No Milk No Sugar: Recent Episodes
Morales Group Staffing
No Milk No Sugar is a podcast about business beneath the sweetener. Hosted by Morales Group's very own CEO, Seth Morales, we talk to local movers and shakers about what can be the harsh reality of doing business. This isn’t the highlight reel — we cover what no one likes to advertise but everyone wants to hear.
Seth's mantra? We learn more from our mistakes than from our wins. Building a great business or becoming a great leader isn't a smooth road. All too often, we advertise our wins, but we don’t see entrepreneurs, executives, or leaders sharing the nitty-gritty that got them there. Tune into No Milk No Sugar to keep it real — without the sugar coating.
Get ready for aggressive DEI tactics, no punches pulled. No Milk No Sugar podcast is going into Season 2, focusing on the theme of “Disrupting DEI.” We invite entrepreneurs and executives of color as well as thought leaders in the DEI space to talk about what equity actually looks like in the corporate arena and how organizations can be successful in their efforts — and how to avoid pitfalls like tokenism or performative action.
The podcast No Milk No Sugar is about “business beneath the sweetener”, a space to discuss the real world of diversity, equity, and inclusion (not just checking off a box) with a focus on tangible takeaways for leaders and organizations who are trying to do the work while avoiding the lure of surface-level diversity initiatives.
Our Season 2 trailer introduces new DEI co-hosts Cynthia Hobbs and Luz Flores, joining Morales Group CEO Seth Morales and producer Tori Updike this season.
Today we talk to the OG of business podcasting and amplified marketing herself, Lindsay Tjepkema. Lindsay is a B2B marketer-turned-first-time-CEO, and co-founder of Casted, an original audio and video content marketing platform. In our season 1 No Milk No Sugar finale, Lindsay shares with us the secrets to maintaining a tight-knit culture, going from team member to executive, and the secret sauce that is “amplified marketing."
We talk to Mario Rodriguez, CEO of the Indianapolis Airport and seasoned veteran of leading through a crisis — notably for his efforts at the New Orleans airport during Hurricane Katrina and guiding Indy through COVID. Mario digs into why common good matters over the bottom line profits, how to bring other cities’s success to Indy, and how to look at any crisis as an opportunity to improve.
We talk to Aman Brar, innovator of the highest caliber. Brar is the former CEO of Jobvite, a comprehensive talent acquisition-focused suite, and Canvas, the world's first text-based interviewing platform. Aman and Seth dig into the necessity for innovation, his method of using tech to move society forward, and how to balance bringing your dreams into reality.
Seth talks to Ersal Ozdemir, CEO and President of Keystone Group and owner of Indy Eleven, about literally (and figuratively) changing the skyline of the city. Ersal talks reinvesting in our core areas after the pandemic and the future of Indianapolis. Plus, catch a sneak peek of what happens when minority professionals get key decision-making roles.
In this episode, Seth talks shop with Scott Moorehead, CEO and President of Round Room and TCC, and fellow Purdue alum about the secret to growth, how to find your own niche as a leader, and the three dimensions of business.
Who better than a bank president to give us real talk about the state of the economy? The economy is a car on the freeway, and we want to know how (and when) we ramp up to a safe 70mph. Seth talks to the president of KeyBank Central Indiana, Juan Gonzalez, to dig into what leaders can realistically expect from the economy post-COVID. Listen to learn what this means for business. Seth and Juan also talk the cultural future of Indianapolis and compare notes about how effective minority leadership pays off for community-wide inclusivity.
In this episode, Seth talks to Kristin Mays-Corbitt of Mays Chemical — not only a childhood friend and executive powerhouse, but also a fellow legacy CEO for a minority family-owned business.
Seth and Kristin dig into what it's like in the trenches working alongside family — balancing philanthropy with optimizing profits, honoring the past while forging ahead, and serving shop talk at the dinner table. Listen now to hear Kristin's pitfalls with innovation and why she touts customer service as the foundation of good business for driving value.
Episode 5 of No Milk No Sugar brings us the incomparable Seth Stein, CEO of Eastridge Workforce Solutions — also known as our host's West Coast other half. Both Seths are CEOs of staffing agencies, and both took the reins in early 2020 before getting slammed by a global health crisis.
Seth Stein takes No Milk No Sugar to the next level — giving us "triple espresso" real talk moments. He talks his biggest mistakes and regaining the trust of his team, as well as his ongoing journey to champion his team and put them first. Our Seth crowns him "CEO for the people" for his to-the-max transparent approach. Want the nitty gritty about the future of leadership and HR? Seth's got it. (Take your pick on which Seth.)
At the height of a global pandemic, who is the most important decision-maker in the state of Indiana? Not counting the governor, our answer is Jonathan Nalli. Nalli is the CEO of one of the largest healthcare systems in the state, responsible for over 14,000 associates and over 2,500 employed and independent physician partners — not to mention the health and safety of Indiana's citizens in an alarming, unprecedented emergency.
He and Seth dig into pressure as a privilege, share coping tips for shouldering the futures of thousands of Hoosiers, and highlight the essence of corporate legacy — long-term care of your team.
In this episode, Seth talks to his MBA cohort member, fellow CEO, and family friend Meredith Bronk. Meredith is President and CEO of Open Systems Technologies in Grand Rapids and has been a leader there for over 20 years. Seth applauds OST's innovative, empathic approach — a corporate culture heralded by Meredith and backed up in her personal life as well as her leadership.
Meredith digs into what corporate empathy looks like, especially in a worldwide unprecedented crisis. She shares her tips for leaders to lead with authenticity, and spills her "dirty little secret" about the hard truth of returning to in-office work.
In this episode, Seth talks to Kyle Lacy — not only an author and public speaker on marketing and digital trends, but who also leads marketing as CMO for Lessonly, a team-learning software company based in Indianapolis.
Kyle is no stranger to real talk. He and Seth dive into the failure of his early company, what impostor syndrome looks like as a leader, and they peel back the lid on their own weaknesses. Realism and empathy don't have to be mutually exclusive, and using that balance to create a community is the lifeblood that will pump you to the next level in your career.
In the inaugural episode of No Milk No Sugar, Seth talks to Gary Brackett — NFL champion, former CEO, transformational speaker, and current infopreneur. From being a walk-on student athlete to his legendary NFL Super Bowl track record and team captaincy, to owning multiple brands as a successful entrepreneur, Gary has a proven track record for translating championship-level success across multiple playing fields. But the pandemic touches all, and Gary wasn't immune.
In this episode, Gary and Seth get real about the folding of the Stacked Pickle restaurant chain during the pandemic, how finding your happiness drives your success (instead of the other way around), and why out-serving your competition outperforms who grinds the hardest.
Tactical takeaways? Learn about Gary's patented CHAMP framework and how to refocus setbacks as new directions to happiness.