In this episode of Big Swing Podcast, host Jeremy and Corey sits down with Sean Hervo, co-founder and CEO of PrePad, for a wide-ranging conversation on engineering, entrepreneurship, and the future of completions optimization in the oil and gas industry. A mechanical engineer by training with nearly twelve years at Shell spanning Canada, the Permian, and international assignments, Hervo brings a unique perspective shaped by deep technical expertise, commercial experience, and a passion for solving complex operational challenges. His journey from completions manager to founder of a fast-growing software company offers a compelling look at what it takes to identify industry pain points and build a solution that resonates with both independent operators and the world's largest energy producers.

The conversation explores the origins of PrePad, which grew out of Hervo's frustration with fragmented planning processes and manual spreadsheet workflows while leading completions teams at Shell. He shares the story behind building the integrated systems model internally, the leap of faith required to leave a secure corporate role, and the validation that came when Devon Energy not only became a customer but led PrePad's seed round. Hervo discusses the critical role of completions as a discipline that touches reservoir engineering, drilling, production, finance, and land, making it uniquely positioned to understand the full business picture. He also reflects on the balance of entrepreneurship and fatherhood, the importance of being present, and how having a young child sharpened his focus and efficiency.

Listen to the full conversation for an inside look at building a disruptive technology in the energy sector, the power of cross-border validation, and how PrePad is leveraging AI to enhance its physics-based simulation platform rather than replace it.

In this episode of Big Swing, Jeremy and Corey sit down with Eric Anderson, CEO of SynMax, for a conversation that goes from Colorado roots and commodity trading to AI, satellite imagery, maritime intelligence, and the reality of building a company that is hard to put in one box.

Eric shares how his background as a quant shaped SynMax’s core mission: turning massive amounts of data into real intelligence. The conversation explores why AI is not just another checkbox, how subject matter expertise still matters, and why the best technology companies do not walk into industries assuming they know more than the people doing the work.

The episode also digs into SynMax’s work across energy, trading, and government, including how its maritime intelligence platform helped support one of the largest drug seizures in Irish history. From there, the conversation turns to entrepreneurship, the underrated value of operations, and the role Bill Perkins played in Eric’s path from hedge fund tools to building a company with global reach.

It is a wide-ranging episode about risk, intelligence, startups, and what happens when the right data finally becomes actionable.

In Episode 10 of Big Swing, Jeremy Funk and Corey Scott sit down with longtime oil & gas leader Barry Henderson for a conversation on leadership, entrepreneurship, technology, and the future of the energy industry.

Barry reflects on more than 40 years in oil & gas, from growing up in a small farming town in Alberta to building consulting and software businesses focused on solving operational problems and improving industry workflows. The discussion explores management consulting, relationship-driven business, software adoption challenges, AI and automation, and why the industry still struggles with change despite the need for modernization.

The episode also dives into the future of energy technology, the frustrations vendors and operators face with legacy systems, and how companies like Energy Payables are working to simplify workflows, improve transparency, and create better collaboration across the industry.

If you enjoy conversations around business building, operational leadership, energy technology, and challenging the status quo, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

In this episode of Big Swing, Jeremy Funk and Corey Scott sit down with Emilio Faulmata, a 24-year-old energy creator, connector, and founder of Energy Executive 360.

Emilio shares how one conversation about Bolivia, natural gas, and geopolitics sparked his path into the energy industry, eventually leading him from London to Mexico, Kuwait, Ghana, South Africa, Paris, and beyond. With no traditional oil and gas background, Emilio built his way into the room through consistency, curiosity, and a willingness to take risks, starting with weekly LinkedIn newsletters and eventually landing in-person podcast conversations with major energy executives around the world.

The conversation covers personal branding, networking, energy storytelling, the value of taking small consistent steps, and why podcasts are not just marketing, they are relationship-building tools. Emilio also shares his mission to connect today’s energy leaders with the next generation of decision-makers, while helping the industry tell a more human, honest, and global story.

From “life is risk” to flying across the world for one conversation, this episode is all about betting on yourself, building credibility before anyone gives you permission, and taking big swings before the evidence is obvious.

In this episode of Big Swing, Jeremy Funk and Corey Scott sit down with entrepreneur, investor, and Next Stage Trajectory founder Bill Weathersby for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, elite networks, AI disruption, and what it really takes to build companies that win.

Bill shares the unfiltered highs and lows of his career, from building and exiting multiple successful businesses to losing everything and rebuilding from scratch. At one point, he went from “bankrupt at Chili’s to $121M exits,” a journey that shaped his perspective on resilience, risk, leadership, and founder psychology. The conversation dives into the power of relationships, the “Accenture Mafia,” Texas A&M networking culture, startup growth strategy, fundraising, and how founders can accelerate growth through the right partnerships and market access.

The group also explores the future of AI and why Bill believes most people still underestimate how disruptive this next wave of technology will become. Along the way, they discuss sales, scaling from $1M to $10M+, founder burnout, betting on yourself, and the hard lessons nobody talks about when building companies.

If you’re a founder, operator, investor, or someone trying to navigate growth in a rapidly changing market, this episode is packed with real-world lessons, sharp insights, and stories you won’t forget.

In this episode of Big Swing, Jeremy Funk and Corey Scott sit down with Hari Dutt for a conversation on career pivots, startup growth, and what it really takes to build in ambiguity.

Hari reflects on his journey from India to Canada, Louisiana, Boston, Los Angeles, and New York, starting in engineering at Schlumberger, moving through MIT Sloan, and eventually helping scale Seven Lakes during its high-growth years. Along the way, he shares lessons on work ethic, customer focus, thriving in uncertainty, and how those experiences shaped his view of product, operations, and leadership.

The conversation also dives into Hari’s latest venture, Turing Pilgrim, and his belief that the biggest AI opportunities are not in surface-level productivity tools, but in mission-critical operations where trust, adoption, and measurable business impact matter most. They close with thoughts on the future of AI, field operations, and a bold prediction on where technology is headed next.

It is a wide-ranging conversation on growth, resilience, and what it means to keep taking big swings as your career evolves.

In Episode 6 of Big Swing, Jeremy Funk and Corey Scott sit down with Kevin Anderson, CEO of XALTER, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, workforce development, and why virtual reality may become one of the most important tools in the future of energy.

Kevin shares his path from growing up in Southern California to building his life and career in Tulsa, along with the entrepreneurial ups and downs that shaped him along the way. From there, the conversation shifts into XALTER's mission: using VR and immersive technology to improve frontline performance in the energy industry through operational, maintenance, and safety training.

They dig into the real-world challenges facing oil and gas today, including the great crew change, tribal knowledge walking out the door, the limits of classroom training, and the need to prepare a new generation of workers faster, safer, and more effectively. Kevin explains why VR is not a replacement for hands-on learning, but a powerful new layer that can model behavior, accelerate readiness, and help reduce avoidable mistakes in high-risk environments.

The episode also explores the relationship between VR and AI, why Kevin sees head-mounted displays as the next major human-machine interface, and how companies that embrace this kind of technology may have a real advantage in both safety and recruiting.

This one is a founder story, a technology conversation, and a look at how energy companies may need to rethink training for the next era.

In Episode 5 of Big Swing, Jeremy Funk and Corey Scott welcome Ben Heinzelmann, co-founder of Energy Domain and former co-founder of MineralWare, for a conversation on startups, family, product discipline, and building in oil and gas.

Ben shares his path from Fort Worth to OU’s petroleum land management program, how he got his start in the Barnett, and why he took the leap into entrepreneurship early. The conversation explores the evolution from MineralWare to Energy Domain, what it takes to compete against much larger players, and why listening closely to customers is often the biggest advantage a startup can have.

They also get into balancing family and business, leading with culture, hiring the right people, and how AI is changing the way modern energy technology products are built and delivered.

This episode is a mix of founder perspective, practical business insight, and an honest look at what it takes to build something meaningful while staying grounded in what matters most.