In this interview, Ronnie Spellman speaks with Anisha Holla, founder and CEO of Foodify, an automated matchmaking platform connecting small, local restaurants with food influencers. Holla explains that her business was founded on the principle of determining who she wanted to become, leading her away from pre-med and politics. Foodify addresses a crucial marketing need for small businesses by facilitating consistent, paid opportunities for local influencers at discounted rates, leveraging volume to benefit both parties. The platform vets influencers based on follower size, geographic fit, and engagement rate, ensuring local traffic for restaurants. Holla emphasizes that her success is rooted in finding the intersection of passion and income, and she shares business decoded tips for entrepreneurs, stressing consistency, listening to dissatisfied customers, and the need to be highly adaptive, as every day in entrepreneurship brings a new challenge.For a summary and to connect with the guest, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-decoded-podcastProduced by www.andycostafilms.com

In this interview, Ronnie Spellman and Ken Malcolmson, President and CEO of the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, discuss the chamber's strategy for driving regional prosperity and effective leadership. Malcolmson details how the chamber, which prefers to call its members "stakeholders," focuses on the entire Dallas region, working to address economic imbalances like the funding disparity between North and South Dallas. He highlights major, high-engagement events, such as the annual bus tour of the southern sector and the Transportation Crossroads conference. A central theme is collaboration among regional chambers and business organizations to amplify advocacy efforts on critical issues like infrastructure and quality of life. Malcolmson also shares leadership wisdom, emphasizing the power of showing up, building relationships, and the distinction between a mentor and a sponsor. He concludes by celebrating the richness of life derived from community engagement, not just financial wealth.For a summary and to connect with the guest, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-decoded-podcastProduced by www.andycostafilms.com

In this second interview with Monica Paul, Executive Director of the Dallas Sports Commission, the conversation focuses on the monumental effort to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North Texas. Paul details the successful bid, which leveraged the region's strong infrastructure, corporate base, and central location. The discussion highlights the massive economic impact, now projected between $1.5 to $2.1 billion, and the intricate planning across numerous working groups, addressing everything from security and logistics to cultural awareness and local business engagement. Paul emphasizes the event's importance in elevating Dallas's global profile beyond traditional Western stereotypes and creating a lasting legacy, including the potential for a future Women's World Cup bid.For a summary and to connect with the guest, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-decoded-podcastProduced by www.andycostafilms.com

In this Business Decoded episode, host Ronnie Spellman interviews Brittany Huber, Director of Collaboratives at Philanthropy Southwest, to explore the vital intersection of business, government, and the nonprofit sector. Drawing on her extensive experience in university development and her recent Master's in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University, Huber discusses the evolution of philanthropy, reframing it as universal "generosity" that transcends monetary donations to include time and talent. She shares insights into global philanthropic trends, the critical role of organizations like Philanthropy Southwest in shaping policy and fostering collaboration, and the importance of passion in fundraising. The conversation also delves into practical advice for entrepreneurs, highlighting the universal principle that "people give to people," a concept as true for startups seeking investment as it is for nonprofits seeking donations.For a summary and to connect with the guest, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-decoded-podcastProduced by www.andycostafilms.com

In this episode of the Business Decoded podcast, host Ronnie Spellman sits down with Steve Reed, founder of Steve Reed Solutions, a life and executive coach with over 30 years of experience. Steve delves into the practical applications of the DISC personality assessment for business leaders, explaining how understanding the four temperaments—Dominant, Inspirational, Supportive, and Compliant—can revolutionize team management, sales strategies, and communication. The conversation extends beyond the boardroom, exploring how these same principles, along with concepts like the "Five Love Languages," can improve personal relationships and foster a healthy work-life balance. Steve shares powerful anecdotes and practical tips, from strengthening your core abilities to effectively separating work stress from home life, providing a holistic guide for leaders aiming to grow both professionally and personally.For a summary and to connect with the guest, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-decoded-podcastProduced by www.andycostafilms.com

The interview with Dave Copps, co-founder and CEO of Worlds and an internationally renowned futurist, explores his decades-long journey pioneering the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence, including his past companies, Ingenium Corporation and Brain Space. Copps, who embraces risk and curiosity as guiding forces, emphasizes that entrepreneurs should "fall in love with the problem," not the solution, and strive to create a "market of one". His current venture, Worlds, is an end-to-end platform for "physical AI" that creates machines which can "see and sense the world like people do, but at a scale that's not humanly possible". Copps details Worlds' innovation in AI training, which automates a process that previously took months into minutes or hours, with real-world applications in safety (like steel manufacturing) and leak detection (in energy). He concludes by discussing the coming cognitive revolution accelerated by AI, stressing the importance of developing "meta skills" and fostering a company culture built on the Swahili concept of "Ubuntu"—where failure is recast as "iteration" and impossible goals are used to summon the "greatness of people".For a summary and to connect with the guest, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-decoded-podcastProduced by www.andycostafilms.com

The interview with Kevin Richardson, a veteran of the film and video game industries, traces his career from sharpening pencils for Sesame Street in high school to producing games for Mattel and pitching films to major studios like Netflix and Warner Brothers. Richardson details his early technical roles at major studios, including Industrial Light and Magic for Return of the Jedi and the core pre-production team for The Brave Little Toaster, and provides unique insight into the business of Hollywood. He emphasizes the need for creatives to focus on telling real, well-executed human stories, especially given the threat of AI taking over jobs and "coming for your imagination" by making slick, cheap content. Richardson breaks down the challenging film pitch process, which begins with an "ironic logline" (a two-sentence summary containing irony) to secure interest, and discusses the importance of securing production partners and having a rough film facsimile before entering the high-stakes meeting.For a summary and to connect with the guest, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-decoded-podcastProduced by www.andycostafilms.com

The interview with Andrea Bednar, founder of AndreaBednar.com and a master integral coach, delves into her unique "backdoor" approach to helping businesses achieve discontinuous breakthroughs. Bednar's philosophy centers on the idea that people are often resistant to change despite professing a desire for it. Her work involves thought partnering and using systems thinking to guide clients out of their current mindset by asking simple, profound questions and exploring multiple future scenarios, including ones where things go unexpectedly well. A central tenet of her methodology is "conscious doing," which marries "being" and "doing" by making one's actions and habits more present and less automatic. Bednar details her journey of starting her own business out of necessity and the critical role her network played in her survival, stressing the importance of asking for help, especially for male entrepreneurs. She also discusses her book, Doing, and the Conscious Doing Cards—a tool designed to democratize leadership development by providing a year-long, affordable program in a pouch.For a summary and to connect with the guest, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-decoded-podcastProduced by www.andycostafilms.com