Credit card programs that take 18-24 months to launch. Deals that die on the vine. Banks that can't see what their fintech partners are actually doing. Steve Negri and Walt Hoffmann looked at the broken Banking as a Service 1.0 model and said, "we can do this better." As co-founders of Next Moves, they're building a multi-bank card issuing platform that solves the fundamental problem plaguing the industry: the one-to-one underwriting model that left banks blind to who was actually using their credit and debit cards.

In this conversation, Steve and Walt break down why only 170 out of 4,500 U.S. banks touch payments at all, and how they're bringing community banks into the BIN sponsor game with a hands-on program management approach that takes banks from zero to launch in 4-9 months instead of years. They explain why retailers with 100,000+ customers are sitting on untapped card program opportunities, how AI is revolutionizing everything from call center operations to autonomous buying, and why the key differentiator isn't just launching programs—it's the continuous oversight that keeps them compliant and profitable. Steve shares his contrarian take on why modern businesses (not just fintechs) are the new frontier for card programs, while Walt dives deep on building role-based dashboards that let a community bank CFO see profitability metrics one day and compliance requirements the next. Whether you're a retailer looking to deepen customer loyalty, a community bank wanting to compete with the big players, or just fascinated by leaders who understand both banking AND payments (a rare combination), this conversation offers a masterclass in rebuilding infrastructure from the ground up with trust, transparency, and speed.

Jon Stafford spent 20 years putting hundreds of thousands of internal combustion vehicles on the road – now he's on a mission to take them all off. As SVP of North American Sales for Zeti, Jon is building the "Match.com of fleet finance," connecting operators seeking capital for electric trucks, hydrogen vehicles, and energy infrastructure with a network of 50 lenders who have specific appetites for those exact assets. His goal? Deploy a billion dollars on the platform while tracking every ton of CO2 and NOX reduced along the way.

In this conversation, Jon breaks down why the biggest bottleneck in fleet transformation isn't demand – it's getting legacy financial institutions to change how they've done business for decades. He explains how real-time telematics data is revolutionizing lender confidence, turning what used to be monthly Excel reports (fraught with human error from fuel card pin entries) into continuous portfolio visibility that can predict payment issues before they happen.

Jon shares his contrarian take on why AI will never replace sales roles, why websites are becoming obsolete, and how interest rates dropping from "oppressive" levels will unlock massive pent-up demand across the market. Whether you're an operator struggling to find funding for sustainable fleet upgrades, a lender looking to deploy capital into hard assets, or just fascinated by how data transparency is reshaping the intersection of finance and sustainability, Jon's blend of 20 years of fleet management experience and startup energy offers a masterclass in building trust at the speed of business.

Robert Kazmi doesn't just challenge the 80-20 rule – he's completely rewritten it using principles from physics, economics, and AI automation. As CRO of Koombia, an AI-powered development company spread across 17 countries, Robert has achieved close rates between 30-40% by transforming sales from "selling" to "problem solving" through his revolutionary "get found" methodology.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Robert breaks down how Koombia scaled to 200+ team members while maintaining their flat organizational culture, their approach to complex HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant applications, and why they've won dozens of international design awards by focusing obsessively on user experience over UI aesthetics. He explains how AI has made their senior developers more valuable as auditors and quality gatekeepers, and reveals his multi-pronged qualification process that helps startups navigate their inevitable pivots with better technical risk assessment. Robert also shares his contrarian view on why throwing more SDRs at the problem won't work in today's "death by committee" enterprise environment, and how his team is pioneering pre-sales enablement tools that could revolutionize customer evaluation processes. Whether you're scaling a services company, integrating AI into complex workflows, or just fascinated by leaders who apply universal laws of physics to business challenges, Robert's systematic approach to disruption offers a masterclass in building sustainable competitive advantages.

Dave Mayo doesn't mince words: American banking is dying by a thousand cuts, and most bankers are sleepwalking through their own extinction. From 12,000 banks to under 4,500, the math is brutal – and Dave's on a mission to wake up community bankers before they become footnotes in financial history.

This fifth-generation rancher turned FinTech cowboy has built the industry's most comprehensive banking database, cofounded Bankers Helping Bankers, and created FedFis – all while offering his expertise to community banks for free. Why? Because he believes the survival of local banking is essential to American capitalism itself.

In this conversation, Dave breaks down the embedded finance revolution that's letting grocery stores and country music stars compete with Chase Bank using debit cards and customer incentives. He explains why your local bank should be able to let you "buy a hot dog with their mobile app" just like Chime does, and why most can't. You'll hear his contrarian take on why AI won't solve lending (spoiler: it would be illegal), and his surprisingly simple formula for turning community banks into profit machines.

Dave pulls no punches about consultants taking kickbacks, the real story behind FDIC insurance at FinTechs, and why Jamie Dimon's job isn't actually that hard. Plus, his urgent warning about the "sleepy banks" that think they can keep doing business like it's 1910 while the financial supply chain transforms around them.

Whether you're in banking, FinTech, or just trying to understand why your corner bank matters more than you think, Dave's blend of data-driven insights and straight talk offers a masterclass in industry disruption. This isn't just about banking – it's about preserving the competition for capital that makes American entrepreneurship possible.

Sometimes the truth hurts. But according to Dave Mayo, it's the only thing that can save community banking from itself.

Cole Harmonson didn't just leave banking to start a factoring company – he's revolutionizing how the industry works. After selling his first company, Far West Capital, Cole partnered with legendary credit expert Deborah Zucconi to launch Dare Capital with a radical approach: instead of hiring salespeople, they create entrepreneurs through 50-50 partnerships.

In this episode, Cole breaks down why factoring attracts "anti-authoritarian" personalities, how his Non-Negotiable Six (NN6) framework prevents portfolio disasters, and why he believes the best deals come from relationships, not algorithms. Plus, hear about his unique Backroom Services model that's turning brokers into business owners and his contrarian take on where the market is headed.

Whether you're in FinTech, factoring, or just fascinated by unconventional business models, Cole's insights on building systems over setting goals will change how you think about scaling a financial services company.