James Dixon's life has been marked by immense hardship since his early life growing up in the notorious Cabrini Green neighborhood in Chicago. A catastrophic accident left him paralyzed from the neck down, and the daily struggles of caring for him became too much for his overwhelmed mother who subsequently signed over her parental rights, leaving him essentially orphaned. This daunting experience pushed young James to the edge, instigating him to contemplate suicide at such a tender age. He...

Welcome back to another riveting episode of "The Art of Making Things Happen" with your host, Steve D Sims. In today's episode, titled "My Pivotal Point," Steve shares a powerful story about a moment that forever changed his perspective and approach to life. He recounts a chance encounter with the legendary actor Keanu Reeves and how a single line from the movie "Point Break" had a profound impact on him. Steve delves into the concept of pivotal moments, highlighting the fact that they are...

Welcome to another exciting episode of "The Art of Making Things Happen" with your host, Steve D Sims. In this episode, Steve invites the one and only Air Force Amy to the show. Known as the most famous legal prostitute in the world, Air Force Amy shares her remarkable journey and her 33-year career in the legal brothel industry in Nevada, particularly at the renowned Bunny Ranch. Steve and Amy delve into the changing dynamics of connection and intimacy in today's society. They discuss how...

Magnus Walker, a renowned automobile enthusiast and designer, can trace his passion for cars back to his childhood in Sheffield. Despite growing up in a working-class family, Magnus developed a fascination for automobiles from an early age. Although his household lacked extravagant vehicles, his exposure to his father's company car, a Ford Granada, sparked his interest in the automotive world. As a young boy of ten, Magnus discovered Porsche and instantly fell in love with the brand. The...

Brad Pedersen is an award-winning entrepreneur, angel investor, thought leader, and sought-after business coach. In 2008, he founded and scaled Canada’s top toy company, Tech 4 Kids, and subsequently co-founded Pela, the $100m sustainable phone case startup that created an entirely new category.    In 2021, Brad and the team at Pela successfully launched a record-breaking $9.8M crowd-sourced campaign for the Lomi, the world’s first smart waste kitchen composter.    Brad has a passion for...

Julie started her journey to entrepreneurship as a blogger and writer, garnering the attention of media outlets like The New York Times and Washington Post with her no-holds-barred approach to social media.   After a rocky divorce and unexpected pregnancy in 2014 that left her needing to build a profitable business quickly, Julie transformed her passion and love for marketing into a multi-million dollar business in less than 3 years.   Now she runs an exclusive mastermind group...

Jon Vroman is a family man who also founded FrontRowDads.com, a community of 300+ men who are committed to being “family men with businesses, not businessmen with families.” He is the host of the popular Front Row Dads podcast which releases weekly shows interviewing high-performing entrepreneurs and business owners who choose to put family first. His community creates both in-person and live events that focus on 6 pillars:  Intentional Parenting, Thriving Marriage, Emotional Intelligence,...

Jason Fladlien is known as the $100 million dollar webinar man. His pitch webinars have set records in the information, coaching, affiliate, and software space. Not only do many claim him the best webinar presenter out there, he is also considered the best teacher of webinars. He draws upon his eclectic background for inspiration, from being a Hare Krsna monk and a rapper born in raised in the small town of Muscatine, Iowa. As such, people like Joe Polish describe him as “one of the top 5...

Erik Huberman is a dynamic entrepreneur and the driving force behind a mission of marketing world domination. Fueled by a restless spirit and a refusal to settle, Erik understands that success demands constant adaptation and innovation. With a keen eye for spotting new opportunities, he and his team are always on the lookout for how the world is changing and how they can continue to evolve and get closer to their aspirations. This mindset has already led them to achieve remarkable success,...

When writer / director  Seth Ferranti received a twenty-five year LSD kingpin conviction, after faking his suicide and landing on the US Marshals Top-15 Most Wanted list, he thought his life was over. As a first time, non-violent offender, the lengthy sentence attracted media attention from The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, The Washington Times, and others.    Turning despair into drive, Ferranti earned an associates, bachelors, and masters degree while in prison and started penning...

Lauren Petrullo is the CEO and Founder of Award Winning Marketing Agency, Mongoose Media LLC based in Orlando, Florida. She is also the Founder of boutique ecommerce store Asian Beauty Essentials, Chief Marketing Officer of eco-conscious baby swimwear Beau & Belle Littles, and co-founder of chatbot service Bot Blondes.

Welcome back to another riveting episode of The Art of Making Things Happen with your host, Steve Sims. In today's episode, Steve shares an intriguing experience he had with his son while racing motorcycles. They discuss the concept of comparison and competition as entrepreneurs and how it impacts our growth. They delve into the importance of surrounding ourselves with individuals who push us to achieve more and challenge our standards. Steve emphasizes the significance of stepping out of our...

In today's episode, we have the incredible Ryan Niddel joining us. Ryan has embarked on a personal journey that received a polarizing response from his inner circle. His family, friends, and acquaintances turned their backs on him, leaving him questioning his decisions. Join us as we dive into Ryan's story and explore how his podcast, "15 Minutes to Freedom," became a platform for him to process his emotions and share his journey. We'll discover the pivotal moment that inspired his first...

Keaton Hoskins, also known as The Muscle, is a successful entrepreneur and business owner who has started and operated 22 companies in various industries, including a personal training company, gym, dental office, plastic surgery clinic, apparel company, and sports training for youth companies. He has built an 8-figure business and has found financial success in every business he has launched, spending no more than $7,500 to start or launch any of them. Keaton has implemented his business...

Michelle Lewis is a color psychology expert who helps people discover the world of color, how it can support their intentions + start strategically implementing it into their daily lifestyle. A certified color analyst with degrees in interior design, film + natural medicine, she has studied color from all angles - injecting it into her newest book Color Secrets. She specializes in helping businesses connect with their ideal clients + maximize their sales potential using visual cues based in...

Jeff Fenster is a serial entrepreneur whose main business principles are making friends and having fun! Fenster is focused on disruptive start-ups with vertical integration and revenue-driving innovation while cultivating and empowering top-tier leadership teams to foster the growth of successful brands. A pioneer in the quick-serve restaurant category, Fenster is the founder of the rapidly expanding, So Cal-based superfood brand, everbowl™ which he established in 2016. everbowl is...

Steve Sims takes on this weeks podcast to discuss the room you are in. More like the room you should be in!

Chris Krimitsos has cemented his place in emerging technologies, as evidenced by his success with a global podcasting event that set back-to-back world records.   Time and again, Chris has solidified his reputation as a thought leader, whether as a speaker, an event organizer, or in the media. Along the way, his name twice became etched in the book of Guinness World Records™ as he championed the largest attendance for a virtual podcasting conference in one week, first in 2020, and then...

Scott Dikkers performs, writes, and animates the show, Scott Dikkers Around, available ad-free wherever you get podcasts. His long career in comedy began with his syndicated comic strip, Jim's Journal, which led to a New York Times bestselling book collection. After that, he founded the world’s first humor website, TheOnion.com. He’s served as The Onion’s owner and editor-in-chief, on and off, for much of the last 30 years.

Zach Skow, Marley’s Mutts Founder rescued Marley, a Rottweiler-Pit Bull  from the Mojave Shelter in 2002 at eight weeks old. He used to carry him around in a backpack with just his head poking out. ​When Zach was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease, it was Marley who helped pull him from despair and into the fight. It was his relentless love, omnipresent affection, and “today can be the best day of our life” mentality which helped Zach live again. MARLEY’S MUTTS DOG RESCUE is a 501(c)(3)...

At age 16, I was homeless. I dropped out of school and began using and selling drugs until, at the age of 19, I was sentenced to 14 months in prison. While there, I earned my GED and became an avid reader. After being released, I went on to graduate with honors from The Ohio State University. I interviewed with nearly 100 companies, making it through to the last round, only to be rejected after disclosing my criminal history. I eventually found a manufacturing company that was willing to...

Michelle Renee was a teen runaway who escaped a violent, traumatic childhood, Michelle beat the odds when she rose up from being a part-time bank teller to a respected Regional Sales Manager, Vice President and Branch Manager in her 13-year career. A violent home invasion kidnapping, hostage, and bank robbery crime carried out against Michelle and her daughter ended her career.

Wally Green, clebrity pro athlete from Brooklyn, overcame poverty and violence to become a world-class athlete. He represented the US in international competitions, including a historic trip to North Korea, and co-founded a premier social Ping Pong club in New York. Wally's determination, spirit, and perseverance make him a true inspiration and a role model for anyone facing adversity. He proves that with hard work, dedication, and a positive attitude, anything is possible.

Chet Holmes International has assisted 250,000 businesses worldwide using the framework from the best selling cult classic The Ultimate Sales Machine. Amanda Holmes took over the family business after her father's unexpected passing. At 24 with a background as a singer/songwriter, she took on the huge responsibility and managed a miracle. 10 years later they've doubled clients multiple years in a row, double digit growth multiple years consecutively, and more! ...

George Bryant is a world-renowned digital marketing strategist with a specialization in the customer journey, relationships, and mindset. He is known for using his Relationships Beat Algorithm™ model to teach entrepreneurs and business owners how to apply these skills to help their businesses scale profitably. George accomplishes this through his top 1% podcast The Mind of George Show, consulting, digital courses, live events, and board advisory positions. He has worked with prestigious...