon Elliott, CEO and founder of Credit Council Elite, for an inspiring conversation about transformation, resilience, and innovative approaches to real estate investing. Growing up in challenging circumstances with a dysfunctional family background, he initially took a wrong turn in life. However, a life-threatening accident in 2013 - where he suffered severe burns in an explosion - became his wak...
Feb 26, 2025•54 min•Ep. 92
What struck me most about Menina's story was her incredible resilience. Growing up in Canada with parents in the dance industry, she fought against their initial skepticism to pursue her dreams. At just 18, she secured a U.S. work visa independently and made the bold move to Los Angeles. Within months she was dancing alongside industry giants like Paula Abdul and Britney Spears. During our conversation, Menina shared how motherhood prompted her first major career pivot from performing. But what ...
Feb 19, 2025•56 min•Ep. 91
In my latest episode of Inside the Lion's Den, I had the pleasure of hosting Katie Trost, an elite executive coach who brings a fascinating approach to helping tech CEOs scale their companies. What struck me most about our conversation was Katie's unique perspective on executive coaching – she's laser-focused on supporting CEOs rather than companies, a distinction that fundamentally shapes her entire practice. We dove deep into the critical challenges of scaling a business, exploring everything ...
Feb 12, 2025•41 min•Ep. 90
This episode offers valuable lessons for aspiring authors, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in the publishing industry. Miriam's story demonstrates how passion, perseverance, and a willingness to learn can transform a personal mission into a thriving business that impacts countless lives. Miriam candidly shares the challenges and triumphs of both self-publishing and traditional publishing, offering valuable insights for aspiring authors. She explains how her speaking engagements at schools e...
Feb 05, 2025•52 min•Ep. 89
In this engaging episode, Aryeh sits down with Samantha Skelly, founder of Pause Breathwork. The conversation weaves through Samantha's entrepreneurial journey, from her early days of making jewelry to becoming a leader in the breathwork industry. Samantha shares her fascinating story of discovering breathwork in Bali, which led to healing her own eating disorder and eventually creating a successful business. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of building an app, emphasizing the importanc...
Oct 02, 2024•34 min•Ep. 88
Adrian Koehler, the founder of Take New Ground, shares his journey from nursing to leadership coaching in this engaging interview. He explains how his experiences in healthcare, spiritual communities, and philanthropic work shaped his approach to coaching entrepreneurs and business leaders. Adrian's unique background, which includes working with prison inmates and trust fund kids, gave him valuable insights into human behavior and personal growth. Throughout the conversation, Adrian emphasizes t...
Sep 25, 2024•45 min•Ep. 87
Shaun’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance and adaptability. He shares how he navigated the ups and downs of his career, from losing a promising internship during the dotcom crash to building and selling successful businesses. His candid reflections on past mistakes and learning experiences offer valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. The episode dives into the entrepreneurial journey of Shaun Clark, CEO and co-founder of HighLevel Software, as we explore Shaun's path from h...
Sep 18, 2024•41 min•Ep. 86
Get ready to step into a world where creativity reigns supreme and the hustle never stops. Today I’m talking to Adley, a one-of-a-kind content creator turned business maven, as she shares her incredible journey from facing the mic on The Voice to masterminding a digital empire. We discuss the highs and lows of transitioning from the glitter of the entertainment industry to the grip of content creation and business strategy. With a knack for storytelling that captivates, Adley offers up a play-by...
Feb 28, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 85
Today we have an incredibly timely and educational show lined up for you with Kathy Stokes, the director of fraud prevention programs at AARP. Our conversation unfolds with a personal touch as I share a recent experience where my digital wallet was hacked. Kathy offers a powerhouse of insights, stressing the importance of reporting such incidents to potentially recover stolen funds through blockchain tracing and tying together cases against transnational criminal enterprises. We talk about the e...
Feb 21, 2024•41 min•Ep. 84
Today we have an insightful conversation on entrepreneurship and networking with Keaton Hoskins, also known as "the muscle" from the Diesel Brothers and founder of Limitless Society! Together, we explore the raw truths of starting and running a business, emphasizing the vital role of networking and the sometimes overlooked value of paying for invaluable experiences. We shed light on the glamorized image of entrepreneurship, discussing the unseen hard work and the shift away from the traditional ...
Feb 14, 2024•38 min•Ep. 83
How did Amanda's experience at The Knot shape her understanding of business and leadership? In this episode, we're joined by guest Amanda Goetz to delve into her fascinating journey from corporate executive to startup founder to content creator. Together, we explore topics such as the emotional aspects of exiting a company, building a personal brand, and the importance of showing up and making connections. Join us as we uncover valuable insights and learn how Amanda's diverse career path has sha...
Jan 24, 2024•52 min•Ep. 82
Let's talk about DECLUTTERING! In this episode, we had the insightful Katy Wells on as a guest, and we delved deep into the psychological and practical aspects of decluttering. Katy shares personal experiences that led her to a career in decluttering, including managing chiropractic clinics and overcoming burnout. Together, we explore the parallels between decluttering our physical spaces and decluttering our lives, touching on the psychological aspects and the transformative power of letting go...
Jan 17, 2024•41 min•Ep. 81
Today I had a great conversation with Cameron Herold, the founder of COO (Chief Operating Officer) Alliance. There was so much I wanted to talk to Cameron about that we just jumped right into it and Cameron shared some great advice and insight on what a COO's role is and considerations to make when hiring a COO (or other senior team members) for your business. When Cameron started COO Alliance he had worked has a COO for several years (and been quite successful at it) and thought he had a good u...
Jan 10, 2024•42 min•Ep. 80
Today I’m talking to Tom Reber, the founder of the contractor fight. Tom works with people specifically in the contractor space to be more profitable and grow their businesses, but the advice he shares is applicable across all industries. Tom and I had a great conversation about the behind the scenes of running a profitable business, what it looks like to master financial intelligence around your business, and what you can do on a daily basis to take your business from ordinary to extraordinary....
Nov 08, 2023•43 min
Today I sat down an interviewed Dan Meadors who has been a friend of mine for close to a decade. Dan is a successful Amazon seller and the co-founder of The Wholesale Formula. Dan is a self-proclaimed “side-hustle guy” and his business journey over the past few years is full of big mistakes but also big wins. Even if you’re not interested in selling on Amazon, Dan’s story is sure to inspire you to look at your problems as opportunities for growth, creative thinking, and opportunity. Dan started ...
Sep 20, 2023•57 min•Ep. 78
Today I’m going to talk about a mistake that I see people make again and again in not just their businesses but in other areas of their lives as well. I see people who spend a lot of time and effort preparing, learning, and educating themselves on what they need to do, but then not actually doing the things they’ve learned. I think a lot of times people actually get confused and mistake the gaining of knowledge of the application of that knowledge. When learning gets mistaken for action, people ...
Sep 13, 2023•16 min•Ep. 77
On today’s episode we have Anthony Trucks, a former NFL player and author of Identity Shift and founder of the Shift Method. Anthony shares with us his background and history, and some interesting lessons that you can get out of it for personal growth, business growth, or any of your relationships. Anthony talks about growing up in foster care, his adoption, and how he made the decision to alter his thinking in order pursue college and a football career. He shares his insights on how hardships i...
Sep 06, 2023•35 min•Ep. 76
Have you ever reached a goal or earned a reward that should have been exciting but actually you ended up feeling a little bit disappointed? If you have, good news – you’re normal. As it turns out, there is a clear psychological explanation for this, known as negativity bias. Negativity bias often occurs when we have an expectation that isn’t met as fully as we hoped it would be. You’ve probably experienced this with something as simple as buying a new item that you just had to have and feeling y...
Aug 16, 2023•24 min•Ep. 75
Today I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tim Calise, who is a business coach, investor, and advisor to over 15 privately held businesses with annual revenues from $250,000 to $10,000,000+. Tim’s background is really unique but his story and experience lends practical advice no matter where you are in your business journey. In our conversation we talked through how Tim got started in the business world and looked at some of the most interesting parts of his career. From starting a campus sna...
Aug 09, 2023•59 min•Ep. 74
Will Nitze is the founder and CEO of IQBAR, a brain and body nutrition company. I reached out to Will because I actually like and use his product. We had a really insightful conversation where he shared in-depth about his journey to starting IQBAR and all of the big steps in between brainstorming his product to where he is now. Will’s story is not only full of great tips for anyone else starting or running their own company, but it’s also really inspiring to see how hard he worked to even get th...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 73
My guest today is Dan Macklin, cofounder of SoFi, a multi-billion dollar publicly traded company, and the CEO of Salary Finance Inc. We talk about what it takes to grow a multi-billion dollar company, what it takes to raise capital, and the pitfalls and challenges along the way. We discuss shifting roles from co-founder of one company, to CEO of another, moving from the corporate to the start-up world, and the links of financial stress on a person’s well-being. Dan has some great anecdotes and a...
Sep 28, 2022•44 min•Ep. 72
In today’s episode I am interviewed by Jim Pfeifer from the Passive Investing from Left Field podcast. We talk about looking for sponsors who are making money for you, not ones who are making money off of you, and how to find and vet the right sponsor for you. We discuss how sometimes passive investment turns out to be active ones, and how asset managers can help with that. We also talk about different metrics and how to cater them to align with your investment strategy. This interview is full o...
Aug 17, 2022•51 min•Ep. 71
Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Carson Tate, the founder and managing partner of Working Simply and the author of Work Simply and Own It, Love It, Make It Work. Carson is a business coach and consultant and works with executives all over the country to help them and their employees be more productive while finding purpose and fulfillment in their work. In this conversation, Carson shared the importance of the culture of a business and why employee fulfillment is essential for a busines...
Aug 10, 2022•53 min•Ep. 70
Regardless of your industry, there’s something for you in this episode. Today I talk with Yadin Shemmer, CEO and cofounder of Intrinsic, about his business journey from starting out in finance, selling a business, taking a business public, and his experience with acquisitions. We discuss what he learned through three different exits, an IPO, and his advice for business owners who are looking to do the same. We also discuss how to think about customers, market segments, and physical products in t...
Apr 13, 2022•52 min•Ep. 69
To be successful in business and in life it is important to have a strong mental fortitude, and that growth and mental toughness comes from consistently doing hard things. Today I share my own journey in building a greater mental strength. I talk about the importance of consistency, how there’s no disgrace in failure, and not giving up even when you make mistakes. I also share how I’ve grown through continued consistency. I hope it inspires you to do hard things and not give up in your own life....
Apr 06, 2022•20 min•Ep. 68
The book I recommend the most, Built To Sell, is written by my guest today, John Warrillow. He has started and successfully exited four companies and has been in the unique position to have had thousands of conversations with business owners who have gone through the process of selling their businesses. He shares his expertise and insight with us today as we discuss reasons people sell, how to position yourself to sell, and some of the pitfalls that you might not even know exist. SHOW NOTES: htt...
Mar 30, 2022•51 min•Ep. 67
Buyers don’t buy your past. They buy their future. My guest today, Pete Martin, understands that more than most as he has successfully started, scaled and sold four companies and currently has two profitable, active businesses. In this episode, he shares his unique experience, as CEO and founder of Votem Corp. and Advisor for Ask My Board, in growing and exiting businesses. We talk about how you can maximize the value of your business and when is the right time to sell. Pete also shares personal...
Feb 16, 2022•49 min•Ep. 66
Do you know the Get, Keep, Grow methods? My guest today, Bryan Clayton, shares his experience in those methods through his growth and sale of a successful company and as the co-founder and CEO of GreenPal. He examines his strategies and experience with growing his previous and current businesses through the start-up, grow-up, and scale-up phases. Next, Bryan talks about the lessons he learned in growing his first business, and how he applies that to another business. He also discusses the nitty-...
Feb 09, 2022•55 min•Ep. 65
The end of the calendar year is a great time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. In this show, I'm reflecting on the lessons learned from my previous three guests with an eye toward business in 2022 and beyond. While those three episodes with Angie Lee, Giselle Ugarte, and Hillel Fuld were packed with information, I outline what I thought were their common threads on today's show. In particular, I'm focusing on how business opportunities have changed in the past 20 years. Proo...
Dec 29, 2021•26 min•Ep. 64
Clear and concise communication is the key to successful business interactions. You can have a brilliant mind and develop ingenious products, but it won't matter if you can't explain what you do to a potential investor. Hillel Fuld is an incredibly well-connected man due to his skill as a communicator. He talks to me today about how he landed in his current career and offers some excellent advice to entrepreneurs looking to optimize their time. We discuss relationship equity, the drawbacks of se...
Nov 03, 2021•47 min•Ep. 63
