Life from Within

In this episode of Life From Within, I’m joined by my fellow Colorado business leader, Diana Ganz, co-founder of SuitShop.

Diana’s journey is a testament to self-trust, resilience, and adaptability. Long before co-founding a fast-growing, multi-million dollar direct-to-consumer suiting brand, Diana was scaling nonprofit operations - taking charge of a $5 million YMCA operation as Executive Director by age 27. She later earned her MBA from MIT Sloan, where she honed the operational and strategic fundamentals that paved the way for launching SuitShop alongside her childhood friend, Jeanne Foley.

We dive into how life’s hardest moments - from childhood loss to early career rejections - build entrepreneurial muscle: betting on yourself no matter the odds. We also explore the realities of scaling a business, navigating supply chain disruption, maintaining strong founder partnerships, and learning to evolve as a leader.

💡Key Takeaways

• Betting on Yourself: Realizing that you have full ownership over your destiny, no matter what external challenges arise.
• The Reality of Entrepreneurship: What you don’t see founders doing on social media.
• Stay in Your Lanes: How to work with your best friend.
• Intrapreneurship as a Mindset: Taking ownership, experimenting, and bringing creative energy to your role within a larger organization yields similar fulfillment with less risk.

Chapters

00:00 | Introduction

00:42 | Diana's Journey to Entrepreneurship

03:34 | The Biggest Learnings from Working at YMCA's

04:26 | Do You Still Use the MBA Classes Now?

05:31 | How to Adjust with Economic Shocks

09:47 | The AHA Moment for Suit Shop

11:22 | Why did You launch brick and mortar stores?

13:20 | Betting on Yourself a Hundred Times out of a Hundred

16:24 | Are You a Natural Risk Taker?

17:27 | How Do You Make Decisions with your Best Friend Who is Also Your Business Partner?

20:48 | Evolving Perspectives on Success and Ambition

21:53 | The Decision to Pivot Away From Nonprofit

25:28 | Now that SuitShop is Successful, what is next for you?

27:23 | Adapting to Change and Embracing New Skills

30:02 | The Realities of Entrepreneurship and Finding Fulfillment

Guest

Diana Ganz is a successful business executive, startup founder, and co-founder of SuitShop, an industry-disrupting e-commerce suiting brand.

Beginning her leadership career in the nonprofit sector, Diana served as Executive Director of the Melrose YMCA by age 27, restoring the $5M operation to peak profitability. She went on to earn her MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, where she co-developed the nonprofit consulting curriculum Leading with Impact.

Leveraging her background in lean operations, Diana co-founded SuitShop to fill a gap in high-quality, inclusive wedding and everyday attire for all genders and sizes. Under her strategic leadership, SuitShop has achieved consistent triple-digit growth and widespread industry acclaim. Recognized by Forbes, CNN Business, and Ernst & Young, Diana lives in Denver, Colorado, with her family.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianaganz

Website: https://suitshop.com/

Host

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach, facilitator, and host of Life from Within, a podcast exploring the inner work of leadership, growth, and career transition. She works with thoughtful leaders, founders, and seasoned professionals who are navigating complexity, change, and meaningful inflection points in their work. Through her coaching, facilitation, and podcast conversations, Kelly helps people find clarity, strengthen self-trust, and move forward with greater intention and grounded conviction.

https://www.kellydwyer.co/contact

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IG – @kd_lifefromwithin

LinkedIn – /in/kellydwyer

It has officially been ONE YEAR of podcasting! Woo hoo! To kick off this anniversary I’m so excited to share this episode with you. Today, I sat down with my new friend Stef Jones, founder and CEO of Denver-based PR and marketing agency Feed Media.

Stef has been running Feed Media for 23 years, and she brought so much wisdom, warmth, and fun to our conversation. We talked about everything from what makes a truly compelling business story to why "more, more, more" isn't always the answer in business. I think you're going to love this episode!

💡Key Takeaways

• The Magic of Storytelling: Stef shares how Feed Media had to pivot their clientele and when to say no to a prospective client.
• Choosing Contentment Over Constant Growth: What does it really mean to hit a point of contentment?
• a spousal partnership work so well.
• From Saying "No" to Saying "Yes": After spending 20 years mastering the power of "no" (including a very strict, non-negotiable "no assholes" client policy!), Stef shares why she's currently in a new season of saying "yes" to new connections, dinners, and unexpected adventures.
• Running a Business with Your Spouse: Stef’s husband joined Feed Media 12 years ago as COO (and tripled their revenue in five years!). She shares their secrets to making
• Work-Life Integration: Can you have a balance between the two?
• BONUS: Off-Brand Secrets: Wait until you hear about Stef’s secret childhood obsession that she still loves today. 🎩✨

Chapters

01:43 | Introduction and Background of Feed Media

06:23 | After 23 Years in Business, What Do You Still Love About Your Work

09:14 | How do You Keep it Interesting and Fresh as a Coach

15:09 | How my Differences as a Coach Help CEO's see Different Perspectives

16:44 | The Difference Between an Entrepreneur and a Business Owner

20:34 | Stef’s Contentment Realization

24:03 | Ambition for More Presence and Less Stuff

27:33 | How do You Fill Your Cup More

29:20 | Learning to Say Yes after 20 years of Learning to Say No

32:13 | The Innate Wisdom We all Have that Motivates Us

34:53 | Navigating Career Crossroads

38:01 | Should You Work with Your Spouse

42:00 | Work-Life Integration

43:59 | What is Something that is Surprising About You

Guest

Stef Jones is the president and founder of the 20-person PR and marketing agency, Feed Media, an award-winning firm based in Denver that serves clients across the country in industries including travel & tourism, hospitality, non-profit and technology.

Stef is a frequent presenter at conferences and is a guest educator at Metro State and Colorado State University. She serves on the boards of several non-profits, is a mentor to women in communications, and provides executive level strategic council and crisis management support to the agency’s clients.

Instagram: @feedmedia

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanie-jones-5398845/

www.feedmedia.com

Host

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach, facilitator, and host of Life from Within, a podcast exploring the inner work of leadership, growth, and career transition. She works with thoughtful leaders, founders, and seasoned professionals who are navigating complexity, change, and meaningful inflection points in their work. Through her coaching, facilitation, and podcast conversations, Kelly helps people find clarity, strengthen self-trust, and move forward with greater intention and grounded conviction.

https://www.kellydwyer.co/contact

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IG – @kd_lifefromwithin

LinkedIn – /in/kellydwyer

In this episode of Life From Within, Morgan Burns, a top corporate law partner in the Corporate practice at Faegre Drinker, who has led over 100 M&A transactions and 100 capital markets deals, discusses the high-stakes reality of corporate law, how he manages urgency without losing authenticity, and why kindness is a secret weapon in tough negotiations. Drawing from his background as a US ski team racer and software executive, Morgan offers sharp insights on managing high-pressure situations, overcoming distraction, choosing sobriety, and prioritizing mental health as a high performer.

💡Key Takeaways

• The Reality of High-Stakes Dealmaking: What factors make urgency critical in M&A transactions?
• Authenticity in Negotiation: Do effective law firm negotiators need to be overtly assertive?
• High Performance Lessons from Athletic Failure: Can you have the drive to succeed but also collaborate with a team?
• Slow Thinking & Compartmentalizing: Is multitasking effective or damaging?
• Choosing Sobriety: Morgan reflects on his decision to eliminate alcohol over six years ago, detailing how it improved his focus, enhanced his family life, and eliminated unnecessary social friction.
• Breaking the Stigma on Mental Health: Morgan candidly discusses his long-term work with a therapist, framing mental health care as simple health maintenance.

Chapters

00:00 | Introduction

00:42 | Introduction to Morgan Burns

02:53 | Who creates the urgency in the transactions?

04:27 | Does BS ever get you anywhere?

07:04 | Do you have to be a jerk in order to have a backbone?

08:26 | Seeing the Business from the Client’s Perspective

13:23 | A professional athlete's insights on the long game

19:53 | Can you eliminate distractions?

25:25 | How has yoga benefited you?

27:02 | Transforming Relationship with Alcohol

32:17 | Mental Health and Vulnerability

Guest

Morgan Burns is a Partner in the Corporate practice at Faegre Drinker. He is a trusted adviser to public and private companies, their boards of directors and investment banks on a wide range of strategic matters, including mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, and corporate governance. Morgan has deep experience across a number of industries and a variety of transaction structures, having led over 100 M&A transactions and over 100 capital markets transactions during his career. He has also advised numerous public companies on their most sensitive corporate governance and compliance matters. Earlier in his career, Morgan gained firsthand business experience as a corporate development executive and as co-founder of a successful software company. He has an A.B. in Government from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Morgan lives in Minneapolis with his three teenagers and his partner, Renee, who splits time between Minneapolis and Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-burns-a731501/

https://www.faegredrinker.com/en/professionals/b/burns-w-morgan#tab-Overview

Host

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach, facilitator, and host of Life from Within, a podcast exploring the inner work of leadership, growth, and career transition. She works with thoughtful leaders, founders, and seasoned professionals who are navigating complexity, change, and meaningful inflection points in their work. Through her coaching, facilitation, and podcast conversations, Kelly helps people find clarity, strengthen self-trust, and move forward with greater intention and grounded conviction.

https://www.kellydwyer.co/contact

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IG – @kd_lifefromwithin

LinkedIn – /in/kellydwyer

In this episode, I am joined by Danny Walsh, engineer turned entrepreneur behind Peak State - whole-bean coffee infused with adaptogenic and functional mushrooms.

Danny shares his personal journey from an autoimmune disease diagnosis in college to finding healing in nature, a transition that sparked the creation of Peak State Coffee. In this episode, we talk about the challenging paradox of leading a wellness brand while managing the stress within entrepreneurship, the art of strategic pivots, and why regulating your nervous system is the ultimate weapon against a world full of digital distractions.

💡Key Takeaways

• The Entrepreneurial Paradox: Can you manage stress without compromising your vision?
• Kill What Stalls, Scale What Works: How to walk the line between entrepreneurial endeavors and the data
• The 10X Framework: Embracing Benjamin Hardy’s 10X is Easier than 2X philosophy, Danny shares how setting massive goals on impossible timelines reveals the only viable path forward.
• Nervous System Regulation: The tools needed to stay present in today’s world.

Chapters

00:00 | Introduction

00:54 | Sponsored by Peak State Coffee

03:03 | The Rock Bottom Moment

05:27 | How has your Definition of Peak State Changed Since Starting?

08:12 | What are your Practices that Keep You Focused on the Highest Leverage Items?

11:34 | The Pivot

14:28 | Was it Easy for You to Say Yes to Getting Personal and Professional Support?

15:59 | How Did you Overcome the Resistance to Investing in Personal Growth and Learning?

18:45 | As an Entrepreneur, How Do You Stay Optimistic?

23:23 | What are You Optimizing For?

23:58 | How Are You Challenging Yourself Today?

28:02 | How Do You Marry Intuition with Data?

29:59 | The Most Present Theme for Danny Right Now.

Books Mentioned

Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork

https://www.amazon.com/Who-Not-How-Accelerating-Teamwork/dp/1401960588

10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less

https://www.amazon.com/10x-Easier-Than-World-Class-Entrepreneurs/dp/140196995X

Guest

Danny Walsh is the Founder & CEO of Peak State, a coffee company based in Boulder, CO that introduced a line of specialty, organic coffee with health benefits. He believes that business has the potential to be a vehicle for positive change in the world, and he created Peak State in order to introduce a healthier and more environmentally sustainable option. Danny holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering, and an MBA concentrating in Sustainable Business both from Northeastern University. Inspired by Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia, Danny believes commerce can be a tool to change the world, if done carefully and intentionally. Peak State is a certified B Corp, 1% for the Planet company, and was recently featured on the PurposeBuilt100 list of top 100 fastest-growing mission-driven companies in the US. Danny is a coffee lover, health and fitness fanatic, and an avid participant in body-powered outdoor sports. When he's not working or playing outside, you can find him cooking at home with his partner, cold plunging in the creek, or walking his dog Tuck.

https://peakstatecoffee.com/

https://peakstatecoffee.com/life (for 20% off order)

https://www.instagram.com/peakstatecoffee

Host

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach, facilitator, and host of Life from Within, a podcast exploring the inner work of leadership, growth, and career transition. She works with thoughtful leaders, founders, and seasoned professionals who are navigating complexity, change, and meaningful inflection points in their work. Through her coaching, facilitation, and podcast conversations, Kelly helps people find clarity, strengthen self-trust, and move forward with greater intention and grounded conviction.

https://www.kellydwyer.co/contact-3

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IG – @kd_lifefromwithin

LinkedIn – /in/kellydwyer

When you set out to scale a business, the standard playbook tells you that bigger is always better. But what happens when growth backs you into a job you no longer enjoy? In this episode, Ali Schiller and Marissa Boisvert, co-founders of Accountability Works and co-creators of the Mindful Accountability Approach, share a raw, behind-the-scenes look at their 10-year business partnership. They open up about the difficult decision to pivot away from a traditional "scaled" model and the unexpected benefits of that switch. They also dive deep into why non-judgmental observation is the truest catalyst for change, and how building a strong "personal foundation" is the ultimate antidote to professional burnout.

💡Key Takeaways

• Redefining Accountability: It becomes a powerful mechanism for learning and intentional action.
• Persevere vs. Pivot: The signs that it is the right time.
• The Scalability Trap: How to notice if scaling a business will make an organization more brittle rather than more resilient.
• The "Personal Foundation" Magic: True resiliency isn't just about business systems (SOPs); how to hold personal practices to the same standard as revenue goals.

Chapters

00:00 | Introduction

01:02 | The Mindful Accountability Approach

02:11 | How Non-judgmental Observation Drives Change

05:07 | Vision and Growth of Accountability Works

09:06 | How to Discern When it’s Time to Pivot or Scale

13:37 | Lessons Learned and Future Outlook

16:33 | The pivotal moment

21:51 | Building Resilience in Business Coaching

28:11 | The Role of Accountability in Business

31:50 | The Magic of Balancing Goals and Well-Being

36:30 | How to Incorporate Your Own Learning into Your Business

36:51 | Adapting Goals Based on Experience

42:26 | Key Takeaways

Guests

Marissa Boisvert, Co-Founder + Accountability Coach

Ali Schiller, Founder and Accountability Coach

Ali Schiller and Marissa Boisvert are the Co-Founders of Accountability Works® and Co-Creators of Mindful Accountability™. Their work is built on the belief that non-judgmental observation drives change.

The Accountability Works Framework has helped professionals do everything from tripling their income to getting into top-tier MBA programs, and so much more, without sacrificing their health or themselves.

Download their free Accountability Action Plan to get clear on what you want to be doing and start turning intention into action. Accountability Action Plan download: https://accountabilityworks.com/action-plan/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaboisvert

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alischiller/

https://www.instagram.com/accountabilityworks/

Host

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach, facilitator, and host of Life from Within, a podcast exploring the inner work of leadership, growth, and career transition. She works with thoughtful leaders, founders, and seasoned professionals who are navigating complexity, change, and meaningful inflection points in their work. Through her coaching, facilitation, and podcast conversations, Kelly helps people find clarity, strengthen self-trust, and move forward with greater intention and grounded conviction.

https://www.kellydwyer.co/contact-3

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IG – @kd_lifefromwithin

LinkedIn – /in/kellydwyer

In this solo episode of Life From Within, I explore why meaningful personal and professional change can be so difficult, especially in a world shaped by chronic stress, uncertainty, and constant disruption. Using the Beckhard-Harris Change Equation as a starting point, I share why I believe this classic framework needs an update for modern life and leadership.

I introduce what I call the Life From Within Change Formula and explore the role of agency: the inner capacity that helps us move from insight into action. Tune in for a practical and reflective look at resistance, nervous system attunement, perspective shifting, and what it takes to step into your next chapter with more clarity and resourcefulness.

• Why frameworks matter: How a simple thinking tool can help make sense of complex personal and professional change.
• The classic change equation: A practical look at the Beckhard-Harris model and why it has helped leaders understand transformation for decades.
• Where change gets stuck: Why dissatisfaction, vision, and action steps often are not enough when stress and resistance enter the picture.
• The missing modern variable: The additional capacity I believe we need in today’s world to move from insight into meaningful action.
• How agency is rebuilt: Why nervous system attunement and perspective shifting matter when you are trying to make a consequential change.
• The role of coaching: How this updated formula helps clients move from overwhelm, paralysis, or “comfortable misery” into clearer, more resourced action.

Chapters

00:15 | Introduction to Frameworks

01:36 | Transformation Framework: Beckhard-Harris Change Equation

01:45 | Examples of the Change Equation

02:38 | Why Modern Stressors Break the Old Formula

03:39 | Updating the Beckhard-Harris Change Equation

05:21 | Life from Within Change Formula Visual Explained

05:54 | Agency is Fueled by Attunement and Perspective Shifting

07:27 | How I Use the Formula with My Clients

Resources Mentioned:

Life from Within Change Formula Visual

Host

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach, facilitator, and host of Life from Within, a podcast exploring the inner work of leadership, growth, and career transition. She works with thoughtful leaders, founders, and seasoned professionals who are navigating complexity, change, and meaningful inflection points in their work. Through her coaching, facilitation, and podcast conversations, Kelly helps people find clarity, strengthen self-trust, and move forward with greater intention and grounded conviction.

https://www.kellydwyer.co/contact-3

Listen, subscribe and share

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IG – @kd_lifefromwithin

LinkedIn – /in/kellydwyer

In this episode of the Life From Within podcast, I chat with ops, partnerships, and community consultant Micah Mador to explore how deep self-awareness transforms personal and professional growth. Micah shares his personal evolution from identifying as an Enneagram Type 7 (The Enthusiast) to discovering his core of Type 2 (The Helper), and how redefining his identity shaped his consulting work in the venture capital and startup ecosystems.

Together, we unpack the dynamics of the Enneagram triads and analyze what happens when an individual's greatest workplace strength is overdone and turns into a shadow or weakness.

• Shifting Profiles: From Enneagram 7 to Enneagram 2: Embracing his identity as an "enthusiastic helper" ultimately became the anchor for his independent consulting business.
• My Path to Type 9: Kelly recounts her realization of being an Enneagram Type 9 (The Peacemaker/Mediator) and navigating the initial resistance to that type's core aversion to conflict.
• Understanding the Enneagram Positivity Triad: Twos, sevens, and nines compose the Enneagram’s harmonic "positivity triad," meaning they easily see silver linings and future possibilities.
• Overcoming Conflict Avoidance & The Clearing Model: “Never expect an unrecognized need to be met.”

Chapters

00:00 | Introduction to Micah Mador

04:03 | The Enthusiastic Helper

06:31 | How to Navigate Learning Your Enneagram Number

11:04 | Using the Enneagram Triad for Team Dynamics

17:55 | Navigating Conflict and Self-Expression

20:19 | Understanding Giving and Receiving Help as Enneagram 2 and 9

25:31 | Exploring Personal Energy and Commitment

32:04 | Authenticity in Entrepreneurial Journeys

37:09 | The Enneagram Triad in Professional and Personal Life

41:44 | Creativity and Generativity in Leadership

43:57 | The Enneagram and Its Depth in Understanding Self

48:40 | Your Free Enneagram Assessment

Resources Mentioned:

ColoradoStartups.org: https://coloradostartups.org/

The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile - https://www.amazon.com/Road-Back-You-Enneagram-Self-Discovery/dp/0830846190

The Clearing Model - https://conscious.is/resource/the-clearing-model/

Give First / Startup Communities by Brad Feld - https://www.amazon.com/Give-First-Mentorship-Brad-Feld/dp/1646871324

Previous Episode: Life From Within interview with Darrin Murriner, Co-Founder and CEO of Cloverleaf - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-builders-path-ai-leadership-and-the/id1840787981?i=1000769619191

Free Cloverleaf Enneagram Assessment - https://www.kellydwyer.co/enneagram

Guest

Micah is a VC/PE Ops, Partnerships, and Community consultant, a startup community instigator, and an outdoor enthusiast. Previously, he led VC Partnerships at Bolster (Exec Talent Startup), ran the Network and Community at Foundry Group ($3b AUM fund), was an Associate at Techstars, and worked in Israel at a competitive intelligence startup (Signals).

He has a passion for nature, technology, entrepreneurship, people, and their ideas.

You can find him: skiing, hiking, biking, reading, cooking, camping, backpacking, lounging in a hammock, and playing with his two dogs and sons!

Host

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach, facilitator, and host of Life from Within, a podcast exploring the inner work of leadership, growth, and career transition. She works with thoughtful leaders, founders, and seasoned professionals who are navigating complexity, change, and meaningful inflection points in their work. Through her coaching, facilitation, and podcast conversations, Kelly helps people find clarity, strengthen self-trust, and move forward with greater intention and grounded conviction.

https://www.kellydwyer.co/enneagram

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IG – @kd_lifefromwithin

LinkedIn – /in/kellydwyer

In today’s episode, I have Darrin Murriner, the co-founder and CEO of Cloverleaf. Darrin shares his journey from spending 15 years in the structured corporate world to launching an automated team coaching platform. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Darrin spent 15 years in the corporate world with roles in risk management and auditing at Munich Re, Arthur Andersen, and Fifth Third Bank. He is also the author of two books, Corporate Bravery and Thrive, both focused on helping organizations build adaptable cultures in the face of uncertainty.

We talk about what it truly means to step out on your own, the distinct difference between identifying as a "builder" versus an "entrepreneur," and the mindset shift needed to navigate constant rejection during fundraising. Darrin also offers profound insights into how Cloverleaf intentionally uses AI to coach human behavior rather than replace it, and why teaching the next generation to embrace discomfort is vital for long-term success.

• The Breaking Point in Corporate Life: A severe compliance challenge served as the catalyst for Darrin to finally step away. He emphasizes the absolute necessity of open communication and financial planning with a partner before making a major career leap.
• Surviving the Arthur Andersen Collapse: Early in his career, Darrin lived through the sudden overnight disappearance of Arthur Andersen during the Enron scandal. He was part of a 700-person group that broke off to form a new brand under Robert Half, giving him his first taste of building from scratch.
• The "Builder" Identity vs. "Entrepreneur": Darrin views true entrepreneurship as being an explorer, akin to Lewis and Clark, navigating spaces without a clear map.
• AI as a Coach, Not an "Easy Button": Darrin discusses Cloverleaf’s intentional integration of AI, noting that the platform focuses on driving long-term behavior change and real-world dialogue.
• Overcoming the Soul-Crushing "No": Reflecting on fundraising, Darrin details how shifting his mindset to view rejection as a standard process—where it regularly takes 50 to 100 nos to get a single yes—helped him stop taking business rejection personally.
• Building Resilience in Gen Z: As a father of three teenagers, Darrin shares his perspective on the high levels of career stress and anxiety in younger generations. He emphasizes the critical need for parents to intentionally push youth into uncomfortable situations to build resilience before they enter the workforce.

Chapters

00:00 | Introduction

02:19 | Corporate Experiences and Realizations: Darrin's Journey

04:43 | Discovering the Builder Within

08:37 | The Decision to Leave Corporate Life

10:53 | Planning for Transition

14:30 | Building Cloverleaf and Its Mission

17:36 | The Role of AI in Team Dynamics

18:17 | The Human Element in AI Integration

25:19 | Introspection Lessons from Building a Business

34:22 | The Importance of Shifting Your Mindset with Career Pivots

Guest

Darrin Murriner is the Cofounder and CEO of Cloverleaf.me - a technology platform that is bringing automated team coaching to the entire enterprise through real-time, customized coaching in the tools employees use everyday (calendar, email & Slack / Teams). The result is better collaboration, improved employee relationships and a more engaged workforce. Prior to starting Cloverleaf, Darrin had a 15 year corporate career that spanned Munich Re, Arthur Andersen and Fifth Third Bank. Darrin is also the author of Corporate Bravery and Thrive, books focused on building organizational cultures that thrive in the face of change and uncertainty.

Website: https://cloverleaf.me/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/murriner/

Purchase Corporate Bravery and Thrive: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Darrin-Murriner/author/B014X2DSPO?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Host

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach, facilitator, and host of Life from Within, a podcast exploring the inner work of leadership, growth, and career transition. She works with thoughtful leaders, founders, and seasoned professionals who are navigating complexity, change, and meaningful inflection points in their work. Through her coaching, facilitation, and podcast conversations, Kelly helps people find clarity, strengthen self-trust, and move forward with greater intention and grounded conviction.

https://kellydwyer.co

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IG – @kd_lifefromwithin

LinkedIn – /in/kellydwyer

In a world increasingly dominated by AI, how do we ensure that technology amplifies our humanity rather than eroding it? In this episode of Life From Within, I talk with Ryan Martens, a serial entrepreneur in software services, SaaS, and AI, as well as Pledge 1%. He was the founder of Rally Software, which became the first public B-Corp in 2013.

Ryan has spent his career at the leading edge of technology, and today he is exploring how to amplify humans using AI.

We talk about why AI requires us to be more human, not less, and how to navigate the shift from a "complicated" world of answers to a "complex" world of patterns.

• The AI Bell Curve: Ryan explains why AI defaults to the "middle of the normal distribution curve."
• From Calculating to Sensing: In a complicated system (like a car engine), there is a right answer. In a complex system (like AI, climate, or leadership), there are only patterns. Ryan discusses the shift from being a "human calculator" to a "senser" who experiments and listens.
• Human-Centered Tech: A look at Ryan’s current work with MNFST AI. Instead of building tools that replace the person, he is focused on tools that require "human-in-the-loop" engagement, fostering collaboration between human intuition and machine processing.
• The Importance of Grounding: Why engaging with AI requires you to be first grounded in your own body and thoughts. Ryan shares how practices like morning pages are essential for maintaining human agency in a digital age.
• Citizen Engineers & Ethical Tech: Reflecting on his journey with Rally Software and Pledge 1%, Ryan discusses the responsibility of creators to build technology that serves the flourishing of the whole system.

Chapters

00:00 | Introduction

01:49 | The Science Behind Regenerative Practices

06:21 | Understanding Complexity vs. Complication

10:07 | Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira

12:07 | Shifting Perspectives on Certainty

14:58 | Personal Growth and Intuition

18:43 | Expanding Your Sensibilities and Awareness

19:53 | Amplifying Humanity with AI

21:54 | Grounding Before AI Engagement

23:38 | Amplifying Human Intelligence with AI

26:02 | Community and Collaboration in AI

28:02 | The Role of Belonging in AI Interactions

30:24 | Safety and Vulnerability in Group Dynamics

31:46 | Women in AI: Insights and Experiences

37:00 | Innovative Approaches to Raising Capital

41:19 | Emergence and Agency in AI Interactions

44:56 | Building a Human-Centric AI

Guest Info & Resources Mentioned

Ryan Martens is an entrepreneur in software services, SaaS, and AI, as well as Pledge1%. He was the founder of Rally Software, which was the first public B-Corp in 2013, and used 1/1/1 funds to drive impact by working to create Citizen Engineers with partners at Code for America and Engineers without Borders.

He is currently growing an AI business and raising regenerative, organic beef on private and public lands, using virtual fences.

Website: https://mnfst.ai/

Substack: https://manifest.substack.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmartens

Pledge 1%: https://www.pledge1percent.org/

Incorruptible by Eric Ries: https://www.incorruptible.co/

Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira: https://www.northatlanticbooks.com/shop/hospicing-modernity/

Host

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach, facilitator, and host of Life from Within, a podcast exploring the inner work of leadership, growth, and career transition. She works with thoughtful leaders, founders, and seasoned professionals who are navigating complexity, change, and meaningful inflection points in their work. Through her coaching, facilitation, and podcast conversations, Kelly helps people find clarity, strengthen self-trust, and move forward with greater intention and grounded conviction.

https://kellydwyer.co

IG – @kd_lifefromwithin

LinkedIn – /in/kellydwyer

When we face a major career pivot or step into a high-stakes leadership role, we often change more than just our job title. We may lose the ability to "trade" on the value of our previous role, leaving us in a vulnerable gap between who we were and who we are becoming.

In this special episode of Life from Within, the tables are turned as Elicia Carmichael interviews Kelly. Moving away from the role of the expert, Kelly shares her own "quarter-life crisis" transition from the high-momentum startup world to the uncertain life of an actor in LA. We discuss the "identity loss" that often blindsides high achievers and how to build the internal scaffolding necessary to support a new version of yourself.

• The Weight of the Room: Why an executive is never in a "small room," and how your positional power changes the way your words land.
• Trading on Value: Understanding the specific type of loss that occurs when you move into a field where your previous successes no longer serve as currency.
• The Decision vs. The Integration: Why the choice to change can happen in a moment, but the integration of a new identity takes months, or even years, of "micro-shifts".
• Who over What: Shifting the question from "What do I want to do?" to "Who do I want to be?" to find clarity in the middle of complexity.

Chapters

00:00 | Introduction

02:42 | My Experience with Identity Loss

10:56 | How to Introduce Yourself in a Meaningful Way

12:43 | Navigating an Identity Change in Your Career

18:14 | The Importance of Taking the Chance

21:18 | The Decision-Making Process

22:04 | Micro Shifts: Building Confidence in Communication

24:27 | Who Do You Want to Be? A Guiding Question

26:36 | Multiple Dreams: Embracing Change in Identity

Interviewer

Elicia Carmichael focuses her professional energy and boundless curiosity on the intersection of finance and impact. She is the CFO and leader of financial solutions at Labor Mobility Partnerships (LaMP), where she deploys blended capital designs to overcome global migration challenges — turning the global labor/demographics mismatch into prosperity for all. In 2024, she founded the Mobility Finance Network, which unites experts from finance, industry, and migration policy to design and fund financial instruments that make cross-border opportunities accessible for migrants, students, and refugees. Her current initiatives span the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe and are driven by her desire to see safe, legal cross-border growth opportunities available to blue-collar workers. Prior to joining LaMP, Elicia was VP of Strategy for Root Capital, where she led the innovation and business development functions in service of their $100M agricultural development investment portfolio.

Elicia holds an MBA from Cornell University and a BA in International Studies from Colby College. In her free time, she hikes, scuba dives, and patrols for invasive aquatic plants in the pristine lakes of Maine.

Connect with Elicia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliciacarmichael/

“Guest”

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach and facilitator. Through her podcast Life from Within, she opens up real conversations about personal growth, career crossroads, and the inner work of leadership. She created the show to explore the moments of courage and clarity that spark inner shifts and lead to meaningful outer progress.

In her coaching and facilitation practice, Kelly partners with thoughtful leaders, including founders, C-suite executives, and rising leaders who shoulder significant responsibility and want to lead with grounded clarity and self-trust. She helps them return to what matters most, cut through the noise, and navigate inflection points with aligned conviction.

Kelly is a graduate of the University of Colorado and holds an MBA from Cornell University.

Connect with Kelly

Coaching and facilitation: https://kellydwyer.co

IG – @kd_lifefromwithin

LinkedIn – /in/kellydwyer

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