Episodes

Andrew Lopianowski is the founder of Human Corps and co-author of Human Corps: Redesigning Organizations for the Wisdom Age. For more than 20 years, he has worked with CEOs and executive teams on leadership, culture, and performance. In this conversation, Andrew argues that AI’s biggest challenge is organizational: we are introducing new capabilities into ways of working built for another era. He and Leticia explore why more processes can make companies less adaptable, how leaders can build trust in technology, and why human judgment and collective thinking matter more as AI takes on information-heavy work. Andrew also shares the question that keeps him curious: Have you thought about what you think about?

David Solbach is an author, poet, carpenter, former taxi driver, and jazz musician whose life has moved through some of the most fascinating cultural shifts in modern America. From growing up as a Kansas farm boy to arriving in San Francisco as the Beat generation gave way to the hippie movement, David reflects on music, freedom, writing, reinvention, and the deeper lessons of a life lived outside the conventional script. In this conversation, we explore how jazz shaped his writing, how driving a taxi taught him to read people, and why he believes the 1960s changed human consciousness in ways we are still wrestling with today.

Tina Weiss is an author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of the Hugs and Smiles Children’s Foundation. Her book, Fear to Faith, was born from a series of deeply personal challenges—including a frightening experience abroad that left her without identification, money, or a clear path home. In this episode, Tina shares how she transformed fear into faith, pain into purpose, and trauma into triumph. She and Leticia explore resilience, spirituality, the loss and rediscovery of identity, listening to your heart, reconnecting with your inner child, and choosing how you respond when life changes without warning.

Jeffrey Meshel is an entrepreneur, author, longtime board director, and renowned relationship-builder whose books include One Phone Call Away and Know Who You Know. Over decades in business, he has built a network of more than 15,000 relationships and served for 15 years on the board of Signature Bank. In this episode, Jeffrey challenges the traditional idea of networking and shares why authentic connection, trusting your instincts, giving without expecting anything in return, and genuinely caring about people can create extraordinary opportunities. A conversation about relationships, leadership, intuition, generosity—and what really makes someone worth knowing.

What does it really mean to lead with faith—and to turn purpose into action? In this episode of Back2Basics, Dr. Michelle Martin Bonner, three-time #1 Amazon best-selling author, executive coach, and CEO of AMMEmpowerment, shares powerful lessons from more than 30 years of leadership and personal transformation. We explore why your job is what you do, not who you are, how to pursue your calling without recklessly walking away from your career, and why asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. Michelle also reflects on Jesus as the ultimate servant leader, the role of forgiveness in overcoming adversity, and how faith can provide direction when life simply doesn’t make sense. A conversation about leadership, resilience, identity, purpose, and having the courage to write the vision, make it plain—and make things happen.

Two-time Oscar-nominated producer Julian Schlossberg joins Back2Basics to share unforgettable stories from a seven-decade career in film, theater, and television. From negotiating with Barry Diller at Paramount to restoring Orson Welles’ Othello, Julian takes us behind the curtain of show business—and into the lessons that shaped his life: staying grounded, surviving rejection, knowing your value, and never letting go of the ledge. We also talk about his memoir, Try Not to Hold It Against Me, and why true passion is what keeps you in the game.

In this deeply personal episode of Back2Basics, Bernard Borghei takes us far beyond the world of telecom. While he is a consummate and wildly successful wireless infrastructure executive, this conversation is about the human story beneath that success: leaving Iran as a child, rebuilding life in America, working his way through school, and carrying the lessons of survival, gratitude, and resilience into everything he does. Bernard’s journey reminds us that what we build professionally is often shaped by what we have endured personally, and that true legacy is not only about professional success, but about the lives, values, and dreams we keep carrying forward.

Scott Parker, creator of Baseball’s Unlikely, joins Back2Basics to share the inspiring story behind a nearly 40-year passion project built from baseball’s strangest, funniest, and most unforgettable moments. By day, Scott built a creative career as a Hollywood online editor and colorist, including work on Naked and Afraid; by passion, he spent decades collecting baseball clippings, ballpark memories, and “you can’t make this up” stories that eventually became a unique book series structured like an actual baseball game. From almost getting signed by Geffen Records to meeting Farrah Fawcett before the 1989 World Series earthquake, Scott’s journey is a reminder that passion does not expire, it simply waits for the right inning.

Howard Langer spent a lifetime mastering the art of argument, as a leading antitrust and consumer law attorney, professor, and advocate who helped recover more than $200 million for victims of fraud. But at age 70, he finally answered another lifelong calling: writing the novel he had carried inside him for decades. In this inspiring conversation, Howard shares the story behind The Last Dekrepitzer, winner of the 2024 National Jewish Book Award, and reflects on law, justice, faith, creativity, resilience, and why it is never too late to rediscover the writer , or the dream, within.

In this Back2Basics episode, Peter McLaughlin, certified hypnotherapist, Blue Sky Hypnosis founder, leukemia survivor, and former volunteer firefighter, shares how emotional triggers often point to hidden wounds waiting to be healed. Peter explores hypnotherapy, Havening, past life regression, faith, subconscious beliefs, and the powerful reminder that we are not broken, we are wounded. This conversation is an invitation to question the herd, reconnect with your inner guidance, and begin healing at the root.

What does it truly mean to thrive—beyond success, titles, and achievement? In this Back2Basics episode, Rand Selig, entrepreneur, investor, and author of Thriving, shares a practical and soulful framework for living with more purpose, fulfillment, and intention. Rand explores why the most important relationship is the one with yourself, how to shift from doing to being, and why his philosophy is simple: “Don’t retire—rewire.” A powerful conversation on self-awareness, intuition, spirituality, healing, and designing a life that truly works.

Child safety expert and attorney Debbie Ausburn shares essential insights for parents, coaches, churches, schools, and youth organizations on child protection policies, grooming prevention, online safety for kids, and abuse prevention. In this episode, she explains why a child protection policy is only effective if it is consistently followed, how predators exploit boundary violations, why online grooming is a growing threat, and how adults can better respond when children disclose abuse. Debbie also offers practical parenting advice on raising resilient kids by letting them fail safely and learn to solve problems on their own.

What if you could belong to your culture, even if you don’t speak the language? Rodney Eric López is an accomplished educator, artist, and non-profit leader. He is the CEO of Rodney Eric López Enterprises, featured in the hit documentary Mad Hot Ballroom, and author of the upcoming memoir I Don’t Speak Spanish, but I Understand Everything When I’m Dancing! His work centers on the intersection of arts, education, identity, and community leadership, using dance and creativity to bring people together.

Lori Kingsley’s knows about Bold Reinventions. After losing both her parents to COVID, she made a life-changing decision: stop waiting and start living her passion. From fashion and beauty executive to resin artist and founder of Sweet Life by Lori, her journey is a powerful lesson in courage, creativity, and starting small. If you’ve ever felt called to something more, this episode will push you to act, because the real risk isn’t failure, it’s regret.

In this episode of Back2Basics, serial entrepreneur Alison Maslan shares how to scale your business without burning out. After building 10 companies, she reveals why founders get stuck and how to shift from operator to visionary CEO. From a life-changing burnout wake-up call to mentoring 150,000+ entrepreneurs, Alison breaks down the real keys to growth: letting go, asking for help, and designing a business that supports your life—not the other way around. If you’re ready to grow faster, lead smarter, and stop doing it all yourself, this episode is for you.

What if your voice could reveal what your body, and your life, are trying to tell you? In this episode, Growth Engineer Alex Fredericks shares how dyslexia became his superpower, why opportunity only knocks once, and how a 30-second voice note can unlock real-time insight into your wellbeing.

What happens to your wealth, decisions, and legacy if you don’t have children? In this episode of Back2Basics, Leticia Latino speaks with Maddy Roche, entrepreneur and co-founder of Child Free Trust, the first U.S. company providing fiduciary services specifically for child-free individuals. With 25% of Americans choosing not to have children, Maddy explains why traditional financial and estate planning systems often fail them. They discuss the myths around being child-free, the surprising financial reality of having too much money at the end of life, and why entrepreneurs should focus on sustainability over endless growth. A powerful conversation about redefining family, building a life on your own terms, and using money as a tool for freedom.

Mark Mezadourian, is an intuitive guide and spiritual teacher helping people reclaim their inner authority and discern true guidance from ego-driven fear. In this engaging conversation, Mark shares how his Armenian heritage, a spiritually gifted grandmother, and a dramatic early-life encounter with negative energy shaped his awakening to the power of intention and free will. We explore why intuition is hardwired in everyone, how to distinguish ego (“should,” “have to,” “need to”) from expansive inner guidance, and why modern habits—like sleeping next to your phone—may be disrupting your nervous system and fueling anxiety and insomnia. From spirituality beyond religion to practical tools for discernment, community, and digital boundaries, this conversation offers grounded, actionable insight for anyone seeking clarity, inner peace, and a deeper connection to their own wisdom.

Dr. Melissa Robinson-Weinmiller is an empathy expert, TEDx speaker, and founder on a mission to make empathy actionable—and profitable. In this episode of Back2Basics, she shares how growing up as a military child shaped her ability to read people and how a traumatic experience in academia led her to redefine empathy as a strategic leadership skill. We explore the hard data behind empathy in business—including research linking it to major gains in productivity, innovation, and profit—along with a simple 20-minute daily leadership practice that transformed a department in just 90 days. From self-empathy and emotional intelligence to company culture, communication, and the future of leadership in the age of AI, this episode makes one thing clear: empathy isn’t fluff—it’s performance.

Raz Patel is an advocate, speaker, and founder committed to advancing self-worth and emotional freedom through authentic leadership and intentional living. In this powerful episode, she shares her journey from first-generation immigrant roots to finding her voice after a paralyzing accident, a health scare, and the devastating loss of her family home in a flood. This conversation explores resilience, personal growth, immigrant mindset, overcoming trauma, and choosing substance over superficial success. If you’re seeking clarity, strength, and a return to your core values, this episode will resonate deeply.

In this episode of Back2Basics, Mich Carpenter shares her journey from trauma and illness to spiritual awakening, and the life-changing shift from victimhood to self-compassion. We explore how the body holds unprocessed emotion, the moment she discovered her mediumship, and why true healing begins with just five minutes of breath and awareness. A raw, grounding conversation about reclaiming your power—starting with compassion for yourself.

In this episode of Back2Basics, host Leticia Latino sits down with Tina Rattigan, founder of Propel Models, for an honest conversation about safety, values, and what it really takes to succeed in the modeling industry. Sparked by a deeply personal experience involving her daughter overseas, Tina built Propel Models with a mission rooted in protection, mentorship, and long-term development—not shortcuts to fame. She demystifies the realities of high fashion versus commercial modeling, challenges the myth of overnight success, and explains why modeling is a skill that must be learned, practiced, and respected. Drawing from her upbringing as a light-skinned Jamaican and her faith-centered approach to leadership, Tina shares practical guidance for aspiring talent, parents, and anyone navigating people-driven industries—reminding us, above all, to never forget who you are.

In this episode of Back2Basics, Leticia Latino sits down with serial entrepreneur and branding expert Karen Post to explore what it really means to reinvent yourself. From launching a successful PR firm at 22 without following a traditional path, to losing everything in a failed startup and finding the courage to begin again, Karen shares candid lessons on resilience, failure, and trusting your instincts. The conversation dives into the power of pivoting into your true sweet spot, investing unapologetically in yourself, and redefining what a brand really is—not a logo, but what people think, feel, and expect when you show up. Karen also shares the story behind her latest venture, the American Prosperity Pillow, blending entrepreneurship, patriotism, and purpose. This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating change and building a life and career with intention.

Living in Your Wheelhouse explores what happens when you realize you’ve spent years on the right bus but sitting in the wrong seat. In this episode, Kim Costa shares her powerful journey from a 27-year misaligned career as an accountant to building a life rooted in authenticity, alignment, and intentional design. Kim began reshaping not just her career, but her philosophy on how our homes, and lives, should support who we truly are. We discuss fear as a silent saboteur, why so many people regret major home and life decisions, her 4M Foundation (Myself, Mastery, Mission, Mates), and her Wheelhouse Process for bringing clarity to emotional choices before making big moves!