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In this special episode, Gresham then shifts to a personal story that led to his current drive: being laid off after years of “purpose‑filled” work running sports camps for young children in Northern Virginia.

Despite his dedication—early arrivals, late stays, driving across the region, and filling in whenever needed—he felt discarded, which forced him to confront the deeper frustration of never being given a real chance to build h...

Ram Krishnan, a seasoned technology executive with a background in systems engineering from UVA, GE leadership, and several SaaS ventures, joined Valant (valant.io) in 2020 to steer the company through its next growth phase. 

His team built a “system of record” that serves as the base operating platform for medical practices—handling everything from patient intake, appointment scheduling, and payment collection to clinical document...

In this episode, we have Jason Resnick, the founder of rezzz.com, who has been running a solo web‑development firm since 2010 while also coaching, mentoring, and selling digital products to help “feasters” – developers and designers who want to build recurring revenue and enjoy a life of time‑freedom.

Jason explains that his primary motivation is to be present for his family, and after the birth of his first child he realized his d...

In this episode, we have Dr. Michelle Deering, the founder and CEO of Curative Connections, a consulting firm dedicated to strengthening mother‑daughter relationships.

Curative Connections offers a blend of motivational speaking, workshops, group sessions, and one‑on‑one consultations—particularly for athletic families—aimed at helping mothers and daughters find clarity, calm, and intentional connection.

Michelle’s “secret sauce” l...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless Jr. frames the show as a resource for anyone building a business, emphasizing the value of sharing real‑time experiences and encouraging listeners to subscribe for more content.

He then recounts his personal experience with layoffs, beginning with his first layoff in his early twenties, describes the fear, disappointment, and feeling of being misled that came with a reduction in force, noti...

Gresh delves into his personal philosophy, rejecting “impossible” as an excuse used by those who fear stepping outside their comfort zones.

He reframes “possible” not as a fact but as a dare, a temporary state that can be expanded through mindset work. By challenging his own assumptions, questioning self‑imposed “facts,” and confronting setbacks with curiosity rather than defeat, he illustrates how shifting perspective can dissolv...

In this episode, Gresh pivots to a quick primer on franchising, demystifying the model for anyone unfamiliar with it. He describes the franchisor (the “Zor”) who owns the brand and system, and the franchisee (the “Z”) who purchases the rights to run a local operation.

By leveraging an established playbook, brand recognition, training, and ongoing support, a franchisee can bypass the guesswork of starting a business from scratch. Gr...

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless Jr. shares about industry challenges, pointing out that decision‑making, confidence, and finances are tougher now than when he started training. Many newcomers feel uncertain about protecting their investment.

The message is to turn setbacks into “opportunities to improve,” stay “gung‑ho,” and focus on landing the first deal, then keep moving forward.

Gresham recognizes that the franchise l...

In this episode, we have Benjamin Behrooz, founder and CEO of Branding Los Angeles, a global creative agency.

Benjamin shares his unconventional path to entrepreneurship—initially pursuing pharmacy at UCLA before discovering his passion for marketing through an internship at Sony Music.

A pivotal layoff landed him at Truthdig, a politically‑focused site akin to the Huffington Post, where he realized his gift for giving a voice to ...

In this episode, Kristin Hull, an activist and conscious investor, the founder and CEO of Nia Global Solutions, and Nia Impact Advisors an impact investing firm with a focus on diversity in leadership and solutions-focused companies.

The firm actively exercises its shareholder voice, voting proxies in‑house and engaging with companies to improve their practices, thereby treating investors as both rights‑holders and responsible stew...

In this episode, we have Jacqueline Basulto, founder and CEO of SeedX Incorporated, joined the I AM CEO podcast to share her entrepreneurial journey. Growing up in New York as the daughter of Cuban‑Puerto Rican immigrants, she cultivated a strong work ethic that later propelled her from a brief stint at Google into launching SeedX in her early‑20s with just $20 and a vision to help businesses thrive online.

The core of SeedX’s serv...

 In this special episode, Gresh gave a candid update reflecting on the near‑one‑year mark of his franchise‑broker experience.

He admits to feeling a “massive flop” and battling imposter syndrome, noting that the lack of closed deals has made it hard to contribute in broker calls.

Despite this, he identifies concrete strategies to turn the tide: leveraging LinkedIn outreach, creating consistent content (especially videos), tapping s...

 In this special episode, Gresh shares on being transparent – Your Story Is Your Super‑Power. Recording every win, stumble, and “aha!” moment not only keeps me accountable, it creates a roadmap for anyone thinking about starting a franchise (or any business).

When you share the real process, you become a living case study that educates and inspires.

He also shares about Mindset Over Milestones. It’s easy to get fixated on the numbe...

In this episode, Gresh shares the highs, lows, and lessons in real‑time creates a roadmap for fellow founders and holds you accountable. 

He also shares on building a Lead‑Gen Ecosystem First – Before scaling, focus on a self‑sustaining machine that continuously feeds qualified leads into your pipeline. It’s the foundation of a repeatable growth model.

Gresh wants to adopt a Marathon Mindset – Speed isn’t everything; pacing yoursel...

In this episode, Gresh shares candid reflections on his current stage: experimenting with organic lead generation, resisting the pressure to buy leads, and navigating the inevitable ups and downs of building a business.

He recounts a nostalgic basketball‑style sprint workout that reminded him how past discipline still fuels his present mindset, emphasizing that mental blocks often become self‑fulfilling unless you keep moving forwa...

In this episode, Nick McGowan talks about Thought Leadership - it's your personal lens on what matters to you.

He likens it to painting, music, or a podcast—any medium that lets your inner voice shine.

Nick also shares why podcasting works for him. Verbal communication is his super‑power; podcasting let him heal, mentor, and broadcast ideas publicly that he’d otherwise share behind closed doors.

Website: themindsetandselfmasterysho...

Lee Eisenstadt is the founder of the Leading with Courage Academy in Chicago. After a new managing partner swept away the C‑suite at the fifth‑largest accounting firm, Lee pivoted from seeking another full‑time role to taking on one‑off projects that leveraged his expertise in client‑loyalty assessments and cost‑streamlining. A series of interim consulting gigs—culminating in a three‑year interim COO position—revealed to him tha...

Alicia Houston is a former biotech founder who spent over a decade scaling her company before selling it for a seven‑figure sum.  Alicia works primarily with small‑ to medium‑sized businesses, viewing them as mirrors of her own early entrepreneurial experience.  Leveraging her background in neuroscience, she helps leaders understand the brain’s wiring, hormonal influences, and neural pathways that can create mental blocks, e...

In this special episode, Gresh reflects on the past year, noting that his original focus on the franchise‑broker business has been pushed to the side as unexpected demands arose in his digital‑marketing venture.  Despite the shift, he remains optimistic, pointing to early signs of opportunity. He uses a marathon metaphor to describe the entrepreneurial journey: there are fast‑paced stretches, moments to pause, hydrate, and refoc...