In a world full of noise, the brands that stand out are the ones that speak to the heart.
This week’s Marketing With Purpose Kit from The Bliss Business Podcast features one of the most influential storytellers in franchising: Martha O’Gorman, Chief Marketing Officer at Loyalty Brands.
With more than three decades shaping national brands and guiding entrepreneurs, Martha has built a career on marketing that is both strategic and deeply human.
As a Certified Franchise Executive and active member of the International Franchise Association’s Marketing and Innovation Committee, Martha helps shape the future of storytelling across the entire franchise sector.
From tax prep and mobile pet grooming to roofing, accounting, and home services, she turns complex ideas into emotional, compelling narratives that elevate brands and empower business owners.
🎙️ Hosted by Michele Brasfield
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
💡 In this episode, we explore:
• Why empathy and purpose belong at the center of every marketing strategy
• How storytelling can transform both emerging brands and established franchises
• What 30+ years of brand building taught Martha about clarity, connection, and trust
• The surprising leadership wisdom we learn from animals and how Martha’s dog Penny inspires her daily
🎧 Join us for a warm, insightful conversation on building businesses that matter and stories that stay with people long after the moment has passed.
Emotional intelligence is often called a “soft skill,” yet research shows it can account for more than half of job performance in many roles and is one of the strongest predictors of effective leadership.
At the same time, many employees still experience leaders who are distant, reactive, or purely numbers driven. The gap between what people need and how leaders show up has never been more visible.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with franchise leader Jania Bailey of FranNet to explore how emotional intelligence becomes a real business advantage in franchising and beyond.
Jania shares powerful insights on:
• How emotional intelligence changes the way leaders make decisions under pressure
• Balancing hard business realities with empathy for franchisees and aspiring owners
• Systems and practices that embed EQ into daily conversations and tough calls
• Why love, care, and respect are non negotiable when people are making life changing business decisions
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
Emotional intelligence is not about being soft. It is about leading with enough self awareness, empathy, and courage to get to the truth and still keep people whole.
Only 19% of executives believe they have the right culture in place, even though 94% agree it’s critical to business success (Deloitte, 2024).
Culture isn’t built through policy. It’s built through people, through shared purpose, trust, and community.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with Paul Flick, Founder and CEO of Premium Service Brands, to explore what it really takes to build connection and belonging across a growing franchise network.
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
🧭 In this episode, we explore:
• How systems and culture drive belonging across multi-location brands
• The role of emotional intelligence in sustainable leadership
• Why purpose is the foundation of connection
• How trust and love translate into measurable business performance
🎧 Tune in to discover how connection can be your company’s greatest competitive advantage.
Empathy gets talked about a lot in leadership, but too often it stays at the level of slogans.
Many employees still experience leaders who are distant, reactive, or purely numbers driven, even as research shows that empathetic leadership drives higher engagement, innovation, and loyalty.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with Teresa Johnson, CEO of Color Me Mine, to explore what empathy in leadership looks like in the real world of franchise studios, frontline staff, and community based businesses.
Teresa shares powerful insights on:
• How to practice empathy without lowering standards or avoiding hard conversations
• The systems and rituals that help empathy show up across an entire franchise network
• Why purpose matters when you are leading creatives, entrepreneurs, and local communities
• What it means to bring love into business in practical, everyday ways
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
Empathy is not a soft extra. It is a core leadership practice that changes how people feel, perform, and stay.
#TheBlissBusinessPodcast #Leadership #EmpathyInBusiness #Culture
We have access to fast transactions and endless options, but people are craving something deeper from the brands they choose.
Recent workplace surveys show that most employees and customers want to feel part of a real community, not just another number in a system.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with Heather Neary, President and CEO of Taco John’s, to explore what it really means to build community and connection in business.
Heather shares powerful insights on:
• How to turn everyday customer interactions into moments of genuine connection
• The systems and rituals that help restaurant teams feel like a true community
• Balancing growth, performance, and people in a fast paced industry
• Practical ways leaders can show care, empathy, and love in day to day decisions
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
Business is not just about what you serve. It is about how people feel when they are with you.
Today the “future of work” often sounds like a buzzword, because most people are still living with outdated models.
Recent research from McKinsey shows that a little over half of workers prefer remote or flexible arrangements, and flexible work models are now one of the top reasons people change jobs.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with Alex Filipuk, CEO and Founder of Ideal Siding, to explore what truly innovative work models look like in a hands-on, franchise driven industry.
Alex shares powerful insights on:
• How to rethink work models beyond tech and office based roles
• The systems that keep distributed teams aligned, accountable, and empowered
• Why purpose matters when you are redesigning how people work and grow
• Practical ways to make work more human without sacrificing performance
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
The future of work is not just about where people sit. It is about how we design work so that businesses thrive and people do too.
In an era of polished ads and AI-generated content, consumers crave one thing above all: authentic connection.
In this week’s Marketing With Purpose Kit from The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Darren Keeler, VP of Marketing & Creative at Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar. Since 2019, Darren has been the creative captain behind the Shack’s genuine, fun-loving brand — blending coastal culture, crave-worthy food, and heartfelt storytelling to fuel growth across the fast-expanding Shack fleet.
From hyper-local partnerships and community-powered events to philanthropic initiatives, Darren shows how purpose and empathy can drive both loyalty and good vibes — proving that marketing rooted in humanity wins every time.
🎙️ Hosted by Tullio Siragusa
🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta
💡 In this episode, we explore:
• Why empathy is marketing’s most powerful differentiator
• How to blend purpose and personality to create an authentic brand
• Lessons from turning community connection into business growth
• The art of storytelling that feels real — and gets results
🎧 Tune in for a conversation that’s equal parts inspiring, insightful, and full of coastal charm.
In a business world obsessed with quarterly results, too many leaders still treat purpose as optional instead of essential. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report shows that only about one in four employees strongly agree their organization cares about their wellbeing.
At the same time, long term studies on purpose driven and stakeholder oriented companies, such as Firms of Endearment, show that businesses that put people and purpose at the center can dramatically outperform the market over many years.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with Shane Jackson, President of Jackson Healthcare, to explore what conscious capitalism looks like when it is actually lived out in a large, complex organization.
Shane shares powerful insights on:
• How to redefine success beyond profit while still driving strong performance
• The systems that keep culture, values, and wellbeing at the center of the business
• Why leadership is about stewardship, not status, and how that shapes decisions
• How love, care, and community impact translate into real business outcomes
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
Profit is important, but it is not the whole story. The future belongs to leaders who are brave enough to build businesses that truly improve the lives they touch.
Ninety percent of top performers share one thing in common: emotional intelligence. Yet many organizations still focus on technical skills over the human skills that drive trust, retention, and growth.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with Jennifer Lemcke, CEO of Weed Man, to explore how emotional intelligence transforms leadership, culture, and the bottom line.
Jennifer shares her insights on:
• The link between empathy and franchise success
• How emotional intelligence scales culture across hundreds of locations
• What leaders can do to strengthen trust and engagement
• Why purpose and care create the foundation for growth
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
Emotional intelligence is not just a skill. It’s a strategy for lasting success.
According to Gartner, companies with strong marketing–sales alignment can see up to a 208% increase in marketing revenue contribution. Yet many organizations still treat marketing as a cost center instead of a strategic growth driver.
In this week’s Marketing With Purpose Kit from The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Jennifer Sullivan, Fractional Chief Growth Officer at Hollywood Dialect Coach. Jennifer brings nearly two decades of experience driving profitable growth and transformation across finance, SaaS, entertainment, media, and technology. Known for her rare combination of financial rigor, creative vision, and executive alignment, she shares how turning marketing into a true revenue engine requires the right balance of data, creativity, and strategy.
PST 🎙️ Hosted by Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta
🧭 In this episode, we cover:
• How to transform marketing from support function to growth driver
• Why revenue alignment begins with shared vision and metrics
• Practical strategies for integrating marketing, sales, and finance
• Real-world insights on leveraging AI and creativity to fuel business results
🎧 Whether you’re leading a startup, scaling a franchise, or guiding a corporate brand, this conversation will help you unlock the full growth potential of marketing.
In a world obsessed with productivity, many leaders overlook the one factor that drives it all: connection.
A recent Deloitte study found that 74% of employees want more flexibility and meaning in how they work. Yet too many companies still design systems for control instead of trust.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with Patrick Cowden, CRO and Architect of Warmspace, to explore what it takes to build human-centered work models for the future.
Patrick shares powerful insights on:
• Why trust, not technology, defines the future of work
• How emotionally intelligent leaders build stronger teams
• The systems that create real connection in hybrid and digital workplaces
• Why love and purpose are essential to performance
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
The future of work isn’t just about innovation. It’s about remembering what makes us human.
According to Harvard Business Review, purpose-driven companies outperform competitors by 42 percent in profitability and retention.
Yet too often, leaders treat profit as the goal instead of the result of meaningful, people-centered business.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we explore what Conscious Capitalism looks like in practice, where purpose and profit grow together.
Our guest, Neal Courtney, CEO of Cookie Cutters, joins us to share how leading with heart, joy, and purpose creates loyal teams, happy customers, and sustainable business growth.
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
🧭 In this episode, we explore:
• How Conscious Capitalism transforms culture and profit
• The role of love and empathy in sustainable leadership
• What it takes to balance play, purpose, and performance
• Why joy is a strategic advantage in business
Love and purpose are not opposites of profit, they are the foundation of it.
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 Katherine LeBlanc, SVP of Marketing at 4Ever Young Anti-Aging Solutions.
Katherine is a dynamic marketing leader with over 20 years of experience in franchising across industries including food, experiential, and health & beauty brands. She shares how breaking down silos between IT, Operations, and Marketing can unlock innovation, drive growth, and create purpose-driven impact.
🎙️ Hosted by Michelle Brasfield
🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta
🧭 In this episode, we cover:
• Why silos persist and the hidden costs they create
• How shared purpose aligns marketing, operations, and technology
• Practical steps to foster collaboration and creativity across teams
• Real-world insights on driving growth through cross-functional unity
🎧 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.
Only 33 percent of employees strongly agree they feel connected to their company’s mission (Gallup, 2024).
That lack of connection impacts everything from engagement to innovation.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we explore how community and connection can transform not only workplace culture but also business performance.
Our guest, Mark Van Wye, CEO of Zoom Room, joins us to discuss how purpose, empathy, and relationships can become a company’s greatest growth engine.
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
🧭 In this episode, we explore:
• How purpose drives connection across franchise systems
• Why empathy and emotional intelligence improve performance
• The ROI of community-driven business models
• What leading with love looks like in practice
This episode reminds us that connection is not a soft skill. It is the foundation of scalable, sustainable success.
Only 31 percent of employees strongly agree that their company cares about their well-being (Gallup, 2024). That’s not just a people problem, it’s a business problem.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with Brian Kellerman, CEO at GoGather, to explore how intentional connection transforms company culture, leadership, and performance.
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
🧭 In this episode, we explore:
• How connection and belonging drive business performance
• Systems that help scale emotional connection across organizations
• The link between purpose and community in building lasting culture
• Why love, care, and empathy are the strongest leadership tools in business today
🎧 Connection isn’t built by accident, it’s designed by leaders who care.
According to McKinsey, 70% of consumers say their sense of connection to a brand influences their purchasing decisions. Yet many companies still overlook the importance of empathy and purpose in shaping authentic marketing strategies that truly resonate.
In this week’s Marketing With Purpose Kit from The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Stephen Sakach, Founder and CEO of Zero Company and aiCMO. Stephen brings over two decades of experience helping brands grow through data-driven marketing, AI innovation, and purpose-led leadership. He shares how bringing empathy and intention into marketing strategies creates stronger alignment between technology, teams, and customers.
🎙️ Hosted by Michelle Brasfield
🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta
🧭 In this episode, we cover:
• How purpose fuels meaningful customer engagement
• Why empathy is key to effective marketing leadership
• Practical ways to balance AI, data, and human connection
• Real-world insights from decades of purpose-driven innovation
🎧 Whether you’re leading a startup, scaling a franchise, or guiding a corporate team, this conversation will inspire you to bring purpose and empathy to the heart of your marketing and leadership.
Only 32% of employees believe their company truly lives its stated values (Deloitte, 2024). That gap between words and actions is where trust is lost — and where conscious capitalism steps in.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we sit down with Rachel Fine Wilson, Founder and CEO of Gigglewaters, to explore how values-driven leadership and authentic connection can transform a business from profitable to purposeful.
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
In this episode, we explore:
• What conscious capitalism looks like inside a fast-growing hospitality brand
• How to scale culture and care without losing authenticity
• Why purpose and profit are not opposites, but partners in progress
• How empathy and emotional intelligence drive sustainable success
• What “love in leadership” really means in the world of franchising
This episode will challenge how you think about business, purpose, and growth.
A recent Deloitte study revealed that purpose-driven brands are 50% more likely to inspire customer loyalty and long-term growth. Yet many organizations still view marketing as a transaction rather than a tool for connection, empathy, and shared values.
In this week’s Marketing With Purpose Kit from The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Julie Green, Vice President of Marketing for Heights Wellness Retreat. Julie leads marketing initiatives for a fast-growing wellness brand and shares how aligning marketing with purpose and empathy can create meaningful connections with customers while driving brand growth.
PDT 🎙️ Hosted by Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta
🧭 In this episode, we cover:
• How empathy and purpose elevate brand storytelling
• Why authentic connection drives customer loyalty
• Practical ways to align brand strategy with human values
• Real-world insights from purpose-driven marketing in action
🎧 Whether you’re leading a startup, scaling a franchise, or steering a corporate team, this conversation will inspire you to bring more purpose and empathy into every aspect of your marketing.
Research from Harvard Business Review shows that 90% of top performers possess high emotional intelligence. Yet many organizations still prioritize technical skills over emotional skills when developing leaders.
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Kim Daly, Founder and CEO of The Zee Suite. Kim is a nationally recognized franchise consultant, business coach, and one of the top-producing advisors with FranChoice.
With over two decades of experience and nearly 1,000 franchisees created through her consulting work, Kim has become a trusted voice on entrepreneurship, leadership culture, and franchise development strategy.
Her journey from fitness entrepreneur and dot-com founder to performance coach offers a unique perspective on how emotional intelligence fuels business success, resilience, and freedom.
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Tullio Siragusa
🧭 In this episode, we explore:
• How emotional intelligence influences franchise success and leadership impact
• Ways to build systems that foster emotional growth without sacrificing performance
• The link between purpose, authenticity, and business alignment
• How love and empathy create lasting trust in leadership and customer relationships
🎧 Emotional intelligence is not a soft skill, it is the foundation of effective leadership.
According to Harvard Business Review, purpose-driven brands outperform the market by 42%—yet many organizations still struggle to infuse genuine empathy and meaning into their marketing.
The key lies in understanding that purpose isn’t just a message—it’s a mindset that guides every interaction and decision.
In this week’s Marketing With Purpose Kit from The Bliss Business Podcast, we’re joined by Ash Maher, Chief Marketing Officer at Falcon Wealth Planning. Ash brings extensive experience in growth strategy, financial marketing, and leadership across competitive industries.
With a proven track record of driving 1,000% revenue growth and leading award-winning campaigns, he shares how integrating purpose and empathy can elevate brand trust, engagement, and long-term success.
🎙️ Hosted by Mike Liwski
🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta
🧭 In this episode, we cover:
• How empathy transforms marketing from transactional to meaningful
• Why purpose is the foundation for sustainable growth
• Practical ways to connect authentic values with business outcomes
• Real-world examples of purpose-driven leadership in action
🎧 Whether you’re leading a startup, scaling a franchise, or guiding a corporate team, this conversation will help you bring purpose and empathy to the heart of your marketing strategy.