Evolving Your Workplace

Jennifer Barnes, Founder and CEO of Optima Office, joins Carol Schultz for a candid conversation about losing a company, starting over, and building a business around people. After experiencing a hostile takeover at her previous company, Jennifer came away with hard-earned lessons about business partnerships, equity, ownership agreements, and the importance of protecting yourself as a founder. Jen...

AI is changing the way businesses operate, but does that mean skilled people are becoming less important? Natalie Kaminski, Co-Founder and CEO of JetRockets, joins Carol Schultz to explain why she believes AI is a multiplier of human skills—not a replacement for them. In this episode of Evolving Your Workplace, Natalie shares how JetRockets uses AI to improve software development, increase efficie...

What does Gen Z really want from the workplace—and why are traditional leadership approaches struggling to meet their expectations? In this episode of Evolving Your Workplace, host Carol Schultz sits down with Alice Sherman, CEO of HVS Executive Search, to discuss how organizations can attract, develop, and retain the next generation of talent. Alice's career journey is a story of growth from the...

What does it really take to build a successful business while raising a family? And how do you keep pursuing your ambitions without losing sight of your own well-being? In this episode of Evolving Your Workplace, Carol Schultz sits down with Nicole Centeno, founder of Splendid Spoon, to discuss the realities of entrepreneurship, motherhood, and leading a growing company while navigating the demand...

Most brands are trying to persuade people instead of understanding what actually makes them care. Kevin Perlmutter shows why the real competitive advantage is emotional insight—and how the brands that win are designed around how people want to feel. Carol Schultz sits down with Kevin, founder and chief brand strategist at Limbic Brand Evolution and author of Brand Desire , to unpack why traditiona...

What if the fastest way to grow your business was to build tools for your own team first? Carol Schultz sits down with Socrates Bueno, founder and CEO of CVG Construction Management, to reveal how he turned an internal operational need into a lean, scalable business model that serves clients across the U.S. and Latin America. Socrates shares how CVG evolved from a traditional construction manageme...

"AI isn't replacing human connection — it's making it more valuable than ever.", Morana Mizrahi In this episode, Morana Mizrahi, co-founder and COO of Rebillia Platform, shares insights on how AI is transforming business operations, strengthening leadership authenticity, and fostering better client relationships. This conversation explores why the most successful leaders in the AI era won't be the...

One in four employees is seriously mentally distressed — and it's rarely about the person; it's about the workplace itself! This conversation dives into why workplace mental health is quietly collapsing, the hidden cost of untrained managers, and the simple systems — from tracked airtime to two-minute check-ins — that can turn a toxic culture around. We discussed: ◼ Why depression rates tripled du...

A company with no staff, no payroll, and no traditional org chart — just AI models, subscriptions, and 300 hand-picked consultants! How a business scales with zero employees: AI-powered prospecting, brutal consultant vetting, deliberately thin 33% margins, virtual CIOs delivering 400% ROI, and why vendors are keeping the AI savings their clients deserve. We discussed: ◼ Why a firm deliberately kee...

"People don't check their personal lives at the door—and pretending they do just makes it show up somewhere else." – Jimmy Rayford In this week's episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Jimmy Rayford, CEO of Dealers Wholesale, to challenge the old-school belief that "work is work, personal is personal"—and to share the tried-and-true technique leaders can use to build real connection with their team...

"Businesses don't fail because of what they do. They fail because of everything else." – Michael Sakata In this week’s episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Michael Sakata, President & CEO of the Maryland Transportation Builders and Materials Association (MTBMA), to discuss how federal policy decisions are impacting small businesses, contractors, and transportation firms across the country. Th...

In this week's episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Beth Goff- McMillan , CEO of SKG and founder/CEO of FOLIO , to dig into how office design has completely transformed since COVID—and why most companies are stuck in what Beth calls a "vortex of confusion" about what their workspace should even be. Beth shares 30 years of industry insight on the shift from rigid cubicle layouts to fully open offi...

“Lead yourself before you lead others.” – Jane Monroe In this week’s episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Jane Monroe, founder of Embrace the Grape Beverage Catering, to explore one of the most overlooked leadership skills: self-awareness. What started as a conversation about leadership quickly became a masterclass on blind spots, delegation, personal growth, and building teams that can lead them...

"Don't ask what I would do. Ask what's best for the patient." – Amit Gir, MD In this week's episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Amit Gir — physician, entrepreneur, and CEO of Phox Health — to dig into one of the most underrated leadership challenges: creating a culture where employees take real ownership, instead of waiting to be told what to do. Amit shares how he built a remote-first healthcar...

"If you don't plan for where your customers are moving, you're not going to have a business." – Melinda Powelson In this week's episode, Carol sits down with Melinda Powelson, CEO of Match Engine, to explore what brand survival really looks like when the industry you built your business on starts disappearing beneath your feet. From a Denver recycling company founded just after the first Earth Day...

“People don’t buy from logos—they buy from people.” – Rachel Gogos In this week’s episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Rachel Gogos, founder and director of strategy at brandiD, to unpack what it really takes to stand out in a world where nearly every business feels interchangeable. From AI-generated websites and generic branding to personal positioning and founder-led marketing, Rachel explains...

“If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” – Brent W. Rempe In this week’s episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Brent Rempe (President & CEO of First Alliance Credit Union) to unpack what actually drives workplace evolution—and why most companies fail to make their values meaningful. Brent shares how his team redefined their mission, vision, and values after realizing the old ones didn’t resonate...

“If you’re the linchpin… it gets really hard.” – Greg Moore In this week’s episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Greg Moore (Founder & CEO of Fit3D and WAIR) to unpack the reality of running two companies at the same time —and whether it’s actually possible to grow both without becoming the bottleneck. Greg explains how his businesses operate under one umbrella but function as completely separ...

“If something feels wrong, trust your gut.” – Brittany Stevens In this week’s episode, Carol Schultz sits down with employment attorney Brittany Stevens (Partner at Phillips & Associates ) to unpack the realities of sexual harassment, workplace discrimination, and power dynamics —and what leaders can do to create workplaces where people feel safe speaking up. Brittany explains how harassment i...

In this week’s episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Ryan Teicher (CEO of REDCOM Design and Construction) to unpack what it actually takes to create real collaboration in today’s workplace—especially in an era where technology is increasing isolation and younger employees struggle with in-person communication. Ryan explains how REDCOM has built collaboration into its operating model by bringing al...

“Go global—the world is bigger than North America.” – Adnan Haroon In this week’s episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Adnan Haroon (Founder & CEO of BIMAC Group) to break down what it actually takes to expand a business beyond North America—and why many companies never make that leap despite having the capital and capability. Adnan shares how he started his company in Canada and evolved into...

“If you're going to lead and grow a company and scale it, you can't be in the middle of everything.” In this week’s episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Jasen Gundersen (Founder & CEO of CardioOne) to unpack what it actually takes to build an autonomous work culture—and why most leaders unknowingly become the biggest bottleneck to their company’s growth. Jasen explains why micromanagement isn...

In this week’s episode, host Carol Schultz sits down with John Scott (Partner at Anders and leader of their Virtual CFO services practice) to unpack the realities of private equity, succession planning, and what it actually takes to build a business that survives beyond its founder. Drawing on decades of experience advising professional service firms, John breaks down why some companies scale sust...

“If you're not willing to invest in people, you probably shouldn't be an entrepreneur.” — Chris Carter In this episode of Evolving Your Workplace , host Carol Schultz sits down with Chris Carter , Founder and CEO of Approyo, to discuss the hard realities founders face when building and scaling a company — particularly inside the highly complex SAP ecosystem. From hiring mistakes to enterprise tech...

In this episode of Evolving Your Workplace , host Carol Schultz sits down with Ed Wolff, CEO of Aerwave, to unpack the reality of servant leadership at the executive level — and why it is far heavier than most people assume. Ed shares how leading with integrity, empathy, and accountability has shaped his career, and why stepping into the CEO role brought a new level of pressure. Responsible for ne...