Tony Mugavero: One UPS Job Away from Finding His Calling: Recent Episodes
Bryan Wish
Tony Mugavero is an experienced entrepreneur and executive with a background in media, business, and computer engineering. He is currently the Founder and CEO of Rad (FKA Littlstar), a consumer media app that delivers a premium immersive network experience on PlayStation, Smart TVs, and mobile devices with content from Disney, Fox, Showtime, NBCU, and more. He's also the co-creator of Ara, a decentralized blockchain system for digital content.
Tony co-founded Galvanize, one of the biggest co-working and education companies that was acquired by K12 for $165 million in January 2020. Prior to building Galvanize, he was the Founder/CEO of MoovAtom, a simple API for providing cloud-based media encoding and delivery, which was successfully acquired in 2012. He was also a Co-Founder of the music discovery app GigBeat, used by over 1 million users.
Heather Greenwood Davis is a Contributing Writer and on-air storyteller for National Geographic, as well as a freelance Feature Writer with The Globe and Mail. Heather has been reporting and writing stories professionally for more than 20 years. A recognized expert in the industry, her work appears regularly in print and digital publications. Heather regularly appears as a trusted expert on television and radio, and has shared insights from the stages of conferences and trade gatherings hosted by TravMedia, US Travel Association, Destination Canada, SATW and others. Her travels and experiences have also been featured in O Magazine and on NPR.
Heather was named a National Geographic Traveler of the Year in 2012 after her family of four spent a year traveling around the world, sharing their insights through articles and social media. Though her work encompasses far more than traditional family travel stories, she is also the voice behind GlobetrottingMama.com – an international, family travel blog that features the adventures she takes with (and without) her husband Ish and their two sons, Ethan and Cameron.
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Rishad Tobaccowala is an author, speaker, teacher, and advisor with four decades of experience specializing in helping people, organizations, and teams re-invent themselves to remain relevant in changing times. He specializes in unleashing talent and turbo-charging productivity by delivering perspectives, points of view, provocations, and plans of action. Rishad’s best-selling book “Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data” was published globally by HarperCollins and focuses on helping people think, feel, and see differently about how to grow their companies, their teams, and themselves during transformative times.
Rishad is a prominent public speaker who presents on change, future trends, and transforming workforces to a range of industries including platforms, technology, media, blue-chip firms, Financial Firms, and Industry Associations. He teaches several highly popular workshops (virtual and in-person) on eight different subjects. His workshop titles include Change Management, Upgrading Your Mental Operating System, and Re-Thinking Organizations for the Future of Work. Rishad is a frequent guest lecturer at The University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and NYU. Rishad is also the chairman of The Tobaccowala Foundation, which helps over 10,000 people gain better access to health and education in India.
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Twelve Career Lessons - Rishad Tobaccowala https://rishad.substack.com/p/12-career-lessons?s=r
Rahaf Harfoush is a Strategist, Digital Anthropologist, and New York Times Best-Selling Author who focuses on the intersections between emerging technology, leadership, and digital culture. She is the Executive Director of the Red Thread Institute of Digital Culture, a Visiting Policy Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, and teaches at Sciences Politique’s School of Management and Innovation in Paris. Rahaf was named to France's National Digital Council in 2021 and was a member of President Macron's commission on the impact of technology on democracy. Formerly, Rahaf was the Associate Director of the Technology Pioneer Program at the World Economic Forum in Geneva. Rahaf’s accomplishments have been recognized by Thinkers50, the Canadian Arab Institute, the G20 Global Think Tank Summit, the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society, and the Hay Literary Festival among others.
Rahaf is an accomplished author. Her first book, Yes We Did: An Insider’s Look at How Social Media Built the Obama Brand, chronicled her experiences as a member of Barack Obama’s digital media team during the 2008 Presidential elections and explored how social networking revolutionized political campaign strategy. Rahaf co-authored The Decoded Company: Know Your Talent Better Than You Know your Customers alongside Leerom Segal, Aaron Goldstein, and Jay Goldman. Her most recent book is Hustle & Float: Reclaim Your Creativity and Thrive in a World Obsessed with Work. She is currently working on her next book, Humane Productivity, which is due out in 2023. In her spare time, Rahaf writes fiction under the alias Hanna Noble. Her second novel, entitled The Reckoning, will be released in August 2022.
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Pamela Slim is an award-winning author, business coach and speaker. She spent the first 10 years of her business as a consultant to large companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Charles Schwab and Cisco Systems, where she worked with thousands of executives, managers and employees. In 2016, she co-founded The Main Street Learning Lab with her husband Darryl, where she works with business owners to remove obstacles to small business success and test and try new business ideas.
In 2005, Pam started the Escape from Cubicle Nation blog, which is now one of the top career and business blogs on the web. Through her blog, Pam has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs to start successful businesses. Her first book Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur was released in the Spring of 2009 and won Best Small Business/Entrepreneur Book of 2009 by 800 CEO Read. Pam’s book Body of Work gives a fresh perspective on the skills required in the new world of work for people in all work modes, from corporate to non-profit to small business. Pam’s latest book, The Widest Net, delivers a method for building an engaged and mutually beneficial network. The Widest Net won Best Business Book of 2021 in the category of Sales & Marketing by Porchlight Books. Pam is frequently quoted as an expert in publications such as BusinessWeek, The New York Times, Money Magazine and Psychology Today.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Dr. Diane Hamilton is the Founder and CEO of Tonerra, a consulting and media-based business, as well as the former MBA Program Chair at the Forbes School of Business. She has authored multiple books, including Cracking the Curiosity Code: The Key to Unlocking Human Potential, and The Power of Perception: Eliminating Boundaries to Create Successful Global Leaders. She is the creator of the Curiosity Code Index® and the Perception Power Index, assessments that help leaders understand their blinders in perception and curiosity. Thinkers50 Radar chose Diane as one of the top minds in management and leadership. She was named to Global Leaders Today's list of top leaders alongside Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Sheryl Sandberg, and LeadersHum included her on their list of 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership and in the Top 10 Most Powerful Women Leaders in HR.
Diane is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and nationally syndicated radio host who has shared the stage with top speakers including Marshall Goldsmith, Brene Brown, and Martha Stewart. She has been featured on Forbes, INC, Harvard Business Review, First for Women, ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, among many other notable media outlets. Diane is an experienced leader, serving on multiple BOAs including Docusign, Global Mentoring Network, TED Wall Street, and LeaderKid Academy. Her experience on boards included working alongside top CEOs from Adobe, McDonald’s, General Motors, NASA, North Face, Salesforce, United Airlines, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, and many other top brands. Diane has a history of award-winning performance and is a seasoned professional within education, software, banking, real estate, and pharmaceuticals.
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Michael Roderick is the CEO of Small Pond Enterprises, a company that helps thoughtful givers become thought leaders by making their brands referable, their messaging memorable, and their ideas unforgettable. Through Small Pond, Michael helps coaches and consultants create Referable Brands leading to more speaking opportunities, better clients, and more influence.
Michael began his career as a high school English teacher before producing theatrical productions Off-Broadway and later on Broadway. This combination of experience in the arts and entrepreneurship led to Michael starting an arts incubator program to teach more artists about building and growing their own businesses (PLAE). Eventually, he decided to develop a workshop on networking which grew into the full-time consulting practice that became Small Pond Enterprises.
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It was really special sitting down with David. You can tell how incredibly charismatic he is, an attribute that has taken him far. Even through a Zoom call, David’s energy radiates out. You can tell how much he cares about everything he does, and will give 100% effort on anything. David is a swift mover, he doesn’t let grass grow under his feet. He has an aura about him that is really unique, and it lets you understand how he’s been able to lead such great organizations. I’m so excited to know David, and highly recommend his new book Decide and Conquer.
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David Siegel is the CEO of Meetup, the world’s largest platform for finding and building local communities. David has over 20 years of experience as a technology and digital media executive leading organizations through innovative product development, rapid revenue growth, and digital traffic acceleration. Prior to joining Meetup, David was CEO of Investopedia, which provides investment dictionaries, advice, reviews, ratings, and comparisons of financial products such as securities accounts. Before Investopedia, David was President of Seeking Alpha, a crowd-sourced content service for financial markets.
David holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics, & Economics and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia University where he teaches strategic planning and entrepreneurship. He hosts the podcast Keep Connected, which is dedicated to the power of community. David’s book, Decide & Conquer, lays out the framework for decision-making that leaders can use to ensure organizational and personal success.
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Greg Satell is a popular speaker and adviser, as well as the author of the new book, CASCADES: HOW TO CREATE A MOVEMENT THAT DRIVES TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE. His earlier book, MAPPING INNOVATION, was selected as one of the best business titles of 2017 by 800-CEO-READ. Greg’s transformational work has been covered in Harvard Business Review, Barron’s, Forbes, Inc, and Fast Company. A global citizen, Greg spent 15 years living and working in Eastern Europe where, among other things, he managed a leading news organization during Ukraine’s Orange Revolution.
An accomplished entrepreneur, executive, and one of the foremost experts on tech innovation today, Greg speaks to audiences around the world and works with leading organizations to better compete in today’s disruptive marketplace. He was recently named by Innovation Excellence as #2 on its global list of "Top 40 Innovation Bloggers" and by IDG as one of “10 Digital Transformation Influencers to Follow Today.” Greg helps successful organizations overcome disruption and blaze a path to a better future.
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I feel fortunate to have gotten to spend a lot of time with Nick. I’m so impressed by just how relaxed and comfortable in his own skin Nick is. He’s someone I really think the world of. A couple of things I took away from our conversation: Nick has found fulfillment by transitioning from grinding for his business into volunteering his time to causes he cares about, like entrepreneurial groups, being an advisor, and being on a school board. This gave him the opportunity to take learnings from each project he participated in. We also talked about how the entrepreneurial mindset is not limited to entrepreneurs, but that anyone who looks at something and thinks about how they can shape or build it can utilize this mentality for growth. Finally, Nick approaches volunteering from an interpersonal perspective. He believes that people gain more from the sheer fact that someone shows up for support, not because they say something smart. Nick is someone I think very highly of, and I’m excited to continue to follow him as he grows and thrives.
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Nick is a partner and founding member of Vynyl, a product development firm that works with corporations, institutions, and investors to build unique mobile and web applications that are technically excellent, visually appealing, and create real & measurable business value.
Prior to his work with Vynyl, Nick spent nearly a decade working for some of the nation's largest banking institutions, local municipalities, and large enterprise environments as an IT specialist and manager. Embracing his more entrepreneurial endeavors, community engagement, and tech evangelism, Nick has worked with several start-ups, local community organizations, and leadership with large-scale events to leverage his knowledge and expertise in technology, management, and recruiting to judge events, offer mentorship, speak on panels, and contribute to a growing tech and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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I had a wonderful time speaking with Steve Pemberton. He opens up to us about a lot of the personal struggles he’s had in life, and how through the journey of writing his first book he discovered how we impact each other’s lives. We discuss his second book, “The Lighthouse Effect,” and how each and everyone of us can act as a guide for those around us. That it is up to us to take our own hardships and turn them into empathy for others; the struggles we face are not isolating, but a way to connect and help those that experience the same challenges. This episode is a must-listen for those who are worried about breaking negative cycles, either personal or generational.
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Steve Pemberton is the Chief Human Experience Officer at Workhuman, the world’s fastest-growing integrated Social Recognition® and continuous performance management platform. Steve works with HR leaders and senior management executives worldwide to help build workplaces where every employee feels recognized, respected, and appreciated for who they are and what they do. Before joining Workhuman, Steve served in senior HR executive roles for Walgreens Boots Alliance and Monster.com. Steve holds multiple degrees from Boston College and serves on several nonprofit boards, including UCAN (Chicago), Academy for Urban School Leadership and Loyola Academy.
A passionate human rights champion, Steve has made equality, access, and opportunity the foundation of his personal and professional life. A frequent presenter on Capitol Hill, in 2015, he was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez to serve on the Advisory Committee for the Competitive Integrated Employment of People with Disabilities. He is the author of two critically-acclaimed books, “The Lighthouse Effect”, which highlights the goodness of humanity and empowers readers to be a lighthouse to others, and the USA Today best-selling memoir and subject of the film, “A Chance in the World,” in which Steve chronicled the extraordinary journey of his search for family. His tireless advocacy for the disenfranchised has also earned him multiple honorary doctorates and the prestigious Horizon Award presented by Congress, given to private sector individuals who have expanded opportunities for all Americans through their own personal contributions.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
I’ve been fortunate enough to spend some time with Rebecca, having met a few times for lunch and events. I’ve been struck by how becoming a parent dramatically changed the course of Rebecca’s life. While it was something she always knew she wanted, the actual transition totally changed her life. She began handing off opportunities to others in order to focus on being a mother. She describes becoming a parent as something you can prepare for, but not really know what to expect until you actually do it. Rebecca also understands the importance of routines and having sacred time or boundaries. While she is an incredibly hard worker, Rebecca realizes that setting boundaries is beneficial to maintaining control over one’s life. Even before having children, Rebecca realized the benefit of getting time on the calendar that is just for her. I’ve also noticed how Rebecca holds a steadfast belief that anyone can take control of their own life, regardless of any blockers. As she puts it, “when you hit a brick wall, look for a window, a door, or a ladder over.” Rebecca believes that starting with a small item in your life to take ownership of is enough to start you down the path to being the CEO of your own life.
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Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann is a versatile, seasoned CEO with broad leadership experience as a Financial Services Leader in sales & marketing, risk management, and international business operations. Her expertise in the financial services industry and outstanding record of leading business turnarounds has resulted in effective scaling of new businesses and expansion of existing operations globally for Fortune-50 FS organizations.
Rebecca's transformational leadership style has provided avenues for success in all economic cycles, in both large and small companies during all stages of growth. Her vast experience leading international operations, digital technology implementation, wealth management, partnership & business development, strategy, regulatory compliance, process improvement, and aligning executive leadership with organizational goals has resulted in exponential growth.
Rebecca’s extensive career history has taken her through senior leadership positions at Wells Fargo and Citi among others. In 2020, Rebecca founded RMK Group, a CEO advisory and strategic consulting firm. Rebecca is also the author of FitCEO, a book that advises readers on how be the leader of their life: physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. The book provides a framework for staying healthy while leading a busy life at work, home, and play.
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https://fitceobook.com/
I was introduced to Nick by my friend Chris Schembra, who told me while I was visiting Boise, ID I needed to connect with Nick. Nick is someone who you can tell just comes from a place of compassion and gratitude. He really gives a darn, and it shines through. He has nothing but good things to say about his wife, who has been with him through his darkest moments. Nick really opens up in this episode, and I appreciate him showing up as his full self.
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Nick Schlekeway is the founder and CEO of Amherst Madison, the third-largest independent and fastest-growing brokerage in Idaho, and one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States as a whole. Being immersed in a self-propelled, startup-oriented family his entire life, the Idaho native is a true visionary entrepreneur. Nick has found that nothing compares to the satisfaction of accomplishing championship-sized goals with great people by your side. His passion for excellence and his drive for victory pushes him to conquer new frontiers while providing fulfilling careers and a dynamic culture for his agents.
Prior to Amherst Madison, Nick served the citizens of Boise as a certified Hazardous Materials Technician, Emergency Medical Technician, and Firefighter. His experiences as a firefighter, in addition to his time volunteering as a student-athlete at Boise State, were instrumental in building a desire to give back to his community and serve others. Nick was an Academic All-American, All-Conference football player at Boise State, and graduated with honors, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Nick also earned a master’s degree in Real Estate Development and Leadership from Georgetown University—all while doubling the size of his growing company during those two years pursuing higher education.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
I really enjoyed my conversation with Steve. You can tell his work in gratitude comes from a place of internal alignment, and it’s been exciting to watch him as he continues down this road. It was really special to hear his story. Steve continues to innovate in his field and prove himself as an expert. Steve’s work is so important for professionals across all industries, especially in helping leaders improve their teams. Gratitude is such an important concept to understand. Although it might seem abstract, there’s a lot to be gained from practicing it. It’s important to see silver linings, even when things are hard. I am so grateful for everything that Steve shared today.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Steve Foran has a dream - 1 billion happier people.
Steve is the founder of Gratitude At Work, a happiness company he created in 2006. He works with human resource professionals, directors, managers, and CEOs across Canada and the United States – shifting corporate cultures by helping teams bring more gratitude to work each day. Steve recognizes that people who are happier at work are more engaged, achievement-oriented, and resilient. Their happiness improves output while contributing to a self-sustaining grateful culture in your organization that produces ripple effects in the community and home. All of the research points to one simple fact – YOUR PEOPLE NEED MORE.
Steve delivers this result through A Grateful Introduction – a fundamental look at the science behind the emerging field of Gratitude and how it impacts an organization's culture. Most importantly, Steve provides clients and their teams with post-event tools that begin working on each individual’s gratitude practice. Steve is also the author of the award-winning 2019 book, Surviving to Thriving - The 10 Laws of Grateful Leadership. He is also the inaugral winner of Canada's CEO Trusted Advisor Awards Program, as well as the 2017 winner of the CSPTM, the highest earned designation in professional speaking.
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Shir Nir is an entrepreneurial CEO with over 20 years of experience in developing people and organizations. Through his company The Handel Group, Shir works with leaders as a partner to open their eyes to things that they couldn’t see by themselves. He does this by supporting them in designing their dreams, fulfilling their personal and professional objectives, enhancing their leadership and strategic thinking, and positively impacting their lives & their organizations.
Shir has vast experience in working with CEOs and C-level executives in a variety of industries, including technology, energy, government, media, finance, real estate, manufacturing, retail, pharmaceuticals, & insurance. Shir is a result-oriented executive consultant that leads cultural transformations and projects that produce enhanced results and organizational alignment.
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I loved my conversation with Sylvie. She is a dynamic individual and woman. One of the main things I noticed was how she does not let opportunities go to waste. When presented with the opportunity to fulfill her lifelong dream of moving to America, Sylvie did not hesitate. Another thing I learned about Sylvie was how she recognizes that perception can trick us. While on the surface, certain people might feel like the perfect fit for a job or task, they might actually be the totally wrong fit for it and underperform in the role. When Sylvie realized this, she went down a pathway exploring human behavior and psychology that eventually led her to where she is today. More than anything, Sylvie stressed how a first impression can make or break a relationship. If people get a bad read on you initially, they'll keep looking for ways to confirm their biases even when they're not necessarily accurate. Sylvie has an insatiable curiosity that will continue to drive her forward toward great things.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
People whom we meet make quick decisions about us. Should they hire us? Trust us? Follow us? Work with us? Buy from us?
Sylvie di Giusto is a professional keynote speaker and trainer who uses her corporate experience and multicultural background to help audiences around the world understand how people make up their minds very quickly about them and either open the door or slam it shut. With a cutting-edge approach, a competitive mindset, and a passion for visualization, Sylvie takes audiences on an entertaining and engaging journey that reveals how others perceive them and thus perceive the value of their abilities, their services, or their company. At the core, Sylvie wants her clients to understand how making an impactful first and lasting impression can help attract and keep customers.
Sylvie is the author of The Image of Leadership and the creator of “How You Impress,” an interactive mobile learning platform for professionals and organizations who place great importance on the impression they make. With her unique and thought-provoking keynotes, breakouts, and online training programs, Sylvie opens participants' minds and closes the gaps between personal impact and customer attraction for male and female leaders in sales and customer-facing roles all the way from entry-level employees to C-Suite executives. As a professional keynote speaker, Sylvie takes great pride in being easy to work with, delivering content-rich presentations, and surprising participants with the unexpected.
Learn more about Sylvie and how perception works here: https://sylviedigiusto.com/audit/
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Leslie Ehm is an author, speaker, coach, advertising creative director, and former UK TV host who helps people to discover, embrace, and release their unique ‘swagger'. With Combustion Training, the award-winning company that she founded, Leslie has been fortunate enough to work with global organizations like Google, TD Bank, Uber, HBO, Brown Foreman, Pepsico, Wilson, and Honda, and helped professionals at all levels, from CEOs down. Leslie lives to unleash the authentic human potential in everyone she encounters. Leslie helps her clients to develop the unshakable confidence and self-belief they need to fearlessly go after and achieve their goals - just by being themselves!
Leslie’s book SWAGGER: Unleash Everything You Are and Become Everything You Want was published in May 2021. As a speaker, she bring the 'swagger' message to vibrant life and helps organizations and individuals understand how unleashing authenticity in the corporate world can be transformational to not only performance, productivity, employee satisfaction and retention – but can significantly up the human factor we all so desire. And she most definitely brings her own swagger to that party!!
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Join the Swagger revolution by subscribing at www.LeslieEhm.com
Gautam might be the most interesting man in the world. He is one of the most fascinating people I’ve been able to talk to on this show, and I loved interviewing and learning from him. Gautam likes to take concepts and push them to their most abstract uses. While business theory may not seem like it has much application in a military setting, Gautam demonstrates how some principles can apply across wide arrays of fields if thought about in a different framework. Gautam is on a never-ending quest for more knowledge. He’s already learned so much in a multitude of disciplines, but is always looking for the next topic to dive into. Because of that, he can bring a lot of perspectives into his work. Because of this, Gautam is adaptable, and never afraid to go down new paths. I’m so excited to share this episode and continue building our relationship.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Gautam Mukunda is an internationally recognized expert in leadership and innovation. He has been everything from an Ivy-League professor to a podcast host. Gautam received his PhD from MIT in political science and an AB in Government from Harvard, and since then has followed his many interests wherever they will take him. He has served on numerous councils in the worlds of politics, biotechnology, art, and economics, including the Council of Foreign Relations, The Chief of Naval Operation’s Executive Advisory Panel, the New England Regional Selection Committee for the White House Fellowship, the Museum Council of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, and World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on New Models of Leadership, among many others. He is on the board of directors and chair of the Mentorship Committee of The Upakar Foundation, a non-profit providing scholarships to underprivileged students of South Asian descent. He has been a research fellow at Harvard and the American Assembly, as well as a Principal Investigator on the National Science Foundation’s Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center grant. With far-reaching passions and areas of expertise, it should come as no surprise that Gautam has also been a Jeopardy Champion.
Gautam is the author of two books: Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter and the forthcoming Picking Presidents. He has published articles on everything from leadership to politics and beyond in Harvard Business Review, Slate, Fast Company, Politics and the Life Sciences, and many more. His work has been profiled in the New York Times, Atlantic, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and many more distinguished publications. He also advises a variety of companies and organizations on leadership and strategy. Gautam often jokes that his life’s ambition is to have the world’s most confusing resume and that he’s most of the way there.
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Peter Shankman is the Founder of HARO - Help A Reporter Out, which became the standard for thousands of journalists looking for sources. He also founded and leads The ShankMinds Breakthrough Network, which is an elite, online mastermind of thought leaders, business experts, and change-makers, as well as Faster than Normal - a podcast on ADHD, focusing on the superpowers and gifts of having a "faster-than-normal brain.”
The New York Times has called Peter Shankman "a rockstar who knows everything about social media and then some." He is a 5x best-selling author, entrepreneur and corporate keynote speaker, focusing on customer service and the new and emerging customer economy. He is recognized worldwide for radically new ways of thinking about the customer experience, social media, PR, marketing, advertising, and ADHD.
In his personal life, Peter is a father, a 2x ironman triathlete, a class B licensed skydiver, and an avid Peloton rider. He's based in NYC with his daughter and 19-year-old cat, both of whom refuse him access to the couch.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Fotini Iconomopoulos is an Author, Keynote Speaker, MBA Instructor, Trainer & Advisor with Forward Focusing, an organization that helps companies strategically invest energy into the areas that will advance their commercial goals. Nicknamed “the negotiator” as a child, Fotini has always channeled her energy into her passion for the power of forward-thinking. Today, business executives partner with her to achieve their business goals, increase profitability and create a competitive advantage. Fotini empowers executives and their teams through her expertise in negotiation, communication and persuasion. To share her strengths with more business leaders, Fotini recently returned to the classroom as an instructor of MBA Negotiations at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto.
Over the last 8 years, Fotini has helped clients all over the globe focus their energy on moving their commercial objectives forward. She thrives on guiding clients through high-stakes scenarios in such industries as CPG, retail, professional services, energy, telecommunications, and finance. She is passionate about helping people develop the confidence to take on whatever challenges come their way, and has a particular interest in empowering women and disadvantaged groups. When Fotini is not with clients or in the classroom, she spends her time public speaking on negotiation, communication, leadership and conflict management, and offering her experience to meaningful non-profit initiatives.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Jimmy Soni is a speaker, speechwriter, and the author of books like The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley, Rome’s Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato, A Mind at Play, Mortal Enemy of Caesar, andJane’s Carousel: The story of one woman’s remarkable 25-year odyssey to restore the beloved carousel at Brooklyn Bridge Park. He is also the Creative Director of Clout Public Affairs, and has previously worked for the New York Observer, Washington Examiner, and The Huffington Post.
At their core, Jimmy’s books are passion projects. Jimmy chooses topics because he wants to read about them but can’t find a book to buy on the subject. He is inspired by his literary heroes, including Robert Caro, Laura Hillenbrand, Candice Millard, Daniel James Brown, and Barbara Tuchman. Like these acclaimed authors, Jimmy combines rigorous research with readability - he doesn’t want his books to feel like doing homework. He enjoys obsessing over a subject for years and aims to find as much information as possible, and then make the material readable for a general audience.
jimmysoni.com.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Watching Tim build a hugely successful company over the past couple of years has been so fulfilling. It was fascinating to learn how Tim’s early passion for public policy transformed into founding a tech startup based in public policy. Working on the Obama campaign at a young age influenced Tim’s later journey into entrepreneurship and policymaking. Tim talked about how all people essentially want the same things: good schools, the tools to live a prosperous life, and to see that hard work pays off. I never knew how the public policy process goes so much deeper than most people realize, and how pre-planning helps ensure that policy can overcome blockers like contradictory laws, differing political parties, and misinformation. This was such a fulfilling and exciting conversation.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Tim Hwang is the Founder and CEO of FiscalNote, a privately held software, data, and media company headquartered in Washington, D.C. The global company has offices across America and in Brussels, India, and Seoul, and powers almost 5,000 of the world's largest and most influential law firms, legal departments, and governments. Through FiscalNote, Tim has worked with and raised venture capital and acquisition financing from the likes of The Economist, S&P Global, Mark Cuban, Jerry Yang, Steve Case, NEA, Renren and others. Prior to founding FiscalNote, Hwang started his career in politics in the Obama '08 campaign, assisting in the election of the first Obama Administration. He was elected to the Montgomery County Board of Education a year later, overseeing a budget of over $4 Billion for 22,000 public employees. As a student, Tim also served as the President of the National Youth Association and the founder of Operation Fly. Inc., - a national 501(c)(3) organization that served inner-city children in underprivileged areas around the country.
Tim was profiled in Forbes 30 Under 30, Inc. 30 Under 30, CNN's Top 10 Startups, Business Insiders Top 25 Hottest Startups, and many others. He is a graduate of Princeton and attended Harvard Business School. He is also currently a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, a Trustee on the Board of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, as well a Board member of The After School Alliance. He is a member of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C., the Council of Korean Americans, and the Young Presidents Organization.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
What I really love about Tamsen is how she fully embraces herself and understands how to lean into her own strengths. She does not change herself to fit in, but instead seeks to change the world around her to fully express who she is. She demonstrated this when she left her job to find a workplace culture that supports “Lone Wolf-ishness” and ultimately becominging self-employed. Tamsen uses her negative experiences as fuel for her fire. She never shys away from their impact on her life, but she chooses to put her foot in the ground and to make a change. Panic attacks are often a major hurdle that set many people back, but Tamsen chose to go on the offensive and attack these challenges head-on. Tamsen never misses an opportunity to both learn and teach. It’s very rare to find someone who not only values learning but also passing their ideas on and being a bridge between different worlds. I really gained a lot from our conversation and I hope you did too.
What do Weight Watchers, ballroom dancing, marathon running, and TEDx Talks have in common? For Tamsen Webster, the answer is, “Me.” For Tamsen’s clients and audiences, the answer is the Red Thread™—the universal tie between how people see the world and what they do in it. Part keynote speaker, part message strategist, and full-time “Idea Whisperer”, Tamsen uses her proprietary Red Thread method to help audiences, organizations, and individuals build and tell the story of their big ideas and create real, transformative change.
Tamsen’s own Red Thread is woven through more than 20 years as a brand and message strategist. She holds an MBA in Management Communications and Organizational Behavior, an MA in Arts Administration, and bachelor’s degrees in American Studies and Marketing—but Tamsen believes she learned the most about inspiring change in her 13 years as a Weight Watchers leader. As Executive Producer of TEDx Cambridge, one of the largest and longest-running TEDx Talks in the world, Tamsen coached everyone from a 10-year old sartorialist to a pervasive roboticist to a bioethics pioneer to build their RedThreads™ into Ideas Worth Spreading.
Now she’s a globe-hopping keynote speaker on storytelling, branding, change management, and idea development, and a go-to consultant for enterprise companies like Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, and State Street Bank who want their big ideas to have an even bigger impact. When she’s not in the spotlight—or helping others own theirs—Tamsen pursues ballroom dancing and runs the occasional marathon. She lives in Boston with her other half and two amazing boys with big ideas all their own.
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http://tamsenwebster.com/
It was fascinating to hear how David’s relationship with his daughter evolved by collaborating with her on writing Fanocracy. David realized early on that he and Reiko had to be on equal footing to collaborate properly, because Reiko provided a perspective that was remarkably different from his own. The result was their father-daughter relationship growing into a more developed adult parental relationship. The process of writing and promoting Fanocracy was also unlike anything David had written before, in a way that extended far beyond just co-writing with Reiko. Instead of writing in a unified voice, David and Reiko focused on using their own voices to share a unified message. David and Reiko also interviewed thousands of people to ask them why they were fans of the things they like, and used this ground-level research to inform their writing. David truly believes that any business can develop fans, even ones where they traditionally don’t operate on that model. David provided an example of how a car insurance provider found success with a fan-first model despite the public’s traditionally apathetic attitude towards the insurance industry.
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David Meerman Scott is an internationally acclaimed business strategist, keynote speaker, and advisor, as well as the best-selling author of books like Fanocracy: Turning Fans into Customers and Customers into Fans; The New Rules of Marketing & PR, and Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead. Since 2002, David’s books have been featured in notable publications like the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek, and have sold over a million copies in 29 languages. David’s collection of artifacts from the Apollo lunar program is said to be one of the best in the world, and his book Marketing the Moon was the inspiration for Robert Stone’s three-part PBS/American Experience documentary titledChasing The Moon, which was released in July 2019 at the time of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11.
Pre-pandemic, David delivered keynote speeches at in-person conferences and company meetings all over the world. Now, David has found a new niche by focusing on virtual events. Along with speaking, David serves as an advisor and investor in emerging companies that are transforming their industries by delivering disruptive products and services. In his role as a marketing professional, David realizes that new Web tools and techniques all have in common that together they are the best way to communicate directly with your marketplace, and has used this principle to achieve success marketing across emerging social media platforms. Never a stranger to radical ideas, David has built his career by pursuing his interests and living life to the fullest.
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Find out more about David at davidmeermanscott.com/
I met Rich through a mutual friend and mentor, Mark Green. Rich is a great student and teacher, always learning and sharing new ideas. Through travel and new experiences, Rich has stayed on the edge of learning and growing. Rich also pushes barriers. Whether it’s honing new skills, or picking up his entire life and moving cross-country, every risk he’s taken has its rewards with hard work. Rich snowballs his knowledge. Once he got his feet wet in the automation world he took ownership and became a leader. He then used that mental infrastructure to build bigger and better businesses. I also took away from our conversation a lesson on how outsourcing can be a valuable resource if done properly. Every step Rich takes is calculated, but he never misses an opportunity to take a risk. Outsourcing certain aspects of his work allows him to excel at what he does best. I really enjoyed sharing this special conversation with Rich.
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Rich Manders is the founder of FreeScale Coaching Systems, a program dedicated to helping CEO's and their leadership teams scale their business and their personal freedom simultaneously through coaching and development. Before coaching, Rich co-founded and managed iAutomation from $0 in sales to become the industry-leading company with 160 employees and ~$80M in sales. He has successfully sold two companies including iAutomation, and worked hand in hand with the majority shareholder to grow the company eight fold. Rich considers himself a serial entrepreneur, lifelong learner and student of business. Attended hundreds of seminars, read hundreds of books, and worked with many thought leaders on Business Management, Sales, Personal Development, Coaching, People skills, negotiation and more, all in the name of building his own skill sets and improving his business.
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Sigalle is such a light. I was introduced to her a few years ago by David Sherman, who runs LawLine, and met Sigalle at an event. We’ve stayed in touch, and she reached out to me in the fall to talk about her recent experience with the seizure. I asked her if she’d like to come onto the podcast to talk about it, and she agreed. There are a couple of things I took away from my conversation with Sigalle. The first is the connection between mind and body: How Sigalle’s effort to give 100% in both her work and personal life led to her being overworked and unhappy, which eventually culminated in her seizure. I also learned how Sigalle did not fit into her parents’ rigid ideas about success and her path in life. It took a long time to realize that she wanted to go to law school or receive any higher education, and even longer to find her true path. Finally, I learned how after her seizure, Sigalle took stock of what was important in her life. She’s realized how important it is to share her experiences and how she feels. She started living life for herself instead of for professional success. I gained a lot from our conversation and I hope you can too.
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Sigalle Barness is the chief storyteller at Lawline, a company that provides legal professionals with growth opportunities through online learning. She is the host of Lawyers Who Lead, a weekly podcast that challenges the notion that the law lags behind by celebrating a diverse and exciting range of experienced lawyers who are driving meaningful change in the legal industry. Sigalle has undergone executive leadership and business strategy training through renowned Scaling Up Performance coaches, an education that has helped drive Lawline's significant revenue, profit, and subscriber growth under her leadership.
As a child, Sigalle devoured everything from sci-fi stories to classic novels to cookbooks. Over the years, she has found great joy in retelling what she learns to others. Along the way, Sigalle realized that she has the ability to convey even the most complex concepts in a simple, transparent, and engaging way. Forever a storyteller at heart, Sigalle continues to use narratives to create and convey various concepts in an authentic and compelling way that is reflective of the audience before her. This has resulted in stronger company culture, smarter marketing methodologies, and authentic client and partner relationships under her leadership. Sigalle always keeps human connection at the forefront of everything she does.
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I first heard about Tiziana through a social media post about her book. I went out and read the book, and was so inspired by it that I decided to reach out to her. There are a few key takeaways I learned from and about Tiziana. The first is that independence is something you can learn. Tiziana may have had feelings of independence from a young age, but her journey required the same obstacles. The concept of power is one of the most important dynamics of the human experience, whether it shows up with positive or negative impacts. Tiziana’s teachings and studies do not shy away from human nature, but rather embrace it to help others. Tiziana is always thinking creatively, there isn’t a problem she’s afraid to try and solve. It was so special getting to talk with Tiziana today, and I hope you gain some insight from listening to her.
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Tiziana Casciaro is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at The Rotman School of Management and the holder of the Marcel Desautels Chair in Integrative Thinking at the University of Toronto. Tiziana’s research explores how structural and psychological forces jointly shape behavior in organizations. Her work on organizational networks, power dynamics, change implementation, and professional networking has been published in Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Management Science, and Harvard Business Review, and featured in the Economist, Financial Times, the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, USA Today, Forbes, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, Fortune, and TIME.
Tiziana served as Senior Editor at Organization Science, a trade journal that publishes fundamental research about organizations, including their processes, structures, technologies, identities, capabilities, forms, and performance. Her most notable awards include the Outstanding Publication in Organizational Behavior Award of the Academy of Management and the Thinkers50 Radar list of the 30 management thinkers in the world most likely to shape the future of how organizations are managed and led. Tiziana has worked at three universities in three countries, influencing thousands of students and future leaders along the way.
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I remember when I met Martin, we had such a profound conversation that covered so much ground. Martin has a really incredible story to tell. It was shocking how his decision to leave the legal field weighed on Martin until the point that he had to just cut the cord. Martin left his job without a plan, but he knew deep down that he had to do it because the signs were starting to manifest through the ways that he showed up in the world. I was inspired by Martin’s willingness to help others who have been in a similar situation (feeling trapped in their job and needing a change), but also his care to advise them instead of telling them what they “need” to do. Martin recognizes that his path worked for him, but might not work for everybody. It was fascinating to learn how Martin’s parents were both Holocaust survivors who immigrated to Canada from Poland. Not only did this experience shape the way his parents raised him and their family environment, it also instilled in Martin the sense that he needed to be successful and make his family proud. Martin has such resilience and such a drive, and it’s been amazing to see him shine.
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Martin Perelmuter is the Co-founder & President of Speakers’ Spotlight, one of the world’s largest and most respected speakers agencies who have arranged more than 35,000 speaking engagements in over 35 countries worldwide, as well as the Managing Director of The Spotlight Agency, a group that connects high-calibre talent across fields with opportunities worldwide.
Martin is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Western Ontario, and the Faculty of Law at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. Prior to co-founding Speakers’ Spotlight, Martin was a corporate lawyer at a prestigious international law firm. While he realized early on in his legal career that he needed to do something more entrepreneurial, he learned valuable best practices that have shaped his approach to client service and business management.
Martin’s views on the speaking industry have been reported in various television and print media, and have been published in over 60 countries. He’s been a guest lecturer at several colleges and universities and was a keynote speaker at the Public Words Speaker Forum at The Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School in Cambridge. Martin is an unapologetic idealist. He’s passionate about people and ideas, and after 25+ years in the speaking industry, Martin believes more than ever that a great speech can provide the impetus for action and be a catalyst for change.
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Ron Tite is a best-selling author, speaker, producer, and entrepreneur, who has always blurred the lines between art and commerce. He has been an award-winning advertising writer and creative director for some of the world’s most respected brands including Air France, Evian, Fidelity, Hershey, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, Intel, Microsoft, Volvo and many others. He is founder of Church+State, an agency that helps brands navigate the unified worlds of advertising and content by creating stuff that people want to see, not stuff they have to see.
Ron is also thehost and executive producer of the hit podcast, “The Coup”, and has written, produced, and performed a hit play. He has written for television, as well as been the executive producer & host of the award-winning comedy show, Monkey Toast. Other accolades include penning a children’s book, creating a branded art gallery, and publishing This is That Travel Guide to Canada – a best-selling and award-winning satirical book.
In demand as a speaker all over the world, Ron speaks to leading organizations about leadership, disruption, branding, and creativity. Ron’s first book, Everyone’s An Artist – Or At Least They Should Be (Co-written by Scott Kavanagh and Christopher Novais), was published by HarperCollins in 2016. His most recent book, Think Do Say: How to Seize Attention and Build Trust in a Busy Busy World, hit store shelves in October, 2019.
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Mary Smith was such an incredible guest. She opened up with a vulnerable story about a past relationship, and overall really engaged with me as a host. This led to a really fulfilling conversation. One thing I took away from Mary was how undealt-with trauma can snowball in a person’s life, whether in the way it manifests in themselves, their interactions with others, or also across generations. It was also fascinating how people sharing their trauma helps facilitate conversation and help people not feel as alone, while stories of overcoming mental health challenges could also potentially give others hope. Mary’s passion for mental health has helped her overcome blockers in her career and help others as a therapist. She’s pursued her path with such forethought. Mary is an incredible person and I’ve always enjoyed learning from her.
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Mary Smith is a licensed professional counselor with skills and expertise in working with a diverse population in Washington, DC. Mary works with adults who are experiencing difficulties in areas of relationships, anxiety, depression, and transition. She uses many approaches including: mindfulness, mind-body connection, and a solution-focused orientation. Mary works to promote self-awareness, improve emotional well-being, and develop and enhance personal strengths. She focuses on identifying what emotional hurdles are preventing her clients from emotional wellbeing, and helping them overcome them through more satisfying, fulfilling, and healthy relationships with self and others.
Mary has served the Washington, DC community since 2012, working at the Virginia Hospital Center, The Women’s Center, and in her own private practice. She is also the co-host of the Dating Humans Podcast, a show where Mary teams up with Washington D.C. fireman Frelimo Simba for forward-thinking discussions about relationships. In everything she does, Mary aims to help others work through the helpless feeling and take back the reins of their lives.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
I've been fortunate enough to have many conversations with Dan recently, and I've been struck by his humility. I really respect the way that Dan never lets himself get in the way of his own progress. Whether or not he believes he is capable does not hold him back from trying anyways. Dan is always thinking strategically. Even if things seem to be running smoothly he will identify problems and think outside of the box to create solutions first. It's interesting to ponder how freedom and time to learn were key factors in Dan’s success, and have influenced his ability to think critically and problem solve. Dan leans into everything he learns. I really enjoyed this episode with him and I can't wait to continue our dialogue.
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Dan Pontefract is a leadership strategist, author, keynote speaker and trusted advisor. He is a best-selling author whose award-winning books include LEAD. CARE. WIN.: How To Become a Leader Who Matters, OPEN TO THINK, THE PURPOSE EFFECT, and FLAT ARMY. As a speaker, Dan has presented at four different TED events and also writes for Forbes & Harvard Business Review. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria, Gustavson School of Business, on the Thinkers50 Radar, and garnered more than 20 industry awards over his career.
He is also the founder of the Pontefract Group, helping organizations & leaders reach their full potential. Through his company, Dan provides clients consultative services that assess and recommend how to become more collaborative, productive, engaged and purpose-driven. All of Dan’s work is nested under the concept of agency. He believes the age of agency is upon us, be it employee, team, organization or community. From Dan’s point of view, agency will become the glue that binds our book of worth.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
I felt a connection with Joey right off the bat. It was evident to me that he was someone who I could talk to for hours. I found it fascinating how Joey’s decisions to jump to the next job were not based on dissatisfaction with his current position, but rather because he thought he’d enjoy the next thing even more. Joey’s parents encouraging him to do research and have informed opinions from a young age affected his whole life’s trajectory, and it was really interesting to consider how the things a kid does that might drive parents crazy at 6 might make them successful at 36. Joey and I both align in our way of maintaining relationships through thoughtful communication. Joey has built real relationships by sending messages, gifts, and thank you notes - not because he’s trying to get something from them, but because he values the relationship. I feel that we align on many of our values, and he's someone I hope to emulate one day.
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Joey Coleman is on a mission to help companies keep their customers and employees. As a keynote speaker, workshop leader, and consultant, Joey helps businesses design creative ways to engage their customers and employees - especially in the crucial First 100 Days® of the relationship lifecycle. As a professional speaker who has given thousands of speeches all over the world, Joey also works with a small number of private coaching clients to develop and hone their speaking skills. His eclectic background has led Joey through the legal field, selling custom research to Fortune 500 executives, racing along the Great Wall, juggling in front of the Taj Mahal, emceeing charity auctions, working in the White House, singing a solo at the Kennedy Center, and traveling to 48 countries (and counting).
Joey’s Wall Street Journal best-selling book Never Lose a Customer Again discusses the 8 phases customers have the potential to travel through as part of their customer journey and the 6 tools to create remarkable customer experiences. His specialties include customer and employee retention and experience, keynote speeches, workshop and meeting facilitation, design, marketing, personal branding, speaker training, and hitting high notes as a first tenor.
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What I really enjoyed about my conversation with Dorie was that she was just so comfortable with herself. She showed up relaxed and ready to go. It felt so natural talking to her. What I noticed was how seeing a recruiter from Harvard Divinity School informed her as an executive coach and in all the roles she's succeeded in during her career. It must have been exciting to explore that route and see where it took her. She’s done so many different things in her career, but everything seems so interconnected and transferable. The path from one role to the next feels so natural, and she has gained her reputation for a reason. Dorie knows how to build those relationships that get her from one place to the next. Her way of bundling together experiences and expertise really can create a lot of momentum, and it’s amazing to see her help other people build that for themselves. I love her persistence, she doesn’t back away from fear, and she pivots in ways that are aligned with her. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from her.
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Dorie Clark is a strategy consultant, executive coach, and keynote speaker with deep experience in virtual presentations. Over the course of her career, she has worked with clients including Google, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Fidelity, Yale, the IMF, and the World Bank, and twice been named one of the Top 50 Business Thinkers in the World by Thinkers50. Dorie has also been named the #1 Communication Coach in the World by The Marshall Goldsmith Leading Global Coaches Awards, as well as one of the Top 10 Communication Professionals in the World by Global Gurus.
Dorie is shaping new generations of business leaders by teaching at several higher education institutions, including Duke's Fuqua School of Business, IE Business School in Spain, and the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler School of Business. Some of her accolades include two New England Press Association awards; serving as a presidential campaign spokesperson; and a producer of a multiple Grammy-winning jazz album. Dorie also invests in Broadway productions and is a lyricist in BMI's Tony-Award winning Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Advanced Workshop. She’s also a member of Marshall Goldsmith's MG100 program, as well as an angel investor and startup advisor.
Dorie writes regularly for the Harvard Business Review, FastCompany, and Business Insider, and is also the author of several books, including the WSJ bestseller The Long Game and Reinventing You, as well as Entrepreneurial You and Stand Out, which both won acclaim in Inc. Magazine and Forbes. Dorie is known internationally as an expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
As soon as Liane and I got talking, I noticed this instant warmth about her that made our conversation so easy. Most of all, I really appreciate her story. It’s a testament to her work and the path that it’s led her down. Learning from her experiences with a dysfunctional team led to a lot of growth and eventually her going off to do what she does today as a public speaker. One of the things I found super interesting was how she views conflict from the perspective of human evolution. It was an unexpected topic of discussion, but it highlights how Liane takes a holistic approach to conflict resolution. Conflict is hard to deal with, and we often don’t know how to do. Liane doesn’t like conflict but demonstrates that we need to learn how to address it to function. Liane is a class act and so easy to follow, and I really enjoyed our conversation today.
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For the past 25 years, Liane Davey has researched and advised teams on how to achieve high performance. Known as the “teamwork doctor,” she’s worked with teams from the frontlines to the boardroom, across a variety of industries, and around the globe from Boston to Bangkok. In working with hundreds of teams, she has developed a unique perspective on the challenges that teams face – and how to solve them. Liane’s clients include Amazon, Walmart, TD Bank, RBC, AMD, Google, Bayer, KPMG, Aviva, Maple Leaf Foods, and SONY Interactive Entertainment. She has experience and expertise across a wide range of industries, but with each client, and is an expert at showing the audience that she “gets” them.
Beyond her work in the boardroom, Liane is a New York Times Bestselling author of You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done and The Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Organization Back on Track. She is also a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and has been sought by several media outlets, including CNN, NPR, USA Today, The Globe & Mail and Forbes, for her expertise on increasing productivity, enhancing engagement, developing leaders, and as one client put it, “dealing with the damn drama!”
As a keynote speaker, Liane has spoken for audiences as big as 2000 and as intimate as 20. Regardless of the size, she delivers the perfect combination of education and entertainment that leaders and teams need to get unstuck and make an impact on their organizations. She tells it like it is—including stories about many of the unbelievable situations she’s experienced working with (and on) teams.
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Naseem is not only an incredibly hard worker, but he’s also one of the funniest and most well-spoken people I’ve ever met. I really appreciate who he is and what he represents as a leader. In his journey working for different companies before going his own way, he was able to accumulate a wealth of experience and build important relationships. Naseem has had a very unconventional career path for the corporate world and for today’s world. His mind and caring heart are dedicated to helping others. After getting to know him over the past year and a half, I have so many good things to say about him. I’m very excited for him and to be a part of his journey.
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Naseem Malik is the Managing Partner of MRA Global Sourcing, a supply management firm that helps world-class companies build successful teams by finding the right leaders. Additionally, he is the Partner and Co-Founder of Vitalize Talent, a capability development firm that is putting the "human" back into the hiring process.
Naseem has worked with companies of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, to source goods, reduce costs, and curate supply chain improvements. However, he believes the most valuable asset has been the opportunity to source human capital. Naseem loves leveraging his network to connect the dots and find the BEST talent in the supply chain management world.
Naseem benefited from the generosity of his former peers, colleagues, and bosses in a way that led to his entrepreneurial pursuit of serving the supply chain function by creating innovative technology and providing executive recruiting services. Companies rely on Naseem and his businesses to be unwavering in the pursuit of bringing highly qualified candidates that will dare to surpass all their expectations. He stands for those with crazy ambitions and strive to outperform, and is courageous enough to take unknown paths to reach success.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Incapable of small talk, an appreciation for being different, challenging the status quo, and being able to confront a revolution - that’s Laura Gassner Otting. She models incredible behavior and action around the things she believes in. I think it’s so rare to see people step into themselves fully and go after their pursuits in a limitless way around things that matter, and Laura does it at every turn. It inspires me to see how those attributes are deeply embedded in her soul. There is such conviction in her speech, and she doesn’t care what people think. There’s a lot to learn from her message, her work, and her books. This conversation was so stimulating. She embodies such personal power in everything she does, from her time in the Clinton Administration to her current work, and I’m so inspired by her.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Laura Gassner Otting is a professional motivational keynote speaker and Washington Post best-selling author who helps innovators, idealists, and iconoclasts get “unstuck” in their thinking and achieve extraordinary results. She inspires others to push past the doubt and indecision that consign great ideas to limbo. Laura encourages others to think bigger and accept greater challenges beyond their current limited scope of belief. She delivers strategic thinking, well-honed wisdom, and catalytic perspective informed by decades of navigating change across the start-up, nonprofit, political, and philanthropic landscapes. Laura dares listeners to identify their voice, and generate the confidence necessary to tackle bigger-than-life challenges while exploring innovative ways of leading, managing, and mentoring others. She is an instigator, a motivator, and a provocateur, and she has never met a revolution she didn’t like.
Laura’s 25-year resume is defined by her entrepreneurial edge. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton’s White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at Isaacson Miller, to expand the startup ExecSearches.com. She founded and ran the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, which partnered with the full gamut of mission-driven nonprofit executives, from start-up dreamers to scaling social entrepreneurs to global philanthropists. She is the author of Mission-Driven, a book for those moving from profit to purpose. She is also the author of Limitless.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Hulet has been a light in my life. I met him in 2015, and I could tell right away that he had a free spirit in the sense that he would do what he wanted and nobody could stand in his way. At the same time, he cares so deeply about the people around him; his family, his wife, and his kids. He’s a man really pushing the edge, especially for a town like Athens, GA where there aren’t many people like Hulet around. Back then, we connected over coffee and stayed in touch because we mutually found each other very interesting. Hulet is a stand-out guy, and I can’t say enough good things about him. I hope listeners can see what I see in him as well.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Hulet Smith is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rehabmart, a company that serves patients, families, and caregivers by offering a wide selection of innovative rehabilitation products, superb customer service, and value-oriented discount pricing. As Occupational Therapists, married family guys, and fathers to special needs children; Hulet and his co-founder Mike Price understand the challenges of raising special needs children. Hulet is a father to a daughter who was born with Cerebral Palsy. As such, Hulet considers it a fortunate privilege to be able to give back and occasionally consult as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, serving children and families living with Cerebral Palsy and brain injury. Hulet spends the majority of my time securing new opportunities, promoting efficiencies, and exploring business alignments for Rehab.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Kate was such a dynamic and interesting guest. She’s full of energy and light and has such a unique personality. I could talk to her for hours. I resonated with what she said about growing up in an environment that was not intellectually stimulating. It’s been really neat to watch her develop intellectually and see where she puts her energy, focus, and effort to find the people that encourage her to grow and develop. It’s easy to stay in your shell and avoid the scary world out there, but when you step out of your shell it’s so rewarding. Kate has done that time and again in her career.
Her work at Netflix, especially the development of personalization on the streaming giant, was fascinating to hear about. When companies can get it right and give their customers an experience that’s been customized for them, it really stands out. Seeing the inner early workings of Netflix was fascinating, as is what Kate is doing now to help humanity see the future of tech. Kate’s a really cool person, and I hope we get the chance to have many more conversations.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Kate O’Neill is the author of “A Future So Bright,” a book that argues that the best way to confront challenges and build a better tomorrow is to allow ourselves to envision the brightest future possible, while at the same time acknowledging the ways the future could go dark and working to prevent them from happening. Widely known as the “Tech Humanist,” Kate is helping humanity prepare for an increasingly tech-driven future with her signature strategic optimism. Kate is also the founder and CEO of KO Insights, a strategic advisory firm committed to improving human experience at scale.
As a professional global keynote speaker, Kate regularly speaks with leadership audiences around the world, exploring how data and emerging technologies like AI are shaping the future of human experiences, and advocating with her signature strategic optimism for humanity’s future in an increasingly tech-driven and exponentially-changing world. Her clients and audiences include many Fortune 500 and World’s Most Admired companies and brands, including tech giants like Google and IBM, household-name brands like Coca Cola and Colgate, future-forward cities like Amsterdam and Austin, top universities like Cambridge and Yale, and even the United Nations.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcas
That was a really dynamic conversation with Chaz. I enjoyed learning about everything he is up to. The most revealing part of the conversation was when we talked about his background as an actor, and how it helped him overcome obstacles and fill new roles. I think we really processed a lot of different things and helped him reveal parts of himself that have never been discussed. His vulnerability and openness were incredible. What he’s doing with OnePagePlans is so valuable for creatives. Chaz is the kind of person you want to surround yourself with, especially as someone whose goal is to help other people achieve their dreams.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Chaz Thorne is a partner with OnePagePlans, a company that helps leaders and teams get their strategic plan on one page in just two days. Through OnePagePlans, Chaz has worked with non-profits like Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Right to Play, as well as corporations like Stantec, Weston Foods, Sun Life, and GFL Environmental. Before OnePagePlans, Chaz co-founded The Give Agency, an idea hackathon where top thinkers in advertising, marketing, PR, and strategy united to help nonprofits free of charge. He also founded and led Standing 8 Productions, where he produced films in the $2-$10M range starring A-list talents like Rose Byrne, Danny Glover, and Jay Baruchel to critical acclaim.
Chaz is guided by the belief that organizations can and should make better decisions faster. While management research warns against "top-down" decision-making, you still need to get things done, and many leaders struggle with balancing collaboration and speed. He firmly believes that you can have both.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Sam’s episode was really invigorating for me. What I took away was that he is the type of person who has so much resilience, and you can bet on him that he’ll figure it out. The stories he shared with me spoke to his character and will. When his back is against the wall, he’s gonna pull it off and pull through. A lot of people go on the entrepreneurial journey and think it’ll be all sunshine and roses, but at the end of the day it’s usually so much harder than that. This episode gives a look at his inner thoughts and times when he was wondering if he would make it. I was impressed by the way he pulled through and demonstrated his work ethic. His company, PicassoMD is so great because it’s incredibly practical. Having been through some injuries myself, I know how difficult it can be to find the right healthcare specialists. I really admire people who innovate in the healthcare field because I firmly believe we are nothing without our health and that health should be our top priority. Hungry entrepreneurs in this space like Sam are worthy of our admiration.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Sam Pollaro is the Co-CEO of PicassoMD, a telehealth solution that instantly connects healthcare providers for clinical decision support, referrals and care coordination. Before PicassoMD, Sam was previously SVP of Strategic Initiatives at Kayak-OpenTable after that company acquired Venga, his last start-up. Sam’s first venture was an online flower subscription business that was acquired by Battery Ventures portfolio company HBloom. Prior to taking the entrepreneurial leap, Sam was a Principal at Portfolio Logic, a healthcare-focused investment company. Sam holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon. Sam is passionate about entrepreneurship, technology, and improving our healthcare system. A 3x entrepreneur himself, Sam is always willing to help other founders because he has been in their shoes.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
I love talking to Maureen because she comes from such an authentic place. From the first time I heard her speak, I knew it was all coming out naturally and straight from the heart. When you talk to someone as strong in their sense of being as Maureen is, you realize it reflects outward in all the ways they show up. Her near-death experience and rejection of her parents’ model for her is an amazing coming of age story, and the way she’s shown up as a parent and leader is truly remarkable. She has so much wisdom to share, and I can’t say enough great things about who she is and how she’s helping others.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Maureen Pelton is co-founder and coach at ShiftIt Institure, a program that ignites consciousness to inspire human potential and creating paradigm shifts at both a personal and institutional level. Using a variety of holistic modalities in her coaching practice, Maureen inspires people to awaken their true nature, take responsibility for their lives, and revel in authenticity. She specializes in Quantum Neuro Reset Therapy, Energy Medicine, Healthy Relationships, Nonviolent Communication, Leadership Development, Life Purpose & Passion, Mindfulness Skills, Breathwork, and Guided Imagery.
Maureen has dedicated her life to shifting the consciousness of humanity and institutions. She is a highly sought after consultant among entrepreneurs, tech leaders, and people on the path of awakening. Her clients describe her as a “force of nature,” and “absolute magic.” Maureen’s work as a change agent and modern mystic supports her clients to become fully alive, embodied, and sovereign. As a paradigm shifter, Maureen has pioneered courses, programs and retreats for Universities, healthcare systems, and corporations.
I tracked Maureen down this summer after I listened to her on the Untangled Podcast, where she discussed connecting the head and the heart. The episode served as hope for me that it was possible, and since then we've formed a great friendship.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
A mutual friend told me that I should connect with Jonathan last summer, and I ended up meeting him in Boulder, Colorado in August. We spent two hours together, during which I noticed how intentional he was in his speech. He told me about a designer from the 1800’s whose name is not known but left an indelible impression on modern architecture. Jonathan is a lot like this designer. He doesn’t care about his name being attached to anything, Jonathan only cares about how his work is going to change lives. He’s constantly thinking about others and how he can help them. Jonathan is someone I want to emulate as I continue to grow because of his strong sense of values.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Jonathan Fields is the founder of media and education venture Good Life Project, where he serves as Executive Producer and host of one of the top-ranked podcasts in the world with a large, global, mission-driven community that has been hailed by The Wall Street Journal as one of the top self-development podcasts and featured on-stage during Apple’s legendary annual event. Jonathan is also the chief architect behind the Sparketypes®, a set of “work imprints," tools and programs tapped by nearly 250,000 individuals and organizations in the quest to amplify purpose, engagement, and performance. He is the author of bestseller How to Live a Good Life, as well as the critically acclaimedbook Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance.
Jonathan’s career has spanned many fields and disciplines. Determined and focused, Jonathan has been able to live his life with intention and a strong sense of purpose after finding meaning in a time of crisis.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
What I love about Seth is his boldness in taking on this difficult topic. He’s really trying to have a conversation about the most divisive political issues of our time and approach it with thought and reason. His goal of getting business leaders to open up about their perspectives and share with their constituents is an admirable attempt to destigmatize this type of conversation. He makes people imagine their family members and kids as part of the conversation to remove the stigma/opposition and have a real conversation about how these topics affect their family. His book is thoroughly researched and draws from many different sources. While it’s very academic in scope, American Schism is a great narrative of where we’ve been and how we can fix our nation.
Seth David Radwell is the author of the Amazon bestseller American Schism, a book that examines the United States’ political divide and attempts to bridge it through the lens of enlightenment ideals. Distraught by his colleagues’ reluctance to engage in political discussions and civil debate, Seth set out to examine how we got to where we are today and how the nation’s founding principles can be used to save it. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, which informed his research while writing American Schism.
Before writing American Schism, Seth had established himself as an internationally known business executive and thought leader in consumer marketing. He previously served as President of e-Scholastic, the digital arm of the global children’s publishing and education company, and as President of Bookspan/Bertelsmann, where he developed book clubs for diverse readership. He also served as CEO of The Proactiv Company, the leading skincare brand for acne; as President & Chief Revenue Officer of Guthy-Renker, the worldwide direct-to-consumer beauty company; and as Senior Vice President, Content for Prodigy Services Company.
Peter and I met when I was starting out in the sports marketing space. He went out of his way to help me, and was just so nice and helpful to me. He kept in touch with me, showed up, and was there when I needed him. The story Peter shared today on the podcast was an incredible look at his career. He has a great moral compass and so much humility. Peter shows up for the people around him and does the things that many people wouldn’t do. We fell out of touch for a bit, but when we got back together for the show it was like no time had passed. His idea of content and community is true to who he is, and resonates deeply with me. No matter what Peter does in the world, he’s going to succeed because he does right by others.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
I met Mike in November 2020. I reached out to him because he commented on an article I shared on LinkedIn about education. The first time we talked, a half-hour call very naturally turned into a 90 minute conversation. We felt a connection right off the bat. He’s very humble, present, and caring, the type of person who really cares about impact. I’ve been fortunate to work with Mike to help him share his message and help other people, and I’ve been so proud to see Mike build programming around his mission. I couldn’t say better things about Mike personally and professionally. I can’t wait to see the world unfold before him.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Mike Thorne is a chairman at the Vistage Peer Advisory Group, a safe forum for business leaders to work out issues and explore opportunities. Guided by his mission, vision, and business experience, Mike’s superpower is the ability to elevate business leaders so they can further their success. His mission is to restore human dignity and unleash greatness in people, and create a world where people recognize that they’re worthy of self-esteem and are celebrated for exactly who they are.
After being let go from his dream job as a young professional, Mike had to face many hard truths about himself. Working through his fear of abandonment, Mike became a strong leader who helps others see their own potential. Mike is a triathlete, Ironman competitor, and self-driven leader who believes life is a team sport.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Louise is one of my favorite people. We met in the fall of 2015 while I was working on a storytelling platform called Wish Dish. A friend of mine introduced me to her, and I flew out to California to appear on her show. Afterward, Louise and I had some very deep conversations about life, family, and relationships. It’s so clear how big her heart is, and I feel very fortunate that I was able to have her on The One Away Show this time around. Louise is such a special person, and I hope that the stories she shared about role models seeing her potential help you think about the people in your life who encourage you and how you can build those relationships.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Louise Palanker is a writer, producer, director, comedian, filmmaker, photographer, songwriter, and drummer. She is a co-founder of Premiere Radio Networks, which is now a division of iHeart Media. Her filmmaking resume includes Family Band: The Cowsill Story, a documentary that appeared on Showtime for two years and is now available on Amazon Prime. Her short documentary, Margaret Singer: Seeking Light recently screened at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. She writes a weekly advice column for Noozhawk.com and founded the advice app for teens, Ask Weezy. Her current project, the Media Path Podcast, is Louise’s fifth podcast. With co-host Fritz Coleman, Louise explores the deep dives they take into films, books, TV, and music when they become obsessed with a given topic.
Louise grew up in Buffalo, NY. As a kid, several role models including a teacher, doctor, and her father saw her potential and helped her find her path as a creative. After finding her potential through organizational tactics, she was able to build a unique career in show business, interviewing and working with many A-list celebrities along the way. Louise is full of stories and wisdom, all delivered in her unmistakable style.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Gary has such a unique and valuable perspective that draws on a lot of different data points. His background in political science and his personal interests allow him to use history to inform his decision-making. He’s the kind of guy you really want leading a company. He shows up in an authentic and informed way, and I appreciate everything he’s done to support me and help me grow.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Gary Carmell is president and partner of CWS Capital Partners, an investment management firm with a $4 billion+ apartment portfolio. Along with his two partners, Gary is focused on creating wealth over long periods of time without taking excessive risk. Gary Carmell joined CWS in 1987 and is responsible for all aspects of acquisition financing (debt and equity), high-level communications, and is significantly involved in the company’s strategic direction and capital deployment. He has an MBA from USC and a Bachelor's of Arts degree in political science from UCLA, a degree that he believes gives him a unique perspective in his profession.
As a young man, Gary was drawn to California by family vacations, UCLA basketball, and his passion for the Grateful Dead. When his girlfriend gave him the option of moving to California with her or breaking up, Gary followed her to the Golden State and started a career in real estate investment. Gary is the author of The Philosophical Investor: Transforming Wisdom into Wealth, a collection of lessons learned and wisdom drawn from his 30+ years of professional experience and filtered through his unique right-brain perspective. Gary runs a weekly blog at www.garycarmell.com, where he reflects on topics on personal and professional development, current events, and more.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
I got to know John Vitti because of a post I had made with a previous podcast guest. I was immediately drawn to his personality. John is the kind of guy who doesn’t care about other people’s opinions or judgment, opting instead to follow his own arrow. It takes a strong sense of self to show up in the world fully present like John does. He goes after the things he wants and jumps fully in. He’s building a fantastic platform with VersusGame because it aligns so much with his core values. If you can take anything away from listening to John, it’s how he lives life on his own terms.
John Vitti is the CEO of VersusGame, an online prediction money marketplace that allows anyone to play games that ask players to calculate which celebrity will be trending on social media, what business will have a higher stock price, or what cryptocurrency will be worth more. VersusGame’s goal is to allow everyone’s knowledge to be at play, opening up online betting platforms to everyone.
John was influenced as a child by watching his immigrant parents struggle for work. Once sharecroppers in Italy, John’s parents had difficulty finding employment after arriving in the United States. While unaware of it as a young child, the understanding of his parents' trouble resonated with him through his formative years. Determined to find a better life, John found entrepreneurship and built a career that fulfills him. John has worked his way up through the startup world across multiple ventures through his resilience and know-how.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
I met Rick in 2015 through my uncle and was immediately blown away. Giving me life advice in a parking garage in Atlanta, Rick told me “the most important decision you ever make is who you marry, who that partner is.” That has always stuck with me. Rick has had a vibrant career and done many things most people never get to do, and it was truly a pleasure and privilege to have him share that with me. I’m grateful for everything I’ve learned from him.
Rick Jones is “Captain” and Chief Creative Officer of FishBait Solutions, LLC, a lifestyle marketing, sponsorship and event-marketing consultancy and properties representation agency with an emphasis on college sports, country music, outdoor sports, food festivals and American Heritage clients. He founded the predecessor agency FishBait Marketing in 2003. He is also a managing partner at EngageMint, a firm that helps teams create and implement better fan engagement processes, and recently launched FishBaitBiz.com, an online resource to help small business owners become more successful and profitable.
Rick is a leading expert on marketing, corporate sponsorship, events, sales techniques, team building, small business consulting, tourism, and travel. Over the course of his pioneering career, Rick has worked with many of the world’s leading corporations, such as MasterCard and UPS, on the development and implementation of sports and entertainment programs. These include World Cup Soccer, The Olympic Games, and the NCAA Basketball Tournament, among countless others. Clients Rick is currently working with include Werner Co., Dollar General, Capital One, JTV, CMA, BMI, Opry Entertainment Group, The Mascot Hall of Fame, and The Country Music Hall of Fame, among others. Rick published his first book, ANALOG ADVICE IN A DIGITAL WORLD: A BABY BOOMER’S WORDS OF WISDOM FOR THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION in 2017 and released his second book, THE BUSINESS TITHE in 2019.
Rasheid embodies heart, character, and positive values. His “why” and purpose for building his business is undoubtedly rooted in his formative experiences growing up hungry. He truly serves his employees and looks after their needs. He’s not in it for the accolades, he’s in it for fulfillment. His joy in family life shines through when talking about his children and wife. His inner peace and strength shine through. Rasheid is someone to be admired and learned from.
Rasheid Scarlett is the owner of Great Dwellings, a short-term rental property management company that helps property owners maximize their short-term (i.e., Airbnb, VRBO) vacation rentals. Great Dwellings helps busy vacation rental owners through expert marketing, optimized pricing, guest screening, handling key drops, cleaning, guest transportation, maintenance, and more. Rasheid is also the CEO of NetAesthetics, a company that provides a broad, deep spectrum of technology services to help organizations translate their strategic business agendas into IT initiatives and solutions that measurably improve performance. In April 2020, Rasheid furthered his mission of building amazing solutions and experiences by joining the Forbes Business Council.
Rasheid learned a work ethic from watching his entrepreneurial-spirited mother, and used it as a means to escape hunger. After facing uncertainty on where he fit in while attending Wheaton College, Rasheid found his footing and scaled his professional career into something remarkable. Through his companies Great Dwellings and NetAesthetics, Rasheid is able to put food on the table for nearly 40 employees and their families. A family man at heart, Rasheid’s principles allow him to approach his personal and professional life with love at the center of everything he does.
David’s story was so inspiring to listen to. The way he was able to take lessons from his youth and use them to create a better life for himself is remarkable. His willingness to ask for help is a lesson to all entrepreneurs. Asking for help opened up many doors for David, and led him down the path to growing his company through an appearance on Shark Tank. It was such a privilege to talk to David and learn about his story, and I hope you enjoy listening to his episode.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Driven by an urgency to create a better future for his generation and future generations, David founded DetraPel with one simple mission: protect what you love. This mission is derived from his passions for entrepreneurship and creating world-changing initiatives that contribute to a thriving society and planet.
David believes that through innovation and a commitment to reduce environmental impacts and negative health effects, corporations have the power and responsibility to disrupt the growing trajectory of global challenges. That is why he implemented a strategic shift towards a smarter business model that reimagines the way my company builds new consumer and industrial products, creates distinction and contributes to change.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Debi’s willingness to be vulnerable and share her career path is admirable. In today’s episode, we discussed the importance of discovering what makes you come alive early in your career. Debi shared her experience of pursuing a new position that didn’t feel entirely right but had a massive allure. As discussed in our conversation, Debi learned the importance of following what’s stimulating and fulfilling, not more money or prestige.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Debi Kleiman is an award-winning marketer, teacher, startup advisor, mentor, and angel investor, with over fifteen years of experience working with and coaching startups of all kinds. She is managing partner of The Upside Angels, investing in early stage startups and providing strategic advisory services and coaching for founders. Prior to this, she spent 5 years as the Executive Director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship at Babson College, the #1 school in the nation for entrepreneurship. A marketer at heart, she previously spent a decade leading initiatives in brand development and innovation at Coca-Cola, Welch’s, and Procter & Gamble.
She wrote First Pitch, an Amazon best seller and #1 new release in startups and venture capital.Using easy-to-follow frameworks, stories, and best practices honed by analyzing thousands of pitches, Debi helps you build the relationship and communication strategies you need to get your new venture to the next level
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Julia’s immense drive, hustle, and vision are contagious. Her path to success is one that’s filled with grit and determination. Immigrating to a new country is difficult no matter who you are, but at 15, Julia faced even more obstacles coming to the United States. In the face of these difficulties, not only did she adapt to the culture, learn the language, and build a life quickly, but she did it with grace. One detail that has stuck with me is her flight to the US: she read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter. After finishing this book, she continued to read hundreds more on financial literacy. We all have something to learn from Julia’s core values and relentless pursuit of her goals.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Julia is a co-founder and managing director at JJ Studio, helping startups of all sizes launch new products and markets, scale their operations, and acquire new users through world-class marketing & sales. JJ Studio provides end-to-end project management and consulting to series A & B startups that are looking to grow their user base, launch new markets/ verticals, or streamline their operations.
Julia fell in love with the world of startups when she founded her first one in high school and scaled it to the 3rd largest coupon site in Germany. Since then, she has been building and scaling new ventures for companies such as Rocket Internet (Head of Marketing at EatFirst, GoReadyMade, Global Savings Group), Uber (launched Uber Eats, Uber Works, Jump Scooters), and many others.
Prior to JJ Studio, Julia led Uber’s expansion into several European markets before becoming the General Manager for Russia for Uber Eats. As the Head of Central Operations and interim Head of Sales at Uber Works, she helped the company grow more than 5x over. Aside from her business prowess, Julia’s story of moving to America from Germany is an inspiration for all.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
David is a true visionary. I admire his vision for building social impact brands and his ability to piece together his aspirations under one roof. He imparted a ton of wisdom during this episode, including the power of mentorship and storytelling. David’s story would not be complete without his mentor, Liz, who looked out for him, helped extend his comfort zone and picked him up when he fell. Throughout his career, David also learned to harness authentic storytelling over conventional sales tactics. There are many more lessons to learn throughout this episode. Give it a listen to hear them all!
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Dave Simnick is the CEO and co-founder of SoapBox Soaps, a company that works to empower customers to change the world through everyday, quality purchases. SoapBox products are currently shelved in tens of thousands of stores across the United States and beyond.
As an Eagle Scout, Dave’s dream was to found for-profit companies with a social mission at their core. Since then, he has worked as either an intern or consultant to USAID, the U.S. Army, Michelle Rhee, the U.S. Senate, and was a Teach for America educator in Northern Philadelphia. Dave’s got a house full of notebooks; he doesn’t like to let ideas get away from him. Give him any concept, and Dave will start tinkering with it. He’s worked on various sides of the startup industry: helping companies expand, getting the ball rolling with funding and publicity, making connections, and putting ideas together from the ground up.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
I loved talking to Michelle. Her ability to show up completely, full of emotion and honesty, is refreshing. One thing that particularly struck me about her story is her upbringing. Michelle grew up in a family that, on the outside, was comfortable. The reality, though, was that it was all a facade. It’s interesting how many people grow up in a similar circumstance. What’s most impressive about her story is her resilience. After being told that her parents couldn’t afford her college education, she forged a path for herself: Now, she helps others build wealth and a legacy for themselves.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
Michelle is a Managing Director and Financial Advisor, a role in which she uses her passion for financial literacy, married with the science of wealth management and the art of financial therapy. Michelle’s childhood informed her career path: Growing up “yacht poor,” she was surrounded by the trappings of wealth but knew her family wasn’t far from catastrophe. Michelle questioned her financial story and realized that she needed the synergy of knowledge, skills, and emotional composure to be financially literate.
She got her start in financial planning with American Express Financial Advisors, where she counseled high net worth individuals to manage their wealth and build their legacy. She’s served as District Investment Specialist for Northwestern Mutual Life, New York City District Financial Planning Specialist for Merrill Lynch, and Vice President - Wealth Management for Smith Barney/Morgan Stanley before finding her home at Snowden Lane. In 2020 she launched MichelleAB, a lifestyle platform that provides financial education, tools, events, and emotional intelligence on money to women around the world.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/one-away-podcast/
I’m so grateful to have Marie on The One Away Podcast. In our conversation, she was incredibly vulnerable about the hardships of her husband’s deployment. It was a joy to hear her insights on how his deployment affected her and shaped her career. For anyone interested in learning about how to create new opportunities for others, Marie’s episode is worth a listen.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/marie-roker-jones-one-co-founder-away-from-rediscovering-her-power/
Marie Roker-Jones is a social impact startup founder with over ten years of experience in leading inclusion and belonging strategies. She’s had an eclectic work history thanks to her husband’s multiple military deployments. The common thread throughout Marie’s career is working toward social good. She’s helped tech companies and startups with their diversity hiring goals through Veteran and military spouse initiatives, and has experience creating re-entry programs for underrepresented communities.
Currently, Marie is the Co-Founder and co-CEO of Essteem, a company that’s building a space of belonging in tech. She is also a senior editor for The Good Men Project, where she nurtures underrepresented writers and contributors to amplify their voices in the areas of racial and social injustice. She’s also the co-founder of OweYaa, a social impact startup that supports transitioning Veterans and military spouses into tech internships.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/marie-roker-jones-one-co-founder-away-from-rediscovering-her-power/
In the dozens and dozens of podcasts we’ve done so far, my conversations have never made a guest cry. Until Erin. Erin showed up for this episode so authentically. She opens up about the trigger moment in her life: her breast cancer diagnosis. Following this life-changing news, Erin completely altered the way she showed up at work, at home, for her husband, and for her kids. We all encounter these life-changing moments. No matter how difficult or painful they are, Erin’s story shows that it’s how we respond to these crises that matters.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/erin-grau-one-diagnosis-away-from-a-perspective-shift/
Erin Grau is the Co-Founder and COO of Charter, an online media company that is working to transform the workplace and catalyze a new era of dynamic organizations where all workers thrive. Charter does this by bridging research to practice—giving people the tactical playbook for what work can and should be.
Erin has a long and impressive work history. Prior to Charter, Erin served as the VP of Culture at Away, the travel retail company. Before that, she was the Vice President of Transformation at the New York Times. Even more impressive than her work history is her personal history. At 36, Erin was diagnosed with breast cancer, completely her approach to life and work. Now, in remission, she continues to work hard professionally, and for her family.
Read the show notes here: https://bwmissions.com/erin-grau-one-diagnosis-away-from-a-perspective-shift/
When I was a kid, my ethics-minded step-grandfather routinely sat me down and walked me through the ethics of famous companies. Talking with Rob gave me a sense of nostalgia for those times when I was young, as well as a newfound perspective on corporate ethics. It’s remarkable to learn from someone who works within the highest level at groundbreaking companies like Airbnb and eBay. Rob’s unique background as a federal prosecutor provided him a new level of expertise and vision to these companies, showing that everyone can take a drastic career path equipped for the change.
When I was a kid, my ethics-minded step-grandfather routinely sat me down and walked me through the ethics of famous companies. Talking with Rob gave me a sense of nostalgia for those times when I was young, as well as a newfound perspective on corporate ethics. It’s remarkable to learn from someone who works within the highest level at groundbreaking companies like Airbnb and eBay. Rob’s unique background as a federal prosecutor provided him a new level of expertise and vision to these companies, showing that everyone can take a drastic career path equipped for the change.
Rob Chesnut is a phenomenal leader. Before guiding companies in their ethics, he worked in the U.S. Justice Department for 14 years. When he began to feel that his work putting criminals away––mainly young people––was too negative, he took a leap of faith and sent an email that would change his career trajectory.
Rob Chesnut is the former Chief Ethics Officer at Airbnb. He previously led eBay’s North America legal team, where he founded the Internet’s first ecommerce person-to-person platform Trust and Safety team. He was the general counsel at Chegg, Inc. for nearly 6 years. His book, Intentional Integrity, demonstrates how companies that do not think seriously about a crucial element of corporate culture―integrity―are destined to fail.
I learned so much during my discussion with Shane. As an ambitious business person, I often struggle with forcing specific outcomes and failing to realize that some things aren’t meant to be. Shane is great at following his natural path with intuition and trust. He lets events unfold as they will, surrendering to the process of life and letting what may come, come. Despite his ambition, Shane is spiritually centered, listens to his intuition, and aligs his next steps to his goals.
Shane Metcalf is the co-founder and CCO of 15Five, a human-centered performance management platform that creates effective managers, highly engaged employees, and top-performing organizations. Shane and his co-founders started 15Five to help companies bring out the best in their people. Prior to his role as CCO, Shane worked as the Director of Customer Success, and later as the Vice President of Customer Success, where he won the company customers for life by building self-service and high touch programs that helped unlock the full potential of the product.
Before 15Five, Shane was an executive coach in the Bay Area for more than 12 years, where he worked with tech and social entrepreneurs to create new levels of high performance, productivity and organizational health.
Lamine Zarrad is the SVP, Financial Services, at ZenBusiness, a public benefits corporation that provides end-to-end digital tools for very small businesses in the service sector, including many “solopreneurs.”
He began his entrepreneurial journey after immigrating to the United States, after which he went on to serve in the U.S. Marines. He subsequently built an expertise around banking regulations and financial services through work at Merrill Lynch and the U.S. Treasury's Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. With ZenBusiness, Lamine combines his passion for inclusion with his banking skills to create ZenBusiness Money.
John Hall is a speaker, author, influencer, and leader. He wrote the best-selling book Top of Mind and has received numerous accolades including the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Best Emerging Company and one of the Business Journals’ Top 100 Visionaries.
Some of John’s speaking topics include content marketing, media and content trends, thought leadership, PR, personal branding, leadership development, time management, productivity, and more. He writes weekly columns for Forbes and Inc. and has contributed to more than 50 online publications, including Inc., Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Fast Company, and Mashable. John’s also invested in innovative companies like Calendar and Relevance.
Patrick J. McGinnis is a venture capitalist, writer, and speaker who invests in leading companies in the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. He is the creator and host of the hit podcast FOMO Sapiens, which is distributed by Harvard Business Review and has achieved over 2 million downloads. Patrick coined the term “FOMO” short for “Fear of Missing Out”, which was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2013. He has been featured as the creator of both terms in media outlets including the New York Times, The Financial Times, Boston Globe, Guardian, Inc. Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and MSNBC. His TED Talk, “How to Make Faster Decisions” was released in 2019.
Patrick is the author of the international bestsellerThe 10% Entrepreneur: Live Your Startup Dream Without Quitting Your Day Job, a guide to part-time entrepreneurship. Translated into over ten foreign languages, the book has been featured by the BBC,MSNBC,CNN en Español, Entrepreneur, Fast Company,Forbes, Fortune, and many other media outlets worldwide.
Karla McLaren, M.Ed. is an award-winning author, social science researcher, and empathy pioneer. She is the founder and CEO of Emotion Dynamics LLC and the developer of the Empathy Academy online learning site.
Karla is the author of Embracing Anxiety: How to Access the Genius of this Vital Emotion, The Dynamic Emotional Integration® Workbook, The Art of Empathy: A Complete Guide to Life’s Most Essential Skill, The Language of Emotions: What Your Feelings are Trying to Tell You, and the multi-media online course Emotional Flow: Becoming Fluent in the Language of Emotions. Her newest book, The Power of Emotions at Work: Accessing the Vital Intelligence in Your Workplace will be released on August 3rd, 2021.
Lisa Hickey is the CEO of Good Men Media, Inc. and publisher of The Good Men Project, a multimedia, cross-platform site that asks, “What does it mean to be a good man in the 21st century?” The Good Men Project is a social movement that sets out to challenge long-held notions of what manhood, men, and gender roles mean. The Good Men Project is a destination for thoughtful, insightful, and surprising stories that speak to modern men.
Before launching The Good Men Project, Lisa worked in advertising. Her experience in the industry is extensive; she’s worked as an art director, a copywriter, a creative director, and a CEO. She has won a host of regional, national, and international awards ranging from Cannes, MOMA, Clio, and The London Show for her work in advertising.
Paulie Rojas is the CEO of Don Quixote Enterprises and a professional Public Speaking Coach. She uses her background in public speaking, performing, and coaching to advise CEOs and high-level executives in the US and abroad. She works extensively with leaders in advertising, digital, real estate, tech, and more as well as the Manhattan and Brooklyn chapters of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)
Paulie holds an advanced degree in Theatre Performance from the Tom Todoroff Conservatory and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California, where she was awarded the top graduating Senior. She has appeared on network television and received numerous accolades for starring roles in award winning films.
Jason Shuman is founder-turned-investor who’s on a mission to empower others with the confidence and tools to live a more fulfilling, successful life. Jason has been an entrepreneur for as long as he can remember. In college, he launched a direct-to-consumer footwear company that sold hand-sewn boat shoes and driving moccasins. He later went on to work at New York-based seed fund Corigin Ventures, where he invested in several companies, including the recently public enterprise smart lock company, Latch.
Currently, Jason is a Partner at Primary Venture Partners and has been working in New York as a VC for the past six years. He’s passionate about working with founders that impact consumer behavior and daily living. In 2019, he was named Forbes 30 Under 30 in Venture Capital and was listed by the Venture Capital Journal as one of the top 40 rising stars.
Jen Marr spent 5 years in crisis response, working with communities and individuals that experienced great tragedies. During this time, a realization dawned on her: very few people are skilled in comforting others. She founded Inspiring Comfort, an organization dedicated to cultivating human care and connection by establishing comfort as a teachable skill. Founded on the belief that today’s isolated, socially disconnected, and a hurting world causes more harm than good, Inspiring Comfort encourages us to do a better job of caring for one another.
Jen and Inspiring Comfort have helped thousands build a caring and connective world. She’s the author of Kickstarter’s #2 book Paws to Comfort, and she’s worked in mental health organizations that advocate Comfort Skill Programming such as the National Suicide Lifeline, Georgetown University, Northeastern University, The New York Office of Mental Health, and the American Association of Suicidology.
Erica Duignan Minnihan has been an investor and advisor to early stage technology companies for over 9 years. She began her career in Venture Capital as the original Executive Director of Golden Seeds, a national early-stage investor group. She continued working in VC as co-founder and Executive Director of STAR Angel Network and as a Managing Director at top-tier tech accelerator DreamIt Ventures.
Erica is currently Managing Partner for 1000 Angels, the premier digital-first, invitation-only network for venture investors around the world. She has an BA in Business Economics from UCLA and an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School. She has also made regular appearances on network television for MSNBC and CNBC on "Your Business" and "Crowd Rules" as a startup business expert.
Charlie is an angel investor who helps entrepreneurs achieve their dream of starting and building their own companies for over 20 years. His track record is impressive; he is a co-founder to 12 start-ups, an angel investor in 23 start-ups, a mentor to 10 founders, and the founder of Angel Lounge in Atlanta. To top it all off, Charlie has had 5 exits which netted a 50% internal return rate.
Charlie is the host of the Paparelli Podcast, where he talks to entrepreneurs about topics like raising money, starting your business, and sustaining growth. He’s also a contributing writer to FaithDriverEntrepreneur.com, a platform that equips Christian entrepreneurs with the skills to fulfil their calling.
Cal Newport is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University. In addition to researching cutting edge technology, he also writes about the impact of these innovations on our culture. Cal is a New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including A World Without Email, Digital Minimalism, and Deep Work.
Cal’s work has been published in over 35 languages and has been featured in many major publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, Washington Post, and Economist. He regularly writes articles on these topics for a variety of outlets, including the New Yorker, the New York Times, and his long-running blog Study Hacks. He also discusses these topics in detail on his top-ranked Deep Questions podcast.
Tony Mugavero is an experienced entrepreneur and executive with a background in media, business, and computer engineering. He is currently the Founder and CEO of Rad (FKA Littlstar), a consumer media app that delivers a premium immersive network experience on PlayStation, Smart TVs, and mobile devices with content from Disney, Fox, Showtime, NBCU, and more. He's also the co-creator of Ara, a decentralized blockchain system for digital content.
Tony co-founded Galvanize, one of the biggest co-working and education companies that was acquired by K12 for $165 million in January 2020. Prior to building Galvanize, he was the Founder/CEO of MoovAtom, a simple API for providing cloud-based media encoding and delivery, which was successfully acquired in 2012. He was also a Co-Founder of the music discovery app GigBeat, used by over 1 million users.