PodCrash with Matt Ebert

In this episode of PodCrash, Matt Ebert sits down with Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood, to talk about entrepreneurship, big ideas, and what it really takes to build something ambitious.

Baiju reflects on the early days of Robinhood, hearing “no” from countless investors, and why the best founders often have an irrational belief in themselves before anyone else does. He explains why easy ideas are not actually easier, why dreaming small usually leads to building small, and how founders have to keep iterating until they find what works.

They also get into what Baiju is building now with Cowboy Space Corporation (formerly Aetherflux), a company focused on creating a power grid in space and using satellites to beam solar energy and eventually power AI infrastructure. He shares why space has been a lifelong interest, why he wanted to take on another huge challenge, and how he thinks about risk, innovation, and building for the future.Follow Baiju and his company Cowboy Space Corps here: https://www.instagram.com/realbaijubhatt/?hl=en#https://www.instagram.com/cowboyspacecorp/?hl=enhttps://x.com/BaijuBhatthttps://x.com/CowboySpaceCorp

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In this episode of PodCrash, Matt Ebert sits down with entrepreneur and Navy officer Ryan Hogan for a conversation about failure, leadership, hiring, and what it really takes to build something that works.

Ryan shares how a rough start, a blown engine, and a push from his mom led him into the Navy, where he learned the discipline and focus that later shaped his career as an entrepreneur. He talks through the rise and fall of Run For Your Lives, what went wrong when the business took off too fast, and how those lessons helped him build Hunt A Killer into a $55 million company.

They also get into product-market fit, why most companies misunderstand hiring, the value of peer groups and coaching, and why the right systems matter once a business starts to grow.

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In this episode of PodCrash, Matt Ebert sits down with Don Logan, president of the Las Vegas Aviators, for a conversation about leadership, longevity, and what it takes to build something that lasts.

After more than four decades in professional baseball, Don shares what he has learned about culture, competition, community, and why doing things the right way still matters. He talks about the long road to bringing a new ballpark to Las Vegas, what makes a team and an organization successful over time, and why great leaders focus on results without losing sight of people.

They also get into Vegas as a sports market, the business of baseball, building trust inside an organization, and why consistency, toughness, and humility still separate people over the long run.

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Chris Voss spent 24 years at the FBI negotiating with terrorists, kidnappers, and bank robbers. Now he teaches business leaders, executives, and everyday people how to use those same skills to close deals, manage teams, and have better conversations at home.

In this episode of PodCrash, Chris walks Matt through a real hostage standoff at a Chase Bank in Brooklyn, explains why the last impression matters more than the first, and breaks down the three negotiation types that explain why some people in your life drive you crazy.

He also shares the five-word question that transforms demanding negotiations eight out of ten times, why getting a "no" is better than getting a "yes," and what it actually means to use tactical empathy without faking it.

Follow Chris Voss on Instagram @thefbinegotiator and check out the Black Swan community at https://www.blackswanltd.com/

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In this episode of PodCrash, Matt Ebert sits down with entrepreneur and former sports executive David Meltzer for a conversation about business, leadership, and why the wrong people can quietly ruin everything you are trying to build.

Using ideas from his book Don’t Do Business With Dicks, David breaks down how toxic people affect companies, why character matters more than an impressive resume, and how insecurity, ego, and poor judgment can lead to bad partnerships and bad decisions. He also talks about losing everything, rebuilding his life, and the habits that helped him become more disciplined, more self-aware, and more effective as a leader.

Buy Dave's new book, Don't Do Business with Dicks, here: https://dontdobusinesswithdcks.com/

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John McDonald grew up in a single-wide trailer with no plan, joined the Navy, and eventually started FABTECH Solutions out of a Buick Lucerne with a toolbox and negative four thousand dollars in the bank. Today he runs a seven-figure service business and just wrote the book Million Dollar Service Startup to help other operators skip the decade of trial and error it took him to figure it out.

In this conversation, Matt and John get into what it actually takes to build a service business that lasts, why answering the phone is still a competitive advantage, and the moment John realized he had to stop doing every job himself if he ever wanted to grow. They also swap newspaper route stories, talk about why the best employees don't always have the best resumes, and John makes a case for why college might actually require more self-discipline than the military.

Follow John McDonald on Instagram @johnmcdonaldjr99 and grab his book Million Dollar Service Startup on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0bGXQ2sm

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In this episode of PodCrash, Matt sits down with racing legend Mario Andretti to talk about what it really takes to win at the highest level for decades.

Mario reflects on a career spanning more than 900 races and over 100 wins, and why he never had a backup plan once he committed to racing. He shares how passion, confidence, and early wins shaped his mindset, and why he believes mediocrity is one of the biggest threats to any team or business.

They also get into what separates great teams from average ones, how to handle risk and fear in high-stakes environments, and why surrounding yourself with the right people is the only way to consistently perform at a high level. Mario explains how the same principles that win races apply directly to business, leadership, and building something that lasts.

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In this episode of PodCrash, Matt Ebert sits down with Nick Sonnenberg, founder and CEO of Leverage, to break down why most businesses feel busy but struggle to make real progress.

Nick shares how small inefficiencies like email, meetings, and disorganized systems quietly drain thousands of hours from teams every year and why the real problem isn’t effort, it’s how your business is structured. He explains his “return on time” framework, how to identify where time is being lost, and the simple changes that can give leaders and teams hours back every week.

They also get into what happens when a company grows too fast without the right systems, how Nick rebuilt his business after losing a co-founder, and why the best operators focus less on working harder and more on building systems that scale.

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In this episode of PodCrash, Matt Ebert sits down with former Marvel CEO Peter Cuneo, the executive credited with helping turn Marvel around when the company was on the brink of collapse. Cuneo shares the leadership decisions that helped stabilize the company, rebuild its strategy, and set the foundation for what would eventually become one of the most valuable entertainment brands in the world.

They talk about what it’s really like to step into a struggling company, how leaders make tough decisions when everything is on the line, and why discipline, focus, and culture matter more than flashy ideas when rebuilding a business. Cuneo also reflects on the lessons he learned guiding Marvel through its turnaround and what leaders can take from that experience when trying to rescue or grow a company today.

Follow Peter and order his new book here: https://www.petercuneo.com/

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In this episode of PodCrash, Matt Ebert sits down with Robert Herjavec for a wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship, risk, and what it really takes to build a successful business.

Robert shares the story of coming to North America as an immigrant with his parents, growing up poor, and the mindset that drove him to succeed. He and Matt discuss the blue-collar work ethic that shaped both of their careers, the importance of sales and communication in business, and why the best product doesn’t always win.

They also talk about Robert’s long-running role on Shark Tank alongside investors like Mark Cuban, including a memorable conversation where Cuban revealed that even at 12 years old he already knew he wanted to become a billionaire and own a basketball team. Robert contrasts that with his own motivation growing up: he simply didn’t want to stay poor.

Robert also shares one of the most meaningful moments of his life and the best purchase he ever made: buying his father the Cadillac he had always dreamed of owning after immigrating and working blue-collar jobs to support the family.

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