Harmonious at Lunch

What if a single 15-minute block in your calendar could steady your focus, elevate decision-making, and reduce afternoon drag? Professor, business and wellness coach Dr. Christiane Schroeter joins us to share her Petite Practice framework—small steps that drive measurable gains in productivity and calm without overhauling your life. We cover how to design a personalized "wellness block" th...

Is "value creation" just another empty buzzword in your business? Serial entrepreneur Lee Benson joins Harmonious at Lunch to explain how focusing on a more complete definition of value allowed him to sell his aerospace company for a staggering 21.6x multiple. He breaks down the common trap of focusing only on material value (like EBITDA) and presents his framework for holistic growth. Dis...

Are you looking for a competitive edge in talent retention that doesn't involve unpredictable pay raises? What if you could offer a high-value benefit that directly boosts your team's focus and productivity by reducing their number one stressor: money? Joel Miller, founder of Flames Financial Planning, joins Harmonious at Lunch to detail his disruptive flat-fee financial planning model, de...

Discover how this technology allows you to simply prompt an AI to handle tedious tasks like updating Salesforce records or sending invoices, freeing you and your team from the manual data entry that kills productivity. Matthew explains how to reframe AI as a personal assistant for every employee, how to roll it out in a growing company, and the operational checks needed to ensure your new AI team...

Is your company culture an accident or an asset? If you're struggling with employee retention and performance, the problem isn't a lack of ping-pong tables; it's a lack of intentional design. M&A executive and strategy expert Matthew Person joins Harmonious at Lunch to challenge the idea that culture is a “squishy” concept. Matthew argues that copying the perks of “best places to w...

What if your biggest business failure at 22 became the foundation for a successful career on Wall Street? Scott Greenfield, a leader in the financial industry, joins Harmonious at Lunch to share his unconventional journey from owning a bar in New York City to becoming a top executive and mentor. Scott argues that the most critical business lessons—managing capitalization, building powerful relatio...

Most owners wait too long to think about an exit—don’t be one of them. Private equity operator Louis Kim joins us to break down how to design an exit-ready business by leading with values, clarity, and a customer-first culture. Topic: aligned leadership for succession planning, selling your business, and creating value that doesn’t depend on you. Louis shares why 70–75% of owners have no exit or s...

Is your webcam and poor lighting sabotaging your credibility on sales calls? In the age of video-first communication, your virtual presence can make or break a deal before you even state your value proposition. In a raw and candid episode, studio expert Junaid Ahmed joins Harmonious at Lunch to conduct a live teardown of our host's own setup, revealing the common mistakes that diminish authori...

What if your biggest business failure at 22 became the foundation for a successful career on Wall Street? Scott Greenfield, a leader in the financial industry, joins Harmonious at Lunch to share his unconventional journey from owning a bar in New York City to becoming a top executive and mentor. Scott argues that the most critical business lessons—managing capitalization, building powerful relatio...

Every entrepreneur dreams of a profitable exit, but are your operating costs silently eroding your company's value? Michael Haskell, a seasoned investor who has taken companies public, joins Harmonious at Lunch to reveal a potent strategy for maximizing your business valuation. He explains how he slashed a finance department's budget by two-thirds—from $300k to under $100k—without sacrific...

Tired of pouring money into ads with unpredictable returns? Email and SMS marketing might be the most underutilized asset in your business. Nikita Vakhrushev, founder of Aspekt Agency and a specialist who has scaled over 100+ DTC brands, joins Harmonious at Lunch to lay out a clear framework for customer retention and growth. Discover the three core email automations every business must have (Welc...

Are your business goals just wishful thinking? If you're tired of setting targets with frameworks like SMART goals and falling short, this episode is your wake-up call. Serial entrepreneur Tanner Haas, who has founded four companies and sold two, joins Harmonious at Lunch to tear down conventional goal-setting advice he calls "fluff." Tanner argues that success isn't about writing...

Are emotions clouding your critical business decisions? Holding onto an underperforming employee or a failing marketing campaign out of hope? Trader, investor, and author Anmol Singh joins Harmonious at Lunch to share the psychological framework elite traders use to stay disciplined and profitable, even when the stakes are high. This episode translates high-stakes trading tactics into practical bu...

Do you dread networking events that feel like a non-stop barrage of business cards and sales pitches? You're not alone. Rashesh Doshi, Managing Director of Talent Corner HR Services, joins Harmonious at Lunch to reframe how leaders should approach building connections. With over two decades of experience, Rashesh argues that the true power of networking is found in listening, not talking, and...

Are you launching a new venture or trying to fix a business that’s struggling? Many owners get sold the dream of 'turnkey' success, only to find themselves stuck. The problem often isn't a single silver bullet, but a failure in the foundational sequence of growth. Brandon Pflieger, a former marketing firm CEO turned successful Rockbox Fitness franchisee and consultant at Capital Growth...

Using AI to manage health markers so you can perform better in your business. In this candid solo talk, our host shares how he used Gemini AI to analyze his lab results and craft a personalized diet plan—leading to a 30-day drop from LDL 179→97 and blood pressure 159/95→117/80, plus a lower A1C. If you’re a busy founder or executive, this episode shows how AI can support smarter daily decisions wi...

How do you challenge a stale, high-cost industry when you're a startup? Michael Leung, founder of The Flo Group, joins Harmonious at Lunch to detail his plan for disrupting the hearing aid market. Driven by his own personal experience with a degenerative eye condition, Michael is building a business around an affordable, non-invasive alternative: open-ear bone conduction headphones with built-...

Are your sales growing but your bank account isn't? This paradox of being "revenue rich but cash poor" is a silent threat that puts many 7- and 8-figure businesses on the path to failure. Ken LaCroix, founder of Insightful Partners, joins Harmonious at Lunch to explain this dangerous financial situation. He draws a critical line between traditional accounting (looking backward) and the...

Think you need a massive ad budget to scale your business? Think again. Kasim Aslam, who has built five 7- and 8-figure companies, joins Harmonious at Lunch to reveal the counterintuitive framework behind his 15-company portfolio: solve for traffic first, and never pay for it as a business model. This conversation detours from a simple hiring discussion into a masterclass on opportunity identifica...

Is generative AI a viable tool for high-level executive coaching, or just a sophisticated search engine? Brandon Held joins Harmonious at Lunch to demonstrate how he's moved beyond standard AI limitations. He has programmed and built his own custom GPT, embedding his unique life coaching methodology directly into the model. This isn't about generic prompts; it's a guided experience des...

How do you effectively lead a large team when you've never shaken their hands or shared an office? What are the non-obvious mistakes that cause remote teams to fail? Carmen Williams, who went from being a socially awkward child to the leader of a 125-person remote team, joins Harmonious at Lunch to deliver a masterclass in virtual leadership. This conversation is essential for entrepreneurs an...

Are your sustainability efforts a drain on your P&L with no clear return? For most companies, vague environmental claims and complex reports fail to connect with customers, resulting in wasted investment. This episode confronts that reality head-on, presenting a tangible strategy to turn your environmental initiatives into a powerful marketing engine that boosts sales and brand loyalty. Amory...

Do you end your week feeling busy but not productive, wondering where your time actually went? In this special weekly update, Harmonious at Lunch host Brandon shares a powerful method to get an honest, data-driven look at your schedule. He provides a step-by-step, screen-share demonstration of how he uses AI—specifically Anthropic's Claude—to perform a detailed time audit directly from his Goo...

Is it possible to be a top-tier business owner AND a present parent? USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Rob Finlay joins Harmonious at Lunch to dismantle the myth that you must sacrifice one for the other. Having built and sold four companies while raising four children, Rob shares his raw journey from being what he calls “Fat Rob”—where business stress physically manifested—to...

Is chronic procrastination, perfectionism, or a crippling sense of imposter syndrome stalling your business momentum? You're not alone, and it's not just a matter of willpower. Dr. Albert Bramante (Talent Agent, Psychology Professor, & Author of 'Rise Above the Script') joins Harmonious at Lunch to dissect the real psychological roots of self-sabotage that hold entrepreneurs ba...