Virtual Campfire

Not everyone is raised the same way. The environment in which someone grew up greatly influences who they are. So what happens when people grow up not feeling great about themselves? Nada Lena Nasserdeen, the founder and CEO of Rise Up For You, saw this as the number one tragedy today: wasted human potential. In this episode, she joins Tony Martignetti to talk about the pivotal moments in her life that took her to this realization and how she made it a mission to educate small, medium, and large…

You can't run from your past, but you can either let it define you or fuel you to take charge of what's ahead. Wendy Cirello has had her shares of curveballs that would have made anyone break down. Taking control, she is moving forward from a place of intention and creating what it is she wants. In this episode, she sits down with Tony Martignetti to share with us the flashpoints in her life that made her who she is today. Now, Wendy is a curator of magical experiences for Rich Litvin at The Lit…

The assistance of a business coach is essential in every entrepreneur's strategic planning. But this collaboration must always target the thinking and mindset, too, in order to succeed and yield proper results. Tony Martignetti talks to transformational coach Townsend Wardlaw to share his work with founders and startup businesses in unlocking their full potential and forging their own meaning of success. Townsend talks about his shift from focusing on tangible sales consulting to a more meaningf…

Most of the time, the work of a Chief Financial Officer goes beyond the money and numbers. Especially in a start-up business, CFO leadership means becoming a jack-of-all-trades, dipping into various business areas whenever and wherever needed. Tony Martignetti sits down with Jack McCullough to delve into the ups and downs of the people who take on this particular position, which he has experienced for many years. Jack talks about the importance of excellent communication skills in a CFO's role, …

In today's episode, Rachel Cossar shares her flashpoints of how she went from being a gymnast to a ballerina to becoming a nonverbal communication coach. Rachel is the founder of Choreography For Business, wherein she teaches people how to use their bodies for effective nonverbal communication. As a high-level athlete and professional ballet dancer, Rachel knows the power of the physical human body to project a strong presence and a sense of leadership. Her story demonstrates that you don't have…

No one can find success alone, and certainly not when the goal is just to make money. For Stacey Shipman, she wants her legacy to be found in her developmental work, inspiring leaders to aim for bigger things beyond the typical and usual. Sitting down with Tony Martignetti, the creator of Engage The Room and host of the Shed The Formality Podcast talks about her mission to create relationships with business owners and entrepreneurs, helping them find their own path in making it big in their chos…

Cystic fibrosis is a rare, inherited lung disease that has been affecting children and devastating many families for so long. Without treatment, it can be fatal. Spreading awareness about this disease and the healing discovery within, Bijal Trivedi, an award-winning freelance journalist, joins Tony Martignetti to share with us the knowledge and wisdom from her book, Breath from Salt: A Deadly Genetic Disease, a New Era in Science, and the Patients and Families Who Changed Medicine Forever. Here,…

There is so much more to life that it would be a shame not to go out there and experience it to the fullest of our abilities. When we take steps outside of our self-imposed boundaries, we expand our ability and capacity to experience more. In his personal search for meaning, Erik Seversen has forged a path filled with extreme adventure and success. He joins Tony Martignetti in this episode to share with us these adventures and the lessons he learned along the way. A full-time writer and public s…

"Once you take that first step into the unknown, something extraordinary will meet you. Something that  you never imagined." – Diana Theodores 

One of my recent favorite episodes of The Virtual Campfire is my interview with Diana Theodores, "Performing as You." Diana joined me to talk about her background in dance and the role her father played in her journey of becoming the woman she is today.

She discussed the many strong parallels between theater and business, particularly leadership. She …

You might be skilled to do a ton of different things, but have you asked yourself what's going to make you the happiest? What is the role you’re supposed to play in the world? Cara Shortsleeve had her dream job with Google, but she decided to leave when she felt that there was something more that she should do. Today, she joins Tony Martignetti in a fantastic conversation about personal growth and the importance of setting aside time for it. She also talks about her career flashpoints, highlight…