Driven: Unscripted Success

In this episode of Driven: The Unscripted Success Podcast, hosts Mike Mannino and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Mike Karp, co-founder of Zoozah, to discuss disrupting the home services industry through technology. With a background in FinTech and enterprise software, Mike shares how he’s combining licensed home inspections, concierge services, and proprietary tech to build a scalable, SaaS-enabled...

On this episode of Driven: The Unscripted Success Podcast, hosts Mike Manino and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Maribeth Martorana, co-founder and CEO of Sapient Advisors. With over 20 years in tech, financial services, and AI, Maribeth shares her journey, leadership lessons, and insights on building empowered teams and passive income. Topics Covered: Maribeth’s career journey and lessons learned Na...

In this episode, Michael sits down with franchise expert Tom DuFore, a 22-year veteran in the franchising world who has helped over 600 companies expand and advised more than 10,000 business owners. If you’ve ever wondered: Is my business ready to franchise? How do I scale without losing control? What’s stopping me from growing? This episode breaks it down. 🔑 What You’ll Learn: ✔️ The 3 signs you...

In this powerful and insightful episode, Mike sits down with Daniel Strohli—a systems strategist, business builder, and lifelong learner who’s on a mission to optimize and scale businesses through simplicity and clarity. From flipping plastic trinkets in grade school to managing properties and transforming warehouses into retail goldmines, Daniel shares his early entrepreneurial journey and how ge...

In this inspiring episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, host Mike Mannino chats with Sara Quintero, founder of Karma Chic Marketplace, a unique multi-vendor e-commerce platform dedicated to empowering independent businesses, artisans, and service professionals. Sara shares the personal journey that led her from owning a high-end consignment boutique in South Tampa to launching her own online mark...

Can your genes predict how you’ll react to medications? This week, Dr. Melissa Smith joins the show to share how she's redefining pharmacy through precision medicine and genetic testing. From retail pharmacy burnout to launching her own consulting practice, Melissa opens up about her pivot from traditional pharmacy into the world of pharmacogenomics (PGX). She dives into why the current “one-size-...

Alexander Koster is a driving force behind strategic innovation at Nemours Children’s Health, one of the largest pediatric systems in the U.S. In this insightful and grounded conversation, he shares how his upbringing shaped his mission-driven career, how setbacks like the dot-com crash taught him the power of relationships, and why clarity around success is key to driving results. Alexander talks...

What really happens behind the scenes when business partnerships fall apart? How do you protect yourself before a contract dispute ever starts? In this episode, attorney Yasir Billoo joins the Driven Podcast to dive deep into what smart business owners need to know about legal risks, contracts, business “divorces,” and how mindset shapes success. As the Managing Partner at International Law Partne...

In this compelling episode, Dr. Gesenia Sloan-Peña takes us inside the world of forensic neuropsychology. As a bilingual clinical and forensic neuropsychologist, she breaks down what her work looks like—evaluating everyone from infants with birth injuries to elderly adults with dementia, and testifying in civil litigation cases like medical malpractice and personal injury. Dr. Sloan-Peña discusses...

In this fascinating conversation, Stefano Gulbalis shares how his mission to humanize technology led him to launch Nebulai—a digital transformation company combining AI, blockchain, and smart contracts to build a better future. With roots in education, real estate, and enterprise innovation, Stefano brings a visionary perspective on the intersection of emerging tech, purpose, and leadership. What...

What happens when a former Amazon exec takes a leap into the dental world? In this episode, Daniel Jimenez shares how he's transforming dentistry through cutting-edge tech, high-performance leadership, and a bold, patient-first approach. 💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why Daniel left a lucrative career at Amazon to co-found Stride Dental Group How he’s using AI and automation to eliminate ad...

What does it take to build an unforgettable brand presence at a convention or trade show? In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, Mike and Nareman sit down with Scott Maheu, COO of Exhibit Experience, to explore the creativity, logistics, and leadership that go into building world-class exhibit booths. Why Should You Listen? Scott shares how his unique blend of military discipline, Amazon o...

In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Dr. Paola Ballester, a board-certified pediatrician and co-founder of EasyPA. With over a decade of clinical leadership experience and a strong background in healthcare operations, Dr. Ballester is on a mission to solve one of the biggest frustrations in modern healthcare: prior authorizations. D...

What happens when a cardiologist and a frustrated dad teams up with tech experts and a pediatrician friend to fix a broken part of healthcare? You get Blueberry Pediatrics—a revolutionary telehealth solution putting pediatric care in your pocket. In this episode, Dr. Jonathan Kahan joins Mike Mannino to share how his personal parenting struggles led to founding a tech-driven healthcare company tha...

In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with tech consultant and former Google engineer, Javier Cortavitarte. From humble beginnings in Caracas, Venezuela to Silicon Valley boardrooms, Javier shares how he navigated his path to success through curiosity, community, and calculated risks. Javier dives into how his early fascination with techn...

In this inspiring episode, Mike sits down with Nick Abbott, a driven nursing student turned medical product entrepreneur, to unpack how an everyday problem in dermatology sparked a business idea that became the Cut to Fit Bandage. With no formal business background, Nick shares his story of launching a medical product from scratch—from testing fabrics in dermatology clinics to navigating the hurdl...

In this inspiring episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan talk with Cat Holt—former head of marketing strategy at Progressive and now founder of her own marketing firm. Cat takes us on her journey from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, sharing how her background in psychology, advertising, and art helped shape her path. She dives into how AI is chang...

What if you could text your child’s pediatrician directly, skip the waiting room, and even get a home visit when needed? In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, Michael Mannino and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Dr. Michael Perisa, a pediatrician who's flipping the traditional healthcare model on its head. Michael shares his journey from pursuing pediatric oncology at St. Jude's to launching...

In this episode, Mike Mannino sits down with financial planning expert and entrepreneur Steven Huskey, CFP®, CExP™, for a high-energy conversation about growing businesses, building legacies, and making the most of your time. From helping dentists and business owners plan their exits, to raising kids, playing guitar at church, and leading a tight-knit team — Steven shares the tools, mindset, and h...

From a small village in Cameroon to leading a thriving real estate investment firm in the U.S., Leslie Awasom's journey is nothing short of remarkable. In this episode, Leslie shares how he transitioned from a high-earning nurse anesthetist to co-founding Exsi Capital Investments, a private equity platform helping medical professionals generate passive income through multifamily real estate. He op...

In this inspiring episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with JoJo Kalita—Vice President of Partnerships at ACTO and a passionate advocate for emotional intelligence in the workplace. JoJo shares her professional journey from studying English and psychology to thriving in the tech-enabled healthcare sector. She discusses the vital role emotional i...

At just 16 years old, Aleksandar Jovicic turned a love for lowriders into his first business selling car parts online. From being a refugee to founding Executive Digital, a powerhouse digital marketing firm, Aleksandar’s journey is filled with resilience, hustle, and innovation. In this high-energy episode, Aleksandar shares how his street smarts shaped his early business thinking, how he built a...

In this eye-opening conversation, Robert Sherman shares how his work at SoloXR is helping industries—from emergency response to semiconductors—use immersive technology to enhance learning and safety. Learn how immersive training is filling talent gaps in rural areas, preparing workers for dangerous scenarios like battery fires, and helping industries reshore manufacturing jobs with confidence. Rob...

In this heartwarming and eye-opening episode, we sit down with Bill Vicary, founder of Just Call Bill, a unique business serving older adults who feel lost in today's tech-heavy world. With over 30 years of experience in engineering and construction, Bill took a surprising turn to follow his passion: helping seniors confidently, safely, and effectively use technology. Bill shares how a conversatio...

In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Desiree Watson – the self-proclaimed “Swiss Army Professional.” From taxes to tech, document prep to publishing, Desiree shares how her mission to help people has turned into a thriving business that runs on heart, hustle, and real human connection. Desiree talks about how her entrepreneurial jou...