INspired INsider Podcast

Alice Chen is the Partner & U.S. Leader at Pender Hastings Capital, a private equity firm specializing in niche, high‑return land development and real estate strategies. A former corporate and M&A lawyer, she pivoted into private equity and has built, operated, and exited multiple businesses across international trade, financial services, CPG, and technology. Named a "Top 40 Under 40" and featured...

Nick Loise is the Founder and Chief Sales Officer of Sales Performance Team, a company dedicated to helping small and midsize businesses enhance their sales leadership, processes, and systems. With a background as a salesperson, sales leader, entrepreneur, marketing executive, and President's Club winner, he brings a wealth of experience to his clients. Nick has authored and co-authored several bo...

Mike Palmer is the CEO of Sigma Computing, a company that makes data exploration, analysis, and business intelligence accessible to all. Under his leadership, Sigma has experienced remarkable growth, going from $2 million to $100 million in IRR over three years and raising a $200 million funding round. Mike's expertise in business transformation and customer experience has been a driving force beh...

Bruce Eckfeldt is a Strategic Coach and Master Facilitator at Eckfeldt & Associates, where he works with CEOs and leadership teams to scale their businesses. As a former Inc. 500 Founder and CEO, he successfully scaled and sold his business. Bruce focuses on developing leadership skills, optimizing companies for transactions, and navigating mergers and acquisitions. In this episode… Many business...

Vivian Gonzalez is the President of Park Capital Search, a global finance and accounting executive search firm that helps organizations — from private equity-backed companies to public corporations — build senior leadership teams in areas like finance, accounting, data science, and business analytics. With a focus on retained, C-suite and functional leadership assignments, Vivian spearheads senior...

Andy Ruben is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Trove, a re-commerce technology company that powers branded resale programs for major labels like Patagonia, Lululemon, REI, and Levi's. Before Trove, he spent a decade at Walmart as the company's first Chief Sustainability Officer, where he launched global sustainability efforts, led omnichannel and private-brand strategies, and integrated e‑com...

Mike Agugliaro is the Founder and CEO of FuDog Group, a training and coaching company specializing in personal growth and development. He blends ancient wisdom, neuroscience, and modern performance strategies to help entrepreneurs and individuals design lives rich in health, wealth, relationships, and impact. Mike is a self-made entrepreneur and martial arts expert who began his career as an elect...

Phil Randazzo is the Founder of American Dream U, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping military service members transition into successful civilian careers or launch their businesses. Since its founding in 2003, American Dream U has provided educational programs and mentorship to over 16,000 veterans and their families, featuring guidance from top entrepreneurs and business leaders.  Beyo...

Tyler Lane is the Founder and CEO of Session Interactive, a Denver-based digital marketing consultancy specializing in SEO, analytics, paid search, and content strategy for mid-market and enterprise brands. With over 13 years of experience in digital marketing, he has successfully created, launched, and evaluated SEO, content marketing, analytics, and social strategies, bringing his expertise to S...

Chadd Olesen is the CEO and Co-founder of AVRL, an Austin-based automation company specializing in logistics and supply chain technology. Since launching AVRL in 2017, he has led its transformation from a natural language processing startup into a freight tech powerhouse, now automating over 60 million shipments annually. Under Chadd's leadership, AVRL has become one of the fastest-growing compani...

Gabe Karp is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and conflict management expert known for his book Don't Get Mad at Penguins: And Other Ways to Detox the Conflict in Your Life and Business . He began his career as a trial lawyer, later becoming Executive Vice President and General Counsel at ePrize (now Merkle), where he helped grow the company into a global leader in digital promotions. Curren...

Noah Rosenfarb is a third-generation CPA and the Founder of Wealthrive, which empowers high-achieving entrepreneurs to leverage tax strategies and generational wealth. He has sold eight companies and completed over 50 real estate investments valued at almost $1 billion. Noah is also an author, podcast host, and thought leader in exit planning. In this episode… For entrepreneurs approaching a busin...

Craig Dunham is the CEO of Voltron Data, a company specializing in GPU-accelerated data infrastructure for large-scale analytics, AI, and machine learning workloads. Before joining Voltron Data, he served as CEO of Lumar, a SaaS technical SEO platform, and held executive roles at Guild Education and Seismic, where he led the integration of Seismic's acquisition of The Savo Group and drove go-to-ma...

Jake Karls is Co-founder and Chief Rainmaker of Mid-Day Squares, a Montreal-based functional chocolate company known for its bold transparency and viral storytelling. After early ventures in fitness and fashion, he found his niche in brand building and community engagement. Since launching Mid-Day Squares with his sister and brother-in-law, Jake has helped scale the company to produce over 90,000...

Joe Polish is the Founder of Genius Network, an exclusive group of renowned and successful entrepreneurs. He is an established marketer and has helped thousands of businesses, from large corporations to small family-owned companies, generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Additionally, Joe is the Founder and President of Piranha Marketing and the host of three top-rated business and m...

Brett Allen is the host of The Marketing 32 Show and the Founder of Marketing 32, a dental marketing agency specializing in internal and external marketing strategies to help dental practices grow. Under Brett's leadership, Marketing 32 has successfully supported over 215 dental practices across the US, Canada, and Australia by implementing its unique Practice Impact Formula, which guarantees grow...

Ben Dixon is the CEO of Naxum, a referral marketing technology company that provides innovative solutions to businesses worldwide. Under his leadership, Naxum has introduced tools like the UNIFY platform and predictive action engines, revolutionizing how companies approach referral marketing. With a background in sales and a passion for empowering entrepreneurs, Ben has been instrumental in develo...

Mark Rickmeier is the CEO of TXI Digital, a Chicago-based digital product innovation firm specializing in UX research, design, and software development. With over two decades of experience, he has led the creation of more than 100 digital products for clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to mission-driven nonprofits. Beyond his role at TXI, Mark is the Founder of initiatives like Walkshop, a...

Yuval Gonczarowski is the Founder and CEO of Akooda, an AI-powered operations intelligence platform that helps organizations unify and analyze internal data to drive faster, smarter decisions. Under his leadership, Akooda has secured $11 million in seed funding, used by Fortune 500 companies to streamline operations and unlock insights across digital workflows. A graduate of Harvard Business Schoo...

Fred Meyers is the Founder and President of Queensboro, a custom logo apparel business he started in 1982 while a student at Columbia University. Inspired by the popularity of Lacoste shirts and a desire to offer high-quality polos with personalized logos, he began his venture from his college dorm room. Over the past four decades, Fred has grown Queensboro into a multi-million-dollar enterprise,...

Edward Woodford is the CEO and Co-founder of Zero Hash, a leading crypto-as-a-service platform that enables businesses to integrate digital assets into their offerings. Under his leadership, Zero Hash has processed over $45 billion in transactions and secured over $170 million in funding from prominent investors, including Point72 Ventures and Bain Capital Ventures.​ Before founding Zero Hash, Edw...

​Omri Hurwitz is the Founder and CEO of Omri Hurwitz Media, a leading PR agency specializing in tech startups and high-profile entrepreneurs. As a tech marketer and media strategist, he has built a global reputation by blending traditional media with social platforms to amplify client narratives and drive brand growth. Beyond PR, Omri owns equity in multiple media outlets, including Hurwitz TV — a...

​Keith Burns is the CEO and Co-chairman of Lullwater & Co., a private investment firm dedicated to building enduring companies through long-term partnerships. He also serves as Co-executive Chairman of Apex Physics Partners, the largest medical physics services provider in the US, and previously led Seneca Creek Partners, a search fund that completed 15 acquisitions and achieved a successful inves...

​Rick Rappe is the President and Owner of RPM Direct Marketing, a Seattle-based agency specializing in direct mail marketing services, including lead generation, acquisition, loyalty, and win-back programs. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Rick has developed and managed some of the largest and most successful direct-marketing-driven sales channels in the country. Under his leaders...

John Ruhlin (1980–2024) was an American entrepreneur, speaker, and author best known for pioneering the concept of strategic gifting in business. He founded The Ruhlin Group, a firm specializing in personalized corporate gift strategies, and authored the best-selling book Giftology , which emphasizes the power of generosity to build lasting relationships. John began his career as a top sales repre...