On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt is joined by Lydia Hodgson, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, as she shares her powerful story and insights on mental health, excellence, and personal growth. Opening up about her own struggles with eating disorders and mental health in high school, Lydia emphasizes the importance of discussing mental health openly. Her bravery and openness have empowered many, especially young girls who resonated with her experience. Matt explores...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt explores vital life skills and knowledge crucial for people in their twenties. The episode begins with a powerful message about the importance of relationship management, goal setting, and self-awareness, emphasizing that these skills don't come naturally but must be actively developed and practiced. Drawing from his rich experience as an entrepreneur, partner, husband, father, and mentor since 1993, Matt presents a list of the top ten things...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt is joined by Francisco Morales, executive chairman and co-founder of 5.11 Tactical. 5.11 Tactical manufactures and retails their clothing brand all over the world. Francisco shares his transformative journey, emphasizing the power of a paradigm shift and the importance of adopting a growth mindset. From grappling with the notion of self-imposed limits to pushing himself academically and professionally, Francisco's story is a testament to the...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Robert Halvorsen, co-founder and CTO of Pacto Medical, a medical device company specializing in pre-filled syringes. Robert shares his journey of pursuing excellence, how he gave up a great job to become an entrepreneur, and offers insights and hacks on how to make it work.  He reveals the challenges he faced in middle school, including ADHD, and how he recovered from it. He reflects on his childhood interests and his inclination...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Benn McCallister, president of Worldwide Golf Shops. Benn recounts his personal journey, emphasizing that he has been involved with golf all his life and that this eventually sparked his deep passion for the sport. He will share how he was initially unsure about joining the family business because he wanted to stand out and make a name for himself. However, during college, the significant impact of the Internet piqued his interest...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Erin Bright, a successful entrepreneur and College Works alumni.  As Erin shares her journey, she discusses transitioning from college to entrepreneurship, the challenges of achieving success while balancing family life, and her current return to business. You'll learn why she chose College Works while still working at In-N-Out Burger. You'll also learn how Erin's transitioned from a high-achieving business career to high-impact...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Dean Treister, Managing Director at Sampling International and former professional rugby player. Dean recounts his journey to becoming a professional athlete and shares the pivotal moments that ignited his self-belief. Along the way, he experienced a transformative shift in his mindset prioritizing the team's success over personal growth. Dean will talk about the importance of teamwork and how he applies it to every aspect of his...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Sean talks with David Boyd, President of QuesTec Mechanical. David was selected for Como Business Times’ issue 20 Under 40 Class of 2023. David reflects on his early days and how he got to where he is today. He originally wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become an engineer, but realized that was not his passion. It was only during his studies that his passion for leadership took shape. He will talk about how he was inspired by books...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Vash Tomanec, co-founder and mindset coach at Mindtrepreneur, CEO and founder of Ecomtrack and founder of BullAds. Vash is passionate about building meaningful businesses that bring great value to others. Before attending university in England, Vash grew up in a small town in the Czech Republic, leading a normal life of video games and sports. At 18, he read ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad,’ which inspired him to become an entrepreneur and made...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Doug Diakite, a real estate investor and managing member at Nationwide Community Revitalization, about providing an affordable path to homeownership. Doug will talk about his career path, from working in sheet metal contracting to becoming a successful real estate investor. He will also delve into his college life experience at UC Santa Barbara, where he came across College Works during his junior year. Doug admits he felt unprepared...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Sean talks with Orlando Ordonez, a project engineer at Sundt Construction. Orlando grew up in Honduras, where soccer was a big part of his life. His love for soccer opened many doors for him, including scholarships to college. Despite having to work to support his family from the tender age of 12, Orlando persevered and eventually earned a degree in engineering. He shares his experiences immigrating to the U.S. and taking odd jobs, emphasizing the...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Athena Merage, Director of Development at Merage Investment Group. When her family fell apart, Athena had to learn to fend for herself at a young age. While attending school and working nights, she had to find her escapism, and art was her safe place. Also, since her father worked in construction, she spent a lot of time on building sites, which nurtured her creative side. Each of these experiences prepared her for a career in...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Phong Vo, CEO of Phong Vo Media and host of The Phong Vo Show podcast. During the episode, Phong reveals how he transitioned from his job to a full-time entrepreneur. You'll learn why you should look for internships. He'll talk about finding his personal tribe through College Works and highlight the benefits that came with that. After graduating, Phong had to make a difficult decision between a six-figure corporate job and working...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, our guest us Nick Niehaus, co-founder, and head trainer of the Business Video School. Nick is passionate about helping professionals learn how to use video in their businesses.  The show opens with Nick explaining his definition of excellence. He also talks about who he was before he came to College  Works and how that experience helped him overcome his social anxiety. College Works was pivotal for Nick because he comes from an engineering...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Jason Bay, founder and CEO of Outbound Squad, a sales coach and trainer for B2B reps and sales teams. Jason had an extremely structured childhood, thanks to his father being a former Marine and his mother, an immigrant from Hong Kong. This contributed to his early success as valedictorian at his high school, as well as his later work with world-class sales teams at companies like Gong, Medallia, Zoom, CBRE, Monday.com, GoGuardian,...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Johnny Rhee, founder and chief strategist of Next Door Home Upgrades. Johnny Rhee has over a decade of progressive business experience, including buying a struggling company in his early twenties and growing it into a top-performing business, as well as mentoring numerous executives and entrepreneurs. He believes in aligned values, teamwork and a culture of performance and accountability. In today's show, Johnny breaks down his...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt chats with Shawn Baldwin, President of Baldwin & Sons, who has an extensive background in residential real estate development and has held various positions of increasing responsibility with the Baldwin Companies. He is a graduate of the College of Southern California. Baldwin & Sons has been in business since 1956. Shawn will talk about his definition of excellence and the importance of leaving a legacy for future generations. He...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Lulu Lantzy, Chief Activation Officer at Auraria Higher Education Center and board member of the Asian Chamber of Commerce Colorado Board of Directors. Lulu, named one of the 40 Under 40 by the Denver Business Journal and one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Business by the Women's Chamber, has dedicated her career to mentoring and supporting students. Immigrating to America at the age of nine sparked her interest in...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Greg Genske, CEO of VaynerBaseball. Greg oversees all of VaynerSports' baseball player representation activities. Before his current role, he was Executive Director and President of Baseball at The Legacy Agency. Since 2015, Greg Genske has also served as a law professor at the University of California-Berkeley, his alma mater, lecturing on sports law, representation of professional athletes and negotiations. In 2009, Genske was...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Spencer Pepe, co-CEO at College Works Painting. Spencer graduated with a business degree from the University of California. With more than 30 years of experience in entrepreneurship, Spencer talks about his career path, specifically his college experience and why he focused more on friendships and networking. His father's bankruptcy was a defining moment in his life. You'll learn how he refocused his life and how College Works proved...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Gabe Cooley, President of Rayco Exteriors. Gabe has established multi-million dollar construction companies over the past 14 years and will continue to do so in the future. He is dedicated to changing the way consumers view the service industry by providing exceptional customer service, quality products and ingenuity. Gabe will kick off with his high school experience, including why switching schools was a defining moment for him....

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks to Leah Engstrom, Senior District Manager at College Works Painting, where she has managed hundreds of thousands in revenue.  Leah is an undergraduate business student at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. She will talk about her previous jobs before joining College Works, including all the valuable lessons she learned while working at Old Navy. Along the way, she figured out she was not cut out for working behind a desk and will...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Joe John Duran, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, Head of Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management, and best-selling author. From CNBC to CNN, Joe regularly provides financial commentary at TV. He has been profiled in numerous publications, including the New York Times and SmartMoney. Joe is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and holds MBA degrees from Columbia University and UC Berkeley. He will share his great American...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt talks with Andrew Reid, Global Head of Partnership Products at Vonage. Andrew is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from UC Santa Barbara. Andrew has spent more than 20 years in the tech industry working for several startups, including Google, AOL, Symantec, and AVG Technologies. He will talk about who he was before joining College Works, as well as his experiences there and the lifelong...

On today's episode of The Edge of Excellence, Matt chats with Michael Profant, President and Chief Executive Officer at Empire Works. Mike graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and quickly set out to start a business without any funding. Today, he oversees the development and operation of one of the largest architectural coatings and building restoration companies in the western United States. He will talk about his journey as CEO of a $100 million company. He will share...