Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Dan Melnick, Founder and CEO of Zing, a growth and development partner that helps e-commerce and tech-driven companies scale through custom software, marketing strategy, and technology-driven systems. Dan shares how his entrepreneurial journey began in 2011 running an e-commerce business selling sports memorabilia on eBay, while simultaneously building experience in supply chain consulting and business operations.

Dan explains how Zing was born after a failed attempt to launch a fitness app, where challenges with unreliable developers led him to partner with a talented engineer who rebuilt the product from scratch. That experience sparked the idea of creating a company that could help other businesses avoid the same development challenges. Today, Zing supports companies generating between $1M and $50M in revenue by building custom software, optimizing marketing funnels, and helping businesses scale efficiently while reducing reliance on expensive third-party tools.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Cristy Murray, FNP, Founder and Medical Director of Blue Veil Wellness, a health and wellness platform focused on helping women optimize their hormones, metabolism, and overall health through a blend of clinical medicine and lifestyle-based strategies. Cristy shares how her experience as a nurse practitioner revealed a major gap in care—patients often receive medical treatment but lack the guidance and support needed to implement sustainable lifestyle changes.

Through Blue Veil Wellness, Cristy works primarily with women navigating fertility challenges, hormone imbalances, and perimenopause. She developed a 12-week Hormone Reset Program that combines personalized data, biofeedback tools, and education to help women better understand their bodies and make informed health decisions. By empowering women with real data and practical strategies, Cristy aims to help them move beyond generic health advice and build a more personalized, sustainable path to wellness.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Jayson Gaddis, Founder of The Relationship School, a therapist, author, and relationship expert dedicated to helping individuals and couples develop stronger communication and deeper connection. Jayson shares his personal journey from feeling lost in his early life to discovering his passion for psychology after experiencing relationship struggles that led him to graduate school and eventually a career as a couples therapist.

Through his work with The Relationship School, Jayson created a unique approach to relationship education that goes beyond traditional therapy. Instead of quick fixes, his programs focus on long-term skill building through coaching, group trainings, and immersive experiences designed to help people improve communication, emotional intelligence, and relational awareness. Today, Jayson continues to guide individuals, couples, and leaders through transformational retreats and coaching experiences aimed at building healthier relationships in both personal and professional life.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Mycal Anders , Founder of Next Level Performance Consulting, to explore leadership development, identity-driven growth, and the deeper connection between personal alignment and business success. Mycal  shares how his journey began while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and later evolved through building one of the top CrossFit gyms in the United States before transitioning into executive coaching.

Mycal  l discusses how his coaching philosophy centers on identity rather than goals, helping founders and business leaders move beyond the traditional work-life balance mindset and instead create alignment between their professional ambitions and personal values. Through his ARA framework—Awareness, Release, and Aligned Action—Mycal works with leaders to redesign their lives and organizations so that performance, fulfillment, and long-term success become natural outcomes of who they are becoming.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we’re joined by Nicole Wright, founder of Nurse to CEO, a business coaching program designed to help nurses transition from clinical roles into successful entrepreneurs. Nicole shares her unique journey through multiple career paths—from consulting in the music industry to homeschooling consulting—before ultimately building a business dedicated to empowering healthcare professionals to leverage their skills in the world of business.

Nicole explains how her program helps nurses launch and scale medical staffing agencies while developing the mindset and leadership skills needed to move from employee to CEO. Through a hands-on approach that includes business systems, compliance guidance, and strategic coaching, she helps healthcare professionals build profitable businesses, replace their traditional income, and create long-term financial freedom.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we’re joined by Laura Phelan | Creative Strategist & Biz Consultant, who shares the deeply personal journey that led her into entrepreneurship. Laura opens up about overcoming severe self-image struggles and an eating disorder during her teenage years—an experience that ultimately shaped her life’s mission. What began as a personal healing journey evolved into a decade-long career helping ambitious female leaders transform their confidence, visibility, and self-image.

Laura explains how her work now focuses on empowering founders and executives to step out from behind their businesses and become visible leaders. She discusses the importance of mindset, confidence, and personal narrative in business success, while also sharing insights into her business model, client strategies, and the balance between B2C coaching and B2B corporate work. The conversation explores how founders evolve over time, why alignment matters more than hustle, and how building a business that supports your life—not the other way around—is the ultimate long-term vision.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we sit down with Reed Steele, Founder of Steele Coaching, to explore leadership development, peak performance, and the psychology behind high-performing teams. Reed shares how his experience as a Division I athlete and his academic journey in psychology shaped his path toward becoming a performance coach working with both organizations and athletes.

Reed also discusses how he built his coaching business by focusing on meaningful conversations, trust, and long-term relationships rather than relying heavily on social media. From leadership development and executive coaching to helping athletes strengthen their mindset, Reed offers valuable insights into building high-performing individuals and teams while creating a business aligned with personal values and purpose.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we sit down with Brian Gorman, Founder of Gadal Strategies, a business strategist who helps small business owners transform operational chaos into sustainable profitability. Brian shares his unconventional journey from spending 25 years in ministry to launching a consulting firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build healthier and more profitable businesses.

Brian explains how Gadal Strategies focuses on supporting business owners generating between $500K and $5 million in revenue, helping them identify profit leaks, improve operational systems, and build healthier leadership structures. Through his framework of profit optimization, strategic stillness, and peer-to-peer leadership groups, Brian works with founders to create businesses that generate stronger financial results while also allowing them to reclaim their time and focus on what matters most.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Chelsey Hallblade, a registered nurse turned fitness entrepreneur who built her coaching business after experiencing firsthand the physical and mental toll of working in healthcare. Chelsey shares how her personal health struggles while working long hospital shifts led her to explore fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle changes that eventually evolved into a thriving coaching business helping others achieve sustainable health transformations.

Chelsey discusses how her brand focuses on supporting nurses, postpartum mothers, and women navigating major life transitions through personalized coaching, habit-building, and mindset work. She also shares insights on scaling a coaching business through referrals, social media marketing, and building a team of specialized coaches. Chelsey reflects on the importance of niching down, creating long-term transformations rather than quick fixes, and thinking bigger when building a mission-driven business.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Rona Aly, an online women’s fitness coach based in Australia who helps Muslim women build strength, confidence, and sustainable fitness habits. Rona shares how her journey began while studying biomedical science, initially planning to become a doctor before discovering her true passion through her own struggles with health, nutrition, and fitness. After working with an online coach herself, she realized the power of personalized coaching and decided to pursue a career helping other women transform their lifestyles.

Rona explains her coaching philosophy, which focuses on data-driven progress, personalized programming, and consistent support for clients navigating fitness plateaus. She also discusses the unique challenges Muslim women may face in fitness spaces and how her coaching creates an empowering and culturally respectful environment for them to pursue their goals. Throughout the conversation, Rona reflects on building a solo coaching business, the importance of authenticity on social media, and her plans to grow her platform through content, education, and her podcast.