PODCAST · business
Fervent Four
by Zack Miller, Tim Ryan
Fervent Four goes inside the decisions, risks, failures and breakthroughs behind the people building what's next.Each week, Zack Miller and Tim Ryan sit down with entrepreneurs, executives, investors and industry leaders to unpack how businesses are built, how big bets get made and what it really takes to lead through uncertainty.From billion-dollar companies and emerging technologies to AI, healthcare, consumer brands, manufacturing and more, Fervent Four finds the business stories worth knowing — and the lessons behind them.New episodes every Tuesday.
Episodes
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At 60, She Took Over. Nobody Expected What Happened Next.
At 60, Marsha Hudgins thought she was headed toward retirement. Instead, she was about to take over a construction company in an industry where few people expected her to lead. Her husband, the founder of Hudgins Contracting, was battling pancreatic cancer. Before he died, he made her promise not...
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Would You Bet Your Entire Bank Account on Yourself?
With $50,000 in the bank, Alexis Perkins bet on herself and invested it in a new website and app for Chair One Fitness. The app went on to become her company's largest revenue source. In episode 330 of Fervent Four, Alexis joins Zack Miller and Tim Ryan to share how she turned canceled bookings...
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The AI Boom Runs on Handwritten Tickets
Mike Van Sickel offered two trucking brokers a share of $25 million in work. Both turned him down. They were already spending their weekends collecting paper tickets, tracking changes on legal pads and trying to produce invoices that matched the contractor's records. More work would only make…
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She Built a Global Brand Without a Plan
Paula Short didn't set out to build a global beauty brand. She and her business partner created a glitter lip product to get more customers through the door of their salon. Then people started buying it. They took the product to London. Landed Topshop. Expanded internationally. Supplied major...
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Pain Is Your Greatest Superpower
Greg Tomchick has been through enough over the last few years to completely change how he thinks about business, success and himself. The founder of Valor Cybersecurity returns to Fervent Four more than three years after his first appearance. Since then, he found Valor's market serving defense...
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The Goal Isn't to Own the Business Forever
Joe Benedetto spent his career in an industry most people rarely think about: recycling. His family has been in the business for more than 100 years. Joe started working in recycling at 13, eventually launched Recycling & Disposal Solutions (RDS) in 2004, and grew the company to five locations…
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When Did $40 Million Stop Being a Win?
Building something meaningful and building something massive don't have to be opposing goals. Adam Alphin, founder and CEO of KleerCard, joins The Fervent Four to talk about building a company on his own terms while still thinking big about where it can go. KleerCard has grown to more than 1,250...
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HE HIT #1. THEN FOUND A BETTER WAY TO WIN | Canaan Smith
In Episode 324 of Fervent Four, Canaan opens up about moving to Nashville knowing no one, working as a custodian while writing songs, landing a publishing deal, competing on The Amazing Race, and eventually earning a No. 1 country hit. He also talks candidly about the pressure that followed that...
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What Nobody Tells You About Success, Confidence and Retirement
What happens after you've built companies, made investments, helped shape a business community — and supposedly reached the point where you can retire? In Part 2 of our conversation with Paul Hirschbiel, we go beyond business and into what decades of success have taught him about confidence,...
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He Bet $3 Million Before Anyone Knew It Would Work
Paul Hirschbiel has spent decades investing in companies and evaluating the people behind them. Long before becoming the founding chairman of Innovate 757, Hirschbiel built a career in venture capital, backed Michael Dell in the company's early years and spent 13 years on Dell's board. On Fervent...
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The Biggest Lie About Blue-Collar Jobs
Everyone says people no longer want blue-collar jobs. But what if workers are not the real problem? This episode explores why leadership matters in recruiting the next generation, how AI is transforming industrial work, and why American shipbuilding and manufacturing may be entering a new era. We...
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30 Years in Business Taught Him These Hard Truths
What happens when decades of business experience collide with a world being rapidly reshaped by AI and automation? Marc Marling, Chief Business Officer at Cargomatic, joins The Fervent Four to talk about the lessons he's learned across his career—from working seven days a week for a boss who...
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Why Most Canned Cocktails Taste Bad
Most canned cocktails don't taste like cocktails made at a bar. They rely on artificial flavors, excessive sweetness, carbonation and low-quality ingredients—but why is it so difficult to make a good cocktail in a can? After years working in restaurants, craft beer, alcohol distribution and...
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He Built a Business Out of Trash
Most people see junk hauling and dumpster rentals as simple, dirty work. Johnny Bobby sees systems, turnaround time, customer acquisition, automation, and opportunity. In this episode of The Fervent Four Show, he explains how he built a junk removal and roll-off dumpster company by entering an...
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Why Your Medical Bill Makes No Sense
Most bills are built for the person paying them. Medical bills often are not. That was one of the clearest points Michael Woodhead made on The Fervent Four. A normal bill usually tells you what happened, what it cost, and why. A medical bill can feel like it was built for hospitals, insurance...
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Making Waiting Rooms Suck Less
A coffee shop magazine wall was supposed to be the idea. Then COVID shut down the world, shared magazines became a non-starter, and Lauren and Scott Janney started asking a different question: what if people could still access magazines without touching the same physical copies as everyone else?...
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The Business Model Was Hiding in Plain Sight
What happens when the business you built is not the business your customers actually want? PlayYourCourt started as a way to make tennis lessons easier to find and book. But as the company grew, the data told a different story. Customers were using the platform, getting what they needed, and...
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This Is Fervent Four
Big ideas. Real stories. Unfiltered conversations with the people building what's next. Fervent Four goes beyond the highlight reel with founders, leaders, operators and builders to talk about the work, the risks, the lessons and the moments that actually shape the journey.
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What NASA Has to Build Before We Can Live on the Moon
NASA is known for rockets, astronauts and moonshots. But at NASA Langley, the work is also about what happens before and after the launch: the testing, partnerships, aeronautics, technology transfer and long-term thinking that turn impossible ideas into repeatable progress. Joseph Gasbarre,...
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The AI Opportunity Most Nonprofits Are Missing
Nonprofits are being asked to do more than ever with teams that are already stretched thin. But what happens when AI gives mission-driven organizations the capacity to move faster, understand donors better, and spend more time on the relationships that actually drive impact? Jim Funari, CEO of...
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How to Build a Business That Lasts for Decades
What does it really take to build a business that lasts for decades? Building an agency or service-based business is not just about landing the first client. It is about hiring the right people, delivering consistently, earning trust, surviving hard seasons, and making decisions that protect the...
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The Bigger Strategy Behind Pharrell's Something in the Water
Something in the Water was never just about music. In this conversation, Robby Wells breaks down the bigger strategy behind cultural moments, regional storytelling, and building events that make people feel ownership in where they live. Wells is a branding and cultural strategy leader who has...
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Former Navy SEAL on Why Starting a Business Was Harder Than SEAL Training
Former Navy SEAL and Neptune Shield CEO Nicholas Rocha joins The Fervent Four Show to talk about military service, entrepreneurship, veteran transition, mental health, and why building a company can be harder than elite military training. After 26 years in the Navy, nine combat deployments, and a...
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From Wall Street to Building 757 Angels
Organized startup capital has been one of the biggest challenges for cities across the country, and Hampton Roads struggled with it for decades. That started to change in 2015 when Monique Adams helped launch 757 Angels, building one of the region's first organized angel investment networks…
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"Your Baby's Ugly" — The Truth Most Agencies Won't Tell You
Most marketing doesn't fail because of bad ads. It fails because the foundation is broken. In this episode of The Fervent Four Show, Nicole Newsome, CEO of Qantm Creative, breaks down what she calls "radical honesty" — the willingness to tell clients the truth, even when they don't want to hear…
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The Hidden Business Value of Comments (Most Companies Ignore This Data)
Most companies already have the data they need—they're just ignoring it. In this episode, we break down how comments expose customer intent, fix your messaging, and drive smarter decisions, featuring insights from Marc Weinberg of YourComments.AI. 0:00 Why negative comments stick more than…
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Why This Coworking Model Keeps Selling Out
Most coworking spaces struggle. This one doesn't. In this episode of Fervent Four, we break down the model behind a business hub that keeps filling up, not because of flashy marketing, but because it actually works for the people inside it. Gene Granger, Managing Director of The IncuHub, shares…
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The Silicon Valley of Water Is Being Built in Virginia
Most people think it's just another utility bill. They're wrong. The organization behind it is responsible for cleaning millions of gallons of wastewater, protecting our waterways, and now, turning that same water back into drinking water. In this episode of The Fervent Four Show, Jay Bernas…
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She Got "Shellacked"… Then Built a Company to Fix a Problem Everyone Ignores
Everyone has sat at a railroad crossing wondering how long they'll be stuck. Most people accept it. Andria McClellan didn't. After years in local government hearing complaints about blocked roads, delayed emergency response, and daily frustration, she realized something shocking: "There's no…
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Why Most Founders Actually Fail (It's Not Money)
Most people think startups fail because they run out of money. That's not what actually happens. In this episode of The Fervent Four Show, Ryan Dean, founder of Dreamer Made, breaks down what really causes businesses to stall, why early momentum fades, and how founders end up quitting long before...
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Hiring Veterans Is Broken. AI Might Fix It.
The hiring system isn't broken because of a lack of talent. It's broken because companies don't understand it. Tim Best, CEO of RecruitMilitary, breaks down why thousands of highly trained service members struggle to translate their experience into civilian jobs, and how AI might finally bridge...
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Wine Is Broken. This Startup Is Fixing It
Christopher Anderson, Founder of Joy of Wine, joins The Fervent Four Show to break down one of the biggest hidden problems in the wine industry. Behind every bottle shipped direct-to-consumer is a complex web of state-by-state regulations that cost wineries time, money, and opportunity. Instead…
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Startup Founders Only Control 40% of Success | YC Founder Glen Moriarty
Startup founders like to believe they control their destiny. According to 7 Cups founder Glen Moriarty, that's not true. "Founders can only control about 40% of the variables that determine whether a startup succeeds." In Episode 300 of The Fervent Four Show, Glen shares the real story behind...
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Why AI Breaks Without Real-World Data
Most AI conversations skip the hardest part: the real world. Chris Machut has spent several decades building technology where mistakes are expensive, visibility is limited, and nothing works the way the software world assumes it does. From safety cameras on cranes and tugboats to founding…
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What Grit Looks Like When a Business Collapses
What happens when something you spent more than a decade building disappears almost overnight? Angela M. Keaveny shares the unfiltered story behind ROWDYDOW bbq, from rapid growth and national contracts to a supply chain collapse that nearly ended everything. This is a conversation about grit,...
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Stop Caring What People Think or You'll Never Survive Being Seen
Public exposure sounds exciting until you live inside it. Years of live television forced Kristen Crowley into visibility before she was ready, stripping away approval, confidence, and privacy. What followed wasn't polish. It was survival. This conversation explores what public pressure does to...
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Why Ignoring AI Is Riskier Than Adopting It, A CEO Explains
Pratik Kothari, CEO of TechArk, shares how he built a 120+ person global technology company spanning the US and India, and why embracing AI early has become a leadership imperative, not a risk. From launching TechArk while still employed full-time, to building a 24-hour global delivery model, to...
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AI Is Moving Faster Than Anyone Is Ready For (Jobs, Robots, and What Comes Next)
Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than most people are prepared for. Jobs are already being eliminated, AI agents are operating with real-world consequences, and robots are moving from novelty to inevitability. This conversation breaks down what's actually happening beneath the surface…
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Why Smart Founders Make Bad Decisions Under Pressure
Most founders don't make bad decisions because they lack discipline or intelligence. They make them under pressure, with reduced cognitive bandwidth they don't recognize. In this episode of The Fervent Four Show, Tracy Lamar-Ray breaks down how stress, threat response, and habit formation quietly...
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Why Most Founders Never Execute — And How to Fix It
Most founders don't fail because their ideas are bad. They fail because execution breaks down. In this episode, Luke Scrivanich, cofounder of Logentiq, breaks down why founders stall, how poor execution kills momentum, and what actually fixes it. The conversation spans stoic philosophy, startup...
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Why Good Ideas Stall — and What Actually Moves Them Forward
Most good ideas don't stall because they're bad — they stall when execution breaks down. In this episode, Chris Davidson, founder of Orca Strategies, shares how complex initiatives actually move forward, why business and government are more connected than most people realize, and what leaders…
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What Venture Capitalists Look for Before They Invest in Founders
What do venture capitalists actually look for when evaluating founders and early-stage companies? In this episode of The Fervent Four Show, we sit down with Zakiya Alta Lee-Hill, Principal at Idea Fund Partners, to pull back the curtain on how VCs think about founder character, traction,...
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How Cox Communications Reinvents, Innovates, and Serves the 757
In this episode of The Fervent Four Show, hosts Tim Ryan and Zack Miller sit down with Jeff Merritt, Market Vice President of Cox Communications Virginia, for a deep, wide-ranging conversation on innovation, connectivity, workforce evolution, and the future of technology in Hampton Roads. Merritt...
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How Skydiving Prepared Him for Business Risk No One Talks About
What happens when you mix 1,100 skydives, a near-fatal crash, a family business handed down from a legend, and the grit to rebuild an entire industry from the inside out? You get Jay Prock, President of Tidewater Staffing, one of the most influential workforce leaders in the Port of Virginia. In...
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How a 22-Year-Old Became America's Youngest AMCO Owner
At 22 years old, Eric Svedberg became the youngest franchise owner of AMCO in America — buying his first automotive shop before most people finish college. In this episode of the Fervent Four Show, Eric breaks down how he went from turning wrenches in high school to owning multiple shops, scaling…
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Breaking Barriers in Tech
Guillermo Fisher joins the conversation to share his journey from Brooklyn to Virginia and his experiences at MIT. He reflects on the early days of the internet, educational insights, and the challenges of keeping up with tech and AI security concerns. Guillermo discusses his passion for…
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How a Quarter-Life Crisis Sparked a National Brand
Megan Riggs joins the discussion to share her journey and the evolution of her business, Crunchy, while offering holiday stress solutions. The conversation covers holistic health approaches, self-assessment strategies, and the importance of celebrating small wins through customer stories. Megan...
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Off the Beaten Path: Building Where2Wheel
Brittany and Dave Peregoff introduce Where2Wheel, sharing its inception and growth journey. They discuss transitioning the business model and partnering with landowners to develop off-road parks. The conversation touches on Zack's off-roading experiences and trail difficulty, as well as strategic...
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From Forensics to Founding: Rachelle Turiello's Med Tech Mission
Rachelle Turiello shares her journey from forensics to founding Avant Genomics, exploring challenges in DNA sample preparation and her experiences with TechNite and pitch competitions. She discusses synesthesia in entrepreneurship, Charlottesville's startup scene, and med tech innovation in...
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Beyond the Bark: Building Yellow Dog Through Grit and Curiosity
Jay Livingood joins the Fervent Four Show for a wide-ranging conversation that opens with the rebirth of 757 TechNite—where he was named Entrepreneur of the Year. The discussion dives into the importance of grit and curiosity in technology, navigating event overbooking, and the value of regional...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Fervent Four goes inside the decisions, risks, failures and breakthroughs behind the people building what's next.Each week, Zack Miller and Tim Ryan sit down with entrepreneurs, executives, investors and industry leaders to unpack how businesses are built, how big bets get made and what it really takes to lead through uncertainty.From billion-dollar companies and emerging technologies to AI, healthcare, consumer brands, manufacturing and more, Fervent Four finds the business stories worth knowing — and the lessons behind them.New episodes every Tuesday.
HOSTED BY
Zack Miller, Tim Ryan
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Fervent Four have?
Fervent Four currently has 331 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Fervent Four about?
Fervent Four goes inside the decisions, risks, failures and breakthroughs behind the people building what's next.Each week, Zack Miller and Tim Ryan sit down with entrepreneurs, executives, investors and industry leaders to unpack how businesses are built, how big bets get made and what it really...
How often does Fervent Four release new episodes?
Fervent Four publishes regularly with 331 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Fervent Four?
You can listen to Fervent Four on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Fervent Four?
Fervent Four is created and hosted by Zack Miller, Tim Ryan.
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