April Zeilinger is helping to keep her husband’s family legacy alive in the challenging arena of American textiles. She is not only the Vice President of Operations but also the heart and soul behind the Brand Awareness and Marketing for the company. April is the creator of Foodie Yarn, a fun yarn line that is dyed the colors of food and launched it during the pandemic. Zeilinger Wool Company is a fourth generation fiber mill producing thousands of pounds of natural fibers per week into yarn, socks and other items enjoyed within the craft and wool lovers market. April worked 20 years in financial institutions before leaving everything that was comfortable around her, for half of her salary and took the risk to join her husband Jon in his family business. The business had no presence on social media and a twelve year old website to start her entrepreneurial journey. She is a self-taught business gal who never wants to stop learning with a certificate in leadership from Great Lakes Bay Hispanic Leadership Institute through Saginaw Valley State University in Saginaw, Michigan. In this episode, April shares how she came into her own and stepped up in her career journey.

Taking the Leap

Episode #24: April Zeilinger

Joe & Laura Darkangelo left corporate America in 2005 and haven’t looked back. Most of their days consisted of reaching someone else’s goals and dreams, and they found little time for each other or for their children. With Joe in the sales department for a large distributor and Laura in the airline industry AND owning their own pizza franchises at the same time, they were spent. With exhaustion and an unfulfilling life, they started their entrepreneurial journey. Today, they’re entrepreneurial giants leading teams in Bonvera. In this episode, they recount their personal journey through the dreams, the struggles, and the victories.

Episode #23: Joe & Laura Darkangelo

Anne Beiler is the creator and founder behind the world renowned franchise, Auntie Anne’s pretzels. Most wouldn’t know this about her, but she started this incredible company with no business plan, no capital, and no education. Growing up in an Amish community, she only received up to an eighth grade education and got married when she was 19 years old. Years of baking cakes and breads for her large family taught her how to make some of the world’s tastiest pretzels, and what started out as a small business and dream grew to be a global sensation. In part 2 of this interview series, Anne shares her professional experience learning and growing from a founder and creator to a manager and business woman. She shares her keys to success and her biggest takeaways from managing a global enterprise of tasty pretzels.

Episode #22: Anne Beiler -- Pretzels, Purpose, & Professionalism - Part 2

Anne Beiler is the creator and founder behind the world renowned franchise, Auntie Anne’s pretzels. Most wouldn’t know this about her, but she started this incredible company with no business plan, no capital, and no education. Growing up in an Amish community, she only received up to an eighth grade education and got married when she was 19 years old. Years of baking cakes and breads for her large family taught her how to make some of the world’s tastiest pretzels, and what started out as a small business and dream grew to be a global sensation. But her story of entrepreneurship and professionalism grew from experiences she was going through personally and spiritually. She overcame so much trauma, suffering, and pain in order to become the person she is today. Having sold Auntie Anne’s, she shares her personal experiences and testimony to help others overcome their own obstacles and challenges with hope in this part 1 of 2 interviews.

Episode #21: Anne Beiler -- Pretzels, Pain, & Purpose - Part 1

Reggie Leonard is an education, tech, and learning fanatic. He’s a young millennial leader influencing the way we think about education, technology, AI, and the entire learning process. Reggie received his undergraduate degree from Bowie State University where he was the treasurer and founding member of the men’s soccer club. He attended Liberty University following, and he got his Master’s degree in Counseling. Today, he works at the University of Virginia, and he serves as the Associate Director for Career Connections and Community Engagement for the School of Data Science and Engineering. Bob and Reggie don’t waste a minute as they dive right into the heart of education and how it’s changing especially with the onset of COVID-19. They discuss the paradigms of education and learning, and they have an interesting dialogue about how it’s changing and what the future could really hold. Together, they banter back and forth about insights they’re learning and influencing in today’s world.

Episode #20: Reggie Leonard -- The Future of Education & Tech

Gino Wickman has been an entrepreneur since age 21, and even at an early age, he’s had an obsession for learning what makes businesses and entrepreneurs thrive. At 25, he took over the family business, which was deeply in debt and in need of help. After turning the company around and running it for seven years, he and his partners successfully sold the company. He then set out to help entrepreneurs and leaders get what they want from their businesses. Based on his years of real-world experience, he created the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a practical method for helping companies achieve greatness. He has personally delivered more than 1,900 full-day sessions for more than 135 companies, helping them implement EOS. He’s also the author of the award-winning, best-selling book Traction: Get a Grip On Your Business, as well as Get a Grip, Rocket Fuel, How to Be a Great Boss, and What the Heck is EOS?, which have sold more than one million copies. As the founder of EOS Worldwide, an organization that helps tens of thousands of businesses implement EOS with the aid of an international team of over 350 professional certified EOS Implementers and online support. There are almost 100,000 companies using the EOS tools worldwide. He’s now devoting his time and energy toward helping entrepreneurs-in-the-making get a jump-start on taking their entrepreneurial leap, which is why he created Entrepreneurial Leap. The mission of Entrepreneurial Leap is to find all of the entrepreneurs-in-the-making, at any age, wherever they are - to help them realize their purpose and live the life they were born to live. In this episode, Bob and Gino break down Gino’s latest book, Entrepreneurial Leap, and they talk about the principles and philosophies of what makes an entrepreneur. It’s really an inside peek at his new book and a unique conversation with the author first-hand.

Episode #19: Gino Wickman -- The Entrepreneurial Leap

Bill & Jann Newton are a dynamo duo as Bonvera co-founders and leaders. Married for 44 years and with 33 years in the relationship building business, they know a thing or two about working together and overcoming trials and tribulations. Both from Kansas, they met when they were in high school and stayed together through their university days at Texas A & M. Bill was an all star javelin thrower in college, and he was bound for the Olympics. Yet, he and Jann started their journey together and were called to help the family farm in Kansas. Together and with their family, they grew their farm equipment business to a hugely successful venture. In 1980, they were one of the largest tractor dealers in America, and a year later, they were the largest combine dealer in America. Today, they’re speakers, sought after mentors, teammates, and leaders to one of Bonvera’s largest Kansas teams, VIP United. They’ve got sage wisdom and they’re leaving a legacy. In this episode, Bill and Jann join Bob in the Bonvera HQ home office studio. The key thread woven throughout this episode is wisdom. In this dialogue, Bill and Jann talk about lessons they learned through their business, even when times were hard and difficult. They recount the early days of meeting one another, and Bill unpacks what it was like to be a college athlete bound for the Olympics with a javelin in one hand and big dreams in the other. Leaving a legacy is important, and in this episode, you’ll learn why.

Episode #18: Bill & Jann Newton -- A Wise Lesson on Legacy

Mark Sullivan has an interesting bio to say the least. Mark is the founder and Creative Director of Lime Biscuit Creative (@limebiscuit1), one of the Atlanta area’s fastest growing branding and design agencies. Currently, Mark also serves as a Lieutenant with the Douglas County Fire Department, where he has been for over two decades. Mark is also co-owner of Toxic Suppression, a company specializing in post-fire decontamination for firefighters. On top of all that, Mark served as the host and emcee for the Love Worth Fighting For Marriage Tour with actor Kirk Cameron and Warren Barfield. In the past, Mark worked with talent from History Channel, A&E, and other major networks. When not working, which is rare, Mark loves to attend concerts and sporting events. Mark has been married to Sherry for 22 years, and they have two children Zach and Mia. It is easy to see why his co-workers penned him as "The pyromaniac of creativity".

Episode #17: Mark Sullivan -- Brand Your Torch & Light It Up

Nicole Porter is a business owner, entrepreneur, leader, speaker, mother, and wife. She builds teams, builds businesses, and connects with others for a living as a part of Bonvera. She and her husband also run multiple other businesses in the education, technology, and realty sectors. (And they were guests on Episode #9 inside their store, MacDaddy’s). Formerly a dental hygienist, she left that industry to start her own businesses and dictate her own freedoms. Today, with 14 years in the industry, she joins us to talk about how to build a home-based business in a socially distanced world. In this episode, Bob and Nicole recount her journey from full-time employee to full-time business owner. They discuss trends in the industry of household purchasers, the part-time gig economy, building communities online, and connecting with others.

Episode #16: Nicole Porter -- Building a Home-Based Business in a Socially Distanced World

In part two of this episode, Jim and Dolores note the unique circumstances that COVID-19 and the global pandemic present -- an opportunity to be leaders and inspire hope in others. At the same time, Jim and Dolores talk about how to structure your time and implement daily disciplines into your rhythms. The episode concludes with a few rapid fire questions from this power couple.

Episode #15: Jim & Dolores Martin -- An Opportunity to Change Lives & Give Hope -- Part 2

From sunny Florida, Jim and Dolores Martin are top industry leaders in the relationship business. With 18 + years of experience in the industry, they partnered up with a team of men and women to found Bonvera, a business built on entrepreneurship and community. In another life, Jim was a master plumber who owned his own business for many years, but his life was spent working about 70 - 90 hours a week running his business. Dolores was in the banking and insurance industry as well as running an in-home daycare business. After they got past their own excuses, the rest was history. Today as co-founders and co-owners of Bonvera, they are building teams of authentic community leaders who serve and support one another. In part one of this episode, Bob joins Jim and Dolores to talk about their story. They recap joining this industry right around 9/11, a time very similar to COVID-19, and why they got started. They also discuss why they founded Bonvera and the gap Bonvera filled in the industry space. With their experience and results, Bob and Jim and Dolores urge listeners to see the unique opportunity this global pandemic presents to support, care for, and communicate with your community.

Episode #14: Jim & Dolores Martin -- A Company Built on Community -- Part 1

Dr. Jeff Davis is a practicing doctor of family medicine, functional, and integrative health. He’s the owner of Prairie Health and Wellness in Wichita, Kansas, and he serves as Bonvera’s Medical Director of the Phyzix MD product line. He is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, and he is an advanced fellow in regenerative and functional medicine through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. As for his schooling, he completed his residency in Family Medicine through University of Kansas at Via Christi Hospital in Wichita, Kansas and earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree in clinical gerontology from Baylor University. He’s on the leading edge of healthcare as he has been involved in multiple FDA clinical trials, and his clinic has been designated an FDA research site. He and his team do this to provide the best care to their patients. In this episode, Bob and Dr. Jeff Davis discuss the current state of our country and our world due to the ramifications of the global pandemic that COVID-19 has caused. In this episode, they speak on everything related to the virus from simple tips to staying hygienic and practical steps you can take to boost your immune system to the future of healthcare and how to sleep well during this time.

Episode #13: Dr. Jeff Davis -- The State of Our Health, Our World, and Our Businesses in COVID-19, a Global Pandemic

Kelly Fletcher (@fletcherpr) is a powerhouse leader, CEO, speaker, author, podcast host, marketer, and former Miss North Carolina. She graduated from Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina with a degree in Music, Vocal Performance, and Communications. All through her twenties, she was aspiring to be a singer and lived in New York. She’d tell you, “I worked a lot, but I didn’t make a lot of money.” Up until she was 29, she sang with the National Opera Company as a cover, which is similar to an understudy, for two years, she worked odd jobs to make ends meet, and she toured with music companies. When she left New York, she decided to pivot to a career in communications as well as start a family of her own. At age 40, she started her own marketing and PR firm, and let’s just say she’s killing it. She not only reinvented herself, but she created an incredible company, successful career, and community of leaders following in her footsteps. In part 2 of this episode, Bob and Kelly dive into the power of the female consumer. Additionally, Kelly shares helpful and timely advice for leaders looking to grow in their leadership skills and abilities. Bob and Kelly talk about if this entrepreneurship journey is all worth it, what her pet peeves are, and a few productivity hacks.

Episode #12: Kelly Fletcher -- The Courage of Reinvention -- Part 2

Kelly Fletcher (@fletcherpr) is a powerhouse leader, CEO, speaker, author, podcast host, marketer, and former Miss North Carolina. She graduated from Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina with a degree in Music, Vocal Performance, and Communications. All through her twenties, she was aspiring to be a singer and lived in New York. She’d tell you, “I worked a lot, but I didn’t make a lot of money.” Up until she was 29, she sang with the National Opera Company as a cover, which is similar to an understudy, for two years, she worked odd jobs to make ends meet, and she toured with music companies. When she left New York, she decided to pivot to a career in communications as well as start a family of her own. At age 40, she started her own marketing and PR firm, and let’s just say she’s killing it. She not only reinvented herself, but she created an incredible company, successful career, and community of leaders following in her footsteps. In this episode, Bob and Kelly reminisce on the beginnings of her entrepreneurial journey. They recount the fear and courage it took for her to transition careers over the years from music and performance to marketing and communications. She shares her personal journey of growing in confidence and growing into her own, and with such care, she inspires audiences with her empowering spirit and advice.

Episode #11: Kelly Fletcher -- The Courage of Reinvention -- Part 1

In this episode, we walk back through the past few months of podcasting together. We highlight the guests who have been on this show and the guests we’re thinking of having in the future. Additionally, we discuss some of the key learnings and observations we’ve seen in our guests and their insights. Amongst all of the guests, there is a common thread -- we can all learn from mistakes and failures. We set the stage in this recap episode for highlights and insights to come in 2020.

Episode #10: A Recap of Where We’ve Been, What We’ve Learned, and Where We’re Going

The Taking the Leap Podcast is where you can learn how to launch your full-time career in this part-time gig economy. No matter what career you’re in, you have the potential to be the best version of you and overcome whatever obstacles stand in your way. And now here’s your host, the CEO of Bonvera, Bob Dickie.

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Taking the Leap

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