The Edge Of Excellence Podcast

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt is joined by Andrew Dickinson, as he shares the captivating journey of his life, marked by a blend of failures and triumphs that have shaped his unique perspective on success and personal growth. Emphasizing the importance of embracing failure as a stepping stone to success, Andrew recounts his experiences of financial ups and downs, underscoring...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt is joined by Genevieve Elefante-Sigmund, president of Platinum Storage, as she shares her journey and insights into the real estate industry, emphasizing the importance of personal growth and resilience. Genevieve's philosophy revolves around the joy of the journey rather than the pursuit of material success. She candidly discusses the challenges...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt is joined by Suraj Akotia, who shares his unique journey from aspiring attorney to becoming a multifaceted corporate counsel and Chief Operating Officer. Suraj discusses the importance of maintaining an open mind and the willingness to undertake various roles beyond his legal expertise. His approach to continuous personal and professional growth,...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt is joined by Joe Clavin, a distinguished financial advisor at Primerica, for an engaging conversation about the intricacies of financial planning and personal growth. Joe opens up about his journey, revealing his initial curiosity about money management and his mission to help people at various stages of financial literacy. From discussing the bas...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt is joined by Jed Rothstein, an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker renowned for his skill in transforming real-life stories into compelling narratives that captivate and enlighten audiences worldwide. From his earliest days, Jed's passion for storytelling through film was evident, drawing inspiration from global hotspots, innovative...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt is joined by Lydia Hodgson, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, as she shares her powerful story and insights on mental health, excellence, and personal growth. Opening up about her own struggles with eating disorders and mental health in high school, Lydia emphasizes the importance of discussing mental health openly. Her bravery and openn...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt explores vital life skills and knowledge crucial for people in their twenties. The episode begins with a powerful message about the importance of relationship management, goal setting, and self-awareness, emphasizing that these skills don't come naturally but must be actively developed and practiced. Drawing from his rich experience as an entrepre...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt is joined by Francisco Morales, executive chairman and co-founder of 5.11 Tactical. 5.11 Tactical manufactures and retails their clothing brand all over the world. Francisco shares his transformative journey, emphasizing the power of a paradigm shift and the importance of adopting a growth mindset. From grappling with the notion of self-imposed li...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Robert Halvorsen, co-founder and CTO of Pacto Medical, a medical device company specializing in pre-filled syringes. Robert shares his journey of pursuing excellence, how he gave up a great job to become an entrepreneur, and offers insights and hacks on how to make it work.  He reveals the challenges he faced in middle school, incl...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Benn McCallister, president of Worldwide Golf Shops. Benn recounts his personal journey, emphasizing that he has been involved with golf all his life and that this eventually sparked his deep passion for the sport. He will share how he was initially unsure about joining the family business because he wanted to stand out and make a name...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Erin Bright, a successful entrepreneur and College Works alumni.  As Erin shares her journey, she discusses transitioning from college to entrepreneurship, the challenges of achieving success while balancing family life, and her current return to business. You'll learn why she chose College Works while still working at In-N-Out Bur...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Dean Treister, Managing Director at Sampling International and former professional rugby player. Dean recounts his journey to becoming a professional athlete and shares the pivotal moments that ignited his self-belief. Along the way, he experienced a transformative shift in his mindset prioritizing the team's success over personal growt...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Sean talks with David Boyd, President of QuesTec Mechanical. David was selected for Como Business Times’ issue 20 Under 40 Class of 2023. David reflects on his early days and how he got to where he is today. He originally wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become an engineer, but realized that was not his passion. It was only during his stu...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Vash Tomanec, co-founder and mindset coach at Mindtrepreneur, CEO and founder of Ecomtrack and founder of BullAds. Vash is passionate about building meaningful businesses that bring great value to others. Before attending university in England, Vash grew up in a small town in the Czech Republic, leading a normal life of video games and sp...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Doug Diakite, a real estate investor and managing member at Nationwide Community Revitalization, about providing an affordable path to homeownership. Doug will talk about his career path, from working in sheet metal contracting to becoming a successful real estate investor. He will also delve into his college life experience at UC Santa B...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Sean talks with Orlando Ordonez, a project engineer at Sundt Construction. Orlando grew up in Honduras, where soccer was a big part of his life. His love for soccer opened many doors for him, including scholarships to college. Despite having to work to support his family from the tender age of 12, Orlando persevered and eventually earned a degree in en...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Phong Vo, CEO of Phong Vo Media and host of The Phong Vo Show podcast. During the episode, Phong reveals how he transitioned from his job to a full-time entrepreneur. You'll learn why you should look for internships. He'll talk about finding his personal tribe through College Works and highlight the benefits that came with that. After gra...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, our guest us Nick Niehaus, co-founder, and head trainer of the Business Video School. Nick is passionate about helping professionals learn how to use video in their businesses.  The show opens with Nick explaining his definition of excellence. He also talks about who he was before he came to College  Works and how that experience helped him o...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Jason Bay, founder and CEO of Outbound Squad, a sales coach and trainer for B2B reps and sales teams. Jason had an extremely structured childhood, thanks to his father being a former Marine and his mother, an immigrant from Hong Kong. This contributed to his early success as valedictorian at his high school, as well as his later work with...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Johnny Rhee, founder and chief strategist of Next Door Home Upgrades. Johnny Rhee has over a decade of progressive business experience, including buying a struggling company in his early twenties and growing it into a top-performing business, as well as mentoring numerous executives and entrepreneurs. He believes in aligned values, teamwo...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt chats with Shawn Baldwin, President of Baldwin & Sons, who has an extensive background in residential real estate development and has held various positions of increasing responsibility with the Baldwin Companies. He is a graduate of the College of Southern California. Baldwin & Sons has been in business since 1956. Shawn will talk about h...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Lulu Lantzy, Chief Activation Officer at Auraria Higher Education Center and board member of the Asian Chamber of Commerce Colorado Board of Directors. Lulu, named one of the 40 Under 40 by the Denver Business Journal and one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Business by the Women's Chamber, has dedicated her career to mentoring and supp...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Greg Genske, CEO of VaynerBaseball. Greg oversees all of VaynerSports' baseball player representation activities. Before his current role, he was Executive Director and President of Baseball at The Legacy Agency. Since 2015, Greg Genske has also served as a law professor at the University of California-Berkeley, his alma mater, lecturin...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Spencer Pepe, co-CEO at College Works Painting. Spencer graduated with a business degree from the University of California. With more than 30 years of experience in entrepreneurship, Spencer talks about his career path, specifically his college experience and why he focused more on friendships and networking. His father's bankruptcy was a...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Gabe Cooley, President of Rayco Exteriors. Gabe has established multi-million dollar construction companies over the past 14 years and will continue to do so in the future. He is dedicated to changing the way consumers view the service industry by providing exceptional customer service, quality products and ingenuity. Gabe will kick off...