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Building Connection Where It Matters Most: Leadership, Resilience, and the Quiet Power of Rural Broadband
In many parts of the country, opportunity still depends on access. Not talent. Not drive. Access. During a recent episode of The Route to Success, I sat down with Colin Garner of Wolf Line Construction to talk about rural broadband infrastructure. On the surface, it sounds technical. Power poles. Fiber lines. Equipment. ROI. In reality,
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Leadership as Advocacy: Practical Tools for Building Hope, Grit, and Stronger Communities
Some leaders build influence through visibility.Others build it through persistence. Michael J. Langley belongs to the second group. In this episode of The Route to Success, Michael shared how growing up in one of the poorest counties in rural Virginia shaped his understanding of resilience, leadership, and responsibility. His lived experience did not harden him.
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When Love Becomes Action: Practical Lessons on Leadership, Awareness, and Building Systems That Actually Help People
Some conversations stay with you because they are polished.Others stay with you because they are honest. This conversation with Oscar Ortiz did not revolve around strategy decks or theory. It revolved around lived experience. Loss. Gaps in systems. And the choice to turn grief into action that helps other families survive the unthinkable. Oscar is
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Choosing Growth Over Comfort: Practical Leadership Lessons from an Accidental Entrepreneur
Leadership rarely starts with a grand plan. More often, it begins with a decision made in uncertainty. A choice between comfort and growth. A moment when staying feels safer, but leaving feels necessary. In this episode of The Route to Success, Christine Barney shared what it looks like to build a long-lasting, values-driven organization without
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Beyond the Destination: What Leadership, Travel, and Local Culture Teach Us About Hope and Resilience
Travel often looks simple on the surface. A destination. A plan. A list of places to see. But as Jose Vazquez shared in this episode of The Route to Success, the most meaningful journeys are not about where you go. They are about how you pay attention. Jose leads Local Secrets, a global platform operating
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Asking the Question That Can Save a Life: A Community Approach to Domestic Violence
Some conversations are hard because they force us to see what we would rather avoid. This episode of The Route to Success is one of those conversations. It began with a moment my daughter and I witnessed in an RV park. A man abusing his wife in front of a toddler. No privacy. No shame.
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Leading with Empathy: How Hospitality America Builds Culture, Kindness, and Resilience
In this episode of The Route to Success, Ben Campbell, CEO of Hospitality America, shared powerful lessons on leadership, empathy, and building resilient teams. With 850 employees across 20 hotels in eight states, Ben leads with a people-first philosophy grounded in understanding, active listening, and intentional kindness – principles that every leader can apply, no
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Leading with Grit, Growth, and AI – Lessons from Joseph Fiore
In a recent episode of The Route to Success, Joseph Fiore, CEO of Republic Hospitality and lecturer in AI and Entrepreneurship at the College of Charleston, shared powerful insights on leadership, resilience, and how to prepare for the future of work. His conversation offered actionable tools for leaders and entrepreneurs alike – rooted in wisdom,
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From Stigma to Strength: How Courage Center SC Is Transforming Recovery Through Business Strategy and Hope
In this episode of The Route to Success, Sara Orellana spoke with Randy Rush, Executive Director of the Courage Center in South Carolina, about how business principles, lived experience, and hope combine to create a powerful model for recovery. Rush’s leadership journey – from corporate sales to nonprofit recovery work – shows how strategy and
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From Battlefields to Green Fields: How Technology and Vertical Farming Can End Food Insecurity
Food insecurity is often seen as a distant problem, but as David Flynn, President of Amplified A, explains, it’s closer to home than most of us realize. In his conversation on The Route to Success, Flynn—a retired U.S. Army veteran turned agricultural innovator—shares how his company is merging technology and farming to create sustainable, hyperlocal