Burning The Ships

In today’s episode, I share how reading Jesse Cole’s book Fans First , the story behind the meteoric rise of the Savannah Bananas, impacted not just how I see entertainment, but how I want to run my business. From a struggling summer league baseball team with fewer than 100 fans in the stands, to selling out stadiums nationwide with waitlists longer than a Taylor Swift concert, the Bananas’ succes...

In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Tim Blodgett, entrepreneur, consultant, and culture-builder who has been helping businesses scale by focusing on their people and their process. Tim shares his story of growing companies through operational clarity, why leadership is about listening before speaking, and how faith and perseverance have carried him through the toughest moments. W...

In this week’s ramble, I dive into a personal realization I’ve had about what it truly means to “reset.” For years, I treated vacations as a hard stop—a complete separation from business and responsibility. But after two back-to-back trips with my family and my wife, I’ve come to see that work and relaxation don’t need to live in separate worlds. In this episode, I talk about the importance of res...

This week on Burning the Ships , I’m doing something a little different—a completely unscripted solo episode. No guest interviews, no pre-planned ramble, just me answering real questions from friends about leadership, positivity, marriage, fatherhood, and life. These are the kinds of questions I’d usually ask my guests, but today, I’m in the hot seat. I open up about where my “annoyingly positive”...

In this Weekly Ramble, I’m diving deep into the last of the five core traits I believe every entrepreneur (and honestly, every person) needs—patience. And I’ll be real with you: it’s the one I’ve struggled with the most. From my early sales career where success came fast, to building our lending company from scratch and grinding through 15 months of slow growth before hitting hockey-stick momentum...

In this episode of Burning the Ships , I sit down with Fadi G. Boumitri, the co-founder and CEO of Revolution Media Group and executive producer behind some of the world’s most recognizable brands—including Formula 1, UFC, Red Bull, and Monster Energy. From humble beginnings in Lebanon to building a media empire in the U.S., Fadi’s story is a powerful reminder that success is never overnight. We t...

In this Weekly Ramble of Burning the Ships, I dive into five foundational traits that every entrepreneur needs to start and sustain a business. These aren’t marketing hacks or funnel tricks. They’re the internal drivers that actually make or break your journey as a founder. These traits were the bedrock of how we built 608B Capital Funding from scratch after leaving corporate life and they’re the...

In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sat down with Callie Loewen—entrepreneur, investor, and licensed broker—whose journey from speech-language pathologist to real estate powerhouse is the definition of what this show is all about. Callie shares the exact moment she realized her stable career path couldn’t offer the life she truly wanted, the steps she took to replace her income through real es...

In this solo episode of Burning the Ships, I dig deep into a topic that impacts every part of your life, business, and legacy—reputation. Whether you’re growing a brand, building a company, raising a family, or simply trying to be someone others can count on, your reputation is one of the few things in life you have complete agency over. I talk candidly about what it really means to earn trust, ho...

This week on Burning the Ships, I sit down with Dan Peterson, a licensed clinical professional counselor, parent coach, and founder of Compass 4 Life—a coaching program built around helping parents better connect with and guide their children, especially those who are wired a little differently. Dan spent decades in the mental health space before realizing that most traditional models were uninten...

We’ve officially hit the halfway point of the year, and in this episode, I’m doing something I’ve never skipped—pulling back the curtain and walking you through a transparent check-in on my 2025 goals. From our $20M lending volume target at 608B Capital to my personal mission to bench press 315 pounds, I’m sharing what’s working, what isn’t, and what I’ve had to let go. I’m also talking about the...

In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with my good friend and powerhouse communicator, Trevor B. West, the CEO of Hive Community Investments, Air Force veteran, speaker, and event MC. We dive into Trevor’s wild ride from military intelligence operator to 73-unit real estate investor, his transformation through faith, and his ability to dominate stages and living rooms alike with one unm...

In this heartwarming and hilarious edition of Burning the Ships, I bring on my youngest guest ever—my son, JJ! At just nine years old, he’s already got opinions, jokes, favorite planets, a killer memory for world flags, and some serious thoughts on life, family, and why sharks are cooler than orcas. What started as a casual father-son moment turned into a deeply meaningful conversation about curio...

In this high-energy, deeply personal episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with real estate hustler and lifelong Smithfield native, Brandon Privette. From chasing deer in the woods to chasing deals in real estate, Brandon’s story is a masterclass in hustle, grit, and finding purpose. We talk about how his entrepreneurial journey mirrors his passion for hunting, how he battled through personal a...

In this special recap episode of Burning the Ships, I’m sharing my takeaways from the recent Legacy Family Summit in Napa Valley, CA—a real estate mastermind packed with insight, connection, and serious growth. I walk you through what went down over the course of the event and how the relationships, roundtable wisdom, and shared experiences have shaped my journey since joining the community three...

In this heartfelt and wisdom-packed episode of Burning the Ships, I finally sit down with someone I call my most-referenced guest of all time: Kelli Garrett — entrepreneur, private lender, mentor, and former college basketball legend. Kelli shares her remarkable journey from UPS corporate manager to real estate mogul, and how building a $400M lending business from scratch was never about just the...

In this week’s solo episode of Burning the Ships, I’m unpacking one of the biggest mindset shifts in my leadership journey: learning to lead from strength. I break down how a single book—StrengthsFinder—radically reshaped how I manage teams, build company culture, and even how I operate day to day. This episode is for the entrepreneurs, coaches, and leaders who are tired of wasting energy on weakn...

In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with one of Virginia’s most connected and knowledgeable investor-lending pros—Lindy Pond. If you’re in the Richmond or Hampton Roads area and in real estate, chances are you’ve heard Lindy’s name. She’s more than just a lender—she’s a connector, a motivator, a mom, and a powerhouse of knowledge who gives economic updates that actually matter. We tal...

In this episode, I’m taking you all the way back to the beginning—before flips, rentals, and lending businesses, and when real estate wasn’t a career, it was a mission. I break down how a single-wide trailer, a piece of advice from my grandmother, and a relentless desire to own land in my hometown sparked a journey that would lead to building our dream home, stacking equity, and eventually going a...

In this powerhouse episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with my buddy Loren Wernette—husband, father of four, and founder of a rapidly growing hard money lending business in North Carolina. Loren shares how a health scare sparked a radical transformation, not only in his wellness journey but also in his professional path from a W-2 ladder climber to full-time entrepreneur. We dive into his evo...

In this heartfelt episode of Burning the Ships, I’m sharing the story of a life-changing father-daughter retreat that Emma and I took to Utah. From conquering cross-country travel anxiety to bonding over unexpected adventures in Las Vegas and the red rock deserts of St. George, I reflect on what it means to lead, love, and learn as a father. This isn’t just about a trip—it’s about intentionally cr...

In this deeply personal and long-awaited episode, I finally convinced my wife, Kati Seward, to sit down and share her side of the journey. From supporting me through my career leap to growing into her own as a passionate educator and dedicated mom, Kati opens up about anxiety, parenting, faith, marriage, and what it truly means to be the partner behind the dream. You’ve heard me talk about mindset...

In this week’s Burning the Ships, I talk about one of the most underrated superpowers in life, business, relationships, and health: consistency. From the early days of building this podcast and putting out videos no one was watching, to conversations with people who say they can’t open Instagram without seeing my face, I unpack how staying consistent even when it’s uncomfortable leads to real, las...

In this week’s episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Justin Cook—insurance agency leader, high-performance coach, and now author of the brand new book Freedom Beyond Wealth. Justin shares his journey from 20 years in the insurance industry to coaching high-achievers on how to build a life of time freedom, intentionality, and purpose beyond just the grind for more money. We dive into his pe...

In this Weekly Ramble, I dive into a topic that’s been changing my life over the past year—disconnecting intentionally. I’m not just talking about taking a vacation or turning off notifications. I’m talking about leaving the phone behind for hours, even days at a time, and the surprising mental clarity and connection that comes with it. I share personal stories from the last year, the challenges o...