Podcast interview with Telena Paris

In this powerful episode, Mike Mannino Sr. sits down with Telena Paris, an inspiring C-suite leader, business strategist, and international speaker. Telena opens up about her journey as an entrepreneur, author, and mentor, and how she navigated the challenges of leadership, risk-taking, and growing multiple businesses.

You’ll hear how Telena shifted from employee roles to launching her own ventures, creating a nonprofit with her partner, and building youth mentorship programs that reach across the U.S. From writing grants to leading retreats, she shares candid insights into the real work behind visionary ideas and successful execution.

She also dives deep into her leadership style—transformational and assertive—and shares how embracing flexible thinking and teamwork has been crucial to long-term impact. Her wisdom around managing fear, funding, and failure is honest, actionable, and full of clarity for emerging leaders and business owners.