How To Business Show

Shea Van Hoy is the Editor-in-Chief of Louisville Business First. He sits down with us for a second time, making him a returning guest and friend of the show. We discuss recent Business First Headlines, the 150th Kentucky Derby, and how local businesses can utilize Business First to grow their business.

Enjoy.

Connect w/ Shae on LinkedIn:

Jered Sturm is the Co-founder and CEO of SNS Capital, a multifamily investment and management company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jered's story is inspiring. From maintenance tech to syndicating large multifamily acquisitions, Jered now manages a company of over 50 employees and $150 million in assets under management.

Jered shares a lot of insight into the real estate world, specifically how it pays to be patient, not overextend yourself, focus on your core competencies, and execute. We hope you enjoy as we did.

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Lucas Witt is the Co-Founder of MWM Consulting, specializing in economic development, site selection, and tax incentives. His expertise stems from a background at the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. Under Witt’s guidance, MWM Consulting actively serves communities across Kentucky.

The firm’s involvement in economic development projects has led to over $500 million in capital investment and the creation of 500 new jobs across Kentucky, demonstrating the tangible impact of MWM’s efforts. His focus on industrial transactions and portfolio consulting has been a cornerstone of MWM’s success.

Beyond his day-to-day responsibilities, Witt actively serves as a Board Member for the Kentucky Association for Economic Development (KAED).

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Jacob Mills is the founder of Legacy Watches - a watch company and constant reminder of hard work, dedication, and perseverance.

While searching for meaningful work, Jake delved into self-education. This led him to create a watch brand, now embraced by individuals globally, including NBA point guard Deangelo Russell. Throughout this transformative process, Jake's unbreakable mindset has played a pivotal role in the company's early success. Enjoy!

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Michael Pearce is a California kid turned Kentucky entrepreneur and real estate investor. Michaels's story has been far from normal. Whether it was moving out at 13, traveling across Europe with a band, or skipping out on law school to go all in on the early cell phone craze, Michael has a keen sense of opportunity. What sets him apart? Unlike most people, he isn’t afraid to seize these opportunities.

Throughout the show, be on the lookout for “Pearce's Pearls” which are life lessons, some learned the hard way, that Michael uses as guiding principles for his own life.

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David is the CEO of the Appalachian Wildlife Foundation where he and his team are working to breathe new life into Eastern Kentucky. They are currently revitalizing wildlife on a 12,000-acre tract that is Boone’s Ridge. The land will serve as a national wildlife tourism destination. The site will host an exhibit hall, history and conservation museums, a restaurant, an art exhibit and theatre, while simultaneously providing work and educational opportunities for Bell County and the Region.

Throughout the show, David talks about his early childhood, developing a love and appreciation for the forests, the life it holds, and how he came full circle to where he is today. For those of you that are keen on all things wildlife and how it blends with business, this episode is for you!

Steve Wilson is the co-founder of 21c Museum Hotels. When discussing some of the art and concepts the hotels boast, Steve says, “I like to provoke, but not too much.”

Steve and his wife also own and operate Hermitage Farm & Woodland Farm. Hermitage Farm is home to Barn8, a farm-to-table restaurant as well as event venues, bourbon tastings, an art walk, and Thoroughbred Horses. Woodland Farm is a 1000-acre property that Steve and his wife call home, also raising their famous KY Bison and other livestock.

Steve discusses early world travel and the influence it had on him, working in government with prominent political figures, and how the idea for 21c Museum Hotel was born.

Learn more about Steve's work below:

Andrew Lubansky is a co-founder of Two Brothers Studio; a Louisville-based video production company involved in all things content creation but has found its stride in the real estate industry. As a robotics intern, Andrew realized that his engineering degree wasn’t a fulfilling career path for him. In true entrepreneur fashion, Andrew bet on himself, bought a camera, and got to work on his passion. We discuss early successes, growing pains for a young company, and some cool projects that Two Brothers Studios has planned for 2024.

Micah Cassidy is the Co-Founder and Owner of Louisville Window, a company that prides itself in excellence. We were inspired by Micah’s passion for his work and his commitment to the people he works with. We think you’ll enjoy this story of his entrepreneurial journey.

For the 35th episode of the How To Business Show, we sit down with Dayron Rodriguez, founder of Rodriguez Cleaning & Restoration (the number one source for your professional floor and textile cleaning needs as well as water damage remediation and odor removal).

Dayron’s story serves as an example of what it means to pursue the American dream and start a business from scratch. Coming from Cuba as a political refugee, he came to Louisville by chance and found his first job at a butcher shop right down the road from where our conversation took place. Later he stumbled upon the cleaning and restoration business and decided to take the leap into entrepreneurship by quitting his job and maxing out all of his credit cards to start his own company.

In our conversation, Dayron shares his humble beginnings in his Mom’s basement and explains how his need for constant learning has allowed him to build a successful business from the ground up. Currently, his cleaning business has 7 vans, operates out of a 5,000-square-foot building, has over 10 employees, and growing quickly.

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Join us as we sit down with Tyler Gruskiewicz, a short term rental investor who took a bet on himself and found success in a niche market of real estate investing. Tyler operates STR’s in both Florida and Kentucky where is he is seeing great results and continues to expand his business. Tyler dives into exciting deals that he’s working on & shares insight from past experience in different fields. We discuss calculating returns, challenges that real estate investors face, how to handle those challenges, and creative ways you can set yourself apart from the crowd. For anyone interested in STR Investing or keen to add to your knowledge bank, this is a great episode for you.

Gill is a serial entrepreneur who has created success in multiple industries, leveraging his artistic imagination, sharp business mind and strong desire to make a positive impact. Gill was born in Chapel Hill & raised in Davidson, NC. After graduating from UNC, he followed his passion for the arts, going into the film & music business in NYC. After several film productions and accomplishments in the music industry, Gill moved from NYC to Louisville in 2005 alongside his wife Augusta Brown. While searching for new office space, Gill organically came into his first development. “The Green Building”, a first of its kind in Louisville, KY. Gill then began to pioneer the creation of what is today known as “NULU” a thriving hospitality and entertainment hub in the heart of Louisville. In this episode you will hear great stories, down to earth conversations and gain valuable knowledge in multiple industries from an exciting and outside-of-the-box thinker. You won't want to miss this episode of the “How To Business Show”, we hope you find as much value in it as we did.

You can find more about the How To Business Show by clicking the link Below:

Join us as we sit down with Mr. Di Tran and hear his story of resiliency and triumph. Di Tran reflects on his youth in Vietnam, what it was like growing up in poverty, and how that changed when his mother decided their future would be different. He shares the lessons that made him who he is today, especially the mindset that his mother instilled in her children. Di Tran is a family man, serial entrepreneur, published author, talented poet, real estate investor, former top IT Engineer at Humana, and he’s even got his own bourbon company. Di Tran has founded 10 companies that operate today and doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon. If you want to hear something inspiring & insightful, be sure to listen to this episode of the HTBS.

Learn more about Di's Work:

Don Erler is a Commercial Real Estate Broker and Auctioneer based in Louisville, KY. In our conversation, Don shares how he got into real estate and his love for creative deal making. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Don has been apart of many creative deals and shares great insights on how to bring creativity to the negotiating table. He also touches on his experience as an auctioneer and how he was able to weather the 2008 housing crash unlike other real estate professionals.

You can find more about the How To Business Show by clicking our Linktree Below:

Stephanie Gilezan began her Real Estate career in 1999 at 21 years old. Since then, Stephanie has facilitated over 10,000 transactions across the nation and in multiple countries. Fueled by her passion to disrupt and improve the industry, Stephanie is not bounded by borders or asset classes. Tune in today to learn how she was able to accomplish something many Real Estate Agents would consider impossible.

Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn via the link below:

Andy Blieden is an innovator, real estate magnate, and community advocate. He’s the man behind the Butchertown Market and CEO of Jakeland, a real estate development company focused on redevelopment in Louisville, KY.

Andy has an undeniable passion for doing business that benefits everyone involved and simply follows his gut to do so. He's been bestowed with numerous accolades and dubbed by the community as the “Mayor of Butchertown”. In our conversation, Andy offers a unique win-win perspective on the world of real estate and redevelopment, plus one big secret that will make any real estate investor rich overnight.

You can find more about the How To Business Show by clicking our Linktree Below:

Felipe Dieppa is a filmmaker who entered the industry as an actor at the age of 6, originating the voices for several notable cartoon characters, including “Diego” on Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer. Felipe later transitioned into film production, working as a locations manager and assistant director on several films, television shows, and commercials. More recently, Felipe has been working on a variety of films and helping to develop the rising film industry in Louisville, KY. In our conversation, he shares his story and the ins and outs of the business driving the film industry.

Check Out 502.Film via the Link Below!

Todd Earwood has created, operated, and scaled numerous companies from scratch. He is the founder of Integrate IQ, a company that connects enterprise data into sales and marketing systems, and The Royal Room, a premium space for companies and teams to gather and collaborate. Todd has also invested in over 70 startups and is an Operating Partner at PJC, an angel investor tech fund. During the episode, he answers questions about his entrepreneurial journey, go-to-market strategies, and managing investments in AI & tech companies.

Connect with Todd on LinkedIn:

Former NFL player, Jamon Brown, and 2x International Stock Contractor Finalist and former Bronco Rider, Tim Sparks, sit down with us to discuss Cannabis and the importance of community. Jamon and Tim, along with other partners, joined forces to build Island Gold, one of the fastest growing legal cannabis companies in the world with over 30+ years experience in cultivation, processing, and retail. Currently, their operations span throughout the United States and the Caribbean. In our conversation, Tim and Jamon share how their approach to the cannabis industry and their love for philanthropy.

You can learn more about Jamon and Tim via the links below:

Mike Finger is the founder and owner of Exit Oasis. In our conversation, Mike shares his business philosophy and the turning point in his own entrepreneurial career when he found out his 50 employee company wasn’t sellable. Nevertheless, over the last 25 years, Mike has started, bought, and sold 8 businesses after learning the hard way what it takes to sell a business. Currently, at Exit Oasis, Mike helps other owners avoid his mistakes and create sellable businesses before it's too late.

You can connect with Mike via LinkedIn and Find the Link to Exit Oasis below:

Brian Mazar is the Managing Director & CEO of American Fortune Merger and Acquisition Consulting. Brian has been valuing and helping business owners sell their companies for the last 20 years. He shares his secrets on advising business owners through all aspects of a business sale. We enjoyed having Brian in the studio and learning about his commitment to excellence and his love for finding joy in the little things.

Check out Brian's website, lots of great information!

Shea Van Hoy is the Editor-in-Chief of Louisville Business First (LBF), a news publication featuring business news for the City of Louisville and providing tools to help businesses grow, network, and hire. Shea joined LBF in 2016 as the Managing Editor, later promoted to the role of Editor-in-Chief in 2019. In our conversation, Shea discusses his career evolution, what its like being Editor-in-Chief, how Louisville Business First operates as a company, and other insights into the publication industry.

Connect w/ Shae on LinkedIn:

Tim Welch is the managing partner of Link Healthcare Developers, a development company focused on working with healthcare providers to develop best-in-class medical facilities. In our conversation, Tim details his journey in medical equipment sales and real estate investing, and how he landed in the healthcare development space.  We also discuss the unique challenges and opportunities of healthcare development, and how Link Healthcare approaches prospecting with doctors and investors.

Feel free to connect w/ Tim on LinkedIn:

On this episode, we sit down with Luxury Real Estate Duo, Brandon Jones and Jon Mand. They share some awesome stories about their careers and what it takes to be a top producing residential real estate team, as well as some Louisville housing market insights. We really enjoyed having them in the studio and I think you too will find a lot of value in what they share.

If you’d like to connect w/ Brandon or John you can do so via the link below to their website:

Elijah Brown is a multi-family real estate investor, Army officer, and co-founder of GoldHawk Capital based in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2016, he had no job, no savings, and student debt. Fast-forward to today - only 7 years later - he has a real estate portfolio of over 850 units valued at more than $100 million. The best part… he works for himself!

Listen in to learn how Elijah was able to build such a massive portfolio spanning across six states all on his own.

If you’d like to connect w/ Elijah you can do so via the link below:

In this episode of the How To: Business show we sit down with Paul Baron. Paul is the founder and chief executive officer of The Wall Printer USA focused on assuring the growth of his corporation and the businesses that purchase his product. His background includes decades of business experience that spans B2B, B2C, retail, manufacturing, distribution, international business, and franchising.

In our conversation we discuss Paul’s evolution as a serial entrepreneur and the importance of continuous learning and networking in business.

If you’d like to learn more about the Wall Printer or Connect w/ Paul Baron you do so via the links below:

We sit down with Thomas Flaherty, a franchising expert, corporate executive, and all-around great human being. We discuss what it’s like doing business in international markets, the importance of continuous learning as a leader, and what Thomas is doing now in his new role as Chief Development Officer at Wings and Rings. 

You can connect with Thomas on LinkedIn via the link below:

From losing his job, to billion dollar clients, on today’s episode of the How To Business Show we sit down with John Thurman. We talk everything from the looming recession, to financing bourbon startups, and what it means to put it all on the line to start a small business.

John is the market president for the greater Louisville area for Truist bank, entrepreneur, and small business owner.

Connect w/ John via LinkedIn:

On this episode we sit down with returning guests Raul Zayas & Ricardo Sosa, founders of R&R Strength. Since our first conversation 3 months ago, R&R has opened their own fitness gym and is already nearing client capacity - goals they thought they wouldn't even achieve until 2023. Tune in to learn how R&R went about opening their first gym and organically growing their client base. 

Connect w/ Raul & Ricardo via Instagram:

On this episode of the How to: Business Show our guest is founding partner of Shine Contracting, Gregg Rochman.

Gregg's entrepreneurial evolution began as a trained actor, turned consultant, turned real estate developer and contractor. Born in New York City, Gregg decided to relocate his family to Louisville, KY in 2007. Since the relocation, Gregg has had a lot of success with his flagship company Shine Contracting, and many other ventures revolving around tech, real estate, music & art, start-ups, and non-profits.

Gregg’s story highlights the importance of being able to learn, adapt, react, and give-back as an Entrepreneur.

On this episode of the How To: Business Show we sit down with entrepreneur and videographer, Sage Delaney. Sage is a Louisville-native and founder of Medici Creative and the Louisville Creative Connection.

In our conversation, Sage details how he is able to help non-profits and businesses communicate their message and reach vast audiences through the power of art. He also touches on his approach to community building and how he plans to build a better world for creatives and artists.

You can learn more about Sage and his work via the links below:

For the 12th episode of the How To: Business Show, Cal and Dylan sit down with former corporate attorney turned entrepreneur and real estate developer, Jim Beckett. In the conversation, Jim discusses his impressive journey through the corporate world and how, despite a lot of success, his passion led him to take the leap into entrepreneurship and real estate development. Currently, Jim is a co-founder of the Re:Land Group, a real estate development company emphasizing social impact investing and community focused projects.  

You can learn more about Jim and Re:land via the links below:

For the 11th Episode of the How to: Business Show, Sam & Matt sit down with the founder of Corporate Value Metrics, Ken Sanginario, to discuss business value and quality. 

Ken spent 18 years of his 40+ year career, turning around distressed companies for some of the largest private equity firms and commercial banks in the U.S. Firms like J.P. Morgan, Citigroup, Bank of America, Santander, and a whole host of others.

The rest of his career was focused in corporate finance, business valuations, and M&A advisory services, learning that each of these professional disciplines has its own separate and distinct knowledge base that can be impactful in a growing, or distressed, private company.

However, as valuable as each knowledge base is, nobody had ever combined them in way to leverage each other - in a way that could put the power of all of them at the fingertips of any advisor or business owner.

That knowledge has been combined into the software and process that Ken created known as the VOP, or Value Opportunity Profile. This same process is now being taught through CVM's Certified Value Growth Advisor (CVGA) program, and has been for the past seven years. Hundreds of seasoned advisors and professionals, who want to elevate their practice, utilize the CVGA certification and VOP software to do so.

You can learn more about Ken and CVM via the link below:

For HTBS’ 10th episode, we sit down with Ricardo Sosa and Raul Zayas, founders of R&R Strength, a Louisville-based fitness business providing 1:1 strength coaching.

In our conversation, Ricardo & Raul share their experience working at a corporate fitness gym and what led them to start their own coaching business.

We had an awesome time with these two and are excited for you to listen and learn the ins and outs of the fitness industry. 

You can connect with Ricardo & Raul via Instagram:

Our guest on this episode of the How to: Business Show is Becca Gardner.

On this episode of the How To: Business Show we explore the ins and outs of Symba, a Real Estate Tech Company based in Kentucky. Symba was co-founded by our guests, CEO - Evan Knowles and Head of Growth - Ryan Harris. 

Ryan and Evan are Kentucky Natives who built the first mobile-first CRM and Business Management application for Real Estate agents. Their success and ambition as young entrepreneurs has allowed them to quickly develop a product, raise capital, and grow a team. 

We are excited to share their insights, and we hope you are able to find some inspiration as you listen. 

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Our guest for today's episode is Brett Swarts out of California.

Brett is a Deferred Sales Trust™ Trustee, DST expert, capital gains tax deferral expert, investment real estate expert, multifamily broker, and the founder of Capital Gains Tax Solutions – a company helping individuals to defer capital gains tax on the sale of their highly appreciated assets, eliminate the need for a 1031 exchange, and unlock transformational wealth building options so they can create & preserve more wealth.

He created ‘Capital Gains Tax Solutions‘  to equip high net worth individuals and their trusted advisors with the Deferred Sales Trust™ tool to help them solve capital gains tax deferral limitations. additionally,

Outside of business, Brett is a die-hard 49ers fan, father of 5, and former college basketball player.

You can learn more about Brett by following the link below:

Lee Harris Donahue is an attorney specializing in real estate and contract law. She is a native of Louisville, and attended Louisville Collegiate School, Princeton University and the University of Kentucky College of Law. She served as a judicial clerk, a litigator and then as staff attorney and General Counsel to the Kentucky Real Estate Commission for 12 years. Lee has written textbooks on real estate law, taught at the University of Louisville law school and is a part-owner of a real estate school. Additionally, Lee has developed online pre-license, post-license, broker law and broker management courses, teaching hundreds of in-person CE classes for agents and brokers.  Currently, Lee is a part-owner and partner with Limestone Title & Escrow and a part-owner of Harris Law Office, PLLC. Tune in to learn the ins and outs of Real Estate Law and Contract law today with Lee Harris Donahue!

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For today's episode our guest is Richard Sullivan. Richard is a world renowned artist and former professional baseball player with the Atlanta Braves. Born and raised in Louisville, KY, he studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) where he received a BFA in Illustration. He had the opportunity to play baseball at SCAD and to continue his interest in art and illustration. In 2008, Richard was drafted by the Braves in the 11th round as a junior and played 6 years of minor league baseball. He returned to SCAD in 2014 to finish his degree and focus exclusively on his artwork. His work has been accepted into the permanent collection of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Yogi Berra Museum and exhibited by the Louisville Slugger Museum and the Kentucky Derby Museum. In 2017 the Atlanta Braves commissioned Richard to create 18 original watercolor paintings and 20 prints for their new stadium SunTrust Park. The paintings line the corridors of the Champions suite and the Executive Offices. In 2019, Richard collaborated with Topps to create 20 paintings for the Momentum Rising card set.  Richard’s work has been featured nationally on MLB.com, Fox Sports, Fox Sports South and numerous magazines including The AJC, Kentucky Monthly, Insider Louisville, The Courier Journal, Louisville Magazine and the Louisville Voice. On this episode, Richard will elaborate on his story and success blending the worlds of art, sports, and business into one. 

Check out Richard's Website: 

On this episode of the How To: Business Show, Dan Pellissier, Senior Director of Real Estate Development at Zaxby's, discusses the ins and outs of the franchise business and real estate development. Dan is a 20-year veteran of the commercial real estate community having led regional, national, and international growth for brands such as The Home Depot, PPG Paints, Liquor Barn, Qdoba, and Jack in the Box. His current role, Dan serves as Sr. Director of Real Estate for the Georgia-based Zaxby’s restaurant company. Joining the iconic brand in November 2020, Dan has been instrumental in designing and implementing the brand’s national growth plan which helped propel the brand into 910-unit (in 17 states) In December 2020, Zaxby’s was acquired by majority investor Goldman Sachs. Since that launch Dan is tasked with targeting significant incremental growth over the next 5 years. Dan lives in Louisville, KY with his wife Leann and their three children.

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On this episode of the How To: Business Show, Pat Yates, owner of Happy Feet, shares his story and experience in the world of e-commerce and business. Pat is a highly successful entrepreneur with a focus on e-commerce. He started “Happy Feet” Slippers, a single slipper kiosk business, in 1996, growing it into a multi-million dollar e-commerce company.  In 2014, Pat appeared on Shark Tank and struck a deal with Robert Herjavec. Since then, Pat has done licensing deals with DreamWorks, NCAA, NFL and Disney. Happy feet is a world renowned product and continues massive growth. Pat is also a business advisor for Quiet Light, a leading voice and authority in the emerging niche of selling and buying profitable online businesses.

APOLOGIES for the poor audio quality of the conversation :/ Wonderful info to be heard in this episode, nevertheless!

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Tune into this episode to learn the ins and outs of starting a business with Steve Daniels. Steve is a Co-Founder/Managing Partner and CFO at Platinum North, a Business Brokerage & Real Estate Advisory firm located in Destin, Florida. Platinum North serves clients throughout the U.S. providing services in the appraisal, acquisition, and sale of businesses. Steve is a serial entrepreneur and Platinum North Advisory marks his 11th start-up and his re-entry into the real estate and business advisory space after an 18yr stent with Fortune 500 companies. Steve has held  roles in M&A, Finance, Sales, Business Development, Senior-Management, and Marketing. Steve has a B.S. in Contract Law and an MBA in Marketing, and he’s a current candidate for the Advanced Management Program (AMP) certification from Harvard Business School. Steve has owned and operated companies in many sectors, including Healthcare, Real Estate, Hospitality, restaurants, consulting and advisory.

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Learn how to dominate your local real estate market in 2022. Tune in as Stephanie Gilezan, Global Director of Operations at eXp shares her story, her successes, and how to dominate in real estate. 

Stephanie has been a licensed broker her entire adult life with over 22 years of experience growing and managing real estate brokerages in commercial and residential real estate. She has experience in industrial, land, multi-family, bank asset liquidation, retail, and office. Stephanie is also a land developer, builder, owns and operates a real estate team in the top 5% of producers in Kentucky and Indiana.

• How to: get started in real estate
• How to: out-perform your competition 
• How to: start your own brokerage or development

Our Show is centered around business, - and How To. Here we explore how everyday entrepreneurs conquered their own aspirations, and found success within the brutal world of business. These conversations give you the How To’s of business and provide insight into the trade secrets of their success.

So, listen in on entrepreneurs' personal trials & triumphs as we navigate their journey through casual conversation and a glass of bourbon.

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