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Build Your Empire Podcast

Build Your Empire Podcast

Written by: Nicholas Zellem
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About this listen

 What sets *Build Your Empire Podcast* apart is the focus on practical wisdom. Every episode begins with a “Weekly Stoic Quote” to set the mindset for the journey ahead, and guests share actionable advice both in their field of expertise and for life in general. Whether you’re listening to a well known sports figure or another empire builder, we share strategies for overcoming challenges, discussions on the importance of mental and physical health, and the lessons learned here are meant to resonate with anyone striving to build something meaningful. At its core, this podcast is about empowering you to embrace your challenges, find your purpose, and create your own legacy. Because whether you’re an athlete, an entrepreneur, a CEO, a teacher, or an artist—behind every empire, there’s a story. **What are you building? Build Your Empire.**Copyright 2024 All rights reserved. Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Episode 8 — The Entrepreneurship Mindset: Coach Bert Robinson’s Blueprint for Building Successful Founders

    Episode 8 — The Entrepreneurship Mindset: Coach Bert Robinson’s Blueprint for Building Successful Founders
    Jan 27 2026

    In this episode of the Build Your Empire Podcast, I sit down with Coach Bert Robinson — Principal Owner of the Entrepreneur Competency Center (ECC) and founder of Coaches C.L.A.S.S. (Communication, Leadership, Action, Success, Service). Bert has spent decades shaping leaders and founders across Dallas–Fort Worth, bringing real-world experience from corporate leadership (including Xerox and more) into the startup world through entrepreneurship education, financial literacy, and community building.

    We dig into what separates real entrepreneurs from “corporate thinkers,” why mindset and perseverance are the difference-makers, and why so many early-stage companies stall out. Bert also breaks down how he teaches founders to think strategically — from ideation to launch — using frameworks like Kauffman FastTrac and the Ice House Entrepreneurial Mindset curriculum.

    What you’ll learn in this episode:
    • The 3 pillars that drive Bert’s mission: entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and community building The patterns Bert consistently sees in founders who succeed (and what derails the rest)
    • Why leadership + capital are recurring make-or-break variables — and why leadership wins when investors evaluate founders The #1 entrepreneurial trait that keeps founders alive when things get dark: perseverance Why financial literacy isn’t “accounting” — it’s leadership, and why founders must understand their P&L and financial model How to avoid common early-stage financial mistakes like skipping real MVP validation and spending money in the wrong places Bert also shares books and concepts that helped shape his thinking — including Who Owns the Ice House? and The Entrepreneurial Imperative — and why it’s never too late to build something meaningful (especially for those starting after 40).
    Connect with Coach Bert Robinson

    If you want to learn more about Bert’s programs, entrepreneurship coaching, or how to get involved:

    • Email: infoecc@coachesclass.net
    • Website: https://vgi.io/coachesclass
    • Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bertrobinson/

    #BuildYourEmpirePodcast #BuildYourEmpire #Entrepreneurship #EntrepreneurMindset #StartupLife #BusinessGrowth #BusinessCoach #LeadershipDevelopment #FinancialLiteracy #FounderJourney #SmallBusinessOwner #Innovation #DFWBusiness #DallasEntrepreneurs #KauffmanFastTrac
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Locked Up with Zach Lewis: Real Lessons from a LockBit Ransomware Attack

    Locked Up with Zach Lewis: Real Lessons from a LockBit Ransomware Attack
    Nov 13 2025
    Episode 7: Locked Up — Zach Lewis on Real-World Lessons from the LockBit Ransomware Attack. When ransomware strikes, panic is the easy reaction — but true leadership is revealed in how you respond. In this powerful episode of the Build Your Empire Podcast, host Nick Zellem sits down with Zach Lewis, CIO & CISO of the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, and author of Locked Up: Cybersecurity Threat Mitigation Lessons from a Real-World LockBit Ransomware Response (Wiley, 2026). Zach takes us inside a real LockBit ransomware attack — from the first ominous alerts to the moment he discovered the ransom note. He reveals what really happens when your network is compromised, how he led his university through a high-pressure incident, and what every leader — from CISO to CEO — can learn from it. You’ll hear:
    • 🎯 How LockBit infiltrated his environment and how his team contained it
    • 🧠 Why calm thinking under pressure is the ultimate cybersecurity skill
    • 🔒 How resilience, leadership, and preparation can turn crisis into control
    • 🧰 The key tools and tactics that saved critical systems from collapse
    • 🤖 Why AI will transform both cyber defense and cybercrime in the next 5 years
    This episode isn’t just for cybersecurity pros — it’s for leaders in every industry who want to understand how to stay composed when everything’s on the line. Connect with Zach Lewis: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharylewis1/ 🌐 Website: homesteadingciso.com 📘 Pre-order his book Locked Up on Amazon (January 2026 release) 🎧 Listen now and discover what it truly means to lead under fire.

    #CyberSecurity #LockBit #Stoicism #Resilience #CISO #IncidentResponse #Leadership #BuildYourEmpirePodcast #ZachLewis #databreach #ransomwareresponse

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
  • “Locked Up with Zach Lewis: Real Lessons from a LockBit Ransomware Attack”

    “Locked Up with Zach Lewis: Real Lessons from a LockBit Ransomware Attack”
    Nov 13 2025
    Episode 7: Locked Up — Zach Lewis on Real-World Lessons from the LockBit Ransomware Attack When ransomware strikes, panic is the easy reaction — but true leadership is revealed in how you respond. In this powerful episode of the Build Your Empire Podcast, host Nick Zellem sits down with Zach Lewis, CIO & CISO of the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, and author of Locked Up: Cybersecurity Threat Mitigation Lessons from a Real-World LockBit Ransomware Response (Wiley, 2026). Zach takes us inside a real LockBit ransomware attack — from the first ominous alerts to the moment he discovered the ransom note. He reveals what really happens when your network is compromised, how he led his university through a high-pressure incident, and what every leader — from CISO to CEO — can learn from it. You’ll hear:
    • 🎯 How LockBit infiltrated his environment and how his team contained it
    • 🧠 Why calm thinking under pressure is the ultimate cybersecurity skill
    • 🔒 How resilience, leadership, and preparation can turn crisis into control
    • 🧰 The key tools and tactics that saved critical systems from collapse
    • 🤖 Why AI will transform both cyber defense and cybercrime in the next 5 years
    This episode isn’t just for cybersecurity pros — it’s for leaders in every industry who want to understand how to stay composed when everything’s on the line. Connect with Zach Lewis: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharylewis1/ 🌐 Website: homesteadingciso.com 📘 Pre-order his book Locked Up on Amazon (January 2026 release) 🎧 Listen now and discover what it truly means to lead under fire.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
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