Interviews with CEOs and Entrepreneurs about the frameworks they are using to build and scale their businesses.
Episodes
Monday May 29, 2023
Monday May 29, 2023
Leonard Mazur is the Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Citius Pharma, a late-stage biopharma company focused on the development and commercialization of first-in-class critical care products. We discuss the benefits of investing in your professional relationships, investment opportunities in biopharma, and ways to minimize the risks of your investments.
Time Stamps
[00:42] Leonard’s entrepreneurial journey
[04:13] Leonard’s experience with management blueprints
[09:10] Investing in extremely unique opportunities
[10:30] Why believing in your product is essential for success
[12:42] Why you need to invest in your relationships
[16:15] Investing in a Biotech company
[19:02] How to minimize the risk of your investments
[22:49] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Citius Pharmaceuticals in LinkedIn
Monday May 22, 2023
Monday May 22, 2023
Allan Marshall is the CEO of Upexi Inc, a publicly listed investment platform that acquires profitable, data-driven Amazon and eCommerce brands. We discuss ways to scale your retail brand on Amazon, how to invest in an eCommerce business, and the right ingredients for launching an online brand.
Time Stamps
[00:00] Introduction
[01:00] Allan's entrepreneurial journey
[03:58] Market opportunities in the Amazon retail space
[06:07] The greatest barrier to entry for entrepreneurs
[08:32] Ingredients for starting and scaling a brand
[10:20] Uncovering a brand's potential to succeed
[13:39] Allan's experience with management blueprints
[16:15] Types of businesses worth investing in
[19:39] Upexi's attractiveness for retail business owners
[23:01] Acquisitions and engaging with entrepreneurs
[25:40] Parting Thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Monday May 15, 2023
Monday May 15, 2023
Mfon Akpan is an assistant professor of accounting at Methodist University. He is also an expert on ChatGPT and the host of the Understanding Accounting YouTube channel. We discuss using AI language models in business, how to ask smart questions on ChatGPT, and ways ChatGPT can supercharge your small business growth.
Time Stamps
[00:00] Introduction
[00:59] Mfon's journey to YouTube success
[04:30] ChatGPT and its use in business today
[07:53] Steve's experience with ChatGPT
[10:14] Understand that ChatGPT is not perfect
[12:56] The fast growth of AI language models
[16:30] The 10 by 10 rule in technology development
[20:46] How to use ChatGPT as a small business owner
[24:07] The birth of the automated AI employee
[27:27] The exciting and scary future of AI
[30:50] How to ask smart questions on ChatGPT
[32:45] Parting Thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Monday May 08, 2023
Monday May 08, 2023
Pete Wilkinson is the Founder and CEO of Reclaro 1-3-5, a company focused on helping ambitious CEOs and MDs accelerate their business results using beautifully presented software. We discuss ways OKRs can speed up business success, how to develop persistence in business, and ways to build an unstoppable attitude.
Time Stamps
[00:59] Pete's entrepreneurial journey
[05:10] The 1-3-5 System
[09:33] Vague focus produces vague results
[11:40] How to test your ability to be disciplined
[14:03] Why Pete chose to compete in a triathlon
[19:20] How to develop an unstoppable attitude
[20:24] Why you need a 5-year vision and a 12-month plan
[24:03] Strategy, Revenue, and Outcome
[29:10] How too much detail can negatively affect your results
[32:07] Having 15 key results for everyone in the organization
[35:37] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs by John Doerr
Tuesday May 02, 2023
Tuesday May 02, 2023
Tracy Gregorio is the Chief Executive Officer of G2 Ops, Inc - an engineering firm providing clients with cost-effective, model-based cybersecurity solutions tailored to deliver capability against the emergent threats of information warfare. We discuss the evolution of cybersecurity, how to evolve your business into a product company, and the three most important priorities in every business.
Time Stamps
[00:58] Tracy's Entrepreneurial Journey
[02:43] The Birth of G2 OPS
[04:36] The Growth, Security, and Brand Framework
[10:17] Developing Products in the Cyber Security Business
[15:45] How to Create Cyber Resilience in Your Business
[19:18] How Companies Use the Digital Twin Model
[20:47] Ways to Build Profitable Strategic Partnerships
[24:51] Parting Thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Monday Apr 24, 2023
Monday Apr 24, 2023
Michael Episcope is the Co-CEO of Origin Investments, a private equity real estate firm designed for the needs of high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and wealth management firms. We discuss ways business owners can remove investment bias from their processes, why you need to consider investing in a fund, and how to make better decisions in business.
Time Stamps
[00:30] Michael's entrepreneurial journey
[04:25] The power of curiosity in business
[08:25] Michael's experience with management blueprints
[11:10] Innovation in business
[13:55] How to remove investment biases from your processes
[17:15] Why decision-making is essential for business success
[20:05] Individual investing versus investing in a fund
[24:24] Deals going wrong in a fund structure
[25:30] How Origin Capital is transforming the way people invest
[29:04] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Michael's email: Michael@origininvestments.com
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Monday Apr 17, 2023
Mike Kaeding is a residential real estate developer and the CEO of Norhart - a company focused on building exceptional apartments that create a better way for people to live. We discuss ways to attract amazing talent, the exciting future of smart homes, and how your company can put a dent in the universe.
Time Stamps
[00:30] Mike's entrepreneurial journey
[03:00] How Mike grew the family business after taking over its leadership
[06:25] Mike's experience with management blueprints
[08:14] How to find and hire the very best people
[10:30] What it takes to build a great culture
[13:21] Why you need to be as transparent as possible with your people
[15:16] Mike's mission: To drive down the cost of housing
[19:50] The exciting future of smart homes
[21:40] Eliminate unproductive friction for performance
[23:56] How everyday people can become real estate investors
[26:03] Lessons learnt from entrepreneurs building unicorn companies
[28:40] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Monday Apr 10, 2023
Monday Apr 10, 2023
Will Bowden is the Founder and Owner of Grasshopper Farms - local Michigan farmers on a mission to grow and provide high-quality cannabis. We discuss the future of cannabis farming, how to dodge shiny objects, and the difference between outdoor and indoor cannabis farming.
Time Stamps
[00:40] Will's entrepreneurial journey
[03:20] Key differences between outdoor and indoor farming
[05:50] Factors that determine high-quality cannabis
[08:46] Will's experience with management blueprints
[13:35] Grasshopper farm's core competencies
[16:37] How Will manages the seasonality of his business
[21:20] There's more to cannabis than meets the eye
[25:50] Will's non-profit and what it's all about
[29:57] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Grasshopper farms on Instagram
Monday Apr 03, 2023
Monday Apr 03, 2023
Jordan Gal is the Founder of Rally, a technology solution that creates a seamless checkout experience for customers. We discuss the benefits of building a unique business, ways to create a satisfactory store experience for your clients, and how the unbundling of marketplaces is redefining ecommerce.
Time Stamps
[00:30] Jordan’s entrepreneurial journey
[04:10] Jordan’s experience with management blueprints
[06:16] Why you’re better off building a unique business
[08:40] What is unbundling and why it matters in eCommerce
[12:42] Understanding the buying process of the future
[16:13] The biggest shifts in eCommerce happening today
[19:04] Trends accelerating the future of eCommerce
[21:48] How Jordan and his team finance business growth
[23:40] How to create a novel storefront experience
[26:59] Why you need to create a friction-free buying experience
[28:32] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Connect with Jordan on Twitter
Monday Mar 27, 2023
Monday Mar 27, 2023
Tyler Sickmeyer is the marketing thought leader and Founder of Fidelitas, a full-service marketing and advertising agency that serves clients worldwide. He is also the owner of the San Diego Sharks Basketball Team. We discuss the easiest way to build a lead gen flywheel, the benefits of investing in a professional sports team, and how to maximize the ROI of your social media campaigns.
Time Stamps
[00:50] Tyler's entrepreneurial journey
[02:33] Tyler's experience with management blueprints
[05:47] The main cogs in the Omni-channel Flywheel
[07:28] How to maximize your social media return on attention
[10:17] Leveraging the different types of media to drive brand awareness
[12:38] Understanding the strategic partnership approach
[17:20] Tyler's first action when interacting with a new client
[19:17] Why Tyler invested in a basketball team
[23:33] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't by Jim Collins