What does evaluating a high school pitcher throwing 95 mph have in common with hiring a project manager for a luxury pool build?

Jeff Vaughn spent 13 years as an associate scout for the Washington Nationals. He learned how to read a player in warmups. He learned how one weakness at 18 becomes a career-ender at 25. And he learned that raw talent alone doesn't win championships.

Today, he's a partner at 8 Square Construction here in Central Texas: pools, outdoor living, remodeling, and roofing.

And he's running the business with the same eye he used to run the scouting reports.

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Connect with Jeff Vaughn

Website: https://8squareroofing.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576956092564

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/8-square-roofing-construction/

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About Reanimated Stories: Hosted by Roger Jorns, I talk with awesome business leaders about their story and we explore how to reimagine work, life, and design.

Connect with Roger:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-jorns

Website: reanimationdesign.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reanimationdesign

Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/reanimated-stories/

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00:00 - Intro

00:36 - Meet Jeff Vaughn, Partner at H Square Construction

01:35 - From High School Coach to MLB Associate Scout

03:37 - How Scouting Actually Works (Watching One Player in a Game of 18)

07:03 - Why He Can't Watch Baseball as a Fan Anymore

09:03 - What Separates Good Talent from Great Talent

13:39 - Why You Can't Teach Raw Athleticism

16:04 - Central Texas Players to Watch + World Series Picks

19:11 - How Scouting Shaped How Jeff Hires

20:44 - Warm Seats vs. Real Teammates

23:24 - Letting Great Employees Go When It's Right for Them

25:55 - Why Networking Drives 60–80% of Their Revenue

28:56 - The Follow-Up System After Every Event

31:26 - The Go-Giver Mindset in Small Business

34:31 - The Women's Shelter Story

38:20 - Outro

What drives a 55-year-old tech CEO to compete in 140-mile Ironman triathlons alongside 20-year-old Olympic athletes?

Tony Medrano is 55 years old, still racing Ironman triathlons, and building the kind of health optimization tech that used to only be available to NFL locker rooms and Olympic teams.

Tony's the CEO of Longevity Plan, an AI-powered peptide optimization platform. His background reads like a highlight reel: Naval officer, Harvard graduate, Stanford grad school, first company at 30, sold his second, took a molecular diagnostics company from zero to a billion, and worked directly with the NFL and Olympic team on athlete performance.

Now he's taking everything he learned at that level and making it available to regular people who want to feel better, perform better, and age better.

Tony breaks down the science of peptides using his famous "Lego" analogy, explaining how signaling molecules like BPC 157, Tirzepatide, and Retatrutide remind your body to repair tissue and burn fat naturally without shutting down your endogenous systems.

We also explore the concept of the Digital Twin: an AI-powered personal data lake inspired by elite NFL training programs.

By combining cheek-swab genetic tests, at-home blood draws, and wearable biometrics, Longevity Plan’s AI builds a personalized model of your health to tell you exactly which peptides will work for your unique DNA.

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Connect with Tony

Website: https://longevityplan.ai/

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

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About Reanimated Stories: Hosted by Roger Jorns, I talk with awesome business leaders about their story and we explore how to reimagine work, life, and design.

Connect with Roger:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-jorns

Website: reanimationdesign.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reanimationdesign

Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/reanimated-stories/

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00:00 Intro

00:27 Podcast Welcome

01:11 Tony And Longevity Plan

02:59 What An Ironman Is

04:48 Pros Vs Amateurs

05:35 Training And Mission

06:29 Peptides Explained

08:16 BPC 157 Recovery

09:43 GLP 1 Weight Loss

11:37 AI Digital Twin Platform

15:23 Genes Wearables Testing

16:37 Genetic Test And Bloodwork

17:18 Wearables Integration Talk

17:49 Wearable Accuracy Reality

19:08 Train Without the Screen

19:39 Pro Athlete Tracking Tech

21:32 AI Digital Twin Optimization

23:49 Tony Medrano Career Journey

29:32 Peptides Research First

31:54 Where to Connect Online

32:18 Outro

Jackson Edens is 20 years old.

And he's already helping construction and trades businesses save serious time and make more money by bringing enterprise-level AI to the shops that big consulting firms never call on.

His company, Digital Grove AI, offers a fractional AI employee model, because most small trades businesses don't have IBM or AWS on speed dial.

Jackson steps in as the person who does.

Jackson shares how he went from building gaming PCs on Facebook Marketplace, to running a T-shirt shop entirely powered by AI, to living on his best friend's boat where he learned how to network with contractors and business owners, a skill that ended up shaping his whole career.

We also dive into why Jackson initially refused to use ChatGPT in college to protect his critical thinking skills, why the old sales rule of "Always Be Closing" needs to be replaced with "Always Provide Value" (APV), and why human connection is becoming the ultimate competitive advantage in a world flooded with AI noise.

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Connect with Jackson

Website: https://flash-mktg.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-beltran-b39b3b180/

---------------

About Reanimated Stories: Hosted by Roger Jorns, I talk with awesome business leaders about their story and we explore how to reimagine work, life, and design.

Connect with Roger:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-jorns

Website: reanimationdesign.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reanimationdesign

Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/reanimated-stories/

---------------

00:00 Intro

00:36 Meet the Host and Guest

01:24 Digital Grove AI Explained

02:26 Fractional AI for Small Biz

05:06 Real Client Wins with AI

07:59 How Jackson Got Started

11:51 AI vs Critical Thinking

14:12 Boat Life and Networking

16:17 Focus, Mentors, and the Who

18:16 Networking Without Selling

19:54 Selling Without Pressure

20:23 Always Provide Value

22:22 Power of Saying Hi

24:50 Loneliness and Phone Fear

25:50 Trust and Connection Marketing

27:57 AI Noise and Handshakes

31:48 Customer Discovery Messaging

33:18 Where to Find Jackson

34:51 Outro

Isabel Estevez has a day job most people didn't even know existed.

She works in executive compensation for a company that employs 800,000 people globally.

So she focuses on the base, bonus, and equity for the top 10,000 leaders.

Or

As she puts it: She helps very rich people make their yacht payments.

Isabel shares the deeply personal story of losing her father at age 12 and the visceral shift that happened immediately afterward when she realized her younger brothers were looking to her for direction.

That moment transformed her understanding of leadership forever: moving away from using a title to force compliance, and moving toward building presence, partnership, and true connection.

We get into what she calls the "3 Ps" of leadership: Presence, Partnership, and Proof.

Why toxic leadership is one of the most expensive problems a company can have.

Why people almost never leave for the money.

And why Isabel says the villain the vast majority of us need to face down isn't out THERE at all.

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Connect with Isabel

Website: IsabelEsteviz.com

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

---------------

About Reanimated Stories:

Hosted by Roger Jorns, I talk with awesome business leaders about their story and we explore how to reimagine work, life, and design.

Connect with Roger

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-jorns

Website: reanimationdesign.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reanimationdesign

Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/reanimated-stories/

---------------

00:00 Intro

00:40 Meet The Guest

02:14 Yacht Payments Job

05:42 What Is Exec Comp

07:41 AI And Small Talk

08:45 Speaking And Leadership

11:03 Losing Dad Lessons

14:32 Compliance Vs Influence

18:58 Leading After Loss

20:20 Superhero Leadership

22:15 Hero Versus Villain Leadership

23:31 When Trust Breaks at Work

25:29 The Real Cost of Toxic Leaders

27:38 Looking Medusa in the Eye

29:34 Self Awareness Builds Confidence

32:13 The Gap Between Here and There

35:48 Taking the First Scary Step

37:24 Discomfort Is the Way Through

39:22 Stage Fright and Staying Put

41:14 Outro

Leslie Lulham didn't set out to start a second company.

She was building Sun Up Operations, her HR and biz ops consulting firm, when her husband's employer suddenly announced they were shutting down.

That night, he spent six hours going through his LinkedIn connections by hand, trying to figure out which of his first-degree contacts worked at companies hiring the roles he wanted.

Leslie heard "six hours." Her ops brain kicked in.

She fired up her tools. Ran his network through them. Found 500 warm opportunities in his own connections. And in that moment, Introly AI was born.

Leslie shares her journey of accidentally launching a second company after discovering that most job seekers and business owners are sitting on a goldmine of untapped first-degree LinkedIn connections.

She breaks down why cold outreach fails, how to send authentic messages that actually get responses, and how Introly AI helps people find warm opportunities hiding right in plain sight.

Leslie also opens up about an unexpected, devastating loss: the sudden passing of her technical co-founder.

She opens up and offers a vulnerable, honest look at how entrepreneurs navigate grief, protect system access, and find the strength to rebuild even stronger in honor of those they’ve lost.

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Connect with Leslie

Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslielulham/

LinkedIn: https://app.introly.ai/

---------------

About Reanimated Stories: Hosted by Roger Jorns, I talk with awesome business leaders about their story and we explore how to reimagine work, life, and design.

Connect with Roger:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-jorns

Website: reanimationdesign.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reanimationdesign

Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/reanimated-stories/

---------------

00:00 Intro

00:42 Meet the Host and Guest

01:23 Leslie’s Work and Background

02:20 Drummer Life and Air Bands

03:24 Stage Manager Prank Story

05:08 Rock Band and Drum Setup

07:48 Two Bands Two Styles

09:07 How Introly Began

13:33 LinkedIn Connections as Gold

15:00 Fixing LinkedIn Job Search

16:33 Warm Leads and Outreach Fear

19:22 Just Send the Message

20:24 Message That Changed Everything

22:03 Authentic LinkedIn Outreach

25:44 Virtual Coffee Not Pitching

29:19 Losing A Key Builder

31:59 Grief And Community Support

35:45 Founder Lessons After Loss

40:50 Where To Find Leslie

41:48 Outro

How do you take a completely boring, commodity business...like carpet cleaning or dentistry...and turn it into a brand that customers can't stop talking about?

You "Disney-fy" it.

Vance Morris spent over a decade at Walt Disney World. Opening resorts. Designing character dining experiences. Running food and beverage at the Contemporary Resort.

Then he left the mouse and did the last thing anyone expected. He bought a carpet cleaning company. And a mold remediation business. And an Oriental rug washing facility.

Boring, right?

Not the way Vance runs them.

Vance reveals his "entrance theater" strategy that increased his mid-tier carpet cleaning package sales by 26%, why relying on $5 Starbucks coupons for referrals is actually just bribery, and why 10% of the population will gladly pay 30% more for the exact same service if the experience is better.

We also get into why it costs him $136 to get a new customer but only $23 to keep one, and what that math should tell every business owner about where to spend their time.

If you're a small business owner, a home service pro, a dentist, or anyone selling a "commodity" service, this one is packed with practical stuff you can steal on Monday.

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Connect with Vance

Website: https://vancemorris.com/

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

---------------

About Reanimated Stories: Hosted by Roger Jorns, I talk with awesome business leaders about their story and we explore how to reimagine work, life, and design.

Connect with Roger:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-jorns

Website: reanimationdesign.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reanimationdesign

Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/reanimated-stories/

---------------

00:00 Intro

01:10 Meet The Host And Guest

02:45 Vance Disney To Home Services

04:22 Retention Beats Acquisition

06:16 Experience Stories And Examples

11:52 Map The Customer Journey

12:54 Entrance Theater And Gifts

16:03 Referrals And Staying Top Mind

19:13 Disney Pricing And Premium Access

28:34 Personal Touch And Newsletters

32:32 Outro

Joe Dauskurdas has lived more business lives than most people can count.

helped grow Dell from $275 million to over $35 billion in revenue. He also lost everything in 2008. Today he runs Pro Growth Advisors and pours his hard-earned wisdom into founders trying to grow with intention.

Joe shares his 30-year journey from growing up on the South Side of Chicago to navigating the corporate ranks at GE Capital, and eventually cold-calling Michael Dell to build a massive partnership.

But Joe’s most powerful lessons didn't come from his successes; they came from losing everything.

Joe brings an incredible amount of wisdom (and humility) to the table. We talk about who the most important person in the room is, as well as how he cold-called Michael Dell at 28!

This one is honest, faith-aware, and full of the kind of wisdom that only comes from being knocked down and getting back up.

If you are a founder trying to do it all yourself, or if you've recently hit a massive roadblock in life or business, you need to hear Joe’s perspective on finding peace, purpose, and learning to fail differently.

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Connect with Joe Dauskurdas

Website: https://progrowthadvisors.com/

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

---------------

About Reanimated Stories: Hosted by Roger Jorns, I talk with awesome business leaders about their story and we explore how to reimagine work, life, and design.

Connect with Roger:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-jorns

Website: reanimationdesign.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reanimationdesign

Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/reanimated-stories/

---------------

00:00 Intro

00:39 Meet Joe In Austin

02:22 Origins And Superpowers

05:30 GE Training To Dell Call

09:28 Client First Growth Focus

15:53 Who Not How Teams

20:04 Founder Vision Pivots

23:20 Dell Lessons Listening

27:32 2008 Crash Triple PhD

36:46 Fail Differently AI Future

39:35 Outro

Mark Donahue isn't easy to put in a box. And honestly, that's kind of the point.

He's the founder of Yo Beebo!, a Fractional/part-time business development partner for small businesses, startups, and nonprofits who can't afford a full team but still need to grow.

He's also helping build Affero, a fintech and civic tech startup fixing the way aid money gets moved, tracked, and proven. And he is building this out of Latin America to serve the globe!

In this conversation, we dive into what it really means to build a purpose-driven business. Mark completely reframes the idea of "purpose", explaining that you do not necessarily have to solve world hunger to have a meaningful mission. Sometimes, your purpose is simply empowering your employees, securing a family legacy, or helping other founders execute their dreams.

Oh, and he's a collegiate lacrosse referee. And he lives in Mexico. And he plays bass in a hardcore band with a bunch of local guys. Like I said...not easy to put in a box.

If you've ever felt like you don't have a network, or know where to start with getting a network, or even that yours isn't strong enough, this conversation is going to hit.

So come join us today as we talk about purpose, nonprofits, fractional work and marketing in all areas of your life!

---------------

Connect with Mark Donahue

Yo Beebo!: yobeebo.com

Affero: affero.io

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-donahue-producer/

---------------

About Reanimated Stories: Hosted by Roger Jorns, I talk with awesome business leaders about their story and we explore how to reimagine work, life, and design.

Connect with Roger:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-jorns

Website: reanimationdesign.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reanimationdesign

Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/reanimated-stories/

---------------

00:00 Intro

00:42 Podcast Welcome Intro

01:39 Networking Makes World Smaller

03:46 Life in Mexico And Yo Beebo!

06:59 Ohio Travel And Lacrosse

10:46 Staying Connected With Network

12:10 Purposeful Client Fit

15:47 Legacy Businesses And Referrals

19:24 Introducing Affero Mission

25:29 Lessons Build Trust Network

31:58 Building Community In Mexico

35:21 Where To Find Mark

36:46 Band Music And Niches

40:55 Outro

⚠️ Heads up: This episode covers human trafficking, including sex and labor trafficking. The conversation is honest, faith-based, and handled with care, but it is heavier than my usual episodes. Please listen with that in mind.

What started as an effort to build a single children's home in Nepal shifted dramatically when Doug and his team learned a devastating statistic: over 10,000 girls were being trafficked annually from Nepal into India.

Instead of turning away, they asked, "Now that we know, what are we going to do?"

Doug Dworak is the Global Ambassador for Love Justice International, a faith-based organization working to prevent human trafficking before the damage is done.

Today, they operate in 16+ countries with a strategy called transit monitoring — placing trained staff at train stations, bus stations, border crossings, and high-traffic roads to identify and intercept potential trafficking situations before victims are ever sold.

In this episode, Doug breaks down Love Justice International’s unique, preventative approach to human trafficking called "transit monitoring."

We talk about the differences between prevention and rescue, the incredible milestone of saving over 100,000 lives, and why sharing the Gospel is at the very core of their mission. The people on the ground doing this work are absolute heroes, and I am so excited to share their mission with you.

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Connect with Doug Dworak:

Doug's phone:  402 440-4275

Website: https://www.lovejustice.ngo/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-dworak-52a6aa32/

---------------

About Reanimated Stories: Hosted by Roger Jorns, I talk with awesome business leaders about their story and we explore how to reimagine work, life, and design.

Connect with Roger:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-jorns

Website: reanimationdesign.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reanimationdesign

Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/reanimated-stories/

---------------

00:00 Intro

02:20 Meeting Doug

03:38 Doug's Background and Role

05:24 Love Justice International Origins

08:42 Discovering Human Trafficking

12:19 Transit Monitoring Strategy

16:31 Supporting Victims and Aftercare

18:06 Gospel Driven Mission

20:35 Heroes on the Ground

21:37 Prevention vs Rescue

26:23 Why International Focus

29:16 Get Involved

31:32 Outro

Did you know that 1 in 5 employees in your workforce is quietly working a second, unpaid job?

There are 63 million caregivers in America.

That's a 45% jump from ten years ago.

And most of them? They're working full-time jobs too.

They are Professionals...who are also Caregivers.

Zack Demopoulos has been a caregiver since 2011, first for his father, now for his mother.

He spent years in HR. He ran a home care business for 13 years. And now he's a caregiver advocate working with large employers to build workplaces where people don't have to choose between their job and caring for someone they love.

Zack explains why this is no longer an issue businesses can ignore.

We dive into the physical, mental, and financial toll caregiving takes on high-performing professionals and how it directly impacts a company's bottom line through absenteeism, presenteeism, and rising healthcare costs.

This is not an episode you want to miss.

Especially if you are a caregiver who also is a professional.

Check out this episode and please reach out to Zack!

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Connect with Zack

Website: https://www.invisibleemployeesbook.com/

Newsletter: https://zacks-newsletter-4a359b.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Podcast: https://www.invisibleemployeesbook.com/podcast

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

---------------

About Reanimated Stories: Hosted by Roger Jorns, I talk with awesome business leaders about their story and we explore how to reimagine work, life, and design.

Connect with Roger:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-jorns

Website: reanimationdesign.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reanimationdesign

Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/reanimated-stories/

---------------

00:00 Intro

01:08 Meet The Hosts

02:39 Zack Caregiver Advocate

04:31 Who Counts As Caregiver

06:42 Roger Family Story

09:31 How Zack Supports Caregivers

16:06 Workplace Caregiving Costs

21:26 Building Culture Of Care

24:14 Family vs Work Choice

25:19 Flexibility Keeps Talent

26:28 Why Caregivers Stay Quiet

28:22 Empathy Tools for Managers

29:53 Better Check In Questions

32:50 Leaders Sharing Stories

35:13 Caregiver Resources and ERGs

40:03 Outro