Built to Finish

Welcome to Built to Finish! Join host, Steven Pivnik, each week as he explores the journeys of audacious goal setters. This includes experienced Founders, CEOs and entrepreneurs sharing pivotal moments that propelled their success. We'll also be talking with endurance athletes who push the limits of physical and mental ability. This show is brought to you by Acresis — offering tailored, high-impact advisory services to help founders get to their finish line with a strategic acquisition or majority investor recapitalization. To learn more, go to: https://acresis.com/

Built to Finish is a business podcast hosted by Steven Pivnik, with 94 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Steven Pivnik hosts Built to Finish, a business show with 94 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Built to Finish

  Bigger Isn't Better: Building a Business Worth Running with Natalie Kaminski

  Sep 30, 202637 min

  "I may get to a hundred people one day, but it will never be my goal." What happens when the company you're proud to be growing starts pulling you away from the business and life you actually want? Natalie Kaminski, co-founder and CEO of JetRockets, joins Steven Pivnik for a candid conversation about rapid growth, shrinking margins, and the uncomfortable realization that a bigger team doesn't automatically mean a better business. After growing JetRockets from 25 to 87 employees, Natalie found herself chasing a 100-person milestone while quality slipped and profitability weakened. She shares how she recognized the warning signs, made difficult staffing decisions, and returned to a more intentional approach to growth. Steven and Natalie also explore the connection between entrepreneurship and marathon running: navigating difficult stretches, recognizing the excuses your mind creates, and finding value in the journey. They close with Natalie's perspective on AI, vibe coding, and why faster development still requires experienced judgment. Key Takeaways: • Why headcount can become a vanity metric that distracts from business health. • How rapid growth exposed gaps in management, training, and communication. • Why founders cannot assume their team shares their instincts or expectations. • What it means to build a lifestyle business while still pursuing thoughtful growth. • How endurance running helps develop perspective and resilience. • Why postponing difficult conversations can prolong your stress. • How AI can amplify expertise and the consequences of missing expertise. Connect with Natalie: Website: https://jetrockets.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliekaminski Email: natalie@jetrockets.com Subscribe to Built to Finish for more conversations about entrepreneurship, endurance, and building success on your own terms.

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  Built to Finish

  Chasing Four: Gene McCarthy on the Mile, Michael Jordan, and Building Iconic Brands

  Sep 23, 202656 min

  "We don't own this brand. Kids do. We just manage it for them." What does chasing a four-minute mile have in common with building a brand people care about? Gene McCarthy joins Steven Pivnik to tell the story behind Chasing Four: A Personal History of Work and Play . Running gave Gene a path out of the Bronx and took him to within one second of the four-minute mile. His career then took him through Nike, the Jordan Brand, Reebok, Timberland, Under Armour, and ASICS. Gene shares what happened when he told Michael Jordan that growing the Jordan Brand meant cutting distribution by 50%, why he walked away from 21 years at Nike, and what it takes to lead a business through a difficult turnaround. He and Steven also discuss the difference between selling a product and building a brand, the value of human connection, and the moments that only make sense when you look back. Key takeaways Why Gene believed reducing Jordan Brand distribution could restore demand. What "mind share before market share" means when a brand is trying to grow. How Gene approached leadership roles at companies facing change. Why leaving Nike was Gene's business equivalent of chasing a four-minute mile. How a 4:01 mile, a letter to a runner he admired, and one conversation on a plane shaped his story. Why Gene believes character matters beyond what appears on a résumé. Connect with Gene: Gene McCarthy on LinkedIn Instagram: @alwayschasingfour Chasing Four is available on Amazon .

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  Built to Finish

  Your Business Can't Outscale Your Leadership with Parker McCumber

  Sep 16, 202639 min

  "Your organization is never going to outscale your leadership capacity." Most businesses do not stall because the founder lacks ambition, strategy, or work ethic. They stall because every decision, approval, and problem still depends on the founder. In this episode of Built to Finish , Steven Pivnik sits down with Parker McCumber, a U.S. Army officer, entrepreneur, leadership advisor, and author of How the Hell Are You Doing This? Drawing from 15 years of military leadership and experience building businesses across e-commerce, consulting, content, real estate, and hard asset investing, Parker explains how founders can replace constant oversight with scalable leadership systems. Steven and Parker discuss decentralized leadership, founder dependency, disciplined initiative, mission briefs, after action reviews, and the importance of creating clear boundaries that allow employees to make decisions confidently. Parker also shares how the principles he learned in the military shaped his approach to business, investing, delegation, and building a life where success is measured by freedom and time with family, not simply revenue. Key Takeaways Why a company cannot grow beyond its leader's capacity How to recognize when you have become the "Chief Everything Officer" Why delegation requires clarity, trust, and defined boundaries How decentralized leadership helps teams make faster decisions Why 70 to 80 percent execution from someone else can be a major win How to create a clear command philosophy for your organization The four questions behind an effective after action review Why unexpected assignments create frustration and employee burnout How leaders can empower employees without creating chaos Why founders should hire people who are better than them How Parker applies leverage to businesses, real estate, exotic cars, and other assets Why complementary businesses can increase customer lifetime value How Parker's definition of success shifted from money to optionality Connect with Parker McCumber Website: parkermccumber.com Book: How the Hell Are You Doing This? Instagram and social media: @therealparkermccumber

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  Built to Finish

  High Performance Without the Hustle with James Laughlin

  Sep 9, 202627 min

  "High performance does not require hustle. In fact, it requires anti-hustle." What truly separates high performers from everyone else? According to seven-time world champion, bestselling author, and executive coach James Laughlin, it is not working longer, moving faster, or filling every hour of the day. Sustainable high performance begins with knowing what matters, having the discipline to say no, and aligning your daily actions with a larger purpose. In this episode of Built to Finish, James joins Steven Pivnik to reveal the habits he has observed while coaching CEOs, political leaders, elite athletes, and other exceptional performers. He explains why the greatest performers remain coachable, why reflection is essential to self-mastery, and why stillness may be one of the most valuable practices a leader can develop. James also shares his High Performance Triad, a practical framework connecting purpose, priorities, and activity. He opens up about his own experience with divorce, alcohol, and professional imbalance, illustrating why success in one area of life cannot compensate for neglecting everything else. This conversation challenges the traditional hustle narrative and offers a healthier, more sustainable definition of what it means to perform at your best. Key Takeaways Why the best performers remain humble, curious, and coachable How saying no protects the work and relationships that matter most Why high performers prioritize sleep, structure, and reflection How five minutes of daily stillness can improve focus and decision-making Why meditation is not about eliminating thoughts The connection between distraction during meditation and distraction in business James's High Performance Triad: purpose, priorities, and activity Why a to-do list should never determine your priorities How high performance differs from hustle and burnout Why problems are necessary for entrepreneurship How to shift from limited thinking to a "possibilitarian" mindset Why achievement should never come at the expense of health or relationships How James now defines success as being a good father and partner Guest Information James Laughlin is a seven-time world champion musician, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and high-performance leadership coach. He works with CEOs, elite athletes, political leaders, and organizations to help make sustainable high performance their new normal. Official website Habits of High Performers Instagram LinkedIn Facebook YouTube Podcast on Spotify

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  Built to Finish

  The Unfair Advantage of Reading 1,500 Books with Matt Karamazov

  Sep 3, 202647 min

  "Motivation gets you started. Discipline sees you through." What separates people who consume information from those who use it to build something meaningful? Matt Karamazov has read more than 1,500 books, but the number is only part of the story. After an early business failure left him rebuilding from a minimum wage security job, Matt used his overnight shifts to read, write and quietly develop the skills that would eventually become The Reading Life, a growing newsletter and content business reaching thousands of readers. In this episode of Built to Finish, Matt and Steven discuss how to turn knowledge into action, why the obstacle is often the only way forward and how combining multiple strengths can create a career that no one else can duplicate. Matt also shares the books that changed his life, the systems he uses to apply what he reads and why trust, integrity and long term thinking matter more than chasing quick attention. Key Takeaways: • Why reading without implementation can become another form of procrastination • Matt's system for turning ideas from books into immediate action • How failure led him to the decade of work that transformed his career • Why your most valuable advantage may be the intersection of two different strengths • The importance of protecting your audience's trust • Why systems create more sustainable progress than goals alone • Five books Matt believes can meaningfully change your life • How discipline carries you forward when motivation disappears Connect with Matt Karamazov: The Reading Life Newsletter: https://thereadinglife.beehiiv.com/subscribe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themattkaramazov/ LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/mattkaramazov X: https://x.com/MattKaramazov YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattkaramazov

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