The Strategic Business Influencer presented by Zilker Media

In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Lina Supnet-Zapata, CEO of Mir Senior Care Consultants and incoming president of the Aging Life Care Association.With more than 30 years in healthcare, Lina has dedicated her career to patient advocacy, ethical care management, and helping families navigate some of life’s most complex and emotional decisions. She shares the story of stepping into a family-founded business, expanding it across Texas, and leading with compassion in a highly regulated healthcare environment.The conversation also explores Lina’s experience completing the Influence ID exercise from The Strategic Business Influencer and how hearing honest feedback from trusted peers transformed the way she shows up as a leader. Through reflections on mentorship, caregiving, and building a culture that supports working women, Lina offers a powerful perspective on leadership rooted in integrity, service, and confidence.If you’re a leader balancing growth, responsibility, and purpose, this conversation offers meaningful insight into how influence is built through authenticity and care.

What does it really take to scale a service business without sacrificing culture, quality or your sanity?In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Bart Davis, Co-Founder and CEO of 512Financial, to unpack the real story behind building a fast-growing services firm in today’s market.Bart started his career in traditional accounting at PwC before stepping into the entrepreneurial world alongside a seasoned investor. Since launching in 2022, the firm has grown more than tenfold, now serving over 70 clients while maintaining an exceptional Gallup engagement score.

What if scaling your business didn’t require sacrificing your sanity, your health, or your life outside of work?In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Lauren Goldstein, Founder and CEO of Golden Key Partnership, widely known as The Biz Doctor. With a background that spans pediatric neurology to business consulting, Lauren brings a rare diagnostic lens to leadership, operations, and team dynamics.Lauren shares her unorthodox entrepreneurial journey, the moment she realized businesses need diagnosis before prescription, and how her 4D framework helps founders transition from Chief Everything Officer to confident, effective CEO.

In today’s market, companies aren’t just facing growth decisions. They’re navigating ownership changes, economic uncertainty, distressed assets, and transitions many leaders have never experienced before.In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Erin Stark-Medina, Tom Minick, and Keith Hyatt, the three partners behind Ponte Advisors, a firm built to do what most advisory models don’t: bring legal, financial, and operational expertise together under one roof.

What happens when a neurologist decides to redesign how people access brain and memory care?In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Dr. Joel Salinas, behavioral neurologist, author, researcher, and Founder & Chief Medical Officer at Isaac Health. Dr. Salinas is doing groundbreaking work making brain and cognitive care more accessible by bringing memory and neurological support online — especially for families who otherwise wouldn’t have access to specialists.

What does it take to become an extraordinary leader in business and in life?In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Sten Morgan, CEO of Legacy Investment Planning and bestselling author of The 7 Mindsets of Success. Named a Top 40 Under 40 advisor and widely recognized for redefining the financial services industry, Sten brings a rare level of clarity and candor to leadership, decision-making, and personal growth.

What does leadership look like in an industry built on trust?In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Tanya M. Miller, President & Co-Founder of PrimeBank, to talk about what it means to lead with both heart and discipline in today’s financial world.Tanya shares her journey from rising through the ranks in community banking to leading one of Texas’s most respected institutions, and how she’s helping shape a new generation of leaders who value relationships as much as results.

What happens when a 22-year-old marketing graduate steps into one of the most male-dominated industries and transforms it with heart, grit, and a fresh perspective?In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Angelica Connor, CEO of Stansell Construction, one of the few certified women-owned general contractors in Florida and one of the fastest-growing women-led companies in the country.Angelica shares her incredible story of joining the company her father purchased, working her way from the front desk to the C-suite, and ultimately purchasing a majority stake in 2021 to lead Stansell into a new era of growth, culture, and innovation.

What does it look like to build a business where purpose and performance go hand in hand?In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Travis McAshan, Founder and CEO of GLIDE, an award-winning digital creative agency and Certified B Corporation based in Austin, Texas. For nearly two decades, Travis has led a purpose-driven team that creates beautiful, high-performing websites for startups, nonprofits, and established brands—all with a mission to make a positive impact in the world.

What does it take to build a business that stands out in industries often seen as commodities, like pest control and home services? For Gordon Doran, the answer is simple: lead with care, purpose, and integrity.In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Gordon, serial entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of Natran Green Pest Control, Houston and Austin’s original eco-friendly pest service provider. Gordon is also the owner of Advantage Pro Services, a leading home services company. Since launching Natran in 2006, he’s built companies rooted in protecting people, pets, and the planet, while creating workplaces where employees feel valued and customers feel cared for.

What happens when a Fortune 500 software manager buys a tanning salon, and ends up transforming an entire industry?In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Nash Abbas, Founder & CEO of Tan-Link. What started as a single tanning salon quickly turned into a chain across five Texas cities, and ultimately into Tan-Link, the software platform now powering some of the largest salon chains in the world.

What does it take to build a technology company that thrives for nearly 20 years in one of the fastest-moving industries? For Art Powell, the answer comes down to one word: trust.In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Art Powell, Founder & CEO of Trinsic Technologies. Since 2005, Art has transformed Trinsic into a trusted IT solutions partner for companies across Central Texas and beyond. With more than 25 years of experience in tech—including time at IBM and PCorder.com—Art shares how he’s built a company grounded in relationships, innovation, and a people-first approach.

How do today’s leaders navigate relentless change while keeping themselves, and their teams, energized, accountable and thriving?In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Laurie Oswald, CEO of InteraWorks, a leader in performance development who has spent over two decades helping executives and organizations unlock human potential. Laurie’s background spans corporate tech, manufacturing, and now purpose-driven leadership at InteraWorks, where she guides global companies through transformation with tools that elevate both performance and well-being.

What do Bitcoin exchanges and dog food have in common? Innovation, if you ask Jaron Lukas. In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Jaron Lukas, founder & CEO of Yumwoof Natural Pet Food and author of The Canine Coco Omega Effect. Before disrupting the pet food industry with clean-label, seed-oil-free, and synthetic-free formulations, Jaron founded and sold CoinSetter, one of the first venture-backed Bitcoin exchanges covered by CNBC, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal.

In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with David Chavez, founder and CEO of Assured Strategy, serial entrepreneur, and Scaling Up coach. A military veteran, former CPA, and seasoned operator, David has helped over 280 businesses navigate growth, exits, and transformation. His journey spans taking five companies public during his time at Arthur Andersen, building and selling his own CPA firm, and now guiding leaders through high-stakes decisions with practical, battle-tested advice.

What happens when the world hits pause—and you decide to press play? In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige Velasquez Budde sits down with Brandon Bloch, award-winning director and co-founder of Hometeam, a remote-first production company named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies. Brandon has led campaigns for global brands like Apple, HBO, Samsung, and T-Mobile, but his most important work might be how he and his co-founders pioneered a new model for creative production during one of the most uncertain times in modern history.

In this episode of The Strategic Business Influencer, Paige sits down with Emily LaRusch, Founder and CEO of Back Office Betties. What started with one simple frustration, too many voicemails, has grown into a fast-scaling company that provides fractional administrative staffing for small law firms. Emily shares how she built trust in a commoditized industry, grew her business on a lean budget, and carved out a niche against larger competitors by leading with service, culture, and authenticity.