Hidden Foundations

Kendall Schoenrock
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Entrepreneurship

Hidden Foundations explores how childhood environments shape the leaders, performers, and high achievers we admire today. Each week, I sit down with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and operators to uncover the early family dynamics, money conversations, sibling roles, and first adversities that forged their resilience and ambition.This show isn’t about polished success stories, it’s about the real scenes at home that built their operating system long before the world noticed. As a father of two daughters, I started this podcast to understand what actually helps kids develop grit, confidence, and long-term success.If you’re a parent, founder, coach, or anyone curious about human performance, these conversations break down the hidden patterns that drive lifelong growth. We dig into emotional environment, childhood influence, and the habits that shaped today’s top performers.New episodes every week. This is where high performance begins, at home.

  1. 4d ago

    Greg Carlisle on Bad Loans, Debt & Grit | Hidden Foundations Ep. 22

    What does a commercial banker learn when a loan goes wrong? For Greg Carlisle, one real estate deal involving 65 families changed the way he saw banking, risk, and responsibility.In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall is joined by Greg Carlisle, a TD Bank leader in New Jersey, to explore the human side of business loans, commercial banking, financial literacy, and leadership. Greg breaks down why cash flow is king, why many startups struggle to get approved for capital, and why showing losses to avoid taxes can hurt a business when it needs funding.The conversation also goes deeper into Greg’s childhood in Philadelphia, where his father’s health issues, family pressure, and financial uncertainty shaped his grit. Greg reflects on caregiving, survival, mentorship, responsible lending, parenting, college debt, and why families need to teach money before the world teaches it the hard way.Chapters:00:00 Cold Open: Irresponsible Lending Impacts Lives00:47 Meet Greg Carlisle04:02 How Banks Decide Who Gets Capital06:27 Clean Books, Taxes, and Business Growth13:51 Why Borrowers Get Different Loan Terms25:04 The Family Risk Lesson Behind a Passed Deal30:08 The 65 Families That Changed Him50:41 Parenting, College Debt, and Financial LiteracyHidden Foundations is a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and investor Kendall Schoenrock, examining how family systems, early adversity, and childhood dynamics quietly shape high-performing adults. Each conversation uncovers the “invisible wiring” behind resilience, ambition, leadership, and grit — told through candid stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and leaders.Guided by the thesis that strength is forged early at home, the show uses a consistent framework to explore emotional environments, money narratives, family roles, conflict patterns, and early challenges. Every episode delivers at least one practical, repeatable insight for parents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how greatness is built long before it’s visible.Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://hiddenfoundations.com/#newsletterLearn more or connect with Kendall:Website: https://kendallschoenrock.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schoenrock/SilverRock Ventures: https://silverrockventures.com/about-us/YouTube: youtube.com/@HiddenFoundationsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VKN6BBbuVxNDl4zKh4E3O?si=0c56c9aebfaf402eApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-foundations/id1895154229#HiddenFoundations #GregCarlisle #FinancialLiteracy

  2. Sep 9

    Edwin Desamour on Prison, Purpose & Saving Philly Kids | Hidden Foundations Ep. 21

    What turns a 16-year-old facing life or the death penalty into a community leader fighting to keep kids alive? Edwin Desamour’s story shows how prison, fatherhood, purpose, and The Lighthouse became the foundation for a life of service.Viewer discretion is advised. This episode includes conversations about murder, incarceration, suicide, depression, gun violence, childhood trauma, death, and exploitation.In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall talks with Edwin Desamour, Executive Director of The Lighthouse in Philadelphia, to trace the path from a teenage conviction to a life dedicated to serving others. Edwin opens up about being charged with first-degree murder at 16, serving eight and a half years in prison, being incarcerated alongside his father, becoming a father while behind bars, and later receiving a pardon.The conversation explores The Lighthouse, youth programs, boxing, violence prevention, fatherhood, prison reentry, nonprofit politics, Latino and Puerto Rican history, human trafficking prevention, and why Edwin believes purpose is the difference between survival and destruction.Chapters:02:01 Meet Edwin Desamour02:35 The Lighthouse and Its Mission05:52 Facing Life and Death at 1608:19 Conviction, Pardon, and Accountability16:31 Prison With His Father27:38 Release, Family, and Coming Back From the Dead33:07 Why Purpose Defeats the System49:01 Talking a Kid Out of a School Shooting52:28 Nonprofit Politics and “Poverty Pimping”59:01 The Lighthouse, Affordability, and Belonging01:01:02 MIMIC, Street Legends, and Life Skills01:06:33 The Exodus Road and Human Trafficking Prevention01:09:06 Fatherhood, Street Smarts, and Book Smarts01:13:35 Losing His Son and Breaking Generational Patterns01:23:36 Wind Therapy, Grief, and What Comes NextHidden Foundations is a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and investor Kendall Schoenrock, examining how family systems, early adversity, and childhood dynamics quietly shape high-performing adults. Each conversation uncovers the “invisible wiring” behind resilience, ambition, leadership, and grit — told through candid stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and leaders.Guided by the thesis that strength is forged early at home, the show uses a consistent framework to explore emotional environments, money narratives, family roles, conflict patterns, and early challenges. Every episode delivers at least one practical, repeatable insight for parents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how greatness is built long before it’s visible.Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://hiddenfoundations.com/#newsletterLearn more or connect with Kendall:Website: https://kendallschoenrock.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schoenrock/SilverRock Ventures: https://silverrockventures.com/about-us/YouTube: youtube.com/@HiddenFoundationsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VKN6BBbuVxNDl4zKh4E3O?si=0c56c9aebfaf402eApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-foundations/id1895154229#HiddenFoundations #EdwinDesamour #TheLighthouse

  3. Sep 3

    Ed O’Brien on Family Secrets, Money & Building With Integrity | Hidden Foundations Ep. 20

    What shapes an entrepreneur who refuses to sacrifice integrity? For Ed O’Brien, it started with childhood money pressure, a complicated father-son relationship, family secrets, and early lessons in responsibility. In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall talks with Ed O’Brien to trace the family system behind his leadership style. Ed grew up in a large Irish-Italian Catholic family in New Jersey, where love, discipline, scarcity, and silence all lived under the same roof. He shares how his father’s business struggles shaped his relationship with money, why he rejected his father’s allowance at 11, and how carrying the secret of his father’s affair pushed him toward independence. Ed also reflects on trying to save the family business, building a career through GE mentorship, entering the fiber optics and power infrastructure world, and creating a company culture built on honesty. The conversation closes with a powerful reflection on fatherhood, success, and the difference between providing for your children and truly being present with them. Chapters: 00:00 Cold Open: Money, Secrets, and Responsibility 00:43 Meet Ed O’Brien 01:54 Childhood Money Pressure and Family Business 05:08 Rejecting His Father’s Allowance 05:36 Carrying the Secret of His Father’s Affair 10:46 Money With Strings and Closing the Family Business 16:22 Running Away, Reconnecting, and Hearing “I’m Proud of You” 21:11 Fiber Optics, AI Infrastructure, and Business Integrity 27:25 GE Mentorship, Autonomy, and Plan B 40:30 Interpersonal Skills, Leadership, and Listening 48:25 Success, Fatherhood, and Being Present Hidden Foundations is a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and investor Kendall Schoenrock, examining how family systems, early adversity, and childhood dynamics quietly shape high-performing adults. Each conversation uncovers the “invisible wiring” behind resilience, ambition, leadership, and grit — told through candid stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and leaders. Guided by the thesis that strength is forged early at home, the show uses a consistent framework to explore emotional environments, money narratives, family roles, conflict patterns, and early challenges. Every episode delivers at least one practical, repeatable insight for parents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how greatness is built long before it’s visible. Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://hiddenfoundations.com/#newsletter Learn more or connect with Kendall: Website: https://kendallschoenrock.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schoenrock/ SilverRock Ventures: https://silverrockventures.com/about-us/ YouTube: youtube.com/@HiddenFoundationsPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VKN6BBbuVxNDl4zKh4E3O?si=0c56c9aebfaf402e Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-foundations/id1895154229 #HiddenFoundations #EdOBrien #Entrepreneurship

    Ed O’Brien on Family Secrets, Money & Building With Integrity | Hidden Foundations Ep. 20

  4. Aug 26

    Matthew Rehrig on Type 1 Diabetes, Gym Ownership & Fatherhood | Hidden Foundations Ep. 19

    In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall is joined by Matthew Rehrig, a gym owner, father, and Type 1 diabetic, to unpack the pressure behind building a business while managing a relentless health condition. Matt shares how 2015 changed everything: a new baby, a new house, a young marriage, a risky gym investment, and the stress that surrounded his early years as an entrepreneur. Six months after opening the gym, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, forcing him to manage blood sugar, insulin, workouts, family life, and business ownership every day. Kendall and Matt also explore door-to-door sales, fitness coaching, confidence, keeping promises to yourself, raising three sons, his complicated relationship with his father, and how early family patterns shape the way we lead, parent, and survive pressure. Chapters:  00:00 Cold Open: Fitness, Failure, and Diabetes 00:43 Meet Matthew Rehrig 01:57 Gym, Marriage, Risk, and Scrappy Beginnings 10:23 Family Drive, Baseball, and Door-to-Door Sales 14:35 Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis 30:47 Living on the Blood Sugar Tightrope 36:19 Coaching Confidence and Keeping Promises 51:17 Fatherhood, Regret, and Breaking Patterns Hidden Foundations is a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and investor Kendall Schoenrock, examining how family systems, early adversity, and childhood dynamics quietly shape high-performing adults. Each conversation uncovers the “invisible wiring” behind resilience, ambition, leadership, and grit — told through candid stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and leaders. Guided by the thesis that strength is forged early at home, the show uses a consistent framework to explore emotional environments, money narratives, family roles, conflict patterns, and early challenges. Every episode delivers at least one practical, repeatable insight for parents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how greatness is built long before it’s visible. Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://hiddenfoundations.com/#newsletter Learn more or connect with Kendall: Website: https://kendallschoenrock.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schoenrock/ SilverRock Ventures: https://silverrockventures.com/about-us/ YouTube: youtube.com/@HiddenFoundationsPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VKN6BBbuVxNDl4zKh4E3O?si=0c56c9aebfaf402e Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-foundations/id1895154229 #HiddenFoundations #Type1Diabetes #FitnessEntrepreneur

    Matthew Rehrig on Type 1 Diabetes, Gym Ownership & Fatherhood | Hidden Foundations Ep. 19

  5. Aug 19

    Ari Simmons on Becoming a World Champion and Chasing the Olympics | Hidden Foundations Ep. 18

    In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall is joined by Ari Simmons, a world champion epee fencer, coach, and Olympic hopeful, to explore what elite sports really build inside a person. Ari shares how he went from being kicked out of fencing class for goofing off to becoming first in the U.S. and winning a world championship in the 17-and-under category.  The conversation moves through obsession, discipline, ego, youth sports pressure, parental support, Notre Dame, UPenn Wharton, taking a gap year to chase Rio, and why his parents never made winning the point. Ari also breaks down the mental framework he now teaches athletes: purpose, honesty, consistency, forgiveness, and learning to treat wins and losses as data. This is a conversation about fencing, family, pressure, and becoming the person behind the performance. Chapters 00:00 Cold Open: World Champion and Olympic Pressure 00:49 Meet Ari Simmons 01:15 Becoming a World Champion in Epee 06:00 Why Fencing and the Obsession Switch 11:00 Dreaming of Greatness and Winning Worlds 19:23 Parents, Pressure, and Youth Sports 31:50 Gap Year, Rio, UPenn, and Notre Dame 45:42 Coaching, Mindset, and the Olympic Chase Hidden Foundations is a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and investor Kendall Schoenrock, examining how family systems, early adversity, and childhood dynamics quietly shape high-performing adults. Each conversation uncovers the “invisible wiring” behind resilience, ambition, leadership, and grit — told through candid stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and leaders. Guided by the thesis that strength is forged early at home, the show uses a consistent framework to explore emotional environments, money narratives, family roles, conflict patterns, and early challenges. Every episode delivers at least one practical, repeatable insight for parents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how greatness is built long before it’s visible. Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://hiddenfoundations.com/#newsletter Learn more or connect with Kendall: Website: https://kendallschoenrock.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schoenrock/ SilverRock Ventures: https://silverrockventures.com/about-us/ YouTube: youtube.com/@HiddenFoundationsPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VKN6BBbuVxNDl4zKh4E3O?si=0c56c9aebfaf402e Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-foundations/id1895154229 #HiddenFoundations #AriSimmons #fencing

    Ari Simmons on Becoming a World Champion and Chasing the Olympics | Hidden Foundations Ep. 18

  6. Aug 12

    Amjad Pervez on Escaping the Army, Deportation, and $500M Real Estate | Hidden Foundations Ep. 17

    Viewer discretion is advised. This episode includes conversations about sexual violence, forced marriage, honor violence, prostitution, deportation proceedings, depression, war, family trauma, and difficult cultural practices. Amjad Pervez’s path to New York real estate started far from Manhattan. He grew up in a lower-middle-class military family in Pakistan, became a third-generation army man, served in a tank regiment, and eventually resigned as a captain even though leaving the army was far from simple. After moving to New York City, he drove a cab, taught himself web design after a chance meeting with a passenger, fought through immigration uncertainty, and rebuilt his life in one of the most competitive real estate markets in the country. In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall and Amjad trace the family story underneath that ambition, including the sacrifice of Amjad’s mother, the burden of sending money home, the transition from rentals to sales, more than $500 million in real estate transactions, and the question of how to pass grit to kids growing up in a very different world. Chapters 00:00 Cold Open: Tank Driver to NYC Real Estate 00:47 Meet Amjad Pervez 01:18 Pakistan, Family Duty, and the Army 04:15 Leaving the Army and Coming to America 05:22 Cab Driver to Web Designer 06:13 Green Card Battle and Deportation Fear 12:13 9/11, NYC Real Estate, and First Deals 19:43 His Mother’s Story, $500M, and Legacy #HiddenFoundations #AmjadPervez #NYCRealEstate

    Amjad Pervez on Escaping the Army, Deportation, and $500M Real Estate | Hidden Foundations Ep. 17

  7. Aug 5

    Jeff Pelaccio on Losing His Mom, Corporate Layoffs, AI & Reinvention | Hidden Foundations Ep. 16

    Viewer discretion is advised. This episode includes conversations about childhood loss, Alzheimer’s, physical discipline, career instability, and difficult family memories. Jeff Pelaccio’s foundation was shaped early by loss, loyalty, and the need to keep moving. His mother died the day before his fifth birthday. His father, a union welder, developed early-onset Alzheimer’s when Jeff was still a kid. And the New York Italian family around him modeled work ethic, loyalty, survival, and showing up when life gets hard. In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall and Jeff trace how those early patterns followed him into corporate America, where nine involuntary career transitions taught him that no job is ever fully safe. Their conversation moves through reinvention, podcasting, leadership, stoicism, meditation, AI, deep work, interviewing, mentorship, and why resilience often begins with learning what you can control and what you have to release. Chapters 00:00 Cold Open: Loss, Failure, and Reinvention 00:40 Meet Jeff Pelaccio 02:31 Starting The Corporate Couch 06:51 Career Strategy, Leadership, and Reinvention 13:06 Losing His Mother Before Age Five 17:39 Family, Work Ethic, and Loyalty 20:58 Corporate Instability and Stoicism 28:36 AI, Deep Thought, and Podcasting #HiddenFoundations #JeffPelaccio #Reinvention

    Jeff Pelaccio on Losing His Mom, Corporate Layoffs, AI & Reinvention | Hidden Foundations Ep. 16

  8. Jul 29

    Victor Tabaac on Getting Arrested, Getting Sober, and Building Companies | Hidden Foundations Ep. 15

    Viewer discretion is advised. This episode includes conversations about drug dealing, addiction, recovery, family illness, and difficult life choices. In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall sits down with Victor Raymond-Tabaac, a Philadelphia-based serial entrepreneur, to unpack the early experiences that shaped his risk tolerance, work ethic, and drive to build. Victor shares how his first business started at 13 with a hot dog cart, how selling weed in high school taught him hard lessons about risk, leadership, pricing, and consequences, and how addiction later collided with family responsibility and entrepreneurship. The conversation also explores his father’s influence, building an AWS-focused company from five people to 275, recovery, parenting as a sober father, the Lighthouse in Kensington, youth programming, nonprofit transparency, AI-proof careers, and why staying sober is the foundation that makes everything else possible. Chapters 00:00 Cold Open: Business, Recovery, and Kensington 00:46 Meet Victor Raymond-Tabaac 01:03 Entrepreneur Since Age 13 03:08 Selling Weed, Risk, and Getting Caught 11:17 Scaling an AWS Business to 275 People 17:26 Addiction, Family Business, and Recovery 28:11 Giving Back Through the Lighthouse 45:24 Leadership, Sales, AI, and Staying Sober Hidden Foundations is a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and investor Kendall Schoenrock, examining how family systems, early adversity, and childhood dynamics quietly shape high-performing adults. Each conversation uncovers the “invisible wiring” behind resilience, ambition, leadership, and grit — told through candid stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and leaders. Guided by the thesis that strength is forged early at home, the show uses a consistent framework to explore emotional environments, money narratives, family roles, conflict patterns, and early challenges. Every episode delivers at least one practical, repeatable insight for parents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how greatness is built long before it’s visible. Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://hiddenfoundations.com/#newsletter Learn more or connect with Kendall: Website: https://kendallschoenrock.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schoenrock/ SilverRock Ventures: https://silverrockventures.com/about-us/ YouTube: youtube.com/@HiddenFoundationsPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VKN6BBbuVxNDl4zKh4E3O?si=0c56c9aebfaf402e Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-foundations/id1895154229 #HiddenFoundations #VictorRaymondTabaac #Entrepreneurship #RecoveryStory

    Victor Tabaac on Getting Arrested, Getting Sober, and Building Companies | Hidden Foundations Ep. 15
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Hidden Foundations explores how childhood environments shape the leaders, performers, and high achievers we admire today. Each week, I sit down with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and operators to uncover the early family dynamics, money conversations, sibling roles, and first adversities that forged their resilience and ambition.This show isn’t about polished success stories, it’s about the real scenes at home that built their operating system long before the world noticed. As a father of two daughters, I started this podcast to understand what actually helps kids develop grit, confidence, and long-term success.If you’re a parent, founder, coach, or anyone curious about human performance, these conversations break down the hidden patterns that drive lifelong growth. We dig into emotional environment, childhood influence, and the habits that shaped today’s top performers.New episodes every week. This is where high performance begins, at home.

Information

  • Creator
    Kendall Schoenrock
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kendall Schoenrock
  • Show Website
    Hidden Foundations