Episodes

From a single San Diego location to 100+ stores nationwide, Jeff Fenster reveals how everbowl™ turned better-for-you food into a thriving, purpose-driven brand. Today we sit down with the founder and CEO of everbowl™! Jeff shares the journey of building a better-for-you superfood brand from a single location to over 100 stores across 32 states. He discusses the lessons learned from early mistakes, the power of pivoting during challenges like COVID-19, and how focusing on relationship capital and...

Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue. It is a business survival issue, and every leader needs to understand where the real risks are hiding. In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dave “merk” Merkel, CEO and co-founder of Expel, about the evolving world of cybersecurity, AI, and business resilience. Dave shared the founder’s journey behind Expel, how the company grew by solving cybersecurity as a technology-driven scale problem, and why businesses of every size need to think...

In a business that ships nearly half its orders the same day, speed is not just an advantage. It is the strategy. I sat down with Randy Carr, CEO of World Emblem, a 36-year-old family-owned company that manufactures more than one million emblems a day across multiple countries. Randy shared how technology, AI, and internally built systems have helped World Emblem compete globally by moving faster, streamlining design processes, and creating a customer experience built around speed and flexibilit...

What if the biggest deal of your life fails not because of the market but because you were never truly ready for it? In this episode, I sit down with Kyle Park, co-founder and Managing Director of Harvest Management Partners, to explore his journey from finance leader and IPO veteran to boutique M&A advisor in Silicon Valley. Kyle shares how a frustrating acquisition experience unexpectedly led him to build a firm focused on high-touch, sell-side advisory for deep tech companies. We dive into to...

What if the packaging around your product mattered just as much as the product itself? In this episode, I sit down with Jason Wong, founder and CEO of Paking Duck, to explore how packaging has evolved into a powerful brand experience. We discuss his journey from building consumer brands to launching a global packaging company, and how he leveraged relationships, creativity, and content-driven marketing to scale quickly without outside funding. Jason shares insights on building a high-performance...

What separates a forgettable interview from a powerful one often comes down to a single overlooked skill: truly listening. In this episode, I sit down with Lisa Martin, a seasoned media strategist and tech correspondent, to unpack what it really takes to communicate complex ideas with clarity and impact. We explore the art of interviewing, the power of storytelling through the customer’s voice, and why authenticity and vulnerability are essential for building trust. Lisa also shares how leaders ...

What if your startup isn’t failing because of the idea… but because no one is truly communicating clearly enough on the product development and build? Joel is the founder and CEO of Brewer Digital, and today we explore what really makes or breaks a startup in today’s fast-moving, tech-driven world. Joel shares why most startups don’t fail due to bad ideas, but because of breakdowns in communication across founders, developers, and customers. We talk about how entrepreneurs can avoid wasting time...

What if the biggest bottleneck in your business isn’t your strategy—but the tasks you refuse to let go? In today's episode, I sit down with Christopher McShanag, founder and CEO of Virtual Teammate, for a thoughtful conversation about what it really takes to grow a business without burning out your team or yourself. Chris shares how business owners can buy back their time by delegating administrative, operational, and customer-facing tasks to skilled virtual teammates, allowing leaders to focus ...

What if the strongest leadership lessons for building the future were waiting for us on the front porch of our past? In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Shanita Akintonde to talk about her book The Front Porch Leader and the deeper leadership lessons it offers for business builders, marketers, and mentors. We explored the importance of knowing where we come from, practicing discernment about who we invite into our lives and businesses, and raising up the next generation of l...

What separates successful women leaders from the rest often comes down to curiosity, courage, and the willingness to use their voice. In this special episode honoring International Women’s Month, I had the pleasure of speaking with Maria Doughty, CEO of The Chicago Network, an organization made up of some of the most influential women leaders across Chicago’s business, nonprofit, healthcare, and government sectors. Maria shares the key traits she sees in extraordinary women leaders, including in...

What if every interaction you have as a leader is silently answering one question for your team: Are you safe to follow? In this episode, I sit down with Alan McLaren, co-founder of Strata Originals, to explore the invisible signals leaders send in every conversation, meeting, and interaction. Alan shares the powerful concept of “leadership signal,” explaining how trust is built or lost in real time based on how leaders show up emotionally, communicate under pressure, and respond to challenges. ...

What if being unmistakably human is your biggest competitive advantage in an AI-first world? In this episode, I sat down with Louis Carter, founder of Most Loved Workplace, to talk about why workplace culture is being tested and reshaped faster than ever. Louis shared how “most loved” isn’t a slogan, it’s a credibility signal grounded in real employee sentiment, and why being unmistakably human is becoming a serious competitive advantage in an AI-driven world. We also unpacked his idea of “inact...

Most leaders swear they have a revenue problem, but sometimes that belief is often the fastest way to stay stuck with “profititis.” In this episode of Disruptive CEO Nation , I sat down with Ben Hansen, the “Profitability Doctor,” to unpack why so many growing businesses still feel like they’re getting punched in the face every day. Ben explains his framework for diagnosing “profititis” (strong or growing revenue paired with weak, flat, or declining profit), why you usually can’t “grow your way ...

What if the fastest way to win your market isn’t competing harder, but changing the category entirely? This week, I sit down with Kevin Maney, co-author of Play Bigger and founding partner of Category Design Advisors, for a deep dive into what it really takes to create and win a market category. Kevin shares the thinking behind his latest book, The Category Creation Formula , and explains why most businesses unknowingly trap themselves competing inside categories they can never truly lead. We ex...

Are AI employees the future of hiring and operations? In today’s episode, I sat down with Alok Kumar, co-founder and CEO of Cozmo AI, to explore the cutting-edge AI tools that are changing the game for enterprises. Alok takes us inside Cozmo AI’s platform, which enables businesses to build AI agents capable of seeing, speaking, thinking, and acting all while maintaining a human-like touch. From reducing costs to streamlining complex workflows, Cozmo AI is helping enterprises across industries li...

From kitchen-table beginnings to revolutionizing waste management, Lainika’s journey proves that with vision and innovation, you can build a multi-million dollar business that tackles global challenges. In this heartfelt episode, Lainika Johnson, founder of Eco in the City, shares her inspiring journey from starting TrashLogic out of necessity to launching a tech-driven company that is transforming the way cities and property management companies handle waste. With her innovative VIN Site 360 pl...

What started as a small side hustle in a basement has become a renowned success story, transforming the tech industry and the way we handle e-waste. In this episode, Christopher Hale, founder and CEO of SmartphonesPLUS, takes us behind the scenes of his company’s rapid growth. What started as a small operation buying and selling electronics has grown into a multimillion-dollar business that’s helping tackle the global e-waste crisis. Christopher shares insights on scaling a business, managing pa...

Your home might be polluting more than your car, and the fix is closer than you think. In this episode of Disruptive CEO Nation , I’m joined by Stephen Lake, co-founder and CEO of Jetson Home, a company making home electrification simpler and significantly more affordable. We talk about why heating and cooling is one of the biggest decarbonization opportunities, what’s been holding heat pumps back in North America, and how Jetson Home is scaling fast across the U.S. and Canada. Stephen also shar...

What if buying a home could be more affordable and less stressful? That’s exactly what Ben Bear and TurboHome are making possible. In this episode, I’m talking to Ben Bear, co-founder and CEO of TurboHome, a game-changing platform that is reimagining the home-buying process. TurboHome cuts out unnecessary costs by offering a flat-fee model instead of traditional commissions, making it easier for people to save money and get into homes faster. We also dive into the bigger picture of homeownership...

What if you could turn customer anxiety into confidence and boost conversions with just a few simple design changes? Today we talk about understanding user behavior through data science, and how it can dramatically improve your digital marketing strategy. Join me for a captivating conversation with Mia Umanos, founder of Clickvoyant, where she uncovers the magic behind data science and human behavior. Mia’s expertise lies in understanding the nuances of user experience—how design choices and web...

What’s the secret to creating tech that people not only use but love? In this episode, I have the pleasure of sitting down with Erin Rollenhagen, founder of People Friendly Tech, to discuss her journey of creating innovative tech solutions that drive real behavioral change. Erin shares the importance of emotional engagement in tech products, offering a fresh perspective on why technology should move people, not just serve them. We dive into the challenges of scaling a tech company, her approach ...

If you’re making tech decisions faster than your team can absorb them or you’re worried AI might erase the “human” from your business; this conversation will feel like a deep breath and a reset button. Today, I sit down with Kate O’Neill. She’s known as the “tech humanist,” founder and CEO of KO Insights, and newly named member of the Thinkers50 list of top management thinkers in the world. We unpack her new book, What Matters Next? A Leader’s Guide to Making Human-Friendly Tech Decisions in a W...

Can love be a business strategy? In this episode, we talk about how leading with love can transform your team and your bottom line. Frank Danna, a seasoned leader and marketing expert, brings his wisdom on building authentic connections in the workplace. We explore how AI can enhance, rather than replace, human creativity and the importance of creating a culture that values trust, inclusion, and vulnerability. Frank shares his personal journey from a toxic work environment to one where love and ...

If your product strategy stops at the download, you’re leaving impact—and revenue—on the table. In this conversation, I sit down with Ghazenfer Mansoor, CEO & founder of Technology Rivers, to talk about building software that actually gets used, loved, and shared. Ghazenfer has been in mobile since the pre-iPhone days and has led the build of nearly 60 apps, primarily in healthcare. We explore ideas from his forthcoming book, Beyond the Download , including why retention beats acquisition, when ...