Two CEO brothers. One podcast. Zero filters.
45+ episodes of business stories, lessons, disasters and triumphs you need to hear. Mark Cuban email wars at 2am. Climbing forklifts to reach your girlfriend's window. National hotel chains spending $80K on pool diarrhea warning signs. See some of the more memorable moments when the guys discuss and debate the ups, downs and just plain craziness of business from the perspective only two brothers, each with 35+ years of running different businesses, could share. This is CEO Bros - after hours.
The year in review. The moments that made this year: Brad refusing to fall asleep before Mark Cuban did during a 3am email negotiation. Brad's forklift romance climbing to his girlfriend's second-floor window. The hotel chain with $80K fabricated steel signs warning about pool diarrhea. The house squatter who crushed every interview until Brad called references: "Don't you under any circumstance hire that freaking asshole." Between the chaos: real business wisdom. Why founders fudge commitments. Why Brian moved his office next to the exit door. Setting company culture early. Why friction creates better solutions. Zero-based budgeting. Trust in deals. The difference between selling lasagna at a seafood restaurant and solving actual customer problems.
This isn't a highlight reel. It's proof that running a business is strategy, chaos, stubbornness, and climbing forklifts when you have to.
*WHO THESE GUYS ARE* Brian Balduf co-founded and sold VHT Studios. Brad Balduf operates By Your Side Autism Therapy with 550 employees across 11 centers. Matt Croke keeps it honest. They've been there, survived it, and have the scars to prove it.
*THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH* "I'm not going to bed first. He's going to bed first." Sometimes the stubbornness that makes you a terrible negotiator makes you a great CEO. What was your favorite moment from Season 1?
👇 SUBSCRIBE for Season 2. More chaos, more disasters, more truth.
*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 kinds of moments. Pick the one that matches your year.
🍸 *THE HIGHLIGHT REEL* Brian Balduf - The storyteller who sold the company Recipe: • 2 oz bourbon • 0.5 oz honey syrup • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • Orange peel • Stir with ice, strain into rocks glass The Vibe: Smooth, refined, looks good on camera. Brian's got the wins that make people say "wow, you built that?" This drink's for the moments you screenshot and send to your mentor. Zero-based budgeting. Moving your office next to the exit. The logo sketched on a napkin that actually worked.
🍸 *THE LOWLIGHT REEL* Brad Balduf - The operator who scaled to 550 employees Recipe: • 2 oz mezcal • 1 oz Aperol • 0.75 oz lime juice • 0.5 oz agave syrup • Salt rim • Shake hard with ice, strain The Vibe: Smoky, intense, leaves a mark. Brad's got the disasters nobody warns you about. Forklift romance. 2am Cuban standoffs. Almost hiring a house squatter. This drink's for the moments you can't believe you survived but make the best stories later.
🍸 *THE CHAOS CUT* Matt Croke - The host keeping it real Recipe: • 1.5 oz gin • 0.75 oz elderflower liqueur • 0.75 oz lemon juice • Club soda • Build in glass, top with soda, stir gently The Vibe: Matt's job is asking the questions nobody else will and watching the brothers argue about pool signs, clown college, and whether "nits and nats" is a real phrase. This drink's balanced, refreshing, keeps you honest.
For everyone who watched 45+ episodes and thought "I can't believe they said that out loud." Make all three. Figure out which kind of year you had. Highlight reel wins? Lowlight disasters? Pure chaos? Tag us.
*JOIN THE CONVERSATION* https://x.com/CeoBrosAH
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Music: "Back to Black" by Rockin' For Decades (licensed through Epidemic Sound)
