Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich

Episode 279

Christine Sugrue spent 25 years in education as a Brooklyn middle school teacher—but a simple scooter ride changed everything. In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Christine to talk about the leap from classroom to founder, the mindset shift from “just a teacher” to entrepreneur, and why you don’t need to wait for permission to start.

Christine shares ...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich
Episode 278

When burnout hit, Melissa Brandt didn’t just change jobs—she changed her entire life. In this laugh-out-loud yet deeply honest episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Melissa, a former corporate sales rep turned clean stand-up comedian, to talk about walking away from "what you're supposed to do" in favor of finding what truly lights you up.

Meliss...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich
Episode 277

When Allison Norris had her paycheck pulled without warning and was tossed aside by a startup she helped build, she hit a wall—hard. Depression, doubt, and disillusionment followed. But in the rubble of burnout and betrayal, she made a decision: I’m going to build something of my own. In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with the founder of The Dentele Gro...

Cut The Tie Podcast

Episode 276

What if the system isn’t broken—it’s working exactly as intended? In this thought-provoking episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Aleksandar Svetski, entrepreneur, philosopher, and vocal advocate for sovereign thinking. Aleks challenges the mainstream narrative around money, identity, and power—and urges us to cut ties with mass psychosis and reclaim our agency.

From founding Amber, a B...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich
Episode 275

What if your six-year-old launched a business, and you backed her all the way to Walmart? In this unforgettable episode of Cut the Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with T Shane Johnson, a world-record athlete, Marine Corps veteran, motivational speaker, and co-founder of Big Guns Coffee, to explore how cutting ties with imposter syndrome opened up a legacy of purpose, resilience...

Cut The Tie Podcast

Episode 274

What happens when a former police officer turns mental health advocate and entrepreneur? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich speaks with Joe Smarro—CEO and Owner of Solution Point+—about the urgent need for emotional intelligence, leadership reform, and how the power of presence can change everything.

Joe shares his transformation from a decorated crisis negotiator to an advocate for ch...

Cut The Tie Podcast

Episode 273

What happens after you’ve won the game—money, exits, prestige—and still feel like something’s missing? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Gregory Shepard, a 12-time founder and serial entrepreneur, to talk about redefining success, embracing neurodiversity, and cutting ties with the systems that keep us playing small.

Gregory shares how growing up neurodivergent, surviving tr...

Cut The Tie Podcast
Episode 272

What if your personal story—full of family, faith, neurodivergence, and creativity—was your greatest business advantage? In this episode of Cut the Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Averi Drummer (aka Siena Averi Feruzi), a womanist author, coach, and special education advocate who is building a life and business on her own terms.

From Spelman College to poetry, coaching, and special ed classroom...

Cut The Tie Podcast
Episode 271

What happens when you cut ties with perfection, corporate conformity, and even fear itself? In this episode of Cut the Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Brigitte Cutshall, founder of Gemini Media, two-time cancer survivor, creative entrepreneur, and all-around badass.

From a career in publishing to beating aggressive cancer twice, Brigitte’s story is a powerful testament to resilience, humor, and...

Cut The Tie Podcast
Episode 270

What happens when a high-powered attorney walks away from a 20-year career to launch a beauty brand built around healing? In this vulnerable and inspiring episode of Cut the Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Ling Ling Nie, founder of Tender Cosmetics, a company reshaping how we think about beauty, with products that feel as good as they look.

Ling Ling opens up about health scares, identity ...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich
Episode 269 

Melissa Aarskaug built a successful career in cybersecurity and leadership, but for years she played it safe—showing only the “W-2 version” of herself. In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with the Executive Connect podcast founder to talk about letting go of fear, showing up authentically, and learning to lead from a place of intention, not just amb...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich
Episode 268 

Jayla Siciliano walked away from the entrepreneurial dream everyone chases—funding, Shark Tank success, high-growth business—only to realize she had built a life that didn’t align with what actually mattered to her. In this raw and relatable episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Jayla to explore the emotional cost of chasing the wrong version of success,...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich
Episode 267

Scott Morris knows what it’s like to win on paper—and still feel completely lost. In this powerful episode of Cut the Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with the exited founder, investor, and startup advisor to talk about cutting ties with identity, ego, and the illusion that achievement equals fulfillment.

Scott opens up about what happened after he sold his company and had the mo...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich
Episode 266

Corrina Zennig is not your typical analyst—and she doesn’t want to be. In this episode of Cut the Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with the founder of The Lazy Analyst to talk about cutting ties with the pressure to overperform, overwork, and constantly prove your worth.

Corrina shares how she went from a burned-out scientist to a thriving entrepreneur by rejecting industry norms...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich
Episode 262

In this introspective and powerful episode of Cut the Tie, Thomas sits down with David Steele—entrepreneur, investor, restaurateur, and founder of One Wealth Advisors—to unpack a career built on service, reinvention, and emotional intelligence. From growing up poor to managing over $1.1 billion in client assets, David shares the lessons behind every scar, including why he walk...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich

Episode 264

Alexander Veach, founder of VCI, joins Thomas to talk about what it takes to break free from perfectionism and analysis paralysis to build something transformative. In this episode, Alex shares how his AI-powered platform is redefining due diligence for private equity and venture capital—especially in life sciences—by converting messy, unstructured data into fast, investor-rea...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich

Episode 263

At just nine years old, Ishara is already making waves as a podcast host, reader, speaker, and future astronaut-neurosurgeon-author. In this heartwarming and inspiring episode, Thomas sits down with the youngest guest ever on Cut The Tie to explore how books—and big imagination—can unlock confidence, creativity, and purpose. With a wisdom well beyond her years, Ishara reminds ...

Cut The Tie Podcast

Mike "C-Rock" Ciorrocco shares how he broke free from a high-paying but unfulfilling career in the mortgage industry and created a media empire by embracing intention, faith, and the power of podcasting. In this energizing episode, Mike dives into how cutting the tie to chase mode led to a life of creation, clarity, and impact. From his viral energy to his commitment to helping others shine, C-Rock deli...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich

Episode 261

In this high-energy episode of Cut the Tie, Thomas sits down with Chris Wolstenholme, an Aussie entrepreneur based in Atlanta who went from managing restaurants to founding the world’s first vodka protein water brand: Mate!. Chris shares the real story behind launching a beverage startup without outside funding, the gross moment that finally pushed him to quit his job, and how cutt...