Donatos CEO Kevin King on Leading With Heart.

Donatos CEO Kevin King on Leading With Heart.

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2110753/fan_mail/new] Kevin King is the CEO of Donatos, but the first thing you should probably know about him is that he really loves his wife. Leslie has challenged him, sharpened him, expanded his taste in music, and spent more than three decades helping him become the person and leader he is today. So naturally, Keri calls her in the middle of the interview. What follows is a very human conversation about marriage, parenting, family, leadership, and running one of Columbus’s most recognizable brands. Kevin explains how he taught his daughter to handle a bully, why he wants his adult children to have relationships with him that do not depend on their mother, and what he has learned about staying calm enough to solve the actual problem. That same approach shapes the way he leads Donatos through changing customer expectations, third-party delivery, automation, and AI. Kevin is not interested in using technology to remove people from hospitality. He wants to use it to eliminate the work people hate so they can spend more time taking care of customers. This is a conversation about pizza, people, marriage, consistency, and why a good leader sometimes has to make sure everyone can see his heart.

Business, Motherhood, and Getting Your Pink Back with Meleka Jolliff, Founder of MMJ Events and Aiden & Grace.

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2110753/fan_mail/new] I sat down with Meleka Jolliff, one of the seven incredible women who helped bring our very first IRL experience to life. Meleka was not only a generous sponsor, but she and her team played such a huge role in making the entire space feel beautiful, thoughtful, and intentional. So before anything else, a massive thank you to this woman. As the founder of MMJ Events and Aiden & Grace, and co-owner of Skyflower, Meleka has built her businesses around the thing she does so naturally: making people feel cared for through the details. She has an incredible eye, a creative brain, and the kind of work ethic that quietly holds a lot together. In this episode, we talk about business, team culture, word-of-mouth growth, high-pressure event seasons, motherhood, marriage, and the honest reality of building a life that actually feels like yours. Meleka shares how she’s built a team that cares deeply, why the little details are often the thing people remember most, and what it means to keep going through the messy middle of entrepreneurship, family, and identity. We also get into starting over with a third baby later in life, the idea that “you’ll get your pink back,” and why women need people around them who actually understand the weight of what they’re carrying. This episode is full of wisdom from a woman who knows how to build beautiful things — in business, in motherhood, and in community. Subscribe on YouTube and follow along on Instagram for more conversations with badass women building businesses, families, and lives on their own terms.

Kelsey Lensman on Faith, Fear, and Expanding Your Limits.

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2110753/fan_mail/new] In this episode, I sit down with Kelsey Lensman for a conversation about faith, fear, identity, trauma, and what happens when life forces you to stop white-knuckling the wheel. Kelsey shares the moments that cracked her open and rebuilt her from the inside out: walking away from an eight-year relationship, questioning the version of faith she grew up with, surviving a violent highway crash on I-270, and choosing not to let fear become the driver of her life. We talk about the shift from athlete identity to real-world purpose, the difference between checking the “church box” and building an actual relationship with God, and why physical challenges have become one of Kelsey’s greatest tools for mental strength. From Ohio State rowing to Mission 48 — where she completed 48 competitions in 48 states in 48 days for charity — Kelsey’s story is one big reminder that strength is built in the moments you’d rather avoid. This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt stuck, scared, over-controlling, spiritually disconnected, or quietly aware that they’re being called into something bigger. Follow Kelsey: Instagram: @kelseylensman Expand Your Limits: @xpandyourlimits ⚡️If this episode hit something in you please share it with a friend  ⚡️Subscribe to The Keri Croft Show on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts ⚡️Please leave a review if you’re feeling it. And until next time...Keep Moving, baby!

BONUS Episode! Joe DeLoss on Ego, Service, and Modern Masculinity

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2110753/fan_mail/new] After we wrapped my conversation with Joe DeLoss, we kept talking. What started as a conversation about marriage turned into something much bigger: masculinity, ego, service, leadership, and why so many men seem to be struggling to find their footing right now. Joe shares his perspective on the version of masculinity that's being celebrated online, why he thinks it's missing the mark, and what he's learned through building businesses, navigating marriage, raising daughters, and doing the ongoing work of understanding himself. We talk about strength, vulnerability, accountability, and the difference between chasing trophies and becoming the kind of person your family, community, and relationships can actually count on. It's a short conversation, but one that felt too important to leave on the cutting room floor. If you enjoyed my full conversation with Joe, consider this the bonus chapter.

The Founder Who Sold His Hot Chicken Restaurant and Walked Into the Woods with Joe DeLoss

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2110753/fan_mail/new] Joe DeLoss is best known as the founder of Hot Chicken Takeover, one of Columbus’s most recognizable restaurant stories. But this conversation is not really about chicken. Joe talks with Keri about the rise of Hot Chicken Takeover, the ego that came with it, the people impacted by his leadership, and the personal reckoning that followed. He is honest about marriage, fatherhood, masculinity, ambition, and the uncomfortable reality that success does not automatically make you whole. Now, Joe lives in Mount Vernon and is building Baker Road, a hospitality and retreat concept rooted in nature, adventure, discomfort, and real human connection. Think less corporate retreat, more walking into the woods and remembering you are still a person. This conversation moves from Columbus entrepreneurship to 100-mile runs, natural burials, leadership, vultures, marriage, and what the next chapter of Joe’s work looks like. At its heart, this conversation is about what happens when success forces you to face yourself. Joe’s story is a reminder that growth isn't always glamorous. Sometimes, the real work begins after the big win, when you have to decide who you want to become next.