79% of consumers prefer to engage with brands that foster a sense of community (HubSpot).

Yet many businesses still focus on transactions over relationships, missing the deeper loyalty and growth that come from connection.

In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Will Bartholomew, Founder and CEO of D1 Training.

From playing alongside Peyton Manning at the University of Tennessee to building one of the fastest-growing fitness franchises in the country, Will has spent his career proving that community and accountability drive performance both on and off the field.

🎙️ Hosted by Tullio Siragusa and Mike Liwski

🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa

🧭 In this episode, we explore:

• How lessons from Division 1 athletics shaped Will’s leadership philosophy

• Systems that allow D1 Training’s culture of accountability to scale across 150+ locations

• Stories of athletes and communities transformed through D1’s model

• Why community and compassion are essential to long-term business success

🎧 Whether you’re leading a startup, scaling a franchise, or growing your team, this conversation shows why community is the ultimate competitive advantage.

A Deloitte study found that organizations with strong cross-functional collaboration are 60% more likely to exceed performance expectations.

Yet many marketing teams still operate in silos, leading to missed opportunities, duplicate work, and inconsistent customer experiences.

In this week’s Marketing With Purpose Kit from The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Laura Rice, CMO at Celebree School. Laura brings extensive experience in franchise marketing and brand growth, and she shares how breaking down silos across teams can unlock creativity, efficiency, and purpose-driven impact.

📅 Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | 🕗 8:00 AM PDT

🎙️ Hosted by Michele Brasfield

🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta

🧭 In this episode, we cover:

• Why silos persist and the hidden costs they create

• How shared purpose aligns marketing, sales, and operations

• Practical steps to improve communication and collaboration

• Examples of how cross-team integration drives better results for brands

🎧 Whether you’re leading a startup, scaling a franchise, or running a corporate team, this conversation will help you reimagine collaboration as your ultimate marketing advantage.

Companies that redesign work models for agility and adaptability see 30% higher performance compared to peers (McKinsey).

Yet many organizations still rely on outdated structures that cannot keep pace with the integration of AI and the need for more human-centered, flexible teams.

In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Liza Adams, AI Advisor, Go-to-Market Strategist, and CEO of Growth Path Partners. Recognized as one of the 50 CMOs to watch in 2024 and a Pavilion Fractional/Advisor of the Year Finalist, Liza brings over 20 years of experience leading transformations at Smartsheet, Juniper Networks, Pure Storage, and more.

Today, she helps executive teams design human-AI organizations that achieve breakthrough results.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski

🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa

🧭 In this episode, we explore:

• Why traditional work models no longer fit the AI era

• Systems that empower human-AI collaboration at scale

• Real-world examples of innovative work models in action

• How purpose and empathy guide responsible AI adoption

🎧 Whether you’re leading a startup, scaling a team, or preparing for AI transformation, this conversation will give you strategies to design the future of work with intention.

90% of top performers have high emotional intelligence, yet only 36% of people can recognize their emotions in real time (TalentSmart).

This gap matters because emotional intelligence, paired with gratitude, may be the most underrated driver of trust, loyalty, and long-term success in business.

In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Brendan Kamm, CEO of Thnks, the first global platform built on the principles of Gratitude Commerce.

Under Brendan’s leadership, Thanks is redefining how professionals build stronger relationships through small, thoughtful gestures that scale across organizations.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski

🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa

🧭 In this episode, we explore:

• Why gratitude and EQ are inseparable in modern leadership

• How small gestures can transform customer and employee relationships

• Systems that embed appreciation into daily operations at scale

• Stories from organizations using Gratitude Commerce to build loyalty and culture

🎧 Whether you’re a founder, executive, or team leader, this conversation will show you how emotional intelligence, and the simple act of gratitude, can become a lasting business advantage.

Emotionally connected customers deliver 306% higher lifetime value than merely satisfied ones (Harvard Business Review). In financial services, that number jumps to 800% .

Yet too often, ROI is measured only by short-term clicks and conversions. These snapshots miss the bigger picture: loyalty, advocacy, and resilience that come from building trust over time.

In this week’s Marketing With Purpose Kit from The Bliss Business Podcast, we explore how purpose-driven marketing reframes ROI with a long-term lens, showing why emotional connection is not just brand love — it’s smart economics.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach, Tullio Siragusa, and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa

🧭 In this episode, we cover:
• Why short-term ROI can erode long-term trust
• How emotional connection drives loyalty, advocacy, and resilience
• Examples from REI, Apple, and Nike on playing the long game
• Metrics beyond conversions: lifetime value, retention, advocacy, and brand equity

🎧 Whether you’re a marketer, founder, or leader, this Kit will help you shift from chasing transactions to building enduring relationships.

Companies that embrace conscious capitalism outperform the market by 10x over a 15-year period (Firms of Endearment study).

Yet as AI adoption accelerates, many leaders face a critical question: How do we ensure innovation serves humanity rather than undermines it?

In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Kevin Surace, Author, Keynote Speaker, CEO, and widely recognized as the father of the AI Virtual Assistant. Kevin has been named INC Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year, a CNBC Top Innovator of the Decade, and a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer, with 95 patents and decades of trailblazing work across AI, energy, and sustainable innovation.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski

🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa

🧭 In this episode, we explore:

• Why conscious capitalism is more critical than ever in the age of AI

• Risks of unchecked innovation and how values can anchor progress

• Systems leaders can implement to align profitability with purpose

• Real-world lessons from Kevin’s pioneering AI and sustainability projects

🎧 Whether you’re leading a startup, enterprise, or community, this conversation offers practical insights to balance innovation, profit, and humanity.

Is your leadership model aligned with purpose, or just performance?

Only 32% of employees feel engaged at work (Gallup). And yet, companies with strong purpose report 30% higher innovation and retention (McKinsey). So what gives?

Join us on The Bliss Business Podcast with guest Bob Gappa, Founder & CEO of Management 2000, as we explore how great leadership starts with purpose, and why that purpose must be operationalized to build real engagement.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski

🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa

In this episode:

• Why most purpose statements fail to inspire action

• How to build systems of commitment, not just compliance

• The leadership legacy question every CEO should ask

• Practical ways to embed values into everyday decisions

If you're a founder, executive, or people leader, this conversation will help you rethink how your organization lives its values, not just talk about them.

💬 What’s one way your company puts purpose into practice?

73% of consumers say they are more likely to trust brands that act consistently with their stated values across every touchpoint. But when promises outpace proof, audiences call it purpose washing.

In this week’s Marketing With Purpose Kit from The Bliss Business Podcast, we break down how to keep your purpose real, measurable, and aligned across your entire organization. We also look at brands that back it up with action and transparency.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach, Mike Liwski, and Tullio Siragusa
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa

🧭 In this episode, we cover:
• What purpose washing is and how to spot it
• Examples of action-backed purpose, including transparency-led models
• Five guardrails to stay authentic: consistency, evidence and transparency, employee alignment, long-term commitment, and clear boundaries
• Practical steps to align marketing, ops, HR, and product with your stated values

🎧 Whether you lead brand, run growth, or guide culture, this Kit shows how to turn purpose into proof points your audience can trust.