Inside First

What would you do if you stopped following the traditional path and started building a life around what truly matters to you?Matthew Mitten left his corporate career at Bank of America to pursue entrepreneurship, travel the world, and create a lifestyle built around freedom.Matthew joins Brendan Dauenhauer and Punith Upadhya to share his journey from corporate finance to becoming a digital nomad, the challenges of building businesses while traveling, and the mindset shifts that helped him take the leap. They also dive into the rapidly changing world of AI, the importance of authentic relationships, building a personal brand, and how technology is creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs. From redefining success to finding the balance between ambition and happiness, Matthew's story challenges us to rethink what we're working toward and why. Because sometimes success isn't about earning more. It's about creating a life you actually want to live.Greatness starts within.

Being positive around other people doesn’t always mean you’re positive with yourself. What does your attitude look like when nobody else is around?Brendan Dauenhauer and Punith Upadhya explore the self talk, expectations, and beliefs beneath a positive attitude. Punith shares how an hourly check in exposed negative thought patterns he hadn’t noticed, while Brendan explains why nearly $20,000 spent on a business he never pursued became one of his most valuable investments. From gratitude to self worth, they discuss how changing your perspective can change what you take away from setbacks.

50 properties under management at 25. His secret? Obsession.Gabe Chase didn’t wait until he had all the answers. He started, learned along the way, and became obsessed with improving his business. But one of his biggest lessons was realizing that growth isn’t about saying yes to every opportunity. On Inside First, Gabe joins Brendan and Punith to talk about starting before you feel ready, finding your focus, and building a business that means more than the numbers.Greatness starts within.

What books actually have the power to change the way you think, grow, and approach life?In this episode of Inside First, Brendan Dauenhauer and Punith Upadhya switch things up by ranking 10 of their favorite personal development and business books. From classics like Rich Dad Poor Dad and Think and Grow Rich to powerful mindset reads like The Power of Awareness and You², they share their personal experiences, biggest takeaways, and the lessons that have shaped their journeys in business and life. But it's not just about reading great books. It's about applying what you learn to create meaningful change.Tune in to see which books make the S-tier, where Brendan and Punith disagree, and which ones they believe everyone should read.Greatness starts within.

Courtney Petrovich didn’t start out thinking she would become a designer, let alone build a design firm working on hotels and high-end short-term rentals.In this episode of Inside First, Courtney shares how she went from real estate investing to discovering a passion for design, and how one short-term rental changed the direction of her career. She talks about going from assembling furniture on the floor of her first paid project to sitting inside a hotel she was designing just one year later.Courtney also breaks down the identity shift that helped her stop thinking like a designer and start thinking like a business owner. She shares what it took to build a team, let go of control, and create a company that could grow beyond her. She also opens up about the story behind Denori Designs, the influence of her parents, and why legacy, storytelling, and intentionality are at the center of the work she creates.This conversation is about thinking bigger, evolving your identity, and building something that can outgrow the version of you that started it