The Code To Winning

In this episode, we sit down with Rosezena “TheBizLawyer” Pierce, a leading trademark attorney and the CEO of RJ Pierce Law Group, PC in Chicago. Known as “the biz lawyer” on Instagram, Rosezena takes us through her extraordinary journey, from excelling in law school to facing the harsh reality of job hunting, and ultimately building a highly successful law firm dedicated to intellectual property law. Rosezena opens up about her background and the challenges that shaped her path. She graduated from John Marshall Law School with a 3.5 GPA and excelled in her intellectual property classes, yet she did not receive a single job offer. She also shares her unique experience of studying for and passing the bar exam while managing the responsibilities of motherhood. Instead of waiting for an opportunity, she created her own, launching a practice that served underserved small business owners in trademark law and using social media to educate and attract her first clients. Today, RJ Pierce Law Group is ranked Number 40 out of more than 28,000 trademark law firms in the country, and Rosezena herself is ranked Number 15 out of more than 33,000 trademark attorneys. She credits that success to hard work, smart strategy, and a dedicated team, including a key lesson from her first business coach about building a team instead of personally handling every client. We then dive into why protecting your brand matters so much. Rosezena compares trademarking your brand to owning the land before you build a house on it, because without that foundation, everything you create can be taken from you. She walks us through the real life stories that prove the point, including the original Burger King case in Illinois, which shows how critical it is to secure federal trademark rights before someone else does. Rosezena also breaks down exactly what it takes to protect your brand, step by step. It starts with a thorough search, including the USPTO website, followed by opinion letters and client counseling, then filing and handling any office actions from the government. She explains why hiring an attorney can make a major difference, and why review times have grown longer since the surge in filings during COVID. For brands ready to go global, she explains how international trademarking works through the Madrid Protocol, weighing its benefits and challenges, and why hiring local counsel is essential for navigating different laws in each country. She also covers what happens after you file, including the importance of monitoring your brand so you can stop infringement before you lose your rights. This episode is a must watch for aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners, and anyone who wants to understand the ins and outs of trademark law. Rosezena Pierce’s story is one of resilience, innovation, and the power of using social media to build an impactful career, and her advice will leave you ready to protect the brand you have worked so hard to build. Chapters 00:00 What is a Trademark? 07:13 Overcoming Career Obstacles 12:37 The Decision to Niche Down 16:28 Four Types of Intellectual Property 24:11 International Trademark Protection 31:11 State vs. Federal Registration 38:07 When to Secure Your Brand 40:58 The Trademark Registration Process 55:40 Cost of Trademarking and Classes 01:00:53 The Danger of Choosing Wrong Classes

In this episode, we sit down with Amber, co-founder of MOKIPOPS, to talk about how a simple homeschool project with her three children, ages 3, 5, and 7 at the time, turned into a thriving frozen fruit bar company. What started as a fun way to teach her kids about food, creativity, and hard work quickly became something much bigger when her then 7 year old son asked a question that changed everything: "How can we make more money and not be at every single event?" That one question sparked a serious commitment to building a real, sustainable business for the sake of their children and their family. We dive deep into what it really looks like to raise entrepreneurs from an early age, how Amber and her family taught their kids about business, money, and responsibility while still keeping things rooted in creativity and fun. From humble beginnings in a home kitchen in 2016 to hand molding every single popsicle themselves, MOKIPOPS grew through grit, community connection, and an unwavering commitment to quality. Amber shares how understanding her children's strengths, curiosity, and ideas played a central role in shaping the direction of the business, proving that kids are capable of far more than we often give them credit for. Today, MOKIPOPS has sold hundreds of thousands of natural frozen fruit bars and has grown from a shared facility into their own dedicated factory, now using automated machines that produce thousands of pops per hour. Along the way, the brand has caught the attention of major names like GoDaddy, the Atlanta Hawks, Entrepreneur Magazine, Atlanta Magazine, Southern Living, VOXAtl, and the Atlanta Small Business Network. This conversation is a powerful look into what it takes to build a family business from the ground up, the importance of listening to your children, and how raising young entrepreneurs can change the entire trajectory of a family's future. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:37 Amber's Background & Moving to Atlanta 06:03 Travel Aspirations & South Africa 09:37 The Origin of Moki Pops 12:58 Branding & Legitimatizing the Business 19:13 How Hurricane Irma Changed Everything 24:11 Scaling & Working with Major Brands 27:27 The Reality of Parenting Kid Founders 31:42 Why Kids Should Build the Business 37:18 How to Raise Confident, Creative Kids 41:54 Advice for B2B Distribution & Paperwork 44:26 Learning from Failure & Sharpening the Sword 46:20 The Future of Moki Pops & Getting Kids Off Devices 50:44 How Gen Z Uses Technology & AI 54:04 What Winning Means to Amber

In this episode, we sit down with Donald Luxama, one of the biggest names in the vending machine industry, with over 700,000 followers and more than 1 billion views across social media teaching people how to start and scale a real vending business. What began as a simple side hustle, buying used vending machines for around $500 that generate over $1,000 in profit a month, has grown into a full-fledged movement inspiring thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs to take control of their financial future.Donald breaks down the exact blueprint he used to get started, from finding locations to sourcing machines. He explains that the first step is going around your local town and asking family, friends, and local businesses if you can place a vending machine in their establishment, often pitching it as a free vending machine for their location. From there, he shows how to search Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and Craigslist to find machines typically ranging from $300 to $700, and the importance of testing every machine before buying it to make sure it is fully functional.We also dig into the numbers behind the business, because vending is as much about margins as it is about hustle. Donald shares real examples of how he prices his products for maximum profit, revealing gains that range from over 100 percent to as high as 700 percent on certain snacks. Beyond the numbers, Donald opens up about his world tour, where he traveled to meet some of the top vending machine operators across the globe, learning firsthand how different markets, cultures, and business models are pushing the industry forward in ways most people never see.The conversation also dives into where vending is headed next, including Donald's move into Pokemon and trading card vending machines, a fast growing niche built for collectors that operates on cashless, remotely managed technology, as well as the rise of AI powered vending machines that are changing how operators track inventory, manage restocks, and maximize profit with far less manual work. Whether you are just getting started with your first machine or looking to scale into new verticals, this episode is packed with real, actionable insight into building and future proofing a vending machine empireChapters00:00 Vending Machine Idea03:09 First Vending Machine09:48 Pitching to Owners16:11 Bad Location Strategy23:06 Pokemon Machine30:15 AI in Vending33:31 Permits & Licenses40:48 Lowest Performer47:24 School for Vending Pros53:31 Product Sourcing

Sitting down with us today is Michael J. MacDonald, visionary entrepreneur, architect of impact, and co founder of Earn Your Leisure (EYL), the movement redefining financial education and culture for an entire generation.Michael doesn't just talk about branding. He builds legacies. As a coach, strategist, and entrepreneur, he has spent his career pushing people to think bigger, act bolder, and build brands that command attention and stand the test of time.In this episode, we go deep into Michael's journey as co founder of both Earn Your Leisure and Invest Fest, the powerhouse financial literacy conference that has become a movement in its own right. We uncover the untold story behind their very first conference, where they took a bold $1.3 million investment with absolutely no sponsors locked in, a high stakes gamble that could have gone either way. We break down exactly how that risk paid off and set the foundation for everything that followed.We also explore the game changing partnership with Steve Harvey, a strategic move that opened doors, elevated credibility, and helped propel Invest Fest into the global phenomenon it is today. From humble beginnings to tens of thousands of attendees, this is the real story of how vision, risk, and relentless execution built one of the most influential platforms in financial education.Chapters00:00 EYL Origin Story03:45 Entrepreneur Journey ️07:17 Freedom Mindset10:21 Community Info Gap14:10 Real Estate Boom17:16 Investfest Profitability20:23 Diddy's Impact24:20 AI Investing Ease27:27 Generational Wealth Gap31:28 Podcast Impact Goal ️34:45 System for Fulfillment ️38:59 Business Relationships41:58 Time is Now ⏰45:49 Dream Big49:56 Community Building ️53:06 Obsession Drives Success56:06 Winning Definition

Luke Peters is an accomplished entrepreneur and the former CEO of NewAir, a company he founded in 2001 and grew from a garage startup to a thriving business with over $600 million in cumulative sales. His journey began in Fountain Valley, California, where he learned the value of hard work while working in his family’s donut shop for just 25 cents an hour. Under Luke's leadership, NewAir achieved significant milestones, including $80 million in sales in a single year and multiple placements on the Inc. 500 list. He successfully pivoted the company from a 100% B2C model to a multi-channel strategy, partnering with major retailers like Home Depot and Amazon. In mid-2021, after 20 years of dedication while retaining 100% of the stock, Luke sold NewAir in a mid-eight-figure deal . Today, he serves as a strategic CEO coach, leveraging his extensive experience to help other entrepreneurs navigate their paths to success. Luke is also a father of six and an avid surfer, embodying a balanced lifestyle that values both family and business. His story exemplifies the power of perseverance and innovation in achieving entrepreneurial success.

In this episode, I sit down with Brandon J. LoCascio, a multifamily real estate investor who has built a portfolio exceeding 30 million dollars in assets and 120 apartment units. Brandon shares how he approached scaling his multifamily portfolio through disciplined underwriting, smart market selection, and hands on asset management while focusing on long term growth rather than short term wins. We dive into Brandon’s real world experience with multifamily acquisitions, apartment investing strategies, financing structures, and investor relations. He explains how each multifamily deal was evaluated as a business, why strong property management is critical, and how building systems allowed him to grow consistently even as market conditions shifted. This conversation is packed with insights for anyone interested in multifamily investing, apartment syndication, and real estate investing for cash flow and equity growth. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced investor, this episode offers practical lessons on scaling a real estate portfolio, avoiding common mistakes, and building wealth through multifamily real estate.

Jamil Damji’s story is one of the most powerful examples of resilience and reinvention you’ll ever hear. As the co-founder of Keegly, a national real estate wholesaling franchise with over 100+ locations, and founder of AstroFlipping, one of the largest real estate training communities in the country, Jamil has helped transform thousands of lives through real estate education and mindset mastery. But before the success, the fame, and the seven-figure deals, his life was filled with unimaginable pain. From being bullied, beaten, and even chained as a child, to battling addiction, poverty, and hopelessness, Jamil’s early life was marked by struggle. Yet through every dark chapter, he refused to give up on himself or his dreams. His journey from addiction to becoming a multi-millionaire real estate entrepreneur proves that no matter where you start, transformation is always possible when you choose to rise above your circumstances. In this powerful conversation, Jamil shares the $50,000 deal that changed everything, the mindset shift that turned him into an opportunist in real estate, and the importance of staying authentic and aligned with your purpose. He also opens up about the emotional story of a homeless Indian girl that completely shifted his perspective on success and fulfillment — a story that will stay with you long after the episode ends. Whether you’re looking for motivation, healing, or insight into real estate success, this interview will challenge the way you think about winning. It’s more than just business — it’s about growth, gratitude, and becoming the person you were meant to be.