Driven: Unscripted Success

In this inspiring episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, Nareman Hamdan welcomes Dr. Steve Paul—psychiatrist, neurologist, and biotech entrepreneur. Dr. Paul is the founder and chairman of Seaport Therapeutics, a venture partner at Third Rock Ventures, and has helped develop breakthrough medications that treat depression, ADHD, schizophrenia, and postpartum depression.

From his early career at the NIH under Nobel Laureate Julius Axelrod to leading R&D at Eli Lilly, Dr. Paul shares his journey across government, big pharma, and biotech. Hear about the risks he took in founding multiple companies, including the emotional resonance of creating the first FDA-approved treatment for postpartum depression—an achievement made even more personal when his own daughter battled the condition.

This episode covers:

The science behind mental health medication

How Prozac changed public perception of depression

Starting biotech companies from scratch

Building teams of “group genius” in science and business

His recent work with AI and brain signals

Balancing risk, wealth, family, and a lifelong love of learning

---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

The warehousing industry is booming—and it's not just Amazon driving the revolution. In this episode, Jose Sarruff shares how automation, robotics, and a shift in mindset are transforming the space, and how professionals like him are navigating the new era of logistics and distribution.

Summary:

Jose sheds light on:

The rapid shift from diesel and propane-powered equipment to electric fleets

The post-COVID explosion of e-commerce and its ripple effects on logistics

Embracing new money and young professionals in a traditionally tight-knit industry

The growing role of AI and robotics in improving accuracy and reducing human error

Sustainability initiatives and the future of motive power in warehouses

The personal and professional challenges he’s faced, including investing in a golf course without financial records!

---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

What happens when talent, perseverance, and outside-the-box thinking collide? You get Dr. Yaya Diamond. In this episode, Mike Mannino sits down with Yaya to uncover the incredible story of how she went from growing up on the road with her superstar mother to launching her own broadcasting network, becoming a CEO, and continuing to dominate in music, business, and martial arts.

Yaya shares her journey through law school, Italian opera, acting, entrepreneurship, and what she learned growing up in the entertainment spotlight. She talks about the value of failure, the mental strength developed through martial arts, and how she transformed trauma into power.

From founding Karate schools to launching Red Hot Reality Entertainment and Women to Women Broadcast Network, Yaya proves that passion paired with action is unstoppable. You’ll also hear her unfiltered thoughts on passive income myths and the secret behind staying humble while building empires.

Whether you're chasing your dream or still figuring it out, this episode is packed with inspiration, clarity, and a real look at the grit behind success.

Dr. Yaya Diamond is the CEO of Red Hot Reality Entertainment and Co-CEO of the Women to Women and Tru Ride Broadcast Networks. A creative powerhouse, she’s also a professional singer, martial artist, coach, and advocate for women entrepreneurs.

---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

What if your retirement could fund more than just Wall Street? In this episode, Kaaren Hall shares how self-directed IRAs unlock new possibilities and why choice is your most powerful asset.

How Kaaren went from mortgage lending to managing over $1B in assets

The real meaning behind “self-directed” IRAs and how they work

Common mistakes investors make—and how to avoid them

Kaaren’s take on discipline, due diligence, and why “just show up” is the ultimate superpower

Her experience building a team, facing challenges, and investing wisely—personally and professionally

What she’s excited about next, from BiggerPocketsCon 2025 to impacting retirement policy through RITA

Kaaren is a powerhouse in the self-directed IRA space. With over 20 years in real estate, lending, and property management, she founded uDirect IRA Services in 2009 and grew it into a billion-dollar business. She's also a published author, speaker, and sits on the boards of RITA and the Council on Aging for Southern California.

---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

She’s been named one of BDI’s Top 40 Under 40 and featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Success Magazine—and she’s just getting started. In this episode, Nareman sits down with powerhouse entrepreneur, investor, and fund manager Alice Chen to uncover the strategies, mindset, and habits that fuel her success.

Why should you listen?

Key Takeaways:

Why land development is one of real estate’s best-kept secrets

The advantages of outsourcing horizontal development for national builders

Her step-by-step morning routine for staying aligned and focused

Advice for aspiring investors and entrepreneurs

How personal growth directly fuels professional success

About Alice Chen

---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this episode, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with real estate powerhouse Joe Homs to unpack lessons learned from 50 years in the flipping business. From building his foundation alongside his father to now mentoring the next generation — including his own family — Joe shares what it takes to thrive in today's market.

Joe gives us an inside look at the numbers behind successful flips, the importance of education over hype, and how he's built a brokerage of 350+ agents using a flat-fee model. We also get personal — with Joe reflecting on marriage, work-life balance, and what he'd tell his 20-year-old self about being bolder.

Whether you're a seasoned investor or just curious about the game, this episode is full of insights on risk-taking, financial planning, and why understanding the “tax game” might just be your secret weapon.

Joe Homs is a veteran real estate flipper and the broker of Pelago, a flat-fee brokerage now home to over 350 agents in California. He's also a mentor to many, an investor, and a family man with decades of experience in managing long-term rental properties and coaching others to do the same.

---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this episode, Nareman sits down with long-time builder and general contractor Scott Marcotte for a no-nonsense chat about craftsmanship, reputation, and raising the bar in construction.

Why You Should Listen:

Scott shares how 25+ years of experience and a simple code of honesty, consistency, and staying true to your word built him a career that thrives on referrals. From the evolution of exterior finishes to managing large teams and multiple job sites, Scott breaks down what it really means to build trust in an industry often short on it.

What You'll Learn:

How Scott's company specializes in high-end exterior finishes for custom homes

The importance of honest communication and honoring commitments

Why impact windows are a game-changer in Florida’s storm-prone climate

Lessons learned from “school of hard knocks” and staying financially resilient

Why Scott says the best marketing is still a name on a van and a job well done

---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this energizing conversation, Kim Lisa Taylor shares her remarkable journey from professional geologist to corporate securities attorney and founder of Syndication Attorneys. With over two decades of experience in law and finance, Kim teaches entrepreneurs how to legally and profitably raise capital for real estate and small businesses.

She opens up about career shifts, launching a firm across the country, and the leadership lessons she’s learned while building a successful legal practice. You’ll also hear how early mornings helped her write two books, the challenges of juggling a remote team, and the importance of involving your staff in strategic decisions.

Kim also gives insight into how she keeps her business lean and growing, what passive income streams she personally invests in, and why Miracle Morning was a game-changing book for her mindset.

If you’ve ever considered real estate syndication, starting a legal-focused business, or raising private money the right way—this episode is a must-listen.

---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

What happens when you blend deep marketing insight with a hustle-first mindset? You get Josh Kuchar, Chief Revenue Officer of Showami and co-owner of a thriving travel business. In this episode, Josh breaks down how he's turned SEO wizardry into real-world results — outranking Uber, disrupting real estate culture, and scaling a platform with no venture capital.

From the humble beginnings in Denver to growing a nationwide platform, Josh gets real about the risks, the ROI, and the mindset shift it takes to move from startup to sustainable. He unpacks his powerful Law of Attraction approach to business, shares Google tips few marketers know, and reveals what it really takes to grow when you’re bootstrapped and betting big.

What You’ll Learn:

The clever SEO move that helped Showami outrank Uber

Why understanding your audience’s "wallet moments" matters

The difference between hustle marketing and magnetic marketing

What makes Showami different from traditional real estate platforms

How trial and error (and a bright orange suit) helped Josh stand out

Mistakes made and lessons learned in startup growth

About the Guest:

---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this inspiring episode of the Driven: Unscripted Success podcast, host Michael Mannino sits down with Peter Zhu, founder of FocusKPI, a high-impact data analytics company. Peter shares how his passion for data turned into a powerhouse business helping Fortune 500 companies optimize performance through predictive modeling, AI, and machine learning.

We dive into Peter's early struggles as an international student in Arkansas, his entrepreneurial journey, and the principles that guided him through founding FocusKPI. He talks about finding a niche, the power of specialization, and how "catching the bad guys and picking the good guys" became the backbone of his company’s strategy. Peter also opens up about the importance of culture, retaining top talent, and his long-term vision to democratize data solutions for medium-sized businesses.

Whether you're building a business, scaling with AI, or just love a good American Dream story—this one’s for you.

--------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.