Great American Underdog

When Basel Cheneir was laid off from a car dealership, he faced a choice: return to the career he knew or bet on the social media brand he'd been building.

The founder and CEO of BlinkCo Media joins Ron Marvo on Great American Underdog to share how watching his father lose everything and rebuild shaped his entrepreneurial mindset, and how storytelling, social media marketing, lifestyle branding, and strategic content creation can help businesses stand out and build stronger relationships with their audiences.

From navigating an unexpected $34,000 financial setback to embracing his philosophy of being "the last man standing," Basel shares the lessons he's learned about consistency, adaptability, staying calm under pressure, and finding solutions when entrepreneurship gets difficult.

A 35-foot fall. Shattered bones. Months of surgeries and rehabilitation. And a recovery so remarkable that Bill Schomburg's own trauma surgeon described him as a miracle.

But that experience is only one chapter of Bill's extraordinary journey.

In Episode 12 of Great American Underdog, Ron Marvo sits down with entrepreneur, business strategist, lifelong horseman, and leadership mentor Bill Schomburg for an honest conversation about resilience, faith, loss, emotional intelligence, and the lessons that come from life's most difficult experiences.

Bill shares the devastating accident that changed his life, the determination behind his recovery, and the profound influence of his late wife, whose battle with brain cancer reshaped his perspective on love, faith, and the choices we make when life doesn't go according to plan.

Having spent decades training horses before transitioning into entrepreneurship and business leadership, Bill also shares some fascinating lessons about human behavior. Through working with horses, he discovered how listening, patience, self-awareness, and managing our own emotions can completely transform the way we influence others.

Together, Ron and Bill explore:

• Finding strength and purpose through adversity

• Faith, grief, love, and choosing how to move forward

• What horses can teach us about leadership and emotional intelligence

• The importance of self-awareness and challenging our own ego

• How negative self-talk and distractions influence our mindset

• Why vulnerability, trust, and listening matter in leadership

• Embracing failure, lifelong learning, and personal growth

One of Bill's most powerful reminders comes from a lesson he has learned throughout his life:

"There's no growth without struggle."

Whether you're facing a difficult season, rebuilding after a setback, or working to become a better leader, this conversation offers valuable perspective on the courage to keep growing through whatever life brings your way.

Great American Underdog | Hosted by Ron Marvo

Real stories of courage, resilience, discipline, and personal transformation.

Imagine moving to a new country as a child, struggling to keep up in school, and being held back a grade. Years later, you're a successful attorney practicing law in New York and New Jersey.

That's part of Mufaddal "Mufy" Mithaiwala's incredible underdog journey.

In this episode of Great American Underdog, Ron Marvo reconnects with his longtime childhood friend to explore the experiences, obstacles, and mindset that helped shape his life.

Born in India, Mufy immigrated to the United States as a young boy. His family worked tirelessly to build a better life, sharing a one-bedroom apartment while navigating the challenges of starting over in a new country.

Inspired by his uncle's career in law and Kobe Bryant's legendary Mamba Mentality, Mufy developed an unwavering commitment to preparation, discipline, and giving his absolute best.

That mindset carried him through the challenges of law school, passing the New York and New Jersey bar exams on his first attempts, and earning recognition as a Super Lawyers Rising Stars attorney.

Together, Ron and Mufy explore the fear of failure, the importance of mentors, believing in yourself, pursuing excellence, and why kindness and character matter just as much as professional accomplishments.

Through every chapter of his journey, Mufy's advice remains remarkably simple:

Just keep going.

If you've ever felt behind, doubted your abilities, or wondered whether you have what it takes to accomplish something meaningful, this conversation is for you.

Great American Underdog | Hosted by Ron Marvo

Real stories. Courage. Resilience. Discipline.

Ina Coveney grew up in Venezuela, was bullied as a young girl, and eventually came to the United States determined to create a different life for herself.

That willingness to reinvent herself would become a recurring theme.

After building a successful corporate career in technology and project management, Ina began recognizing the gender bias and workplace inequality she had spent years refusing to let define her. Then, while preparing for maternity leave, she was given a major new responsibility without a corresponding raise. During her leave, the promotion was effectively taken away and given to the contractor she had hired to cover for her.

That became a turning point.

In Episode 10 of Great American Underdog, Ina shares how she walked away from corporate life and entered entrepreneurship, where the challenges only changed form. She spent money on strategies that didn’t work, built offers nobody bought, chased audience growth, made mistakes, and eventually discovered that success had far more to do with relationships, resourcefulness, experience, and learning to use what was already in front of her.

We also talk about:

• Growing up in Venezuela and starting over in the United States
• Being bullied and finding a sense of belonging
• Why Ina believes we have more control over our circumstances than we realize
• Gender bias and working in male-dominated environments
• The maternity-leave experience that helped push her toward entrepreneurship
• The costly mistakes she made during her first years in business
• Why a small audience can still build a profitable business
• The importance of coaching and mentorship
• Developing a 10X mindset
• Why confidence is built through experience rather than positive thinking alone
• Taking action even when fear is still present
• Finding the people who appreciate you for who you really are

One of the biggest themes in this conversation is simple: you may not control every obstacle placed in front of you, but you still have choices about what you do next.

Ina’s story is a reminder to keep moving, keep experimenting, keep building relationships, and give yourself enough experience to discover what you are actually capable of.

00:00 — Welcome to Great American Underdog
01:27 — The Underdog Story That Taught Ina to Keep Pivoting
04:15 — You Have More Control Than You Think
05:59 — Creating Opportunities Instead of Waiting for Permission
12:23 — Growing Up in Venezuela & Starting Over in America
22:45 — Finding Belonging in a New Country
29:48 — Gender Bias, Being Underestimated & Refusing to Internalize It
36:45 — Corporate Success, Pregnancy & the Promotion That Changed Everything
45:12 — Walking Away From Corporate Life
49:55 — The Expensive Reality of Starting a Business
56:35 — Why Coaches, Mentors & Experience Matter
01:02:20 — 10X Thinking, Confidence & Creating Your Own Opportunities
01:09:15 — What Ina Would Tell Her Younger Self

Alex Enriquez is a former amateur boxing champion, undefeated professional boxer, coach, personal trainer, and founder of Boxing Undefeated. In this episode, Alex joins Ron to share how street fights, academic struggles, a broken nose, and the pressure to become “the man of the house” eventually led him into boxing.

Alex talks about the consistency that separated him from the other fighters around him, the fear he carried into competition, and how his reason for fighting evolved from anger into love. He also shares what happened when injuries and the pandemic disrupted his boxing career, how coaching gave him a new direction, and why his message “Keep Swinging Champ” applies far beyond the ring.

Chapters

00:00:00 His Mother’s Underdog Story
00:03:14 Early Fights And Finding Boxing
00:19:49 Competition, Fear And Courage
00:25:15 Finding A Stronger Why
00:32:18 Turning Pro, Setbacks And Coaching
00:44:47 Building Boxing Undefeated
00:57:41 Final Lessons And Keep Swinging

Francisco Acosta is a keynote speaker, seminar leader, coach, consultant, and host of The Persistent Rumor podcast. In this episode, Francisco joins Ron for a deep conversation about belief systems, identity, self-development, sales, money, fear, compassion, and the stories that quietly shape how we see ourselves and the world around us.

Francisco shares his journey from the Dominican Republic to Washington Heights, Queens, and Long Island, including the racism and violence that shaped his early life, the martial arts path that helped him understand power and restraint, and the self-development work that changed how he saw himself and others. He and Ron also talk about “the big American lie,” why money can’t create meaning on its own, how belief systems can blind us to reality, and why compassion may be the most important superpower we can develop.

Chapters

00:00:00 Intro And Underdog Stories
00:03:35 Francisco’s Early Life
00:13:06 Martial Arts And Self-Control
00:17:34 Sales, Success And Money
00:29:20 Self-Development And Beliefs
00:42:34 Unity, Compassion And Time
01:00:03 Saying Yes To Life

Matt Angstadt’s journey from amateur boxing to business leadership and competitive triathlon has been built on discipline, patience, coachability, and the willingness to keep stepping into uncomfortable situations.

Matt joins Ron to talk about choosing his own path, the lessons boxing carried into his career, the mentor who changed his trajectory, and what he learned about building strong teams through leadership roles at GNC, Mattress Firm, and Trek. They also explore the camaraderie and pressure of boxing, starting over as a triathlete, removing toxic high performers from a team, and why asking for help can become one of the greatest advantages in your growth.

Matt’s message for anyone working toward something meaningful is simple: be patient, learn from failure, and trust the process.

Episode Chapters00:00:00 Early Life And Expectations
00:07:28 Choosing His Own Path
00:09:24 Boxing, Confidence And Discipline
00:24:39 Learning Business And Leadership
00:37:14 Career Growth And Trek
00:47:18 Becoming A Triathlete
00:57:25 Mentorship And Trusting The Process

Jacquie Teahl’s life changed when she stopped looking backward and started building something worth moving toward.

In this episode of Great American Underdog, Jacquie shares how she moved through drug use, self-doubt, and some of the darkest years of her life to build eight years of sobriety, a career in real estate, and a life centered around helping other people.

Her transformation started with small choices.

Volunteering reminded her that she still had value. Helping people gave her a renewed sense of purpose. Fitness became an important part of protecting her mental health. Over time, those choices helped Jacquie rebuild her confidence and see a future that once felt impossible.

Today, she works in property management, real estate consulting, and homeownership, with a particular passion for helping people who may feel overlooked or unsure whether buying a home is possible for them.

Jacquie talks openly about the role vulnerability has played in her growth and how sharing our experiences can help someone else feel less alone. She also explains why the people around us matter, how mentorship can change the direction of a life, and why kindness often creates a bigger impact than we realize.

For entrepreneurs and anyone carrying a long list of responsibilities, Jacquie shares the simple system she uses to organize her days: must do, could do, and can do.

Her message throughout this conversation is clear: give yourself grace, keep moving, and place your attention on the life you are creating.

The windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason.

Connect with Jacquie:
Anchor Teahl Management
Realtor Jacqueline

Chapters

00:00 Meet Jacquie Teahl
04:58 How volunteering changed her life
08:17 Finding value during the darkest moments
11:59 The power of vulnerability and connection
13:53 Choosing sobriety and rebuilding her life
17:34 Gratitude, service, and creating a bigger impact
23:09 Lessons learned from serving and bartending
25:22 Helping people reach the outcome they want
29:45 Making homeownership feel possible
31:35 Building a trusted real estate support system
36:15 Why impact continues to drive her
38:24 Mentorship and stepping into leadership
42:00 Must do, could do, and can do
46:12 Giving yourself grace and continuing forward
49:09 The family member who inspired her
51:41 Choosing purpose over money
55:16 Building a self-sustaining business and life
56:42 Surrounding yourself with the right people

Sandy Cerami walked into his house with his bank accounts overdrawn, his home in foreclosure, and the family dealership he had spent his life building gone.

He looked at his wife, Mary, and told her, “We’re broke, and I’m broken.”

Her response changed the direction of his life:

“I believe in you.”

In this episode of Great American Underdog, Sandy shares how he went from the lowest point of his professional life to becoming The Solutionist, a trusted business advisor, relationship builder, recruiter, and creator of the 7PILLARS strategy.

Sandy takes us back to a childhood that included moving nearly 17 times. Entering new schools with a name that frequently made him a target, he learned that he could fight everyone who challenged him or figure out how to make people laugh and build friendships.

That early lesson in relationships became a foundation for everything that followed.

Sandy began working in his family’s dealership around eight years old, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping floors, wiping down cars, and learning that effort created opportunity. Over time, he worked in nearly every position inside the dealership and eventually attended the NADA Academy before taking on a leadership role in the family business.

After his grandfather passed away, family conflict, financial pressure, the 2008 economic crisis, and General Motors’ bankruptcy brought the dealership’s 52-year run to an end. Sandy was left to rebuild his identity, finances, and future from the ground up.

With $11 in his pocket, he went to Starbucks and wrote the first business plan for what would eventually become Sandy Cerami & Associates.

Throughout this conversation, Sandy shares why relationships drive nearly every meaningful result in business, how asking better questions helps uncover better solutions, and why success begins with doing the right thing the right way.

He also explains the thinking behind the 7PILLARS, the danger of allowing fear and other people’s opinions to control your decisions, and the importance of playing the long game.

This episode is about persistence, relationships, faith, personal responsibility, and taking one more step when giving up feels easier.

Learn more about Sandy:
https://sandycerami.com

Chapters

00:00 Meet Sandy Cerami
01:48 Sandy’s favorite underdog stories
04:23 Moving nearly 17 times as a child
07:11 Learning to fight or make a friend
10:31 Lessons inherited from his family
12:15 Working and selling from an early age
14:18 Growing up inside the dealership
17:21 The mentor who changed Sandy’s life
19:34 Learning every side of the business
24:02 Why relationships drive results
25:51 The beginning of the dealership’s decline
28:22 Why Sandy stayed
29:38 Closing the family dealership
31:50 Reaching his lowest point
33:19 “I believe in you”
35:06 How to keep going when starting over
38:42 Building Sandy Cerami & Associates
42:03 How Sandy measures success
46:13 The 7PILLARS approach to business development
50:57 Fear of failure, success, and judgment
52:45 The six inches between your ears
53:48 Giving yourself permission to play the long game
55:31 Sandy’s message to his younger self
56:32 Advice for anyone writing an underdog story
57:36 Why Sandy’s favorite chapter is still being written

Jenna Hetzel walked away from a full ROTC scholarship to pursue a sport she had only recently discovered.

That decision led her into Division I rowing, three conference championships, nearly a decade of coaching, and eventually the creation of Seaworthy Coffee Roasters.

In this episode of Great American Underdog, Jenna shares how growing up as a competitive kid in Jamesburg, New Jersey shaped her work ethic, curiosity, and desire to prove what she was capable of.

Jenna admits that athletic success never came naturally to her. She became successful by waking up early, practicing longer, embracing discomfort, and learning to want the work more than the people around her.

After walking onto the University of Rhode Island rowing team, she quickly fell in love with the repetition, teamwork, and process behind the sport. She went from novice rower to conference champion before eventually becoming a coach and helping other athletes discover their own potential.

Those same lessons followed Jenna into entrepreneurship.

After working as a barista and learning the coffee-roasting process, Jenna became consumed with the science behind coffee. Her curiosity led her to develop a unique slow-roasting method designed to create a smoother, deeper, and more balanced cup.

She launched Seaworthy Coffee Roasters just as the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way businesses operated. With cafés closing and previous plans disappearing, Jenna quickly shifted toward online retail and continued building the company one customer at a time.

Throughout the conversation, Jenna shares why sustainable growth matters, how small daily choices build confidence, and why success requires becoming comfortable with discomfort.

This episode is about trusting your instincts, loving the work, staying committed to the process, and having the courage to choose your own direction.

Learn more and purchase Seaworthy Coffee:
https://www.seaworthycoffeeroasters.com

Follow Seaworthy Coffee Roasters:
@seaworthycoffeeroasters

Chapters

00:00 Meet Jenna Hetzel
01:19 Growing up competitive in Jamesburg
03:43 Where her competitive spirit came from
05:21 Wanting it more than everyone else
09:09 From field hockey to an ROTC scholarship
10:57 Discovering rowing
12:07 Returning the scholarship and choosing her own path
14:41 The hardest parts of learning to row
17:16 Climbing from novice to varsity
20:10 Becoming a rowing coach
24:37 From rowing to roasting
27:07 Falling in love with coffee
29:29 Learning the science of roasting
30:44 Turning curiosity into a business
34:03 Launching during the pandemic
35:27 Avoiding the “fly and die” approach
39:05 What it means to be Seaworthy
42:20 The science behind slow-roasted coffee
47:37 What it takes to succeed
49:35 Becoming comfortable with discomfort
50:53 How small choices build confidence
53:10 Jenna’s message to her younger self