Best Street Execs Podcasts (2025)

1
#34: The Yard LIVE Case Study: Should You Open Location #3? Learn From Joseph Cicero First 1:11:19

Play Pause

10h ago1:11:19

1:11:19

Today on The Owner Seat, Albert Ramos sits down with Joseph Cicero to talk about what it really takes to scale a brick-and-mortar fitness brand without the façade — just utilization, discipline, and the emotional grind most owners never admit out loud. Joseph is the Founder of The Yard, a strength-forward training model with two high-performing stu…

1
Encore: This CEO Says Humanoid Robots Are The "Space Race" of Our Time 32:31

20m ago32:31

32:31

Who will take care of you in old age? Jeff Cardenas, the CEO and co-founder of Apptronik, says the answer is robots. The startup founder set out to build a smart, dexterous robot after watching his grandfathers grow old and dependent in their later years. Beyond healthcare, Cardenas sees robots as essential to U.S. economic growth and national secu…

1
SPECIAL WSJ’s Take On the Week: How This Fed Hawk Views the Economy, Inflation, AI and Jobs 39:39

4d ago39:39

39:39

As a special bonus, we’re bringing you an episode of WSJ’s Take On the Week. Co-host Telis Demos and guest host WSJ Chief Economics Correspondent Nick Timiraos are joined by Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, to discuss the state of the U.S economy, interest rates and the central bank itself. Hammack shares her views …

1
#33: How a Global Tech Exec Bet It All on StretchLab - with David Ramos 1:10:43

3d ago1:10:43

1:10:43

In this episode of The Owner Seat, Albert Ramos sits down with David Ramos — President & Owner of StretchLab First Coast and a mission-driven tech executive who’s led global platforms at Aetna/CVS, Rakuten, and high-growth startups… and then chose to build a local, family-owned wellness portfolio in Northeast Florida. David has lived both sides of …

1
#32: The Truth About Franchising and Why Most Owners Burn Out— with Tanner Holmes 1:01:02

6d ago1:01:02

1:01:02

Today on The Owner Seat, Albert Ramos sits down with Tanner Holmes to go inside what multi-unit, multi-brand franchise ownership actually looks like — not the Instagram version, the real one. Tanner Holmes is a multi-unit, multi-brand franchisee, investor, and Area Developer across Illinois and Wisconsin, building a portfolio under Impact Brands LL…

1
The Boldest Ideas of 2025 — And What’s in Store for 2026 24:03

8d ago24:03

24:03

In this special episode, Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims revisit some of their favorite moments from the first year of Bold Names. We look back on conversations with guests including Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the explosive growth of AI and the complexities of the U.S.-China trade war. Then,…

1
Episode 298 - Davia Esther Bunch & Miranda Sturce Turning Care Into Careers: Holding Space & Healing Skin 41:45

8d ago41:45

41:45

Episode 298 of Where Brains Meet Beauty is one of the most emotional and human conversations of the season. Celebrity Esthetician Miranda Sturce and creator, former Miss South Carolina and Bachelor alum Davia Esther Bunch join the show for a raw discussion on ambition, burnout, healing and finding your way back to yourself. Miranda shares how carin…

1
#31: Before You Buy A Franchise: Pause Studio, SWTHZ, Orangetheory & STRONG Pilates with Ali Orleski 1:17:56

10d ago1:17:56

1:17:56

In this episode of The Owner Seat, Albert Ramos sits down with Ali Orleski — Operating Partner at Momentic Studios, former VP of Franchise Development at Pause Studio, and former national operations leader helping scale Orangetheory Fitness Canada with FSO. Ali has opened 137+ boutique studios across two continents and now sits at the center of a m…

1
#30: Climbing Mt. Rainier Taught Me More About Private Equity Than Wall Street Did - Casey Minshew 30:28

13d ago30:28

30:28

Today on The Owner Seat, we go inside the dealmaking model that’s reshaping lower middle market M&A — with someone who’s mastered it. Casey Minshew, Managing Partner at Equity Launchpad, has acquired legacy industrial businesses like H&M Plating and Mercer Controls — and rebuilt them with bolt-ons, culture transformations, and CapEx-forward growth.…

1
Inside PlayStation's Plans to Lead a $200 Billion Industry 26:05

15d ago26:05

26:05

Gaming is a $200 billion industry that dwarfs Hollywood — and PlayStation is at the center of it all. On this week’s episode of Bold Names, Sony Interactive Entertainment SVP Eric Lempel joins WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to discuss how the company plans to compete in a mobile-first gaming world. We talk about keeping the “soul” of game d…

1
#29: Inside the Launch of YourFitPrint — How Gyms Are Entering the Longevity Market w/ Devon Baldino 1:03:22

17d ago1:03:22

1:03:22

Today on The Owner Seat, host Albert Ramos, Fractional CFO of Stratego, breaks down how YourFitPrint is transforming local gyms into full health hubs and why this shift will define the next decade of boutique fitness. Our guest Devon Baldino is the Executive Director of Vendor Relations & Women’s Health + Founding Board Member at YourFitPrint. She’…

1
#28: The Next Revolution in Boutique Fitness: Women, Culture & The Courage to Evolve - with Beth Potter 54:41

20d ago54:41

54:41

In this episode of The Owner Seat, Albert Ramos sits down with Beth Potter — Franchise Owner of True Movement®, former VP of Sales at Walla, and former Chief Experience Officer at Studio Grow. Beth has spent over a decade inside the heart of boutique fitness — helping studios all over the world design businesses that actually scale and feel good to…

1
McLaren CEO Zak Brown On F1 And Business Strategy At 200 Miles Per Hour 30:55

22d ago30:55

30:55

What business lessons are forged at 200 miles per hour? On this week’s Bold Names, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown joins Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to talk about his new book, “Seven Tenths of a Second.” A racecar driver turned executive, Brown leads a global racing organization worth hundreds of millions of dollars. We talk about the pressure a…

1
Episode 297 - Kim Baker & Felicia Walker Redefining Beauty Careers: Skin, Storytelling and Standing in Your Purpose 44:21

22d ago44:21

44:21

In Episode 297 of Where Brains Meet Beauty, founder and CEO of Glamazon Beauty Cosmetics Kim Baker and content creator and Your Glow Guide author Felicia Walker sit down to talk about building careers that did not exist when they were kids. Kim’s path starts at 13 as a model with Elite, crossing paths with legends like Andy Warhol and Basquiat, the…

1
#27: The Day I Died — and What It Taught Me About Building a $5M Business (Without Losing My Soul) - with Travis Pomposello 1:15:17

24d ago1:15:17

1:15:17

In this episode of Season 2 of The Owner Seat – formerly The Valisights Podcast – Fractional CFO Albert Ramos sits down with Travis Pomposello, a creative leader who’s lived multiple professional lives at the very top of media and then chose to completely redefine what success looks like. Travis is the former Chief Creative Officer at Paramount Glo…

1
How TV Exec Simmy Kustanowitz Turned Impractical Experience into Creative Problem Solving 33:31

25d ago33:31

33:31

Simmy Kustanowitz spent the bulk of his career working in television production. From the moment he took a job as an intern for "The Daily Show," he fell in love with the industry. After college, he climbed the ranks. His first job as an NBC page gave way to a gig as a production assistant for MTV, where he worked on a variety of shows. That's wher…

1
#26: How Groe Solutions Is Redefining Fitness, Readiness, and the Future of AI - with Alan Thompson 45:05

27d ago45:05

45:05

In this episode of Season 2 of The Owner Seat – formerly The Valisights Podcast – Fractional CFO Albert Ramos sits down with Alan “The Train” Thompson, Founder & CEO of Groe Solutions, to unpack what happens when you combine Marine Corps discipline, data science, and human performance. Groe Solutions is a fast-rising B2B SaaS company working at the…

1
SPECIAL WSJ Tech Live: The Man Leading Trump’s AI Charge Against China (The Journal Podcast) 22:59

29d ago22:59

22:59

This week, we’re bringing you an episode of The Journal, produced by Spotify and the Wall Street Journal. In this episode, recorded at WSJ’s Tech Live, host Jessica Mendoza sits down with Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, to discuss everything from chips to chatbots, how Kratsios thinks AI should…

1
#25: The Fitness Rollup Nobody Saw Coming: How SupaFitGrow Is Building an AI Empire - with Benji Donhardt 51:17

1M ago51:17

51:17

In this episode of Season 2 of The Owner Seat – formerly The Valisights Podcast – Fractional CFO Albert Ramos sits down with Benji Donhardt, Co-Founder & CEO of SupaFitGrow, to talk about what happens when you combine M&A, AI, and an operator’s mindset to rewrite the rules for fitness growth. SupaFitGrow is building one of the most aggressive roll-…

1
Biden’s Antitrust Architect on How Big Tech Threatens U.S. Prosperity 36:23

1M ago36:23

36:23

Are we becoming a nation mined for our money, data, and attention? Author and legal scholar Tim Wu certainly thinks so. A key architect of President Joe Biden’s antitrust policy, Wu joins WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on Bold Names to explain how a handful of tech platforms conquered the economy and why he fears Silicon Valley could become…

1
Episode 296 - Jess Martinez & Kirti Tewani - Viral, Vanity and Everything In Between: Shaping Creator Careers on Their Own Terms 43:15

1M ago43:15

43:15

In this Artistry & Influencer episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, content creators Jess Martinez (@jessstheblessed) and Kirti Tewani (@kirtitewani) share what it really looks like to build a career online while staying grounded offline. Jess calls herself an “accidental creator.” After casually posting hair videos, one went viral - 46 million view…

1
#24: Your Tech Stack Is Strangling You — How To Turns AI Agents into Profit - with Ryan Seifert 48:35

1M ago48:35

48:35

1
The World’s Tech Giants Are Running Out of Power. This CEO Plans to Deliver. 31:21

1M ago31:21

31:21

Electricity demand is exploding, fueled by the rise of artificial intelligence and an unprecedented wave of data center construction. Some experts warn the U.S. grid won’t be able to handle it. But Scott Strazik, the CEO of GE Vernova, says his company can deliver. On this episode of Bold Names, Strazik joins the WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higg…

1
#23: From WeWork to Preql: Why Finance Has a Logic Problem - with Leah Weiss 1:41:16

2M ago1:41:16

1:41:16

In this episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Leah Weiss, Co-Founder & CEO of Preql and Co-Founder of Data Culture, to tackle one of the most overlooked challenges in AI-driven finance — why good AI still fails when the data logic underneath is broken. Leah’s background bridges enterprise scale and startup speed — from…

1
How Uber Plans to Win the Self-Driving Car Race 31:03

2M ago31:03

31:03

Driverless cars are no longer in the realm of science fiction. Nearly a decade after abandoning its own self-driving car unit, Uber is taking a hybrid approach, partnering with more than a dozen autonomous vehicle firms, including Alphabet’s Waymo and Chinese robotaxi company WeRide. But as the robotaxi market heats up, can Uber stay in the race? O…

1
Episode 295 - Dr. Ariel Ostad & Kelsie Johnston - Where Data Meets Human Connection 41:41

2M ago41:41

41:41

In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, Jodi Katz sits down with Dr. Ariel Ostad Dermatologist, Cosmetic Surgeon & Brand Founder and Kelsie Johnston, Former GM/Head of Beauty & Personal Care TikTok Shop US to explore how artistry, influence, and authenticity shape the future of beauty. From a middle school dream of becoming a buyer to helping …

1
#22: Inside the $4.2B Resort: Why Finance Transformation Starts with People, Not Platforms - with Val Correa 1:06:33

2M ago1:06:33

1:06:33

In this episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Valquir “Val” Correa, Vice President of Corporate Finance at Baha Mar — one of the most ambitious hospitality operations in the world — to explore how AI, automation, and people-first leadership are transforming the future of finance. Val oversees finance for a $4.2 billion…

1
Inside Visa’s Tech-Charged Future: From Crypto to AI 28:18

2M ago28:18

28:18

Every second, tens of thousands of transactions cross Visa’s global network. Last year alone, the company processed more than $13 trillion in purchases – nearly triple the size of Japan’s economy. Now, one of the largest payment networks in the world wants to become even bigger. On this episode of Bold Names, Rajat Taneja, Visa’s president of techn…

1
His Second Act Began With A Double Espresso 23:23

2M ago23:23

23:23

If you like coffee, you're going to love Mike Ayar's second act. Mike ran a highly successful software company for 24 years. With a niche focus, his organization served pest control companies, an industry Mike describes as "the absolute best service business in the world in terms of recurring revenue." In 2002 a private equity company began pursuin…

1
This Tech Founder's $1.3 Billion Company Is Taking On Apple and Samsung 29:42

2M ago29:42

29:42

Can a startup beat Apple and Samsung on their own turf? Carl Pei, the founder and CEO of Nothing, is betting on it. Growing up in Sweden, Pei was captivated by American gadgets like Apple’s first iPod. But over time, he says, those products lost their edge. On the latest episode of Bold Names, Pei joins WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins to exp…

1
Episode 294 - Annie Robertson Hockey & Lauren D’Amore on Med Spas, Mega Brands, and Making Careers Work 40:04

2M ago40:04

40:04

In Episode 294 of Where Brains Meet Beauty, host Jodi Katz sits down with Annie Robertson Hockey, President & Head of Consulting Skytale Group and Lauren D’Amore, Vice President Prelude Growth Partners to explore the intersection of personal passion and professional success in the booming beauty and med spa industries. From nearly becoming a baller…

1
Why This Investor Says the AI Boom Isn’t the Next Dot-Com Crash 31:06

2M ago31:06

31:06

The artificial intelligence boom has sparked one of the costliest building sprees in history. By 2028, investment in chips, servers and data centers could hit nearly $3 trillion, according to Morgan Stanley. To help fund the build-out, tech companies are taking on huge amounts of debt, raising concerns of a possible bubble. On the latest episode of…

1
The Google Exec Reinventing Search in the AI Era 33:56

3M ago33:56

33:56

Every day, billions of searches flow through Google, making it not just the world’s most popular search engine, but one of history’s most valuable products. Yet for the first time in nearly 30 years, the company’s dominance is under threat. Generative artificial intelligence tools like Open AI’s ChatGPT and Perplexity are changing how people find i…

1
Episode 293 - Kara Posner & Thomas Cunningham on Legal Strategy, Growth & the Business of Beauty 35:13

3M ago35:13

35:13

In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty with Jodi Katz, we explore how legal and financial experts fuel the growth of beauty and wellness brands. Guests Kara Posner, Partner at Gianuzzi Lewendon and Thomas Cunningham, Director of Business Development at Physician Growth Partners share how they help founders navigate funding, scale strategically…

1
#21 - Why the Best CFOs Are Leaning Into AI and Winning — Chris Ortega Explains 39:47

3M ago39:47

39:47

In this episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Chris Ortega, Founder & CEO of Fresh FP&A, to talk about the future of finance leadership, the rise of fractional CFO services, and why clarity — not complexity — is the real superpower in finance.Chris has spent over 20 years leading FP&A, corporate finance, and global tea…

1
Condoleezza Rice on Beating China in the Tech Race: 'Run Hard and Run Fast' 35:05

3M ago35:05

35:05

Condoleezza Rice’s experience navigating geopolitical tensions and uncertainty gives her a background few people have. The former secretary of state currently leads the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and is a founding partner at Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, a strategic consulting firm. On this week’s episode of Bold Names, she speak…

1
Special Edition: Inside Coach360: How Kathleen Ferguson Is Revolutionizing The Future of Fitness 38:30

3M ago38:30

38:30

In this special edition of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Kathleen Ferguson — the driving force behind Coach360 to explore how coaching, media, and technology are reshaping the wellness and fitness industries. Kathleen has built Coach360 into a dynamic media platform and staffing solution that connects, develops, and eleva…

1
A Mother, a Miracle, and a Mission: Kristin Connor's Journey to CURE Childhood Cancer 31:45

3M ago31:45

31:45

Kristin Connor was living a typical life as a business litigation attorney, a job she held for about a decade and absolutely loved. Then, while she was pregnant with her second child, everything changed. Her unborn son was diagnosed with an unusual form of neuroblastoma, a cancer that's rare in children to begin with, and almost unheard of in unbor…

1
The Google-Backed Startup Taking on Elon Musk in Humanoid Robotics 31:46

3M ago31:46

31:46

Who will take care of you in old age? Jeff Cardenas, the CEO and co-founder of Apptronik, says the answer is robots. The startup founder set out to build a smart, dexterous robot after watching his grandfathers grow old and dependent in their later years. Beyond healthcare, Cardenas sees robots as essential to U.S. economic growth and national secu…

1
Episode 292 - Sarah Foley & Caroline Chiaroni - From Wall Street to Wellness: Building Human-Centered Brands 45:33

3M ago45:33

45:33

In Episode 292 of Where Brains Meet Beauty, host Jodi Katz sits down with Sarah Foley, Managing Partner at InviNext Growth Partners and Caroline Chiaroni, Vice President at TJC for a compelling conversation at the intersection of private equity, consumer brands, and personal passion. From childhood dreams of veterinary clinics and art galleries to …

1
How the U.S. Stacks Up to China’s ‘Engineering State’ 38:25

3M ago38:25

38:25

The relationship between the U.S. and China is typically framed as competitive and even adversarial. Each superpower brings strengths and weaknesses to how it approaches its society, business and growth. In his new book "Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future," author and China expert Dan Wang, frames the key differences between the two su…

1
#20 - Why Carl Seidman Says Static Spreadsheets Are Dead (and What Comes Next) 55:03

4M ago55:03

55:03

In this episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Carl Seidman, CSP, CPA — Microsoft MVP, FP&A educator, and one of the most trusted voices in modern finance. Carl has trained more than 100,000 finance professionals on Excel, cash forecasting, dynamic modeling, and advisory skills. As the founder of Seidman Financial, a fa…

1
Why IBM's CEO Thinks His Company Can Crack Quantum Computing 35:19

4M ago35:19

35:19

After spending much of the 2010s in the doldrums, IBM has made something of a comeback in the past five years under the leadership of CEO Arvind Krishna. That's thanks to a lot of the success in its hybrid cloud business, as well as its consulting services. All of this has led to a surge in the company's share price. Now, IBM is betting that quantu…

1
Episode 291 - Venture Capital with Vision: Kara LaForgia & Rich Gersten on Investing in the Future of Beauty 47:34

4M ago47:34

47:34

In Episode 291 of Where Brains Meet Beauty with Jodi Katz, the spotlight turns to two investors redefining what it means to back beauty and wellness brands: Kara LaForgia, Founder & Managing Partner at Hive Ventures, and Rich Gersten, Co-Founder & General Partner at True Beauty Ventures. Their paths to venture capital could not be more different, y…

1
The Alchemize House $4M Seed Round Capital Raise - with Rave Reid (Co-Founder) 44:46

4M ago44:46

44:46

In this episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Ravyn Reid, Co-Founder of Alchemize House — the wellness-focused social club redefining how we connect, gather, and celebrate. What started as a rooftop experiment in Sayulita, Mexico has evolved into a global movement — with Alchemize House hosting alcohol-free wellness ev…

1
#19 - From Voice Commands to Boardroom Decisions – AI-Powered FP&A Has Arrived - with Kendra Mathias 43:46

4M ago43:46

43:46

In this episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Kendra Mathias, Finance leader at Amazon, global speaker, and passionate advocate for building high-performing finance teams that think beyond the numbers. Kendra has spent more than 15 years managing multi-billion-dollar P&Ls, scaling forecasting processes, and delivering …

1
Bold Names Is Back 3:11

4M ago3:11

3:11

Every day, Wall Street Journal journalists talk with the most powerful, influential and interesting people. WSJ columnists Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins are bringing some of those conversations directly to you. Bold Names returns with new episodes on Fridays starting September 12 on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Let us know what yo…

1
#18 - Technology Won’t Save You: Why Broken Processes Always Break AI - with Kristy Barber 54:43

4M ago54:43

54:43

In this episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Kristy Barber — Finance & Operations Consultant, process improvement strategist, and the voice behind Fintigrated, her fast-growing newsletter that tackles the realities of entrepreneurship and finance. Kristy’s background blends finance leadership with hands-on operational…

1
From AI and Defense Tech, to Tariffs and the New Streaming Wars: The Best of Bold Names 48:03

4M ago48:03

48:03

WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins take a trip into the Bold Names podcast archives. They’ve covered everything from artificial intelligence and humanoid robots, to the online sports betting industry and the new streaming wars. Check out highlights from some of their favorite interviews. Plus, Tim and Christopher look back on what made these co…

1
Episode 290 - Crafting Beauty’s Future: Kevin Kim on Founder-Led Brands and Global Growth 47:44

4M ago47:44

47:44

In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty we meet Kevin Kim the Director of Beauty & Personal Care Investment Banking at Raymond James. His career journey didn’t begin with balance sheets and deal rooms it began with medicine. As the oldest son of two psychiatrists, Kevin grew up assuming he’d follow in their footsteps. But by late high school, h…