Owning Your Legacy

Learn how to get booked on TV and why leaders must be visible to build a lasting legacy. Discover the pitches that work.

Former news producer Michelle Mekky shares the reality of the media landscape and why so many experts freeze when the camera starts rolling. This conversation breaks down the essential shift from being a private leader to the face of your own story, even when vulnerability feels like a risk.

Whether you are navigating career transitions or looking to elevate your personal branding, Michelle provides a roadmap for overcoming the fear of being seen. You will learn how to turn your human story into a compelling narrative that resonates in an AI-driven world.

Subscribe to Owning Your Legacy for more conversations on leadership, resilience, and building a legacy that lasts.

Connect with Michelle Mekky: 
Website: https://www.mekkymedia.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellemekky/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mekkymedia/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mekkymedia

Connect with Laurette Rondenet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurette-rondenet-82064911/

Subscribe to Owning Your Legacy for weekly conversations on leadership, authentic entrepreneurship, and leaving a lasting mark.

Chapters:
0:00 Overcoming Self-Doubt
0:59 Life in the Newsroom
5:34 The Transition to PR
7:44 Facing a Health Crisis
12:31 Finding the Courage to Start
31:03 Defining Your Legacy

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com. 

Brian Floriani explains how he built a nonprofit with a business mindset to turn a $5,000 startup into a literacy powerhouse.

After eulogizing his father and grandmother, Brian realized that true success is defined by significance. In this episode, he shares how he launched Bernie's Book Bank from his garage and why he treats his social enterprise with the same discipline as a traditional corporation. He discusses the shift from golf professional to nonprofit founder and the importance of focusing on long-term goals like reaching 20 million children by 2045.

Brian also breaks down the BUKU Branded model, where companies fund literacy through their existing marketing spend. Whether you are an entrepreneur or a leader looking to make a lasting mark, this conversation provides a roadmap for building a sustainable organization. Learn why hiring a CEO allowed him to step back and focus on cultivating deeper relationships. 

Key topics covered: 

• Success vs. significance, and the two most important days of your life 

• Why books in the home matter, and the barriers that keep them out • Partner, not charity: building donor and business relationships eye to eye 

• BUKU Branded and CSR: 100% of profits back to literacy 

• Caregiving, ALS, and his brother's final words: "Choose happy" 

• The bold goal: 12 markets and 1.3 million children by 2030, 20 million by 2045 

• Why a founder hired a CEO and stepped back to cultivate relationships 

Resources mentioned: 

• Bernie's Book Bank: berniesbookbank.org 

• BUKU Branded: bukubranded.org 

Connect: 

Brian Floriani: Linkedin: brianfloriani  

 Laurette Rondenet: linkedin.com/in/laurette-rondenet-82064911/ 

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com. 

What does branding actually mean when you strip away the subjective design debates, agency jargon, and expensive retainers?

In this special episode of Owning Your Legacy, producer and director Denise Senter steps into the interviewer's chair to sit down with brand strategist Brooke Foley, founder of Jane Agency and co-creator of Clarity University. Having gone through Clarity University herself alongside her husband, Denise digs into how the program demystifies the branding process for business owners.

Brooke unpacks the origins of branding as risk management and explains why every organization, from bootstrapped startups to major brands like PepsiCo and the American Red Cross, operates on the same 10 brand assets. They discuss why business owners struggle with brand ownership, the surprising power of cross-industry cohort learning, and why true marketing clarity doesn't have to cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Inside this conversation:
• Branding as Risk Management: Why branding traces back to asset ownership and responsibility, not logos.
• The 10 Assets of a Brand: The nine evidence-based assets versus the one subjective asset, tone and personality.
• The Four-Week Transformation: How founders move from overwhelm to clarity and, by the final week, mastery of the methodology.
• The Power of the Cohort: Why peer feedback from outside your industry creates a shared, objective brand lexicon.
• No Cost, Low Cost, Some Cost: Prioritizing marketing investments that fit a founder's real budget and timeline.
• Enterprise Scaling: Why larger organizations now buy Clarity University seats for their leadership teams.

Connect with Brooke Foley at janeagency.com to explore Clarity University and the 10 assets framework.

Follow Laurette Rondenet and subscribe to Owning Your Legacy for more conversations on leadership, purpose, and building things that last.

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com. 

What happens when your business needs to grow beyond you? In this episode of Owning Your Legacy, Laurette Rondenet welcomes back Brooke Foley of Jane Agency to explore the challenges of letting go of control, empowering your team, and building a business that can thrive beyond its founder.

Brooke shares how a personal health crisis reshaped her approach to leadership, why scaling a business requires trust and delegation, and how she transformed her agency's expertise into Clarity University. She also discusses overcoming imposter syndrome, embracing AI and innovation, navigating a business acquisition, and turning challenges into opportunities for growth.

If you're an entrepreneur, business owner, or leader looking to build a sustainable company, develop stronger teams, and plan for the future, this conversation offers valuable insights into leadership, business growth, succession planning, and creating a legacy that lasts.

Chapters:
0:00 Turning Challenges Into Leadership Lessons
0:40 When the Founder Becomes the Bottleneck
1:52 A Health Crisis That Changed Everything
4:28 Experimenting with Business Growth and Scaling
7:25 The Challenge of Letting Go of Control
11:50 Empowering Teams Through Failure and Feedback
15:10 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
21:53 Building a Sustainable Business Model
27:30 The Evolution of Clarity University
35:13 Redefining Leadership and Decision-Making
37:30 Succession Planning and Long-Term Business Growth
41:16 AI, Innovation, and Business Acquisition
47:16 Building a Legacy That Lasts

Resources & Organizations Mentioned:

• Jane Agency: https://www.janeagency.com/
• Clarity University — Brand strategy education and development
• Women's Business Development Center (WBDC)
• National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC)

Connect with Brooke Foley:

• Website: https://www.janeagency.com/
• LinkedIn: Brooke Foley, Jane Agency

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com. 

Prioritize your healthspan, not just your lifespan. In this special episode of Owning Your Legacy, Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh discusses the key difference between living longer and living better, and why longevity starts with the quality of your health today.

Dr. Avanti shares how chronic stress contributes to inflammation, why cellular repair is essential for healthy aging, and the simple daily practices that can help busy leaders sustain their energy, focus, and well-being over the long term.

If you're looking for practical, science-backed insights on aging well and performing at your best, this conversation is a great place to start.

Resources & books mentioned:
•  The Longevity Formula: https://a.co/d/00mty7DM  and The Health Catalyst: https://a.co/d/0bdYBZ6U --  by Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh: 
•  Dr. Avanti's website: avantikumarsingh.com
•  Take the 7-minute dosha assessment: The Weekly Health Rx: avantikumarsingh.substack.com
•  The Healing Catalyst Podcast

Connect with Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh:
YouTube:  @AvantiKumarSingh   
LinkedIn : linkedin.com/in/avanti-kumar-singh-md/  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avantikumarsingh/

Connect with Laurette Rondenet: 
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laurette-rondenet-82064911/

Subscribe to Owning Your Legacy for weekly conversations on leadership, purpose, and leaving a lasting mark.

This video is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Consult your physician before changing your fasting, diet, or health routine.

Chapters:
0:00 Defining the Path to Lasting Vitality
0:44 Beyond Anti-Aging: Redefining Longevity
2:42 The Mechanics of Cellular Repair and Inflammation
7:49 Navigating Health Crises with an Integrative Team
12:54 Tapping Into Your Inner Healer

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com. 

What if living longer and better has less to do with extreme diets and biohacks, and more to do with a few simple habits you already know you should be doing?

In this episode of Owning Your Legacy, host Laurette Rondenet sits down with Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh, MD, a physician, Ayurvedic expert, and author of The Longevity Formula and The Health Catalyst. During her emergency medicine training, Dr. Avanti was 20 pounds overweight, battling headaches and stomach problems, and every lab came back "normal." She went back to the Ayurvedic lifestyle she grew up with, one small change at a time, and has spent the past 20 years bringing 5,000 years of Ayurvedic wisdom together with Western medicine.

Dr. Avanti makes the case that longevity is really about healthspan: reaching 95 or 100 while you are still active, sharp, independent, and connected to the people and work that matter to you. And she shows how to get there without overhauling your life.

Inside the conversation:
• Healthspan vs. lifespan: why the anti-aging conversation misses the point
• The 12-12-12 framework: 12 minutes of morning sunlight, a 12-hour overnight fast, and 12 minutes of daily stress reduction
• Why women's sweet spot for fasting is 12 to 14 hours, and how longer fasts can stress hormones
• Rest is not sleep: micro-breaks, breathwork, and why stress management is inflammation management
• Doshas at work and at home: using Vata, Pitta, and Kapha to understand your team, your partner, and yourself
• Grounding, prana, and why a walk among trees feels so restorative
• Her breast cancer journey, why she calls Ayurveda "protective, not just preventative," and learning to receive love

Books & resources mentioned:
• The Longevity Formula by Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh
• The Health Catalyst by Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh
• Dosha assessment and weekly articles: The Weekly Health Rx on Substack (avantikumarsingh.substack.com)
• The Healing Catalyst Podcast

Connect with Dr. Avanti at avantikumarsingh.com, on Instagram (@avantikumarsingh), and on LinkedIn. Follow Laurette Rondenet and subscribe to Owning Your Legacy for more candid conversations on purpose, leadership, and building what lasts.

This episode is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Talk with your physician before changing your fasting, diet, or health routine.

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com. 

What does it take to build a business from the ground up, expand internationally, and lead through uncertainty without losing sight of your people?

In this episode of Owning Your Legacy, Gail Scott sits down with entrepreneur and author Rich Lyons to discuss insights from his book, Life Is Sales and the sales philosophy that helped him build and sell a $55 million company. Rich shares the real story behind launching a London office, the challenges of scaling a business across continents, and the leadership lessons he learned about perseverance, communication, business growth, and emotional intelligence along the way.

The conversation also explores an often-overlooked aspect of leadership: understanding your emotions. Rich opens up about fear, anger, self-awareness, and how emotional intelligence can become a leadership superpower. He explains why great leaders learn to respond with intention, stay grounded through uncertainty, and continue growing both personally and professionally, even in their toughest moments.

Topics discussed include:
Expanding into new markets and starting from scratch
The "burn the canoes" mindset in leadership
Balancing conviction with business realities
Why leaders should overcommunicate during change
Lessons from building a business in London
Using emotional intelligence as a leadership tool
The difference between intentional and reactive anger
Why fear is part of every growth journey
Reading the room through self-awareness
Key lessons from building and selling a $55M company

Connect:
Rich Lyons — linkedin.com/in/richardblyons/

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com. 

Most entrepreneurs think scaling a business requires millions in venture capital and high-pressure sales quotas. Rich Lyons proved the exact opposite.

In this episode of Owning Your Legacy, host Laurette Rondenet interviews Rich Lyons, founder of Lyons Consulting Group (LYONSCG) and author of Life Is Sales. Rich shares the unvarnished story of growing a bootstrapped digital commerce agency to $55M, surviving the 2008 banking collapse, standing up to abusive clients, and making the difficult decision to sell when tech giants consolidated the market.

Key topics covered:
•  Moving from a scarcity mindset and quota panic to consultative service and trust
•  The reality of bootstrapping — personal checks for payroll, home equity lines, and betting the farm
•  How a 2008 bank loan recall forced the agency to shed non-core services and master e-commerce
•  The dinner 'feelings game' that helped a stoic executive open up to his daughters

Resources & books mentioned:
•  Life Is Sales by Rich Lyons — lifeissales.com
•  Rich Lyons official site — richlyons.com
•  Good to Great & Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins
•  Traction (the EOS system) by Gino Wickman
•  Dr. Gertrude Lyons on Owning Your Legacy (episode archive)

Connect:
Rich Lyons — linkedin.com/in/richardblyons/
Laurette Rondenet — linkedin.com/in/laurette-rondenet-82064911/

Subscribe to Owning Your Legacy for weekly conversations on leadership, authentic entrepreneurship, and leaving a lasting mark.

Chapters:
0:00 The Reality of Scaling a Business
1:22 Is Service the Heart of Sales?
3:35 The Core of Trusting the Process
6:07 Research, AI, and the Human Connection
8:06 Mindset vs. Talent in Sales Success
10:53 Using Anger Intentionally
15:53 The Hard Lessons of Entrepreneurship

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com. 

Season 13 of Owning Your Legacy goes deeper into what it takes to lead, grow, let go, and build something that lasts.

Host Laurette Rondenet sits down with Dr. Avanti Kumar Singh, author of The Longevity Formula, for a conversation about Ayurveda, healthspan versus lifespan, stress, connection, and learning to trust your own inner wisdom.

Rich Lyons, entrepreneur and author of Life Is Sales, shares hard-earned lessons about putting customers first, building trust, navigating imposter syndrome, and creating a culture that can withstand the pressures of leadership.

And returning guest Brooke Foley, founder of The Jayne Agency, opens up about one of the hardest transitions for any founder: realizing when you are the person standing in the way of your company’s growth. She shares what it took to give up control, empower her team, scale Clarity University, and build a business capable of existing beyond its founder.

Season 13 also expands the conversation beyond the traditional interview, bringing members of the Owning Your Legacy team into the discussion and exploring what legacy looks like while you’re still actively building it.

Because legacy isn’t something that simply appears at the end of your life. It’s something you build every day.

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com. 

In this special Season 12 compilation of Owning Your Legacy, leaders, founders, innovators, and changemakers reflect on the impact they hope to have on their teams, industries, communities, and the people around them.

Their answers are different, but a common theme emerges: legacy is built through the choices we make, the people we support, and the way we show up every day.

This episode brings together some of the most powerful reflections from Season 12 and returns to the question at the heart of the series:

What will your legacy be?

Watch, reflect, and share the legacy you hope to leave behind.

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com.