“The thing that most excites my soul is creating, establishing, developing, & then making sure it doesn’t die.” – Titus Bartolotta Locals in the Lake Norman area of Charlotte, NC know the name Bartolotta. That’s because Titus & his wife, Christina Bartolotta (also a podcast guest!), do more than run businesses there. They’re community builders, investing in projects that richly improve lives. That alone would make for a good interview. But what makes Titus’ journey exceptional is how difficult & diverse it was. Raised in poverty & trained in an unlikely mix of culinary arts, seminary, & big screen TV sales, he eventually became a business owner & mentor when the call to create & sustain something purposeful became too great to ignore. From consulting to authoring a book to running two restaurants, Titus blends business acumen with deep personal conviction, humor, humility, & passion as he lifts others up & leads authentically. To learn more, find him at RiseCafe.com & CollaborativeSolutionsGroup.com. John C. Maxwell said, "Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another."

"You have to make decisions to really do the hard things… that's what leadership is." – Will Jones When Will was chosen to lead a well-known Charlotte, NC, philanthropy, he was thrilled. Service to others is woven into the fabric of his life. But he inherited a problem that too often plagues nonprofits: an unwavering passion for service hamstrung by little to no business acumen. Big dreams, not enough money. In his first year as leader, Will faced a $5 MILLION deficit. The solution? Seek more donations & drastically cut costs? Not a chance. Using the perspective he'd gained in the private sector, Will opted to embed a familiar yet powerful business strategy into the organization – laser-focused priorities, leadership training, culture building, & a proper growth strategy. The result? 20% year-over-year growth in the 12 years he's been in charge – results ANY organization would be proud to claim. To learn more about Will's epic perspective, find him on LinkedIn and ThompsonCFF.com Management consultant & author Peter Drucker said, "The best nonprofits are run more like businesses than most businesses are." We have an example here.

“It’s all about the opportunity to inspire people.” – Johan Koornhof On the surface, Johan has much in common with the executives, business owners, and leaders he serves. He’s smart, successful, & entirely self-made. He owns his own company and serves as an ambassador to several organizations. But what sets him apart is that none of those things capture the most interesting parts of his journey, one that started in South Africa, spread to Scotland and the United States, and nearly ended tragically twice, once on the side of a mountain and later in an ICU battling COVID-19. He is no stranger to the lows of life, yet in them, he gained life-giving perspectives on purpose, intentional leadership, and personal character that have transformed his own life and the lives of countless others he chooses to serve selflessly. Much to our benefit, he shares them openly in all he does, including this podcast. What a gift. To learn more: Check out Be Real and connect with Johan on LinkedIn. C.S. Lewis said, “Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for extraordinary destiny.” He was right. Johan is living proof.