Driven: Unscripted Success

In this episode, Mike Mannino sits down with Claudine Beron, CEO and Founder of Initiate Government Solutions, to discuss the power of relationships in business, and how they’ve helped her lead a company for over 18 years. From starting as a consultant in biotech to implementing massive government tech projects, Claudine’s journey is filled with practical wisdom and perseverance.
She opens up about transitioning from employee to entrepreneur, the importance of strategic financial planning, and why networks—not resumes—are the real key to success. Claudine shares valuable insights on leadership, scaling a business, building the right team, and how being curious has kept her ahead in a changing landscape.
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Paula Melo, an attorney who brings grit, humility, and vision to her legal career. Paula opens up about leaving behind an established law firm in Brazil to pursue a new chapter in the U.S., starting over by attending law school all over again.
Now practicing construction litigation in Florida, Paula shares what it takes to succeed in a field filled with complex projects and high-pressure negotiations. She talks about building trust with clients, leading with collaboration, and why commitment is the #1 trait she looks for in a team.
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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, Nareman Hamdan sits down with Armando Ferreira — former professional tennis player turned CEO of MySportJobs.org — to uncover the incredible journey of an athlete who turned his gift for connecting people into a groundbreaking business.
Armando shares how his humble beginnings in rural Brazil laid the foundation for a lifetime of leadership and entrepreneurship. From creating a platform that mentors and certifies professionals in racquet sports to partnering with top-tier pickleball athletes and the PPA Tour, Armando has grown MySportJobs into a game-changing network for sports professionals worldwide.
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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, host Michael Mannino sits down with Jim Rhubart, a third-generation roofer whose life journey is anything but typical. From working summers on rooftops as a kid to exiting his company for eight figures, Jim shares the mindset shifts, hard choices, and key systems that fueled his explosive business growth.
You’ll hear how Jim left the comfort of his family’s traditional business to work for a larger competitor—only to return with a new vision. By implementing software, building culture, empowering employees, and shifting from scarcity to impact, Jim turned a mom-and-pop operation into a scalable, sellable business.
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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 Podcast, Mike Mannino welcomes Dean Bartles, CEO of the Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group (MTDG), a not-for-profit leading efforts in advanced manufacturing and defense innovation.
Dean shares his powerful journey—from making A-10 Warthogs at Fairchild Republic to leading a nonprofit group driving high-tech manufacturing advancements. He dives into what it means to lead with purpose, the reality of “half the pay, twice the effort,” and the real rewards of building organizations that exist to serve others.
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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 of Driven: Unscripted Success, Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with August Biniaz, co-founder of CPI Capital, to explore the journey from humble beginnings to real estate thought leadership. August shares how his early exposure to real estate through family history and his own grit fueled a career that spans custom home building, large-scale development, and multifamily investments across the U.S.
August opens up about the realities of Canadian vs. U.S. markets, how rent control and investor psychology differ by country, and what drove him to dive deep into private equity and syndications. He emphasizes the importance of self-education, partnerships, and staying agile in a competitive, institutional world. The conversation also touches on current global issues and how politics can directly impact the construction and rental market.
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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 discipline meets grit and direction? In this episode, Anthony Phillips, Director of Attorney Recruiting at one of the fastest-growing litigation firms in the country, joins Mike Mannino for a raw and honest conversation about the road to professional success—and how it rarely follows a straight line.
From his early days in healthcare to building a career in legal recruiting, Anthony shares how stepping into discomfort, betting on yourself, and staying committed to growth can lead to major breakthroughs. He dives into how martial arts shaped his mindset, what it really means to “focus on focusing,” and why talent alone doesn’t win the fight—grit does.
Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up, Anthony’s story will remind you that it's never too late to build something powerful.
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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 really take to build a global business? Sarah Martin shares the raw, real, and refreshing truth about entrepreneurship — there are no shortcuts. From building a boutique destination events empire to navigating cash flow challenges, Sarah opens up about what it means to grow something meaningful, step by step.
Key Takeaways:
Why in-person events still matter—and how they create powerful bonds
How Epic Events crafts one-of-a-kind luxury experiences with creativity and care
Sarah’s top advice for entrepreneurs: be patient, expect the grind, and skip the victim mindset
The biggest lessons learned from building a business through COVID, cash flow swings, and industry shifts
Real talk about passive income (and why it’s never truly passive)
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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.

If you've ever had an idea and wondered how to take it from concept to action, Dillon's journey will inspire you. He walks us through the scrappy early days, grant wins, and the real R&D challenges of building something the world hasn’t seen before—recycled pickleballs.
From chasing down cryogenic milling companies to managing international logistics and navigating the manufacturing realities of the U.S. vs. China, Dillon lays it all out.
What you'll learn:
How Dillon turned a college project into a startup with national potential
The environmental impact of pickleballs—and what can be done
How Bounce Back Pickleball is pioneering remanufacturing in this space
The role of consistency, action-taking, and failure in entrepreneurship
What happens when you mix youthful hustle with global vision
-------------------------------------------------------- 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.

Joseph Copley’s journey isn’t your typical real estate success story. After spending much of his career in insurance—covering everything from claims to litigation—Joseph pivoted to real estate investment later in life. From early experiences in mortgages to his deep roots in construction through his father, Joseph opens up about what it took to transition careers, the power of experimentation, and how important it is to learn by doing.
In this candid conversation with Mike Mannino, Joseph talks about lessons from past business missteps, including launching an agency during the pandemic, and how he’s bounced back through perseverance and smart relationships. The duo also dive deep into why the Southeast is exploding with opportunity, how legacy industries like textiles are evolving into advanced manufacturing hubs, and what ROI really means when you invest wisely.
 
-------------------------------------------------------- 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.