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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

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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

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Cut The Tie Podcast with George Knauf
What if your path to financial freedom and legacy isn’t in a corporate office—but in franchising? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with George Knauf, a franchise fanatic with over 30 years of experience helping people find their perfect business fit. George isn’t just matching candidates to opportunities—he’s showing them how to create empires, build multi-generational wealth, and take control of their future.

With a deep Rolodex of industry leaders, decades of tracking franchise performance, and a proven ability to guide entrepreneurs beyond fear, George lays out why franchising isn’t just about buying a job—it’s about building lasting assets.

About George Knauf

George Knauf is a veteran franchise consultant and industry leader with more than three decades of experience. As the founder of My Perfect Franchise, he has helped countless individuals transition from corporate careers into business ownership, guiding them to create multi-brand, multi-territory portfolios that can be scaled or sold for life-changing exits. Known for his unmatched industry knowledge and deep relationships with franchise executives, George’s mission is simple: help people build empires that last for generations.

In this episode, Thomas and George discuss:

• Cutting ties with limiting beliefs
  George explains how the biggest barrier to entrepreneurship isn’t external—it’s internal. Fear and outdated expectations keep too many executives stuck.
• Why franchising is different from going it alone
  Franchising offers proven systems, training, and support. George breaks down why you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to succeed.
• From job security to asset building
  He highlights how owning a business is like owning your home—an asset that builds value—compared to renting your career in corporate America.
• Creating multi-generational wealth
  George shares real client stories of entrepreneurs who scaled from dozens to hundreds of units, creating financial security for their children and grandchildren.
• Dispelling myths about franchise ownership
  From fear of risk to misconceptions about time commitment, George addresses the biggest reasons people hesitate—and why they shouldn’t.

Key Takeaways:

• Fear is the real tie to cut
  Most people don’t lack ability—they let fear keep them from moving forward.
• Franchising provides proven systems
  You don’t have to start from scratch. Leverage infrastructure, training, and brand power.
• Your job isn’t an asset—but your business can be
  Stop renting your career. Start building something you own.
• Wealth isn’t just for you—it’s for generations
  Done right, franchising can create lasting security for your children and grandchildren.

Connect with George Knauf:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/responsible-franchising/

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@ins

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Wilson Zehr
What does real balance look like for an entrepreneur—and how do you design a business that supports it? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Wilson Zehr, professor, entrepreneur, and CEO of Zairmail, a company that has been reinventing direct mail for more than 20 years. From navigating massive shifts in the printing industry to building software that gives an old medium new life, Wilson shares how balance, innovation, and persistence fuel his entrepreneurial journey.

About Wilson Zehr

Wilson Zehr is the CEO of Zairmail (a division of Cendix), a B2B SaaS company that automates direct mail programs for organizations across the world. With decades of experience as a technology executive, entrepreneur, and professor, Wilson has built, acquired, and sold companies, while also teaching marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, and business strategy at the university level. A lifelong innovator, he helped pioneer “hybrid mail”—digital files transformed into physical mail delivered to homes and businesses. Passionate about entrepreneurship and balance, Wilson combines his technical expertise with a love of problem-solving, mentoring, and building lasting businesses.

In this episode, Thomas and Wilson discuss:

• Redefining work-life balance
  Why balance isn’t a perfect 50/50 split, but something you consciously design as an entrepreneur.
• Cutting ties with corporate constraints
  Wilson reflects on leaving behind rigid “8-to-7” corporate schedules to build a business on his own terms.
• Reinventing direct mail in a digital age
  How Zairmail pioneered hybrid mail and gave physical mail new relevance in the era of digital marketing.
• The habits that create luck
  How consistent daily actions—networking, execution, and showing up—lay the groundwork for “opportunities.”
• AI and innovation in print
  Wilson’s perspective on how AI serves as a tool, but why creativity and trial-and-error remain uniquely human.

Key Takeaways:

• Balance isn’t about 50/50
  True work-life balance means designing a business and lifestyle that actually fit together.
• Corporate rules don’t define success
  Walking away from rigid schedules opened space for entrepreneurship and freedom.
• Old industries can reinvent themselves
  With hybrid mail, even “sleepy” products like print can gain new life in a digital-first world.
• Luck is built, not found
  Opportunities come to those who consistently put themselves in position for them.

Connect with Wilson Zehr:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilsonzehr/
🌐 Website: http://www.zairmail.com
📧 Email: wilson@zairmail.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:

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

Support the show

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Anika Jackson
What happens when you realize you don’t fit into a box—and you’re not supposed to? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Anika Jackson, founder of Your Brand Amplified®, professor at USC Annenberg, single mom, podcaster, and executive director at the ICL Foundation. From PR to AI, curriculum development to podcast consulting, Anika has cut ties with traditional definitions of success and leaned fully into her multi-passionate path. The result? A thriving business, a top 1.5% global podcast, and a mission to merge technology with humanity.

About Anika Jackson

Anika Jackson is the founder of Your Brand Amplified®, a branding, marketing, PR, AI for business, and podcast consulting agency that helps entrepreneurs and organizations find their authentic voice. Her podcast of the same name ranks in the top 1.5% globally. In addition, Anika teaches graduate courses at USC Annenberg in digital media management and social media, where she has pioneered AI-first curriculum. She also serves as Executive Director of the ICL Foundation and ICL Academy, developing innovative curriculum and weaving AI into education and business practices. As a single mom and MBA candidate at Villanova specializing in AI/ML, Anika lives at the intersection of technology, education, and philanthropy—unapologetically multi-passionate.

In this episode, Thomas and Anika discuss:

• Cutting ties with “traditional” career paths
  Why Anika walked away from agencies and roles that didn’t align with her values or purpose.
• Living unapologetically multi-passionate
  How embracing her wide range of passions led to synergy across teaching, PR, AI, podcasting, and philanthropy.
• Building a business through faith and persistence
  The moment she “gave it up to the universe” and landed a PR contract that grew into a 20-person firm during the pandemic.
• Using AI without losing humanity
  Why she’s passionate about creating AI tools that enhance authenticity, efficiency, and connection rather than replace it.

Key Takeaways:

• Success is passion + purpose
  Don’t chase other people’s definitions—design your own.
• It’s okay to be multi-passionate
  Your unique intersections may be your biggest advantage.
• Volunteering builds real leadership
  Free training in EQ, delegation, and public speaking pays lifelong dividends.
• AI is a tool, not a replacement
  Use technology to amplify your humanity—not erase it.

Connect with Anika Jackson:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikajackson/
🌐 Website: https://yourbrandamplified.com/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:

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