The Palumbo Podcast: Your journey to a work optional lifestyle

In this week's episode, Phil sits down with Andrew Aw, a seasoned finance and strategy executive who is now co-founder and CFO of a venture-backed fintech startup transforming the M&A landscape with artificial intelligence.

Andrew shares how his team built a product that turns 60 hours of financial analysis into just minutes, what it takes to leap from corporate life to entrepreneurship, and why culture and networks matter most when scaling a young company.

Connect with Andrew:

LinkedIn: Andrew Aw

This week, Phil sits down with Dr. David Pearlstone, a surgical oncologist turned entrepreneur who is now leading DicomDirector, a company revolutionizing medical imaging. With over 25 years of clinical experience and an MBA from Yale, Dr. Pearlstone brings a rare mix of medical expertise and business acumen to the table.

In this episode, Phil and David dive into the lessons every founder can learn about solving the right problem, the realities of fundraising, and navigating the startup journey.

Connect with David:

Website: dicomdirector.com

YouTube: @DICOMDirector

LinkedIn: David B. Pearlstone, MD MBA

This week, Phil sits down with Brian Esposito, ranked among the world’s top CEOs three years running and the driving force behind Esposito Intellectual Enterprises. Brian’s journey spans over 25 industries, more than 110 entities, and 200+ joint ventures worldwide.

In this episode, Phil and Brian dive deep into the art of building authentic relationships, the hard lessons learned from deals gone wrong, and why culture is the heartbeat of every successful company.

Connect with Brian:

Website: eie.rocks

LinkedIn: Brian J. Esposito

Instagram: @brian_j_esposito

This week, Phil is joined by Rob Ott, founder of a global pharmaceutical services company that he successfully led and scaled for 22 years, before executing a major exit. Now, as an executive coach, Rob helps other founders scale with clarity, purpose, and long-game thinking.

In this episode, Phil and Rob talk about what it means to truly build a best-in-class business, the importance of company values, and how culture can be a differentiator or a dealbreaker.

Connect with Rob:

Website: ottmgt.com

LinkedIn: Rob Ott

In this episode of The Palumbo Podcast, Phil is joined by serial entrepreneur and value growth advisor Kevin Donnelly to explore what it really takes to build, scale, and exit a company the right way. Kevin shares his hard-won wisdom and breaks down the key drivers of company value, the critical mistakes to avoid before an exit, and how to shift from founder-operator to strategic leader. Phil and Kevin discuss everything from delegation and hiring to business operating systems, recurring revenue, and how to get private equity interested in your company.

Connect with Kevin:

LinkedIn: Kevin Donnelly

Website: kevindonnelly.me

This week, Phil sits down with legendary investor and SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci for a no-nonsense, in-depth conversation about Bitcoin, decentralization, and the future of money. Scaramucci breaks down complex concepts—like decentralization, digital scarcity, and the network effect—into simple language anyone can understand. Together, they explore the real reasons Bitcoin is gaining serious traction, the myths that still hold people back, and why some of the smartest investors in the world have changed their minds.

Connect with Anthony:

Website: scaramucci.net

YouTube: @therealanthonyscaramucci

Instagram: @scaramucci

LinkedIn: Anthony Scaramucci

Anthony's Books

Dr. Eric Cole is a globally recognized cybersecurity expert, entrepreneur, and best-selling author with over 30 years of experience protecting the digital world. He’s built and sold three companies with eight-, nine-, and ten-figure exits. Today, he leads Secure Anchor Consulting and serves as America’s Cyber Czar. This week, Eric joins Phil to share his knowledge on taking care of existing customers, investing in your company, and what to know if you're thinking about exiting your business.

Connect with Eric:

Website: drericcole.org

Instagram: @drericcole

YouTube: @DrEricCole

This week, Phil sits down with Andrew Clinton, Founder and CEO of Clinton Investment Management. Together, they unpack today’s complex economic landscape, from recession risk and the impact of tariffs to interest rate policy and fixed income opportunities. Andrew shares a data-driven outlook on the U.S. economy, inflation trends, and the state of the municipal bond market.

Connect with Andrew:

Website: clintoninvestment.com

LinkedIn: Andrew Clinton

Blake Johnson has known most of his life that he would be working in the estate planning and business realm. Growing up around the office, he saw the results of proper planning through trusts, buy sell agreements, and succession planning, and the poor results from those who didn’t plan.

This week, Phil sits down with Blake to learn about the challenges he's faced taking over his father's firm, how to teach financial responsibility to kids, and the ways he is utilizing AI.

Connect with Blake:

Website: trustedepa.com

Terence Hannafin is a Partner at Carter Morse & Goodrich and has been advising shareholders of closely held and family-owned companies for more than 15 years. At CMG, he is responsible for leading the execution of transactions across a range of industries and directing business development initiatives.

In this week's episode, Phil sits down with Terence to talk about what you should know if you’re thinking about exiting your business, mistakes to avoid along the way, and the importance of arming yourself with a dream team.

Connect with Terence:

Website: cartermorse.com

LinkedIn: Terence Hannafin