Jason Brown grew up sleeping in sleeping bags, entered the stock market with $500, and eventually transformed a $10,000 student loan into a six-figure trading account. After one emotional trade wiped out approximately $250,000, he was forced to move home and rebuild his finances and investment strategy from the beginning.

On Right About Now, The Brown Report founder and Five-Year Millionaire author joins Ryan Alford to explain how that failure reshaped his approach to risk, options trading, and wealth accumulation. Together, Ryan and Jason discuss financial advisors, stock charts, paper trading, financial literacy, and the importance of knowing when to exit a losing position.

Jason also outlines his Five-Year Millionaire framework while emphasizing the education, practice, and discipline required before risking real money. This episode is for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.

TOPICS COVERED

• Jason Brown’s childhood and early interest in wealth
• Losing most of his first professionally managed investment
• Making his first $100 trading Sprint stock
• Growing a student loan into a six-figure account
• The trade that wiped out approximately $250,000
• Greed, ego, and emotional investing
• Risk management and predetermined exit points
• Stock charts, fundamentals, and market patterns
• Using options for leverage and portfolio protection
• Paper trading and practicing with realistic amounts
• Evaluating financial advisors and investment funds
• The Five-Year Millionaire wealth-building framework
• Teaching financial literacy at an earlier age

CONNECT WITH JASON BROWN

The Brown Report: https://thebrownreport.com/

Free Trading Resources: https://thebrownreport.com/account/

Five-Year Millionaire: https://fiveyearmillionaire.com/

Power Trades University: https://powertradesuniversity.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownreport/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbrown1124/

CONNECT WITH RYAN ALFORD AND RIGHT ABOUT NOW

Right About Now: https://www.ryanisright.com/

Ryan Alford: https://www.ryanalford.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford

Brett Farmiloe built Featured after seeing small-business owners with deep expertise but no reliable way to get quoted by the media. He joins Ryan Alford to discuss earned media, digital PR, AI search visibility, and the revival of Help a Reporter Out.

They explain how media citations may influence LLM recommendations, why AI is compressing the marketing funnel, and why a single high-profile feature rarely produces instant revenue. Brett also shares how Featured and HARO connect journalists with verified experts while giving publishers greater control over AI-generated responses.

The conversation offers a realistic strategy for building authority, earning backlinks, reaching customers, and becoming more visible across traditional search and AI platforms.

TOPICS COVERED

• Brett Farmiloe’s journey from agency owner to Featured founder
• The difference between paid media and earned media
• How businesses can earn credible media coverage
• AI search optimization, AEO, and GEO
• Getting cited and recommended by large language models
• How ChatGPT is changing the customer journey
• Why PR results are difficult to measure
• Consistency, quality, and quantity in media outreach
• The acquisition and relaunch of Help a Reporter Out
• Connecting journalists with verified expert sources
• Using AI without removing human expertise
• Free and paid ways to begin using Featured and HARO

CONNECT WITH BRETT FARMILOE

Featured: https://featured.com/

Help a Reporter Out: https://www.helpareporter.com/

Brett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettfarmiloe

Brett on X: https://x.com/BrettFarmiloe

CONNECT WITH RYAN ALFORD AND RIGHT ABOUT NOW

Right About Now: https://www.ryanisright.com/

Ryan Alford: https://www.ryanalford.com/

Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/

Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-alford/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gy9HkTiwpAAgu1DFyIW9h

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford

Lisa Holladay has spent her career building loyalty for Mercedes-Benz, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, and now TIGER 21. She joins Ryan Alford to explain how intentional customer experience turns transactions into lasting relationships and why product quality alone cannot create brand love.

Their conversation covers customer journey mapping, experiential marketing, surprise-and-delight moments, community building, and the challenge of creating meaningful value for ultra-high-net-worth members. Lisa also takes Ryan inside TIGER 21’s peer-learning model, where entrepreneurs and executives connect around investing, family, philanthropy, health, and life after a major business exit.

Lisa and Ryan discuss what changed when she moved from global corporations with massive sponsorship budgets to an entrepreneurial organization where ideas can be tested quickly and leaders are trusted to take risks.

TOPICS COVERED

• Lisa Holladay’s career at Mercedes-Benz and Marriott
• Building luxury customer experiences
• The relationship between brand love and customer loyalty
• Why a strong product is only one part of retention
• Designing an intentional customer journey
• Creating memorable experiential marketing
• Building communities instead of customer lists
• TIGER 21’s peer-to-peer learning model
• Serving entrepreneurs after a major liquidity event
• Connecting wealth, family, philanthropy, and purpose
• Maintaining engagement through digital and in-person experiences
• Creating an entrepreneurial culture inside a growing organization

CONNECT WITH LISA HOLLADAY

TIGER 21: https://tiger21.com/

Lisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaholladay01

Lisa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holladaytime/

CONNECT WITH RYAN ALFORD AND RIGHT ABOUT NOW

Right About Now: https://www.ryanisright.com/

Ryan Alford: https://www.ryanalford.com/

Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/

Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-alford/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gy9HkTiwpAAgu1DFyIW9h

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford

Yarin Gaon started his first company at 14, built and sold Israel’s largest military-goods e-commerce platform, and now helps founder-led businesses make smarter decisions about growth. On Right About Now, he joins Ryan Alford to explain why so many companies stall after reaching $1 million to $5 million in revenue and how “growth by subtraction” can improve profitability.

Their conversation covers profit mapping, unprofitable bestsellers, ideal customer profiles, leadership alignment, and the hidden risks of building custom technology. Yarin also explains why entrepreneurs should establish predictable cash flow before raising outside capital and why keeping equity can matter more than chasing a bigger revenue number.

This episode offers a practical framework for business owners who want stronger margins, fewer distractions, and a company that actually pays them more.

TOPICS COVERED

• Starting a software business at 14
• Building and selling an Israeli e-commerce company
• Why custom-built technology can hurt a business exit
• The difference between revenue, profit, and EBITDA
• Why founder-led companies stall between $1 million and $5 million
• Growth by addition versus growth by subtraction
• Finding negative-margin products through profit mapping
• The plumbing company whose popular service lost hundreds of thousands
• Identifying the right customers, offers, and marketing channels
• Why hustle and operational systems are not substitutes for strategy
• Bootstrapping versus raising venture capital
• Preserving founder equity while building a profitable business

CONNECT WITH YARIN GAON

Fractional Partners: https://www.fractional.partners/

Growth Decisions Canvas: https://canvas.fractional.partners/

Growth Bottleneck Snapshot: https://snapshot.fractional.partners/

Free Profit Map: https://www.fractional.partners/free-tools/profit-map

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaringaon/

CONNECT WITH RYAN ALFORD AND RIGHT ABOUT NOW

Right About Now: https://www.ryanisright.com/

Ryan Alford: https://www.ryanalford.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-alford/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford

Before founding Global Processing Systems, Moses Heredia worked crop fields with his immigrant mother, entered merchant services at $4.25 an hour, and survived a period when he could not afford basic utilities. One Spanish-language sales appointment showed him what commission could unlock; after becoming a top performer and rising through management, he walked away from an executive track to build his own company.

On Right About Now, Ryan Alford asks Moses what actually sustained that climb, from fierce competition and disciplined selling to honest relationships and customer-first leadership. They discuss starting from a pickup truck, taking the first financial hit as CEO, protecting employees during economic crises, and building a culture that keeps people for decades.

Moses also shares why faith, service, and helping others advance matter more to him than the number in his bank account.

TOPICS COVERED

• Moses Heredia’s immigrant family and agricultural upbringing
• Discipline, faith, competition, and the desire to win
• Entering the merchant-services industry
• Learning to sell on commission
• Identifying an underserved Spanish-speaking market
• Founding and scaling Global Processing Systems
• Human customer service in the payment-processing industry
• Servant leadership and the inverted-pyramid model
• Creating long-term employee loyalty
• Leading through recessions and the pandemic
• Honesty and accountability in business
• Redefining wealth, leadership, and success

CONNECT WITH MOSES HEREDIA

Official website: https://www.mosesheredia.com/

Fields to Fortune: https://www.mosesheredia.com/book

Buy the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F84H46R8

Global Processing Systems: https://globalprocessingsystems.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mosesheredia_/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moses-heredia-17390098/

CONNECT WITH RYAN ALFORD AND RIGHT ABOUT NOW

Right About Now: https://www.ryanisright.com/

Ryan Alford: https://www.ryanalford.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-alford/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford

Tony Vieira spent 36 years in beverage science and operations, helping Blue Moon recover from near cancellation and supporting White Claw through one of the fastest growth periods in the alcohol business.

Now the former brewmaster and quality executive has left the corporate safety net to build mōcean drinkwerx with his son, Christian. Tony joins Ryan Alford to explain how product quality, consumer psychology, viral culture and production capacity turned two beverage brands into category leaders.

They examine the risks hidden inside explosive growth, including pre-sold inventory, three enormous breweries built during COVID and excess capacity after demand peaked. Ryan and Tony also discuss building a company with family, creating an energy drink for adults and why founders must challenge the ideas they are most tempted to protect.

TOPICS COVERED

• Tony Vieira’s 36-year beverage career
• Taking Blue Moon to number one in craft beer
• The product strategy behind Blue Moon’s drinkability
• White Claw’s rise and the creation of hard seltzer
• Consumer psychology and viral brand growth
• Scaling production during extreme demand
• The danger of overbuilding manufacturing capacity
• Separating pipeline fill from recurring sales
• Working with a family member and co-founder
• Developing an energy drink for adult consumers
• Challenging assumptions during product development
• Solving customer problems instead of protecting ideas

CONNECT WITH TONY VIEIRA

Mōcean: https://drinkmocean.energy/

Mōcean on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/MOCEAN-Mandarin-Caffeine-Adaptogens-Sucralose/dp/B0FSDHYS4N

Mōcean on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moceandrinkwerx/

Tony Vieira on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyvieira1/

CONNECT WITH RYAN ALFORD

Right About Now: https://www.ryanisright.com/

Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/

Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-alford/

The podcast industry no longer looks like the creative, audio-first business it was a decade ago.

Jeff Umbro, founder and CEO of The Podglomerate and host of Podcast Perspectives, joins Ryan Alford to examine the rise of video podcasting, media consolidation, programmatic advertising and the decline of high-cost narrative shows. Jeff explains how creators can separate audience acquisition from retention, establish clearer goals and determine how much production quality actually serves the business.

Drawing on his experience producing more than 700 episodes, Ryan opens up about overproduction, niche audiences and creating a show that generates relationships instead of chasing vanity metrics. Together, Ryan and Jeff offer a practical strategy for sustainable podcast growth: understand what the listener receives, diversify distribution and revenue, and avoid depending on one platform.

TOPICS COVERED

• The evolution of the podcast industry
• Podcasting’s growing identity crisis
• Audio podcasts versus video podcasts
• Audience acquisition and listener retention
• Podcast production costs and scope creep
• Direct sponsorships and programmatic advertising
• Media consolidation and platform dependence
• The decline of narrative podcasting
• Subscription, membership and live-event revenue
• Building a podcast that supports business objectives

CONNECT WITH JEFF UMBRO

The Podglomerate: https://podglomerate.com/

Work With The Podglomerate: https://podglomerate.com/connect/

Jeff Umbro on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffumbro/

Podcast Perspectives: https://listen.podglomerate.com/show/podcast-perspectives

Podcast Perspectives on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-perspectives/id1699652108

CONNECT WITH RYAN ALFORD

Right About Now: https://www.ryanisright.com/

Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/

Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-alford/

Mode Mobile co-founder and CEO Dan Novaes joins Ryan Alford for a conversation about entrepreneurship, business pivots and turning smartphone activity into income. Dan shares how his instinct for finding overlooked opportunities took him from selling Pokémon cards as a kid to building a multimillion-dollar international electronics business before he finished college.

Ryan and Dan unpack the creation of Mode Mobile, its growth from less than $100,000 in revenue to more than $25 million by 2022, and the development of an operating system that rewards people for everyday mobile activity. Dan explains why consumer attention becomes significantly more valuable when paired with action and how that relationship creates measurable value for users, advertisers and technology partners.

The conversation also explores launching the EarnPhone, the challenges of entering the hardware business, the danger of pursuing growth at all costs and why Dan views the ability to pivot as his greatest entrepreneurial skill.

TOPICS COVERED

• Dan Novaes’ early entrepreneurial ventures
• Building a $2 million business during college
• The creation and growth of Mode Mobile
• How EarnPhone and EarnOS work
• Smartphone habits and the attention economy
• How brands value consumer attention and action
• Knowing when to pivot a business model
• Hardware, software and licensing partnerships
• Profitable growth versus growth at all costs
• Mode Mobile’s future and potential IPO plans

CONNECT WITH DAN NOVAES

Mode Mobile:
https://www.modemobile.com/

EarnPhone:
https://www.modephone.com/

Mode Mobile Investment Information:
https://invest.modemobile.com/

Dan Novaes on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielnovaes

Mode Mobile on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/modemobile/

CONNECT WITH RYAN ALFORD

Right About Now:
https://www.ryanisright.com/

Instagram and LinkedIn:
@ryanalford

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford

Chandler Bolt, founder and CEO of SelfPublishing.com, joins Ryan Alford for a tactical conversation about writing, publishing, and using a book to grow a business. Chandler shares the eight milestones his team uses to move authors from an idea to a finished launch and explains the four Ps behind a book that connects with the right reader.

Ryan pushes on the questions entrepreneurs actually care about: how much publishing costs, how long the process takes, whether self-publishing beats traditional publishing, and what kind of ROI a book can realistically create. Chandler explains how the right book can generate leads, strengthen sales conversations, increase referrals, train customers and teams, and continue producing value years after publication.

The conversation also challenges the obsession with bestseller lists and makes the case that for a business owner, revenue, authority and impact are far more important metrics of success.

TOPICS COVERED

• Self-publishing vs. traditional publishing
• Chandler Bolt’s eight publishing milestones
• The MORE writing method
• The four Ps of positioning a book
• Publishing costs, time and ROI
• Using books to generate leads and close sales
• Books as authority and credibility assets
• Print books vs. ebooks
• Why business outcomes matter more than bestseller lists

CONNECT WITH CHANDLER BOLT

SelfPublishing.com:
https://selfpublishing.com/

Episode Offer / Consultation:
https://selfpublishing.com/writeaboutnow

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/realchandlerbolt/

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandlerbolt/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@ChandlerBoltOfficial

CONNECT WITH RYAN ALFORD

Right About Now:
https://www.ryanisright.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-alford/

Steve Pratt joins Ryan Alford to explain why brands can no longer force people to pay attention. As the author of Earn It and co-founder of Pacific Content, Steve has spent decades studying what makes audiences willingly choose, remember and return to content.

The conversation explores why traditional advertising metrics often reward weak marketing, how short-term thinking undermines long-term growth and why valuable content should feel like a genuine gift to its audience. Steve shares his framework for creative bravery and explains how brands can connect their expertise to content people would consume even if the company name disappeared.

Ryan and Steve also discuss niche audiences, branded podcasts and the difference between paying for impressions and paying to generate an actual sample. This episode offers a practical strategy for marketers, founders and creators trying to stand out without becoming another interruption.

• Steve Pratt’s career in television, music and podcasting
• The creation of Pacific Content
• Why the traditional media and advertising model broke
• Earning attention in an unlimited-content economy
• Creative bravery and memorable marketing
• Connecting audience value to business outcomes
• Why sales-driven content destroys trust
• Marketing to prospects who are not ready to buy
• Super-serving an underserved audience
• Designing a distinctive content format
• Promoting content to smaller, qualified audiences
• Cost per sample versus traditional CPM
• Building an audience that chooses to return

Steve Pratt:
https://www.stevepratt.com/

Earn It book page:
https://www.stevepratt.com/book

Buy Earn It on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Earn-Unconventional-Strategies-Brave-Marketers/dp/177458476X

Steve on LinkedIn:
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/steveprattca

The Creativity Business:
https://creativitybusiness.substack.com/

Right About Now:
https://www.ryanisright.com/

Ryan Alford:
https://www.ryanalford.com/

Ryan on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/