2d ago

From the Bedroom to the Boardroom: How Relational Intelligence Changes Everything with Dr. Naketa Ren Thigpen

There is a version of leadership that looks impressive from the outside and disconnected on the inside - actually that’s the majority of leaders. It looks like a calendar packed with meetings. No room to think. No room to breathe. No room to notice what your body has been trying to tell you for months. And it has a limit. In this episode of The Black Sheep Network, I sit down with Dr. Naketa Ren Thigpen, one of the leading voices in relational wellness, leadership, and human connection. We explore the difference between vulnerability and relational intelligence, and why one without the other often leaves trust unfinished, potential unfulfilled and satisfaction out of reach. We talk about what Dr. Thigpen calls "presence distortion": those moments when you're physically in the room but not truly available to the people in front of you. The cost is bigger than most leaders realize. Creativity suffers. Trust erodes. Relationships become transactional instead of transformational. We also unpack why psychological safety is more than saying the right words. It requires the capacity to receive what another person is sharing, stay present with it, and respond in a way that makes connection possible. One of my favorite parts of this conversation is our discussion about embodiment. Not as self-care. Not as a wellness trend. It should be as regular of a habit as hygiene. The same way your body needs care, your nervous system does too. Because stress, overwhelm, unresolved experiences, and old conditioning don't disappear just because you ignore them. They show up in your decisions, your relationships, your leadership, and your calendar. And that calendar might be the most honest reflection of your priorities you'll ever see. If your values say one thing and your schedule says another, it’s crucial to pay attention to that information. This conversation is ultimately about alignment. Between what you believe, how you lead, how you love, and how you move through the world. Key Points We Cover: The difference between relationship intelligence and relational intelligence, and why both matter What "presence distortion" is and how it undermines trust even when leaders believe they're being vulnerable Why Brené Brown's work on vulnerability is an important starting point, not the complete conversation How psychological safety is created through capacity and presence, not scripts and good intentions What your calendar reveals about the gap between your stated values and your lived reality This isn't just a conversation about leadership. It's a conversation about how you relate to your team, your family, your partner, your work, and yourself. Because the quality of your life is often determined by the quality of the relationships you build and the relationship you maintain with your own body. If everything looks great on the outside and feels empty on the inside, this episode is for you. Press play and pay attention to what resonates. There is a good chance it is trying to teach you something. ABOUT THE GUEST Dr. Naketa Ren Thigpen is the world's foremost balance and relationship advisor and CEO of ThigPro Balance and Relationship Management Institute. Her licensed Joy Map method uncovers the hidden leadership strain that standard performance metrics miss: the quiet toll of decision fatigue, fracturing trust, and the slow burn of misalignment between who you say you are and how you actually show up. A licensed clinical social worker and trauma specialist with nearly 30 years of experience, Dr. Naketa built her life's work from the inside out. She broke cycles, asked the questions her family did not want answered, and turned that courage into a framework that now serves global companies and a select private advisory, the BARR Coterie. She has been named among 100 Women to Watch in 2026 and honored by the NAACP as one of Philadelphia's 104 most influential Black women. Find her and everything she is building at Substack under ThikProQuo or search "Balancing Your Brilliance" to find her. [00:03:30] Relational intelligence vs. relationship intelligence: what is the actual difference? [00:05:30] Trusting your inner brilliance when you don't know if something is personal or not [00:07:30] Presence distortion: being in the room but not actually there [00:10:00] "Just be a human" and what that unlocks for team performance and creativity [00:11:30] From the bedroom to the boardroom: how you show up in one place is how you show up everywhere [00:13:00] Your calendar is telling on you: what a misaligned schedule actually reveals [00:14:00] Bookend rituals and why your morning sets the tone for everything else [00:15:30] Bubble breathing, lemon water, and two minutes that can shift your entire nervous system [00:17:00] Body awareness, embodiment, and why so many people are disconnected from both [00:18:30] Big T and little T trauma and why healing has to happen in the body [00:20:00] Embodiment as hygiene: not a crash-out strategy but a prevention practice [00:21:30] Dr. Naketa's origin story: growing up in dysfunction and choosing to break the pattern [00:25:00] The real results of this work: integrity, honest communication, aligned boundaries, and more [00:27:30] Expansive boundaries: how they make space instead of keeping people out #BlackSheepNetwork #RelationalIntelligence #LeadershipDevelopment #BoundaryWork #EmbodimentPractice #PsychologicalSafety #TraumaHealing #GenerationalPatterns #WorkLifeBalance #MindfulLeadership #IntimacyAndInnovation #NervousSystemRegulation #AuthenticLeadership #BalanceAndWellness #BlackSheepPodcast #WomenInLeadership

Jun 25

How Going Against Every Rule Built a Thriving Software Company with Alex Sanfilippo

Every mentor he paid told him to stop talking to his own software customers. So he listened. Built a 17-person team. Removed himself completely. And watched his company go numb. On this episode of Black Sheep Network, I sit down with Alex Sanfilippo, the founder of Podmatch, and we get into one of my favorite Black Sheep truths: the advice that feels wrong for you IS wrong for you, no matter who's giving it. Alex built Podmatch from a $5,000 bootstrap into a platform facilitating hundreds of podcast bookings a day. But the path there wasn't the shiny, scale-fast, delegate-everything playbook his mentors prescribed. It was the exact opposite. We talk about what happened when he followed conventional wisdom. Hiring 17 people. Removing himself from the front lines. Growth stalled at $30K a month. Then came the gut-punch moment at PodFest Orlando that changed everything. He met his most loyal user and didn't even know who they were. Here's what we dig into: He followed the "expert" playbook and watched his company flatline The moment at PodFest that made him tear up and rethink everything Why he phased out 17 staff members and went back to a 3-person team How revenue doubled from $30K to $60K in months after that one decision The Pod Value Initiative: why he split his profit in half and started paying podcasters Other software founders told him he was "making them look bad" Bookings jumped from 80 a day to nearly 200 after he started giving back Why caring about people over profit is always, always more profitable This is not a story about being anti-advice. It’s about no longer abandoning yourself and creating your own blueprint instead. If you've ever sat in a room full of people more successful than you and felt something in your gut screaming "this isn't right," this episode will feel like a deep exhale. Go listen. Then go see what Alex built, because the way he runs Podmatch is proof that the Black Sheep way isn't just more fulfilling. It's more profitable. ABOUT THE GUEST Alex Sanfilippo is the founder of Podmatch, a platform that connects podcast hosts and guests for interviews without the chaos. He bootstrapped it with $5,000. Grew it into a platform powering hundreds of daily bookings. Runs it with three people. He's also the host of Podcasting Made Simple and the creator of the Pod Value Initiative, where Podmatch gives half its profit back to the podcasters who use the platform. Former aerospace guy. Current podcasting advocate. Perpetual Black Sheep who got kicked out of a mastermind for refusing to stop caring about his users. Find him at podmatch.com/free. [00:04:45] 100+ podcasters lined up to tell him what they were struggling with [00:06:00] $5,000, a whiteboard wall, and a co-founder from his wedding party [00:07:00] "I felt like David in a room full of Goliaths" [00:08:30] The mastermind advice that felt wrong from day one [00:10:45] Standing in front of his biggest fan and not recognizing him [00:12:00] Phasing out 17 people and getting removed from the mastermind [00:13:15] $30K to $60K a month after one shift: being himself again [00:18:15] Splitting profit in half to pay podcasters through the Pod Value Initiative [00:21:00] "You're making us look bad." The backlash from other founders [00:22:30] 80 bookings a day jumping to nearly 200 [00:24:00] Why people over profit always wins, and the data to prove it [00:25:00] "We're letting our giftedness take us further than our character can" [00:27:00] Where to find Alex and his no-strings-attached free resource #BlackSheepNetwork #AlexSanfilippo #Podmatch #PodcastingMadeSimple #PeopleOverProfit #TrustYourGut #BootstrappedStartup #PodcastGrowth #EntrepreneurMindset #AntiHustle #FounderStory #PodcastCommunity #DoItDifferently #SmallTeamBigImpact #PodValueInitiative #AuthenticLeadership #PatternBreaker #BlackSheepManifesto

Jun 11

How Bumby Wool Made Slow Fashion Scalable Without Selling Out with Stephanie Gross

What if the thing everyone said would kill your business is actually what saved it? That is exactly what happened to Stephanie Gross, founder of Bumby Wool. She did not start with a business plan. She started because she could not find what she wanted, so she made it herself. From her basement. With two kids running around her feet. And a first employee she originally hired for free. That employee has now been with her for 16 years. In this episode of Black Sheep Network, we get into what it actually looks like to build a business that refuses to compromise, even when the entire industry is telling you that you are doing it wrong. Here is what you discover when listening: The dirty secret inside fast fashion that most brands are hoping you never Google. Why Steph has never once looked at what her competitors are doing and why that is a strategy, not an accident. The workforce model most corporations would laugh at right before losing half their team. What it took to navigate tariffs, family challenges, and 18 years of building without burning it all down. Why is she calling 2026 her launch era after nearly two decades of laying the foundation. The real reason the relentless pursuit of profit usually produces less of it. This is not just a feel-good story. It is a profitability and loyalty story. A proof-of-concept story for every founder who has been told that doing it with integrity means doing it slowly, quietly, and at a disadvantage. Steph is proof that when you build something right, it becomes nearly impossible to compete with. If you are tired of being told the only way to build is fast, cheap, and at the expense of everything you actually care about, this episode was made for you. Hit play. Then share it with the founder in your life who needs to hear that their way can work better than anything else. ABOUT THE GUEST Stephanie Gross is the founder and designer behind Bumby Wool, a Canadian-made custom clothing brand specializing in sustainable Merino wool garments for babies, kids, and adults. Born in New Zealand and raised with wool in her DNA, Steph has spent 18 years building a slow fashion company that makes one garment at a time, uses low-impact dyes, and employs a team whose longest-tenured member has been with her for 16 years. She is a passionate advocate for sustainable production, ethical team culture, and doing business in a way that does not require you to sell your soul to a supply chain. Bumby Wool has grown through word of mouth, a loyal community, and an obsessive commitment to quality that has made her virtually impossible to compete with. You can find her and Bumby Wool at bumbywool.com [03:30] "Eyes closed, head first, tail loose": Steph's philosophy on bold decisions [05:00] Becoming a mom and deciding to build a business she could run on her own terms [06:00] Why Bumby Wool is nearly impossible to compete with: made-to-order, low waste, loyal staff [07:30] The team that has stayed for 16 years and what that actually took to build [08:00] The ugly truth about fast fashion: the product that never even makes it to market [10:30] Why Steph has never looked at what her competitors are doing [12:00] How her first employee came to work for her for free and stayed for over a decade [14:00] Building a business where family comes first because that was the whole point [15:30] Why the relentless pursuit of profit usually produces less of it [17:30] The business case for integrity: lower turnover, higher trust, real results [18:30] What she saw at the Vegas trade show that confirmed she was doing it differently [20:00] Bootstrapping from thrifty leanness and why getting a loan felt scarier than doing it the hard way [22:00] Surviving COVID by using the pause to rebuild systems from scratch [24:00] Navigating tariffs, family challenges, and keeping everything she cared about intact [26:00] Why 2026 is her launch era after 18 years of building the foundation [27:00] Over 1,000 five-star reviews and a 2,500-person Facebook group that runs itself #BlackSheepNetwork #SlowFashion #SustainableFashion #BumbyWool #EthicalBusiness #WomenInBusiness #EntrepreneurMindset #SlowFashionMovement #SustainableClothing #MadeInCanada #FemaleFounder #EthicalFashion #BusinessPodcast #WoolClothing #SustainableKidsClothing #BlackSheep

May 28

Independent Filmmaking, Motherhood, and Creative Conviction with Kristina Miller-Weston

Becoming a parent comes with a lot of complex questions. And depending on your answer you could be labeled a Black Sheep for life. On this episode of Black Sheep Network, I sat down with Kristina Miller Weston to talk about Just Wait, an upcoming feature film centered on one of the most emotionally charged and least honestly discussed questions women face: what if motherhood is not the life you actually want? The film follows a woman whose miscarriage forces her to confront an instinctive feeling of relief, sending her into a collision course with identity, marriage, expectation, and the pressure women feel to perform certainty around decisions that are often anything but simple. We talked about why stories like this still make studios uncomfortable, how female-centered films continue to face resistance in funding rooms, and why Kristina stopped waiting for permission to create the work she believed needed to exist. The current state of independent filmmaking, the collapse of the traditional studio pipeline, and what it now takes to get unconventional stories financed in an industry increasingly driven by familiarity and formulas needs to take a larger number of platforms and is a necessity to be voiced out. Here’s some of what we unpacked: The emotional premise behind Just Wait The funding challenges behind female-led films What the Black List feedback revealed about industry bias Why independent filmmakers are building outside the old system Kristina’s “little girl in the back row” philosophy This conversation ended up being just as much about conviction as it was about filmmaking. About what happens when you keep pushing forward with a story long after people tell you they “don’t know how to market it.” About creating work for the people who need to feel seen by it, not just the executives deciding whether it fits neatly into a category. Around how women’s experiences are still filtered through audiences and decision-makers who often struggle to recognize emotional complexity unless it arrives packaged in a way they already understand. If you’ve ever tried to build something that didn’t fit the usual mold, this will hit home. Listen for a conversation on storytelling, creative conviction, and what it takes to keep moving. ABOUT THE GUEST Kristina Miller Weston is a Los Angeles-based producer, actor, and founder of Kool Bnz Productions, a company dedicated to telling the stories the industry deems too risky, because she believes no risk outweighs giving hope. She performed on stages worldwide alongside Sally Struthers, Valerie Harper, and Dick Van Dyke, with screen credits including This Is Us and The L Word: Generation Q. Her award-winning shorts include To Say Goodbye Is to Die a Little, which earned 19 festival selections and 11 awards. She also produced and performed her own one-woman show and co-created the Broadway podcast My Favorite Flop. Her current focus is getting the feature film "Just Wait" made, with Diane Guerrero already attached to star. Find her at koolbnzproductions.com or on Instagram @koolbnz. [00:03:00] How Kristina went from actor to producer: her husband said "you can do that" and she listened [00:05:00] Why she focuses on championing female writers and what Cool Beans Productions stands for [00:06:00] On staying sane in an industry that keeps changing by creating instead of waiting [00:08:00] Choosing a life lived fully over one lived safely [00:09:00] The resistance she has faced as a female producer and the bias baked into the system [00:12:00] The premise of "Just Wait": a woman, a miscarriage, an honest reaction, and a retreat full of women all asking different versions of the same question [00:15:00] Why this is the movie Kristina wishes she had had when she became a mother [00:17:00] On trusting your gut when society has spent years training women not to [00:22:00] How independent films actually get made today (it is not what you think) [00:24:00] The "moving train" theory of filmmaking: if you are not a yes, you are not her person [00:25:00] The Black List submission, the male juror, and the audacity of critiquing real women's voices [00:27:00] Why female stories are not niche, they are the audience, and the data to prove it [00:29:00] Why this film is not just for women, and what it might open up for men too #BlackSheepNetwork #WomenInFilm #IndependentFilm #JustWaitFilm #KoolBnzProductions #KristinaMillerWeston #DianeGuerrero #FemaleProducers #TrustYourGut #StorytellingMatters #WomensStories #FilmProduction #FemaleStories #RepresentationMatters #IndieFilmmaker #WomenWhoCreate #AleashaBahr #BlackSheep #DoItAnyway #PodcastForWomen #BlackSheepPodcast #ArtThatMatters #FeatureFilm #WomensRights #BodyAutonomy #HollywoodDisruptor #PurposeDrivenFilm

May 14

The Unorthodox Leadership Strategies That Built Digible with Reid Wicoff

A lot of companies claim they want innovation. Very few are willing to question the systems they’re operating inside long enough to actually create it. In this latest episode of The Black Sheep Network, I sit down with Reid Wicoff, co-founder of Digible, to talk about leadership, startup pressure, sales culture, and what happens when you build a company around trust instead of the relentless pursuit of profit as the only goal. Before building Digible into a nearly 200-person agency, he spent years inside traditional corporate environments watching talented people burn out under performative leadership, broken incentives, and cultures that rewarded optics more than outcomes. So, when he finally had the opportunity to build something himself, he chose to challenge many of the assumptions most companies still treat as untouchable. Including some that directly contributed to Digible becoming one of the best places to work in Denver. What you’ll hear in this episode: Why authenticity and vulnerability became leadership strengths instead of liabilities. What it looked like to leave corporate leadership, get sued, and keep building anyway. Why Digible chose account managers over traditional commissioned salespeople. How financial transparency created stronger loyalty across the company. Why flexibility, trust, and work-life balance ended up driving stronger performance instead of weaker accountability. This conversation is really about a bigger question: How much of modern work culture exists because it’s effective… and how much of it exists simply because nobody stopped to challenge it? How much more profit could a company make if profit wasn’t their only focus? If you’ve ever questioned the way companies operate, lead, sell, or treat people, this episode is for you. Connect with Reid: 📧 reid@digible.com 🌐 digible.com [03:00] — The pseudonymous blog "Sales Smack" and the day his manager read it [05:00] — Leaving pharma, moving to Spain, returning broke in 2009 — and accidentally landing a director role [07:00] — Going worst to first: how radical authenticity and vulnerability turned around a 27-market digital team in 12 months [09:30] — The tension of climbing the ladder while staying true to yourself [11:00] — Why Reid climbed: influence over culture, strategy, and innovation — not ego [12:00] — Leaving The Denver Post to start Digible — and the lawsuit that nearly ended it before it began [13:30] — "Everything to lose" — what fueled him through the hardest stretch [15:00] — The Digible model: franchise-style, multifamily digital ads, and the protection of stacking small clients [18:00] — Transparency as a non-negotiable: sharing financials even when the numbers were scary [19:30] — Culture as a collaborative build — letting employees see their ideas come to life [20:00] — The four-day work week announcement: "This is who we want to be." [22:00] — No commissions, no sales team — account managers who lead with empathy and zero product-push agenda [26:00] — Why retention is more profitable than acquisition — and what Digible clients kept saying [28:00] — Saying no to $750K in "wrong fit" business — and why Reid is proud of it [29:30] — Going narrow to become a "one of one": the power of deep vertical expertise #BlackSheepNetwork #BlackSheepLeadership #CompanyCulture #FourDayWorkWeek #StartupFounder #AgencyGrowth #AuthenticLeadership #SalesWithoutSelling #ClientRetention #EmpathyInBusiness #RadicalTransparency #DigiblAgency #MultifamilyMarketing #FounderStory #WorkLifeBalance #PeopleFirst #BlackSheepBusiness #NoCommissions #BuildingATeam #ValuesDrivenBusiness #EntrepreneurMindset #RecruitmentCulture #LeadershipPodcast

Apr 30

How to Turn Imposter Syndrome Into a Superpower with Jen Coken

Imposter syndrome isn’t a flaw. It’s your brain doing exactly what it was designed to do. And the more you try to eliminate it, the more it tightens its grip. In this latest episode of the Black Sheep Network, Jen Coken breaks down what’s actually happening when that voice shows up right before you stretch, speak up, or step into something bigger. Because that is a very important moment that shows up when you’re on unfamiliar ground. Your brain flags it as risk, even when nothing is actually at stake. As Jen explains, most people experience tens of thousands of thoughts a day, and the majority skew negative and repetitive, which is why interrupting that pattern takes a conscious act of rebellion. The real issue isn’t the feeling itself. It’s how people respond to it. They either shrink or overcompensate. Different reactions, same outcome: burnout, self-doubt, and the constant sense that you still have something to prove. In this conversation, we get into: Why “imposter syndrome” isn’t actually a syndrome What your brain is doing in real time when it kicks in How early experiences wire your default response patterns The two most common reactions: shrinking vs overproving How to interrupt that pattern instead of reinforcing it What it looks like to use it as a signal, not a limitation Because once you understand where it’s coming from, you stop reacting on autopilot and start choosing how you show up. If you’ve ever felt like you’re capable of more but keep pulling yourself back at the exact moment it matters most, this one will hit. 01:30 – Why it’s not a “syndrome” at all 03:00 – The brain’s role in self-doubt 05:00 – Why imposter syndrome never fully goes away 06:30 – What triggers it during growth moments 08:00 – Why trying to “fix” it doesn’t work 10:00 – Identifying your personal pattern 12:00 – The defining moment that shapes it 15:00 – How to interrupt and rewire the pattern 17:00 – Shrinking vs overcompensating 19:00 – What changes when you stop proving yourself 21:00 – Real-life transformation example 23:00 – The impact on leadership and confidence 25:00 – Why authenticity outperforms performance 27:00 – Using imposter syndrome as a signal If you’re done letting that voice run the show, Jen has the tools to actually change it. Start with her quiz: jencokenquiz.com Then grab her book Make Imposter Syndrome Your Superpower or dive into her work at jencoken.com #ImposterSyndrome #Confidence #Leadership #Mindset #SelfDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #WomenInLeadership #WomenInSales #EmotionalIntelligence #HighPerformance #BlackSheepNetwork

Apr 16

AI in Sales: The Opportunity and The Risk with Mike Allton

AI isn’t a future shift - it’s already part of your sales floor, whether you’ve realized it or not. While companies debate adoption, reps have already moved. They’re writing emails with it and strategizing on sales deals. They didn’t talk to you about it and that’s where things can go wrong. In this new episode of Black Sheep Network, we sit down with Mike Allton to unpack “shadow AI” and why ignoring it creates more risk than addressing it directly. Then Mike breaks down what to do instead because AI can be a powerful sales tool. The problem isn’t AI - it’s unmanaged usage. You need structure, guidance and consistency to make it successful. Without that you have: Uneven, unprofessional execution Security exposure Missed chances to scale what works If AI is already happening inside your team - listen to this episode so you can lead it instead of trying to catch up to it. Otherwise, it could cause more harm than good. 01:10 – The overload of AI tools and why most don’t matter 02:30 – Why focusing on workflows matters more than tools 04:00 – What salespeople actually want AI to handle 05:30 – What “shadow AI” is 07:00 – Why reps are already using AI on their own 09:00 – The hidden risk of unsanctioned AI use 11:30 – Real examples of how reps are using AI today 14:00 – Security risks and data exposure explained 16:30 – Why reps don’t tell leadership they’re using AI 18:30 – The gap between reps using AI and those who aren’t 20:30 – Why leadership is slow to adopt AI 22:30 – Aligning AI with revenue goals 24:30 – What changes when AI is implemented correctly 26:30 – The traffic light system for safe AI usage 28:30 – How AI helps scale without increasing headcount About the guest Mike Allton is the founder of The AI Hat, where he helps businesses make sense of AI without the noise. His work focuses on practical implementation—turning AI from a buzzword into something teams can actually use to improve performance, streamline workflows, and scale intelligently. He’s known for cutting through hype and showing leaders what matters: where AI fits, where it doesn’t, and how to use it without creating more complexity than it solves. If you want to go deeper into his work or connect directly, you can check him out here: https://theaihat.com/connect #AIinSales #SalesLeadership #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #RevenueGrowth #SalesTeams #ArtificialIntelligence #SalesEnablement #FutureOfWork #BlackSheepSales #BlackSheepNetwork

Apr 2

From Near-Bankruptcy to Pure Profit: The Unfiltered Truth About Growing a Business with Kevin Roy

Kevin Roy didn’t build Green Banana SEO by playing it safe. He built it by surviving a 50/50 partner who stopped working, a salesperson who sued him, a maxed-out line of credit, and a retirement fund he had to drain just to make payroll. In this episode, Kevin shares the hard-won lessons behind 17 years in digital marketing and how nearly losing everything became the best thing that ever happened to his company. He also breaks down what actually matters for SEO in the age of AI. The path forward is simpler and more doable than most people think. What you’ll walk away with: Why 50/50 partnerships are a trap and what to look for instead • The white label warning signs most agencies discover too late • How Kevin's team convinced him to fire bad clients and revenue actually increased • The two client red flags Kevin screens for on every sales call • A practical framework for ranking in AI search, including entity stacking and schema • Kevin’s take on the Dead Internet Theory Kevin has weathered the kind of setbacks that cause most founders to fold. A predatory salesperson. A disengaged partner. A business on the verge of collapse. He pushed through every one of them and came out the other side with zero debt, a high-performing team, and a business built entirely on his own terms. If you’ve ever been burned by a bad partnership, drawn into a deal that looked good on paper, or you’re trying to stay visible in an AI-driven search landscape, this episode belongs in your ears. Hit play. 👤 Guest Bio Kevin Roy is the founder and owner of Green Banana SEO, a performance-driven digital marketing agency based in Boston. With 15+ years in the industry, Kevin has generated tens of millions in revenue across diverse markets and has been recognized by the Boston Business Journal Fast 50 and Inc. 5000. He's known for building cross-functional teams, improving customer experience, and staying ahead of the curve as search evolves — from Google to AI. 🌐 https://greenbananaseo.com/author-kevin-c-roy-greenbanana-seo/ 🔍 Google "I just met Kevin" to find his page 3:15 How Kevin accidentally started his company (HTML classes, severance, and three free websites) 6:00 Sales, NLP, and the meeting where Kevin closed a client in two minutes 7:30 The 50/50 business partner mistake - what went wrong and why 11:30 What to look for in a business partner (grit, work ethic, hard conversations) 13:30 The white label salesperson who stole clients, took employees, and sued them 17:00 How firing bad clients and unprofitable white label accounts turned things around 19:30 A leadership moment 22:00 Kevin's two client screening red flags (and why the proposal edit rule works) 23:30 From near-collapse to zero debt: where Green Banana is now 24:30 SEO in the age of AI - the 80% that still matters 26:00 Entity stacking, schema, and how to build credibility for AI search 27:30 The Dead Internet Theory - Kevin's take #AISearch #AnswerEngineOptimization #SEOAgency #DigitalMarketing #OnPageSEO #LinkBuilding #BlackSheepNetwork #BusinessPodcast #MarketingPodcast #EntrepreneurPodcast #SearchEngineOptimization #KevinRoy #AleashaBahr

The Black Sheep Network

From the Bedroom to the Boardroom: How Relational Intelligence Changes Everything with Dr. Naketa Ren Thigpen

How Going Against Every Rule Built a Thriving Software Company with Alex Sanfilippo

How Bumby Wool Made Slow Fashion Scalable Without Selling Out with Stephanie Gross

Independent Filmmaking, Motherhood, and Creative Conviction with Kristina Miller-Weston

The Unorthodox Leadership Strategies That Built Digible with Reid Wicoff

How to Turn Imposter Syndrome Into a Superpower with Jen Coken

AI in Sales: The Opportunity and The Risk with Mike Allton

From Near-Bankruptcy to Pure Profit: The Unfiltered Truth About Growing a Business with Kevin Roy

A Podcast for People Who Never Fit the Script

A great podcast for anyone who feels like a black sheep.

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The Black Sheep Network

Episodes

From the Bedroom to the Boardroom: How Relational Intelligence Changes Everything with Dr. Naketa Ren Thigpen

How Going Against Every Rule Built a Thriving Software Company with Alex Sanfilippo

How Bumby Wool Made Slow Fashion Scalable Without Selling Out with Stephanie Gross

Independent Filmmaking, Motherhood, and Creative Conviction with Kristina Miller-Weston

The Unorthodox Leadership Strategies That Built Digible with Reid Wicoff

How to Turn Imposter Syndrome Into a Superpower with Jen Coken

AI in Sales: The Opportunity and The Risk with Mike Allton

From Near-Bankruptcy to Pure Profit: The Unfiltered Truth About Growing a Business with Kevin Roy

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