In this powerful episode of The Real Finds Podcast, host Gordon Lamphere sits down with Megan Gluth, the CEO and owner of Catalynt, to unpack the raw truth about entrepreneurship, economic policy, and building a company with purpose in a wildly uncertain world.
From growing up below the poverty line in rural Iowa to owning and leading a global chemical supply and contract manufacturing business, Megan shares how she navigated the corporate world, made the leap from general counsel to CEO, and ultimately acquired the very company she once served.
This isn’t your typical business conversation. Megan dives into:
🔍 Key Topics Covered:
- How businesses are really created—and how real estate and entrepreneurship mirror each other
- Running a global supply chain amid policy chaos and tariff volatility
- Why today’s interest rate environment kills capital investment
- The disconnect between inflation targets and wage mandates—and what no one’s saying
- Embracing “human-centered capitalism” while remaining an unapologetic capitalist
- Her radical hiring philosophy: no résumés, no pedigree, just hustle and character
- Tying pay to performance, not tenure—and how it transforms company culture
- Firing fast, praising publicly, and why A-players won’t tolerate C-player teams
- Advice to her younger self and why good advice comes from people with no skin in the game
- The importance of dignity, incentives, and creating meaningful work environments
Whether you're a business owner, operator, or someone who just wants to understand how real leadership looks and sounds in 2025, this conversation delivers. Unfiltered, unscripted, and deeply insightful.
📚 Books Mentioned:
The Snowball (Warren Buffett biography)
What It Takes by Stephen A. Schwarzman
The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger
🎯 Learn more about Megan: https://www.megangluth.com
🎧 Subscribe for more unvarnished stories from the operators shaping the built world and business landscape.
#RealFindsPodcast #MeganGluth #Catalynt #Entrepreneurship #HumanCenteredCapitalism #SupplyChain #Inflation #InterestRates #Hiring #Leadership #CRE #Manufacturing #BusinessPolicy #WomenInBusiness
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