Wings of Inspired Business

Dr. Serena Huang is revolutionizing how organizations approach talent, well-being, and DEI through data and AI. The CEO and Founder of Data with Serena, she is also the author of the bestselling book The Inclusion Equation: Leveraging Data & AI For Organizational Diversity and Well-being. Serena is a sought-after international speaker and as an AI expert, people analytics executive and chief data officer, she’s spent more than a decade leading measurement and analytics strategy for DEI and ESG at iconic brands like GE, Kraft Heinz, PayPal and LinkedIn. Also a guest lecturer at top MBA programs, including Wharton, Haas, and Kellogg, Serena’s on a mission to help businesses worldwide actualize a new vision of work where employee well-being and belonging are prioritized alongside profits. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🤖 💖 Ask AI to be a Brainstorming Partner: AI must not become a replacement for human interaction or creativity. Learn how best to use it to foster collaboration, teamwork, mental health and wellbeing. 🔄❤️ Data Tells a Story; Empathy Drives Change: Why all-important data itself doesn’t change minds or behavior, but stories do. Learn how to combine data-driven insights with personal stories to foster true empathy and organizational buy-in. 🌈🤎 Inclusion Must Be Measured (and Actioned!): You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Simple pulse surveys, deeper data on collaboration patterns, and transparent follow-up are key to building a culture where every voice is valued—and action is just as important as collection. ✨🤖 AI is a Tool—It Needs Guardrails and Human Values: Learn how AI can uncover and help fix workplace bias, but responsible AI frameworks, clear opt-in autonomy, and the principle of "do no harm" are non-negotiable for building trust. 👥 🤟 Why Companies Can’t Ignore Inclusion: Gen Z, the most diverse generation yet—won’t work at companies lacking diversity in senior leadership. Learn why DEI drives better results, by any measure. 🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/wings930 More about Serena at Data With Serena Get Serena’s book, The Inclusion Equation: Leveraging Data & AI For Organizational Diversity and Well-being

Alyson Caffrey is an Operations Strategist, Bestselling Author of The Sabbatical Method, and founder of two businesses, Master Maternity Leave, and the consultancy Operations Agency. She’s best known for streamlining back-end operations of brands using her Operations Simplified™ framework to unleash the power of small teams. Alyson believes that if she can return fulfilled founders back to their families, she can generate a much larger impact in the world. Alyson also hosts The Growing Pains podcast. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 💭 💡 The Power of Whitespace: Why allowing ourselves breaks from the hustle and grind leads to fresh perspectives, new ideas and approaches, and a reinvigoration of our passion to grow businesses faster. 🌱🌍 Identify Priorities for Each Season: Take time to establish what truly matters during different seasons. Whether it's focusing on business growth, personal health, or family, having a clear priority allows you to manage your time and resources better. 📈 🚀 Simplicity Scales Faster: Learn how to keep operations streamlined with simple systems that focus on lead generation, conversion, fulfillment, and improvement—measure results and know your numbers. Complexity can hinder growth, while simplicity can help you scale faster.  🔄 ✨Let Go of Perfection: Many women fall into the trap of trying to do it all, perfectly, so focus on identifying areas where you can step back without guilt, whether it's trusting your team or prioritizing personal time. 👶 💼 Business as a Baby: Why starting a business is like nurturing a baby: Initially, it requires your undivided attention, but as it grows, the key is understanding when and how to let go and delegate effectively so you can focus on your unique strengths. 🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings929   More about Alyson at Alyson Caffrey Get Alyson’s Maternity Leave Planning Guide for free with code WINGS Get Alyson’s book, The Sabbatical Method

Amanda Riffee is an internationally certified executive coach helping women overcome mindset blocks, know their value and create a career (and life) they love without burnout. A thought leader and event speaker with 17 years of corporate experience, she also hosts the podcast Unleashing You with Amanda Riffee and last month released her first book, Unleashing You. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🔥💭What’s Inside to Be Unleashed?  Get the roadmap for interactive learning to unleash your true potential with actionable coaching and “Put It on a Post-It” lessons so you can align your career—or business—with your unique strengths, values, and dreams and implement with inspired action. 🔄✨Ditch the Cookie-Cutter Blueprints: If you’re tired of hearing “just copy my formula and you’ll succeed”, you’re not alone. Learn why “copy paste” doesn’t work for entrepreneurial success because it is always about being on your own authentic path, digging into what you want, reflecting on your journey, and developing the self-awareness to clear limiting beliefs—especially the ones you didn’t even know were holding you back! 🧠 🎯Mindset Over Strategy: Learn why success is “80% mindset and 20% strategy.” If you don’t believe in yourself or you’re plagued by self-doubt, you’ll keep hitting invisible walls. Learn the power of self-inquiry—so you can uncover your core values and what motivates and lights you up. 💡 🚀Break Free from Self-Doubt: From reflecting on your own stories and triggers (yes, some of those may come from toddlerhood!) to the power of self-acknowledgement and gratitude, Amanda’s advice is refreshingly practical. She reminds us that acknowledging your achievements—no matter how small—is crucial for rewiring your mindset for abundance and success. 👥 🤟Surround Yourself with Your “Squad”: Entrepreneurship is a growth journey—personally and professionally and no one can do it alone. Learn how to build a community of supportive, like-minded women who understand the ups and downs of chasing big dreams, whether for encouragement, learning or celebrating your wins. 💪🤔Break Self-Fulfilling Prophecies and Negative Patterns: Limiting beliefs about money or self-worth lead to recurring negative experiences, so learn how to intentionally seek positive evidence to counteract subconscious blocks to break from these cycles, including gratitude and self-acknowledgment practices to shift perception to abundance. 🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings928 More about Amanda at ACR Professional Coaching Get Amanda’s Book, Unleashing You Amazon Link to Purchase

Michelle Rupp, an Emmy Award winning broadcast journalist, is the Founder and CEO of Memorable Results Media, a boutique agency dedicated to helping small and medium-sized businesses gain earned media coverage on local and regional television. With a background in news production and a passion for empowering business owners, Michelle uses her 25 years of experience in broadcasting to deliver tangible results. Her clients frequently see increased revenue, sold-out events and elevated visibility in their communities, with many attributing significant business growth to her media strategies. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🎯 🤟Mastering the Art of Earned Media: Learn how best to pitch your expertise, leverage timely news pegs and capitalize on relationships with journalists.   💡💪Start With Clarity: Before you think about generating TV segments or magazine articles to highlight your business, get clear on what results you want. 📝 🚀Understand What Makes News: Learn how to tie your pitches to timely events, community relevance, and what journalists (not just you) consider newsworthy.   👥 ❤️Build Relationships: Learn what makes journalists tick, what they are looking for, and then always be responsive because opportunities often come to those who are top-of-mind and quick to act. 🔥🛠️Start Before You’re “Ready”: There isn’t a perfect moment to launch or pivot. Learn why waiting for the “right time” is a waste of time. 💬⭐ Journalistic Skills Are Entrepreneurial Assets: Daily deadlines, thinking on your feet, and creative storytelling all translate beautifully from journalism to entrepreneurship. If you’re a natural creator or storyteller, you’re already ahead! 🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings927  More about Michelle at Memorable Results Media

Lacey Bridges is the founder of Black Flamingo Agency, an experiential marketing firm in Los Angeles. As a visionary leader and innovative creative marketer, Lacey excels at crafting immersive experiences that drive brand success. Her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for the experiential side of marketing solutions have positioned Black Flamingo Agency as one of the fastest-growing trailblazers in the industry. Spearheading groundbreaking campaigns for major brands like Good American, Savage X Fenty, and TopGolf, Lacey has created transformative and unforgettable experiences that solidify her reputation as a leader in experiential marketing. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🌟😊 The Power of Experiential Marketing: Learn how to create unforgettable human-to-human contact with brand events that transcend digital content in a disconnected world. 🥰❤️Creating Emotional Connections: Discover how brands can touch people's hearts through authentic storytelling and attention to detail. Whether through a grand event or bespoke content, learn the importance of making every small detail count, so people leave with a lasting positive feeling. 📈🔥Generating Long Tail Earned Media: Learn why creating magical experiences that bring people together around a brand promise turns customers into loyal and enthusiastic influencers, posting many months after the event. 🚀🌈 Women Supporting Women: How to create a safe, empowering space for women to grow, support one another, and thrive together in the industry by actively seeking out collaborations with other female-led businesses to foster mutual growth and empowerment. 💕 🤝Love What You Do: Learn from Lacey's personal story of becoming an entrepreneur, her passion for creating a joyful work environment for her team, and how she ensures every project is treated as a partnership, never just a transaction. 🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings926 More about Lacey at Black Flamingo Agency

Melissa Darnay has been living her dream life in Panama since 2012 as the CEO of Choose Panama, a luxury real estate and rental agency based in Panama City. Melissa specializes in helping clients find the perfect investment properties that align with their personal dreams and financial goals. Her unique approach sets her apart from other real estate professionals—she guides clients from their first inquiry through every stage of settling into Panama, offering support long after the transaction is complete. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 💰 📈 Panama's Business Potential: For entrepreneurs looking for a Plan B, Panama offers unique advantages. With its business-friendly environment, stable climate free from natural disasters, and strategic geographical location, it's a viable option for business diversification and real estate investment. 🏡 🏖️ Navigate Panama’s Real Estate Like a Local: Learn how to make a move stress free and find the maximum ROI properties in Panama to support your dream lifestyle. 💪 🤗 Embrace Change and Adaptation: Be inspired by Melissa's story of how to turn tragedy unexpected challenges into pure gold with a leap of faith. 🔥🛠️Entrepreneurial Spirit and Resilience: Learn how to build resilience by jumping in with both feet and being willing to experiment and learn through failures to eventually succeed. 🎯 💵Smart Investment Strategies: Why you should consider looking overseas, and why you need clarity on your exit strategy for any foreign investments. 🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings925 More about Melissa at Choose Panama  Get your FREE copy of "Panama Uncorked: Everything You Need to Know to Visit, Live or Invest in Panama" Listen to The Panama Podcas

Penny Zenker is a serial founder, sought-after speaker, bestselling author, and former C-Suite executive of a global top five market research company who now helps entrepreneurs and executives at firms large and small, including Deloitte, Pfizer, SAP and Samsung solve complex problems and find alignment to accelerate business growth. Over the past three decades, she has built and sold multiple multimillion-dollar companies—including the award-winning tech firm Smart Moves she founded and sold to a French company. Penny is also a Tony Robbins Business Coach helping companies double and triple businesses and her TEDx, “The Energy of Thought,” has had over 1 million views worldwide. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 👓💬Focus on Feedback: Many things demand your focus in business, but the most important focus is on feedback from your customers, your team, and your numbers and data to create an iterative loop for growth. 🧠✨The Reset Mindset: Learn the power of dynamic reassessment, constantly checking in with yourself and your team to ensure you're focused on what truly matters. Business environments are ever-changing, and staying adaptable is the secret to your success. How to Achieve more with less: 😅💼 The Paradox of Control: Why the more you try to control, the less control you have. Delegating authority along with responsibility builds trust, empowers your team, and fosters a culture of creativity and ownership. 🔍🤝 The Power of Dynamic Reassessment: Penny emphasizes the importance of constantly checking in to ensure you're focused on what truly matters. Business environments are ever-changing, and staying adaptable can significantly impact success. 🧠 💡 The Energy of Thought: Mindset can either limit or propel us. Approaching challenges and navigating change with a growth mindset opens up opportunities that we might not have considered possible, and enables you to shift focus as necessary. 🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings924   More about Penny at PennysKeynote Get Penny’s book The Reset Mindset: Get Unstuck, Focus on What Matters Most, and Reach Your Goals Faste

Lindsay Guzowski is the CEO and founder of The Crucible, a company transforming how private equity and venture firms assess and develop leadership at their portfolio companies using scientifically validated, bias-tested tools. A visionary entrepreneur, she co-founded a plumbing company that grew from a $40,000 investment into a multi-million-dollar enterprise acquired for over $20 million. With degrees from Dartmouth College, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Lindsay blends expertise in sociology, finance, and management. Since founding The Crucible in 2020, she has earned multiple industry awards, all while being a devoted mother to her competitive go-kart-racing son. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🔍 👩‍🔬 Eliminating Bias in Executive Evaluations: Learn the innovative approach that removes bias from investors and others assessing founders and executive teams so venture firms no longer overlook diverse and qualified talent based on outdated stereotypes or unconscious bias. 🧩 👥 Strategic Team Building: How to assess cognitive abilities, resilience, pattern recognition, innovative thinking and emotional leverage, so your business can identify gaps and strategically build balanced teams, enhance collaboration and reduce turnover. 📈 🚀Data-Driven Decision Making: How The Crucible uses tailored algorithms and innovative assessments to provide actionable insights, allowing investors to make informed decisions and better match team dynamics with company objectives. 💼🔥The Five Success Factors: Learn what predicts the success of an entrepreneurial or executive leader, from “disdain for losing” to numbers fluency, storytelling, empathy, and ability to process information quickly with accuracy. 💡 🛠️ Systems Vs. Linear Thinkers: The creative power of ‘matrix thinking’ and why women with children are inherently better at “connecting the dots”, collaborating and enabling cross-disciplinary innovation. 🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings923 More about Lindsay, plus a 20% discount on Crucible  Short Link:  https://bit.ly/Wings923 Link: https://melindawittstock.com/wingspodcast/lindsay-guzowski

Julie Castro Abrams is a venture capitalist and gender and racial justice activist who has spent the majority of her career working to build great women-owned companies and economic access for women. She is the founder and CEO of How Women Lead, a network of 14,000-plus top executive women who come together to learn, break barriers to success, and make an impact. Using her extensive background, Julie helps top executive women harness and activate their power across all aspects of their careers and lives. She also leads the sister organization, How Women Invest, an early-stage venture capital firm seeking to realize untapped economic potential by focusing on the intersection of female founders and female investors, particularly those of color. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🚀 📈 Potential vs Previous Results: Why women founders are evaluated by venture investors with a higher and different level of scrutiny than men, and how to overcome investor bias—whether conscious or unconscious. 👩‍🔬 🤟 Breaking Barriers: What it takes to launch a successful female-led venture capital firm, and how Julie succeeded by building on an already established community to get her first $10 million from 221 female investors. 🤝 🌱 Empowering Female Investors: Why women should diversify their investment portfolios into venture capital firms supporting women entrepreneurs—not only for a potential 10X return, but also because most female founders create mission-driven companies that have a social impact. ✨ 🌈 Invest in Values: How to make venture investments with companies and funds that align with your values for social impact and purpose. 💰💵 Expanding Women's Wealth: Learn how Julie’s New Table Campaign is encouraging women to unite their financial power to achieve a profound impact, with a target to channel $1 billion into women-run venture capital firms. 🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings922   More about Julie at How Women Lead https://www.howwomenlead.com/ and How Women Invest  https://www.howwomeninvest.com/

Nina Sossamon-Pogue is a sought-after speaker, two-time bestselling author, and entrepreneur whose journey through elite gymnastics, TV anchoring, and Corporate America from startup to IPO defies the ordinary. An Olympic hopeful on the USA Gymnastics team with Mary Lou Retton, an injury crushed her dreams before becoming a catalyst for a 20-year career as an Emmy Award winning journalist and anchor. Another transformative challenge led her to technology and a journey navigating startup growth to a highly successful IPO. Drawing on her expertise across communications, corporate leadership and resilience research, she now helps others conquer life’s obstacles to reach new levels of success. Author of This Is Not the End: Strategies to Get You Through the Worst Chapters of Your Life and But I Want Both: A Working Mom’s Guide to Creating a Life She Loves, Nina also founded the innovative online coaching company Now What Workshop. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🏆 🏋️‍♀️ What Athletes Teach Entrepreneurs about Resilience: Athletes bring essential skills to business: persistence, discipline, coachability, and the ability to get up after a fall. These skills are game changers in entrepreneurship, where failure is part of the journey.  🌟✊Past the Pain There’s Gain: From life-changing injury to horrific public tragedy, learn how radical changes in circumstance brought about by unexpected events or challenges can help us all emerge stronger, revitalized and thriving in life’s new chapters. 💼 🚀 Adapting in Business: Sometimes external happenings like tariffs, recessions and pandemics force a change in business strategy and operations. Nina shares how her newly launched public speaking career got sidelined when Covid struck, and how she found the resilience to pivot quickly to grow an even bigger business.  🌱🔍 The Now What Workshop: If you're in a "now what" moment, learn how Nina’s online coaching provides actionable strategies to help you navigate through crises and find paths forward, no matter the situation, so you do better than “bounce back” by growing stronger and more capable with each new hurdle.  🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings921   More about Nina at Nina Sossamon-Pogue https://www.ninasossamonpogue.com/ and Now What Workshop https://nowwhatworkshop.com