For Toni Ronayne, her journey started as a 13-year-old coat check girl… staying up late, learning the value of tips, hospitality, and connection long before she ever stepped into the C-suite.

Today, Toni is the Founder & CEO of The C Society, and her story is one of courage, reinvention, and leading with authenticity in an industry that’s changing faster than ever.

A few of my favorite insights about Toni’s story:

💡Her superpower: being an “accidental executive”

💡Why restaurants are her true calling

💡The loneliness no one talks about when the title goes away (that is so real!)

💡How to scale without losing your soul

💡The win/win opportunity for fractional leaders

One of my favorite moments was when Toni said: “At the end of the day, I want people to say I lived my life true to who I am.”

Authenticity as a legacy! WOW! It is so fitting!

If you’re a leader navigating change, a brand builder, or an executive rethinking what’s next in your career… you’ll want to dive into this one 🔥

“I’m going to need some tissues. It’s a difficult story… but a beautiful one… because we can turn darkness into light.” -NASA’s Michael Ciannilli

Season 7 launches today! 🎙 Big news coming tomorrow too!

Hint: It’s a space (pun intended 😉) to spotlight every guest, every story, and every spark of joy we uncover together.

This premiere is one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve ever had. It’s a journey from heartbreak to hope with a 30-year NASA veteran who helped lead the recovery of Columbia and turned tragedy into purpose.

After we recorded, Mike said something that reminded me why I love doing these: “I really enjoyed our discussion, Lisa. I must say once again, you’re a fantastic host who really brings out the person in the interview.”

Michael’s career took him from engineering and test directing rockets to leading NASA’s Apollo, Challenger, Columbia Lessons Learned program.

Here are some of the stories you’ll hear in this episode:


🚀 How 10-year-old Mike’s make-ready weekends shaped a lifetime of agility and craftsmanship


🚀 The 5½-year detour before joining NASA, and the perseverance that defined him


🚀 What it means to teach the “why” behind failure, not just the “what”


🚀 How the same human lessons apply whether you’re launching rockets, running a business, or leading teams

That’s the heart of The Business of Joy: getting to the human side of every story. Behind every title, every mission, every milestone, there’s a person finding light after darkness.


🎧 Now streaming! Get the tissues ready!

Joy, soul, and hospitality aren’t soft words… they're a growth strategy!

That’s the message from Brett Schulman, CEO & Co-Founder of CAVA, who joined me on The Business of Joy podcast this week.

Before leading one of the fastest-growing restaurant brands in America, his early jobs of washing cars and chopping firewood built his work ethic: discipline, pride, and the power of showing up!

A few gems in this episode:

🌱 Manual work builds character, while human connection builds culture. His early jobs taught him attention to detail, perseverance, and the pride of finishing well.

🧡 Small wins build big discipline. Making your bed. Showing up. Doing the small things consistently… that’s how momentum and resilience are built.

🔥 Hospitality is a competitive edge. As technology removes friction, people crave warmth. The dining room isn’t dead - bad experiences are.

📈 Lead for decades, not quarters. Show up on the bad days. Invest through headwinds. Build for the long game.

Brett is a testament that when leaders choose humanity over fear, the brand doesn’t just survive… it thrives.