Candy Barone's BIO:

Candy Barone is a Leadership Alchemist and Human Design Guide, empowering visionary leaders and changemakers to unlock their true leadership potential and lead with clarity, purpose, and alignment. With over 30 years of experience in leadership and business strategy, Candy specializes in helping leaders break free from outdated paradigms, reconnect with their soul’s blueprint, and create transformative impact that lasts. Through her work, Candy blends the power of Human Design and Gene Keys with relational intelligence to guide clients in activating their unique leadership voice. She believes leadership isn’t just about strategy; it’s about cultivating heart-centered connections, fostering deep relationships, and leading with authenticity.

Candy’s approach goes beyond conventional leadership. She helps clients shed limiting beliefs and step into bold, unapologetic leadership that aligns with their core essence, allowing them to make lasting, aligned impact in their businesses and beyond. Candy has helped countless leaders tap into their full potential and create a Living Legacy that reflects their deepest values and vision. Whether through 1:1 mentoring, Human Design readings, Gene Keys insights, or strategic frameworks, Candy offers a unique, soul-led approach to leadership that’s both transformational and sustainable. When she’s not guiding visionary leaders, Candy is dedicated to igniting a leadership revolution that’s deeply connected, empowering, and purpose-driven.

In this episode, Virginia and Candy talked about:

• How Candy blended her engineering background with Quantum energetics

• Why human design helps us understand how we operate in the world

• Candy’s non-traditional way of building business and transforming her clients

• Divine feminine and Divine masculine

• How to create more functional partnerships in business

Takeaways:

1. Let your clients learn from your experiences
2. What is your living legacy?
3. Leadership is a team sport
4. Focus on Return on Impact
5. The best relationship helps you grow.

Connect with Candy on her social media accounts to learn more about her work and insights into networking effectively:

LinkedIn URL - https://www.linkedin.com/in/candybarone/

Facebook URL - https://www.facebook.com/CoachCandySpeaks

Instagram URL - https://www.instagram.com/candy_barone/

Connect with Virginia:

https://www.bbrpodcast.com/

Mason Brunsmann's BIO:

Mason Brunsmann is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® with Sirius Wealth Management, known for delivering comprehensive financial planning and investment management strategies tailored to the unique needs of business owners and families. His specialties include comprehensive financial planning, investment management, risk management, and income & tax planning. Mason is dedicated to helping clients work toward their financial goals through personalized, strategic guidance.

Mason holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business Administration with a finance emphasis from the University of Missouri–St. Louis. He also earned a graduate certificate in Financial Technology from the same institution, as well as a graduate certificate in Financial Planning through Kaplan College of Financial Education. Mason maintains FINRA Series 7, 9, 10, 63, and 66 licenses, equipping him with a deep understanding of the financial services landscape.

With over a decade of experience, Mason is committed to helping clients navigate the complexities of building and protecting wealth across every stage of life.

In this episode, Virginia and Mason talked about:

• How Mason uses social media to create visibility

• Mason’s journey to financial planning

• Mason’s unique take on building wealth

• Mason’s financial planning pet peeves

• The value of networking for improving client retention

Takeaways:

1. You need to always “Know a guy who”

2. It’s better to create a network that is an inch wide and a mile deep, than a mile wide and an inch deep

3. Focus on building trust and the money will follow

4. Don’t chase 1,000 connections—nurture the right 10.

5. Reciprocity isn’t always instant, but it’s always real.

Connect with Mason on his LinkedIn account to learn more about his work and insights into networking effectively:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-brunsmann-cfp-financialadvisor/

Connect with Virginia:

https://www.bbrpodcast.com/

Laura Ballerini's BIO:

Perspective shifter, Laura Ballerini is an accomplished designer who has been running a thriving communications firm for over 25 years. She started her creative journey in the Advertising Department of The Calgary Herald—during the heyday of newspapers. Ballerini has a degree in Visual Communications from The Alberta University of the Arts and is a recipient of numerous awards. While she’s a quiet and introverted creative, Laura has recently found her inner badass and radiates her “quietly fierce” disposition in her work and in her personal life.

As author of The Green Velvet Chair, Laura gathered a collection of heartfelt stories depicting how art and design influence us and spur creativity in our everyday lives. The essays are viewed through her unique creative lens.

Running her own design boutique over many decades has enabled Laura to work with a variety of clients from many industries. She deliberately chose to ensure her client base was diverse and sees this as her strength. Laura comes to the table with fresh eyes and approaches every project with unique interest and expertise.

Ballerini lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband, children, and a pretentious cat named Gooey.

In this episode, Virginia and Laura talked about:

• Laura’s background as a designer

• The transition from print to digital media

• Networking as an introvert

• Laura’s new book The Green Velvet Chair

• The Power of Thought leadership

Takeaways:

1. Know Your Audience

2. Learn to tell your story

3. Flip the networking narrative

4. Ask great questions and listen intensely for networking success.

5. Commit to your vision even when no one else see it

Connect with Laura on her LinkedIn account to learn more about her work and insights into networking effectively:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraballerini/

Connect with Virginia:

https://www.bbrpodcast.com/