The Founders' Journey

Hosted by Rallyday Partners

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Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

On The Founders' Journey podcast, we explore the heart and soul of great founders and their journey to build the company of their dreams. Once a month in a 60-minute conversation, you will learn about emerging industries and innovative business models while discovering how to apply the founder’s mindset to your everyday work and life.

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31 recent

June 16, 2026Episode 155 min

Investment Banker Series: Inside 24 Years of Healthcare M&A, Dealmaking, and Compounding Wisdom

Kevin Palamara has spent his entire 24-year career at one firm, a rarity in investment banking, and it shows. As a Managing Director at Provident Healthcare Partners, Kevin has been on the front lines of the private equitization of American healthcare, from fax-machine deal rooms in 2002 to today's fiercely competitive physician practice markets. In this conversation, Ryan and Kevin unpack the sectors moving fastest right now (oncology, urology, retina), the difference between referral-driven and consumer-facing healthcare businesses and why selecting the wrong private equity partner in a physician deal can be catastrophic for patients and providers alike. Listeners will walk away with a clearer picture of what a specialty investment bank actually does, and why the compounding wisdom of a 25-year healthcare banker is something no AI search can replicate.Kevin Palamara | Provident Healthcare PartnersHosted by Ryan Heckman, Co-Founder & CEO of Rallyday Partners.Kevin Palamara is not an investor in one or more of Rallyday Partners' private funds and did not receive any cash or non-cash compensation for appearing on this podcast.To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please submit your nominations here. www.RallydayPartners.com

June 2, 2026Episode 61 hr 4 min

How to Lose Like a Gladiator: Denver Broncos Legend Karl Mecklenburg on Leadership, Grit, and Gratitude

Karl Mecklenburg was the Swiss Army knife of the Denver Broncos defense, a six-time Pro Bowler who played all seven front positions and never told the offense where he was going. But what Ryan Heckman remembers most is how Karl walked off the field after a loss. In this conversation, they explore the leadership lessons hiding inside professional football: what it means to mentor rather than protect your own job, why decisiveness is a skill (not a personality trait), and how the framework "prepare thoroughly, perform decisively, evaluate honestly, adjust accordingly" applies as cleanly to a sales meeting as to a goal-line stand. Listeners will walk away with a reframe on failure, grit, and what thankfulness has to do with greatness.Karl Mecklenburg | Karl Mecklenburg NFL Keynote SpeakerHosted by Ryan Heckman, Co-Founder & CEO of Rallyday Partners.Karl Mecklenburg is not an investor in one or more of Rallyday Partners private funds and did not receive any cash or non-cash compensation for participating in this podcast. To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please submit your nominations here. www.RallydayPartners.com

May 5, 2026Episode 51 hr 11 min

How David Gardner Built The Motley Fool by Beating the Market and Breaking the Rules

David Gardner co-founded The Motley Fool on AOL in 1994 at age 28, with $50,000 of his own money and a belief that most people still don't share: that ordinary investors can beat the market. In this conversation, Ryan and David trace the origins of Rule Breaker Investing, the third school of thought that sits between Bogle's indexing and Buffett's value discipline, and how it led Gardner to Amazon, Nvidia, and Tesla decades before the crowd arrived. They also go deep on the principles underneath the strategy: winning requires lots of losing, the most important things in business can't be captured as numbers, and the quiet power of serving others before chasing success. Listeners will walk away with a sharper lens for how to think about risk, conviction, and what it actually means to invest like a founder.David Gardner | The Motley FoolHosted by Ryan Heckman, Co-Founder & CEO of Rallyday Partners.David Gardner is not an investor in one or more of Rallyday Partners private funds and did not receive any cash or non-cash compensation for participating in this podcast. To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please submit your nominations here. www.RallydayPartners.com

April 7, 2026Episode 41 hr 8 min

How Linda Rottenberg Built Endeavor Into a $100B Global Entrepreneur Network

What if the future of entrepreneurship is not Silicon Valley, but everywhere else?In this episode of The Founders’ Journey, Ryan Heckman sits down with Linda Rottenberg, Co-founder and CEO of Endeavor. What began in Buenos Aires in 1997 has grown into a global network spanning 45+ countries, helping build companies that generate over $100 billion in revenue. Linda shares how Endeavor transformed entire ecosystems by backing founders early and creating a powerful network effect across the world.They also explore a core idea we believe deeply in at Rallyday: Belief Capital. Why founders need more than money, and how trust, purpose, and community drive the most enduring companies.This is a conversation about scaling globally, leading through uncertainty, and building something that truly matters.If you are a founder, investor, or builder, this one is worth your time.Linda Rottenberg is not an investor in one or more of Rallyday Partners private funds and did not receive any cash or non-cash compensation for participating in this podcast.To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please submit your nominations here. www.RallydayPartners.com

March 3, 2026Episode 358 min

Chip Conley, Founder and Executive Chairman, Modern Elder Academy (MEA)

What happens after you build the company? After the exit? After the identity you wrapped yourself in no longer fits?In this no-BS conversation, Ryan Heckman sits down with Chip Conley, founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, former Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy at Airbnb, bestselling author, and founder of the Modern Elder Academy.Chip shares how he raised $1.1M at 26 to buy a broken-down motel in San Francisco, turning it into 52 boutique hotels before selling to Hyatt. But the most pivotal chapter was not the growth. It was the unraveling. Burnout, personal loss, and a near-death experience forced him to confront a deeper question: Who am I if I am not this company?That reckoning led him to Airbnb, where he joined as a 52-year-old mentor to Brian Chesky during the company’s meteoric rise. Together, they navigated scale versus soul, ego versus service, and what it means to lead from behind.This episode explores the difference between knowledge and wisdom, how to reframe accountability with your team, why midlife is a chrysalis not a crisis, and how founders can move from return on investment to ripple of impact.For founders focused on building value, this is a reminder that you are also building a life, including your own.Chip Conley is not an investor in one or more of Rallyday Partners private funds and did not receive any cash or non-cash compensation for participating in this podcast.To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please submit your nominations here. www.RallydayPartners.com

February 3, 2026Episode 256 min

Tony Aug, Co-Founder & CEO, Nimble Gravity

In this episode of The Founders' Journey, Ryan Heckman sits down with Tony Aug, Co-founder and CEO of Nimble Gravity, one of the most sought-after data science and AI consultancies in the U.S. Known for his intensity and intellectual firepower, Tony surprises with a deeply human origin story rooted in curiosity, discipline, and heart.Tony shares how growing up in an educator household shaped his obsession with understanding how things work — and rebuilding them better. That instinct carried him from engineering and leadership roles inside massive organizations to founding Nimble Gravity, where he now helps companies turn data and AI into real, executable value.This is a conversation about leadership beyond the highlight reel: cutting through AI hype, connecting strategy to execution, and teaching organizations how to harness powerful tools without burning the house down. A must-listen for founders and operators navigating what’s changing — and what actually matters next.Tony Aug is not an investor in one or more of Rallyday Partners private funds and did not receive any cash or non-cash compensation for participating in this podcast.To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please submit your nominations here. www.RallydayPartners.com

January 6, 2026Episode 157 min

Michelle Collie, Founder & CEO, Highbar Physical Therapy

In this episode of The Founders’ Journey, we sit down with Michelle Collie, Founder and CEO of Highbar Physical Therapy, to explore a story where the journey is just as personal as the objective. From a life-changing ACL injury on a basketball court in rural New Zealand to building and scaling a leading physical therapy platform alongside Rallyday, Michelle shares hard-earned lessons on leadership, purpose, and value creation. Together, we unpack how to “pull” a private equity partner, why putting teammates first leads to better outcomes, and how aggressively humble leadership can elevate an entire organization and an industry. This is a candid, inspiring conversation about growth, resilience, and building something that truly matters.Michelle Collie is not an investor in one or more of Rallyday Partners private funds and did not receive any cash or non-cash compensation for participating in this podcast.To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please submit your nominations here. www.RallydayPartners.com

December 2, 2025Episode 141 hr 0 min

David Gilberg, Founder, CEO & President of Elder Care Homecare

In this episode of The Founders’ Journey, we sit down with David Gilberg, Founder, CEO, and President of Elder Care Homecare, who made the bold leap from investment banking at Morgan Stanley to building a purpose-driven home care company alongside his mother. What began as a small family practice rooted in compassion has grown into a leading concierge home care provider serving more than 600 patients daily across four states. David shares how his mother’s lifelong commitment to seniors shaped Elder Care Homecare’s unique model, one that blends social work and nursing to deliver truly human-centered care. We talk about what it took to scale from a handful of clients to thousands of caregivers, the culture that keeps quality at the center, and the purpose statement that guides every decision the company makes.Listeners will hear powerful lessons on trading success for significance, staying grounded while growing fast, and what it means to “meet the moment” as a leader, parent, or founder. David’s journey is a reminder that real care is built one relationship, one heart at a time.David Gilberg is not an investor in one or more of Rallyday Partners private funds and did not receive any cash or non-cash compensation for participating in this podcast.To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please submit your nominations here. www.RallydayPartners.com

November 4, 2025Episode 131 hr 3 min

Denise Logan, The Seller Whisperer; Author of The Seller's Journey

After building a thriving law firm, Denise Logan left it all behind for life on the road and found her purpose helping founders navigate one of the most emotional chapters of their lives: selling their business.In this episode, Denise joins Ryan Heckman to explore why every exit is more than a financial transaction. It’s a reckoning with identity, legacy, and personal transformation. Drawing on her experience as both a therapist and lawyer, Denise shares the hidden emotional dynamics of selling a company—the relief, confusion, and rediscovery that follow—and reminds us that fulfillment after an exit comes from connection, purpose, and presence.At its heart, this conversation is about new beginnings and the courage to let go. Adventure only waits for the adventurer.Denise Logan is not an investor in one or more of Rallyday Partners private funds and did not receive any cash or non-cash compensation for participating in this podcast.To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please submit your nominations here. www.RallydayPartners.com

October 7, 2025Episode 121 hr 2 min

Keith Sousa, MA, CAS, Owner & Therapist of Child and Adolescent Behavioral Supports and Adult Psychological Supports

In this episode of The Founders’ Journey, Ryan Heckman sits down with youth psychologist Keith Sousa to explore the tension between building companies and raising kids. Keith shares why the skills that make us effective in business don’t always translate at home, how presence matters more than perfection, and why it’s never too late to reconnect with family. At its core, this is a conversation about grace, for ourselves as parents, and for the children who are our greatest legacy. Keith Sousa is not an investor in one or more of Rallyday Partners private funds and did not receive any cash or non-cash compensation for participating in this podcast.To nominate a founder or to nominate yourself as a future guest speaker on our podcast, please submit your nominations here. www.RallydayPartners.com