What if one podcast, one book, or one idea could permanently change the direction of your life? In this episode of the Leading Visionaries, host Anjel B. Hartwell sits down with Nick Hutchinson, founder of Book Thinkers, to explore how reading became the catalyst for leadership, entrepreneurship and conscious growth. From building a side hustle while still employed to hosting large-scale author events and serving visionary leaders around the world, Nick’s story is a powerful reminder that slow, intentional growth often creates the strongest foundations.

This conversation dives deep into leadership development, vision-building, community, and why books remain one of the most accessible tools for transformation in an ever-changing world.

What You Will Learn:

How podcasts can act as a gateway to deeper learning through books.

Why most successful leaders credit reading as a key factor in their growth.

How to develop leadership skills by learning from a wide range of perspectives.

Why revisiting the same book at different stages of life creates new insights.

How reading expands global awareness and challenges limited worldviews.

What it really takes to transition from a side hustle to a sustainable business.

Why financial runway matters when leaving full-time employment.

How intuition, timing, and signs can guide major life decisions.

What it means to lead other visionaries while honoring individual strengths.

Why community is essential for authors, creators, and thought leaders.

How events create safe spaces for growth-oriented, mission-driven people.

Why “slow and steady” leadership often outperforms rushed success.

How books can serve as both personal development tools and business assets.

What it looks like to build a life and business rooted in peace, purpose, and impact.

Resource:

Nick Hutchinson

Book Thinkers

Leading Visionaries Podcast

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What if the real reason you feel stuck isn’t a lack of knowledge but old programming running your life on autopilot? In this episode of the Leading Visionaries, host Anjel B. Hartwell sits down with Deekron Krikorian, MBA, and transformation coach for high achievers and the founder of the Identity Liberation Movement. Deekron shares how a “survival identity” forms in childhood, how it silently drives perfectionism and why inner work is the missing piece for high achievers who want authentic leadership. You’ll also hear why metabolic health matters for your mind, your mood, and your decision-making.

What You Will Learn:

How early life experiences shape a subconscious identity that continues to influence leadership, decisions, and behavior.

Why high achievement often comes from survival patterns rather than true self-expression.

How perfectionism and people-pleasing can limit entrepreneurial success and personal fulfillment.

Why leaving corporate environments can trigger anxiety and loss of direction for high performers.

How identity work reveals the hidden patterns behind procrastination, burnout, and self-sabotage.

Why information and credentials alone are not enough to create lasting transformation.

How internal emotional stress differs from external stress—and why both must be addressed.

The role cortisol and chronic stress play in decision-making, energy, and long-term health.

Why habits and mindset tools fail when layered over unhealed emotional programming.

How metabolic health directly impacts cognition, clarity, and leadership capacity.

What self-leadership looks like beyond discipline, including emotional mastery and boundaries.

How to communicate without triggering fear or defensiveness in high-stakes conversations.

Why vision requires autonomy, sovereignty, and internal alignment to come to life.

How identity liberation can release long-held pressure and restore a sense of freedom.

Why individual inner work contributes to collective leadership and cultural change.

Resource:

Deekron Krikorian

LinkedIn

Book The Nine Shifts: The Mind-First Method to Transform Your Body and Your Life

Leading Visionaries Podcast

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What if the challenge in front of you isn't here to break you, but to bring you back to who you really are? In this episode of the Leading Visionaries, host Anjel B. Hartwell sits down with Felicity Ashley, mother of three, former corporate marketer, ocean rower, cancer survivor, motivational speaker and #1 bestselling author of Stronger Than the Storm.

If you've been feeling the nudge to start something bigger, this episode will invite you to trust your "why," ask for help, and lead yourself into a life that feels truly your own.

What You Will Learn:

How early life experiences and family dynamics quietly shape leadership of self.

Why challenging expectations and doing things differently is a powerful leadership trait.

The difference between being inspired by someone and feeling personally called to a challenge.

Why knowing your “why” is essential for staying committed when obstacles arise.

How physical setbacks or adversity can reconnect you with your core identity.

Why opportunities that create a full-body “pull” are worth paying attention to.

How shared challenges can strengthen relationships and deepen personal connection.

What parts of a corporate career can become assets when starting a new business.

How to navigate the financial uncertainty of entrepreneurship with courage and clarity.

Why founders must seek expertise instead of trying to do everything themselves.

How asking for help becomes a strength that accelerates growth and resilience.

What it looks like to build a personal “support crew” for business and life.

Why most regret comes from missed opportunities rather than failed attempts.

How personal struggles can evolve into platforms for service and inspiration.

Why long-term goals require emotional endurance, structure, and self-leadership.

How to reclaim parts of your identity that were set aside during challenging seasons.

Resource:

Felicity Ashley

Website

Book: Stronger than the Storm

Leading Visionaries Podcast

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What if the best person to teach you about money was not a guy in a suit, but a woman who has built real wealth, weathered big market shifts, and is willing to tell you the truth about money with zero fluff? In this episode of the Leading Visionaries, host Anjel B. Hartwell sits down with Gokce Donat, a no-fluff financial educator, real estate investor, and host of the Million Elle Podcast. With a background in engineering and finance, a builder’s license, and more than twenty years in business, Gokce shares how confidence, discipline, and clear thinking about risk helped her build wealth in male-dominated spaces.

What You Will Learn:

Personal values often spark the vision that drives major money and career decisions.

Natural leadership tendencies in childhood frequently become entrepreneurial strengths later in life.

Wealth-building opportunities don’t always arrive with a plan attached, yet are still worth pursuing.

Women in male-dominated fields may need credentials to claim authority and protect their role.

Trustworthiness plays a major role in attracting capital and forming solid business partnerships.

Clarity around fixed and variable expenses supports stronger financial decision-making.

Overly complicated offers usually hinder customer follow-through and reduce overall results.

Podcasting provides immediate credibility and creates deeper trust with potential clients.

Seasons of feeling lost often signal the beginning of a new chapter or evolving purpose.

Rising material costs and shifting markets frequently require business owners to pivot.

Stable income streams, such as healthcare, can create opportunities for investing during downturns.

Solid partnerships rely on integrity, transparency, and aligned expectations.

Reconnecting with core passions helps refine the next phase of a visionary’s journey.

Long-term financial empowerment grows through discipline, clarity, and aligned action.

Resource:

Gokce Donat LinkedIn

Million Elle Podcast

Million Elle

Leading Visionaries Podcast

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What if the worst day in your business didn’t have to be chaotic? In this episode of the Leading Visionaries, host Anjel B. Hartwell sits down with Mike Swenson, founder of Barkley Public Relations and creator of the Crisis Track framework. Drawing on decades in broadcast journalism, politics, and leadership, Mike shares how visionary founders can use strategy, simplicity, and clear messaging to shape powerful stories in good times and in moments of crisis.

What You Will Learn:

Every communication should be tied to a clear strategy so no message becomes a lost opportunity.

Founders must define what each communication is supposed to achieve.

Organizations communicate more effectively when everyone aligns around a single voice and simple message.

Successful product launches focus on highlighting one or two primary benefits rather than overwhelming with every feature.

Establishing a crisis team gives clarity on who leads decisions when urgency is high.

Visual mapping of potential risks helps leaders understand how many issues could escalate into crises.

Investors are impressed when founders demonstrate crisis preparation as part of the business plan.

Companies that handle crises poorly often face long-term damage or closure, while prepared organizations limit harm.

Crisis communication is not just about operations but also how messages are shaped and delivered under pressure.

Establishing clear spokespeople for each risk ensures fast, unified responses during crises.

Long-term vision for crisis frameworks is to help organizations minimize negative impacts and recover faster when challenges arise.

Resource:

Mike Swenson LinkedIn

Crisis Trak

Leading Visionaries Podcast

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What if the so-called soft skills are actually the ones driving your hardest results? In this episode of the Leading Visionaries, host Anjel B. Hartwell sits down with Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller, TEDx speaker, EQ coach, and author of The Empathic Leader. Dr. Melissa breaks down her definition of empathy as understanding and connection through perspective taking. She shares how a simple practice of walking the halls for 20 minutes a day helped one director turn his department profitable for the first time in seven years within just 90 days.

From conducting orchestras and playing with Ray Charles to consulting in healthcare and revamping surgery centers, Dr. Melissa's unconventional path taught her that culture drips down from the top. Leaders must walk their talk, not just speak it.

What You Will Learn:

The harsh reality that toxic workplace behavior often continues because systems are designed to protect institutions and powerful individuals rather than vulnerable employees who speak up.

Why there have been 43 different definitions of empathy since it emerged as a discipline around 1910.

The comprehensive definition of empathy as understanding and connection through perspective taking.

How perspective taking means seeing a situation through someone else's eyes and asking how you would feel if you walked in their shoes rather than judging from your position.

The critical truth that culture drips down from the top and leaders must walk their talk rather than just speaking about values.

How being complicit happens when you see toxic behavior occurring but allow it to continue.

The power of reputation when revolving door workplaces become known in the marketplace.

Why leaders who can effectively use empathy can increase productivity.

How middle management leaders who are aspiring to top levels tend to be most receptive to empathy training.

The four step framework for self empathy starting with self observation without judgment.

Why charity starts at home and leaders must develop self empathy first before they can genuinely give empathy to anyone else on their team or in their organization.

Resource:

Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller EQ Via Empathy

Leading Visionaries Podcast

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What if the biggest crisis in modern leadership isn’t weakness but confusion? In this episode of the Leading Visionaries, host Anjel B. Hartwell sits down with John Krotec, U.S. Army veteran, serial entrepreneur, and founder of NeoMasculinity Solutions. John shares how a childhood trauma and later TBI catalyzed his journey into creative healing, radical self-honesty, and purpose-driven leadership.

This episode challenges listeners to ask themselves yes questions, embrace authenticity, and join the movement of visionary leaders committed to leaving a lasting legacy for humanity's future.

What You Will Learn:

Why being the person on the outside doing your own thing and encouraging others to do the same can be a more powerful form of leadership.

How having high energy and natural charisma that attracts people to you even at a young age signals innate leadership qualities you may not fully understand until later.

Why self-improvement as a consistent practice starting in childhood builds the foundation for lifelong leadership development.

The foundational truth that great leaders might be confused internally but they never show it and instead remain very decisive in their actions and communication.

Why self-love is the baseline for all authentic leadership.

How traumatic childhood events that remain hidden for decades can fundamentally change who you are and block your capacity to trust people and lead effectively.

The transformative power of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.

Why leaders who truly love themselves will naturally love the people they lead and make wiser decisions as a result of this self acceptance and care.

The important distinction between people in leadership positions versus authentic archetypal leaders.

How the connection between the words toxic and masculinity represents a larger emasculation project.

The six forms of information in the modern world.

Why the primary gender role of protection that goes back thousands of years still matters today.

How the future of humanity relies on children being able to discern truth from lies, facts from fiction, and reality from fantasy in an increasingly confusing digital landscape.

The power of the Human Intuition Sniff Test which asks critical questions.

Why the Sentinel Handbook was intentionally written at an eighth grade reading level and translated into nine languages to make critical thinking accessible to everyone worldwide.

The importance of asking yourself yes questions.

Resource:

John Krotec LinkedIn

Leading Visionaries Podcast

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What if the bravest leadership move isn’t scaling up—but tearing down and rebuilding what truly fits your soul? In this episode of the Leading Visionaries, host Anjel B. Hartwell sits down with Camille L. Miller, bestselling author and Soul Professional® founder. Camille shares how she holds “big vision,” partners with her spirit team (lovingly called “Gus”), and leads by deconstructing models that no longer serve.

What You Will Learn:

The critical difference between being the leader who holds the vision and being the one who implements every tactical detail of that vision.

Why nonprofit work can pull you back repeatedly, even after you leave, and how this pattern reveals your deeper mission beyond any single organizational structure.

How winning a multimillion-dollar grant without implementation knowledge can create leadership opportunities you never imagined.

How defunding can actually be the universe forcing you to stop doing work that no longer aligns with your highest purpose and soul mission.

The phenomenon of receiving huge downloads of clarity about your next steps when you finally stop the constant doing and allow space for receiving.

How the concept that 10X is easier than 2X can inspire you to drop everything that's merely working to make space for what's truly transformative.

Why membership models aren't landing the way they used to and how people now crave real connection and engagement over passive belonging to online communities.

How major companies like Apple and Amazon survived by dropping what no longer served them and focusing on what does serve them moving forward.

The emerging archetype of collaborative leadership modeled after bees working together for the hive rather than traditional hierarchical corporate structures.

Why limiting beliefs about monetizing your gifts are absolutely untrue and how lifestyle design can integrate your natural talents into sustainable business models.

Resource:

Camille L. Miller Soul Professional

Leading Visionaries Podcast

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