Delusional! Big Dreams, Real Stories with Michelle Coyle
Delusional! Big Dreams, Real Stories with Michelle Coyle (formerly known as Seekers and Shifters) is a podcast about the blurry line between dreaming big and losing your mind. (Spoiler: anyone who has ever achieved anything probably did a little of both.)
We sit down with founders, creatives, and visionaries who bet on themselves—often when no one else would. These are the behind-the-scenes stories of people who went for it anyway. The goal? To remind you that the path to something extraordinary almost always looks “delusional” at the start.
Delusional! Big Dreams, Real Stories with Michelle Coyle
Extreme Audacity: From $400 to Discovery Channel—The Power of Taking Big Risks
Turning $400 into a global business partnership with Discovery Channel takes more than talent—it takes extreme audacity.
In this episode of Delusional, Michelle Coyle chats with Olenka Cullinan, CEO of iStartFirst, about how bold risks and relentless belief transformed her life and career. They explore why rejection isn’t the enemy, why confidence grows through action, and how the right rooms and relationships accelerate success.
Olenka shares how she went from being a newly divorced single mom with just $400 in her bank account to selling her intellectual property to Discovery Ad. She explains the power of showing up, taking bold action, and creating opportunities even when the odds are stacked against you.
Learn how taking one big, bold risk could be the turning point in your own story.
Tune in to the full episode of Extreme Audacity: From $400 to Discovery Channel—The Power of Taking Big Risks.
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Michelle Coyle is a business expert, investor, and transformational trainer with over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience. She believes you don’t have to choose between success and well-being because you can have both. With a mix of honesty, humor, and heart, Michelle guides leaders to step into who they really are and grow from that place. She’s the founder of BGSD Strategies and the Political Business Institute, where she supports people who want to make a real difference without losing themselves in the process. Michelle holds an MBA from Dartmouth and is trained in tools like NLP, Hypnosis, and Emotional Release to help others break free from what’s holding them back and create the life they know they’re meant for.
Connect with Michelle Coyle:
Website: https://michellecoyle.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelletoscale/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelletoscale/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellelaree
Olenka Cullinan is the Founder and CEO of iStartFirst, a global C-suite consultant, and an award-winning leadership expert helping entrepreneurs turn bold vision into real impact. With over 15 years of experience scaling companies and guiding high-performing leaders, Olenka has built two successful business exits and coached clients generating six to nine figures. Named a Top 10 Coach by Yahoo News and one of the Top 100 Women to Watch by Women’s Business Journal, she’s delivered two TEDx talks and been featured on CBS, ABC, and Huffington Post.
Connect with Olenka Cullinan:
Website: https://istartfirst.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olenka-cullinan-7872b657/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/istartfirst-com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olenkacullinan/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olenkacullinan/?hl=en