Adventures In Business

What if one of the biggest advantages in business today is simply sitting down and reading a physical book?

In this episode of Adventures in Business, Amani Roberts and Mandi Graziano sit down with author, entrepreneur, and BookThinkers founder Nick Hutchison, whose podcast and author growth agency help connect mission-driven authors with readers around the world. Nick shares how discovering business books completely changed the direction of his life and why he believes resonance matters far more than reach in today's content landscape. The conversation explores book marketing, podcast tours, live author events, creativity, and why so many authors fail to think about promotion early enough in the writing process.

🔗 Connect with Nick Hutchison on LinkedIn: @BookThinkers

🔗 Check Out BookThinkers: BookThinkers

🔗 Learn More About Live Author Readings: LiveAuthorReadings.com

🔗 Follow Nick Hutchison on Instagram: @BookThinkers

🔗 BookThinkers on YouTube: @BookThinkers

🔗 BookThinkers Live Event: https://www.bookthinkers.com/book-thinkers-live-2026

In this episode of Adventures in Business, Amani and Mandi sit down with executive coach, business strategist, and Jump Consulting founder Laurie Luh to explore intuition, leadership, and personal growth in business. Laurie shares how trusting her instincts helped guide major career decisions, from helping scale Participant Media into an Academy Award-winning company to building a coaching practice supporting CEOs, founders, and leadership teams.

The conversation explores performance management, feedback, journaling, anxiety versus intuition, and why many successful leaders learn to trust the quiet inner voice guiding them forward. Laurie also shares lessons from working inside fast-growing companies and explains why growth often comes from stepping into discomfort instead of avoiding it.

🔗 Connect with Laurie Luh on LinkedIn: @laurieluh

🔗 Check Out Laurie's Website: https://www.laurieluh.com/

🔗 Subscribe to Laurie's Substack Newsletter: https://thatssoulbusiness.substack.com/

🔗 Follow Laurie on Instagram: @thatsoulbusiness

🔗 Contact Laurie: https://www.laurieluh.com/contact

What if AI is not about replacing you, but about unlocking what is already inside you?

In this episode of Adventures in Business, Amani and Mandi sit down with Rob Cressy, entrepreneur, coach, and AI strategist helping leaders and creators use AI to grow with intention. Rob shares how he went from running a sports marketing agency to becoming an early adopter of ChatGPT, building an AI-driven business by focusing on mindset, creativity, and real-world application.

The conversation explores the biggest misconceptions around AI, why personalization is the key to standing out, and how to use tools like ChatGPT and Claude without losing your voice. Rob also breaks down the importance of being tool-agnostic, building a "second brain," and why the real advantage in an AI-driven world is becoming more human, not less. If you've been hesitant about AI or unsure how to actually use it, this episode will shift your perspective and give you a new way to think about what's possible.

🔗 Connect with Rob Cressy on LinkedIn, Instagram , Online or on YouTube

🔗 Get Rob Cressy's AI Resource: DM the word MANDI to Rob on LinkedIn or Instagram to get his top AI resource

🔗 Listen to The Undeniable Leader podcast with Rob Cressy

🔗 Rate, review, and subscribe to our channel on YouTube!

🔗 Click here to check out this week's show notes!

On this episode of Adventures in Business, Amani and Mandi sit down with Jess Ekstrom, founder of Headbands of Hope and Mic Drop Workshop, Forbes Top Rated speaker, and best-selling author of Making It Without Losing It. This is a refreshingly encouraging episode about success, ambition, and redefining "making it." Tune in to hear Jess's story of successfully founding two businesses, how entrepreneurs can break out of analysis paralysis and take action, and what will actually grow your speaking business.

🔗 Pre-order Making It Without Losing It and get your free Success Fingerprint

🔗 Learn more about Mic Drop Workshop

🔗 Rate, review, and subscribe to our channel on YouTube!

🔗 Click here to check out this week's show notes!

Back in Episode 235, Amani and Mandi shared how they were gamifying their goals with a 2026 Bingo Card. In this mini episode of Adventures in Business, they're giving an update on how their goals are going. Tune in for a fun check-in on their progress, plus encouragement to keep pushing on your own goals!

🔗 Episode 235: Gamify Your Goals with a 2026 Bingo Card

🔗 Rate, review, and subscribe to our channel on YouTube!

🔗 Click here to check out this week's show notes!

On this episode of Adventures in Business, Amani and Mandi chat with Justin Block, a 5th generation entrepreneur, investor, and CEO of Block Ventures, an investment firm that looks for entrepreneurs who want to build better instead of just bigger. Today, he shares a wealth of wisdom for entrepreneurs: the lessons learned from exiting, the one habit that's changed his life, and what's keeping most entrepreneurs stuck (plus, how to break through). If you're ready to build momentum and take action in your business, tune into this one.

🔗 Connect with Justin Block on Instagram and his website

🔗 Tune into Born to Be Great

🔗 Rate, review, and subscribe to our channel on YouTube!

🔗 Click here to check out this week's show notes!

In this episode of Adventures in Business, Amani and Mandi chat with a real firecracker – Megan Reilly, a professional speaker, top 12 podcast host, and President of Events & Coaching for Jesse Itzler's 100 Mile Group. Megan shares her inspiring story of realizing her own value, how she cultivates a durable community, and the lessons she learned from being on Shark Tank (and getting an offer from Mark Cuban!). If you need some inspiration to take a calculated risk or make the next move, tune into this one!

🔗 Connect with Megan Reilly on her website and on LinkedIn

🔗 Learn more about Jesse Itzler's events

🔗 Rate, review, and subscribe to our channel on YouTube!

🔗 Click here to check out this week's show notes!

This isn't a boring rundown of "how to find business" with all the methods you've heard before. In this mini episode of Adventures in Business, Mandi and Amani share the non-traditional ways they've looked for or secured new business. If you're ready for gems and nuggets on how to creatively market yourself, tune into this one!

🔗 Rate, review, and subscribe to our channel on YouTube!

🔗 Click here to check out this week's show notes!

Your brand matters – not just your logo and colors, but the feeling people get from your marketing and business. In this episode of Adventures in Business, Amani and Mandi sit down with Lauren Bayne, Founder, R.A.R.E Brand, to talk about what it really takes to stand out in a crowded market… and why playing it safe might be the biggest risk of all. Tune in to learn what it takes to build a brand that's recognized, adored, remembered, and entrusted.

🔗 Connect with Lauren Bayne on her website and on RareBrand.co

🔗 Rate, review, and subscribe to our channel on YouTube!

🔗 Click here to check out this week's show notes!

In a world of instant messages, overflowing inboxes, and constant notifications, there's one simple gesture that still cuts through the noise: a handwritten note. In this Adventures in Business minisode, Amani and Mandi dive into why something so old-school is actually one of the most powerful tools – plus practical ways to implement it in your business and life.

🔗 Rate, review, and subscribe to our channel on YouTube!

🔗 Click here to check out this week's show notes!