Founders Future

In this episode, Mishal Saeed sits down with Kirill Samarits, founder and CEO of Terramak—a boutique advertising agency redefining marketing through a unique blend of high-quality production and scalable content creation. Kirill shares his journey from photographer to agency leader, tackling the modern marketing challenge of delivering both exceptional quality and quantity in content.

Based between Greece and the US, Terramak specializes in storytelling-driven campaigns for real estate, construction, hospitality, sports, and architecture clients. Kirill reveals how his team’s holistic approach—offering filmmaking, photography, web design, social media management, and paid ads—all flows from powerful, authentic content that builds trust over long sales cycles.

They dive into Kirill’s strategies for scaling without sacrificing creativity, his investment in nurturing talent, and the importance of honest, problem-solving marketing to attract ideal clients. Kirill also discusses balancing client work with growing their own brand presence, emphasizing word-of-mouth and transparent client relationships as key growth drivers.

Tune in to discover how Terramak is transforming content-driven marketing while scaling globally with a people-first mindset and a commitment to client success.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Lida Citroën, internationally recognized personal branding expert and founder of LIDA 360 and Career Launch Navigators. With 17 years of experience in reputation management, Lida shares her journey from corporate marketing to entrepreneurship, detailing how she built two impactful companies—one helping executives craft their personal brands and the other guiding young professionals into successful careers. She discusses lead generation, the challenges of delegation, and why she advises new coaches not to write a business plan in their first year.

Lida also opens up about the future of both businesses, including scaling Career Launch Navigators and maintaining the global influence of LIDA 360. She emphasizes the power of LinkedIn for visibility, the importance of word-of-mouth referrals, and how she balances innovation with discipline in growing her ventures. Whether you're a coach, consultant, or entrepreneur, Lida’s insights on branding, client acquisition, and business evolution are invaluable.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Gary Wilson, founder of Heads Up Leading, L.L.C., a leadership development organization helping businesses build thriving, human-centered cultures through a Christ-centered leadership framework. With decades of experience spanning military command, corporate leadership, and faith-based ministry, Gary shares his unique journey—from West Point to leading multimillion-dollar operations at the Salvation Army—and how it shaped his mission-driven approach to leadership. He unpacks his "5 C's Model" (Caring, Competence, Character, Culture, and Consistency) and explains why small to mid-sized businesses ($2M–$20M) are his ideal clients, offering practical strategies to bridge gaps in profit, team dynamics, and vision.

Gary also reflects on the challenges of transitioning from operator to coach, the importance of "releading" over reinventing, and his current focus on closing deals and targeting the right audiences. He candidly discusses his conservative growth goals, the value of a profit-accelerator system, and why he prioritizes serving others over self-promotion. Whether you're a founder, executive, or leadership coach, Gary’s blend of tactical wisdom and faith-centered principles offers a refreshing perspective on sustainable, people-first leadership.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Ginger Johnson, founder of Ginger Johnson LLC, a powerhouse in human connection and communication. With a diverse background spanning teaching, firefighting, corporate leadership, and entrepreneurship, Ginger shares how her "golden thread" of education and service led her to become a sought-after keynote speaker and connection expert. She reveals her unconventional approach to entrepreneurship ("Should I risk working for someone else—or myself?"), the real meaning behind "keynote" (hint: it's about setting the tone like an orchestra), and why she focuses on serving purpose-driven organizations that value authentic human connection over transactional relationships.

Ginger dives into her "Connectivity Canon" philosophy, emphasizing follow-up and follow-through as game-changers in business. She shares why she prioritizes who’s in the room over how many are in the room, how she leverages inbound leads by picking up the phone (not just emailing), and why investing in yourself—even when funds are tight—is non-negotiable. For founders feeling stuck in the "grind," Ginger offers a refreshing perspective: "Leave the grind for the beans—serve with purpose, and the right clients will self-select."

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Brice Wheeler, founder of Launchlab, a full-service digital marketing agency empowering small businesses and entrepreneurs. Brice shares his journey from launching a rapidly scaling property management company to founding Launchlab, driven by a passion for helping businesses authentically grow their online presence. He dives into their unique approach—blending SEO, web design, and executive brand management—to turn business leaders into industry-recognized authorities.

Brice also reveals the surprising (and highly effective) old-school strategy behind Launchlab’s client acquisition: in-person networking at conferences. He explains how genuine connections, not aggressive sales pitches, have led to 50+ clients from just a few events. Plus, he drops golden advice for early-stage founders: “Get a client first—everything else will prioritize itself.”

In this episode of Founders Future, host Ammar Elm sits down with Jennifer DiMotta, co-founder of Uprisors, a leadership and transformation company dedicated to helping e-commerce founders scale their businesses strategically. With over 20 years of experience growing multi-billion dollar omni-channel brands like Hayneedle (sold to Walmart) and Sports Authority, Jennifer shares her journey from corporate e-commerce pioneer to empowering founders—especially women—to break through plateaus and scale profitably. She reveals why most founders fail when hiring their first executive team, how to diagnose stagnation (slowing sales, eroding profits), and her proven framework for taking brands from $5M to $50M+ by avoiding costly mistakes she’s already made.

Jennifer dives into Uprisors’ unique approach—combining deep financial analysis with hands-on operational guidance—and why referrals alone won’t sustain growth (hint: cold outreach is their next frontier). She shares hard-won advice for 2025 entrepreneurs: “Never assume anyone wants your product—test relentlessly with your network first” and warns against the myth of “easy” entrepreneurship (“You’ll work nights and weekends to build momentum”). For founders feeling stuck, she offers a lifeline: “Plateaus are solvable—if you’re willing to rethink leadership, spending, and your own role in the business.”v

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Matt Marciante, founder of Pretty Decent Marketing, who’s flipping the script on traditional agencies with his anti-agency approach. After burning tens of thousands on ineffective agency retainers for his own footwear brand, Matt took marketing into his own hands—mastering email, paid ads, and CRO to save his business. Now, he helps early-stage founders avoid the same pitfalls by offering holistic, sustainable marketing strategies that deliver immediate results (unlike the "60–90 day wait" myth perpetuated by most agencies).

Matt shares how his full-stack retainer model empowers founders to build customer journeys that actually convert, leveraging tools like Klaviyo to turn data into actionable insights. He also breaks down his scaling roadmap: from adding creative talent to cracking predictable lead generation—proving that "pretty decent" marketing (done right) can transform struggling brands into thriving businesses.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Chris Kolenda, retired Army Colonel, West Point graduate, and founder of Chris Kolenda, LLC—a leadership consultancy transforming how CEOs, NFL coaches, and public sector executives build unshakable business endurance. Chris shares his extraordinary journey from leading 800 paratroopers in Afghanistan (and persuading insurgents to switch sides) to advising Fortune 500 companies. He reveals how battlefield strategies—like the story of Joshua Chamberlain at Gettysburg—directly translate to modern leadership, emphasizing clarity, buy-in, and unwavering inspiration as pillars of enduring success.

Chris breaks down his unique approach: blending history with actionable frameworks to help leaders create unbeatable positioning, unstoppable workforces, and unwavering inspiration. He also shares hard-won lessons from scaling as a solopreneur, including why his $200K Facebook ad campaign failed (and how he pivoted). For leaders seeking to build legacy-driven organizations, Chris’s insights on "leading with the iceberg mentality"—focusing on aspirations over superficial tactics—are game-changing.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Jae Encarnacion sits down with Greg Cucino, a key figure at Infinix IQ, a cutting-edge AI solutions company revolutionizing practical business applications—from order-to-cash automation to AI-enhanced NetSuite integrations. Greg shares how his frustration with "pilot purgatory" in the AI industry led him to build Infinix IQ, focusing on deployable, ROI-driven tools that businesses can use immediately. He debunks the myth that AI will replace humans anytime soon, emphasizing its role in automating mundane tasks so teams can focus on strategy and growth.

Greg dives into Infinix IQ’s unique approach—leveraging AI to streamline financial workflows, reporting, and data aggregation—while keeping humans in the loop. He also discusses the future of AI, highlighting two critical challenges: trust (combating misinformation) and efficiency (reducing compute costs). With a pipeline of 200+ clients and partnerships with firms like RSM and KPMG, Greg’s vision for 2025 is laser-focused on R&D to create a fully autonomous, AI-driven ERP system.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Mishal Saeed, we sit down with Michael Gansl, co-founder of Voice of Reason Consulting and seasoned entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience scaling businesses. Michael shares how he and partner Matt transitioned from running a $18M tech firm to advising "accidental business owners"—first-time entrepreneurs who lack operational frameworks but possess the drive to succeed. He reveals their unique retainer-based model that acts as a "board of directors" for clients, combining Sandler sales training, strategic marketing integration, and operational audits—all designed to help founders shift from working in their business to working on it 47.

Michael pulls back the curtain on Voice of Reason’s growth philosophy, emphasizing the power of "words not said" in leadership and the EOS framework’s "right person, right seat" principle. Despite their success (with client relationships lasting 4-6 years on average), he candidly discusses scaling challenges—from leveraging AI for email campaigns to the deliberate pace of adding 2-3 clients quarterly. For founders, his golden advice cuts deep: "True scaling begins when you stop being the technician and become the visionary"—a lesson forged through building 12+ startups and mentoring over 115 businesses