Forged For Growth

Episode Summary

How a longtime educator built a course to strengthen student resilience and leadership. Kurt Wismer shares how GRiT started as a practical fix for an entrepreneurship class where students could run businesses but struggled with communication, collaboration, and leading themselves. He explains how executive coaching tools, paired with neuroscience and mental wellness metrics, became a curriculum that schools can track over time. The conversation also explores how smartphones, COVID-era isolation, and AI are reshaping learning, and why “human, then AI, then human” matters. What would it take for more schools to teach kids how to learn?

Key Takeaways

Durable human skills like communication, collaboration, and self-leadership can be taught with the same tools used for executives and CEOs.

GRiT grew from a classroom problem into a curriculum centered on relational intelligence, neuroscience, and mental wellness.

Resilience shows up as a repeatable mindset shift, where obstacles become “first attempts in learning” and progress compounds through practice.

A culture that allows redo and iteration builds the neural pathways for growth mindset more reliably than one-and-done grading.

Smartphones and the 2010–2012 shift, plus COVID-era disruptions, changed how many students handle struggle, independence, and social development.

AI can improve learning when it supports coaching and recall, but it can weaken development when it replaces thinking and productive struggle.

Employers can train tools and tasks, but they struggle to train people to be good humans, which is why these skills keep rising in workforce demand.

Timeline

Early
00:00:00 Kurt’s background in education, youth leadership, and what he teaches
00:01:00 The entrepreneurship class problem that led to GRiT
00:02:00 Using executive coaching tools with students, plus neuroscience and “how to learn”
00:03:00 How impact was tracked, including attendance, discipline, mindset, and longer-term results

Middle
00:05:00 Why the need is bigger than one school, and the national mental wellness context
00:06:00 What changed for kids around 2010–2012 and during COVID
00:08:00 The “human, then AI, then human” rule for classroom AI use
00:10:00 Concerns about AI removing entry-level learning and early-career development
00:11:00 Why analog and human storytelling still matter, even as tools change

Late
00:13:00 Workforce readiness gaps tied to human skills, not technical tasks
00:14:00 What “resilience” means in practice, including the role of “yet” and learning from failure
00:16:00 Progress versus perfection, and why “gold star” thinking misses differentiated growth
00:18:00 Why high-achieving students can be more paralyzed by failure than others
00:20:00 What GRiT covers and expansion goals, plus where to find the program
00:22:00 Closing and where listeners can connect

Links and Resources

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt-wismer-9a51a18/

Company: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/gritedu/?viewAsMember=true

Episode Summary
Armando Ramos shares how Lions Ark supports food and medical manufacturers with parts, equipment, and upkeep. He and Brian talk about starting a business during COVID, testing early ideas, and landing on industrial distribution for critical production. Armando explains how Lions Ark helps factories source new machines, replace components fast when lines go down, and plan preventive and predictive maintenance. He also shares why he is building an e-commerce channel, what it takes to compete with bigger distributors, and what kind of manufacturers he hopes to help next.

Key Takeaways
Starting during uncertainty can be an advantage when it creates space to test ideas, learn fast, and build a company structure that can evolve.

Early experiments can fail for simple reasons, including weak demand, and the lesson is to keep iterating until the offer matches what buyers actually want.

In manufacturing support, the real value is reducing line-down time by knowing the machine, mapping components, and making reorders and replacements frictionless.

Preventive maintenance prevents predictable shutdowns, and predictive maintenance can add another layer by using sensors and monitoring to spot issues earlier.

A small customer base can be a deliberate strategy, because responsiveness and relationship depth can beat scale when large competitors are stretched thin.

E-commerce can unlock growth by serving buyers who prefer self-serve purchasing, but it still requires active marketing so people know the site exists.

A practical view of resilience starts with critical infrastructure, and supporting food and medical production locally reduces supply-chain fragility.

Timeline
Opening
00:00:00 Brian welcomes Armando and asks about his background and business
00:01:00 Armando explains starting Lions Ark during COVID and why that moment pushed him to build

Finding the right business model
00:03:00 Armando shares his entrepreneurial roots, family story, and earlier work experiences
00:04:00 Lions Ark begins as sales consulting, then tests other products before focusing on industry

What Lions Ark does for manufacturers
00:06:20 Armando explains the two divisions and the focus on food and medical manufacturers
00:08:00 How Lions Ark helps when factories need new machines, replacement parts, and faster recovery from downtime
00:09:00 Preventive and predictive maintenance options, including sensors and monitoring

Growth strategy and the new e-commerce channel
00:12:00 Armando describes launching Lions Ark Industrial as an e-commerce site for industrial supplies and equipment
00:13:00 Examples of products, including PPE and high-speed industrial printing for expiration dates
00:14:00 Why supporting domestic capability in food and medical production matters, beyond politics

Competing with big distributors and staying relationship-first
00:17:00 The advantage of being smaller, more responsive, and intentionally selective on the solutions side
00:19:00 Brian and Armando compare volume growth versus deeper, longer-term customer relationships

Closing
00:21:00 Armando shares what he is most excited about next, and invites manufacturers to reach out
00:22:00 How to contact Lions Ark Industrial

Links and Resources

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armando-ramos-a80b70130/

Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/l.k.-machinery-inc./

Episode Summary
Sandler’s Alison Lamothe breaks down how to sell through real pain. Alison Lamothe, Director of Sales and Marketing at Sandler Training’s Manchester, New Hampshire office, shares how she landed at Sandler by accident and why the “pain step” became her biggest sales breakthrough. She and host Brian dig into what makes buyers feel understood, why awards and flash do not close deals, and how sales and marketing teams can stop blaming each other and start working the same funnel. They also talk through AI fears in sales and where it actually helps, plus what it looks like to build a process that holds up beyond referrals. What changes when you stay in discovery longer than feels comfortable?

Key Takeaways
Spending more time in the “pain” conversation helps uncover what the surface problem is really costing the buyer in day-to-day impact.

Being impactful matters more than being memorable, especially when trust and timing decide whether a prospect moves forward.

AI works best as a time-saver for notes, follow-up, and drafting, so salespeople can spend more time making human connections.

Referral-driven sales habits can create a feature-dump reflex in colder conversations, which makes rejection feel sharper and stalls growth.

CRM activity only becomes useful when teams interpret what the data is saying, including who meetings are with and what stages convert.

Sales and marketing friction usually points to missing shared habits, like meeting together, defining the same targets, and reviewing outcomes together.

Timeline
Early
00:00:00 Brian introduces Alison Lamothe and they compare Tennessee and New Hampshire weather
00:01:00 Alison explains her path into Sandler Training and her sales background
00:02:00 First impressions of Sandler and why digestible behavior change stood out
00:04:00 From client success to selling, and why learning the backend built confidence
00:05:00 “Ops Alison” vs “sales Alison” and how competitiveness shows up

Middle
00:07:00 Why feelings and being understood influence decisions, even in transactional purchases
00:10:00 The Sandler “pain step” and why staying there longer changes outcomes
00:14:00 Impact over flash, and what actually keeps you top of mind
00:16:00 Current challenge, calming the fear of AI and using it without losing humanity
00:19:00 Long-term challenge, getting past fear of rejection and making it a dialogue

Late
00:21:00 What keeps Alison engaged, applying the same core principles across different companies
00:23:00 Frustrations, watching people give up on themselves or avoid calling their work “sales”
00:25:00 Training gaps, product knowledge without conversation skills and why 30 days is rarely enough
00:26:00 CRM and funnel measurement, meetings only matter when quality and buyer role are defined
00:27:00 Sales vs marketing blame, the culture shift needed to work as one team
00:29:00 Where to find Alison on LinkedIn and TikTok, plus her cold calling content

Links and Resources

Episode Summary
How Bio One Sciences aims to reduce supplement pill fatigue and support functional medicine practices. Selene Feyerabend shares how the company was founded around simplifying supplement protocols into therapeutic doses, why functional and integrative medicine focus on root causes and environmental toxins, and how access to information is changing the sales conversation. She also explains her relationship-first approach to business development, including “network with purpose,” and what the team is planning for 2026 as they grow.

Key Takeaways
Pill fatigue can undermine patient compliance, so simplifying protocols into fewer products can make follow-through more realistic.

Functional and integrative medicine emphasize root-cause thinking, including cellular health and the role of environmental exposures.

Easy access to information changes how providers and patients evaluate products, which raises the bar for credible, referenced education.

Long-term sales growth often comes from trust and timing, which makes relationship nurturing more effective than pressure-based tactics.

Competition can function like a referral network when vendors treat each other like peers and focus on fit instead of territory.

Leaders shape selling culture, and adapting methods to how people buy now can outperform rigid “this is how we do it” playbooks.

Timeline
Early
00:00:00 Intro and cold-season small talk
00:01:00 Bio One Sciences origin story and the problem of supplement pill fatigue
00:02:00 Selene’s background, from medical interpreting to discovering sales skills
00:04:00 Functional medicine gaining mainstream credibility and adoption

Middle
00:06:00 Environmental toxins and why protocols focus on restoring cellular health
00:07:00 Food dyes, consumer advocacy, and a UK example of different standards
00:10:00 Market challenges and the role of education with reputable sources
00:12:00 “Network with purpose,” relationship-first selling, and provider support tools
00:15:00 Why nurturing beats aggressive sales when trust and timing drive decisions

Late
00:16:00 Vendor-to-vendor collaboration and referrals, even among competitors
00:18:00 Community mindset and how sharing challenges improves outcomes
00:19:00 Leadership’s impact on sales approach and adapting to changing buyers
00:20:00 2026 plans, including key conferences and expanding Dr. Villanueva’s speaking
00:21:00 How to connect, then closing holiday wishes

Links and Resources
Company: https://bioonesciences.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/selenefeyerabend/

Episode Summary
Alesondra Mora shares leadership lessons and how FlipCo lends to real estate investors. In this conversation, Mora walks through her path across real estate roles, the mentors who shaped her “bigger picture” mindset, and why delegation and team development matter for avoiding burnout. She also explains FlipCo’s approach to private lending, including creative flexibility, in-house underwriting, and why the company is willing to say no when a deal does not make sense. Along the way, she and the host discuss feedback, communication, and using AI to enhance leadership. The episode closes with what FlipCo is watching in the market and how Mora thinks about staying focused while still innovating.

Key Takeaways
Wearing multiple hats builds range, but lasting performance depends on knowing when to pass the baton and invest in ramping others up.

Delegation has an ROI curve. Training costs time upfront, then pays back as the team gains capability and brings fresh perspective.

Performance feedback is often shaped by the reviewer’s assumptions, expectations, and lifestyle context, which makes clarity and empathy essential.

Competitive advantage can come from doing a few things exceptionally well, then building systems and expertise around those differentiators.

A lender’s “yes” can hide misalignment. A thoughtful “no” can be a stronger indicator of partnership and long-term alignment.

AI works best as a thought partner that enhances judgment and creativity, instead of replacing human leadership and relationships.

Timeline
Opening
00:00:00 Welcome and setting the scene
00:01:00 Mora’s background, mentors, and “10 miles down the road” thinking
00:05:00 Delegation, burnout, and building a team that can carry the work

Middle
00:12:00 Feedback, bias in performance reviews, and strengths-based perspective
00:15:00 How Mora connected with FlipCo through industry networking
00:17:00 Family office flexibility, creativity, and staying focused amid many options

Later
00:20:00 FlipCo’s draw process and self-inspection as a value add
00:22:00 Leading with AI, prompting well, and keeping the human element
00:25:00 “Common sense lending,” in-house underwriting, and refusing bad deals

Close
00:28:00 What FlipCo is excited about, including evolving with investor needs
00:31:00 Market focus, growth in a cautious cycle, and the Ohio example
00:35:00 Where to find Mora and FlipCo

Links and Resources

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alesondra-mora-b1074577/

Company: https://flipco.info/Start

Episode Summary

How Joel Pera turned golf tinkering into a niche equipment business that gives back. Joel shares how his lifelong golf background and a family sign business led to creating more affordable simulator and launch-monitor dots, then expanding into high-end club work and custom builds under Just a Potamus. He explains the tech differences between camera-based and radar-based systems, why precision matters, and how customer service and word of mouth helped him reach bigger names. The conversation also digs into finding a “why” in any business and how golf became a way to support kids with special needs. What does the next phase of growth look like?

Key Takeaways

A niche product can start as a practical pain point, then expand into a wider service line once trust is established.

Launch-monitor accuracy depends on matching materials and reflectivity to the specific sensing method, and small errors can mislead training decisions.

A “why” can come from downstream impact, even when the core product feels like a commodity or a technical service.

Customer service speed and ownership of problems can be a defensible advantage when copycats or cheaper alternatives exist.

Long-term relationships and referrals can outperform cold outreach, especially in specialized communities like golf fitting and club building.

Golf’s structure, repetition, and quiet focus can create a welcoming on-ramp for kids who benefit from predictable routines.

Timeline

Early
00:00:00 Joel’s background in golf and early tinkering mindset
00:00:40 The origin story, creating affordable simulator dots using sign-shop equipment
00:02:00 Why the business name ties to autism awareness and giving back through golf

Middle
00:03:30 How camera-based and radar-based launch monitors use different dot setups
00:06:00 Finding a “why” through helping people succeed, on and off the course
00:09:20 How to find meaning in any business by looking a few steps downstream

Late
00:11:40 Handling the risk of copycats through quality, speed, and customer focus
00:14:50 How word of mouth led to bigger names and industry partnerships
00:17:40 What’s next, expanding custom club options, international distribution, and content
00:20:00 Where to find the brand online and what Joel wants to build next

Links and Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-pera-00131017/
https://www.justapotamusgolf.com/

Episode Summary
How Taylor Clonts builds trust-based sales in recruiting and consulting. Brian Chaney talks with Taylor Clonts, Director of Sales at Eikon-X, about her path from hospitality into staffing, why relationships and reputation often beat cold outreach, and how honesty and clear expectations shape long-term client partnerships.

They dig into handling conflict early, what gets lost when early-career teams go fully remote, and the difference between selling a transaction and solving a real problem. Taylor also shares the moments she turns down business on purpose and what that earns her later.

Key Takeaways
Relationships compound over time, and one strong connection can open doors faster than a perfect resume.

Trust is built through honesty, including saying “we are not the best fit for this” and helping anyway.

Sales gets easier when the goal is solving a problem, not forcing a purchase.

Small issues that go unaddressed stack into bigger conflicts, and early communication prevents the blowup.

Early-career growth often accelerates in-office, where people can absorb soft skills by proximity and repetition.

Cold outreach can work, but it performs best as a doorway into a real relationship, not a replacement for one.

TimelineOpening

00:00:00 Taylor joins from Houston and talks weather, humidity, and Gulf Coast storms
00:01:40 How she “accidentally” found her way into the industry through connections

00:02:40 Leaving hospitality after having her first child and taking a chance on recruiting
00:05:00 Joining a boutique staffing firm and learning the fundamentals
00:06:10 Moving to Eikon-X and expanding into consulting and recruitment

00:08:40 Trust, value, and timing, plus why trust is the lever you control
00:10:30 Turning down business to protect credibility and win future opportunities
00:12:10 Career advice on expectations, reputation, and relationships coming full circle

00:14:10 Why early-career professionals benefit from being in the office
00:16:00 Tone, texting, and why she prefers phone calls or audio messages
00:18:10 Addressing small problems early before they become a “mountain”

00:21:00 Setting realistic expectations and avoiding inflated promises
00:22:30 Selling like a human, not treating people like a transaction
00:27:10 Cold outreach still works, but relationships and referrals carry the weight

00:30:10 Sales compared to dating and networking “speed dating”
00:37:00 The great chili debate: beans or no beans
00:39:00 Best way to reach Taylor is LinkedIn

Links and Resources

https://www.eikon-x.com

Episode Summary

How SNH ai applies AI to repetitive background screening work and how Ashley McManus markets it. Ashley shares her path through B2B tech startups, including Affectiva’s emotion AI work and its acquisition by Smart Eye, then breaks down what it looks like to build a marketing function from scratch at an early stage company. The conversation gets practical on going narrow with messaging, using account based marketing for a small addressable market, and staying aligned with sales through shared feedback loops and measurable outcomes. They close with what excites her about expanding into a new vertical and what concerns her about overreliance on AI.

Key Takeaways
Narrow positioning makes marketing easier to execute and easier for buyers to understand, especially when you are tempted to market to everyone.

Digital employees are most compelling when they take on repetitive work with high turnover and low fulfillment, so people can focus on higher value work.

A marketing plan starts with company goals and measurable benchmarks, then tactics map back to those goals instead of chasing activity for its own sake.

Account based marketing becomes more effective when the target universe is small enough to identify, prioritize, and stay consistently present with.

Sales and marketing alignment improves when marketing regularly pulls real objections, questions, and deal context from sales, then turns it into enablement and content.

High reach content is more useful when it becomes a lead capture path, such as turning a strong post into a webinar, registration flow, and follow up sequence.

Timeline
Early
00:00:00 Introduction and Ashley’s role at SNH ai
00:01:00 Career background, Affectiva, and the Smart Eye acquisition
00:03:00 What “digital employees” mean for background screening workflows
00:05:30 Why going narrow and deep beats messaging for everyone

Middle
00:08:00 Building a marketing plan from scratch at an early stage startup
00:10:30 Using company goals and benchmarks to set priorities
00:13:00 Measuring impact without hiding behind vanity metrics
00:14:30 Working closely with sales to improve messaging and enablement

Late
00:17:00 Helping other businesses by teaching strategy and tightening attribution
00:19:00 Turning high impression content into webinars and lead capture
00:22:00 Managing priority drift with quarterly look backs and stakeholder alignment
00:25:00 Looking ahead to 2026 expansion into automotive and new audiences
00:27:00 Concerns about overdependence on AI and losing critical thinking
00:30:00 Wrap up and how to find the company

Links and Resources

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyomcmanus/

Company: http://snhcapitalpartners.com/

Episode Summary

Diandra Ford Wing, Director of Sales and Customer Success at Rectitude 3609, shares how a 25 year sales career shaped her relationship first approach to winning and growing accounts. From her early days at Dell working the EPP program and managing the HEB account, to navigating SaaS, fintech, and government sales cycles, Diandra explains what it really takes to build trust and solve operational problems. She also breaks down what Rectitude 3609 does as a data center centric MSP, how they lead with customer success, and how she earns meetings on cold outreach by focusing on practical value like cost reduction, coverage gaps, and proactive monitoring.

What You’ll Learn

1. How Diandra built long term enterprise relationships through weekly presence and partner mindset
2. A real example of thinking outside the box to execute a large scale rollout using third party logistics
3. What Rectitude 3609 does as a data center centric MSP, including NOC and SOC support and co location
4. How to open doors on cold calls using a clear value hook and the right questions
5. Why higher education and healthcare require a different sales approach, especially around budget and compliance

Key Topics Covered

1. Career path lessons from Dell, SolarWinds, fintech, and managed services
2. Selling into large accounts and expanding through partnership and proactive problem solving
3. Government and higher education buying cycles, approvals, and the realities of RFPs
4. Rectitude 3609 services: monitoring, security, staff augmentation, and co location
5. Differentiation in a crowded MSP market through value framing and attention to detail
6. Trade shows as a growth channel, and why speaking opportunities matter
7. Entering new verticals like higher education and healthcare with tailored messaging

Chapter Timestamps

00:00 Intro and Diandra’s role at Rectitude 3609

00:01 Diandra’s early career at Dell and the EPP program

00:02 Managing the HEB account and expanding over time

00:02 Transitioning into SaaS, fintech, and government focused sales

00:04 Sabbatical, writing a book, and joining Rectitude 3609 (January 2, 2025)

00:06 The reality of government buying cycles and low margins

00:08 How Diandra grew HEB through relationship building and weekly on site presence

00:09 The 385 store server rollout and solving logistics with a third party warehouse model

00:14 Rectitude 3609 overview and what they do differently

00:17 Cold outreach strategy and the value hook that opens doors

00:20 Asking the question that challenges a prospect’s confidence in their current provider

00:22 Expanding beyond large public venues into higher education and healthcare

00:28 Trade shows, networking, and why speaking slots are worth it

00:31 How to contact Diandra and Rectitude 3609

Memorable Moments

1. “Every single sale I ever won at HEB was hard fought.”
2. “Security never stop.”
3. “Often we are not replacing providers right away. Instead, we compliment what’s already there.”

Guest

Diandra Ford Wing is the Director of Sales and Customer Success at Rectitude 3609, a data center centric managed services provider focused on reliable technology solutions and customer service.

Links and Resources

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diandrafordwing/

Company: http://www.rectitude369.com/

Episode Summary

Kaylee Felio explains how PartsEdge helps new car dealerships stock the right parts and operate effectively in a niche market. She breaks down how PartsEdge works inside a dealership’s existing DMS to tighten inventory decisions, fill gaps left by standard systems, and make day-to-day parts management more efficient. Kaylee also shares her path into automotive software, from managing a Subway location and learning operations discipline early, to joining PartsEdge through relationships, then returning in 2016 to lead sales and marketing.

From there, the conversation shifts to what actually works when the total addressable market is small. Kaylee and Brian discuss marketing tactics that build real industry relationships: podcasts and webinars, content rooted in the problems dealers are actively asking about, and consistent nurturing that keeps the company top of mind without spamming. They also dig into a core B2B challenge - parts managers feel the pain and become champions, while fixed ops leaders, GMs, and dealers often approve the spend. Kaylee shares how she’s translating parts problems into outcomes decision makers understand, including a cost-of-inaction calculator and clearer segmentation, and what it changes when operational expertise becomes the marketing engine.

Key Takeaways

• In niche B2B markets, podcasts can be a relationship system (trust compounds through repeated conversations).

• Webinars work best when driven by real customer questions and a consistent cadence.

• Selling to the daily user matters: champions drive adoption, and retention improves when change is chosen, not forced.

• Messaging improves when it helps champions quantify the cost of staying the same in leadership-friendly dollars.

• Start with a single, clear problem framing to open the door to deeper value without overwhelming buyers.

• Segmentation gets practical when it reflects who the customer is now (e.g., veterans who want speed vs. new managers inheriting chaos).

Timeline summary
Early
00:00:00 Brian introduces Kaylee Felio and why PartsEdge focuses on optimizing parts inventory for new car dealerships.
00:01:10 How PartsEdge works inside the dealership DMS, filling gaps and improving stocking decisions.
00:02:10 Kaylee’s path from managing a Subway location to joining PartsEdge through relationships with regular customers.
00:04:10 Leadership lessons from fast food operations: showing the “why” and carrying work ethic into corporate roles.

Middle
00:07:20 The size of the dealership market and how a limited audience changes marketing strategy.
00:08:20 PartsEdge growth through referrals and reputation, and building marketing from scratch.
00:09:10 The most effective tactics: using a podcast to open conversations and highlight sought-after expertise.
00:11:50 Monthly webinars as a recurring touchpoint, built from client requests (matrix pricing, forecasting obsolescence).

Late
00:14:30 The buyer challenge: parts managers care most, while fixed ops leaders, GMs, and dealers often decide.
00:18:00 Using a cost-of-not-changing calculator to translate parts availability and inventory decisions into financial impact.
00:24:50 Segmenting parts managers into profiles; using a quiz and tip sheet to tailor marketing and nurturing.
00:27:20 What Kaylee is excited about next: deeper conversations with manufacturers and large dealer groups.
00:28:10 How to connect with Kaylee and find PartsEdge; future podcast ideas.

Links and Resources:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayleefelio/

Company: http://www.partsedge.com/