The Entrepreneur DNA

Are you ready to stop treating your startup like a side project and start building a scalable business? In this episode, Dr. Michael Burcham shares the hard-earned wisdom of a veteran who has transitioned from a physical therapist to a multi-million dollar private equity investor.

We dive deep into the mindset shifts required to go from a day job to a full-time founder, the critical importance of customer discovery, and why most investors won't touch your project until you have skin in the game. Michael breaks down the common mistakes technical founders make and how to navigate the emotional rollercoaster of anxiety and frustration that comes with the territory. You will learn how to differentiate your brand in a noisy market, the power of personal touches in networking, and how to align your vision with what investors are actually looking for.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why most early-stage businesses are still just “projects”
● The biggest mistake founders make before launching
● Why investors care about paying customers more than perfect decks
● How to build awareness without wasting money
● Why failure is part of the entrepreneur DNA
● How to avoid chasing every opportunity
● Why your network can become your biggest growth engine
● How anxiety, insecurity, and frustration show up in business
● What investors see that founders often miss
● Why selling your company can trigger an identity crisis

About Justin:
 

Justin Colby is the host of The Entrepreneur DNA and The Science of Flipping podcasts and a best-selling author. He is a serial entrepreneur and a seasoned real estate investor with over 20 years of experience.

 

Driven by a passion to help entrepreneurs thrive, Justin created the Entrepreneur DNA community to support business owners in building wealth, systems, and long-term freedom. Through his podcasts, books, education platforms, and hands-on mentorship, he continues to help entrepreneurs scale with clarity and confidence.

 

Connect with Justin:

Instagram: @thejustincolby

YouTube: Justin Colby

TikTok: @justincolbytsof

LinkedIn: Justin Colby

About Michael Burcham

Dr. Michael Burcham is an investor, author, business strategist, and private equity operator who has spent decades building, scaling, and advising high-growth companies.
After starting his career in healthcare, he went on to build and grow multiple companies before transitioning into venture capital and private equity, where he now helps founders navigate growth, fundraising, leadership, and long-term business strategy. He is also the author of multiple books focused on startups, scaling, failure, and investor relationships.

Connect with Dr. Michael Burcham:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelburcham

Instagram: instagram.com/dr.michaelburcham 

Website: www.michaelburcham.com

Chapters

0:00 Intro and meeting Dr. Michael Burcham

3:15 The journey from physical therapy to private equity

6:30 Why relationships and local ecosystems matter

9:45 The biggest misconception for early stage founders

13:10 Diversifying your offerings and solving customer pain

16:20 The framework for launching a successful venture

19:40 Building awareness and the sales pipeline

23:05 How to differentiate your brand in a noisy market

26:30 The power of handwritten notes and networking

30:00 Projects vs businesses and getting investor attention

33:50 Learning from failure and the importance of grit

37:20 Managing the seven deadly emotions of entrepreneurship

41:00 Identity shifts and the new book Blood Sweat and Equity

44:49 Final thoughts and where to find Michael

#entrepreneurship #startupgrowth #venturecapital #businessstrategy #entrepreneurmindset

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Get Mauricio's book 'Tackling Toxicity' on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/08uHkZag

In this episode I sit down with Mauricio Velasquez, a worldwide conflict resolution and emotional intelligence consultant who has trained in over seventy five countries, from Guantanamo Bay to the White House to professional sports organizations like the MLS. We get into why most people are conflict averse and what happens when you ignore toxic behavior instead of addressing it. Mauricio breaks down the difference between reacting and responding, how to spot your own triggers before they take over, and the exact language he teaches leaders to use when someone is coming in hot. We talk through real stories from his thirty year career, from coaching a CEO who nearly destroyed his company's culture in fifteen seconds to a moment in the stands at his daughter's basketball game where he chose to stand up instead of stay silent. This conversation is about moving from bystander to upstander, in your business, your family, and your life.

Main Topics Covered

Why most people avoid conflict instead of resolving it

The difference between reacting and responding

How to identify your own emotional triggers

What to say when someone is coming in hot

Moving from bystander to upstander

Holding leaders and toxic employees accountable

Building psychological safety for honest feedback

Standing up for others in the moment

About Mauricio:

Mauricio Velasquez is the founder and president of Diversity Training Group and the author of Tackling Toxicity: A Skill-Based Guide to Addressing Toxicity. Over his thirty year career, he has worked as a management consultant, workplace investigator, executive coach, trainer, and expert witness specializing in bias, prejudice, and hate, training more than one million employees, managers, and executives. He has worked in nearly every U.S. state and traveled to more than seventy five countries, coaching organizations ranging from the White House and Guantanamo Bay to Native American tribes, law enforcement agencies, and professional sports organizations like the MLS. Mauricio holds a BA in Economics and Psychology from the University of Virginia and an MBA in Human Resource Management from George Washington University.

Connect with Mauricio:

Website: https://www.diversitydtg.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauricio-velasquez-mba/

About Justin:

Justin Colby is the host of The Entrepreneur DNA and The M.O.R.E Show podcasts and a best-selling author. He is a serial entrepreneur and a seasoned real estate investor with over 20 years of experience.

Driven by a passion to help entrepreneurs thrive, Justin created the Entrepreneur DNA community to support business owners in building wealth, systems, and long-term freedom. Through his podcasts, books, education platforms, and hands-on mentorship, he continues to help entrepreneurs scale with clarity and confidence.

Connect with Justin:

Instagram: @thejustincolby

YouTube: Justin Colby

TikTok: @justincolbytsof

LinkedIn: Justin Colby

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode I sit down with Brett Gilliland, founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, who has spent the last fourteen years helping business owners make the leap from hustler to real CEO. We dig into why so many founders get stuck right before the ten million dollar mark, and why it almost always comes down to control. Brett walks me through the four systems his company teaches to build a business that doesn't depend on the founder for everything, what a CEO's real job becomes once a leadership team is in place, and how to know when you're still holding onto something you should have let go of months ago. We also get personal, talking about the daily disciplines that keep us both grounded, including his fourteen "I am" statements that he's repeated every single morning for over a decade, and why taking care of yourself first isn't selfish, it's what makes you capable of showing up for everyone else. If you've built something real but feel like you're the bottleneck holding it back, this conversation is for you.

Topics Covered

Why founders need to change in order to grow their business

Letting go of control as a business owner

The difference between a hustler and a real CEO

What changes once a business hits $10 million

Building a full leadership team

The CEO's real job: vision, team, resources

The four systems Elite Entrepreneurs teaches to scale a business

Why founders unknowingly sabotage their own growth

Daily disciplines and morning routines

Putting yourself first to show up better for others

About Brett Gilliland:

Brett Gilliland is the founder and CEO of Elite Entrepreneurs, a company that gives seven figure business owners the knowledge, systems, and coaching to grow to ten million dollars and beyond. For over a decade, Brett helped lead Infusionsoft's growth from seven million to more than one hundred million dollars in revenue, where he was involved in building the company's Purpose, Values, and Mission, co-created the Elite Forum, and served as VP of Leadership Development. He has spent fourteen-plus years coaching founders and executives on how to move from hands-on hustler to confident, capable CEO. Brett has been married to his wife Sharon for thirty years, and together they have eight children.

Connect with Brett:

Website: https://growwithelite.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/built2lastchamp/

 

About Justin:

Justin Colby is the host of The Entrepreneur DNA and The M.O.R.E Show podcasts and a best-selling author. He is a serial entrepreneur and a seasoned real estate investor with over 20 years of experience.

Driven by a passion to help entrepreneurs thrive, Justin created the Entrepreneur DNA community to support business owners in building wealth, systems, and long-term freedom. Through his podcasts, books, education platforms, and hands-on mentorship, he continues to help entrepreneurs scale with clarity and confidence.

Connect with Justin:

Instagram: @thejustincolby

YouTube: Justin Colby

TikTok: @justincolbytsof

LinkedIn: Justin Colby

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it really take to walk away from a seventeen-year corporate career and build an $18 million marketing agency in just three years? In this episode, Eric Winegard shares the mindset, discipline, and relentless commitment that helped him go from a troubled childhood and military structure to becoming the CEO of Rare Blue Moon Marketing.

We dive into the realities of entrepreneurship, the difference between paid ads and organic content, and why most businesses fail before marketing even begins. Eric breaks down the importance of networking without an agenda, building a real personal brand online, and why commitment is the trait that separates successful founders from everyone else. You’ll also learn how sales psychology, leadership, and self-belief became the foundation for scaling one of the fastest-growing agencies in the space.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

How Eric went from a troubled childhood to military discipline

Why sales became the skill that changed his life

The difference between networking and selling

Why most marketers don’t understand sales

How Rare Blue Moon Marketing scaled so quickly

Why organic content and paid ads need to work together

What business owners get wrong when hiring agencies

Why commitment matters more than talent

About Justin:
 

Justin Colby is the host of The Entrepreneur DNA and The MORE Show podcast and a best-selling author. He is a serial entrepreneur and a seasoned real estate investor with over 20 years of experience.

 

Driven by a passion to help entrepreneurs thrive, Justin created the Entrepreneur DNA community to support business owners in building wealth, systems, and long-term freedom. Through his podcasts, books, education platforms, and hands-on mentorship, he continues to help entrepreneurs scale with clarity and confidence.

 

Connect with Justin:

Instagram: @thejustincolby

YouTube: Justin Colby

TikTok: @justincolbytsof

LinkedIn: Justin Colby

About Eric Winegard

Eric Winegard is the CEO and cofounder of Rare Blue Moon Marketing, a fast-growing digital marketing agency helping businesses scale through paid advertising, SEO, content strategy, and lead generation. After spending seventeen years in corporate sales leadership, Eric transitioned into entrepreneurship and rapidly built an $18 million agency by combining high-level sales psychology with modern marketing systems.
His story spans a difficult upbringing, military discipline, and years of mastering sales, networking, and leadership before becoming a founder. Today, Eric works with businesses across multiple industries to help them grow through strategic marketing, brand positioning, and scalable customer acquisition.

Connect with Eric Winegard:

Instagram: @ericwinegardofficial

YouTube: @ericwinegard8088

Facebook: winegard1

LinkedIn: Eric Winegard

Website: rarebluemoon.io

 

Chapters

0:00 The road from W2 to eighteen million dollars

2:45 Is sales a born talent or a learned skill

5:30 Why high level masterminds are worth the investment

9:15 Overcoming a difficult childhood and foster care

13:40 How the military builds a wartime mentality

17:50 Why Eric left a safe CEO track to start over

22:10 The role of faith and grit in business growth

26:45 Burning the boats and making success a necessity

30:15 Paid ads vs organic content strategy

33:50 Humanizing your brand on social media

37:20 Geofencing and targeting for local businesses

41:05 Lessons from the Gold Coast Podcast and Brad Lea

44:30 Why marketing cannot fix a broken business model

46:46 Final advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

 

#entrepreneurship #digitalmarketing #salesstrategies #scalingbusiness #mindset

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Free consultation / website: www.assetprotectionattorneys.com — Hillel offers to send complimentary copies of his latest books to anyone who mentions The Entrepreneur DNA.

In this episode, I sit down with Hillel Presser, a nationally recognized asset protection attorney who's helped protect over $11 billion in client assets and written six books on the subject. We get into why "it's not what you make, it's what you keep," and unpack the exact strategies the ultra-wealthy use to become "uncollectible" — from owning nothing and controlling everything through LLCs and limited partnerships, to the real difference between revocable and irrevocable trusts, to lesser-known free strategies like tenancy by the entirety and Florida's homestead exemption. Hillel also shares jaw-dropping stats (you're seven times more likely to be sued than to be in a car accident, and there are over 100 million lawsuits filed every year) along with real client stories, from a woman selling dolls at a flea market who got sued for millions, to the risks of golf carts, boats, and jet skis sitting unprotected in your name. Whether you're just starting your first business or you've already built serious wealth, this conversation is a masterclass in protecting what you've worked so hard to build.

Topics Covered

Why protecting what you build matters as much as building it

"Own nothing, control everything" — the core principle for entrepreneurs

LLCs, trusts, and holding companies explained simply

Revocable vs. irrevocable trusts (and the mistake most people make)

Why we live in such a litigious society — and the stats to prove it

How to settle lawsuits for pennies on the dollar by being "uncollectible"

Personal guarantees: why to avoid them, and what to do instead

The 3-step framework to start protecting yourself today

Structuring real estate, business income, cash, and crypto the right way

Why selling a business is a bigger lawsuit risk than most expect

Domestic vs. international protection — who actually needs each

State-specific protections (Florida homestead, wage protection, and more)

About Hillel Presser

Hillel L. Presser, Esq., MBA is the Managing Partner and founder of The Presser Law Firm, P.A., a national and international asset protection law firm based in Boca Raton, Florida. Over more than two decades, Hillel has helped protect over $11 billion in client assets and has represented some of the country's most recognizable entrepreneurs, business owners, celebrities, and professional athletes. He is the author of several books on asset protection and financial self-defense, including Asset Protection Secrets and Financial Self-Defense, and has been featured in Forbes, Sports Illustrated, the Robb Report, and on FOX, BRAVO, NBC, ABC, and CBS. Hillel holds a law degree from Nova Southeastern University, an MBA in marketing from Lynn University, and studied entrepreneurship at Syracuse University.

Connect with Hillel Presser:

Website: www.assetprotectionattorneys.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hillelpresser

Facebook: facebook.com/ThePresserLawFirm

Instagram: instagram.com/assestprotectionattorneys

X/Twitter: twitter.com/AssetAttorneys

About Justin:

Justin Colby is the host of The Entrepreneur DNA and The M.O.R.E Show podcasts and a best-selling author. He is a serial entrepreneur and a seasoned real estate investor with over 20 years of experience.

Driven by a passion to help entrepreneurs thrive, Justin created the Entrepreneur DNA community to support business owners in building wealth, systems, and long-term freedom. Through his podcasts, books, education platforms, and hands-on mentorship, he continues to help entrepreneurs scale with clarity and confidence.

Connect with Justin:

Instagram: @thejustincolby

YouTube: Justin Colby

TikTok: @justincolbytsof

LinkedIn: Justin Colby

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.