Driven: Unscripted Success

In this candid conversation, Lisa shares how each book takes about a year from idea to draft, why she’s a strict plotter, and how a daily word-count keeps her momentum. She contrasts TV forensics with real work—mostly fingerprints and reports—and traces her path from Cleveland’s coroner’s office to Cape Coral PD. Lisa also unpacks the publishing roller coaster: the early CSI boom, the “pub-pocalypse,” the rise of ebooks, and why marketing now matters more than ever. For aspiring writers and future crime-scene pros, she offers practical advice: intern, read the best in your genre, join critique groups, and be patient with your path to publication.
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Farah Laurent (RN, educator, entrepreneur) walks us through her journey from bedside nursing to leadership and business owner. After getting laid off—twice—she doubled down on personal branding, service-driven leadership, and consistent content creation. Farah now coaches new graduate nurses to break into competitive specialties with confidence, run standout interviews, and build careers they actually want. She also creates nurse-focused conferences, masterminds, and digital courses that make the jump to entrepreneurship feel doable and fun.
What You’ll Learn
How Farah turned doubt into fuel—and why mindset coaching is key for new nurses
The exact habits that move careers forward (hint: consistency beats intensity)
Servant leadership in action: creating psychological safety and “fun vibes” at work
Building a personal brand on LinkedIn without being “salesy”
Taking smart risks: launching a conference in weeks and self-publishing a book
New ways nurses are creating income: digital products, courses, partnerships, speaking
 
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.
 

In this heartfelt and inspiring episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Kari-Anne Spiller, founder and CEO of Surrender House, a sober living community that’s rewriting the rules of addiction recovery. Kari-Anne shares her deeply personal journey from addiction to action — starting the first female sober living house in Cape Coral, Florida, using her income tax return and unwavering faith.
Listeners will gain insight into what sets Surrender House apart from other treatment centers, how Kari-Anne balances compassion with accountability, and what it really takes to help someone rediscover their life after addiction. From daily routines and life skills training to encouraging clients to think outside the box, Kari-Anne offers a raw and real look into the heart of recovery.
She opens up about the emotional toll of leading people through transformation, the power of surrender, and how nurturing recovery requires patience, structure, and grace.
 
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

Dr. Albert Bramante—talent agent, professor, and author of Rise Above the Script—joins Mike to talk about standing out in an oversaturated acting market, why “type” and branding matter, and how relationships drive every career. He shares an eye-opening behind-the-scenes look at TV talk shows, the gap between on-camera personas and real people, and what the ratings game can do to guests.Albert opens up about burnout while juggling full-time teaching and agency work, losing a tenure-track role, and how that setback became a turning point. He explains his research on self-sabotage among performers, turning that dissertation into a book, and simple systems like time blocking to beat procrastination. We also dive into passive income ideas—from hypnosis audio libraries to online courses—and his next book on gaslighting at work, Untwisting the Truth, plus a new hybrid coaching mastermind.
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this powerful and insightful episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, Mike Mannino sits down with Martin Cody—a lifelong learner, healthcare veteran, and passionate student of philosophy and leadership.
From his early days in Chicago’s healthcare scene to his pivot into digital health and leadership coaching, Martin brings raw honesty and wisdom gained through real-life experiences. He opens up about the impact of self-chatter, the philosophy that changed his approach to adversity, and why being a "never-ending student" is his secret to continuous growth.
You’ll hear:
How stoicism and ancient wisdom shape modern leadership
Why failure is the best teacher
How to confront fear and embrace discomfort for growth
Martin’s surprising approach to passive income and giving value first
His next big goals—career, martial arts, and mastering golf in sunny Naples
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this episode of Driven: Unscripted Success, hosts Mike Mannino Sr. and Nareman Hamdan sit down with Josh Perez, founder of Naples Smart Home Watch. From his early days in the Bronx to Naples, Florida, Josh takes us through his journey across industries—from installing security systems and working in electrical trades to spending 20 years in pastoral ministry.
Josh shares how a background in technology, paired with a deep passion for serving people, led him to create Naples Smart Home Watch—a business that brings smart home tech and peace of mind together for homeowners.
He opens up about how the wireless revolution in home security changed the game, and how his workshops in gated communities are helping people understand the power and simplicity of smart home devices. You'll hear how Josh built his confidence through hands-on learning and what he would have done differently if he could go back in time.
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

Jonathan King shares his unconventional path as a founder, educator, and social entrepreneur. From launching King Creto Experience to teaching entrepreneurship at Florida Gulf Coast University, Jonathan gives us a masterclass in overcoming adversity, staying teachable, and building community through action.
Learn how martial arts, mindset, and mentorship all play a role in his unique journey. Jonathan gets candid about the challenges of being a gay, Black, Jewish entrepreneur and how he channels every part of his identity into driving real change. You’ll hear about his student successes, like the high schooler who started a sustainable pickleball recycling business, and his belief that confidence—not just strategy—is key to becoming an entrepreneur.
This conversation is packed with real talk, real stories, and real value.
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Kate Gress, a powerhouse chiropractor, entrepreneur, and real estate investor. With years of experience in both health and real estate, Kate shares how she transitioned from owning multiple chiropractic practices to running a growing real estate syndication business.
Kate breaks down how her wellness-focused approach to patient care laid the foundation for her success, and how her analytical mindset helps her take strategic risks in business. She opens up about burnout, pivoting industries, and her next big move—selling her clinic to go full-time into real estate.
Whether you're a chiropractor, an aspiring investor, or just someone chasing unscripted success, this episode delivers an honest look into building a career that evolves with your passions.
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this episode, Patrick Bishop, the passionate and driven co-founder of Reroute Americas, shares how a chance discovery of agave straws led him and his team to launch a fast-growing, sustainable packaging company. What started as a mission to reduce waste in the food and beverage space evolved into an AI-powered distribution platform that’s transforming inventory management for stadiums, resorts, restaurants, and beyond.
From landing major partnerships with pro sports teams to launching proprietary AI tools, Patrick walks us through how he and his team are scaling with intention—and sustainability at the core. You’ll hear how he overcame massive setbacks like Hurricane Ian, why failure was never an option, and what he sees as the future for tech in distribution.
--------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.

In this candid conversation with Mike Mannino and Nareman Hamdan, real estate entrepreneur Matthew Evan Teifke shares his extraordinary journey from learning the ropes of real estate under the influence of a hardworking single mom, to becoming one of the most determined multifamily investors in Texas.
Matt reveals the gritty truth about capital raising, what most investors get wrong during market shifts, and why now—not three years ago—is the best time to buy. He opens up about his biggest failure—losing $1 million in the cannabis industry—and how he bounced back stronger with renewed focus and discipline.
You’ll hear Matt’s perspective on:
The real competition in today’s market (hint: it’s not who you think)
How to build meaningful broker relationships that actually lead to deals
The danger of scarcity mindset in real estate
The importance of persistence, connection, and long-term thinking
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------- Be a Guest: Are you a successful Naples-area business owner, entrepreneur, or professional with insights to share? Apply to be a guest at Driven: Unscripted Success and share your expertise with a wide audience eager to learn about you.