The Entrepreneur Evolution

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Brian Will. With over 35 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur, Brian has a proven track record of success, having created seven highly successful companies across four different industries, with a combined worth of over half a billion dollars at their peak. Today, Brian is a visionary business leader, owning a growing chain of restaurants in the Atlanta area, an Insurance and Technology company in Denver and a residential and commercial Real Estate business in Georgia and Florida. Brian's expertise in turn around projects and ability to drive billions of dollars in sales has made him a highly sought after consultant and speaker in the business world.

You can explore more about Brian Will Media at https://brianwillmedia.com/

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more. 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Whitney Elkins-Hutten. Whitney Elkins-Hutten is the Director of Investor Education at PassiveInvesting.com, Founder of AshWealth.com, author of Money for Tomorrow: How to Build and Protect Generational Wealth published with BiggerPockets, co-author of the international #1 bestseller Resilient Women in Life and Business, host of the Passive Investing Made Simple YouTube show and podcasts, and a partner in $800MM+ in real estate — including over 6500+ residential units, 15 express car washes, and more than 2200+ self-storage units across 11 states—and experience flipping over $5MM in residential real estate.

You can explore more about Whitney on her website, PassiveInvestingWithWhitney.com

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more. 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Courtney Bannan. Courtney's legal journey includes serving as the Head of Legal for Grant Cardone, adding a unique dimension to her wealth of experience. Holding a Juris Doctor degree in International and Comparative Law, along with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Finance, Courtney seamlessly integrates legal acumen with a profound understanding of business dynamics.

As a certified Vinyasa yoga teacher, Courtney recognizes the transformative power of mindfulness in the legal profession. 

Currently, she serves as a law professor, guiding aspiring attorneys toward the entrepreneurial path, and shaping the future of the legal profession.

In addition to her role as a law professor, Courtney is the founder of The Entrepreneur’s Law Group, a boutique law firm catering to entrepreneurs, start-ups, and enterprises, where she exemplifies innovation.

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Andrea Vieira, Owner of nailsaloon. Andréa Vieira is an entrepreneur. As owner and co-founder of the nailsaloon, Washington's premier luxury and toxin-free nail salon and cocktail parlor, she currently oversees all operations in two locations – Logan Circle and Capitol Hill – and is managing an expansion that will lead to the nailsaloon’s five total DMV locations by 2024.

Formerly a journalist and television producer, Andréa spent over 20 years creating long- and short-format documentaries for networks like the Discovery Channel, TruTV, HGTV, Animal Planet and Discovery Health Channel, and for organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where she was also a speechwriter.

Whether it be directing documentaries, running multi-media events, or writing and producing programs or news stories, Andréa has created content in Europe, Asia, Africa, North, Central, and South America. As a reporter, she has covered stories of Latin American interest for Globo TV in New York; Telemundo in Washington, DC; and CNN in Atlanta. As a producer and writer, she has created content for organizations like the MacArthur Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative, the WHO, PSI, Project Hope, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

A naturalized U.S. citizen, Andréa was born in Brazil and has also lived in Spain and in the UK. She speaks fluent Portuguese, English, and Spanish and holds a Global Executive MBA from Georgetown University and ESADE, and a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Maryland. She currently serves on two Boards: Friends of the Art Museum of the Americas, and DC Coalition for the Homeless.

To learn more about nailsaloon, visit https://www.thenailsaloon.com/

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more. 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Olly Richards. 

Olly Richards had a series of random careers, from jazz musician to English teacher, before eventually starting a blog on his passion – language learning – and growing it into a $10 million business. Today, he writes a newsletter teaching other online entrepreneurs how to scale their businesses to 7+ figures, using StoryLearning as a “living case study”. 

As he was scaling StoryLearning, Olly constantly struggled to find other successful entrepreneurs who taught freely how they were growing their businesses. In the end, he had to figure it all out for himself, and committed to, one day, providing mentorship to others looking to navigate the perils of scaling. When StoryLearning turned 10, Olly launched his newsletter, teaching strategy and mindset to scale education companies to 7+ figures. 

Olly, from the UK, started his career as a jazz musician in the UK, playing professionally for seven years. He decided that career wasn’t for him, and instead trained as an English teacher. At 28, he took a teaching job in Japan and started a new career, later moving to Qatar and Egypt. 

Throughout all this time, Olly’s passion was learning foreign languages, and he taught himself eight languages. While living in the Middle East, he decided to channel this passion into creative output, and started a Wordpress blog teaching others techniques for learning foreign languages. Over the next 10 years, Olly grew his business from fledgling blog to multi-million dollar business, publishing dozens of books and becoming one of the most renowned language companies on the internet. 

Today, Olly is involved in multiple successful education companies as an investor, mentor and advisor, but his passion is still teaching and working with others. His newsletter focuses specifically on helping 6-figure business owners make the leap to 7+ figures and beyond.

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more. 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Kelley Thornton. Kelley Thornton was born and raised in Towson, MD. He moved to Brookfield, CT to finish up high school and start his first entrepreneurial pursuit, house painting. With the money he earned from the business he financed his college tuition at the University of Connecticut, where he would meet his future business partner and co-founder of Tiege Hanley, Rob Hoxie. 

After college, Kelley entered the Metropolitan New York area workforce as a sales representative in the point-of-purchase display and packaging industry. A few years into his career he was tasked with developing a Chicago presence for his company, Phoenix Display & Packaging, which later became part of International Paper. He relocated to Chicago, IL in 1993 and continued his trajectory to National Accounts Manager and ultimately Regional Sales Manager. 

After a successful 20-year-career in the throes of Corporate America, he left the industry to found his second company, Purchase Point LLC. Purchase Point helped CPG companies think differently about their in-store merchandising platforms. Growing quickly with global customers such as Unilever, Mars Wrigley, Bayer, and Pfizer, Kelley brought a creative approach to captivating consumers during the last seven seconds along their Path to Purchase. 

Through his experience at Purchase Point, Kelley found the rapidly growing men’s care industry inspiring. In 2016 he stepped away to found his next company, Tiege Hanley, a 6-year-old e-commerce company with the mission of helping men look and feel amazing. The business has evolved from selling three distinct Skin Care Systems to boasting a wide variety of products, including deodorant, bar soap, body wash, and a detoxifying clay mask. Tiege shipped its 1.5 millionth box in July 2022 and has over 350,000 customers worldwide. Kelley is focused on enriching the experience for all customers and guiding men to healthier lifestyles founded on self-confidence.

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by a return guest, Derrick Kinney. Derrick isn’t the “rah rah” 20-something Instagram influencer in skinny jeans who’s flat broke with not an ounce of common sense or business experience! He is a bestselling author and top-rated podcast host with a few gray hairs and lots of real-life money and business success. CNBC, FOX News, CNN, FOX Business, PBS and the Wall Street Journal have called on Derrick for easy-to-understand money and business advice. Started a financial planning business from scratch, grew it, acquired others, and recently exited for a record deal. Derrick is a former financial advisor who has helped thousands of clients achieve their financial goals. Forbes named Derrick one of the top financial advisors in the country. Trusted voice on business & money. Now, he’s created a keynote to help your financial advisors reach their dreams and achieve success in a fraction of the time.

To learn more about Simple Teen Success, visit https://www.simpleteensuccess.com/

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more. 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Afsha Butt, a Wealth Strategist, is the CEO and Founder of Wealthverse, a trailblazing financial technology company. She is an award-winning consultant with a distinguished record in the financial services sector. She boasts twelve years of experience, overseeing over $55 million in assets for affluent clients. Renowned for her expertise in unbiased investing, Afsha is passionate about awakening the untapped financial professional within established professionals. Utilizing intelligent money management and profound mindset development, she expertly bridges the gap between what her clients currently possess and the lifestyle they aspire to. 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Jane Stein. Previously employed with a large Wall Street firm, Jane was a Certified Financial Planner for more than two decades, providing comprehensive wealth management solutions for individuals representing over 250 million in assets. Jane now guides others through a due diligence process to identify and evaluate their options in the franchise space, using her extensive financial background as a guiding principle. With a special interest in helping women take charge of their financial futures, Jane’s goal is to help future franchisees identify opportunities that meet their interests, lean into their skill sets, and fall within their budget. She not only listens closely to her clients but also reads between the lines to help them find a business that will provide them with much-needed control over their careers and lifestyles.

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Augie Johnston. Augie Johnston is a 36 year old ex-YouTuber, former professional basketball player, turned entrepreneur. He is currently making waves in the video editing industry as a result of his promising start-up called VidChops. Vidchops, the brainchild of Augie, assists video creators, influencers, and digital marketers by carrying out the hard work of editing their videos. This allows them to focus more on the “content” side of their productions to therefore help them create more videos and better videos for their channel or brand. Augie works with full time YouTubers, online personalities, thought leaders, and anyone that creates online videos for their businesses.

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Drew Spaventa. Drew Spaventa is the fearless founder and CEO of The Spaventa Group (“TSG”). After over a decade in finance as an investment manager, managing director, and fund manager, Drew decided to achieve his vision of creating an “investment firm of tomorrow”, and thus TSG was born. Drew is responsible for leading TSG’s vision and managing TSG’s day-to-day operations.

To learn more about TSG, visit https://tsginvest.com/

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more. 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Rick Jordan. Rick Jordan is a magnetic force and unyielding CEO who clawed his way to the top through relentless determination and hard-earned wisdom. Rick is a sought after personality, appearing constantly on nationwide networks like CBS, Fox, NewsNation, Cheddar and more. A badass keynote speaker that ignites inspiration on stages at VeeCon, NASDAQ, Harvard Clubs, Mercedes and West Point Military academy. Rick founded ReachOut and took it from startup to a public company without the influence of outside money from private equity. He works with an OG Shark, consults the White House, and hosts his top podcast - ALL IN with Rick Jordan.

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Staeven Frey. Stæven is the “adorkable” Founder and the Chief Brand Scientist at Quantum Branding. He helps brands become authentic and memorable category leaders through the power of BrandScience™. BrandScience is the group of evidence-based metrics used to fuel a successful brand’s growth in the marketplace.

To learn more about Quantum Branding, visit https://www.quantumbranding.agency/ 

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more. 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Monica Smiley. Monica Smiley is the founder, publisher and CEO of Enterprising Women, a print and digital magazine reaching a million women entrepreneurs across the globe. She is also the founder and president of the Enterprising Women Foundation, a sister nonprofit that has an initiative to mentor and inspire the next generation through a program called Young Enterprising Women Mentoring Forums hosted at under-served high schools across the U.S. and Canada. An award winning journalist, she is considered a global leader in the women's business community.

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Brooke Foley. Brooke Foley, Founder & CEO of Jayne Agency is obsessed with helping small businesses leverage certification through brand strategy, pitch and story development. As a known content provider and author for MBE Magazine, WE USA, MBE Magazine, keynote speaker and master user centered designer, Brooke leads thousands through brand strategy sessions, campaign development, mission-based communications and more with her team of clarity driven Jayniacs.

To learn about Jayne Agency, visit https://www.jayneagency.com/

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more. 

Welcome to this week’s Entrepreneur Express Tip in 5 minutes or less! Today we are asking and discussing this question: What Type of Leader Do You Need to Be? Looking at your companies mission and goals, what type of leader do you need to be versus what type of leader you are right now? We discuss today! 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Chris Mirabile. As a serial entrepreneur, brain tumor survivor, and the youngest winner of NYU Stern's business plan competition, Chris Mirabile is known for beating the odds. 

His business success hit early with Hotlist, a startup that acquired nearly a quarter-billion people's social plans and caught the interest of both Google and Facebook. But when another business's underhanded dealings bankrupted his company, and an apartment break-in left him virtually penniless, Chris dropped from the high life to rock bottom.  

Since that first success (and failure), Chris has co-founded multiple lucrative startups, including a commercial real estate tech platform whose first clients possessed more than a half trillion USD in assets. 

Welcome to this week’s Entrepreneur Express Tip in 5 minutes or less! Today we are asking and discussing this question: do you have soldiers on your team or developing leaders? 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Karlie Causey. Dr. Karlie Causey has a doctorate in chiropractic, masters in human biology, pregnancy and postpartum coach, and a CrossFit level 2 coach. She is the owner of multiple businesses, 2 chiropractic practices as well as my postpartum activewear company (a startup) and an online postpartum rehab plan available for new moms. Karlie is the co-founder of the postpartum activewear brand Jen&Keri, sports chiropractor, and certified strength and conditioning coach who is passionate about providing practical tools to moms and moms-to-be, helping them restore their bodies and continue exercising after their babies are born.

To learn more about Jen & Keri, visit https://jenandkeri.com/

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more. 

Welcome to this week’s Entrepreneur Express Tip in 5 minutes or less! Today we are talking about what we can do as business owners when it comes to fraud and cybersecurity. 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Cathy Koch. Cathy Koch is Founder, CEO, and President of K-Tec Systems, a global manufacturer, distributor and integrator of advanced control systems. For almost 35 years they have been a reliable source to the automotive, aerospace, food and chemical industries manufacturing and distributing in UK, Germany, Canada, China and the United States.

Cathy has been featured in DBusiness Magazine as a business leader making a difference in the growth of her industry. In 2015, she was awarded “Outstanding Women's Business Enterprise achiever”. In 2017, K-Tec Systems was recognized as “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch” and in 2018 it was awarded “Best Small Business” and “SmartZone”.

In 2016, Cathy graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, and received a scholarship from General Motors to attend Tuck School of Business Executive Program. In 2022, Cathy was selected to be a participant in the 10,000 Small Businesses Export initiative with U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo. That same year she was accepted into the SBA T.H.R.I.V.E Emerging Leaders Reimagined program, from which she graduated last December after a six-month intensive business training. In 2023, has been recognized at the WBENC National Conference as a STAR Women Business Owner, for her excellence in business leadership, resilience, and mentoring.

K-Tec is WBENC certified, and Cathy sits on the Women Business Enterprise National Council Global Forum Committee. In the past, she has been Chair for the Great Lakes Women Business Council Forum. Cathy also serves on the Executive Board of the Automotive Women's Alliance Foundation as Vice-President of STEM projects. She is passionate in helping other women grow their businesses. Additionally, she enjoys golfing, cooking and family time with her two grandsons.

To learn more about K-Tec Systems, visit https://k-tecsystems.com/

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more. 

Welcome to this week’s Entrepreneur Express Tip in 5 minutes or less! Today we are talking about taking time to celebrate as a business owner.  

It’s a great time to get with your team and celebrate the wins – big or small as we head into the end of the year! 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Darleen Santore. Darleen Santore, better known as “Coach Dar,” is an author, Licensed and Board-Certified Occupational Therapist, sought-after motivational speaker, plus leadership and mental skills coach to professional athletes, CEOs and business leaders around the world. Best known for her mental strength conditioning work with athletes in the NBA, MLB, PGA and NHL she most recently worked as the mental conditioning and life coach for the Phoenix Suns. She was awarded the Most Inspiring Woman from WNBA and her #Raise-The-Bar approach shapeshifts mediocre attitudes into champion mindsets, reigniting the commitment to personal excellence and athletic stardom. Coach Dar also guides Fortune 100 executives, world leaders, artists, and entrepreneurs to awaken to their greatness and reach the highest level of emotional mastery and mental fortitude. Her new highly anticipated book, “The Art of Bouncing Back: Find Your Flow to Thrive at Work and in Life - Anytime You’re off your Game” (McGraw Hill), was released in February 2023.

To learn more about Coach Dar, visit https://www.coachdar.com/

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more. 

Welcome to this week’s Entrepreneur Express Tip in 5 minutes or less! Today we are talking about the two things you need to be a killer business owner! Yes, we’re making it that simple. So, what are these two things? 

#1: Resiliency

#2: Systemization

Listen now to learn how resiliency and systemization are vital for your business! 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Britt Reber, Founder & CEO of Growing Your Traffic and Enterprising Women’s 2023 Innovator of the Year Award Honoree.

She has 10+ years of digital marketing experience and she’s been a successful blogger since 2013. Now she helps business owners earn more money by getting discovered online through the power of beautiful websites and search engine optimization (SEO).

She has proven strategies & frameworks for growing website traffic with SEO, including using powerful backlink strategies and optimized content to rank her clients’ websites on the first page of Google.

For the business owners that would rather learn how to do their own marketing, Britt also provides trainings on digital marketing as well as private 1-on-1 mentorship.

Whether she’s leading the team or training her incredible community, Britt absolutely loves helping entrepreneurs create thriving online businesses!

Welcome to this week’s Entrepreneur Express Tip in 5 minutes or less! Today we are talking about your clients – specifically checking in with your clients and a few KPIs around the client experience that will help you as you are growing and probably getting busier and busier. Listen to this week’s Express Tips to learn more about the four KPIs you should be tracking and identifying in your clients. 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Don Schmincke. Don Schmincke is the author of the Best-Selling book The Code of Executive and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. He is an Award-Winning Speaker, Researcher, Founder of the SAGA Leadership Institute and delivered over 1,700 speeches.

To learn more, visit https://www.sagaleadership.com/

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more. 

Rick Elmore is an entrepreneur, sales and marketing expert. As the Founder and CEO of Simply Noted, Rick developed a proprietary technology that puts real pen and ink to paper to scale handwritten communication, helping businesses of all industries scale this unique marketing platform to stand out from their competition and build meaningful relationships with clients, customers, and employees.

Founded in 2018 and based in Tempe, Arizona, Simply Noted has grown into a thriving company with clients of various sizes across the country including in hospitality, real estate, insurance, nonprofit, franchise, B2B, and others. Rick has served as the company’s CEO since its founding, for more than four years, and has over a decade of sales and marketing industry experience.

“I help businesses of all industries to stand out from their competition & build meaningful relationships by using unique marketing platform”

Welcome to this week’s Entrepreneur Express Tip in 5 minutes or less! Today we are examining Facts vs. Assumption. 

Too often I see people jumping to conclusions without the facts. They are assuming things and it’s derailing them and sometimes spinning their entire world out of control. Sometimes if you just hit the brakes, take a deep breath, collect the facts, and avoid jumping to conclusions/making assumptions, then you could avoid all those feelings. 

We do not need more stress, worry or anxiety in our lives. Don’t make it self-induced. When you feel like you are assuming things you need to pause and ask yourself if this is facts or assumption. Don’t let yourself spiral by assuming the worst before you get all the facts. Once you do look at the facts you will be able to think clearly and make strong, confident decisions. 

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Joey Havens. is currently serving HORNE as managing partner of strategic growth. He joined HORNE in 1984 and previously served as executive partner from 2012 to 2021, leading more than 1,800 team members to build the Wise Firm while passionately living out his life’s calling to help others see and reach their full potential. Prior to being named executive partner in 2012, Joey served as

HORNE’s managing partner of health care services and the managing partner of government services, respectively.

Joey actively challenges the mainstays of business culture and strategic planning. He advocates growing leaders faster using holistic approaches and intentional sponsorship. In addition to his weekly beBetter blog, he is the author of numerous white papers and articles, including “Becoming the Firm of the Future,” published by AICPA. He has coauthored four books during his career at HORNE. Joey is an active member of CPA Practice Advisor’s Top 30 Thought Leaders, where he works with other accounting professionals to help lead and shape the industry. Joey is a frequent presenter/teacher/facilitator on creating a culture of

belonging, strategic planning, and leadership development and loves to teach

young professionals the “ABCs to Outstanding.”

He currently serves on the board of The Mustard Seed, a Christian community for adults with developmental disabilities, and Empower Mississippi. He is a past board member of HORNE LLP, Friends of Children’s Hospital, JDRF, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and AICPA Women’s Initiative Executive Committee. Joey earned a bachelor of business administration from the University of Mississippi. He attends St. Francis Catholic Church with his wife, Cathy.

On today’s episode of the Entrepreneur Evolution Podcast, we are joined by Laura Gassner Otting. Author, Catalyst, and Executive Coach Laura Gassner Otting inspires people to push past the doubt and indecision that keep great ideas in limbo by helping audiences think bigger and accept greater challenges that reach beyond their current, limited scope of belief.

She delivers strategic thinking, well-honed wisdom, and perspective generated by decades of navigating change across the start-up, corporate, nonprofit, political, as well as philanthropic landscapes. Laura dares audiences to find their voice, and generate the confidence needed to tackle larger-than-life challenges by helping them to seek new ways of leading, managing, and mentoring others.

Laura’s rebellious and entrepreneurial edge has been well-honed over a 25-year career that started when she dropped out of law school to join an unknown southern governor’s presidential campaign, and ended up as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton’s White House, where she helped shape AmeriCorps.

She left a leadership role as the youngest Vice President at a nationally respected search firm when she realized that her boss’s definition of success didn’t align with hers and, instead, founded and ran one of the fastest growing search firms in the country, partnering with the full gamut of mission-driven executives, from start-up dreamers to scaling social entrepreneurs to global philanthropists. In 2015, Laura sold that firm to the team who helped her build it, both because she was hungry for the next chapter and because she held an audacious dream of electing our nation’s first female president. (Whomp whomp.)

Since that time, Laura has appeared regularly on Good Morning America and the TODAY Show, and her writing has been seen in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, HR Magazine. Laura is the author of Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life (2019), which debuted at #2 on the Washington Post bestseller list (right behind Michelle Obama), has been translated into Arabic, Korean, Turkish, Portuguese, and German, and which Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts chose as one of her Favorite Books of 2019, as well as Mission-Driven: Moving from Profit to Purpose (2015). Her forthcoming book, Wonderhell, is expected in April 2023.

Through her own commitment to give back, Laura has helped build a local Montessori school, co-founded a women’s philanthropic initiative, advised a start-up national women’s PAC, grew a citizen-leadership development program, and completed five charity-inspired marathons, projects emblematic of her passions and values. She’s turned on by the audacity of The Big Idea and that larger-than-life goal you just can’t seem to shake. She’s an instigator, a motivator, and a provocateur, and she’s never met a revolution she didn’t like, just ask her enduringly patient husband, two almost-grown sons, and troublesome puppy with whom she lives outside of Boston, MA. 

To learn more about Laura and get her books, visit https://www.lauragassnerotting.com/

We would love to hear from you, and it would be awesome if you left us a 5-star review. Your feedback means the world to us, and we will be sure to send you a special thank you for your kind words. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” to automatically be notified when guest interviews and Express Tips drop every Tuesday and Friday.

Interested in joining our monthly entrepreneur membership? Email Annette directly at yourock@ievolveconsulting.com to learn more.