Seth Deutsch is the Founder and Managing Partner of Samson Partners Group, a strategic advisory firm that helps founders build investor-ready companies and maximize value before a private equity exit. He has managed teams in over 80 countries, acquired more than 70 companies, executed four recapitalizations, and operated businesses with revenues from $25 million to $2 billion. Seth is the author of The Owner's Manual and the creator of the Exit Value Realization System™ (EVRS), a framework that helps owners reduce risk, increase valuation, and prepare for successful transitions.

Building a business is one thing. Turning it into a valuable, investor-ready asset is another. What separates founders who scale successfully from those who leave millions on the table at exit?

Seth Deutsch, a seasoned dealmaker who has acquired more than 70 companies and led multiple recapitalizations, believes strong exits start with intentional value creation long before a sale. He emphasizes de-risking the business by reducing key-person dependency, improving financial visibility, and strengthening margins. The shift from operator to investor — focusing on predictable future cash flow — is critical. In The Owner's Manual, he outlines specific value levers to help founders scale strategically and exit stronger.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Seth Deutsch, Founder and Managing Partner at Samson Partners Group, to discuss scaling and preparing a business for a successful exit. They explore the seven levers of value creation, how to reduce key-man and client concentration risk, and why investor readiness should start years before a sale. Seth also shares how his personal journey shaped his philosophy on leadership and value creation.

Bart Fanelli is the CEO and Co-founder of Skillibrium, an AI-driven revenue operating platform that aligns learning, execution, and coaching to help organizations scale high-performance revenue teams. With more than 25 years of revenue leadership experience, he has played key roles in scaling enterprise software companies, including Splunk, during a period of significant hypergrowth. He has worked with organizations from pre-IPO through post-IPO stages and is the co-author of The Success Cadence. Bart is recognized for building structured coaching frameworks that combine operational discipline with human-centered leadership.

Scaling high-performance revenue teams while keeping sales, customer success, and leadership aligned is challenging. Fragmented training, slow onboarding, and the Forgetting Curve weaken momentum. How can AI and structured coaching build a unified, continuously improving revenue engine?

Bart Fanelli, a revenue operations leader and enterprise sales strategist, faced these challenges while scaling high-growth technology companies. With more than two decades of field and leadership experience, he has built repeatable systems that align sales, customer success, and executives around a shared cadence. Bart champions role-based playbooks and daily reinforcement within real workflows. He focuses on aligning "skill and will." He explains that consistent coaching rhythms and candid conversations drive accountability, adoption, and measurable growth.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Bart Fanelli, CEO and Co-founder at Skillibrium, to discuss scaling revenue teams through AI and operational discipline. Bart shares the Magnificent Nine discovery framework and practical ways to beat the forgetting curve. He also explains how to build a coaching culture that sustains long-term growth.

Ken McLoud is the Founder of Laconic Technology, a technology company focused on helping businesses harness the power of artificial intelligence and custom software to streamline operations, boost efficiency, and unlock growth. Drawing on his experience in AI engineering and strategic consulting, he partners with clients to design solutions that integrate smoothly with existing systems and deliver measurable business results. Prior to founding Laconic Technology, Ken worked as a Design Engineer at Ruger Firearms, where he leveraged his technical expertise to develop innovative products.

The world of AI-powered tools is evolving rapidly, offering businesses unprecedented opportunities to streamline processes and amplify results. But how can agencies specifically leverage these innovations to boost their lead generation and automation efforts? Can AI truly replace traditional methods, or does it simply enhance them?

As a leading expert in AI technology, Ken McLoud explains how AI is transforming businesses by automating tasks that were once time-consuming and manual. He highlights the rise of AI-powered lead magnets as one of the most impactful applications, where agencies can automate the process of attracting potential clients. By using AI to analyze websites, run audits, and generate detailed reports, agencies can both engage users and identify new opportunities with greater precision. The power of these tools lies in their ability to scale processes that were previously bottlenecked by human limitations, enabling agencies to capture more leads with less effort.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Ken McLoud, Founder of Laconic Technology, to talk about AI-powered lead generation and automation for agencies. They discuss how AI is revolutionizing lead generation, the role of AI in solving complex business problems, and how AI-powered lead magnets can increase client engagement. Ken also shares his thoughts on the future of agentic tools and automation.

David Rothstein is the CEO and Co-founder of Newsmatics, a next-generation news technology company dedicated to transforming the way organizations collect, analyze, and distribute information. Under his leadership, Newsmatics has grown to 70 employees and launched products like EIN Presswire, which processes 175,000 press releases annually, and Perspectify, a media bias tool.

David's career spans from pioneering internet publishing in 1990s Prague to building a network of 3,900 news sites and partnering with universities on innovation hackathons. He is passionate about using technology to promote transparency, combat misinformation, and help people navigate today's news landscape.

What does it take for a news technology company to survive three decades of disruption and still lead in the age of AI? From the early days of the internet to today's data-driven landscape, the rules of media have constantly changed. How do you stay relevant while the entire industry reinvents itself?

David Rothstein, a pioneer in digital publishing and news technology, explains that longevity comes from listening obsessively to the market and evolving before you are forced to. He highlights the importance of shifting business models — from advertising to subscriptions to self-serve DaaS press release distribution — based on real customer demand. That adaptability allowed the company to remain independent and consistently profitable. By leveraging a massive news index, his team expanded into affinity publishing and media bias detection tools, pairing distribution with transparency. He also emphasizes building talent from within and partnering with universities through hackathons to fuel continuous innovation.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with David Rothstein, CEO and Co-founder of Newsmatics, to discuss transforming news delivery in an AI-driven world. They explore bootstrapping through the dot-com crash, pioneering self-serve DaaS press release models, and building tools that detect media bias and propaganda. David also shares insights on fostering internal talent and staying profitable while scaling innovation.

Ben Altman is the CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Altman Advisors, a multi-family office he co-founded with his father in 2016 that serves high-net-worth families. The firm provides comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, and legacy planning services. Under Ben's leadership, Altman Advisors has built a multi-generational client base, established a ten-year investment track record, and is pursuing GIPS® certification to uphold global best practices in investment performance reporting. An active member of YPO (Young Presidents' Organization) and EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization), Ben is focused on integrating AI to enhance client service and internal operations.

What separates financial advisors who consistently thrive from those struggling to keep pace in a rapidly evolving market? How do top advisors build enduring client relationships while navigating volatility, risk, and accelerating technological change? Increasingly, the answer lies at the intersection of legacy thinking, economic discipline, and AI-driven efficiency.

Ben Altman, a wealth management expert with multi-generational advisory experience, exemplifies how disciplined investment strategy, rigorous diversification, and thoughtful technology adoption define modern financial advisory success. Drawing on lessons from past market cycles, Ben emphasizes the importance of avoiding concentrated risk. He also highlights the value of leveraging AI tools, such as voice-to-text dictation and context-driven prompting, to streamline workflows and enhance real-time client responsiveness.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Ben Altman, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Altman Advisors, to explore how family legacy, economic strategy, and AI converge in modern wealth management. They discuss how Ben utilizes AI to scale operations and the principles behind proactive client engagement. They also explore practical frameworks for building resilient, long-term relationships that prioritize personalized care, which is essential for trust.

Ghazenfer Mansoor is the Founder and CEO of Technology Rivers, a software company developing HIPAA-compliant web, mobile, and cloud-based healthcare software applications. As a seasoned advisor and investor in technology and healthcare, he has fulfilled roles as an architect, programmer, software engineer, user experience specialist, product developer, growth hacker, and chief technology officer.

Ever wondered why some apps become part of your daily routine while others disappear after a single use? Creating technology people truly love requires mastering retention, trust, and thoughtful AI integration. So what separates indispensable apps from the rest?

According to Ghazenfer Mansoor, a seasoned healthcare SaaS builder and author, the apps that endure are those designed around a single, essential user need and built with security and trust at their core. He highlights the importance of protecting sensitive data through privacy-first AI approaches such as retrieval-augmented generation and zero-retention language models. The impact is clear: when users feel safe and understood, they stay. He also stresses avoiding feature bloat, embedding feedback loops early, and iterating continuously based on real user behavior.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Ghazenfer Mansoor, Founder and CEO of Technology Rivers, to discuss building secure, user-loved apps in healthcare and SaaS. They dive into designing for retention, avoiding common product pitfalls, and selecting the right tech stack to scale effectively. Ghazenfer also shares how AI tools and book recommendations shape his productivity and decision-making.

Alexander Landa is the Co-founder and CEO of Akiva, an AI-driven immersive learning platform that helps neurodivergent individuals build skills through engaging virtual reality lessons. Driven by his experience as a father navigating special education challenges, he founded Akiva to help families, clinicians, and educators foster meaningful progress. With over 25 years of leadership in software and tech startups, Alexander brings deep expertise in building and scaling innovative products. Under his leadership, Akiva continues expanding access to inclusive, science-backed learning experiences that empower users to thrive.

Immersive technology is changing the way people learn, connect, and grow — especially for those who experience the world differently. From virtual reality classrooms to AI-powered skill development, new tools are opening doors for more inclusive education. Could immersive learning be the key to helping neurodivergent learners thrive with greater confidence and independence?

Alexander Landa, a longtime enterprise software leader and immersive learning innovator, believes it can. He explains that combining virtual reality with artificial intelligence creates a more supportive and engaging environment for individuals with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodivergent conditions. He highlights how Akiva's platform personalizes learning through recommendation models and progress prediction, giving families and educators clearer insight into development. This approach helps learners build essential life and communication skills in a way that feels natural and empowering. He also shares why accessibility and dignity are central to the mission.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz speaks with Alexander Landa, Co-founder and CEO of Akiva, to discuss immersive learning for neurodivergent learners. They explore how VR and AI support autism education, why Meta Quest is a powerful delivery tool, and the SPACE framework behind Akiva's approach. Alexander also shares his favorite resources and business-building lessons.

CJ Bruce is the Founder and CEO of The Missing Ingredient, a Sacramento-based food marketing agency that helps healthful and sustainable food and beverage brands grow. The agency specializes in performance marketing, paid media, influencer campaigns, and AI-driven strategies. Since 2016, CJ has led a team of 15, working with brands like Amy's Kitchen, Sumo Citrus, Baskin-Robbins, and Milk Bar. A certified plant-based chef and former food influencer, he combines his passion for food and technology to help brands stand out, connect with consumers, and scale.

What makes some food products stand out while others fade into obscurity? Why do certain brands go viral, gaining devoted fans almost overnight, while others never leave the shelves? Could the secret lie in the right mix of marketing creativity, influencer partnerships, and technology?

As noted by food marketing veteran CJ Bruce, the intersection of creative passion, tactical strategy, and AI integration defines the modern path to success. He highlights the importance of building genuine relationships with influencers rather than relying on one-off partnerships, creatively engaging consumers through contests, and leveraging digital workflows to scale brands quickly. By combining micro-influencer campaigns, viral video content, and AI-driven processes, even niche products can gain cult followings and achieve measurable growth. He emphasizes that balancing technology with authentic human connection is key to capturing attention in today's fast-moving food landscape.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with CJ Bruce, Founder and CEO of The Missing Ingredient, to discuss mastering food and beverage brand growth in the digital era. They explore how CJ uses AI to streamline campaigns, the strategies behind viral influencer marketing, and how to tap into emerging food trends for rapid growth. CJ also shares practical tools and workflows that help brands scale while staying agile.

Dan Lee is a Partner at Pin High Strategies, a merchant banking and advisory firm serving independent sponsors and founder-led businesses on capital raising and strategic growth. He has spent 25 years investing in private companies across both debt and equity. Previously, Dan was a Partner at Garnett Station Partners and a co-founder of Comvest Capital Partners, which he helped grow from $250 million to $12 billion. He has partnered with more than 100 founders and small businesses to support long-term growth and value creation.

Strong businesses don't grow from setbacks alone — they grow when leaders turn experience and relationships into leverage. What separates founders who scale from those who plateau isn't just strategy, but how well they activate networks and capital. How do entrepreneurs rebound from career shifts, tap deep connections, and leverage the rise of independent sponsors?

Drawing on decades of private equity and advisory work, Dan Lee explains how enduring relationships and strategic focus create a competitive advantage. As a partner at Pin High Strategies, he explains how collaboration, trust, and long-term alignment transform networks into genuine opportunities rather than one-off transactions. Dan also explores the growing influence of independent sponsors — operators who acquire and grow companies without traditional institutional funds — and why this model gives founders both flexibility and control.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Dan Lee, Partner at Pin High Strategies, to discuss building resilient business platforms and leveraging deep networks for capital and growth. They explore why independent sponsors are gaining traction, how strategic niches accelerate success, and how to turn professional setbacks into new opportunities. Dan also shares lessons on raising capital, scaling platforms, and building partnerships that last.

Dan Lee is a Partner at Pin High Strategies, a merchant banking and advisory firm serving independent sponsors and founder-led businesses on capital raising and strategic growth. He has spent 25 years investing in private companies across both debt and equity. Previously, Dan was a Partner at Garnett Station Partners and a co-founder of Comvest Capital Partners, which he helped grow from $250 million to $12 billion. He has partnered with more than 100 founders and small businesses to support long-term growth and value creation.

Strong businesses don't grow from setbacks alone — they grow when leaders turn experience and relationships into leverage. What separates founders who scale from those who plateau isn't just strategy, but how well they activate networks and capital. How do entrepreneurs rebound from career shifts, tap deep connections, and leverage the rise of independent sponsors?

Drawing on decades of private equity and advisory work, Dan Lee explains how enduring relationships and strategic focus create a competitive advantage. As a partner at Pin High Strategies, he explains how collaboration, trust, and long-term alignment transform networks into genuine opportunities rather than one-off transactions. Dan also explores the growing influence of independent sponsors — operators who acquire and grow companies without traditional institutional funds — and why this model gives founders both flexibility and control.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Dan Lee, Partner at Pin High Strategies, to discuss building resilient business platforms and leveraging deep networks for capital and growth. They explore why independent sponsors are gaining traction, how strategic niches accelerate success, and how to turn professional setbacks into new opportunities. Dan also shares lessons on raising capital, scaling platforms, and building partnerships that last.