Intentional Wisdom

Jon Muedder is the Founder, President and Executive Producer of Caravan, a creative production studio based in the Southeast U.S. In this conversation, Greg & Jon discuss:- Jon’s experience building a business “starting from the closet”- How the EOS system helped Jon organize his business for sustainable growth- How obsession and craft separate A players from B players- Books that have influenced Jon as a leader- The impact on Jon and his family from navigating his son Finn’s diagnosis with a terminal genetic disease called Hunter Syndrome- Health & wellness practices that help Jon maintain balanceFull timestamps here:01:17 – Building a high-end content studio05:47 – When outward success didn’t equal happiness06:55 – Finding and implementing EOS10:34 – Corporate values that actually matter 15:00 – Craft, obsession and differentiating A and B players22:07 – Resources and practices that have made Jon a better leader29:50 – The fallacy of work/life balance33:13 – Finn’s story 47:25 – Health & wellness practices Jon follows to find balance53:51 – One thing Jon has figured out in life Links / resources mentioned in the conversation:Organizations:Caravanhttps://www.wearecaravan.tv/https://www.instagram.com/madebycaravanhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/madebycaravan/Project Alivehttps://projectalive.org/‘Finn': Our Storyhttps://projectalive.org/stories/finnBooks:Traction by Gino WickmanEOS Life by Gino WickmanStrength to Strength by Arthur BrooksWorking Genius Assessment by the Table Group5 Types of Wealth (Not Mentioned but Jon loves this book) by Sahil BloomMake sure to subscribe to Greg's weekly Intentional Wisdom newsletter at gregcampion.substack.com

In this episode, I sit down with Andy Rafal, CEO of OLI—a 50+ year-old chemical engineering software company operating at the intersection of AI and the physical world.
Andy and I have known each other for over 20 years, going back to our early days in New York City. This conversation covers his journey from hedge fund investing at Tiger to becoming an operator and CEO—and the lessons learned along the way.
We talk about career transitions, decision-making under uncertainty, and what it really means to build something over the long term.
We also dig into how AI is reshaping industries—especially those rooted in the physical world—and why the biggest opportunities may lie in bridging the gap between software and real-world systems.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Intro + what we cover
02:20 - Andy’s early career path: Cornell, law school, and following curiosity
07:15 - Why he turned down law for Tiger
22:43 - Lessons from Tiger: wins, losses, and what actually matters
28:06 - Why curiosity and lifelong learning are career superpowers
30:22 - The transition from investor → operator — and the difference between analyzing a business vs. building one
37:58 - How COVID reshaped leadership, culture, and strategy
38:26 - Building teams, culture, and long-term thinking
41:01 - Taking over a 50+ year-old company founded by his father
41:31 - The challenge of modernizing a legacy business
44:23 - How AI is impacting engineering, chemistry, and real-world systems
48:29 - The risk of AI “getting things wrong with confidence”
49:46 - Writing publicly, learning in public, and finding a voice as a CEO
Key Takeaways
Career paths are rarely linear—following curiosity often leads to better outcomes than rigid planning
Investing teaches you how businesses work—but operating teaches you how hard it is to build oneNot every decision needs to be perfect—but you need to update your thinking as new information comes in
The biggest opportunities often sit at the intersection of old systems + new technology
AI will transform industries—but human judgment and real-world context still matter deeply
Taking time to think (and not rushing into the next thing) can be one of the most valuable decisions you make
Connect with Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-rafal/
Follow Andy on Substack: https://arafal.substack.com/
If you enjoy conversations like this, I write a weekly newsletter called Intentional Wisdom where I share:
Notes on health, performance, and longevity
Career insights and lessons from conversations like this
Tools and ideas I’m experimenting with
You can subscribe here: https://gregcampion.substack.com/

Author Jon Finkel returns to Intentional Wisdom to talk all things middle age—health, family, career, and why doing hard things still matters. Jon shares how he's stayed strong (literally) through his 40s by building non-negotiable habits around fitness, taking up competitive swimming, and doing the work that lights him up. We also talk about the importance of being present as a dad, planning epic vacations, and why training for something—anything—is the ultimate midlife unlock.
This is a conversation for anyone who wants to keep showing up with intention as the years stack up.
Episode Segments[00:00:00] Intro to Intentional Wisdom & Jon Finkel.
[00:00:49] Jon Finkel: "World's Most Sophisticated Meathead."
[00:01:09] Tackling middle age: health, fitness, relationships, career.
[00:06:00] Friends' fitness/career struggles.
[00:07:29] Jon's secret: consistency.
[00:08:10] Health as life's foundation.
[00:11:29] "Bench o'clock Monday" at "Flex Factory."
[00:11:55] Train for specific goals.
[00:12:28] Jon back to competitive swimming.
[00:16:23] Mobility wake-up call
[00:17:49] "Knees Over Toes" program.
[00:20:06] From stiff to dunking again.
[00:39:50] Tailoring parenting to each child.
[00:59:45] "Midlife Male"
[01:01:00] Jon's newsletter strategy.
[01:13:00] Check out Jon's "Books and Biceps."

You can learn more about Jon's work by visiting jonfinkel.com or by following him on Twitter @Jon_Finkel or Instagram @Jon_Finkel.
Don't forget to follow Greg on Twitter @gregorycampion and subscribe to his bi-weekly newsletter: https://gregcampion.substack.com/
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing Intentional Wisdom wherever you get your podcasts.
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In this episode of the Intentional Wisdom Podcast, Greg shares a recording from the Ovadia Heart Health Livestream, featuring an engaging discussion with Chris Cornell.

In a turning of the tables, Chris interviews Greg on all things Intentional Wisom, including what Greg is learning from the high-performers he interviews, why he’s evolved his goal setting process, and even how we should be thinking about integrating AI into our lives.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:13 Guest Appearance on Ovadia Heart Health Livestream
01:47 Chris Cornell's Introduction
03:56 Greg Campion's Background
06:31 Insights from Intentional Wisdom
10:23 High Performers and Energy Management
23:25 Goal Setting and Planning
31:04 Reflecting on Personal Rules
32:30 Fitness and Nutrition Rules
33:22 The Importance of Structure
35:25 Marathon Training Journey
37:08 Evaluating and Adjusting Rules
38:08 Simplifying the Process
41:37 Balancing Rest and Activity
42:54 Exploring AI and Its Impact
43:47 Practical Uses of AI
50:00 Future Implications of AI
53:34 Closing Thoughts and Resources
Subscribe to the Intentional Wisdom newsletter: https://gregcampion.substack.com/
Learn more about Ovadia Hearth Health at http://OvadiaHeartHealth.com

In this episode of Intentional Wisdom, Greg speaks with Kevin Smith, CEO and co-founder of Snipd. They discuss Snipd’s journey, integrating AI to enhance the podcast listening experience, managing the emotional roller
coaster of startups, and future ambitions. The conversation also touches on leveraging AI in education and personalized learning.

Episode segments:

(01:27) - Meet Kevin Smith: CEO of Snipd

(04:08) - The Journey of Building Snipd

(06:37) - Dealing with the Emotional Roller Coaster of Startups

(09:05) - Daily Routines and Wellness Tips

(11:16) - How Snipd Enhances Podcast Listening

(12:59) - Using Snipd with Readwise and Evernote

(15:31) - AI-Powered Podcast Features

(27:25) - Future of Podcast Discovery and Learning

(37:05) - Innovative Ways to Review Information

(37:46) - Creating Custom Podcasts with AI

(38:03) - Using AI for Summarizing Content

(39:50) - Voice Interaction with AI Models

(42:55) - AI in Education and Personalized Learning

(45:01) - Future of Audiobooks and Snipd

(50:00) - Challenges and Innovations in Podcast Apps

(56:00) - Potential Acquisitions and Licensing

(58:30) - Final Thoughts and Recommendations

 

Offer Link to get 1 month for free of Snipd Premium: 

https://link.snipd.com/Cx7S/intentionalwisdom

Company selling audiobooks with DRM: 

https://libro.fm/

Open-source software to get your Audible audiobooks out of the closed Audible system for personal use: 

https://getlibation.com/

Travel tips for exploring Zurich & Switzerland (from a Zurich lens): 
https://www.notion.so/kevinbensmith/Exploring-Zurich-Switzerland-c466fe4b2f7147cc93544dfac375e5f7

Follow Kevin on Twitter/X: https://x.com/KevinBenSmith

Follow Greg: https://x.com/gregorycampion

Intentional Wisdom newsletter: https://gregcampion.substack.com