Owning Is Greater Than Earning with Mike Nathan

Mike Nathan
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Navy veteran and serial entrepreneur Mike Nathan launches Owning > Earning podcast with the origin story behind his "Army of One" philosophy why waiting to build something of your own has never been riskier, and why one person with the right offer, an AI stack, and a voice can now build what used to take a team of 100.

Episodes

  1. Oct 20

    Critical Thinking Beats Knowledge in the Age of AI: A Professor’s Warning to Students

    George Dierberger spent 25 years climbing the ladder inside one of the world’s most innovative companies, launching new products and starting multiple businesses, before leaving to teach others how to build. In this conversation he explains why large organizations reward politics and risk avoidance over real innovation, why every founder needs a champion two levels up, and what it felt like to watch a business he built get sold out from under him. He and Mike Nathan dig into whether entrepreneurship can actually be taught, why experiential learning beats the classroom, and what really motivates people to start something. They then tackle one of the biggest questions in education right now: how to teach in the age of AI, from rampant cheating to the disappearance of entry-level jobs, and why critical thinking, creativity, and the willingness to pivot matter more than knowing the facts. George closes with his two simple rules for business and for life, and his advice to get a little corporate experience, then go build something of your own. Check out the Impero Ventures website to learn more: https://imperoventures.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ImperoVentures Follow Mike Nathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike.nathan/ PRODUCED BY IRONCLAD Chapters: 0:00 - Cold Open & Intro 2:46 - From Baseball Diamond to Corporate Ladder 7:15 - Why He Walked Away After 25 Years 11:13 - Corporate Entrepreneurship vs. the Real Thing 18:48 - Can You Actually Teach Entrepreneurship? 29:21 - Learning by Doing: Real Projects, Real Ventures 36:39 - Teaching in the Age of AI 47:09 - Jobs, Hope & Two Rules for Builders

  2. Oct 6

    From General Mills to Caribou Coffee's CMO - Erin Newkirk’s Wild Journey

    In this episode of Owning > Earning, host Mike Nathan sits down with Erin Newkirk, who has done what most people never do: built and sold her own company (Red Stamp) and later stepped into the C-suite of a major national brand (Caribou Coffee, as CMO). Erin traces her path from a creative household and a General Mills marketing career to the moment she chose to build something of her own — describing modern careers not as a ladder but as a "lattice" that grows in whatever direction serves your strengths and the people you want to serve. The conversation digs into the unglamorous realities entrepreneurs rarely say out loud: most business sales don't pay off the way people assume, the emotional toll of running a startup, and why fear of failure — not lack of ambition — is what keeps most people from ever starting. It closes on her advice for the next generation: stay relentlessly curious, don't be afraid to be bold, and remember you only have to succeed more times than you fail.Check out Erin's website at: https://www.erinnewkirk.com/Check out the Impero Ventures website to learn more: https://imperoventures.com/Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ImperoVenturesFollow Mike Nathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike.nathan/PRODUCED BY IRONCLADChapters:00:00 – Cold Open & Intro01:57 – Ladder vs. Lattice: Redefining Career Success04:55 – Growing Up in a Creative Household07:14 – Paris, Business School & Landing at General Mills12:13 – The Moment She Left to Start Her Own Company18:46 – The Truth About Selling a Business26:21 – Marketing as "A System of Meaning"40:50 – The Caribou Coffee Chapter48:44 – Advice for the Next Generation51:19 – The Future of AI

  3. Sep 29

    Filmmaking Is Just Bootstrapped Entrepreneurship (with Sam Jonas)

    In this episode of Owning > Earning, host Mike Nathan sits down with independent filmmaker Sam Jonas to explore filmmaking as its own form of entrepreneurship. Sam traces his path from Northwestern film school to writing, funding, and producing his first two features — Rabbit Hole (shot for $23,000) and Under Body Rock (shot for roughly $100,000 in Minnesota) — breaking down how budget constraints shape everything from script to production. The conversation digs into the unglamorous reality behind creative careers: the grind of raising money, wearing every hat on set, and functioning as your own boss with no one to tell you if you're on the right track. It closes on the tradeoffs of that independence: the isolation of self-direction weighed against what Sam calls the best part of the job, the freedom to build life entirely on his own terms.Check out the Impero Ventures website to learn more: https://imperoventures.com/Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ImperoVenturesFollow Mike Nathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike.nathan/PRODUCED BY IRONCLADChapters:00:00 – Cold Open01:36 – Sam's Path to Northwestern Film School22:32 – Making Rabbit Hole for $23,00030:11 – Where the Story Idea Came From37:57 – Mike's Investment Story & Reading the Script45:01 – Post-Production: Picture Locked & VFX50:03 – How Independent Filmmakers Actually Make Money Back55:30 – Why Mike Backs Builders, Not Just Projects1:07:46 – The Best Part of Being a Founder1:10:03 – Where to Find Sam's Work

  4. Sep 22

    Building Talent in Wartime — Mike Sarraille on Hiring, AI, and Adaptability

    In this episode, Mike Sarraille shares his journey from Marine Recon to Navy SEAL to entrepreneur, unpacking how attribute-based hiring can outperform traditional resume screening and why relentless drive matters more than a polished interview. The conversation turns to AI, with Sarraille making the case that AI won't eliminate jobs so much as separate those who adapt from those who don't, drawing a sharp parallel to how drone warfare has upended traditional military doctrine on the battlefield in Ukraine. The discussion closes with a deep dive into the controversy surrounding AI data center development, why national security may hinge on winning the infrastructure race against geopolitical rivals, and why public skepticism toward these projects deserves a harder look. Throughout, Sarraille weaves together lessons on leadership, talent, and adaptability drawn from decades of high-stakes experience. Visit Mike Sarraille’s website: https://mikesarraille.com/ Check out the Impero Ventures website to learn more: https://imperoventures.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ImperoVentures Follow Mike Nathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike.nathan/ PRODUCED BY IRONCLAD Chapters: 00:00:00 — Cold Open: AI Won't Replace You, People Will 00:01:15 — Meet Mike Cirelli 00:02:04 — From Recon Marine to Tier-One SEAL 00:07:54 — Mission vs. Money After the Teams 00:11:37 — The Talent War Hiring Framework 00:18:22 — The Ultimate Hiring Litmus Test 00:21:38 — AI, Talent, and the New Economics of War 00:37:33 — The Fight Over AI Data Centers

  5. Sep 15

    From $17M Series A to Starting Over: Jon Pearce's Entrepreneurial Reckoning

    Mike Nathan sits down with Jon Pearce - a healthcare tech founder who was pitching virtual care back in 2009 — years before COVID finally forced the market to catch up. He walks through his winding path from a Midwest childhood and a Russian-language degree to co-founding a telehealth startup, closing a $17 million Series A, watching his lead investor collapse mid-raise, and eventually riding a later healthcare venture through its IPO and subsequent implosion. He's candid about the toll that ride took on his identity and mental health, and how stepping away forced him to separate who he is from what his company was doing. Visit the Masterlete website: https://www.masterlete.com/ Check out the Impero Ventures website to learn more: https://imperoventures.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ImperoVentures Follow Mike Nathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike.nathan/ PRODUCED BY IRONCLAD

  6. Sep 8

    The Golden Loop: The Framework Behind Every Successful Founder (w/ Mike Nathan)

    Navy veteran and serial entrepreneur Mike Nathan launches Owning > Earning podcast with the origin story behind his "Army of One" philosophy why waiting to build something of your own has never been riskier, and why one person with the right offer, an AI stack, and a voice can now build what used to take a team of 100. Check out the Impero Ventures website to learn more: https://imperoventures.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ImperoVentures Follow Mike Nathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike.nathan/ PRODUCED BY IRONCLAD Chapters: 00:00:00 Podcast Introduction 00:02:12 Why Ownership Wins 00:06:12 Know Your Why & Golden Loop 00:08:36 Attention Equals Influence 00:11:19 Army of One

  7. Aug 28

    Owning > Earning Trailer

    Navy veteran and serial entrepreneur Mike Nathan launches Owning > Earning podcast with the origin story behind his "Army of One" philosophy why waiting to build something of your own has never been riskier, and why one person with the right offer, an AI stack, and a voice can now build what used to take a team of 100. Check out the Impero Ventures website to learn more: https://imperoventures.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ImperoVentures Follow Mike Nathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike.nathan/ PRODUCED BY IRONCLAD

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Navy veteran and serial entrepreneur Mike Nathan launches Owning > Earning podcast with the origin story behind his "Army of One" philosophy why waiting to build something of your own has never been riskier, and why one person with the right offer, an AI stack, and a voice can now build what used to take a team of 100.

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