INspired INsider Podcast

• [SaaS Series] Protecting APIs and AI Agents at Global Scale With Michael Nicosia

  Michael Nicosia is the Co-founder and COO of Salt Security, a company that protects APIs from threats using cloud-scale big data, AI, and ML. Under his leadership, Salt has raised $271 million, reached a $1.4 billion valuation, and has become a leader in API security with patented AI technology and Fortune 500/Global 1000 clients. With over 20 years of experience in enterprise software sales and marketing, Michael helped lead Adallom as COO from its founding to its $327 million acquisition by Microsoft. In this episode… APIs power nearly every modern digital service, yet most companies remain unaware of just how vulnerable these connections can be to breaches. With AI agents, MCP protocols, and microservices expanding rapidly, how do you ensure that sensitive data isn't leaking through unseen cracks in your API infrastructure? Michael Nicosia, a serial entrepreneur and technology executive, shares how he took the leap from corporate roles to building a platform that safeguards APIs. He describes starting with only an idea, refining it through Y Combinator, and securing early validation from security leaders. Along the way, Michael emphasizes the importance of focusing on customer outcomes, building the right team, and persevering through uncertainty. His journey shows that protecting digital services isn’t just about software — it’s about resilience, trust, and staying ahead of attackers. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Michael Nicosia, COO and Co-founder of Salt Security, about scaling cybersecurity solutions for the modern digital world. Michael discusses lessons from Y Combinator, navigating the fundraising journey, and securing enterprise clients. He also shares insights on pricing models, hiring top talent, and the role of mentorship in building a lasting company.

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• [Top Agency Series] Get Your Business To Work for You With Ryan Redding

  Ryan Redding is the Founder of Eightfold Advantage, a firm that helps business owners and leadership teams scale without chaos. He previously founded Levergy, a digital marketing agency for home service companies that was acquired by KickCharge Creative in February 2025. A certified Bloom Growth coach and host of the Blue Collar.CEO podcast, Ryan draws from his own journey of overcoming burnout and leading successful company exits to help others build sustainable businesses and achieve their goals. In this episode… Entrepreneurs can easily get trapped in 60- to 90-hour workweeks — juggling clients, managing teams, and putting out constant fires. Profits shrink, growth stalls, and personal freedom disappears. Is it possible to escape the grind without losing control of the business? Growth coach and advisor Ryan Redding shares how his fast-growing agency left him exhausted until he “fired himself” from daily operations and empowered his team. By hiring a strong operational leader and adopting systems like EOS, he transformed the business and his life — moving from 90-hour weeks to true autonomy. His story highlights the power of trust, healthy conflict, and culture in overcoming burnout and building sustainable growth. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Ryan Redding, Founder of Eightfold Advantage, to talk about scaling businesses without chaos. They discuss the shift from being a doer to a leader, the value of finding the right operational partner, and lessons learned from selling a business. With insights on culture, EOS, and Bloom Growth, Ryan offers practical advice and real-world stories for entrepreneurs ready to scale without sacrificing their lives.  

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• [Top Agency Series] Transforming Agency Growth Through Influence With Jason Falls

  Jason Falls is Chief Strategy Officer and Principal at Falls+Partners, an influence marketing strategy and creative concepts firm founded in 2022. The company helps clients move beyond checkbox influencer campaigns and toward genuine, influence-driven strategies. An award-winning digital marketing strategist, author, and podcast host, Jason has been recognized as a top influencer in social technology and marketing by Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Ad Age. As a thought leader, he hosts the Winfluence podcast, serves as Executive Producer of the Marketing Podcast Network, and has authored multiple books on influence and social media. In this episode… Influencer marketing often promises massive reach, but too many brands end up burning their budgets on ineffective one-off posts. What if the key to success isn’t more followers but more influence? And how do you find creators who actually drive results? Jason Falls, an expert in influence marketing and social listening, explains why shifting focus from influencers to influence leads to stronger outcomes. Jason emphasizes investing in long-term partnerships with micro-influencers, relying on creative directors for compelling content, and using social listening tools to spot overlooked opportunities. He illustrates these strategies through campaigns with VisitLEX, GE, and a bourbon brand, showing how creativity, consistency, and insight can turn marketing into meaningful engagement. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Jason Falls, Chief Strategy Officer of Falls+Partners, about rethinking influencer marketing. Jason discusses building authentic influence strategies, lessons from viral content, and the value of social listening. He also explores mistakes brands make in influencer campaigns, the power of micro-influencers, and why creativity drives better results.

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• [SaaS Series] Building the Future of Voice AI With Kwin Kramer

  Kwindla “Kwin” Kramer is the CEO and Co-founder of Daily, a leading real-time video platform that provides APIs for integrating audio, video, and AI into apps. Under his leadership, Daily has powered millions of video and voice minutes each month for clients like AWS, Google, Epic, and Nvidia, and is recognized as a Y Combinator Top Company. An MIT Media Lab alumnus, Kwin previously co-founded Oblong Industries, creator of the gesture-based interfaces seen in Minority Report. He is passionate about advancing distributed systems and AI to shape the future of telehealth, education, and conversational technology. In this episode… Imagine a virtual assistant that not only schedules your appointments but also remembers every detail of past interactions — across healthcare, education, and even gaming. What if seamless real-time audio, video, and AI tools could elevate these experiences for everyone, not just the tech elite? How did the journey of making this technology accessible to millions actually unfold? Kwin Kramer pioneered developer infrastructure that makes embedding real-time audio, video, and AI into products simple and scalable. Drawing on his experience at Y Combinator and Oblong Industries, he learned to bridge the gap between imagination and reality for companies such as Boeing and GE. With Daily, Kwin shifted to empowering startups in telehealth, edtech, and more with open, scalable tools. His work enables doctors, teachers, and other professionals to harness AI and real-time media, signaling a future where AI copilots transform daily life. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Kwin Kramer, CEO and Co-founder of Daily. They explore the evolution of developer tools, lessons from Y Combinator, and how open-source ecosystems are shaping healthcare, education, and more. The conversation covers how Daily powers telehealth, adaptive learning, and conversational agents; the shift from custom demos to scalable APIs; and why the future of software is voice-first and deeply personalized.

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• [Top Agency Series] Turning Agency Struggles Into Profit Power With Eli Rubel

  Eli Rubel is the Founder and CEO of Profit Labs, a strategic finance and bookkeeping firm exclusively for agency owners. Profit Labs provides financial clarity, profitability insights, and forecasting tools tailored for creative, marketing, and service agencies. Eli has generated over $10 million in agency profit since 2020 and is widely followed for his expertise in building high-margin, scalable service businesses. He previously founded Glider, a venture-backed SaaS company, and later launched Matter Made and NoBoringDesign, which served clients like Dropbox, Loom, and Sequoia-backed startups. In this episode… The entrepreneurial journey is rarely a straight path; more often, it is marked by missteps, hard lessons, and unexpected pivots. Even seasoned founders can launch a new venture only to see it stumble at the very beginning. When this happens, how do you regroup, refine, and rebuild into something stronger? Eli Rubel, a seasoned entrepreneur and agency finance expert, experienced this firsthand when his latest venture faltered due to misaligned messaging and poor market fit. Rather than walking away, Eli leaned on his network of fellow founders, adjusted his positioning, and revamped his sales approach. These changes quickly turned early struggles into wins, landing his first clients and building momentum. He emphasizes the power of bootstrapping for flexibility, leveraging offshore teams for efficiency, and testing pricing to uncover true profitability. His journey exemplifies how adaptability, clarity, and persistence can transform setbacks into lasting growth. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Eli Rubel, Founder and CEO of Profit Labs, about turning early failures into profitable growth. Eli shares why he chose bootstrapping over venture capital, what he learned from a failed launch and pivot, and the costly mistake of keeping staff too long in a downturn. He also discusses scaling with offshore talent, the importance of time tracking, and how price testing can transform agency profitability.  

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