Driven to Lead

SE01E32 Customer Focus For Brand Excellence | Francis Pierrel | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead, Francis Pierrel, CEO & Partner at LR Paris Inc. out of NY, shares his perspective about making your focus on your customers the paramount issue in your business and your brand. You’ll truly enjoy this conversation that has many great leadership insights. Francis talks about the many global iconic brands he has worked with and the power of staying true to who you are while driving growth around the world. He gives tangible examples of how he lead significant change, but did so with humility and courage to optimize the end result. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

Listen to Driven to Lead on these podcast platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/161InPnNaM5p1H1zERQrxm
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/driven-to-lead/id1819958647
Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/582480a2-36bc-42ab-b010-f57d9c9279fe/driven-to-lead

#Leadership #BusinessLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamBuilding #ManagementSkills #LeadershipTips #PersonalGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #CareerGrowth #Entrepreneurship #SuccessMindset #Motivation #DrivenToLead #WayneBrannon #LeadershipPodcast #Inspiration #LeadershipJourney
Driven to Lead is a podcast dedicated to inspiring and empowering business leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs to reach their full potential. Hosted by Wayne Brannon, each episode dives deep into leadership strategies, personal growth, team management, and real-world business challenges. Whether you’re leading a startup or a large organization, Driven to Lead offers actionable insights to help you build strong teams, develop your leadership skills, and create a positive impact in your workplace. Tune in weekly to unlock your leadership potential and drive success.

SE01E31 Gaining Strategic Alignment | Omer Brookstein | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Drive to Lead, guest Omer Brookstein, tells a story about how to drive strategic alignment regarding innovation and the need for standardization. Both with his company and across client organizations, Omer describes his leadership to bring multiple potential solutions into a more unified set of executional elements. The key to his success was a focus on the customer and on the potential cost savings across the industry. Don’t miss this discussion of where high-tech solutions meet common sense.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E30 Broker Better Deals | Michael Pine | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead, Michael Pine, CEO of Pine Health Strategies, NY, NY talks about his long, successful career as a Chief Business Officer (CBO) in the pharmaceutical and bio-tech arena. His work to support both buy-side and sell-side interests in more than 60 deals distinguishes him as one of the most experienced CBOs in the therapeutic space. Michael relates a story about how striving for the right result is not always incentivized to the extent it should be, but how he strongly believes in the pursuit of the truth in all valuations and nothing less than excellence in every great deal — with great being defined as high alignment on an optimal valuation and an agreement which produces continued success for the acquiring party.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E29 Build Relationships To Build Value| Richard Culberson | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead, Richard Culberson, experienced private equity CEO talks extensively about his approach to build real value in the companies he works with. In this insightful and refreshing conversation Richard discusses how building genuine trust the portfolio company he invests in drives better collaboration between all parties, improves transparency, and in general, drives greater success. Sit back and learn a bit about Richard’s philosophy in driving value and how you can use a similar approach to realize better business performance in your endeavors.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E28 Cultural Transformation | Shaffiq Rahim | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Driven to Lead, Shaffiq Rahim, former CEO & President of Lifetech Resources, tells a story of business transformation which includes the need to completely reassess the team, make hard decisions to transition some team members out of the company, recruit new players, generate a new culture of collaboration, while keeping the business results positive and moving forward. He discusses what it takes as a leader to manage through periods of excessive change. There is something for everyone in this program , so take a look.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E27 Be Authentic And Be Bold | Jeremy Barker | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Driven to Lead, Jeremy Barker, Founder and CEO of Murphy Door, Inc. out of Ogden Utah shares details of his incredible journey from young entrepreneur to homeless truck driver, to fireman, and now to his now wildly successful leadership of Murphy Door. Strap in for this fast moving conversation that has a multitude of great leadership insights. Jeremy talks about how he learned the hard-way the importance of guard-rails in a business to assure the right structure and right processes are in place. He gives tangible examples that demonstrate how overcoming fear by just being yourself can be a catalyst for growth. And he shares his thoughts on the importance of respect and transparency in dealing with everyone on all sides of his business, including both his employees and his customers. Don’t miss this one!

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E26 Transformational Leadership | Mark Poeschl | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Driven to Lead, Mark Poeschl, CEO & Vice Chairman of Furst-McNess Company out of Rockford, Illinois - shares an inspiring business turn-around story from his days in Europe. His natural talent for listening and his sincere approach to mutual human respect served as the foundation for a high-velocity business transformation in a culture he had not worked in previously. His deep-dive of the business did not force his own cultural norms on the leadership team or the employees, rather, he simply focused on excellence in every corner of the company’s operations. He observed safety issues that needed to be addressed, he found synergies with sister businesses that drove improved efficiency, he replaced worn equipment, and in general, drove a complete renaissance of the company that moved from significant losses to impressive profitability in record time.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E25 Grit and Determination are Great Teachers | Brendan O'Donnell | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Driven to Lead our guest Brendan O’Donnell, President and CEO of the DFA of California and of Safe Food Alliance talks about the experiences in his life and leadership journey that help define who he is as an executive. He recounts experiences from early in his career that helped him establish who he is with respect to his interactions with others and with how he meets adversity as an overcomer. Today, he meets challenges and opportunities head-on with grit and confidence that he can lead his organization through any situation regardless the circumstances. Join us in looking at these leadership issues through the lens of Food Safety in the California fruits and nuts business.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E24 Facing Fear Without Walking Away | Arjang (AJ) Roshan | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Driven to Lead, host Wayne Brannon speaks with Arjang (AJ) Roshan, the president and CEO of Weiler Abrasives Group. They discuss the intricacies of the abrasive manufacturing industry, AJ's journey to leadership, and the importance of embracing discomfort as a catalyst for personal and professional growth. AJ shares a pivotal story from his career that highlights the challenges he faced while leading a struggling division in Asia, emphasizing the lessons learned about self-awareness, perseverance, and the value of taking risks. The conversation also touches on the balance between professional ambitions and personal life, showcasing AJ's commitment to family while navigating his executive responsibilities.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E23 Tough Decisions That Drive Growth | Henry Charrabé | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Driven to Lead, our guest Henry Charrabé, CEO of Seven Seas Water Group, tells us a story about taking-on the challenge of re-designing, restructuring and rebuilding his leadership team to take the company to the next level. Henry acknowledges that change of this magnitude is extremely difficult, but also understands that the penalty of not changing can have even greater consequences. His vision for solving key people related constraints that were holing back his organization demanded that the future leaders of the company be strategically aligned and equipped with the right skills for the challenges and opportunities they had in-front of them.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E22 Leadership Lessons in Strategic Alignment | Curtis Collar | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Driven to Lead, our guest Curtis Collar, CEO of Nanotech Energy tells us a story about investing time and resources into a development project that had a high level of merit, but that was ultimately not going to be supported by key members of leadership. In this particular situation, Curtis acknowledges that the executing team had developed an appropriate level of energy and passion for the project, but that this level of attachment perhaps masked the reality from them that perhaps they should not continue to invest time and money into something that would not ultimately become a reality. This story highlights the importance of both external customer needs and the requirement for internal alignment on business priorities.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E21 The Leadership Mindset Behind True Growth | John Beering | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Driven to Lead, our guest John Beering, CEO pf Red Dot Corporation tells us a story about his transition into his current role and the key elements that lead to a positive transformation of the company that began at that time, and that continues to pay dividends to this day. The focus that he placed on culture in his organization is driving the business to highly value everyone on the team and put the customer first in their executional priorities. As a recurring theme in many of our podcasts, the clarity of purpose that a solid commitment to culture brings is a powerful competitive advantage and cannot be over emphasized as a key business success factor.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E20 Leading With Action To Inspire Real Change | Adam Gibbs | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000

n this episode of Driven to Lead, our guest Adam Gibbs, CEO of OTC Industrials tells us a story about a time when his organization was being challenged to introduce and deliver a powerful new innovation to the company’s customer base. What had been a very successful sales team was struggling in communicating a new approach to the customers needs. The solution to this dilemma was the personal engagement of the leadership team to go side-by-side with the sales team to the customer to demonstrate the company’s commitment to the new innovation and to assist with the communication of the key benefits for the customer. This not only resulted in making short-term sales, but also developed the sales team to be more effective in the years ahead.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E19 The Power of Truth & Transparency in Building Relationships | Gary Ramey | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Driven to Lead, our guest Gary Ramey, CEO of Liberty Ammunition, shares stories with us about the importance of building relationships with your customers and with your team. In his experience, this sometimes requires that the features and benefits within your product offer take a back seat to the truth and transparency necessary to build true partnerships and strong relationships. Gary highlights key moments from his career that demonstrate how the highest levels of integrity in establishing strong, lasting relationships builds brands and drives powerful long-term sales results as well.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E18 Building Competitive Advantage while Overcome Adversity |Christopher Inverso | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Driven to Lead, our guest Christopher Inverso, CEO of Rainier Industries tells us a story about a distribution & logistics problem for the company's products that became so difficult to manage that his team had to think out-of-the-box to survive. Their innovative approach not only solved the problem but simultaneously addressed other related issues that actually strengthened Rainier's overall competitiveness in the marketplace - an inspiring outcome from an empowered team and a great leader.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E17 Intentional Relationships Drive Results | Erik Lightner | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead, our guest Erik Lightner. CEO of Platinum Crush Corporation, shares leadership insights from his international career across the agricultural, manufacturing, construction and engineering sectors. He highlights the need for trust and transparency in building effective teams and talks about his own journey to embrace a more collaborative leadership approach. He encourages us all to be more intentional with how we choose to interact with colleagues and customers to drive bottom-line results -- building meaningful relationships through mutual human respect and shared responsibility.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E16 Great Leaders Self-Correct | Matthew Degyansky | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead with guest Matthew Degyansky, we focus on how we can learn from our own mistakes as leaders and improve both our leadership skills and our business performance. Matt shares a specific story about his journey managing a group of global business development people in the energy sector, and how his drive to succeed helped him overcome the leadership challenges he faced. This story of disappointment, reassignment, over-correction, fine-tuning and ultimate success has something in it for all of us.

Connect with Matthew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-degyansky-a1012b2/

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E15 Putting Customers and Colleagues First | Jon Sievert | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead, guest Jon Sievert, CEO of Casper's Truck Equipment and Founding Member of Fourward Uplifting, shares his insights about the beliefs and actions that drive productivity and success in his business. His mindset is to constantly pursue excellence in customer experience and customer service while partnering with his employees and colleagues in this regard. The story he tells is about honesty, transparency and mutual human respect that rewards his team's behaviors even when they make mistakes as long as they are focused on putting the customer first.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E14 - Perseverance is a Virtue | Kevin Wolf | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0100

SE01E13 - Build Community & Build Your Brand | Jonny Feld | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead w/guest Jonny Feld, President & CEO of Field Vans, we get to explore the world of the overland conversion van business. Jonny has literally grown-up in the business and is an avid off-road adventurer himself. His family owned company builds its passion for its products into its connections to its employees, its customers and its community. In fact, the key leadership lesson in this episode is that their community outreach and sponsored events have helped to build a strong brand world-wide that now sells product all over the world. Best of luck and continued success to Field Van as they continue to grow and spread their own authentic enthusiasm for road-trip adventures with the rest of us.

Connect with Jonny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonny-feld-a45158156/

SE01E12 - Optimize Team Satisfaction to Optimize Business Results | Uday Deshpande | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead, Uday Deshpande, CEO/CTO of D&V Electronics USA, shares his leadership insights from over 30 years of engineering excellence. He describes his personal journey from practitioner to leader based on his own appreciation for being trusted and empowered as he was coming up through the ranks. As you learn a few things about his work in testing and validation of electrical systems, energy storage devices and electronics, you will also see how he optimizes his business results by simultaneously optimizing his teams performance and their job satisfaction.

Connect with Uday on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/udaydeshpande/

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E11 - Becoming a True Leader Focused on the Greater Good | Mark Sommer | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0100

Nothing Like Hard Times to Tame the Egos — In this episode of Driven to Lead, we hear from Mark Sommer, CEO of Del West Engineering & CEO Gamma Alloys in LA County, CA. His companies are developing high-tech materials with advanced alloy formulations to build parts for exotic vehicles, race cars and high-end Swiss watches. Mark tells the story of how his team of engineers began with a dislike for one-another and a hesitancy to collaborate effectively. During the great recession, extreme pressures on the business forced downsizing and the need for those who remained to work together in ways that had not been possible previously. This transition also transformed Mark himself from a young CEO who was more of an engineer in-charge, into what I think you will agree is a true leader focused on the greater good of the individuals in-his-charge.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E10 - A Dealership Built on Values, Connection, and Authenticity | Linda Lovering | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead, Linda Lovering shares her inspiring story of growing-up in the car business and seeing her family's businesses transition successfully across three generations. By playing the long-game and investing in lasting relationships within the community, The Lovering Auto Group has built a brand reputation that has stood the test of time and which is still going strong today. Linda's commitment to a genuine, caring leadership style has driven success with her customers and her dealership team.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E09 - Driving Innovation Through Collaborative Leadership | Alex Papadopulos | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead, Alex Papadopulos shares his leadership journey from product engineer to CEO in just a few short years. Alex highlights the importance of learning to delegate and empower employees as a part of his transition to the C suite. He also credits his rise to success in great part to having an outstanding mentor who has stood by him all along the way. His company, Soundwich, continues to be a strong, growing business entity that is innovating in solutions for acoustic optimization and thermal protection for vehicles. Alex's open, collaborative leadership style has built an amazing team that is leading the way in new material development and in unique executions of existing materials for breakthrough improvements in vehicle noise, vibration and harshness.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-brannon-792b0536/
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E08 - The driving force of culture | Kevin Iden | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0100

The episode of Driven to Lead features Kevin Iden, President of Iden's Dealer Services based in Renton, WA. Kevin shares the leadership principles that have grown his business from very humble beginnings to what is now the largest auto detailing business in the Pacific Northwest. Kevin's story acknowledges that focusing on client needs and fulfilling them as a key success factor. But Kevin gives most of the credit for his growth and future potential to the culture for the company that he and his team have created -- a culture that consistently delivers high quality service and highly satisfied customers, because it assures high levels of employee satisfaction based on respect, flexibility and meaningful benefits packages that define a "family feel" to the company culture.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: wayne@gr8road.com
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E07 - Leading with relationships | David J Johnson | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0100

This episode of Driven to Lead features David J Johnson who is the President and CEO of the National Institute for Automotive Service in Leesburg, VA. David discusses the success ASE has had building the needed relationships across the auto industry to deliver meaningful service standards and continue to drive service excellence. The discussion includes David's previous experience leading international businesses for Ford Motor Comapny where he learned to understand market differences while embracing similarities to build common ground, and leverages his genuine approach to bringing people together through trust and business processes that make sense.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: wayne@gr8road.com
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E06 - Establishing meaningful and relevant brands | Anan Bishara | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead with guest Anan Bishara, Founder & CEO of Premium Guard, Inc., we explore a story of true resilience -- starting with the formation of a fledgling US company and ending with what has now become a major international automotive supplier in filtration solutions. This journey covers the waterfront in terms of what was required of Anan and his team -- from dynamic strategic planning, to customer focused marketplace assessment, and from the creation of a functioning global supply chain, to the establishment of brands that have real meaning and relevance in attracting new business. Please join us for this robust conversation and the leadership insights within it.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: wayne@gr8road.com
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E05 - Live by these four simple but compelling values | Todd Sager | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0100

This episode of Driven to Lead features our guest Todd Sager who shares his story of founding AWE from very modest beginnings 34 years ago, and building it over time to what is now a major supplier of performance exhaust systems for the automotive industry. Todd attributes AWE's long track record of success in great part to his vision that you must build your team of people first and then let them build the best products. As a result, the company culture asks each member of the AWE team to live by four simple, but compelling core values: 1. I Build it Better, 2. I help my team mates, 3. I look at everything through the customer's eyes, and 4. I own it. Please join us for this fascinating story that focuses on how enabling your team produces remarkable levels of proficiency, product excellence and profitability.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: wayne@gr8road.com
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E04 - Growing a Business by Creating Transparency | Zach Shefska | Driven to Lead

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0100

Learn to see others to Lead -- In this episode of Driven to Lead, we have a rich conversation with Zach Shefska, the CEO of Car Edge. The company is a customer advocacy organization that touches one million new and used vehicle intenders per month with its educational and shopping tools that empower a more efficient process in the consumers acquisition of a vehicle. Zach and his team have grown the business over the last five and half years by focusing on making the process of buying a vehicle more transparent and fair for everyone. As a young leader, he discusses the importance of learning to really “see his team members” and be vulnerable enough to let them “see him” to enable him to drive better results. His sincere reflections about his leadership journey are both refreshing and insightful — enjoy.

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I hope you enjoy this episode!
Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: wayne@gr8road.com
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E03 - The Importance of Having the Right Company Culture to Ensure Success | Kathryn Schifferle | Driven to Lead Podcast

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead, Kathryn Schifferle shares her journey as a serial entrepreneur who has started seven companies over the years. In her current company, Work Truck Solutions, she has filled a critical gap in the needed technology to understand up-fit configurations, and help buyers find the work truck they need within the inventory available nationally. As she continues to innovate and serve her client community, she emphasizes the importance of having the right company culture to assure success, Her simple, three part description of this culture is: 1. make sure you have the right people on-board (exiting those who are not right for the organization), 2. delegate strategically by trusting the capable leaders in the organization to understand what needs to be done and giving them the resources and authority to do it, and, 3. create a safe environment of mutual human respect within the company where all ideas are open for discussion and where collaboration can flourish.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
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– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: wayne@gr8road.com
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E02 - Create a Work Environment That Makes Doing the Right Thing a Great Deal of Fun | With Gordon Tormohlen | Driven to Lead Podcast

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 13:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Driven to Lead, our guest Gordon Tormohlen shares his story of literally growing-up in the car business. The success that he and his family have had over the years is due in great part to their customer focused mindset and a strong commitment to service. Although Gordan has won many awards for business excellence and now serves as the Chairman of the National Independent Auto Dealers Association Board of Directors, his genuine humility and dedication to his team are at the center of who he is as a leader. His stories cover both good times and bad, but in each case there is learning and a way forward with a solid sense of humar and the creation of a work environmnet that makes doing the right thing a great deal of fun. Enjoy the leadership and life lessons in this special podcast.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: wayne@gr8road.com
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/

SE01E01 - Be Unafraid To Fail Fast | With Jared Kalfus | Driven to Lead Podcast

Wayne Brannon — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 16:03:04 +0100

Welcome to the first episode of Driven to Lead!

Jarod shares his story regarding the reinvention of Black Book from a traditional publishing company to a digital information powerhouse in the automotive marketing space. Jarod's leadership journey has reinforced his humble, servant leader mindset, but at the same time, launched him into new territory which required bold moves in innovation, as well as, the need to be more decisive, unafraid to fail-fast and quick to redirect as needed. Black Book's evolution is an inspiring success story and one that challenges each us to think about our own leadership approach.

I hope you enjoy this episode!
Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Wayne and the Driven to Lead podcast team

Contact Wayne here: wayne@gr8road.com
Visit the gr8road website here: https://www.gr8road.com/