The Achieve Podcast

In this episode, host Taylor Baker sits down with Kyle Hafen, founder and CEO, and Mike Ruffell, COO of Structured Homes, to discuss how they are reimagining housing through innovative construction methods and entrepreneurial thinking. The conversation centers on disrupting the traditional homebuilding industry with scalable, efficient, and affordable solutions. What You’ll Learn How unconventiona...

In this episode, host Jessie Warner speaks with Dr. Brianna Rhue, optometrist and CEO of Dr. Contact Lens, about building a healthcare-driven tech company and navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship, innovation, and growth. The conversation centers on identifying market friction, creating patient-centered solutions, and scaling a business with intention. What You’ll Learn: How identifying fr...

In this episode, host Jessie Warner speaks with Gigi Kizhakkechethipuzha, founder of ImpelHub, about his entrepreneurial journey and the critical role of marketing in building successful businesses. The conversation centers on lessons learned from scaling startups, navigating failures, and creating sustainable growth through strategic focus. What You’ll Learn: Why marketing should be the top prior...

In this episode, host Jessie Warner speaks with Jay Rutherford, CEO and founder of The Virtual Wild, an immersive technology and storytelling company, about how emerging tools like VR and AR are transforming the way businesses communicate, market, and connect with their audiences. What You’ll Learn: How recognizing early technology trends can create opportunities for entirely new business models W...

In this episode of the Achieve Podcast, host Jessie Warner sits down with H. Puentes, co-founder and president of San Diego Squared, to discuss how his organization is redefining talent development in STEM by identifying high-potential students early and connecting them with opportunity. The conversation centers on building social capital, creating scalable impact, and preparing the next generatio...

In this episode, host Jesse Warner speaks with Matthew Watson, President of Legal Fee Consultants, about building a specialized billing and compliance business for law firms and service providers. The conversation centers on entrepreneurship through unexpected transitions, scaling a service-based company, and leveraging technology like AI to improve operational efficiency. What You’ll Learn: How a...

In this episode, host Taylor Baker speaks with Erin McDonald, founder of Spilt Milk Nannies, a childcare platform connecting families with vetted nannies, about building a community-driven business and scaling a service rooted in trust and relationships. What You’ll Learn: How Erin McDonald turned an early nanny role into ownership of a growing childcare business Why word-of-mouth marketing can ou...

In this episode of the Achieve Podcast, host Taylor Baker sits down with Mike Schindler, CEO of The VUCA Principles, a leadership coach and former military professional, to explore how individuals and organizations can navigate volatility and uncertainty by shifting their mindset and building internal resilience. What You’ll Learn: The meaning of VUCA—volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambig...

In this episode, host Taylor Baker speaks with Tyler Clark, CEO and co-founder of Zawadie, about building a mission-driven company that connects skilled refugees with meaningful remote work. The conversation centers on unlocking overlooked global talent while creating dignified employment opportunities. What You’ll Learn: How firsthand exposure to refugee communities revealed a massive pool of hig...

In this episode, host Jessie Warner speaks with Sinan Gölhan, CEO of GelTech Labs and a nanomedicine entrepreneur, about building a biotech startup focused on automating biomaterial testing and improving outcomes in healthcare. The conversation centers on innovation in lab automation, the challenges of early-stage entrepreneurship, and scaling a hardware-driven business. What You’ll Learn: How pe...

In this episode, host Jessie Warner speaks with Stevi Carr, founder and CEO of Wise Wellness Guild and co-founder of WellNXT, about redefining wellness as a comprehensive, human-centered approach to sustainable performance and fulfillment. Their conversation explores how businesses and individuals can better align values, health, and productivity to unlock long-term success. What You’ll Learn: Why...

In this episode, host Jessie Warner speaks with Ronald Eriksen, President of Crown Holdings Business Development, about his journey into franchising and business development, and the principles behind building and scaling successful business ventures. The conversation centers on sales, leadership, and the long-term mindset required to grow sustainable organizations. What You’ll Learn: How early ex...

In this episode of the Achieve Podcast, host Jessie Warner sits down with Rich Marker, owner and CEO of All Metals Fabrication, to discuss his journey building a family-founded manufacturing business and the lessons learned in leadership, growth, and resilience. The conversation centers on entrepreneurship, navigating challenges, and sustaining a business over decades. What You’ll Learn: How takin...

In this episode of the Achieve Podcast, host Jessie Warner sits down with Melissa Rosenthal, co-founder of OutLever and former media and SaaS marketing leader, to explore how companies can transform themselves into media engines and build powerful content ecosystems. The conversation centers on the evolution of marketing, the convergence of media and SaaS, and how brands can own their audience. Wh...

In this episode of the Achieve Podcast, host Jessie Warner speaks with Nate Brown, co-founder of CX Accelerator and a leader in the customer experience (CX) space, about the evolution of CX as a discipline and the importance of building community, strategy, and intentionality around customer relationships. What You’ll Learn: Why customer experience should be approached as a strategic function rath...

In this episode of the Achieve Podcast, host Jessie Warner speaks with Shan Padda, co-founder and CEO of Harvard MedTech, about building mission-driven companies and addressing the opioid crisis through innovative, non-pharmaceutical solutions. The conversation centers on how technology, particularly virtual reality, can transform the treatment of trauma, chronic pain, and behavioral health challe...

In this episode, host Steven Bunker speaks with Joan Burge, founder and CEO of Office Dynamics International, a pioneer in training and development for administrative professionals. Joan shares how she built an entirely new industry, navigated decades of entrepreneurial challenges, and continues evolving her business while empowering professionals and women leaders. What You’ll Learn: How Joan Bur...

In this episode, host Jessie Warner sits down with Matthew Christou, co-founder of Big League Clean, to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and the lessons learned while building a fast-growing commercial cleaning company. Matthew shares how early setbacks, strategic partnerships, and a relentless commitment to growth helped him transform a struggling startup into a seven-figure business. What You...

In this episode, host Taylor Baker speaks with Gina and Brian Kingdeski, founders and owners of Trinity Design and Construction, about their journey in real estate investing and their work creating affordable co-living housing through PadSplit properties. Drawing on decades of experience in home building, sales, and property renovation, they discuss how market shifts led them to pivot from vacatio...

In this episode of the Achieve Podcast, host Jessie Warner speaks with Peter Lisoskie, a veteran technology leader and founder of Default, about the evolving role of artificial intelligence in business and how entrepreneurs can build human-centered technology in an increasingly automated world. What You’ll Learn: Why modern startups can scale effectively with very small teams by leveraging AI and...

In this episode of the Achieve Podcast, host Jessie Warner speaks with Arvind Sarin, Chairman and CEO of Copper Digital, about building a technology company that solves real-world healthcare problems. The conversation explores Arvind’s entrepreneurial journey, the evolution of his company, and how AI-powered tools are transforming documentation and efficiency in the home health industry. What You’...

In this episode, host Taylor Baker sits down with Anne Maxson, pharmacist and founder of Effectiv, to discuss how better medication management and patient engagement can improve health outcomes. Anne shares how her background in pharmacy and real-world questions from friends and family inspired her to build a platform that helps patients understand their medications, improve adherence, and make mo...

In this episode, In this episode of the Achieve Podcast, host Taylor Baker speaks with Debra Andrews, founder of Marketri, about how middle-market companies can build effective marketing functions through outsourced and fractional teams. Debra shares insights from more than two decades of helping organizations move beyond the “one marketer does everything” model and build scalable, specialized mar...

In this episode of the Achieve Podcast, host Taylor Baker speaks with Joseph Van Wyk and Dekota Dangelo, co-founders of GoSalesGenAI, about how AI-powered sales systems and modern revenue strategies are transforming the way businesses grow and scale. Their conversation explores how generative AI, improved sales infrastructure, and evolving technology are creating new opportunities for companies to...

In this episode of the Achieve Podcast, host Taylor Baker speaks with Tracey Lovejoy and Shannon Lucas, co-founders and CEOs of Catalyst Constellations, about their work helping organizations support and empower the “catalysts” the natural innovators and change agents who drive transformation inside companies. The conversation explores leadership, innovation, and how individuals and organizations...