Daily Influence

What happens when an organization depends on one person to make every important decision?

In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores why being indispensable may sound like a compliment, but often reveals a deeper leadership challenge. As organizations grow, success depends less on heroic individuals and more on building systems that create clarity, consistency, and confidence across the entire team.

Drawing from the pri...

In this revisit to episode 322 of the Daily Influence, Brian Smith tackles the impact of artificial intelligence and automation on the workforce. He provides insights on how to prepare yourself and your team to embrace AI as a tool for enhancing human skills and creativity. Discover how to leverage AI for deeper critical thinking and innovation while avoiding the pitfalls of technology integration. Brian also shares the importance...

On this episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno welcomes Hal Stinespring, real estate attorney, investor, and founder of Path of the Grateful Warrior, for a powerful conversation about resilience, identity, gratitude, and responsible influence.

After surviving two cardiac arrests and being diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis, Hal’s life changed in ways he never expected. Once deeply connected to his identity as an...

In this revisit to episode 232 of The Daily Influence, Brian Smith from the I in Team Series dives into the transformative rise of the gig economy and what it means for both organizations and professionals. With over 28 years of experience in providing fractional leadership and tactical services, Brian shares invaluable insights into the benefits and challenges of this evolving work landscape. Discover how the gig economy offers u...

In this episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno welcomes Lyndsay Dowd, founder of Heartbeat for Hire, leadership strategist, speaker, coach, podcast host, and two-time author, for a powerful conversation about human-centered leadership, workplace culture, trust, accountability, and positive influence.

After more than 23 years at IBM, where she built and led high-performing sales teams, Lyndsay experienced a major care...

In this revisit to episode 230 of The Daily Influence, Brian Smith from the I in Team Series delves into the critical role of leaders in guiding their teams through economic uncertainty. As organizations worldwide face rising costs, tightening job markets, and fluctuating interest rates, transparent communication and strategic planning become paramount. Brian shares actionable insights on fostering open dialogues, promoting flexibi...

Most organizations don't struggle because people lack motivation—they struggle because people lack clarity.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores one of the most overlooked leadership responsibilities: creating clarity throughout an organization. From unclear delegation and assumption-driven decision making to the semantic struggles that derail communication, Brian explains why confusion inside a business i...

In this episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Ben Fischer, Founder and CEO of ZivZo Marketing Group, to explore what decades of entrepreneurship can teach business owners about leadership, accountability, marketing, and responsible influence.

With more than four decades of hands-on experience across restaurants, franchising, real estate, consulting, marketing, advertising, and video production, Ben sh...

Your team is working hard. Emails are flying. Meetings fill the calendar. Everyone looks busy—but is the business actually moving forward?

In Episode 775 of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores one of the most common leadership challenges facing small and medium-sized businesses: confusing activity with progress. Through the lens of SMART Management™ and The I in Team Series, Brian explains why operational drag, unnecessary ...

In this inspiring episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno welcomes award-winning author Lorraine Smith, whose journey is a powerful reminder that delay does not mean defeat. Lorraine first wrote her manuscript, Still Searching, in the early 1990s and sent it to 60 publishers only to receive 60 rejection letters. Rather than giving up, she chose to focus on raising her son, building her career, and trusting that the right t...

Artificial Intelligence is changing business faster than almost any technology in history. It can organize information, summarize meetings, automate repetitive work, and improve efficiency across nearly every industry. But there is one thing AI cannot replace: the human responsibility of leadership.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores why judgment, empathy, accountability, and trust remain the true competitive...

Dive into the vibrant intersection of empowerment and inspiration with this revisit to Daily Influence's episode 210 "Elevate and Ignite: The Power Duo of Empowerment and Inspiration." Discover the dynamic synergy between enabling individuals and sparking their inner fire to achieve extraordinary heights.

- **The Essence of Empowerment and Inspiration**: We open the dialogue by defining what it truly means to empower someone and t...

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno welcomes Moe “Mr. Cool Beans” Mondesir, husband, father, former classroom teacher, stage 4 chronic kidney disease advocate, and host of The Chronic Brew Podcast.

After a life-changing kidney episode forced Moe to leave the classroom and redefine his future, he chose not to let his diagnosis become the end of his influence. Instead, he turned his experience into a p...

Step into the orchestra of interpersonal connections with this revisit to Daily Influence’s episode 208, "The Social Symphony: Fine-Tuning Your Emotional Intelligence." Discover the harmonious blend of skills that can amplify your social repertoire and resonate through every interaction.

- **Mastering Active Listening**: Learn the art of truly hearing others and showing your engagement, transforming every conversation into a...

In this episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Shannon Roy, founder of Roy Law Firm in Denver, Colorado, for a powerful conversation about empathy, accountability, criminal defense, leadership, and the positive influence we can have when we choose to see the person behind the problem.

As a criminal defense attorney, Shannon works with people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. She ...

Unlock the power of emotional intelligence (EI) in this insightful revisit to episode 204 of Daily Influence, "Elevating Your Emotional Quotient: The Journey to Emotional Intelligence." We take a deep dive into the heart of EI, exploring actionable strategies to enrich your personal and professional life.

- **Developing Self-Awareness**: We kickstart our journey with the cornerstone of EI—self-awareness. Learn how to reflect r...

On this revisit to our special Independence Day episode 507, Brian reflects on what freedom really means beyond parades and barbecues. He shares a personal journey from his upbringing in the ‘60s, military service during the Cold War, and a time when the idea of freedom was deeply ingrained in daily life. Freedom is more than a moment in history—it’s a responsibility we carry every day. This episode challenges li...

In today’s revisit to episode 342 of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno talked with Regina Verdico, a certified yoga instructor, meditation teacher, and Intuit mentor, about the powerful intersection of wellness, conscious leadership, and business. Regina shares her inspiring journey from 20 years in marketing and corporate America to building a fulfilling life centered around mindfulness, creativity, and community connect...