Avant-Garde Entrepreneur

Do you remember the last time you saw yourself doing nothing?Today, I'm thrilled to welcome the inspiring Michelle Sorro. Michelle is a Spiritual Business Mentor, the Host of the top 1% worldwide podcast on self-development, Fire & Soul, a dear friend, and my coach. From being a successful TV retail host making over $200 million in sales, to launching a super successful podcast, to helping others spread their voice, to a seven-figure master coach, Michelle's journey into becoming who she is today was, with the benefit of hindsight, as she likes to say, perfect.In early 2021, Michelle took the first steps into a fascinating journey of self-discovery that helped her shed labels and get closer to her soul's purpose. One crucial insight Michelle got from her mesmerizing journey is the importance of mental health hygiene, and that's the main focus of our conversation.Tune in and listen to the sixtieth episode of Avant-garde Entrepreneur. You'll hear about Michelle's impressive entrepreneurial journey and her extraordinary spiritual awakening that, as she realized later, was sending her hints and signs all the time. Michelle also shares her thoughts on the importance of mental health maintenance, practical tips to turn it into a habit, and its multiple benefits. You'll hear about the link between self-care, spiritual practices, and long-term success, the power of letting go, and much more!In This Episode, You Will Learn:A bit about Michelle's impressive professional career (6:40)About Michelle's spiritual awakening (13:50)With the benefit of hindsight, it is easier to connect the golden dots (18:20)Why is it so hard to listen? (22:00)Tips and advice on mental health maintenance (29:10)Manifest in ease. What is it and how to do it (37:50)Paying attention to the signs, symbols, and synchronicities (49:30)Connect with Michelle Sorro:WebsiteLinkedInInstagramWatch the Soul & Fire Podcast on YouTubeSave your spot for the Magnetic Creator Mastermind 2025Let's Connect!WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagram

While some leaders' fear is thinking the person behind them wants to take their job, others measure their success based on how well they've prepared their successors. As leaders, we must think it is not about training our replacement, it is about setting the conditions for the person that replaces who's replacing us.Today, I'm thrilled to welcome a fantastic leader and great friend, Colonel Blake Glass. Colonel Glass has over 28 years of dynamic experience in the most extreme, volatile, ambiguous, and uncertain environments, making calls and leading operations in Iraq and Ukraine.Leaning on his MBA from the University of Florida in Agricultural Business and Management and his master's degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, Colonel Blake started a new path as a Land Development Manager in Pulte Group.Tune in and listen to the fifty-ninth episode of Avant-garde Entrepreneur. You'll hear Colonel Glass' thoughts on making decisions in high-pressure situations, what we can do in those moments when we don't know what to do, and the importance of building resilience in our teams. Colonel Glass also shares his unique perspective on leaders' accountability and responsibilities, thinking outside the box when training leaders' replacements, how leaders should handle their emotions, and so much more.In This Episode, You Will Learn:About Colonel Glass' journey in the military (6:20)Colonel Glass shares some of the qualities he feels every leader should have (9:30)How to deal with our emotions as leaders (15:30)Dealing with frustrations, errors, and defeats as a leader (22:20)Colonel Glass shares insights on how to make decisions in high-pressure environments (26:20)The importance of giving purpose to our teams (35:00)Tips and advice to decompress and recharge (41:10)Connect with Blake Glass:LinkedInResources:My new book! Mindset MattersQuiz! What’s Your Social Entrepreneur Style?Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy WaitlistLet’s Connect!WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagram

Do you know that running your social enterprise with an entrepreneurial mindset costs you time, money, and health?Having an entrepreneurial mindset is vital to starting an impact business and being resilient enough to keep it going despite the countless bumps in the road, yet it can only take us so far. The only way to take our social enterprise to the next level WITHOUT losing our mental and physical health is by presenting ourselves, behaving, and becoming a CEO.This week, I'm excited to welcome the extraordinary Dena Patton. Dena is a Global Speaker, Award-winning Coach, Trainer, and Author, who thrives working with world-changing business owners and leaders. She developed a 3-pillar coaching approach that helps clients build efficient systems, effective sales strategies, and a greatness mindset.Tune in and listen to the fifty-eighth episode of Avant-garde Entrepreneur. You'll hear Dena's practical advice on transitioning from an entrepreneurial to a CEO mindset. Dena also highlights the importance of self-care, scheduling personal activities, and maintaining a balanced life. Plus, Dena shares the three systems every social enterprise's CEO must have in place, the importance of becoming best friends with delegating, why we must fight smallness with all our strength, and much more.In This Episode, You Will Learn:A bit about Dena's background and first steps as an entrepreneur (4:10)Entrepreneur and CEO mindsets, surviving vs thriving (9:50)Stay focused on your RGAs (18:50)How long does it take to adopt a CEO mindset (24:00)Why we must fight against smallness (29:20)Three systems every CEO must have in place (40:30)Dena on self-care. How to avoid gassing out (48:00)Connect with Dena Patton:WebsiteInstagramCEO Self-care PlanDena’s Book: The Greatness GameResources:My new book! Mindset MattersQuiz! What’s Your Social Entrepreneur Style?Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy WaitlistLet’s Connect!WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagram

Are you aware of the hidden benefits of pausing your work routine as a social entrepreneur?Today, I'm excited to discuss the underrated value of sabbaticals for social entrepreneurs. It amazes me how little is told about how breaking the routine and taking intentional pauses allow us to renew our energy and creativity.Slowing down, disconnecting, and putting our routine on hold are proven methods to counter leadership's silent killers: fear and fatigue. By diving into intentional pauses, we can prevent their negative long-term effects on our health and social enterprise.Tune in and listen to the fifty-seventh episode of Avant-garde Entrepreneur. You'll hear about my recent experience with sabbaticals and how creating an intentional pause led to enjoying renewed energy, enhanced clarity, and a higher vibrational state. You'll also learn key strategies to plan your sabbatical, tips and practical advice on what to do while you are in the middle of it, the things I would do differently in the next one, and much more.In This Episode, You Will Learn:A bit about Trisha's experiment pressing the pause button (5:50)About the emotional changes that stem from sabbaticals (12:50)How letting go of the outcomes changes us (19:00)The physical effects the sabbatical had on Trisha (24:30)What you should know and do before you press the pause button (30:20)Tips and advice to consider during the sabbatical (35:20)Resources:My new book! Mindset MattersMy email: Trisha@TrishaBaileyPhD.comQuiz! What's Your Social Entrepreneur Style?Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy WaitlistLet's Connect!WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagram

Imagine for a second how you would feel if, after a mistake or an unexpected succession of events, you lose everything and find yourself on the streets, struggling with addiction, coming out of jail, or dealing with PTSD after serving in the army. Now, imagine someone extends their hand and equips you with the tools to start over again. That helping hand would be Robb Munger's.Today, I'm so excited to be joined by Robb Munger. Robb is the CEO and Executive Director at Exodus Place, a transitional housing facility for men experiencing homelessness. It started with many uncertainties about its future but with a clear objective: creating a culture for those needing a hand-up, not a handout. Robb is convinced that homelessness can (and must!) be cured, not treated.Tune in and listen to the fifty-fifth episode of Avant-garde Entrepreneur. You'll hear about Robb's upbringing, how it impacted his vision of the world, and his transition from happily donating yet avoiding being involved with non-profits to starting Exodus Place. Robb also talks about his relationship with entrepreneurship before Exodus Place, creating a culture that empowers men and uplifts their self-worth, shares practical tips for sustainable growth, and more.In This Episode, You Will Learn:Robb talks about his upbringing and how it molded his character (3:50)Robb's first steps into entrepreneurship (9:30)The realization at a restaurant that changed Robb's life (20:00)Robb talks about the soft and hard skills Exodus Place teaches (25:10)Robb's secret sauce: building a culture for success (32:00)Exodus Place's three pillars (38:00)Why Exodus Place is so successful at keeping people on the program and reducing recidivism dramatically (47:20)Robb shares advice on how to scale a social enterprise (54:20)Connect with Robb Munger:Exodus Place's websiteLinkedIn Robb's Book: Momentum: Getting One's Momentum Back! (Intentional Velocity Series, Volume 1)  Resources:Quiz! What's Your Social Entrepreneur Style?Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy WaitlistLet's Connect!WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagram

Wouldn't it be cool if you could be one click away from a specialist who could support you with any need you might have? Today, I feel blessed to welcome Scott Elequin. Scott is a Creative Solution-focused entrepreneur on a mission to connect people with distinct problems with someone with the specific skills to solve them. He is the Executive Director and Founding Board Member of Global Switchboard, an organization designed to connect mission teams with skilled believers worldwide. Scott figured that the best way of making a massive impact in the world is to be clear on who you are, make yourself available, and trust that there will be a place to serve. Tune in and listen to the fifty-fourth episode of Avant-garde Entrepreneur. You'll hear about Scott's journey into social entrepreneurship and his brilliant idea of using virtual volunteering to address global needs. You'll also hear Scott's thoughts on using AI to find the right volunteer for a specific problem, the importance of perseverance in developing a social impact business, how hard yet rewarding it is to find the right people for an organization, and more. In This Episode, You Will Learn:A bit about Scott's background (4:20)"When you are great at something and someone needs that, it's amazing" (8:00)What is Global Switchboard, and how does it work (10:10)Scott talks about the infinite possibilities of virtual volunteering (17:20)How are NGOs slightly different from regular for-profits? (33:00)How to stay motivated despite the challenges and setbacks (37:10)Connect with Scott Elequin:WebsiteLinkedInOnline Tool for Discovering How a Volunteer Can Help (Creates a personalized "Kingdom Calling Card.”)  Resources:Quiz! What's Your Social Entrepreneur Style?Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy WaitlistLet's Connect!WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagram

How far are creating value and providing products and services while putting people and the planet first from being considered the only way of doing business? Today, I'm thrilled to be joined by Amanda Kiessel. Amanda is a Catalyst, Connector, and Cocreator at Good Market, a digital commons created to facilitate connections between social enterprises, cooperatives, responsible businesses, civic organizations, networks, and changemakers who decided to produce real change in the world. After spending over twenty years in Asia, witnessing Sri Lanka's civil war directly, and relating with people from all walks of life, Amanda developed an unparalleled mix of connections, which undoubtedly influenced and expanded her talent for social entrepreneurship. Tune in and listen to the fifty-third episode of Avant-garde Entrepreneur. You'll hear about Amanda's journey and lessons learned living in Sri Lanka during the civil war, the birth of Good Market, and everything she learned about self-sustaining models in Asia. Amanda also shares tips and advice on preventing burnout, staying focused and motivated in social entrepreneurship, what being a social entrepreneur means to her, and much more.In This Episode, You Will Learn:A bit about Amanda's unique background and story in Asia (3:40)Amanda reflects on how we can make our work more visible (8:00)About the rocky beginnings of Good Market (12:00)Amanda defines social entrepreneurship (17:20)What makes social enterprises like Good Market so important? (23:10)The three factors that make social entrepreneurship sustainable (27:20)How to prevent burnout (31:00)Amanda shares her vision for the future of social enterprises (42:10)Connect with Amanda Kiessel:LinkedInGood MarketResources:Quiz! What's Your Social Entrepreneur Style?Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy WaitlistLet's Connect!WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagram

How much are your fears of taking risks impacting the growth of your business? When you look closer at them, how big are those risks anyway?Today, I'm very excited to welcome Alexander Concepcion. Alexander is the Founder and Owner of Taco Street Locating, the Author of "Survival First: The Rebel Entrepreneur's Guide to Risk, Riches, and Immortality," and a bold, sharp, and creative entrepreneur who found a way to reframe risk-taking in entrepreneurship, making those risks serve him instead of being held hostage by them. Despite getting degrees in Finance and Economics, Alexander saw himself living at his parents' home, broke and without the bright future he thought those diplomas would bring. However, his entrepreneurial spirit screamed louder; he moved to Austin, Texas, and started from scratch. He became a "post-grad dropout." His business grew aggressively fast, thriving even more during the pandemic, which changed his perspectives on entrepreneurship, survival, risks, and opportunities. Tune in to the fifty-second episode of Avant-garde Entrepreneur. You'll hear about Alexander's fantastic journey into entrepreneurship and his extraordinary capacity to reframe and resignify the words, fears, and concerns every entrepreneur has. Alexander also shares his thoughts on minimizing risks and avoiding burnout, why he states that competition is not a real thing in business, and much more. In This Episode, You Will Learn:A bit about Alexander's background and how he became an entrepreneur (2:30)Lessons learned about survival from when the world stopped ( 7:30)How the ideas for "Survival First" were born (11:00)How to reframe risks through purpose (17:50)Alexander's Risk Formula (21:10)Good frames, better decisions, better businesses (30:00)Mitigating risks by simplifying your business (34:10)We can be human in ways Amazon and Google can't (39:20)Connect with Alexander Concepcion:  Visit his Website, Taco Street LocatingGet a copy of his book, Survival First: The Rebel Entrepreneur's Guide to Risk, Riches, and ImmortalityResources:Quiz! What's Your Social Entrepreneur Style?Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy WaitlistLet's Connect!WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagram