The Hunt for Success

Dr. Sam McGough interviews Ryan Seekatz, an Alaska native and entrepreneur who transitioned from years of W2 work on Alaska’s North Slope oil fields to running businesses, then pursuing business acquisitions that led him to buy a Florida pool construction company.

Ryan describes the toll of long hitches away from family, the moment he decided to quit, and how he spent years searching for the right acquisition before launching a successful renovation branch while building about 100 pools per year in affluent East Coast Florida communities. The conversation also covers Ryan’s early hunting and fishing memories in Fairbanks, the challenges of big-game processing in Alaska, Sam’s perspective on sustained “grinding,” purpose, and creating family experiences, plus a discussion of private aviation and Ryan’s emphasis that mentorship has been a key driver of his progress.

01:08 Ryan Background

01:49 Pool Business Growth

02:31 Leaving W2 Life

05:51 Oil Rig Breaking Point

07:24 Alaska Hunting Roots

08:55 Florida Transition Grind

10:54 Work Life Discipline

14:45 Defining Success Freedom

17:41 Family Memories Hunting

18:35 Caribou Moose Plans

19:07 New Zealand Hunt Costs

19:36 Why New Zealand Is Easy

20:46 Red Stag Surprise

21:32 Lazy Hunter Confession

22:50 Alaska Moose Reality

24:11 Caribou Processing Tips

26:44 Planning Alaska Together

27:32 Private Planes For Hunts

28:32 Timeshares And Tax Plays

32:46 Mentorship And Entrepreneurship

About the Guest:

Ryan Seekatz is an Alaska native, entrepreneur, and business owner who transitioned from years of W2 work on Alaska’s North Slope oil fields into entrepreneurship through business acquisitions. After leaving the demanding oilfield lifestyle, Ryan spent years searching for the right opportunity before acquiring a Florida-based pool construction company, where he now oversees a thriving business building and renovating pools across affluent East Coast communities. In this episode, he shares his journey from corporate grind to freedom, along with insights on mentorship, family, hunting roots in Alaska, and building a purpose-driven life.

Guest Resources:

Website: https://www.sfcpools.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-seekatz-0a3791292/

On the Hunt for Success podcast, host Sam interviews Cookeville, Tennessee, real estate broker and avid hunter Lynn Jared, who runs a brokerage founded in 2022 that grew from about 500 transactions in its first year to over 800 in 2025 and is currently pacing 57% ahead year over year, despite broader market concerns.

Lynn attributes the growth to a strong culture, daily morning huddles, hands-on training, tiered team leaders, and feedback-driven problem-solving to reduce fall-throughs from contract to close. He discusses common early-agent mistakes, especially underestimating the time and cash needed to survive the first few years, and explains how a profitable lead-gen team helps new agents.

Lynn connects business and hunting through relationships, shares land-and-farm expertise tied to hunting, recounts his two-year turkey grand slam highlight in South Dakota near Mount Rushmore, and closes with advice to “get out there,” follow the golden rule, and take new hunters afield.

00:42 Cookeville Real Estate Growth

01:57 Growing Up Hunting

03:00 Culture and Training Strategy

04:51 Morning Huddles and Deal Follow Through

07:09 New Agent Mistakes and Money Reality

09:36 Lead Gen Team Turnaround

11:44 Mentors and Car Business Lessons

14:14 Why Land and Farm Real Estate

16:12 Turkey Grand Slam Best Hunt

19:32 World Slam and Mexico Safety Talk

21:11 Marriage Tradeoffs and Hobby Balance

23:38 Purpose After Retirement and Dad Story

25:49 Farm Clients Hunting Success Stories

27:30 Letting Friends Hunt Your Property

28:22 Gear Talk And Bows

28:42 Why Bowhunting Wins

29:37 Matthews Lift Setup

30:34 Bowhunting Turkeys Challenge

31:20 Turkey Hunting Lessons

32:20 First Gobbler Breakthrough

34:36 Surprise Bird Stories

36:50 Run And Gun Strategy

40:47 Hardest Eastern Birds

44:35 Wild Turkey On The Table

45:53 Business And Hunting Parallels

49:21 Finding Trusted Mentors

About the Guest:

Lynn Jared is a Cookeville, Tennessee, real estate broker and passionate hunter who founded a fast-growing brokerage in 2022. Known for his strong leadership, hands-on agent training, and expertise in land and farm real estate, Lynn shares how culture, mentorship, and discipline have driven his team’s success. In this episode, he also connects the lessons of business and hunting through relationships, resilience, and personal growth.

Guest Resources:

Website: https://www.letsgoreco.com/lynn-jared

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynn.jared/

On the Hunt for Success, Sam sits down with Eric Nordstrom of Iron Ridge Capital to discuss building a vertically integrated multifamily real estate business, navigating the 2008 crash, and why his team paused acquisitions during market uncertainty from 2022 to 2025.

Eric shares how strong property management and disciplined leadership helped them survive and scale, plus why today’s market offers fresh opportunities through lender foreclosures and distressed deals. Beyond business, they explore how hunting and fishing provide stress relief, family bonding, and lessons in discipline that apply directly to long-term success.

01:10 Eric’s Origin Story

02:30 First Deals and 2008 Crash

04:04 Pivot From Gyms to Real Estate

04:38 Raising Capital and Discipline

07:23 Surviving the Buying Hiatus

08:31 Leaving Washington for Texas

11:10 Building the Leadership Team

13:42 Why Deals Are Back

17:36 Buying From Lenders

21:52 Opportunity Window Ahead

23:57 Hunting as Stress Relief

25:33 How He Started Hunting

26:43 Camp Ponds and Early Starts

27:19 Learning to Hunt Together

28:34 First Buck Father Pride

29:12 Business Lessons from Hunting

31:00 Biggest Buck and Persistence

32:40 Screw Up Bell Culture

35:23 AI Proof Family Future

38:54 Tennessee Ranch Game Plan

41:46 Wedding Venue Hunt Combo

44:08 Discipline and Deal Resilience

About the Guest

Erik Nordstrom is the co-founder of Iron Ridge Capital, a Texas-based real estate investment firm specializing in multifamily acquisitions, property management, and value-add investing. With nearly 20 years of experience navigating multiple market cycles, Erik is known for his disciplined investment approach and strong track record of delivering consistent returns. Outside of business, he is passionate about hunting, fishing, and sharing the outdoors with his family.

Guest Resources:

Website: https://www.ironridge-capital.com/

Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ironridge-capital-llc/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-nordstrom-61303789/

In this episode of the Hunt for Success podcast, Sam McGough is joined by his business partner and friend, Dr. Jonathan Saigh. Jonathan shares his journey from the football fields of Michigan to the lean early years of chiropractic school, where a $1,500 bank account was the only thing standing between him and failure.

The conversation dives deep into the "Technician vs. Entrepreneur" mindset, exploring why most professionals struggle to scale because they can't let go of their "baby". Jonathan outlines his exact strategy for developing a high-level executive team through profit-sharing and trust, and how that freedom allowed him to pivot into becoming a full-time real estate professional. From vetting "Instagram gurus" to the "pay to play" philosophy of high-level masterminds, this episode is a blueprint for any professional looking to reclaim their time and build a legacy.

Key Takeaways:

[The Technician Trap]: Why the very skills that start your business can become the ceiling that stops its growth.

[The 80% Management Rule]: Learning to accept that a great team will do things differently than you—and why that's a requirement for scaling.

[Tax-Advantaged Prosperity]: The transition from chiropractor to "Real Estate Professional" and why it is one of the only tried-and-true wealth strategies in the tax code.

[Vetting Your Circle]: Why specialized education and high-level mentors are worth the investment as your "time bank" begins to shrink.

02:15 – The Business Seed: Lessons from a Dentist Uncle

04:30 – The Basement Years: 80-Hour Weeks and Financial Hardship

06:45 – Developing Managers: The Mental Shift of Letting Go

09:30 – Integrated Medicine: Melding Chiropractic and Western Care

12:15 – Real Estate Strategy: Moving from Technician to Investor

14:50 – Vetting Mentors: Identifying "Gurus" vs. Actual Producers

16:00 – Final Thoughts: Defining Success Beyond the Bank Account

About the Guest:

Dr. Jonathan Saigh is a multifaceted entrepreneur, chiropractor, and high-level real estate professional. A former University of Michigan football player who played under the legendary Lloyd Carr, Jonathan transitioned from being a "technician" in his own clinic to an owner who manages managers.

He built a highly successful integrated medical group in southeast Wisconsin that bridges the gap between conservative chiropractic care and traditional Western medicine. Today, he is a qualified real estate professional focusing on residential and commercial property strategies that offer massive tax advantages and community impact.

Guest Resource:

Professional Website: https://advancedcarespecialists.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-saigh-67644728/

In this episode of the Hunt for Success podcast, Sam McGough sits down with Aaron Chapman, a veteran of the finance industry and a top 1% mortgage originator. Aaron’s journey is anything but traditional; he spent his early years branding cattle, working Wyoming oil fields, and breaking rock in the underground mines of New Mexico.

The conversation dives deep into Aaron’s "Redneck Economics" philosophy—a mindset built on personal responsibility, authenticity, and the resilience to survive life’s "ass-whoopins." Aaron recounts the harrowing moments of near-poverty that led to a life-changing meeting at a Red Lobster, and why he ultimately rejected corporate conformity to find success by staying true to his blue-collar roots. This episode is a masterclass in adapting to changing terrain and building a legacy that outlasts the hustle.

Key Takeaways

[The Beatin' Path]: Why the hardest experiences—from mining to financial collapse—are the most effective training grounds for high-level leadership.

[Authenticity as a Filter]: Why Aaron abandoned "dressing for success" to let his outward appearance match his blue-collar interior, and how that consistency builds ultimate trust.

[Unanswered Prayers]: Reframing life’s low points (like being rejected for a trucking job) as the essential pivots that lead to true opportunity.

[Generational Legacy]: The importance of building a "Family Trust" structure to instill discipline and accountability in the next generation.

03:00 – Blue-Collar Roots: Cattle Ranching, Oil Fields, and Heavy Equipment

07:30 – Life Underground: The Reality of Mining in New Mexico

09:30 – The Turning Point: Diaper Coupons and Floor Mat Change

12:30 – The Red Lobster Meeting: Entering the Mortgage Industry

20:00 – Defining Redneck Economics: Responsibility and Grit

35:00 – Authenticity vs. Conformity in the Finance World

About the Guest:

Aaron Chapman is a veteran of the finance industry and a top 1% mortgage originator in the United States, currently ranked #14 out of over 300,000 originators nationwide. Before conquering the world of investment lending as an EVP at SecurityNational Mortgage Company, Aaron spent years in the "trenches" of heavy industry—working Wyoming oil fields, branding cattle, and laboring in the underground mines of New Mexico.

He is the author of Redneckonomics, a philosophy that champions personal responsibility, raw authenticity, and the "Producer" mindset over a culture of victimhood.

Guest Resources:

Aaron Chapman

Website: AaronChapman.com

Official Book Link: QuitJerkingOff.com (Order Redneckonomics)

LinkedIn: Aaron Chapman - SecurityNational Mortgage Company