School of Hard Knocks Podcast

David Royce is an entrepreneur and sales leader who built and sold five pest control companies for more than $1 billion in combined value. Starting as a broke college student in door-to-door sales, he went on to create high-performance sales organizations, scalable operating systems, and recurring-revenue businesses across multiple markets.
In this episode, David explains his RACK sales system, how he survived early cash-flow crises, why training and culture became his competitive advantage, and why “boring” businesses continue to create extraordinary wealth.

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Blake Johnson is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and sold five companies, including a $97 million exit and the sale of Byte for more than $1 billion. After nearly losing his first business during the 2008 financial crisis, he developed a disciplined framework for bootstrapping, scaling and positioning companies for acquisition. In this episode, Blake explains how he evaluates markets, controls customer acquisition costs, builds high-performing teams and creates businesses that strategic buyers and private equity firms want to acquire.

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Dr. Jason Wersland is the inventor of the Theragun and the founder of Therabody, the global wellness company that transformed percussive therapy and recovery.
After a serious motorcycle accident left him in extreme pain, Jason created the first Theragun prototype from a modified power tool and spent years developing the product while facing financial pressure, family doubt and failed business partnerships.
In this episode, he explains how he found the right investor, protected the invention, built an entirely new product category and earned adoption from world-class athletes including Cristiano Ronaldo and Aaron Rodgers.
The conversation explores invention, resilience, brand building, strategic partnerships and why consistency, persistence and delusion are often required to build something revolutionary.

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David Stout is the founder of WebAI, an artificial intelligence company publicly valued at $2.5 billion. After growing up on a Michigan ranch, he launched a web services company in college that generated more than $750,000 annually before leaving school to pursue AI.
In this episode, David explains how a $400 loan, repeated investor rejection, and a relentless focus on on-device intelligence shaped WebAI’s rise. He also discusses AI ownership, data centers, leadership, faith, recruiting elite talent, and the future of specialized artificial intelligence.

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Mike Sherbakov is a Russian-born immigrant, Marine Corps veteran, entrepreneur, angel investor, and co-founder of The Veteran Fund. After building and selling companies, Mike moved into venture capital and now helps back veteran-led startups across defense, AI, space, energy, robotics, and critical technology.
In this episode, Mike breaks down his journey from poverty and military service to entrepreneurship, early-stage investing, 100X returns, and building a 130-company portfolio. He also shares what he looks for in founders, why resilience matters, and how veteran leadership is shaping the future of American innovation.

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