Beyond the Ledger, hosted by Troy Ashby — President at Benchmark Search, shines a light on the people, ideas, and stories shaping today’s accounting and finance industry. Each episode features in-depth conversations with leaders, innovators, and professionals who share their journeys, insights, and strategies for success. From career growth and leadership lessons to industry trends and challenges, the podcast explores what it really takes to thrive beyond the numbers. Whether you’re an experienced professional or just starting out, Beyond the Ledger offers inspiration and practical wisdom for the road ahead.
Terry Pham is an entrepreneur and community builder who has spent more than two decades creating experiences that bring people together.
As Founder of Fat Straws Boba & Mochi Donuts Co., Terry built a Dallas favorite known for bold flavors, a strong team culture, and memorable customer experiences. Today, he’s also the Community Champion & Movement Builder at Superpowers, where he helps entrepreneurs reach new levels of freedom and growth through structured curriculum, personalized coaching, and tightly connected communities.
Whether he’s behind the counter or coaching founders, Terry’s focus stays the same: building relationships that help people grow, succeed, and enjoy the journey.
“What You’ll Learn”
00:00 – Intro & Welcome
01:41 – What You Won’t Find on His LinkedIn
02:32 – From Premed to IT: Finding a Love of Learning
04:38 – Why a Boba Shop? The Full Backstory
05:05 – Growing Up in His Mom’s 7-Elevens
07:30 – Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap
08:30 – Hitting the Ceiling: Why Nothing Scaled
09:55 – Learning to Seek Mentors & Ask for Help
11:34 – 24 Years Through Recession, COVID & Tariffs
12:52 – The Costly Second Location & the Recession
13:35 – Giving Product Away to Survive
14:22 – Why “Growth Equals Pain” Held Him Back
15:36 – Opening Store #3 Without Being the Engine
15:55 – The Hiring Wake-Up Call: “Can You Just Train Us?”
17:35 – Discovering His Leadership Style
19:55 – Over-Indexing on External Learning
22:07 – Joining Superpowers HQ
23:39 – What an Executive Assistant Really Is
28:05 – The Freedom & Growth Flywheel
30:55 – The Final Three
31:04 – One Decision That Accelerated His Career
34:26 – What Makes Someone Stand Out: Ownership Thinking
37:00 – What Terry’s Excited About Now
Links:
Troy Ashby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyashby/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyashby/)
Terry Pham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-pham-31b73321/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-pham-31b73321/)
Fat Straws Corp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fatstraws (https://www.linkedin.com/company/fatstraws)
Fat Straws Website: www.fatstraws.com
Superpowers Website: www.superpowershq.com
Superpowers assessment platform: https://www.takefrequency.com/ (https://www.takefrequency.com/)
30 Sept 2026
Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) - Pursue Time and Financial Freedom
Jimmy J. Tran is an investor, M&A advisor, and civic leader who has spent his career helping businesses grow, scale, and sell. He founded Oak Lawn Group in 2010, an investment firm focused on real estate and other income-producing assets. He also serves as an M&A Advisor at Optima Mergers & Acquisitions, guiding middle-market business owners through the sale of their companies, and he's active in the startup world as both an investor and advisor.
Before that, Jimmy led Corporate Strategy and M&A for a $10B+ business segment at CBRE, the world's largest commercial real estate services company. There he drove $2B+ in acquisitions and helped triple earnings over eight years. He started his career as a management consultant at Bain & Company in Dallas, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and holds four degrees from SMU and two from Harvard.
Jimmy is also deeply invested in Dallas. He is Vice-Chair of the City of Dallas Economic Development Corporation, where he was part of the inaugural board. He has served on boards including the SMU Simmons School of Education and the Harvard Business School Club of Dallas, and he is a DBJ 40 Under 40 honoree.
Jimmy enjoys planning extensive family vacations (both domestic and abroad), working out and spending time with his wife, 3 kids and rescue dog.
“What You’ll Learn”
00:00 – Intro & Welcome
01:43 – What You Won't Find on His LinkedIn
01:46 – A Refugee Family's Story & Growing Up a Twin
04:38 – Was Management Consulting the Plan?
05:34 – "A Jungle Gym, Not a Ladder"
07:04 – The Mustard Seed: How Bain Got in His Head
08:08 – Inside Bain: The Ultimate Training Ground
09:51 – Getting the Call: A Case in Hawaii
11:39 – Working Abroad at Bain Singapore & Hong Kong
12:52 – What Bain Taught Him About Solving Problems
13:33 – Going In-House: Corporate Strategy & M&A at CBRE
15:55 – Leaving Corporate America at 40
16:04 – Pursuing FIRE: Financial Independence, Retire Early
19:19 – Why You Must Verbalize Your Goals
21:00 – The Accountability That Made It Real
22:07 – Selling His Own Business & Joining Optima M&A
23:39 – The Middle-Market Deal Space Explained
24:55 – Negotiating Against Sophisticated PE Buyers
25:25 – What Most Owners Get Wrong About Selling
27:01 – Beyond the Number: The Terms That Matter
28:55 – The "Silver Tsunami" Driving the Deal Wave
29:29 – What to Do Today to Prepare for an Exit
33:20 – The Final Three
33:22 – One Decision That Accelerated His Career
34:26 – The Fastest Way to Stand Out: Humble & Hungry
35:52 – What Jimmy's Excited About: The World Cup in Dallas
39:11 – Where to Find Jimmy & His Business Roundtable
Links:
Troy Ashby on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyashby (https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyashby/)
Jimmy Tran on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmytran (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmytran)
Optima Mergers & Acquisitions on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-optima-team (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-optima-team)
Optima Mergers & Acquisitions Website:
https://www.theoptimateam.com (https://www.theoptimateam.com/)
The Deal Table Podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/@thedealtablepodcast (https://www.youtube.com/@thedealtablepodcast)
9 Sept 2026
Why He Tells Every Employee Exactly How to Get Paid More
Guest Bio:
Suresh Narayanan is an entrepreneur, investor, and aviation executive with deep roots in the aerospace industry and a strong belief in putting people first. His passion for aviation started early, growing up around the repair station his parents opened after his father’s career as a Concorde mechanic.
A pilot himself, Suresh has built an impressive career across aerospace engineering, MRO, aviation operations, and mergers and acquisitions. Before founding Jets MRO, he worked alongside his brother at Aerospace Quality Research & Development, helping grow the aerospace engineering, repair station, and military jet modification business. He later served as COO of JSX and has continued to play a key role in aviation growth and leadership.
Following Jets MRO’s acquisition by FlyHouse, Suresh now leads FlyHouse’s maintenance operations across the country. He is also a member of YPO and serves on the board of the Frontiers of Flight Museum.
Suresh holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. Outside of work, aviation remains a passion, both professionally and personally—as he continues to look for ways to raise the bar for the industry and the people who make it possible.
“What You’ll Learn”
00:00 – Intro & Welcome
01:46 – What You Won't Find by Searching Him
01:58 – Why Family Comes First
02:26 – The Company Policy Inspired by Summer Camp
05:15 – How He Ended Up in Aviation
06:14 – Falling in Love With the Industry
07:12 – The Aviation Maintenance Talent Shortage
07:43 – Why Aviation Was Failing Its People
09:12 – Using Numbers as a Scoreboard
10:08 – Full Transparency & the Growth Plan
10:37 – Why Work-Life Balance Matters
12:03 – Professionalizing the Maintenance Organization
12:31 – How He Drove Turnover to Almost Zero
14:54 – The Value of Peer Groups Like YPO
15:50 – Building a Company to Sell
17:47 – The Successful Exit
18:44 – The Accounting Behind a Clean Exit
20:12 – Building With the End in Mind
25:02 – Why Most Companies Aren't Transparent
26:32 – Showing People How to Get Paid More
30:29 – Learning to Let Go as a Leader
31:26 – How to Stand Out on His Team
32:55 – What's Next
Links:
Troy Ashby on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyashby/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyashby/)
Suresh Narayanan on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/suresh-narayanan-78ba3330/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/suresh-narayanan-78ba3330/)
FlyHouse on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/flyhouse/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/flyhouse/)
FlyHouse Website:
https://www.goflyhouse.com/ (https://www.goflyhouse.com/)
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Spotify
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4 ratings
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