Business Origin Stories for Entrepreneurs, Coaches, and Leaders

Amy Schutte
  • 4.8 (30)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Business Origin Stories is the podcast for leadership, life, and business. This show features coaching calls and heart-to-heart conversations with successful entrepreneurs, leaders, authors, and experts. Join your host, Amy Schutte, a business coach and brand strategist, as she dives into ways to create stand-out brands and aligned businesses through storytelling and proven business frameworks.  At its core, Business Origin Stories is a recognition that the stories we tell are our greatest currency. 

  1. 6d ago

    125: The Rebel's Guide to Culture Change: Tanara Schneider on Coaching Teams Through Fear, Conflict & Growth

    Send us Fan Mail What if the people challenging your organization the most are actually the ones who could save it? In this episode, Tanara Schneider — founder of Rebel 75 — unpacks why healthy dissent gets mistaken for disruption, and how leaders can build teams that thrive on honest conversation instead of avoiding it. In this episode, you'll learn: Why organizations celebrate "innovators" but panic when the same behavior looks like dissentThe difference between a "rebel" and a "chaos monster" — and why that distinction matters for cultureHow organizational systems coaching helps teams confront fear and conflict together, not as individual failingsWhat "designing relationships" actually looks like in practice (and how to start doing it with your own team)A simple framework for hiring and developing people who raise problems and bring people along to solve themWhy the next generation of talent won't tolerate cultures that don't value collective growth — and what to do about itAbout Tanara Schneider: Tanara is the founder of Rebel 75, a company that partners with organizations to build healthier, more human workplace cultures through coaching and collaborative design. Before launching Rebel 75, she spent nearly a decade in Accenture's innovation and design practice, helping clients navigate exactly the tension she now coaches leaders through every day. Tanara and her business partner, Jenny Richards, work directly alongside leadership teams — observing, coaching, and redesigning the systems and routines that shape how teams show up for each other. Book mentioned in this episode: The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle Connect with Tanara: 🔗 Website: rebel75.com Instagram:  @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

  2. Jul 21

    124: How to Build Credibility at Every Level of Leadership with Cynthia Newman

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Business Origin Stories, Cynthia Newman shares lessons from more than 40 years in wealth management and her transition into executive coaching. After spending decades leading people, developing talent, and navigating organizational complexity, she now helps professionals strengthen leadership skills, improve communication, and create sustainable growth in their careers and businesses.  One of the central themes of this conversation is self-awareness. Cynthia explains how leaders often struggle not because they lack expertise, but because they are unaware of how others experience their communication, decision-making, and leadership style. She reflects on lessons from her own career and discusses how those experiences now inform her coaching work.  Amy and Cynthia also explore practical leadership challenges, including managing up, building credibility, working within teams, and creating clear accountability structures. In this episode, you'll hear: Why self-awareness is foundational to leadership growthHow bringing solutions, not just problems, builds credibilityWhat executives can learn about communication and executive presenceThe importance of role clarity within leadership teamsLessons from working with husband-and-wife business partnershipsWhy quarterly planning can create stronger accountability than annual planningHow leaders can support difficult team dynamics while maintaining trustWhat Cynthia learned from decades in wealth management and management leadershipThe conversation also touches on career transitions, mentorship, executive coaching, and the importance of slowing down long enough to learn from the season you're currently in rather than constantly chasing the next milestone. For leaders navigating growth, organizational change, or new responsibilities, this episode offers practical guidance grounded in experience and thoughtful reflection. Instagram:  @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

  3. Jul 14

    123: Strike the Right Chord: Leadership, Team Building & the Music Framework That Changes Everything with Michael Brenner

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when a professional musician spends 26 years building leadership teams? Michael Brenner, founder of Right Chord Leadership, joins the show to share how a single conversation with a mentor turned his passion for music into CHORDS — a six-note framework (Communication, Harmony, Ownership, Respect, Direction, Support) that's reshaped how he diagnoses dysfunction on teams. Michael pulls back the curtain on what it actually feels like to walk into a room and read a team's energy in the first five minutes, why he opens keynotes with an Irish tin whistle instead of a slide deck, and why "what's your first concert?" might be the most powerful icebreaker you're not using. We also get into AI's growing presence in the workplace, and why he believes authentic human connection — not polish — is what actually makes people remember you. If you've ever wondered whether your team is playing in harmony or a little out of tune, this episode is for you. In this episode: The origin story behind the name "Right Chord Leadership"The CHORDS model and how to use it as a team diagnosticWhy "resonance" is the tell of a high-performing teamHow to open a meeting or keynote in a way people actually rememberAI, identity, and staying human in an era of automationConnect with Michael: rightchordleadership.com Instagram:  @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

  4. Jul 7

    122: Divorce as a Business Deal: How to Leave a High-Conflict Partner Strategically with Divorce Strategist Courtney Harkness

    Send us Fan Mail Divorce is one of the most financially and emotionally high-stakes events in a person's life — but most people walk into it completely unprepared. In this episode, Amy sits down with Courtney Harkness, a divorce strategist who helps successful women leave high-conflict partners with clarity, strategy, and their financial future intact. Courtney shares her own journey from running a private equity-funded business alongside her ex-husband to building a coaching practice rooted in one core belief: your superpower is not reacting. In this conversation, you'll learn: Why going straight to an attorney without preparation can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollarsThe 3-phase coaching framework Courtney uses — emotional regulation, strategy, and executionWhat "parallel parenting" looks like with a high-conflict ex, and why it's more effective than co-parentingThe love bombing and mirroring patterns that show up at the beginning of toxic relationshipsWhat business protections to put in place before you need themThe #1 regret Courtney hears from her clients (and what to do about it)Courtney also recommends the book Out of the Fog by Dana Morningstar for anyone questioning whether their partner's behavior is truly problematic. Find Courtney at divorcestrategy.com and on Instagram at @‌divorce.strategy, and on LinkedIn Instagram:  @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

  5. Jun 23

    121: What Great Leaders Know About Themselves with Jason Daily

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when leadership growth becomes less about gaining skills and more about understanding yourself? In this episode of Business Origin Stories, Jason Daily, founder of Anchored Leadership, shares the experiences and leadership principles that have shaped his work helping leaders unlock their full potential through self-awareness, communication, and coaching. Jason has coached more than 5,000 leaders across industries and continents, working with everyone from emerging managers to seasoned executives at organizations including Nike, ’47, Nationwide Insurance, Slack, and L Brands. Before launching Anchored Leadership, Jason led executive coaching and high-potential leadership programs at OhioHealth. As a licensed speech-language pathologist, ICF-certified executive coach, and certified Enneagram Practitioner, he brings a unique perspective to leadership development that blends communication science, behavioral change, and practical leadership growth. In this conversation, Jason shares his own origin story, from his early work helping patients recover communication skills after traumatic brain injuries and strokes to coaching leaders in Fortune 100 organizations and eventually building his own coaching practice. Along the way, he discovered that lasting leadership growth isn't about learning more tactics. It's about increasing awareness of who you are, how others experience you, and how you want to lead. In this episode, we discuss: • Why self-awareness is one of the most important leadership skills • The gap between how leaders see themselves and how others perceive them • Communication habits that create trust, clarity, and connection • The shift from being the hero to becoming a coach • How identity influences leadership decisions • The role of executive coaching in long-term behavioral change • Jason's personal journey through career transitions, entrepreneurship, and leadership growth One of the most memorable moments of the conversation is Jason's discussion of "Scarcity Sam," the name he gave to a scarcity mindset pattern that quietly influenced many of his decisions. His willingness to examine those patterns offers a powerful lesson for any leader seeking sustainable growth. Whether you're leading a team, scaling a business, or developing the next generation of leaders, this conversation will challenge you to think differently about leadership, communication, and personal growth. Connect with Jason: www.anchoredleadership.com Instagram:  @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

  6. Jun 16

    120: The Second Act: Helping Women Return to Work with Confidence

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when life takes you away from the workforce for nearly two decades? For Heather Nemelka, that question became the foundation for a mission that is now helping women, career changers, and workforce returners rediscover their confidence and create new opportunities. In this episode of Business Origin Stories, Heather shares her remarkable journey from returning to work after an 18-year career gap to founding both Elevator and the Elevator Foundation. Along the way, she discovered that many talented individuals are overlooked not because they lack ability, but because traditional hiring systems often fail to recognize their value. Amy and Heather explore: Why informational interviews are one of the most effective job search tools availableWhat employers miss when they automatically filter out candidates with career gapsThe surprising strengths caregiving developsHow confidence is rebuilt after layoffs, transitions, or extended time away from workWhy returnships can create win-win opportunities for employers and employeesThe importance of self-discovery during major life transitionsHow professionals can better advocate for themselves inside organizationsOne of the most powerful moments in the conversation comes when Heather shares the lesson that transformed her own career trajectory: "Run toward the ball." Rather than waiting for recognition or opportunity, she learned to proactively demonstrate her value and create new possibilities. Whether you're navigating a career transition, leading a team, or building a company culture that values untapped talent, this episode offers practical advice and encouraging reminders that growth is always possible. Connect with Heather:  LinkedIn: Heather Nemelka  Website: elavare.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elavareco/ Instagram:  @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

  7. Jun 10

    119: The Courage to Realign: Tucker Branham on Values, Leadership, and Designing a Life That Fits

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when the life you've built no longer aligns with who you are? In this episode of Business Origin Stories, Tucker Branham shares how his unconventional journey shaped a career dedicated to helping individuals and organizations find alignment between values, purpose, leadership, and work. After leaving college, working multiple jobs, and navigating an unexpected path into nonprofit consulting and organizational leadership, Tucker discovered a question that would define his work: Are people building lives they truly want, or simply following a blueprint created by someone else? Today, Tucker works with nonprofits, corporations, and individuals to help them understand their values, identify what fulfills them, and create practical plans for living and leading with greater intention. Amy and Tucker explore: Why resumes alone rarely predict successThe connection between personal alignment and organizational healthHow values serve as guardrails for decision-makingThe role vulnerability plays in meaningful changeWhy adaptive leadership matters more than everThe difference between work-life balance and work-life integrationPractical exercises leaders can use to evaluate priorities and relationshipsThroughout the conversation, Tucker challenges common assumptions about success and fulfillment. He argues that when leaders understand their values and create alignment between who they are and what they do, organizations become healthier, cultures become stronger, and people thrive. Whether you're leading a company, navigating a career transition, or simply questioning whether your current path reflects your priorities, this episode offers a thoughtful framework for reflection and action. Connect LinkedIn: Tucker Branham Website: https://changedevelopmove.com/ Listen, subscribe, and share this episode with a leader who is ready to create greater alignment between their work, values, and life. Instagram:  @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

  8. Jun 2

    118: The Founder-to-CEO Transition: Leadership Lessons for Growing Marketing Agencies with Dan Newman

    Send us Fan Mail What if the biggest obstacle to scaling your agency is not your marketing strategy, but your leadership systems? In this episode of Business Origin Stories, Amy sits down with Dan Newman, founder of Learn to Scale, to talk about the people side of agency growth. Dan works with small marketing agencies to solve communication breakdowns, leadership bottlenecks, and culture issues that quietly damage retention, morale, and client experience. Dan shares his unconventional path from studying music and philosophy to working in education and eventually corporate learning and development. After spending years observing how successful tech companies built strong teams and scalable systems, he launched Learn to Scale in 2019 with one mission: helping organizations become great places to work. The conversation digs into the realities many agency founders face as they move from freelancer or practitioner into leadership roles. Dan explains why agencies often become “sweatshops” unintentionally and how founders can avoid repeating the same mistakes they have seen in larger organizations. Inside this episode: The four areas Dan evaluates in his “Talent Culture Audit”Why trust matters more than process documentation in small teamsThe founder identity shift from operator to CEOHow communication problems quietly impact profitability and retentionWhy remote and hybrid agencies struggle with cultureThe role rituals and retrospectives play in healthy team dynamicsA client story about removing low performers and rebuilding moraleHow founders can ask themselves better questions before hiring more peopleDan also discusses the emotional side of entrepreneurship and why many founders feel isolated while trying to lead growing teams. His perspective blends leadership development, organizational psychology, and practical agency operations into a conversation that is deeply relevant for service-based businesses. Connect with Dan: Website: learntoscale.usLinkedIn: Dan NewmanInstagram:  @amyschutte_ Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co

See All (126)

4.8
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

Business Origin Stories is the podcast for leadership, life, and business. This show features coaching calls and heart-to-heart conversations with successful entrepreneurs, leaders, authors, and experts. Join your host, Amy Schutte, a business coach and brand strategist, as she dives into ways to create stand-out brands and aligned businesses through storytelling and proven business frameworks.  At its core, Business Origin Stories is a recognition that the stories we tell are our greatest currency. 

Information