Founders Future

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, Tiffany Cooley shares her journey from serving as a Chief Marketing Officer in the retail and DTC space to launching her own consultancy focused on helping founder-led brands scale sustainably. With a career spanning multiple growth stages and industries, Tiffany built deep expertise in brand strategy, customer acquisition, and retention—ultimately leading her to create Brand & Growth Co. to support early-stage and high-growth companies in building strong, lasting brands.

Tiffany dives into her hands-on approach as a fractional CMO, working closely with founders to refine positioning, evaluate product-market fit, and implement scalable growth strategies across channels. She shares how referrals, strategic partnerships, and LinkedIn have driven her client acquisition, along with her experience supporting private equity firms in marketing due diligence. As she looks ahead, Tiffany is focused on scaling her business through team expansion, refining her service model, and balancing high-touch strategy with execution—while staying committed to helping brands grow with intention and impact.

Connect with Tiffany Cooley:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanycooley

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Kellina Powell, founder of Kellina Empowerment, to explore her inspiring journey of launching a business at just 22 years old. Driven by her personal experiences growing up deaf and navigating mental health challenges, Kellina shares how she turned adversity into purpose—building a platform dedicated to empowering individuals, especially within the disability community, to embrace their identity, build confidence, and pursue success without limitations.

She dives into her multi-faceted business model, working with corporate clients to promote inclusivity, coaching individuals with disabilities, and supporting entrepreneurs with visibility and confidence. Kellina also shares how she built her client base through nonprofit partnerships, LinkedIn outreach, and community-driven initiatives rather than relying heavily on ads. With a strong vision to expand her impact through youth programs and camps, she highlights the importance of representation, accountability, and authentic leadership in creating lasting change.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Becky Spence, founder of Checkpoint Advising, to explore her journey from working in healthcare to building a business focused on helping service-based entrepreneurs gain clarity and control over their finances. Becky shares how her own frustration—growing revenue without seeing increased profit—led her to uncover the importance of tax strategy and financial systems, ultimately inspiring her to pivot and support other business owners facing the same challenges.

She dives into her hands-on coaching approach, helping clients understand their numbers, improve pricing, and build profit-focused systems that support sustainable growth. Becky also highlights her client acquisition strategy through podcasts, speaking, and social platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as her focus on organic growth and intentional lead generation. With plans to scale through her “Income Intentionality Framework,” she shares valuable insights on financial literacy, systemization, and making data-driven decisions to build a resilient and profitable business.

Connect with Becky Spence:

 
• LinkedIn:  Becky Spence on LinkedIn

• Instagram: Checkpoint Advising on Instagram

• Facebook: Checkpoint Advising on Facebook

• Website:  www.checkpointadvising.com

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Sana Javed, founder of Success Strategist, to explore her transition from a 17-year career in HR leadership to building a coaching business focused on clarity, confidence, and transformation. Sana shares how her experience working closely with executives and organizations shaped her understanding of performance, leadership, and human behavior—ultimately leading her to support professionals navigating pivotal career and life transitions.

She dives into her structured, client-driven coaching approach, emphasizing measurable progress, accountability, and deep self-awareness. Sana also opens up about the challenges of standing out in a saturated coaching industry, her reliance on LinkedIn and in-person workshops for organic client acquisition, and her ongoing evolution from career coaching into life coaching. With a vision to expand globally and invest in her own growth through ICF certification, she offers powerful insights on building a purpose-driven business while staying aligned with personal fulfillment.

Connect with Sana Javed:

🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanajavedontariogta/

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Susan Guthrie, founder of Guthrie Consulting, to explore her journey from a 25+ year career as a divorce attorney to building a business centered on leadership, mindset, and transformation. Susan shares how stepping away from traditional law opened the door to entrepreneurship, where she discovered a deeper passion for helping professionals navigate transitions, overcome internal barriers, and create more fulfilling career paths.

She dives into her adaptive coaching style, working both one-on-one and with organizations to help individuals find their unique edge while aligning success with personal fulfillment. Susan also highlights her primary growth channels—books, speaking engagements, and podcasts—and how these platforms have fueled her organic client acquisition. With a strong focus on intentional growth, time management, and doing work that brings genuine enjoyment, she offers powerful insights for entrepreneurs looking to build sustainable, purpose-driven businesses.

Connect with Susan Guthrie:

🌐 Website: https://susanguthrie.com

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susaneguthrie

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, Adonica Sweet shares her journey from a career in social work to becoming a leadership and executive coach. Drawn early on to helping people navigate their inner world, Adonica realized that traditional systems often focused on “fixing” individuals—something that never aligned with her belief that people are already whole. This realization led her to discover coaching, where she found a more empowering approach rooted in self-awareness, intentional leadership, and personal alignment, ultimately building Sundial Coaching.

Adonica dives into her people-first coaching philosophy, emphasizing deep self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and authentic leadership as the foundation for meaningful transformation. She shares how she works closely with individuals and teams to navigate conflict, strengthen relationships, and lead with intention, while highlighting the importance of trust-based client acquisition through partnerships and referrals. Looking ahead, Adonica is focused on expanding her impact by creating flexible, modular coaching programs and integrating ethical, human-centered AI solutions—while staying grounded in her mission to help leaders cultivate safe, inclusive spaces and lead from a place of clarity and purpose.

Connect with Adonica Sweet:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adonica-sweet

📸 Instagram: 

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, Gina Tabasso shares her journey from working in manufacturing consulting and corporate leadership to building her own B2B growth agency. Initially risk-averse and comfortable in traditional employment, Gina was encouraged by a mentor to start her own consulting business on the side—eventually making the leap to full-time entrepreneurship. Today, she leads Barracuda B2B, where she helps companies implement structured, process-driven strategies to drive predictable growth.

Gina dives into her unique approach as a B2B growth strategist, combining marketing expertise with Lean Six Sigma principles to align sales, marketing, and operations. She shares how deep industry knowledge—particularly in manufacturing—has become her key differentiator, allowing her to connect with clients on a deeper level and build trust quickly. From leveraging referrals and local networks to consistently showing up through LinkedIn content and webinars, Gina highlights her commitment to practicing what she teaches. Looking ahead, she is focused on scaling intentionally by securing a select number of ideal clients while continuing to refine her outreach through direct relationship-building and strategic communication.

Connect with Gina Tabasso:

🔗 LinkedIn: 

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Zach Young, we’re joined by Michaelangelo Gerardi , an online business mentor who helps personal trainers transition from in-person, time-for-money work into scalable online coaching businesses. Michelangelo shares his unconventional journey from kinesiology graduate and physical therapy student to building a high-revenue online coaching business eventually leaving school to pursue entrepreneurship full-time. He explains how mastering organic content, simple systems, and sales skills allowed him to grow without paid ads, websites, or massive followings.

The conversation dives into how trainers can turn small audiences into high-ticket clients using content funnels, personal branding, and consistency. Michelangelo breaks down viral content mechanics, top-, middle-, and bottom-of-funnel strategy, and why people buy people more than programs in today’s saturated market. He also discusses his one-to-one mentorship model, maintaining lifestyle freedom, and building a business that supports long-term growth, impact, and family priorities.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, Ali Amiri shares his journey from practicing medicine to building a health coaching business focused on sustainable lifestyle transformation. Drawing from years of experience as a medical doctor in both clinical and research settings, Ali recognized a critical gap in traditional healthcare—the limited focus on what happens between appointments. This insight led him to create Ali Amiri Health Inc., with a mission to help individuals take control of their health through daily habits rather than relying solely on prescriptions.

Ali dives into his approach to working with high-performing professionals, particularly those navigating chronic health challenges like metabolic syndrome, obesity, and diabetes. He introduces his three-pillar framework—eating, movement, and recovery—and explains how combining structured guidance with personalized coaching helps clients overcome overwhelm and build lasting habits. He also shares insights into building trust in an online health business, leveraging LinkedIn for client acquisition, and his plans to expand through content, team growth, and group coaching programs to create a more scalable and impactful model.

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Olivia Sammons, we sit down with Zachary Dolenar, founder of Leaping Lemur Media, to explore his journey from working across traditional marketing agencies to building a business that challenges the “cookie-cutter” approach. After nearly 15 years in the industry, Zachary realized that most agencies were offering the same services without meaningful differentiation, which pushed him to create a more personalized, audience-first strategy focused on real impact rather than generic tactics.

He dives into his philosophy of authentic, community-driven marketing—prioritizing where the audience truly is instead of blindly following trends like SEO or ads. Zachary also shares how his company grows through direct relationships, referrals, and personalized outreach rather than heavy advertising, along with the challenges of maintaining a non-cookie-cutter approach in a standardized industry. With a strong focus on collaboration, storytelling, and human connection, this episode offers valuable insights for founders looking to stand out and build meaningful brand presence.