The Resiliency Project

"I wanted to be in charge of my own destiny." — Bart Berkey never expected a heart attack, a global pandemic, and the loss of his 16-year career at Ritz-Carlton to completely change his life. Founder of Most People Don't and keynote speaker Bart Berkey joins Nik Agharkar to share how those setbacks pushed him to build a business centered on purpose, kindness, and resilience. From running out of savings to rebuilding his confidence one day at a time, Berkey explains why remembering your "why," serving others, and embracing what he calls "humanality" helped him create a more meaningful life than the one he left behind. This conversation is a reminder that resilience isn't about avoiding hardship, it's about choosing to keep going. What You'll Learn: Why remembering your purpose makes difficult seasons easier to endure How serving others can shift your mindset during your lowest moments The difference between feeling processed and making people feel seen Why Bart believes "humanality" will become even more important in an AI-driven world How small daily choices create long-term resilience and a meaningful life Episode Links Bart Berkey Online: http://bartaberkey.com/ Bart Berkey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartberkey/ Bart Berkey Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bartberkey/ Bart Berkey Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bart.berkey?lang=en Bart Berkey YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bartberkey Bart Berkey Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-people-dont-but-you-do/id1556134592

"I lost confidence in myself." — What happens when the thing you've always relied on suddenly disappears? Scott Kleckner, owner of Olive Wood Pizza, shares how 18 months of unemployment forced him to confront something he'd never faced before: self-doubt. After decades leading turnarounds and managing restaurants, stadiums, and entertainment venues, he suddenly found himself questioning whether the skills that built his career still mattered. Instead of continuing the search for another corporate role, Kleckner took a risk and bought a small catering business in Southern California. The transition wasn't easy, but it reminded him of a lesson he'd learned long ago: work ethic can carry you through almost anything. This conversation explores confidence, leadership, identity, and why resilience is often less about avoiding setbacks and more about getting back to work when things don't go according to plan. What You'll Learn: • Why losing confidence can be harder than losing a job • How work ethic became Scott's foundation for resilience • What he learned from 18 months of unemployment • Why ownership gave him clarity that corporate leadership never could • The difference between being stubborn and being resilient Episode Links • Scott Kleckner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottkleckner/ • Olive Wood Pizza: https://www.olivewoodpizza.com/

"I committed a federal crime." — What happens when one bad decision changes the course of your life forever?  Tom Hardin, international corporate trainer, keynote speaker, and former Wall Street analyst known as "Tipper X," shares the story of how insider trading led to an FBI investigation, public disgrace, and the loss of the career he spent years building. From secretly wearing a wire for the FBI to seeing his name on the front page of major newspapers, Tom explains the personal toll of shame, accountability, and rebuilding after a very public failure. But this is not just a story about breaking the law. It is about accepting responsibility, finding purpose through service, and learning that resilience is often less about bouncing back and more about laying one honest brick at a time. Tom shares how volunteering, family support, and a willingness to forgive himself helped him create a life that ultimately became more meaningful than the one he was chasing before everything fell apart. What You'll Learn: • Why accountability is the first step toward rebuilding after failure • The difference between guilt and shame and why it matters • How serving others helped Tom begin recovering from public disgrace • Why resilience is more about rebuilding than bouncing back • How laying "one honest brick a day" became Tom's framework for moving forward Episode Links: •Tom Hardin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tipperx/ •Tipper X: https://www.tipperx.com/

“You’ll move faster by slowing down.” - How do you stay calm when everything around you is collapsing? Jason Bishara, lead of financial practice at NSI Insurance Group, shares the story of losing control of a venture-backed company during a brutal market shift, the pressure it placed on his family, and how he rebuilt both his career and perspective through one of the hardest periods of his life. From losing years of income to restructuring a business without bankruptcy, Jason explains why resiliency is less about motivation and more about staying calm enough to keep moving. This is not just a story about business failure. It is about controlling emotion during chaos, learning from the people around you, and understanding that some of life’s biggest setbacks can quietly become your biggest blessings. What You’ll Learn: • Why slowing down can help you move forward faster • How Jason rebuilt after losing control of a venture-backed company • Why focusing on solutions instead of problems changes everything • The role mentors and mastermind groups play during difficult seasons • Why resilience is built by getting back up after getting punched in the jaw Episode Links: Jason Bishara LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbishara/ Jason Bishara NSI Insurance Group: https://nsigroup.org/about-us/leadership/team-member/jason-bishara/

"I thought we were buying our future. Instead, we bought a disaster.”  In this episode of The Resiliency Project, Angie Callen shares how buying the wrong business spiraled into lawsuits, bankruptcy, and financial collapse. After losing nearly everything, Angie and her husband moved into a gutted school bus in the mountains of Colorado and rebuilt their lives one coaching client, one networking event, and one step at a time. But this conversation is about more than failure. It is about resilience as a learned skill.  Angie explains how childhood adversity shaped her mindset, why having “no way back” forced her to adapt, and how refusing to quit helped her build a successful coaching business from scratch. From sleeping in her Subaru between networking events to finding her first client through LinkedIn, Angie’s story is a reminder that resilience is often built long before the breakthrough arrives.  What You’ll Learn:  • How a failed business purchase led to bankruptcy and rebuilding from a school bus  • Why resilience can be developed through adversity and experience  • How LinkedIn networking helped Angie land her first coaching clients  • Why controlling what you can control is critical during hardship  • How failure became the foundation for Angie’s future success  Episode Links:  Angie Callen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angiecallen/  Connect with Angie Callen: https://angiecallen.com/  Angie Callen's new book, Scary Good: https://angiecallen.com/scarygoodread/

“Resiliency to me is getting up every time you get punched in the face.” - What happens when failure hits early, hard, and expensive? Entrepreneur and brand builder Chase Slepak shares the story of losing nearly everything at 18 years old after a failed car wash business nearly buried him financially before his career even started. Instead of walking away from entrepreneurship, Chase doubled down, rebuilding through grit, hard work, and an obsession with finding the next opportunity. From working alongside his father as a kid to coaching early-stage founders today, Chase reflects on why resilience is built through repetition, why social media hides the hardest parts of business, and why taking risks is often the only way to grow stronger. The conversation explores entrepreneurship, family, identity, and the mindset required to keep moving forward when business punches back. What You’ll Learn: • Why resilience is built by repeatedly overcoming failure • How early setbacks shaped Chase’s approach to entrepreneurship • Why social media rarely reflects the reality of building a business • The importance of intentionality when starting a company • How family, work ethic, and adversity shaped Chase’s mindset Connect with Chase Slepak on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaseslepak/

“What a lot of people see as their weakness is not really a weakness. It’s actually a strength.” -  How often do we misunderstand the very things that make us different? Steve Schiff, Development Manager at Nasdaq, shares the mindset that keeps him moving forward when things get hard: creativity, imagination, and the ability to keep building toward a future he can already see in his head.  Steve reflects on resilience, perspective, and why so many people misjudge their own strengths. The episode also introduces a powerful question for future guests: What do you see as your weakness? Because sometimes the things we try hardest to hide are actually the things that give us an edge. What You’ll Learn:  • Why creativity can become a source of resilience  • How vision helps people push through difficult moments  • Why many perceived weaknesses are actually strengths  • The importance of perspective when evaluating yourself  • How reframing self-doubt can change the way you move forward Episode Links: Steve Schiff LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveschiff/

“I have to learn by getting the shit kicked out of me.” - What happens when failure stops being a setback and starts becoming the strategy?  Executive coach, author, and entrepreneur Rhett Power joins Nik Agharkar to break down the brutal realities of entrepreneurship, from losing millions on failed products to nearly running out of money while trying to keep a business alive. Instead of avoiding failure, Power explains how repeated setbacks forced him to rethink his business model, sharpen his mindset, and develop the resilience needed to survive.  The conversation explores why most entrepreneurs have to become a little delusional to keep going, the dangerous impact of negative self-talk, and the mental systems that help leaders push through adversity. From sleeping in vans to landing major retail deals, this episode digs into the uncomfortable truth behind perseverance: resilience is not built through motivation, it is built through repeated hardship, reflection, and adaptation.  What You’ll Learn: • Why most successful entrepreneurs learn through failure, not theory • How Rhett Power rebuilt his business after losing millions on failed products • The role mindset and self-talk play during adversity • The “Catch, Confront, Change” framework for breaking negative thought patterns • Why resilience often requires irrational belief before results show up • How product failures ultimately led to a stronger business model Episode Links: Check out Rhett Power: https://rhettpower.com/

“I failed spectacularly… and I did it publicly.” - What happens when a bet you believe in completely… fails? Shawn Walchef, restaurant owner of Cali BBQ and founder of Cali BBQ Media, shares what went wrong chasing the ghost kitchen model during the pandemic, where the assumptions broke, and how he knew it was time to walk away. This is not just a bad business story. It is about what happens when belief meets reality, and why having the courage to own failure matters more than avoiding it. From five years of making no money in media to building a thriving business, this episode sets the tone for the show: no highlight reels, just the truth about what it takes to keep going. What You’ll Learn: • The biggest miscalculation behind the ghost kitchen strategy • How to know when it’s time to stop chasing a failing idea • How five years of making no money led to a breakthrough in media • The difference between what people post online and the work that actually matters • Why resilience is built in the dark, not in the spotlight Episode Links  Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/  Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

Real conversations about failure, resilience, and starting again Nik Agharkar, founder of Crowne Point Tax, hosts The Resiliency Project, a long-form interview podcast focused on what happens after failure. Through candid conversations with founders, executives, professionals, and creators, the show explores real setbacks, reinvention, and the mindset shifts that make resilience possible. Each episode reframes struggle, offering practical insight listeners can apply to their own challenges.