Daily Influence

In this inspiring episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Sarah Johnston—performance coach, transition guide, and former corporate leader turned entrepreneur—whose work centers on helping people navigate life’s biggest shifts with clarity, confidence, and intention.

Sarah shares her own winding journey from 12 years in the corporate world to building a coaching practice rooted in behavior change, resilience, and responsible influence. Together, Gregg and Sarah explore why so many people fear failure, the power of reframing it as feedback, and why embracing the “gray space” is essential for sustainable progress.

They unpack the myth of massive overhauls, shine a light on the importance of micro-actions, and discuss how identity, self-trust, communication, and vulnerability shape our growth—especially during seasons of transition. Sarah also opens up about her deeply meaningful work with new moms and aspiring entrepreneurs, offering grounded and compassionate wisdom for anyone rebuilding, redefining, or realigning their path.

Sarah leaves listeners with a grounding message: “You don’t need to be perfect—you just need to be present.”

An empowering conversation about change, leadership, and showing up for yourself with grace.

Connect with Sarah:

https://www.sarah-johnston.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sarahdjohnston/

Welcome to 2026 with this revisit to episode 375. As we step into a new year, Brian S. Smith reflects on the power of purposeful reflection and intentional action.

Learn how to turn fleeting resolutions into meaningful progress using SMART principles—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Discover the keys to balancing personal and professional growth, building sustainable influence, and setting achievable milestones for a successful year ahead.

In this powerful episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg Koleno breaks down one of the most transformative tools for personal and professional growth: SMART goals.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, unfocused, or unsure how to turn your ideas into action, this episode is your blueprint. Gregg walks you through the full SMART framework—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely—using real examples from business, leadership, and everyday life.

Learn why clarity creates momentum, how to avoid the most common goal-setting pitfalls, and how SMART goals can align teams, strengthen communication, and help you build confidence through intentional action.

Before you finish your commute or your morning coffee, you’ll feel equipped to set one meaningful SMART goal that moves you forward—today.

Tune in, get inspired, and start shaping your success with purpose.

On this New Year’s Day episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith opens 2026 with a simple but powerful reminder: today is about direction, not speed.

After a week of reflection and letting go, this episode focuses on intentional orientation—choosing how you want to show up, who you want to be more intentional with, and what direction you want your influence to move this year. Momentum can wait. Clarity cannot.

Brian explores why consistency beats intensity, why teams don’t reset but individuals do, and how personal ownership of presence, behavior, and reactions sets the tone for collective improvement. This is an invitation to start the year grounded, aligned, and committed to responsible, intentional influence—one day at a time.

On this New Year’s Eve episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith offers a grounded reminder as one year closes and another begins: influence doesn’t reset—but responsibility does.

Rather than focusing on resolutions, this episode centers on releasing what no longer serves you—old habits, assumptions, emotional weight, and reactive behaviors—and choosing to move forward with greater intention. Brian reflects on why leadership doesn’t need to be loud, why clarity requires stillness, and how responsibility can be reset at any moment, not just at midnight.

This is a threshold episode—inviting reflection, discernment, and intentional ownership as we prepare to step into a new year.

In this powerful episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with retired Navy SEAL and Marine Corps infantryman Tommy Richardson, founder of Divine Savagery. Once a bullied, “skinny, dorky kid” who nearly ended his life, Tommy shares how a life-changing encounter with God, decades of military service, and extreme adversity forged his mission: to help others build unshakable strength, resilience, and purpose.

Tommy opens up about being bullied everywhere he turned, staring down the barrel of his own gun, and the moment he heard, “Stop, don’t do it. I’ve got something for you.” From there, he walks us through his path into the Marine Corps, the SEAL teams, and eventually into coaching leaders, athletes, and veterans—showing how our hardest battles can become the training ground for our greatest influence.

Together, Gregg and Tommy explore how responsible influence starts with stewarding your own “I” so you can better serve the team—mind, body, and spirit. Tommy breaks down why there’s no such thing as being “self-made,” how to avoid becoming a “supernova” who burns out, and why doing one hard thing every day can transform your capacity to lead and love others well.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Tommy went from bullied kid to Marine, to Navy SEAL, to founder of Divine Savagery

• The moment in Haiti when a young Marine told him, “We’d follow you into hell and back”—and how that affirmed his calling as a leader

• Why taking care of yourself isn’t selfish, it’s part of your responsibility to your team and community

• Practical ways to “chase the hard” every day—cold showers, accountability, and small disciplines that build big resilience

• How faith, scripture, and the “full armor of God” shape Tommy’s approach to life, leadership, and influence

• What responsible influence looks like when you know your words and actions can either build someone up or tear them down

If you’ve ever felt like you’re in the middle of your own battle, this conversation is a reminder that you’ve survived 100% of your worst days so far—and you’re capable of far more than you think. Tommy’s story will challenge you to get better, not bitter, and to use your influence to lift others up, even when life feels like a fight.

If you’d like to learn more about Tommy and Divine Savagery, visit www.divinesavagery.com .

Connect with Tommy:

[email protected]

http://linkedin.com/in/tommy-richardson-72a4a4178

https://www.facebook.com/tommy.richardson.667300

https://www.instagram.com/raise.your.horn

As the year comes to a close, Brian Smith explores one of the most overlooked responsibilities of leadership: reflection.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian challenges the idea that reflection is nostalgic or optional. Instead, he reframes it as a leadership discipline—one that prevents repeated patterns, exposes blind spots, and restores clarity before momentum is built.

This conversation focuses on understanding how we showed up, how our influence landed (especially under pressure), and what unfinished business—emotional or operational—needs to be closed before moving forward. Reflection, when done honestly, creates the clarity and space required for intentional influence and continuous improvement.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Melissa Dotson, leader, author, and champion of conscious leadership, to explore what it truly means to lead from the inside out.

After nearly three decades rising through the ranks at Rieke Interiors, Melissa purchased the company and began shaping a culture rooted in personal growth, open communication, and authentic leadership. Her 8-month training program based on The 15 Commitments to Conscious Leadership has transformed her team, eliminated workplace gossip, strengthened accountability, and helped employees grow not just professionally, but personally.

Melissa shares:

- How her own journey with coaching and self-development inspired her to teach conscious leadership

- Why eliminating gossip changed her team dynamic from frustration to collaboration

- A heartfelt story from an employee whose life was changed by the program

- What motivated her to write her book and the lessons she hopes readers carry forward

- How she models vulnerability and psychological safety to help others speak up and be seen

- Her practical, grounded approach to beginning AI adoption across departments

- Why waiting for perfection holds us back and how small steps create lasting change

Melissa reminds us that leadership isn’t about hierarchy, it’s about presence, compassion, curiosity, and the willingness to keep learning. Her message is powerful: “The time is now. Start before you’re ready, take the small steps, and don’t be afraid to fail.”

If you’re looking to elevate your own leadership, cultivate healthier teams, or deepen your personal fulfillment, this conversation will inspire you to lead more consciously starting today.

Contact Melissa at: [email protected]

To learn more about Melissa’s work, speaking, and upcoming book, visit melissaadotson.com.

On this Christmas Day episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith reflects on gratitude—not just as a feeling, but as one of the most powerful forms of influence we have.

Christmas is a reminder that giving and receiving with grace strengthens relationships, reinforces human value, and deepens connection. Brian shares why gratitude matters in leadership, in teams, and in everyday human interaction—and why everyone matters, especially today.

This episode is a message of appreciation for family, teams, clients, partners, and those who continue to serve others on holidays. A reminder to pause, to give, to receive, and to lead with kindness and intention.

On this Christmas Eve episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith offers a quiet, reflective message about the power of presence.

As the year slows and the holidays invite us to pause, Brian explores the unseen influence we create simply by showing up—without answers, without noise, and without ego. Leadership, he reminds us, isn’t always about direction; sometimes it’s about standing shoulder to shoulder, holding space, and allowing stillness to bring clarity.

This episode invites leaders, team members, and individuals alike to reflect on their behavior, their presence, and the quiet influence they carry into every relationship—especially during moments that matter most.