MONEY TALKS with Jesse

Erin Sykes is the founder of SYKES Properties, a real estate firm serving Florida, New York, and New Jersey. She is also a frequent business news contributor and real estate analyst for CNBC, FOX Business News, TODAY, CNN, NBC Nightly News, Bloomberg, and Forbes. TIMESTAMP: [00:01:11] Founding a real estate firm. [00:01:45] The housing crisis. [00:03:19] Housing affordability. [00:04:24] Mortgage...

Chandler Bolt is the founder & CEO of SelfPublishing.com,  the #1 online resource for writing, self-publishing and marketing books online. He built one of America's fastest-growing private companies, scaling it from $0 to $75M+. He is also the author of 7 bestselling books, including his most recent, titled “Published.” TIMESTAMP: [00:01:01] Getting into the publishing industry. [00:01:30] Fir...

Lil Rich is an artist, producer, songwriter, and engineer. He's worked with a number of A-list artists, including Big Sean, BIA, Doja Cat, YG, DaBaby, and more. In 2021, he pivoted from producer to solo artist, releasing his trilogy of albums: "It's Purple at Midnite" (2021), "hyperviolet" (2024), and now his forthcoming album "Indigo Child" (2026). TIMESTAMP:...

Johnny VanCora is the Founder of Bread By Johnny. What started as a door to door bread business at age 14, has now grown into one of Florida's most celebrated artisan bakeries, with locations in Jupiter and West Palm Beach. Bread By Johnny supplies some of the most prestigious establishments in the country, including The Breakers Palm Beach and Buccan Sandwich Shop. TIMESTAMP: [00:01:06] Start...

Holly Meyer Lucas is a nationally acclaimed speaker and serial entrepreneur. She founded The Meyer Lucas Real Estate Team, which consistently ranks among the top real estate teams in South Florida, with over $1 billion in closed sales. She later launched The Meyer Lucas Companies, a Florida-based portfolio of high-growth ventures, including Hype Boss, The Mother Ship, Real Estating, The Chief Code...

Gordon Crane is the founder of Apple & Eve, a premium all-natural juice brand. He spent 40+ years building it into the largest privately owned juice company in the United States, generating more than $250 million in annual sales. Under his leadership, Apple & Eve introduced several industry-shaping innovations, including the first unfiltered, natural-style apple juice for supermarkets and...

Cozz is an LA native rapper signed to J. Cole’s Dreamville Records. Since 2013, he's dropped two critically acclaimed studio albums, garnered millions of streams, toured as part of J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive Tour, and collaborated with major artists including Kendrick Lamar, YG, and more. TIMESTAMP: [00:00:56] Early journey with music. [00:03:25] Life changes before & after signing....

Joey Papoutsis is the co-founder of Keel Management and Thirty Knots Records, an artist management company and independent record label. He began managing Louis The Child in 2013 and has since expanded his roster to include artists such as Nicky Youre, Two Feet, It’s Murph, and more. TIMESTAMP: [00:01:03] Breaking into the music industry. [00:03:15] Discovering Louis The Child. [00:04:43] Early da...

Dan Givon is the founder of The Deck People and Shine Window and Eaves Cleaning in Toronto. TIMESTAMP: [00:00:41] Learning to allocate your time. [00:03:00] Focusing on one goal. [00:06:39] Cutting through the noise. [00:07:22] Getting into the home service industry. [00:10:06] Finding a niche in the market. [00:11:35] The evolution of the business. [00:13:22] Scaling a service business. [00:14:07...

Daniel Sohmer is the founder of Sohmers Pizza, one of Toronto’s hottest pizza pop-ups. TIMESTAMP: [00:00:31] Starting Sohmers Pizza. [00:02:13] The business model of Sohmers Pizza. [00:04:07] Start-up costs for launching a food business. [00:04:53] Buying ingredients for a food business. [00:05:50] The costs of making pizza. [00:07:12] Scaling a start-up business. [00:08:25] Breaking into saturate...

Ryan Leslie is a Grammy-nominated recording artist turned tech entrepreneur who built 4 multi-million dollar companies from the ground up, including SuperPhone, a direct text marketing service. A Harvard graduate and seasoned angel investor, Ryan now offers mentorship through WealthPlan, a private community that provides financial education and tools to help members scale their wealth. TIMESTAMP:...

Michelle Battersby is the Co-Founder of Sunroom, an app built for women to safely monetize their unfiltered content through monthly subscriptions and tips. In August 2025, Sunroom was acquired by Fanfix, and Michelle stepped into a new role as President at Peanut, the leading motherhood app. Prior to Sunroom, Michelle was the first employee at Bumble Australia, the seventh employee globally, and t...

LaRussell is a rapper, entrepreneur, and founder of Good Compenny, a Bay Area based nonprofit that provides local creatives with resources, support, and opportunities to showcase their talents and ideas. Since 2018, LaRussell has dropped an astounding 40 albums as an independent artist, using a business model that allows fans to bid on everything from merchandise to concert tickets to royalties to...

Raven Harris is the Founder & CEO of Infinite Acquisitions, a private equity holding company & business acquisitions community. Raven is also the owner of German Auto Specialist and previously served in the United States Air Force. TIMESTAMP: [00:00:52] Joining the military. [00:02:37] The importance of education. [00:03:56] Making money throwing parties. [00:05:32] Investing in real estat...

Ben Sharf is a Co-Founder at Platter, which is a tech-enabled agency that designs and builds Shopify storefronts that convert better, are easier to manage, and cost less to maintain. TIMESTAMP: [00:00:25] What is Platter. [00:00:52] Ben’s entrepreneurial journey. [00:03:34] Raising money for Platter. [00:05:00] The power of storytelling. [00:06:12] The process of raising money. [00:07:41] The misc...

Daniel Allan is an artist/producer/DJ from Louisville, Kentucky. He’s garnered millions of streams, played at festivals like Lollapalooza and EDC, and collaborated with Louis The Child, Mike Posner, The Chainsmokers, and more. TIMESTAMP: [00:00:41] Becoming a full-time artist. [00:02:16] Pivotal early career moments. [00:08:04] Landing a record deal. [00:11:42] The benefits of record labels. [00:1...

Ryan Hashemi is the Founder & CEO at Snowball, an agency that helps scale top brands on Youtube. Prior to launching Snowball, Ryan built Jubilee Media to 14 million subscribers & 5 billion views with his YouTube expertise. TIMESTAMP: [00:01:12] How to make the best piece of content. [00:01:57] Building Jubilee Media. [00:03:25] First successful concept at Jubilee. [00:06:51] Why MrBeast tr...

Scott Lazer is a filmmaker & creative director. He’s collaborated with top artists like J. Cole on music videos and documentary projects. His work has been featured at major film festivals like SXSW and on platforms like HBO. He’s also worked in commercial filmmaking for brands like Google and Spotify. TIMESTAMP: [00:00:41] Becoming a creative director & filmmaker. [00:04:29] Making money...

Kevin Chen is the Co-Founder & CEO of iRESTORE. iRESTORE fights hair loss and reverses skin aging with FDA-cleared light therapy devices for home-use. TIMESTAMP: [00:00:30] What is iRESTORE. [00:01:37] Coming up with the concept of iRESTORE. [00:04:48] First steps to creating a new product. [00:08:53] Proving that a product works. [00:12:03] Benefits of light therapy. [00:14:32] Current size o...

Jeremiah Davis (ThatOneBlondKid) is a creative director & videographer with 10+ years of experience in the music industry. He’s worked with some of the world’s biggest artists including The Chainsmokers and Justin Bieber. Jeremiah is the founder & chief creative officer of Us Versus Them, a boutique agency that produces creative campaigns for major brands including Disney, Snapchat, Adidas...

Shannon Jean is a founder, author, and co-host of The Business Brain podcast. He’s started 10 businesses, sold 4, and now shares entrepreneurial tips & tricks through his socials & newsletter “The Unconventional Entrepreneur.” TIMESTAMP: [00:01:22] Shannon’s entrepreneurial journey. [00:05:01] First successful business. [00:08:10] Running versus selling companies. [00:10:23] Knowing when t...

Buster Scher is the Founder of Hoops Nation, a basketball media outlet with over 10 million followers across social. He then started The Hobby Letter, a premium newsletter helping people improve their organic social to earn money. Buster is the host of his own podcast “The Buster Show” as well as the celebrity basketball competition series “The Crew League.” TIMESTAMP: [00:00:55] Buster’s entrepre...

After serving in the United States Army, Isaac Wright found solace & purpose in urban exploring & photography, where under the name “Drifter Shoots,” he illegally & clandestinely captured cities from the tops of skyscrapers & bridges around the world. In 2020, Drift’s artwork led to his arrest that resulted in four months of incarceration without bond. His story became a national h...

Steve Cardigan is a Los Angeles based music curator, producer, and DJ. Steve is the founder of PUTYOUON Music Group, a label and music discovery platform, which also puts on AM.RADIO, a monthly get together featuring morning DJ sets at coffee shops in cities across the country. TIMESTAMP: [00:01:07] Getting a career in the music industry. [00:05:44] Landing a job at TH3RD BRAIN. [00:08:20] Making...

Nick Gray, Founder of Museum Hack and author of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party , joins MONEY TALKS with Jesse to chat about his journey to selling two multi-million dollar businesses, making viral videos, and the best tips & tricks to hosting events and networking with billionaires.  TIMESTAMP: [00:01:20] The secrets to hosting an event. [00:02:15] The “NICK” Formula for hosting parties. [00:03:18]...