Enthusiastic Life | with Brendan Walsh
Brendan Walsh is the host of the Enthusiastic Life podcast - where he interviews friends, colleagues, and all around interesting people to learn about their origin stories, what's made them successful, what lessons they've learned throughout life and most importantly what's bringing them joy
Episodes
49 episodes
Ep. 49 - Chris Moyer: How PR Shapes What We See, Hear & Believe
What shapes the way we see the world — and who shapes the message?This week, Brendan sits down with Chris Moyer, communications strategist, public speaker, and host of Beyond Both Sides, for a fascinating conversation abo...
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Ep 48 - Vina Taylor: Building The Zealous Root, Beating Cancer & Creating a Culture That’s Contagious
In Episode 48 of The Enthusiastic Life Podcast, Brendan sits down with entrepreneur and founder of The Zealous Root, Vina Taylor.Vina shares the journey behind building The Zealous Root into much more than a salon — creatin...
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Ep 47 - Angela Gargano: From Biochemist to 6x American Ninja Warrior
In Episode 47 of The Enthusiastic Life Podcast, Brendan sits down with 6x American Ninja Warrior competitor, former biochemist, entrepreneur and keynote speaker Angela Gargano. Angela shares her unlikely journ...
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Ep 46 - Hank Winchester: From Action News to Building Detroit’s Next Big Podcast
In Episode 46 of The Enthusiastic Life Podcast, Brendan sits down with Emmy Award-winning Detroit TV reporter and longtime media personality Hank Winchester.Hank looks back on his career at WDIV Local 4, life inside the Det...
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Ep 45 - John Rutherford: From Touring With Bob Seger to Saving an Iconic Detroit Institution
In Episode 45 of The Enthusiastic Life Podcast, Brendan sits down with Detroit musician, entrepreneur and Cadieux Cafe co-owner John Rutherford.John shares the incredible journey that began with an early obsession with the ...
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Ep 44 - Scott Hanoian: Playing for Presidents & Performing on the World’s Greatest Stages
In Episode 44 of The Enthusiastic Life Podcast, Brendan sits down with conductor, organist and lifelong musician Scott Hanoian.Scott shares the incredible journey music has taken him on — from his time at Washington Nationa...
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Ep 43 - The Mailbag: Adulthood, the Internet, Conspiracies & the Lives We Thought We’d Have
In Episode 43 of The Enthusiastic Life Podcast, there’s no guest — Brendan and producer Ryan sit down together to answer questions submitted by the audience.What starts as a mailbag episode quickly turns into a much deeper convers...
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Ep. 42 — Christy McDonald: 30 Years Covering Detroit, Reinvention & Life Beyond the News Desk
Episode DescriptionIn Episode 42 of The Enthusiastic Life Podcast, Brendan sits down with Emmy Award-winning journalist Christy McDonald, whose career has spanned more than three decades covering some of Detroit's ...
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Ep 41 - Reimer Priester: The Art of Building Community, One Space at a Time
In Episode 41 of The Enthusiastic Life Podcast, Brendan sits down with entrepreneur and restaurateur Reimer Priester, founder of Café Sous Terre, Café Un Deux Trois, and The Grand Porter.Reimer shares the winding journey th...
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Ep 40 - Paddy Lynch: From Mortician to Preserving Detroit’s Iconic Institutions
In Episode 40, Brendan sits down with one of the most fascinating storytellers we’ve had on the podcast — Paddy Lynch.Paddy is a mortician working in his family’s business, Lynch & Sons Funeral Homes, but his story goes...
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Ep 39 - Rachel Adenaas: From Mrs. Michigan to Motherhood, Pageants & an Unbelievable Love Story
In Episode 39, Brendan sits down with Rachel Adenaas, former Mrs. Michigan-America, for a conversation that goes far beyond the pageant stage.Rachel shares her journey through the world of pageants — what drew her to...
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Ep 38 — Josh Gershonowicz: What Happens After You Sell Your Company?
In Episode 38, Brendan sits down with Josh Gershonowicz, founder, entrepreneur, and advertising executive, for a candid conversation about life, business, and what comes after success.Josh shares his journey building a comp...
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Ep 37 - Amy Peterson: Turning Detroit’s Iconic Landmarks into Jewelry
In Episode 37, Brendan sits down with Amy Peterson, co-founder and CEO of Rebel Nell, for a conversation about vision, resilience, and building something meaningful.Amy shares her early dream of becoming the first female Ge...
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Ep 36 - Matt Pepper: Can Pets Actually Make a City Happier?
In Episode 36, Brendan sits down with Matt Pepper, CEO of Michigan Humane, for a conversation about the powerful role animals play in shaping stronger, healthier communities.Matt shares his journey through leadership...
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Ep 35 - Sean Mann: From Neighborhood Soccer League to Detroit City FC
In Episode 35, Brendan sits down with Sean Mann, co-founder and CEO of Detroit City FC, for a deep dive into one of the most unique and community-driven stories in American sports.Sean shares his journey from growing up in ...
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Ep 34 - Marie Wallace: From France to Detroit, Building The French Cow & Chasing a Dream
In Episode 34, Brendan sits down with Marie Wallace, founder of Detroit’s beloved crepe shop, The French Cow, for a conversation that’s as inspiring as it is unexpected.Marie shares her journey from growing up in Fra...
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Ep 33 - Eric Larson: A Life in Real Estate, Building Detroit & Generational Lessons
In Episode 33, Brendan sits down with Eric Larson, CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership and a longtime leader in real estate development and urban revitalization.Eric shares the winding path that led him into real estate...
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Ep 32 - Dawn Riley: First Woman to Win an America’s Cup & Sail Around the World Twice
In Episode 32, Brendan sits down with Dawn Riley, one of the most accomplished sailors in the history of the sport.A four-time competitor in the America’s Cup—the oldest international competition in the world—Dawn ha...
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Ep 31 - Brendan Walsh: From Host to Guest - Life, Podcasting & What Matters Most
For the first time, Brendan Walsh — the host and founder of The Enthusiastic Life Podcast — steps into the guest seat as Ryan takes over the mic.This conversation pulls back the curtain on Brendan’s story, from his backgr...
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Ep 30 - Matt Loria: AI, Cybersecurity, Podcasting & the Power of Modern Leadership
In Episode 30, Brendan sits down with Matt Loria, CEO and Managing Partner of Auxiom, to talk about the journey from early sales roles to building and leading a high-performing technology and cybersecurity company.Ma...
Ep 29 - Cathy Harber: Reinventing Yourself Through Social Media & Content Creation
In Episode 29, Brendan sits down with Cathy Harber, a Grosse Pointe-based realtor who has completely redefined what it looks like to succeed in real estate today.Cathy shares her journey from being a stay-at-home mom to bui...
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Ep 28 - Erik Meier: Sales, Leadership & Coaching Teams to Perform at a Higher Level
In Episode 28, Brendan sits down with Erik Meier, CEO of Sandler Training by EAM Consulting Group, to talk about what it really takes to succeed in sales, leadership, and business today.Erik shares how his career in sales t...
Ep 27 - Ashok Sivanand: Life After Exit, Startups, Mindfulness & Building What’s Next
In Episode 27, Brendan sits down with Ashok Sivanand, a tech founder who has experienced the full arc of building, scaling, and ultimately exiting a company — and is now navigating what comes next.Ashok shares the real stor...
Ep 26 - Clint Crook: AI, Enterprise Technology & Solving Complex Business Challenges
In Episode 26, Brendan sits down with Clint Crook, a technology leader with deep experience helping organizations solve complex business challenges through AI, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise systems.Clint breaks down ...
Ep 25 — Katie Katz: The Estate Planning Gap & Building Mitzi for Women and Families
In Episode 25, Brendan sits down with Katie Katz, founder of Mitzi, a company built to solve one of the most overlooked problems in America today — the estate planning gap.Today, nearly 70% of Americans don...
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