Author: Paul Gichia

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Grit, Grace, and Growth

Christopher Kemper:

Grit, Grace, and Growth

After 23 years in the military, Christopher Kemper never saw himself as an entrepreneur—until life and opportunity collided in a small town. What followed was a crash course in resilience, leadership, and surviving the unthinkable.

Bio

The journey from retired Soldier to business owner. I spent 23 years in the military in various capacities. I am really good at organizing things which led me to working for one of the smartest people I have ever met. I had a horrible experience with company leadership that led to us parting ways and my entrepreneurial journey. In almost 7 years, we have built a digital marketing company that has 12 employees and Clients across the US.

Topics

  • Transitioning from military to entrepreneurship
  • Leading a business through crisis (COVID pivot story)
  • Why small towns can build big companies
  • Building a business with no prior experience
  • What the Army taught me about entrepreneurship
  • The importance of creating a business plan
  • Making payroll when everything’s uncertain
  • Developing a resilient team culture
  • Mentoring younger employees in finance and life skills
  • Leadership lessons from the battlefield to the boardroom

Guiding Questions

  • What was the biggest mindset shift you had to make going from military service to entrepreneurship?
  • How did you know you were ready to start your own business?
  • What was going through your mind when the pandemic shut everything down?
  • How did your military training prepare you for the uncertainty of running a business?
  • Can you walk us through the moment you realized you might lose everything?
  • What helped you and your team pull through the early COVID days?
  • Why do you think your business survived when so many others didn’t?
  • What’s something about small-town business ownership that most people don’t understand?
  • How has your leadership style evolved since starting the agency?
  • If someone listening is at a breaking point with their business, what would you say to them?

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Beyond the Breaking Point

Alethea Felton:

Beyond the Breaking Point

After enduring a year under a tyrannical school principal, Alethea found herself spiraling toward a breakdown. That experience would lead her to confront mental health, personal worth, and professional courage.

Bio

Alethea Felton is a motivational speaker, bestselling author, transformational specialist, and founder of Alethea Felton Coaching, LLC and the Resilient Leaders Alliance. As host of The Power Transformation Podcast – a Top 5% ranked show – she celebrates the power of turning adversity into triumph.

With over two decades in education and entrepreneurship, Alethea helps leaders master resilience, transform setbacks into breakthroughs, and elevate their overall influence personally and professionally. She turns life’s challenging plot twists into power moves, equipping leaders to bounce back, level up, and thrive. Having overcome life-threatening health challenges since birth, she embodies perseverance, inspiring others to reclaim their best lives and lead with purpose.

A proud Southeastern Virginia native and longtime Washington, DC resident, Alethea enjoys mermaids, genealogy, and time with Buddy, her playful American tabby.

Topics

  • Recognizing workplace abuse before it’s too late
  • Setting boundaries in high-pressure careers
  • The silent cost of toxic leadership
  • Navigating medical leave for mental health
  • Healing while still inside the fire
  • Confronting professional gaslighting and power misuse
  • When therapy and psychiatry are both essential
  • What burnout really looks like for high achievers
  • Turning breakdown into breakthrough
  • Reclaiming agency after workplace trauma

Guiding Questions

  • Can you take us back to the moment you knew something had to change?
  • What did your day-to-day look like under this leadership?
  • How did it feel to be contacted on Thanksgiving Day?
  • What role did your therapist and psychiatrist play in your healing?
  • How did your identity as a leader shift during this time?
  • What was it like returning to work after medical leave?
  • How did you maintain your dignity when the environment was so hostile?
  • What did you learn about power dynamics and mental health?
  • What would you say to someone in a similar toxic workplace right now?
  • What did it mean to see your former principal years later?

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Kitty Ears Branding

Rachel Lee:

Kitty Ears Branding

Rachel Lee thought she was dressing up for a one-time fantasy role-playing game—but that character ended up becoming her brand. What started as a fun experiment transformed into a powerful and unforgettable identity.

Bio

Rachel Lee is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Unicorn of Neo Genesis, a personal branding agency for creatives & misfits who are sick of hiding and are finally ready to show up online exactly as they are.

As an artist, designer and (recovering) creative entrepreneur who’s helped over a hundred brands across North America ditch the boring and glow it up while still keeping it classy, Rachel has mastered the art of making ‘professional’ and ‘fun’ play nice together — all without scaring off clients or looking like a hot mess.

Whether you’re starting fresh, levelling up, or just figuring it out as you go, Rachel’s got your back with her signature, 1-week brand transformations that will help you show up confidently and attract those dream opportunities you’ve been dying to get!

When Rachel’s not saving brands from themselves, you’ll probably find her doodling on her iPad, blasting EDM on a run, or getting cozy with her cat.

Topics

  • How to build a brand identity from play
  • Why leaning into fun can transform your business
  • The power of visual branding in the digital age
  • What Dungeons & Dragons taught me about entrepreneurship
  • Building trust through authenticity and whimsy
  • Becoming your character: branding through embodiment
  • How fantasy role-play turned into a business breakthrough
  • Creating unforgettable Zoom presence in a remote world
  • Growing into the identity you invent
  • Unplanned personal branding that sticks

Guiding Questions

  • What was going on in your business before the Unicorn Adventures call?
  • Can you walk us through creating your character for that experience?
  • At what point did you realize you were becoming the character you created?
  • Why do you think people resonated so much with the kitty ear headphones?
  • How has visual branding impacted your ability to stand out online?
  • What parts of your fantasy character do you now see in yourself every day?
  • How did your audience respond to this new persona?
  • What advice would you give someone trying to build a unique personal brand?
  • Has this transformation influenced your business model or offerings?
  • If you were to create another character, who would she be and why?

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The Dementia Disruptor

Eric Collett:

The Dementia Disruptor

After losing a contract to a more “qualified” competitor, Eric chose gratitude instead of resentment. That one choice sparked a collaboration, a business, and eventually a reinvention during the COVID crisis that changed everything.

Bio

Eric Collett is the CEO of A Mind For All Seasons, an innovative company specializing in helping people across the United States to optimize their cognitive and mental health.

He is a nationally recognized speaker, consultant and brain health expert, a licensed residential care administrator, a teacher at the College of Western Idaho, and has also taught at Boise State University.

Eric passionately believes that lifelong learning is a key to finding powerful new solutions to significant challenges and has been working to change lives through innovative brain health interventions, dementia care techniques, program development, and leadership strategies since 2000.

Topics

  • Why gratitude is the best response to rejection
  • The future of dementia care: possibility vs. decline
  • What most people get wrong about Alzheimer’s prevention
  • How COVID forced a business model evolution
  • The “cast your net” principle for hard pivots
  • Memory care that actually improves memory
  • The power of partnerships in healthcare innovation
  • Turning pain into purpose in business
  • Why younger people should care about brain health
  • Breaking the mold in senior living facilities

Guiding Questions

  • What did you feel when you lost that first contract?
  • Can you walk us through your first conversation with Randy Vawdrey?
  • How did your perspective on “rejection” change after that experience?
  • What happened to your business during the pandemic, and how did you respond?
  • What does “Cast your net on the other side of the boat” mean to you?
  • What surprised you most about pivoting to private clients?
  • Why do you believe memory care needs a complete overhaul?
  • What were the hardest parts of keeping your team together during the pandemic?
  • What should people know about early Alzheimer’s prevention?
  • How do you help people today who don’t live in care communities?

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The Power of Connection

Linda Duong:

From War to Wonder

She grew up at the end of the 30-year war with minimal resources and minimal education

Bio

Dr. Linda Tomai Duong is a #1 International Award-Winning Author, Multi-Award-Winning Speaker, and Transformational Coach. She is the Founder of Coachjable, 3Hearts, and Link Coaching — initiatives dedicated to empowering individuals to connect authentically, pursue their dreams, and create meaningful impact.

Born at the end of the Vietnam War, Dr. Linda grew up with minimal education and few resources, only ever seeing the world through black-and-white photos and television. When she migrated to Sydney, Australia, she did not know a word of English and had never seen a computer. Against incredible odds, she went on to achieve every single one of her childhood dreams — and continues to reach new heights.

Her bestselling book, Connection – The Currency to Happiness, has inspired readers around the world, with many of them going on to become published authors themselves. Through her coaching work, she has helped countless clients achieve personal and professional goals, and through her 3Hearts initiative, she has transformed lives globally, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Linda has been featured as a guest star in a documentary that has won 24 international awards. Her passion for service began early in life — from the age of five, she and her mother prayed together every evening at exactly 7:00 PM for world peace, a practice that continued throughout the hardships of the 30-year-long Vietnam War.

Today, through Coachjable, Dr. Linda is dedicated to making transformational coaching accessible to more people, helping them achieve their dreams just as she has achieved hers. Her life and work are driven by deep empathy, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to making a difference.

Topics

  • The power of dreams in overcoming adversity
  • Starting over in a new country with no language or resources
  • How childhood prayers for peace shaped a lifelong mission
  • Turning personal transformation into global service
  • Building resilience from war-torn beginnings
  • How connection became the currency to happiness
  • Helping others achieve their dreams through coaching
  • Lessons from becoming a multi-award-winning author and speaker
  • Creating impact through purpose-led initiatives like 3Hearts and Coachjable
  • How the immigrant experience can shape leadership and legacy

Guiding Questions

  • What do you remember most vividly about growing up during the Vietnam War?
  • What was it like arriving in Australia without knowing a word of English?
  • Can you share what kept you going when things felt impossible?
  • How did your childhood prayers for peace influence your path today?
  • What inspired you to write Connection – The Currency to Happiness?
  • How did you turn personal transformation into a movement that’s helped others globally?
  • What do you believe is the biggest obstacle people face in pursuing their dreams?
  • Tell us about the moment you realized you had achieved all your childhood dreams.
  • How do you help clients tap into their inner strength and clarity?
  • What legacy do you hope to leave through your coaching and storytelling work?

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From Comfort to Growth

Eric Twohey:

From Comfort to Growth

Eric Twohey left everything familiar behind to move to Arizona sight unseen, launching a journey of calculated risk-taking that transformed his life and career. What started with one leap led to many, including founding a media agency designed to empower fellow entrepreneurs.

Bio

Eric Twohey is a marketing strategist and trusted advisor who helps passionate entrepreneurs and purpose-driven leaders transform uncertainty into clarity, and scattered efforts into strategic momentum. With nearly 20 years in the marketing and advertising industry, Eric’s approach goes far beyond marketing tactics—he builds systems that uncover brand value, deepen customer relationships, and drive long-term business growth.

Through a proven, step-by-step process, Eric empowers leaders to set the pace, not just keep up, by focusing on what matters most: purpose, strategy, and measurable results. A dedicated community connector and advocate for small business, Eric blends heart with expertise to help others build brands that truly last, doing the right thing, the smart way, every step of the journey.

Topics

  • The mindset required to take a leap of faith
  • Starting a business with your spouse
  • Building a business around flexibility and lifestyle
  • Why enjoying the process matters more than the goal
  • How entrepreneurs can support their communities
  • The evolution of marketing from early internet to AI
  • Bridging the gap for small businesses needing agency support
  • From perfectionism to progress: the high achiever’s trap
  • How to keep growing when comfort sets in
  • Entrepreneurship as a series of identity shifts

Guiding Questions

  • What motivated you to move to Arizona without ever visiting it first?
  • How did that first leap of faith set the tone for the rest of your career?
  • What made you decide to go from employee to entrepreneur?
  • Can you walk us through the early days of building your media agency?
  • How has working with your spouse shaped your business and lifestyle?
  • What are the biggest marketing challenges you see small businesses face today?
  • Why do you think entrepreneurs have such a big impact on their local communities?
  • You’ve mentioned enjoying the process—how did you learn to do that?
  • What advice would you give someone who feels stuck in comfort but wants to grow?
  • Looking back, which leap was the most challenging—and why?

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Love Sparked Change

Scott Nichols:

Love Sparked Change

A chance message on a dating platform unraveled a pattern of destiny and triggered a turning point Scott never saw coming. His journey unfolds with surprising connections, spiritual awakening, and relentless personal growth.

Bio

Scott Nichols is the Principal of Professional Edge Advisors. He has taken over 35 years of business experience and created an advisory group to help businesses recognize their vital signs and prevent them from flatlining. Scott leads with integrity, empathy, and a strong service orientation. Known for his trustworthiness and ethical leadership, he brings a unique ability to see both the big picture and the individual strengths within a team.

With a curious mind and a commitment to continuous improvement, he blends insight, foresight, and collaboration to create meaningful, forward-thinking impact. Scott’s calm presence, clarity, and genuine care for others inspire trust and connection. Scott’s work experience includes working with non-profit, government, and commercial business environments in areas ranging from a line-level worker to an executive-level contributor.

These experiences have allowed him to gain a full perspective on both internal and external clients, helping them develop rallying points for business success.

In his spare time, Scott can be found serving in his local church, working on projects around the house or more likely honing his cooking skills as an avid chef. He resides in Central VA with his amazing wife, Vicky of nearly 25 years and their two dogs.

Topics

  • Rebuilding Your Life from the Inside Out
  • The Power of Intentional Associations
  • How Faith Anchors Personal Growth
  • Choosing Courage in the Face of Rejection
  • Rewriting the Definition of Success
  • Online Dating and Divine Timing
  • From Party Culture to Purpose-Driven Living
  • What Middle Schoolers Taught Me About Leadership
  • Using Setbacks as Strategic Pivots
  • Why Personal Growth Is a Lifelong Commitment

Guiding Questions

  • What inspired your transformation, and where did it all begin?
  • Can you tell us about the moment you realized your life needed to change?
  • What was it like reconnecting with someone from your past in such a surprising way?
  • How did faith and spirituality become a turning point for you?
  • What role did mentorship and reading play in reshaping your mindset?
  • What did Les Brown say that stuck with you the most?
  • How did you navigate job loss and rejection during your career pivot?
  • What are some daily practices you’ve adopted to stay on a growth path?
  • What was it like teaching middle school boys—and what did you learn from them?
  • If someone listening feels stuck right now, what would you say to them?

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From Jail Cell to C-Suite

Jerry Howard:

From Jail Cell to C-Suite

From honors student to inmate to executive, Jerry’s story challenges how we define success, purpose, and redemption.

Bio

Jerry Howard is an executive mentor, speaker and author. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Jerry earned his MBA while serving on active duty from 2002 to 2007. He is currently completing his PhD in I/O Psychology with a Biblical worldview at Liberty University.

His executive background is in hospital administration and business ownership. A serial entrepreneur, Jerry has led and owned multiple seven and eight figure businesses, Jerry excels at aligning business KPIs with God’s KPIs in the small and medium-sized business community.

His most recent book, Faith Driven Leadership: God’s Blueprint for World Class Business teaches leaders to actively seek God for all wisdom intersecting faith, leadership and business—which to him are as inseparable as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Shattering the glittering image, Jerry could never have overcome alcohol, drugs and jail without the Grace of God!

Jerry has been married for over 20 years, has 4 children, and enjoys active sports such as snowboarding and mountain biking. Occasionally, you’ll find him wrinkling pavement on his Harley, yet he finds no greater joy than learning to be a better disciple of Jesus.

Topics

  • Faith in the Marketplace: Bold Belief in Business
  • From Addiction to Leadership: A Recovery Journey
  • Redeeming Rock Bottom Experiences
  • Cultivating Fortitude Through Faith
  • The “Failure Resume” and Why It Matters
  • Leading with Integrity After Crisis
  • Special Forces Mindset for Spiritual Growth
  • Training and Observing as a Christian Leader
  • Courageously Sharing Faith at Work
  • Lessons from Jail to the C-Suite

Guiding Questions

  • What did the lowest point of your life teach you about strength?
  • How did your military background influence your leadership style?
  • Can you explain the concept of a “failure resume”?
  • What shifted for you the moment you surrendered your life to God?
  • What advice do you have for Christians navigating the corporate world?
  • How can faith transform not just individuals, but entire organizations?
  • What does it mean to train spiritually like the special forces?
  • How did jail time affect your role as a father and husband?
  • How do you stay bold in your faith without alienating others?
  • What is one practical way to observe and support others spiritually at work?

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Playful Purpose Restored

Roderick Jefferson:

Playful Purpose Restored

Roderick spent years giving and grinding until illness forced him to stop. Through meditation, bocce, and poker, he found a healthier rhythm and a rekindled sense of self-worth beyond work.

Bio

Roderick Jefferson is an internationally recognized sales enablement expert, keynote speaker, and author with over two decades of leadership experience in driving revenue growth and productivity. As the CEO of Roderick Jefferson & Associates, he leads a team of award-winning professionals dedicated to helping businesses navigate complexity and define clear paths to success.

Roderick is the author of the Amazon bestselling book, Sales Enablement 3.0: The Blueprint to Sales Enablement Excellence, which offers practical strategies for developing effective sales enablement programs. He is also a founding member of the Sales Enablement Society and serves on multiple advisory boards, including Capella University, Autobound.ai, Visionyze, and Selleration Inc.

Throughout his career, Roderick has held executive leadership roles at prominent companies such as Netskope, Marketo, Oracle Marketing Cloud, Salesforce.com, and PayPal, where he has consistently demonstrated his ability to bridge internal organizations and empower sales teams to exceed expectations.

As a sought-after speaker, Roderick has delivered keynote presentations across the globe, sharing his insights on sales enablement, leadership, and business transformation. His dynamic and engaging speaking style has made him a favorite at conferences and events worldwide.

Topics

  • Why adults lose the ability to play
  • The unexpected lessons of stroke recovery
  • Slowing down: from stress to presence
  • Using hobbies to rebuild identity
  • The emotional value of leisure
  • Meditation as a foundation for recovery
  • Poker and bocce: strategic play in healing
  • The difference between work and self‑care
  • Social media, FOMO, and the loss of presence
  • Serving others without losing yourself

Guiding Questions

  • Your daughter asked, “What do you do for fun?”—why did that question hit so hard?
  • How did your stroke shift your perspective on work and play?
  • What was the first hobby you returned to? Why that one?
  • How do poker and bocce ball support your healing and presence?
  • How did meditation help in your recovery journey?
  • What does “living at warp‑speed” feel like—and how do you slow it down?
  • How did giving up adult masks change your relationships?
  • What advice do you have for others stuck on the productivity hamster wheel?
  • How has social media affected your ability to be present?
  • What identity have you reclaimed through joy and gratitude?

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Built to Impact

Ann Carden:

Built to Impact

With over 40 years in business and a portfolio of success behind her, Ann Carden now helps others do the same. But the road to becoming a recognized authority in multiple industries wasn’t without pivotal moments of growth.

Bio

Ann Carden is a Strategic Business Growth Consultant and CEO of A. Carden Inc., and founder of the “Expert In You” brand and Marketing & Media Agency. She is a 4x Author & #1 Int. Bestselling Author, Speaker, Top Podcast Host, and Magazine Publisher.

Ann has over four decades of business, marketing, and sales experience. She spent thirteen years in corporate business management, managing multiple-million-dollar departments for a multi-billion-dollar national retail corporation. She has been an entrepreneur for over thirty years, founding and selling five previous businesses.

Working as a consultant/coach since 2010, Ann has helped hundreds of coaches, consultants, and service businesses add multiple 6 & 7-figures to their business in over eighty industries.

She has trained and educated more than a million entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals through speaking, workshops, seminars, and social media channels.

Ann was recently inducted into Who’s Who in America for Entrepreneurship and into Who’s Who in America for Professional Women. And she has been featured on various media channels with published articles and syndicated podcasts.

Topics

  • Transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship
  • How to scale and exit a business successfully
  • The mindset shifts required to lead at every level
  • Building a legacy brand from lived experience
  • The power of strategic consulting in business growth
  • Marketing and media as authority-building tools
  • Reinventing yourself in different seasons of business
  • What it takes to be an expert in multiple industries
  • Lessons from five successful business exits
  • How to help others grow while growing yourself

Guiding Questions

  • What inspired you to leave corporate life and start your first business?
  • You’ve sold five businesses—what did you learn from those exits?
  • How do you help clients scale to multiple six and seven figures?
  • What’s one mistake you see most entrepreneurs making when trying to grow?
  • How did you develop the “Expert In You” brand?
  • What personal qualities helped you transition through different business phases?
  • What does building a legacy in business mean to you?
  • Can you describe one turning point that changed everything for your career?
  • How do you balance authority-building with service-based impact?
  • What advice would you give to someone leaving corporate to go solo?

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