Behind the Rise

This is where it actually starts. In the first episode of Behind The Rise, I sit down with Seba, who started building his first business at 18. We break down what that really looked like—the early decisions, the risks...

Jose Goldner was in the room during one of the most explosive periods in business history. He's spent the decades since helping founders avoid the mistakes he watched others make. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I...

Most founders obsess over making money. Almost none of them are ready for what happens when it actually arrives. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Rick Morse — a 30+ year wealth advisor who works with...

Sophia Hardesty turned a passion for music into a business that brings entire communities together. Here's how she built it. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Sophia — Owner and Operator of Naptown...

The traditional path isn't broken by accident. Ryan Roe has spent his career helping people find a better one. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Ryan — Tax Planner and CIO at P1 Tax Advisors — to...

Spikeball started as a game people played in their backyards. Chris Ruder turned it into a global sports brand. Here's exactly how he did it. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Chris — founder of...

Harsha Gaddipati got into Y Combinator. Then he got to work. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Harsha — founder of Slashy (YC S25), a "Cursor for email" — to get into what it actually takes to build...

Anish Karthik hasn't waited for the perfect plan once in his life. That's exactly why he's built so much. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Anish — who has worked at Google, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and...

Most companies don't make it to year five. Ivan Gatewood built one that's lasted over twenty. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Ivan — Founder and CEO of i-MAGE — to get into what it actually takes to...

Anyone can make chocolate. Daniel Berlin decided to make the world's best. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Daniel — co-founder of Dirty Gut — to get into what it actually takes to build a world-class...

Gregg Russell has spent his career performing for children. He wouldn't trade it for anything. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Gregg to get into what it actually means to love what you do — not as a...

There's no playbook for building something from scratch. Michael Wong figured that out fast. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Michael — Founder and CEO of DayBlink — to get into how founders learn to...

Everyone's using AI. Almost nobody is being intentional about it. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Professor Lancie Affonso to dig into the question most people skip right past — not whether to use...

Most financial mistakes don't feel like mistakes when you make them. That's the problem. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Brian Phipps — Financial Services Advisor at Severn Wealth Management — to get...

Wins and losses are easy to measure. What Coach Pratt builds is harder to see — and it lasts a lifetime. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Coach Pratt — longtime basketball coach and mentor — to get...