Get Back 2 Work

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Know When to Grow, Know When to Go: Dave Parker on Smart Exits

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Chasing scale or eyeing the exit? Dave Parker reveals the signals founders miss, the metrics that matter, and a simple framework to decide: grow, pivot, or go. Avoid earnout traps, raise your multiple, and time your move with confidence.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Dave Parker discuss:

Knowing when to grow versus exit
Revenue models driving enterprise value
Strategic vs. private equity exits
Reducing founder dependency and risk
Avoiding earnout traps and customer concentration

Key Takeaways:

Teams prosper when they pivot around problems.
Predictable revenue plus a crisp two-year growth story often signals higher enterprise value and buyer confidence than trailing performance alone.
Strategic exits skew heuristic; private equity favors calculable models.
Lower founder dependency commonly strengthens valuation resilience.
Diversified customers and revenue typically reduce risky earnouts.

“How many weeks could the business run without you paying attention to it? … if you haven't operationalized things, that will drag down the value of the enterprise because of its dependence on you.” - Dave Parker

About Dave Parker:

Dave is a five-time founder and has been part of >15 transactions, as founder, operator, board member, and advisor. He splits his time between funding early-stage companies and helping them exit. He’s a Senior Partner at Fearless.fund. The fund is focused on investing in Women of Color Founders across the US in Consumer and Tech companies. At the other end of the spectrum, he helps founders exit their companies through his work at NextPath Advisors.

His “20%” time (that can sometimes be 80% time) is as a community builder and speaker; he works with accelerators and startup programs worldwide.

Connect with Dave Parker:

Website: https://www.dkparker.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveparker/

Email: Hello@dkparker.com

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Flavor, Focus, and the Family Torch: Inside The Yogurt Mill with Larry and Soshie Young

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

What does it really take to turn a soft-serve side hustle into a four-location staple with lines out the door? Meet Larry and Soshie Young, founders of The Yogurt Mill, and their daughter Carly, the next-gen co-CEO. Stick around for hard-won lessons on scaling, culture, and creating “memory moments” that keep customers coming back.

In this episode, Bob Campana, Larry Young, and Soshie Young discuss:

From refrigeration to founding The Yogurt Mill
Flavor sourcing, rotation, and quality partnerships
Scaling through systems, manuals, and training
Community outreach, fundraisers, and mobile trucks
Next-gen leadership, innovation, and menu focus

Key Takeaways:

Building durable systems like manuals, checklists, training, and standards turns craft into a scalable operation.
Community-first outreach tends to compound both goodwill and revenue.
Hiring for attitude, teaching problem-solving, and prioritizing cleanliness may elevate the customer experience consistently.
Data-led iteration, such as A/B testing promos, tracking loyalty behavior, and letting winners run, often pays off across seasons.
Operational focus helps; trend items seem to work best when they truly fit.

“I never had that vision that we would be able to impact so many people's lives. I think what you see from Yogurt Mill is just the sincerity from our hearts.” - Larry Young

About Larry and Soshie Young:

Larry and Soshie Young are the husband-and-wife founders of Yogurt Mill, a Modesto staple they launched in the mid-1980s after Larry’s early career in commercial refrigeration and soft-serve equipment. Blending Larry’s mechanical mastery and product obsession with Soshie’s organizational rigor and community-minded marketing, they scaled from a single shop to multiple locations, trucks, and a catering arm. Their playbook- quality sourcing, relentless cleanliness, systems and training, and deep local engagement- built a beloved brand and a durable operation now transitioning to the next generation under their daughter, Carly.

Connect with Larry and Soshie Young:

Yogurt Mill Website: https://yogurtmill.com/

Yogurt Mill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogurtmillfroyo

Yogurt Mill Phone: (209) 523-2057

Yogurt Mill Facebook:https://web.facebook.com/yogurtmillfroyo

Yogurt Mill Email: info@yogurtmill.com

Larry’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-young-a9a865aa/

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Bill McHenry: From Factory to Table: How Widgetteer Wins the “Social Kitchen”

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Meet Widgetteer CEO Bill McHenry, who turned a failed vacuum-seal idea into a masterclass on product design, sourcing with soul, and selling to the toughest buyers. From viral oil-and-vinegar platters to Disney-level vendor status, this conversation is a blueprint for building hits in the “social kitchen” era, where relationships, relentless follow-up, and packaging you can actually touch make all the difference.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Bill McHenry discuss:

Widgetteer’s “social kitchen” focus and products
Lessons from early product failure
Corporate experience shaping entrepreneurial agility
Sourcing family-owned factories and retail access
Pricing, logistics, packaging, and trade show strategy

Key Takeaways:

Design for the “social kitchen”; this means making products people want to display, not store, then partner with family-owned factories to move faster than big brands.
Early failure taught hard lessons in manufacturing, logistics, and perseverance.
Start with the retail price, then work backward on costs, packaging, and shipping to protect margin without hurting customer experience.
Trade shows are for contacts, not closes.
A respectful, cross-generational team improves picks and reduces risk.

“We have that focus on the social kitchen… I'd be willing to bet when you have a party at your house, everyone congregates in the kitchen, and that's what we focus on.” - Bill McHenry

About Bill McHenry:

Bill McHenry is an innovative leader in the world of sales and marketing with over 25 years of extensive corporate and entrepreneurial experience. As a creative and energetic problem solver, Bill has helped launch a number of exciting new products and companies, building them from the ground up, including Widgeteer. As the founder and President of Widgeteer, Bill uses his comprehensive industry experience to bring innovative European housewares brands to North America. As the company has grown, he has been able to grow the logistics part of the business, creating a bridge between international factories and retailers in North America.

Throughout his noteworthy career, Bill has served in key capacities for a number of varied and high-profile companies, including Carnation, a division of Nestle Corporation, 3M, and North American Philips in upper executive positions in sales, marketing, and business development sectors.

Connect with Bill McHenry:

Website: www.widgeteerinc.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billmchenry/

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

X: https://x.com/Built4theTrades

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Dan Dowdy: From Plumber to Trades Leadership Coach

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

In this episode of Get Back 2 Work, Bob Campana sits down with Master plumber Dan Dowdy as he reveals how leadership, systems, and faith transformed his family business into a coaching movement. Learn to scale your trades company, build culture, and lead the next generation.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Dan Dowdy discuss:

Dan's journey: plumbing to coaching
Mindset, faith, and endurance driving leadership and resilience
Systems and processes to scale without owner
Core values, structure, accountability shaping company culture
Communication, hiring, training: closing generational leadership gap

Key Takeaways:

Investing in leadership education and systems transformed Dan’s family plumbing business, enabling scalable growth and freeing the owner from day-to-day operations to pursue coaching nationally.
Mindset and endurance turn pain into growth and lasting results.
Multi-generational family businesses must align leadership at the top to prevent wedges and ensure coaching benefits flow throughout the organization sustainably.
Define core values, display them visibly, and enforce accountability consistently so your culture attracts like-minded employees and customers while preventing the owner from becoming a growth bottleneck during scaling phases.
Use assessments, presence, and structured communication to build trust and team cohesion faster and more reliably.

“We only work at the top first, and then throughout the organization, because you're the biggest problem in your business, and we got to work on you first.” - Dan Dowdy

Learn more about Dan’s Coaching HERE: https://www.skool.com/built-for-the-trades/about

About the guest, Dan Dowdy:

Dan Dowdy is a Second Generation Master Plumber, an experienced Home Service Business Owner, and a Certified John Maxwell Leadership Speaker, Trainer, and Coach with over 22 years of leadership experience in the Trades. Dan has done it all, from running a service truck to owning and operating a successful, multi-million dollar home service company. Dan is known for building self-operating businesses with a great culture.

Connect with Dan Dowdy:

Website: https://builtforthetrades.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuiltForTheTrades/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/builtforthetrades/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@builtforthetrades

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dan-dowdy-989b8111a

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@built4trades

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Firdaus Kharas: Animation Breaks Barriers: Storytelling That Transforms

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

On this episode of Get Back to Work with host Bob Campana, internationally renowned visual artist Firdaus Kharas reveals how animation breaks barriers, using short, culturally authentic visuals to overcome stigma and save lives. Join in to hear rapid storyboarding, taboo‑busting ideas, and the human edge over AI.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Firdaus Kharas discuss:

Creativity vs. AI: human imagination wins
Humor + brevity: short spots that stick
Cultural authenticity: locally believable visual details
Animation over posters: visuals that change behavior
Process & persistence: storyboards, iteration, daydreaming

Key Takeaways:

Culturally authentic, concise animation can bypass defenses, change behavior, and deliver globally public health impact faster and more affordably than static campaigns.
Human creativity remains essential; AI augments but cannot originate truly novel ideas.
Short spots, sometimes as brief as twenty seconds, require extreme concision and repetition to embed messages across languages, increasing retention and prompting measurable behavior change over time more consistently.
Storyboards, iterative drafts, and director-led attention to culturally specific, meticulous visual details, down to clothing, leaves, and camera movement, ensure emotional authenticity, audience identification, and broad social acceptance across diverse local regions.
Persistence, prototyping, and embracing failure accelerate creative breakthroughs and build lasting shared audience trust.

“Animation gives you what is called a suspension of your disbelief system, meaning that you know what you're seeing is not real, and therefore I use animation because I can do things that I could not do with normal people.” - Firdaus Kharas

About the guest, Firdaus Kharas:

Firdaus Kharas is a globally recognized social innovator, media producer, humanitarian, and pioneer in behavior change communication. For more than three decades, he has harnessed animation and mass media to advance social change, producing or co-producing over 5,000 media works across 110 series, translated into hundreds of languages and distributed in 198 countries and territories. As Founder and Chair of Chocolate Moose Media, his work addresses critical global issues including public health, human rights, refugee support, climate change, education, and universal values, reaching more than a billion people worldwide through freely available Creative Commons content.

Kharas’s campaigns have addressed HIV/AIDS, malaria, gender equality, Ebola, and refugee crises, combining creativity, cross-cultural sensitivity, and humanitarian purpose to save lives and shift attitudes. His contributions have earned more than 130 international awards, including a Peabody Award and United Nations Peace Medal, as well as recognition as an Officer of the Order of Canada and honorary doctorates from Thiel College and Carleton University.

Connect with Firdaus Kharas:

Website: https://chocmoose.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/firdaus-kharas-95a28016/

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Bryan Clayton: How He Built the “Uber for Mowing”

Sat, 08 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

From a 13-year-old mowing lawns to building an “Uber for mowing” that serves 300,000 customers, this episode pulls back the curtain on scaling a blue-collar hustle into a tech platform, the messy reality of selling a business, and the human-first coaching that turns solo landscapers into sustainable owners. Tune in for hard-earned tactics, founder confessions, and the surprising lessons Bryan Clayton learned when he traded a lawnmower for an app.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Bryan Clayton discuss:

Building an entrepreneurial mindset from mowing lawns
Scaling operations and delegating leadership
Preparing business for sale and identity shift
Creating GreenPal marketplace for lawn care
Coaching vendors and enforcing accountability systems

Key Takeaways:

Start small, systemize early, then duplicate operations to scale without burning out and preserve sanity.
Preparing a business for sale requires rebuilding operations to align with buyer expectations, focusing on clear financials and scalable systems, because emotional attachments and lifestyle operations often reduce perceived value and complicate transition planning significantly.
A marketplace succeeds by rigorously vetting providers, promoting reliability through reviews and metrics, and coaching operators to increase repeat bookings and efficiency.
Accountability and coaching convert hardworking operators into sustainable, consistently profitable small-business owners.
Constructive dissatisfaction, the founder’s persistent drive to fix problems and refuse complacency, fuels continuous innovation, propels strategic focus, and keeps teams aligned toward higher standards and measurable customer outcomes consistently.

“We set out to create the app that works like Uber for lawn mowing, and that's what GreenPal is.” - Bryan Clayton

About the guest, Bryan Clayton:

Bryan Clayton started mowing lawns as a teenager with a push mower. Twenty years later, he’s the CEO of GreenPal — the app Entrepreneur Magazine calls *the Uber for lawn care*. Before GreenPal, Bryan built one of Tennessee’s largest landscaping companies, growing it to over $10 million a year before selling it. Now he’s doing it again — this time with technology. GreenPal connects 300,000 homeowners with reliable lawn pros, handling thousands of jobs every day all over the US. Bryan’s on a mission to bring AI into one of the oldest industries out there — helping small lawn care businesses use data and automation to compete like big companies. From pushing a mower to building a $30 million tech platform, Bryan’s story is all about grit, adaptation, and how old-school hard work can thrive in a high-tech world.

Connect with Bryan Clayton:

Website: https://www.yourgreenpal.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-clayton-a96b33214

Twitter: https://x.com/bryanMclayton

Instagram: https://instagram.com/bryanmclayton

Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_M._Clayton

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BryanClayton1

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

https://awakenedcompany.com/awakened-company-assessment/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Catherine Bell: Awakened Companies: Leading with Presence, Purpose, and People

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Want your company to feel alive, not just profitable? In this episode, Catherine Bell maps a practical path, from waking your own self-awareness to reshaping relationships and team systems, so creativity and culture drive performance. Tune in for Enneagram-based tools, silence practices, and leadership moves that turn vision into collective action.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Catherine Bell discuss:

Alive/awakened organizations
Three rings: awaken self, relationships, teams
Enneagram for leadership and team diversity
Creativity: silence, stillness, and collective process
Culture vs. finance — the two-thirds culture rule

Key Takeaways:

Prioritize culture alongside finance to unlock sustainable performance and lasting organizational resilience.
Begin leadership transformation by cultivating self-awareness, crafting a personal strategic vision, and practicing steady presence; these practices enable leaders to model values, inspire teams, and create psychological safety for sustained creativity.
Use the Enneagram as a strategic tool to diversify team thinking, surface blind spots, and design complementary roles that accelerate collective innovation rapidly at scale.
Silence and stillness unlock creative insights you cannot artificially create.
Design leadership systems that invite participation, distribute control, and convert individual sparks into predictable, collective outcomes—driving measurable growth.

“What most CEOs don't know is that if we focus two-thirds on corporate culture and 1/3 on financial success, that's where the magic is.” - Catherine Bell

About the guest, Catherine Bell:

Catherine R Bell is a successful entrepreneur, business leader, and best-selling business author. The Awakened Company, which she founded, focuses on helping organizations create healthy corporate cultures through awakening the self, relationships, and team dynamics.

The Awakened Company (2015)—Catherine’s revolutionary business book—was awarded the Nautilus Book Award in Business and Leadership and became a bestseller one week after its release.

As CEO of the Awakened Company, Catherine now consults all over the world on creating Awakened Companies. In 2022 alone, her work spanned twenty-three countries. She also started The Awakened Project, a jewelry line that helps women out of poverty by starting their own business with microloans. She recently co-founded a mindfulness app, Awakenly, which uses the Enneagram to ground people into presence and transform their realities.

Connect with Catherine Bell:

Websites: awakenedcompany.com & www.catherinerbell.com

Enneagram: vimeo.com/ondemand/enneagramseries

Awakened Company Culture Assessment:

Awakened Company VIP Newsletter sign up:

https://awakenedcompany.com/contact-us/#tac-newsletter

Awakened Company YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/awakenedcompany

Awakened Company Certification Details :

https://awakenedcompany.com/awaken-with-us-2/

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Derek Fredrickson: How Fractional COOs Turn Founder Vision into Scalable Growth

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The difference between a growing business and a scalable one isn't talent; it's execution. In this episode, Bob Campana sits down with Derek Fredrickson, founder of The COO Solution, to explore how fractional COOs transform founder vision into scalable execution through systems, accountability, smarter meetings, and AI-powered operations.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Derek Fredrickson discuss:

Fractional COO model and ideal growth stage
Building operational systems and SOPs
KPIs, accountability, and leadership alignment
Redesigning meetings for better execution
AI-powered knowledge management and scaling

Key Takeaways:

Sustainable growth comes from repeatable systems, not heroic effort.
Clear ownership of a few meaningful metrics creates stronger accountability than tracking everything.
Operational improvements should simplify work for the team rather than add complexity.
Effective leaders balance structured execution with empathy and trust-building.
AI is becoming a powerful tool for preserving institutional knowledge, but human judgment remains essential.

“We're building knowledge bases for all of our clients, so that every meeting, every slide deck, every email, every Loom video, every Asana project management task ... is all brain dumped into a custom library in AI that we have for our client.” - Derek Fredrickson

About the guest, Derek Fredrickson:

Derek Fredrickson began his career on Wall Street, managing teams and projects to meet year-end goals, but he wanted to make a more profound connection. After helping scale his wife's business to multiple 7-figures, he found his passion in helping other entrepreneurs achieve the same success.

For over 16 years, Derek has helped business owners grow to 7 and multiple 7-figures while reclaiming their freedom. He launched The COO Solution to bring this proven approach to more entrepreneurs at an affordable investment.

With a supportive leadership style, Derek and his team ensure smooth operations, build solid teams, and implement strategies that deliver actual results. They hold clients' teams accountable, allowing business owners to focus on what drives their business forward while creating sustainable, lasting growth.

Connect with Derek Fredrickson:

Website: https://thecoosolution.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekfredrickson/

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Doug Thorpe: Servant Leadership That Actually Works

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

An executive coach with military roots breaks down practical servant leadership: how trust, small behavioral tweaks, and purposeful introspection create real performance gains for leaders and teams. Tune in for frameworks you can apply this week to lead steadier and build stronger teams.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Doug Thorpe discuss:

Military-to-civilian leadership differences
Servant leadership & “greater good”
Building trust and psychological safety
Coaching vs. consulting; leader development
AI, tech, and the pipeline for young leaders

Key Takeaways:

Leadership begins with the person you choose to become because lasting influence always starts from within.
Trust grows through meaningful conversations that happen consistently over time.
Small changes in the way you communicate and behave may seem insignificant at first, but they can quietly reshape relationships, strengthen influence, and produce lasting results.
Coaching helps leaders discover their own path, while consulting provides expert guidance and helps put solutions into action.
AI should enhance people's capabilities rather than replace the middle managers who develop practical experience, coach others, and form the leadership pipeline that organizations depend on for long-term success.

“[My book] Steady is a culmination of about eight years of my coaching work and over 1000 engagements, and it's all centered on that core question I mentioned a moment ago - What kind of leader you want to be?” - Doug Thorpe

Grab a copy of Steady, HERE: www.dougthorpe.com/steady

About the guest, Doug Thorpe:

Doug Thorpe is the President and CEO of HeadwayExec, LLC and the Doug Thorpe Group. With more than 30 years of business and leadership experience, Doug has become a trusted advisor to CEOs, business owners, and senior leadership teams looking to improve performance, strengthen their organizations, and lead with greater confidence. As an executive coach, consultant, and podcast host, Doug has spent decades helping leaders navigate growth, difficult decisions, and the challenges that come with building successful businesses.

Connect with Doug Thorpe:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougthorpe/

Website: https://dougthorpe.com/

Podcasts: https://podcasts.dougthorpe.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dougthorpe_com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/dougthorpe_com

YELP: https://www.yelp.com/biz/headwayexec-houston-4

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@dougthorpe

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Steve Preda: Taking Founders to the Next Level with Summit OS

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

In this conversation between Steve and Bob, you’ll hear how a former investment banker-turned-operator built Summit OS by synthesizing 70+ iconic business books to help founders decentralize decisions, create unique advantages, and keep climbing to the next level.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Steve Preda discuss:

Founder dependency and the hub-and-spoke problem
Shifting to a decentralized “synapse” decision model
Limits of basic operating systems and going deeper
Designing unique activities and Strategy OS for differentiation
Execution cadence, leadership structure, and AI’s role in business

Key Takeaways:

Companies eventually hit a ceiling when every meaningful decision still flows through the founder, no matter how capable that founder is.
Rewiring the organization into a “brain” of connected, autonomous employees allows decisions to be made closer to the action and frees leadership for strategy and innovation.
Growth-minded teams quickly need richer toolkits, deeper strategy, and ongoing learning, all of which Summit OS offers, to avoid stagnation.
True competitive advantage comes from intentionality and resources other firms don’t have.
AI is most powerful as a force multiplier, handling non-creative work, offering fresh perspectives, and elevating productivity so human teams can focus on intuition and higher-value thinking.

“[Artificial Intelligence (AI)] It’s going to improve productivity across the board, so people are going to compete at a higher level, and I don't think it's going to kill as many jobs as people think it might.” - Steve Preda

Find Where Execution Is Breaking Down in Your Business — In 5 Minutes, HERE: https://executionmomentum.com/

About the guest, Steve Preda:

Steve Preda is the Founder and Operating Partner at Summit OS Group and an operational architect for founder-led service businesses. Before moving to America, he built and sold an investment banking firm in Europe, and since 2013, he has coached CEOs and SMB leadership teams on building self-managing, fast-growing businesses. Through Summit OS Group, he helps founders navigate critical structural inflection points by improving operating models, organizational design, accountability, and decision-making systems.

Steve is also the author of six books on business growth and the host of the Management Blueprint podcast, where he explores entrepreneurial journeys and scalable business frameworks. His mission is to help entrepreneurs achieve their ideal lives while creating a positive impact through sustainable, founder-independent businesses.

Connect with Steve Preda:

Website: https://stevepreda.com

Apple Podcast: https://bit.ly/MBPpodcast

YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/MBPodcastPlaylistYT

LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevepreda/

LinkedIn Summit OS: https://www.linkedin.com/company/77938145/admin/feed/posts/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steveipreda/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevepreda/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@summitos_creator

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StevePredaCom

Amazon: amazon.com/author/stevepreda

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Wombi Rose: Engineering Magical Moments with Lovepop’s Paper Art

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A former naval architect turns ship-design software into a tool for crafting emotional, pop-up greeting cards and builds a multimillion-dollar brand around human connection. In this conversation, you’ll hear how art, engineering, trust, and grit turned a simple kirigami insight into Lovepop and tens of millions of “magical moments.”

In this episode, Bob Campana and Wombi Rose discuss:

Origin story: naval architecture, Harvard, and discovering kirigami in Vietnam
Turning engineering skills into handcrafted, laser-cut greeting cards
Mission, production, and team culture at Lovepop (including Vietnam operations)
Co-founder trust, vulnerability-based leadership, and company culture
Growth via Shark Tank, QVC, retail expansion, corporate/custom cards, and AI

Key Takeaways:

Deep technical expertise can be repurposed in surprising ways when you stay open to new contexts, which, in this case, involves applying ship-design methods to paper art.
Building a resilient company culture starts with a foundational commitment to relationships and vulnerability-based trust, not just revenue and growth.
Emotional impact can be made and scaled when art and engineering work together.
Major exposure moments like Shark Tank or QVC can be inflection points, but they only pay off when the underlying business, operations, and product are ready.
Loving the work itself provides the grit and persistence needed to navigate the inevitable emotional highs and lows of entrepreneurship.

“There's no substitute for the human creativity and the desire to create something new.” - Wombi Rose

About the guest, Wombi Rose:

Wombi Rose is the co-founder and CEO of Lovepop, a company that transforms paper cards into engineered emotional experiences. Wombi and his co-founder, John Wise, initially trained as naval architects and discovered Kirigami in Vietnam, leading to the creation of Lovepop. The company has grown from a Harvard Business School idea to a nationally recognized brand, appearing on Shark Tank and achieving close to $400 million in lifetime revenue. Lovepop uses a combination of art and engineering, with cards designed using Rhino D software and assembled by hand in Vietnam. The company also offers custom cards for businesses and has a retail presence in major cities. Wombi emphasizes the importance of passion and mutual respect in building a successful business.

Connect with Wombi Rose:

Website: https://www.lovepop.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wombi/

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

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Patrick Donohue: Good Capital, Bad Capital, and the Real Cost of Growth

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

When does capital become a growth engine, and when does it quietly destroy a business? In this episode, we dive into the difference between good and bad money, how to think about valuation, and what every founder needs to know before signing their next loan or giving up equity.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Patrick Donohue discuss:

Early entrepreneurial roots and family influence
Hill Capital’s investment focus and “execution vs. concept” risk
Good capital vs. bad capital and predatory lending
Breakout valuation and getting paid for future potential
Key criteria, cash-flow focus, and protecting owner control

Key Takeaways:

The most important investment decision often starts with the human connection.
Capital that looks convenient and fast can carry hidden costs that quietly drain cash flow and eventually kill a business.
Valuation is fundamentally about the net present value of future cash flows, and owners must learn to articulate a credible future to capture any of that today.
Protecting ownership and control matters because most companies become solid “nice” businesses, and giving away too much equity or control too early can turn a strong exit into a disappointing personal result instead of a life-changing one.
Tracking cash, what others owe you, and what you owe others creates a simple but powerful dashboard for staying in control of the business’s financial health.

“Good capital looks like it has a face, you know who it is, you know where the money is coming from. In full transparency, you know the terms of that capital.” - Patrick Donohue

About the guest, Patrick Donohue:

Patrick E. Donohue is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and valuation expert with a lifelong passion for business that began with a lemonade stand at age four and investing in Coca-Cola at age ten. As the founder of Hill Capital Corporation, he leads a private investment fund dedicated to fueling the growth of established small and mid-sized businesses through capital and community support. Patrick’s deep financial expertise is backed by his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and experience advising numerous entrepreneurial ventures. He has served on the boards of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization of Minnesota and the CFA Society of Minnesota and founded 1 Million Cups Eden Prairie to foster local entrepreneurship. Patrick is known for helping business owners uncover blind spots, drive strategic growth, and build sustainable profitability.

Connect with Patrick Donohue:

Website: https://www.hillcapitalcorp.com/team

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickedonohue/

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Dr. Mitchell Levy: Rethinking Leadership Through Clarity and Stakeholder Trust

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

When all other leaders are obsessed with quarterly returns and optimization, what happens when you put clarity, credibility, and meaning back at the center of your business? In this episode, Bob and Dr. Mitchell Levy break down the C‑Pop, executive abundance, and why your legacy is written in the lives of your stakeholders, not your balance sheet.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Dr. Mitchell Levy discuss:

Executive Abundance framework and the 4Cs
The C‑Pop (customer point of possibility) and extreme clarity
Input–output model for effective communication and delegation
Employee empowerment, respect, and workplace “vibe”
Stakeholder trust, AI, and the shift toward a meaning-making age

Key Takeaways:

Clarity at the level of three to nine words, captured in a C‑Pop, can anchor a company’s purpose and focus every decision across teams and departments.
Most organizations still measure leadership success almost exclusively through investor returns, ignoring the deeper health and well-being of employees and customers.
Communication often fails not because leaders don’t speak, but because they don’t define the inputs and desired outputs clearly enough for others to act on.
When employees are respected, empowered, and aligned with a meaningful purpose, they naturally create better customer experiences and stronger cultures.
As AI and automation advance, the real competitive edge will come from leaders who create meaning, build trust with all stakeholders, and leave a legacy beyond financial metrics.

“If you empower and respect your employee base? Guess what they're going to do? They're going to take care of your customers.” - Dr. Mitchell Levy

About the guest, Dr. Mitchell Levy:

Mitchell Levy, Ph.D., is the creator of the Executive Abundance™ leadership framework, a Global Credibility Expert, and an executive coach who helps leaders align purpose with performance. A two-time TEDx speaker and international bestselling author of more than 60 books, he has spent decades helping leaders build organizations that sustain trust under pressure.

Mitchell has interviewed more than 500 global leaders to understand what makes individuals and organizations truly Trusted, Known, and Liked. He has also guided more than 1,000 executives and organizations in articulating their authentic value through their CPoP (Customer Point of Possibilities). A Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has built more than 20 companies, Mitchell served nine years on the board of a NASDAQ-listed company and has been recognized by Thinkers360 as the #1 Thought Leader in Ecosystems and one of the Top 200 Leadership Voices by LeadersHum.

Connect with Dr. Mitchell Levy:

Website: https://mitchelllevy.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchelllevy/

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Neil Buettner: Treat Your Art Like a Business or It Won’t Treat You Like a Career

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

What does it actually take to turn local gigs into a real, sustainable living as a musician? In this episode, Neil Buettner breaks down the business side of art, budgeting, pricing, adding value, and building human connections that keep your calendar full for decades.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Neil Buettner discuss:

Turning a summer of music into a full-time career
Budgeting, goal setting, and reverse-engineering income from gigs
Treating music as a business and understanding market value
Saying no, finding a niche, and expanding into events/DJ/MC work
Human connection, referrals, and long-term client loyalty

Key Takeaways:

A creative career becomes viable the moment it’s backed by a real budget, clear income targets, and a plan to hit them.
Sustainable success in music comes from treating venues and clients as partners to be served, and not merely just stages to be used.
Pricing is more about understanding market values rather than ego or “deserving” values.
Saying yes to everything is necessary early on, but long-term growth depends on learning what to decline and where you truly fit.
The gigs at bars and restaurants are often the top of the funnel, but networking your way to weddings, corporate events, and expanded services are where the real margins are.

“You're not going to be everything for everyone, and you shouldn't try that, but finding your niche… I know where I'm successful.” - Neil Buettner

About the guest, Neil Buettner:

Neil Buettner is a Central Valley–based professional musician, real estate investor, and martial arts practitioner who has built a 20+ year career by treating music as both art and service. Starting with Suzuki-method violin as a child and later falling in love with acoustic guitar at Camp Jack Hazard, he’s evolved into a sought-after solo performer for fine dining venues, country clubs, and private events, known for crafting “active background” experiences that elevate the room rather than dominate it.

Connect with Neil Buettner:

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/neil.buettner.9/

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

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/neil-buettner/316378674

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2RgCgnT8IZVPpQ8a0oIXfe

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Pietro Peroni: How a $1 Pen Led to a Multimillion-Dollar Christmas Lights Business

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A $1 counterfeit-detecting pen, a chance trip to China, and half a million meters of rope light set the stage for a lifelong journey in the Christmas lighting industry. In this episode, hear how a math teacher turned serendipity, risk, and China’s manufacturing engine into a global seasonal business.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Pietro Peroni discuss:

Pivot from teaching math and physics to entrepreneurship
Discovering high-margin products and wholesaler-driven growth
First experiences in Guangzhou and China’s “city of lights” ecosystem
Building and scaling a professional Christmas lighting business
Innovation in LED technology and modular commercial Christmas trees

Key Takeaways:

A single product with unmet demand can be the springboard from a stable career into full-time entrepreneurship.
Selling through wholesalers and agents can unlock scale that retail cannot.
Locating production inside a complete supply chain cluster dramatically reduces friction and accelerates innovation.
Constant research and development are always necessary because long-term growth in a seasonal niche depends on continuously reinventing products, from rope lights to new LED cables and modular trees.
A business can evolve into a family legacy, allowing the founder to narrow focus while the next generation steps into leadership.

“We started with this, and then some people used it for Christmas decoration… and I started to import rope light in big quantity. In one year, I sold 500,000 meters of rope light.” - Pietro Peroni

About the guest, Pietro Peroni:

Pietro Peroni is an Italian entrepreneur who transformed his career from teaching math and physics into building a global Christmas lighting business. Starting with a high-margin counterfeit-detection pen, he moved into importing rope lights and professional decorative lighting, ultimately specializing in large-scale Christmas installations for cities, malls, and public spaces. Splitting his time between Italy and China’s Pearl River Delta, he focuses on innovating next-generation LED products and modular commercial Christmas trees while preparing to pass the business to his son.

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Victor Ochieng & Daniel Ekonde: Chasing the American Dream to Tell Africa’s Stories

Sat, 30 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Two young journalists leave Kenya and Cameroon for UC Berkeley, trading local newsrooms for a global stage. In this conversation, they unpack the realities of the American dream, the future of African storytelling, and how authenticity will keep human creators essential in an AI-driven world.

In this episode, Bob Campana, Victor Ochieng, and Daniel Ekonde discuss:

Early life and entry into journalism in Kenya and Cameroon
Radio, sports, and music broadcasting careers in Africa
Winning scholarships and deciding to study at UC Berkeley
Comparing opportunity, infrastructure, and systems in Africa vs. the U.S.
AI’s impact on journalism, filmmaking, and education

Key Takeaways:

When someone feels their community is misrepresented or ignored, that friction can ignite a lifelong commitment to journalism and storytelling that centers their people’s voices.
Global exposure and advanced education are often strategic moves to move from freelancer to editorial decision-maker.
Strong systems, infrastructure, and accountability dramatically shape how talent and hard work translate into opportunity.
The American dream still motivates when combined with grit and readiness.
Used well, AI can speed up tasks like transcription, drafting, and editing, but it still can’t manufacture the messy, emotional, context-rich judgment that comes from a real human being who has actually lived the story they’re telling.

“The US pays for hard work. The US recognizes effort. That's one thing I've come to realize. If you just put in effort, you put in work, then I think you're good to go.” - Victor Ochieng

About the guests, Victor Ochieng and Daniel Ekonde:

Victor Ochieng is a Kenyan journalist, radio producer, and documentary filmmaker whose work is rooted in representing underheard communities from one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements. He began as a community radio volunteer in high school, later hosting reggae and African music programs and launching an online radio station to spotlight local voices. Now a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, he specializes in documentary production and is currently developing a film on Power Slap and the personal sacrifices behind combat sports.

Daniel Ekonde is a Cameroonian journalist with a strong background in sports and international reporting. Starting in a high school journalism club and campus radio, he went on to file stories for major outlets including ESPN, CNN, Global Voices, and Al Jazeera, covering everything from sports to broader social issues. As a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at UC Berkeley, he is focused on deepening his long-form writing and editorial skills, with the goal of moving from frontline reporting into influential editorial and newsroom leadership that shapes global coverage of African stories.

Connect With Victor Ochieng:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/victor-ochieng-566a8088

Connect With Daniel Ekonde:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-ekonde-901590145/

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Timothy Little: Why Small Groups Win Over Solo Trips

Sat, 23 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

What happens when a former solo backpacker trades crowded tourist hotspots for intimate Sicilian baptisms, birthday parties, and hidden museums? In this episode, you’ll hear how deeply curated small group travel can transform your experience of Europe—from logistics and language barriers to food, community, and culture.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Timothy Little discuss:

Solo backpacking through Asia before the internet
Choosing the right travel partner
Deep cultural immersion in Sicily via local relationships
Small group tours vs. mass tourism and cruise ship crowds
Discovering hidden, less crowded European experiences

Key Takeaways:

Small group travel can turn a trip into a shared story, layering in community, conversation, and connection that solo travel often lacks.
The right travel partner—or group—matters as much as the destination, especially when energy levels, interests, and pace of activity need to align.
Long-cultivated local relationships open doors to private parties, family events, and behind-the-scenes experiences that typical tourists never see.
Mass tourism and cruise ship stops can overwhelm destinations and dilute the quality of the experience, but there are always quieter, richer alternatives nearby.
Having guides, transportation, and logistics handled frees travelers to be present in the moment instead of worrying about navigation, tickets, and timing.

“I wouldn't drive in any of these places, just too dangerous. And the other part about, as far as Ubering or catching a taxi, it's kind of … am I going to get internet reception here to actually call an Uber or something like that? Bussing is one way to do it, but it takes about a day to figure out, but to be shuttled around with a group of people, a completely different experience.” - Timothy Little

About the guest, Timothy Little:

Timothy “Tim” Little is an experienced traveler who has explored the world both as a solo backpacker and as part of curated small group tours. In his late 20s, he followed the classic “hippie trail” across Asia, later visiting France and Jerusalem on his own to dive deep into culture and pilgrimage. More recently, he joined Bob Campana’s Redwood Cafe food and wine tour through Italy and Sicily, where he experienced intimate local events, family celebrations, and hidden gems far from the tourist crowds. Having lived on both sides, he now strongly favors small group travel for the community, cultural immersion, and stress-free logistics it provides.

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Lino Mansoni: How Thoughtful Itineraries Create Once-in-a-Lifetime Travel Memories

Sat, 16 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Tired of crowded cruise ports, rushed bus tours, and souvenir shops that all look the same? In this episode, Bob and travel designer Lino Masani break down the hidden costs of “hit and run tourism” and reveal how small group, relationship-driven travel can restore authentic, meaningful experiences.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Lino Mansoni discuss:

Over-tourism in major European cities
Impact of cruise ships and “hit and run tourism”
Small group travel vs. mass tourism
Building immersive, local-first itineraries
The role of relationships and DMCs in high-quality travel experiences

Key Takeaways:

Overtourism is degrading both local life and visitor experience in many iconic cities.
Cruise-based “hit and run tourism” concentrates thousands of visitors into small areas for brief windows of time, benefiting trinket shops more than genuine local businesses.
Small group travel creates a higher quality experience by avoiding crowds, accessing off-the-beaten-path locations, and making it easy to connect with local culture, food, and people.
The best itineraries are relationship-driven, built through deep partnerships with local guides and local experts.
True trip value is measured not just by cost, but by lasting memories, human connections, and how closely the real experience matches the dream you carried for months before traveling.

“With Redwood Cafe Tours, what we push for is you're a local among the locals.” - Lino Mansoni

About the guest, Lino Mansoni:

Lino Mansoni is the CEO of Redwood Cafe Tours, a small-group travel company dedicated to creating authentic, high-touch experiences around the world. Drawing on deep relationships with local guides, farmers, business owners, and destination partners, he curates itineraries that avoid over-touristed hotspots and instead highlight off-the-beaten-path villages, zero-kilometer restaurants, and meaningful cultural encounters. Lino’s focus is on quality over quantity—ensuring that every trip delivers lasting memories, genuine human connection, and a true sense of place for each traveler.

Connect With Lino Mansoni:

Website: https://www.redwoodcafetours.com/world-destinations

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Abraham Navarro: From Mowing at Five to Building a Landscaping Brand

Sat, 09 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A kid who fell in love with mowing lawns at five grows into a stressed but driven entrepreneur managing crews, clients, and his own mental health. In this episode, Abraham opens up about the hidden pressures of small business, why he turned to therapy, and how he’s rebuilding his company with intention.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Abraham Navarro discuss:

Early passion for landscaping and first paid jobs
Word-of-mouth growth and hiring the first employees
Working “on” the business vs. “in” the business
Stress, cash flow pressure, and seeking therapy
Long-term vision: building a brand and the dream of owning a restaurant

Key Takeaways:

Passion gets you started, but business skills keep you alive.
Growing from a solo operator to a team inevitably introduces people problems, leadership gaps, and inefficiencies that directly impact profitability.
When stress, cash flow fear, and constant firefighting pile up, talking to a therapist or mentor isn’t a luxury; it becomes a survival tool that lightens the emotional load and makes problems feel solvable again.
Self-education, through mentors, audio, and books, is essential when formal business training is missing, especially for contractors and tradespeople.
Building a resilient company means aiming beyond “more jobs” toward a clearer vision, delivering five-star service, securing financial stability, and protecting mental health for both the owner and the crew.

“I'm actually seeing a therapist now, and… I've had two sessions so far, and the amount of weight that I feel comes off my shoulders after having a conversation with this individual. It's pretty incredible.” - Abraham Navarro

About the guest, Abraham Navarro:

Abraham Navarro is the owner of Ironstone, a landscaping company serving California’s Central Valley, built from a childhood passion that started when he first pushed a lawnmower at five years old. What began as mowing family yards and neighborhood fields grew into a word-of-mouth business, a contractor’s license, and today, a crew of six plus Abraham.

More than just cutting grass, he’s focused on building a brand known for five-star service, craftsmanship, and genuine care for clients’ outdoor spaces. Behind the scenes, Abraham is candid about the real pressures of small business ownership—cash flow stress, leadership challenges, and the emotional toll of being “the one who signs the checks.” That honesty led him to therapy and a renewed commitment to mental health for himself and his team.

Connect With Abraham Navarro:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironstone_landscape/

Phone: 209-581-2801

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Danny Tabera: From Combat Marine to Conductor – An American Redemption Story

Sat, 02 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A teenage kid from South Modesto joins the Marines, survives brutal deployments in Afghanistan, comes home broken, and starts over as a busboy. In this episode, you’ll hear how he rebuilt his life through hard work, mentorship, and family—on a journey from combat infantry to train engineer.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Danny Tabera discuss:

Childhood in South Modesto, family, and losing his father
Marine Corps journey, Afghanistan deployments, and combat loss
Learning Pashto and navigating locals, interpreters, and the CIA
Coming home broken, financial struggle, and restarting at Redwood Cafe
Divorce, blended family, and rekindling marriage while building a new career

Key Takeaways:

Deep childhood bonds and early loss can shape a lifelong drive to lead, protect, and provide, even when the path becomes chaotic.
Combat doesn’t just end on the battlefield; it follows people home.
Mentorship and meaningful work can be a bridge between a broken identity and a rebuilt one, especially for veterans transitioning to civilian life.
Relationships can fracture under the weight of trauma and bad decisions, yet humility, growth, and genuine support can open the door to reconciliation.
Careers don’t have to be linear; skills from the military, construction sites, and customer-facing jobs can all stack into unexpected opportunities—like driving a passenger train.

“At my lowest, I was just looking for anything to keep me sustained. There were mental, emotional, and historical scars that were all colliding at one point.” - Danny Tabera

About the guest, Danny Tabera:

Danny Tabera is a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, blue‑collar craftsman, and emerging railroad professional whose journey runs from a tough childhood in South Modesto through three Afghanistan deployments and back into civilian life. After serving as an infantry assaultman and boot camp honor graduate with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines—specializing in rockets, breaching, and even learning Pashto to work with local communities—he came home carrying the weight of lost brothers, financial strain, and a shattered sense of self, bussing tables while raising four kids. A lifeline came through work and mentorship at Redwood Cafe and on owner Bob Campana’s custom‑home projects, where he rebuilt his confidence learning construction, equipment operation, and problem-solving, then advanced into crime‑scene cleanup, cell‑tower construction, and finally a conductor role with Caltrain on the San Francisco Peninsula. Now a father of six and remarried to his high‑school sweetheart after divorce and reconciliation, Danny is stepping into engineer training on Caltrain’s new electric fleet, embodying resilience, responsibility, and the power of second chances.

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Henry Park: Humanizing the Restaurant Industry Through Partnership and Storytelling

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A 25‑year veteran of the restaurant world shares how strategic partnerships, authentic storytelling, and a renewed focus on community are helping independent operators rebuild after a decimated industry. Hear how a lifelong collaboration with Cisco, a new café buildout, and a content‑driven approach are redefining what it means to serve food and connect people.

In this episode, Bob Campana and Henry Park discuss:

Career path across Cheesecake Factory, Chipotle, and UC Berkeley’s International House
Cisco’s role as a long-term partner in food sourcing and operations
Post‑pandemic challenges and new opportunities for small restaurant groups
Using podcasts, video, and stories to support and de‑intimidate independent restaurateurs
The Redwood Cafe project, community “third place,” and rebuilding human connection

Key Takeaways:

Building long-term relationships with trusted suppliers, like Cisco, can stabilize operations and unlock better insight into trends, costs, and sourcing.
The pandemic severely damaged the restaurant industry, but it also created a less crowded landscape where smaller operators can step forward and establish themselves.
Large foodservice companies can feel intimidating to independent restaurateurs, and thoughtful, authentic content can make these partnerships feel more accessible and human.
Restaurants function as vital spaces for human connection, and intentionally designing them as community “third places” can strengthen the social fabric of a neighborhood.
Bringing chefs, beverage experts, and industry veterans into ongoing media conversations can inspire others and preserve the stories and ethos of the restaurant world.

“These leaders, these restaurateurs, are looking to grow; they're going to be intimidated by a bigger company, Cisco. And so I think the idea that we spoke about is that if we're able to go ahead and provide some content and collaborate with a Cisco. You know, we can give them content that is going to make them feel less intimidating.” - Henry Park

About the guest, Henry Park:

Henry Park is an experienced regional operations leader with more than 25 years in the restaurant and hospitality industry, having built his career across iconic brands such as The Cheesecake Factory, Chipotle, and now the International House at UC Berkeley. He has led in high‑volume environments serving thousands of guests daily, managing complex menus, large-scale kitchen operations, and diverse culinary teams. Skilled in catering, cooking, profit maximization, food preparation, and hospitality, he blends hands-on operational expertise with a strategic mindset. Henry is also a strong sales professional, holding a Master Certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University, which underpins his ability to drive performance, lead teams, and navigate organizational change.

Connect with Henry Park:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-park-3a455122/

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-parks-034295267/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Steven and Vanessa Parks: From Teenage Car Lot to Boutique Hotel Visionaries

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

From flipping cows into cars at 14 to transforming a crime-ridden roadside motel into a stunning boutique hotel, Steven and Vanessa Parks share a raw, real look at what it actually takes to build wealth, take big risks, and keep your marriage and faith at the center of it all. If you’re an entrepreneur wrestling with risk, cash flow, and calling, this episode will feel like a masterclass in betting on yourself without losing your soul.

In this episode, Bob Campana, Steven Parks, and Vanessa Parks discuss:

Early entrepreneurship in the car business
Meeting, marriage, and a shared vision for life and business
Real estate journey: single-family, multifamily, and Airbnbs
Buying and transforming a distressed motel into Hotel Bayit
Faith, risk, and community-focused hospitality (hotel + café + Bible study)

Key Takeaways:

Skills learned young, like sales, negotiation, and reading people, can become the foundation for much bigger ventures later in life.
Building wealth is very different from just generating income; at some point, you have to shift from being purely transactional to owning assets and businesses that create long-term value.
Massive projects rarely go as planned: the hotel renovation ran out of money multiple times and revealed far more damage than expected, but persistence, creativity, and faith kept it moving forward.
Integrity in deal-making, such as refusing to “backdoor” a distressed seller even when it would be cheaper, creates peace of mind and often opens better doors later.
Hospitality can be a calling as much as a business: by designing a hotel, café, and event space around community, beauty, and spiritual connection, you can turn a property into a place of genuine impact.

“It's not just a hotel, it's not just the cafe… It's also just giving back to the community, where they could find hope. If there's someone off the street who needs food, they can come by, and I'll give them a plate of food. Like, that's what it's about. It's about helping each other.” - Steven Parks

About the guest, Steven and Vanessa Parks:

Steven and Vanessa Parks are a husband-and-wife entrepreneurial duo who turned a scrappy teenage car-lot hustle into a multi-layered real estate and hospitality portfolio. Starting with distressed single-family homes, duplexes, and fourplexes in California’s Central Valley, they grew into short-term rentals and ultimately took on their biggest project yet: buying and fully transforming a red‑tagged roadside motel in Salida into the boutique Hotel Bayit.

Blending Steven’s deal-making and vision with Vanessa’s operational excellence and design eye, they now own and operate Hotel Bayit and The Matriarch Café, a community-focused gathering place on the property. Driven by faith and a deep love for people, they see hospitality as both their business and their calling—using their spaces to host travelers, weddings, Bible studies, and everyday moments that bring beauty, connection, and hope to the Central Valley.

Connect with Steven and Vanessa:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-parks-0b086a53/

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/steven.parks.758

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevendparks/

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevendparks/ , https://www.instagram.com/hotelbayit/ , https://www.instagram.com/matriarchcafe/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Marco Keeps Yappen: Human Connection in a Swipe World

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Bob Campana and Marco discuss:

Turning small-town news into big-time buzz
Cracking the code on “locally viral” TikToks
From random rants to purpose-driven storytelling
Building real-world community from online clips
Patterson’s glow-up: growth, Amazon, and what’s coming next

Key Takeaways:

The power of “local viral” beats follower counts, and Marco shows that dialing in on hyper-local topics like Patterson development and water issues can drive huge engagement, even when total followers are relatively modest.
By compressing 10–15 minutes of city council or planning information into 60–120 second clips, Marco respects his audience’s time while still delivering real substance.
Human connection turns content into community, and this reinforces credibility both online and offline.
Consistency plus curiosity drives evolution because instead of chasing trends, Marco posts daily, listens closely to comments and DMs, and lets audience questions steer him toward new topics like schools, water quality, and major employers.
Even while avoiding partisan takes and “hot” opinions, Marco’s fact-focused updates on projects like the Amazon facility help residents feel informed and involved in Patterson’s future.

“I'm not an influencer. I'm your neighbor.” - Marco Keeps Yappen

About the guest, Marco:

Marco is a Patterson-based content creator and community storyteller who uses TikTok and Instagram to break down local news, development projects, and civic issues into short, digestible videos. Growing up native to the social media era, he experimented early with YouTube, vlogs, and TikTok before finding his niche in “locally viral” content focused on the Central Valley—especially Patterson.

By attending city meetings, talking with local leaders, and listening to residents’ questions, Marco translates complex or confusing information (like water issues, new developments, and job-creating projects such as the new Amazon facility) into clear, high-energy clips that residents can quickly understand and share. Outside of content creation, he works in luxury retail management and is deeply committed to human connection, community involvement, and helping Patterson grow in an informed, inclusive way.

Connect with Marco:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marco.xcvi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcokeepsyappen/

About the host, Bob Campana:

Bob Campana is a California-based serial entrepreneur, author, and advisor with over 50 years of experience building businesses across various industries, including manufacturing, hospitality, real estate, and aviation. He is known for sharing candid reflections on the pressures of leadership, the necessity of grit and adaptability, and the importance of fostering human connection in business.

Connect with Bob Campana

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Laureen Campana-Schermeister: Tai Chi & Qigong Energy Practices for Modern Health

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Bob Campana and Laureen Campana-Schermeister discuss:

What Tai Chi and Qigong Are (and How They Differ/Relate)
Origins and History of Qigong and Tai Chi
Health and Scientific Benefits of Tai Chi/Qigong
How to Practice: Frequency, Class Structure, and Accessibility
Energy, Grounding, and Emotional Effects

Key Takeaways:

Tai Chi and Qigong are presented as intertwined practices: Tai Chi Chuan emerging from martial arts with a “supreme ultimate boxing” lineage, and Qigong as a much older energy practice focused on cultivating and moving chi.
When chi is blocked, it’s associated with disease, pain, and emotional distress; when it flows freely, vitality, mood, and overall health improve.
Rather than being treated as mystical or fringe, these practices are positioned as evidence-backed complements to Western medicine.
Practice frequency is portrayed as both accessible and powerful: even 15 minutes a day of simple Qigong or Tai Chi can create noticeable benefits, and you don’t need mastery to feel results after a first session.
The class structure Laurie uses, warmups, varied Qigong sets like the “Frolic of the Five Animals,” then a short Yang-style Tai Chi form, shows how practice blends physical exercise, visualization, and focused intent.

“Chi is this word that essentially means the animation of all life... when your chi runs out, you die, you expire your last breath, and you become back into the earth.” - Laureen Campana-Schermeister

About the guest, Laureen Campana-Schermeister:

Laureen Campana-Schermeister, NP, MPH, is an Advanced Practice Holistic Nurse and National Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner with decades of clinical experience. A graduate of the University of Arizona Integrative Medicine Fellowship and a Registered Herbalist Candidate with the American Herbalist Guild, she focuses on bridging conventional medicine with integrative and traditional healing practices. Laureen works collaboratively with clients to develop personalized approaches to health that may include botanicals, nutrition, mindfulness, and lifestyle therapies. In addition to her clinical work, she is a longtime Tai Chi and Qigong practitioner and instructor with more than 30 years of experience, teaching practices that support balance, focus, and overall well-being. Her work centers on compassionate listening, evidence-informed care, and empowering people to navigate their own healing journeys.

Book Laureen as your guest speaker today!

Email: mountainherbalssonora@gmail.com

Connect with Laureen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laureen-campana-a93b205/

Website: https://www.laureencampana.com/

About the host, Bob Campana:

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Neil Buettner: From Campfires to Career: How He Built a Life in Music

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:10:00 GMT

In this episode, Bob Campana and Neil Buettner discuss:

Suzuki method and early violin training
Camp Jack Hazard and campfire music influence
Transition from education/autism work to full-time music
Building a local music career as a business
Real estate investing and long-term financial planning

Key Takeaways:

Treat music (or any craft) as both art and service, and Neil shows that when you think in terms of what you can give an audience or a venue rather than what you can get, you create a sustainable career and stronger relationships.
Outworking your competition often beats out-talent-ing them.
Neil leveraged relationships from gigs into a home purchase and then into rentals, proving that creative people can build real wealth without abandoning their art.
The Suzuki method, campfire performances, and working in special education all taught Neil to value practice, listening, and serving others—principles he now applies to business and life.
Neil encourages younger musicians to figure out why they’re doing music, identify the specific markets they can serve, and then design their bookings, pricing, and song choices around that reality.

“What makes art come alive is actually the imperfections and the spin through the lens of the artist themselves.” - Neil Buettner

About the guest, Neil Buettner:

Connect with Neil Buettner:

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/neil.buettner.9/

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

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/neil-buettner/316378674

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2RgCgnT8IZVPpQ8a0oIXfe

About the host, Bob Campana:

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Bob Campana: Human Connection - The Real Competitive Advantage

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Bob Campana and Doug Sandler discuss:

Power of human connection in business
Evolving, empathetic leadership
Designing experiences, not just products
Growth through immersive, hands-on experiences
Legacy built on relationships and memories

Key Takeaways:

Genuine human connection is a business advantage, not a soft extra; Bob built his pool company and restaurants by making people feel heard, respected, and understood at a deep level.
Leadership style can and should evolve; Bob shifted from being reactive and abrasive to intentionally leaving every interaction in a “spirit of joy or happiness.”
The restaurant isn’t just about food; it’s a carefully designed environment for escapism, warmth, and community connection.
By placing people in safe but stretching situations, leaders can help them confront fear, build confidence, and form lasting emotional associations with the brand and with the relationship.
Long-term fulfillment comes more from relationships and memories than from physical assets like cars, planes, or buildings.

“My goal on every exchange that I have with people now is to leave them in a spirit of joy or happiness, or feel that I heard them and respect them as a person.” - Bob Campana

About the host, Bob Campana:

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Get Back to Work: Real Talk for Entrepreneurs at Every Stage

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:04:00 GMT

In this episode, Bob Campana and Doug Sandler discuss:

Human connection in business
Entrepreneurship after 60
Brick-and-mortar business challenges
Global sourcing and travel experiences
Inspiration, resilience, and persistence in work

Key Takeaways:

Bob created this podcast to share five decades of small business experience and the lessons learned from the people he’s met along the way, as he believes those relationships and stories can offer real value to listeners who are still “in the game.”
The show is aimed at multiple audiences: seniors or people over 60 who want to start something new, brick-and-mortar entrepreneurs in the trenches, and corporate folks considering a move into private enterprise.
Episodes may dive into very specific, practical situations like sourcing products in China or working with agents who grease the wheels of global business.
Bob emphasizes that businesses succeed through relationships and real people, not just technology or theory.
Each episode is intended to spark inspiration and action, and Bob wants people to finish an episode feeling less alone in their challenges and more confident about pursuing their goals, no matter their age or stage.

“I'm a lifelong entrepreneur. I'm 72 years old. I still have passion for life.” - Bob Campana

About the host, Bob Campana:

Connect With Bob Campana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-campana-entrepreneur/