CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast Powered by Blue16 Media & CBNation.co

Linda Taliaferro is the Vice President of Global Quality at Meritor, Inc., a leading global supplier of drivetrain, mobility, braking, and aftermarket solutions for commercial vehicles and industrial markets.    With over 30 years of experience in corporate leadership, Linda is also the founder of The Extra Effort (TEE) — a career advisory firm dedicated to helping professionals get unstuck, build...

Alan Cohen is a Professional Certified Executive and Team Coach, speaker, and author with over 30 years of experience at the intersection of communication, leadership, and human connection.   Spending decades as both a marketing expert and Human Resource consultant, he presided over the successful launch of the Harry Potter series as Scholastic's Director of Marketing, as well as serving as the Di...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless discusses his recent focus on outreach to create more business opportunities, especially with people affected by layoffs.    He expresses some frustration with the lack of engagement within a BNI chapter he’s considering joining, noting that members’ slow responses and minimal one-to-ones raise concerns about whether referrals would be handled with care. ...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless reflects on reaching day 244 of his Franchise Broker Journey, recognizes the need to reset and refocus before hitting the one-year mark.    He plans to join a professional chapter for community and accountability, ramp up content creation by producing 30 bite-sized content videos to educate and engage potential clients, and leverage those pieces for broade...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless reflects on a powerful morning workout and expresses a desire to build consistency by committing to it at least four times a week, even while managing parenting duties.   He acknowledges a key misstep in the early days of his business: jumping directly into cold market outreach without first cultivating referral relationships and tapping into his existing...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless is stepping into day two of this new 12-week year with a completely restructured focus and a deeper understanding of what really matters right now.   He’s shifted digital marketing to the top of his priorities, recognizing that with the right infrastructure now in place, it has strong growth potential.    Gresham reflects on the tough transitions he's face...

In today’s episode we sit down with Inga Maskun, a Dream‑Builder coach and founder of Living Your Inspired Life, to unpack one of the most stubborn obstacles entrepreneurs face: fear. Inga shares how fear isn’t a single monster but a shape‑shifting force that often masquerades as delay, destruction, or dissuasion—the subtle excuses that keep great ideas on the back burner. She walks us through a s...

Haris Reis is a two-time national award-winning entrepreneur, two-time national best-selling author, keynote speaker, and expert digital marketer.    Haris is best known for co-founding Changing Lanes International—helping authors, speakers, and coaches grow their brands—and for his time as a growth hacker at VaynerMedia, where he helped build Gary Vaynerchuk’s brand.   Haris highlights the import...

Janice Wald is an accomplished author, speaker, freelance writer, and the founder of MostlyBlogging.com, a popular blog that provides practical tips and strategies for bloggers, marketers, and online entrepreneurs.    Janice attributes her ability to simplify complex information to her teaching background, making her content especially helpful for beginners.   She emphasizes the importance of pati...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless reflects deeply on his resistance to the common business advice of buying leads, expressing a clear desire to grow his business through organic, relationship-based methods rather than transactional lead generation.    He emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity in conversations, stating that he'd rather have a handful of meaningful, high-value in...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless recognizes a major gap in the franchising space: a lack of education-driven systems that help potential franchisees truly understand the process and opportunities.    He’s now focused on creating targeted content for three groups: laid-off professionals, people unhappy in their jobs, and business owners looking to expand.   Gresham plans to educate these a...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless shares an update on his 231-day journey as a broker, describing the emotional ups and downs of working with candidates who show initial interest, then back out, only to sometimes return unexpectedly.    He emphasizes the unpredictability of the process and how gut instincts, while not always definitive, often reveal early red flags in a candidate’s engagem...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless is in a season of deep self-awareness and transition, navigating the balance between learning a new industry and staying true to who he is.    Gresham recalls a pivotal moment from his time with the Evolutionary Business Council, where he was reminded that he wasn’t meant to conform but to lead with distinction.   As he builds his presence in the franchise...

Charles Howard is the founder and CEO of OpenWacca, a Salesforce consultancy that transforms complex business challenges into elegant and scalable solutions.    With over 20 years of experience building Salesforce systems, Charles brings deep expertise in structured design and user-centered development to every engagement.   He's passionate about building high-performance teams and untangling brok...

Lori Cheek is an architect-turned-entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Cheekd, a mobile dating app that makes misconnections obsolete.    Lori is a Shark Tank veteran, was recently listed as “The Digital Dating Disruptor” in one of the Top 10 CEOs to Watch.    A University of Kentucky architectural graduate, Lori is no longer building structures; she's now building relationships.   Lori’s relentless d...

Rithvik Musuku, a driven young leader and the founder of Advancing Science Worldwide, a nonprofit organization committed to making science education accessible to underserved communities around the globe.    Based in Gilbert, Arizona, Rithvik is a student with a passion for astronomy and a deep belief that science holds the key to solving some of humanity’s most pressing challenges—from climate ch...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless reflects deeply on his current position in his Franchise Broker journey, now 229 steps in, while balancing fatherhood—symbolized by feeding his son during this very moment of contemplation.   He expects to be further along by now, ready to move into the next big thing, but instead, he finds himself pausing, questioning, and reassessing.    Gresham is drawn...

In this special episode, Gresham Harless reflects deeply on the emotional and mental toll of his ongoing journey as a Franchise Broker, currently around day 228.    He expresses the internal conflict of feeling like a failure due to a lack of closed deals, despite understanding that business growth often takes time.    Gresham highlights the challenge of staying mentally strong amid slow progress...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless acknowledges that his last 12-week year fell short of expectations, largely due to a lack of focus and consistency, despite putting in considerable time and effort.    Looking ahead, he plans to make sales his top priority—specifically aiming for 12 total sales: four CEO clients, two Franchise Sales, and six CEO Hacks.   He recognizes the strength of his b...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless shares a powerful insight into the importance of pacing and sustainability in both physical fitness and his journey as a franchise broker.   After going for a jog on Father’s Day, he recognizes that while he could have pushed himself to go farther, stopping at 2.5 miles was the smarter, more sustainable choice.    He reflects on how, at the beginning, he t...

Michael Erath is a battle-tested entrepreneur who built a $45 million global manufacturing company, lost it all in the 2008–2009 crash, and came back stronger.    He's an Inc. 5000 CEO and the founder of Next Level Growth, where he helps entrepreneurs eliminate chaos, scale smarter, and build organizations that run with precision.    He reflects on how his experience shaped his leadership philosop...

Fred Diamond is the co-founder and president of the Institute for Excellence in Sales. The Institute helps sales leaders around the globe acquire, motivate, retain, and elevate top-tier sales talent.   He shares his journey from corporate marketing roles at Apple and Compaq to launching IES as a lead-generation effort that evolved into a full-scale organization serving global sales leaders.    Fre...

Sacha Cohen is the founder of Grassfed Media, a strategic communications agency focused on supporting conscious companies and mission-driven organizations.    With a career spanning journalism, branding, PR, and digital strategy, Sacha brings a holistic and values-driven approach to helping clients amplify their message and connect with the right audiences.   Her agency has worked with high-profil...

In this special episode, Gresham’s reflection reveals a deep personal understanding of his franchise broker journey as a long-term process, much like training for a marathon.    Gresham shares how trying to push himself too hard — whether running close to four miles or in his business — led to physical and emotional burnout, reminding him that pacing and patience are essential.   He acknowledges t...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless opens up with a sense of grounded clarity and renewed focus as he begins a new 12-week cycle—his fourth so far.    He emphasizes a strong commitment to sales and digital marketing as key priorities, particularly exploring ad campaigns to drive traffic to his newsletter.    At the same time, he’s leaving space for creative opportunities, like expanding his...