In 1985, Joe Morgan took over a feed yard losing money on every pen of cattle. Interest rates were at 20%, the industry had been underwater for years, and the previous owners couldn't hold on any longer. Most people were looking for an exit. Joe was looking for an edge. In this episode of The Growth Seat, host Dhani Jones sits down with Joe — CEO of Poky Feeders and newly inducted member of the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame — to discuss what it takes to build a durable business when the odds are stacked against you.

Joe shares the unconventional moves that defined Poky's trajectory — cattle financing, grid pricing, full-time risk management — and the conviction behind all of it: make your customers money, and they'll be yours forever. The conversation also covers equity preservation through cycles, what outside investors misunderstand about production agriculture, and how Joe transitioned a relationship-driven business to the next generation without losing what made it work.

In this episode of The Growth Seat, host Dhani Jones sits down with Dean Warras, CEO, and Stacy Peters, Chief Commercial Officer, of Veterinary Solutions Holdings (VSH), a Granite Creek portfolio company serving the animal health market.

Dean and Stacy discuss VSH’s evolution from a specialized livestock compounding business into a broader animal health platform, including its acquisition of Diamond Animal Health. They share how the company turns customer challenges into practical product solutions, why innovation often starts in the field, and how VSH is expanding into new species and capabilities.

The conversation also covers the role of culture, thoughtful pacing, and the importance of knowing when to “go slow to go fast” while scaling a business. Listeners will hear how platform growth requires more than acquisitions: it takes the right people, sharp commercial focus, disciplined execution, and a clear view of where the market is headed.

In this episode of The Growth Seat, Mike Ray, operating partner at Granite Creek Capital Partners, joins host Dhani Jones to discuss the mindset, discipline, and risk tolerance required to build lasting businesses in agriculture and beyond.

Drawing on decades of experience as an operator, founder, investor, and board member, Ray shares how a willingness to take smart risks, work relentlessly, and stay grounded in data helped him build and scale companies across livestock, animal health, and adjacent sectors.

Listeners will come away with practical insight into what it takes to operate and grow a business in the agricultural sector, including how to lead through uncertainty, spot growth opportunities in tough markets, and build a business that can endure through changing cycles.

In this episode of The Growth Seat, Dhani Jones sits down with Renovo Financial CEO Kevin Werner to discuss building a culture-first private lending platform from the ground up. From recognizing opportunity after the financial crisis to scaling toward a $5 billion annual goal, Werner shares lessons on authentic leadership, ambitious goal setting, and why partnership—not just transactions—drives long-term growth.

In the debut episode of The Growth Seat, Dhani Jones sits down with serial entrepreneur and investor Sal Calvino, Founder of Equivu Capital, to unpack what it really takes to build, scale, and survive businesses over decades.

Sal grew up around airplanes, started his first company at age 26, navigated 9/11, the financial crisis, Covid, and volatile markets, and has built a global workforce of 5,500 people.  In this episode, Sal shares the hard-earned lessons you don’t learn in a classroom — only by being in the seat when the pressure is on.

This conversation cuts through theory and gets practical: leadership under stress, calculating risk, building businesses that don’t collapse when challenges arise, and why people — not spreadsheets — ultimately determine outcomes.

No playbooks. No shortcuts. Just lessons learned the hard way.

Welcome to The Growth Seat, a podcast presented by Granite Creek Capital Partners and hosted by former NFL linebacker Dhani Jones.

In each episode, we sit down with leaders, founders, investors, and operators behind growing businesses to unpack what really drives scale, resilience, and long-term value.

This trailer offers a preview of the conversations ahead—focused on leadership, strategy, capital, and collaboration, grounded in real-world experience. If you’re involved in building or backing growth, this is your seat at the table.