Success Stories with Steve Cross

In this episode of Success Stories, host Steve Cross sits down with Jay Fortuna, Senior Vice President of Talent and Operations at GoHealth, for an inspiring deep dive into resilience, leadership, and lifelong learning. Jay shares how his journey, from being told he’d “never make it” in learning and development to leading major talent and operations teams, was fueled by grit, curiosity, and a drive to prove what’s possible.

About Our Guest

Jay Fortuna is the Senior Vice President of Talent and Operations at GoHealth, a leading health insurance marketplace connecting individuals with the right Medicare and insurance options. With over 15 years of experience in talent development, leadership, and organizational growth, Jay is known for his innovative approach to learning and performance management.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the official podcast from the growth-obsessed team at iSynergy. Each episode dives deep into candid conversations with CEOs, founders, and business leaders who are building, scaling, and thriving across a variety of industries.

Through real-world insights, hard-won lessons, and inspiring strategies, we uncover what’s driving today’s top performers and how they’re shaping the future of their businesses. From scrappy startups to established enterprises, these stories go beyond surface-level wins to explore the mindset, habits, and decisions behind real success.

Hosted by iSynergy CEO Steve Cross, this podcast was built for growth-minded professionals who crave authenticity, actionable takeaways, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to succeed.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

💡 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

In this episode of Success Stories, host Steve Cross welcomes Keith Simmons, president and founder of Traveler of Charleston magazine and TourPass.com. From Youngstown State grad to Charleston entrepreneur, Keith shares his journey of building businesses in the tourism space.

We dive into his transition from corporate sales to launching a visitor magazine in a competitive market, the growth of TourPass across multiple cities, the challenges of COVID, and how face-to-face relationships fuel his success. Keith also discusses the upcoming TourPass app launch, the role of AI in personalizing travel, and his advice for entrepreneurs on finding opportunity, embracing competition, and staying adaptable.

About Our Guest

Keith Simmons is the founder of Traveler of Charleston magazine and TourPass.com, a friction-reducing city pass that connects directly to tour operators’ booking calendars so travelers can plan faster and save (often up to ~40% with curated itineraries). After starting his career in advertising sales with Hearst, Keith launched his magazine in 2005 and expanded into travel tech in 2018 with TourPass—now operating in Charleston, Savannah, and St. Augustine, with eyes on larger markets like Nashville and New Orleans. He’s a believer in face-to-face relationships, steady iteration (not hype), and building better experiences in proven markets.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the official podcast from the growth-obsessed team at iSynergy. Each episode dives deep into candid conversations with CEOs, founders, and business leaders who are building, scaling, and thriving across a variety of industries.

Through real-world insights, hard-won lessons, and inspiring strategies, we uncover what’s driving today’s top performers and how they’re shaping the future of their businesses. From scrappy startups to established enterprises, these stories go beyond surface-level wins to explore the mindset, habits, and decisions behind real success.

Hosted by iSynergy CEO Steve Cross, this podcast was built for growth-minded professionals who crave authenticity, actionable takeaways, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to succeed.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

💡 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

In this episode of Success Stories, host Steve Cross sits down with Jason Pirock, VP of Global Brand Marketing at OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels. Jason shares how early clarity and intentionality shaped his 20-year marketing journey, from internships and corporate roles at Target and Hyatt to brand-building at boutique hotel groups and now leading a global, beach-forward brand. He breaks down the craft of becoming a well-rounded marketer, knowing when you’ve plateaued, and moving toward roles that challenge you to build, rebuild, and transform.

About Our Guest

Jason Pirock is the Vice President of Global Brand Marketing at OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels. A career-long marketer, Jason is known for building and transforming, from revitalizing store experiences at Target to standing up integrated marketing functions at hospitality brands. At OUTRIGGER, he oversees global brand, partnerships, content, social, loyalty, and creative, helping elevate a 78-year-old Hawai‘i-born company into a truly global brand rooted in culture, ocean stewardship, and relaxed, “barefoot luxury” experiences.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the official podcast from the growth-obsessed team at iSynergy. Each episode dives deep into candid conversations with CEOs, founders, and business leaders who are building, scaling, and thriving across a variety of industries.

Through real-world insights, hard-won lessons, and inspiring strategies, we uncover what’s driving today’s top performers and how they’re shaping the future of their businesses. From scrappy startups to established enterprises, these stories go beyond surface-level wins to explore the mindset, habits, and decisions behind real success.

Hosted by iSynergy CEO Steve Cross, this podcast was built for growth-minded professionals who crave authenticity, actionable takeaways, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to succeed.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

💡 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

From climbing out of small-town adversity to leading companies in one of the toughest industries in the country, this entrepreneurship journey is anything but ordinary. In this episode of Success Stories, Brian Ford, Co-Founder and CEO of FordCom Wireless and FordCom Electric, pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build, lose, rebuild, and lead with purpose.

The conversation dives into the realities of entrepreneurship: early profitability, rapid growth, painful layoffs, and lessons learned from relying too heavily on one customer. Brian also discusses leadership through humility, accountability, and leading by example, along with the importance of purpose beyond profit. From workforce challenges in the trades to preparing for future industry shifts, this episode delivers unfiltered insight into building businesses that last.

About Our Guest

Brian Ford is the Co-Founder and CEO of FordCom Wireless and FordCom Electric, two Northeast Ohio–based companies specializing in wireless infrastructure, tower construction, and electrical services.

With a background in software, finance, sales, and data, Brian brings a strategic business mindset to industries traditionally driven by operations. His twin brother and co-founder, Brent Ford, leads the operational side, creating a powerful balance between vision and execution.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the official podcast from the growth-obsessed team at iSynergy. Each episode dives deep into candid conversations with CEOs, founders, and business leaders who are building, scaling, and thriving across a variety of industries.

Through real-world insights, hard-won lessons, and inspiring strategies, we uncover what’s driving today’s top performers and how they’re shaping the future of their businesses. From scrappy startups to established enterprises, these stories go beyond surface-level wins to explore the mindset, habits, and decisions behind real success.

Hosted by iSynergy CEO Steve Cross, this podcast was built for growth-minded professionals who crave authenticity, actionable takeaways, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to succeed.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

💡 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

Today, we’re sitting down with Colin Rhodes, CEO of SOMOS Energy Solutions, for an inspiring deep dive into his career journey, from working construction jobs with his father to leading innovative renewable energy projects across solar, battery storage, and green hydrogen.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a clean energy enthusiast, or simply love hearing real-world leadership lessons, this episode is packed with stories, strategies, and a dose of motivation to keep you pushing forward, especially when the path gets tough.

About Our Guest

Colin Rhodes is the CEO of SOMOS Energy Solutions (formerly SOMOS Solar), a New Mexico-based renewable energy company specializing in large-scale solar, distributed generation, battery storage, and green hydrogen projects. With over 20 years of experience across the manufacturing, EPC, and development sides of the renewable energy sector, Colin has worked on hundreds of projects ranging from 1 MW community solar sites to 365 MW utility-scale installations.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the official podcast from the growth-obsessed team at iSynergy. Each episode dives deep into candid conversations with CEOs, founders, and business leaders who are building, scaling, and thriving across a variety of industries.

Through real-world insights, hard-won lessons, and inspiring strategies, we uncover what’s driving today’s top performers and how they’re shaping the future of their businesses. From scrappy startups to established enterprises, these stories go beyond surface-level wins to explore the mindset, habits, and decisions behind real success.

Hosted by iSynergy CEO Steve Cross, this podcast was built for growth-minded professionals who crave authenticity, actionable takeaways, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to succeed.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

💡 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

In this episode of Success Stories, host Steve Cross sits down with Sean Loomer, founder of Culture For Good. Sean opens up about 40+ years of entrepreneurship, from selling gum in grade school to pioneering prepaid phone cards, building and exiting companies, and now leading a mission-driven wellness brand. We dig into mindset, timing (and why there’s never a “perfect” moment), trust and partnerships, storytelling as a superpower, and how he’s helping young athletes navigate NIL while building real, sustainable income streams.

About Our Guest

Sean Loomer is a lifelong entrepreneur and the founder of Culture For Good, a wellness company focused on education-first, plant-based supplementation, and simple, practical health habits. Alongside his wife, Tylene, Sean has spent 20+ years teaching gut health and building products that people trust. Today, he’s combining that mission with athlete education, helping high school and college athletes understand NIL, learn business fundamentals, and create multiple income streams through authentic storytelling and ethical partnerships.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the official podcast from the growth-obsessed team at iSynergy. Each episode dives deep into candid conversations with CEOs, founders, and business leaders who are building, scaling, and thriving across a variety of industries.

Through real-world insights, hard-won lessons, and inspiring strategies, we uncover what’s driving today’s top performers and how they’re shaping the future of their businesses. From scrappy startups to established enterprises, these stories go beyond surface-level wins to explore the mindset, habits, and decisions behind real success.

Hosted by iSynergy CEO Steve Cross, this podcast was built for growth-minded professionals who crave authenticity, actionable takeaways, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to succeed.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

💡 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

At just 12 years old, Noah Price was sweeping job sites in rural Idaho. Today, he’s the President of Dynamic Trades Incorporated (DTI), a thriving national commercial construction firm based in Auburn, California. His journey is anything but typical — and it’s packed with real-world insights on leadership, growth, and resilience. “By the end of high school, I thought I knew everything. But I was just getting started.”

In this episode of Success Stories, host Steve Cross sits down with Noah to talk about the power of mentorship, the value of learning by doing, and the mindset that fuels long-term success in the trades. “Be the best at what you're doing that day,” Noah shares, a principle that helped him rise through the ranks and lead with purpose.

About Our Guest

Noah Price is the President of Dynamic Trades Inc., a fast-growing commercial general contractor licensed across the U.S. With a career that started in the field, Noah brings firsthand experience, operational expertise, and a people-first leadership style to every project and team he leads.

🎯 Want to be a guest on the Success Stories podcast or need help generating leads and growing revenue for your business? 👉 Contact us at isynergy.io to get started.

In this episode of Success Stories, host Steve Cross sits down with DJ Yokley, CEO and founder of YSN (Your Sports Network). DJ shares how growing up in a double-wide with two hard-working parents shaped his grit, why a high school extra-credit assignment behind a mic changed his life, and how a series of career setbacks (including layoffs and being told he didn’t “fit” on air) ultimately pushed him toward entrepreneurship.

We cover DJ’s early years and the competitive drive that shaped him, along with the unlikely moment a freshman PA gig for extra credit set him on the path to broadcasting. He opens up about the tough post-college stretch marked by layoffs, rejection, and personal loss, and how those challenges fueled the vision for YSN. DJ shares the inspiration behind building a streaming platform for high school sports, the lessons learned from bootstrapping through its early years, and how COVID unexpectedly propelled the network forward. He also talks about YSN’s mission to keep sports positive, the launch of YSN 24/7 and YSN Prospect, and why building the right team rooted in service and community has been key. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the importance of failing forward, remembering your “why,” and staying resilient through every setback.

About Our Guest

DJ Yokley is the CEO and founder of YSN (Your Sports Network), a platform dedicated to celebrating high school and youth sports with community-first coverage and a positive lens. A former college broadcaster who learned every role in the newsroom—from editing to graphics—DJ channeled that full-stack skill set into launching YSN. He’s a proud husband and dad whose story is fueled by perseverance, service, and an unwavering belief that sports should be a joyful escape and a catalyst for character.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the official podcast from the growth-obsessed team at iSynergy. Each episode dives deep into candid conversations with CEOs, founders, and business leaders who are building, scaling, and thriving across a variety of industries.

Through real-world insights, hard-won lessons, and inspiring strategies, we uncover what’s driving today’s top performers and how they’re shaping the future of their businesses. From scrappy startups to established enterprises, these stories go beyond surface-level wins to explore the mindset, habits, and decisions behind real success.

Hosted by iSynergy CEO Steve Cross, this podcast was built for growth-minded professionals who crave authenticity, actionable takeaways, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to succeed.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

💡 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

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In this episode of Success Stories, host Steve Cross sits down with Barb Ewing, CEO of the Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI), to talk about her career journey, leadership lessons, and the impact YBI is making on entrepreneurship, startups, and advanced manufacturing in the Mahoning Valley and across Ohio.

Barb shares how her path from nonprofit work and government affairs led her to YBI, where she and her team have transformed the incubator into a national leader in business development, technology entrepreneurship, and innovation support. She also highlights how YBI’s programs—like Shark Tank YBI, the Minority Business Assistance Center, and the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Hub—are fueling economic growth and helping entrepreneurs succeed.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a community leader, or just looking for inspiration, this conversation is full of valuable insights and stories that will leave you motivated.

About Our Guest

Barb Ewing is the CEO of the Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI), an award-winning program that supports technology startups, manufacturers, and small businesses. With a background at the Better Business Bureau, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, and nearly a decade in government affairs with Congressman Tim Ryan, Barb has built her career on innovation, strategy, and community impact.

At YBI, Barb has helped grow programs in software, healthcare, minority business support, and advanced manufacturing, positioning the incubator as a national model for regional innovation. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs succeed and ensuring the Mahoning Valley thrives as a hub for business and technology.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the official podcast from the growth-obsessed team at iSynergy. Each episode dives deep into candid conversations with CEOs, founders, and business leaders who are building, scaling, and thriving across a variety of industries.

Through real-world insights, hard-won lessons, and inspiring strategies, we uncover what’s driving today’s top performers and how they’re shaping the future of their businesses. From scrappy startups to established enterprises, these stories go beyond surface-level wins to explore the mindset, habits, and decisions behind real success.

Hosted by iSynergy CEO Steve Cross, this podcast was built for growth-minded professionals who crave authenticity, actionable takeaways, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to succeed.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

💡 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.

Brad Stutzman, Founder & CEO of O3 Energy, dives into his journey from banking to becoming a leader in the renewable energy industry. Brad shares how he transitioned from financing construction projects to developing solar and wind energy solutions, the pivotal moments that shaped his leadership style, and the lessons he learned from both wins and setbacks.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a leader in a fast-changing industry, or someone passionate about clean energy, this episode is packed with insights on patience, adaptability, and the importance of “making it happen.”

About Our Guest

Brad Stutzman is the Founder and CEO of O3 Energy, a Texas-based renewable energy company specializing in on-site solar generation, utility projects, and innovative energy efficiency solutions. With a career that began in banking and evolved into financing and developing renewable projects, Brad brings a unique perspective on business growth, leadership, and navigating industry shifts.

About Success Stories

Welcome to Success Stories, the official podcast from the growth-obsessed team at iSynergy. Each episode dives deep into candid conversations with CEOs, founders, and business leaders who are building, scaling, and thriving across a variety of industries.

Through real-world insights, hard-won lessons, and inspiring strategies, we uncover what’s driving today’s top performers and how they’re shaping the future of their businesses. From scrappy startups to established enterprises, these stories go beyond surface-level wins to explore the mindset, habits, and decisions behind real success.

Hosted by iSynergy CEO Steve Cross, this podcast was built for growth-minded professionals who crave authenticity, actionable takeaways, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to succeed.

👉 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.

💡 For more about iSynergy and how we help brands grow through strategic digital marketing, visit https://isynergy.io/connect/.