Built for Impact

Anne Fulenwider is a former magazine editor for Marie Claire and a believer in the power of storytelling. She has interviewed powerful women including Melinda Gates, Mindy Kaling, Gwyneth Paltrow, and many more on stages such as the Makers Conference and South by Southwest. After her mother died of a sudden heart attack in 2016, Fulenwider became motivated to make an impact in women's health. Inspired by all the women she's met who are building a better world for women by disrupting industries, she became an entrepreneur herself in 2020, joining Monica Molenaar to change the conversation around women's post-reproductive health. In our conversation, Anne shares the challenges of starting a company focused on women's health, along with the most valuable lessons she has learned along the way. 

Dr. Paul Zeitz is a physician, epidemiologist and tenacious award-winning advocate for global justice and human rights with over 35 years of advocacy experience. He has a vision for radical transformation for our world. In this episode we talk about his journey from medicine to activism and his diagnosis of S.I.P.O. Dr. Zeitz is not about making small change. He is about making big, bold change and believes it can happen now. He believes that commitment leads to courage and courage leads to creating change.

Kimberly Wiefling helps take toxic work cultures and turn them into thriving places where teams actually want to be. Her superpower is turning managers into leaders and groups into true teams who can achieve “impossible” together. She's a “force of nature”, and is determined to use that force to make a significant positive impact on our world. In today's conversation, Kimberly shares the top reasons why team fail at reaching their goals and the 5 leadership practices that will improve your company culture. 

Imagine a world where entire communities stepped up to help raise future leaders? Where neighbors wrapped around each other to provide support for one another's kids? This is the vision of Crittenton Services of Greater Washington and Siobhan Davenport. The goal is to be out of business because the community - from neighbors, to businesses, to schools, and churches - are surrounding the youth to help raise them up into adulthood for a thriving future. It's a big, bold, and brave vision. Siobhan Davenport is the President and CEO of Crittenton Services of Greater Washington, a nonprofit and expert in social-emotional learning, and mental health programs. Their work was previously featured in The New York Times & are grantees in Goldman Sachs 1 Million Black Women initiative. Siobhan is a phenomenal industry leader with more than fifteen years of experience serving underserved youth. Today Siobhan shares valuable insights on serving the youth in our communities, particularly minority youth. 

Sarah Treadway is a powerhouse. As President and Co-CEO of Stout Street Hospitality, she has overcome challenge after challenge alongside her brother to keep their family business afloat. In this conversation we talk about the transition their father led them through before passing the reins over, as well as how they reacted to the pandemic so that they could keep their people their top priority. Sarah also shares some genius life hacks for balancing life as a leader, a mom, and a wife. She is wise, smart, creative, and compassionate. I have no doubt that you will take away several pieces of advice that you can implement into your life today. 

Tim Kachuriak didn't take a direct path, like most, when he began his journey to the nonprofit scene. He has worked and lived in multiple states but still remembers the organization and the moment when his heart strings were pulled and he realized that the nonprofit world would be where he landed for his long term career. Now Tim moves with a mission to create the most generous generation ever and is doing so by studying raw data on what makes people give. Whether or not you're involved in the nonprofit world, you're involved in life so this is one episode you don't want to miss. 

Anne Huntington Sharma is a fierce female leader focused on prioritizing accountability, communication, transparency and empathy in the workplace. As the current President of the Huntington Learning Centers she walks us through how she has taken the program from a strictly “brick and mortar” concept to a blend of virtual and physical during the Covid-19 pandemic. She goes in depth on why communication and listening are key and the challenges of being a female leader in the workplace today. As you'll discover, Anne has a way of looking at life that we could all learn from; she sees a positive where many would see the negative and a way through even the most difficult of circumstances. Giving up is not an option, come find out why.

Built for Impact will be coming back next week and we have a great lineup for 2022!

Have you ever asked the question “why” and truly wanted a non-bias answer? Challenging ourselves to go deeper and not just look for the answer we want can be hard. As a child Peter Zaccagnino was raised by a single mom and had zero connections to anything aviation. Still, he knew that it was something he had to pursue. He earned his undergraduate degree in Aeronautical Engineering and shares some hilarious stories about how he paid for this alone. Peter was always looking for a way to succeed and didn't let failures along the way hold him back. He knew his “why” and continued to chase that along with helping others find the answer to their's along the way. That's what led Peter Zaccagnino to not only be at the top of his field in racing jets along with running custom tailored tours around the world for his customers but also allowed him to thrive during the Covid-19 outbreak instead of using it as an excuse. Peter took that time to chase his dreams of writing a book (now has two released) and is currently looking into writing, film production and aviation filming. In this episode Peter lends some insight to help others choose to look for ways to succeed instead of looking to failure as an option. He also lays the groundwork for how to do this with his years of experience as a leader in an industry that isn't for the faint of heart. 

Husband. Father. Commander in the Navy SEALs. Actor. Mentor. Author. These are only a few of the words to describe Commander Rorke Denver. If you have followed the military at all his name will be familiar to you and even if you haven't you would likely recognize him from his movie Act of Valor or perhaps television show American Grit. Commander Denver has traveled the world as a SEAL working to keep our country safe but today he travels with a different purpose in mind. Commander Denver uses the principles he learned from his 20+ career in the Navy SEALs to teach leaders how to perform at their highest levels. 

After being turned down at least 100 times Alicia Tulsee has developed a business that is rapidly growing into one of the leading apparels brands for the medical community today. Alicia knew she had something worth fighting for so mustered all the moxie she had herself to develop the first direct to consumer apparel brand for nurses, Moxie Scrubs. Listen in on how she never stopped fighting for those that fight for us when we are at our worst. 

Marketing doesn't always mean engagement metrics or how many followers you have on social media. For my guest, it means telling a story. A story that will allow others to connect with you and trust that your cause is worthy and needed. Joining me for this episode is Amanda Bocik of Evergreen Results. With nearly a decade of experience in the marketing field underneath her belt, she'll share how she has been guiding multiple organizations towards strategic growth. Companies can bring purpose to their profit, because the more they grow, the stronger their capability is to give back.

Does grant writing seem overwhelming to you? Former NYC educator Libby Hikind has found herself at the wheel of the leading grant funding search engine after “retiring” for a short period of time.  More than 200,000 nonprofits, businesses and individuals visit GrantWatch.com each month and many nonprofits use GrantWriterTeam to find a grant writer to fundraise for nonprofits. In this episode Libby gives us some nuggets of wisdom she has learned on her unconventional path from education to coding born out of necessity. As we learn from Libby's journey, whether you are in the world of grant writing now or not, it's worth a listen because who knows what the future holds. 

For many, understanding the intricacies of family business may seem daunting...or even messy...but for Alan Wilson, CEO of Sugarbush Capital this is his sweet spot. Alan is a “connector” in every sense of the word. He is incredibly intelligent, check out his educational history,  but cares deeply for people, relationships and leaving an impact which makes his talents unparalleled in today's family business scene. He's used his business skills since he was eight years old starting and running a lawn care business where he not only had investors but also hired out the actual mowing! From there, it wasn't a linear path to get him where he is today and he'll be the first to tell you it rarely ever is. But what matters is that he has effectively moved through the peaks and valleys of both the international and national world of family business to be able to serve families well. Today he shares with us his experience with family business, teaches us about the 5 Pillars of family business, and leaves us equipped with knowledge that we all need in leadership, as well as some laughs along the way. He's a dear friend and I'm so happy to share my conversation with him with you. Enjoy. 

Jonathan Coors, alongside his brother Michael and cousin Timothy, serve as the Chief Executive Officers of CoorsTek. They are out to “make the world measurably better” and they start within their company. They recently won Best Managed Company awarded by Deloitte and the Wall Street Journal making it clear that they are doing something right. They believe that core values are essential and people are a company's best asset. Listen in as Jonathan discusses why core values are so important to the success of a company and how to translate this into actionable ways to instill those values even across countries and cultures. 

Sybil Ackerman-Munson has been on all sides of the non-profit and donor world. She started as fundraising for an environmental nonprofit  and now owns and operates “Do Your Good” teaching all of us that it doesn't matter how much we have to give, we all have something. Whether you are running a non-profit or you are a giver, today's episode is one you will want to lean into. Sybil has much wisdom to share as a content creator and gives us a sneak peek into some information that she will soon be rolling out in the form of courses, podcasts and more for both nonprofits and donors alike. 

We are taking a break for summer and will kick back up in August! Have a great summer everyone!!

Trove provides high quality CBD products for people, horses, dogs, and cats. Trove is owned and operated by the Carter family. Deborah, Sam, Madison, and Avery each play a crucial, yet different, role in the company. In Part 1 of this special 2-part series, we shared the genesis story of Trove. How Star, the family horse, started recovering just days before having to be euthanized after receiving CBD. Star’s incredible recovery story led to the birth of Trove. I am so happy to share that not only is Star still healthy and sound to this day, but just a few days ago she gave birth to a beautiful little colt. Eeekkk...it’s pretty amazing. But that’s not what we are talking about today. This is Part 2 of our Trove series about an extraordinary family business. In this episode the Carters share the inside information about working with each other, the challenges they’ve faced, and how they have grown to love working together. It’s not all roses and butterflies but there are no regrets. 

Imagine trying every possible solution to save the pet you love. Our pets are our family and many of us would do almost anything to help them if it meant preventing humane euthanasia and keeping them in our lives. That’s what led Deborah Carter to using CBD to help her horse, Star, just days before having to euthanize her. Star experienced significant improvement immediately. Today, Star is healthy, sound, and expecting her first foal. Then inspired by Star’s incredible recovery story, Deborah and her son Samuel Carter set about to investigate, assess, and document results of CBD trials in people, horses, dogs, and cats. The results were overwhelmingly positive, nearly immediate, and supportive of widespread reports of the benefits of appropriate CBD delivery in promoting calm and addressing soreness, as well as supporting nervous/immune/GI/musculoskeletal systems. This became the genesis story of Trove CBD.Today, Trove provides high quality CBD products for people, horses, dogs, and cats. And it is all run by the Carter family. Deborah, Sam, Madison, and Avery each play a crucial, yet different, role in the company. This is Part 1 of a special 2-Part series about Trove, this extraordinary family-owned and operated business. 

From the US Navy, to investment banking, to healthcare for jails and detention centers - Justin Searle has approached each leadership opportunity with a service mindset. He cares about serving others well and making a difference. In our conversation today, we talk about the opioid crisis in America and how we have criminalized mental illness, but we also talk about 3 ways to serve and lead well through a crisis. As we continue to navigate leading through COVID-19, Justin’s advice is timely and wise. 

Cheryl Miller founded a thriving equine-assisted services organization with her daughter, Dawn, in 1986 in central Indiana called Agape Therapeutic Riding Resources. Agape began as a summer program in partnership with Indiana University’s Bradford Woods and quickly grew to serving over 1,000 kids with various disabilities each summer. Then Cheryl experienced unimaginable loss when Dawn was tragically killed in a domestic violence incidence. Cheryl was critically injured during the shooting and miraculously survived. In today’s episode, Cheryl shares her story and shares the key to turning any tragedy into triumph. She teaches us that nothing is ever wasted and that God can use all things for good. 

In Part 1, Doniphan Stone shared his story of surviving cancer at the young age of 15. And how that eventually led to his career in health and fitness and the creation of the Corefirst training system. In this Part 2 episode, we hear from Donny and his business partner, Jeff Huling. They share the genesis story of Corefirst, but we also talk about how health and fitness impacts your leadership and longevity. We talk about the importance of strengthening your core for your mental health and Jeff shares a deeply personal story of triumph about his experience with bullying as a kid. These two are so inspiring and they will challenge you to become the leader you want to be starting from your core first. 

Doniphan Stone survived cancer at the young age of 15. He not only survived it, but he regained his strength and became a Junior Olympic medalist in Taekwondo and played Division II collegiate soccer. Today, he is the co-author of the book Fearless Devotion, which is about creating and achieving your goals from the inside out. He is also the Co-President and Founder of Corefirst™ and created the original Corefirst training system. To say that Donny is an ‘overcomer’ seems like an understatement. I am confident Donny’s story will inspire you today. 

Have you ever asked yourself if there was something more to life? Do you have a dream but something is holding you back from going for it and it keeps you up at night? By the age of twenty-three, Julia built a successful company in real estate that bought and sold millions of dollars’ worth of investment property only to end up $100,000 in debt. She then rebuilt her career as a business coach, advising hundreds of entrepreneurs on how to build a successful business. She bought the house and nice cars, had a few babies, and obtained “the American dream” only to realize it wasn’t her dream. Every night as she crawled into bed, she had this nagging question in the back of her mind: IS THERE SOMETHING MORE?

Human Trafficking is a billion dollar evil that is happening all around us in all of our communities. Rachel White is a licensed counselor and felt so compelled that she needed to help survivors of trafficking know that they are loved so she founded Her Song: where young ladies from all over the nation find refuge in the aftermath of trafficking.She received the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award in 2016 at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. and a Meritorious Award in 2019 by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for outstanding community service in a case that led to a trafficker being sentenced. And since their inception until today, Her Song has served over 1,600 survivors. 1,600. Rachel is an incredible leader who is making an eternal impact.

Angela Burke purchased Palladian West in 2019. She dealt with tremendous fear in evaluating the decision. But, she decided to say ‘yes’ and pressed forward like the ‘Maverick’ she is. Then 2020 came just a few months after and she was faced with challenges she could have never anticipated. Angela discusses how she overcame her fear and what she has done the past year to lead her team and her company forward.

Have you ever asked yourself the question “Where do I want to be in 10 years?” That’s what led Brian Brandt to start his own leadership development company. Brian holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting but through some soul searching he discovered his place in leadership development. Brian is Founder and C.E.O. of Core Insights, a company providing training, strategic planning, coaching and a speakers’ bureau for businesses and nonprofits. With over THREE decades of leadership experience, he has devoted his life to developing stronger leaders and organizations. His expertise revolves around leadership, communication, board training, and strategic planning. He has ALSO co-authored Blind Spots: What you don’t know CAN hurt you and The Ambassador’s Journey: A parable about Nonprofit Board Leadership.

In honor of Black History Month, we are replaying our conversation with Stanford Moore of Black Reins Magazine. What would you do if you were told you’d never have enough content to make a magazine successful? Would you keep going? Or would you throw in the towel? Stanford Moore is a black American who loves horses and has a dream to celebrate the black men and women who have contributed to the equestrian life. Listen to his response and decisions as he’s faced oppositions along the way to building Black Reins Magazine.

Have you ever been so frustrated with how things currently are that the rewards of changing things outweigh the challenges? Has your past ever been able to inform your present and lead you towards the future? That’s what led Phil Clark to start ENABLE Special Needs Planning. Phil grew up on a family farm with his two sisters - Sarah and Grace. Sarah has Down Syndrome and Phil learned from his family and his sister that we all have two choices in life - we can look at life with a limited mindset or an abundance mindset. Prior to starting ENABLE, Phil was faced with limitations in serving families with special needs children. He wanted to approach planning with hope and an abundance mindset. Finally, Phil and his wife Chelsea decided it was time to start ENABLE and begin changing the conversation. They were faced with opposition and critics who told them they would never be able to do this. Today, they are serving families all over the country through special needs planning. And they are seeing families who believe their child with special needs can have a beautiful future and leave a lasting impact. Just like his sister Sarah.

Are your marketing efforts bringing in the results you need for your business? Is your marketing generating revenue? This is the second part Q & A where Adam and I answer your questions. In this episode we talk all about marketing - what is it, why is it important, what should it be doing for your company, and more. We also talk specifically about websites and digital advertising. We take a dive into marketing to help equip you so you can increase your impact.

Is working with your spouse rainbows and butterflies everyday? The special Q & A edition with Adam Bocik is here! In this first part (of a two-part series), Adam and I answer a lot of your questions about what it is like working with each other - the myths, the dangers, and the rewards. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to work with your spouse, this episode gives you a peek behind the scenes.

It’s the beginning of a new year and the topic of goal-setting is fresh on our minds. Ben and Brian are Managing Partners for Strategic Talent Solutions. They advise leaders on how to lead their teams, use processes that get results, and help them fully engage their employees to be passionate about their business goals. Today we talk about the challenges they have faced in learning how to lead and build a consulting firm together, as well as what practices and philosophies they feel are important in goal-setting and planning for your year. To them - caring is planning and planning is caring.

What if instead of the topic of race only creating intensely heated or shamefully hushed conversations, there was an environment where those conversations could become catalysts for the kind of growth that bridges racial divides? UNDIVIDED is the manifestation of that hope. In today’s episode, Chuck Mingo, founder of UNDIVIDED, explains what racism looks like today and how it hurts everyone. We talk about things from second hand smoke, to prison, to monks, and Babylon...and how all of these things relate to race.

Imagine being told that you would never be able to have children naturally. You make the decision to grow your family through adoption and over several years you learn how to embrace the unexpected because of how your family has grown. That’s what happened for Heather and Josh Avis. They have 3 adopted children and two have Down Syndrome. Their experience led them to create a social awareness brand on a mission to create a more inclusive world with an emphasis on shifting the Down Syndrome narrative from negative to positive.

Are you laughing through 2020? Or crying through 2020? John Branyan believes that humor is a weapon to destroy pain and suffering. In any situation he chooses to ‘laugh anyway.’ He has spent 30 years building his career in comedy. He is an author, speaker, podcaster, and inventor of the Comedy-Writing System, "Active Notebook." John's Shakespeare-inspired version of The Three Little Pigs has been turned into multiple viral videos. But he tells us that his success is simply a mountain of failures and how he has learned to poke fun at his fear and failures.

Natalea Watkins spent decades building her career in television news. She was actually the very first female anchor in Oklahoma and also served as the Assistant News Director at WJZ in Baltimore when Oprah was a news anchor and talk show host there. One life changing day in 2000, a terrible car accident left Natalea paralyzed. She fractured her spine in 10 places, broke six ribs and her collarbone, collapsed a lung and received a brain concussion. 'But I only broke one nail!' Natalea jokes. That single sentence illustrates her infectious attitude perfectly. In a split second her entire life was changed, but instead of allowing this to stop her she has continued to impact her community. She took up Therapeutic Riding as a “third career” after her car accident put her on what she likes to refer to as an “electric horse” and became the first tv reporter in a wheelchair in Baltimore. She has a prestigious award named after her, is a Special Olympics coach and a PATH certified therapeutic horsemanship instructor to name just a few of her many accomplishments. Natalea is full of grit and determination. She lives her life by focusing forward and paying it forward.

Early in the morning on June 15th, everything changed for LeAnne and Derek. LeAnne received a call from a man named David who explained that Derek had been in a terrible motorcycle accident. She will never forget the moment she was told of his injuries. She remembers the neurosurgeon handing her Derek's helmet and a tooth fell out of the head mask. Derek suffered a complete T6 spinal cord injury, leaving him paralyzed from his armpits down. Derek would never walk again. LeAnne graciously shares about their journey of grief and how they have found gratitude in today.

Imagine being told that you would never be able to have children naturally. You make the decision to grow your family through adoption and over several years you learn how to embrace the unexpected because of how your family has grown. That’s what happened for Heather and Josh Avis. They have 3 adopted children and two have Down Syndrome. Their experience led them to create a social awareness brand on a mission to create a more inclusive world with an emphasis on shifting the Down Syndrome narrative from negative to positive. Heather is an author, speaker, shouter of worth, and narrative shifter. In our conversation today she shares about learning how to let go of control and embrace the unexpected in order to experience the fullness of the gifts available to you. And since it is Thanksgiving, as well as National Adoption Awareness Month, we could not think of a better conversation to share with you.

Nora A'Bell is passionate about helping small business owners step into their full potential and make the positive impact that they were created for! After starting and running 2 small businesses and later working with business owners to create goals and strategic plans that seemed to continually fall short of what they knew was possible, she was determined to understand what was stopping them from reaching their goals and full potential! Nora is now the owner and founder of RevenueTribe, which provides a structured and proven process for business owners to get clarity on what's truly possible for their lives and their business and identify the root of what is stopping them, remove the barriers that are keeping from walking in the fullness of that, so they can maximize their impact and live the life they love. This is a story about learning from the past and stepping into who you were made to be.

Does racism really exist today? And if it does, why should we care? In today’s episode, Chuck Mingo, founder of UNDIVIDED, explains what racism looks like today and how it hurts everyone. We talk about things from second-hand smoke, to prison, to monks, and Babylon...and how all of these things relate to race.

Mark Heasman recently started his 6th role as CEO when he was appointed as Group Chief Executive at the Community Interest Company “ Provide". Employing over 1000 healthcares care workers in Essex in the UK and providing services to the community of over 1.4 million people through a network of a dozen businesses across the group. His experience in leadership is like stumbling upon a treasure chest full of nuggets of wisdom. He even talks about his experience serving Prince Charles (THE Prince Charles) and his family’s experience on a reality tv show in the UK.

Steve Biondo currently serves as president of the Tim Tebow Foundation, now in its tenth year of service to vulnerable children and families all over the world. Since being founded in 2010 by professional athlete and sports analyst, Tim Tebow, TTF has established a reputation as an advocate for the most vulnerable through four main areas of ministry, including Anti-Human Trafficking, Orphan Care + Prevention, Special Needs, and Children with Profound Medical Needs. In this interview, Steve shares the importance of serving the interests of others before our own and how that value was planted in Tim Tebow’s heart at the young age of 15. We talk about how to say ‘yes’ to God immediately when He calls us to do something. This is exemplified in Tim and his father through a story about how his father purchased 4 girls in order to rescue them from being trafficked. This is a conversation that will inspire you and challenge you beyond your comfort zone.

Today, Gary is a national award-winning, syndicated cartoonist for Creators Syndicate, along with being a speaker and filmmaker. But Gary’s journey has not been easy. He is a college dropout and persevered through 16 years of rejection before becoming an editorial cartoonist, a title few artists can claim. Through his faith and grit, he was not only able to be an editorial cartoonist but he was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in 2015. His story is one of tenacity and faith that I know will inspire you.

What started out as an opportunity 3 men saw to serve their community and give to missions has grown into a company that has now given over $10 million away to missions work and provided over 2,500 homes for low-income families. But, it started with a borrowed office in a basement and one contract. This is a story of lives changed forever not from the glamorous entrepreneurial life, but because of constant, faithful grinding over decades.

Imagine graduating in 2008 during a great recession with a Masters of Divinity degree, newly married to a husband who also just graduated with a theology degree, and neither of you have jobs. What do you do? How are you going to pay the bills? And how do you deal with the fact that the dreams you had are not going to happen now? This is where Michaela found herself in 2008 and where Long Winter Media was born.

In just 8 years, Anne Briggs has grown her following to over 186,000 people that she inspires across the world through her furniture making, blacksmithing, farming, gardening, and love of animals. She is known as “Anne of All Trades” and while she makes things look easy, it’s not always easy for her. In my conversation with Anne, she shares about her struggle with learning disabilities, anxiety, and depression and how she continually works through these challenges to pursue her dreams.

If you know that your life is meant for something more but you're not sure how your current career is going to get you there or how it fits into what you want the story of your life to be, this one is for you. Listen to how David Gerber fought through the mess and the mud of fear, shame, embarrassment, and failure to build a thriving coaching career where he helps people live up to their fullest potential.

What would you do if you were told you’d never have enough content to make a magazine successful? Would you keep going? Or would you throw in the towel? Stanford Moore is a black American who loves horses and has a dream to celebrate the black men and women who have contributed to the equestrian life. Listen to his response and decisions as he’s faced oppositions along the way to building Black Reins Magazine.

Kathy Alm served as Executive Director of Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in WA for 15 years. Under her leadership, Little Bit grew to be one of the largest organizations in the industry across the world. She grew the previously grassroots organization from a $280,000 annual operating budget to a professional $2.1 million organization, leading a staff of 23 full-time employees and building and operating a new $11 million facility. Today, she is the CEO of PATH Intl. and she leads the professional membership association representing close to 900 therapeutic horsemanship centers and more than 8,000 individual members. In our conversation today, Kathy shares sage advice on leadership and growth.