From TV Mogul to CEO: Joey Carson’s Blueprint for Scale 📈 E157
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this Money Mondays episode, Dan Fleyshman sits down with Joey Carson, the longtime CEO of Elevator Studio, for their annual conversation about making, investing, and giving away money. (00:46) Joey shares insights from his 30-year career in television and film, including his transformative role as CEO of Buena Murray Productions (home of The Real World and Road Rules) and his journey from Fox executive to entrepreneur. (02:05) The discussion covers practical strategies for career advancement, the critical importance of mentorship and being coachable, and how to approach business growth and investment decisions with a clear framework.
- Main themes: Career transitions from corporate safety to entrepreneurial risk, the power of mentorship in professional development, systematic approaches to business scaling and investment decisions, and maintaining focus amid social media chaos
Speakers
Dan Fleyshman
Dan Fleyshman is the host of The Money Mondays podcast and founder of Elevator Studio. He pioneered influencer marketing in 2011 and has built a business ecosystem including Elevator Syndicate (which has raised $56 million for companies), Elevator Funding ($28 million in business loans), and Elevator Mortgage, while maintaining a 93% podcast listen-through rate.
Joey Carson
Joey Carson brings 30 years of experience in television and film, including leadership roles at Fox Television and as CEO of Buena Murray Productions during the height of The Real World and Road Rules era. He has served as CEO of Elevator Studio for 6-8 years, helping scale the company from an influencer marketing agency into a multi-faceted business ecosystem spanning mortgages, funding, and investment syndication.
Key Takeaways
Embrace Unlimited Upside Potential Over Safety
Joey Carson left his cushy Fox Television executive position to join Buena Murray Productions, taking a backward step financially because he craved unlimited upside potential over guaranteed safety. (07:03) He emphasizes that complacency is the biggest enemy of growth, and whenever he found himself "bumping up against" career limitations with no way out, it drove him to seek new challenges. The key question to ask yourself is: "Am I growing as a person and with my skill set, or am I stagnating?" (08:43) This mindset of preferring uncertainty because "anything can happen" opened doors to opportunities like creating digital programming for phones three years before the iPhone existed.
Present Ideas with Data and Solutions, Not Problems
When approaching your boss with a money-making idea, Joey advises coming prepared with thorough market research, data, and a well-thought-out plan rather than complaints or problems. (11:24) The approach should be: "Here's an area of opportunity that I think we're missing" rather than pointing out what's wrong. He suggests finding small groups of colleagues to support your idea so you're not going in alone, and framing it as a natural extension of existing capabilities - like how he positioned documentary films as a logical next step for Buena Murray's documentary-style reality TV expertise.
Being Coachable Is the Greatest Determinant of Success
The number one factor that determines professional success is being coachable, according to Joey's experience mentoring CEOs and executives. (14:57) He observed that many successful business owners with $10-200 million companies claim they want to scale but can't delegate because they maintain an "iron grip" on their operations. Early in his career, Joey was a "solo go ahead guy" who didn't want help, but once he opened himself to coaching from industry legends, "the entire world opened up." (13:58) The key question to ask: "Are you coachable?" - because if not, nothing else matters.
Apply the "Only Do What Only You Can Do" Principle
Dr. Phil gave Joey transformative advice: "Only do what only you can do and delegate the rest." (19:53) Using the example that only Dr. Phil can walk on stage and tape his show because he IS Dr. Phil, while everything else can be handled by producers and writers. This principle helped Joey realize that Dan Fleyshman's highest value wasn't "back at the office" but out speaking and doing business development, while Joey's expertise was better utilized managing operations. (19:15) This division of labor based on unique strengths allowed both to focus on their zone of genius.
Use the "Four Horsemen" Framework for Investment Decisions
Dan's systematic approach to evaluating investment opportunities involves four key advisors: the CEO (Joey), an accountant, a lawyer, and a domain-specific advisor who changes based on the industry. (28:37) The domain advisor might be someone from food and beverage for a beverage deal, or furniture industry expert for a furniture company. This prevents emotional decision-making by requiring factual analysis from multiple expert perspectives before committing capital. The framework ensures both excitement about the opportunity AND solid fundamentals before investment.
Statistics & Facts
- Elevator Syndicate has raised $56 million for food and beverage brands and consumer products, with over 1,100 accredited investors in the network. (23:43)
- Elevator Funding has provided $28 million in business loans, ranging from $10,000-$20,000 up to $500,000, with approval decisions made within 24 hours. (23:26)
- Berkshire Hathaway stock was trading at $500 per share in the late 1980s when Joey was a college finance major who couldn't afford to buy even one share. (26:39)
