Daily Influence

In this episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno welcomes Arlene Martin, Vice President and SBA Business Development Officer at Busey Bank. With nearly 40 years of experience in business banking, commercial lending, and SBA financing, Arlene shares her inspiring journey of balancing a high-level career while navigating personal challenges, including caring for her husband through a liver transplant and her mother through serious illness.

Arlene opens up about the power of faith, perseverance, and community support in overcoming life's toughest moments. She offers invaluable insights into the realities of business financing, common obstacles entrepreneurs face, and how to build strong, lasting relationships with financial institutions. Arlene also shares uplifting stories of the positive impact she has made throughout her career—helping small business owners and mentoring women entrepreneurs to achieve financial success and personal growth.

The episode wraps with Arlene’s words of encouragement and her favorite quotes that will inspire you to live with kindness, gratitude, and intentional influence.

Connect with Arlene at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arlene-martin-32a868b/

Tune in and be inspired to lead, grow, and make a positive difference — one day at a time.

In this episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Erin Wilson, founder of The Law Office of Erin M. Wilson LLC. Erin shares her powerful journey from aspiring psychologist to dedicated family law attorney, driven by her passion to help families and children navigate life's most challenging transitions.

Together, they discuss how responsible influence, integrity, and compassion can reshape the legal field, even in the most emotional and adversarial situations. Erin opens up about her unique approach to family law—prioritizing children’s well-being, fostering collaboration over conflict, and setting boundaries for ethical advocacy.

She also shares her commitment to empowering young women in law, creating safe spaces for emerging attorneys, and standing against harassment in the legal profession. Listeners will walk away inspired by Erin’s dedication to lifting others up, her belief in sharing knowledge without gatekeeping, and her message that positive leadership begins with helping others succeed.

Tune in for practical lessons on advocacy, collaboration, and leading with heart—even when the stakes are high.

Connect with Erin:

[email protected]

www.ewilsonfamilylaw.com

In this inspiring episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Steve Spiro, founder of Halotherapy Solutions, a company revolutionizing respiratory wellness. Steve shares his incredible journey from corporate America and tech startups—including being part of the founding team at Audible.com—to building a business with heart and healing at its core.

Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Halotherapy Solutions, Steve dives into his mission of democratizing wellness and ensuring that health and healing are accessible to all, not just the privileged. You'll hear powerful stories of impact, including his company’s work with wounded veterans at the Invictus Games, partnerships with community organizations like the Urban League of West Palm Beach, and their continued support of underserved communities.

Steve discusses how leading with purpose, humility, and heart has fueled not only the growth of his business but also meaningful collaborations and real change in people's lives. He also shares practical advice for anyone looking to make a difference: Just get started.

Tune in to be inspired by how business success and social responsibility can coexist—and how you, too, can lead with positive influence.

Learn more about Halotherapy Solutions at halotherapysolutions.com

Reach out to Steve at: [email protected]

In this inspiring episode of Daily Influence, we welcome Elissa Kalver, founder and CEO of WeGotThis.org, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that no one faces cancer alone. Diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2021, Elissa turned her personal challenge into a powerful movement, creating the first nonprofit gift registry for cancer patients. She shares the story behind her mission, the impact of small acts of kindness, and how a simple gift bag led to a life-changing journey of advocacy and empowerment.

Elissa also opens up about the lessons she’s learned in building a nonprofit, the importance of community support, and why she believes cancer is a “team sport.” Whether you’re looking to make a difference, build resilience, or simply be inspired, this conversation is a reminder that we are stronger together.

Tune in for a story of hope, action, and the ripple effect of positivity. 💜

🔗 Learn more at WeGotThis.org

📩 Connect with Elissa at [email protected]

📲 Follow her journey on Instagram: @ElissaKalver

In this empowering episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Jorie Houlihan, a leading voice in the ADHD community and founder of the ADHD Transformation Café. Diagnosed at the age of 49 after decades of being misunderstood, Jorie shares her personal journey of discovering her ADHD, the struggles she faced, and how she transformed that diagnosis into a mission to uplift and empower women navigating similar paths.

Jorie opens up about the challenges women with ADHD often face—from time blindness and goal-setting struggles to the emotional weight of judgment and perfectionism. She explains how shifting the lens from judgment to curiosity can be a game changer not only for those living with ADHD but for leaders and influencers who want to foster more compassionate, productive teams.

This conversation is filled with actionable insights, including how to advocate for yourself when seeking an ADHD diagnosis, the importance of seeking the right kind of evaluation, and how leaders can nurture their teams by focusing on strengths over assumptions.

Jorie also shares the unexpected strength and creativity that come with an ADHD brain, offering encouragement to anyone who has ever felt unseen or misunderstood. Her message is clear: Small acts of kindness and curiosity can change lives.

If you’ve ever felt like you were working twice as hard to keep up—or you’re a leader seeking to better understand and support others—this episode will leave you inspired.

Learn more about Jorie Houlihan:

Website: https://joriehoulihan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/joriehoulihan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joriehoulihan1

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Sarah Wallace, a leader in customer experience strategy and passionate advocate for positive change. With over 20 years of experience, Sarah has led 400+ workshops across 22 industries, helping businesses align customer experience with success. Beyond her professional work, she serves as President of the Board at Resilience, Chicago’s largest standalone rape crisis center, and actively volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, Tutoring Chicago, and more.

Sarah shares her journey from psychology to customer experience strategy, the power of listening, and how a Habitat for Humanity build transformed her perspective on gratitude and service. She discusses balancing leadership and collaboration, overcoming ego in decision-making, and fostering responsible leadership in the next generation. Plus, she offers practical tools for discovering your passion and making a meaningful impact in your community.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation on aligning purpose with action, staying resilient in emotionally complex spaces, and leading with authenticity.

Connect with Sarah Wallace:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahannewallace/

https://www.proprietary-insights.com/

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In this episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Megan Schwan—CEO of Sidekick Accounting Services, certified Profit First professional, and solo mom of four—for a powerful conversation about financial empowerment, entrepreneurship, and resilience. With over 20 years of experience and a passion for helping women and minority-owned businesses thrive, Megan shares her journey from bookkeeping in high school to launching a firm that’s transforming how small businesses manage their money.

She opens up about the challenges she faced during a cross-country move and divorce, and how building a sustainable business gave her the freedom and stability to support her family. Megan also dives into common financial pitfalls, why community matters, and the importance of giving yourself grace while pursuing purpose.

If you're an entrepreneur looking for inspiration, practical advice, and a reminder that you're not alone—this episode is for you.

Connect with Megan at: https://www.sidekick-accounting.com/

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Jillian Bernstein, founder of Wellness Extension, to explore how small, intentional moments of gratitude can transform workplace culture. Jillian shares her journey from economics to HR leadership, her passion for holistic employee well-being, and how she helps companies implement meaningful benefits and policies that truly support their teams. From launching global gratitude challenges to designing empathy-centered bereavement leave, Jillian leads with compassion and connection. Tune in for simple, actionable ways to foster a culture where people feel seen, valued, and inspired to show up as their best selves.

Connect with Jillian:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillianbernstein/

https://www.wellness-extension.com/

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Jillian Bernstein, founder of Wellness Extension, to explore how small, intentional moments of gratitude can transform workplace culture. Jillian shares her journey from economics to HR leadership, her passion for holistic employee well-being, and how she helps companies implement meaningful benefits and policies that truly support their teams. From launching global gratitude challenges to designing empathy-centered bereavement leave, Jillian leads with compassion and connection. Tune in for simple, actionable ways to foster a culture where people feel seen, valued, and inspired to show up as their best selves.

Connect with Jillian:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillianbernstein/

https://www.wellness-extension.com/

Success isn’t about grand, dramatic moments—it’s about the power of small, consistent actions over time. In this episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with writer, speaker, and chief storyteller Carla Birnberg to explore how steady daily effort leads to transformational results.

Carla shares insights from her journey, from fitness and leadership to storytelling and social impact, emphasizing why consistency—not motivation—is the key to progress. She discusses how to shift from chasing bursts of inspiration to building sustainable habits, the importance of structure in leadership, and simple ways to integrate consistency into daily life.

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by big goals or struggling with staying on track, this conversation offers practical advice on embracing small steps to create meaningful change. Tune in and discover how consistency builds success in business, personal growth, and beyond.

👉 Subscribe and share to help spread positivity and the power of steady effort!

Connect with Carla at:

https://carlabirnberg.substack.com/

https://www.instagram.com/carlabirnberg/