What does it really take to build a business that lasts for decades?

Building an agency or service-based business is not just about landing the first client. It is about hiring the right people, delivering consistently, earning trust, surviving hard seasons, and making decisions that protect the company long after the excitement of launch wears off.

In this episode of the Fervent Four Show, Tony Cortinas, president and cofounder of Marathon Consulting, shares what he has learned from building a Hampton Roads technology consulting company that has lasted 20 years.

The conversation covers Marathon's early leap of faith, the story behind the company's name, the discipline it took to grow without sacrificing quality, and why people, culture, and client relationships have remained central to the company's success.

Marathon Consulting was also named to the first group of 20 companies selected for the IHR200, Innovate Hampton Roads' curated list of the 200 most important privately owned, growth-scalable businesses in the region. https://marathonus.com/

Watch the full conversation to hear what building a lasting business really looks like, and why endurance may be one of the most underrated forms of business success.

Learn more about the Fervent Four Show:
https://www.innovate757.org/ferventfour/

(0:00) Building relationships, starting the business, and launching before the Great Recession
(2:04) Managing time between company building and client work
(2:43) History and background of Metro Information Services and Keene
(4:52) Phased approach to launching the company
(7:04) Initial funding and relationship with Town Bank
(7:29) Company growth and employee numbers
(10:17) Origin of the Marathon name and logo
(13:49) Community involvement and support
(18:06) Influence of Metro and Keene on company culture
(19:26) Multi-step interview process and hiring standards
(22:13) Key qualities sought in potential hires
(23:48) Transitioning from client-facing roles and rewriting old systems
(25:32) The impact of AI and automation on consulting
(29:57) Predictions on AI's effect on jobs and consulting
(32:50) Evolution of Marathon Consulting's partnership structure
(38:28) Opening an office in Richmond: Challenges and strategies
(44:47) Future plans for geographic expansion and service offerings
(46:37) Overcoming growth plateaus and breaking through employee milestones
(48:27) Scaling challenges with growing teams
(49:35) Transition from small to large team dynamics
(50:10) The importance of food in company culture
(51:34) Returning to the office post-pandemic
(52:10) Reflecting on two decades of business growth
(53:18) Employee retention and long-term staff
(54:16) Future branding and company milestones
(55:16) Episode wrap-up and final thoughts

Something in the Water was never just about music. In this conversation, Robby Wells breaks down the bigger strategy behind cultural moments, regional storytelling, and building events that make people feel ownership in where they live.

Wells is a branding and cultural strategy leader who has worked behind the scenes on major Virginia moments like Something in the Water and Mighty Dream. His work sits at the intersection of storytelling, events, culture, commerce, and community impact, helping turn big ideas into experiences that make people think differently about their cities.

From Pharrell's influence, Something in the Water, Mighty Dream, and Atlantic Park to Noodle, Newport News, skateboarding, city branding, and the next generation of builders, this conversation explores why culture can change how a city sees itself, and why emerging leaders need access, belief, and a real chance to take the ball and run with it.

0:00 Thinking bigger and being free to dream
0:17 Robby Wells joins the conversation
0:45 Moving from Los Angeles to Virginia
1:14 The assumption that Robby and Pharrell grew up together
1:59 How skateboarding shaped Robby's view of creativity
4:00 Skateboarding, hustle, and innovation
7:17 Atlantic Park and the skater mindset
9:10 Culture, commerce, and modern city-building
10:30 Why festivals can be bigger than ticket sales
11:33 Why some people only see the surface
13:01 Understanding the festival experience
14:00 Applying big-brand strategy to the 757
16:14 Why others have to take the ball and run with it
17:01 Elephant in the Room and what happened next
21:12 The gap between emerging builders and the establishment
24:32 Lionel Sapp, AI, and giving builders a real shot
25:56 Everybody wants to be invited
28:25 Bringing the future into the room
29:46 Thinking small, systemic doubt, and taking chances
32:28 How to give more people a shot
33:32 Risk-taking, doubt, and learning to move anyway
34:12 Free to Dream and why big ideas matter
36:01 What "Something in the Water" really means
37:54 Creating emotional ownership around an event
39:35 Could Something in the Water come back?
40:52 Why Newport News needed more than another music festival
41:49 Building the pitch for Noodle
42:55 Collective illusion and changing a city's story
45:05 Culture, science, music, and Newport News' opportunity
47:05 Handling negativity while building something new
49:45 How negative narratives become accepted
51:22 Using AI to imagine the future of Newport News
53:42 Why Noodle's programming came together so easily
54:49 Robby's first impressions of Virginia
57:15 The people who changed how Robby saw the region
59:34 Favorite food in town and closing thoughts

Watch more episodes of The Fervent Four Show:
https://www.innovate757.org/ferventfour/

Learn more about NOODLE:
https://www.noodlecon.com/

Follow Something in the Water:
https://www.instagram.com/somethinginthewater/

Learn more about Mighty Dream:
https://eitr.com/

Follow Innovate Hampton Roads:
https://www.innovate757.org/

Former Navy SEAL and Neptune Shield CEO Nicholas Rocha joins The Fervent Four Show to talk about military service, entrepreneurship, veteran transition, mental health, and why building a company can be harder than elite military training.

After 26 years in the Navy, nine combat deployments, and a career inside one of the most demanding communities in the world, Rocha found himself facing a different kind of challenge: figuring out life after service. In this conversation, he shares how veterans can find a new mission through business, why the right team and support system matter, and how entrepreneurship can give former service members purpose, structure, and a reason to keep going.

Rocha also opens up about veteran suicide, his own moment of crisis, the "Quick Reaction Friends" concept, and why asking for help can be one of the strongest things a person can do.

This episode is for veterans, founders, military families, entrepreneurs, and anyone trying to build something meaningful after a major life transition.

https://neptuneshield.com/

0:00 Intro, giving veterans a new mission
1:22 How Nick first connected with Virginia Cup
2:17 Failing eighth grade, ADHD, and finding structure
4:07 Catching up in school and discovering the Navy
6:20 Seeing Navy SEALs for the first time
7:47 How Nick entered the SEAL pipeline
11:19 Why SEAL culture used to stay quiet
14:00 SEAL books, public stories, and what not to reveal
17:20 Why "team" matters more than "SEAL"
19:18 What was harder, Neptune Shield or the SEAL teams?
22:00 Why so many startups fail
23:57 Starting a CBD company to help his daughter
28:02 Transitioning after 26 years in the Navy
30:22 The crisis veterans face after service
32:30 The cost of training a Navy SEAL
33:30 "Everybody dies, but not everybody truly lives"
34:44 Helping veterans understand the new battlefield
35:30 Nick opens up about his own crisis
38:15 Quick Reaction Friends and suicide prevention
42:42 How the same framework applies to business
44:46 Why veterans need tools, resources, and a plan
46:16 Why founders have to ask for help
47:44 Showing up and doing the work
53:20 Could Neptune Shield expand to other cities?
54:38 Validating technology with operators
56:05 What's next for Neptune Shield
58:01 The food of Hampton Roads
59:42 Closing thoughts

The Fervent Four Show

Where Hampton Roads entrepreneurs tell their stories.

Since 2020, The Fervent Four Show has been the weekly conversation connecting the entrepreneurs, innovators, and community builders shaping the future of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Each Thursday at 11 a.m. EST, hosts Tim Ryan and Zack Miller sit down with founders, CEOs, investors, and ecosystem leaders to explore the real stories behind regional growth — from bold startups and 757 trailblazers to nationally recognized brands born right here.

Whether you're launching your first venture or scaling your next big idea, these candid, conversational episodes deliver insights on entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, and business growth that will keep you fired up long after the mics go off.

Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fervent-four/id1596516837
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7egTPUyiUEZF4QACNKBYI6?si=704d8e723f3842f5
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Innovate757?sub_confirmation=1