Intentional Leader Podcast

What does authentic leadership really look like in everyday life and business? In this episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson talks with Peter Kolat, known as “The Human Architect,” about resilience, immigration, identity, presence, trust, and the journey back to your authentic self. Peter shares how painful life experiences, limiting beliefs, divorce, and burnout became turning poi...

What does it really mean to lead with influence—and how do you do it ethically? In this episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson welcomes Brian Ahearn, Cialdini-certified trainer and author of Influenced From Above. Brian unpacks the 7 principles of influence, shares personal stories about applying them in family and faith settings, and explains the difference between influence vs. ma...

In this episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson sits down with publishing strategist and founder of The Writer’s Ally, Ally Machate. From ghostwriting and editing for Simon & Schuster to helping entrepreneurs turn their expertise into impact, Ally reveals the truth about writing a book that actually moves the needle in your business. She breaks down the myths, timing, and strateg...

In one of our most powerful and entertaining episodes yet, The Intentional Leader Podcast welcomes Emmy-nominated TV host, producer, and entrepreneur Alex Boylan. From winning The Amazing Race to creating The College Tour on Amazon Prime, Alex shares a compelling journey built on perseverance, creativity, and embracing discomfort. You’ll hear behind-the-scenes stories from global travel production...

Start 2026 strong with this episode of the Intentional Leader Podcast featuring serial entrepreneur and business consultant Kelly Lorenzen of KLM Consulting. Kelly shares candid leadership lessons from building multiple businesses, navigating burnout, and learning to duplicate herself through smart hiring and outsourcing. Discover how fractional teams can help overwhelmed entrepreneurs scale smart...

In this special year-end solo episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, host Sean Olson reflects on 2025 and casts vision for 2026. With no guest this time, Sean recaps key leadership trends from the past year, reflects on global challenges, and shares lessons learned from standout episodes with leaders across sectors and countries. You'll hear exciting updates about the Intentional Leader Networ...

In this powerful episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson sits down with Corey Feist, co-founder and CEO of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation. Corey shares the tragic and heroic story of his sister-in-law, Dr. Lorna Breen, a respected emergency physician whose suicide at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic became a national wake-up call about mental health in healthcare. Corey unp...

In this flavorful and heartfelt episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean and Jen Olson sit down with chef, culinary competitor, and chai entrepreneur Reuben Dhanawade. Reuben shares his leadership journey from learning to cook with his mom after immigrating to the U.S., to competing on Food Network’s Chopped and Supermarket Stakeout. He opens up about kitchen leadership, burnout, the power...

In this episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson interviews Bill Montgomery, President & CEO of River Radio. Bill shares his journey from college radio to leading a growing, multi-market media organization with purpose and integrity. Learn how he navigated difficult leadership seasons, expanded a nonprofit radio network through mergers and acquisitions, and built a culture of trus...

In this episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson interviews Nimesh Patel, Vice President of Operations & Culinary at Boston’s Pizza Restaurant & Sports Bar. From cleaning motel rooms as a kid to building a thriving franchise and earning an MBA, Nimesh shares an inspiring journey of hard work, humility, and lifelong learning. Discover how his early leadership in a family busine...

In this powerful episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson sits down with high-performance coach and founder of Dad Nation, Mitchell Osmond. Mitchell shares his raw, transformational journey—from being 60 pounds overweight, $100K in debt, and near divorce, to rebuilding his marriage, health, faith, and finances. Discover how a fight and a funeral became his wake-up calls. Mitchell dive...

In this episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson sits down with Dave Burnett, CEO of AOK Marketing and PromotionalProducts.com. Dave shares his entrepreneurial journey—from running a liquor sampling business in college with 50 employees, to navigating the Great Recession, to building a digital marketing agency that now pioneers SEO for AI. He dives into leadership lessons learned from...

In this episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson interviews Mary Kennedy Thompson, CEO of BNI (Business Network International), former U.S. Marine, and a global franchise powerhouse. Mary shares her inspiring leadership journey—from military service to scaling billion-dollar brands—and reveals the core values that have shaped her success. Learn why authenticity, kindness, and strategi...

In this special solo episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, host Sean Olson unveils the long-awaited launch of the Intentional Leader Network (ILN)—a game-changing subscription-based leadership development platform. Learn how ILN can transform your leadership journey with on-demand access to the Intentional Leader Blueprint course, bi-weekly live Zoom calls, and an interactive global community...

What happens when a former pastor becomes a top-tier mental performance coach for elite athletes and global business leaders? In this powerful episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson sits down with Gary Chupik to explore his unique journey from ministry to mindset mastery. Gary shares how unlocking human potential starts with reframing frustration, managing emotional energy, and deve...

In this episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson sits down with Neil Twa—e-commerce expert, business strategist, and founder of Voltage Digital Marketing. Neil shares the journey from corporate tech roles at IBM and Sprint PCS to becoming a multi-brand e-commerce entrepreneur. He reveals the hard-earned lessons behind affiliate marketing, building Amazon FBA businesses, and how to sca...

In this episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson interviews Dr. Bernadette Atanga—physician, international speaker, and author of Beneath the Armor: Eight Practical Strategies for Men to Embrace Vulnerability and Lead with Authentic Strength. Born in Cameroon and trained in Italy, Dr. Bernadette shares how her global medical journey shaped her leadership philosophy. She dives deep int...

In this episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, host Sean Olson speaks with African entrepreneur and business visionary Mhmoud Charania, who built one of Mozambique’s largest food manufacturing companies and chairs the board of Crown Paints, East Africa’s top paint producer. From launching a maize mill post–civil war to employing over 2,200 people, Mahmoud shares how he earned trust across cult...

In this episode of the Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson sits down with Ted Santos—entrepreneur, author, and trusted advisor to CEOs—for a deep dive into disruptive leadership, building breakthrough strategies, and leading with accountability. Ted shares compelling stories of transforming operations through intentional questions, empowering teams to solve complex problems independently, and c...

In this episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson talks with Eric Charran—technology executive, author, and leadership thinker—about his journey from coding at Microsoft to leading high-performing teams at Intuit. Eric shares lessons learned the hard way, including why being a great individual contributor doesn't always make you ready to manage others. You'll hear how he transformed pa...

Description: In this episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, Sean Olson welcomes Maria Chapman—former educator turned ghostwriter and nonprofit founder. After two rare neuromuscular conditions left her temporarily paralyzed, Maria faced a total life pivot. With grit, creativity, and purpose, she built Connected Ghostwriting, helping leaders tell their stories, and Journey to Success, a nonprofi...

In this powerful episode of The Intentional Leader Podcast, host Sean Olson welcomes Kelly Mackin—researcher, best-selling author, and CEO of Motives Met. Together, they explore the groundbreaking Motives Met assessment and how understanding your unique work-related motives can transform your leadership, team dynamics, and workplace well-being. Kelly shares personal stories, research insights, and...

Join Sean Olson on The Intentional Leader Podcast as he welcomes Jim Bouchard, founder of the Keep It Human Network, speaker, and author, for a powerful conversation on leadership, transformation, and empowerment. Jim shares his inspiring journey from addiction to leadership, how martial arts shaped his philosophy, and why the best leaders embrace curiosity, courage, and intentionality. In this ep...

Join Sean Olson on The Intentional Leader Podcast as he welcomes Keith Scott, CEO of KL Scott & Associates, for an insightful conversation on leadership, government innovation, and community impact. With over 30 years in technology and management consulting—including time at Deloitte and Gartner—Keith shares key leadership lessons, the importance of effective communication, and how his firm is...

Join Sean Olson on The Intentional Leader Podcast as he chats with linguist, speaker coach, and National Speakers Association leader Leslie Gordon. Dive deep into the art of communication, the power of accents as a reflection of personal stories, and the keys to becoming a confident, authentic speaker. Leslie shares actionable insights for entrepreneurs, team leaders, and aspiring public speakers...