Today's guest is Ron Browning, the CEO of IntelliBright, a performance-based digital marketing agency. Ron’s career is characterized by entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and a fierce commitment to accountability.

We talked about his unique journey—starting with his first business while still in grad school, diving into the early days of the dot-com boom (and bust), and ultimately launching IntelliBright, which he has now successfully led for over 16 years. Ron shared the key leadership lessons he learned from navigating both entrepreneurial highs and corporate frustrations, and how those lessons shaped the culture and values of IntelliBright.

He also offered some powerful insights on the importance of data-driven decision making, the value of clarity in communication, and how dressing the part can sometimes make all the difference.

Contact Dino at: [email protected]

Websites:

al4ep.com

intellibright.com

Additional Guest Links:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronrbrowning

Instagram:

Twitter:

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp 

Podcast Twitter – @al4edp 

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Natasha Braginsky Mounier is currently the co-chair of Girls Are Investors, a UK charity, and is a member of several boards. Prior to that, she had a remarkable career in investment management, covering Russia and emerging markets at Capital Group, where she retired from as a partner.

We talked about her unique journey. She emigrated to the US from the Soviet Union and  went on to become a leader in finance at a time when the field wasn’t always welcoming to women. She shared what helped her thrive in male-dominated environments, how she built resilience, and skills she developed through her unconventional path — starting as a regional analyst rather than a sector specialist — and how those skills helped her navigate high-stakes investment decisions in volatile markets.

In the second half of our conversation, we explored her leadership work around ESG investing, and her current role as Co-Chair of Girls Are Investors — a UK-based nonprofit working to improve gender diversity in the investment industry by inspiring and supporting the next generation of women investors.

Contact Dino at: [email protected]

Websites:

al4ep.com

Girls Are Investors: gainuk.org

Additional Guest Links:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/natasha-braginsky-mounier-62525721/

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp 

Podcast Twitter – @al4edp 

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Rishad Tobaccowala is one to the visionaries in the world of marketing and advertising – he founded some of the early digital marketing agencies and has covered several C-level roles for Publicis. Today, he comes back to discuss his latest book, Rethinking Work.

In our conversation, we dive into the five seismic shifts reshaping the workplace, how technology—including AI—is redefining the nature of jobs, and why the traditional concept of employment may soon be obsolete. Rishad shares his unique insights on leadership in this evolving landscape, the importance of adaptability, and how companies can thrive by fostering an ecosystem of talent rather than just managing employees.

We also explore what individuals—whether they are seasoned executives or just starting out —can do to stay relevant and successful in a world where the future of work is being rewritten in real-time.

To hear about Rishad's career and his other book, check out his previous appearance on the show.

Contact Dino at: [email protected]

Websites:

al4ep.com

rishad.substack.com

Additional Guest Links:

Website: rethinking-work.io

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rishadtobaccowala

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp 

Podcast Twitter – @al4edp 

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Joseph Rainone is the CEO of Ubique Group, a private equity owned furniture company. Joseph has spent over 30 years working in consumer product companies, making his way from a analyst to manager all the way to CEO.

In our conversation, Joseph shares invaluable insights on leadership, including his “Three H’s of Leadership” framework—Humble, Hungry, and Happy—a powerful approach to building high-performance teams. He also discusses the realities of running a private equity-backed company, the lessons he learned navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, the advantages of running a fully remote company, and why leadership can sometimes feel lonely at the top.

Contact Dino at: [email protected]

Websites:

al4ep.com

The Three Hs of Leadership Article

Additional Guest Links:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joseph-rainone-3879a8120/

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp 

Podcast Twitter – @al4edp 

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Dina Denham Smith, is an exectuive coach with an extensive background in leadership, spanning private equity, consulting, and high-growth startups, and she has a deep passion for the intersection of business and psychology.

In our conversation, she shares her journey from management consulting to private equity and eventually to coaching. We also discuss her upcoming book, *Emotionally Charged: How to Lead in the New World of Work*, which explores the evolving emotional demands on leaders and provides actionable strategies based on science and real-world experience.

We dive deep into leadership, emotional labor, and the balance between authenticity and professional expectations. Plus, we touch on her experience working alongside her husband in their family business, the unique challenges of blending work and personal relationships, and how leaders can better manage emotions—both their own and their teams'.

Contact Dino at: [email protected]

Websites:

al4ep.com

dinadsmith.com

Additional Guest Links:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dina-denham-smith/

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp 

Podcast Twitter – @al4edp 

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Haley Forest is a renaissance woman at the intersection of leadership, creativity, and neuroscience. Haley’s career path is anything but traditional—she spent two decades in hospitality, where she developed a deep understanding of human behavior, before transitioning into the world of innovation and business strategy. Now, as she completes her doctorate in leadership psychology, she’s focused on the neuroscience of creative cognition—how our brains generate ideas and what that means for leadership, problem-solving, and team dynamics.

In our conversation, we talk about how leaders can cultivate creativity within their teams, the science behind balancing structure with innovation, and why authenticity plays a key role in fostering trust and collaboration. We also dive into her fascinating research on how alternating between deep focus and mind-wandering can enhance creative output—a game-changer for anyone looking to improve problem-solving in their organization

Contact Dino at: [email protected]

Websites:

al4ep.com

hcforest.com

Additional Guest Links:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/haley-forest/

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp 

Podcast Twitter – @al4edp 

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

This episode is a selection from the original 2020 interview with Rishad Tobaccowala.

Rishad Tobaccowala, is an author, speaker and known as a visionary in the advertising industry. He was the founder of two of the early interactive digital agencies in the early '90, and  covered several leadership positions at the Publicis Group, including Chief Strategy and Growth Officer for the whole group. In this interview he discusses the human side of leadership and his own career.

Contact Dino at: [email protected]

Websites:

al4ep.com

Additional Guest Links:

Rishad’s LinkedIn 

Rishad’s Website 

Rishad’s Newsletter

Rishad’s Book 

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp 

Podcast Twitter – @al4edp 

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

A couple of weeks ago, our guest was Robyn Bolton, founder of Mile Zero, an innovation consulting firm. In that episode, we focused primarily on Robyn’s career journey. Since she is publishing a book on innovation, I asked her to come back for a second episode to cover that topic, and she said yes.

The book is called Unlocking Innovation, so as you can easily imagine, today’s episode is all about innovation – different types of innovation, what makes innovation successful and how leaders can assess and improve their company’s ability to innovate.

Contact Dino at: [email protected]

Websites:

al4ep.com

milezero.io

Additional Guest Links:

UnlockingInnovation.co 

linkedin.com/in/robynmbolton

Unlocking Innovation Book

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp 

Podcast Twitter – @al4edp 

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Suzanne Dean had a long career first as a musician and composer, then as a music educator, and finally as the founder of a grassroots non profit. In our conversation, we focused on the first and the last part of her career.

We started with her experience as a musician and the journey to figure out exactly in which part of the industry Suzanne wanted to operate. And then we talked about how she connected her passion for the arts by starting Artists For Wildlife Conservation, a non-profit that works with artists and musicians to raise funds for local organizations that do work to preserve wildlife.

Contact Dino at: [email protected]

Websites:

al4ep.com

suzannedean.me

Additional Guest Links:

Artists for Wildlife Conservation: afwildc.org

Instagram: @artistswildlifeconservation

Facebook: facebook.com/ArtistsForWildlifeConservation

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp 

Podcast Twitter – @al4edp 

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Robyn Bolton is the founder and Chief Navigator of Mile Zero, an innovation consulting firm. Robyn’s story is a perfect illustration of the core belief that is at the core of this podcast: if you go through the process of intentionally defining your true values and make decisions accordingly, you will not only be happier but find the right professional success.

Robyn’s career started on a very traditional path: Procter and Gamble, an MBA at Harvard, consulting at BCG, and a stint at Innosight, a prestigious innovation firm. But at some point, she found herself questioning whether what she was pursuing was what she really wanted.

And when she started her own firm, she chose to avoid the traditional rules of having a growth plan. And that actually led to long lasting success, on her own terms.

Contact Dino at: [email protected]

Websites:

al4ep.com

milezero.io

Additional Guest Links:

UnlockingInnovation.co 

linkedin.com/in/robynmbolton

Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo

Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo

Podcast Instagram – @al4edp 

Podcast Twitter – @al4edp 

Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp

Music

Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com