unconventionallife

Atlanta-based Dr. Sam Adeyemi has trained thousands of people in leadership for more than two decades. He has done this through the Daystar Leadership Academy (DLA), which has graduated over 45,000 people since 2002, and through seminars, workshops, and conferences. He currently serves as a mentor to hundreds of top CEOs in Nigeria. His new book is "Dear Leader: Your Flagship Guide to Successful Leadership."

As a global conference speaker, he has addressed audiences in the United States, Canada,
Germany, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Nigeria, India, and several other countries. In 2015 and 2017, he spoke at the Global Leadership Summit, a global conference attended by over 400,000 leaders in 130+ countries.

He holds a Master of Arts degree in Leadership Studies from the University of Exeter, UK, and a ‎Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University, Virginia, USA. He is a member of the International Leadership Association.

Sam Adeyemi is the Principal Consultant of Sam Adeyemi GLC, Inc., a leading global leadership consulting company with the mission to raise high-impact leaders to shape the fortunes and destinies of nations.

He is married to Nike Adeyemi, a social entrepreneur, and they are blessed with three children. Dr. Sam and Nike founded Daystar Christian Centre, growing it from a small congregation to one that now reaches millions around the world. Learn more at SamAdeyemi.com.

Ian Bentley is the Co-Founder and CEO of Parker Clay, a lifestyle brand committed to making a better bag for a better world through a brand built to showcase the finest Ethiopian leather and craftsmanship while providing meaningful job opportunities, vocational training, and living wages for at-risk women.

After adopting their daughter from Ethiopia, Ian and his wife Brittany relocated to Addis Ababa to work with vulnerable women and children. Having realized the potential impact, they created Parker Clay to showcase the beauty of premium Ethiopian leather while creating safe, dignified employment for at-risk women.

Having established a successful business in a foreign country built on the foundation of social impact, Ian can share with your audience the powerful stories of making his dream a reality. Ian knows from experience the struggles of building a brand while expanding your family and is eager to share his story. He can help your audience understand what it's like to go against the grain and stand up for something right in a big way. He wants people to realize that it's possible to make a change through business and marry people, profit, and purpose.

More of Ian: 

• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ianwbentley

• Website: https://www.parkerclay.com/

• Instagram: @ian.w.bentley

• Twitter: SteadfastLoveET

Mark Khuri brings over 17 years of real estate investing experience to the organization. His career started in 2005 when he began investing in residential real estate in California and Florida. Throughout his career, Mark has been involved in sourcing, underwriting, acquiring, raising capital, rehabilitating, managing, and selling both residential and commercial investments throughout multiple markets in the US.

• LinkedIn: Mark Khuri
• Website: smkcap.com

Julie Ciardi is a business and mindset coach on a mission to inspire women to design lives they love rather than living life by default. She is helping women wake up on Monday mornings loving what they do and designing their lives by creating businesses or careers with intention, joy, and impact using her signature NOW GoalTM Formula.

Julie teaches and coaches women how to start their dream businesses and is uniquely positioned to strategize for business growth having spent 20 years in a Fortune 50 company as a sales and marketing vice president.

To learn more about how to work with Julie and become the version of yourself that makes the impossible possible, visit Julie's free community, IGNITE Her Society, or tune into the IGNITE Her Mind Podcast on your favorite streaming platform.

More of Julie:

• • Website: https://julieciardi.com/
  • Instagram: @julieciardi
  • Podcast: julieciardi.com/podcast/

As a former professional golfer turned Youtube psychic - Jennifer Neville is no stranger to pursuing passions and developing the right mindset to turn dreams into reality. Currently, Jen is helping people find their purpose and potential through mediums such as astrology, tarot, and intuitive coaching.

You may know her from her Youtube channel, "Jennifer Neville," where she shares intuitive insights and sage advice via her weekly horoscope-style readings to over 118k subscribers.

Jen differs from the typical "spiritual" stereotype by helping people channel the energies needed to create the reality they want vs. predicting it. A true thought leader in the space here to mix a bit of the practical with the magical to help you reach your maximum potential and start living the life of your dreams.

More of Jennifer:

• Instagram: @jennifernneville

• YouTube: @LittleGirlLostTarot

• Website: www.livezenwithjen.com

Dan Calandro is a financial scientist and entrepreneur with a long track record of operational success and organizational development, serving in roles such as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations, and three decades of experience in stock market research and analysis, economic impact studies, and how they relate to government policy.

In his DNA are healthy portions of curiosity and creativity, ambition and desire, which combine to make him an incredibly perceptive analyst driven by logic, fact and reason, history and mathematics. Strategy, critical thinking, and leadership are major assets, only to be outdone by his will to succeed and outperform.

Dan’s patent-pending 15-51™ allocation system spawned from a business school project in the 1990s that aimed to deliver a lower-cost and greater-return alternative to conventional mutual funds. In retrospect, an argument can be made that the project under the title of: Super Funds, America’s First Micro Superfund, was an initial forecast into today’s world of the ETF.

Today he sees the next phase of investment to be driven by personal experience and social support networks, aided by artificial intelligence and new technology, influenced by strength optimization and 15-51™ design.

More of Dan:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dan-calandro/
• Twitter: @dancalandro
• Website: LoseYourBroker.com

Jack McColl is known as the King of Debt. He unlocked the formula on how to leverage debt to scale companies. His first company imported hoverboards from China. Because he couldn't access funding, he lost millions of dollars of potential earnings. 

Learning his lesson, he took on an equity partner in his business but got burned. After launching his travel agency, Jack leveraged borrowed money to scale up. After that, he sold it to a competitor. Realizing how easy it was to access capital, Jack launched five eCommerce stores. Each company now generates millions of dollars in yearly revenue.

Today, Jack McColl is on a mission to teach business startups to access business credit. He helped companies get to 10 Million dollars altogether in less than two years. He published a book called "Credit Stacking."

Jack teaches entrepreneurs how to access zero percent interest capital. The main goal: focus on growing your businesses without limitations.


More of Jack:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jackmccoll
• Instagram: @kingofdebt
• Facebook: Jack McColl
• Free Resource: Credit Stacking Case Study

Cassie Petrey is the brilliant woman behind the social media marketing of iconic artists such as the Backstreet Boys, Camila Cabello, and Britney Spears. She is the co-founder of Crowd Surf, a renowned marketing and music management firm. 

As an original fan girl, Cassie's passion for Backstreet Boys at age 12 led her to create a global fan newsletter. She later played a pivotal role in re-establishing the band's enduring fame for a new generation. At 17, while working as a college rep for Warner Music Group, she was among the first to recognize the marketing potential of emerging platforms like Myspace and Facebook.

Crowd Surf has collaborated with tech giants Apple and Google, major labels like Universal, Disney, Sony, and Warner, and managed rising stars such as Loren Gray, Max & Harvey, and Ugly Boys. The firm also crafts custom marketing plans to keep legendary works by John Fogerty, Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, and Marvin Gaye at the forefront of pop culture.

With teams in Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York, Crowd Surf excels in all aspects of artist careers, including launches, brand strategy, residencies, television projects, merchandising, and more. 

In August 2022, the company expanded with a new artist management division, catering to top influencers and Gen Z musicians.

Cassie, a Forbes 30 Under 30 and Billboard 30 Under 30 honoree is a driving force in social media and artist management in Hollywood. Alongside her co-founder Jade Driver, they were featured on power lists in Variety and Billboard and have shared their expertise at events like SXSW, the New Music Seminar, and the Forbes 30/50 Summit in Abu Dhabi.


More of Cassie:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassiepetrey/?hl=en

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassiepetrey/

• Podcast: How I Got Backstage

• Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassiepetrey/overlay/contact-info/

Frenchie Ferenczi is a go-to growth and marketing strategist. She is the secret weapon for small business owners' revenue growth. Frenchie helps overwhelmed experts and creatives scale their businesses. Her mantra: close to the money, without sacrificing their personal lives.

Frenchie believes that anyone can call themselves a CEO. But, succeeding as one requires the right habits, offers, and delivery. According to her, growing a business while maintaining a balanced life is possible.

Even as an expert, your strategy can sometimes fall by the wayside. It leaves you overbooked, overburdened, and exhausted. You need to make informed decisions, say 'no' more often, and create space for what truly matters.

Don't do it alone. Catch today's episode to discover how to live an unconventional life while thriving as a CEO without burning out!

More of Frenchie:

• Website: https://frenchieferenczi.com/free-resources
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frenchie.ferenczi/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frenchieferenczi/
• Free Resources: 37 Stupid Easy Ways to Stay Close to the Money (Without Being Salesy)

Kaila O'Connor is well-known for her impulsive nature. She has often been advised to follow the "24-hour rule." She embraced her unique approach after discovering she is a 6/2 splenic projector with a soul's purpose to navigate life instinctually—often astonishing those around her.

This journey led her to the world of human design and the founding of KMO Consulting. This innovative Affiliate PR agency bases its decisions on her team's human design charts.

Two years into her venture, Kaila firmly believes that the emotional experience of doing a job is just as critical as the skill itself. She asserts that energy needs to include 50% of traditional corporate business strategies.

As an energetic business consultant, Kaila leverages human design as a powerful tool to communicate the importance of energy management to CEOs and C-suite executives. Her mission is to ensure employees feel happy, fulfilled, supported, and productive, ultimately revolutionizing the workplace environment.

More of Kaila:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaila-oconnor-przymus/

• Website: https://kailaoconnor.com/

• Instagram: kaila__oconnor

Aaron Bare is the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Exponential Theory:  The Power of Thinking Big. The book is a culmination of Aaron’s experience as a strategic facilitator where he helped leadership solve problems at over 500 companies in nearly 100 countries and all 50 States. 

Now, Aaron is focused on sharing the seven universal truths he distilled in Exponential Theory through his new talent and leadership accelerator, the XMBA. The XMBA will help leaders develop their eXponential Mindset, Beliefs, and Attitudes. Enterprises can use the XMBA to create custom learning and development to accelerate their teams. Individuals can use the XMBA to develop thoughts, habits, and anti-fragility to find purpose and inner strength. 

Aaron has sold 12 companies and started four accelerators, and three non-profits throughout his career. He’s a leader in digital transformation, sustainability, and inclusion that helps executives digitize and disrupt themselves to succeed in the future. As leaders think bigger, they become more conscious—exponential leaders consider the entire ecosystem, stakeholders, and future generations with their decisions.

More of Aaron:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronbare/ 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronbare/
• Website: https://www.aaronbare.com/

Jules Schroeder is a visionary entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, and the founder CEO of Unconventional Life. Ranked by Inc. Magazine as #1 of the “Top 27 Female Entrepreneurs Changing the World in 2017” and one of the “Top 40 Millennials to Follow in 2018″, Jules is on a mission to inspire people to create a life by their own design. Today Jules and Wings host Melinda Wittstock share all about their transformational retreat for top female founders, Wings of the Empowered Woman.

Jules Schroeder is a visionary entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, and the founder CEO of Unconventional Life. Ranked by Inc. Magazine as #1 of the “Top 27 Female Entrepreneurs Changing the World in 2017” and one of the “Top 40 Millennials to Follow in 2018″, Jules is on a mission to inspire people to create a life by their own design. Today Jules and Wings host Melinda Wittstock share all about their transformational retreat for top female founders, Wings of the Empowered Woman.

Janice Weaver, Ph.D. is an experienced communicator and has used that ability to encourage, validate, and support people who are striving to discover their untapped potential. She has worked with people of all ages as a professional counselor and group facilitator. Dr. Weaver has been invited to speak on multiple occasions at a local college psychology honor society toe share her expertise of how the knowledge of psychology can increase one’s understanding of human behavior.

Dr. Weaver's passion is using her doctorate to expand her influence in supporting, encouraging, and guiding other doctoral students. She serves as an adjunct dissertation chair where she is committed to using her experiences and knowledge to expand her influence to her students, and the larger public, with the goal of assisting students to finish the grueling dissertation process, and earn their doctorate so they can better their lives, and the lives of others.

In this episode…

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Janice Weaver reveals to Dr. Russell Strickland how her struggles with her dissertation chair motivated her to become the dissertation chair she wishes she had during her own doctoral journey. The Drs. discuss the critical importance of having both logistical and emotional support for your dissertation. Dr. Weaver stresses how risky it can be to begin your dissertation without a detailed completion plan. Of course, life poses a myriad of risks which do not abate simply because one is pursing a doctoral degree. Dr. Weaver makes the case for the therapeutic benefits of the dissertation to cope with life's greatest challenges.

Dr. Weaver's unique perspective as a recent doctoral graduate and a current dissertation chair could be just the advantage you need to Get Your Dissertation Done!

D. Anthony Miles, Ph.D. is an entrepreneur, award-winning researcher, award- winning professor, statistician, legal expert witness, business expert and best- selling author. Dr. Miles is a nationally known startup and marketing expert. He is also a forensic marketing expert. He has appeared in the national media for his expertise. He is CEO and Founder, of Miles Development Industries Corporation®, a consulting practice and venture capital acquisition firm. He is also host and executive producer of Game On Business Talk® Radio Show. He was a Visiting Professor. He has presented his research at conferences around the country. Most notably he has presented at Stanford University. He was invited to Harvard University by the Harvard Business School (HBS).

In this episode…

So you've finally got that shiny, new doctoral degree. What's next?

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. D. Anthony Miles and Dr. Russell Strickland swap war stories about what it takes to be successful in the doctoral degree process and after graduation. How do you best showcase your expertise and leverage it into the career of your dreams? Dr. Miles reveals how to position yourself as an expert to attorneys so that you can generate revenue as a professional expert witness. He also discusses his experiences in writing and publishing a book for the popular press and how to start getting calls from media outlets for interviews on blogs, podcasts, radio, and television.

Dr. Miles is dropping gold in this episode about how to build a career as a professional expert and have the time of your life doing it!

Thomas Joseph, Ph.D. was born in Dominica, an island in the Caribbean. Dr. Joseph is an expert in effectively training employees on relevant products, services, and procedures, helping deliver high standards of customer service coupled with established objectives and KPIs. His unique style to training development results in actual change, saving companies time and money.

Dr. Joseph has been engaged in higher education as an Instructor in Business Management and Leadership courses for several years. He holds a PhD in Organization and Management. As an educator, Dr. Joseph fosters positive learning, incites students’ passion for learning, and creates a sound and genuine basis for life-long learning. His teaching style exemplifies the role of mentor, consistent with his primary focus on student success. 

Dr. Joseph's professional passion is applying a collaborative leadership style for designing and implementing programs that create improved organizational performance, talent and succession planning, strategy implementation and processes. 

He has published his work in various scholarly journals and is also the author of the book, Notes to Self.  Dr. Joseph continues his desire for knowledge through research, higher learning, and inspiring others to live their best life and work towards achieving their goals.

In this episode…

What does it mean to succeed...and what does it take to get there?

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Thomas Joseph tells Dr. Russell Strickland about the ins and outs of the dissertation journey from his experience as a student and an educator. He discusses the importance of motivation and measurable goals in overcoming a pessimistic advisor and how a delicate balancing act of pushback with his dissertation committee chair led to a better working relationship... and a done dissertation! Since graduation, Dr. Joseph has availed himself of many opportunities to become a university faculty member and a published author...all in the name go helping students be successful in following their own motivations to achieve their own goals.

Dr. Joseph's story will inspire you to recommit and succeed!

Sarabeth Berk, Ph.D. is a personal branding strategist, career advisor, TEDx speaker, author, and the leading expert in hybrid professional identity. Dr. Berk calls herself a Creative Disruptor because she blends her artist, researcher, educator, and designer identities together to lead and create innovation strategies that radically connect resources and people in new ways.

Dr. Berk's work in hybrid professional identity was inspired by her own professional identity crisis. As a result, she discovered that she was a hybrid and that concept revolutionized her career path. Now, Dr. Berk is obsessed with changing the way we see the workforce and helping professionals realize that their unique value lies at the intersections of their multiple identities.

In this episode…

Multiple people have multiple identities. And you probably do, too...

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Sarabeth Berk tells Dr. Russell Strickland about the identity crisis she underwent when starting her doctoral program and becoming a student, again. This experience led her to the concept of hybrid professional identities and her unique title of creative disruptor. Dr. Berk now helps other "jacks of all trades" master their understanding of their unique contributions to the world. Join us as Dr. Berk shares her journey as author, TEDx speaker, and burgeoning entrepreneur.

Discover how your unique identities come together in the intersection of you.

Seth François, DBA is the founder and CEO of Imaginetainment, Inc., an NPO providing mentoring and internships in the areas of music production programs, film production programs, broadcasting programs, and other programs associated with the arts. Dr. François has over 35 years management & leadership experience encompassing contract negotiation & representation, staff training, gifts & endowments, running political campaigns, security management, mail processing & delivery management, and housing development management.

Dr. François is an accomplished public speaker, author, music producer, songwriter, & lyricist. He has also published a self-help book titled, A Woman’s Handbook for a Successful Relationship, The Business of Love. Dr. François is gearing up for his talk show “The Business of Love” 105.5 Internet Radio.

In this episode…

Can your handwriting determine whether you're a good candidate for a doctoral degree? Probably not, but Dr. Seth didn't let that stop him...

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Seth François takes Dr. Russell Strickland through his dissertation journey. They discuss the hows, the whys, and the whatnots of the dissertation process, touching on the most important word to use to keep all of your self-talk positive and productive, the importance of dissertation buddies, and the most critical decision: quant or qual. Dr. Seth also shares the many exciting new opportunities his doctoral degree has brought to him.

Tune in, take notes, and get your dissertation done!

Justin Goldston, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Project and Supply Chain Management at Penn State University. Dr. Goldston has over 20 years of experience working with organizations around the world, such as Intel, Siemens, and Blue Buffalo on business performance improvement, organizational change, and enterprise-wide digital transformation initiatives.

Dr. Goldston is the author of multiple peer-reviewed journal articles on supply chain management and innovative technologies, of Critical Success Factors in ERP Implementations, and is a five-time TEDx speaker where he discussed emerging technologies such as blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. Dr. Goldston has also led and assisted in developing Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics programs at Georgetown University, Texas A&M University, North Carolina Wesleyan College, and has evaluated programs for the Department of Higher Education while serving on the Management Advisory Board at various higher education institutions.

In this episode…

After decades of experience with supply-chain management in industry, Dr. Justin Goldston decided that he wanted in moved into academia to serve the next generation of leaders.

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Justin Goldston and Dr. Russell Strickland discuss "Reasons Why" and mentors. Having a sense of direction and guidance are equally important when courting success in any endeavor. Dr. Goldston recounts his experience in railing against systems and the wisdom of accepting those systems and working from within to achieve your goals. Their conversation takes a winding course through dreams, choices, impact, income, and more!

Dr. Goldston's happy to share, happy to serve, and just plain happy! This episode will put a smile on your face.

Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham is a social entrepreneur, autism researcher, adjunct professor at Rice University, and founder of Spectrum Fusion. After listening to parents across multiple continents share their concerns regarding the lack of opportunities and positive outcomes for their adult children on the autism spectrum, she created a vision to shape the future of neurodiversity by creating a model grounded in sense-of-belonging, community, embracing the science of hope, and empowering adults on the spectrum to reach their full potential.

Dr. Stieglitz Ham founded Spectrum Fusion in 2014 in Australia, and in 2017 she launched the Reactor Room Program: ‘A Shark Tank’ for Adults on the Autism Spectrum designed to create new and innovative opportunities for individuals providing them access to important connections. Currently, Dr. Stieglitz Ham is the Principal Investigator on a research study at Rice University assessing the effectiveness of traditional assessment measures that employers typically administer in adults on the autism spectrum.

In this episode…

Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham is motivated to change the world for the better, and she found that becoming an agent of Change from Without was the right fit for her.

In this episode of An Unconventional Life, Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham and Dr. Russell Strickland discuss their multinational and remote doctoral journeys. Dr. Ham's globetrotting lead her to discover that parents of adults on the autism spectrum, along with the adults themselves, had the same concerns and the same sense of urgency, which was not being served by academia. Through Spectrum Fusion, Dr. Ham has helped adults on the spectrum get noticed by the television show, The Voice, launch a jewelry business, earn a personal trainer certification, become a professional videographer and invaluable member of her own team, overcome homelessness to become self-sufficient as a welder, and more!

Dr. Ham's success stories will restore your faith in humanity and renew your drive to make the world a better place.