Advertise on podcast: Discover Your Talent–Do What You Love

Scott Robison, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces veteran with 23 years of service, is a founding partner of Kingswood Defense Group and Cadet Holdings and the founder of Camp Cowboy, a nonprofit supporting veterans with the use of equine therapy. Scott specializes in consulting for military and commercial sectors, leveraging deep expertise in emerging technologies and defense strategy, and managing rapid acquisition initiatives. When he retired from the Army, he decided that he wanted to do something for those who struggle with issues from military and public service. That resulted in creating Camp Cowboy in Kemper, Texas. It is operated by veterans to provide FREE Equine Assisted Growth Programs to Service members, Veterans, First Responders, Family members and Gold Star Family members. Through equine-based experience, education, and knowledge, they help participants navigate and overcome stressors and a vast multitude of "life's scars," allowing for a reconnected, well-balanced life change for those in need. His military career highlights include leading the Special Weapons Testing Task Force at Fort Cavazos and overseeing over 300 major defense acquisition programs. He has also led counterterrorism efforts in Iraq and counter-drug operations with federal agencies. Robison holds degrees from the New Mexico Military Institute and University of Colorado and certifications from Defense Acquisitions University.

Kahlil Wyche became disillusioned with the restaurant industry when he found himself handling all the responsibilities of a store manager but the chain was only paying him assistant manager wages. "I've always liked money and numbers, so I looked into an entry level position at a bank," Kahlil recalls. "I knew God has His hand on me about 40 days in. I overheard a co-worker who was frustrated with her computer. During my military time and after I'd been certified in some Microsoft software and taken some courses." Kahlil offered to take a look at her computer. He fixed it. The next morning, she offered him a job in the information technology (I.T.) department. He received steady promotions. On weekends he developed a catering business which eventually developed into Catering to Your Whims. He had come full circle back to entrepreneurship and the food business. Kahlil Wyche is an entrepreneur, local marketing and social media expert who has been connecting people and products through technology for 19 years. As founder of Catering to Your Whims, Inc., and KGW Enterprises, he draws on his experience in marketing, sales and business development to create a platform for professionals to promote their work, share their expertise and interact with consumers.   

Liz Chism has been an entrepreneur for over 11 years. She started out her entrepreneurial journey by starting a craft brewery with her husband and being the COO and Head Brewer. After that journey ended, she started Systems into Freedom where she is a business operations coach who strategizes with business about how to organize and streamline their operations so they can create freedom through their business. Liz seamlessly fits coaching around helping her husband in his real estate business, running the house, raising their three children, and homeschooling. "It wasn't until my husband and I decided to start a craft beer brewery that I found my passion for organizing, streamlining and strategizing–how to go from point A to Point B in the fastest way possible. "My husband and I fell in love with brewing, the science and the art mixture. And we fell in love with the community aspect that it brought, the ability to bring people together. What's interesting is that most people didn't think that I would be the brewer. They always put the male as the brewer and the female as the admin/marketing person. It turned out I had more talent for organizing and operations, repeating success and creating the recipes. In the end I was the brewer and did all the operations. My husband's talents were more of that CEO mentality, that visionary, and he handled the business side. We ran it for almost five years but ended up closing down in 2018 and filing bankruptcy in 2019. And that's actually when we pivoted. There's a lot of things about the brewery that we liked, but some aspects weren't a match for where we wanted to be and what we wanted to do with life. It was actually a moment where we could redesign our life however we wanted to. Based on what my husband and I learned while building the brewery, I started a coaching business called Systems into Freedom. It is designed to really help business owners put the systems in place so they will not get burned out. Those systems need to be incorporated into the culture of the business and leverage their employees to become leaders.

Karina Anderson's story–from a violent upbringing in Denmark to finding her true purpose in South Africa–is a testament to resilience, spiritual enlightenment, and the power of trusting one's journey. "More and more I realized that if I can do this, maybe more can do this. And I started writing down the first pieces of my story, which is about how you navigate challenge and how you turn. "That's why I say I am an alchemist. I'm an alchemist in my own journey, turning lead to gold, regardless of how tough it looks. This is the moment you want that challenge. This is where heroes and heroines are born. "Everything I've achieved on this journey has been because I've listened. I have shown up. I've been called to go. And, I've learned to trust the process. I know this because I do it every day and I've done it since I arrived here in South Africa." Intuitive Depth Coach, Alchemist and Change Specialist, Karina Anderson goes to places where most do not dare venture. Together with her Team of Change Agents, she helps switch on lights in some of the darkest corners of the human experience. Her work has taken her from prisons to boardrooms. As the Founder of SmilingOne and Circles of Change Academy, she has spent 17+ years honing a unique change recipe in the homeland of her heart–South Africa, and turning personal adversity into impactful change.

Otto E. Stallworth, Jr, MD, MBA, an anesthesiologist and then a cosmetic surgeon, was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama during the 1940s, fifties and sixties. He crossed the Alabama state line for the first time at sixteen to attend college and was the first college graduate in his family. This was followed by a medical degree at 24 and later an MBA outside of medicine. He has had several businesses, including Oh Yes! Management and Hollywood Fries Restaurant. In 2022, he began the Stallworth Oh Yes! Foundation, which has awarded four-year full scholarships to students at Howard University and Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, his alma maters. He published his memoir in 2023. Look soon for his first murder mystery. "When I got into med school, it was even better than anything I could imagine. Every day was a new adventure because you learn about all these different diseases and study the human body. Studying all of this was very intriguing. As a child I just wanted to have this skill to be able to help people. You see someone that is sick and think about if you could cure them or help them get cured or give them the right advice–that seemed like an amazing and very powerful thing."

Sarah Ohanesian is a keynote speaker, productivity strategist, and former Chief Marketing Officer who now helps high-performing professionals and teams do their most important work…without burning out. Her keynotes and workshops leave audiences energized and equipped to eliminate busywork, prioritize high-impact tasks, and make real impact. Sarah is the co-founder of Super Productive, a neuro-inclusive productivity consulting company, where she helps teams cut through the chaos by building clear workflows, organizing projects in tools like Asana, and making sure everyone knows what to do and when to do it–so the most important work actually gets done. You'll walk away from this episode with a truly fresh perspective. "I had been thinking about Productivity. I have been a student of productivity. I love productivity. I do podcasts about productivity. I read about productivity. I just love it so much. And at the same time, everyone I was talking to, when I would say 'Hi. How are you?' they would answer, 'I'm busy. I'm stressed out. I'm burned out. I'm overwhelmed.' It was like every person I'm talking to is feeling this way. So what can I do about it? And I had this idea, maybe I should start a productivity company. I had no idea what that actually meant. I just thought I have an idea. And a few people said to me, it's a good one. And I had one person say to me, 'What if you did?' I will say that moment changed everything."

Courtney Bagby Lupinin, CEO and Founder of Little Red Management, is the go-to talent manager for reality TV stars from shows on ABC, CBS, MTV and Netflix including The Bachelor Franchise, Big Brother, Love is Blind, and the Circle. She began her career in the corporate sector at Oracle in San Francisco, managing internal communications and events. A yearning for the celebrity side of influencer marketing led her to Los Angeles where she volunteered her time and built relationships within the reality TV world before taking the leap to launch Little Red Management in 2019 at the age of 25. Courtney has also activated partnerships for huge brands including Disney, FOX, Hallmark, Nike, Adidas, Amazon, and more. "I don't remember who told me this, and I wish I did because I feel like it was the best advice I've ever learned. It was to figure out how you can help those people who you want to work with and bring something to the table for them, but don't expect something back. "At this time I wanted to do side things that would help me meet people and build my resume. One thing I did was volunteer for a nonprofit event called Reality Rally, which is held every year and all the reality TV stars come to that event to support their cause. I tweeted some of the stars from Survivor, Big Brother and other reality TV shows and volunteered to manage their social media in the off-season. And people accepted. That was super helpful because then when the event came along, I could meet them in person and they knew who I was. "Another thing I did was to go after a contestant on The Bachelor who I really wanted as a client. I would tweet at her every time I was in L.A. and ask her to get brunch with me. She would always respond, telling me that she couldn't do it–but she would still respond. One time I left her a message to meet me at The Grove that day, which is a fancy mall in L.A. She didn't respond to that, but I ended up running into her there that afternoon. She totally knew who I was from the emails and tweets I had sent her. We sat down together and I asked her all sorts of questions. "I had tried to reach out to some talent agencies and even social media agencies at the time, but no one would respond to me. So, it turned out for me that my best way of learning was from the talent themselves! "Nowadays I own my own talent management business, and I always respond to anyone who wants career advice and tips on how to get into the business because I know what it is like to be so hungry for industry information."

Cassie Petrey is the woman behind some of the most iconic artists' social media marketing including Backstreet Boys, Camila Cabello and Britney Spears. She is the co-founder of Crowd Surf, a leading marketing and music management firm. She's a fan girl whose admiration for the Backstreet Boys led her at age 12 to create a newsletter that reached fans worldwide — then years later she helped seal the band's decades-long superstardom by re-introducing them to next-generation fans. Cassie is a social media and artist management Hollywood powerhouse. She and her co-founder of Crowd Surf, Jade Driver, have been named to power lists in Variety, Billboard, and Forbes' annual "30 Under 30" feature. In 2022, the company launched its non-profit Career Development Program — a first-of-its-kind, no-cost educational series for people aspiring to work in the music business. "I worked fulltime the whole time I was at Middle Tennessee State University studying Music Business. I had been fortunate enough to get a job as a college rep at Warner Music Group my freshman year. I was doing that when, a couple months into college, I discovered a website called MySpace. I went to my boss and said, 'Hey, why don't big bands use MySpace? You only see small, local and college bands using it. I think major label artists should use it, too.' And she said, 'I don't really know what that means, but pick an artist. I'll connect you with their manager, and we'll figure out how you can manage their MySpace page.' "I was scared to ask her if I could do that or not, but I'm really glad I did because if I didn't, I wouldn't have been one of the first to market in this lane that has become so huge. I thought social media was going to be big, but I didn't think it was going to get to where it is now! "Looking back on it, it didn't seem such a big deal to me at the time, but a record label vice president, letting an 18-year-old come in and do all this work for their clients on MySpace and more? That's taking a certain level of risk, and I appreciate her taking that risk on me."      

Dr. Sonia Palleck:  "I love dentistry. I love working with my hands. It's quite artistic and very challenging. It also requires you to have a lot of compassion and good communication skills. I felt it tapped into a lot of things that I was gifted with. "The reason I went into dentistry was to become an orthodontist. My siblings and I all had braces. We had terrible crooked teeth. What the orthodontist did for me was really life changing. It gave me a lot of confidence. It gave me the ability to smile, to show up, and to speak my mind without fear or self-consciousness. I thought this was an amazing thing to do for people, and that's what I chose. "Orthodontics is an amazing profession. It is possibly the best of the 10 areas of dentistry. I'm biased, but I absolutely adore what I do. I feel like I change people's lives on a daily basis. I get to interact with people of all ages, but especially young people, which is invigorating and rejuvenating. And I get to problem solve and use my mind. That is just a beautiful way to spend each day." Sonia Palleck was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She went to school at Western in London, Ontario and graduated from Dentistry in '93 and Orthodontics in '99. She pioneered the use of digital orthodontics in practice and has lectured all over the world to share her knowledge with others. Sonia has written the "Leave the Little Light On" book series, designing and painting all the book covers, and editing and self-publishing her contribution to the world. Through these books she is a special advocate for love.

Paval Stuchlik, also known as Noa Aon, also known as Pavel Aeon, is a professional cyclist turned serial seven-figure entrepreneur and investor. Pavel made his first million before the age of 21 and has successfully launched, scaled, franchised and exited many brands, including significantly growing Orangetheory Fitness in seven areas of the U.S. Through all of this, his mission always has been to bring people back to their center, in union with others. He has been able to do this most recently through his NOA AON movement. His methods blend ancient wisdom, modern science, and quantum principles to achieve deep personal transformation.  In March 2025 Pavel expanded this with the founding of "Upper AEON." Pavel is now an internationally conscious DJ and EDM producer who is healing people worldwide by delivering transformational experiences at immersive workshops and retreats, providing digital learning and community, and using science-backed transformation tools. He has been featured in The New York Times, TIME, ELLE & TATLER. "At 14 I had a bet with my friend to both make it into the top ten in a local cycling race that was on TV once a year. I ended up coming in fourth and I think he was 11th. I love that freedom of cycling, the freedom of your mind. And I love the connection to nature. I knew I wanted to become a professional cyclist. "When I was 17 my dad gave me a choice: 'You either go to school and your life is paid for, or you don't go to school and you are going to do your little cycling thing which you are going to have to figure out yourself.' "I did make it to pro cycling. I was racing around the world and stationed anywhere from Holland to Asia to South America. It was amazing. I loved it. But at the same time, I knew I needed to support myself. I had started my first company to supply a product cyclists needed.  So whenever we would go into different countries to race, I would walk into local bike stores and I'd say, 'Hey, you guys should have your own custom bike frames.' And I did well with that business. "But when I was 20, I completely broke down in a Czech national race. And when I say 'broke down,' I mean my body completely shut off and I woke up in the hospital. I literally developed chronic fatigue. I did still race for a time, but instead of me resting and recovering, I was on calls with the factories and with customers. "This is how I found health. I literally had to quit cycling unfortunately, and lose my identity of what I thought was important at that time. I wanted to do the Tour de France and I wanted do all of the biggest races, but my health did not allow me to. Before I quit, I fell into a deep depression. It was really a tough life because I wasn't able to deliver on what I was hoping to do. I had to shave off my identity because I was not going to be a pro cyclist anymore. "I was, however, always self-driven. I knew I was really not inspired by the traditional societal norm. I wasn't inspired by being in a box and being told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. So through education and through all of these courses and books and workshops I started attending, and trying various jobs, I ended up molding what my life should be about."

Major General (ret) Dustin "Dusty" Shultz is a highly accomplished senior military leader, renowned for her expertise in Army Cyber, Intelligence, and Space operations both in the U.S. and Latin America. Throughout her distinguished career, she has often been hand-picked for key leadership roles supporting the Department of Defense. In these roles, Dusty has developed strategic solutions to complex challenges, drawing on her extensive experience in international collaboration to achieve equitable outcomes. After years of dedicated government service, Dusty retired (2025) from her final role as Director of Intelligence at U.S. Southern Command. Now in her own busines, she is using her expertise, abilities, and interests to collaborate strategically with organizations to address intricate challenges and shape a secure and sustainable future, with special interest in security challenges across the Americas. She holds multiple degrees in strategy and is committed to lifelong learning. Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys spending time with her husband, David, their two children, and five grandchildren. Her hobbies include cooking and equestrian activities. "On one assignment an Admiral said to me, 'You've got the skills. You are going to do this. I'm going to advocate for you, and I'm going to also hold you accountable for doing it.' Having leaders like him has been fundamental. I do not want to receive anything because I'm entitled or special. I want to receive it because I have worked hard to get where I am and because my skills are better than my peers'. "I laugh when I think of my first day with my first unit. It was a field artillery drill sergeant unit, and when I walked in, they literally looked at me and, although they were polite, they directly said something like, 'Where's Dustin?' "I am Dustin.' " 'No. Where's the male, Dustin?' 'Oh my gosh. I am the female Dustin. Here are the orders.'  And, they didn't even have female restrooms. Later in my career, my XO's name was Hollis. My name was Dustin. So people always deferred to the fact that we were men. And then they would be shocked when we'd show up. We responded that we're fit, we're prepared, we're capable. We're going to do our job and we're going to do it well. And then we'd do just that. "So I went all the way from these experiences to taking a battalion to Iraq, where over one-third of the organization was females including almost all of my seniors, minus my command Sergeant Major."

Dr. Christopher Smith is a Board-Certified practicing physician who completed his residency and fellowship at the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Smith currently lives in Pennsylvania and is a partner with Quantum Imaging and Therapeutic Associates. He dedicates time and resources to raising awareness of homeless children and finding solutions to help them overcome their situation. "Around the age of four, there was a big turning point in my life. My father lost his job at the steel mill. After that my parents struggled financially for the rest of my teenage years. We really had difficulty maintaining housing and lived for months at a time without basic utilities like heat or electricity. "By the time I was 16, my family and I had moved at least a couple dozen times. That year my family got evicted one more time and we had nowhere to go. It was my senior year of high school. My parents and 6 of my siblings stayed in a small motel room. I slept in the truck the entire year, and this was in Utah. It was so cold in winter that sometimes my hair would actually freeze at night. "But I had decided that there was no shortcut in life. I had to work through it and through all these difficult circumstances. I was willing to take risks. I made mistakes. I failed. But that was okay. I kept trying. That's part of the experience, the process and the idea of not quitting when you fail. "A lot of years of my life were very difficult, but I always tried to maintain a positive outlook on my life.  I still always try to see potential, the good in the world now. "The statistical odds of me going from sleeping in a truck as a teenager to completing my medical degree at Johns Hopkins Hospital are so astronomically high that I personally think there was some intervention in my life, somebody looking out for me with the purpose of helping me view my past in a different light and of being able to share that with other people, inspiring them to learn from my past. That was my ultimate reason for writing the book Homeless to Hopkins and a children's version because children in poverty are often the most invisible homeless people of all."

Guest Elizabeth Bachman: "Having been one of the earliest female stage directors as an opera director, I have a wealth of knowledge to share. I now work with corporate women to help them break through the glass ceiling. What I'm really excited about is that I lead groups of women called 'Visible and Valued Masterminds.' We spend three to six months together, online and in-person, talking and discussing the issue--how do you be seen as the person that you want to be seen as? How do you present yourself in a manner that you are taken seriously if you happen to be in a position where you are not taken seriously? It is some of the most deeply satisfying work I have ever done and I've always been blessed to use my talents to make the world a better place." Elizabeth Bachman is the go-to person for advanced level training in Speaking, Presentation Skills, Sales, and Leadership. With a lifetime spent perfecting the art of presenting, she helps high-level clients master a message that brings: the Funding they need the Allies they want and the Recognition they deserve. She describes her work as: Strategic Speaking for Results * When you want to make a difference, not just a point! A sought-after speaker and strategist in Silicon Valley, nationally and internationally, Elizabeth works with leaders and influencers who need to become concise and compelling presenters. She helps them present as smart, down-to-earth, loose, friendly even funny and still be taken seriously. Elizabeth has directed such luminaries as Luciano Pavarotti & Placido Domingo in more than 50 operas around the world, giving her a wealth of tools to help business professionals become respected presenters. Fluent in 5 languages, she is adept at working with presenters from many countries, bringing her global experience to her clients.

"There are so many more opportunities today for pharmacists that we haven't even dreamed of. In the future, pharmacists are going to provide more direct patient care, like pharmacogenomics, such as point of care testing for influenza and strep throat, and collaborative practice agreements that allow us, through a physician sign-off or medical practice sign-off, to manage and monitor medications." Steven Simenson, BPharm, FAPhA, FACA, DPNAP is the CEO and Managing Partner of Goodrich Pharmacy, Inc., with five community pharmacies in Minnesota. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy along with his wife, Wendy, also a Pharmacist. Steve was the 2013-2014 President of the American Pharmacist's Association and is on the Board of Directors of Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Companies and the Community Pharmacy Foundation. He is actively advocating for the pursuit of Patient Access to and Coverage for Pharmacist Patient Care Services. Steven is at his best taking care of patients.

Howie Zales is an Emmy Awarded camera operator who started his career at the NFL Network and NBC Sports. His passion for broadcasting led him to found Viridity Entertainment Services (VES), a streaming and professionally-recorded in-house productions service offering TV-quality livestream to corporations. Their clients include T Mobile, Capital One, The Food Network, hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa, and more. His other company, which he founded and has operated for over 24 years, is HJC Productions, Inc., a nationwide television crewing company for sports, entertainment and studio productions. Howie also mentors the next generation of freelance technicians through his mentoring program The Broadcast Sports Course. Howie Zales: " Growing up I was super into sports, baseball being my favorite. Like any kid or friend my age, I wanted to play professional sports as my job.  "I knew I was headed for sports. I just didn't know where or how. " In 11th grade, I needed one class to fill out my course selection. There was an elective that was a TV production class. The description was: a trip to New York City to tour NBC studios and 30 Rockefeller Center, and watching a TV show being taped. I thought 'how bad could it be!' "I ended up loving the class. I loved my teacher, Mrs. Jason, and her husband was a field producer for Good Morning America who spoke to the class on a lot of occasions. "I already had a love of sports, and now I had this new passion for TV.   I also knew I needed a backup to my professional baseball plan. BOOM! Now I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I was going to get into sports TV".