Tenacity with Sonia C.

What does it take to leave a decade-long career at JP Morgan and build a profitable fintech startup in one of the most stigmatized industries in America, Cannabis? In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C., host Sonia Couto sits down with Aubrey Amatelli, founder and CEO of PayRio, the first payment provider focused exclusively on cannabis and alternative medicines. Aubrey shares her journey from...

When you think of breast cancer, you probably don’t think of men, but you should. In this episode, Phil Alderson shares his story of surviving male breast cancer, a diagnosis most men never imagine they’ll face. From the moment he found a lump to navigating isolation, stigma, and the lack of male-focused support, Phil’s honesty will challenge what you think you know about breast cancer. As two sur...

When Alexandra Goldwell was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer as a single parent and lifelong healer, she was forced to confront the limits of her strength and the depth of her beliefs about healing. A psychologist and somatic therapist for over 25 years, Alexandra had spent her career helping others process pain, but breast cancer became her most personal teacher. In this episode of Tenacity w...

What does it mean to be a parent when your child is fighting for her life? For Bob Furniss, the answer was to stand beside his daughter Keisha, as her advocate, her cheerleader, and eventually, the keeper of her legacy. In this profoundly emotional conversation, Bob shares his journey as the father of a young woman diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer at just 30 years old. He opens up about the mo...

When Christie Cioffi was diagnosed with breast cancer just days after her 36th birthday, her world turned upside down. A West Point graduate, Army veteran, and marathon runner, Christie was no stranger to discipline and resilience, but cancer forced her to confront an entirely different battle: rebuilding her confidence, identity, and sense of self. In this raw and empowering conversation, Christi...

Fitz Koehler built her career as a fitness expert and race announcer, inspiring thousands with her energy and passion. But when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, her life took a turn that tested every ounce of her strength. In this candid conversation on Tenacity with Sonia C, Fitz opens up about the realities of treatment, the toll it took on her career, and the grit it took to keep showing u...

When Erica Campbell answered the call from her doctor late on a Friday afternoon, her world stopped. A breast cancer diagnosis instantly brought back memories of losing her mother to the disease, and fears of history repeating itself. In this candid conversation, Erica opens up about the emotions of that moment, why she chose a double mastectomy, and how reconstruction shaped her relationship with...

What does it take to lead in tech, especially when you don’t fit the mould? In this episode, Sonia sits down with Meeky Hwang, co-founder and CEO of Ndevr, a WordPress development agency trusted by global brands like Bloomberg, Forbes, and Sony. But this isn’t a conversation about code, it’s about the quiet power of resilience, leadership, and building a business as a woman in a male-dominated ind...

What does it take to build an AI startup that manages over $30 billion in assets and challenges everything we know about investing? In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C , Sonia sits down with Alexander Harmsen, founder of PortfolioPilot.com , a next-gen AI financial advisor transforming how we manage money, risk, and decision-making. A serial entrepreneur, YC alum, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honor...

AI isn’t here to replace you, it’s here to require more of you. In this conversation, I sit down with Nicole Hilgenkamp, an AI literacy advocate and people-first leader who made a mid-career pivot into AI while managing large teams and raising three daughters. We get honest about what “AI-literate” means, why prompting is a skill (not a hack), how to use agents to augment your team, and the guardr...

After a career-ending concussion pushed him off the ice, former pro hockey player Brandon Cullen reinvented himself as the co-founder of MADaboli, the strength-driven interval training franchise built for high performers. What started as one studio has grown to 45+ locations nationwide, with a vision rooted in strength, structure, and accountability. In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C , Bran...

In this powerful episode, Sonia sits down with Murielle Ungricht, an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and founder of the AI-powered coaching platform Nuumani, for a raw and inspiring conversation on turning perceived weaknesses into your greatest strengths. Murielle shares her journey from building web development businesses in the early 2000s to launching Nuumani, a startup merging AI and human connec...

What does it really take to grow from solopreneur to CEO of a franchise? In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C , fitness entrepreneur Devan Gonzalez breaks down the gritty, behind-the-scenes reality of scaling a business, without losing your sanity or your standards. Devan went from personal trainer to 6-figure business owner by 20, and now leads S trive 11 Fitness, a disruptive no-class-time f...

How do you go from being a successful real estate entrepreneur to the founder of a movement? In today’s episode, I sit down with Ceiwen Garcia, a leader, community builder, and visionary behind The Boss Network. With nearly two decades in the real estate world, Ceinwen has pivoted into creating extraordinary spaces for connection, growth, and empowerment, especially for women, but everyone is welc...

What happens when your childhood dream is ripped away, and you’re forced to start over at 17? In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, we dive into the extraordinary reinvention story of Jacopo Iasiello, CEO of Luxury and Wealth Group. Jacopo shares the raw, behind-the-scenes journey of building wealth from scratch, from a career-ending soccer injury to launching a jewelry business at 18 and even...

In this soulful and thought-provoking episode of Tenacity with Sonia C , Sonia sits down with Mona Bavar, founder of BlueApples.ai and DLISH to explore how the future of creativity is being shaped at the intersection of AI, intuition, and innovation. Mona shares her journey from finance to founding a luxury gifting company and an AI consultancy, revealing how tech tools helped her rediscover her c...

In this unfiltered episode, Sonia sits down with Anthony Franco, a serial founder with six successful exits, to dismantle the myths around startup success. From the dreamer trap to overbuilding features no one asked for, Anthony shares hard-won lessons that every founder needs to hear. They unpack: -Why execution beats ideas (even in the age of AI) -What founders get wrong about funding and MVPs -...

I expected a tech conversation when I sat down to interview Boardy, a voice-powered AI designed to connect founders. I didn’t expect a heart-to-heart about loneliness, leadership, and what it means to feel heard. Boardy isn’t a therapist, but the founders are calling to talk. Why? Because he listens without judgment, ego, or distractions. In this one-of-a-kind episode, you’ll hear: The surprisingl...

In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C , Sonia sits down with Jim Fielding, former President of Disney Stores, The Gap, and 20th Century Fox consumer products, author of the best-selling book All Pride, No Ego , and now a full-time coach, speaker, and angel investor. Jim shares his journey from the heights of Hollywood and corporate leadership to redefining success through purpose, authenticity,...

Are you ready to break free from self-doubt and unlock true self-mastery? In this inspiring episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, discover how to cultivate lasting self-confidence and a powerful mindset with the help of Madelaine Weiss, a Harvard-trained psychotherapist, mindset expert, and author of 'Getting to G.R.E.A.T.' Together, we reveal the real work behind self-mastery and why self-con...

In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, we discuss the future of ethical content creation with Jon Gillham, the visionary founder of Originality. AI. As a pioneer in AI content and plagiarism detection, Jon reveals the pivotal moment that inspired him to launch a leading detection tool, just days before ChatGPT changed the landscape, and how he’s navigating the rapid rise of generative AI. We ex...

Podcasting isn’t just a trend; it’s a strategic tool for building absolute authority and influence. In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C. , I sit down with Dennis Meador, founder of the Legal Podcast Network, to unpack how service-based professionals can leverage podcasting to boost credibility and grow their personal brand. From launching side hustles as a teenager to leading a podcast produc...

What if retaining your best people wasn’t about perks or pay, but about purpose and leadership? In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C. , I’m joined by Francie Jain, Founder and CEO of Terawatt Group Coaching, to explore how leaders can build cultures where people don’t just stay, they grow. With over a decade of leadership strategy and coaching, Francie breaks down the root causes of employee t...

What happens when a creative mind meets cutting-edge tech? In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C. , I sit down with Emmy-winning TV producer turned founder, Erich Archer, to unpack how he transitioned from storytelling on screen to solving real business problems with AI. Erich shares the behind-the-scenes journey of launching Smarty Pants, an ecosystem of over 100 custom GPT tools powering auto...

What if the key to startup success wasn’t scaling fast, but starting smaller and smarter? In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C. , I sit down with Peter Bonney, founder of Vendorful, a SaaS platform revolutionizing B2B procurement and enterprise sales. Peter shares his unfiltered founder story, from building too broadly and burning out to rebooting with clarity, focus, and AI. We explore how Ve...