Achieving Success with Olivia Atkin

What happens when your acquisition editor gets a text saying "I wrote the whole book in two weeks"? Lenell Wyman reveals the chaos and magic that unfolds behind publishing doors when authors completely flip project timelines upside down. From emergency editor swaps resolved in hours to the treasure hunt of finding authors who don't even know they want to write a book yet, her stories expose the re...

What happens when a former Kansas City Chiefs player applies football strategy to financial planning? Joe Yocavitch reveals why procrastination destroys more financial futures than market crashes, and how his family business approach transforms the way clients think about money. After 37 years building JML Financial Group, Joe has discovered that the biggest financial mistakes aren't about picking...

What happens when a stand-up comedian discovers his jokes and sermons follow the exact same formula? Rev Ricky Burton never planned to become a relationship coach, but when friends kept seeking his advice and a simple $10 experiment turned into a thriving practice, he realized sometimes your biggest opportunities come disguised as accidents. His journey from wanting to 'just be Steve Harvey' to de...

What do you do when you inherit a declining college with just 1,900 students and turn it into a nationally recognized university of 10,500? Dr. John Lahey shares the remarkable 31-year transformation of Quinnipiac University, revealing how he grew enrollment by 450% while maintaining his commitment to teaching philosophy throughout his presidency. From launching the now-famous Quinnipiac Poll as a...

What happens when you wake up one day and realize you hate what you do for a living? Scott Buell had all the external markers of success-the nice house, the car, the corporate title-but felt like he was living in a self-imposed prison. At 50, he made a decision that changed everything: he walked away from his corporate career to start Drone Legends, a STEM education company that's now operating in...

What would make a criminal justice graduate choose cruise ship entertainment over a traditional law enforcement career? Brittany Vasile made this unconventional pivot five years ago, and her reasoning might surprise you. She wanted to experience the world before settling into a career that would tie her down, and now she spends months at sea followed by extended time at home, creating a lifestyle...

What if the key to surviving Netflix's chaotic production schedules isn't better time management, but learning to embrace the unknown? Asher Queen, associate producer for Netflix and founder of production company Bucky, reveals how he navigates an industry where call sheets arrive at 3 AM and your next paycheck is never guaranteed. From reality TV sets where contestants become family to the entrep...

What would it take for you to walk away from a 25-year corporate career and bet everything on yourself? For Brian Head, CEO and founder of Head Start Equity, it took his wife's breast cancer diagnosis to realize that time with family wasn't something he could put on hold. In this raw conversation, Brian shares how he transformed from a comfortable corporate employee into a real estate private equi...

What happens when you go from signing jerseys for adoring fans to walking through an airport where no one recognizes you? Kevin Owens lived this reality when he transitioned from professional overseas basketball to life back home, and his story reveals the hidden struggles that 95% of overseas athletes face when their careers end. As founder of Overseas Famous, a sports consulting firm, and a form...

What happens when a young man from inner-city Philadelphia follows his mom's advice about Beverly Hills 90210 hair trends and builds a 27-year empire? Sal Patane, co-founder of La Reve's Salon and Spa, shares the unfiltered truth about leadership, team building, and why success isn't about titles or ego. His approach to treating employees as partners, not subordinates, has created a thriving busin...

What happens when you mix every color on a palette together? Dante Amaral, growth developer and serial entrepreneur, shares this powerful metaphor that's reshaping how ambitious professionals handle advice, criticism, and the endless stream of opinions that come with building something from scratch. From starting his first clothing company in college to developing natural language processing techn...

What would you do if multiple doctors told you to remove your entire thyroid, but your gut said otherwise? Stefanie McCarthy, a social worker with 27 years of experience, faced exactly this dilemma when diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Instead of following the standard protocol, she chose to trust her body's wisdom and advocate fiercely for a different path. Two years later, she's thriving without a...

What happens when a former NFL player who built the largest African-American subcontractor in Maryland loses everything due to ego and arrogance? Marques Ogden's story takes you from professional football fields to working as a custodian for $8.25 an hour, then to building a speaking business that now serves 47 Fortune 500 companies. His journey reveals the critical difference between being money-...

What if the very thing people see as your weakness could become your greatest competitive advantage? Ron Cappuccio discovered this truth when clients questioned his age at 22, fresh out of law school with his Juris Doctorate in hand. Instead of letting doubt derail his confidence, he learned to strategically position himself as the 'inexperienced' attorney while quietly outmaneuvering larger firms...

What does it take to completely reinvent your career after 40 years in marketing? Glenn Page discovered the answer when the pandemic forced him to reevaluate everything he thought he knew about professional success. As a former chief marketing officer and owner of a pioneering interactive marketing firm, Glenn had built his reputation on innovation and creative problem-solving. But when his consul...

What if the smartest thing you could say in your next meeting is 'I don't know'? Erica D'Angelo Ochs built an 18-year career in the male-dominated automotive industry by mastering one counterintuitive skill most professionals avoid at all costs. As Chief Revenue Officer turned President of Kappa Alpha Theta, she reveals why vulnerability became her competitive advantage and how saying no strategic...

What if everything you thought you knew about success was wrong? Former NFL player Carlif Taylor, who played for both the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, reveals why he believes success isn't about reaching goals-it's about evolution. After facing career-ending injuries and the harsh reality of professional sports as a business, Carlif discovered that the real victory lies in how we grow throu...

What happens when you turn a passion for obstacle courses into the foundation of an entire industry? Chris Wilczewski's journey from American Ninja Warrior competitor to president of the World Ninja League reveals how authentic love for what you do can transform not just your life, but an entire community. His story isn't just about athletic achievement-it's about recognizing when your competitive...