Episode 1320: The Hidden Constraint Behind Your Business

Episode 1320: The Hidden Constraint Behind Your Business

0 views · September 16th, 2026

What if the biggest constraint in your business is not your strategy, team, or marketing, but the underlying beliefs that shape how you experience them all? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Brian D. Ridgway and Abigail Morgan, who present the Level Five Mentoring framework for examining deeper patterns that can contribute to recurring business struggles, including financial volatility, overwork, difficult clients, hiring challenges, and persistent stress. Brian explains his concept of 100% personal responsibility, the theory of constraints, and the five paradigms he uses to describe how people relate to themselves, their business, and the world around them. Abigail translates the framework into practical business terms, sharing her own experience with financial instability and explaining how greater awareness of underlying patterns can help entrepreneurs approach money, leadership, teams, and growth differently. Key Takeaways: → Financial volatility, overwork, and team issues can signal deeper business patterns. → Entrepreneurs may fear success because growth creates new responsibilities. → Fixing the core constraint can make other strategies more effective. → The Level 5 framework outlines five different paradigms for viewing life and business. → Awareness is the first step toward changing recurring business patterns. Beyond outdated self-help, endlessly rehashed, superficial “positive thinking” approaches, and incomplete, airy-fairy spiritual approaches lies the next level: The Level 5 Paradigm and “Spellbreak” Technology. Based on years of personal research, Brian D. Ridgway has unlocked the door to immediate, deep, and lasting transformation. After an abusive childhood, Brian dove into self-help and personal development to improve his life. As program after program failed to deliver the promised transformation, Brian became a self-proclaimed “Self-Help Junkie,” eventually investing more than $300,000 and tens of thousands of hours in his desperate quest for a life that “worked.” At his lowest, most hopeless point, homeless and suicidal, Brian experienced what he calls his “Miracle Moment,” a single blast of infinite awareness and insight in which he discovered “The Level 5 Paradigm.” His entire life transformed. He went from homeless to living in paradise in Hawaii and has dedicated his life to spreading the “LEVEL 5 TECHNOLOGY” and helping others attain true, lasting personal freedom. If you’re looking for rehashed, new-age jargon, that’s not what you’ll find with Brian. But if you’re seeking an expert who has “been there, done that” and helps people eliminate the illusion of problems to access their Infinite Intelligence, Brian is the one to call. Abigail Morgan is the founder of the OCM Method and a soul-led business consultant who helps coaches, therapists, and healers build profitable businesses that align with who they are and how they want to work. As a single mom, dog mom, violinist, intuitive Celtic Seer, and passionate practitioner of embodiment and mind-body-soul work, she brings a deeply holistic perspective to business growth and personal transformation. She also partners with Maxine Haller, the creator of the MAP Whole Brain Balance Method, to help clients integrate embodiment, mindset, and alignment into how they live, work, market, and grow their businesses. Connect With Brian: Website: https://briandridgway.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrianDRidgwaySpellbreaker/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/level5mentor/ https://www.instagram.com/briandridgway/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandridgway/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/brian-d-ridgway YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrianDRidgway/videos Connect with Abigail: Website: https://www.abigailmorgancoaching.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abigailsteidley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slackermagicsystem/

Episode 266: Why Financial Planning Must Go Beyond Taxes

1 views · September 16th, 2026

A strong financial life is not just about what you earn today, but whether your family has a clear plan for what happens next. In this episode of the Registered Investment Advisor Podcast, Seth Greene interviews Vishaw Sondhi, Founder and President of Vishaw Sondhi, CPA P.C., who shares why financial planning should extend far beyond tax preparation to include retirement income, family preparedness, business succession, and long-term tax strategy. He explains why business owners need an exit plan, why families should regularly evaluate their financial readiness, and how starting earlier gives people more options when preparing for retirement and unexpected life events. Vishaw also discusses the importance of coordinating tax, retirement, and financial decisions around each family’s unique situation rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. Key Takeaways: → Financial planning should address more than annual taxes by considering retirement, family needs, and long-term financial security. → Families can benefit from planning well before a crisis occurs so spouses and children understand what to do if something unexpected happens. → Starting retirement planning earlier gives time a greater opportunity to work in your favor, but it is still valuable to begin even if you feel behind. → A periodic “financial checkup” can help people identify whether they are still on the right path as laws, products, and personal circumstances change. → One of the biggest financial risks for business owners is not having a clear exit or succession plan. Vishaw Sondhi is the founder and president of Vishaw Sondhi, CPA P.C., a firm that provides comprehensive wealth management, tax planning, and accounting services for business owners and individuals. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) a Retired Income Certified Professional (RICP®), and a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) with over 35 years of experience in the financial industry. Connect With Vishaw: Website: https://www.vsondhicpa.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vsondhicpa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishaw-sondhi-cpa-pfs-ricp%C2%AE-ab717b26/

Episode 1319: College Hunks Hauling Junk: From Beat-Up Van to $300 Million Brand

2 views · September 14th, 2026

What does it really take to turn a borrowed cargo van and a catchy name into a $300 million franchise? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Kevin Harrington and Seth Greene interview Nick Friedman, Co-Founder and Chairman of College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving, who shares how a college side hustle grew into a nationwide franchise system with roughly 200 franchisees and nearly $300 million in annual sales. He explains why the company expanded from junk removal into moving, what entrepreneurs often misunderstand about franchising, and how strong franchisee relationships helped the brand navigate challenges such as COVID and shifting housing conditions. Nick also discusses bringing in private equity, avoiding entrepreneurial distractions, building an investment thesis, and using books and podcasting to share what he has learned with the next generation of business owners. Key Takeaways: → A simple business idea can become a major brand when entrepreneurs pair a memorable concept with consistent execution over time. → Franchising is not passive income because franchise owners rely heavily on ongoing support, coaching, training, systems, and leadership from the franchisor. → Businesses considering franchising should ideally demonstrate the economics of multiple locations before attempting to scale through franchisees. → Private equity has become increasingly interested in home-service businesses because many essential physical services remain difficult to disrupt with technology. → A clear investment thesis helps entrepreneurs evaluate opportunities based on their skills, values, experience, and capacity to contribute more than capital. Nick Friedman is the co-founder of College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving, an award-winning franchise he launched with his high school friend, Omar Soliman, in a beat-up cargo van. Today, the company has more than 200 franchises worldwide and generates over $300 million in annual sales. Nick is a two-time Emmy Award-winning producer for Hunks vs. The Hurricanes, which documented the company’s hurricane recovery efforts. He has appeared on Shark Tank and Undercover Boss, and the brand has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Hoarders, and Hoarding. He is also an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner and the 2024 International Franchise Association Entrepreneur of the Year. Through the company, Nick supports domestic violence survivors with free moves and has helped donate more than six million meals through US Hunger. Connect With Nick: Website: https://www.collegehunkshaulingjunk.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeHunksHaulingJunkandMoving/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegehunks/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/college-hunks-hauling-junk/ X: https://x.com/CollegeHunks YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-zo_ofBvBf5jTrjpvit_ow

Episode 1318: The Secret to an Extraordinary Exit From Your Business

0 views · September 9th, 2026

The difference between a good exit and an extraordinary one may hinge on finding the buyer who sees value others overlook. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Andy Harris, President, North America Strategies, and Managing Director at STS Capital Partners, who explains how entrepreneurs can maximize their businesses' value by looking beyond standard industry multiples and identifying buyers who recognize strategic value in an acquisition. He explains the difference between financial and strategic buyers, why a competitive sale process can yield dramatically different outcomes, and how the right strategic fit can generate a significant premium. Andy also discusses lessons from The Extraordinary Exit and why a successful sale should take into account an owner's financial goals, personal priorities, legacy, and the business's future home. Key Takeaways: → Relying solely on standard industry multiples can cause business owners to leave substantial value on the table. → An experienced sell-side advisor can help identify and demonstrate strategic value that a seller may not recognize independently. → Running a competitive process can create leverage by giving multiple qualified buyers the opportunity to compete for the business. → The highest offer is not always the best when an owner also cares about the company's and its people's future. → A successful exit strategy should account for the owner's personal goals, including whether they want to remain involved or leave the business entirely. Andy Harris is a seasoned M&A leader, CEO, and advisor with over 30 years of experience driving growth and value through strategic transactions. As President, North American Strategies at STS Capital, he advises clients and partners across all phases of the M&A process, with deal experience ranging from $20 million to $1 billion. He has helped business owners achieve premiums of 40% to 100% by identifying the right strategic buyers. Andy previously served as CEO of Accella Performance Materials, where he grew revenue 6x and profit 8x through organic growth and 14 acquisitions before a successful exit. He also led Syrgis and Vantage Specialty Chemicals through significant growth and transformation initiatives. With deep expertise in industrial manufacturing and B2B sectors, Andy is an active member of YPO and a recognized leader in M&A strategy and execution. Connect With Andy Harris: Website: https://stscapital.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stscapitalpartners/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@stscapital

Episode 1317: Finding the Medicine Inside Your Story

1 views · September 7th, 2026

What if the stories you tell about your past are quietly shaping your relationships, leadership, business, and future? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Amanda Johnson, Co-Founder and CEO of Saved By Story Publishing, who shares how storytelling helps people recognize the narratives that shape their identities, choices, and relationships. She explains that revisiting and writing personal stories can reveal recurring patterns, deepen self-awareness, and help entrepreneurs and leaders communicate their experiences in ways that foster connection and impact. Amanda also explores the idea of story as medicine, the role storytelling can play in building a legacy, and her mission to help more people break generational narratives and use their experiences to move forward. Key Takeaways: → Writing about personal experiences can reveal recurring patterns that continue to shape present-day behavior. → Entrepreneurs often need more than organization to turn their experiences into a clear, meaningful message. → Stories can serve as a form of medicine by offering lessons, identities, and themes that people can apply to their own lives. → Personal storytelling can help leaders build stronger connections with their families, teams, clients, and communities. → Writing a book can help an author confront and change narratives that may have been holding them back. Amanda Johnson alchemizes twenty-five years of transformative experiences through story literacy, writing, and narrative medicine to fulfill her mission through The Story Oracle and Saved By Story, equipping individuals to use humanity’s most innate tools to transmute the pain of their backstory into a more magically-ever-after for themselves, their loved ones, and those they serve. Connect With Amanda: Website: https://savedbystory.house/ https://the-story-oracle.com/ Links Mentioned in Episode: You Can’t Make This St*ry Up: https://a.co/d/dK2naao Raised by Story: https://a.co/d/dToxbPd Upside-Down Mommy: https://a.co/d/7yskzcZ Upside-Down Messenger: https://a.co/d/glG7v9d Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestoryoracle114 https://www.facebook.com/savedbystory Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestoryoracle114/ https://www.instagram.com/savedbystory/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thestoryoracle114/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/saved-by-story-publishing/

Bonus: CPA Strategies for Taxes, AI & High-Growth Businesses

0 views · September 2nd, 2026

For businesses in fast-changing industries, the right CPA can be more than a tax preparer—they can become an essential part of the team. Zachary Gordon, CPA, founder of Red Five Services, brings experience across public accounting, private equity, startups, and highly regulated industries including cannabis and technology. In this episode, Zach shares how proactive planning, clear communication, modern accounting practices, and a true advisory relationship can help business owners navigate complex regulations, manage growth, and make better financial decisions. Key Takeaways: ● Proactive Planning Matters: Tax and financial decisions are far easier to manage when business owners plan ahead instead of waiting until deadlines or problems arise. ● Communication Builds Better Outcomes: Strong CPA-client relationships depend on consistent communication, realistic expectations, and a willingness to address issues early. ● Regulated Industries Require Specialized Knowledge: Businesses in emerging and highly regulated markets need advisors who understand evolving rules and know how to prepare for additional scrutiny. ● Modern Accounting Goes Beyond Compliance: Business owners can gain more value from CPAs who help evaluate opportunities, solve problems, and support strategic decisions rather than simply prepare forms. Connect with Zachary: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharygordon-cpa/ Website: https://redfiveservices.com/ With your Guest Host Peter Florio: Peter F. Florio, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CExP, CLTC is a well-respected financial educator, author, speaker and wealth, tax and financial planner. For nearly 40 years, his advice and expertise have been sought out by high net worth individuals and small business owners to manage their wealth and protect their families and businesses from life’s unforeseen pratfalls. Peter regularly shares his knowledge of innovative ideas and concepts with CPA’s and attorneys. He serves the needs of over 500 clients located throughout the country with a concentration in the Long Island/New York City area. Peter is the Founder and Managing Partner of The Florio Wealth Management Group, a financial planning and wealth management firm located in Westbury, NY. He is a lifelong resident of Baldwin, New York, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Baldwin and an active supporter of the Long Island Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Website: https://www.floriowmg.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/florio-wealth-management-group/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floriowmg Calendly: https://calendly.com/floriowmg

Episode 264: Why April 15 Is Not the Most Important Tax Deadline

0 views · September 2nd, 2026

The biggest tax-saving opportunities often disappear long before your return is due. In this episode of the Registered Investment Advisor Podcast, Seth Greene interviews Jake Birnberg, Chief Tax Strategist of Deduction Detectives, Inc., who shares why proactive tax planning can be especially important for business owners, property sellers, retirees, and others facing significant tax liabilities. He explains why December 31 can matter more than April 15 for planning purposes, how waiting too long can eliminate available strategies, and why tax decisions should be coordinated with both financial and life goals. Jake also discusses combining multiple tax strategies, using cash flow mapping to improve outcomes, and the importance of getting tax advice from someone who can defend that advice before the IRS. Key Takeaways: → Tax planning is most effective when it happens before a major financial transaction rather than after the tax year has already closed. → December 31 can be more important than April 15 because many planning opportunities disappear once the tax year ends. → Selling a business, selling appreciated property, retiring with significant pretax assets, or earning substantial business income can create major tax-planning needs. → Waiting until after a property is listed or sold can eliminate strategies that might otherwise have been available. → Tax advice is more valuable when it comes from a professional who understands how to defend the strategy if the IRS challenges it. Jake Birnberg, EA, graduated with a degree in finance from UC Berkeley in 1988. His career has spanned investment banking, retirement planning/wealth management, and tax planning/representation at firms such as Dean Witter, Shearson Lehman, and Hambrecht & Quist. As an IRS Enrolled Agent (EA), he is licensed to prepare taxes in all 50 states and to represent people before the IRS. He builds systems that integrate tax and financial planning to minimize taxes over his clients’ lifetimes and maximize the retirement income available for spending. Connect With Jake: Website: https://deductiondetectives.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakebirnberg/

Episode 1316: Building Men Through Brotherhood and Accountability

0 views · September 2nd, 2026

What happens when you achieve the money, cars, and freedom you wanted, yet still feel something important is missing? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Daniel Krynzel, Founder of The Big Balls Brotherhood, who shares how achieving financial success without personal fulfillment inspired him to create the Big Balls Brotherhood, a leadership and accountability community for entrepreneurs, business owners, and executives. He explains how purpose, mindset training, supportive relationships, and gamified accountability help men follow through on their commitments and achieve higher levels of performance. Daniel also discusses overcoming entrepreneurial isolation, building a mission-driven life, and surrounding yourself with people who genuinely want you to win. Key Takeaways: → Financial success doesn’t automatically lead to fulfillment. → Entrepreneurs need an environment that fosters action, accountability, and growth. → Group accountability helps entrepreneurs maintain momentum by establishing external expectations for their commitments. → Mindset training helps leaders focus on what they want to create rather than constantly reacting to problems and circumstances. → Consistent micro-decisions shape long-term results and help people become their strongest selves. Daniel Krynzel is a serial entrepreneur, business leader, and founder of The Big Balls Brotherhood. He has built multiple million-dollar businesses, closed high-stakes deals, and developed a reputation for decisive action, fearless leadership, and the pursuit of ambitious goals. After experiencing both extraordinary success and profound personal loss, Daniel redefined his purpose and committed himself to helping other men become stronger leaders. Through The Big Balls Brotherhood, he challenges men to move beyond mediocrity, lead with courage, and build lives grounded in strength, purpose, and intentional action. Connect With Daniel: Website: https://bigballsbrotherhood.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigballsbrotherhood Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigballsbrotherhood LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/big-balls-brotherhood/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bigballsbrotherhood

Episode 1315: A Smarter Health Plan Based on Your Exact Metabolism

0 views · August 31st, 2026

What if the reason your health plan keeps failing is not a lack of discipline but a strategy never designed for your body? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Angelo Poli, Founder of MetPro and Author of MetPro: The Science to Transform, who explains why generic diets and standardized fitness advice often fail to deliver sustainable results. He explains how metabolic profiling uses individual data, ongoing feedback, and personalized adjustments to identify which nutrition and fitness strategies will produce the most progress. Angelo also reveals why busy entrepreneurs should rely less on willpower and instead build scientifically informed routines that yield the greatest results with the least wasted time. Key Takeaways: → Every person responds differently to nutrition and exercise. → Metabolic profiling assesses a person’s starting point and identifies the specific adjustments needed to improve body composition, energy, and performance. → A perceived “slow metabolism” may be influenced by how the body has adapted to a person’s long-term habits. → Busy entrepreneurs are often derailed when their schedules become overwhelming, making a reliable routine more valuable than temporary motivation. → The most effective health strategy focuses on actions that deliver the greatest return without unnecessary effort. Angelo Poli is the founder of MetPro and the author of MetPro: The Science to Transform. For more than 20 years, he's helped entrepreneurs, executives, professional athletes, and high performers optimize energy, body composition, performance, and longevity. His work centers on a simple idea: performance isn't just about training harder. It's about understanding how your metabolism adapts to stress, recovery, fueling, and workload over time. That's why strategies that work at one stage of training often stop working at the next. After a serious injury left him walking with a cane for nearly a decade, Angelo became obsessed with understanding what truly drives lasting transformation. That pursuit ultimately led to the creation of MetPro and a methodology that has helped more than 20,000 people achieve sustainable results. Connect With Angelo: Website: https://metpro.co/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetabolicProfiling/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metproco/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@metabolicprofiling

Episode 1314: The Six Words That Build a Brand

0 views · August 26th, 2026

The right six words can do more for your brand than 60,000 forgettable words. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Kevin Harrington and Seth Greene interview Bill Schley, CEO and Founder of The Brand Titans USP Master Programs, who explains how microscripts help businesses communicate their unique value in a sentence or fewer. Drawing on lessons from the legendary advertising agency Ted Bates, Bill shares the five rules for an effective unique selling proposition and how to turn that positioning into a memorable problem-solution story. He also reveals why the most powerful brand messages are concise, believable, repeatable, and clearly differentiated from the competition. Key Takeaways: → An effective brand must clearly communicate what the business does that no one else can. → Branding has little value if it fails to meaningfully differentiate a company from its competitors. → The differentiating benefit must be important to the customer and relevant to a real need. → Microscripts are short, memorable phrases that are easy to understand, remember, and repeat. → A strong brand story should clearly present a problem, introduce the solution, and explain how the world changes as a result. Bill Schley is an award-winning branding expert, New York Times bestselling author, and lifelong entrepreneur. He is the originator of the Micro-Script concept in brand communications and is credited by celebrated marketers as the #1 USP expert in the world. His USP-centered brands have generated over $1.5 billion in documented new-business valuation and brand equity across companies ranging from global giants to acquired startups. Bill began his career as a writer at the legendary Ted Bates Advertising Agency, the original Mad Men agency in New York, where he won a National Effie Award for sales-effective advertising. His highly acclaimed books on branding and marketing are taught by experts worldwide. In addition to his latest book, The Micro-Script Rules: How to Tell Your Story and Differentiate Your Brand in a Sentence or Less, he is the author of The UnStoppables, a New York Times bestseller; Why Johnny Can’t Brand, which won Strategy+Business Magazine’s Top 5 Marketing Books of the Year award; and The Power of 10, an Amazon bestseller. Connect With Bill Website: https://brandtitans.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billschley/

Bonus Episode: Bringing Equity to the Mass Affluent

0 views · August 26th, 2026

What if your accredited clients could tap into institutional-quality private deals without locking up their money for a decade? In this episode of the Registered Investment Advisor Podcast, Seth Greene interviews Joseph DaGrosa Jr., Founder and Chairman of DaGrosa Capital Partners LLC, who explains how his career evolved from auditing at a wirehouse to partnering with an early leveraged buyout pioneer and ultimately building Access Capital to open private equity and private credit to the mass affluent accredited investor market. He also shares why interval funds, rigorous sub-advisor due diligence, and his new educational resource, The Financial Advisor’s Guide to Private Investments, are helping RIAs bring institutional-style private allocations to a broader client base. Key Takeaways: → Why the accredited investor segment represents a massive, historically underserved opportunity for private investments. → How the rules of the Investment Company Act of 1940 limit traditional private equity vehicles. → How Access Capital structures registered vehicles to bring private equity and private credit access to mass affluent accredited investors. → What interval funds are, how their semi-liquid structure works, and why they may be a fit for long-term investors who want private exposure with periodic liquidity. → Why RIAs and RIA aggregators are turning to outsourced CIO relationships to help them evaluate and implement private investments at scale. Joseph DaGrosa Jr. is the Founder and Chairman of DaGrosa Capital Partners (DCP) and a veteran investor with over 30 years of experience across sports, entertainment, real estate, hospitality, aviation, retail, and more. He has led more than $2 billion in capitalized transactions and oversees several DCP portfolio companies, including Axxes Capital, Kapital Football Group, and Soccerex, the world’s largest organizer of soccer business conferences. DaGrosa previously co-founded Quinn Residences, a $900 million single-family rental platform, and played key leadership roles in major turnarounds and acquisitions, including Heartland Food Corp., Jet Support Services Inc., and F.C. Girondins de Bordeaux. Earlier in his career, he was a partner at Maplewood Partners and began in capital markets at Paine Webber. Connect With Joe: Website: https://dagrosacp.com/ X: https://x.com/joe_dagrosa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-dagrosa-jr-59415934/

Episode 1313: Get More Media Coverage with Qwoted

0 views · August 24th, 2026

You do not need a massive PR budget to earn meaningful media coverage, but you do need to give journalists the right response at the right time. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Dan Simon, CEO and Co-Founder of Qwoted, who explains how Qwoted connects journalists, podcast producers, writers, and other media professionals with credible expert sources. He also explains how business owners and professionals can improve their chances of securing media coverage by responding quickly, building complete profiles, offering authentic insights, and providing concise, usable quotes. Dan also discusses how the platform is democratizing media access while helping journalists verify sources and find perspectives they may not encounter through traditional PR agencies. Key Takeaways: → Qwoted was created to give journalists access to a much broader and more diverse range of potential sources. → Experience in a particular profession, industry, location, or life situation can offer a valuable perspective for a story. → Sometimes journalists need personal experience and authentic opinions rather than formal credentials or advanced expertise. → Speed is one of the strongest predictors of whether a journalist will use a source’s response. → Concise, memorable quotes and unique perspectives are more useful to journalists than lengthy explanations or full white papers. Dan Simon is the founder and CEO of Qwoted, an online network connecting journalists with expert sources and used by reporters across major newsrooms. He serves on the U.S. Board of Advisors for Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and has built Qwoted's work around press freedom, newsroom economics, and journalists' working conditions. Dan is also the founder and Chairman of Vested, one of the largest financial communications firms in the world. He is the author of The Money Hackers (HarperCollins, 2020), which explores how technology has transformed our relationship with money. The book was named the best small-business book by the Axiom Awards. He has been a regular columnist for Forbes, Markets Media, and CoinTelegraph, and he co-chairs the Communications Advisory Board of the Museum of American Finance. Connect With Dan: Website: https://www.qwoted.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dansimon/

Episode 1312: The AI Webinar Concierge Advantage

0 views · August 19th, 2026

What if every webinar registrant received a personalized call at the exact right moment without adding another salesperson to your team? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Sam Chang, Founder and CEO of VTM Group, who shares how his journey from door-to-door sales and virtual staffing led him to build AutoCaller AI, a voice AI platform that automates sales conversations. He explains how an AI webinar concierge can contact registrants before, during, and after an event to improve attendance, engagement, follow-up, and overall conversion rates. Sam also discusses drop-off recovery, personalized conversations, AI-powered sales agents, and his vision for helping more businesses build scalable webinar funnels. Key Takeaways: → AutoCaller AI automates sales calls while maintaining a realistic tone, personalization, and conversational engagement. → Webinar operators often lose potential revenue because they lack the staff to contact every registrant personally. → Calling registrants shortly before an event can improve attendance and reduce missed opportunities. → AI can contact no-shows five, ten, or fifteen minutes after a webinar starts, encouraging them to join. → Post-webinar calls can deliver replays, promote upcoming events, book appointments, or present special offers. Sam Chang is the founder and CEO of VTM Group, which includes VTMEMBER, a virtual staffing company, and AutoCaller AI, an AI-powered appointment-booking platform. He scaled VTMEMBER from zero to 250 employees in three years, serving clients across North America. Through AutoCaller AI, Sam helps businesses automate speed-to-lead calling, follow-up, appointment booking, and pipeline reactivation without adding headcount. The platform integrates with GoHighLevel and combines AI voice agents, paid advertising, automated nurture, and trained closers to improve show rates, close rates, and revenue growth. Before founding VTM Group, Sam helped expand TELUS’s door-to-door sales operation from 25 to 350 representatives and contributed to more than $750 million in revenue. He later developed a nationally adopted sales curriculum and brought advanced sales psychology into AI voice technology. Connect With Sam: Website: http://vtmember.ca/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vtmember/ X: https://x.com/vtmemberteam Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vtmemberteam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vtmember

Bonus Episode: Life-Informed Wealth Planning Across Generations

0 views · August 19th, 2026

What if the most important part of your financial plan has nothing to do with the numbers on your statement? In this episode of the Registered Investment Advisor Podcast, Seth Greene interviews Mitch Hamer, Founder and Lead Advisor at Intersecting Wealth, who shares how his psychologically informed approach helps high-net-worth families navigate money across multiple generations. Drawing on his background in psychology, Mitch explains why the most impactful conversations rarely revolve around spreadsheets and how “life-informed” planning better reflects clients’ real goals, stories, and risk capacity. He also discusses evolving the business from a trusted practice into an enduring enterprise while adapting to AI, shifting client expectations, and a rapidly changing wealth landscape. Key Takeaways: → How life, psychology, behavior, and money shape every client’s decision. → More client breakthroughs come from conversations about biases, fears, and dreams than from portfolio models. → How estate planning, account titling, and goal-setting are often underserved, and each entity in a complex family structure deserves its own balance sheet with clear objectives. → What life-informed planning looks like in practice and why a one-size-fits-all model can cause advisors to miss what truly matters to clients. → Why LinkedIn and content creation are key to Intersecting Wealth’s next chapter. Mitch Hamer is the Founder and Lead Advisor at Intersecting Wealth. He values guiding families through the comprehensive financial planning process. Given his approach, which is more psychological and behavioral than financial, Mitch enjoys helping families zoom out on what gets too much attention, zoom in on what is largely ignored by advisors, and then pull it all together. He finds being on the journey with families as they find clarity around their goals and dreams, and supporting them in implementation, uniquely rewarding. Prior to founding Intersecting Wealth in 2024, Mitch spent the previous eleven years as a Financial Advisor to high-net-worth individuals and families. Connect With Mitch: Website: https://intersectingwealth.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellphamer/

Episode 1211: How to Build an Eight-Figure Education Business

0 views · August 17th, 2026

Your professional expertise could become a scalable asset that generates revenue without requiring more hours from you. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Justin Montgomery, Founder of The Elite Nurse Practitioner, who shares how he went from working as a nurse practitioner to building cash-based medical practices and an eight-figure online education company. He explains how professionals and entrepreneurs can turn specialized knowledge into continuing education courses, build an audience, and create a scalable marketing engine. Justin also reveals why valuable content, strategic outsourcing, and separating income from personal time are essential to building a business that supports financial and location independence. Key Takeaways: → Business ownership does not automatically create freedom if the owner must personally deliver the service. → Cash-based business models provide owners with greater control than those dependent on third-party payers. → Early failures can provide the experience and insight needed to build a successful, repeatable business model. → Building an audience before launching a course creates a stronger foundation for generating initial sales. → A scalable education business can create financial independence, location flexibility, and a lasting impact on customers and their families. Justin Allan Montgomery is the founder of The Elite Nurse Practitioner, a thriving business he launched in 2019 to teach nurse practitioners unique clinical and business skills, empowering them to start their own practices and break free from traditional work environments. With a background that includes a bachelor’s in biology and chemistry, a bachelor’s in nursing, and a Master of Science in nursing, Justin scaled his business to 7-figure annual revenue in just three years. By providing valuable content and addressing a major issue in his profession—lack of autonomy and underpayment—he built a scalable online course business that helped him achieve an 8-figure net worth. By working part-time while still seeing patients, he achieved financial independence before age 40, demonstrating the power of automation and passive income. Connect With Justin: Website: https://procoursestart.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574146510784 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/procoursestart/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProCourseStart

Episode 1310: The Truth About Franchise Ownership

0 views · August 12th, 2026

What if the fastest path to business ownership is not building from scratch, but choosing the right proven system? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Adam Goldman, Franchise Consultant, who explains how franchise ownership can give aspiring entrepreneurs a proven system, greater agency, and a path out of corporate life. He shares how to evaluate opportunities, assess cultural fit, use franchisee validation, and understand the realities behind earnings claims and startup cash flow. Adam also reveals the biggest myths, red flags, and due-diligence questions that prospective owners should consider before choosing a franchise. Key Takeaways: → Franchise ownership can provide a proven system for entrepreneurs who do not want to build every process from scratch. → The best franchise owners recognize the value of following an established model, especially during the early stages of business. → Franchising extends beyond restaurants, with opportunities available across dozens of industries. → Cultural alignment between the franchisee and franchisor can be just as important as the financial opportunity. → The right franchise can give professionals greater control over their time, income, career, and family life. Adam Goldman is a franchise consultant, experienced investor, serial entrepreneur, franchisee, and Master Franchisor with more than 20 years of experience building and growing businesses across multiple industries and continents. Throughout his career, Adam has founded three successful companies on two continents, including an IT company in Poland and a real estate investment company in Texas. Most recently, he grew the Vanguard Cleaning Area Developer concept in Houston into a multimillion-dollar annual enterprise with more than 30 franchisees and 300 customers, which he successfully sold. Adam brings a unique blend of hands-on franchise ownership, business investment experience, and entrepreneurial insight to his work as a franchise consultant. His background allows him to guide aspiring business owners through the franchise selection process with a practical, real-world perspective. Connect With Adam: Website: https://www.franchisecoach.net/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franchisecoach_adam/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadingfranchiseconsultant/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgoldmanfranchise/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQCtHcOPenRfQ_0IlMY08Q