What if the secret to reducing employee turnover and boosting team performance wasn’t hiring faster but leading better?

In this episode, I sit down with Francie Jain, Founder & CEO of Terawatt Group Coaching, to unpack why people leave companies and what leaders can do to make them stay. With over a decade of experience in leadership development and coaching strategy, Francie shares how she’s helping organizations rethink employee engagement through expert-led group coaching.

💡 We dive into:

• Why professional development is one of the most underrated strategies for reducing employee turnover
• The ROI of coaching and how to quantify it for your CFO or leadership team
• Why investing in people creates a ripple effect across performance, retention, and culture
• The danger of “job-hopping” culture and what it says about loyalty, leadership, and learning
• How Francie turned her obsession with solving the career-change gap into a mission-driven business
• Tips for leaders who feel stuck managing low engagement and high attrition
• The truth about building resilient teams that grow with your company, not away from it

If you’re a founder, team leader, or HR pro navigating the evolving workplace, this conversation is packed with insight, strategy, and heart. It’s not just about keeping talent. It’s about helping them thrive.

How does an Emmy-winning TV producer go from directing hit shows to building an AI-powered business from scratch? On this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, Erich Archer shares the unconventional journey that led to the creation of Smarty Pants, an ecosystem of over 100 custom AI tools designed to solve real-world business problems.

What started as a personal experiment to speed up creative work became a thriving platform, helping founders, nonprofits, and creatives automate, innovate, and grow.

In this episode, Erich reveals:

• How he went from media production to AI development with no formal tech background
• The power of building MVPs modularly to avoid overwhelm and get to market faster
• How he validated his product through real-world conversations (and LinkedIn comments!)
• What founders can learn about resourcefulness and speed from using AI
• How being a hands-on leader in public media prepared him for his startup journey
• Why smaller businesses are the biggest winners when it comes to AI adoption
• His advice for creatives looking to bring their tech ideas to life

This episode is a masterclass in scrappy innovation, practical product thinking, and the creative grit to turn an idea into impact.

In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, I sit down with Peter Bonney, the founder of Vendorful, a SaaS platform changing how businesses handle B2B procurement and sales.

Peter shares his real startup journey, the lessons learned from building too broadly, the grit it took to start over, and how embracing AI led to a lean, focused solution, saving teams thousands of hours on tedious RFPs and security questionnaires.

We talk about:

🔹 The power of starting small and focused

🔹 Why the MVP should be messy

🔹 How AI is reshaping enterprise workflows

🔹 The most significant mistake he made in his first startup—and how he’s doing it differently this time

Whether you’re a founder, in B2B sales, or just sick of RFP hell, this episode is full of tenacity, insight, and real-talk about building something that actually solves a problem.

In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, I sit down with Trish Mock, founder of GOOD PSYCHE, a wellness company rooted in the ancient practices of medicinal plants and mushrooms.

Trish shares her entrepreneurial journey, growing up on her family’s medicinal herb farm, discovering her passion for holistic healing, and the challenges of building a modern wellness brand from scratch.

We dive into:

• How Trish transformed her upbringing surrounded by Traditional Chinese Medicine into the foundation for GOOD PSYCHE
• The process of creating herbal and mushroom-based wellness products that meet today’s health-conscious consumers
• How she navigates skepticism around plant medicine and educates a new generation about the benefits of medicinal mushrooms and adaptogens
• The personal sacrifices, resilience, and tenacity required to bring an authentic wellness brand to life
• How Trish balances the demands of entrepreneurship with staying true to her mission of healing and community

Whether you’re an aspiring founder, a wellness enthusiast, or curious about the power of plant medicine, this conversation will inspire and energize you.

🎧 Tune in to hear how Trish Mock turned a lifelong passion into GOOD PSYCHE—and what it takes to grow a wellness company from the ground up.

What does it really mean to lead with authenticity? In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, host Sonia Couto sits down with Justin Wenzel, founder of JWX, to explore how redefining leadership transformed his life, and the lives of those he leads.

Justin opens up about growing up in the automotive industry, where his career path was laid out for him before he even had a say. From excelling in car sales to silently battling addiction and burnout, Justin shares the pivotal moment he decided to break the mold and take control of his story. His transition from surviving in a high-pressure environment to thriving in his own business is a must-hear for anyone questioning the traditional definition of success.

Throughout the episode, Sonia and Justin dive deep into:

• The stark difference between managing a team vs. leading a team.
• How emotional intelligence, empathy, and honest feedback cultivate stronger company culture.
• Why vulnerability and authentic leadership create higher-performing teams.
• The importance of personal branding and why leaders should be considering it.
• How Justin empowers his team by asking: “How can I support you as your leader?”

Whether you're a founder, a team leader, or someone rethinking your purpose, this episode is filled with real talk and tangible takeaways to help you lead from a place of courage and connection, not just compliance.

🎙️ Listen now to learn how breaking expectations can lead to a more fulfilling, impactful, and human way of leading.

In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, we dive into the world of dating apps with Anthony Tulai, the Founder and CEO of Hopp Dating—an app that's shaking up the industry by eliminating endless swiping and meaningless chats in favor of real-life connections.

Anthony shares his unique journey from studying Nanotechnology Engineering at the University of Waterloo to launching a dating app that prioritizes authenticity and in-person meetups. We explore:

🔹 The inspiration behind Hopp Dating and why traditional dating apps are failing users

🔹 The challenges of building a tech startup in a competitive space

🔹 How Hopp is tackling safety concerns, catfishing, and app fatigue.

🔹 The lessons learned from launching, failing, and pivoting to build a user-friendly product

🔹 What the future of dating apps and real-world connections looks like

If you love hearing about innovative tech startups, this episode is for you!

In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, I sit down with Jared Jennings, founder of Phantom Brands, to talk about what it takes to build a sustainable and successful business.

Jared’s journey from a corporate 9-to-5 job to running a thriving brand agency wasn’t a straight path—it was filled with challenges, pivots, and invaluable lessons. We dive into:

✅ How to recognize when it’s time to pivot your business

✅ The key skills every founder must develop to succeed

✅ The power of niching down and standing out in a crowded market

✅ How to market and grow your business with little to no budget

✅ Networking strategies to connect with high-profile clients

✅ Overcoming setbacks and staying motivated through tough times

Jared shares real, actionable insights that entrepreneurs can apply immediately, whether you’re just starting or looking to scale.

What happens when success comes at the cost of your well-being? In this inspiring episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, we sit down with Miguel Ribeiro, a passionate entrepreneur who found himself on the brink of burnout after years of relentless hustle. Miguel opens up about the pivotal moment that forced him to re-evaluate everything—his business, his health, and his definition of success.

Together, we explore how he rebuilt not just a thriving business, but a life rooted in purpose, resilience, and balance. From redefining his boundaries to creating systems that support sustainable growth, Miguel’s journey is a powerful reminder that it’s possible to build a business without burning out.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, leader, or someone chasing a big dream, this episode is packed with insights on how to prioritize your well-being while still reaching for success.