Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we’re joined by Radha Patel, founder of Single to Shadi. Radha shares how years of being deeply embedded in the South Asian community naturally led her into matchmaking, after noticing that highly accomplished professionals still struggled to find meaningful relationships despite the rise of dating apps.

The conversation explores how Single to Shadi has evolved into a full ecosystem combining matchmaking, coaching, education, and curated in-person and virtual events for South Asian singles in the U.S. and Canada. Radha discusses building trust in a people-first business, balancing technology with personalization, and staying mission-driven while scaling — offering thoughtful insight into what it takes to grow a community-led company without losing its human touch.

In this episode of Founders Future, host Mishal Saeed sits down with Jamie Engelhardt, the founder of Wild End, a boutique creative agency specializing in bold, authentic brand identities for small businesses. Jamie shares her journey from working in startups and the nonprofit sector to launching Wild End out of necessity after a career pivot. She dives into her philosophy that brand strategy is business strategy, emphasizing the importance of aligning a brand’s identity with its core mission to drive sustainable growth. Jamie also discusses her tailored approach to working with coaches and consultants, helping them bridge the gap between their expertise and their brand’s storytelling.

Jamie opens up about her vision for scaling Wild End while maintaining a focus on intentional, human-led branding. She highlights the importance of building relationships over transactions, especially in a crowded digital landscape. Jamie also teases her upcoming podcast centered on storytelling, a natural extension of her work in branding. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes the value of staying true to one’s purpose and the power of authentic, meaningful connections in business.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we’re joined by Wendy Faith, a trauma-informed business coach who helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs build sustainable income without sacrificing alignment, safety, or self-trust. Wendy shares her 25-year journey through the creative industries—from graphic design and blogging to publishing—and how financial success alone ultimately led her to question fulfillment, values, and impact.

The conversation explores Wendy’s philosophy of building businesses that feel safe to grow, addressing trauma responses that often show up as burnout, people-pleasing, or paralysis in decision-making. She discusses her one-on-one coaching approach, her upcoming trauma-informed business-building framework (The Mandala Path), and why success must include nervous system regulation, emotional intelligence, and authentic leadership. Wendy offers a grounded perspective on growth, delegation, and redefining ambition beyond hustle culture—helping founders build businesses they don’t need to recover from.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we’re joined by AJ Sue, a small business coach who helps founders cut through mental clutter, rediscover joy in their work, and make better decisions with less effort. AJ shares his unconventional path from a long corporate career into entrepreneurship after being laid off during the Great Recession—a moment that pushed him into a calling he might never have chosen on his own.

The conversation dives into AJ’s people-first coaching philosophy, where long-term relationships, powerful questions, and perspective shifts matter more than rigid frameworks or scale-at-all-costs models. He explains why he focuses on small business owners in the “sapling stage,” how monthly conversations can meaningfully improve decision-making, and why sustainable growth, clarity, and personal fulfillment outweigh chasing size or complexity. AJ also reflects on relationship-driven marketing, the value of taking imperfect action, and defining what “enough” really means in business and life.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we’re joined by Daphne E. Clark, founder of Fermata Wellness, an identity and self-leadership coach and music therapist helping high-performing professionals recover from burnout and reclaim inner capacity. Daphne shares her journey from hospice music therapy to seven years in tech leadership at Lyft, and the breaking point that forced her to confront burnout, anxiety, and identity loss despite outward success.

The conversation explores the deep connection between burnout and identity, Daphne’s transition from corporate life to entrepreneurship, and her psychology-based coaching containers designed to help leaders regulate their nervous systems and make grounded decisions under pressure. She breaks down her intentionally small, high-integrity coaching model, her leadership readiness accelerator, and her philosophy on sustainable growth, delegation, and protecting energy—offering a powerful perspective on building a business rooted in sovereignty, self-trust, and long-term resilience rather than hustle.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we sit down with Chris Marine, founder of Campfire Consulting. Chris shares his unconventional journey from broadcast journalism and advertising sales into building a boutique consultancy that helps regional and national challenger brands treat media as a long-term investment rather than a short-term tactic.

The conversation dives deep into why media has become dangerously commoditized, the importance of aligning brand storytelling with performance, and how Campfire works with founders navigating high-stakes growth decisions. Chris explains his firm’s blend of strategic consulting and hands-on execution, the discipline required to stay selective with clients, and why trust, clarity, and intention matter more than chasing “easy button” growth. He also reflects on leadership, sustainable scaling, and the importance of trusting your instincts when building a business designed for longevity.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we’re joined by Alyssa Moorhead, a four-time founder and fractional Chief Sales Officer who helps online businesses turn conversations into consistent revenue. Alyssa shares her journey from graduating at NYU and working in corporate marketing to building multiple businesses of her own, driven by an early realization that marketing without sales systems rarely delivers real results. She explains how her career evolved from marketing and freelancing into sales coaching—and eventually into done-for-you sales execution—after seeing founders struggle to convert leads into actual clients.

The conversation dives deep into Alyssa’s relationship-based sales philosophy and how she helps scaling founders—primarily female entrepreneurs—build predictable growth through daily conversations, disciplined tracking, and sales-driven content. She breaks down her approach to done-for-you lead generation, the strategic decision to simplify and restructure her core offer, and the lessons learned while scaling sales teams. Alyssa also shares practical insights on why volume, visibility, and face-to-camera content matter more than ever, and how intentional systems allow founders to scale revenue while protecting freedom, alignment, and long-term sustainability.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we’re joined by John Emery, founder of Emery. John shares his unconventional path from studying visual communication and working as a worship pastor to building a brand consultancy trusted by founders, executives, and leadership teams navigating moments of reinvention. Drawing on over a decade spent guiding people through identity crises and change, he explains how listening beneath the surface and helping leaders articulate what they can’t yet say became the foundation of his work in brand strategy.

The conversation explores Emery’s distinctive “soul and systems” approach to branding—aligning purpose, personality, and practices so brands are both internally resonant and externally effective. John discusses why he intentionally stays small and nimble, how the agency landscape is shifting amid layoffs and AI-driven commoditization, and why discernment, taste, and originality matter more than ever. He also shares his focus on high-stakes inflection points, fast strategic sprints, and navigating growth with wisdom—crossfading between what works today and what’s needed for the future without burning the ship.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we’re joined by Deepak Shukla, founder and Group CEO of Pearl Lemon Group. Deepak shares his unconventional journey from a decade of adventure—including travel, endurance sports, and experimentation—to building and scaling a multi-company group spanning SEO, B2B lead generation, event catering, property services, and niche ventures. He breaks down how building companies in public, embracing failure, and validating demand early shaped his approach to entrepreneurship over nearly ten years in business.

The conversation dives deep into Deepak’s long-term commitment to SEO as a scalable growth engine, generating thousands of inbound inquiries monthly while allowing him to detach personal brand from business performance. He discusses why social media has never been his core revenue channel, the importance of patience and focus when choosing a marketing lane, and the realities of delegation—embracing dilution of quality to unlock scale and freedom. Deepak also reflects on the limits of agency models, the challenges of building truly scalable businesses, and why pairing strong sales leadership with equally strong delivery leadership is critical for sustainable growth.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we’re joined by Jared Seaton, founder of Seaton Strength & Wellness. Jared shares his journey from a 20-year career in hospitality—working long hours and managing high-pressure restaurant openings—to making a life-changing pivot into health and wellness. Motivated by family priorities, sobriety, and a lifelong passion for sports and performance, he explains how strength training and nutrition became both his personal transformation and his professional calling.

The conversation focuses on Jared’s work helping women over 40 navigate perimenopause and menopause through science-backed strength training, nutrition, and sustainable routines. He discusses transitioning from in-person training to online and hybrid models, building strategic partnerships with health professionals, and using social media and referrals to grow intentionally. Jared also reflects on niching down in a crowded industry, balancing scalability with personal connection, and setting realistic growth goals that allow him to maintain quality, trust, and long-term impact with his clients.