Daily Influence

IA Business Advisors
  • 5.0 (9)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED DAILY

Discover a world where everyone’s influence matters. Welcome to Daily Influence, co-hosted by Brian Smith, founder and managing partner at IA Business Advisors and author of the 'I in Team' series, along with IA Business Advisors Partner Gregg Brooke Koleno. Each day, Brian and Gregg craft episodes designed to elevate your influence and transform it into a force for positive and responsible influence. Every episode is a journey through real-life experiences, transformative concepts, and powerful tools that help you FIND, BE & BUILD Your Influence. We aim to help you radiate your unique influence, find balance, celebrate victories, and shape your reality. The podcast highlights the art of leading yourself and those around you, remaining humble and composed, learning effectively, and embracing true diversity. Whether you tune in during your morning coffee, mid-day break, or your evening wind-down, Daily Influence is your daily dose of inspiration and upliftment, relevant to your everyday life. The goal is not just to influence you but to equip you with insights you can share within your sphere of influence. Join Brian and Gregg as they explore the principles and practices that align with IA Business Advisors' S.M.A.R.T. Management Consulting Methods, offering practical advice and thought-provoking discussions. Remember, it’s not just about being part of the team; it’s about finding the ‘I’ in every team. So, listen, learn, share, and expand your influence with Daily Influence. Tune in and discover how to make your influence matter, every day.

  1. 4H AGO

    664. Dancing for Good: How Energy, Accountability, and EQ Create Lasting Influence

    What if influence wasn’t about perfection, polish, or titles—but about energy, accountability, and how you show up for others? In this episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Chris Starkey, partner at Mojo Maker and the personality behind Dance Dad TV, to explore what positive and responsible influence looks like in real life. Chris shares his journey from performer and entrepreneur to purpose-driven leader, shaped by his daughter’s life-changing medical challenges and the special needs community that became his tribe. Through dance, storytelling, and intentional connection, Chris has built a community rooted in joy, inclusion, and momentum—both online and off. Together, Gregg and Chris discuss: • How accountability and humility strengthen influence • Why emotional intelligence (EQ) matters more than ever in leadership • Turning personal challenges into purpose-driven action • Using energy, creativity, and consistency to uplift communities • How giving—without expectation—creates impact that multiplies This conversation is a reminder that influence lives in everyday moments: how we listen, how we include, and how we lead with intention. Whether you’re a business owner, parent, creator, or community leader, this episode will encourage you to lean into connection and use your influence responsibly—one interaction at a time. Listen in and take your daily dose of positivity. Connect with Chirs: https://www.instagram.com/dancedad_starkey/ https://www.facebook.com/chris.starkey.142 https://www.youtube.com/@dancedadtv2874 https://www.chrisstarkey.com/

    17 min

  2. 1D AGO

    663. Building a Growth Mindset Through Equity and Inclusion (Rerun)

    Join Brian Smith on this revisit to episode 226 of the Daily Influence as he delves into the power of fostering a growth mindset within your teams by defining and implementing equity and inclusion. Discover how promoting diversity and creating an inclusive culture can enhance continuous learning, resilience, adaptability, and psychological safety in your organization. Brian shares insights on how these principles align with organizational values, boost motivation, and engagement, and ultimately drive success for both individuals and the company. Tune in to learn how to uplift your team and create a balanced environment where everyone feels valued and empowered. #GrowthMindset #EquityInclusion #DailyInfluence #TheIinTeamSeries

    7 min

  3. 4D AGO

    662. From Reactive to Intentional: How Leaders Stop Managing Fire Drills

    Most leaders don’t wake up planning to react all day — but urgency keeps winning. Emails pull focus. Problems demand attention. Decisions stack up faster than they can be made. In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explains why reactivity isn’t a leadership flaw — it’s a systems signal. He explores how a lack of structure creates urgency, how leaders unintentionally become bottlenecks, and why disciplined cadence and accountability are the keys to moving from constant firefighting to intentional leadership. This conversation reframes leadership away from rescue and toward rhythm — showing how SMART, when practiced as both a framework and a discipline, creates calm, predictability, and steady progress even in uncertain environments. Leadership doesn’t scale through constant presence. It scales through systems that work when you step back.

    7 min

  4. 5D AGO

    661. The Charismatic Advantage: Designing Connection Through Social Energy and Presence

    Connection is not accidental — it’s intentionally designed. In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Aaron Smalls, host, DJ, Experience Architect, and creator of Charismatic Advantage: The Art of Social Energy. From his early days at Nickelodeon to commanding stages and designing high-trust experiences for audiences of 50 to 50,000, Aaron shares how presence, intention, and awareness shape meaningful influence. Together, they explore what responsible influence truly means — leading without ego, reading the room with integrity, and creating environments where people feel seen, safe, and empowered to be themselves. Aaron reveals how influence is less about performance and more about stewardship, reminding others of who they already are. They also dive into: • How social energy impacts leadership, communication, and trust • Why influence is an energy exchange, not a spotlight • Using AI as preparation — not replacement — for human presence • Protecting your energy in high-pressure environments • Why every moment, conversation, and space can be a stage for positive impact Aaron leaves listeners with a powerful reminder: influence doesn’t require a platform — just presence, care, and intention. Whether you’re leading a team, hosting an event, or connecting one-on-one, this episode will challenge you to think differently about how your energy shapes the experiences you create. Connect with Aaron: Website: https://aaronsmalls.com/ Social Links: Instagram: @CuriouslyTalented & @TheAaronSmalls https://www.linkedin.com/in/theaaronsmalls/

    23 min

  5. 6D AGO

    660. The Accountability Gap: Why Expectations Aren’t Enough Anymorex

    Most leaders believe they’ve been clear. Expectations were set. Goals were communicated. “Good” was explained. And yet — execution still breaks down. In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores why the real breakdown isn’t effort or intent — it’s accountability. He unpacks why expectations without ownership create frustration, how accountability has been misunderstood as control, and why disciplined accountability actually frees people instead of pressuring them. This conversation reframes accountability as clarity with follow-through, shows how SMART makes accountability visible rather than emotional, and explains why strong accountability protects high performers while allowing leaders to step out of rescue mode. Expectations set direction. Accountability is what moves the work forward.

    6 min

  6. FEB 3

    659. Building Emotionally Intelligent Leaders from the Inside Out

    In this powerful episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Arianna Rose and Soleil Laurent, the visionary founders of Equality Education, an organization redefining how emotional intelligence is taught across schools, communities, and organizations. What began as a serendipitous friendship in Brooklyn during the pandemic has grown into a movement impacting over 100 New York City schools, partnering with major brands like Puma, Meta, NBC, and Bellevue Hospital, and placing more than 100,000 personal development workbooks into the hands of learners of all ages. In this conversation, Arianna and Soleil share: • Why emotional intelligence should be foundational in education—for students, parents, and leaders alike • How self-agency and self-love create ripple effects that transform relationships, teams, and communities • A deeply moving real-world story of how their affirmation tools helped a child in crisis • Their thoughtful approach to responsible AI use, balancing technology with human development • Practical encouragement for anyone who wants to create positive change—starting right where they are This episode is a reminder that meaningful influence begins within. When we understand ourselves, we lead better, love better, and build stronger communities—together. Connect with Equality Education Website: https://www.theequalityeducation.com/ Instagram (Equality Education): https://www.instagram.com/theequalityedu/ Instagram (Friends Who Want You to Win): https://www.instagram.com/friendswhowantyoutowin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEqualityEducation/

    21 min

  7. FEB 2

    658. Aging Influence: What Whiskey Teaches Us About Patience, Process, and Leadership

    Speed gets attention. Patience builds trust. In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith sits down with Mike Hinds, co-founder of Nashville Barrel Company, to explore what building a premium whiskey brand can teach us about leadership, influence, and long-term thinking. Mike shares how Nashville Barrel Company grew from handwritten labels on a coffee table to distribution in 36 states—without sacrificing quality, culture, or credibility. From resisting the pressure to scale too fast, to protecting brand identity in a crowded market, to treating people with the same care as product, this conversation is a masterclass in intentional influence. Whether you lead a company, a team, or simply yourself, this episode reminds us that the best results—like the best whiskey—can’t be rushed. https://www.nashvillebarrelco.com https://louisvillerickhouse.com/

    14 min

  8. JAN 30

    657. Discipline Beats Motivation: Why Execution Is the Real Leadership Skill

    Motivation gets us started — but it rarely gets us to the finish line. In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores why execution has become the defining leadership skill in 2026, and why discipline — not motivation — is what sustains progress when energy fades, distractions rise, and uncertainty increases. Brian breaks down the critical difference between emotional motivation and operational discipline, why most execution failures are structural (not personal), and how disciplined systems like SMART Management create clarity, calm, and predictable progress — even in volatile times. If execution feels heavy, this episode challenges leaders to stop pushing harder and start designing better systems.

    8 min
See All (666)

Trailer

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Discover a world where everyone’s influence matters. Welcome to Daily Influence, co-hosted by Brian Smith, founder and managing partner at IA Business Advisors and author of the 'I in Team' series, along with IA Business Advisors Partner Gregg Brooke Koleno. Each day, Brian and Gregg craft episodes designed to elevate your influence and transform it into a force for positive and responsible influence. Every episode is a journey through real-life experiences, transformative concepts, and powerful tools that help you FIND, BE & BUILD Your Influence. We aim to help you radiate your unique influence, find balance, celebrate victories, and shape your reality. The podcast highlights the art of leading yourself and those around you, remaining humble and composed, learning effectively, and embracing true diversity. Whether you tune in during your morning coffee, mid-day break, or your evening wind-down, Daily Influence is your daily dose of inspiration and upliftment, relevant to your everyday life. The goal is not just to influence you but to equip you with insights you can share within your sphere of influence. Join Brian and Gregg as they explore the principles and practices that align with IA Business Advisors' S.M.A.R.T. Management Consulting Methods, offering practical advice and thought-provoking discussions. Remember, it’s not just about being part of the team; it’s about finding the ‘I’ in every team. So, listen, learn, share, and expand your influence with Daily Influence. Tune in and discover how to make your influence matter, every day.

Information

  • Creator
    IA Business Advisors
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    666
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Daily Influence