Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths.

You've polished your resume, applied to dozens of jobs, and clicked "Easy Apply" more times than you can count. So why aren't you getting interviews?

According to Brian Stewart, the problem may not be your qualifications. It may be how you're approaching the job search.

In this episode of Authentic Conversations, hosts Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis sit down with Brian Stewart, CEO of The Stewart Group, a recruiting firm specializing in rare disease and specialty pharmaceuticals.

With more than 25 years in recruiting, Brian has witnessed the transformation of hiring from paper resumes and filing cabinets to applicant tracking systems, LinkedIn, and artificial intelligence. But through all that change, one thing remains constant: relationships matter.

Brian shares why online applications often lead nowhere, how an internal advocate can change your chances of getting hired, and why authenticity, compatibility, and cultural fit are more important than ever.

He also reflects on taking over his father's business, navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship, and the personal rewards of helping people rebuild their careers, including a 62-year-old professional who feared his best opportunities were behind him.

Whether you're actively looking for a job, considering a career change, or responsible for hiring, this conversation offers a different perspective on what it really takes to connect the right people with the right opportunities.

In this episode:

• Why submitting more applications isn't necessarily the answer
• How personal connections can help you get noticed by hiring managers
• The limitations of AI and applicant tracking systems
• Why authenticity and cultural fit still matter
• Building a business on integrity, transparency, and trust
• Finding purpose in helping others succeed

Connect with Brian Stewart

LinkedIn: Brian Stewart

Website: The Stewart Group

Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths.

Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success - the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel.

Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.

Enjoyed the conversation?

Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories.

Connect with Deanna

Instagram: Deanna Brown

LinkedIn: Deanna Brown

Connect with Jeffery

Instagram: Jeffery Davis

LinkedIn: Jeffery Davis

Credits

Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis
Editor: Krissi Burdette

Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: LFBAUJC2KL03IOII

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

What happens when the person who knows how to manage stress becomes overwhelmed by it?

Dr. Caroline Adelman is a psychologist, entrepreneur, and founder of Chicago Psychotherapy. She spent years helping others navigate anxiety, stress, and life's challenges. But when the pandemic forced her practice to grow rapidly while she balanced the demands of work and family, she found herself facing the very challenges she helped her clients manage.

At one point, her resting heart rate reached 110 beats per minute.

In this episode of Authentic Conversations, Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis explore Caroline's journey from Northwestern University to building her own practice, the unexpected pressures of rapid growth, and the personal toll of always being the person who can handle it all.

Caroline shares how she learned to recognize the warning signs of chronic stress, rethink her relationship with responsibility, and build a more sustainable approach to leadership.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The "yes problem" and why being capable doesn't mean you have to do everything
• Allostatic load and the physical and mental consequences of chronic stress
• How rapid business growth challenged Caroline's personal and professional boundaries
• Why slowing down is a requirement, not a reward
• Building a workplace culture centered on psychological safety and employee well-being
• The importance of separating personal identity from professional success

Caroline's story is a reminder that knowing better doesn't always mean doing better, and that sometimes the most important leadership decision is recognizing when something needs to change.

Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths.

Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success - the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel.

Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.

Enjoyed the conversation?

Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories.

LinkedIn

Chicago Psychotherapy

Instagram

LinkedIn

Instagram

LinkedIn

Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis

Editor: Krissi Burdette

"Halo Balance" Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: 9ICUPBXEIKKXIAJD

The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

In this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths., Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis sit down with Clint Kraft, founder of Kraft Capital, along with his father, Clint Kraft Sr., to talk about entrepreneurship, trust, family, and building a business at an unusually young age.

Clint launched his wealth management firm at just 22 years old. He knew the work, understood the numbers, and had a clear vision for the kind of firm he wanted to build. But he quickly discovered that expertise was not always enough. For older clients preparing for retirement, his age often became the elephant in the room.

That changed when his father joined the business.

Together, Clint and Clint Sr. share how their father-son partnership helped overcome that early trust barrier, why they chose a more personal approach to financial planning, and how one pivotal decision to stop accepting only a small portion of a client's assets changed the direction of the firm.

They also talk about Clint turning down a lucrative opportunity to return to a large financial firm, the challenges of scaling without losing the personal connection that made the business successful, and why balance continues to shape both their financial philosophy and their relationship.

It is a conversation about betting on yourself, earning trust, building something with family, and choosing the long game over the easy opportunity.

💼 Connect with Clint Kraft
Clint Kraft

🌐 Learn more about Kraft Capital
Kraft Capital

🎧 Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths.

Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success - the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel.

🔔 Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.

💬 Enjoyed the conversation?

Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories.

💌 Connect with Deanna
Instagram
LinkedIn

💌 Connect with Jeffery
Instagram
LinkedIn

🎙️ Credits
Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis
Editor: Krissi Burdette
"Halo Balance" Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: ZW0LHCHJCI65DTGW

⚖️ Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

More than 11,500 rare diseases have been identified, affecting an estimated 30 million Americans and hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Yet roughly 95% still have no approved treatment.

For Dr. Harsha Rajasimha, those numbers are deeply personal.

While wrapping up a consulting role with the FDA, Harsha and his wife had a daughter who was born with a rare genetic disease. That experience changed the direction of his life and ultimately led him to focus his work on improving the path from diagnosis to treatment for families affected by rare diseases.

In this episode of Authentic Conversations, Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis sit down with Harsha, founder and CEO of Jeeva Clinical Trials, to explore the personal journey behind his work and the systemic challenges slowing clinical research and drug development.

Harsha explains why the challenge isn't simply whether the science exists, but whether treatments can be developed efficiently and affordably enough to reach patients. The conversation explores the complexity behind clinical trials, how the pandemic accelerated change in the industry, and how AI is beginning to reshape trial design and execution.

Harsha also shares his ambitious vision: that every human disease could be treatable by 2050.

In this episode:

• Why "rare disease" can be a misleading term
• Why roughly 95% of rare diseases still lack approved treatments
• The personal experience that shaped Harsha's purpose
• The hidden complexity and friction behind clinical trials
• How COVID-19 changed the industry's approach to technology
• Where AI could reduce friction in drug development
• Why Harsha believes every disease could eventually be treatable
• How our skills, experiences, and challenges can help reveal purpose

About Dr. Harsha Rajasimha

Dr. Harsha Rajasimha is the founder and CEO of Jeeva Clinical Trials. His background spans genomics, data science, rare disease advocacy, and clinical research, with a focus on reducing the friction, fragmentation, cost, and time involved in bringing treatments to patients.

Connect with Harsha:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harsharajasimha/
Jeeva Clinical Trials: https://jeevatrials.com/

Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths.

Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success - the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel.

Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.

Enjoyed the conversation?
Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories.

Connect with Deanna
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannabrowntoday
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannachristinebrown/

Connect with Jeffery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefferyddavis/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffery-continuumpro/

Credits
Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis
Editor: Krissi Burdette
Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: SNS95LA7PW5B9RBI

Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

What happens when the identity you've built your life around suddenly disappears?

For Malique Micenheimer, football was the plan from the time he was seven. When the game ended, he had to figure out who he was without it - and what came next.

That journey led him to wealth management and another defining decision: walking away from a successful career to start his own firm. There was no book of business waiting for him. No clients ready to follow. As Malique puts it, there was "100 percent no plan B."

In this episode, Malique joins Deanna and Jeffery to talk about identity, faith, entrepreneurship, and building something from zero. He shares the pressure of those first months and how his years as an athlete taught him to reset, show up, and keep doing the work.

The conversation also explores his work with athletes and entertainers and the realities facing a new generation earning money through NIL deals and sponsorships. His message to young athletes is simple: you are a business. Your agent, advisor, and accountant work for you - and you are ultimately the CEO.

Malique also shares what to look for in a financial advisor and how family communication can help wealth last beyond one generation.

In this episode:

• Losing an identity when the game ends
• Starting a firm with zero clients
• Taking the leap with no Plan B
• How athletics builds resilience
• What athletes need to know about NIL
• Building trust with a financial advisor
• Family, faith, wealth, and legacy

Connect with Malique

Win Private Wealth:
winprivatewealth.com ↗

LinkedIn:
Malique Micenheimer ↗

🎧 Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths.

Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success - the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel.

🔔 Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.

💬 Enjoyed the conversation?

Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories.

Connect with Deanna

Instagram:
Deanna Brown ↗

LinkedIn:
Deanna Brown ↗

Connect with Jeffery

Instagram:
Jeffery Davis ↗

LinkedIn:
Jeffery Davis ↗

🎙️ Credits
Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis
Editor: Krissi Burdette
"Halo Balance" Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: Z8T86FDLMUKGKBNT

⚖️ Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

What if being high-performing does not mean you are performing at your best?

In this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths., Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis sit down with Kelly Roman, co-founder and CEO of Fisher Wallace Labs, to explore the intersection of mental health, human performance, and brain stimulation technology.

Kelly shares his unconventional path from studying English literature at Harvard to leading a medical device company focused on depression, anxiety, and insomnia. He talks about his own experience with depression, the hidden impact mood and sleep issues can have on even highly productive people, and why someone can appear to be functioning well while still carrying a significant burden.

The conversation also explores the stigma surrounding mental health treatment, particularly among generations and professions where asking for help can be viewed as weakness. Kelly discusses how his father's experience influenced his perspective and why accessible, non-drug approaches may help some people overcome barriers to seeking care.

Kelly also takes Deanna and Jeffery inside the unusual journey of building Fisher Wallace Labs, from navigating changing FDA regulations and funding research through early product sales to the company's broader vision for mental health treatment, prevention, and human performance.

Connect with Kelly Roman

Fisher Wallace Labs:
fisherwallace.com

LinkedIn:
Kelly Roman

🎧 Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths.

Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success - the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel.

🔔 Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.

💬 Enjoyed the conversation?
Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories.

💌 Connect with Deanna
Instagram: @deannabrowntoday
LinkedIn: Deanna Brown

💌 Connect with Jeffery
Instagram: @jefferyddavis
LinkedIn: Jeffery Davis

🎙️ Credits
Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis
Editor: Krissi Burdette
"Halo Balance" Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: FDMKMRW0NYPIF1A9

⚖️ Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

What happens when financial advice becomes more about gathering assets than understanding the person behind them?

Brian Vendig, President and Chief Investment Officer of MJP Wealth Advisors, joins Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis for a conversation about entrepreneurship, independence, trust, and the changing financial advisory industry.

Brian's path into wealth management was anything but direct. After working in public accounting, venture capital, and corporate finance at Xerox, he made the leap into the independent advisory firm founded by his father-in-law. Eventually, Brian and his wife became business partners and purchased the firm, navigating the complexities of family, succession, and ownership along the way.

Today, MJP Wealth Advisors manages nearly $2 billion in assets while remaining independently owned.

Brian shares why he believes growth is necessary to remain competitive, but also why scale should not come at the expense of relationships. He discusses the consolidation happening across wealth management, the potential conflicts created by corporate ownership, and why clients should understand who their advisor ultimately answers to.

The conversation also explores AI and technology. Brian sees technology as an important tool for improving productivity, research, and service, but believes advisors cannot hide behind screens. Trust still requires communication, collaboration, and a real understanding of the person sitting on the other side of the table.

At the center of Brian's approach is a simple goal: help people make better choices.

Connect with Brian Vendig

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianvendig/

MJP Wealth Advisors:
https://www.mjpwealthadvisors.com/

Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths.

Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success - the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel.

Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.

Enjoyed the conversation?

Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories.

Connect with Deanna

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannabrowntoday
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannachristinebrown/

Connect with Jeffery

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefferyddavis/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffery-continuumpro/

Credits

Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis
Editor: Krissi Burdette
"Halo Balance" Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: FDMKMRW0NYPIF1A9

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

What happens when a financial advisor leaves the security of an established firm to build a practice around his own vision?

In this episode, Deanna and Jeffery sit down with financial advisor Mike Finn to talk about the decision to bet on himself, why he chose to focus on business owners in construction, HVAC, and electrical trades, and what he’s learning as he builds a firm from the ground up.

Mike also pulls back the curtain on an industry that can be difficult for consumers to navigate. Not all financial advisors work the same way, offer the same services, or even get paid the same way, and that lack of transparency can make it difficult to know exactly what you’re getting.

The conversation also turns to AI and the future of financial advice. Could financial advisors eventually become obsolete? Mike believes technology will continue to change the industry, but there’s still something important about having a human on the other side of the conversation, especially one willing to challenge your thinking instead of simply reinforcing it.

And for anyone considering making a leap of their own, Mike offers a lesson he learned personally: you’re probably never going to feel 100% ready.

In this episode:
• Why Mike left an established career path to build his own practice
• The realities of betting on yourself as a business owner
• Why specialization matters in financial planning
• What consumers may not realize about financial advisors and compensation
• How AI is already changing financial services
• The risk of false confidence when AI doesn’t challenge your assumptions
• Why Mike believes the human side of financial advice still matters
• Getting comfortable being uncomfortable when building something new

Connect with Mike Finn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfinncfp/

https://www.neponsetriverwealth.com/

🎧 Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths.

Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success- the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel.

🔔 Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.

💬 Enjoyed the conversation?
Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories.

💌 Connect with Deanna
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannabrowntoday
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannachristinebrown/

💌 Connect with Jeffery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefferyddavis/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffery-continuumpro/

🎙️ Credits
Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis
Editor: Krissi Burdette
“Halo Balance” Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: SIS9RNTFYTH5E3KF

⚖️ Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

What if we taught people how to understand their mental health before they reached a crisis?

Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis sit down with Dr. Shivam Dubey, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and founder of Mighty Champions, to challenge a mental healthcare model that too often begins after someone is already struggling.

Drawing from his experience treating patients, Shivam shares why he believes self-awareness and mental health education should begin much earlier. From patients arriving in emergency rooms believing they’re having heart attacks only to discover they’re experiencing panic attacks, to the core beliefs we develop throughout our lives, he asks: What could we be teaching people before they reach a breaking point?

The conversation explores stress and the body, the beliefs and identities we carry, physician burnout and moral injury, and Shivam’s vision for bringing preventive mental health education into communities around the world.

• Moving mental healthcare from treatment toward prevention
• How stress can manifest physically
• Self-awareness as a foundational mental health skill
• How core beliefs shape the way we see ourselves
• Why our thoughts and experiences are not our identity
• Moral injury and physician burnout
• Shivam’s vision for preventive mental health education

Mighty Champions Program:
https://www.mightychampions.org/#team

Know Thyself Assessment:
https://knowthyself-test.vercel.app/

Fellowship in Preventive Mental Health Education - Application Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQ-cxNOmPD98Vkpd9FDmY9PsgEBUdZZa47TAhLkFou94L4Kg/viewform

🎧 Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real
Stories. Hidden Truths.
Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories
behind success- the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and
defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel.
🔔 Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.
💬 Enjoyed the conversation?
Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would
appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories.
💌 Connect with Deanna
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannabrowntoday
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannachristinebrown/
💌 Connect with Jeffery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefferyddavis/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffery-continuumpro/
🎙️ Credits
Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis
Editor: Krissi Burdette
“Halo Balance” Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: ZMYZZ0ZYVA5QJIKN
⚖️ Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily
reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for
informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal,
financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

Han Cao arrived in the United States for graduate school with $50 in his pocket and little experience speaking conversational English. He learned by immersion, watching CNN during the day and Johnny Carson at night, teaching biology labs, and eventually stepping far outside his own discipline.

That willingness to enter unfamiliar rooms became a defining part of his career.

A molecular biologist by training, Han found himself working alongside electrical engineers, physicists, computer scientists, and other disciplines at Princeton. At those intersections, new ideas emerged. He went on to found Bionano Genomics and develop technology that allowed researchers to map the genome in ways that previously weren't possible.

Today, Han is Co-Founder, President and CEO of Dimension Genomics, where he is taking on another challenge: understanding changes within individual cells, including extrachromosomal circular DNA (ecDNA) associated with aggressive cancers, cancer relapse, and drug resistance.

In this episode:

• How Han learned English through immersion
• Why crossing disciplines can lead to unexpected breakthroughs
• The technology behind mapping the human genome
• Why ecDNA matters in cancer research
• Starting over after building and losing control of a company
• Why “junk in, junk out” takes on new meaning when AI enters medicine
• The role immigrants play in science, entrepreneurship, and innovation

About Han Cao, Ph.D.

Han Cao, Ph.D. is Co-Founder, President and CEO of Dimension Genomics Inc., where he is developing technology to better understand somatic genomic changes and their role in disease. He previously founded Bionano Genomics and helped pioneer genome-mapping technology using nanofluidics.

Connect with Han / Dimension Genomics
https://dimensiongen.com/

🎧 Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths.

Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success - the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel.

🔔 Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.

💬 Enjoyed the conversation?
Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories.

💌 Connect with Deanna
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannabrowntoday
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannachristinebrown/

💌 Connect with Jeffery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefferyddavis/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffery-continuumpro/

🎙️ Credits
Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis
Editor: Krissi Burdette
“Halo Balance” Music licensed through Soundstripe.
Code: CV4ZSVSKTX55EDDE

⚖️ Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.