Built to Outlast

Dan is the Founder and President of DPO & Co, a consulting and investing firm focused on small to mid-sized private companies in the US.  Dan shares his journey from a large, tight-knit family in Chicago to the tight-knit familial team he has built at DPO and the wide range of jobs and geographies in between. We discuss how he learned from an early age as a caddy that a willingness to say yes and put in the effort can open up an exciting and vast world of opportunities. 

Leave something for the BTO community: “Life is too short, don’t work with jerks.”

Ask something of the BTO community: If you know of good people (e.g. not jerks) who might be a fit for DPO & Co, please reach out to Dan at [email protected]

Matt is the CEO of OT Growth Partners, a franchisee of over 60 Orange Theory locations throughout the US. Prior to this he was the CEO of Quality Restaurant Group which he grew from 0 to 350+ quick service restaurant units under brands such as Pizza Hut, Arby’s, Sonic and Moe’s Southwest Grill. We trace Matt’s upbringing in a suburb of New York City, where he learned early on to appreciate hard work as a means to honor and capitalize on the opportunities he had to step “in the arena” and get mud on his face. 

Leave something for BTO community: “It is never as good as you hope or as bad as you fear.” And recommends reading Uncommon Life by Tony Dungy.

Ask something of BTO community: Matt recently lost his close friend and college roommate, Dax Tejera, producer of ABC News, to a heart attack. He left behind 2 young daughters and they have established a 529 plan for them linked to in the obituary. If people feel inclined, he asks that they consider contributing something for Dax’s children.

Wyatt is the founder and CEO of UpSmith, a technology company on a mission to combat America’s skilled worker crisis. Wyatt grew up on a farm in Alabama, where he learned to value and celebrate hard work. We trace Wyatt’s own hard work, and his appreciation of the trait in others, through the arc of his career leading up to his founding and leadership of UpSmith. 

Leave something for BTO community: Teaching as Leadership framework is a powerful approach to leading any organization: Set Big Goals; Invest Students and Their Families; Plan Purposefully; Execute Effectively; Continuously Increase Effectiveness; Work Relentlessly. 

Ask something of BTO community: If you or a company you know is struggling to find and hire skilled workers, please reach out to Wyatt and the UpSmith at [email protected] .

Irina is the former CEO of CareerBuilder, a leading global, end-to-end human capital solutions company. Irina’s family came to this country as refugees from Ukraine with $270 in the 1980s, and she (and they) have built not only a wonderful life but an impressive career. We discuss her childhood as a latchkey kid, and how her independence, ownership, and willingness to fail have played integral roles in each ecosystem she has been an essential part of.

Leave something for BTO community: The combination of ignorance (or willingness to be/appear that way) and persistence is a potent combination.

Ask something of BTO community: As you are making hiring decisions, push your thinking on who has and what are the right traits for which to hire. Don’t judge a book by its cover, magic can happen with diverse teams (in the myriad of ways diversity can be interpreted).

David is the co-founder and co-host of the popular podcast Acquired. We discuss growing up as an only child with entrepreneurial parents, and how this influenced his transition from a traditional career path to podcasting, which started as a passion but has grown into not only a robust business but also a significant community and ecosystem. 

Leave something for BTO community: Everyone has something that they love, find what that is for you and pursue it in whatever form makes sense to you and without expectations.

Ask something of BTO community: If you are interested in learning more about the Acquired podcast, please visit them at Acquired.

Jay is the cofounder and recent CEO of AllRec Awards, a leading wholesale manufacturer of letterman jackets and patches largely to high schools in the Southeastern US. Jay’s family has been in the business for 3 generations and Jay has done a remarkable job building on the foundation from the first 2 generations. We discuss the business, his faith and family, and how the latter two lay the foundation for everything that he does and is.

Leave something for BTO community: Business is second to your faith and your family. “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

Ask something of BTO community: If you are interested in joining a dynamic team delivering a meaningful product to high school students in the Southeast, please reach out to us at [email protected] with "Interested in Joining Jay at AllRec" in the subject.

Gabriel and Nelly are cofounders of Rent-2-Own Trailers, one of the leading manufacturers of customized food trailers in the US. Gabriel and Nelly share their entrepreneurial journeys from Nicaragua and Mexico to the US, where they have built candy businesses, insurance agencies, financial advisories, restaurants, and ultimately their trailer manufacturing business, which produces way more than just food trailers.

Leave something for BTO community: Don’t sell the product, sell the benefit and the future.

Ask something of BTO community: If you or a friend may be interested in starting a food trailer business with a partner that will support you in the journey, please reach out to us at [email protected] with "Interested in A Food Trailer from Rent-2-Own” in the subject.   

Craig is the CEO of Buff City Soap and the former COO of TopGolf. Through his experiences both personally and professionally, we explore what inspirational leadership looks like, how that is enabled by very purposeful culture building, and how that translates into companies, cultures, and relationships that outlast.

Leave something for BTO community: "People first. Always go over the top on and for your team and your people. Win the hearts of your team, not just their minds."   

Ask something of BTO community: If anyone has advice on raising kids in a digital age and striking the right balance between "always busy" and "being bored," Craig (and I) are eager to hear it!  

Luke is the founder and CEO of Training Mate, a line of gyms in the US and Australia with a unique approach to fitness and the experience they provide their customers. Luke is also a well known celebrity trainer and you can catch him on "Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian." We discuss Luke’s career as one of the top professional rugby players in the world and how he translated lessons from this experience into building the Training Mate business when he walked off the pitch.

Karen is the founder and CEO of Rebel Athletic, a force in the apparel and competitive cheerleading universe which has become well known through the popular Netflix series Cheer. Karen is a first-generation Chinese American who has built a movement through hard work, grit and making lemonade out of lemons.