Planting Seeds by Jeff Hilimire

On this episode, I had the chance to talk with my friend, Hanni Berger, CEO and founder of JOYVIAL. For anyone that knows Hanni, they know she’s a bright, bursting light of positivity, bringing joy to everyone she comes in contact with. I was really excited to hear more about her inspiring journey which led her to start JOYVIAL, a company helping business leaders live their healthiest, most joyful...

This episode is a reading of one of my email newsletter posts, entitled, "The most powerful question in the world." You can check out my newsletter here: https://jeffhilimire.substack.com/ Don’t forget to subscribe! About me: Sign up for my weekly email newsletter!   CEO: Dragon Army + Ripples Media My books: The Turnaround Leadership Series Nonprofits I've started: Ripples of Hope + 48in48 +...

On this episode, I talk with entrepreneur, artist, and advocate, Jay Austin. He’s working to interrupt mass incarceration. We talk about what led him to this important work, the current state of mass incarceration, and the nonprofit he started called RLENTLSS, a prison diversion and re-entry program teaching premiere level videography, photography, storytelling, and other below-the-line production...

This is an audio recording from my email newsletter, where I wrestle with the idea of being a stoic. Don’t forget to subscribe! About me: Sign up for my weekly email newsletter!   CEO: Dragon Army + Ripples Media My books: The Turnaround Leadership Series Nonprofits I've started: Ripples of Hope + 48in48 + The A Pledge Blog: www.jeffhilimire.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffhilimire  

On this episode, I have one of my favorite guests, Terence Lester, back on the show. Terence is a social justice leader, entrepreneur, author, dedicated father and husband, and so much more. I wanted Terence to join me again on the podcast to talk about what it means to be a true ally. We get deep into that, and we also talk a bit about his latest book, When We Stand, which is truly amazing. You s...

On this episode, I talk with my good friend and former teammate at Spunlogic and Engauge, Jay Jhun. Currently the Director of Loyalty at Focus Brands, we talk about Jay’s career, in which he’s worked for agencies (like mine), technology companies like IBM, and now on the brand/client side at Focus Brands. We also talk about Jay’s journey of adopting his son, as well as career advice for young mark...

This episode is a reading from my newsletter, which you can sign up for here . The episode dives into how I discovered a unique way of building trust and genuine relationships at my companies. Don’t forget to subscribe! About me: Sign up for my weekly email newsletter!   CEO: Dragon Army + Ripples Media My books: The Turnaround Leadership Series Co-founder: Ripples of Hope + 48in48 + The A Pl...

On this episode, I had the chance to talk with Stephanie Stuckey, who I’ve admired for quite some time and was dying to get a chance to learn more about. We discuss the history of her company ( Stuckey’s ), of course, her entrepreneurial journey, her goal of ‘reviving the road trip’, advice for entrepreneurs who start later in their career, and so much more.  Visit a Stuckey's! -> https://...

In this episode, I talk about my favorite books from 2021, in which I read 56 books (my personal record). I was surprised by how many books I had ranked 5-stars, but after looking through them, they were all superb. I also wrote about them on my blog . Don’t forget to subscribe! About me: Sign up for my weekly email newsletter!   CEO: Dragon Army My books: The Turnaround Leadership Series Co-...

I’m so excited to share this podcast episode with you because I get a chance to talk to Adam Albrecht about his new book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? Adam is the Founder and CEO of the ad agency, The Weaponry, and his book is seriously fantastic. It’s inspiring, insightful, motivating, and so funny. It’s made up of 80 mini-chapters of advice that Adam has learned over his life and entrepren...

On this episode, I had the chance to talk with Jeff Perkins about his promotion from CMO to CEO of ParkMobile (one of my favorite Atlanta tech companies) and about his new book, How Not to Suck at Marketing . We talk about what he was most nervous about when taking the role of CEO (and how it happened), how he’s going to continue to build upon the great culture at ParkMobile, and what led him to w...

On this episode, I had a chance to catch up with my inspiring friend, Evana Oli, to hear more about her journey of starting a company with her 9-year old daughter, Zoe, called Beautiful Curly Me. Beautiful Curly Me is a brand that encourages young girls to love and be confident in who they are. How great is that :) Ever since we recorded this episode I’ve been trying to think about how I can begin...

On this episode, I speak with one of my favorite marketing leaders in Atlanta, Paige Farrow. Paige is currently the Director of Brand Strategy & Management at NAPA Auto Parts, and we talk about her career journey (which includes stops at Coca-Cola and Charbroil), her style of leadership, advice she has for young people starting out in their career, and some tips on the age-old fight for better...

On this episode, I’m joined by my friend, Shannon Watkins, the CMO and “Chief Duck Handler” at Aflac. Shannon and I were first introduced when we were forming The A Pledge, a nonprofit we co-founded in 2020 to fight for racial equity in the advertising and marketing community. We talk about her incredibly impressive journey, how, as a black female, she navigated through her career, and the good sh...

This is a very special episode as I talk with my good friend and one of my favorite Atlanta business leaders, Kenji Kuramoto, about his family’s experience with the Japanese internment camps of the 1940s. His generosity and vulnerability in sharing this with me was so powerful, and I just know you’ll appreciate the stories he shares. Kenji's company, Acuity: https://acuity.co/ Don’t forget to subs...

On this episode, I’m honored to have Bethaney Wilkinson back on the show, this time to talk about her new, incredible book, The Diversity Gap. I read this book in less than 3 days and absolutely loved it. We talk about many of the concepts in the book, including the importance of knowing, and sharing, your origin story, the goal of working toward liberation, and what it means to explore reparation...

On this episode, I talk with Kyle Porter, CEO and co-founder of Salesloft, one of Atlanta’s most recent unicorns (meaning they are valued at a billion dollars or more). This episode is full of incredible stories and advice from Kyle, including how he works to grow as a leader, some of the secrets to Salesloft’s success, his best advice for leaders (including the importance of building trust), and...

This episode is the audio from one of my email newsletter posts, titled: Abled and Eyes Opened (Thanks to one leader, I now see my privilege in a new light). You can sign up for my newsletter at: https://jeffhilimire.com/newsletter Don’t forget to subscribe! About me: Sign up for my weekly email newsletter!   CEO: Dragon Army My books: The Turnaround Leadership Series Co-founder: Ripples of H...

Keith Millner, co-founder and managing partner of Coaching Catalyst, joins me on this episode. Keith is an entrepreneur, servant leader, and self-described, “hustler”, and you’ll get a sense of all of those designations from our conversation. We talk about his journey, what led him to be an executive coach and change agent for so many, his successful hike to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, his leade...

On this episode, I talk with Nathaniel Smith, Founder and Chief Equity Officer/CEO Partnership for Southern Equity. We talk about his journey, the difference between actual social justice and what he calls, “fakequity”, the Values Revolution that we need to happen to create real change in our society, and so much more. (Nathaniel also gave the keynote address at the 2021 48in48 Social Justice even...

On this episode, I talk with Ryan Gravel, enterpreneur, author, urban designer, and most certainly, the person that came up with the once-in-a-generation idea of The Atlanta BeltLine. We talk about, of course, the story of the BeltLine, but we also get into some really great concepts, including what he loves about Atlanta (and where we struggle as a city), things he learned about his family’s hist...

On this episode, I spend time talking with my new friend, and fellow supporter of The A Pledge, Sequoyah “DataBae” Glenn. She’s one of the most talented data and analytics experts I’ve ever met, and also has one of the biggest hearts. We talk about how she became a “media culture disruptor”, her purpose to change the world through the eyes of marketing and media, and what it takes to be a good all...

On this episode, I talk with Nathan Stuck, who some consider to be "Mr. B Corp Georgia". We talk about, what else, B corporations, and we also dig into conscious capitalism, how ROI fits into the decision, and what it takes for a company truly to be a force for good in this world. Keep up with Nathan: www.linkedin.com/nathanastuck Consider becoming a B Corporation! www.blocalgeorgia.com Check out...

On this episode, my guest is Nina Smith, a self proclaimed “communications mercenary”. She’s the former traveling press secretary and advisor to Pete Buttigieg, and she spends most of her time helping candidates, brands, and organizations tell their story in the media. We talk about her journey, of course the work she did with Pete (I’m a HUGE fan), some of the work she did with Stacey Abrams (som...

On this episode, I brought David Cummings (Atlanta Tech Village, Pardot, Atlanta Ventures) back on to talk about the characteristics that the most successful entrepreneurs and leaders have. We’ve both built businesses and invested in others, and I thought it would be a fun conversation to discuss the qualities that are somewhat non-negotiable in those that succeed. Also, check out my first intervi...