The Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast

In this inspiring episode of the Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast, hosts Dr. Mosongo Moukwa and Valorie Smith welcome Eileen Kerlin Walsh, attorney, author, and founder of Kerlin Walsh Law in the Chicago area.

Eileen shares her remarkable life story—growing up as one of 12 children on a small farm in rural Northern Ireland during political civil conflict, immigrating to the United States through a youth exchange program, and rising from a country club waitress to a public defender and eventually founding her own multi-attorney estate planning firm from her kitchen table.

She reflects on the critical mindset shift from feeling "unentitled" to stepping into leadership, why she chose to be a "healer" rather than a "warrior" in the legal profession, how her firm built its reputation on "Warmth and Competence" and how her family navigated the dark years of the 2008 financial crisis.

Kerlin Walsh Law Phone: (708) 448-5169

Office Location: Palos Heights, Illinois (Southwest Suburbs of Chicago)

Upcoming TED Talk: "Two Things This Attorney Learned at Deathbeds She Should Not Have Been At"

Join the Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast Forum: https://connect.kphred.com/forums/forum/distinguished-entrepreneur/

Valorie Smith, Dr. Mosongo Moukwa, Andrew Akers - The Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast:

What does success really mean after four decades in finance, investing, entrepreneurship, and advisory work?

In this episode of the Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast, hosts Dr. Mosongo Moukwa and Valorie Smith sit down with Andrew “Andy” Akers—a seasoned financial executive, investor, entrepreneur, and advisor.

Andy reflects on a career that took him from engineering to Wall Street, institutional finance, private investing, real estate, entrepreneurship, and business advisory. He shares the enduring lessons behind building successful businesses: lead with curiosity, solve the right problem, create happy clients, and recognize that behind every spreadsheet, deal, and KPI are human beings.

The conversation explores:

How Andy’s first car-waxing business taught him the importance of customer experience and repeat business

Why the best entrepreneurs are often builders, problem-solvers, and lifelong learners

What happens when money, ownership, family, and relationships collide

Why capable people can make poor decisions when emotion overrides judgment

How to slow down, regain clarity, and make better decisions amid uncertainty

Why financial achievement alone is not a complete measure of success

How family, fulfillment, purpose, and personal growth reshape the definition of a meaningful life

The work Andy does through Resolve Advisory with business owners, investors, and individuals navigating consequential decisions and conflict

Andy also discusses his work with Resolve Advisory, where he helps clients navigate issues involving capital, ownership, leadership, relationships, conflict, significant assets, and uncertainty.

Guest: Andrew “Andy” Akers

Connect with Andy Akers and learn more about Resolve Advisory:

If this conversation gave you a fresh perspective on business, leadership, decision-making, or success, please like, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with an entrepreneur who would benefit from it.

What happens when the life you planned is no longer an option?

In this episode of the Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast, Dr. Mosongo Moukwa and Valorie Smith sit down with Ron Nussbaum—U.S. Marine veteran, entrepreneur, author, host of the Construction Champions podcast, and co-founder of Ask a Shop Owner.

Ron shares how he went from BMX racing and basketball dreams to serving as an infantry Marine, including deployment to Iraq. After leaving the military without a clear next path, he took a chance on a Craigslist construction job—even though he had no construction experience—and found the mission, camaraderie, and opportunity he had been searching for.

The conversation goes far beyond construction. Ron breaks down a leadership truth every entrepreneur needs to hear:

You cannot scale past unresolved problems—you only scale them bigger.

He explains how hiring struggles, weak training, unclear expectations, and culture breakdowns often trace back to ownership and management. Rather than blaming employees or applying temporary fixes, leaders must examine the root cause, check their ego, and build systems that allow people to succeed.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Ron transitioned from the Marines into entrepreneurship and construction

Why construction can offer extraordinary opportunity for people willing to show up and learn

The mindset shift from chasing material success to building a peaceful, meaningful life

Why the real source of many “employee problems” starts with leadership

How to identify root causes instead of putting band-aids on business issues

Why hiring faster will not solve a broken culture or unclear systems

The leadership question Ron uses in difficult meetings: “Is the problem in this room?”

How Ask a Shop Owner uses real-world business-operator insights to help small-business owners build actionable plans

Ron also shares the vision behind Ask a Shop Owner, an AI-powered platform designed to give entrepreneurs, skilled-trades professionals, and shop owners practical, on-demand guidance when they face real business challenges. The platform is built around insights gathered from thousands of business owners, entrepreneurs, and operators—not simply generic internet answers.

If you are building a company, leading a team, hiring employees, navigating a career change, or trying to create a life that feels successful on your own terms, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Ron Nussbaum on LinkedIn, and explore his work with Ask a Shop Owner and Construction Champions

Learn more about The Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast: https://kphred.com/playing-on-kphred/the-distinguished-entrepreneur-podcast/

What happens when you go from the pinnacle of corporate leadership to losing total control of your life in seconds In this powerful episode of The Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast, hosts Dr. Mosongo Moukwa and Valorie Smith sit down with José Pereira, former CEO of Citgo Petroleum.

After spending over 35 years building a distinguished career in the oil and gas industry, José’s life took a dramatic turn during a 2017 business trip to Venezuela. Arrested alongside five executive colleagues as part of the Citgo 6, José spent 1,775 days (nearly five years) held hostage in a dungeon before his unexpected release in October 2022.

In this intimate conversation, José goes beyond the news headlines to share how stripped-away titles, power, and freedom forced him to confront ego, rediscover his faith, and unlock an unbreakable inner strength. He details the daily survival routine inside a 100-square-foot cell, the letters smuggled in trash cans that became his published book, and how he turned trauma into a global mission of leadership, resilience, and purpose.

Relevant Links & Resources

Official Website & Platform: Visit Jose Connect: https://joseconnect.com

Dr. Mosongo Moukwa, Valorie Smith, LaWanna Bradford

In this inspiring episode of The Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast, hosts Dr. Mosongo Moukwa and Valorie Smith dive deep with LaWanna Bradford—an award-winning strategic architect, media personality, five-time international best-selling author, and recipient of the 2023 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Behind her stellar professional accomplishments lies a profound, deeply personal story of resilience and survival

This conversation is a masterclass on how "seeds of greatness" germinate during life's most difficult moments, and how entrepreneurs can build sustainable communities that leave a legacy for generations to come

Dr Mosongo Moukwa, Valorie Smith

In this episode, hosts Dr. Mosongo Moukwa and Valorie Smith discuss the complexities of professional growth and personal fulfillment. If you are looking for guidance on creating a meaningful life while managing the rigors of entrepreneurship, this conversation provides practical perspectives on balancing these two often conflicting goals.

Throughout the interview, we examine the stories and lessons that define successful business leadership. Valorie Smith shares her experiences, offering insights into how to navigate the challenges inherent in building a venture that aligns with your values. This discussion is designed for anyone seeking to build a legacy that goes beyond the bottom line.

Subscribe for weekly entrepreneurship tips, and let us know in the comments: what is the biggest challenge you face in balancing your work and personal life?

Join the conversation at: https://connect.kphred.com/forums/forum/wealth-with-valor/