21st Century Entrepreneurship

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.

Dr. Nicholas E. Michels is a financial planner and author, and we spoke about how childhood adversity shaped his lifelong mission to help families master money and life. He recalled the moment his parents’ divorce “wrecked my childhood” and how his mother working three jobs drove him to study money so “you never have to worry again.”Michels explained how his early success as one of the youngest partners in his firm taught him that wealth without alignment leads to conflict. “On the outside we were successful, but inwardly stressed,” he said, describing repeated money fights with his wife until they created a shared vision statement. He outlined practical steps—mentorship, identifying four daily key activities, and later focusing on unique abilities—that allowed him to 10x his business while reducing stress.Today, his work blends financial expertise, faith, and teaching. He speaks in schools, telling kids, “Money is going to influence your life… doing nothing is still a choice.” All proceeds from his book fund his nonprofit to spark early money education. Listeners will hear not only strategies for building wealth but also how to build confidence, joy, and security for themselves and their families.Key takeawaysCreate a vision statement with your spouse to align money and life goalsIdentify four daily key activities and repeat them consistentlySeek mentors and copy proven processes before scaling your own pathFocus only on unique abilities and delegate the rest to 10x resultsTeach kids one simple money skill early to spark lifelong confidenceWealth without alignment can cause stress—success requires shared purpose

Dominic Forth is the CEO of Thought Leaders America, and we spoke about turning personal stories into trust and impact that extend far beyond likes and clicks. With decades in media, he consulted over 40 TV stations in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, researching not just what audiences chose but “the why behind it.” That background now informs how he helps entrepreneurs and thought leaders amplify their message.His method centers on aligning purpose with energy and guiding people to share authentic, sometimes uncomfortable stories. As he put it, “Attention is fleeting, but trust is priceless.” One client in real estate initially focused on numbers, but his true turning point came from a rafting accident where he nearly drowned. Dominic encouraged him to tell that story because “not everyone has near-death experiences, but they do have crossroads in life.” That shift transformed how audiences connected with him.Practically, Dominic outlines frameworks: leading with statistics to hook attention, weaving in personal narrative for emotional resonance, and ending with clear calls to action. He warns against poor preparation, weak tech, or unfocused messaging when showing up on podcasts. His personal “why” comes from his family and community—“my goal is to make the world a better place”—and he applies that mission to causes from healthcare to education.Listeners will learn how to craft stories that build credibility, win trust, and inspire action.Key takeawaysLead with statistics before personal story to hook and retain attention.Avoid weak calls to action and poor tech when podcasting.Share vulnerable stories that resonate at life crossroads.Replace likes and clicks with strategies that build lasting trust.Align your story with purpose and audience impact.Use a framework to guide audiences smoothly through your message.