Daily Influence

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Jennifer Bauer, Vice President of Human Capital at RF Ideas, to explore what it means to lead with intention, courage, and compassion. Jennifer shares how her passion for people led her to create RF Ideas’ first Employee Resource Group and the highly successful Ignite mentorship program, both of which are transforming company culture and empowering women in tech.

From launching initiatives that earned a spot in the Top 100 Inspiring Workplaces to advocating for inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership from every seat, Jennifer's story is a powerful example of responsible influence in action. Her advice? Don’t wait—take your shot, make your mark, and lift others as you rise.

Tune in for real talk on mentorship, allyship, and the lasting impact of showing up with heart and purpose.

Connect with Jennifer: 

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-bauer-sphr-5a728711/

This Labor Day, Brian reflects on the true meaning of work and the people who keep our world moving. From the visible contributions to the often-overlooked roles, every individual matters. At IA Business Advisors and The I in Team Series, we celebrate the influence each person carries—reminding us to pause, show gratitude, and honor the everyday efforts that build stronger teams, communities, and lives.

In Episode 354 of The Daily Influence, Brian Smith delves into the pivotal role of self-awareness in building resilience as a leader. Drawing from The I in Team Series and SMART Management principles, Brian shares actionable strategies to navigate challenges, foster emotional endurance, and lead with empathy during adversity. Learn how to align short-term tactics with long-term vision and create deeper trust and collaboration within your team. Discover the power of shared vulnerability and how to transform challenges into opportunities for growth.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Lara Effland, LICSW, CEDS-C—an influential leader in behavioral health and founder of the Clinician Development Collective. With nearly two decades of experience building and mentoring large clinical teams, Lara shares her journey from working crisis hotlines in high school to leading national behavioral health programs and supporting hundreds of providers.

Together, they explore what it means to lead with positive and responsible influence, how to cultivate trust within teams, and why continuous learning is key to longevity in mental health work. Lara offers powerful insights on creating safe spaces for both providers and patients, shares why leadership is like setting a thermostat, and encourages aspiring changemakers to diversify their passions and embrace growth.

Whether you're in healthcare or just want to make a difference in your world, this conversation is full of inspiration and actionable wisdom.

🔗 Learn more at: https://cliniciandevelopmentcollective.com

In this episode of the Daily Influence, Brian Smith delves into the core principles of Sustainable Leadership. Often misunderstood as merely environmental responsibility, sustainable leadership goes beyond to prioritize long-term success and the well-being of an organization and its people. Brian discusses the importance of maintaining high ethical standards, fostering a people-centric approach, and ensuring resilience and adaptability within your team. Learn how to integrate these elements with SMART management practices to create a balanced, transparent, and innovative organizational culture. Tune in to discover actionable insights that will help you build a sustainable and thriving business.

On this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg Koleno welcomes Sarah Austin—founder and CEO of The Scratch Pantry, creator of Founders Forum, and a passionate advocate for women’s health. Sarah shares how her business was born out of hardship, launched from her kitchen during a time of personal and financial struggle. What began as a way to feed her family on a tight budget grew into a mission-driven enterprise, fueled by faith, hard-won experience, and love—including the final recipe perfected just before the tragic loss of her daughter.

Sarah speaks candidly about her path through grief, her transition from corporate finance to food entrepreneurship, and how she uses her gift for connection to support other founders and funders through her growing community. She also opens up about her advocacy work with the Endometriosis Foundation of America, where her personal loss became a platform for national awareness and action.

This conversation is a moving testament to the power of resilience, reinvention, and responsible influence. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, Sarah's story is a reminder to trust the timing, keep showing up, and lead with heart.

🔗 Connect with Sarah: [email protected]

Brian Smith discusses the fundamental importance of cultivating a culture of accountability within organizations. Using insights from the I in Team series, Brian emphasizes that accountability begins with individual leaders who consistently model the company's core values and mission. Learn how to set SMART goals, foster a supportive team environment, and maintain consistent, positive, and responsible influence. Discover strategies from "Individual Influence: Find the I in Team," "Positive Influence: Be the I in Team," and "Responsible Influence: Build the I in Team" to transform your organization into a proactive, cohesive, and accountable team. Join us to strengthen your leadership and enhance your organizational culture!

In this episode of Daily Influence, host Brandon Cohen talks with Brian Smith about how one scaling company transformed its financial operations—not by overhauling everything, but by bringing clarity, communication, and strategy into alignment.

Brian shares how IA Business Advisors stabilized the company’s accounting structure by integrating both tactical and strategic finance teams under the SMART Management model. From improving reporting and reconciliation to creating a real-time feedback loop, the result was a more efficient, confident leadership team—ready to make better decisions, faster.

If your business is growing and your finance systems feel like they’re falling behind, this conversation offers real insight into what it takes to build a financial foundation that supports smart, sustainable scale.

In this heart-centered episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno welcomes transformational guide, author, and speaker Nina Lockwood, the inspiring voice behind Get Your Happy Back. With a background in psychotherapy, energy medicine, and the creative arts, Nina brings decades of insight to helping people reconnect with joy, purpose, and their own inner wisdom.

Nina shares the origins of her work, how blind spots shape our paths, and why cultivating self-awareness is essential to positive influence. From art journaling to mindset shifts, her tools are practical, powerful, and rooted in love. You’ll also hear the story of an 81-year-old client who chose to rediscover her voice and passion—and how it's never too late to live a meaningful life.

In this episode:

• How happiness and mindset fuel purposeful living

• The ripple effect of positivity and emotional contagion

• What art, truth, and joy have in common

• A powerful question to guide your next chapter: “What else is possible?”

If you’ve been feeling stuck, Nina’s gentle wisdom and encouragement will remind you that joy isn’t just possible—it’s your birthright.

Connect with Nina:

Website: www.ninalockwood.com

Podcast: Get Your Happy Back https://getyourhappyback.podbean.com/

Social:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-lockwood/

https://www.facebook.com/nina.lockwood

Get Your Happy Back on Amazon: amzn.to/4Kf7QmD

In this episode of Daily Influence, Brandon Cohen interviews Brian Smith about the delicate balance of preserving culture while planning for leadership succession. The business in focus had one major concern: maintaining its strong internal culture through future ownership—without sacrificing value or vision.

Brian unpacks how the SMART Management framework helped align team members, clarify stakeholder roles, and create a multi-year succession plan rooted in intentionality. Through stakeholder discovery and transparent conversations, the company moved from uncertainty to confidence about its path forward.

If you're leading a mission-driven organization and thinking about succession—even five years out—this episode offers powerful lessons on planning with heart, structure, and strategy.