Victor Tabaac on Getting Arrested, Getting Sober, and Building Companies | Hidden Foundations Ep. 15

Viewer discretion is advised. This episode includes conversations about drug dealing, addiction, recovery, family illness, and difficult life choices.In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall sits down with Victor Raymond-Tabaac, a Philadelphia-based serial entrepreneur, to unpack the early experiences that shaped his risk tolerance, work ethic, and drive to build. Victor shares how his first business started at 13 with a hot dog cart, how selling weed in high school taught him hard lessons about risk, leadership, pricing, and consequences, and how addiction later collided with family responsibility and entrepreneurship.The conversation also explores his father’s influence, building an AWS-focused company from five people to 275, recovery, parenting as a sober father, the Lighthouse in Kensington, youth programming, nonprofit transparency, AI-proof careers, and why staying sober is the foundation that makes everything else possible.Chapters00:00 Cold Open: Business, Recovery, and Kensington00:46 Meet Victor Raymond-Tabaac01:03 Entrepreneur Since Age 1303:08 Selling Weed, Risk, and Getting Caught11:17 Scaling an AWS Business to 275 People17:26 Addiction, Family Business, and Recovery28:11 Giving Back Through the Lighthouse45:24 Leadership, Sales, AI, and Staying SoberHidden Foundations is a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and investor Kendall Schoenrock, examining how family systems, early adversity, and childhood dynamics quietly shape high-performing adults. Each conversation uncovers the “invisible wiring” behind resilience, ambition, leadership, and grit — told through candid stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and leaders.Guided by the thesis that strength is forged early at home, the show uses a consistent framework to explore emotional environments, money narratives, family roles, conflict patterns, and early challenges. Every episode delivers at least one practical, repeatable insight for parents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how greatness is built long before it’s visible.Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://hiddenfoundations.com/#newsletterLearn more or connect with Kendall:Website: https://kendallschoenrock.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schoenrock/SilverRock Ventures: https://silverrockventures.com/about-us/YouTube: youtube.com/@HiddenFoundationsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VKN6BBbuVxNDl4zKh4E3O?si=0c56c9aebfaf402eApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-foundations/id1895154229#HiddenFoundations #VictorRaymondTabaac #Entrepreneurship #RecoveryStory