The Smartest Person in the Room

From the outside, Jay looked like he had it figured out: a successful Phoenix salon, 90k Instagram followers, a national career teaching other artists from the stage, a part-owner stake in a color line acquired by L’Oréal, and a full life he didn't always have full access to.. But a year ago, he almost took a lowball offer and sold the salon. In this conversation, Jay gets real about what pushed h...

More content. More followers. More visibility. More leads. Those are the requests many founders bring to their marketing team or agency. But before you dive in, do you know the business problem underneath it? In this episode of The Smartest Person in the Room, Susan Saltwell talks with INSPIRED Vibe founders Christin Daniels and Amber Halverson about what they learned at the Effie Academy at Canne...

Is Cannes Lions still about great creative or has it become something more? In this episode, Director of Client Services, Susan Saltwell sits down with Christin Daniels and Amber Halverson after their first experience at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to unpack what they saw, what surprised them, and what the festival reveals about where the marketing and advertising industr...

What separates founders who build extraordinary companies from everyone else? It’s not luck or timing; it’s the way they think. In this special compilation episode, our Director of Sales, Phillip Lechter, walks us through powerful moments from past conversations with founders, CEOs, and business leaders who have built, scaled, and transformed companies across industries. Get ready to explore what...

What do you do when you know there's a better way to build an industry and you're willing to walk away from everything you've built to prove it? In this episode, Christin and Amber sit down with Jim, Co-Founder and CEO of Unlock, to discuss what it takes to leave a successful company, challenge conventional thinking, and build a category-defining business from the ground up. Jim shares the story b...

You might be the best in your industry... but does the market know it? Some of the strongest companies have loyal customers, proven products, and years of expertise, yet still struggle to grow. In this episode, Christin and Amber unpack one of the biggest growth challenges facing founders today: invisibility. They explore why expertise alone isn't enough, how thought leadership bridges the gap, an...

Everyone says the same thing: don't start a business with your friend. People warn you about the arguments, the stress, the damaged relationships, and the possibility of losing both the friendship and the business. Christin and Amber heard all of those warnings and built INSPIRED Vibe together anyway. In this special episode, the founders of INSPIRED Vibe pull back the curtain on what it's really...

What happens when two best friends with different strengths build a company rooted in heart, hustle, and human connection? In this episode, Christin and Amber sit down with their Director of Client Services, Susan, to share the real story behind the business; from event production and social media marketing to building a business development agency that blends sales, marketing, technology, and str...

What if the technology you notice the least is what shapes your entire experience? In this episode, we sit down with Matthew Chitwood, Principal of PIVIUM, to explore the hidden world of audio-visual technology, human-centered design, leadership, and the future of AI in the built environment. From sports bars and concert sound systems to hospitals, museums, and immersive public spaces, he shares h...

What happens when early success teaches you confidence… and failure teaches you who you really are? In this episode, Christin and Amber sit down with INSPIRED Vibe’s Director of Sales Strategy and Enablement, Phillip Lechter, to talk about the unusual journey that led him from the family business of Rich Dad Poor Dad to sales leadership, coaching, entrepreneurship, and helping companies sharpen ho...

Most small businesses are making critical financial decisions without real visibility into what their data says. In this episode, Christin and Amber sit down with Alex Glenn, founder and CEO of Uplinq, to discuss how he’s built an AI-powered bookkeeping company designed to give small businesses access to the kind of financial intelligence usually reserved for enterprise organizations. Alex shares...

What if building a great company starts with fixing what everyone else tolerates? In this episode of The Smartest Person in the Room , Christin and Amber sit down with Justin Volrath, Founder and CEO of PayCompass, to unpack what it really looks like to build a business rooted in trust, clarity, and doing things differently. From starting in the corner of a bedroom to scaling into a national opera...

What if the key to growth isn’t knowing more, but admitting you don’t? In this premiere episode of The Smartest Person in the Room , INSPIRED Vibe founders Christin and Amber redefine what it means to be a strong leader, builder, and decision-maker. This isn’t a podcast about having all the answers; it’s about intentionally putting yourself in rooms that challenge you, stretch your thinking, and f...

In this episode of the Bold and Inspired Leaders Podcast, join Spencer Green, Director of Technology Strategy, for our series of “Spencer Kills It,” a myth‑busting look at how smart tech teams build what actually works. Today, Spencer is joined by his team: Joe, Director of QA, Jake, Head of Product, and Drake, Business Development Manager, who will discuss rapid AI prototyping and early validatio...

The role of technology in sales can no longer be underestimated. As digital transformation accelerates, the adoption of advanced sales technology, automation tools, and AI-enabled platforms will be essential for businesses looking to scale strategically in 2026 and beyond. Technology will continue to play an even more integral role across the entire sales cycle —serving as a core driver of efficie...

The fintech landscape continues to evolve, shaped less by experimentation and more by intelligent execution. From AI-powered decisioning to next-generation payment platforms, financial technology leaders are moving beyond innovation for innovation’s sake and toward scalable, revenue-driving systems. At Money2020, one theme stood out clearly: fintech organizations that integrate AI, automation, and...

The future of AI will be defined less by experimentation and more by intelligent integration into everyday business workstreams— a repeated key takeaway from this year’s Money20/20 conference, and a theme reinforced through our work at Inspired Vibe. Conversations with founders, innovators and creators made one thing clear: AI is actively reshaping how financial institutions and tech companies thi...

She didn’t go looking for this. It found her. When Tawni stumbled into the world of polygamist communities, she thought she was documenting a fringe lifestyle. What she uncovered was far darker: a system of control, silence, and abuse hiding in plain sight. In this episode, Tawni takes us inside polygamist communities, where women and children are exploited, and taught that suffering is sacred. Wi...

How do you take a broken system, break it down, and rebuild it to work better? In this episode of Bold and INSPIRED Leaders , we sit down with Bahador Rahimi , founder and EVP of AutoSquared. AI , to discuss his bold vision for transforming auto finance through AI and automation. We’ll explore the moment he and his team realized they could disrupt an entire industry, the risks they took to bring t...

Should everyone—no matter their crime—have the right to a strong defense? It’s a question that forces us to rethink justice beyond guilt or innocence. In this episode of Bold and INSPIRED Leaders , professional investigator and podcast host Justin Yentes takes us inside the complexities of the legal system, where investigative work can mean the difference between fairness and failure. We’ll break...

What drives someone to retire early from a successful 25-year career to build something new? In this episode, Yrefy's Chief Investment Officer, Laine Schoneberger, reveals how a chance client relationship became the partnership revolutionizing the student loan industry. Join us as Laine shares insights on strategic risk-taking, the power of aligned partnerships, and how to maintain momentum during...

Ever felt the sting of betrayal or the collapse of a thriving business? Join us on INSPIRED After Hours as we dive deep with Don Fenstermaker, a trailblazer in the financial tech industry. Don has led three companies to national recognition and is now on his way to bringing a fourth, M2I, to the forefront. In this episode, he candidly shares his experience in how critical oversights can dismantle...

Do you ever wonder why some people achieve massive success while others struggle bringing their dreams to reality? Join us on "INSPIRED After Hours" as we explore Aaron Bare's groundbreaking "Exponential Theory." Discover how embracing creativity and strategic thinking can lead to remarkable transformations in both life and business. Aaron shares his adventures and the pivotal moments that shaped...

Today, we welcome Jason Lanham, co-founder of Astro Creative, and discover how he turned a high school hobby into a thriving business. From the pivotal role of mentorship to overcoming personal health challenges, Jason shares his secrets to staying creative and authentic in the competitive world of video production. Join us for a candid conversation on pursuing your passion, navigating business ch...

What's the secret behind building a community as loyal as your favorite brand’s fan base? In this episode of INSPIRED After Hours, we chat with Sean Huntington, founder and CEO of Honey Haus. Sean shares his insights on community building, and explains what brand leadership means, drawing inspiration from the likes of RedBull and the brand he helped build, "Keeping Nature Wild." Discover how to cr...