Driven: Unscripted Success

In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, co-hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Rick Severance, a dynamic leader in the real estate development world. As the President of Wellen Park—one of the nation’s top-selling master-planned communities in Venice, Florida—Rick shares a behind-the-scenes look into what it takes to build thriving, diverse communities that go far beyond just homes.
Rick opens up about the philosophy behind “placemaking” and how Wellen Park delivers a full lifestyle suite—from homes and hospitals to trails and Tai Chi. He also dives deep into his leadership journey, the importance of team diversity, and creating a culture where it’s okay to make mistakes and speak up—even if your voice shakes.
In this authentic conversation, Rick also shares the lessons he’s learned as a father, his personal routine for balancing a demanding job with family life, and his thoughtful approach to financial planning and passive income. Whether you’re a business leader, developer, parent, or just someone chasing purpose, this episode will inspire you to dream bigger while staying grounded.
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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.

How do you create a high school education that’s customized, future-focused, and designed to set students up for long-term success? In this episode, we sit down with Chris Marker, founder of The Freedom Institute and Freedom AI High, to explore how he's redefining the high school experience through a hybrid homeschool model.
From leaving behind a nearly completed public school retirement to launching a bold educational vision, Chris shares what it means to personalize learning, integrate AI in the classroom, and prepare students for both college and skilled careers — without the factory-model mindset.
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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 Richard Blank, CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center. From Philadelphia roots to building a thriving business in Central America, Richard’s story is about resilience, authenticity, and the courage to take the “tortoise approach” in life and business.
Richard shares why self-analysis is the key to self-awareness and how leaders can use reflection, empathy, and authenticity to build stronger teams. He opens up about:
How studying Spanish shaped his career and led him to Costa Rica
Why hiring for attitude beats hiring for skill
How pinball machines and arcade games became a secret weapon for reducing turnover
The importance of asking the right questions in interviews to uncover real character
How self-analysis, empathy, and authenticity drive both personal and professional growth
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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 award-winning interior designer Alex Thies, founder of Adeline Charles Interiors. Alex shares her journey from earning a master’s degree in architecture to building a boutique design firm known for blending architectural precision with timeless interior design.
She opens up about the challenges of moving from designer to business owner, why humility is the secret to success, and how her team turns houses into homes. From working on luxury residences across the U.S. to launching her upcoming retail brand, the Adeline & Charles Collection, Alex shows what it means to stay creative, adaptable, and client-focused in a competitive industry.
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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.

How do you go from practicing law to shaping the future of golf? In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Stephen Eisenberg, an attorney turned PGA professional, consultant, and entrepreneur.
Stephen shares his remarkable career pivot from the courtroom to the golf course, and how his passion for the game led him to build a thriving business in golf consulting and instruction. He talks about his work with golf facilities across the globe, the integration of AI technology into swing analysis, and how he built programs that train the next generation of PGA professionals.
Listeners will hear about the challenges Stephen faced when leaving a high-paying legal career for an entry-level position in golf, the risks he took to build credibility, and the strategies he used to create financial stability and business success. He also dives into his consulting projects, mentoring efforts, and the role golf can play in both business and personal growth.
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.