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PODCAST

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast Powered by Blue16 Media & CBNation.co

CEO Podcasts consists of CEO Chat (CC), I AM CEO (IAM) & CBNation.TV (TV) podcast episodes. Value-packed episode including interviews & resources for CEOs, entrepreneurs, startups founders & business owners. The CEO Chat episodes are our long-form episodes w/ interviews and digital marketing resources. The I AM CEO episodes are laser focused (about 16 min.) w/ interviews & a discussion about what it means to be a CEO. Powered by Blue16 Media & CBNation.co. Hosted by Gresham W. Harkless Jr.

business

All Episodes

7:26

IAM2610 - Excuses: The Chains of Incompetence

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/10/05

Gresh delves into his personal philosophy, rejecting “impossible” as an excuse used by those who fear stepping outside their comfort zones.He reframes “possible” not as a fact but as a dare, a temporary state that can be expanded through mindset work. By challenging his own assumptions, questioning self‑imposed “facts,” and confronting setbacks with curiosity rather than defeat, he illustrates how shifting perspective can dissolve mental barriers. This internal work feeds into his broader goal of

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6:08

IAM2609 - Franchising 101

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/10/04

In this episode, Gresh pivots to a quick primer on franchising, demystifying the model for anyone unfamiliar with it. He describes the franchisor (the “Zor”) who owns the brand and system, and the franchisee (the “Z”) who purchases the rights to run a local operation. By leveraging an established playbook, brand recognition, training, and ongoing support, a franchisee can bypass the guesswork of starting a business from scratch. Gresh highlights that while well‑known names like McDonald’s and

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5:06

IAM2608 - The Secret to Staying Consistent

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/10/03

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless Jr. shares about industry challenges, pointing out that decision‑making, confidence, and finances are tougher now than when he started training. Many newcomers feel uncertain about protecting their investment. The message is to turn setbacks into “opportunities to improve,” stay “gung‑ho,” and focus on landing the first deal, then keep moving forward. Gresham recognizes that the franchise landscape and the broader economy have shifted; success means evolving

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16:59

IAM2607 - CEO Helps Businesses Find Their Inner Voice

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/10/02

In this episode, we have Benjamin Behrooz, founder and CEO of Branding Los Angeles, a global creative agency. Benjamin shares his unconventional path to entrepreneurship—initially pursuing pharmacy at UCLA before discovering his passion for marketing through an internship at Sony Music. A pivotal layoff landed him at Truthdig, a politically‑focused site akin to the Huffington Post, where he realized his gift for giving a voice to those who can’t speak for themselves. A single political cartoon he

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16:03

IAM2606 - Activist and Conscious Investor Empowers...

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/10/01

In this episode, Kristin Hull, an activist and conscious investor, the founder and CEO of Nia Global Solutions, and Nia Impact Advisors an impact investing firm with a focus on diversity in leadership and solutions-focused companies. The firm actively exercises its shareholder voice, voting proxies in‑house and engaging with companies to improve their practices, thereby treating investors as both rights‑holders and responsible stewards of the economy. Beyond the product, Hull shares personal

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16:57

IAM2605 - Entrepreneur Helps National Brands Create...

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/30

In this episode, we have Jacqueline Basulto, founder and CEO of SeedX Incorporated, joined the I AM CEO podcast to share her entrepreneurial journey. Growing up in New York as the daughter of Cuban‑Puerto Rican immigrants, she cultivated a strong work ethic that later propelled her from a brief stint at Google into launching SeedX in her early‑20s with just $20 and a vision to help businesses thrive online. The core of SeedX’s service model is what Basulto calls “360 marketing.” Rather than focusing

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7:20

IAM2604 - How Brokers Recharge for Success

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/29

In this special episode, Gresh gave a candid update reflecting on the near‑one‑year mark of his franchise‑broker experience. He admits to feeling a “massive flop” and battling imposter syndrome, noting that the lack of closed deals has made it hard to contribute in broker calls. Despite this, he identifies concrete strategies to turn the tide: leveraging LinkedIn outreach, creating consistent content (especially videos), tapping social‑media searches and Google Ads for lead generation, and

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6:56

IAM2603 - Breaking Free from the 'Should Be' Shackles

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/28

In this special episode, Gresh shares on being transparent – Your Story Is Your Super‑Power. Recording every win, stumble, and “aha!” moment not only keeps me accountable, it creates a roadmap for anyone thinking about starting a franchise (or any business).When you share the real process, you become a living case study that educates and inspires. He also shares about Mindset Over Milestones. It’s easy to get fixated on the numbers: “two or three deals by week 10.” But the real growth happens when

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5:54

IAM2602 - Unlocking Progress: Strategic Moves for...

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/27

In this episode, Gresh shares the highs, lows, and lessons in real‑time creates a roadmap for fellow founders and holds you accountable. He also shares on building a Lead‑Gen Ecosystem First – Before scaling, focus on a self‑sustaining machine that continuously feeds qualified leads into your pipeline. It’s the foundation of a repeatable growth model. Gresh wants to adopt a Marathon Mindset – Speed isn’t everything; pacing yourself, iterating, and avoiding “move‑too‑fast” mistakes leads to lasting

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6:10

IAM2601 - Get Back in the Game: Basketball Workout

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/26

In this episode, Gresh shares candid reflections on his current stage: experimenting with organic lead generation, resisting the pressure to buy leads, and navigating the inevitable ups and downs of building a business. He recounts a nostalgic basketball‑style sprint workout that reminded him how past discipline still fuels his present mindset, emphasizing that mental blocks often become self‑fulfilling unless you keep moving forward. A pending call with a potential funder highlights the mix of

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16:59

IAM2600 - Podcaster Helps Entrepreneurs Understand...

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/25

In this episode, Nick McGowan talks about Thought Leadership - it's your personal lens on what matters to you. He likens it to painting, music, or a podcast—any medium that lets your inner voice shine. Nick also shares why podcasting works for him. Verbal communication is his super‑power; podcasting let him heal, mentor, and broadcast ideas publicly that he’d otherwise share behind closed doors. Website: themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com Youtube: themindsetandselfmasteryshow LinkedIn:

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16:59

IAM2599 - Author and Coach Helps Leaders and Teams...

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/24

Lee Eisenstadt is the founder of the Leading with Courage Academy in Chicago. After a new managing partner swept away the C‑suite at the fifth‑largest accounting firm, Lee pivoted from seeking another full‑time role to taking on one‑off projects that leveraged his expertise in client‑loyalty assessments and cost‑streamlining.A series of interim consulting gigs—culminating in a three‑year interim COO position—revealed to him that he could never be “fired” again and set the stage for launching his

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16:55

IAM2598 - Entrepreneur Inspires Leaders to Move...

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/23

Alicia Houston is a former biotech founder who spent over a decade scaling her company before selling it for a seven‑figure sum. Alicia works primarily with small‑ to medium‑sized businesses, viewing them as mirrors of her own early entrepreneurial experience. Leveraging her background in neuroscience, she helps leaders understand the brain’s wiring, hormonal influences, and neural pathways that can create mental blocks, enabling them to “hack” their own thinking and develop new habits. Her

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5:27

IAM2597 - Keep Jogging: Embrace Your Journey

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/22

In this special episode, Gresh reflects on the past year, noting that his original focus on the franchise‑broker business has been pushed to the side as unexpected demands arose in his digital‑marketing venture. Despite the shift, he remains optimistic, pointing to early signs of opportunity. He uses a marathon metaphor to describe the entrepreneurial journey: there are fast‑paced stretches, moments to pause, hydrate, and refocus, but the race never truly ends. This mindset keeps him motivated,

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6:26

IAM2596 - Finding Leads Like a Pro: Tips Unveiled

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/21

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless Jr. launches a new “Franchise CEO” segment within the IAMCEO podcast to chronicle his BlueStar Franchise startup, offering aspiring entrepreneurs a real‑time look at the challenges and decisions involved in building a business. He now targets people who publicly ask franchising‑related questions on podcasts, social media, and newsletters, aiming for a handful of high‑quality conversations each week instead of a high volume of low‑quality leads. To sustain

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7:07

IAM2595 - Always Another Level: Embrace the Journey

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/20

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless shares insights from top leaders and announces a new “Franchise CEO” series that will chronicle his own launch of Blue Star Franchise, offering a real‑time case study for aspiring entrepreneurs.He uses a grueling Peloton push‑up ladder workout as a metaphor for growth, stressing that waiting for others to catch up keeps you stuck. Instead, he embraces the mindset that there’s always “another level” to reach—whether in business, fitness, or personal

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6:48

IAM2594 - Is the Agency Model a Relic of the Past?

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/19

In this special episode, Gresham Harkless reflects on the evolving nature of the traditional agency model, questioning whether it's truly obsolete or simply transforming. He shares that his move into franchise brokerage was driven by a desire to break away from the often rigid and inefficient agency structure and to build something that leveraged his marketing expertise into ownership and long-term value. He emphasizes that while AI has certainly disrupted the industry by offering fast,

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16:56

IAM2593 - CEO Helps Business Professionals with an...

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/18

In this episode, we sit down with Gary Engles, the visionary behind MyGig – a full‑stack affiliate platform that equips business professionals to earn recurring income while delivering every essential service a modern company needs, from tax‑credit optimization and IT security to PEO‑backed HR, CRM automation, financing, credit‑building, and even fractional CMO marketing.Gary’s journey is anything but ordinary. He launched a martial‑arts‑based leadership academy at 22, sold it, turned COO of a

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16:54

IAM2592 - Vice President of a Leading Supplier Helps...

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/17

Linda Taliaferro is the Vice President of Global Quality at Meritor, Inc., a leading global supplier of drivetrain, mobility, braking, and aftermarket solutions for commercial vehicles and industrial markets. With over 30 years of experience in corporate leadership, Linda is also the founder of The Extra Effort (TEE) — a career advisory firm dedicated to helping professionals get unstuck, build executive presence, and change the trajectory of their careers. Linda explains how she transformed

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16:59

IAM2591 - Executive and Team Coach Focuses on the...

CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast... ·

2025/09/16

Alan Cohen is a Professional Certified Executive and Team Coach, speaker, and author with over 30 years of experience at the intersection of communication, leadership, and human connection.Spending decades as both a marketing expert and Human Resource consultant, he presided over the successful launch of the Harry Potter series as Scholastic's Director of Marketing, as well as serving as the Director of Communications for the Broadway League, representing the Tony Awards. He has coached and

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