Who is this episode for?

Whether you’re interested in entrepreneurship, starting or building a business, or wondering about going through the process of selling one, this conversation is for you. It’s particularly interesting for anyone working in or interested in healthcare, as well as those who want to better understand the economics and business dynamics facing independent pharmacies in today’s environment.

About our guest

Mike Ruane opened a traditional retail pharmacy in July of 2021. While he used the same branding and name, it was independent from his family’s well-known “The Prescription Center” pharmacy based in Downtown Scranton. A year after opening, and after seeing a significant unmet need in the market, he made a bold pivot, turning the business into a specialty pharmacy focused on serving patients living with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, HIV, and/or Hepatitis C.

At the time, The Prescription Center-Specialty Pharmacy’s dual specialty accreditations made it one of fewer than 10 independent specialty pharmacies in the state of Pennsylvania and the only behavioral health-focused pharmacy in Northeastern Pennsylvania. What happened next was pretty incredible. In just over four years, TPC went from just a handful of patients on day one to serving thousands of patients each month across nearly 40 counties across Pennsylvania, becoming one of the largest truly independent pharmacies in the state.

As Mike put it when describing the story of building and growing TPC, it took “a lot of hard work and a little luck.” In October 2025, Mike sold The Prescription Center-Specialty Pharmacy to a private equity-backed regional pharmacy, where he is now engaged as a senior-level employee focused on business development and mergers and acquisitions.

In this conversation, Mike shares how he recognized the opportunity that led to the pivot, what it was like competing as an independent pharmacy against PBMs, and why building a loyal, talented team was so important to TPC’s growth. We also discuss how they scaled the business while maintaining a high level of service, how he approached the decision to find the right mission-aligned partner to sell to, and how the support of his family and wife, Brittany, was so important throughout those years.

We talk about his new role, his next chapter, and the lessons he learned along the way. Mike also shares how he is reflecting on his experience over the last few years. This is a great story about entrepreneurship, taking a risk, and building something from the ground up.

Thanks to Mike for sitting down with us, and we hope you enjoy the episode!

Disclosures: Alliance Wealth Advisors, LLC (“Alliance”) is an SEC Registered investment advisory firm that is independently owned and operated. The information in this interview is provided for informational purposes only and should not be taken as investment, legal, or tax advice. Opinions expressed in this interview are subject to change without notice. It is important to remember that investments in securities involve risk, including the potential loss of principal invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining financial market. Alliance does not guarantee the suitability or potential value of any particular investment or strategy and accepts no liability for reliance on this presentation. Alliance also does not make any representations as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party mentioned in this communication and takes no responsibility. Our guest, Michael Ruane, did not receive any compensation for this interview, not otherwise affiliated with, the firm and is not a client of Alliance Wealth Advisors at the time of this publication. For more information regarding Alliance, please visit alliancewealthadvisors.com/legal-disclosures.

Who is this episode for?

Whether you’re thinking about making a career change, starting something of your own, or just trying to make a positive change in your life, this conversation is for you. It’s also for anyone who has ever struggled with asking for help or who would like to better understand the different modalities available when it comes to therapy and coaching.

About our guest:

Our guest for this episode is Patrick McDonough, LCSW, CAADC, founder of McDonough Counseling & Coaching in Dunmore, PA. Pat has spent his career working with people dealing with addiction, mental health, and the many challenges that come with life. He also has his own story of recovery, which has had a significant impact on how he approaches his work today.

In this conversation, we start with Pat’s own inflection point: the decision to stop being an employee and start his own practice shortly after he and his wife, Alicia, welcomed their first child. We talk about what went into that decision, the uncertainty and doubt that came with it, what he underestimated about running a business, and what he has learned since taking the leap.

From there, our conversation moves into Pat’s work with addiction and mental health, including a timely discussion about his work helping people struggling with gambling. We also discuss the explosion of sports betting, and how everything from gambling to investing has become increasingly focused on instant gratification and how access has been made easier than ever with the help of technology.

One of the things both of us realized while talking was how Pat’s work has similarities to the way people think about money, and how our earliest experiences can shape our beliefs. We talk about how easy it is to chase the quick win rather than doing the small things consistently over time. Whether you’re working through recovery, building a business, managing your finances, or investing for the future, the long game of small boring decisions tend to work a lot better than looking for the next short-term thrill. We also get into why our financial behavior can sometimes be a reflection of what is going on in our lives, and the importance of having someone in your corner who can help you see things differently.

This was a wide-ranging conversation, and we had a lot of fun throughout. Thanks to Pat for sitting down with us and sharing his story authentically, and we hope you enjoy the episode.

Disclosures: Alliance Wealth Advisors, LLC (“Alliance”) is an SEC Registered investment advisory firm that is independently owned and operated. The information in this interview is provided for informational purposes only and should not be taken as investment, legal, or tax advice. Opinions expressed in this interview are subject to change without notice. It is important to remember that investments in securities involve risk, including the potential loss of principal invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining financial market. Alliance does not guarantee the suitability or potential value of any particular investment or strategy and accepts no liability for reliance on this presentation. Alliance also does not make any representations as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party mentioned in this communication and takes no responsibility. Our guest, Patrick McDonough did not receive any compensation for this interview, not otherwise affiliated with, the firm and is not a client of Alliance Wealth Advisors at the time of this publication. For more information regarding Alliance, please visit alliancewealthadvisors.com/legal-disclosures.

About our guest

Who is this episode for?Whether you’re an investor, business owner, or just trying to make sense of everything happening in technology today, this is a conversation you will enjoy.About our guestAlex is the founder of Big Technology, reaching more than 150,000 newsletter subscribers and racking up millions of podcast downloads a year, all built around making tech, business, and AI news accessible to a broader audience. He’s interviewed some of the most powerful people in the industry, including Sam Altman, Larry Ellison, and Mark Zuckerberg, and he’s a regular on-air contributor at CNBC and the author of Always Day One. He has become a trusted voice covering A.I., technology and the companies that are shaping our future.About this episodeAI is moving faster than any technology we’ve seen before, and it’s becoming harder to separate what’s real from what’s hype. On this episode of Off the Page, we sit down with Alex Kantrowitz. Alex is a veteran journalist who has his finger on the pulse of everything happening in tech and AI right now, which, these days, is a lot.In this conversation, we cover:Where the AI race stands today, and who’s positioned whereWhether compute is really as scarce as companies claimWhat’s next for OpenAI and Anthropic going public — and if the economics make senseWhy the economy may be resting on two companies succeedingWhether AI is actually replacing white-collar jobsThe pushback against data centers in local communities and what that means for big tech companiesDisclosures: Alliance Wealth Advisors, LLC (“Alliance”) is an SEC Registered investment advisory firm that is independently owned and operated. The information in this interview is provided for informational purposes only and should not be taken as investment, legal, or tax advice. Opinions expressed in this interview are subject to change without notice. It is important to remember that investments in securities involve risk, including the potential loss of principal invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining financial market. Alliance does not guarantee the suitability or potential value of any particular investment or strategy and accepts no liability for reliance on this presentation. Alliance also does not make any representations as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party mentioned in this communication and takes no responsibility. Our guest, Alex Krantrowitz did not receive any compensation for this interview, not otherwise affiliated with, the firm and not client of Alliance Wealth Advisors at the time of this publication. For more information regarding Alliance, please visit alliancewealthadvisors.com/legal-disclosures