As I talk with my dad, JB, you get an inside look at what real mental toughness looks like over a lifetime, not just in a war zone. He shares how bouncing between homes as a kid, riding trains alone for 23 hours with his sister, and grinding through brutal early-morning swim practices in an ice-cold outdoor pool shaped the grit that later helped him survive years as a POW in North Vietnam.

You’ll also hear the life lessons he wants to leave for his grandson, Baby JB, and for you. JB opens up about why honesty and integrity matter more than comfort, how he “substituted determination for intelligence,” and how simple money and career rules helped him climb from poverty into a stable, purposeful life. This is a rare chance to hear a man who has seen extreme hardship explain, in plain language, how to suffer well, live clean, handle money wisely, and choose the right people and path for your future.

Key Highlights:

• How a miserable winter in a freezing Florida pool forged the mental toughness that later helped JB endure the Hanoi Hilton.
• How he used “stupid and cowardly” as a deliberate interrogation strategy to protect secrets and keep his honor intact.
• Why he believes radical honesty, living by the Ten Commandments, and refusing to lie to yourself are the foundation of a successful life.
• The simple money rules he used to escape poverty, save half his Navy pay, avoid bad debt, and buy very few new cars.
• How to choose careers and friends by following what you truly enjoy and surrounding yourself with smart, driven, high-character people

About Jase:

Jase Souder is a nationally recognized speaker, best-selling author, and founder of World Class Speaker Academy. Known for his informal, straight-to-the-point style, Jase helps entrepreneurs become world-class speakers who attract clients, create massive impact, and build thriving coaching businesses. With over 10,000 hours of coaching and 1,000+ presentations under his belt, he equips purpose-driven leaders with the tools to turn their message into a movement.

https://worldclassspeakeracademy.com/

https://www.instagram.com/worldclassspeakeracademy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasesouder/

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Most live events look like a success—great speakers, full rooms, standing ovations—but the sales don’t tell the same story. Together with Rudy Rodriguez we unpack why so many live events underperform and how to turn them into real revenue. We dug into the gap between “great content” and actual conversions, the power of story-first delivery, and the follow-through that happens after the applause. I shared what worked at our recent summit and why I’ll never run an event again without a trained sales team and a structured three-day close window.

You’ll hear how to design an event with intention, capture more qualified conversations while the room is still warm, and move new buyers into onboarding fast. We covered pay-in-full psychology, when third-party financing makes sense, and simple ways to measure outcomes beyond “how it felt.” If you run events, sell high-ticket programs, or want your stage time to scale your business, this one gives you the playbook.

Discover:

• How story-driven talks outperform “teaching” when the goal is decisions, not note-taking.
• Why a three-day conversion window changes your event math and your follow-up plan.
• How to staff and script a sales team so more buyers get meaningful conversations on site.
• The fast path from “yes” to onboarding that reduces drop-off and refunds.
• When to use pay-in-full and when third-party financing protects cash flow and focus.

About the Guest:

Rudy Rodriguez is a veteran entrepreneur, event-sales strategist and founder of V.E.S.T. – Your Virtual Event Sales Team, where his team has helped high-ticket coaches, educators, and masterminds generate millions through live and virtual events.

Prior to his business-career pivot, Rudy served in the U.S. Navy as a naval aviator, an experience that instilled in him a mindset of precision, discipline and leadership under pressure.

Since 2015, he has leveraged that foundation to build sales teams and systems for large-scale events—his team credits tens of millions in client revenue from high-ticket offers sold on stage and online.

Rudy is also the host of The High Profit Event Show, a podcast dedicated to the business of events, where he and his guests unpack how to fill rooms, maximize conversions and run events that deliver both impact and profit.

His unique combined background—military discipline + event sales + team leadership—makes him a go-to advisor for speakers, coaches and entrepreneurs who are ready to move from “just showing up” to “selling out” and scaling with purpose.

Website: https://virtualeventsalesteam.com/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-profit-event-show/id1620200026

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

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If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast...

Starting over isn’t romantic. It’s reps, risk, and learning to sell. I sit with Steve Larsen—yes, the “Capitalist Pig”—to unpack how he turned 34 product failures and a hard no from his dad into a clear path for building real revenue machines. We talk about the moment you decide to grow, why environments beat willpower, and why “publish” turns you from invisible to followable.

I ask Steve how to move from ideas to income without burning years. He lays out the mindset and the mechanics: sell first, build systems that scale, and publish so people can find you. If you’ve felt stuck in funnels, offers, or lead flow, this one gives you simple steps that work when you’re broke, busy, and done guessing.

Discover:

• Why learning sales early collapses years of trial and error
• How to use environment design to grow faster than willpower
• A simple “sell first” workflow that proves an offer before you build it
• How daily publishing turns expertise into demand
• A repeatable process to recover from failure and keep momentum

About the Guest:

Starting out as a professional sales funnel builder 10 years ago, Steve J Larsen has built a large following of 7 & 8 figure internet entrepreneurs. He's known for his track record of successful internet marketing methods. The most recent is called: Dramatic Demonstrations, a book he's currently co-authoring with Russell Brunson.

Steve is most known for his unique 'Daily LeadFlow Flywheel', a CMO concept he created to automate and double, daily leadflow for 7+ figure internet entrepreneurs. He also created and popularized his brand, The Capitalist Pig, with thousands wearing the swag worldwide.

Website: https://stevejlarsen.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevelarsenhq/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephenlarsen1

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larsenstephen

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Steve-J-Larsen

About Jase:

Jase Souder is a nationally recognized speaker, best-selling author, and founder of World Class Speaker Academy. Known for his informal, straight-to-the-point style, Jase helps entrepreneurs become world-class speakers who attract clients, create massive impact, and build thriving coaching businesses. With over 10,000 hours of coaching and 1,000+ presentations under his belt, he equips purpose-driven leaders with the tools to turn their message into a movement.

https://worldclassspeakeracademy.com/

https://www.instagram.com/worldclassspeakeracademy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasesouder/

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

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If you would like to get...