Marked

Vin Infante
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Business
  • Updated Weekly

The Marked Podcast, hosted by Vin Infante, features entrepreneurs, founders, investors, and influential leaders sharing the stories behind their growth, challenges, and impact. Each week, Vin explores the marks their journeys have left on them and the legacy they hope to leave behind. Episodes offer real lessons, self-development tips, and leadership insights for builders in business and life. Vin is a mental performance coach, licensed psychotherapist, former FDNY firefighter, and has supported founders from pre-seed startups to billion-dollar companies. Learn more: [www.vincentinfante.life](

  1. Jul 8

    60% of Founders Who Hit Big Exits End Up Depressed. Here's the Psychology Behind It.

    Tom is a clinical hypnotherapist with 25 years in psychology, specializing in self-sabotage, imposter syndrome and crippling self-doubt. His own life flipped in a single moment at a rave in Goa. He's walking evidence that change happens in an instant.60% of founders are depressed within six months of a seven- eight- or nine-figure exit. Tom Fortis Mayor has spent 25 years figuring out why: a part of you doesn't want to feel good, and it's been running the show since childhood.In this episode:- The one-question test that reveals whether you self-sabotage (it involves compliments)- Why self-sabotage is not a self-esteem issue, and why that difference changes the entire fix- The step traditional therapy skips, and the exact order real change has to happen in- The 17-hour dance that ended with a holy man, a cup of tea, and a completely different life- Why the 5 AM ice-bath routine might be a symptom, not a solutionChapters0:00 The part of you that wants to fail1:02 Welcome to MARKED1:43 25 years, one obsession4:19 Lost at 278:48 The holy man at sunrise10:59 "I was there to pay for his tea"14:34 Therapists never study contentment20:48 Why we really self-sabotage23:44 The compliment test26:10 Perfect parents, marked kids30:38 The millionaire's hidden habit31:53 Why founders crash after the exit33:20 The step therapy skips44:24 Is therapy doing more harm?49:44 The two marksTom's book: Don't F*ck Up Your Life https://thefreedom.co/bookTom's site: https://thefreedom.co/Vin Infante is a mental performance coach for entrepreneurs and founders. 16 years in mental health. Licensed psychotherapist. Former FDNY firefighter.https://www.vincentinfante.lifeNew episodes weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one.#MarkedPodcast #VinInfante #Entrepreneurship #FounderStories #MentalPerformance #Mindset #BusinessPodcast #SelfSabotage #Hypnotherapy

    60% of Founders Who Hit Big Exits End Up Depressed. Here's the Psychology Behind It.

  2. Jun 25

    BANK LOAN Denied? Here’s How to Get FUNDING Instead | Ep 150

    Meet William Stern — a founder who sold a townhome at 22, took the proceeds, and built Cardiff into America's largest privately held small business lender — co-owned and operated by four childhood friends for 22 years. Cardiff has deployed over $12 billion in capital to Main Street businesses across the country, was voted America's favorite small business lender two years in a row, and is now using AI to give any small business owner instant access to funding that banks have always denied them. Four childhood friends. 22 years. $12 billion deployed. And they're just getting started. He breaks down: 1. Why four co-founders with egos can actually work — if you get this one thing right 2. Why he would never take money or advice from someone he wouldn't put on his board 3. How Cardiff is using AI to democratize small business lending before banks even wake up 4. Why time is the only currency that matters — and how success finally taught him that 5.The real reason most businesses rot from the inside — and the book that changed everything Follow Will: 🌐 cardiff.co 🌐 williamstern.me 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/williamstern Timecodes: 00:00 Intro 01:00 Cardiff — America's Favorite Small Business Lender 02:45 Four Childhood Friends, One Company, 22 Years 05:00 The Entourage Model of Business 07:00 How to Eliminate Ego in a Partnership 10:00 Why Cardiff Hired a Business Coach — and What Changed 14:00 The Trillion Dollar Coach Story — Apple vs Google 18:00 Cardiff's Mission — Democratizing Capital for Main Street 21:00 Why Will Never Takes Money From People He Wouldn't Put on His Board 24:00 $2.5 Billion Last Year — Where Cardiff Is Headed 26:00 Why AI Is Changing Business Lending Before Banks React 29:00 The Don Quixote Lesson Every Entrepreneur Needs to Hear 32:00 Leadership & Self-Deception — The Book That Changed His Business 36:00 From Chasing Materialism to Buying Back Time 40:00 Why Time Is the Most Valuable Currency You Have 44:00 The Stakeholder Philosophy That Powers Cardiff 48:00 What Being 1% Means to Will 52:00 How to Get Funded Through Cardiff 01:04:00 How to Connect With Will STAY CONNECTED: https://www.instagram.com/the1percent_podcast/ https://www.facebook.com/the1percentpodcast/ http://tiktok.com/@the1percent_podcastPodcast WANT TO CONNECT TO OUR HOST? Vin: Email: Vincentinfante.life Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vin.infante/ Shane: Email: Shane@thevagroup.com LISTEN ON OTHER SITES Spotify: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C Apple Podcast: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C

    BANK LOAN Denied? Here’s How to Get FUNDING Instead | Ep 150

  3. Jun 15

    She Was a Cowboys Cheerleader Finalist. Then She Lost Everything Overnight. | Episode 149

    Meet Amanda Soukoulis — a former CPA and private equity professional turned functional medicine and nutrition practitioner, who went from being a Penn State dancer and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader finalist at peak performance, to a sudden and unexplained health crash that left her with brain fog, fatigue, and answers that Western medicine couldn't provide. She rebuilt herself from the inside out, became certified under some of the top doctors and dietitians in functional medicine, and now runs Souk Systems — a practice dedicated to helping high performers uncover the root cause of what's holding their body back and unleashing their highest potential.Doctors told her she was fine. She wasn't. She became the CEO of her own health — and now she helps others do the same.She breaks down:1. Why your symptoms are signals — not the actual problem — and what to do about it2. How she went from 8-hour productive days to less than 2 hours after a mystery health crash3. Why peptides won't work until your body is actually ready to receive them4. The 4 types of stress silently destroying your performance without you knowingWhy the first step to healing isn't a supplement — it's becoming the CEO of your healthFollow Amanda:📸 Instagram: @amandasouks → https://www.instagram.com/amandasouks/🌐 souksystems.comTimecodes:00:00 Intro01:30 What Is Functional Medicine?03:30 Why Western Medicine Gets It Wrong05:30 Root Cause vs. Treating Symptoms09:00 Peptides — The Truth Nobody Tells You11:30 Amanda's Personal Health Crash Story14:00 Dallas Cowboys Finalist to Bedridden — Overnight17:00 Doctors Dismissed Her. She Dug Deeper.19:00 How She Found the Root Cause & Healed21:00 Who Functional Medicine Actually Works For23:00 The Client Who Lost 10lbs on Day 7726:00 Parasites, Mold & Hashimoto's — The Real Story29:00 The 4 Types of Stress Killing Your Performance31:00 How Long Does Healing Actually Take?33:00 Become the CEO of Your Own HealthSTAY CONNECTED:https://www.instagram.com/the1percent_podcast/https://www.facebook.com/the1percentpodcast/http://tiktok.com/@the1percent_podcastPodcastWANT TO CONNECT TO OUR HOST?Vin:Email: Vincentinfante.lifeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/vin.infante/Shane:Email: Shane@thevagroup.comLISTEN ON OTHER SITESSpotify: https://bit.ly/3HtT10CApple Podcast: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C

    She Was a Cowboys Cheerleader Finalist. Then She Lost Everything Overnight. | Episode 149

  4. May 27

    She Moved From Germany To The US At 19 To Build A Business | Ep 148

    Meet Julia Kappler — a fourth-generation entrepreneur from Germany who moved to the United States at 19 with no job, no network, and one mission: to expand her family's 70-year-old medical design legacy into the US market. She is now the founder and leader of Kappler North America — a global architecture and interior design firm that transforms medical and dental practices from the ground up — and the co-founder of Anti-Fashion Week, a movement challenging overconsumption in the design industry. She moved to a new country at 19, never had a 9-to-5, and built a global company from scratch. The space you walk into is changing your brain — and she knows exactly how. She breaks down: 1. Why the design of your space is directly affecting your revenue and patient retention 2. How to scale a business across multiple countries without losing your mind or your culture 3. The difference between delegating and letting go — and why most entrepreneurs get it wrong 4. Why a 12,000 sq ft dental park in Dallas is about to change healthcare design forever 5. What four generations of entrepreneurship taught her about building something that lasts Follow Julia: 📸 Instagram: @juliakappler → https://www.instagram.com/juliakappler/ 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julia-kappler-1b21ab141 🌐 juliavkappler.com 🏢 Kappler Group: kapplergroup.com Timecodes: 00:00 Intro 01:55 Fourth Generation — Julia's Origin Story 03:50 Why Medical Design? The Niche That Changed Everything 05:55 Inside the 12,000 Sq Ft Dental Park in Dallas 09:00 Why Your Space Is Your Best Marketing Tool 11:00 Design Is Not Just Pretty — It Has to Work 13:00 How Your Senses Shape Every Patient Experience 15:00 Why AI Can't Replace What She Does 17:00 Daring to Challenge the Status Quo 19:00 Co-Founding Anti-Fashion Week 21:30 Running a Global Company Across 5 Locations 22:30 The Difference Between Delegating and Letting Go 25:00 The Military Approach to Building Teams 27:00 What's Her Why — The Real Reason She Builds 29:00 Moving to the US at 19 With No Friends, No Job 32:00 Never Having a 9-to-5 — The Mindset Behind It 35:00 Teaching Your Kids Entrepreneurship Early 38:00 The Family Legacy That Fuels Her Drive 40:00 What Being 1% Means to Julia 41:30 How to Connect With Julia & Kappler Group STAY CONNECTED: https://www.instagram.com/the1percent_podcast/ https://www.facebook.com/the1percentpodcast/ http://tiktok.com/@the1percent_podcastPodcast WANT TO CONNECT TO OUR HOST? Vin: Email: Vincentinfante.life Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vin.infante/ Shane: Email: Shane@thevagroup.com LISTEN ON OTHER SITES Spotify: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C Apple Podcast: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C

    She Moved From Germany To The US At 19 To Build A Business | Ep 148

  5. May 8

    He Had $600, a Baby on the Way, and Bet It All on a Stranger. Here's What Happened | EP 147

    Meet Joe Zapiain — a self-taught automation expert who went from living in his car working as a McLaren technician in Miami, to getting laid off two weeks before his daughter was born, to building SmartClick Systems — an AI automation and Clickup implementation company that has generated tens of millions of dollars in new revenue for clients across industries. He held over 32 jobs across 9 states, became an official Clickup partner through a cold DM and a $200 bet on himself, and now builds custom automation systems and full-stack applications for businesses ready to scale. He got laid off with $600 in his account and a baby on the way. He bet $200 on a stranger. It changed everything. He breaks down: 1. Why 99% of AI automation courses online are just Shopify dropshipping in disguise 2. The difference between agentic AI and programmatic logic — and when to use each 3. Why businesses running $10M on Google Sheets are more common than you think 4. How he went from $400/month to $20-30K/month by doing free work first Why the future of business isn't AI vs. humans — it's a customer service renaissance Follow Joe: 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joezapiain 📅 Book a call: smartclick.systems/bookjoe 🌐 smartclick.systems 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@smartclicksystems/videos Timecodes: 00:00 Intro 01:41 32 Jobs, 9 States — Joe's Origin Story 06:00 Living in His Car Working at McLaren 08:00 Laid Off Two Weeks Before His Daughter Was Born 09:00 The $200 Bet That Changed His Life 11:00 How a Cold DM Led to the Clickup Partnership 13:00 From $400/Month to $20-30K/Month 16:00 What Smart Click Actually Does 19:00 Why Businesses Are Still Running on Google Sheets in 2025 21:00 The Truth About AI Automation Courses Online 24:00 Agentic AI vs. Programmatic Logic — Know the Difference 26:00 Why Joe Only Hires 100% US-Based Engineers 28:00 The Customer Service Renaissance Is Coming 30:00 McDonald's vs. Chick-fil-A — The AI Parable 32:00 Will Robots Replace Workers? The Political Reality 37:00 The Automation Wizard YouTube Channel 40:00 Stop Using AI for Things Logic Can Handle 44:00 What Being 1% Means to Joe 46:00 The Best Advice Joe Ever Received 48:00 How ChatGPT Recommended Joe to a Client — The New SEO STAY CONNECTED: https://www.instagram.com/the1percent_podcast/ https://www.facebook.com/the1percentpodcast/ http://tiktok.com/@the1percent_podcastPodcast WANT TO CONNECT TO OUR HOST? Vin: Email: Vincentinfante.life Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vin.infante/ Shane: Email: Shane@thevagroup.com LISTEN ON OTHER SITES Spotify: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C Apple Podcast: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C

    He Had $600, a Baby on the Way, and Bet It All on a Stranger. Here's What Happened | EP 147

  6. Apr 23

    He Built a Premium Bag Brand With Zero Investors — Athletes Carry It for Free | Ep 146

    Meet Ryan Lane — a New York City-based entrepreneur who spent 8 years in corporate real estate before quitting his job to go all-in on FTL Bags, a bootstrapped premium bag brand he co-founded with his childhood best friend Zander. Built from scratch with zero outside funding, FTL has grown into one of the most exciting up-and-coming bag brands in the market — carried organically by professional athletes, and now available on Amazon. He quit his corporate job, kept 50/50 ownership, took on 145% tariffs, and never compromised on quality once. That's what building for the love looks like. He breaks down: How two friends solved a real problem and built a premium brand with zero investorsWhy organic athlete endorsements beat paid influencer deals every timeHow FTL survived Covid, supply chain chaos, and the tariff crisis without lowering qualityWhy bootstrapping forces better decisions — and builds a more authentic brand storyThe one rule that will never change no matter what: quality is non-negotiable Follow Ryan: 📸 Instagram: @ftlbags 🌐 ftlbags.com 🛒 Also available on Amazon Timecodes: 00:00 Intro 01:13 Meet Ryan — From Real Estate to Bag Brand 03:50 What Makes the FTL Bag Different 06:30 Shoe Compartment, Garment Bag & Packing Cube Walkthrough 12:30 95% Male Demographic & How They Market 14:00 Why Athletes Carry FTL for Free — Zero Paid Endorsements 17:00 Meta, Google & Bootstrapped Marketing Strategy 19:00 Expanding the Product Line — FTL Light, Max & What's Next 21:00 Working ON the Business vs. Working IN It 23:00 How FTL Is Structured — Freelancers Over W2s 25:00 How to Source a Product From Scratch — The Playbook 28:00 Two Steps Forward One Step Back — The Manufacturing Reality 29:00 Tariffs, Sleepless Nights & Supply Chain Survival 34:00 Quality Is the Non-Negotiable — Never Compromise the Brand 36:00 The Zipper Story — What One Bad Batch Taught Them 39:00 Never Lower Quality to Save Margin 41:00 What the 1% Life Means to Ryan 42:00 The Best Advice Ryan Ever Received 45:00 How to Connect With Ryan & Shop FTL Bags STAY CONNECTED: https://www.instagram.com/the1percent_podcast/ https://www.facebook.com/the1percentpodcast/ http://tiktok.com/@the1percent_podcastPodcast WANT TO CONNECT TO OUR HOST? Vin: Email: Vincentinfante.life Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vin.infante/ Shane: Email: Shane@thevagroup.com LISTEN ON OTHER SITES Spotify: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C Apple Podcast: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C

    He Built a Premium Bag Brand With Zero Investors — Athletes Carry It for Free | Ep 146

  7. Apr 10

    He's Been Building the Same Business for 17 Years — Here's Why That's Genius | EP 145

    Meet Austin Boyd — a Las Vegas-based entrepreneur who started making and selling custom t-shirts in 10th grade and, 17 years later, has built a 40-person live print shop operation serving Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, and major brands across the nation. He also recently launched a laser med spa and hosts a recurring in-person networking event called Grow & Connect. Stop waiting for perfect. The best businesses are built by people who push the car down the hill and figure out the engine on the way. He breaks down: Why cheap merch is silently destroying your brand — and what to do insteadThe one form of advertising where people actually pay YOU to promote your brandWhy AI won't replace his industry and what that means for entrepreneursHow Jim Rohn at 16 rewired the way he thinks about successWhy the shift from "I want to achieve" to "I want to help others win" is the real unlockFollow Austin: 📸 Instagram: @austinboydlasvegas https://www.instagram.com/aliveprintshop/ https://www.instagram.com/laserskinlounge/ Timecodes: 00:00 Intro 01:55 17 Years Building His First Business 03:30 How a Matching T-Shirt in Class Started It All 08:00 Doubling Down — No Exit, No Sellout 09:50 Why Tariffs Were Actually a Scam for His Industry 13:50 Why Cheap Merch Kills Your Brand 17:00 Merch Is the Only Marketing People Pay For 14:00 Will AI & Robots Replace His Business? 19:30 The Most Important Leadership Skill He Developed 22:00 Jim Rohn at 16 — The CD That Changed Everything 23:00 What Got You Here Won't Get You There 25:00 From Achieving Goals to Helping Others Win 28:00 Why Success Makes People Pull You Down 30:00 Money Doesn't Buy Happiness — It Just Enhances It 33:00 Why Entrepreneurship Is Lonely at the Top 35:00 The DMV Story That Revealed Everything 38:00 Why Short Memory Is a Superpower in Business 41:00 Best Advice for Anyone Starting a Business 43:00 Push the Car Down the Hill — Figure It Out on the Way 45:00 Stop Asking How — Start Asking What 47:00 The Pre-Launch Strategy That Built Day-One Revenue 01:16:49 The Laser Med Spa & Tattoo Removal Business 01:17:00 Grow & Connect — His Las Vegas Entrepreneur Events STAY CONNECTED: https://www.instagram.com/the1percent_podcast/ https://www.facebook.com/the1percentpodcast/ http://tiktok.com/@the1percent_podcastPodcast WANT TO CONNECT TO OUR HOST? Vin: Email: Vincentinfante.life Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vin.infante/ Shane: Email: Shane@thevagroup.com LISTEN ON OTHER SITES Spotify: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C Apple Podcast: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C

    He's Been Building the Same Business for 17 Years — Here's Why That's Genius | EP 145

  8. Mar 30

    The Man Who Went Inside the Darkest Evil on Earth — And What He Found | Ep 144

    Meet Paul Hutchinson — a serial entrepreneur who sold his first company at 29 for $20 million, co-founded Bridge Investment Group which grew to over $50 billion in assets under management, led more than 70 undercover child rescue missions across 15 countries, and is the executive producer and primary investor behind Sound of Freedom — the #1 independent film in the world that went head-to-head with Hollywood and won. He put $14 million into a movie the industry tried to kill. It made $300 million at the box office. That's just the beginning of this story. He breaks down: 1. How he built and exited a company in his 20s that 0.01% of people ever achieve 2. Why he walked away from billions to go undercover rescuing children 3. The truth behind Epstein, Diddy, and how deep the swamp really goes 4. Why psilocybin therapy could replace 20 years of traditional therapy in 2-3 sessions 5. How looking in the mirror changed everything — and why it will for you too Timescode: 00:00 Intro 05:00 The Mindset That Started at 14 07:30 From $6M to $72M — The Marketing Play 09:00 Building Bridge Investment Group 13:00 Hiring People Smarter Than You 17:00 How He Predicted the 2008 Crash 19:00 Scarcity Mindset Is Killing Your Wealth 22:00 From Billionaire Lifestyle to Rock Bottom 23:00 His First Undercover Child Rescue Mission 25:00 Why Green Berets Broke But He Didn't 28:30 Sound of Freedom — The Real Story 30:00 Epstein, Diddy & How Deep It Goes 33:00 What Traffickers Actually Look Like 35:00 The Man in the Mirror Moment 39:00 The Healing Retreat That Changed Everything 41:00 Psilocybin & the Future of Trauma Therapy 49:00 What a 1% Life Means to Paul 51:20 How to Connect With Paul STAY CONNECTED: https://www.instagram.com/the1percent_podcast/ https://www.facebook.com/the1percentpodcast/ http://tiktok.com/@the1percent_podcastPodcast WANT TO CONNECT TO OUR HOST? Vin: Email: Vincentinfante.life Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vin.infante/ Shane: Email: Shane@thevagroup.com LISTEN ON OTHER SITES Spotify: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C Apple Podcast: https://bit.ly/3HtT10C

    The Man Who Went Inside the Darkest Evil on Earth — And What He Found | Ep 144
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Marked Podcast, hosted by Vin Infante, features entrepreneurs, founders, investors, and influential leaders sharing the stories behind their growth, challenges, and impact. Each week, Vin explores the marks their journeys have left on them and the legacy they hope to leave behind. Episodes offer real lessons, self-development tips, and leadership insights for builders in business and life. Vin is a mental performance coach, licensed psychotherapist, former FDNY firefighter, and has supported founders from pre-seed startups to billion-dollar companies. Learn more: [www.vincentinfante.life](

Information

  • Creator
    Vin Infante
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    151
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Vin Infante
  • Show Website
    Marked