On this episode I sit down with my Papaw, Gordon Cripe, as he discusses his life story. Papaw was born in Rossville, Indiana, a small farmtown outside of Lafayette, Indiana. We discuss his roots on the farm and earliest memories of working with his dad and grandpa out in the fields and with livestock.

Papaw is a proud Purdue alumni, where he completed his undergraduate degree. Papaw's roots on the farm never left him as he went back to Purdue to pursue his Doctorate of Veterinarian Medicine. We transition to his 25+ year career co-owning and operating a Veterinarian clinic in Hartford City, Indiana with his wife, Sandy.

Along the way Papaw tells a varieties of stories that capture his kind hearted spirit and people-first mentality. At every step of the way, Papaw established long-lasting relationships, whether with his Farm House friends, wife, or two daughters, that have kept him young and full of energy for the last 80 years. Papaw, thanks for allowing me to capture a small snapshot of your life and being the best grandpa I could ask for!

Timestamps

0:10 Introduction

3:45 Life Growing Up

9:34 Being an Only Child

14:00 Finding Close Friends as a Young Adult / Farm House Fraternity

21:00 Purdue / Sports in Papaw's Life

35:00 Meeting Sandy at Purdue / Choosing a Life Mate

40:50 Working at the Vet Clinic

50:50 Papaw's Favorite Job Stories / Evolution of Veterinarian Medicine

1:04:40 Papaw's Work Ethic / Shoe Story

1:09:00 Selling the Veterinarian Practice / Dustin

1:19:00 Newer Generations and Work Ethic

1:28:00 Importance of Where You're From / Family History

1:39:35 Life Post-Retirement

1:50:10 Faith in God

1:55:55 Takeaways and Tears

1:58:55 The Changes From 1945 - Now

Alex Dilkovski is a junior at Indiana University studying Finance and Real Estate. Alex and I discuss his transition to the United States from Bulgaria when he was 12 years old. Through some hilarious and inspiring stories, Alex highlights how his Bulgarian roots influence the man he is today.

Alex's unique thought process was put to test after he narrowly escaped a deadly fire in the Spring of 2023. Tune in to hear more of Alex's story and how his background prepared him for dire situations!


0:00 Intro
0:30 Alex's Accent
3:45 Bulgarian culture
7:10 Day in the life in Bulgaria
12:10 Background to the Old Montreal Fire
22:35 Escaping the Old Montreal Fire
40:10 Takeaways from the fire
45:40 Conclusion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Old_Montreal_fire

Andrew Marasco is a 19-year old student at Indiana University studying finance. Andrew owns and operates Matrice Capital - a hedge fund with over $1.1 million AUM. Andrew and I talk about his complex understanding of markets, his investment strategy for 2024, and the "why" of Matrice Capital.

Tune in and learn about value investing from one of the youngest hedge fund managers in the United States!

0:00 Wise words
0:58 Intro to Matrice Capital
5:35 Matrice mission in 2024
8:59 What differentiates Matrice
15:55 How many people work for Matrice Capital?
24:12 Life beyond the business
29:10 "Cloning" others
33:30 Takeaways and conclusion