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Cut The Tie Podcast with Nathan Strum

What if artificial intelligence didn’t replace people—but helped them grow? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Nathan Strum, CEO of Abby Connect, to talk about how a twenty-year-old live receptionist company is redefining success by blending human connection with AI innovation.

From cutting the tie to “doing everything for everyone” to leading his team through one of the biggest technological shifts in business, Nathan shares how focus, courage, and empathy drive sustainable growth. His approach proves that AI doesn’t have to eliminate jobs—it can elevate people into new, higher-value roles.

About Nathan Strum

Nathan Strum is the CEO of Abby Connect, a Las Vegas–based company helping small businesses capture every opportunity through a hybrid of live and AI receptionists. Under Nathan’s leadership, Abby Connect has become one of the most trusted names in client communication, known for balancing technology with a people-first philosophy. He’s passionate about building cultures where employees rise, clients feel heard, and innovation serves humans—not the other way around.

In this episode, Thomas and Nathan discuss:

• Why AI isn’t taking jobs—it’s transforming them
  Nathan explains how new technology is upskilling employees and opening career paths that didn’t exist before.
• Cutting the tie to “doing everything for everyone”
  How Abby Connect learned to focus on its best customers and say no to distractions that dilute value.
• Listening to clients the right way
  The difference between gathering feedback and asking the questions that actually drive business growth.
• Turning a service company into a product company
  The challenge of shifting from live services to software while staying true to the company’s human DNA.
• The tie he’s still cutting: building less to build better
  Why focus and simplicity matter most when developing new AI tools and customer solutions.

Key Takeaways

• AI creates more jobs than it replaces
  The future belongs to businesses that use technology to empower people, not eliminate them.
• Success is when your people feel successful
  Leadership is measured by how much you elevate others.
• You can’t please everyone
  Focus on the customers who align with your strengths and values.
• Fail fast, fail forward
  Every mistake is a data point for growth.
• Stop listening to influencers—start trusting yourself
  Your best business instincts come from experience, not noise.

Connect with Nathan Strum

🌐 Website: https://www.abby.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanstrum

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

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What if kids could launch their first business before high school? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Krystal Popov, entrepreneur, real estate investor, and founder of FuturePreneur, a company that helps kids and teens ages six to sixteen build and launch their first business.

From corporate engineer to network marketing to commercial real estate and now youth entrepreneurship, Krystal’s story is about breaking cycles of fear, redefining success, and teaching freedom through ownership. She shares the ties she had to cut—control, fear of judgment, and the illusion of “safety” in corporate life—to build a business and a family that thrive on choice and impact.

About Krystal Popov
Krystal Popov is the founder and CEO of FuturePreneur, a hands-on program that teaches kids how to start real businesses from home. Based in Tucson, Arizona, Krystal is also a commercial real estate entrepreneur who operates over 20,000 square feet of coworking and retail office space. A former engineer turned business owner, she’s passionate about empowering the next generation to build confidence, creativity, and financial independence through entrepreneurship.

In this episode, Thomas and Krystal discuss:

• Teaching kids how to own their future
  How FuturePreneur helps kids and teens launch real businesses with guided video modules, business plans, and peer-led lessons.
• Why corporate “success” left her unfulfilled
  Krystal recalls sitting in a quarterly review meeting and realizing, “I’m climbing this ladder and I don’t even like the top.”
• How network marketing built her confidence
  Despite early failures and judgment, it taught her the most valuable lesson: You can’t sell if you don’t talk—and you can’t care what people think.
• Building real estate that buys her time
  Krystal explains how her coworking business gives her the freedom to start new ventures, travel, and raise her family without losing control of her time.

Key Takeaways

• Entrepreneurship breeds happiness
  Studies and real life both show it: business owners report more fulfillment and autonomy than employees.
• Failure is feedback, not final
  Every failed venture, from MLM to downtown coworking, became the data behind her success.
• Debt can be a tool, not a trap
  Smart, asset-backed debt fuels growth—don’t fear leverage, understand it.
• If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no
  The advice that reshaped how Krystal manages time, business decisions, and priorities.

Connect with Krystal Popov

🌐 Website: https://www.futurepreneur.com
🎁 Free Resource: Teach Your Kids to Dream (Check the website)
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystalpopov
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystalpopov

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Jason Vana

Most business owners think branding is about colors, fonts, and logos—but that’s only the surface. In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Jason Vana, founder and CEO of Shft Agency, to uncover what brand strategy really means—and why most companies get it wrong.

Jason shares how a side hustle turned into a thriving agency, what it means to truly understand your ideal customer, and how cutting the wrong assumptions can unlock business growth. With over 20 years of experience helping B2B service firms build brands that drive revenue, Jason breaks down how to create a brand that not only looks good—but sells better.

About Jason Vana

Jason Vana is the founder and CEO of Shft Agency, a B2B brand positioning firm that helps service companies uncover their unique market value and turn it into strategy that drives sales, marketing, and growth. Based in the Chicago suburbs, Jason brings two decades of hands-on experience in branding, marketing, and leadership. He’s known for helping businesses simplify complexity, focus on differentiation, and build brands that make selling easier.

In this episode, Thomas and Jason discuss:

• Cutting ties with the myth of “branding equals design”
  Why your logo, color palette, and fonts are just the tip of the iceberg—and what really defines your brand.
• From accidental agency to intentional success
  How Jason built Shift Agency from LinkedIn DMs while working full-time—and turned it into a leading B2B brand strategy firm.
• The partner that almost broke the business
  Why the belief that “I need a co-founder to succeed” nearly stalled his growth—and how buying out his partner unlocked real momentum.
• The freedom formula
  Jason shares how defining success as time freedom changed his decisions, leadership style, and agency model.
• How to find your true differentiator
  The practical framework for discovering what makes your company truly unique—and how to use it to build an entire strategy.

Key Takeaways

• Your brand is the customer-facing side of your business strategy
  If it doesn’t connect to real business goals, it’s just decoration.
• Challenge your assumptions early
  The wrong belief can hold your company back for years.
• Know who you serve—and who you don’t
  Focus on the ideal customers who stay longer, pay more, and trust you deeper.
• Don’t fix weaknesses—amplify strengths
  Hire or outsource for what you can’t do, and double down on what you do best.
• You can’t scale a brand that depends on you
  Build systems and IP that outlive the founder.

Connect with Jason Vana

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvana
🌐 Website: https://www.shift.agency

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Karl Maier

What happens when you realize your “stable” career is actually the biggest risk of all? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Karl Maier, a Houston-based fractional CFO who helps companies raise capital, manage cash, and scale without crashing.

After years in corporate finance, Karl faced a pivotal choice: stay tied to a steady paycheck under someone else’s rules, or bet on his own expertise and freedom. He chose the latter—and built a business that now helps others grow smarter, faster, and more sustainably.

This is a grounded, candid conversation about growth, money, and the mindset shift executives need when stepping into entrepreneurship or fractional work.

About Karl Maier

Karl Maier is a fractional CFO and founder of Abunden Advisors, based in Houston, Texas. With decades of experience in corporate finance, mergers, and capital management, Karl specializes in helping small to mid-sized companies manage rapid growth, raise capital, and navigate turnarounds. He has led multi-country operations across the U.S., U.K., and Dubai, advised CEOs through complex acquisitions, and guided firms through both explosive growth and painful contractions. Today, he helps founders and executives align financial strategy with long-term freedom and stability.

In this episode, Thomas and Karl discuss:

• Cutting ties with the illusion of security
  Why Karl walked away from the comfort of a steady paycheck to build something on his own terms.
• Choosing your kind of “lumpiness”
  The truth about income stability—and why fractional leadership can actually offer more control.
• When to borrow and when to build
  Karl breaks down smart debt versus dangerous debt, and why not all leverage is bad.
• Helping businesses double in two years
  The key systems, cash flow strategies, and mindset shifts that fuel sustainable growth.
• How AI is changing the CFO’s role
  Why artificial intelligence won’t replace financial leaders—but will supercharge those who learn to use it well.

Key Takeaways

• The paycheck isn’t security—it’s dependency
  Freedom means controlling your own income streams, not relying on one.
• Cash is strategy, not survival
  Smart cash flow and capital planning make growth sustainable, not stressful.
• Fractional is the future
  Companies win when they hire specialized experts who scale with their needs.
• Borrow wisely, build intentionally
  Debt isn’t the enemy if it fuels opportunity and fits your long-term plan.
• Never confuse movement with progress
  Sometimes cutting back, focusing on high-margin clients, or saying no is the best financial move.

Connect with Karl Maier

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlkmaier/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

Support the show

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Send us a text

Cut The Tie Podcast with Steven Schneider

How do you build something real in a world obsessed with quick wins and overnight success? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Steven Schneider, co-founder and CEO of Trio SEO, to talk about the discipline, patience, and strategy behind true digital growth.

Steven’s story began in college, when a simple class project led him into the wild early days of affiliate marketing and SEO. Since then, he’s built and scaled multiple online businesses, learning firsthand that success comes from persistence—not hacks. Now, as an SEO leader and entrepreneur, he helps B2B founders and CMOs adapt to the new world of AI-driven search while keeping what really matters at the core: human connection and consistency.

About Steven Schneider

Steven Schneider is the co-founder and CEO of Trio SEO, a results-driven digital agency helping B2B companies dominate search and conversion in both Google and AI-based platforms. With over a decade of experience building seven- and eight-figure online businesses, Steven has mastered the intersection of technical SEO, growth strategy, and storytelling. A passionate entrepreneur and LinkedIn creator, he’s committed to helping brands grow with clarity, purpose, and patience—one piece of great content at a time.

In this episode, Thomas and Steven discuss:

• Cutting ties with impatience
  Why real success isn’t built on instant gratification—and how patience pays compounding returns.
• From college project to SEO empire
  How Steven turned a class assignment into a multimillion-dollar content network through persistence and curiosity.
• Entrepreneurship after burnout
  Why leaving the startup grind and rebuilding from scratch gave him more freedom and fulfillment.
• Ranking in the age of AI
  How SEO is evolving with ChatGPT and other large language models—and why human content still wins.
• The power of consistency
  How posting daily on LinkedIn for years opened doors, built partnerships, and shaped his second business.

Key Takeaways

• Patience beats talent
  The biggest edge isn’t skill—it’s the willingness to outlast others.
• AI doesn’t replace humans—it amplifies them
  The future belongs to those who can pair technology with authenticity.
• Luck favors consistency
  The more you show up, the luckier you get.
• Entrepreneurship is a long game
  Play for five years, not five months—and watch what compounds.
• Quality still wins
  Whether it’s backlinks, content, or relationships, focus on depth over volume.

Connect with Steven Schneider

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schneis/
🌐 Website: https://www.trioseo.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 https://www.instantlyrelevant.co

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Evan Mestman

What if the very drive that made you successful is the same thing destroying your health? In this powerful episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Evan Mestman, founder of ProAttitudes and a health transformation and leadership coach for high-performing executives.

After 20 years in corporate America—including a career that survived 9/11—Evan walked away from burnout to rebuild not just his body, but his purpose. Today, he helps business leaders who’ve “climbed the ladder but left their health on the bottom rung” reclaim their energy, reframe their mindset, and reawaken their leadership.

This conversation dives into the mental, emotional, and physical ties that hold many executives back—and how taming your inner critic might just save your life.

About Evan Mestman

Evan Mestman is the founder of ProAttitudes, a health transformation and leadership coaching company that helps executives lead with clarity, energy, and confidence. A certified nutritionist and diabetes educator, Evan’s career spans startups, leadership roles in medical device sales, and 20 years in corporate America. Today, he combines neuroscience, mindfulness, and behavioral science to help clients rewire their habits, strengthen their “attitude muscle,” and shift from burnout to balance.

In this episode, Thomas and Evan discuss:

• Climbing the ladder while losing your health
  Why high-performing executives often leave their well-being behind—and how to climb back up before it’s too late.
• Taming the inner critic
  Evan explains how to quiet the self-defeating voice in your head and strengthen your “inner coach.”
• Reframing success
  Why true success lies in the intersection of what you do, how you do it, and why you do it.
• Fueling leadership through health
  The habits, mindset, and tools that help leaders rediscover joy, energy, and purpose in both work and life.

Key Takeaways

• You can’t lead others if you can’t lead yourself
  Great leadership starts with physical and emotional health.
• Health is a leadership skill
  How you fuel yourself determines how you show up for your team and family.
• Tame the inner critic, train the inner coach
  Self-awareness is the foundation for lasting transformation.
• Habits reveal your mindset
  Change your thoughts and your behaviors will follow.
• Private victories create public victories
  The small, consistent wins in health and mindset make the biggest business impact.

Connect with Evan Mestman

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-mestman/
🌐 Website: https://www.proattitudes.com
📧 Email: evan@proattitudes.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Michael J. Frank

What happens after the big exit—when the money’s in the bank but the meaning’s gone? In this candid episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with veteran trader and investor Michael J. Frank, who went from the floor of the American Stock Exchange to mentoring startups and investing in brain-health innovation.

Michael opens up about the high-intensity world of trading, the cost of ego, the danger of losing purpose after success, and why “retirement” is the worst word in the English language. For executives who’ve made it but feel restless, his story is a wake-up call: you don’t need to stop—you just need to build something that matters.

About Michael J. Frank

Michael J. Frank is a former floor trader and specialist who sold his firm to a public company before turning his attention to mentoring founders and investing in neuro-innovation. As a principal at Innovation Ventures, he focuses on brain-health startups tackling Alzheimer’s, ADHD, autism, and other neurological challenges. Michael also co-founded Gildre, a community connecting entrepreneurs with mentors, tools, and events to help them scale. Based in Millburn, New Jersey, he sits on five advisory boards and still works six or seven days a week—because, as he says, “the glass is always half full.”

In this episode, Thomas and Michael discuss:

• Why retirement kills momentum
  The hidden cost of walking away from purpose—and how staying engaged keeps your mind alive.
• Cutting ties with ego and illusion
  Michael shares how chasing money and validation nearly cost him everything that mattered.
• From floor trader to mentor
  How he turned decades of market experience into guidance for young founders and innovators.
• Family over fortune
  Why redefining success meant putting family first, cutting toxic people, and finding peace.
• Building in the age of AI
  His take on how artificial intelligence will change business the way electricity and the computer did.

Key Takeaways

• Purpose doesn’t retire
  You don’t need a paycheck to keep contributing—just curiosity and drive.
• Ego is the most expensive tie to cut
  The need to prove yourself can destroy the very success you’re chasing.
• Stay in the game
  Work, volunteer, mentor—do something that challenges you daily.
• Surround yourself with the right people
  Family and true friends fuel you; negativity drains you.
• Every day is another trade
  Show up ready, stay humble, and learn—wins follow those who keep playing.

Connect with Michael J. Frank

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikejfrank/
📧 Email: michael@gildre.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Erica Tuggle

What happens when you walk away from the corporate track to build something that truly matters? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Erica Tuggle, Harvard MBA and former Coca-Cola executive turned founder and CEO of Livin.

Erica shares her journey of cutting ties with a prestigious corporate identity to launch a mission-driven company that helps busy families and professionals eat healthier, live better, and reclaim their time. From redefining success on her own terms to balancing entrepreneurship with family life, Erica’s story is one of courage, conviction, and building a business that creates impact on both sides—customers and chefs.

About Erica Tuggle

Erica Tuggle is the founder and CEO of Livin, a food-tech company that empowers local chefs to provide in-home meal prep services for busy professionals and families. Prior to entrepreneurship, Erica built a distinguished career in consumer packaged goods, starting at General Mills and later leading innovation and strategy roles at Coca-Cola, including initiatives on Honest Tea and Coke’s global food strategy. A Harvard Business School graduate, Erica now leverages her corporate experience to create healthier homes, support culinary entrepreneurs, and build a scalable business model with purpose at its core.

In this episode, Thomas and Erica discuss:

• Cutting ties with corporate identity
  Why leaving behind big company prestige was the biggest step toward finding fulfillment.
• Building a mission-driven food business
  How Livin helps busy professionals and families eat healthier while supporting local chefs.
• Facing fear and redefining success
  The mental shift required to walk away from security and create a new definition of purpose.
• Impact on family and community
  How entrepreneurship has reshaped her family life and created new opportunities for chefs in Atlanta.

Key Takeaways:

• Identity isn’t your title
  Walking away from corporate prestige opens the door to real alignment and fulfillment.
• Fear is a tie worth cutting
  Growth starts when you push through uncertainty and bet on yourself.
• Entrepreneurship is impact
  Success isn’t just financial—it’s about family, health, and creating opportunities for others.
• Support systems matter
  Having a strong network, spouse, and faith can make the hardest leap possible.
• Just try it
  Stop overthinking and start testing—Google Sheets and grit are enough to begin.

Connect with Erica Tuggle:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-tuggle-mba/
🌐 Website: https://www.chooselivin.com
📱 Call/Text: 404-917-0203

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfich
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

Support the show

Serious about LinkedIn Lead Generation? Stop Guessing what to do on LinkedIn and ignite revenue from relevance with Instantly Relevant Lead System