In this episode of Founders, Future by Closersio, host Joseph Fitzgerald sits down with Katja Kempe, founder and CEO of Viveka, a cutting-edge platform transforming leadership development, coaching, and employee experience. Katja shares her inspiring journey from a successful corporate career in global law firms to launching Viveka, a company that connects organizations with a network of over 3,500 certified coaches and integrates AI-driven solutions to scale personal and professional development.

Katja discusses the principles that guided her entrepreneurial journey, including the Japanese philosophy of ikigai and the importance of resilience, adaptability, and a strong "why." She recounts the early challenges of pivoting Viveka's business model, growing her team with industry leaders, and the lessons learned from staying attuned to market needs.

Listeners will gain insights into Katja’s vision of making Viveka the go-to brand for personal and professional development, her strategies for establishing credibility with partners like Deloitte and SHL, and her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on validating ideas and building a strong support network.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Elliott Boll welcomes Chelsea Howard, founder and principal of Drift Consulting, to discuss her entrepreneurial journey and her innovative approach to transforming workplace culture.

Chelsea shares her early entrepreneurial spirit, starting her first business at age 13, and how her corporate experiences in journalism, marketing, and HR inspired her to build a more human-centric approach to HR consulting. She delves into the challenges of starting her own business, from establishing her credibility as an entrepreneur to navigating financial complexities and setting boundaries with clients.

Listeners will learn about Chelsea's unique analogy of being a "puffin" entrepreneur—building momentum and catching waves to take flight—and how she values authenticity and generosity while maintaining her worth as a consultant.

The conversation explores the current challenges in workplace culture, including the divergence in organizational approaches to DEI initiatives and the importance of aligning culture with business goals. Chelsea also shares her future plans to partner with forward-thinking companies and her advice to founders about taking strong, informed positions within their industries.

Tune in for actionable insights on entrepreneurship, leadership, and navigating modern workplace challenges.

In this episode of Founders' Future, host Elliot Boll sits down with Angela Payne, co-founder of LeedHR, to discuss her entrepreneurial journey, the origins of her business, and her vision for the future. Angela shares the inspiration behind Leed HR—a leadership development firm focused on emotional intelligence—and the personal experiences that shaped her and her co-founder’s decision to start the company.

Listeners will hear how Angela transitioned from a Fortune 500 leadership career to navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship, all while launching her business at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Angela discusses the unique perspective she and her co-founder brought to the coaching industry as seasoned sales leaders and how they’ve prioritized building customer trust and leveraging the "voice of the customer" as a powerful growth tool.

The conversation dives into key entrepreneurial insights, including the distinction between leadership and entrepreneurship, the value of aligning business culture with personal values, and the importance of delivering measurable impact in a competitive, fragmented industry. Angela also opens up about the challenges of scaling emotional intelligence training for leaders and her strategies for achieving growth in the coming year.

This episode is packed with actionable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and established business leaders alike, highlighting the power of emotional intelligence in transforming workplace dynamics and driving success.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Joseph Fitzgerald sits down with Brett Butler, the CEO of HireSphereAI, a groundbreaking company revolutionizing the talent acquisition space through AI-driven solutions. Brett shares the story of his entrepreneurial journey, from early ventures like selling candy and real estate to navigating career shifts during the pandemic that inspired the founding of HireSphereAI.

Higher Sphere AI focuses on connecting businesses with top-performing candidates by leveraging AI to identify technical, business, and soft skills. Brett explains how his platform helps streamline hiring, improve interview processes, and offer candidates actionable feedback for future growth.

The conversation dives into the challenges of launching a new AI-focused business, including consumer education and establishing trust in a crowded market. Brett also shares insights on balancing personal well-being with the demanding nature of entrepreneurship, the importance of executing ideas over endless feedback loops, and how he envisions the future of hybrid workforces and talent acquisition.

Listeners will gain valuable advice from Brett on overcoming early-stage challenges, building relationships, and navigating the ever-evolving business landscape. If you're curious about how AI is reshaping hiring or seeking inspiration for your entrepreneurial journey,

In this episode of Founders & Future, host Joseph Fitzgerald sits down with Susan Collins, founder of The Network Concierge, to explore her journey from corporate talent acquisition leader to successful entrepreneur. Susan shares her candid insights on transitioning from the corporate world, identifying patterns in leadership behavior, and building a coaching business that empowers individuals and organizations to thrive.

What you'll learn in this episode:

1. How Susan's experiences in corporate succession planning revealed leadership blind spots and inspired her business concept.
2. The challenges of valuing your expertise and learning to confidently pitch yourself in the entrepreneurial space.
3. The shift in her business focus, from individual career coaching to larger corporate engagements.
4. Susan’s perspective on work-life integration and how she balances her entrepreneurial goals with personal priorities.
5. Practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, including the importance of side hustles, understanding business fundamentals, and leveraging your network.

Susan also provides a glimpse into the future of The Network Concierge as she continues to refine her niche and expand her impact in the corporate and personal coaching arenas.

This episode of Founders Future features Lance King, the founder of X Fit Coaching, as he shares the story behind his business and how it evolved over time. Initially a bodybuilding coach, Lance transitioned into executive health and fitness coaching. His company focuses on helping executives avoid burnout and optimize performance through a balanced approach involving nutrition and exercise planning. Lance’s journey also emphasizes leveraging technology, with the use of online courses, community-building tools, and AI to scale his business and serve a growing number of clients, including executives from various industries.

He reflects on the importance of focus and refining systems, especially when scaling a business, noting how trying to grow too quickly with additional coaches led to challenges. Lance’s approach has since shifted to maintaining a personalized system while expanding reach, using technology to support clients without overwhelming them.

Looking to the future, Lance's goal is to work with 100 executives in 2025, helping them improve their health and energy through his systematic approach, while technology continues to play a crucial role in delivering value efficiently.

In this engaging episode of Founders, Future with host Laura Skinner, we dive into the fascinating world of human performance and error reduction with Ginette Collazo, founder of Human Error Solutions. Ginette shares her journey from leading training departments in the pharmaceutical industry to creating her own consultancy that tackles the intricate challenges of human error in regulated environments.

Ginette explains how she recognized that training alone wasn’t addressing the root causes of mistakes, sparking her mission to design systems and processes that account for human limitations. From memory constraints to visual fatigue, her innovative approach focuses on adapting environments to improve reliability and performance.

Throughout the conversation, Ginette offers thought-provoking insights into the challenges of scaling a niche business, the power of referrals, and the importance of maintaining confidentiality in her work. She also sheds light on her plans for growth, the evolving role of technology and AI in error reduction, and her efforts to educate industries on a problem often overlooked.

In this episode of Founders, Future, host Laura Skinner sits down with Diane Hare, the founder and CEO of BizLove, to explore the journey behind building a boutique consultancy dedicated to transforming organizations while prioritizing both profit and people. Diane shares the story of how her passion for supporting companies through major transitions led her to leave a large strategy house and create a firm that emphasizes thoughtful, people-focused strategies during times of transformation.

The conversation dives into BizLove’s value proposition—creating space for organizations to transform and reach their highest potential. Diane reveals the company’s approach to nurturing long-term client relationships with multinational corporations and founder-led high-growth businesses, emphasizing the importance of execution quality, reputation, and relationship building in the consulting world.

Diane also discusses the challenges of scaling a boutique consultancy, from finding A-player talent to balancing organic growth with strategic outbound efforts. The episode offers valuable insights into BizLove’s plans for 30-40% growth in the coming year, leveraging their established foundation and increasing demand.

In this episode, Hernan, co-founder of Kadre, takes us through the journey of building and scaling the company, which specializes in talent acquisition for technical roles. He shares the personal experiences that led to the company's founding, emphasizing the challenges faced in hiring and the solutions Kadre provides. Hernan discusses how the company initially grew through personal connections and referrals, later expanding their strategy through networking at events and conferences. He also highlights the importance of automating marketing, sales, and hiring processes to save time and enhance efficiency. Throughout the conversation, Hernan underscores the significance of personal branding and tailoring marketing strategies to fit the target market.

In this insightful episode of the Founders Future podcast, host Joseph Fitzgerald sits down with Grady Teske, founder of  Rising Tides, to discuss his entrepreneurial journey, his company's mission, and the lessons he's learned along the way.

Grady shares the story behind Rising Tides, an agency specializing in helping early-stage businesses establish scalable marketing and sales systems. With over eight years of experience in B2B tech, Grady discusses the importance of foundational systems, no-code tools, and AI-driven automations in streamlining operations and enhancing growth potential for businesses.

Key topics covered include:

1. The Challenges of Year One: Grady reflects on his first year of business, including team-building struggles, clarifying his agency’s value proposition, and finding the balance between scaling operations and delivering value to clients.
2. Building Strong Systems: He emphasizes the significance of having a robust organizational structure before investing in marketing efforts and the pitfalls of skipping foundational steps.
3. The Role of AI in Business Growth: Grady highlights how Rising Tides integrates AI to optimize workflows and discusses the transformative potential of AI agents in both large enterprises and SMBs.
4. Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Grady encourages new founders to start quickly, embrace failures as learning opportunities, and delegate essential tasks like sales and marketing to focus on product development and refinement.

Grady’s forward-looking perspective on marketing, sales, and technology offers valuable insights for founders looking to scale their ventures in a rapidly evolving business landscape.