Disruptive Ceo Nation

Consumers are spending more money than ever on health supplement products, and yet, most people are confused, frustrated, and unsure of what is truthful and what works. Enter Caroline Carralero, a founder on a mission to help solve the metabolic health crisis and bring clarity to this corner of self-care healthcare.   While Caroline started Daily Nouri out of her kitchen, she has built the business into an Omnichannel entity with a presence online and in retailers such as Walmart. Daily Nouri offers cutting-edge, scientifically-backed, affordable probiotics and other products aiming to provide genuine and impactful health and well-being solutions.   So how do you cut through an overcrowded, competitive market to be a stand-out brand? Well, that’s what we wanted to know.   Through our conversations, we touched on:   - How Caroline’s early experiences as an entrepreneur in college led her to have founded, advised, and invested in over 10 food, beverage, technology, and sustainable resource companies. - Her pass

Have you ever thought about your communication fingerprints as a leader? Or the gap between what you say and what your teams hear? Well, we thought it would be interesting to talk with Oscar Trimboli, a renowned thought leader and expert on the transformative power of listening in effective leadership.   Drawing from his extensive background, including his tenure as marketing director for Microsoft Australia, Oscar has dedicated himself to decoding the behaviors of exceptional listeners. Oscar has authored much on this topic including his most recent book, How to Listen: Discover the Hidden Key to Better Communication.   Oscar believes that true leadership lies in the ability to listen beyond surface-level dialogue, urging leaders to address systemic issues through thematic listening and the exploration of diverse perspectives. By providing tools such as the Listening Quiz, Oscar empowers leaders to evaluate and enhance their listening skills, underscoring that attentive listening can significantly elevate or

We know this has happened to you. You go to pick up a prescription and are floored by the price. Or even worse, you have had a loved one diagnosed with a rare disease only to find limited treatment options.   The pharmaceutical industry needs drastic change, and Dr. Jo Varshney is all in on making that happen. As Founder and CEO, VeriSIM Life, Jo leads a team of world-class scientists, machine learning engineers, and in silico simulation experts bringing clarity to drug development through computational sciences rather than the existing trial-and-error experimentation approach. However, intelligence and knowledge aside, Jo is a business leader on a mission and one of the most enjoyable founders I have had the pleasure of speaking with to date.   If you listen to this episode you will hear us touch on: VeriSIM Life's Mission: The company uses "hybrid AI" to create simulations of human and animal biology to speed up drug development, producing a "translational index" that predicts clinical risks and mitigates

Leadership has always come with challenges and stress but today's business environment has escalated the pressures on CEOs far beyond where they were just a decade ago. In this episode, we talk with Andrea Petrone who has been recognized as one of the top 2% of executive coaches in the UK.   Andrea became a CEO at 35 making his mark in the energy industry. Over his career, Andrea has lived and worked in 7 different countries, gaining invaluable insights into leading international teams and organizations. Now, he is on a mission to help others be able to leave a legacy of remarkable achievements and remarkable good. But in his work, he hears all too often about the challenges facing CEOs today.   If you listen to this episode you will hear us touch on: ● Some of the forces and pressures affecting the CEO today, and why it weakens their position as a leader. ● How CEOs are given less time to make decisions and yet are expected to make faster impacts and turnarounds for the organizations that they serve. ● Ho

If ever an industry needs a bit of disruption, it’s the home equity loan or refinancing space. Well, we had the opportunity to sit down with Michael Gifford and hear how Splitero is revolutionizing how homeowners can access their home equity and feel more empowered when doing so. This interview weaves insights into Michael’s founder’s journey and the mission behind Splitero to deliver a greater power of choice to homeowners in their time of need. (Audience note: please investigate options before selecting any financial service). Key Highlights: • When the Co-founder Equation is Good: Michael shares insights into the positive relationship with his co-founder, which has been fundamental to their success in building operations in 13 states with plans for nationwide expansion. • Building the Right Team: Michael explains Splitero's thorough interview process and the importance of cultural fit. Multiple leaders interview candidates to ensure diverse perspectives and a strong cultural match. • Go-to-Market Strat

So excited to bring back a favorite past guest of mine, Jeffrey Klubeck, a pillar of his industry. Jeffrey is a well-known coach, consultant, and leadership expert, who is all about emphasizing the importance of soft skills for building strong leaders, teams, and organizations. Known for his book "The Integrity Game," Klubeck shares his wisdom on communication, emotional intelligence, and change management through tailored corporate programs and teaching gigs at his old stomping grounds. And now he has a new book co-authored with his high-school aged daughter on leadership wisdom we can all use. He's big on authenticity in leadership, pointing out that while AI can streamline things, what really matters is genuine communication. According to Jeffrey, leadership is all about creating an environment where teams can shine, focusing on integrity and meaningful conversations to empower individuals and drive organizational success. Here are the highlights of our discussion: - Soft skills are essential for buildi

Can everyone tell when you use AI to write copy to write ads? Alex Persky-Stern, CEO of Waymark, is at the forefront of harnessing generative AI to transform video advertising for small businesses. He champions the idea that AI can significantly enhance the creative process, allowing for the production of high-quality video ads that small businesses might not have been able to achieve otherwise. Under his leadership, Waymark is pioneering projects that push the boundaries of content production, showcasing the potential of AI to revolutionize creative storytelling and advertising strategies. Alex envisions a future where AI-driven creativity not only optimizes and automates content creation but also maintains the authentic human touch necessary for genuine audience engagement. Here are the highlights of our discussion: - AI technology is driving innovation in the creative field, particularly in video ad production for small businesses. By analyzing brand assets and language, companies like Waymark can cre

We love speaking with MedTech founders and so we were excited to have Matthias Hofmann, the co-founder and CEO of Eyebot join us to explain how his team is transforming the way we receive vision care. Before this interview, we had no idea that 25% of US counties lack a practicing eye care provider. We also hadn’t thought about the increasing shortage of vision care providers or that our screen-obsessed society is generating a higher per capita need for corrective eye care. And for many, the cost of vision appointments and glasses are so expensive that they forgo this critical pillar of health care. Today, the Eyebot team is hoping to address the healthcare deserts in the U.S. and work with organizations like WHO and others, their technology can make a difference globally. Here are the highlights of our discussion: - Embrace Dynamism: Startups are incredibly dynamic. Project plans can quickly become obsolete, and flexibility is key to navigating this unpredictability. While the first vision care focused sta

Rarely do you meet people who you just know your life is richer because of that meeting - well, Chad Foster is one of those individuals. Author of Blind AmbitionTM, Chad is a globally recognized speaker and advocate for resilience, sharing his compelling journey from blindness at 21 to becoming a Fortune 500 corporate leader and motivational figure. Chad’s life story is the embodiment of living within disruption and staying grounded in purpose. Today, he is on a mission to help others thrive through challenge and change. Chad's framework, the Five Pillars of Resilience—choosing your response, telling empowering stories, visualizing greatness, embracing discomfort, and aligning mindset with action—reflects his belief that overcoming adversity is vital for character development. Drawing on his experiences in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and his upcoming PBS docu-series, Chad illustrates the importance of adaptability and self-care, urging others to find purpose in their work to successfully navigate life's challenge

Angel Vossough, the brains behind BetterAI, is shaking up the AI game by focusing on making wine searches and recommendations more personalized through her cool project, VinoVoss. Angel and the team blend their skills and vast wine knowledge to craft an AI solution that opens the gateway for everyone to become a better wine expert as well as guide choices to lesser known quality brands. A big advocate for diversity and inclusivity, Angel also discusses the significance of diverse AI training data and backs initiatives like "returnship" to empower women in tech, ensuring their perspectives shape more effective AI systems. So pour your favorite red, white or sparkling beverage and take in this episode. Highlights of our conversation: - BetterAI is transforming the wine industry by using data science and AI to simplify wine selection through their VinoVoss project, ensuring a comprehensive and unbiased shopping experience for consumers. - The Smart Sommelier feature partners with wine shops to offer personaliz

273 Scale Profits and Win Back Time By Training Teams to Lead with Christian Muntean, Founder at Vantage Consulting; Anchorage, AK, USA If you want different organizational results, tap into a different kind of leadership guru. For this episode, we headed north to Alaska to meet with Christian Muntean, a distinguished authority in leadership training helping CEOs drive improved financial results and business outcomes via improved team dynamics and organizational performance. Recently, he bundled In his book, "Train to Lead," a structured, 90-day path to enhance leadership capabilities. What we value about Christian is not only his immense wealth of knowledge but his down-to-earth approach and delivery. This may be because his early career path is rooted in disaster relief and working with community leaders and non-profits in areas in Russia, Mexico, Guatamala, Panama, the Kingdom of Swaziland, Kenya, South Sudan, and Indonesia. Through his firm, Vantage Consulting, he collaborates with clients across diver

Marc El Khoury, the visionary founder of aifleet, is transforming the trucking industry with a focus on enhanced driver utilization and technological innovation. With roots in management consulting and a discovered passion for trucking, Marc has steered airfleet to an impressive annual growth rate of 75% to 100%.  The trucking industry is highly fragmented and working conditions are often unfavorable to drivers. Did you know that: There are over 500,000 trucking companies in the US. The average trucking company has four trucks. 90 percent of trucking companies have under 10 trucks. The largest trucking company has about 1 percent market share. Marc’s strategic direction emphasizes investment in technology to improve scalability and efficiency, a vision further empowered by a successful Series B funding round. This financial milestone has bolstered aifleet technological advancements and reinforced its reputation as a top workplace, where office employees and drivers find meaningful engagement and growth

Duncan Kreeger, the visionary founder and CEO of TAB, is on a mission to democratize real estate investment by making it more accessible and liquid for a broader audience. Drawing from two decades of experience in the property market, Duncan seeks to revolutionize traditional investment methods, which he views as risky and limiting, by offering fractional ownership opportunities that spread risk and allow more people to participate. Under his leadership, TAB enables individuals to invest in high-value properties with minimal capital, while also handling management responsibilities to provide a hassle-free investment experience. By leveraging technology and real-time information, Duncan is committed to educating potential investors and continually evolving his platform to open up real estate opportunities to a wider audience. Highlights of our conversation: - TAB facilitates fractional ownership in real estate investments for as little as £1,000, enhancing accessibility to a broader range of investors. - In

Raoul Davis, the CEO of Ascendant Group, is a pioneering advocate for the institutionalization of CEO branding, emphasizing its critical role in building trust and authentic connections. He advocates for executives to actively manage their personal brands, ensuring alignment with their company's ethos to enhance long-term market presence. Raoul underscores the importance of humanizing businesses through executive branding, leveraging platforms like LinkedIn and strategic partnerships to weave personal narratives that resonate globally, respecting cultural nuances. By championing CEO branding, Raoul positions leaders as chief storytellers who, by sharing their stories and values, can not only enhance market trust but also inspire others by demonstrating authentic leadership. Highlights of our conversation: - CEO branding is essential for building trust and authenticity by positioning CEOs as the chief storytellers of their businesses, emphasizing human interaction over products or logos. - Highlighting the

Cam Doody knows what it takes to move an early-stage start-up through product fit, function, and successful launch as he has honed in on creating the right environment and formula for success. As co-founder and general partner of Brickyard, a venture capital firm based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Cam and his team specialize in supporting early-stage tech startups and have built a reputation so strong that they are expecting possibly up to 10,000 pitch decks of founders hoping to enter their program. Cam’s philosophy is all about radical focus, grit, and fostering an ecosystem where founders can thrive in the most challenging stages of their journey. His commitment to family and the quality of life in Chattanooga underlines his focus on what truly matters, both professionally and personally, as he strives to back companies that will redefine their sectors and become household names. Here are some highlights: - Cam talks about how his experience scaling Bellhops into a national moving company helped fuel his

Rohit Bhargava is a person you should know and follow. He is a pioneering thinker renowned for his expertise in non obvious thinking, a philosophy he champions through his speaking, consulting and body of work. We invited Rohit to tell us about his new book, Non Obvious Thinking: How to See What Others Miss. Rohit believes in the necessity of non obvious thinkers to drive innovation and disrupt conventional business paradigms, a vision he communicates through books, podcasts, and newsletters. He also carried this through by founding Ideapress Publishing so that he could help lift up the work of other great thinkers. He firmly believes that everyone can build the skill of seeing what others miss. Highlights of our conversation: - Why encouraging individuals to embrace non obvious thinking and recognize its value in uncovering insights and generating creative ideas will help businesses thrive in the future. - A CEO must see fostering an innovative mindset as an imperative in all team members and not just a

Every day CEOs and senior leaders are faced with a tsunami of information and requests so we invited Nuala Walsh, leadership expert and author of Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World to share her esteemed insights. With her distinguished 30-year career in financial services and as the founder of Mind Equity Consulting, Nuala brings a profound understanding of human behavior to the forefront of business decision-making. In a world rife with data overload and disinformation, Nuala underscores the necessity of a nuanced approach to decision-making, promoting strategies like the SONIC mnemonic to combat cognitive biases and enhance organizational performance. Nuala advocates for leaders to be vigilant of default biases and overconfidence, stressing the importance of self-awareness and seeking external perspectives to avoid negative consequences. Highlights of our conversation: - Human decision risk is a crucial factor in leadership decisions due to data overload, disinformation, distractio

Charles J. Bonfiglio, a celebrated entrepreneur and founder of Tint World, has revolutionized the franchise business model with his innovative approach, earning him accolades such as the Inc. 5000 award nine times. Initially facing challenges in securing leases and loans for his business in Florida, Charles turned adversity into opportunity by embracing franchising, starting with a Meinecke discount muffler shop. He advocates for balancing consistency and quality in franchise operations while inspiring franchisees to adhere to established systems, recognizing their valuable insights.  His strategic focus on continuous learning, team-building, and robust support infrastructure has driven Tint World's expansion to over 142 stores, with plans for further growth through strategic partnerships and collaborations with major industry players like Rivian and Tesla. Highlights of our conversation: - Charles’s strategic approach involved building the system, improving the brand, and assembling the right team to handl

We respect the mission of Two Chairs because we believe that human potential relies on individuals remaining mentally strong. Enter Alex Katz. He has a clear vision for company growth and expansion, deeply rooted in his personal experiences and commitment to improving mental health care. But this is not just about access, the systems are highly sophisticated to introduce the patient to the right therapist based on personalized matching factors. Alex emphasizes the importance of building a strong foundation before scaling, particularly in healthcare, where patient outcomes are critical. His approach involves investing in the right clinical culture and technology, ensuring that the company stays true to its core values of patient and clinician care while attracting aligned investors. As Two Chairs has grown to connect around 600 therapists with clients - and these are employees, not an independent network so they are verified and aligned with the brand. Alex aspires to expand the company's reach across mul

Supratim Srinivasan is deeply concerned about the fragility of the electrical utilities industry, so he is doing something about it. As an engineer with a strong background in finance, he co-founded Atma Energy to make distributed energy resources like solar and energy storage more accessible to the individual homeowner and business owner while at the same time enabling them to capitalize on surplus power that they may be generating. This development of virtual power plant programs leverages and aggregates individual energy sites into a robust, utility-supportive fleet. This innovative approach enhances grid resilience, especially during natural disasters, and facilitates a transition towards a more sustainable and distributed energy model. Highlights of our conversation: - Supratim is on a mission to provide clean energy solutions, especially in vulnerable regions like Texas. - Visionary leadership and belief are crucial in tackling the problem of making solar energy more accessible even in remote areas