Fireside Chat Series

Mitch Rice, CEO of Commercial Capital, joins Jesse Johnson on this week’s Fireside Chats with Jesse. In this episode, Mitch shares the story of Commercial Capital, a second-generation, family-owned equipment finance company based in Lenexa, Kansas. Mitch talks about growing up around the business, joining the company after college, learning the industry from the ground up, and helping lead Commerc...

Dominic Janney, President of Canon Financial Services, joins Jesse Johnson on this week’s Fireside Chats with Jesse. In this episode, Dominic shares his career journey through the equipment leasing and equipment finance industry, from getting his start at Advanta Leasing to helping build Marlin Leasing, and now leading Canon Financial Services. Dominic and Jesse discuss the importance of relations...

Manny Yosipov, CEO of Advanced Recovery Group, joins Jesse Johnson on this week’s Fireside Chats with Jesse to talk about commercial collections, entrepreneurship, leadership, and the role recovery services play in the broader finance ecosystem. In this episode, Manny shares his path from finance and healthcare into building Advanced Recovery Group, a commercial collections company serving multipl...

Arvind Cadambi, Vice President of Lion Technology Finance, joins Jesse Johnson on this week’s Fireside Chats with Jesse to talk about equipment finance, vendor programs, technology financing, entrepreneurship, and the importance of relationships in growing a finance company. In this episode, Arvind shares how he entered the equipment finance industry in 2006, built experience in IT leasing and ven...

Subscribe to Fireside Chats with Jesse on Soundwise

Jonathan Hibma, CEO and Managing Partner of EFFI Finance, joins Jesse Johnson on this week’s Fireside Chats with Jesse. In this episode, Jonathan shares his journey into equipment finance, from starting college in economics and biochemistry to finding his way into the business side of healthcare, finance, leasing, and eventually equipment finance. Jonathan talks about the early lessons that shaped...

Joe Applegate, Senior Vice President and third-generation family member at TimeValue Software, joins Jesse Johnson on this week’s Fireside Chats with Jesse. In this episode, Joe shares the story behind TimeValue Software, the evolution of T-Value, and how a tool that many people in equipment finance rely on every day has continued to adapt over time. Joe talks about how TimeValue Software started,...

Tamarack Joins Liventus: What It Means for Equipment Finance Technology YouTube Description Dan Levin, President and Co-Founder of Liventus, and Mitch Peterson, Director of Equipment Finance Business Unit at Liventus, join Jesse Johnson on this week’s Fireside Chats with Jesse. In this episode, Dan and Mitch discuss the recent acquisition of Tamarack by Liventus and what it means for the equipment...

In this episode of Fireside Chats with Jesse, Jesse Johnson sat down with Steven Robbins of Flagstar Financial & Leasing to discuss asset management, equipment finance leadership, and the broader trends shaping the Equipment Finance Industry. Steven shared his career journey into equipment finance and talked through the role asset management plays in today’s market. The conversation covered equipm...

Josh Power of Golden Capital joins Jesse Johnson on this week’s Fireside Chats with Jesse. In this episode, Josh shares his path into equipment finance, what it took to launch Golden Capital, and why relationships, hustle, and showing up still matter in a business being reshaped by AI. Josh brings a great mix of energy, honesty, and perspective as he talks about building a company from the ground...

In this episode of Fireside Chats with Jesse, Jesse Johnson sits down with John Gougeon, President of UniFi Equipment Finance, for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, growth, culture, and the long-term strength of the equipment finance industry. John shares his career journey across Lease First, Heller Financial, GE Capital, U.S. Express Leasing, Bank of America, SLR Equipment Finance, and no...

In this episode of Fireside Chats with Jesse, I sit down with Brian Noble, President & CEO of Asset Compliance Solutions (ACS), to talk about the realities behind asset recovery, compliance, and risk in the equipment finance industry. Brian shares how ACS supports lenders and leasing companies through asset management, recovery strategies, and compliance oversight, along with real-world insights f...

In this episode of Fireside Chats with Jesse, Jesse Johnson sits down with Allison “Ally” Gale, Vice President at the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA). Ally recently stepped into her new leadership role at ELFA and joins the conversation to share her career journey, perspective on industry advocacy, and the important role associations play in supporting the equipment finance commun...

RJ Grimshaw, known as The AI CEO, joins me again for a candid conversation about artificial intelligence and how it’s actually being used inside real businesses. This isn’t theory. We talk about practical application. We discuss how I’m using AI within Consult Disrupt and Equipment Finance Cares, particularly around proposals, documentation, structured thinking, and improving workflow efficiency....

Anthony Trollope, President of Foresight Marketing Agency, joins me to discuss marketing strategy, industry positioning, and what growth really looks like in equipment finance. Anthony took over a legacy PR and marketing agency deeply rooted in the equipment finance industry and has since been building on that foundation with a modern performance marketing approach. We discuss: • Acquiring and evo...

Billy Quinn, Managing Director of Codex, joins me on this week’s Fireside Chats with Jesse to talk about his journey from software developer to nearly 30 years in lending and financial technology. Billy’s path started in development, moved into loans, and evolved into leading a technology-focused organization serving the lending space. We discuss how technical roots shape leadership, how lending h...

In this episode of Fireside Chats with Jesse, I’m joined by Erik Anderson of Northland Capital, where we talk about career longevity, leadership, and the kind of company culture that keeps people committed for the long haul. Erik shares insight into: His career path in equipment finance and lessons learned along the way Why Northland’s culture is built around trust, consistency, and people first l...

🎙 Fireside Chats with Jesse | Kris Darby, SVP of Operations at Western Equipment Finance In this episode of Fireside Chats with Jesse, I’m joined by Kris Darby, SVP of Operations at Western Equipment Finance, for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, culture, and operational discipline in equipment finance. Kris shares her background, her role at Western Equipment Finance, and how strong values...

🎙 Fireside Chats with Jesse | Barry Ripes of PayNet In this episode of Fireside Chats with Jesse, I’m joined by Barry Ripes of PayNet for a wide-ranging and honest conversation about building companies, navigating growth, and lessons learned from decades in equipment finance and data-driven decisioning. Barry shares his career path, how PayNet was built from the early days into a platform many in...

🎙 Fireside Chats with Jesse | Nate Petrie, Head of North American Sales at Kin Analytics In this episode of Fireside Chats with Jesse, I’m joined by Nate Petrie, Head of North American Sales at Kin Analytics, for an honest and practical conversation about data, credit insight, and how analytics is shaping better decision-making across equipment finance. Nate shares his background, how Kin Analytic...

From Strategy to Equipment Finance: A Fireside Chat with Nicole Toracco Description: In this Fireside Chat, Jesse Johnson sits down with Nicol to talk through her journey into the equipment finance industry, the strategic mindset she brings from her background, and what she’s learned along the way working inside both large organizations and growth-focused platforms. The conversation covers: Nicol’...

Subscribe to Fireside Chats with Jesse on Soundwise

🔥 Fireside Chat | Experience, Perspective, and Building for the Long Term In this Fireside Chat, we sit down with Bradley for an honest, unscripted conversation about what it really takes to build a business and stay grounded over time. This isn’t about hype or quick wins. It’s about experience, patience, and the lessons that only come from years in the industry. Topics we discuss include: Buildi...

🔥 Fireside Chat | Slowing Down, Leading Well, and Creating Space for What Matters In this Fireside Chat, we don’t rush to answers—we create space for reflection. This conversation explores what it looks like to slow down in a world that constantly pushes speed, noise, and certainty. We talk candidly about leadership, intention, personal growth, and the importance of being present—not just product...

🔥 Fireside Chat with Dana Galvin | Relationships, Resilience & Equipment Finance In this Fireside Chat, Jesse Johnson sits down with Dana Galvin for a candid conversation about leadership, relationship-driven growth, and what it takes to navigate equipment finance through changing markets. This discussion goes beyond rates and transactions. It’s about people, perspective, and building trust that...