Think Business with Tyler

Marcos Rivera went from a 410-square-foot apartment in the Bronx to running one of the fastest-growing pricing consultancies in tech—Pricing IO.

But six months after launching his business, the world shut down. Clients vanished. Revenue dried up. And Marcos faced the question every founder dreads: Should I quit and go back to corporate?

With two young kids and a newborn, he nearly did.

Until his wife looked him in the eye and said: “Keep effing going.”

That moment became a turning point.

Not just for his company—but for how he leads, makes decisions, and helps other founders scale with purpose, pricing clarity, and systems that protect their time.

This episode is a masterclass in building a business that works for your life—not the other way around. Marcos reveals:

Key Lessons

Bet on You: Marcos left a high-paying private equity job because he valued time over titles.

Keep Going: What he did when COVID hit just months after launching Pricing IO.

Productize to Scale: How he turned service delivery into repeatable, profitable systems.

Start with Hello: His first clients came from reconnecting—no pitch, just genuine check-ins.

Pricing is Power: Why your monetization model is the fastest path to revenue clarity.

Host: Tyler Martin, Think Business Podcast

Want to run a business that doesn't burn you out? Let’s talk:

📅 Book a Strategy Call

https://calendly.com/tylermartin/strategy

🎧 Subscribe: ThinkBusinessWithTyler.com

Follow Tyler:

🔗 LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thinktyler

📸 Instagram: http://instagram.com/think_tyler

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinktylercfo

🎵 TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@thinktyler

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Graeme Barlow went from selling digital loot at age 10 to scaling Iversoft past $10M by doing what most founders won’t—letting go of control to grow faster.

But when a major funding round fell through and his company was down to negative 60 days of cash, Graeme had to face the hardest leadership moment of his career: telling 28 employees to take their computers home—because there might not be an office tomorrow.

That experience reshaped his view on business.

Not moonshot visions or hustle culture—but discipline, cash clarity, and systems that don’t rely on heroes.

Now, he’s helping founders scale by focusing less on being “the guy” and more on building resilient companies that thrive without them.

This episode is a masterclass in founder evolution. Graeme reveals:

Key Lessons

Let Go to Grow: Why removing yourself from the day-to-day is the only path to scale.

Focus or Fail: How trying to be everything to everyone nearly sank Iversoft.

Forecast or Die: Why Graeme refuses to work with founders who don’t forecast cash weekly.

Revenue First: If you’re under $1M, cold calls solve more than strategy ever will.

System-Driven Leadership: How to stop being a bottleneck and start being a builder.

Host: Tyler Martin, Think Business Podcast

Want to run a business that doesn’t run on chaos? Let’s talk:

📅 Book a Strategy Call

https://calendly.com/tylermartin/strategy

🎧 Subscribe: ThinkBusinessWithTyler.com

Follow Tyler:

🔗 LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thinktyler

📸 Instagram: http://instagram.com/think_tyler

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinktylercfo

🎵 TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@thinktyler

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Terry Rich went from farm kid to national TV, led a zoo from near-bankruptcy to success, then uncovered the biggest lottery fraud in U.S. history.

But it wasn’t luck or gimmicks that made him a turnaround expert—it was a relentless mix of creativity, calculated risk, and an unshakable ethical compass.

When handed a $600K deficit at a failing zoo, he didn’t raise millions—he sold poop. Literally. Then raised $15M.

At the state lottery, he scaled profits from $58M to $100M—and when a $16M fraud threatened everything, he said no to pressure, exposed the scam, and protected public trust.

Now, he teaches leaders how to spot fraud before it happens, engage teams with “no judgment” idea culture, and turn failure into their biggest asset.

This episode is packed with real-world lessons from one of America’s boldest business troubleshooters. Terry shares:

Key Lessons

Failure Fuels Innovation: Terry’s greatest business ideas came from flops, not wins—and he teaches you how to leverage yours.

Zoo Brew & Poop Sales: Sometimes the craziest ideas (like alcohol at a zoo or selling manure) are what save a business.

Fraud Detection Culture: Spotting fraud isn’t about luck—it’s about culture. Terry shows how he trained teams to speak up early.

The $16M Ethical Stand: Under immense pressure, Terry chose integrity—and the result built public trust (and boosted lottery sales).

Entrepreneurial Grit: From MTV to municipal zoos to state lotteries, Terry’s story proves resilience beats resources every time.

Host: Tyler Martin, Think Business Podcast

Struggling to scale and grow? Let’s talk:

📅 Book a Strategy Call

https://calendly.com/tylermartin/strategy

🎧 Subscribe: ThinkBusinessWithTyler.com

Follow Tyler:

🔗 LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thinktyler

📸 Instagram: http://instagram.com/think_tyler

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinktylercfo

🎵 TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@thinktyler

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Michael Ritsema bought a tech business at the worst possible time—right before the industry collapsed.

Three months in, he hadn’t taken a paycheck, had no leads, and had just remortgaged his house to survive.

Most people would’ve walked away. Michael kept showing up.

Then two deals landed. It changed everything.

That persistence didn’t just save the business—it laid the foundation for a thriving IT company, multiple acquisitions, and eventually, full ownership after buying out every partner.

Now, he’s passing on hard-earned lessons from the trenches of entrepreneurship: how to survive downturns, grow through uncertainty, and lead with both strategy and empathy.

This episode is a blueprint for building a durable business. Michael shares:

What it really feels like to face bankruptcy as an owner

Why resilience beats perfect timing—every time

The warning signs of a bad partnership and how to exit with integrity

The real story behind recurring revenue and how it transformed his business

Why sales discipline—not talent—is what separates winners

The DISC framework that helped him build a balanced leadership team

How peer groups and benchmarking took his growth to another level

Key Lessons

Resilience Over Perfection: Why showing up and staying in the game often wins over strategy alone.

Own the Risk: How betting on himself—and later, buying out partners—gave him full control of his business destiny.

Sell Like a Pro: Why disciplined follow-up and consistent outreach will always outperform the latest sales “hack.”

Recurring Revenue = Freedom: How pivoting from hardware to services gave him stability through volatile markets.

Know Thyself: Why self-awareness and emotional intelligence are must-haves for long-term leadership.

Host: Tyler Martin, Think Business with Tyler Podcast

Ready to stop riding the financial rollercoaster and build a business that lasts?

📅 Book a Strategy Call
https://calendly.com/tylermartin/strategy

🎧 Subscribe: ThinkBusinessWithTyler.com

Follow Tyler:

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Robert Bush Jr went from investment banker managing $30B deals to "coffee salesman with a cause," then built a business model that's reshaping how celebrities create global impact.

https://calendly.com/tylermartin/strategy

📸 Instagram: http://instagram.com/think_tyler

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinktylercfo

TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@thinktyler

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Chuck Blakeman was told he’d never be employable—so he built 13 businesses in 10 industries instead.

But after decades of grinding, he realized the real reason businesses fail isn’t cash flow, competition, or even bad luck…

It’s because the owner gets tired.

Now, he teaches entrepreneurs how to break free from the "American Nightmare"—scaling businesses that give them freedom, not just income.

This episode is a mindset reset for anyone stuck in the daily grind. Chuck reveals:

Struggling to scale profitably? Let’s talk:

📅 Book a Strategy Call

Full Show Notes: ThinkTyler.com/chuck-blakeman

🎙 Subscribe: ThinkBusinessWithTyler.com

Follow Tyler:

🔗 LinkedIn | 📸 Instagram | ▶️ YouTube

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John St. Pierre built a $55M business, raised $20M in private equity… and was fired from the company he co-founded just six months later.

But instead of walking away, he turned that gut-wrenching moment into the foundation for a new $100M+ business — built patiently, profitably, and on his terms.

This episode is a raw, no-fluff masterclass in scaling smart, protecting your equity, and bouncing back when everything crashes.

Through real-life lessons and battle-tested strategy, John breaks down how to grow without losing control — and why most founders don’t realize they’re vulnerable until it’s too late.

• Getting fired from his own company after raising $20M

• How losing everything led to a $100M comeback

• Building self-financeable growth instead of relying on outside capital

• Creating a 30-year life plan and aligning business decisions to it

• Moving from CEO to Chairperson to unlock true strategic scale

• Why founders must protect their cap table early

• The danger of shiny object syndrome and how he overcame it

• The real cost of burnout and over-scaling

• How to forecast, protect cash, and build margin visibility

• Why “patient ambition” beats hyper-growth every time

My Links

Host: Tyler Martin , Fractional CFO and Business Coach

Having challenges scaling and growing your business? Book a meeting with me:

https://calendly.com/tylermartin/strategy

Link to show notes:

https://thinktyler.com/podcast_episode/power-to-powerless-john-st-pierre/

Podcast: ThinkBusinesswithTyler.com 

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Paul Shrater went from selling a million-dollar Hollywood script to building a multi-business empire that powers product brands for celebrities, creators, and even NASA. His journey is a masterclass in grit, innovation, and scaling smart systems that run without the founder.

Through bootstrapping, operational focus, and saying “no” to bad deals — Paul proves you don’t need outside money or hype to win big.

• Turning rejection from manufacturers into a thriving fulfillment and co-packing company

• Bootstrapping his first eComm business from four shelves and a computer

• Helping celebrities and influencers turn passion into scalable product brands

• Partnering with creators to build legacy income streams beyond their 15 minutes of fame

• Navigating the TikTok Shop explosion and how it’s threatening Amazon’s dominance

• Embedding product into entertainment to create viral, high-converting content

• Structuring equity partnerships based on value, not just fame

• Designing cross-training systems so his businesses run without him

• Using cultural awareness and empathy to lead teams more effectively

• Shipping fruitcake to space — and turning it into a case study in creative problem solving

My Links

Host: Tyler Martin , Fractional CFO and Business Coach

Having challenges scaling and growing your business? Book a meeting with me:

https://calendly.com/tylermartin/strategy

Link to show notes:

https://thinktyler.com/podcast_episode/hollywood-to-hustle-paul-shrater/

Podcast: ThinkBusinesswithTyler.com 

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Instagram 

YouTube

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Dan Soviero shares his journey from depression and near-death to building a multi-business sports empire focused on impacting over a million kids through athletics. Through grit, purpose, and structured leadership, he transformed rock bottom into a mission that’s driving explosive growth and cultural excellence.

• Surviving a suicide attempt at 16 and finding purpose through coaching youth sports

• Starting a lacrosse training business at 16 and scaling to five sports-focused companies

• Solving a broken uniform industry with 15-day shipping and 99.7% accuracy

• Building high-performing teams with EOS and a custom Culture by Design system

• Using personality assessments to ensure cultural fit in every hire

• Investing in personal development to double productivity across payroll

• Teaching leaders to remove ego and drive alignment through self-awareness

• Empowering departments to collaborate like a unified sports team

• Staying relentlessly curious and asking questions to unlock growth

• Serving others as the foundation for lasting success and fulfillment

My Links

Host: Tyler Martin , Fractional CFO and Business Coach

Having challenges scaling and growing your business? Book a meeting with me:

https://calendly.com/tylermartin/strategy

Link to show notes:

https://thinktyler.com/podcast_episode/gun-didnt-fire-dan-soviero/

Podcast: ThinkBusinesswithTyler.com 

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Instagram 

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Jared Rosenthal shares his incredible journey from corporate CEO to launching Health Street—starting with a self-painted RV and scaling it into a nationwide drug and DNA testing business. He reveals how relentless grit, late-night emergencies, and hands-on hustle led to a tech-powered company serving over 50,000 clinics across the U.S.

• Left a CEO role to start mobile drug testing out of a used RV

• Branded his RV with “Who’s Your Daddy” for DNA testing and landed a VH1 show

• Built a 24/7 business responding to accidents, testing captains and pilots

• Taught himself tech from scratch and built custom APIs to automate operations

• Scaled from a one-man show to a national network of clinics and corporate clients

• Uses inbound marketing and SEO instead of outbound sales for high-margin growth

• Self-funded the entire business, balancing reinvestment with sustainable income

• Shares emotional stories that shaped his purpose, including stopping an intoxicated pilot

• Stresses the value of doing every job—from mopping floors to writing code

• Warns against overreliance on Google and stresses the need to diversify marketing

Tune in to hear how Jared turned a secondhand RV into a multimillion-dollar platform, built with hustle, purpose, and an unshakable belief in doing the hard things.

My Links

Host: Tyler Martin , Fractional CFO and Business Coach

Having challenges scaling and growing your business? Book a meeting with me:

https://calendly.com/tylermartin/strategy

Link to show notes:

https://thinktyler.com/podcast_episode/drug-testing-dna-jared-rosenthal/

Podcast: ThinkBusinesswithTyler.com 

Linkedin 

Instagram 

YouTube

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