Inside the Leader's Mind

Summary Logan Cuvo , CEO of Best Dam Tape , joins David Suson to share how losing his hockey identity became the start of a new entrepreneurial path. After years of chasing elite hockey, moving away from home at 15, and facing the pain of being benched and burned out, Logan had to decide who he was without the sport that shaped him. That transition led him to build a bootstrapped sports tape compa...

Summary Aras Sheikhi , CEO of Janus Innovation Hub , has rebuilt his life from zero four times -- in Iran, Dubai, Australia, and now San Diego. A former faculty member at Sharif University of Technology, Aras found his calling as a bridge between academic research and industry need. After a successful exit in Australia, he launched Janus to support first-generation immigrant founders who have the...

Summary Kris Malkoski , CEO of Learning and Development at Newell Brands , shares how growing up on a Nebraska farm shaped her leadership philosophy, work ethic, and ability to make a difference in complex organizations. From gathering eggs as a child to leading global brands like Sharpie, Graco, Paper Mate, Expo, Dymo, NUK, and Elmer's , Kris explains why leadership begins with clear expectations...

Summary In this episode, Morag Barrett , leadership expert and author, explores the growing epidemic of disconnection at work and its impact on performance, engagement, and wellbeing. She explains how modern workplaces have created an illusion of connection through technology , while true human relationships have weakened. Morag shares practical ways leaders can rebuild connection, from small dail...

Summary Yulia (Julia) Stefani , founder of SWolta Ventures and former Chief Product Officer at Treasure Financial , joins David Suson on Inside the Leader's Mind for a rich conversation about leadership transformation, radical honesty, and intentional career design. Yulia shares how becoming a mother in March 2020 — at the height of COVID — cracked open her definition of success and set her on a p...

Summary Chris Mele , CEO of Software Pricing Partners (SPP) and creator of the pricing management platform Levelsetter , joins David Suson on Inside the Leader's Mind to pull back the curtain on one of the most overlooked growth levers in B2B software: pricing. A computer science graduate turned Ernst & Young consultant, SaaS co-founder, and now pricing strategist, Chris breaks down why pricing is...

Summary In this episode of Inside the Leader's Mind , David Suson sits down with Robynn Storey , Founder of Storeyline Resumes , to explore what leadership looks like when ego steps aside and humanity takes the lead. Robynn shares her unconventional journey from a high-level corporate role at Pepsi to waiting tables, and ultimately building a multi-million-dollar, fully remote company rooted in ki...

Summary Lee Caraher , CEO of Double Forte , explains how her PR and strategic communications firm helps clients reach business goals by improving how they connect with employees, customers, partners, and the public. She traces her path from a medieval history degree to tech PR, and why agency work accelerates learning. After 9/11 and her mother's stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis, Lee founded Double F...

In this episode of Inside the Leader's Mind , David Suson sits down with Alex Rodriguez , a veteran government affairs strategist, CEO of Conduit Government Relations, and Chairman and CEO of DCG Public Affairs. With more than 30 years advising Fortune 500 companies, public agencies, and nonprofit leaders, Alex operates at the intersection of policy, power, and public perception . He also brings a...

Summary Dr. Shonna Waters , CEO of Fractional Insights , explains what organizational psychologists do—optimizing the fit between people, work, and context—and why the "beginning and end of any value chain is a person." She argues that organizations are social systems, not technical ones, and that trust and relationships are the fuel for change. The conversation explores why leaders often address...

Summary Ravi Prakash shares how arriving in the U.S. with $20 became the start of a lifelong practice of resilience. Through stories of losing sight in one eye, surviving upheaval in India, and rebuilding from "nothing," he frames adversity as a growth engine and leadership as an inside-out discipline: lead yourself first, then you can lead others. Takeaways Resilience is a lifestyle , built one d...

What happens when brilliant scientists are asked to become CEOs? In this episode of Inside the Leader's Mind , David Suson sits down with Sonya Weigle , CEO of Next Stage Bio Advisors and founder of the Catalytic Collective, to unpack why early-stage biotech companies often stall after scientific success. Sonya shares hard-earned insights from over 25 years in life sciences, M&A integration, and e...

Summary In this episode of Inside the Leader's Mind, Karina Bensko, CEO of Culture Krew, explains why HR is not "balloons and cupcakes," but a core business function that protects trust, reduces risk, and accelerates growth. Karina shares her path from studying psychology to falling in love with HR at 19, her shift from corporate bureaucracy to the "fail fast" startup world, and why she chose the...

Summary Inside the Leader's Mind host David Suson sits down with Bill Kasko, President and CEO of Frontline Source Group , to unpack how he's built an award-winning staffing firm over 22 years in a constantly shifting talent market. Bill shares how hiring for character over resumes, listening deeply, and "doing the opposite" of industry norms led to a five-year placement warranty, long-tenured tea...

Summary Ken Goodrich shares how he went from a 10-year-old holding a flashlight for his dad to building, buying, and turning around hundreds of HVAC and home-service businesses, including Goettl Air Conditioning and Plumbing and now Kenerator. He walks through nearly losing everything to the IRS, discovering The E-Myth and systems thinking, and using process, culture, and brand storytelling to cre...

Summary In this powerful episode, Ike Wilson , compound stress, compound security, resilience, organizational adaptability, strategic leadership, teaming, wicked problems, defense strategy, systemic resilience, foresight, storytelling leadership, David Suson, Inside the Leader's Mind—strategic theorist, national security analyst, and creator of the General Theory of Compound Security —joins David...

Summary On this episode of Inside the Leader's Mind, David Suson talks with Howard Rosen, CEO of Nova Insights , about using AI agents to give clinicians back time with patients instead of burying them in admin work. Drawing on two decades in film and television, Howard shows how storytelling, engagement, and asking "why? " sit at the center of meaningful technology. He shares the moment his early...

Summary Julie Peck, CEO of Talent Neuron, explains how strategic workforce planning is shifting from simple headcount spreadsheets to designing the architecture of work itself. She shares how Talent Neuron's 20+ years of global labor data helps companies merge internal talent data with external market intelligence to see around corners, model AI-driven scenarios, and future-proof their workforce....

Summary On this episode of Inside the Leader's Mind, David Suson talks with Jim Dukhovny, CEO and co-founder of Alef Aeronautics , about turning the sci-fi dream of a real flying car into an everyday commuting tool. Jim explains what makes Alef's vehicle a car first, aircraft second, how recent advances in batteries, composites, sensors, and software finally made it possible, and why his own bruta...

Summary In this episode of Inside the Leader's Mind, host David Suson speaks with Ben Walker, CEO and founder of Ditto Transcripts , a premium transcription service supporting legal, medical, academic, and law-enforcement organizations across the U.S. Ben shares how his work enables professionals—from detectives to researchers to surgeons—to stay productive by taking on the meticulous, high-stakes...

Summary In this episode of Inside the Leader's Mind, David Suson speaks with Nabeel Mahmoo d, a globally recognized futurist, tech influencer, and co-founder of Nomad Futurist . After surviving three heart attacks and being legally dead twice, Nabil's mission shifted from corporate success to human impact. He now focuses on demystifying technology , expanding global access to tech education, and h...

Summary In this episode of Inside the Leader's Mind, executive career strategist Lisa Rangel, CEO of Chameleon Resumes , shares how high-achieving executives can stop relying on being "tapped on the shoulder" and instead build a proactive, opportunity-attracting brand. She and David explore the mindset shift from being recruited to running a strategic job search, what real (vs. contrived) executiv...

Summary Rakesh Dhawan, founder and leader in advanced power electronics, joins David to discuss how AI and machine learning are radically transforming product development—cutting timelines from years to just 90 days. Rakesh shares lessons from building multiple companies, scaling engineering teams by 500%, and navigating the challenges of innovation in rapidly changing markets. Beyond technology,...

SUMMARY Leadership expert, psychologist, and bestselling author Dr. Relly Nadler reveals why most executives operate on autopilot 95% of the time —and how that undermines communication, accountability, and team development. He explains emotional intelligence as "awareness plus management," and shares practical tools such as the Emotional Audit , a 15-second technique to create pause, reflection, a...

SUMMARY In this episode of Inside the Leader's Mind, David Suson talks with Nick Turner , CEO of Dreamdata, a B2B marketing attribution and activation platform that recently raised $55M in Series B funding . Nick shares his unconventional path from construction company co-owner to CRO to first-time CEO—and the surprising leadership challenges that hit immediately after stepping into the role. Nick...