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Fervent Four

Fervent Four

By: Zack Miller Tim Ryan
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 Welcome to the Fervent Four. Did you know that only 4% of businesses ever cross the annual million dollar revenue mark? The Fervent Four is a weekly show, every Thursday at 11am, dedicated to sharing insights into growing a world class business no matter the climate.2025 Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • What Venture Capitalists Look for Before They Invest in Founders

    What Venture Capitalists Look for Before They Invest in Founders
    Dec 22 2025
    What do venture capitalists actually look for when evaluating founders and early-stage companies? In this episode of The Fervent Four Show, we sit down with Zakiya Alta Lee-Hill, Principal at Idea Fund Partners, to pull back the curtain on how VCs think about founder character, traction, communication, AI strategy, and long-term investability. Zakiya shares her unconventional journey into venture capital, from professional dance and entrepreneurship to helping deploy Fund IV at one of the Southeast's most active early-stage VC firms. Together, we dive deep into what separates fundable founders from the rest, especially across Virginia's growing startup ecosystem. This conversation covers what investors look for beyond the pitch deck, including why founder authenticity matters, how consistent monthly or quarterly updates can dramatically improve investor relationships, and why "coachability" often outweighs raw metrics in early decisions. Zakiya also explains how VCs assess competition (including substitutes), where founders most often stumble during due diligence, and why confidence in your current stage of growth is essential, even without a hockey-stick chart. We also explore how AI is changing the expectations for modern businesses, why every company needs an AI strategy (without chasing buzzwords), and what founders should understand about follow-on funding, rejection, and long-term VC relationships. This episode is essential listening for founders raising capital, operators building scalable companies, and anyone trying to understand how venture capital decisions are really made in 2025 and beyond 00:00 Why Virginia founders tend to "go big or go home" 18:42 What VCs look for in founder character and leadership 22:48 How to build relationships with investors before you're raising 24:22 Monthly and quarterly updates that actually get read by VCs 26:28 Why traction signals matter more than perfection 34:35 Common due-diligence mistakes early founders make 41:15 Evaluating competitors and substitutes the right way 43:21 AI strategy expectations for modern startups 47:30 Handling VC rejection and follow-on funding realities Idea Fund Partners: https://www.ideafundpartners.com/ Zakiya Alta Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakiyaaltalee/ Innovate Hampton Roads is on a mission to foster the growth of Hampton Roads' innovation and technology ecosystem by educating entrepreneurs and business leaders, providing access to essential resources, and building connections that drive synergistic partnerships. We are committed to creating a supportive environment that empowers entrepreneurs, strengthens the regional economy, and fuels long-term prosperity. By growing, guiding, and connecting key players in the ecosystem—including investors, industry leaders, universities, corporate partners, and community organizations—we aim to build a more innovative and inclusive economy. It's time to unify our efforts, amplify our collective voice, and streamline resources to benefit aspiring entrepreneurs, students, employees, and businesses throughout the region. Don't miss out on key business events, local success stories, and expert insights—subscribe to This Week in 757 and stay ahead in Hampton Roads' innovation and business community. https://bit.ly/twi757newsletter
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • How Cox Communications Reinvents, Innovates, and Serves the 757

    How Cox Communications Reinvents, Innovates, and Serves the 757
    Dec 11 2025
    In this episode of The Fervent Four Show, hosts Tim Ryan and Zack Miller sit down with Jeff Merritt, Market Vice President of Cox Communications Virginia, for a deep, wide-ranging conversation on innovation, connectivity, workforce evolution, and the future of technology in Hampton Roads. Merritt shares his roots as a Chesapeake native, his 26-year journey rising through Cox, and how the company has continually reinvented itself from a newspaper founded in 1898 into a national leader in broadband, telecommunications, automotive services, and emerging industries like controlled-environment agriculture and sustainable plastics. The discussion dives into how Cox prepares its network for massive growth in streaming, connected devices, and two-way communication, including doubling data consumption year over year, COVID-era infrastructure demands, and the company's push toward five-nines reliability. Jeff explains why true innovation requires continuous reinvestment, adaptation, and a commitment to community — from supporting military families to strengthening broadband resiliency. The conversation also explores workforce shifts, competition in a remote-first hiring world, company culture, leadership vs. management, and why hands-on roles remain essential even as automation and AI accelerate. Merritt also highlights Cox Charities, employee-driven community investment, and the internal culture that fuels long-term success. If you're interested in big-company innovation, economic development in the 757, the future of connectivity, or what it takes to lead thousands of employees across a complex service ecosystem, this episode delivers a powerful, insider look. (0:00) Jeff Merritt's background and ESPN partnership challenges (2:54) Introduction of guest Jeff Merritt (4:07) Jeff Merritt's upbringing and ties to Hampton Roads (7:16) Jeff Merritt's career journey at Cox Communications (9:54) Overview of Cox Enterprises and innovation strategies (17:27) Technological advancements and AI at Cox Communications (19:03) Supporting military families and network reliability during COVID (24:54) Data consumption trends and streaming service rise (26:07) Connected devices' impact on network traffic (29:11) Remote communication challenges and company culture (32:05) Connected device statistics per household (34:15) Network reliability and restoration efforts (35:10) The relevance of internet speeds today (37:04) Enhancing customer service and engagement (43:17) Workforce evolution and job competition (45:49) Technology's role in customer interactions and workforce (47:45) The future role of hands-on employees (50:01) Data centers and ISP services discussion (51:34) Differences between managing and leading (53:43) Company culture and fostering employee relationships (57:22) Cox Charities and community involvement initiatives (59:35) Spotlight on local businesses and community projects (1:01:31) Closing remarks and reflections - Continuous reinvention and investment in new areas are crucial for long-term business growth and relevance. - The ability to offer remote work has expanded job opportunities while also increasing competition, emphasizing the need for companies to be employee-centric and progressive. - A strong company culture that values employee connections and community involvement can significantly enhance team cohesion and overall job satisfaction. Learn more about COX: https://www.cox.com/residential/home.html Innovate Hampton Roads is on a mission to foster the growth of Hampton Roads' innovation and technology ecosystem by educating entrepreneurs and business leaders, providing access to essential resources, and building connections that drive synergistic partnerships. We are committed to creating a supportive environment that empowers entrepreneurs, strengthens the regional economy, and fuels long-term prosperity. By growing, guiding, and connecting key players in the ecosystem—including investors, industry leaders, universities, corporate partners, and community organizations—we aim to build a more innovative and inclusive economy. It's time to unify our efforts, amplify our collective voice, and streamline resources to benefit aspiring entrepreneurs, students, employees, and businesses throughout the region. Don't miss out on key business events, local success stories, and expert insights—subscribe to This Week in 757 and stay ahead in Hampton Roads' innovation and business community. https://bit.ly/twi757newsletter
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • How Skydiving Prepared Him for Business Risk No One Talks About

    How Skydiving Prepared Him for Business Risk No One Talks About
    Dec 4 2025
    What happens when you mix 1,100 skydives, a near-fatal crash, a family business handed down from a legend, and the grit to rebuild an entire industry from the inside out? You get Jay Prock, President of Tidewater Staffing, one of the most influential workforce leaders in the Port of Virginia. In this episode of The Fervent Four Show, we sit down with Jay for a raw, high-energy, no-filters conversation about: • How skydiving shaped his mindset as a CEO • The accident that nearly killed him—and what he learned about risk, recovery, and humility • The evolution of Tidewater Staffing and the reality of running a second-generation business • How the company supports 3,000–4,000 families across the 757 • The future of ship repair, AI, automation, and skilled trades • Building a culture of upward mobility, training, and long-term workforce development • His endurance sport era (including sub-5:00 half-Ironmans) • What blue-collar America is really facing—and why the trades are on a massive comeback Jay doesn't hold back. He goes deep on risk management, leadership, workforce transformation, the "blue-collar revenge," and the discipline required to grow one of the region's most vital staffing engines. If you're into 757 business stories, entrepreneurship, ship repair, skilled trades, leadership, risk-taking, triathlon training, or just love hearing from people who live at one speed—this episode is for you. - Entrepreneurs and skydivers share a similar mentality of taking risks, learning from failures, and getting back up to try again. - Managing risk and understanding the potential consequences of decisions are crucial lessons that translate between extreme sports like skydiving and the business world. - Tidewater Staffing focuses on community service by providing employment opportunities and support, emphasizing the importance of local impact and employee well-being. (0:00) Jay Prock on skydiving and entrepreneur mentality (2:23) Jay Prock's skydiving background and worst accident (7:16) From skydiving accident to business focus (11:00) Parallels between skydiving and entrepreneurship (14:17) Jay Prock's entry into Tidewater Staffing (17:38) Role of mentors and family in business (22:44) Preparing the next generation for business leadership (24:01) Financial literacy and the role of trades in education (25:25) Impact of AI and technology on ship repair industry (30:00) Leveraging AI for social media in staffing (32:23) Defining Tidewater Staffing's community impact (34:41) Recruiting and training in the 757 area (38:00) Growth and evolution of Tidewater Staffing (41:05) Lessons from triathlon training (48:52) Favorite local cuisine in the 757 area (50:32) Episode closing and reflections https://www.tidewaterstaffing.com/ Innovate Hampton Roads is on a mission to foster the growth of Hampton Roads' innovation and technology ecosystem by educating entrepreneurs and business leaders, providing access to essential resources, and building connections that drive synergistic partnerships. We are committed to creating a supportive environment that empowers entrepreneurs, strengthens the regional economy, and fuels long-term prosperity. By growing, guiding, and connecting key players in the ecosystem—including investors, industry leaders, universities, corporate partners, and community organizations—we aim to build a more innovative and inclusive economy. It's time to unify our efforts, amplify our collective voice, and streamline resources to benefit aspiring entrepreneurs, students, employees, and businesses throughout the region. Don't miss out on key business events, local success stories, and expert insights—subscribe to This Week in 757 and stay ahead in Hampton Roads' innovation and business community. https://bit.ly/twi757newsletter
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    51 mins
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