How They Built a $745M Company Together and Stay Married

Stop making million dollar decisions alone. Hampton gives you a personal board of eight vetted founders in your city who meet monthly to tackle your hardest problems. Find your group: joinhampton.comKory Mitchell built a blue collar asbestos business and sold it for $200M. When he stepped back, everything started to fall apart. A new CEO lost millions. The culture cracked. Kory came back to fix it, then walked away on his own terms. This is what happens when scaling works…until it doesn’t.Here’s what we talk about:Buying blue collar businesses: the unsexy but ultra-profitable path to serious scaleWhy adding debt transformed their trajectory – and nearly broke the companyWhat not to do after an exit: the new CEO that lost $12M in 6 projectsThe hidden tax of scale: how managing founders who’ve “already made their money” can kill your businessHow to build trust during M&A, and the warning signs that should make you walkLessons in culture, integration, and the real cost of bad communicationThe burnout that followed a $200M exit, and why Kory walked awaySabbaticals, Porsches, and starting over: what post-exit life really looks likeThe secret to finding off-market deals, and why PE firms keep asking Kory for helpWho shouldn’t do M&A (and why doing it while your house is on fire is a terrible idea)Cool Links:Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/Kory Mitchell https://www.linkedin.com/in/korylmitchell Sponsors:Get US caliber talent at offshore prices with https://www.oceanstalent.com/Achieve your dream body with https://www.dailybodycoach.com/moneywiseProtect your upside and get your time back at https://www.cressetcapital.com/moneywiseChapters:(01:54) Growing Up Blue Collar & Family Business Roots(03:09) Taking the Leap: Debt and Aggressive Growth(05:53) Merging, Scaling, and Learning from Private Equity(08:19) Managing People: The Human Side of M&A(13:18) Integration and Building Company Culture(19:25) The $200M Exit and Stepping Away(21:48) Crisis: Post-Sale Struggles and Turnaround(25:22) Burnout, Sabbatical, and Starting Over(27:47) Lessons Learned: Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Do M&AThis podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.Your Host: Harry MortonFounder of Lower Street, a podcast production company helping brands launch and grow top-tier podcasts.Co-parents a cow named Eliza.

Stop making million dollar decisions alone. Hampton gives you a personal board of eight vetted founders in your city who meet monthly to tackle your hardest problems. Find your group: https://joinhampton.com/Kass and Mike Lazerow built two companies together, sold one for $25M… and the next for $745M. Along the way, they went bankrupt, survived dot-com busts and Facebook booms, and figured out how to build a business without destroying their marriage. Here’s what we talk about:What it’s actually like to sell your company for $745 millionThe early Golf.com bankruptcy scare, and how Tiger Woods saved the businessWhy their co-founder relationship works (and where it almost blew up entirely)Mixing work and love: the brutal fights, trust, and one-liners from the delivery roomFull breakdown of their first splurge, and what “enough” money really meansRaising $50M without meaning to sell, and getting a surprise offer from SalesforceThe $12M flop that reminded Mike why Kass is the only co-founder he needsCo-founder red flags, communication rules, and how they manage disagreementsLiving rich vs. feeling rich: the moment they finally felt secureCool Links:Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/Kass and Mike https://kassandmike.com/ Kass and Mike's book: Shoveling $h!t: A Love Story https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shoveling-Story-about-Entrepreneurs-Success/dp/B0DY21NS7W Sponsors:The modern way to run your business phone is https://www.quo.com/perks/moneywiseAchieve your dream body with https://www.dailybodycoach.com/moneywiseProtect your upside and get your time back at https://www.cressetcapital.com/moneywiseChapters:(1:26) The $745M Buddy Media exit(4:29) What people get wrong about working with a spouse(6:22) How Kass and Mike met(8:44) The Golf.com story(15:33) Managing team dynamics as married co-founders(23:17) Handling finances as a married couple(28:18) What they did with the money after the exit(32:33) Lessons learned and what they'd do differently(36:58) Closing thoughts on finding the right co-founderThis podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.Your Host: Harry MortonFounder of Lower Street, a podcast production company helping brands launch and grow top-tier podcasts.Co-parents a cow named Eliza.

Stop making million dollar decisions alone. Hampton gives you a personal board of eight vetted founders in your city who meet monthly to tackle your hardest problems. Find your group: joinhampton.comJaclyn Johnson sold Create & Cultivate for $22 million. Then she hit pause – burned out, got divorced, and took a year off to figure out what she actually wanted. Now? She’s back, running the same company she sold, after buying it back for less.Here’s what we talk about:Flipping real estate, investing in 25 startups, and turning $10K into $1.2MSpending $17K/month on rent – and not caringThe number where she actually felt rich: $4–5M liquidHer full wealth breakdown: real estate, stocks, startups, and “a little” cryptoWhy angel investing works for her, and the returns that keep her goingHow burnout and divorce forced her to take a full year offWhat it’s like buying back the company you sold – for lessWhy she’ll never run day-to-day again (and how operators changed everything)Female founder scrutiny, and why being the face of the brand gets brutalWhy she’s done chasing status, and how FOMO just disappearedCool Links:Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/Jaclyn Johnson https://jaclynrjohnson.com/ Sponsors:Get US caliber talent at offshore prices with https://www.oceanstalent.com/Achieve your dream body with https://www.dailybodycoach.com/moneywiseProtect your upside and get your time back at https://www.cressetcapital.com/moneywiseChapters:(0:25) How Jacqueline Johnson built and sold businesses for millions(1:43) The three kinds of success every founder chases(7:04) What it actually feels like to have $15M in the bank(15:29) How Create & Cultivate became a brand women rally behind(18:37) The double standard: What it’s really like being a female CEO(23:18) The moments that made Jacqueline feel like she’d “made it”(25:37) What happens after you stop chasing FOMO(29:38) The money mistakes founders make after a big exit(32:04) What Jacqueline wishes every founder knew before sellingThis podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.Your Host: Harry MortonFounder of Lower Street, a podcast production company helping brands launch and grow top-tier podcasts.Co-parents a cow named Eliza.

Stop making million dollar decisions alone. Hampton gives you a personal board of eight vetted founders in your city who meet monthly to tackle your hardest problems. Find your group: joinhampton.comJordan Schlipf spent a decade building companies optimized for fun, freedom, and friendships. But with years of hindsight, he wonders if he left too much money on the table.Here’s what we talk about:Why Jordan left a lucrative investment banking path to chase startupsHow the Rainmaking model let him share risk (and reward) with fellow foundersThe downside of passion-led business: no investment thesis, millions wastedWhy he believes he could’ve made way more money doing less exciting workWhat he thinks about his $4M liquid net worth — and why it doesn’t feel like enoughThe moment he realized private equity is a better game than startupsHow he’s now trying to turn around a $10M beauty business without raising capitalWhat it really costs to live well in London as a founder with a familyWhy he regrets chasing the “cool” startup dream instead of playing it safeWhat true wealth means to him today: help, time, and optionalityCool Links:Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/Jordan Schlipf https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-schlipf-0b855174Sponsors:Tam your taxes today at https://olarry.com/Achieve your dream body with https://www.dailybodycoach.com/moneywiseProtect your upside and get your time back at https://www.cressetcapital.com/moneywiseChapters:(0:49) Breaking Down the Rainmaking Model(2:08) Jordan’s Pivot from Investment Banking to Startups(4:15) Why He Couldn’t Stay Away from Startups(5:43) The Origins & Vision Behind Rainmaking(8:48) Biggest Challenges in the Rainmaking Model(10:57) Costly Mistakes & Lessons Learned Along the Way(13:00) Why Jordan Stepped Away from VC(17:05) Taking Over as CEO of a Beauty Brand(18:23) Jordan’s Current Finances & Where He Stands Today(20:23) Lifestyle Adjustments & Financial Struggles(24:32) Life Before Family vs. Life After(29:04) What He Wishes He’d Done DifferentlyThis podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.Your Host: Harry MortonFounder of Lower Street, a podcast production company helping brands launch and grow top-tier podcasts.Co-parents a cow named Eliza.

Stop making million dollar decisions alone. Hampton gives you a personal board of eight vetted founders in your city who meet monthly to tackle your hardest problems. Find your group: joinhampton.comDonald Spann built a multi-million dollar call center from scratch — with no outside capital, no technical background, and no safety net. Even crazier? He sold it for $12M to the first person who ever signed up.Here’s what we talk about:Dropping out of college because he knew he’d never work for anyone elseBuilding a cleaning business off a Reddit thread… then using it to launch something way biggerAccidentally going viral and getting 65,000 applications on a mom blog Why he’s never raised a dollar of capital — and never plans toHis $12M exit from a bootstrapped call center (and how the buyer was his first-ever customer)Breaking down his finances: no real estate, no advisor, just stocks and angel betsGrowing up Black in a private school bubble and how that shaped everythingLiving on $10K/month in Mexico and self-funding a new mezcal brandCool Links:Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/Sponsors:Tam your taxes today at https://olarry.com/Achieve your dream body with https://www.dailybodycoach.com/moneywiseProtect your upside and get your time back at https://www.cressetcapital.com/moneywiseChapters:(1:26) Donald’s Net Worth & Current Ventures(3:57) Early Life, Education, and First Lessons(7:40) First Businesses & Getting Into Y Combinator(10:49) Building and Selling the Cleaning Business(14:02) The Successful Exit of Vicki Virtual(18:54) Personality, Confidence, and Entrepreneurial Edge(22:41) Meritocracy, Hard Work, and the Role of Luck(25:40) Reflections on Success & Personal Growth(29:02) Race, Identity, and the Entrepreneurial JourneyThis podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.Your Host: Harry MortonFounder of Lower Street, a podcast production company helping brands launch and grow top-tier podcasts.Co-parents a cow named Eliza.

Stop making million dollar decisions alone. Hampton gives you a personal board of eight vetted founders in your city who meet monthly to tackle your hardest problems. Find your group: joinhampton.comRajiv Khaneja made tens of millions running an ad tech company, but still lives in the same city he grew up in, wears the same clothes, and told friends he rented his house—even though he owned it. Here’s why.Here’s what we talk about:How Rajiv built a profitable tech business as a teenager (and hired adults while still in high school)Turning down a $2.5M acquisition offer... then heading back to chemistry classWhat 25 years of “anti-lifestyle inflation” looks likeThe impact of immigrant parents and a “worst-case-scenario” money mindsetWhy he lived undercover for years, and how finding a peer group unlocked everythingHow he built AdButler into an 8-figure, bootstrapped businessRajiv’s idea of a lifestyle upgrade: attentional freedom > private jetsHappiness optimization: spending $7M on a home to be closer to friends His new obsession: using AI to help cure cancerCo-founding Arvita Therapeutics — and why he’s still building, even with $50M+ in net worthSponsors:Achieve your dream body with https://www.dailybodycoach.com/moneywiseProtect your upside and get your time back at https://www.cressetcapital.com/moneywiseCool Links:Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/AdButler https://www.adbutler.com/index.htmlArvita Therapeutics https://www.arvita.co/Chapters:(0:00) Teen Millionaire: How Rajiv Made His First Money(0:45) Living Cheap on Purpose: Why He Drives a Prius(1:59) Managing Wealth & Long-Term Investing Strategy(3:36) Monthly Spending Breakdown & Frugal Habits(9:02) The Origin Story: From Web Polls to Ad Butler(19:16) Family, Upbringing & Money Values(24:49) Social Life, Hiding Wealth & Finding Founder Friends(31:56) Resisting Lifestyle Upgrades After a Big Exit(35:40) Choosing the Right Life & Business Partner(41:29) Future Bets: Biotech, Longevity & Playing the Long GameThis podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.Your Host: Harry MortonFounder of Lower Street, a podcast production company helping brands launch and grow top-tier podcasts.Co-parents a cow named Eliza.

Stop making million dollar decisions alone. Hampton gives you a personal board of eight vetted founders in your city who meet monthly to tackle your hardest problems. Find your group: joinhampton.comAli Abdaal didn’t sell a startup. He didn’t raise money. He didn’t even plan to leave medicine. He just turned himself into the business, and ended up happier, wealthier, and more free than he ever expected.Here’s what we talk about:Why Ali says money hasn’t made him more happy, just removed the stuff that made him unhappyHis net worth (between $1M and $10M) and how it breaks downHow a scammed MacBook deal sparked a business that made £1M+What he learned after hitting $6M/year in revenue, and why he stopped trying to scale furtherHow flying business class and skipping trash day became his personal luxuriesWhy “$100M in the bank” wouldn’t change how he spends his timeHow coaching, meditation, and philosophy reshaped his relationship with moneyThe moment Lewis Howes helped him break his identity as a doctorHis rule of thumb: “Freedom comes from leaving money on the table”Why he's building software to reduce his dependence on contentHis real goal: $2M/year profit so he can work when he wants, on what he wantsSponsors:Get US caliber talent at offshore prices with https://www.oceanstalent.com/Achieve your dream body with https://www.dailybodycoach.com/moneywiseProtect your upside and get your time back at https://www.cressetcapital.com/moneywiseCool Links:Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/Ali’s stuff: https://aliabdaal.com/Chapters:(0:00) Introduction & Ali's Philosophy on Wealth(1:48) Net Worth Breakdown & Investing(3:17) Life in Hong Kong: Renting vs. Owning(4:54) From Medicine to Entrepreneurship(6:09) Early Business Lessons & Getting Scammed(7:44) Building and Selling the First Business(9:02) YouTube Journey & Passive Income(12:00) Revenue Growth, Plateau, and Lifestyle Design(16:01) Money, Happiness, and Scarcity Mindset(24:00) Motivation, Fulfillment, and Final ThoughtsThis podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.Your Host: Harry MortonFounder of Lower Street, a podcast production company helping brands launch and grow top-tier podcasts.Co-parents a cow named Eliza.

Stop making million dollar decisions alone. Hampton gives you a personal board of eight vetted founders in your city who meet monthly to tackle your hardest problems. Find your group: joinhampton.comRob Townsend says you’re wrong about financial advisors… mostly. And he’s built an 8-figure firm to prove it.Here’s what we talk about:Why $3M liquid is Rob’s version of “f*** you money”How he went from $0 to 8 figures by modernizing financial planningWhy the old guard of wealth management is failing foundersWhat most people get wrong about index fundsThe simple investing mistake that wipes out 44% of stocksWhy the happiest clients aren’t the richest onesHow sabbaticals change Rob’s life (and business) every timeHis full portfolio: Dimensional Funds + a little BitcoinThe real reason private deals feel better than they performThe toxic mindset that plagues people with $25M+ net worthCool Links:Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/Sponsors:The best phone system for teams at http://www.openphone.com/moneywiseAchieve your dream body with https://www.dailybodycoach.com/moneywiseChapters:The Financial Advisor Debate (00:00)Rob’s Personal Money Story (00:43)Growing Up & Early Influences (01:53)Lessons from Rob’s Uncle (05:39)Breaking into Wealth Management (06:31)Mistakes in Investing & Learning the Basics (09:01)The Case for Financial Planning (14:15)Building a Modern Wealth Firm (15:26)The Defense of Financial Advisors (19:14)Psychology of Wealth & Happiness (37:53)Final Thoughts: Money as a Tool for Life (45:53)This podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.Your Host: Harry MortonFounder of Lower Street, a podcast production company helping brands launch and grow top-tier podcasts.Co-parents a cow named Eliza.

Stop making million dollar decisions alone. Hampton gives you a personal board of eight vetted founders in your city who meet monthly to tackle your hardest problems. Find your group: joinhampton.comEverything you need to know about turning art into a real (and risky) investment strategy.Carlos Cardenas is a Private Wealth Advisor at Austin Wealth Management, bringing over 20 years of experience in alternative asset management. His background spans commercial real estate, technology, and healthcare ... but with a particular passion and expertise for the most alternative of asset classes: the fine art market.Carlos spent nearly two decades in Paris, where he worked as a private art dealer and advisor, collaborating with leading institutions like Christie’s,Sotheby’s, and the Picasso Family Office. His rare blend of financial acumen and art world savvy allows him to help clients navigate both traditional and nontraditional investments with insight and creativity.Here’s what we talk about:What makes a banana duct-taped to a wall worth $6 million — and what it says about the art market.Carlos Cardenas shares how he went from private art dealer in Paris to advising wealthy clients on fine art investing.Why art can offer 8–12% returns — but only in a narrow slice of the market.How to start investing in art (even with less than $10K) — and when it becomes a serious wealth play.The real reason most people lose money in art — and how to avoid rookie mistakes.Passion, status, and profit: the three reasons people buy art (and why you need all three to succeed).Inside the elite world of art fairs, private dinners, and collector circles — and why art collecting is a powerful networking tool.Fractional ownership, tax loopholes, art-backed loans, and other financial hacks of the ultra-wealthy.How NFTs and digital authentication could transform the future of art investing.Why collecting art might just be the emotional outlet you didn’t know your money needed.Cool Links:Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/Austin Wealth Management https://austinwealthmgmt.com/Carlos's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/carloscardenastx/Carlos's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/chicobeef/?hl=enSponsors:Get US caliber talent at offshore prices with https://www.oceanstalent.com/Achieve your dream body with https://www.dailybodycoach.com/moneywiseThinking of selling your company? Don’t leave millions on the table check out https://www.promissory.com/moneywiseChapters:The $6.2 Million Banana & Art Market Hype (00:00)The Story of Art Collector Eli Saka (01:27)Meet Carlos Cardenas: Art, Wealth, and Passion (03:22)Art as an Investment: Returns & Blue Chip Art (04:44)Building an Art Collection & Diversification (07:06)Why Most Art Investments Don’t Pay Off (09:36)Reducing Risk & The Importance of Provenance (12:15)Big Wins, Big Losses, and Market Speculation (18:19)Fractional Ownership, Masterworks, and Modern Strategies (22:44)The Emotional Value of Art & Is It Worth It? (30:23)This podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.This podcast is for educational purposes only and do not constitute financial advice.You Host - Jackie LamportNot really the host, but the producer.Wrote this sentence.

Thinking about selling your company? 24 founders told us what really happens after the wire hits. — joinhampton.com/exit-reportInside Alex Hormozi’s decade-long climb from $0 to $200M+.Here’s what we talk about:A transparent breakdown of his $200M+ net worth: $95M in liquid assets, $100M+ in illiquid equityThe Gym Launch explosion: from near-bankruptcy to $42M in distributions and a $31M cash sale by age 31Why selling made him feel poorer, and why he’ll never cut off his “cash flow firehose” againLaunching Acquisition.com the day after his exit to build a “forever business” using capital, skill, and leverageHis high-yield side plays: hard money lending, minority equity deals, and how he’s made six figures a month in interest aloneLifestyle spending habits – including losing a $20M Vegas dream homeWhy most founders shouldn’t bank on an exit, and the slim statistical odds of selling successfullyThe mindset shift he’s working on now: being in a better mood regardless of success, stress, or circumstancesSponsors:Get US caliber talent at offshore prices with https://www.oceanstalent.com/Achieve your dream body with https://www.dailybodycoach.com/moneywiseThinking of selling your company? Don’t leave millions on the table https://www.promissory.com/moneywiseCool Links:Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/Alex Hormozi's newest book, $100M Money Models, launches at a live virtual event Saturday August 16th. Register free: https://register.acq.comThe book will teach you how to get more customers to spend more, in less time, over and over again, ultimately eliminating cash flow as a constraint to growth of any business.Chapters:(1:22) Alex Hermozi’s Net Worth & Background(3:49) How Alex’s Assets & Where He Invests(5:28) Alex’s Fitness Philosophy(6:10) College Years & Early Ambitions(10:18) First Venture: Defense Contracting, Then Entrepreneurship(13:20) Building Gym Launch & Selling for $60M(31:47) Lifestyle, Spending Habits, Plus a Wealth Mindset(38:43) Personal Growth & Finding Fulfillment(40:02) The True Value of Success & Seeking ValidationThis podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.Your Host: Sam ParrFounder of Hampton, a private, highly vetted community for high-net-worth founders.Previously sold his last company for tens of millions.