A podcast for bold, bright, ambitious leaders who want to think more honestly about success. In each episode, Madeleine MacRae explores what success really costs, how leaders define it for themselves, and how that definition evolves over time.
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August 20, 2026Episode 1026 min
Windows and Doors Into the Future with Rick Locke
What does it really take to turn a small business into something built to last? On this episode of Bold Enough, Madeleine MacRae sits down with entrepreneur Rick Locke, who grew from owning a single-location business with 12 employees into a nine-location operation across five states generating roughly $60 million in annual revenue. Rick shares how he brought corporate-level discipline into small business, using clear KPIs, stronger hiring practices, and a deeper understanding of what actually motivates employees. He also opens up about the challenges of managing different markets and cultures, staying ahead of innovation, and building a company strong enough to create opportunities for the next generation of his family. They explore why skills alone aren’t enough when hiring, how understanding an employee’s values can transform leadership, and why sustainable growth requires more than simply chasing revenue. This conversation is about building something enduring: a business that creates value for customers, employees, partners, and the people who may one day carry it forward.
August 18, 2026Episode 928 min
How to blend elegance, strength, and innovation with Kelley Hoven
Building something meaningful requires more than a great idea. It takes grit, adaptability, strong people, and the willingness to challenge what worked yesterday. In this episode of Bold Enough, Madeleine MacRae talks with Kelley Hoven, Brand President of Gatsby Glass, about what it really takes to build and scale an emerging franchise brand. Drawing from more than 30 years in sales and marketing and over two decades in franchising, Kelley shares the lessons she’s learned from supporting franchise owners, operating a business herself, and helping build Gatsby Glass from the ground up. They discuss why having the right mindset matters more than having previous industry experience, the importance of hiring and empowering great people, and why Kelley actively welcomes dissenting opinions from her team. She also opens up about Gatsby Glass’s evolution, the hurdles that forced the company to rethink its franchise model, and the strategy behind its continued expansion. The conversation ultimately comes back to a bigger question: What actually defines success? For Kelley, it’s no longer about a title or salary. It’s about waking up with gratitude, doing work she loves, becoming someone others trust, empowering people around her to succeed, and continuing to look for the opportunities ahead. A conversation about leadership, growth, grit, and being bold enough to never become too comfortable with the status quo.
August 13, 2026Episode 837 min
How a backyard conversation sparked a multi-territory business with Adam Berryman
What happens when the business you built starts demanding a different version of you? On this episode of Bold Enough, Madeleine MacRae sits down with serial entrepreneur Adam Berryman to unpack his journey from corporate burnout to building and growing multiple franchise businesses. Adam shares how a conversation with his neighbor eventually became a business partnership, why franchising gave him the infrastructure he needed to move faster, and what he learned from holding onto the wrong people for too long. They explore one of the hardest parts of growth: letting go of work, roles, and even parts of your identity that helped you reach one level but may prevent you from reaching the next. Adam also shares why the right partner can accelerate growth, why accountability matters, and how he hopes to eventually build businesses that can acquire and operate companies without depending on him. The conversation ultimately comes back to a bigger question: Can you call yourself successful while still wanting more? For Adam, success means gratitude, growth, strong relationships, refusing to settle, building something meaningful, and helping other entrepreneurs rise along the way.
August 11, 2026Episode 744 min
Build success through community and personal growth with Jordan godbey
What if growing your business starts with cutting off most of your opportunities? In this episode of Bold Enough, Madeleine MacRae sits down with Jordan godbey, founder of Growth Community, to explore what it really takes to build a business around focus, expertise, and meaningful impact. Jordan shares how moving away from a “do everything for everyone” agency model and committing to one highly specific niche helped him become a leading expert in building online communities. He opens up about the uncomfortable decisions behind that growth, including turning down revenue, rebuilding after his team changed, and questioning the traditional idea that scaling always means adding more people. The conversation goes deeper than business strategy. Jordan and Madeleine unpack the personal transformation required to become a high-growth entrepreneur, why your business can only grow as far as you do, and how patience, resilience, and identity shape the entrepreneurial journey. They also challenge one of the most common definitions of success: money. Jordan shares why he now considers himself successful even though he believes there is still significant financial growth ahead, and how freedom, family, meaningful work, relationships, impact, and progress have become much more important measures of a life well lived. In this episode, you’ll hear about: • Why specialization can accelerate growth and mastery • The power of community-based businesses • Why deciding also means cutting opportunities off • Becoming the person your future goals require • Navigating failure, uncertainty, and entrepreneurial reinvention • Why personal development can become a business bottleneck • Running your own race instead of comparing yourself to others • Building a definition of success that goes far beyond revenue If you’re building a business while also figuring out who you want to become along the way, this conversation is for you.
August 10, 2026Episode 628 min
The life of a luxury drapery boss: Leading with love with Oana Molodoi
What does it really take to start over, build a business from scratch, and create a version of success that goes far beyond money? In this episode of Bold Enough, Madeleine MacRae sits down with entrepreneur Oana Molodoi, founder of OM Drapes Design, to talk about courage, family, entrepreneurship, and what happens when you’re willing to leap before you have everything figured out. After moving from Romania to the United States with her husband, two young children, and their dreams packed into eight pieces of luggage, Oana eventually found herself starting an entirely new business during the pandemic. With no previous experience in the window treatment industry, she launched OM Drapes Design and landed a $5,000 client on one of her very first appointments. Five years later, Oana has grown the company rapidly, opened a showroom at the Laguna Design Center, and built a business rooted in relationships, exceptional service, and genuine care for her clients. Oana and Madeleine also get into the side of entrepreneurship that rarely makes the highlight reel: the loneliness of being a solopreneur, the constant tension between business and family, learning to protect time away from work, and redefining what success actually means. For Oana, success isn’t simply revenue or growth. It’s seeing her family thrive, becoming a role model for her children, building meaningful relationships, doing work she loves, and feeling deeply connected to the life she has created. In this conversation, you’ll hear about: • Starting a business with zero industry experience • Turning a pandemic career change into rapid business growth • Oana’s journey from Romania to building a new life in America • Balancing motherhood, marriage, and entrepreneurship • How client relationships created unexpected business opportunities • Why success is about much more than money • Building a business your children can be proud of If you’re building something ambitious while trying to stay connected to the people and values that matter most, this conversation is for you. Subscribe to Bold Enough for candid conversations about leadership, business growth, courage, purpose, and building a legacy that actually matters.
August 4, 2026Episode 538 min
The leadership strategy that changes everything with Matt Kunz
Growing a business isn't just about finding more opportunities. Sometimes, the real skill is knowing which opportunities to turn down. On this episode of Bold Enough, Madeleine MacRae talks with franchise leader Matt Kunz of Fastest Labs about what it really takes to scale businesses, develop successful franchise owners, and remain disciplined while everything around you is changing. Matt shares lessons from decades in franchising, including his journey from owning Sylvan Learning centers to leading major franchise brands. He explains why structure can create freedom, why franchisee profitability is essential to sustainable growth, and what happens when skilled technicians begin seeing themselves as business owners. He also shares a remarkable story of a painter who transformed a roughly $360,000 business into a seven-figure operation, eventually creating a company that three of his children chose to join. But growth hasn't come without difficult lessons. Matt opens up about unexpected legal challenges, communication mistakes that distracted an entire franchise system for nearly a year, and why leaders have to understand the many different sides of a decision before moving forward. Madeleine and Matt also explore technology's changing role in business, the importance of bringing people along through change, and a different way of defining success: not as a destination or title, but as continuous evolution, contribution, humility, and improvement. Above all, Matt makes the case for one of the hardest disciplines in leadership: You have to say no to good ideas so you can say yes to the great ones. If you're building a business, leading a team, growing a franchise, or trying to figure out where your time and energy will create the greatest impact, this conversation is for you. Follow Matt: Email: matt@fastestlabs.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattkunz Learn more about Fastest Labs: fastestlabs.com fastestlabsfranchise.com Follow Madeleine: Website: https://madeleinemacrae.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macraemadeleine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeleine.macrae/ Book: The Tenacious Pursuit of Peace: Where to Go When Success Isn’t Enough
July 30, 2026Episode 432 min
The unexpected yes that built a $3m Business with Anthony Kulikowski
Anthony Kulikowski never planned to build a career in painting. He entered the trade as a young father looking for a better job, learned the craft from his wife's grandfather, and eventually launched his own independent painting company. After years of doing nearly everything himself, an unexpected cold call introduced Anthony to Five Star Painting and forced him to reconsider what his business could become. Although he nearly backed out before opening, his first year with the franchise grew to $750,000 in revenue, compared with his previous best year of roughly $300,000, and he accomplished it without picking up a paintbrush. Anthony joins Madeleine McCray to discuss moving from technician to leader, building systems, understanding sales metrics, trusting a team, and accepting the personal changes that come with business growth. It is an honest conversation about persistence, delegation, leadership, and why loving your people may be one of a business owner's greatest responsibilities. Learn more about Anthony and Five Star Painting: https://www.fivestarpainting.com Follow Madeleine: Website: https://madeleinemacrae.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macraemadeleine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeleine.macrae/ Book: The Tenacious Pursuit of Peace: Where to Go When Success Isn’t Enough
July 28, 2026Episode 529 min
The non-traditional path that built real freedom with Dave gilbert
Description Is building the biggest company possible really the definition of success? In this episode of Bold Enough , Madeleine MacRae speaks with entrepreneur David Gilbert about his unconventional career across technology, real estate, business acquisitions, fractional consulting, and engineering. David explains why starting a company and purchasing an established business come with completely different challenges. He also challenges the growth-at-all-costs mindset, sharing why sustainable growth, strong culture, quality service, and a healthy life can matter more than chasing unicorn status. The conversation also explores the emotional reality of leaving a company you helped build. David shares how closely a founder’s identity can become connected to their business, why an exit can create an unexpected period of grief, and how he learned to redefine success beyond professional achievement. For David, real success means having the freedom to choose how you spend your time, building meaningful relationships, remaining grateful, and creating a life that allows your family to thrive. Connect with David Gilbert: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmgilbert/ Follow Madeleine: Website: https://madeleinemacrae.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macraemadeleine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeleine.macrae/ Book: The Tenacious Pursuit of Peace: Where to Go When Success Isn’t Enough
July 23, 2026Episode 228 min
Why family businesses struggle to scale and how letting go creates growth with Brandi Marek
Family businesses are built on close relationships, but those same relationships can make leadership transitions, succession planning, and difficult decisions far more complicated. In this episode of Bold Enough , Madeline McCray speaks with Brandi Marek , a business advisor at Ferguson Alliance who specializes in family-owned businesses. Drawing from her own experience working inside her husband’s family business, Brandi explains how obligation, exhaustion, people-pleasing, and ego can keep someone trapped in the wrong role. They discuss preparing the next generation for leadership, making space for a successor, seeking outside support, and accepting that a new leader may need a completely different team and leadership structure. Brandi also shares why leaving her family business initially felt like failure—and how that decision ultimately helped her recognize her value a and build a more purposeful career. This conversation is for business owners, family-business leaders, and anyone questioning whether they are staying somewhere because they genuinely want to—or because they feel obligated to. Connect with Brandi Marek:Website: https://ferguson-alliance.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsmarek Connect with Madeleine MacRae:Website: https://madeleinemacrae.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macraemadeleine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeleine.macrae/
July 21, 2026Episode 126 min
The hard truth about scaling business no one talks about with Suave Brachowski
What happens when franchise owners stop guarding their best ideas and start helping one another win? In this episode of Bold Enough, Madeleine MacRae sits down with Suave Brachowski , Managing Director at HorsePower Brands and Chief Executive Officer at Varsity Zone HVAC, to explore the leadership lessons behind his 33-year career in franchising. Suave shares how McDonald’s shaped his understanding of systems, how moving to Arizona led him to rebuild a struggling franchise, and why that experience revealed his passion for building teams, transforming businesses, and creating a shared vision. Together, they discuss why franchising is a commercial marriage, how “coopetition” blends collaboration, cooperation, and competition, and why every business owner must manage two budgets: money and time. This conversation is a reminder that success is not only about revenue, titles, or growth. It is also about meaningful relationships, purposeful work, and the impact you create for others. Key Takeaways Why franchisors must fully support franchise owners How Suave rebuilt a struggling franchise Why franchising is a commercial marriage How knowing your “why” creates direction Why home services are driven by service How coopetition strengthens franchise systems Why sharing ideas helps everyone grow Why money and time are equally important budgets How Suave now defines success In This Episode [00:00] Introduction to Suave Brachowski [01:24] How McDonald’s shaped Suave’s career [02:40] The brands Suave leads today [03:39] Rebuilding a struggling franchise [05:28] Turning a broken business around [06:27] Supporting franchise owners [07:15] Franchising as a commercial marriage [09:00] Finding your deeper why [10:54] The heart of service in home services [13:14] How franchise cultures become siloed [13:51] Coopetition explained [15:34] When a business nears shutdown [16:08] The two budgets every owner manages [17:27] Time, relationships, and cash triggers [20:49] How Suave defines success [22:57] Suave’s success algorithm [24:05] How to connect with Suave [24:59] Closing lessons Notable Quotes [04:30] “What seemed to be a bad decision actually was absolutely the right thing for me.” – Suave [07:15] “I think business ownership in general, it’s a commercial marriage.” – Suave [09:53] “You have to know your why.” – Suave [14:53] “If there’s 10 of us in a room and we all share our best ideas, yes, I’ve lost one idea, but I just gained nine.” – Suave [16:08] “Every business owner has two budgets. They have money, and they have time.” – Suave [20:54] “My definition of successful has changed over the years.” – Suave Our Guest Suave Brachowski is the Managing Director at HorsePower Brands and Chief Executive Officer at Varsity Zone HVAC. With more than 33 years of experience in franchising, Suave has worked in franchise operations, business development, sales training, startups, and business turnarounds. He began his career with McDonald’s before moving into home services, where he has helped strengthen franchise systems, unite business owners around a shared vision, and build cultures based on collaboration, transparency, service, and healthy competition. Resources and Links Suave Brachowski LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suave-brachowski/ HorsePower Brands: https://horsepowerbrands.com Varsity Zone HVAC: https://www.varsityzone.com Madeleine MacRae Website: https://madeleinemacrae.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macraemadeleine Instagram: Book: The Tenacious Pursuit of Peace: Where to Go When Success Isn’t Enough
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