Founder Episodes

Fred Auzenne on Behavior Change and Breaking Unhealthy Patterns | 1,629 Fred Auzenne believes the patterns holding us back are not permanent. Once we understand how they were formed, we can begin to redesign them. A former U.S. Army counterintelligence officer, performance facilitator, and founder of the Clear Edge Institute, Fred has spent more than 25 years exploring why capable, intelligent people sometimes act against their own goals and what it takes to create lasting behavioral change. His perspective was shaped by an unusual foundation. In military intelligence, Fred studied influence, behavior, and the ways people can be manipulated. Today, he applies that understanding in a very different direction, helping people recognize the environmental and behavioral patterns influencing their choices so they can regain greater control over their lives. Drawing on research in neuroscience and human behavior, Fred developed Clear Edge 90, a 90 day performance system designed …

Jenna Summers on Finding Purpose Through Faith After Trauma | 1,621 Jenna Summers believes even life's most painful experiences can become a powerful testimony of faith, forgiveness, and purpose. A Christian author, missionary, speaker, and worship leader, Jenna's faith journey began in childhood and has carried her through extraordinary adversity. From experiencing abuse and surviving a devastating house fire to enduring violence abroad and a life threatening assault while pregnant, Jenna has faced moments that tested her physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Rather than allowing those experiences to define her, Jenna found strength through her faith and ultimately chose forgiveness, transforming her pain into a calling to serve others. Her ministry has taken her to more than 60 countries, where she has helped develop schools for vulnerable children, counseled trauma survivors, translated Swahili, spoken to thousands, and shared her faith through worship and music. To…

Monique DeMonaco on Emotional Intelligence and Career Success | 1,616 Monique DeMonaco believes career success requires more than technical knowledge. It requires the emotional intelligence and human skills to communicate, adapt, and lead. As the founder of EQ Wize, Coach Monique is helping bridge the gap between education and employment by preparing emerging professionals with the skills today's workplaces demand. An internationally trained Life, Executive, and Career Coach with more than 20 years of experience, she specializes in emotional intelligence, communication, emotional regulation, critical thinking, and professional development. Through Emotional Intelligence and Brain Science based education and CPDSO accredited certifications, Monique helps young professionals understand what employers are truly looking for and develop the confidence and practical skills to become more hirable, promotable, and effective in the workplace. Her work also supports parents, graduat…

Carolyn Sidgwick on Grief Healing and Finding Hope After Loss | 1,614 Carolyn Sidgwick believes healing begins the moment we give ourselves permission to feel, reflect, and share our story. A grief mentor, author, speaker, life coach, and founder of Soul Love, Carolyn helps people navigate loss with compassion, hope, and self love. After the devastating loss of both her husband, Matt, and her mother, she discovered that journaling became more than a coping tool. It became a path toward healing, purpose, and renewal. That journey inspired the creation of the internationally published Soul Love Journal, a guided journal designed to help people reconnect with themselves through reflection, self compassion, and emotional healing. Today, Carolyn supports others as they move through grief, encouraging them to embrace their emotions, care for themselves, and find meaning beyond loss. Through her writing, coaching, and speaking, Carolyn reminds people that grief is not something t…

Bruce Ashford on The Power of Clarity in Business and Leadership | 1,613 Bruce Ashford believes meaningful growth begins with clarity, not complexity. A strategic advisor, author, and founder of The Ashford Agency, Bruce helps nonprofit leaders and founder led businesses bridge the gap between the impact they are making and the growth they are capable of achieving. By combining clear messaging with practical strategy, he equips leaders to build organizations that are both mission driven and sustainable. Drawing on more than two decades of executive leadership experience, Bruce has advised nonprofits, universities, businesses, and CEOs across local, national, and international organizations. As a certified StoryBrand Guide and Small Business Flight Plan® advisor, he specializes in helping leaders communicate with greater clarity, strengthen their strategy, and lead with confidence. A prolific author of nine books and hundreds of articles, Bruce has also served as a speechwr…

Kristen Renee Appleby on Healing and Personal Transformation | 1,609 Kristen Renee Appleby believes lasting transformation begins by rebuilding the foundation, not simply treating the symptoms. A three time author, speaker, and founder of The Rebuild Collective, Kristen helps people create meaningful change across their health, finances, career, and relationships by uncovering the patterns that quietly shape every area of life. Her holistic approach addresses the environment, beliefs, habits, and emotional wounds that often keep people feeling stuck. Before stepping into this work, Kristen built a successful career supporting high profile CEOs and working as a celebrity stylist in New York. But after an autoimmune diagnosis forced her to confront years of burnout and self neglect, she began a deeply personal journey of healing that transformed not only her health, but also her relationship with work, money, and purpose. Drawing from that experience, and the insights shared…

Carlos Tanner on Ayahuasca Healing and Plant Medicine | 1,601 Carlos Tanner believes nature holds profound wisdom, and healing begins when we learn to approach it with humility, respect, and intention. Founder of the Ayahuasca Foundation, Carlos has spent more than two decades studying traditional Amazonian plant medicine alongside indigenous curanderos in the Peruvian rainforest. Since establishing the foundation in 2009, he has helped create opportunities for people from around the world to experience authentic healing traditions while preserving the knowledge and practices of the communities that have carried them for generations. Committed to bridging ancient wisdom with modern science, Carlos has partnered with researchers to explore the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca for depression, anxiety, trauma, and other health challenges. Through collaborative research efforts, this work has contributed to a growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating meaningful improvem…

Tammy Machmali on Emotional Freedom and Inner Peace | 1,593 Tammy Machmali believes the life you want begins the moment you stop carrying the emotional weight that was never yours to keep. Founder of Baggage Be Gone: Healing Hearts & Minds, Tammy has dedicated her work to helping people release the hidden beliefs, unresolved pain, and emotional patterns that quietly shape their lives. By combining subconscious healing, hypnosis, forgiveness work, and practical transformation tools, she guides individuals toward lasting freedom and deeper self awareness. Tammy's own journey spans cultures, continents, and personal transformation. Born in Iran, raised in Israel, and now living in the United States, her experiences have given her a unique perspective on resilience, identity, and the universal desire to live with greater peace and purpose. Those experiences became the foundation for helping others uncover what has been holding them back for years. As a podcast host, author, sp…

Reed Nyffeler on Entrepreneurship and Purpose Driven Business | 1,592 Reed Nyffeler believes business is at its best when it creates opportunity, develops people, and serves a purpose beyond profit. A lifelong entrepreneur, Reed has dedicated his career to building companies that empower others to lead, grow, and make a meaningful impact. As the founder and CEO of Signal, an international security services franchise, he has helped create a business centered on giving people peace of mind so they can focus on what matters most. His entrepreneurial vision extends beyond one company. Reed also founded Filtergo, a commercial air care franchise, and Framebrand, a technology and analytics company that helps franchise organizations scale with greater clarity and efficiency. Across every venture, his focus remains the same: equipping entrepreneurs with the tools, systems, and leadership they need to build businesses that strengthen their communities. As the author of Transform Thr…

Dustin Shepherd on Helping Veterans Navigate Life After Service | 1,591 Dustin Shepherd believes the greatest act of leadership is making the path easier for someone else to walk. A retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major with 29 years of service, Dustin Shepherd spent his military career leading through some of the most demanding environments imaginable. Multiple combat deployments taught him that leadership is measured not by authority, but by the ability to guide people through uncertainty, hardship, and change. After facing his own personal struggles and the devastating loss of fellow Soldiers, Dustin realized that many people who want help never receive it because they do not know where to begin. That insight inspired him to found TOA, an organization dedicated to connecting individuals with the right resources, support, and guidance when they need it most. Rather than creating another program, Dustin focused on building a bridge, one that brings clarity to complex systems a…

[SPOTLIGHT] Kenny Stoddart with Luke Stenson & Wyatt Porch | 1,577 Kenny Stoddart works where leadership is measured by the quality of a person's thinking under pressure. As the founder of IronMind Advisors, he helps executives, founders, and high performing leaders strengthen the one asset that determines every decision they make: the mind behind the role. Joining him for this conversation are the founders of Athlete Check, whose work aligns with the mission of helping athletes and leaders build greater self awareness, resilience, and long term mental performance. Rather than focusing on motivation or productivity, Kenny develops the internal discipline that sustains clear judgment, emotional composure, and decisive execution when complexity, uncertainty, and responsibility collide. Through the IronMind Mentality, leaders learn to eliminate mental interference, regulate pressure in real time, and perform with consistency when the margin for error disappears. His philos…

Keith Spurgin on Leadership and Building Strong Relationships | 1,576 Keith Spurgin believes every lasting success begins with two things: strong leadership and meaningful relationships. An author, international speaker, and President of Growth Resourcing Group, Keith has devoted his career to helping leaders, pastors, and business owners grow with greater purpose, influence, and impact. Through decades of leading organizations and developing people, he has learned that sustainable success is never built on strategy alone. It is built on the quality of the leader and the relationships they cultivate. As the founder of New Hope Church in Wylie, Texas, Keith has spent years equipping leaders to navigate growth, overcome challenges, and build cultures that inspire transformation. His practical wisdom, combined with a genuine passion for people, has made him a trusted mentor to leaders across industries and around the world. Whether speaking from the stage, coaching executives…

How Leah Nappe Helps Women Start Over Stronger | 1,566 Leah Nappe helps women rebuild their lives after the end of a relationship, not by returning to who they were, but by discovering who they are becoming. As the founder of In Charge In Change LLC and author of From Home to Heart, Leah works with single, divorced, and widowed women who are navigating one of life's most disorienting transitions. Her approach goes beyond healing heartbreak, helping women regulate their nervous systems, reconnect with their identity, and create a future that feels meaningful, hopeful, and fully their own. Her work is deeply personal. Inspired by both her own experiences with loss and her journey supporting her mother through divorce, Leah understands that relationship endings are about far more than losing a partner. They often involve rebuilding confidence, purpose, and a sense of self. Today, she empowers women to move beyond survival and step into a new chapter with greater resilience, e…

Donald Sandel on Shifting Your Mind to Lead Better | 1,563 Don Sandel operates at the intersection of leadership, mindset, and measurable human performance. With academic roots from Western Michigan University and advanced study spanning institutions such as Yale, UPenn, and UC Berkeley, his work reflects a deep commitment to understanding how people think, lead, and perform at their best. Over the past twenty five years, he has worked inside major organizations, shaping leadership development initiatives that influence not just individuals, but entire cultures. As the founder of GoPositiv, Don focuses on a critical shift that many overlook. Performance does not begin with strategy. It begins with mindset. His work challenges leaders to rethink how they approach pressure, change, and growth by building a more intentional, positive internal framework. He has led development efforts for global companies including Astellas Pharma, Allscripts, and United Airlines, and has part…

Sandy Ciaramitaro on Raising a Generation to Kindness and Purpose | 1,562 Sandy Ciaramitaro believes the values that shape a child's future are planted long before adulthood. An educator, author, and founder of The Good Eggs Foundation, Sandy has devoted her career to helping young people develop the character, compassion, and sense of purpose that create meaningful lives. With a background teaching morality, ethics, and social justice, she understands that academic success alone is not enough. Children also need to learn empathy, kindness, service, and respect for others. That mission inspired The Good Eggs series, a collection of stories designed to help children embrace virtues, celebrate diversity, and discover the joy of making a positive difference in the lives of others. More than books, they are invitations for families, educators, and communities to raise the next generation with character at the center. Through The Good Eggs Foundation, Sandy extends that mission…

Ramiro Moreno on Cleaner Air Healthier Living | 1,559 Ramiro Moreno has spent nearly three decades solving a problem most people do not realize they are living with every day. As the founder and president of DWD2 Clean Air, Ramiro has built his career around improving the quality of the air people breathe by addressing contamination where it actually begins, inside the HVAC and air conditioning systems that power homes, vehicles, and commercial buildings. Long before indoor air quality became a mainstream concern, Ramiro recognized a critical gap in the industry. While many solutions focused on treating symptoms at the surface, the root causes, mold, bacteria, and accumulated contamination within evaporator systems, often remained untouched. Determined to change that, he introduced non-invasive evaporator cleaning technology to the United States, creating a more effective approach that challenged conventional industry practices. Today, his work continues to help organizati…

Christopher McKeithen on Avoiding Costly Cyber Breaches | 1,542 Christopher McKeithen learned in combat that the most dangerous threats are often the ones you never see coming. After serving in the U.S. Army, including a combat deployment to Iraq, he carried a simple lesson into the cybersecurity world: the difference between a manageable problem and a catastrophic failure often comes down to identifying vulnerabilities before an adversary does. That philosophy became the foundation of Aegis Cyber Defense. As founder and CEO, Christopher built Aegis to help organizations uncover the security exposures hiding in plain sight. His platform provides security and IT leaders with a clear understanding of their attack surface, prioritizing real world threats based on active exploitation data rather than overwhelming teams with endless alerts and noise. Built as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Aegis Cyber Defense specializes in helping lean security teams and r…

How Christopher Bylone Builds Real Workplace Belonging | 1,531 Christopher Bylone is on a mission to prove that belonging is more than a workplace initiative. It is a human need. As the founder of Innovation Unbiased and host of the podcast I Know I Belong When..., Christopher brings together data, storytelling, and lived experience to spark meaningful conversations about identity, inclusion, and human connection. His work challenges organizations and individuals alike to move beyond performative efforts and build cultures where people genuinely feel seen, valued, and empowered. A cancer survivor, advocate, and corporate leader, Christopher has spent years shaping belonging strategies for global organizations, leading multimillion dollar initiatives, strengthening employee communities, and helping transform workplace culture from the inside out. But his commitment to belonging did not begin in the boardroom. It began with a belief that everyone deserves a place where they …

How Victoria Volk Helps You Live Again After Loss | 1.523 Victoria Volk helps people move from surviving to truly living again. Founder of The Unleashed Heart, LLC. Grief recovery specialist. Author. Coach. Energy practitioner. End-of-life doula. Her work is rooted in one core truth: grief is not something to “get over.” It is something to move through with support, awareness, and tools that honor the full human experience. Through evidence-based grief programs, life-path coaching, distance healing, and her podcast Grieving Voices, Victoria creates space for people navigating loss to reconnect with meaning, stability, and inner strength. Her approach blends structure with intuition, science with holistic practice, and guidance with deep compassion. She supports those who feel stuck in survival mode to gently rebuild a sense of direction, identity, and possibility. Because healing does not mean forgetting. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Enjoying the show? Support the conve…

Janus Valeo on Breaking Patterns Before They Break You | 1516 Janus Valeo studies the roots before the ruin. Author. Songwriter. Founder of Break the Pattern, NOW! His work explores the hidden architecture of human behavior, early childhood conditioning, intergenerational trauma, identity, and the patterns that quietly shape lives long before consequences appear. Through writing, music, and difficult conversations, he challenges surface-level narratives and pushes toward something deeper: prevention, accountability, and transformation. No performance. No empty motivation. Just clarity about where cycles begin and what it takes to break them. Strong roots create safer lives. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Enjoying the show? Support the conversation! 👉 Today’s guest: www.breakthepatternnow.org 🎬 Need standout video, podcast, or branding content? 🌐 www.positivetalkproductions.com 📡 Listen on BLEAV:https://bleav.com/shows/positive-talk-radio/ 🍎 Apple Podcasts:https://p…

Larry Robertson on The Power of Authentic Leadership | 1,506 Larry Robertson has spent a lifetime studying what makes people truly worth listening to, following, and trusting. From the battlefields of military leadership to boardrooms across the world, his work has always centered on one enduring belief: leadership is not about power or titles, but about clarity, humanity, and the courage to make a real difference. As founder of Robertson Burns, Larry has advised global executives, transformed leadership cultures, and helped organizations generate billions in new business by teaching leaders how to communicate with authenticity, inspire trust, and lead with purpose. His journey is anything but ordinary. From working cattle stations in Australia and traveling through Asia to serving as a British Army captain and advisor at the highest levels of international leadership, Larry’s life has placed him in rooms where decisions shape nations and futures. Yet through every chapter, his …

Chris McManus on Building a Business from the Ground Up | 1,504 Chris McManus built GC Landscaping Inc. from the ground up with grit, loyalty, and a vision bigger than landscaping. What started as mowing lawns at 19 years old has grown into a trusted hometown company transforming backyards into places where families gather, memories are made, and life happens outdoors. Born and raised in Morganton, North Carolina, Chris leads with the same values he was raised on: hard work, honesty, creativity, and treating people right. From custom pools and outdoor kitchens to patios and full property transformations, GC Landscaping is known for bringing big ideas to life with craftsmanship, heart, and a team that takes pride in every single project. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🎧 Love our show? Show some love! 👉 Check out today’s guest: www.gclandscapinginc.com 🎬 Need stunning videos, clean audio, or scroll-stopping designs? Check out our media services at https://www.kmmedia.pro/ — Top-tier …

1,486 | Heather Simco on Becoming a Sober Boss Babe Heather Simco is a luxury life and business transformation coach, founder of Complete Concierge Solutions, and creator of the Sober Boss Babe movement, a platform for high-achieving women ready to break free from burnout, alcohol dependence, and self-sabotaging patterns. With over 20 years of experience across entrepreneurship, elite athletic training, and personal development, Heather brings a disciplined, performance driven approach to transformation. Her background includes building and scaling businesses, training high level athletes in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and earning the title of Mrs. New York, all of which shaped her understanding of high performance and identity change. Now more than a decade sober, Heather teaches sobriety as a full life recalibration, not just abstinence. Her work helps women rebuild identity, regulate energy, strengthen boundaries, and create sustainable success without relying on b…

1,485 | How Kady McKenna Is Changing the World at 17 Kady McKenna is a student leader, nonprofit founder, author, and speaker whose work focuses on environmental action, digital equity, and youth empowerment. A 17 year-old honors and AP student at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, she has participated in global leadership programs including Miss Porter’s School’s Change Maker’s Institute and Georgetown University’s American Politics Academy, and has spoken at VOGUE Headquarters in New York as a class ambassador for VOGUE Summer School. She is the founder of eTreasure, a youth-led nonprofit dedicated to electronics recycling and closing the digital divide, which has earned international recognition and multiple environmental and service awards. Her work includes a TEDx talk, a published children’s book, and advocacy efforts highlighted by organizations such as Cartoon Network and the Aeras Foundation. Alongside her advocacy, Kady is a national-level baton twirlin…