BLTNT Podcast

Matt Loria

We can all agree that some of the best moments occur over a meal. For eons, “breaking bread” has been the common element among all cultures for human bonding. Think about the many conversations that you’ve had over lunch that you wish you could share. This show is a platform to extend inspiring conversations about what we call BLTnT – Business, Life, Technology, and Transformations. Our guests are people we can learn from. They are storytellers. They are game changers, luminaries, business leaders, tech gurus, and friends. The show’s host, Matt Loria, is the CEO of Auxiom, an IT and Cyber Security company serving businesses. Matt considers himself to be blessed to make numerous connections in his daily life and have meals with a lot of interesting people. He draws upon his love of connecting to inspire the most intriguing thoughts and perspectives from his guests. He is here to continue the conversation that typically started over lunch. Of all the layers of BLTnT, transformations are arguably the most energizing. They take courage, luck, and fortitude. In each episode, our host will highlight at least one notable transformation or transition that the person has made, and we can be inspired by. Come join us for stimulating conversations with people making BLTnT moves! You can contact Matt Loria at: podcasts@auxiom.com www.auxiom.com www.linkedin.com/in/mattloria/

  1. How He Went From Sports Medicine to Managing Millions in Sales | Aaron Salko

    1H AGO

    How He Went From Sports Medicine to Managing Millions in Sales | Aaron Salko

    What does it actually mean to be a high performer? Aaron Salko grew up washing dishes at seven, then afterwards played D1 baseball at Seton Hall. His background in psychology, biology, and sales forced him to study why some people perform and why others don't. He and his business partner turned ten years of sales strategy sessions into a book, then a framework, and then a platform.... The result? The Ninth Stratum: a five-category, 45-skill operating system for human performance. In our episode we covered: → The five categories of high performance, and the one everyone skips → How toxic performers aren't broken, but just deficient in specific skills → What alcohol is actually doing to your recovery → The "threshold" technique Aaron uses to transition between roles and why it works Aaron, thanks for making the trip to Michigan and for sharing a framework you've spent decades building! It’s going to provide massive help to everyone listening. Chapters 0:00 - Introduction & Teaser: What Is High Performance? 1:06 - Meet Aaron Salko: From the Lake House to the Studio 2:26 - The Book: The Ninth Stratum 3:27 - Aaron's Career Path: Sports Medicine to Global Sales 6:09 - Growing Up Inside Stephen Gould 12:08 - Are "Innate" Skills Real? The Nature vs. Nurture Debate 20:49 - The Origin of the Ninth Stratum Framework 24:33 - The Five Categories of Human Performance 27:03 - Breaking Down All 45 Performance Skills 29:06 - The Nine Stratums Explained: From Unaware to Teaching 37:09 - Sleep as a Performance Activity 43:26 - Personal Appearance and Showing Up to the World 46:03 - The Threshold Technique: Transitioning Between Roles 59:11 - Taking the Framework Into Organizations 1:02:03 - AI, Human Performance, and What McKinsey Found 1:05:17 - The Interview Tool: Hiring for Performance-Based Skills 1:10:05 - How to Connect with Aaron & Wrap-Up ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Auxiom Find out more: https://auxiom.com/

    1h 12m
  2. How He Went From the Bad Boys Pistons to Owning a Premier League Club | Andy Appleby

    MAY 1

    How He Went From the Bad Boys Pistons to Owning a Premier League Club | Andy Appleby

    Andy Appleby sent his resume to EVERY major league team; the Detroit Pistons were the ones who said yes. He was a kid from New England with no real connections, so he did the only thing he could - worked harder than everyone else... He spent 12 years with Palace Sports during the Bad Boys era, learning everything he could. Then he went out and built his own path. In our episode, we talked about: → Why Andy sees working three times harder than everyone else is a real strategy for success → What it actually looks like to build a winning culture → How the sports business has changed since the pandemic → What he looks for in players beyond raw talent → The charitable work happening off the field (70,000 kids in their reading program each year) Andy, I really appreciate you taking the time to make a meaningful conversation with me! Chapters 0:00 - Introduction 0:41 - Andy's Background and the Pistons Years 1:59 - How the USPBL Came to Be 4:34 - What the Ballpark Offers Beyond Baseball 8:26 - General Sports: The Sports Agency Side 11:20 - How Andy Manages Multiple Businesses 12:37 - Lessons From a Career Built on Outworking Everyone 16:17 - Mentors Who Shaped Andy's Path 18:35 - Technology and AI in the Sports World 20:00 - Helping Players Get Noticed and Signed 24:05 - What Character Really Means in This League 27:09 - Independent vs. Affiliated Baseball Explained 30:41 - Player Psychology and Mental Health in Sports 34:26 - New Office Build and What's Coming Next 35:34 - The Future of Live Sports and In-Person Experiences 38:00 - Personal Side: What Most People Don't Know About Andy ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Auxiom Find out more: https://auxiom.com/

    40 min
  3. The Principal Said He Wouldn't Graduate... He Became a CIO | Todd Loiselle

    APR 22

    The Principal Said He Wouldn't Graduate... He Became a CIO | Todd Loiselle

    Todd Loiselle is a CIO and author, who was told in first grade he wouldn't make it through high school. Todd has ADHD and dyslexia. In grade school, letters scrambled when he looked at them. He couldn't keep up and started acting out. While sitting across from his parents, his principal told them their son had a ceiling. He took that as a challenge and now has risen to Chief Information Officer, written a book called Learning Your Way, and built a free AI tool for students. We covered: → Why ADHD and dyslexia are strengths, not deficiencies → What a true CIO actually looks at when walking into a new organization → How AI agents are about to change which jobs exist → The book structure Todd built specifically for kids who don't like reading Todd, thank you for sharing your story so openly. I don't think I'll ever forget it! Chapters 0:00 - Introduction & Teaser 2:29 - Todd's Origin Story: First Grade and the Diagnosis 5:15 - The IQ Test and What Todd's Mom Fought For 8:24 - Miss McClive: The Teacher Who Said "I Am You" 11:04 - Learning Through the Senses: The Orange Lesson 17:04 - Building a Personal Learning System 20:26 - Family, Marriage, and Raising Kids with ADHD 29:40 - Career Path: Arthur Andersen to CIO 41:31 - How Todd Thinks About a Business When He Walks In 43:11 - National Food Group: What They Do and How They Operate 47:00 - The Cloud Argument (and Why Doubters Are Behind) 53:44 - AI's Impact on Jobs and the Future of Work 1:03:09 - The Book: Learning Your Way 1:08:04 - The Free AI Tool and Todd's Goal to Help a Million Students 1:12:32 - Closing and Where to Find Todd ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Auxiom Find out more: https://auxiom.com/

    1h 14m
  4. What Getting Laid Off Taught Him About Betting on Yourself | Chris Bommarito

    APR 17

    What Getting Laid Off Taught Him About Betting on Yourself | Chris Bommarito

    Chris Bommarito runs Castor Engineering, a manufacturing automation company he built from scratch. He started the whole operation from the ground up after being suddenly laid off from a job he deeply cared about. It was a huge shock at the time, but it pushed him to build something of his own. Seven years later he has 20 employees, a growing AI practice inside his company, and an investment in an airline. What we covered: → Why new entrepreneurs should stop trying to replace their previous income → How Chris thinks about AI's impact on manufacturing and entry-level jobs → The decision-making framework from the book How We Decide and when to trust your gut → What it means to own "a piece of the machine" in an AI-driven economy → His investment in Avelo Airlines and why he believes the frequent flyer loyalty game is a trap Chris, thank you for showing up as yourself and sharing your story! Chapters 0:00 - Introduction & How They Met 1:13 - Meet Chris Bommarito 3:38 - The Enigma Code and Alan Turing 6:15 - AI, Black Mirror, and Reanimating the Dead 8:00 - Entrepreneurship Is in the DNA 13:03 - Family First: "My Wealth Is in My Family" 15:10 - What Castor Engineering Actually Does 19:36 - Chris's Career: From Intern to Founder 28:38 - Getting Fired and the Toyota Call 33:06 - The Fear of Replacing Your Income 37:23 - On Mentorship and Why Chris Does It 43:13 - Chris's AI Journey and Where It's Headed 49:06 - The Innovator's Dilemma and AI Investment Risk 58:38 - Who Really Controls AI? The Pyramid Theory 1:06:04 - Investing in Avelo Airlines 1:11:10 - Book Recommendation: How We Decide 1:24:45 - Parenting Advice for New Dads 1:28:25 - Outro ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Auxiom Find out more: https://auxiom.com/

    1h 29m
  5. He's Been Called Mr. Fix It for 40 Years. Here's Why... | Monsignor Charles Kosanke

    APR 15

    He's Been Called Mr. Fix It for 40 Years. Here's Why... | Monsignor Charles Kosanke

    Monsignor Charles Kosanke has been called Mr. Fix It for most of his priesthood. When a parish is bleeding money or a seminary is on the verge of losing its accreditation, Chuck gets the call. He shows up and stabilizes the operation; then he gets assigned elsewhere. The St. Anne's project is a different story... After he hit a wall in fundraising and out of options, he went to the chapel, and prayed. Days later, the name of a Catholic foundation director came to mind; a meeting that eventually produced a deal where the Basilica of St. Anne's was purchased for a dollar, restored for $40 million, and secured with a $20 million endowment. And he'll tell you plainly... God was the one who fixed it. We covered: → How he turned around failing parishes, schools, and a seminary with only a background in accounting and a willingness to make unpopular decisions → Why endowments matter more than annual giving → The restructuring happening inside the Archdiocese of Detroit → What it means to be named Monsignor → Why he believes a framework of surrender shared with high school seniors may save a life someday There's something about a person who gives up choosing for themselves and just keeps saying yes to the next hard thing. Most of us are trying to control the plan. Chuck, thank you for giving me your time and for walking through so much of your story. Chapters 0:00 - Introduction & the Turnaround Reputation 1:03 - Welcoming Monsignor Charles Kosanke 1:46 - De La Salle Honoree & Background on the Dinner 4:35 - Chuck's Story Begins at De La Salle 10:54 - Choosing the Seminary Over Western Michigan 12:00 - First Assignment at Shrine of the Little Flower 13:17 - Uncovering Embezzlement: Accounting Meets Ministry 15:20 - Earning a Doctorate in Rome (And Nearly Not Making It) 21:16 - Juggling the Seminary and Failing Parishes 25:07 - The Turnaround Pattern: A 40-Year Career of Fix-It Assignments 30:14 - Restructuring the Archdiocese of Detroit 39:34 - Pope Leo XIV and What His Election Means for the Church 45:36 - Diocese Priests vs. Religious Orders Explained 51:04 - Why He Became a Priest (The Real Answer) 55:26 - The Free Medical Clinic in Corktown 57:30 - $20 Million Raised and the Case for Endowments 1:10:46 - What Alumni Should Know About Giving to Catholic Schools 1:26:01 - When Chuck's Plan Became God's Plan 1:33:02 - The St. Anne's Miracle: A $40 Million Restoration for $1 1:40:04 - What He Told High School Seniors About Surrender 1:19:40 - Parting Words: Time, Talent, and Treasure ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Auxiom Find out more: https://auxiom.com/

    1h 39m
  6. Why the Best Leaders Give Their Power Away | Klint Pleasant

    APR 6

    Why the Best Leaders Give Their Power Away | Klint Pleasant

    Dr. Klint Pleasant has spent his career doing things that don't fit neatly into one box: Head Coach. Senior Vice President. Doctor of Education. Father. Son of a Legend. He grew up literally living in the dormitories of a college his grandfather built, watching his dad coach, pastor, teach, and lead all at the same time. Basketball was the world he knew. It's also the world he eventually had to outgrow. We covered: → How post-traumatic growth differs from post-traumatic stress, and why the distinction matters → What 28 years of coaching taught him about servant leadership and trust → Why he turned down a major coaching opportunity → The role mentors (like Don Meyer) played in shaping who he became → His take on AI in higher education and why he still won't let a machine write for him Klint has an incredible depth of character that I’ve only seen come from going through hard things. Thank you Klint for being so open about Rachel, the fear and the growth that came from it. Thank you for sharing such an incredible story. Chapters 0:00 - Introduction & Teaser 1:20 - Meet Dr. Klint Pleasant 2:40 - Appointed President of Southwestern Michigan College 5:36 - On Nervousness, Change & Denzel's Quote 6:20 - Career Origins & Family Roots at RCU 9:11 - Playing Football in Texas & Leaving Home 10:42 - Learning Under Don Meyer at Lipscomb 12:05 - Kent State's Cinderella Run & the Elite Eight 14:39 - Mentorship: The Common Thread 18:08 - Servant Leadership & Ego 23:09 - Rachel's Brain Crisis: The Night Everything Changed 29:36 - Post-Traumatic Growth: Pain as a Teacher 43:15 - Why He Said Yes to the Presidency 56:53 - Faith in a Public Institution 57:15 - AI, Human Intelligence & the Pilot Analogy 1:06:34 - What Success Looks Like at SMC 1:11:39 - Enrollment, Culture & Building Trust ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Auxiom Find out more: https://auxiom.com/

    1h 15m
  7. The Real Reason Family Businesses Fail | Todd Hohauser

    MAR 20

    The Real Reason Family Businesses Fail | Todd Hohauser

    Todd has spent 27 years proving that hiring is much, much more than finding the right resume. Todd Hohauser is the CEO of Harvey Hohauser & Associates, a boutique and relationship driven retained executive search firm. He grew up watching his dad build the business while talking about culture and fit before Todd really understood their implications. When it was time to take over, he inherited his dad's philosophy. In this episode we talk about: → Why 90% of executives are firstborn children... and what that explains about leadership → The ONE interview question that reveals a candidate's values better than any assessment → How retained executive search works and why the best hires take three months to get right → Why most succession plans fail in family owned businesses → And so much more! What struck me is that you don't need more information to become a better leader... You just need clearly defined values and someone who asks the right questions. Thanks so much Todd for coming into the studio to share your story and expertise! ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Auxiom Find out more: https://auxiom.com/

    1h 6m
  8. Issue 00023: Five Bites Newsletter: Don’t Assume Clarity

    MAR 12 ·  BONUS

    Issue 00023: Five Bites Newsletter: Don’t Assume Clarity

    1) The “Oh Crap” Call (Incident Response) A Detroit-area manufacturer came to us during a cyber incident. We helped respond to the issue, and then stayed with them to improve security and support their CMMC compliance work. Translation: We help you stabilize the emergency and reduce the odds it happens again. 2) “I’m Frustrated With My MSP” Leaders come to us overwhelmed — too much confusion, too much waiting, too stressful. We assess what’s broken, build a strategy and budget, clean up the noise, and create a better path forward as a true partner. Translation: If IT feels like chaos, we help you get back to clarity and control. 3) Summer School (Network Upgrade) A school needed a major network upgrade. We designed and implemented the right infrastructure so staff and students had a more reliable day-to-day experience. No more: “The Wi‑Fi is out… again… in the cafeteria.” Translation: If your environment depends on connectivity, it has to be rock-solid. 4) “Build My Network… and Run It” A business in Ohio needed a network built the right way — and then needed someone to run and support it. We helped with both and continue to manage that network and advise on other projects. Translation: We can help you build it, then keep it healthy. 5) Locations Coming and Going (Multi-Site Support) A property management company with locations across the country needed an auxiliary team to help stand up and take down locations. We act as an extension of their team to keep it smooth. Translation: When you’re scaling, you need execution horsepower — without burning out your internal team. Bonus Wisdom Don’t assume people know. Don’t assume clarity. Create it… and confirm it. Because it’s not enough to say it — you’ve got to make sure it landed. Wrap-Up So now that there’s a higher likelihood you know what Auxiom does… I’ll say it again — because I’m not assuming anymore: Auxiom helps leaders manage IT, secure their systems, and make better technology decisions. We’re here whether you’re in the middle of a problem, or trying to improve what’s next. We serve middle-market organizations across a wide range of industries, nationwide. Question to leave you with: What are you assuming people already know about you or your business… or that they understood what you just told them? So long for now. Excelsior!

    6 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

We can all agree that some of the best moments occur over a meal. For eons, “breaking bread” has been the common element among all cultures for human bonding. Think about the many conversations that you’ve had over lunch that you wish you could share. This show is a platform to extend inspiring conversations about what we call BLTnT – Business, Life, Technology, and Transformations. Our guests are people we can learn from. They are storytellers. They are game changers, luminaries, business leaders, tech gurus, and friends. The show’s host, Matt Loria, is the CEO of Auxiom, an IT and Cyber Security company serving businesses. Matt considers himself to be blessed to make numerous connections in his daily life and have meals with a lot of interesting people. He draws upon his love of connecting to inspire the most intriguing thoughts and perspectives from his guests. He is here to continue the conversation that typically started over lunch. Of all the layers of BLTnT, transformations are arguably the most energizing. They take courage, luck, and fortitude. In each episode, our host will highlight at least one notable transformation or transition that the person has made, and we can be inspired by. Come join us for stimulating conversations with people making BLTnT moves! You can contact Matt Loria at: podcasts@auxiom.com www.auxiom.com www.linkedin.com/in/mattloria/

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Loria
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    BLTNT Podcast

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