The Vision Lab Podcast

Desiree Sylver of Drunk Chicken Cigars hops into the lab to explain the story behind the name of her booming brand and how the initial vision she had for the company has now become a reality. The Maryland native gives a real insight into her product and how her love for animals played a role when it came time for her to officially name her cigar line. She also explains what it’s like to experience growth and how she had to become a true CEO and delegate responsibility to others because there’s only so many hours in a day.

-Mo sits down with former major leaguer Kevin Thompson to discuss the transition he made from a career in baseball to running his own capital firm. The former outfielder for the Yankees describes his introduction to the world of finance and how watching television on a random day in his hotel made him jump head first into watching his money for himself and helping others do the same. Now the owner of 9 Innings Capital, Thompson gives his thoughts on building his own company and the lifestyle of dedication he has adopted.

The guys sit down with the braintrust of Dallas Cigar Week as they prepare for the third year of their festival. They take a step back to explain the origins and inspiration behind the festival and what they’ve been able to implement into this year’s festival after taking some lessons from the first two years of it. They guys give a breakdown of the schedule for the week and what visitors can expect from the different events they have lined up. Everything from vendors, the themes for the different events and tips to stay hydrated during the day parties is discussed as the start of Dallas Cigar Week (June 8-June 12) draws near.

The guys go back to where it all started as they sit down with Dave and Brandon Frakes at the Industrial Cigar Company in Frisco, TX. The father and son combo explain the process they went through to put together one of the best lounges in all of DFW. With ICC being a family-owned business, Cuff and Mo ask the co-owners how things can differ when you're in business with your sons and brothers as opposed to a regular owner/employee relationship. The conversation then turns to the concept of attention to detail and how it came into play as the Frakes explain their original vision when they opened the shop nearly five years ago. The interview closes out with Cuff and Mo having to answer a couple of questions from the guests and Dave summarizes what it means to him to work with his sons.

The guys sit down with Kevin Jefferson to discuss trading on the foreign currency exchange and how he got involved in such a lucrative industry after spending years in the corporate world. The entrepreneur gives an explanation of what Forex actually is and how the leadership and work ethic displayed by his dad has helped him achieve this goal of being financially free. The conversation is full of insightful moments as the journey of life becomes front and center with Jefferson detailing some of the bumps and bruises that he acquired on his way to his current state. Things like discipline, patience, faith and being self-aware are discussed as this wide-ranging conversation gives the guys a real insight to how a self made millionaire used Forex to change his life.

Cuff and Mo sit down with Tim McEvilly of Sagamore Spirits to discuss hard work, belief in yourself and of course, whiskey. The New York native explains the foresight that led him to make the leap from a career in the bar and restaurant industry to working for the Maryland-based whiskey brand full time. Now a brand ambassador for 14 states, McEvilly explains how he got his start with Sagamore Spirits and how his ability to interact with people on every level of the industry has helped him get to where he is today. McEvilly also details his perspective on accomplishing goals and how he has attempted to achieve some form of balance in his life as the brand continues to grow. The episode wraps with him reflecting on the work he's done up to this point and what he sees for himself down the road.

Cuff and Mo are joined in the Lab by Susie Mooney, the founder and creator of the Lit Torch App. The Maryland native pulls back the curtain on the inspiration behind the app and how her other business ventures have helped her get the app off the ground. A veteran of the Armed Forces, Mooney details how being disciplined and having the ability to adjust on the fly has been paramount to the early success of the app. As one of the best collaborators in the industry, Susie gives her perspective on sharing information with others and why she is so open to helping others where others are not. The conversation wraps with her talking about how he she keeps herself grounded in the midst of being and entrepreneur and what she's looking towards doing in the future as her app continues to grow.

This is a MUST LISTEN! Knocking on the door of 150 episodes, the guys sit down at Blowin' Smoke and Mo lets the world in on where he's at in his journey from a professional and personal standpoint. Mo details his mindset as he approaches some personal accomplishments and what it means to really put in the work to make something big happen. Things like hard work, dedication, networking and having faith are discussed as Mo elaborates on some of the ups and downs that he has experienced over the past few years and how he's come out on the other side of them. The term "uncharted territory" is discussed as Mo opens up about where he's trying to go as he approaches a big transition in his life. The show wraps up with the guys discussing how important it is for people to find time to get in their own personal labs and what things are looking like as they start to ramp up for this year's TVLP Golf Classic.

The guys sit down with businessman Aaron Ogundipe to discuss how he went from being a scientist to owning Air B&B’s and getting an early start on digital currency.