Welcome to Topsail Insider

The Topsail Insider Network is a growing media platform based in coastal North Carolina, celebrating business, community, and culture.

The Topsail Insider Podcast highlights businesses and nonprofits in the Greater Topsail area, giving locals, visitors, and future residents a look at what’s available in our coastal communities.

The Amplified CEO podcast expands the reach with national guests, featuring candid interviews with Investors, CEOs, and Entrepreneurs. Hosted by venture capitali…

Podcasts

Topsail Insider Podcast

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Amplified CEO with Richard Stroupe

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Recent Episodes

June 19, 2026

The 1865 Society of Pender County and their Juneteenth Celebration

In this episode of Topsail Insider, I sit down with Karen Malloy, president of The 1865 Society of Pender County, to talk about the organization’s mission, local history, community programs, scholarships, and the upcoming Juneteenth celebration in Burgaw. The festivities begin Friday, June 26, with a Spoken Word Program at The Depot featuring North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green. Then on Saturday, June 27, downtown Burgaw will host a full day of family-friendly activities, food trucks

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June 10, 2026

Matt Cimino | Amped Ventures

From Teenage Web Developer to Multi-Million Dollar Exit with Matt Cimino What does it take to build, scale, and successfully exit a software company? In this episode of Amplified CEO, Richard Stroupe sits down with Matt Cimino, Managing Partner of Amped Ventures and former founder of Amped, a Wilmington-based software company acquired by Intuit. Matt's entrepreneurial journey began at just 14 years old building websites for local businesses and eventually led to creating multiple techno...

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May 14, 2026

Amplified CEO - Chris Capone

What happens when a CPA stops playing it safe and builds something of his own? In this episode, Chris Capone joins Richard Stroupe to share the journey from Deloitte and international finance roles in Switzerland and Bulgaria to launching Capone & Associates in Wilmington. They discuss entrepreneurship, leadership, company culture, financial discipline, and how AI is changing the future of accounting and business. Capone & Associates: https://www.caponeandassociates.biz LinkedIn: ht...

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May 11, 2026

Tully Ryan | IQExit

In this episode of Amplified CEO , Richard Stroupe sits down with Tully Ryan , CEO of IQExit and Managing Director at Murphy Business , as well as a contributor to the Wilmington Business Journal . Tully shares his journey from launching a tech company during the dot-com era to advising founder-led businesses on growth, transition planning, and successful exits in today’s evolving M&A market. The conversation explores AI’s impact on business operations, acquisition entrepreneurship, private equi

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April 23, 2026

Ian Padrick | Ohanafy

Ian Padrick, Founder and CEO of Ohanafy, returns to Amplified CEO to talk about raising the company’s Series A round, scaling after early pivots, and building a repeatable growth engine. Topics include: Series A fundraising Investor readiness Founder pivots Customer success AI and automation B2B technology Wilmington startup growth Building raving fans Scaling without losing focus 👉 Learn more about Ohanafy: https://ohanafy.com/ 👉 Connect with Ian Padrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in

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March 26, 2026

Andrew Sridhar | The Warrior Poet

What does it really take to lead under pressure—and why do most people avoid it? In this episode of Amplified CEO, Richard Stroupe sits down with former Navy SEAL Commander and Warrior Poet founder Andrew Sridhar to explore high-performance leadership, decision-making under pressure, and the mindset shift required to move from comfort to growth. From SEAL training and combat experience to Harvard Business School and leading in tech, Andrew shares powerful insights on ownership, resilience, st...

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