ROI Podcast™ — the #1 Entrepreneurial Business meets Comedy podcast hosted by Law Smith + Eric Readinger

Small business ownership is sold like freedom, then quietly turns into  a group project where you're somehow every group member AND the  substitute teacher. In ROI Podcast® episode 508, Law Smith and Eric Readinger sit down with  Andy Clark — creator of The Whole PIE System™ and author of Getting  The Whole PIE — to talk about how to build a business that's actually  profitable, actually impactful, and (radically) actually enjoyable.  Wild concept. Apparently the goal is not to create a company that  prints money while slowly turning your soul into printer toner. Andy works with small business owners stuck in the messy gap between  "owner-operator" and "actual owner." They have customers, employees,  revenue, meetings, and that special founder disease where every problem  mysteriously circles back to their inbox. Andy walks through how to  get out of the weeds, build real systems, install accountability, and  focus on the metrics that actually drive results. The guys dig into why owners say they want better results but resist  the behavior changes needed to get there, why law firms and  professional services partnerships are uniquely chaotic to run, and  why running a business should at least occasionally feel enjoyable  instead of like a hostage situation with recurring invoices. Andy also shares a real case study from an automatic car wash chain  that grew from 10 to 22 locations and tripled revenue by leaning hard  into customer service — in an industry literally designed to avoid  human contact. Yes. Customer service. In car washes. The bar is on  the floor and somehow still full of opportunity. They also cover Moneyball-style metrics, the Golden State Warriors, AI  readiness for small business, owner bottlenecks, Costa Rica, Canadian  geography, hockey trauma, guitar guys at parties, and whether cake or  pie is the superior food and/or business framework. Listen if you're a small business owner, consultant, professional  services leader, agency founder, lawyer, operator, or anyone who has  ever whispered "I need better systems" while opening another tab and  making the problem worse. ROI Podcast® is hosted by Law Smith and Eric Readinger. Business,  comedy, and enough operational truth to make your Google Calendar  blink twice. Topics: small business growth, business coaching, business strategy,  The Whole PIE System, Andy Clark, Getting The Whole PIE, profit impact  enjoyment, business operations, scaling a small business, owner- operator bottleneck, business systems, customer service strategy, AI  for small business, entrepreneur podcast, business podcast.

Getting rich isn't about working harder. It's about playing a different game entirely. In this episode of ROI Podcast™, Chris Van Dusen, Senior Partner at Solyco Capital, breaks down how wealth is actually built behind the curtain… not the version you see on TikTok. We talk about: What private equity really does (without the jargon) Why most founders fail before they ever had a chance The difference between wealth preservation and wealth creation How high-net-worth investors think about risk and returns Why doing hard things on purpose is the only real edge Chris went from getting laid off 75 days into a new life… to building and selling multiple companies and now deploying capital at scale. This episode is part strategy, part reality check, and part "you're not working as hard as you think you are." If you want to understand money, business, and how deals actually happen… press play.     Chris Van Dusen isn't your typical finance guy who memorized a few buzzwords and now cosplays as an investor on LinkedIn. He's the guy who got punched in the face by real life, got back up, and decided to start building instead of complaining. After graduating from the College of William & Mary with a degree in economics, Chris entered the world of finance through real estate investment banking. Then the market did what markets do best… and nuked his job. Just 75 days after moving to California, he was unemployed. That's not a pivot. That's a shove. Instead of retreating, he became what he calls an "accidental entrepreneur." Over the next decade, he built, scaled, and exited multiple companies, including selling three businesses across 2019 and 2021. He also raised funds in emerging sectors like cannabis, helped grow media companies, and worked directly with founders trying to not implode under pressure. Today, Chris is a Senior Partner at Solyco Capital, a vertically integrated private investment firm focused on capital solutions for growth-stage companies. His role is simple to explain but hard to execute: find great companies, structure capital around them, and deliver meaningful returns for investors. Translation: he's betting on jockeys, not just horses. Chris works closely with high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional investors, helping them deploy capital into alternative assets and private deals with asymmetric upside potential. The kind of deals most people don't even know exist. Beyond finance, Chris brings a discipline-first mindset shaped by his background as a former Division I pitcher and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. His philosophy is blunt: do hard things on purpose, or life will pick hard things for you anyway.  Whether it's grinding through entrepreneurship, surviving market cycles, or getting choked out on a mat for 10 years straight, Chris has built a reputation for embracing discomfort instead of avoiding it. And that mindset shows up in everything he does. Episode sponsored...  💦 by ZUPYAK - The first search optimized AI writer. https://www.Zupyak.com → promo code → SWEAT  💦  Flodesk email marketing - you get 50% off by hitting this link https://flodesk.com/c/AL83FF 💦  Incogni remove you personal data from public websites 50% off https://get.incogni.io/SH3ve 💦  by SQUARESPACE website builder → https://squarespacecircleus.pxf.io/sweatequity 💦  by CALL RAIL call tracking → https://bit.ly/sweatequitycallrail 💦  by LINKEDIN PREMIUM - 2 months free! → https://bit.ly/sweatequity-linkedin-premium 💦  by OTTER.ai → https://otter.ai/referrals/AVPIT85N Hosts' Eric Readinger & Law Smith 🔗s - https://www.LawSmithWorks.com - https://www.Tocoba.ga Getting fired might be the best thing that ever happens to you. Not emotionally. Financially. In Episode 507 of ROI Podcast™, we sit down with Chris Van Dusen, Senior Partner at Solyco Capital, to break down what actually separates people who build wealth… from people who just talk about it on Instagram. We get into: - Why most startups fail (hint: it's not the idea)  - How private equity actually evaluates founders  - The real difference between rich people and everyone else  - Why "sitting in the suck" is the only competitive advantage that matters  - How to invest like someone who already has money  Chris also explains how ultra-wealthy investors think about risk, why alternative assets exist, and how normal people misunderstand capital allocation entirely. Plus: - NIL deals and why most athletes won't see real money  - Jiu-jitsu as the ultimate ego killer  - Burnout, seasons of life, and why balance is a myth  If you've ever wondered how deals actually get done behind the scenes… this is the episode. 🎯 Watch. Learn. Then go do something uncomfortable. ---

Subscribe, 5 ⭐ And Please Write A Review! The funniest or biggest hater reviews are likely to get a shout out on the show.   Listen, Watch, Review, and Share With A Friend!   Law Smith is an SMB Consultant, Digital Strategist, Stand Up Comedian and President of Tocobaga Consulting. Eric Readinger is a Website Producer, Video Editor, and Partner at Tocobaga Consulting.   * Grasshopper add business phone lines to your cell save $50 when they sign up using the special link TryGrasshopper.com/sweat