EP.08 – From Runways to Regulations: Lee Collins and the NFTA Story

S2 E2: View From The Top - Steve Trowern, Temple View Capital

This episode features Steve Trowern — an American entrepreneur and finance executive known for founding Temple View Capital and serving as Managing Partner at MCM Capital Partners. Based in Bethesda, Maryland, Steve has built an impressive career spanning investment banking, mortgage finance, and distressed asset management — including his early days at Lehman Brothers. In this episode, he shares powerful insights on scaling businesses, navigating market cycles, and why sound judgment is the ultimate advantage in long-term success. From leaving banking to launching ventures ahead of their time, this conversation is packed with real-world lessons you can actually apply.

"Just Be The Founder"- with Josh Stech

In this episode of 4200%, host Anthony Geraci sits down with entrepreneur and investor Josh Stech, co-founder of Sundae and Just Be The Bank, to talk about building businesses at scale, private lending, and the realities of entrepreneurship. Josh shares his journey from fixing and flipping homes during the financial crisis to becoming a leader in private lending and venture-backed startups. He explains how gaps in the real estate market inspired the creation of Sundae, a marketplace designed to bring transparency and fairness between off-market home sellers and property investors.

EP.08 – From Runways to Regulations: Lee Collins and the NFTA Story

In this episode of 4200%, Anthony Geraci sits down with Lee Collins, CEO of the National Flight Training Alliance (NFTA). Lee shares his journey from starting a flight school in Kentucky to leading a national trade association shaping the flight training sector’s future. They explore the unique scaling challenges in aviation, the founding of NFTA, and how the organization gives a unified voice to flight schools on Capitol Hill. Lee discusses building credibility with regulators, tackling pilot mental health, and what it really takes for flight schools to grow sustainably in a changing industry. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ (00:00:00) Lee Collins’ early aviation roots and career path (00:00:53) Founding a flight school and lessons learned in the 80s and 90s (00:01:47) Choosing between broadcasting and flying (00:03:47) Transition to Capitol Hill and post-9/11 aviation security (00:05:45) Founding the NFTA to fill an industry gap (00:07:43) Building influence in Washington and FAA reauthorization (00:11:22) Tackling pilot mental health through non-punitive pathways (00:12:11) Leading the redesign of 141 training regulations (00:14:26) The importance of showing up and leading well (00:16:35) Lee’s advice for scaling a flight school and aviation business (00:17:23) How to get involved with NFTA Links: Anthony Geraci on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-geraci [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-geraci] Lee Collins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecollins12 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecollins12] NFTY: https://www.nftaus.org/ [https://www.nftaus.org/]

EP.07 – Scaling, Exiting, and Starting Over with Bill Tessar

In this episode of 4200, Anthony sits down with Bill Tessar, founder of CV3 and a veteran of the lending industry, to unpack his bold entrepreneurial story. Bill shares how he turned a teenage tanning bed hustle into a decades-long career building billion-dollar lending companies. He dives into his early hunger for success, the lessons learned scaling Civic Financial, its unexpected wind-down, and how he rallied the same team to launch CV3 with unstoppable purpose. Bill reveals what truly drives him now, why people always come first, and his simple formula for sustainable scale. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ (00:00:0) Bill's upbringing, early struggles, and first taste of entrepreneurship. (00:02:23) Launching a tanning business in his parents' garage at 17. (00:02:50) Buying his first house at 18 and discovering the mortgage industry. (00:06:01) Out-hustling everyone as a young loan officer. (00:07:15) Founding his first company and scaling with early technology advantages. (00:10:20) Transitioning to Civic Financial and spotting opportunity in business purpose lending. (00:11:51) Scaling Civic to billions in production and navigating acquisitions. (00:13:31) Civic's shutdown and its impact on hundreds of employees. (00:17:32) Spinning up CV3 immediately after Civic's closure. (00:18:53) Why people followed him instead of taking big offers elsewhere. (00:22:12) CV3's rapid growth and the mission to "get their belt back." (00:24:04) Bill's biggest advice: invert the org chart and put people first. (00:25:19) His three-word formula for scaling any business. (00:26:24) How to connect with Bill and CV3 today. Links: Anthony Geraci on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-geraci [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-geraci] Bill Tessar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamtessar [https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamtessar] CV3: https://cv3financial.com/ [https://cv3financial.com/]

EP.06 - From Band Stages to Flight Decks: Ed Bagden’s Journey with Lift Academy

In this episode of 4200%, Anthony speaks with Ed Bagden, Director of Operations at Lift Academy, a pioneering aviation training school under Republic Airways. Ed shares how his early days in a band, managing everything from marketing to tours, set the foundation for his entrepreneurial mindset. They examine the core of Lift Academy’s success, emphasizing perseverance, innovative training technologies, and streamlined processes that prepare students to transition smoothly from training to commercial flying. Ed also highlights essential strategies for scaling a business effectively, underlining the importance of standardized procedures and continuous improvement. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ (00:00:00) Ed Bagden's entrepreneurial beginnings with his band, Quickstep John (00:01:41) Lessons in perseverance and advocacy from early music career (00:02:49) Importance of perseverance and grit at Lift Academy (00:03:45) Ed's path from pilot at Republic Airways to operational leadership (00:04:47) Starting Lift Academy from the ground up (00:05:22) Personal satisfaction from seeing graduates succeed (00:06:35) Initial strategies for scaling Lift Academy's student base (00:07:22) Lift's structured pathway preparing pilots specifically for Republic Airways (00:09:25) Embracing VR and advanced simulators in pilot training (00:11:20) Redefining flight training through modern technology integration (00:12:18) Non-punitive safety reporting as part of Lift's training culture (00:13:35) Continuous improvement and collaboration within the aviation industry (00:14:15) Key considerations for scaling a business effectively (00:16:19) How standardization impacts operational success (00:17:11) Ed's definition of scaling with efficiency and growth (00:18:58) Recommended resource: The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt (00:19:49) How to connect with Ed and Lift Academy Links: Anthony Geraci on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-geraci [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-geraci] Ed Bagden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebagden [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebagden] Lift Academy: https://flywithlift.com/ [https://flywithlift.com/]