The Inspired Stories Podcast

🎙️ From Fruitable Chapter 11 to Bubbakoos Growth: Chris Ives' Journey Through Franchise Lessons and Leadership In this inspiring episode, Chris Ives, CEO at Bubbakoos Burritos, shares his remarkable journey from rejecting his family's catering business at age five to accidentally declaring an accounting degree at an EY college fair booth, learning painful franchise lessons growing Fruitabl...

🎙️ From Athletic Dreams Crushed to Building Big Night Fitness: Conor Murphy's Journey Through Adversity and Innovation In this inspiring episode, Conor Murphy, Managing Partner at Big Night Fitness, shares his remarkable journey from having his athletic future destroyed by circumstances beyond his control at a young age to creating an innovative fitness concept that transforms nightclubs into...

🎙️ From Poland to President: Tomasz Jamroz's Data-Driven Resurrection of Roadrunner Freight In this inspiring episode, Tomasz Jamroz, Head of Operations at Roadrunner Freight, shares his remarkable journey from emigrating from Poland at age 20 to leading one of the greatest comebacks in transportation history—transforming a company on the brink of collapse (following DOJ investigation and pris...

🎙️ From $100K in Debt to Multi-Millionaire: Bryan Ravit's Sales Mastery Journey Bryan Ravit, founder and Chief Sales Ninja of Sales Growth Mastery, shares his remarkable journey from selling $18,362 worth of Cutco knives in two weeks as a college student to generating over $100 million in revenue building door-to-door sales teams for Vivint Smart Home. Through powerful stories about facing $10...

🎙️ From Soccer Youth Programs to Leading a Climbing Revolution: Eliza Keegan's Journey as One of America's Youngest CEOs In this inspiring episode, Eliza Keegan, Chief Executive Officer of Momentum Indoor Climbing, shares her remarkable journey from managing youth programs for the Houston Dynamo Major League Soccer team to becoming CEO of a fast-growing climbing company at just 33 years old. Throu...

🎙️ From Grandfather's Pawn Shop to SVB Venture Banking: Marshall Hawks' Journey Writing Venture Debt Deals In this inspiring episode, Marshall Hawks, author of Venture Debt Deals and former SVB relationship management leader, shares his journey from grandfather's Arkansas pawn shop teaching earliest banking form to father’s venture-backed CEO career becoming a 25-year VC investor. Star...

🎙️ From Sushi Concert Random Encounters to Dual CEO Leadership: Matt Winn's Journey Building Maple Hospitality and Arrive In this inspiring episode, Matt Winn, CEO at both Maple Hospitality Group and Arrive, shares his journey from Orlando sushi concert champion seeking Miami opportunities through serendipitous encounters with mentors who immediately took him under their wings, accumulating tw...

🎙️ From Truck Wash Training to Fractional CFO Innovation: Tim Petrey's Journey Building Scalable Accounting Services In this inspiring episode, Tim Petrey, Managing Partner at HD Growth Partners and White Glove Payroll in Youngstown, Ohio, shares his remarkable journey from learning systematic training principles working at Blue Beacon truck wash during college to building a fractional CFO ser...

🎙️ From Manufacturing Today Podcast to Reindustrialization Mission: Matt Horine's Journey Building On-Demand Labor Platform In this inspiring episode, Matt Horine, VP of Product Marketing at Veryable, shares his remarkable journey from hosting the Manufacturing Today podcast interviewing 400+ industry leaders to building an on-demand labor marketplace solving America's manufacturing crisis...

🎙️ From Family Crisis to Building a National Franchise: Adam Povlitz's Journey with Anago Cleaning Systems In this inspiring episode, Adam Povlitz, President and CEO of Anago Cleaning Systems, shares his remarkable journey from navigating family challenges with three young children under seven to leading a technology-driven commercial cleaning franchise with operations nationwide. Through cand...

🎙️ From London School of Economics to Leading Luxury Hospitality: Alex DeCarvalho's Journey with Millennium Hotels In this inspiring episode, Alex DeCarvalho, Vice President Sales, Marketing & Operations, Americas at Millennium Hotels, shares his remarkable journey from studying at the London School of Economics to leading operations for a global luxury hotel brand with locations spanning...

From Crisis and Near-Collapse to Transforming Government HR: Sunil Asija's Journey with Oakland County In this deeply inspiring episode, Sunil Asija, Chief Human Resources Officer at Oakland County Government in Michigan, shares his profound journey from near-financial collapse while caring for his dying mother and navigating family crisis to becoming a transformational HR leader removing the...

🎙️ Doug Potvin's Faith-Driven Leadership: From Anxiety and Depression to CFO and Pastor at Trinity Logistics Doug Potvin serves dual callings as both Chief Financial Officer of billion-dollar Trinity Logistics and pastor of a small local church, roles he's held simultaneously for nearly 20 years. Based in Seaford, Delaware, Doug shares how a God-timed email transformed his career from the...

🎙️ From Failing a Personality Test to Building a National Staffing Franchise: Cary Daniel's Journey with Nexttaff In this deeply inspiring episode, Cary Daniel, co-founder and CEO of Nexttaff, shares his remarkable journey from being rejected as a recruiter (after failing a Gallup personality profile) to building a staffing franchise that's earned recognition as an Ernst & Young Entrep...

🎙️ From Retail Leadership to Reducing Senior Isolation: Julie Ament Gran's Journey at GrandPad In this inspiring episode, Julie Ament Gran, Chief Operating Officer at GrandPad, shares her remarkable journey from 25+ years in retail leadership at Macy's and LifeTouch to joining a 2014-founded startup creating simple, secure tablets for older adults. Through candid stories about a COVID call...

🎙️ From 15-Year-Old Pearl of the Orient Server to Worker-Owned Co-Op Leader: Grace Corbin's Journey at 40-Year-Old Casa Nueva In this inspiring episode, Grace Corbin, co-owner and vice president of the board of directors at Casa Nueva in Athens, Ohio, shares her remarkable journey from getting hired at age 15 when restaurant owner responded "when can you start?" to managing Bagel Str...

🎙️ From Corporate IT to Eight Businesses: Derek Sorrells' Journey Building Wichita's Most Unexpected Entertainment and Food Concepts Derek Sorrells turned a basement full of 48 arcade games into eight thriving businesses across Wichita, Kansas. As founder and managing partner of Scion Capital Partners, Derek shares his transformation from Fortune 500 IT trainer traveling 190 days a year to creatin...

🎙️ From Building Small Boat Escaping Cuba to Executive Chef at Hyatt Centric: Chef William Milian's Journey In this inspiring episode, Chef William Milian, Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Director at Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami, shares his journey from: 1994 Cuba exodus: Castro opened borders after Berlin Wall socialism fall, 30,000 people left on rafts/boats 15-day crisis Small boat journ...

🎙️ From Hotel Front Desk to Tariff Navigator Creator: Deanna Harner's 25-Year Supply Chain Transformation Journey In this inspiring episode, Deanna Harner, US Executive Supply Chain & AI Strategist at Avanade and Founder/CEO of RPE Solutions, shares her remarkable journey from managing 900-room hotel front desks to designing airline menus for Continental while traveling the world at age 20...

🎙️ Greg Zabikow's Leadership Philosophy: Competitive Swimming Lessons Meet Business Greg Zabikow brings his unique blend of treasury expertise, operational transformation, and collegiate swimming discipline to his leadership approach. Greg shares how lessons learned from training for championships shaped his approach to guiding teams through change, asking curious questions that uncover outdat...

🎙️ From Apple II Game Developer to Asian American Media Pioneer: Jonathan Ng Sposato's Mission to Transform Cultural Visibility Through JoySauce In this inspiring episode, Jonathan Ng Sposato, serial entrepreneur and founder of JoySauce—the first Asian American TV channel on Amazon Prime Video—shares his remarkable journey from writing his first computer game at age 13 on an Apple II and selling i...

🎙️ From Crisis Communications to Senior Living Leadership: Jason Acquisto's Journey with Bickford Senior LivingIn this inspiring episode, Jason Acquisto, Director of Sales & Marketing at Bickford Senior Living, shares his remarkable journey from corporate communications and crisis management to leading operations for a regional senior living provider with locations across the Midwest. Thro...

Leticia Snoddy, founder of MSIL Staffing and Packaging, shares her remarkable journey from childhood poverty watching her mother work factory shifts to building a multi-state staffing empire. Through candid stories about keeping a seven-year-old promise to buy her mother a house, pivoting into million-square-foot engine inspection services, and rebuilding after a partner split, Leticia reveals how...

🎙️ From Restaurant Operator to Training Revolution: Rachael Nemeth's Journey Building Opus Training for 110 Million Frontline Workers In this inspiring episode, Rachael Nemeth, Co-Founder and CEO of Opus Training, shares her remarkable journey from managing restaurants and understanding frontline worker challenges to launching a training platform during COVID crisis that now serves 110 million...

🎙️ Scott Mayer's Staffing Industry Journey: From Selling Coupon Books at 15 to Leading Employee-Owned QPS Employment Group Scott Mayer transforms early teenage management experience into 40-year staffing empire as chairman of QPS Employment Group, starting with one-room office and $5,000 borrowed investment after nine months learning the industry from a competitor who underpaid him. Through ca...