The 9–5 Exit Plan

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Robbie Mould, Managing Director of Mativus and creator of the Interest-to-Client Framework. Robbie works with experienced coaches who are already creating interest through networking, speaking, content, podcasts, and referrals—but aren’t consistently turning that attention into the right client conversations. We discuss why great coaching websites...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, international speaker, SEO expert, and founder of Honest HVAC Marketing Agency, Shaurya Jain. Shaurya’s entrepreneurial journey began with a life-changing moment as a teenager when he had the opportunity to ask Richard Branson a question about entrepreneurship. Today, he runs a specialised marketing agency focused exclusively on HVAC...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, travel creator, pageant coach, fashion and jewelry designer, and Ms. World Traveler Kerry Damiano. Kerry has travelled to more than 130 countries and all 50 U.S. states while building a unique life and personal brand around travel, style, entrepreneurship, and her decades of experience in the pageant industry. But her journey hasn’t b...

Today’s guest is Greg Junge — entrepreneur, author, real estate investor, and co-owner of Your Clean Books, a bookkeeping company he operates with his wife. Greg is also the founder of Money Mindset Academy and the author of Teen Money Mindset and Parent Money Mindset . Through his work, Greg helps families build healthier relationships with money by turning everyday financial moments into practic...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur and REMory founder Brandon Christian to explore the fascinating science of targeted memory reactivation and the journey of turning that research into a real product. Brandon discovered the research while searching for ways to help his grandmother after a fall affected her memory. What began as a homemade experiment eventually became a...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with podcast host, journalist, and Auburn University graduate Noah May. Noah is the host of three podcasts — lethal venom , Southern Reads , and Music Talks — where he explores honest conversations around life, books, music, and the experiences that shape us. But behind the podcasts is a deeply personal story of overcoming self-doubt, feeling like an ou...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with online entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author, and TEDx speaker Mike Swigunski. Mike helped scale Empire Flippers as employee #4 and was involved in more than $120 million in online business acquisitions. He has since built multiple remote companies, travelled to more than 100 countries, and dedicated his work to helping people earn from anywhe...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with leadership expert and creator of Shared Performance, Jess Mitchell. With more than 20 years of experience leading teams and growing businesses across Australia and New Zealand, Jess explores why some leaders become the person everyone depends on — and how that can quietly limit both business growth and personal freedom. We discuss leadership, commu...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Maxwell Ivey, known around the world as The Blind Blogger. Maxwell’s entrepreneurial journey has taken him from the carnival business and amusement ride brokering to life coaching, online media, podcasting, and becoming an accessibility advocate and consultant. We discuss digital accessibility, entrepreneurship, inclusion, resilience, self-determin...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with marketing veteran, podcast producer, and founder of But Wait, There’s Moore, Rachel Moore. With 17 years of experience across content, inbound marketing, and podcasting, Rachel shares her perspective on what it really takes to build trust and meaningful human connections in today’s increasingly digital world. We discuss podcast marketing, AI, story...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Shanzila Ahmed, co-founder of ReachLLM, an AI-native Generative Engine Optimization agency. We explore one of the biggest changes happening in digital marketing: people are increasingly asking AI systems for recommendations instead of relying solely on traditional search. Shanzila explains why ranking highly on Google doesn’t automatically mean you...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with lifelong business leader, consultant, leadership development expert, and author Ed Doherty. Ed shares lessons from more than four decades of leadership, consulting, mentoring, and personal growth, drawing from experiences across restaurants, human resources, nonprofits, and business leadership. We discuss persistence, optimism, leadership, integrit...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with transformational coach, speaker, and author Susan Hensley. After decades in HR and corporate leadership, Susan discovered art journaling during a period of intense stress and major life transition. What began as a creative outlet became a powerful tool for processing emotions, managing chaos, and reconnecting with curiosity and joy. We discuss crea...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Dr. Cynthia Coy, founder and CEO of Uncaged Solutions, retired Air Force officer, and executive leadership coach. Cynthia helps high-achieving women move from overwhelm to overflow by developing the mindset, emotional intelligence, and leadership practices needed to succeed without losing themselves in the process. We discuss authentic leadership,...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with personal performance strategist, TEDx speaker, and Prime Performance creator Rob Tracz. We explore why hardworking entrepreneurs can become stuck despite doing everything they believe they’re supposed to do. Rob explains the difference between motion and momentum, why stagnation is often a direction problem rather than a work-ethic problem, and how...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Zack James, founder and CEO of StarScript, a self-publishing and entertainment platform built for independent creators. Zack is working to change the traditional publisher, label, and studio model by giving creators more control over publishing, monetization, collaboration, and relationships with their audiences. We discuss the creator economy, sel...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with pastor, leadership advisor, author, and C-suite leader Rev. Kevin T. Taylor. Kevin is the author of A Charge to Keep: Immutable Leadership Lessons from the C-Suite to the Pulpit , a book exploring the real weight of authority and the difficult decisions leaders are often forced to carry alone. We discuss leadership under pressure, decision-making,...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with clinical psychologist, executive coach, TED speaker, and author Dr. Robin Buckley. Robin brings a fascinating perspective to relationships: what if we approached our personal lives with some of the same intentionality, communication, and strategic thinking we use to build successful careers and businesses? We discuss why high-achieving people can s...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Ali Christos, Quantum Hypnosis practitioner, author, speaker, meditation teacher, and founder of the Conscious Practitioner Network. After more than 15 years in business, real estate, and coaching, Ali experienced a difficult divorce, encounters with mortality, and years of Vipassana meditation that fundamentally changed how he understood success,...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with entrepreneur, nonprofit executive, author, and Boston Marathon qualifier Kettia Ming. Kettia built a childcare business from her basement into a seven-figure company with four Manhattan locations before selling it to Fortune 500 companies. But after the sale, one of those companies came after her in a legal battle that nearly destroyed everything s...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with former senior HR executive and founder of Claris Vox, Helen Armstrong. After 27 years in financial services, Helen had achieved the professional success many people dream about. But beneath the accomplishments, she had spent decades suppressing parts of herself in order to fit expectations, stay appropriate, and move through the world smoothly. Eve...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Enterprise Revenue Architect and Commercial Advisor Zeeshan Qedwaee to explore why great technology companies often struggle to scale beyond their first major revenue milestones. With more than 20 years of global sales leadership experience, Zeeshan has generated tens of millions in enterprise revenue and worked across North America, Europe, and th...

In this episode of 9–5 Exit Plan, I sit down with award-winning television director, documentary filmmaker, author, professor, and global traveler Craig D. Forrest. Craig has traveled to more than 160 countries, completing hundreds of overseas assignments and telling stories from some of the world’s most challenging environments. His career has taken him into war zones, humanitarian crises, remote...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with media strategist and publicity expert Kate Engler, famously known by some journalists as the “PR Anti-Christ.” After more than 30 years around media and journalism, Kate has developed a radically different approach to publicity. Instead of encouraging entrepreneurs to become dependent on PR agencies, she teaches business owners how to understand th...

In this episode of 9-5 Exit Plan, I sit down with Houston Pierce, creator of 1000 Crazy Questions , film critic, movie nerd, storyteller, and lifelong explorer of the strange and fascinating sides of life. Houston’s career journey has taken him through mechanical engineering, construction, radio, tour guiding, entertainment, software testing, delivery driving, podcasting, and more. We talk about c...