21st Century Entrepreneurship

Zylo Marshall is a disability advocate and former real estate professional who built a life beyond government support. We spoke about how people with disabilities can pursue commission-based careers—like real estate or public speaking—without losing crucial benefits such as SSI. Zylo explains that “just because someone says no does not mean you stop trying,” emphasizing persistence and structured planning over dependence.After years of navigating complex disability and employment rules, Zylo developed a model based on gradual, legal income transitions. “If I get paid $3,000 on a house, they’d give me $1,000 a month, allowing me to stay within SSI rules,” he explains. His insight comes from personal experience—passing his real estate exam after four tries, relying on paratransit for mobility, and creating a website listing code-violation properties to connect investors and communities.For Zylo, the message is clear: success for disabled professionals requires mentorship, legal awareness, and collective advocacy. “If the disabled get together and want to become independent, they’ve got to go to legislation,” he says. This conversation shows how independence can be built one ethical, structured step at a time.Key takeawaysRejection is part of progress—persistence matters more than approval.Commission-based work offers flexible income paths for disabled individuals.Gradual payment structures can protect SSI eligibility.Mentorship from lawyer-brokers helps navigate legal and financial risks.Real estate with code-violation listings can be an accessible business model.Advocacy is key to reforming outdated disability income laws.

Mark Lee Fox is a former Space Shuttle chief engineer who spent over 16 years at NASA before an unexpected event set him on a new trajectory. “My dog couldn’t come up the stairs one day,” he recalls, describing the moment that led him to explore energy-based healing technologies. Initially skeptical—“I’m a rocket scientist, so I thought that can’t be true”—Fox discovered that NASA had used pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) since the 1970s to counter bone loss in space.Driven by both scientific curiosity and compassion, he spent years learning how energy transfer can recharge the body’s cells. As he explains, “When your cell voltage gets low, you get sick. This recharges your cell’s batteries.” His mission became to make this technology portable and affordable, transforming bulky clinical machines into pocket-sized devices that deliver therapy through low-frequency electromagnetic pulses.Fox’s work has expanded beyond pets to people, veterans, and first responders. “We’ve donated a lot of these to the military for PTSD,” he says, citing a 98% independent success rate. His broader goal is accessibility—whether through wearable devices, smart light bulbs, or someday, even smartphones that can deliver healing energy.Listeners will gain a rare perspective on how aerospace principles can inspire new healthcare frontiers—and how compassion, science, and persistence can turn skepticism into global impact.Key takeawaysHow NASA’s PEMF research inspired portable healing technologyWhy energy transfer and cell voltage are keys to recoveryWhat makes portable therapy easier than traditional treatmentsHow trauma and PTSD patients respond to noninvasive energy therapyThe real challenge of scaling health tech: marketing costs, not scienceWhy Fox dreams of turning every smartphone into a healing device

Maria Gallucci is a top 1% realtor in Colorado and the author of Raised in Silence, a book inspired by her life as a child of deaf parents. We spoke about how growing up in both the hearing and deaf worlds taught her that “listening isn’t about hearing, it’s about paying attention,” and how that understanding shaped her career and advocacy for inclusivity.Her journey began when she was just twelve, interpreting for her parents as they bought their first home—without an interpreter present. That moment lit a lifelong mission: to make sure no one felt unseen or uninformed. “Empathy isn’t about pity,” she says, “it’s about respect.” Through ASL Realty, she now helps deaf and hard-of-hearing clients buy homes with clarity and confidence, ensuring that communication barriers never stand between them and their dreams.Maria’s work extends beyond real estate. When her son came out as gay, she recognized the same need for acceptance and understanding she’d seen in the deaf community. “Love is love,” she says. “Connection requires humility.” Her message is simple but powerful: awareness and inclusion begin with a willingness to understand.This conversation reminds us that attention is the truest form of listening—and that empathy, practiced daily, can turn isolation into connection.Key takeawaysListening means paying attention, not just hearing words.Empathy is respect, not pity or charity.Only 10% of hearing parents learn sign language for their deaf children.Inclusion starts with small, consistent acts of understanding.Real communication requires humility and presence.Advocacy begins by helping others feel seen and valued.

Stewart Heath is a certified public accountant with 40 years in business, and we spoke about the lessons he learned from building—and losing—a multimillion-dollar real estate portfolio. He explained how chasing aggressive growth left him vulnerable in 2008: “As of June 30th of 2008, I had a net worth upwards of $20 million…90 days later, I was probably underwater $5 million.”The turning point came when he realized reserves and risk controls mattered more than fast expansion. He now focuses on what he calls “boring real estate assets” that produce steady income and minimize exposure. “Eliminate all risks except vacancy risk,” he told me, describing why he avoids floating-rate debt, speculative developments, or turnaround projects.Heath also shared practical frameworks, from requiring a minimum 5% cash-on-cash return after debt service and reserves, to educating investors with tools like “100 Questions” they should ask any sponsor. His approach is clear: build stability, preserve cash flow, and prepare for the unknown. Listeners will come away with concrete steps to protect wealth in both calm and volatile markets.Key takeawaysMaintain cash-flowing assets as a foundation, not just high-risk betsAlways build reserves into every real estate transactionEliminate all risks except vacancy to protect distributionsUse 5% minimum cash-on-cash return as a baseline filterSometimes the best investment is the deal you don’t doDiversify income streams beyond your main business

Brett Swarts is a best-selling author of Building the Capital Gains Tax Exit Plan and host of two finance podcasts. We spoke about how entrepreneurs, investors, and even Bitcoin holders can legally defer millions in taxes when selling highly appreciated assets. As founder of Capital Gains Tax Solutions, Brett has helped close over half a billion dollars in transactions.He explained why traditional tools like the Delaware Statutory Trust often fail business and crypto owners, noting, “It ties up your capital for five, seven or ten years with no diversification.” Instead, he advocates the Deferred Sales Trust (DST), based on IRS code 453, which allows sellers to act as “the bank” and only pay tax when they receive payments. He shared how one Bitcoin owner avoided a $1.85M tax hit and redirected the proceeds into a startup venture.For Brett, the real value lies in freedom and purpose. “You spent 5, 10, 20 years building your business… the government wants to take 40%,” he warned, before showing how a few hours of planning can preserve wealth, fund new ventures, and even eliminate estate taxes. This conversation offers clear, practical insight for anyone facing a major exit.Key takeawaysWhy Delaware Statutory Trusts are too inflexible for entrepreneurs and crypto ownersHow Deferred Sales Trusts use IRS code 453 to legally defer taxesReal case: $50M Bitcoin exit with $1.85M tax deferredSteps to calculate your true gain before planning a saleHow DSTs let you diversify into ventures, real estate, or stocksStrategies to reduce both capital gains and estate taxes permanently

Alan Porter is a retired Blackhawk instructor pilot who turned to financial advising after tragic events in his family. We spoke about how his military discipline—“I knew every nut, every bolt” of the helicopters he flew—shaped his approach to protecting families from financial risk.The turning point came when his daughter-in-law used a little-known life insurance rider during her cancer treatment. “If it had not been for that, my son would be bankrupt.” Since then, Porter has focused on strategies that reduce taxes, eliminate debt faster, and create guaranteed lifetime income. He explains why “a 1% fee over 30 years will reduce your income by one-third” and how tools like fixed indexed annuities can lock in gains while guaranteeing income that lasts as long as you live.Practical examples run throughout: he shows clients how to become their own bank, cut effective interest costs of 40%+ on debt, and set up tax-free retirement buckets. His goal is to shift mindsets away from outdated conventional planning and toward structures that “protect from lawsuits, liens and judgments” while building legacies for generations.This conversation offers clear, tested ways to safeguard retirement and family finances while avoiding the hidden traps of traditional portfolios.Key takeawaysFees of 1% over 30 years can cut retirement income by one-thirdLife insurance riders can provide tax-free funds during terminal illnessFixed indexed annuities guarantee lifetime income and protect against market lossEffective interest costs on debt often exceed 40% despite low ratesBecoming your own bank compounds interest for yourself, not institutionsLegacy planning strategies can secure wealth across multiple generations

Adam Hager is a former corporate sales professional who traded his stable 9-5 for a system of building cash-flowing Airbnbs. We spoke about how he scaled from pitching his very first landlord to managing over 40 properties while spending just “one to two hours a week max on managing.”His turning point came when he discovered Airbnb arbitrage—leasing properties and relisting them—combined with business credit to cover startup costs. “The very first person I ever pitched their property to actually said yes,” he recalled. From there, he reinvested everything, faced challenges like bad cleaners and overspending on furniture, and learned to protect against issues like unauthorized parties by building strong systems.Hager also stresses the power of co-hosting, where “you, as an investor, have $0 out of pocket” because landlords cover all costs while he manages operations. Today he mentors others on skills like pitching landlords, optimizing pricing, and hiring reliable cleaners, emphasizing that “people don’t need content, they need skill sets.” His long-term goal is financial freedom, family time, and even advancing his passion for learning languages.Listeners will walk away with a clear, tested framework for starting Airbnb income without heavy capital, plus the mindset shifts and skill sets to scale sustainably.Key takeawaysStart Airbnb without owning property using arbitrage or co-hostingUse business credit for 0% startup funding and scalingExpect early mistakes with furniture and cleaners; build systems fastLearn to pitch landlords confidently—it’s the core skill for growthAutomate operations to cut workload to 1–2 hours per weekReinvest profits strategically to expand into ownership and long-term equity

Ted Ryce is a fitness coach who has spent 25 years helping entrepreneurs and executives lose fat, build lean muscle, and sustain results without extreme diets. Known for training figures like Robert Downey Jr. for Iron Man, he traces his health journey back to rebuilding himself after the tragic murder of his brother. “Physical health was the way that I was able to get back to a good place,” he says, explaining why body and mind recovery became inseparable for him.We spoke about the five mistakes that keep entrepreneurs stuck: ignoring data, overlooking fat loss, skipping consistent exercise, sacrificing sleep, and neglecting emotional health. Ryce stresses that “health is not the story you tell yourself, it's the data.” For him, fat loss is not vanity—it’s metabolic health. He emphasizes resistance training as “the best investment you can make” to stay strong and independent later in life.Practical steps include tracking body fat and blood work, prioritizing weekly resistance training, aiming for 6–7 hours of sleep, and being honest about emotional coping mechanisms. “If you want to feel great in your 70s, you can’t be an average 50-year-old,” he reminds listeners.This conversation delivers a clear framework for entrepreneurs who want to protect their long-term performance, energy, and wellbeing without sacrificing their business goals.Key takeawaysTrack body fat, blood work, and weight—don’t rely on how you feel.Fat loss is essential for improving metabolic health and preventing disease.Resistance training preserves muscle, strength, and independence as you age.Sleep 6–7 hours to support memory, fat loss, and long-term brain health.Confront emotional drivers of overwork, overeating, or alcohol use directly.Invest in health now to avoid losing freedom and mobility later.For more details and a free 30-minute Master Class, visit our website and read the article on Ted Ryce.

Van Tucker is VP of Technology Partnerships at Harbor Lockers and has been building digital platforms since middle school. We spoke about how entrepreneurs can turn everyday challenges into scalable business models by launching lean pilots, validating with customers, and adapting quickly.As he put it, “How do you take your idea and get in the field fast?” For Van, that meant starting small—five lockers in his hometown—to test use cases. From bread distribution to bag storage at nightclubs, “some of the most traction people are getting is these non-traditional use cases.” By listening to customers and embracing early feedback, he turned experiments into sustainable solutions.Van stressed that growth is rarely instant. “Everything takes a little bit longer than you expect,” he noted, urging founders to favor organic expansion over jet-fuel growth. He also highlighted the importance of hiring lean, starting with contractors, and defining core values to guide both team and customer relationships.This conversation shows how to build products that last—by solving real problems, testing quickly, and compounding small wins into lasting impact.Key takeawaysLaunch early pilots to validate ideas with real customer feedback.Use non-traditional use cases to discover hidden revenue opportunities.Keep teams lean with contractors before hiring full staff.Define core values to align hires, contractors, and customers.Grow organically to avoid unsustainable “jet-fuel” scaling.Treat business building as compounding—small wins accumulate over time.

Larry Kriesmer is a veteran advisor who grew up in Saudi Arabia, later watching his father lose nearly everything to a Ponzi scheme. We spoke about how those early experiences shaped his mission: to build investment strategies that protect families from devastating losses while still capturing long-term equity growth.His turning point came during the tech crash, when panicked clients asked, “How much worse can it get?” and he realized he couldn’t answer honestly. That frustration led to developing a structural approach he calls synthequity—anchoring 80–90% of portfolios in Treasuries while using options on the S&P 500 to cap losses at a pre-set level. As he explains, “If 90% of the portfolio is in Treasuries, my loss limit is 10%.”The method is simple in concept but powerful in practice: define the maximum downstroke, let investors choose their risk budget, and still participate in market upside. “It’s not the money we lose that crushes us—it’s the time we can’t get back,” Larry says. By keeping drawdowns survivable, he believes investors avoid the paralyzing fear that drives bad decisions like selling at the bottom and missing recoveries.This conversation delivers a practical framework for anyone seeking to protect wealth without sacrificing growth: a disciplined, math-based system built from hard-earned lessons and personal loss.Key takeawaysLosses over 30% often take years to recover—limit exposure early.Anchoring 80–90% of a portfolio in Treasuries builds confidence.Options on the S&P 500 cap downside while keeping upside open.Define the maximum loss (“risk budget”) before investing, not after.Time lost in recovery matters more than temporary capital loss.Avoid “hope and prayer” diversification that fails during crises.