Morning Cup of Brand Spark

Gina Dunn | OG Solutions

Morning Cup of Brand Spark is your espresso-shot of resonance — now poured slower. In Season 2: The Mirror Conversations, brand strategist Gina Dunn sits down with founders, creators, and leaders over coffee to talk about the truths that burned them into who they are. No scripts. Just fifteen minutes of clarity and real talk about voice, visibility, and becoming seen. ☕ New episodes every Friday (sometimes more!). 🎧 Short enough for your coffee break. Deep enough to change your week. Want to be a guest? Reach out to me (no AI, write to me like a human) gina@ogsolutions.nl

  1. Ep 101 — The Invisible Ceiling — Andrew Hinkelman on Burnout, Boundaries & Human‑Centered Leadership

    JAN 30

    Ep 101 — The Invisible Ceiling — Andrew Hinkelman on Burnout, Boundaries & Human‑Centered Leadership

    In this Mirror Conversation, Gina Dunn speaks with former CTO turned executive coach Andrew Hinkelman about burnout, boundaries, and the hidden emotional costs of being the smartest person in the room. This episode explores what happens when high performers stop fixing everything and start leading like humans. Burnout doesn’t usually arrive as a breakdown. It shows up quietly — as exhaustion, apathy, and the slow erosion of self‑awareness. In this episode of Morning Cup of Brand Spark, Gina Dunn sits down with Andrew Hinkelman — former CTO/COO and now executive coach — to explore the invisible ceiling many technically brilliant leaders hit. Andrew shares how years of overwork, identity attachment, and self‑neglect culminated in physical burnout, forcing him to confront the limits of strategy, intelligence, and hustle. Together, Gina and Andrew unpack why leadership is ultimately human work — and why boundaries, vulnerability, and self‑understanding are not optional extras, but foundational skills. This conversation is for leaders who look successful on paper but feel depleted behind the scenes — and for anyone ready to lead without losing themselves. Andrew offers complimentary discovery coaching sessions for leaders curious about executive coaching. 👉 Learn more or connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhinkelman/

    24 min
  2. Ep 100 From Collapse to Clarity — Beth McDonough on Sobriety, Accountability & Rebuilding After Public Loss

    JAN 23

    Ep 100 From Collapse to Clarity — Beth McDonough on Sobriety, Accountability & Rebuilding After Public Loss

    A public fall. A private reckoning. And the long road back to self-respect. In this Episode 100 of Morning Cup of Brand Spark, Gina Dunn sits down with investigative journalist, author, and speaker Beth McDonough to explore what happens when a public identity collapses — and what it truly takes to rebuild a life you don’t need to escape from. Beth McDonough spent three decades telling other people’s stories as a crime reporter in major U.S. newsrooms. Then she became the story. After two DUIs, public humiliation, and being fired from the career she loved, Beth lost everything — her job, her reputation, her financial stability, and her sense of self. What followed was not a quick comeback, but years of accountability, sobriety, and slow reconstruction. In this Mirror Conversation, Beth and Gina explore: What it means to lose an identity built on achievement and visibility The difference between public judgment and private accountability Why sobriety is a daily practice, not a redemption arc How resilience is built one “next right step” at a time Why you shouldn’t waste your suffering This episode is not about scandal. It’s about reckoning, responsibility, and the courage it takes to begin again. Beth McDonough is an investigative journalist, author, and speaker whose career spans major U.S. newsrooms and some of the country’s most high-profile crime stories. After years of reporting on other people’s darkest moments, she turned the lens inward with her memoir Standby — a raw, unflinching account of addiction, recovery, and reinvention. Now based in southern Utah, Beth writes and speaks about resilience, sobriety, accountability, and finding purpose after life’s lightning strikes. Connect With Beth Website / Author Hub: https://www.bethmcdmedia.com Book: Standby (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle) Social: @bemcdn

    29 min
  3. Ep 99 Confidence Is Built the Slow Way — Kira Hartley Klinger on Visibility, Fear of Judgment & Showing Up Anyway

    JAN 16

    Ep 99 Confidence Is Built the Slow Way — Kira Hartley Klinger on Visibility, Fear of Judgment & Showing Up Anyway

    Confidence isn’t something you wake up with one day. In this episode of Morning Cup of Brand Spark, Gina Dunn sits down with Kira Hartley Klinger to explore how confidence is built slowly — through survival, repetition, and deciding you’re done shrinking. For most of her life, Kira Hartley Klinger carried a deep fear of judgment — the kind that shows up physically, emotionally, and quietly. And yet, through single parenthood, entrepreneurship, auctions, rejection, and showing up anyway, something shifted. In this Mirror Conversation, Kira shares how confidence didn’t arrive overnight — it was built slowly, through necessity, consistency, and lived experience. Together, Gina and Kira talk through: How fear of judgment can shape your choices without you realizing it What changes when survival forces you into visibility How confidence grows through repetition, not courage Why taking up space often starts before you feel ready This episode is a reminder that confidence isn’t about becoming fearless. It’s about deciding you’re no longer willing to stay small. Kira Hartley Klinger is a fifty-something author, entrepreneur, and longtime internet reseller. She is the creator of the Fabric Wars book series and the owner of the Etsy shop DodOddity, where her love of vintage textiles, storytelling, and creative thrift comes together. After years of building a business while raising her family, Kira turned her lived experiences — auctions, visibility, rejection, and resilience — into books, speaking, and storytelling that empower others to show up before they feel ready. 🔗 Shop Kira’s vintage textiles & signed books: 👉 https://www.etsy.com/shop/DodOddity 🔗 Connect with Kira: 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dododdity  👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirahartleyklinger 🔗 Fabric Wars books available on Amazon worldwide

    28 min
  4. Ep 98 Reclaiming Your Power — Camilla Calberg on Self-Respect, Leadership & Emotional Intelligence

    JAN 9

    Ep 98 Reclaiming Your Power — Camilla Calberg on Self-Respect, Leadership & Emotional Intelligence

    What happens when success looks good on the outside… but costs you on the inside Camilla Calberg spent decades leading high-stakes transformations inside global corporations — outwardly successful, trusted, and accomplished. But beneath the surface, something was quietly eroding. In this Mirror Conversation, Camilla shares the moment she asked herself a life-changing question: “Why do I keep giving my power away to people who don’t care about me?” Together, Gina and Camilla talk through: The moment Camilla realized she was giving her power away — and why that awareness changed everything How success can quietly drift out of alignment without you noticing What calm, safety, and self-trust actually look like in day-to-day leadership Why reclaiming your power doesn’t require burning your life down — just choosing differently This episode isn’t about becoming louder or tougher. It’s about becoming more grounded, more discerning, and finally choosing yourself. Camilla Calberg is the Founder & CEO of She Leads, Superhuman Leading, and The Authentic Leadership Movement. She helps high-performing HR leaders become calm, emotionally intelligent trusted advisors that CEOs call first. After 20+ years leading complex transformations at companies like BP, Shell, and IBM, Camilla rebuilt her leadership from the inside out. Today, she blends emotional intelligence, intuitive leadership, and nervous system work to help her clients increase their impact and freedom — without adding more hours. 🔗 Learn more about Camilla’s work: 👉 https://www.camillacalberg.com 🔗 Connect with Camilla: 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillacalberg  👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@camillacalberg

    27 min
  5. Ep 95 Rock Bottom, Digital Boundaries & Reclaiming Your Brain — A Mirror Conversation with Kelsey Green

    12/19/2025

    Ep 95 Rock Bottom, Digital Boundaries & Reclaiming Your Brain — A Mirror Conversation with Kelsey Green

    Kelsey Green hit physical, mental, and emotional rock bottom. In this Mirror Conversation, she shares how digital boundaries, community, and tiny steps rebuilt her life. What happens when your life becomes completely untenable (physically, mentally, emotionally) and you finally hit the wall you’ve been sprinting toward for years? In this raw and generous Mirror Conversation, community strategist and facilitator Kelsey L. Green shares the story of her rock bottom: burnout, a toxic relationship, health crisis, anxiety, and the quiet realization that her life could not continue as it was. Instead of collapsing inward, she rebuilt outward through therapy, coaching, community, physical healing, and one tiny step at a time. In this conversation, Kelsey and Gina explore: The “busy coping mechanism” that masked deeper wounds How rock bottom becomes a clarity point Why digital overwhelm fractures our attention, our nervous system, and our ability to reflect The role of in-person community in healing The small digital boundaries that change everything How to start reclaiming your brain, your focus, and your life Why boundaries aren’t restrictions, they’re reconnections If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, overconnected, or overstimulated… this episode is an invitation to breathe again. 🔗 Connect with Kelsey: Website: https://www.kelseylgreen.comInstagram: @kelseylgreenSummit in Six: https://www.kelseylgreen.com/summitin6Screen-Free Sunday Challenge: https://www.kelseylgreen.com/screenfreesunday

    31 min
5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Morning Cup of Brand Spark is your espresso-shot of resonance — now poured slower. In Season 2: The Mirror Conversations, brand strategist Gina Dunn sits down with founders, creators, and leaders over coffee to talk about the truths that burned them into who they are. No scripts. Just fifteen minutes of clarity and real talk about voice, visibility, and becoming seen. ☕ New episodes every Friday (sometimes more!). 🎧 Short enough for your coffee break. Deep enough to change your week. Want to be a guest? Reach out to me (no AI, write to me like a human) gina@ogsolutions.nl