Entrepreneurs, Executives, and Eccentrics

In this episode, Maggie Segrich shares the story behind building Texas’s only coworking space designed for women, communities of color, and the LGBTQ community. She discusses her path from jewelry designer and chamber founder to coworking entrepreneur, and explains how the business evolved from a small leased space into a 21,000-square-foot operation in Houston. The conversation covers the realities of scaling a physical business during COVID, managing construction delays and supply chain issues, building a referral-driven company, and creating flexible workspaces that adapt to modern business needs. Maggie also talks about leadership, resilience, community-driven growth, and the future of inclusive coworking across Texas.TakeawaysMaggie Segrich operates Texas’s only coworking space focused on women, communities of color, and the LGBTQ community.The business started after Maggie struggled to find a creative workspace in Houston for her jewelry company.The original coworking location opened in Montrose before expanding into a much larger Midtown space.COVID nearly forced the company to close after losing all clients within six weeks of opening.A conversation about “being allowed to quit” helped Maggie recommit to the business instead of walking away.The company scaled from 2,000 square feet to 21,000 square feet through phased expansion.Supply chain problems during construction created major delays, including missing doors and air conditioning materials.Flexibility is central to the business model, with clients able to rent offices for hours, weeks, or long-term use.The coworking space offers services beyond desks, including mailing addresses, conference rooms, showers, legal resources, and event spaces.Nearly all business growth now comes through referrals rather than paid advertising.Today's guest, Maggie Segrich, can be found at:Company Website: https://seshcoworking.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-segrich/Your host, Scott Turman, can be found online at:Website: https://scottturman.com/, https://brightray.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottturman/IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14602682/Keywordscoworking space, entrepreneurship, Houston business, inclusive workplaces, women entrepreneurs, LGBTQ business community, communities of color, flexible office space, coworking industry, startup growth, commercial real estate, remote work, business resilience, COVID business recovery, referral marketing, Stripe billing, office rentals, community building, women-owned business, Midtown Houston, networking, nonprofit support, creative entrepreneurs, business operations, scaling a business

In this episode, Lee Norwood shares how she built a successful college consulting business focused on helping families navigate the complex college admissions process while avoiding full tuition costs whenever possible. She explains the challenges students and parents face with college applications, financial aid, Common App, and school selection, especially for first-generation families and students without access to strong school counseling support. Lee also discusses her entrepreneurial journey from pharmaceutical sales into education consulting, the importance of mentorship and networking, and how she created College Sharks, a scalable online platform designed to make expert college admissions guidance more affordable and accessible for families nationwide.TakeawaysMany high school counselors are overloaded, leaving students without enough personalized college guidance.Families should start college visits early to help students understand different campus environments and preferences.College pricing is often negotiable through scholarships, merit aid, and strategic planning.First-generation students and families without college experience face added challenges during admissions.The Common App simplifies applications but also encourages students to apply to too many schools.Successful college consulting requires both admissions knowledge and an understanding of student personality and goals.Lee transitioned from pharmaceutical sales into entrepreneurship through networking and mentorship.Buying an existing business gave Lee a foundation of reputation, systems, and client trust.College Sharks was created to scale expert college admissions advice at a lower price point through structured video lessons and workbooks.Lee believes entrepreneurship requires self-motivation, adaptability, and a willingness to solve scaling problems creatively.Today's guest, Lee Norwood, can be found at:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenorwood/Your host, Scott Turman, can be found online at:Website: https://scottturman.com/, https://brightray.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottturman/IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14602682/Keywordscollege admissions, college consulting, Common App, college applications, financial aid, scholarships, college tours, higher education, first-generation students, entrepreneurship, mentoring, networking, educational consulting, college essays, merit aid, student counseling, homeschool families, college planning, admissions strategy, College Sharks, business scaling, online education, parent guidance, college affordability, student success

In this episode, Scott Turman speaks with Tessa Santarpia and Susan Santarpia, co-founders of VISUALIZEin360, about their integrated approach to health, wellness, and personal transformation. They explain how their work blends neuropsychology, coaching, and holistic practices to address the full human experience rather than relying on traditional talk therapy alone. The conversation explores the role of neuroplasticity and epigenetics in shaping behavior, the importance of combining mental and physical healing, and why consistent support and accountability are key to lasting change. They also discuss generational shifts in attitudes toward therapy, the unique challenges faced by young adults, and their vision for the future of healthcare, where individuals take a more active role in their own healing.TakeawaysVISUALIZEin360 was founded to create a more holistic approach to mental health and wellness.Traditional talk therapy often falls short when used as a standalone solution.Neuroplasticity and epigenetics show that people can change over time through behavior and environment.Healing requires both mental understanding and physical embodiment.Consistent coaching and support help individuals stay committed to personal growth.Integrating practices like mindfulness and somatic work enhances outcomes.Young adults in their thirties often face existential anxiety and a search for purpose.Generational trauma and learned behaviors can be addressed through intentional work.Attitudes toward therapy have shifted, with younger generations more open to self-exploration.The future of healthcare may focus more on self-healing and holistic practices rather than quick fixes.Today's guests can be found at:Susan Santarpia:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-santarpia-32081366/Tessa Santarpia:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessasantarpiaYour host, Scott Turman, can be found online at:Website: https://scottturman.com/, https://brightray.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottturman/IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14602682/Keywordshealth, wellness, neuropsychology, neuroplasticity, epigenetics, coaching, therapy, mindfulness, somatic psychology, mental health, personal growth, generational trauma, holistic healing, public health, consciousness, behavior change, self healing, anxiety, purpose, transformation

In this conversation, Eli Igra Serfaty, co-founder and CEO of MAIA Digital, explains how his agency helps B2B organizations, executives, and teams build a strong presence on LinkedIn through company page management, executive branding, and employee activation. He discusses why LinkedIn remains the most important platform for credibility, trust, and visibility in business, especially as it integrates with search engines and emerging AI tools. The discussion explores the evolution of LinkedIn from a hiring platform to a full business ecosystem, the risks of automation and artificial engagement, and the shift from vanity metrics to meaningful business outcomes. Eli also shares insights on organic versus paid strategies, the growing importance of thought leadership ads, and how a retainer-based business model enabled his agency to scale sustainably.TakeawaysMAIA Digital focuses exclusively on LinkedIn, allowing deep expertise and specialization in one platform.The agency operates across three pillars: company page management, executive branding, and employee activation.LinkedIn serves as a central growth engine that supports marketing, sales, hiring, and fundraising.A strong LinkedIn profile acts as a first impression and is often the top result in search engines.Businesses benefit from consistent visibility, as multiple touchpoints are required to build trust in B2B.AI-generated engagement and automation tools can harm credibility and risk account penalties.LinkedIn’s algorithm is shifting toward quality interactions and business outcomes rather than vanity metrics.Organic content should come first, with paid amplification used to scale content that already performs well.Thought leadership ads allow companies to promote personal profile content, increasing authenticity and reach.A retainer-based model provides predictable revenue and supports long-term client growth and scalability.Today's guest, Eli Igra Serfaty, can be found at:Company Website: https://team-maia.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-igra-serfaty/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0k6SHSnZ7NjhdpdYr85JUCLinktree: https://linktr.ee/TEAM_MAIAYour host, Scott Turman, can be found online at:Website: https://scottturman.com/, https://brightray.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottturman/IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14602682/KeywordsLinkedIn marketing, B2B marketing, executive branding, company page management, employee advocacy, thought leadership, LinkedIn ads, organic content, paid amplification, AI engagement, automation risks, social media strategy, personal branding, employer branding, retainer model, subscription revenue, digital marketing, SaaS marketing, venture capital, business growth

In this episode, Thiago Maior, CEO of EZOps Cloud, shares his journey from software developer to building a nearshore DevOps and cloud engineering company supporting US startups. He explains how the rise of DevOps transformed software delivery by enabling smaller, more efficient teams, and how his company scaled by training junior engineers to adopt modern cloud practices. The conversation explores the parallels between the early days of DevOps and the current wave of AI adoption, highlighting both the opportunities and risks of AI-driven development. Thiago and Scott discuss the realities of “vibe coding,” the importance of engineering fundamentals, and why experience, process, and disciplined workflows remain critical despite powerful new tools.TakeawaysThiago Maior transitioned from developer to founder by recognizing the early potential of DevOps and cloud technologies.EZOps Cloud built its team by training junior engineers, who adapted more easily to new paradigms than senior engineers.DevOps enabled startups to operate with smaller, more efficient teams by automating infrastructure and deployment.The current rise of AI mirrors the early disruption caused by DevOps, creating new opportunities for engineers and companies.AI can significantly accelerate development, including infrastructure setup and automated testing, when used correctly.“Vibe coding” without engineering discipline often leads to fragile, unmaintainable systems.Strong fundamentals, such as version control, code review, and incremental development, remain essential.AI tools require experienced engineers to guide prompts, review outputs, and debug complex issues.Many companies overestimate how complete AI-generated solutions are, leading to costly rework.The future will favor engineers and companies that combine experience with effective AI usage, while those who rely solely on automation may struggle.Today's guest, Thiago Maior, can be found at:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thiagomaior/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thiago-maior/Your host, Scott Turman, can be found online at:Website: https://scottturman.com/, https://brightray.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottturman/IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14602682/KeywordsDevOps, cloud computing, AI development, automation, startups, software engineering, infrastructure, continuous deployment, vibe coding, version control, agile methodology, engineering teams, cloud architecture, testing automation, developer productivity