The Inspired Stories Podcast

🎙️ Todd Recknagel's Faith-Driven Franchise Journey: From Blimpy Subs Losses to Building Billion-Dollar Platform Companies Todd Recknagel transforms personal failure into franchise mastery as managing partner of Three20 Capital Group, named after Ephesians 3:20 to reflect his faith-driven investment philosophy. Starting with three Blimpy Subs locations that lost $100,000 in year one, Todd share...

🎙️ From CPA to Healthcare Supply Chain Revolutionary: Cody Fisher's Mission to Transform an Industry Through Surgence Platform In this inspiring episode, Cody Fisher, President at Concordance Innovations and leader of the Surgence platform, shares his remarkable journey from earning his CPA at Ohio Northern University to leading a technology startup that's addressing one of healthcare'...

🎙️ Building A1A Investment Partners: Melanie Brensinger's Journey from GE to Healthcare Private Credit Leadership In this inspiring episode, Melanie Brensinger, founder and CEO of A1A Investment Partners, shares her remarkable journey from small-town Pennsylvania to becoming a leading healthcare private credit investor. With over two decades of experience and nearly $4 billion deployed with no...

🎙️ How Laura Dunlap Built Tumble 22's Inclusive Culture Through Personal Recovery and Restaurant Innovation In this inspiring episode, Laura Dunlap, Director of Human Resources at Tumble 22, shares her remarkable journey from growing up in her family's Minnesota travel restaurant to overcoming personal struggles with abuse and addiction, ultimately finding purpose in developing people through the...

🎙️ From Auditor to Business Partner: Linda Cozzi's Counterintuitive CFO Strategy That Tripled Revenue at America's Oldest Country Club In this inspiring episode, Linda Cozzi, Chief Financial Officer of the Philadelphia Cricket Club (est. 1854), shares her remarkable journey from discovering accounting by happenstance in a high school elective to becoming a CFO who breaks every traditional...

🎙️ Preserving American History Through Hospitality: David Jurcak's Leadership at Grand HotelDavid Jurcak, President of Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan, shares his extraordinary journey leading America's largest summer-only resort. From managing hotel closures during COVID to orchestrating 139 seasonal reopenings, David brings unique perspective from Plano, Texas roots through Chic...

🎙️ From Capitol House Sales Manager to Hospitality Staffing Revolution: Joel Carver's Journey Building The Carver Companies In this inspiring episode, Joel Carver, President and CEO of The Carver Companies, shares his remarkable journey from starting as a sales manager at a struggling Louisiana hotel in 1985 to founding a hospitality staffing company that delivers leadership talent within 24 h...

🎙️ From Windsurfing Champion to Parisian Café Empire: Laurent Vrignaud's Journey from Action Sports to Authentic French Hospitality In this inspiring episode, Laurent Vrignaud, founder of Moulin—a growing chain of authentic Parisian-style cafés in Orange County, California—shares his remarkable 40-year journey from landing in San Francisco as an 18-year-old competitive windsurfer to building t...

🎙️ From Citibank to Venture Capital: Sunil Rao's Journey Building Purpose-Driven Investments Sunil Rao, Managing Partner at Plum Alley Ventures in New York, shares his remarkable journey from growing up in India with a bureaucrat father and teacher mother, through prestigious roles at Citibank, KPMG, and Barclays, to building four businesses across multiple countries before founding a venture...

🎙️ From Bankruptcy to $100M: Mike Horvath's Logistics Software Transformation Mike Horvath, President and CEO of Revenova, shares his extraordinary 30-year journey from nearly losing everything during the 2008 financial crisis to building a logistics software company serving 250+ customers and generating over $100 million in revenue. Through powerful stories about refusing bankruptcy when his part...

🎙️ From Corporate Finance Law to Real Estate Solutions: Terry Hammons' Entrepreneurial Pivot Terry Hammons, owner of Home Stretch franchises in Cleveland, Washington DC, and Phoenix, shares his remarkable transition from directing multi-billion dollar litigation cases in corporate finance law to revolutionizing how homes get prepared for sale. After two decades in the legal sector, Terry ident...

🎙️ From Age 14 to Managing Partner: Kim Halloran's Three Decades in Hospitality Leadership Kim Halloran, Managing Partner at The Capital Grille in Kansas City, Missouri, shares her remarkable 30-year journey through restaurant leadership, from starting in the industry at age 14 to leading one of Darden's premier upscale dining establishments. With stops at Chipotle during their pre-IPO gro...

🎙️ From Volunteer at 14 to Leading 25,000 Acres: Amy McMillan's Journey Transforming Public Parks in Southeast Michigan In this inspiring episode, Amy McMillan, Chief Executive Officer of Huron-Clinton Metroparks, shares her remarkable journey from volunteering in a special needs recreation program at age 14 to leading one of the oldest and most beloved park systems in the United States. ✨ Ke...

🎙️ From 40 Years at Goodyear to Transforming Christian Business Leadership: David Beasley's Journey with C12 Business Forums In this inspiring episode, David Beasley, Chair of C12 Business Forums in Northeast Ohio, shares his remarkable journey from spending nearly 40 years at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company—including roles as Vice President of North American Commercial Tires, Director of Air...

🎙️ From Peace Corps to Hospitality Expert: David Sangree's 20-Year Appraisal Journey David Sangree, President of Hotel & Leisure Advisors in Lakewood, Ohio, shares his remarkable journey from Peace Corps service in Malawi to building and selling a specialized hospitality consulting firm. With expertise in hotel and waterpark appraisals, David navigated two major recessions while creating a...

🎙️ From Madison Square Garden Floor Seats to 10 Restaurants: Craig Bernstein's Journey Building Doc B's Fresh Kitchen In this inspiring episode, Craig Bernstein, Founder and President of Doc B's Restaurant, shares his remarkable journey from 10-year-old sixth-grader writing "Restaurant Entrepreneur" career reports after meeting Morton's Steakhouse legend Alan Bernstein co...

🎙️ From $1 Lawn Cuts to Luxury Landscapes: Daniel Thomas's Journey from Teenage Mower to Blue Ribbon Acquisition In this inspiring episode, Daniel Thomas, Manager of New Business Development at Blue Ribbon Outdoor, shares his remarkable journey from shy 13-year-old knocking doors with business cards his pastor father made him to founding Cutting Edge Outdoors (generating 90% conversion rates w...

🎙️ From Blue Collar Roots to CFO: Jessica Silwick's Mission Making Quality STEM Education Accessible In this inspiring episode, Jessica Silwick, CFO and COO at ABET, shares her remarkable journey from being a first-generation college student in a blue collar community to leading finance and operations at the world's leading STEM accreditation organization. Through candid stories about rese...

🎙️ From Harvard to Cannabis Distribution: Will Brophy's Journey Building the #1 Licensed Wholesaling Platform In this inspiring episode, Will Brophy, Chief Operating Officer at Nabis, shares his remarkable journey from helping a college friend hire for an operations role to becoming COO of the nation's leading cannabis distribution platform operating across California, Nevada, and New York...

🎙️ From Adrenaline Rush to Pizza Passion: Carl Bachmann's Journey to Building Riko's National Brand In this inspiring episode, Carl Bachmann, President and COO of Riko's Pizza, shares his remarkable 30-year journey in the food and beverage industry, from washing dishes to leading major restaurant chains through transformational growth. Carl reveals how a near-death COVID experience res...

🎙️ Reclaiming Life While Growing Your Business: Madeleine Niebauer's Leadership Journey Madeleine Niebauer, CEO of vChief in Middleton, Wisconsin, shares her powerful journey from overwhelmed business owner to balanced leader who champions the belief that you don't have to sacrifice everything to build a thriving company. Through delegation, automation, and intentional leadership, Maddie t...

🎙️ Building Excellence From Mediocrity: Luke Barrett's Franchise Transformation Journey Luke Barrett, owner of Citywide Facility Solutions in Rogers, Arkansas, shares his unconventional path from college baseball coach to franchise leader. After three years managing a 50-employee operation in Oklahoma City, Luke seized an opportunity to transform an underperforming franchise, partnering with i...

🎙️ From College Waiter to Industry Leader: Daniel Benefiel's Journey Through Staffing's Perfect Storm In this inspiring episode, Daniel Benefiel, Vice President of Staffing Operations at Morales Group, shares his remarkable journey from waiting tables to put himself through college to leading a staffing organization through unprecedented industry disruption. Through candid stories about stumbling...

🎙️ From Cubicle to CEO: Sydne Jacques' Journey Building Leadership Culture Through the Upper Arrow In this inspiring episode, Sydne Jacques, CEO of Next Level Leadership, shares her remarkable transformation from reluctant civil engineer to leadership keynote speaker and culture transformation expert. Through candid discussions about overcoming financial hardship, learning from Stephen Covey,...

🎙️ Breaking Cycles: Rena Cater's Journey from Dysfunction to HR Leadership In this deeply moving episode, Rena Cater, VP of Human Resources at Eagle Transport Corporation, shares her powerful story of rising from a dysfunctional childhood marked by family tragedy and alcoholism to becoming a transformational HR leader. Through raw honesty about early responsibilities, resilience through advers...