This week on Here’s What We Know, we welcome Eric Hayden, founder and CEO of Urban Catalyst, a company that’s helped drive billions of dollars in development across Silicon Valley. He was also named the 2025 Silicon Valley Business Journal Newsmaker of the Year.
That’s the resume. But that’s not the story. Because this conversation goes beyond real estate and development. It’s about how someone goes from selling sand dollars as a kid… to helping shape an entire city.
And really, when you strip it all down, it’s about how we think, how we build, and how we show up in the world.
This episode is sponsored by:
Be sure to tell them Gary sent you!
In This Episode:
Why housing is so expensive, and why it’s not an easy fix
What it really means to “win” at school, work, and life
What it actually takes to build in places like Silicon Valley
The hidden systems behind growth, cities, and opportunity
How curiosity and creativity can shape a career in unexpected ways
And why success has a lot less to do with intelligence than people think
Quotations:
“You just have to prioritize time management and do the work and do it good, do it better than they expect. “ – Eric Hayden
“Supply and demand. The neighbors love complaining about height, density, traffic, and parking. Those are their big four anti-development things. “ – Eric Hayden
“You need people. You want to have success in retail and restaurants and all that stuff, you need people to actually go there. You need the population.“ – Eric Hayden
Bio:
Eric Hayden is the Founder and Managing Partner of Urban Catalyst. Responsible for developing more than $3.5 billion in real estate projects, including over 2,300 residential units in the California Bay Area, Mr. Hayden has experience in acquisition, contract negotiation, due diligence, risk assessment, financing, construction, and disposition of multifamily, single-family, and large mixed-use and master-planned developments. He maintains relationships with a broad network of property owners, enabling him to identify and acquire prime investments. Mr. Hayden also has expertise in navigating projects through the entitlement process by working with elected officials, community groups, and political organizations to gain support and get projects approved.
It turned into a long, winding, honest conversation about growing up Southern, malls as social centers, life without air conditioning, aging bodies, faith, comedy, celebrities, grief, golf, gyms, and the strange moments that make you wonder if the universe is paying attention.
This week on Here’s What We Know, we sit down with Bryan Thomas Wetzel, author, gym owner, former TV host, lifelong entrepreneur, and a guy who somehow shares about 90 percent of my life experiences, just arranged in a slightly different order.
No debates, no shouting. Just stories, curiosity, laughter, and the kind of conversation you don’t want to rush. Pull up a chair. This one wanders in the best way. Tune in now!
This episode is sponsored by:
In This Episode:
Small towns, big heat, and why Chick-fil-A used to only exist in malls
Playing golf with men in their 90s who can still stripe it
What happens when celebrities disappoint you (and when they don’t)
Why radio people are wired differently
Aging, fitness, and the moment your goals shift from “looking good” to “staying alive”
Faith, doubt, near-death stories, and moments that don’t fit neat explanations
Why kindness from strangers sometimes arrives at exactly the right time
Quotations:
“Celebrities have the ability to make someone’s day or their week just by saying nice to meet you. You don’t have to do anything more than that.” ~ Bryan Wetzel
“Generally speaking, a lot of people have trouble talking when they think people are judging them.” ~ Bryan Wetzel
Bio:
Bryan Wetzel is a seasoned entrepreneur, author, and media professional with more than 30 years of experience launching and leading companies across education, fitness, hospitality, and media. He has founded multiple successful businesses, two of which were acquired by larger enterprises.
He is the author of The Real Problems Destroying Education (2024), inspired by his work with school administrators and district leaders while leading Skubes, an education startup recognized by Dig South as a top education company prior to its acquisition in 2017. His most recent book, A Path to Faith Through Science and Common Sense (2025), explores belief, reason, and lived experience.
Brian currently owns and operates The Local Gym in Georgia and Texas and previously founded Cedarcrest Grill, which was sold in 2022. Earlier in his career, he built and ran a production company for over two decades, working in television, film, and live events, including projects tied to the 1996 Olympic Games. His work has earned 16 national and international awards.
He now writes on Substack and continues exploring entrepreneurship, faith, health, and creativity through writing and conversation.
This week on Here’s What We Know, we’re joined by Steve Griggs, founder of Steve Griggs Design, who has earned a reputation as one of New York’s most respected landscape designers, known not just for his designs but for how he shows up for the people he serves.
We’ll explore where he came from, how he found his calling, and why the work he does is more art than architecture. We also get into college football rivalries, pricing creative work, learning the hard way, and what it really means to be “the guy” people trust when things get complicated.
This episode is relaxed, funny, honest, and full of those little moments that remind you why experience still matters and why good work always starts with caring. Tune in now
Why creating outdoor spaces is really about people, not projects
The difference between talent and experience
The truth about pricing creative work and saying, “it costs what it costs”
How to think about money when the work is personal
Why execution matters more than the idea
What decades of doing the hard jobs teach you
Becoming the person people trust when things get hard
Quotations:
“My canvas just happens to be your backyard. That’s pretty much the best way to put it.” ~ Steve Griggs
“There’s a difference between an architect, designer, and artist. I like to put myself in the artist category.” ~ Steve Griggs
“The richer they get, the more frugal they are. They want value. They don’t mind spending the money, but they want to know they’re getting a deal. They want to know its value.” ~ Steve Griggs
“I always say, do it once and do it right.” ~ Steve Griggs
“I’m not one of those guys who says, ‘I’ll give you a 12-month warranty. I give you a lifetime.” ~ Steve Griggs
Bio:
Steve Griggs is not your typical landscape designer. He has been getting dirt on his hands since he was 16, cutting grass to earn extra money and learning the value of hard work early on. That work ethic carried him through advanced landscaping studies at Mississippi State University and SUNY Cobleskill College of Environmental Design and Horticulture.
At 25, Steve founded Steve Griggs Design after working alongside his father in the industry, where he absorbed core values that still guide his work today: make no excuses, keep your promises, respect the deadline, and always deliver for the client. When he saw those principles missing in much of the industry, he chose to do things differently.
That commitment to a customer-first approach has earned Steve a reputation as one of New York’s most respected landscape designers, known not just for his designs but for how he shows up for the people he serves.
This week on Here’s What We Know, Gary shares a pint (and some amazing stories) with Dan Gordon of Gordon Biersch Brewery! From a teen trip to Germany that changed his life to crafting beers for big names like Sammy Hagar, Ryan Reynolds, and Trader Joe’s, Dan’s journey is equal parts inspiring and entertaining.
Plus, they dig into the heart of brewing, why music and beer are surprisingly connected, and how to do Oktoberfest the right way.
Whether you’re a craft beer enthusiast or just love a good story about pursuing your passion and inspiration, this episode is for you! Give it a listen, and maybe crack open a cold one while you do!
This episode is sponsored by:
In this Episode:
How a 15-year-old’s trip to Germany sparked a lifelong career
The science behind consistent, quality beer making
What it’s like brewing for Trader Joe’s, Kirkland, Betty Buzz, and beyond
How Dan’s music background shapes teamwork and creativity in business
Tips for Oktoberfest (and what to eat with your beer!)
Quotations:
“Every day is an adventure.” ~ Dan Gordon
“I play jazz. I’m a jazz guy and I still play professionally, and it is what keeps me sane.” ~ Dan Gordon
“If your kids are gonna learn an instrument, French horn and bassoon are the best two instruments for getting into a college of your choice. Every university is always short on those two instruments. It’s the fastest path to an acceptance into a great university.” ~ Dan Gordon
“It turned out I love manufacturing. Even though we were making canned fruit and tomatoes, I loved everything about it. I loved every industrial machinery that was processing, all the things involved with it.” ~ Dan Gordon
“So, just when we’re talking about the quality of beer, you can always make a great beer. That’s the first and foremost thing. But then, how it’s handled after it’s been brewed. Fresher is better. That’s one of the big things. Low oxygen fills; it has to have no oxygen contact. And that’s only done by using really high-quality German fillers. Those are critical. And then avoidance of heat and light is also critical too. Those are what keep beer in good shape.” ~ Dan Gordon
“Cooking is king.” ~ Dan Gordon
Bio:
Dan Gordon, co-founder of Gordon Biersch, has earned a reputation as one of America’s leading brewing engineers. As the director of brewing operations for Gordon Biersch, he supervises the state-of-the-art brewing and bottling facility in San Jose, CA.
Gordon is the first American in more than 40 years to graduate from the prestigious five-year brewing engineering program at the world-renowned Technical University of Munich in Weihenstephan, West Germany. Before earning his brewing engineer’s degree there in 1987, he interned at Spaten Brewery in Munich and served as a technical translator at Lowenbrau Consulting.
Gordon, who was born in San Jose in 1960, entered the program after earning a resource economics degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1982 and spending a year as an exchange student at the Georg August University in Gottingen, Germany. He also worked for at the Anheuser Busch brewery in Fairfield, CA to gain the brewing experience he needed to apply to the Technical University of Munich.
After completing the world’s most advanced brewing program, Gordon returned to California and joined forces with restaurateur Dean Biersch to take advantage of a new state law allowing brewery restaurants. In 1988, the partners opened their first Gordon Biersch brewery restaurant in Palo Alto, Calif.
In the decade since, Gordon Biersch and the concept it pioneered have both expanded dramatically. But Gordon still makes sure his beloved lagers — Pilsner, Märzen, Hefeweizen, and Blonde Bock plus seasonal beers — are brewed in strict accordance with the German purity laws. He uses only the finest ingredients, including Hallertauer hops and a pure strain yeast culture from the Weihenstephan yeast bank.
A lesser known attribute is Dan’s musical background as a jazz trombonist. Accomplished on both tenor and bass trombone he has had recorded with Michael Davis on Absolute Trombone II and Curtis Campbell’s Blues album “Live at the Sweetwater.” As an undergrad exchange student in Göttingen, Germany, Dan spent more time playing in the jazz clubs as opposed to studying and his jazz rock group was featured in a concert at the Deutches Theater (German National Theater). He continues to be active in the Bay Area jazz scene performing with numerous contemporary big bands and combos. Gordon grew up in Los Altos and attended Homestead High School whose famed music program was under the lead Rory Snyder.
