The Real Cost of Owning a Bar with Chris Schneider
The Liquid Lunch Project
Think owning a bar is just pouring drinks and counting cash? Think again. Bar owner and coach Chris Schneider breaks down what really makes a bar work…and why a packed room can still leave you broke on Monday. Chris joins Matthew R. Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca to talk pricing, staff, food, location, profit, and the small costs that can quietly wipe out your margin. He also explains why gut instinct is not enough, why simple drinks often win, and why your parking lot may matter more than your cocktail list. 🍸 What you'll hear in this episode: Why bar owners need to follow the...
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Mark Roberge’s Formula for Smarter Sales and Safer Growth
The Liquid Lunch Project
Most sales problems start when the seller won’t stop talking. Mark Roberge (HubSpot’s founding CRO, Harvard Business School lecturer, and co-founder of Stage 2 Capital) joins Matt and Luigi to challenge the loudest myths in sales and startup growth. His take is simple: great selling is not about pressure, slick pitches, or talking someone into a bad deal. It’s about asking better questions, finding the real problem, and knowing when to walk away. The conversation also tackles a mistake that kills promising companies: scaling before customers are getting real value. Mark...
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Can Blockchain Actually Help World Peace?
The Liquid Lunch Project
Can blockchain do more than make rich people argue on the internet? In this episode of The Liquid Lunch Project, Matt and Luigi sit down with Erai Beckmann, founder of Peace Through Trade, to talk about a much bigger use case for blockchain, AI, and cryptocurrency: global trade that creates trust, financial access, and maybe even less fighting between humans. Wild concept, apparently. Erai breaks down why trade has historically been one of the strongest tools for reducing conflict, how blockchain can open doors for people left out of traditional finance, and why Peace Through Trade is building...
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The Four Signs Your Business Is Stuck
The Liquid Lunch Project
Your business can be busy and still be stuck. Revenue may be coming in. The team may be working hard. The founder may be carrying the whole thing on their back. But if margins are getting tighter, communication is breaking down, decisions are bottlenecked, and nobody really owns revenue… that business is not scaling. It’s surviving. In this episode of Built to Scale, Matt sits down with Autumn McFarland, a fractional COO who helps founder-led and growth-stage companies get unstuck, rebuild operational clarity, and create the foundation they need to grow without chaos running the show....
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Equipment Financing Without Getting Screwed
The Liquid Lunch Project
That “great deal” on equipment financing might be eating your lunch. In this episode of The Liquid Lunch Project, Matt and Luigi sit down with Rob Misheloff of Smarter Finance USA to talk about the stuff most lenders do not explain clearly: equipment financing, lease terms, credit scores, hidden fees, auction purchases, and why small business owners need to read the fine print before signing anything with a payment attached. Rob breaks down how equipment financing really works, why the market has gotten tighter, and what business owners should watch for when buying trucks, machinery, med...
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Your financial advisor may be nice. That does not mean they are safe.
The Liquid Lunch Project
In this episode of The Liquid Lunch Project, Matt and Luigi sit down with securities lawyer David P. Meyer to talk about the ugly side of investing: broker misconduct, crypto scams, hidden fees, fake online “experts,” and the very real ways smart people lose serious money. David also shares how he built a national securities litigation practice after taking on Prudential Securities in his twenties and winning a jaw-dropping $262 million jury verdict. Not bad for a guy who says he was basically just trying to avoid reading tax code forever. 🍸 What you'll hear in this episode: ...
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Built to Scale: The 5 Financial Blind Spots That Stop Business Owners from Scaling
The Liquid Lunch Project
Revenue looks great on a scoreboard. But if your cash flow is a mess, your margins are thin, and your financials only get attention during tax season… that growth might be hiding a much bigger problem. In this episode of Built to Scale, Matt sits down with Larry Rice, CPA, CEPA, and founder of RVG & Company, to talk about the financial blind spots that quietly keep business owners stuck, stressed, and scrambling. They dig into why revenue is not the same as financial health, how fast growth can actually make bad decisions worse, and why your CPA should not be treated like an emergency...
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America was the ultimate startup
The Liquid Lunch Project
Big idea. No safety net. Shaky money. Brutal odds. A giant competitor. And founders who were not just risking cash…they were risking their necks. Literally In this special 250th anniversary episode of The Liquid Lunch Project, Matthew R. Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca look at America’s founding like a business launch. The Declaration of Independence becomes the mission statement. Washington becomes the operator under pressure. Franklin becomes the closer. And the whole thing becomes a crash course in risk, debt, ownership, cash flow, and building something that lasts. 🍸 What you'll...
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Your Health Plan Is Probably Screwing You
The Liquid Lunch Project
Your health plan might be robbing you blind. The fun part? You may be paying someone to let it happen. Healthcare benefits are one of the biggest expenses for small business owners, and most employers are stuck playing a game where the rules are hidden, the prices move, and somehow the bill always gets worse. In this episode of The Liquid Lunch Project, hosts Matthew R. Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca sit down with Donovan Ryckis, CEO of Ethos Benefits, to rip the lid off employer-sponsored healthcare. Donovan breaks down why insurance costs keep rising, how brokers can create conflicts of...
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Everybody wants private equity to buy them. Fewer founders are ready for what buyers actually find.
The Liquid Lunch Project
Selling your company can look like “the big win.” The check clears. The headlines sound nice. Maybe someone even posts a tasteful LinkedIn announcement with way too many gratitude emojis. Then comes the hard part: contracts, systems, data, cyber risk, SOPs, people, processes, and the tiny little question that can wreck a deal: Can this business actually run without you? In this episode of The Liquid Lunch Project Podcast, Matt sits down with Mark Sims, Managing Principal of Technology Solutions at ConsultMSG, to talk about what business owners need to fix before private equity shows up...
info_outlineAI isn’t coming. It’s already in the room. The real question is whether your business is asleep at the wheel.
Michael Finkelstein, founder and CEO of KINETK, joins Matthew and Luigi for a straight-up talk about AI, data, and why most businesses are still thinking way too small. This episode gets into what happens when data stops being static, why hidden relationships matter, and how small businesses can move faster than giant companies stuck in meetings about meetings.
🍸 What you'll hear in this episode:
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Why data is the real power behind AI
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What “building for the autonomous era” actually means
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The difference between using AI as a tool vs using it as an operating layer
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Why small businesses may have the edge over big companies
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The trap of AI FOMO and shiny-object syndrome
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A simple way to start using AI without blowing up your business
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Why Michael believes the progress clock is broken
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How hidden data relationships can shape better decisions
💡 Notable Takeaway:
“It is not for the weak of heart. You’ve got to be driven by something besides just money.”
👤 About our Guest:
Michael Finkelstein is the founder and CEO of KINETK, a company building AI-powered data systems that help businesses move faster, cut friction, and make smarter decisions at scale.
🎧 Why Listen:
Want to see how AI can help your business think faster and work smarter? Check out KINETK and connect with Michael to keep the conversation going.
🔗 Links + Stuff
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Website: www.kinetk.ai
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-finkelstein-1552887/
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LinkedIn (company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/kinetk/
📬 Want more than just the podcast?
Every Friday, we publish The Weekly. A fast, smart rundown of what actually matters in finance, tech, small business, and the economy...without the noise.
Subscribe here: 👉https://theweeklyfromshieldadvisory.substack.com/
💼 Need funding or working capital?
If today’s conversation raised questions about capital, cash flow, or financing options, you can schedule a conversation with our sponsor, Credit Banc.
Credit Banc helps business owners make sense of their options and move forward with a clear plan, without pressure or guesswork.
👉 Book a free 15-minute call here: https://shorturl.at/LwxsA
📲 Connect with the hosts
Follow along for behind-the-scenes clips, commentary, and things that don’t make it into the episode.
• Matt Meehan:https://www.instagram.com/matthew.r.meehan
• Luigi Rosabianca:https://www.instagram.com/luigi_rosabianca
• The Liquid Lunch Project:https://www.instagram.com/theliquidlunchproject/
💬 One last thing
Know a business owner who would appreciate this conversation?
Send them the episode. That’s how this show grows.