A podcast on Private Equity and Entrepreneurship
Ryan Heckman
CEO of Rallyday Partners
Stepfanie Tyler
Independent writer, cultural commentator, and digital creator
Jason Blonstein
Ex-Consultants Agency
Scott Kelly
CEO @ Black Dog Venture Partners
LeverUp is where Swaney Group Capital goes behind the curtain on SGOS deployments inside PE-backed industrial businesses.
Entrepreneurship1 July 2026
Andrew Vento (Dgen CPA) went from posting on Twitter/X while abroad in Malaysia to running a viral finance-humor account. Paul and Andrew unpack his growth story (a post that hit 5M views), navigating funny-vs-fireable content as a CPA, getting doxxed, and whether he'd ever return to a W2.
Ryan Heckman's unconventional path into private equity: two Olympic Games as a ski jumper, a chance plane conversation with George Gillett (then-owner of Vail), and building a business from $700K to $14M EBITDA before founding Rallyday Partners. Covers leadership vs. management, post-closing architecture, PE board dynamics, and advice for young professionals.
Lars Vaule discusses day-one challenges at a restructuring asset, stabilizing demoralized teams and operations, the balance between urgency and strategy, and how success in restructuring is measured by creating growth opportunities within the organization.
66% of companies that stall in growth never recover. Laurence Haughton discusses why CEOs need a bias toward action and growth to protect the "green shoots" of early success, and how execution speed is a decisive competitive advantage.
Claudia Richoux's journey from military-family STEM background and blockchain security research to co-founding Supplyco, marketing/sales software for the industrial segment. Covers AI's impact on software engineering, selling a product that doesn't fully exist, tariffs' effect on business, and the emotional/spiritual journey of a founder.
Richard McWhorter on the transition to independence as a financial advisor, the financial challenges faced by athletes and entertainers, building trust through non-business connection (poker, golf), navigating investment products, and advising creative clients with a balance of critical thinking and empathy.
Will Fry on founding American Operator to preserve small businesses in local communities and keep private equity from acquiring/consolidating Main Street businesses. Covers manufacturing succession planning, operator selection and transition, broker dynamics, independent sponsors, and his prior pepper-spray-company venture.
The show serves as an educational platform and community catalyst designed to demystify private equity (PE), corporate consulting, investment banking, and executive leadership for aspiring entrepreneurs and young professionals.
Swaney leverages his extensive background as an operator and investor to provide tactical business knowledge. The podcast highlights real-world case studies, leadership strategies, and capital allocation frameworks.
I started this podcast in order to fulfill a dual mission of professional mentorship and industry demystification.
His ability to execute on what he says he will, when he says he will do it, speaks to his character.
