The Ambition Lab

Making money and keeping it are two different skills. In this episode, Shakti Sharma, founder of the Feminine Wealth Movement, shares how she went from corporate strategy and investment banking to building a six figure business and helping over 1,200 clients create greater financial freedom. We talk about wealth, money mindset, premium offers, emotional intelligence, and the lessons Shakti learned...

Why do businesses really fail? Larry Mandelberg, fifth generation business leader and author of Businesses Don’t Fail, They Commit Suicide, shares the lessons he learned from losing his own business and spending 23 years researching why companies collapse. We explore self inflicted business failure, complacency, leadership blind spots, and what founders can do before small mistakes become fatal on...

What happens when a mistake happens under pressure and everyone is watching? In this episode, Silvia Rizzo, a high performance leadership and decision making expert, shares lessons from elite sport and business on handling pressure, managing mistakes, building resilience, and making better decisions when certainty isn't possible. We explore why mistakes don't define leaders, how to avoid the “seco...

What happens when you’re doing everything you’re supposed to do but still feel lost? In this episode, Max Shapiro, life coach and founder of Forward Motion Coaching, shares his journey from feeling directionless to helping other men find purpose and take control of their lives. We talk about the “rudderless” life, discovering what truly matters, and taking intentional steps toward a more meaningfu...

Dave Gulas left a successful corporate career to build EZDC 3PL from the ground up. In this episode, we talk about taking messy action, competing with bigger companies, building customer trust, and why speed and relationships can become your greatest competitive advantages. Dave also shares what entrepreneurship has cost him personally and what founders can do to build businesses that truly stand...

Why do people really leave their jobs? In this episode, Wisdom sits down with Dr. Paul White, co-author of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, to explore why employees need more than recognition they need to genuinely feel valued. They discuss the five languages of appreciation, the difference between recognition and authentic appreciation, how leaders can connect with remote teams,...

What if one promise could change your entire life? Wisdom sits down with Matthew Cossolotto, author of Harness Your PromisePower, to explore how a promise he made to his mother became the foundation of his life's mission. They discuss failure, personal transformation, finding your voice, and why a promise can be more powerful than a goal. Connect with Matthew: https://matthewcossolotto.com/⁠ Harne...

What if the reason your team isn't responding isn't because they aren't listening but because you're communicating from the wrong position? In this episode of The Ambition Lab, Wisdom sits down with Dale Turnbull, creator of The 7 Positions of Leadership™ and founder of Lead Adapt Impact, to explore the psychology behind effective leadership and communication. Dale shares the moment he realized th...

What if entrepreneurship doesn't have to start from scratch? In this episode of The Ambition Lab, Wisdom sits down with Corey Parchman, former NFL wide receiver, entrepreneur, author of Already Built, and Founder & CEO of CorePar Holdings. Corey shares how his journey from professional football to building businesses from the ground up eventually led him to discover a different path to entrepreneu...

Madison Whitcher started building audiences before social media was even a career. What began with managing social media accounts in high school eventually became MDZN Studio, a digital marketing agency helping small businesses and overwhelmed founders simplify their marketing, build stronger brands, and stop guessing what to post. In this episode, Madison shares what she learned from growing up o...

Dwight Heck knows what it feels like to be trapped in the financial hamster wheel. As a single father of five, he spent years living paycheck to paycheck, carrying financial stress, sleepless nights, and the shame of not knowing how to change his situation. A serious health crisis in 2001 became the turning point that changed the direction of his life. Today, after more than two decades in financi...

Andrew Thoe wasn't trying to become a musician. He was trying to quiet the noise. Working as a sign technician in Central Texas, Andrew noticed how the music and media he consumed were affecting his mindset feeding anxiety, overthinking, and negative thought patterns. Instead of simply turning the noise off, he started creating something different. In this episode, Andrew shares how personal strug...

Sean Mitchell spent a lifetime telling other people's stories from his early dream of becoming a sportswriter in Dallas to becoming an award winning arts critic and profiling some of Hollywood's biggest names. In this episode, Sean takes us through his remarkable journey in journalism, the changing world of newspapers and professional criticism, and what it means to stay committed to your craft wh...

What if some of the beliefs shaping your leadership were never actually yours? In this episode of The Ambition Lab, Wisdom sits down with Arnold Beekes, founder of Brain Athletes and creator of the Better for All Leaders Framework. Arnold shares his journey from growing up in a highly disciplined military household to spending decades in technology, organizational leadership, psychology, and brain...

What happens when you've got the right strategy but still can't break through? In this episode of The Ambition Lab, Wisdom sits down with Jaclyn Strominger, Success Strategist, author of Charting True North, and founder of Leap to Your Success. Jaclyn explains why vision without strategy creates frustration, while strategy without mindset creates burnout. She shares her LEAP framework, the power o...

What if stress isn't something you need to escape but something you can learn from? In this episode of The Ambition Lab, Wisdom sits down with Allen Imbarrato, a software entrepreneur who spent ten years living in an ashram before combining his experience in mindfulness and technology to create KiFlow, an AI powered app designed to help people move from stress and emotional reactions toward clarit...

What does it really take to become unforgettable behind the microphone? In this episode of The Ambition Lab, Wisdom sits down with Richard Wilmore, founder of Make Your Day Richer, award winning talk show host, and producer. Richard shares lessons from thousands of conversations, his unexpected inspiration from Rosie O’Donnell, and what he calls having an “insider’s ear.” They explore why experts...

What happens when you stop seeing waste as trash and start seeing it as a resource? Joshua Harrison, co-founder of Leaf Island and creator of GaiaSoil, turned recycled Styrofoam into a solution for one of the biggest challenges facing cities: extreme urban heat. In this episode of The Ambition Lab, Joshua shares the story behind GaiaSoil, how nature-inspired design can transform cities, and what i...

What happens when a diesel mechanic decides to solve a problem in alcohol chemistry? Paul Lagerstedt, inventor and co-founder of ALKAAR, turned his curiosity into a patented technology designed to remove certain fermentation byproducts from alcoholic drinks. In this episode, Paul shares his journey from diesel engines to invention, the thinking behind “treat the drink, not the body,” and what it t...

What happens when a pastor leaves the pulpit to become an entrepreneur? Matt Estrin shares his journey from fifteen years in ministry to building seven businesses, and the lessons he learned about identity, faith, family, and meaningful success. Connect with Matt Estrin: - Book: I Know the Owner: From Holy Water to Happy Hour - 477 Distilling: https://477distilling.com/

What happens when the numbers don't tell the whole story? Apeksha Jain explores the hidden costs of leadership, culture, silence, and values and how pressure reveals what organizations truly stand for. Connect with Apeksha Jain: - The Kitchen Table Conferrence - Values Under Load™ - Website: https://apekshajain.com/

What does it take to build a business that stands apart? Roy Osing shares the lessons behind taking a startup to over a billion dollars in sales and why extraordinary results require the courage to make unconventional decisions. Connect with Roy Osing: - Website: https://www.bedifferentorbe-dead.com/ - Book: BE DiFFERENT or be dead - Book: The Audacious Unheard-of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLIO...

What if your book could do more than sell copies? Sarah Bean of Book Launchers shares how authors can use a book to build credibility, attract opportunities, and grow a business with the right strategy from the start. Connect with Sarah Bean and Book Launchers: - Book Launchers: https://booklaunchers.com/ - Free 7 Steps to Plan and Write a Book Guide: https://booklaunchers.com/7-steps/

Why do great people leave? Bryan Hughes explains how toxic workplace cultures develop, why leaders often miss the warning signs, and what it takes to build an environment where talented people want to stay. Connect with Bryan Hughes: - Book: Toxicity: Let's Finally Do Something About It - Website & Resources: https://bryanhughes.com/

What makes a story unforgettable and how can it grow a business? In this episode, Dr. Thaddeus Jones shares why storytelling is the foundation of influence, branding, and sustainable success for every creative and entrepreneur. Connect with Dr. Thaddeus Jones: - Website: https://www.fanatikproductions.com/