In this episode, Darren Reinke sits down with Michael Burns, a serial entrepreneur with a diverse background ranging from tech recruiting to cannabis farming. Michael shares his journey to becoming a multifaceted business leader, emphasizing the pivotal role sales has had on his career, the power of showmanship, and how the Grateful Dead's philosophy influences his approach to business. Show Notes: -How Michael started and continued his diverse entrepreneurial journey [00:37] -An overview of...

In this episode of The Savage Leader Podcast, Darren Reinke chats with Aaron Fulkerson, CEO of Opaque Systems. Aaron discusses his transition from entrepreneurship to ServiceNow and how he's found his way back to the entrepreneurial world. He also discusses the issue of trust erosion within the technology sector and how Opaque Systems is spearheading efforts to rebuild this trust through secure application development for collaborative analytics and AI. Opaque Systems is on a mission to...

In this episode, Darren Reinke sits down with Anthony Lee, CEO of Westcliff University. Anthony shares his journey from childhood passions to leading a university that's making a significant impact in the education sector. They delve into the future of education, how Westcliff University is preparing students for a rapidly evolving job market, and Anthony's personal insights on entrepreneurship and leadership. Westcliff University was established to provide quality education for students...

In this episode, Darren Reinke explores the journey of entrepreneurship with Co-Founder of Wove, Andrew Wolgemuth. Andrew recounts his unique journey from West Point to becoming an Army Ranger to starting a jewelry company, highlighting why nobody should face entrepreneurship alone. He shares insights on leveraging distribution channels that help your business win, building a supportive community, and the pivotal moments that shaped Wove. Wove is a 21st century jeweler, bringing the jewelry...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Som Shahapurkar, leading AI expert and founder of OzzSom AI. Som discusses the current state of AI, the importance of guardrails in preventing unintended consequences, why you should prioritize curiosity over judgement, and everything you need to know about ChatGPT, AI, and its future in society. OzzSom AI guides small and medium business to adopt AI/ML cost effectively to grow their business, improve efficiency or become lean, with expertise across...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Zack Zarrillo, the co-founder of Alternate Side, a full service music company that represents a diverse roster of platinum and gold talent with a combined catalog of over 5 Billion streams throughout alternative, rock, indie, electronic, and metal. Zack shares how he got into the music business, how he creates brands and businesses for his artists, the raging epidemic of mental health in music industry, how he got involved in the donut business, and...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with the Jonathan Friedman, Co-Founder and President of Volo Beauty, about his entrepreneurial journey. Jonathan shares insights into how he dealt with failure as an entrepreneur, how he learned to not take things personally, and how he developed a strong enough risk profile to take the entrepreneurial leap. Volo Beauty is a leading hair care brand dedicated to transforming peoples' daily hair routine. With a mission to make drying and styling your hair...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with former Navy Submarine Commander and Sparton CEO William Toti. William discusses what it’s really like to live on a submarine for months on end, the key leadership lessons he learned from the navy, solutions to help transitioning military members thrive, why companies need to hire more veterans, and so much more! Show Notes: -William’s original goal of becoming an astronaut [1:06] -What it's like being in a submarine for extended periods of time...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with musician and founding member of the band Hed PE and Korn guitarist, Wes Geer. Wes shares his experience falling in love with music, his inspiring story about addiction and how he overcame it, the factors that led him to starting to Rock to Recovery, and how Rock to Recovery is helping people battling addiction and mental illness all around the world. Rock to Recovery helps people heal and transform their lives through the powerful experience of...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Crossing Borders. Dan shares stories of hope from some of the North Korean women he has worked with over the last 20 years, the spark that led him to creating Crossing Borders, his personal definition of Greatness, and so much more! Crossing Borders is a non-profit dedicated to helping North Korean refugees who cross the border into China for food and medical assistance. They are a faith-based organization...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with the founder and CEO of Supermojo, Amir Sarhangi. Amir discusses his original spark for entrepreneurship, why conviction is the most important part of entrepreneurship, his decision to start another company after a successful exit, how he become interested in NFTs and so much more! Supermojo is a financing platform designed to make digital assets more accessible for users. The platform facilitates point-of-sale financing, like layaway, to make NFT...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of Pray.com, Mike Lynn. Mike discusses how is mom being swindled out of money during his childhood led him to pursue wealth management, why he left a very successful career at Merrill Lynch to pursue entrepreneurship, why you can’t book smart your way into being an entrepreneur, and so much more. Pray.com was launched in 2017 with a mission to grow faith, cultivate community, and leave a legacy of helping others....

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with singer songwriter Christian Gibbs. Christian discusses how he got into the music business, how he joined iconic 80s band Modern English, how he balances commercial pressure from record labels with his desire to create authentic music, how he uses music to help kids, and so much more. Show Notes: *The spark that led Christian to music [0:38] *Christian’s fascination with song writing [1:15] *Embracing the vulnerability that comes with song writing...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Beth Thorp, co-founder and executive director of the Mitchell Thorp Foundation. Beth discuss how losing her son to a mysterious illness led her and her husband to start the Mitchell Thorp Foundation, how they harnessed their grief and turned it into purpose, the positive impact their foundation has had on kids with life threatening illnesses, their families, and their communities and so much more! Mitchell Thorp Foundation's mission is to support...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Claudia Castellanos, founder and CEO of Black Mamba Foods. Claudia discusses how a decision to volunteer in Africa led her to find her life’s purpose, the importance of metrics and accountability for social impact businesses, how Black Mamba Food measures their impact, and how companies can expand their influence and make a difference. Black Mamba’s range of chili sauces, chili pastes, pestos, chutneys and jams are all made with organically grown...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Ryan Mulvany, Founder and President of Quiverr. Ryan shares how he turned a side hustle into a scalable company that he eventually sold, the importance of trust in scaling critical business relationships, and how his willingness to lean into being different has helped him in both business and in life. Quiverr is a leader in full-service Amazon Marketplace Optimization. They help brands increase their revenue utilizing years of understanding Amazon’s...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Akshay Sateesh, president of Ziksana Consulting. Akshay discusses how going to school in Malaysia with kids from over 100 different countries equipped him with values of curiosity and adaptability, how improv inspired a career change, and the importance of bringing "play" into the workplace. Show Notes: *Akshay’s unique multi-cultural background and how it has shaped his life’s perspective [0:57] *How celebrating multiple cultures led to Akshay’s...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with business author Mike Michalowitz. Mike discusses his entrepreneurial journey, how he went bankrupt after starting and selling multiple successful companies, how he found his calling of eradicating entrepreneurial poverty, and why psychological ownership is the key to getting the most out of your people. Mike is the author of seven business books published by Penguin Random House, including Get Different, Profit First and Clockwork, and is the former...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Leigh Steinberg, a premiere sports agent, author, and philanthropist. Leigh discusses the skillsets learned from negotiating with Ronald Reagan, his journey to becoming a successful sports agents, the importance of strong values, and why you should go to a planetarium if you need perspective. During his 41-year career, Leigh Steinberg has represented over 300 professional athletes in football, baseball, basketball, boxing, and Olympic sports. He has...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Aaron Fulkerson, a technology entrepreneur, founder of MindTouch, and a General Manager for ServiceNow. Aaron talks about his untraditional path into technology, why he thinks you should run a company like a sports team instead of a family, why generalists are less likely to be displaced by technology, and so much more! Show Notes *Aaron's untraditional background and why he started his career later than most [1:12] *The lessons Aaron learned from...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Brad Lee, former president and CEO of Breg. Brad discusses his interest in engineering from an early age, the “Aha” moment that led him on his journey to becoming a CEO, the most important lessons he learned from leaning into his fears, and so much more! Show Notes: *How taking apart household appliances as a little kid led Brad to engineering [1:06] *Why Brad decided to pursue chemical engineering [2:27] *What career Brad hoped to pursue after...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Casey Georgeson, Founder and CEO of Saint Jane. Casey discusses how a $10,000 loan during the Great Depression started her family’s legacy of entrepreneurship, the importance of work life balance as a founder and CEO, why she feels the most successful and powerful brands are emotional, and CBD’s array of health benefits. Saint Jane is a luxury CBD beauty company that is small-batch-crafted in California with thoughtful ingredients for an unparalleled...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Chris Fisher, the Oklahoma Thunder’s play by play announcer. Chris discusses how his passion for sports started at an early age, why his first job taught him the importance of hard work and embracing the “grind”, why versatility is a critical component in achieving success, and so much more. Show Notes: *How Chris got involved in sports [1:06] *Chris’s early successes as a sports broadcaster [4:57] *How authenticity and curiosity led to Chris’s first...

In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Sanjit Singh, a serial entrepreneur who has launched several tech startups and had two successful exits. Sanjit discusses the art of the pivot, why you should create playbooks for your organization, how your business can thrive by adopting a startup mindset, and so much more. Show Notes: *Why Sanjit jumped into entrepreneurship [1:10] *Key lessons Sanjit learned before beginning his entrepreneurship journey [2:15] *How sales equipped Sanjit to thrive...