Shows / From the Corner Office
From the Corner Office
Join us every week on From the Corner Office by the Business Observer for exclusive interviews with accomplished business leaders, where we delve into their unique experiences and insights. Gain valuable lessons from their expertise that you can apply to your own business.
Episodes
From the Corner OfficeThe business of art and business with Anabella Bergero
Anabella Bergero is a global artist, fashion designer and entrepreneur, with collaborations that range from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to Walmart. She is also…
From the Corner OfficeJump for Joy with Jimmy Estrada
Jimmy Estrada worked in health care before he founded his own fintech company, Tampa-based JELA Payments. His backstory, too, includes an interesting twist: he…
From the Corner OfficeA Pro’s Pro with Joe Nugent
Joe Nugent founded Joe the Home Pro Inspections in 2015 after a career in hospitality. The company now serves markets from Marco Island to Punta Gorda and has…
From the Corner OfficeFind a better way with Jason Cropper
Jason Cropper has been in sales and technology for some two decades, and started his own consulting business in 2024. He specializes in helping companies find…
From the Corner OfficeChasing your dreams with Emily Adams
Emily Adams can say she has literally chased her dreams, down to bolting from her Amish family and community when she was 17. She has since developed into a…
From the Corner OfficeLeave no one behind with Mike Durkee
A U.S. Army helicopter pilot, Mike flew more than 60 combat missions in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He started working with the Wounded Veterans Relief Fund in…
From the Corner OfficeSweet Storage Success with Robert Brown
Robert Brown has been in the construction industry for nearly 40 years, leading GCM Contracting since 1988. With a focus on tilt-up construction, he has…
From the Corner OfficeBe on the winning team with Bemetra
Bemetra’s first career, in banking and finance, set her up well for her second act, in nonprofit leadership. Through her role at the Tampa Bay Partnership…
From the Corner OfficeThe Golden Touch with Scott Pinkerton
The CEO of FourThought Private Wealth in Venice, Scott is a philosophical and forward-thinking wealth management entrepreneur. On this episode, Business…
From the Corner OfficeBrian Henriquez brings the juice
Brian Henriquez has been in the electrical and power generation industry for more than two decades and now runs Suncoast Power Solutions which delivers…
From the Corner OfficeBig Business, Big heart with Karen Swager
An engineer by training and education, Karen has held multiple leadership roles at The Mosaic Co. since joining the business in 2004 as a director of…
From the Corner OfficeThe Way Forward with Kourtney Sanchez
Kourtney Sanchez was named CEO of United Way Suncoast in June, after a national search for a new leader. Prior to the United Way CEO role, Kourtney was the…
From the Corner OfficeTrust Doesn’t Rust with Kelly Caldwell
Kelly and his father, Roland Caldwell, founded Caldwell Trust Co. in 1993, and Kelly became CEO in 2007. Today the company manages more than $2 billion in…
From the Corner OfficeLegal Eagle — Jennie Compton with Shumaker
Jennie was named the first-ever firmwide managing partner for Shumaker last year. A Sarasota native and well-known civic leader in town, Jennie leads the…
From the Corner OfficeThe CEO who listens
Fintech CEO Tad Phelps, even at the helm of a 400-employee financial technology company, is something of a man of the people. He holds CEO sessions open only…
From the Corner OfficePitch Prowess with the Queen, Forbes Riley
Forbes Riley, author of Pitch Secrets A to Z: How to Increase Your Influence, Impact, and Income, lays out the keys to making a great pitch: It’s not about the…
From the Corner OfficeAchieving career success with Junior Achievement CEO Cheryl Kunkle
Cheryl Kunkle was named CEO of youth financial literacy nonprofit Junior Achievement in Fort Myers in January. Prior to this role, she held leadership…
From the Corner OfficeCapitalizing on the promise of AI in banking with Kevin Gillen
Kevin Gillen has been in the banking industry for some 40 years, and a Tampa Bay and Sarasota executive for Synovus Bank since 2020. On this episode of From…
From the Corner OfficeListen up and listen good with Rebecca Shafir
Rebecca is an ADHD and executive function coach, and founder of Mindful Communication. Based in Sarasota, Rebecca is a speech language pathologist and author…
From the Corner OfficePowering up with a smile with FPL’s Dev Iglesias
Dev Iglesias has been with FPL for nearly a decade, working her way up from a marketing and communications role. Well-known in the Sarasota-Bradenton community…
From the Corner OfficeBeing a top-flight board member with Naomi Kent
Naomi Kent has been working helping senior executives and leaders find the right company boards to sit on, and then be engaged and productive board members…
From the Corner OfficeHumor, humility and honesty with bank executive and podcast host Owen LaFave
Owen LaFave has been with The Bank of Tampa for 13 years and in the banking industry for more than 20 years. He also hosts The Bank of Tampa’s The Money Market…
From the Corner OfficeGoing strong in leadership and life with retired Tupperware CEO Rick Goings
Rick was with Tupperware for nearly 30 years, including stints as president, CEO, chairman and chairman emeritus. He was also an executive with Avon Corp., in…
From the Corner OfficeAuthentic leadership — morning and nights — hotel exec with Jessica Cain
Jessica is the general manager of the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. She has more than 20 years of experience in full-service hospitality, including sales, events and…
From the Corner OfficeCounseling, Compassion, and Camaros with Rick Howell
Rick has been the Executive Director of Samaritan Counseling Services, based in Sarasota, since 1999. A native of Tampa, he earned a master’s in Divinity and a…
From the Corner OfficeReal beer and real leadership with Matthew Rolnick
Matthew is a senior vice president of partnerships and events for The Real American Beer, based in Tampa. Prior to Real American Beer, he worked for several…
From the Corner OfficeLeading with transparency and trust with Jeff Eslinger
Jeff has been a leader at two family-run homebuilding businesses in the Sarasota-Manatee market. The first was Eslinger Homes, which operated from 1991 to…
From the Corner OfficeLeading consistently and caringly with Jack Cox of Halfacre Construction
Jack Cox has been with Sarasota-based Halfacre Construction since 1985 and is now president and owner. He’s also chairman of the board at Lakewood Ranch…
From the Corner OfficeSustaining a spectator-free workplace with Linda Dulye
A nationally recognized workplace expert, Linda, based in Sarasota, is the architect of the Spectator-Free Workplace methodology, which fosters shared…
From the Corner OfficePutting people first and win the culture battle with Michael Arrieta
Michael Arrieta founded Garden City Equity after working in Silicon Valley for tech companies, including a stint as a global vice president and chief of staff…
From the Corner OfficeWin the networking game with Aakash Patel
Aakash Patel founded Elevate Inc. in 2012. The firm provides community relations, targeted networking, and social media consultation. Aakash is also on the…
From the Corner OfficeRunning a championship-level golf course with Bruce Cassidy
Bruce Cassidy has owned the Concession Golf Club in east Manatee County since 2009. The Concession has been in the news lately, as it is hosting the 2026…
From the Corner OfficeWinning in leadership and life with Chuck Wolfe
Chuck Wolfe has been CEO of the Chiles Group since 2018. The company oversees several assets, including the organic Gamble Creek Farms in Manatee County. The…
From the Corner OfficeAn appetite for being a better CEO & Leader with Toni Ronayne, Founder of The C Society
Toni founded her fractional CEO firm, The C Society, in June 2025. One of her goals is to bring high-level leadership to restaurant and hospitality companies…
From the Corner OfficeThe power of being a vulnerable leader with Jon Kaupla
Jon Kaupla was appointed to run the Center for Executive and Leadership Education at the USF Muma College of Business last July. The center is designed to…
From the Corner OfficeLeadership inside and outside the lines with Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronde Barber
Ronde is one of the most recognized professional athletes in Tampa Bay, having played 16 seasons for the Buccaneers in a Hall of Fame career that included a…
From the Corner OfficeOn Becoming a Big League Manager with the Baltimore Orioles’ Craig Albernaz
Craig Albernaz was named manager of the Baltimore Orioles — who host spring training in Sarasota — last October. Craig played college baseball at Eckerd…
From the Corner OfficeFrom the battlefield to the boardroom with homebuilder Lee Wetherington
Lee Wetherington founded Lee Wetherington Homes in Sarasota in 1981. He has since moved the company, one of the largest-builders in the Sarasota-Manatee…
From the Corner OfficeUsing tough-to-hear feedback to boost your career with Debbie LaPinska
Debbie LaPinska has been chief people office of CabinetWorks Group, based in Michigan, since November 2024. Prior to CabinetWorks, she worked at Venice-based…
From the Corner OfficePrioritizing trust and transparency with Nicci Bucher
Nicci Bucher was named CEO of the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg in late 2025. Prior to this role, Nicci spent 20 years in the YMCA network, most recently as…
From the Corner OfficeBuilding a winning culture that sticks with Jake Haulsic
Jake Haulsic has some 15 years of experience in technology sales, with Velosio and Tribridge. He founded Trofeo, a fast-scaling cloud consultancy specializing…
From the Corner OfficeRuthless Focus and how to maintain it with Tom Hall
Tom Hall is a longtime advertising executive, with work across Florida and the Southeast. In addition to Tucker | Hall, a strategic communications firm with…
From the Corner OfficeAcing the cold call and being a warm leader with Sinead Runyon
Sinead Runyon runs Express Employment of Sarasota, which she founded in 2020 along with her mom, Josephine Carr. In 2024, she and her husband, William Runyon…
From the Corner OfficeKick off 2026 with a dose of endurance with Ashley Ljesevic
Ashley Ljesevic has led marketing, sales, and development initiatives for a variety of organizations over the past decade, working in sports, travel and…
From the Corner OfficeConsistent leadership through a complex time with Dan Lavender
Dan is the CEO of Moorings Park, a nonprofit senior living organization with three campuses in Naples. He has been with the organization for nearly 20 years…
From the Corner OfficeCooking up brand loyalty and the power of storytelling with Eleni Gates
Eleni founded Gates Hospitality Group, which handles brand building, corporate communications, public relations and more for restaurants and other businesses…
From the Corner OfficeLeading to win and doing what you say with AG Lafley
AG Lafley is the former CEO of consumer products giant Procter & Gamble, where he ran the company for 15 years over two different tenures. Since retiring and…
From the Corner OfficeHow to go your own way — and do it with purpose — with Darla Bonk
Darla has more than 20 years of experience in everything from corporate sales and operations to leadership development. She currently runs Darla Bonk…
From the Corner OfficeBig swings and leading with a big heart with the Baltimore Orioles’ Jennifer Grondahl
Jennifer Grondahl has been with the Baltimore Orioles since 2018, splitting her time between Maryland and the team’s spring training home in Sarasota. Prior to…
From the Corner OfficeStarting companies from scratch the right way with Andrew Wright
Andrew Wright is the founder of three companies: Franklin Street, a full-service commercial real estate firm with more than $7 billion in transaction volume…
From the Corner OfficeTim Cartwright’s must-do's (and don’ts) when seeking capital for your startup
Tim is a go-to thought leader in investing in startups, entrepreneurship and related topics in both Southwest Florida and the entire Sunshine State. In…
From the Corner OfficeCooking up pasta and big business deals with Andy Cagnetta
Global business brokerage Transworld Business Advisors is based in South Florida, with a heavy presence on the west coast of the state. Andy Cagnetta, after…
From the Corner OfficeGetting to yes utilizing patience and purpose with real estate executive John Burpee
John Burpee has been in the Florida commercial real estate market for more than 30 years. He consults with national investment firms, financial institutions…
From the Corner OfficeHow Erin McLeod leads with humility, humor and a huge heart
Erin McLeod has worked in public relations, communications, consulting, health care, hospitality and the club industry. She’s been with the Senior Friendship…
From the Corner OfficeGrit, goals, and good valuations with Benchmark International’s Dara Shareef
Dara Shareef is the managing partner of Benchmark International, where he oversees the transaction team in the firm’s U.S. headquarters in Tampa. Benchmark…
From the Corner OfficeHope is not a strategy but good planning is with Sophia Shaw
Sophia Shaw has had many interesting roles, from leading the Chicago Botanical Garden, to being an Adjunct Professor at the Kellogg School of Management. After…
From the Corner OfficeHitting a home run in nonprofit leadership with Doug Staley
Doug is the executive director of the Child Protection Center of Sarasota, a nonprofit dedicated to prevention, intervention and treatment of child abuse. Doug…
From the Corner OfficeThree decades in real estate and still going strong with Bob Glaser
Bob has been president and CEO of Smith & Associates for some 30 years. The firm is one of the largest independent real estate brokerage firms in the Tampa Bay…
From the Corner OfficeSuccessfully mixing passion and purpose with Shep Englander
Shep has been CEO of the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee since 2021. He previously worked for Federations in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati; in Ohio he was…
From the Corner OfficeThe no jerk hiring policy and crafting a top homebuilding company with Ian Schmoyer
Ian Schmoyer has helped lead the homebuilding company he founded eight years ago, Christopher Alan Homes, to become both one of the largest privately-owned…