Archives: Podcasts

We’re delighted to welcome Jane Burnell-Fraser, a seasoned leader in the global hospitality industry and the founder of Enhance Lux, as our guest today. With a career spanning multiple countries and senior roles across luxury brands, Jane brings practical insight, bold thinking, and a fresh perspective on the future of meetings, incentives, and luxury experiences. Jane’s Journey Jane began her career as a banqueting events coordinator in London, where she developed a deep connection with people and learned the mechanics of running a hotel. She progressed to regional commercial sales and joined Four Seasons early in her career, spending 18 years in senior roles worldwide and contributing to hotel and regional openings. She later moved to Hilton, where she helped create a global luxury sales organization.  After years in corporate leadership, driven by a desire to pursue new ideas and create something of her own,..

Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation with Glenn Cohen, former head of psychology for the Mossad. In Part 1, we explored how resilience is built and how to prepare yourself before the pressure hits. Today, we take it further. Building resilience is one thing. But most leaders struggle to make clear, effective decisions when everything is on the line, and they’re facing uncertainty, risk, and real consequences. In this episode, Glen explains how elite performers think and act under pressure, how they navigate uncertainty when there are no clear answers, and what you, as a business owner or leader, need to do differently when the stakes are high. Post-Traumatic Growth Trauma does not have to lead to PTSD. Around 70% of people will encounter a traumatic event, but only about 10–15% develop PTSD. Trauma can shake core beliefs or involve extreme threat, but it can also be an opportunity for growth. Knowing this creates..

Real resilience is forged when the stakes are high- under pressure, in uncertainty, and when there’s no margin for error. Today, we’re excited to have Glenn Cohen, former head of psychology for the Mossad, joining us for the first part of a two-part series. With years spent in some of the most extreme environments imaginable, Glenn brings a rare understanding of how people think, react, and perform when it matters most. In this episode, he breaks down his elite program for executives, clarifying what it truly takes to build mental strength and how those lessons translate to business owners and leaders. He also shares powerful, previously unspoken insights into what happens to the human mind under extreme pressure, and what enables some people to recover and come back stronger. Glenn’s Journey Glenn was born in New York City to a Swedish mother and an American father who died when he was six. After his father’s..

We are delighted to welcome Ashleigh Cook, the Chief Marketing Officer of RainFocus, as today’s guest. In this episode, Ashleigh focuses on strategy, data, AI, and the aspects of events that must change. Stay tuned to learn how, with the right strategy and data foundation, events can truly become impactful drivers of business growth. Ashleigh’s Journey Ashleigh began her career in the research and advisory space at companies such as Gartner and Forrester, where she managed marketing programs and consistently tracked events that drove the strongest growth. She joined RainFocus in 2020, during the pandemic, inspired by its focus on data and personalization. There, she saw firsthand how virtual events expanded reach and accessibility, and how hybrid experiences strengthened engagement. Today, she collaborates with leading brands to develop event strategies that enhance business outcomes. Events Ashleigh believes that..

We are delighted to welcome Natalie De Fazio, Founder and CEO of Pinnacle Live, as today’s guest. Natalie is a seasoned entrepreneur with a strong background in leadership and consulting, including roles at consulting firms such as KPMG. Over the years, she has collaborated with many leading names in AV production within the meetings and events industry and is now focused on building and growing her new brand. Stay tuned to hear Natalie’s story and the insights she shares today. Natalie’s Journey Natalie began her career in consulting after studying business and economics, working across multiple industries and building expertise in strategy, analysis, and leadership. After working at several firms, including KPMG, she became an independent consultant and soon realized the value of bringing a fresh perspective to organizations. Her work with Freeman introduced her to the events space, where she fell in love with the..

Today, we’re taking a closer look at what it truly means to build a business that works. We’re moving beyond the notion of being busy, booked, and indispensable, and instead focusing on how to create a business that delivers real value. Stay tuned as we explore why so many business owners still operate like highly paid freelancers, and what needs to shift to build something scalable, transferable, and sustainable. Busy and Booked If your business stops when you stop, you own a job, not a business. Being busy and booked does not mean you’re successful. Revenue is not the same as business value, and strong client reliance on you could indicate that the business is fragile, as it depends on your direct involvement. The Biggest Industry Lie The industry glorifies and rewards hustle, hero mode, last-minute problem-solving, and being indispensable, even though it often leads to stress and burnout. The more indispensable..

AI is no longer just a tool. It is changing how we work, how we deliver value, and how we run our businesses.  In this episode, Eric discusses a major shift happening in our industry. He breaks down what is really happening and how you, as a business owner, can remain relevant and competitive. Major Change We are in a period of significant change. This shift is not only about technology. It’s about the value we bring and who will capture that value moving forward. It brings both opportunities and challenges. Beyond Assistance In the past, AI mainly assisted with small tasks. Now, it is executing. It can complete entire processes, not just support them. This simplifies many activities and dramatically increases their execution speed. Acceleration AI is now helping to build better AI. That creates a cycle of continuous improvement, which is why everything is accelerating so quickly right now. Replicable..

Building a successful business can be an exciting, energizing, and deeply rewarding experience. But it often comes with unexpected lessons. In this episode, Eric shares three pivotal moments that profoundly shaped his entrepreneurial journey. If you’re an entrepreneur building, growing, or scaling a business, these insights will help you understand why you must stop trying to do everything yourself and, instead, start leading and building structured systems that will allow your business to grow. A Trap In the early years of building a business, success can feel exciting and validating. However, when the business owner tries to do too much personally without delegating or implementing systems, success can quickly become exhausting. Constant pressure, no real time off, and daily operational issues can turn growth into a trap rather than an advantage. The Bottleneck Without structure and delegation, the business owner..

Today, Eric addresses the uncertainty we’re experiencing in the world. Uncertainty has become the new normal, and our industry has shifted fundamentally with buyers being more cautious, procurement tighter than ever, and AI reshaping how we work. However, that uncertainty also provides opportunities. Our Industry Has Changed Permanently You must be cautious about every buying decision. Procurement teams are asking tougher questions. AI is transforming how work gets done. At the same time, as technology increases, so does the desire for real human connection. With many owners retiring and no clear successors in place, consolidation is creating space for those who are prepared. There is disruption, but there are also real opportunities. A Fragile  Business If everything in your business relies on you, the business is vulnerable. Tough markets reveal when revenue is inconsistent, messaging is unclear, or too much..

Today, we are excited to welcome entrepreneur Megan Gross, founder of The Bonsoir, a boutique events firm that curates high-touch small events to bring startups and investors together. Megan is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area and is expanding into South Florida. In this episode, she shares her journey, highlighting small, personalized events as the future of business relationships. Megan’s Journey After college, Megan moved to Las Vegas to work for nightclubs, restaurants, and a major pool party. Drawn by a lifelong dream to live in Paris, she worked at the exclusive club Matignon near the Champs-Élysées as a VIP host. Although it failed to unfold as planned, it redirected her to the Bay Area, where she immersed herself in the startup ecosystem. After working on a platform of extraordinary experiences and then at Mastercard, she launched The Bonsoir as a niche, designing intimate gatherings for founders and..