How can your best friend be your business partner without souring that friendship at some point? How can two divergent personalities be such a great fit for one another? That’s the story with True Underdog Jayson Waller and Kevin Klink, who first met in elementary school when Waller was intent on fighting another boy. Hear how these two learned how to hustle together, first by selling golf balls and lemonade at a golf course, and how that friendship grew over the years despite two presses of the...
May 07, 2020•26 min•Ep. 23
Empire Solar Group CEO Abby Buchmiller spent parts of childhood living in “camp trailers” with her family of nine. She didn’t finish traditional high school but still graduated faster than her peers. But all that moving around to places such as Alaska and Utah provided time for great character building, which has helped her navigate various bumps in business and life. Buchmiller talks with True Underdog Jayson Waller and co-host John LeBlanc about how she got into solar, and where her vision wil...
May 04, 2020•38 min•Ep. 22
The coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses to reevaluate how they operate, and True Underdog Jayson Waller has indeed had to do that with his POWERHOME Solar company. Waller and “Shark Tank” personality Kevin O'Leary discuss with Jeff Fratarcangeli the changes they've made to pivot their businesses for the better, and how they expect to capitalize on the efficiencies they are gaining from this pause. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Apr 30, 2020•31 min•Ep. 21
Angela Wauthier has been an entrepreneur since birth, which explains why she's always finding ways to improve herself and her sunless tanning businesses, and to care for others that need it most. That spirit is also why she hasn’t sat on her hands during the COVID-19 quarantine, and that’s led to success in ways she couldn’t have imagined. While Wauthier can check the box of every outward indicator of success -- smart, beautiful and engaging -- she shares with True Underdog Jayson Waller and co-...
Apr 27, 2020•30 min•Ep. 20
It's AMA day for True Underdog Jayson Waller, and he’s ready with candid answers. How did he come up with the slogan synonymous with POWERHOME, his current successful enterprise? What was his best experience in playing in the World Series of Poker? How did he fall out of a landscaping truck at age 16 and live to tell about it? Sprinkled in between are tidbits about manscaping, belief and vision. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Apr 23, 2020•58 min•Ep. 19
Brooklyn, N.Y., native Joe Caban knows full well what hard times look like. His dad was jailed on a murder charge when he was only 1, three of his four siblings have been shot (leaving one paralyzed), and what sometimes counted for food growing up was a pancake without syrup. But Caban’s desire to have more for himself, combined with smarts and a work ethic that matched that aspiration, gave him the chance to do just that with True Underdog Jayson Waller, who he met during online gaming. Learn m...
Apr 20, 2020•42 min•Ep. 18
The friendships that True Underdog Jayson Waller have forged with Kevin Klink and Joe Caban started with invitations for each: Move to North Carolina and help me build something great. The leap of faith paid off for both, and what stories they tell when they’re in the same room. The history of living in Waller’s basement, the hilarious moments in traveling to attend Detroit Lions games across America, the business trips to Pakistan that did not go as planned. Through it all, these three very dif...
Apr 16, 2020•48 min•Ep. 17
Brian Elias was never a big homework guy, and he’s not a reader. But the founder of Hanson’s Windows and president of Elias Holdings knows what does pay the bills, and that’s knowing how to close a deal. The ultra-confident Elias shares his story of success with True Underdog Jayson Waller and co-host John LeBlanc, describing how fear should be kicked to the curbside and how asking the right questions leads to getting the answers you want in business and in life. Learn more about your ad choices...
Apr 13, 2020•36 min•Ep. 16
Do you want to be average and get half of the things done on your to-do list, or be optimal, and get it all done? The choice is easy for wealth manager Jeff Fratarcangeli, who discusses his mindset with True Underdog Jayson Waller and co-host John LeBlanc. Waller doesn’t get wowed by many successful people, but he is just that when he sees how Fratarcangeli goes about his work and daily life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Apr 09, 2020•20 min•Ep. 15
It’s superlatives time on today’s podcast, with True Underdog Jayson Waller revealing to co-host John LeBlanc his biggest failure and biggest success in his adult life. What’s surprising is that there’s a common thread to both. Beyond those disclosures, Waller shares how he discovered a childhood friend was stealing from his first business and what he did about it, the process of becoming an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Southeast winner, and much more. Learn more about your ad choi...
Apr 06, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 14
Jay Feldman always knew he wanted to be in the car business, but a meeting with actor Mark Wahlberg now has him in the hamburger business too. The CEO of Feldman Automotive Group discusses with True Underdog Jayson Waller and co-host John LeBlanc the impressive milestones he hit early in the auto business, along with the time in 2001 where potential competition provided a springboard for the rest of his career. Feldman also shares his advice for entrepreneurs, and his thoughts really guide why h...
Apr 02, 2020•25 min•Ep. 13
Zach Darrow was told that he wasn’t cut out for college, that trade school was his best option. But look at him now – he excelled in college and law school and is now the owner of a successful firm that has over 30 attorneys, 75 employees and has been in business for more than a decade. True Underdog Jayson Waller talks with Darrow about the impact not having a father had on his life, how he overcame learning disabilities, and much more. He also shares a most valuable and memorable line about su...
Mar 30, 2020•24 min•Ep. 12
True Underdog Jayson Waller goes live from home on IG live. Shares the struggles of the “stay at home” order and the message to motivate and stay positive about this Covid19 pandemic. What to do. How to overcome and stay focused. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 27, 2020•18 min•Ep. 11
Alan Sussman has been intertwined with the success of countless Detroit-area entrepreneurs as founder and CEO of the Sussman Agency. But that journey to the top was never, ever easy. Sussman tells True Underdog Jayson Waller and co-host John LeBlanc about the time he ran away from home at age 14 to avoid an abusive father, and how he found his path to success with sheer determination and grit. Sussman also gives valuable life lessons learned from 56 years of being in business, first as a partner...
Mar 26, 2020•38 min•Ep. 10
Detroit sports talk radio host Mike Valenti knows who he is, which is why his opinions and convictions are so strong. But that internal voice took personal growth and self-reflection to figure out. The native New Yorker discusses his 16-year journey on Detroit airwaves with True Underdog Jayson Waller and co-host John LeBlanc, from how he got hired in Detroit to how he convinced his employers to begin playing in the podcast space. Valenti also shares the moment when he realized social media was ...
Mar 23, 2020•37 min•Ep. 9
Life can be very hectic for entrepreneurs, given the responsibilities in running a business. Amid the chaos, it’s important to remember to find time for loved ones. True Underdog Jayson Waller knows all about the importance of having balance in life, and not only balance, but a plan on how to attack every day. But it’s not just about finding time for family – there’s one extra person to remember too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Mar 19, 2020•19 min•Ep. 8
Finding meaning in life is about discovering your “why.” Michael O'Byrne, the CEO of a home security and home automation company, remembers precisely when he found his why, and how it changed the course of his working career. O’Byrne grinded his way to being his own boss and a dealer for ADT, and now he has 230 employees across nine states. True Underdog Jayson Waller discusses O’Byrne’s journey, and he can’t help but enjoy hearing about the picture O’Byrne has hanging in his office. Learn more ...
Mar 16, 2020•30 min•Ep. 7
When it comes to finding motivation and overcoming objections and obstacles to succeed in life, Detroit Lions safety Tavon Wilson has done just that. His father was murdered when he was a year old, and his mother died when he was 12. He wasn’t even invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, where players get to showcase their talents prior to entering the NFL Draft. Yet he became a second-round pick of the New England Patriots, won a Super Bowl, and is now winning at life. True Underdog Jayson Waller ...
Mar 12, 2020•19 min•Ep. 6
As an entrepreneur, how can you tell the difference when it’s time to stay the course or to change lanes? True Underdog Jayson Waller knows what that answer is for him, and he reveals it during this podcast. Waller also discusses his three rules of decision-making, and delivers an acronym for the ages. Buckle up for this latest caffeinated ride! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 09, 2020•21 min•Ep. 5
Does ego ever get in the way of you making a making a business or life decision? It didn’t for POWERHOME Chief of Sales Ben Brookhart, who used to be business partners with True Underdog Jayson Waller in the home securities industry. Today’s discussion centers around the potential need to take a step back to take several steps forward, and that’s something Brookhart believes he did in rejoining forces with POWERHOME. Could you be in that same spot? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...
Mar 06, 2020•24 min•Ep. 4
Detroit Lions punter Sam Martin was the first kicker to receive a scholarship at Appalachian State, but early struggles had his coaches delivering the harshest of criticism. But the opportunity to learn how to punt opened up for him, and he accepted that challenge head-on. Martin talks with True Underdog Jayson Waller and co-host John LeBlanc about the adversity, negativity and depression he felt before he came out on the other side as a professional athlete in America’s biggest sport. Learn mor...
Mar 04, 2020•25 min•Ep. 3
Come for the humorous discussion on what True Underdog Jayson Waller’s sleep and eating habits are like for himself and that of his family, but stay for “the trip with the RV,” where everything you can imagine that could go wrong did. Inside of that story is how this trip from hell ultimately led to a better fast-food restaurant in Mooresville, N.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 02, 2020•18 min•Ep. 2
Episode 1 introduces us to the amazing life and entrepreneurial story of POWERHOME CEO Jayson Waller, whose trailer-park upbringing fueled him to never let others look down on him again. He found success selling home security systems before deciding that the solar industry was his future. His results speak volumes – POWERHOME’s 2019 revenue total nearly reached $200 million, and his company now employs more than 800 people. But in true underdog fashion, Waller needed to risk everything to keep P...
Feb 26, 2020•49 min•Ep. 1
