Elina Greenstein: Why the “Safe” Corporate Path Is No Longer Safe (S4:E13)

Elina Greenstein: Why the “Safe” Corporate Path Is No Longer Safe (S4:E13)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2313227/fan_mail/new] About Elina Greenstein Elina Greenstein is an entrepreneur, technology strategist, cybersecurity advisor, and business owner who spent nearly two decades in corporate technology and B2B sales leadership before leaving the traditional “safe” corporate path to build her own business. Today, as a CMIT franchise owner, Elina helps growing companies strengthen their IT infrastructure, reduce cybersecurity risk, improve operational security, and build more scalable, less owner-dependent businesses. Reference Links:  * Grab a copy of Bobby Mascia’s book Unchained: The Raw Truth About Entrepreneurship, Family Business, and Life Balance:  https://a.co/d/dSwUruD [https://a.co/d/dSwUruD] * Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmascia/] * Green Ridge Wealth [https://grwealthplan.com/]Planning * BobbyMascia.com [http://bobbymascia.com] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bobbymascia/] - Bobby Mascia * Instagram - Business Unchained [https://www.instagram.com/businessunchained/] Elina Greenstein * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elina-greenstein-2921668/] * Website [https://cmitsolutions.com/hackensack-and-bergen-north-nj-1238/] Episode Highlights In this episode of Business Unchained, Bobby Mascia sits down with Elina Greenstein to unpack why the traditional corporate career path no longer guarantees stability, freedom, or long-term financial security. After years of climbing the corporate ladder, earning strong performance reviews, and building a successful career in tech, Elina realized she was trading too much time away from her family for a system where the goalpost reset every year. Her story is a powerful conversation for corporate professionals, executives, and business owners thinking about entrepreneurship, franchise ownership, work-life balance, and building an asset that compounds beyond a paycheck. “I spent almost two decades doing the safe thing, the thing that everybody expected you to do.” – Elina [02:00] Bobby and Elina also dig into the business side of technology strategy, cybersecurity for small businesses, managed IT services, operational risk, AI-driven cyber threats, and how weak technology infrastructure can quietly hurt business valuation. Elina explains why growing companies need repeatable systems, clear IT ownership, cybersecurity processes, and scalable operational structures long before they are ready to sell. From outsourced CIO support to cyber insurance readiness, device management, phishing scams, and exit readiness, this episode shows why technology is no longer just “the guy with the cords” fixing Wi-Fi; it is a critical driver of business growth, risk management, and enterprise value. “Strong technology and operational security builds valuations rather than just being another line item.” – Elina [25:18] This conversation is also about redefining success. Elina shares how becoming a business owner changed the way she thinks about income, family, time, risk, and legacy. Instead of asking how to replace a corporate salary, she reframed the question around how to build a valuable business asset, create more control over her time, and design a life where her work is visible to the people who matter most. “What seems to be stable can actually have hidden risks.” – Elina [50:39] In This Episode * [00:00] – Introduction * [02:00] – Why Elina left the “safe” corporate path after nearly two decades * [06:02] – Growing up with immigrant parents and the pressure to follow the traditional path * [10:49] – How Elina discovered franchise ownership beyond restaurants * [13:16] – The “killer question” to ask when evaluating a franchise opportunity * [14:31] – Why Elina chose technology, cybersecurity, and managed IT services * [16:48] – What growing businesses actually need from an IT and cybersecurity partner * [18:12] – Why IT infrastructure is more than tech support * [22:24] – Why AI will make scams, phishing, and voice fraud more dangerous * [24:41] – How structure creates clarity, consistency, and business value * [27:06] – Why scalable businesses cannot depend on one owner or one person * [28:33] – How Elina’s kids changed her definition of ego and success * [31:52] – The biggest challenges in educating business owners about modern IT risk * [35:04] – Why the highest-value work still has to come from humans * [41:35] – How Elina had to unlearn the W-2 mindset around money and investing * [45:00] – Why building a business asset is different from replacing a corporate salary * [48:30] – Why staying still in corporate can become its own hidden risk * [50:39] – Elina’s top three lessons for business owners and professionals * [52:11] – Why not every client is worth taking * [54:17] – Building family discipline by choosing time with your kids * [56:34] – Final thoughts on corporate life, entrepreneurship, and taking control

Are You Fixing the Wrong Problem? Kevin St. Clergy Breaks Down Blind Blaming (S4:E12)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2313227/fan_mail/new] About Kevin St. Clergy Kevin St. Clergy is the author and founder of Blind Blaming, a business coach, speaker, mastermind leader, and entrepreneur who achieved an eight-figure exit in 2022. After building and selling a successful digital marketing company serving audiology practices, Kevin turned his focus toward helping business owners identify the real root causes behind stalled growth, leadership frustration, team dysfunction, burnout, and recurring business problems. Reference Links:  * Grab a copy of Bobby Mascia’s book Unchained: The Raw Truth About Entrepreneurship, Family Business, and Life Balance:  https://a.co/d/dSwUruD [https://a.co/d/dSwUruD] * Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmascia/] * Green Ridge Wealth [https://grwealthplan.com/]Planning * BobbyMascia.com [http://bobbymascia.com] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bobbymascia/] - Bobby Mascia * Instagram - Business Unchained [https://www.instagram.com/businessunchained/] Kevin St. Clergy * Beyond Blind Blaming Book [https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Blind-Blaming-Solving-Instantly-ebook/dp/B0FPFQVV9D] * Website [https://www.blindblaming.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinstclergy/] Episode Highlights In this episode of Business Unchained, Bobby Mascia sits down with Kevin St. Clergy, author and founder of Blind Blaming, to unpack why so many business owners stay stuck by fixing the wrong problem. Kevin shares the personal story that shaped his framework, from being blamed as a kid for poor performance in baseball to later discovering he simply needed glasses. That experience became the foundation for helping entrepreneurs identify hidden blind spots in leadership, mindset, health, team performance, marketing, sales, and business growth. “The adults in my life never stopped blaming me for something that was out of my control.” – Kevin St. Clergy [04:46] Kevin breaks down how blind blaming shows up when founders assume the issue is marketing, employees, motivation, or organization, without diagnosing the real root cause. Through his RCD Method, Reflect, Connect, and Decide, he explains how entrepreneurs can step outside their own perspective, use coaching and masterminds to see what they cannot see alone, and make stronger decisions that move the business forward. This episode is a must-listen for business owners who want to build a company that does not depend entirely on them while improving leadership, culture, decision-making, and long-term growth. “If you want something different, you have to do something different.” – Kevin St. Clergy [27:46] In This Episode * [00:00] Introduction * [02:11] The question Kevin faced after selling his business: “What’s next?” * [03:30] The childhood baseball story that inspired Blind Blaming * [04:46] How being blamed for the wrong problem created years of self-doubt * [10:52] The three fatal flaws that keep business owners stuck * [12:04] Kevin’s RCD Method: Reflect, Connect, and Decide * [15:18] Why business owners often sacrifice health while scaling their company * [17:35] The power of taking breaks, protecting energy, and sharpening the saw * [20:59] How Kevin structures mastermind groups to encourage vulnerability * [26:40] Why “make a decision” means execution, focus, and follow-through * [27:04] Why business owners need an outside perspective to diagnose blind spots * [29:12] The danger of trying to make decisions on too many goals at once * [32:27] What Kevin would tell himself before selling his company * [38:48] Why great leaders should stop answering every question for their team * [43:04] How Kevin’s definition of success shifted from money to balance to impact * [46:24] Kevin’s take on imposter syndrome, ambition, and never quitting * [48:50] Why people buy outcomes, not services * [52:20] Where to find Kevin St. Clergy and Blind Blaming

How Siamak Namazi Turned 8 Years as a Hostage Into Leadership Lessons (S4:E11)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2313227/fan_mail/new] About Siamak Namazi Siamak Namazi is a seasoned strategist with an MBA from London Business School, whose career spanning the private and nonprofit sectors was dramatically interrupted in 2015 when a four-day trip to visit family in Tehran turned into 2,898 days of captivity in Evin Prison—making him the longest-held American in Iran. Even in captivity, he never stopped problem-solving, turning every interrogation into a negotiation, building networks, and achieving historic firsts such as giving a landmark CNN interview to shine a light on the plight of hostages in Iran. Reference Links:  * Grab a copy of Bobby Mascia’s book Unchained: The Raw Truth About Entrepreneurship, Family Business, and Life Balance:  https://a.co/d/dSwUruD [https://a.co/d/dSwUruD] * Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmascia/] * Green Ridge Wealth [https://grwealthplan.com/]Planning * BobbyMascia.com [http://bobbymascia.com] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bobbymascia/] - Bobby Mascia * Instagram - Business Unchained [https://www.instagram.com/businessunchained/] Siamak Namazi * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/siamaknamazi/] Episode Highlights In this episode of Business Unchained, host Bobby Mascia sits down with Siamak Namazi for a powerful conversation about leadership, resilience, and strategic decision-making under extreme uncertainty. Siamak shares how his life went from corporate strategy and business consulting in Dubai to solitary confinement in Iran, where he had to rely on mental frameworks, routines, humor, and decision models to survive years of captivity without losing his identity. “Right now I'm trying to convey lessons about how to manage times of great uncertainty and how to make decisions when the world shifts from under your feet.” - Siamak Namazi [03:12] Siamak breaks down the mindset shifts that helped him endure interrogations, false confession pressure, isolation, and the emotional weight of his father being imprisoned alongside him. Siamak also shares how he used strategic risk assessment to conduct a historic CNN interview from inside an Iranian prison cell, helping bring global attention to his case before his eventual release. “I decided to live the best life that I could regardless of the circumstances.” - Siamak Namazi [36:43] For entrepreneurs, CEOs, business owners, and leaders navigating crisis, this episode offers a rare look at how to make better decisions when you have incomplete information, limited control, and everything feels stacked against you. In This Episode * [00:00] Introduction * [02:06] Why Siamak's message matters for business leaders * [03:12] Teaching corporations how to make decisions under uncertainty * [04:17] How a four-day trip to Iran became eight years in captivity * [05:10] The moment Siamak was stopped at the airport * [07:07] Using humor during interrogations and high-pressure moments * [13:35] Rebuilding his life after being held hostage * [19:14] The beginning of solitary confinement and the pressure to confess * [22:19] Understanding power, incentives, and information asymmetry * [23:33] How Siamak became his own strategic consultant in prison * [30:29] The strict routine that helped Siamak stay centered * [32:27] The darkest moment of his captivity * [39:05] How business decision models helped him survive extreme uncertainty * [40:49] Seeing the best of humanity after experiencing the worst * [41:46] The risk framework behind Siamak’s CNN interview from prison * [42:55] Turning trauma into leadership lessons for business and life * [43:28] Where to find Siamak Namazi

Still Standing: Phil Barone on Rebuilding After Everything Fell Apart (S4:E10)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2313227/fan_mail/new] About Phil Barone Phil Barone is the founder and editor-in-chief of Wayne Lifestyle Magazine, a publication dedicated to showcasing the best of Wayne, New Jersey, and surrounding areas. With a passion for storytelling and community engagement, Phil has built the magazine into a go-to source for local culture, events, businesses, and inspiring individuals. Through his work, he highlights the stories that make the community unique, providing a platform for local businesses and personalities to shine. Reference Links:  * Grab a copy of Bobby Mascia’s book Unchained: The Raw Truth About Entrepreneurship, Family Business, and Life Balance:  https://a.co/d/dSwUruD [https://a.co/d/dSwUruD] * Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmascia/] * Green Ridge Wealth [https://grwealthplan.com/]Planning * BobbyMascia.com [http://bobbymascia.com] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bobbymascia/] - Bobby Mascia * Instagram - Business Unchained [https://www.instagram.com/businessunchained/] Phil Barone * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/waynelifestylemag/] * Wayne Lifestyle Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/waynelifestylemag/?hl=en] * Wayne Lifestyle Website [https://citylifestyle.com/wayne] Episode Highlights In this episode of Business Unchained, host Bobby Mascia sits down with Phil Barone, publisher of Wayne Lifestyle Magazine, to discuss resilience, creative marketing, and the power of empathy in business. Phil shares his incredible story of rebuilding his life after a traumatic accident and stepping in as a hero in a dangerous domestic dispute. He also reveals his unconventional marketing strategy of stepping into the ring for a professional wrestling match to promote his magazine, Wayne Lifestyle. “You don’t have control over what happens, but you do have control over how you respond to it” - Phil [07:12] Phil's journey is filled with ups and downs, including overcoming setbacks from a failed partnership and the challenges of launching a business during COVID. His story is a testament to perseverance, and his insights on how to build meaningful relationships and create a lasting impact in the community are truly inspiring. Whether you're a business owner, entrepreneur, or someone looking for motivation, this episode is packed with valuable lessons. “It’s not about avoiding failure, it’s about learning from it and using it as fuel for growth” - Phil [14:45] Tune in to learn more about how Phil Barone transformed adversity into success, why empathy is his superpower, and how he plans to grow Wayne Lifestyle into a national brand. “Leadership starts from within. If you’re not taking care of yourself, you can’t effectively lead others” - Phil [23:30] In This Episode * [00:00] Introduction * [02:03] The shocking moment that changed everything * [06:08] How one act of courage shifted his entire perspective * [07:00] Why a wrestling ring became the ultimate marketing move * [12:03] Behind the scenes: what really happens in a wrestling match * [14:00] The unexpected exposure that changed the game for Wayne Lifestyle * [17:25] From freight to fame: the story of a business reborn * [21:43] How a moment of self-reflection transformed his sales strategy * [24:00] The secret to connecting with people (and it’s not what you think) * [27:07] Empathy: the superpower that fueled his success * [30:53] What’s next for Wayne Lifestyle? Big plans ahead * [34:00] Why community is the secret ingredient to building a brand * [36:27] How to connect with Phil Barone

David Schnurman’s 11 Suitcases Strategy for a Bigger Life (S4:E9)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2313227/fan_mail/new] About David Schnurman David Schnurman is the CEO of Lawline, the leading online continuing legal education platform that has delivered more than 5 million courses to 150,000+ attorneys, as well as a bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and entrepreneur focused on growth, learning, and intentional leadership. Known for helping leaders expand beyond their comfort zones, David combines business strategy with personal transformation, most notably through his bestselling book 11 Suitcases, which chronicles his family’s move from Brooklyn to Barcelona and the life-design lessons that came from it. Reference Links:  * Grab a copy of Bobby Mascia’s book Unchained: The Raw Truth About Entrepreneurship, Family Business, and Life Balance:  https://a.co/d/dSwUruD [https://a.co/d/dSwUruD] * Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmascia/] * Green Ridge Wealth [https://grwealthplan.com/]Planning * BobbyMascia.com [http://bobbymascia.com] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bobbymascia/] - Bobby Mascia * Instagram - Business Unchained [https://www.instagram.com/businessunchained/] David Schnurman * LinkedIn [http://linkedin.com/in/davidschnurman] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/davidschnurman/] * Lawline Website [https://www.lawline.com/] * Eleven Suitcases: How Moving Abroad Changed a Family Forever [https://www.amazon.com/Eleven-Suitcases-Moving-Changed-Forever-ebook/dp/B0GJ6CN5BZ] Episode Highlights What does it really look like to design a business that gives you more life instead of less? In this episode of Business Unchained, Bobby Mascia sits down with David Schnurman to unpack the story behind moving his family to Barcelona for two years with just 11 suitcases while continuing to lead Lawline. What begins as a conversation about travel quickly becomes a deeper discussion on visionary leadership, family values, writing down goals, founder courage, and creating operational systems that allow a business to thrive without constant founder presence. David breaks down the “little yeses” that turned a distant dream into reality and explains how intentional decisions compound into life-changing outcomes. “When you write something down from what’s in your mind, and you put it in writing, it’s more likely to turn into something.” - David [04:52] The conversation also explores the psychology behind growth: how entrepreneurs can stay outside their comfort zone longer, why most people retreat too quickly after taking action, and how frameworks like journaling, consistency, and “don’t break the chain” habits create long-term momentum. In This Episode * [00:00] – Introduction * [01:55] – David introduces 11 Suitcases and the Barcelona move * [04:52] – Why writing goals down changes your future * [06:29] – David’s midlife rut and the catalyst for change * [07:16] – How he structured Lawline to run while living abroad * [11:11] – The unexpected gift of the expat community * [12:24] – The “cargo ship” metaphor that inspired the book * [16:22] – Landing in Spain: the emotional reality vs the dream * [20:36] – The school dean’s advice: say yes to everything * [22:23] – How the kids adapted faster than expected * [25:33] – Keeping the travel mindset alive after returning home * [30:37] – The Fast Forward Mindset framework for fearless action * [34:14] – Why most people crawl back into their comfort zone * [36:10] – The Jerry Seinfeld “don’t break the chain” lesson * [39:31] – ADHD, dopamine, and thriving in entrepreneurial chaos * [44:27] – David’s next chapter: family transitions, third book, and speaking