EPISODE NOTES

• Brent and Kyle Pease are co-founders of the Kyle Pease Foundation, based in Atlanta, GA
• Kyle has cerebral palsy and competes in full Ironman triathlons alongside his brother Brent
• In an Ironman, Brent pulls Kyle through a 2.4-mile swim in a boat tied to his waist, pedals a three-wheeled bike with Kyle seated in front for 112 miles, and pushes Kyle in a chair for a 26.2-mile run
• They have completed 6 full Ironman events together
• The Kyle Pease Foundation helped 170 families find finish lines last year
• The brothers published a book in 2019 titled "Beyond the Finish"
• They are active public speakers with engagements in Richmond, Phoenix, Cincinnati (Council on Aging), and have spoken in Maui
• Host Ken Baden shares his own story of personal struggle, including addiction and recovery, connecting it to the episode's broader themes of resilience
• Brent's turning point included spending his last dollars on a bicycle
• Kyle's vision for the next 5 years: continuing to open doors for people with disabilities to reach their full potential
• Brent's 5-year vision: scale the Foundation to support 300+ families and help people see what's possible beyond the finish line
• Closing quote from Brent: "Inspire your own change through movement. Motivation follows action."

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Welcome & Introductions

01:50 — Who Are Brent & Kyle Pease? The Story of the Kyle Pease Foundation

03:00 — Building a Nonprofit from the Kitchen Table

03:55 — What It's Really Like to Do an Ironman with Cerebral Palsy

05:30 — The First Ironman: Losing the Wheelchair & a Moment That Said It All

06:20 — Will There Be Another Ironman? The Door Is Cracked Open

07:00 — Ken Opens Up: Recovery, Addiction, and Finding Redemption Through Movement

10:50 — The Mental Battle Inside an Ironman — How Kyle Keeps Brent Going

13:30 — The Business of Endurance: Parallels Between Racing and Entrepreneurship

14:40 — Kyle Explains Why He Chose Ironman — No Wheelchair Division, Just the Race

15:50 — Breaking Down the Ironman: What Brent Actually Does for 15 Hours

17:10 — The Brother Bond and Shared Sacrifice

17:45 — The Book: "Beyond the Finish" and How It Came to Be

21:30 — Their Public Speaking Work and What Audiences Can Expect

23:00 — Upcoming Events: Richmond, Phoenix, Cincinnati, and Beyond

24:35 — Where Will They Be in 5 Years?

25:30 — The Foundation's Impact: 170 Families and What Comes Next

26:50 — Where to Find the Kyle Pease Foundation

27:00 — Final Wisdom: "Motivation Follows Action"

Guest: Ian McCarthy — President of Blue Claw Group LLC LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-mccarthy-a08ab725/ Website: blueclawgroup.com | BidClout AI Estimating Tool (on homepage) YouTube: Ian Blue Claw McCarthy | Instagram: @blueclawgroup

Host: Ken Baden — CEO/Owner of Baden Consulting and Potomac Custom Remodeling Website: badenconsulting.net | thekitchentablepodcast.net

Companies Mentioned:

• Blue Claw Associates (landscaping & construction, Cape Cod/Nantucket/South Shore)
• Blue Water Pools (custom gunite pool company)
• Boston Tennis Court (pickleball, basketball & tennis court builder — 50-year-old acquisition)
• BidClout — Ian's AI-powered estimating software for landscapers
• Quick Calc — Ian's financial proposal/pricing app
• Goat Gang — landscape owner mastermind group

Key Topics Discussed:

• Buying your first business vs. starting from scratch
• How Ian went $0 to $12M in 6.5 years across 3 companies
• Co-founding the National Basketball League of Canada
• AI in the blue collar trades: estimating, accounts payable, content creation
• "Know Your Numbers" workshop and why most contractors fly blind financially
• How to build referral pipelines through architects, builders, and designers
• Why brand trust and removing fear of risk wins higher-ticket clients
• Diversification vs. focus: the real debate for multi-business owners
• The robot/AI future of the trades and how to stay ahead

Timestamps

0:00 — Intro & Welcome: Ian McCarthy of Blue Claw Group

1:50 — Blue Claw's business overview: landscaping, pools & tennis/pickleball courts

4:10 — Ian's background: from CPA to buying a landscaping company for $25K

6:00 — The accidental acquisition: how Ian's first business deal happened

7:15 — Growing the landscaping company to nearly $4M in sales

7:45 — The unexpected pivot: buying a minor league basketball team (Kobe Bryant's father was coaching)

8:20 — Co-founding the National Basketball League of Canada

9:50 — Returning to the trades and launching Blue Claw Associates in 2018

11:25 — Zero to $12 million in 6.5 years across three companies

11:50 — How COVID became rocket fuel for Blue Claw's growth

15:00 — Watching the current market and how Ian is preparing for uncertainty

18:45 — Blue Claw's team: 75-80 employees, 35 trucks

19:30 — The consulting company: how "Know Your Numbers" was born

21:00 — Building referral pipelines through architects and designers (not lead services)

22:30 — The "Know Your Numbers" workshop and why the industry is underserved financially

25:00 — How AI is changing the blue collar space (operations, marketing, efficiency)

28:30 — AI search and why contractors need to start thinking about GEO (not just SEO)

30:45 — Ian's AI-powered future: rebuilding the office with AI tools

32:00 — The origin story of BidClout: from Spain trip inspiration to AI estimating software

34:00 — Pricing strategy: how to position as premium and remove client risk/fear

36:15 — Would Ian buy another business? What he'd look at next

39:30 — Focus vs. diversification: the real answer for multi-business owners

42:30 — The future of Blue Claw Group consulting and events

43:30 — Why many trade business owners fly blind on their numbers

47:00 — Where to find Ian, BidClout, and Blue Claw Group

50:00 — Closing thoughts & wrap-up

Ken Baden and Jason Nemes first connected at the Blue Collar Ballers event in February of last year, and this episode is the payoff of several scheduling attempts that almost didn't happen. It's worth the wait.

Jason's background is anything but conventional for a roofing CEO. He spent years building a 4,500-person downline in the health and wellness network marketing space, and still draws a six-figure annual residual from that work today. When a friend called him to start a roofing company, Jason flew to Oklahoma to learn the basics — door knocking, inspections, filing claims — and dove in headfirst.

His first official company, Summit Solutions Roofing and Construction, launched at the end of June 2024 after a business partnership dissolved over equity disagreements. He's candid about the split, the half-million-dollar back-door he experienced from a rep he trusted, and how those hard lessons reshaped the way he moves in business today.

Jason talks about the DFW market — one of the most saturated roofing markets in the country with roughly 8,000 companies — and how he managed to cut through by staying true to who he is on social media, paying people on time, and building a culture where team members feel seen, valued, and enrolled in the vision.

Ken and Jason also get into the business side of growth: insurance vs. retail revenue, multi-state licensing in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and soon Florida and Arizona, goals of $20-30 million this year, the EBITDA benchmarks that make a PE exit viable, and what a real private equity deal looks like for a roofing company in today's market.

The conversation closes on a personal and powerful note — Jason's recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, and how the same intensity and discipline that nearly cost him everything is now the fuel behind one of the fastest-growing roofing startups in Texas.

Follow Jason: Instagram & TikTok: @TattedPrez Facebook: Jason Nemes Company Page: Summit Solutions Roofing and Construction

Follow Ken & the show: 🌐 thekitchentablepodcast.net 🌐 badenconsulting.net

Guest: Jesse Spiegel is the founder of NexLev Logic (nexlevlogic.com), an AI automation platform built exclusively for the roofing industry. With years of experience as a top-producing roofing sales rep — including $3.8M in a single storm season — Jesse turned his firsthand frustrations into a full suite of tools that help roofing companies communicate better, close more, and scale without the chaos. He currently manages roofing projects in both Colorado and Florida while growing NexLev Logic.

Host: Ken Baden is the CEO and owner of Baden Consulting and Potomac Custom Remodeling. His podcast, The Kitchen Table Podcast, is where real business conversations happen in the trades and beyond.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Jesse's origin story in roofing and his $3.8M Hurricane Irma experience
• Why great sales without great systems leads to broken promises
• How AI unlocked the ability to scale what Jesse was doing manually
• The 6 core modules of NexLev Logic's platform
• Speed-to-lead: why every second counts after a new inquiry comes in
• No Lead Left Behind: automated follow-up that runs forever until you get a yes or a no
• Subcontractor communication with built-in photo collection and Venmo incentives
• Real-time homeowner updates to reduce friction and build loyalty
• AI note-takers on sales pitches that analyze objections and send reps coaching tips
• Automated review capture that follows up persistently until the customer responds
• Ken's strategy: tighten operations before scaling to new markets
• The insurance restoration to retail roofing shift happening nationwide
• Why door knocking is still the greatest sales skill in the business

Guest: Maryori Jones | Founder, Ave Sportwear

Host: Ken Baden | CEO/Owner, Baden Consulting & Potomac Custom Remodeling

Podcast: The Kitchen Table Podcast | thekitchentablepodcast.net

Key Takeaways:

• Ave stands for Agua Viva Empire — a faith-first brand for women of all body types
• The brand was born from Maryori's postpartum experience and the loss of identity many mothers face after childbirth
• She grew up between Honduras and Mexico and was selling fruit to help her family at age 6 — entrepreneurship has always been in her DNA
• Ave is strictly women's athletic apparel, designed to serve all body types and life stages
• She is also building a hair product line alongside Ave Sportwear
• Maryori and her husband (active military) are relocating to the Chicago area soon — Ave will continue to grow online
• Social media comparison is a real issue for women — Ave is a counter-cultural brand encouraging women to love themselves from the inside out
• First-generation immigrants often carry a stronger hunger and appreciation for opportunity in America
• Both Ken and Maryori connect over rebuilding their lives and how hitting rock bottom removes the fear of failure

Resources Mentioned:

• Ave Sportwear: avesportwear.us
• State & Liberty (men's athletic-fit clothing, mentioned by Ken)
• Good Vibes Only (another clothing brand in the TKT circle)

Host: Ken Baden — CEO & President, Potomac Custom Remodeling and Baden Consulting Format: Solo episode, no guest Runtime: Approx. 21 minutes

People & Companies Mentioned:

• Dmitry Lipinskiy — Roofing Insights (hosted Ken on his podcast and radio show in Minnesota)
• Chris Simberman — industry contact discussing business pivots
• Network shoutouts: John Cena, Chris Jericho, Adam Vidzeme, Brandon J., Todd Price, John McCainbridge, Adam Champagne, Tony Flahom, Kurt Lindemann

Key Topics:

• ICE enforcement & the Hispanic labor workforce — staffing, costs, and project timelines
• Credit score landscape — 64% of Americans have a FICO above 700 (live ChatGPT lookup done on air)
• National roofing market dropped ~19% in 2025
• UPPA law — what it means for contractors working insurance claims
• Insurance drop letters — companies requiring roof replacement within 30 days or canceling policies
• Retail vs. insurance restoration — pros, cons, and why diversification is critical
• What a working retail sales system looks like (lead gen, setter-closer model, 30–35% close rate)
• Super Bowl local ad spot secured a week before the game
• 2026 mindset — down markets create market share opportunities

Baden Consulting is currently accepting a limited number of clients per quarter. Reach out to Ken directly for availability or referrals to vetted industry consultants.

Guest Information:

• Name: Ron Kmetovicz
• Book: Ghost Money: The Pathway to Financial Independence
• Website: https://ghostmoneythebook.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-k-34218017/
• Background: Retired engineer, 20 years in Silicon Valley, consulting practice owner
• Current Location: Reno-Lake Tahoe area
• Age: 78 (still actively skiing, mountain biking, hiking)

Key Concepts Discussed:

1. Ghost Money Strategy
   • Separate investment account from 401(k)/retirement funds
   • Focus on long-term compound growth
   • Built to outlast inflation
   • Started early for maximum effect
2. Why Traditional Advice Falls Short
   • 401(k)s have limitations and restrictions
   • Inflation erodes purchasing power over time
   • Traditional retirement planning may not provide true independence
   • Need for additional wealth-building strategies
3. Ron's Background & Credibility
   • Pennsylvania farm boy upbringing
   • Penn State engineering degree
   • 20 years in Silicon Valley with top talent and equipment
   • Started consulting practice and multiple businesses
   • Successfully mentored children and grandchildren through financial development
4. Book Origins
   • Written at age 78 as legacy document for great-grandchildren
   • Based on real experience mentoring family members
   • Simple, accessible approach to complex topic
   • Not profit-driven—focused on helping youth
5. Investment Philosophy
   • Avoid gambling mentality (crypto, day trading, meme coins)
   • Focus on steady, proven growth strategies
   • Understand the difference between investing and speculation
   • Start early, stay consistent
6. Life Philosophy: "Live Where You Play"
   • Integrate work and lifestyle choices
   • Reduce commuting and unnecessary travel
   • Build life around activities you love
   • Financial independence enables lifestyle freedom

Actionable Takeaways:

• Start a separate "Ghost Money" investment account today
• Make consistent contributions, no matter how small
• Focus on long-term growth over quick wins
• Understand inflation's real impact on your purchasing power
• Avoid the allure of day trading and crypto gambling
• Read "Ghost Money" for the complete strategy
• Consider where you live vs. where you want to play

Resources Mentioned:

• Ghost Money: The Pathway to Financial Independence (book)
• Website: ghostmoneythebook.com
• Available on Amazon (search for Ron Kmetovicz to find the correct book)
• The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod (referenced by Ken)

Warning for Book Buyers: There are other fiction books titled "Ghost Money" - make sure you're getting Ron Kmetovicz's book (spelled K-M-E-T-O-V-I-C-Z). Easiest way is to go directly to ghostmoneythebook.com.