Take Command: A Leadership Podcast

Who is Deena Ghazarian? Deena Ghazarian is a former retail executive at Macy's who has transitioned into a tech executive and is currently the CEO of Austere, an award-winning technology accessories company. She is also the co-founder of Chloe Nickie, a women's shoe business that provides higher-end brands at reasonable prices and donates a significant portion of its profits to support autism spec...

1. Who is Vala Afshar? Vala Afshar is a prominent figure in the world of technology and digital transformation. He currently serves as the Chief Digital Evangelist for Salesforce, a leading international CRM software company. Vala has a remarkable life story that began with the Iranian revolution in 1979. At the age of 10, he and his family needed to immigrate to the United States as refugees, sep...

Who is Aarash Darroodi? Aarash Darroodi is General Counsel, Executive Vice President, and Corporate Secretary of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, one of the world’s global leaders in manufacturing instruments and amplifiers.  He grew up in Iran with his grandparents and was able to move to his parents in the USA at the age of 7. His background and experience with immigration to the US shape...

* Note: This episode was recorded in March 2023  About our guest: Meet Britta Wilson, who most recently served as the Vice President of Inclusion & Outreach at Pixar Animation, where she led initiatives to discover, nurture and empower diverse voices. Her primary focus is on cultivating resonant content, fostering a culture of belonging, and promoting compassionate community service. Prior to Pixa...

Who are Redfoo and Piers Ridyard? Redfoo, born Stefan Kendal Gordy, is a multi-platinum-selling singer and two times Grammy nominee, songwriter, producer, and Web3 coder. Despite facing hurdles and criticism, Redfoo pursued his passion for music and achieved success. He is best known for his hit single "Party Rock Anthem" in 2011 and his performance for Super Bowl Half-Time Show in 2012. However,...

Who is Merrie Williamson Meet Merrie Williamson, an accomplished leader with a diverse background. With 20 years of experience leading engineering teams at Intel and currently serving as the Corporate Vice President of Azure Infra at Microsoft, Merrie's career trajectory has been remarkable. In this episode, Merrie shares her personal journey of discovery and the pivotal moment that led her to emb...

Who is Ron Carter? Ron Carter is a veteran of the technology industry, an inventor, and a visionary whose work has helped great technology products enter the market. In 2003, he filed a patent for the first video doorbell—now known as Ring. He is revolutionizing the industry with his latest first-generation technology that addresses security in the e-commerce sector, using mobile applications for...

Silvina Moschini is an Argentinian entrepreneur and businesswoman. She is the founder, president & chairwoman of Unicoin, a next-generation cryptocurrency designed to be stable and profitable because it’s backed by a portfolio of equity stakes in the companies part of Unicorn Hunters ,  is a new groundbreaking investment platform that will spotlight emerging growth companies looking to hit the cov...

Suneel Gupta is an accomplished entrepreneur and best-selling author whose mother immigrated to the United States from Pakistan. She secured a position as the first female engineer at Ford, and her inspiring story influenced Suneel's career trajectory. Suneel has helped thousands of individuals develop better habits and achieve success through his best-selling book, "Backable: The Surprising Truth...

Ally Love is a multifaceted woman, pioneering the slash generation by wearing a multitude of hats. She is the CEO of Love Squad, a community organization empowering women; a Peloton instructor, Brooklyn Nets  arena host; an inspiring speaker; and an Adidas global ambassador. Ally was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and moved to New York City (NYC) to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer. As a...

Happy New Year!  Our first episode of 2023 is dedicated to Dale Carnegie & Associates' newest book, Take Command . The book, like our podcast, focuses on what professionals in the modern world can do to take command and succeed in their personal and professional lives. Our guests today are the book co-authors: Joe Hart, President & CEO of Dale Carnegie & Associates and Take Command Podcast host; a...

This end-of-year, special episode of Take Command features an interview with Dale Carnegie’s daughter, Donna Dale Carnegie, who is the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Dale Carnegie and Associates. Together with Simon and Schuster author Andrew Postman, they added, edited, and updated the bestseller , How to Win Friends and Influence People , with more contemporary stories and language. And...

Dr. Vince Patton served as the Eighth Master Chief Petty Officer (a combination of a rank and a position) of the Coast Guard for more than 30 years until his retirement in 2002. As the service’s top senior-ranking enlisted leader and ombudsman during that period, Master Chief Patton was the principal advisor to the Commandant of the Coast Guard, his directorates, and the secretaries of Transportat...

Susie Ma is the Founder and CEO of Tropic Skincare. She is a philanthropist with a focus on creating a healthier, greener, and more empowered world. Tropic Skincare has been recognized at numerous stages, including “Fastest Growing Skincare Brand in the UK” by the Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 League Table. Most recently, it has been ranked the 14th best female-powered company in the...

Fergus Williams is the CEO of Walking With The Wounded (WWTW), a UK charity that supports injured former members of the UK armed forces during their career transition from military to civilian life. Over the past decade, Fergus and his team have supported more than 15,000 veterans in the United Kingdom.    Fergus first served in the British Army for nine years as an infantry officer with the Welsh...

Huynh Thanh Phongstarted his work in financial services and insurance in Asia and is now a well-respected figure in the global insurance industry with experience in several leadership roles, currently as the CEO and Executive Director of the FWD Group. Phong’s life philosophy is that we must always be prepared so that when an opportunity presents itself, we can take advantage of it. He did that by...

Dr. Yasmin Davidds is an entrepreneur and organizational psychologist. She is CEO of three organizations: the Multicultural Women Executive Leadership Foundation, the Women’s Institute of Negotiation, and the Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute, which is focused on empowering Latina women. Both the U.S. Congress and the California State Senate have recognized her efforts for the Latin and fema...

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is ranked as Thinkers50 World’s #1 Leadership Thinker, World’s #1 Executive Coach, and a New York Times #1 Bestselling Author. He is a member of the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame, has won the Lifetime Award for Leadership from the Harvard Institute of Coaching, and is on the list of Amazon’s “100 Best Leadership & Success Books Ever Written.” Goldsmith has coached over 200 CEOs an...

Andre Swanston is a dynamic tech innovator and media magnate whose ability to forecast industry shifts, identify opportunities, and take calculated risks has catapulted him to one of the Top 10 9-figure exits by a Black American. He was the co-founder and CEO of Tru Optik, a data and identity company for streaming media advertising, acquired by TransUnion in 2020. Swanston’s first venture was an e...

Saana Azzam is the Founder, CEO & Chief Inspirational Officer of MENA Speakers, The Middle East’s leading speaker’s bureau. She is an award-winning international economist, Forbes contributor, an international keynotes speaker, and a business influencer. Her success is grounded in helping businesses in The Middle East select the right speakers for their events. Saana was born in Germany, raised in...

Meet the original “shark” from the show Shark Tank , the infomercial creator, the pioneer of the As Seen on TV brand, and co-founding board member of the Entrepreneur’s Organization, Kevin Harrington . His legendary work behind the scenes of business ventures has produced more than $5 billion in global sales, the launch of more than 500 products, and the making of dozens of millionaires. Kevin’s b...

Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversaw ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the host of the leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors , where he elicits insights from America's top CEOs, founders, athletes, celebrities, and political and military leaders. Adam has authored articles for Forbes, Inc. , HuffPost, and “Leadership Lessons” in Th...

Robert Forrester is the CEO of Vertu Motors plc, currently the fifth-largest automotive retailer in the UK. He got into his current role through a series of accidents. His life changed when he was diagnosed with a deadly disease. Immediately, he understood what he wanted to do next, personally and professionally. He believes that people need to figure out what they want from life early on, create...

Keith Ferrazzi is a master networker and bestselling author of “Never Eat Alone”.  Keith’s experience as the Chief Marketing Officer of Deloitte and Starwood Hotels has informed his work as Founder and Chairman of Ferrazzi Greenlight, an executive consulting firm. According to Keith, what distinguishes highly successful people is the ability to build and cultivate meaningful relationships. He beli...

Portia Mount is a marketer who advocates for, writes, and speaks on career and lifestyle issues for working women. Portia is the Vice President of Marketing for Trane Technologies, a global climate technology company. One of her side passions is hosting a podcast for aspiring women: The Manifista Podcast. Portia is also a co-author of several best-selling career advice books: "Kick Some Glass: Ten...