Strategic communication works a lot like MMA. You train. You plan. You step into a high-pressure moment and you fight for a clear outcome.

In this conversation, Joe Pardavila talks with Dr. Patrick Riccards, author of Strategic Strikes. Patrick has spent thirty years helping leaders communicate through high-stakes moments. He has advised Fortune 500 companies, three presidential administrations, and executives facing career-defining challenges.

He also trains as an MMA fighter, which gives him a unique view of strategy, pressure, and execution. Patrick explains why communication is a fight for attention, trust, and clarity.

He shares stories from the field, including how a hospital handled a major crisis and kept the story contained. He outlines how leaders waste time by reacting to the wrong things, why some crises never deserve a response, and how to judge when a story is about to grow.

You will hear how social platforms changed news cycles, how aggregation reshaped the media, and why most leaders still misjudge their audience. If you communicate under pressure, lead teams, or work in complex environments, this conversation gives you practical steps you can apply today.

Joe Pardavila talks with Bob Kocis, President and COO of Aptean and author of The President’s Club Mindset, about the habits and systems that drive top sales performance. Bob shares the early career moment that reset his priorities, how elite sellers use consistency and curiosity to close high value deals, and why the best performers focus on customer outcomes instead of pressure tactics.

You get a clear breakdown of modern tech sales, including how to manage time, build internal alignment, improve cold outreach, and stay proactive in complex buying cycles. Bob also explains the role of empathy in sales, how to avoid overreliance on hustle culture, and what he learned interviewing sellers with more than 150 combined President’s Club awards.

Blake Shumate joins Joe Pardavila for a conversation about responsibility, faith, identity, and the long road toward emotional growth. Blake opens up about caring for his sister Crystal at a young age, navigating a distant relationship with his mother, and finding his first sense of belonging through wrestling. He also shares how an MS diagnosis forced him to slow down, rethink the way he worked, and rebuild his understanding of purpose and connection. Blake talks through the moments that shaped him, the habits that held him back, and the shift from self-reliance to surrender that helped him rebuild his relationships. His new book, Wrestling for Truth: One Man’s Search for Health, Family, and the Ideal Life, tells that full story, but this episode gives you a powerful look at the turning points that changed him.

Retirement is more emotional than most people expect. In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila talks with Crystal Lynn Garrett about why financially prepared people still feel anxious, how identity shifts hit hard once work stops, and what “failing” retirement looks like.

Crystal shares practical examples of tax mistakes, investing blind spots, and why trends like AI stocks tempt people into risky decisions. She breaks down how to avoid common retirement traps, how to plan for longer lifespans, and what a healthy, confident transition into retirement should look like.

Crystal also reflects on her own future retirement and why she dedicated her book to her parents. This conversation gives you a clear look at the emotional and financial realities that shape life after work.

In this episode of Entrepreneur | Authorities, Demos Parneros walks through the lessons he picked up across three decades in retail and e-commerce. He helped Staples grow from five stores to a national brand, led Barnes & Noble through major change, and now mentors founders who want to build durable companies. You get a clear look at what strong leadership, smart scaling, and founder mindset look like in real life.

What You’ll Learn
• How Staples scaled from a single store to a national chain
• The leadership habits that helped Demos move across HR, marketing, operations, and real estate
• How early e-commerce prepared leaders for the AI wave
• What boards do and what CEOs need from them
• What Demos looks for in a founder
• How first generation experiences shaped his approach to work and leadership

Episode Highlights
00:00 Introduction
01:00 How Staples started and why the industry needed disruption
03:00 Leaving a stable job at Macy’s for a startup
05:00 Early lessons on scaling stores and fixing problems fast
07:00 Rotating through HR, marketing, merchandising, and operations
10:00 How those moves shaped his leadership approach
11:00 When he knew Staples was a national brand
13:00 Staying connected to 55,000 employees
15:00 How e-commerce changed the business
17:00 Why customers choose stores, online, or both
18:00 AI hype versus consumer reality
20:00 What board work looks like in practice
22:00 What CEOs want from a board
24:00 Startups then and now
26:00 What draws him to a founder
28:00 Why ideas still matter
30:00 How strong founders use AI
32:00 Leadership lessons from his childhood in Cyprus
34:00 How he learned English and why curiosity still drives him


Contact Demos Parneros
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/demosparneros
• Website: demosparneros.com

On this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila sits down with civic entrepreneur, investor, and author Oliver B. Libby to discuss his bold new book, Strong Floor, No Ceiling: Building a New Foundation for the American Dream. Oliver shares how his experience across government, business, and philanthropy shaped his philosophy of “radical moderation”—a practical, people-first approach to rebuilding opportunity in America. He explains why the middle ground matters more than ever, how partisanship has paralyzed progress, and what a realistic path forward looks like for a divided nation.

The conversation covers: *Why politics and business can no longer be separate conversations *How to rebuild trust and shared experience in a fractured democracy *Why healthcare, education, and innovation must serve both people and growth * The future of work in the age of AI and automation *What the “American Dream” means today, and how to restore faith in it

From policy paralysis to economic inequality, Oliver argues that America’s renewal depends on common sense, civic engagement, and a shared belief in a strong floor and limitless ceiling for everyone.

In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila sits down with Rick Tollakson, CEO of Hubbell Realty Company and author of Think Bigger, Lead Better: Eight to Great Principles for Organizational Success. For more than 20 years, Rick has shaped Hubbell into one of Iowa’s most respected real estate organizations, known for its “Extreme Builds” and deep community involvement. Rick shares how a chance meeting with Sister Stella Neill changed the trajectory of his leadership philosophy, inspiring him to “think bigger” and challenge others to do the same. He discusses how empathy and passion drive company culture, what it takes to balance entrepreneurial freedom with accountability, and how to build a lasting legacy through people and purpose.

In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila sits down with Rosemary Everton, author of Maid in America: A Journey of Resilience, Determination, and the American Dream. Her story begins on a small Delaware farm and leads to building a thriving cleaning company that now employs hundreds. Along the way, she overcame teenage motherhood, personal loss, and countless setbacks through faith, hard work, and grit. Rose-mary shares how a letter she wrote about returning to school caught the attention of President George H.W. Bush, why she believes success comes down to focus and effort, and what she’s learned from over 50 years of marriage and entrepreneurship. Rosemary’s journey is proof that the American dream still lives—if you’re willing to work for it.

In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila sits down with orthodontist and author Dr. Emily Taing Watson to explore her family’s remarkable story of resilience, faith, and perseverance. Drawing from her book Roots of Resilience: Lessons in Courage, Family, and the Power of Showing Up Every Day, Emily reflects on her parents’ escape from Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge era and how their courage and tireless work ethic shaped her life and values. Emily shares vivid memories of growing up in her family’s donut shop in Indiana, the lessons she absorbed about gratitude and grit, and the challenges of building her own thriving orthodontic practice. She discusses the importance of empathy in leadership, the long road to building the right team, and how her parents’ sacrifices still guide her approach to business and motherhood. This is a moving conversation about family legacy, cultural identity, and the mindset needed to build a meaningful life from humble beginnings. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or first-generation success story, Emily’s journey will remind you why showing up every day—with courage and consistency—matters most.

On this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila sits down with Dr. Lisa Piercey, physician, investor, and former Tennessee Commissioner of Health. Lisa shares how she went from corporate healthcare to entrepreneurship through acquisition, building and growing small businesses while balancing life as a mother of four.

She talks about: * The turning point that led her from practicing medicine to earning an MBA instead of having a fifth child * Lessons learned running Tennessee’s health department during the pandemic * Why she buys profitable, scalable businesses and how she improves them with data and processes * The risks and rewards of leaving a steady job to become a business owner * Actionable advice for writing your own “search thesis”

if you want to acquire a business This conversation is packed with practical insights for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, investing, or making a major career pivot.