In today’s episode, I share how reading Jesse Cole’s book Fans First, the story behind the meteoric rise of the Savannah Bananas, impacted not just how I see entertainment, but how I want to run my business.

From a struggling summer league baseball team with fewer than 100 fans in the stands, to selling out stadiums nationwide with waitlists longer than a Taylor Swift concert, the Bananas’ success is rooted in one core principle: Fans First. Every decision, hire, idea, and experiment runs through the filter of “Does this improve the fan experience?”

I unpack how that same philosophy applies to any business, whether you’re a real estate investor, a plumber, or an entrepreneur building your brand.

This isn’t about baseball. It’s about putting your customers first in a way so radical, so consistent, that profits and loyalty become inevitable.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:17 JJ’s Joke of the Week

01:50 Discovering the Savannah Bananas during Covid shutdowns

03:19 Jesse Cole’s experience: A failing team, sleeping on an air mattress, and betting it all

05:33 From summer league to “Banana Ball”—creating baseball built for entertainment

07:41 My firsthand experience: a Norfolk game that entertained from start to finish

10:42 Why “organized chaos” kept kids off iPads and parents mesmerized

13:19 Discovering Jesse Cole’s book Fans First at the game

15:12 The Bahamas connection: how impactful books seem to find me on those trips

17:44 The mindset shift: how Fans First validated my own business instincts

19:42 Customers = fans: Why every decision must reduce friction and add value

21:07 Building a culture where everyone contributes ideas to serve the customer

23:52 Rejecting investors and sponsors to keep customer-first decisions pure

25:19 Why you should read Fans First—no matter your business or industry

26:03 Put your customers first, profits will follow

Quotables

“Blame is the enemy of progress. Ownership is the fuel for momentum.”

“The Savannah Bananas turned baseball into entertainment because they put fans first—and they didn’t waver.”

“Every decision has to pass one test: does this improve the fan experience? If not, scrap it.”

Links

Fans First by Jesse Cole

https://www.amazon.com/Fans-First-Change-Unforgettable-Experience/dp/154452921X

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Tim Blodgett, entrepreneur, consultant, and culture-builder who has been helping businesses scale by focusing on their people and their process. Tim shares his story of growing companies through operational clarity, why leadership is about listening before speaking, and how faith and perseverance have carried him through the toughest moments.

We dive into how business owners can build cultures where people thrive, the value of aligning core values with action, and the patience required to truly see transformation happen in both life and work.

This episode will challenge you to think about your leadership differently and to double down on the things that matter most: people, purpose, and perseverance.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

02:40 JJ’s Joke of the Week

04:22 Meeting Tim at a mastermind event and nurturing a good relationship

06:13 Tim’s background: Aspiring athlete to the Marines

09:12 The moment that led to Tim’s decision to serve in the Marines

11:40 Why leaders need to listen first, act second

13:38 How the Marines shaped Tim’s leadership

17:55 Leadership differences between the Marines and the civilian world

20:04 How Tim got into real estate investing at 21

23:45 The best ways to learn about real estate investing

26:26 Balancing a career in the military, a new marriage, and a real estate business

27:10 Overcoming a life-changing injury from serving in the Marines

29:21 Leading life with positivity: Focusing on the solution vs the problem

30:53 Making a conscious effort to develop a positive mindset through life

33:46 Veterans vs. Mental Health: Fighting the war outside the military

37:55 The story behind Tim forming a soccer league in their community

42:36 Getting back into soccer, growing the team, and reigniting passion for sports

48:00 Tim’s perspective on fatherhood and how it impacts his business and life

52:20 What the future looks like for Tim: Business plans and life goals

56:48 Advice for veterans and military personnel in active duty

Quotables

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

“Transformation takes time. Patience is the price of growth.”

“Faith doesn’t remove the struggle—it helps you persevere through it.”

Links

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

In this week’s ramble, I dive into a personal realization I’ve had about what it truly means to “reset.” For years, I treated vacations as a hard stop—a complete separation from business and responsibility. But after two back-to-back trips with my family and my wife, I’ve come to see that work and relaxation don’t need to live in separate worlds.

In this episode, I talk about the importance of resets not just as time away from the grind, but as opportunities to recharge, think creatively, and still remain connected to the business I’m passionate about.

From balancing vacations while running 608B Capital, to scuba diving in the living room with my son, I share stories and lessons on why time, presence, and family matter more than chasing just one more dollar.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:21 JJ’s Joke of the Week

02:04 Outerbanks tradition: 11 years of family beach vacations

03:28 Back-to-back vacations and business prep with Bill

05:38 Learning to trust the 608B Capital team while traveling

06:52 Shifting perspective: from shutting off completely to staying lightly connected

09:01 Why it’s okay not to fully disconnect when you love what you do

11:19 Realization: resets can coexist with business without compromising family time

13:17 Rethinking retirement—growth and creation don’t stop with age

15:07 The balance of travel, work, and family experiences

16:28 The epiphany: resets don’t have to mean total separation

18:08 Grind culture vs. real life: Why “providing” doesn’t replace presence

21:36 Family first: the scuba diving story with JJ and what kids really remember

25:24 Rethink what vacation and reset mean in your life

Quotables

“I realized I can have my cake and eat it too: enjoy vacations while still keeping a finger on the pulse.”

“Most kids won’t remember the money you made, but they’ll remember the time you spent.”

“Grind culture tells us to trade time for dollars but the real return is in memories with your family.”

Links

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

This week on Burning the Ships, I’m doing something a little different—a completely unscripted solo episode. No guest interviews, no pre-planned ramble, just me answering real questions from friends about leadership, positivity, marriage, fatherhood, and life. These are the kinds of questions I’d usually ask my guests, but today, I’m in the hot seat.

I open up about where my “annoyingly positive” mindset really comes from, how I developed my leadership style (and how I almost wrecked it early on), the foundation of my marriage, and the promises I’ve made to myself as a father. I also get candid about my biggest strengths, my most frustrating weaknesses, and the lessons I’ve learned the hard way about tone, focus, and organization. If you’ve ever wanted a behind-the-scenes look at who I am beyond the mic, this is that episode.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

[0:00] – The story of Hernán Cortés and what “burning the ships” really means

[2:11] – How a last-minute scheduling change led to this solo, Q&A-style episode

[3:54] – JJ’s Joke of the Week: shellfish humor at its finest

[5:02] – Where my lifelong positivity comes from—and how my mom modeled it in hard times

[14:25] – My definition of great leadership, and the book that changed my management style forever

[25:32] – Marriage advice: trust, space, and never stopping the flirt

[33:42] – Fatherhood philosophy: why I’d rather give my kids me than anything money can buy

[38:27] – My biggest strengths, weaknesses, and how I’ve learned to work with both

[50:29] – Wrapping up the first solo Sunday episode and what’s coming next

Quotables

• “Patience and positivity don’t mean ignoring reality—they mean choosing the mindset that will actually move you forward.”
• “Leadership isn’t about fixing people; it’s about finding their strengths and putting them where they can win.”
• “The best marriages are built on trust, space, and never letting the flirting stop.”
• “Your kids don’t care what you provide nearly as much as they care about your presence.”
• “We have three family rules: have a good attitude and give max effort, treat life as an adventure, and figure shit out.”

Links & Resources

• 608B Capital – https://608bcapital.com

Closing Remark

If you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes episode, please take a moment to rate, review, and follow the podcast—it means the world to me and helps more people find Burning the Ships. And if someone in your life needs that extra push to commit fully to their goals, share this episode with them. The past is behind you, the future is yours to conquer.

In this Weekly Ramble, I’m diving deep into the last of the five core traits I believe every entrepreneur (and honestly, every person) needs—patience. And I’ll be real with you: it’s the one I’ve struggled with the most.

From my early sales career where success came fast, to building our lending company from scratch and grinding through 15 months of slow growth before hitting hockey-stick momentum, patience has been the difference between quitting too soon and building something lasting.

I share stories from my own life—parenting, hunting, sitting on the beach for hours and lessons from giants like Amazon, Tesla, and Spotify that prove overnight success is usually a decade in the making.

If you’re feeling stuck or frustrated in your journey, this episode will remind you why patience isn’t passive and how to actively cultivate it while still moving toward your goals.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

02:20 JJ’s Joke of the Week

04:08 Hunting, beaches, and the rare places I have infinite patience

08:10 The results of impatience in business and parenting

09:44 Lessons from a 17-year sales career & how early success killed my patience muscle

12:50 Leaving corporate life: the ego-driven rush to replace income fast

17:54 The pivot to lending and realizing it was the business we’d been building all along

21:15 Grinding for 15–18 months before seeing real traction

24:05 Patience in scaling: building a team and protecting investors’ trust

26:23 Case studies: Amazon, Tesla, and Spotify—years of losses before turning a profit

30:22 Planting seeds daily in sales, relationships, and trust

34:45 The two essentials: delivering value & putting in consistent, focused reps

37:05 From $5M to $20M in less than a year by holding on

39:10 Reminder: Most people quit right before the breakthrough

Quotables

“Patience is not passive. It’s planting seeds every day and trusting they’ll grow—even when nothing seems to be happening.”

“My nature would have been to throw in the towel within six months. The only reason we didn’t is because we committed to the long game.”

“You separate yourself from the pack just by keeping on, keeping on.”

Links

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Fadi G. Boumitri, the co-founder and CEO of Revolution Media Group and executive producer behind some of the world’s most recognizable brands—including Formula 1, UFC, Red Bull, and Monster Energy.

From humble beginnings in Lebanon to building a media empire in the U.S., Fadi’s story is a powerful reminder that success is never overnight. We talk about discipline, faith, leadership, and the sacrifices behind the scenes that no one ever sees. Whether you’re building a brand, managing a team, or just trying to figure out how to balance ambition and identity, this conversation will hit home.

This one’s not just about business. It’s about legacy. And Fadi doesn’t hold back.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

02:02 JJ’s Joke of the Week

04:55 Fadi’s upbringing in Lebanon, war stories, and early lessons in grit

08:32 Immigrating to the U.S. and starting from the bottom in corporate America

10:43 Understanding the value of mastermind groups

17:06 Why his mom is the strongest person he’s ever known

20:40 What Burning the Ships is really about

25:54 The impact of being surrounded by the right people

28:53 How the support of your spouse will push you forward

37:33 Faith, fatherhood, and keeping your heart right in the middle of chaos

44:05 The story behind medical marijuana: The vision and the partnerships

53:01 What makes someone fail or succeed?

55:30 The value of consistency in building momentum in business

58:26 The real benefits of joining mastermind groups

01:04:05 Building connections and growing businesses together

Quotables

“You can be bold and humble at the same time. That’s leadership.”

“You can’t outrun burnout forever. At some point, you have to realign with purpose.”

“You gotta be patient when it comes to the results, but ruthlessly impatient in the process of getting there.”

Links

Ascension Biomedical

https://ascensioncann.com/

Legacy Wealth Holdings

https://legacywealthholdings.com

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

In this Weekly Ramble of Burning the Ships, I dive into five foundational traits that every entrepreneur needs to start and sustain a business. These aren’t marketing hacks or funnel tricks. They’re the internal drivers that actually make or break your journey as a founder.

These traits were the bedrock of how we built 608B Capital Funding from scratch after leaving corporate life and they’re the same traits I lean on daily to lead our team, grow our fund, and build a legacy that lasts.

Whether you’re launching something new or trying to push through the messy middle, this episode gives you the mindset tools to stay in the fight.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

03:05 JJ’s Joke of the Week

04:18 The truth about viral success vs. normal business building

07:42 The story behind 608B Capital and our pivot from real estate to lending

09:13 How launching a startup felt like jumping into the fire

10:30 Why patience and not performance saved our business

12:22 Trait #1: Extreme Ownership – blame is the enemy of progress

19:39 Trait #2: Resilience – conditioning your mind through hard things

24:03 Trait #3: Focus – and how I’ve had to manufacture mine

30:47 Trait #4: Humility – ego will kill your growth (and your business)

33:38 Trait #5: Patience – grind with urgency, wait with calm

Quotables

“Blame is the enemy of progress. Ownership is the fuel for momentum.”

“Resilience is a muscle. You either build it by choice or life will build it for you.”

“Humility is a growth hack. You don’t grow when your ego’s in charge.”

Links

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sat down with Callie Loewen—entrepreneur, investor, and licensed broker—whose journey from speech-language pathologist to real estate powerhouse is the definition of what this show is all about. Callie shares the exact moment she realized her stable career path couldn’t offer the life she truly wanted, the steps she took to replace her income through real estate, and how she and her husband built an entire ecosystem of flipping, building, contracting, and brokering.

This is a masterclass in strategic risk, calculated growth, and building something that aligns with the life you want, not the life others expect of you.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make the leap, navigate a business with your spouse, or balance massive goals with real life, this episode will leave you fired up.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:13 JJ’s Joke of the Week

02:36 Callie’s Story: From SLP + finance to flipping homes

04:49 What replacing your salary before quitting actually looks like

07:41 Mega flips, $90K profit spreads, and sniff tests you won’t forget

10:58 Learning through mentorship: “I wrote the check!”

14:15 Evolving the model from cash machines to portfolio planning

16:34 How Covid forced the pivot into buy-and-hold

18:27 Surrounding yourself with like-minded people to achieve your goals

22:12 Being business partners and life partners

26:01 Scheduling family first: productivity through constraint

28:06 Nashville market trends and why Callie still sees upside

33:09 “Quitting isn’t an option” and how to build new boats

42:58 From SLP to CEO: transferable skills and mindset shifts

46:10 What the future looks like for Callie

48:10 Retirement redefined: what Callie wants for the next chapter

52:59 Why community + consistency is everything in entrepreneurship

Quotables

“Everything changes when you decide that quitting isn’t an option.”

“Retirement to me isn’t sitting still. It’s having the time, money, and freedom to chase the ideas I care about.”

“When you build one boat, you realize you can build another. You might even build a fleet.”

Links

Callie Loewen

https://www.instagram.com/calliewalkerloewen

[email protected]

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com

In this solo episode of Burning the Ships, I dig deep into a topic that impacts every part of your life, business, and legacy—reputation. Whether you’re growing a brand, building a company, raising a family, or simply trying to be someone others can count on, your reputation is one of the few things in life you have complete agency over.

I talk candidly about what it really means to earn trust, how your character shapes perception, why consistency is everything, and how one wrong move can undo decades of integrity. From business branding to parenting in the age of social media, this episode is part strategy, part wake-up call, and all heart.

If you care about what people say about you when you’re not in the room, this one’s for you.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

02:19 JJ’s Joke of the Week

03:20 Why I started blogging and how it led to this topic

06:02 Reputation vs. character: what people say vs. who you are

07:01 You can’t control your height but you can control how people remember you

10:21 The “Know, Like, Trust” factor: building a brand rooted in truth

15:36 The power of documenting what’s real

18:20 Why we document and not invent who we are at 608B Capital

21:05 Confidentiality, gossip, and how I judge who I’ll trust

28:27 Social media: teaching kids to protect their reputation for life

30:50 One poor decision can undo decades of character

32:12 Curating your reputation

34:24 It’s not complicated: honesty, kindness, consistency, and value

Quotables

“If you build a habit of operating with integrity, you don’t have to manage your reputation, it will manage itself.”

“Your reputation is the only thing in your life you have full agency over.”

“Your reputation takes a lifetime to build and a moment to lose. Guard it like your future depends on it, because it does.”

Links

608B Capital

https://www.608bcapital.com

This week on Burning the Ships, I sit down with Dan Peterson, a licensed clinical professional counselor, parent coach, and founder of Compass 4 Life—a coaching program built around helping parents better connect with and guide their children, especially those who are wired a little differently.

Dan spent decades in the mental health space before realizing that most traditional models were unintentionally reinforcing negative behavior. So, he burned the ships, he left the system behind and started building something new. In this episode, we dive into how he helps parents stop managing behavior and start building connection, why discipline without trust doesn’t work, and how we can reframe “strong-willed” as a superpower rather than a flaw.

If you’re a parent or even just a leader of people, this episode will challenge the way you approach discipline, communication, and your own emotional regulation.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

02:03 JJ’s Joke of the Week

02:51 Meet Dan Peterson: Counselor turned parent coach, founder of Compass for Life

03:55 Why Dan walked away from the clinical world to coach parents directly

05:34 Finding a solution to help both children and their parents

08:30 Why kids will seek connection any way they can—even through misbehavior

10:40 Understanding the real meaning of discipline

13:45 Setting an example for your children by taking ownership and accountability

16:28 Modeling apology and responsibility as a parent

18:45 How a sincere apology builds trust and self-worth in kids

23:07 Why strong-willed, intense kids are often the most empathetic

26:25 You can’t control your kid and it’s not your job to

28:28 The kind of parents that Dan helps with their children

33:51 The 3 Legs of Dan’s Parenting Framework: Connection, Disconnection, Limits

38:04 Lecturing vs. listening: Jason’s hard-earned lesson from his daughter

42:08 The long-term cost of coaching too much and pushing too hard

45:04 How Compass 4 Life works + Dan’s new group program for parents

47:30 18 summers, blind spots, and giving your kids what they really need

48:36 Where to learn more about Compass 4 Life and Dan’s programs

51:40 You’re not a bad parent, maybe you just need different tools

Quotables

“You have to train yourself to see success—and give your connection to the effort, not just the outcome.”

“Discipline without connection doesn’t motivate change. It motivates defensiveness.”

“It’s not because you’re a bad parent, it’s because you may not have the right tools yet.”

Links

Compass 4 Life

https://www.thecompass4life.com/

https://courses.thecompass4life.com/opt-in

https://www.facebook.com/Compass4Life

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com