School for Startups Radio

April 20, 2026 – Redneckonomics Aaron Chapman and Jim on a Rant

Aaron Chapman – Author of Redneckonomics: Unconventional Success by Takin’ the Beatin’ Path
Nobody gives a damn about you, because they don’t.You got to give a damn about you.
Aaron Chapman is a nationally recognized mortgage finance expert, entrepreneur, and speaker who has spent more than 27 years helping real estate investors build lasting wealth through strategic lending and financial discipline. Rising from humble beginnings working in the oil fields and as a long haul truck driver, Aaron carved his path into becoming one of the most influential figures in U.S. investment property lending, with his team underwriting a significant share of investor real estate mortgages nationwide. Known for his practical, no nonsense approach, he teaches that wealth is a skill developed through experience, not luck. Aaron has shared stages with leading voices in business and real estate, challenging audiences to rethink success through grit, accountability, and consistent action. He is the author of Redneckonomics: Unconventional Success by Takin’ the Beatin’ Path, where he distills decades of real world lessons on leverage, asset protection, and long term financial growth, offering a clear and proven framework for investors at any stage to create sustainable financial freedom.

April 16, 2026 – Lateral Thinking Paul Sloane and AD “The Kingmaker” Dunbar

Paul Sloane – Speaker on Lateral Thinking and Innovation and Author of The Art of Unexpected Solutions: Using Lateral Thinking to Find Breakthroughs
If real people don’t have a pain which you’re solving,“then chances are your business not going to work.
Paul Sloane writes and speaks on lateral thinking and the leadership of innovation. He gained a master’s degree in Engineering at Cambridge University. He joined IBM where he came top of Sales School. He was Marketing Director and then Managing Director of the database leaders, Ashton-Tate. He was appointed VP International for MathSoft and became CEO of software start up, Monactive. He is the author of 25 books which have sold over two 2 million copies in all. Titles include The Art of Unexpected Solutions, The Leader’s Guide to Lateral Thinking Skills, and Lateral Thinking for Every Day. He speaks at conferences and facilitates workshops for corporate clients. He has over 25,000 students for his online courses on Udemy. He is a visiting lecturer at Cambridge University, Lancaster Business School, Henley Business School and the Mumbai Institute of Technology. He is a recognized thought leader on innovation topics and has 38,000 followers on X. He lives near Windsor in England and is married with three daughters. Corporate clients include: Airbus, AKQA, Bayer, Bertelsmann, Liverpool University Business School, Microsoft, Reckitt Benckiser, Glaxo Smith Kline, Nike, Novartis, SABIC, Swarovski and Unilever.AD “The Kingmaker” Dunbar – CEO of Dunbar Consulting
Your number one job as a man in a relationship with a womanis not to provide, is not to protect… it is to keep her attraction to you high.
AD “The Kingmaker” Dunbar is a Relationship Performance Strategist who helps high-achieving married men become desired leaders again by restoring masculine leadership, polarity, and presence inside their marriages without therapy, emotional negotiations, or choreplay. He works with CEOs, founders, and executives earning $200K–$2M+ who dominate professionally but feel their authority and attraction quietly eroding at home. AD reframes marriage as a leadership arena, not a compromise, and teaches men how to lead with certainty, calm authority, and internal gravity.

April 15, 2026 – EY Entrepreneur of the Year Tracy Holland and Too Smart to be an Umpire Jack Oujo

Tracy Holland – Co-Founder of HATCHBEAUTY Brands, Founder of InnerFifth and Host of Potential to Powerhouse Podcast
The mission in life, if you’re an entrepreneur, is to surprise anddelight your customer, no matter what it is you do, and if you canunder promise and over deliver on experience, you are going to besuccessful no matter what the category is.
Tracy Holland is a founder, investor, and serial entrepreneur best known as the Co Founder of HATCHBEAUTY, where she helped build one of the most successful brand incubators in the beauty industry, generating more than $750 million in cumulative wholesale revenue. With a proven track record of identifying trends, launching products, and scaling consumer brands, she has become a trusted voice in both the operational and human side of entrepreneurship. She is the Founder of InnerFifth, an ecosystem designed to help entrepreneurs and creators build high growth businesses while maintaining alignment, clarity, and personal well being. Through initiatives such as the InnerFifth Accelerator, Goodwill Brands, and her podcast Potential to Powerhouse, Tracy focuses on guiding founders through both the tactical execution of scaling and the internal work required to sustain success over time. An EY Entrepreneur of the Year award recipient and Fashion and Beauty Award honoree, Tracy is also a member of The Committee of 200, a global organization of leading women entrepreneurs and executives. Known for her ability to connect strategy with mindset, she brings a unique perspective that blends business performance with personal transformation. She is scheduled to deliver a TED Talk in April 2026, where she will expand on her work around identity, resilience, and building success without burnout.Jack Oujo – Founder of Oujo Wealth Strategies and Author of Too Smart to be an Umpire
If they spend $80,000 a year, the interest and dividends need to begreater than that to make sure that they’re okay and survive bear markets.
Jack Oujo CPA/PFS, CFP(*), MS (Taxation) is the author of Too Smart to be an Umpire and founder of Oujo Wealth Strategies , one of the nations largest tax-focused wealth management firms. Before finance, he spent eight years as a professional baseball umpire, advancing to AAA and winning the Joe Ryan Award. Though denied a MLB spot, Jack turned the setback into motivation , leveraging his offseason accounting work into a thriving career. He earned the Avantax Top Producer Award for over 25 years and was the #1 producer for over ten consecutive years in the last decade. A graduate of Middlesex County College, Seton Hall University, and Fairleigh Dickinson University, Jack was inducted into the Old Bridge High School Wall of Fame in 2013. His community service includes coaching at St Rose High School and running a FREE youth umpire clinic in Brick, NJ. An avid golfer, he is a member of Coral Ridge Country Club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Spring Lake Golf Club in New Jersey. Jack Oujo is a Financial Advisor. Securities offered through Cetera Wealth Services LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Advisors LLC, a registered investment advisor. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity.

April 14, 2026 – Land Geek Mark Podolsky and Zero-Friction Doctor Noah St. John

Mark Podolsky – Managing Director at Land Geek and Host of The Art of Passive Income Podcast
The fundamental way of you know, when you do marketing, a goodheadline, having strong urgency, scarcity, a clear call to action, likethese fundamentals haven’t changed in eight years.
Mark Podolsky, known as “The Land Geek,” is the Managing Director of Land Geek and a leading expert in raw land investing. Since 2001, he has built a highly successful career buying and selling undeveloped land, completing more than 5,500 transactions and creating a proven system for generating passive income through land deals. He is also the author of Dirt Rich, a practical guide that teaches investors how to build a scalable and efficient land investing business. Through his company, Frontier Equity Properties, which holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, Mark has established a reputation for integrity, consistency, and results. Beyond his own investing success, he is deeply committed to helping others achieve financial independence using the same methods that transformed his own life. Mark is also the host of The Art of Passive Income Podcast, where he shares actionable strategies, insights, and real-world lessons on creating passive income streams. As a coach, teacher, and mentor, he has built a strong community of entrepreneurs who are focused on building wealth in a practical, systematic way. His approach combines disciplined investing with simple, repeatable processes, empowering others to create freedom through land ownership.Noah St. John, PhD – Founder of St. John Executive Coaching and the Author of the Book The 7-Figure Life: How to Leverage The 4 Focus Factors for More Wealth and Happiness
If you think about it, it’s like driving a car trying to reach your goals.Is like driving a car. In your car, there’s two forces at work, the drivingforce of the foot on the gas, restraining force of the foot on the brake.
Noah St John is a communication expert, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of ten books. He is famous for inventing Afformations®, a positive self-talk tool that helps busy people remove mental barriers, build confidence, and make more money. Noah St. John, PhD is recognized as “The Mental Health Coach to the Stars.” Working with Hollywood celebrities, seven- and eight-figure company CEOs, professional athletes, top executives, and elite entrepreneurs, Noah is famous for helping his coaching clients make more in twelve weeks than they did in the previous twelve months, while winning back 1–3 hours per day and 4–8 weeks a year. Noah’s clients are the 0.1% rock stars who love to take action and get amazing results! Noah is also the only author in history to have works published by HarperCollins, Hay House, Simon & Schuster, Mindvalley, Nightingale-Conant, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul publisher. Noah’s mission is to eliminate not-enoughness from the world and he is internationally recognized for his signature coaching services; facilitating workshops at companies and institutions across the globe; and appearing on over 1,000 media outlets including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, The Hallmark Channel, NPR, Entrepreneur, The Jenny McCarthy Show, Selling Power and SUCCESS Magazine.

April 10, 2026 – Moments that Matter Chris Dyer and Enneagram Expert Dr. Karl Hebenstreit

Chris Dyer – Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Former 5x Inc. 5000 CEO, and Author of Moments That Matter: See, Shape, and Scale What Count
I just don’t want the grass to be greener on the other side.I don’t want it to be any better. I’m going to createthe best place you’re ever going to work.
Chris Dyer is Inc. Magazine’s #1 Leadership Speaker on Culture, a 5x Inc. 5000 CEO, and 3x bestselling author of The Power of Company Culture, Remote Work, and Moments That Matter. Ranked #15 on Global Gurus Top 30 Organizational Culture Professionals for 2026 and named a Top 101 Global Employee Engagement Influencer five consecutive years (2022–2026), Chris is among the most in-demand keynote speakers on leadership, company culture, remote work, and the future of work. He has delivered 300+ keynotes in 20+ countries for organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Intuit, IKEA, and Southwest Airlines. A former CEO who built and led companies repeatedly named Best Places to Work, his 7 Pillars of Amazing Culture framework and Moments That Matter approach help leaders unlock productivity, performance, and profits with actionable strategies, insightful candor, and engaging humor.
R. Karl Hebenstreit, Ph.D., PCC, PHR – Certified Executive Coach, Multi-Award-Winning Author, International Speaker and Author of Explicit Expectations: The Essential Guide & Toolkit of Management Fundamentals
You won’t change your core motivation, your core motivation staysyour core motivation for life, but you can change your behaviors,and you can change the way you look at things, and all ittakes is pause and focus.
Dr. Karl Hebenstreit is a certified executive coach, leadership and organization development consultant, author, and international speaker. His 25+ year career spans the areas of HR and OD in the biotechnology, clinical diagnostics, life sciences, healthcare, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, professional services, high-tech, and real estate services industries, having worked at Merck, Bellcore, AT&T, Lee Hecht Harrison, Cushman & Wakefield, Kaiser Permanente, EMC², Bio-Rad Laboratories, and Genentech/Roche. He holds a PhD in Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University/CSPP (where his dissertation focused on “Helping Organizations Attract, Retain, and Motivate employees with the Enneagram”), a MS in HR Management from the Rutgers Graduate School of Management and Labor Relations, an Evidence-Based Coaching Certificate from Fielding Graduate University (that led to his PCC), and is an IEA Accredited Professional with Distinction as well as an IEA Accredited Professional/Provider/Teacher. He is the author of The How & Why: Taking Care of Business with the Enneagram (now in its second edition) and the children’s book Nina and the Really, Really Tough Decision.

April 9, 2026 – Ultra-High-Net-Worth Clients Richard McWhorter and 4 Forces of Growth Kevin Lawrence

Richard McWhorter – Private Wealth Advisor, Managing Partner of SRM Private Wealth
You have to treat them as human beings underneath it all…that’s where we all come back down to the baseline.
Richard McWhorter CFP®, CRPC, SRM Private Wealth, is a dynamic financial advisor known for his distinctive and unconventional approach, bringing an alternative and fresh perspective to wealth management, financial topics, economics, and more. With over 30 years of wealth management expertise and having worked with some of the biggest companies in the finance industry, McWhorter combines traditional financial expertise with a creative, personalized approach. From finance lessons learned in the locker room, to the business that takes place backstage, he is a wealth advisor who thinks outside the box and believes in an edgy, innovative approach to finance. Based in Beverly Hills and working with ultra-high-net-worth clients, McWhorter distinguishes himself not only through his financial expertise but also through his enthusiasm for the music, sporting, and entertainment industries and his commitment to philanthropy. Throughout his career, he has bridged the gap between celebrities and several charitable causes. With personal and professional ties in the entertainment and music industries, McWhorter leverages his connections to create exclusive opportunities for his clients while supporting important causes and nonprofit organizations. He can speak as an expert, credible source on several topics related to wealth management and finance — especially those related to entertainment, music, sports and economics. He has been recognized by Forbes, Financial Times, and Barrons and quoted in numerous well-respected media outlets, including US News & World Report, Business Insider, GoBankingRates, and more. He is also a member of the Fast Company Executive Board.Kevin Lawrence – Strategic Advisor to CEOs & Their Teams, Author: The 4 Forces of Growth, Your Oxygen Mask First
Problems never go away, and you could spend all day, every day,for years on problems… but then nobody ends up spendingany time on the opportunities.
Kevin Lawrence has spent three decades cracking the code on how to keep companies growing. Working side-by side with CEOs and leadership teams across North America, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and Europe, he has developed a proven approach to help companies go from tens of millions to hundreds of millions in revenue. His insights are born from hands-on experience. Kevin is the author of Your Oxygen Mask First, a book that equips high-performing executives with seventeen powerful habits to drive sustainable growth while managing stress, protecting their mental health, and staying resilient under relentless pressure. He was a key contributor to Scaling Up (Mastering the Rockefeller Habits 2.0). His latest book, The 4 Forces of Growth: Defy the Odds and Keep Your Company Scaling, is the must-have guide to becoming a leader with impact far beyond the balance sheet, helping you to keep your company evolving and create a legacy that matters. Based in Vancouver, Canada, he leads Lawrence & Co, a boutique firm of growth advisors.

April 7, 2026 – Musk Direct Report Jon McNeill and Scalable Profit Jeremy Reeves

Jon McNeill – CEO and Co-Found of DVx Ventures and Author of The Algorithm: The Hypergrowth Formula that Transformed Tesla, Lululemon, General Motors and SpaceX
When you automate first, you’re automating a bad process,and all you do is get to the bad answer faster.
Jon McNeill currently serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of DVx Ventures. With a track record of founding and scaling six companies, Jon has led teams that generated tens of thousands of jobs and delivered multi-billion dollar returns for investors.  At DVx, Jon and his team have launched 12 companies that are attacking broad opportunities in large markets. Previously, Jon served as President at Tesla, where revenue grew from $2B to $20B in just 30 months. Following Tesla, Jon joined Lyft as COO, where he played a pivotal role in doubling revenues and helping to take the company public. With a history as a six-time serial entrepreneur, Jon has a wealth of experience in operating and scaling companies during periods of hyper-growth in revenue and operations and has delivered returns of 9x to investors. Jon currently serves on the boards of General Motors, Lululemon, Asurion, CrossFit, and Stash. He played a pivotal role in Lululemon’s turnaround, contributing to a 5x increase in stock value. He also sits on the Liquid AI Advisory Council. After graduating from Northwestern University, Jon began his career at Bain & Company. A frequent speaker and guest lecturer at Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, and Stanford GSB, Jon is known for delivering practical, actionable insights on innovation, leadership, and scaling operations. In his book, The Algorithm: The Hypergrowth Formula that Transformed Tesla, Lululemon, General Motors and SpaceX, Jon shares a behind-the-scenes look at how iconic companies scale and outlines a playbook leaders can use to drive sustained growth and impact.Jeremy Reeves – CEO of Scale Advisors and Author of The Scalable Profit Model: How to Grow Faster, Keep More Profit and Stress Less
You can work two hours a day on the right things, or you can work15 hours a day on all the wrong things, and you’re probably goingto get better results working two hours a day on the things thatactually move the needle.
Jeremy Reeves is the CEO of Scale Advisors, an entrepreneur, growth strategist, and author of The Scalable Profit Model: How to Grow Faster, Keep More Profit and Stress Less. With nearly two decades of hands-on experience in marketing, copywriting, operations, and business scaling, he has generated close to $200 million in revenue across his own companies and the businesses he has advised. Jeremy has successfully scaled multiple companies to eight figures and led teams of more than 100 employees, giving him deep, practical insight into what it really takes to grow a business sustainably. Through Scale Advisors, Jeremy works with high-integrity entrepreneurs to build scalable profit models that allow them to grow faster while keeping more of their profits and reducing unnecessary complexity. His approach combines advanced marketing strategy with operational discipline, helping founders move beyond revenue growth alone and focus on profitability, efficiency, and long-term stability. Jeremy is known for translating complex growth challenges into clear, actionable strategies backed by real-world case studies. He frequently shares his expertise through virtual events, podcast interviews, and training sessions, where he delivers practical, no-nonsense insights on scaling from six to eight figures, improving margins, building effective teams, and creating businesses that are both profitable and sustainable.

April 6, 2026 – MetaCTO Garrett Fritz and French Florist Michael Jacobson

Garrett Fritz – Partner & CTO at MetaCTO
What is valuable now is the problem solving, the ownership,the stakeholder mentality, and really the engineeringthink work which is valuable.
Garrett Fritz is a Partner and Chief Technology Officer at MetaCTO, where he works closely with founders, creators, and business leaders to turn ambitious ideas into fully realized digital products. With more than a decade of experience in software development and digital transformation, Garrett has led the creation of scalable mobile apps and platforms for both startups and established companies. His expertise lies in translating complex technical concepts into clear, practical strategies, allowing non technical founders to make confident decisions and move quickly from idea to execution. At MetaCTO, Garrett has helped build a reputation for delivering high quality, modern, and AI enabled solutions across a wide range of industries including wellness, education, sports, and professional services. He focuses on aligning technology with business goals, ensuring that every product is designed not just to function well, but to grow and perform in the real world. Known for his straightforward communication style and results driven mindset, Garrett emphasizes clarity, efficiency, and long term value in every project he leads. Beyond his work with clients, Garrett is passionate about supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. He mentors founders, shares insights on digital innovation, and continues to explore how technology can make building a business more accessible, efficient, and impactful.Michael Jacobson – CEO of French Florist
Our rent investment is actually we consider a digitalinvestment as opposed to a physical rent overhead.
Michael Jacobson is the Chief Executive Officer of French Florist, where he is leading the transformation of a traditional industry through technology, innovation, and a modern franchise model. With a background that blends entrepreneurship, digital strategy, and operational leadership, Michael has helped reposition French Florist from a single retail concept into a scalable and rapidly growing brand. His focus on systems, data driven decision making, and customer experience has enabled the company to deliver significantly higher revenue and stronger margins than the typical neighborhood flower shop. Under Michael’s leadership, French Florist has built a reputation for combining high quality floral design with advanced logistics, e commerce, and marketing capabilities. By integrating technology into every part of the business, from ordering to delivery to franchise operations, he has created a model that allows both consistency and growth across locations. His approach emphasizes efficiency, brand strength, and repeatable success for franchise partners. Michael is passionate about rethinking legacy industries and showing how innovation can unlock new opportunities in even the most established markets. Through French Florist and its franchise platform, he continues to help entrepreneurs enter the floral business with a competitive advantage, while delivering a better overall experience for customers.

April 3, 2026 – Lead Like the Boss Andy Freed and Persuasion Blueprint Danny Bobrow

Andy Freed – CEO and CEO of Virtual Inc.
We’ve always just really focused on our cultureand really focused on our employees.
Andy Freed is a nationally recognized CEO, author, and strategic leadership advisor whose company, Virtual, Inc., has been named a Best Place to Work for more than a decade. Known for his exceptional communication insight, he helps leaders rethink how they show up, connect, and communicate during moments of change, uncertainty, and high stakes decisions. His work has been endorsed by figures including George Stephanopoulos, NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Senator Angus King, reflecting his impact across business, media, and public leadership. Andy emphasizes that even well intended change can create disruption when it is not communicated effectively, making communication a central driver of leadership success. With more than 30 years of experience, Andy has advised teams at Microsoft, Google, Meta, and other global organizations, helping them craft messages that resonate and drive action. As Chairman of Virtual, Inc., a strategic consulting, marketing, and professional services firm, he supports mission driven organizations across technology, healthcare, financial services, and life sciences, including member groups representing some of the world’s most influential brands. His leadership approach combines vision, analytical rigor, and creativity to align stakeholders and guide organizations through growth and transformation. Andy’s insights are captured in his forthcoming book, Lead Like the Boss, where he translates the structure and energy of a Springsteen concert into a practical framework for leadership communication. He teaches that communication is leadership, and that intentional interactions determine whether strategy succeeds or fails. His work focuses on helping leaders anticipate resistance, address concerns, and create clarity through frameworks such as Think, Feel, Do, ensuring that every message lands with purpose and impact.
Daniel ‘Danny’ Bobrow – Communication Skills Coach at The Persuasion Blueprint
Be clear as to the problem that you’re solving, and next,be sure that you validate it with real people.
Daniel “Danny” Bobrow is a communication skills coach and the creator of The Persuasion Blueprint, a structured framework designed to help leaders and teams transform everyday conversations into opportunities for trust, connection, and collaboration. Through his coaching, training programs, and workshops, he works with organizations and individuals to improve communication effectiveness, recover lost revenue caused by miscommunication, and build cultures that foster loyalty and referrals. His approach emphasizes that true persuasion is rooted in empathy and understanding, focusing on how people feel rather than simply what is said. Bobrow holds dual MBA degrees from the University of Chicago and KU Leuven in Belgium, combining a strong business foundation with practical communication strategies. In addition to his professional work, he is an ultraendurance athlete and mountaineer, experiences that influence his disciplined and resilient coaching style. Known for delivering clear, actionable insights, Bobrow has helped hundreds of leaders and teams elevate their communication skills, enabling them to create stronger relationships, align teams more effectively, and drive meaningful results across their organizations.

April 2, 2026 – Flying Cars Sam Bousfield and Business Law Matthew Fornaro

Sam Bousfield – CEO Samson Sky – Switchblade Flying Car
Money doesn’t solve your technology, but it at leastbuys you the time to get that done.
Sam Bousfield is the CEO and founder of Samson Sky and the visionary designer behind the Switchblade Flying Sports Car, a hybrid vehicle that can be driven on roads and flown as an aircraft. With a professional background spanning more than 25 years as an architect, Bousfield later transitioned into advanced vehicle design and aeronautical innovation, combining engineering, business, and creative disciplines to pioneer next generation transportation solutions. He holds a degree in architecture with additional studies in business management, marketing, and sales, and is the author of multiple patents, with work that has been published in both popular and professional scientific communities. Bousfield began developing breakthrough aircraft concepts in the early 2000s, collaborating with former Boeing engineers and producing designs that were recognized by leading aerospace organizations and even used by the Swedish government for wind tunnel calibration. After shifting his focus to practical transportation challenges, he founded Samson Sky and created the Switchblade to merge air and ground travel into a single, efficient vehicle. Today, he leads the company’s efforts to bring the Switchblade to market, positioning it as a transformative solution for regional travel and a major step toward the future of personal mobility.
Matthew Fornaro – Attorney at Matthew Fornaro, P.A.
It goes back to not having the stuff in place to begin with, and then dealingwith those issues later on, versus proactively doing it at the beginning.
Matthew Fornaro have mentored emerging entrepreneurs as an instructor for both the Kaufman Foundation’s FastTrac New Venture Program and the Jim Moran Institute. Every day in my practice, I see how smart legal planning can help business owners avoid pitfalls and seize opportunities as they grow. I am happy to share clear, action-oriented advice so your listeners walk away smarter, safer, and more confident about building their businesses. Matthew Fornaro has been a business law attorney serving South Florida, since 2003. Prior to starting his own law firm, he was an attorney at a 300+ attorney civil practice law firm that served local, national, and international clients, and was also an attorney at a prestigious national law firm. Matthew practices complex commercial litigation, including contract disputes. Matthew, a member of the Florida Bar and District of Columbia Bar, also practices construction law, intellectual property law, homeowner and condominium association representation, and drafts and revises of business documents, including the formation of business organizations. Matthew assists new business owners in choosing and drafting all legally required documents. Matthew is involved in mentoring new attorneys, as both a graduate and instructor of the Kaufman Foundation’s FastTrac NewVenture Program, presented by the Broward County Office of Economic and Small Business Development and the City of Hollywood, as well as a graduate and instructor for the Florida State University College of Business Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship Small Business Executive Program.