“Start deep and narrow.” - Casey Allen

In this episode of Tech Scenes Malibu, Jeff Martin sits down with Casey Allen, founder of Enterprise Rising, to talk about grit, failure, and building the Midwest startup ecosystem from the ground up.

Casey’s journey didn’t start with privilege. Raised by a single mom and determined to create opportunity, he became an entrepreneur out of necessity — launching his first company at 18. He went on to start four more profitable companies, but without major exits. His reflection? Early success without mentors left him stuck below the $1M revenue ceiling.

Now, he’s committed to changing that for the next generation of founders.

The conversation dives into the rise of Midwest SaaS, the launch of Enterprise Rising as a focused room for enterprise tech founders, and why community matters more than hype. They explore the impact of AI on entrepreneurship, the increasing importance of unit economics, and why founders must raise their bar for metrics and discipline in today’s funding environment.

Casey also shares candid lessons on failure, ego, and what it really takes to build something meaningful outside Silicon Valley — emphasizing that the future of innovation isn’t coastal, it’s distributed.

Chapters:

00:00 The Midwest Startup Landscape

02:09 Enterprise Rising Conference: A Celebration of SaaS

04:50 The Impact of AI on Entrepreneurship

09:05 Unit Economics and the New Funding Landscape

11:48 The Importance of Metrics in Startups

16:16 Embracing Failure in Entrepreneurship

19:46 The Journey of a Founder

27:02 Creating Community for Entrepreneurs

32:29 The Art of Hosting Meaningful Events

Watch now to hear why the Midwest startup ecosystem may be one of the most underrated forces in tech — and what founders must master to thrive in today’s environment.

📘 Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-Backed Companies

👉 https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

🌐 Visit Collective Genius™ to build your growth team with the Peak OS™ Software

👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/

⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up

👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessment

#TechScenes #EnterpriseRising #MidwestStartups #SaaS #Entrepreneurship #FounderJourney #StartupMetrics #CommunityBuilding #AI #PeakTeams

“Leadership isn’t about having fewer fears — it’s about learning how to lead with them.” - Peter Brack

In this episode of Tech Scenes Beverly Hills, Jeff Martin sits down with Peter Brack, a trusted executive coach to some of the world’s most accomplished founders and CEOs.

Peter works with high-performing leaders backed by firms like Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, and Y Combinator, helping them build enduring companies while navigating the internal and external complexity that comes with growth. His career spans the full arc of company-building — from launching CNN and Turner Broadcasting in Asia at Time Warner, to serving as President of Time Inc. Asia Pacific, to co-founding and leading two companies through IPOs on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Now, as a credentialed executive coach (ICF), Coaching Fellow at the Institute of Coaching, and co-founder of an early-stage venture firm and startup studio, Peter brings rare perspective into what truly shapes great leadership over time.

The conversation explores fear, confidence, and decision-making at the highest levels, the methodologies behind effective coaching, and how founders and CEOs can scale themselves alongside their organizations. They also dive into team dynamics, organizational growth, and why the inner work of leadership becomes more—not less—important as companies grow.

Chapters

00:00 Leadership at the Highest Levels

04:12 The Role of Fear in Leadership

09:03 Confidence vs Certainty

14:27 Founder and CEO Dynamics

20:41 Coaching Methodologies That Work

27:18 Scaling the Leader as the Company Scales

33:56 Team Dynamics and Organizational Growth

41:02 Decision-Making in Complexity

48:15 Preparing for the Next Chapter

Watch now to hear how elite founders and CEOs think about leadership beneath the surface — and what it really takes to build companies that endure.

📘 Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-Backed Companies 👉 https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

🌐 Visit Collective Genius™ to build your growth team with the Peak OS™ 👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/

⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up 👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessment

#TechScenes #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #CEOLife #Founders #TeamDynamics #BusinessStrategy #PersonalGrowth #PeakTeams

“Always be transaction ready.” - Cody BarboIn this episode of Tech Scenes, Jeff Martin sits down with Cody Barbo, Founder & CEO of Trust & Will, to explore how WealthTech, AI, and thoughtful design are reshaping one of the most overlooked — and most important — areas of financial life: estate planning.Cody shares the journey of building Trust & Will from the ground up, modernizing an industry that historically felt complex, expensive, and inaccessible. Since launching in 2017, Trust & Will has helped more than 1 million Americans start their estate plans, raised $83M+ in capital, completed the first electronic will in history, and partnered with institutions like AARP, UBS, Fifth Third Bank, Northwestern Mutual, and more.The conversation dives into the evolution of WealthTech, what it means to be AI-first in a highly regulated industry, and how Trust & Will’s newest platform, EstateOS™, is redefining how families and professionals plan, manage, and preserve legacies. Cody also reflects on scaling teams, staying transaction-ready as a startup, and balancing leadership, growth, and family as a founder and dad of two.Chapters00:00 The Evolution of WealthTech and AI Integration06:35 The Journey of Trust & Will: Founding Story13:28 Building a Digital Estate Planning Platform19:31 Scaling Operations and Team Dynamics35:07 Navigating Growth and Future Aspirations47:40 Personal Reflections and Future DirectionsWatch now to hear how Cody is transforming estate planning into a modern pillar of financial care — and why AI, trust, and experience design matter more than ever in building enduring companies.📘 Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-Backed Companies👉 https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu🌐 Visit Collective Genius™ to build your growth team with the Peak Operating System™👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessmentMusic by: andrewapplepie.bandcamp.com#TechScenes #TrustAndWill #WealthTech #AI #EstatePlanning #StartupJourney #Leadership #FounderStories #DigitalTransformation #PeakTeams