The VICI Code: Purpose-Driven Profits

Joseph
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Entrepreneurship

Welcome to The VICI Code — the podcast where small business owners stop pretending, start confessing, and finally get what it takes to win financially. We talk real numbers. Real faith. Real stories of underdogs who got hit hard — by bad decisions, burnout, even bankruptcy — and chose to rise anyway. I’m Joe Dunaway, founder of VICI Financial, and every week, I sit down with entrepreneurs who’ve walked through fire, fixed their finances, and found purpose in the process. If you’ve ever felt like the only one who doesn’t “get it” when it comes to business money… If your story feels too messy, too behind, or too far gone… You belong here. Because the comeback isn’t just possible — it’s coded into you. This is The VICI Code.Let’s crack it together.

  1. 16h ago

    The Multi-Million Dollar Exit: B. Carter Looney on Uncovering Hidden Value, Avoiding the Tax Trap, and Building a Business That Runs Without You

    In episode 61 of The VICI Code, Joe Dunaway interviews  Carter Looney, M&A Advisor at Meritage Partners & Global Entrepreneur. He explains why owners should work with qualified tax advisors well before a transaction and why, in an ideal scenario, exit preparation can begin around five years before a sale. More importantly, he emphasizes that separating the business from yourself can start today because it can create freedom regardless of whether you ever sell.  Tune in to hear how to prepare your business for a multi-million-dollar exit, reduce founder dependency, improve operational systems, protect your wealth, and build a company that gives you back the freedom you worked so hard to create. TIMESTAMPS [00:00:02] Introducing Carter Looney and the architecture of a successful business exit. [00:02:29] The biggest value killer in a business sale. [00:03:58] Becoming the bottleneck and transitioning from operator to owner. [00:04:48] How owner dependency increases risk for investors and lenders. [00:06:00] Tax strategy and structuring before a business exit. [00:09:17] Why exit preparation should begin years in advance. [00:10:34] Why resting is part of performing. [00:14:14] Family, international business, and protecting time that cannot be replaced. [00:17:24] Faith, values, and integrity in high-stakes transactions. [00:19:08] The biggest myth founders should understand about private equity. [00:20:42] Three questions every owner should ask about exit readiness. [00:22:06] What victory looks like for Carter Looney in 2026. [00:23:23] Helping entrepreneurs build, grow, and prepare their companies for the future. QUOTES "Resting is part of performing." – Carter Looney"You gotta build a company that's independent of me." – Carter Looney"True success isn't just the sale, it's the preparation." – Joe Dunaway SOCIAL MEDIA Joe Dunaway Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoedunaway/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-dunaway  Carter Looney LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bc-looney/ WEBSITE VICI Finance: https://www.vicifinance.com Meritage Partners: https://meritage-partners.com/team/carter-looney/

  2. Oct 13

    The Architecture of Atmosphere: Tim Mitchell on Scaling Luxury Hospitality, Scratch-Made Leadership, and the 7-Figure Chef Mindset

    In episode 60 of The VICI Code, Joe Dunaway interviews Tim Mitchell, Chef Founder & CEO of Mangia Catering and MNG Collective, as he shares how he transitioned away from personally handling every part of the culinary process while maintaining quality through training, accountability, guardrails, and final checks. His philosophy is simple: train people well, trust them to execute, and create systems that protect the standard.  Tune in to hear how Tim Mitchell is proving that systems don't have to make a business less creative—they can give leaders the freedom to become more creative, more present, and more intentional. TIMESTAMPS [00:00:02] Introducing Tim Mitchell and the architecture of atmosphere. [00:02:33] From home kitchen to business leader. [00:05:05] Letting go while protecting quality and standards. [00:06:55] Operational discipline in luxury events. [00:08:03] Building a seven-figure business without shortcuts. [00:10:14] The Mangia Way and creating scalable systems. [00:13:02] Scratch-made culture, leadership, and team development. [00:14:10] Why culture wins and how leaders mentor their teams. [00:15:31] Faith, integrity, and leading through pressure. [00:19:45] Protecting family time through business systems. [00:23:19] Fitness, discipline, and entrepreneurial stamina. [00:26:03] The biggest flavor of mediocrity in the industry. [00:27:40] What victory looks like for the Mitchell family in 2026. [00:30:05] Tim's final thoughts on faith, family, fitness, and finance. QUOTES "There's a more important thing and a more valuable thing for me to do with my time." – Tim Mitchell"It wasn't a full let go. It was just being able to come alongside that person, the team." – Tim Mitchell SOCIAL MEDIA Joe Dunaway Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoedunaway/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-dunaway  Tim Mitchell Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thecheftim/ https://www.instagram.com/mangia_catering/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thecheftim/ WEBSITE VICI Finance: https://www.vicifinance.com Mangia Catering: https://mangiacateringco.com/ MNG Event Collective: https://www.mngcollective.com/

  3. Oct 6

    The Revenue Architect: JP Rinylo on Killing the Founder Sales Trap, Building Predictable Systems, and Leading for Growth

    In episode 59 of The VICI Code, Joe Dunaway interviews JP Rinylo, Founder of Starting Point Associates & Revenue Leadership Expert, as he explains why hiring a salesperson before defining your messaging, lead-generation channels, customer journey, pricing, and sales process can create a dangerous dependency on a single “hero” performer.  Tune in to learn how to stop relying on personality-driven sales, engineer a repeatable revenue system, and build a business that can grow beyond its founder. TIMESTAMPS [00:00:02] Introducing the Revenue Architect and why revenue is a leadership responsibility. [00:02:49] Why founders struggle to let go of sales. [00:05:14] Building a scalable customer and revenue lifecycle. [00:08:13] Why hiring a salesperson isn't the first step. [00:11:06] The sales hero complex and its impact on business value. [00:15:46] The first operational leverage point for scaling. [00:17:35] Why marketing fundamentals must come before sales growth. [00:19:11] The connection between fitness, discipline, and business growth. [00:23:53] Why remarkable results take time and consistent effort. [00:27:51] Breaking away from hustle culture and protecting family time. [00:33:45] Rapid-fire: hiring mistakes, key metrics, and measuring client growth. [00:35:18] JP's 2026 definition of victory and helping 100 business owners. [00:37:42] Executive assistants, onboarding systems, and creating leverage. QUOTES "Sales, revenue, anything related to generating business or generating income for your business or revenue for your business, et cetera, is going to be it has to start at the top." – JP Rinylo"Marketing tells the story well; sales makes the story real." – JP Rinylo"Nothing remarkable happens overnight." – JP Rinylo SOCIAL MEDIA Joe Dunaway Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoedunaway/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-dunaway  JP Rinylo Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jprinylo/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jprinylo/ WEBSITE VICI Finance: https://www.vicifinance.com Starting Point Associates: https://startingpointassociates.com/

  4. Sep 29

    The Art of the Pivot: Michele Bonds on Wall Street Discipline, Radical Transformation, and Excavating Your True Purpose

    In episode 58 of The VICI Code, Joe Dunaway interviews Michele Bonds, a sculptural paper artist and former Wall Street Chief of Staff, who shares a powerful perspective on victory. Instead of viewing success as a situation where someone must lose for another person to win, she now sees victory as expansion—a “yes and” rather than an “either/or.” Her story reminds us that transformation isn't about abandoning your past; it's about using everything you've learned to build what comes next. Tune in to discover how Michele turned decades of corporate discipline into creative freedom, why entrepreneurship requires both structure and surrender, and how you can permit yourself to create a new path without losing the strengths that made you successful in the first place. TIMESTAMPS [00:00:02] Introducing Michele Bond and The Art of the Pivot. [00:02:23] Leaving a high-level corporate career and confronting uncertainty. [00:04:15] The gradual breakthrough that led Michele toward art. [00:06:50] Turning Wall Street precision into a creative advantage. [00:08:20] How corporate systems shaped Michele's entrepreneurial approach. [00:12:22] Building structure after leaving corporate life. [00:14:10] Balancing discipline, creativity, and play. [00:19:03] Redefining fitness and performance through creative work. [00:21:52] Family, fear, faith, and redefining legacy. [00:25:18] Trusting the universe and finding purpose through creation. [00:26:52] Creativity, divine connection, and the art of surrender. [00:30:37] Rapid-fire breakthroughs, financial fluency, and redefining victory. QUOTES "There's a burden that comes with that amount of freedom." – Michele Bond"Everything matters. You're the rewards, the challenges, it all builds you up for your next challenge." – Joe Dunaway"True transformation isn't about throwing your past away. It's about layering it into something new." – Joe DunawaySOCIAL MEDIA Joe Dunaway Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoedunaway/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-dunaway  Michele Bond Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/michelebondsart/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelebonds/   WEBSITE VICI Finance: https://www.vicifinance.com Michele Bond: https://www.michelebonds.com/

  5. Sep 22

    Success Without Self-Abandonment: Isabelle Tremblay on Executive Renewal, Leading with Love, and Scaling Your Impact

    In episode 57 of The VICI Code, Joe Dunaway interviews Isabelle Tremblay, Bestselling Author, Fractional CMO, and Executive Coach. She shares how leaders can establish loving boundaries, align their business strategies with their personal values, and create cultures where people feel respected, trusted, and empowered to succeed.  Tune in to discover how to lead with heart, establish healthier boundaries, reclaim your energy, and build a version of success that doesn't require you to abandon yourself. TIMESTAMPS [00:00:00] Introducing Isabelle Tremblay and the journey to success without self-abandonment. [00:02:24] Leading 42 brands while battling severe executive burnout. [00:05:46] The Love Leads Succeed leadership philosophy. [00:08:38] Aligning sales, marketing, culture, and team performance. [00:10:07] Redefining financial and career success through alignment. [00:11:10] Executive renewal, boundaries, and reclaiming your energy. [00:13:15] Morning routines, meditation, movement, and gratitude. [00:18:48] Building work-life harmony and modeling values for family. [00:22:30] Faith, spirituality, purpose, and intentional leadership. [00:24:00] Rapid fire: self-abandonment, team alignment, and victory. [00:26:00] Reclaiming time, purpose, and energy with the Renewal Guide. QUOTES "Burnout is not simply just a calendar problem. It's really about feeling empty and so focused on the work that you forgot about who you really are." – Isabelle Tremblay"Love leadership is really not soft." – Isabelle Tremblay"True power isn't found in the grind; it's found in the alignment of purpose and presence." – Joe Dunaway SOCIAL MEDIA Joe Dunaway Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoedunaway/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-dunaway  Isabelle Tremblay Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/loveleadsucceed/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelle-tremblay-21109226/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@loveleadsucceed    WEBSITE VICI Finance: https://www.vicifinance.com Eye Novationg: https://eyenovating.ca/

  6. Sep 15

    Wealth Alignment: Dr. Greg Pursley on Breaking the "More Work" Trap, Reclaiming Your Family Legacy, and Scaling Your Medical Practice

    In episode 56 of The VICI Code, Joe Dunaway interviews Dr. Gregory Pursley (Dr. G), Founder/CEO of PC Medical Centers & Author of Fix Your BS, who shares his practical monthly “life wheel” approach, rating five critical areas — faith, family and relationships, health, business, and wealth — and identifying what needs to improve. Rather than chasing perfection, the goal is consistent movement toward a more intentional life.   Tune in to discover how to scale your business without sacrificing your health, relationships, faith, or the life you’re working so hard to build. TIMESTAMPS [00:00:00] Introducing Dr. Gregory Pursley and the wealth alignment journey. [00:02:15] From survival mode to redefining success. [00:03:29] The belief systems and business systems behind Fix Your BS. [00:06:22] Aligning faith, family, and business. [00:07:21] Delegation, SMART goals, and creating freedom. [00:09:36] Revenue vs. profit and the true meaning of wealth. [00:11:42] Diagnosing business problems and fixing system leaks. [00:14:35] Health, fitness, and the monthly life assessment. [00:18:16] Why you’ll never be a perfect 10 in every area. [00:20:10] Authenticity, purpose, faith, and family. [00:21:55] Building a legacy through challenges and resilience. [00:24:11] Rapid fire: daily habits, victory, and owner independence. QUOTES "Your belief systems and your business systems have to be aligned to actually achieve great results in your business." – Dr. Gregory Pursley"Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity." – Dr. Gregory Pursley"Prioritize your alignment, protect your family, and remember that real wealth is a life lived on purpose." – Joe DunawaySOCIAL MEDIA Joe Dunaway Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoedunaway/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-dunaway  Dr. Greg Pursley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgregpursley/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drgregpursley1/   WEBSITE VICI Finance: https://www.vicifinance.com Dr. Greg Pursley: https://www.drgregpursley.com/

  7. Sep 8

    The Architect of Value: Stephen Bellosi on Scaling Professional Firms, Captive Insurance, and the Fiduciary Standard of Leadership

    In episode 55 of The VICI Code, Joe Dunaway interviews Stephen Bellosi, C-Suite Growth Consultant & Strategic Advisor, as he shares how his college football background shaped his approach to leadership, time management, adversity, and teamwork—and how a serious injury reinforced his appreciation for health and the privilege of being able to show up for his family, clients, and community.  Tune in for a powerful conversation about building something bigger than yourself, creating true time freedom, and developing the mindset required to turn a career into an enterprise. TIMESTAMPS [00:02:12] Stephen’s career journey and breakthrough into enterprise value consulting. [00:06:30] Applying a fiduciary mindset to business operations and financial structure. [00:10:18] The biggest risk management blind spot: delaying key administrative hires. [00:12:49] Sequencing for success and removing the owner as the business bottleneck. [00:15:15] Preparing a business for an exit through mindset and leadership transformation. [00:18:07] Building a team that can operate, maintain, and grow without the owner. [00:20:24] How athletics, discipline, and teamwork translate into business success. [00:25:32] Health, gratitude, resilience, and recovering from a serious injury. [00:28:06] Balancing a demanding consulting career with family and relationships. [00:30:27] Faith, values, doing the right thing, and long-term decision-making. [00:34:22] The myth that business growth is quick or easy. [00:34:49] One structural move that can increase exit valuation: clean books and records. [00:35:11] Stephen’s vision for victory and time freedom in 2026. [00:35:58] Think bigger and add a zero to what you're building. QUOTES "Sequencing equals success." – Stephen Bellosi"The higher the enterprise value, the lower the key person risk." – Stephen Bellosi"Whatever your business is doing today, add a zero to it." – Stephen Bellosi SOCIAL MEDIA Joe Dunaway Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoedunaway/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-dunaway  Stephen Bellosi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephen_apex_consulting_/   WEBSITE VICI Finance: https://www.vicifinance.com

  8. Sep 1

    The Legacy Algorithm: Pete Vera on Navy Logistics, Ethical M&A, and Protecting the Founder’s Life’s Work

    In episode 54 of The VICI Code, Joe Dunaway interviews Pete Vera, USMC Veteran, Managing Partner at GreenRock Logistics, and Founder of BizExitGrow, as they dive deep into what makes a business exit-ready, including clean financials, reducing owner dependence, strengthening management teams, and implementing systems that increase long-term value.  Tune in to discover how military-level discipline can translate into smarter business acquisitions, stronger leadership, and sustainable growth.  TIMESTAMPS [00:00:02] Welcome to The Vici Code and Pete Vera's journey from the Navy to logistics. [00:02:24] What makes a business truly exit-ready. [00:04:42] Common financial and owner-dependence issues hurting business value. [00:06:18] Why preserving company culture and employee legacy matters. [00:08:03] People, corporate knowledge, and the human algorithm of business. [00:09:12] Using AI and automation without losing the personal touch. [00:11:46] Shared services, economies of scale, and acquisition synergies. [00:14:20] Military discipline, fitness, breathwork, and peak performance. [00:17:17] Family, founder legacy, and the responsibility of buyers. [00:19:26] Faith, ethical negotiations, and buying businesses with honor. [00:21:49] The purpose behind the Exit Algorithms Podcast. [00:23:00] Rapid fire: preparing founders for life after the exit. [00:24:00] The Navy leadership principle every CEO should adopt. [00:25:00] Pete's definition of victory for 2026. [00:26:00] Protecting the legacy, optimizing the algorithm, and leading with honor. QUOTES "Those are the assets of the business that you want to keep—that corporate knowledge." – Pete Vera"We're dealing with someone's legacy." – Pete Vera"True success isn't just the exit; it's the legacy left behind." – Joe Dunaway SOCIAL MEDIA Joe Dunaway Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoedunaway/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-dunaway  Peter Vera Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterkvera/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-vera/  Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exit-algorithms/id1820424898     WEBSITE VICI Finance: https://www.vicifinance.com BizExitGrow:  https://www.bizexitgrow.com/

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About

Welcome to The VICI Code — the podcast where small business owners stop pretending, start confessing, and finally get what it takes to win financially. We talk real numbers. Real faith. Real stories of underdogs who got hit hard — by bad decisions, burnout, even bankruptcy — and chose to rise anyway. I’m Joe Dunaway, founder of VICI Financial, and every week, I sit down with entrepreneurs who’ve walked through fire, fixed their finances, and found purpose in the process. If you’ve ever felt like the only one who doesn’t “get it” when it comes to business money… If your story feels too messy, too behind, or too far gone… You belong here. Because the comeback isn’t just possible — it’s coded into you. This is The VICI Code.Let’s crack it together.

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