You've written a great book. You've poured your heart into it. But no one knows it exists. This is the silent tragedy Kae Wagner sees over and over again. In this episode, she breaks down the most common patterns that hold authors back: relying on fleeting inspiration instead of building reliable systems, fearing rejection so much that they never talk about their own work, and mistakenly believing that a traditional publisher will handle all the marketing for them. Kae explains why a simple mindset shift—seeing opportunities everywhere instead of obstacles—can transform an author's entire trajectory. She also introduces her free weekly community, the Bold Authors Network, where writers from around the world gather every Monday to learn concrete marketing tactics, share their wins, ask tough questions, and find the support they desperately need. If you're tired of your book sitting in silence, this episode will show you exactly where to start.

Kpunsa Mbinkar is a customer experience leader and Forum Director of the Africa Customer Experience Leaders Forum, where he is helping shape a more structured, people-centered CX ecosystem across the continent. With roots in frontline banking and over a decade of experience in CX advocacy and practice, Kpunsa has emerged as a strong voice for elevating customer and citizen experience in Africa.

In this episode, Kpunsa explains why Africa's greatest CX strength, its natural hospitality and human warmth, has not yet been fully translated into consistent corporate and public-sector experiences. He highlights the absence of shared standards, governance, and professional reference points as a key challenge, and contrasts this with more mature professions that benefit from clear structures and accountability.

The conversation also takes listeners behind the vision of the Africa Customer Experience Leaders Forum, including the Kigali gathering that united consultants, CX associations, and corporate leaders from across the continent. Kpunsa shares how commissions, country CX champions, and a growing knowledge base are laying the foundation for a common CX standard tailored to African realities.

Shay Thieberg is a LinkedIn-certified expert, psychologist, and co-founder of MAIA Digital, where he helps professionals and organizations harness LinkedIn as a strategic engine for visibility, authority, and business growth. With a foundation in behavioral science and years of hands-on experience guiding leaders and brands, Shay brings a rare blend of analytical depth and practical execution to the world of digital thought leadership.

In this episode, Shay breaks down why so many professionals underutilize LinkedIn and how a more intentional, psychology-informed approach can dramatically increase reach and influence. He explains the difference between posting content and establishing true thought leadership, emphasizing the importance of consistency, clarity of expertise, and human-centered storytelling. Drawing from MAIA Digital's work with hundreds of clients — as well as his collaborations with LinkedIn's internal teams — Shay shares what the platform's algorithm is rewarding right now, including the rising value of video, strategic commenting, and relationship-based engagement.

Shay also offers a forward-looking view of LinkedIn's evolution, highlighting the growing role of AI-assisted workflows, enhanced integrations with tools like Canva and Calendly, and the platform's shift toward richer community interaction rather than passive scrolling. Throughout the conversation, he provides practical, grounded guidance for leaders who want to strengthen their digital presence in a way that builds credibility, trust, and genuine connection.

This episode is a must-listen for professionals seeking to elevate their leadership brand, amplify their organization's voice, or leverage LinkedIn as a long-term strategic asset for growth and opportunity.

Mark Murphy is a leadership researcher, author, and founder of Leadership IQ, a company dedicated to studying why some leaders and teams consistently outperform others. His work focuses on using data-driven insights to help leaders build effective, motivated, and high-performing teams. In this episode, he breaks down the difference between leadership success driven by skill and success driven by circumstance, emphasizing that true leadership effectiveness must also be measured by culture, growth, retention, engagement, and contribution — not just outcomes.

Mark introduces a compelling framework built around five critical team roles: Director, Achiever, Stabilizer, Harmonizer, and Trailblazer. Through extensive research, he explains that the best teams are not made up of identical individuals, but of diverse contributors who each bring unique strengths. The episode explores how leaders can identify, assign, and balance these roles to create high-functioning teams, avoid power struggles, improve accountability, enhance innovation, and resolve conflict more effectively.

Mark also discusses how modern leaders must adapt based on context, recognizing when to lead from the front and when to empower others based on their strengths — a principle he refers to as adaptive hierarchy. Whether hiring, assembling project groups, or leading executive teams, he stresses the importance of intentionally designing role-based collaboration rather than relying on personality similarity or conventional hierarchy.

Peter Swimm, owner and consultant at Toilville, joined The Business Mic to explore how organizations can adopt AI and automation in ways that enhance — not erase — human expertise. With years of experience building conversational systems and workplace automation for major global companies, Peter now focuses on helping small and midsize organizations implement AI responsibly while preserving the value of human judgment, context, and organizational knowledge.

Peter explains that while many businesses rush toward AI to reduce workload or increase efficiency, they often overlook the human layer that determines whether automation succeeds or fails. He highlights the common assumption that frequently asked questions lead to uniform answers — when in reality, customer needs are often unique and require thoughtful handoffs between automation and human support. Effective systems, he stresses, must be designed with exit paths, context sharing, and safeguards that ensure customers feel understood rather than processed.

The conversation further explores modern AI implementation, from natural language interfaces to the shift away from rigid scripts, and the crucial role of domain experts in training and validating systems. Peter emphasizes that organizations should invest not only in technology, but also in curation, governance, and truth management — ensuring their internal knowledge base is accurate, up-to-date, and aligned with user needs. Ultimately, his perspective reinforces that meaningful AI transformation is not about replacing people — it's about enabling them to work smarter, deepen value, and elevate the customer experience.

Kyle McDowell, leadership expert, bestselling author of Begin With We, and former Fortune 10 executive, joins The Business Mic to discuss what it truly means to build a values-driven, people-centered culture in high-performance organizations. After leading tens of thousands of employees across major corporations, Kyle shares how he reached a turning point where traditional metrics of success — title, compensation, and results — were no longer meaningful without purpose, integrity, and team alignment. This realization led him to champion a new leadership philosophy rooted in shared accountability and collective excellence.

Kyle introduces his framework, The 10 WE Principles, emphasizing that culture is not built through slogans or posters, but through consistent behaviors lived by every leader, every day. He explains why many organizations struggle with toxic or disengaged cultures — not because of strategy or capability gaps, but because their leaders unintentionally reinforce a "me-first" environment. By shifting from individual heroics to collective ownership, teams evolve from compliance and fear into trust, safety, and meaningful contribution.

Throughout the conversation, Kyle underscores that high performance and humanity are not competing priorities. When leaders demonstrate vulnerability, clarity, and values-aligned decision-making, performance becomes a natural by-product of belonging. His message is clear: sustainable success is created when leaders model the culture they expect, when accountability is mutual, and when people feel they are part of something powered by WE, not ME.

Jonathan Shroyer is the CEO and Co-Founder of Quimbi, a customer experience technology company transforming how gaming brands engage players through AI-driven personalization. With more than 20 years in tech and customer service leadership — from Microsoft and Autodesk to Postmates and Kabam — Jonathan brings a unique perspective on how empathy, data, and automation can coexist to create next-level customer experiences.

In this episode of The Business Mic, Jonathan discusses the evolution of customer support in the gaming industry and how Quimbi's AI engine delivers hyper-personalized engagement at scale. He explains how most game publishers struggle to make players feel valued due to the sheer size of their user base — often in the millions. Quimbi changes that by integrating directly with game systems, CRMs, and communication tools to deliver real-time, personalized responses that feel human, even when powered by AI.

Jonathan also explores the direct business impact of improving post-sale engagement — from 50% increases in repeat sales to 30% higher order values and better App Store ratings. He explains how Quimbi's "one-stop engagement layer" helps agents work smarter, cutting response times from hours to minutes while empowering them to act as architects of experience rather than just support staff.

Reflecting on his journey, Jonathan shares key lessons from building Quimbi — including shifting industry mindsets from reactive support to proactive player engagement, developing an agnostic tech stack that integrates seamlessly across systems, and identifying high-impact clients that can realize immediate ROI through better customer experiences.

Finally, as both a tech innovator and lifelong gamer, Jonathan offers a deeply personal take on why gaming — for him — represents not just entertainment, but focus, clarity, and creativity. For leaders and CX professionals alike, this episode offers a powerful look into the future of AI, personalization, and player-centric experience design.

Lateshia Pearson is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and television personality on the Oprah Winfrey Network's hit show Belle Collective. She joins The Business Mic to share her journey from humble beginnings in Mississippi to becoming a powerhouse of purpose-driven entrepreneurship — one who believes deeply in impact, authenticity, and empowering others to rise.

As the founder of Women Brunch Mississippi, Lateshia is creating spaces where women connect, collaborate, and build businesses together. What began as simple networking brunches has evolved into a transformative movement — helping female entrepreneurs access resources, funding, and mentorship. Through her work, she's changing the narrative about women in business and about what's possible in Mississippi, proving that collaboration, not competition, builds stronger communities.

In this conversation, Lateshia opens up about her philosophy of purpose over profit — explaining that success means more when it uplifts others. She speaks candidly about learning to prioritize mental health, stay present with family, and maintain authenticity in both business and media. Her approach to life and leadership is grounded in faith, service, and consistency: "If you build it, they will come. Move with purpose, and what's meant for you will never miss you."

For anyone seeking inspiration to start, rebuild, or refocus their entrepreneurial journey, this episode is a reminder that true success isn't about doing it all — it's about knowing your purpose, staying authentic, and creating impact that lasts for generations.