Podcast
The Jess Larsen Show on Innovation & Leadership
Hosted by Graystoke Networks · EN
Jess Larsen interviews exciting people and uncommonly high achievers including Billionaires, Pro Athletes, Fortune 500 CEOs, Hollywood Actors like Danny Glover, New York Times Bestselling Authors, Tech Founders, Four-star Generals, World Class Musicians, Special Ops, VCs, Olympic Athletes, Non-Profit Leaders, Inventors and many more.
42episodes
Episodes
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What Attributes Create SEAL Teams 6 Excellence? | Rich Diviney, Retired Navy SEAL Commander
5d ago00:51:42Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Jess Larsen Show on Innovation & Leadership, Jess sits down with Rich Diviney, retired Navy SEAL, former SEAL Team Six operator, founder of The Attributes Training Company, and author of The Attributes and Masters of Uncertainty. Rich breaks down the difference between skills and attributes, and why elite performance is not just about what someone knows how to do, but whether they have the internal wiring to perform when pressure, chaos, and uncertainty hit. Drawing from his experience running selection at SEAL Team Six, Rich explains why some of the most talented operators still do not make it through, and what separates those who can adapt, recover, learn, and execute under extreme conditions. Jess and Rich also explore the psychology of high-performing teams, the difference between elite and special, how SEAL Team Six and Delta Force approach selection differently, and why attributes like learnability, resilience, compartmentalization, empathy, caring, discipline, and task switching shape performance in every field, not just the military. This is a fascinating conversation about leadership, human potential, uncertainty, and how to understand yourself and your team at the deepest level. Whether you are building a company, leading people, developing talent, or trying to perform better under pressure, Rich offers a powerful framework for knowing where you are a rock star, where you are a doofus, and how to build the right team around you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Winning Philosophy of a Billion Dollar Vacation CO | James Henderson, CEO of Exclusive Resorts
2w ago01:25:58Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Jess Larsen Show on Innovation & Leadership, Jess sits down with James Henderson, CEO of Exclusive Resorts and The Exclusive Collective, for a fascinating conversation on the future of luxury travel, community, and what it really means to live well. James shares how Exclusive Resorts evolved from a destination club into a luxury lifestyle platform with more than $1 billion in real estate, hundreds of residences, once-in-a-lifetime trips, and a growing family of brands designed to serve affluent travelers in different ways. From private homes and curated villas to Formula One, the Kentucky Derby, Antarctica, around-the-world jet trips, and exclusive member experiences, James explains why today’s most successful people are increasingly choosing memories, relationships, and seamless service over material status. Jess and James also explore the rise of the experience economy, the power of community among high-net-worth families, and why the best luxury experiences are often defined by what you do not have to think about. James breaks down how his team uses personalization, human touch, brand architecture, and operational discipline to create travel that feels effortless while still deeply personal. This conversation is about more than luxury vacations. It is about time, connection, family, leadership, and building a business around the idea that people may be able to make more money, but they cannot make more time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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How Did He Grow to 2 Million Customers? | KOHO Co-Founder and CEO, Daniel Eberhard
3w ago00:43:03Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Jess Larsen Show on Innovation & Leadership, Jess sits down with Dan Eberhard, Founder & CEO of Koho, one of Canada’s most exciting fintech companies. Dan shares how Koho grew from a scrappy idea challenging Canada’s powerful banking system into a company with 2 million customers, hundreds of millions raised, and a real shot at building the next great bank in Canada. Dan opens up about his unconventional path from growing up in a small mountain town in British Columbia to building wind farms, selling his first company, and eventually launching Koho after seeing how much wealth traditional financial products were extracting from everyday Canadians. Jess and Dan dive into the realities of building a fintech company in a market dominated by major banks, including the early grind of raising money, convincing partners like Visa and People’s Trust, nearly running out of cash, and moving the company to Toronto after an investor ultimatum. Dan also breaks down how Koho thinks about product-market fit, customer behavior, fundraising, leadership, and building through chaos. This is a powerful conversation about entrepreneurship, financial freedom, resilience, and what it really takes to build a company that can challenge an entrenched industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why do 75% of Exits Fail? | Michael Winn, Co-Founder & Partner at Chartered Wealth Partners
4w ago00:52:44Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Jess Larsen Show on Innovation & Leadership, Jess sits down with Michael Winn of Chartered Wealth for the first installment in a new mini-series on one of the biggest questions founders face: why do so many exits fail? Michael breaks down the surprising statistic that 75% of founder exits are unsuccessful, and explains why selling a company is not just a transaction, but a deeply personal, financial, and strategic process. Michael shares the three areas every founder must align before an exit: business readiness, financial readiness, and personal readiness. While most owners focus on whether the business is valuable and transferable, Michael explains why the emotional side is often the most overlooked and the most dangerous, especially when founders lose their identity, purpose, and daily adrenaline after the wire hits. Jess and Michael also explore real client stories, including founders who walked away from $300M+ deals, struggled after $120M exits, or discovered that their “magic number” was not what they thought. The conversation dives into estate planning, wealth gap analysis, tax mitigation, spouse alignment, and the importance of preparing for life after the sale long before the deal closes. Whether you’re actively preparing to sell, years away from an exit, or building a business you may never sell, this episode is a practical and eye-opening guide to avoiding founder regret and creating an exit on your terms, not the buyer’s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Ethereum Co-Founder's Sovereign AI Future | Anthony Di Iorio, CEO & Founder of Decentral
Jun 1100:56:22Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Jess Larsen Show on Innovation & Leadership, Jess sits down with Anthony Di Iorio, co-founder of Ethereum and one of the earliest builders in the crypto ecosystem, for a wide-ranging conversation on Bitcoin, Ethereum, AI, decentralization, and personal sovereignty. Anthony shares how he first discovered Bitcoin in 2012, bought in when it was under $10, and helped build the Toronto Bitcoin community where he eventually met Vitalik Buterin and became part of Ethereum’s founding story. The conversation moves beyond crypto into Anthony’s deeper mission: helping people regain control of their digital lives. He explains why Ethereum’s real breakthrough was not speculation, but utility, smart contracts, programmable systems, and the removal of unnecessary middlemen. Anthony also shares why he believes too much of today’s digital infrastructure depends on centralized platforms, cloud providers, and business models that extract value from users instead of empowering them. Jess and Anthony dive into his newest work around AI, cognitive sovereignty, and what it could mean for one person or a tiny team to accomplish what used to require hundreds of people. Anthony introduces the ideas behind As You Wish, his AI command platform built around “genies,” and Andiami, his effort to give people tools to run their own nodes, own their data, and reduce reliance on big tech infrastructure. This episode is a fascinating look at the next chapter of decentralization, where crypto, AI, personal computing, and human freedom all collide. If you care about the future of entrepreneurship, digital ownership, or staying in control of your own intelligence in an AI-driven world, this conversation is one to watch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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$2.5B in Real Estate to Fulfillionaire | Thrive CEO JP Newman
Jun 401:02:29Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Jess Larsen Show on Innovation & Leadership, Jess sits down with JP Newman, CEO of Thrive FP and founder of Fulfillionaire, for a powerful conversation about success, money, meaning, and what happens after you finally achieve the life you thought would make you happy. JP shares his unconventional path from Sony Pictures and family entertainment to building a real estate platform with more than $2 billion in transactions, and how his early struggles shaped the way he thinks about leadership, risk, and responsibility. But the heart of this conversation goes far beyond real estate. JP opens up about what he calls “the net worth trap,” the shift from chasing money to fearing the loss of it, and why so many successful people still feel anxious, unfulfilled, or stuck after reaching major financial milestones. He explains the five dimensions of wealth behind Fulfillionaire, including prosperity, purpose, people, presence, and play, and why true wealth must support a life of meaning, connection, joy, and service. Jess and JP also explore philanthropy, faith, giving, and the responsibility that comes with managing other people’s money. JP shares the story behind Veritas Impact Partners, his nonprofit created to support residents in workforce housing communities with services like telemedicine, mental health support, financial education, and tutoring. This is a deeply human episode about redefining success, using money as a tool instead of a scoreboard, and building a life where wealth leads to freedom, generosity, and fulfillment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Raising $200M & Building AI for Drug Discovery | BenchSci Co-founder and CEO, Liran Belenzon
May 2800:43:58Tap to summarizeMost people don’t realize how broken drug discovery really is. According to Liran Belenzon, companies can spend seven years and hundreds of millions of dollars on a drug candidate—only to see it fail in human trials. In this episode, Liran explains why biology is one of the most complex systems humans have ever tried to understand and how AI can help researchers uncover patterns humans miss. The discussion explores why even small improvements in success rates could completely reshape healthcare outcomes worldwide. This episode is a powerful glimpse into the future of science and medicine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why the Rich are Moving to the Cayman Islands? | Daniel Altneu & Co-hosted with Holly Parker
May 2100:48:36Tap to summarizeIn this special co-hosted episode of The Jess Larsen Show on Innovation & Leadership, Jess Larsen is joined by top Compass broker Holly Parker for a fascinating conversation with Cayman Islands attorney Daniel Altneu of Bedell Cristin. Together, they unpack why the Cayman Islands has become one of the world’s most sought-after destinations for ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, entrepreneurs, and global investors. Daniel breaks down the realities behind Cayman residency, offshore structuring, wealth migration, tax strategy, and succession planning — while separating fact from Hollywood fiction about the islands. The discussion explores why affluent families from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Dubai, and beyond are increasingly relocating assets, businesses, and even future generations to Cayman for lifestyle, privacy, safety, and long-term financial planning. Jess and Holly also dive into the cultural transformation happening in Cayman: world-class dining, luxury real estate, understated wealth, elite healthcare, international schools, and a growing reputation as a discreet alternative to places like Monaco, Dubai, and St. Barts. Along the way, they discuss family office trends, crypto migration, global mobility, co-ownership luxury properties, and what the future of wealth movement may look like in a rapidly changing world. Whether you’re curious about international residency, wealth preservation, offshore law, or simply why so many influential people are quietly choosing Cayman, this episode offers an insider look at one of the world’s fastest-growing hubs for global wealth and lifestyle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Building $300M Dream Homes for Billionaires | Grant Bowen, Founder & CEO of Peak Projects
May 1400:49:42Tap to summarizeWhat does it really take to build a $100M–$300M+ home—and work with some of the wealthiest people in the world? In this episode, Grant Bowen, founder of Peak Projects, breaks down the hidden world behind ultra-luxury residential development. From managing complex projects to acting as a trusted advisor, Grant shares how his firm became one of the leaders in the space. But this conversation goes far beyond real estate. Grant reveals what it’s actually like working with ultra-high-net-worth clients—and how the reality is often very different from the stereotypes. He also dives into trust, relationships, and why transactional thinking fails at the highest levels. If you’re building a business, raising capital, or serving elite clients, this episode is packed with lessons you won’t hear anywhere else. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Deep Questions with a Navy Seal | Retired Navy SEAL, Diego Ugalde
May 701:02:43Tap to summarizeFormer Navy SEAL Diego Ugalde returns to The Jess Larsen Show for one of our most thought-provoking conversations yet. In this throwback episode, Diego opens up about the journey behind his book Leading From the Deep and the lessons he learned from BUD/S training, combat deployments, leadership, trauma, and healing. Jess and Diego explore the realities of mental toughness, what elite performance actually feels like under pressure, and why so many high achievers unknowingly run on fear, shame, and self-judgment. Diego shares powerful stories from his SEAL career, including combat medicine experiences in Iraq, the mindset required to survive BUD/S, and the evolution of his leadership philosophy through psychedelics and consciousness work. The conversation shifts into something deeper: identity, ego, purpose, and the idea that “love can be the gasoline” behind performance instead of fear. What follows is an honest, philosophical, and deeply human discussion about success, suffering, healing, and what it really means to lead yourself and others. This is more than a conversation about Navy SEALs or psychedelics. It’s a conversation about becoming whole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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