In this episode, John sits down with Joe Baratta. Joe is the Global Head of Private Equity at Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager. Baratta shares his remarkable journey from a modest upbringing in Sacramento to leading one of the most powerful private equity platforms in the world. Together John and Joe explore the real meaning of access, aspiration, relationship capital, and why talent is universal, but opportunity is not. This episode is both a masterclass in economic empowerment and a reminder that the American Dream still exists, especially when leaders choose to widen the table and share the climb.