Empathy, Community, and Connection in Franchise Leadership with Larisa Walega

Profit and Social Responsibility in Mission-Driven Startups with Mike Ma

Can startups scale with ambition while staying grounded in responsibility? In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we welcome Mike Ma, Managing Partner and Head Coach at Sidecut Ventures, to explore Balancing Profit and Social Responsibility in Mission-Driven Startups. Mike invests in and coaches what he calls “coachable superheroes”: early-stage, mission-driven founders tackling systemic challenges in areas like economic mobility, healthcare, climate, and education. Sidecut Ventures uses a “coach first, capital second” approach, combining investment with hands-on operational support and mentorship. In this episode, we explore: • Why mission-driven founders need both purpose and discipline • How investors can support impact without sacrificing scale • Why coachability is essential for early-stage founders • How social responsibility becomes part of venture building • What adaptive snow sports can teach us about unlocking potential • How founders can grow companies that serve both markets and humanity 🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa 🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta The future of venture is not only about backing companies that grow fast. It is about coaching founders who can build responsibly, scale meaningfully, and create lasting impact.

Marketing With Purpose Kit: Aligning Marketing with Business Growth

Marketing performs best when creativity and analytics work together. The strongest growth strategies are built when data drives decisions, but human insight shapes the message. In today’s competitive landscape, brands need more than visibility. They need marketing systems that align strategy, media, customer behavior, and business goals into measurable growth. In this week’s Marketing With Purpose Kit from The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Chris McGee, VP of Marketing at Batteries Plus. Chris leads data-driven strategies that connect brands with the right audiences in meaningful ways. Her background includes leadership roles at Bank of America and agency work with brands like PayPal, Disney and AT&T. She specializes in aligning analytics, creative and media to drive purposeful, measurable growth. 🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach 🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta 🧭 In this episode, we explore: • Aligning marketing strategy with measurable business growth • Turning customer insights into full-funnel marketing performance • Balancing analytics, creative, and media strategy • Building high-performing teams that drive scalable results 🎧 If you’re looking to connect marketing execution more directly to business impact, this conversation offers practical insight into building growth strategies that truly perform.

Empathy, Community, and Connection in Franchise Leadership with Larisa Walega

Great franchise growth is not only about expansion. It is about creating trust, connection, and a seamless experience for customers, franchise owners, and teams. In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we welcome Larisa Walega, Chief Growth Officer of Ziebart International Corporation, one of the world’s largest automotive appearance and protection brands. Larisa helps drive growth while creating a more connected customer experience across every touchpoint, and she is passionate about empowering franchise owners, strengthening brand culture, and helping businesses grow with purpose. Ziebart has been a leader in vehicle appearance and protection for more than 65 years, with a global franchise presence across 37 countries. In this episode, we explore: • Why empathy matters in franchise leadership • How connection strengthens customer experience • Why franchise owners need both systems and support • How community can become part of brand growth • What it takes to scale while preserving culture • Why purpose-driven leadership is the future of franchising 🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa 🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta The future of franchise growth is not just about more locations. It is about building communities of trust where owners, teams, and customers feel connected and supported.

Civilization Advances When Compassion Becomes Infrastructure

Civilization does not advance only through technology. It advances when compassion becomes infrastructure. In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we unpack a hard truth about AI adoption: AI will not fix your culture. It will amplify whatever is already there. In this conversation, we cover: • Why AI adoption should start with a culture audit, not a tool rollout • How trust, clarity, and agency determine whether AI becomes an accelerator or a disruptor • The difference between scaling learning and scaling dysfunction • What leaders must address so teams do not default to fear, politics, or silence • How to build guardrails and feedback loops that keep humans accountable • Why compassion has to be designed into systems, not left to individual personality 🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa 🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa The companies that win with AI will not just have better tools. They will have healthier cultures that can learn in public and improve together.

Marketing With Purpose Kit: Why Human Connection Still Wins in a Data-Driven Retail World

Data can tell you what customers buy. But human connection is what keeps them coming back. As retail becomes more digital, the brands winning today are the ones creating real experiences, real communities, and real relationships, both online and in person. In this week’s Marketing With Purpose Kit from The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Mike Martin, Co-Founder of Replay Sports Cards. Mike is the co-founder of Replay Sports Cards and a former ESPN SportsCenter graphics segment producer who helped launch the company’s first store in Charlotte in 2021 before expanding across the Southeast and leading the brand’s franchise launch. Focused on building welcoming, community-centered experiences, Mike has helped Replay evolve beyond the traditional card shop model by blending in-store retail, live streaming, digital engagement, and community-building into one connected customer experience. Through initiatives like Replay Gives Back and monthly in-store trade nights, he continues to emphasize the power of authentic connection in modern retail. 🎙️ Hosted by Tullio Siragusa 🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta 🧭 In this episode, we explore: • Why human connection still matters in a data-driven retail world • Creating community-first customer experiences• Blending physical retail, digital content, and live engagement • How authenticity builds long-term loyalty and growth 🎧 If you’re looking to create stronger customer relationships in an increasingly digital world, this conversation offers valuable insight into the future of community-driven retail.