The Jon Schultz Podcast: The Myth of Overnight Success

How One Impossible Decision Changed Gretchen Wilcox’s Entire Life

Some guests walk into a conversation and quietly rewrite everything you thought you knew about grit, timing, and what it really means to bet on yourself. Gretchen Wilcox is one of those guests. I have known Gretchen Wilcox for decades, and she is a true trailblazer in our industry. She is the first, and to this day, the only female-founded commercial real estate mortgage banking firm in the United States. Think about that. In one of the largest industries in the world, she is still standing alone at that distinction more than thirty years later.  On the surface, this is a story about business, growth, and long-term success. But underneath all of that, it is really a story about pressure, belief, family, loss, and the choices that define who we become when life forces us to act. What makes this conversation so powerful is the honesty. Gretchen doesn't sugarcoat the moments that nearly broke her. There's the raw reality of launching her company with six months of runway, a second mortgage on her home, a husband battling a terminal illness, and two young kids depending on her. She didn't start her company chasing glory; she started it to survive, and what she built from that moment of pure necessity is nothing short of extraordinary. This episode covers a lot of ground, building a business from nothing, surviving COVID, and now watching her own children carry the company forward. Tune in to hear one of the most honest and hard-earned stories I have had on this podcast. Gretchen’s story will stay with you. Whether you are building a business, leading a team, or standing at a moment in your own life where the safe choice is not the right one, there is real value in this episode. Chapters: 00:00 – The Biggest Risk of Gretchen’s Career 02:00 – Building a Business Out of Survival 02:55 – Small Town Roots & Family Values 05:35 – Gretchen’s First Entrepreneurial Venture at Age 9 07:45 – Leaving Home for Boarding School 12:05 – Babson, Graduation & Taking Big Chances 16:45 – Merrill Lynch & Learning Commercial Real Estate 19:20 – Mentors, Networking & Industry Organizations 22:45 – Being Told “Women Can’t Do This” 26:50 – Charity Work Led to Everything Changing 30:00 – Taking the Leap & Starting G.S. Wilcox 32:00 – Becoming the First Female Founder in CRE Mortgage Banking 35:20 – COVID: The Darkest Moment in Business 40:00 – Building a Family Legacy 46:20 – Would She Do It All Again? 49:25 – Final Thoughts: Leadership, Family & Success Gretchen on Socials: IG: @gretchenswilcox X: @GSWilco1 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-wilcox-19453922/ Jon on Socials: IG: @thejonschultzpodcast X: @JonSchultzPod LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-jon-schultz-podcast www.jonschultz.com

George Gellert on Why Starting From The Bottom Is The Only Way To The Top

If there is one person who truly embodies the theme of this podcast, it is George Gellert. We talk a lot about the myth of the overnight success, and George is the living, breathing proof that the "top" is built on decades of grit, early mornings, and a level of drive that most people just aren't ready for. George is an absolute titan in the food industry, but his story starts way before the global boardrooms. We dive into his childhood in upstate New York, where he was already a seasoned entrepreneur by age eight. You’ll hear about the wild lengths a twelve-year-old George went to to gain a competitive edge in track, and how milking cows before sunrise shaped the relentless work ethic that he still carries today. We also get into his legendary time at Cornell, where he wasn't just a student; he was running multiple businesses and making more money than he did in his first "real" job as a lawyer for the SEC. George opens up about the friction of working in a family business, the intense risks of being one of the first Americans to trade with China during the Cold War, and the mindset required to navigate massive setbacks, from being hacked for millions to surviving a battle with B-cell lymphoma. But the real magic in this episode isn't just about the money or the scale; it is about the loyalty. George shares how he built a massive empire in food, real estate, and finance through relationships that have lasted over fifty years. Whether you are a young entrepreneur starting in the mailroom or a veteran leader looking to build a multi-generational legacy, George’s wisdom on why you must "start from the bottom" is something you cannot afford to miss. 00:00 – Intro: The Reality Behind “Overnight Success” 00:45 – Early Hustle & Work Ethic (From Age 8 to Farm Life) 05:45 – Cornell Years: Entrepreneurship, Athletics & Education 10:00 – Early Career: SEC, Army & Global Exposure 12:00 – Joining the Family Business (And Taking a Different Path) 18:30 – Leadership Challenges & Taking Over the Business 22:00 – Scaling the Business: Risks, Politics & Major Obstacles 25:00 – Building Culture: Loyalty, Family & Long-Term Success 28:00 – Taking Big Risks: China & Global Expansion 30:00 – Personal Adversity: Battling Cancer & Staying Strong 33:30 – Sustaining a Family Business Across Generations 41:00 – Final Advice: Start at the Bottom & Outwork Everyone 44:00 – Outro Jon on Socials: I G: @thejonschultzpodcast X: @JonSchultzPod LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-jon-schultz-podcast www.jonschultz.com

Legacy in Motion: Mike Tepedino’s Mission to Develop Tomorrow’s Talent

What turns a kid from Brooklyn into a leader who builds and rebuilds big businesses, then starts over again by choice? Meet Mike Tepedino, Founder and Managing Partner of Blue Light Capital, whose path runs from six gritty years in loan workouts on the “what can go wrong” side of real estate became the foundation for everything that followed. We get into the leap to brokerage, the Chinese-restaurant meeting that set up HFF’s rise, and the 2019 sale to JLL for about $2 billion, where scale brought new tools and reach but also a fresh look at purpose and timing. Now Mike is building again with Blue Light Capital, stepping into an underserved middle-market bridge space in the roughly $15 to $50 million range, and pairing that with BLNext, a nonprofit that trains college and pro athletes for real estate careers with 150 hours of Excel and Argus plus one-to-one mentors who have walked the path. If you care about discipline, people, and timing, this conversation delivers hard lessons and practical wisdom with zero fluff. Watch the full episode to hear how Mike thinks about focus, why small habits like handwritten notes still matter, and what it takes to start again when everyone thinks you are done.  00:00 – Welcome to the Show 00:44 – Who Was “Little Mike”? Early Life & Personality 01:38 – Two Defining Moments That Changed His Life 03:01 – Discovering Discipline at 19 03:48 – Being Forced Out of His Comfort Zone 05:41 – Fear of Failure & The Shoebox of Quotes 08:15 – Falling in Love With Real Estate as a Kid 09:54 – The Mentor Who Changed Everything 12:18 – Lessons in Marketing, Relationships & Handwritten Notes 16:30 – The Dark Side of Real Estate: Learning From Bad Loans 20:51 – Becoming a Broker & Betting on Himself 23:02 – The Life-Changing Dinner With Mark Gibson 28:53 – Scaling From 50 People to 1,000+ 30:51 – Surviving the 2008–2009 Financial Crisis 33:59 – Joining JLL & Operating at Global Scale 35:56 – Knowing When It’s Time to Walk Away 39:41 – Launching Blue Light Capital 45:11 – BLNext: Mentoring the Next Generation of Leaders 49:47 – Giving Back, Purpose & Legacy 51:57 – How to Connect With Mike & Final Thoughts Mike Tepedino on Socials: IG: @blnext LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-tepedino-bluelight/ Blue Lights LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-light-re/?viewAsMember=true BL Next LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bl-next/?viewAsMember=true Blue Lights Website: https://bluelightre.com/ BL Next Website: https://blnext.org/ Jon on Socials: IG: @thejonschultzpodcast X: @JonSchultzPod LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-jon-schultz-podcast www.jonschultz.com

Resilience, Risk & Reinvention – Lessons from Michael Johnson’s Startup Story

What if one phone call could completely change the trajectory of your life? In this episode, I sit down with Michael Johnson, a scientist turned entrepreneur, president of the New Jersey Innovation Institute, and now author of 1% Dad.  His story is one of relentless work ethic, fearless curiosity, and the ability to seize opportunity when it knocks, even if you don’t recognize it at first. From a childhood shaped by devoted parents and early struggles in school and sports, Michael shares how discovering the power of hard work in high school football set him on a path of discipline that has driven every chapter of his journey. We dive into the unlikely twists that brought him from building rockets in the driveway with his science-teacher dad to a NASA internship he almost ignored, to launching a biotech company out of a basement. Michael takes us inside the grit behind building Visikol, from hustling for early funding to convincing pharma giants to trust two twenty-somethings with their most guarded research, and the gut-wrenching challenges of keeping a startup alive through crises, including COVID, when business evaporated overnight. His decision to sell the company at its peak was equal parts strategic foresight and personal necessity, a move that proved wise when the market collapsed shortly after. Today, as President of the New Jersey Innovation Institute, he’s focused on helping founders get their ideas into the world and inspiring fathers to excel in both their personal and professional lives through his newly released book, 1% Dad. His book serves as a call to action for men to reconnect with their health, purpose, and presence at home, and Michael gets honest about the isolation, self-doubt, and quiet struggles many fathers face.  He also opens up about the moments of vulnerability behind his successes, the mentors who shaped him, and the practical mindset shifts that have carried him forward. This episode is packed with stories, lessons, and insights that hit well beyond business. If you’ve ever wondered how to navigate the unknown, protect your energy, and keep pushing forward when things get messy, this one is for you. 00:00 – Introduction & Early Life 02:36 – Discovering Discipline Through Sports 07:29 – Mentors & Lifelong Lessons 11:14 – From Science Enthusiast to NASA 17:46 – Early Entrepreneurial Spirit 20:25 – Founding Visikol 23:36 – Securing First Funding 26:54 – Surviving the Startup Struggle 29:09 – The COVID Crisis & Pivot 30:56 – Deciding to Sell 33:41 – Leading NJII 39:15 – Writing 1% Dad 42:09 – Vulnerability & Honesty in the Book  45:19 – Silencing Self-Doubt 48:20 – Advice to His Younger Self 51:34 – Final Thoughts & Where to Find the Book Michael on Socials: IG: mjohnson_phd [https://www.instagram.com/mjohnson_phd/]  X: @MichaelJoh82712 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-johnson-njii/ Youtube: @1percentdad  Jon on Socials: IG: @thejonschultzpodcast X: @JonSchultzPod LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-jon-schultz-podcast www.jonschultz.com

Failing Forward: How Setbacks Paved the Way for a University President

What happens when you put a university president who's weathered pandemics, launched massive campaigns, and chairs the Bruce Springsteen Archives in a room with great questions? Pure gold.  In this episode, I sit down with Patrick Leahy, President of Monmouth University, for one of those conversations that reminds you why leadership stories matter. Patrick takes us through his incredible journey from being the youngest of six kids outside Baltimore to running a $200 million university. We dive into the mentor who changed everything by pushing him to apply to Georgetown (spoiler: he thought he'd never get in), the poetry class with the university president that shifted his entire career path, and those messy years when he tried business and finance before finding his true calling in higher education. But here's where it gets really interesting. Patrick shares what it was actually like stepping into the president's role just months before the pandemic hit, how he kept an entire campus community connected through weekly Zoom calls that people still don't want him to stop and the bold moves he's made to position Monmouth for the future. We're talking about partnerships with Hackensack Meridian for healthcare programs, building out film and TV production right as Netflix constructs their massive studio two miles away, and chairing the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. The conversation gets into the real stuff too. How AI is going to reshape education, why being someone others want to work with might be the most critical skill you can develop, and what it means to lead through uncertainty while staying true to your values. Patrick's energy is infectious when he discusses servant leadership, the importance of asking better questions, and how every twist in your career path ultimately serves you later. Patrick's story reminds us that the most successful leaders aren't those who follow predetermined paths, but those who remain open to possibility and aren't afraid to bet on themselves and others. It's a conversation that will leave you thinking differently about what's possible when you combine authentic leadership with strategic vision and the courage to act on both. 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction 01:00 – Childhood & Early Leadership 05:45 – The Georgetown Pivot 10:30 – From Business to English Lit 14:00 – The Nonlinear Journey to Education 20:45 – First Presidency at Wilkes 26:30 – Leading Through a Pandemic 32:00 – Vision for Monmouth 37:00 – Netflix, Sports & Strategic Growth 41:30 – The Role of AI in Higher Ed 48:30 – Emotional Intelligence & Employability 50:00 – The Springsteen Archives 55:00 – Closing Reflections Patrick on Socials: IG: monmouthuniversity X: @PatrickFLeahy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-patrick-f-leahy-ab873620 Youtube: @monmouthuniversity⁩ [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCZlJlOPTvZs2vWk0liHislw] Jon on Socials: IG: @thejonschultzpodcast X: @JonSchultzPod LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-jon-schultz-podcast www.jonschultz.com