Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Mishal Saeed, we sit down with Leo Bottary, founder of Peernovation—a transformative leadership development firm that applies peer advisory principles to elevate team performance. Leo shares his unexpected journey from traditional corporate roles to discovering the power of collaborative learning during grad school, which inspired him to create a system where teams operate like high-functioning CEO peer groups. With over 800 programs delivered worldwide, Peernovation helps organizations build psychological safety, break down silos, and sustain meaningful change through intentional frameworks—not just one-off trainings.

Leo reveals how Peernovation’s model scales from 10-person teams to Fortune 500 companies, emphasizing bespoke solutions where clients define their own success metrics. He discusses the launch of certification programs and asynchronous courses to democratize access, while staying true to his mission: making work more fulfilling by fostering authentic connection. For Leo, success isn’t revenue—it’s seeing leaders transform their cultures. He leaves founders with a golden rule: "Love what you do—passion fuels both impact and longevity in business.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we sit down with Leslie Silverman, co-founder of Hive180, who’s shaking up the branding world for architects, lawyers, and consultants tired of "navy blue" conformity. Leslie reveals how her agency’s "Brand Buzz Audit" uncovers clients’ unique differentiators in just one session, followed by lightning-fast 2-week rebrands—all while maintaining a human-centric approach in an AI-driven industry. She shares her pivot from NYC media to Colorado entrepreneurship, and why her "one-client-at-a-time" intensive model actually accelerates scalability through systematized authenticity.

Leslie breaks down her "progress over perfection" philosophy, how custom GPTs are revolutionizing client branding consistency, and why LinkedIn has become her #1 lead gen channel (despite her love/hate relationship with predictability). For any service provider struggling to stand out in a sea of sameness, her insights on ditching industry norms and leveraging "magnetic personal branding" are game-changers.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we dive into the journey of Steven Lessard and Nick Turansky, co-founders of Simply Asking. Based in Indianapolis, their company transforms how businesses build scalable sales systems and confident teams. With decades of combined sales leadership experience, they share insights on ethical coaching, leveraging AI without losing the human touch, and the importance of foundational strength in scaling. Their mission? To empower sales leaders with practical, results-driven strategies that drive long-term success.

Steven and Nick discuss the evolution of Simply Asking’s offerings—from one-on-one coaching to full departmental solutions—and their vision for the future, including tech-driven scalability. They emphasize the irreplaceable value of human connection in sales leadership, even as AI reshapes the industry. Tune in for actionable advice on building high-performing teams, overcoming bottlenecks, and staying passionate in the ever-changing sales landscape.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Mishal Saeed, we sit down with Richard Tyson, founder of CEObuilder, a leadership development firm dedicated to helping CEOs achieve clarity, alignment, and accountability. With over 30 years of experience as a CEO, coach, and author, Richard shares his journey from one-on-one executive coaching to leveraging AI for scalable leadership solutions. He dives into his unique approach—focusing on "learning in the moment of need" rather than traditional MBA-style frameworks—and how CEObuilder is evolving to serve leaders more efficiently through AI-driven coaching, workshops, and strategic planning.

Richard also discusses the challenges of scaling a coaching business, the importance of purpose-driven leadership, and his vision for democratizing executive education. From his bestselling book Align and Execute to his upcoming work on transformational leadership, he emphasizes the balance between financial success and personal fulfillment. Whether you're an aspiring CEO coach or a founder looking to refine your leadership strategy, this episode is packed with insights on growth, legacy, and the future of executive development.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we sit down with Amy Slater, CEO and founder of Innovative Events, a Denver-based company transforming how MSPs and service businesses create high-impact experiences. Amy shares her journey from recognizing a gap in authentic business relationships to launching her full-service event and marketing agency in 2024. She reveals how her team blends in-person events (trade shows, lunch-and-learns) with digital strategies (podcasts, AI-powered content) to drive measurable ROI—while staying lean with just 3 core team members.

Amy dives into her unexpected discovery that podcast production has become their #1 service, the challenges of scaling lead response times, and her vision for global expansion as hybrid events redefine the industry. For any founder struggling to balance personal connections with scalable systems, Amy’s insights on mentorship, Zoho/Canva tech stacks, and the "24-hour rule" for lead follow-ups are gold.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we sit down with Tyler Mounce, founder of AMPLIS, a marketing agency revolutionizing lead generation for small to mid-sized service businesses. Tyler shares his unexpected journey from being fired as Head of Marketing at a fitness company to bootstrapping AMPLIS with a mission to deliver hyper-targeted, ROI-driven marketing solutions. He dives into their unique "allbound" approach—combining inbound and outbound strategies—and how leveraging tools like Clay and AI automation allows his lean team to punch above their weight while maintaining a client-first focus.

Tyler also reveals his ambitious goal: hitting $1M ARR with just 3 full-time employees by systematizing fulfillment and doubling down on LinkedIn lead gen. He offers golden insights on delegation ("Founders don't take it seriously enough") and building enterprise value, whether you're aiming for an exit or sustainable growth. For any founder struggling with scalable marketing or team trust, this episode is packed with tactical wisdom and hard-earned lessons.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Jae Encarnacion, we sit down with Donald Schin, founder of Franchise Building Expert, who brings 25+ years of franchising wisdom to help brands scale ethically. Don reveals how he’s disrupting an industry where 93% of franchises have under 100 units—by offering affordable coaching, fractional sales teams, and AI-powered systems to "little guy" franchisors. He shares his pivot from master franchisee to industry educator, and why his team’s 100 collective years of experience are now focused on fixing the franchise broker model’s reputation through transparency and measurable results.

Don breaks down his "know your numbers" philosophy for scaling, how GoHighLevel became their all-in-one game-changer, and his plan to transition from day-to-day ops to building a personal brand. For anyone in franchising—or considering it—his insights on pre-business mindset shifts and why AI is "the next big thing" for franchise development are must-hear gold.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, Enrique Mesones, President of APESOFT (Peruvian Association of Software Technologies and Digital Economy), shares his journey from executive search consultant to tech visionary. With a mission to empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Peru and beyond, Enrique discusses APESOFT’s innovative digital ecosystem, Peru con el Mundo, which integrates real-time communication, AI-driven services, and e-commerce to help businesses compete globally. He highlights the challenges of timing in entrepreneurship and how post-pandemic digital adoption has finally aligned with his long-term vision.

Enrique also dives into the future of AI in business, explaining how APESOFT’s platform uses biometric validation, secure document exchange, and unified interfaces to create a trusted environment for SMEs. Reflecting on lessons learned, he emphasizes the importance of launching solutions when the market is ready and how emerging technologies like 5G and AI are transforming Latin America’s digital economy.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Mishal Saeed, M.K. Palmore, founder of Apogee Global RMS, shares his journey from 32 years in government service (including the FBI) to building a boutique cybersecurity and leadership advisory firm. With deep expertise from Fortune 500 roles (Google Cloud, Palo Alto Networks), M.K. reveals how Apogee delivers enterprise-grade risk management to underserved SMBs—bridging the gap between high-cost vendors and businesses needing tailored, affordable security solutions. He breaks down his "Avenger Network" model: a lean team of 15-25 core employees supported by a global bench of project-based experts, allowing hyper-specialized service delivery without bloated overhead.

M.K. dives into the challenges of scaling a multi-service firm (cybersecurity, talent acquisition, leadership coaching) while staying niche-focused, and his experiments with LinkedIn ads, Google Ads, and the gig economy to fuel growth. He also shares hard-won lessons for founders: why "leadership is the core of everything we do", how to leverage late-career experience when launching a business, and why SMBs are the future of cybersecurity innovation. For leaders navigating AI’s disruption, M.K.’s insights on balancing automation with human-centric security are invaluable.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Mishal Saeed, we sit down with Dr. Lilly Mbinglo, CPA, founder and CEO of THE ARK NPS, a nationwide accounting and coaching firm empowering businesses and nonprofits with financial clarity and strategic growth. Dr. Lilly shares her inspiring journey from focusing solely on nonprofits to expanding into serving small businesses, offering full-service accounting, tax planning, and advisory services. She dives into her mission to simplify complex financial systems, the challenges of scaling a service-based firm, and her passion for educating the next generation of CPAs.

Dr. Lilly also discusses the importance of financial literacy for entrepreneurs, her unique approach to client referrals and knowledge-sharing as lead generation strategies, and her vision for the future—including writing books to make tax strategies more accessible. Whether you're a business owner, nonprofit leader, or aspiring accountant, this episode is packed with actionable insights on financial empowerment and sustainable business growth.