Authentic Leadership for Everyday People

"Michael Stausholm is the CEO and founder of Sprout World, the first plantable pencil. He started his career in shipping, spent over a decade working across Asia in the garment industry, and along the way developed a deep perspective on leadership, culture, and responsibility in business. Eventually, that journey led him to build Sprout World, a company built around a simple idea: what if the products we use every day didn’t become waste, but something new instead? In our conversation, we talk about what he learned early in his career managing teams in very different cultural environments, how that shaped his approach to leadership, and why he believes in giving people freedom while still providing clear direction. We also get into the practical side of building a purpose-driven business, from making decisions about production to balancing commercial success with doing things the right way."Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comsproutworld.comAdditional Guest Links:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelstausholm/Corporate LinksLinktree: linktr.ee/sproutworldTikTok: @sproutworldofficialLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sprout-europeInstagram: @sproutworldofficialFacebook: facebook.com/sproutworldofficialAuthentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edpPodcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Today's guest is Carlo Giannone, a graduate student and teaching assistant at the Harvard Kennedy School, researcher in geopolitics and economics, and founder of the podcast Finanza, Pizza e Mandolino. Carlo shares how growing up in Sicily shaped his early interest in economic inequality and public service, and how that led him to study economics at Bocconi, the London School of Economics, and Harvard. He reflects on the role of economics and policy in addressing structural challenges and creating opportunity.The conversation explores Carlo’s leadership experiences across student organizations, alumni networks, and international initiatives. He discusses the importance of representing diverse perspectives, building trust in institutions, and ensuring that leadership remains grounded in the needs of the people it serves.Dino and Carlo also examine practical aspects of leadership development, including balancing high standards with psychological safety, leading in voluntary environments, and maintaining authenticity while making decisions. Carlo shares lessons from his time in consulting and student leadership roles, highlighting listening, emotional intelligence, and creating environments where people can contribute at their best.Finally, Carlo outlines his motivation to pursue a path that combines private sector experience with a long-term commitment to public service, with a focus on contributing to better policy and governance.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comAdditional Guest Links:Finanza Pizza e Mandolino PodcastOn SpotifyOn Apple PodcastsInstagram: @finanzapizzamandolinoYoutube: youtube.com/@FinanzaPizzaMandolino/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carlogiannoneAuthentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edpPodcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Celeste Warren spent 28 years at Merck, where she rose to become Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Since retiring from Merck, she founded Celeste Warren Consulting, where she continues to advise organizations on leadership, culture, and inclusion. Together with her two children, she also co-founded Destination STEM, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.Celeste has been widely recognized for her work in diversity and inclusion, and she is the author of a new book titled The Truth About Equity: What It Really Is, What It Isn’t, and Why Everybody Wins When They Get It Right.In our conversation, Celeste shares the personal story that first shaped her perspective on equity and leadership, growing up as the daughter of the first Black teacher, principal, and superintendent in his school district. We also explore her unexpected path into human resources, the lessons she learned about leadership early in her career, and why servant leadership and situational leadership are so critical for building successful teams.Finally, we spend time breaking down what diversity, equity, and inclusion actually mean in practice, why the concepts are often misunderstood, and how leaders can approach them in a thoughtful and practical way inside their organizations.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:CRWDiversity.comal4ep.comAdditional Guest Links:Contact at:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/celestewarrenllcInstagram: @crwdiversityYouTube: youtube.com/@celestewarren-equityAuthentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoTruth About Equity Book on Amazon: mybook.to/TruthAboutEquityDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edpPodcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Today's guest is Miles Spencer is currently CEO and a founder of Reflekta.ai, a Soul Tech company that bridges generations through fully interactive digital legacies. A multi-exit entrepreneur, investor, and storyteller, he is the author of the Amazon bestseller A Line in the Sand, Founder of Kayak for a Cause and former co-host of PBS’s MoneyHunt. Miles has spent his career at the intersection of media, technology, and adventure and human-centered narrative. With Reflekta, he is pioneering a new way for families to preserve voice, memory, and values… turning stories into dynamic, spontaneous connections that endure across lifetimes.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:reflekta.aial4ep.comAdditional Guest Links:Talk to one of Reflekta's reflectionsLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/milesspencerInstagram:Twitter:Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edpPodcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Matei Zatreanu is the CEO and founder of System2, a data science firm that helps institutional investors make better decision. His family immigrated from Romania, but for the first few years, his parents had to leave him and his brother temporarily behind as they settled themselves in their new country.In our conversation, we explored how early hardship, like growing up separated by your parents, builds a “figure it out” mentality, why storytelling is one of the most underrated leadership skills, and how something as simple as sharing a meal can become the foundation of culture and trust inside an organization.We went deep into the meaning of profit, the tradeoffs entrepreneurs face when considering outside capital, and the importance of understanding your own motivations before chasing growth, money, or status.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:sstm2.comal4ep.comAdditional Guest Links:Podcast: on SpotifyOn YouTube: youtube.com/@system2podLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matei-zatreanu/Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edpPodcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Eric Stone is the CEO and founder of Clear Path Ventures and the author of Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture.Eric started as a management trainee at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and spent more than 25 years rising through the ranks to become a senior executive in one of the company’s top-performing regions. Along the way, he led large teams across retail and administrative environments, built high-performance cultures, and developed leaders who went on to succeed at every level of the organization.In this episode, we talk about:What you learn from building a career inside one organization for decadesHow to hire and develop great salespeopleWhy belief is the foundation of effective sellingHow to build “culture carriers” inside your organizationThe sequencing of communication during major changeContact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:clearpathventures.comal4ep.comAdditional Guest Links:Website ericdstone.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/eric-stone-clear-pathFacebook ProfileIntagram: @clearpathventures_YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ericdstone1Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edpPodcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Today's guest is Lily Zheng, a strategist and consultant who has spent the last decade working with organizations of every size — from small nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies — helping them build workplaces that actually work for everyone. In a field often clouded by ideology, misinformation, and polarization, Lily brings something refreshingly different: data, systems thinking, and practical results.They were a guest on the podcast before, so today we just focus on their new book, Fixing Fairness: Four Tenets to Transform Diversity Backlash Into Progress for All , Lily argues that the conversation around DEI has gone off track — not because fairness doesn’t matter, but because we’ve failed to communicate and implement it effectively. Instead of slogans or superficial programs, they offer FAIR - a framework built around measurable outcomes, systems change, coalition-building, and true win-win solutions.In this conversation, we explore:Why being “pro-diversity” isn’t the same as creating fair systemsThe surprising data gap between support for diversity and belief in DEI programsWhat actually works — and what has failed — over 60 years of workplace reformHow leaders can build coalitions across differenceAnd why fairness may be the language that can move us forwardContact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:lilyzheng.coal4ep.comAdditional Guest Links:Lily on AL4EPLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lilyzheng308Instagram: @lilyzheng308Lily on SubstackBooks:Fixing FairnessReconstructing DEI DEI DeconstructedAuthentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edpPodcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

This is part 2 of our conversation with Thiago Da Costa, serial entrepreneur and founder and CEO of a Datagrid AI, a company that creates agent and connectors to help companies work more efficiently.In part one we explored Thiago’s journey as a serial founder, and what it takes to scale companies from zero to meaningful revenue.In this second part, we go deeper into what truly separates great CEOs from dangerous ones. We talk about transparency, capital discipline, customer obsession, and the growing risk of the celebrity CEO—leaders who master distribution and attention before they build real products. Tiago shares candid perspectives on motivation, resilience, and why founders who aren’t deeply anchored to the problem they’re solving will eventually burn out.We also shift into a broader discussion on AI—why this moment is fundamentally different from past technology waves, where real opportunities still exist, and why so many AI startups are destined to fail.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comdatagrid.aiAdditional Guest Links:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thiagocosta2Corporate LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/datagrid-ai/Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edpPodcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Today's guest is Thiago Da Costa, a serial entrepreneur with multiple exits and decades of experience building deeply technical companies. His latest venture, Datagrid AI is an enterprise agentic solution that connects data and automates workflows across tools, files, and systems, Thiago brings a rare combination of technical depth, founder instinct, and hard-earned perspective on what it really takes to start, scale, and survive as an entrepreneur. We talk candidly about the realities of founder-led growth, why most early hires fail, how scaling actually works in practice, and why instinct—tempered by experience—often matters more than advice.We also dig into the employee side of the equation: how to evaluate a founder before joining a startup, what questions really matter in interviews, and why effort, ownership, and clarity are the ultimate differentiators in today’s market.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comdatagrid.aiAdditional Guest Links:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thiagocosta2Corporate LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/datagrid-ai/Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edpPodcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

My guest today is an old friend, Nicolas Darveau-Garneau. We met in business school a long time ago, and he went on to become Google's chief evangelist. In that role he advised over a thousand CEOs. He condensed all that wisdom in a brand new book that's called Be A Sequoia Not A Bonsaoi. The book explains how the top 5% of companies beat their competitors.Before becoming Google's chief evangelist, Nick also started and sold 4 companies. In this conversation, we talk about how to figure out if you want to be an entrepreneur and how to assess your own strengths to find the right path, what truly differentiates exceptional leaders, why culture is one of the most underestimated strategic assets.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comnicolasdarveaugarneau.comAdditional Guest Links:Be A Sequoia Not A Bonsai on Amazon - Barnes and Noble Books A Million Book ShopLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nickdgAuthentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edpPodcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Cat Holt is a marketer, brand strategist, and business consultant whose path has woven together creativity, psychology, digital innovation, and a relentless curiosity for how people think and behave. She is also the CEO of Coologee, the marketing firm I co-founded with her.Cat started out as a painter, a musician, and a psychology major fascinated by human behavior. That combination eventually took her into the world of advertising during the dot-com boom, where she became the rare strategist who could bridge brand storytelling with data-driven digital performance. Over the years, she had senior roles at major agencies and Fortune 50 company, building a reputation for connecting emotional insight to measurable business impact.In our conversation episode, we dive into her leadership journey — from the mentors who shaped her, to the philosophy that guides her today, and we discuss our own partnership, the evolution of our business, and the core belief that drives our work: Brand Is Business — the idea that brand isn’t a logo or a campaign, but the full 360-degree expression of how a company operates, behaves, and makes decisions.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comcoologee.comAdditional Guest Links:Substack: Brand Is Business: catholtcoologee.substack.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/catkolodij/Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edp Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Today's guest is is Miles Veth, a fourth-generation entrepreneur, founder of the Veth Group, a marketing ans sales services firm. After starting his career at EMC and learning how large companies can scale while still keeping a culture of warmth, he used that influence to shape the ethos of his own company: love your people, serve your customers well, and reinvest in the community.In our conversation, Miles shares how he integrates faith and business, what it means to build a company that tithes 10% of profits to causes his team cares about, and how he navigated both the highs of rapid growth and the challenges brought on by seismic changes in technology and sales.We also go deep into his views on what makes a great salesperson, the importance of transparency and honesty in business, and the unconventional tactics he has used to get attention and grow his company.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comvethgroup.comAdditional Guest Links:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/milesveth/Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edp Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Today's guest is Sasha Schrode, CEO of FEMSelect, a women’s health company on a mission to improve quality of life for women around the globe. Sasha survived a cancer diagnosis at age 31, and that crisis pushed her to leave corporate comfort and embrace entrepreneurship. She described in brutal honesty what being diagnosed with cancer at such an early age felt like and how that experience changed her priorities and her life. We talked about how that experience reshaped her leadership philosophy, the lessons she learned building and selling her first company, and how she thinks about building investor relationships as both a founder and an angel investor.Finally, we discussed the importance of elevating women’s health — an area long underserved — and how Sasha and her team are bringing innovative solutions to market, starting with their breakthrough treatment for pelvic organ prolapse.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comFEMselect.comAdditional Guest Links: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sasha-schrode-28589a13/Instagram: @fem.selectFacebook: facebook.com/FEMSelect Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edp Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Neri Karra Sillaman is the embodiment of what it means to blend intellectual rigor with entrepreneurial grit. A refugee-turned-entrepreneur, she’s the founder of Neri Kara, a luxury leather goods brand celebrating its 25th year—and she’s also an academic with a PhD from Cambridge.In our conversation, Neri shared her incredible journey: from building a business with her family using discarded Italian leather, to walking away from it to pursue her true calling in academia. We talked about what it takes to run a successful family business, the importance of structure and clarity in leadership, and how the values of compassion and integrity shaped her leadership—largely inspired by her father.Neri discussed her experience as an immigrant and refugee, and how that shaped both her worldview and her work ethic. She made a powerful case for the unique contributions that immigrants bring to business and society—resilience, creativity, and an unmatched drive to build something better—not just for themselves, but for others.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comnerikarrasillaman.comAdditional Guest Links:nerikarra.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/neri-karra-sillamanInstagram: @prof.neriAuthentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edp Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Today's guest is is David Price, founder and CEO of the David Price Group, a virtual insurance agency that sells high volumes of insurance across all 50 states. But David’s story is about much more than entrepreneurship—it’s a story of reinvention and resilience.David grew up on welfare and spent many years in jobs that didn’t fulfill him. In his mid-thirties, he realized he needed to make a bold move to pursue the freedom and success he had always dreamed of. What followed was a powerful personal transformation—including overcoming a 20-year drug addiction—that shaped him into the leader he is today.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comtpglife.comAdditional Guest Links:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidpriceofficial/Instagram: @davidpriceofficialYouTube: youtube.com/@DavidPriceOfficialFacebook: facebook.com/DavidPriceOfficial/Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edp Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Greg Morley spent almost 30 years as an HR leader for major global companies like Disney, Hasbro and Moet Hennessy. He’s lived and worked on three continents and currently calls Paris home. He is also the author of BOND: Belonging and the Keys to Inclusion and Connection a book aimed at helping organizations reframe how they approach diversity, equity, and inclusion by opening up the conversation to everyone—especially those in the majority.In our conversation, Greg shared powerful insights about what makes a great leader, including the importance of learning to listen, the mindset shift that comes with being in a role for a limited time, and how his identity as a gay man and a global citizen shaped his leadership journey.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comgregmorley.comAdditional Guest Links:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gregcmorley/Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edp Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

All the answers to the question: "What business jargon drives you crazy?" from the 6 months of the podcast. These are the featured guests:Jay SapovitsJolynn LedgerwoodRon BrowningGreg LarkinRobyn BoltonJustin BuonomoDelaney WilliamRicardo RegaladoJennifer LangtonNeta WeinerElitzur Bar-Asher SiegalDina Denham SmithJoseph RainoneNatasha Braginsky MournierRick CulletonHaley ForestRishad TobaccowalaAudrey WischContact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comAdditional Guest Links:Contact at: LinkedIn: Instagram:Twitter: Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edp Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Jay Sapovits is the founder and CEO of Ink’d Stores. Jay started his career behind the counter of a dry cleaner’s in Las Vegas, where he learned some of the most important lessons of his life. From there, he moved through a string of unlikely but formative roles—radio engineer, sports talk host, golf course cart manager—that ultimately prepared him for a career in entrepreneurship.In our conversation, Jay shares how betting on relationships (instead of gambling) changed his life, how a dry cleaner and a college radio station led to traveling with the UNLV basketball team, and how a one-day event with Sergio Garcia launched his business career. We also go deep on how defining yourself through your job can be both a trap and a motivator—and how Jay finally found the balance that defines who he is today.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.cominkdstores.comAdditional Guest Links:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaysap/⁠Twitter: ⁠@Jay_Sapovits⁠Podcast JaySapChats on YouTube and SpotifyAuthentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edp Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Today’s guest is Audrey Wisch, a Gen Z founder who is a great example of why I have so much confidence that the world will be in great hands with this generation. She is the CEO of Curious Cardinals, an education tech company that matches students K-12 with college mentors and tutors.. Audrey started Curious Cardinals as a pandemic passion project while still a student at Stanford. Since then, she’s scaled it into a fast-growing business with a global footprint, and a network of over 700 college mentors helping thousands of K–12 students discover their passions.In our conversation, Audrey shares how she learned to lead while building a company from scratch, the growing pains that come with scaling fast, and what it means to embrace authenticity when you don’t look like the typical Silicon Valley founder. We also talk about her vision of democratizing mentorship and building a company rooted in both purpose and bold ambition.Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comcuriouscardinals.com Additional Guest Links:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/audrey-wisch/Instagram: @audreywischInstagram: @curiouscardinalsAuthentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edp Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com

Memorial Day Week edition - Part 1 of Best of Business Jargons That Drives you Crazy. This includes excerpts from episodes published between July and December of 2024. Here are the featured speakers.Maggie OlsonPatrick HeronDavid WestGiovanni VacchiLily ZhengBryan AdamsChristian MunteanDamon LembiClaudia ScottJesse FriedmanMarques OgdenAli CoxCarlos WilliamsJohn TorrensJim SchleckserKathryn ValentineContact Dino at: dino@al4ep.comWebsites:al4ep.comAdditional Guest Links:Contact at: LinkedIn: Instagram:Twitter: Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino CattaneoDino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneoPodcast Instagram – @al4edp Podcast Twitter – @al4edp Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edpMusicSusan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com