The T.R.O.N. Podcast

Amy Meislin Pollack is an American children's author and retired educator best known for creating the Jelly Bean middle-grade fiction series. Her debut series, published by Austin Macauley Publishers, includes The Adventures of Jelly Bean, The Further Adventures of Jelly Bean, and The Still Further Adventures of Jelly Bean. [

Literary Career

The inspiration for Pollack’s coming-of-age series dates back to her fourth-grade classroom in the 1960s, where her teacher frequently called her to the front of the room to share impromptu stories about a character named "Jelly Bean". Though she began dr...

Dr. Sieglinde Othmer is an author, style and wellness advocate, and octogenarian powerhouse on a mission to redefine how we view the aging process. Born in Germany, Dr. Othmer survived a daring childhood escape from behind the Iron Curtain before immigrating to the United States, where she established herself as a social scientist, researcher, and academic.

Following the loss of her husband, she channeled her personal resilience into creating Joyous Longevity, an educational movement and field guide exploring mindfulness, socialization, and cognitive activity. Her empowering message that "joy is a conscious decision" has made her a highly...

Brian Beck helps mid-sized organizations move beyond the hype around AI and cybersecurity and turn emerging technology into practical business results.

While much of the conversation around AI focuses on what the technology can do, Brian focuses on a more important question: Why are so many companies struggling to actually implement it?

His work centers on helping leadership teams identify where AI can create meaningful impact within their existing operations, align teams around execution, and implement solutions that improve efficiency, reduce risk, and support better decision-making.

Brian brings a practical perspective shaped by...

What if Type 2 Diabetes isn’t really a blood sugar problem—but a cellular and metabolic problem hiding underneath it?

Dr. Jason Shumard is a Functional Medicine practitioner with more than 20 years of experience helping people understand and overcome Type 2 Diabetes, insulin resistance, and metabolic dysfunction. He goes beyond simply managing numbers and symptoms, using detailed lab-based assessments to uncover what’s actually driving the problem.

But this mission is personal. After watching his own mother struggle with diabetes, Dr. Shumard became passionate about helping others understand the condition from a completely different perspective.

Know...

Our next guest is a serial entrepreneur, growth specialist, and a true powerhouse in the world of customer experience. Over his incredible career, he has built, scaled, and successfully sold six different companies by following a simple mantra: the customer is at the center of the universe.

He is widely known for leading the massive U.S. market expansion of the Australian software giant Panviva, and today, he advises Fortune 500 companies on how to transform their corporate culture and turn casual buyers into lifelong brand ambassadors. He is also a sought-after speaker, an author, and the host...

Buckle up, because today’s guest is about to completely change the way you think about relationships, business, and success! We are joined by the one and only Jeffrey Meshel—a real estate powerhouse, serial entrepreneur, and quite literally a master networker who is always just One Phone Call Away from solving any business challenge!

As the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Candor Capital Partners and the visionary mind behind The Strategic Forum, Jeff has spent over 40 years building elite, high-value alliances. He is a phenomenal author of four game-changing books, including his absolute must-read latest release, Know...

Sarah Saffari is an entrepreneur, business strategist, and influencer-marketing expert who has built her career at the intersection of creators, brands, and digital growth. As the founder and CEO of InfluencerNexus, Sarah helps brands connect with the right influencers and build campaigns designed to drive real awareness, engagement, and conversions.

Sarah's journey gives her a unique perspective on the rapidly evolving creator economy. After years of helping influencers build their audiences and businesses, she recognized the gaps between brands and creators and built InfluencerNexus to help bridge them. Her insights into influencer strategy, Gen Z marketing, personal...

Matt Friedman is a serial entrepreneur, business leader, and the co-founder of Wing Zone, a restaurant brand he launched with Adam Scott while they were students at the University of Florida. What began in 1991 as a late-night wing experiment in their fraternity kitchen grew into an international franchise business with locations across the U.S. and abroad.

Matt’s entrepreneurial journey is a story of spotting an opportunity, taking a risk, building a brand from the ground up, and learning what it takes to scale a business. After decades of growing Wing Zone, he has continued his en...

Lisa Baker is an accomplished executive coach, leadership strategist, speaker, and founder of Ascentim, bringing more than two decades of Fortune 500 leadership experience to the conversation. She is passionate about helping ambitious professionals unlock their potential, build confidence, lead authentically, and create careers with greater purpose and impact.

Through Ascentim, Lisa combines real-world leadership experience with practical coaching strategies to help individuals navigate career growth, leadership challenges, and personal development. Her unique perspective makes her an engaging and inspiring podcast guest for anyone looking to become a stronger leader, find greater clarity, and take their professional growth...

Jason Roberts is a prominent real estate investor, entrepreneur, and the founder and managing broker of Better Blueprint Realty. Successfully transitioning from a corporate engineering background into full-time entrepreneurship, Roberts scaled a minimal initial investment into a multi-million dollar real estate and educational ecosystem.

Early Life & Career Transition

Cintara is an enterprise AI governance and cybersecurity infrastructure provider that builds execution control systems for autonomous AI agents. The company introduces an in-path Governance Control Plane that intercepts agent intents—such as moving funds, altering data, or changing system configurations—and evaluates them against centralized security policies before execution. Founded as a United States Delaware C-Corporation, Cintara sits directly between AI agents and production stacks to ensure all automated operations are controlled, attributable, and auditable.

The platform is designed to transition enterprise security from legacy, reactive post-incident alerts to real-time, pre-execution gatekeeping. Every action taken or bloc...

Joshua Altman is a storyteller, strategist and creative force with more than two decades of experience shaping how people see, hear and connect with big ideas. He leads Beltway Media, a bold D.C.-based communications firm that helps brands and organizations cut through the noise.

A former multimedia journalist at The Hill, he now works with everyone from scrappy startups to federal agencies, helping them refine their message, elevate their brand and connect with their audience. Joshua is a storyteller, strategist and creative force with more than two decades of experience shaping how people see, hear...

LaWanna Bradford is an internationally recognized business strategist, serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and dynamic media personality. With over 30 years of corporate, federal, and military-adjacent consulting experience, she serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of The Bradford Group—a commercial and investment mortgage brokerage—and the Principal of The Bradford Group Consulting.

Throughout her distinguished career, Ms. Bradford has engineered structural transformation for major federal agencies and global events. Her portfolio includes leading critical strategic development initiatives for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and serving on the planning committee for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. She...

Elias Curtis is an accomplished entrepreneur, brand strategist, and web development expert with over 25 years of experience driving digital growth for businesses. He is the founder and co-owner of Transformed Design Inc., a premier branding and web agency based in Oceanside, California. Alongside his co-owner and wife, Danielle, Elias has spent nearly two decades helping service-based companies transition from unpredictable word-of-mouth referrals to high-converting, automated online sales engines.

A graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University with a degree in Graphic and Web Design, Elias combines creative design principles with data-driven business strategy. His agency specializes in building...

Raphael Groten is an acclaimed Vermont-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, and sound healing artist dedicated to the philosophy of "music as medicine." His genre-defying career spans over three decades, encompassing meditative ambient soundscapes, lively children’s music, and soulful collaborative projects.

His professional recording journey took a pivotal turn when his solo acoustic guitar debut, Journey Home, was produced by Grammy-winning Windham Hill Records founder Will Ackerman. Since then, Raphael has released a diverse catalog of music, including the #1 radio-charting native flute album Great Blue, the "world medicine groove" project Potential, and a deep-funk collaboration with his son under th...

Hiten Sonpal is an accomplished robotics executive and technology leader with over two decades of experience scaling commercial automation. He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RISE Robotics, a clean-technology firm replacing heavy machinery hydraulics with fluid-free, ultra-efficient mechanical alternatives. Throughout his career, Sonpal has specialized in bringing advanced engineering research to massive commercial deployment.

Career Highlights

Gold Star AI is a premier B2B artificial intelligence automation agency specializing in the architecture and deployment of custom autonomous agent systems. Positioned at the forefront of the operational AI landscape, the agency helps mid-market and enterprise businesses shift away from repetitive, manual labor by engineering digital workers that integrate natively into existing enterprise software. The company was co-founded by Michael Krebs and Thomas Baker, industry educators who also teach AI Agent frameworks at Harvard Business School. Under their leadership, the agency advocates for human-centric AI development, designing automated frameworks that amplify human potential rather than replacing it.<...

Joining us today is an incredibly versatile storyteller who has mastered everything from gritty historical Westerns to high-seas swashbuckling adventures. Raised in the rugged mountains of Wyoming, his passion for the written word was sparked by his father, a passionate English scholar. Today, he is an acclaimed, multi-genre author whose meticulously researched books—like Magi Apprentice and Railroad Man—explore heavy themes of honor, faith, and legacy. Author Dan E. Hendrickson

Kevin Dias is a technology entrepreneur, software architect, and author based in Oyama, Japan. He is the founder and president of Ambiki, an innovative healthcare technology platform custom-built to optimize pediatric therapy practices. With nearly two decades of experience spanning investment banking, translation platforms, and healthcare, Kevin previously served as Chief Technology Officer for Sidekick Therapy Partners, where he engineered systems to scale massive clinical workflows. He is the author of The Problem-First Method (2026), a definitive strategic guide for founders, product managers, and developers looking to master user-centric product design.

Brad Newbury is a veteran Fire Captain, paramedic, entrepreneur, and author with over 40 years of experience in emergency services. He is the author of The Saved Effect: True Stories of Lives Reclaimed by People Who Were Willing to Act, a book examining the profound generational ripple effects that occur when ordinary bystanders choose to intervene during life-or-death crises. He is also the author of The First Responder Advantage, a strategic playbook designed to help emergency personnel transition their field skills into thriving businesses.

Throughout his career, Newbury has been a pioneer in medical education, founding the National...

Ron Luce is an American author, poet, and playwright known for his emotionally raw psychological realism and socially conscious storytelling. He holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Creative Writing, American Literature, and Rhetoric from Ohio University.

Luce’s work frequently explores themes of trauma, family dynamics, and systemic socioeconomic struggles. He is the author of Pie in the Sky and Other Illusions We Live With, a collection of stories examining societal deceptions and personal grief, and Walking on Nathan’s Grave, a mystery novel centered on a writer uncovering a century-old murder case. His expe...

Alex Fredericks is a seasoned growth engineer, deep-health strategist, and the Founder & CEO of ToneWell—a pioneering wellness intelligence platform changing how we understand the human body.

After spending over 20 years building high-impact market engines and scaling over 50 consumer products, Alex turned his attention to a critical flaw in modern health optimization: data overload. Recognizing that consumers are drowning in complex health spreadsheets and wearable metrics, he founded ToneWell to act as a translation layer between subtle bodily signals and real-life daily action.

Under his leadership, ToneWell has bypassed traditional, hardware-heavy tracking models. Instead, the pl...

Julian Schlossberg is an award-winning producer, distributor, and entertainment icon whose career spans over 60 years. From his early days as an executive for ABC and Paramount Pictures to founding Castle Hill Productions—one of the largest independent film distribution companies in the world—Schlossberg has been a driving force behind American cinema and theater. He has produced dozens of Broadway and off-Broadway shows, distributed masterpieces by Orson Welles and John Cassavetes, and represented monumental talents like George C. Scott and Elaine May. Today, he shares his decades of Hollywood wisdom through his memoir, Try Not to Hold It Against Me...

Chris Amenechi is the Founder and CEO of SeatCash, where he's using artificial intelligence to change the way people buy airline tickets. A recognized innovator in airline revenue management and travel technology, Chris brings more than three decades of experience helping some of the world's leading airlines rethink pricing, merchandising, and the customer experience.

Over the course of his career, Chris has held senior leadership roles with Continental Airlines, United Airlines, Porter Airlines, and Copa Airlines, where he helped pioneer innovations in dynamic pricing, fare lock products, ancillary revenue, and airline merchandising. Today, he's channeling that expertise...

Coach Jay Sargeant is an entrepreneur, author, and the founder of The Shift Project Academy, an elite platform dedicated to the art of personal and professional reinvention.

Drawing from an extraordinary 78-year life journey spanning seven distinct careers, Jay has mastered the mechanics of navigating high-stakes transitions. He is the author of Shift: The Gift of Reinvention, which serves as the strategic blueprint for his global community.

As a veteran corporate consultant and speaker, Jay rejects surface-level motivation in favor of deep cognitive behavioral shifts and tactical execution. Today, he equips individuals worldwide with the...

Kyle McDowell is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, keynote speaker, and leadership coach dedicated to transforming corporate culture. With nearly three decades of experience leading tens of thousands of employees at Fortune 10 giants like UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health, and Bank of America, he is a premier voice on workplace accountability and collaborative excellence.

Frustrated by toxic corporate apathy, Kyle left the executive suite to launch his leadership development firm. His proprietary framework, detailed in his acclaimed book Begin With WE: 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence, serves as a roadmap...

Turning frustration into innovation is what Peter Williams does best. As an avid adventurer who grew tired of dealing with moldy hydration bladders, he created the DRYE Fan—a solution that cuts drying time by 95% and keeps gear mold-free, whether scaling mountains or cycling through city streets.

With more than 20 years of experience collaborating with global brands and building successful companies, Peter leads the Designerds agency. There, he and his team have crafted standout work for major brands like Square, Walmart, X, Amazon, Samsung, and Airbnb. He believes creativity isn’t just about looking good; it’s about...

H.J. Chammas is the founder of Authority Publishing, a four-time bestselling author, and a premier authority positioning strategist. He helps industry experts, coaches, and business leaders leverage books to unlock radical visibility, massive credibility, and rapid business growth.

After losing over $65,000 on his very first publishing venture with a legacy publisher, H.J. became obsessed with uncovering the true mechanics of literary success. This costly setback inspired him to design a proprietary strategic publishing framework. His system strips away reliance on unpredictable royalties, focusing instead on deep author positioning, extreme discoverability, and backend monetization.

...

Addam Ledamyen is a multidisciplinary storyteller, writer, actor, and theatre-maker based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Addam is the founder and Artistic Director of For Elenvia: Publications and Productions, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to developing and producing new literature and theatre that imagines a better world. Addam Ledamyen earned an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and Writing from the California Institute of Integral Studies, serves as a teaching artist at the Walnut Creek Center for Community Arts, and is known for writing the fantasy novel The Legend of Leanna Page.

Debbie Longo is an Executive Behavioral Coach, corporate consultant, and the founder of Life In Bloom NY. With over 20 years of experience in human resources and leadership development, Debbie helps high-performing professionals uncover the hidden behavioral patterns that impact their decision-making, company culture, and bottom line.

As the host of The Behavioral Profit Show, she frequently explores the direct link between human psychology and business performance. She specializes in self-awareness, personal accountability, and deep-seated mindset shifts that transform how executives lead.

Debbie Longo can also be reached and found at

https://www.debbielongo...

J. Leonard Costner is an American author, studio artist, and former athlete. Born in New Jersey and raised in Europe, the 6'6" creator initially followed his father’s footsteps into competitive basketball. However, after a career-ending injury requiring complete pelvic reconstruction, Costner pivoted from sports to the arts.

During his recovery, a persistent dream inspired him to pick up a pen, launching a career in visual storytelling. Today, he is the creator of the epic mythology-driven fantasy series, "Legacy," which includes Legacy (Book 1), The Echoes of Fate, and Resurrection. Through his company, Legacy Universe Publishing, Costner treats hi...

Rafael Pinho is a finance executive, CFA charterholder, and co-founder of TD Pine Advisors, where he serves as CFO and strategic advisor to founder-led businesses. On this episode, Rafael breaks down how entrepreneurs can think beyond revenue and start building true enterprise value.

With a background spanning engineering and corporate finance, Rafael brings a systems-driven approach to business growth, focusing on cash flow, financial clarity, and operational structure. He explains why many businesses plateau not because of lack of sales, but because of owner dependency and lack of scalable systems.

In this conversation, he shares...

Art Serna Jr. is a nonprofit leader, community advocate, and strategist with more than 20 years of experience serving children, families, and underserved communities. He has held leadership roles across education, public service, and mission-driven organizations, including Teach For America, AmeriCorps initiatives, and family services programs in Texas and Oklahoma.

Most recently, he stepped into the leadership role as Executive Director at SpineHope, where he leads global efforts to expand healthcare access and sustainable surgical care for children and youth in underserved communities around the world. Art is passionate about building strong global systems, developing future leaders, and cr...

Tarek Radi is a technology executive, engineering leader, and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience building and scaling innovative products and high-performing teams. After a distinguished career at Intel, where he led complex global programs and technology initiatives, Tarek expanded into entrepreneurship, leadership coaching, and emerging technology ventures. He is passionate about helping organizations navigate growth, foster innovation, and develop strong leadership cultures. Through his work, Tarek combines deep technical expertise with practical insights on business strategy, team performance, and personal development. His mission is to empower individuals and organizations to achieve meaningful impact through technology and leadership.<...

Alicia Vandergriend is a horsewoman wellness coach, certified E-RYT 500 yoga instructor, trained hypnotherapist, and Ayurveda health coach who helps horsewomen build confidence, strength, and calm both in and out of the saddle.

After spending more than 25 years managing complex projects and leading teams through challenges, Alicia transitioned her passion for transformation and personal growth into helping equestrians create lasting change in their lives. Drawing on over 15 years of movement and mindfulness practice, along with advanced training through Yoga Heart Mind and the Shakti School, she combines yoga, Ayurveda, mindset coaching, and practical wellness strategies into a holistic...

Maison Collawn is a speaker, podcaster, and advocate for personal growth through storytelling. Diagnosed with autism at an early age, he found connection and understanding through television, anime, and manga, which helped shape his perspective on identity, resilience, and self-discovery.

With a background in mass communications, Maison is the creator and host of the MC Anime Podcast, where he explores the intersection of anime, media, spirituality, and mental health. Through engaging conversations and thoughtful analysis, he highlights how the stories we love can inspire healing, personal development, and a deeper sense of purpose.

As a...

Dr. Patricia Timerman Barbosa da Silva—affectionately known as "Dr. T"—is a trilingual psychotherapist, author, and the founder of the Florida-based private practice, Advocate2Create.

With over a decade of clinical experience, Dr. Timerman specializes in resolving deep-seated relationship conflict, managing anxiety, navigating trauma, and healing from grief. Born in Brazil and educated at both New York University and Barry University, she holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and holds dual licenses as a Mental Health Counselor and a Marriage and Family Therapist.

Driven by a mission to bridge human divides, she authored Why...

Matt Diamante is the founder of HeyTony, a digital marketing agency dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and small businesses scale their online presence. He specializes in simplifying the complex worlds of SEO and social media marketing, empowering business owners to take control of their own digital growth. By blending a data-driven approach with creative storytelling, Matt’s strategies have consistently helped clients rank #1 on Google for competitive keywords and attract thousands of monthly visitors. [1]

He practices exactly what he preaches, having built an Instagram community of over 350,000 followers and driving 20,000 monthly visitors to his own website. Whether he is...

Eliana De La Garza is an Austin-based executive coach and leadership development expert who thrives at the messy intersection of work, culture, and being human. Having spent years embedded inside fast-paced, high-growth organizations, Eliana helps professionals navigate the steep learning curves of "accidental management," resolve high-friction team dynamics, and deliver when the stakes are highly visible.

Beyond traditional executive training and L&D strategy, she is known for bringing a unique cultural lens to her work. Eliana loves driving conversations that move fluidly between corporate strategy, social issues, and pop culture—frequently using scenes from television, film, or...

James B. Hayden is a Seattle-based business executive, sales strategist, author, and speaker with more than 30 years of experience in enterprise sales, business development, and revenue leadership. He has advised organizations across multiple industries on how to improve sales performance, develop effective go-to-market strategies, and build long-term customer relationships. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to more than $1 billion in revenue generation through leadership roles focused on growth and execution.

Hayden is the author of Real World Selling Strategies: The Art of the Selling Conversation, which focuses on practical techniques for improving sales conversations...