Dave Stack. Dave is an internet entrepreneur and the founder of MusicStack, one of the early online marketplaces for rare and out-of-print music, which he began building out of his dorm room at Ohio State 30 years ago in the early days of the commercial internet. Over the years, he has gone on to build a portfolio of niche vertical marketplaces under the banner of Vertical Commerce, including MusicStack, Bear Pile, Reborns, and BJD Collectors — which has grown to facilitate tens of million in gross merchandise sales.

In our conversation, Dave and I explore how a love of music, coding, and selling turned into one of the internet’s early marketplace businesses, and how he kept following overlooked opportunities into passionate collector and creator communities that most people would never think to serve, like lifelike baby dolls and handmade teddybears. We talk about why niche markets can be so powerful, how trust and community become part of the product, the leverage that automation and AI now afford a solo founder, and why Dave chose an intentionally lean and independent path rather than the conventional startup playbook of scale.

More than anything, this is a conversation about building durable internet businesses, staying authentic to yourself, and designing a life around work you genuinely love. Dave is thoughtful, unconventional, and deeply true to his own path, and I really enjoyed our conversation — please enjoy.

00:00 Exploring Hidden Opportunities in Niche Markets
11:32 The Longevity of Online Businesses
16:33 Building Trust and Community in Niche Marketplaces
22:55 Automation and Efficiency in Solo Entrepreneurship
28:01 Navigating the Chicken and Egg Problem in Marketplaces
32:13 Understanding Marketplace Scale and Growth
36:42 Authenticity in Entrepreneurship
40:57 Community Engagement and Personal Connections
51:24 Reflections on Cleveland and Personal Journey
56:15 Outro

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjstack/
https://www.davestack.com/press.cgi

-----

SPONSOR:
Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Learn more at https://roundstoneinsurance.com/

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

Carson Morell and Daniel Scott Mitchell, Co-Founders of Takton — a manufacturing technology company building fast, affordable tools for small and mid-sized manufacturers.

Carson and Daniel came into manufacturing from different paths — Carson as a founder and operator, Daniel as an engineer at companies like Tesla and Rivian — but arrived at the same realization: there is a massive gap between the most advanced manufacturing technology and what is actually accessible to the majority of shops across the country.

So they set out to meet manufacturers where they are, got in a car and spent months visiting factories — over a hundred across the U.S. — learning directly from operators, machinists, and owners about how work actually gets done. And along the way, they kept coming back to Cleveland and ultimately decided to build Takton here, in one of the densest manufacturing ecosystems in the country, where proximity to customers and relationships on the shop floor actually matter.

In our conversation, we explore that journey — from their backgrounds and how they came together, to the insights from the road, to what they’re building at Takton today: a catalogue of simple, accessible products designed specifically for the majority long tail of manufacturers that have historically been underserved by technology.

We talk about their first products, their approach to product development grounded in real-world feedback, the importance of industrial density in places like Cleveland and why they chose to build Takton here, and the broader opportunity to rebuild American manufacturing capacity.

I loved learning more about their story, that they’ve chosen to build here and the passion and optimism they have for the future for american manufacturing. Please enjoy our conversation.

00:00 Manufacturing Innovation
10:47 The Roadshow
14:58 Bridging the Gap
21:25 Building Tacton
25:37 Manufacturers
29:01 Cost Efficiency
30:41 In-Person Relationships
35:29 Automation and Labor
40:35 Industrial Cleveland
45:38 Ecosystem
51:35 Small Businesses
54:06 Dynamics and Quality
59:12 Bridging the Gap
59:55 Data-Driven
01:00:51 The Wild West
01:03:17 Automation
01:05:31 Memorable Moments
01:09:50 Passion and Curiosity
01:11:43 Takton's Meaning
01:13:35 Cleveland's Potential
01:14:48 Outro

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdmorell/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielscottmitchell/
https://takton.com/about

-----

SPONSOR:
Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Learn more at https://roundstoneinsurance.com/

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

Anna Dey is a multi-unit and multi-brand franchise entrepreneur who has spent the past decade building businesses across Northeast Ohio. Since getting her start in franchising with an Anytime Fitness location in 2012, she has gone on to own and operate franchises across several systems including Clean Eatz, Smoothie King, The Vitamin Shoppe, Barrio Tacos + Tequila, and goGLOW, earning national recognition along the way as both Franchisee of the Year and Multi-Unit Owner of the Year.

Today, Anna also works as a franchise consultant at The franSPOT, where she helps aspiring entrepreneurs explore and launch franchise businesses of their own. Alongside her entrepreneurial work, Anna is the founder of *24 in 24*, an endurance running event where participants run one mile every hour for twenty-four consecutive hours — an event that has grown from a small community fitness challenge into a Northeast Ohio institution that has raised more than $3 million for children battling life-threatening illnesses.

In our conversation, Anna and I explore franchising as a pathway to entrepreneurship — how the model works, why it can be such a powerful on-ramp to business ownership, and what she’s learned operating multiple franchise brands across different industries. We also talk about her evolution as an entrepreneur, how she evaluates franchise opportunities today, the importance of building strong teams and delegation, the story behind 24 in 24, and lots more. I very much enjoyed our conversation together — as you’ll hear, anna is full of passion and knowledge — and I hope you enjoy it as well!

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annamdey
https://www.goglow.co
https://www.thefranspot.com
http://www.cleaneatz.com
http://www.smoothieking.com
http://www.the24in24.org

-----

SPONSOR:
Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Learn more at https://roundstoneinsurance.com/

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

Anne Hartnett is a neighborhood developer and entrepreneur focused on creating spaces where community, well-being, and small business can thrive. She is the founder of Harness Cycle and CEO of HCO Partners, a Cleveland-based real estate and placemaking company that develops and operates neighborhood-focused commercial properties.

Anne began her career as a software consultant. After years of traveling and being inspired by vibrant neighborhood cultures in cities like New York and Minneapolis, she decided to open a brick-and-mortar fitness studio in the heart of Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood.

In 2013, she opened Harness Cycle, a boutique cycling studio built around the idea that movement can connect communities. Following its success, Harness expanded to a second location in Downtown Cleveland in 2017. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced both studios to close in 2020, Anne recalibrated her business model and began focusing on ownership of the spaces where her businesses operate.

In 2022, Anne co-founded HCO Partners, a real estate development and operating company focused on supporting independent brick-and-mortar entrepreneurs. Through HCO, she acquired and redeveloped The Vitrolite Building in Cleveland’s Hingetown neighborhood. The building now houses a collection of locally owned businesses including Harness Cycle, Soul Yoga, Patron Saint, The Matriarchy, and LUUMA Wellness Suites, forming a collaborative ecosystem centered around well-being, entrepreneurship, and community.

Anne has been recognized for her leadership and vision by being named to Crain’s Cleveland Business 40 Under 40, Smart Business Women in Business, and Cleveland Magazine’s Most Interesting People, and she was a contestant on CNBC’s Cleveland Hustles. She lives in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland with her husband Andy, a Cleveland Firefighter and their four children.

00:00: The Entrepreneurial Journey
07:45: Finding Opportunity
10:47: The Rise of Boutique Fitness
13:59: Creating a Community
19:06: Scaling a Business
24:44: Neighborhood Revitalization
28:42: Brick and Mortar
32:56: Small Businesses
35:39: Operator to Developer
41:43: Through Retail
46:03: Advocacy for Brick and Mortar Businesses
50:33: The Future of Brick and Mortar Entrepreneurship
54:48: Redefining Success in Entrepreneurship
01:01:38 Outro

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-hartnett/
https://hcopartners.com/
https://harnesscycle.com/
https://www.thevitrolite.com/

-----

SPONSOR:
Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Learn more at https://roundstoneinsurance.com/

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

Will Zell — Founder and Managing Partner of Vessel, founding CEO and now Executive Chair of AssetWatch, and a leading voice in rethinking how venture capital works across Ohio.

Will’s path into technology and venture isn’t conventional. He grew up — and still lives — in Bellefontaine, Ohio. At 17, he ran for city council under the slogan “A Voice for the Future.” He spent time in ministry, built a real estate portfolio during the financial crisis, and ultimately found his way into technology startups — learning firsthand what it means to raise capital in a state that consistently punches below its weight in venture investment. After early startup failures, Will co-founded what became AssetWatch, a predictive maintenance platform serving global manufacturers. The company has since raised more than $100 million in venture capital and scaled into a high-growth industrial technology business employing hundreds.

But perhaps more interesting than breaking through Ohio’s capital gap is Will’s effort to redesign it. In 2020, he founded Vessel — a diversified venture platform focused on investing in and building category-defining companies in Middle America. Through Vessel and the Ohio Angel Collective, Will is working to expand access to early-stage capital, grow the top of Ohio’s innovation funnel, and shift the ecosystem from scarcity to abundance.

In our conversation, we unpack:

• The structural capital gap facing Ohio founders
• What it took to navigate AssetWatch through near-zero runway moments
• Why democratizing venture access matters
• How to build a multi-stage venture platform outside the coasts
• And what it would mean for Ohio to invest in innovation proportionally to the size of its economy

This is a conversation about capital formation, ecosystem design, and the long-term work required to build a venture-backed innovation economy in Ohio.

00:00:00 Introduction & Show Disclaimer
00:00:58 Will Zell’s Background & Early Influences
00:04:26 Path to Entrepreneurship & Community Impact
00:11:11 Transition from Curiosity to Entrepreneurship
00:13:03 Early Business Ventures & Real Estate
00:20:01 Entry into Technology Startups
00:22:01First Tech Swings & Lessons Learned
00:25:58 The Ohio Capital Gap
00:31:08 Breaking Through with AssetWatch
00:36:59 AssetWatch Product & Impact
00:40:22 Transition to Vessel & Venture Capital Access
00:45:34 Vessel’s Mission & Structure
00:49:07 Goals for Success & Midwest Venture Landscape
00:55:16 Power of Community & Culture Change
01:00:25 What's Next: Curiosity and Culture Change
01:04:35 Founders, Opportunity, and Encouragement
01:06:08 Bellefontaine Highlights & Closing
01:08:39 Farewell & Closing Credits

-----

LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/willzell/
https://www.ohioangelcollective.com/
https://buildvessel.com/
https://spiltsocial.com/

-----

SPONSOR:
Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

Noah Jackson and  AJ Wadian — the Co-Founders of Premier Home Pros

Launched in December 2022 with just $65,000 of their own capital and a decision made around a dinner table, Premier Home Pros has scaled from zero to more than $150 million in annual gross sales in just three years — surpassing $100 million in under 24 months — all without raising a single dollar of outside capital. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, Premier now operates across 14 states and continues to expand at a pace that few companies in any industry achieve.

In our conversation, Noah and AJ walk through the entire evolution of the business from doing over half a million dollars in sales in their first month — and the relentless execution required to turn early momentum into a scalable, multi-state operation. We talk about what it really means to build the plane while flying it, the mistakes they’ve made along the way, why bathrooms are far more complex than they appear, and how process, data, and elite talent compound when aligned correctly.

We also explore their leadership evolution — how the business at times has grown faster than the people, what it takes to lead from the front, how they disagree productively as partners, and why Northeast Ohio remains home even as the company becomes increasingly national.

This is a conversation about ambition, resilience, systems, and building something enduring — right here in northeast Ohio.

Noah and AJ are operating at a level of demonstrated performance, intensity, and conviction that is rare and admirable — I took a lot away from their ambition and focus and and hope you all enjoy our conversation.

00:00 The Ambitious Journey Begins
08:34 Navigating Challenges and Learning from Mistakes
29:02 Leadership Evolution in a Rapidly Growing Company
37:52 Understanding the Bathroom Industry's Challenges
40:57 Innovation and Trends in Bathroom Design
43:22 Evolving Motivations and Definitions of Success
48:54 Building a Business in Northeast Ohio
52:31 Hidden Gems of Northeast Ohio

-----

LINKS:
Noah Jackson: [email protected]
Augustine Wadian: [email protected]
https://premier-homepros.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aj-w-2815a6177/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/njackson1005/

-----

SPONSOR:
Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland. https://roundstoneinsurance.com/

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

Scot Lowry — Managing Partner and Co-Founder of PromiseONE Companies

Scot is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of PromiseONE Companies, a Cleveland-based investment firm that helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs acquire and grow established businesses through Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, or ETA. Prior to launching PromiseONE, Scot acquired and led Fathom, a digital marketing firm he grew more than 450% over a decade — an experience that became both the financial engine and talent incubator behind PromiseONE’s long-term portfolio strategy. Today, Scot also serves as the Richard Osborne Professor of Entrepreneurship at Case Western Reserve University, where he teaches acquisition entrepreneurship and helps steward one of the nation’s longest-standing ETA programs.

In our conversation, Scot and I explore Cleveland’s unique “right to win” in ETA and the decades-long lineage that traces back to his mentor, Richard Osborne. We talk about what it truly means to become a credible buyer, how to earn the trust of legacy sellers, and why understanding what matters most to them is the foundation of great dealmaking. We unpack the evolution of PromiseONE’s patient capital model, the philosophy of “your dream is my dream,” and how Scot has helped multiple operators transition from employee to business owner. We also discuss negotiation, long-term ownership versus traditional private equity, mentorship, and a deeply personal crucible moment that reshaped Scot’s leadership philosophy and sense of purpose.

Scot is a thoughtful entrepreneur, investor, and teacher, and this was a really meaningful conversation — please enjoy.

00:00 Introduction to Promise Partners and Scott Lowry
03:08 Cleveland's Right to Win in Entrepreneurship
05:51 The Role of Richard Osborne and Promise Partners
08:57 Building Credibility as a Buyer
12:07 The Evolution of Promise One Companies
14:55 Understanding Legacy Sellers
18:04 The Importance of Relationships in Deal Making
20:55 Navigating the Acquisition Process
23:48 Lessons from Fathom's Growth and Leadership
27:06 The Philosophy Behind Promise One's Model
37:56 Choosing the Path of Entrepreneurship
40:06 Building a Community of Entrepreneurs
43:13 Incubating New Business Ideas
46:04 The Promise Partners Model
48:46 Long-Term Vision and Patient Capital
51:53 The Art of Deal Making
56:03 Teaching and Mentoring Future Entrepreneurs
01:00:13 Reflections on Personal Growth and Purpose

-----

LINKS:
https://promiseone.com/about-us/

https://case.edu/weatherhead/academics/entrepreneurship-through-acquisition

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotlowry/

-----

SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance — https://roundstoneinsurance.com/
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

Chad Delligatti — CEO of InnoSource

Chad Delligatti is the CEO of InnoSource — a more than two-decade-old, Ohio-based company that has grown into a national workforce solutions platform serving Fortune 500 and midsized organizations across the country.

Since joining InnoSource in 2000 as one of its earliest employees, Chad has devoted his entire professional career to building the company — helping it evolve from a regional staffing firm into the leading HR, talent, outsourcing, and data solutions partner it is today, employing more than 2,000 associates across North America, partnering with clients to deliver highly customized recruiting and workforce management solutions.

But this isn’t just a story about staffing…From sweeping neighbors’ floors in Bexley as a child, to running a lawn care business in Granville, to flipping Beanie Babies in college, Chad’s entrepreneurial drive showed up early. And when faced with the choice between joining a large corporation or becoming one of the first employees at a small, fledgling company called InnoSource, he chose the entrepreneurial path — a decision that shaped the next 25 years of his life.

In our conversation, Chad reflects on what it means to dedicate decades to building one company — the evolution of the staffing and outsourcing industry from newspaper classifieds to job boards to AI-driven recruiting — and how InnoSource is now entering a new chapter powered by technology.

We unpack how the implementation of AI is reshaping hiring funnels, reducing time-to-offer, improving tenure, and fundamentally transforming how workforce solutions are delivered. We also explore what hasn’t changed: the company’s cultural anchors, leadership principles, and Chad’s conviction that technology must enhance — not replace — the human touch.

This conversation was a lot of fun — chad exudes passion for his work and it comes through in spades. Please So please enjoy this awesome discussion with Chad Delligatti.

00:00 The Journey of InnoSource: A Personal Story
15:07 InnoSource Today: Services and Innovations
19:26 Evolution of the Staffing Industry: Adapting to Change
26:47 AI in Recruitment: Transforming the Landscape
31:20 The Human Touch: Balancing AI and Personal Connection
33:13 Embracing Change in Recruitment
37:22 Leadership Lessons from Experience
46:59 Core Values and Company Culture
55:24 Defining Success and Motivation
01:01:21 Upskilling for Future Opportunities
01:05:10 Outro

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LINKS:
https://innosource.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-delligatti-621bba2/

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SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

Matt Kalina — Founder and CEO of TandemStride

Matt Kalina is the Founder and CEO of TandemStride, a healthcare marketplace that connects trauma survivors with peers, care partners, and providers to support long-term recovery. Inspired by his family’s firsthand experience with traumatic injury, Matt is dedicated to building solutions that close the gap between emergency care and ongoing support. With his leadership, TandemStride is advancing a more connected and compassionate model of recovery.

In our conversation, Matt and I explore the often-overlooked realities of life after traumatic injury, why peer support is such a powerful layer of care, how his family adapted to his brother’s traumatic loss of his both his legs in 2012 and have come together through TandemStride to  building the support platform they wish had existed by meeting people in moments of real crisis, not months later. We also talk about Matt’s evolution as a leadership, his Ohio go-to-market strategy, the power of incentives, the business of trauma, working with his family in the company, empathy, and coming into your life’s work. 

Matt is an inspiring entrepreneur and this was a really special conversation – please enjoy.

00:00 Introduction to Tandem Stride
02:46 Introduction and Personal Connection
04:42 The Journey to Tandem Stride
07:15 Identifying Gaps in Injury Care
09:47 Understanding Patient Needs
12:21 Building the Tandem Stride Platform
15:13 Engagement and Outreach Strategies
17:57 Navigating Healthcare Partnerships
20:30 The Business Model and Future Vision
33:39 Engaging in Healthcare Innovation
34:42 Defining the Vision for TandemStride
37:37 Creating a New Category in Injury Care
40:09 Changing Incentives in Healthcare
44:07 Long-Term Policy Initiatives
45:05 Personal Growth as a Leader
48:59 Family Dynamics in Business
51:46 Exciting Developments Ahead
54:53 Embracing Uncertainty in Entrepreneurship
59:21 Outro

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalinamatt/
https://www.tandemstride.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Cut-Through-Shortcut-That-Everything/dp/0960083766

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SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/

Akram Boutros — Founder and CEO of Nexus Bedside.

Akram brings more than 30 years of experience as a healthcare leader, executive, and clinician. He previously served as CEO of The MetroHealth System in Cleveland from 2013 to 2022, where he led a team of more than 6,000 employees and 3,500 medical staff, overseeing a nearly billion-dollar revenue operation and the complete transformation of the MetroHealth campus and care model. Prior to that, Akram held senior leadership roles at multiple health systems across the country, and he began his career as a physician, earning his Doctor of Medicine from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences.

Akram is also a serial entrepreneur. In 2025, he raised a few million dollars of seed capital to found Nexus Bedside—a company reimagining inpatient nursing staffing and working to fundamentally improve outcomes for patients, nurses, and health systems overall.

In this conversation, Akram and I unpack his full journey and perspective on healthcare and entrepreneurship—from immigrating to the U.S. and becoming a physician, to his decade leading MetroHealth, to navigating a public and controversial departure from the public health system, and ultimately experiencing the healthcare system as a patient himself. We explore how these experiences shaped his decision to start and build Nexus Bedside, his philosophy on leadership, lessons learned as an entrepreneur, the massive opportunity for AI in healthcare, and what he believes the future of inpatient care and nursing should be.

Please enjoy this awesome conversation with Akram.

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:03:40 - The Journey of Akram Boutros, MD
00:08:45 - Formative Experiences and Lessons Learned
00:13:57 - The Complexity of Running a Health System
00:19:08 - Defining the Ideal Health System
00:25:42 - The Birth of Nexus Bedside: A New Approach to Nursing
00:30:54 - Optimizing Patient Care Through Technology
00:35:40 - Business Model and Client Success
00:42:10 - Entrepreneurial Lessons in Healthcare
00:46:44 - Building Nexus in Cleveland
00:52:12 - Reflections on the Journey

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/akramboutrosmd/

https://nexus-rn.com/

-----

SPONSORS:

Roundstone Insurance

Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.

Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs. Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.

Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business owners, is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. The firm has local roots in Cleveland and across Ohio, and like this podcast, Cerity Partners advisors specialize in serving the interests of local entrepreneurs and business leaders. They understand how to manage the total picture of wealth, both personal and professional. Cerity Partners has a unified team of specialists who collaborate on almost every aspect of a client’s financial life, including business ownership. The firm’s national presence means it can offer the resources and specialized knowledge of the largest institutions with the independence and service of a neighbor. The Cerity Partners Cleveland team understands the complexity that comes with wealth, and they adhere to fiduciary standards. Discover the financial lay of your land.

Learn more at ceritypartners.com/NPR or call 216-464-6266.

-----

Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here: https://layoftheland.ck.page/5f0c1e28fa

Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/

Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland

https://www.jeffreys.page/