Escaping the Drift with John Gafford

On this episode of Escaping the Drift, we sit down with Dr. Robb Kelly: former Abbey Road session musician, PhD in psychology from Oxford, and the man often called the Gordon Ramsay of the addiction world. Before becoming one of the most sought after addiction specialists in the country, Robb played bass alongside Bowie, Queen, and Elton John, then watched it all disappear into a two bottle a day...

On this episode of Escaping the Drift, we sit down with Dr. Forbes Riley: the woman called the Queen of Pitch, host of over 197 national infomercials, two-time TEDx speaker, and the inventor behind the Spin Gym who has personally sold over 2.5 billion dollars worth of products on television. Before becoming one of the most coached pitch experts in the world with over 100,000 entrepreneurs in her p...

On this episode of Escaping the Drift, we sit down with David Royce: founder of Aptiv, EY National Entrepreneur of the Year, and the man who turned a college summer job spraying for bugs into a nine figure exit to private equity. Before selling Aptiv for a number that made hundreds of his employees six and seven figure earners, David was a broke BYU finance student who sold zero pest control contr...

On this episode of Escaping the Drift, we sit down with Scott Martin: cybersecurity advisor to Fortune 500 companies, founder of golf apparel brand Scooter Martini, and a guy currently in the middle of building something from scratch in real time. Most podcast guests come on after they've crossed the finish line. Scott is still in the race. About 18 months ago he and his wife sketched out a golf b...

On this episode of Escaping the Drift, we sit down with Kevin Trudeau: legendary infomercial pioneer, bestselling author of Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About, and the man behind over $480 million in Mega Memory sales and 50 million books sold worldwide. Before becoming the most recognized infomercial figure in television history, Kevin built one of the most successful direct response...

On this episode of Escaping the Drift, we sit down with Tamara Thompson: entrepreneur, founder of Broadcast Your Authority, and a powerful voice on transformation and resilience. Before building a business that helps top entrepreneurs scale their influence, Tamara faced a deeply personal battle. After a traumatic accident and a painful breakup, she found herself spiraling into alcoholism, hiding h...

On this episode of Escaping the Drift, we sit down with Suzy Batiz: founder of Pourri and Supernatural, who turned multiple bankruptcies, personal trauma, and years of chaotic hustling into a $150M+ brand built on intuition, authenticity, and relentless execution. Suzy opens up about her early life—filing for bankruptcy by 20, raising three kids while bouncing between hustles, and chasing success...

On this episode of Escaping the Drift, we sit down with Linda Kim: entrepreneur and Airbnb arbitrage expert who turned a bold $35,000 investment into a thriving seven-figure business. After walking away from an unfulfilling relationship and a traditional 9-to-5 career in tech, Linda shares how she rebuilt her life from the ground up: taking massive action, trusting her instincts, and going all-in...

On this episode of Escaping the Drift, we sit down with Shane Seo—real estate investor, fund manager, and entrepreneur behind multi-million-dollar portfolios spanning hundreds of single-family homes, apartment units, and commercial assets. As the founder of Elite Capital Management and Seo Capital Management, Shane shares the strategies, discipline, and vision that helped him scale in a competitiv...

In this episode, John Gafford sits down with Leo Climaco to discuss the mindset, discipline, and leadership principles required to build success in business and in life. Leo shares his journey, the lessons he’s learned through entrepreneurship, and the standards he holds himself to when it comes to growth, leadership, and personal accountability. From developing a strong work ethic to navigating c...

In this episode, we dive into the mindset, discipline, and strategy required to build a high-performance life and business. Paul Larache shares powerful insights on leadership, personal development, and the habits that separate average performers from those who operate at an elite level. From lessons learned through years of coaching, business building, and pushing personal limits, Paul breaks dow...

In this episode, we dive deep into what it really takes to build a business that gives you freedom, income, and control over your time. Ryan Lee shares powerful insights on entrepreneurship, personal growth, and the mindset shifts required to succeed in today’s digital world. From lessons learned through years of experience to practical strategies you can start applying today, this conversation un...

Shawn Antonio is a life coach, author, and former nightlife impresario who built one of the top events companies in Los Angeles before a life-altering accident forced him to rebuild everything from the ground up. After spending over a hundred days in jail following a tragic motorcycle collision, Shawn faced depression, public scrutiny, and the collapse of the identity he had spent decades creating...

Harry Massey is an inventor, systems thinker, and health futurist. After a series of traumatic accidents left him bedridden for nearly a decade, he dedicated his life to understanding the physics of health. This led to his pioneering work in bioenergetics and the founding of NES Health. In this episode of Escaping the Drift, John Gafford talks to Harry about the intersection of physics and biology...

Evan Marks was a successful Wall Street trader and portfolio manager for 25 years. Despite his financial success, the constant pressure led to a major mental health crisis at age 46, which he initially mistook for a heart attack. This event became the catalyst for his professional pivot and the founding of the M1 Performance Group. In this episode of Escaping the Drift, John Gafford talks to Evan...

David Grau Sr. spent years as a securities regulator and attorney before founding a successful consulting firm for financial advisors. In this interview, he breaks down the "Founders Treadmill"—the trap where an entrepreneur becomes the bottleneck of their own company, making it impossible to scale or exit. In this episode of Escaping the Drift, John Gafford and David discuss the psychological shi...

Sean Callagy went from being a Division 1 athlete to losing his sight entirely by age 40 due to Retinitis Pigmentosa. Rather than letting his blindness define him, he used it as a catalyst to build a massive law firm and now, a revolutionary AI company, Act I, which aims to be the "integrity operating system" for the future. In this episode, John Gafford sits down with Sean to discuss the emotiona...

Aaron Day transitioned from a high-level role at Canva to becoming the CEO of Amaze, a company valued at several million dollars that is fundamentally changing how creators sell online. By embedding e-commerce directly into platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, he is helping creators bypass the "SEO hell" of traditional retail. In this episode of Escaping the Drift, John Gafford talks to...

Cody Ash grew up in a tiny town in Kentucky where the most exciting thing to do was play baseball or get into trouble. Today, he travels the world on private jets playing sold-out stadiums as the drummer for country-rap superstar Jelly Roll. In this episode of Escaping the Drift, John Gafford sits down with Cody to hear the wild story of his rise to the top. From driving 14 hours to New York City...

Mike Feazel built one of the largest roof replacement companies in America, scaling it to $60 million in revenue before selling it 13 years ago. But instead of retiring to an island, he saw a massive problem in the industry and decided to disrupt it all over again with Roof Maxx. In this episode of Escaping the Drift, John Gafford talks with Mike about the journey from a small farm in Ohio to beco...

Dr. Cali Estes was an aspiring FBI agent until a meltdown involving cake on the floor led her down a path of addiction to diet pills, speed, and chaos. Today, she is known as "The Female Dr. Drew," helping celebrities, executives, and high-performers break free from addiction without hitting rock bottom. In this episode of Escaping the Drift, John Gafford sits down with Dr. Cali to discuss the hid...

Brant Pinvidic has sold over 100 TV shows and movie projects to every major network in Hollywood. But one day, while standing in the lobby of MTV, he realized he hated the industry he had conquered. In this episode of Escaping the Drift, John Gafford talks with the legendary producer and author of The 3-Minute Rule about exactly how to simplify your message to close any deal. Brant shares the terr...

At just 7 years old, Hannah Hammond was told her family couldn't afford a McFlurry. That single moment of scarcity sparked a fire that would lead her to become a millionaire by age 25. In this episode of Escaping the Drift, John Gafford sits down with Hannah to break down exactly how she went from an insecure "ugly duckling" to a powerhouse entrepreneur with her own national finance and real estat...

Alex Smereczniak is a serial entrepreneur and the co founder and CEO of Franzy, a platform reshaping how entrepreneurs discover and acquire franchise businesses. Franzy was built to remove the opacity and friction that traditionally plague franchising, giving founders real clarity, tools, and support to make smarter decisions. Alex’s work centers on enabling ownership and helping people bet on the...

Brian Galke, known as The Decoding Detective, is a master of interpersonal communication and a tactical keynote speaker who helps people see what others miss. His path to success was not linear. After battling social anxiety early in life, Brian transformed that challenge into a competitive advantage, rising through demanding retail and service environments to ultimately manage a forty million dol...