Built to Finish

"It's just a lot of components that I don't want to build, I want to improve."

Buying an established business gives you a starting point. It also gives you responsibility for everything that happens next.

After a career in management consulting, Derek Fein wanted more control over his work and a more direct connection to its impact. He spent two years searching before purchasing Blaze Gymnastics during the uncertainty of COVID. He later acquired a Warrior Factory location and built Blaze Launchpad, a batting cage facility, from scratch.

In this episode of Built to Finish, Derek joins Steven Pivnik to compare buying a business with starting one, explain the shift from hands-on owner to overseeing multiple teams, and share the acquisition lessons he learned through experience.

That preference led Derek toward acquisition, but ownership brought challenges beyond improving operations. He discusses the due diligence steps he missed on his first purchase, why a better process cannot guarantee the outcome you want, and how weekly leadership meetings help him manage multiple businesses.

A nine-time marathon finisher, Derek also shares how endurance training shaped his tolerance for discomfort, his unconventional approach to race preparation, and why meaningful goals require sustained effort.

Key takeaways:
• Why Derek preferred acquiring an existing operation to building every component from scratch.
• How his interests in youth recreation and competitive sports guided his search.
• Why reviewing financial statements is only one part of acquisition due diligence.
• What his two acquisitions taught him about judging a process separately from its outcome.
• How weekly leadership calls, priorities, and accountability support multiple businesses.
• Why recurring revenue and leadership continuity deserve attention before a purchase.
• How marathon training reinforces patience, adaptability, and working through discomfort.

Connect with Derek:
https://derekfein.com

https://www.blazesportsgroupinc.com

Listen to the full conversation for an honest look at buying, operating, and improving a small business.

"You never give yourself a chance to say, hey, look back at what I accomplished."

You spend months working toward a goal. You finally accomplish it. How long before you start chasing the next one?

For John Pagliarulo, that drive has helped build a demanding actuarial career and carry him through two full IRONMAN races. It has also raised a harder question: when do you stop long enough to appreciate what you've done?

In this episode of Built to Finish, Steven Pivnik sits down with John to explore the patience, resilience, and daily consistency behind meaningful achievement. John shares the parallels between preparing for actuarial exams and training for endurance events, including learning to handle setbacks without losing sight of the larger goal.

The conversation also explores how endurance sports helped John move from working in isolation to finding strength in community, his personal experience living with Tourette syndrome and advocating alongside his family, and why communication and human connection matter as AI becomes a bigger part of professional life.

Key takeaways:
• Why difficult training days and failed exams can teach the same lesson in resilience.
• How smaller milestones create direction during a long pursuit.
• Why shared training helped John become more connected in his professional life.
• The tension between staying ambitious and recognizing your accomplishments.
• How John's family experiences motivated him to speak more openly about Tourette syndrome.
• How he uses AI to reduce routine work while retaining human judgment.
• Why technical expertise becomes more useful when you can explain it clearly.

Connect with John:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-pagliarulo

Listen to the full conversation for an honest look at pursuing hard goals, finding support, and making room to appreciate the progress along the way.

"I pick up a discipline of some sort and I stick with it, whatever it is."

Filling the desks was supposed to be the hard part. Then Barak Dunayer's best salesperson walked out.

That moment taught him something every founder eventually confronts: a business needs more than talented people. It needs a repeatable way to recruit, train, retain, and hold those people accountable.

In this episode of Built to Finish, Steven Pivnik sits down with Barak Dunayer, a Juilliard graduate, former professional trumpet player, real estate entrepreneur, investor, and endurance athlete. Barak shares how the discipline of practicing music for hours each day carried into building a boutique brokerage with two Manhattan offices and ultimately selling the business.

That commitment runs through the entire conversation, from building a company out of a 300-square-foot apartment to completing seven IRONMAN 70.3 races. Steven and Barak explore the systems that create business value, the financial restraint that gives founders more options, and what freedom looks like beyond constant availability.

Key Takeaways:
• How deliberate practice and honest self-assessment translate from music to business.
• Why recruiting cannot stop once every seat is filled.
• How training, retention, and accountability helped build an organization worth acquiring.
• Why a founder's roles as top salesperson, manager, and owner can conflict.
• How resisting lifestyle inflation helped Barak fund his business and accumulate assets.
• Why protecting one day away from work became a meaningful measure of success.
• Barak's five priorities for building something that lasts: vision, people, key relationships, cash, and continued learning.

Connect with Barak:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barakdunayer
Douglas Elliman: https://www.elliman.com/team/teplitzky-dunayer-team/226102

Listen to the full conversation for a practical look at building the discipline, systems, and financial foundation to create more freedom.

"It's not about what you're achieving, it's who you're becoming."

What if becoming more productive is keeping you trapped in the very life you're trying to escape?

In this episode of Built to Finish, Steven Pivnik sits down with Dr. Travis Parry, founder of the Make Time Institute and author of Achieving Balance and Marry and Grow Rich, to explore how entrepreneurs can grow their businesses while making time for the people and priorities that matter most.

After losing his father just before his 50th birthday, Travis began questioning what success should actually look like. That experience led him to rethink his own identity, write his own obituary, and build a life around his values rather than an ever-expanding workload.

Steven and Travis discuss why productivity alone doesn't solve overwork, how fear can keep founders from delegating, and why being physically home isn't the same as being present. Travis also breaks down the calendar structure behind his roughly 30-hour workweek, including protected personal priorities, themed workdays, and systems that let him disconnect.

Key Takeaways:
• Define your values before trying to optimize your time.
• Avoid filling every hour you save with another responsibility.
• Build an identity that extends beyond your company.
• Recognize the fears that make delegation difficult.
• Put health, relationships, and family time on the calendar first.
• Focus your workweek on the activities where you contribute the most value.
• Create team systems and boundaries that allow you to step away.
• Design your next chapter intentionally so a business exit doesn't lead straight into another grind.

Connect with Dr. Travis Parry:
Website: https://www.travisparry.com
Email: [email protected]
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-travis-parry-show/id1588987710
Achieving Balance: https://www.achievingbalancebook.com
Marry and Grow Rich: https://www.marryandgrowrichbook.com

Subscribe to Built to Finish for more conversations about building valuable businesses, preparing for an exit, and creating a life you want to live.

"Your clients are paying for each and every inefficiency that you created."

AI is making software faster and cheaper to build. But if your business depends on selling development hours, where does that leave you?

In this episode of Built to Finish, Steven Pivnik sits down with Konstantin Tsubulko, co-founder and CEO of Day Ten, to explore what it takes to build a company for the AI era.

After helping scale a previous firm from $35 million to $200 million in revenue, Konstantine saw a growing conflict between AI's promise of efficiency and the traditional development model built around large teams and extended timelines. That realization helped push him to launch an AI transformation company focused on AI-first products and highly regulated, data-intensive industries.

They discuss outcome-based pricing, leaner engineering and marketing teams, the opportunities for junior developers, and why curiosity and founder experience matter when hiring. Constantine also explains why authentic conversations and in-person relationships are becoming more valuable as AI-generated outreach becomes commonplace.

Plus, hear the story behind Day Ten's name: an old industry joke about clients demanding tangible progress within ten days and why that expectation now looks very different.

Key Takeaways:
• Why AI challenges the economics of traditional software development.
• Why easier code creation raises the bar for building great products.
• How to choose an AI initiative that is manageable, meaningful, and measurable.
• Why Konstantin favors versatile teams with engineering and product expertise.
• The challenge of aligning employee incentives with client outcomes.
• Why curiosity and experience building something from scratch shape his hiring decisions.
• How human connection can differentiate sales and marketing in an automated world.

Connect with Konstantin:
Website: https://dayten.ai
LinkedIn: Search Konstantin Tsubulko, co-founder and CEO of Day Ten.

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"I may get to a hundred people one day, but it will never be my goal."

What happens when the company you're proud to be growing starts pulling you away from the business and life you actually want?

Natalie Kaminski, co-founder and CEO of JetRockets, joins Steven Pivnik for a candid conversation about rapid growth, shrinking margins, and the uncomfortable realization that a bigger team doesn't automatically mean a better business.

After growing JetRockets from 25 to 87 employees, Natalie found herself chasing a 100-person milestone while quality slipped and profitability weakened. She shares how she recognized the warning signs, made difficult staffing decisions, and returned to a more intentional approach to growth.

Steven and Natalie also explore the connection between entrepreneurship and marathon running: navigating difficult stretches, recognizing the excuses your mind creates, and finding value in the journey. They close with Natalie's perspective on AI, vibe coding, and why faster development still requires experienced judgment.

Key Takeaways:
• Why headcount can become a vanity metric that distracts from business health.
• How rapid growth exposed gaps in management, training, and communication.
• Why founders cannot assume their team shares their instincts or expectations.
• What it means to build a lifestyle business while still pursuing thoughtful growth.
• How endurance running helps develop perspective and resilience.
• Why postponing difficult conversations can prolong your stress.
• How AI can amplify expertise  and the consequences of missing expertise.

Connect with Natalie:
Website: https://jetrockets.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliekaminski
Email: [email protected]

Subscribe to Built to Finish for more conversations about entrepreneurship, endurance, and building success on your own terms.

"We don't own this brand. Kids do. We just manage it for them."

What does chasing a four-minute mile have in common with building a brand people care about?

Gene McCarthy joins Steven Pivnik to tell the story behind Chasing Four: A Personal History of Work and Play. Running gave Gene a path out of the Bronx and took him to within one second of the four-minute mile. His career then took him through Nike, the Jordan Brand, Reebok, Timberland, Under Armour, and ASICS.

Gene shares what happened when he told Michael Jordan that growing the Jordan Brand meant cutting distribution by 50%, why he walked away from 21 years at Nike, and what it takes to lead a business through a difficult turnaround. He and Steven also discuss the difference between selling a product and building a brand, the value of human connection, and the moments that only make sense when you look back.

• Why Gene believed reducing Jordan Brand distribution could restore demand.
• What "mind share before market share" means when a brand is trying to grow.
• How Gene approached leadership roles at companies facing change.
• Why leaving Nike was Gene's business equivalent of chasing a four-minute mile.
• How a 4:01 mile, a letter to a runner he admired, and one conversation on a plane shaped his story.
• Why Gene believes character matters beyond what appears on a résumé.

Connect with Gene:

Gene McCarthy on LinkedIn  

Instagram: @alwayschasingfour 

Chasing Four is available on Amazon.

"Your organization is never going to outscale your leadership capacity."

Most businesses do not stall because the founder lacks ambition, strategy, or work ethic. They stall because every decision, approval, and problem still depends on the founder.

In this episode of Built to Finish, Steven Pivnik sits down with Parker McCumber, a U.S. Army officer, entrepreneur, leadership advisor, and author of How the Hell Are You Doing This?

Drawing from 15 years of military leadership and experience building businesses across e-commerce, consulting, content, real estate, and hard asset investing, Parker explains how founders can replace constant oversight with scalable leadership systems.

Steven and Parker discuss decentralized leadership, founder dependency, disciplined initiative, mission briefs, after action reviews, and the importance of creating clear boundaries that allow employees to make decisions confidently.

Parker also shares how the principles he learned in the military shaped his approach to business, investing, delegation, and building a life where success is measured by freedom and time with family, not simply revenue.

• Why a company cannot grow beyond its leader's capacity
• How to recognize when you have become the "Chief Everything Officer"
• Why delegation requires clarity, trust, and defined boundaries
• How decentralized leadership helps teams make faster decisions
• Why 70 to 80 percent execution from someone else can be a major win
• How to create a clear command philosophy for your organization
• The four questions behind an effective after action review
• Why unexpected assignments create frustration and employee burnout
• How leaders can empower employees without creating chaos
• Why founders should hire people who are better than them
• How Parker applies leverage to businesses, real estate, exotic cars, and other assets
• Why complementary businesses can increase customer lifetime value
• How Parker's definition of success shifted from money to optionality

Website: parkermccumber.com
Book: How the Hell Are You Doing This?
Instagram and social media: @therealparkermccumber

"High performance does not require hustle. In fact, it requires anti-hustle."

What truly separates high performers from everyone else?

According to seven-time world champion, bestselling author, and executive coach James Laughlin, it is not working longer, moving faster, or filling every hour of the day. Sustainable high performance begins with knowing what matters, having the discipline to say no, and aligning your daily actions with a larger purpose.

In this episode of Built to Finish, James joins Steven Pivnik to reveal the habits he has observed while coaching CEOs, political leaders, elite athletes, and other exceptional performers. He explains why the greatest performers remain coachable, why reflection is essential to self-mastery, and why stillness may be one of the most valuable practices a leader can develop.

James also shares his High Performance Triad, a practical framework connecting purpose, priorities, and activity. He opens up about his own experience with divorce, alcohol, and professional imbalance, illustrating why success in one area of life cannot compensate for neglecting everything else.

This conversation challenges the traditional hustle narrative and offers a healthier, more sustainable definition of what it means to perform at your best.

• Why the best performers remain humble, curious, and coachable
• How saying no protects the work and relationships that matter most
• Why high performers prioritize sleep, structure, and reflection
• How five minutes of daily stillness can improve focus and decision-making
• Why meditation is not about eliminating thoughts
• The connection between distraction during meditation and distraction in business
• James's High Performance Triad: purpose, priorities, and activity
• Why a to-do list should never determine your priorities
• How high performance differs from hustle and burnout
• Why problems are necessary for entrepreneurship
• How to shift from limited thinking to a "possibilitarian" mindset
• Why achievement should never come at the expense of health or relationships
• How James now defines success as being a good father and partner

James Laughlin is a seven-time world champion musician, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and high-performance leadership coach. He works with CEOs, elite athletes, political leaders, and organizations to help make sustainable high performance their new normal.

• Official website
• Habits of High Performers
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Podcast on Spotify

"Motivation gets you started. Discipline sees you through."

What separates people who consume information from those who use it to build something meaningful?

Matt Karamazov has read more than 1,500 books, but the number is only part of the story. After an early business failure left him rebuilding from a minimum wage security job, Matt used his overnight shifts to read, write and quietly develop the skills that would eventually become The Reading Life, a growing newsletter and content business reaching thousands of readers.

In this episode of Built to Finish, Matt and Steven discuss how to turn knowledge into action, why the obstacle is often the only way forward and how combining multiple strengths can create a career that no one else can duplicate.

Matt also shares the books that changed his life, the systems he uses to apply what he reads and why trust, integrity and long term thinking matter more than chasing quick attention.

Key Takeaways:

• Why reading without implementation can become another form of procrastination
• Matt's system for turning ideas from books into immediate action
• How failure led him to the decade of work that transformed his career
• Why your most valuable advantage may be the intersection of two different strengths
• The importance of protecting your audience's trust
• Why systems create more sustainable progress than goals alone
• Five books Matt believes can meaningfully change your life
• How discipline carries you forward when motivation disappears

Connect with Matt Karamazov:

The Reading Life Newsletter: https://thereadinglife.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themattkaramazov/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/mattkaramazov
X: https://x.com/MattKaramazov
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattkaramazov