Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Zach Young, we are joined by Michèle Hecken, a serial entrepreneur who built and successfully sold a global translation company. Michèle shares her powerful journey of starting a business at 23, scaling it to run autonomously for over 15 years, and ultimately securing an all-cash sale because the company thrived without her. She delves into the critical mindset shifts and practical strategies that allow founders to "off-board" themselves from the day-to-day operations.

Michèle, now an executive coach and author, explains her mission to help high-performing leaders overcome the fear of letting go and design businesses that serve them, not the other way around. She challenges the notion of a "trust recession" with the new generation of workers, advocating for a leadership style based on autonomy, clear outcomes, and purpose. This conversation is a masterclass in building a valuable, self-sustaining company that grants entrepreneurs the ultimate freedom: their time and their life back.

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In this episode of Founders Future, with host Zach Young, we sit down with Liz Naber, CFE, the founder and CEO of Hummilitas. Liz shares her incredible journey from multi-unit franchise owner in the fitness industry, including navigating the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, to founding her own company. Hummilitas is dedicated to empowering service-based entrepreneurs and leaders by combining business consulting with leadership coaching, helping them build solid operational infrastructure while developing their leadership capacity to achieve sustainable, authentic growth.

Liz delves into the core of her work, explaining how she helps business owners in the $1M-$5M revenue range move beyond the "hustle and grit" model that often leads to burnout. She discusses the practical implementation of tools like AI to enhance efficiency, the importance of being "discomfort-positive" as an entrepreneur, and her goals for Hummilitas, which include expanding her team and developing strategic partnerships to fuel the next phase of growth.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we are joined by the inspiring Jennifer E. Arzberger, Ph.D. (Dr. Jea), founder of Building Brilliance. Dr. Jea opens up about her profound personal journey, revealing how a battle with cancer served as a catalyst for re-evaluating leadership and success. She discusses her unique 4F model—Focus, Food, Frequencies, and Faith—and passionately argues that true, sustainable high performance is impossible without holistic well-being. This conversation dismantles the myth of the burned-out leader, making a powerful case that health is the new frontier of effective leadership.

Dr. Jea delves into the practical application of her philosophy, explaining how she empowers both individuals and organizations. She describes working with high-achieving leaders who find their old success strategies are no longer working, guiding them through major life and career "promotions." For corporations, she focuses on creating cultures of "wholeness" to engage the modern workforce, emphasizing that consistent performance and well-being are not mutually exclusive but are, in fact, inseparable. She also shares her exciting upcoming ventures, including the launch of her book, "Shift Happens," and her new community, The Shift Squad.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Zach Young, we meet Tami Palmer, a seasoned career and life coach and the co-founder of the Professional Moms Community Network (PMCN). Tami shares her journey from a 15-year career in staffing and HR to becoming an "intrapreneur" and finally launching her own coaching practice. She delves into the key to her 14 years of longevity in the coaching space, emphasizing the need to continually "recommit" to your business, embrace change, and seek outside expertise to overcome stagnation.

The conversation then focuses on the inspiring origin and rapid growth of the Professional Moms Community Network. What began as a local Facebook group to build connections after a cross-country move has evolved into a franchise-like model with 12 chapters and counting. Tami explains how she cultivates high-engagement, spam-free communities that provide genuine support for working mothers, while also creating a powerful micro-economy. She outlines her vision to have a professional moms chapter in every city in America, creating a national network of empowerment, collaboration, and local business support for working mothers everywhere.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we sit down with Dan Mian, the founder of Gradvance and Launchpad Creators. Dan shares his personal journey from struggling to find a job after university to building a successful career coaching business inspired by his own challenges. He delves into the specifics of his ventures, explaining how Gradvance helps UK graduates land their dream jobs through personalized mentoring, and how his newer company, Launchpad Creators, leverages paid advertising to help established creators scale their businesses to seven figures.

Dan provides invaluable insights into his client acquisition strategy, which is heavily centered on building and monetizing a large organic audience on LinkedIn. He breaks down his systematic approach to content creation, lead generation, and sales funnels that has allowed him to build a dedicated following and generate consistent leads. The conversation also covers the importance of niching down and having a rigorous qualification process for clients, as well as Dan's ambitious future goals for scaling both of his companies in the next 12 months.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we meet Elena Armijo, MCC. Elena shares her remarkable journey from a world-traveling opera singer facing burnout to becoming a certified executive coach and founder of Coaching with Elena and The C Suite Collective. She delves into her unique, human-centric approach to leadership development, explaining how she helps high-performing founders, executives, and teams build relational dynamics, create cultures of transformation, and achieve sustainable growth through intentional leadership and emotional intelligence.

Elena opens up about the challenges and philosophies behind building a relationship-first, referral-based business in the coaching industry. She discusses the importance of building a strong team and community, both for her own company's success and for the founders she advises. The conversation also covers her vision for the future—to scale The C Suite Collective into a boutique, multi-million dollar firm known for high-level, intensive team work—while maintaining the core values of fulfillment, quality, and impact that light her up.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Zach Young, we sit down with Kerrie Smit, the founder and change director of Agencia Change. Kerrie brings over three decades of experience in guiding organizations through complex transformations. She demystifies the field of change management, defining it as the critical process of focusing on people to drive adoption and protect an organization's investment during significant changes like new system implementations or cultural shifts.

Kerrie shares the inspiration behind starting her own consultancy, which was born from identifying key pain points and a lack of understanding in the industry. She details the four core services Agencia Change offers: mentoring individuals through change, coaching business leaders, consulting with organizations, and providing strategic advisory. Kerrie also explains her innovative, low-risk business model that allows companies to hire seasoned change managers by the day, making this vital expertise more accessible than ever before.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Robin Ebers, a digital creator and educator who has masterfully pivoted his skills into the forefront of AI. Robin shares his journey from being a self-described "jack-of-all-trades" in development, design, and crypto to finding his niche in teaching AI-powered app building to non-technical founders. He delves into the importance of connecting diverse skills retroactively and the power of grit, emphasizing that never giving up is the one guaranteed path to success.

Robin provides an inside look at his business, Sun Story, and his flagship offering, the AI Builder's Blueprint. He explains his strategic shift from high-ticket, one-on-one coaching to a scalable, productized model that serves a fundamentally underserved audience: the "zero-to-one" crowd eager to build with AI but intimidated by technical jargon. He also reveals his powerful, organic growth engine—YouTube—where he builds unparalleled trust with his audience, allowing him to sell premium products without any sales calls.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we sit down with Allison Hardy, an email marketing and funnel strategist. Allison shares her unexpected journey from being a university art professor laid off during pregnancy to building a thriving business that helps expert coaches and entrepreneurs automate their sales through authentic email ecosystems. She delves into the common pitfalls of email marketing, the importance of mindset when it comes to selling, and how she leverages her own proven email sequences to build a sustainable business that serves her clients for the long term.

Allison provides a transparent look at her business model, including her "Emails To Sell" membership and her done-for-you services. She discusses her strategies for client acquisition through podcasts and collaborations, her approach to team delegation, and her goals for scaling her membership. The conversation also explores the challenges of balancing time as a business owner and a parent, and Allison offers a crucial piece of advice for her younger self: focus on building a profitable email list over chasing social media followers.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Zach Young, we sit down with Mher Mardoyan, a career coach and LinkedIn strategist who turned his own immigrant experience into a mission to help others. Mher shares his powerful journey of moving to Canada and facing the infamous "no Canadian experience" barrier, which led him to discover the true keys to a successful job search: strategic networking, a powerful personal brand, and an optimized LinkedIn profile. He argues that applying for jobs online should be your last resort, not your first, and provides a clear blueprint for standing out in today's competitive market.

Mher delves into the practical strategies job seekers must adopt, emphasizing that networking is like a bank account—you must invest before you can withdraw. He explains how to use LinkedIn as a "free website" to showcase your value, the importance of a strategic daily plan that prioritizes relationship-building over mass-applying, and how to use a job posting to perform a SWOT analysis that proves you can solve the company's specific problems. This episode is packed with actionable advice for any professional ready to "crack the hiring code."