The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends

When Dan Hurst (www.DanHurst.com) was born in Texas, his parents moved. To Honduras. They thought he wouldn't find them. He grew up speaking Spanish. Well, “grew up” might be stretching it a bit. When he was 14 years old he got his first job in radio.  The radio station changed its locks on him. His parents sent him to reform school.  He got kicked out. He finally graduated from High School although the principal "forgot" to call his name at graduation. He spent 13 of the best years of his life in college. 4 different ones. And he actually graduated! He got married and had 3 children.  They moved out.  But they keep coming back to eat. He had a dog, but it ran away. He’s been a voice talent for over 25 years. Mostly because he’s not any good at anything else. He spends most of his days in a small, dark voiceover booth talking to himself.

But other than that, it's been a pretty normal life.

Oh, and by the way, he just won the 2022 Golden Trailer Award (the Oscars of voiceovers) for his work for HBO/Max’s TV series – Winning Time: The Rise of the Laker Dynasty (see the trailer here: Winning Time)

Please enjoy my conversation with the very funny Dan Hurst!

When Dan Hurst (www.DanHurst.com) was born in Texas, his parents moved. To Honduras. They thought he wouldn't find them. He grew up speaking Spanish. Well, “grew up” might be stretching it a bit. When he was 14 years old he got his first job in radio.  The radio station changed its locks on him. His parents sent him to reform school.  He got kicked out. He finally graduated from High School although the principal "forgot" to call his name at graduation. He spent 13 of the best years of his life in college. 4 different ones. And he actually graduated! He got married and had 3 children.  They moved out.  But they keep coming back to eat. He had a dog, but it ran away. He’s been a voice talent for over 25 years. Mostly because he’s not any good at anything else. He spends most of his days in a small, dark voiceover booth talking to himself.

But other than that, it's been a pretty normal life.

Oh, and by the way, he just won the 2022 Golden Trailer Award (the Oscars of voiceovers) for his work for HBO/Max’s TV series – Winning Time: The Rise of the Laker Dynasty (see the trailer here: Winning Time)

Please enjoy my conversation with the very funny Dan Hurst!

Cody Isabel is a brain researcher, entrepreneur, and the CEO & Co-Founder of Mind Brain and Body Lab (https://www.mindbrainbodylab.com/) which focuses on bringing successful treatment outcomes to those healing from CPTSD & anxiety caused by traumas like emotional abuse, and burnout, or after a breakup/divorce.

They use AI algorithms to analyze the biometric & behavioral data to aid in the treatments we provide our clients. Their mission is to provide better ways to objectively measure, diagnose, and treat individual mental health conditions.

Please enjoy my conversation with Cody!

Komalpreet “Komal” Kaur is the 18-year-old founder of Eye of An Immigrant (https://www.eyeofanimmigrant.org/ ), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to sharing the stories of the immigrant journey and to providing resources and funds for immigrants to gain a legal pathway to citizenship.

Komal is a freshman at the University of Kansas majoring in Political Science and Business Administration with a minor in Intelligence and National Security Studies on the pre-law track in the Honors program. At the University of Kansas, she is a Student Senator serving on the Finance Council and a member of the South Asian Student Association Executive Board.

Before starting college, Kaur was deeply involved in youth activism and involvement in local government. She served as the two-time co-chair of the Olathe Teen Council and interned in the City Manager’s Office at the City of Olathe her senior year.

Kaur’s family immigrated from Punjab, India to the United States in the late 1980s. She was born and raised in Queens, New York, and moved to Olathe, Kansas in 2017.

Please enjoy my conversation with Komal!

If you are moved by Komal’s inspirational story and helping immigrants you can donate to Eye of An Immigrant here: https://www.eyeofanimmigrant.org/

​Michael Smith is a 25+ year veteran of the IT industry.  Michael has led several complex digital and operational transformations for various companies during his career.  Most recently, he led an end-to-end business and digital transformation for a national healthcare association.  His efforts were recognized as recently as 2020, being named one of the 100 most innovative CIOs globally.  Furthermore, his teams have been identified as some of the most innovative in the industry, including being recognized as one of the 100 best companies to work for in IT in 2021 across the United States.  The team he managed, and the organization he led the technology strategy for was the only company in Kansas City to receive that designation.  During Michael’s career, he has worked for some of the largest Fortune 500 companies in the world, as well as a successful consulting career, affording him the opportunity to work across various industries.  As an experienced, award-winning technology strategist with an extensive executive leadership background, Michael is uniquely positioned to meet organizational strategic objectives while enforcing IT execution to achieve more significant growth and sustained profitability.

Michael is currently the CIO for a startup biotechnology company in the greater Kansas City area focused on revolutionizing and disrupting the sample prep Microbiology industry; through a patented technology process that uniquely positions the company for significant growth and expansion opportunities.

You will enjoy my conversation with Michael!

Frank Bonura started as an information technology recruiter in 1979 with a focus on the contract‐for‐hire methodology. Pursuing his passion for executive recruiting he launched Alternative Search in 1984 focusing on information technology and C-level search engagements.

In 1987, Frank gained a reputation for connecting people regardless of their personal or professional stations in life. By the end of the decade, he came to be known as “The Connector”. Business owners/leaders who recognize that “relationships” are a major contributor to their company’s success hired Frank to introduce them to other like‐minded business owners/leaders (Frank wants people to know that relationship creation and nurturing are not to be confused with networking, which is nothing more than “card swapping”).

In 2008, he founded Franklin Executive Solutions, LLC (https://feskc.com/), and created the Executive Agent (EA) methodology.  Frank used this to manage the careers of executive operators in much the same fashion that professional agents represent the interests of actors and athletes.  With the support of a research team, he did everything from identifying and pursuing EA client opportunities to negotiating the terms and conditions of each engagement.  Also, as an alternative to outplacement services, Frank began providing “unorthodox” career management counseling and transition support services to displaced employees of companies at every professional level.

At the start of 2015, he became acquainted with many military veterans and their unique post-service employment transition.  Through introductions, Frank uncovered an urgent need for a paradigm shift in how veterans and employers viewed each other.  In analyzing this need, he defined a methodology by which veterans can create and secure the opportunities they deserve.

In 2017 Frank's business partner, Elizabeth Allen Founder of Economy of One, and Frank created a ten-module workshop.  The workshop "Creating Opportunities Instead of Chasing Jobs" has been successfully delivered to the private sector, military, colleges, and universities.

As a Kansas City native, his wife Danita and Frank have two daughters and five grandchildren. His interests are my faith, family, golf, and creating measurable value for all he encounters.

Please enjoy my conversation with "The Connector", Frank Bonura!

​Scott ​Burditt (linkedin.com/in/scottburditt) is genuinely interested in learning about others and loves nothing more than listening to customers tell their stories of ​"jobs" they​ are ​trying to get done unsuccessfully. For two decades, ​Scott has used those

He​ has changed the way investors transact business by leading the creation of the first transactional mutual fund website. ​Scott saved the financial services industry millions by overseeing the development of the industry’s first electronic statement, trade confirmation, and compliance documentation. He identified new uses for an old agricultural commodity by facilitating the collaboration of scientists, government officials, business executives, and international diplomats. ​Scott helped credit unions underwrite jumbo mortgages by partnering with investment banks to create a credit union mortgage-backed security. And, he changed the value proposition of a creative services firm from printed retail signage to digital resulting in a 55 percent

Scott’s broad industry experience, laser focus on customers, innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, curiosity for discovering the root of any problem, and collaborative approach to aligning people around a common vision enable him to invent, communicate and execute transformative strategies that achieve

You will enjoy my conversation with Scott!​