Podcast
The Unshakeables
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts · EN
The Unshakeables podcast dives into inspiring stories from real small business owners across America who power their communities every day. Join Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business, and co-host Kathleen Griffith as they hear from guests who share their make-or-break moments that changed everything. Produced in collaboration with iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio, The Unshakeables has won multiple awards, including Gold at the 2025 Signal Awards. The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of the podcast release date and they may not materialize. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. ©2026 JPMorgan Chase & Co.
46episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Built to Keep Going: Elon Elezra
2d ago00:30:53Summary readyElon Elezra moved to Alabama for college and never left. A gig fixing iPhones in his dorm room turned into running storefronts for the largest reselling platform in the world, doing roofing repair, and buying real estate. He spent years treating every venture as a classroom, seeing a lesson in every hardship. But ambition has a price. When Elon tackled one of his first major commercial renovations, the project became a crash course in everything that can go wrong — and how much it costs to find out. In this episode, Ben and Kathleen talk with Elon about what he has learned and how he has defined his own American dream. After successfully selling his garage door company, Elon continues to dream for more. These are The Unshakeables.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummaryThe Hat That Changed Everything: Siegelman Stable
2w ago00:32:51Summary readyMax Siegelman had a logo before he had a brand — borrowed from his father's harness racing stable, Siegelman Stable. The logo felt like it was meant to be on a hat, so when the pandemic hit, Max put $600 down and started making them. No outside money, no rapid scaling. He funded each production run with returns from the last, built buzz with rappers and shipped hats to the NBA Bubble in 2020. Then in 2022, one of his hats ended up on Kendall Jenner during Paris Fashion Week. Max had 15 minutes to get his website ready and he made the moment count. Join Ben and Kathleen as they talk to Max about building a luxury brand on legacy and scarcity, why limited drops beat mass production, and how travel fuels the aspirational mystique that makes Siegelman Stable impossible to ignore. These are The Unshakeables.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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BONUS: How Small Businesses Endure for Generations
4w ago00:14:36Summary readyHow do some small businesses stand the test of time? In today’s mini episode, Maya talks with Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and host of “The Unshakeables” podcast, about what helps businesses endure across generations – from adaptability and grit to a deep connection with their communities. This episode was made in partnership with Chase for Business. Listen to “The Unshakeables” here. Listen to our previous conversation with Ben, “Boost Your Resilience At Work.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummaryNinety Years of Noodles: Borgatti's Ravioli & Egg Noodles
May 500:29:48Summary readyChristopher Borgatti learned the business from his father. His son, Christopher, learned it from him. Since 1935, four generations of Borgattis have been rolling pasta in the same Bronx shop through the Depression, through WWII, through changing neighborhoods, through the internet age and through a pandemic. The name on the door has never changed. Neither has the commitment to quality. But legacy does not mean easy. When bird flu sent egg prices through the roof, the Borgattis absorbed the cost rather than pass it on to their customers. When the ravioli machine broke in the middle of Christmas week, their most critical week of the year, they did not close up shop. They fixed it. Join Ben and Kathleen as they talk with Christopher and Christopher about what it really means to be a neighborhood institution, why putting customers over profits is both a values decision and a business strategy and how a family pasta shop has outlasted nearly a century of American upheaval. These are The Unshakeables.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummaryUnravel, Rebuild, Repeat: OSOMTEX
Apr 2100:29:41Summary readyPatricia Ermecheo always knew she would build something. She just didn’t know what — until she saw mountains of discarded clothing headed for landfills. When she couldn’t find a way to break textiles back down into usable fiber, she built one. That company became OSOMTEX. But building a solution no one else has figured out comes at a cost. The same drive that powered Patricia forward pushed her toward burnout, putting both her health and her company at risk. In this episode, Ben and Kathleen talk with Patricia about the isolation of entrepreneurship, navigating partnerships with major brands as a small player and why sometimes going backward through the supply chain is the only way forward. These are The Unshakeables.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The Refugee Who Led a Software Revolution - with Ben Walter
Apr 900:27:45Summary readyMillionaire-making tech start-ups are most often associated with Silicon Valley. But this software revolution begins on a woman’s kitchen table in rural Britain in the 1960s. Steve Shirley faced extraordinary odds. After escaping Nazi Germany as a child, she later encountered workplace discrimination and endured deep personal tragedy. But she persevered to build a business decades ahead of its time, creating opportunities for hundreds of women. Tim Harford is joined by Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business and host of The Unshakeables podcast, to explore the life, legacy and lessons of an overlooked titan of tech.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummaryIs AI Here to Help You Grow, Build, or Replace Your Business?: Live from SXSW
Apr 700:29:15Summary readyEveryone's talking about AI. In boardrooms, in government and around the kitchen tables — it's everywhere. But what does it actually mean for small businesses, and how are they using it to get ahead? Recorded live at South by Southwest, Ben and Kathleen are joined onstage by Oz Woloshyn — journalist, CEO of Kaleidoscope tech podcast network and a small business owner himself — to cut through the noise and focus on what AI actually means for the people running businesses day to day. Kathleen also shares how several past guests are already putting AI to work. You’ll hear real examples with real impact, and learn whether this moment finally tips the scales in favor of small business owners.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummaryWho’s Running the Shop?: Gretna Machine Shop
Mar 2400:31:24Summary readyNubia Perez had a plan for her life — marry abroad, raise trilingual kids and build something global. But when her father fell ill, Gretna Machine Shop needed her more than her plans did. The family business was suddenly without direction, and Nubia stepped in to put out fires. But the business didn’t need a firefighter — it needed a leader. For a decade, both Nubia and the company muddled through what she calls the "dark ages," until one day, a children's movie gave her the answer she'd been looking for. Join Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith as they talk to Nubia about stepping up unexpectedly, building an oil and gas business in Houston (it’s a good place for it!), and why flat leadership doesn’t mean leaderless. These are The Unshakeables.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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How to Stop Work From Taking Over Your Life
Mar 1700:43:18Summary readyWork doesn’t end when the workday does. Even after we close our laptops, our minds keep replaying awkward meetings, looming deadlines, and unfinished to-do lists. Over time, that “always on” mentality can quietly hijack our relationships, our health, and our happiness. Dr. Laurie sits down with psychologist and bestselling author Guy Winch (Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life) to explore the science of work stress — and why so many of us get stuck in fight-or-flight mode long after we’ve left the office. Plus, Ben Walter, host of “The Unshakeables” and CEO of Chase for Business, shares what he’s learned from working with small business owners who don’t have the option to simply “clock out.” If you’ve ever felt like work is bleeding into everything, this episode offers science-based tools to help you take your life back. Resources mentioned in this episode: Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life "Burnout: A Review of Theory and Measurement" "The Relationship Between Workplace Stressors and Mortality and Health Costs in the United States" "How Small Businesses Drive the American Economy" "Small Business Facts" “The Unshakeables” "Yerkes-Dodson Law Of Arousal And Performance" “The Use of Imagery to Manipulate Challenge and Threat Appraisal States in Athletes” “Rebuilding After a Blaze: Luna Gourmet Coffee & Tea”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SummaryFor the Love of Dogs: Cleveland Veterinary Rehabilitation
Mar 1000:32:50Summary readyThere are movies about how a dog can change your life — but for Dr. Laura Surovi and Michael Sivo, it actually happened. Laura had recently built a successful mobile vet practice, but the long drives were exhausting. Then in 2016, they met Chauncy, a rescue with serious injuries and no local rehab options. Watching him struggle they knew their community needed something better. So Laura built a veterinary rehab service herself and business took off. Then Michael pitched something bigger: a 6,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility. It was a bold, risky and expensive move, but just what they needed to scale. In this episode, Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith talk with Laura and Michael from Cleveland Veterinary Rehabilitation about going all-in when the market isn't quite ready, building for what's next and trusting your gut when no one else sees your vision yet. These are The Unshakeables.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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