“I don’t take no for an answer, & I’m kind of a warrior for kids in foster care.” – Susanna Kavanaugh That line doesn’t come from a podium. It comes from a mom who’s loved, lost, & chosen to love again. At 18, Susanna placed a child for adoption, a wound so deep it could have ended her story. Instead, it fueled her purpose—to shoulder the ache of kids in broken systems & fight to change their stories. Years later, she & her husband fostered a little boy, loved him for nine months—then watched him leave. The heartbreak dimmed her fire, & she swore she’d never do it again. But conviction has a way of roaring back. And when it did, Susanna swung the door wide open. From babysitting “just for a weekend” to launching Least of These Carolinas, she kept saying yes. Yes to heartbreak. Yes to risk. Yes to kids who need more than a trash bag to carry their lives in. She hasn’t just built a nonprofit. She’s built a movement—by refusing to stay quiet when the system says no, & by relentlessly saying yes to kids who just need a champion. Get involved at LOTCarolinas.com. Susanna proves what Albert Schweitzer said: “Wherever you turn, you can find someone who needs you. Even the smallest act of caring has the potential to turn a life around.”

“You have an opportunity to take your natural skills and put ’em in a place that they aren’t naturally found.” – Rob Norris That’s not advice. That’s a dare. Because it’s easy to keep your talents where they stack neatly, to stay in the aisle with the labels facing forward. Safe. Predictable. Comfortable. Rob refused the shelf. He dropped sales skills into technology. Made early websites usable before usability was a word. Turned the chaos of employee benefits into a platform big enough for Aflac. Even saw the promise of blockchain before most people could spell it. That’s what he does: He takes complexity, makes it human, & builds businesses from the translation. Every entrepreneur faces a moment where their skills feel out of place. Rob shows us that’s not a weakness. It’s the opportunity. To learn more, connect with Rob on LinkedIn & Launch Key. Rob’s story reminds us to create bravely—to place your gifts where the map says “not here.” Or, as George Bernard Shaw put it: “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

“I am staying.” – Jack Barsky Three words on a dirt road. Three words that ended one life & cemented another. Three words that turned a mission into a calling. Because by the time Moscow ordered this KGB agent home, Jack wasn’t just a spy with a cover story. He was a college valedictorian, a successful corporate executive, a father raising a little girl who’d stolen his heart. Piece by piece, he had built a life in America. Not perfect. Not easy. But real. A life that didn’t come from forged documents or coded radio signals. One built like any other—by late nights, failed ventures, second chances, & love discovered. So, when the KGB told him to run, he stayed. He chose the life he’d built over the life he’d been assigned. And that’s the real story here. Jack’s tales of espionage may make headlines, but it’s the everyday work of building something that lasts — a business, a family, a future — that defines his legacy. And it’s exactly what defines yours. To stay—to keep building, to redefine yourself again & again—that’s what sets you apart as an individual & an entrepreneur. Ready for more? Connect with him at JackBarsky.com. Jack proves what C.S. Lewis said best: “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”

“I became an American & said goodbye to them [the KGB].” – Jack Barsky Sounds like the opening line of a spy thriller. Except this one’s real. For a decade, Jack lived undercover in the U.S. as a KGB agent. His mission wasn’t excitement. No tuxedos. No martinis. Just the discipline to disappear — and never get caught. And he did it so well that he not only avoided capture — he built a whole new life. A college valedictorian. A corporate exec. A family man no one suspected. Until one day, the story broke on 60 Minutes. That’s when Jack faced the choice every entrepreneur knows too well: – Start over. – Reinvent yourself. – Risk failing again & again. He wrote a book that flopped until he rewrote it from scratch. He gave speeches so bad he wanted to “jump in a lake”… and kept at it until Microsoft put him on stage. He built a business that went nowhere — and had the guts to kill it when no one showed up. Every failure became fuel. Every dead end, a redirection. This isn’t just a peek into espionage. It’s a raw look at resilience, reinvention, & the grit it takes to survive when the plan collapses.

Winston Churchill said it best: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Connect with him on LinkedIn

"I thought my calling was to be a Catholic priest." – Ryan Monk It wasn’t a whim. Ryan devoted years — undergrad, master’s, a year of theology in seminary — to answering what he believed was his life’s purpose. But somewhere along the way, a quiet unease began to grow. His head said priesthood but his heart whispered his gifts might belong in a different kind of service — one with a family at the center & a new way of walking alongside people in their most important moments. So, he traded vestments for brick dust, late-night restaurant shifts, & finally, law school — chasing a career that could both provide for his young family & serve others. Then 2008 hit. The economy tanked. A Big Law offer disappeared. And that mortgage, those babies… they were staring him down. Ryan took one last leap of faith — starting from a borrowed desk in a warehouse. Little by little, he built his own law firm on three values you can’t fake: humility, gratitude, & joy — the kind that shows up in grief, uncertainty, recessions, pandemics, & all the moments in between. If you’ve ever wondered whether changing course can bring you closer to your true calling… Connect at monklegal.com Joseph Campbell said it best of journeys like Ryan’s: “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.”

“That’d be impossible… unless?” – Andrew James

How do you respond when life throws a punch?

If you’re like most people, when you hit a wall, you just push harder—longer hours, more stress, hoping brute force will somehow get you through.

If you’re like Andrew, you stop. Take a breath. And then ask the simple question that’s carried him through every tough season: “What would have to be true for this to work?”

That single question has shaped everything he’s built—taking him from a scrappy kid flipping diet plans on eBay (& later hustling affiliate offers & imported products) to the founder of Eyeball Division & Cerebro Analytics, two companies helping brands grow smarter and faster.

And it’s the same mindset that’s pulled him through the messy middle: the clients ready to walk, the pivots that felt terrifying, the nights where the easy answer would’ve been to quit.

If you’re ready for an episode that part wake-up call, part permission slip to do things differently:

Download Andrew’s episode of the Anything But Typical Podcast (link in 1st comment) Connect at cerebroanalytics.com Andrew has built a life out of tackling challenges most people walk away from—and actually enjoys the climb. Which is why Walt Disney’s words feel spot on: “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”

“It’s me just wanting freedom… freedom to make my own choices & live life on my terms.” - Ron Weatherly Ron didn’t start his waterproofing company, Dry Pro Foundation and Crawlspace Specialists, with a business plan, angel investors, or even a clue how to fix a foundation. He started with a crawlspace, raw knees, whatever tools he could scrounge, & a spark of rebellion. Because he knew what he didn’t want… Another layoff. Another week waiting on a paycheck. Another life ruled by someone else’s calendar. So, he built something of his own. He gave up his salary to hire his first manager. Went back into sales when the numbers didn’t add up. Grew the business past $29 million—and walked away when the values lined up, not just the dollars. That’s not luck. That’s freedom built on purpose. Today, he’s not stuck in meetings. He’s mentoring founders, investing in people he believes in, & home by 3:30—because that’s the life his business was built to protect. If you’re growing fast but feel trapped, maybe it’s time to ask: what am I really building? Connect with him at ronweatherly.com Chris Brogan said it best: “The goal isn’t more money. The goal is living life on your terms.”

"I’m not in charge… & it’s a really nice feeling.” – David Amigo Most entrepreneurs chase control. David finds peace in letting go. Because when you’ve been a factory scab at 11, a product manager slinging cookies in your 20s, & a minority owner pushed out of your own family’s business — you learn fast: control is an illusion. What isn’t? Character. Integrity. Showing up. Doing the next right thing, even when the plan falls apart. That’s where purpose is forged — not in the wins, but in the wreckage. When you dust off, serve others, & keep building anyway. That mindset built his landscaping business, G & G Landscaping, one of the most respected in the Carolinas, where ego gets weeded out & excellence takes root. There, he’s not CEO. He’s CEB: Chief Errand Boy. Clearing the path. Serving first. Doing what needs doing. Because for David, leadership isn’t about being out front — it’s about being all in. For the builders, the rebuilders, & the ones who never quite fit the mold, this episode’s your mirror. Connect at GANDGlandscape.net David took Albert Einstein’s charge to heart: “Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.” That’s some great wisdom!