The Matthews Mentality Podcast

Hosted by Kyle Matthews

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120

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Jun 2026

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About the show

A podcast dedicated to exploring the mindsets, mentality, and motivation of the world's top experts. From athletes and entrepreneurs to CEOs and business moguls, learn what it takes to find success and build a deeper understanding of the mentality required.

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60 recent

June 9, 20261 hr 13 min

The Real Reason Some Careers Accelerate

In this episode of the Matthews Mentality Podcast, Kyle Matthews sits down with Brian Finnegan, President and CEO of Brixmor Property Group (NYSE: BRX), one of the largest open-air shopping center owners and operators in the United States.Brian’s story is a masterclass in leadership, patience, and long-term career growth. Starting as a leasing representative in 2004, he spent more than two decades working through nearly every operational role in the company before ultimately becoming CEO of a publicly traded real estate investment trust with 344 shopping centers, 62+ million square feet of retail space, and more than 900 million annual consumer visits.Time Stamps:00:00 Intro00:55 Welcome to the Show02:25 Understanding Brixmor Property Group05:10 Retail's Resurgence08:04 Supply and Demand Dynamics11:19 Same Store Growth12:51 How We Met15:13 Networking as a Young Professional16:49 Brixmor's Evolution and History20:41 Lessons from Being Young22:30 Philadelphia Roots24:29 Getting Into Real Estate26:49 Brokerage Lessons28:33 Cold Calling Stories30:56 Dealing with Rejection34:32 Time Blocking and Prospecting35:10 Maximizing Your Current Role38:01 Moving Across America39:37 Embracing New Cities40:54 National Portfolio Experience41:36 Market Expertise Matters43:14 Career Growth and Relocation45:20 Becoming CEO49:07 First Quarter Success51:59 CEO Responsibilities53:13 Redevelopment Strategy56:08 Work Life Balance01:00:13 Technology and AI01:05:07 Innovation and Young Talent01:07:50 Advice for Young Professionals01:10:01 Rapid Fire RoundIf you're interested in commercial real estate, investing, leadership, entrepreneurship, career growth, public companies, REITs, retail real estate, or business strategy, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-world experience.Follow Brian Finnegan:LinkedIn: Brian FinneganLearn More About Brixmor Property Group:Website: https://www.brixmor.com NYSE: BRXFollow Kyle Matthews:Instagram: @KyleMatthewsCEO TikTok: @KyleMatthewsCEO X: @KyleMatthewsCEO LinkedIn: Kyle MatthewsSubscribe for more interviews with CEOs, founders, investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.#KyleMatthewsCEO #BrianFinnegan #Brixmor #BRX #CommercialRealEstate #RetailRealEstate #REIT #Investing #Leadership #BusinessPodcast #Entrepreneurship #RealEstateInvesting #CEO #Retail #ShoppingCenters #MatthewsMentality #BusinessGrowth #NYSE #CareerGrowth #CommercialProperty

June 2, 20261 hr 5 min

Why Turning Down Shark Tank Was the Best Decision They Made

Nick Friedman, co-founder of College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving, joins Kyle Matthews to share how a 2003 summer hustle with a beat-up cargo van grew into a national brand with roughly 200 franchise owners across 40+ states. They discuss the origin of the name and the HUNKS acronym (Honest, Uniformed, Nice, Knowledgeable Service), why customers pay for convenience and clutter relief, and how systems from The E-Myth helped them scale. Nick recounts appearing on Shark Tank’s first episode, dealing with Kevin O’Leary’s negativity, receiving an offer from Robert Herjavec, and turning it down. He explains franchising pros/cons, self-funding for 15 years, culture and accountability, lessons from Undercover Boss, industry headwinds tied to housing, and the company’s giving efforts including domestic violence survivor moves and Tampa hurricane relief.

May 27, 20261 hr 33 min

The Dark Side of Buy Now Pay Later

On the Matthews Mentality podcast, host Kyle Matthews interviews four-time founder and Kasheesh CEO Sam Miller, who dropped out of college, bootstrapped early companies, achieved three exits, and now leads a fintech platform that lets consumers split purchases across multiple cards with no loans, interest, or credit checks. Miller explains Kasheesh’s origin as a response to predatory buy-now-pay-later lending, its evolution from a browser extension to Apple Pay/Google Pay, and growth to 110,000+ users and $72M+ in transactions. They discuss fundraising challenges, differences between bootstrapping and venture-backed startups, lessons from working in VC, and how consumer usage shifted from discretionary spending to essentials like rent and utilities. The conversation also covers AI’s impact on work, economic warning signs, and Kasheesh roadmap features like Replay, group payments, and rent reporting to credit bureaus.

May 19, 20261 hr 6 min

He Quit Wall Street to Buy a Frozen Yogurt Shop

In this episode of the Matthews Mentality Podcast, Kyle Matthews interviews Neil Hershman, CEO of 16 Handles, entrepreneur, franchise operator, Everest summiter, endurance athlete, and business owner.Neil shares how he left a hedge fund career at 23 years old, bought a single 16 Handles frozen yogurt franchise with an SBA loan, and scaled it into a rapidly growing national franchise brand with nearly 80 locations.This episode covers entrepreneurship, franchising, business growth, leadership, scaling a company, SBA loans, franchise ownership, investing, mental toughness, endurance training, and building a successful consumer brand.Topics covered in this episode:How Neil Hershman bought and scaled 16 HandlesGrowing a franchise business from 1 location to nearly 80 storesUsing SBA loans to buy a businessEntrepreneurship and startup lessonsScaling operations and franchise systemsLeadership lessons from business and endurance sportsClimbing Mount Everest and completing ultra-endurance racesBalancing business growth, family, and personal performanceThe future expansion of 16 Handles across the United StatesHow community-driven brands win in today’s marketIf you’re interested in entrepreneurship, franchising, startups, scaling a business, investing, business leadership, or founder stories, this episode is packed with insights and practical lessons.Follow 16 Handles: Instagram: @16handles Website: https://16handles.comFollow Kyle Matthews: Instagram: @KyleMatthewsCEO TikTok: @KyleMatthewsCEO X: @KyleMatthewsCEO LinkedIn: Kyle MatthewsSubscribe for more interviews with entrepreneurs, CEOs, investors, athletes, and high performers.

May 12, 20261 hr 18 min

The Sport America Is Sleeping On

Kyle Matthews interviews Marc Riccio, CEO of USA Lacrosse, about the sport’s growth, access challenges, and lacrosse’s return to the Olympics in LA 2028 as a medal sport for the first time since 1908. Riccio explains the sixes format (a faster, smaller-sided game akin to rugby sevens) and notes the U.S. women are ranked No. 1 while the U.S. men are No. 2 behind Canada. He discusses obstacles such as high school sanctioning (24 states still not sanctioned), pay-to-play infrastructure, and efforts like “Lacrosse in a Bag” to introduce the sport in schools. Riccio shares leadership lessons from 17 years with the New York Jets, his career path, and how team culture and vulnerability help build championship rosters.00:00 Move Early Mindset00:38 Meet Marc Riccio01:56 Lacrosse Growth Tailwinds02:37 Olympics Hype And Hockey Comp04:53 Participation Numbers And TAM08:02 High School Sanctioning Fight11:14 LA28 Sixes And Medal Odds12:07 Lacrosse Origin Story14:37 Traits Of Great Players16:54 Team Culture And Leadership19:41 From Kid Player To Scholarship22:45 College Grind And Pro Reality28:40 Breaking Into The Jets31:01 Parcells Lessons And Decisions37:04 Belichick Contrast And Media39:02 Post Jets Career And CEO Life41:24 Work Ethic And Choices42:06 Work and Family Balance42:49 Driven by Insecurity44:14 From Winning to Legacy45:33 Access to Lacrosse47:40 Explaining USA Lacrosse50:31 Pitch to Parents52:21 Multi Sport vs Specialize55:48 Toxic Parent Cultures01:01:39 Lacrosse Community Magic01:06:44 Olympics 2028 Journey01:10:43 Global Growth and Funding01:14:00 Final Wrap

May 5, 202650 min

HOTWORX Founder: A Casual Conversation Built An 800-Location Empire

Kyle Matthews interviews Stephen Smith, founder and CEO of HOTWORX, a 24-hour infrared fitness studio franchise that has grown to over 800 locations since opening its first studio in 2017 after a Jamaica conversation sparked the “yoga in a sauna” concept and a patented infrared fitness sauna. Smith explains HOTWORX's model—app-based access and booking, isometric sauna sessions (30 minutes) and HIIT sauna workouts (15 minutes) using cycling, a total body trainer, and a patented dual-tank rower—plus the claimed benefits of heat, infrared energy, and “3D training.” He shares his entrepreneurial path from opening Bodyplex at 22 to Planet Beach franchising, key franchising lessons, scaling practices like one coach per 50 locations, a “10/10 work ethic” hiring rule, and the launch of Diet Trax and AI-driven TrainingTRAX with Body Vision and 90-day challenges, while targeting 2,000 locations by 2030.00:00 Work Ethic Filter00:48 Meet Stephen Smith02:41 Scaling to 800 Studios04:13 What Is HOTWORX06:28 Infrared Training Science08:38 Jamaica Lightbulb Moment09:55 Early Entrepreneur Roots12:29 Bodyplex Leap of Faith15:52 Golds Gym Lessons17:30 Planet Beach Franchising18:51 Franchisor Playbook21:46 Work Life Balance Debate23:15 Motivation and Football Mindset26:30 From Fitness to Tanning27:25 Reinventing Planet Beach28:24 Naming HOTWORX29:11 Launching the First Studio29:46 Turning Customers into Franchisees31:23 Scaling with Coaches33:22 Ambition and Growth Mindset34:30 Diet Trax to TrainingTRAX36:44 Gamified 90 Day Challenges37:15 Body Vision and AI Coaching39:32 AI for Operations41:11 Exit Plans and IPO Talk41:57 Workations and Balance42:52 Advice for Younger Self45:30 Wild Entrepreneur Stories49:14 Wrap Up and Where to Find HOTWORX

April 28, 20261 hr 45 min

Deb Liu Says Not Doing AI is like Refusing to Use Excel

Kyle Matthews interviews Deb Liu, former Facebook senior executive who built the first mobile ad product, created Facebook Marketplace, and launched Facebook Pay, later serving as CEO of Ancestry and now co-founding Ember AI to bring AI-driven enterprise back office automation. Deb explains how Ember identifies workflow “hotspots” where human time is trapped in routinized tasks—often in procurement/invoicing and customer service— then re-orchestrates systems securely for leverage and insight, arguing “fast eats slow” in AI adoption. They discuss practical AI fluency for non-technologists, using multiple models to reduce hallucinations, and concerns about job impact. Deb shares why she started Women in Product, notes a gender gap in AI adoption, recounts her path from Stanford to PayPal and Facebook, reflects on growing up as an immigrant child in South Carolina, and discusses leadership, intentionality, family, and her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.00:00 AI Is the New Excel00:46 Meet Deb Liu01:58 What Ember AI Builds03:15 Back Office Quick Wins04:27 AI Leverage in Practice08:05 Jobs Fear and Up skilling10:59 Stop Saying I Don't Do AI13:28 Why Women in Product Started16:20 Closing the AI Adoption Gap18:34 Who Wins the AI Race20:34 From Civil Engineering to PayPal25:04 Growing Up as Outsiders28:51 Rocket Fuel and Belonging35:23 Adversity and Tiger Mom37:01 Asian American News Column37:39 Driven to Leave Town38:23 Teaching Kids Adversity40:53 Family Tech Boundaries44:41 Inside Facebook Marketplace48:44 Finding Your Voice51:26 Perfectionism and Growth56:41 From Meta to Ancestry01:00:54 CEO Doubts and Learning01:03:50 Leading Through Lockdown01:05:33 DNA Breakthroughs at Ancestry01:06:40 Privacy and Genetic Risk01:10:59 Mammogram Wakeup Call01:11:40 Diagnosis And Early Biopsy01:13:02 Risk Factors And Fear01:16:13 Treatment And Recovery01:17:56 Building Ember AI01:21:18 Intentionality At Work01:24:30 Habits And New Commitments01:29:16 Career Stall During Motherhood01:35:14 60 60 Marriage Framework01:39:11 Motherhood Penalty Reality01:42:21 Rapid Fire And Wrap Up

April 21, 20261 hr 22 min

Secret Service Polygraph Expert: How To Get Anyone To Tell You The Truth

Kyle Matthews interviews Brad Beeler, a retired U.S. Secret Service special agent and prolific criminal polygraph examiner who served on President George H.W. Bush’s protection detail and was named Special Agent of the Year for work combating crimes against children. Beeler discusses polygraph accuracy and how it works, emphasizing preparation, baselining, and that people “beat the examiner” rather than the instrument. He shares practical deception-detection and communication tactics (yes/no questions, delays, qualifiers, overreactions, body-language mismatches, and reading feet) and warns about confirmation bias and false confessions. Beeler recounts cases including a “king of counterfeit” investigation, Olympic protection in Beijing, polygraph work, and a transformative homicide confession, and explains his book “Tell Me Everything” as a communication blueprint for trust and truth.00:00 Truth Odds Explained00:38 Meet Brad Beeler01:34 Polygraph Dad Story02:54 Car Sales Tactics05:25 Everyday Lie Tells05:45 Yes No Questions12:56 Polygraph Book Origins16:38 Why Secret Service17:38 Hiring Marathon19:08 How Polygraphs Work23:18 Beating The Polygraph26:31 Counterfeit King Case34:01 Beijing Olympics Detail37:24 Crimes Against Children40:55 Online Grooming Risks41:53 Extortion And Cyber Tips42:39 Triple Homicide Breakthrough44:36 Respectful Interrogation Tactics45:48 False Confessions Risks47:15 Confirmation Bias Lessons 53:05 Why People Commit Crimes57:06 Facing True Evil Cases01:01:58 Secret Service Career Phases01:02:53 Sniper Threat Investigation 01:08:00 Presidents And World Travel01:11:23 Protection Risks And Complacency01:12:49 Reading People And Body Language01:16:56 Honeybee Confession Story01:20:47 Closing Thoughts And Where To Follow

April 14, 20261 hr 10 min

After 30 Rejections… This One Meeting Changed His Life | Michael Burcham

On the Matthews Mentality Podcast, host Kyle Matthews interviews Dr. Michael Burcham, who launched, scaled, and sold three healthcare companies and later founded the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. Burcham recounts being rejected by 30 Nashville investors before flying to New York for his first trip and securing $10M at Rockefeller Center, then building Therapy Physics by consolidating outpatient rehab practices and ultimately selling at a high multiple. He shares lessons from growing up on a rural Mississippi farm, mentors who pushed him toward college, and how he built financial skills with an MBA. The conversation covers exits, post-sale challenges, scaling models, work-life tradeoffs, grief after losing his son, writing The Mask, common founder mistakes, his role at Shore Capital Partners, and his upcoming book, Blood, Sweat and Equity.00:00 Walk Through The Door00:38 Meet Dr Michael Burcham01:23 Rejected In Nashville03:08 Rockefeller Center Yes07:02 The Rehab Rollup Pitch08:50 Mississippi Farm Roots11:20 Teacher Changed Everything14:33 From Ole Miss To HCA17:21 Should You Get A Masters23:47 Launching In Denver27:22 Exit Mechanics Explained29:45 Life After The Sale32:41 Imposter Syndrome And Drive35:07 Buying Paradigm Health37:03 Fixing Culture and Model38:51 Fulfillment Helping Founders41:07 Narus Health from Loss42:33 Grief into Leadership44:43 Founder Mistakes to Avoid46:24 Joining Shore Partners48:25 Work Life Balance Truths55:02 Founder Abyss and Glass56:13 Blood Sweat Equity Book58:42 Wild Founder Stories01:09:10 Final Takeaways and Wrap

March 31, 20261 hr 8 min

The Overlooked Hotel Model Making Real Money | Mike Nielson

Real estate developer Mike Nielson, CEO of LivAway Suites and West 77 Partners, explains economy extended stay hotels as a hybrid closer to multifamily than traditional lodging, serving essential-workforce and life-transition guests needing furnished stays from roughly 90 days to six months. He shares how COVID revealed the segment’s resilience when traditional hotels collapsed, inspiring the mission to deliver a cleaner, safer, more consistent product for underserved customers. Nielson details LivAway’s rapid growth since its first 2024 opening—over 100,000 room nights sold, eight hotels open, and additional properties in development nationwide—and credits vertical integration across brand, development, construction, and property management for consistency. He also recounts an early contractor bankruptcy crisis, his contrarian investing roots, a cash-on-cash-focused investor base, and advice on compounding experience and relationships over time.00:00 Why Build LivAway02:08 Extended Stay Explained03:19 Who Stays Here06:41 COVID Proof Demand11:20 Fixing A Broken Product11:58 Vertical Integration Edge14:41 Contrarian Origin Story17:21 Underwriting To Conviction26:28 Investor Mindset Cashflow29:52 Childhood And Football Drive34:48 Doubters As Fuel36:53 Why This Niche Wins37:49 Base Hits Not Home Runs38:31 Nature Versus Nurture40:01 Hard Work Childhood Lessons45:04 Work Smart And Risk46:46 Contractor Bankruptcy Crisis51:24 Paramedic Walk Leadership53:31 Riots And Broken Waterwalls01:00:27 Live Away Growth Vision01:03:35 Compounding Career Advice01:07:29 Final Wrap And Where To Follow