The Impact Entrepreneur

Mike Flynn takes you behind closed doors and invites you into his conversations with game changing entrepreneurs. These conversations go beyond success and failure, beyond product or service or platform, to uncover what is really behind the decisions these entrepreneurs make and what IMPACT they hope to have in the world.

Ep. 185 - Bet On Talent - with Dee Ann Turner 10/07/2019

Ep. 185 - Bet On Talent - with Dee Ann Turner Dee Ann Turner’s mother gave up a potential career as a lawyer to make a career out of raising her family, and she did an amazing job. Dee Ann says that her mother made sure she never went hungry, made their home a loving space, and led her to a faith in Christ — and everything that Dee Ann has done in her life has been created on that foundation. Dee Ann had a wildly successful career at Chick-fil-A, starting at the age of 21 and working her way up to vice president. However, landing an initial job at Chick-fil-A didn’t come easily. When she first applied for a marketing and advertising position, the company said they didn’t have anything for her. But then she experienced a moment of serendipity, or divine intervention: her husband helped a woman change her tire, found out that she was resigning from the advertising department of Chick-fil-A because of a family move, and suggested that Dee Ann approach them again. Dee Ann landed the job, although she actually ended up starting out in human resources, and this ended up being a perfect fit for her because she was responsible for selecting Chick-fil-A franchisees. Her initial question to applicants was always about their first job. She wanted a true entrepreneur; someone who, like Dee Ann, was willing to create a job for themselves. Dee Ann wanted to hear a story that reminded her of her own first job selling candy and drinks to kids on their way to the neighborhood swimming pool. But as much as she loved working at Chick-fil-A, Dee Ann came to realize she was doing the work that God gave her to do instead of the work that God made her to do. Now she is helping organizations build an extraordinary customer culture by selecting and growing extraordinary talent. Her new book is based on the principle that decisions about people are the most important decisions a leader makes. “We are always enough,” Dee Ann says. “Our Creator created us to be enough.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Read: Instagram: LinkedIn: Twitter: Facebook: Get your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/11536553

Ep. 184 - It’s All People - with Gustavo Fernández 09/30/2019

Ep. 184 - It’s All People - with Gustavo Fernández Gustavo Fernández’s first career in pharmaceutical sales was inspired by his stepfather, who was the general manager for Johnson & Johnson in the Dominican Republic. Gustavo stayed in the industry for 10 years after graduating college — until his real passion started calling to him. Photography had been Gustavo’s hobby since college. Wherever he went, he always took a camera along with him. Then, when the internet became a massive tool for building communities, he started connecting with other photographers. Serendipitously, one of the top wedding photographers in the world lived just down the street from him. So he went to a workshop she was holding, and that changed the whole trajectory of his life. Now, Gustavo has a career photographing people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. The internet and online communities continue to be hugely important to Gustavo’s photography and career, too. Because, in this era of social media, the vast majority of new business that comes to him is through word of mouth. But you can’t just be part of a Facebook group and reap the benefits of belonging to a community — you have to create lasting, authentic relationships with people When Gustavo is building relationships... He always follows up leads and conversations (he even carries a notebook so he doesn’t forget anything!) He always picks up the phone. A couple of years ago the event planner for Forbes called to ask him to photograph an event. And she told him, Thank you for picking up the phone. No-one picks up the phone anymore. He gives unique, thoughtful gifts to clients and contacts. A $10 gift he sent to a contact actually resulted in $10,000 worth of business. Gustavo says that people sometimes comment about how different his two careers are but, at the end of the day, it’s all the same — because “it's all people.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Instagram: Facebook: Twitter: Read: Read: Get your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/11439953

Ep. 183 - It’s Never Just Business - with Taylor Sledge 09/23/2019

Ep. 183 - It’s Never Just Business - with Taylor Sledge Colleague, friend and fellow storyteller Taylor Sledge saw the way that his parents wrote the stories of their own lives — and their constant presence, love, and support gave him the foundation he needed to tell his story, too. Taylor’s dad was an attorney. He owned his own business in a risky area of law, so his income was up and down, but Taylor loved that he set his own schedule and never missed family events. His mom was a flight attendant for Delta Airlines. She was never afraid to talk to anyone, regardless of how different they were to her, and this made a huge impact on Taylor. Taylor founded the Big Small Business Story to tell the stories of entrepreneurs who are driven by purpose, character, and belief. Their trademarked slogan — “It’s never just business” — reflects his belief that your career or company is about the lives of other people, not just making money, and an understanding of psychology and the human condition are crucial to creating authentic business relationships. It seems simple — your career is about the lives of other people — but a lot of businesspeople still don’t understand that. And it took Taylor a while to realize it, too. When Taylor was 27, he had a business deal go upside down. He realized that he was experiencing the same gut feeling that he had when he was 10 bringing home a bad report card. There were areas in his life where he wasn't living as an adult, and this inspired him to work out where he needed to grow. And it’s an ongoing journey. Taylor and his wife have recently experienced fertility challenges, and this forced Taylor to confront things he didn’t like about himself, including his self image, and work out what really matters in his life. Something that really matters to Taylor is legacy. He doesn’t think that we spend enough time considering it, but believes that, “We have the responsibility of setting a trajectory for the future with every decision that we make.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Learn more at YouTube: Instagram: Facebook: Get your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/11350886

Ep. 182 - Running Toward the Flames - with Heather Adams 09/16/2019

Ep. 182 - Running Toward the Flames - with Heather Adams Growing up, Heather Adams always had her nose in a book, and her heroes spoke to her from the pages; smart and savvy women like Anne of Green Gables, Jo from Little Women, and Nancy Drew. Heather compares Nancy Drew’s mystery-solving adventures to her own life today — owner of a public relations agency, Choice Media & Communications — because she’s always “running toward the flames, constantly taking notes, and bringing order to the chaos.” But, unlike Nancy Drew, Heather isn’t doing this alone, and she is passionate about building a cohesive, invested team. After the partnership with her co-founder dissolved, Heather held a strategic planning retreat for her entire team. They re-evaluated Choice’s mission and core values and Heather says this was a game-changer for their work culture — because, now, everyone has skin in the game. Heather also has an unusual approach to human relations, arguing that you have to throw out all the policies and love your workers as human beings first. When one of her team members is going through a hard season, she puts their responsibilities aside and taps into what they need. This human-first approach carries through to every aspect of Heather’s business and life, including her attitude towards her competition. Before Heather started her own company she worked at Thomas Nelson, which was then the world’s largest Christian publishing house, she worked with Michael Hyatt, who eventually became the CEO and chairman. He taught her many important lessons, including to embrace the competition and look at them as someone to learn from and champion instead of someone to take down. Heather sees that as a crucial transformation in her life. As she says, “I have this mentality that a win for one is a win for all. And that was something I had to learn because I sucked at it.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Instagram: Instagram: Twitter: Facebook: Get your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/11263370

Ep. 181 - You Can’t Grow Without Failure - with Remi Adeleke 09/09/2019

Ep. 181 - You Can’t Grow Without Failure - with Remi Adeleke Remi Adeleke’s life changed abruptly when his father died—when his family went from being royalty in Nigeria to struggling to feed themselves in the Bronx. The public education system was so poorly resourced and Remi was exposed to precious few role models in his early life. As a result, he didn’t feel that there was an expectation for him to even graduate high school; it seemed the only path available was stealing, selling drugs, and running scams. But when Remi hit rock bottom at 26 and realized, he needed something bigger than himself. That’s when Remi met Tiana Reyes, a military recruiter who helped him find his true path. Tiana was also from the Bronx, so she was passionate about helping to give young people from the neighborhood an opportunity to establish a career and explore the world—because she knew that not many other people would give them the chance. Tiana attended multiple court hearings to advocate for him and helped him fill out the paperwork to get Remi into the Navy. Once in Navy boot camp, Remi was exposed to all the different programs and set his heart on becoming a Navy SEAL. But it wasn’t a slam dunk. He didn’t pass the academic test on his first attempt and, even if he had, he wouldn’t have passed the physical test because he didn’t know how to swim. But Remi’s mother always taught him to persevere, and he drew on that to train and study in the time outside of his role as a medic. The hard work paid off and Remi was accepted into Navy SEAL training. In addition to fulfilling his dream of becoming a Navy SEAL, Remi is an actor, entrepreneur, writer, husband, and father. He has written a memoir about his life called and volunteers as a mentor for kids in similar situations that he was in. He believes that the past does not have to be a template for our future, that there is always hope and that you can help a person so much that you’re actually hurting them because you're enabling them to keep doing what they’re doing. As for all the hardships, setbacks and failures in his life, Remi says they made him who he is today because “you can't grow without failure.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Instagram: Twitter: Facebook: LinkedIn: Read: Get your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/11176466

Ep. 180 - Do What You Love - with Vicky Oliver 09/02/2019

Ep. 180 - Do What You Love - with Vicky Oliver Vicky Oliver’s favorite days begin when somebody writes to her and says they read her and it helped them get a job. But Vicky didn’t start her career writing about job hunting – it took quite a few twists and turns before she stumbled into a mission that she loved. Vicky got her start in advertising. But, after September 11, 2001, there were articles in the New York Times every single day about people switching their careers. And this wasn’t because of a downturn in the economy – it was because they were looking inwards and asking, “Am I doing what I want to be doing should I die tomorrow?” And when people were honest with themselves, they started making gigantic changes. Vicky enjoyed writing commercials, but there was always the lingering feeling that she was making corporations rich, making millions of dollars for them, without really enriching herself. So she looked at her skill, which was writing, and asked herself: Can I do something else with this skill? Can I help people more? Throughout her career in advertising, Vicky was constantly looking for the next job opportunity, and she was actually really good at securing the jobs she wanted. She realized that she knew quite a bit about job hunting, and that was how she could help so many others achieve their mission. She started writing some articles, and then eventually a book. Even though Vicky made more money when she was in advertising, writing books turned out to be the thing that brings her the most satisfaction. As she says, “If you look at what you love to do, you will probably be better at it than if you just do something because you think it's going to make you a lot of money.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Read: Twitter: Facebook: Get your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/11081378

Ep. 179 - Sucking The Marrow Out Of Life - with Alexis Meschi 08/26/2019

Ep. 179 - Sucking The Marrow Out Of Life - with Alexis Meschi The one thing Alexis Meschi remembers dreaming about when she was a kid was to be a mom. But something she had to learn was that most dreams don’t come true overnight – and that the dreams we have when we’re young aren’t necessarily going to be what fulfills us in the long term. Alexis struggled with a lot of the things we’re “supposed” to do early in our lives. She never did well in school, has no idea how she got into college, and was actually asked to leave college at the end of her third year because her GPA wasn’t up to scratch. The college said she could come back if she got her GPA up, but at the time, Alexis just didn’t think she was good at anything or had any gifts. So she ended up not going back to college, married her husband, and set out to fulfill her dream of being a stay-at-home mom. But her dreams were always getting bigger. She didn’t just want to be a stay-at-home mom; she wanted a career of her own. Alexis started blogging about sewing clothes for her girls, and it slowly grew into a business. She was asked to apply for Project Runway twice, which returned a lot of confidence that she lost in university. And after she taught for just a day as a substitute teacher, Alexis was inspired to get her four-year teaching degree – in just two years! While teaching, Alexis also picked up photography. So now, in addition to teaching, Alexis photographs women that are in business. She says it can be hard to have your picture taken, especially if you're a woman, because women tell themselves false narratives all the time; there’s a lot of vulnerability and sometimes shame that comes with being photographed. And Alexis continues to work on herself, too, on a constant mission to push herself out of her comfort zone and live her life to the fullest. She says, “I just knew that there was a mission that God had made for me and I was the only person that could fulfill that mission. And being comfortable was not going to achieve it.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Instagram: Facebook: Get your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10998311

Ep. 178 - Speaking Out To Save Lives - with Colin Morgan 08/19/2019

Ep. 178 - Speaking Out To Save Lives - with Colin Morgan Colin Morgan is a former pro golfer and the founder and host of The Daily Grind Podcast, where he interviews today’s most successful people in the hopes of inspiring the next great entrepreneur. But his mission grew from a place of deep pain. Colin actually had a lot of support when he was growing up; he cites his father and his first golf coach as the people who instilled the belief that he could be successful. It was when he reached college that he discovered that not everyone had his best interests at heart, and this is when he experienced psychological and sexual abuse. After the abuse, he started to hate golf, but still continued on the path to being a pro player. Then, mid-tournament, he realized that he wasn’t happy. He decided to make a dramatic change. He was drinking and partying to mask his feelings, and he says that's where he really learned that how you do one thing is how you do everything. The way that he was partying trickled down into every aspect of his life, including entrepreneurship. He was always looking for a get rich quick scheme, ultimately experiencing a cycle of failure and then getting excited about the next big idea. To create the change he needed, Colin started to incorporate habits like journaling. He wrote down things that he was grateful for and worked on a goal to move his business forward, for at least 20 minutes each day. And it paid off. Colin found a purpose in helping to prevent and stop abuse in sports, and he really encourages other survivors to reach out for help. Colin lost a college friend who also suffered abuse to suicide and says, “The work I'm doing goes much beyond abuse. It's about saving lives.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Listen: Instagram: LinkedIn: Read: Get your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10905917

Ep. 177 - Grab the Gold Ring - with Eddie Osterland 08/12/2019

Ep. 177 - Grab the Gold Ring - with Eddie Osterland Eddie Osterland lives by a piece of advice that was told to him by his father: watch for the gold ring. Eddie’s dad used to ride a merry-go-round in Brooklyn as a child. The best part was getting an outside horse and, every once in a while, there was an arm that would drop down with cartridges of lead rings that you could grab, if you were lucky enough to be on the right horse. And if you got one of these rings, you got a free ride. But, once a week, there was a brass ring, and if you managed to get it, you got free rides for the year. Eddie’s dad called this the gold ring. You never know when it's going to come by. So be vigilant, reach out, grab it, and ride it wherever it takes you. It may not be the end-all, but the next gold ring you see coming along might be seven years from now. Eddie’s gold ring was a plane ticket from New Jersey to Honolulu. He decided to take a vacation after he got a degree in psychology, before jumping into his career. He and a friend went down to a travel agency intending to buy one-way tickets to California. The travel agent told them for another $95 they could buy tickets to Honolulu instead, so that’s what they did. Eddie decided to stay in Hawaii and started studying psychopharmacology at graduate school. He started working as a waiter at night, but one night the sommelier was sick so Eddie ended up filling in, which inspired him to move to France to study professional wine tasting at the University of Bordeaux, making Eddie America's first master sommelier. Now, Eddie combines his food and wine expertise with sales psychology to create memorable events that help businesses acquire new clients. His tips for power entertaining include: Always serve wines in pairs so you have something to compare it to Serve your best food and wine first If you’re entertaining at a restaurant, don't let the restaurant control your experience – make friends with the sommelier and book a quiet, private dining room Never let the check come to the table – give your credit card to the restaurant beforehand and tell them to add a 25% tip Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Learn more: Facebook: Instagram: Read: Get your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10847111

Ep. 176 - Radical Honesty: The First Step - with Tommy Baker 08/05/2019

Ep. 176 - Radical Honesty: The First Step - with Tommy Baker Tommy Baker is an author, podcaster, fitness junkie, and the founder of Resist Average Academy. His mission is to help you live a life you can’t wait to wake up for. Tommy’s entrepreneurial career started in gyms, where he started to notice something that would eventually change the course of his life and career: one person can walk into a facility and experience transformational results while another person with a similar background and natural ability might barely scratch the surface. This realization turned into a fascination, so Tommy started to learn more about neuroscience, human behavior, and positive psychology. In the process, he realized that those were really the things that lit him up. So, as Tommy combined these new insights with his fitness knowledge, he identified the one thing that we all need to be successful – we need to operate with an incredibly powerful foundation; a strong connection between mind, body, and spirit. Tommy recommends two techniques for reverse engineering success: Imagining what your life looks like in a decade. What would it look like if our biggest dreams were realized? Imagining your life five years from now as if nothing has changed. How does that feel? But, above all, Tommy believes that if we continue to avoid the uncomfortable truth about our lives, then we’re going to miss out on what we want. As he says, “Radical honesty is the first step to changing anything.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Read: Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: YouTube: Get your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10755257

Ep. 175 - You Can’t Make An Impact If You’re Six Feet Under - with Jennifer L Carroll 07/29/2019

Ep. 175 - You Can’t Make An Impact If You’re Six Feet Under - with Jennifer L Carroll Jennifer Carroll has been a storyteller her whole life, but she believes the story she’s telling now is one that deserves to have massive impact. She wants to tell men and women that your health is the most important thing – because you can’t make an impact if you’re six feet under! Jennifer grew up with loving parents who gave her the foundation of a strong, value-based upbringing, and she always had coaches and mentors in her life, beginning with her figure skating coach when she was a child. But it was her late husband, entrepreneur Phil Carroll, who taught her the most – both the good and the bad. She says he had the most positive attitude in the world and chose to live a very forward-moving, impactful life. He also lived as if he was invincible. This was his greatest attribute, but it was also part of his demise. Because Phil didn't believe in going to doctors, he ignored the early symptoms of prostate cancer and, tragically, passed away at a very young age. With the support of another mentor, speaking coach Joel Weldon, Jennifer is now on a mission to share her story and encourage other people to share theirs because she knows that our stories have an impact on others. “Phil made his first million in his 20s. And he made his first widow in her 40s,” Jennifer says. “And I feel very driven to share that story to not only bring significance and meaning to Phil's life, as this incredible man and entrepreneur, but also to bring impact to his death.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Learn more: Learn more: Instagram: Facebook: Twitter: Get your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10654556

Ep. 174 - Make Your Dream Job a Reality - with Ken Coleman 07/22/2019

Ep. 174 - Make Your Dream Job a Reality - with Ken Coleman Ken Coleman is a career expert, the best-selling author of , and the host of . Pulling from his own personal struggles, missed opportunities, and career successes, Coleman helps people discover what they were born to do and provides practical steps to make their dream job a reality. Ken’s parents were the first to breathe life into his dreams, but two of his teachers also made a big impact – the elementary school teacher who gave him an extra jolt of self-esteem by always calling him Doc and a drama teacher who poured gasoline on his dreams by telling him he could do great things. And Ken always had big dreams of becoming a national broadcaster – but, of course, big dreams also come with big obstacles. Ken experienced a lot of rejection when he tried to break into radio, and things just weren’t working out the way he had hoped. Then, one day he was sitting on his patio having a one-man pity party when he realized that nobody was sitting around thinking about how they could help Ken Coleman out. Nobody was waking up going, “Hey, this Ken Coleman guy, I think he’d be a really good broadcaster. Why don’t we give him a call today and just open every door for him?” Ken says that realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He knew he had the talent to be a great broadcaster, but that day, he realized that wasn’t enough – if he really wanted to make an impact, he had to actually pave that road, and that process was going to be long and arduous. Ken’s book, , is all about helping people pave this road for themselves by showing up and getting to know the right people who are going to help you fulfil your dreams so that the right opportunities find their way to you. Ken says that we humans want progress, and that's a good thing. But, if you obsess about the next step, you miss what you're supposed to be doing and learning in the now. He offers three pieces of advice for people working towards their dream job: Know your role. You have to have absolute clarity on what is expected and what the win looks like. Accept your role. Be grateful for the job you have now because it’s a step on the ladder to your dream job. Maximize your role. Do things outside of your normal duties and demonstrate value. “If you do those three things, progress will find you, the promotion will find you. You don't have to worry about it.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Learn more: Read: Instagram: Facebook: Twitter: Get your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10582835

Ep. 173 - The Four Phases of the Entrepreneur’s Journey - with Chris Cooper 07/15/2019

Ep. 173 - The Four Phases of the Entrepreneur’s Journey - with Chris Cooper Chris Cooper is a serial entrepreneur who has seen a lot of success, so now he’s passing on what he’s learned through a mentorship company for entrepreneurs called Two-Brain Business. Chris is focused on nuts and bolts of entrepreneurship, like what are the phases people go through when developing scalable businesses and how do people move between them? To answer these questions, Chris brings together his personal business experience, incredible consistency (he’s written a blog post every day for the last 10 years), and a keen understanding of the benefits of entrepreneurship. One of the macro benefits that Chris sees is that entrepreneurship makes the economy less fragile. A lot of cities and towns rely on major industrial employers – and when they close down or leave, that has a major impact on the economy of the region and almost every family in it. Chris says what these places need to bounce back is an anti-fragile approach, which is not one big industrial employer but 300 small businesses. Another benefit is that when people don’t have to worry about money, they can worry about the important, impactful things – like spending time with their kids and living in alignment with their values. You may think that being an entrepreneur isn’t for everybody, but Chris didn’t grow up in an entrepreneurial family or have access to a lot of extra resources. In fact, he attributes his jump into entrepreneurship to two former personal training clients who saw that personal training wasn’t paying the bills and pushed him to start his first company. If it sounds like you’re in the same shoes that Chris had on back then, working for someone else but struggling to pay your bills, he has a lot of helpful tips: It's super important to have both wins to motivate you and losses to keep you humble Get into the habit of paying yourself at the start of your business Focus on the information that applies to you and filter out the rest Through his mentoring practice, Chris also identified four phases of entrepreneurship, which he wrote about them in his book . Want to know what phase of entrepreneurship you’re in? Well, you should be interested, because it can help you figure out where to go next – and you can find out at . Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Learn more: Read: Read: Listen: -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10518515

Ep. 172 - Leadership and Life Lessons From a Blue Angel Pilot - with John Foley 07/08/2019

Ep. 172 - Leadership and Life Lessons From a Blue Angel Pilot - with John Foley John Foley has some serious flying skills, but for him what’s truly important as a team member, leader, and mentor is connecting with people who have a deep connection to who they are and why they’re there. John had an amazing childhood, where he received both wisdom and love from his parents, who created a supportive environment for his dreams. His father was an army instructor at West Point and John wanted to be an army officer just like him - until he saw an air show and decided that he wanted to be a pilot. Of course, there were also rules in John’s family, and the self-discipline he developed as a child served him well when he went to study at the United States Naval Academy. He played college football while he was there and, after graduation, trained as a fighter pilot. Moving up the ranks, he then became an instructor pilot and later joined the Blue Angels, the United States Navy's flight demonstration squadron. John’s hairy experiences in the Blue Angels included flying into Russian air space shortly after the end of the Cold War to do a show and seeing Russian fighter jets coming towards his plane. Fortunately, the Russians were also keen to make friends and John ended up waving at one of the Russians from his cockpit. Flying in a squadron means that you and your teammates literally rely on each other to stay alive, and in this episode John talks about how it’s so important to hold up your end of the deal and do your job well. He explains that he sees a huge difference between being scared and being afraid. To him being scared just means, “Hey, I need to do my job. Everybody's counting on me.” Being fearful means that you go into defense mode. John’s new book, , is about the secrets that elite performers know and practice on a daily basis. You can buy it from Amazon and other booksellers, but if you , it comes with a free second book, Breaking Beliefs. Some of John’s tips include: Worry about performing well, not on the outcome. Take negative thoughts and put them in the back of your head so you can focus on what you need to do The key to doing something difficult is visualization and focus Another one of the secrets to success revealed in the book is that he meditates every morning. He says gratitude is so important because, “Gratefulness changes the way you see the world. And then the way the world sees you changes too.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Read: Twitter: Facebook: LinkedIn: -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10433087

Ep. 171 - Make Shift Happen - with Anthony Trucks 07/01/2019

Ep. 171 - Make Shift Happen - with Anthony Trucks Anthony Trucks has accomplished so much in his life – he played in the NFL, built two extremely successful business, wrote a best selling book, and competed as an American Ninja Warrior – but that all pales in comparison to the positive impact he’s making on every single person he interacts with. Anthony has experienced extreme ups and downs of his life, and that’s what drives him to “help others take ‘shift’ seriously in their lives to make great ‘shift’ happen.” Anthony was placed in foster care at the age of three, and he stayed in the system until he was adopted at the age of 14. Anthony loved his adoptive parents and says his mom taught him unconditional love, but he still struggled with being the only black kid in a white family and the abuse and neglect he experienced in earlier homes. He says that he used his turbulent background as an excuse until he heard two girls talking about him at school and realized how stupid that excuse sounded. He played football in high school, college, and the NFL, and he attributes his capacity to withstand pain to a college coach that really pushed him. When Anthony left the NFL, he opened his own gym... although he had no idea how to run a gym, or really a business at all. The problems with the gym also disrupted Anthony’s family life and his marriage ended in divorce (however, Anthony and his wife are now happily remarried). Navigating these extreme shifts in his life has been extremely difficult, but through a lot of internal work, Anthony was able to make sense of life’s expected and unexpected shifts – How he’d accomplished all the great things, how he’d encountered and endured all the bad things, and how he could’ve handled them differently. But he sees others struggling through this all the time, and that’s why he created Modifidentify, a company focused on helping people take control of their lives by understanding how these shifts impact their identities. As he says, “I just love being a part of the process of other people's joy.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Learn more at: Instagram: -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10349837

Ep. 170 - Nothing To Lose - with Vincent Pugliese 06/24/2019

Ep. 170 - Nothing To Lose - with Vincent Pugliese As a child Vincent Pugliese was, in his words, a giant pain in the butt. For example on the 200th year anniversary of the United States of America in 1976 everyone at his school had to wear red, white and blue, but he insisted on wearing a green suit. This rebel streak may not have endeared him to his teachers, but it has worked in his favor in the entrepreneurial world. Vincent didn’t do well at school, dropped out of college five or six times and was arrested when he was 18 years old for stealing. As a 22-year-old he was working at a convenience store and making extra money by overcharging each customer a little. After a customer called him out on it, he woke up one night in a dead sweat and knew he had to change his life. His dad suggested he become a sports photographer and Vincent threw himself into attending games, hustling his way to the front row. He got a lucky break at one game and his sports photography career took off. Now he runs a photography business academy and a business mastermind program while enjoying financial freedom, homeschooling his three sons and traveling with his family. His new book, Freelance to Freedom, is available for free as an audio download. Vincent’s tips for listeners are: A lie is believing what happened in your former life. We base so much of our adult life on what that kid in eighth grade said on the basketball court. Think, “How do I afford it?” as opposed to “I can't afford it.” One of the lies we tell ourselves is, I’m not good enough. Vincent’s achievements show how far being curious and generous can take you in life. His goal for his sons is for them “to constantly have a love for learning”. Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Take action: https://totallifefreedom.com Email: [email protected] -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10258097

Ep. 169 - Late Bloomers with Rich Karlgaard 06/17/2019

Ep. 169 - Late Bloomers with Rich Karlgaard Rich Karlgaard is the publisher of Forbes magazine, but when he was younger it wasn’t at all obvious that he was going to be successful. During this episode of the podcast he talks about growing up in North Dakota and developing an interest in running. He got into Stanford on a fluke when his coach misunderstood his race times but, in his words, squandered the opportunity. While his high-powered classmates were finishing law school and so on, he graduated with the minimum number of units and went to work as a dishwasher and a security guard. His story of how he went straight from dead-end jobs to working at Forbes magazine, and ultimately became its publisher, is the impetus behind his new book, . Late Bloomers laments the culture of obsession with SAT scores and early success and explains that finding one’s way later in life can be an advantage to long-term achievement and happiness. Self doubt and the importance of self-discovery Rich and Mike also discuss how people shouldn’t tie their self doubt to their self worth and how embracing self doubt can be a great strategy. They also talk about how early achievers can reinvent themselves in the face of job insecurity as more and more jobs are automated or taken over by artificial intelligence. How harmful the culture of early success can beRich also tells the story of how shame around being academically average led to a spate of depression and even suicide amongst Palo Alto students in 2014 and 2015. It was discovered that the kids who were most at risk were B-plus students. Rich’s tips The task of a late bloomer is to get off the conventional path and become an explorer. There’s no better decade than your 20s to take risks. Self doubt isn’t something to run away from, it’s something to embrace. Be prepared to find new friends and move to a different place if your current environment isn’t serving you. One of Rich’s key teachings is that finding your purpose is everything. As he says, “When people feel pulled, they grow in amazing ways. And they surprise you.” Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Read: Learn more at Forbes: by Carol Dweck Churchill Club: -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10169246

Ep. 168 - Clothe Our Kids: Clothing Kids With Confidence & Doing the Impossible - with Laura Mayer 06/10/2019

Ep. 168 - Clothe Our Kids: Clothing Kids With Confidence & Doing the Impossible - with Laura Mayer Every child deserves the opportunity to feel good and feel safe – it’s a fundamental, foundational need for all humans, and when you don’t have that as a child, it can create limiting beliefs that obscure your potential. That’s why Laura Mayer co-founded Clothe Our Kids, a nonprofit dedicated to providing at-risk children in Tennessee with much-needed clothing and shoes. Their goal is to help these children feel loved, cared for, and good about themselves – what they call “clothing kids with confidence” – and each bag they deliver is custom packed with quality items and with the individual needs of the child in mind. Laura grew up in a loving home with support, where she was home schooled by her mother, but when she left home, she found that the rest of the world wasn’t always so supportive. She found herself in an abusive relationship, and after she escaped it, she felt lost. As a result, she put everyone else and everything else at a distance because she didn’t feel safe. However, a transformative experience at church taught Laura that she had to let go of the past; she didn't know what that was going to look like, but she was done letting anyone else steal another day of her future. She couldn’t go back, she couldn’t change what happened to her, but she could choose to move forward with her head held high. Laura also found inspiration and support in a wonderful book called , which she recommends to anyone who resonates with her story. It’ll help remind you, like I hope this podcast does, that everybody is here on this Earth for a purpose. We all have God-given abilities, and we all have the ability to create an impact on the world. But before you can find your Why, you must remember and believe that you are worthy of one to begin with – and giving children the opportunity to remember that is really why Clothe Our Kids is making such a positive impact on these young lives. And if you want to make a positive impact today, you can support Clothe Our Kids – or even bringing Clothe Our Kids to your community because every city needs this! You can learn more at . Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Take action: Facebook: Instagram: by Henry Cloud and John Townsend -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10107289

Ep. 167 - Living the Life That You Were Created For - with Tiffany Bluhm 06/03/2019

Ep. 167 - Living the Life That You Were Created For - with Tiffany Bluhm Tiffany Bluhm is a beautiful writer and speaker with an incredible story that just breathes life into everyone who encounters it – so I am humbled and excited to be able to share it with all of you today. Tiffany was born in India, abandoned as a newborn in New Delhi. She was one of more than 25 million Indian children who were orphaned in the ‘80s. And for most of her life, this origin was a thorn in her side; she saw a world where everyone had baby pictures and memories passed down by family, but she had no evidence of her beginning except for a number and a name given to her by an orphanage. So, at her core, she struggled with her sense of identity. Tiffany was lucky enough, however, to be adopted, and to be given the opportunity to talk about how difficult it was. “So many adoptees go underground with their feelings. It’s called invisible trauma, when you can’t make sense of the trauma that’s happened because you don’t have conscious memories of it, but you can feel it and you’re still dealing with the effects of it.” But Tiffany knew that if she was here, there must be a reason – and she had to make the best of it. Although we don’t always come from such humbling pasts, most of us feel like this at some point in our lives: lost, confused, and a little unsure why we’re here. And when we feel that way, we often end up letting the things that we do to define who we are. However, that’s now how you live a fulfilling life that lights you up. Who you are should define what you do, how you work, what your goals are, and what your values are. When you can align all of that, you can really achieve the life that you were created for. “I am not leftovers,” Tiffany says confidently. “This isn’t going to be the breaking of me, but could potentially be the making of me.” You can get more inspiration and wisdom from Tiffany in her upcoming book, , or her own incredible podcast, . Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Learn more at Listen to Why Tho?: Read: Instagram: Facebook: Twitter: -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/10025336

166 | Worthy of Life: The Remarkable Story of Violinist and Holocaust Survivor David Arben | with Rebecca Jackson and Dr. John Jackson 05/27/2019

Ep. 165 - A Logical Justification for Pursuing Your Dreams - with Logan Gelbrich 05/20/2019

Ep. 165 - A Logical Justification for Pursuing Your Dreams - with Logan Gelbrich There are a lot of conversations these days around really taking hold of the narrative of your life, and not just passively reacting to life but actively responding to who you are created to be, what you’re called to, and what you’re capable of becoming – and I am all for it! So, today, I want to add on to this conversation that society is having through my conversation with Logan Gelbrich, a man who has not just asked himself these questions but embodies his answers to them. Logan is a former professional baseball player for the San Diego Padres, a “Functional Coach” working with DEUCE Gym, and the author of . Logan was lucky enough to know that he wanted to be a baseball player from a very young age, and he had the drive to make it happen – but, unfortunately, professional sports careers often don’t have a very long lifespan. So, after Logan’s professional baseball career was over, he had to ask himself all of those questions again. Luckily, baseball taught Logan to orient towards that which is in his control. So, instead of wallowing in a decision he couldn’t change, he focused on what he could do moving forward. Finding our next best next step in life requires identifying what’s at the intersection of our curiosity and commitment, and in Logan’s book, he takes an objective and utilitarian view on this subject. He urges readers to ask themselves, “How are you most useful to yourself and your community?” What doesn’t work, he says, is just picking what you’re going to do next arbitrarily. You can’t stay committed to an idea you just picked out of a hat, or because it was trending on Google. You probably can, however, stay committed to an idea or organization that has captured your curiosity and lit you up in the past. And through that commitment and curiosity, you can pursue a life where you are always pushing yourself to the edge of what you are capable of and constantly evolving. But Logan says that a lot of us are intentionally avoiding difficulty, and as a result, we are losing ourselves along the way. The path most travelled is covered in complacency, so I urge you to choose the path less travelled; a path packed with curiosity, challenge, and growth. -- Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Learn more at Read: Instagram: Facebook: Twitter: Hold the Standard Summit: -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is produced by /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/9839426

Ep. 164 - One Life to Give - with Brandon Adams 05/13/2019

Ep. 164 - One Life to Give - with Brandon Adams Brandon T. Adams is a serial entrepreneur who owns a stake in a number of businesses, including the Accelerant Media Group, Live to Grind, Young Entrepreneur Convention, and Arctic Stick. He is also the co-host and executive producer of the reality TV series Ambitious Adventures, and the host of the business podcast Live to Grind. His most recent project is a TV series called Success in Your City. Brandon is an entrepreneur who lives life on his own terms, and there’s a reason for that. In a story that is both fascinating and relatable, he talks about his own journey of working hard, though as he admits, “not smart” – and he paid the consequences. Brandon shares an incident where he had a mental and physical breakdown while driving, a sure sign his body was telling him to work for his own reward, not others. Working in real estate at the time, the moment was crucial for Brandon, for he knew it was the signal that he had to change his ways. Think and Grow Rich Brandon knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur at the age of 21, after he read Napoleon Hill’s acclaimed 1937 book “Think and Grow Rich.” The lesson he learned was that the famous entrepreneurs of the day — Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Andrew Carnegie — weren’t necessarily the brightest in the land. However, they all shared one goal: the “drive to achieve something,” said Brandon. This drive is shown in the determination to succeed that has characterised Brandon’s life, most noticeably in his drive to release his Emmy award TV series “Success in your City.” Handling pressure As many entrepreneurs know, life is never easy and Brandon’s had his own share of trials and tribulations. He speaks candidly of the adverse reaction to his film proposal and tells me how he dealt with the pressure and incessant trolling on social media. Brandon says no matter how unpleasant the experience, “...you grow, you learn, and you open up doors.” Brandon’s message for budding entrepreneurs is simple: Live life the way you want and always be prepared to grow and learn. Every day is precious to Brandon. As he says, we all have only “one life to give.” Let’s make the most of it. Don’t be a podcast junkie… Resources: Learn more at Success in Your City: Pick up your copy of -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is a production of /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/9753035

Ep. 163 - RISE & Shine Gold - with Jim Afremow & Caroline Burckle 05/06/2019

Ep. 162 - Master the Key: A Story to Free Your Potential, Find Meaning and Live Life On Purpose (Chapter One) 04/29/2019

Ep. 161 - Unstoppable Leaders & Profitable Conversations - with AmyK Hutchens and Kara Goldin 04/22/2019

Ep. 160 - Positive Leadership & The Warrior Tradition - with Greg Amundson & Jon Gordon 04/15/2019

Ep. 159 - Happiness, Love, & the #5SecondRule - with Mel Robbins & Sheryl O'Loughlin 04/08/2019

Ep. 158 - Motivation, Belief, & The Power of Words - with Kevin Hall & Lou Holtz 04/01/2019

Ep. 157 - Like a Whip: Training & Mindset Lessons from a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt - with Nathan Mendelsohn 03/25/2019

Ep. 157 - Like a Whip: Training & Mindset Lessons from a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt - with Nathan Mendelsohn Nathan Mendelsohn is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Cláudio França, who is one of the very first black belts to bring Jiu Jitsu to California, Santa Cruz in particular, and a crucial contributor to the growth of this sport/martial art in North America. Nathan is one of the top American grapplers of his generation, but it’s not just his tremendous list of achievements that garnered him notoriety in the martial arts community – it’s also his open minded attitude towards training, often breaking strict team taboos to practice with the best in this martial art/sport. Nathan was inspired by his childhood hero Rickson Gracie, a famed practitioner of Gracie jiu jitsu and the subject of the 1995 documentary, Choke. Nathan describes him as the embodiment of the modern-day samurai, and learning jiu jitsu was Nathan’s own way of chasing that childhood dream of being a real-life samurai. Nathan was ranked as the #8 middleweight blackbelt in the world, positioned to move even higher up the rankings, before he hit a roadblock: a knee injury. Thanks to medical advances over the past 10 or 20 years, this wasn’t the career-ending injury it could have been, but it still lead to a number of frustrating moments during recovery and caused him to slide in the rankings. But he tried not to let negativity own his life, telling us that “it’s really important to have a positive storyline happening in your head.” Instead of viewing the injury as an obstacle to his goal, he took it as an opportunity to take six months off, for the first time in his life. It was time he could use to not only let his body recover, but also hone his mindset. Like a lot of what you learn when training in a martial art, I think this lesson is highly applicable to everyone’s life. In our conversation, Nathan shares a number of other lessons he’s learned over the years: When we learn new things, we’re always focused on the little details – but it’s more just about being there, being present, and letting the situation “churn” you. If you embrace that churn, you’ll naturally get better and better. If you focus on the little details, it’s extremely easy to get overwhelmed. Not drinking alcohol also had a significant impact on both Nathan’s training and mindset. He didn’t like who he was when he drank, and it negatively affected every aspect of training. It just wasn’t helping to contribute to his goals, so he took it out of his life. This isn’t easy to do in a world where drinking is present at many (if not most) social occasions, but he says it’s one of the best decisions he’s ever made. After becoming a black belt, the pressure ramped up for Nathan. So one of his mentors taught him about affirmations and mantras, which he now uses before he competes. His main mantra is “I always believe in my ability to impose my game on any opponent,” and he also likes “Every fight is my first fight, my last fight, and my only fight,” for long tournaments. -- Resources: Instagram: Facebook: YouTube: Watch Nathan’s highlights: Elite Technique (Nathan’s rap persona): -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is produced by /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/9120404

Ep. 156 - When Leaders Help People Achieve Their Goals, the World Wins - with Robert Glazer 03/18/2019

Ep. 156 - When Leaders Help People Achieve Their Goals, the World Wins - with Robert Glazer Robert Glazer, founder of and co-founder of , says that we all come out of the factory without our instruction manual. Unfortunately, too many of us don’t figure out who we are and how we function until we’re well into our 30s and 40s – but, as leaders and entrepreneurs, we can change that. We can honor each person in our world; we can highlight and support their unique dreams, hopes, and desires. And when we don’t do this, when we forget that our organizations are made up of individual people who have their own vision for their life and their own goals, the results can be disastrous. All you have to do is look at employee engagement worldwide: 85 percent of employees are not engaged or actively disengaged at work, resulting in approximately $7 trillion in lost productivity, . That’s not because most employees don’t want to be engaged, excel, and improve. It’s because most employees don’t have anyone helping them identify their strengths or use these strengths to move the organization forward. So this isn’t on the employees – it’s on the leadership that isn’t helping their people find their instruction manuals. In Robert’s businesses, this comes down to building capacity in people holistically. He needs his people to grow with the business, and that means they need to do more than just work better – the whole person needs to get better. The business sees a tangible benefit from this personal investment and the employees associate working for the business with being a better person. I think every company, big and small, needs to focus on creating a culture of personal empowerment and work-life integration like this. It helps businesses succeed, but that’s not even the point – everyone deserves the opportunity to hone their strengths and contribute to something greater than themselves, and as leaders, that’s how we can truly make an impact on the world. -- Resources: Learn more at Listen: Facebook: Twitter: LinkedIn: Read: -- We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs. Visit for more info. -- The Impact Entrepreneur Show is produced by /episode/index/show/impactentrepreneur/id/9038453

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