The Insight Interviews - Powered by Rewire

Dennis Franczak, Founder and Partner of Bright Matter Advisors, is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive advisor with a deep passion for meaningful impact and legacy. With over two decades of experience, Dennis has navigated the complex landscapes of advertising and business strategy, establishing himself as a thought leader in both fields. As the founder and former CEO of a highly successful advertising agency, he possesses extensive knowledge of the latest trends in advertising and brand strategy.

Today, Dennis dedicates his expertise to CEO and executive advisory, helping leaders scale their businesses, optimize sales processes, and determine the right times to buy or sell their enterprises. After experiencing burnout post-COVID and realizing the detrimental effects of maintaining a façade of the "perfect CEO," he took a six-month sabbatical to reconnect with his core values through therapy and self-reflection, gaining unique insights into challenges like loneliness, isolation, and the struggle for authenticity in leadership.

In this episode, Jason and Dennis discuss:

• Overcoming burnout and isolation to rediscover core values and purpose
• Recognizing work-life imbalance warning signs and breaking points
• Aligning personal values with professional ambitions to leave a lasting legacy
• Importance of mentorship, wellness, and leadership development for personal growth
• Using passion projects like podcasting and global initiatives to create a positive impact

Key Takeaways: 

• Personal struggles, including burnout and isolation, revealed warning signs that led to personal growth and self-awareness as a CEO and entrepreneur.
• Therapy, wellness practices, spirituality, and leadership development were crucial in rediscovering balance and purpose, enabling a focus on both well-being and leaving a lasting legacy.
• The tragic loss of a mentor sparked deep self-reflection and motivated a pursuit of positive change in life and leadership.
• Aligning personal values with professional ambitions strategically built trust and fostered self-reflection to create a meaningful and lasting legacy.
• Passion projects like podcasting, public speaking, music initiatives, and mentoring others became vehicles for transforming personal struggles into impactful, legacy-driven activities.

“I'm basically living my legacy because, with Bright Matter Advisors, I'm using my experience, my flaws, and my weaknesses that I have tried to work through, but continue to work on every day, always to help other people so they don’t experience what happened to me. And that’s really what gives me purpose everyday—doing things with impact.”

 - Dennis Franczak

Connect with Dennis Franczak:

Website: https://brightmatteradvisors.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dfranczak/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamsimplydennis/ 

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Brian Will is a serial entrepreneur, a two-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author, a TEDx speaker, and a leading consultant in business and sales management. Throughout his dynamic career, he has had the privilege of founding or co-founding ten companies across four distinct industries, with valuations soaring over half a billion dollars at their height. His journey has been marked by spearheading turnarounds for diverse companies, from startups to Fortune 500 firms, guiding them to generate billions in sales.

In this episode Jason and Brian discuss:

• Journey from high school dropout to bestselling author and business consultant
• Strategies for negotiation, sales, delegation, and optimizing operations
• Importance of data-driven approaches and effective coaching in business success
• Opportunities for wealth creation and the impact of AI on entrepreneurship
• Embracing gratitude and overcoming hardships in life and business

Key Takeaways: 

• Mastering negotiation and sales tactics is crucial for achieving better business outcomes and driving success in various ventures.
• The strategic delegation of tasks, operational optimization, and positioning a company for acquisition can significantly increase wealth through successful exits.
• A positive mindset, coupled with the right training and coaching, can unlock tremendous wealth-building opportunities in today's data-driven business environment.
• Businesses need tailored consulting, whether focused on mindset, technical, or tactical challenges, to address specific obstacles and foster growth effectively.
• Leveraging AI technologies like ChatGPT enables entrepreneurs to automate tasks, while effective coaching can transform leadership mindsets and align actions with desired results.

“The more negative the world gets, the less people feel like they have the opportunity to succeed, and the better chance there is for you to succeed because you have less competition. If you get your head right, your mind right, you get the right training, the right coaching, the right consulting, you do the right things, you can do anything you want to do, and there's less competition because of the very thing you talked about, which is that negative mindset that's floating around the world.”

 - Brian Will

Connect with Brian Will:

Website: https://brianwillmedia.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-will-07823b6/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropoutmm/ 

Brian’s BOOKS: https://brianwillmedia.com/books-new/ 

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Kamila Gornia is the founder of Heart Behind Hustle® and Evergreen Icon. She has been supporting online coaches & course creators with marketing and sales for the last decade. She helps her clients scale by creating an evergreen, scalable, and recurring business foundation so they can get sales without the need for sales calls, social selling in the DMs, or posting daily on social media - allowing them to create true sustainability and freedom in their business. To date, her advice has helped over 25,000 entrepreneurs which has resulted in over $2M+ in revenue.

In this episode, Jason and Kamila discuss:

• Overcome language barriers while building a successful business as an immigrant
• Leverage online communities and content creation for entrepreneurial growth
• Balance family life, boundaries, and priorities as a serial entrepreneur
• Embrace AI as a tool for creativity and innovation in business
• Foster an abundance mindset to enhance effortless selling and impact

Key Takeaways: 

• The power of resilience is evident, showing how having a supportive partner helps entrepreneurs navigate the ups and downs of business, fostering long-term success.
• A strategic focus on niche marketing, leveraging relationships, SEO, and volunteer networks, demonstrates how entrepreneurs can effectively position themselves in specialized markets.
• A shift from blogging and social media to coaching reveals the importance of adaptability, underscoring how entrepreneurs can pivot and grow their businesses through multiple channels.
• AI and paid advertising emerge as valuable tools for enhancing creativity and streamlining processes, offering immediate feedback while avoiding the inefficiencies of vague social media efforts.
• Setting boundaries based on priorities and life seasons helps maintain work-life balance, while a clear, abundance-driven mindset is key to fostering confidence and effortless selling.

“I am a really big fan of paid advertising. If the person has even a small budget, I always recommend going with ads because it just accelerates everything.”

 - Kamila Gornia

Connect with Kamila Gornia:

Website: https://heartbehindhustle.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kgornia/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartbehindhustle/ 

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Emma Donovan is a seasoned entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience in brand strategy and professional profiling. As co-founder of Dapper, she excels in creating innovative products and collaborating with brilliant minds. Emma’s superpower lies in injecting enthusiasm and vibrancy into any situation. Currently, Emma’s focus is on sustainable ways to approach personal brand development for entrepreneurs and leadership teams, in a way that’s authentic and creates space to build their brands with intention.

In this episode, Steve and Emma discuss:

• Evolving personal branding through cultural experiences
• Overcoming fear of self-promotion with a learning mindset
• Building confidence and tackling imposter syndrome
• Managing work-life balance with energy and "white space"
• Energizing in-person connections for authenticity and growth

Key Takeaways: 

• Personal branding evolves continuously, adapting to new experiences and shifting goals, allowing individuals to stay relevant and authentic over time.
• Building authentic relationships across cultures and time zones fosters personal growth and aligns with core values, creating deeper connections in both personal and professional contexts.
• Tackling imposter syndrome is essential for empowering individuals to confidently share their stories, which helps them shine and excel without self-doubt holding them back.
• Injecting fun and balance into work through energy management, creating "white space" in calendars, and intentional scheduling help prevent burnout and foster a more fulfilling, sustainable work-life experience.
• A structured, introspective process helps individuals reshape their personal narratives, embrace their freedom of choice, and build authentic, purpose-driven brands.

“My personal values are freedom, vitality, and connection. And I think my personality and what I value, like authentic human connection, is everything. So, something we are working on is launching retreats because I feel immersing people in this way of thinking, being, and building a strong, authentic brand takes what we offer to a whole new level. When I talk about this, my energy rises because it’s all about future opportunities—ways to evolve what we do to serve our clients better and build a bigger community of empowered, confident people who embrace finding joy.”

 - Emma Donovan

Connect with Emma Donovan:

Website: https://becomedapper.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmadonovan-dapper/ 

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Andrew Bartlow is the Founder and Managing Partner of Series B Consulting, which advises PE and VC-backed organizations. He co-authored “Scaling for Success”, published by Columbia University Business School, and teaches at some of the world’s leading educational institutions. Over his long in-house career, Andrew participated in over a dozen M&A transactions, IPOs, bankruptcies, and successful PE sponsor exits. He advised scores of C-level executives, supported employee populations of 5,000+, built numerous HR functions, and learned from the best while at Pepsi and GE. His last in-house role was as the head of HR for what is now Invitation Homes, which he helped take from a small private organization to a public company with a market cap of over $20B.

In this episode Jason and Andrew discuss:

• Scaling businesses through mergers, acquisitions, IPOs, and private equity exits
• Effective people management strategies for high-growth companies
• Pitfalls of blindly following trendy management practices
• Four C's of leadership: clarity, consistency, communication, and consequences
• Leveraging AI and technology while monitoring its workplace impact

Key Takeaways: 

• Fuel both personal and professional growth by embracing ambition, taking calculated risks, and gaining diverse experiences. Success is achieved by aligning personal fulfillment with career advancement.
• Effective people management in rapidly growing businesses relies on mastering the leadership fundamentals four C’s—clarity, consistency, communication, and consequences—while avoiding one-size-fits-all management trends.
• Experiment with emerging technologies like AI to boost workplace efficiency but remain mindful of their broader impact on work environments and industry structures.
• Remote and hybrid work models are shifting demand toward larger homes and home offices while decreasing the need for traditional commercial office spaces.
• Upskill HR professionals and structure teams around clear goals and accountability to foster growth, productivity, and long-term success in an evolving business landscape.

“Success is meeting your goals or achieving or surpassing your goals. But to have success, you have to have a goal. You have to have some destination in mind. So, if you don't have a destination, if you don't have a goal, you cannot have success. So, you need to be able to chart your course. You need to be able to articulate what good looks like for you. If that's a certain revenue number, if that is delivering a certain number of shoes to the undeveloped world, whatever it is, have a goal, and that will be a very important first step on your road to success.”

 - Andrew Bartlow

Connect with Andrew Bartlow:

Website: https://www.seriesbconsulting.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartlow/ 

Andrew’s BOOK: https://www.scalingforsuccessbook.com/

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Are you looking to propel your business to new heights and make Q4 your strongest quarter yet? Jason and Steve share three key factors that helped a client outperform industry leaders, despite operating in a struggling sector. Discover how tying your passion and energy to a deeper purpose can refresh your motivation, how approaching Q4 with a fresh perspective can rejuvenate your business practices, and how the power of measurable goals can drive continual improvement. Gain actionable strategies and elevate your success in this final push!

In this episode Jason and Steve discuss:

• Rewiring your mindset for a strong Q4 finish
• Tying passion and focus to a deeper purpose for renewed motivation
• Approaching Q4 with a fresh, rejuvenated perspective
• Measuring progress by involving others and seeking new insights
• Embracing measurable goals for growth and long-term success

Key Takeaways: 

• Three key factors for a strong finish in Q4: tie your motivation to a deeper purpose, approach Q4 with a fresh, rejuvenated perspective, and involve others to gain new insights and measure progress.
• Seeking new perspectives from community members or coaches can rejuvenate business practices.
• Measuring progress through fresh eyes enables self-awareness and continual improvement.
• Having a plan with measurable goals requires courage but is necessary for growth and success.
• Strategic ambiguity provides an illusion of freedom while measuring tangible goals leads to real freedom and success.

“For this final push, the three surprising truths we discussed are: tie your efforts to something meaningful, anchor them by knowing your 'why,' and rejuvenate with fresh perspectives. Finally, the third key is to measure your progress.”

 - Jason Abell

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Michael Roub is the Managing Partner of Inflection 360. He has more than two decades of expertise as a strategic advisor, consultant, executive, and investment banker. A healthcare and wellness expert, Michael also has extensive experience in strategy, M&A, and capital raising. Prior to starting Inflection 360, he held executive roles at Western Dental and US HealthWorks and previously developed and operated surgical centers. He began his career as an investment banker with DLJ. Michael holds a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of Business and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

In this episode Jason and Michael discuss:

• Transition from investment banking to healthcare executive and strategic advisor
• The importance of real-world exposure and collaborative projects during his education
• Strategic advisory, M&A, and legacy planning for C-suite executives
• Balancing focus on core operations while exploring growth opportunities
• The transformative impact of AI, machine learning, and natural language processing on businesses across industries

Key Takeaways: 

• Focus on preparedness rather than memorized rehearsal to ensure effective communication and minimize stress during important interactions. Thoughtfully planning ahead allows for smoother, more genuine conversations.
• Every business has unique needs and challenges. Take the time to listen, observe, and fully understand these nuances before offering any solutions or making decisions.
• It’s crucial to keep core operations running smoothly while remaining adaptable to new opportunities for growth. Balancing these two priorities helps create long-term success.
• With increasing access to capital from sources like private equity and family offices, thorough reciprocal due diligence is essential to protect interests on both sides of the deal.
• Embrace emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and Natural language processing to remain competitive, but always verify the accuracy of the information to ensure sound decision-making.

“We can be aware of all the opportunities we want to pursue, but functionally, maybe one person tackles one front while someone else tackles another. Or maybe the company, as it's set up, can only handle one change at a time. You think in chess—planning moves ahead—but you're playing like checkers, moving one step at a time. If not, you risk throwing things into disarray. You can’t do everything at once, and I see that every day, not just professionally but personally too.”

 - Michael Roub

Connect with Michael Roub:

Website: https://inflection360.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelroub/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Kait LeDonne is a personal branding expert based in New York, New York, who builds thought leadership brands using content marketing strategies and social media. She is regularly featured in national and international publications as a commentator on celebrity and corporate brands. She has trained corporations and organizations like the United States Air Force, Kia Automotive Group, and GGI Global Alliance on the science and art of personal branding.

In this episode, Jason and Kait discuss:

• Transition from finance to LinkedIn thought leadership
• Importance of fostering genuine online connections
• Value of quality content over generic posts
• LinkedIn’s long-term viability for personal branding
• Role of mentor-inspired lessons and personal milestones in building relationships

Key Takeaways: 

• The transition from a finance career to LinkedIn thought leadership demonstrates a path to significant follower growth and business success, reflecting a growing interest in this strategic shift.
• The cultivation of authentic online communities proves essential, as genuine relationships offer more value than merely increasing audience numbers.
• LinkedIn's focus on content that fosters meaningful dialogue stands out as more effective than traditional marketing tactics, driving higher engagement and impact.
• Leveraging LinkedIn as a professional platform reveals its potential for long-term, impactful personal branding, making it a strategic choice for sustained growth.
• Sharing consistent, mentor-inspired lessons is an effective personal branding strategy, enabling deeper audience connections and positioning oneself as a trusted authority.

“It's never been easier to create content, but it's never been harder to create connections. If you can make that your MO, you’ll stand out in a world where mediocrity at scale is common. Presence and connection at scale are not. Intimacy at scale is not. And that will be the currency of the future.”

 - Kait LeDonne

Connect with Kait LeDonne:

Website: https://www.kaitledonne.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitledonne-personalbrandingexpert/ 

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Thomas Ryan, CEO and founder of Bigly Sales, is a visionary leader transforming business communications through innovative AI solutions. With a background in staffing and executive experience at Workbeast LLC, Thomas identified the need for more efficient communication processes and founded Bigly Sales in 2020. Under his leadership, Bigly Sales is revolutionizing the industry by replacing traditional call centers with advanced AI technology that offers 24/7 multilingual support in English and Spanish. This approach significantly reduces operational costs by up to 90% and boosts conversion rates, all while ensuring compliance with TCPA and HIPAA standards for data protection. Thomas's dedication to efficiency and client satisfaction positions Bigly Sales as a trailblazer in the tech industry, committed to enhancing business communications through the power of artificial intelligence.

In this episode, Jason and Thomas discuss:

• Thomas’s journey to founding Bigly Sales, an AI company during the COVID-19 lockdowns, highlights his resilience and innovation
• Businesses are leveraging AI to automate tasks like lead qualification, customer support, and content generation
• The current near-zero AI adoption in organizations is expected to be followed by an imminent spike in usage
• Ryan envisions hyper-persuasive AI outperforming human salespeople through personalization
• AI-powered landing pages, product demos, and AI-driven sales processes are transforming the way businesses engage with customers

Key Takeaways: 

• AI is revolutionizing businesses by automating tasks faster, cheaper, and more accurately than humans, with adoption expected to spike as it outperforms human performance.
• Organizations are leveraging AI in various ways, from graphic design to content creation, SEO optimization, and lead generation through automated conversations driving increased sales.
• Thomas' startup Bigly Sales is harnessing AI for lead generation, automated product demos, and end-to-end sales automation using avatars, incorporating targeted advertising and customer data capture.
• AI's capabilities in persuasion, personalization, and rapidly evolving context windows will enable extreme information gathering and human-surpassing persuasiveness within a few years.
• While AI automation optimizes manual tasks, enhancing human capabilities, it's crucial to consider unintended consequences as the technology continues to advance.

“I see AI as hyper-persuasive—far better than any sales rep. It will know everything about you, have access to all your social media, and even be aware of everything you've ever read. AI will understand you and millions of others like you, knowing exactly what your levers are—how to speak to you, what accent to use, and what persona to adopt to truly move you. I see it using all the collective information available on the internet to be more persuasive than any human salesperson.”

 - Thomas Ryan

Connect with Thomas Ryan:

Website: https://biglysales.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-ryan-5302751/ 

Landing Page Builder: https://biglypage.com/ 

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Adele Gambardella is a seasoned public relations expert with over 15 years of experience owning and managing a Top 20 PR firm in Washington, DC. She has represented Fortune 100 companies such as DuPont, Lockheed Martin, and Verizon, serving as a spokesperson and securing high-profile media coverage on platforms like Good Morning America, The Today Show, and The New York Times.

Adele has also been a PR strategist, corporate counsel, and crisis management consultant for clients including Facebook, Johnson & Johnson, and President Joe Biden. She is the co-author of the book Convince Me: High-Stakes Negotiation Tactics to Get Results in Any Business Situation. She speaks and advises globally, including at the United Nations, and has taught at prestigious universities like Princeton and Georgetown. Starting her career as a journalist, she contributes to The Wall Street Journal, Inc., and Entrepreneur magazines. Her agency, formerly titled Epic, has been reinvented to focus on the science of convincing and rebranded as the Convincing Company.

In this episode, Jason and Adele discuss:

• Career transitions and establishing a PR firm post-firing
• Strategies for simplifying crisis management in high-stakes situations
• Intricacies of media strategy and concept of 'fairness fallacy' in business crises
• Impact of predictive memory on leadership and decision-making
• Benefits of forensic listening and negotiation techniques in business and personal contexts

Key Takeaways: 

• Adele's narrative illustrates that career setbacks, such as being fired, can paradoxically open doors to greater opportunities, including starting a successful PR firm.
• Simplification is key in crisis management, as demonstrated by the strategy adopted for Marilyn Houston, showcasing the importance of focusing on a few critical points.
• The 'fairness fallacy' reveals a common pitfall for businesses attempting to navigate crises unaided, highlighting the need for expert guidance through turbulent times.
• Predictive memory emphasizes the significance of leveraging past experiences to shape future actions, with a call to remain receptive to new learning avenues and methods.
• Forensic listening, distinct from active listening, serves as an advanced skill that fosters empathy and precision in understanding, thus enhancing leadership decision-making and client rapport.

“I would say the person who is malleable is the one who will get through the crisis the easiest. If they can recognize their own role in why they got into the crisis, they'll be better able to recover. You want to forgive yourself, move past it, and understand that by taking certain actions, you can reach the light on the other side.”

 - Adele Gambardella

Connect with Adele Gambardella:

Website: https://convincingcompany.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adelecehrs/ 

Adele’s BOOK: https://convincingcompany.com/convince-me-book/ 

Training So Good Program: https://trainingsogood.com/ 

Email: [email protected] 

Connect with Steve and Jason:

LinkedIn: Jason or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [email protected]

Show notes by Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.