Dynamic Business Leaders Podcast

EP.25 - Building, Rebuilding, and Leading in Deep Tech with Shari Costantini

• Roy Richardson / Sean Murphy • Season 2 • Episode 25

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In this episode, Roy Richardson and Sean Murphy sit down with trailblazing founder and CEO Shari Costantini—a woman who has built not one, but two industry-shaping companies.

Shari first scaled Avant Healthcare Professionals into one of the largest international healthcare staffing firms in the U.S., earning national recognition, including EY Entrepreneur of the Year and Orlando Business Journal CEO of the Year. Today, she’s disrupting an entirely different arena as co-founder and CEO of Kismet Technologies, the company behind a first-of-its-kind mineral-based antimicrobial technology poised to reshape everything from hospital safety to food packaging sustainability.

Shari opens up about:

  • The unexpected path from clinical nursing to building a category-defining staffing enterprise.
  •  What truly differentiated Avant and how a focus on cultural and clinical prep created unmatched loyalty.
  •  How Kismet’s breakthrough tech works—and why its regenerative antimicrobial properties are a game-changing answer to rising resistance, food spoilage, and regulatory shifts.
  •  Weathering a founder departure, filling a steep technical knowledge gap, and leading through the toughest 90 days of her career.
  •  Her philosophy on leadership, humility, lifelong learning, and building teams that think big.
  •  What it really takes to earn investor trust, including raising over $58M across venture capital, PE, and strategic partners.
  •  Her long-term vision: a safer, greener, healthier world powered by sustainable materials science.

Along the way, Shari shares personal stories—from her daughter’s successful battle with pediatric cancer to her evolution as a leader who adapts to every personality in the room without compromising on integrity.

Whether you’re a founder, operator, investor, or simply someone navigating big leadership moments, this conversation is packed with wisdom, resilience, and inspiration.

This episode is a masterclass in reinvention, grit, and building with purpose.

Connect with Shari Costantini

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Welcome And Guest Setup

Roy Richardson

Hello, I'm Roy Richardson, and this is the Dynamic Business Leaders Podcast. Welcome to another edition of the Dynamic Business Leaders Podcast. I'm your host, Roy Richardson, joined by my insightful co-host, Sean Murphy. This episode is brought to you by Aurora InfoTech, helping organizations turn cybersecurity, compliance, and resilience into a competitive advantage. Folks, our guest today is a force in two different arenas. She founded and scaled Avant Healthcare Professionals into one of the largest international healthcare staffing companies in the U.S. And then, because building once wasn't enough, she co-founded Kismet Technologies, where she's now CEO, developing a first of its kind mineral-based antimicrobial poise to change how we think about safer, more sustainable services. She's raised $58 million across venture capital, private equity, and strategic investors, served on boards, including Nemours Children Health in Florida, and she's been recognized as EY Entrepreneur of the Year and Orlando Business Journal CEO of the Year, among other honors. From leading global staffing to navigating deep tech and even stepping up when a technical founder exited, there's a hard-won wisdom in this one, folks. Shari Constantini, welcome to the Dynamic Business Leaders Podcast.

Shari Constantini

Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here with Rory and Sean today, and appreciate the opportunity to share my story.

Life Outside Work And Habits

Roy Richardson

Awesome, awesome. Well, we're thrilled to have you here. And you know, let's let's roll it off. Let's start by getting to know you beyond the bio, and then we'll dive into Kismet Technologies and we'll cover the journey, right? So we're gonna start with something like when you're not building Kismet, what does a perfect off day look like for Sherry?

Shari Constantini

Well, um my husband and I enjoy fishing. And so we just built a home, a second home in the Low Country in South Carolina. So you might find us fishing for redfish or trout there. And that is a perfect relaxing day for me.

Roy Richardson

Nice, nice. You know, building and going going through and and building the companies that you've built and putting, you know, the leadership and and the thought processes, etc. You know, once what's one habit that meaningfully boosts your energy during busy stretches? I mean, everybody has that one thing they they tune into. What is yours?

Shari Constantini

Mine is working out. So I am a, you know, just dedicated to working out. I don't know what life would be like without that. So whether I'm starting at 4:45 in the morning or ending the day with, you know, an evening ruck with my husband in our neighborhood, it's really important to me to spend some time each and every day, you know, exercising. And really that's kind of my stress relief. That's my source of energy and something I'm really committed to.

Early Leadership Lessons

Roy Richardson

Awesome. Awesome. And that that gets the blood and everything else flowing, right? So during during your journey, and I would say, you know, what's a what's a leadership lesson you've learned outside of work?

Shari Constantini

Yeah, this is a really interesting question and one that I brought to life within Avant. But really knowing ourselves in terms of, you know, what makes us tick also helps us understand how other people tick. So one thing I learned from whether I call it a therapist or a life coach, is that other people's behaviors and reactions are more about them than they are about us. And if you can integrate that into your life, your professional life, your personal life, it's very freeing.

Founding Avant And Scaling Nationally

Roy Richardson

That's that's that's so true, and I would say very deep, definitely. I want to rewind the clock a little bit here and go back into, you know, how this all started, your journey into healthcare, and you know, that ultimately led you to found Avant Healthcare Professionals in 2003. Tell us a little bit about that spark and what led you to believe the model could scale nationally.

Shari Constantini

Yeah, so uh I went into clinical nursing with the thought that that would be kind of a technical aspect to me getting my MBA and developing a career in business. So that was kind of my entrance into not just healthcare as a clinician, but healthcare as a business. And I worked in home health, I worked in hospice, and I there were certainly clinician shortages that we dealt with. And so I had the opportunity to lead some home health agencies where we used international physical occupational therapists as well as nurses. And that's when I first was introduced to international staffing. And I just really grew to love it. And I think one of the reasons I loved it so much is that it was really an opportunity to make an impact on people's lives at a level I had never had the opportunity to do before. And so, you know, for me, I was always looking at it from a clinical lens. And so I thought, as I learned the business, that if we could better prepare these clinicians from overseas to acclimate to the US and then better prepare the hospitals to clinically receive them, I felt like that could be a real differentiator. And ultimately, when I exited the industry 25 years later, it still was a real differentiator. So that was really amazing to me that we continued to have that differentiation.

Boards, Consensus, And Culture

Roy Richardson

I know that Avant has grown to be one of the largest uh healthcare staffing companies in the US, if not at a larger scale. And it's something that that you you had a vision and a dream and and made a reality. And you know, you've also held leadership roles across boards and associations. How did those experiences shape your leadership lens for what you're doing today?

Shari Constantini

I would say that the number one thing, participation on community boards, trade associations taught me was how to build consensus. And you know, you've got people from different backgrounds with you know different reasons for being in the room. The trade association was particularly interesting because we were friendly competitors and had a number of state, federal, and foreign government regulations that we had to sort through together. So I would say that the number one thing was really that consensus building.

Roy Richardson

Awesome. Yeah, that's uh that's very important. And particularly in a field where you have competitors, you know. But you know, looking back at Avant's formative years, what patterns and culture process or you know, customer demand convince you that this could become a category leader?

What Made Avant A Category Leader

Shari Constantini

Well, as I mentioned earlier, I really think it was the focus on the clinical aspects of the transition for the nurses and for the customers. Beyond that, we also had a number of cultural transition issues that we had to address. So we did both of those. And we were very good at that, and we really perfected it. And by involving the customer, the hospital, the hospital staff at that level, the relationships that we were able to build and the loyalty in our program was really tremendous. And so I saw that you'd have changes within a customer, and maybe they'd move away from you for a little bit, maybe to save some money on your bill rates or something like that. But we consistently got those people back. And as a nurse, working with primarily nurses in the hospital, I also kept a close relationship with those leaders so that they felt like they knew what was going on within the organization.

Roy Richardson

That's an impressive strategy that you've had to employ to sort of keep all the parts together there and certainly, you know, realizing certain things and culture and adapting processes, et cetera. Very, very impressive. But I want to transition a little bit into the heart of it, you know, the model, the mission, and the work of Kismet Technologies, which is where you're at today. So break it down for us, you know, what does your mineral-based antimicrobial do? And how is it different from other additives?

Enter Kismet: Tech And Mission

How The Mineral Antimicrobial Works

Shari Constantini

So, what the we are the first of our kind in terms of a mineral-based antimicrobial. And what is so unique about this technology is that when it comes in contact with bacteria, viruses, fungus, it creates a reaction that produces hydrogen peroxide from the relative humidity in the air, in its simplest terms. And so it continues to produce that until that pathogen is eradicated. And what's really unique is that it's regenerative. So it doesn't lose that ability to continue to have that reaction as long as it's present. So we put it in a variety of substrates and it continues to have that reaction. I think the other really, you know, interesting part about this is that we have seen an evolution in the material-based or mineral-based antimicrobials over time. And that's allowed us to have new applications like for food packaging. Food in this country alone, 40% of food is not consumed because of spoilage. And it is a $210 billion issue in this country. On a global level, it's a trillion dollar issue. So, you know, seeing the evolution of these material technologies that mitigate harmful microbes, they provide the ability for us to have a higher quality of life, a safer environment, and stay healthier at the end of the day.

Roy Richardson

Wow. So in other words, you have a technology that basically keeps surfaces cleaner for longer by using advanced natural mineral, I'm assuming nanotechnology, that activates when germs are present.

Food Packaging And Spoilage Impact

Shari Constantini

Which is really amazing. I mean, you look at something that all of us have heard about is the boar's head recall. And it was listeria, a pathogen that lives in the cooler temperatures. You know, those things are always wrapped in cling wrap. One of the things that we have developed with a partner is proof of concept on putting our technology in that cling wrap, that PE film or in PET containers where ready to eat foods come in to keep them fresher longer.

Roy Richardson

Nice. Nice. Yeah, I can tell you, I mean, you know, my my wife and I, we have many, many a times where we we'll go and we'll buy, you know, sometimes just fresh produce, and you know, astonished at you know how fast it perishes, right? And and usually on Friday nights we go to the open market and a pop gun. There's a there's a there's an organization there, they actually produce fresh lettuce. And and and we purchase from them because they're local farmers, and and that'll last two weeks, you know, maybe three. But yeah, it's a lot of it is is packaging and and and the bacteria that gets captured in the packaging process, right? So your your technology would would actually enable the that produce, etc., to last longer.

Regulation, Resistance, And Safer Options

Shari Constantini

And some of that food, that produce that you get, you would be astonished at how long ago it was actually picked and shipped and stored and then put out on the grocer cases and things like that. So that's the goal is to keep it fresher longer and to mitigate those microbes that deteriorated and spoil food.

Roy Richardson

And so, you know, not to put you on the spot for this, because I know you're not the regulator, but you would think that, you know, with with all these outbreaks that we've been hearing, because it just seems like every couple of weeks we we see, you know, a recall of this, a recall of that, and you know, some type of of medical-related issue as a result of it. You know, what is what are you seeing with what you're doing in terms of you know regulatory shifts that you know is affecting your strategy to come to market with with this remarkable product?

Shari Constantini

Yeah, I I think that one of the trends we see, whether it's in the US or the EU, and other countries typically follow. You know, the US is a very large country, the EU has many countries in it as well, is we follow their trends in the EU. Usually the US, maybe we lead on some, but primarily we follow the EU. And what we have seen is that they want to they want to either restrict the level of certain antimicrobials or ban them altogether. And what that means is that you have fewer and fewer choices. You know, one thing that is a real challenge is antimicrobial resistance. And you may have heard of this, we hear about it more in healthcare. Like you get, you know, methillin resistant staph aureas. Okay, so it's resistant to a lot of antibiotics, it's resistant to a lot of cleaners. You know, you've got all different kinds of pathogens that, as we see food processing facilities, healthcare facilities use stronger and stronger chemicals necessary to keep those pathogens at bay. So I think there's a real dilemma to find antimicrobials that work without really overusing them, and and that overuse can sometimes be toxic.

Pilots, Real-World Efficacy, And Residual Protection

Roy Richardson

Yeah, I mean, you're you're absolutely right in the sense, and perfect, perfect analogy. I mean, if you think of it, right, uh with penicillin or any anything else, for example, the medication that's applied to a an issue, they'll tell you don't overtake it because if not your body becomes accustomed to it, right? I guess it's the same here. And what you're saying is that they've been really using stronger chemicals to fight these, what you call this, which which isn't good anyhow, right? So let me ask you, where today is Kismet on its journey? And, you know, in terms of milestones, early pilots, and what signals tell you that their product is actually, you know, fit for market?

Commercialization Strategy And First Products

Shari Constantini

Well, when I came to Kismet Technologies and joined as the co-founder, the company was creating some of its own products, and we did a lot of pilot testing in the real world. You can run tests in the lab and you can show efficacy against different pathogens. But really, at the end of the day, it's how does this act in real-world environments that have a lot of bioburden, a lot of dirt, a lot of soil, that type of thing. So we ran a lot of pilots that really told us how the technology would react in hospitals, in animal facilities, in clean rooms, in agriculture facilities, and it performed very well providing residual protection. So when you think about surfaces, you think, and this was the challenge in COVID, is that we could clean surfaces, and they were clean at that moment in time, but when somebody touched them and deposited the virus on them, then it was no longer clean or sanitized. And so having a technology like ours that can be put in products that have longer-lasting residual protection on surfaces is a real game changer. So, you know, you asked how we're doing, we have about 26 companies in our joint product development pipeline. We moved away from making our own products. We realized we're good at making our technology, manufacturing that, we've scaled that manufacturing, but we want to work with people that know how to formulate disinfectants or make coatings. And so we've we've launched two products. One that is is launching now is a UV-cured floor coating. One of its claims to fame is it can last on hospital floors for 18 months. Most only last six months. So you have to strip and re-coat them, and you know, but now with our technology in it, it also can help mitigate microbes on the floors. And hospital floors, as you may imagine, are very dirty. They see everything. And so, you know, we we're really excited about that product. That's our second product. Our first product is a concrete sealant, and you know, it's particularly useful on infrastructure, infrastructure that are exposed to the elements, water treatment facilities, sewers. There's pathogens in our environment that are drawn to concrete. Concrete is the most prevalent man-made material on earth. And what happens is the microbes get into the concrete, and as they grow over time, they produce sulfuric acid, and it basically erodes the concrete. So when you see, you know, even like in my neighborhood, I did a fun little video for our social media where I was sitting on a curve and you could see how degradated one side was and where another one had been poured more recently. And that's really from water, it's from bacteria in the environments, it's from that degradation that happens sometimes over years, but sometimes more quickly, especially in sewers and things like that.

Leadership, Community, And Impact

Roy Richardson

Well, and I I could probably see, I mean, when you talk about concrete sealant, given the longevity uh of your application, I could see uses maybe in areas that are, you know, I would say more commonly uh where you have exposure to to germs, such as schools and and and other places, where you know, having something like this will actually minimize some of the outbreaks and and of we have because you know kids are are touching stuff left and right, right? So interesting, interesting. So, you know, you've built teams across industries while also serving on boards. Let's talk about a little bit about leadership and impact. And and I want to see if I can get Sean in here and and see if he can uh he can chime in here. Can you hear me?

Raising Capital And Investor Trust

Sean Murphy

Excellent. Oh man, what a what a what a trip today. It's been a lot the last 48 hours. Sherry, first off, um unbelievable story. I I think I've about 10 years ago is when I first started to hear your name. And uh, you know, the one thing I love about Orlando, I came here kicking and screaming, right? It's like, oh, Orlando, it's the country. You know, this isn't Miami. And so Roy and I both are from Miami, graduated from now on there, and he's like, but I tell you, Orlando is a just a little gym, and you are a huge piece of that. And you know, to sell a vont at the level you did just shows that a lot could be done in this town by those that are persistent. And um, so thank you. Bill Butcher is a really, really good friend of mine. I know he was a part of your financial team that helped you really scale that thing up. And so uh I know he's on the beach um retired because of that. So I've been trying to get him back in the marketplace. He's like, Sean, listen, man, I'm good. So, anyway, what what I get excited about, uh the leader. stuff I really appreciate you sharing that that's that's a that that that's something that that drives me but you've raised um 58 million across just different uh stages what are the non-obvious skills that repeatedly help you earn investors trust yeah I think it's uh along the lines of building credibility and when you are trying to raise money you need to understand every aspect of your business where you're going what the what the exit looks like and being able to to show investors that you have a clear vision and then a history of execution the first million and a half wasn't so easy to raise you know by the time private equity came into Avant we were seven and a half million in revenue and so you know then we had more traction.

Shari Constantini

Kismet we were fortunate on Kismet a lot of people knew my story of being successful at Avant and you know I've heard people say this expression but it's it's very true you don't bet on the horse you bet on the jockey and one thing that I have learned in technology in particular is there's a lot of great technology out there. There's a lot of incredible patents but what becomes commercialized and what gets scaled that is a very small portion of what's out there. And so for investors I think it's about credibility and do they think you can take it to the next level that you have the ability to and whether they articulate this or not whether you are persistent and resilient and can get there at the end of the day and that's what you want them to believe is yes I can do it.

Sean Murphy

That is very very very important and valuable I I remember watching you all down in South Florida at the Florida Venture Forum about three about five years ago six years ago down on presenting very impressive with Avant very impressed with Kismet as well you know I was um thinking you know time is a very valuable asset that we have and we we we want to protect that. How do you decide where to invest your leadership chips from the Moors to the Industry Association that you're involved with what what what's the big thing that drives you and helps you decide where where to spend it?

Shari Constantini

Yeah let me start with the Industry Association. That was something that when I was at Avant we we helped form that back in 2007 some of our competitors and I formed that and it was really a unique story of competitors coming together to face some really common challenges that we all were facing with state federal and foreign governments and so that was really a necessity. It was a necessity and I took the time and I loved it and I learned how to lobby and I learned how to work with foreign governments and there were some really great exciting things that you know I enjoy doing. I'm a pediatric nurse my daughter had a pediatric cancer and so you know as a cancer survivor a pediatric cancer survivor I was thrilled to be part of an organization and currently part of an organization on their Florida board of managers that gives amazing care to children and to their families because I've been on the family side.

Think Big: Team, Timelines, And Tech

Sean Murphy

Very cancer I did not know that I'm sorry to hear that but I'm glad to hear that you you know she got through it with with and all of that and so but thank you for um wanting to give back because that that's that's something that we need is more people to be giving back like that. You said that it's important for female entrepreneurs to think big how do you set the ambition inside your teams goals hiring investor narratives and things like that well I I would say that one way to approach that is to think is to plan with the end in mind.

Shari Constantini

So where do we want to take this company? What employees are crucial at what points in time if I'm if I'm talking about my own team and how I want them to think big what are the highest impact roles and so I think that's really important. But as I you know advise other entrepreneurs what do you want to do and how do you how do you want to do it? I've learned a lot about the technology industry and being a tech business and it's a little harder to to think big right off the bat because creating new technology disruptive technology takes a lot longer than building a staffing business where you're getting revenues much sooner. But I still start with the end in mind of where I want to be creating that picture for investors and others. And that would really be my advice to female entrepreneurs and and others is you know where do you want to end?

Sean Murphy

Got it I'll tell you I had not heard the story about your daughter and so you know that's on the personal side on the business side let's talk about a tough chapter you've been very transparent about you know in in January of 25 your technical co-founder left kids and you were not a technician and so how did you close the knowledge gap and keep momentum walk us through that first 60 to 90 days and what did learning the science actually look like that was a very challenging time and you know living through many years of immigration changes and healthcare reimbursement changes that challenged me I thought those were kind of tough times but professionally the learning curve of leading this technology company was a steep one.

Rebuilding The Team And New CTO

Shari Constantini

The the original founder was really managing more of the technical side of the business and I had stayed more on the business side but there were certainly questions about how quick we were going to market. And you know being an entrepreneur having gone down this path time is money that is one thing that stays in my head all the time and so when the technical founder decided that she didn't want to just focus on the technology and that she would rather leave the business I was not expecting that. I was not expecting that quick decision. But I had no choice than to really learn and fill that gap. And let me tell you learning and filling that gap was important for me as a leader to lead this business but it was also important for me to gain the trust of the rest of the team because many of the majority of our team reported up through the technical side of the business. And I also had to make workforce reductions because you know the tech had not moved as fast as we had wanted it to and we had people that were not fully occupied. So I had to make some of those tough decisions. But it basically was working seven days a week for the first 60 to 90 days learning the terms on the manufacturing side on the microbiology side on the material science how does it work and now I had been selling it I've been doing the business development but I had to be able to understand these other aspects of the business and what they mean and how they all played into getting our technology out to market as quickly as possible. And so as I learned those different areas of the business and interacted with the team and helped guide the team and they realized well I could add value, right? I may not be a material science engineer I may not be a microbiologist or an engineer, a chemist, I could still add value because I knew business and I knew what questions to ask. So it was a very challenging time as I mentioned earlier raising the money it was a lot of people that had really invested in me. And so you know I have a commitment to the shareholders no matter how small no matter how large if you invested in this business because you believed in me I want to keep that credibility. And so you know I'm I'm in this as much for the team as the investors as for what I think we can do in this industry and really disrupt it.

Sean Murphy

Very impressive did you find yourself having to add to the expert side of the team after that departure and another question I'd like to ask you you know we're a year later after that's happened. You said that y'all are in the best technical position ever. Give us some examples of what that looks like.

Pipeline Mix And Tech Breakthroughs

Shari Constantini

So I first had to start with the workforce reduction. That was not easy I had to figure out how to conserve capital and cash cash is king. And then I had to sort through the team that was here technically and that was a big challenge for me because I'm just learning. And you know in October I brought on a CTO that actually found me had been following Kismet for several years has 18 years of experience in antimicrobial technologies commercializing them. I couldn't have written a better resume if I tried and so you know however fate destiny God you know we found each other and and Vikram has been a great addition to the team and we've we've figured out you know who was really contributing and moving the needle for us and who wasn't and but it was a process it was certainly a process.

Sean Murphy

And so tell me the part about what does that the organization look like today versus a year ago.

Shari Constantini

Yeah I would I would say we are still a very lean team and but we've got products commercialized launched we've got more products in the pipeline you know one challenge is is that you don't control how quickly the manufacturers move these products within their own internal joint product development process. So we've figured out that we have to have companies of all different sizes. So when you look at the 26 companies in our pipeline some are large multinationals names you've heard of frequently others are medium to smaller companies that can move more quickly you probably haven't heard of them but you may know their products. So we tried to have a variety of sizes of companies and then I think the other really big thing that we have done in the last year is we have perfected one of our mineral based technology and that combines the underlying mineral of the cerium oxide with kitazan which is a natural biopolymer and an EPA minimum risk pesticide and that's opening up all new verticals for us as I mentioned earlier not just coatings but food packaging and other things like that.

Rapid Fire And Team Dynamics

Sean Murphy

Let's shake things up a bit with some rapid fire.

Shari Constantini

Give us one book that you gift these days well one of my go-tos for a very long time is five dysfunctions of the team and you know I have found that there's a lot of people that have been part of dysfunctional teams and they don't even realize it. So one thing I look for is humility in people and scientists are a they're a new breed for me. I came from an organization where we had marketing we had sales people we had business people we had process people project managers so really understanding the the scientist has been a work in process for me but what I really think is important is that everyone has humility and appreciates that they don't have all the answers because science in many times is as much art as science and from where I sit I see a constant evolution of that science.

Sean Murphy

Excellent give us a um an underrated KPI an underrated KPI you know for as I look at a technology business looking at commercialization it's the development timeline.

Evolving Leadership Philosophy

Shari Constantini

Right? You line up all these great partners we're working with some of the largest companies in the world in their segments and you know the the KPI of development timeline within their organization is far different than somebody else's so you really have to drill into this in those early conversations and make sure there's alignment.

Sean Murphy

Now I heard you say low country is on a spot of yours you're building a house up there or you may have a house up there.

Shari Constantini

Give us a favorite spot outside of the country well we have really enjoyed like I said the low country in South Carolina but a newfound spot that we just love is Jackson Hole, Wyoming. My husband and I fly fish together in addition to other types of fishing but that is and if you haven't ever been to Yellowstone I mean how spectacular you just are in awe at the ecosystem there. So that's really been a favorite place for us to go and explore and fish.

Non‑Negotiables And Self‑Care

Roy Richardson

Awesome Sean so Sherry thanks for for you know that amazing journey back through Kismet and and etc and you know going through Avant and and now Kismet, you know, what would you say reflecting back and sort of looking in the rear view mirror is your leadership philosophy now versus the early years at Avant That's a great question.

Shari Constantini

And you know as I kind of think about where my leadership philosophy has gone over the years I think you know I'm a lot better at understanding how people work you know whether you look at their Myers Brig or their social styles everyone's different. And so as a leader now if I can understand more about that person's social style or personality type you know I'm a driver. I get right to business but if I need to start a meeting by saying you know how have you been how's your how are your kids how's this how's that you know and then that's what I need to do. And so for me as a leader I think I'm much better at flexing to people's styles adapting to their personality types with the end goal of creating a stronger team and getting better results.

Roy Richardson

Nice so let me ask you the flip side of that coin is what won't you compromise or flex on today?

Three Truths For Founders

Shari Constantini

Yeah. Integrity yeah I think it's I think it is so important to be organization of integrity. And you know there was when I first started down this journey at Avant of you know going through this EOS we use scaling up methodology and you know really defining your core values is your core values need to be so ingrained in the organization that you're willing to hire and fire for them both clients and employees and to me working with people that have integrity is just so important and you really can't compromise on that. Very well very well said that's right that's right that's right you you you run at a serious serious pace any rituals or relationships that helps you stay grounded reset perspectives and things like that well it's funny that you asked that because we were talking about my dedication to exercising so I I'm going on a yoga retreat at the end of the month my sister is finally going with me and you know you just have to take care of yourself however that is so that you can take care of other people I love that I work out and I have been saying that which you just said you know I work out the way I work out to take care of other people very cool. I have a question for you where were you born and raised well I was born in Wisconsin but my parents moved to Boca Rotone Florida before I was a year old. So I really like you guys I grew up in South Florida even spent a little time in Miami more in north I I had that territory when I went into hospice. But yeah that's where I grew up and and I still go down there quite a bit my father was was a pastor at a church in Boca and then my brother in law was there and three of my brothers my sister their families and my mom all live within about five miles of that church so I I I find myself down there celebrating our next gen of uh great nieces and nephews that are coming along now.

Where To Start: Tailwinds And Trends

Sean Murphy

Cool with with one last thing and I'll and we'll we'll get back to the to the questions. Which church? Oh Advent Lutheran Church okay very cool spent a bunch of time in the West Palm Beach area so love Palm Beach I'm trying to get down there permanently so anyway let's get back to top three truths you wish every founder internalized right now well number one is lifelong learning you know I think and and that kind of goes hand in hand with number two which is humility.

Shari Constantini

When you think you know everything you're you've given up on being a lifelong learner.

Ten‑Year Impact And Greener Markets

Roy Richardson

So I I think that's really important is that you you are constantly developing your leadership skills and you know whether it's your new industry and learning about that but lifelong learning humility and then I would say persistence you know it's hard to keep up the level of persistence that you need especially in a startup and maybe that goes hand in hand the persistence the resilience but but I would say that those are some of the most important things that founders need to internalize with again lifelong learning being number one so Sherry you talked about you know I call it always be learning right and and I'm a I'm a creature of of that in the sense that you know if if you're not continuing to invest in yourself so that you learn what's out there then you know you're you're pretty much just a bystander in the road because someone else will pass you by. The humility part of course and and also persistence there. So three very important points and thank you for sharing that with us. Let me ask you you know for those of our audience who are you know listening out there and want to let's say start to prepare their journey and the path that you've taken, where should they Start?

Dream Board Of Advisors

Shari Constantini

You know, again, I think it's kind of interesting, right? Regulatory shifts and how do they happen and why do they happen? You know, I think in this country, there's there's certainly a political side to that, which coming from an immigration-dependent business, I saw many times. But I think, you know, as we look to sustainability and and where do you fall on that? That, you know, in my industry, metals can be toxic. And, you know, really looking at what are the trends around a greener, more sustainable product. And, you know, I think that when people are starting out, they need to really spend some time understanding the industry that they're in, the consumer, whether that is an individual or a business, what do they want? And then what are those tailwinds as I talk about them, the regulatory tailwinds, the political tailwinds, things like that. Maybe they're headwinds, but but it depends. Are they going for you or against you? But that is something that I would say is a good place to start for people.

Sean Murphy

Excellent. Excellent. So 10 years you've scaled up, Kismith. What impact would you have liked to see have been made over those 10 years?

Shari Constantini

Well, I think it fundamentally goes to that sustainability and green technology. You know, I'd like to see a healthier world. You know, when you get into this hard tech material technology world and you start to think about what we're exposed to every day, you know, having a technology like ours that I truly believe will disrupt a $10 billion antimicrobial additive market, you know, I'd love to see in 10 years that greener technologies that are safer but still keep us healthy, that's what I would like to see. And hopefully that's something that we're paving the way for today and 10 years from now, we'll be known for.

Roy Richardson

Awesome. So I gotta ask you here, and I usually ask all our guests, Sherry, and you know, if you had the ability to go back and create or go today, I would say create a dream board of advisors that spawns any error of time. Who would you choose to be on that dream board and why?

Closing Gratitude And Listener CTA

Shari Constantini

Well, that is a great question. And I am glad that you guys provided me a preview of some of these questions so I could think about it because that would be that would be a hard one. I think that I would I would name the following people in in no particular order. I really have been impressed with Sarah Blakely's story as an entrepreneur for Spanx. I think, you know, that she invented a new apparel category. And it's kind of like we are, you know, we're trying to define a new antimicrobial additive care uh category. And so I think she has a great story. She has a great story of, you know, not being funded with outside money and building a billion-dollar business. That's pretty impressive. You know, I think as I think about politics and how it's influenced my life, you know, one of the presidents, not to be political, but just in terms of leadership, was I think about Ronald Reagan. And I think about somebody that is, you know, driven by ideology and has a level of humility. It was never about Ronald Reagan in his mind. And I think that's unique. I think it's unique for many l leaders. I think it's far more unique for politicians, but we'll leave it at that. Um I'll I'll leave both sides of the aisle. I would give everybody the equal. Agreed 100%. Yeah. You know, I I'll just I'll name two more people. I think Jeff Bezos, because he really was also creating something new and differentiated, but focus on customer experience and operational efficiencies. And then Tim Cook. What I like about Tim Cook is he came into an organization and he really has a very soft voice. You know, that's what I've read about him. He's a value-driven leader. And, you know, I think you can do that with, you know, again, maybe it's humility. I don't, I've only known what I've read of him, but I think he comes in with a much softer touch than many leaders, but he has still created and continued a unbelievable growth trajectory at Apple.

Roy Richardson

Oh, that's uh that's a really amazing board, you know, from the innovator to the diplomats to the, I would say, the the visionary, and then and then, you know, the Tim Cook coming in and being able to step into shoes and and keep you know the ship running in the in the right direction, but also add his own flavor. I I think you've I would venture to say, I would, I would say that you have you've you've have a you have a remarkable story, but but I I can't wait ten years from now for us to come back on this podcast with your new board that you just put together there and see how see where you've gone.

Sean Murphy

Yeah, I just um my thing is um I can't believe she picked the an FSU grad to to be you know on her board. I'm not sure.

Shari Constantini

I'm I'm married to an FSU grad. So this gator is open-minded.

Sean Murphy

I heard you talking about Ronald, you know, and you were like, hey, well, you know, I can go on both sides of the aisles, and I'll tell you when I was at the University of Miami, I read the autobiography of Ronald Reagan, very impactful and helped me. Um at the same time, I was reading the Malcolm X autobiography and the Thurgood Marshall art autobiography, and they all played a very, very serious role in the way I see life. And so uh anyway, Sherry, unbelievable. Thank you for your time. Sorry that we've had, you know, some of these technology boogaboos like for an incredible woman like yourself and a human being more than that. And as I as I stated, you know, here in Orlando, you built the business that you built, which was very, very impressive. And so I too can't wait to see what Kismith looks like. And like I said, I I got to hear the the pitch down in Miami a couple of years ago. But thank you for the journey and for sharing your journey. And um, I I I look forward to, like Roy just mentioned, I look forward to seeing what it looks like in 10 years.

Shari Constantini

Well, it's great spending time with both of you. I've enjoyed the opportunity, and thank you for sharing this time with me, and I look forward to coming back in 10 years.

Roy Richardson

Well, we'll we'll probably have you back way before then. And you know, Sharry, uh sincerely, thank you for spending this time with us. Like Sean said, your journey from building one of the nation's leading healthcare staffing companies to stepping boldly into deep tech innovation, even when you had to learn the technology on your own, is both inspiring and incredibly grounding for anyone leading through uncertainty. The way you've navigated challenges, invest in people, keep pushing for safer, smarter solutions speaks volumes about the kind of leader you are. We're grateful for your openness, your wisdom, and the example you continue to set for founders everywhere. Thank you for joining us on the Dynamic Business Leaders podcast, and can't wait, can't wait to follow your journey of success and to see this takeoff even bigger than it already is.

Sean Murphy

To our listeners, thank you for joining us. Be sure to follow, like, and subscribe this episode. And until next time, stay curious, stay driven, and keep leading with purpose.

Roy Richardson

Hi, I'm Roy Richardson, host of the Dynamic Business Leaders Podcast. Are you a business owner or leader of a successful business? If yes, we'd love to have you as a guest in our program. Our goal is simple: we provide a platform for leaders to share their experiences to benefit others. We want to hear your story, how you got started, the challenges you faced along the way, and your passion today. If this sounds like you or you know someone who fits these criteria, then be sure to get in touch with us by visiting the website link in the episode description below. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and click the notification bell to be notified when our next episode goes live. Or if you're ready to listen to us during your coming rides, you can also follow us on your favorite audio channel using your podcatcher. Thanks again, and remember, keep crushing it.