Hi, my name is Anthony Montalbano, and I’ve spent most of my life building and growing a businesses. And let me tell you, not all of them were success stories. In fact, most of them didn’t go very far—like, at all. But through every failure, every late night, and every “what the hell are we doing” moment, I gained something even more valuable: lessons, friendships, resilience and a deep appreciation for what it takes to go from 0 to 1. Because let’s face it—this shit is hard.
In 2012, I co-founded AMBR Detroit with a brilliant developer I met while we were both working on Dominos.com. AMBR was the first company that truly taught me what it means to, quote, “know where the money comes from” in a business.
During the early days of building AMBR, for a few years, I didn’t have a place to call home. So I couch-surfed dozens of friends couches. And many of my friends were entrepreneurs. In the summer of 2016, an idea sparked: a podcast that captures the raw, unfiltered journey of starting something from scratch. And that’s how The Guest Podcast was born.
I recorded 10 episodes, capturing deeply personal and insightful conversations with some of Detroit’s most amazing humans. But then, life happened. The project fell short and frankly, somewhat forgotten. I never even listened to them.
A few months ago, my friend asked about the show. I laughed, but dug up those old recordings. I found myself reliving beautiful, genuine, real moments that made me laugh, reflect, and smile. But I didn’t expect how inspired I’d be.
Looking back, I’m in awe of the talented people I’ve had the privilege to work alongside—not just in Detroit, but anywhere. The camaraderie, the frustrations, the tears, the “oh fuck” moments, and the sheer joy of just building something that is truly bigger than any one of us.
Sharing these episodes feels vulnerable. Listening to my younger self, I cringe at some things I said, and say, what was that?! Maybe that’s why I held back for so long. But as they say, perfect is the enemy of good. Progress isn’t perfect—it’s messy, uncomfortable, but real. And that’s okay.
There's so many amazing things I re-learned in these conversations and I’m excited to share them with you.
So, as we dive into this podcast, I want to celebrate those moments—the wins, the learnings, and everything in between. Because whether you’re building your first startup or your tenth, the journey is what shapes you.
