Also Humans

Her job is to connect artists with audiences and audiences with artists…and Leigh Holt has done it incredibly well. Just ask Oprah and Lauren Daigle and more than a handful of others so powerful she can’t publicly talk about them. But beneath Leigh’s breathtaking success lies an ever-present fear of failure. And when it comes to raising her two boys, Leigh finds herself a little fearful too. But the beauty comes in persevering, in rising above the fear, and in moving forward—both in business and at home. Leigh Holt is the Founder and President of Maddjett, a company which helps clients advance their brands, products and events. Maddjett has a long list of notable clients and projects including Taylor Swift’s 1989 tour, Hunter Hayes, Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend, Harper Collins Christian Publishers, Sony Music Nashville and more.

Coming from a family of 17 psychotherapists—and with the last name Livingston—there was no question that Glenn Livingston would be a doctor. And while the weight of his highly-stressful career, painful divorce and near bankruptcy could have easily done him in, it was Glenn’s battle with his actual weight that nearly did it instead. Thankfully, a career helping people, consulting big food and big pharma companies, and pouring himself into addiction recovery organizations led Glenn to discovering the secret to his success…and to the success of many thousands of other food addicts. Battling his own food demons became a lifetime helping others battle theirs. A psychologist, author and former multi-million dollar consultant to the health food industry, Glenn Livingston is living proof that a lifetime of food addiction and bingeing can be overcome. After losing more than 100 pounds himself, Glenn turned to helping others do the same. His book, “Never Binge Again” has nearly 700,000 copies in distribution.

A scholarship with his dream school turned into a nightmare with another. As one of the best high school players in America, Brett Melton was determined to turn four years at his dream university into a lucrative NBA career. But after an injury, a transfer, and a coach’s unethical behavior Brett realized: when it comes to basketball, the difference between professional and amateur is often just a few unfair (and unexpected) bounces of the ball. Now that his basketball playing days are over, Brett is focused on his family (a wife, three-year-old, and newborn twins) and giving back to those in his community and around the world. In high school, Brett Melton was the #1 shooter in the country, leading to scholarship offers from many top-tier basketball programs…including his hometown school, the University of Illinois. After two years with the Fighting Illini, Brett transferred to the University of San Diego and later played professionally in Mexico. Brett now runs his own insurance agency, basketball clinics, and the non-profit "Thankful Thinking" with his wife Talia.

He was one of the best punters in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2007. But Hunter Smith learned that fame and fortune and football don’t fulfill him. In fact, just two years into his professional career he realized on the outside he had everything, but on the inside he felt nothing. Hunter left football in 2010—after being let go from the Washington Redskins—and started a career in music. Growing up in Texas, singing and playing the guitar was nearly as ingrained in him as football was, and now Hunter has found that writing and performing allow him to “focus on the stuff that lasts.” A Super Bowl Champion punter and holder, Hunter Smith spent 12 years in the NFL, including a decade with the Indianapolis Colts. After leaving football in 2010, Hunter launched a music career which now records and tours under the name The Hunter Smith Band. Hunter, his wife and their kids live on a farm in Zionsville, Indiana.

She was known for being smart and musical and athletic…but it was what people didn’t know about Angela Schaffner that truly defined her. At least for awhile. As an author and psychologist, Angela now spends her days helping people work through their issues, but she first had to learn how to deal with her own. Dr. Angela Schaffner is an author and licensed psychologist and eating disorders specialist with over 18 years of experience providing therapy. Her latest book is called “Revealed: What the Bible Can Teach You About Yourself.” Angela is also a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo, and she lives in the Atlanta area with her husband, Dusty, and her three sons.

Spending years in a corner office helping turn large companies around, Scott Weiss knows how to make tough decisions and, ultimately, make money. But what he didn’t know—at least not at first—was that when you’re leading some of the world’s largest companies, it’s difficult to effectively lead your own family. Since returning to the United States and stepping away from corporate life, Scott now uses his skillset (and the important lessons he learned as CEO) to invest in up-and-coming founders through the OCEAN Accelerator in Cincinnati, Ohio. Scott Weiss is the former CEO of Evenflo and the current Entrepreneur in Residence and Chairman of the Board of OCEAN Accelerator, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio. Scott’s experience as an executive spans many well-known companies including P&G, Bristol-Myers Squibb, The Clorox Company and Fosters. He is also on the board of Inline Plastics Corp. and is the Advisory Board Chair of Cerkl.

At 32 years old, John Lee Dumas took a risk. A big one. He quit a career in commercial real estate to start a podcast. He had no idea how he would find an audience and—once he did—he had no idea how he would make money from them. Seven years and $15 million dollars in revenue later, it’s safe to say he figured it out. With more than 2,000 interviews with entrepreneurs, several books, and dozens of online courses to help others follow in his footsteps, John Lee Dumas is charting territory in the podcasting world that has never been charted before. And he’s bringing as many people along with him as he can. John Lee Dumas is the host of Entrepreneurs on Fire, an award winning podcast where he interviews inspiring Entrepreneurs every Monday and drops value bombs every Thursday. With over 2000 episodes, 1.3 million listens every month, and seven-figures of annual revenue, JLD is just getting started.

Technology companies and venture capital offices are typically filled with white men, making the likelihood of a young, African-American girl founding, funding, and sustaining a food technology startup slim at best. But while her biology degree and entrepreneurial spirit ultimately paved the way for success, Riana found more than a little inspiration working as a black woman inside the White House…alongside a First Lady who made food and fitness her top priorities. From a childhood on food stamps to an adulthood in food tech, Riana Lynn is changing the cost of, content in, and access to healthy snacks. Riana Lynn is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for technology and food, named by Crain’s as one of its 20 in their 20s and Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 30 Under 30. Her food and technology firm, Revive, was acquired by A Better Life Holdings, LLC run by CNBC’s Marcus Lemonis of “The Profit.” Currently, she is founder and CEO of FoodTrace, a supply chain software company, the founder of food company Journey Foods, a venture capitalist with investment firm Cleveland Avenue and has served as a Google Entrepreneur-in-Residence.

As one of the very first people of color to review popular music for a major daily newspaper, Jim McFarlin spent an enormous amount of time with the world’s best-known musicians. However, getting cover stories from Bob Seeger and Ted Nugent and Kid Rock seemed easy compared to fighting for his identity as a small boy…and fighting for his life as an adult. Jim has not only battled racism over the years but, about a decade ago, he began battling kidney failure. The stories (and lessons) associated with each are incredibly powerful, and the stories in-between—the ones with Nugent and Seeger and Kid Rock and Aretha—are nearly unbelievable. Jim McFarlin is best known for the 16 years he spent working at the Detroit News as a pop music critic and media columnist, interviewing many of the world’s biggest superstars. Currently, he is a freelance writer for publications including Drive, CS, Hour Detroit, Men’s Book Chicago, and many others. Jim has also written 8 books, and is now working on his 9th—a novel about his experiences growing up as “a small black kid in a small white town.”

You'd think with a radio audience of millions and two best-selling books, feeling like a failure wouldn't be an issue. But you'd be wrong. As a child he was diagnosed with Asperger’s and an eye issue that makes it difficult to look people in the eye, yet remarkably Brant Hansen is brilliant communicator. Even more remarkable is that—given how he was treated by his dad (a pastor)—Brant spends most of his time talking about his faith. He’s convinced that most people want to laugh and be silly (and that belief shows up daily on his radio show), but Brant is also convinced that most people don’t experience God in many of the ways they are led to believe they should. His story is powerful and heartbreaking…but his perspective is refreshing and 100% honest. Brant Hansen is a best-selling author, nationally syndicated radio host, and advocate for healing children with correctible disabilities through CURE International. He’s won multiple “personality of the year” awards for work on his offbeat and quirky radio show, which is heard on more than 250 radio stations around the country and has more than 2 million listeners. Brant also has a wildly popular podcast with his friend and radio producer, Sherri Lynn called “The Brant and Sherri Oddcast.”

Ana Marie Cox's career in journalism led her from high-powered cocktail meetings in Washington D.C. to writing for the pages of The New York Times to heading up the political division of MTV News…telling the stories of politicians, musicians and activists along the way. But the story Ana was living--filled with addiction and divorce and attempted suicide--was one she wasn’t at all ready to tell.

Months after making the toughest decision of his life, Kirk Perry found himself fighting for his life. Kirk left an executive role with Proctor & Gamble and moved his family thousands of miles from everything they knew, hoping that a lucrative opportunity at Google was part of God’s plan for them. What Kirk didn’t realize was that stage 4 thyroid cancer was also part of the plan. As the new President of Brand Solutions at Google, Kirk suddenly needed more solutions than the greatest tech team in the world could possibly create.

While singing songs filled with joy and hope in front of thousands of fans each night, it might appear that Dave Frey’s life has always been perfect and problem-free. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. From his parents divorce while he was in high school to a fiancee cheating on him while he was out on tour, Dave understands despair more than most. Dave Frey is the lead singer and co-founder of the band Sidewalk Prophets. Since winning the Dove Award for New Artist of the Year in 2010, the band has five #1 hits, eight top five singles, and is currently working on their fourth studio album. Dave also maintains a belief that “there are no cats in America and the streets are made of cheese.”

As a successful entrepreneur, an accomplished singer-songwriter, and impressive selfie-taker, Bridget Lyons is equal parts smart, talented, and beautiful. She truly has it all. But what her thriving businesses, sold-out shows, and portfolio-like Instagram feed don’t show you is that, as a teenager, Bridget lost it all too. “We definitely didn’t grow up in a normal situation. No nuclear family or white picket fences. My mom is a drug-addict and convicted felon. I was 15 when my mom started leaving. Long story short, I ended up with custody of my younger sisters. So much of wanting for them has shaped who I am as a person. They shaped my life in such an incredible way. Even just the desire to love them and support them and see them grow. And, really, that has made me grow. It’s the moments that people have treated me like I was important…that’s what shaped my life.” Bridget Lyons is a singer-songwriter who has headlined stages across the country, including at SXSW and Sundance. Her Americana sound has been called “swamp rock” and is heavily influenced by Blues, Southern Rock and R&B. Bridget is also a highly successful entrepreneur who has started and sold multiple businesses and currently runs a boutique pet hotel in downtown Chicago.

She has twice been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world, yet Suze never would have guessed that kind of recognition was on the way when she was living in a van. Or making $400 a month as a waitress at the Buttercup Cafe. “I had $300 to my name, and my brother gave me $1,500 to buy a Ford Econoline van that I transformed. I could sleep in the back. I got a little portable toilet. And I ended up living on the streets in that van until I landed that dream job of mine as a waitress. Two young boys used to come in, and I used to wait on them. Their names were Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. At the time they had a 1-800-Dial-a-Joke as they were working on this funny little thing in their garage…known eventually as Apple Computer. And their parents were so upset that they were wasting their time on this. My biggest mistake in life–as I was going down this path–somebody else would come along and they would say, ‘Hey Suze, I have this great idea…’ and I’d go off the path, and then I would eventually lose money and come back to the path.” Suze Orman is a best-selling author, Emmy-winning TV personality, and has twice been named one of the Time 100, The World's Most Influential People. You can find her on Twitter at @suzeormanshow and on Instagram at @therealsuzeorman.