Authentic Leadership for Everyday People

Cat Holt - Brand Is Business

Cat Holt is a marketer, brand strategist, and business consultant whose path has woven together creativity, psychology, digital innovation, and a relentless curiosity for how people think and behave. She is also the CEO of Coologee, the marketing firm I co-founded with her. Cat started out as a painter, a musician, and a psychology major fascinated by human behavior. That combination eventually took her into the world of advertising during the dot-com boom, where she became the rare strategist who could bridge brand storytelling with data-driven digital performance. Over the years, she had senior roles at major agencies and Fortune 50 company, building a reputation for connecting emotional insight to measurable business impact. In our conversation episode, we dive into her leadership journey — from the mentors who shaped her, to the philosophy that guides her today, and we discuss our own partnership, the evolution of our business, and the core belief that drives our work: Brand Is Business — the idea that brand isn’t a logo or a campaign, but the full 360-degree expression of how a company operates, behaves, and makes decisions. Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com [dino@al4ep.com] Websites: al4ep.com [https://authenticleadershipforeverydaypeople.com/] coologee.com [https://coologee.com] Additional Guest Links: Substack: Brand Is Business: catholtcoologee.substack.com/ [https://catholtcoologee.substack.com/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/catkolodij/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/catkolodij/] Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo] Podcast Instagram – @al4edp  [https://instagram.com/al4edp] Podcast Twitter – @al4edp [https://twitter.com/al4edp]  Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp [https://www.facebook.com/al4edp] Music Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com [https://susancattaneo.bandcamp.com/]

Miles Veth - Leading With Purpose In Sales and Technology

Today's guest is is Miles Veth, a fourth-generation entrepreneur, founder of the Veth Group, a marketing ans sales services firm. After starting his career at EMC and learning how large companies can scale while still keeping a culture of warmth, he used that influence to shape the ethos of his own company: love your people, serve your customers well, and reinvest in the community. In our conversation, Miles shares how he integrates faith and business, what it means to build a company that tithes 10% of profits to causes his team cares about, and how he navigated both the highs of rapid growth and the challenges brought on by seismic changes in technology and sales. We also go deep into his views on what makes a great salesperson, the importance of transparency and honesty in business, and the unconventional tactics he has used to get attention and grow his company. Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com [dino@al4ep.com] Websites: al4ep.com [https://authenticleadershipforeverydaypeople.com/] vethgroup.com [https://www.vethgroup.com/] Additional Guest Links: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/milesveth/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/milesveth/] Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo] Podcast Instagram – @al4edp  [https://instagram.com/al4edp] Podcast Twitter – @al4edp [https://twitter.com/al4edp]  Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp [https://www.facebook.com/al4edp] Music Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com [https://susancattaneo.bandcamp.com/]

Sasha Schrode - Leading Change in Women's Health

Today's guest is Sasha Schrode, CEO of FEMSelect, a women’s health company on a mission to improve quality of life for women around the globe. Sasha survived a cancer diagnosis at age 31, and that crisis pushed her to leave corporate comfort and embrace entrepreneurship. She described in brutal honesty what being diagnosed with cancer at such an early age felt like and how that experience changed her priorities and her life.  We talked about how that experience reshaped her leadership philosophy, the lessons she learned building and selling her first company, and how she thinks about building investor relationships as both a founder and an angel investor. Finally, we discussed the importance of elevating women’s health — an area long underserved — and how Sasha and her team are bringing innovative solutions to market, starting with their breakthrough treatment for pelvic organ prolapse. Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com [dino@al4ep.com] Websites: al4ep.com [https://authenticleadershipforeverydaypeople.com/] FEMselect.com [https://www.femselect.com/] Additional Guest Links: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sasha-schrode-28589a13/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasha-schrode-28589a13/] Instagram: @fem.select [https://www.instagram.com/fem.select] Facebook: facebook.com/FEMSelect [https://www.facebook.com/FEMSelect] Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo] Podcast Instagram – @al4edp  [https://instagram.com/al4edp] Podcast Twitter – @al4edp [https://twitter.com/al4edp]  Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp [https://www.facebook.com/al4edp] Music Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com [https://susancattaneo.bandcamp.com/]

Neri Karra Sillaman - Leadership In Building A Family Business As An Immigrant

Neri Karra Sillaman is the embodiment of what it means to blend intellectual rigor with entrepreneurial grit. A refugee-turned-entrepreneur, she’s the founder of Neri Kara, a luxury leather goods brand celebrating its 25th year—and she’s also an academic with a PhD from Cambridge. In our conversation, Neri shared her incredible journey: from building a business with her family using discarded Italian leather, to walking away from it to pursue her true calling in academia. We talked about what it takes to run a successful family business, the importance of structure and clarity in leadership, and how the values of compassion and integrity shaped her leadership—largely inspired by her father. Neri discussed her experience as an immigrant and refugee, and how that shaped both her worldview and her work ethic. She made a powerful case for the unique contributions that immigrants bring to business and society—resilience, creativity, and an unmatched drive to build something better—not just for themselves, but for others. Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com [dino@al4ep.com] Websites: al4ep.com [https://authenticleadershipforeverydaypeople.com/] nerikarrasillaman.com [https://www.nerikarrasillaman.com/] Additional Guest Links: nerikarra.com [https://www.nerikarra.com/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/neri-karra-sillaman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/neri-karra-sillaman] Instagram: @prof.neri [https://www.instagram.com/prof.neri] Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo] Podcast Instagram – @al4edp  [https://instagram.com/al4edp] Podcast Twitter – @al4edp [https://twitter.com/al4edp]  Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp [https://www.facebook.com/al4edp] Music Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com [https://susancattaneo.bandcamp.com/]

David Price - Leadership and Resilience

Today's guest is is David Price, founder and CEO of the David Price Group, a virtual insurance agency that sells high volumes of insurance across all 50 states. But David’s story is about much more than entrepreneurship—it’s a story of reinvention and resilience. David grew up on welfare and spent many years in jobs that didn’t fulfill him. In his mid-thirties, he realized he needed to make a bold move to pursue the freedom and success he had always dreamed of. What followed was a powerful personal transformation—including overcoming a 20-year drug addiction—that shaped him into the leader he is today. Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com [dino@al4ep.com] Websites: al4ep.com [https://authenticleadershipforeverydaypeople.com/] tpglife.com [https://tpglife.com/] Additional Guest Links: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidpriceofficial/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpriceofficial/] Instagram: @davidpriceofficial [https://www.instagram.com/davidpriceofficial] YouTube: youtube.com/@DavidPriceOfficial [https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPriceOfficial] Facebook: facebook.com/DavidPriceOfficial/ [https://www.facebook.com/DavidPriceOfficial/] Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo] Podcast Instagram – @al4edp  [https://instagram.com/al4edp] Podcast Twitter – @al4edp [https://twitter.com/al4edp]  Podcast Facebook: facebook.com/al4edp [https://www.facebook.com/al4edp] Music Susan Cattaneo: susancattaneo.bandcamp.com [https://susancattaneo.bandcamp.com/]