Flex Forward

Nic Espanet
  • 4.9 (14)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

FLEX Forward is a powerful podcast showcasing stories of resilience, reinvention, and rise. Hosted by Nic Espanet, each episode delves into the inspiring journeys of professionals who have overcome obstacles, made bold career pivots, and discovered new paths to personal and financial growth. With a theme of Growth. Grit. Gains., FLEX Forward highlights the determination and adaptability that drive success. Whether it’s bouncing back from setbacks, reinventing one’s path, or climbing to new heights, these conversations prove that every story of struggle and triumph has the power to motivate others. Tune in for real, raw, and relatable stories that will push you to flex forward in your own life.

  1. 2d ago

    From Spaceflight to Wall Street: Rick Hashop’s Entrepreneurial Journey

    What does it take to leave a career at NASA, step into the unknown, and build a new path helping business owners grow their companies? On this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, Nic Espanet sits down with Rick Hashop, founder and managing partner of Space Rock Capital. Rick shares a career journey that began more than 35 years ago in the space industry and eventually took him to NASA, where he trained flight controllers, became a flight controller himself, and helped develop procedures supporting the International Space Station. But Rick’s story goes far beyond spaceflight. He explains why he eventually made the difficult decision to leave NASA and move into business development and entrepreneurship. Today, Rick and his partners at Space Rock Capital work with business owners on growth strategies, acquisitions, government contracting opportunities, and potential paths to the public markets. Rick also shares his perspective on venture capital, maintaining control of a growing company, building relationships with larger businesses, and the importance of finding experienced mentors. The conversation gets personal when Rick talks about being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age two. After spending part of his childhood in a wheelchair and missing years of school, Rick says those experiences helped shape the person he became. His story offers a powerful perspective on resilience, hard work, and having the courage to make major changes. Nic and Rick also discuss investing, real estate, creating generational wealth, paying knowledge forward, and why relationships can make such a difference in business.

    From Spaceflight to Wall Street: Rick Hashop’s Entrepreneurial Journey

  2. 3d ago

    Turning a Cyberattack into a Career with Cecile Mengue

    What happens when getting hacked changes the direction of your career? On this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, Nic Espanet talks with Cecile Mengue about her unexpected journey into cybersecurity. Cecile did not grow up dreaming about computers or hacking. She studied criminal justice, planned to attend law school, and worked with juvenile court. Then she became the victim of a cyberattack. Instead of simply moving past the experience, Cecile wanted to understand how it happened. Her frustration became curiosity, and that curiosity eventually became a passion for cybersecurity. Cecile went back to school, studied cybersecurity, and began building her skills through hands-on practice. She eventually worked with Fortune 500 companies, including serving as part of a hacking team at IBM. Today, Cecile works in offensive security through CyberSeal. Her work involves thinking like an attacker and testing systems to uncover vulnerabilities before malicious hackers can find them. Cecile and Nic also talk about what it was like to enter cybersecurity later than many of her peers. Cecile shares how she worked through the discomfort of being a beginner, practiced her skills, asked questions, and discovered a supportive cybersecurity community. They also discuss ethical hacking, bug bounty programs, online privacy, continuous learning, and Cecile’s plans to share her knowledge as a cybersecurity speaker. Cecile’s story is a reminder that an unexpected challenge can sometimes open the door to an entirely new path.

    Turning a Cyberattack into a Career with Cecile Mengue

  3. 4d ago

    Powering a Sustainable Future with Bunmi Bashiru

    What does it take to build a career in energy while helping shape a more sustainable future? In this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, Nic Espanet sits down with Bunmi Bashiru, an energy professional and Executive Director of Energy Connocio. Bunmi shares how growing up in a resource-rich country without reliable access to power sparked a question that would shape her career: Where does power come from? That question led Bunmi to study chemical engineering and build a career across several areas of the energy industry, including downstream energy, natural gas distribution, upstream operations, and sustainable energy. Bunmi explains why she believes traditional energy and sustainability do not have to be enemies. Instead, the challenge is finding better and more sustainable ways to produce the energy the world still needs while protecting the environment for future generations. Nic and Bunmi also talk about what it takes to grow in a competitive, male-dominated field. Bunmi shares the important role mentors have played in her career and how they helped her find direction, challenge herself, and see opportunities beyond where she was at the time. The conversation also explores resilience. Bunmi discusses balancing motherhood and career growth, solving difficult problems on brownfield energy projects, handling the pressure and travel involved in energy operations, and learning to find a way forward when the first solution does not work. She also shares how The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People helped shape the way she sets priorities and creates space for the different areas of her life. Looking ahead, Bunmi is focused on expanding her consulting work and supporting energy accessibility in underserved communities. She believes access to power matters and that sustainable energy solutions can help create opportunities for more people. Bunmi also shares her growing interest in multifamily real estate and the power of pooling resources with others to pursue larger opportunities.

    Powering a Sustainable Future with Bunmi Bashiru

  4. Sep 23

    Why Waiting to Sell Paid Off at Curry Junction with Nic Espanet

    Texas multifamily is not moving in one direction. Nic Espanet explains why his properties in Abilene are seeing a very different market from apartments in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. While larger markets have dealt with more new construction, Abilene has had little new apartment supply while demand has grown from data center construction and other local projects. Nic also shares an update on two Abilene properties that sold in September. He walks through what happens after a multifamily property closes, including how his team sets aside money for taxes, final expenses, and other possible costs before completing the remaining investor distributions. The episode then goes inside the sale of Curry Junction, a 228-unit property purchased in September 2019. Nic explains why the team decided not to sell at the five-year mark, how the market changed during the extended hold, and what that meant for investors. In this episode, Nic covers: Why his Abilene properties have waiting lists • How data center construction is affecting local apartment demand • Why Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston have faced more supply pressure • What happens to investor money after a property sale closes • Why his team keeps extra cash available while a deal is being wound down • Why Curry Junction was held longer than originally planned • How a projected roughly 1.7 equity multiple became about a 2.3 equity multiple • What a $100,000 investment looked like over the life of the Curry Junction deal • Where Nic is seeing possible distressed buying opportunities next

    Why Waiting to Sell Paid Off at Curry Junction with Nic Espanet

  5. Sep 22

    Ty Wittenstein: Building a Business by Knowing When to Hire the Experts

    From Prosecutor to Entrepreneur: Ty Wittenstein’s Leap of Faith What happens when you leave a comfortable career, steady paycheck, and benefits to start a business with no clients? On this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, Nic Espanet sits down with Ty Wittenstein, founder of Cardenas Witt Law in Austin, Texas. Ty shares how she left a successful career as a prosecutor to build her own criminal defense law firm. After more than a decade as a prosecutor, Ty knew she was ready for something different. She also saw a need she wanted to help fill. Spanish-speaking clients and people who were not U.S. citizens could face serious consequences from criminal cases without always understanding the process. Ty built her firm with those clients in mind. Her team is bilingual, and communication, kindness, trust, and service are at the center of how they work. Ty also shares what it was really like to become an entrepreneur. She talks about leaving a secure paycheck without having a single client, the fear that followed, and why taking that risk became one of the best decisions she has made. Nic and Ty also discuss building the right team, hiring experts instead of trying to do everything yourself, using social media to grow a business, and protecting work-life balance while doing demanding work. For Ty, success is not just about growing a law firm. It is about creating a business that can eventually operate without her being involved in every detail, giving her more freedom to pursue speaking, media, and other opportunities she enjoys. Ty also believes in paying forward the help she received when starting her firm. She welcomes conversations with attorneys who are considering making a similar leap.   ------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a successful business owner or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest on https://flexforwardpodcast.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

    Ty Wittenstein: Building a Business by Knowing When to Hire the Experts

  6. Sep 17

    Keep the Human in the Loop: Robin Green on AI, Leadership & Growth

    The Standard of Excellence: Robin Green on Resilience, Reinvention & AI What does it take to keep moving forward when your career, business, or life suddenly changes direction? In this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, Nic Espanet sits down with growth leader, author, and executive Robin Green for a conversation about excellence, resilience, leadership, relationships, and learning to reinvent yourself when life doesn't follow the plan. Robin grew up with a unique example of excellence. His father, Lloyd Green, became one of Nashville's most recorded pedal steel guitar players. Watching his father taught Robin lessons about preparation, teamwork, and showing up ready to perform—lessons that later became part of Robin's own approach to business and leadership. Robin shares stories from a career spanning more than 30 years, including leadership roles at Oracle, FICO, Epsilon, and other organizations. He also talks about one of the toughest moments of his career: moving his family to Austin to lead a startup shortly before the events of September 11, 2001 changed everything and the company's funding disappeared. Instead of simply focusing on the setback, Robin explains what the experience taught him about resilience, faith, family, leadership, and doing the right thing when the decision comes at a personal cost. Nic and Robin also explore the changing role of artificial intelligence. Robin explains why he believes technology is a tool and why keeping the human element at the center matters. He shares ideas from his book, The Intelligence Loop, and discusses how leaders can use AI to find useful signals in a world filled with information and noise. The conversation also explores an important lesson for anyone in sales or leadership: listen before you sell. Understanding another person's problems and perspective can build relationships that last much longer than a single transaction. Robin Green is a growth leader and Chief Revenue Officer at Occams Advisory. He is also the author of The Intelligence Loop. His career has included building partnerships, revenue engines, alliance ecosystems, go-to-market strategies, and business turnarounds.   ------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a successful business owner or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest on https://flexforwardpodcast.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

    Keep the Human in the Loop: Robin Green on AI, Leadership & Growth

  7. Sep 16

    Ricardo Johnson: Why Personal Development Is the Foundation for Business Growth

    From Setbacks to Stronger Foundations with Ricardo Johnson What happens when a business setback becomes one of your greatest lessons? On this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, Nic Espanet sits down with Ricardo Johnson, owner of Purple Ink Investments and Solutions, to talk about entrepreneurship, business insurance, personal development, and the importance of building a business on a strong foundation. Ricardo shares his journey from nearly a decade in the insurance industry to becoming a digital entrepreneur. After stepping away from insurance, he explored digital products and opportunities in financial markets and online business before eventually coming full circle and returning to the insurance space. Today, Ricardo helps entrepreneurs and small business owners find insurance coverage designed to protect their businesses and meet their coverage needs. He explains why personalized service matters, especially in a world where so many business interactions have moved online. Ricardo also opens up about one of the biggest setbacks in his entrepreneurial journey. After building a network marketing team of around 50 people, he watched that part of his business fall apart. Looking back, he sees the experience differently. It taught him the importance of creating the right foundation before trying to build something bigger. Nic and Ricardo also discuss personal development, mindset, rising insurance costs, creating multiple streams of income, and Ricardo's interest in expanding into real estate. Ricardo recommends the book The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind and the Mornings with Nano YouTube channel as resources that have influenced his personal development journey. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a successful business owner or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest on https://flexforwardpodcast.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

    Ricardo Johnson: Why Personal Development Is the Foundation for Business Growth

  8. Sep 15

    The Hidden Risks in Your Supply Chain with David Williams

    Connecting the Dots: Finance, Supply Chain & Cybersecurity with David Williams What happens when you combine accounting, supply chain experience, risk management, and cybersecurity? In this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, Nic Espanet talks with governance, risk, and compliance consultant David Williams about the career path that brought all of those areas together. David started his career in accounting after studying economics and becoming a CPA. His move into accounts payable introduced him to procurement, operations, and supply chain management. That experience eventually led to a consulting career focused on supply chain systems, implementation, optimization, and training. More recently, David has expanded his work into governance, risk, compliance, and cybersecurity. He explains why organizations need to think beyond their own systems when protecting their assets. Vendors and suppliers can introduce risks of their own, making third-party risk management an important part of today's business environment. Nic and David also discuss inventory management and why small errors can become much larger problems over time. David shares how cycle counting can help companies identify inventory issues earlier rather than waiting for one large annual count. The conversation then turns to careers and personal growth. David encourages people to understand what they are naturally good at instead of simply following the path other people expect them to take. He discusses aptitude, personality, career changes, and why being great at one job does not automatically mean someone will thrive in management. David is also a strong believer in lifelong learning. He shares how books, podcasts, Udemy, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, YouTube, and even resources available through local libraries can help people continue building useful skills throughout their careers. David also discusses his current work developing e-learning content around security awareness, human risk management, and AI governance, as well as his plans to continue advancing his GRC knowledge and credentials. David brings together finance, supply chain, security, and risk in a way that shows how seemingly different skills can become powerful when combined.   ------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a successful business owner or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest on https://flexforwardpodcast.com/guest and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

    The Hidden Risks in Your Supply Chain with David Williams
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4.9
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

FLEX Forward is a powerful podcast showcasing stories of resilience, reinvention, and rise. Hosted by Nic Espanet, each episode delves into the inspiring journeys of professionals who have overcome obstacles, made bold career pivots, and discovered new paths to personal and financial growth. With a theme of Growth. Grit. Gains., FLEX Forward highlights the determination and adaptability that drive success. Whether it’s bouncing back from setbacks, reinventing one’s path, or climbing to new heights, these conversations prove that every story of struggle and triumph has the power to motivate others. Tune in for real, raw, and relatable stories that will push you to flex forward in your own life.

Information

  • Creator
    Nic Espanet
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Flex Forward