Michael Hession is an authorized practitioner of the Infinite Banking Concept (IBC) who has been implementing this powerful wealth strategy for his own family for over eleven years and guiding clients toward financial independence for more than seven. As a Wealth Strategist at Factum Financial, Michael brings extensive real-world experience to his work. He previously spent 16 years as the owner and operator of a successful marine business, giving him firsthand insight into the financial challenges entrepreneurs face.

Michael also has a strong background in trading options, futures, and currencies, along with investing in and managing multiple real estate properties—experiences that revealed the risks of relying solely on traditional financial systems. Since discovering IBC eight years ago, he and his wife Ann have built multiple policies and are passionate about helping families and business owners create stability and lasting wealth.

During the show we discuss:

• What infinite banking is and how it works as a long-term financial strategy
• How specially structured whole life insurance policies can be used to build and access capital
• The concept of becoming your own banker and borrowing against your own cash value
• How business owners can use this strategy to fund investments, opportunities, and expenses
• The difference between infinite banking and traditional banking or financing methods
• How this approach can help create long-term financial security and wealth preservation
• Common misconceptions people have about life insurance and cash value strategies
• How entrepreneurs can integrate infinite banking into their overall financial and business strategy

Resources:
https://go.factumfoundations.com/perfectasset
https://calendly.com/mhession64/22min
https://factumfinancial.com/
https://theperfectasset.com/

Shane Engelken helps owners, operators, and investors structure financing solutions tailored to their unique needs. From straightforward acquisitions to complex, multi-layered projects, Shane's goal is to make the lending process seamless, transparent, and built on long-term trust.

Working with a bank that blends strength and flexibility with a hands-on, solution-focused approach, Shane primarily serves the Midwest while maintaining lending relationships in nearly 40 states. He works directly with principals and operators, providing capital across commercial real estate—including acquisitions, refinances, and construction—operating lines of credit, floor plans, equipment financing, and working capital loans.

Shane brings extensive experience with SBA, USDA/FSA, CPACE, tax credits, and a variety of layered capital structures. Whether you're scaling your business, acquiring new assets, or recapitalizing, Shane delivers tailored solutions designed to help you grow and succeed.

During the show we discuss:

• The different types of bank financing available to small businesses, including lines of credit, equipment financing, and commercial real estate loans
• How community and regional banks support entrepreneurs with more flexible lending relationships
• The role of SBA and government-backed programs in helping businesses qualify for financing
• How lenders evaluate businesses when determining loan eligibility and risk
• The importance of structuring deals with the right combination of capital sources
• Common challenges business owners face when trying to secure traditional bank financing
• How financing can support business growth, acquisitions, and real estate investments
• Why building strong relationships with lenders can lead to better long-term funding opportunities

Resources:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaneengelken/
https://www.fnbhutch.bank/

Adam Benowitz and Louis Calderone are the Co-Founders of VOX Funding, a leading fintech company providing innovative alternative financing solutions to small businesses nationwide. Together, they bring more than 60 years of combined experience across financial services, investment banking, trading, and entrepreneurship.

Adam, CEO of VOX Funding, is a seasoned investor and entrepreneur with a diverse background spanning finance, media, and impact investing. He previously co-founded Converge Media Group and is a founding partner at Exsight Ventures, an early-stage fund focused on eye health innovation. He also mentors startups at Harvard Business School and supports philanthropic causes including the Foundation for Fighting Blindness.

Louis Calderone, President of VOX Funding, began his career as an options and equity trader in New York before spending over two decades at Aegis Capital, where he rose to President and built the firm into a premier full-service investment company. United by a shared commitment to authentic leadership and lasting client partnerships, Adam and Louis continue to empower entrepreneurs with capital to fuel sustainable growth.

During the show we discuss:

• How alternative financing is helping small businesses access capital faster than traditional banks
• The role fintech lenders play in expanding funding options for entrepreneurs
• Why speed, flexibility, and simplified underwriting are critical in modern business financing
• How revenue-based funding and other alternative solutions work for growing companies
• What lenders evaluate when approving small business funding
• The importance of matching financing solutions to a business's cash flow and growth stage
• Common challenges small businesses face when trying to secure traditional bank loans
• How alternative lenders and brokers can help businesses access capital more efficiently

Resources:
https://www.voxfunding.com/

Kayla is the founder and CEO of Hub Funding Solutions, a relationship-driven commercial finance brokerage built to do things differently. With nearly a decade of experience in the equipment financing and the brokerage industry, Kayla's made it her mission to put clients first by matching small and mid-sized businesses with funding solutions that best fit their unique situations.

Under her leadership, Hub Funding Solutions provides equipment leasing, working capital, AR finance, and project finance nationwide.

Kayla was named to the Monitor Daily's prestigious Next Gen Under 40 list, earning recognition as a game changer in the equipment finance industry and the only female owner broker on the list this year. She is a certified lease and finance professional, and she's a CLFP instructor and director at Largo, the American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers. Her philosophy is simple. It's not about the deal, it's about the relationship.

During the show we discuss:

• How to choose the right type of funding for your specific business needs
• Why working with a broker can simplify and expand your funding options
• The key factors to assess before taking on funding (revenue, budget, repayment ability)
• Common mistakes business owners make when seeking capital
• What lenders look for when evaluating your business
• How to align funding decisions with your long-term growth goals
• The differences between funding options and when to use each
• How to use funding strategically to grow your business—not just sustain it

Resources:
https://hubfundingsolutions.com/

Jonathan Maxim is the founder of Viral App Launch, where he helps tech startups and app founders scale to 10,000+ users and prepare for investor growth. Since 2016, Jonathan has worked with over 150 apps, specializing in user acquisition, monetization, and investor readiness—the core drivers of sustainable startup success.

His proven growth systems have delivered standout results, including leading TikTok's regional launches with 22,250 new users per month across the UK, USA, and Brazil; optimizing conversion strategy for Universal Music Group to increase annual revenue by $2.2 million; and helping HeyPal scale to one million users in just six months.

Jonathan works closely with both bootstrapped founders seeking smart, efficient growth and funded startups aiming for rapid, profitable scale. His mission is simple: help founders turn promising apps into scalable, revenue-generating businesses investors want to back.

During the show we discuss:

• Why most founders can build an app — but fail to get traction that investors trust
• Why 10,000 users is the statistical proof point that makes startups investable
• The importance of knowing your CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) and LTV (Lifetime Value)
• How Jonathan split-tested his way to the messaging that converts founders
• Why traction must be measurable, repeatable, and scalable to raise capital
• The difference between building an app… and building an investor-ready business

Resources:
https://www.viralapplaunch.com/
@itsJmaxim on Instagram

Tillman Holloway is a former standout football player at the University of Texas, earning All-American honors and First-Team All-Big 12 recognition as a guard. Following his athletic career, he transitioned into entrepreneurship, building over a decade of experience in Bitcoin and blockchain technology.

He founded NFTglee to unlock real-world NFT utility powered by Bitcoin's scalability and now leads Arch Public, a trading technology company focused on delivering institutional-level automation to everyday traders.

Arch Public provides user-driven, rule-based trading strategies that remove emotion from decision-making and help traders perform consistently across market conditions. The company specializes in advanced futures and crypto algorithms, offering innovative tools for managing risk and opportunity as Bitcoin continues gaining traction within traditional finance and institutional markets.

During the show we discuss:

• Why most crypto traders lose money due to emotional decision-making — and how rule-based automation fixes that
• How Arch Public uses algorithmic strategies (including arbitrage and structured scaling) to outperform passive investing
• The importance of protecting cost basis and managing volatility in 24/7 crypto markets
• What "institutional-level automation" really means — and how retail traders can access it
• Why security matters: non-custodial design and never holding client funds
• How algorithmic trading is evolving as Bitcoin gains mainstream and institutional adoption

Resources:
https://archpublic.com/

Sam Kwak is a real estate investor, serial entrepreneur, author, and licensed pilot, best known as one half of the Kwak Brothers. His mission is simple but powerful: to help every American family achieve financial peace of mind. Through a portfolio of companies, Sam helps families pay off debt, make smarter investment decisions, and solve real-life financial challenges.

Sam immigrated to the United States from South Korea in 1999, settling in Chicago with his family. As the son of a church pastor, he grew up facing financial hardship while navigating language and cultural barriers. In 2012, Sam and his brother Daniel launched a mobile DJ business, which they later sold to begin their real estate investing journey in 2014. After years of struggle, they experienced a major breakthrough in 2017—scaling from zero to over 75 rental units in just one year.

Today, Sam educates and empowers investors worldwide through YouTube, live stages, and the FORCE Strategy, a system he co-created to acquire real estate without using personal cash or credit.

During the show we discuss:

• Sam's core strategy for helping families pay down their home loans dramatically faster
• How an offset mortgage works and how it keeps cash accessible while reducing interest
• Why most homeowners misunderstand and misuse HELOCs
• What a daily interest ledger is and how to use it to your advantage
• The meaning of "financial peace of mind" and why it's central to the Kwak Brothers' mission
• How immigrating to the U.S. shaped Sam's view on opportunity and entrepreneurship
• The struggles from 2014–2017—and what led to scaling from 0 to 75+ rental units in one year
• What the FORCE Strategy is and how it helps investors acquire property without using personal cash or credit
• How education, software, community, and income-producing assets work together to create lasting freedom

Resources:

https://acceleratedstrategies.com/

https://thekwakbrothers.com/

Jeremy Gilpin is a nationally recognized expert in government-guaranteed lending with over 20 years of experience in banking, specializing in USDA and SBA programs that expand access to capital in rural and underserved communities. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Community Bankshares, Inc. and President & CEO of Community Bank & Trust in LaGrange, Georgia, leading one of the nation's fastest-growing mission-driven banks.

Over the course of his career, Jeremy has closed and serviced more than $4 billion in loans across complex programs including USDA B&I, REAP, FSA, USDA 9003, IRP, RLF, and SBA. A U.S. Army veteran, he brings disciplined leadership and a strong public-service mindset to finance. Jeremy has chaired the National Rural Lenders Association, served as President of the National Rural Lenders Roundtable, and actively volunteers, including service on the Nevada Advisory Board for the Special Olympics.

During the show we discuss:

• Various government-backed programs beyond traditional loans that support small businesses
• How underqualified applicants can still access USDA, SBA, and other government-backed funding
• Steps small business owners need to take to qualify for USDA funding to grow their business
• Which types of businesses are eligible for government guarantee lending
• Why a solid business plan is critical to securing approval
• How to navigate funding when online lenders don't offer "common sense" solutions
• Key documentation to prepare for approval and increase chances of success
• How businesses can access loans ranging from $10K to $50M through government-backed programs
• The value of working with a "throwback bank" and how to find one that aligns with your needs

Resources:

https://communitybankshares.com/