Business Breakdown

Dr. Cree Scott is the Founder and CEO of Serenity Psy Consulting, a boutique leadership development firm that blends psychology, executive coaching, and facilitation. In this episode of Business Breakdown , Dr. Scott shares her journey from clinical psychologist to management consultant at Deloitte—and why she left it all to build a values-driven business rooted in peace, purpose, and impact. She...

Jennifer Fink is the CEO and Career Coach of Fink Development, a coaching agency helping mid-career professionals navigate inflection points with clarity and purpose. In this episode, Jennifer shares how she transitioned from higher education to full-time entrepreneurship and built an agency model that aligns with her values, strengths, and lifestyle. She unpacks lessons learned from testing multi...

Jason Frazell is the CEO of Jason Frazell Coaching, LLC, where he helps founders, executives, and high-performers unlock their potential through transformative coaching. In this episode, Jason shares his journey from tech sales leadership to entrepreneurship, and how he built a thriving facilitation and coaching business from the ground up. During this conversation, Jason ives into the mindset shi...

Mike Kim is a Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author and Consultant. In this episode, Mike shares his journey from Chief Marketing Officer to full-time entrepreneur, and how he built a thriving business rooted in personal branding, content creation, and strategic clarity. Mike unpacks the power of mastering one skill at a time, how to avoid shiny object syndrome, and why he favors simplicity over...

Ciela Hartanov is an Organizational Consultant and Coach at humcollective. In this episode, Ciela shares her journey from leading future of work initiatives at Google to launching her own consulting and coaching practice focused on transformation and foresight. She reflects on the challenges of redefining identity after leaving a corporate role, the slow pace of business development, and building...

Darren McKee is the Founder of Darren McKee Co., where he helps entrepreneurs and sales teams master the art of selling through LinkedIn. In this episode, Darren shares his journey from delivering mail to managing sales at top coaching companies like BetterUp and Skye, to building a successful solo business that blends personal branding, social selling, and cohort-based learning. He discusses the...

Jess Almlie is a Learning and Performance Strategist and Founder of Almlie Consulting. In this episode, Jess shares her journey from VP of Learning and Development to independent consultant and how strategic reflection and networking helped her make the leap. During this conversation, Jess unpacks the evolution of her business, including the creation of her “coach-sulting” model and upcoming book...

Morgan Williams is an advisor and consultant to People Leaders as well as the the Founder and CEO of PeakHR, a HR consulting and training company. In this episode of Business Breakdown, Morgan shares how her unconventional path, from studying theater to becoming a Chief People Officer, informs her approach to leadership, talent, and organizational design. She dives into the importance of founder a...

Jennifer McClure is the Founder and CEO of Unbridled Talent, LLC. In this episode, she shares her journey from corporate HR to building a thriving speaking business and the key lessons she’s learned along the way. Jennifer dives into how she discovered her passion for professional speaking, the importance of personal branding, and the critical role that relationships with peers and industry collea...

Sara Canaday is a Leadership Strategist, Speaker, and Founder of Sara Canaday & Associates. In this episode, she shares her journey from insurance executive to successful entrepreneur, diving into how personal reflection, burnout, and the desire for fulfillment led her to create a leadership development training business that aligns with her values. During the conversation, Sara discusses the...

In this episode of The Business Breakdown , we sit down with Sarah Ohanesian—keynote speaker and productivity expert—who shares her journey from Chief Marketing Officer to successful entrepreneur. Sarah reveals what inspired her to launch a productivity-focused business, how she transitioned from coaching to speaking, and the key lessons she’s learned along the way. We dive into the challenges of...

In this episode of the Business Breakdown Podcast, Al Dea interviews Devon O'Rourke, founder and managing partner at Fluvio. They discuss Devon’s transition from a corporate career in product marketing at Amazon and Etsy to starting his own consulting business. The conversation covers the challenges of finding initial clients, the importance of service market fit, and the strategic expansion o...

Jessica Lackey is a consultant who works with founders and owners of expertise-based businesses. With a background in consulting, operations, and strategy at Fortune 500 companies and McKinsey, Jessica now helps solopreneurs and small business owners build sustainable, aligned businesses. In this episode, she shares her journey from corporate life to entrepreneurship, the challenges of finding the...

In this episode of The Business Breakdown, Al Dea sits down with Alex Seiler—fractional CPO, advisor to HR tech startups, and former Chief People Officer—to unpack what it’s really like to build a business as a fractional executive. Alex shares how he got started in the fractional advising space, what makes a strong client fit, and the lessons he’s learned the hard way about pricing, client select...

Katie Baird is an Executive Coach who left a successful consulting career to build a thriving solopreneur coaching practice. In this episode of The Business Breakdown , Katie shares her journey from Deloitte to launching her own business, her philosophy on building trust-based client relationships, and why finding a clear niche has been key to her success. She opens up about lessons learned the ha...

Megan Galloway is a Facilitator, Keynote Speaker, and Founder of Everleader, a leadership consulting firm dedicated to developing confident, capable leaders. In this episode, Megan shares her insights on the evolving landscape of leadership and how organizations can create environments where leaders thrive. She discusses the importance of trust, adaptability, and self-awareness in effective leader...

Matt Wexler is a Facilitator, Coach, and Leadership Development Expert who found himself on an unexpected path to entrepreneurship. In this episode, Matt shares his journey from leading global leadership development programs at Salesforce to launching his own coaching and facilitation practice. He opens up about the challenges of imposter syndrome, the power of experimentation, and how he’s learni...

Shelby is a former people leader at four venture-backed unicorn tech companies and now advises Series A-C startups on people, culture, and distributed work. After launching her consulting business in 2020, she’s built a thriving solopreneur practice, helping startups scale effectively while also mentoring other consultants. In this episode, Shelby shares how she found her niche, refined her offeri...

Brittany Hodak is an entrepreneur and keynote speaker who built a thriving business by helping companies create superfans. In this episode of The Business Breakdown , Brittany shares her journey from launching a business in the entertainment industry to becoming a sought-after speaker on customer experience. She breaks down how she built her speaking career, the lessons she learned about working w...

Tracie Sponenberg is the owner of an HR advisory consulting firm and a former Chief People Officer. In this episode of The Business Breakdown , she shares her journey from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship, detailing how she transitioned from a fractional HR leader to an advisor and consultant. Tracie opens up about the challenges of pivoting, the importance of autonomy, and the lessons she...

Yi Lin Pei is a Product Marketing Coach and Advisor and the Founder of Courageous Careers. In this conversation, Yi Lin shares her journey from being a civil engineer to becoming an entrepreneur in the field of career coaching and product marketing. She discusses the pivotal moments that led her to start her own business, including how she turned a side-business into a full-time business,  the imp...

Justin Reinert is a Facilitator, Author, and Podcast Host with over 20 years of experience in talent development. In this episode of The Business Breakdown , Justin shares his journey from working in corporate talent roles at companies like Oracle and HSBC to launching his own business. He discusses the challenges of finding a niche, the evolution of his work in executive coaching and leadership d...

In this episode of The Business Breakdown , we chat with Melody Wilding—executive coach, keynote speaker, and author—to discuss her entrepreneurial journey. From starting as a therapist to building a thriving coaching business, Melody shares how she found her niche with “Sensitive Strivers,” developed scalable offerings, and transitioned from one-on-one coaching to group programs and courses. We d...

Welcome back to the Business Breakdown podcast. After a successful first season, we’re back for season 2. In this episode, Al Dea, podcast host shares some reflections from season 1, and previews season 2 of the Business Breakdown podcast Links Al’s Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/

Editor’s Note: This is a replay of a popular episode from Season 1. Stephanie Movahhed is an Executive and Business Coach, and the Founder of Stephanie Movahhed Coaching. In her coaching practice, Stephanie works with leaders and executives to improve their mindset to achieve their greatest goals.  During our conversation, Stephanie shares critical lessons she’s learned along the way in building h...