School for Startups Radio

Hosted by Jim Beach

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Aug 2026

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On 60 AmFm stations around the US, the show argues that anyone can be a successful entrepreneur when they forget creativity, risk, and passion! Join host Jim Beach, bestselling McGraw-Hill Author for his SBA award winning nationally syndicated radio show. Copy an idea, execute it better, start with less than $5,000 and reserve passion for family & religion.

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August 24, 2026Episode 285353 min

August 24, 2026 – Executive Career Upgrades Tim Madden and America Works Dr. Lee Bowes

Tim Madden – CEO and Co-Founder of Executive Career Upgrades and Author of Start Then Optimize: Start Where You Are, Optimize What You Have, Achieve What You Dream Tim Madden is the CEO and Co-Founder of Executive Career Upgrades, a career development and leadership organization that helps senior professionals advance their careers while helping companies strengthen hiring, onboarding, and leadership development. Under his leadership, Executive Career Upgrades has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies for two consecutive years and was named the 48th fastest-growing veteran-owned business in the United States. Through his work, Tim has helped thousands of directors, vice presidents, executives, and other professionals develop stronger career strategies, secure leadership positions, and increase their impact within their organizations. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Tim spent more than two decades serving in the U.S. Army, including as an officer, where recruiting and retention became an important part of his career. He was recognized as one of the country’s top recruiters before transitioning into corporate recruiting and executive placement. His experience working with large companies gave him insight into both sides of the employment equation: how organizations identify and develop exceptional talent, and how accomplished professionals position themselves for the right opportunities. Those lessons became the foundation for his approach at Executive Career Upgrades, which emphasizes disciplined systems, strategic career planning, effective leadership, and continuous professional development. Tim is the bestselling author of Discipline Equals Dream Job and Start Then Optimize: Start Where You Are, Optimize What You Have, Achieve What You Dream. His philosophy encourages people to begin taking meaningful action with the resources and circumstances they have today, then continually improve their approach as they move toward larger goals. He is also the host of The Career Report, a leadership and career podcast with an international audience, and his insights have appeared in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Newsweek, Business Insider, and other publications. Through his writing, speaking, coaching, and work at Executive Career Upgrades, Tim focuses on helping professionals and organizations build stronger leaders, smarter talent systems, and careers that create greater income, impact, and long-term opportunity. Dr. Lee Bowes – CEO of America Works Network of Companies Dr. Lee Bowes is the CEO of the America Works Network of Companies, one of the nation’s leading workforce development organizations dedicated to helping individuals overcome barriers to employment and achieve long term economic independence. Since becoming CEO in 1987, she has helped expand America Works into a nationally recognized organization that has served millions of job seekers through innovative, performance based employment programs focused on welfare recipients, individuals with disabilities, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and formerly incarcerated individuals. Under her leadership, the organization has partnered with government agencies and employers across the country to deliver measurable employment outcomes and lasting workforce success. A nationally recognized expert on workforce development, welfare to work, and reentry employment policy, Dr. Bowes has spent decades advocating for practical solutions that connect underserved populations with meaningful careers. Alongside her husband, Peter Cove, she played an influential role in advancing the national Work First movement during the 1990s, helping shape workforce policies embraced across the political spectrum. She has served as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where she taught human resource management, social policy, and innovative management techniques. Dr. Bowes is also the author of No One Need Apply: Getting and Keeping the Best Workers and has written extensively on employment, workforce policy, and economic opportunity.

August 21, 2026Episode 285253 min

August 21, 2026 – SuperHeroes Lisa Somers and Third Successful Career Lawrence Dunning

Lisa Somers – CEO of Marketplace SuperHeroes Thinking you’re making progress, but you’re actually just busy. Lisa Somers is the CEO of Marketplace SuperHeroes, an online education and training company that helps entrepreneurs build and grow businesses selling physical products through Amazon and international marketplaces. Lisa joined Marketplace SuperHeroes in 2016 and developed her understanding of the company from the ground up, working across its departments and gaining firsthand experience in the systems, marketing, customer experience, partnerships, and operations required to scale an online education business. That broad operational background ultimately led her into the CEO role, where she now oversees the company’s strategy, growth, and international team. Under Lisa’s leadership, Marketplace SuperHeroes has grown into a fully remote global business that has generated more than $35 million in revenue. Her particular areas of expertise include affiliate marketing, joint venture partnerships, developing high converting offers, team leadership, and creating the operational structure needed to support sustainable growth. Rather than viewing scaling simply as increasing sales, Lisa focuses on building the partnerships, processes, offers, and people that allow a company to grow without losing control of its operations or customer experience. As the sister and business partner of Marketplace SuperHeroes co-founder Stephen Somers, Lisa brings a different perspective to the entrepreneurial story behind the company. While Marketplace SuperHeroes is best known for teaching people how to build Amazon based businesses, Lisa’s work provides an inside look at the business behind the education, including how to manage a distributed international team, create offers that convert, develop mutually beneficial partnerships, and evolve as a leader as a company becomes larger and more complex. Her experience offers entrepreneurs practical lessons about moving from working inside every part of a business to leading the people and systems responsible for its continued growth. Lawrence Dunning – Broker at the Dunning Team – Fulton Grace Realty I live my life for myself. I live vicariously through myself. I don’t care about trying to impress people that don’t matter in the end. I just care about my inner circle. Lawrence Dunning is a real estate broker with the Dunning Team at Fulton Grace Realty, a real estate investor, entrepreneur, author, and former financial markets professional. Born and raised in London, England, he earned both an undergraduate degree and an MBA from the University of Exeter. Before entering real estate full time, Lawrence built a career as a fixed income derivatives trader, working in London, Amsterdam, Wall Street, and eventually at the Chicago Board of Trade. He later founded his own trading company, giving him extensive experience analyzing markets, managing risk, and evaluating investment opportunities. Lawrence began investing in multi-unit real estate in 2009 and became a full-time broker in 2014. Since then, he has sold more than a quarter of a billion dollars in real estate investment properties and built his own diversified portfolio of commercial and residential real estate. He has consistently ranked among the top 1 percent of real estate agents in Chicago and specializes in helping investors identify turnkey, cash flow positive properties, particularly multi-unit buildings. His investment philosophy emphasizes cash flow, disciplined analysis, leverage, appreciation, tax advantages, and using real estate as a long-term vehicle for building wealth. He is also the author of The Forgotten Asset Class: Low Risk, High Reward, Real Estate Investing, which shares his approach to property backed investing. Outside real estate, Lawrence has pursued an equally ambitious athletic career. He is a former professional MMA fighter and Chicago Golden Gloves boxing champion, as well as a third degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who continues to train and teach. He has also completed marathons on all seven continents, including Antarctica. Lawrence created Enter the Lionheart, a platform exploring the intersection of excellence, athletics, entrepreneurship, and personal development. Whether working with investors, competing in athletics, or discussing entrepreneurship, his approach is grounded in discipline, calculated risk, continuous improvement, and building sustainable long-term results.

August 19, 2026Episode 285153 min

August 19, 2026 – Next On Scene Jaclyn Zukerman Delory and Superskills Rahim Hirji

Jaclyn Zukerman Delory – CEO of NEXTonSCENE MEDIA Sometimes talking about uncomfortable conversations is what’s really going to make you skyrocket in terms of visibility. Jaclyn Zukerman Delory is the Founder and CEO of Next On Scene Media, a full-service public relations and media company that helps entrepreneurs, executives, experts, and brands become seen, heard, understood, and remembered. A publicist, media producer, visibility strategist, speaker, and host, Jaclyn has more than a decade of experience helping accomplished people turn complex ideas and multidimensional careers into clear, memorable messages that attract media attention, clients, partnerships, speaking opportunities, and other forms of meaningful visibility. Her approach combines public relations, social media, storytelling, brand strategy, media production, and audience engagement to help clients build recognition that lasts. Jaclyn launched the Next On Scene platform in 2014 with the Next On Scene Podcast, followed by Next On Scene Magazine in 2015. The company has since evolved into a full-service media organization offering PR strategy, media placements, production, amplification, and its own podcast and magazine platforms. Today, Jaclyn leads the company’s 360° Visibility approach, bringing strategy, storytelling, and amplification together to help clients bridge the gap between simply receiving exposure and creating genuine business opportunities. Her work has helped hundreds of business owners secure media coverage, grow their platforms, and establish themselves as thought leaders. An award-winning publicist and visibility expert, Jaclyn has been featured by outlets including CBS, NBC, FOX, and USA Today and has interviewed celebrities, influencers, entrepreneurs, and recognized experts through her media platforms. At the center of her work is the belief that even extraordinary work can be overlooked when people do not clearly understand why it matters. Through Next On Scene Media, Jaclyn helps clients identify what they want to be known for, sharpen their public message, strengthen their credibility, and turn visibility into relationships and opportunities that support long-term growth. Rahim Hirji – Founder & Managing Director of SuperSkills and Author of SuperSkills: The Seven Human Skills for the Age of AI If you become more human in a very AI or robotic or machine driven world, you will stand out because the people who don’t will become like robots Rahim Hirji is the Founder and Managing Director of SuperSkills and the author of SuperSkills: The Seven Human Skills for the Age of AI. His work focuses on how individuals and organizations can remain effective and distinctly human as artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes work, leadership, and decision making. Drawing on seven years of research involving more than 200 organizations across more than 30 countries, Rahim identifies seven critical human capabilities for the AI era: curiosity, change readiness, big picture thinking, empathy, global adaptability, principled innovation, and an augmented mindset. Central to his work is the distinction between “drift,” where people gradually surrender judgment and decision making to technology, and “design,” where leaders make deliberate choices about how AI is used while keeping human judgment firmly in control. Rahim brings approximately 25 years of experience spanning education technology, publishing, international growth, strategy, and AI enabled learning. He co-founded EtonX, an online skills education venture that was acquired by Eton College, and later led international growth at Quizlet, helping expand the learning platform globally. Earlier in his career, he worked in corporate development at HarperCollins during the publishing industry’s transition from print to digital, and he later served as Executive Vice President at Avallain, where his responsibilities included strategy, growth, mergers and acquisitions, and AI enabled learning. These experiences have given him a firsthand perspective on how organizations and careers must adapt during periods of technological disruption. Today, through SuperSkills, Rahim works with boards, executives, investors, and leadership teams on AI strategy, human capability, organizational design, growth, and transformation. He is also the creator of Box of Amazing, a weekly briefing on AI, innovation, technology, and human capability that has been published for a decade and reaches more than 25,000 readers. Through his research, writing, speaking, and advisory work, Rahim argues that succeeding in the age of AI will require more than mastering new technology. It will depend on strengthening the judgment, adaptability, curiosity, empathy, and other human capabilities that allow people to use increasingly powerful technology with intention and purpose.

August 17, 2026Episode 285053 min

August 17, 2026 – RE Super Show Ryan Gibson and Multifamily Investor August Biniaz

Ryan Gibson – Co-Founder and President of Spartan Investment Group Ryan Gibson is the Co-Founder and President of Spartan Investment Group, a commercial real estate investment firm with a significant focus on self-storage. As President and Chief Investment Officer, Ryan helps lead the firm’s investment strategy, capital formation, investor relations, acquisitions, and portfolio growth. He has organized hundreds of millions of dollars in private equity and capital for Spartan’s projects, helping the company expand its self-storage portfolio across markets throughout the United States. His real estate experience includes self-storage, residential development, infill development, finance, sales, marketing, investor relations, real estate syndication, and navigating complex property transactions. Before building his career in real estate, Ryan became a commercial airline pilot, an experience that continues to influence the way he approaches investing and leadership. He applies aviation principles such as disciplined checklists, risk assessment, redundancy, go or no-go decision making, and preparation for adverse scenarios to evaluating investments, markets, and business decisions. This risk focused philosophy has become an important part of his approach to protecting investor capital while pursuing long-term growth opportunities. Ryan is also the co-host of the Passive Income Pilots podcast, where he helps pilots and other busy professionals understand private real estate investing and strategies for building passive income. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business from Mercyhurst University, with concentrations in Marketing, Management, and Advertising. Through Spartan Investment Group and his educational work, Ryan focuses on connecting individual investors with commercial real estate opportunities while emphasizing disciplined underwriting, thoughtful risk management, and sustainable wealth creation. August Biniaz – Co-Founder & CEO of CPI Capital August Biniaz is the Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of CPI Capital, where he leads the firm’s investment strategy, acquisitions, and asset management activities. With more than 15 years of real estate experience, he has played a key role in acquiring and managing more than $225 million in multifamily and build-to-rent assets, helping investors access institutional-quality real estate opportunities throughout the United States. August began his real estate career as an agent before founding White Rhino Developments, a company that specialized in building custom and speculative homes throughout British Columbia. His experience as both a developer and investor has given him a practical understanding of every stage of the real estate investment process, from acquisition and development to operations and asset management. At CPI Capital, August works closely with family offices, institutional investors, and private capital partners to expand the firm’s investment platform and deliver strong long-term results. In 2025, he completed the Private Equity and Venture Capital Executive Program at Harvard Business School, further strengthening his expertise in capital formation, investment strategy, and deal structuring. August is also the host of the Real Estate Investing Demystified podcast, where he educates investors on commercial real estate, market trends, and wealth-building strategies. As a speaker, educator, and industry thought leader, he is committed to helping both new and experienced investors better understand the opportunities and challenges within the multifamily real estate market.

August 14, 2026Episode 284954 min

August 14, 2026 – Output to Outcome Dr. Mik Kersten and Pitch to Payoff Brad Poulos

Dr. Mik Kersten – Founder of Lymyt.ai and Author of Output to Outcome: An Operating Model for the Age of AI This is around us managing AI, not AI managing us, right? Dr. Mik Kersten is a technology strategist, researcher, entrepreneur, and founder of Lymyt.ai whose work focuses on helping organizations move from measuring activity and output to delivering meaningful business outcomes. He is the creator of the Flow Framework and author of the bestselling Project to Product and Output to Outcome: An Operating Model for the Age of AI. His latest work examines the AI productivity paradox and argues that organizations must rethink traditional management structures, organizational design, and measures of productivity to realize the full value of artificial intelligence. Rather than simply using AI to generate more work faster, Mik helps leaders design outcome driven operating models that connect technology, human judgment, and accountability to measurable business results. Mik began his career as a research scientist at Xerox PARC, where he was part of the team that developed the first aspect oriented programming language. He later earned his PhD in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia, where his research pioneered the integration of software development and collaboration tools. That work became the foundation for Tasktop, the technology company he founded and led as CEO until its acquisition by Planview in 2022. He subsequently served as Planview’s Chief Technology Officer and has continued his work as an independent technology strategist and researcher. Mik’s research and leadership helped shape the field of Value Stream Management, and before turning his attention to organizational flow and operating models, he wrote more than one million lines of open source code that remain in use today. Through Lymyt.ai and his research, writing, and advisory work, Mik now focuses on how businesses can reorganize around outcomes, adapt their leadership models for the age of AI, and use rapidly advancing technology in a way that amplifies rather than replaces human judgment. Brad Poulos – Board Member at Bros Before Lows, Founder of Confident Operator , and Author of Most Problems Solve Themselves: And 51 Other Ideas Worth Stealing From The Small Business Professor Not every decision has to be perfect. And that, you know, if you want to perfect, if you want to perfect every decision, there’s a downside to that. It means you have to touch every decision. Brad Poulos is an entrepreneur, educator, author, and business advisor with more than 40 years of experience building, leading, and advising companies across the telecommunications, software, manufacturing, and cannabis industries. He is the founder of Confident Operator, where he helps small and midsized business owners replace chaos with practical operating systems that improve decision making, profitability, and long term growth. Drawing on decades of real world experience, Brad specializes in business strategy, customer development, organizational design, and helping entrepreneurs build companies that are focused, scalable, and built to last. Brad teaches entrepreneurship, strategy, and small business management at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he also launched Canada’s first Cannabis Essentials course series. Earlier in his career, he spent 15 years in corporate leadership before co founding mmWave Technologies, helping grow the company into one of Canada’s fastest growing businesses and leading it through a public listing. He has also served as an investor, board member, and mentor to numerous startups and growth companies. Brad is the author of The Small Business Operator’s Manual and Most Problems Solve Themselves, and co author of From Pitch to Payoff. Through his teaching, writing, consulting, and speaking, he continues to help entrepreneurs make better decisions, build stronger businesses, and create sustainable success.

August 12, 2026Episode 284853 min

August 12, 2026 - HeyTony SEO Matt Diamante and Family Office Founder Ken Polk

Matt Diamante – Founder of HeyTony and Author of Get Found: The No-Fluff Guide to Ranking Higher and Becoming Your Customers’ First Choice So a lot of people think of SEO as gaming an algorithm or showing up in the blue links or whatever that might be, but I want people to start reframing how they think about SEO where they’re not gaming the algorithm. They’re trying to be genuinely helpful to people. Matt Diamante is an SEO strategist, entrepreneur, educator, and the founder of HeyTony, a digital marketing agency that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs become more visible online. With nearly 15 years of experience in search engine optimization and content strategy, Matt has built HeyTony from the ground up into a successful agency serving clients across a wide range of industries. His approach focuses on creating useful content, earning customer trust, and generating sustainable organic growth without depending entirely on paid advertising. Matt is known for simplifying complex marketing concepts and turning them into practical strategies that business owners can understand and apply. He has taught SEO and digital marketing to more than 30,000 students and built an online audience of hundreds of thousands by consistently sharing straightforward tutorials and actionable advice. His work helps entrepreneurs understand how customers search, create content that answers real questions, and position their businesses as the clear choice within their markets. Matt is the bestselling author of Get Found: The No-Fluff Guide to Ranking Higher and Becoming Your Customers’ First Choice. The book offers business owners a practical roadmap for using SEO to attract customers, establish authority, and create predictable demand. Through HeyTony, his educational programs, and his online content, Matt continues to help businesses adapt to changes in Google, artificial intelligence, and the evolving world of online search. Ken Polk – CEO of Arlington Family Offices and Author of Built on Purpose: Applying the 3 Laws of Purpose to Business, Living, and Giving Your footprint is your blueprint for your legacy. And everybody talks about legacy. I want to leave a legacy. And I say, sir, ma’am, that sounds great, but your character, your footprint, is your blueprint for that. Make no mistake. Ken Polk is the founder and CEO of Arlington Family Offices, one of the nation’s leading multi family wealth management firms, serving fewer than 100 families with more than $17 billion in assets under stewardship. He founded Arlington at just 25 years old and has grown the firm through organic growth and a purpose driven approach to wealth management, without outside capital. A Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Planner, Ken has dedicated his career to helping business owners and multigenerational families build lasting legacies by aligning financial success with purpose, stewardship, and long term impact. Ken is the author of Built on Purpose: Applying the 3 Laws of Purpose to Business, Living, and Giving and The Spirit of Wealth Preservation: Leverage Your Finite Life for the Infinite Good. Through his writing and advisory work, he encourages entrepreneurs and family business leaders to build organizations that can thrive beyond their founders by transferring purpose, values, and leadership to future generations. Before founding Arlington Family Offices in 1998, Ken worked as a tax consultant for Deloitte. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Lipscomb University and lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with his wife, Ashley, and their four children.

August 11, 2026Episode 284753 min

August 11, 2026 – Manifesting Kevin Trudeau and eXp Realty Luxury Juan Munoz

Kevin Trudeau – Founder of Global Information Network and Author of “Your Wish is Your Command; How to Manifest Your Desires – The Missing Secrets” , Host Of The Kevin Trudeau Show: Limitless on YouTube Kevin Trudeau is a multi billion dollar businessman, #1 New York Times best selling author, marketing genius, health expert, former insider, and master of “energy” and spiritual enlightenment. He has been called the greatest success coach in the world and the world‘s best mentor. Kevin Trudeau’s books have sold an estimated 100 million copies worldwide. Kevin is an entrepreneur, marketer, speaker, and the author of numerous bestselling books, including Your Wish is Your Command: How to Manifest Your Desires. Over the course of his career, he has built businesses spanning direct marketing, publishing, media, education, and consumer products, with his books reaching millions of readers around the world. Best known for his work on personal development, wealth creation, and the principles of manifestation, Kevin has spent decades teaching strategies for achieving success, financial independence, and personal growth. Throughout his career, Kevin has been both widely recognized and highly controversial. He has been a prominent advocate for alternative health, consumer rights, and free speech, while also facing significant legal challenges related to the marketing of some of his products and business practices. Drawing on his experiences as an entrepreneur, author, and public speaker, he continues to share his perspectives on mindset, business, marketing, leadership, and the power of belief. Through his books, courses, and speaking engagements, Kevin encourages audiences to challenge conventional thinking, pursue their goals with confidence, and take ownership of creating the life they want. Juan Munoz – Team Leader of eXp Realty Luxury Juan Munoz is a former NASA engineer, licensed lender, and Team Leader of The Apollo Group at eXp Realty Luxury, one of the top performing real estate teams in Colorado. After earning a master’s degree while working full time and building a successful engineering career with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner program, NASA’s International Space Station program, and Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser project, Juan made the bold decision to leave aerospace and pursue entrepreneurship through real estate. His transition was driven by a desire to build a business centered on trust, meaningful relationships, and creating a lasting impact in the lives of his clients. Today, Juan is recognized as one of Colorado’s top producing Realtors, leading a team ranked number one at eXp Realty in Colorado and among the top five nationally. Known for his systems driven approach, exceptional communication, and service first mindset, he has earned more than 130 five star client reviews by treating every transaction with integrity and personal attention. His engineering background, combined with his passion for helping people achieve financial freedom through homeownership and real estate investing, has made him a sought after speaker on entrepreneurship, career reinvention, leadership, and relationship driven business. Whether working with first time buyers, seasoned investors, or luxury clients, Juan believes success comes from doing the right thing, building lasting trust, and delivering value that extends well beyond the closing table.

August 10, 2026Episode 284653 min

August 10, 2026 – Acely Ron Schneidermann and Nushama Jay Godfrey

Ron Schneidermann – CEO of Acely You know, the single biggest trap in front of all of us is lack of focus. Ron Schneidermann is the CEO of Acely, an AI powered education technology company transforming SAT and ACT preparation through personalized learning. A seasoned entrepreneur, startup executive, and advisor, he has built a career scaling venture backed and private equity backed technology companies into market leaders by combining product innovation, data driven growth, and operational excellence. Before joining Acely, Ron served as CEO of AllTrails, where he led the company from a small startup into the world’s leading outdoor exploration platform. Under his leadership, AllTrails achieved rapid global growth, reached profitability, secured major growth investments, and earned Apple’s 2023 App of the Year recognition. Earlier in his career, he co founded Liftopia, the first digital marketplace and software platform for ski lift ticket bookings, growing the business from a startup concept into a $60 million company. He also led growth initiatives at Yelp Reservations, further expanding his expertise in digital marketplaces and consumer technology. Ron is recognized for his leadership in go to market strategy, product led growth, brand development, international expansion, and building high performing teams. A strong advocate for sustainable leadership, he encourages workplace cultures that balance innovation, creativity, and employee well being. At Acely, he is leading the company’s mission to help students unlock their academic potential through AI driven learning while preparing the next generation for success. Jay Godfrey – Co-Founder of Nushama The joy that I was after, the freedom that I was after wasn’t something that I could get from the outside through a celebrity wearing one of my dresses or a retailer buying my collection. Jay Godfrey is the co founder of Nushama, a wellness company advancing physician guided psychedelic therapy to help individuals address stress, trauma, anxiety, and personal growth through innovative mental health treatments. Inspired by his own journey after discovering that traditional talk therapy did not fully address the root causes of his stress, Jay immersed himself in the study of psychedelic medicine, working with physicians, researchers, and thought leaders to better understand its potential. That experience led him to help build Nushama with the goal of expanding safe, evidence informed treatment options while supporting the future of psychedelic care. Before entering the wellness industry, Jay spent 15 years as founder and CEO of the internationally recognized Jay Godfrey fashion brand. His designs were sold through leading retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale’s, and were worn by celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Viola Davis, Ashley Graham, and Laverne Cox. Earlier in his career, he worked in investment banking at Citigroup. Jay is a graduate of McGill University and Parsons School of Design and brings together experience in entrepreneurship, fashion, finance, and wellness to help shape the future of mental health innovation.

August 7, 2026Episode 284553 min

August 7, 2026 – Buy then Build Scott Meier and GreenBananaSEO Kevin Roy

Scott G. Meier – CEO of Budsies and Stuffed Animal Pros Human creativity is what differentiates us from the robots. Teachers tell us that when children see an idea or character they created come to life, it short-circuits the thought, ‘I cannot do this,’ and turns it into, ‘Wow, anything is possible.” Scott G. Meier is the CEO of Budsies, Petsies, and Stuffed Animal Pros, leading a family of custom plush brands that transform children’s artwork, cherished pets, and original ideas into personalized stuffed animals enjoyed by customers around the world. Since acquiring and taking over leadership of the company in 2021, Scott has combined creative vision with operational innovation, expanding the business while developing proprietary software, data tools, and AI driven systems that improve manufacturing, e commerce, and customer experience. Before entering the toy industry, Scott spent more than 15 years as a filmmaker, director, executive producer, and showrunner, creating and marketing feature films, documentaries, music videos, and television projects for both English and Spanish speaking audiences. His background in storytelling, content creation, and intellectual property continues to shape his approach to building consumer brands that connect emotionally with customers. Based in Puerto Rico, Scott is passionate about combining creativity with technology to solve business challenges and build products people love. Under his leadership, the Budsies companies have also expanded their community impact through initiatives such as the Budsies Pals Fund, which provides personalized plush companions to children facing serious illness, and the Plushie Replacement Program, which helps families replace treasured stuffed animals lost to disasters. Through innovation, creativity, and purpose driven leadership, Scott continues to redefine what is possible in the custom toy industry. Kevin Roy – CEO/Co-Founder of GreenBananaSEO Every question is usually a problem I have to solve, and that helps me learn more. That’s my favorite thing about this business. Kevin Roy is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the digital marketing and search-engine optimization agency GreenBananaSEO, based in Beverly, Massachusetts. Under his leadership the firm has grown into a recognized industry leader serving 1000+ clients across 30+ verticals and has been listed on the Inc. 5000 three years in a row. Kevin built his career around driving profitable growth, new market entry and innovative digital-marketing services for technology, finance, manufacturing, non-profit and defense clients. Early in his career he was working in web and startup marketing, where he leveraged his technical and strategic skills to transition into SEO, SEM and full-scale digital advertising. One of Kevin’s signature contributions to the market was pioneering the “pay-for-performance” SEO model, where clients only pay when defined ranking goals are achieved—shifting risk away from the client and demonstrating the agency’s confidence in its methods. At GreenBananaSEO, Kevin drives a culture of results, transparency and innovation. His agency offers a full arsenal of digital services, SEO, answer-engine optimization (AEO), Google Ads, geo-fencing, programmatic display and web-development, ensuring clients are equipped for the evolving landscape of search and AI-powered discovery. Kevin is committed to advancing the profession of digital marketing, frequently appearing as a guest on podcasts and industry panels exploring topics such as AI in marketing, the 80/20 rule (Pareto principle) in SEO, and the changing nature of search in the era of large-language models. Based in the greater Boston area, Kevin holds the view that success in digital marketing is less about chasing the latest tactic and more about building partnerships, clear value propositions and measurable outcomes. He remains focused on helping ambitious clients scale smarter, faster and more sustainably.

August 5, 2026Episode 284453 min

August 5, 2026 – STAT Wellness Kristin Oja and Mostly Gentle Mom Kimberly

Kristin Oja – CEO and Founder of STAT Wellness If you know your why, in life and in business, it’s just so much easier. Kristin Oja is a functional medicine practitioner, healthcare entrepreneur, speaker, and the founder and CEO of STAT Wellness, a multidisciplinary healthcare company that combines personalized medicine with movement and fitness. STAT stands for Strength To Achieve Total Wellness, reflecting Kristin’s mission to help people prevent disease, improve performance, and create lasting health through individualized care. Under her leadership, STAT Wellness has grown from a single practice into a company serving more than 10,000 patients through seven locations and a team of more than 65 professionals. Kristin holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice and is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nurse, and Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner. She specializes in functional and lifestyle medicine, women’s health, longevity, metabolic health, stress resilience, and sustainable wellness. Rather than focusing only on symptoms, Kristin considers each patient’s lifestyle, nutrition, genetics, environment, movement, and stress to identify the underlying factors affecting their health and develop a personalized treatment plan. In addition to caring for patients, Kristin is passionate about building mission driven healthcare businesses, developing high performing teams, and creating a more proactive model of care. She has spoken for organizations and events including Marriott, Westin, Northwestern Mutual, Newell Rubbermaid, The Fit Atlanta Fest, and The WellScene ATL. She also hosts the Little By Podcast, where she explores health, personal growth, leadership, entrepreneurship, and intentional living. Through her clinical work, speaking, and business leadership, Kristin is helping redefine healthcare as a partnership focused not simply on treating illness, but on helping people feel, perform, and live their best. Kimberly Stergis – Communication Coach for Moms and Founder of The Mostly Gentle Mom There is so much power in pause and conversations. Kimberly Stergis is a communication coach for mothers, parenting educator, and the founder of The Mostly Gentle Mom, where she helps parents build stronger relationships with their children through calm, confident, and effective communication. Her work focuses on equipping mothers with practical tools to navigate everyday parenting challenges, reduce conflict, and create more connected family relationships without striving for perfection. Through coaching, workshops, and online education, Kimberly encourages parents to embrace a realistic approach to gentle parenting that emphasizes consistency, empathy, accountability, and lasting connection. Drawing on her experience working with families and her passion for helping parents communicate with intention, Kimberly teaches strategies that foster emotional resilience, mutual respect, and healthier family dynamics. Her mission is to empower mothers to parent with greater confidence while creating homes where both parents and children feel heard, valued, and understood. Through The Mostly Gentle Mom, she continues to support families around the world in building stronger connections one conversation at a time.