Nearly a year and a half after our conversation first aired in 2024, Lost & Found in Cleveland is ready to make its way to theaters nationwide on November 7, 2025.
When I first sat down with Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman, the creative forces behind the film, we explored the decade-long journey that brought this story to life—from writing and directing this cinematic love letter to Cleveland, to raising capital, recruiting a star-studded cast featuring Martin Sheen, Dennis Haysbert, June Squibb, Stacy Keach, and many others, and filming across Cleveland’s iconic landscapes.
With the film’s theatrical debut now just around the corner, this feels like the perfect moment to revisit their remarkable story.
So, with that exciting update, please enjoy this encore conversation from the Lay of The Land archives with Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman, the filmmakers behind Lost & Found in Cleveland, airing in theaters across Cleveland starting November 7, 2025.
Tickets are now on sale at https://tickets.lostandfoundincleveland.com/! More theaters are being added daily.
00:00:00 - The American Dream in Cleveland
00:05:56 - The Journey of Filmmaking
00:19:10 - Character Development and Storytelling
00:32:39 - Challenges and Triumphs in Production
00:42:44 - The Journey of Filmmaking: Vision and Execution
00:44:44 - Challenges of Fundraising in Cleveland
00:46:31 - The Economic Impact of Local Filmmaking
00:49:15 - Building a Sustainable Film Industry in Cleveland
00:51:33 - Changing the Narrative: Cleveland's Film Identity
00:54:53 - Casting Challenges and Triumphs
01:01:38 - Overcoming On-Set Challenges
01:09:21 - The Message of Hope in Film
-----
LINKS:
Lost & Found in Cleveland IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4601732/
Connect with Keith Gerchak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithgerchak/
Connect with Marisa Guterman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisa-guterman-187677a9/
Double G Films: https://www.doublegfilms.com/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Nearly a year and a half after our conversation first aired, Aaron Slodov and Atomic Industries have reached an important milestone worth celebrating. Atomic recently announced the close of its $25 million Series A, led by MaC Venture Capital and DTX Ventures, with participation from Narya and others, to accelerate the rollout of its AI-driven manufacturing platform.
With this funding, Atomic is expanding its software-defined factory footprint and advancing the AI systems at the heart of its vision—one that has already moved from pilot to production, shipping parts to some of the world’s most demanding OEMs. At its core, Atomic is working to strengthen America’s industrial base by making the manufacturing of physical goods more localized, resilient, and technology-enabled.
This felt like the perfect moment to revisit my conversation with Aaron, where we unpack his techno-industrialist philosophy, the deep history of Ohio manufacturing, and why the future of physical production matters so much for our country.
So, with that timely update, please enjoy this timeless conversation from the Lay of The Land archives with Aaron Slodov, CEO of Atomic Industries.
00:00:00 – The Rise of Techno-Industrialism
00:05:56 – The Journey from Bits to Atoms
00:10:41 – The Challenges of Manufacturing
00:15:47 – Reindustrialization and the Post-Industrial Myth
00:20:48 – Atomic Industries: Innovating Manufacturing
00:25:42 – Exascaling the Industrial Base
00:30:49 – The Future of Manufacturing Talent
00:40:46 – The Shift in Manufacturing Careers
00:42:50 – Incentivizing the Return to Manufacturing
00:44:58 – Cultural Integration of Tech and Manufacturing
00:50:38 – Defining Success in Modern Manufacturing
00:52:03 – The Importance of a Techno-Industrial Framework
00:56:12 – Policy and the Future of Manufacturing
01:02:33 – The Potential of Reindustrialization
01:05:57 – Storytelling as a Tool for Founders
-----
LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abslodov/
https://twitter.com/aphysicist
https://www.atomic.industries/
https://www.piratewires.com/p/techno-industrialist-manifesto
https://twitter.com/newindustrials
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Ralph Lazaro, Co-founder & CEO of INaudio, has spent more than two decades leading high-performing teams and driving innovation. His career began in Fortune 500 companies before he joined Findaway in 2012, where he helped transform the business from a physical device company into a $100M+ digital audiobook powerhouse — a journey that ultimately led to Spotify’s acquisition of Findaway.
Now, alongside Blake Squires (who shared his own remarkable entrepreneurial story on episode 206 of Lay of the Land), Ralph is carrying that story forward with INaudio, a spinout from Spotify dedicated to powering the global audiobook ecosystem as an independent company.
In our conversation, Ralph shares his decision to leave Charlotte, North Carolina, and move to Cleveland to join Findaway — and the culture that convinced him it was the right leap. He reflects on Findaway’s transformation and the lessons learned from co-founder and CEO Mitch Kroll, who shared his story on episode 128. We also discuss Spotify’s acquisition, what it was like integrating into big tech, and the launch of audiobooks to hundreds of millions of listeners. Ralph walks us through the INaudio spinout process — buying back the very business he helped grow inside Spotify — and what it’s been like stepping back into the founder’s seat.
From building a new team and intentionally shaping its culture around past lessons and personal philosophies, to navigating the evolving audiobook industry with new competitors and technologies, Ralph offers thoughtful insights into INaudio’s mission as “the world’s audiobook partner.” He also reflects on entrepreneurship, Cleveland as a place to build, and how his definition of success has evolved.
Ralph brings incredible energy, humility, and earned wisdom to this conversation, and I’m grateful to share it with you.
00:00:00 - The Findaway Journey Begins
00:08:42 - Transitioning from Spotify to Findaway 2.0
00:16:53 - Exploring Opportunities in Audio
00:24:31 - The Evolving Audiobook Landscape
00:35:55 - Navigating Leadership Transitions
00:41:47 - Lessons from Spotify
00:46:56 - Optimizing for Growth
00:54:25 - The Future of Audiobooks
01:03:14 - The Importance of Leadership in Career Growth
01:04:40 - Hidden Gem
-----
LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-lazaro/
https://www.inaudio.com/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Terry Coyne is an Executive Vice Chairman of Newmark and Principal of Terry Coyne Properties. Over his 25-plus-year career, Terry has become one of Ohio’s most accomplished commercial real estate leaders, negotiating more than 2,000 transactions totaling over $5 billion in value. In Cleveland alone, over the past five years, he and his team have brokered 250 transactions worth more than $1.2 billion.
In our conversation, we cover Terry’s unique philosophy and strategy on real estate, risk, and patience — which have led him to a diverse range of opportunities, from representing companies like GOJO and L’Oréal, to redeveloping the old Chrysler Plant, building the MidTown Tech Park in Cleveland, and now leading the 670+ acre site at Rickenbacker adjacent to Anduril’s new Arsenal 1 Hyperscale Manufacturing Facility.
We also break down Terry’s views on Ohio’s regional markets, what he’s learned from his father, the intersection of real estate and entrepreneurship, and his perspective on the future of the state’s economy — from data centers and energy policy to the cultural ambition needed for Ohio to continue its rise.
00:00:00 - Introduction to Terry Coyne and His Career
00:25:48 - Exploring Ohio's Unique Markets
00:30:38 - Land vs. Real Estate: Understanding Value
00:37:16 - The Future of Work: Remote vs. In-Office
00:42:59 - Taxation and Its Impact on Real Estate
00:49:48 - Hidden Gem
-----
LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrycoyne/
https://terrycoyne.com/terry-coyne-properties/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Jeff Berlin is the Founder and President of Bridge Industries & Chairman and CEO of TransTech Energy. Jeff’s journey spans from his early days at Parker Hannifin to helping grow Hawk Corporation from a $20 million single-plant business into a $200 million global operation, and ultimately to founding his own company, Bridge — an industrial holding company anchored by TransTech — that has quietly scaled into a multi-hundred-million-dollar enterprise based in Chagrin Falls.
In our conversation, we cover Jeff’s conviction in the importance of American manufacturing and how it shaped his career-long commitment to building enduring businesses; the creation of Bridge Industries and his intentional choice of a permanent holding-company model over traditional private equity; the more than 25-fold scaling of TransTech into a diversified industrial platform with over 700 employees, up from just 35 a decade earlier; and the lessons learned along the way — the resilience and philosophy that guide him, how to weather downturns, usefulness as a true measure of value and success, culture across companies, and much more.
00:00:00 - The Roots of American Manufacturing Belief
00:07:35 - Formative Experiences in Leadership
00:09:00 - Transformational Growth at Hawk
00:11:55 - Resilience in Business
00:13:10 - The Birth of Bridge
00:14:14 - Understanding Industrial Holding Companies
00:16:25 - Differentiation from Traditional Private Equity
00:19:00 - The Journey of Bridge
00:20:47 - Strategic Growth and Acquisitions
00:27:31 - Managing Geographic Expansion
00:30:01 - Introducing TransTech
00:31:28 - Building Infrastructure for Energy Solutions
00:35:59 - Strategic Growth and Acquisition Insights
00:38:10 - The Importance of Vertical Integration
00:42:51 - Cultural Dynamics in Business Integration
00:43:43 - The State of American Manufacturing
00:46:30 - Defining Success and Value Creation
00:48:10 - Future Ambitions for Bridge and TransTech
00:49:40 - Mentorship and Leadership Evolution
00:51:22 - Understanding the Nature of Industrial Work
00:54:40 - The Role of Infrastructure in Daily Life
00:55:56 - Excitement for Future Challenges
00:58:07 - Investing in Financial and IT Infrastructure
00:59:52 - Automation and Its Implications
01:01:53 - Guiding Wisdom and Philosophy
01:02:51 - Renewable Natural Gas and Environmental Impact
01:05:51 - Hidden Gem
-----
LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-berlin-9b156a12/
https://bridgeind.com/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
On this special episode of Lay of the Land, I’m joined—for the first time—by the two co-founders of The O.H.I.O. Fund, Mark Kvamme and Ray Leach, as well as the fund’s two founding partners, Jill Meyer and Mike Venerable, to share the inside story of how a bold idea became reality.
We explore the inspiration and origins behind a first-of-its-kind strategy designed to generate returns while accelerating prosperity and shaping Ohio’s future. We discuss how, in our first year, we closed on over $230 million in capital from investors and deployed more than $130 million into 19 sector-diverse investments across Ohio’s economy. We also cover what it has taken to build momentum, forge the most powerful network of investors, founders, and operators across the state, and why Ohio’s moment is now—along with the urgency this opportunity demands.
———
For more on The O.H.I.O. Fund: check out www.theohiofund.com
———
00:00:00 - The Birth of the Ohio Fund
00:04:08 - Ohio's Economic Landscape and Historical Context
00:07:06 - The Vision Behind the Ohio Fund
00:09:59 - Building a Collaborative Network
00:13:11 - The Urgency of Now: Why Timing Matters
00:15:53 - Capitalizing on Opportunities in Ohio
00:19:17 - The Role of AI and Innovation
00:22:05 - Success Stories and Impact Investments
00:25:08 - Creating a Unified Ohio
00:27:50 - The Future of the Ohio Fund
00:30:55 - Personal Motivations and Collective Ambition
00:35:10 - Reflecting on Progress and Future Aspirations
00:40:16 - Surprises and Insights from the Ohio Fund's First Year
00:51:07 - Looking Ahead: Opportunities and Growth in Ohio
00:55:06 - Embracing Change and Building a New Future
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Jim McCarthy Jr. is a filmmaker and the director of the new documentary Mr. Football, and David Conwill is the Executive Vice Chairman and former CEO of Redwood Living as well as an executive producer of the film.
Dave’s career spans two decades of building Redwood Living into a national leader in single-story rental neighborhoods—scaling from a handful of units in Northeast Ohio to more than 20,000 homes and multi-billion dollars’ worth of developments across nearly a dozen states. Alongside his work in real estate, Dave has recently ventured into storytelling, teaming up with Jimmy to bring Mr. Football to life.
Jimmy’s journey is deeply personal. As a member of Benedictine High School’s 2004 state championship football team, he lived through the triumphs and tragedies that Mr. Football explores. The film captures the roller-coaster highs of playing in three consecutive championship games, the enduring spirit of the school, and the lows of Lorenzo Hunter’s murder and a tragic night that changed many lives. The title itself comes from the “Mr. Football” award, Ohio’s high school version of the Heisman Trophy.
Two decades later, Jimmy has turned that experience into a screenplay and ultimately into a powerful documentary, working alongside co-director Sean Rech, CEO of Cleveland’s Transition Studios, as well as Ryan Kelly, partner at Substance and a producer on Mr. Football—both of whom have also shared their stories on Lay of The Land (episodes 85 and 221, respectively).
In our conversation, we talk about Jimmy’s inspiration and the process of making Mr. Football a reality, including the cathartic experience of revisiting Benedictine’s championship run and its aftermath. We also explore Dave’s entrepreneurial journey building Redwood Living and the lessons learned from scaling it into billions of dollars’ worth of development. We discuss the creative process of bringing a film to life, the parallels between entrepreneurship and filmmaking, and what Jimmy and Dave each think about success, impact, and the future of Mr. Football.
Dave and Jimmy’s collaboration bridges business and powerful storytelling in a way that is uniquely Cleveland, and I’m grateful to share this conversation with you today.
00:00:00 - The Heart of Benedictine Football
00:09:35 - The Journey of Telling a Story
00:17:08 - From Real Estate to Film
00:17:59 - The Process of Creating a Film
00:22:15 - Healing Through Storytelling
00:26:36 - Messages and Takeaways from the Film
00:29:54 - Challenges in Documentary Filmmaking
00:33:40 - Building from Scratch: The Documentary Process
00:35:02 - Pivots and Perspectives: The Evolution of the Script
00:39:50 - A Cleveland Story: Local Roots and Universal Themes
00:42:06 - The Release Journey: Reactions and Reflections
00:44:40 - Looking Ahead: Future Projects and Aspirations
00:50:46 - Lessons Learned: Overcoming Doubts and Challenges
00:52:44 - Honoring Legacy: Memorials and Scholarships
00:55:56 - Hidden Gem
-----
LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-conwill-b099434/
https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/mr-football/umc.cmc.4bj5i7tx1hef4shqkmk16asw0
https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Mr-Football/0U57SLRHOHWDVTTCP6XMQ56SRZ
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Ivy Zelman is one of the most respected voices in American housing, co-founder of Zelman & Associates, and now Executive Vice President at Walker & Dunlop, which acquired her firm in 2021 as the leading institutional research, advisory, and investment banking firm dedicated exclusively to the U.S. housing industry.
Over the last three decades, Ivy has built a reputation for bold, contrarian analysis—famously calling the top of the housing market in 2005 and the bottom in 2012—moments that cemented her as a rare analyst unafraid to speak truth to consensus. That conviction has earned her numerous accolades, including recognition in Barron’s 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance for four consecutive years and induction into the California Homebuilding Foundation’s Hall of Fame.
In our conversation, we trace Ivy’s journey from falling into equity research to taking the entrepreneurial leap in 2007, founding Zelman & Associates amid the looming financial crisis. We explore her approach to research and analysis—blending proprietary surveys with a nationwide network of builders, brokers, and lenders—to consistently separate signal from noise.
We reflect on her evolution as a leader and entrepreneur, the culture she has cultivated with a team that has stayed by her side for decades, her love of Cleveland, and what it means to pay it forward today through teaching and mentorship as an Adjunct Professor of Finance at Case Western Reserve University, her memoir Gimme Shelter, and much more.
00:00:00 - Catalytic Moments in Finance
00:08:25 - Recognizing Blind Spots in Research
00:11:27 - The Entrepreneurial Inclination
00:11:55 - Building Conviction and Confidence
00:15:54 - Vision for Success
00:17:21 - Detective Work in Research
00:18:45 - Cultivating a Strong Network
00:22:20 - The Importance of Asking the Right Questions
00:25:13 - Reconciliation with Reality
00:26:35 - Navigating Market Sentiment
00:28:13 - The Evolution of Zellman Associates
00:30:38 - Personal Growth as an Entrepreneur
00:34:06 - Leadership and Team Development
00:36:01 - Maintaining Intellectual Honesty Post-Acquisition
00:37:39 - Understanding the Value of Research
00:39:15 - Cleveland's Unique Perspective
00:42:10 - Paying It Forward and Mentorship
00:45:38 - Lessons for the Next Generation
00:47:23 - Contrarian Views on Market Trends
00:49:17 - Balancing Work and Family Life
00:51:20 - Hidden Gem
-----
LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivy-zelman-64304616b/
https://www.zelmanassociates.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Gimme-Shelter-Skills-Street-Trailblazer/dp/1737709929
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Ryan Kelly is a filmmaker, entrepreneur, and partner of Substance, a film and television production company based in Cleveland.
What if Northeast Ohio had the infrastructure to support large-scale film productions? That question first took root when Ryan found himself on the set of Cherry—a feature film shot in Cleveland by the Russo Brothers, the acclaimed Cleveland-born directors behind Avengers and Captain America—soaking in the experience of working alongside Hollywood heavyweights in his hometown.
What followed was Ryan’s relentless pursuit of that vision and his work to build up Northeast Ohio’s film industry.
Before founding Substance, Ryan co-founded TRG Sound & Vision alongside industry veterans Adam Wilde and Geoff Yaw. TRG boasts one of the largest sound stages in the Midwest: 160,000 square feet of studio space, a Virtual Production Wall, a 40' by 60' cyclorama wall, and 40 semi-permanent sets staffed by skilled industry professionals to meet the demands of large productions.
As a filmmaker, Ryan is the director and producer of the docuseries WrestleHer, which tells the story behind sanctioning high school girls’ wrestling in Ohio and the generation of athletes growing the sport.
Ryan’s journey is a powerful blend of artistic conviction and entrepreneurial grit. In our conversation, we explore how he carved a path into the film industry from scratch as a touring musician and drummer, what he learned from working alongside others in the industry—like Transition Studios, whose story was shared by Shawn Rech in Episode 85 of Lay of The Land—and how he approaches creative risk, storytelling, and making Cleveland a true contender on the national production map.
00:00:00 - From Punk Rock to Filmmaking: A Journey of Artistry
00:08:08 - Navigating the Filmmaking Landscape: Players and Perspectives
00:13:16 - The Evolution of TRG: A Hub for Creative Production
00:21:11 - The Artist-Entrepreneur Duality: Balancing Creativity and Business
00:28:19 - Cleveland's Potential: A Production Hub in the Making
00:33:35 - The Birth of Substance: A New Identity
00:40:51 - The Multifaceted Role of a Filmmaker
00:47:36 - Inspiring Projects and Personal Connections
00:55:00 - Hidden Gem
-----
LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjk216/
https://www.thisissubstance.com/
https://trgmultimedia.com/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Andrew Hurst is the founder and CEO of Delivered, a fast-scaling logistics platform revolutionizing parcel shipping with faster, more reliable deliveries at lower costs.
He also serves as CEO of Ark Transportation, where he led a fivefold revenue increase in just five years, and is the founder of Veroot, a compliance platform now trusted by thousands of logistics teams nationwide.
Under his leadership, and across all three companies, Andrew is bringing an entrepreneurial lens to the freight industry he grew up in—challenging the status quo, disrupting legacy giants, and redefining how parcel shippers move goods across the country.
This was a ton of fun. First off, we set up shop right on the warehouse floor where Andrew has built all three of these companies. The industrial-scale freight equipment and thousands of parcels and packages provided an incredible backdrop for the conversation—one that reflects Andrew’s life’s work, calling, and ambition to transform an entire industry. For those who’d prefer to see it, I encourage you to watch our conversation on YouTube.
We talk about the advantages and pride of building in Cleveland, how he’s raising a family of 11 children while scaling all three companies, what it’s like competing against Goliaths like FedEx and UPS, and what he believes the future of logistics will look like. Andrew’s clarity of thought, humility, and commitment to creating enduring impact are inspiring—it’s not surprising he’s been recognized with the Vistage Excellence in Leadership Award and named a Smart Business Dealmaker of the Year in 2023.
-----
LINKS:
https://shipdelivered.com/en/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hurstandrew/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Dale Wollschleger is the Founder and former CEO of Cleveland-based ExactCare Pharmacy and the developer of the ExactPack™—a patient-specific medication packaging system designed to simplify complex medication regimens.
This conversation with Dale dives into the unlikely journey of a pharmacist-turned-entrepreneur who started in the back of a small Cleveland pharmacy and built a billion-dollar organization serving patients across the country.
ExactCare’s meteoric growth—from inception to a multi-hundred-million-dollar (revenue) business in under a decade—has earned it repeated recognition as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company; Dale himself was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Ultimately, Dale’s remarkable journey stems from an observation he made as a pharmacist: that pharmacists have the opportunity to play a more integral role in clinical care—and that their responsibility doesn’t end when the patient leaves the store. Many patients could live healthier, more independent lives if only they took the right medications at the right times.
In our conversation, Dale shares how he navigated the many chapters of scaling a healthcare business: bringing in private equity and outside capital, evolving his leadership, and balancing high-growth expectations with a deep commitment to patient outcomes, company culture, family—and much more.
00:00 - The Journey of a Pharmacist Turned Entrepreneur
14:34 - Building ExactCare: Addressing Complex Patient Needs
24:18 - The Evolution and Vision of ExactCare
31:07 - Entrepreneurial Spirit in Pharmacy
38:59 - Understanding the Pharmacy Industry
43:24 - Pride in Building in Cleveland
-----
For more on The O.H.I.O. Fund: check out & subscribe to future content @ www.theohiofund.com
-----
LINKS:
https://www.exactcarepharmacy.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-wollschleger/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Sanjay Singh is a thoughtful strategist, seasoned executive, and business philosopher whose journey to leading the iconic Cleveland brand Mace Security—and his reflections on it—are remarkable.
Sanjay’s story weaves together a deep appreciation for manufacturing and a career shaped by curiosity, resilience, and a knack for doing hard things—ultimately culminating in a personal philosophy grounded in introspection and presence.
From navigating activist shareholders during a turnaround at Mace to developing frameworks around fear, ego, inquiry, and deep intuition, Sanjay offers a unique lens into what it means to lead with vulnerability and intention.
This conversation leans more philosophical than most Lay of The Land episodes—a reflection of Sanjay’s clarity of thought, deep presence, and his insights into consciousness and awareness. His perspective on leadership elevates the discussion far beyond the business realm, offering thoughtful takeaways for both work and life.
Sanjay also serves on the boards of MAGNET—whose story was shared by Ethan Karp in Episode 139—and The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. He’s married to Erin Singh, CEO of Options Naturopathic, who joined us on Episode 147 to share her own journey.
Sanjay is a true student of the world, of people, and of business. It was a real joy for me to try to distill the many conversations we’ve had about his perspective into this one here today.
00:00:00 - Sanjay's Unlikely Journey
00:11:40 - Frameworks for Success
00:19:18 - The Story of Mace
00:32:58 - Vulnerability as an Equalizer
00:39:10 - Turning Companies Around: Key Ingredients
00:47:16 - Balancing Intuition and Intellect
00:54:50 - Defining Success and Impact
01:01:30 - Hidden Gem
-----
LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjaysinghdrivingexcellence/
https://www.mace.com/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Kelcey Lehrich is the Co-Founder and CEO of 365 Holdings, based in Akron, Ohio. 365 Holdings acquires and operates consumer products companies, with a focus on eCommerce and a goal of long-term ownership.
In our conversation, Kelcey shares his path to entrepreneurship and his evolution from making his first acquisition to becoming a seasoned operator. He weaves in lessons from challenging ventures, unconventional acquisitions, and the earned wisdom of building durable businesses in the competitive world of e-commerce.
We unpack how Kelcey thinks about demand creation versus demand capture, what it takes to build a resilient holding company, the tradeoffs between a centralized shared-services model and a decentralized structure, and how to create the best long-term home for brands. He also shares wisdom on what makes a company worth buying in the first place, lessons learned from organizing the HoldCo Conference — the un-conference of Micro Private Equity — here in Cleveland, and much more.
Kelcey offers valuable insight for anyone exploring entrepreneurship through acquisition — or simply curious about how to thoughtfully scale something of quality over time. Please enjoy!
00:00:00 - The Entrepreneurial Spirit Unlocked
00:05:32 - Navigating Early Entrepreneurial Ventures
00:08:28 - The Birth of 365 Holdings
00:11:18 - E-Commerce Evolution and Insights
00:14:36 - Acquisition Strategies and Lessons Learned
00:17:37 - Understanding Distressed M&A
00:20:13 - The Rise of Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
00:35:33 - Evolving Business Strategies
00:38:30 - Defining Success in Business
00:39:46 - Core Values and Company Culture
00:40:58 - Raising the Quality Bar
00:42:59 - The HoldCo Conference
00:45:20 - The Mindset of a HoldCo Entrepreneur
00:47:01 - Incentives and Profit Sharing
00:49:30 - Inspirations and Aspirations
00:50:16 - The Future of E-Commerce
00:52:12 - Opportunistic Acquisitions
00:53:19 - Building in Northeast Ohio
00:55:00 - Hidden Gem
-----
LINKS:
https://365-holdings.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelceylehrich/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
TJ Dembinski is the co-founder and CEO of Eagle Electronics, dedicated to on-shoring America’s critical technology supply chain, starting with the IoT and automotive-grade cellular modules!
This journey traces a fascinating arc — one that begins with the macro and geopolitical forces shaping global commerce and lands in a Northeast Ohio advanced micro-electronic manufacturing floor where Eagle Electronics is domestically building one of the most critical pieces of our digital infrastructure: the cellular module.
TJ's story, and the founding of Eagle, is deeply embedded in these broader structural shifts — from the decoupling of U.S. global supply chains to the bipartisan momentum around domestic manufacturing and deindustrialization, to the evolving national security concerns that now govern the production of connected technologies.
We also talk about the nuances of reshoring, what onshoring looks like in practice, what cellular modules are, and why Ohio — of all places — is emerging as the epicenter of America’s next industrial chapter. From partnerships to cutting-edge automation, from regulatory and security considerations to hard-earned insights about what it actually takes to build something physical at scale — TJ brings an insightful clarity to one of the most exciting, complex, and important entrepreneurial movements underway today and how Eagle Electronics is positioned to lead within it.
00:00:00 - Reviving Domestic Manufacturing
00:05:09 - The Evolution of Eagle Electronics
00:08:11 - Understanding Cellular Modules and Their Importance
00:10:56 - Navigating Regulatory Challenges
00:14:02 - The Role of Trust and Security in Technology
00:16:53 - Building a Skilled Workforce in Ohio
00:20:00 - Funding and Capital Landscape in Ohio
00:23:04 - The Future of Onshoring and Manufacturing
00:26:02 - Lessons Learned as a Founder
00:29:04 - The Importance of Nuance in Global Supply Chains
00:37:00 - Requirements for Success
00:46:50 - Hidden Gem
-----
LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tj-dembinski/
https://www.eagleelectronics.com/
https://theohiofund.com/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Ibrahim Mohmed is the founder of CourtSide Media Group and the co-founder & CEO of Taja AI. His entrepreneurial journey began right here in Ohio, where he launched CourtSide Media, a digital media agency that serves influencers with audiences ranging from 1 million to 75 million followers across various social platforms. Through CourtSide Media, Ibrahim has collaborated with high-profile clients including NBA legend Kevin Garnett, Cleveland’s FutureLAND annual conference, and prominent influencer Lauren Fitzmaurice—effectively amplifying their reach and impact through strategic, organic growth.
Building on his success with CourtSide, Ibrahim co-founded Taja AI—a platform designed specifically to empower small businesses and content creators. TAJA AI automates content workflows by optimizing, repurposing, and scheduling content, significantly saving time for thousands of creators while maximizing their audience engagement and discoverability.
Beyond his entrepreneurial ventures, Ibrahim is deeply committed to social impact through his organization, Nile Nights, which curates events to raise awareness and funds for individuals and communities affected by the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
As a founder at the forefront of media and AI, Ibrahim offers powerful insight into where the space is headed and what it takes to succeed within it—please enjoy this fascinating conversation with Ibrahim Mohmed.
00:00:00 - The Shift to Video Podcasting
00:04:06 - Understanding Taja AI
00:06:03 - The Entrepreneurial Journey Begins
00:08:14 - The Drive for Storytelling in Media
00:11:47 - The Power of Technological Leverage
00:13:22 - The Vision and Evolution of Taja AI
00:15:31 - User Experience and Product Functionality
00:17:36 - Building a Scalable Company with AI
00:20:35 - The Changing Landscape of Venture Capital
00:22:10 - Navigating Model Providers in AI
00:23:30 - Navigating Competition in the AI Landscape
00:26:26 - Understanding Vibe Coding and Its Impact
00:27:52 - Product Philosophy and Customer Engagement
00:29:41 - Common Mistakes Creators Make
00:32:34 - The Intersection of AI and Human Creativity
00:35:01 - Sustainable Business Models in Content Creation
00:36:42 - Personal Impact and Future Aspirations
00:37:48 - Embracing Adversity in Entrepreneurship
00:40:28 - Looking Ahead: Growth and Innovation
00:47:00 - Final Thoughts and Hidden Gems in Cleveland
-----
LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibrahim-mohmed-982076110/
https://www.courtsidegroup.com/
https://www.taja.ai/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Carey Jaros joined GOJO in 2014 as a board member, later taking on executive roles as Chief Strategy Officer—where she oversaw Marketing, Product Management, and Innovation—and as Chief Operating Officer, before becoming President and CEO in January 2020.
Our conversation today covers Carey’s call to lead—shaped by a lifelong passion for solving problems and telling stories—her reflections on leadership and decision-making, GOJO’s extraordinary legacy, and its ongoing commitment to innovation. We discuss GOJO's origins, founded by Goldie and Jerry Lippman in 1946 to address the real human problem of safely cleaning workers' hands in Akron’s rubber factories. Carey shares how GOJO has evolved from those roots into a global leader in hygiene, skincare, and well-being, driven by an unwavering commitment to safety, efficacy, and sustainability.
We also delve into the critical moments Carey faced stepping into her role at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the bold strategic investments GOJO made during this unprecedented time, and how the company balances legacy with innovation. Carey offers insights into the importance of culture, rigorous debate, and continuous learning as cornerstones of her leadership approach.
As an operator, investor, and board member, Carey has worked with more than 50 organizations throughout her career. Prior to GOJO, she was President of Walnut Ridge Strategic Management Company and served as a Vice President at Dealer Tire, a large privately held tire distributor based in Cleveland. She spent the first 12 years of her career as a management consultant at Bain & Company.
Today, Carey is a Board Director of Grocery Outlet, a publicly traded NASDAQ corporation, and an Advisory Board Member of Aunt Flow, a venture-backed menstrual products startup. She also serves on the Boards of The Cleveland Foundation, University Hospitals, and Laurel School.
Carey is a fantastic storyteller, and this conversation is filled with insightful anecdotes and practical wisdom on business and entrepreneurship—so please enjoy!
00:00:00 - Reflecting on Career Paths
00:06:51 - Journey to GOJO Industries
00:11:27 - Transitioning to Leadership
00:16:36 - Understanding GOJO's Origins
00:24:48 - Balancing Legacy and Innovation
00:28:27 - Leading Through the Pandemic
00:30:32 - Navigating Unprecedented Challenges
00:32:49 - Strategic Leadership in Crisis
00:35:27 - Investing for the Future
00:37:49 - The Power of Brand Promise
00:40:01 - Defining Success Through Purpose
00:42:55 - Personal Reflections on Success
00:45:15 - The Importance of Health and Wellbeing
00:47:11 - Common Sense in Hygiene Practices
00:49:05 - Legacy and Impact of GOJO
00:51:45 - Community and Identity in Northeast Ohio
00:55:22 - Fostering Productive Debate
00:58:50 - Hidden Gem
-----
LINKS:
https://www.gojo.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/careyjaros/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Today, we’re picking up with the second part of my conversation with Jodi Berg, the former President & CEO of Vitamix.
In Part 1, we explored Jodi’s career, the history, evolution, and family legacy of Vitamix, and her leadership journey in growing the company into the global brand it is today.
In Part 2, we continue with her reflections on stepping away from the business—and dive deeper into her philosophy of purpose, the DANCE framework she’s developing to help others lead more intentional lives, and the wisdom she’s distilled from decades of research, teaching, and hands-on leadership and entrepreneurial experience.
It’s a wide-ranging, deeply thoughtful conversation about what it means to live and lead with purpose—not to mention, a lot of fun. I’m so excited to share it with you.
00:00:00 - Reflecting on Leadership and Culture
00:04:25 - Succession Planning in Family Businesses
00:06:56 - Navigating Leadership Transitions
00:13:44 - The Importance of Purpose
00:15:18 - Personal Experiences Shaping Purpose
00:19:34 - Helping Others Find Their Wings
00:26:33 - The Dual Nature of Purpose
00:35:23 - Impact of Personal Purpose on Company Culture
00:41:26 - The Impact of Personal Purpose
00:46:51 - Understanding and Helping Others
00:47:27 - Writing a Purpose-Driven Book
00:48:39 - The DANCE Framework for Decision-Making
00:56:20 - The Importance of Purpose in Decision-Making
01:02:42 - Discovering Superpowers and Purpose
01:03:26 - Innovating the Blender: A New Approach
01:10:05 - Technology and Purpose in Business
01:14:53 - Hidden Gem
-----
LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodilberg/
https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/
Original Vitamix Infomercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5IzzGPzQA
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Jodi Berg, PhD recently retired as the fourth-generation President and CEO of Vitamix, having joined the family business in 1997 with the directive to lead the company’s overseas expansion, later serving as director of international, household and commercial divisions, and then ultimately as Executive Vice President in 2007, President in 2009, and CEO in 2011.
Under her leadership, Jodi built on the 100+ year history and legacy of her family’s business, — founded in 1921 and headquartered in Olmsted Township in the greater Cleveland area — to grow the iconic and beloved brand to what it is today, with expanded distribution to over 130 countries and over 400% organic growth during her tenure.
As many are familiar with — Vitamix manufactures high-performance blending equipment for home and commercial use, with millions of consumers around the world who use Vitamix products to help achieve their personal health and culinary goals. The company’s commercial customer list reads like a “Who’s Who” of major restaurant chains, and gourmet chefs regard their Vitamix machines in the same light and improtance as they regards their knives.
The company has an incredible history of innovation and invention and developed the first true commercial blender in the early 1990s, which ignited the smoothie movement, and has been named the Best-in-Class Overall beverage blender for decades by readers of Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazine.
As you’ll hear in our conversation, Jodi developed a highly intentional approach to leadership — centered on purpose and employee engagement — which she formalized, researched and earned a PhD in management from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management and ultimatley leveraged to transform the organizational structure of Vitamix and its corporate vision, mission and culture.
This was such a fun and unforgettable conversation — we actually got into such depth and breadth here that I’m breaking the episode into two parts that will cover Vitamix and Leadership across growing up in the family business and the familial lessons passed on, the evolution of Vitamix over the generations and the corresponding ingredients required order to thrive for over a century, balancing family legacy with innovation, lessons learned in hospitality and working at The Ritz Carlton, many personal stories and historical anecdotes about Vitamix that shaped her understanding of purpose and how it drives engagement and fulfillment in both personal and professional contexts, synthesizing her earned leadership wisdom into her upcoming book, why Vitamix is headquartered in Cleveland, helping people find their superpowers and a whole lot more… Jodi is an incredibly thoughtful teacher and operator and this really felt like a master class in all things business, leadership, and purpose.
00:00:00 - Introduction and Background
00:04:56 - Journey to Vitamix: A Family Legacy
00:19:23 - The Ritz-Carlton Experience and Lessons Learned
00:24:57 - Returning to Vitamix: Merging Passions and Purpose
00:25:27 - Family Legacy and Personal Growth
00:30:05 - The Evolution of Vitamix
00:36:43 - Balancing Legacy with Strategic Growth
00:42:53 - Changing Perspectives on Food and Health
00:51:00 - Creating a Community Around Food
00:58:02 - The Impact of Authentic Marketing
-----
LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodilberg/
https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/
Original Vitamix Infomercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5IzzGPzQA
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
Max Pennington is the Co-Founder & CEO of CLEANR, an innovative company that uses filters to prevent microplastics from entering water streams.
Max graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, where he co-developed CLEANR’s innovative VORTX filtration technologyb. Inspired by nature, VORTX biomimcry is capable of removing over 90% of microplastics from washing machine wastewater. Microplastics pollution is a severe and growing environmental crisis, with trillions of tiny plastic particles contaminating ecosystems worldwide, affecting marine life, human health, and the overall environmental balance. Under Max's leadership, CLEANR has garnered significant recognition, including the American Filtration and Separation Society’s New Product of the Year Award for 2024, and has raised approximately $7 million in funding, positioning it at the forefront of the fight against microplastics pollution
With washing machines identified as the #1 source of microplastic pollution, CLEANR’s biomimicry filtration solutions are not only essential but increasingly requisite. The company is actively partnering with major universities and sustainability organizations, implementing their retrofit filters at campuses nationwide and is collaborating closely with leading global washing machine manufacturers to integrate VORTX directly into new appliances, aiming to make sustainability an effortless choice for consumers.
I came away from this conversation inspired as Max exudes passion for solving this problem and has been incredibly impressive organize to that end. Please enjoy this awesome conversation with Max Pennington
00:00:00 - The Invisible Crisis of Microplastics
00:08:51 - The ThinkBox: A Hub for Innovation
00:15:14 - Engineering Solutions: The Vortex Filter
00:22:52 - Cleaner: A Filtration Technology Company
00:29:43 - Navigating Market Strategies and Regulations
00:36:16 - Understanding the Challenge of Selling Solutions
00:38:55 - Fundraising and Vision for Cleaner
00:42:17 - Iterative Design and Prototyping Process
00:45:55 - Differentiation and Competitive Strategy
00:48:20 - Excitement for Market Launch and Consumer Impact
00:51:28 - Leadership Lessons from the Entrepreneurial Journey
00:54:45 - Overcoming Challenges in Product Development
00:58:03 - Radical Ideas for Addressing Microplastic Pollution
01:02:25 - Cleveland's Role in the Fight Against Microplastics
01:03:55 - Hidden Gem
-----
LINKS:
https://www.cleanr.life/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-t-pennington/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland
I’m very excited to welcome Umberto Fedeli back for his third conversation. In our first two conversations — episode 135 and episode 171 — we explored Umberto’s remarkable life journey, deep-rooted wisdom, and how he's mastered the craft of building authentic relationships and connecting people across business, politics, and philanthropy. Those episodes are timeless and packed with valuable insights — I highly recommend listening to them to set the stage for today’s discussion.
In this episode, we delve deeper into these foundational ideas, unpacking the origins of Umberto’s relentless commitment to relationships, mentorship, and personal growth. We explore how to navigate the delicate balance between patience and persistence, between progress and perfection, and ultimately, how to cultivate resilience and rationality during times of uncertainty. We also dive into Umberto's perspective on the current state of the world — from economics and politics to tariffs. We talk about volatility, the fundamental human need for love and connection, regrets, legacy, and much more.
Please enjoy this insightful, continued discussion with Umberto Fedeli.
On a technical note, due to unexpected issues with our recording equipment at the time of this session, portions of the episode were lost. These segments have been audibly enhanced using speech technology in an effort to restore clarity and continuity. We appreciate your understanding regarding any subtle auditory or phonetic inconsistencies.
-----
LINKS:
https://www.thefedeligroup.com/
-----
SPONSOR:
Roundstone Insurance is proud to sponsor Lay of The Land. Founder and CEO, Michael Schroeder, has committed full-year support for the podcast, recognizing its alignment with the company’s passion for entrepreneurship, innovation, and community leadership.
Headquartered in Rocky River, Ohio, Roundstone was founded in 2005 with a vision to deliver better healthcare outcomes at a more affordable cost. To bring that vision to life, the company pioneered the group medical captive model — a self-funded health insurance solution that provides small and mid-sized businesses with greater control and significant savings.
Over the past two decades, Roundstone has grown rapidly, creating nearly 200 jobs in Northeast Ohio. The company works closely with employers and benefits advisors to navigate the complexities of commercial health insurance and build custom plans that prioritize employee well-being over shareholder returns. By focusing on aligned incentives and better health outcomes, Roundstone is helping businesses save thousands in Per Employee Per Year healthcare costs.
Roundstone Insurance — Built for entrepreneurs. Backed by innovation. Committed to Cleveland.
-----
Stay up to date by signing up for Lay of The Land's weekly newsletter — sign up here.
Past guests include Justin Bibb (Mayor of Cleveland), Pat Conway (Great Lakes Brewing), Steve Potash (OverDrive), Umberto P. Fedeli (The Fedeli Group), Lila Mills (Signal Cleveland), Stewart Kohl (The Riverside Company), Mitch Kroll (Findaway — Acquired by Spotify), and over 200 other Cleveland Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Jeffrey Stern on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreypstern/
Follow Lay of The Land on X @podlayoftheland