What if your investment portfolio could generate income completely detached from stock market swings?

Bryan Pham grew up watching his stepfather build and sell a semiconductor manufacturing business — and that early roadmap for success never left him. As Head of Institutional Sales at Percent.com, he's helped raise over $2.5 billion in private credit syndication, and his story is as much about the success mindset behind that climb as the financial mechanics. We sit down with Bryan to unpack his journey from a first-generation Vietnamese-American kid in New Jersey to JP Morgan and beyond — and the wealth building principles he's picked up from the ultra-high-net-worth clients he's served along the way.

Key Takeaways

• Entrepreneurs almost always outwork their peers — Bryan's most successful clients are people who built businesses, not just earned salaries
• Dollar cost averaging into passive ETFs is Bryan's personal go-to strategy for long-term financial success — set it and don't overthink it
• Private credit can serve as a powerful fixed income alternative, delivering 10–15% annualized returns uncorrelated to public market swings
• Percent.com has democratized private credit — accredited investors can now access deals with as little as $500
• The 0% withdrawal rule: structuring investments to live off income without ever touching your principal
• Understanding collateralization and asset-based investing can dramatically reduce your downside risk
• Options and high-risk trades should only ever represent a small percentage of your net worth — and you should mentally assume that money is already gone
• A co-op education (like Drexel or Northeastern) can give young people a massive head start through real, full-time work experience
• Avoiding sectors with higher default rates — like venture debt — is just as important as picking winners
• Transparency in investing matters: Percent publicly owns both wins and losses, which Bryan sees as a mark of trustworthy ethics

Percent.com — Bryan's platform for private credit investing. Accredited investors can access deals starting at $500. Visit percent.com to explore current opportunities.

Accredited Investor Definition — To invest through Percent, you must qualify as an accredited investor: $200K+ individual annual income (or $300K+ as a couple) for two consecutive years, OR a net worth of $1M+, OR a licensed financial services professional (Series 7, 65, 66, etc.).

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• (00:00) - Overrated/Underrated Intro Game
• (01:07) - Welcome to On The Chair
• (01:30) - Introducing Bryan Pham
• (02:04) - Bryan's Background & Growing Up
• (05:29) - What Drew Bryan to Finance
• (07:34) - Drexel Co-Op Internship Experience
• (09:20) - Is Co-Op Education Worth It?
• (10:34) - College, Networking & The Next Generation
• (11:09) - Mindsets of the Ultra-Wealthy
• (13:06) - Bryan's Personal Investment Strategy
• (15:00) - Private Credit as a Fixed Income Alternative
• (16:57) - Worst Investment Bryan Ever Made
• (19:16) - Options Trading: Thrill vs. Risk
• (21:14) - Trading on Headlines & Tweets
• (21:42) - Polo's Penny Stock & Margin Story
• (24:00) - Why Uncorrelated Assets Matter
• (24:47) - How to Get Started with Percent
• (26:02) - Regulation, Transparency & the SEC
• (27:38) - Accredited Investor Requirements Explained
• (28:11) - How Asset-Based Private Credit Works
• (30:04) - Defaults, Workouts & Risk Management
• (32:21) - Conservative vs. Aggressive Yield Strategies

He left a six-figure corporate job to build a $150M company — here's how.

What does it take to walk away from security and bet everything on yourself? Shannon Breen, founder and CEO of FreightVana, did exactly that — launching a tech-enabled transportation company from zero to over $150 million in revenue across five years, during the worst trucking recession in decades. Shannon shares the three defining moments that pushed him to take the leap: a global pandemic, the reality of corporate culture, and watching his father battle cancer. His story is equal parts success mindset and raw honesty about the risks, sacrifices, and team-building required to build something from the ground up.

Key Takeaways:

1. The "Three C's" framework that pushed Shannon to leave corporate and start Freight Vana: COVID, corporate culture, and a personal family crisis.
2. Why Shannon built Freight Vana on a non-commission structure — and how it creates better alignment between shippers, carriers, and the business.
3. The "power only" and drop trailer model: how a differentiated service offering allowed Freight Vana to grow where standard brokerages couldn't.
4. What Shannon learned from Kevin Knight — the discipline, entrepreneurial spirit, and competitive drive behind one of trucking's most profitable companies.
5. Why he believes networking is the single most underused superpower for 18–25-year-olds entering business or transportation.
6. Shannon's honest take on real estate — his biggest financial win and his biggest financial loss both came from the same asset class.
7. The "building sandcastles too close to the ocean" analogy — and why working inside a large trucking company wasn't the path to lasting wealth building.
8. His perspective on rate transparency legislation, broker liability, and where the trucking market is heading.
9. Why Shannon believes in giving to your network before you ever need it — and how that philosophy has paid dividends over the last five years.
10. College vs. real-world experience: Shannon's nuanced take on what actually prepares young people for entrepreneurship and financial success.

If you enjoyed On The Chair, please like and subscribe. If you loved it, share this episode with a friend!

📩 Send your questions: onthechairpodcast@gmail.com
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @onthechair_podcast
🚛 Follow Freight Vana: @freightvana | freightvana.com

What does money really do to you — and are you letting it work for you?

On this episode of On The Chair, Polo Garza and Vince Gonzalez sit down for one of their most candid conversations yet — no guests, just two guys who've built real businesses and wealth from the ground up, talking openly about money, mindset, stress, and what financial success actually feels like from the inside. From Vince's experience buying into a Canadian psychology company at a 3.5x multiple to Polo's journey of flipping vintage airplanes for profit, this episode pulls back the curtain on what wealth building really looks like when you're in your 30s with families, obligations, and big ambitions.

Key Takeaways:

1. Money magnifies who you already are — it doesn't change your character, it reveals it.
2. Vince bought into a Canadian psychology company at a 3.5x multiple for $350,000, targeting a potential $2.5M return at exit.
3. Vince flipped a Porsche 911 GT3 at 28 — and learned that usefulness matters more than the thrill when it comes to big purchases.
4. Polo turned his passion for aviation into profit — buying vintage planes off market, flying them, and selling each one for a gain.
5. Thinking in opportunity cost for every single dollar will keep you from ever actually enjoying your life.
6. When stress hits: pacing the house, taking a shower, or hitting the gym — finding your reset rhythm matters.
7. Trucking insurance is an underutilized revenue stream — Polo and Vince break down a potential new business direction.
8. Hiring people who can sell — not just people who know the industry — is a game-changer for scaling teams.
9. Both hosts reference Codie Sanchez as an influential voice for their business acquisition strategy.
10. 2026 is already looking strong — the company is up 20-30% in January alone, and both hosts are actively expanding.

Resources Mentioned:

• Codie Sanchez — Entrepreneur and investor known for her content on buying small businesses and the 'Contrarian Thinking' community. Find her at codiesnchez.com and on YouTube and Instagram @codiesanchez.

If you enjoyed On The Chair, please like and subscribe. If you loved it, share this episode with a friend! We want to hear from you! Send your questions to onthechairpodcast@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram: @onthechair_podcast