T.U.T — The Unwritten Teachings

T.U.T — The Unwritten Teachings is where timeless wisdom meets modern ambition.Hosted by Raj Tut, entrepreneur and founder of Storyboard Living, the show captures conversations with seasoned leaders, builders, and thinkers who’ve already walked the path and have the scars, stories, and lessons to show for it.No headlines. No hype.Just the unwritten truths about success, leadership, and meaning — shared by those who’ve earned them.New episodes every two weeks.Brought to you by Storyboard Living — storyboardliving.com.Follow @ItsRajTut on all platforms.

T.U.T — The Unwritten Teachings is a business podcast hosted by Raj Tut, with 72 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Raj Tut hosts T.U.T — The Unwritten Teachings, a business show with 72 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.

• 

  T.U.T — The Unwritten Teachings

  How Missouri Became the 5th Largest Cannabis Market in America with Kevin Riggs, Co-founder & CEO at BeLeaf Medical

  Aug 4, 20261h 14m

  In this episode, I speak with Kevin Riggs, co-founder, partner, and CEO of BeLeaf Medical Co., one of Missouri's first vertically integrated cannabis companies and the organization behind the Swade dispensary brand. Riggs's background is in engineering rather than cannabis; he built and ran a civil engineering firm before his interest in concussion research and pain management led him into the plant sciences. He was named a St. Louis Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, and his career has since spanned politics, engineering, and now one of the most heavily regulated industries in the country. What stands out in this conversation is how much of BeLeaf's origin traces back to a picnic table shared among three partners with no established roadmap to follow.Our conversation covers what is required to build a vertically integrated cannabis company from seed to sale, including the banking restrictions, zoning obstacles, and regulatory uncertainty that defined the industry's early years. Riggs details Missouri's seed-to-sale tracking requirements, the tax code provisions that treat cannabis operators similarly to unlicensed drug traffickers, and the deliberate culture work required to scale from a handful of founders to five hundred employees without losing what made the company function in the first place. He also shares the piece of advice that has stayed with him longer than anything he has read in a business book: there is no playbook, and the people who succeed are simply the ones who continue showing up.Connect with the HostTwittertwitter.com/ItsRajTutLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/Instagraminstagram.com/ItsRajTutTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtutConnect with the GuestLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-e-riggs-p-e-9b71101/Websitehttps://beleafmedical.com/Companyhttps://swadecannabis.com/Timestamps00:00Cold open — the mentor who told him "you owe me this"01:06Introducing Kevin Riggs and BeLeaf Medical02:05Growing up in St. Charles between sports and music05:32Jim McMahon, Junior Seau, and the concussion research that led him to cannabis07:24Founding BeLeaf Medical around a picnic table14:27What Missouri's cannabis landscape looked like before legalization16:21The 2018 Farm Bill loophole and the fight over Amendments 2 and 324:02The real barriers pioneers faced: banking, zoning, and vendors31:33What vertical integration actually looks like, seed to sale34:26Inside Metrc: how every plant gets tracked and traced37:16Why cannabis is one of the highest-taxed industries in the country40:05Building and defending culture across 500 employees50:42Kevin's role today: boardroom vs. the dispensary floor57:01What actually drove BeLeaf's growth and turnaround65:47The best business advice he never found in a bookThis podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email deals@storyboardliving.comConnect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  T.U.T — The Unwritten Teachings

  The Real Business Behind Interior Design with Julie Abner, Principal Designer & Owner at Julie Abner Interiors

  Jun 23, 202656 min

  In this episode, I sat down with Julie Abner, Principal Designer & Owner at Julie Abner Interiors, an award-winning full-service interior design firm based in St. Louis. Julie has been building her firm for nearly 20 years, with work featured in publications like St. Louis Magazine , Sophisticated Living , and St. Louis Homes + Lifestyles . We talked about her early creative influences, how her parents helped recognize her interest in design, and the path that took her from Southern Illinois to Chicago and eventually to St. Louis. Julie also shared how she transitioned from working under other designers into building a firm of her own. We also got into the real business behind interior design: earning client trust, managing process, building vendor relationships, avoiding trends that do not last, and creating spaces that feel personal rather than copied. Julie broke down how she reads a client’s inspiration images, why five photos can be more useful than 100, and how she balances a client’s vision with budget, scale, materials, and long-term livability. She also shared practical design ideas for elevated spaces on a budget, her view on AI in the design process, and the unwritten teaching she would pass on: value yourself, trust your instincts, stay focused, and do the work. Connect with the Host Twitter: ⁠ twitter.com/ItsRajTut/ ⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠ instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieabnerinteriors Website: https://www.julieabnerinteriors.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julie_abner_interiors/ Timestamps for Key Segments 00:00 Design hacks for an elevated look on a budget 00:42 Storyboard Living multifamily acquisition note 01:13 Introducing Julie Abner and her 20-year design career 02:15 Growing up creative in Southern Illinois 04:21 Choosing design instead of a traditional path 05:33 Chicago, St. Louis, and the next career goal 06:49 Learning the business before starting her own firm 09:35 Moving from home office to The Hill studio 10:48 Wearing every hat in the early years 13:03 The first award and early validation 15:34 How Julie earns trust with clients 16:44 Balancing client vision with professional experience 19:09 What designers see inside inspiration images 21:33 Design lessons for commercial real estate spaces 25:08 Budget-friendly ways to elevate a home or apartment 27:37 Avoiding one-signature-style design 30:02 Timeless design versus trends 34:44 Staying current without copying what is overdone 37:19 What separates great vendors from average vendors 38:40 How AI fits into interior design 41:06 Lessons from year one to year twenty 43:49 Building a team, reputation, and confidence 45:52 Julie’s goals for the next decade 51:09 Rapid-fire design opinions 54:18 Julie’s unwritten teaching This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living. If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email deals@storyboardliving.com Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/ LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  T.U.T — The Unwritten Teachings

  How Tom Schlafly Turned A $137K Bet Into A St. Louis Institution with Tom Schlafly, President at Schlafly Beer

  Jun 9, 20261h 1m

  I sat down with Tom Schlafly, President at Schlafly Beer, co-founder and chairman of The Saint Louis Brewery, an attorney, author, civic leader, and minority owner of the St. Louis Blues. Tom helped pioneer craft beer in St. Louis when he opened what became Missouri’s first microbrewery in 1991, at a time when craft beer was virtually nonexistent locally and Anheuser-Busch dominated the city’s beer identity. We began with Tom’s deep family history in St. Louis, from his Swiss immigrant roots to his great-grandfather’s entrepreneurial path through banking, mineral water, railroad ties, and the family’s long connection to the region. This conversation explores how Tom used legal training, timing, patience, and a willingness to look foolish to build something durable in a market many people thought was impossible. We talked about the early laws that made brewpubs difficult in Missouri, why the first Tap Room location looked irrational in 1991, how the craft beer market has changed, and why brand credibility mattered more than gimmicks. Tom also shared his views on civic responsibility, downtown St. Louis, immigration, the future of the region, and the kind of leadership that helps boards and communities make better decisions. His throughline was clear: take the risk you will regret not taking, but build with enough seriousness that the work can outlast the original bet. Connect with the Host Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-schlafly-1ba26410 Schlafly Beer: https://www.schlafly.com/ Thompson Coburn Bio: https://www.thompsoncoburn.com/people/tom-f-schlafly/ Timestamps for Key Segments 00:00 Tom Schlafly’s introduction and the founding of Schlafly Beer 01:11 Family history, immigration, and deep St. Louis roots 03:05 Choosing downtown St. Louis over Clayton 04:35 The Schlafly family’s entrepreneurial history 09:12 Contrarian thinking and the origins of the brewery idea 10:10 Discovering English beer while studying at Oxford 12:09 Why a microbrewery could work in St. Louis 13:16 Missouri liquor laws and the first microbrewery license 19:09 Early business challenges and regulated alcohol markets 21:23 Opening the Tap Room in a neglected downtown neighborhood 26:21 Downtown St. Louis, real estate bets, and neighborhood change 31:17 Craft beer competition and changing consumer behavior 36:03 Building the Schlafly brand with seriousness and stability 37:57 Becoming a minority owner of the St. Louis Blues 39:20 Civic involvement, local impact, and “two zip codes” 43:16 Why St. Louis still offers opportunity 49:22 Favorite beers, best decision, mistakes, and final advice This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living. If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email deals@storyboardliving.com Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/ LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  T.U.T — The Unwritten Teachings

  Why Cities Will Start Dying Without Migration with Ness Sándoval, Professor at Saint Louis University

  May 5, 20261h 5mS0

  <p>In this episode, I sat down with Ness Sándoval, a Professor of Demography and Sociology at Saint Louis University and one of the leading voices sounding the alarm on population decline. Ness walks through his personal journey from growing up in a small, segregated town in Nebraska to becoming deeply focused on demographic trends and spatial inequality. His early exposure to contrasting environments and access to education shaped his perspective on opportunity, migration, and long-term societal shifts.</p><p>We dive into the reality that population growth as we’ve known it is ending, driven by declining birth rat...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  T.U.T — The Unwritten Teachings

  A $1.5B Real Estate Bet on Aging America with Laurie Schultz, Principal & Co-Founder at Avenue, Viva Bene

  Apr 21, 202647 minS0

  <p>In this episode, I sat down with Laurie Schultz, Principal & Co-Founder at Avenue, Viva Bene to discuss how aging demographics are reshaping real estate and why traditional senior living is due for a major transformation. Laurie shared her journey from growing up in St. Louis to building a career across apartments, healthcare real estate, and senior housing. She has helped develop more than $1.5 billion of projects and now focuses on solving one of the biggest unmet needs in housing. We also talked about how entrepreneurship often starts long before people realize it.</p><p>Laurie explained why many older...

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on T.U.T — The Unwritten Teachings. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.