Right About Now - Legendary Business Advice

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The #1 Marketing & Business Show on Apple Podcasts Welcome to Right About Now, where real American business gets a megaphone—and the B.S. gets the boot. Hosted by marketing disrupter Ryan Alford, entrepreneur, founder, and the guy brands call when they want attention, this show slices through the noise with uncensored insights, hard-earned wisdom, and straight-up truths from the frontlines of business. Every week, you’ll get two punchy Guest episodes where Ryan talks with legendary business founders, trending authors, and industry titans about what it takes to build a business and some of the most cutting edge tools and services available.  Forget the LinkedIn fluff. This is for doers, builders, and dreamers who want results, not recycled soundbites. Business the way it really works. Real people. Real wins. Real screw-ups. No MBA required. Just guts, hustle, and a sense of humor. Subscribe, listen, and get Right About Now. Because business isn’t broken—it’s just been boring & stale. Until now.

  1. The Legal Tax Moves That Help Rich People Get Richer | Mark J. Kohler

    3d ago

    The Legal Tax Moves That Help Rich People Get Richer | Mark J. Kohler

    Mark J. Kohler joins Ryan Alford on Right About Now to talk about how entrepreneurs, side hustlers, and small business owners can think differently about taxes and wealth. As a tax attorney, CPA, author, and educator, Mark explains why the tax code is not just something to fear once a year, but a tool business owners can learn to use legally and strategically. Ryan and Mark cover the difference between earning more money and keeping more money, including how side hustles, rental properties, 1099 income, and business expenses can create real advantages when handled correctly. Mark also shares why business owners need to stop fully delegating their tax strategy and instead become the CEO of their own tax team. The episode also dives into family payroll, family board meetings, Roth IRAs, self-directed IRAs, crypto, and how small business owners can involve their families while building wealth. It is a practical, high-energy conversation about taking ownership of your money, understanding the rules, and using the same strategies wealthy people study every year. Topics Covered Why small business owners overpay in taxes How the tax code motivates wealth-building behavior Side hustles as a gateway to tax strategy Why business owners need better bookkeeping What your accountant may not be telling you Family payroll and paying your kids through the business Roth IRAs, crypto, and self-directed retirement accounts How to build a tax team instead of outsourcing everything Ryan Alford and Mark J. Kohler on ownership, discipline, and wealth Links Right About Now / Ryan Alford https://www.ryanisright.com/ https://www.ryanalford.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/ Mark J. Kohler https://markjkohler.com/ https://www.instagram.com/markjkohler/ https://www.youtube.com/@markjkohler https://mainstreetbusinesspodcast.com/ https://directedira.com/ Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Stop Blaming the Rich & Own Your Destiny 00:32 – Introduction: Welcome to Right About Now with Ryan Alford 00:53 – Introducing Main Street Tax Attorney Mark J. Kohler 01:31 – Mark's Journey from Lemonade Stands to the 1% 02:31 – Why Taxes Are Law (And Why the "Big Dogs" Afford It) 03:29 – The Side Hustle Revolution & Building Wealth 04:42 – The 1099 Golden Ticket: Write-Offs You're Missing 05:32 – Demystifying Tax Brackets & Effective Tax Rates 06:09 – Real Estate & Depreciation Strategies (The Trump Tax Anomaly) 07:29 – Tax Strategies the Rich Geek Out On (Roth IRAs & HSAs) 08:50 – Understanding the True Purpose of the Tax Code 09:58 – Oil & Gas Tax Credits Explained 11:17 – The #1 Thing Small Business Owners Must Stop Doing 12:35 – Being the CEO of Your Own Tax Team 13:05 – Treat Your Side Hustle Like a Real Business 14:07 – Tracking Expenses: Stop Delegating, Start Documenting 14:51 – Integrating Family: How to Form a Family Board & Family Office 16:17 – Putting Your Kids on the Payroll Tax-Free 18:44 – Why Your Current Accountant Might Fight New Tax Strategies 20:57 – Mark’s Take on the Crypto Bus & XRP 21:38 – The Difference Between a Financial Advisor and an Investment Advisor 23:32 – What Fuels Success & The Ultimate Goal of the American Dream 25:05 – Where to Find Mark J. Kohler's Resources & Network 26:17 – Closing Thoughts: Information Doesn't Change Lives, Execution Does

    27 min
  2. The Social Media Goldmine Brands Are Ignoring with Matthew McGrory

    6d ago

    The Social Media Goldmine Brands Are Ignoring with Matthew McGrory

    Ryan Alford sits down with Matthew McGrory, CEO and co-founder of Arwen.ai, for a conversation about AI, brand safety, social media moderation, and the business value hidden inside comment sections. Matthew explains how Arwen helps brands manage toxic content, protect communities, and identify the customer questions, buying signals, and insights that often get buried in high-volume social conversations. The episode also explores where social media may be headed next, including more commerce, more AI-driven interaction, and more pressure on brands to respond in real time. Ryan and Matthew discuss the idea of X becoming a larger social, commerce, payment, and advertising platform, and why that kind of future changes how brands should think about engagement. They also cover the tension between moderation and free speech, what “lawful but awful” content means, and why brands need tools that protect their channels without removing legitimate opinion. This is a strong episode for marketers, founders, brand leaders, and operators trying to understand how AI can make social media safer, smarter, and more commercially useful. Topics Covered Arwen.ai and AI-powered social media moderation Brand safety and comment protection Why comment sections contain valuable buying signals The future of social commerce and AI engagement How brands can turn social conversations into insights The difference between toxic content and legitimate opinion Why social media is moving past billboard-style advertising Ryan Alford and Matthew McGrory on social intelligence, customer data, and the next era of digital marketing Links Right About Now https://www.ryanisright.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199 https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford Ryan Alford https://www.ryanalford.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/ Matthew McGrory / Arwen.ai https://www.arwen.ai/home https://www.arwen.ai/platform https://www.arwen.ai/news https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mmcgrory

    29 min
  3. Brand Loyalty Is Dying: Devora Rogers on Shopper Promiscuity and Modern Marketing

    Jul 3

    Brand Loyalty Is Dying: Devora Rogers on Shopper Promiscuity and Modern Marketing

    Ryan Alford talks with Devora Rogers, Chief Strategy Officer at Alter Agents, about how consumer decision-making has changed and why old marketing assumptions are not enough anymore. Devora explains “shopper promiscuity,” the growing challenge of brand loyalty, and why consumers now use more sources of information before making purchase decisions. The episode explores the tension between brand building and performance marketing, including why brands can over-focus on bottom-of-funnel tactics while ignoring awareness, trust, and meaningful differentiation. Ryan and Devora also discuss brand narcissism, attribution myths, human research, podcasts, catalogs, and why marketers need to understand the full context behind a buying decision. Devora shares lessons from her work with Google’s Zero Moment of Truth research and explains why real people still reveal insights that AI-generated or synthetic respondents cannot. This is a practical episode for marketers, founders, and business leaders who want to understand why customers switch, what still influences buying behavior, and how brands can earn attention in a fragmented market. Topics Covered What shopper promiscuity means for brands Why brand loyalty is harder to earn today Brand building vs. performance marketing Why brand tracking can miss the bigger shopper story Attribution, attention, and why marketers still cannot measure everything Why real human research still matters The surprising influence of podcasts and catalogs Google’s Zero Moment of Truth and how buying behavior evolved Ryan Alford and Devora Rogers on the future of shopper behavior and brand strategy Links Right About Now https://www.ryanisright.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199 https://open.spotify.com/show/0gy9HkTiwpAAgu1DFyIW9h Ryan Alford https://www.ryanalford.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/ Devora Rogers / Alter Agents https://alteragents.com/ https://alteragents.com/who-we-are/devora-rogers-y/ https://alteragents.substack.com/

    30 min
  4. Mrs. Meyer’s: How Reinventing a Boring Category Became a Premium Brand | Monica Nassif

    Jun 30

    Mrs. Meyer’s: How Reinventing a Boring Category Became a Premium Brand | Monica Nassif

    Ryan Alford talks with Monica Nassif, founder of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, about the founder story behind one of the most recognizable brands in household cleaning. Monica explains how her mother’s Midwestern practicality, frugality, and grit became the foundation for a brand that felt different from anything else on the shelf. The conversation moves through the early days of Caldrea, the decision to create Mrs. Meyer’s, the challenge of selling into Whole Foods one store at a time, and the failed Target test Monica chose to walk away from before the buyer kicked her out. Ryan brings the marketing and operator lens, while Monica brings the hard-earned retail wisdom of someone who built a brand by understanding the consumer, the shelf, and the category. They also talk about creativity, packaging, fragrance, social media, product development, and Monica’s book I Bottled My Mother. This episode is especially useful for founders, marketers, and CPG operators who want to understand what it really takes to build a brand that can move from niche to mainstream. Topics Covered The origin story of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day How Thelma Meyer became the soul of the brand Building Caldrea before launching Mrs. Meyer’s Selling into Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, and Amazon Why Monica pulled the brand from Target and came back stronger How fragrance made cleaning products feel giftable and premium What founders need to understand about shelf space Ryan Alford and Monica Nassif on consumer behavior, creativity, disruption, and founder perseverance Links Right About Now https://www.ryanisright.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199 https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford Ryan Alford https://www.ryanalford.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/ Monica Nassif / I Bottled My Mother https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/I-Bottled-My-Mother/Monica-Nassif/9781646872336 https://www.amazon.com/Bottled-My-Mother-Growing-Business/dp/1646872339 https://www.target.com/p/i-bottled-my-mother-by-monica-nassif-paperback/-/A-1007820287 https://www.walmart.com/ip/I-Bottled-My-Mother-Grit-Grime-amp-Growing-a-Business-the-Mrs-Meyer-apos-s-Story-Paperback-9781646872336/18837654974

    27 min
  5. From Finance to Netflix: Chris Allen on Influence, Sales, and Startups

    Jun 26

    From Finance to Netflix: Chris Allen on Influence, Sales, and Startups

    Ryan Alford sits down with Chris Allen for a conversation that starts with Netflix’s Million Dollar Secret and quickly turns into something more useful for founders, marketers, and operators. Chris shares how he went from finance to business school to startup life, why he believed consumer products now need a face as much as a formula, and how that belief pushed him toward reality TV. The episode also explores what happens after the cameras stop rolling. Ryan and Chris talk about online attention, brand leverage, content testing, influencer economics, and why sales and influence still sit at the center of almost every business outcome that matters. Chris is candid about the pressure of instant visibility, the challenge of turning attention into revenue, and the bigger question of what success actually looks like after a public breakthrough. It is a smart episode about celebrity, strategy, and using visibility as a business tool instead of just a vanity metric. Topics Covered Chris Allen’s background in finance and startups Why he saw fame as a business asset The strategy behind going on Million Dollar Secret How Netflix’s platform amplified the show globally Why online attention is easier to get than to monetize Sales, influence, and convincing people in business The difference between short-term fame and long-term leverage Ryan Alford and Chris Allen on purpose, impact, and what comes next Links Right About Now https://www.ryanisright.com/ https://www.ryanisright.com/videos/ https://www.ryanisright.com/follow/ Ryan Alford https://www.ryanalford.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/ Chris Allen https://www.instagram.com/callennd/ Million Dollar Secret https://www.netflix.com/title/81731670 https://www.netflix.com/tudum/million-dollar-secret

    25 min
  6. Founder Lessons From Scaling, Going Public, and Rebuilding | Rick Jordan

    Jun 23

    Founder Lessons From Scaling, Going Public, and Rebuilding | Rick Jordan

    Ryan Alford talks with Rick Jordan about one of the hardest founder arcs to navigate: building real momentum, scaling quickly, and then being forced to confront what happens when part of that structure fails. Rick walks through taking his company public, the acquisitions that accelerated growth, and the liabilities that later turned those wins into a painful and expensive reset. The conversation is honest about the things founders do not always say out loud. Ryan and Rick unpack the emotional side of leadership, the tendency to internalize every failure, the danger of writing checks just to buy more time, and why entrepreneurs often carry burdens no one else inside the company truly feels. They also talk about what comes next: rebuilding with stronger structure, teaching other business owners what Rick learned the hard way, and focusing on scalable systems that can survive more than just the first burst of momentum. It is a candid, useful listen for anyone trying to grow without confusing speed for stability. Topics Covered Rick Jordan’s path from private business growth to public markets How acquisitions helped scale the company quickly What happens when acquired businesses bring hidden problems The legal and structural difference between buying stock and buying assets Why founders often over-own the pain of failure The cost of trying to save a business the wrong way Rebuilding with better structure and clearer boundaries Ryan Alford and Rick Jordan on scaling, scars, and second chances Links Right About Now https://www.ryanisright.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199 https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford Ryan Alford https://www.ryanalford.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/ Rick Jordan https://www.mrrickjordan.com/ https://www.instagram.com/mrrickjordan/ https://www.youtube.com/@mrrickjordan ReachOut Technology https://www.reachoutit.com/ Frequency Holdings https://www.frequencyholdings.com/

    33 min
  7. How a Viral Congressional Trading Tracker Became a $1B+ Fintech Business | Autopilot

    Jun 19

    How a Viral Congressional Trading Tracker Became a $1B+ Fintech Business | Autopilot

    Ryan Alford talks with Chris Josephs, co-founder of Autopilot, about how political stock-trade tracking became one of the most talked-about ideas in finance media and how that momentum evolved into a real investing business. Chris explains the origin of the Pelosi Tracker, why the topic hit such a nerve with both parties, and how Autopilot now gives users a way to follow portfolios from politicians, hedge funds, AI-driven strategies, and vetted independent investors. The conversation also digs into product design, marketplace thinking, and what Chris believes is broken in traditional investing. Ryan and Chris explore the black-box problem with advisors and retirement accounts, why transparency matters more than ever, and how accountability can become a real competitive edge in a world increasingly flooded by AI-generated noise. They close by talking about virality, founder strategy, and the difference between chasing attention and using attention to build durable trust. It is a useful episode for entrepreneurs, investors, and operators who want to understand how a sharp media insight can turn into a differentiated product with real staying power. Topics Covered The origin story behind the Pelosi Tracker Why political stock trading became such a viral topic How Autopilot works inside existing brokerage accounts The marketplace model for following investors Why transparency and verification matter in modern finance Chris Josephs’ view on AI, emotion, and stock research Why virality is overrated without product-market fit Ryan Alford and Chris Josephs on trust, investing, and founder execution Links Right About Now https://www.ryanisright.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199 https://open.spotify.com/show/0gy9HkTiwpAAgu1DFyIW9h https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford Ryan Alford https://www.ryanalford.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/ Chris Josephs / Autopilot https://www.joinautopilot.com/ https://www.instagram.com/chrisjjosephs/ https://x.com/pelositracker https://pelositracker.app/

    33 min
  8. How AI Is Changing Retail, Style, and the Future of Shopping | Anya Cheng

    Jun 16

    How AI Is Changing Retail, Style, and the Future of Shopping | Anya Cheng

    Ryan Alford sits down with Anya Cheng, founder and CEO of Taelor, for a conversation about AI, commerce, branding, and why data is becoming the defining advantage in the next generation of startups. Anya shares how she identified a real customer problem inside fashion and style, why most men do not actually want to shop, and how Taelor was built to remove friction through a mix of AI, logistics, and human styling support. Ryan and Anya also dig into the balance between brand and performance marketing, the changing role of SEO in a ChatGPT world, and why founders should be thinking less about building models and more about owning differentiated data. The episode becomes a bigger discussion about business moats, customer behavior, and how the most valuable AI companies may come from industries that do not look flashy at first glance. They close with a sharp look at live shopping, social commerce, and where Anya believes U.S. consumer behavior is headed next. It is a useful listen for entrepreneurs trying to separate what is durable in AI from what is just noise. Topics Covered How Anya Cheng went from major tech companies to founding Taelor Why solving the right problem is more important than building the right feature The role of AI and human stylists in modern commerce Why unique data is more valuable than generic model access Branding, performance marketing, and the purchase funnel ChatGPT SEO and the rise of answer-based discovery Live shopping and why U.S. commerce behavior still lags Asia Ryan Alford and Anya Cheng on defensible AI business strategy Links Right About Now https://www.ryanisright.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/right-about-now-legendary-business-advice/id1346054199 https://www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford Ryan Alford https://www.ryanalford.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ryanalford/ Anya Cheng / Taelor https://taelor.style/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/anyacheng/

    25 min
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About

The #1 Marketing & Business Show on Apple Podcasts Welcome to Right About Now, where real American business gets a megaphone—and the B.S. gets the boot. Hosted by marketing disrupter Ryan Alford, entrepreneur, founder, and the guy brands call when they want attention, this show slices through the noise with uncensored insights, hard-earned wisdom, and straight-up truths from the frontlines of business. Every week, you’ll get two punchy Guest episodes where Ryan talks with legendary business founders, trending authors, and industry titans about what it takes to build a business and some of the most cutting edge tools and services available.  Forget the LinkedIn fluff. This is for doers, builders, and dreamers who want results, not recycled soundbites. Business the way it really works. Real people. Real wins. Real screw-ups. No MBA required. Just guts, hustle, and a sense of humor. Subscribe, listen, and get Right About Now. Because business isn’t broken—it’s just been boring & stale. Until now.

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