133 episodes

We all want to grow our career or business, but yet we feel stuck, stagnant, and unable to push through the glass ceiling.

Welcome to Let Me Speak To A Manager with Frank Cava and Ian Mathews, a podcast that is dedicated to teaching what it takes to build wealth and have fun doing it! Frank and Ian share entertaining business triumphs and failures that are both relatable and actionable.

At times eloquent and succinct, and at other points blunt and obnoxious, this is their unique riff on the big questions they had early in their careers. Learn golden nuggets as they talk about standing out in a company, leading people, building cultures, persuasion, marketing, management, and building businesses from scratch. Light on theory and heavy on practical experience, they weave personal, and often humorous, stories from their collective 50 years of business experience.

Frank Cava is an executive coach and the CEO of one of Richmond’s fastest-growing companies. Over his 25-year career, he has built and renovated more homes than tickets sold in an entire season by his Miami Dolphins. During his run from a Fortune 500 to founding Cava Companies, Frank led dozens of teams and built a reputation as a no-nonsense business consultant for small business owners and CEOs.

Ian Mathews is the CEO of 5on4 Group, a management training company, and consultancy. He is also the CRO of the technology startup Keep Technologies, a featured writer for Forbes, and a prolific capital raiser. In 2018, Ian retired from corporate America after serving two decades as a senior executive for two Fortune 500 companies, while moonlighting as an advisor for a tech startup with a $28-million exit. Ian’s daily newsletter is followed by more fans than you will find at home games of his beloved Detroit Lions.

Together, Frank and Ian will help you build a better success mindset, tackling topics from how to get a job, how to ask for a raise, landing a promotion, deciding when to leave your company, starting a business, leading people, becoming a better first-time manager, overcoming doubt and procrastination, and many more.

Whether you’re trying to climb up the career ladder, raise money for a corporation, or starting your own business, Frank and Ian’s unique, valuable, and relevant voice will help you achieve all of your goals. Join Let Me Speak To A Manager and get an inside track of how to position yourself so you can be attractive on the market.

Let Me Speak To A Manager Ian Mathews and Frank Cava

    • Business
    • 4.9 • 158 Ratings

We all want to grow our career or business, but yet we feel stuck, stagnant, and unable to push through the glass ceiling.

Welcome to Let Me Speak To A Manager with Frank Cava and Ian Mathews, a podcast that is dedicated to teaching what it takes to build wealth and have fun doing it! Frank and Ian share entertaining business triumphs and failures that are both relatable and actionable.

At times eloquent and succinct, and at other points blunt and obnoxious, this is their unique riff on the big questions they had early in their careers. Learn golden nuggets as they talk about standing out in a company, leading people, building cultures, persuasion, marketing, management, and building businesses from scratch. Light on theory and heavy on practical experience, they weave personal, and often humorous, stories from their collective 50 years of business experience.

Frank Cava is an executive coach and the CEO of one of Richmond’s fastest-growing companies. Over his 25-year career, he has built and renovated more homes than tickets sold in an entire season by his Miami Dolphins. During his run from a Fortune 500 to founding Cava Companies, Frank led dozens of teams and built a reputation as a no-nonsense business consultant for small business owners and CEOs.

Ian Mathews is the CEO of 5on4 Group, a management training company, and consultancy. He is also the CRO of the technology startup Keep Technologies, a featured writer for Forbes, and a prolific capital raiser. In 2018, Ian retired from corporate America after serving two decades as a senior executive for two Fortune 500 companies, while moonlighting as an advisor for a tech startup with a $28-million exit. Ian’s daily newsletter is followed by more fans than you will find at home games of his beloved Detroit Lions.

Together, Frank and Ian will help you build a better success mindset, tackling topics from how to get a job, how to ask for a raise, landing a promotion, deciding when to leave your company, starting a business, leading people, becoming a better first-time manager, overcoming doubt and procrastination, and many more.

Whether you’re trying to climb up the career ladder, raise money for a corporation, or starting your own business, Frank and Ian’s unique, valuable, and relevant voice will help you achieve all of your goals. Join Let Me Speak To A Manager and get an inside track of how to position yourself so you can be attractive on the market.

    How to raise $2.5M in private capital

    How to raise $2.5M in private capital

    In this conversation, Ian and Frank discuss their experiences raising capital for their businesses and investing in different markets. They explore factors influencing a small business owner's decision to seek capital, such as market conditions and personal financial goals. They also delve into the advantages of investing in Richmond, Virginia, including lower costs compared to other markets and the ability to leverage their knowledge and contacts. The conversation highlights two investment structures they have used: a portfolio of single-family homes and the renovation of commercial buildings. Overall, they emphasize the importance of understanding the market and building a solid team when seeking capital and investing in real estate. Frank and Ian discuss their previous real estate deals and their current investment opportunity. They highlight each deal's different structures and returns, emphasizing the importance of having multiple exit strategies and considering market conditions. They also discuss the benefits of private funding over traditional bank loans and the security of investing in real estate-backed bonds. 

    01:38 The Market in 2024: Hunting for Capital
    06:05 Richmond's Market and Potential
    08:38 Richmond's Metropolitan Statistical Area
    10:31 Considering Other Markets: Fort Lauderdale, California, and DC
    13:03 Entering the Richmond Market
    14:00 Why Continue Investing in Richmond?
    15:42 Challenges of Entering a New Market
    20:04 Different Investment Structures: Single-Family Homes and Commercial Buildings
    22:56 Structuring the Investments: Portfolio of Single-Family Homes
    23:26 Structuring the Investments: Renovation of Commercial Buildings
    23:52 Different Deal Structures
    30:48 Investing in Identical Assets
    35:25 Real Estate-Backed Bonds for Cash Flow
    41:08 Private Funding vs. Traditional Bank Loans
    44:28 Diversifying Investment Portfolios
    45:16 Market Conditions and Team Strength

    • 46 min
    Why is it so hard to start again after taking a break?

    Why is it so hard to start again after taking a break?

    Frank and Ian discuss the challenges of restarting after taking a break in this conversation. They share personal experiences and insights on overcoming inertia and embracing discomfort when starting something new. They emphasize the importance of commitment, setting goals, finding leverage, and seeking support to hold oneself accountable. They also highlight the benefits of taking breaks to recharge and gain fresh perspectives. They encourage listeners to take control of their decisions and make intentional choices when restarting or pursuing new endeavors.

    Takeaways:

    Restarting after a break can be challenging, but it is possible with the right mindset and strategies.
    Embrace discomfort and lean into the change process to overcome inertia and create new habits.
    Set specific goals, find leverage, and seek support to hold yourself accountable. Taking breaks can provide opportunities for recharging, gaining fresh perspectives, and avoiding burnout.

    00:00 Introduction and Catching Up
    02:15 Taking a Break from Podcasting
    05:30 The Challenges of Restarting
    09:01 The Importance of Commitment and Change
    11:08 Embracing Discomfort and Overcoming Inertia
    20:32 Setting Goals and Finding Leverage
    26:33 The Benefits of Taking Breaks
    30:06 Accountability and Recharging
    35:37 Seeking Support and Holding Yourself Accountable

    • 38 min
    How to shortcut a turnaround like Coach Deion Sanders

    How to shortcut a turnaround like Coach Deion Sanders

    Coach "Prime" is disrupting the landscape of college football recruiting. Assuming a roster that won only one game in 2022, Deion Sanders is wasting no time upgrading the roster but at what cost? In this episode, we talk about the pros and cons of building a team versus buying one (along with the short and long-term repercussions).

    • 41 min
    Inside our epic boys trip to Omaha to see Warren Buffett at the 2023 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting

    Inside our epic boys trip to Omaha to see Warren Buffett at the 2023 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting

    Screw Vegas; real men take boys trips to Omaha! Thinking of going to see Warren and Charlie next year at the biggest investor event of the year? Frank and Ian give you an inside look at what you can expect from travel, accommodations, restaurants, tickets, finding a seat, and of course, where to find a decent casino.

    • 1 hr 34 min
    Should participation trophies be banned?

    Should participation trophies be banned?

    North Carolina has introduced a bill to eliminate participation trophies. We debate the merits of continuous versus intermittent feedback and how demonizing encouragement for beginners might not be the best answer. When is it appropriate to cheer participation, and when is it hurtful? We look at the parallels of youth sports with managing a corporate team.

    • 52 min
    Are You Too “Busy” To Be Productive?

    Are You Too “Busy” To Be Productive?

    Too many people major in minor things. Anyone who responds with “busy” every time you ask them how they’re doing is likely not a productive asset to their company. Why are people busy? It’s typically an inability to prioritize, a refusal to delegate, and an unwillingness to tackle the hardest tasks. So they fill their day moving paper around and responding to emails while the wealthy focus on a few big things and ruthlessly cut everything out of their schedule.

    In this episode, we dive into the psychological barriers involved with “busy” people and talk about how you can switch your focus.

    • 1 hr 3 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
158 Ratings

158 Ratings

Curleyreddd221 ,

New Episodes in 2023?

Hello all-very informative. I miss their content. Does anyone know when the podcast will come back?

Rudy and US ,

Follow this podcast, you won’t be disappointed

Highly engaging and motivational. At times I find myself rewinding so I can takes notes on what’s being said and other times I laugh out loud. I have already shared multiple episodes with co-workers and friends. I encourage you to l follow this podcast, you won’t be disappointed!

45gubdkjnget ,

I’m Hooked!!!

I finally gave this podcast a listen, and I’m completely hooked. After binging 15 or so episodes last weekend it’s actually become a bit of a problem around the house… my dogs want attention, my fiancé is suspicious, and my Mom is wondering why I won’t answer her calls. I almost took a break around episode 10, but then Ian dropped an Eric Church lyric at the end and it was like a sign from God to keep going.

Ian/Frank - you have a new biggest fan! Keep up the great content!

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