Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray

In this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray , Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane sit down with Chef and owner Chris Rainosek of The Noble South in downtown Mobile. Chris shares the journey behind building a farm-to-table restaurant rooted in seasonal ingredients and local partnerships, and what it has taken to grow and sustain that vision over time. The Noble South was recently recognized in th...

In this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray, Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane sit down with entrepreneur Darryl McKinney to talk about the journey behind Heavenly Pies Pizzeria and the lessons he learned along the way. Darryl shares how he started with a cleaning business before moving into the restaurant industry and what it took to grow and sustain a business over time. The conversation exp...

What does it really take to build a career as a content creator? In this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray, Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane sit down with Taren Denise to talk about the business side of influencing. Taren shares how she went from starting as an intern at FOX10 to leaving her full time job to pursue content creation as a full time career. The conversation explores the rise o...

Can entrepreneurship actually be taught, or do most founders learn through experience? In this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray, Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane sit down with Dr. Don Mosley from the Melton Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell College of Business. The conversation focuses on how structured education and guided suppo...

Most people know Bri Burrell as Miss Alabama 2023, the third Black woman to earn that title in the competition’s 102-year history. But in this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray, we go deeper than the crown. Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane sit down with Bri for an honest conversation about leadership, representation, and what it means to think like an intrapreneur while creating oppor...

What happens when an HR professional sees a gap in her industry and decides to build the solution herself? In this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray, Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane sit down with Dr. Gia Wiggins, founder of Auditocity and CEO of Morale Resource, to talk about her journey from HR practitioner to tech founder. Gia shares how she went from writing down what once felt like an...

In this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray, hosts Chelsey Sayasane and Dani Dials sit down with Hayden and Lanier Lindsey, the husband-and-wife team behind several local Gulf Coast Scooter’s Coffee locations to talk about franchising, entrepreneurship, and what people often misunderstand about franchise ownership. Hayden and Lanier share the story of how their journey began when Lanie...

What does it really look like to leave corporate life and step into a family-owned business? In this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray, hosts Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane sit down with Faye Olensky of Olensky Brothers, a multi-generation, family-owned business rooted in Mobile and right on the heart of the Mardi Gras parade route. Faye shares what it was like to spend years building a c...

What does it really take to pull off one of the biggest weeks of the year in Mobile, and why does it matter beyond the game? In this special episode of  Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray , hosts Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane sit down with Drew Fabianich, Executive Director of the Senior Bowl, and Molly Middleton, Director of Public Relations & Community Outreach, to kick off Senior Bowl we...

What does it really take to bring major businesses to a region, and who’s behind those decisions?  In this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray, hosts Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane sit down with Kayla Byrne, Director of Business Development at the Mobile Chamber, for an eye-opening conversation about what happens behind the scenes of economic growth along the Gulf Coast. Kayla br...

Three months into  Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray , hosts Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane take a moment to pause, reflect, and look back on the journey so far. In this episode, Dani and Chelsey pull back the curtain on what it’s really been like building the podcast … from how the podcast room came together, to lessons learned along the way, to guest conversations that truly stay...

In this episode of  Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray , Dani Dials sits down one-on-one with Rocky Fremin, owner of Rock & Roll Offs Rental Dumpsters, for a conversation about resilience, leadership, and navigating grief while continuing to show up for life and business. Rocky’s story is one of perseverance, from growing up in the foster care system, to serving in the Marines, to build...

On this episode of  Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray , we’re sitting down with someone who has personally impacted both hosts, not just professionally, but in real life. Rita‑Nicole Wright is the owner of Beyond Group Fitness, a powerhouse personal trainer, and the woman who trains both Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane. Rita built her gym from the ground up and has carved out a respected n...

This Christmas Eve, Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray brings you a special episode the whole family can enjoy. Straight from the North Pole, Santa Claus joins the conversation to talk about the business behind the magic… from managing elves and running a worldwide operation in a single night, to what it really takes to keep joy, generosity, and wonder at the center of it all. Along the way, we...

In this episode, Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane sit down with Marty Carrell, Executive Director of Women’s Resource Center, for a powerful conversation about leadership, faith, and navigating complexity in mission-driven work. Marty opens up about what it truly means to lead a nonprofit that is often misunderstood. From managing public perception and cultural tension to staying rooted in co...

In this episode, Dani Dials and Chelsey Sayasane sit down with Studio 10’s own Joe Emer to explore “The Art of the Side Hustle.” Most viewers know Joe from FOX10, but behind the scenes, he has built a thriving real estate career over the past decade … all while juggling a demanding full-time job, a busy family life, and the unpredictable world of TV news. Joe opens up abou...

What does reinvention look like behind the scenes of the culinary world? In this episode, Dani and Chelsey sit down with award-winning chef Manny Rodriguez to explore the business decisions, pivots, pressures, and personal growth that shaped his journey from Washington, D.C. fine dining to leading operations along the Gulf Coast. Chef Manny shares insights on building a brand and rebuilding a care...

On this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray , Dani and Chelsey sit down with a woman whose drive and heart have shaped every room she walks into: Media executive and multi-business entrepreneur Lynn Self. Lynn manages one of FOX10/Gray Media Group’s largest accounts, but her story reaches far beyond corporate walls. She runs a beekeeping company (B Honey), a beach-chair rental business...

In this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray , Chelsey and Dani sit down with Nick and Shanavia Powe, the powerhouse husband-and-wife team behind Honest Air, Plumbing & Electric and Powe & Associates. Together, they share what it’s really like to run multiple businesses under one roof, navigate purposeful rebrands, and balance marriage, parenting, and entrepreneurship. Whether y...

In this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray, Dani and Chelsey sit down with newly elected Mayor of Mobile, Spiro Cheriogotis, and his wife Lucy Greer of Greer’s Markets, to talk about what it really looks like to lead in both business and public service - all under one roof. From carrying forward a century-old family business to stepping into the business of running a city, Spiro and L...

In this episode of  Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray , Dani and Chelsey sit down with Jennifer Jenkins, Founder and President of JJPR, to explore what it really takes to build a respected brand from the ground up. From her small-town beginnings to leading one of the Gulf Coast’s top public relations firms, Jennifer shares the lessons behind her calm leadership style, the “gray areas...

In this episode of  Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray,  Dani and Chelsey sit down with celebrity makeup artist and licensed esthetician Esther Louis of  Esther Louis Artistry & Aesthetics. Together, they unpack some of the often-overlooked sides of business success - policies, boundaries, and etiquette. Esther shares why clear policies aren’t just for protection but for accou...

This week on  Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray , Chelsey and Dani sit down with Britain Fuller, the newly crowned  Miss Alabama Teen USA , just before she takes the national stage at  Miss Teen USA . From balancing school and community leadership to building a platform that blends purpose, confidence, and personal branding, Britain opens up about what it really takes to walk in confid...

In this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray, we sit down with Eric Duncan, General Manager of FOX10, to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to run a TV station. From leading diverse teams and navigating the high-stakes world of ad sales, to balancing the relationship between news and revenue, Eric shares the challenges, risks, and rewards of working in an industry that never sleeps...