Before Rick Heitzmann became one of the most legendary venture capital investors alive, he was a college student taking strange risks, betting on himself long before he bet on founders. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Rick reveals the early decisions, failures, and unexpected moments that shaped the mindset behind his rise. From growing up with teacher parents, to running Georgetown’s student body, to taking wild career leaps that gave him responsibility far beyond his age—Rick shares the ...
What if the corporate job everyone hated became the spark for a global media brand? In this episode of 30 Years in 30 Minutes, Michael sits down with the creator behind one of the fastest-growing business comedy channels on the internet — a finance-bro-turned-entrepreneur who transformed Excel jokes, office misery, and corporate pain points into a massive online empire. We break down the viral formula behind his billions of views, how he engineered explosive growth across TikTok and Instagr...
What if the greatest startup manual ever written wasn’t by a billionaire—but by God? In this episode of 30 Years in 30 Minutes, mega-entrepreneur Mark Gerson, founder of Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) and United Hatzalah, reveals the hidden lessons of entrepreneurship buried in the Torah. Mark argues that the Bible is the ultimate startup playbook—a guide to building not just companies, but character, purpose, and long-term success. He shares how ancient wisdom predicts modern business truths, fr...
He was 20. Broke. Delivering cookies at 2AM from a chaotic college house. Two decades later, Seth Berkowitz runs Insomnia Cookies – the largest food delivery empires in America. In this episode, Insomnia Cookies founder and CEO Seth Berkowitz shares the wild origin story behind his $300 million empire. From late-night deliveries and zero funding to scaling over 250 locations, Seth breaks down exactly how he built a brand that redefined snacking, entrepreneurship, and late-night culture for an...
She had no clients, no followers, and no roadmap. But Cara Woodhouse still built one of the most recognizable interior design brands on Instagram — and turned her passion into an empire. In this episode, Cara breaks down how she went from a rejected art student to a design entrepreneur with 900K+ followers, a booming product line, a wellness-inspired real estate venture, and a debut book that redefines how we connect with our homes. She shares the truth about starting with nothing, the pain o...
What does it really take to lead TIME Magazine? In this episode of 30 Years in 30 Minutes, Michael Oved sits down with Nancy Gibbs – legendary journalist, bestselling author, and the first female Editor-in-Chief of TIME Magazine. Nancy shares the real secrets behind leadership, ambition, career growth, and building a life you actually want – not just chasing titles for their own sake. We dive into her journey from shy intern to the top of one of the world’s most iconic news organizations, ...
Sports executive and serial entrepreneur David Meltzer became a millionaire at 24, a multimillionaire by 32, and then lost it all, only to gain it back a couple years later. In this episode, he opens up about how hitting rock bottom led to the most meaningful transformation of his life. We talk about his early obsession with money, the moment everything came crashing down, and the mindset shift that helped him rebuild with purpose. David shares how to find happiness in the grind, the power of...
How did Gayle Perry rise to the top of the fashion world? What challenges did she face along the way, and what did she learn from them? What is the key to her success, and what advice would she give to those looking to have a successful career in fashion and media? In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Gayle Perry, a fashionista, personal stylist, interior designer and arbiter of all things style. She is the force behind the large and ever-growing Instagram and social media platform @...
How did the Editor-in-Chief of Sports Illustrated rise to the top of the world's largest sports magazine? What challenges did he face along the way, and what did he learn from it? What is the key to his success, and what advice would he give aspiring journalists and reporters? In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Ryan Hunt, former Editor-in-Chief of Sports Illustrated and Lecturer at University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. Ryan discusses never-heard-befor...
How did Sergei Kosenko, AKA Mr. Thank You, grow from 0 to 46 MILLION followers on Instagram? How did he grow to become one of the most influential people on social media? What is the key to his success? What should content creators and aspiring social media influencers do to find online success and viral videos? Beyond that, who is the mysterious man behind the famous social media account @mr.thank.you? What are some crazy stories he has lived through during his rise to the top of social medi...
How did the founder of Zillow create several of the most successful companies in the world? What is the key to his success? How can entrepreneurs come up with ideas as novel as them? What is the simple recipe for success all aspiring entrepreneurs should follow? In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Spencer Rascoff, co-founder of real estate marketplace Zillow ($17 billion market cap), travel website Hotwire (acquired for $663 million), property broker platform Pacaso, venture capital...
Are you interested in learning how event management website Eventbrite was founded? The incredible story behind the founding of payment remittance company Xoom? How to ACTUALLY pick your circle and choose your friends? What are the best traits to develop to become a successful entrepreneur? In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Kevin Hartz, co-founder of Eventbrite (NYSE: EB), Xoom (acquired by PayPal for $1.1 billion), the venture capital firm A*, and home operating syste...
Want to learn how the incredible story behind the founding of Shazam? How the founder endured the challenges, obstacles, and naysayers along the way? What the biggest piece of advice he has to give to aspiring entrepreneurs, and what his biggets regrets are? In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Chris Barton, co-founder of Shazam. Chris tells us the key to his success, what to look for in a co-founder, how he founded and grew a Shazam, what his favorite song is, and so much more. Do...
Want to learn how the billionaire co-founder of Moderna started and grew his company? The keys to his entrepreneurial success? In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Dr. Robert Langer, the award-winning biotechnician who is the co-founder of Moderna, the $30 billion pharmaceutical company that developed the coronavirus vaccine. Dr. Langer tells us the key to his success, how he founded and grew a successful (biotech) startup, and, as a bonus, he gives his take on what the biggest...
What do venture capitalists look for in entrepreneurs? What should you do to make your company most appealing to venture capital firms? In this episode, Sam Yagan dives into it. In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Sam Yagan, the founder of Sparknotes (the famed online study guide service), founder of OkCupid (the internationally renowned data site), and the former CEO of Match Group (the $10 billion holding company that owns Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, a...
How should you prepare yourself to start a company? What challenges should you be ready for in your entrepreneurial journey? Steve Kaufer covers it all. In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Steve Kaufer, co-founder and former CEO of TripAdvisor (the $3 billion public travel research platform that aggregates reviews about destinations, accommodations, hotels, and activities). He tells us about the successes and failures he's had on his road to founding the company, what he's learned f...
What traits do you need to make it far in politics? What is the right mindset to have in order to succeed in politics? Learn all that and more with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. In this episode, Michael Oved and Terrence Gabel sit down with Deval Patrick, the 71st Governor of Massachusetts. He tells us how he overcame the challenges of the socio-economic conditions of his youth; he discusses the difficulties inherent to governing the state with one of the highest per-capita income in...
What should you do NOW to begin your poltical career? Who should you meet, what should you do, and more importantly, what did Stephen Goldsmith do? In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Stephen Goldsmith, the former mayor of Indianapolis, the eighth most populated city in the United States. Stephen discusses what he did in his youth to prepare him for taking leadership roles, how he paved the way for his numerous election wins, how he dealt with failure, and the importance of hard wor...
How did Wendy Kopp start her world-renowned non-profit, Teach for America (which became Teach for All)? What did she do to scale it? In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Wendy Kopp, co-founder of Teach for All and Teach For America (non-profits that seek to expand educational opportunity for all, which have generated over $300 million in annual revenue and includes over 50,000 corps members and alumni, who have collectively taught more than 5 million students across the nation). She ...
How do you build a hospitality brand? How do you cultivate the perfect blend of ambiance and atmosphere? What is the story of Shake Shack? How did Union Square Hospitality Group grow to become the most successful hospitality company in the world? In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Richard Coraine, Founding Partner of Union Square Hospitality Group, a hospitality organization that has created and operated some of the most acclaimed restaurants and brands in NYC and beyond, including...