After nearly six months of radio silence, host, Ryan France, answers the question, "What happened to the Voices of Impact Podcast?" 

Catch the previous 52 episodes and interviews at VoicesOfImpact.com

Keep in touch with Ryan at RyanFrance.com

The Real Story Behind The Healing Power Of Equine Therapy

Nancy Krenek's career as a physical therapist had come to a crossroads. She'd spent more than a decade working with clients suffering from mobility issues. She saw firsthand the positive change that occurred when they received power wheelchairs. According to Nancy, "it woke them up to another level of potential."

She was certain she'd devote her life to helping others regain their mobility and free choice. And yet, she couldn't shake the dream of spearheading horse-assisted therapy sessions. So, before she could talk herself out of it, she quit her job with a mission to make that happen.

“I went to my boss and resigned. She said, ‘Do you have training?’ I said, ‘No ma’am.’ She said, ‘Do you have a horse?’ I said, ‘No ma’am.’ She said, ‘Do you have land?’ I said, ‘No ma’am. But someday you’ll bring a school bus out to our program and make it work.’ That’s true now. She still shows up every week to bring children from our school district to this facility.”

Twenty years later, the Ride On Center For Kids (ROCK) has exceeded even Nancy’s wildest dreams. The sprawling Georgetown ranch is now home to 29 horses. It's powered by 400 volunteers and a passionate staff that serves 350-400 families each year.

But even that isn't enough to meet the local demand for equine-assisted therapy. Krenek and her team at ROCK are in the midst of capital campaign to add an second arena and increase its staff size. Her efforts don’t stop there. Nancy says she's driven to create an organization that can thrive with or without her at the helm.

"Our vision, is to be the trusted leader in this industry, through service, research and education." True to her word, she's partnered with several local universities and contributed to 20+ research projects, all with the purpose of helping deliver more equine-assisted miracles.

In this episode of Voices of Impact, Nancy talks about the story behind the healing power of equine therapy. We discuss the shift from reactive business to strategic business, how vision and practice change over 20+ years of service, and the true miracles she’s seen on the ROCK ranch.

A Quest to Raise $18MM to Fund Austin’s New ‘Camp For All’

With twin nine year olds of her own, Ellie Falcao understands the struggle of getting kids out from behind their screens and into nature. Inspired by a tour of YMCA Camp Moody, Ellie recalled her own favorite times as a child in the wilderness of Colorado, and vowed to transform her family to outdoor enthusiasts.

Since experiencing Camp Moody, Ellie and her family have since ventured through 44% of our country’s National Parks and goal to hit all 58 before the kids leave for college. Ellie felt a call to join the larger mission of setting up YMCA Camp Moody for success. She was asked to join the board, and has helped spearhead the high-end $18M fundraising initiative ever since.

Her favorite part? Seeing the tangible effect of her volunteer efforts. “I didnt want to be on a board in name only. I wanted to get my hands dirty and affect the organization in a better way. The great thing about the ‘Y’ is that they ask you to participate in making a bigger difference.”  

YMCA Camp Moody’s “Camp For All” concept, Ellie says, will deeply resonate with the Austin community. Not only will it be a facility accommodated to all levels of social and physical ability, it will also never reject any camper for their ability to pay.

Fighting the not-so-shocking metric that children are spending 50% less time in nature than they did 20 years ago, YMCA Camp Moody will seek to bring alive the natural wonders in the Austin area and inspire our younger generation to explore the outdoors.

In this episode of Voices of Impact, Ellie talks about what it’s like to lead the charge in funding the $18MM project. We discuss the importance of the outdoors, creating an oasis in Austin, and providing an inclusive experience. Ellie also shares her personal connection to the cause.

A Fine Dining Frontrunner In The Fair Wage Fight

In the rich tapestry of the well-known restaurants in New York and San Francisco, Adam Orman discovered his hunger for two things. First, his love of locally-sourced food came from his experience working under Chef Peter Hoffman at “Savoy.” Second, he dove headfirst into the fight for ethical labor and employee rights.

With those two passions in mind, Adam made his way to Austin. In 2016 he partnered with Chef Fiore Tedesco to open L’Oca d’Oro. The pair spent their first two years educating their staff of the full vision.

“We’ve spent a lot of time with the servers taking them out to our farms so they can see some of the places where we source our food from. It helps them tell our story.”

L’Oca d’Oro has become known for much more than their curated menu of Italian cuisine. Adam and Fiore’s ideas on ethical employment and fair wage programs have permeated the four walls of the restaurant. The pair represent L’Oca d’Oro in “GoodWork Austin,” a consortium of local leaders fighting the notion that businesses should give the modern employee as little as possible in return for their work and loyalty.

In this episode of Voices of Impact, Adam talks about ethical employee treatment. We discuss the history of the ‘tipped wage,’ the dilemma of small business versus big business, and what L’Oca d’Oro is doing to change the community landscape. Adam also shares the special relationship L’Oca d’Oro has with the locally sourced food they have the privilege of using.

Proving Digital Marketing Isn’t Just an Industry of Snake Oil Salesmen

Carlos Crespo grew up with a fascination for storytelling and the marketing behind a “Hollywood Blockbuster.” His early years took him across the globe to places like Venezuela, England, Spain and Texas. He studied public relations, film, marketing and brand management. Following a brief stint in the gaming industry, Carlos, by his own admission, “stumbled into digital marketing.”

After a year and a half as an account manager, Carlos says he’d seen enough of the “murky” nature of the industry. He wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem. In 2011, Crespo teamed up with Andrew Cao to start his own digital agency — Motoza Marketing.

“It was a pretty big lunge,” Carlos shared. “We didn’t have any funding. We didn’t have any experience running our own businesses. Neither one of us had ever sold a thing. The first 12–18 months were pretty rough but we kept looking at the baby steps. We knew there were so many businesses out there who could use our services.”

Eight years later, as team of eleven, Motoza continues to persist on the back of its commitment to honesty and transparency. More and more businesses these days are struggling to decide where to direct their marketing dollars. Carlos and his team seek to guide misdirected clients onto solid ground. A true win in Motoza’s book is creating a lasting relationship with those who share similar values.

In this episode of Voices of Impact, Carlos talks about defying the ‘Snake Oil Salesman’ trope. We discuss keeping a communicative work environment, the merit of creating a process, and learning before doing. Carlos also shares how Motoza was able to sustain so many long term clients in an industry with high client turnover.

Meet The Man Behind The #1 Productivity Website In The World

Thanh Pham was at a crossroads. Raised in a blue collar environment, young Thanh was taught to play it safe. And yet, the book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” told him a different story. Even as a 14 year old, Thanh realized the path to controlling his destiny lay in starting a business. So at 14, he built a web development agency. By 15, he’d hired his first employee. Soon after, it became clear that his true point of aim was in entrepreneurship.

Along that path of discovery, Thanh was often queried by his friends on how he was able to do so much work in so little time. Thanh founded Asian Efficiency to give people the productivity answers they were clamoring for.

“Friends were asking me all the time for productivity advice. I said ‘hey, I’m going to start a blog and share what I know.’ They were already successful, had their own businesses and were doing amazing things in the world. I figured if I could help them do more of that, I'd be making a significant impact."

That “blog” is now the #1 productivity website in the world and Thanh is one of the top thought leaders in the productivity industry. He’s been featured in the likes of Forbes, Huffington Post, and Inc.com. Thanh is passionate about helping people complete their to-do list by lunch, giving them time to reach their fullest potential. He believes that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your health and your personal life to get things done.

In this episode of Voices of Impact, Thanh talks about creating the #1 personal efficiency and productivity platform. We discuss who the “right hires” are, a key morale booster for leading a team, and starting a business as a teenager. Thanh also shares his advice for completing the hardest tasks of the day.

How to Process Success & Failure on an Entrepreneurial Roller Coaster

After living in Austin for a year and working various freelance gigs, Chelsea Francis decided it was time to honor what she calls her “multi-passionate” personality - a penchant for connecting people and telling stories that go beyond the digital image. Chelsea Francis Photography and Pass/Fail were created in to mirror Chelsea’s diverse interests and skill sets.

Turns out, the two businesses share more similarities than differences. As Chelsea progressed through the trials of success and failure with her photography, Pass/Fail became the outlet to document that journey. Her goal was to “give people and outlet to celebrate when they succeed and process when they fail.” Having those stories guide her own light in business was an added benefit.

Chelsea has been a featured guest in the likes of Tribeza, Texas Style Council, and Hello Giggles. As she divulged in her interview, she’s learning to share her bigger wins, like her recent work with major retailer Madewell. Although to Chelsea, the most important things in life aren’t necessarily the magazine spreads or the front cover victories. For her, it’s the “stuff in between” big events, job titles, and relationships that colors the picture of who we are as people.

In this episode of Voices of Impact, Chelsea talks about processing wins and losses on the entrepreneurial roller coaster. We discuss how to humanize success, crafting the job you want, and championing the freelance industry. Chelsea also shares how choosing the right location for her career made all the difference.

How Certain Affinity Became The Biggest Independent Video Game Developer in Austin Texas

Austin native Mojdeh Gharbi has the kind of “woman-championing-tech” story we need to hear more often. Mojdeh is co-owner of Certain Affinity, the largest independent video game developer in Austin Texas. With contributions to industry-defining games like HALO, Call of Duty and DOOM, Certain Affinity has developed or co-developed more than more than 25 products across 10 different franchises, with more than 100 million units sold. Not bad for what started, twelve years ago, as a “bootstrap startup.”

“Most people get into the game industry and say ‘I’m going to make the next big game and it’s going to be amazing.’’ But there’s so much risk involved in making games,” Mojdeh shared. “We intentionally said, we’re not going to go out and raise a bunch of money and hope it works out. We’re going to build the studio from the ground up. We’re going to learn from the best so that when it’s our moment, we’ve set ourselves up for success.”

Now a strong workforce of 165 people, Certain Affinity has significantly scaled its operational capability while at the same time remaining profitable and socially conscious. Mojdeh’s leadership has turned heads in the community, as she was recently named a finalist for the Austin Business Journal’s “Profiles in Power,” and recognized in the STEM category of the Women’s Way award in Austin Women’s Magazine. What’s more, Mojdeh firmly believes that “leadership” is about creating a positive ripple effect in the lives of Certain Affinity’s employees and their consumers.

In this episode of Voices of Impact, Mojdeh talks about Certain Affinity’s path to becoming the largest independent video game developer in Austin. We discuss the importance of building a reputation, longevity in a rough-and-tumble industry, and the true meaning of legacy. Mojdeh also shares her fresh, insightful approach on the often over-wrought world of marketing.

How To Network Your Way To A Legacy Business

After an eye-opening teenage experience as a teacher’s assistant for students with cognitive disabilities, Joshua Levy knew that he was called to become a voice for that community. Joshua’s Stage was then founded as a unique and innovative nonprofit, offering programs in theater arts, improvisation, dance, photography, and creative expression through story.

“When I first thought of Joshua’s Stage, I knew I wanted to have this entity enrich the lives of kids,” Joshua shared. “It first started with special needs kids in mind - and on purpose, a wide range of the arts.”

As a youth, Joshua pursued acting, wrote stories and organized plays for neighborhood kids. As a young adult, he taught for 8 years teaching, including time as an assistant principal. Later came the business experience, as project manager for Pearson State Assessments. So, it was only natural when the universe called, with the idea of what would become Joshua’s Stage, Levy was well positioned to answer. With it’s Creative Outlet Method, the organization is enhancing participants’ unique abilities to demonstrate creativity and increase self-confidence.

In this episode of Voices of Impact, Joshua talks about how to network your way to a legacy business. We discuss the Creative Outlet Method, the process of scaling a nonprofit, and what the community can do to support our cognitively challenged friends. And Joshua shares how he was able to merge his three personal interests into one cohesive vision.  

How To Transition From Employee To Entrepreneur

Following a series of unfulfilling executive assistant jobs, Jill Faulkner started asking herself questions about what changes she could make. Based on the impact that affirmations had begun to have on her life, Jill came up with the idea of handwriting sticky notes with positive “I” statements. After a small test run, the feedback was positive and the demand was there, so she took the natural next steps of molding it into a business - Stick With It Co.

“I was so beside myself in a lot of ways,” Jill recanted, “because [the affirmations] are so simple, but so powerful. I just felt really called to do something with it. I had to see what that would look like.”

Even with no business experience or direct mentors of her own, Jill was able to set up Stick With It Co for success. From heartfelt customer letters, to distributing to multiple stores in the Austin area, to holding events with local nonprofits, it is clear that the affirmations are making tangible impact. Stick With It Co continues to grow, if by no other choice than the sheer determination of its founder.

In this episode of Voices of Impact, Jill talks about how to transition from employee to entrepreneur. We discuss assessing ourselves, empowerment leading to success, and learning to harness the power of positivity. Jill also shares how she maintains objectivity in a business so personal.