The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends

Resilience Redefined with Jennifer Rome: Overcoming Crisis, Rebuilding Dreams, and Leaving a Lasting Legacy

Jennifer Rome describes herself as on a mission to make a positive impact on all she crosses paths with.  She serves as a mortgage advisor for Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation and is the co-founder and president of a local non-profit called The Giving Professional KC.  She is a mother to two incredible young men and is proud to be a Kansas City native.  
In 2019 and 2020, her world was turned upside-down and she had to quickly make choices on how she would rebuild.  She was finalizing an extremely tumultuous divorce, when she would encounter a life-threatening health crisis and then lost her job due Covid, just before closing on the purchase of her new home.  Essentially, she and her boys were displaced from everything they knew with limited ability to rebuild.  
But Jennifer is not one to succumb to crisis and knew her mindset and the small choices she made each day would lead her and her boys to a new life. 
And she is not stopping there.  Instead, she is using her experiences to connect with others and to give back to those whose hardships are great.  
Her goal is to be a voice of inspiration for anyone who needs the courage of another to overcome their heartache and their hardship.  
Upcoming projects include a podcast and a book.  Although neither yet has a release date, she is one to watch.  She is particularly interested in human stories and the power that sharing offers us on our journey to live profound lives,  
And in her words, “At the end of my life, I intend to look back and say "Yes, I lived! And, yes, I made a difference for the people in my life! And if I am lucky, I will leave a legacy!".
 
Our conversation will make you laugh and cry but you will leave inspired by hearing Jennifer's story. Please enjoy!

Pamela Norton, Serial Founder/CEO - How She Survived 9/11, Pioneering the Edge Economy, and The 3 Revolutions Happening Right Now

​In this episode, we explore Pamela Norton's journey as an American entrepreneur and visionary who believes in the interdependence of business and social impact. Join us as we delve into her groundbreaking work at Borsetta and TitleChain, where she utilizes blockchain, AI, and micro-electronic chip solutions to revolutionize the digital asset and Intellectual Property landscape. Learn how Pamela's disruptive innovation and cheerful futurism are shaping the economic Web3 growth and increasing liquidity while eliminating manual valuation operations by 90%. Throughout her illustrious career, Pamela has built world-class technology solutions, high-performing product development teams, and fruitful partnerships with clients, resulting in multi-million-dollar bottom-line growth. 
Pamela talks about "failing forward" and how difficult it was for a female CEO during the "Dot.Com" boom to get funding while PE firms were lending money to companies like sockpuppet.com. We talk about how she should have died on 9/11 as she would have been in the World Trade Center that day but she was ousted by the company that had acquired her start-up and the repercussions of that experience took a toll on her physically, mentally, and emotionally.
 
This conversation with Pamela is fascinating on so many levels. Please enjoy!
 
You can learn more about Pamela and her company at:
 
http://www.titlechain.world
 
 

Henning ​​Schwinum, Global Sales Executive - Being a Sales ”Matchmaker”, The Biggest Mistake Most Sales Professionals Make, and Why You Should Move On When You Are Not Learning Anymore

Henning ​​Schwinum is a creative and results-driven global founder and executive with extensive domestic and international experience in Sales, Supply Chain, and General Management, both in a corporate and entrepreneurial setting. He​nning launched Vendux in 2019 as the matchmaker, the agency for fractional and interim sales leadership. And almost four years later, Vendux is the only matchmaker focusing on CRO, CSO, or VP of Sales roles, representing North America's largest community of Sales Leaders.​ For more information, you can visit https://www.vendux.org/.
 
Please enjoy my conversation with Henning!

Amy Bradshaw, The Creative CFO - How To Be a Leader That People Want to Work For, Why You Should Be Curious, and Having No Defined Career Path

Amy Bradshaw recently joined Capitol Bridge, LLC, and is the company’s Chief Financial Officer. In her role. Amy is responsible for scaling the organization’s financial and accounting infrastructure to support the growth of the overall company.
Before joining Capitol Bridge, Amy worked with technology and services companies toevolve the accounting and finance functions. She has experience building strong teams and implementing new systems and processes to enable growth. Amy is a strong leader passionate about developing her team members and finding creative solutions to challenging situations.
Amy graduated summa cum laude from Miami University with bachelor's degrees inManufacturing Engineering and Accounting. She also earned a Master of BusinessAdministration from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.Amy is an active member of her community and currently serves on the non-profit boards of Cornerstones of Care, BraCoutureKC, and the Kansas City chapter of Financial Executives International.
 
Please enjoy my great conversation with Amy!

Mark Mears, Purposeful Growth Revolutionary - From the Great Resignation to the Great Re-Purposing, Why Community is More Important Than Culture, and Paying It Backwards

Mark Mears is a #1 Best Selling author, keynote speaker, consultant, and visionary business leader. He has a significant track record of building shareholder value—driving innovation and profitable growth among world-class, high-profile brands such as PepsiCo/Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Frito-Lay, JCPenney, NBCUniversal, and The Cheesecake Factory.
Today, Mark serves as Chief Growth Officer for LEAF Growth Ventures, LLC—a consulting firm inspiring individuals, teams, and organizations to find purpose in fulfilling their true growth potential while making a positive, lasting difference in the world.
Mark has just released his new book, The Purposeful Growth Revolution: 4 Ways to Grow from Leader to Legacy Builder.
Mark is also a member of the Senior Leader Network within Conscious Capitalism, Inc., a global organization whose mission he shares: Elevating Humanity Through Business. In doing so, his goal is to put the “Human” back in Human Resources.
For more information, please visit https://www.MarkAMears.com or connect with Mark on LinkedIn at Mark's LinkedIn profile
 
It's a great conversation with Mark...Please enjoy!
 

Valerie Jennings, Social Media Pioneer - Being a 24 year old, Female, Tech Company Founder/CEO in 2003, How AI is impacting MarTech/Marketing, and Having a Growth Mindset

​Valerie Jennings is CEO of Jennings​  Social Media & MarTech (JSMM​ - ​https://jsmmtech.com.​), which she founded in 2003 and has grown into a highly competitive ​Martech agency. The agency specializes in paid media, SEO, content strategy, and influencer marketing, working with clients in the automotive industry, transportation, ​logistics, healthcare, beauty, financial services, travel and tourism, technology, ​and ​home services. ​She presented at the 2023 Midwest Digital Marketing Conference in St. Louis and​ ​has earned awards and honors from the Stevie Awards, FOLIO, AMBIT, and others for her entrepreneurship, industry leadership, and excellence. Valerie remains a leader in the industry and is involved in the community, speaking at conferences, moderating and participating in digital panels, and speaking to community groups. ​She advocates for numerous charities, giving back to non-profits, including those focused on animal welfare, children and families, women, ​​and girls. Valerie invests her time mentoring women and entrepreneurs and is highly engaged in the AI community. A cornerstone of her agency continues to be fostering a positive community through education, technology, and career development.
Please enjoy my conversation with Valerie!
 

Lisa Seim, The Wall Street Connector - Being on a Mission to Enlighten the Financial Industry, Understanding Web3, Crypto, and Blockchain, and The Future of Our Financial Markets

​Lisa Seim has traded and sold treasury products for various financial institutions in Austria, Germany, and NYC in the mid-80s and 90s. In July 2011, she realized the markets were lost and stuck between the new regulatory mandates of Dodd-Frank regulatory reform and coming to terms with the fact that legacy technologies had little capacity to handle the new regulatory environment. Transparency and managing risk became at the top of everyone’s list. Lisa decided to establish Strategic Exchanges to help financial firms navigate through this new and very difficult path. She now steers financial institutions towards innovative solutions that will help them adhere to the new regulatory mandates. Lisa Seim presently engages over seventeen different firms that address various issues on the way trades are executed, processed, reported, and settled within the framework of the new regulatory mandates. Her consortium members currently comprise data, research, and analytics companies, aggregation services and applications, trade surveillance systems, clearing house services, legal services around financial technology applications, collateral and liquidity management systems along with lightweight, web-based portfolio management solutions. Through roundtable discussions, Lisa’s consortium members provide the latest tools to address the mandates as they are enacted. Lisa completed the equivalent of a master's degree in International Law & Finance in Vienna, Austria, and continues to stay on top of the global regulatory mandates and their impact on the financial industry.
 
 
Please enjoy my conversation with my junior high and high school friend, Lisa Seim!
 
 

Lori Saitz, Being Zen in a Chaotic World -Why You Should F*** Being Fine, Why High Achievers Meditate, and The #1 Question to Ask at a Networking Event.

Lori Saitz is the founder and CEO of Zen Rabbit ​​and host of the podcast “Fine is a 4-Letter Word.” An award-winning author, speaker, and broadcaster, Lori is on a mission to teach the world to be calm and grounded no matter what’s going on.​ ​High achievers come to her because they have a strong drive to be productive, but at the end of the day never feel accomplished enough. As a nationally recognized gratitude and meditation expert, Lori guides those entrepreneurs and business leaders from stressed and chaotic to peaceful and focused as well as showing them how to live a sabbatical life. Then they start seeing sales increase, relationships strengthen, and overall health improve.​Lori was also founder/CEO of her own bakery company for 11 years which was featured on the Rachel Ray show​In August 2022, Lori took a month-long sabbatical road trip with her 19-year-old cat. Read her account in chapter 8 of Love Warriors. You can often find Lori in her sanctuary, aka the weight room at the gym. She also loves cupcakes, Thai food, and classic rock music.
 
Please enjoy my conversation with Lori!

Megan Galloway, Corporate Learning Innovator - Building Connected Communities, Making the Workplace More Authentic, and Innovating Corporate Leadership Development

​Megan Galloway is on a mission to make our workplace a more authentic and human place for current and future generations to thrive. She works with Campfire (https://www.getcampfire.com/) to help managers be the best versions of themselves through innovative, community-based learning. She's spent over a decade building learning and development programs from the ground up for companies that have never had them before, including one recognized as a top global learning program. She lives in Kansas City with her family, loves Ted Lasso, and aspires to be a Great British Bakeoff baker.
 
 
You will enjoy my conversation with Megan!
 

Dan Hurst (Part I), Award Winning Media Talent​ -​Making Kenny Loggins Cry, Predicting the Demise of Radio, and Struggling with Mental Health

When Dan Hurst (www.DanHurst.com) was born in Texas, his parents moved. To Honduras. They thought he wouldn't find them. He grew up speaking Spanish. Well, “grew up” might be stretching it a bit. When he was 14 years old he got his first job in radio.  The radio station changed its locks on him. His parents sent him to reform school.  He got kicked out. He finally graduated from High School although the principal "forgot" to call his name at graduation. He spent 13 of the best years of his life in college. 4 different ones. And he actually graduated! He got married and had 3 children.  They moved out.  But they keep coming back to eat. He had a dog, but it ran away. He’s been a voice talent for over 25 years. Mostly because he’s not any good at anything else. He spends most of his days in a small, dark voiceover booth talking to himself.
But other than that, it's been a pretty normal life.
Oh, and by the way, he just won the 2022 Golden Trailer Award (the Oscars of voiceovers) for his work for HBO/Max’s TV series – Winning Time: The Rise of the Laker Dynasty (see the trailer here: Winning Time)
 
Please enjoy my conversation with the very funny Dan Hurst!

Dan Hurst (Part II), Award Winning Media Talent​ -​Making Kenny Loggins Cry, Predicting the Demise of Radio, and Struggling with Mental Health

When Dan Hurst (www.DanHurst.com) was born in Texas, his parents moved. To Honduras. They thought he wouldn't find them. He grew up speaking Spanish. Well, “grew up” might be stretching it a bit. When he was 14 years old he got his first job in radio.  The radio station changed its locks on him. His parents sent him to reform school.  He got kicked out. He finally graduated from High School although the principal "forgot" to call his name at graduation. He spent 13 of the best years of his life in college. 4 different ones. And he actually graduated! He got married and had 3 children.  They moved out.  But they keep coming back to eat. He had a dog, but it ran away. He’s been a voice talent for over 25 years. Mostly because he’s not any good at anything else. He spends most of his days in a small, dark voiceover booth talking to himself.
But other than that, it's been a pretty normal life.
Oh, and by the way, he just won the 2022 Golden Trailer Award (the Oscars of voiceovers) for his work for HBO/Max’s TV series – Winning Time: The Rise of the Laker Dynasty (see the trailer here: Winning Time)
 
Please enjoy my conversation with the very funny Dan Hurst!

Cody Isabel, Neuroscientist, and Start-Up Founder - Lessons from Being a CEO at 25, Using AI to Improve Mental Health, and Living Heroically

Cody Isabel is a brain researcher, entrepreneur, and the CEO & Co-Founder of Mind Brain and Body Lab (https://www.mindbrainbodylab.com/) which focuses on bringing successful treatment outcomes to those healing from CPTSD & anxiety caused by traumas like emotional abuse, and burnout, or after a breakup/divorce.
They use AI algorithms to analyze the biometric & behavioral data to aid in the treatments we provide our clients. Their mission is to provide better ways to objectively measure, diagnose, and treat individual mental health conditions.
Please enjoy my conversation with Cody!

Komal Kaur, The 18-year-old Not-for-Profit Founder - ​Her ”Why” on Helping Immigrants, How To Manage Being Involved In Many Things, and Advice for Managers Hiring Recent College Graduates.

Komalpreet “Komal” Kaur is the 18-year-old founder of Eye of An Immigrant (https://www.eyeofanimmigrant.org/ ), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to sharing the stories of the immigrant journey and to providing resources and funds for immigrants to gain a legal pathway to citizenship.
Komal is a freshman at the University of Kansas majoring in Political Science and Business Administration with a minor in Intelligence and National Security Studies on the pre-law track in the Honors program. At the University of Kansas, she is a Student Senator serving on the Finance Council and a member of the South Asian Student Association Executive Board.
Before starting college, Kaur was deeply involved in youth activism and involvement in local government. She served as the two-time co-chair of the Olathe Teen Council and interned in the City Manager’s Office at the City of Olathe her senior year.
Kaur’s family immigrated from Punjab, India to the United States in the late 1980s. She was born and raised in Queens, New York, and moved to Olathe, Kansas in 2017.
Please enjoy my conversation with Komal!
 
If you are moved by Komal’s inspirational story and helping immigrants you can donate to Eye of An Immigrant here: https://www.eyeofanimmigrant.org/

Michael Smith, Award-Winning CIO - ​Wanting to be on Broadway and the dreams of being an FBI agent, Reinventing IT from being the Division of No, and Why IT is not all about Technology

​Michael Smith is a 25+ year veteran of the IT industry.  Michael has led several complex digital and operational transformations for various companies during his career.  Most recently, he led an end-to-end business and digital transformation for a national healthcare association.  His efforts were recognized as recently as 2020, being named one of the 100 most innovative CIOs globally.  Furthermore, his teams have been identified as some of the most innovative in the industry, including being recognized as one of the 100 best companies to work for in IT in 2021 across the United States.  The team he managed, and the organization he led the technology strategy for was the only company in Kansas City to receive that designation.  During Michael’s career, he has worked for some of the largest Fortune 500 companies in the world, as well as a successful consulting career, affording him the opportunity to work across various industries.  As an experienced, award-winning technology strategist with an extensive executive leadership background, Michael is uniquely positioned to meet organizational strategic objectives while enforcing IT execution to achieve more significant growth and sustained profitability.
Michael is currently the CIO for a startup biotechnology company in the greater Kansas City area focused on revolutionizing and disrupting the sample prep Microbiology industry; through a patented technology process that uniquely positions the company for significant growth and expansion opportunities.
You will enjoy my conversation with Michael!

Frank Bonura, The Ultimate Connector and Executive Recruiter - H​ow Relationship Building, The Deck Repair ”Guy”, and Being a Dishwasher Led to a Phenomenal Career; Helping Those in Career Transition

Frank Bonura started as an information technology recruiter in 1979 with a focus on the contract‐for‐hire methodology. Pursuing his passion for executive recruiting he launched Alternative Search in 1984 focusing on information technology and C-level search engagements.
In 1987, Frank gained a reputation for connecting people regardless of their personal or professional stations in life. By the end of the decade, he came to be known as “The Connector”. Business owners/leaders who recognize that “relationships” are a major contributor to their company’s success hired Frank to introduce them to other like‐minded business owners/leaders (Frank wants people to know that relationship creation and nurturing are not to be confused with networking, which is nothing more than “card swapping”).
In 2008, he founded Franklin Executive Solutions, LLC (https://feskc.com/), and created the Executive Agent (EA) methodology.  Frank used this to manage the careers of executive operators in much the same fashion that professional agents represent the interests of actors and athletes.  With the support of a research team, he did everything from identifying and pursuing EA client opportunities to negotiating the terms and conditions of each engagement.  Also, as an alternative to outplacement services, Frank began providing “unorthodox” career management counseling and transition support services to displaced employees of companies at every professional level.
At the start of 2015, he became acquainted with many military veterans and their unique post-service employment transition.  Through introductions, Frank uncovered an urgent need for a paradigm shift in how veterans and employers viewed each other.  In analyzing this need, he defined a methodology by which veterans can create and secure the opportunities they deserve.
In 2017 Frank's business partner, Elizabeth Allen Founder of Economy of One, and Frank created a ten-module workshop.  The workshop "Creating Opportunities Instead of Chasing Jobs" has been successfully delivered to the private sector, military, colleges, and universities.
As a Kansas City native, his wife Danita and Frank have two daughters and five grandchildren. His interests are my faith, family, golf, and creating measurable value for all he encounters.
 
Please enjoy my conversation with "The Connector", Frank Bonura!

Scott Burditt, ​Strategic Growth Advisor - ​Lessons from His Dad, ​Being Genuinely Curious, and ​Learning By Failing

​Scott ​Burditt (linkedin.com/in/scottburditt) is genuinely interested in learning about others and loves nothing more than listening to customers tell their stories of ​"jobs" they​ are ​trying to get done unsuccessfully. For two decades, ​Scott has used thosemoments of customer frustration to fuel business growth by creating solutions and leading anywhere from 50 to 1,000 associates in delivering these solutions to the market through sales, marketing, and customer experience.
He​ has changed the way investors transact business by leading the creation of the first transactional mutual fund website. ​Scott saved the financial services industry millions by overseeing the development of the industry’s first electronic statement, trade confirmation, and compliance documentation. He identified new uses for an old agricultural commodity by facilitating the collaboration of scientists, government officials, business executives, and international diplomats. ​Scott helped credit unions underwrite jumbo mortgages by partnering with investment banks to create a credit union mortgage-backed security. And, he changed the value proposition of a creative services firm from printed retail signage to digital resulting in a 55 percentgrowth and a 1,000 percent increase in profits.
Scott’s broad industry experience, laser focus on customers, innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, curiosity for discovering the root of any problem, and collaborative approach to aligning people around a common vision enable him to invent, communicate and execute transformative strategies that achievegrowth.
You will enjoy my conversation with Scott!​

Nick Giuliani, KC’s Biggest Advocate - Being a Positive Force in the World, Empathy in Leadership, and Raising Others Up

Nick Giuliani is currently the Director of Sales at Dynamic Logistix. Nick has spent most of his career in the logistics and supply chain industry, with the last eight years focused on software sales and leadership. Before joining the workforce, Nick graduated from Pittsburg State University in 2009 with a degree in Marketing and played on the baseball team.
Since joining his current company Dynamic Logistix in 2018, the company has gone from 28 employees and 23 million in revenue to over 120 people and almost 300 million in revenue. In November 2021, Nick created the KC Shout-Out Series, one of the only LinkedIn series dedicated to highlighting and featuring leaders, nonprofits, and women-owned businesses in the Kansas City area. In early February 2023, Nick created the KC Shout-Out Series blog (kcshoutoutseries.com) to house the 150+ features and have a singular place for people to learn about the fantastic people, nonprofits, andbusinesses in KC.
Nick also sits on the executive board for KC CAN (Kansas City Children’s Assistance Network), was a 2022 Rockstar for Band of Angels, and a 2022 Most Wanted Honoree for Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City.
 
Please enjoy my conversation with Nick!

Danny Bader, Inspirational Speaker/Life Coach - Being Dead for 8 Minutes, Turning Tragedy into Purpose, and Harnessing the Power of Vision

​Danny Bader (www.dannybader.com) is a best-selling author and sought-after speaker whose life was transformed after he died when 8,000 volts of electricity ripped through him…then, he came back to life, from a place where he connected with “something bigger than us.” He uses his experience to lead people to create more perspective, joy, and a love that replaces weariness with inspiration, drives vision, and creates momentum for people in all areas of their lives.Danny has been inspiring the people of Fortune 500 companies like Merck, Comcast, The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, and Lincoln Financial with insight and practical tools that build momentum in the midst of defeating monotony. Often people find themselves stuck in their story of misfortune, lack of purpose, failure, or inadequacy, when in fact a bold vision and the right perspective are what they need to propel them forward with greater resilience, focus, and purpose. Danny’s reputation as an influencer in this arena continues to grow among some of the most well-respected brands and organizations nationwide.
 
Ranked #1 by Amazon and hailed by Success Magazine, Danny’s recent books are compelling stories that allow readers to identify themselves with real-life characters and turn that final page with a renewed awareness of their own purpose and passion for living resilient and fulfilling lives. Back to Life, Danny’s podcast and blog, are inspiring people worldwide with real-life stories, thought-provoking conversations, and practical, proven strategies to create resilient, energized, and fulfilling lives.
​Danny's story is one you will not want to miss so please enjoy!​

Steve McClain (Part ​I), ​ The Servant Leader - How Nice Guys Finish First, Breaking Free from Golden Handcuffs, and Not-for-Profit Leadership

Steve McClain’s career includes more than 30 years of diverse experience in marketingand strategy development for large corporations, as well as entrepreneurial startups.His career has been focused on consumer marketing and business development for topbrands like Sprint, Ford, ADP, and USAA.  Steve joined Unbound (https://www.unbound.org/) an international nonprofit organization, based in the Kansas City area, as the Chief Marketing Officer, where he leads a team of marketers, business development, creative services, and media relations professionals who are focused on creating sustainable growth for Unbound.  
 
Prior to joining Unbound, Steve was the Senior Vice President at AmericanCentury Investments where he was responsible for overseeing the retail division whichserved over 600,000 individual investors and had $36B in assets under management.Steve is a graduate of Rockhurst University and earned an MBA from WebsterUniversity.
He lives in the Kansas City area with his wife, Mary Beth. They have raised five childrentogether and are enjoying a life stage that includes grandchildren.
 
You will enjoy my conversation with Steve!​

Steve McClain (Part ​I​I), ​ The Servant Leader - How Nice Guys Finish First, Breaking Free from Golden Handcuffs, and Not-for-Profit Leadership

Steve McClain’s career includes more than 30 years of diverse experience in marketingand strategy development for large corporations, as well as entrepreneurial startups.His career has been focused on consumer marketing and business development for topbrands like Sprint, Ford, ADP, and USAA.  Steve joined Unbound (https://www.unbound.org/) an international nonprofit organization, based in the Kansas City area, as the Chief Marketing Officer, where he leads a team of marketers, business development, creative services, and media relations professionals who are focused on creating sustainable growth for Unbound.  
 
Prior to joining Unbound, Steve was the Senior Vice President at AmericanCentury Investments where he was responsible for overseeing the retail division whichserved over 600,000 individual investors and had $36B in assets under management.Steve is a graduate of Rockhurst University and earned an MBA from WebsterUniversity.
He lives in the Kansas City area with his wife, Mary Beth. They have raised five childrentogether and are enjoying a life stage that includes grandchildren.
 
You will enjoy my conversation with Steve!​