Onward Nation

Gary Melling is the President and CEO of Acquired Insights, which is an artificial intelligence and machine learning company bringing new and disruptive, cross-industry, cross-functional solutions to market. His expertise has been referenced by organizations and clients such as NASA and the US Federal Reserve Bank. Gary has over 40-years of experience working in classified military defense systems, global enterprise management consulting, corporate transformations and turnarounds, business systems integration, and predictive analytics.

• How growing up in a military family taught Gary to embrace change and prepared him to be a leader
• The background and future of artificial intelligence and how it's disrupting a lot of businesses and industries
• An example of how predictive analytics, a type of artificial intelligence, is changing healthcare and helping children with cancer have better chances
• The aspect of his job that makes Gary excited to go to work every day
• Why the world of artificial intelligence is still considered the wild wild west, and where Gary sees it going in the future
• How we all have robots in our homes and everyday lives without even realizing it, and what that says about the evolution of technology and artificial intelligence
• Where technology is headed in the future and how it can make every aspect of our lives better
• The future of human jobs with such an increase in artificial intelligence and the role of ethics management in Gary's company
• Reasons North America is behind other areas of the world when it comes to humanoid robotics
• Why new, innovative products often aren't heavily regulated and whether that's a good thing or not
• Ethical and moral considerations when dealing with developing artificial intelligence

• Website: https://www.aiinc.cloud/
• Phone number: 1-800-627-4151

Mike Banks is the COO of Fund & Grow, providing financial and strategic advisory services to business owners and real estate investors. They help their clients obtain unsecured funding with creative 0% interest business credit lines. Fund & Grow handles all of the time-consuming work of establishing and building business credit for their clients, including developing new financial relationships, as well as structuring all legal agreements and authorizations required before beginning the credit building process.

• Why Mike stopped going to college and got started with Fund&Grow
• How Mike has personally benefited from Fund&Grow, giving him the confidence to get started in real estate
• The way business credit works and why you should avoid using personal credit for your business
• Examples of ways you can use Fund&Grow for your business
• Repairing your credit if you need to get it higher in order to use Fund&Grow's services
• Benefits you'll get, including big savings, if you check out Mike's webinar
• Strategies you can use to get a loan with more money at a lower interest rate
• How to manage your business loans to keep them zero interest for as long as possible
• The things Mike will look at for you if you get a free Fund&Grow consultation, and the type of advice they will give you to prepare you for their services
• Why it's okay to max out your credit cards, but what you should be doing with the balance to help your credit score
• Various aspects of your credit and what plays into your credit score, including things you could be doing that aren't "bad," but are negatively affecting your credit score
• The danger of using a no limit flexible spending credit card
• Common errors on credit reports that can be fixed to improve your score
• An insider tip to help you grow your business to the next level

• Email: [email protected]

Our special encore guest today is Justin Copie. Justin is the CEO of Innovative Solutions and is leading a bold move forward — instilling growth in employees and inspiring change well beyond the four walls of Innovative. Yes…the 80 people working at Innovative don't work for him — he works for them. As CEO and leader, Justin provides safety and direction, safety in voicing opinions, trying new things, failing, and direction in where to go on the path to success. Now…you may remember Justin and the wisdom he shared during Episode 584 of Onward Nation. If you haven't listened to, studied, and applied all he shared during his previous interview…I highly encourage you to add Episode 584 to your list of vital priorities.

• How Justin, as CEO, works for his employees, rather than the other way around, and what he does to create a positive working environment
• Principles for success Justin follows himself and teaches to his employees
• The way Justin navigated the most challenging professional experience of his career, and what the results have been so far
• Where Justin gets his courage and inspiration from to make bold moves in business
• Justin's unique philosophy on business and ways he has improved his business and his employees' productivity based on this philosophy
• Takeaways Justin got from Zappos Culture Camp and why he decided to attend in the first place
• Ways that Justin mixes employee satisfaction with productivity to benefit both employees and customers
• A story about the passing of Justin's friend's father that illustrates what Justin believes to be true success
• What Justin means when he says fear is like a muscle and how understanding this premise can make you a great business owner
• Secrets behind recruiting and retaining quality talent for your business, and what sets A players apart from others
• Why Justin allows startups to share his company's office for free
• Strategies to help you get past your plateau and on to the next level in your business

• Website: http://www.innovativesol.com/
• Twitter: @InnovativeSol
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovative-solutions/

Dr. Larry Senn is a pioneer in the field of corporate culture, having conducted the world's first research on corporate culture in 1970. As chairman and founder of Senn Delaney, a global transformational and culture-shaping organization, Larry has been on a mission to make "culture shaping" an everyday practice of companies around the world. Larry is also the best-selling author of several books, including, 21st Century Leadership, Winning Team Winning Cultures, and most recently The Mood Elevator.

• How people are greatly influenced by significant adult figures in their lives and who first influenced Larry.
• Larry's first entrepreneurial efforts and how they worked for him through school and then through college.
• The reason Larry compares many companies to dysfunctional families (with turf wars, politics, and trust issues).
• Larry's connection to Walmart and its founder who envisioned bringing low-priced consumer goods to rural America.
• Why leaders have obligations to become their best selves. Hint! It has something to do with organizations becoming shadows of their leaders.
• How Larry developed a passion for helping companies develop a company culture.
• What it means to operate as an effective entrepreneur and why Larry believes it means operating lean, with few inefficiencies or redundancies.
• Why Larry chose "culture shaping" as his career and why it's so important for businesses.
• Curiosity vs. judgment and why curiosity can help transform the way you approach problems or challenges in life and in business.
• Mood elevators and what they have to do with the way you respond to issues you address throughout the day.
• How riding the mood elevator influences everything in your life from your relationships to your personal effectiveness and even your professional success.
• How you can reduce the frequency with which you visit the lower floors of your mood elevator and to spend more time moving up.

• [email protected]

Danny Schuman is a writer, marketer, entrepreneur, and president of the marketing consultancy, Twist, which specializes in brand marketing as well as product and service innovation. Before starting Twist, Danny wrote and directed marketing campaigns that helped build iconic brands like Quaker Oatmeal, Coors Light, and Gatorade. His bestselling book "The Worst Business Model in the World: A New Kind of Guide for a New Kind of Entrepreneur" is available on Amazon.

• How the big economic downturn of 2008 launched a new adventure for Danny.
• How crumbs from agencies Danny worked with in his corporate career become the dough for his business when he created Twist.
• Why Danny believes the economic downtime was actually the perfect time to go out on his own when conventional wisdom suggests otherwise. Hint! The numbers support him.
• Why Danny continues to operate on a "startup" model even though Twist has been in business for 10 years now.
• How Danny came up with the title of his book. Why he almost changed it. And why he ultimately decided to keep it.
• Danny's belief that each new project is an opportunity to solve a different problem and why that appeals to him.
• Danny's belief that it's more important to shift the focus to making friends rather than making money and how by developing those relationships with friends, you're essentially creating a network that will help you make even more money in the end.
• Why Danny doesn't prepare for meetings. And, why he thinks you shouldn't prepare for them either. Hint! It's more about listening than talking.
• What Danny believes is the most critical skill business owners need to master for success in today's highly competitive marketplace.
• The most influential lesson Danny has learned from a mentor and how that lesson has shaped the way he operates his business. Not to mention his bottom line.
• Who Susie is and how creative types of business owners need a Susie in their lives and how more business oriented business owners need someone more creative to help with their businesses. It all goes back to that important lesson Danny learned from his mentor.

• Website: www.TwistYourThinking.com

Jared Nichols is a futurist, advisor, and faculty member at the University of Tennessee's Haslam College of Business, in Graduate and Executive Education. He is the founder of The Foresight Academy where he teaches leaders, teams, and individuals, how to think like futurists so they can create the best future possible, for themselves and the people they serve. Jared is sought out by leaders, organizations, and entrepreneurs to help them identify how emerging trends in technology, media, business, and public policy, may fundamentally change society and shape the future.

• How Jared responded when he came to a crossroad in his life and in his business.
• The way Jared was able to reach and teach more people by leveraging the tools and technology available to him.
• What Jared meant when he described himself as feeling misaligned in what he was doing before and what it took to realign him and his mission.
• Authenticity. Why Jared believes it's so important to help you understand your motivations and get them across to others.
• Clarity. Why Jared believes it doesn't matter what kind of people you want to serve, what industries you want to reach, or who you're trying to connect with. Clarity is the most important thing you need to have about who you are and how that translates into the business you're working in.
• Why having the right mentor and the right coach can sometimes help you cut through the noise to help you sort that out and find the clarity you require.
• Identifying the mission became Jared's first priority. Once he did that, he was able to shift focus to leveraging technology to reach more people for the sake of his mission.
• What a "futurist" is and how thinking like one can help teams create their best possible futures.
• How Jared came up with the idea for the Foresight Academy and what students will learn through the 12-week program.
• Jared's four Cs. Conscious. Curious. Creative. Collaborative.
• Why Jared believes it's essential to challenge the norms by asking better questions, like what "else" might be possible.
• Why Jared includes a call to action in each part of his course and why he thinks giving students "quick wins" is so important.
• Jared's belief that what you think about the future is far less important, in the grand scheme of things, than HOW you think about the future.

• [email protected]

Sue Hawkes helps CEOs and their leadership teams succeed. As a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and globally recognized, award-winning seminar leader, she brings over 25-years of experience to her clients. She is CEO of YESS!, founder of Ideal Coaching international, Inc., and has designed and delivered programs for thousands of people. Her most recent book, Chasing Perfection: Shatter the Illusion, Minimize Self-Doubt, & Maximize Success, is available now.

• Why Sue believes you're either learning or winning in business and what that means in the grand scale of things.
• Overcoming imposter syndrome and why it's so important to do just that.
• Why Sue believes it's important for business owners to get what they want out of their businesses rather than feeling chained to their businesses. Hint! It can cause resentment toward the business. Even leading to fantasies of being employed.
• The importance of being self-aware and understand what we're not good at, as entrepreneurs because that's the only way we're going to solve the problems we create.
• Why Sue decided on this title for her book: Chasing Perfection: Shatter the Illusion, Minimize Self-Doubt & Maximize Success.
• The fact that nearly 80 percent of leaders have moments of excruciating self-doubt. It's normal. It may even be essential for good leadership. The ones who never experience it are the one's Sue believes you need to worry about.
• Why Sue believes continuous self-improvement leads to increased freedom and internal and unshakeable excellence for you as a leader.
• The reason Sue designed her book to be read in segments and why that matters so much for her intended audience. Plus, Sue's instructions for reading her book.
• How "unkind wonderful" words are sometimes the perfect words to hear. Especially when they're as painful as they are insightful.
• Sue's belief that every problem is an opportunity for growth. All you need is to figure out how to flip it upside down and why it's important to be on the front of the pack, leading the pack rather than reacting.
• Sue's advice to entrepreneurs everywhere, about not giving up because people always seem to quit just before amazing things happen.

• www.suehawkes.com
• www.sayyes.com

Dr. Alice Loy is the co-founder & CEO of Creative Startups. She has over 20 years of experience working with entrepreneurs in the creative industries. Widely considered a leading authority on entrepreneurship in the creative economy, Alice built the Creative Startups Accelerator with a vision for catalyzing high growth company formation in the under-served creative economy. Today the accelerator operates on four continents serving over 50 creative companies each year. Alice also co-authored the book, Creative Economy Entrepreneurs: From Startup to Success.

• How Alice defines entrepreneurship
• The story behind the book, Creative Economy Entrepreneurs
• How creative entrepreneurs are transforming the global economy
• The startup accelerator for creative entrepreneurs and how it works
• Why startups are a race against time
• Keys to focusing on your vital priorities
• The importance of building discipline in your thinking
• How social change happens
• How mentorship can accelerate success
• The best way to build and scale your business

• Website: www.creativestartups.org
• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter: @createstartups
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/createstartups
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/createstartups

Bianca Caban is Director of Partnerships and Business Development at Republic, a platform that connects tech startups and blockchain projects with retail investors from around the world. Prior to Republic, she worked on Wall Street for five years and also founded a consultancy, Tai — eeno Capital, where she worked with various entities on new fund infrastructure and business development. Bianca is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers and the Milken Institute Young Leaders Circle.

• How successful leadership in Rwanda, where 70 percent of parliament was comprised of women at the time inspired Bianca to invest in revitalization strategies for businesses closer to home.
• Why Bianca is so committed to bringing investment capital to women-owned businesses in areas that are seeking to revitalize (Detroit, Puerto Rico, etc.).
• Bianca's discovery that women were the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs throughout the U.S. and how important access to capital is to them.
• The importance of scalable technology for driving business growth.
• How Title Three opened the doors wide for crowdfunding and what that meant for Republic and how it operates today.
• Why Bianca is dedicated to helping under-represented groups in business gain access to capital and what it has meant for her organization to do so.
• The importance of diversity, not only in the people operating businesses, but also the businesses and products themselves, is so vital to Republic and the people who invest.
• The five Ts and what they mean to Republic and Bianca.
• How passion factors into the equation and why Bianca is so passionate about her role in helping connect entrepreneurs and startups with the capital they need to get things rolling.
• Why it matters that Republic has access to more than 80,000 investors looking for the perfect opportunities and how that helps ensure the right investor finds the right project.

Fernando Schiantarelli is an entrepreneur, TV and radio producer and creator of "Cómo Lo Hizo", which translates to "How did they make it?" — a podcast that focuses on helping Latino entrepreneurs in co-production with iHeart Radio in Los Angeles.

• Inspiring stories of creative entrepreneurs who immigrated to other countries and were able to build successful businesses out of pure innovation and hard work
• Two of the most important qualities for an entrepreneur are humility and resilience
• Humility is required, because it's important to understand your place in the market, how to properly approach new contacts, and where you need to go to succeed, keeping everything grounded in reality
• Resilience is important because there will always be naysayers who try to discourage entrepreneurs from pursuing specific goals or who are sure that an idea is doomed to failure – people you have to press past
• However, passion can only get you so far, and it's important to not mistake resilience for ignoring the warnings signs and investing too much time or money into an idea that is not properly research
• Once you understand your product idea entirely, where it fits in the market, how it would be made, and how (and at what price) it is likely to sell, then you can start using your passion to drive the idea forward
• "Most of our enemies are inside our own heads," and entrepreneurs can't let their own fears or uncertainties get the best of them when building company – and sometimes the inner voices are the hardest to work through
• Intuition and understanding are also important parts of being an entrepreneur: You have be able to listen to the investors and business contacts you're talking with, and read between the lines to see the things they aren't saying
• How you can be a successful entrepreneur without a mentor – because part of the process is learning everyone around you, not just a specific tutor or leader you respect
• More information on Latino entrepreneurship, Latina woman in the industry, and many more interesting facts!

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/fschiantarelli