It's not about
perfection
Most business shows interview people about the finished thing. The exit, the raise, the milestone — told backwards, with every dead end quietly edited out. It makes a tidy story and teaches almost nothing, because the version you hear was never the version they lived.
It's about creation, courage, and the unfinished journey. So this show goes at the part that isn't done: the near-miss, the thing they'd redo, the question still open on their desk right now. I ask people what they haven't figured out yet, and I go first.
It blends the emotional storytelling and momentum of a great interview with the parts most shows skip — strategy, money, and what the long game actually costs. If you like Diary of a CEO or Big Fish, you'll recognize the register.
What the show believes
- The empire you're building is never complete.
- You evolve as your business evolves.
- Every setback becomes part of your foundation.
- The story is always being written.
Format
Long-form 1:1 conversation, video and audio. Remote or in studio. Roughly an hour, though the good ones run over and I don't cut them short.
Where to find it
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Podbean at launch. Subscribe below and you'll know the day episode one drops.
Be a guest
The bar is simple: do you have an unfinished empire in your life that deserves some recognition? Something you're building that isn't done, that you're willing to talk about honestly.
You don't need a book, a big audience, or a tidy arc — the tidy arc is usually the problem. You need to operate the thing, be willing to name a real mistake on tape, and have a question you're actively wrestling with.
What I'll do: read up properly beforehand, ask you questions you haven't answered forty times, and send you the clips.
Every empire
starts as a
sketch.
Hosted by Ryan Otto · Allen, TX
Know when it drops
One email when season one goes live. Then the show's own rhythm — no daily promotion, no countdown theatre.
That's the only thing this list is for.