White Horse Podcast

White Horse Podcast: Maureen Famiano on PR, Visibility, and Authentic StorytellingOn the White Horse Podcast, hosts Devidasa Kawal and Michael Drapak interview Tampa Bay–based media and PR professional Maureen Famiano, who shares her 30-year career journey from broadcast TV reporting in New York to producing, executive producing at local stations, and ultimately launching her own PR agency, MEF Media. In a rapid-fire segment, she emphasizes credibility, visibility, improvising, and listening as key media skills while critiquing overreliance on polished press releases. The conversation explores authenticity, relationship-building, and why accomplished people can be overlooked without strategic storytelling and consistent community presence, including “five touch points a day.” Famiano explains what makes people compelling on camera, how to craft and pitch media-ready stories, the risks of overexposure, and the value of addressing problems quickly, then closes with ways to contact her via MEFmedia.com and social media.00:00 Welcome and Introductions00:35 Maureen Career Journey01:31 Rapid Fire Round04:26 Fun This or That05:06 PR Makes You Interesting07:17 Authenticity and Social Media08:41 Visibility as Power12:16 Five Touch Points Daily13:43 Vulnerability Builds Connection14:34 Handling One Sided Giving15:37 Check In Without Asking15:57 Human Side of Networking16:30 Compelling On Camera17:39 Authenticity Over Scripts22:44 Finding Media Worthy Stories23:58 Crafting and Pitching Stories26:45 Too Much Visibility28:07 Positivity and Crisis Lessons00:24 Where to Find Maureen

Devidasa Kawal and co-host Michael Drapak welcome guest Valeria Bermudez, a Colombian-born immigrant, 34-year-old mom, and entrepreneur, for a more casual “White Horse More Fun” episode focused on relationships and real-life perspectives. They discuss whether strong, independent women scare men or expose insecurity, defining strength as emotional security, standards, and having worked through trauma, and critique toxic masculinity, control, and financial leverage in relationships. Valeria shares challenges of being a teen mom, her daughter’s support, and the importance of dating with purpose, clear non-negotiables, emotional intelligence, and self-work, including being comfortable alone. They also cover modern dating apps, boundaries, cheating, and love as growth and commitment beyond early feelings. Valeria then describes her bartending path, mobile business Mixology Lovin, and becoming bar manager for the upcoming King Corona 1902 cigar lounge.00:00 Welcome and Introductions01:02 Meeting at Cigar Event02:03 More Fun Format02:46 Do Strong Women Scare Men04:36 Defining Strong Independence11:04 Teen Mom Dating Obstacles13:18 Dating With Purpose Today22:22 Financial Independence Standards28:03 Learning Love and Compatibility29:10 Beyond Chemistry29:41 Fear and Safety30:59 Marriage and Growth31:57 Kids and Commitment33:42 Trauma and Therapy35:11 No More Fixing Men37:53 Honesty Over Cheating39:05 Tarzan Effect42:05 Dating Etiquette Today43:26 Mixology Career Pivot47:02 Follow and Rapid Fire50:10 Final Sign Off

Episode five of the White Horse Podcast features hosts Devidasa Kawal and Michael Drapak interviewing Andrea Nalls, president and CEO of the Dunedin Fine Arts Center. Nalls describes the center as a major visual art education hub offering over 1,000 classes annually, multiple galleries, a children’s museum, and extensive community programming, and they discuss the sold-out Wearable Art fashion show fundraiser. She explains how museums and art support informal learning, community identity, mental health, and human connection, and shares a response to artwork vandalism as a teachable moment. The conversation covers building membership through front-line service and culture, fundraising rooted in trust and relationships, mentorship, leadership lessons from rejection, and a rapid-fire segment revealing her preferences, writing hobby, and growth in public speaking.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:50 Wearable Art Met Gala Vibes03:43 Andrea’s Career Calling05:59 DFAC as Community Hub08:06 Why Art Matters for Health11:07 Shaping Dunedin’s Identity14:10 Art Museums and Connection15:50 Vandalism as Teachable Moment20:31 Membership and Belonging24:16 Culture and Mentorship29:23 Fundraising Starts With Trust34:25 Rapid Fire Leadership Q&A37:42 Asking For Help38:16 Integrity Over Ego38:57 Rejection And Resilience41:29 Writing As Escape43:51 Public Speaking Fears47:10 Claim Your Wins50:00 Keep Learning Mindset50:33 Rapid Fire Fun52:41 Episode Wrap Up

Chris Chambers didn’t start his career as a corporate security executive. He started at 18 years old in the U.S. Coast Guard, making high-stakes decisions and learning lessons about leadership, failure, and responsibility that would shape the next two decades of his life.In Episode 4 of the White Horse Podcast, Mike Drapak and Devidasa Kawal sit down with Chris for a candid conversation about leadership under pressure, toxic bosses, crisis management, career reinvention, artificial intelligence, and building a professional reputation in Tampa.Chris spent 21 years in the Coast Guard between active duty and the reserves before retiring in 2023. Along the way, he built a career in corporate security and emergency management, eventually moving into security leadership for a global media company.But this conversation goes far beyond the résumé.Chris explains why he believes leaders have to be willing to fail fast, why indecision can be one of the most dangerous leadership failures, and why you should judge a leader by what the people working beneath them say, not just what executives above them think.We also get into the rapid rise of AI, mentorship versus sponsorship, organizational resilience, career changes, and Chris’s growing involvement in Tampa’s cigar and networking community.It’s a conversation about learning through experience, owning your decisions, and understanding that nobody else is responsible for building your career or reputation.There is no white horse coming to save you.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Meet Chris Chambers00:25 From Mississippi to the Coast Guard02:06 What the Military Taught Chris About Leadership04:26 Discipline, Responsibility, and Growing Up05:37 The Advice Chris Would Give His Younger Self09:47 What Real Leadership Looks Like13:54 The Toxic Boss Story18:07 Making Decisions Without All the Information23:18 Joining the Coast Guard at 1828:08 What Leaders Get Wrong About Resilience32:28 AI: Adapt or Get Left Behind39:14 The Changing Role of Corporate Security45:10 Knowing When to Reinvent Your Career47:14 Tampa's Cigar Culture and Chris's Life Outside Work49:58 Rapid Fire With Chris Chambers55:00 Chris Gets Candid About Reputation59:33 Final ThoughtsIf you enjoyed the conversation, subscribe to the White Horse Podcast, like the episode, and tell us in the comments which part of Chris's story stood out to you.No one is coming to build the life, career, or legacy you want for you. There is no white horse coming to save us. So let's get to work.#WhiteHorsePodcast #Leadership #Tampa #TampaBay #Business #CorporateSecurity #CrisisLeadership

Networking Boot Camp & Building Tampa: Aakash Patel (Elevate Inc.) on Influence, Trust, and Early LearningIn episode three of the White Horse Podcast, hosts Devidasa Kawal and Michael Drapak interview Aakash Patel, founder of Elevate Inc., a Tampa Bay business development consulting firm that helps startups, entrepreneurs, and relocating companies learn, connect, and grow through strategic, fast-paced networking. Aakash shares lessons like meeting many quality contacts, tracking business cards, and following up within 24 hours, plus how his early jobs and studies in political science and English shaped his communication and leadership. He explains Elevate’s focus on connecting clients with under-the-radar community influencers and how social media and warm introductions accelerate trust. Aakash also discusses his long-term role as board chair of the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County, overseeing VPK and school readiness for over 20,000 children, and highlights events including Be the Ball at Topgolf and the monthly Noodles & Networking at J. Luigi.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:44 Networking Boot Camp Lessons03:38 Early Jobs and Ambition05:22 Politics and Communication Skills06:40 Founding Elevate in Tampa08:39 Influencers and Trust Building12:06 Trusted vs Famous Leaders13:29 Networking Without Desperation19:25 Investing in Relationships21:12 Work Life Boundaries22:20 Early Learning Coalition Mission24:43 Summit Sponsorship Info25:37 Education Roots and Mentorship26:37 Why Early Learning Matters28:11 Rapid Fire Questions33:12 Noodles Networking Explained37:13 Mastering Networking Skills39:09 Getting Involved Locally40:09 Building a Public Brand43:30 Work Life Balance and Resilience48:42 Final Wrap and Links

Our second episode is here, and this time White Horse welcomes our very first guest: Anitha Kancharla.

Anitha is a leader at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, community, and family, serving with the US-Indo Chamber in Tampa and as Vice President at Sensfix.

In this conversation, we go far beyond résumés and job titles.

Anitha talks about building AI solutions for real-world manufacturing problems, the setbacks that shaped her, balancing motherhood with an executive career, the health crisis that forced her to rethink her path, and why continuous learning may be one of the greatest competitive advantages we have.

We also get inside the mission of the US-Indo Chamber, what actually makes a strong board, advice for anyone trying to break into IT, the future of work in an AI-driven world, and what her kids really think she does all day.

And because this is White Horse, things eventually get a little less serious. We talk pizza, guilty pleasures, hidden Tampa gems, beaches, books, questionable Chinese food, and even the story behind a selfie with Nita Ambani.

At the center of it all is the question behind this podcast:

What happens when you realize a white horse isn't coming to save you?

For Anitha, the answer is simple: you keep learning, keep adapting, keep building, and keep moving forward.

If you're building something, changing careers, leading a company, raising a family, taking a risk, starting over, or simply trying to figure out what comes next, White Horse is for you.

We're just getting started.

New guests. Bigger conversations. Different perspectives. Real stories from people who decided they weren't going to sit around waiting to be rescued.

Subscribe, join the conversation, and come along with us. There may be no white horse coming to save us, but that doesn't mean we have to travel alone.

Join us for the ride. 🐎🎙️

#WhiteHorsePodcast #AnithaKancharla #TampaBay #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #Technology #BusinessPodcast #CareerAdvice #IndoUSChamber

Welcome to the premiere episode of White Horse Podcast, where we sit down with founders, entrepreneurs, and everyday people who decided to bet on themselves, and talk honestly about what it actually takes to build something from nothing.

No polished highlight reels. No humble-brags. Just real conversations about the risks, the setbacks, the 2am doubts, and the decisions that actually moved the needle, the stuff you don't see in a founder's LinkedIn post.

Whether you're chasing your first business idea, deep in the grind of year three, or just love a good underdog story, this is where you'll find the honest version of entrepreneurship. Grab your coffee, hit follow, and let's ride.