Season 4, Episode #16: Alan Lazaros
Alan Lazaros is the Founder and CEO of Next Level University, a Global Top 100 podcast and coaching company built around one mission: helping people become the next level of themselves. From a tough childhood marked by loss and abandonment to high-earning success in engineering and industrial automation, Alan’s journey took a dramatic turn after a near-fatal car accident at 26 that forced him to rethink everything. Now, instead of building smarter machines, he’s obsessed with building stronger humans.
Season 4, Episode #15: Michael Elliott
Michael Elliott is a UK-based entrepreneur, PPC veteran, and AI implementation leader who rebuilt his life from rock bottom into a seven-figure Google Ads agency and multiple businesses, including a holiday park and trade company. From depression and heartbreak at 18 to owning six businesses, Michael shows what happens when you refuse to stay down and commit to getting “1% better every day.”
Season 4, Episode #13: David Hrizak
David Hrizak, co-founder and CEO of The Streamline Company, has spent nearly three decades in real estate—buying, building, owning, and managing almost every asset class. From growing up on the South Side of Chicago to navigating the Great Recession and rebuilding from scratch, David’s story is a masterclass in grit, creative financing, and relationship-driven investing. Today, he uses that experience to help entrepreneurs, professionals, and athletes turn capital into long-term, cash-flowing wealth.
Season 4, Episode #4: Bridget Brick – Get Brick Capital
Bridget Brick is the founder of Get Brick Capital, a brokerage specializing in DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) loans for real estate investors. A former tech COO-turned-mortgage pro, Bridget is on a mission to help everyday Americans—especially single mothers—escape the “matrix” of paycheck-to-paycheck living by acquiring cash-flowing assets and building durable freedom.
Bridget matters because she blends hard-won financing expertise with a builder’s mindset: transparent terms, multiple capital partners, and solution-first deal structuring. In this episode, she breaks down market cycles, shows how DSCR lending actually works, and shares practical playbooks for turning limited liquidity into sustainable income.
Season 4, Episode #3: Al Kushner – Author of The AI LinkedIn Advantage
Al Kushner, author of The AI LinkedIn Advantage, is helping professionals and entrepreneurs transform their LinkedIn presence with the power of artificial intelligence. With decades of experience in networking and outreach, Al blends tried-and-true LinkedIn strategies with cutting-edge AI tools to help business owners scale their influence, connect with ideal clients, and stand out in a crowded digital space.
Season 4, Episode #2: Kate Viana – Founder of Viana Communications
Kate Viana, founder of Viana Communications, is on a mission to revolutionize how nonprofits communicate, grow, and sustain their impact. With nearly 15 years of experience in the nonprofit world, Kate has seen the cultural and internal communication struggles that hold organizations back—and she built a company to solve them. Through her ecosystem of four specialized brands, she empowers small and midsize nonprofits to strengthen their culture, improve their communications, and scale their impact.
Episode #240: Glory St.Germain
Glory St. Germain, Ultimate Music Theory — Turning Music Teachers into Six-Figure Educators Glory St. Germain is the Founder/CEO of Ultimate Music Theory, a TEDx speaker, and the international bestselling author of 50+ (now ~60) music theory books. She’s on a mission to make music theory simple, teachable, and profitable—equipping musicians with a universal language and empowering teachers to build real businesses. This jam-packed conversation (Part 1 of 2) dives into her playbook: pedagogy, NLP, scalable group teaching, and focus habits that ship books—20 in one year. Top 5 Takeaways from the Episode: Music theory = language. Glory frames theory as the universal language of rhythm, articulation, tempo, melody, and harmony—essential whether you’re a vocalist, guitarist, producer, or choir director. Resources that actually teach. UltimateMusicTheory.com offers free resources, aligned videos by level, and the Ultimate Music Theory App that maps directly to the workbooks. Books are available on Amazon and BookDepository.com worldwide. Certification that scales income. The UMTC Certification Course and Elite Educator Program show teachers how to confidently teach theory in all three modalities (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) and grow to six figures—often by shifting from 1:1 to group classes (Glory went from $50/hr to $270/hr). NLP in the studio. As an NLP practitioner, Glory trains teachers to communicate through physiology, tonality, and words, and to boost retention by engaging learners to see, say, and write (note-taking increases learning by 30–40%). Flow & execution. Her “ships-books” routine: pump-up music (to start), low-volume focus tracks (to stay), visual goal boards (book covers on the wall), and a mantra—goal + accountability + execution strategy—to turn desire into results. Watch the full episode now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHW1YOrGovg Memorable Quote: “Music theory is the universal language of music.” Want to be a Guest on our Show? Apply Now Connect with Glory Linkedin Globe
Episode #238: Brian Zwerner
Brian Zwerner — Beyond The Game Network: Turning Pro Athletes into Startup Powerhouses Brian Zwerner is an investor and advisor in sports, media, web3, and fitness — and the founder of Beyond The Game Network in Atlanta. After two decades in capital markets and a successful fintech exit, Brian pivoted to startups, media, and athlete-led venture building. His story is a playbook for pairing hard-won finance chops with the grit and mindset of professional athletes. From Wharton to investment banking to founding Sportal, Brian’s journey shows how to spot real problems, pivot fast, and build communities that create outsized opportunity. Today, he and his partners back companies where athletes can move the needle through credibility, access, and content — not just capital. Key Takeaways: Fintech to founder: Built Aquina Health, a tech-enabled lender serving doctors and healthcare providers waiting 30–90 days on reimbursements; scaled and sold to a strategic. Pivot with purpose: Launched Sportal Space (the “OpenTable for gyms/fields”), hit school-district roadblocks, then pivoted to a high school sports media and live-streaming business. Loved by the community, tough to monetize — and ultimately shut down. Birth of Beyond The Game: Partnered with former NFL DT Andre Fluellen to help athletes find second careers and equity opportunities in startups without writing big checks. Influence over income: Their model lets athletes earn sweat equity as brand ambassadors, creators, and door-openers to leagues, teams, and media groups — while business/tech investors fund the rounds. Wild bets that fit: Fan Controlled Football — seven-on-seven arena football where fans pick plays live — exemplifies their “entertainment + athlete edge” thesis, alongside bets in gaming, fantasy, wearables, and web3. Catch the full story on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLRbyYw08gw Memorable Quote: “Athletes make the best entrepreneurs.” Want to be a Guest on our Show? Apply Now Connect with Brian Linkedin Globe
Episode #237: Donald Cox
Donald Cox (myERTCRefund.com): Unlocking the ERTC for Small Businesses Donald Cox helps business owners claim the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC)—a powerful, often-missed IRS credit created under the CARES Act and expanded by the American Rescue Plan. If you kept W-2 employees on payroll during COVID shutdowns, Donald explains how you may qualify for up to $26,000 per employee, even if you also received PPP. With a CPA-led process, legal research on local shutdowns, and streamlined document requests, Donald’s team turns a daunting “tax closet” into a cash-flow boost that can help stabilize, invest, or even relaunch a business. Key Takeaways: ERTC ≠ loan: It’s a refundable IRS tax credit, not like PPP; no spending restrictions on funds once received. PPP still okay: You can qualify for ERTC even if you had PPP—just no double-counting the same wages. Real-world results: Examples ranged from $57,080 for a small restaurant to ~$1.9M for a multi-location team; typical small-business refunds average ~$150K. Who qualifies: Businesses with 5+ non-owner W-2 employees and $100K+ payroll (Q2 2020–Q3 2021). Even shuttered businesses can qualify for the periods they operated. What you’ll need: Questionnaire + payroll docs (941s Q2 2020–Q4 2021, W-3 for 2019, payroll journals, P&Ls). Many can export from QuickBooks/payroll in about an hour. A “rapid rebate” option can accelerate access to funds (at a higher fee). Catch the full story on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgnF1U5TcqU Memorable Quote: “It is not a loan—it’s a tax credit.” Want to be a Guest on our Show? Apply Now Connect with Donald Linkedin Envelope Phone-alt
Episode #235: Shawn Shewchuk
Shawn Shewchuk, Change Your Results — Turning Fear Into Fuel Shawn Shewchuk is “THE Productivity Speaker” and a results-driven advisor to high achievers. With 28+ years in the trenches, 43 companies launched, and two bestselling books, he helps leaders trade busywork for outcomes and build businesses that run on systems—not stress. If you’ve ever felt stuck firefighting instead of scaling, Shawn’s mindset-first, results-always approach will hit home. Why he matters: Shawn’s philosophy is simple and surgical: fear lives only in your head, and progress starts the moment you make an irrevocable decision. From breaking audacious goals into hourly actions to designing teams for peak productivity, he shows entrepreneurs how to create their own economy—on purpose. Key Takeaways: Fear is mental, not material. Move from your head to your heart, make one decisive first step, and walk through the “paper-mâché” terror barrier. Results over titles. “Coach” is meaningless without measurable outcomes. Everything—business, career, relationships—goes on the table to remove hidden anchors. Decisions drive destiny. Success is the compounding effect of conscious choices; default mode equals drift. Know where you’re going, then reverse-engineer yearly → monthly → daily → hourly actions. Productivity is precision. It’s any action that moves you toward your goal. One extra hour of high-productivity per person, per day, can transform the bottom line. Lead people, design systems. Put players in roles where they win, cross-train for context, and build a company that functions if you step away for 90 days. Catch the full story on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZnpXiY0U0E Memorable Quote: “Fear exists nowhere except in your head—make an irrevocable decision to move forward.” Want to be a Guest on our Show? Apply Now Connect with Shawn Linkedin Globe Globe