From There to Here

Bill Sawalich is a commercial photographer.  In this episode, he talks about capturing the moment, the challenge of creating, hobby jobs, empathy from the lens, being present, technology evolution, the rising culture of ads, a dissolving ecosystem, and just doing what you want to.Bill Sawalich is a St. Louis-based photographer specializing in editorial and corporate portraiture. A longtime magazine writer and educator that has taught commercial photography at the University of Missouri St. Louis for 11 years. Former editor of Digital Photo and contributing editor to Outdoor Photographer and Digital Photo Pro magazines. Current writer/editor of Art + Math photography newsletter at artandmath.substack.com. Chief photographer at Barlow Productions in St. Louis.Check Out Barlow Productions:https://www.barlowpro.com/To learn more, visit:linkedin.com/in/jason-Shupp-18b4619bListen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Jason-Shupp/

Coleman Swisher is a co-founder of Boldr Futures and is a Valuation Advisor.  In this episode, Colman talks about lifestyle differences, questioning norms and constructs, impacts from elite coaching, just-in-time learning, the education from a small business, the pitfalls of extraction capital, and we do a deep dive with lessons learned from acquisitions and integrations.Colman Swisher, CEPA, transforms growing businesses into market-ready enterprises that command premium valuations. As Co-Founder of Boldr Futures, he combines deep operational expertise with certified exit planning to help business owners maximize enterprise value and create perpetual optionality. Colman's methodology—the Legacy Multiplier framework—systematically builds the four drivers of premium valuations: growth capacity, risk resilience, strategic clarity, and operational independence. Before co-founding Boldr Futures, Colman served as VP of Strategy and Chief Information Officer for the largest radiopharmaceutical logistics company in the U.S. There, he led the transformation efforts that increased enterprise value from $4M to $20M over three years—a 5x valuation increase achieved through systematic operational improvements, leadership development, and strategic positioning. He then orchestrated the company’s buy and build strategy, completing a series of M&A integrations using his 90-day integration playbook to increase revenue 4x in 2 years. To learn more, visit:linkedin.com/in/jason-Shupp-18b4619bListen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Jason-Shupp/

Ryan Hogan is the founder of Talent Harbor and is a chronic problem solver. In this episode, he talks about understanding value creation, his path to financial acumen, risk thresholds, resilience and failure, being where you are supposed to be, and the value of systems and support.To learn more, visit:linkedin.com/in/jason-Shupp-18b4619bListen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Jason-Shupp/

Peter Kelly-Detwiler is a definitive leader in the electric energy industry (who literally wrote the book on it).  In this episode, Peter talks about getting off the conveyor belt, devaluing the future, letting the trip take you, funding the opposition, serving others first, and examining your life.Peter Kelly-Detwiler has over 35 years of experience in the electric energy industry, with much of his career in competitive power markets. Currently, Mr. Kelly-Detwiler is a leading consultant, researcher, speaker and trainer in the electric industry. He provides strategic advice to clients and investors, helping them to navigate the rapid evolution and complexities of the electric power grid.  Mr. Kelly-Detwiler also offers numerous keynotes and trainings, with workshops addressing a wide range of topics related to energy, technology, and policy. His book on the transformation of electric power markets - “The Energy Switch: How Companies and Customers Are Transforming the Electrical Grid and the Future of Power” - was published by Prometheus Books in June of 2021.  To learn more, visit:linkedin.com/in/jason-Shupp-18b4619bListen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Jason-Shupp/

In this episode, Hal Schild shares a childhood lesson in perseverance, tales when working for THE Agency, fixing it “in post”, easier vs. better, having nothing to do,  keeping the business simple, and looking at the bigger picture.Hal Schild is an award-winning editor, producer, animator, and director with over three decades of experience in the video and post-production industry. Throughout his career, he has led the creation of over 500 video projects, spanning 48 states and three continents. Hal’s dynamic portfolio includes collaborations with iconic figures such as RuPaul, Mariah Carey, Steven Meisel, Oliver Stone, Donald Fagen, and Michael Jackson, demonstrating his versatility and creativity in high-profile productions. His work spans a wide range of formats, from animated educational videos to major televised events. A Grammy nominee and CINE Golden Eagle winner, he brings a deep understanding of visual storytelling and adult learning principles to every project. Hal remains a trusted creative force in the media industry.He is currently the co-founder of Missing Link, a strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, Missing Link crafts human connections through intelligent, engaging, and informative content. Missing Link is based in Alexandria, VA, a women-owned, minority owned company with staff across the globe.Previously serving as SVP of Creative Services and later as SVP/COO at Yes& Agency in Alexandria, Virginia, Hal was instrumental in managing multimillion-dollar budgets, guiding creative strategy, and producing impactful multimedia content. In these roles, he also oversaw IT infrastructure and led teams in crafting social media assets, events, and videos tailored to client branding and messaging. His leadership style combined innovation with a rigorous attention to detail, consistently meeting internal benchmarks and exceeding client expectations.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halschild/ Company website: https://www.missinglink.company To learn more, visit:linkedin.com/in/jason-Shupp-18b4619bListen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Jason-Shupp/

In this episode, Anthony Cudjo openly shares how childhood abuse, bullying, and fighting shaped his personality and taught him about people’s energy; he also talks about receiving messages, positive self-talk, alignment with the natural laws, mastering the present, and being an agent of choice.Anthony Cudjo is a transformational coach.  With over 37 years of experience in Human Optimization, he has helped thousands of clients, including top executives, athletes, and entrepreneurs, achieve breakthroughs in their personal and professional lives.Anthony is a certified NLP Practioner, Life Coach, and Metabolic Specialist.  He is a graduate of Dale Carnegie’s Leadership and Landmark Forum and hosted ESPN radio’s “Fitness RX”.Check out Anthony's website:urh3o.comTo learn more, visit:linkedin.com/in/jason-Shupp-18b4619bListen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Jason-Shupp/

Barry Gleeson is a certified growth coach and business owner.  In this episode, he talks about being on-purpose, how your energy is moving, re-investing in yourself, perspective from coaching, and taking time to think.Since 2004, Barry has worked with owners and leaders of privately held family businesses, helping them to focus strategically to outperform their competitors. He has a passion for engaging with leadership teams enabling them to break through status quo to deliver exceptional results. Barry is the Managing Partner of The Kelsey Group and is the Owner of The Alternative Board (TAB) Franchise in St. Louis, an international Peer Advisory and Executive Coaching organization.  Prior to that, he spent 15 years working with a Fortune 100 Defense Contractor in a variety of management positions and he was the VP and General manager of a privately-held Material Handling Distributor.Barry is a Certified Growth Coach with the Scaling Up organization, an international community of growth coaches, helping leadership teams of small and mid-market companies scale their organization by implementing the Rockefeller Habits. He is also certified in Behavioral, Motivational and Acumen Sciences. Having such diverse background in both large public and small privately held businesses, and in many different industries, Barry brings his clients strategy, perspective, and accountability for growth.To learn more, visit:linkedin.com/in/jason-Shupp-18b4619bListen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Jason-Shupp/

Joshua Aranda is a social entrepreneur.  In this episode, he talks about managing tension, choosing how you show up, later date returns, comfort with uncertainty, thresholds, and redistributing the weight.As a passionate leader, lifelong learner, and social entrepreneur, Joshua Aranda is focused on making the world a better place and expanding his family with every person he meets.  With his many ventures:At Unrationed, he co-founded a platform dedicated to guiding individuals to live extraordinary lives across all areas: at home, work, and play. We empower people to break free from mediocrity and pursue excellence in everything they do.As Founder of Here to Healthy, the team helps organizations build healthy teams and systems that lead to lasting success. We work with companies to optimize their culture, leadership, and operations for sustainable growth.As Co-Founder of 6 Levers, he helps organizations unlock their full potential using a framework that addresses the key people, process, and technology challenges that impact long-term success.In his role as CEO & Co-Founder of Mission Matters Group, he leads a team that is dedicated to serving and transforming nonprofit organizations, relentlessly focused on understanding the challenges they face and helping them thrive.When Joshua is not working, you'll find him adventuring in nature—whether it's hiking through Colorado’s mountains, exploring new trails, or simply soaking in the beauty of the outdoors. To learn more, visit:linkedin.com/in/jason-Shupp-18b4619bListen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Jason-Shupp/

Brian Smith is a business transformation consultant.  In this episode, he talks about self-reliance, figuring it out, differing ethics, navigating legal matters, the four motivations, partnership selection, the drama triangle, and taking the hard path.Brian Smith has an eclectic entrepreneurial background, including investment banking, real estate investments, agency work, coaching and consulting, and founding businesses.  Through these experiences, Brian’s firm Strategy Ladders is helping founders escape the grind, build scalable systems, and regain control over their time.Connect with Brian Smith:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbriansmith/Strategy Ladders podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strategy-ladders-podcast/id1778109904?i=1000675821231To learn more, visit:linkedin.com/in/jason-Shupp-18b4619bListen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Jason-Shupp/

Join Brian Piper, an author and AI consultant, as he delves into his transition from a stable university role to full-time consulting. He shares insights on leveraging AI to enhance community engagement and building authentic connections with audiences. Discover the balance between utilizing technology and fostering genuine relationships, while exploring the challenges of tech adoption. Brian also emphasizes the importance of trust in AI expertise and the ethical considerations of AI in marketing and community building.