Dropping Bombs

This episode was sponsored by Cardiff & Empire Ink  
 
LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/
Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/

Today's Dropping Bombs episode features Steve Santacruz — the street-raised New Yorker who opened a tattoo shop before he could tattoo, and built it into a multi-location empire with 200,000+ clients and over 7,000 five-star reviews. 
 
Steve reveals the one responsibility shift that ended gang life and started empire building, the counterintuitive advantage of knowing nothing when he opened, and why his philosophy — "Empire is the Way" — starts from the inside out, not the bank account. 
 
Most people are one decision away from an entirely different life. Watch this before you waste another year avoiding yours.



🔗 Connect with Steve 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevesantacruz
Empire Ink IG: https://www.instagram.com/empireinkstudios | https://www.instagram.com/empireinkstars
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@empireinkstudios | https://www.tiktok.com/@empireistheway
Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@stevesantacruz
 
Websites: https://stevesantacruz.com | https://empireink.com | https://empireinkstars.com
 
Watch the full-length video version of any Dropping Bombs episode here on YouTube.
 
Brad Lea is a self-made entrepreneur who turned small-town grit into a multi-million-dollar empire. With over 25 years dominating sales and leadership, he's mentored thousands to outsmart, outwork, and out win their competition. His top-rated podcast, Dropping Bombs, brings raw, game-changing insights from the biggest names in business.
 
LightSpeed VT is Brad's brainchild—the world's leading interactive training platform. It's built to make your team sharper, faster, and more effective, without wasting time or money. Whether you're a startup or a Fortune 500, LightSpeed VT is how you scale success and dominate your industry. Curious? Check it out:
https://www.lightspeedvt.com/
 
Brad's also behind Closer School, the go-to program for mastering sales and closing deals like a pro. Want to 10x your income? This is where you start. His book, The Hard Way, lays out the brutal, honest lessons he learned building his empire—your blueprint to winning the game. Get it here: https://bradlea.com/product/the-hard-way/
 
This isn't just a video. It's a wake-up call. Watch it. Share it. Act on it.
Closer School: https://www.closerschool.com/cs

This episode was sponsored by Cardiff, Meritage Partners & Inevitable Exit 
 
LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/
Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/

Today's Dropping Bombs episode features Brian Franco — M&A advisor who's closed over $2 billion in business sales and spent 23 years turning founder-owned companies into transferable, sellable machines.
 
Brian breaks down why most business owners are unknowingly building a job, not a business — and the seven value drivers that separate a 4–6x exit from a 10–15x payday. He gets into deal structure, earnouts, the boomer wealth trap, and why waiting too long to exit is the most expensive mistake a founder can make.
 
If you've built something real, this episode is the conversation you didn't know you needed. Your business is either an asset or a liability — this episode tells you exactly how to tell the difference.
 
🔗 Connect with Brian 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brian_t_franco/
Podcast: The M&A Guy Podcast
 
✅ Additional Resources 
Meritage Partners: http://meritage.partners
Inevitable Exit: http://inevitableexit.com
Inevitable Exit Book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/02TFLonb
Apple Bites AI: https://applebites.ai/
 
Watch the full-length video version of any Dropping Bombs episode here on YouTube.
 
Brad Lea is a self-made entrepreneur who turned small-town grit into a multi-million-dollar empire. With over 25 years dominating sales and leadership, he's mentored thousands to outsmart, outwork, and out win their competition. His top-rated podcast, Dropping Bombs, brings raw, game-changing insights from the biggest names in business.
 
LightSpeed VT is Brad's brainchild—the world's leading interactive training platform. It's built to make your team sharper, faster, and more effective, without wasting time or money. Whether you're a startup or a Fortune 500, LightSpeed VT is how you scale success and dominate your industry. Curious? Check it out:
https://www.lightspeedvt.com/
 
Brad's also behind Closer School, the go-to program for mastering sales and closing deals like a pro. Want to 10x your income? This is where you start. His book, The Hard Way, lays out the brutal, honest lessons he learned building his empire—your blueprint to winning the game. Get it here: https://bradlea.com/product/the-hard-way/
 
This isn't just a video. It's a wake-up call. Watch it. Share it. Act on it.
Closer School: https://www.closerschool.com/cs

This episode was sponsored by Cardiff & Hayden Garlock 
 
LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/
Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/

Today's Dropping Bombs episode features Hayden Garlock — the 27-year-old who built California's largest bird control company from a single door-knock observation, installed pigeon deterrent systems in 7,500 homes, and sold the whole thing for seven figures before most people figure out what they want to do with their lives.
 
Hayden exposes why dirty, unglamorous service businesses are the fastest path to millionaire status right now, why "burn the boats" is dangerous advice for most entrepreneurs, and why the online gurus selling success have never actually built anything outside the internet.
 
The trend chasers are losing, and those doing what nobody else wants to do are winning. This episode shows exactly why — and how to be one of them.
 
🔗 Connect with Hayden 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haydengarlock/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@haydengarlock
 
Watch the full-length video version of any Dropping Bombs episode here on YouTube.
 
Brad Lea is a self-made entrepreneur who turned small-town grit into a multi-million-dollar empire. With over 25 years dominating sales and leadership, he's mentored thousands to outsmart, outwork, and out win their competition. His top-rated podcast, Dropping Bombs, brings raw, game-changing insights from the biggest names in business.
 
LightSpeed VT is Brad's brainchild—the world's leading interactive training platform. It's built to make your team sharper, faster, and more effective, without wasting time or money. Whether you're a startup or a Fortune 500, LightSpeed VT is how you scale success and dominate your industry. Curious? Check it out:
https://www.lightspeedvt.com/
 
Brad's also behind Closer School, the go-to program for mastering sales and closing deals like a pro. Want to 10x your income? This is where you start. His book, The Hard Way, lays out the brutal, honest lessons he learned building his empire—your blueprint to winning the game. Get it here: https://bradlea.com/product/the-hard-way/
 
This isn't just a video. It's a wake-up call. Watch it. Share it. Act on it.
Closer School: https://www.closerschool.com/cs

This episode was sponsored by Cardiff, Last Rep, & Reach Peak
 
LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/
Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/

Today's Dropping Bombs episode features Stephen Samson, a self-made entrepreneur who went from the military to the boardroom without a degree, built a multi-million dollar company from nothing, and walked away with a life-changing exit in six years.
 
Stephen gets into what it really takes to survive a bootstrapped startup, why most growing companies are being held back by their own technology, and how he's now building a THC recovery beverage targeting the millions of people ditching alcohol for something better.
 
Whatever you're building right now, this episode is the push you didn't know you needed.


🔗 Connect with Stephen 
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/stsamson
Last Rep: https://lastreparc.com (Use Promo Code: BRAD for 20% off) 
Reach Peak: https://reachpeak.co 
 
Watch the full-length video version of any Dropping Bombs episode here on YouTube.
 
This video is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Last Rep contains Delta-9 THC derived from hemp. Must be 21+ to purchase. 
 
Brad Lea is a self-made entrepreneur who turned small-town grit into a multi-million-dollar empire. With over 25 years dominating sales and leadership, he's mentored thousands to outsmart, outwork, and out win their competition. His top-rated podcast, Dropping Bombs, brings raw, game-changing insights from the biggest names in business.
 
LightSpeed VT is Brad's brainchild—the world's leading interactive training platform. It's built to make your team sharper, faster, and more effective, without wasting time or money. Whether you're a startup or a Fortune 500, LightSpeed VT is how you scale success and dominate your industry. Curious? Check it out:
https://www.lightspeedvt.com/
 
Brad's also behind Closer School, the go-to program for mastering sales and closing deals like a pro. Want to 10x your income? This is where you start. His book, The Hard Way, lays out the brutal, honest lessons he learned building his empire—your blueprint to winning the game. Get it here: https://bradlea.com/product/the-hard-way/
 
This isn't just a video. It's a wake-up call. Watch it. Share it. Act on it.
Closer School: https://www.closerschool.com/cs

This episode was sponsored by Cardiff & MocToe Wine Co.
 
LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/
Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/

Today's Dropping Bombs episode features Andrew Schultz, an Army veteran turned winemaker who spent over a decade farming some of Washington State's most elite vineyards before buying the one where his career first began.
 
Andrew gets into what actually makes a great wine (it starts in the field, not the cellar), why Washington is quietly producing some of the most underrated bottles in the world, and how he built a business that takes care of the people doing the real work.
 
From combat tours to owning some of the most sought-after land in American wine country, this is a story about what obsession and integrity build over time. This episode is proof that patience, integrity, and doing things right still wins.
 
🔗 Connect with Andrew 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewleeschultz/
Website: https://www.moctoewines.com
 
Watch the full-length video version of any Dropping Bombs episode here on YouTube.
 
Brad Lea is a self-made entrepreneur who turned small-town grit into a multi-million-dollar empire. With over 25 years dominating sales and leadership, he's mentored thousands to outsmart, outwork, and out win their competition. His top-rated podcast, Dropping Bombs, brings raw, game-changing insights from the biggest names in business.
 
LightSpeed VT is Brad's brainchild—the world's leading interactive training platform. It's built to make your team sharper, faster, and more effective, without wasting time or money. Whether you're a startup or a Fortune 500, LightSpeed VT is how you scale success and dominate your industry. Curious? Check it out:
https://www.lightspeedvt.com/
 
Brad's also behind Closer School, the go-to program for mastering sales and closing deals like a pro. Want to 10x your income? This is where you start. His book, The Hard Way, lays out the brutal, honest lessons he learned building his empire—your blueprint to winning the game. Get it here: https://bradlea.com/product/the-hard-way/
 
This isn't just a video. It's a wake-up call. Watch it. Share it. Act on it.
Closer School: https://www.closerschool.com/cs