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What happens when a fallen preacher finds redemption behind prison walls? Kit Cummings shares his extraordinary journey from respected church leader to rock bottom, and how this painful path ultimately led him to discover his true calling.

With unflinching honesty, Kit reveals how the pressures of leading a 5,000-member congregation led to personal struggles that cost him everything. After a life-changing car accident that should have resulted in jail time but ended with what he calls "an angel in a cop uniform," Kit began a journey toward sobriety. His redemption story took an unexpected turn when he reconnected with a former mentee facing gang-related murder charges, opening the door to what would become his life's mission.

Through powerful storytelling, Kit takes us inside some of the world's most dangerous prisons, where he's created peace movements that have dramatically reduced violence. With vulnerability as his superpower, Kit has earned the respect of hardened gang leaders by approaching them not as broken souls needing salvation, but as teachers who helped him rediscover the principles of respect, integrity, and loyalty he had lost along the way.

The conversation expands beyond prison walls to Kit's work with youth through his "Protect the Dream" program, helping young people develop aspirations powerful enough to overcome negative influences. His insights about dream protection apply equally to business owners and anyone striving to maintain focus on their goals while navigating life's challenges.

This episode delivers profound lessons about redemption, purpose, and how our greatest failures can become the foundation for our most meaningful work. Kit's journey proves that transformation is possible in the most unlikely places, and that sometimes we find our truest calling only after losing everything we thought defined us.

#protectthedream#powerofpeace#kitcummings#respect#loyalty#integrity#prisons#gangsters#love

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

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Fernando Melo shares his incredible journey from Brazilian immigrant to successful business owner with M&M Home Exteriors, providing roofing, siding, gutters, windows, doors, painting and deck services throughout Atlanta.

• Fernando's dream to visit America and Disney World as a child led to his immigration in 2000
• Started with zero English skills, sleeping on a stranger's couch while attending ESL classes
• Discovered natural talent for exterior construction work, particularly siding installation
• Founded his first business just five years after arriving in America
• Survived the 2008 housing crisis by downsizing from four crews to just himself and a helper
• Expanded into M&M Home Exteriors in 2015, now running multiple specialized crews
• Customer service philosophy influenced by Disney's approach to creating experiences
• Values treating crews with respect and refuses to work with clients who disrespect his team
• Balances business ambitions with family time, building a legacy for his two young sons
• Emphasizes quality workmanship and taking pride in transforming homes

Visit sidingatlanta.com or search M&M Home Exteriors on social media platforms to learn more about Fernando's services.

#siding#love#atlanta#fernandomelo#M&Mhomeexteriors#disney#brazil#america#ESL#deck#exterior#home

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

Michael shares his journey from Enterprise Rent-A-Car to real estate entrepreneurship, highlighting how each career step taught valuable lessons about leadership, influence, and customer service. His decision to leave corporate America wasn't about dissatisfaction but about creating a life and business fully aligned with his and his wife Cristi's deeper goals.

• Starting as a rental car agent and witnessing a tie get caught in a paper shredder (a moment that still lives in infamy)
• Working in diverse environments including South DeKalb and Kindercare, where he learned patience and adaptability
• Transitioning to franchising, where he developed skills in influencing without direct authority
• Realizing that despite corporate success, his goals required entrepreneurial freedom
• Building True Blue Mountain Group with a focus on operational excellence and customer experience
• Developing systems that create consistency in real estate transactions
• Using community involvement and networking to establish presence in Blue Ridge
• Leveraging social media connections to reach potential clients seeking vacation properties
• Understanding that when you "burn your ships" and commit fully, going back isn't an option
• Sharing his DIY disaster of accidentally drilling into a water pipe (and the smart move of putting the screw back in)

#truebluemountaingroup#realestate#bourbon#networking#KellerWilliams#KW#LOVE

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

Christi shares her remarkable journey from military police to Phoenix PD sex crimes detective to successful real estate entrepreneur in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Her story reveals how transferable skills and authentic networking can lead to success in an entirely new field.

• Began career as Military Police after ROTC college scholarship
• Spent nearly 22 years with Phoenix Police Department, primarily in the sex crimes unit
• Featured in documentaries about sex trafficking that still air on Delta flights
• Developed coping mechanisms to deal with witnessing humanity at its worst
• Initially thought corporate America was the next logical step after law enforcement
• Found corporate world surprisingly inefficient and culturally misaligned
• Rebuilt her network from scratch through intensive community involvement
• Applied investigative and listening skills to her real estate career
• Focuses on honesty with clients rather than maximizing commissions
• Recently launched True Blue Mountain Group Realtor Group
• Recommends "Greenlights" by Matthew McConaughey for turning challenges into opportunities

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christi-decoufl%C3%A9-51a0bb85/

https://www.facebook.com/ChristiDecoufleRealtor/

https://www.instagram.com/christi_decoufle_realtor/

https://www.pbs.org/video/sex-trafficking-in-america-tptgui/

#KELLERWILLIAMS#realestate#BlueRidgeGeorgia#thetrustedtoolbox#smallbusinesssafari#bourbon

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

Every job is a sales job, and every interaction is a sales interaction. Learning to understand needs, help people, find solutions collaboratively, and remove the "ick factor" from the sales process transforms how we approach all our business relationships.

• Sales begins with selling yourself authentically and consistently
• Your body language constitutes 80% of communication, even in virtual settings
• The true bottlenecks often occur after the sale—in service, follow-up, and billing
• Many companies create "transactionships" instead of relationships with customers
• Customers need to feel seen, felt, and heard throughout their experience
• Getting employees involved in sales requires showing how it benefits them personally
• Effective retention begins at the first interaction, not after the transaction
• Ask for referrals, reviews, and repeat business instead of hoping they'll happen

Check out Dr. Cindy McGovern's books "Every Job is a Sales Job" and "Sell Yourself" at [email protected] or follow her at 1ST Lady of Sales on all platforms.
#ORANGELEAFACADEMY#SMALLBUSINESSSAFARI#BOURBON#SELLING

https://drcindy.com/orange-leaf-academy/

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

Ryan Lee joins the podcast to discuss his journey o to successful landscape lighting entrepreneur, he discusses how focusing on a specific niche can lead to massive business growth in home services.
GOLD NUGGETS

Dominate a niche. By dropping every service except landscape lighting, Ryan positioned himself as the expert, commanded premium pricing, and built a brand that buyers noticed.

Marinate your price. Share price ranges early—before the site visit—to filter tire-kickers and walk into every sales call with budgets aligned.

Design your life, not just your business. Therapy with his wife and disciplined delegation moved Ryan from “always grinding” to present dad and strategic owner—proof that systems beat burnout.

MORE ABOUT RYAN LEE:
• Interested in lighting: Check out his podcast "Lighting for Profits"
• Book recommendation: "Buy Back Your Time" by Dan Martell 

If you're ready to grow your business or find your perfect niche, check out Ryan's resources at Landscape Lighting Secrets on YouTube and Instagram or find his podcast "Lighting for Profits" on your favorite platform.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrfM0oJ4wAwL62RdWMAa3e1mxNVO62W5S

https://landscapelightingsecrets.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ryanleebottoms

https://www.instagram.com/landscapelightingsecrets/?igsh=MWppeTVydDMxNGh6NA%3D%3D#

https://www.linkedin.com/company/landscape-lighting-secrets/

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

Liz Steblay joins us to share her expertise on successful solopreneurship, drawing from her experience building multimillion-dollar businesses without employees. She reveals the essential strategies that help independent consultants and service providers build wealth and create sustainable businesses.

• Definition of solopreneur: self-employed person without employees who doesn't aim to grow beyond themselves
• Commit to one hour of networking weekly—just "one person in person once a week" keeps your pipeline full
• Create a North Star document that clearly explains your "why" for being self-employed
• Establish a clear niche—clients want to hire specialists, not generalists
• Build wealth and pay less tax through intentional financial planning
• Solopreneurs can still build significant businesses using contractors and fractional leadership
• The Professional Independent Consultants of America (PICA) provides community and resources
• Being self-employed doesn't mean doing everything alone—strategic outsourcing is key

Discover Liz's book "Succeeding as a Solopreneur: Six Keys to Taking the Leap, Winning Clients, and Building Wealth" and connect with her at sixkeys.info or through the Professional Independent Consultants of America at picawork.org.
www.PICAnetwork.org/why 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/solopreneurs-business-development-relationship-liz-steblay/   

www.SixKeys.info 

www.PICAnetwork.org 

https://highmarkdistillery.com/pages/private-barrel-experience 

Liz’s Profile

linkedin.com/in/independentconsulting

Websites

• ProkoConsulting.com (Company)
• PICAnetwork.org (Company)
• SuccessfulIndependentConsulting.com (Blog)

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

Lance Cayko shares his remarkable journey from North Dakota farm boy to Colorado architect, builder, and developer, revealing how one summer job at age 13 sparked his entrepreneurial path.

• Finding his passion in construction after quitting farm work with his father after just one week
• Learning the multiplier concept and business fundamentals from his first mentor, Bruce
• Working in different trades each summer from ages 13-21 to build comprehensive skills
• Pursuing architecture to position himself at the beginning of the client relationship
• Managing the 2,000 decisions clients face when building custom homes
• Balancing three professional roles as architect, builder, and developer
• Weathering the challenges of development and barely making it through their first project
• Finding renewal through fishing and hiking remote alpine lakes during COVID burnout
• Creating "up yards" – specially designed rooftop decks that provide privacy while showcasing mountain views
• Maintaining a one-hour response time policy for all client communications

"Trust the process" is Lance's message to clients navigating the ups and downs of construction. Despite all the advances in technology, buildings are still built by humans, not machines, and understanding this reality helps manage expectations throughout the journey.

Lance’s Profile

linkedin.com/in/lance-cayko-1227031a

Websites

• f9productions.com/ (Company)
• insidethefirmpodcast.com/ (Podcast)

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

Rosco Graves, founder and CEO of Polaxis, shares his journey from corporate finance to entrepreneurship and explains how fractional CFO services can transform small business operations and profitability.

• Building trust with clients starts with understanding their unique needs and personalities
• The value of storytelling in financial services—translating numbers into meaningful narratives
• Why "you don't know what you don't know" can be the biggest threat to your business
• How fractional CFO services provide Fortune 500 financial expertise to small and medium businesses
• The importance of having finance professionals involved in business decisions before problems arise
• Common financial blind spots that cost business owners thousands
• The transition from corporate mindset to entrepreneurial thinking requires deliberate reprogramming
• Starting with a $50 client and growing to serve businesses across multiple industries and states
• The power of combining technical expertise with strong communication skills
• Financial professionals who can tell you things you need to hear, not just what you want to hear
• The realistic risks of entrepreneurship versus corporate employment

Check out Polaxis and connect with Rosco at polaxis.co or email [email protected] to learn how his team can help your business make better financial decisions and achieve greater profitability.

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

Collin Graves shares his journey from Air Force mechanic working on B-1 bombers to founding successful cloud computing and data analytics companies. He discovered his entrepreneurial path by identifying specific pain points for construction companies, creating cloud-based file-sharing solutions, and eventually building North Labs, where his team develops data analytics systems that transform businesses.

• Built his first tech company while still in the military, focusing on cloud storage solutions for construction companies
• Learned cloud computing through self-teaching, becoming one of the first 10 fully certified AWS professionals worldwide
• Sold his first company in 2014, which led to a two-year non-compete agreement
• Founded North Labs in 2016, focusing on data analytics as a profit center rather than just cloud migration
• Helped a $7 billion manufacturing company reduce their scrap rate with a data solution that saved them $40 million in just one year
• Emphasizes that most companies already have the data they need but don't know how to leverage it
• Creates "command centers" that unify data across different systems to provide actionable business intelligence
• Recommends the book "Simplify" by Robert Koch and Greg Lockwood for business owners
• Currently races in two series including Radicals and as a reserve driver in the Lamborghini series

Connect with Collin Graves on LinkedIn or visit NorthLabs.com to learn more about how data analytics can transform your business.

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.