In Reality: Lessons from Leaders and Entrepreneurs

Leading by Example

In today’s episode, our host John Rebecchi,Ph.D. (M.B.A. ’83) chats with Dan Rodenbush, President and CEO of Oliver, Inc. Dan emphasizes on the significance of transparency powered by strong core value to ensure business success. With Dan’s multifaceted background, he led Oliver, Inc into an industry powerhouse in providing premier packaging and printing solutions. The culture of a company cultivates organically by the core value of the business and its people. In the case for Dan Rodenbush, he utilizes the key components of EOS, the Entrepreneurial Operating System. Dan believes successful business lies in defining clear objectives, bringing on people with a common compass and most importantly, leading with transparency and passion.
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Recaps and the link to each episode can also be found  on our blog, The Achievement Index

Purposeful Innovator

In this episode, our host John Rebecchi,Ph.D. (M.B.A. ’83) sat down with Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle, a company focusing on eliminating waste as a consequence of consumerism. Though the COVID era is threatening the impact on sustainability, Tom explains the importance of owning your mission while being flexible with how you accomplish your goals. As we learn how Tom amplifies the classic “milkman model” to meet the new economic challenges, for those are fascinated by the journey of entrepreneurship, his tip is to simply start.

In Reality: Lessons From Leaders and Entrepreneurs Podcast Season 2 Trailer

Join us in the celebration with the launch of School of Management’s podcast In Reality: Lessons from Leaders and Entrepreneurs hosted by entrepreneur, and New York Tech alum John Rebecchi. 
We launched in the Fall of 2019 with insightful conversations from CEOs running global corporations to small scale startups. 
Now in the middle of 2020, a year marked by uncertainty, listener feedback helped guide us to the people whose experiences provide insights into starting and running a business in these difficult times. We’ll cover far-reaching subjects, including: how business leaders confront the challenges of a pandemic, environmental issues, and social injustice.
You’ll hear about what’s expected when pitching ideas, raising capital, and when to pivot. Our guests include the founder of Terrcycle, a global company creating recycling platforms to eliminate waste and help save our planet. I’ll interview an NYIT alum about the challenges of financing and running his tech startup, HelloWoofy.com. Our first episode will be available on Monday, October 5th, and new episodes will air every two weeks after that. If you’re a first-time listener, be sure to check out past episodes.
On this podcast, you’ll get a chance to listen from today’s trailblazers on how to translate your passion into a business, making mistakes, but always looking for solutions and more. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and PodBean.The first podcast will be released on October 5, 2020.  A new podcast with new guests will be released every two weeks.  You can find a recap and the link to each episode here on our blog.
Share us your thoughts, questions, comments and concerns using the hashtag #InRealityPodcast or email us at InReality@NYIT.edu. 

Turning Your Passion into Profit

Ronald Montgomery is affectionately known as Six because he’s 6’10”. He started juicing to provide healthier options for his mother, Willie-Mae Montgomery, after she beat stage 4 breast cancer, and was later diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. While his mother was in remission, Ronald decided to take this new passion and turn it into a business: The 6 Juice. He didn’t know what to expect. But through determination, networking, a passion for living a healthier lifestyle, and research, The 6 Juice can now be found on the shelves at ShopRite supermarkets. 
In our final episode for the season, Ronald sat down with host John Rebecchi to talk about what he learned from his mistakes, the impact he made on his community, and why egos have no place in business.

Bridging the Gap

Do you remember your first job as a child? Craig Dubitsky does. In elementary school, he opened his one-of-a-kind lemonade stand and car wash. As Dubitsky got older, his passion for entrepreneurship snowballed into other businesses he created, including a window washing company. Those business and life experiences led him to become the founder of Hello Products, the world’s first naturally friendly oral care brand, and the co-founder of lip balm manufacturer EOS Products.
In this episode, Dubitsky recalls the epiphany that led him to the birth of Hello Products. He also breaks down the importance of why you should pursue a career that you love, and how being an entrepreneur can supply a need for markets and industries.

Making Good Mistakes

As the President and CEO of Applied DNA Sciences, James Hayward’s, Ph.D., journey into entrepreneurship didn’t start in business — it started in science. James' commitment to humanity led to over 20 years in the biotechnology and consumer product industry testing counterfeit goods, and brands by providing innovative, molecular-based technology solutions and services. 
 
James tells our host John his tips on managing teams, why companies shouldn’t be afraid of failure, global effort to ensure the authenticity of products, and why people should make good mistakes.

The Power of Honesty

Starting a business is hard enough. Imagine starting a business within an established, international company? That was the case for Michele Gay and Madison Mallardi. The aunt and niece duo are the creators of LimeLife by Alcone, a cosmetics company whose direct sales business model empowers and equips other entrepreneurs to achieve their goals and dreams. The dynamic pair talks to host John Rebecchi, Ph.D. (M.B.A. ’83) about building a family business, why grit is important, and the power of honesty.

Unshakeable Core

Just like many entrepreneurs, 30-year-old Jennifer Salta started her business after seeing a lack in the fashion jewelry market. She saw a disconnect between consumers, artisans, and the companies selling the artisan’s work. To bridge the gap, she launched Unmarked Industries, a jewelry design and production company that takes a unique approach to market and manufacture fashion jewelry.
In this interview, Jennifer talks about how she started her company, the one word she uses to describe herself, what to do when you hear the word no, and making sure it doesn’t shake you to your core.

Mosaic of Success

What does it take to gain the trust of your customers/clients? According to James P. Breslawski, vice chairman of the board and president of Henry Schein, the world's largest provider of health care solutions to office-based dental and medical practitioners, it comes down to one concept: “Balancing the mosaic of success.”In episode one of “In Reality: Lessons from Leaders and Entrepreneurs,” Breslawski joins host John Rebecchi, Ph.D. (M.B.A. ‘83) to discuss what it takes to run a multinational corporation and the challenges of creating a dynamic company culture.

In Reality: Lessons From Leaders and Entrepreneurs Podcast Trailer

Happy International Podcast Day! What better day than today to launch our first podcast, In Reality: Lessons from Leaders and Entrepreneurs.
Take a listen and join us on this journey as we learn from today's trailblazers. With varied backgrounds from running startups to multinational companies, each guest provides a unique perspective on problem-solving, decision making, and how to confront the challenges of running a business.