Podcast
Right About Now - Legendary Business Advice
Hosted by The Radcast Network · EN
The #1 Marketing & Business Show on Apple Podcasts
Welcome to Right About Now, where real American business gets a megaphone—and the B.S. gets the boot.
Hosted by marketing disrupter Ryan Alford, entrepreneur, founder, and the guy brands call when they want attention, this show slices through the noise with uncensored insights, hard-earned wisdom, and straight-up truths from the frontlines of business.
Every week, you’ll get two punchy Guest episodes where Ryan talks with legendary business founders, trending authors, and industry titans about what it takes to build a business and some of the most cutting edge tools and services available.
Forget the LinkedIn fluff. This is for doers, builders, and dreamers who want results, not recycled soundbites.
Business the way it really works. Real people. Real wins. Real screw-ups.
No MBA required. Just guts, hustle, and a sense of humor.
Subscribe, listen, and get Right About Now.
Because business isn’t broken—it’s just been boring & stale. Until now.
188episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Most Businesses Should Never Raise Venture Capital | Navin Goyal
3d ago00:16:01Summary readyNavin Goyal joins Ryan Alford to discuss the realities of venture capital and why most companies may be better served by staying scrappy instead of immediately pursuing outside investment. As a physician, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Loud Capital, Navin has experienced funding from both the founder and investor sides of the table. Ryan and Navin explore active capital, the execution gap that appears after funding, and how experienced operators can help companies grow while using less money. They also discuss the pressure that comes with institutional investment, the cost of giving away equity, and why raising capital should never be confused with building a successful company. Navin also explains how AI can help leadership teams organize private company data, identify the activities producing real value, and eliminate distractions that consume time without moving the business forward. The episode offers a grounded framework for founders deciding whether investment will truly accelerate the company or simply create more pressure. Topics coveredWho should and should not pursue venture capitalThe difference between money and strategic supportReducing capital needs through better executionFounder accountability and adaptabilityThe risks of unrealistic growth expectationsGiving away equity versus remaining independentLeadership teams and flexible executivesAI-powered company assessmentsBuilding business value instead of staying busyRyan Alford and Navin Goyal on disciplined entrepreneurshipLinksNavin Goyalhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/navingoyalmd/Loud Capital https://loudcapital.com/Ryan Alford / Right About Now https://www.ryanisright.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/
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How Brands Turn Customers Into Their Best Marketers | Luke Yarnton
6d ago00:28:33Summary readyLuke Yarnton joins Ryan Alford to discuss why the future of influencer marketing belongs to customers—not celebrities. As co-founder of The Rave, Luke shares how brands are identifying influential customers already purchasing their products and turning them into long-term ambassadors through authentic relationships and community building. Ryan and Luke explore how micro and nano influencers outperform traditional celebrity campaigns, why trust matters more than follower count, and how affiliate marketing, referrals, and customer communities are reshaping brand growth. The conversation also covers practical strategies businesses can use to activate existing customers and create sustainable word-of-mouth marketing. Topics CoveredThe evolution of influencer marketingAmbassador marketingCustomer advocacyMicro and nano influencersAffiliate marketingCommunity buildingReferral strategiesAuthentic brand partnershipsCustomer acquisitionRyan Alford and Luke Yarnton discuss modern marketing
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The Legal Tax Moves That Help Rich People Get Richer | Mark J. Kohler
1w ago00:26:34Summary readyMark J. Kohler joins Ryan Alford on Right About Now to talk about how entrepreneurs, side hustlers, and small business owners can think differently about taxes and wealth. As a tax attorney, CPA, author, and educator, Mark explains why the tax code is not just something to fear once a year, but a tool business owners can learn to use legally and strategically.Ryan and Mark cover the difference between earning more money and keeping more money, including how side hustles, rental properties, 1099 income, and business expenses can create real advantages when handled correctly. Mark also shares why business owners need to stop fully delegating their tax strategy and instead become the CEO of their own tax team.The episode also dives into family payroll, family board meetings, Roth IRAs, self-directed IRAs, crypto, and how small business owners can involve their families while building wealth. It is a practical, high-energy conversation about taking ownership of your money, understanding the rules, and using the same strategies wealthy people study every year.Topics CoveredWhy small business owners overpay in taxesHow the tax code motivates wealth-building behaviorSide hustles as a gateway to tax strategyWhy business owners need better bookkeepingWhat your accountant may not be telling youFamily payroll and paying your kids through the businessRoth IRAs, crypto, and self-directed retirement accountsHow to build a tax team instead of outsourcing everythingRyan Alford and Mark J. Kohler on ownership, discipline, and wealthLinks Right About Now / Ryan Alfordhttps://www.ryanisright.com/https://www.ryanalford.com/https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/Mark J. Kohlerhttps://markjkohler.com/https://www.instagram.com/markjkohler/https://www.youtube.com/@markjkohlerhttps://mainstreetbusinesspodcast.com/https://directedira.com/Episode Timestamps00:00 – Stop Blaming the Rich & Own Your Destiny00:32 – Introduction: Welcome to Right About Now with Ryan Alford00:53 – Introducing Main Street Tax Attorney Mark J. Kohler01:31 – Mark's Journey from Lemonade Stands to the 1%02:31 – Why Taxes Are Law (And Why the "Big Dogs" Afford It)03:29 – The Side Hustle Revolution & Building Wealth04:42 – The 1099 Golden Ticket: Write-Offs You're Missing05:32 – Demystifying Tax Brackets & Effective Tax Rates06:09 – Real Estate & Depreciation Strategies (The Trump Tax Anomaly)07:29 – Tax Strategies the Rich Geek Out On (Roth IRAs & HSAs)08:50 – Understanding the True Purpose of the Tax Code09:58 – Oil & Gas Tax Credits Explained11:17 – The #1 Thing Small Business Owners Must Stop Doing12:35 – Being the CEO of Your Own Tax Team13:05 – Treat Your Side Hustle Like a Real Business14:07 – Tracking Expenses: Stop Delegating, Start Documenting14:51 – Integrating Family: How to Form a Family Board & Family Office16:17 – Putting Your Kids on the Payroll Tax-Free18:44 – Why Your Current Accountant Might Fight New Tax Strategies20:57 – Mark’s Take on the Crypto Bus & XRP21:38 – The Difference Between a Financial Advisor and an Investment Advisor23:32 – What Fuels Success & The Ultimate Goal of the American Dream25:05 – Where to Find Mark J. Kohler's Resources & Network26:17 – Closing Thoughts: Information Doesn't Change Lives, Execution Does
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The Social Media Goldmine Brands Are Ignoring with Matthew McGrory
2w ago00:29:21Summary readyRyan Alford sits down with Matthew McGrory, CEO and co-founder of Arwen.ai, for a conversation about AI, brand safety, social media moderation, and the business value hidden inside comment sections. Matthew explains how Arwen helps brands manage toxic content, protect communities, and identify the customer questions, buying signals, and insights that often get buried in high-volume social conversations.The episode also explores where social media may be headed next, including more commerce, more AI-driven interaction, and more pressure on brands to respond in real time. Ryan and Matthew discuss the idea of X becoming a larger social, commerce, payment, and advertising platform, and why that kind of future changes how brands should think about engagement.They also cover the tension between moderation and free speech, what “lawful but awful” content means, and why brands need tools that protect their channels without removing legitimate opinion. This is a strong episode for marketers, founders, brand leaders, and operators trying to understand how AI can make social media safer, smarter, and more commercially useful.Topics CoveredArwen.ai and AI-powered social media moderationBrand safety and comment protectionWhy comment sections contain valuable buying signalsThe future of social commerce and AI engagementHow brands can turn social conversations into insightsThe difference between toxic content and legitimate opinionWhy social media is moving past billboard-style advertisingRyan Alford and Matthew McGrory on social intelligence, customer data, and the next era of digital marketingLinksRight About Nowhttps://www.ryanisright.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlfordRyan Alfordhttps://www.ryanalford.com/https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/Matthew McGrory / Arwen.aihttps://www.arwen.ai/homehttps://www.arwen.ai/platformhttps://www.arwen.ai/newshttps://uk.linkedin.com/in/mmcgrory
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Brand Loyalty Is Dying: Devora Rogers on Shopper Promiscuity and Modern Marketing
2w ago00:29:52Summary readyRyan Alford talks with Devora Rogers, Chief Strategy Officer at Alter Agents, about how consumer decision-making has changed and why old marketing assumptions are not enough anymore. Devora explains “shopper promiscuity,” the growing challenge of brand loyalty, and why consumers now use more sources of information before making purchase decisions.The episode explores the tension between brand building and performance marketing, including why brands can over-focus on bottom-of-funnel tactics while ignoring awareness, trust, and meaningful differentiation. Ryan and Devora also discuss brand narcissism, attribution myths, human research, podcasts, catalogs, and why marketers need to understand the full context behind a buying decision.Devora shares lessons from her work with Google’s Zero Moment of Truth research and explains why real people still reveal insights that AI-generated or synthetic respondents cannot. This is a practical episode for marketers, founders, and business leaders who want to understand why customers switch, what still influences buying behavior, and how brands can earn attention in a fragmented market.Topics CoveredWhat shopper promiscuity means for brandsWhy brand loyalty is harder to earn todayBrand building vs. performance marketingWhy brand tracking can miss the bigger shopper storyAttribution, attention, and why marketers still cannot measure everythingWhy real human research still mattersThe surprising influence of podcasts and catalogsGoogle’s Zero Moment of Truth and how buying behavior evolvedRyan Alford and Devora Rogers on the future of shopper behavior and brand strategyLinksRight About Nowhttps://www.ryanisright.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199https://open.spotify.com/show/0gy9HkTiwpAAgu1DFyIW9hRyan Alfordhttps://www.ryanalford.com/https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/Devora Rogers / Alter Agentshttps://alteragents.com/https://alteragents.com/who-we-are/devora-rogers-y/https://alteragents.substack.com/
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Mrs. Meyer’s: How Reinventing a Boring Category Became a Premium Brand | Monica Nassif
3w ago00:26:50Summary readyRyan Alford talks with Monica Nassif, founder of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, about the founder story behind one of the most recognizable brands in household cleaning. Monica explains how her mother’s Midwestern practicality, frugality, and grit became the foundation for a brand that felt different from anything else on the shelf.The conversation moves through the early days of Caldrea, the decision to create Mrs. Meyer’s, the challenge of selling into Whole Foods one store at a time, and the failed Target test Monica chose to walk away from before the buyer kicked her out. Ryan brings the marketing and operator lens, while Monica brings the hard-earned retail wisdom of someone who built a brand by understanding the consumer, the shelf, and the category.They also talk about creativity, packaging, fragrance, social media, product development, and Monica’s book I Bottled My Mother. This episode is especially useful for founders, marketers, and CPG operators who want to understand what it really takes to build a brand that can move from niche to mainstream.Topics CoveredThe origin story of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean DayHow Thelma Meyer became the soul of the brandBuilding Caldrea before launching Mrs. Meyer’sSelling into Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, and AmazonWhy Monica pulled the brand from Target and came back strongerHow fragrance made cleaning products feel giftable and premiumWhat founders need to understand about shelf spaceRyan Alford and Monica Nassif on consumer behavior, creativity, disruption, and founder perseveranceLinksRight About Nowhttps://www.ryanisright.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlfordRyan Alfordhttps://www.ryanalford.com/https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/Monica Nassif / I Bottled My Motherhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/I-Bottled-My-Mother/Monica-Nassif/9781646872336https://www.amazon.com/Bottled-My-Mother-Growing-Business/dp/1646872339https://www.target.com/p/i-bottled-my-mother-by-monica-nassif-paperback/-/A-1007820287https://www.walmart.com/ip/I-Bottled-My-Mother-Grit-Grime-amp-Growing-a-Business-the-Mrs-Meyer-apos-s-Story-Paperback-9781646872336/18837654974
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From Finance to Netflix: Chris Allen on Influence, Sales, and Startups
3w ago00:25:10Summary readyRyan Alford sits down with Chris Allen for a conversation that starts with Netflix’s Million Dollar Secret and quickly turns into something more useful for founders, marketers, and operators. Chris shares how he went from finance to business school to startup life, why he believed consumer products now need a face as much as a formula, and how that belief pushed him toward reality TV.The episode also explores what happens after the cameras stop rolling. Ryan and Chris talk about online attention, brand leverage, content testing, influencer economics, and why sales and influence still sit at the center of almost every business outcome that matters.Chris is candid about the pressure of instant visibility, the challenge of turning attention into revenue, and the bigger question of what success actually looks like after a public breakthrough. It is a smart episode about celebrity, strategy, and using visibility as a business tool instead of just a vanity metric.Topics CoveredChris Allen’s background in finance and startupsWhy he saw fame as a business assetThe strategy behind going on Million Dollar SecretHow Netflix’s platform amplified the show globallyWhy online attention is easier to get than to monetizeSales, influence, and convincing people in businessThe difference between short-term fame and long-term leverageRyan Alford and Chris Allen on purpose, impact, and what comes nextLinksRight About Nowhttps://www.ryanisright.com/https://www.ryanisright.com/videos/https://www.ryanisright.com/follow/Ryan Alfordhttps://www.ryanalford.com/https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/Chris Allenhttps://www.instagram.com/callennd/Million Dollar Secrethttps://www.netflix.com/title/81731670https://www.netflix.com/tudum/million-dollar-secret
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Founder Lessons From Scaling, Going Public, and Rebuilding | Rick Jordan
4w ago00:32:44Summary readyRyan Alford talks with Rick Jordan about one of the hardest founder arcs to navigate: building real momentum, scaling quickly, and then being forced to confront what happens when part of that structure fails. Rick walks through taking his company public, the acquisitions that accelerated growth, and the liabilities that later turned those wins into a painful and expensive reset.The conversation is honest about the things founders do not always say out loud. Ryan and Rick unpack the emotional side of leadership, the tendency to internalize every failure, the danger of writing checks just to buy more time, and why entrepreneurs often carry burdens no one else inside the company truly feels.They also talk about what comes next: rebuilding with stronger structure, teaching other business owners what Rick learned the hard way, and focusing on scalable systems that can survive more than just the first burst of momentum. It is a candid, useful listen for anyone trying to grow without confusing speed for stability.Topics CoveredRick Jordan’s path from private business growth to public marketsHow acquisitions helped scale the company quicklyWhat happens when acquired businesses bring hidden problemsThe legal and structural difference between buying stock and buying assetsWhy founders often over-own the pain of failureThe cost of trying to save a business the wrong wayRebuilding with better structure and clearer boundariesRyan Alford and Rick Jordan on scaling, scars, and second chancesLinksRight About Nowhttps://www.ryanisright.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlfordRyan Alfordhttps://www.ryanalford.com/https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/Rick Jordanhttps://www.mrrickjordan.com/https://www.instagram.com/mrrickjordan/https://www.youtube.com/@mrrickjordanReachOut Technologyhttps://www.reachoutit.com/Frequency Holdingshttps://www.frequencyholdings.com/
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How a Viral Congressional Trading Tracker Became a $1B+ Fintech Business | Autopilot
Jun 1900:32:51Summary readyRyan Alford talks with Chris Josephs, co-founder of Autopilot, about how political stock-trade tracking became one of the most talked-about ideas in finance media and how that momentum evolved into a real investing business. Chris explains the origin of the Pelosi Tracker, why the topic hit such a nerve with both parties, and how Autopilot now gives users a way to follow portfolios from politicians, hedge funds, AI-driven strategies, and vetted independent investors.The conversation also digs into product design, marketplace thinking, and what Chris believes is broken in traditional investing. Ryan and Chris explore the black-box problem with advisors and retirement accounts, why transparency matters more than ever, and how accountability can become a real competitive edge in a world increasingly flooded by AI-generated noise.They close by talking about virality, founder strategy, and the difference between chasing attention and using attention to build durable trust. It is a useful episode for entrepreneurs, investors, and operators who want to understand how a sharp media insight can turn into a differentiated product with real staying power.Topics CoveredThe origin story behind the Pelosi TrackerWhy political stock trading became such a viral topicHow Autopilot works inside existing brokerage accountsThe marketplace model for following investorsWhy transparency and verification matter in modern financeChris Josephs’ view on AI, emotion, and stock researchWhy virality is overrated without product-market fitRyan Alford and Chris Josephs on trust, investing, and founder executionLinksRight About Nowhttps://www.ryanisright.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199https://open.spotify.com/show/0gy9HkTiwpAAgu1DFyIW9hhttps://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlfordRyan Alfordhttps://www.ryanalford.com/https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/Chris Josephs / Autopilothttps://www.joinautopilot.com/https://www.instagram.com/chrisjjosephs/https://x.com/pelositrackerhttps://pelositracker.app/
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How AI Is Changing Retail, Style, and the Future of Shopping | Anya Cheng
Jun 1600:25:09Summary readyRyan Alford sits down with Anya Cheng, founder and CEO of Taelor, for a conversation about AI, commerce, branding, and why data is becoming the defining advantage in the next generation of startups. Anya shares how she identified a real customer problem inside fashion and style, why most men do not actually want to shop, and how Taelor was built to remove friction through a mix of AI, logistics, and human styling support.Ryan and Anya also dig into the balance between brand and performance marketing, the changing role of SEO in a ChatGPT world, and why founders should be thinking less about building models and more about owning differentiated data. The episode becomes a bigger discussion about business moats, customer behavior, and how the most valuable AI companies may come from industries that do not look flashy at first glance.They close with a sharp look at live shopping, social commerce, and where Anya believes U.S. consumer behavior is headed next. It is a useful listen for entrepreneurs trying to separate what is durable in AI from what is just noise.Topics CoveredHow Anya Cheng went from major tech companies to founding TaelorWhy solving the right problem is more important than building the right featureThe role of AI and human stylists in modern commerceWhy unique data is more valuable than generic model accessBranding, performance marketing, and the purchase funnelChatGPT SEO and the rise of answer-based discoveryLive shopping and why U.S. commerce behavior still lags AsiaRyan Alford and Anya Cheng on defensible AI business strategyLinks Right About Now https://www.ryanisright.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199 https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlfordRyan Alford https://www.ryanalford.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/Anya Cheng / Taelor https://taelor.style/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/anyacheng/
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