In this episode of The Making Of, I sit down with Alex Dixon, former CEO of Resorts World Las Vegas and former executive at MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment.

Alex shares his journey from growing up in Las Vegas as a third-generation casino employee to working at Goldman Sachs in New York and London, where he advised on major deals including Disney’s acquisition of Pixar and multi-billion dollar financings.

We dive into what it was really like helping build and operate massive casino properties including Horseshoe Baltimore, MGM Springfield, Circus Circus, and Resorts World Las Vegas. Alex also talks about leadership, scaling teams from a handful of employees to thousands, navigating private equity, economic development, casino operations, and the sacrifices required to rise through the gaming and hospitality industry.

This episode is packed with insights on business, career growth, hospitality, finance, entrepreneurship, and what it takes to lead billion-dollar operations at some of the biggest names in Las Vegas.

In this episode of The Making Of Hosted By Jack Pitts, I sit down with David Sauers, co-founder of Royal Restrooms, one of the first luxury portable restroom companies in the country.

David shares his journey growing up in Savannah, Georgia, working odd jobs as a kid, pursuing professional golf, getting into banking, and eventually building a nationwide franchise business after a frustrating experience at a local festival sparked an idea.

We talk about entrepreneurship, risk-taking, franchising, balancing family and business, private equity interest, AI in marketing, and what it really takes to grow a company over 20+ years. David also shares lessons on leadership, sacrifice, branding, and why execution matters more than just having ideas.

If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, franchising, business growth, or hearing the real stories behind successful companies, this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Making Of Hosted by Jack Pitts, I sit down with Jesse Choe, CEO and Co-Founder of Bidflow. He breaks down his journey from early startup experiments to raising $1M at 19, dropping out of college, and getting into Y Combinator.

Jesse shares how his path started with building “fake startups” in high school, learning through failure, and eventually realizing the importance of customer validation and solving real problems. The conversation covers the pivots that actually mattered, the pressure of the YC process, and how rejection and iteration shaped his approach.

They also dive into co-founder dynamics, burnout, and how they landed on Bidflow by focusing on a real pain point in electrical estimation. A grounded look at what it actually takes to build something from scratch and figure it out in real time.

On this episode of The Making Of Hosted By Jack Pitts, Shane Crocker shares his journey from growing up in a family business to building and operating across healthcare, oilfield services, and franchising.

He breaks down how he approaches scaling in niche markets, making strategic decisions, and navigating private equity involvement from an operator’s perspective. The conversation also gets into leadership, risk-taking, and how he balances building businesses with family life.

Dave “Laundromat Millionaire” Menz didn’t start with much. He grew up in poverty in Flint, Michigan, wearing hand-me-down clothes and learning early that if he wanted something, he had to go get it.

After spending 17 years in a stable corporate job, Dave found himself stuck, comfortable but unfulfilled. Instead of coasting, he made a bet on himself. Alongside his wife Carla, he saved aggressively, lived below their means, and bought a rundown laundromat that was losing money at the time.

What followed was years of sacrifice. Working 90–100 hour weeks, reinvesting every dollar, and slowly turning broken businesses into profitable ones. No shortcuts, no outside capital, just grit and consistency.

In this episode, Dave breaks down what it actually takes to build something from nothing, the risks most people avoid, and why delayed gratification is the real edge in business.

In this conversation, Lou Mongello shares how he went from practicing law to building a career around his passion for Disney.

He talks about the early influences that shaped his entrepreneurial mindset, the challenge of balancing family and work, and why focusing on community became the foundation of his success.

Drawing inspiration from Walt Disney, Lou explains the principles that guide both his business and his life, and why making a positive impact and giving back matter more than metrics.

Listen to the full episode for a real look at how to turn passion into a career, build a loyal community, and make decisions without regret, all through the lens of Lou Mongello’s journey.

On this episode of The Making Of Hosted By Jack Pitts, I sat down with Niilo Pirttijärvi, the co-founder & CEO of Inven, to talk about how AI is changing the way private equity firms find and analyze deals.

We talked about how sourcing has traditionally worked in private equity and why Niilo believed there was an opportunity to rethink it using AI. He walked me through his path from McKinsey & Company to starting Inven, the early days of building the product, and what it took to land their first customers.

What stood out to me was how much relationships still matter in private equity, even as technology gets more powerful. We also got into the realities of building a SaaS startup, working with VCs, and where tools like Inven could take the industry next.

If you're interested in startups, private equity, or how AI is actually being used in business today, I think you’ll enjoy this conversation.

In this episode of The Making Of Hosted By Jack Pitts, Jack interviews Kris Carlson, President and COO of The Fish Guys. Kris shares his journey from growing up in Champaign, Illinois, to building a career in sales at Reuters, and ultimately leading a growing food distribution company. He discusses how sports, Greek life, and teamwork shaped his leadership, and the lessons he learned navigating challenges early in his career.

Kris also explains how he helped The Fish Guys adapt and grow during COVID-19, including launching an e-commerce platform, and shares insights on leadership, community, and building a dedicated team. This episode is packed with practical advice and inspiration for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, leadership, and overcoming challenges in business.

This a new style for my podcast. Join my conversation with my good friend, Ian Hicks. Ian works at King Industrial in Atlanta as a broker. Ian came and visited me in NYC in December. In this episode, we share candid stories about life in New York City, building businesses, navigating friendships across distances, and the realities of entrepreneurship. Whether you're into real estate, travel, or just seeking to listen to a genuine conversation between two long time pals, this convo offers unfiltered insights into living intentionally and embracing the chaos.

In this episode, Robbie Ferman, co-founder and managing partners of Sollevare Group, shares his journey from corporate real estate to entrepreneurship. He discusses the importance of building relationships, the challenges of navigating the New York real estate market, and the significance of discipline and mentorship in achieving success. Robbie also reflects on his first deal, the importance of managing investor expectations, and the compelling demographic trends driving their investment strategy. As he looks to the future, he emphasizes the need for discipline in their investment approach and the goal of raising more capital for upcoming projects.