Business Origin Stories for Entrepreneurs, Coaches, and Leaders

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When the old leadership model stops working, most leaders assume the problem is external. The market. The team. The generation. The culture.

In this episode of Business Origin Stories, Amy Schutte sits down with Traci Philips, founder of the Innate Coach and an executive leadership and performance coach working with high performers in major transition, especially in the mergers and acquisitions space. Traci supports leaders navigating uncertainty, ambiguity, and rapid change, where decisions impact entire teams and cultures.

Traci explains a pattern she sees repeatedly in high-performing leaders: they often build success on uncomfortable pressure. Not healthy pressure, but fear-driven intensity. The fear of losing control. The fear of falling behind. The fear of not surviving. Over time, that fear becomes the engine behind their edge.

But what happens when that same model starts to break?

Amy and Traci talk about what it means to move from a survival paradigm to a thrive paradigm. Survival leadership focuses on scarcity and control. Thrive leadership builds from alignment, groundedness, and transparency. Traci shares a recent experience speaking at a leadership summit in Salt Lake City for a private equity-backed organization, where a new CEO modeled transparent leadership by welcoming hard questions, acknowledging mistakes, and leading forward anyway.

In this conversation, you’ll hear:

• Why fear-based leadership can quietly drive both performance and burnout
• What grounded leadership looks like in times of uncertainty
• Why “don’t let them see you sweat” no longer builds trust
• How Traci uses Human Design as a framework for understanding innate traits and alignment
• Why collaboration is becoming essential to the future of leadership

Traci also shares her book, Looking In: Discover to Find and Align the True Value of Your Life, Leadership, and Legacy, and invites leaders to stop pretending they have to know it all.

Connect

• Connect with Traci Philips on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traci-philips/
• Explore her book and work: https://theinnatecoach.com/

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@amyschutte_

Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

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What happens when women are taught to be palatable instead of powerful?

In this episode of Business Origin Stories, I sit down with Sophie Jane Lee, CEO and founder of Electric Peach, to talk about her debut book, Beyond Palatable—a bold, compassionate manifesto for women who are tired of shrinking, apologizing, and silencing themselves to fit in.

Sophie shares her deeply personal journey, from growing up undiagnosed neurodivergent and struggling with addiction, to reclaiming her voice and helping thousands of women do the same. We explore why women silence themselves, why women silence each other, and how centuries of conditioning still show up in modern spaces like social media, leadership, motherhood, and visibility.

This conversation dives into:

• Why “being seen” still feels dangerous for so many women
• How shame, perfectionism, and burnout keep women small
• The difference between women being silenced and women silencing themselves
• What community, ritual, and cycles can teach us about coming home to ourselves
• Why using your voice will always invite resistance—and why that’s a sign it matters

This episode is honest, expansive, and deeply human. If you’ve ever felt like you were too much, not enough, or afraid to take up space, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.

Sophie’s book Beyond Palatable is available for pre-order now, with release on International Women’s Day.

Buy the book: https://beyondpalatable.com/

Connect with Sophia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophieturton/

Instagram: 

@amyschutte_

Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

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What happens when the business gets hard and there’s nowhere to hide?

In this episode of Business Origin Stories,  I sit down with executive coach Steve Smith for a grounded, honest conversation about leadership when comfort zones collapse, money gets emotional, and identity is forced to change.

Steve has spent over 16 years coaching leaders across industries, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, and what he brings to this conversation is refreshingly real. We talk about what’s actually at stake when leaders avoid discomfort, why financial clarity is a leadership skill, and how business owners can move forward after a year marked by layoffs, pivots, or loss of momentum.

This is not a conversation about manifesting your way out of reality. It’s about discipline, responsibility, emotional maturity, and choosing to lead even when the numbers hurt and the path forward isn’t obvious.

In this episode, we cover:

- Why comfort zones quietly erode leadership over time
- How money avoidance damages both businesses and families
- What leaders owe their teams during uncertain seasons
- How to rebuild after a hard year without pretending it didn’t happen
- Why identity shifts, not tactics, determine long-term success

If you’re a founder, executive, or business owner entering a new year carrying the weight of the last one, this conversation will meet you where you are and challenge you to step forward anyway.

Connect with Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachstevejsmith/

Instagram: 

@amyschutte_

Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

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Leadership problems rarely start at the top. They start in the middle.

In this episode of Business Origin Stories, I sit down with Keith Repko, a former healthcare executive who spent decades leading one of the largest VA medical systems in a five-state region. Over his career, Keith oversaw thousands of employees, multiple hospital campuses, and complex operational systems, and what he learned is simple and uncomfortable: most organizations promote people into leadership roles without teaching them how to lead.

We talk about why bad managers drive great people out the door, why younger generations are increasingly opting out of leadership roles altogether, and what actually works when it comes to developing strong, relational leaders inside complex organizations.

Keith shares real-world stories from healthcare, practical frameworks leaders can use immediately, and why relationship-first leadership is not “soft,” but operationally essential.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why most leadership training comes too late
• The real cost of promoting high performers who aren’t ready to lead
• How poor management accelerates burnout and turnover
• Practical ways leaders can build trust and cohesion across teams
• How organizations can create leadership pathways without forcing people into management

Whether you lead a hospital system, a growing company, or a small team, this conversation will change how you think about leadership development and what it truly takes to build teams that last.

Connect with Keith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-repko-a0b80684/

Instagram: 

@amyschutte_

Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

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What if the real leadership crisis isn’t burnout — but never having time to work on what truly matters?

In this episode of Business Origin Stories, I sit down with Frederick Buskey, a former assistant principal turned leadership coach, to explore how leaders — especially in education — can escape the constant pull of urgency and reclaim their time, priorities, and humanity.

Frederick shares his powerful framework for helping principals, assistant principals, and leaders stop living at the mercy of emails, interruptions, and endless to-do lists — and instead design their days around values, big priorities, and long-term impact.

We talk about:

• Why “being busy” has replaced real leadership
• How leaders can escape the gravitational pull of urgency
• The matrix that helps leaders own their day instead of reacting to it
• What changes when schools (and businesses) align systems with values
• How to protect your priorities when pressure comes from the top
• Why creativity, humanity, and connection matter more than ever in an AI-driven world
• The future of education — and what must remain human

We also dive into the role of creativity in leadership, including a meaningful conversation about The Artist’s Way, and why reclaiming creative energy isn’t optional — it’s essential.

This episode is for educators, leaders, founders, and anyone who feels like their days are being hijacked by urgency instead of intention.

If you’ve ever ended a day wondering how you worked so hard — yet didn’t move the needle — this conversation is for you.

Connect with Frederick: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

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@amyschutte_

Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

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What if the way we work is the very thing that’s breaking us—and what if there’s another way?

In this episode of Business Origin Stories, I’m joined by Olivier Egli, a business guide who stands at the intersection of leadership, neuroscience, psychology, and spirituality, offering a radically different blueprint for work—one that breaks from our traditional, toxic approaches to success.

Olivier’s work invites leaders, founders, and parents to reconsider everything from productivity and ambition to abundance, intuition, and peace. His perspective is deeply informed by lived transformation—moving through identity death, uncertainty, and “winter seasons” to arrive at a regenerative, fertile model of business and life.

In our conversation, we explore:

• What a fertile, sustainable business actually looks like in practice
• Why intuition is becoming a non-negotiable leadership skill
• The identity shifts required to trust abundance and reciprocity
• How hustle culture and optimization-based coaching are burning people out
• Why darkness, grief, and uncertainty are essential parts of real growth
• What it means to measure success by peace—not performance
• How we raise children for a world that no longer follows old rules

This episode is not about tactics or scaling faster.
It’s about becoming the kind of leader—and human—who can build something life-giving.

If you feel called to create work that honors nature, nervous systems, and the soul—this conversation will resonate deeply.

Connect with Olivier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dohappywork/

www.belikeanappletree.com

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@amyschutte_

Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

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What happens when family, business, legacy, and pressure collide?

In this episode of Business Origin Stories, I sit down with Scott Gingold, a self-described family business therapist who helps founders, owners, and multi-generational companies untangle conflict, rebuild trust, and move forward without blowing up the business, or their relationships.

Scott’s path to this work is anything but typical. From surviving life-or-death moments as a first responder to building, exiting, and reinventing multiple businesses, his approach to leadership and resilience is grounded in perspective, accountability, and humanity.

In our conversation, we explore:

- Why most family businesses stall (and what actually gets them unstuck)
- How fear, guilt, and unspoken expectations quietly sabotage growth
- The real difference between "talking at each other" and "working with each other"
- Why resilience is the defining leadership skill right now
- What successful founders do differently when the world shifts
- How to redefine success beyond revenue, titles, or exits
- Why CEOs and business owners need confidential space to think out loud

We also talk about creativity in uncertain markets, resisting doom-scroll culture, human-to-human connection in sales, and why building a meaningful life alongside_a successful business isn’t optional—it’s the point.

This episode is for:

- Family-owned and multi-generational businesses
- Founders and CEOs feeling stuck or overwhelmed
- Leaders navigating growth, conflict, or transition
- Anyone redefining success beyond hustle

Connect with Scott: https://www.gingoldadvisors.com/

Instagram: 

@amyschutte_

Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

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What if the biggest thing holding women back isn’t a lack of opportunity—but the quiet agreements we make with ourselves to wait?

In this episode of Business Origin Stories, I’m joined by Emily Lampkin, longtime Washington, D.C. power broker, global speaker, and author of the upcoming book White Lies and Duct Tape. Emily has spent decades working inside politics, government, corporations, and global organizations—and studying one question closely:

Why do some women thrive, while others slowly abandon their dreams?

Emily breaks down the three fundamentals she’s seen in women who build fulfilled, powerful lives—whether they’re CEOs, elected officials, entrepreneurs, or managing hotels, households, or communities:

• Selling You: How women must learn to articulate their value, advocate for themselves, and communicate differently in male- and female-dominated environments
• Widening the Circle: Why access—to people, information, and relationships—is everything, and how to build a dynamic, useful network without performative networking
• Going Now: The cost of waiting for the “right time,” and how women unknowingly become their own dream-slashers

We also talk about the real story behind White Lies and Duct Tape—a phrase that perfectly captures how women hold everything together while postponing what matters most to them. Emily makes a powerful case for why every woman deserves her own strategic plan, not someday—but now.

This conversation is honest, sharp, and deeply liberating. It’s for women who are done waiting for permission, perfect timing, or imaginary milestones—and ready to build lives and careers that actually fit.

Connect with Emily: https://www.emilylampkin.com/

Instagram: 

@amyschutte_

Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

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What if your next career move isn't about finding the perfect job—but finally becoming the most unapologetic version of yourself?

Executive coach Jennifer Speciale joins host Amy Schutte for a raw conversation about career reinvention, owning your story, and stepping into your power without apologizing for it.

Jennifer opens up about her own pivots: moving to Italy, realizing she was massively underutilized, and rebuilding her career from scratch with clarity and zero regrets. Now she helps executives, emerging leaders, and anyone feeling stuck turn their experience into visibility, confidence, and intentional next moves.

If you're navigating a transition, craving more meaning at work, or struggling to tell your story as a leader—this episode will give you the tools, the permission, and the push you need.

What we cover:

• How to spot when you're being underutilized (and what to actually do about it)
• The mindset shifts that help leaders stop shrinking and start owning their space
• Why storytelling isn't fluffy—it's essential for career growth and getting noticed
• How to identify the wins, metrics, and moments that make you stand out
• What career pivots really require (for entrepreneurs and executives)
• How to prep for your next level before you're ready
• Why so many women leave the workforce mid-career—and how to come back stronger
• The art of taking credit, being visible, and ditching the self-minimizing habit

If you've ever thought, "There has to be more for me than this"—start here.

Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn or at https://www.jenniferspeciale.com/

Instagram: 

@amyschutte_

Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

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Why do we resist change, even when we want it?
How do leaders move from fear into possibility when the world around them is evolving faster than ever?

In this episode of Business Origin Stories, host Amy Schutte sits down with Andi Simon, a blue ocean strategist, author, and leadership advisor who helps organizations reinvent themselves, rewrite their internal narratives, and navigate the identity shifts required for growth.

Together, they explore:

Why humans cling to old stories and how to gently unhook from them
The psychology of change — and what actually helps people cross the threshold into something new

•  How to spot or create your own blue ocean in any industry
• Why AI and emerging technologies trigger fear, and how leaders can move from panic to possibility
•  The mindset traits that make transformation sustainable, both personally and organizationally
•  How rewriting your story (or a team member’s) opens doors to confidence, adaptability, and innovation

Andi also shares beautiful insights about work, purpose, and the overlooked transition many leaders face between mid-career and retirement, and why that season might be one of the greatest blue oceans of all.

If you’re navigating a transition, building something new, or feeling the pull toward your next chapter, this episode will expand your perspective and give you tangible tools to step forward with clarity and courage.

Connect with Andi at https://www.simonassociates.net/ or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andisimon/

Instagram: 

@amyschutte_

Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co