OTC: After Hours

This episode of OTC After Hours zooms in on a single idea—freedom in business—and what it really costs to get there.

Featuring Travis Bertram alongside Captain Austin (Marine Rescue CDA), Michael (North Star Seafoods), and Sam, the conversation pulls from different stages of the same path—building, figuring it out, and pushing forward.

It’s easy to want control over your time, your money, and your direction. It’s harder to accept what comes with it. Pressure, missed opportunities, long stretches of uncertainty, and the responsibility to keep moving forward when nothing is guaranteed.

This conversation breaks down:

• Why most people get stuck before they ever start
• The difference between feeling “lucky” and actually earning outcomes
• How to handle losing deals, clients, or momentum
• Why failure only matters if you don’t use it
• The internal question that forces progress: what are you going to do about it

In Episode 7 of OTC After Hours, we’re back in the studio with Travis and the group reflecting on a recent Off The Clock meeting at Terroir Fine Wine.

Joined by Matthew, Austin, Brad, and Georgia, the conversation centers around young entrepreneurs and a simple question—how do you actually get a seat at the table when you’re just starting out? 

From there, it opens up into real experiences. First-year entrepreneurs stepping in for the first time, seasoned business owners sharing what it took to get there, and honest perspectives on what helps—and what hurts—when someone’s trying to break in. 

We get into:

• The fear of rejection before you even start
• Being told no vs being given a shot
• What mentorship should actually look like
• Why failure is part of figuring it out
• The balance between empathy and discipline in business

There’s no clean answer here—that’s what made the conversation worth having. This is a reflection from the people who were in the room, sharing what stood out and what it means moving forward.

OTC After Hours — where entrepreneurs unwind, talk real, and grow together.

This OTC: After Hours Bonus Episode features Connor DeVries, financial advisor and featured member of Off The Clock.

Connor didn’t take a traditional path into finance. His background spans journalism, insurance investigation, and years of hands-on experience in the markets—each step shaping how he thinks about risk, decision-making, and responsibility when it comes to other people’s money.

In this conversation, Connor shares:

• How his early career exposed the real consequences of bad financial decisions
• Why he originally resisted becoming a financial advisor—and what changed
• What he learned from years of trading and studying the markets
• How he approaches working with clients today
• Why understanding people matters more than understanding products

This episode is not financial advice. It’s a closer look at how Connor thinks, how he works, and the experiences that shaped his approach.

📍 Featured Member: Connor DeVries
🌐 https://www.otcnetworking.com/connor-devries

Most businesses don’t fail because of bad ideas.
They fail because of bad hires, unclear roles, and broken culture.

In this episode of OTC: After Hours, Travis is joined by Alex Donnolo, Brandy Cree, Brian Horan, and Connor DeVries to break down what it actually takes to build a team that works.

From personality-based hiring and leadership blind spots to the hidden cost of “cheap” employees and micromanagement, this is a raw, honest conversation about what goes wrong inside growing businesses—and how to fix it.

We get into:

• Why clarity and trust make or break culture
• The real reason most teams underperform
• When to lead from the front vs. when to step back
• Hiring from the top down vs. the bottom up
• Why fear-based leadership quietly destroys teams

Unscripted. Unfiltered. Off the clock.

In this OTC After Hours Bonus Episode, Travis sits down with Coeur d’Alene financial professional Brian Horan for a deeper, more personal conversation focused on mindset, leadership, and the realities behind money.

Brian shares how early life experiences—including the loss of his father and seeing his family taken advantage of financially—shaped his mission to help others build security and avoid the same mistakes. What started as a search for personal understanding turned into a career built on education, relationships, and long-term impact.

This conversation goes beyond finance. It explores discipline, faith, failure, and what it actually takes to grow—both personally and professionally.

They cover:

• Why most people stay stuck financially (and how to change it)

• The connection between failure and long-term success

• Lessons from books like The Slight Edge, Failing Forward, and The 360° Leader

• Leadership at every level—not just at the top

• Building a team culture rooted in growth and ownership

• The shift that happens when you become a husband and father

• Why entrepreneurship isn’t freedom—it’s responsibility

Brian also breaks down a core idea that runs through everything he does:
simple daily disciplines, repeated over time, create long-term results.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, uncertain about money, or unclear on your next move, this episode is a grounded look at what it takes to move forward with intention.

Watch / Listen:
Available on Spotify, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms

Explore more Featured Members:
OTCNetworking.com/members

In this special OTC After Hours bonus episode, Travis sits down with Isadore Sigmund Elvis Goldstein for a conversation about purpose, discipline, entrepreneurship, and the journey that shapes who we become.

Isadore shares the powerful story of how faith helped him rediscover purpose during one of the lowest points in his life. From growing up in poverty in Minneapolis to rebuilding his life in Idaho, he talks openly about personal growth, mindset, and the discipline it takes to change your direction.

The conversation dives into:

• Finding purpose through faith and personal development
• Overcoming poverty and self-doubt
• Building a career in sales and insurance
• The importance of discipline and consistency in entrepreneurship
• How AI is shaping the future of business
• Why identity and owning your story matters

This episode is part of a new Featured Member interview series, where members of the Off The Clock Networking Group share their stories, perspectives, and entrepreneurial journeys.

If you found this episode through Isadore’s page, welcome to the OTC community.

Self-employed vs. business owner: can your company run without you?

This episode dives into the blurry line between owning a job and building a system. From tattoo shops to marine rescue to The Racketeer, we unpack scalability, delegation, and the hard truth about freedom in entrepreneurship. If your income stops when you stop, you don’t own a business — you own a responsibility.

Unscripted. Unfiltered. Off the clock.

Balancing business, purpose, and parenthood.

Alex Donnolo, Brian Horan, Austin Munda, Isadore Goldstein, and host Travis Bertram sit down for a full-room conversation on work-life balance, fatherhood, blended families, pressure, therapy, and mental health. From building businesses to becoming better men, this one gets honest about what it really means to lead at home and at work.

Unscripted. Unfiltered. Off the clock.

In this episode of OTC: After Hours, we unpack the real meaning of “The Client Filter.” It’s not about judging people or chasing the perfect customer—it’s about boundaries, expectations, and protecting your time as a business owner.

Travis, Brian, and Isadore break down how the best business relationships start before the first dollar changes hands: through clarity, communication, and filtering the right way at every stage—onboarding, during the work, and off-boarding when necessary.

We talk about bad fits, mismatched expectations, losing clients gracefully, learning from difficult situations, and why employees also need a filter of their own. If you're building a business that’s meant to last, this conversation will save you stress, money, and time.

The Off the Clock entrepreneurs break down what worked, what failed, and how they’re leveling up in 2026 — without the filters, fluff, or fake hustle.

2025 was a year — and not always an easy one. In this episode of OTC: After Hours, the crew sits down to talk honestly about what went well, what didn’t, and what every entrepreneur eventually faces: growth, overwhelm, burnout, breakthroughs, and the decision to go “full ass” instead of half-trying.

Travis, Josh, Apollos, Brian, and Austin dive into:

• Knowing when you’re self-employed vs. a true business owner

• Why analysis paralysis kills momentum

• Balancing business and parenthood

• What partnerships and client relationships should really look like

• And how to stop second-guessing yourself

It’s raw, relatable, and ridiculously funny — exactly what happens when entrepreneurs unwind after hours.