Episodios

  • 1546: Financial Freedom for Young Adults with Steve Short & Mark Schlipman

    1546: Financial Freedom for Young Adults with Steve Short & Mark Schlipman
    Mar 1 2026
    When two college dads realized how little real-world money education their kids were getting, they didn’t complain they wrote a book. Financial advisor Steve Short and business owner Mark Schlipman met at a dad’s weekend and quickly bonded over a shared concern: most young adults are entering life with almost no financial foundation. In this episode, Steve and Mark share the story behind their “passion project” book, designed to give teens, college students, and young professionals a simple, step-by-step path to financial freedom without needing a financial advisor. You’ll hear how Steve’s experience as a fiduciary advisor shaped the book’s transparent, no sales approach, why they devoted two-plus hours every Monday for over two years to get it written, and how they built a framework parents can actually use to teach their kids about money. Instead of shaming people for buying lattes or insisting on extreme frugality, Steve and Mark lay out a realistic system that balances discipline with enjoyment. They explain how to treat your personal finances like a business, schedule weekly “money meetings” with yourself, and set up savings habits that still leave about 30% of your income for fun. Along the way, Steve shares a personal wake-up call when his car payment was bigger than his mortgage and how that mistake reshaped his views on debt, goals, and delayed gratification. Whether you’re a parent wanting to pass on better money habits, a young adult just starting out, or someone who’s never had financial concepts explained simply, you’ll walk away with practical steps you can start implementing this week. Quotes: “Most people think young adults need a financial advisor. Our view? If you understand a few core principles and follow the steps, you can do this yourself.” “We’re not here to latte, shame you. You can enjoy life and still hit your financial goals if you have a plan and stick to it.” “Treat your personal finances like a business. Put time on the calendar every week to look at your numbers, your budget, and where the money is leaking.” Resources: Mark Schlipman on LinkedIn Steve Short on LinkedIn The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom: A Guide to Helping Young Adults Build Wealth
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    25 m
  • 1545: Financial Freedom with Finance Expert Justin Buonomo

    1545: Financial Freedom with Finance Expert Justin Buonomo
    Feb 28 2026
    Growing up in a “make 100K, spend 110” household, Justin Buonomo watched money chaos tear his family apart two bankruptcies, cars repossessed, even losing the family dog when they lost their home. At 18, he received an $80,000 settlement from a childhood car accident… and promptly repeated the same patterns he’d seen modeled. That painful experience plus later work on the business side of Johns Hopkins Medicine set him on a decade-long quest to understand money through a different lens: biblical wisdom, proven financial strategy, and intentional stewardship. Today, Justin is the CEO and founder of Journey to Financial Freedom, where he and his team help faith-based individuals break generational cycles, heal money trauma, and step into a life that honors both God and their goals. In this episode, Justin shares why budgeting is not punishment but the primary tool God can use to increase your freedom, options, and peace of mind when it’s taught the right way. He explains why most financial programs fail long-term: they try to “fix” behaviors without ever addressing the beliefs and subconscious programming formed between ages 7–10. You’ll hear how childhood experiences around scarcity, bankruptcy, or “rich people are bad” scripts keep showing up in your adult bank account, why “money is the root of all evil” is one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible, and how to align your finances with God’s heart instead of fear or greed. Justin also unpacks his Good Steward Program, the crucial role of accountability and community, and how mentorship can give you “wisdom without the wounds” in both personal finance and entrepreneurship. Quotes: “Finances that work take work. There’s no quick solution but when you’re taught by the right person with the right intentions, it doesn’t have to feel confusing or restrictive.” “Your external wealth is just a reflection of your internal wealth. If you only manage behaviors and never heal the beliefs, the old habits always find their way back.” “Money isn’t the problem. Greed and idolatry are. God calls us not to ignore money, but to steward it.” Resources: The Good Steward Justine Buonomo on Linkedln
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    28 m
  • 1544: Amateur Moms Happily Ever After Motherhood Empty Nest Life and Grandkids with Renee Thomas Hawkley

    1544: Amateur Moms Happily Ever After Motherhood Empty Nest Life and Grandkids with Renee Thomas Hawkley
    Feb 27 2026
    Raising eight kids across six states and two countries gave Renee Thomas Hawkley a front-row seat to the beautiful chaos of family life. Now a grandmother and widow at 79, she’s still learning new lessons in love, loss, and letting her adult children “mother” her back. Author of “Once Upon an Amateur Mom” and the forthcoming “Amateur Moms Happily Ever After,” Renee shares honest, humorous stories that reassure overwhelmed moms that joy is still hiding in the mess. From heart‑shaped Valentine’s pizzas and allergy‑friendly family dinners to long‑distance group texts and quick check‑ins, Renee shows how simple acts of inclusion and thoughtfulness keep families close even when they’re spread across multiple states and seasons of life. https://youtu.be/JUojWD6nLR0 In this conversation, Renee and Robert explore the emotional shifts of aging and empty nesting, the reality that every child needs different rules, and the hard truth that you can’t fix everything but you can always offer love and kindness. Renee reflects on widowhood and the enduring influence of her late husband Dan, and closes by reading her moving piece “A Mother’s Creed,” a poetic reminder that motherhood links humanity’s past to its future. Whether you’re a mom in the trenches, an empty nester, or an adult child wondering how to better honor your own mother, you’ll come away with simple, practical reminders to invite, include, and reach out while there’s still time. Quotes: “You can’t fix everything for your children but you can always offer your love, your kindness, and the joy of having them close.” “Every child is raised in the same home, but no two children are the same and sometimes love means giving them different rules.” “At 79, I’ve learned that letting my children ‘mother’ me is not weakness; it’s the beautiful proof that family love has come full circle.” Resources: Renee Hawkley Once Upon an Amateur Mom Kindle Edition on Amazon
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    31 m
  • 1543: The Journey First Framework for Account-Based B2B Growth with Brent Keltner

    1543: The Journey First Framework for Account-Based B2B Growth with Brent Keltner
    Feb 13 2026
    From Stanford and the RAND Corporation to leading revenue teams in the commercial world, Brent Keltner, PhD, has spent his career decoding how complex B2B deals are actually closed. As founder and president of Winalytics, Brent helps mid-market and enterprise teams move beyond product pitching to true account-based growth. He’s the author of “The Revenue Acceleration Playbook” and the forthcoming “Journey First Marketing,” a book that challenges one of B2B’s biggest bad habits: obsessing over individual personas when companies actually buy in committees. In this episode, Brent reveals why traditional contact-focused marketing leaves so much revenue on the table and how to flip your entire go-to-market motion around a simple idea: accounts buy, personas don’t. You’ll hear how to design websites that speak to every member of the buying committee, why customer stories should be your #1 content asset (not #5), and how to connect product value, business value, and corporate value so that users, budget owners, and risk-averse stakeholders all see themselves in your message. https://youtu.be/2dCBKj9vf88 Brent also breaks down a practical roadmap for teams stuck in contact scoring and lead chaos. He explains how to use tools like ChatGPT on top of your CRM to spot real buying committees (not just random clickers or competitors snooping), how to build three aligned content streams for your core buyer types, and how to reuse a single customer story across your entire funnel, website, social, sales decks, and beyond. Whether you’re a CMO, CRO, founder, or product marketer, you’ll come away with a clearer picture of what true account-based enablement looks like in the real world and how a few smart changes can unlock faster, more predictable growth. Quotes: "Accounts buy. Personas don’t, and every part of your marketing should reflect that reality.” “If your customers aren’t saying it consistently, it isn’t true, no matter how often your CEO repeats it.” “Customer stories are the only asset that turn ‘me selling to you’ into ‘we solving a problem together.’” Resources: Winalytics LLC Brent Keltner on LinkedIn The Revenue Acceleration Playbook: Creating an Authentic Buyer Journey Across Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success on Amazon
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    28 m
  • 1542: Profit Acceleration & Predictable Profit for Service-Based Entrepreneurs with Cardinal Business Advisor with Jane Parmel

    1542: Profit Acceleration & Predictable Profit for Service-Based Entrepreneurs with Cardinal Business Advisor with Jane Parmel
    Feb 11 2026
    Service-based entrepreneurs often launch a business to do what they love, only to find themselves overwhelmed by tasks, burned out, and tied to operations they never planned for. In this episode, profit acceleration strategist Jane Parmel joins Robert Plank to explain why the real job of a business owner isn’t “doing the work” but leading the business. Drawing from her journey from teacher to children’s party center owner to coach, Jane unpacks how over-involvement, emotional attachment, and fear of delegation quietly destroy profit, stall growth, and keep owners stuck in the business instead of working on it. https://youtu.be/G__QT9C_0_Q Jane explains why mindset is the first system you must fix, from the belief that “no one can do it as well as me” to the dangerous comfort of “we’ve always done it this way.” You’ll hear how to step into the role of observer instead of constant doer, empower employees to take ownership, and design operations that support clarity, confidence, and cash flow. If you’re overwhelmed, short on time, and tired of your business depending on your every move, this conversation will show you how to embrace change, build structure, and finally create a business that serves your life, not the other way around. Quotes: “The moment you stop doing everything yourself and start leading your business, you stop surviving and start growing.” “If you’re the most expensive person in the company, you can’t afford to be doing the cheapest tasks.” “Your business will only grow to the level you’re willing to delegate, document, and let other people win with you.” Resources: Cardinal Business Advisors Jane Parmel on LinkedIn
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    23 m
  • 1541: LinkedIn Sales Outreach & Lead Generation Using Skoop AI Video Messages with Troy Hipolito

    1541: LinkedIn Sales Outreach & Lead Generation Using Skoop AI Video Messages with Troy Hipolito
    Feb 8 2026
    Tired of random, low-quality LinkedIn calls or no calls at all? In this episode, Troy Hipolito (a.k.a. the “Not So Boring LinkedIn Guy” and former Swiss-Filipino gamification designer) breaks down how he helps B2B and service-based businesses turn LinkedIn into a consistent pipeline of vetted, high-value meetings. After agency work with Fortune 500 brands dried up, Troy reinvented his business using LinkedIn, combining “slow dating” relationship-building with tight systems and clear daily workflows. The result: a predictable process that leverages videos, content, events, and smart follow-up instead of spammy cold pitches and random hustle. https://youtu.be/Oh-wtfBJAI0 Troy reveals the exact framework behind Skoop, his Chrome extension and dashboard, which boosts first-message-to-booked-meeting conversions from ~3% to 21%, a 6x improvement, using short, raw, hyper-personalized videos embedded directly in LinkedIn DMs. You’ll learn how to fix a “jacked up” profile that repels your ideal clients, why you only really make money on LinkedIn in two places (content and DMs), how to structure free/low-ticket/high-ticket offers that feed each other, and how to use VAs, SOPs, and repeatable systems so you only spend 30 minutes a day recording videos while your backend runs like a machine. If you want more (and better) meetings without turning LinkedIn into a full-time job, this conversation gives you the blueprint. Quotes: “There’s no single silver bullet. The core is providing value, but you have to distribute that value across multiple channels.” “LinkedIn is not a Facebook marketplace. It’s a networking domain. It’s about building real relationships, not just ‘buy my stuff.’” “We took that first LinkedIn message from about a 3% conversion to 21%, not to a reply, but to a vetted booked meeting.” “People don’t read; they scan. Anything more than three lines is too much. That’s why the message has to be context, content, context.” “Slow down and ‘slow date’ your clients. The sooner you realize you’re not a fit, the sooner you can move on with clarity.” Resources: Troy Hipolito on LinkedIn SKOOP
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    36 m
  • 1540: Run Better Zoom Meetings: POPRA Planning, Handling HIPPOs, and High-Stakes Virtual Facilitation with Evan Unger

    1540: Run Better Zoom Meetings: POPRA Planning, Handling HIPPOs, and High-Stakes Virtual Facilitation with Evan Unger
    Feb 1 2026
    Evan Unger is a recognized expert in organizational change, leadership development, and collaborative facilitation. With decades of experience consulting for major enterprises, including large pharmaceutical companies and insurance organizations, Evan specializes in transforming workplace culture by empowering change agents at every level. His approach moves beyond traditional training, focusing on deep, practice-based skill transfer to foster genuine collaboration, reduce bureaucracy, and maximize meeting effectiveness. https://youtu.be/adnRTpNsLgk In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Evan Unger joins Robert Plank to discuss the art (and science) of running effective, high-stakes meetings. Evan reveals why most meetings are a microcosm of organizational dysfunction and how targeting meeting culture can boost company-wide productivity. Discover the “five fundamentals” for collaborative leadership, learn how to handle challenging personalities (including the “HiPPO” dynamic), and hear why real transformation starts with top-down engagement and extensive practice, not just passive training videos. Tune in for actionable strategies to reclaim time, drive better decisions, and create a culture of buy-in from the very first meeting. Quotes: “The fastest way to transform your company’s culture is to change the way you lead meetings because every meeting is a window into your organization’s soul.” “Real leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating space for every voice and guiding your team to believe, ‘We did this ourselves.’” “You can’t shift a culture with information alone. Transformation happens when leaders show up, practice together, and model the behaviors they want to see.” Resources: Evan Unger on LinkedIn
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    31 m
  • 1539: AI, PR, and Media Visibility for Founders with Gloria Chou

    1539: AI, PR, and Media Visibility for Founders with Gloria Chou
    Jan 31 2026
    Gloria Chou is an award-winning small business PR expert recognized for revolutionizing media visibility for overlooked founders, especially women and minority entrepreneurs. As the creator of the “CPR” pitching method and a fierce advocate for leveling the PR playing field, Gloria leverages free AI tools to help brands break through traditional barriers without a budget or gatekeepers. She’s on a mission to help product-based businesses get featured in mainstream media, build credible backlinks, and earn trust in the age of AI-driven search. https://youtu.be/6d-TEcnGgaM In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Gloria Chou joins Robert Plank to explore the dramatic shift from traditional SEO to AI-powered recommendations for brands. Gloria reveals why being seen by large language models (like ChatGPT and Perplexity) is now more important than ever and shares actionable steps for founders to get featured in podcasts, editorial articles, and gift guides. Tune in to learn about leveraging real-time AI tools for competitive research, media pitch creation, and maximizing content repurposing, plus the “one window of opportunity” founders cannot afford to miss. Quotes: “If you’re not being recommended by AI, if ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini aren’t mentioning you, then to today’s shoppers, you’re invisible. Media coverage is now your strongest trust signal.” “Right now is a once-in-a-generation window for founders; you don’t need a massive budget or thousands of followers. Small brands finally have the chance to compete with giants, if you act before the algorithms choose their favorites.” “AI is rewriting the rules of marketing. It’s not about stuffing websites with keywords but about building credible backlinks and getting your story told. Thoughtful pitches and real coverage are what move you forward.” Resources: Gloria Chou PR Gloria Chou on LinkedIn
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    24 m