The Hunt for Success

On this episode of “The Hunt for Success,” Sam interviews Kurt Belding, founder of Western Obsessions, about leaving a sports nutrition and fitness franchise business at 40, selling or closing companies, and spending several years hunting and filming while figuring out how to make a living in outdoor media.

00:00 Quitting It All

05:34 Learning To Monetize

08:14 Dream Hunts Alaska

13:28 Filming Under Pressure

18:02 Matching Hunters To Hunts

26:51 Scaling The Vision

34:49 Why Hunters Feel Everywhere

37:33 Must Have Gear Tips

49:51 Learning From Failure

Dr. Sam McGough interviews Hall of Fame third baseman Wade “Chicken Man” Boggs about his baseball career, outdoor life, and health. Boggs discusses his TV work in the outdoor industry, early fishing and hunting influences, and how big-game pursuits expanded after retirement, including completing the North American sheep grand slam and pursuing African Big Five/Dangerous Seven and billfish slams. He explains how extensive game-day superstitions and regimented routines—such as eating chicken—helped create a positive mindset and manage pressure, while noting fewer rituals outdoors. Boggs compares the mental and physical demands of playoff baseball to strenuous hunts like she...

Dr. Sam McGough interviews Marlon Mueller, a fourth-generation Iowa farmer who was shaped by the 1980s farm crisis and a multi-year estate lawsuit, leading him to study finances and become successful across farming, life insurance, and alternative real estate. Mueller recounts an early annuity mistake, later revisiting life insurance through deep research and adopting the infinite banking concept, stressing the need to discern misinformation online and to use mentors and trustworthy sources. He explains using whole life policies to borrow against cash value to fund investments, increasing “money velocity” by keeping dollars working in multiple places, often focusing on payi...

On the Hunt for Success podcast, the host interviews Christian Zeron, a longtime entrepreneur and watch enthusiast, about building resilience in business, balancing pride in hard work with financial outcomes, and staying principled even when it costs views or money. Zeron explains how he started Theo and Harris at 19 flipping vintage watches and later shifted most of his time to a marketing and consulting firm doing small and mid-size business strategy and commercial production. He describes souring on social media and content creation, then returning after his first hunt—a Louisiana duck hunt—sparked renewed passion and viral success. Zero...

Dr. Sam McGough interviews financial advisor Chris Norton about his shift from traditional wealth management into sourcing late-stage private-company shares (e.g., SpaceX, xAI, Palantir) for high-net-worth clients through funds that buy access via investment banks, VCs on cap tables, and employee liquidity events. Norton explains how companies staying private longer moves value creation to private markets, why major banks reserve these deals for ultra-wealthy clients, and how his firm separates a traditional RIA business from the private fund operation. He outlines due diligence focused heavily on counterparty credibility, his ideal client allocating 10–20% for higher-growth opportunities, and lessons on ma...

Dr. Sam McGough interviews Dan Beaudoin, president and CEO of DMF Bait Company, whose live bait is sold in about 12,000 U.S. stores and has been in business 49 years. Beaudoin shares how the company began when his father, uncle, and a friend—Michigan teachers seeking summer income—were drawn into a red-worm “buyback” scam, then pivoted into supplying nightcrawlers after discovering demand from bait shops, despite nightcrawlers’ difficult sourcing and inability to reproduce in captivity. Key turning points included landing Kmart in the early 1980s, surviving a 1988 drought by shipping at a loss, and later expanding into Walmart, Bass Pro, and C...

Dr. Sam McGough interviews Brian McNally, a Philadelphia working-class entrepreneur who exited a healthcare revenue-cycle business and is now writing a book, launching coaching, and developing a “founder operating system” focused on building a sellable asset by designing with the end in mind, setting a clear revenue target, replacing founder dependency, and keeping operations clean for an eventual buyer. McNally reflects on lessons from the exit, especially missed advanced tax strategies, and emphasizes defining personal success as freedom, health, family, and fulfillment rather than chasing societal “magic numbers.” He describes a major 2020 COVID-driven business downturn that triggere...

On the Hunt for Success podcast, Dr. Sam McGough sits down with Ben Jordan, a plumbing and HVAC entrepreneur, coach, and lifelong hunter who believes the skilled trades are positioned to create a new generation of millionaires. Jordan shares how reaching a breaking point led him to lose 120 pounds while running a growing company, why creating content became part of his responsibility to help others, and how service businesses can grow by focusing on root problems, consistent standards, and genuinely serving customers instead of simply chasing leads. He explains why he believes tradespeople often underestimate the businesses they’ve bu...

On the Hunt for Success podcast, Dr. Sam McGough interviews Ken Wall, a 30-year fitness industry veteran, coach, author, and lifelong hunter from Pennsylvania who focuses on helping men and women over 40 regain fitness with less pain and lower risk. Wall explains how early injuries led him to study exercise science, how the industry shifted from looking good to “being good,” and why recovery depends on sleep, nutrition, stress management, and adjusting training to minimize risk. He discusses mobility as a major limiter for men, strength deficits in women, and his own routine of daily mobility and three weekly stre...

Dr. Sam McGough interviews business growth expert Carl Gould of Seven Stage Advisors about his entrepreneurial path from starting and selling landscaping and construction/development businesses to coaching since 1990 and building Seven Stage Advisors in 2002. Gould explains how he developed a framework linking an owner’s behavioral style to business strengths and blind spots across strategy, business development, operations, and finance, and says he can drive 10%–30% revenue growth by addressing those blind spots. He highlights common constraints including poor pricing, trying to be everything to everyone, lack of strategic planning, and feast-or-famine business development, emphasizing consistent funnel activity and buil...

On the Hunt for Success podcast, Sam interviews Matt Fourie, a senior enterprise leader at Siemens Digital Industries Software who leads the General Motors business. Matt describes growing up in South Africa with early exposure to hunting through his father, later moving away from hunting due to lifestyle and restrictive gun culture, and rediscovering hunting after moving to the U.S. around age 30. He connects South Africa’s “hustle” environment to resilience, work ethic, and restarting at the bottom in America without a degree or network. Matt discusses traits of high performers—grit, faith in Christ, mentorship, humility, authenticity, and “ove...

In this episode of the Hunt for Success podcast, Dr. Sam McGough sits down with Tucker Green, business owner, public servant, lobbyist, and advocate for the skilled trades industry.

The conversation explores leadership, public policy, persistence, and advocacy, shaped by Tucker’s experience serving as the youngest school board member in Georgia, building a successful governmental affairs firm, and representing contractors across the state through association management and legislative engagement.

Throughout the discussion, Tucker breaks down the realities of lobbying, the importance of staying connected to the people you re...

In this episode of the Hunt for Success podcast, Dr. Sam McGough sits down with Hugh Hornsby, trades industry leader, business builder, speaker, and author of the upcoming book Blue Collar Smart.

The conversation explores resilience, leadership, business growth, and personal responsibility, shaped by Hugh’s journey through childhood epilepsy, major business setbacks, a stage four cancer diagnosis, and decades of helping companies and individuals unlock their potential.

Throughout the discussion, Hugh breaks down how focusing on people, sales systems, mentorship, and personal accountability helped him build and transform bu...

In this episode of the Hunt for Success podcast, Dr. Sam McGough sits down with Gregory DePriest, entrepreneur, Amazon logistics operator, former pastor, and leadership strategist.

The conversation explores personal reinvention, leadership, business growth, and the mindset required to continually evolve, shaped by Gregory’s journey from banking and finance to ministry leadership and eventually building a successful Amazon logistics company employing more than 200 people.

Throughout the discussion, Gregory breaks down the importance of knowing when to pivot, creating structure and accountability within organizations, and building success through relationships, st...

In this episode of the Hunt for Success podcast, Dr. Sam McGough sits down with Jeramie Worley, a real estate investor, hospitality entrepreneur, and co-owner of Lake Longbow.

The conversation explores executive recovery, outdoor hospitality, and legacy property development, shaped by Jeramie's experience in short-term rentals, real estate investing, and creating experiences that help leaders disconnect from stress and reconnect with what matters most.

Throughout the discussion, Jeramie breaks down the vision behind Lake Longbow, an 80-acre Missouri retreat built around hunting, fishing, land stewardship, and meaningful relationships. He...

In this episode of the Hunt for Success, Dr. Sam McGough sits down with Chris Rood, a real estate investor, operator, and former blue-collar business owner.

The conversation explores a long-form wealth building philosophy shaped by Chris Rood’s journey from mobile oil change operations to scaling multiple automotive shops, then transitioning into real estate investing, development, and portfolio expansion across mobile home parks, short-term rentals, and land development.

Throughout the discussion, Chris breaks down his framework of fast, medium, and slow money, including how disciplined reinvestment, operational experience, an...

In this episode of the Hunt for Success podcast, Dr. Sam McGough sits down with Chris Udall, a venture capitalist and ecosystem builder working at the intersection of startups, capital formation, and regional innovation.

The conversation explores venture capital, founder development, and innovation ecosystem building, shaped by Chris’ experience creating educational pathways for refugees in Jordan, managing early-stage investment funds in Alabama, and supporting technology transfer initiatives tied to Huntsville’s engineering base.

Throughout the discussion, Chris breaks down how venture capital evaluates early-stage, high-risk, scalable startups, including how founder traits like grit...

In this episode of the Hunt for Success podcast, Dr. Sam McGough welcomes his friend Eric Killen, owner of Killen Outdoor Adventures in Killen, Alabama, to discuss how Eric built an 11-year hunting and fishing travel business while continuing a 26-year corporate sales career.

Eric explains his client-first model, where outfitters pay his fee, clients receive vetted options across roughly 48 global locations, and every trip is personally verified by him or his team before anyone is sent. He also breaks down the end-to-end support system that covers airport pickup, outfitter coordination, paperwork, taxidermy, trophy...

In this episode of The Hunt for Success, host Sam McGough sits down with Theron Leany, an owner and operator at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air and Electric. Operating across four states, Theron shares his journey from hands-on appliance repair to executing multi-state corporate acquisitions and high-level consulting.

The conversation focuses on the "intrapreneur" mindset, transforming company culture by hiring for character over industry experience, and how structural clarity in business emerges naturally when you anchor yourself to your original "Why." Theron also discusses how bow hunting serves as a high-stress decompression tool and a...

In this episode of The Hunt for Success, host Sam McGough connects with Mark Baker, President and Owner of ACRE Development Corporation. Recording from Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, Mark shares his transition from a second-generation operator in the high-volume retail gasoline and convenience sector to a successful commercial real estate land developer.

The conversation focuses on the strategic shift from daily business operations to the long-term, high-stakes process of ground-up commercial development, drawing parallels between the deep preparation required for real estate and the patience of the outdoor lifestyle.

Dr. Kendall Price went from chiropractic school to 200 patient visits a week in just 90 days, not by accident, but by applying "boots-on-the-ground" marketing systems before he even opened his doors. Now, as founder of Elevate Marketing, he helps chiropractors build consistent patient acquisition through repeatable, scalable systems.

In this episode of Hunt for Success, Dr. Sam McGough sits down with Dr. Price to break down how understanding numbers like lifetime value and patient acquisition cost changes every business decision — how process and people create businesses that can actually be sold — and how a move to c...

On the Hunt for Success podcast, the host interviews Will Bamber of WNUI Safaris in New Zealand, discussing the property’s multi-generation history (including earlier AU Trading roots and WNUI Safaris emerging in the early 1980s) and the family-run culture led by Will’s father Paul. Will shares his multifaceted life: professional racing (including Lamborghini Super Trofeo and other North American series), time living and racing in Asia, and software development focused on ERP/CRM automation for the safari business. 

They emphasize that people and relationships drive repeat bookings, and describe using technology and AI to...

Dr. Sam McGough interviews Ryan Seekatz, an Alaska native and entrepreneur who transitioned from years of W2 work on Alaska’s North Slope oil fields to running businesses, then pursuing business acquisitions that led him to buy a Florida pool construction company.

Ryan describes the toll of long hitches away from family, the moment he decided to quit, and how he spent years searching for the right acquisition before launching a successful renovation branch while building about 100 pools per year in affluent East Coast Florida communities. The conversation also covers Ryan’s early hunting and...

On the Hunt for Success podcast, host Sam interviews Cookeville, Tennessee, real estate broker and avid hunter Lynn Jared, who runs a brokerage founded in 2022 that grew from about 500 transactions in its first year to over 800 in 2025 and is currently pacing 57% ahead year over year, despite broader market concerns.

Lynn attributes the growth to a strong culture, daily morning huddles, hands-on training, tiered team leaders, and feedback-driven problem-solving to reduce fall-throughs from contract to close. He discusses common early-agent mistakes, especially underestimating the time and cash needed to survive the first few years, and...

On the Hunt for Success, Sam sits down with Eric Nordstrom of Iron Ridge Capital to discuss building a vertically integrated multifamily real estate business, navigating the 2008 crash, and why his team paused acquisitions during market uncertainty from 2022 to 2025.

Eric shares how strong property management and disciplined leadership helped them survive and scale, plus why today’s market offers fresh opportunities through lender foreclosures and distressed deals. Beyond business, they explore how hunting and fishing provide stress relief, family bonding, and lessons in discipline that apply directly to long-term success.

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In this episode of the Hunt for Success podcast, Sam McGough is joined by his business partner and friend, Dr. Jonathan Saigh. Jonathan shares his journey from the football fields of Michigan to the lean early years of chiropractic school, where a $1,500 bank account was the only thing standing between him and failure.

The conversation dives deep into the "Technician vs. Entrepreneur" mindset, exploring why most professionals struggle to scale because they can't let go of their "baby". Jonathan outlines his exact strategy for developing a high-level executive team through profit-sharing and trust, and...

In this episode of the Hunt for Success podcast, Sam McGough sits down with Aaron Chapman, a veteran of the finance industry and a top 1% mortgage originator. Aaron’s journey is anything but traditional; he spent his early years branding cattle, working Wyoming oil fields, and breaking rock in the underground mines of New Mexico.

The conversation dives deep into Aaron’s "Redneck Economics" philosophy—a mindset built on personal responsibility, authenticity, and the resilience to survive life’s "ass-whoopins." Aaron recounts the harrowing moments of near-poverty that led to a life-changing meeting at a Red Lo...