Cut The Tie Podcast with Mitch Francis
Episode 289

What if one entrepreneur could solve the world’s biggest problems—with a business mindset? In this thought-provoking episode of Cut the Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Mitch Francis, a serial founder, commercial real estate investor, and now, the author of Badass Solutions. After a personal tragedy sparked a wake-up call, Mitch applied his decades of entrepreneurial problem-solving to societal-scale challenges—like climate change, gun violence, and the U.S. national debt.

Mitch shares how he went from closing billion-dollar deals to writing actionable, humorous, and radically simple solutions to some of the world’s most complex issues—and why now is the time for business minds to get involved beyond their bottom line.

About Mitch Francis:
Mitch Francis is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 40 years of business experience as the founder and CEO of multiple public and private companies. His ventures span AI, commercial real estate, and tourism, having generated over $1 billion in sales. Now, as the author of Badass Solutions, Mitch is channeling his energy into tackling 20 global-scale problems with the same strategic clarity he brought to business—one pragmatic, scalable solution at a time.

In this episode, Thomas and Mitch discuss:

• Turning tragedy into transformation
  After losing a family member in a mass shooting, Mitch channeled his grief into research, reflection, and a radical new mission: fixing the broken systems most leaders ignore.
• From boardrooms to the big picture
  Mitch explains how his business background equipped him to tackle global issues—from climate change to gun reform—using problem-solving methods familiar to any good CEO.
• Ideas are easy, execution is everything
  The real challenge wasn’t coming up with solutions—it was digging into research, testing viability, and thinking through real-world application, just like a startup.
• Why entrepreneurs need to give back
  Mitch urges listeners to dedicate just a few hours a week to problems bigger than their business—and explains how real change happens when the people lead and the leaders follow.

Key Takeaways:

• Problems don’t wait for politicians
  Sometimes the best solutions come from people outside the system—especially those trained to get results.
• Stop waiting for someone else to fix it
  If you see a problem and have an idea, act. Leadership starts with ownership.
• Tragedy can spark transformation
  Personal pain can fuel a powerful mission—if you’re willing to do the work.
• Don’t stay at the party too long
  In business or life, the key is knowing when it’s time to exit—and move on to the next opportunity.
• When the people lead, the leaders will follow
  Change doesn’t start at the top. It starts with us.

Connect with Mitch Francis:
💼 LinkedIn: Mitch Francis
🌐 Website: bad-asssolutions.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:
🐦 Twitter: @thelfrich
📘 Facebook: Cut the Tie Group
💼 LinkedIn: Thomas Helfrich
🌐 Website: www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
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