Beyond The Hustle

Early on in his sales career, Dan received a $0 commission check. With a wife and kids at home to take care of, it was a moment that changed him forever…Dan Russell is VP of National Sales at Trion Solutions, overseeing payroll, HR, and benefits for over a million employees across the globe. But before any of that, he was a mortgage banker trying to do right by his clients in an industry that stopped letting him.In this episode we tackled:→ Why Dan walked away from mortgage banking at its peak→ What a $0 commission check teaches you that success never will→ How Trion handled an employee dying on a client's floor in real time→ Why asking for help is the most underrated skill in business→ What community investment actually looks like when no one's watchingA huge takeaway from my time with Dan was that asking for help isn't a sign you don't have it together… it's how people who actually have it together got there.Dan, thanks a ton for coming in and being so open about the hard moments. Appreciate you dude!Chapters0:00 - Introduction & Welcome1:00 - What Dan Does at Trion Solutions1:55 - How Dan's Company Got Acquired2:49 - The Mortgage Banking Days4:35 - The $0 Commission Check5:43 - Why Dan Left Banking and Found PEO8:20 - Sink or Swim: Learning a Brand New Industry10:55 - Why You Have to Know Your Product21:55 - What the Best Business Owners Have in Common27:48 - When a Client Called About a Dead Employee34:36 - Community Work: Covenant House and Beyond38:45 - Homeless Youth and the "Lost Generation"41:53 - Advice to His Younger Self46:39 - Stop Trying to Do It Alone47:07 - Why Starting Matters More Than Being Ready49:39 - Gratitude as a Practice, Not a Feeling~~~This episode is powered by Drive Creative🌐 https://drivecreativeagency.com/Subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs and innovators who push Beyond The HustlePrefer to watch?YouTube → https://youtu.be/nPJQmvcdogYHave a story to tell? We’d love to hear from you!Learn more about being a guest on Beyond The Hustle by visiting https://www.beyondthehustle.show

Maggie George is a criminal defense attorney and partner at George Law Firm in Royal Oak, Michigan. Before she ever set foot in a courtroom, she spent 13 years with a mortgage lender, worked a stint on Capitol Hill, and raised a one-year-old while taking the LSAT on maternity leave. In this episode of Beyond The Hustle we covered:→ What it's actually like to defend someone you know is guilty→ The drunk driving death trial that almost ended in a mistrial→ How AI is already changing who walks through a defense attorney's door→ What running a law firm with your husband looks like when it actually worksMaggie told me that she never wants to be the smartest person in the room, and if she is, she’s in the wrong room.Chapters0:00 - Introduction & Teaser1:00 - Meet Maggie George: Attorney, Partner, and Career Chameleon3:00 - What Criminal Defense and Civil Litigation Actually Mean5:00 - From Capitol Hill to Quicken Loans to Law School9:00 - Running a Law Firm With Your Husband12:00 - What Happens When You Know Your Client Did It15:00 - The Drunk Driving Death Trial That Almost Ended in a Mistrial19:00 - What Law School Doesn't Teach You22:00 - The Clients Who Come Back Sober25:00 - Building a Brand in a New Market: The Florida Expansion30:00 - How AI Is Already Changing Criminal Defense36:00 - What George Law Does and Who They Help37:00 - The Best Advice for Anyone Starting in Law~~~This episode is powered by Drive Creative🌐 https://drivecreativeagency.com/Subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs and innovators who push Beyond The HustlePrefer to listen?Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/033gI3Y3rhCbWjbPqfVmMf?si=3ad1a107ca2244faApple → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-hustle/id1896663240Do you have a story to tell? We’d love to hear from you! Learn more about being a guest on Beyond The Hustle by visiting https://www.beyondthehustle.show

Business has always been Billy Baumann's love language.Billy is the founder of Second Chair Advisory, where he helps private equity firms find the deals nobody else is seeing. But the path to get here wasn't a straight line… It was winding, expensive, and completely humbling.But what came out the other side was someone who speaks a language most M&A advisors can't: the language of someone who's actually been broke, actually made payroll decisions at 2 am, and actually knows what it costs to build something from zero.In this episode of Beyond The Hustle, we go into:→ How to use your personal network to get your first clients when you have no money and no credibility→ Why profitable and actually making money are two completely different things on a balance sheet→ How Billy is using AI agents to generate proprietary deal flow for private equity firms→ What the M&A world looks like for trade business owners who've never heard of EBITDA→ Why seasons matter in business and why some people are only meant to be in your story for a chapterBilly, thank you for coming on the show and getting deep. Appreciate you man!Chapters0:00 - Intro & Welcome1:00 - Meet Billy Baumann4:00 - Business as a Love Language: The Donut Shop Story8:30 - How Billy's Entrepreneurial Mind Showed Up as a Kid10:45 - College, Failing Out (Twice), and Finding His Way Back13:00 - Early Sales Jobs: GNC, AT&T, and Learning to Sell19:45 - First Real Business Opportunity and Building a Team from Scratch23:15 - Going Broke, Defaulting on Credit Cards, and Betting on Yourself27:00 - Landing the First Big Placement and Growing Through Referrals31:30 - The Grant Cardone Era and Getting Shredded on Stage36:40 - 2023: Losing His Father and What Came After41:00 - The Home Care Company, the Pivot, and Finding M&A47:30 - How AI Is Changing Deal Flow for Private Equity Firms55:00 - A Step-by-Step Example of Using Claude to Build a Business Plan1:09:26 - One Piece of Advice for Every Entrepreneur Starting Out~~~This episode is powered by Drive Creative🌐 https://drivecreativeagency.com/Subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs and innovators who push Beyond The HustlePrefer to listen?Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/033gI3Y3rhCbWjbPqfVmMf?si=3ad1a107ca2244faApple → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-hustle/id1896663240Do you have a story to tell? We’d love to hear from you! Learn more about being a guest on Beyond The Hustle by visiting https://www.beyondthehustle.show

Dan Dulka and I started Drive Creative over 10 years ago but that’s when the real education began.The first year or two was mostly brute force since cash was tight.. Right when we landed manufacturing clients and a public company with $2 billion in annual revenue, Covid hit. We lost most of our business overnight.But instead of pivoting fast, Dan shared how we held on and hoped. But hope is NOT a good strategy.In this episode, we tackled:→ How Covid forced a full pivot→ Why implementing EOS changed our partnership and the way we ran the company→ How we’re rebuilding our team model around AI to create more leverage without losing culture→ What "AI Thursdays" looks like and why we started itThough it’s taken 10 years, it really does feel like something shifted three years ago. Like we went from hustling through the work to actually building something with intention.Dan, thanks for coming on the show and sharing the story of Drive Creative!Chapters0:00 - Introduction1:10 - Who Is Dan Dulka and What Does Drive Do?3:15 - Building the Team: AI as Leverage, Not a Replacement6:00 - Training AI Like You'd Train an Employee9:23 - AI Thursdays: How Drive Is Getting Their Team Up to Speed13:33 - How Drive Started 10 Years Ago15:20 - The Early Grind: Cash, Clients, and Brute Force17:05 - How Covid Devastated Their Manufacturing Focus18:37 - The Three Pivots That Turned Things Around23:06 - How EOS Fixed a Fractured Partnership27:47 - What the Operating System Actually Does for a Small Business33:18 - What Entrepreneurship Gives You That a 9-to-5 Doesn't39:55 - Facing Fear: Everest Base Camp With a Heights Phobia44:21 - Bravery in Business Is the Same as Bravery on a Mountain49:12 - What We'd Tell Ourselves on Day One~~~This episode is powered by Drive Creative🌐 https://drivecreativeagency.com/Subscribe for more conversations with entrepreneurs and innovators who push Beyond The Hustle.Prefer to watch?YouTube → https://youtu.be/0WBF1-0kicUDo you have a story to tell? We’d love to hear from you!Learn more about being a guest on Beyond The Hustle by visiting https://www.beyondthehustle.show

In this episode of Beyond The Hustle, we sit down with Jake Smith, Financial Advisor at M1 Capital Management. Jake shares his journey into the financial industry, the experiences that shaped his career, and the lessons he’s learned while helping individuals and families plan for their financial future.We also discuss the importance of long-term financial planning, building trust with clients, navigating career growth, and practical financial advice for professionals and business owners looking to create stability and wealth over time.Connect with Jake:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jake-smith-mba-cpfa%C2%AE-71197a38M1 Capital Management: m1capitalmanagement.comSubscribe for more candid conversations with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and innovators pushing beyond the hustle.Interested in being a guest on Beyond The Hustle?Visit: beyondthehustle.show

In this episode of Beyond The Hustle, we sit down with Sterling Hughey, owner of Sterling Construction and Roofing. Sterling shares how he got his start working for his father in high school before launching his own roofing company.We also talk about the trials and growing pains of entrepreneurship, and how Sterling Construction and Roofing has grown into a trusted provider in the industry.Connect with Sterling:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sterling-hughey-685099186Sterling Construction: sterlingconst.comSubscribe for more candid conversations with entrepreneurs and innovators who push beyond the hustle.Do you have a story to tell? We’d love to hear from you! Learn more about being a guest on Beyond The Hustle by visiting beyondthehustle.show

In this episode of Beyond The Hustle, we sit down with Kathy Camara, CEO and co-founder of Entech Medical Staffing. Kathy shares her inspiring story of starting out filing papers after high school, working her way up, and eventually launching her own staffing company.We also talk about the lessons she’s learned in the staffing industry, the challenges she’s overcome, and how emerging technologies like AI will shape the future of staffing.Connect with Kathy:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kathy-camara-0410754Entech Medical Staffing: entechstaffingsolutions.comSubscribe for more candid conversations with entrepreneurs and innovators who push beyond the hustle.Do you have a story to tell? We’d love to hear from you! Learn more about being a guest on Beyond The Hustle by visiting beyondthehustle.show

In this episode of Beyond The Hustle, we sit down with Dominic Vendittelli, owner of Shepherd Safety Consulting. Dominic shares his career journey from Environmental Engineer at DTE and General Motors to becoming a Certified Safety Professional and launching his own consulting business.We also talk about the challenges of starting a new company, what motivated him to take the leap, and how Shepherd Safety Consulting has grown to support manufacturers, construction companies, and warehouses across Michigan.Connect with Dominic:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dvendittelliShepherd Safety Consulting: shepherdsafetyconsulting.comSubscribe for more candid conversations with entrepreneurs and innovators who push beyond the hustle.Do you have a story to tell? We’d love to hear from you! Learn more about being a guest on Beyond The Hustle by visiting beyondthehustle.show

In this episode of Beyond The Hustle, we sit down with Dr. Jeffrey H. Miller, founder of Miller Vein. Dr. Miller shares the story of how his practice began as a single clinic and has grown into a multi-location, award-winning healthcare provider.We also talk about his career journey, commitment to innovation, and how compassionate care and excellence have become the foundation of Miller Vein’s success.Connect with Dr. Miller:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/millerveinMiller Vein: millervein.comSubscribe for more candid conversations with entrepreneurs and innovators who push beyond the hustle.Do you have a story to tell? We’d love to hear from you! Learn more about being a guest on Beyond The Hustle by visiting beyondthehustle.show

In this episode of Beyond The Hustle, we sit down with Patrick Oja, founder of Provisio Technology Solutions. Patrick shares his unique journey from missionary work in Ukraine to starting his own IT consultancy in the U.S., and eventually building Provisio to solve real gaps in the web development space.We also talk about how the hardest year in his business turned into a turning point, and how the pandemic pushed Provisio to grow into a trusted service provider.Connect with Patrick:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patrick-ojaProvisio: provisiosolutions.comSubscribe for more candid conversations with entrepreneurs and innovators who push beyond the hustle.Do you have a story to tell? We’d love to hear from you! Learn more about being a guest on Beyond The Hustle by visiting beyondthehustle.show

In the very first episode of Beyond The Hustle, we sit down with Dave Feidner, Professional EOS Implementer® at EOS Worldwide. Dave shares his journey from entrepreneur to coach, and how EOS® helps leaders and teams gain clarity, accountability, and real results.We also talk about how EOS shaped Drive Creative Agency’s growth and how implementing systems like EOS can help propel growth in businesses.Connect with Dave:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/david-feidnerEOS Worldwide: eosworldwide.com/dave-feidnerSubscribe for more candid conversations with entrepreneurs and innovators who push beyond the hustle.Do you have a story to tell? We’d love to hear from you! Learn more about being a guest on Beyond The Hustle by visiting https://beyondthehustle.show