Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we are joined by Cledra Gross, a seasoned life and business strategist. Cledra shares her powerful journey from a successful yet unfulfilling career in chemical engineering and pharmaceuticals to founding Next Level Life and Business. She opens up about the series of profound personal tragedies—a dissolved marriage, a tragic pregnancy loss, and job relocation—that became the catalyst for her discovery of life coaching. This pivotal moment revealed her true calling: to help high-achieving women navigate the often-overlooked emptiness that can follow after checking all the traditional boxes of success, guiding them to build fulfilling next chapters without sacrificing their well-being.

Cledra details her unique "concierge" coaching model, a one-on-one service designed to provide a safe, private space for prominent female leaders, executives, and physicians. She discusses the critical importance of this trusted partnership for women who, due to their positions, often lack a confidential outlet to be vulnerable. The conversation explores her organic lead generation strategies on LinkedIn and through podcast appearances, her premium pricing structure reflecting the deep, transformative nature of her work, and her ambitious yet balanced vision for the future: scaling her revenue significantly while intentionally maintaining a 20-hour work week to model the very fulfillment and balance she teaches.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we dive into the journey of Dianne Lowther, the founder of Brilliant Minds. Dianne shares her transition from a corporate training manager feeling stifled by office politics to a solopreneur who discovered her passion for Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). She recounts the pivotal moment a supportive employer invested in her NLP trainer's training, which unexpectedly revealed her true calling and gave her the safety net to launch her own leadership development company dedicated to helping technical and introverted leaders thrive.

Dianne discusses her tailored, relationship-based approach to working with senior executives, emphasizing long-term development programs over "hit-and-run" training. The conversation then turns to the profound impact of AI on the business world. Dianne argues that this technological shift makes human skills—like clarity of vision, values, and empathetic leadership—more critical than ever. She reveals she is developing new programs to help leaders not only manage their teams but also guide how they integrate AI tools ethically and effectively, ensuring technology serves human goals and preserves our unique ability to connect and care.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we sit down with Lauren Lefkowitz, founder of the mindset and coaching brand Fine is a Trap Coaching. Lauren takes us on her journey from a two-decade-long corporate HR career, where she found herself burned out from 80-hour workweeks and chronic people-pleasing, to building a business dedicated to helping others escape the "fine trap" of mediocrity. The pivotal moment came from a freak accident that left her with two broken shoulders, forcing a period of reflection that ultimately led her to pursue her passion for coaching full-time.

Lauren details her unique dual approach to business: working one-on-one with executives and leaders in corporate America to help them rediscover joy and set boundaries to prevent burnout, while also offering fractional HR services to small businesses needing to build or up-level their people operations. She shares her effective, relationship-based marketing strategies centered on LinkedIn and networking, and her vision for the future, which includes taking her powerful message to live stages and publishing a memoir about her transformative journey.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Alison Blackler, the insightful founder of 2minds Ltd. Alison takes us on her journey from a 24-year career as a therapist in the NHS, specializing in complex areas like domestic violence and safeguarding, to the pivotal moment she left that security to build her own coaching and consulting practice. She candidly shares the challenges of that transition, from learning to network and market herself to navigating the solitude of entrepreneurship, and how understanding her own mind gave her the confidence to make the leap.

Alison delves into the core of her work with 2minds Ltd, explaining her "Leading with the Brain in Mind" program that helps leaders and organizations unlock resilience, overcome imposter syndrome, and strengthen communication through neuroscience and mindset transformation. The conversation explores the critical importance of understanding how different people process information, the pitfalls of promoting experts into leadership roles without training, and how breaking down internal drama can radically improve a company's culture and performance. We also get a sneak peek into Alison's recent TEDx talk, where she challenges generational stereotypes in the workplace and argues for a more inclusive leadership approach that leverages the unique strengths of every age group.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we dive into the journey of Jinny Liu, a creative content producer and UGC creator specializing in beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brands. Jinny shares her unexpected start after a TikTok video inspired her to launch her side hustle while balancing a full-time corporate marketing role. She discusses the evolution of her business from a quantity-focused approach to a quality-driven strategy, working selectively with 2-5 premium clients at a time to create authentic content and build long-term relationships.

Jinny opens up about her entirely inbound lead generation system, her hands-on process as a one-woman show, and her philosophy of embracing discomfort to achieve growth. Looking ahead, she outlines her goals to scale by working with bigger brands, increasing her income, and maintaining a crucial work-life balance to avoid burnout, all while leaving the door open to future possibilities like starting an agency or moving into a creative strategist role.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we dive into the unique journey of Dionna Chambers, an intuitive business coach and strategist. Dionna shares how personal experiences with grief and trauma became the catalyst for her business, Chambers Coaching & Consulting, which focuses on helping founders rewire their mindset to scale their businesses without burnout. She opens up about her alternative approach that blends strategic business analysis with intuition and somatic work to serve early-stage founders, particularly women in the creative and wellness spaces.

Dionna provides a transparent look at her lean operation, her successful organic lead generation strategies on emerging platforms like Threads, and her philosophy on sales calls that double as deep-dive strategy sessions. She also unveils her exciting plans for the future, including launching a high-ticket retreat in Europe for established female founders and a membership community, emphasizing the importance of creating offers that truly embody her passion and unique skillset.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, we dive into the journey of Joseph Wakelin, the founder of Financially Savvy Ltd. Joe shares his powerful origin story, from receiving a terrifying pension statement at age 24 that projected he wouldn't be able to retire until 82, to his years of self-education that evolved into a blog and a thriving community. This initial spark of fear transformed into a mission to help others avoid the same fate, ultimately leading him to leave his secure career in science and project management to build his money coaching business full-time.

Joe details the structure of Financially Savvy Ltd. flagship 9-month program, which combines a step-by-step video course with personalized, one-on-one roadmap sessions. He explains how he helps busy, mid-career professionals eliminate debt, build investment strategies, and create a concrete plan for financial freedom and early retirement. He also opens up about the nerve-wracking transition from his 9-to-5 job, his current marketing strategies using live events and paid ads, and his ambitious plans to scale the business by bringing on additional coaches to help more families achieve financial security.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we sit down with Brian Parana, a dedicated health coach with over 20 years of experience. Brian specializes in empowering busy professionals, particularly men over 40, to burn fat, boost energy, and achieve lasting wellness without sacrificing their careers or family lives. He shares his inspiring journey from endurance athlete and CrossFit gym owner to helping over a thousand clients, including an Olympic kayaker, transform their health through his science-backed, sane coaching approach.

Brian delves into the "middle gear mentality" that helps his clients break free from the all-or-nothing cycle of fad diets and quick fixes. He explains his unique method of combining personalized nutrition, fitness, and constant support to create sustainable lifestyle changes. Brian discusses the profound impact of regaining control of one's health on productivity, family life, and overall happiness, making a powerful case for why high performers must prioritize their well-being to truly succeed.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we sit down with Anton Fonseka, the visionary founder behind CarePolicy.US. Anton shares his unexpected journey from a corporate career in risk management and accounting to becoming a pivotal figure in the U.S. healthcare sector. He recounts the pivotal moment a nurse approached him with a complex regulatory problem, which he saw not as an obstacle but as a learning opportunity. This challenge led him to spend three months deeply studying state-specific healthcare regulations, laying the foundation for a business that has since empowered over 1,500 healthcare providers to successfully launch and license their own home care agencies.

Anton delves into the core mission of CarePolicy.US, which leverages technology and AI to simplify licensing, accreditation, and operational support for caregivers, nurses, and veterans entering the entrepreneurial space. He emphasizes the importance of organic growth through SEO and valuable, free consultations, rather than paid ads, to build trust with a non-tech-savvy clientele. Looking ahead, Anton outlines his ambitious vision to expand his virtual support model into physical offices across the United States and eventually into international markets like Europe and Australia, all driven by his core philosophy of consistent learning and building something of your own to achieve true freedom.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Chris White, the founder and CEO of The NOW Group. Chris shares his fascinating journey from an RAF communications engineer and health & wellness professional to building networks of people instead of computers. He delves into the core of The NOW Group, which creates powerful online networking containers and masterminds for Australian and New Zealand business owners, facilitating high-level partnerships, shared marketing, and audience growth.

Chris provides a transparent look at the challenges of scaling a community-driven business, emphasizing the power of referrals and strategic partnerships over paid ads. He discusses his "North Star metric" for success and his plans for future growth, including launching a new app and expanding to six groups. The conversation is packed with insights on the importance of doing things that don't scale first, leveraging peer-to-peer learning, and building a business based on genuine connection and reciprocity.