The Jon Schultz Podcast: The Myth of Overnight Success

George Gellert on Why Starting From The Bottom Is The Only Way To The Top

April 02, 2026

If there is one person who truly embodies the theme of this podcast, it is George Gellert. We talk a lot about the myth of the overnight success, and George is the living, breathing proof that the "top" is built on decades of grit, early mornings, and a level of drive that most people just aren't ready for.George is an absolute titan in the food industry, but his story starts way before the global boardrooms. We dive into his childhood in upstate New York, where he was already a seasoned entr...

Legacy in Motion: Mike Tepedino’s Mission to Develop Tomorrow’s Talent

December 08, 2025

What turns a kid from Brooklyn into a leader who builds and rebuilds big businesses, then starts over again by choice? Meet Mike Tepedino, Founder and Managing Partner of Blue Light Capital, whose path runs from six gritty years in loan workouts on the “what can go wrong” side of real estate became the foundation for everything that followed.We get into the leap to brokerage, the Chinese-restaurant meeting that set up HFF’s rise, and the 2019 sale to JLL for about $2 billion, where scale brou...

Resilience, Risk & Reinvention – Lessons from Michael Johnson’s Startup Story

August 26, 2025

What if one phone call could completely change the trajectory of your life? In this episode, I sit down with Michael Johnson, a scientist turned entrepreneur, president of the New Jersey Innovation Institute, and now author of 1% Dad. His story is one of relentless work ethic, fearless curiosity, and the ability to seize opportunity when it knocks, even if you don’t recognize it at first. From a childhood shaped by devoted parents and early struggles in school and sports, Michael shares how d...