The David Guttman Podcast

Six hundred rejections in six weeks sounds like failure, but Seve Ortale called it his education. In this episode, Seve shares the unexpected journey from philosophy major and volunteer firefighter to founding a payment processing company, and what wrestling, fire scenes, and door-to-door sales all have in common when it comes to building real character. What does it actually mean to stay coachable when you’re already winning?

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Connect with Seve Ortale

Website: https://bit.ly/4rWVVNL

YouTube: https://bit.ly/4uj0dRd

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TikTok: https://bit.ly/40hTYiX

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Timestamps

00:00 Intro of Show

01:27 Seve Ortale’s Back Story

06:47 Volunteering in the Fire Department

10:05 Lessons Learned from Volunteerism

13:03 Entering the Payment Processing Industry

19:36 Early Sales Struggles and Rejection

21:23 Seve’s Biggest Learning Curve

22:57 Perspective on Residual Income

24:32 Building and Scaling the Business

28:44 What’s Next for Payments University?

30:00 Working with His Partner

35:43 Seve’s Faith and Values

41:26 AI & Cryptocurrency in the Financial Industry

45:14 Crypto Startups vs Giant Companies

50:14 Ego, Curiosity, and Humility

56:47 People That Keep Seve Grounded

58:32 Long Term Plans

1:00:06 Connect with Seve

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Connect with David Guttman

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Most people use AI to write emails, Josh Aven is using it to build entire financial models, generate 90-day marketing plans, and reshape how companies operate from the inside out. As the founder of Curio, a marketing agency that’s managed and advised on roughly $2 billion in ad spend over the past decade, Josh has a front-row seat to why AI hallucinations are a real danger and why the smartest entrepreneurs are treating AI like a calculator.

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Connect with Josh Aven

Website: https://bit.ly/402MiB1

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Instagram: https://bit.ly/4r2tsVL

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3MSBVwG

Timestamps

00:00 Intro of Show

01:33 Josh Aven’s Back Story

07:51 Learning from His Coaches

09:36 Building His Stock Investment Portfolio at 16

14:06 Josh’s Entrepreneurial Journey

17:30 Family Mentor

19:08 Parenting Style and Instilling Values

25:45 Dealing with Confrontational Situations

33:56 Managing Romantic Relationships

40:20 Josh’s Faith

43:15 What’s Next for Josh?

55:26 Connect with Josh

Watch the “David Guttman Podcast” every Tuesday at 8AM EST on YouTube https://bit.ly/3ZGK2yv

Connect with David Guttman

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Nobody who built something real ever had a business plan that went according to plan. Rick Niemi stumbled into entrepreneurship through a casual comment to a business broker, bought his first pharmacy at 24 with no industry experience, and became an Inc. 5,000 CEO. We break down why overthinking is the silent killer of entrepreneurial momentum, why "plan a little, work a lot" actually gets results, and how most people lose not to bad decisions but to no decision at all. If you're sitting on an idea waiting for perfect conditions, this is the conversation that might finally move you.

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Connect with Rick Niemi

Website: https://bit.ly/40qhlGZ

YouTube: https://bit.ly/4rJrM4k

Instagram: https://bit.ly/46nR13T

TikTok: https://bit.ly/4aMUWIS

Facebook: https://bit.ly/3OXCaHb

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3MLRxlx

Timestamps

00:00 Intro of Show

01:58 Rick Niemi’s Back Story

05:41 Rick’s Faith 

10:21 Pivoting from Sales to Entrepreneurship

13:42 Managing Parenthood, Family Life, and Business

19:20 Importance of Delayed Gratification

21:35 Mind-Body-Soul Connection 

25:03 No-Quitting Mentality

30:23 How to Find Faith

Watch the “David Guttman Podcast” every Tuesday at 8 AM EST on YouTube https://bit.ly/3ZGK2yv

Connect with David Guttman

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At 15, Sergio Mendez was offered $11,000 a week and said “no” because of his upbringing. This 19-year-old Peruvian-American entrepreneur founded Influx. Media at 14, now manages a team of 12, and built his journey from cutting grass to running a social media marketing agency, all without finishing high school.

Learn what Wharton Business School will never teach you!  Sign up for the ANTI-MBA today: https://bit.ly/46vct60

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Connect with Sergio Mendez

Instagram: https://bit.ly/3Orajir

Facebook: https://bit.ly/3MzJOGX

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/46SXTpQ

Timestamps

00:00 Intro of Show

01:32 Sergio Mendez’ Back Story

10:03 Started Content Creation for Real Estate Agencies

14:55 Founding Influx.Agency and Sergio’s Leadership Style

16:37 Lessons from His Mentor

20:50 Reconciliation with His Parents

32:15 Having a Good Quality Circle of Friends

39:14 Long-Term Vision 

43:20 Creating Long-Term Business Relationships in an Unconventional Way

47:16 3 Types of Mentorship

52:37 Having Good Moral Compass from His Upbringing

55:29 Connect with Sergio

Watch the “David Guttman Podcast” every Tuesday at 8 AM EST on YouTube https://bit.ly/3ZGK2yv

Connect with David Guttman

Website: https://bit.ly/4jclYvK

Instagram: https://bit.ly/4iARMe9

TikTok: https://bit.ly/3P19NVm

Facebook: https://bit.ly/49CQjQx

X: https://bit.ly/4gH28aR

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Bx7Tc2

SUBSCRIBE TO:

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Download the “David Guttman Podcast” on all your favorite podcast platforms:

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Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3VLzm0v

Every entrepreneur faces the same brutal question: how much capital should I raise, and at what valuation? Rick Sanchez, fractional CFO and transformation specialist, breaks down the capital raising process with refreshing honesty about financial narratives, investor psychology, and the critical difference between strategic and financial buyers. This isn’t theoretical finance; it’s battle-tested wisdom on turning messy financials into compelling stories that close deals and build businesses worth buying.

Learn what Wharton Business School will never teach you!  Sign up for the ANTI-MBA today: https://bit.ly/46vct60

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Connect with Richard (Rick) Sanchez Jr.

Website: https://bit.ly/3NXjreH

Facebook: https://bit.ly/4qt4ApP

Instagram:https://bit.ly/4bKpAEK

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4cfB9E3

Timestamps

00:00 Intro of Show

02:19 SMEs’ Budget Forecasting

03:15 Financial Planning with a CFO

15:19 Defining a Robust Financial Narrative

20:37 KPIs for Business Valuation

25:17 Employee Bonuses and Equity

29:35 Effectively Delegating Responsibilities

40:41 Common Mistakes of Million-Dollar Companies

42:36 Tips before Business Exit

50:04 Raising a Capital vs. Selling the Business

52:44 What is a Strategic Buyer?

55:50 Connect with Rick

Watch the “David Guttman Podcast” every Tuesday at 8AM EST on YouTube https://bit.ly/3ZGK2yv

Connect with David Guttman

Website: https://bit.ly/4jclYvK

Instagram: https://bit.ly/4iARMe9

TikTok: https://bit.ly/3P19NVm

Facebook: https://bit.ly/49CQjQx

X: https://bit.ly/4gH28aR

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Bx7Tc2

SUBSCRIBE TO:

https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialDavidGuttman

Download the “David Guttman Podcast” on all your favorite podcast platforms:

Spotify: ​​https://spoti.fi/3VE3fzVApple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3VLzm0v