Behind the Rise

What does it take to build a career that spans decades, earns a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and still feels as alive today as it did in 1982? Richard Blade knows. He didn't just play the music of the 1980s — he lived it alongside the people who made it. From DJing private events for Michael Jackson and Barbra Streisand, to deep personal friendships with the artists who defined new wave...

Most people think storytelling is about structure. But the stories people actually remember usually come from something deeper: identity, risk, truth, and perspective. I sat down with Glynn Washington, creator and host of Snap Judgment, to talk about what makes stories land — and why finding your voice matters more than copying what already works. We also got into: • The experiences that shaped ho...

Most people start. Very few last. Mike Glick has built winning basketball programs for over 30 years—earning more than 600 career wins along the way. In this episode of Behind the Rise, we go past the record and get into what actually creates sustained success. We talk about: The standard he sets in every program What most teams get wrong about winning The reality of coaching for decades without b...

Michael Webb and Robert Snell aren't waiting to graduate. They're building right now. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with the co-founders of ClearingBay — two technical founders balancing engineering, school, and the real-world pressure of building something from scratch at the same time. We get into how ClearingBay started, what the co-founder dynamic actually looks like d...

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 he took, and what didn’t go as planned. This isn’t a polished success story. It’s the reality of starting from zero and figuring things out as you go. If you’re thinking about starti...

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 sit down with Jose — international business advisor at Briggs Capital — to get into what the telecom boom of the 1990s actually looked like from the inside, how to tell the diffe...

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 entrepreneurs, artists, and rights-holders navigating major revenue spikes — to get into what most founders get wrong after a big payout, why revenue doesn't equal security, and...

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 Sings & Plays — to get into what it really takes to build something meaningful from the ground up. We talk about growing a local brand rooted in creativity and education, the c...

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 challenge the way most people think about school, careers, and what actually leads to success. We get into why in-demand skills beat degrees in today's market, how to leverage yo...

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 Spikeball — to get into the real story behind one of the most recognizable brands in recreational sports. We cover the moment Spikeball stopped being just a game and became a real bus...

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 quickly while staying focused on the right problems. We talk about product thinking, moving fast without burning out, and what early-stage founders consistently get wrong ab...

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 Kleiner Perkins — to get into what relentless building actually looks like in practice. We talk about experimentation, shipping imperfect work, and why momentum beats o...

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 lead a company long after the excitement of starting it wears off. We talk about accountability, decision-making under pressure, building teams that last, and why longevity...

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 product when you refuse to cut corners. We talk about the discipline behind the brand, why doing things differently is the hardest part of building something great, and how con...

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 motivational phrase, but as a daily practice. We talk about consistency, showing up when it's not glamorous, and how genuine passion for your craft creates fulfillment that...

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 think differently under pressure. We cover decision-making, calculated risk, learning on the fly, and what it actually takes to lead a company when every day brings a problem yo...

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 AI, but how and why. We get into how AI is reshaping learning, work, and decision-making, and why being thoughtful about the technology you adopt matters more than just keeping up...

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 into what young entrepreneurs consistently get wrong about money, the early decisions that quietly derail people before they ever realize it, and why building real wealth i...

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 into what real leadership actually looks like when you strip away the scoreboard. We get into discipline, accountability, developing character over talent, and what it means to invest...

Tahnoon M. is a 3x founder and a charted punk artist. That combination tells you everything about how he thinks. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Tahnoon — partner at Grey Sheep Ventures — to get into what building multiple companies actually taught him about focus and execution, how he balances entrepreneurship with creative expression, and why global perspective shapes his dec...

Talent gets you started. Discipline is what keeps you going. Greg Wong learned that the hard way. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Greg — a retired senior executive in technology and finance — to get the perspective most young founders never have access to. The mistakes he made early, what he'd do differently starting out today, and why discipline outlasts talent, intelligen...

Forty years. One principle that never wavered — people are the culture. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Steve Leonard to get into what it actually takes to keep a business thriving for nearly four decades. Not the equipment, not the buildings — the people behind it all. We get into how Steve built a company on relationships and trust, why investing in your team is the highest-r...

Rob Herold calls it the "chicken selling business." Don't let that fool you. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Rob, owner-operator of Chick-fil-A in Bowie, Maryland, to get into what it actually takes to run one of the area's most successful locations — the leadership principles behind his team, the lessons that decades in the restaurant industry taught him, and...

Most people never get a look inside how the Department of Defense actually operates. Grady Banister gave us one. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Grady — Director of DISA's PEO Transport and DISN Resiliency programs — to get into what it takes to lead at that level, how he builds and maintains critical communication infrastructure, and the leadership lessons that only come f...

Jay Wilen could have just been a financial advisor. He chose to be a lot more than that. In this episode of Behind the Rise, I sit down with Jay to get into how his upbringing shaped his leadership style, what drove him to found Troop 1214 and 804, and what mentorship actually looks like when you commit to it for the long haul. We get into the intersection of entrepreneurship, community building,...