What happens when the storms of life arrive one after another?

In this episode of Telling My Story, Henry Chiwetelu sits down with Bill Derrick, a business leader, author, and public speaker with more than 50 years of experience in the construction industry.

Bill shares the powerful story behind his book, Restored by the Storm, and the unexpected challenges that transformed his understanding of leadership, resilience, faith, and gratitude.

After helping lead his family business through the devastating 2008 recession, Bill and his family faced another storm when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer. Through these experiences, he discovered lessons about control, perseverance, gratitude, and finding meaning in circumstances we cannot always change.

This conversation explores what it means to keep moving forward when life doesn't go according to plan, and how some of our greatest challenges can ultimately reveal strength and purpose we didn't know we had.

Learn more about Bill, his book, and his speaking engagements:

https://www.billderrick.com/

Retirement is often presented as the reward for a successful career, but what happens when the career ends and you suddenly realize you are not emotionally prepared for what comes next?

In this episode of Telling My Story, Henry Chiwetelu sits down with Cheryl Fimbel, a 45-year healthcare leadership veteran and author of The Hidden Side of Retirement, to explore the emotional and psychological side of retirement that financial planning often overlooks.

Cheryl shares her deeply personal experience of being unexpectedly forced into retirement just one year before her planned retirement, shortly after losing her mother. Her story reveals how retirement can bring unexpected anxiety, loss of identity, lack of structure, and questions about purpose, even when you are financially prepared.

We discuss why the first 90 days can be so challenging, how high achievers can separate their identity from their careers, why retirees shouldn't rush to reinvent themselves, and how to gradually build a meaningful life beyond work.

Whether you're approaching retirement, recently retired, or helping someone navigate this major life transition, this conversation offers practical insights and encouragement for preparing not only financially—but emotionally.

Learn more about Cheryl and explore her retirement resources:

https://www.crownyearsmedia.com/

What if the most powerful form of leadership isn't about being first but about choosing to Lead Last?

In this episode of Telling My Story, Henry Chiwetelu sits down with Olaolu Ogunyemi, a U.S. Marine Officer, award-winning author, leadership mentor, and passionate advocate for intentional fatherhood and the next generation.

Olaolu brings a unique perspective shaped by military leadership, fatherhood, coaching, and personal adversity. His mission is to help people move beyond superficial influence and build leadership rooted in service, trust, empathy, discipline, and purpose.

We explore his Lead Last philosophy, his journey from adversity to leadership, the lessons he learned through the Marine Corps, and how the principles of leadership in the workplace can transform the way we lead our families.

We also discuss his children's book Crow From the Shadow, raising emotionally resilient children, overcoming insecurity, the role of faith, and why parents and communities have a responsibility to help prepare the next generation for success.

In this episode, you'll discover:

● What it truly means to "Lead Last"

● How adversity can shape a leader

● Leadership lessons from the Marine Corps

● How to build trust-based teams and relationships

● Practical strategies for intentional parenting

● Helping children develop resilience and emotional awareness

● The connection between leadership at work and leadership at home

● Why service may be more powerful than status

Connect with Olaolu on:

https://parent-child-connect.com/

If you're a parent, professional, entrepreneur, leader, mentor, or anyone interested in personal growth, this conversation will give you practical ideas you can apply immediately.

Follow, rate, review, and share Telling My Story to help more people discover stories that inspire growth and positive change.

What happens when speculative fiction becomes a mirror for the world we live in?

In this episode of Telling My Story, Henry Chiwetelu sits down with Cody Sisco, a cyberpunk author, editor, publisher, and literary culture producer whose work explores queer identity, neurodivergence, technology, resilience, and societies where truth itself can become contested.

Cody is the author of the Resonant Earth series and has spent years building communities around independent and queer science fiction. His work asks difficult questions about what happens when systems are designed to erase people—and what it takes to keep your identity, creativity, and dreams alive in the process.

We discuss his novel Broken Mirror, the creative discipline behind writing, the challenges of building an audience outside traditional publishing, the relationship between technology and human behavior, and how speculative fiction can help us recognize problems that may already exist in our world.

Cody also shares lessons from his journey as a writer, editor, publisher, and literary community builder.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

● Writing queer and neurodivergent characters authentically

● Using science fiction to explore real-world problems

● Resilience and staying focused on your goals

● Creative discipline and protecting time for writing

● Technology, manipulation, and the future of society

● Building communities instead of creating alone

● The evolution of an author over a decade

Connect with Cody:

https://www.codysisco.com/

If you enjoy conversations about storytelling, creativity, technology, identity, resilience, and personal growth, this episode is for you.

Listen, follow, rate, and share Telling My Story with someone who needs to hear Cody's story.

What happens when success on the outside doesn't match the person you're becoming on the inside?

In this episode of Telling My Story, I sit down with Chris Anderson, founder of Elevate Media Group and host of The Upgraded Man, to explore what it really means to become a better man and live a more intentional life.

Chris believes that complacency is one of the biggest obstacles to personal growth. Through his experience as an entrepreneur, husband, father, media founder, and podcast host, he has spent years exploring the challenges men face in relationships, finances, fitness, mindset, and living fully.

We discuss the five pillars of an upgraded life, why being busy doesn't necessarily mean you're growing, and how entrepreneurs can pursue success without sacrificing their health, relationships, family, or identity.

Chris also shares honest insights about entrepreneurship, fatherhood, marriage, personal responsibility, podcasting, and the small daily decisions that ultimately shape who we become.

Whether you're a man looking to improve your life, an entrepreneur trying to find balance, a father navigating responsibility, or simply someone who refuses to settle for less, this conversation offers practical lessons and honest perspectives on growth.

Connect with Chris Anderson:

🌐 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-upgraded-man/id1488052556

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Telling My Story, leave a rating and review, and share this conversation with someone who needs a reminder that growth doesn't happen by accident.

What if the cash your business needs isn't sitting in the bank—but is already sitting in your customers' accounts?

In this episode of Telling My Story, I sit down with Bill Ferrier, founder of Ready Set Collect and a credit and collections professional with nearly 40 years of experience, to discuss one of the most important yet often overlooked areas of business: cash flow and accounts receivable.

Bill explains why businesses can struggle financially even when they are profitable, how overdue invoices can tie up valuable working capital, and why improving your collection process can have a significant impact on cash flow and Days Sales Outstanding (DSO).

We explore how companies can train their in-house collection teams to overcome payment objections, recognize early warning signs, ask better questions, and get customers to pay without damaging valuable relationships.

Bill also shares practical strategies for dealing with difficult accounts, improving collection conversations, and turning collections from an uncomfortable business function into a profitability and cash-flow opportunity.

Whether you're a business owner, entrepreneur, finance professional, sales leader, or anyone responsible for getting customers to pay on time, this conversation provides practical lessons you can apply to strengthen your business.

Connect with Bill Ferrier:

🌐 http://readysetcollect.ca/

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Telling My Story, leave a rating and review, and share this conversation with another business owner who could benefit from stronger cash flow.

What does it really take for a B2B technology company to move from founder-led sales to a predictable, scalable revenue engine?

In this episode of Telling My Story, I sit down with Zeeshan Qedwaee, Enterprise Revenue Architect and Commercial Advisor with more than 20 years of global sales leadership experience.

Zeeshan has worked at the intersection of technology, enterprise sales, and business growth, generating tens of millions in enterprise revenue across Fortune 500 and multinational clients. Today, he helps B2B SaaS companies, technology exporters, and founder-led businesses overcome revenue plateaus and build stronger global sales systems.

We discuss why great technology companies can struggle despite having excellent products, the dangers of the founder-led sales trap, and how businesses can create sales processes that don't depend entirely on personal relationships or individual founders.

Zeeshan also explains how to sell complex technology to C-suite decision-makers, use the Cost of Inaction to communicate value, protect contract margins, improve sales forecasting, and navigate international expansion across markets such as North America, Europe, and the Middle East.

We also explore enterprise AI, CRM governance, procurement challenges, value-based selling, and the lessons Zeeshan has learned from more than two decades in the world of B2B technology and enterprise revenue.

Whether you're a startup founder, SaaS entrepreneur, salesperson, technology professional, or business leader looking to scale internationally, this conversation offers practical lessons about turning technology into measurable business growth.

Connect with Zeeshan Qedwaee:

🌐 https://www.linkedin.com/in/zeeshanqedwaee/

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Telling My Story, leave a rating and review, and share this conversation with someone building or scaling a technology business.

What happens when your customers stop searching Google and start asking AI for recommendations?

In this episode of Telling My Story, I sit down with Shanzila Ahmed, AI Search Visibility and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) expert and co-founder of ReachLLM, to explore how artificial intelligence is changing the way people discover businesses and brands.

Shanzila explains why ranking well on Google doesn't necessarily mean ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, or other AI search platforms will recommend your business—and what companies can do to become more visible, credible, and citable in AI-generated answers.

We discuss the difference between SEO and GEO, how AI systems form opinions about brands, the importance of online authority and trusted sources, and what businesses should be doing now to prepare for the future of customer discovery.

Shanzila also shares practical insights from her work measuring AI visibility, competitive share of voice, recommendation position, sentiment, and the sources AI systems rely on when answering customer questions.

Whether you're a business owner, marketer, SaaS founder, e-commerce entrepreneur, SEO professional, or simply curious about the future of search, this conversation offers practical lessons you can start applying today.

Connect with Shanzila Ahmed:

🌐 ReachLLM.com

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Telling My Story, leave a rating and review, and share this conversation with someone who needs to understand how AI is changing the way businesses get discovered.

What does it really mean to build a good life?

In this thoughtful episode of Telling My Story, I sit down with Kirana Sidin, Amazon #1 bestselling author and strategic life coach, to explore how ordinary choices can shape an extraordinary life.

Kirana is the author of Cheers for a Good Life, a bestselling book inspired by her journey of reflection, personal growth, philosophy, and intentional living. Her work challenges us to look beyond conventional ideas of success and ask a deeper question: Are we intentionally building the life we truly want?

In this conversation, Kirana shares the personal story that inspired her journey—from being called “jobless” by her youngest child to discovering a new sense of purpose through reading, reflection, writing, and coaching.

We explore purpose, mindfulness, relationships, personal growth, parenting, money, timeless wisdom, and the small decisions that quietly shape who we become.

Kirana reminds us that a good life isn't something we simply find—it is something we build, one ordinary choice at a time.

Whether you're feeling stuck, searching for purpose, navigating relationships, raising children, or simply trying to live more intentionally, this episode offers practical wisdom and a fresh perspective on what it means to live well.

Connect with Kirana Sidin:

🌐 CheersForAGoodLife.com

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Telling My Story, leave a rating and review, and share this conversation with someone who may need a reminder that meaningful change can begin with one small choice.

What happens to the American Dream when artificial intelligence begins changing the way we work, build businesses, and create wealth?

In this inspiring episode of Telling My Story, I sit down with Bradley Aman, entrepreneur, author, business strategist, storyteller, and founder of the American Dream Book Series.

Bradley shares his remarkable journey of building businesses from the ground up, becoming a millionaire by the age of 40, and eventually selling his primary business after growing it into a national leader in its industry.

Now, Bradley is focused on helping people understand how AI and human ambition can work together to create new opportunities.

In this conversation, we explore the future of work, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, skilled trades, business growth, and whether the American Dream is still achievable in an increasingly technology-driven world.

Bradley also shares why he believes AI should not simply be viewed as a threat to jobs, but as a tool that can amplify human potential, increase productivity, and create new opportunities for people willing to learn and adapt.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, employee, student, skilled-trades professional, or simply curious about where AI is taking the world, this episode offers practical insights and an inspiring perspective on preparing for the future.

Connect with Bradley Aman:

🌐 https://www.youramericadream.com/

Call to Action:

https://youtube.com/shorts/l6mS2bg_Sm0?si=kL2sUkjWd0FP_O0F

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Telling My Story, leave a rating and review, and share this conversation with someone who needs to hear a new perspective on AI and the future of opportunity