In Episode 30 of Fearless Founders, hosts Ike Kavas and Benoy Tamang welcome entrepreneur and former wealth management executive Adam Nugent, not a tech founder, but someone whose story offers urgent lessons for anyone building a business.
Adam’s journey is one of extraordinary growth, devastating collapse, and radical reinvention. From scaling his wealth management firm to $1.4 billion in assets under management to losing everything, his company, identity, and peace of mind. Adam opens up about the dark side of entrepreneurial ambition. His story is a mirror for founders chasing success without solid internal foundations.
Adam began his career far from finance, dreaming of life in the restaurant business. But after a central pivot, he entered the world of life insurance and, eventually, wealth management. By focusing on service, personal connection, and creative financial solutions, he built Foresight Wealth Management, one of the fastest-growing firms in Utah, for nearly a decade.
His client-first approach, supported by a strong team and expansive national presence, propelled his company to manage over $1.4 billion in assets. From the outside, it was a dream scenario for any business founder. But behind the scenes, cracks were beginning to form.
In 2017, the company began expanding into the emerging CBD industry, seizing an opportunity many investors were eager to explore. However, regulatory complexity and evolving FDA policies quickly turned a promising venture into a legal and financial crisis.
Compounding the problem, the SEC launched a formal audit, uncovering issues with how fund documents had been structured. Despite working with external legal counsel, Adam had unknowingly signed off on documentation that failed to meet compliance standards. The result was that the company folded, he was personally fined $7 million, and many of his closest investors were left devastated.
Adam’s collapse wasn’t just professional, it was deeply personal. “When the company died, I died with it,” he confessed. Stripped of his title, reputation, and financial standing, Adam found himself in a mental health spiral. He spoke candidly on the podcast about suicidal thoughts, shame, and isolation.
Much of this stemmed from years of attaching his self-worth to business performance. Like many entrepreneurs, he wore success-like armor, but when the armor fell off, he had no idea who he was underneath. Adam described this time as “the most painful season” of his life, marked by emotional suppression, crumbling relationships, and inner chaos.
The Rebuild: Strengthening the Pillars of a Whole Life
Out of this darkness came transformation. Adam began the slow work of redefining success not through capital raised or clients retained, but through emotional resilience, physical health, and meaningful connection. He lost over 100 pounds, improved his relationship with his sons, and started a new business focused on coaching men through personal and professional burnout.
His company, Burn Up, helps others break through the narratives that keep them stuck, whether it’s fear, shame, or unprocessed failure. As he puts it, “You don’t change until the feeling of pain of still the same becomes worse than the pain of change.”
Adam’s story is a wake-up call to founders and entrepreneurs of all kinds: tech, finance, services, and beyond. It’s easy to get caught in the momentum of growth, especially in a startup culture where scaling fast is idolized. But without emotional maturity, self-awareness, and internal alignment, that momentum can become destructive.
Here are four takeaways from Adam’s conversation with Ike and Benoy:
Don’t outsource your awareness. Understand every deal and document—don’t unquestioningly trust third parties.
Detach your worth from your net worth. You are more than your business title or exit number.
Create space to feel. Avoiding discomfort often leads to collapse.
Lead from experience, not performance. Sustainable leadership starts with internal wholeness.
Adam Nugent’s story is not just about falling from a billion-dollar firm; it’s about how he rose from the ashes, stronger and more human than ever before. As Fearless Founders continues to spotlight voices from across the startup and business world, Adam’s episode reminds us that resilience isn’t just bouncing back; it’s rewriting the story entirely.
For founders, CEOs, and anyone walking the unpredictable path of entrepreneurship, this episode is required listening. Because success isn’t just about what you build, it’s about who you become when everything else is stripped away.
Visit https://fearlessfounders.club and explore more powerful conversations designed to elevate your business journey. Discover lessons in leadership, resilience, and growth from real founders like you only on the Fearless Founders podcast.
Adam opens up about the collapse of his business, the emotional aftermath, and his journey through rock bottom toward personal and professional reinvention. From the pitfalls of chasing external validation to the power of rebuilding your identity, this conversation is packed with hard-won wisdom for every entrepreneur navigating risk, growth, and purpose.
In Episode 29 of Fearless Founders, hosts Benoy Tamang and Ike Kavas welcomed Abby Martin, HR expert and President of Amplēo HR, for a deep dive into what truly drives scalable, people-first growth in startups.
In this episode 28 of Fearless Founders, Brock Blake, co-founder and CEO of Lendio, shares the unfiltered reality behind building a $100M business. He walks us through five pivotal “fetal position” moments—those gut-wrenching lows that tested his resolve, leadership, and belief in the mission.
In Episode 27 of Fearless Founders, we sit down with Fengmin Gong, a pioneering technologist and four-time exited founder, known for his instrumental roles in building companies like Palo Alto Networks and CipherOptics.
In this episode of Fearless Founders, Jeremy Glauser, a three-time exit entrepreneur, shares his journey of building and scaling multiple businesses. He opens up about the challenges of entrepreneurship, from navigating market timing to the emotional toll of setbacks.
In Episode 25 of Fearless Founders, we sit down with Tom Turner, a visionary leader in cybersecurity and a seasoned entrepreneur with multiple successful exits. With a career spanning decades in the tech industry, Tom shares his insights on building and scaling startups, aligning sales and marketing for growth, and the critical role of leadership in fast-moving industries.
In Episode 24 of Fearless Founders, Peter Harris, Managing Director of University Growth Fund, shares his remarkable journey from real estate and micro-franchising in Ghana to leading a venture fund in Utah. With years of experience evaluating startups and raising capital, Peter offers invaluable insights into when to raise funds, navigating investor relationships, and building successful businesses.
In this episode 23 of Fearless Founders, our guest, Clint Betts is a key figure in the startup and tech community, best known for founding Silicon Slopes and Kokomo. He has played a major role in fostering entrepreneurship, connecting leaders, and shaping Utah’s tech landscape.
In this episode 22 of Fearless Founders, Jeremy Docken is a seasoned entrepreneur and founder of Calderas, a healthcare technology company. With a background in accounting and forensic finance at Arthur Andersen and KPMG, he transitioned into the tech and pharmaceutical space, building innovative solutions.
In Episode 21 of Fearless Founders, Brandon Bliss shares his incredible journey from finance graduate to achieving five successful company exits. With over 20 years of experience, he unpacks strategies for elevating business growth, the value of mentorship, and the power of aligning your purpose with your business venture. Learn more how his eye-opening life story and practical lessons can inspire you to create a lasting impact on your team and unlock growth for everyone. Don’t miss this episode packed with actionable takeaways!