The Entrepreneur's Guide to Avoiding Million-Dollar Mistakes Artwork

The Integrated Entrepreneur

Welcome to The Integrated Entrepreneur with Jonathan Fodera, hosted by founder, author, public speaker, investor and entrepreneur Jonathan Fodera. On this podcast you'll learn strategies on how to become a better operator, how to acquire more clients for your company, how to retain those clients, valuable lessons, and how you can avoid the mistakes that Jonathan has triumphed on his path to $500M+ in financing for business owners and entrepreneur's.

Meet the Co-Host:
Keith Gause was born in Houston, Texas and moved to Jacksonville, Florida at the age of 2. He continues to reside in Jacksonville with my wife, Deanna, and two daughters: Addison (13) and Kylee (10) and their 4 dogs, a cat, a bearded dragon, and a snake. (If it were left to the ladies to decide, they would have a zoo!)

Keith’s childhood was spent playing sports, being an only child, and watching his father become an entrepreneur by continuously failing and trying again. His father built a multimillion-dollar company allowing him to retire and live the life he always dreamed about. Watching his father’s journey taught him a lot about business.

Not ready to jump into the family business, Keith went into the military in the year 2000 at age 18. He spent 5 years assigned to the 20th Special Operations Command in Ft. Walton Beach FL and spent a majority of his military career deployed to places that needed the most attention.

Keith continued in the world of excitement and danger by going into Law Enforcement where he spent 10 years working in Northwest Jacksonville. He worked the nightshift, 6pm -6am, which allowed him to have a full day to make an impact on what he ultimately wanted to do. That goal was to create an empire and to impact as many business owners as possible.

In 2009, wanting to care for his wife and first born in the best way, he took a big risk and spent his entire savings on an inactive business name and one inflatable bounce house. Bounce Around Jax Party Rentals was Northeast Florida’s #1 party and event rental business. At least that is what he believed!

By 2012, Keith was able to make a 7-figure exit and leave Law Enforcement and began to study all things finance & investing. He focused on learning about any mistakes he had made as a business owner and became obsessed with helping others avoid the same ones. That is how Tideland Consulting came to be. Now, Tideland operates in all 50 states and has created a non-bias ecosystem for growth-oriented entrepreneurs that maximizes how each dollar impacts the business, from protecting assets and reducing taxes to succession plans and exit strategies.

In 2023, Tideland aligned with GFG Solutions as a strategic partner to serve business owners at the highest level, with a white-glove service feel from a world-class team.

All Episodes

The Integrated Entrepreneur

The Entrepreneur's Guide to Avoiding Million-Dollar Mistakes

August 05, 2025 • Jonathan Fodera • Episode 85

Send us a text

What if a single business partnership misstep could cost you everything you've worked for? Tune in Jonathan Fodera shares his own trials and tribulations with Joseph Viccora, his longtime friend and business associate. They have learned the hard way that not all partnerships are created equal—from a partner who barely contributed, to embezzlement in a successful brokerage venture, and even a gym franchise that went awry. This conversation sheds light on the importance of trust, transparency, and active involvement in any business endeavor, hoping to arm you with the knowledge to avoid our past pitfalls.

When it comes to hiring, the stakes are equally high. Jonathan and Joseph discuss hiring mistakes that cost them between $300,000 to $500,000, not to mention a fraudulent $700,000 loan incident that left them reeling. It turns out that poaching high-level talent from other companies often leads to misalignment and disappointment. They also share a unique insight: athletes often make great salespeople due to their inherent competitiveness and resilience. Whether you're navigating business partnerships or growing your team, these insights aim to prepare you for a smoother entrepreneurial journey.