Entrepreneur Jeff Perera: Bagels, Business and Believing in Yourself TB9, S9, E11
Release Date: 08/19/2025
The Back 9
This week on The Back 9, we sit down with entrepreneur Tom Kubiniec, a former touring guitarist whose life took a hard left turn after an injury ended his music career. What followed was a masterclass in learning how to figure it out when life blows up your plan. Tom shares the story of landing his first major contract in an industry he barely understood, the lessons he learned while making money, losing money, and rebuilding again, and the surprising truth he discovered along the way: success isn’t defined by dollars — it’s defined by finding joy in what you do. Today, as...
info_outlineThe Back 9
This week on The Back 9, we sit down with Kerri Ballinger. She’s a practitioner of NAET, a holistic approach that uses energy balancing and muscle testing to reduce allergic reactions and restore wellness. Kerri shares her jaw-dropping story of overcoming a near-death chronic illness and helping her son heal from severe allergies through integrative methods. Together, we explore how Western medicine and holistic healing can work in harmony and the courage it takes to look beyond conventional answers. It’s an eye-opening conversation about what happens when we stop masking...
info_outlineThe Back 9
This week on The Back 9, Dennis and Josh welcome high school basketball coach Ross Deutsch for a powerful and inspiring conversation about healing, resilience, and purpose after loss. Ross opens up about the unimaginable loss of his son Rory, and how that tragedy inspired the creation of the Rory David Deutsch Foundation, a beacon of hope for families facing pediatric cancer. He shares how his family — wife Mindy, sons Robbie and Rickey, and daughters Reggie and Rosie — showed him why giving your time more life matters more than giving your life more time. Ross’s story is a moving...
info_outlineThe Back 9
Dennis and Josh welcome entrepreneur Sean Springman into the studio to talk about how one can step around the corporate ceiling to find personal success. Sean talks about the mindset and self-belief it takes to strike out on your own, start a business, and then scale a company from early scrappy deals to meaningful growth. Sean also opens up about how his personal life shapes that professional journey; he’s a guy parenting two college athletes, navigating profound family loss, and discovering how living with self-focused intention is actually not selfish at all. We’re...
info_outlineThe Back 9
Ninety-nine episodes ago, the Back 9 started with two men in midlife, a couple of microphones, and a resolve to ask better, more pointed questions about the second half of life, with the belief that people out there needed the same kind of conversation. Turns out, a lot of you did. To mark the milestone of our 100th episode, our producer, Janine Stella, puts us in the hot seat. No prep. No polish. Just an honest, unscripted look at what The Back 9 has become, and where it’s headed next. We revisit the moments that changed us — the laughter that disarmed the pain, the confessions that came...
info_outlineThe Back 9
It’s toastin’ time on The Back 9 with this season’s 19th hole. We revisit the conversations that stuck with us most — the very best thoughts from the season about professional reinvention, leadership and how to gracefully come to grips with the end of things. But the biggest takeaway from Season 9 is about the importance going straight to the source — and that leads to one of the spicier conversations ever on the Podcast, with a very satisfying ending. So grab a glass and pull up a chair for the 99th episode…of The Back 9. Contact Dennis & Josh Instagram:
info_outlineThe Back 9
We kick off fall with a little friendly South Florida smack talk, as we welcome the hilarious Rachel Sobel and Dale McLean from the Friends Without Benefits Podcast. Dale, the in-arena host for the Miami Heat, humorously shares his challenges finding steady relationships in his demographic, while Rachel, a much-published writer, offers all kinds of dating advice, and ranks her favorite husbands. In short, we dig deep into this 3-decade platonic relationship to discuss the nature of inter-gender friendships, how to keep them respectful of their separate romances, and the importance of...
info_outlineThe Back 9
On this episode of The Back 9, Dennis and Josh catch up with three time All Star reliever and longtime MLB analyst Dan Plesac for a masterclass on how to fulfill your role — as a professional, a father and a man. Dan discusses his evolution from ninth inning hammer to matchup specialist, and the difficulty he had accepting his new role in the bullpen pecking order. He also shares his struggle with reintegrating into domestic life both after each season and after his career, and how that struggle ultimately led to his divorce. But you’ll be uplifted by the attitude that...
info_outlineThe Back 9
In this episode of The Back 9 we catch up with Ray Collins, who spent his first career as a broadcaster before trading in the bright lights of morning TV for a second act in real estate and a richer personal life. Ray walks us through a career shaped by early mentors like Van Miller, the moment he realized it was time for him to leave the newsroom had changed, and how he successfully translated his name recognition and people skills into becoming a top performer in his second career. We also dig into the emotional side of reinvention. Ray was a longtime bachelor before settling down on...
info_outlineThe Back 9
On this episode of the Back 9, baseball lifer Jeff Manto joins Dennis and Josh. Jeff was a prodigious home run hitter who spent the front 9 of his career bouncing between the major leagues and the high minors, including championship runs in the Yankees and Indians organizations. He shares what he learned about team culture, and how good winning culture creates winning outcomes. Jeff also presents a unique perspective on how he knew when it was time to move on to the rest of his life, and how we can all make that decision easier on ourselves. Along the way he pays...
info_outlineJeff Perera’s story is a masterclass in reinvention. He’s the founder of Jeff’s Bagel Run, one of the fastest growing brands in the country. Jeff joins us to share how losing his corporate job at 42 led to a new passion, a thriving franchise, and a lesson in letting go of control. Jeff spreads his secret recipes for success that has led from a cottage industry in his kitchen to over 100 stores in development, and why those secrets are achievable for just about anyone thinking about going it on their own.
So whether you are already in your own Back 9 business, or just thinking about pivoting in your career, this episode is packed with practical advice and inspiration. And it’s hot out of the oven, on the Back 9.
Contact Dennis & Josh:
Instagram: @Back9_Podcast