Welcome back to The Entrepreneur’s Journey, hosted by Michael Pallozzi. In this episode, Michael speaks with Jon Winters, President of MSC Flooring, about his journey from painting houses in high school to co-founding and growing Michigan Specialty Coatings into a thriving business. Jon shares how early failures shaped his business philosophy, the lessons learned from traveling the world, and the importance of living below your means to weather any economic storm. Listen in for candid insights into building a resilient company culture and managing growth through challenges.

Tune into this episode to also learn:

● How a small painting gig turned into an entrepreneurial journey.

● The pivotal lessons Jon learned from early business failures.

● Why living below your means is critical for entrepreneurs.

● How coaching and EOS helped MSC break growth barriers.

What we discussed

● [00:01:02] The story behind MSC’s name change and branding.

● [00:02:21] Jon’s first taste of entrepreneurship painting houses in high school and college.

● [00:06:33] Traveling for 18 months and the life lessons learned abroad.

● [00:14:44] How Jon transitioned from touring with Disney on Ice to the coatings industry.

● [00:20:32] Early struggles with product failures and how they pivoted MSC’s focus.

● [00:25:18] Celebrating 20 years in business and growing a team of over 70 people.

● [00:27:49] How EOS and coaching transformed MSC’s operations and leadership.

● [00:31:22] Jon’s advice on living below your means and preparing for economic downturns.

3 Things To Remember

1. Running a business comes with hard lessons — early failures can define future success.
2. Leveraging coaching and structured systems can help break through growth ceilings.
3. Living below your means builds resilience and confidence to handle economic uncertainty.

Useful Links

Connect with Michael Pallozzi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpallozzihfm/

Like what you’ve heard…

Learn more about HFM HERE

Schedule time to speak with us HERE

Welcome back to The Entrepreneur’s Journey, hosted by Michael Pallozzi. In this episode, Michael sits down with John Moskola, co-owner of Watson & Sons Plumbing in Western Pennsylvania. With a background in cybersecurity for the Pentagon, John made an unexpected pivot into business ownership through the acquisition of a local plumbing company with his brother. They discuss the challenges of securing financing, navigating the SBA loan process, handling curveballs like environmental studies, and what it takes to successfully grow a family-run trade business in a modern world. This episode offers a candid look at making the leap from corporate life to entrepreneurship—and why trusting the process makes all the difference.

Tune into this episode to also learn:

● How to creatively finance a business acquisition without large upfront capital.

● Why adapting benefits packages is key to retaining talent in trades.

● The power of clearly divided roles in family-owned businesses.

● How side investments like real estate can support entrepreneurial ventures.

What we discussed

[00:01:01] John’s early exposure to the business and his career journey from IT and cybersecurity to plumbing.

[00:03:47] How John’s brother was approached to buy the plumbing business and the step-by-step acquisition plan.

[00:05:00] The funding process: SBA loans, seller financing, and borrowing from personal assets.

[00:07:56] Handling last-minute hurdles—like environmental surveys—during the buying process.

[00:08:16] Transitioning from cybersecurity to entrepreneurship with a young family and financial planning.

[00:10:07] Facing seasonality and industry slowdowns, especially during election years.

[00:11:35] Balancing partnership roles: operations vs. administrative vision.

[00:13:39] Modernizing the trade business by offering benefits and retirement plans.

[00:17:13] Expansion strategy: Opening a second location and adding new service lines.

[00:19:33] Balancing business ownership with family life and four kids.

[00:22:20] Diversification: Investing in real estate and long-term strategic planning.

[00:25:28] Future vision: Acquiring additional service businesses to build a one-stop home services company.

[00:26:29] John’s closing advice: Trust your gut, trust your team, and trust the process.

3 Things To Remember

1. You don’t need a large amount of cash to buy a business—creativity and the right team make all the difference.
2. Modernizing trade businesses with strong benefits and culture can be a competitive edge for recruiting and retaining talent.
3. Entrepreneurship is not just about growth—it’s about having a clear process, a supportive team, and the discipline to stay focused.

Useful Links

Connect with Michael Pallozzi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpallozzihfm/

Like what you’ve heard…

Learn more about HFM HERE

Schedule time to speak with us

Welcome back to The Entrepreneur’s Journey. In this episode, host Michael Pallozzi sits down with Jayson Miletta, a 21-year-old recent graduate of Rowan University and already a seasoned entrepreneur. Jayson shares how he turned a backyard cornhole league into a national franchise, launched a digital marketing firm with automated outreach systems, and built a scalable business model rooted in partnership and performance. This conversation covers the evolution of Jayson's ventures, the systems behind his success, and his vision for the future—all before graduating college.

Tune into this episode to also learn:

Welcome back to The Entrepreneur’s Journey. In this episode, host Michael Pallozzi sits down with Jayson Miletta, a 21-year-old recent graduate of Rowan University and already a seasoned entrepreneur. Jayson shares how he turned a backyard cornhole league into a national franchise, launched a digital marketing firm with automated outreach systems, and built a scalable business model rooted in partnership and performance. This conversation covers the evolution of Jayson's ventures, the systems behind his success, and his vision for the future—all before graduating college.

● How Jayson scaled a cornhole league into a national franchise model.

● What it takes to cold-sell $100,000 franchises as a teenager.

● The difference between marketing “leads” and real business growth.

● How automation and AI are revolutionizing client acquisition.

What we discussed

[00:00:00] Jayson shares how he knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur after realizing basketball wouldn’t be his career path.

[00:03:57] Founding a national cornhole league and learning sales through trial and error.

[00:05:40] Jayson describes using Facebook Lamborghini groups for cold outreach—learning from 10,000 rejections.

[00:06:49] Launching Jersey Jays Cornhole and expanding into fundraisers with a mobile tournament model.

[00:10:02] His earliest ventures: flipping Silly Bands in kindergarten and starting a clothing brand in middle school.

[00:12:31] How he pivoted from web design to performance marketing and the launch of GDG Media.

[00:14:38] Transitioning to a rev-share business model that aligns agency success with client growth.

[00:16:19] Why most agencies fail by selling “leads” and how GDG measures success by revenue impact.

[00:18:24] Expanding into verticals like credit card processing to drive more value.

[00:22:22] How Jayson uses AI to automate email outreach and schedule meetings without manual input.

[00:24:49] Leveraging massive proprietary databases to target ideal customers for marketing campaigns.

[00:26:15] Jayson’s five-year vision: location flexibility, consulting, and continuous growth.

3 Things To Remember

1. Starting early allows more room for trial, failure, and ultimately faster growth.
2. Systems, automation, and mentorship are key to scaling a business while reducing stress.
3. Business models aligned with client success—like rev share—create long-term partnerships and impact.

Useful Links

Connect with Michael Pallozzi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpallozzihfm/

Like what you’ve heard…

Learn more about HFM HERE

Schedule time to speak with us HERE