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
39 episodes
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 Story Into Jewelry & Building a Mission-Driven Brand
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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Ep 24 — Dr. Seth Krupp: Inside Emergency Medicine & Building the Future of Care in Detroit
In Episode 24, Brendan sits down with longtime friend Dr. Seth Krupp, Vice Chair of Operations for the Emergency Department at Henry Ford Health. Seth shares the story of how he found his calling in emergency medicine, what reside...
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Ep 23 - Adam Steiner: From Performing Worldwide to Reinventing a Family Business
In Episode 23, Brendan sits down with Adam Steiner, a performer whose career has taken him from musical theatre stages across the country and around the world — including national and international tours of Cats, Gyps...
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Ep 22 — Lorna G. Utley: Lessons from the Woman Who Helped Shape General Motors’ Culture
In Episode 22, Brendan sits down with Lorna Utley, a leader whose career spans more than two decades at General Motors—including serving as Head of HR during some of the company’s most pivotal years. Lorna shares wha...
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Ep 21 - Ryan Dewan: From College Golf to Creative Founder
In Episode 21, Brendan sits down with a familiar face — Ryan Dewan, co-founder of Wave Media, creative director, storyteller, dad, golfer, and the producer behind The Enthusiastic Life Podcast. With a last-minute cancella...
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Ep 20 - Matt Dery: Inside the Career of a Sports Broadcaster, Detroit Sports Legends & the Psychology of Exit Planning
In Episode 20, Brendan sits down with Matt Dery, a 30-year sports broadcasting veteran and one of the most recognizable voices in Detroit sports media. Matt shares stories from his decades of play-by-play, reporting, and interview...
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Ep 19 — Lulu Fall: The Journey to Broadway, the Power of Art & Leading Cabaret 313
In Episode 19, Brendan sits down with Lulu Fall, a multidisciplinary artist whose long, winding path to Broadway is as inspiring as her work itself. Lulu opens up about her deep love for music, theater, and the arts — and t...
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Ep 18 - Sarah Zigila: The HEART of Leadership, People Development & Human Energy
In Episode 18, Brendan sits down with Sarah Zigila, VP of People Development at Orbis Holding Group, Vistage Speaker, Zumba instructor, and the force behind a leadership movement called HEART.Sarah’s work blends rese...
Ep 17 - Mary Zatina on Leadership, Community Impact & the Power of Public Radio
In this episode, Brendan sits down with Mary Zatina, General Manager of WDET 101.9FM and one of Detroit’s most respected leaders in communications, nonprofit work, and community advocacy. Mary has spent her career linking message ...
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Ep 16 - Matt Rossetti: Inside the Mind of the Chief Architect of Fun
Episode 16 — Matt Rossetti: Designing Stadiums, Cities & the Architecture of FunIn this episode, Brendan sits down with Matt Rossetti, President & CEO of ROSSETTI and the “Chief Architect of Serious Fun...
Ep 15 - Ashley Davidson: The Art of Building Community: Lessons from Luxury Brands, Hospitality & Storytelling
Episode 15 — Ashley Davidson: Storytelling, Reinvention & Building Community Through CreativityIn this episode, Brendan sits down with Ashley Davidson, a creative strategist and storyteller whose career has...
