What does it really take to go from minimum wage employee to business owner?

In this episode of Magic & Logic, Josh sits down with Jeff Wasserman, owner of 10 Supplement Superstores franchise locations, to talk about perseverance, leadership, company culture, and what it means to earn your place.

Jeff shares the story of starting behind the counter at 19 years old, spending nearly two decades climbing through the company, and eventually becoming an owner. Along the way, he reflects on the lessons he learned from working alongside Andy Frisella, why belief and discipline compound over time, and how great leaders create standards that people actually want to live up to.

The conversation also explores customer experience, ownership mentality, the challenges of leading through change, and why Jeff believes most people underestimate the value of staying the course.

If you care about leadership, entrepreneurship, business, or becoming someone worth following, this conversation is for you.

Episode Overview

→ Going from minimum wage employee to business owner

→ Why perseverance beats talent over the long run

→ The difference between managing people and leading a company

→ Building a customer experience people want to come back to

→ Creating high standards without losing authenticity

→ Why ownership mentality changes everything

→ Leading through growth while protecting company culture

→ The importance of re-evaluating your "why"

→ Lessons learned from working alongside Andy Frisella

→ Why earning your place is still the best path to leadership

Helpful Links

Learn more about Hook → hookcreative.co

Read the Magic & Logic Book → hookcreative.co/book

Follow Us on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/hookcreative/

Instagram → @hookcreative

Facebook → Hook Creative

YouTube → @hookcreative

What actually creates a company culture that survives growth?
In this episode of Magic & Logic, Josh sits down with Scott Bybee, longtime leader of SC, to talk about leadership, core values, generosity, succession, and the responsibility that comes with building something that lasts.

Scott shares the story of stepping into leadership after his father founded the company, earning trust inside a growing organization, and learning how culture must be protected intentionally as teams scale. They discuss the difference between values written on a wall versus values that actually shape decisions, why ownership mentality matters, and how clear thinking leads to better leadership.

The conversation also explores generosity, faith, stewardship, and why Scott believes success becomes more meaningful when it is used to serve others.

If you care about leadership, culture, business, or legacy, this conversation is for you.

Episode Overview

• Taking over a family business and earning trust
• Building a company culture that actually lasts
• Why core values only matter if they are enforced
• Leadership lessons from Scott’s father
• The importance of ownership mentality in teams
• Scaling a business without losing alignment
• Clear writing and clear thinking in leadership
• Generosity, stewardship, and purpose beyond business
• Why protecting culture gets harder as companies grow
• Building a legacy that outlives the business

Helpful Links
Learn more about Hook → hookcreative.co

Read the Magic & Logic Book → hookcreative.co/book

Follow Us on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/hookcreative
Instagram / Facebook / YouTube → @hookcreative

What actually creates a company culture that survives growth?

In this episode of Magic & Logic, Josh sits down with Scott Bybee, longtime leader of ESC, to talk about leadership, core values, generosity, succession, and the responsibility that comes with building something that lasts.Scott shares the story of stepping into leadership after his father founded the company, earning trust inside a growing organization, and learning how culture must be protected intentionally as teams scale. They discuss the difference between values written on a wall versus values that actually shape decisions, why ownership mentality matters, and how clear thinking leads to better leadership.The conversation also explores generosity, faith, stewardship, and why Scott believes success becomes more meaningful when it is used to serve others.

If you care about leadership, culture, business, or legacy, this conversation is for you.

Episode Overview

- Taking over a family business and earning trust

- Building a company culture that actually lasts

- Why core values only matter if they are enforced

- Leadership lessons from Scott’s father

- The importance of ownership mentality in teams- Scaling a business without losing alignment

- Clear writing and clear thinking in leadership

- Generosity, stewardship, and purpose beyond business- Why protecting culture gets harder as companies grow

- Building a legacy that outlives the business

Helpful Links

Learn more about Hook → hookcreative.co

Read the Magic & Logic Book → hookcreative.co/book

Follow Us on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/hookcreative

Instagram / Facebook / YouTube → @hookcreative

Faith, Humility, and the Long Game of Leadership

In this episode of Magic & Logic, Josh sits down with Thad Forrester, a brand builder, entrepreneur, and leader whose career has followed a non-linear path shaped by relationships, conviction, and a steady willingness to do the hard work when no one is watching.

From advertising and technology to co-founding Hudson & Hawk Barbershop and later stepping into a leadership role in fintech, Thad shares how his life and career have been formed less by strategy alone and more by people. He reflects on the grind of the early days, being the last one paid, learning when to step back, and how humility and teachability have become essential leadership muscles over time.

This conversation explores why protecting relationships is the most valuable skill a leader can develop, how faith informs decision-making in seasons of uncertainty, and what it looks like to release control without losing purpose.

If you’re building something across seasons, navigating change, or learning how to lead without ego, this one is for you.

Episode Overview

- Thad’s journey from marketing and tech into co-founding Hudson & Hawk Barbershop

- Why relationships, not transactions, are the foundation of sustainable success

- The grind of the early years and being “the last man to eat”

- Lessons learned about humility, followership, and leading without having all the answers

- How faith shaped major career decisions and moments of transition

- Letting go of control while still stewarding what you’ve built

- The importance of community, mentors, and honest voices in leadership

- Why attitude and teachability often matter more than talent

Helpful Links

Learn more about Hook → hookcreative.co

Read the Magic & Logic Book → hookcreative.co/book

Follow Us on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/hookcreative


Instagram / Facebook / YouTube → @hookcreative

From Broken Home to Building Legacy

In this episode of Magic & Logic, Josh sits down with Lain McCanless, co-founder of Rally Family Branding, host of the Fathergood podcast, and member of the teaching team at Woodland Hills Church. What began as personal pain at 14 years old became a lifelong commitment to fatherhood, leadership, and helping families articulate who they are and where they are going.

Lain shares how growing up in a broken home shaped his obsession with family culture, why he believes faith and ambition must coexist, and how Rally was born from a burden to help builders lead at home first. They unpack stewardship, bias toward action, foxhole friendships, people-pleasing, and what it really means to build something that lasts.

If you are building a business but do not want to lose your marriage, your kids, or your integrity in the process, this conversation is for you.

Episode Overview:

How Lain’s parents’ divorce at 14 shaped his calling toward fatherhood and family leadership

The origin story of Rally Family Branding and why “you can either lead your family, or the world will”

What it means to build with balance instead of scale at all costs

Why the greatest threat to any business is moral failure, not money

The tension between faith and ambition and why they actually strengthen each other

How to cultivate “foxhole” friendships that sharpen and protect you

Why both quantity time and quality time matter in fatherhood

The habits that keep Lain grounded including faith rhythms, CrossFit, phone boundaries, and weekly date nights

Letting go of people-pleasing and choosing faithfulness over fame

What legacy really means and why it starts at home

Helpful Links:

Learn more about Hook → https://hookcreative.co

Read the Magic & Logic Book → https://hookcreative.co/book

Follow Us on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/hookcreative

Instagram / Facebook / YouTube → @hookcreative

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Stewardship, Focus, and Leading Something Bigger Than Yourself

In this episode of Magic & Logic, Josh sits down with Brad Thomas, longtime president of Silver Dollar City and a steady-handed leader who has spent more than three decades shaping one of the most beloved destinations in the country. Brad’s story is not about chasing what’s next, but about faithfully carrying a vision forward, year after year, decision after decision.

Brad shares how a broken-hearted fourth grader found belonging in the Ozarks, why he took a pay cut to step into a calling he couldn’t ignore, and how servant leadership, research-driven strategy, and humility have guided Silver Dollar City through seasons of growth, risk, and reinvention. From sacred cows like Fire in the Hole to bold moves like the new resort, Brad unpacks how to preserve what matters while still evolving with intention.

This conversation is about focus in a distracted world, building culture that outlasts titles, and leading with care when the work impacts millions of lives.


If you’re responsible for carrying something bigger than yourself, a business, a team, a legacy, or a vision, this one is for you.


Episode Overview

• Brad’s journey from a widowed pastor’s son to president of Silver Dollar City
• Why he took a pay cut to pursue a chapter he felt called to step into
• How servant leadership and consultative decision-making shape culture
• The balance between heritage and innovation in a legacy brand
• What “sacred cows” are and why protecting them matters
• The strategic thinking behind major bets like Christmas, Nickelodeon, and the new Fire in the Hole
• Why focus and prioritizing the “big rocks” are essential for long-term leadership
• How faith, humility, and stewardship guide decision-making at scale
• Lessons for leaders tasked with building something meant to outlast them


Helpful Links

Learn more about Hook → https://hookcreative.coRead the Magic & Logic Book → https://hookcreative.co/bookFollow Us on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/hookcreativeInstagram / Facebook / YouTube → @hookcreativeMusicbed SyncID - MB01IYO6LVDR61M

In this episode of Magic & Logic, Josh sits down with Peter Ostapko, founder of Kinsmen, a men’s organization rooted in presence, depth, and intentional community. Peter left a stable, respected career in banking to pursue a vision that began quietly in the margins: a printed journal, a table, and a belief that men are starving for something real.Peter shares the slow, unseen journey behind Kinsmen, from late nights at the dining table to stepping away from financial security, and the series of small, faithful decisions that led him to trust the work he was being called to do. Along the way, he and Josh explore what it means to build without chasing platforms, stay rooted in place, and measure success by fruitfulness rather than scale.This conversation is about listening to the quiet discontent that won’t go away, choosing depth over visibility, and becoming the kind of man your work requires you to be.If you feel pulled to build something meaningful but sense that the cost might be higher than you expected, this one is for you.Episode Overview:- Peter’s transition from a long career in banking to founding Kinsmen- How the idea began as a print journal and grew into a community centered around the table- Why building in the margins often produces the most lasting work- The tension between growth and fruitfulness, and why Kinsmen chose depth over scale- Lessons learned from early missteps, financial uncertainty, and staying in your lane- The role of marriage, family, and shared conviction when taking real risk- Why physical space, presence, and in-person community matter more than ever- How Peter defines success now as a husband, father, and leader- Encouragement for builders wrestling with when (and whether) to step away from securityHelpful Links:Learn more about Hook → hookcreative.coRead the Magic & Logic Book → hookcreative.co/bookFollow Us on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/hookcreativeInstagram / Facebook / YouTube → @hookcreative

The Magic & Logic podcast is for anyone who aspires to build something meaningful. I sit down with fellow founders to explore what it really takes to bring meaningful ideas to life. Each episode is short, focused, and rooted in real-world experience.

From Finance to Garage Gym Reviews: Faith, Family, and FitnessIn this episode of Magic & Logic, Josh sits down with Cooper Mitchell, founder of Garage Gym Reviews and one of the most trusted voices in the home gym world. What started as a simple SEO side project to learn marketing and maybe earn a free jump rope turned into a movement that helped redefine how people train at home.

Coop talks about anchoring everything in his faith, why he walked away from a “respectable” career in finance to talk to a camera about barbells, and how he thinks about success now as a husband, father of six, and small-town guy who never left Springfield. He also shares the quiet shove he gave Josh to finally start this podcast, long before Magic & Logic existed.If you are trying to build something real without sacrificing your family, your values, or your soul, this one is for you.

Episode Overview:

• How a broke college kid and young financial planner used “Coop” as a pseudonym to learn SEO and start Garage Gym Reviews
• The slow, unglamorous path from free jump ropes to a full-time platform and 600k+ subscribers
• Why Coop left a buttoned-up financial planning practice with no clear monetization plan for GGR
• How he defines success today: faithfulness to Christ, presence with his wife and kids, and a life that is not segmented into silos
• The rhythms that keep him grounded: Bible reading, daily training, family dinners, and phone boundaries
• Why he believes home gyms are about more than convenience, and how doing hard things in front of your kids changes them
• The friendships, church community, and long-term roots in Springfield that keep his ego in check
• Coop’s reading habits, favorite mental models, and why protecting your name and trust may be your greatest asset
• Practical encouragement for young founders who feel the pull to build, but are unsure where to begin

 Helpful Links:
 Learn more about Hook → hookcreative.co
 Read the Magic & Logic Book → hookcreative.co/book
 Follow Us on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/hookcreative

Instagram / Facebook / YouTube → @hookcreative