The Business Credit and Financing Show

Andrea Dobkin is the founder of Guide to Franchising, where she helps aspiring business owners explore franchise opportunities and existing business resales that fit their goals, budget, and lifestyle. With over 12 years on the brand side of the franchising industry before launching her own practice in 2024, Andrea brings an insider's understanding of what makes a franchise system work, and what candidates should watch out for before signing on.

Her interest in entrepreneurship started early. Andrea's father ran a lawn care franchise in the 1970s, and watching that business up close, its promise and its pitfalls, shaped how...

What happens when your business wins the opportunity you've been waiting for… but you don't have the cash to fulfill it? 

For a growing business, more revenue doesn't always mean more cash. You can win the contract, deliver the work, and still be waiting 30, 60, or 90 days to get paid. 

Today, we're talking about that gap between earning revenue and actually having the cash to operate and grow… and how business owners can think about working capital before cash flow becomes the thing holding them back. 

Joining us today is Josh Register, Business Development Officer...

Scott brings over 20 years of experience in private equity, venture capital, investment banking, and middle-market investing. Most recently, he spent nine years as a Principal and Portfolio Manager at a fund managing over $3 billion in assets, where he gained deep insight into business operations, capital strategy, and growth.

Previously, he co-founded a $325 million technology-focused investment fund and worked at Citigroup, executing more than $2.7 billion in financing transactions.

With his extensive experience in business finance, lending, private equity, and capital markets, Scott would provide valuable insights for your audience of business owners and finance professionals.

Patrick Manning is a recognized leader in the alternative finance industry, with more than 10 years of experience helping small and midsized businesses access the capital they need to grow. Over the past decade, Patrick has assisted in providing more than $1 billion in small business financing and currently serves as CEO of ROK Financial, an industry leader in innovative working capital solutions for businesses across all 50 states.

As CEO, Patrick leads an experienced team of alternative lending advisors while developing a growing network of strategic partners and small business clients. His approach combines deep industry knowledge, relationship-driven financing...

Matthew Pollard is an internationally recognized business strategist, speaker, and bestselling author known as "The Rapid Growth® Guy." As the Founder and CEO of Rapid Growth, LLC, he has helped over 3,500 businesses achieve rapid, sustainable growth by focusing on niche marketing, differentiation, and scalable sales systems.

An introvert himself, Matthew developed powerful sales methodologies designed specifically for those who don't fit the traditional "extroverted salesperson" mold. His work has transformed how entrepreneurs approach sales by emphasizing storytelling, authenticity, and strategic positioning instead of high-pressure tactics.

Before the age of 30, Matthew was responsible for five multimillion-dollar b...

Cole brings significant experience in commercial finance and factoring, with DARE having funded over $6 billion in receivables and built long-term relationships with thousands of businesses. Their focus on working capital, construction factoring, and lines of credit gives Cole a strong perspective on helping businesses manage cash flow and take on larger growth opportunities.

He also has experience with factoring partnerships and technology through DARE's BRS program and proprietary NN6 platform, which could provide an interesting perspective on the evolution of factoring, risk management, and technology in commercial finance.

I think Cole's experience in factoring, working...

Mark founded Logic Advance in 2015 with the mission of helping small and mid-sized businesses access fast, flexible working capital. Under his leadership, the company has grown into a direct business funding provider offering financing from $5,000 to $1 million, with streamlined underwriting, rapid approvals, and same-day funding for qualified businesses.

He represents a technology-enabled direct lender focused on serving the SMB market through efficient underwriting and a customer-first approach. With his background in alternative finance and experience building a modern lending platform, Mark could share valuable insights on fintech lending, access to capital for small businesses, underwriting innovation, and...

Luke Hessler is a branding strategist, entrepreneur, and the founder of Ace Branding, where he helps businesses and personal brands stand out, scale their visibility, and create lasting impact in competitive markets. With a strong focus on digital presence and brand positioning, Luke specializes in helping entrepreneurs clarify their message, attract the right audience, and turn their brand into a powerful growth asset.

Through his work, he has helped clients elevate their online presence using strategic content, social media, and modern branding techniques that drive engagement and revenue. Luke is passionate about empowering business owners to build...

Eddie DeAngelis is a seasoned entrepreneur and business funding expert with more than 30 years of business experience. From his early days as a street vendor in Philadelphia to becoming the Founder and CEO of QualiFi, Eddie has built a career centered on helping entrepreneurs achieve growth and success.

Through QualiFi, Eddie works closely with business owners to provide customized financing solutions, including term loans, equipment financing, lines of credit, and other funding products designed to help businesses access the capital they need to scale. His hands-on experience as both an entrepreneur and funding professional gives him a...

Jason Blumer is the Founder and CEO of Thriveal, a community and consulting organization dedicated to helping entrepreneurial CPA firm owners grow through coaching, education, and leadership development. Since launching Thriveal in 2010, he has supported thousands of firm owners in building more intentional, scalable, and purpose-driven businesses.

In addition to Thriveal, Jason is the CEO of Blumer & Associates, CPAs, an advisory firm serving creative and agency-based businesses. He was an early adopter of the virtual firm model and has spent years helping firms transition from compliance-focused services to higher-value advisory relationships.

Jason is widely recognized...

Nellie Akalp is a serial entrepreneur, small business advocate, and the Founder and CEO of CorpNet, a leading business formation and compliance service that has helped hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs start and maintain their businesses across all 50 states.
With over two decades of experience in the incorporation industry, Nellie has built multiple successful companies focused on simplifying the startup process for business owners. She is widely recognized for her expertise in business formation, compliance, and entrepreneurial growth strategies.

Nellie is a passionate advocate for small businesses and frequently shares insights on how entrepreneurs can properly...

Sebastian Sanders, widely known as "The Youth Principal," is an author, educator, speaker, and entrepreneur dedicated to advancing economic mobility through youth development and community innovation. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, he is the founder of Sanders Hand, a nonprofit that has impacted over 5,000 youth and college students across the U.S. and Ghana through financial literacy, leadership, and digital education. In 2024, the organization earned recognition as a Career & Technical Student Organization (CTSO) by the Texas Education Agency—one of only 10 in the state.

Sebastian also created the Young Billionaires Club, a hands-on entrepreneurship program for yo...

Bridger Pennington is a fund manager, entrepreneur, and co-founder of multiple investment funds dedicated to making private investing more accessible. In 2019, he co-founded Fund Launch, an incubator helping emerging managers launch and grow investment funds. Today, the platform has more than 141,000 users and has helped launch 390 funds representing over $7.1 billion in reported AUM. In 2026, Bridger co-founded Fund Launch AI, an end-to-end platform designed to simplify fund and SPV formation, legal structures, administration, and vendor management. He also co-founded Fund Launch Partners, a $32 million GP Stakes fund focused on partnering with emerging fund managers, with more than $341 million in aggregate...

Frank Tumminello is the founder of FileForms, a company focused on simplifying business compliance and filing requirements for entrepreneurs and companies across the U.S. With a strong background in business operations and regulatory processes, Frank has helped streamline how businesses stay compliant with state and federal requirements. Through FileForms, he provides practical solutions that save business owners time, reduce risk, and eliminate the complexity of ongoing filings—allowing entrepreneurs to focus on growth and scaling their companies.

During the show we discuss:

Raphael Lavin is a seasoned financial executive and entrepreneur with deep expertise in financial and credit analysis, leasing, and enterprise risk management. His experience spans operating a private equipment leasing company where he oversaw credit structuring, pricing, collections, and litigation—giving him a comprehensive understanding of multiple industries.

He began his career in a fourth-generation family-owned metals business, gaining hands-on experience across operations before transitioning into sales, where he expanded market reach and revenue. As the industry evolved, Raphael developed a strong focus on efficiency, cost management, and strategic change.

Later, he helped transform a sm...

Based at J D Factors' Canadian head office in Mississauga, Ontario, Tina also oversees branch operations in Montreal, Calgary, and Halifax. Throughout her career, she has developed extensive expertise in commercial finance, factoring, portfolio management, and operational leadership.

In addition to her executive responsibilities, Tina has served on the 
Advisory Board of the International Factoring Association, contributing her industry knowledge and leadership to the advancement of the commercial finance sector. She is also a graduate of the University of Toronto.

With her deep experience in commercial lending, operations, and leadership, Tina brings valuable insights o...

Chris Johnsen combines a dual JD/MBA with real-world entrepreneurial experience to deliver a powerful, business-first approach to legal strategy. With a background spanning advertising, retail, and real estate, he brings practical insight that goes beyond traditional legal counsel. 

Chris is known for translating complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance while maintaining the negotiation strength and precision clients expect.

Before founding Johnsen Law, Chris was a partner at the international firm Holland and Knight, advising companies of all sizes on a wide range of corporate matters. His experience spans industries including oil and gas, t...

Dan Negroni has coached 30,000+ Gen Z employees directly, and teaches 200+ of them live every semester — so what he bring isn't theory, it's pattern recognition from the ground and the classroom. The research base behind the work spans 400,000+ participants.

Business owners are hiring Gen Z every day and losing them just as fast — not because of pay or perks, but because of a coaching gap most leaders don't see. That gap shows up in retention, engagement, performance, and how their leaders are actually leading. Dan knows just how to make that concrete and actionable.

During the show...

Mark Dusseau is the technical co-founder of StarterStack.ai, a profitable, bootstrapped enterprise AI company based in Atlanta. StarterStack builds the operating system for private capital, deploying on-premise AI agents that automate underwriting and monitor portfolio risk in real time for non-bank lenders scaling from $50M to $500M.

Before StarterStack, Mark was a data scientist and product leader. He started his career at Ernst & Young and later worked alongside engineers at Two Sigma.
Across startups and mid-market companies, the products he has built have driven over $500M in revenue and impacted more than four million users.<...

Duane Youngblood, known as The Success King, is the founder of Bizstart Group Inc. and creator of the CBL Wealth Blueprint. He spent 18 months studying consumer credit law to fix his own credit from scratch, then built a system that has helped over 7,000 entrepreneurs improve their credit, build fundable businesses, and access capital. With 37 years in credit and business funding, Duane teaches entrepreneurs exactly how to go from financial setbacks to building a business that can get funded.

During the show we discuss:

Rob is the Vice President and Founder of Smarter Finance USA, an equipment financing firm dedicated to helping small and mid-sized businesses secure the capital they need to purchase equipment and grow. With more than 20 years of experience in financial analysis, business valuation, and financial services, Rob founded the company to bring greater transparency and straightforward guidance to the equipment financing industry.

Rob combines a strong financial background—with a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of California, Irvine, an MBA in Finance from Pepperdine University, and completion of CFA Level II—with practical, real-world lending expe...

What if the way you've structured your business to save taxes or protect your assets today is actually making it harder to get funded, grow, or build wealth tomorrow? 

As business owners we may find ourselves thinking about about entity structure, taxes, business credit, funding, and asset protection as separate decisions. The reality is that these pieces are deeply connected—and the decisions we make early on can either create opportunities for us later or limit them. 

Today we're going to talk about how to build a business structure that not only protects what we're buil...

Eric is a business finance professional with Solutions Financial Services, where he helps business owners secure customized funding solutions to support growth, acquisitions, equipment purchases, and working capital needs. Through his work, Eric partners with entrepreneurs across a wide range of industries, helping them navigate the lending landscape and access the capital necessary to achieve their goals.

With extensive experience in commercial finance and business lending, 
Eric brings a practical, solutions-oriented approach to helping companies overcome funding challenges. His expertise includes alternative lending, equipment financing, SBA financing, and structuring capital solutions that align with each client's u...

Donald Brown, Founder of Beacon Business Capital, is a strong fit for your guest lineup because his expertise spans nearly the full range of lender categories. Through Beacon Business Capital, he works across SBA loans, working capital, MCA, revenue-based lending, invoice factoring, equipment leasing, commercial real estate financing, bridge loans, startup funding, and franchise financing.

This makes him especially valuable as a guest because he's not limited to one niche product—he understands and structures funding across multiple capital sources, which aligns directly with the broad lender ecosystem your show covers. His 25+ years in commercial finance also gi...

Laura Ries is a globally recognized brand strategist, bestselling author, and leading authority on positioning. As the Chairwoman of RIES, the consulting firm she co-founded with her father, marketing pioneer Al Ries, she has spent over three decades helping companies define their brands, dominate their categories, and achieve long-term growth through strategic positioning.

Laura is the co-author of several influential marketing classics, including The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding and The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR, and the author of Visual Hammer and The Strategic Enemy. 

Her work has shaped how businesses approach b...

Candice Frazer is the revenue efficiency strategist and founder of AlphaRev, a firm that helps established businesses systematically increase revenue across retention, expansion, referrals, win-backs, and lost deals. Frazer works with CEOs, CFOs, and operators in professional services and industrial organizations to help them capture more value from their existing customers, partners, and pipeline.

With more than 20 years of experience across revenue strategy, operations, and growth systems, Candice is known for bringing clarity to messy growth problems. Rather than pushing top of funnel tactics exclusively, she and her team at AlphaRev help teams focus on revenue
...

Peter Ribeiro is a seasoned entrepreneur, business finance expert, and Founder & CEO of Capital Gurus, a fintech platform dedicated to simplifying and accelerating access to business capital. Under his leadership, Capital Gurus has developed innovative lending technology that enables businesses across the United States to receive fast funding decisions and access capital efficiently.

Prior to Capital Gurus, Peter founded and scaled US Business Funding from the ground up, ultimately achieving a successful exit in 2018. His background in business lending, funding operations, sales leadership, and financial technology has made him a respected voice in the alternative finance industry.<...

Henry Magun is the CEO and co-founder of Hansa, a company he launched in 2023 to help businesses grow through innovative technology solutions. Prior to founding Hansa, Henry was a venture capital investor at New Enterprise Associates (NEA), where he focused on early-stage enterprise technology companies and supported founders through investment and board involvement. He also served as the New York Chapter Lead for EVCA and gained experience in product management at Nebia and expansion at WeWork. Henry holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, where he was selected as a Mayfield Fellow through the Stanford...

John is a highly respected leader in the alternative finance industry, bringing more than 17 years of experience building, scaling, and optimizing high-performing sales and funding organizations. 

Throughout his career, he has successfully launched over seven sales organizations and co-founded two funding companies, including one that achieved a successful exit at five times EBITDA and another that continues to fund more than $7 million monthly.

Known for his expertise in alternative lending, sales leadership, and risk assessment, John has developed a reputation for building teams that excel in both customer acquisition and long-term client retention. His approach f...

Why do so many companies struggle with cash flow at the exact moment they have their biggest opportunity in front of them?

Today we're talking about the hidden financial challenges of growth, how businesses can prepare for larger opportunities, and why access to the right capital strategy can determine whether a company scales or stalls.

Our guest today is Eric Rabinovich, Managing Director of X-Caliber GovCon Capital. Eric brings a rare perspective to this conversation, having worked as a government contractor, served as a federal contracting officer with the FDA, and now helping businesses access...

Anthony serves as Vice President of Banking Business Development at Benetrends Financial and has more than a decade of experience in franchise financing and SBA lending. As a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) and active member of the International Franchise Association (IFA), he has built a strong reputation for helping franchisees and franchisors secure the capital they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses.

Throughout his career, Anthony has partnered with franchise professionals across a wide range of industries, combining deep expertise in SBA lending, business development, and strategic partnerships to deliver meaningful results. He is also...

Today we're talking about what business owners can learn by seeing their company through three different perspectives—the operator, the investor, and the lender. We'll explore why growth can create as many challenges as opportunities, and how understanding the lender's mindset can ultimately make us stronger business owners.

Our guest today has had the rare opportunity to sit in all three seats. As an entrepreneur, investor, and one of the country's leading SBA lenders, Nimi Natan understands that building a successful business takes more than revenue—it requires strong relationships, disciplined cash flow, and earning the confidence of t...

Shane Pierson is a seasoned banking professional at Leader Bank, where he specializes in helping businesses and individuals access tailored financial solutions to support growth and long-term success. With a strong background in commercial banking and lending, Shane works closely with clients to structure financing strategies that align with their goals, whether it's expanding operations, investing in real estate, or improving cash flow.

Known for his relationship-driven approach, Shane focuses on understanding each client's unique financial position and delivering customized solutions that go beyond traditional banking. His expertise spans commercial lending, credit analysis, and strategic financial planning...

David Gens is an award-winning entrepreneur, fintech leader, and Founder & CEO of Merchant Growth, one of Canada's leading online small business finance companies. From humble beginnings in his apartment, David built the company into a national organization with offices in Toronto and Vancouver, helping thousands of Canadian small businesses access the capital they need to grow and succeed.

With deep expertise in alternative lending, financial technology, and scaling businesses, David is driven by a mission to make funding more accessible through innovative digital solutions. In addition to leading Merchant Growth, he is the founder of BankFlow AI...

Jeffrey Shaw is a globally recognized expert on selling to the affluent and a sought-after
speaker who transforms how luxury businesses attract and retain a high-end clientele.
With over four decades of experience working with the world's wealthiest individuals, he
has mastered the art of understanding the luxury buyer mindset and elevating business
strategies to extraordinary success.

As a preeminent portrait photographer, Jeffrey's work has been featured on The Oprah
Winfrey Show, CBS News, in People and O Magazine, and hang at Harvard University.
His deep understanding of affluent clients' complex...

Damiano didn't start with connections or capital. At 24, he had $400 left, printed his LinkedIn profile 100 times, and spent 10 hours walking door-to-door to land his first client—a small power tool store that he helped grow into a nine-figure business within two years.

That early momentum led to building and scaling an agency to over $8 million a year with a 75-person team. But behind the growth was a different reality: broken systems, pressure from investors, inconsistent sales, and a business that couldn't function without him.

Then came the harder lessons—being defrauded by a client, losing team...

Cheryl Tibbs is a business growth strategist who bridges capital, technology, and automation to help entrepreneurs and small business owners scale. She combines business funding solutions with AI implementation, workflow automation, and strategic financial guidance to build efficient, resilient operations. With deep experience in financing, Cheryl helps companies secure working capital, loans, and equipment funding while streamlining processes through no-code and low-code systems. Her approach aligns access to capital with technology-driven efficiencies that boost productivity, profitability, and long-term growth. Cheryl is passionate about removing barriers—from limited funding to inefficient workflows and complex tech adoption—by designing smarter systems and...

Teri Ijeoma is a globally recognized financial educator, stock trading expert, and entrepreneur dedicated to helping individuals achieve financial freedom through strategic investing. A former educator and assistant principal, Teri transitioned from the classroom to full-time trading after discovering the power of the stock market as a tool for income generation and lifestyle design.

She is the founder of Trade and Travel, a highly successful online education platform that has taught tens of thousands of students worldwide how to generate income through trading. Known for simplifying complex financial concepts, Teri has built a reputation for making trading...

Adam Stettner is a seasoned financial services entrepreneur and founder of FundCanna, a leading capital provider to the cannabis industry. After building Reliant Funding into one of the largest small business financing companies in the U.S., he identified a major gap in cannabis lending and launched FundCanna in 2021. 

Under his leadership, the company has underwritten over 6,000 clients and approved more than $500 million in funding, becoming the largest non-bank, non-real estate funding source in the sector. Across his career, Stettner and his team have delivered over $6 billion to more than 200,000 businesses and reviewed over one million small b...

For over 30 years, Stephen Woessner has worked in the trenches of agency new business strategy, working alongside and consulting with hundreds of agencies — teaching them how to plant their flag of authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients so they can win new business.

Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remains its CEO and co-owner, working alongside his business partners, Erik Jensen and Hannah Roth. Stephen hosts the "Onward Nation" and "Sell with Authority" podcasts with listeners in over 140 countries and over 1,000 episodes. Hi...