Lessons via Leaders

Join us on this episode of The Pursuit of Mindfulness, as we sit down with Chad Olin, the transformative co-founder of Supermind. Delve into Chad's personal journey of mindfulness, learn the pivotal role it played in his life, and how it sparked the creation of Supermind.Listen as Chad articulates the importance of integrating mindfulness into everyday routines and the unique challenges and triumphs he faced in making mindfulness mainstream. Chad shares enriching insights, actionable tips, and the transformative impact Supermind has on mental well-being.An episode not to miss for those seeking mental enhancement, a positive mindset, or to understand the power of mindfulness better. Be prepared to be inspired, informed, and elevated!

In this engaging episode, long-term friends Ed Thomas and Cary Gahm recount their journey of transforming an idea into a successful startup, Tempmee. With their high-energy exchanges and contagious enthusiasm, they delve into the importance of a strong co-founding partnership and how they leveraged their years of effective communication and conflict resolution to navigate the ups and downs of their business endeavor.They further discuss their strategic decision to raise capital for accelerated growth, coupled with innovative and cost-effective marketing strategies. Despite launching during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, their resilience, adaptability, and combined zeal led them to success. Their experience, from hiring a fresh bootcamp graduate as their developer to launching a successful MVP, offers invaluable lessons in startup development and growth.

In this insightful episode of Lessons via Leaders, we sit down with Juha Mikkola, a visionary entrepreneur who has experienced multiple identity shifts throughout his career. From his early days in the sporting goods industry to co-founding Wyncode Academy and now leading Usko, Juha shares valuable lessons learned along the way.Join us as we dive deep into the challenges and triumphs of reinventing oneself, the importance of embracing change, and how Juha navigated the complex journey of personal and professional growth. This episode is packed with wisdom and inspiration for entrepreneurs looking to embrace their own identity shifts and make the most of every opportunity. Don't miss out on this engaging conversation with Juha Mikkola!

Ricky Lavina is the co-founder and CEO of on-demand accounting platform Taxfyle. Born and raised in Miami, Ricky launched Taxfyle in Coral Gables in 2015 with the goal of modernizing tax prep and the accounting industry for both people and practitioners. Today, Taxfyle has roughly 3,000 CPAs on its network, ready at a moment’s notice to help people and businesses file their returns, as well as an enterprise and B2B division that serves CPA firms across the U.S. and a Big Four accounting firm. In 2020, Taxfyle ranked. 74 on Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5000 list.Check out Taxfyle: https://taxfyle.com/ Follow Ricky on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LavinaRicky

Jacklyn Baumgarten combines two decades of experience as a startup expert, seasoned leader, change agent, founding member of new industries, new divisions, and always leading the charge for scalable growth.She's the Co-founder & CEO of leading boat sharing startup, Boatsetter, where her strong leadership led to the creation of the peer-to-peer marine insurance policy that launched the industry.Previous experience ranges from creating new divisions in Fortune 500 corporations to growing startups into $1B entities to spearheading one of the largest commercial real estate developments in the City of Los Angeles, including PwC, IBM, and Westfield Corp.Selected as: Inc Magazine 2019 Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs and 2018 Endeavor Entrepreneur of the year in Miami BoatsetterBoatsetter combines the rental mechanics of Airbnb with the on-demand labor dynamics of Uber to deliver a hassle-free boat rental experience for all stakeholders. Its peer-to-peer boat sharing platform connects individuals seeking a day out on the water with boat owners and captains looking to charter their goods and services.

I'm incredible excited for this week's episode as we have Andrew Parker, CEO of Papa on the show. Founded in 2017 in Miami, FL, Papa began due to a personal need that Andrew had with his own family. Recognizing the extreme difficulty associated with juggling daily life and senior family member’s needs, Papa was initially built to support Andrew’s own grandfather. Andrew and his family recognized how impactful and positive it was to connect their grandfather with a young, energetic, and enthusiastic individual. After the first visit, he knew he had something special to offer other families with the same need.In this episode, Andrew and I talk about the origin of Papa, the early inspiration to start the company, raising money from investors, scaling the company, lessons learned along the way, and much much more.Find Andrew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aparkthelarkLearn more about Papa: https://www.joinpapa.com/

Leigh-Ann A. Buchanan, Esq. is a writer, strategist, and a facilitator.  She supports leaders and communities bridge systemic gaps in access, inclusion, opportunity and racial equity, with a focus on technology, innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems.She has advised and provided technical support to  innovation and technology leaders at Fortune 500 companies including Google, Facebook, Delta, P&G Ventures,  AirBnB, HSBC and UBS.As a founder, she has launched ventures from concept to scale, raised seven figure philanthropic investments and designed platforms to connect innovators, young leaders and communities with the capital and opportunities necessary to take their impact to the next level.Leigh-Ann is the Founder of  Nyah Project(https://www.nyahproject.org/)  and currently serves as the President of aīre ventures (https://www.aireventures.org/) .  She co-hosts the  Innovation City (https://www.innovationcity.co/)  podcast and produces storytelling projects.I had a great time having Leigh Ann on the show we talked about her background, what she’s up to Aire Ventures, how she thinks about thoughtfully building community in the most meaningful ways possible and much more.

Jeff Ransdell is a founding partner and the managing director of Fuel Venture Capital. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Miami, Florida, Fuel VC boasts a portfolio of 23 technology startups all over the globe, including  Taxfyle,  Soundtrack Your Brand, Boatsetter, and more. Prior to co-founding Fuel VC, Jeff served as a managing director and market executive of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, overseeing more than $130 billion of global private client investment assets, a P&L of $2 billion, and over 2,000 employees across the Southeast Wealth Management Division.I had a great time chatting with Jeff on this episode where we talked about what it's like to raise a fund, the type of entrepreneurs he looks for, thoughts on the rising #MiamiTech scene, and much more.Check out Fuel VC: https://fuelventurecapital.com/

I'm really excited for this week's episode as we have an awesome guest on the show, Amanda Goetz, CEO and Founder of House of Wise. Amanda was formerly Head of Brand at The Knot and now is part-time CMO at Teal AND making huge moves with her new company, House of Wise, where she is Founder and CEO. House of Wise is an incredible new CBD company making waves in the industry and you’ll hear Amanda talk more about it today.In this episode, Amanda shares a bit about her background, why she started House of Wise, what it’s like to make a drastic career change, and thoughts on the rapidly growing CBD industry as a whole. She also shares a bit about work/life balance, personal branding, lessons learned along her career, and much much more.This was an incredible episode filled with a ton of value, so I'm excited to share it with you all today. After listening, be sure to connect with Amanda and check out all the awesome things she's building at House of Wise via the links below.Enjoy!Connect with Amanda on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmandaMGoetzLearn more about House of Wise: https://houseofwise.co/

I'm incredibly excited for this episode as we have Jonah Fink, President of net2phone on the show today.As President of net2phone, Jonah Fink is focused on the vision to disrupt technology and change the way the world communicates.  Jonah was actually a member of the original sales team at net2phone when the company first started out, and over the years worked himself up to become president and now runs the entire organization.Under Jonah’s leadership, net2phone is thriving and building some incredible products and software. I know that first-hand because I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jonah for the past few years at net2phone, and I’ve enjoyed it immensely. Jonah truly is a rare leader in that he really does treat his employees and his customers like family. He’s one of the most down to earth, knowledge guys I know so I was grateful that he spent some time with us to chat about his experience at net2phone, what he feels makes a great leader, some of his lessons learned along the way, and much more.Enjoy the episode!Check out net2phone: https://net2phone.com/Connect with Jonah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonah-fink/

Mark Crofton is Global Vice President and leads the Sales Coaching team at SAP SE. Prior to his current role, Mark led the SAP Academy for Sales, the flagship SAP sales training program for Early Talent. Previously, he was VP Sales, Latin America, launching and leading the Mobility business in that region. He has also held positions in the North America Sales and Corporate Development organizations. His expertise is in leading sales teams and implementing Go-to-Market strategy with a focus on attaining revenue targets. I’ve had the privilege of working with Mark at my previous company LiveNinja when we pivoted to a B2B model, and we didn’t know the first thing about selling into enterprises. Mark came in, taught us how to build a salesforce from the ground up, and ever since then I consider him one of the most knowledgable people in software sales.

Ana Paula González is Head of Managed Funds at 500 Startups, a Silicon Valley-based, early stage tech VC fund whose mission is to discover and back the world’s most talented entrepreneurs, help them create successful companies at scale, and build thriving global ecosystems. To date, 500 Startups has invested in over 2,500 companies in 80+ countries around the world, and ran 60+ accelerator programs in 15+ countries around the world.At 500 Startups, Ana leads the efforts to raise dedicated investment vehicles to complement corporate and ecosystem development programs around the world. Previous to that, Ana led the development and implementation of innovation and ecosystem development programs with partners around the world, including sourcing investment opportunities for the 500 Startups family of funds. Previously, Ana launched the 500 Startups Miami with the goal of supporting Miami to become a global hub for tech and innovation.

I'm really excited about this week’s episode as we have Alex Taub, CEO of Upstream on the show. I’ve recently had a chance to connect with Alex after he and his family moved to Miami in the this past find him to be one of the most thoughtful, approachable, and knowledge people in the tech scene.Before coming to Miami, Alex was a fixture in the NY tech community working at companies such as Aviary and Dwolla before then going off to start his own company SocialRank. After SocialRank was acquired, he’s back at it again with a new company called Upstream, which is an incredible platform that is changing the way people connect and build professional communities. On this episode Alex and I talk about a variety of topics including his background, what led to him creating Upstream, his plans for the future, how he thinks about building community, his biggest lessons learned, and much much more.Check out Upstream: https://upstreamapp.com/Find Alex on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajt

Keith Rabois is a serial entrepreneur and investor working and investing in companies such as Airbnb, Lyft, YouTube, Wish, Yammer, DoorDash, Stripe, and Affirm (among many others) and has worked at companies like PayPay, LinkedIn, and Square. Keith is one of the most respected people in the tech industry so I was very much looking forward to sit down with him to talk about a variety of topics including:The recent tech migration to MiamiMiami's rise as a tech scene and where it's headingThe qualities Keith looks for in founders/entrepreneurs The rise of SPACs and how companies might think about choose between SPACs, IPOs, and Public OfferingsAn overview on OpenDoor and what it offers to home sellersAdvice to anyone deciding between a career in VC vs being an entrepreneur Some of the biggest lessons/takeaways he's learned in his careerand much moreFind Keith on Twitter: https://twitter.com/raboisLearn more about Founders Fund: https://foundersfund.com/

I’m really excited for today’s episode because we have Mike Marotcci from SwagUp on the show. Michael is the CEO of SwagUp - a company that makes it simple to create high quality branded swag for companies to give as gifts to employees and clients.SwagUp is an incredible company that is growing like crazy so I was stoked to have Michael on the show to discuss the origins of SwagUp, how he’s been scaling the company, lessons learned along the way, what’s next for the business, and much much more.For more on SwagUp, check out their website: https://www.swagup.com/Reach out to Michael on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichaelMartocci

“How can I help?”: a simple tweet that Miami Mayor Francis Suarez sent out on December 4th, which has since gone viral, has put Miami into the spotlight on a global stage as one of the top emerging tech hubs in the world. Since that time, Mayor Suarez has front and center leading the charge on bringing more talent, attention, and capital to the 305. That's why I was very grateful when the mayor invited me to City Hall to sit down in his office and talk about everything that has transpired since he sent that tweet and how he is turning this moment is turning into a movement. Follow Mayor Suarez on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrancisSuarez

Rebecca Danta is the Managing Director of Miami Angels, the largest angel network in Florida, which funds Seed and Series A technology companies with early traction across various sectors. Miami Angels has deployed $13.6M into 33 companies since 2014, and Rebecca built a sustainable, independent business model for the organization. Prior to joining Miami Angels, Rebecca managed global campus operations for General Assembly in New York City, the first accelerated learning provider, and the "Top Most Innovative Company in Education" per Fast Company. General Assembly had a successful exit in 2018. Rebecca is a Miami native and passionate about investing into markets and teams that are often overlooked in traditional venture capital. She serves on the board of the Florida Venture Forum and is a Class XI member of Miami Fellows.In this episode, Rebecca talks about:- Why now is a great time to get into angel investing- Why it may be more accessible than most people think it is- How Miami Angels can help you get started as an investor- How the investment landscaped has changed in the past year- Tips for startups raising capital- and much, much more….Find Rebecca Danta:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccadantaMiami Angels: https://www.miamiangels.vcEmail: hello@miamiangels.vcTwitter: https://twitter.com/rebeccadanta

I am really excited for today's episode because we have my guy Miles Varghese, CEO @ Cargologik on the show. Miles and I go way back. He and I worked together at my previous company, LiveNinja where Miles where our very first sales hire and really was an intricate part of shaping the culture of our company. We consider him a founding team member and over the years as we built the company he very much felt like family so I’m really excited to now have him on the show to talk about his new company Cargologik and what they’re doing there.Prior to joining Cargologik, Miles served as employee #3 at Octopi where he lead sales, growth, and go-to-market them as the first true SaaS TOS in the industry. Octopi was the “Gmail of Terminal Operating Systems,” and the first modern web-based platform. In under 2.5 years, the company was acquired by Navis and now Miles is doing his thing with his new business Cargologik, which you’ll hear about here.In this episode, Miles and I talk a lot about sales and what it takes to be a great salesperson in today’s modern era. Miles breaks down the importance of human-to-human interactions in the digital space and how to effectively do that and he shares a TON of great tips along the way that you can implement today to make your sales process more efficient.

Megan O’Connor is an entrepreneur that enjoys solving complex problems with a societal impact, especially related to education or the future of work. As the founder of Clark (acquired by Noodle), Megan set out to provide educators with the economic opportunities they deserve by giving them tools to start tutoring businesses. Under her leadership as CEO, Clark served thousands of educators and raised funding from Lightspeed Ventures Partners, Winklevoss Capital, Rethink Education, Foundation Capital and more. Before Clark, Megan was a founding partner of New York-based startup studio Human Ventures and Director of Development at the nonprofit Pencils of Promise. Currently Megan is serving as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Kaplan, one of the world’s largest and most diverse education providers.In this episode, Megan reveals what inspires her work in the educational realm. Stay tuned as we discuss how higher education is changing because of COVID. Plus, Megan predicts the future of online education and how college will evolve. Find Megan O’ConnorLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmoconnor/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganmoc/Twitter: https://twitter.com/meganmoconnorBoost by Kaplan: https://boostbykaplan.com/

Today on the show we have Matt Pack, the Owner and Head Coach at Primal Fit. Since 1999, Matt has been accompanying others on their health and fitness journey. His undeniable passion for helping others has helped him grow not only his brick and mortar personal training business but also his online coaching program The Primal Fit Pros. In this episode, Matt shares a lot about overall health, nutrition and well-being including his own unique catered approach to fitness and how he guides his clients to live their best live possible.This was a really great episode. I had a great time having this conversation with Matt and I know you’re going to love it as well, so without further ado, let’s get right into it!Find Matt:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrimalFitMiami/Website: https://www.primalfit360miami.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalfitmiami/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNx9SdFMjnhHCr-bihdo4lA

I’m really excited for today’s episode as we have Andrew Quarrie,CEO/Founder of Urblandia and the Urbanism Summit, A platform and event serving as a catalyst for the future of conscious urbanization. Andrew has had an amazing career that has spanned over a decade as a multifaceted creative. He’s worked on projects with both regional and national companies and now pours most of his energy into both Urblandia and Urbanism Summit. At the Urbanism Summit, Andrew is focused on helping people and the planet with action based discussions, shaping the sustainability narrative for the future of cities, their makers, and dwellers. At Urblandia, Andrew is focused on connecting Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) developers, urban planners, architects, designers, and community stakeholders with urban development projects and opportunities throughout the US.In this episode, Andrew shares:How to uplift the community and ensure economic growth within your cityThe importance of inclusion when building value in a communityTips for running a successful and engaging community eventIdeas about conscious urban developmentHow to validate your project ideas through diverse engagement…and much much moreStay tuned as Andrew reflects on his entrepreneurial journey and discloses the most significant lessons that he has learned.Find Andrew QuarrieLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewquarrie/Website: https://urbanismsummit.comUrblandia: https://urblandia.com

Ethan Skolnick has covered South Florida sports for pretty much every major local newspaper and radio station in the area for nearly 25 years. Now, he is also the CEO and Chief Content Officer of Five Reasons Sports Network, which combines social media "fanalysts" with insider access on all the major teams.He also hosts the Five on the Floor podcast on the Heat and NBA. I’m really excited about this episode as I’ve been following Ethan for a number of years. As many of you know, I’m a lifelong Miami Heat fan, and during the Heat’s Big 3 Era (featuring LeBron, Wade, and Bosh), Ethan was one of the premier voices and also gave fans incredible access and insight to that team and to the NBA as a whole. It’s an exciting time for Ethan as he now has his own company called 5 Reasons Sports (which we are a proud sponsor of!) which is a growing media company with a very unique approach. In this episode, Ethan and I talk about the Heat's Big 3 era (when he covered a team that was at the center of the sports world), leadership lessons from some of key figures he covered, his transition into leading his own company, and building a modern-day media business.Find Ethan and 5 Reasons Sports:Twitter: https://twitter.com/EthanJSkolnickhttps://twitter.com/5ReasonsSportsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1HgRSC0w_DnIZW6rN19low

Today, I am joined by my friend Brian Brackeen, who is the general partner at Lightship Capital. Brian and I go way back in the #MiamiTech scene together. Brian was the co-founder and CEO of a facial recognition company called Kairos, that really pushed forward the whole space with some incredible innovations. In particular, Kairos really broke-ground by making a stance to never sell their technology to government or law enforcement for surveillance purposes due to the ramifications that it could cause. Now after moving on from Kairos, Brian is the General Partner of Lightship Capital, a $50M venture capital fund that is focused on investing in minority-led startups.In this episode, Brian and I discuss recent events and the importance of this moment. After the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, there has been a huge demand to see real change across our nation, primarily with racism and the plight that Black American's across our country have to deal with on a daily basis. Racism exists in many forms and through many different communities. Unfortunately, Brian has first hand experience dealing with systemic racism in the startup and venture capital space, and he recently wrote an article called “Some Of My Fellow Venture Capitalist Are Racists. Here Is How You Fix It” which I thought was absolutely eye opening.After reading that article, I asked if Brian would come onto the show to give more about his perspective as a Black founder turned venture capitalist, to have some difficult conversations about the racism that exists in those spaces, and what actionable steps we can do as a community to help.I’m incredibly grateful for this conversation, and I hope you get as much value out of it as I did.Find Brian Brackeen:Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianBrackeenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbrackeen/Lightship Capital: https://www.lightship.capital/Check out Brian's latest article: Some Of My Fellow Venture Capitalists Are Racists. Here is How You Fix It.

Today, I am excited to have the CEO of Very Big Things, Chris Stegner on the show today. Very Big Things is the crescendo of a journey that began after Chris’s first startup was acquired at the age of 13. Chris has been a serial entrepreneur, CTO, VC firm partner and also has been awarded “technology entrepreneur of the year” by the city of Miami. now, he is accomplishing some very big things at his new company: Very Big Things—an award winning digital products design and development agency.In this episode, Chris Stegner dives deep into his background and explains why the best developers and entrepreneurs never give up and why they need to have sheer perseverance and determination to get far and overcome the most challenging problems. Then, Chris speaks about finding the perfect technical partner. Let's face it, any company you start is most likely going be a five to seven-year journey and you better make sure this partner is someone you really want to work with and Chris tells us what you should look for when making that decision.Plus, Chris tells us common mistakes that entrepreneurs are making – and ones of those things is entrepreneurs is the BS that we tell ourselves. In this episode, Chris Stegner shares:Why perseverance and determination are the keys to successHow to find the perfect technical partnerWhy every startup is a five to seven-year journeyHow to combat the common mistakes that entrepreneurs makeWhy nothing matters more than the teamPersonal stories on failure, lessons learned and overcoming adversityFind Chris:Very Big Things: https://verybigthings.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-stegner-30175825/

What does a community need to reach it’s fullest potential?Our guest today, my good friend Raul Moas, thinks about this on a daily basis through his work as Program Director at The Knight Foundation.At the Knight Foundation, Raul is working hard to strengthen connections between the local network of founders, investors, and talent to support learning, growth, and community. I have been fortunate to work with Raul on many different initiatives and I can tell you that you’d be hard-pressed to find someone that genuinely cares as about serving his community as much as he does. Every time I have the chance to talk to Raul I come away energized because he cuts through all the BS and gets right to the heart of what matters and that is evident in this episode, which I am excited to share with you all.In this episode, Raul shares:His background and how he first got involved in the Knight FoundationKnight Foundation's focus and key initiatives in the Miami areaHow to effectively build communities and why it’s important for founders and entrepreneurs to leadThe importance of authentic leadershipHis thoughts on Miami being a place where entrepreneurs can thriveand much, much more...Get in touch with Raul:Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmoasEmail: raul@kf.orgKnight Foundation Miami: https://knightfoundation.org/communities/miami/

I’m really excited for today’s episode, because today we have a very special guest, my good friend Doug Viney from Benjamin Douglas, which is a recruiting and staffing firm here in South Florida. Doug and I go way back, I was doing a talk on a panel a few years ago and after I got off the stage, Doug approached me and handed me a metal business card (which of course, I couldn't forget). We then got to talking about startups, building business, recruiting talent and have stayed in touch ever since. And when it comes to recruiting and staffing, Doug is definitely the guy you want to speak to. He’s been doing it since 2004 and has a proven track record in placing professionals across The UK, Europe, Dubai and North America. Whether it is a Web Developer or a Program Director, Doug works on all opportunities with professionalism and confidentiality for a wide variety of clients ranging from SMEs to large multi-national businesses. Originally from Reading, England, today Doug resides in Miami with his wife and two sons.In this episode, which is filled with amazing and practical tips, Doug dives deep into his background and describes what inspired him to become a recruiter. He then explains the importance of online presence and how you can best build your online profiles and personal brand to get noticed and have the best opportunities come your way.Then, Doug describes why you need a recruiter. A lot of you might say, "why do I need a recruiter, I can do this on my own?". Trust me, I was in the same boat as you and once I started working with Doug I quickly realized what a great recruiter can do for you and how it’ll save an immense amount of time and money in the long run.In this episode, Doug shares:The importance of your online presence What you should do with your LinkedIn profile Why you should hire a recruiter The biggest mistakes made when hiring Why you should apply for the job even if you don’t completely fit the requirementsWhy you shouldn’t hire based solely on a recommendation Tips for candidates who are currently job seekingand much much more.... Find Doug VineyWebsite: http://benjamindouglas.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougviney/

Today, I am excited to have a guest with a unique approach to creating buzz and making noise for brands via social media. Sebastian Rusk is a Professional Speaker, On-Air Talent, Voice Over Talent, Spokesperson, Social Media Expert, and now, the latest guest on Lessons via Leaders ;) SocialBuzzTV.com is an integrated marketing solution that helps businesses build online communities using social media to create social buzz and local celebrity over their products and services which increases their online presence and word of mouth marketing, so they have more customers and die-hard fans. Sebastian also started The Podcast Launch Lab, a turn-key podcast launch solution that takes your zero to launch with your first five podcast episodes.Sebastian dives deep into his background and speaks about the inspiration behind his social media, YouTube, and podcast platforms. Sebastian speaks about the popularity of podcasting and also gives tips on how you can start your very own first show. Plus, Sebastian reveals tips on overcoming the fear of public speaking, how to brainstorm your podcast topic, and what you need to be able to start a podcast. (Spoiler alert: all you need is a smartphone!) In this episode, Sebastian shares:The inspiration behind The Podcast Launch LabWhy podcasting is so popular The reason you need a “why” when podcasting How to get over the fear of public speaking Why you should start a podcast How to brainstorm your podcast topic What you need to start a podcast How to market your podcastHow you can cut through the noise Find Sebastian Rusk:Website: http://www.sebrusk.comPodcast Launch Lab: http://podcastlaunchlab.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/sebruskInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebrusk/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianrusk/

Today, we have a very special guest on the show. We have former Miami-Dade County Mayor and current candidate for Mayor, Alex Penelas.Alex Penelas is a proven leader, experienced public servant, and successful businessman, who has dedicated his life to giving back to the community and advancing worthy causes to benefit all Miami-Dade County residents. Alex Penelas has demonstrated that through his first run as Mayor from 1996-2004, and is back to run for the same position once again.In this episode Alex shares:What inspired Alex to get started in politicsHow Alex transitioned back into the private sectorWhat motivates Alex to run for mayor again Why we need to balance both leadership and family Why we should not be distracted by the things that are not importantThe importance of hard work and the sacrifices people make to earn a dollarHis support for the technology industryThe need for mass transit in Miami Advice for aspiring politiciansFollow Alex Penelas:Website: https://alexpenelasformayor.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexPenelasForMayorTwitter: https://twitter.com/penelasformayor

Today we have an amazing guest on the show, we have professional photographer, realtor and branding expert, my good friend Michelle Citrin. I’ve know Michelle for a long time now and I’ve always been a huge fan on her positivity, work ethic, and sheer dedication to her craft. Her marketing expertise, organizational skills, and eye for detail all contributed to the rapid growth and success of her photography businesses and she has taken that formula and is now applying to Real Estate as well. We all know that Photography and Real Estate are both extremely competitive industries, and Michelle has found unique and effective ways to brand and differentiate her businesses that she shares with you in this episode. In this episode, Michelle and I talk about identifying your brand: which is key. A lot of people talk about "building a brand" but to be able to do that effectively you first need to identify what your brand stands for, and Michelle talks about that in this episode. Once you find that sweet spot, Michelle tells us how to double down and start growing that brand organically through various channels, whether that be social media, newsletters, etc. Another thing Michelle talks about in this episode, which I loved, was understanding who your ideal client is.As professionals sometimes we forget that we don’t need to take every customer that comes our way, and Michelle shares some great tips on how to filter out which customers are ideal and which could be problematic. Michelle then gets into some practical tips when it comes to social media marketing. If you follow Michelle on social media, you know she is an absolute machine when it comes to that and she shares some of the ways she stays organized and consistent when it comes to marketing herself online. I had a blast filming this episode with Michelle and it’s filled with actionable insights that I’m sure you’ll get lots of value from. I’m really excited to share this episode with you all today, so without further ado…. let’s go on into the episode! Follow Michelle Citrin Website: http://www.michellecitrinstudios.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellecitrinstudios/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellecitrin_studios/

When you look up the word “community” in the dictionary, two definitions stick out.1. “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.” 2. “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.”I can’t think of anyone that cares about and embodies those two definitions more than our featured guest today, my good friend Matt Haggman. Matt has been and continues to be a pioneer in the South Florida startup and entrepreneurial scene and is someone I’ve been fortunate enough to work with it and see first hand just how important community is to him.As the Miami Program Direction for the Knight Foundation, Matt launched an effort focused on connecting and propelling the city’s emerging community of entrepreneurs and startups. Knight then quickly become the largest funder of entrepreneur initiatives in the region and made so many things possible including the launching of numerous ventures, spaces, events and much more.Matt then took his passion for growing community one step further and ran for Congress in 2017. He went door-to-door talking and engaging with residents and finding out what items they were passionate about and how he could help solve their most pressing issues.Matt is simply one of the most genuine, down-to-earth, good-hearted people that I know and I had an incredible time recording this episode with him.In this episode Matt shares:His background and personal storyThe important of focusHis views on how to engage with community What he finds are they key things you need in a local ecosystemLiving a life in chaptersHis experience running for congress Lessons learned from running a political campaignAdvice for people starting a career in journalism and much more!Follow Matt Haggman:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthaggman/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthaggman Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthaggman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.haggman

Today we have an amazing guest on the show. Medical Cannabis and CBD expert, and educator, Dr. Michelle Weiner. Dr. Weiner takes a fully holistic and innovative approach to providing health and wellness services. She is double board-certified in Interventional Pain Management and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Spine and Wellness Centers of America. She completed her residency and fellowship training at the University of Miami. She practices personalized medicine focusing on the root cause and offering individualized holistic treatment options. Dr. Weiner empowers her patients to heal all aspects of their lives through the activation of the Mind, Body, and Spirit. Her philosophy is to promote lifestyle changes through nutrition, movement, natural supplementation such as botanicals like CBD and Cannabis. Dr. Weiner uses a goal-oriented approach to optimize well-being.And She is the Chair of Florida’s Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee. In this episode, Dr. Weiner opens the show talking about how she started in the cannabis industry. Then, Dr. Weiner describes the different forms of cannabis and how CBD and THC can be utilized to treat specific symptoms. We then talk about varying qualities of CBD..with CBD now appearing everyone you need to know how you can ensure you’re getting the best quality product and Dr. Weiner talks about that. We then talk about the Vaping controversies, in the news. Lots of reports of the dangers and vaping, and we can take a deep dive into that and get her opinion on the matter. We also talk about the latest trend on microdosing and the future of the medical marijuana industry as whole. This is a fantastic episode that’s filled with incredible information about a topic that is rapidly evolving. Dr. Weiner has a great approach on making a lot of these complex topics feel very accessible and easy understand. I’m really excited to share these learnings with you, so without further ado...let’s get into the episode.....

Today we have an amazing guest on the show, my good friend Adam Silberstein from OnCourse International.Adam works with all types of individuals ranging from CEO’s, “start-up” entrepreneurs, family business owners, young adults, university students. His services include retreat facilitation, 1-on-1 coaching, and workshop trainings.He is well versed in small group dynamics, providing facilitation services for YPO, EO, and spouse forums that are looking to improve forum ROI, establish authentic connections with forum mates, and explore deeper personal issues. He is skilled at launching and/or “tuning up” small groups through experiential transformative retreats.In 1-on-1 coaching Adam empowers his clients to live a life that aligns with their highest values. By facilitating deep self-exploration and establishing effective accountability, clients are inspired to identify and live out their passions, purpose, and genius. He also coaches young adults, providing support as they navigate transitional issues by exploring levels of self-awareness and establishing goal-realization techniques.I had an awesome time chatting with Adam. Adam and I are working together on a organization in South Florida, called The Local Leader’s Collective (The LLC for short) where we provide peer support groups for entrepreneurs where they can build meaningful relationships with each other and share some of the challenges that they are going through in the personal and professional lives. You’ll hear us talk about that in the episode and we hit on a variety of other topics such as identifying your core values, building community, the concept of forum, the power of peer groups and having a sense of tribe. We also talked about and how to optimize the relationships in your life the power of taking responsibility for everything. Hope you enjoy the episode!

Today we have an amazing guest on the show, my good friend Jose Vargas from Healthcare.com Jose Vargas is a serial technology entrepreneur and investor, building and growing technology companies for over 20 years. He’s the former co-founder of AutoWeb (acquired by Autobytel), BlueKite (acquired by Xoom Corporation/PayPal), MedicareSupplement.com (acquired by Tranzact), BrokersWeb (acquired by VantageMedia) and MailCreations.com (acquired by Livedoor). He’s currently a board member and co-founder of PeopleFund a technology venture capital firm, HealthCare.com and AutoWeb NASDAQ [AUTO]. Jose lives in Miami with his wife and children and is an active member of the Young President Organization (YPO) and supporter of a number of philanthropic efforts.I loved having Jose on the show - he’s a great friend of mine, and what I love about Jose is he a true entrepreneur in every sense of the word. He’s not a guy that seeks the spotlight or notoriety whatsoever. He’s a guy that puts in the work behind the scenes and hustles like crazy to get things done, and you can see that it’s working for him with 5 companies and 5 exists under his belt. He has a remarkable track record and I’m very excited to share his story with you all.In this episode Jose talks about:His background and early days in entrepreneurship Some of his biggest lessons learned in those early daysHow he sold his first companyLearnings from the M&A Process and lessons on how to sell your companyAn overview on Healthcare.com and how it came into existenceHis thesis as an investor and what he looks for in a potential new investmentWhy he feels that "the obstacle is the way".... and much more!Hope you enjoy the episode!

Today we have an amazing guest on the show, David Lombardi for Lombardi Properties.I’ve known David for a few years now and he is one of the smartest people I know in the real estate world. He is known as a driving force in the development of the Wynwood area since 2000 having developed two ground up projects; Wynwood Lofts (a 36 unit condominium project of “live-work” lofts) and Museo Vault, the finest purpose built fine art storage facility in the United States. David was a founding member of the Wynwood Business Improvement District and was instrumental in passing a new zoning overlay increasing the allowable units per acre so that Wynwood can become a 24 hour living & working neighborhood. Simply put, Wynwood would not be what it is today without him and I’m so excited to share his story and some of his greatest lessons with you all.You can reach David, learn more about his company, and his listings at www.lombardiproperties.com

In this episode, we have two incredible guests. My good friends Johanna and Juha Mikkola.Johanna and Juha are the husband-wife founding team of Wyncode Academy - the leading technical school in South Florida dedicated to training top technology talent through best-in-class programs based out of the Wynwood area of Miami. With various courses in web development, digital marketing and UX/UI fundamentals, Wyncode’s curriculum prepares students to compete in the Miami and National job arena, and this demonstrated by their 90% job placement rate for 2018 and over 350 hiring partners. Juha and Johanna built Wyncode Academy to embolden individuals with technical skills and help them stand out as leaders in the tech world in South Florida and beyond.I had a blast doing this episode with Jo and Juha. I’ve worked with them in the past and I can’t say enough good things about not just their program and the quality of the talent there, but also of them as individuals. These are two of my favorite people and they've got a ton of insight around so many topics.In this episode we talk about: the origins of how they started Wyncodewhy every business these days is a technology business the struggles of building and scaling a startupsome of the top lessons that they've learned when building their companysome dos and don’ts when it comes to raising venture capitaltheir thoughts on the local tech scene in Miamiand much, much more...Hope you enjoy the episode!

Today we have two amazing, amazing guests on the show, Sandra Orellana and Oswaldo Alvarez from The RAway. Sandra and Os are two amazing people with an incredible message which I'm looking forward to sharing with you today.As a bit of a background, Sandra Orellana is an open-hearted coach and author, passionate about awakening self-acceptance and unconditional love wherever she goes. Sandra’s background is in psychology, specializing in alternative healing techniques and social work. She coaches individuals, couples, and groups, with the purpose of learning and practicing protocols that align individuals with their most truthful and authentic power.Oswaldo Alvarez works with CEOs, leadership teams and entrepreneurs who want to create environments where the best ideas always win and strategies are executed with discipline, accountability and in alignment to a company’s highest purpose and goals. Sandra and Oswaldo are the co-founders of The RAway, an ecosystem that helps individuals align with their highest potential, both personally and professionally. I loved every minute of this episode. Sandra and Os are two incredible individuals and in this conversation we talked about things like finding your true authentic self, how to be truly present and in the moment and allowing yourself to feel, working on childhood wounds, not being reactive and how to live a more creative life. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it.

In Episode 2, we sit down with John Kelly from Live Free Crossfit. John has an incredibly interesting story and journey. He was a football player, then a firefighter Miami Dade County, and while was doing that started career as a pro MMA fighter which he did together for 7 years (you’ll hear him talk more about that on the show) and then in 2013 he started a new path and opened up Live Free CrossFit where he combines his passions of helping others and being competitive at the same time. He is also owner and CEO of RxNutrition a individualized catering company for athletes.In this episode, John and I talk about his backstory, how to build a brand, what he looks for in potential employees, and how to cultivate a thriving community.

Today on the show we have Ben Azadi the founder of Keto Kamp.In 2008, Ben Azadi went through a personal health transformation of shredding 80 pounds of pure fat. Ever since, Ben Azadi, FDN-P, has been on a mission to help 1 billion people live a healthier lifestyle. Ben is the author of three best-selling books, The Perfect Health Booklet, The Intermittent Fasting Cheat Sheet, and The Power of Sleep. Ben has been the go-to source for intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet. He is known as 'The Health Detective' because he investigates dysfunction, and he educates, not medicates, to bring the body back to normal function. Ben is the founder of Keto Kamp; a global brand bringing awareness to ancient healing strategies such as the keto diet and fasting. Ben is the host of a top 20 podcast, The Keto Kamp Podcast; and the fast growing Keto Kamp YouTube channel. We think you'll really enjoy what Ben has to say and the knowledge he has to share.