30 Years in 30 Minutes

Sports executive and serial entrepreneur David Meltzer became a millionaire at 24, a multimillionaire by 32, and then lost it all, only to gain it back a couple years later. In this episode, he opens up about how hitting rock bottom led to the most meaningful transformation of his life. We talk about his early obsession with money, the moment everything came crashing down, and the mindset shift that helped him rebuild with purpose....

How did Gayle Perry rise to the top of the fashion world? What challenges did she face along the way, and what did she learn from them? What is the key to her success, and what advice would she give to those looking to have a successful career in fashion and media?

In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Gayle Perry, a fashionista, personal stylist, interior designer and arbiter of all things style. She is the force b...

How did the Editor-in-Chief of Sports Illustrated rise to the top of the world's largest sports magazine? What challenges did he face along the way, and what did he learn from it? What is the key to his success, and what advice would he give aspiring journalists and reporters? 

In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Ryan Hunt, former Editor-in-Chief of Sports Illustrated and Lecturer at University of Florida College of Jo...

How did Sergei Kosenko, AKA Mr. Thank You, grow from 0 to 46 MILLION followers on Instagram? How did he grow to become one of the most influential people on social media? What is the key to his success? What should content creators and aspiring social media influencers do to find online success and viral videos? Beyond that, who is the mysterious man behind the famous social media account @mr.thank.you? What are some crazy stories ...

How did the founder of Zillow create several of the most successful companies in the world? What is the key to his success? How can entrepreneurs come up with ideas as novel as them? What is the simple recipe for success all aspiring entrepreneurs should follow?

In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Spencer Rascoff, co-founder of real estate marketplace Zillow ($17 billion market cap), travel website Hotwire (acquir...

Are you interested in learning how event management website Eventbrite was founded? The incredible story behind the founding of payment remittance company Xoom? How to ACTUALLY pick your circle and choose your friends?  What are the best traits to develop to become a successful entrepreneur? 

In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Kevin Hartz, co-founder of Eventbrite (NYSE: EB), Xoom (acquired by PayPal for $1.1 bil...

Want to learn how the incredible story behind the founding of Shazam? How the founder endured the challenges, obstacles, and naysayers along the way? What the biggest piece of advice he has to give to aspiring entrepreneurs, and what his biggets regrets are?

In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Chris Barton, co-founder of Shazam. Chris tells us the key to his success, what to look for in a co-founder, how he founde...

Want to learn how the billionaire co-founder of Moderna started and grew his company? The keys to his entrepreneurial success?

 In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Dr. Robert Langer, the award-winning biotechnician who is the co-founder of Moderna, the $30 billion pharmaceutical company that developed the coronavirus vaccine. Dr. Langer tells us the key to his success, how he founded and grew a successful (biotech...

What do venture capitalists look for in entrepreneurs? What should you do to make your company most appealing to venture capital firms? In this episode, Sam Yagan dives into it. 

In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Sam Yagan, the founder of Sparknotes (the famed online study guide service), founder of OkCupid (the internationally renowned data site), and the former CEO of Match Group (the $10 billion holding compa...

How should you prepare yourself to start a company? What challenges should you be ready for in your entrepreneurial journey? Steve Kaufer covers it all.

In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Steve Kaufer, co-founder and former CEO of TripAdvisor (the $3 billion public travel research platform that aggregates reviews about destinations, accommodations, hotels, and activities). He tells us about the successes and fail...

What traits do you need to make it far in politics? What is the right mindset to have in order to succeed in politics? Learn all that and more with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.

In this episode, Michael Oved and Terrence Gabel sit down with Deval Patrick, the 71st Governor of Massachusetts. He tells us how he overcame the challenges of the socio-economic conditions of his youth; he discusses the difficulties inhere...

What should you do NOW to begin your poltical career? Who should you meet, what should you do, and more importantly, what did Stephen Goldsmith do?

In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Stephen Goldsmith, the former mayor of Indianapolis, the eighth most populated city in the United States. Stephen discusses what he did in his youth to prepare him for taking leadership roles, how he paved the way for his numerous el...

How did Wendy Kopp start her world-renowned non-profit, Teach for America (which became Teach for All)? What did she do to scale it?

In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Wendy Kopp, co-founder of Teach for All and Teach For America (non-profits that seek to expand educational opportunity for all, which have generated over $300 million in annual revenue and includes over 50,000 corps members and alumni, who have col...

How do you build a hospitality brand? How do you cultivate the perfect blend of ambiance and atmosphere? What is the story of Shake Shack? How did Union Square Hospitality Group grow to become the most successful hospitality company in the world?

In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Richard Coraine, Founding Partner of Union Square Hospitality Group, a hospitality organization that has created and operated some of ...

What does it take to bootstrap a business, from scratch? How do you start a business without knowing anything? That's Abby Taylor's story. Learn it exclusively here. 

In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Abby Taylor, the founder of Playa Bowls, the acai bowl franchise that has grown into 200+ stores nationwide. She tells us how she founded Playa Bowls, what she did to grow the company from its humble begi...

What does it take to climb the corporate ladder? How do you successfully get promoted in a big corporation? What traits do you need to do that? Learn from the best, in this episode. 

Michael Oved sits down with Bob Cecere, the former CFO and COO of Barings North America (currently a $347 billion global investment firm). Bob shares how to climb the corporate ladder, how to continuously get promoted within an organization, a...

Ever wonder how Shazam was founded? What did it take to build Shazam? 

In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Philip Inghelbrecht, the cofounder of Shazam (the application that can identify music based on a short sample played using the microphone on the device, which was later acquired by Apple for $400 million). Philip discusses what he did in his youth to prepare him for entrepreneurship, how he founded Shazam, wh...

How was KAYAK founded? In spite of the billion-dollar company's success, what does its founder wish he did in his 20s? Learn that – and more – with Paul English.

In this episode, Michael Oved and Terrence Gabel sit down with Paul English, the founder of KAYAK (the travel metasearch engine KAYAK, which sold for $1.8 billion to Priceline, and which was later acquired by Booking Holdings for $2.1 billion). Where did the ...

How did Mike Cassidy sell a start-up for $500 million in 500 days? Learn from the start-up master himself. 

In this episode, Michael Oved and Terrence Gabel sit down with serial entrepreneur Mike Cassidy, the founder of over five successfully acquired companies: Apollo Fusion, Ruba, Xfire, Direct Hit, and Stylus Innovation (all sold for a combined value of over $800 million). He tells us how he founded and sold a company f...