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Future Driven Podcast

Future Driven Podcast

By Adam Lejeunekopp

Future Driven Podcast is brought to you by Adam Lejeunekopp, CEO of Madak, a strategic marketing agency that focuses on brand development and storytelling. Every episode, Adam talks with entrepreneurs and industry professionals about the challenges and successes that drive their vision.
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Future Driven - Episode 31: I am Future Driven

Future Driven PodcastMar 02, 2022

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Future Driven - Episode 51: Amy Spurling

Future Driven - Episode 51: Amy Spurling

Welcome to episode 51 of Future Driven, this week Adam spoke with Amy Spurling, Founder and CEO of Compt, an all-in-one employee reimbursement platform. Amy has a background as a COO and CFO with 20+ years of leadership experience at venture-backed companies. She has successfully guided companies from the startup phase to high growth and eventual exit. Her expertise spans strategic planning, international expansion, team development, finance, accounting, human resources, corporate governance, and risk management. In this episode, Amy tells us how her frustration with HR Technology platforms resulted in her creating a company of her own. She discusses the importance of giving employees benefits and the ways to increase benefit utilization. Learn more about her company Compt and how they provide a fully optimized employee reimbursement platform for companies of all sizes. Future Driven is hosted by Adam Lejeunekopp, CEO of the strategic marketing agency, Madak. In each episode, Adam talks to different entrepreneurs and industry leaders, discussing their careers, leadership styles, and goals for the future.

Jun 28, 202333:26
Future Driven - Episode 50: Armando Viteri

Future Driven - Episode 50: Armando Viteri

Welcome to episode 50 of Future Driven! This week Adam spoke with Armando Viteri, President and CEO of Neubloc a generative AI strategic consulting company. 

Armando has a background in computer science and was part of the first wave of AI as a Lisp programmer. He started in the symbolic area and has seen its various heights and falls over the years. About 6-7 years ago, Armando’s CTO with a Ph.D. in AI from his boutique private equity group partnered with him to start investing in AI and it has been a part of his world ever since.

In this episode, Armando teaches us about how AI has changed over the years and where it’ll be heading in the future. He talks about its impact on society and the quality of work that AI can produce. Learn more about his company Neubloc and how they help implement AI into Fortune 500 companies all the way down to small start-ups. Armando believes that if you invest in AI in your company early on you’ll not only survive but thrive!

Future Driven is hosted by Adam Lejeunekopp, CEO of the strategic marketing agency, Madak. In each episode, Adam talks to different entrepreneurs and industry leaders, discussing their careers, leadership styles, and goals for the future.

Apr 05, 202328:29
Future Driven - Episode 49: Raphael Bennett

Future Driven - Episode 49: Raphael Bennett

Welcome to episode 49 of Future Driven! This week Adam spoke with Raphael Bennett, CTO/CEO of HonestDeed, which offers a safe seller financing platform, removing the need to rely on banks and putting more money in pockets.

Raphael is an engineer by choice, he always leads the technical side of any business that he has been involved in. He had an interest in entrepreneurship and after graduating college it was hard to find a job which led him to become an entrepreneur. Initially, the first product he built was a web-based VR product for indoor spaces.

Raphael tells us his crazy story of how he created his company HonestDeed. His son was sick and in the process of their difficult financial situation, he met a gentleman in the hospital that said to buy a home with seller finance. He became interested in seller finance and wanted to use his infinity for software engineering, finance and economics together to build Honest Deed. 

Future Driven is hosted by Adam Lejeunekopp, CEO of the strategic marketing agency, Madak. In each episode, Adam talks to different entrepreneurs and industry leaders, discussing their careers, leadership styles, and goals for the future.

Mar 28, 202331:29
Future Driven - Episode 48: Mark Carpenter

Future Driven - Episode 48: Mark Carpenter

Welcome to episode 48 of Future Driven! This week, Adam Lejeunekopp spoke with Mark Carpenter, chief storyteller and co-author of Master Storytelling.

Mark started his career in marketing communications and public relations, where worked for a bank and several different high-tech and software companies where he found his passion for storytelling. He co-wrote his book Master Storytelling which focuses on using storytelling in an intentional way to drive a point home and help people understand. In this episode, Mark talks about the fundamentals of storytelling, the many lessons you learn, and why showing the human side of yourself is important.

Future Driven is hosted by Adam Lejeunekopp, CEO of the strategic marketing agency, Madak. In each episode, Adam talks to different entrepreneurs and industry leaders, discussing their careers, leadership styles, and goals for the future.

Jan 25, 202324:55
Future Driven – Episode 47: Guillaume Wiatr

Future Driven – Episode 47: Guillaume Wiatr

Welcome to episode 47 of Future Driven! This week, Adam Lejeunekopp spoke with Guillaume Wiatr, founder and CEO of MetaHelm, a business consulting company.

Guillaume describes himself as a creative person who has earned two degrees in Finance and in Jazz. After college, he started working in consulting and started his first company in France in 1999. After that, he met his wife, and together they relocated to the United States in 2008.

After a few years working in retail, he went back to consulting and started MetaHelm in 2015. Later on, he wrote his first eBook called Strategic Narrative. Guillaume’s main focus for the future is to remain creative and one step ahead of his clients so that he can give them value and continue providing insightful business advice. He also plans on writing a few more books and continuing to grow MetaHelm as a company.

Jan 10, 202333:42
Future Driven - Episode 46: Chris Hervochon

Future Driven - Episode 46: Chris Hervochon

Welcome to episode 46 of Future Driven! This week, Adam Lejeunekopp spoke with Chris Hervochon, CPA, CVA, LLC.

After achieving an undergraduate degree in accounting, Chris briefly played professional golf in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Then, he spent over three years in forensic accounting and seven years in corporate accounting. In 2011, Chris got his CPA license and started his current business as a side hustle, where he did tax returns for family and friends and book kept. In 2018, he decided to dedicate himself to his business full-time.

Chris Hervochon, CPA, CVA, LLC specializes in virtual CFO services for marketing and creative agencies. Their current sweet spot is agencies with five to fifteen people, and they conduct forecasting, budgeting, cash flow planning, and also do accounting and tax planning.

Dec 12, 202223:58
Future Driven - Episode 45: Chase Barmore

Future Driven - Episode 45: Chase Barmore

Welcome to episode 45 of Future Driven! This week, Adam Lejeunekopp spoke with Chase Barmore, entrepreneur and Business Development Representative at WhatConverts.

Chase considers himself a “recovered small business owner turned SaaS sales executive.” He founded Ready Valet LLC in 2008 when he was 19 and also opened a juice and smoothie bar, Life Bar. Chase sold Ready Valet in 2017 and was in the process of turning Life Bar into a lifestyle health brand before COVID put a wrench in his and his wife’s plans. WhatConverts, a SaaS company focused on lead tracking and reporting, brought Chase on board soon after. WhatConverts helps marketing agencies prove the value they deliver to their clients by tracking a multitude of crucial metrics.

Nov 22, 202227:23
Future Driven – Episode 44: Brian Gundell

Future Driven – Episode 44: Brian Gundell

Welcome to episode 44 of Future Driven! This week, Adam Lejeunekopp spoke with Brian Gundell, Creative Director of Brian Gundell Graphic Design Co. and Founding Partner of zro__g.

Brian graduated from the University of Oregon in 2007 with a degree in digital arts. He has several years of both in-house and out-house design experience and has worked with ad agencies, sports advertising and marketing companies, well-known brands such as Nike, sports teams such as the Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Huskies, and more. Brian started his own design company in 2015 and specializes in brand identity work.

Future Driven is hosted by Adam Lejeunekopp, CEO of the strategic marketing agency, Madak. In each episode, Adam talks to different entrepreneurs and industry leaders, discussing their careers, leadership styles, and goals for the future.

Sep 13, 202220:30
Future Driven - Episode 43: Adam White

Future Driven - Episode 43: Adam White

Welcome to episode 43 of Future Driven! This week, Adam Lejeunekopp spoke with Adam White, founder, and CEO of Front Office Sports, a news platform that covers the intersection of sports and business.

White started working on the now-named Front Office Sports as a passion project in college. He conducted hundreds of informational interviews and worked to grow a network before graduation. Front Office Sports is now a multimedia platform that keeps the modern sports enthusiast updated on sports and business news.

Future Driven is hosted by Adam Lejeunekopp, CEO of the strategic marketing agency, Madak. In each episode, Adam talks to different entrepreneurs and industry leaders, discussing their careers, leadership styles, and goals for the future.

Jul 20, 202229:30
Future Driven – Episode 42: Dave Bunce

Future Driven – Episode 42: Dave Bunce

Welcome to episode 42 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Dave Bunce, CEO of Morphio, a digital marketing, monitoring, and alerts platform.

Dave has a background in accounting and found his way into the world of marketing after realizing his desire to be more involved with clients. As the COO of his previous marketing agency, Dave helped create Morphio, which was built to connect ad platforms, Google Analytics, Shopify, eCommerce platforms, etc., to give marketers a holistic look at their campaigns. Morphio is all about accessible AI and allows people that aren’t data scientists to get the most out of their information.

Jul 06, 202239:40
Future Driven – Episode 41: Jeremy Castro

Future Driven – Episode 41: Jeremy Castro

Welcome to episode 41 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Jeremy Castro, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Brand Marinade, a managed eCommerce and screen printing business.

After college, Jeremy was primarily involved in the internet and tech industry as he focused on software and encryption. After the dotcom bubble popped, he began teaching high school math, during which time he also started the high school’s rugby team. Jeremy wanted to do something more entrepreneurial in addition to his other jobs, so he jumped on the chance to start screen printing after his aunt and uncle gave him an old machine. He soon realized he found his passion, and the rest is history!

Jun 22, 202253:27
Future Driven - Episode 40: Edgar Garcia

Future Driven - Episode 40: Edgar Garcia

Welcome to episode 40 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Edgar Garcia, founder of Edgar Garcia Design Co.

Edgar has a degree in graphic design and currently fills many different professional and creative roles. In addition to his more traditional position as a university Art Director, he has freelancing and teaching experience and is a business founder. Edgar is a big proponent of creating networks and communities and hopes to help brands grow while inspiring young creative minds to learn more about design.

Jun 08, 202237:45
Future Driven: Episode 39: Kareem Mostafa

Future Driven: Episode 39: Kareem Mostafa

Welcome to episode 39 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Kareem Mostafa, entrepreneur and co-founder of Chopcast.

Kareem’s educational background is in marketing, but he had trouble finding a job after school. After a failed startup attempt, he landed a “dream” marketing position at HubSpot. The entrepreneurship bug never went away, and Kareem quit to create Chopcast with his brother, originally named Tribe Tactics. Chopcast provides content repurposing as a service; the idea is to make long-form content more accessible and digestible by chopping it up into shorter pieces of content.

May 24, 202235:31
Future Driven - Episode 38: Casey Roloff

Future Driven - Episode 38: Casey Roloff

Welcome to episode 38 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Casey Roloff, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Town Founder of Seabrook, a Washington beach town offering hundreds of homes for purchase or vacation rental. Casey’s impressive home-building skills and strong imagination have helped him create Seabrook and maintain all of the town's sites.

Casey established Seabrook in 2004. After graduating from high school with a 1.3 GPA and without any college prerequisites completed, Casey decided to attend community college and later transferred to the University of Puget Sound for his business degree. He attributes much of his success to his wife, Laura.

To help pay for his education, Casey started a house painting business. Despite not having a home or land development background, Casey was able to secure a loan and start building custom homes. From then on, his passion only grew stronger.

May 02, 202242:45
 Future Driven - Episode 37: Bryan Clayton

Future Driven - Episode 37: Bryan Clayton

Welcome to episode 37 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Bryan Clayton, co-founder and CEO of GreenPal, a mobile app and freelance platform. Bryan has extensive experience in landscaping, which inspired him to develop GreenPal.

For the past decade, Bryan has been working on GreenPal and building the platform into what it is today. Before co-founding GreenPal, Bryan owned one of the largest landscaping businesses in the southeast and mowed yards for a living for 15 years. After selling the company, he began considering other avenues he could explore. After recruiting two co-founders, Bryan was able to focus on tech development for GreenPal.

Apr 27, 202229:17
Future Driven - Episode 32: Mindset Is Everything

Future Driven - Episode 32: Mindset Is Everything

Welcome to Episode 32 of Future Driven! Mindset is perhaps the most vital component contributing to success, both in personal and professional endeavors. The way you think about the world and your thought processes directly impact how you behave towards others and how you handle whatever obstacles come your way.

This is why having a good attitude and outlook on life is critical. Putting the time and effort into nurturing the right mindset will give you a massive competitive advantage and help you reach your goals. In this article, we will explain why mindset is so important and how it can be the determining factor in your business’s success.

Apr 11, 202204:35
Future Driven - Episode 36: Shana Steigerwalt

Future Driven - Episode 36: Shana Steigerwalt

Welcome to episode 36 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Shana Steigerwalt, CEO of Modern Driven Media. Shana has a knack for building strong connections with her team and clients, ensuring that Modern Driven Media runs smoothly. Her experience in marketing and communications has helped her make Modern Driven Media the success that it is today.

Shana launched Modern Driven Media at the age of 22 with a background in digital marketing and communications. She spent some time in sports radio doing different tasks, such as broadcasting, on-site events, and helping with online publicity. Following this, Shana moved into casinos, where she helped with customer management and digital marketing tasks. When her outside connections turned to her for advice on hiring a social media worker, Shana realized that she could use her knowledge to create something bigger. From here, Shana was able to create Modern Driven Media.

Apr 11, 202226:06
Future Driven - Episode 35: The Idea Behind the Madak Guide

Future Driven - Episode 35: The Idea Behind the Madak Guide

Welcome to episode 35 of Future Driven! Here’s the harsh truth—it’s impossible to grow a business without marketing. That’s why many companies spend a pretty penny on marketing agencies and specialists to help them create and execute their marketing campaigns.

Unfortunately, hiring an agency isn’t always a long-term solution to a business’s marketing needs. With this fact in mind, we created the Madak Guide to empower people to do their own marketing by teaching them the fundamentals.

Apr 04, 202204:33
Future Driven - Episode 34: Compassionate Ruthless Leadership

Future Driven - Episode 34: Compassionate Ruthless Leadership

Welcome to Future Driven Episode 34! At first glance, the words “compassionate” and “ruthless” may seem to be complete opposites of one another, but they are a masterfully balanced combination when viewed through the lens of leadership.  

Being completely ruthless as a leader comes with its benefits and drawbacks, as does being purely compassionate. When these two traits are put together, compassionate ruthless leadership is created, which often breeds success for both the business itself and for the team members that keep it running.

Mar 22, 202203:50
Future Driven – Episode 33: Jeff Humphreys

Future Driven – Episode 33: Jeff Humphreys

Welcome to episode 33 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Jeff Humphreys, the founder, and CEO of Shortline Creative, a digital marketing “un-agency” that creates content and runs campaigns to build brands and boost awareness.

Jeff is a man of many hats, and in addition to having decades of experience in the marketing industry, he has made his mark as an athlete and a DJ as well. In this podcast, he talks about the value of long-term relationships and creating networks, as well as how vital it is to use your personality as a way to promote your brand and company.

Mar 15, 202234:25
Future Driven - Episode 31: I am Future Driven

Future Driven - Episode 31: I am Future Driven

Welcome to Episode 31 of Future Driven! Adam digs deep into why having a future-driven mindset is important. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to succeed in the business world. You need to be able to assess risk, collaborate with others, and persevere in challenging moments. Your mindset also determines your success, and having a future-driven mentality is one of the most valuable advantages you can have.

Being future-driven, or future-oriented, is all about looking ahead, recognizing opportunities, setting goals, and understanding that you can mold the future with your decisions. This also ties in with the entrepreneurial mindset—always keeping an eye out for the “next big thing” and looking for ways to disrupt and improve the status quo.

Mar 02, 202203:06
Future Driven - Episode 30: Why Creativity Matters

Future Driven - Episode 30: Why Creativity Matters

There’s a lot of information out there about how to market. There are blogs that share tips and tricks, step-by-step lesson plans available for purchase, and gurus that claim to know the secrets to success. These days, it’s almost like marketing is treated as a mathematical formula—if you follow certain rules and use the correct order of operations, you will reach your end goal.

However, we have to remember that marketing is not like physics or algebra. Effective marketing relies on more than just using the newest tools correctly and putting the right things in the right places. Marketers will always measure metrics, look at data, and perform analytics, but the less “rigid” aspects of marketing like human psychology and emotion also play a huge role in the way marketing strategies evolve.

This is where creativity comes into play. In order to make unique, one-of-a-kind marketing campaigns that truly draw in a target audience, you have to dive deep into your own creativity and find new, exciting ideas.

Feb 25, 202203:30
Future Driven - Episode 29: Eric Turner

Future Driven - Episode 29: Eric Turner

Welcome to episode 29 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Eric Turner, Director of Growth Marketing at Cotopaxi. Eric has years of experience working with several agencies in different positions.

After graduating from Auburn University in Alabama with a degree in apparel merchandising production and design, Eric moved to Chicago to manage apparel for an events company. He then acted as a search coordinator at Resolution Media and eventually led the search practice for travel clients at PHD Media. With a love for dynamic problem solving and a desire to work for a company with an admirable mission, Eric recently shifted to a career in growth marketing at Cotopaxi.

Feb 02, 202234:05
Future Driven – Episode 28: Allison Tesnar

Future Driven – Episode 28: Allison Tesnar

Welcome to episode 28 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Allison Tesnar, an old colleague from RPM Advertising and the current VP of Investment at Empower.

Allison has experience in several different roles at agencies of different sizes. After her time at RPM Advertising, she knew she wanted to work in the digital marketing space, so she took a job at Resolution Media where she was involved with the first-ever influencer campaign for LeapFrog toys.  With a knack for recognizing what would be big in the world of marketing and advertising, Allison has worked to innovate and bring teams together at several agencies, including Starcom, 360i, and Accenture. She is now VP of Investment at Empower, a mid-size advertising agency.

Dec 20, 202129:16
Future Driven - Episode 27: Ethan Wiechmann

Future Driven - Episode 27: Ethan Wiechmann

Welcome to episode 27 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Ethan Wiechmann, director of Cedar Valley Caps and a former rugby player. Ethan’s program is dedicated to helping high school kids get a sense of what they want to do in life and find their purpose.

The Cedar Valley Caps program is dedicated to shaping the future of young people by giving them the chance to experience life in the workplace from an early age so they can get a sense of what their life as an adult may look like. They help thousands of high schoolers explore their interests so they can find an occupation that they will enjoy for the rest of their lives. Ethan is determined to modernize our education system for the 21st century and is constantly looking for ways to make positive changes whenever possible.

Nov 10, 202138:12
Future Driven - Episode 26: Ethan Bull

Future Driven - Episode 26: Ethan Bull

Welcome to episode 26 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Ethan Bull, who co-founded ProAssisting.com with his wife Stephanie. Through ProAssisting.com, Ethan and his wife aim to unite companies with his quality remote executive assistants, all of whom are thoroughly trained and equipped with the skills they need to thrive as exceptional assistants.

Ethan grew up working at his father’s restaurant. He started as a busboy and eventually advanced to assistant manager. In every position, he quickly learned just how far quality hospitality can take a business. When it came time to train assistants himself, Ethan realized that certain qualities simply distinguish some assistants from the rest. Perhaps most notably: the difference between simply providing a service and going above and beyond with hospitality in mind.

Sep 28, 202129:16
Future Driven - Episode 25: Mark Davis

Future Driven - Episode 25: Mark Davis

Welcome to episode 25 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Mark Davis, founder of Hero Creative. Mark’s creative agency provides top-tier services to its clients and contributes to philanthropic causes such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

After high school, Mark followed his passion for aviation sports such as paragliding, base jumping, and skydiving. He taught and competed in this space for about a decade, and then began working in a corporate marketing and sales organization and moved up quickly. Some years later, he had a revelation about his life and his purpose and quit his job to begin Hero Creative and do philanthropic work. Mark’s creative agency now works closely with clients to build websites, create logos and brand identities, shoot commercials, guide start-ups, and much more.

Sep 14, 202135:19
Future Driven - Episode 24: Matt Frary

Future Driven - Episode 24: Matt Frary

Welcome to episode 24 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Matt Frary from Chief of Chaos. Over the course of his 22 years of experience with affiliate and influencer marketing, Matt has founded 6 successful digital performance marketing and technology companies.

In addition to Matt’s lengthy and impressive career history, he also completed financing and marketing degrees through the famous Thunderbird international MBA program in Arizona. He now acts as a consultant and a mentor for entrepreneurs and helps others innovate and improve their business strategies.

Aug 31, 202129:11
Future Driven - Episode 23: Dan Ashburn

Future Driven - Episode 23: Dan Ashburn

Welcome to episode 23 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Dan Ashburn, co-founder of Titan Network. Dan has a knack for all things internet- and tech-related and is dedicated to helping other entrepreneurs succeed in eCommerce with his company Titan Network.

In his youth, Dan often occupied his free time with building websites and dabbling in other internet- and tech-based pastimes and side projects. After serving in the military for about 5 years, he decided to follow his passions and started his own agency. Eventually, he began feeling bogged down with the work, and jumped at the opportunity to get more involved with eCommerce. Dan now has a very successful eCommerce setup through Amazon and also helps run his company Titan Network.

Future Driven is hosted by Adam Kopp, CEO of the strategic marketing agency, Madak. In each episode, Adam talks to different industry leaders, discussing their careers, leadership styles, and goals for the future.

Aug 10, 202123:26
Future Driven - Episode 22: Jason Wilmot

Future Driven - Episode 22: Jason Wilmot

Welcome to episode 22 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Jason Wilmot, Head of Education at Canva. Jason believes everyone can be a designer and has a passion for making the world a better place through his work with educators and students.

Despite his past operational roles and his degree in supply chain management, Jason found himself focused on education for the majority of his career. In his last 10 years at Microsoft, Jason worked mostly in education and did everything from writing education contracts and building education platforms to leading education teams in various endeavors. Meant to be a tailored solution for classrooms, Canva for Education was launched in 2020 shortly before Jason joined the Canva team.

Jul 27, 202128:30
Future Driven - Episode 21: Kerry Carter

Future Driven - Episode 21: Kerry Carter

 Welcome to episode 21 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Kerry Carter, a former NFL and CFL player who is currently Chief Operating Officer at Atavus. Kerry uses his years of experience on and off the field to help coaches and players learn how to make tackling safer and more effective.

After moving on from Stanford in 2003, Kerry played for the Seattle Seahawks for three years until being picked up by the Washington Football Team (formerly known as the Washington Redskins). Eventually, Kerry was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes and finished out his football career with them in 2011. After transitioning into the world of business with his ventures, JumpIt Media and Apex Agency, Kerry joined Atavus, a tackling analytics company.

Jun 29, 202138:12
Future Driven - Episode 20: Joey Gilkey

Future Driven - Episode 20: Joey Gilkey

Welcome to episode 20 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Joey Gilkey, founder of Sales Driven Agency. Joey is committed to using his valuable career experiences to help other agencies build successful sales operations.

After working for nonprofit organizations, Joey joined the corporate world and gained a wealth of helpful sales operations knowledge. He then changed courses and began working with two small businesses as the Vice President of Sales before making the decision to work solely for himself. Joey first built an outsourced sales agency called Tribe that he has since sold, and then founded his current consulting firm, Sales Driven Agency. Now with his own podcast and several other endeavors, he is focused on growing his business while helping others grow theirs.

Jun 14, 202133:18
Future Driven - Episode 19: Lynn Whitbeck

Future Driven - Episode 19: Lynn Whitbeck

Welcome to episode 19 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Lynn Whitbeck, Founder and CEO of Petite2Queen and Future Forward Sales. Lynn is committed to providing sales and leadership training to small and midsize businesses.

With a background in B2B sales, Lynn excelled in her field after graduate school. She followed her passion for sales and has experience as a high-achieving executive and as the CEO of two different startups, supplying her with an abundance of operations and production knowledge. Lynn launched Petite2Queen in 2016 to encourage women to pursue careers in sales and leadership and to provide strategic development programs for small to midsize businesses.

May 17, 202121:11
Future Driven - Episode 18: Greg Hickman

Future Driven - Episode 18: Greg Hickman

Welcome to episode 18 of Future Driven! This week, Adam talked with Greg Hickman, owner and founder of AltAgency, a business that helps agencies and individuals grow their businesses without sacrificing every ounce of their time and effort.

Greg has worked for several media agencies throughout his career and has experience with companies of all sizes, including Pepsi and Unilever. In 2012, he started his own podcast and shortly after began his own side business that offered courses on mobile marketing and consultation services. After realizing that his passions lay outside of the corporate sphere, Greg quit his job and became entirely self-employed in 2014.

May 11, 202143:53
Future Driven - Episode 17: Marla Williams

Future Driven - Episode 17: Marla Williams

Welcome to episode 17 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke to Marla Williams, a successful life, career, and business coach, radio host, and author with an impressive background in strategy and HR.

Marla became an HR manager 6 months out of college and later founded the HR department for the startup company Genie Industries, which was recently acquired by a Fortune 500 company. She has been consulting and coaching under her own brand for more than a decade and recently released The Being Zone, a book about dealing with stress and avoiding burnout both as the head of a business and as an individual.

May 04, 202134:03
Future Driven - Episode 16: Dallen Stanford

Future Driven - Episode 16: Dallen Stanford

Welcome to episode 16 of Future Driven! This week, Adam talked to Dallen Stanford, former USA Eagle and current commentator for both MLR (Major League Rugby) and World Rugby. With experience playing, teaching, marketing, and commentating, Dallen is a jack of all trades within the world of rugby.

After moving to the United States from South Africa and playing for a Division 2 club team, Dallen became an Eagle and appeared at his first tournament in 2007. After retiring from the field, he became a media manager for several years and got his first shot in the commentator’s booth at Infinity Park at Glendale in Colorado, eventually becoming a commentator for World Rugby in 2015.

Apr 27, 202139:39
Future Driven - Episode 15: Ed Cinefro

Future Driven - Episode 15: Ed Cinefro

Welcome to episode 15 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke to Ed Cinefro, Adam’s former coworker at RPM Advertising and the current Vice President of Service Delivery at Access Marketing Company in Colorado.

Today, Ed does a lot of work involving clients in the IT, telecommunications, and healthcare IT space, though he has experience in several different kinds of marketing and advertising. In this episode, Ed offers great insight into the roles that one can take on in this career and emphasizes the importance of providing people with the tools they need to do their job effectively.

Apr 20, 202135:54
Future Driven - Episode 14: Matt Cornelison

Future Driven - Episode 14: Matt Cornelison

Welcome to episode 14 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Matt Cornelison, a video producer with vision. As the founder of FUNGI media, Matt works on making videos that “people actually want to watch,” to quote him directly.

After studying film, Matt started out his career in Chicago shooting weddings, law depositions, sports, or anything he could reasonably cover as a freelancer. He got hired at a small marketing company and his video production skills spoke for themselves. After several years of experience managing a team, being a creative director, and producing videos, he decided it was time to start his own business — FUNGI media.

Apr 13, 202143:23
Future Driven - Episode 13: Russ Perry

Future Driven - Episode 13: Russ Perry

Welcome to episode 13 of Future Driven! This week Adam talked with Russ Perry, CEO of Design Pickle, the #1 creative services platform in the world that offers flat rate ways to get graphic design every single day. From his first business at age eight convincing adults to pay him to read to them, Russ has been creative and business driven.

Unable to find people with design talent in an easy, accessible way for his business, Russ launched Design Pickle which has expanded to 13 countries, 4,000 clients, and 700 team members since 2015. From personal coach to successful CEO, Russ is an innovator. In this episode, Russ offers insight into the importance of innovation, creativity, and personal investment as the cornerstones of successful business.

Apr 06, 202141:27
Future Driven - Episode 12: Travis Huisman

Future Driven - Episode 12: Travis Huisman

Welcome to episode 12 of Future Driven! This week, Adam talked to Travis Huisman, a ‘recovering accountant’ who started a unique bookkeeping business. With experience working at an agency, leading an existing company, and creating his own business, Travis’ leadership style combines multiple perspectives for maximum effectiveness.

Starting as an accountant working at a traditional accounting firm, Travis received an offer to become a CFO and lead a company through its upcoming transition. After the transition, Travis decided to build his own bookkeeping business. Flexure’s focus is on comprehensive support for entrepreneurs, not just accounting services.

Mar 23, 202136:05
Strategic Thinking and Creative Solutions

Strategic Thinking and Creative Solutions

Marketing requires a particular skill set to navigate through a brand successfully. You have to think through problems, big or small, and find solutions that match your client’s resources and requirements.

Working with a variety of clients throughout my career, I’m very familiar with strategic thinking and creative solutions. I know how to find solutions to problems that my clients might not even realize they have.

A lot of marketing and business-related issues can be challenging to solve, and often clients need an outsider’s help. Companies like Madak come in, evaluate the problem, develop strategies to address it, and implement long-term solutions.

Mar 15, 202109:12
Future Driven - Episode 11: Charles Leichtweis

Future Driven - Episode 11: Charles Leichtweis

Welcome back to the Future Driven Podcast! This week, Adam spoke with Charles Leichtweis, an old family friend, published author, and business veteran. With Charles’ years of experience as a leader in business, he’s able to provide us with tips for leadership and success.

Like in his book, ‘The Power of Respect in Business’, Charles offers insight into the relationship side of business and how to navigate that successfully. His experiences in different leadership positions and industries gave him the knowledge and skills he has today. Now, Charles helps run the company he founded, Experts in How, and continues to use the lessons he learned earlier in his career.

Mar 02, 202126:57
Future Driven - Episode 10: Patrice Poltzer

Future Driven - Episode 10: Patrice Poltzer

Welcome to episode 10 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke to Patrice Poltzer, a media professional who went from selling books door-to-door to running her own content creation company.

As someone who started her career in her late twenties, Patrice knows how important it is to have a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn. Patrice tells us about how she went from career to career and how mistakes can sometimes lead to success. With previous jobs at CNN, Bloomberg, and the Today Show, Patrice learned everything she could about media and content creation before deciding to start her own company.

Feb 22, 202147:03
Future Driven - Episode 09: Jesse Cole

Future Driven - Episode 09: Jesse Cole

Welcome to episode 9 of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke with Jesse Cole, founder of the Savannah Bananas. Jesse and the Bananas have reimagined baseball, placing entertainment over the sport.

Starting as a baseball player himself, Jesse then went on to manage his first team, the Gastonia Grizzlies. Jesse reinvigorated the dying team, focusing on the fans and entertainment over the sport itself. He then took his innovative ideas to a professional team in Savannah, who then became the Savannah Bananas.

Feb 16, 202131:33
Future Driven - Episode 08: Scott Kaylin

Future Driven - Episode 08: Scott Kaylin

Welcome to episode eight of Future Driven! This week, Adam spoke to Scott Kaylin, a man who has had a long career full of successes and failures. From biking apparel to pickles, Scott has run companies in widely different fields.

Starting out in the fashion industry, Scott originally had an incredibly successful clothing company. It went bankrupt, and Scott started a biking apparel business. After that, he moved to Vancouver and started a pickle business. Scott tells Adam all about how he got to where he is today, and why he went from apparel to pickles.

Feb 08, 202152:15
Future Driven - Episode 07: Joe McSwiney

Future Driven - Episode 07: Joe McSwiney

On this week’s episode of Future Driven, Adam spoke with Joe McSwiney, a former engineer with Cascade Designs. After earning his MBA, McSwiney had nearly a decade of experience with managing and manufacturing. During his tenure with Cascade Designs, McSwiney has sported many hats, dipping his toes in sales, marketing, and I.T. After ten years of working with Cascade, McSwiney was promoted to CEO. He later went on to run his own company, NUA Holdings.

McSwiney walked us through adapting to the changing workforce climate in the wake of the pandemic and the tenacity it takes to run multiple companies. He explains the importance of accountability and communication in the workplace, the value of setting long and short term goals for your business, and the realistic expectations that you can expect from your employees.

Feb 02, 202134:47
Future Driven - Episode 06: Gary Ritkes

Future Driven - Episode 06: Gary Ritkes

Welcome to episode six of Future Driven! This week, Adam talked to Gary Ritkes, co-founder of SproutLoud Media Networks. As professionals in the marketing industry with different specialties, Adam and Gary explore SproutLoud’s history and effective leadership styles.

SproutLoud had a banner year in 2020, powering through COVID-19 with their entire staff. Gary gives us some insight into his incredible company culture and how his business was able to achieve so much in the face of such a challenging year. As the founder and leader of a company with a long history and an empowering culture, Gary has a unique perspective on leadership.

Jan 25, 202130:22
Future Driven - Episode 05: Calvin Nellis

Future Driven - Episode 05: Calvin Nellis

Welcome to the fifth episode of the Future Driven Podcast! This week, Adam spoke with Calvin Nellis, whom he worked with at Serevi Rugby. Now, Calvin is a software developer for Amazon Explore.

As a developer on this brand-new digital experience, Calvin gives us some insight into how the technology was developed and his work at Amazon. He tells us about his own career and the future of this technology. Calvin also flips the script on Adam, asking him questions about Madak and his career.

The Future Driven Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Adam Kopp, founder and CEO of Madak, a strategic marketing agency. In each episode, Adam welcomes a new industry professional to discuss their careers, success, and goals for the future.

Jan 12, 202148:20
Future Driven - Episode 04: Benji Travis

Future Driven - Episode 04: Benji Travis

Welcome to the fourth episode of the Future Driven Podcast! This week, Adam welcomes Youtuber and author, Benji Travis. Benji and Adam talk about Benji’s long career on YouTube and his plans for the future.  

Having been on the platform for over a decade, Benji has a unique perspective on social media and influencers. We get to hear about the lesser-known field of content creation from an inside source, and we get to know more about Benji’s strong work ethic and drive for success.  

The Future Driven Podcast is hosted by Adam Kopp, CEO of the strategic marketing agency, Madak. Each week, Adam welcomes a different entrepreneur or industry professional to talk about their leadership styles, experiences, and plans for the future.

Dec 29, 202058:44
Future Driven - Episode 03: Mark Michael

Future Driven - Episode 03: Mark Michael

Welcome to the third episode of the Future Driven podcast! This time, DevHub CEO and co-founder, Mark Michael, joined Adam to talk about his company and how he got started. Mark is an eccentric businessman that has an eye for detail and an appetite for success.

Mark let us in on how DevHub began and what exactly they do. He and Adam also discuss the challenges of building a company, the importance of outstanding leadership, LinkedIn, and motivation. With a dash of personal conversation, we get some insight into Mark’s incredible drive and commitment to success.

Dec 14, 202031:53