Driven: Unscripted Success
Welcome to the Driven: Unscripted Success Podcast, the go-to show for high-performing business owners, executives, and professionals who aspire to elevate their personal, professional, and financial lives. Hosted by Michael Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan, each episode dives deep into the inspiring stories and invaluable insights of top industry leaders who have navigated the complex landscape of success with drive and determination. Michael and Nareman, business owners who are passionate about uncovering the keys to mastery and legacy building, bring you candid conversations that explore the highs and lows of remarkable careers. From leadership strategies and innovative business tactics to personal growth and financial acumen, our guests share their unscripted journeys to success, offering listeners practical advice and motivation to reach new heights. Join us on Driven: Unscripted Success Podcast, where we celebrate the relentless pursuit of excellence and empower you to achieve greatness in every facet of your life. Subscribe now and get ready to be inspired, challenged, and driven to succeed!
Episodes

36 minutes ago
Executive to Entrepreneur
36 minutes ago
36 minutes ago
What does it take to go from a successful corporate executive to building your own company? In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, host Michael Mannino Sr. sits down with Craig Park, world traveler, biochemist, and founder of Country Pet Naturals, to find out.
Craig shares his journey from New Zealand to Asia, South America, and finally Naples, Florida — with stories of leading companies, building businesses, and discovering his true passion: creating high-quality, natural pet food sourced directly from New Zealand.
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

2 days ago
Community and The Advantages
2 days ago
2 days ago
What does it take to build a business that thrives through challenges while staying rooted in the community? In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with restaurateur Jay Johnson, owner of Bubba’s Roadhouse in Cape Coral, Florida.
Jay shares how he grew his restaurant and catering business, what it’s like to pull off once-in-a-lifetime events on remote islands, and how being part of the community has been key to his long-term success. From feeding thousands after hurricanes to serving on the Chamber of Commerce, Jay explains why giving back is not just good business — it’s the right thing to do.
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

2 days ago
2 days ago
Miguel’s story starts with his move from Colombia to the U.S. and a first job that led him into real estate. He explains how being “consumer-centric” and “doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way” fueled his growth from loan officer to leading mortgage divisions and founding a brokerage with international ops in Mexico and Costa Rica.He breaks down his leadership framework—Awareness → Strategy → Action—and why he hires for coachability. We talk retention, building a “work family,” and the meaning behind his MVM brand (“Most Valuable Member”).Miguel shares practical habits like 45-minute morning meditation, constant learning, and embracing discomfort. He offers advice for agents and lenders facing high rates and low affordability: be an advisor, think long-term, and serve first.We also dig into AI: role-playing for agents, prepping tough client meetings, and why AI “assistants” can cut hours into minutes. On wealth, Miguel sticks to what he knows—real estate rentals and commercial assets—for cash flow and long-term equity.
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

5 days ago
Sellable, Not Complicated
5 days ago
5 days ago
What does it take to turn a mission-driven idea into a market-ready product—without overwhelming your audience or your business? In this episode, we sit down with Kate Roski, an environmental entrepreneur and green tech advisor, who breaks down how simplifying strategy and messaging is the secret to startup success.
Kate shares her eclectic journey from Wall Street to Kraft Foods to launching her own tech company, and ultimately diving deep into environmental impact ventures. Whether she’s busting myths with humor, guiding early-stage founders, or helping scientists explain their work like they’re talking to a 10-year-old, Kate brings wisdom, wit, and clarity to everything she touches.
If you’ve ever struggled to articulate your idea or overcomplicate your product, this episode is a must-listen.
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

6 days ago
6 days ago
In this episode of the Driven: Unscripted Success Podcast with Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan, Dr. Steven Hochwald—Chief of Surgical Oncology and Director within the Mount Sinai cancer program—pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to move cancer care ahead. He shares why he chose to focus on complex GI cancers (stomach, esophagus, pancreas, liver), the power of pairing surgery with research, and how picking the right patient with the right tumor biology can be life-changing.
We dive into leadership lessons from the OR and the lab: building trust with high-performing physicians, communicating relentlessly, and creating a culture that chases “what’s next” instead of settling for status quo. Dr. Hochwald also opens up about staying physically and mentally strong for marathon-length surgeries, learning new tech and therapies through experts, and what it means to design patient-centered care—like Mount Sinai’s upcoming integrated cancer center that brings imaging, radiation, medical oncology, clinical trials, and supportive services together under one roof.
You’ll also hear a grounded take on career risk, program building, option-trading for personal passive income, and two leadership reads that shaped his approach: Who Moved My Cheese? and True North.
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

7 days ago
7 days ago
In this high-energy conversation, Dr. Paulie Gavoni—Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author, international speaker, and founder of Heart and Science International—breaks down how behavior drives every result we care about. He traces his path from social work to ABA, from Golden Gloves champion to striking coach, and from turning around failing schools to transforming organizational cultures.
Paulie shares how adversity and one tough love moment at home pushed him back to school for leadership degrees and a doctoral-level ABA certification. He explains why “positional authority ain’t leadership,” and walks us through the four hats of leadership:lead (inspire with the why), train (build skills), coach (generalize skills in the real world), and manage (sustain with systems and reinforcement).
You’ll hear practical takes on feedback (separate praise from correction; replace the “great… but” with “great… and to make it even better”), building consistent habits aligned to values, and taking calculated risks—from stepping into a boxing ring to writing a radically vulnerable book. Paulie also previews The Compass Room, a values-based alternative-to-suspension software designed to keep students learning while improving school culture.
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

Wednesday Oct 08, 2025
Honor and Hustle: From Army Service to Financial Leadership
Wednesday Oct 08, 2025
Wednesday Oct 08, 2025
From jumping out of airplanes to leading financial strategies, Jason Watkins has lived a life built on discipline, adaptability, and vision. In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, Jason shares his journey from serving in the U.S. Army — including a career that began with payroll duties and ended with assignments at the White House — to building his own financial services company.
Jason opens up about the lessons he learned in leadership, why listening is the most underrated skill for success, and how he’s helping businesses save money and grow through smart consulting, bookkeeping, and automation. He also breaks down how he built multiple streams of passive income, why staying curious is key, and what motivates him to keep pushing forward.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a veteran transitioning into business, or just someone chasing big goals, Jason’s story is full of wisdom, practical tips, and inspiration.
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

Tuesday Oct 07, 2025
Dream Big: Lisa Fischer-Herdt’s Rise in the World of Dental Sleep Solutions
Tuesday Oct 07, 2025
Tuesday Oct 07, 2025
Lisa joins Mike and Nareman from Ocala, Florida to talk about her new role as President of Dental Sleep Solutions and the mission behind it: helping dentists implement proven systems—software, medical billing, and education—to treat obstructive sleep apnea with custom oral appliances. She explains how these devices work, why more payers expect patients to try dental solutions before certain surgeries, and what “whole-practice” support looks like for teams.
Beyond the business, Lisa gets personal: moving from Kentucky to Florida to pursue opportunity, rebounding from divorce, and learning to slow down and celebrate wins. She also opens up about leadership—empowering teams with an “bring options, not just problems” mindset, keeping an open door, and jumping in when members need help. We wrap with habits for work-life balance (No-Meeting Wednesdays, stacking meetings on Mondays, blocking gym time), books that shaped her thinking (Good to Great), and what’s next: bringing back in-person events with top KOLs to expand access to care.
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

Monday Oct 06, 2025
Grit, Growth, and the C-Suite: Shel Hart’s Winning Formula
Monday Oct 06, 2025
Monday Oct 06, 2025
This episode dives deep with Shel Hart, a powerhouse entrepreneur, fractional CEO, and the founder of Florida Venture Catalyst. From surviving a tough upbringing in upstate New York to becoming a sought-after growth expert and C-suite whisperer, Shel shares the gritty truth behind his rise — and what it really takes to scale and exit companies with purpose.
Whether you're a founder at an inflection point, a team leader trying to build culture, or someone who just loves stories of grit and reinvention — this one will inspire you to think bigger, dig deeper, and lead smarter.
💡 Key Takeaways:
Why “knowing thyself” is the most underrated leadership skill
How emotional intelligence plays a critical role in business success
The pivotal moments that shaped Shel’s leadership and coaching philosophy
Why AI should empower people, not replace them
Shel’s approach to building winning teams rooted in culture, not just credentials
His #1 advice for aspiring CEOs (Hint: it’s not glamorous, but it’s real)
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

Thursday Oct 02, 2025
From World Series Rings to Power Plays: Trent Clark Unfiltered
Thursday Oct 02, 2025
Thursday Oct 02, 2025
Nareman sits down with Trent to unpack how a championship pedigree in Major League Baseball shaped his playbook for building “leading, winning teams.” He opens up about imposter syndrome, why self-discipline beats talent, and how alignment—not agreement—drives execution. Trent also shares his daily routine, growth coaching at Bloom, investing in “unsexy” small businesses, and why curiosity and hyper-learning keep teams sharp.
Key Takeaways
Beat self-doubt: Use comparison as a carrot—but don’t let it define you.
Discipline wins: Time-blocking, batching, and clear priorities protect your best energy.
Alignment > agreement: Debate ideas, then unite behind the plan and execute.
Train like pros: Teams perform at their lowest level of training—raise the floor.
Mindset & diversity: Hire for curiosity and complementary thinking, not clones.
Scale safely: Growth can break companies—build processes and people first.
Lifelong learning: Books, mentors, experiences, and reps fuel “hyper learning.”
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.