Driven: Unscripted Success

In this flavorful episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, Mike Mannino sits down with renowned chef and restaurateur Bruno Fonseca, the visionary behind Foreigner Restaurant and Bruno’s Oysters in Central Florida. Bruno shares the inspiring journey from growing up in Rio de Janeiro to becoming a leader in the fine dining world, known for an immersive, no-menu dining experience where chefs serve you directly at the counter.
Discover how Bruno built his dream from pop-ups and plant shops, weathered the storm of COVID-19, and created something truly rare — a place where the love of food, people, and team come together nightly. He opens up about what really sets his restaurant apart, the importance of intentional service, and how building a strong team is at the heart of everything he does.
Whether you're in hospitality, business, or simply love a good underdog story, this episode will leave you inspired.
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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.

In this episode, Mike Mannino Sr. chats with JP Varvarigos, a third-generation florist and the owner of Wellington Florist in South Florida. JP shares his deep-rooted family history in the floral industry, starting from post-WWII New York to his own expansion in Palm Beach County today.
He opens up about his transition from the restaurant world to running a high-growth flower shop, the evolution of consumer flower buying habits, and how local florists can still thrive despite the rise of big box stores and drop shippers.
From learning business skills in culinary school to managing creative floral designs and employee dynamics, JP discusses how he's grown the shop over 1,000%—and the unique challenges that come with scaling a team. He also explains the power of networking, ongoing learning, and the vision behind his new boutique satellite shop model.
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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.

In this powerful episode, Mike Mannino speaks with Tony DeMaio—former football coach and advocate with Helping Heroes USA—about one of today’s most pressing and painful topics: suicide prevention among veterans, first responders, and beyond.
Tony opens up about the emotional weight of isolation, PTSD, depression, and the struggles that so many quietly face. He shares his journey from sports coaching to suicide prevention, and how Helping Heroes USA uses outreach, activities, and connection to help people find hope again.
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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.

In this deeply moving episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, host Mike Mannino sits down with former pro football player and current investment advisor, Kristoffer Doura. But this isn't just another comeback story — it’s a literal return from the other side. After collapsing during NFL training camp and being pronounced clinically dead, Kristoffer experienced what few ever have: a direct encounter with God.
From a near-death experience to a mission-driven life, Kristoffer opens up about his awakening — the moment that redirected his life from the pursuit of sports fame to becoming a voice of purpose, mentorship, and impact.
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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.

In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with powerhouse entrepreneur Kate Iseman, the founder of Cicada Technologies. Broadcasting from Columbia, South Carolina, Kate shares her fearless leap from a successful sales career into launching her own tech firm—and how that leap, backed by grit and a single big client, changed everything.
Kate unpacks the daily disciplines that keep her sharp, from blocking out prospecting time to planning her week every Friday. She dives into what sets Cicada Tech apart in a hyper-competitive IT landscape: relentless follow-through, deep customer care, and doing the little things no one else wants to do.
 
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From carpet-kicking as a kid to building cities inside convention halls, Rich Curran’s story is one of hustle, humility, and heart. In this inspiring conversation with host Mike Mannino, Rich shares his journey from humble beginnings and military service in the Marine Corps to becoming the leader of Expo Inc.—a company that designs and builds stunning trade show environments around the globe.
You’ll hear how Rich took over his father’s business, navigated the devastating challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and emerged with an expanded vision that now includes international operations, commercial redesign, and custom exhibit solutions.
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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.

What happens when you blend fierce authenticity, legal brilliance, and a passion for entrepreneurship? You get Michelle Notte, Esq.—and one unforgettable episode.
In this energizing and candid conversation, Michelle joins hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan to talk about building a business law firm that actually gets entrepreneurs. From navigating Jerry Springer-style lawsuits to learning how to say no to the wrong clients, Michelle keeps it real with her personal journey, hilarious courtroom stories, and hard-earned lessons from growing The Entrepreneur Lawyers from the ground up.
She shares how authenticity drives her team culture, why empathy belongs in legal services, and what it really takes to build lasting partnerships and passive income streams.
 
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In this episode, we’re joined by Naga Varun Kanaparthy, founder of Impatient Software, a defense tech innovator developing tools that help law enforcement, military personnel, and emergency responders operate more safely and effectively. With a background in robotics and software engineering, Naga walks us through how his work is enhancing mission-critical communications, real-time tracking, and tactical awareness using satellite-connected tech.
He shares the real-world challenges of building hardware solutions for the government, how deepfakes and digital evidence are changing law enforcement accountability, and why collaboration and resilience are critical for any founder — especially in the defense space.
We also dive into what makes a great hackathon, how to validate your product in the early stages, and why understanding policy and procurement is key to success in dual-use innovation.
 
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In this deeply authentic episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Kevin Petersen, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), author, and founder of Petersen Family Counseling. Kevin opens up about his personal journey through addiction, deception, second chances—and ultimately, purpose.
From faking a college graduation to transforming lives through counseling, Kevin shares how his faith, recovery, and drive to help others led him to create a thriving private practice and join a leading treatment center, Jaywalker Lodge. His raw honesty and insight into addiction and family systems is both powerful and practical.
--------------------------------------------------------- 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.

In this episode of the Driven: Unscripted Success Podcast, Mike Mannino sits down with April O’Leary, founder of O’Leary Publishing, to dive into the unique story of how April went from being a stay-at-home mom to building a thriving boutique publishing company. April shares her deeply personal transformation journey, from overcoming emotional roadblocks to launching a business that empowers new authors to share their stories with the world.
You'll hear how April's background in life coaching and emotional intelligence became the foundation for her signature book-mapping method, and how she guides first-time authors through every step of publishing — from concept to launch. She also reveals how her annual Booked Naples event helps writers break into public speaking and build their brand around their books.
We also get personal: April opens up about the challenges of people-pleasing, her mindset shift after hitting rock bottom, and how she now balances ambition with rest — what she playfully calls “chipping and putting.”
If you’ve ever thought about writing a book, building passive income from your story, or just need a dose of real-life inspiration, this episode is for you.
 
--------------------------------------------------------- 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.