Discover how combining strategic thinking, integrated campaigns, and strong team execution transforms marketing from a chaotic expense into a predictable growth engine. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Andrew Seidman, COO and Co-Founder of Digital Reach Agency, a former professional poker player turned marketing strategist who helps global enterprises and well-funded startups achieve measurable growth. With over a decade of experience leading multi-channel campaigns using platforms like Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, Demandbase, and 6sense, Andrew is known for turning complex digital challenges into streamlined, high-impact solutions. In this episode, he shares lessons on building repeatable processes, integrating teams, and leveraging data to drive meaningful results. Key Takeaways: → The importance of focusing on process rather than short-term results in marketing and operations. → Understanding the core challenges companies face in generating qualified leads and pipeline. → The value of integrating branding, content, digital experience, and revenue operations into one cohesive strategy. → How multi-channel campaigns deliver measurable impact across platforms like Google, LinkedIn, and social media. → Scaling teams effectively while maintaining culture, accountability, and alignment across geographies. Andrew Seidman is the COO and Co-Founder of Digital Reach Agency, where he has played a key role since 2013. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Andrew works closely with global enterprises to develop and implement strategies for Account-Based Marketing (ABM), Demand Generation, and Product-Led Growth (PLG) motions. He leads global advertising campaigns using platforms like Google, LinkedIn, Bing, Facebook, Demandbase, 6sense, and Terminus. Andrew coordinates resources to drive the agency's growth while providing support to the sales and technology teams to ensure exceptional customer service. With over 12 years of experience, Andrew is dedicated to delivering end-to-end digital strategies that drive success for clients around the world. Connect With Andrew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalreachagency/ X: https://x.com/digitalreachb2b Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DigitalReachAgency/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-reach-agency/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Digitalreachagency Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if an AI agent could negotiate your car deal while you keep your phone on silent? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Zach Shefska, Co-Founder & CEO of CarEdge, a platform using data, software, and services to make car buying fair, fast, and transparent. Zach explains how CarEdge evolved from a YouTube channel with his veteran car-salesman father into a suite of tools—pricing data, a concierge team, and an AI negotiator—that level the playing field for buyers without trying to eliminate dealerships. He shares how the business model aligns incentives, why “human-in-the-loop” AI matters, and how trust and speed can beat opacity and pressure. Key Takeaways: → CarEdge began as a YouTube channel teaching people how to buy cars and has grown into a platform with millions of monthly viewers plus tools and services that support the entire purchase journey. → The company offers negotiation-ready data, an AI negotiator that engages dealers on your behalf, and a human concierge team made up of former dealership pros who can run the process end-to-end. → Zach designed the model to avoid dealer pay-to-play by charging consumers for help, which means dealerships receive educated, motivated buyers without subscription fees or low-quality lead churn. → The mission is not to destroy dealerships but to make transactions fairer and faster, which can still serve dealer interests by improving close rates and reducing negotiation friction. → Dealership profits are typically driven by finance and insurance products rather than the new-car sale itself, so CarEdge focuses on fair vehicle pricing while educating consumers on F&I decisions. Zach Shefska is the co-founder and CEO of CarEdge, a platform dedicated to reforming the automotive retail experience through radical transparency, consumer empowerment, and digital innovation. His journey from tech executive to mission-driven entrepreneur exemplifies a deep commitment to building purpose-driven solutions that challenge exploitative norms. Connect With Zach:Website: http://www.caredge.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mycaredge TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caredge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mycaredge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the same mindset that builds nine-figure businesses could also create a happier, healthier life?   In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Pete Sacco, Entrepreneur, Technologist, Modern Day Mystic, is the author of Living in Bliss: Achieve a Balanced Existence of Body, Mind, and Spirit, who shares how his own low point—facing poor health and personal unhappiness despite career success—sparked a complete transformation that reshaped both his life and his company. He reveals the framework behind his “Commit, Learn, and Do” philosophy and how understanding superpowers, core values, and balance can turn ambition into fulfillment.   Key Takeaways: → How each stage of expansion requires new structures, mentors, and sometimes new team members. → Why it’s vital for entrepreneurs to evolve from being business operators into strategic thinkers and investors → How professional success without personal fulfillment is a form of failure. → Why it’s crucial to practice gratitude, reframe expectations, and find daily moments of wonder. → How clarity, collaboration, and alignment are more important than control.   Pete Sacco is a visionary entrepreneur, technologist, and modern-day mystic who blends conscious leadership with breakthrough innovation. As the founder of multiple ventures—including PTS Data Center Solutions, INTUVA, GRID7, InstaGuardIP, and Gray Wolf Data Centers—Pete has led transformative initiatives across AI, energy, blockchain, and digital infrastructure. His journey from electrical engineer to spiritual author and advisor reflects a rare fusion of high performance and inner awakening. Pete is the author of Living in Bliss: Achieve a Balanced Existence of Body, Mind, and Spirit, a guide for high achievers seeking fulfillment beyond success. A finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, Pete holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He serves on the advisory board of its School of Computer Sciences and Engineering. Based in New Jersey, he helps purpose-driven professionals unlock clarity, vitality, and purpose—one system, one person, and one moment at a time.   Connect With Pete: Website: https://petesacco.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petesaccoofficial TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@petesacco X: https://x.com/PeteSaccoCEO LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petertsacco/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PeteSaccoCEO   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Freedom gets a lot easier when your systems work harder than you do.   In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Daniel Alonzo, Wealth Coach, who unpacks the mindset and mechanics of true financial freedom. Financially independent by 28, Daniel scaled to 1,500+ agents across 60 offices and hosts the Wealth on the Beach podcast. He breaks down scaling via leadership, content consistency, and modern messaging that attracts the next generation while building durable passive income.   Key Takeaways: → Why entrepreneurs must replace their limiting beliefs with decisive action. → How achieving true financial freedom requires both passive income and strong cash reserves. → Building leaders who can operate independently allows a business to scale faster than any individual effort ever could. → Why documenting systems, training materials, and repeatable processes leads to sustainable growth and more free time. → How consistency separate those who get attention from those who fade away.   Daniel Alonzo is a high energy entrepreneur, wealth coach and host of the Wealth on the Beach Podcast, ranked top 100 by million podcasts. He's built one of the largest financial teams in America with over 1,500 licensed agents and 60 offices. He's also the author of 3 books: Wealth on the Beach: 11 Laws to Building Financial Freedom, Wealth on the Beach: For Teens, and his latest, Wealth on the Beach: Why Most Life Insurance is a Scam - And How to Get It Right. Daniel's Mission is to teach people how to build wealth, shift their mindset, and live a life of freedom, choices and options - no fluff, no BS.   Connect With Daniel: Website: https://wealthonthebeach.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielalonzo/ X: https://x.com/DanielAlonzoBL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.alonzo.796/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DanielAlonzo1   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you focus your energy like a laser, the right single move can change everything.   In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Stephen Scoggins, Faith-Driven Entrepreneur, Speaker, and Author, who rose from homelessness to build Custom Home Exteriors into one of the East Coast’s largest exterior service companies—~400 employees and just under nine figures annually—before exiting in 2023. Stephen now leads Unstoppable Solutions, creating media and events and empowering education to help founders align purpose, performance, and profit. He shares the mentor lessons that saved his life, the pitfalls that stall entrepreneurs, and how “presence over hustle” creates compounding momentum.   Key Takeaways: → Why being busy doesn’t equate to being proactive and how focused presence beats hustle culture. → How to overcome the five constraints: arrogance, ignorance, impatience, fear, and insecurity. → Why starting from scratch requires ingenuity, initiative, and brick-by-brick systems that scale. → How profit without meaning leads to isolation and how to build both wealth and fulfillment. → Why many founders need alignment more than another playbook. Stephen Scoggins is a business strategist, bestselling author, and founder of Unstoppable Solutions by Scoggins International Inc. Once homeless, he went on to build and exit multiple companies, becoming a serial 9-figure entrepreneur and mentoring thousands through his Unstoppable Entrepreneur Programs and frameworks for aligned, sustainable growth. Named by USA Today and The Wall Street Times as one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurs in 2023, Stephen has also reached over 48 million podcast views through his show Build, where he helps purpose-driven leaders scale without compromising who they are. Known for challenging hustle culture, he teaches an integrated approach to entrepreneurship that prioritizes meaning, integrity, and legacy-level impact—proving that lasting income follows radical alignment.   Connect With Stephen: Website: https://stephenscoggins.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephen_scoggins X: https://x.com/stephen_scoggin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephenscoggins/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenscoggins/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stephen_scoggins   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When execution gets cheap and fast, the advantage shifts from incumbents to the bold.   In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Alex Mehr, PhD, Former NASA Scientist, Serial Entrepreneur, and AI Disruptor, who explains why this AI wave is different. Technology is replacing human tasks (often doing them better), turning “idea machines” into prolific builders by slashing execution time and cost. He shares how famous.ai helps entrepreneurs spin up real MVPs quickly, why “barbarian” tactics beat empires, and the mindsets that separate shippers from stallers.   Key Takeaways: → How this AI wave replaces, not just augments, many human activities. → How AI collapses the gap between ideation and execution. → How underdogs can carve niches by attacking specific, local weak points. → Why entrepreneurs should test cheaply, retreat quickly, and redeploy where traction appears. → Why logos and colors are meaningless if you’re not shipping and learning.   Dr. Alex Mehr is a former NASA scientist turned serial entrepreneur who has built and exited multiple companies serving millions of users worldwide. Today, as Co-Founder and CEO of Famous.ai, he’s breaking down the last barrier to entrepreneurship: coding. Alex believes there’s a dividing line in entrepreneurship—before 2025 and after 2025. With AI now able to turn plain-English prompts into production-ready apps, execution is no longer the bottleneck—ideas just became more valuable than ever. From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, Alex has seen firsthand that speed is the ultimate competitive advantage. His mission is to empower non-technical founders, creatives, and professionals to build bold tech businesses without needing engineers, massive funding, or years of trial and error. Alex’s unique gift is taking complex technology and translating it into actionable, inspiring stories that leave audiences believing: your idea is worth building today, not someday.   Connect With Alex: Website: https://famous.ai/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctoralex Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realDrMehr/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dealai Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you solve one real problem brilliantly, it can unlock five more and add an entire category. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Shawn Nelson, Founder and CEO of LoveSac, who shares how a homemade “not-beanbag” snowballed into a NASDAQ-listed company with 300+ locations, a logistics moat, and the best-selling sectional platform in the U.S. He breaks down the invention mindset, LoveSac’s sustainability-by-design philosophy, and why products must be designed for life to win long term. Key Takeaways: → Why logistics matter and how they can be used as your hidden superpower.  → Building a product that can evolve allows it to stay relevant for decades. → Why sustainability and durability beat planned obsolescence.  → Why building your own channel proves demand for your product.  → If products last, growth must come from new rooms, categories, and features. Shawn Nelson is the founder and CEO of LoveSac, Inc. He graduated from the University of Utah and founded LoveSac in 1998, initially creating his first “not-bean bag” from shredded foam camp mattresses. Nelson quickly gained traction, securing an order for 12,000 Lovesacs from Limited Too, and later opening his first retail location in 2001. In 2003, he received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Nelson also appeared on Richard Branson’s The Rebel Billionaire in 2005, winning a $1 million investment, and spent three months as acting president of Virgin companies. Shawn expanded LoveSac’s product line to include the world’s only changeable sectional couch. He earned his master’s degree in strategic design and management from Parsons in 2015, where he also became a part-time instructor. That same year, he appeared on Make Me a Millionaire Inventor and delivered the keynote at the 40 Under 40 awards for Fairfield County, Connecticut. In 2018, he took LoveSac public, with shares debuting on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LOVE.” Connect With Shawn: Website: https://www.lovesac.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnoflovesac X: https://x.com/shawnoflovesac LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndnelson/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Revenue keeps rising, but your bank account doesn’t? Here’s how to fix that.   In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Ben Hansen, Business Consultant & CEO, Profit Doctor, who built an eight-figure consulting firm to 100 employees and $13M revenue with five Inc. 5000 awards, after earlier stints at Dell and Microsoft. Ben now helps $2–$50M companies add +5 net profit points in 90 days by importing top-quartile practices into below-average performers. He shares the mindset, metrics, and surgical cuts that turn chronic cash strain into sustainable profitability.   Key Takeaways: → Why chasing your top line often hides bottom-line decay. → How to make money by stopping what loses money. → The ten areas that are most likely to hide margins. → How to identify unprofitable customers, products, and channels, and exit them. → Why it’s vital to build a business that funds its own growth.   Ben Hansen is a 5-time Inc. 5000 entrepreneur and founder of an 8-figure staffing firm. In his previous business, he built a team of over 100 employees in just 8 years and consistently achieved fast growth and high profit. Today, he helps CEOs solve their profit problems fast and he understands firsthand what it takes to build a lean, scalable business that actually makes money. He works with companies earning between $2 and $50 million in annual revenue to increase margins, cash and distributions. Most see meaningful improvements within just 12 weeks without adding more workload or pressure. Ben specializes in curing what he calls Profititis - when revenue keeps growing but profit doesn’t. With hands-on experience, he offers simple, practical solutions that deliver real results, not more theory or complexity.   Connect With Ben: Website: https://profitdoctor.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/profitdoctorben/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benhansen/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitdoctorben Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most owners work hard for money—few learn to make the tax code work hard for them. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Catrina M. Craft, a tax strategist and accountant who’s advised business owners and previously learned elite tax strategy working with the wealthiest 2% of Americans. Creator of the CRAFT Money Map framework, Catrina specializes in turning reactive “tax season” chaos into proactive, year-round wealth strategy. She breaks down the KPIs that actually drive profitability, the entity and election decisions that matter, and timely plays like bonus depreciation, §179, and QBI that can free up cash to grow.   Key Takeaways: → Proactive vs. reactive taxes: what changes when strategy starts before year-end. → The five KPIs that matter: cash flow, profitability, A/R & A/P, LTV, and CAC—plus how to dashboard them. → The C.R.A.F.T. Money Map: Cash flow, Retirement, Asset management/protection, Financial freedom, and Tax strategies. → Entity structure ≠ paperwork: why LLC + the right tax election (S/C/partnership/sole prop) can swing your tax outcome. → When to hire a strategist: startup consults to avoid missteps; quarterly at ~$50k profit; monthly at ~$100k+.   Catrina M. Craft, CPA, CEO & Founder of Craft More Cash. "The tax code isn’t fair — but that’s your opportunity as a business owner.” This is the perspective Catrina Craft brings as the CPA and tax strategist behind some of the most profitable coaches, consultants, and creators in the industry. After climbing out of $100K in debt and losing 80% of her income overnight, she rebuilt her business by using the same advanced tax strategies and wealth-building tactics that the top 2% of the wealthiest rely on to protect and multiply their money. Now, she teaches her clients to do the same. Through her Craft Money MapTM system, she helps high-earning entrepreneurs cut taxes by 25% and boost profits by 20% — strategies most accountants won’t even talk about. On the mic, Catrina pulls back the curtain on what the ultra-wealthy know: how proactive tax strategy lets you keep more, grow faster, and build real wealth. Listeners walk away with practical insights on entity structuring, overlooked deductions, and income planning that scales. Connect With Catrina: Website: https://www.catrinamcraft.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catrinamcraft/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catrinamcraft1/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most practices are busy—but busy doesn’t always mean profitable. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Terri Ross, Founder of Terri Ross Consulting & Co-Founder of Aesthetic Success, who is one of the leading voices in the medical aesthetics industry. With nearly two decades of experience, she has advised top practices, trained thousands of providers, and been featured as a speaker at Johns Hopkins, international conferences, and in multiple publications. In this conversation, Terri shares her proven seven-pillar revenue optimization system, insights on KPIs that drive millions in growth, and strategies to help practices thrive in competitive markets. Key Takeaways: → Why being busy doesn’t guarantee profitability. → The seven-pillar framework for revenue optimization. → Common mistakes most practice owners make—and how to avoid them. → The KPIs that matter most in the first 3–6 months. → How pricing and compensation strategies impact profitability. Terri Ross, founder of Terri Ross Consulting, is a globally recognized expert in practice management and high-performance sales coaching, with a specialization in medical aesthetics. She has helped practices and Fortune 500 companies achieve over $2.5M in annual revenue growth. Industry leaders like Galderma, Skinbetter, and Merz Canada rely on her expertise for training sales teams and delivering keynote presentations at top aesthetic conferences. As the founder of Terri Ross Consulting, she later launched the APX Platform, merging with a patient education firm in 2023 to form a cutting-edge performance system. With a background in sales leadership roles with Fortune 500 medical device companies, Terri consistently ranked in the top 10% nationally. Terri hosts the "In Touch with Terri" podcast and co-founded Aesthetic Success, a quarterly summit series designed to master business strategy in aesthetics. Connect With Terri Ross: Website: https://terrirossconsulting.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrirossconsulting/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terriross/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if hitting rock bottom wasn’t the end, but the exact moment life cracks open to reveal your true power?   In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Kellan Fluckiger, High-Performance Life Coach, who shares how a harrowing “divine intervention,” sobriety, and a second chance at love rewired his future. Drawing from his books, near-death experience, and 18 years of deep personal work, Kellan lays out a no-nonsense pathway to purpose, prosperity, and joy. He also tackles the future of coaching in the age of AI and why becoming the product of your message is the only durable strategy.   Key Takeaways: → The 18-hour turning point that ended addiction cold-turkey. → Why “head in the sand, ante is high, work is hard” stops change. → The WIPOS framework: Worth, Identity, Possibility, Ownership, Sovereignty. → How to define your “Ultimate Life” without outsourcing your truth. → The single most powerful asset: your story of becoming.   Coming through decades of depression, addictions, life-threatening illness, and a near-death experience, Kellan Fluckiger has become the ultimate catalyst to help motivated people melt barriers, move mountains, and mobilize superpowers to achieve their true desires. As a Best life coach in LA and keynote speaker, Kellan’s masterful approach helps people get past old stories, change beliefs, and create a life context to reach even goals that seemed impossible.   Connect With Kellan Fluckiger: Website: https://www.kellanfluckiger.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellan.fluckiger/ X: https://x.com/KellanFluckiger Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellan.fluckiger3 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kellanfluckiger Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s really stopping you from hitting seven figures isn’t strategy, it’s how you think about money, growth, and yourself. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon, founder of Incredible One Enterprises and author of Move to Millions, who shares how she helps entrepreneurs scale to seven figures while honoring their values and avoiding burnout. With a background of building her own multimillion-dollar business, she now equips service-based business owners with the strategies, systems, and mindset shifts needed to create sustainable success. In this conversation, she breaks down pricing, limiting beliefs, hiring challenges, and the path to true abundance. Key Takeaways: → Why daily marketing and sales are non-negotiable for growth.  → The hidden cost of underpricing and how to fix it.  → Creating starter offers that lead clients to premium programs. → How limiting beliefs sabotage business owners without them realizing.  → The role of money mindset in breaking revenue plateaus.  Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon is the award-winning, iconic, and incomparable two-time Inc.5000 CEO of Incredible One Enterprises, LLC, a multi-million-dollar coaching and consulting brand. From the moment she opens her mouth, brace yourself for a transformation that will overcome you. Best known for combining soul leadership with business growth strategy, Darnyelle equips her audiences with actionable insights and strategies to leverage and scale businesses that serve them financially and spiritually. She entertains, equips, empowers, and holds space for attendees to see themselves at their next level. By teaching her award-winning Move to Millions® Method, Darnyelle helps clients collapse the amount of time it takes them to reach the million-dollar mark with ease and grace, rather than through hustle and grind. Darnyelle is a 7-time best-selling author, the creator of 5 powerful business systems and the host of the MOVE To Millions Podcast with Dr. Darnyelle J. Harmon. Now, she is introducing the world to the book she was born to write, Move to Millions®. Connect With Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon: Website: https://www.drdarnyelle.com Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/darnyellejerveyharmon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darnyellejerveyharmon LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/darnyelejerveyharmon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most companies don’t have a lead problem, they have a follow-up problem. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Jason Kramer, Founder & CEO at Cultivize, who breaks down how smart CRM strategy can transform “maybe someday” prospects into real revenue. Jason shares how his team helps manufacturing, roofing, finance, and home service businesses design, implement, and actually use CRM systems like HubSpot and Pipedrive so salespeople stop dropping the ball. With real-world case studies, including a roofing company that turned old quotes into seven-figure sales, Jason shows what’s possible when technology, strategy, and authentic follow-up finally line up. Key Takeaways: → Why most growing businesses don’t really know which marketing efforts are working, and how a properly set up CRM changes that. → The three simple criteria that define an ideal client for a CRM overhaul and why company size and sales team count matter. → The common problem shared by manufacturing, roofing, finance, and home service companies is that they send hundreds of proposals a year. → A behind-the-scenes case study of a roofing company that revived ignored quotes with a thoughtful, automated follow-up sequence. → How to design automated emails that feel genuine and personal, not robotic or canned, while still running on autopilot. Jason Kramer is the founder of Cultivize, a consulting firm that builds smart CRM strategies for business consultants and growth advisors. With over 20 years in marketing and business development, he helps experts transform their lead management systems into scalable growth engines. His process integrates CRM automation with email nurturing to create trackable, ROI-focused results for B2B and consulting clients. Jason’s background includes work with global giants like Virgin Atlantic and Johnnie Walker, but today his focus is on supporting strategic advisors and fractional leaders who need visibility into what’s working—and what’s not—in their sales process. When he’s not helping clients streamline their revenue systems, he’s on the Hudson River with his family. Connect With Jason Kramer: Website: https://cultivize.com/ X: https://x.com/cultivize Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultivize/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonleighkramer/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when doing the right thing costs you everything and teaches you more than success ever could? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Jeff Martinovich, Author of When Not If: A CEO’s Guide to Overcoming Adversity, who shares his astonishing journey from the boardroom to federal prison and back. Wrongly targeted during the 2008 financial crisis, Jeff refused three plea deals on principle and paid a heavy price. His story of resilience, redemption, and reinvention reveals hard-won lessons about leadership, integrity, and rebuilding after unimaginable loss. Key Takeaways: → The cultural principles and “A-player” mindset that fueled his firm’s explosive growth. → What really happened when regulators came for smaller financial firms after 2008. → The meaning behind When Not If—why every leader must prepare for crisis before it strikes. → How a childhood fascination with investing led to a billion-dollar wealth-management empire. → How helping others in the prison law library became his unlikely path to freedom. Jeff Martinovich earned his B.S. in Business Management from the United States Air Force Academy and his MBA in Finance from The College of William and Mary. He had the honor of serving his country during The First Gulf War at Tactical Air Command Headquarters, Langley, Virginia. Pursuing a second career in financial services, Jeff was Founder and CEO of MICG Investment Management, a billion-dollar wealth management firm nationally recognized for its rapid growth, WoW service and A-Player culture. Following the 2008 Financial Crisis, MICG’s proprietary hedge funds experienced regulatory scrutiny and allegations. As CEO, Jeff vigorously defended his firm, refusing three separate plea offers and instead choosing to defend his employees and himself in federal court. In a bizarre narrative, Jeff was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. Yet, then representing himself, the court decisions were reversed twice by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, two separate U.S. District Court Judges were removed, and his successful federal suit liberated him from a higher-security, violent prison. After nearly 7 years, Jeff was finally released to begin his journey of rebuilding, restoring, and turning disadvantages into advantages. His life has been a continuous string of business and family miracles ever since. His perilous journey and miraculous restoration are the topics of national publications, to include When Not If: A CEO’s Guide to Overcoming Adversity, Forbes Books, January 2024. He spends his days helping CEO’s, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders not make the mistakes he made on the way up, as well as teaching trench warfare tactics necessary to achieve victory when the black swan shows up at your office. He lives in Norfolk, Virginia with his wife, son, and new little girl.  Connect With Jeff : Website: https://www.jeffmartinovich.com/ X: https://x.com/JeffMartinovich Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeff.martinovich.2023/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-martinovich/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thinking about selling your fitness studio one day? The smartest move is to start preparing long before you’re ready. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Mitch McGinley, Founder and CEO of Boutique Fitness Broker, who has guided countless entrepreneurs through one of the biggest transitions of their lives—selling their business. With experience spanning studios, spas, gyms, and beyond, Mitch brings both empathy and expertise to the exit process. In this episode, he shares common mistakes to avoid, trends shaping boutique fitness, and how to set up your business so it sells for the maximum value. Key Takeaways: → How selling a yoga studio opened the door to advising others. → The difference between being a broker, consultant, and advisor. → How biggest mistakes business owners make include having messy books, unclear HR, and being too tied to the business. → Why talking openly about selling makes deals easier and better. → How to turn a dragged-out deal into a multimillion-dollar exit. Mitch McGinley is a former studio owner, business broker and exit planning advisor specializing in boutique fitness. He originally worked in hotel management with Omni Hotels, and then with an investor who was flipping boutique hotels in San Diego. Shortly thereafter, he and his wife Karson bought their favorite yoga studio. During that time he began consulting in the boutique fitness industry, teaching seminars at Mindbody University and other fitness conferences all over the world, helping studio owners make better business decisions. After successfully selling his studio in 2019, he merged all of his worlds to create Boutique Fitness Broker, helping other entrepreneurs in this industry maximize their biggest payday. He has helped facilitate over 60 transactions in the past five years, with over $10M in transacted value in 2024 alone. Connect With Mitch: Website: https://boutiquefitnessbroker.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boutiquefitnessbroker/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchmcginley/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If your revenue has stalled despite strong demand, this playbook shows how numbers, systems, and leadership, not bigger ad spend, restart explosive growth. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Karl Maier, Founder of Abunden, an experienced CEO and business advisor who has played a key role in doubling sales at 5 companies in just 2 years. In this conversation, Maier explains how installing a 13-week cash forecast, building repeatable operating systems, and developing leaders unlock capacity so growth sticks. He also shares his Abundant Framework, insights from his book Surfing Economic Chaos, and what actually changes when you scale from $10M to $100M. Key Takeaways: → Why growth stalls after early success, and how shifting from heroics to repeatable systems and delegation restarts momentum. → The 13-week cash flow cadence: a simple weekly forecast that prevents surprises and fuels confident decisions. → When marketing isn’t the first lever: fix finance, ops capacity, and delivery so sales gains don’t break the machine. → “Every time you double, everything breaks”—what to upgrade (process, tools, roles) before pressing the gas. → The hardest part of $100M isn’t spreadsheets, it’s people, alignment, and leadership bench strength. Karl Maier is the founder of Abunden, where he helps CEOs transition from survival mode to achieving predictable, profitable growth. Specializing in energy-related companies, Karl turns financial blind spots into powerful growth engines, guiding both organic and acquisition-led expansion. He has extensive experience in private equity, family office roles, and capital raises, including supporting a $10M fracking water cleaning project and raising debt and equity for a $192 million EV private equity acquisition. Karl's expertise spans mergers and acquisitions (M&A), including buy-side support for international expansions and a $45 million B2B distribution company. He has also been instrumental in turnaround situations, such as guiding a healthcare services company to 40% growth and helping a coffee company pivot to hand sanitizer during COVID, generating $400K in just five months. With global CFO experience, Karl has led teams across Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Asia. Connect With Karl Maier: Website: https://abunden.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlkmaier/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if your sales team woke up on Monday to a calendar already full of qualified discovery calls? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Gabe Lullo, CEO of Alleyoop, who has helped companies from startups to giants like Microsoft, Peloton, and ZoomInfo transform their sales pipelines. Under his leadership, Alleyoop.io has pioneered a two-step model that separates prospecting from closing—backed by 11 million cold calls a year and a focus on authenticity in outreach. In this episode, Gabe shares the systems, stories, and strategies that have fueled Alleyoop.io’s rapid growth and its role in scaling billion-dollar brands. Key Takeaways: → The two-step approach that separates prospecting from closing. → How Alleyoop.io serves both startups and global enterprises. → The “hot lead vs. warm lead” model—and why timing matters. → What really causes sales teams to stall (hint: it’s not always leads). → Why most “lead gen companies” aren’t actually prospecting. Gabe Lullo’s expertise in sales, marketing, recruiting, and management began when he started his own business after graduation from the Barney School of Business at the University of Hartford. He owned and operated his own sales, training, and marketing firm for more than a decade. He excelled in training sales and marketing professionals, and additionally, Gabe has had a successful career in executive recruiting. He has been instrumental in expanding the company’s search and placement for IT, Software Development, Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, and Executive leaders. Gabe's most recent success has been with us here at Alleyoop. For many years he has been working to build and grow the company by focusing on our culture, environment, customer success, and sales. Connect With Gabe Lullo: Website: https://alleyoop.io/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alleyoop-io/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if just 12 minutes a day could completely rewire your subconscious and transform your success? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews John Mitchell, Entrepreneur and Professor at the University of Texas, who turned a lifetime of “average” results into extraordinary success by unlocking what Napoleon Hill left unsaid. Through his 12-minute-a-day method, John multiplied his income 25x, attracted his dream relationship, and now teaches his framework at the University of Texas and to top coaches and entrepreneurs. In this episode, he shares the full secret, the science behind it, and why only the most driven 2% are willing to apply it. Key Takeaways: → How rereading Think and Grow Rich 20 times revealed the missing half of the secret. → The role of the subconscious in controlling 95% of daily actions. → Why most people falsely believe they consciously control their choices. → The full secret: envisioning in detail with emotion every day. → The three stages of transformation: control, confidence, and automatic right actions. At 50, John Mitchell realized he wasn’t as successful as he had hoped, prompting him to turn to Think & Grow Rich, the world’s most renowned success book, read by over 150 million people. While the book reveals a secret to success, John uncovered the full secret and developed a groundbreaking 12-minute daily technique to apply it. As a result, his income skyrocketed 25x, surpassing the $200K he had earned annually for the previous 20 years. John's methodology, rooted in neuroscience and powered by an AI-driven algorithm, personalizes the success formula for each individual. He teaches this system at the University of Texas’ McCombs School of Business and serves as the mental coach for UT’s 18 head athletic coaches. John shares his powerful system in his book, The Missing Secret of the Legendary Book Think & Grow Rich, offering insights on working smarter, not harder, and rewiring the autopilot that governs 95% of our thoughts and actions. Connect With John: Website: https://thinkitbeit.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thinkitbeitcompany/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/think-it-be-it-llc/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it really take to scale a home services business from a shoestring budget to seven figures and then do it five times over? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Teddy Slack Jr., Founder of BizScore.ai, who has built and scaled five different service-based businesses from scratch to seven figures. He’s a serial entrepreneur who transformed an $8,000 startup into a company generating 43% EBITDA—before selling it at a five-times multiple. In this episode, Teddy shares his journey, his lessons on marketing, pricing, and leadership, and why he’s now documenting his newest venture in real time for contractors everywhere. Key Takeaways: → Why flat-rate pricing revolutionized his industry and boosted closing rates. → The importance of tracking marketing ROI instead of “throwing spaghetti at the wall. → Why getting out of day-to-day operations is the key to scale and freedom. → The mindset shift every contractor must make to turn a job into a business. → The challenges and opportunities of entering a brand-new industry from scratch. Teddy Slack Jr. helps blue-collar business owners turn chaos into clarity and profit. Over the last 20 years, he has successfully built five service-based businesses from scratch to seven figures, all within their first 12 months. Most recently, he scaled and exited his home service business for a 5x multiple, growing it to $1.6 million in annual profit with zero owner involvement. Today, Teddy partners with select owner-operators as a strategic growth operator, bringing the systems, financial discipline, marketing power, and leadership infrastructure necessary to scale businesses without burnout or guesswork. Unlike traditional coaching, Teddy works hands-on in the trenches with business owners to turn their operations into streamlined, profitable machines that can run and eventually sell without them. Teddy is also the creator of BizScore, an AI-powered financial health tool that helps service businesses assess their financial situation and take action to plug profit leaks and grow with confidence. Connect With Teddy: Website: https://www.bizscore.ai/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@teddyslack LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teddyslack/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover how a simple daily ritual can transform your energy, focus, and overall well-being. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Aisha Chottani, Founder and CEO of Moment, a mood-boosting botanical beverage brand, who shares her journey from high-pressure management consulting to creating a product that supports mind-body health. With a focus on functional ingredients, mindfulness, and ritual-building, Aisha has grown Moment into a movement with thousands of daily users across the country. In this episode, she reveals how thoughtful design, intentional habits, and innovative wellness solutions can help anyone reset, recharge, and thrive. Key Takeaways: → How Moment transforms a beverage into a full mind-body experience. → Why meditation and functional ingredients became central to her brand. → The role of ritual and routine in managing stress and energy. → How packaging and design influence consumer wellness experiences. → Insights on creating a brand that changes culture, not just habits. Aisha Chottani is the founder and CEO of Moment, a pioneering brand at the intersection of wellness, adaptogens, and mindful living. A true global citizen, she grew up in Saudi Arabia and has lived across Pakistan, South Africa, Denmark, and the U.S., gaining a deep appreciation for diverse cultures and holistic traditions. Grounded in South Asian wellness principles, Aisha’s lifelong curiosity about natural ingredients like Tulsi, Turmeric, and Chaga fuels her mission to enhance mind-body health through nature. A graduate of Harvard Business School, where she studied leadership and entrepreneurship, Aisha launched multiple ventures and collaborated with international brands before joining McKinsey & Company, where she led global consumer projects. Today, she’s recognized as a keynote speaker across e-commerce, food, and adaptogen conferences. Outside of business, Aisha is an avid swimmer, boxing enthusiast, and proud New Yorker who lives life with balance and purpose. Connect With Aisha: Website: https://drinkmoment.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkmoment/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drinkmoment X: https://x.com/drinkmoment Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drinkyourmeditation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices