This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Natalie Nathanson
• Website: magnetudeconsulting.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalienathanson/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/magnetude-consulting/
• Podcast - Shift and Thrive: https://shiftandthrivepodcast.com/

What does balance really look like when you’re a founder, parent, and leader in a fast-changing world? For Natalie Nathanson, it’s not about perfection — it’s about intention.

Natalie is the Founder & CEO of Magnetude Consulting, a B2B marketing firm helping startups and SMBs scale strategically. She’s also the host of the “Shift and Thrive” podcast, where she interviews leaders on transformation, innovation, and personal growth.

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Natalie shares how she built her business after a decade in corporate marketing, her approach to leadership and family, and the mindset that helps her stay grounded through chaos.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:
• How Natalie transitioned from Forrester Research to founding Magnetude Consulting
• The challenges and rewards of building a marketing firm from scratch
• How she defines balance as a founder, parent, and athlete
• Why running, gardening, and creative hobbies fuel her leadership
• The lessons she’s learned from her children and team
• Her advice for new entrepreneurs: “You only get to be new once.”

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)
0:37 – Meet Natalie Nathanson: from Forrester to founder of Magnetude Consulting
1:44 – Starting her firm and redefining what marketing looks like for startups
3:20 – How B2B marketing has evolved in the age of AI
4:25 – Family life: raising two kids and learning from parenthood
5:50 – Health: sleep, nutrition, running, and gardening as restoration
7:40 – Fun: resin art, biking, and growing vegetables
8:46 – Balance: intentional time for what matters most
10:03 – Pivotal moment: navigating family illness during the pandemic
11:19 – Advice to entrepreneurs: “You only get to be new once.”
12:39 – Where to find Natalie (LinkedIn, Magnetude, Shift and Thrive)

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

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Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Jeanne Achille
•Website: devonpr.com
•Website: https://www.jeanneachille.com/
•LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanneachille/
•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devongroup/

What happens when corporate ceilings stop your growth—but frustration becomes your fuel? For Jeanne Achille, it led to founding The Devon Group, a technology PR and marketing firm that’s been helping global brands launch, scale, and evolve for over 30 years.

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Jeanne shares her journey from corporate executive to founder, how she built a people-first company culture, and why balance and awareness are key to sustained success. She also opens up about family, mobility, health, and the lifelong process of checking in with yourself.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:

• How frustration led Jeanne to entrepreneurship
• What it takes to build a company that lasts decades
• Why awareness and reflection matter for leaders
• The importance of mobility, health, and self-care for longevity
• How to balance work, family, and self-awareness
• Why no one succeeds alone — and how to build the right support system

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)

1:16 – Meet Jeanne Achille: founder & CEO of The Devon Group

2:11 – From recruiter to PR founder: frustration that fueled a 30-year business

3:16 – How Devon Group helps clients with launches, rebrands & IPO milestones

4:36 – Defining family: three daughters, extended relatives, and “fur babies”

7:05 – Health & mobility: yoga, farm-to-table nutrition, and lessons from her nurse mother

9:14 – Fun: Broadway, avant-garde theater, and global travel for jazz and art

10:05 – Defining balance: awareness, reflection, and daily self-check-ins

13:05 – Pivotal moment: starting a business on a Wednesday—and getting 3 clients by Thursday

14:11 – Advice for entrepreneurs: don’t do it all yourself; hire key partners early

16:06 – Where to find Jeanne (devonpr.com, LinkedIn, and socials)

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – CJ Stasik

• Website: shehandlesit.com
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cjstasik_shi/
• 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cjstasik
• 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjstasik/

What happens when success on paper feels like failure in real life? For CJ Stasik, it took burnout, breakdown, and courage to rebuild her life with purpose and alignment.

CJ is the founder of She Handles It, an empowerment coaching brand that helps women break free from burnout, people-pleasing, and overwhelm — and reconnect with the version of themselves they truly want to be.

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, she shares her raw story of leaving a 13-year corporate career, overcoming guilt and exhaustion, and redefining success through mindset, self-awareness, and intention.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:
•How burnout led CJ to build She Handles It
•Why mindset is the root cause behind most burnout
•How to separate real vs. perceived obstacles
•The truth about “balance” — and why integration works better
•How family, nature, and daily rituals restored her peace
•Why self-care isn’t selfish — it’s essential for leadership and life

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)
0:37 – Meet CJ Stasik: founder of She Handles It
1:30 – From corporate burnout to starting her own brand
3:55 – The breaking point: grocery bags, tears, and a wake-up call
5:14 – Family life: marriage, children, and finding her soulmate
6:05 – What health means: body, mind, and soul in harmony
7:45 – How nature became her emotional reset button
9:02 – Fun: hiking, kayaking, and raising farm animals (the “four Gs”)
10:44 – Redefining balance as integration, not perfection
12:30 – Parenting, presence, and redefining what matters
15:08 – The pivotal moment: leaving a 13-year career to pursue coaching
18:38 – CJ’s advice: self-care isn’t selfish — it’s how you show up better
19:49 – Where to find CJ (shehandlesit.com + socials)

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Haley Hunter
•Website: partyland.co
•LinkedIn: [Haley’s LinkedIn]
•Instagram: [@partyland]

How do you build a successful creative agency while raising two kids and finding joy in the chaos? For Haley Hunter, it all started with saying “yes” to opportunities — even when she didn’t feel ready.

As the Co-Founder of Partyland, Haley leads an award-winning creative agency specializing in comedy, culture, and big ideas. In this episode of A Founder’s Life, she shares her unconventional path from intern to founder, the lessons she’s learned in leadership and balance, and why loving what you do is the ultimate entrepreneurial advantage.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:
•How Haley built Partyland from the ground up
•Why passion and purpose matter more than the perfect plan
•The value of hiring people smarter than you
•How to build a culture that thrives on creativity and comedy
•Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship with presence and gratitude
•Why trying new things fuels both creativity and well-being

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)
0:37 – Meet Haley Hunter: from Colorado to co-founding Partyland
1:44 – Early career: internships, leaving and returning to advertising
4:00 – Building experience across industries before launching her own agency
5:30 – Why she loves working with smarter people and learning through chaos
6:00 – Family life: raising two kids in Colorado while running an LA-based agency
7:09 – Health: balance through fun, movement, and gratitude
9:12 – Work-life balance: being the mom at volleyball practice with her laptop
11:31 – Pivotal moments: moving states, getting married, founding her company
13:03 – Her advice to entrepreneurs: love what you do and know your purpose
14:13 – Where to find Haley and Partyland

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Ted Jenkin

• Website: https://www.tedjenkin.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theceoadvisor/
• Free Business Valuation: www.esladvisors.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealtedjenkin
• Company's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exitstageleftadvisors/

Ted Jenkin has built and sold three companies — including a $3 billion wealth management firm — and today helps founder-led and family-owned businesses maximize their value while minimizing stress.

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Ted opens up about entrepreneurship, family, fasting, and how discipline drives freedom. He shares his journey from financial advisor to serial entrepreneur and CEO, now helping companies sell smarter through Exit Stage Left Advisors.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:

• How Ted built and sold three companies, including a $3B wealth management firm
• Why family and business can thrive together
• The value of structure and presence in long-term success
• How fasting and functional fitness fuel his performance
• What true work-life balance looks like (and why it’s a “juggle”)
• His biggest life lesson: turning tragedy into resilience

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)

1:30 – Meet Ted Jenkin: serial entrepreneur & CEO of Exit Stage Left Advisors

1:50 – Building and selling three companies, including a $3B wealth management firm

2:49 – Helping founder-led businesses maximize value and minimize stress

3:55 – Family life: 31 years married, three kids working across his companies

6:17 – Finding presence through family, routines, and intentional structure

7:40 – Health transformation: fasting, red light therapy, and holistic wellness

9:57 – ProLon fasting routine and quarterly reset strategy

12:39 – What fun and reading look like for Ted (nonfiction, travel, pickleball)

13:28 – Redefining balance: b

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life
• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Joan Garry

• Website: joangarry.com
• Podcast: https://joangarry.com/nonprofits-are-messy-podcast/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joangarry/

From MTV to the fight for marriage equality, Joan Garry has spent her life building communities and organizations that make the world more fair, just, and beautiful.

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Joan shares her journey from the early days of MTV to leading GLAAD, founding the Nonprofit Leadership Lab, and coaching thousands of nonprofit leaders around the world. She opens up about family, health, longevity, and what it means to live with clarity, conviction, and joy.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:

• How Joan transitioned from entertainment to advocacy and leadership
• Why clarity of vision is the foundation of any lasting organization
• The parallels between startups and nonprofits
• How she redefined family and became the first legal same-sex adoptive parent in New Jersey
• The importance of longevity, structure, and keeping your mind active
• Why diverse teams and honest voices make founders stronger

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)

1:08 – Meet Joan Garry: from MTV to nonprofit leadership

2:12 – How entrepreneurship and activism intertwine

3:52 – Defining family and the journey to parenthood

5:37 – Health, longevity, and finding balance through structure

9:03 – Piano, pickleball, and finding joy outside of work

10:20 – Pivotal moments: meeting her wife, advocacy, and legal adoption milestone

12:47 – Advice to entrepreneurs: clarity of vision + diverse voices

14:17 – Where to find Joan (joangarry.com + podcast + blog)

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life

• • YouTube: @AFoundersLife
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
  • Instagram: @afounderslife
  • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
  • Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Sean Shanks

• Website: moneywisepayroll.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-shanks/

What does it look like to take over a business you didn’t start — and make it your own? For Sean Shanks, it meant stepping into leadership at just 26 years old, learning through failure, and rebuilding a company from within.

Sean is the President and CEO of MoneyWise Payroll, a Virginia-based company that now serves 450 small and medium-sized businesses across 39 states. In this episode, he opens up about his unexpected path to entrepreneurship, overcoming addiction, and how coaching, structure, and humility helped him become a stronger leader, father, and person.

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)

0:38 – Meet Sean Shanks: President & CEO of MoneyWise Payroll

1:27 – From paper routes to payroll: early lessons in hustle

3:10 – Becoming CEO at 26 without formal business training

4:35 – Losing the company’s founder & buying the business from his family

6:00 – 24 years at MoneyWise: turning a legacy into his own

6:43 – Family life: marriage, raising three kids, and teaching ROI-based decisions

9:29 – Sobriety and the health habits that saved his life

11:50 – Why personal health is the single biggest business risk

13:10 – Training for triathlons & tracking recovery data

14:30 – Defining balance: structure, scheduling, and family time

18:15 – Pivotal moment: choosing sobriety & discovering the power of coaching

21:42 – Advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: find peers and ask for help

23:30 – How self-improvement parallels leadership at home and work

24:43 – Where to find Sean (MoneyWise Payroll, LinkedIn)

👉 Don’t miss an episode — subscribe & join our community of founders redefining success.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz — helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing founders@thankz.com with the subject line Founder’s Life.

🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life

• YouTube: @AFoundersLife
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/
• Instagram: @afounderslife
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70mfiPVuefpTnQHskflEqc?si=d8f658731c9248ba
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-founders-life/id1780849489

👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Melissa Washington

• Website: womenveteransalliance.org

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/washingtonmelissa/

• Instagram: [@womenveteransalliance]

What happens when a Navy veteran, laid off during the 2009 recession, decides to create her own opportunities? For Melissa Washington, it led to teaching LinkedIn workshops at her dining room table, joining LinkedIn itself, and ultimately founding the Women Veterans Alliance — now a global organization serving women across the world.

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Melissa shares her journey from military service to corporate HR, to entrepreneurship and nonprofit leadership. She opens up about family, faith, balance, and why her favorite advice is simple: you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

🔥 What you’ll learn in this conversation:
•How Melissa turned a layoff into a launchpad for entrepreneurship
•What she learned working inside LinkedIn during its growth years
•Why she created Women Veterans Alliance — and how it’s grown globally
•The role of family and faith in her entrepreneurial journey
•How she defines health as holistic: physical, mental, financial, and business
•Why balance means taking charge of your calendar and building discipline
•The power of asking: overcoming imposter syndrome to seize opportunity

👉 Subscribe now for more founder stories, raw lessons, and inspiration.

⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro & sponsor (Thankz)
0:32 – Meet Melissa Washington: Navy veteran, entrepreneur, founder
1:08 – From Navy to HR to layoff in 2009
1:52 – Teaching LinkedIn workshops at her dining room table
2:40 – Hired at LinkedIn → global travel and opportunities
3:25 – Launching Women Veterans Alliance in 2015
4:19 – Family: 31-year marriage, raising a daughter, support system
5:00 – Defining health beyond medicine: financial, business, physical, mental
6:07 – Fitness routines, nutrition challenges, and faith as mental health
6:56 – Fun: travel, cruises, and family genealogy projects
7:59 – Defining balance: taking Fridays off, owning her calendar
8:30 – Pivotal moment: adopting her daughter through foster care
9:06 – Advice to entrepreneurs: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”
10:06 – Where to find Melissa (Women Veter

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/leogestetner

Website

leogestetner.com/leo

Subscribe Now!

youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1