Grownlearn

In this GrowNLearn episode, host Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Travis D. Hahler, Senior Director of Global Strategy & Transformation at Salesforce, founder of The Neurological Nomad, and author of Rethink Resistance: Embracing Neuroscience to Lead Transformational Change. Why do so many well-funded, well-communicated transformation initiatives still fail? Travis brings a neuroscience-informed persp...

Cash Flow Over PowerPoint Hype What are investors actually looking for now? In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Robert G. Checchia, CFA, CFO of Benzinga, about the shift away from speculative ideas and towards businesses that can demonstrate revenue, EBITDA, recurring income and sustainable cash flow. Robert explains why a compelling presentation, an MVP or an A...

Can crypto payments, rent rewards, and real estate technology create a new path toward homeownership? In this episode of Grownlearn, host Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Zach Ipour, Co-founder of MegPrime Pay and owner of Megatel Group, about Meg PrimePay, a blockchain-based payment platform designed to let users pay rent and mortgage payments while earning rewards. Zach explains how Meg PrimePay wor...

What happens when the career you built your identity around suddenly ends? In this episode of Grownlearn, host Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Jack Oujo, former professional baseball umpire, author of Too Smart To Be An Umpire, and founder of a wealth management business that grew organically to approximately $800 million before being sold. Jack shares how he went from pursuing a career in profession...

How is AI changing the way brands innovate, launch products, understand consumers, and build stronger relationships with their markets? In this episode of Grownlearn, host Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Shantanu Srivastava, a global marketing and innovation leader with more than two decades of experience across major consumer brands including Twinings, Danone, Sanofi, and Reckitt. Shantanu explains...

Digital ad fraud is one of the biggest hidden costs in modern marketing — and many companies do not realize how much of their advertising budget is being wasted on fake clicks, bot traffic, fraudulent accounts, and misleading campaign data. In this episode of Grownlearn, host Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Rich Kahn, CEO of Anura, a digital ad fraud prevention platform protecting more than 2 million...

In this episode of Grownlearn, host Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Kevin Surace — Silicon Valley innovator, serial entrepreneur, futurist, AI pioneer, keynote speaker, Broadway producer, and inventor with 94+ worldwide patents. Kevin has been recognized as INC Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year, a CNBC Top Innovator of the Decade, a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, and has been featured by...

In this episode of Grownlearn, Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Nikola Totuhov, Founder & COO of Invisio, about how Agentic AI is transforming business operations, automation, and scalable growth. This is not a theoretical conversation. It’s a practical look at how AI is already being implemented inside companies to reduce manual work, unify fragmented data, and significantly improve operational effic...

In this episode of Grownlearn, Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Andrew Lebbos, SVP at Benzinga, about how financial data, market intelligence, and API infrastructure are reshaping brokerages, fintech platforms, and investing tools. They discuss how Benzinga grew from a financial media brand into a major data and licensing provider, how financial APIs are used across trading platforms, why flexible lic...

What does it really take to build a business in lending, and why is alternative capital becoming so important for entrepreneurs today? In this episode of Grownlearn, Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Oz Konar, founder of Business Lending Blueprint, about the world of business lending, business credit, and how entrepreneurs can build a recession-resilient business by helping others access capital. Oz sh...

What actually drives sustainable business growth: strategy, capital… or culture? In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, Zorina Dimitrova sits down with Chris Hallberg, also known as The Business Sergeant, to break down what truly makes companies scale, and why most founders underestimate the role of systems, accountability, and team alignment. Chris shares how the Entrepreneurial Operating Sys...

How do you build a successful supplement brand on Amazon—and scale it without wasting time, capital, or momentum? In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, host Zorina Dimitrova speaks with John Smiddy, founder of NutraMarketers, about how founders can build, launch, and scale supplement brands across Amazon, direct-to-consumer, and retail channels. John has helped launch over 200 supplement prod...

How can founders increase the value of their business before selling—and keep more of the proceeds after the exit? In this episode of the Grow & Learn Podcast by Grownlearn, host Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Marc Adams, strategy mentor and founder of Acquisitions4You, about how entrepreneurs can increase company valuation and prepare for a smarter, more tax-efficient exit. Marc works with founders...

VALUE-BASED PRICING, SUCCESS-BASED FEES, AND STRATEGIC PROFITABILITY — WHAT DOES IT REALLY TAKE TO PRICE WITH CONFIDENCE AND SCALE WITHOUT BURNOUT? Listen on all platforms: grownlearn.onpodium.com Explore strategic growth & capital advisory: www.grownlearn.org Request a private briefing on office@grownlearn.org

In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, I speak with Sean Tepper — Founder & CEO of Tykr — about what it really takes to invest intelligently and build a scalable fintech company from scratch. Sean started with a simple Excel-based stock rating model. Today, Tykr serves over 13,000 customers across 50+ countries and is raising a $1.3M seed round — after achieving strong product-market fit, impr...

Many high-income professionals do everything “right” — strong careers, disciplined saving, smart investments — and still feel financially stuck. In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, I sit down with Lane Kawaoka, real estate syndicator, 3× Amazon best-selling author, and host of the Wealth Elevator Podcast, to talk honestly about why that happens — and what actually changes the trajectory. La...

In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, host Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Bryan Adams, CEO and founder of Happydance and a leading voice in employer branding, talent attraction, and candidate experience. As AI tools like ChatGPT transform how candidates apply for jobs, organizations are facing a new challenge: too many applications, inflated credentials, and weaker cultural alignment. Bryan exp...

What separates successful investors, executives, and decision-makers from the rest isn’t luck—it’s how they understand risk, probability, and data. In this episode of GrowNLearn, host Zorina Dimitrova—investment matchmaker and strategic growth advisor—welcomes Dr. Michael Orkin, a renowned statistician and consultant who has advised casino odds-makers, Fortune-100 strategy teams, and global organi...

What if the customer experience principles behind Disney-level service and NASA-grade operational excellence could be applied to your business, without increasing your costs? In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, host Zorina Dimitrova, Investment Matchmaker & Strategic Growth Advisor, sits down with Vance Morris, a customer experience expert who has worked with Disney, NASA, and the Kennedy C...

In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, host Zorina Dimitrova (Investment Matchmaker & Strategic Growth Advisor) talks to Bryan Clayton, CEO & co-founder of GreenPal—a marketplace that connects homeowners with local lawn care professionals. LinkedIn +1 Bryan shares the real story behind building GreenPal after coming from the landscaping industry—how he learned the skills needed to build and sc...

In this episode, host Zorina Dimitrova talks with Ivan Radovic, creator of the Trust 360 leadership model and a key figure in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill response. Ivan shares powerful lessons on trust, crisis leadership, and what it takes to guide today’s multigenerational teams. You’ll hear how trust transforms performance, why vulnerability matters in leadership, and how to lead millennials wi...

What happens when AI, blockchain, and decentralized identity merge into a single system for human + machine knowledge? In this Grownlearn episode, host Zorina Dimitrova sits down with Billy Luedtke (ex-EY, ConsenSys, MetaMask) — now founder & CEO of Intuition Systems, the first blockchain network purpose-built for information finance. Billy breaks down: • Why decentralized information is the next...

What makes great leaders truly exceptional? In this Grownlearn episode, host Zorina Dimitrova sits down with Sébastien Page, Chief Investment Officer at T. Rowe Price, who joins in his personal capacity to explore the psychology of leadership, emotional intelligence, and the art of building high-performing teams. From his journey as a Canadian immigrant to leading one of the world’s top investment...

In this episode of GrownLearn, host Zorina Dimitrova sits down with Andrea Iorio — one of Brazil’s most sought-after keynote speakers and a global authority on digital transformation, leadership, and human behavior in the age of AI. Andrea shares his groundbreaking approach to AI implementation, focusing not on the technology itself but on people, mindset, and ethics. Drawing from his roles as Hea...

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