Efficient Inefficiency Guaranteed Results with Government

The Federal Growth Lab is a weekly live call designed for small and mid sized business owners who want to grow smarter—with less friction and more strategic clarity. Whether you're exploring government contracts, navigating capital raises, refining internal operations, or pursuing market expansion, this is your tactical support lab.

Every week, you’ll get practical tools, peer insights, and expert coaching to help you eliminate growth bottlenecks and make better decisions faster.

0:00 - Intro & Morning Banter
0:45 - Movement as Medicine: Marty’s Story
1:32 - Barriers to Activity & Reclaiming Hobbies
2:36 - Low-Impact Exercise & Autoimmune Recovery
3:37 - Community Coaching & Shared Experience
3:55 - Partnerships with Insurance & Wellness Plans
4:13 - Calm App as Business Model Inspiration
5:17 - Grant Partnerships with Johns Hopkins
5:55 - MVP Learnings: Connecting Players to Games
6:55 - Scaling to B2B: Internal Cohorts for Employers
7:47 - Vision: Mechi as the Uber of Movement
8:13 - Biggest Challenges: Cash Flow & Partnerships
9:00 - The Chicken-Egg Problem of Traction & Capital
9:59 - BetterUp as a Coaching Platform Analogy
10:30 - Local Cohorts, Old-Timer Leagues & Accessible Movement
12:57 - Trends: Pickleball, E-Bikes, and Inclusivity
13:51 - Casual, Non-Intimidating Sport Matchmaking
14:20 - Freemium Model & Uber-Style Partnerships
15:35 - Revenue Acceleration via Strategic Distribution
16:34 - B2B Wellness as a Productivity Solution
17:29 - Local Governments & Hospitals as Channels
18:50 - Founder Wellness: Hiking Meetings & Human Connection
20:01 - How Marty Can Support the Broader Platform
21:19 - Why a Nurse Practitioner Built a Tech Startup
23:17 - Soccer Community: Consistency Drives Retention
24:25 - Target Persona: 35–40 Year Old Parents
27:30 - Health Metrics: Tracking Resting Heart Rate
28:02 - Wearable Integration & Mid-Market Partners
28:49 - Gamification: Points for Attendance
29:45 - Paid Access Improves Commitment & Retention
30:49 - Redeeming Points for Goods, Rentals, or Donations
32:24 - Hospitals Want Health Data, Not Just App Stats
34:53 - Donor Advised Funds as Funding Vehicles
35:01 - Similar App Concept: Athletica (Tap and Go)
36:25 - Mechi’s Tech Can Sync with Any Health Input
37:19 - Angel Investing vs. Micro-VC Real Talk
38:04 - Zero-Contract, No-Interest Loans = True Angels
39:25 - The Problem with Pitch Events & Theatrics
40:24 - Trust-Based Funding Builds Long-Term Loyalty
42:33 - Helping Founders Means Believing First
44:25 - Event Scams & Exploited Founders
45:42 - Real Deals Happen via Trusted Referrals
47:04 - No Access to BBQ = No Deal Flow
48:08 - Global Scale: Brazil, Africa, Latin America
49:17 - Seek Investors Who Love Soccer & Startups
50:30 - Example Investor: Jeff Mallett (Whitecaps Owner)
51:33 - Founders Crave Non-Transactional Investment
53:56 - Origin Story: Friends Built Mechi from Scratch
55:24 - Rec Match Filters: Geography, Skill, Timing
56:18 - Peer Ratings & Post-Match Feedback
57:05 - It’s Tinder for Movement, Reframed as Healthcare
57:33 - Revenue Potential: 700K Users = $1M+/Mo
58:06 - Athlete Biometrics & Pro-Level Optimization
60:00 - Closing: What Would Make You Try Mechi?
61:21 - Filtering for Adult Friends to Play With
62:45 - Gen X as a Core Persona for Marketing
63:01 - Outro & Community Reflections