Fireside America with Ryan Robbins

Sean Grevy is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, impact investor and most notably, the CEO of 43 Oak Advertising. His agency has dominated the advertising game across the Tri-State area, from the airwaves of radio to the airspace that billboards of Eat Clean Bro, Pond LeHockey and others command. Sean has a captivating story and a relentless self-belief that has allowed him to continually bet on him...

Mia and Carla Jung are South Jersey natives and two of the most dynamic women in healthcare! These powerful twin sisters joined me fireside for a beautiful evening of conversation, sharing stories from childhood, through college at Villanova and Columbia, to their prominent positions in healthcare and finance today. A Talent Partner on the Healthcare team at WCAS, Mia focuses on executive talent s...

Matt Rega is a serial entrepreneur based out of Monmouth County, New Jersey, with ventures including the Beach Shack Deli, Straw Dock (https://strawdock.com/) and a budding boutique marketing agency. A former NCAA D1 wrestler, Matt brings a relentless grit to business and a passion for community, which was amplified after locals rallied around his business and countless others at the Jersey Shore...

Paul Altero is a New Jersey Native and the co-founder of Bubbakoo’s Burritos.  Along with his partner, Bill Hart, Bubbakoo’s has grown into a nationwide brand, with more than 100 locations and a goal of 250 within five years.  A former fellow Point Pleasant resident, Paul joined me at the pit in his return to New Jersey after moving to Naples, Florida with his wife and two daughters.  We discussed...

Tobias is a professional eater, drinker and one of the most prolific partiers in America.  He is ALSO a highly intelligent, strategic and dedicated entrepreneur, with a self-produced show “Tobias Eats” available on Apple TV!  Tobias joined me fireside on a calm, autumn night, and the pit would never be the same!  Bourbon, beers from local breweries and some of my favorite cigars were shared, as we...

Chef James Avery worked his way from a pizza delivery boy to sous-chef, under the tutelage of iconic chefs including David Burke and Gordon Ramsay. In 2010, James jumped on a TV opportunity to work on the culinary production team for Gordon Ramsay’s hit FOX television show “Kitchen Nightmares.”  CJA stayed on as a Consulting Chef for one of the show’s renovated New Jersey restaurants before making...

Melina Bradley is the daughter of immigrants and one of the top Realtors in the greater Jersey Shore region. A trained opera singer, Melina traveled the world pursuing music, living multiple states and nations before ultimately settling in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. In a few short years, Melina has built a real estate machine that sells tens of millions of dollars in real estate per year, and...

Matt Cangialosi is the co-owner of Jersey Freeze, founded in 1952 by the Blackmore family before being purchased by Matt and his partner Katie DiNonno in 2014.  Matt is a retired police officer who rose through the ranks for 10 years before taking the dive into entrepreneurship with CKO Kickboxing and Jersey Freeze.  A community staple, Jersey Freeze is heavily involved in local organizations and...

AJ Adamczyk is the founder of Thrive Spine and Sports Rehab as well as Electro-Acupuncture Medicine. Our first ever repeat guest, AJ swung by The Pit to discuss the opening of Thrive's new state-of-the-art facility in Belmar, New Jersey, as well as the meteoric rise and success of his online business, Electro-Acupuncture Medicine. While AJ is one of the most accomplished individuals in the acupunc...

Sean DeDeyn is the co-founder and managing partner of The Axel Group, one of New Jersey's top staffing firms for environmental, architecture, construction, engineering, accounting, finance and marketing placement services.  A former Division 1 wrestler at Rutgers University, Sean brings a dialed-in approach to entrepreneurship and operates the agency as a true team.  He swung by The Pit to share h...

Steve Cortopassi is a serial entrepreneur with a decorated portfolio of work.  He built a successful careers in the mortgage industry, before moving on to a hedge fund which he ultimately left to open a CKO Kickboxing franchise.  Since then, Steve has opened multiple gym locations, expanded his holdings with Lukoil gas stations, and is a boots-on-the-ground owner of So Fresh So Clean Meal Prep.  S...

Andrew Zihmer is the Vice President and Lead Strategist at the Zihmer Law Firm, alongside his co-founder wife, Tracy. Andrew and I were connected through Sean Whalen's coaching group "The Lion's Den" and have bonded over our love of freedom, business and reaching back to pull others up. Andrew made the drive from Pittsburgh, PA to the Jersey Shore to be our first out-of-state guest, so we had to r...

Joe Hughes is the founder and team leader at Contractor Dynamics, the roofing industry's top marketing training company. After spending over a decade in construction, Joe founded Contractor Dynamics in 2013 to help builders, contractors and related professionals grow their businesses strategically by leveraging the Internet.  He's a local guy with a powerful business that spans 40+ states, and was...

Chris DeCresce is the owner and operator of Fratello's Italian Restaurant & Lounge in Sea Girt, New Jersey.  Chris brings decades of success to the table as a restaurateur, getting his start with his purchase of the Sand Bar in Brielle.  We discussed the not overextending yourself in tumultuous times (like today), marketing in the 90’s versus 2022, advice for blue collar workers looking to generat...

Leslie Konsig is a senior representative at Federated Mutual Insurance Company, based out of Monmouth County, New Jersey.  She specializes in business insurance, life and disability income, and is one of the most savage "intrapreneurs" in my circle.  Leslie came fireside to talk college sports, working with blue collar clientele, the new American Dream, and why you should interview the spouse befo...

Basil Iwanyk is a Jersey Shore native and the founder of Thunder Road Films, most known for producing the John Wick Franchise, Sicario, The Town, Greenland and MANY more blockbusters. Basil was a standout basketball player for Christian Brothers Academy before heading to Villanova, where he would lay the groundwork for a career in law, but ultimately decided to pursue a career in film. After inter...

Early release for the AM grinders!  YouTube link drops in the afternoon. Mike Timpani is the owner and operator of the Timpani Home Inspection Group, based out of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Mike is a hustler with a heart of gold who left his lucrative-but-suffocating job on the turnpike to build a life that would allow him more time with family. He swung by the pit to discuss dropping out of col...

Giana Zabriski is the owner of Cella Gold, a "live + lounge" clothing boutique based out of Toms River, New Jersey. Giana is a savvy entrepreneur who leveraged a personal finance blog she built in the early 2010's for the launch of Cella Gold, which has grown to six-figure revenues in just a few short years. Her realness and embrace of failure is refreshing in a world of faking it until you make i...

Bill Duerr is the president and second-generation operator of Jersey Shore-based Hatteras, a world class printing company with clients Calvin Klein, BMW, Armani L’Oreal, Verizon and more. We visited their sprawling Tinton Falls complex prior to recording for a tour of operations and met a few of the 300+ employees along the way, including Bill’s father Charlie, who founded Hatteras in 1983. Bill h...

Emma Lipnicky is the President and CEO of Liv Like A Unicorn, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded by and in memory of her daughter, Olivia, who courageously battled stage 4 cancer and brought to life a movement that supports families and children, while funding a cure for cancer. When Olivia was diagnosed with cancer, her first concern was helping other kids affected by the same d...

Tom White is the founder and owner of Talent Plus Staffing, a leading recruitment firm that provides staffing and administrative solutions for skilled trades. Tom joined me at The Pit on a beautiful spring night to discuss bootstrapping your startup, the importance of a strong network, “starting from zero” each month and balancing both business and quality of life. Oh, and THE BIGGEST news in Fire...

Mike and Dave Manzo are the founders of Atlantic Physical Therapy, a New Jersey-based practice with more than 20 locations, who provides unparalleled care to individuals seeking to recover from injury, restore function and maximize their performance. They swung by The Pit for a high-level conversation that touched on how they financed the early days of the business, plans to take things to the nex...

Trevor West is an up-and-coming real estate entrepreneur, with a powerful story that he is hell bent on not being defined by. Trevor grew up in the trucking industry and grew up fast, navigating an [at times] absent father and financial instability within the family. He was the beta test for my local mentorship program two years ago, and quickly turned his side hustle (real estate) into his main h...

Joe Crescenzo is the third generation owner of Jersey State Controls, a highly successful HVAC and electric company servicing schools, hospitals and other large scale facilities.  He swung by The Pit to discuss how working out first thing in the morning gets him going, how life will change with the arrival of his baby daughter in June, and how he plans to take Jersey State Controls from $15M in re...

Katie Santangelo is the founder and operator of The Monmouth Moms, a resource website for busy parents in Monmouth County that provides instant access to local events, activities, resources, introductions to talented moms, and more. Kate absolutely loves the Jersey Shore community, and is passionate about helping moms find the best Monmouth County schools, pediatricians, shops, and everything in b...