Coffee With Cagnetta

For 41 years, Campbell's Dairyland has been Brandon, Florida's spot for chili dogs, banana splits and after-game milkshakes. Transworld Business Advisors honored it with an Iconic Business Award, then sat down with the family who sold it and the man who bought it.

It started when Boyd Campbell lost his sales job at 52 and was selling his father's beanless chili dogs at local festivals. In 1985 he and his wife Pam bought a little Dairy Isle franchise and turned it into a Brandon institution. In 1998 they passed it to their daughters and their husbands, Jill and Jay Paules and Leesa and James Lee. Leesa, Jill and Jay share how customers became family, the free milkshakes for new moms from the hospital down the street, and why they knew Chris was the right buyer the moment he called.

In part two, new owner Chris Mueller (Dairy Joy, Rodeo Whip) and Transworld broker Chip Redmond join Andy. Chris grew up working in his parents' Domino's franchise, bought a smoothie shop right out of Florida State, and once called his wife for permission to spend $400,000 in the next two minutes. He explains why buying an iconic business means buying a lot of people's memories, why he'll never change the name, and how sellers can pick the right buyer. It's for anyone thinking about buying or selling a family business, and anyone who grew up with a hometown ice cream stand.

Acey Slade has played with the Misfits, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Dope, and the Murderdolls. Now he owns Catfight Coffee in Boonton, NJ.

In this episode of Coffee with Cagnetta, Andy Cagnetta (CEO of Transworld Business Advisors) sits down with Acey to talk about growing up the son of two entrepreneurs, how punk rock's DIY scene showed him how bands are really built, how he turned his life around as he neared 27, "not dead and not famous," and the advice that changed everything: "Shut up. Go play music."

When COVID halted his tours with the Misfits and Dope, Acey and his wife started an online coffee company. They grew it through art walks, punk flea markets, horror conventions, and wholesale, then saved for five years to open a shop almost entirely in the black.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- The real math behind a $6 cup of coffee
- How Catfight Coffee grew from online sales and pop-ups to a brick-and-mortar shop
- Why coffee shops may be "the pizza shop of this generation"
- Why today's musicians have to be entrepreneurs

Follow Catfight Coffee:
Website: https://www.catfightcoffee.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catfightcoffee
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@catfightcoffee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Catfightcoffee
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viJ9xuPv3K0
Learn more about M&A, leadership, and business: https://tworld.com

Chapters:
00:00 - Preview
00:40 - Meet Acey Slade: A Literal Rock Star
01:18 - Entrepreneur Parents in Downingtown, PA
02:20 - How Mom Accidentally Made Him a Rocker
03:00 - Iron Maiden at the Philadelphia Spectrum
03:18 - Watching Dee Snider Own 18,000 People
03:36 - The Atom Bomb Moment: "I'm In"
04:24 - Punk Rock Showed Him How It's Done
05:20 - Nearly 27: "Not Dead, Not Famous"
06:38 - "Shut Up. Go Play Music."
07:30 - Don't Get a Foot in the Door. Kick It.
08:12 - Why Big Bands Hire Reliable Pros
09:21 - Why Musicians Need Side Hustles
10:37 - You Can't 3D Print Coffee Beans
11:27 - COVID Halts the Misfits & Dope Tours
12:27 - Starting Catfight Coffee Online
12:57 - Pop-Ups: Punk Flea Markets & Horror Cons
13:32 - Saving 5 Years to Open in the Black
14:20 - Building a Community for Outsiders
15:15 - Are Coffee Shops the New Pizza Shops?
15:32 - The Real Math Behind a $6 Coffee
17:13 - Why Catfight Only Hires Real Baristas
17:59 - Tariffs, Supply Chains & Social Media
19:04 - The Scary Leap From Hobby to Pro
19:38 - How Do You Become a Coffee Expert?
20:03 - The Audience Is Always Right
21:01 - Hunting Coffee on Tour With Joan Jett
22:21 - The Coffee Wheel = The Circle of 5ths
22:43 - Blueberry Coffee & a Dewey Cox Moment
23:20 - Visiting Farms & Italian Espresso Plants
23:59 - Milk After Noon at Catfight?
24:17 - Why He Loves E-Commerce
25:20 - Advice: Musicians Must Be Entrepreneurs
26:24 - "What's an Advance?"
26:48 - Always Double Down on Yourself
27:51 - What a Rancid Album Cover Taught Him
28:37 - "It's OK to Be a Misfit"
29:16 - Lifting Up Downtown Boonton, NJ
29:43 - Where to Find Catfight Coffee

What do you do when auditions go from three a week to three a year? You make your own show.

In this episode of Coffee with Cagnetta, Andy Cagnetta (CEO of Transworld Business Advisors) sits down with Joe Kibler and Carey Cox: working actors (CSI: Cyber, The Handmaid's Tale), new parents, and disabled performers building careers on their own terms.

Carey grew up in El Paso, trained in musical theater, and earned her master's in acting before moving to New York, where she hid her cane in audition rooms until a Broadway casting team told her, "Where have you been? We've been looking for you." Joe was raised in Florida, steered from auto shop to theater, and drove to California with no money before landing his first big TV role on CSI: Cyber alongside Patricia Arquette.

Andy calls actors entrepreneurs, and Joe and Carey prove it. After the pandemic and the strike dried up auditions, they wrote, directed, produced, and starred in their own pilot, Adoptive, backed by a $30,000 grant through the Disability Film Challenge. They also talk about raising a toddler as equal partners, building an audience as content creators, and their advice for young actors.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why actors are really entrepreneurs
- How Joe and Carey funded and made their own pilot, Adoptive
- How Hollywood changed after the pandemic and the strike
- Their advice for aspiring actors: find your people, know your worth, and do it for the right reasons

Follow Joe & Carey:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CripTips
Instagram: https://instagram.com/josephakibler
Instagram: https://instagram.com/careyleighcox
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@josephakibler
Watch Adoptive: https://www.youtube.com/@AdoptiveTheSeries
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKJ9Wt77kmY
Learn more about M&A, leadership, and business: https://tworld.com

Chapters:
00:00 - Preview
00:52 - Meet Joe Kibler & Carey Cox
01:56 - Carey: From El Paso to Musical Theater
02:59 - Meeting Working Actors for the First Time
04:01 - Joe: From Auto Shop to Theater
04:26 - The Moment Theater Became Home
04:55 - A Couch in California & No Money
05:28 - First Big Break: CSI: Cyber
06:05 - Patricia Arquette & "I'm Just Working"
06:48 - Carey's Path: Grad School to Equity
07:43 - Open Calls Every Day, Babysitting at Night
08:25 - The Broadway Audition That Changed It All
10:07 - Why Actors Are Entrepreneurs
10:30 - Two Careers and a Toddler
11:04 - Parenting as Equal Partners
11:55 - When Meetings Leave Mom Out
13:52 - From 3 Auditions a Week to 3 a Year
14:47 - Should TV Reflect the Real World?
15:46 - Social Media Wants Real People
16:33 - Making Their Own Pilot: Adoptive
17:53 - Why Top Crews Are Saying Yes Now
19:11 - Is Hollywood Coming Back?
19:51 - YouTubers Are the New Directors
21:20 - "I Think I Know You From the Internet"
22:20 - Joseph Reads Books & the Algorithm
23:08 - Why People Still Want Live Shows
23:55 - Carey's Live Wedding Painting
24:32 - Advice for Aspiring Actors
26:01 - What's Next: Adoptive & More
27:30 - Try to Have a Good Day

Most business owners waste thousands on advertising nobody notices while their competitors own the market.

In this episode of Coffee with Cagnetta, Andy Cagnetta (CEO of Transworld Business Advisors) sits down with sports marketing trailblazer and PR powerhouse Kip Hunter, founder of Kip Hunter Marketing. Kip shares how an unplayed tennis match between Jimmy Connors and Guillermo Vilas accidentally launched her career, how her South Florida ticketing agency forced Ticketmaster into a buyout, and what it was like running marketing and broadcasting for the Miami Heat.

Andy and Kip break down the "Everywhere Strategy," positioning a brand so thoroughly across events, PR, and live sports that customers don't consider anyone else. Plus, the story of why former Miami Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland admitted Kip knew more about talent than his scouting staff.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- The "Everywhere Strategy" and why traditional ads fail without community alignment
- How a South Florida ticketing agency forced Ticketmaster to buy it out
- How philanthropy can become a growth engine for your business
- The two mantras that carried Kip Hunter Marketing through 19 years

Want the other side of the Sparq Designs merger? Check out Episode 49 with Nick Brucker.

Kip Hunter Marketing: https://www.kiphuntermarketing.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiphuntermktg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kip-hunter-marketing/
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0v10_Vs0QI
Learn more about M&A, leadership, and business: https://tworld.com

Chapters:
00:00 - The Wildest Career in Sports & Marketing
01:32 - The $0 Tennis Match That Launched Everything
02:08 - Running Best Tickets & Backstage Million-Dollar Checks
03:00 - How We Forced Ticketmaster to Buy Us Out
03:17 - Inside the Miami Heat Front Office
03:48 - Signing Dan Marino & Building High-Stakes Campaigns
04:15 - Launching Kip Hunter Marketing: 19 Years of Growth
05:15 - Philanthropy as a Growth Engine: 211 Broward & Pro Athlete Foundations
06:35 - The Hospitality Playbook: Dominating South Florida Restaurant PR
08:08 - The "Everywhere Strategy": How to Make Competitors Invisible
11:22 - Two Non-Negotiable Mantras for Long-Term Business Survival
12:40 - The 3-TV Living Room: Football Obsession & Player Scouting
13:20 - Why the Dolphins GM Said Kip Out-Scouted His Entire Staff
15:05 - Sleeper Draft Picks & High-Stakes NFL Predictions
21:14 - South Florida's Best Dining & The Brutal Reality of Restaurant Margins
26:15 - The Digital Shift: Mergers, Content Creation, and AI Integration
28:15 - Why Live Sports & Live News Still Dominate Media Buys
29:08 - Kip's Golden Advice for Ambitious Entrepreneurs

When it comes to scaling a business, adaptation is everything.

In this episode of Coffee with Cagnetta, Andy Cagnetta (CEO of Transworld Business Advisors) sits down with Nick Brucker, CEO and Co-Founder of Sparq Designs, following the agency's recent merger with Kip Hunter Marketing. Nick breaks down his journey from teaching himself design on YouTube to building a full-service agency serving both Pittsburgh and South Florida.

They dig into the realities of growing through acquisition, why investing in AI software is a game-changer for creatives, and the lasting value of human connection in business.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- The "napkin deal" that launched Sparq Designs
- How an acquisition opened up the South Florida market
- How to use AI to scale content creation efficiently
- Why live sports and human entertainment will survive AI

Connect with Sparq Designs: https://www.sparqdesigns.com/
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXeeMzCnPSg
Learn more about M&A, leadership, and buying or selling a business: https://tworld.com

Chapters:
00:00 - The Hustle Begins: Shoveling Snow to YouTube Tutorials
03:42 - The "Napkin Deal" That Launched Sparq Designs
05:15 - Evolving Services: SEO, Social Media, and Video
06:47 - Growing Through Acquisition: Expanding to South Florida
09:37 - The AI Revolution: Investing in the Future of Marketing
11:55 - Why Live Sports & Human Entertainment Will Survive AI
14:07 - Using AI to Scale Content Creation Efficiently
16:03 - Top Advice for Entrepreneurs: Partnerships & Self-Awareness
18:48 - The Fort Lauderdale Food Scene & The Future of Sparq

How do you turn a five-person agency run out of a living room into a 50-state distribution empire?

In this episode of Coffee with Cagnetta, Andy Cagnetta (CEO of Transworld Business Advisors) sits down with Robert Taylor Jr., CEO of BBI and Candy Hall of Fame inductee. Robert shares the realities of scaling a family business out of Hollywood, Florida, what the grind really takes, and the legendary all-night negotiation that landed Mentos as BBI's number one global client.

He also opens up about his commitment to philanthropy, from helping launch Sheridan House to leading major Habitat for Humanity projects across Broward County. For entrepreneurs and young professionals alike, it's a blueprint for doing well while doing good.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- What a manufacturer's rep does and how BBI represents global brands
- The negotiation that made Mentos BBI's top client
- The story behind BBI Village and the $1 million gamble for the Rick Case Village
- How young professionals can get involved in their community

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mux7xLUpjqI
Learn more about M&A, leadership, and business: https://tworld.com

Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome & Introducing Robert Taylor Jr. (BBI)
00:56 - Growing Up in Hollywood & The Origins of BBI
03:26 - The Legendary "Mentos" Argument That Changed Everything
04:16 - What Is a Manufacturer's Rep? (Representing Global Brands)
08:38 - The Core DNA of Giving Back & Philanthropy
09:56 - Supporting Sheridan House & Single Moms
11:34 - Habitat for Humanity: Building BBI Village
13:00 - The $1 Million Gamble for the Rick Case Village
18:13 - Back on My Feet: Fighting Homelessness Through Running
22:06 - Advice for Young Professionals: Getting Involved in the Community
23:44 - The Reality of the "Grind" & Hiring Millennials

Is bankruptcy the end of a business, or a tool entrepreneurs were meant to use?

In this episode of Coffee with Cagnetta, Andy Cagnetta (CEO of Transworld Business Advisors) sits down with Chad Van Horn of Van Horn Law Group, one of the top bankruptcy filers in the country and Player 286 on Netflix's Squid Game: The Challenge.

They discuss the economic pressures facing entrepreneurs right now, the hidden dangers of Merchant Cash Advances (MCAs), and why bankruptcy is a constitutionally protected tool meant to encourage risk-taking, not a "get out of jail free" card. Chad also opens up about four brutal weeks on the set of Squid Game, losing 35 pounds, and the real bonds formed behind the scenes.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why bankruptcies are up 20% right now
- The hidden dangers of Merchant Cash Advances
- How to prepare for an economic downturn by securing credit early
- What business owners with SBA EIDL loans should know about Chapter 11

Connect with Chad Van Horn: https://www.vanhornlawgroup.com/
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaCUh-YbZfE
Learn more about M&A, leadership, and business: https://tworld.com

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro & Starting a Law Firm in the Great Recession
01:27 - Why Bankruptcy Is a Tool for Entrepreneurs
06:26 - Why Bankruptcies Are Up 20% Right Now
07:43 - The Danger of Merchant Cash Advances (MCAs)
09:03 - South Florida Housing Crisis: Are Locals Being Priced Out?
10:48 - Casting & Competing on Netflix's Squid Game: The Challenge
13:36 - Inside Squid Game: Losing 35 lbs & "Trauma Bonding"
18:39 - Fatherhood, Ego, and the Emotional Toll of Financial Stress
20:56 - Preparing for Economic Downturns & Securing Credit Early
23:27 - Dealing with SBA EIDL Loans & Chapter 11
27:40 - South Florida Life & The Eddie V's Waitress Story
29:48 - Outro & How to Contact Chad Van Horn

What happens when you apply the discipline of Division I college football coaching to modern business development?

In this episode of Coffee with Cagnetta, Andy Cagnetta (CEO of Transworld Business Advisors) sits down with Marc Nudelberg, CEO of On The Ball, host of The Daily Edge podcast, and author of Family, Football, & Failure. Marc shares his journey from the sidelines at Florida State with Coach Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher to getting fired five times in ten years of college coaching, the turning point that pushed him to take control of his career.

He explains how he and his father, Steve Nudelberg, relaunched On The Ball in March 2020, right as the world shut down, and turned it from a traditional sales consultancy into a scalable, tech-enabled training academy. Marc also reveals the AI research bot he built to automate target account research and why real leadership development takes continuous feedback, not a one-time speaker.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- How getting fired five times in college coaching led to a new career
- How On The Ball pivoted from a lifestyle business to a scalable training academy
- How to build custom AI bots to automate prospect research and outreach
- The 3 questions every CEO should ask about their sales system

On The Ball: https://ontheball.co/
Family, Football, & Failure: https://a.co/d/08e90VWJ
The Daily Edge podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqYvu-TnP3iI_kVwhJFV-Sg
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1VTWNcW-oc
Learn more about M&A, leadership, and business: https://tworld.com

Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome Back & Paying Homage to Steve Nudelberg
01:08 - Inside Division I Football: Equipment Manager to D1 Coach
04:12 - Getting Fired 5 Times: Why Marc Left College Sports
06:47 - Launching On The Ball Right When the World Shut Down (March 2020)
10:48 - Pivoting from a Lifestyle Business to Scalable Training Academies
13:29 - Translating Sports Coaching to Real Business Execution
18:44 - The Problem with One-Time Training Events & Motivation
21:02 - Building Custom AI Bots to Automate Prospect Research & Outreach
24:42 - Carrying the Nudelberg Family Legacy in South Florida
28:02 - The 3 Questions Every CEO Must Ask About Their Sales System
30:00 - The Daily Edge Podcast & How to Connect with Marc

What does it take to keep a family craft alive for nearly a century?

In this special episode of Coffee with Cagnetta, Andy Cagnetta (CEO of Transworld Business Advisors) changes seats to talk about a personal passion project: his new book, "The Favilla Legacy: An American Guitar Classic." Joining him is his longtime publisher, Bruce Corris of BMD Publishing.

Andy and Bruce trace the Favilla family's immigrant story, from learning the master violin trade in Cremona, Italy, to building a New York instrument manufacturing business that lasted nearly 100 years. They also cover what it takes to bring a premium printed book to life, why they skipped a Kindle release, and rare archival finds, including unreleased photos of Jimi Hendrix playing his own Favilla acoustic. Plus, you'll hear clips from interviews in the book with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Elliot Easton (The Cars) and master luthier Tom Crandall.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- How the Favilla family built a guitar business that lasted nearly a century
- How the family matriarch, Aunt Cleo, saved the factory
- Why the book was designed for print and skipped a Kindle release
- The supply chain and wood sourcing challenges instrument makers faced through American history

Get The Favilla Legacy on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0gQhrC0i
Join The Favilla Guitar Group on Facebook
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxKyyWt0qPQ
Learn more about M&A, leadership, and business: https://tworld.com

Chapters:
00:00 - Flipping the Script: Andy Cagnetta's Passion Project
02:35 - From Cremona to New York: The True 100-Year Immigrant Story
06:50 - Gathering the Legends: Interviewing Elliot Easton & Tom Crandall
11:15 - Designing for Print: Why This Book Skipped a Kindle Release
15:40 - The Matriarch's Financial Blueprint: How Aunt Cleo Saved the Factory
21:10 - Jimi Hendrix, Harpo Marx, and Rare String Instrument Milestones
26:15 - Supply Chain Hurdles & Wood Sourcing in American History
31:00 - Preserving the Craftsmanship: How to Keep the Legacy Alive

Can a nonprofit grow like a startup? Jessica Rodriguez believes the organizations making the biggest impact are the ones that think like entrepreneurs.

In this episode of Coffee with Cagnetta, Andy Cagnetta (CEO of Transworld Business Advisors) sits down with Jessica Rodriguez, Co-Founder and Visionary of Cloud Nine Nonprofit Advisors. Jessica shares how purpose-driven organizations can scale by adopting a business mindset, from structural frameworks like EOS (the Entrepreneurial Operating System) to using AI to win back hours in the day.

They also dig into the changing landscape of giving: the latest Giving USA data, the rapid rise of Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs), and why nonprofits are sharing resources like fractional CFOs and joint HR models to stretch tighter budgets.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why running a nonprofit like a business leads to more impact
- How EOS frameworks help purpose-driven organizations scale
- What the Giving USA data and the rise of DAFs mean for fundraising
- How shared resource models like fractional CFOs help nonprofits beat tightening budgets

Connect with Cloud Nine Nonprofit Advisors: https://www.thrivewithcloud9.com/ (@ThriveWithCloud9)
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MajKz3IcAb8
Learn more about M&A, leadership, and business: https://tworld.com

Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome Back: Bailing Andy Out on the Pasta Dinner
03:15 - Meet Jessica Rodriguez & Cloud Nine Nonprofit Advisors
07:45 - Running a Nonprofit Like a Business: The Entrepreneurial Shift
13:10 - Scaling a Purpose-Driven Venture with EOS Frameworks
18:35 - The Shifting Philanthropy Landscape: Giving USA Data & DAFs
24:50 - AI as a Strategy, Not Just a Tool for Nonprofits
30:15 - Creative Strategic Alliances & Shared Resource Models
34:30 - Outro: Connecting with Cloud Nine Advisors