WillPower Podcast

On this episode of the WillPower Podcast, Will sits down with Aaron Scott Young, Chairman and CEO of Laughlin Associates. Over 50 years, the firm has helped more than 200,000 entrepreneurs start, grow and protect their businesses. Aaron has spent more than four decades in the trenches with business owners, and he’s built several multimillion-dollar companies of his own. He started his first business at 18: a recycling company in Portland that he grew to 5,000 customers and sold.

Aaron explains why protecting what you’ve built matters as much as growing it. He covers how real estate investors and business owners should think about entity structure, asset protection and keeping their personal wealth separate from business risk. He also shares the thinking behind The Unshackled Owner, his program for helping owners stop being trapped by their businesses and start running them on their own terms.

Whether you own one rental property or are building a portfolio or a company, this conversation will change how you think about structuring and protecting your wealth.

https://laughlinusa.com/

Get your copy of Rick Segal's book, The Heart of It here: https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/business-and-finance/entrepreneurship/the-heart-of-it/

Read Rick Segal’s blog: https://impactinvestorsegal.com/blog

On this episode of the WillPower Podcast, Will sits down with Michelle Wagner, a Napa Valley Realtor and published author of several books. Michelle has built her career in one of the most distinctive real estate markets in the country, where vineyard estates, wineries and luxury homes all trade hands, and she’s seen firsthand what it takes to serve buyers and sellers when the stakes and the expectations are high.

Michelle shares how she built her business in wine country, what makes Napa Valley real estate different from almost anywhere else, and how resilience and a clear sense of purpose have shaped her career. She also talks about becoming an author: why she wrote her books, what she hopes readers take from it, and how telling her story has strengthened her business.

Whether you’re an agent, an investor or someone looking to build a career with meaning, this conversation is full of practical lessons and inspiration.

https://www.theagencyre.com/agent/michelle-wagner

Get your copy of Rick Segal's book, The Heart of It here: https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/business-and-finance/entrepreneurship/the-heart-of-it/

Read Rick Segal’s blog: https://impactinvestorsegal.com/blog

What does it take to start a business at 21, take it public, and sell it for a tenfold return before turning 40? In this episode of the WillPower Podcast, Will sits down with British serial entrepreneur, investor, and mentor Gary Ashworth, who has founded or backed around 30 companies across recruitment, healthcare, and property in the UK and Dubai.

Gary walks through his path from accountancy recruitment in London at 18 to founding Abacus Recruitment, floating it on the London Stock Exchange, and selling it. He then built and sold the tech staffing firm InterQuest Group, and today he chairs Albany Beck Consulting. He also shares the core ideas from his Amazon bestseller Eat the Pudding First: why failure is a feature rather than a flaw, how to think about exit strategy from day one, and why there’s rarely an unachievable goal, only an over-ambitious timeline.

Whether you’re launching your first venture, scaling a real estate business, or planning your eventual exit, this conversation is full of hard-won lessons from someone who has done it again and again.

Get your copy of Rick Segal's book, The Heart of It here: https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/business-and-finance/entrepreneurship/the-heart-of-it/

Read Rick Segal’s blog: https://impactinvestorsegal.com/blog

Most founders hit the same wall: every deal still runs through them. In this episode of the WillPower Podcast, I sit down with Marcus Chan, founder of Venli Consulting, a sales training and revenue consulting firm whose 700+ clients have generated over $950 million in revenue. Marcus specializes in helping CEOs build sales teams that can run without them, so the business keeps growing even when the founder steps back.

We break down why founder-led sales eventually caps your growth, what it takes to hire and train people who can close without you, and how to build systems that make revenue predictable instead of personality-driven. Whether you're raising capital, scaling a portfolio, or running any business where you're still the top salesperson, this conversation will show you how to get out of the weeds and into the CEO seat.

Get your copy of Rick Segal's book, The Heart of It here: https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/business-and-finance/entrepreneurship/the-heart-of-it/

Read Rick Segal’s blog: https://impactinvestorsegal.com/blog

This week, Will and co-host Rick Segal sit down with Chris Meek and Dave Jarecki, the duo behind the new book Keeping Our Nation's Promise.

Chris spent more than 30 years in finance, including time at Goldman Sachs, before turning his focus to service. He is now CEO of Soldier Strong, a charitable organization that uses medical technology to help American veterans take their next steps forward. He also founded the 9/11 Foundation, a nonprofit that honors the memory of those lost on September 11th. Dave has been a ghostwriter since 1999 and helped Chris bring this story to the page.

We talk about Chris's move from Wall Street to philanthropy, the mission behind Soldier Strong and the 9/11 Foundation, and what it takes to turn a life's work into a book. We also get into what our country owes the people who have served it, and how business leaders can use their experience to make an impact that lasts.

Get your copy of Rick Segal's book, The Heart of It here: https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/business-and-finance/entrepreneurship/the-heart-of-it/

Read Rick Segal’s blog: https://impactinvestorsegal.com/blog

On this episode of the WillPower Podcast, Will sits down with Kyle Fugatt, founder of Hotel Launch and a short-term rental and boutique hotel operator with over $30 million in assets under management. Kyle has built his business at the intersection of hospitality and real estate, both operating his own properties and coaching investors on how to launch and scale their own boutique hotels.

Kyle breaks down what separates a profitable STR from a struggling one, why boutique hotels are drawing more investor attention, and the key steps to moving from single-unit rentals to full hospitality assets. Whether you're running your first Airbnb or eyeing a small hotel conversion, this conversation is packed with practical insight on operations, guest experience, and building a hospitality portfolio that lasts.

https://www.hotel-launch.com/

Get your copy of Rick Segal's book, The Heart of It here: https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/business-and-finance/entrepreneurship/the-heart-of-it/

Read Rick Segal’s blog: https://impactinvestorsegal.com/blog

What does it actually mean to lead with extreme commitment—and to follow through on your word, every single time? In this episode, Will sits down with Steve Farber, founder and CEO of The Extreme Leadership Institute, bestselling author, and one of the most respected voices in leadership development today.

Steve's team has helped more than 25 companies earn spots on Best Places to Work lists, and his ideas have shaped leadership conversations far beyond the boardroom. He's the author of six acclaimed leadership books, starting with The Radical Leap, which won Fast Company's Readers' Choice Award and was named one of the 100 Best Business Books of All Time. His book Greater Than Yourself debuted as a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, and Love Is Just Damn Good Business has been featured everywhere from Wharton Radio to the World Economic Forum. He even teamed up with Twisted Sister's Jay Jay French to write Twisted Business, pulling leadership lessons straight from a career in rock and roll.

This conversation comes at a perfect moment—Steve's newest book, The Radical Promise: Mastering the Art of Doing What You Say You Will Do, co-written with leadership legends Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, launches the very day this episode is being recorded. Will and Rick dig into what it takes to build a culture of real accountability, why "doing what you say" is harder—and more radical—than it sounds, and how love and leadership intersect in ways most business books never touch.

You can get Steve's book the Radical Promise here:

https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Promise-Mastering-Doing-What-ebook/dp/B0HF4T8DPS/ref=books_amazonstores_desktop_mfs_author_smart_catalog_unrecognized_0?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=MtBjT&content-id=amzn1.sym.47218010-ccda-4098-a91e-bc39e6d446f4&pf_rd_p=47218010-ccda-4098-a91e-bc39e6d446f4&pf_rd_r=133-2963950-0619343&pd_rd_wg=7Tc5H&pd_rd_r=a368e788-2454-4548-ad09-d063b282ef87

Get your copy of Rick Segal's book, The Heart of It here: https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/business-and-finance/entrepreneurship/the-heart-of-it/

Read Rick Segal’s blog: https://impactinvestorsegal.com/blog

On this episode of the WillPower Podcast, Will sits down with co-host Rick Segal and special guest Anya Cheng, Founder & CEO of Taelor, an AI-powered clothing subscription service reimagining how men shop for and wear clothes. Before launching Taelor, Anya spent over a decade in Silicon Valley leading product and growth at companies like Meta, eBay, Target, and McDonald's — including a pivotal role in building Facebook and Instagram Shopping.

Anya shares her journey from corporate tech leadership to startup founder, the story behind Taelor's AI-driven approach to personal styling and sustainable fashion, and what she's learned building a company at the intersection of AI, data, and consumer behavior. We also dig into the unique challenges of being a female founder in tech, and how Anya thinks about the future of AI-powered personalization.

Whether you're into startups, AI, fashion tech, or entrepreneurship stories, this conversation is packed with insight from someone who's built at scale — both inside big tech and out on her own.

Get your copy of Rick Segal's book, The Heart of It here: https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/business-and-finance/entrepreneurship/the-heart-of-it/

Read Rick Segal’s blog: https://impactinvestorsegal.com/blog

In this episode, we welcome Arti Finn, co-founder of Orijin, alongside co-host Rick Segal, for a conversation about reimagining opportunity for individuals impacted by the justice system. Arti shares the story behind founding Orijin in 2014 with a bold mission: creating pathways to living-wage employment for justice-impacted individuals and helping break the generational cycle of incarceration.

We dig into how Orijin has become a driving force in correctional edtech — building programming that's now active in 21 states and reaching hundreds of facilities nationwide. Arti discusses the challenges of scaling innovation inside one of the most overlooked corners of the education system, what real workforce readiness looks like for people reentering society, and why this work matters far beyond the walls of a facility.

Whether you're interested in social impact, education innovation, or the intersection of business and justice reform, this episode offers a compelling look at what's possible when purpose drives a business model.

Get your copy of Rick Segal's book, The Heart of It here: https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/business-and-finance/entrepreneurship/the-heart-of-it/

Read Rick Segal’s blog: https://impactinvestorsegal.com/blog

What happens when getting fired turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to you? For Ramon Ray, it was the spark that launched an entrepreneurial journey most people only dream about.

Ramon spent years working a stable job at the United Nations, juggling two young kids and a growing family — until he was let go for being too entrepreneurial. Instead of seeing it as a setback, he took it as a sign. Since then, he's built five businesses, successfully sold three of them, authored five books (including his latest, The Celebrity CEO), and become a go-to voice for small business owners looking to grow without losing themselves in the process.

In this episode, Ramon joins us to talk about what it really takes to build a business from scratch — the mindset shifts, the hard lessons, and the proven strategies that separate businesses that survive from those that thrive. We dig into how he balances aggressive growth with actually enjoying life, why simplicity beats complexity when it comes to strategy, and what he's learned from being featured in outlets like Forbes and hosting his own show, The Rundown with Ramon, on the USA Today Network.

Whether you're just starting out or already deep in the entrepreneurial grind, Ramon's insights on consistency, team-building, and giving back will leave you with practical takeaways you can apply right away.

Tune in for a conversation packed with real talk, hard-won wisdom, and the kind of encouragement every founder needs to hear.

Connect with Ramon Ray: ramonray.com | @ramonray

Get your copy of Rick Segal's book, The Heart of It here: https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/business-and-finance/entrepreneurship/the-heart-of-it/

Read Rick Segal’s blog: https://impactinvestorsegal.com/blog