The Unshakeables podcast dives into inspiring stories from real small business owners across America who power their communities every day. Join Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business, and co-host Kathleen Griffith as they hear from guests who share their make-or-break moments that changed everything. Produced in collaboration with iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio, The Unshakeables has won multiple awards, including Gold at the 2025 Signal Awards. The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of the podcast release date and they may not materialize. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. ©2026 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The Unshakeables podcast dives into inspiring stories from real small business owners across America who power their communities every day. Join Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business, and co-host Kathleen Griffith as they hear from guests who share their make-or-break moments that changed everything. Produced in collaboration with iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio, The Unshakeables has won multiple awards, including Gold at the 2025 Signal Awards. The speakers&rsquo; opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of J.P. Morgan Chase &amp; Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of the podcast release date and they may not materialize. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. &copy;2026 JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co.

The Unshakeables

Next Up on The Unshakeables

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Nubia Perez had a plan for her life — marry abroad, raise trilingual kids and build something global. But when her father fell ill, Gretna Machine Shop needed her more than her plans did. The family business was suddenly without direction, and Nubia stepped in to put out fires. But the business didn’t need a firefighter — it needed a leader. For a decade, both Nubia and the company muddled through what she calls the "dark ages," until one day, a children's movie gave her the answer she'd been looking for. 

Join Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith as they talk to Nubia about stepping up unexpectedly, building an oil and gas business in Houston (it’s a good place for it!), and why flat leadership doesn’t mean leaderless. These are The Unshakeables.

Nubia Perez had a plan for her life &mdash; marry abroad, raise trilingual kids and build something global. But when her father fell ill, Gretna Machine Shop needed her more than her plans did. The family business was suddenly without direction, and Nubia stepped in to put out fires. But the business didn&rsquo;t need a firefighter &mdash; it needed a leader. For a decade, both Nubia and the company muddled through what she calls the "dark ages," until one day, a children's movie gave her the answer she'd been looking for.&nbsp;
Join Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith as they talk to Nubia about stepping up unexpectedly, building an oil and gas business in Houston (it&rsquo;s a good place for it!), and why flat leadership doesn&rsquo;t mean leaderless. These are The Unshakeables.

Who’s Running the Shop?: Gretna Machine Shop

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/160ac4cd-cedf-4c77-be15-b4110164e9d3/transcript

There are movies about how a dog can change your life — but for Dr. Laura Surovi and Michael Sivo, it actually happened. Laura had recently built a successful mobile vet practice, but the long drives were exhausting. Then in 2016, they met Chauncy, a rescue with serious injuries and no local rehab options. Watching him struggle they knew their community needed something better. So Laura built a veterinary rehab service herself and business took off. Then Michael pitched something bigger: a 6,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility. It was a bold, risky and expensive move, but just what they needed to scale. 

In this episode, Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith talk with Laura and Michael from Cleveland Veterinary Rehabilitation about going all-in when the market isn't quite ready, building for what's next and trusting your gut when no one else sees your vision yet. These are The Unshakeables.

There are movies about how a dog can change your life &mdash; but for Dr. Laura Surovi and Michael Sivo, it actually happened. Laura had recently built a successful mobile vet practice, but the long drives were exhausting. Then in 2016, they met Chauncy, a rescue with serious injuries and no local rehab options. Watching him struggle they knew their community needed something better. So Laura built a veterinary rehab service herself and business took off. Then Michael pitched something bigger: a 6,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility. It was a bold, risky and expensive move, but just what they needed to scale.&nbsp;
In this episode, Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith talk with Laura and Michael from Cleveland Veterinary Rehabilitation about going all-in when the market isn't quite ready, building for what's next and trusting your gut when no one else sees your vision yet. These are The Unshakeables.

For the Love of Dogs: Cleveland Veterinary Rehabilitation

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c314f0d7-c663-4ca6-9280-b4040135f5a8/transcript

Dr. Victor Van Berkel lost his father to lung cancer — the deadliest cancer in the U.S., in part because it’s so difficult to detect early. That loss inspired Breath Diagnostics, a start-up using breath samples and microchip technology to identify cancer. But groundbreaking science doesn’t always translate into a sustainable business. After years of stalled leadership and mounting debt, investor Ivan Lo stepped in — buying the debt, restructuring the company and becoming CEO. When a Mayo Clinic partnership revealed they needed to fix some technical issues first, they hit pause to get it right — even if it meant going it alone for a while.

 

In this episode, Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith speak with Victor and Ivan about making hard bets, the real costs and rewards of scientific startups and why leading with conviction sometimes matters more than consensus. These are The Unshakeables.

Dr. Victor Van Berkel lost his father to lung cancer &mdash; the deadliest cancer in the U.S., in part because it&rsquo;s so difficult to detect early. That loss inspired Breath Diagnostics, a start-up using breath samples and microchip technology to identify cancer. But groundbreaking science doesn&rsquo;t always translate into a sustainable business. After years of stalled leadership and mounting debt, investor Ivan Lo stepped in &mdash; buying the debt, restructuring the company and becoming CEO. When a Mayo Clinic partnership revealed they needed to fix some technical issues first, they hit pause to get it right &mdash; even if it meant going it alone for a while.
&nbsp;
In this episode, Ben Walter and Kathleen Griffith speak with Victor and Ivan about making hard bets, the real costs and rewards of scientific startups and why leading with conviction sometimes matters more than consensus. These are The Unshakeables.

The Business of Early Detection: Breath Diagnostics

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c486b404-8ff2-46fe-b969-b3f70150c498/transcript

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