<![CDATA[21 Minutes With...]]>There's no shortage of business podcasts. There is, however, a shortage of those who ask the question you’re really thinking.


"21 Minutes With…" is our answer to that.


Every week, we sit down with founders, CEOs, creators, and industry leaders for one focused conversation, not about their wins, but about the whole picture. The pivots. The failures that turned out to be the whole lesson. The moment they almost quit, and why they didn't.


We're asking the questions no one else is asking and telling the stories that don't usually make the keynote. It’s a confession booth, with better lighting.


Because the real blueprint for building a brand, a business, or a creative career isn't in the polished case study. It's in the honest conversation most people never have out loud.


That's what we're creating. Twenty-one minutes at a time.


New episodes drop every week, hosted by the team at The 21st Agency.


Follow along and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.


“21 Minutes With…“ because the best lessons rarely come with a press release.


Let’s get into it. 🎙️

]]>https://the21a.com/Riverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Mon, 02 Nov 2026 18:11:04 GMTTue, 10 Mar 2026 19:50:59 GMT60The 21st Agency<p>There's no shortage of business podcasts. There is, however, a shortage of those who ask the question you’re really thinking.</p><p><br />"21 Minutes With…" is our answer to that.</p><p><br />Every week, we sit down with founders, CEOs, creators, and industry leaders for one focused conversation, not about their wins, but about the whole picture. The pivots. The failures that turned out to be the whole lesson. The moment they almost quit, and why they didn't.</p><p><br />We're asking the questions no one else is asking and telling the stories that don't usually make the keynote. It’s a confession booth, with better lighting.</p><p><br />Because the real blueprint for building a brand, a business, or a creative career isn't in the polished case study. It's in the honest conversation most people never have out loud.</p><p><br />That's what we're creating. Twenty-one minutes at a time.</p><p><br />New episodes drop every week, hosted by the team at The 21st Agency.</p><p><br />Follow along and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.</p><p><br />“21 Minutes With…“ because the best lessons rarely come with a press release.</p><p><br />Let’s get into it. 🎙️</p>episodicThe 21st Agencyinfo@the21a.comno<![CDATA[From High Heels to Hard Tech (Episode 53 ft. Becca Brown)]]>Fall in love with the problem, not the product.

Becca Brown is President and CEO of spARK Labs by ARK Invest, the incubator inside St. Petersburg’s ARK Innovation Center. Before that, she spent eight years at Goldman Sachs, then walked away to launch Solemates, the heel protector she took to Shark Tank and onto CVS shelves.

Brittany Ward sits down with Becca to trace the path from high heels to hard tech. They get into the Barneys buyer who called her product hideous in front of a room at Columbia Business School, why Solemates’ first Shark Tank audition tape was rejected, and what founders should ask before taking a check, including one from a Shark. Becca also breaks down how spARK Labs supports founders across ARK Invest’s five innovation themes and where she’d put $100 million to build Tampa Bay’s innovation economy.

“It’s important to fall in love with the problem first and not the solution, so that you’re open to feedback around the solution.”
Becca Brown, spARK Labs by ARK Invest

“21 Minutes With...” is The 21st Agency’s podcast for operators, leaders, and brand builders.

]]>68845f11-8548-4a21-9f7c-f7f6c4311fe5Wed, 28 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT<p>Fall in love with the problem, not the product.</p><p>Becca Brown is President and CEO of spARK Labs by ARK Invest, the incubator inside St. Petersburg’s ARK Innovation Center. Before that, she spent eight years at Goldman Sachs, then walked away to launch Solemates, the heel protector she took to Shark Tank and onto CVS shelves.</p><p>Brittany Ward sits down with Becca to trace the path from high heels to hard tech. They get into the Barneys buyer who called her product hideous in front of a room at Columbia Business School, why Solemates’ first Shark Tank audition tape was rejected, and what founders should ask before taking a check, including one from a Shark. Becca also breaks down how spARK Labs supports founders across ARK Invest’s five innovation themes and where she’d put $100 million to build Tampa Bay’s innovation economy.</p><p>“It’s important to fall in love with the problem first and not the solution, so that you’re open to feedback around the solution.”<br />Becca Brown, spARK Labs by ARK Invest</p><p>“21 Minutes With...” is The 21st Agency’s podcast for operators, leaders, and brand builders.</p>no00:28:43253From High Heels to Hard Tech (Episode 53 ft. Becca Brown)full<![CDATA[From Goalkeeper to Storyteller (Episode 52 ft. Jeff Attinella)]]>From goalkeeper to storyteller. Jeff Attinella spent 11 years as a professional goalkeeper, nine of them in MLS, including time with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. In this episode he gets into the blame and pressure that come with playing in goal, unlearning perfectionism after soccer, the injuries that ended his career, and the second life he has built as a coach, children’s book author, and the brand and content voice trying to grow the game for the Rowdies.

]]>c42ccb19-57ce-49b2-b358-ff9ce325ce0aFri, 16 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT<p>From goalkeeper to storyteller. Jeff Attinella spent 11 years as a professional goalkeeper, nine of them in MLS, including time with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. In this episode he gets into the blame and pressure that come with playing in goal, unlearning perfectionism after soccer, the injuries that ended his career, and the second life he has built as a coach, children’s book author, and the brand and content voice trying to grow the game for the Rowdies.</p>no00:30:47From Goalkeeper to Storyteller (Episode 52 ft. Jeff Attinella)full<![CDATA[From the Pitch to the Pivot (Episode 51 ft. Giacomo Sanvitale)]]>Giacomo Sanvitale grew up outside Milan, signed with a Swiss club at 15, and followed soccer to the United States through scholarships in Missouri and Oregon, surgeries far from home, and hundreds of cold emails before he landed in Florida. He was also filming the whole time. Starting in 2016, he became the first Italian creator to bring the college athlete life to YouTube, which made him recognizable back home. He now hosts Two Miles With…, a running interview series filmed on Bayshore Boulevard that passed nearly a million views in under four months.

This conversation is about what happens when an identity stops fitting. Giacomo explains why he chose to post about anxiety and loneliness after retiring, even though it cost him his sponsors, his management, and 30K followers in two months. He talks about keeping his faith private for years and then deciding to stop, about building a format around his limits instead of waiting for a studio, and about why fatigue makes his guests more honest.

"I lost all my sponsors, I lost my management, I lost 30K in two months... and I couldn't care less. I never felt so free." (Giacomo Sanvitale)

21 Minutes With… is The 21st Agency's podcast for operators, leaders, and brand builders.

]]>7f70ca54-107a-4c3f-b72b-de5d8b307e86Fri, 25 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMT<p>Giacomo Sanvitale grew up outside Milan, signed with a Swiss club at 15, and followed soccer to the United States through scholarships in Missouri and Oregon, surgeries far from home, and hundreds of cold emails before he landed in Florida. He was also filming the whole time. Starting in 2016, he became the first Italian creator to bring the college athlete life to YouTube, which made him recognizable back home. He now hosts Two Miles With…, a running interview series filmed on Bayshore Boulevard that passed nearly a million views in under four months.<br /><br />This conversation is about what happens when an identity stops fitting. Giacomo explains why he chose to post about anxiety and loneliness after retiring, even though it cost him his sponsors, his management, and 30K followers in two months. He talks about keeping his faith private for years and then deciding to stop, about building a format around his limits instead of waiting for a studio, and about why fatigue makes his guests more honest.<br /><br />"I lost all my sponsors, I lost my management, I lost 30K in two months... and I couldn't care less. I never felt so free." (Giacomo Sanvitale)<br /><br />21 Minutes With… is The 21st Agency's podcast for operators, leaders, and brand builders.</p>no00:26:50251From the Pitch to the Pivot (Episode 51 ft. Giacomo Sanvitale)full<![CDATA[Building AI Companies One Dog at a Time (Episode 50 ft. Ed Buckley)]]>Most founders fall in love with a product and then go looking for a problem it solves. Ed Buckley has spent four companies doing the opposite.

Buckley is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Scholar Education, the Tampa company using AI to personalize learning for students and teachers. Before that he built Peerfit into FitOn Health and launched Sword Intelligence inside Sword Health. Three of his four companies reached a million dollars in their first year.

This conversation is about what changes between your first company and your fourth. Buckley breaks down why 80 percent of a first-time founder's motion is wasted, how repetition turned instinct into a system he can run with new teams in new industries, and why he deliberately targets slow, risk-averse sectors like healthcare and education instead of avoiding them. He explains why every product he builds keeps a human at the center surrounded by AI, and why walking into a room without all the answers earns more trust than pitching. Also: two Bernedoodles named Baxter and Bruce, who were part of the go-to-market plan before there was a product.

"There are definitely wrong answers, but there's never one right answer."
Ed Buckley

21 Minutes With… is The 21st Agency's podcast for operators, leaders, and brand builders.

]]>0c594094-ff94-4d59-bb85-3c6f3d2ccffaMon, 14 Sep 2026 21:02:38 GMT<p>Most founders fall in love with a product and then go looking for a problem it solves. Ed Buckley has spent four companies doing the opposite.<br /><br />Buckley is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Scholar Education, the Tampa company using AI to personalize learning for students and teachers. Before that he built Peerfit into FitOn Health and launched Sword Intelligence inside Sword Health. Three of his four companies reached a million dollars in their first year.<br /><br />This conversation is about what changes between your first company and your fourth. Buckley breaks down why 80 percent of a first-time founder's motion is wasted, how repetition turned instinct into a system he can run with new teams in new industries, and why he deliberately targets slow, risk-averse sectors like healthcare and education instead of avoiding them. He explains why every product he builds keeps a human at the center surrounded by AI, and why walking into a room without all the answers earns more trust than pitching. Also: two Bernedoodles named Baxter and Bruce, who were part of the go-to-market plan before there was a product.<br /><br />"There are definitely wrong answers, but there's never one right answer."<br />Ed Buckley<br /><br />21 Minutes With… is The 21st Agency's podcast for operators, leaders, and brand builders.</p>no00:28:05250Building AI Companies One Dog at a Time (Episode 50 ft. Ed Buckley)full<![CDATA[Question Everything (Episode 49 ft. Kevin Meyer)]]>Most of what looks like a tactical marketing problem is a diagnosis problem.

Kevin Meyer is a brand and marketing strategist in Chicago who started out as an industrial designer at OtterBox. His way into the work was a question an intern asked in a design review that nobody in the room could answer: what did the customer say? He built a foam core mockup, spent a week talking to people in strip malls around Fort Collins, and came back with a heat map that ended the debate and freed the team to go solve a better problem. He studied sociology, anthropology, and psychology alongside design, and shoots street photography built around capturing what a city feels like rather than what it looks like.

This conversation covers why diagnosis is the step most companies skip, why strategy is a creative act rather than an analytical one, and how decisions inside older businesses quietly drift toward internal opinion once nobody goes back to check what the customer actually thinks. Kevin also lands somewhere uncomfortable on AI: he uses it, he does not particularly like it, and he is clear that it is a tool rather than a craftsman. It only produces anything worth keeping in the hands of someone who already has the expertise to judge the output.

"Most companies have been skipping leg day."

]]>b8f991f1-fdd7-4de1-bd4b-a3cda1572cd8Fri, 04 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMT<p>Most of what looks like a tactical marketing problem is a diagnosis problem.<br /></p><p>Kevin Meyer is a brand and marketing strategist in Chicago who started out as an industrial designer at OtterBox. His way into the work was a question an intern asked in a design review that nobody in the room could answer: what did the customer say? He built a foam core mockup, spent a week talking to people in strip malls around Fort Collins, and came back with a heat map that ended the debate and freed the team to go solve a better problem. He studied sociology, anthropology, and psychology alongside design, and shoots street photography built around capturing what a city feels like rather than what it looks like.</p><p></p><p>This conversation covers why diagnosis is the step most companies skip, why strategy is a creative act rather than an analytical one, and how decisions inside older businesses quietly drift toward internal opinion once nobody goes back to check what the customer actually thinks. Kevin also lands somewhere uncomfortable on AI: he uses it, he does not particularly like it, and he is clear that it is a tool rather than a craftsman. It only produces anything worth keeping in the hands of someone who already has the expertise to judge the output.<br /></p><p>"Most companies have been skipping leg day."</p>no00:32:56249Question Everything (Episode 49 ft. Kevin Meyer)full<![CDATA[A Global Perspective on Relationships (Episode 48 ft. Ludmila Woodruff)]]>Most high performers treat the relationship work as something to get to after the business is finally working. Ludmila Woodruff's argument is that the waiting is the problem.

Ludmila is a relationship and emotional intelligence coach who works with founders, executives, and high achievers — women and men — on the patterns underneath the performance. Having lived across four countries and cultures, she brings a global lens to how people learn to express love, avoid conflict, and armor up. Her work goes to the root cause rather than the coping mechanism.

In this conversation, she breaks down why so many founders build businesses out of survival, and why the identity that got them to seven figures eventually becomes a wall — in their marriage, in their leadership, and in their relationship with money. She makes the case that achievement provides safety, control provides protection, and perfection provides identity, but none of them provide worthiness. She explains why the same attachment pattern that shows up in a marriage shows up in how someone holds onto cash. And she offers a daily practice that costs nothing: track your triggers the way you'd track your food.

"If you want to have deeply connected relationships, you can only meet people at the depth of where you meet yourself." — Ludmila Woodruff

21 Minutes With… is The 21st Agency's podcast for operators, leaders, and brand builders.

]]>e911acb7-f38f-43cf-b4d3-739d07ced792Fri, 28 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMT<p>Most high performers treat the relationship work as something to get to after the business is finally working. Ludmila Woodruff's argument is that the waiting is the problem.</p><p>Ludmila is a relationship and emotional intelligence coach who works with founders, executives, and high achievers — women and men — on the patterns underneath the performance. Having lived across four countries and cultures, she brings a global lens to how people learn to express love, avoid conflict, and armor up. Her work goes to the root cause rather than the coping mechanism.</p><p>In this conversation, she breaks down why so many founders build businesses out of survival, and why the identity that got them to seven figures eventually becomes a wall — in their marriage, in their leadership, and in their relationship with money. She makes the case that achievement provides safety, control provides protection, and perfection provides identity, but none of them provide worthiness. She explains why the same attachment pattern that shows up in a marriage shows up in how someone holds onto cash. And she offers a daily practice that costs nothing: track your triggers the way you'd track your food.</p><p>"If you want to have deeply connected relationships, you can only meet people at the depth of where you meet yourself." — Ludmila Woodruff</p><p>21 Minutes With… is The 21st Agency's podcast for operators, leaders, and brand builders.</p>no00:36:08A Global Perspective on Relationships (Episode 48 ft. Ludmila Woodruff)full<![CDATA[The Oval Office Operator (Episode 47 ft. Lauren Wittenberg Weiner)]]>Most people treat rules as an endpoint. Lauren Wittenberg Weiner treats them as a starting point — and that distinction built a $100 million company.

Lauren spent her early career inside the Office of Management and Budget at the White House, working daily against U.S. code and federal regulation. When she followed her husband on military orders to Italy, she was told military spouses weren't permitted to hold professional-level jobs. She started WWC Global anyway, grew it to $100 million in annual revenue and 350 direct employees over 18 years, and sold in 2022. Her book, Unruly, carries a foreword by Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

This conversation is about the gap between what the rules say and what everyone assumes they say. Lauren walks through leaving academia when the people around her called it failure, discovering how much interpretive room actually exists inside federal regulation, and building a company she never intended to build — one "yes, we can do that" at a time. She's precise about what she ruled out: by her own description, she is a rule follower to the extreme. The skill was never breaking conventions. It was knowing which ones are load-bearing.

"There is so much space within the rules. What the rules say versus what people think they say are two very different things." — Lauren Wittenberg Weiner

]]>198b29de-b30b-4592-908b-21e0c7f6dc9fMon, 10 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMT<p>Most people treat rules as an endpoint. Lauren Wittenberg Weiner treats them as a starting point — and that distinction built a $100 million company.<br /><br />Lauren spent her early career inside the Office of Management and Budget at the White House, working daily against U.S. code and federal regulation. When she followed her husband on military orders to Italy, she was told military spouses weren't permitted to hold professional-level jobs. She started WWC Global anyway, grew it to $100 million in annual revenue and 350 direct employees over 18 years, and sold in 2022. Her book, Unruly, carries a foreword by Gen. Stanley McChrystal.<br /><br />This conversation is about the gap between what the rules say and what everyone assumes they say. Lauren walks through leaving academia when the people around her called it failure, discovering how much interpretive room actually exists inside federal regulation, and building a company she never intended to build — one "yes, we can do that" at a time. She's precise about what she ruled out: by her own description, she is a rule follower to the extreme. The skill was never breaking conventions. It was knowing which ones are load-bearing.<br /><br />"There is so much space within the rules. What the rules say versus what people think they say are two very different things." — Lauren Wittenberg Weiner<br /></p>no00:29:48247The Oval Office Operator (Episode 47 ft. Lauren Wittenberg Weiner)full<![CDATA[The Tampa Tech Architect (Episode 46 ft. Tony DiBenedetto)]]>Most people talk about money as a motivator. Tony DiBenedetto talks about it as a mirror.

Tony co-founded Tribridge in 1998 and spent nearly two decades building it into an 850-person technology firm before leading its sale to DXC Technology in 2017. He's now Chairman and CEO of Appspace, and Founder and Chair of Think Big for Kids, a national nonprofit that has helped more than 8,000 young people set and reach their post-high-school goals. He got there from a childhood spent in fifteen different homes.

This conversation goes further into the formation than the résumé usually allows. Tony talks about the bagel shop he opened at 23 while working full time at Arthur Andersen — and what its failure taught him about cash flow and about his own expectations of other people. He's direct about the years before the guardrails existed: no curfew, no rules, and a proximity to real criminal activity that he neither dramatizes nor excuses. He explains why he deliberately gravitated toward partners and friends who had been raised differently, and what it took to build a filter in his twenties that most people are handed in childhood. He also names the one offer he accepted that he'd take back.

"Money can affect behavior, but it also reflects character." — Tony DiBenedetto

]]>ac843805-8783-4af4-b47a-0c770f3bb626Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:21:35 GMT<p>Most people talk about money as a motivator. Tony DiBenedetto talks about it as a mirror.<br /><br />Tony co-founded Tribridge in 1998 and spent nearly two decades building it into an 850-person technology firm before leading its sale to DXC Technology in 2017. He's now Chairman and CEO of Appspace, and Founder and Chair of Think Big for Kids, a national nonprofit that has helped more than 8,000 young people set and reach their post-high-school goals. He got there from a childhood spent in fifteen different homes.<br /><br />This conversation goes further into the formation than the résumé usually allows. Tony talks about the bagel shop he opened at 23 while working full time at Arthur Andersen — and what its failure taught him about cash flow and about his own expectations of other people. He's direct about the years before the guardrails existed: no curfew, no rules, and a proximity to real criminal activity that he neither dramatizes nor excuses. He explains why he deliberately gravitated toward partners and friends who had been raised differently, and what it took to build a filter in his twenties that most people are handed in childhood. He also names the one offer he accepted that he'd take back.<br /><br />"Money can affect behavior, but it also reflects character." — Tony DiBenedetto</p>no00:27:02246The Tampa Tech Architect (Episode 46 ft. Tony DiBenedetto)full<![CDATA[How to Build a Real Estate Empire (Episode 45 ft. Ryan McGuinness)]]>The best opportunities often appear when everyone else is running in the opposite direction.

Ryan McGuinness is the Founder of RPM Realty, a private lending and real estate investment company built on calculated risk, conservative valuations, and the ability to move quickly. His path started at 19, when he raised money to open a pizza restaurant across from the University of Florida, and continued through a hedge fund during the 2008 financial crisis, bond trading, hundreds of property flips, and investments in some of Tampa’s most recognizable businesses.

This conversation digs into how Ryan evaluates risk, why he entered real estate when the market was collapsing, how RPM Realty approves loans in hours instead of weeks, and why protecting investors matters more than chasing maximum growth. He also shares his perspective on Tampa’s transformation, investing in projects like Motor Enclave, Meat Market, and Ford’s Garage, and why his current goal is simplifying his portfolio rather than adding more to it.

“If you’re going the same way the public is going, you’re probably already too late to the party.” — McGuinness

]]>64296de0-57e5-4e20-810b-6bc0ac469114Thu, 30 Jul 2026 19:54:59 GMT<p>The best opportunities often appear when everyone else is running in the opposite direction.<br /><br />Ryan McGuinness is the Founder of RPM Realty, a private lending and real estate investment company built on calculated risk, conservative valuations, and the ability to move quickly. His path started at 19, when he raised money to open a pizza restaurant across from the University of Florida, and continued through a hedge fund during the 2008 financial crisis, bond trading, hundreds of property flips, and investments in some of Tampa’s most recognizable businesses.<br /><br />This conversation digs into how Ryan evaluates risk, why he entered real estate when the market was collapsing, how RPM Realty approves loans in hours instead of weeks, and why protecting investors matters more than chasing maximum growth. He also shares his perspective on Tampa’s transformation, investing in projects like Motor Enclave, Meat Market, and Ford’s Garage, and why his current goal is simplifying his portfolio rather than adding more to it.<br /><br />“If you’re going the same way the public is going, you’re probably already too late to the party.” — McGuinness</p>no00:24:59245How to Build a Real Estate Empire (Episode 45 ft. Ryan McGuinness)full<![CDATA[Building a business off of a bar napkin (Episode 44 ft. John Waldmann)]]>The hardest customer in software is usually the most underserved — and that's precisely the opportunity.

John Waldmann is the Founder & CEO of Homebase, the team management platform now used by more than 150,000 small businesses. His path there ran through a teenage web design company called Angry Hippo, a tuxedo rental shop, BCG, and KKR — until two friends opened a restaurant and he saw firsthand how little technology existed for the people who needed it most.

This conversation digs into the decisions behind the company: why he gave the product away free for four years when competitors charged per employee, why he turned down VC advice to go up-market, why he hired people with family-business backgrounds over traditional tech résumés, and how AI has made building at scale feel like the scrappy early days again.

"They can't pay a lot of money. They shouldn't pay a lot of money, but their problems are no less acute." — John Waldmann

]]>a14199e7-6a23-4c57-becd-47f543aa4262Wed, 15 Jul 2026 21:19:26 GMT<p>The hardest customer in software is usually the most underserved — and that's precisely the opportunity.<br /><br />John Waldmann is the Founder &amp; CEO of Homebase, the team management platform now used by more than 150,000 small businesses. His path there ran through a teenage web design company called Angry Hippo, a tuxedo rental shop, BCG, and KKR — until two friends opened a restaurant and he saw firsthand how little technology existed for the people who needed it most.<br /><br />This conversation digs into the decisions behind the company: why he gave the product away free for four years when competitors charged per employee, why he turned down VC advice to go up-market, why he hired people with family-business backgrounds over traditional tech résumés, and how AI has made building at scale feel like the scrappy early days again.<br /><br />"They can't pay a lot of money. They shouldn't pay a lot of money, but their problems are no less acute." — John Waldmann</p>no00:25:21244Building a business off of a bar napkin (Episode 44 ft. John Waldmann)full<![CDATA[The Gold Standard of Newscasting (Episode 43 ft. Stacie Schaible)]]>Most people assume that poise in front of a camera is something you're born with. Stacie Schaible's career is evidence that it's something you build — deliberately, and sometimes uncomfortably.

Schaible is a 36-year broadcasting veteran, Murrow Award winner, and solo anchor of News Channel 8 at 6 in Tampa Bay. She's one of the most recognized faces in local news and someone who has spent decades studying what it actually takes to earn trust through a screen.

In this conversation, she talks about being pulled off air early in her career to work with a language specialist, why "fake it till you make it" is more honest than most professionals admit, and what separates interviewers who get real answers from those who just get through their list. She also makes the case that curiosity — not charisma, not confidence — is the one quality that determines longevity in any field built on human connection.

]]>27ac8f8c-2a10-43b9-8ea3-a8ee8deb27bbThu, 09 Jul 2026 21:38:33 GMT<p>Most people assume that poise in front of a camera is something you're born with. Stacie Schaible's career is evidence that it's something you build — deliberately, and sometimes uncomfortably.<br /><br />Schaible is a 36-year broadcasting veteran, Murrow Award winner, and solo anchor of News Channel 8 at 6 in Tampa Bay. She's one of the most recognized faces in local news and someone who has spent decades studying what it actually takes to earn trust through a screen.<br /><br />In this conversation, she talks about being pulled off air early in her career to work with a language specialist, why "fake it till you make it" is more honest than most professionals admit, and what separates interviewers who get real answers from those who just get through their list. She also makes the case that curiosity — not charisma, not confidence — is the one quality that determines longevity in any field built on human connection.<br /></p>no00:29:22243The Gold Standard of Newscasting (Episode 43 ft. Stacie Schaible)full<![CDATA[The Expert of Medical Galmour (Episode 42 ft. Amanda Cuevas)]]>Most founder origin stories start with the big idea. Amanda Cuevas's starts with an honest admission in art school — and a sequence of pivots that didn't look like a plan until you see where they landed.

Amanda is the founder and CEO of GlamNow, a concierge aesthetics platform operating in 15 states that brings licensed medical injectors directly to the client. She is a Tampa native who moved through the luxury art world, Chanel's brand operations, high-end plumbing manufacturing, and construction revenue leadership before identifying the gap Glam Now was built to fill.

In this conversation, Amanda and host Brittany Ward cover the decision to stay adjacent to what she loved rather than push through where she wasn't built to compete, what Chanel's operational standards actually look like from the inside, how supply chain thinking from construction informed a healthcare platform, and what it took to unlock national scale in a highly regulated industry.

"That attention to detail was completely honed in — I was sharpened there. It was made there. It was refined there." — Amanda Cuevas

21 Minutes With… is The 21st Agency's podcast for operators, leaders, and brand builders.

]]>5969f575-30df-41d7-8786-a148e82d4bacWed, 17 Jun 2026 16:19:40 GMT<p>Most founder origin stories start with the big idea. Amanda Cuevas's starts with an honest admission in art school — and a sequence of pivots that didn't look like a plan until you see where they landed.<br /><br />Amanda is the founder and CEO of GlamNow, a concierge aesthetics platform operating in 15 states that brings licensed medical injectors directly to the client. She is a Tampa native who moved through the luxury art world, Chanel's brand operations, high-end plumbing manufacturing, and construction revenue leadership before identifying the gap Glam Now was built to fill.<br /><br />In this conversation, Amanda and host Brittany Ward cover the decision to stay adjacent to what she loved rather than push through where she wasn't built to compete, what Chanel's operational standards actually look like from the inside, how supply chain thinking from construction informed a healthcare platform, and what it took to unlock national scale in a highly regulated industry.<br /><br />"That attention to detail was completely honed in — I was sharpened there. It was made there. It was refined there." — Amanda Cuevas<br /><br />21 Minutes With… is The 21st Agency's podcast for operators, leaders, and brand builders.</p>yes00:30:26242The Expert of Medical Galmour (Episode 42 ft. Amanda Cuevas)full<![CDATA[An Island Girl's Journey to the Top (Episode 41 ft. Sheena Palacios)]]>Growth doesn't happen where you're comfortable — it happens at the exact edge where you're not sure you can pull it off. That's not a motivational line. For Sheena Palacios, it's an operating principle.

Sheena is the founder of NIFT Business Solutions, a firm built around fixing the gap that PE-backed trade companies keep creating: implementing systems without training the people who actually use them. She came up through the home services industry over two decades — starting as a customer service rep managing 17 tradesmen at a family-owned plumbing shop, surviving a private equity acquisition, and eventually building her own business after watching millions of dollars in software go to waste because no one stayed to train the end user.

In this conversation, Sheena talks about how she learned to use fear as a compass, why she intentionally worked herself out of every role she ever held, what she saw break down when private equity entered a family-owned business, and how systems, process, and people are the only three variables that actually determine whether a trade business scales.

"If it doesn't scare me, it's not big enough. But if it scares me, then I'm definitely going to get something out of it." — Sheena Palacios

21 Minutes With… is The 21st Agency's podcast for operators, leaders, and brand builders.

]]>fb5ca48e-562d-4bd9-aac5-71538069bcc4Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:14:06 GMT<p>Growth doesn't happen where you're comfortable — it happens at the exact edge where you're not sure you can pull it off. That's not a motivational line. For Sheena Palacios, it's an operating principle.<br /><br />Sheena is the founder of NIFT Business Solutions, a firm built around fixing the gap that PE-backed trade companies keep creating: implementing systems without training the people who actually use them. She came up through the home services industry over two decades — starting as a customer service rep managing 17 tradesmen at a family-owned plumbing shop, surviving a private equity acquisition, and eventually building her own business after watching millions of dollars in software go to waste because no one stayed to train the end user.<br /><br />In this conversation, Sheena talks about how she learned to use fear as a compass, why she intentionally worked herself out of every role she ever held, what she saw break down when private equity entered a family-owned business, and how systems, process, and people are the only three variables that actually determine whether a trade business scales.<br /><br />"If it doesn't scare me, it's not big enough. But if it scares me, then I'm definitely going to get something out of it." — Sheena Palacios<br /><br />21 Minutes With… is The 21st Agency's podcast for operators, leaders, and brand builders.</p>no00:28:13241An Island Girl's Journey to the Top (Episode 41 ft. Sheena Palacios)full<![CDATA[The Mission Guiding Veterans To A Better Life (Episode 40 ft. Elizabeth Kirkmeier)]]>This week, Brittany and Shayleen sit down with Elizabeth Kirchmeier, Director of Operations at SOF Missions, second-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, former law enforcement officer, SANE advocate, gym owner, and CrossFit coach.

Most people who dedicate themselves to service were first served by someone else. Elizabeth Kirchmeier wasn't — and that absence became the foundation for everything she's built.

Elizabeth is a second-degree BJJ black belt, former law enforcement officer, SANE advocate, gym owner, CrossFit coach, and Director of Operations at SOF Missions, a nonprofit supporting veterans in living differently — not just recovering, but advancing.

"Be the superhero that you always wish you had." — Elizabeth Kirchmeier

This conversation goes into what it actually takes to lead and serve from a place of real self-knowledge — why sitting with your own thoughts matters, what SOF Missions is doing that the VA can't, and how Elizabeth thinks about the character beneath all the credentials.

After this one, you'll think differently about what it means to build from nothing.

]]>4975193b-44c9-4792-9825-71c9613b4db3Fri, 29 May 2026 14:30:00 GMT<p>This week, Brittany and Shayleen sit down with Elizabeth Kirchmeier, Director of Operations at SOF Missions, second-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, former law enforcement officer, SANE advocate, gym owner, and CrossFit coach.<br /><br />Most people who dedicate themselves to service were first served by someone else. Elizabeth Kirchmeier wasn't — and that absence became the foundation for everything she's built.</p><p></p><p>Elizabeth is a second-degree BJJ black belt, former law enforcement officer, SANE advocate, gym owner, CrossFit coach, and Director of Operations at SOF Missions, a nonprofit supporting veterans in living differently — not just recovering, but advancing.</p><p></p><p>"Be the superhero that you always wish you had." — Elizabeth Kirchmeier</p><p></p><p>This conversation goes into what it actually takes to lead and serve from a place of real self-knowledge — why sitting with your own thoughts matters, what SOF Missions is doing that the VA can't, and how Elizabeth thinks about the character beneath all the credentials.</p><p></p><p>After this one, you'll think differently about what it means to build from nothing.</p><p></p>no00:26:05240The Mission Guiding Veterans To A Better Life (Episode 40 ft. Elizabeth Kirkmeier)full<![CDATA[Doordash's AI Marketing Wizard (Episode 39 ft. Hannah Davis Tsumoto)]]>This week on 21 Minutes With…, Brittany and Christian sit down with Hannah Davis Tsumoto, Head of AI Transformation at DoorDash.

Hannah is responsible for integrating AI into marketing workflows across one of the most recognizable consumer brands in the world — and she's not talking about using ChatGPT for captions. She's talking about the fundamental rewiring of how marketing teams are built, how creative gets made, how data gets connected, and how brands survive in a world where the search engine is no longer the gatekeeper.

In this conversation, we talk about why companies not integrating AI won't be winning in 12 to 24 months, what the backpack journalist framework means for the next generation of marketers, how DoorDash is actually deploying AI across its marketing org right now, and why AEO is replacing SEO faster than most brands realize.

]]>e8d05102-b2b5-4ba1-926a-3f9c177901adThu, 07 May 2026 19:10:14 GMT<p>This week on 21 Minutes With…, Brittany and Christian sit down with Hannah Davis Tsumoto, Head of AI Transformation at DoorDash.<br /><br />Hannah is responsible for integrating AI into marketing workflows across one of the most recognizable consumer brands in the world — and she's not talking about using ChatGPT for captions. She's talking about the fundamental rewiring of how marketing teams are built, how creative gets made, how data gets connected, and how brands survive in a world where the search engine is no longer the gatekeeper.<br /><br />In this conversation, we talk about why companies not integrating AI won't be winning in 12 to 24 months, what the backpack journalist framework means for the next generation of marketers, how DoorDash is actually deploying AI across its marketing org right now, and why AEO is replacing SEO faster than most brands realize.</p>no00:23:2328Doordash's AI Marketing Wizard (Episode 39 ft. Hannah Davis Tsumoto)full<![CDATA[Stepping Down & Building Up (Episode 38 ft. Samyr Qureshi)]]>This week, Brittany and Christian sit down with Samyr Qureshi, Co-Founder and former CEO of Knack, and Principal at The Bath & Racquet House, a first-of-its-kind private wellness and social club coming to Tampa.

Samyr built Knack from a dorm room idea to a B2B edtech platform operating across hundreds of university campuses nationwide. He raised from one of the top pre-seed funds in the world, chose Tampa over Silicon Valley when he didn't have to, and 10x'd the business when COVID created the exact conditions Knack was built for. Then he stepped back, deliberately, cleanly, and on his own terms.

Now he's building again, and Tampa is about to look very different because of it.

After this episode, you'll think differently about what it means to move on and what it means to start over.

]]>0f59c2e4-b223-474a-8782-11241abd3b5fThu, 30 Apr 2026 16:15:00 GMT<p>This week, Brittany and Christian sit down with Samyr Qureshi, Co-Founder and former CEO of Knack, and Principal at The Bath &amp; Racquet House, a first-of-its-kind private wellness and social club coming to Tampa.</p><p></p><p>Samyr built Knack from a dorm room idea to a B2B edtech platform operating across hundreds of university campuses nationwide. He raised from one of the top pre-seed funds in the world, chose Tampa over Silicon Valley when he didn't have to, and 10x'd the business when COVID created the exact conditions Knack was built for. Then he stepped back, deliberately, cleanly, and on his own terms.</p><p></p><p>Now he's building again, and Tampa is about to look very different because of it.</p><p></p><p>After this episode, you'll think differently about what it means to move on and what it means to start over.</p>no00:28:3327Stepping Down & Building Up (Episode 38 ft. Samyr Qureshi)full<![CDATA[The Architect Of Culinary Magic (Episode 37 ft. Melissa Santell)]]>This week on 21 Minutes With…, Brittany sits down with Melissa Santell — Founder & Food Photographer at FoodxFeels.

Most food brands think they have a photography problem. What they actually have is a storytelling problem — and no amount of beautiful imagery fixes it if the strategy behind it is missing. Melissa has spent nine years working alongside Michelin star chefs and emerging restaurant brands, building a career at the exact intersection of culinary craft and brand strategy.

In this conversation, we talk about what it actually takes to translate a chef's passion into a brand story, why beautiful imagery without strategy only goes so far, what she learned squirreling money away before betting on herself, and how nine years of working at the intersection of food, photography, and marketing has shaped the way she sees a plate — and a brand.

After this episode, you'll never look at a food photo the same way again.

]]>1b1196b9-a2cb-4b59-a873-951c37f246c5Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:02:22 GMT<p>This week on 21 Minutes With…, Brittany sits down with Melissa Santell — Founder &amp; Food Photographer at FoodxFeels.<br /><br />Most food brands think they have a photography problem. What they actually have is a storytelling problem — and no amount of beautiful imagery fixes it if the strategy behind it is missing. Melissa has spent nine years working alongside Michelin star chefs and emerging restaurant brands, building a career at the exact intersection of culinary craft and brand strategy. <br /><br />In this conversation, we talk about what it actually takes to translate a chef's passion into a brand story, why beautiful imagery without strategy only goes so far, what she learned squirreling money away before betting on herself, and how nine years of working at the intersection of food, photography, and marketing has shaped the way she sees a plate — and a brand.<br /><br />After this episode, you'll never look at a food photo the same way again.</p>no00:25:2526The Architect Of Culinary Magic (Episode 37 ft. Melissa Santell)full<![CDATA[Redefining Women’s Soccer From Scratch (Episode 36 ft. Desiree Phelps)]]>Every game day looks effortless from the stands. That's not luck — that's operations.


Desiree Phelps is the Director of Operational Strategy, Venues & Events for the Tampa Bay Sun Football Club, Tampa's newest professional women's soccer organization.

She came up through minor league baseball, where wearing every hat wasn't optional. Now she's building a professional sports club from the ground up — creating systems, curating experiences, and flipping a high school stadium into a pro venue every single game day.

After this episode, you'll never watch a game day the same way again.

]]>27d3d1ac-62a0-4770-ac30-629da9f7ff2eWed, 15 Apr 2026 12:15:00 GMT<p>Every game day looks effortless from the stands. That's not luck — that's operations.</p><p><br />Desiree Phelps is the Director of Operational Strategy, Venues &amp; Events for the Tampa Bay Sun Football Club, Tampa's newest professional women's soccer organization. <br /><br />She came up through minor league baseball, where wearing every hat wasn't optional. Now she's building a professional sports club from the ground up — creating systems, curating experiences, and flipping a high school stadium into a pro venue every single game day.</p><p></p><p>After this episode, you'll never watch a game day the same way again.</p>no00:25:4525Redefining Women’s Soccer From Scratch (Episode 36 ft. Desiree Phelps)full<![CDATA[The Million Follower Attention Seeker (Episode 35 ft. Jony Lee)]]>Most content strategies are built around protecting the brand. Her strategy was built around volume — 10 TikToks a day, no approvals, and the freedom to fail publicly until something worked.


Jony Lee is a content creator and former Head of Growth at Attention Seeker, the agency behind one of the most-watched organic brand accounts in her market. With 1.1 million TikTok followers and over 624K on Instagram, she built her audience the same way she built her career: by showing up every day long enough for consistency to become compounding.

After this episode, you'll think differently about what creative trust actually costs — and what it's worth.

]]>fb5895a4-0f24-4715-b9d8-ea8c9fa24ec0Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:15:00 GMT<p>Most content strategies are built around protecting the brand. Her strategy was built around volume — 10 TikToks a day, no approvals, and the freedom to fail publicly until something worked.</p><p><br />Jony Lee is a content creator and former Head of Growth at Attention Seeker, the agency behind one of the most-watched organic brand accounts in her market. With 1.1 million TikTok followers and over 624K on Instagram, she built her audience the same way she built her career: by showing up every day long enough for consistency to become compounding.<br /></p><p>After this episode, you'll think differently about what creative trust actually costs — and what it's worth.</p>no00:33:2424The Million Follower Attention Seeker (Episode 35 ft. Jony Lee)full<![CDATA[MLB to Major League Business Owner (Episode 34 ft. Matt Joyce)]]>In this episode, Brittany and Christian sit down with Matt Joyce — a 14-season MLB veteran, All-Star, and hometown hero who spent six of those seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays. Today he's channeling that same competitive edge as an F45 Training owner and color commentator for FanDuel Sports Network.


From the minor league grind to the bright lights of professional baseball, Matt built his career on grit, mindset, and a relentless refusal to fail. However, it was what came after the final out that tested him most. The identity loss, the income stop, the silence where the crowd used to be — and the hard work of rebuilding from scratch into real estate, business ownership, and a broadcasting career he flew across the country to create for himself.


We dig into what it really means to transition out of the game, why the hardest trade-off wasn't the money or the fame, and why the discipline that carried him through 14 seasons is exactly what he's betting on to build what comes next.


If you liked this conversation, make sure to follow so you catch the latest from our new episodes.

]]>54be10cb-51b9-45ab-ab3b-bdcef3b6b7cfTue, 31 Mar 2026 12:15:00 GMT<p>In this episode, Brittany and Christian sit down with Matt Joyce — a 14-season MLB veteran, All-Star, and hometown hero who spent six of those seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays. Today he's channeling that same competitive edge as an F45 Training owner and color commentator for FanDuel Sports Network.</p><p><br />From the minor league grind to the bright lights of professional baseball, Matt built his career on grit, mindset, and a relentless refusal to fail. However, it was what came after the final out that tested him most. The identity loss, the income stop, the silence where the crowd used to be — and the hard work of rebuilding from scratch into real estate, business ownership, and a broadcasting career he flew across the country to create for himself.</p><p><br />We dig into what it really means to transition out of the game, why the hardest trade-off wasn't the money or the fame, and why the discipline that carried him through 14 seasons is exactly what he's betting on to build what comes next.</p><p><br />If you liked this conversation, make sure to follow so you catch the latest from our new episodes.</p>no00:26:0423MLB to Major League Business Owner (Episode 34 ft. Matt Joyce)full<![CDATA[The Beauty Queen Of HSN: Redefining Women’s Skincare (Episode 33 ft. Liz Folce)]]>In this episode, Brittany sits down with Liz Folce, Founder & CEO of Nakery Beauty and the Beauty Queen of HSN, a woman who has spent over 35 years in the beauty industry doing something most brands never bother to do — actually listening.

From behind the Estée Lauder counter to sold-out collections on HSN, Liz built her entire career around genuine relationships with women. Not focus groups for data, not surveys for strategy — real conversations about real problems that the beauty industry kept dismissing. So she stopped waiting for someone else to solve them. She cleared out her savings, hired a chemist, and built Nakery Beauty from the ground up around the women who'd been ignored the longest.

We dive into what it really means to show up for your customer beyond the product, why the most uncomfortable conversations became the foundation of her brand, and how building trust with women turned into a multi-million dollar business with no VC money and no shortcuts.

If you liked this conversation, make sure to follow so you catch the latest from our new episodes.

]]>ec27e337-62cd-4608-b31d-384b9dbb02d8Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:15:00 GMT<p>In this episode, Brittany sits down with Liz Folce, Founder &amp; CEO of Nakery Beauty and the Beauty Queen of HSN, a woman who has spent over 35 years in the beauty industry doing something most brands never bother to do — actually listening.<br /><br />From behind the Estée Lauder counter to sold-out collections on HSN, Liz built her entire career around genuine relationships with women. Not focus groups for data, not surveys for strategy — real conversations about real problems that the beauty industry kept dismissing. So she stopped waiting for someone else to solve them. She cleared out her savings, hired a chemist, and built Nakery Beauty from the ground up around the women who'd been ignored the longest.<br /><br />We dive into what it really means to show up for your customer beyond the product, why the most uncomfortable conversations became the foundation of her brand, and how building trust with women turned into a multi-million dollar business with no VC money and no shortcuts.<br /><br />If you liked this conversation, make sure to follow so you catch the latest from our new episodes.<br /></p>no00:24:1722The Beauty Queen Of HSN: Redefining Women’s Skincare (Episode 33 ft. Liz Folce)full<![CDATA[The World's GREATEST Traveler (Episode 32 ft. Bryan Lewis)]]>In this episode, Brittany and Christian sit down with Bryan Lewis, Founder of Tenon Tours and CEO of Lemon Rock Motorcycle Tours, a man who has spent 25 years turning travel into something people actually feel.

From spring break chaos to curated luxury across 19 European destinations, Bryan has built a career around one simple belief: that the best travel experiences aren't just planned, they're felt. He launched one of the fastest-growing travel companies in the US, orchestrated a thousand-person tailgate in Dublin, and acquired a motorcycle tour company in Ireland almost entirely by accident.

In this episode, we dig into what it really means to create trips worth remembering, why disruption is the best thing that can happen on a trip, and what it looks like to build a business around passion before profit.

If you liked this conversation, make sure to drop a follow so you catch the latest from our new episodes.

]]>ce1982c5-b7a5-40c7-b46c-eece7586802aWed, 18 Mar 2026 12:30:00 GMT<p>In this episode, Brittany and Christian sit down with Bryan Lewis, Founder of Tenon Tours and CEO of Lemon Rock Motorcycle Tours, a man who has spent 25 years turning travel into something people actually feel.<br /><br />From spring break chaos to curated luxury across 19 European destinations, Bryan has built a career around one simple belief: that the best travel experiences aren't just planned, they're felt. He launched one of the fastest-growing travel companies in the US, orchestrated a thousand-person tailgate in Dublin, and acquired a motorcycle tour company in Ireland almost entirely by accident.<br /><br />In this episode, we dig into what it really means to create trips worth remembering, why disruption is the best thing that can happen on a trip, and what it looks like to build a business around passion before profit.<br /><br />If you liked this conversation, make sure to drop a follow so you catch the latest from our new episodes.</p>no00:27:1021The World's GREATEST Traveler (Episode 32 ft. Bryan Lewis)full<![CDATA[The Man Giving Streaming A BIG Boost (Episode 31 ft. Ronnie Eith)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the entrepreneur turning streaming into real opportunity.

This week, Brittany and Jackie sit down with Ronnie Eith, Founder & CEO of Boost TV, to unpack what it actually looks like to walk away from comfort—and build something that lasts.

Before Boost TV, Ronnie’s path looked textbook successful. A standout college football player turned executive, he spent over two decades in mortgage banking and real estate, leading teams and scaling businesses in fiercely competitive markets. From the outside, everything worked. But internally, he realized he had fallen into what he calls “the trap”—stability without fulfillment.

At 45, Ronnie made the call to bet on himself.

What began as an experiment in social media and local television quickly evolved into Boost TV, now streaming on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. His mission is simple but powerful: give independent creators real distribution, real credibility, and real ownership—beyond the volatility of social platforms.

In this episode, we dive into the moment he chose passion over predictability, why streaming carries a different level of legitimacy than social alone, and how AI is reshaping content publishing at scale. Ronnie breaks down how automation now allows creators to upload and stream content in minutes—dramatically reducing friction while unlocking growth.

This episode is for creators, founders, and anyone standing at the edge of a pivot, wondering if comfort is costing them something bigger.

Stay tuned. New episodes drop every week.

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://solstice-the21a-newsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe

]]>b3e0bdc7-35e3-4dec-a788-e25f5aca2b64Sun, 15 Mar 2026 22:34:36 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the entrepreneur turning streaming into real opportunity.<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Jackie sit down with Ronnie Eith, Founder &amp; CEO of Boost TV, to unpack what it actually looks like to walk away from comfort—and build something that lasts.<br /><br />Before Boost TV, Ronnie’s path looked textbook successful. A standout college football player turned executive, he spent over two decades in mortgage banking and real estate, leading teams and scaling businesses in fiercely competitive markets. From the outside, everything worked. But internally, he realized he had fallen into what he calls “the trap”—stability without fulfillment.<br /><br />At 45, Ronnie made the call to bet on himself.<br /><br />What began as an experiment in social media and local television quickly evolved into Boost TV, now streaming on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. His mission is simple but powerful: give independent creators real distribution, real credibility, and real ownership—beyond the volatility of social platforms.<br /><br />In this episode, we dive into the moment he chose passion over predictability, why streaming carries a different level of legitimacy than social alone, and how AI is reshaping content publishing at scale. Ronnie breaks down how automation now allows creators to upload and stream content in minutes—dramatically reducing friction while unlocking growth.<br /><br />This episode is for creators, founders, and anyone standing at the edge of a pivot, wondering if comfort is costing them something bigger.<br /><br />Stay tuned. New episodes drop every week.<br /><br />Subscribe to our Newsletter: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://solstice-the21a-newsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank">https://solstice-the21a-newsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe</a></p>no00:31:29131The Man Giving Streaming A BIG Boost (Episode 31 ft. Ronnie Eith)full<![CDATA[The Business Behind Global Wine Culture (Episode 30 ft. Dupre Nell)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… a global wine leader carrying 300 years of heritage into the modern market.

This week, Brittany and Christian sat down with Dupre Nell of Anthonij Rupert Wynes, a historic estate rooted in the Franschhoek Valley of South Africa just outside Cape Town.

Before joining Anthonij Rupert, Dupre built his career working with some of South Africa’s most respected wine brands, including Boekenhoutskloof Winery, Rust en Vrede Wine Estate, and Ernie Els Wines. His experience in export and brand development gave him a global perspective on how South African wine is positioned and perceived. Today, he brings that expertise to Anthonij Rupert Wynes, helping elevate the estate’s international presence while honoring its 300-year heritage.

In this episode, we explore what it means to represent South African wine on the world stage, the misconceptions surrounding the category, and how culture shapes the way people experience wine. Dupre discusses shifting consumer tastes, sustainability in production, and why quality will always outweigh hype.

This episode is for wine enthusiasts, brand builders, and anyone interested in how heritage brands stay relevant in modern markets.

Stay tuned! New episodes drop every week.

]]>ec50f392-eabf-400a-bcb1-3c07d2d53e1fSun, 15 Mar 2026 22:32:30 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… a global wine leader carrying 300 years of heritage into the modern market.<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Christian sat down with Dupre Nell of Anthonij Rupert Wynes, a historic estate rooted in the Franschhoek Valley of South Africa just outside Cape Town.<br /><br />Before joining Anthonij Rupert, Dupre built his career working with some of South Africa’s most respected wine brands, including Boekenhoutskloof Winery, Rust en Vrede Wine Estate, and Ernie Els Wines. His experience in export and brand development gave him a global perspective on how South African wine is positioned and perceived. Today, he brings that expertise to Anthonij Rupert Wynes, helping elevate the estate’s international presence while honoring its 300-year heritage.<br /><br />In this episode, we explore what it means to represent South African wine on the world stage, the misconceptions surrounding the category, and how culture shapes the way people experience wine. Dupre discusses shifting consumer tastes, sustainability in production, and why quality will always outweigh hype.<br /><br />This episode is for wine enthusiasts, brand builders, and anyone interested in how heritage brands stay relevant in modern markets.<br /><br />Stay tuned! New episodes drop every week.</p>no00:26:04130The Business Behind Global Wine Culture (Episode 30 ft. Dupre Nell)full<![CDATA[The Artist Painting Over Florida's Canvas (Episode 29 ft. Bianca Burrows)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the mixed media artist leaving her mark on the world's canvas.

This week, Brittany sat down with Bianca Burrows, a Tampa-based mixed media artist and founder of BB Art, to talk about building a creative career rooted in expression, collaboration, and staying true to your craft.

After earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Tampa, Bianca turned her passion for mixed media into a thriving business. She has collaborated with brands like Tampa Bay Lightning, Mercedes-Benz, Lululemon, Bloomingdale’s, and the MLB and NFL, while also staying committed to community-driven work with local businesses and nonprofits.

In this episode, we dive into what it takes to build a recognizable artistic style, navigate visibility as a working artist, and grow a creative business without compromising your voice. Bianca opens up about confidence, self-trust, and defining success on your own terms. It’s an honest look at what it means to turn art into a career that lasts.

This episode is for artists and creatives building meaningful careers through their work and their values.

Stay tuned. New episodes drop every week.

]]>f4aff726-e890-4313-9dd5-31e153e792adSun, 15 Mar 2026 22:29:58 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the mixed media artist leaving her mark on the world's canvas.<br /><br />This week, Brittany sat down with Bianca Burrows, a Tampa-based mixed media artist and founder of BB Art, to talk about building a creative career rooted in expression, collaboration, and staying true to your craft.<br /><br />After earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Tampa, Bianca turned her passion for mixed media into a thriving business. She has collaborated with brands like Tampa Bay Lightning, Mercedes-Benz, Lululemon, Bloomingdale’s, and the MLB and NFL, while also staying committed to community-driven work with local businesses and nonprofits.<br /><br />In this episode, we dive into what it takes to build a recognizable artistic style, navigate visibility as a working artist, and grow a creative business without compromising your voice. Bianca opens up about confidence, self-trust, and defining success on your own terms. It’s an honest look at what it means to turn art into a career that lasts.<br /><br />This episode is for artists and creatives building meaningful careers through their work and their values.<br /><br />Stay tuned. New episodes drop every week.</p>no00:23:49129The Artist Painting Over Florida's Canvas (Episode 29 ft. Bianca Burrows)full<![CDATA[The Marketing Mother Of What You Drink (Episode 28 ft. Taylor Prater)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the marketing mind behind mission-driven beverage brands focused on people, planet, and products that actually make you feel good.

This week, Brittany and Jackie sat down with Taylor Prater, the Mother of Marketing behind Mother Kombucha and co-founder of Made Coffee, to unpack what it really takes to build brands that people trust, love, and advocate for.

Taylor has been early more than once. From helping launch one of Florida’s first canned cold brew brands to shaping the voice and growth of Mother Kombucha, she shares what she’s learned about building in emerging categories before there’s a playbook.

In this episode, we dig into what it’s really like to market kombucha when consumers don’t fully understand the category yet, the challenges that come with being first to market in beverage and CPG, and how education, transparency, and values play a critical role in building long-term brand trust. Taylor also shares lessons from launching Made Coffee, why betting on instinct often matters more than chasing perfection, and how to navigate imposter syndrome while scaling quickly in fast-moving industries.

This episode is for founders, marketers, and anyone building brands in crowded categories who want to stand out without losing their values.

Watch the full episode and see how great brands are built before the industry catches up.

Stay tuned! New episodes drop every week!

]]>cf80f4b3-17ed-48fe-86fb-f8b2e82fe8e4Sun, 15 Mar 2026 22:23:17 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the marketing mind behind mission-driven beverage brands focused on people, planet, and products that actually make you feel good.<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Jackie sat down with Taylor Prater, the Mother of Marketing behind Mother Kombucha and co-founder of Made Coffee, to unpack what it really takes to build brands that people trust, love, and advocate for.<br /><br />Taylor has been early more than once. From helping launch one of Florida’s first canned cold brew brands to shaping the voice and growth of Mother Kombucha, she shares what she’s learned about building in emerging categories before there’s a playbook.<br /><br />In this episode, we dig into what it’s really like to market kombucha when consumers don’t fully understand the category yet, the challenges that come with being first to market in beverage and CPG, and how education, transparency, and values play a critical role in building long-term brand trust. Taylor also shares lessons from launching Made Coffee, why betting on instinct often matters more than chasing perfection, and how to navigate imposter syndrome while scaling quickly in fast-moving industries.<br /><br />This episode is for founders, marketers, and anyone building brands in crowded categories who want to stand out without losing their values.<br /><br />Watch the full episode and see how great brands are built before the industry catches up.<br /><br />Stay tuned! New episodes drop every week!</p>no00:27:17128The Marketing Mother Of What You Drink (Episode 28 ft. Taylor Prater)full<![CDATA[A Fresh Take on the Classic Bagel Run (Episode 26 ft. Jeff Perera)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the man who turned a home kitchen experiment into a bagel brand people line up for.

This week, Brittany sat down with Jeff Perera, Co-founder of Jeff’s Bagel Run, to break down how a layoff, a craving for better bagels, and a whole lot of trial and error sparked one of Florida’s fastest-growing bagel spots.

From his early beginnings baking bagels at home to opening 26 locations across multiple states, Jeff shares how he built Jeff’s Bagel Run grew through its community & authenticity. Our conversation dives into scaling without losing soul, letting go of control as the brand grows, and how technology quietly supports culture behind the scenes. Jeff also opens up about leadership lessons and franchising realities and why building systems that help people succeed matters more than perfection.

This episode is for anyone building from something from scratch. See how Jeff’s Bagel Run grew by staying committed to its craft and the community behind it.

Check out the NEW Jeff's Bagel Run location in Tampa: 3810 W Neptune St, Suite B1, Tampa, FL 33629

Stay tuned! New episodes drop every week.

]]>f3c7421b-0e28-4e00-be8f-468bef617665Sun, 15 Mar 2026 22:16:31 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the man who turned a home kitchen experiment into a bagel brand people line up for.<br /><br />This week, Brittany sat down with Jeff Perera, Co-founder of Jeff’s Bagel Run, to break down how a layoff, a craving for better bagels, and a whole lot of trial and error sparked one of Florida’s fastest-growing bagel spots.<br /><br />From his early beginnings baking bagels at home to opening 26 locations across multiple states, Jeff shares how he built Jeff’s Bagel Run grew through its community &amp; authenticity. Our conversation dives into scaling without losing soul, letting go of control as the brand grows, and how technology quietly supports culture behind the scenes. Jeff also opens up about leadership lessons and franchising realities and why building systems that help people succeed matters more than perfection.<br /><br />This episode is for anyone building from something from scratch. See how Jeff’s Bagel Run grew by staying committed to its craft and the community behind it.<br /><br />Check out the NEW Jeff's Bagel Run location in Tampa: 3810 W Neptune St, Suite B1, Tampa, FL 33629<br /><br />Stay tuned! New episodes drop every week.</p>no00:23:40126A Fresh Take on the Classic Bagel Run (Episode 26 ft. Jeff Perera)full<![CDATA[The Business Behind 3 Minute Pizza (Episode 25 ft. Kevin Moran)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the leader helping Blaze Pizza scale at a three-minute pace.

This week, Brittany and Shea sit down with Kevin Moran, Chief Development Officer at Blaze Pizza, to break down what it really takes to build a fast casual brand that moves fast without breaking. From a three-minute pizza model to LeBron James investing in the company, Kevin unpacks the formula behind Blaze’s growth and why speed only works when the operations are airtight.

Kevin shares his path from finance to food service leadership and how learning to connect numbers to people shaped his approach. We dig into what drew him to Blaze Pizza, how convenience has reshaped customer expectations, and why awareness alone does not guarantee loyalty.

This episode is for operators founders and brand leaders navigating change. See how Blaze Pizza evolves in a fast moving market.

Stay tuned! New episodes drop every week.

]]>9ac039c5-67c1-4814-9504-9dedd179bf42Sun, 15 Mar 2026 22:13:39 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the leader helping Blaze Pizza scale at a three-minute pace.<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Shea sit down with Kevin Moran, Chief Development Officer at Blaze Pizza, to break down what it really takes to build a fast casual brand that moves fast without breaking. From a three-minute pizza model to LeBron James investing in the company, Kevin unpacks the formula behind Blaze’s growth and why speed only works when the operations are airtight.<br /><br />Kevin shares his path from finance to food service leadership and how learning to connect numbers to people shaped his approach. We dig into what drew him to Blaze Pizza, how convenience has reshaped customer expectations, and why awareness alone does not guarantee loyalty.<br /><br />This episode is for operators founders and brand leaders navigating change. See how Blaze Pizza evolves in a fast moving market.<br /><br />Stay tuned! New episodes drop every week.</p>no00:24:15125The Business Behind 3 Minute Pizza (Episode 25 ft. Kevin Moran)full<![CDATA[The Cloud Company Of The FUTURE (Episode 24 ft. Jacob Halusic)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the founder building a modern cloud company by putting people and culture first.

This week, Brittany and Christian sit down with Jacob Halusic, founder and CEO of Trofeo, to talk about how his career across startups, exits, and private equity shaped the way he is building his next chapter in tech.

From early sales roles and entrepreneurial pivots to launching Trofeo with a focus on cloud infrastructure, AI, and security, Jacob shares how spotting real gaps in the mid-market led to a business built for flexibility and long-term thinking. He explains why recreating the culture he valued earlier in his career mattered more than chasing rapid growth and how empowering teams became Trofeo’s biggest advantage.

The conversation explores leadership lessons from private equity, why choosing the right partners matters more than the biggest deal, and how brand and relationships help companies stand out in crowded tech spaces. Jacob also reflects on the moments that signaled real success, not revenue milestones, but watching the people around him grow alongside the company.

This episode is for founders and leaders navigating growth in fast-moving industries who want to build companies that last without losing what makes them human.

Stay tuned, new episodes release every week.

]]>04e49cfb-e5ba-4b43-a073-d7b383cc053bSun, 15 Mar 2026 22:11:35 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the founder building a modern cloud company by putting people and culture first.<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Christian sit down with Jacob Halusic, founder and CEO of Trofeo, to talk about how his career across startups, exits, and private equity shaped the way he is building his next chapter in tech.<br /><br />From early sales roles and entrepreneurial pivots to launching Trofeo with a focus on cloud infrastructure, AI, and security, Jacob shares how spotting real gaps in the mid-market led to a business built for flexibility and long-term thinking. He explains why recreating the culture he valued earlier in his career mattered more than chasing rapid growth and how empowering teams became Trofeo’s biggest advantage.<br /><br />The conversation explores leadership lessons from private equity, why choosing the right partners matters more than the biggest deal, and how brand and relationships help companies stand out in crowded tech spaces. Jacob also reflects on the moments that signaled real success, not revenue milestones, but watching the people around him grow alongside the company.<br /><br />This episode is for founders and leaders navigating growth in fast-moving industries who want to build companies that last without losing what makes them human. <br /><br />Stay tuned, new episodes release every week.</p>no00:23:17124The Cloud Company Of The FUTURE (Episode 24 ft. Jacob Halusic)full<![CDATA[The Pitfalls of Holiday Branding (Episode 23 Holiday Special)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the 21A: Holiday Edition!

This week, we unpack what brands consistently miss during the most emotional season of the year. From tone-deaf campaigns and overcomplicated promotions to the difference between discounts and storytelling, the conversation pulls back the curtain on why so many holiday efforts feel empty and what consumers actually want to see.

We dive into the pitfalls of holiday branding , legacy brands that are losing their magic, and why AI-driven holiday ads often miss the emotional mark. Along the way, the team highlights brands that get it right, explores the shift toward nostalgia and community, and explains why simplicity, intention, and heart matter more than ever during the holidays.

This episode is filled with festive fun and takeaways that we wrapped in a bow just for you. We hope you all have happy holidays and a happy New Year!

]]>a13adef8-f141-4917-bdb4-86d8f68fe622Sun, 15 Mar 2026 22:09:16 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the 21A: Holiday Edition!<br /><br />This week, we unpack what brands consistently miss during the most emotional season of the year. From tone-deaf campaigns and overcomplicated promotions to the difference between discounts and storytelling, the conversation pulls back the curtain on why so many holiday efforts feel empty and what consumers actually want to see.<br /><br />We dive into the pitfalls of holiday branding , legacy brands that are losing their magic, and why AI-driven holiday ads often miss the emotional mark. Along the way, the team highlights brands that get it right, explores the shift toward nostalgia and community, and explains why simplicity, intention, and heart matter more than ever during the holidays.<br /><br />This episode is filled with festive fun and takeaways that we wrapped in a bow just for you. We hope you all have happy holidays and a happy New Year!</p>no00:26:43123The Pitfalls of Holiday Branding (Episode 23 Holiday Special)full<![CDATA[Legacy Coaching That Sustains Generational Wealth (Episode 22 ft. Vera Anderson)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the legacy consultant thats redefining what it means to build wealth that actually lasts generations.

This week, Brittany and Walter sat down with Vera Anderson, founder of Global Elements Consulting and Chair at Tiger 21, to talk about the intersection of health, wealth, leadership, and legacy.

In this episode, She explains to us why success without alignment eventually catches up to you. From working with first-generation wealth creators to guiding founders through major life and business transitions, Vera shares how her work has evolved to focus on purpose, stewardship, and the human side of achievement. She opens up about the patterns she sees among high-performing leaders, the hidden costs of “winning,” and why intentional legacy planning starts long before the exit.

This conversation is excellent for leaders navigating growth, transition, or the question of “what’s next.” After this episode, you'll you’ll gain language and clarity around the deeper decisions that shape long-term success.

]]>328fae7b-abc2-40fb-ad48-e1761c67b2adSun, 15 Mar 2026 22:06:09 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the legacy consultant thats redefining what it means to build wealth that actually lasts generations.<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Walter sat down with Vera Anderson, founder of Global Elements Consulting and Chair at Tiger 21, to talk about the intersection of health, wealth, leadership, and legacy. <br /><br />In this episode, She explains to us why success without alignment eventually catches up to you. From working with first-generation wealth creators to guiding founders through major life and business transitions, Vera shares how her work has evolved to focus on purpose, stewardship, and the human side of achievement. She opens up about the patterns she sees among high-performing leaders, the hidden costs of “winning,” and why intentional legacy planning starts long before the exit.<br /><br />This conversation is excellent for leaders navigating growth, transition, or the question of “what’s next.” After this episode, you'll you’ll gain language and clarity around the deeper decisions that shape long-term success.</p>no00:24:09122Legacy Coaching That Sustains Generational Wealth (Episode 22 ft. Vera Anderson)full<![CDATA[Shot Down SHARK TANK, But Made MILLIONS In Junk (Episode 21 ft. Omar Soliman)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the Co-founder who turned hauling junk into a nationally recognized brand, College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving.

This week, Brittany and Christian sat down with Omar Soliman to break down how he helped transform a college side hustle into a franchise built on culture, personality, and a brand name no one forgets. He shares the wild early days of saying yes to every job, the moment Oprah called before they even had a New York location, and how a business built on “junk” became a national treasure.

From scaling a service company in a crowded market to navigating a long-term partnership, Omar opens up about the lessons that shaped his career, including his experience on the first ever episode of Shark Tank and why developing talent has always been his secret weapon.

This conversation is a look at what it really takes to build a service brand that stands out, one rooted in trust, a strong team culture, and a willingness to get out of your comfort zone. If you're a founder or anyone that is trying to build a brand that leaves a lasting legacy, this episode is perfect for you.

]]>fa18ffe0-c70a-402a-bb68-2d875f2b011aSun, 15 Mar 2026 22:03:13 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the Co-founder who turned hauling junk into a nationally recognized brand, College Hunks Hauling Junk &amp; Moving.<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Christian sat down with Omar Soliman to break down how he helped transform a college side hustle into a franchise built on culture, personality, and a brand name no one forgets. He shares the wild early days of saying yes to every job, the moment Oprah called before they even had a New York location, and how a business built on “junk” became a national treasure.<br /><br />From scaling a service company in a crowded market to navigating a long-term partnership, Omar opens up about the lessons that shaped his career, including his experience on the first ever episode of Shark Tank and why developing talent has always been his secret weapon.<br /><br />This conversation is a look at what it really takes to build a service brand that stands out, one rooted in trust, a strong team culture, and a willingness to get out of your comfort zone. If you're a founder or anyone that is trying to build a brand that leaves a lasting legacy, this episode is perfect for you.</p>no00:26:35121Shot Down SHARK TANK, But Made MILLIONS In Junk (Episode 21 ft. Omar Soliman)full<![CDATA[The Bright Ideas Behind Yellow The Label (Episode 20 ft. MaryKatherine Black)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the cofounder behind one of the fastest rising fashion brands, Yellow the Label.

This week, Brittany, Shea, and Shayleen sat down with MaryKatherine Black to break down how she built a standout label without a fashion degree, why she designs for women across seasons and stages of life, and how she keeps Yellow The Label fresh in a market that burns through trends overnight. She shares the early days of launching with no capital, the push she needed to choose a launch date and stick to it, and the vivid dream that became the name and heartbeat of the brand. Fresh off her Forbes 30 Under 30 recognition, she talks about momentum, identity, and what it looks like to grow a brand anchored in creativity, ethics, and faith.

This episode explores what it really looks like to build something from instinct, conviction, and courage. It is a conversation about trusting your creativity, moving forward before you feel ready, and shaping a brand that stands out because it refuses to play it safe. It is a must-watch for anyone creating in public, scaling a business in their twenties, or trying to turn a clear idea into something people can feel.

]]>66e83444-5a89-403e-966b-da9306b66014Sun, 15 Mar 2026 22:00:32 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the cofounder behind one of the fastest rising fashion brands, Yellow the Label.<br /><br />This week, Brittany, Shea, and Shayleen sat down with MaryKatherine Black to break down how she built a standout label without a fashion degree, why she designs for women across seasons and stages of life, and how she keeps Yellow The Label fresh in a market that burns through trends overnight. She shares the early days of launching with no capital, the push she needed to choose a launch date and stick to it, and the vivid dream that became the name and heartbeat of the brand. Fresh off her Forbes 30 Under 30 recognition, she talks about momentum, identity, and what it looks like to grow a brand anchored in creativity, ethics, and faith.<br /><br />This episode explores what it really looks like to build something from instinct, conviction, and courage. It is a conversation about trusting your creativity, moving forward before you feel ready, and shaping a brand that stands out because it refuses to play it safe. It is a must-watch for anyone creating in public, scaling a business in their twenties, or trying to turn a clear idea into something people can feel.</p>no00:23:15120The Bright Ideas Behind Yellow The Label (Episode 20 ft. MaryKatherine Black)full<![CDATA[Giving the Lingerie Industry a REALITY CHECK at Wherewithal (Episode 19 ft. Danielle Rushton)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the woman rethinking everything we’ve been told to tolerate about bras, why the industry stayed stuck for almost a century, and how one founder decided enough was enough.

This week, Brittany, Shea, and Shayleen sat down with Danielle Rushton, CEO and Designer of Wherewithal, to unpack how she built one of the most innovative solutions the lingerie industry has seen in decades.

Danielle opens up about the real moment that pushed her over the edge, an ill-fitting bathing suit top, and how teaching herself to sew led to a homemade “Frankenbra” that became the blueprint for her patented design. She talks through the early feedback she gathered from hundreds of women, the engineering behind a bra that adapts to the body instead of forcing the body to adapt to it, and the surprising ways her invention is helping both customers and retailers rethink sizing, inventory, and comfort.

This episode is a rare look at how real innovation happens, not from industry insiders, but from people who are frustrated enough to redesign the world around them. Danielle breaks down the technical, emotional, and practical sides of solving a problem most women have accepted as normal. It’s candid, inspiring, and valuable for anyone building a product, scaling a brand, or trying to tackle an industry that “has always been this way.”

]]>38d86078-1b23-4809-8d8f-abf8b949d8e2Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:58:09 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… the woman rethinking everything we’ve been told to tolerate about bras, why the industry stayed stuck for almost a century, and how one founder decided enough was enough.<br /><br />This week, Brittany, Shea, and Shayleen sat down with Danielle Rushton, CEO and Designer of Wherewithal, to unpack how she built one of the most innovative solutions the lingerie industry has seen in decades. <br /><br />Danielle opens up about the real moment that pushed her over the edge, an ill-fitting bathing suit top, and how teaching herself to sew led to a homemade “Frankenbra” that became the blueprint for her patented design. She talks through the early feedback she gathered from hundreds of women, the engineering behind a bra that adapts to the body instead of forcing the body to adapt to it, and the surprising ways her invention is helping both customers and retailers rethink sizing, inventory, and comfort.<br /><br />This episode is a rare look at how real innovation happens, not from industry insiders, but from people who are frustrated enough to redesign the world around them. Danielle breaks down the technical, emotional, and practical sides of solving a problem most women have accepted as normal. It’s candid, inspiring, and valuable for anyone building a product, scaling a brand, or trying to tackle an industry that “has always been this way.”</p>no00:23:30119Giving the Lingerie Industry a REALITY CHECK at Wherewithal (Episode 19 ft. Danielle Rushton)full<![CDATA[Why Grown-Ups Need Better BFFs (Episode 18 ft. Danielle Bayard Jackson)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with adult friendships, professional boundaries, and one expert showing why grown-ups need better BFFs).

This week, Brittany and Shea sat down with Danielle Bayard Jackson, director of the Women’s Relational Health Institute, founder of TELL Public Relations, and author of Fighting for Our Friendships, to talk about why the relationships we build outside of work and family matter more than we think. From decoding “digital body language” to navigating the tricky waters of adult female friendships, Danielle shares the research, personal insights, and real-world strategies that can help anyone build connections that last.

She opens up about how her journey from teacher to publicist to author and podcast host shaped her understanding of human connection, why quality friendships are essential for happiness and health, and how we can approach relationships with intention instead of assumption.

💡 Inside this episode:
- Why adult women need better BFFs
- How to make friendships thrive in a digitally connected world
- The “friendship dip” and navigating time pressures in your 30s and 40s
- Understanding personal and professional boundaries
- Translating research on women’s relationships into everyday life
- Why communication styles matter more than we realize
- Practical advice for balancing friendships, career, and life

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt friendship falling through the cracks, wondered if they’re “doing it right,” or just wants to be a better friend. Insightful, heartfelt, and packed with practical strategies, Danielle’s conversation is a reminder that strong, intentional relationships are worth investing in, at any age.

]]>b76f2a0a-21e6-4e31-b334-e8b4a2ba70a4Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:55:33 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with adult friendships, professional boundaries, and one expert showing why grown-ups need better BFFs).<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Shea sat down with Danielle Bayard Jackson, director of the Women’s Relational Health Institute, founder of TELL Public Relations, and author of Fighting for Our Friendships, to talk about why the relationships we build outside of work and family matter more than we think. From decoding “digital body language” to navigating the tricky waters of adult female friendships, Danielle shares the research, personal insights, and real-world strategies that can help anyone build connections that last.<br /><br />She opens up about how her journey from teacher to publicist to author and podcast host shaped her understanding of human connection, why quality friendships are essential for happiness and health, and how we can approach relationships with intention instead of assumption.<br /><br />💡 Inside this episode:<br />- Why adult women need better BFFs<br />- How to make friendships thrive in a digitally connected world<br />- The “friendship dip” and navigating time pressures in your 30s and 40s<br />- Understanding personal and professional boundaries<br />- Translating research on women’s relationships into everyday life<br />- Why communication styles matter more than we realize<br />- Practical advice for balancing friendships, career, and life<br /><br />This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt friendship falling through the cracks, wondered if they’re “doing it right,” or just wants to be a better friend. Insightful, heartfelt, and packed with practical strategies, Danielle’s conversation is a reminder that strong, intentional relationships are worth investing in, at any age.</p>no00:25:14118Why Grown-Ups Need Better BFFs (Episode 18 ft. Danielle Bayard Jackson)full<![CDATA[The Secret Behind Sarasota’s Most Beloved Beer Bar (Episode 17 ft. Mark Tuchman)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with craft beer, community building, and the Sarasota spot redefining what a neighborhood bar can be).

This week, Brittany, Christian, and Shea sat down with Mark Tuchman, owner of 99 Bottles in Sarasota, to talk about creating connection one pour at a time. From the “Blockbuster effect” of remembering every guest’s name to designing a beer bar that feels like a wine bar, Mark shares how he and his wife built a space that’s equal parts laid-back and intentional. His story is proof that hospitality is an art, and that when you build with heart, people notice.

🍻 Inside this episode:
- How 99 Bottles became Sarasota’s “Cheers”
- The “Blockbuster effect” and training staff for genuine connection
- Designing a beer bar that feels like a wine bar
- Why printed menus and handwritten orders still matter
- The question that shaped the entire space: “Would a woman feel comfortable here alone?”
- Balancing beer nerds with casual drinkers
- What hospitality really means in 2025

This episode is for anyone who’s ever dreamed of turning passion into place, where people don’t just come for what’s on tap, they come for how it feels. Honest, insightful, and a little nostalgic, this one’s a masterclass in building community the old-fashioned way.

]]>21abf679-c6ce-4f2a-9087-182abaee3aa9Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:51:52 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with craft beer, community building, and the Sarasota spot redefining what a neighborhood bar can be).<br /><br />This week, Brittany, Christian, and Shea sat down with Mark Tuchman, owner of 99 Bottles in Sarasota, to talk about creating connection one pour at a time. From the “Blockbuster effect” of remembering every guest’s name to designing a beer bar that feels like a wine bar, Mark shares how he and his wife built a space that’s equal parts laid-back and intentional. His story is proof that hospitality is an art, and that when you build with heart, people notice.<br /><br />🍻 Inside this episode:<br />- How 99 Bottles became Sarasota’s “Cheers”<br />- The “Blockbuster effect” and training staff for genuine connection<br />- Designing a beer bar that feels like a wine bar<br />- Why printed menus and handwritten orders still matter<br />- The question that shaped the entire space: “Would a woman feel comfortable here alone?”<br />- Balancing beer nerds with casual drinkers<br />- What hospitality really means in 2025<br /><br />This episode is for anyone who’s ever dreamed of turning passion into place, where people don’t just come for what’s on tap, they come for how it feels. Honest, insightful, and a little nostalgic, this one’s a masterclass in building community the old-fashioned way.</p>no00:24:40117The Secret Behind Sarasota’s Most Beloved Beer Bar (Episode 17 ft. Mark Tuchman)full<![CDATA[Beyond the Case File: Unlocking Real Trust (Episode 16 ft. Marcus Fernandez)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with trust, client care, and the human side of personal injury law).

This week, Brittany and Cindy Haynes, from EraserFarm, sit down with Marcus Fernandez, Attorney at Kinney, Fernandez & Boire, P.A., and second-generation law firm owner, to talk about how trust, transparency, and empathy set his firm apart in a crowded market. From building authentic client relationships to navigating AI-driven information, Marcus shares what it really takes to create a law practice that people can rely on, especially in times of vulnerability.

💼 Inside this episode:
- How personal relationships and honest communication build trust with clients
- The human side of law that school doesn’t teach
- How to stand out in a saturated market without spending more money
- Lessons learned from a legacy law firm spanning decades
- How AI and technology impact clients seeking legal guidance
- Why listening is often more important than talking

This episode is for legal professionals, marketers, and anyone curious about how trust, empathy, and thoughtful communication can make a difference, both in law and in life.

]]>bc0f5d90-93d0-44af-b619-38775be82d33Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:49:15 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with trust, client care, and the human side of personal injury law).<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Cindy Haynes, from EraserFarm, sit down with Marcus Fernandez, Attorney at Kinney, Fernandez &amp; Boire, P.A., and second-generation law firm owner, to talk about how trust, transparency, and empathy set his firm apart in a crowded market. From building authentic client relationships to navigating AI-driven information, Marcus shares what it really takes to create a law practice that people can rely on, especially in times of vulnerability.<br /><br />💼 Inside this episode:<br />- How personal relationships and honest communication build trust with clients<br />- The human side of law that school doesn’t teach<br />- How to stand out in a saturated market without spending more money<br />- Lessons learned from a legacy law firm spanning decades<br />- How AI and technology impact clients seeking legal guidance<br />- Why listening is often more important than talking<br /><br />This episode is for legal professionals, marketers, and anyone curious about how trust, empathy, and thoughtful communication can make a difference, both in law and in life.</p>no00:22:43116Beyond the Case File: Unlocking Real Trust (Episode 16 ft. Marcus Fernandez)full<![CDATA[The Scariest Marketing Campaigns of 2025 (Episode 15. Halloween Special)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… a special Halloween episode (this time with haunted rebrands, marketing jump scares, and a few creative nightmares that should’ve stayed in the drafts).

This week, we’re diving into the most terrifying marketing stunts of the year, the ones that made us laugh, cringe, and maybe question a few creative briefs along the way. From campaigns that completely lost the plot to rebrands that scared away their own fans, this episode is packed with tricks, treats, and a whole lot of marketing mayhem.

👻 Inside this special episode:
- The real-life horror story of American Eagle’s denim campaign gone wrong
- When “modernizing” Cracker Barrel turned into blanding
- AI influencers that no one asked for, and why Meta won’t quit
- The scary truth behind Publix grocery prices and “discounts” that aren’t
- Why Halloween creativity seems to be dying (and how brands can bring the fun back)

🎬 Plus: ridiculous costumes, chaotic debates, and the occasional marketing jump scare.

So grab your candy (or your crisis comms plan) and tune in for a spooky, unhinged, and hilariously honest breakdown of this year’s marketing nightmares.

Happy spooky season, from The 21st Agency. 🕸️

]]>39c994e9-96be-4440-ac71-a715730e3ebdSun, 15 Mar 2026 21:46:02 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… a special Halloween episode (this time with haunted rebrands, marketing jump scares, and a few creative nightmares that should’ve stayed in the drafts).<br /><br />This week, we’re diving into the most terrifying marketing stunts of the year, the ones that made us laugh, cringe, and maybe question a few creative briefs along the way. From campaigns that completely lost the plot to rebrands that scared away their own fans, this episode is packed with tricks, treats, and a whole lot of marketing mayhem.<br /><br />👻 Inside this special episode:<br />- The real-life horror story of American Eagle’s denim campaign gone wrong<br />- When “modernizing” Cracker Barrel turned into blanding <br />- AI influencers that no one asked for, and why Meta won’t quit<br />- The scary truth behind Publix grocery prices and “discounts” that aren’t<br />- Why Halloween creativity seems to be dying (and how brands can bring the fun back)<br /><br />🎬 Plus: ridiculous costumes, chaotic debates, and the occasional marketing jump scare.<br /><br />So grab your candy (or your crisis comms plan) and tune in for a spooky, unhinged, and hilariously honest breakdown of this year’s marketing nightmares.<br /><br />Happy spooky season, from The 21st Agency. 🕸️</p>no00:24:01115The Scariest Marketing Campaigns of 2025 (Episode 15. Halloween Special)full<![CDATA[How Scholar Education Balances Tech, Trust, and Teaching (Episode 14 ft. Marlee Strawn)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with classroom innovation, AI-powered learning, and a couple of dogs who might just change the future of education).

This week, Brittany and Christian sat down with Marlee Strawn, Co-Founder of Scholar Education, to talk about how AI, transparency, and trust are shaping the next generation of learning. From teacher empowerment to student engagement, Marlee shows what it really takes to bring artificial intelligence into classrooms the right way. She’s a former educator turned tech innovator and her story proves that the best edtech doesn’t replace teachers, it amplifies them.

🐾 Inside this episode:
- How two Bernadoodles became the mascots driving AI adoption in schools
- Why safety, transparency, and trust must come before innovation
- How Scholar Education uses AI to empower teachers, not replace them
- The role of “AI literacy” for students and educators alike
- Why special education is the key to unlocking personalized learning
- How to train teachers for tools that evolve as fast as the tech does
- What the classroom of the future could look like (hint: it’s collaborative, inclusive, and kind of adorable

This episode is for educators, parents, innovators, and anyone curious about how AI can actually make learning more human. Insightful, inspiring, and full of heart, this one’s proof that the future of education starts with empathy.

]]>594cb9fa-23eb-4da9-9eb1-fd78b0363778Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:43:06 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with classroom innovation, AI-powered learning, and a couple of dogs who might just change the future of education).<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Christian sat down with Marlee Strawn, Co-Founder of Scholar Education, to talk about how AI, transparency, and trust are shaping the next generation of learning. From teacher empowerment to student engagement, Marlee shows what it really takes to bring artificial intelligence into classrooms the right way. She’s a former educator turned tech innovator and her story proves that the best edtech doesn’t replace teachers, it amplifies them.<br /><br />🐾 Inside this episode:<br />- How two Bernadoodles became the mascots driving AI adoption in schools<br />- Why safety, transparency, and trust must come before innovation<br />- How Scholar Education uses AI to empower teachers, not replace them<br />- The role of “AI literacy” for students and educators alike<br />- Why special education is the key to unlocking personalized learning<br />- How to train teachers for tools that evolve as fast as the tech does<br />- What the classroom of the future could look like (hint: it’s collaborative, inclusive, and kind of adorable<br /><br />This episode is for educators, parents, innovators, and anyone curious about how AI can actually make learning more human. Insightful, inspiring, and full of heart, this one’s proof that the future of education starts with empathy.</p>no00:25:08114How Scholar Education Balances Tech, Trust, and Teaching (Episode 14 ft. Marlee Strawn)full<![CDATA[How To Turn ANY Brand Into A Household Name (Episode 13 ft. Kevin Keith)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with brand reinvention, operational magic, and a few hot takes on what it really takes to make a brand people actually love).

This week, Brittany and Cindy sat down with Kevin Keith, the marketing maestro behind brands like Edible Arrangements, Orange Theory Fitness, Coca-Cola, and UPS. He’s the strategist, the storyteller, and the conductor behind some of the most memorable brand transformations, and he’s here to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to make brands thrive in a complex world.

From redefining brand storytelling to balancing operational challenges with creativity, Kevin brings equal parts strategy, humor, and hard-earned wisdom to this conversation.

🍫 Inside this episode:
- How to treat your brand like a piece of art (and why your shelf at home matters more than you think)
- Why authenticity beats “trying to be cool” every single time
- The biggest mistakes brands make when bringing marketing in-house
- How to align storytelling with logistics in franchise systems
- Lessons from building billion-dollar brands and thriving through a pandemic
- Why the CEO-CMO relationship can make or break brand success
- The subtle art of subtracting unnecessary brand clutter
- How to make every part of your brand feel like a living, breathing character

This episode is for marketers, brand leaders, and creators who know that building a brand isn’t just about logos and campaigns, it’s about connection, culture, and thoughtful strategy. Smart, practical, and packed with insights, you’ll want to share this one.

]]>2dd0c1ff-60c9-498b-9201-c40a826a7bd3Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:38:51 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with brand reinvention, operational magic, and a few hot takes on what it really takes to make a brand people actually love).<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Cindy sat down with Kevin Keith, the marketing maestro behind brands like Edible Arrangements, Orange Theory Fitness, Coca-Cola, and UPS. He’s the strategist, the storyteller, and the conductor behind some of the most memorable brand transformations, and he’s here to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to make brands thrive in a complex world.<br /><br />From redefining brand storytelling to balancing operational challenges with creativity, Kevin brings equal parts strategy, humor, and hard-earned wisdom to this conversation.<br /><br />🍫 Inside this episode:<br />- How to treat your brand like a piece of art (and why your shelf at home matters more than you think)<br />- Why authenticity beats “trying to be cool” every single time<br />- The biggest mistakes brands make when bringing marketing in-house<br />- How to align storytelling with logistics in franchise systems<br />- Lessons from building billion-dollar brands and thriving through a pandemic<br />- Why the CEO-CMO relationship can make or break brand success<br />- The subtle art of subtracting unnecessary brand clutter<br />- How to make every part of your brand feel like a living, breathing character<br /><br />This episode is for marketers, brand leaders, and creators who know that building a brand isn’t just about logos and campaigns, it’s about connection, culture, and thoughtful strategy. Smart, practical, and packed with insights, you’ll want to share this one.</p>no00:26:21113How To Turn ANY Brand Into A Household Name (Episode 13 ft. Kevin Keith)full<![CDATA[Hitting A Digital Grand Slam With Fanatics Betting & Gaming (Episode 12 ft. Nicole Sia)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with algorithms, creativity, and a few hot takes on what it really means to build a brand people actually care about).

This week, Brittany and Shea sat down with Nicole Sia, the marketing powerhouse behind brands like DoorDash, Spotify, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming. She’s the face, the voice, and the strategy behind some of the most recognizable social presences on the internet, and she’s here to pull back the curtain on what it takes to make brands win online.

From redefining what “going viral” really means to breaking down why social teams are the future CEOs of business, Nicole brings equal parts strategy, humor, and hard-earned wisdom to this conversation.

🔥 Inside this episode:
- Why your audience, not your stakeholders, should drive your social strategy
- The truth about “trend-jacking” (and why it rarely works)
- How to build trust with legal and leadership teams so great ideas actually get approved
- The improv rule every marketer should follow
- The metric that matters most in 2025 (spoiler: it’s not likes or follows)
- Why shares are the new love language of social media
- How to balance evergreen storytelling with real-time culture
- The myth of “the intern behind the account”

This episode is for the marketers, creators, and brand builders who know that great social isn’t about chasing trends, it’s about creating connection. It’s smart, funny, and full of insights you’ll want to share.

]]>5ac9dc37-dd82-4cf3-a7b4-407702563a47Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:36:30 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with algorithms, creativity, and a few hot takes on what it really means to build a brand people actually care about).<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Shea sat down with Nicole Sia, the marketing powerhouse behind brands like DoorDash, Spotify, and Fanatics Betting &amp; Gaming. She’s the face, the voice, and the strategy behind some of the most recognizable social presences on the internet, and she’s here to pull back the curtain on what it takes to make brands win online.<br /><br />From redefining what “going viral” really means to breaking down why social teams are the future CEOs of business, Nicole brings equal parts strategy, humor, and hard-earned wisdom to this conversation.<br /><br />🔥 Inside this episode:<br />- Why your audience, not your stakeholders, should drive your social strategy<br />- The truth about “trend-jacking” (and why it rarely works)<br />- How to build trust with legal and leadership teams so great ideas actually get approved<br />- The improv rule every marketer should follow<br />- The metric that matters most in 2025 (spoiler: it’s not likes or follows)<br />- Why shares are the new love language of social media<br />- How to balance evergreen storytelling with real-time culture<br />- The myth of “the intern behind the account”<br /><br />This episode is for the marketers, creators, and brand builders who know that great social isn’t about chasing trends, it’s about creating connection. It’s smart, funny, and full of insights you’ll want to share.</p>no00:23:24112Hitting A Digital Grand Slam With Fanatics Betting & Gaming (Episode 12 ft. Nicole Sia)full<![CDATA[From Private Equity to Sweat Equity, Building From the Ground Up (Episode 11 ft. Frank Fiume)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with playbooks, passion, and a few reality checks for every founder).

This week, Brittany and Shea sat down with Frank Fiume, founder of i9 Sports and Emerging Franchise Brands, the man who didn’t just build a franchise but pioneered an entire category. From bootstrapping local youth leagues into one of the largest sports franchises in America to mentoring the next wave of founders, Frank’s story is a masterclass in what happens when vision meets persistence.

We dug into what it really takes to scale something meaningful, why the best franchisors are secretly in the adult education business, and how writing a “love letter” to his company turned into one of the biggest turning points of his career.

🔥 Inside this episode:
- How Frank built the first and largest youth sports franchise in America
- Why franchisors are really in the adult education business
- The love letter that became a breakup letter and changed everything
- The red flags founders ignore when they fall too in love with their own idea
- How passion (not profit) drives lasting success
- What comes after a nine-figure exit and why starting over matters

This episode is for the builders, dreamers, and change-makers who know that growth isn’t just about the bottom line. It’s about becoming the kind of leader who keeps playing the long game.

]]>2e3756c9-270f-4c9f-b236-c8f23de11edeSun, 15 Mar 2026 21:29:29 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with playbooks, passion, and a few reality checks for every founder).<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Shea sat down with Frank Fiume, founder of i9 Sports and Emerging Franchise Brands, the man who didn’t just build a franchise but pioneered an entire category. From bootstrapping local youth leagues into one of the largest sports franchises in America to mentoring the next wave of founders, Frank’s story is a masterclass in what happens when vision meets persistence.<br /><br />We dug into what it really takes to scale something meaningful, why the best franchisors are secretly in the adult education business, and how writing a “love letter” to his company turned into one of the biggest turning points of his career.<br /><br />🔥 Inside this episode:<br />- How Frank built the first and largest youth sports franchise in America<br />- Why franchisors are really in the adult education business<br />- The love letter that became a breakup letter and changed everything<br />- The red flags founders ignore when they fall too in love with their own idea<br />- How passion (not profit) drives lasting success<br />- What comes after a nine-figure exit and why starting over matters<br /><br />This episode is for the builders, dreamers, and change-makers who know that growth isn’t just about the bottom line. It’s about becoming the kind of leader who keeps playing the long game.</p>no00:23:37111From Private Equity to Sweat Equity, Building From the Ground Up (Episode 11 ft. Frank Fiume)full<![CDATA[The Guy Behind Over 6 Billion Email Sends A YEAR (Episode 10 ft. Jay Schwedelson) ]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with emails, AI hacks, and a few typos that actually work).

This week, Brittany and Christian sat down with Jay Schwedelson, founder of subjectline.com and host of the #1 Marketing Podcast in the US, Do This NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson, whose strategies power over six billion email sends annually. From clever subject line experiments to the art of un-AI-ing your content, Jay shared lessons learned from scaling some of the most effective email campaigns and building a personal brand that breaks all the rules.

We dug into why some “mistakes” become your best-performing campaigns, how to cut through inbox clutter in 2025, and why sometimes the most human, imperfect content gets the best results. Oh, and yes, we may have learned a few hacks you’ll want to test tomorrow (you’ll want to stay for these!).

📧 Inside this episode:
- Jay’s counterintuitive hack: why first-name personalization isn’t always the winner
- How testing “broken” rules can outperform traditional best practices
- The secret power of preheaders (and why emojis are your friend)
- AI, typos, and un-AI-ing: why perfect content might be hurting your engagement
- Personalization that mirrors your audience so they self-identify

This episode is for marketers, content creators, and anyone who believes email isn’t just about clicks, it’s about connecting with real people in ways that surprise, delight, and perform. And trust us, you’ll never look at your inbox the same way again.

]]>d103836c-955f-4ac5-8788-947a7307cdf7Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:24:02 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with emails, AI hacks, and a few typos that actually work).<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Christian sat down with Jay Schwedelson, founder of <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://subjectline.com" target="_blank">subjectline.com</a> and host of the #1 Marketing Podcast in the US, Do This NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson, whose strategies power over six billion email sends annually. From clever subject line experiments to the art of un-AI-ing your content, Jay shared lessons learned from scaling some of the most effective email campaigns and building a personal brand that breaks all the rules.<br /><br />We dug into why some “mistakes” become your best-performing campaigns, how to cut through inbox clutter in 2025, and why sometimes the most human, imperfect content gets the best results. Oh, and yes, we may have learned a few hacks you’ll want to test tomorrow (you’ll want to stay for these!).<br /><br />📧 Inside this episode:<br />- Jay’s counterintuitive hack: why first-name personalization isn’t always the winner<br />- How testing “broken” rules can outperform traditional best practices<br />- The secret power of preheaders (and why emojis are your friend)<br />- AI, typos, and un-AI-ing: why perfect content might be hurting your engagement<br />- Personalization that mirrors your audience so they self-identify<br /><br />This episode is for marketers, content creators, and anyone who believes email isn’t just about clicks, it’s about connecting with real people in ways that surprise, delight, and perform. And trust us, you’ll never look at your inbox the same way again.</p>no00:22:54110The Guy Behind Over 6 Billion Email Sends A YEAR (Episode 10 ft. Jay Schwedelson) full<![CDATA[The Men Who’ve Tasted Over 1 Million Wines (Episode 9 ft. Stephan De Beer & Jerry Stephan)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with bubbles, South African sunshine, and a saber or two).

This week, Brittany and Christian sat down with Stephan de Beer, head winemaker of Krone Vintage-only Cap Classique, whose craft has been poured into more than 2 million bottles a year. Alongside CEO of Ascent Wines Jerry Stephan, we uncorked a conversation about tradition, risk, and why sometimes the “worst” harvests create the most magical wines.

We dug into what makes Cap Classique (South Africa’s answer to Champagne) so unique, why the right glass matters more than the right label, and what it’s like to make a career in storytelling through fermentation. Oh, and yes, Brittany learned how to saber a bottle on air (you’ll want to stay to see the results).

🍇 Inside this episode:
- Stephan’s hot take that flutes are the worst glasses for sparkling wine
- The near-disaster 2021 vintage that became an award-winning triumph
- Why life’s too short not to drink the best wine first
- The power of origin stories in every sip, from ginger beer in his mom’s kitchen to finalist for South Africa’s Winemaker of the Year
- What “behind the bubbles” notes really mean (and why tar might not belong on your tasting sheet)

This episode is for wine lovers, storytellers, and anyone who believes the best bottles aren’t just about what’s in the glass, but about the people, place, and persistence behind them. And trust us, you’ll never look at sparkling wine the same way again.

]]>56ccae11-2538-4a0a-a640-c94277b740efSun, 15 Mar 2026 21:18:22 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes With… (this time with bubbles, South African sunshine, and a saber or two).<br /><br />This week, Brittany and Christian sat down with Stephan de Beer, head winemaker of Krone Vintage-only Cap Classique, whose craft has been poured into more than 2 million bottles a year. Alongside CEO of Ascent Wines Jerry Stephan, we uncorked a conversation about tradition, risk, and why sometimes the “worst” harvests create the most magical wines.<br /><br />We dug into what makes Cap Classique (South Africa’s answer to Champagne) so unique, why the right glass matters more than the right label, and what it’s like to make a career in storytelling through fermentation. Oh, and yes, Brittany learned how to saber a bottle on air (you’ll want to stay to see the results).<br /><br />🍇 Inside this episode:<br />- Stephan’s hot take that flutes are the worst glasses for sparkling wine<br />- The near-disaster 2021 vintage that became an award-winning triumph<br />- Why life’s too short not to drink the best wine first<br />- The power of origin stories in every sip, from ginger beer in his mom’s kitchen to finalist for South Africa’s Winemaker of the Year<br />- What “behind the bubbles” notes really mean (and why tar might not belong on your tasting sheet)<br /><br />This episode is for wine lovers, storytellers, and anyone who believes the best bottles aren’t just about what’s in the glass, but about the people, place, and persistence behind them. And trust us, you’ll never look at sparkling wine the same way again.</p>no00:22:1019The Men Who’ve Tasted Over 1 Million Wines (Episode 9 ft. Stephan De Beer & Jerry Stephan)full<![CDATA[Lightning Sellouts, Golf Booms, Retail Reboots (Episode 8 ft. Matt Corey)]]>Welcome back to 21 Minutes (this time with Stanley Cups, golf rivalries, and marketing plot twists).

This week, we sat down with Matt Corey, the marketing mind who’s left his fingerprints on some of the biggest names in sports and retail. From the Tampa Bay Lightning, and their post-Stanley Cup fan boom, to the PGA Tour, during golf’s most volatile era, to the LPGA, USTA, and even retail powerhouses like Golfsmith, Matt has made a career out of rewriting the playbook in high-stakes arenas.

Brittany, joined by Cindy Haynes from EraserFarm, dug into what it’s like to be hired as a “change agent” when organizations aren’t ready to change, why storytelling (not just scoreboards) is the secret to building lifelong fans, and how leading with empathy creates teams that win long after the final buzzer.

⚡ Inside this episode:
- How Matt helped grow Lightning fan penetration from 36% to 50% after back-to-back Stanley Cups
- The risks (and rewards) of reinventing a season kickoff when ESPN hands you a 5:30pm Tuesday slot
- Why PGA Tour wasn’t ready for disruption, and what it taught him about timing and change
- How behind-the-scenes storytelling (from Sweden to backyard BBQs) creates loyalty beyond the game
- Why the best CMOs double as mentors, not just strategists

This episode is for marketers, sports executives, and leaders who want to see how bold creativity (and a little empathy) can drive real growth, even in industries rooted in tradition. It’s also for anyone who loves a behind-the-scenes story, believes authenticity beats polish, and wants proof that the “show” around the game is often as important as the game itself.

]]>a9028575-02e1-40d9-b2dc-93d4e8e084c1Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:08:12 GMT<p>Welcome back to 21 Minutes (this time with Stanley Cups, golf rivalries, and marketing plot twists).<br /><br />This week, we sat down with Matt Corey, the marketing mind who’s left his fingerprints on some of the biggest names in sports and retail. From the Tampa Bay Lightning, and their post-Stanley Cup fan boom, to the PGA Tour, during golf’s most volatile era, to the LPGA, USTA, and even retail powerhouses like Golfsmith, Matt has made a career out of rewriting the playbook in high-stakes arenas.<br /><br />Brittany, joined by Cindy Haynes from EraserFarm, dug into what it’s like to be hired as a “change agent” when organizations aren’t ready to change, why storytelling (not just scoreboards) is the secret to building lifelong fans, and how leading with empathy creates teams that win long after the final buzzer.<br /><br />⚡ Inside this episode:<br />- How Matt helped grow Lightning fan penetration from 36% to 50% after back-to-back Stanley Cups<br />- The risks (and rewards) of reinventing a season kickoff when ESPN hands you a 5:30pm Tuesday slot<br />- Why PGA Tour wasn’t ready for disruption, and what it taught him about timing and change<br />- How behind-the-scenes storytelling (from Sweden to backyard BBQs) creates loyalty beyond the game<br />- Why the best CMOs double as mentors, not just strategists<br /><br />This episode is for marketers, sports executives, and leaders who want to see how bold creativity (and a little empathy) can drive real growth, even in industries rooted in tradition. It’s also for anyone who loves a behind-the-scenes story, believes authenticity beats polish, and wants proof that the “show” around the game is often as important as the game itself.</p>no00:24:0618Lightning Sellouts, Golf Booms, Retail Reboots (Episode 8 ft. Matt Corey)full<![CDATA[The Driver Behind Sarasota Ford’s Boldest Moves (Episode 7 ft. Elesia Vera)]]>Welcome back to the chaos (this time it comes with dance battles, dealership dads, and a whole lot of Fergalicious).

In this episode we sit down with Elesia Vera, the social media manager behind Sarasota Ford, the dealership that decided car buying should actually be fun. Instead of stiff sales pitches and awkward handshakes, they are building a community on TikTok and Instagram where customers show up asking about dance moves before truck models.

Elesia takes us inside how she convinced leadership to embrace the wild side, got an entire sales team of dads to learn choreography, and turned Sarasota Ford into a local content machine where fan clubs, bloopers, and Beyoncé all have a place on the lot.

🚙 Inside this episode:
- Why Sarasota Ford wants to break the “dealership stigma” before you even step on the lot
- How Elesia got a team of dads to dance to Fergalicious without blinking
- The balance between corporate polish and viral fun
- What happens when your sales team starts trending and customers show up quoting TikTok
- Sneak peek into what’s next (think bloopers, dad energy, and fun-meets-educational content)

This episode is perfect for marketers, social media managers, and business leaders who want to see how creativity can drive real results in even the most traditional industries. It is also for anyone who loves a good Fergie moment, believes work should be fun, and wants proof that dancing can actually sell cars.

]]>62742b70-d0ae-400d-96dd-10b6a74f1507Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:01:40 GMT<p>Welcome back to the chaos (this time it comes with dance battles, dealership dads, and a whole lot of Fergalicious).<br /><br />In this episode we sit down with Elesia Vera, the social media manager behind Sarasota Ford, the dealership that decided car buying should actually be fun. Instead of stiff sales pitches and awkward handshakes, they are building a community on TikTok and Instagram where customers show up asking about dance moves before truck models.<br /><br />Elesia takes us inside how she convinced leadership to embrace the wild side, got an entire sales team of dads to learn choreography, and turned Sarasota Ford into a local content machine where fan clubs, bloopers, and Beyoncé all have a place on the lot.<br /><br />🚙 Inside this episode:<br />- Why Sarasota Ford wants to break the “dealership stigma” before you even step on the lot<br />- How Elesia got a team of dads to dance to Fergalicious without blinking<br />- The balance between corporate polish and viral fun<br />- What happens when your sales team starts trending and customers show up quoting TikTok<br />- Sneak peek into what’s next (think bloopers, dad energy, and fun-meets-educational content)<br /><br />This episode is perfect for marketers, social media managers, and business leaders who want to see how creativity can drive real results in even the most traditional industries. It is also for anyone who loves a good Fergie moment, believes work should be fun, and wants proof that dancing can actually sell cars.</p>no00:22:2117The Driver Behind Sarasota Ford’s Boldest Moves (Episode 7 ft. Elesia Vera)full<![CDATA[The Growth Guy Behind Booze, Burgers, and Breadmakers (Episode 6 ft. Terry Haley)]]>Welcome back to the chaos (this time, it’s served with a side of burgers, beer, and big ideas). In this episode we sit down with Terry Haley, a seasoned growth leader who has worn just about every executive hat in the business world.

He has been a Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Chief Growth Officer (CGO), Global Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for some of the most recognizable brands in the world including Pampered Chef, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, World Of Beer, P.F. Changs, and Miller Brewing Company.

Terry’s career is a masterclass in navigating transitions across industries, ownership structures, and business models while never losing sight of what matters most: growth. He is equal parts strategist, storyteller, and notebook enthusiast, and his journey proves that curiosity and humility can take you anywhere.

🍔 Inside this episode:
- Why entering every new role with humility is Terry’s secret to success
- How to market to the people in the room before you market to customers
- The art of getting buy in and creating alignment across executive teams
- Why brand and performance marketing should never live in silos
- Leadership lessons for moving from personal achievement to team impact

This episode is perfect for marketers, growth leaders, and entrepreneurs who want a candid look at navigating executive roles, driving results across industries, and mastering the balance of brand building and bottom line growth. It is also perfect for anyone who loves a good origin story, believes big ideas should be backed by strategy, and wants a peek behind the scenes of some of the world’s most beloved brands.

]]>dcc22e10-a2b0-4095-b98e-0d26faf58757Sun, 15 Mar 2026 20:57:14 GMT<p>Welcome back to the chaos (this time, it’s served with a side of burgers, beer, and big ideas). In this episode we sit down with Terry Haley, a seasoned growth leader who has worn just about every executive hat in the business world.<br /><br />He has been a Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Chief Growth Officer (CGO), Global Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for some of the most recognizable brands in the world including Pampered Chef, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, World Of Beer, P.F. Changs, and Miller Brewing Company.<br /><br />Terry’s career is a masterclass in navigating transitions across industries, ownership structures, and business models while never losing sight of what matters most: growth. He is equal parts strategist, storyteller, and notebook enthusiast, and his journey proves that curiosity and humility can take you anywhere.<br /><br />🍔 Inside this episode:<br />- Why entering every new role with humility is Terry’s secret to success<br />- How to market to the people in the room before you market to customers<br />- The art of getting buy in and creating alignment across executive teams<br />- Why brand and performance marketing should never live in silos<br />- Leadership lessons for moving from personal achievement to team impact<br /><br />This episode is perfect for marketers, growth leaders, and entrepreneurs who want a candid look at navigating executive roles, driving results across industries, and mastering the balance of brand building and bottom line growth. It is also perfect for anyone who loves a good origin story, believes big ideas should be backed by strategy, and wants a peek behind the scenes of some of the world’s most beloved brands.</p>no00:25:1916The Growth Guy Behind Booze, Burgers, and Breadmakers (Episode 6 ft. Terry Haley)full<![CDATA[The 1st US Producer of Ouzo (Episode 5 ft. Barry & Lisa Butler)]]>Welcome back to the chaos (this time, it is barrel-aged and slightly buzzed). In this episode, we sit down with Barry and Lisa Butler from Tarpon Springs Distillery, and Cindy Haynes from Eraser Farm. This Florida craft distillery is known for bold innovation, award-winning spirits, and has magically transformed a historic sponge warehouse into a hub for cocktail culture and live music.

Our conversation dives deep into their journey from touring small batch distilleries to opening their own, crafting unique spirits like smoked mullet gin, Greek-style ouzo, and high proof moonshine that locals and visitors alike love. We cover how they turned COVID-era pivots into opportunities, mastered the science of distilling, and built a loyal community of fans and customers.

🥃Inside this episode:
- Why smoked mullet belongs in gin and why it actually works
- How they turned pandemic panic into cocktail creativity
- The science behind distilling flavor and building award-winning spirits
- Creating a community hub where history and high proof meet

This episode is perfect for anyone obsessed with craft spirits, small batch whiskey, cocktail innovation, foodie culture, entrepreneurial storytelling, and anyone who loves a “did they really do that?!” story.

]]>22ac3e97-5166-4628-aa32-38d17aa009b0Sun, 15 Mar 2026 20:51:48 GMT<p>Welcome back to the chaos (this time, it is barrel-aged and slightly buzzed). In this episode, we sit down with Barry and Lisa Butler from Tarpon Springs Distillery, and Cindy Haynes from Eraser Farm. This Florida craft distillery is known for bold innovation, award-winning spirits, and has magically transformed a historic sponge warehouse into a hub for cocktail culture and live music.<br /><br />Our conversation dives deep into their journey from touring small batch distilleries to opening their own, crafting unique spirits like smoked mullet gin, Greek-style ouzo, and high proof moonshine that locals and visitors alike love. We cover how they turned COVID-era pivots into opportunities, mastered the science of distilling, and built a loyal community of fans and customers.<br /><br />🥃Inside this episode:<br />- Why smoked mullet belongs in gin and why it actually works<br />- How they turned pandemic panic into cocktail creativity<br />- The science behind distilling flavor and building award-winning spirits<br />- Creating a community hub where history and high proof meet<br /><br />This episode is perfect for anyone obsessed with craft spirits, small batch whiskey, cocktail innovation, foodie culture, entrepreneurial storytelling, and anyone who loves a “did they really do that?!” story.</p>no00:23:0315The 1st US Producer of Ouzo (Episode 5 ft. Barry & Lisa Butler)full<![CDATA[Liquid Death’s Chaos Conductor (Episode 4 ft. Andy Pearson)]]>Welcome back to the chaos (this time, it’s carbonated). In this episode, we dive into Liquid Death, the brand that transformed canned water marketing into a cultural phenomenon through bold brand voice, viral stunts, and rule-breaking creativity.

From wild creative pitches that never left the whiteboard to the art of knowing when to ignore marketing “best practices”, we unpack what it takes to lead creative strategy at one of the most unpredictable and unconventional brands in the world. Is there a brand style guide? Maybe. Are there guardrails? Barely. Does it work? Absolutely.

💀 Inside this episode:
- How far is too far in brand marketing
- The real definition of creative success when metrics are pure chaos
- The one big idea that almost didn’t happen
- CMO tips for pushing boundaries without tanking the brand

This one’s for rebel marketers, creative directors, and CMOs ready to break out of “safe” and into brand storytelling that actually moves people. Tune in for real talk, high-risk ideas, and how to make brand voice something customers actually care about.

]]>0fa88c0c-cfdf-46fd-a6a0-5d89207b8daeSun, 15 Mar 2026 20:48:23 GMT<p>Welcome back to the chaos (this time, it’s carbonated). In this episode, we dive into Liquid Death, the brand that transformed canned water marketing into a cultural phenomenon through bold brand voice, viral stunts, and rule-breaking creativity.<br /><br />From wild creative pitches that never left the whiteboard to the art of knowing when to ignore marketing “best practices”, we unpack what it takes to lead creative strategy at one of the most unpredictable and unconventional brands in the world. Is there a brand style guide? Maybe. Are there guardrails? Barely. Does it work? Absolutely.<br /><br />💀 Inside this episode:<br />- How far is too far in brand marketing<br />- The real definition of creative success when metrics are pure chaos<br />- The one big idea that almost didn’t happen<br />- CMO tips for pushing boundaries without tanking the brand<br /><br />This one’s for rebel marketers, creative directors, and CMOs ready to break out of “safe” and into brand storytelling that actually moves people. Tune in for real talk, high-risk ideas, and how to make brand voice something customers actually care about.</p>no00:23:1814Liquid Death’s Chaos Conductor (Episode 4 ft. Andy Pearson)full<![CDATA[The Airport That Broke The Internet (Episode 3 ft. Ashley Iaccarino) ]]>Welcome back to the chaos (the airport kind). In this episode, we’re diving headfirst into the bold, brilliant, and slightly unhinged world of the Tampa International Airport brand account, the unexpected social media powerhouse creating some of the funniest airport content on the internet.

From weird DMs (not what you’d expect) to viral emoji posts that made national headlines, we explore how a once-generic airport social media presence turned into a meme-worthy brand voice that audiences can’t stop talking about. Is there a social media strategy behind it? Or is it all vibes? Let’s find out.

✈️Inside this episode:
-How Tampa International transformed its airport brand with humor and bold content
-The viral post that put them on the map (hint: it involves World Emoji Day)
-Why there’s no social media playbook, just instinct, timing, and trust
-The real challenge of handing off a brand voice without losing the magic
-How to keep brand humor relatable and not cringey
-The #1 mistake brands make when trying to sound authentic

If you’re a social media manager, brand voice enthusiast, or digital marketer ready to break free from the boring, this episode is for you.

Follow for more deep dives on brand storytelling, social strategy, and content marketing insights straight from the people behind the posts.

]]>eea587d3-a542-478a-8ac4-d48d08cdc4eaSun, 15 Mar 2026 20:43:12 GMT<p>Welcome back to the chaos (the airport kind). In this episode, we’re diving headfirst into the bold, brilliant, and slightly unhinged world of the Tampa International Airport brand account, the unexpected social media powerhouse creating some of the funniest airport content on the internet.<br /><br />From weird DMs (not what you’d expect) to viral emoji posts that made national headlines, we explore how a once-generic airport social media presence turned into a meme-worthy brand voice that audiences can’t stop talking about. Is there a social media strategy behind it? Or is it all vibes? Let’s find out.<br /><br />✈️Inside this episode:<br />-How Tampa International transformed its airport brand with humor and bold content<br />-The viral post that put them on the map (hint: it involves World Emoji Day)<br />-Why there’s no social media playbook, just instinct, timing, and trust<br />-The real challenge of handing off a brand voice without losing the magic<br />-How to keep brand humor relatable and not cringey<br />-The #1 mistake brands make when trying to sound authentic<br /><br />If you’re a social media manager, brand voice enthusiast, or digital marketer ready to break free from the boring, this episode is for you.<br /><br />Follow for more deep dives on brand storytelling, social strategy, and content marketing insights straight from the people behind the posts.</p>no00:23:2213The Airport That Broke The Internet (Episode 3 ft. Ashley Iaccarino) full<![CDATA[Brands That Behave So Badly, It's Brilliant - Episode 2]]>Welcome back to the chaos (the marketing kind). In this episode, we’re breaking down the badly brilliant brands, the ones that feel unhinged, chaotic, even borderline rude… and yet? Totally iconic.

From Ryanair trolling its own customers to Pine-Sol claiming it "smells like dominance," we’re unpacking why these wild strategies actually work. Think: owned truth, no pretense, full personality possession.

Featured brands:
Ryanair: savage TikTok marketing and Gen Z engagement
Nutter Butter: viral meme strategy for snack brands
Pine-Sol: legacy brand meets absurdist social content
Plus hot takes on Scrub Daddy, Slim Jim, Liquid Death, Yellowstone TikTok, and the Milwaukee Public Library (yes, really).

Make sure to follow for marketing commentary, brand identity breakdowns, and social media hot takes from people who spend way too much time online.

]]>4db35977-a2f4-49ed-9b71-b7efa1f89092Fri, 13 Mar 2026 19:01:01 GMT<p>Welcome back to the chaos (the marketing kind). In this episode, we’re breaking down the badly brilliant brands, the ones that feel unhinged, chaotic, even borderline rude… and yet? Totally iconic.<br /><br />From Ryanair trolling its own customers to Pine-Sol claiming it "smells like dominance," we’re unpacking why these wild strategies actually work. Think: owned truth, no pretense, full personality possession.<br /><br />Featured brands:<br />Ryanair: savage TikTok marketing and Gen Z engagement<br />Nutter Butter: viral meme strategy for snack brands<br />Pine-Sol: legacy brand meets absurdist social content<br />Plus hot takes on Scrub Daddy, Slim Jim, Liquid Death, Yellowstone TikTok, and the Milwaukee Public Library (yes, really).<br /><br />Make sure to follow for marketing commentary, brand identity breakdowns, and social media hot takes from people who spend way too much time online.</p>no00:24:2312Brands That Behave So Badly, It's Brilliant - Episode 2full<![CDATA[21 Minutes With... The 21st Agency - Episode 1]]>Welcome to the chaos (but like, the fun kind). In this first episode of 21 Minutes With..., we’re pulling back the curtain on who we are, what we’re about, and the oddly specific things that drive us absolutely insane (all in just 21 minutes). From hot takes to our most irrational pet peeves, it’s all on the table.

Stay tuned for special guests, strong opinions, and weekly chaos from the five of us at The 21st Agency.

Make sure to follow if you love strong opinions, questionable humor, and the occasional truth bomb.

]]>aa415fb1-eda8-4e0c-a6f6-70f0409356efFri, 13 Mar 2026 15:13:42 GMT<p>Welcome to the chaos (but like, the fun kind). In this first episode of 21 Minutes With..., we’re pulling back the curtain on who we are, what we’re about, and the oddly specific things that drive us absolutely insane (all in just 21 minutes). From hot takes to our most irrational pet peeves, it’s all on the table.<br /><br />Stay tuned for special guests, strong opinions, and weekly chaos from the five of us at The 21st Agency.<br /><br />Make sure to follow if you love strong opinions, questionable humor, and the occasional truth bomb.</p>no00:23:261121 Minutes With... The 21st Agency - Episode 1full