As Q1 wraps up, it’s the perfect time to pause and get honest about what your business really needs next. In this recap episode of Build Boldly, we revisit key moments from the first two episodes of our 2026 Business Roadmap series: Strategy & Operations and Finance & Accounting.

From defining a clear North Star goal and identifying bottlenecks, to tightening up your bookkeeping, budgeting, and cash flow systems, this episode is a practical check-in for entrepreneurs who want to build with more clarity and less chaos.

Whether you’re feeling on track or realizing a few things need to be reset, these clips will help you refocus on the foundations that support sustainable growth.

In this episode:

• Why strategy and operations have to work together
• How to identify friction points slowing your business down
• What clean books and better cash flow visibility make possible
• Why financial discipline creates better decisions and less stress
• How to move into Q2 with more intention, clarity, and control

If you’re a founder, operator, or business owner trying to lead well through growth, this recap will help you get grounded in the essentials before the next quarter begins.

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Connect with Pat Rodgers on LinkedIn
Learn more about RISE Commercial District Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

Build Boldly is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Most businesses don’t fail because of a bad product. They fail because they run out of cash. In this episode of Build Boldly, Pat Rodgers sits down with Logan Burchett, founder and CEO of Forecastr, to break down how founders can use real financial planning and analysis (FP&A) to take control of cash flow, make smarter decisions, and scale with confidence.

Logan brings experience from institutional finance, venture-backed startups, and fractional CFO work, and now helps companies in the $1M–$50M range build financial systems that actually support growth. Pat and Logan talk about how founders can move beyond spreadsheets and guesswork into a more strategic, data-driven approach to building their business.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why cash flow is what keeps businesses alive
• How to use forecasting to decide when to hire, invest, or expand
• What FP&A actually is (and why most founders don’t use it)
• How scenario planning removes fear and replaces it with clarity
• The impact of financial modeling on valuation, lending, and exits
• Why recurring revenue (ARR/MRR) changes everything for service businesses
• How to blend software, AI, and human expertise for better decision-making

Logan also explains how founders can start simple and build toward a full financial strategy that supports long-term growth. If you’re making big decisions about hiring, equipment, marketing, or expansion, this episode will give you the framework to move forward with confidence.

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Connect with Pat Rodgers on LinkedIn
Learn more about RISE Commercial District Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

Build Boldly is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

At some point, every founder hits the same wall: You can’t do everything anymore… but letting go feels just as risky. In this episode of Build Boldly, Pat Rodgers sits down with Adam Weber, two-time founder, former CEO of Emplify, and author of Lead Like a Human, to break down what it really takes to transition from operator to leader.

Adam has built and exited companies, coached executives, and helped organizations improve employee engagement in ways that actually drive business results. In this conversation, he shares practical, hard-earned insights on how founders can scale themselves as leaders while scaling their business.

They cover:

• How to stop “rescuing” your team and why it’s holding you back
• A simple framework for setting goals using themes and quarterly focus
• How to onboard employees so they actually reduce your workload
• How to make better decisions under stress and maintain perspective
• Why building a culture of accountability and gratitude changes everything

Adam also shares one of the simplest and most effective leadership habits: how recognizing great work consistently and intentionally can reshape your entire company culture.

If you’re a founder who feels stretched thin, stuck in the weeds, or unsure how to level up as a leader, this episode is your playbook.

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Connect with Pat Rodgers on LinkedIn
Learn more about RISE Commercial District Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

Build Boldly is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

AI isn’t just another software tool. It’s a transformation in how companies operate.

In this episode of Build Boldly, Pat Rodgers sits down with Santi Jaramillo, co-founder and co-CEO of Pragmatico, to discuss how mid-market and growing companies can move from experimenting with AI tools to becoming truly AI-native organizations.

Santi, a three-time founder with over $100M in exits, explains why most businesses are stuck in the “dabbling phase” of AI and what it takes to achieve 90% company-wide adoption and real productivity gains.

Together they talk about the leadership, technology, and cultural changes required to implement AI at scale. You’ll learn:

• Why leadership commitment is the most important driver of AI adoption
• How to create a clear AI vision and roadmap for your organization
• Why companies should standardize tools like ChatGPT or Claude
• The security risks of employees using personal AI accounts at work
• Practical “low-hanging fruit” AI use cases (meetings, email, financial analysis)
• Why early AI adopters will gain a massive competitive advantage

Santi also shares how organizations can use gamification, live training, and cultural change management to turn AI into an everyday productivity engine rather than another unused tool.

If you’re a business owner, executive, or team leader trying to figure out how AI actually fits into your company, this conversation will give you a practical roadmap to get started.

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Connect with Pat Rodgers on LinkedIn
Learn more about RISE Commercial District Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

Build Boldly is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

What do you do when you lose $250,000 in inventory, miss Black Friday, and only have weeks of runway left? You build anyway. In this episode of Build Boldly, Pat Rodgers sits down with Bradley Will, founder and CEO of Mumbies, a Milwaukee-based direct-to-consumer dog chew brand supporting rescues and shelters.

Bradley shares the unfiltered story of transitioning from running a marketing agency to launching a physical product brand while navigating importing, fulfillment, warehousing, 3PL failures, and hand-packing orders in a 900 sq ft office.

Then the crisis hit.

Instead of folding, Bradley pivoted. Mumbies donated over 3,000 imperfect products (more than $50,000 retail value) to shelters and rescues, which turned a massive operational failure into a brand-defining moment rooted in mission.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What it really takes to move from services to product
• How to manage DTC growth without relying on Amazon or big-box retail
• Lessons from the Generator accelerator program
• Why resilience builds enduring companies, not hype

If you’re building a product brand, navigating adversity, or trying to align business growth with real impact, this episode is for you.

As always, let’s build boldly.

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Connect with Pat Rodgers on LinkedIn
Learn more about RISE Commercial District Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

Build Boldly is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

If you want to scale your business, your financial systems have to scale with you—or they’ll quietly become the thing that breaks everything.

In this episode of Build Boldly, host Pat Rodgers sits down with Paul Anthony, founder and CEO of Opstart, to break down how entrepreneurs should set up bookkeeping, accounts receivable, accounts payable, banking, payroll, and taxes from day one.

Paul shares why “winging it” with finances leads to lost cash, missed tax credits, valuation issues, and unnecessary stress, and how clean, scalable systems protect your time and your bottom line as you grow.

You’ll learn:

• How to properly separate personal and business finances early
• Why accurate bookkeeping is the foundation for every financial decision
• How to set up AR/AP systems that don’t steal your time
• Which tools actually work (QuickBooks, Gusto, Ramp, Bill.com)
• When to outsource bookkeeping vs. hire a controller or fractional CFO
• How poor financial hygiene can hurt fundraising, acquisitions, and exits
• Why scalable systems matter long before you hit $1M in revenue

Whether you’re just getting started or cleaning up financial chaos, this episode gives you a clear, practical roadmap to build a financial foundation that supports real growth.

Learn more about Paul Anthony and Opstart on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-anthony-8a256087/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/opstartsb/

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Connect with Pat Rodgers on LinkedIn
Learn more about RISE Commercial District Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

Build Boldly is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

As companies grow, founders often become the biggest bottleneck. In the final episode of the Business Roadmap series, host Pat Rodgers tackles one of the most overlooked drivers of business success: personal growth for business owners.

Pat shares practical, experience-driven advice on how to transition from doing everything yourself to working on the business by identifying your weakest points, hiring or outsourcing strategically, and letting go of control so your business can scale.

This episode covers how to:

• Identify and fill leadership gaps through hiring, outsourcing, or contractors
• Shift from operator to strategic leader without losing momentum
• Find the right mentors inside and outside your industry
• Build a personal book club to support continuous learning
• Block non-negotiable time to think strategically instead of fighting daily fires
• Create a support system, including a non-business “hype person,” to handle the emotional weight of leadership

Pat also shares why neglecting personal development doesn’t just hurt the business, it impacts employees, families, and long-term sustainability.

If you’re an entrepreneur, founder, or business owner feeling stretched thin, this episode will help you reclaim clarity, build the right support systems, and grow both personally and professionally, so your business can thrive long term.

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Connect with Pat Rodgers on LinkedIn
Learn more about RISE Commercial District Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

Build Boldly is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

If your business isn’t growing, it’s usually not a product problem—it’s a sales or marketing problem. In episode 3 of the Build Boldly Business Roadmap series, host Pat Rodgers dives into one of the most important skills every entrepreneur must master: sales and marketing.

Pat breaks down how business owners can build a repeatable, measurable sales system using a CRM, clearly define their Ideal Client Profile (ICP), and eliminate friction that slows deals down. He explains why tracking wins and losses matters, how to replicate top-performing sales behaviors, and how to align sales goals with compensation and realistic timelines.

On the marketing side, Pat makes a strong case for treating marketing as a non-negotiable investment, not an afterthought. He walks through how to set a marketing plan and budget, why outsourcing early often makes more sense than hiring in-house, and how local SEO can drive high-intent leads for businesses that serve specific geographies.

You’ll learn how to:
-Implement and use a CRM to track leads, deals, and performance
-Identify and double down on your Ideal Client Profile
- Replicate top sellers’ behaviors with a sales playbook
- Remove friction from your sales process
- Set sales goals tied directly to compensation
- Build a marketing plan that actually drives revenue

This episode is a tactical guide to building a sales and marketing engine that scales. Next week, Pat wraps up the Roadmap series with Personal Growth and Leadership.

Until then, like, share, and Build Boldly.

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Connect with Pat Rodgers on LinkedIn
Learn more about RISE Commercial District Website | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

Build Boldly is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.