ITV #254: $52 Million in Business Funding- Here's How the Game Works | Inside The Vault

He helped entrepreneurs secure more than $52 MILLION in capital—and now Stedman Waiters is breaking down how the business funding game actually works.In this episode of Inside the Vault with Ash Cash, Stedman explains how he went from professional football and an $80K engineering career to building Waiters Capital into a multimillion-dollar funding company.Stedman pulls back the curtain on what banks actually look for, why entrepreneurs get denied, and how funding brokers connect business owners with lenders without putting up their own money. He breaks down 0% business funding, revenue-based lending, business lines of credit, SBA loans, equipment financing, CDFIs, bank relationships, and personal credit.But getting access to money is only part of the game.Stedman also shares how he transitioned from his 9-to-5 without recklessly quitting, why investing in mentorship accelerated his success, how marketing became the engine behind his seven-figure business, and the **3 M’s—More, Metrics & Manpower—**that he uses to scale businesses.Ash and Stedman also discuss becoming the first millionaire in your family, why success can become lonely, acquiring existing businesses during the generational wealth transfer, using credit as leverage, and why entrepreneurs who learn to use AI may gain a major advantage.The biggest lesson?Banks are lending. The question is whether you understand how to position yourself—and your business—to access the capital.CONNECT🎙️ Inside the Vault: @insidethevault🎤 Host: @iamashcash👤 Guest: @sted.waitersJOIN THE ABUNDANCE COMMUNITYThe Abundance Community is about more than income. It’s about learning how to MAKE money, MANAGE money, and MULTIPLY money while strengthening the mental and spiritual foundation behind financial freedom.Take your Abundance Score and join the community:TheAbundanceCommunity.comChapters00:00 – $50K–$75K at 0% interest?02:12 – Meet Stedman Waiters05:05 – From football to engineering to entrepreneurship06:57 – Why mentorship is a cheat code09:25 – The danger of getting too comfortable10:18 – Investing $25K in mentorship11:35 – Transitioning from a 9-to-516:19 – His first business: credit repair17:09 – Discovering the funding industry18:00 – How funding brokers make money19:32 – Good credit vs. business revenue21:36 – How 0% business funding works22:46 – “Banks ARE lending money”24:14 – Are Black entrepreneurs denied more funding?26:00 – Using business funding responsibly28:28 – Why marketing is everything30:07 – Marketing strategies for beginners32:28 – Can a funding company make $10K a month?33:43 – Student goes from $50K to $200K/month34:27 – The 3 M’s: More, Metrics & Manpower38:13 – Obsession, discipline and success39:06 – Why Stedman started mentoring41:03 – Becoming the first millionaire in his family42:15 – Why success can become lonely45:58 – Building community for entrepreneurs47:25 – The Funding Broker Workshop48:30 – Impact over money49:13 – His future in private equity50:05 – Buying businesses with SBA funding53:23 – The risks of acquiring a business54:24 – Why entrepreneurs keep getting denied55:47 – Do bank relationships matter?57:43 – Why business funding gets called a scam58:59 – Is credit the new economic inequality?1:00:36 – Do you really need business credit?1:01:47 – How Stedman uses AI in business1:03:35 – AI and the future of funding1:04:21 – Connect with Stedman1:06:07 – Closing the Vault + Abundance ScoreAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy