Between 2 Bridges - Audio

The guys kick things off with a simple request for every courteous driver out there: stop trying to direct traffic and just drive your car. From left-lane campers and zipper merges to Pennsylvania’s new distracted-driving law, they make the case that sometimes trying to be nice behind the wheel just makes everything worse.
Then the conversation turns to business. With Flexsource winding down, Joe talks about simplifying operations, putting more focus back into the dry cleaners, and reinvesting money into the parts of the business that can actually grow. They get into recurring revenue, area rug cleaning, marketing, AI, and the constant search for ways to make an established business more efficient and profitable.
That leads to the real goal: @#$%-you money. After getting a taste of the good life from luxury suites, Corvettes, first class, and five-star hotels, the guys debate whether money really can buy happiness and whether occasionally spending irresponsibly might actually make you work harder. There may not be a get-rich-quick scheme, but a $1,200 car payment is apparently one hell of a motivator.
Plus, youth football gets a rough introduction to game day, Hines Ward gets his Hall of Fame defense, and Joe considers turning wooden dry-cleaning hangers into their own little currency.

This week on Between 2 Bridges, Jerry and Joe talk about what your time is actually worth and why sometimes spending money is the smartest way to get more of it back. From laundry and the “wedding gown theory” to finding new opportunities, protecting quality as a business grows, and making things right when your company screws up, the conversation gets into what it really means to run a small business every day. Then Jerry’s new role coaching youth football leads into lessons about teamwork, toughness, responsibility, and why some of the things you learn on a football field stick with you long after you stop playing.

Matt Plocki has spent more than two decades building an empire in the businesses most people never think about. From Pitt Specialty Supply and Penn Fixture to Friendly Wholesale, real estate, and a long history of acquisitions, Matt has built his career around finding opportunity in the essential products and services that quietly keep other businesses running. In this episode, Matt joins Jerry and Joe to talk about starting his first business as a kid, buying and growing established companies, competing against private equity and online giants, building a strong company culture, automation, family business, and why relationships still matter in an increasingly impersonal business world.

After 27 years in the classroom, retired Riverview teacher Steve Rowe has learned a thing or two about what it takes to raise good kids. Steve joins Jerry and Joe to talk about how parenting and education have changed, the impact of screens and social media, teaching accountability and leadership, and why being present still matters more than anything else. They also discuss Steve’s new project, Good Kids Don’t Happen by Accident, a forthcoming book built from nearly three decades of lessons learned working with kids and their families, along with a companion podcast where Steve shares those lessons, explores practical advice for parents, and continues the conversation about raising good human beings.

Before you think about growing your business, ask yourself one question: what happens if you’re no longer there to run it? This week, the guys tackle one of the most overlooked responsibilities of business ownership: succession planning. From operating agreements and business partnerships to protecting your family, employees, and legacy, they share real-world stories of what happens when the proper plans are in place—and when they aren’t. Along the way, they dive into the hidden costs of subscriptions, the plague of spam calls, AI-powered financial tools for small businesses, and plenty of the off-the-rails conversations you’ve come to expect. If you own a business, this is one episode you can’t afford to skip. 

In this episode of Between 2 Bridges, Jerry pulls back the curtain on FORTIVO, the AI-powered platform he’s been building to help small business owners finally understand what their numbers are actually telling them. FORTIVO securely connects to your QuickBooks Online account using Intuit-approved integration, giving it access to your real financial data so it can answer questions, analyze decisions, and provide meaningful insights tailored to your business. It’s like having a CFO in your pocket without the CFO price tag.
 
The conversation expands far beyond software as the guys dive into using AI as a competitive advantage, why every business should embrace social media, setting clear expectations for your team, building systems that scale, and the leadership lessons that come from realizing your company’s biggest problems often start with you. Whether you’re launching a business, leading a team, or simply trying to make better decisions, this episode is packed with practical insights you can put to work immediately.

Success in business isn’t always about knowing when to push harder. Sometimes it’s about having the courage to stop.
 
This week, the guys discuss one of the toughest decisions an entrepreneur can make as Joe shares why he’s shutting down the manufacturing side of his business after nearly two years of fighting to make it work. They explore the emotional weight of closing a company, the responsibility of breaking the news to employees, and why protecting a healthy business sometimes means letting go of another.
 
Along the way, they swap stories about surviving Pittsburgh’s brutal heat wave, dealing with broken air conditioners, scam calls, staffing challenges, and the realities of running a business when life refuses to slow down.
 
It’s an honest conversation about resilience, perspective, and the often-overlooked truth that closing a business doesn’t always mean you’ve failed. Sometimes, it’s the smartest move you can make.

Everyone woke up to the headline that Kroger is buying Giant Eagle, but the real story started long before the announcement. This week, the guys break down why major acquisitions don’t happen overnight, the warning signs businesses often give before they’re sold, and what entrepreneurs can learn from reading between the lines.
 
From balance sheet cleanup and billion-dollar valuations to shrinking competition, loyalty programs, pricing strategies, and why relationships still beat discounts, this conversation goes far beyond the grocery business. Plus, Joe shares what the deal could mean for Pittsburgh’s dry cleaning industry, premium service businesses, and the future of local brands.
 
Whether you own a business, dream of selling one, or you’re just wondering what happens when a hometown giant changes hands, this episode is packed with practical insights hiding behind one of Pittsburgh’s biggest business stories.