The Authority Company

Since 2020, the ForbesBooks Podcast has featured conversations with entrepreneurs and executives who navigated their organizations through the COVID-19 crisis. But this week, Joe is joined by a business leader who LITERALLY navigated her team through the pandemic. Lucinda Baier is the CEO of Brookdale Senior Living, and on the podcast, she shares what the last two years have been like and what inspired her to write the new book, Heroes Work Here: An Extraordinary Story of Courage, Resilience, and Hope from the Front Lines of COVID-19.

What does it take to make it big in the wine and spirits industry when your name isn't George Clooney or Ryan Reynolds? This week, Joe shares the remarkable true story of trailblazer Nicole Young. Nicole is a broadcaster and serial entrepreneur who is one of only two Black female CEOs in the whiskey business. On the podcast, Nicole talks about her newly launched premium spirits brand, Frisky Whiskey (based in Charleston, SC), and how she's disrupting the spirits industry.

For years, corporate profits and corporate responsibility were mutually exclusive propositions. But as Bob Dylan once sang, The Times They Are a-Changin', and now businesses that do good, do well. So how do you get better at doing good? This week Joe welcomes Phillip Haid, the Co-founder & CEO of Public, a Toronto-based cause-marketing agency and incubator that believes profit & purpose should go hand-in-hand.

Today’s CFOs are not your grandfather's Chief Financial Officers. CFOs in 2022 are under greater scrutiny, internally and externally. They’ve got to cut costs, grow revenue, and ensure control – while living in a world of economic uncertainty.  And this week Joe is joined by Kirk W. McLaren. Kirk is the CEO of Foresight CFO where his growth CFOs work side-by-side with CEOs to Obliterate Obstacles.

It’s a dream for many entrepreneurs to start a business with friends and family and then watch the money pour in. Unfortunately, more times than not, those business ventures end up with estranged family members and friends who become mortal enemies. But on today’s podcast, Joe is joined by Dave Dickert the co-founder of Branded Bills. Dave started a custom headwear business with three of his friends and went on to build a successful direct-to-consumer business with over $50 million dollars in sales in a little over 5 years.

Since 2020, the housing market has been more volatile than a Michael Bay movie. During much of the pandemic's housing boom, historically low mortgages shielded homebuyers as folks migrated out of states like California and New York to places like Texas and Florida. But now, national mortgage rates have surpassed 5% and have eliminated some buyers from the market. So why is this happening? On the podcast this week, Joe speaks with Chris Heller. Chris received his real estate license when he was just 20 years old and went to become the CEO of real estate powerhouse Keller Williams Realty. He’s currently the Chief Real Estate Officer at OJO Labs, an Austin-based real estate tech company, and he’s also the author of the new book, Dominant Thoughts.

What’s the secret sauce to becoming a self-made success story? How do you reach high levels of wealth without the help of a large inheritance or trust fund? This week's guest has lived this story. His name is Ahmad Alyasin, and he’s the Chairman & CEO of Optima Global Financial. Ahmad's company provides complex corporate advice that assists clients with recapitalization, large-scale buy-outs, reverse mergers and acquisitions, private equity funding, and more.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time for us to educate people and ourselves about the importance of mental health and the resources available. And this week Joe welcomes Alison Seponara to the podcast. Alison is a licensed psychotherapist and is known as @TheAnxietyHealer on Instagram.  She is also the author of the new book, The Anxiety Healer's Guide: Coping Strategies and Mindfulness Techniques to Calm the Mind and Body. Alison shares her mental health journey and how she built a global support community of over half a million people.

Entrepreneurs post regularly on LinkedIn and write blogs for the specific purpose of elevating their brand and their authority. But what about regular people who turn a blog into a business? This week, Joe talks to Christian Senger, the founder of Holy City Sinner. Christian shares how he built a blog and accompanying social media handles that became must-follows for everything there is to know about what’s going on in Charleston, South Carolina.

What does it take to become fearless in business? An even bigger question, what does it take to become a fearless leader? This week, Joe welcomes Brendan Keegan, the Founder of bFearless & CEO of Merchants Fleet. Brendan is a 6-time award-winning CEO, who has built a system to overpower his own fear, uncertainty, and doubt and achieved astronomical success across multiple industries.