This week’s episode of the En Factor is a special one that was recorded live at the Global Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) Conference in Tampa, Florida with one of the most successful pitchmen that there is. Today’s guest is Bob Circosta, who is well known for being the original Home Shopping Network host and playing a huge role in the foundation and rise of the multi-billion dollar home shopping industry. Bob’s illustrious career includes over 25,000 hours selling on live television presenting over 75,000 products leading to selling over $6 billion worth of product and merchandise. He also has spent much of his time mentoring entrepreneurs and businesses to optimize their pitch to best communicate their ideas and business to their audiences and ultimately increase their sales. Adding to his impact in the entrepreneurial community, Bob has authored a book, “Life’s A Pitch”, while also speaking and being featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal for the work he has accomplished. Joining host Dr. Rebecca White along with a live audience of students, educators, and entrepreneurs, Bob provides impactful and game-changing advice throughout this episode. You won’t want to miss a second of this inspiring conversation with topics including how to build and present your pitch, lessons on building confidence with your communication, Tom’s firsthand experience of the evolution of home shopping, and a live Q&A session at the end with questions coming from the audience!   Check out Bob’s book, “Life’s A Pitch”, and more from his website, here: https://www.bobcircosta.com/ Connect with Bob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/circostabob/   Join En Factor Plus, the #1 Source of Entrepreneurial Intelligence, here: https://drrebeccawhite.com/our-community/ Check out Dr. White’s book, “See, Do, Repeat”, and more from her website, here: https://drrebeccawhite.com/see-do-repeat/   Key Words - Sales, Entrepreneurial Mindset

This week’s special Thanksgiving episode of the En Factor features oncology nurse and book author Pamela Baptiste, who was a pleasure to have on the show. Pamela’s journey began on the Caribbean island of Trinidad where her hardworking and resilient mindset was built by the positive and inspiring influence of her parents. She always wanted to be a nurse growing up, as she was inspired by the compassion and care that she saw from other nurses at a young age. Her lifelong dream became a reality after moving to New York for nursing school and becoming a registered nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where she spent more than 20 years working. Continuously driven by her passion for not only dealing with patients’ symptoms and diseases, but also reinforcing their spirit and mindset, Pamela found her way to Tampa, Florida where she has been a RN for Moffit Cancer Center ever since. Throughout her professional journey and as you will hear throughout today’s episode, Pamela’s career and mission always has had gratitude, mentorship, and giving back at the forefront. These qualities and Pamela’s inspiring journey of building her career coming from another country and working tirelessly all while raising her daughter led her to wanting to inspire and fuel the fire for other nurses that are on their own journeys. And one of the results of her philanthropic mindset was becoming an author and publishing her own book, The Flame Within, written to encourage and help guide aspiring and practicing nurses on their journeys. You won’t want to miss a moment of Pamela’s amazing story and impactful advice, as she and Dr. Rebecca White dig into topics of conversation including how her upbringing in Trinidad shaped her mission and mindset, technological factors that are driving more nurses to become entrepreneurial, and the importance of gratitude and giving back to others and your community. Connect with Pamela on LinkedIn here! https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-baptiste-msn-rn-ocn-575986161/ Check out Pamela’s book, The Flame Within, on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/Flame-Within-Channels-Nursing-Passion-ebook/dp/B0CW1HM1B7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=FBMU1Q6KWYBA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3rb1k7_bxZe3AScpwT4mZL-2SQ_eP16CQJNbkCZkuno.h4D-SBHnmSGTOR1LlZcO4jmMO9pylx_6tHkU5qWYrVE&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+flame+within+pamela+baptiste&qid=1764116720&sprefix=the+flame+within+pamela+baptiste%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-1  Key Words - Healthcare, Gratitude

On this week’s episode of the En Factor, we are excited to be joined by celebrated Canadian artist and creative business mentor, Tim Packer. Tim had a lifelong dream of making a living off of his artwork, but had given up on himself after only a few years of not being satisfied with his talent and potential as an artist after college. He left his dream to join the police force for nearly 20 years, but it was an introduction to the concept of a growth mindset when everything changed for Tim. Tim began pursuing his passion for art again in 1997 while remaining in the police force as a detective for a few more years before leaving law enforcement to live out his dream and build out his art business, Tim Packer Fine Arts. And it wasn’t long until Tim’s paintings were being featured in and winning awards at all sorts of different art shows across North America.  Tim Found found lots of success through his work, but also expanded his revenue stream by opening his own online store and growing into social media and selling directly to consumers. But after some time, Tim’s mission grew into the desire to help other aspiring artists achieve the same success he did, but also helping a create smoother path for them to get there. This led him to starting a Youtube channel for artists, as well as opening the Tim Packer Art Academy as a way to further give back to other artists pursuing their creative careers. You don’t have to be artist to tune in and join us for this enlightening and motivating episode with Tim, as he and Dr. Rebecca White dive into topics of conversation including the importance of the word “yet” and having a growth mindset, the decisions behind Tim’s journey from art to law enforcement and back to art, and Tim’s advice for listeners on recognizing opportunities and finding your true passion. You won’t want to miss a moment of Tim’s incredible story and advice! Key Words - Arts Entrepreneurship, Career Transitions

In this episode of the En Factor, we are excited to welcome Leslie Hassler, founder of Your Biz Rules, to the show. Leslie’s journey to Your Biz Rules was not very linear, as she spent years working at an advertising agency before starting her first business, a residential design and construction company. After some time with this venture and realizing that what she was doing wasn’t fulfilling to her, she pivoted into Your Biz Rules, which is where she used her passion for coaching and consulting other small business owners to help them scale their businesses. Through sharpening their entrepreneurial mindset and discovering the deepest understanding of themselves, combined with professional fractional C suite and consulting services, Leslie’s team treats each client uniquely and helps them best align their personal strengths and superpowers with the goals of their business to achieve success in a way that’s fulfilling to the business owner. Tune in and join Leslie and Dr. Rebecca White as you won’t want to miss a moment of the amazing energy throughout this conversation with the two diving into topics including Leslie’s mindset about giving up responsibility and confidently building a team around you, advice for scaling as a small business and as a service business, and how to view uncertainty as a constant and not as a fearful roadblock to your success. Leslie also kindly provided a special, custom link specifically for En Factor listeners to visit on her website! If you enjoy today’s conversation and would like to connect with Leslie and Your Biz Rules, we would love for you to visit https://www.yourbizrules.com/enfactor/ . Key Words - Scaling Companies, Entrepreneurial Mindset

This week’s episode of the En Factor features Whitney Dueñas Richardson, who is the founder of Global Sprouts. Whitney’s journey is a very inspiring one, where she grew up in Guam before her family moved to the United States while she was in high school, when she was struck by the low level of cultural awareness in the United States. But it was when Whitney saw this same disconnect in her own daughter, she knew she had to do something to educate the future generation about being culturally aware, curious, and understanding. These experiences combined with her constant traveling around the world have resulted in Whitney starting Global Sprouts, which are culturally themed learning kits based off of different cultures around the world that allow families and educators to immerse the younger generation in other cultures. Through resources and activities including board games, toys, children’s stories, recipes and more, Global Sprouts’ boxes instantly immerse and educate children on other people, places, and cultures all around the world. Tune and in join Whitney and Dr. Rebecca White for this insightful and impactful conversation as they uncover topics including how Whitney’s childhood and heritage shaped her identity and approach to life, the value of experiencing and immersing yourself into other people’s cultures, and how being fearless and open-minded can open so many new doors and opportunities for you as an entrepreneur. Key Words - Cultural Awareness, Women In Entrepreneurship

In this episode of the En Factor, we are excited to be joined by James Brown, an experienced entrepreneur with vast law, business development, and consulting experience who is currently the founder of Business Accelerator Institute and Perseverance Squared. With these two businesses, James provides coaching services including consulting, business development and growth, and marketing for professional service businesses including law firms, sales and marketing agencies, and much more, helping over 450 business owners successfully grow and expand their business since 2018 alone. James didn’t plan to go down this path, however, as he went to undergraduate and law school while working during the day at General Motors for over a decade, before applying to hundreds of law firms when the plant he worked at closed. When he wasn’t getting any responses from law firms and needed to continue making an income to support him and his family, he ventured out on his own, starting his own law practice which became very successful before selling it after 20 years to pursue coaching, and his goal of simply wanting to help other people with their businesses so that they can help even more people. Tune in and join us for this amazing conversation with James Brown and Dr. Rebecca White, as we uncover stories and topics including James’ desire to transition into coaching and consulting and away from practicing law, the 7 essential parts of a business that are in every successful business venture, and how a childhood of constantly experiencing imposter syndrome fueled the fire for his unbelievable work ethic. James has also set up a personalized link for En Factor listeners if you would like to connect with him and learn more about Business Accelerator Institute. We would love for you to check James' web page out in addition to tuning into his conversation with Dr. White!  Connect with James below: https://businessaccelerator.institute/enfactor/ Key Words - Entrepreneurial Mindset, Coaching

In this newest episode of the En Factor we welcome Sara Beal, who is the founder of One Step Closer to Healing. Sara is an autonomous nurse practitioner with dual certifications in adult primary care and psychiatry who runs her business as a solo entrepreneur but didn’t plan on being an entrepreneur from the start. Beginning her healthcare career in psychiatry, she fell in love with the field and stayed in it for a few years before wanting more autonomy and transitioning to start One Step Closer to Healing, where she felt she could apply her own style of approaching and interpreting care to best serve and treat her clientele. Sara started her own practice led by her very own courage, curiosity, and commitment where she felt she could best see the humanity behind her clients’ symptoms, while also normalizing mental health symptoms and leaving the labels behind. You won’t want to miss a moment of this enlightening conversation with Sara, as she and Dr. Rebecca White reflect on topics including the importance and need for more empathy and compassion in psychiatry, Sara’s perspective on mental health and how our listeners should view it, and the experience and challenges of transitioning yourself into entrepreneurship and being a business owner. Tune in and join us for this amazing discussion with Sara Beal! Key Words - Healthcare, Mental Health Awareness

In this episode of the En Factor, we are thrilled to be joined by autonomous nurse practitioner and entrepreneur, Patricia Delgado. Patricia has been in the healthcare industry throughout all of her career, starting out in larger hospitals before transitioning to start her own practice, Sunrise Skin and Wellness to pursue her mission of providing holistic healthcare the way she believes it should be. A complete focus on the patients and not on the tedious administrative procedures and protocols of larger hospitals and healthcare centers. Patricia’s practice primarily deals with patients with medical skin care issues, but also provides services for primary care, weight loss, and general wellness. Patricia is also the founder of her own nonprofit, Sunrise NPPA Derm, that helps bring together nurse practitioners and physician assistants as a community, helping them learn and develop in their professions while also working to instill and maintain their values as healthcare professionals. Join us and tune into this amazing conversation with Patricia and Dr. Rebecca White as Patricia uncovers her journey of transitioning from a nurse to a nurse and an entrepreneur, the challenges and hurdles she experienced while working in larger healthcare organizations, the meaning and importance of truly holistic healthcare, and so much more! Key Words - Healthcare, Transformative Entrepreneurship

This week’s episode of the En Factor features serial entrepreneur Mike Magee, who is currently the founder of LoCo Tampa Bay, which is a local office catering marketplace that works with local Tampa Bay restaurants to cater to office and workplace meetings while increasing restaurants’ catering revenues. Think of it like an Uber Eats or a DoorDash for office meetings, where Mike and LoCo promote different local catering options to local businesses, and then also deliver the food to the meeting for the restaurant. The key difference about LoCo Tampa Bay is that half of their profits are going straight back to the Tampa Bay community, including giving back to the restaurants they partner with, the referrals that help bring them business, and donating to the Florida Cancer Specialist Foundation Charity. Tune into this episode with Mike and Dr. Rebecca White as Mike has extensive experience as a business owner and provides many valuable lessons on failure and what it means to be able to persevere through setbacks as an entrepreneur. This episode also explores topics including the importance of goal setting and sales experience as an entrepreneur, mentorship and building a team around you, and the value of being able to have empathy for and an understanding of every part of your business. Key Words - Social Entrepreneurship, Resilience

In this episode of the En Factor, we are joined by serial entrepreneur Xavier Serrano, who is now the founder and CEO of Marqi Medical. After spending over two decades in the insurance world, Xavier transitioned out of his previous venture to revolutionize preventive healthcare with Marqi. Using resources like artificial intelligence, advanced testing and diagnostics, and personalized coaching, Xavier and his team have developed a personalized predictive healthcare platform that works to identify and prevent significant illnesses and diseases before they truly become significant.  In this conversation, Xavier and Dr. Rebecca White take a deep dive into a variety of topics including Xavier’s journey from insurance to starting his own holistic healthcare platform, navigating and managing the many relationships and moving parts involved in leading Marqi Medical, and the importance of prioritizing your own personal health as an entrepreneur. Tune in as you won’t want to miss a second of Xavier’s incredible journey, insights and advice! Key Words - Healthcare Innovation, Technology Entrepreneurship

In this episode of the En Factor, we are thrilled to be joined by Jake Colognesi, who is the founder of Mamba Growth Equity. Jake has spent numerous years as an investor and analyst in the technology space, working for firms like Fidelity Ventures, Volition Capital and Sageview Capital before he started his own growth equity firm, Mamba, just one year ago back in 2024. Jake has retained his focus on the technology world since Mamba’s founding, investing in B2B software companies in their earlier stages and providing these entrepreneurs with focused and valuable strategic and financial advice and expertise. Jake’s leadership experience goes beyond being a founder, as he also has spent over a decade as a board member for numerous different companies around the United States and Canada.  You won’t want to miss out on this episode filled with meaningful and thoughtful insights and advice as Jake and Dr. Rebecca White dive into conversations such as Jake’s professional journey and the start of his entrepreneurial journey, funding advice for early stage entrepreneurs, and best practices for building and operating successfully as a board.  Key Words - Funding, Investor

In this newest episode of the En Factor, we are thrilled to be joined by Tampa native Lauren Fernandez, who is the Tampa Bay Market Executive of the Bank of Central Florida. Lauren has extensive experience within the banking world, as she started her career in banking right out of college, working across countless different industries and with all sorts of different businesses and entrepreneurs. Throughout today’s conversation, Lauren and Dr. Rebecca White take a deep dive into the world of banking and continuously emphasize the importance of preparation, organization, and understanding the impacts that financing can have on your business in order to increase the bankability of your business. No matter what stage you are at as an entrepreneur and business, you will want to tune in to this episode filled with advice and positive practices relating to the necessity of building mutual relationships with trusted advisors, the significance of structured business plans and models with clear goals, and the risks that can potentially hurt you and your business by not staying organized and consistently planning. Key Words - Banking, Finance

This newest episode of the En Factor features entrepreneur Jason Brown, who is the founder and CEO of Deliveri. Jason’s entrepreneurial passion was sparked when he returned to school to earn his MBA after spending working in telecommunications for over a decade and led him to beginning his venture, Deliveri. Jason and Deliveri are working to become the first choice for finding a logistics tech stack for the next generation of consumer brands in the United States and Latin America looking to ship their products internationally. With now over 30 million small businesses in the United States alone, Deliveri focuses on servicing smaller, earlier stage businesses who don’t have access or leverage to key logistics resources such as lower shipping costs like a larger, more developed company would.  Join us for this amazing episode where Jason and Dr. Rebecca White discuss the changing landscape of logistics and shipping internationally, Jason’s transition from corporate to entrepreneurship, the importance of using the shipping and transportation experience as a brand building experience, and much more! Key Words - Logistics, Technology Entrepreneurship

In this episode of the En Factor, we are thrilled to be joined by Dr. Marissa Kaloga, recording this episode at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dr. Kaloga joins us all the way from New Zealand, where is she is the Hynds Lecturer of Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland Business School.  Dr. Kaloga has been a scholar throughout her life as she led numerous initiatives and studies in order to explore and one day realize a future where entrepreneurial ecosystems are equitable, sustainable, and vibrant. Her research has brought her to many different places since completing her education at Franklin University and The Ohio State University in the United States including the University of Pennsylvania, Université Général Lansana Conté – Sonfonia, the University of Otago School of Social Sciences, and now the University of Auckland. Dr. Kaloga is also the chairperson and co-founder of the Social Work Innovation Network (SWIN), and board member of the International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD). Tune and join for this special episode live from Indianapolis as Dr. Rebecca White and Dr. Kaloga dive into her research around socially inclusive entrepreneurship, her professional journey from Michigan to New Zealand, and the unique entrepreneurial landscapes that she has been involved with outside of the United States!  Key Words - Entrepreneurship Education, Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Founder and CEO Danielle Rushton joins us for this inspirational of the En Factor, as she discusses her journey of creating and leading her company Wherewithal, a brand new approach at reinventing the ordinary bra with adjustable features and personalized sizing through a single product. In this episode, Danielle discusses the challenges of entering a busy market with innovation and perseverance, as well as her story of tackling a personal problem and transforming it into a feeling of empowerment to help others. By creating a community and taking advantage of her resources, Danielle reveals how she achieved success in her product development, marketing, and sales while overcoming numerous obstacles along the way. Join us and tune in as you won’t want to miss a second of Danielle’s emotional and inspirational entrepreneurial journey with Wherewithal! Key Words - Passion, Product Development

In this episode of the En Factor, we are thrilled to be joined by Dr. Cori Lathan, who is a neuroscientist and serial entrepreneur with vast experience in the medical field as well as the author of a best-selling book Inventing The Future, Stories From a Techno-Optimist. Cori’s entrepreneurial journey includes extensive involvement in improving healthcare and its availability through technological innovations involving robotics, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality. Cori also has extensive board experience with a variety of profit and nonprofit organizations including AnthroTronix, PTC Inc., the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, Engineers Without Borders and more. Join us for an exciting and inspiring episode of the En Factor as we dive into Cori’s entrepreneurial journey and her experience with developing countless innovative healthcare products, focusing on problems and turning them into opportunities, and the importance of adaptability especially as it pertains to her vast experience with managing the product life cycle and technology! Key Words - Technology Entrepreneurship, Product Development

In this newest episode of the En Factor, we are thrilled to welcome Jackie Hernandez as our guest. Jackie is the Founder and CEO of New Majority Ready, which provides marketing consulting services to companies that allow them to better engage with the younger generations that are Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha. These generations combine to make up the largest demographic segment in all of the United States, now representing over half of America’s population, and behave differently than past generations requiring companies to adapt and shift their strategies to better resonate and align with these growing generations. Jackie and New Majority Ready enable companies to be better prepared to connect with this new majority of the US population through a deep understanding of these consumers and audiences, as well as cultural and social trends that impact the behaviors of this demographic. Beyond New Majority Ready, Jackie has vast leadership and board experience with Fortune 500 companies as well as investor-backed startups including MediaCo Holding, NBCUniversal Hispanic, and Victoria’s Secret. Jackie has established herself as a proven leader within brand building and business growth as she has been named among FORTUNE's Most Powerful Latinas, The Hollywood Reporter's Power 100 Women in Entertainment, and Advertising Age's 100 Most Influential Women in Advertising. She is also working on writing a new book focused on Gen Z while reflecting on her journey with New Majority Ready. Join us for this amazing episode with Jackie as she we discuss her entrepreneurial journey with New Majority Ready, consumer insights and trends pertaining to Millenials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, as well as the role that resilience and innovation plays in responding to change and adapting your business! Key Words- Marketing, Consulting

In this newest episode of the En Factor we welcome Vincent Lanci, who is the founder of Coming Alive Podcast Production. Vincent joins Dr. White at The University of Tampa in front of a live student audience to discuss his journey as a student at UTampa, to experiencing a traumatic, life-threatening injury that led him to starting his own venture through book authoring and podcast production. Vincent’s story is the ultimate message of being resilient and responding to setbacks as his journey is truly an inspiration to anyone looking to build their own path to success and trusting your own process. Along with his extensive experience in ghostwriting and producing and managing podcasts for his clients, Vincent also started his own entrepreneurship centered podcast, That Entrepreneur Show, which began back in 2019 and has led him to starting other podcasts related to mental health, authoring, and podcast production. Vincent will also be sharing this episode on That Entrepreneur Show as well! You will not want to miss a moment of this special episode of Vincent’s emotional and inspiring journey as he and Dr. White dive into topics including strategies to starting your own podcast, building a team around you, the value of consistently networking and connecting with others, and so much more! Dr. White and Vincent also turn to the live audience of students to accept and answer questions towards the end of the episode. Key Words - Resilience, Podcaster

This week’s inspiring episode on the En Factor features Johnny Crowder, who is the founder and CEO of Cope Notes. Johnny joins Dr. Rebecca White at The University of Tampa in front of a live audience of students for the recording of this special episode. Johnny’s venture, Cope Notes, is an online mental health platform that sends one text message at a random time every day that is scientifically proven to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression, as well as increase emotional intelligence, resilience, and coping skills. These messages come in the form of psychology facts, journaling prompts, and exercises that are created and developed by real people that have experienced overcoming mental health challenges in the past. Johnny and Cope Notes have expanded their outreach tremendously since launching in 2018 as Cope Notes now provides mental and emotional health support for organizations, families, youth, and adults in nearly 100 countries around the world. Beyond his venture, Johnny is an expert and advocate for mental health in other forms including having more than a decade of clinical treatment experience and more than a decade of peer support and public advocacy experience through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Johnny has also spoken about the subject of mental health at TEDx events, corporate retreats, and conference keynotes and is a touring metal musician on top of all of the advocacy and support that he has provided to millions of people. In this episode, Dr. White and Johnny discuss his journey of starting Cope Notes and how it evolved into the platform it is today, the value of thinking optimistically while still balancing a sense of realism, and the importance of resilience and adaptability in your entrepreneurial journey. Dr. White and Johnny also turn to the audience to accept questions from the students towards the end of the episode. Key Words: Entrepreneurial Mindset, Success Mindset

In this newest episode of the En Factor, we are absolutely thrilled to be joined by Joanna Penn, a long time author, podcaster, and international professional speaker! Joanna joins us from the United Kingdom, where she has written a wide variety of genres over her career from nonfiction providing guidance and advice surrounding authoring and self-publishing, to fictional thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoirs under the name J.F. Penn. Since transitioning out of an IT consultant job to begin writing nearly twenty years ago, Joanna has been recognized by the New York Times and USA Today as a bestselling author for her work. Joanna also joins us from the podcasting realm as she is one of the early adopters of connecting with an audience with a podcast through The Creative Penn Podcast, with hundreds of episodes dating back to 2009.  Discussing the topics of authoring and the business surrounding being an author, Joanna is recognized as one of the top 1% of podcasters in the world, and has developed The Creative Penn into a successful business along with her own online community to connect with her audience even further. Joanna has also spoken at numerous events about the authoring space travelling to events all over the world, as well as virtual conferences and workshops. Having followed Joanna and her work for a long time, this episode was a very special one to record and one you will not want to miss a second of! Join us to learn more about Joanna’s entrepreneurial journey, and how she chose herself to pursue her passion of authoring, as well as how she leveraged her knowledge and experience to create numerous valuable assets and build a successful business! Key Words - Women in Entrepreneurship, Author