The Currency: Recent Episodes
Mike Gastin
The Currency is a podcast about the ideas that drive society. Join Mike Gastin each week as he breaks down current events and how the ideas behind these events are shaping the world we live in.
Does the system of government matter, or even the variation, when it comes to the problems of our current age? Or, should we be trying to address something else?
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OpenAI just dropped Sora 2, its image and video creation engine and it’s clear: AI is playing for the big prize. Join me as I unpack what this new development means and point to where I think it’s all going.
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What are we to think about the murder of Charlie Kirk? And what does it have to do with us, especially when it comes to our work? Join me as I talk about Charlie, mimetic desire, and why we all have a vested interest in the health and strength of our society.
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
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Is being busy good? Is it necessarily bad? I’ve come to realize that in the game of entrepreneurship and business, being busy isn’t the same as being fruitful.
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
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I’ve been reading Plato; specifically his account of Socrates trial and death as told in “Apology”. And while reading I’ve been struck by the ideas of nostalgia, truth, and what it takes to be an exceptional person in any age.
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We’re building a nuclear reactor—on the moon! Join me (Mike Gastin) as I talk about the latest news in the space race that no one knew we were in the midst of.
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The massive decline in homeownership—and marriage, California’s failed fast-food wage experiment, and a sweet goodbye to Public Broadcasting.
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We’re building Skynet. What could go wrong? In this episode I talk about the effort to put AI server factories in space—which actually sounds like a good idea. And, I cover 13 tech trends McKinsey thinks we should care about—and the one thing that underlies them all.
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Is traditional marketing dead? Is digital media better by default? How did these entrepreneurs use trade shows—a supposedly passé tactic—to blow up their business?
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Looking for a job? Odds are sooner or later you’re going to encounter an AI interview. Employers are turning to AI bots to conduct interviews and it’s causing a stir.
Show notesLearn more about The New Privateer: https://www.mikegastin.com/thenewprivateer/.
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
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I’m honored to have my friend, and Charleston city councilman, Jim McBride as a guest. In this episode we talk about Jim’s role as a local politician, what motivated him to seek office, and what he’s found surprising since taking on his role in municipal politics.
Show notesLearn more about Jim McBride here, as well as sign up for his newsletter: https://votejimmcbride.com.
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In this episode I share a vision of work; my work. The goal is clear, but I am without clarity on the details.
Show notes* The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods by A.G. Sertillanges
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I’ve been alcohol free for well over a year and a half now. It’s not something I talk a lot about but I wanted to share the benefits I’ve been experiencing since making the decision in the hopes that it might help someone else considering making a similar choice.
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Information as power, supply and demand, arbitrage—there’s an opportunity for those in the know. And it transcends markets. In this episode of The Currency Mike Gastin unpacks a different way of looking at Truth and applies it to our current situation.
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
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I recently quit using (and paying for) Adobe’s Creative Suite; a big move as I’ve been an Adobe user for almost 40 years. I published a video about my reasons, and my frustration with Adobe, and was surprised to see that video take off (over 90K views as of this writing). But what was interesting was a common theme among my detractors in the comments—a criticism that says more about the state of society than I think it does about me. Join me as I unpack all of it in this episode.
Show notesWatch the vid on YouTube: Leaving Adobe (a long time coming).
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
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A discussion on the real purpose of business—and it’s not profits.
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Crashing container ships, chocolate and the global supply chain, Trump and the market, and Legoland follows Wendy’s in going in on surge pricing.
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
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The state of Texas just pulled $8.5 Billion from Blackrock in response to Blackrock’s hostility to hydrocarbon-related investments. In this episode we talk about this, plus the Biden Admin’s announcement today that they’re “forgiving” $6 Billion in student debt for public-service workers, and Reddit’s IPO.
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
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Wendy’s announced they’re rolling out surge pricing on this food—and then they changed their tune. We’re on it in this episode of The Currency.
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
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Myron Weber joins me for a discussion on virtue as it applies to business and to life. This conversation was also broadcast as a livestream on YouTube.
Check out my YouTube channel and subscribe to watch the next one:
https://www.youtube.com/@MikeGastin
Show notesLearn more about my guest, Myron Weber: https://www.northwoodadvisors.com
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
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We conclude our seven-part series on Eric Voegelin’s groundbreaking work, “The New Science of Politics”. In this episode we talk about the current state of Western societies, especially the efforts of the Gnostics to immanentize the Christian eschaton, as well as the two dangers of Gnosticism that will lead to it’s collapse.
Show notesHere’s a list of all the episodes in the series.
- Voegelin on Representation
- Voegelin on Cosmological Representation
- Voegelin on the Anthropological Principle, the Psyche & the Transcendent
- Voegelin on Soteriological Truth & Ancient Rome
- Voegelin on Re-Divination, Joachim of Flora & Gnosticism
- Voegelin on the Puritans
- Voegelin on Today
Get a copy of Voegelin’s work from Amazon: The New Science of Politics.
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
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Journalism, as well as a wider press, dramatically changed after 1947. And it was all because of a report published by an influential commission of that time. Listen in as Mike Gastin shares the details of the report, the commission that published it, and why it’s lead to a current-day media that few trust.
Show notes* The Commission on Freedom of the Press’ “A Free and Responsible Press” on Amazon. * Check out Jack Hart’s great book on writing: “A Writer’s Coach” (It seems to be out of print.) * And of course, here is William Zinsser’s must-have classic: “On Writing Well“ * Last, but not least, Stephen King’s, “On Writing“
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
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The Puritans of 17th Century England were Gnostic revolutionaries bent on overthrowing the crown and initiating a new dawn. At least, that’s Eric Voegelin’s argument. In this episode Mike Gastin talks about Voegelin’s use of the Puritans as Gnostic case study and fills in some of the historical, theological, and philosophical blanks.
Show notesThis episode is part of a series. Listen to earlier installments below:
- Episode 127: Voegelin on Representation
- Episode 128: Voegelin on Cosmological Representation
- Episode 129: Voegelin on the Anthropological Principle, the Psyche & the Transcendent
- Episode 130: Voegelin on Soteriological Truth & Ancient Rome
- Episode 132: Voegelin on Re-Divination, Joachim of Flora & Gnosticism
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
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Major retailers like Target and Walmart are busy implementing radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. While RFID will make life easier for retailers and the shopping experience better for consumers, the technology can be abused.
In this episode Mike talks about what the future of shopping might look like in a welfare state that employs ubiquitous RFID.
Show notesHere’s some info on RFID from the US Food & Drug Administration:
https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/electromagnetic-compatibility-emc/radio-frequency-identification-rfid
And, here’s the wikipedia entry on RFID tech:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification
Did you get value? Please support the show.If you find value in The Currency, please help me keep the show going by making a donation. Donating helps keep the show free of advertisements, protects it from sponsor censorship, and helps me make it better by freeing me up to put more time into it.
Donate Here
My run for Charleston City Council is over after months of campaigning, an election, a runoff race, and a second election.
It’s the home stretch of my run for office, but I miss the mic. Here’s an update on the race and specifically how my opponents on the left have been trying to smear me.
It should be illegal to have this much fun.
It’s official—I’ve entered politics. Listen in to get all the details on my decision to run for Charleston City Council.
You can check out my campiagn website here: https://votemikegastin.com.
In this episode I speak with Myron Weber about his thoughts on strengths, weaknesses, and career.
Check out Myron's company, Northwood Advisors.
This is the fifth in our multipart series on Eric Voegelin's The New Science of Politics. In this episode I talk about the soteriological society and how it took over Rome.
Listen to previous episode in the series:
Part one
Part two
Part three
Part four
Also, you can donate to the show using PayPal if you'd like to support my work.
Some observations of Lancaster, PA and the changes I have noticed over the six years I have been regularly visiting.
Please consider supporting my work.
This is the fourth in our multipart series on Eric Voegelin's The New Science of Politics. In this episode I talk about the soteriological society and how it took over Rome.
Listen to previous episode in the series:
Part one
Part two
Part three
Also, you can donate to the show if you'd like to support my work.
This is the third in our multipart series on Eric Voegelin's The New Science of Politics. In this episode I talk about the anthropological principle, the psyche (or the soul), and how these connect society to the transcendent.
A continuation of our series on Eric Voegelin's seminal work. The New Science of Politics. In this episode we talk about the concept of cosmological representation in societies.
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This is the first in a multi-part series on Eric Voegelin's groundbreaking work, "The New Science of Politics". In it Mike begins with an introduction and talks about the idea of representative government.
There's an election in a few days—how should you vote? In this episode Mike shares his take on how to pick the right candidates and puts the question of how a Chritian should vote to the test.
Failure, perfection, doing great work, and putting something beautiful out into the world. Join Mike as he consideres how one can do great work.
Failure, perfection, doing great work, and putting something beautiful out into the world. Join Mike as he consideres how one can do great work.
What do we do in the light of the world we're living in? That's the question I asked in the last episode. In this one, I answer with exactly what I am going to do.
What do we do in the light of the world we're living in? That's the question I asked in the last episode. In this one, I answer with exactly what I am going to do.
How do you figure out what to do when the world around you has gone bonkers? Let's talk about it.
Are you creative? The answer might surprise you. Join me as we talk about creativity, what is it, and why it is so important that you and I fight to be creative.
Left and right hemispheres, demons on river banks, and the prophets of the Old Testament—do you have eyes to see?
It's been a while since I've released an episode; February to be exact. But, I'm back—again. Join me and get caught up on what I was up to and where we're going.
You might be surprised to learn that the movement behind the New World Order started in the early 1300's. In part one of this series on the NWO, Mike Gastin takes us from that first idea to right before the founding of the League of Nations.
Introducing an informal series on the New World Order, a.k.a. the NWO. Looking at everything going on around us, it might be easy to miss the fact that we're experiencing the push of a new world order upon us, whether we like it or not. In the next few weeks I'll be unpacking the NWO and using it to better understand the world we find ourselves in.
Mike addresses an interesting point about woke ideology and layers wokeism against Boyd's OODA Loop.
Canadian truckers have taken over the streets in an effort to make their government more accountable. At the same time, the US DOT has published its strategy for how it will take more control over our streets—and our freedoms.
Are the recent admissions by leaders and media over COVID-19 a turning point towards freedom or is something more sinister at play?
Myron Weber is a founding partner of Northwood Advisors and an expert on mental models. Mike and Myron talk about American democracy and a model Myron has developed to better understand the political situations before us.
KFC's plant-based chicken, Apple hits $3 Trillion in market cap, France's Macron out to piss off the unvaccinated, and the Democrats celebrate January 6th.
Ask the political right or left where they understand their rights to come from and odds are both will get it wrong.
The power of gratitude, my effort to craft lenses that reveal the truth, and the ongoing elevation of this content's quality.
The jury verdict has exonerated Kyle Rittenhouse. What does it say about our society? How should we interpret the outrage over the jury's decision?
Faceboook just rolled out "Meta" thier new brand for global domination. Get ready for the Metaverse, kids.
We got Chinese hypersonic glide vehicles, Admiral Levine, Joe Biden's town hall, Gunner Baldwin, and St. Fauci the Dog Killer.
Science was supposed to free us from religion, but it's pretty hard to ignore the seemingly religious aspects of the new state religion: Branch Covidianism.
Gov. Hochul says God wants you to get the vax. Hegel said that the state is God. Coincidence? I think not.
We used to worry that our food was genetically modified; a sort of frankenfood. But, did you ever think your food would one day modify your genetic code? It might just become a reality as the US government has dedicated $500,000 for research into finding ways to make our food able to deliver the mRNA "vaccine". What could go wrong?
A recent Gallup poll reveals small business to be the institution that Americans have the most confidence in. What does this say about our confidence in the other institutions? And, is small business the last place where a person can find the space and freedom to live life on their own terms? We'll cover it all in this episode of The Currency podcast.
What if the problems we're facing, especially those associated with our response to the pandemic, are literally all in our heads? In this episode, Mike Gastin looks at the differences between the left and right hemispheres of the human brain and how they might be affecting the world around us.
How can it be that every side claims to have the science on their side when we are told sicence provides the truth? In this espisode, Mike deconstructs what people really mean when they say, "I trust the science".
A reivew of "COVID-19 and the Political Economy of Mass Hysteria", a paper recently published in the International Journal of Envrinmental Research & Public Health.
Another week, another spectacular failure as the Taliban overrun Afganistan. At what point does Joe Biden get held accountable? At what point do intellectually honest people on every side agree that we're in trouble?
Injections as a requirement for employment? No way. A look at recent history to understand how the state uses corporations to impose political ideology and some things you can do to make it stop.
Our sense of cultural change is that things change gradually and that over time they lead us to a new place. The truth may be different than we think. In today's episode, I break down an essay by Tanner Greer titled, "Culture Wars Are Long Wars", in which Greer foretells a sudden, revolutionary-style change in America due to the coming generational handoff to the Millennials.
Wow! It's been months since my last episode. Update on my major life change and some throughts on Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's novel, "In the First Circle".
I tried a new SEO approach for my website and saw an article go to the first page of the search results in just one week.
Mike just came through a 14-day battle with COVID-19. Hear how it has changed his throughs on the virus.
Andrew Cuomo went from America's governor to political villain number one. What happened? How did a man considered heroic and a leader fall so far, so fast?
Thomas Jefferson said that truth and reason were critical to our nation's success and for that reason we needed a free press. So, how is it we struggle to know the truth? Why has our media become so ... terrible? In this episode Mike shares the two key things—one a trend and the other a watershed moment—that have led to our current situation.
Daft Punk has called it quits after almost 30 years and have done so with a powerfully moving story.
Where can one go for good news? Which network can you trust if you're trying to understand the world around you? In this episode, I provide the secret to becoming informed and getting excellent access to the truth.
How the deceptively simple wisdom of a 14th century English friar can help the West overcome the Chinese Communist Party's continuing campaign of demoralization.
Secret election cabals, right-wing domestic terrorism, QAnon myths, voter fraud, COVID-19 rumors: the world is rife with lies and disinformation. Whatever are we to do? Maybe the government can fix it for us—maybe we need a Truth Czar.
The game is on! It's the elites versus the people. Ricky Vaughn is probably going to jail while Wallstreetbets take it to the Hedge Fund giants.
Nothing's better than a good story and 2021 has a nice one ready for your enjoyment. Join Mike Gastin as he unpacks what looks to be the feel-good story of the year.
Burger King rebrands after 20 years and I like it. CNN is saying goodbye to its airport network and adios to the majority of its viewership. And, well, let's talk about the truth.
We've got the Duke and Dutches of Sussex podcasting, the CIA rebrand, QAnon Shaman as metaphor, and an unity that will never happen.
Universal Basic Income (UBI) is gaining popularity. Who doesn't like the idea of free money? But it has a fundamental flaw that transcends economics and no one seems to be talking about it.
2020 has been a heck of a year—so much so, I don't want to look back. Here's how I am approaching 2021.
Join Mike Gastin for probably the most un-Christmas-like Christmas message you'll hear.
Can we trust the education of our future generations in the hands of an increasingly totalizing state?
The CDC, Johns Hopkins, and Dr. Hodkinson—the data tells us something, but it's being buried and would we hear the message anyway?
There's a war raging within progressivism—a war over which animating vision will prevail.
Joe Biden and his campaign have embraced a level of conservatism so far unheard of. Join Mike as he unpacks Joe's presumptive victory and the world to come.
Remembering Sean Connery, Joe Rogan and Spotify are at it again, New York State's unprecedented border rules, and what a Donald Trump win might mean.
Cognitive bias has taken over the show and all we're left with is actors with either halos or horns.
Democracy has a fatal flaw and it's taking its toll. Join Mike Gastin as he talks about this issue.
Tom Hoefling is running for President. Join Mike Gastin as he and Tom talk about Tom's candidacy, his reason for running, and his thoughts on third-party politics.
We explore the technical elements of Neuralink, as well as future applications and the ethical questions surrounding its use.
Lululemon Athletica, a publicly traded company valued at $40 Billion, want to help you get woke and resist capitalism. Oh the irony!
The Haymarket Affair, labor unions, collectivism, the Labor Day Weekend, and the deeper truth of labor and how it can transform your life.
Join Mike Gastin as he deconstructs Kamala Harris' brand and what her pick as Joe Biden's running mate means for the Democrat Party.
Join Mike for a rambling chat as he broadcasts from the podcast's new home on YouTube: Mike Gastin Live.
Join Mike Gastin as he covers the government award of $765 million to Kodak to produce pharmaceutical ingredients.
In this episode we talk about how a $3.1 billion company—the Washington Redskins—fumbled their rebranding and lost their moment to shine.
We cover this week's hack of prominent Twitter accounts, including Elon Musk, Barak Obama, and Joe Biden; what the media's reaction tells us, and how platforms like Twitter frame our perspective on the world around us.
Join Mike Gastin as he covers the removal of the Big Boy mascot, Kanye 2020, and Gilead Sciences' Remdesivir.
Uncle Ben and a host of other brand mascots just lost their jobs! Join Mike Gastin as he talks about the decisions made by Pepsico, Mars, Conagra, and Land-O-Lakes to get rid of their questionable mascots.
Gil Scott-Haron said in his famous song from 1971, that the revolution will not be televised. Unfortunately, the revolution is being coopted by giant corporations and brands. In this episode we talk about the current BLM protests and how global brands seem to be jumping on the bandwagon.
Join me as we talk about the juxtaposition of one of man's greatest accomplishments—sending people into space—while at the same time cities burn over the unjustified killing of George Floyd by police.
Casey Grage and her team have developed a better way to give surgeons intracranial access. Listen in as she shares her entrepreneurial story.
Dave Beinetti is an architect and a principal at design firm SWBR. He joins me to share how his firm is working hard to impact lives through meaningful design.
William Sachiti left his homeland in Zimbabwe and showed up in London as a teenager with no job and no connections. All he had was £300 and a drive to succeed. 17 years later and William has launched and sold a number of successful startups, appeared on Dragon's Den, and is currently pioneering autonomous vehicle technology in the UK with his latest project, Kar-go. Join host Mike Gastin as William shares his entrepreneurial journey, talks about Kar-go, and reveals his biggest challenges and greatest achievements.
CPA and tax expert, Dave Veniskey clarifies the mystery of state and local taxes, the bane of businesses coast to coast. Dave is a longtime partner of the accounting firm EFPR Group and has helped a multitude of clients navigate the increasingly complex landscape of state and local taxes. Check out this episode to learn how you can avoid falling afoul of the state and local taxing authorities that are potentially laying claim to your revenues.
I reflect on the passing of a guest of the show, Joe Fee, and am reminded of the importance of doing those things that are important while there is still time.
Today's guest knew exactly what she wanted to do at the age of 10—she wanted to help children overcome emotional and psychological issues. That childhood desire has turned into an equine therapy business. Listen in as Cindy Martin shares her amazing story of ingenuity and healing.
A few months ago I had a video on YouTube blow up and reach over 815,000 views. Here's the story behind that video and what I learned from the experience.
Len Caric is the president and CEO of Uncle Charley's Sausage Co., as well as an adjunct professor at the Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business. Mike Gastin sat down with Len at his Vandergrift, PA facilities this week and had a great conversation. Listen in as Len shares his entrepreneurial journey, how he acquired Uncle Charley's Sausage, his advice for what not to do on the first day, how he's handled owning a heritage brand, and entrepreneurship through acquisition.
I share the one thing I learned in 2019 that will help you realize your life's biggest goals.
How do you take a stable company rooted in agriculture for over 100 years and turn it into a growth company? According to Ken Wasnock, you focus on the people. Listen in as Ken shares his story and the wonderful work he and his team are doing at Harris Seeds, a Garden Trends, Inc. company.
Patrick Tobin is the president of Han-Tek, a company that designs and installs automation systems throughout North America. You'd be forgiven for thinking a company that automates manufacturing facilities is more interested in engineering than people. But, just the opposite is true. Join Mike as Patrick shares his story and how he and the people of Han-Tek use their ingenuity to free others to be more creative.
Rob Ecklin, Jr. is a natural entrepreneur. He's the president of Stoner, Inc., a chemical formulator in Lancaster County, PA. He's also heavily involved in real estate development, owns a nationally-recognized classic car restoration company, and travels the US racing an Aston Martin in an IMSA series as part of the Automatic Racing Team. Listen in as he shares his entrepreneurial story.
Two buddies tried making beer for their frat brothers back in the late 80s. Today, what began as a dorm-room escapade has now become Yards Brewing company—a multimillion-dollar business with over 150 employees, a huge retail location, and Philadelphia's most advanced brewing operation.
Join host Mike Gastin as Tom Kehoe, founder and brewmaster of Yards Brewing Company, shares his wonderful story. Tom talks about the journey from dorm room brewing to becoming Philadelphia's beer. He also shares his perspective on the craft brewing industry and where it's going, and even offers his opinion on who makes the best cheesesteak in Philly!
Listen in as Mike and Tom have a great conversation over a couple glasses of Yard's finest brews!
Kent Martin decided to take a gap year and work a little before college. 30 years later, that gap year has turned into a multi-million-dollar business that employs close to 150 people and ships product across the US. Welcome to the story of Signature Custom Cabinetry, one of the country's leading makers of custom cabinets, with projects averaging between $50,000 and $80,000. In this episode of The Currency, Kent Martin, founder and president, shares his story and how his company is continually striving towards greatness through a dedication to servanthood.
Bob Confer loves to look out his office window and see all the cars in his company's parking lot. Why? Because for Bob the cars represent people enjoying the American Dream. Bob is the president of Confer Plastics, a leading manufacturer of kayaks, pool and spa equipment, and decking. Listen in as he shares his story, how Confer Plastics stays so competitive, and his desire to promote and share the American Dream to as many people as he can.
Private equity can get a bad rap—everyone's heard at least one horror story of a company being acquired, stripped of its value, and tossed to the wolves. Stories aside, private equity can play an important role in a businesses' health and wellbeing. Steve Gurgovits, founder and managing partner of private equity firm, Tecum Capital, shares the Tecum story and how he and his team are helping companies thrive and people live better lives.
Founded in the 1800s to make rubber stamps, Josh Bunting's company has changed dramatically through the years. Today, Bunting Architectural Metals is a leading provider of specialized metal cladding for buildings, and is responsible for high-visibility projects like the Minnesota Vikings stadium and La Guardia airport. Join host Mike Gastin as Josh shares his company's story.
It takes a lot more than a good product or a strong balance sheet to run a successful organization. Those things are important, but they can't sustain the long term without a healthy team. Laurie Sudbrink, the owner of Unlimited Coaching Solutions, shares her journey from corporate trainer, to published author, to leadership expert in this episode of The Currency.
Join host Mike Gastin as he talks with UC Coatings new CEO, Eric Degenfelder. Eric talks about why he left a successful career in a global company to head up his 50-person business, the changing marketplace, recent acquisitions, as well as his vision for UC Coatings' future and what he and his team are doing to realize it.
Terry was 16 years old when his father bought $157 worth of inventory and started Sealing Devices. His mom and dad ran the business out of the their home and hoped it would make enough to provide for the family. It’s 56 years later. Terry is now president and CEO and the family business did $77 million in revenue this year. Listen in as guest Terry Galanis, Jr. shares the story of his family’s entrepreneurial journey and what it’s been like to spend his career working with his father and leading their business to amazing success.
Chris Jacobs is the fifth generation of his family to own and run Star Headlight & Lantern—a company founded in 1889. Established to make kerosene lanterns for carriages and railroad cars, the company today is a vertically-integrated manufacturer of high-tech LED lighting for a variety of uses. Join host Mike Gastin as Chris shares his company's history, the reason for its success, and his vision for its future.
Will Knecht faced what was surely the end of his business. Slammed by the economic crisis of 2008 and then, just as things were stabilizing, devastated by a fire that wiped out his factory, he was told it was time to call it quits.
Instead, he and the people of Wendell August Forge prayed. Then something miraculous happened.
Join Mike Gastin as guest Will Knecht shares a story of faith, community, hard-working people, and entrepreneurship—a story of the power of private business in America.
Join Mike Gastin and guest Chris Clemens as they get regional in this week's episode of The Currency. Chris is the publisher of ExploringUpstate.com, a website dedicated to all things Upstate New York. They have a wide-ranging conversation covering the start of his blog, his views on the Upstate region and it's economy, and some interesting stories of economic creativity springing up across the state.
Learn the secrets that large companies with teams of products people use to build customer loyalty and product momentum. This week's guest, Fred Beer, president of ITX Corp., shares how his company delivers loyalty and momentum for their customers. Fred breaks it down so you can do it, too.
Alex Kurkowski had an idea—an idea for a business that would bring together people using art, shared stories, and the good old fashioned mailbox. But there was a problem. He was deep into working on his MBA at Rice University and time and money were scarce. That didn't stop Alex from launching an amazing startup:Telling.com. Join Mike Gastin as Alex shares his story. He explains how he was able to launch his business without funding and talks about his vision for the future of Tellinga.
In today's episode, Mike goes solo and talks about the biggest opportunity for privately-owned business when it comes to marketing.
Products are everywhere! Most of time we don't even realize how surrounded we are as products and services have become more ubiquitous. For this reason product management is now one of the hottest roles in today's economy. Join Mike as he talks to John Schloff, an executive professor at the University of Rochester and a product management expert.
LinkedIn—it’s probably one of the biggest social media opportunities for business people, marketers, and professionals. And yet, it’s often overlooked in favor of more trendy platforms like Instagram. Joe Apfelbaum is out to change all that. He’s a LinkedIn guru and in this episode he shares a bunch of killer tips on how to leverage LinkedIn to grow your sales, drive new business, and to create a network that’s got real value.
Craft beverage branding expert, Glenn Clark shares his insights and experiences in the booming nice of craft beverages. Learn the unique business models being employed, the trend towards community, the focus on direct to consumer sales, and what it takes to become a stand-out brand in the world of craft brewing.
Listen in as Mike Gastin talks with Joe Free, co-owner along with his sister Ellen Fee, about the amazing story behind their family's business. Founded in 1863, Fee Brothers has endured fires, prohibition, untimely deaths, and a host of other challenges to become the nation's leading provider of cocktail ingredients.
What does it mean to stick to your guns, especially when your business, livelihood, and reputation are at stake? This week’s guest is Shannon Joy, the executive producer and host of the Shannon Joy Show. Shannon shares how she found great success in building her audience as a conservative talk radio host, and then what happened when the political landscape was turned on its head by the Trump phenomenon.
AI evokes images HAL 9000 and Minority Report, but the reality of AI, as it pertains to direct marketing, is quite different. Join host Mike Gastin as he talks to direct marketing expert, Ron Jacobs. Ron demystifies AI, explaining how it's used in direct marketing and providing listeners excellent ways to begin to integrate the power of AI into their marketing efforts today.
How do you know if you're a good marketer? Is it a matter of awards? Or how about years in the saddle? Maybe it's all about marketing for a good cause. In this episode, Mike Gastin takes a brief break from guest interviews to provide a simple, but powerful, framework for understanding what good marketing looks like. It's a framework that anyone can apply to where they are right now and use to map a path to becoming a truly good marketer.
Meet Josh Pies. He's an entrepreneur, marketer, video advertising and branding expert, and a lot of fun to talk to. Join me as Josh talks about why he wears crazy cool sport coats, how his first foray into video turned into an international TV show, why we all need to learn how to get attention, his five keys for owning your influence online using video, and a little about the business he started at four years old!
What does an electronica festival in Denmark, a beer fest in Detroit, and an air show in Houston all have in common? All three are outdoor events with huge operating expenses and a deep need to get the ticket sales game right. Meet Eugene Loj—an outdoor event revenue expert. Join Mike as Eugene shares his unique approach to making outdoor events a financial success and how he drive record sales every time.
Data can be intimidating, especially when you're a marketer working with a data scientist. Even so, data is becoming more and more critical to successful marketing and healthy companies. Good news! Today's guest, Garry Rosenfeldt of Allant Group, has a novel approach to data—one that marketers will love. Garry uses his expertise and years of experience to discover the story hidden deep in your data. Join Mike Gastin as he learns more about Garry's innovative approach to marketing data.
David Mammano is America’s Entrepreneur Coach! He’s the founder of the Avanti Entrepreneur Network, a total resource for entrepreneurs including online course, business coaching, mastermind groups, live summits, and a successful podcast. Join Mike as Dave shares his entrepreneurial journey, how he built his brand, his biggest challenge, as well as his greatest achievement as an entrepreneur.
Greg Chambery operates in a highly-regulated industry. He's the owner of The Maplewood, a nursing home in Webster, NY. And even though he has to meet the scrutiny of the government, insurers, and his customers, Greg has consistently implemented innovation after innovation, transforming The Maplewood into a nursing home that seems more like a luxury hotel. In this episode, Greg shares his secret to innovating in a complex and regulated business into a simple concept and what drives him to approach his industry so differently than his competitors.
How do you go from working a corporate job to being nationally recognized as a branding expert, working with organizations like the John Maxwell Team? Today's guest, Mike Kim, shares exactly how he did that, and gives some great marketing and branding insights along the way.
Have you ever wondered what it's like to launch a fashion brand? In this episode, Omar Al-Janabi, owner and founder of Capture the Throne Clothing, shares the story and philosophy behind his iconoclastic fashion brand. Learn what it's like to go from concept to market, how the real money is made in the fashion industry, and how Omar's unique approach to promotion is paying off.
Peter Platt is the founder and owner of Accountable Digital, a digital marketing firm in Rochester, NY. Peter shares his unique approach to digital marketing; an approach that's focused on measurable results. Join Mike Gastin and Peter Platt as they cover digital marketing, Peter's journey to entrepreneurship, and the best way to evaluate digital marketing agencies.
In this episode Mike talks with Mike Sukhenko, the owner of Sukhenko Design. Mike is a graphic designer who didn't start out to be in business for himself, but 10 years later and he's running a thriving brand and design agency. Listen as Mike shares the story of his journey from employee to entrepreneur.
In this episode, Mike speaks with Tom Newmaster, an award-winning designer, author, and the co-founder of Force PKG—Pennsylvania's rising design and brand agency. Tom shares his entrepreneurial journey, the explosive success of his new business, and some advice for folks that want to make their own way.
Maureen Ballatori is the founder of 29 Design Studio, a branding and marketing agency with offices in Geneva and Rochester, NY. In this episode, Maureen shares her story from graduating college to launching 29 Design Studio and gives some insight on what it takes to succeed. She also shares advice for first-time entrepreneurs, how she deals with stress, and the importance in growing as a leader.
Vince DiGiorgio is the founder and owner of One Custom Clothier—a purveyor of fine custom clothing for men. Vince shares his entrepreneurial journey, which started when he was in high school, as well as offers great advice for budding entrepreneurs, and shares what it means to be a gentleman.
In our inaugural episode of The Currency, I interview marketing consultant, Sean Pritzkau. Sean left what felt like his dream job in pursuit of freedom and greater impact. Taking experience from his work with businesses, churches, and non-profits, he’s on a mission to help people and organizations grow their audience and make an impact with their marketing.
Introducing The Currency, a podcast for entrepreneurs that tells the transformational story of free people engaging free markets.