Empower & Elevate Podcast

Send a text Breaking the silence around our personal struggles might be the most powerful gift we can offer others. That's the central message from this intimate conversation with a successful entrepreneur who reveals how feeling "not normal" shaped their approach to business, relationships, and life. Despite building impressive companies and commanding attention on stage, our guest...

Send a text Money makes stuff easy, but it's not everything. The real challenge lies in breaking through those invisible barriers that keep your business from reaching its full potential. Ever felt stuck in your business growth? You're not alone. Successful entrepreneurs often hit plateaus where traditional strategies no longer work, leading to years of stagnation. The breakthrough? Real...

Send a text What happens when life takes an unexpected turn and suddenly you're a 20-year-old single mother needing to create a stable future? For Ashley, it became the catalyst that launched her remarkable journey from the factory floor to VP of Human Resources. Ashley's story defies conventional career trajectories. Growing up in a blue-collar family where college wasn't necessari...

Send a text Discover the revolutionary approach of Faisu meditation, where your unique spiritual signature becomes the key to profound transformation. This isn't just another meditation technique—it's a personalized path that recognizes your individuality while guiding you toward universal consciousness. At the heart of this practice lies a fascinating process where your eyes—truly the w...

Send a text Managing an IT business demands resilience—something Paul learned firsthand through a series of staffing nightmares that nearly brought his growing MSP to its knees. After finding his first promising technician, the pandemic upended everything. When business stabilized faster than expected, bringing that tech back proved complicated due to childcare issues and remote work distractions....

Send a text Building meaningful relationships in business isn't just nice to have—it's essential for growth and sustainability. When we make connections with people, we open doors to unexpected opportunities, friendships, and partnerships that transcend immediate business needs. The MSP industry has been stuck in a price-focused mindset for too long. We need to shift toward being prescri...

Send a text Breaking through glass ceilings is the entrepreneur's constant challenge. Every stage of business growth demands new skills, knowledge, and experiences—gaps that must be identified and filled to reach the next level. Our guest reveals the bittersweet reality of entrepreneurship when he shares the heartbreaking moment his young daughter brought him her piggy bank saying, "So y...

Send a text What happens when you realize your head is bleeding from banging it against the wall of repeated behaviors? Lou Winter's riveting account of personal transformation begins with this visceral metaphor for the frustration that accompanies stagnation. "I absolutely believe in holistic wellbeing," Winter explains, outlining his rigorous daily practices: 5:30 AM workouts, wee...

Send a text Have you ever wondered what makes truly great teams function so seamlessly? The secret might be simpler than you think: shared values that everyone genuinely believes in. When Mark set out to establish core values for his company, he initially approached it as a solo exercise. "I have to come up with what I believe my core values are," he explains, reflecting on his early lea...

Send a text What happens when the simple act of eating becomes impossible? For eight years, Zach lived on medical formula, rice cakes, and pears due to a severe case of eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE), a chronic illness that drastically restricted his diet and transformed his relationship with food and his own body. Zach's powerful story begins at age 15, when doctors determined he needed to f...

Send a text What drives someone with a seemingly perfect life to take their own life? This raw, unfiltered conversation explores the devastating impact of unaddressed mental health issues, particularly in high-pressure professional environments. The episode opens with a deeply personal story about a friend who, despite all outward appearances of success—family, career, stability—died by suicide. T...

Send a text A virus named after Mountain Dew became the unlikely catalyst for a cybersecurity career that would eventually spawn a successful managed service provider during one of the worst economic downturns in modern history. The founder of Triada takes us through their fascinating journey from corporate IT professional to entrepreneur, describing how a 2003 "Code Red" virus attack sp...

Send a text One moment you're celebrating Christmas Eve with family, the next you're being told you'll never walk again. In this powerful conversation, we hear a firsthand account of what happens when life changes in an instant. The story begins on a snowy Christmas Eve in 2007, with an unexplainable urge to go running despite the weather. Hours later, a 90-year-old driver ran a sto...

Send a text Running a profitable MSP remains an elusive goal for half the industry. Shocking statistics show that 25% of providers are barely breaking even, while another 25% lose money each year. Yet despite these sobering numbers, entrepreneurs continue entering the space, drawn by dreams of independence and growth. So, what separates successful MSPs from those that struggle? Too many rely on qu...

Send a text Have you ever wondered what it really takes to transform your life? This raw and powerful conversation explores how profound loss can become the catalyst for extraordinary change. After losing his mother to cancer when she was just 32, our guest developed a unique perspective on time and opportunity.   "My life was spared," he reflects, contrasting his survival through nights...

Send a text Digital accountability has revolutionized customer service—and it's the best thing that ever happened. With everyone carrying a camera and a megaphone in their pocket, businesses can no longer hide behind poor service. Yelp scores, online reviews, and viral moments now reveal the true character of an organization. This radical transparency brings us to what customer experience exp...

Send a text The power of necessity as a driver of innovation shines in this remarkable conversation with a tech entrepreneur who turned childhood hardship into business success. Growing up in foster care and group homes without parents, he faced challenges most of us can’t imagine—where government assistance covered only the bare essentials and violence and negativity were daily realities. School...

Send a text Ever searched frantically for glasses perched on your head or keys clutched in your hand? These everyday moments reflect a deeper truth about human perception: scotomas —cognitive blind spots that hide crucial realities in plain sight. In this eye-opening conversation, we explore how these blind spots create resistance and limit our potential. We share a humbling personal story—a momen...

Send a text Kindness might be the most undervalued currency in our fast-paced world. This conversation explores how approaching situations with positivity can transform not just outcomes, but our entire experience. When travel plans go awry or technology fails, our first instinct might be frustration. Yet, as personal stories reveal, treating the person behind the counter or the technician on the...

Send a text "Community is not about belonging. It’s about belonging to something that makes belonging matter." This powerful distinction lies at the heart of our conversation about what genuine community means in today’s business landscape. When businesses confuse having customers with having community, they miss the transformative power of authentic connection. True community emerges wh...

Send a text What happens when you sell the business you've built from the ground up? More importantly, who will take care of the clients who’ve trusted you for years? These questions lie at the heart of a powerful conversation about the human side of business exits. While most discussions around mergers and acquisitions focus on valuation multiples and deal structures, this one dives into the...

Send a text What does it take to build a successful career in the technology channel? The answer might surprise you. It's not technical prowess—or even owning a computer. It's relationships. The journey from industry outsider to respected insider shows how a few key connections can completely transform your career. Entering the MSP ecosystem without a technical background? Your ability t...

Send a text What happens when someone pushes the boundaries of their potential? Ashley's journey—from working in a hot dog factory to becoming a Vice President of Human Resources—is a testament to the power of self-belief and determination. Raised in a blue-collar family with no clear path to college, Ashley never envisioned an executive career. At 20, as a single mother, she walked into a st...

Send a text The difference between business survival and failure often comes down to one thing: the people you hire. In this candid conversation, we dive into why grit beats impressive resumes every time. Our guest, who built and sold two companies before 40, shares how their hiring philosophy evolved through both wins and hard lessons. "I'd rather hire someone who never says, ‘That’s no...

Send a text Have you ever noticed how much time you spend lost in your own head, caught in cycles of negative thinking? Almost 55% of our waking hours are spent in rumination, often leading to self-criticism that erodes self-esteem and contributes to depression. The key to breaking free lies in understanding that we already have the tools to escape this mental prison. Deep within us are universal...