Business Origin Stories is the podcast for leadership, life, and business. This show features coaching calls and heart-to-heart conversations with successful entrepreneurs, leaders, authors, and experts. Join your host, Amy Schutte, a business coach and brand strategist, as she dives into ways to create stand-out brands and aligned businesses through storytelling and proven business frameworks. At its core, Business Origin Stories is a recognition that the stories we tell are our greatest currency.
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August 18, 202620 min
128: 35,000 Views in Two Weeks: The Story Behind My TEDx Talk
Send us Fan Mail What happens when the life you built to earn approval stops feeling like yours? In this solo episode, Amy shares the real story behind bringing her Kármán Line™ framework to the TEDx Cambridge stage — a year and a half of rejection and the six-week sprint that followed. She talks about what it actually takes to move a big idea from private conviction to a stage in front of strangers: the help she had to ask for, the outfit that sat in her closet for a year before she ever wore it, and why she believes telling people what you want is just as important as doing the work. Her talk, "What to Do When Your Life Stops Fitting," has already been viewed 25,000 times in its first eight days. Watch it — linked below — then come back and hear how it happened. Topics covered: how to get a TEDx talk, behind the scenes of a TEDx talk, public speaking tips, keynote speaker origin story, the Kármán Line™, identity and business transformation. Watch the TEDx Talk Book Amy to Speak Instagram: @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co
August 11, 202626 min
127: Business Analyst to Black Belt: How Paula A. Bell Built a Mind-Body-Soul Coaching Empire
Send us Fan Mail Paula A. Bell wears a lot of titles — business analyst consultant, life coach, fitness coach, third-degree black belt in karate — and in this episode, she explains why she never niched down to just one. Paula built Paula A. Bell Consulting on a mind-body-soul philosophy: when a client comes to her for career strategy but the real block is a limiting belief, she follows the problem wherever it actually lives. She traces that approach back to nearly fifteen years on the mat, where she went from a reluctant white belt (dragged in because her son joined) to a black belt instructor who eventually stepped back from teaching to protect her business bandwidth. We talk about the moment she decided to merge martial arts and business analysis into one brand — full gi and all — and the five tenets of karate (courtesy, integrity, self-control, perseverance, indomitable spirit) that now show up in how she coaches clients through roadblocks, self-doubt, and burnout. She also shares her outlook for entrepreneurs heading into 2026: why the year is harder for some, why she believes it's still a breakthrough year for many, and why perseverance beats waiting for perfect conditions. If you've ever felt like your business or your brand doesn't fit in one box, this conversation is for you. Find Paula: LinkedIn | paulaabell.com Instagram: @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co
August 4, 202650 min
126: Nove Style: Building the Business Platform Personal Stylists Actually Need
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, host Amy Schutte sits down with Megan Wright and Kaitlin Oran , co-founders of Nove — a platform built specifically for personal stylists to manage and grow their businesses. From digitizing client closets to tracking VIP engagement, Nove was born out of the founders' experience working with stylists and noticing how much of the industry's back end (contracts, invoicing, client communication) was held together by patchwork tools. In this episode: Their origin story: from working with video creators at Vimeo to spotting a gap in the personal styling industry The six-to-eight-month research phase before writing a single line of code What it's really like to co-found a company with someone (hint: closer than most marriages) Navigating layoffs, runway, and the fear of leaving corporate stability Building a business while becoming mothers, and reframing the myth of "balance" Where AI fits into styling — and where it absolutely doesn't Why female-founded businesses need better access to revenue, not just funding Their upcoming October event on the future of personal styling Whether you're a stylist looking to scale your business, an aspiring founder considering a co-founder partnership, or simply curious about the identity work behind getting dressed every day, this episode offers a candid, unfiltered look at building something meaningful — one hard conversation and late night at a time. Learn more / connect with Nove: Instagram @stylewithnove | https://www.nove.style/ Sign up for the ultimate stylist event in NYC: https://www.nove.style/nove-styling-consultancy-event Instagram: @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co
July 28, 202634 min
125: The Rebel's Guide to Culture Change: Tanarra Schneider on Coaching Teams Through Fear, Conflict & Growth
Send us Fan Mail What if the people challenging your organization the most are actually the ones who could save it? In this episode, Tanarra Schneider — founder of Rebel 75 — unpacks why healthy dissent gets mistaken for disruption, and how leaders can build teams that thrive on honest conversation instead of avoiding it. In this episode, you'll learn: Why organizations celebrate "innovators" but panic when the same behavior looks like dissent The difference between a "rebel" and a "chaos monster" — and why that distinction matters for culture How organizational systems coaching helps teams confront fear and conflict together , not as individual failings What "designing relationships" actually looks like in practice (and how to start doing it with your own team) A simple framework for hiring and developing people who raise problems and bring people along to solve them Why the next generation of talent won't tolerate cultures that don't value collective growth — and what to do about it About Tanarra Schneider: Tanarra is the founder of Rebel 75, a company that partners with organizations to build healthier, more human workplace cultures through coaching and collaborative design. Before launching Rebel 75, she spent nearly a decade in Accenture's innovation and design practice, helping clients navigate exactly the tension she now coaches leaders through every day. Tanarra and her business partner, Jenny Richards, work directly alongside leadership teams — observing, coaching, and redesigning the systems and routines that shape how teams show up for each other. Book mentioned in this episode: The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle Connect with Tanara: 🔗 Website: rebel75.com Instagram: @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co
July 21, 202629 min
124: How to Build Credibility at Every Level of Leadership with Cynthia Newman
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Business Origin Stories, Cynthia Newman shares lessons from more than 40 years in wealth management and her transition into executive coaching. After spending decades leading people, developing talent, and navigating organizational complexity, she now helps professionals strengthen leadership skills, improve communication, and create sustainable growth in their careers and businesses. One of the central themes of this conversation is self-awareness. Cynthia explains how leaders often struggle not because they lack expertise, but because they are unaware of how others experience their communication, decision-making, and leadership style. She reflects on lessons from her own career and discusses how those experiences now inform her coaching work. Amy and Cynthia also explore practical leadership challenges, including managing up, building credibility, working within teams, and creating clear accountability structures. In this episode, you'll hear: Why self-awareness is foundational to leadership growth How bringing solutions, not just problems, builds credibility What executives can learn about communication and executive presence The importance of role clarity within leadership teams Lessons from working with husband-and-wife business partnerships Why quarterly planning can create stronger accountability than annual planning How leaders can support difficult team dynamics while maintaining trust What Cynthia learned from decades in wealth management and management leadership The conversation also touches on career transitions, mentorship, executive coaching, and the importance of slowing down long enough to learn from the season you're currently in rather than constantly chasing the next milestone. For leaders navigating growth, organizational change, or new responsibilities, this episode offers practical guidance grounded in experience and thoughtful reflection. Instagram: @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co
July 14, 202635 min
123: Strike the Right Chord: Leadership, Team Building & the Music Framework That Changes Everything with Michael Brenner
Send us Fan Mail What happens when a professional musician spends 26 years building leadership teams? Michael Brenner, founder of Right Chord Leadership, joins the show to share how a single conversation with a mentor turned his passion for music into CHORDS — a six-note framework (Communication, Harmony, Ownership, Respect, Direction, Support) that's reshaped how he diagnoses dysfunction on teams. Michael pulls back the curtain on what it actually feels like to walk into a room and read a team's energy in the first five minutes, why he opens keynotes with an Irish tin whistle instead of a slide deck, and why "what's your first concert?" might be the most powerful icebreaker you're not using. We also get into AI's growing presence in the workplace, and why he believes authentic human connection — not polish — is what actually makes people remember you. If you've ever wondered whether your team is playing in harmony or a little out of tune, this episode is for you. In this episode: The origin story behind the name "Right Chord Leadership" The CHORDS model and how to use it as a team diagnostic Why "resonance" is the tell of a high-performing team How to open a meeting or keynote in a way people actually remember AI, identity, and staying human in an era of automation Connect with Michael: rightchordleadership.com Instagram: @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co
July 7, 202631 min
122: Divorce as a Business Deal: How to Leave a High-Conflict Partner Strategically with Divorce Strategist Courtney Harkness
Send us Fan Mail Divorce is one of the most financially and emotionally high-stakes events in a person's life — but most people walk into it completely unprepared. In this episode, Amy sits down with Courtney Harkness, a divorce strategist who helps successful women leave high-conflict partners with clarity, strategy, and their financial future intact. Courtney shares her own journey from running a private equity-funded business alongside her ex-husband to building a coaching practice rooted in one core belief: your superpower is not reacting. In this conversation, you'll learn: Why going straight to an attorney without preparation can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars The 3-phase coaching framework Courtney uses — emotional regulation, strategy, and execution What "parallel parenting" looks like with a high-conflict ex, and why it's more effective than co-parenting The love bombing and mirroring patterns that show up at the beginning of toxic relationships What business protections to put in place before you need them The #1 regret Courtney hears from her clients (and what to do about it) Courtney also recommends the book Out of the Fog by Dana Morningstar for anyone questioning whether their partner's behavior is truly problematic. Find Courtney at divorcestrategy.com and on Instagram at @divorce.strategy , and on LinkedIn Instagram: @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co
June 23, 202644 min
121: What Great Leaders Know About Themselves with Jason Daily
Send us Fan Mail What happens when leadership growth becomes less about gaining skills and more about understanding yourself? In this episode of Business Origin Stories, Jason Daily , founder of Anchored Leadership, shares the experiences and leadership principles that have shaped his work helping leaders unlock their full potential through self-awareness, communication, and coaching. Jason has coached more than 5,000 leaders across industries and continents, working with everyone from emerging managers to seasoned executives at organizations including Nike, ’47, Nationwide Insurance, Slack, and L Brands. Before launching Anchored Leadership, Jason led executive coaching and high-potential leadership programs at OhioHealth. As a licensed speech-language pathologist, ICF-certified executive coach, and certified Enneagram Practitioner, he brings a unique perspective to leadership development that blends communication science, behavioral change, and practical leadership growth. In this conversation, Jason shares his own origin story, from his early work helping patients recover communication skills after traumatic brain injuries and strokes to coaching leaders in Fortune 100 organizations and eventually building his own coaching practice. Along the way, he discovered that lasting leadership growth isn't about learning more tactics. It's about increasing awareness of who you are, how others experience you, and how you want to lead. In this episode, we discuss: • Why self-awareness is one of the most important leadership skills • The gap between how leaders see themselves and how others perceive them • Communication habits that create trust, clarity, and connection • The shift from being the hero to becoming a coach • How identity influences leadership decisions • The role of executive coaching in long-term behavioral change • Jason's personal journey through career transitions, entrepreneurship, and leadership growth One of the most memorable moments of the conversation is Jason's discussion of "Scarcity Sam," the name he gave to a scarcity mindset pattern that quietly influenced many of his decisions. His willingness to examine those patterns offers a powerful lesson for any leader seeking sustainable growth. Whether you're leading a team, scaling a business, or developing the next generation of leaders, this conversation will challenge you to think differently about leadership, communication, and personal growth. Connect with Jason: www.anchoredleadership.com Instagram: @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co
June 16, 202631 min
120: The Second Act: Helping Women Return to Work with Confidence
Send us Fan Mail What happens when life takes you away from the workforce for nearly two decades? For Heather Nemelka , that question became the foundation for a mission that is now helping women, career changers, and workforce returners rediscover their confidence and create new opportunities. In this episode of Business Origin Stories, Heather shares her remarkable journey from returning to work after an 18-year career gap to founding both Elevator and the Elevator Foundation. Along the way, she discovered that many talented individuals are overlooked not because they lack ability, but because traditional hiring systems often fail to recognize their value. Amy and Heather explore: Why informational interviews are one of the most effective job search tools available What employers miss when they automatically filter out candidates with career gaps The surprising strengths caregiving develops How confidence is rebuilt after layoffs, transitions, or extended time away from work Why returnships can create win-win opportunities for employers and employees The importance of self-discovery during major life transitions How professionals can better advocate for themselves inside organizations One of the most powerful moments in the conversation comes when Heather shares the lesson that transformed her own career trajectory: "Run toward the ball." Rather than waiting for recognition or opportunity, she learned to proactively demonstrate her value and create new possibilities. Whether you're navigating a career transition, leading a team, or building a company culture that values untapped talent, this episode offers practical advice and encouraging reminders that growth is always possible. Connect with Heather: LinkedIn: Heather Nemelka Website: elavare.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elavareco/ Instagram: @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co
June 10, 202637 min
119: The Courage to Realign: Tucker Branham on Values, Leadership, and Designing a Life That Fits
Send us Fan Mail What happens when the life you've built no longer aligns with who you are? In this episode of Business Origin Stories, Tucker Branham shares how his unconventional journey shaped a career dedicated to helping individuals and organizations find alignment between values, purpose, leadership, and work. After leaving college, working multiple jobs, and navigating an unexpected path into nonprofit consulting and organizational leadership, Tucker discovered a question that would define his work: Are people building lives they truly want, or simply following a blueprint created by someone else? Today, Tucker works with nonprofits, corporations, and individuals to help them understand their values, identify what fulfills them, and create practical plans for living and leading with greater intention. Amy and Tucker explore: Why resumes alone rarely predict success The connection between personal alignment and organizational health How values serve as guardrails for decision-making The role vulnerability plays in meaningful change Why adaptive leadership matters more than ever The difference between work-life balance and work-life integration Practical exercises leaders can use to evaluate priorities and relationships Throughout the conversation, Tucker challenges common assumptions about success and fulfillment. He argues that when leaders understand their values and create alignment between who they are and what they do, organizations become healthier, cultures become stronger, and people thrive. Whether you're leading a company, navigating a career transition, or simply questioning whether your current path reflects your priorities, this episode offers a thoughtful framework for reflection and action. Connect LinkedIn: Tucker Branham Website: https://changedevelopmove.com/ Listen, subscribe, and share this episode with a leader who is ready to create greater alignment between their work, values, and life. Instagram: @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co
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