Our guest today is Larry Wright Jr., the CEO and President of Wright Investments. His multi-generational family business represents over 200 hotels and 26,000 hotel rooms in 28 states. They specialize in hospitality investments, hospitality management, and hotel and real estate capital projects. Larry graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration. He then earned his Master's Degree at NYU and graduated from the Harvard Business School OPM program...
Jun 22, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 67
Our guest today is Christine Assouad, the CEO of Dunkin Donuts Lebanon and Semson Lebanese Cuisine. She has been successfully growing and leading restaurant brands in the Middle East for over 27 years. She is a board member of Food and Beverage companies in the Middle East and provides business workshops at conferences in in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Lebanon. Her work also includes business development, franchising, and acquisitions across the MENA markets. Christine is passionate about...
Jun 15, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 66
Our guest today is Jim Klonairs. Jim and his wife, Lori Klonaris, make up a dynamic team that has changed the face of Knoxville's hospitality and restaurant scene for the past 30 years. Together, they are the co-founders of Spaces in the City, where Lori is the CEO, and Jim is the creative genius behind the iconic Knoxville restaurants and spaces like the Kalamata Kitchen, Cafe4, Kefi, Vida, The Vault, The Press Room, The Square Room, City Catering, and Bella in Maryville. Jim is a serial entrep...
May 27, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 65
Adam Hancock is a national award-winning State Farm Agent from Montrose, Colorado. He has a wealth of experience as a third-generation state farm agent and is a recipient of their prestigious President’s Club. Adam got his professional start in the United States Navy, owned a landscaping business, and then followed in his family's footsteps into the insurance industry. Adam studied engineering at Colorado Mesa University and has his BA in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. In th...
May 03, 2024•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 64
William Norvell, the co-founder and President of Forte, a company that's revolutionizing the way businesses support their most valuable asset: their people. Under William's leadership, Forte's mission is not just to provide counseling services but to transform the culture of corporate mental health. William brings a wealth of experience from venture capital, private equity, and investment banking. He has a degree in Finance from the University of Alabama and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate Sch...
Apr 27, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 63
Our guests today are Cody Newton and Dr. Doug Cleveland. Cody Newton is a serial entrepreneur, having started or been involved in over 20 companies, including professional sports, franchising, direct sales, and the energy markets. He is dedicated to democratizing renewables, carbon credits, and recycling for home and business owners in his latest project with Carbon X Solutions. Dr. Douglas Cleveland is a trained Anesthesiologist from the University of Chicago with a Medical Economics Certificat...
Mar 19, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 61
Danny Fehsenfeld is a multifaceted talent in the entertainment industry, known for his versatile contributions as an actor, singer/songwriter, public speaker, and writer. With a rich career that spans across various mediums, Danny has left his mark on audiences worldwide. He is recognized for his role as "Gil" on "The Young & The Restless" and his compelling presence on YouTube with over 250 million views. As the face of national campaigns for brands like Jeep, Chrysler, and 5 Hour Energy, D...
Feb 24, 2024•2 hr 15 min•Ep. 60
Today's distinguished guest is Hervé Larren, the entrepreneurial force behind Airvey.io , a company dedicated to building, supporting, and providing expert advice to Web 3.0 ventures. Hervé emerged as a pioneer in the cryptocurrency realm, adopting Bitcoin and blockchain technology early in 2013 and becoming one of the early initial crypto miners in the United States. His strategic foresight led to capitalizing on his mining endeavors through public vehicles with Grayscale, and he has recently b...
Feb 11, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 59
Ryan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Niles Industrial Coatings in Fenton, Michigan which he has led for close to 21 years. NIC is a best-in-class safety, coatings, and technology company focused on commercial and industrial painting across North America. As a serial entrepreneur, Ryan has founded and led multiple companies in the home building, commercial scaffolding, commercial services, and investing areas. Ryan is a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Medical Technolo...
Nov 07, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 58
Dr. Darshan Shah is a health and wellness specialist, well-known surgeon, published author, tech entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Beautologie and Next|Health. As an expert on all body systems, he has performed over 10,000 surgical procedures, including trauma surgery, general surgery and plastic/reconstructive procedures. As a health and wellness specialist, he has advised thousands of patients on how to optimize their well-being and extend their lifespan, culminating in the creation of Next...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 57
Bassel Hamwi has a fascinating career journey, having been in private equity and the banking industry along with being a CEO of start-ups and board member for 19 different companies. He spent 20 years as a senior staff member at the World Bank and was also a CEO and board member for over 12 years in start-ups and financial institutions. Bassel is currently the President of BASY Ventures, an investment and consulting company operating in the US, MENA, West and South Asia. BASY Ventures invests in...
Sep 13, 2023•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 56
JP Sicotte is the branch leader for Movement Mortgage in Littleton, Colorado. He is passionate about helping every client find the ideal loan package for their home or investment property. He is best known for his short, insightful, "Mustache Mortgage Minute" videos on Linkedin and Instagram. JP is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and was a track and field athlete while he was a cadet. He served in the Air Force for over 23 years as a navigator of the RC135 and C-130 aircraft, h...
Sep 04, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 55
Jim Stirewalt started his career as an entrepreneur at the urging of his father. After growing and selling his company and learning the art of sales he jumped into enterprise sales, growing and leading international sales teams for iconic companies such as Kronons, SAP, and IBM. As Vice President of SAP, leading the Fashion and Retail business Jim helped grow the business by 247% in his final two years. Jim was head of World Wide Sales for IBM Watson Customer Engagement. During this time, he led...
Aug 28, 2023•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 54
Kim has been the President of multiple companies in the fashion and retail industry, spanning a twenty-year career where she led R&D, manufacturing, product design, marketing, and growing market share during some of the most dynamic and challenging retail environments. Kim is passionate about helping women in poverty and used her leadership and roles in companies to help develop and implement an industry-leading approach that provides opportunities for women providing true living wages that ...
Aug 19, 2023•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 53
Adam is the CEO and founder of the Lloyd Group , a prominent managed service provider for small and medium-sized businesses that provide services like asset management, help desk support, project management, cybersecurity, IT governance, and cloud services. Under Adam’s 28 years of leadership, the Lloyd Group has been named on the list of Inc 500 and Inc 5000 fastest-growing companies in America, along with many other accolades and recognitions, including employee satisfaction and corporate cult...
Jul 29, 2023•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 51
Richard Haykel is the Chairman of Haykel Hospital S.A.L. in Tripoli, Lebanon and Executive Director of CARA Ventures, LLC. Richie has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Tufts University, a Master’s of Hospital and Health Care Administration and Management from the University of Paris Cite. He is also a Harvard Business School Executive Program graduate and OPM 49. Richie is a member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) and is home based in Tripoli, Lebanon. Show Notes: Lebanon has alway...
May 08, 2023•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 49
Show Notes: Grant is a graduate of Brown University and is finishing his executive program at Harvard Business School. He is a Young President’s Organization (YPO) Member. He is the managing director of Benevolent Capital . Montgomery Securities – Institutional sales program First non-MBA member to be hired in the program. “Sometimes it is about timing. Sometimes it is about who you know more than anything else!” Venture Capital is for very early-stage companies to help them get off the ground. ...
May 03, 2023•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 35
Jess is the founder and executive chairman of inDinero, a business that runs thousands of companies' tax, accounting, and finance operations. She is also the Co-Founder and Chair of Astonishing Labs and founding partner of MahWay. This venture builder creates innovative, industry-changing billion-dollar businesses that improve the world. She earned her Associate of Arts from Bard College and her Bachelor's in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley . She is in the Harvard Bu...
May 01, 2023•54 min•Ep. 50
Miguel Calatayud is the CEO and Director of IWI, an innovative algae nutrition company building sustainable and scalable nutritious food to feed the world’s growing population. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Universidad Pública de Navarra, a Master’s of Finance from ESIC, a Master's of Global Logistics from ICIL, an MBA from Comilas Pontifical University, and also graduated from the Harvard Business School President's Program. Miguel is a member of the Young President’s Organi...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 47
Kevin Thompson is the Co-Founder of the Thompson Burton Law Firm in Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee. Kevin graduated from the University of Tennessee with a BA in Political Science and then earned his Juris Doctorate from the Tennessee School of Law. While at UT, Kevin was a track athlete and earned All-American honors in the Decathlon, and participated on two SEC and NCAA National Championship Teams. Kevin is a serial entrepreneur and is passionate about redefining the art of law. Show Notes:...
Mar 14, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 46
In this episode, I give a short recap of the origin story of this podcast and how we have been doing post-COVID. We look at a few of the most recent guests and their insights and discuss some of the latest economic data that is impacting every aspect of the economy which according to Professor Mihir Desai, should cause everyone to rethink mental models and frameworks as we move forward. Show Notes: The origin story of this podcast and the questions we have been asking guests? How I became nickna...
Mar 04, 2023•58 min•Ep. 45
Sean Murray is the President and CEO of Advocate Printing and Publishing in Nova Scotia, Canada. Established in 1891 Sean highlights his family's journey and how his grandfather and father worked in, bought, and led this iconic Canadian business that has become a family business over time. Sean is in the Atlantic CEO Hall of Fame, was celebrated as one of Canada's 40 under 40 business leaders, and received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal . He graduated from Pictou Academy, St. Mary's University...
Feb 13, 2023•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 44
Jeff Wayne is the President and CEO of Max ERC Refund and comes from a family of serial entrepreneurs. He is the owner and operator of multiple Cycle Bar franchises , Max ERC Refund while he and his family have owned and operated 23 businesses. He is the former President of Dynamic Rehabilitation. He graduated from Michigan State University and was a member of the Young President's Organization (YPO) for Greater Detroit. Show Notes: (03:00) - What mountain climbing teaches you about yourself and...
Feb 06, 2023•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 43
Jason Radisson is the CEO and Founder of ShiftOne. He has a bachelor of arts degree from Holy Cross with honors in Political Science. He was a Fulbright Scholar in economics at the University of Gottingen and started his Ph.D. at Harvard in Economics. Jason worked at McKinsey , Uber, 99 (an Uber competitor in Brazil), with many other stops along the way. Jason is helping lead a work revolution for frontline workers solving employment problems with technology. Show Notes: Jason gives his backgrou...
Jan 29, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 42
Rod Arnold graduated from Texas A&M University and was a member of the famed Corps of Cadets. He is the Chairman of the Board of The Delta Chi Educational Foundation, CEO of All Pro Rush, and the CEO of the Bourbon Whisperer . Follow him on Instagram at the Show Notes: Rod starts by sharing his origin story and what motivated him to leave a 30-year career as a healthcare executive to become the "Bourbon Whisperer." How did he discover this opportunity? Why did he make the leap? (15:00) - Rod...
Jan 09, 2023•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 41
Brett M. Johnson graduated from Brown University , where he was a member of the rowing team and received his Bachelor of Arts in History. He received his MBA from Pepperdine University and graduated from the Harvard Business School Executive Program. He is a member of the Young President's Organization (YPO) and is the CEO and Founder of Benevolent Capital and Founder of Fortuitous Partners . Brett is the Chairman of Rhode Island FC , Director and Shareholder of Ipswich Town FC in England and Ph...
Dec 27, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 40
Dr. Sajjan Gohel has a Bachelor of Arts in Politics with Honors from Queen Mary University in London. He earned his Master's in Comparative Politics and Ph.D. in International History both from the London School of Economics. International Security Director for the London-based Asia Pacific Foundation Editor of NATO's Counter Terrorism Reference Curriculum Host of NATO's first-ever podcast series, "Deep Dive" Author "Doctor, Teacher, Terrorist" the story of Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahari Show Notes: Dr. ...
Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 39
Show Notes: Kelly Fletcher is the founder and CEO of Fletcher Marketing & PR . She is a graduate of Meredith College with a degree in communications. She is the host of Ms. InterPReted Podcast: Public Relations Demystified. (2:00) How is the marketing, PR, media, and crisis communications industry changing today? The how and why of reaching the female audience. (14:30) You can't fix communications problems unless you fix operational issues first. (21:00) Why Kelly "the expert" hired an exper...
Dec 12, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 38
Show Notes: Mark Ferrier is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and Harvard Business School . He is a serial entrepreneur, having started seven companies with his newest venture AndCapital.ca . He is also a Young President's Organization (YPO) member. Mark discusses his career, multiple pivots, and his latest leap. (07:00) - Mark starts his first business at twenty-six and "tripped into being an entrepreneur" out of college. "Urgency creates opportunities!" (16:00) - Surround yourself with ...
Dec 05, 2022•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 37
Show Notes: Special thanks to the guests of Pensacola Naval Air Station class 1958 (28-58) for their time and insight. Captain Walter "Dub" Fields aka "Fireball" Captain Bill Solms Captain Rodney Neibauer aka "Rocket Rod" Commander Bob Vollaire LT Floyd Joramo (13:15) What was America like in 1958 when you were entering the military? What was the world like? (18:27) Dub recalls meeting and hanging out with Elvis Presley in Kilgore, Texas. (23:00) Advice and words of encouragement to young people...
Nov 28, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 36
