Matt throws out one word at a time. Brian and Brad react in real time. "Banks." Brian grimaces. "Private equity." Brad winces. By the time they hit friends and family, Brian's wife had stopped asking how the business was going. Her family had money in it. This is episode three of Season 2. Every funding source comes with a person attached, and that person is you.

*YOU'LL DISCOVER* • Why banks only give you money when you don't need it (and disappear when you do) • The VC trap: why taking the first check that's offered might be the worst decision you make • What angel investors actually want (and why some will drag you to their parties) • The friends and family line that gets crossed at Thanksgiving • Why Brian and Brad had completely opposite reactions to the same funding truth

*WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS* • Ask what else they bring: Rolodex to bigger money, board experience, law firms, HR firms • Put your own money in first, even the last $5,000 proves you believe it • Set expectations before friends and family write a check or it gets ugly fast

*WHO THESE GUYS ARE* Brian Balduf co-founded and sold VHT Studios. Brad Balduf runs By Your Side Autism Therapy with 550 employees across 11 centers. Matt Croke keeps it honest and pulls out the chaos. They've been there, survived it, and have the scars to prove it.

*THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH* "You only get money from banks when you don't need it. When you really need it? It's like pulling teeth." Are you picking the right investor or just the first one who says yes? 👇 SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every Friday. Real stories, real disasters, no LinkedIn energy. ————————————

*TIMESTAMPS*

0:00 - The PE Reputation: Sell Yourself to the Devil

1:26 - Matt's Word Association Game Begins

6:07 - Banks Only Give It When You Don't Need It

8:03 - Private Equity: Bean Counters or Growth Machines

12:20 - Venture Capital: The $10M Trap

16:03 - Angel Investors: Betting on the Jockey

22:11 - Friends and Family: The Delicate Balance

28:29 - Investing in Yourself: The Last $5,000

*ABOUT CEO BROS AFTER HOURS* CEO BROS: After Hours is raw business talk from CEO brothers Brian Balduf (VHT Studios) and Brad Balduf (By Your Side Autism Therapy) with host Matt Croke. Every Friday they share what actually happens building companies: brutal failures, scaling disasters, and the messy truth about leadership. No corporate polish. No LinkedIn energy. Just honest stories from the trenches.

🍸 *WIND DOWN WITH THE BROS: THIS WEEK'S COCKTAILS* Three drinks for three funding philosophies. Pick the one that matches your investor.

🍸 THE JOCKEY Brian Balduf - The storyteller who's been there and sold the company Recipe: • 2 oz scotch • 0.75 oz lemon juice • 0.5 oz honey syrup • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • Lemon twist • Shake with ice, strain into rocks glass The Vibe: Angel investors aren't betting on the plan. They're betting on the person holding it. This drink is confident and earns its reputation sip by sip. Be the kind of jockey worth betting on.

🍸 THE FAMILY PARTY Brad Balduf - The operator who scaled across 11 locations Recipe: • 2 oz tequila reposado • 0.75 oz lime juice • 0.5 oz agave syrup • 0.25 oz Cointreau • Tajín rim • Shake with ice, strain over ice The Vibe: Warm, festive, everyone wants in. Then someone corners you at the buffet asking when they're getting their money back. Brad's wife stopped asking how the business was going because her family had money in it. Sounds easy until the holidays.

🍸 THE POOL TABLE Matt Croke - The host keeping it honest Recipe: • 2 oz Irish whiskey • 0.75 oz sweet vermouth • 0.25 oz Benedictine • 2 dashes orange bitters • Orange peel • Stir with ice, strain into coupe The Vibe: Brad loaned Brian's company money once. Brian calls it a loan. Brad calls it a loss on the pool table. Sometimes the most expensive money isn't from a VC. It's from the guy sitting across from you at Thanksgiving. Make all three. Which investor are you working with? The jockey bet? The family money? Or writing it off as a pool table loss? Tag us.

*JOIN THE CONVERSATION* https://x.com/CeoBrosAH https://www.instagram.com/ceobrosah/ https://www.facebook.com/CEOBrosAH https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceo-bros

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