Courageous Dreamers Win

"This is your one life. And if you're not enjoying what you're doing, your clients are going to feel that, whoever you work with is going to feel that. So let's see how good we can let it get," shares Amy Pocsik, owner of Bold Moves Coaching and Women's Business League, a national community for women entrepreneurs. Amy spent a decade working as a CPA, but after going on maternity leave, she knew s...

The path to finding your place as an entrepreneur rarely looks like a straight line. Kiley Peters started her first small business, Brainchild when she was 30, before making a pivot several years later driven by her evolving vision. The door that was Brainchild closed so that Kiley could open the door wide open on her current business, RAYNE IX.  Kiley and RAYNE IX help women small business owners...

Conventional paths to "success" can often look the same: go to school, get the degree, get the job, and (if you're a woman) get the husband and kids at a certain age. But what if we could let go of society's expectations of us and its predetermined paths? What if we could break free of the boundaries of "having to be liked?" What if we could… give less fucks? Today's guest on Piece of the Pai is G...

At the highest levels of achievement, the payoffs of all your talent and hard work can be incredible. The dangers of the uncompromising drive for perfection, however, can be full of danger and pitfalls.  Our guest today on Piece of the Pai is Julian Reeve, the former musical director of the red-hot Broadway musical Hamilton, is also the founder of Perfect Equilibrium, a coaching and methodology se...

There's very few times where we as entrepreneurs won't face some form of fear. Perhaps it's the fear of stepping into the unknown of small business ownership, maybe it's fear of rejection of proposals, or usually it's the far-too-familiar imposter syndrome that haunts so many. Fortunately for us, today's guest allows us to recognize fear, acknowledge it, and make fear "our homeboy." Judi Holler is...

It's the unique vision that sets any great entrepreneur apart from the crowd. Oftentimes, that vision is born through the individual experiences of that person, and shape them in ways both big and small. For Britnye Shore, founder and CEO of The Bardot, her entrepreneurial vision was molded during her time working in a series of salons and wedding planning companies. Through those first-hand exper...

Let's face it: the higher you climb towards your personal and professional goals, the more leadership becomes an essential skill. The ability to create a collective will from separate parts and focus it towards a singular goal is not easy, and it must be earned. Today's guests on Piece of the Pai have decades of experience helping coach leaders and visionaries from some of the world's most success...

Sometimes entrepreneurship runs in the family. That's certainly the case with Khaleel Loyd, the co-founder, CEO and big brother to the three Loyd brothers that make up Loyd Visuals. Founded in Charlotte in 2016, Loyd Visuals creates boutique video content for promotion, documentary and commercial clients, working with Fortune 100 companies such as Air BnB and Honeywell.  Like many entrepreneurs, K...

It takes years of experience to be able to orchestra a six-course meal at a high level. It takes even longer to be able to do it as a small business owner. Doing it all as a woman in a male-dominated industry requires a special talent. Enter Tillie Kerna of Chef Tillie, a private and boutique chef who travels all over the world to bring her clients the freshest and most innovative meals. Thanks to...

One sign of a great entrepreneur is success across multiple industries. That definitely describes Jayme Valo, co-owner of Valoie skincare along with her husband, Nick. Jayme was a leader in the automotive industry when she was based in Idaho. When she moved to Charlotte a few years ago, she switched industries after she discovered that skincare was a shared passion she had with Nick. Using that in...

Operating with a low battery is a space that Desmond Wiggan rarely finds himself in. Desmond knows the power of having a full charge at all times, which is why he founded Battery Xchange, a service that allows you to rent batteries to power your devices on demand and on the go.  An entrepreneur through and through, Desmond's education took him to the next level while studying for his Master's degr...

Fashion designer Daniel Gonzalez designs boutique ready-to-wear clothing for the "powerful, chic, artistic woman, a woman who many look to for answers and inspiration." Daniel's timeless and classic designs have found a home in Charlotte, as he opened Daniel Gonzalez Designs in 2019.  Daniel Gonzalez and host Nesha Pai talk in today's episode of Piece of the Pai about how Daniel found fashion desi...

Self-care is almost intrinsic to Rita Garnto. After spending 20 years working in trauma centers around the world, Rita became a licensed massage therapist after moving to Charlotte in 2004. Now she's using her love of care and teaching to help people directly through her business, Simple Self-Care by Rita. Rita Garnto talks with Nesha Pai about her journey through medicine, including studying in h...

Entrepreneurship requires a special kind of person, but that could be anyone from anywhere. That includes a young Gaurav "G" Patel, who immigrated to the US when he was just ten years old and knew no English. Today, at 38 years of age, G Patel is one of Raleigh's hardest-working and most well-known figures in the hospitality industry. G is the founder of the Eschelon Experiences hospitality group,...

Being a mother is always hard work, and often very thankless. That can lead to plenty of internal struggles that moms deal with on a daily basis. Fighting these battles can feel like you're trying to slay a dragon! Slay Like a Mother is the title of the book written by today's guest Katherine Wintsch. In addition to being an author, Katherine is the founder and CEO of The Mom Complex, a consulting...

Did you know 40% of Americans who make $200k or more live paycheck to paycheck? Today's guest on Piece of the Pai knows one of the most important life skills people can learn early is financial literacy. George Kroustalis is a finance expert and author who left a job with one of the country's biggest banks to become a financial advisor, mentor and published author. George works with entrepreneurs...

Over the past eight years, Page Fehling has built a profile in Charlotte as the anchor of Good Day Charlotte, a morning news show that Fehling helped make a top ranked program of its kind. Audiences were drawn to her larger-than-life personality and endearing relatability. However, in 2021 Page made the decision to leave the career in TV she had known for more than 15 years to become an entreprene...

Host Nesha Pai has a profound respect for people who are overcoming ordinary obstacles (so much so that she wrote a book with that title). Today's guest on Piece of the Pai overcomes obstacles both ordinary and extraordinary, and is able to not only succeed but come out strong on the other side. Natasha Hemmingway is a sales coach, mother and a devoted person of faith. Her faith and resilience are...

Entrepreneurs come from all different places, and the inspiration for a great business idea can come from anywhere. Today's guest on Piece of the Pai is Tiffany Marino, owner of Confetti Castle, a Charlotte-based company that specializes in creating fun and unique balloon designs for parties, events and more. Tiffany wasn't always an entrepreneur. She began her career in the pharmaceutical sales i...

Few people have known host Nesha Pai for as long as today's guest, Anna Roop White. Anna and Nesha became friends in kindergarten and stayed in touch through the years as both have grown into successful entrepreneurs. Anna joins Nesha on today's episode of Piece of the Pai to talk about her business, Rest & Heal, a curated care package company which supports women facing life challenges. Anna talk...

There's nothing more that Nesha Pai loves than a female business owner succeeding in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Today's guest on Piece of the Pai knows that world as well as anyone. Katie Schindler is the owner of Fine Grit, a custom cabinet and furniture shop based in Charlotte, NC. Since 2015, Katie has been creating bold, original new designs for her clients based on their unique...

Lindsey Regan Thorne, beauty maven and lifestyle influencer in Charlotte has reached a mass following from starting a very organic blog when blogging was a new thing and social media was a baby. LRT, as she is affectionately known, turned her career of interior design into creating works of art on women through make up and hair styling.  Her biggest WHY is that she loves making women feel confiden...

Lindsay Anvik was living in NYC and a business coach traveling the world and speaking to big audiences before a one-time charcuterie board made for a Charlotte non-profit changed her life. Listen to this fairly new entrepreneur talk about her success and the pain it has taken to get there. Her company, Babe & Butcher, is killing it and while it looks glamourous on the pages of a glossy magazine, L...

Dominique Sensabaugh is more than a NFL athlete's wife. She has taken her platform in her own hands and been on a fast track to support other wives, young athletes, all women, and entrepreneurs by sharing her talents, vision, and time and creating seats at her table. Listen on to learn more about the foundation she created with her husband, Coty, as well as her #DSLBInspired mission!

Melissa Herriott, an artist and interior decorator in Charlotte NC, has made a name for herself while working on her side hustle during her corporate America reign in the space of IT recruiting. She finally jumped the cliff and went out on her own full time. In this episode, we cover how to find balance as an entrepreneur, how and when Melissa made the decision to go out on her own, and what bring...