The Culture Matters Podcast

"Recognize that if it's humanly possible, you can do it too." - Marcus AureliusBusiness broker, mergers and acquisitions specialist, and good friend of the Culture Matters family Steven Sigman is back on the show after far too long an absence and we hope you're ready for a master class because that is what you are about to get.  Steven and Jay dig into what it means to make transactions that exceed your average, everyday numbers, making sure that employees are treated with respect and understanding, and why a mutual respect between a buyer and a seller is so important.  Today's discussion is next level in terms of information and explaining the complexities of high-financed transactions, so settle in and get ready to learn a lot with Steven Sigman.

"A Guardian stays committed to the customer while balancing what is most important: God, family, life, and work. Nimble."Robert Frehafer is the founder and owner of Guardian Roofing & Siding and he's back today to finish up our series on the values of Guardian and today's letter is "N".  The "N" in Guardian stands for nimble and that is exactly what we're chatting about on this episode!  Jay and Robert discuss Robert's approach to encouraging his sales team to think more broadly about the values of the company, the balancing act it takes to keeping God, family, life, and work in good order, and committing to those four pillars of the Guardian values.  If you've listened to this entire series then you no doubt have gotten so much from Robert and the values his company holds dearest.  This episode is sure to be no different and we hope you've enjoyed all of these conversations with Robert Frehafer.

"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds." - Sir Francis BaconMichael Ferraro is a luxury real estate professional within the Compass team based in Connecticut, the host of the "Leaders of Lifestyle" podcast, and a good friend to the show and we're ecstatic to have him back on the show today!  Michael and Jay are diving into the power of repetition and doing the less exciting stuff well to set yourself up for the future, the in's and out's of podcasting, and the risks and rewards that come along with being an entrepreneur.  Michael is an excellent person to learn from, so we hope you listen carefully to this episode of The Culture Matters Podcast.

Today on The Culture Matters Podcast is part five of our ongoing series where our very own Jay Doran discusses his book, Thirty Days of Thought, chapter by chapter.  In this section, Jay is discussing his thoughts on the laws of man and what that means in the world of business and beyond.  Pride, forgiveness, anger, and compassion are all discussed today along with a whole lot more.  As with all of these episodes, we hope you are encouraged to think deeper and to expand your way of thinking on a daily basis.

"My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read." - Abraham LincolnWe are dipping back into the New Year's Eve 2023 marathon session today with a quick visit from our dear friend and the founder of EPM Eddy Perez.  Jay and Eddy dive into where the strengths were in 2023, starting with changing things in yourself before trying to change the world, and the strength it takes to be an entrepreneur.  Whether its a two-hour conversation or 12-minutes like it is today, we're always excited to take the time to chat with Eddy Perez.

"In my whole life, I have known no wise people over a broad subject matter who didn't read all the time. None. Zero. You'd be amazed how much Warren reads and how much I read. My children laugh at me. They think I am a book with a couple of legs poking out." - Charlie MungerIf you've been listening to this show for a while, then you know that Jay Doran The Culture Man is a voracious reader.  You know that he spends most of his time, when he isn't working or doing this podcast, with his nose in a book.  Today, however, he's going to be discussing audio books and why they are and can be an important part of a person's educational journey.  Whether it's as a time saver or just an excuse to listen to something while you're walking down the street or driving in your car, audio books have certainly found their place and Jay wants to talk to you about why.

"The secret of freedom lies in educating people whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant." - Maximillien RobespierreWe're getting back into the time machine for this episode of The Culture Matters Podcast and we're taking it back to Jay's day-long podcast marathon on New Year's Eve 2023 for this conversation with Anthony Mirarchi, who is is one of the principle owners of JM Patent Associates and a great friend to Culture Matters.  Anthony and Jay spend this conversation discussing the lessons that were learned in 2023, the hopes and aspirations for 2024, and even a little bit about they had met eight years ago to the day at the time of this recording.  We hope you enjoy this conversation with our dear friend Anthony Mirarchi.

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." - Benjamin FranklinCOO of the Hubert Vester Auto Group, creator of the "Faith. Family. Fulfillment." podcast, and the author of the book Answers From the Stairs Chris Vester is back on the show and today we're talking podcasting.  Specifically, we are talking about Chris' podcast "Faith. Family. Fulfillment."  Chris and Jay dig into Chris' early forays into the world of content creation, where the inspiration for his episodes comes from, and why the desire and the commitment to continue his show still burns so brightly.  We always enjoy talking shop with other podcasters and getting to do it with a good friend like Chris makes it even better.  We hope you enjoy this conversation with Chris Vester on The Culture Matters Podcast.

"Self-control makes the man. A man without discipline is a boy full of reactions rather than a man of good actions." Greek proverbBill Mervin is the leader of the Bill Mervin Mortgage Team and we're happy to have him back on the show today to spread some information and smarten us all up on mortgages.  Bill and Jay dig into why it's important to work as hard on a Friday as it is on a Monday, the challenges that 2022 and 2023 brought in the mortgage industry and the preparation that went into 2024, and keeping your way through marketing and social media.  Bill is one of the best in the business and we always enjoy talking to and learning from him on The Culture Matters Podcast.

"Begin at once to live and count each separate day as a separate life." - SenecaOur favorite philosopher and artisan contractor with Vision Stone and Tile Nathan Merrill is back on the show today and if you've listened to any of the episodes he's appeared in before, then you know you're in for a deep-thinking treat!  Nathan and Jay are discussing the importance of writing down your thoughts and the nature of being inquisitive, the fact that we still wrestle with the same philosophical thoughts and dilemmas that Neitzsche and Marx wrestled with, and a little bit about some of the authors that have these two gentlemen's attention at the moment.  It's always a deep and wide-ranging episode when Nathan is here and today is no different, so please enjoy this conversation with our favorite deep-thinker Nathan Merrill.