The Flipped Story

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a career you’re "qualified" for but not "meant" for, this episode is your roadmap.David Gadarian welcomes Laura Berman Fortgang, a bestselling author and pioneer who helped pave the way for the modern coaching industry. While she is now a frequent guest on Oprah and The Today Show, Laura’s journey began with an 8-year grind as an actress and waitress in New York City.What you’ll learn in this episode: • How to distinguish your "Yolk" (identity) from your "Shell" (job title). • The reality of the 10-year pivot: Why Laura coached for a decade before her "Eureka" moment. • Why workplace happiness stats are declining and what you can do to reclaim your agency. • Sharp insights on managing a business based on 32 years in the driver's seat.EPISODE HIGHLIGHT: Don't miss "The Flipped Story Recipe Book" segment at the end, where Laura provides a 30-second instruction on how to step out of your shell and into new possibilities.RESOURCES: • Full Episode Notes• Laura’s Website: LauraBermanFortgang.com • Laura’s Viral TEDx: "Find your dream job without ever looking at your resume"Follow The Flipped Story Host on LinkedIn: David Gadarian 🔄

Most people think success in the digital world requires feeding the algorithm. Brian Wallace did the opposite: he became the "Human Algorithm."In this episode, David Gadarian explores the life-defining pivots of Brian Wallace, founder of NowSourcing. We trace Brian’s journey from the high-pressure NYC tech scene to a grounded, intentional life in the Midwest. Brian opens up about how a profound personal tragedy led to a "Identity Upgrade" in his faith, and how that foundation allowed him to build one of the most resilient visual storytelling agencies in the country.We also go deep on the Innovate Summit (May 26-28, 2026). Brian explains his radical flip on the conference industry—prioritizing hospitality and "ego-free" connection over the standard corporate networking model.Highlights include:Navigating the tension between "Signal" and "Noise" in an AI world.Why the Midwest is currently "undervalued" for talent and innovation.The "Chef’s Note" on living every day like it’s your last.Subscribe to The Flipped Story for more conversations on the intersection of human potential and market creation.🔗 Visit gadarian.com/flipped-story to keep up with the show! 🔗 Experience ⁠the Innovate Summit⁠🔗 Work with ⁠NowSourcing⁠

“Shortcut to Last.” That was the name of Matt Diamante’s band in the early 2000s. It’s also the perfect irony for a guest who has built a powerhouse SEO agency by doing the exact opposite: playing the long game. 🔄In this episode, we sit down with Matt Diamante, founder of HeyTony, to explore a journey of pure grit—from driving film trucks for indie horror movies to leading a 15-person marketing agency.We go deep into the "Messy Middle" of scaling a business and explore a red-hot Flipped Market: the world of SEO in an AI-driven world. Matt explains why he treats marketing like "heating and cooling"—a reliable utility—and why he ignores the jargon of "GEO" to focus on what actually works.In this episode, we explore:The AI Hallucination: Why my AI research failed the intro, and what it taught us about the limits of machine learning.The Creative Hustle: How Matt went to advertising school just to "save the band."Scaling by Letting Go: How Matt flipped his role as a founder to get back to his technical roots.The Persistence Power-Up: Why the "Anti-Shortcut" is the only way to remain findable.Connect with Matt Diamante: Join 350,000+ others following Matt’s "no-fluff" insights on Instagram @heytony.agency or visit HeyTony.ca.Flip your own story at Gadarian.com/flipped-story

Walter Rusniaczek knows how to perform. With 30 years in high-stakes sales and a background in stand-up comedy, he’s a master of reading the room. But in this episode, Walter takes us behind the mask to explore a "live flip" driven by a search for actual meaning.From a "feral" upbringing to navigating a metaphysical breakdown, Walter shares a raw, stream-of-consciousness look at what it takes to stop reacting to chaos and start choosing radical accountability. This isn’t a business development episode—it’s a "brain cleaning" session for anyone who feels like their current story is starting to wear thin.Highlights include:Why reality doesn’t need your permission to exist.Lessons from the "shitty stages" of comedy and the DMV.The "Faustian Fruit Salad" and the power of constant seeking.The Flipped Story Recipe: Walter’s "Primary Ingredient" for surviving the middle of the flip.🌐 Visit gadarian.com/flipped-story for more episodes and the full Recipe Book.

"I realized that being 'nice' was just a way of negotiating against myself."We’re often taught that being "nice" is the key to leadership. But what happens when that narrative starts costing you your time, your peace, and your power?In this episode, David Gadarian sits down with serial entrepreneur and author Danny Goldberg to discuss the "Identity Upgrade" required to reach your true human potential. Danny shares his journey from the soul-crushing 75-hour work weeks of the corporate world to building a multi-venture empire that he now runs in just 20 hours a week.We explore:The Sunday Night Wall: Recognizing when the story you’re living no longer serves you.Culture of Care vs. Assertiveness: How to protect your peace without losing your empathy.The "Asshole Energy" Spectrum: Why being "less likable" is often the only way to become undeniable.Lifestyle Design: The practical mechanics of flipping a 75-hour grind into a 20-hour reality.Whether you’re a corporate leader feeling the burnout or an entrepreneur struggling to set boundaries, this conversation is a masterclass in getting back into the driver’s seat of your own life.The Flipped Story Recipe: Stick around until the end to hear Danny’s "Primary Ingredient" for reclaiming 50 hours of your week.Danny’s Website: ⁠DannyMGoldberg.com⁠The Book: A Little Bit of A$$hole (⁠Available on Amazon⁠)Training & Strategy: ⁠GoldSRD.com⁠If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review or a follow. It helps us reach more people looking to flip their story and unlock their human potential. 🔄

What if the most "inefficient" use of your time—sitting with a stranger for an hour—was actually the key to unlocking your greatest potential?Rob Lawless left a high-polish career at Deloitte to bet on human curiosity. 7,476 friends later, he joins David Gadarian to discuss the grit of the "Messy Middle" and his blueprint for authentic connection.In this episode, we explore:The Bus Stop Metaphor: Why turning back is the only wrong decision.The FRIEND Framework: A tactical guide to active listening.The Uncomfortable Entrepreneur: Staying your own biggest fan when no one else sees the vision.🔄 Get the Full Recipe & Show Notes: https://www.gadarian.com/rob-lawless-10000-hour-human-experiment

What does it take to move from the front lines of the Army and the oil fields to the "Driver’s Seat" of a multi-division professional powerhouse?In this episode, David Gadarian sits down with Darren Tompkins, Founder & CEO of Vader-Rey. Darren breaks down his purposeful, sequential journey of leaving the "operator" seat to build a business that provides high-stakes talent, engineering, and virtual professionals to the industries powering our future.Read the full breakdown and Recipe Card here! Inside the Episode:The Identity Flip: Why being the "best at the work" is often the biggest hurdle to building a business.The Digital Oil Field: How Houston is transitioning from energy to the massive infrastructure needs of Data Centers and AI.The Scalability Secret: Why "Virtual Professionals" are the key to business elasticity and leverage.AI vs. The Human Resume: Darren shares tactical tips on how to position your resume to stand out in an AI-driven recruitment world.The Recipe Book Extract:The Ingredient: Sequential Logic.The Instruction: If you’re still "turning the wrench," you aren't building a company—you're just a technician with a bigger to-do list.Connect with Darren:Website: vaderrey.comLinkedIn: Darren Tompkins

What happens when you stop apologizing for your "glitches" and start charging for your perspective? Sam Mitchell, the voice behind Autism Rocks and Rolls, joins David Gadarian to discuss the journey from the resource room to the CEO's chair.In this episode, we move past the clinical labels to explore the Human Potential of what Sam calls "the worst story alive." Sam shares his "Hulk Hogan" approach to business, why he refused to be "fixed," and the specific recipe for taking the driver's seat in your own life.Inside the Episode:The Poked Bear: Using righteous anger as a business fuel.Ditching the Crutch: Why people-pleasing is a survival mechanism you need to outgrow.The Booth: Building an environment that honors your unique needs.Connect with Sam: Visit https://autismrocksandrolls.com/ to listen to his show and support the mission.Full Recipe Card: https://www.gadarian.com/the-normal-narrative-scaling-success-with-sam-mitchell/#TheFlippedStory #HumanPotential

What happens when you stop running a 100-mile-per-hour race and finally ask, "Where am I actually going?" In this episode, marketing strategist Anthony Neal Macri shares his "flip" from the high-pressure startup engines of Toronto and New York to the intentional restraint of Southern Italy. From managing global scrutiny at Ashley Madison to navigating the future of AI from a quiet Italian beach, Anthony breaks down why velocity is no substitute for direction and how changing your geography can fundamentally rewire your mind.In this episode, we discuss:The Velocity Trap: Why constant movement is often mistaken for performance.The "Vacation Flip": How a 5-week trip transformed Anthony’s definition of success.Marketing in the Crucible: High-stakes lessons on originality and identity from the Ashley Madison years.Pasta con la Mollica: A recipe for finding value in what we usually discard.Episode Chapters: 00:00 Navigating the Digital Storm: Anthony's Journey 09:12 The Shift from Velocity to Clarity 18:05 Lessons from Ashley Madison: Marketing in Controversy 27:07 Finding Balance: Life Lessons from Southern Italy 34:00 The Recipe for Flipping Your Story 36:47 Flipped Story Show OutroConnect with Anthony:Website: AnthonyNealMacri.comInstagram: @anmacriRead the full story and get the recipe: The Geography of Perspective Blog PostSubscribe to The Flipped Story!#TheFlippedStory #AnthonyNealMacri #VelocityVsClarity #LifestyleDesign #SouthernItaly #MindsetShift #MarketingStrategy #DigitalMarketing #AIStrategy #AttentionEconomy #BrandReputation #TheFlippedRecipe

How do you walk away from a "safe" corporate career without taking a reckless gamble?Today on The Flipped Story, we talk with Abi Asija, an entrepreneur who flipped the script on the traditional "leap of faith." After 10 years in tech, Abi built a 7-figure land empire by focusing on the "unsexy" world of vacant land and the hyper-logical math of a tapered exit.Tune in to hear from Abi on:The "Now Again": How he moved from burned-out employee to driving a 16-person team.The Physics of the Flip: Using a "note portfolio" to replace your salary before you quit.Goodwill vs. Trust: Why being responsive is more valuable than being an expert.The Recipe Book: Abi shares his "4-Offers Framework" for sustainable business growth.Watch the Full Journey & See the Recipe Card: 🔗 https://www.gadarian.com/the-physics-of-the-flip-how-abi-asija-traded-a-9-to-5-for-a-7-figure-land-empire/#TheFlippedStory #HumanPotential #NativeEmpathy #EntrepreneurLife #RealEstate #AbiAsija

"We die the moment we stop learning. We die the moment where we completely settle."Imagine growing up in a household where education isn't just a career path—it’s a religion. You spend years honing a mind to dissect human behavior at a molecular level, earning a PhD that offers a lifetime of safety within the "Ivory Tower" of academia.But then, the flip happens. [cite: 56]In this episode of The Flipped Story, David Gadarian sits down with Dr. Jasmine Martirossian, a social psychologist, global strategist, and CMO who walked away from the security of a tenure-track path to step into the high-pressure world of global business. Jasmine shares the "downright incredulous and hostile" reactions she faced from her academic peers and how she transformed her intellectual depth into a competitive weapon for market creation. [cite: 70]🚀 In this episode, we explore:The Academic Apostasy: Why leaving the Ivory Tower was a massive identity shift and why her advisors thought she was making an "irrevocable and terrible" mistake.Portfolio Careers: The importance of Charles B. Handy’s The Age of Unreason and why you should never tie your entire identity to a single job title.The Snowball Effect: Why starting small with "Kaizen" (incremental improvement) is more effective for change management than massive, failing corporate initiatives.Strength-Based Leadership: How focusing on innate talents—rather than fixing weaknesses—can flip a disengaged workforce into a high-performance team.The "Outside-In" Perspective: How 11-year-olds and Peter Paul Rubens can teach us more about solving complex boardroom problems than any textbook.⏳ Timestamps00:00 The Journey from Academia to Business02:51 Embracing Change and Identity05:55 Navigating the Transition08:57 The Importance of Portfolio Careers12:04 Facing Incredulity and Hostility14:58 The Value of Discomfort18:00 Holistic Problem Solving20:55 Support and Mindset in Career Choices23:12 Navigating Change: From Academia to Corporate Life24:33 Embracing Discomfort: The Path to Growth27:05 The Power of Small Steps in Change Management33:09 Outside-In Thinking: Learning from Diverse Perspectives36:59 Harnessing Strengths: The Key to Team Dynamics44:17 Goals and Agility: Balancing Journey and DestinationConnect with Dr. Jasmine Martirossian:LinkedIn: / jasmine-martirossianStrategy Ark: https://strategyark.com/Travel Blog: https://travelchasingart.com/Connect with David Gadarian:Website: https://www.gadarian.com/flipped-story/LinkedIn: / davidgadarianBe sure to Subscribe to The Flipped Story:#theflippedstory #humanpotential

In the transition from Media 1.0 to 2.0, the rules of the game have fundamentally changed. We’ve moved from the era of "Broadcast"—talking at an audience from a pedestal—to the era of "Connection," where trust is the only currency that matters.In this episode of The Flipped Story, David Gadarian sits down with Jon Goehring, founder of StoryTrust Media. Jon is a Newhouse-trained journalist who spent years mastering the clinical precision of traditional radio. But as the digital world became a 24/7 shouting match, Jon realized that a "perfect" voice doesn't matter if nobody trusts the person behind it.Today, Jon is in the middle of a fascinating flip: using his high-level broadcast pedigree to help brands navigate the "eat what you hunt" world of modern entrepreneurship. He’s helping creators stop sounding like announcers and start sounding like humans.Inside the Episode:* 03:16 – The Childhood "Mock" Radio Shows: How a passion for calling football games to nobody laid the foundation for a professional voice.* 09:07 – The Habit of Professionalism: Why your standard of excellence must stay high even when you're in the "raw, messy reality" of building a business.* 12:17 – The Filter Word Flip: Why modern audiences actually prefer "imperfections" over the buttoned-up, robotic announcer voice of the past.* 15:41 – The Trust Depletion: Why building trust is harder today than 15 years ago in a world saturated with digital static.* 19:38 – Start with Who: Why trying to talk to "everyone" on a podcast results in actually talking to nobody.* 23:22 – The 400-Page Potty Training Guide: A hilarious look at the mundane (and sometimes bizarre) reality of professional voice-over work.* 26:46 – The "Ice Cream Shop" Mindset: Jon’s Flipped Story Recipe Book—moving from a scarcity mindset to the power of radical collaboration.About Our Guest: Jon Goehring is the founder of StoryTrust Media and Jon Goehring Voiceovers. With a background in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, he specializes in podcast production and narration that cuts through digital noise to build lasting brand trust.Connect with Jon:* Website: StoryTrust Media | https://www.storytrust.media/* LinkedIn: Jon Goehring | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-goehring/Connect with The Flipped Story:* Website: https://www.gadarian.com/flipped-story/* LinkedIn: David Gadarian | https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgadarian/Subscribe for more stories where human potential meets market creation. Remember: The world doesn't need more noise—it needs your truth.#TheFlippedStory #Storytelling #Podcasting #Entrepreneurship #Voiceover

Can love and compassion actually make a business more profitable? In this episode of The Flipped Story, David Gadarian sits down with international business consultant and TEDx speaker Dr. Bruno Roque Cignacco (PhD) to discuss the radical shift from "cold" corporate logic to the high-performance world of Human-Oriented Business.Bruno shares the specific "Eureka" moment when he realized that traditional spreadsheets couldn't account for the most valuable asset in any market: the human soul. If you've ever felt that modern business has become too transactional, this episode will show you how to flip that narrative to create a sustainable, loyal, and highly productive tribe of customers and employees.Inside the Episode:01:46 – The "Inflection Point": Moving from international trade tactics to human-centered research.09:10 – The Two Pillars: Why Interdependence and Social Reciprocity are the foundation of every successful business.16:32 – The Reputation Magnet: How a broader mission attracts elite talent and picky investors.19:51 – Measuring "The Uncountable": How to track qualitative variables like gratitude and support.29:55 – Scarcity vs. Prosperity: Why the "Human Being" is the ultimate meta-resource.37:24 – The Compassion Business Case: Why "psychological safety" is anything but "soft."45:40 – The Flipped Story Recipe Book: Bruno’s two essential ingredients for your business pantry.The Flipped Story Recipe Book: Dr. Bruno’s Ingredients - Every builder needs these two tools in their pantry to turn a transaction into a relationship:Humanistic Love: The fuel of generosity, gratitude, and support that creates sustainable ties over time.Incremental Value: The practice of leaving every person you interact with in a better state than you found them.About Our Guest:Dr. Bruno Roque Cignacco (PhD) is an international business consultant, researcher, and author of The Art of Compassionate Business. For over 30 years, he has helped companies bridge the gap between economic success and human well-being.⁠Bruno's Website ⁠⁠The Art of Compassionate Business⁠⁠Bruno on LinkedIn⁠Keep Up with The Flipped Story: ⁠https://www.gadarian.com/flipped-story/⁠Enjoyed this episode? Make sure to subscribe and hit the bell to never miss a "Flip" on the traditional business narrative.

What happens when your father’s business—your family’s legacy—is suddenly threatened by legal crisis? For Sean Boyle, it was the moment he stopped being an intern and started being a leader. In this episode of The Flipped Story, Sean shares the raw narrative of taking over "The Boyler Room" bar amidst federal legal troubles, and how that high-pressure experience gave him a "Native Empathy" for small business owners that no competitor can match.We trace Sean's meteoric rise from a sales intern to a partner at Momentum 360 in under three years, discussing how he used grit and consistency to scale a digital marketing powerhouse that helps businesses future-proof themselves in the age of AI.Connect with Sean:Email: [email protected]: Momentum 360Free Marketing Audit: 215-607-6482