Driven: Unscripted Success

In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, hosts Michael Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Gary Chupik, a Seattle-based mental performance coach and consultant. Gary works with elite athletes, professional teams, and now even leaders in the business world to unlock their hidden potential.
Gary shares powerful insights into the mental side of performance — how belief, confidence, preparation, and mindset can be the difference between good and great. He draws from personal experiences, his mentorship with Trevor Moawad (Russell Wilson’s mental performance coach), and his work with athletes competing at the highest levels.
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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 bet on yourself, embrace risk, and create opportunities that shape entire industries? In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Spencer Elliott, Director of the Orlando Smart Cities Program at Plug and Play, franchisee of Foxtail Coffee, and a lifelong entrepreneur who knows what it means to go big early.
Spencer shares his journey from humble beginnings to building tech startups, raising venture capital, and shaping the future of smart cities, transportation, and energy. He opens up about the lessons he’s learned from risk-taking, why betting on yourself is the best investment, and how aligning your lifestyle with your career creates true sustainability.
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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 with hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan, we sit down with Roger Devine, co-founder of a software company that helps nonprofits plan, manage, and run successful fundraising auctions. From navigating tough business challenges to building a company culture rooted in trust, honesty, and balance, Roger shares the lessons he’s learned across his journey from publishing to tech entrepreneurship.
Roger opens up about the unique niche of school and nonprofit auctions, what it takes to stand out in a competitive industry, and how he and his team managed through the challenges of COVID while keeping their commitment to employees. He also talks about his philosophy of hiring “adults,” why leadership is about honesty and support, and how the concept of enough shapes his approach to both business and life.
If you’ve ever wondered how to balance growth, purpose, and sustainability in business, this conversation offers candid insights, real-world experiences, and practical takeaways you won’t want to miss.
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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 conversation, Ryan Wilcox, Utah legislator and chair of the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee, opens up about his unexpected path into politics and policy, and how personal tragedies in his community fueled his commitment to school safety. Ryan discusses the heartbreaking realities of school shootings, lessons learned from Columbine, Parkland, and Uvalde, and the policies that can help prevent these tragedies.
He shares what he experienced walking through the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School building in Florida with victims’ families, and how those moments have shaped his mission. Ryan also explains the work of the National School Safety Policy Center and the Utah School Security Task Force, and why armed school security, early prevention, and realistic policies are essential for protecting children.
This episode is both eye-opening and deeply personal — a must-listen for parents, educators, policymakers, and anyone concerned about safety in schools.
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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.

Reed shares his journey from a childhood working in his father’s landscaping business, through years in corporate sales, to ultimately taking the leap into entrepreneurship by acquiring and growing a marketing agency. Today, he’s leading Market Surge into the future with AI-powered tools that help small and mid-sized businesses automate repetitive tasks, improve customer follow-up, and unlock new opportunities.
This conversation dives into:
How AI can handle repetitive tasks like follow-ups, outreach, and lead management
The challenges Reed faced when buying his agency and navigating legal hurdles
Why creativity and critical thinking still set humans apart in the AI era
Lessons Reed learned about building strong teams and client relationships
His big vision for doubling his business and expanding into new industries
If you’re curious about AI in marketing and how to future-proof your business, this episode is packed with insights.
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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.

On this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Michael Knight, Fire Chief at the NASA Space Center. Michael shares his inspiring journey from skipping the traditional college path to building a career through relentless education, certifications, and leadership training.
Michael takes us inside the world of firefighting, from responding to life-and-death emergencies to handling extraordinary situations — including a rocket transport vehicle colliding with power lines at NASA. He also opens up about the mental health challenges first responders face and how he and his partners launched Purchase Vitality, a virtual mental health company dedicated to supporting veterans and first responders.
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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 rebuild a career, find your passion, and thrive in a male-dominated industry? In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Kristine Bonham, a PGA Director of Instruction at Heritage Palms, to explore her journey in the world of golf.
Kristine shares how being furloughed during the pandemic became a turning point that led her deeper into teaching and coaching. She opens up about the challenges of being a woman in the golf industry, why mentorship and circle of influence are critical to success, and how she built a life of resilience through both golf and entrepreneurship.
From teaching thousands of lessons each year to creating programs that support veterans and survivors of human trafficking, Kristine reveals how golf is more than just a game — it’s a way to inspire, heal, and build community.
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------- 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, 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.