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Our guest today is a serial entrepreneur and growth-minded leader who’s built an entire ecosystem around helping other business owners think bigger. Chad Jenkins is the Owner and CEO of SEEDSPARK and the creator of SEEDSPARK CoLAB, a collaboration-focused platform that helps entrepreneurs connect, innovate, and scale. Through SEEDSPARK, he and his team use technology, strategy, and what they call “The Digital Continuum” to solve real business problems and spark meaningful growth. From acquiring and growing dozens of companies to coaching others on how to “abandon convention and grow through collaboration,” Chad brings a unique, high-energy perspective on leadership and entrepreneurship.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:09 — 52.4MB)

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Our next guest is a visual brand storyteller who helps businesses look as good as they really are. Mandi Boedicker is the founder of Dry Ink Designs, a Charlotte-based studio specializing in logo design, visual branding, and websites that tell a clear, compelling story. From new launches to rebrands, she guides clients through everything from concept and color to full brand systems and online presence. We’re excited to dig into how she builds brands that stand out and how her design and marketing background shapes the way she serves her clients. 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:49 — 58.9MB)

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Today’s guest has spent two decades in the trenches of outside sales, from pharmaceuticals and medical devices to capital equipment and beyond. Mike O’Kelly is the founder and host of the Surviving Outside Sales Academy – and podcast, where he helps sales professionals navigate a chaotic, ever-changing landscape with better habits, systems, and mindset. Through his show, coaching, and content, he shares real stories from his own career — the big wins, the missed deals, and the lessons that came from both. We’re excited to unpack what he’s learned about building a long-term sales career, creating processes that scale, and standing out in an ultra-competitive field. 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:57 — 37.5MB)

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She’s built a career around helping people find peace, balance, and real tools for navigating life’s challenges. Tammy Morath is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and the founder of Soho Therapy Group — a practice built on compassion, collaboration, and community. From individuals to families and couples, Tammy and her team focus on practical, strengths-based therapy that helps clients thrive. We’re excited to dive into the story behind Soho Therapy Group and how Tammy’s leadership approach has shaped both her business and her clients’ success.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:56 — 49.4MB)

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Some stories are so improbable that if they weren’t true, you’d never believe them. Dean Otto’s story is one of them. A lifelong athlete, sales leader, and dad, Dean was out for a Saturday morning bike ride in Charlotte when he was hit from behind by a Ford F-150, paralyzed from the waist down, and given just a 2% chance of ever walking again. Less than a year later, he crossed the finish line of a half marathon—running side by side with his neurosurgeon, Dr. Matthew McGirt, who had performed the complex spine surgery that saved his mobility. 

But the comeback is only part of the story. Dean chose to forgive the guy who hit him, invited him into his life, and turned a horrific accident into a lesson in grace, courage, and belief. We can’t wait to hear more about this one… Dean, welcome to The BrandBuilders Podcast! 

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If you’ve ever tried to shop for home or auto insurance alone, you know it can feel confusing, rushed, and a little bit like guesswork. The McElveen Agency and Goosehead Insurance flips that script. Led by agent and agency president Jay McElveen, the Charlotte-based firm uses cutting-edge technology and relationships with more than two dozen top-rated carriers to shop the market and build custom policies in just minutes. 

Jay started his agency in 2017 with a focus on serving families and partnering closely with real estate and mortgage professionals, so that when someone is buying a home, refinancing, or just reassessing their coverage, they have a trusted advisor in their corner. Jay, welcome to the BrandBuilders Podcast! 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:51 — 42.0MB)

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Tiffany VanDeMark believes your brand is felt before it is understood — and she has spent her career helping people and organizations make that feeling count. From launching global experiential marketing and wellness initiatives at Chobani, to leading brand and revenue growth for health and fitness companies, she has built a reputation as a dynamic leader who blends strategy, storytelling, and heart. After founding her own consultancy, VanDeMark Partners, Tiffany expanded her work as a speaker, coach, and board member, guiding executives, founders, and especially women through seasons of reinvention in their lives and careers — reminding people that reinvention is not a failure, but a superpower. 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:21 — 37.9MB)

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If you’ve ever bought or sold a home around the Charlotte area, you’ve probably seen the work of our next guest — even if you didn’t realize it. Those crisp, professional real estate signs that pop up on lawns and properties all over town often come from Carolina Realty Signs.

Behind those signs is Wes Martin, owner and president of the company, who’s been growing this family business since he took it over more than two decades ago. Wes and his team handle everything from design and printing to installation and removal — serving real estate professionals, builders, and developers across the Carolinas. It’s a business built on reliability, relationships, and being a trusted partner in one of the fastest-growing housing markets in the country.

Wes—welcome to the BrandBuilders Podcast!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:45 — 53.3MB)

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Food has a unique way of bringing people together, especially in life’s hardest moments. Feast for Good does exactly that for cancer patients in the Charlotte area — organizing meals from local restaurants and food partners for folks braving treatment. By tapping into Charlotte’s culinary community, Feast for Good not only feeds people physically, but also provides comfort, dignity, and a reminder that they are not facing cancer alone. 

Our guest today, Kristi Martin, is the Founder and Executive Director of Feast for Good and the creator of the earlier FEAST Food Tours & Culinary Events brand. A cancer survivor herself, Kristi transformed her own experience with acute myeloid leukemia and a stem cell transplant into a nonprofit that cares for patients in need. 

Kristi, welcome to The BrandBuilders Podcast.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:40 — 62.8MB)

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A former first company dancer with Charlotte Ballet, Sarah spent 15 seasons on stage before pivoting into teaching Argentine tango and helping run one of the city’s most versatile, artist-friendly event spaces. From weddings and live performances to weekly tango sessions and brunches, The Long Room and Tango CLT are creating a warm, intimate home for dancers, musicians, and creatives of all kinds. Sarah, welcome to the program!