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What does success really mean after four decades in finance, investing, entrepreneurship, and advisory work?

In this episode of the Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast, hosts Dr. Mosongo Moukwa and Valorie Smith sit down with Andrew “Andy” Akers—a seasoned financial executive, investor, entrepreneur, and advisor.

Andy reflects on a career that took him from engineering to Wall Street, institutional finance, private investing, real estate, entrepreneurship, and business advisory. He shares the enduring lessons behind building successful businesses: lead with curiosity, solve the right problem, create happy clients, and recognize that behind every spreadsheet, deal, and KPI are human beings.

The conversation explores:

How Andy’s first car-waxing business taught him the importance of customer experience and repeat business

Why the best entrepreneurs are often builders, problem-solvers, and lifelong learners

What happens when money, ownership, family, and relationships collide

Why capable people can make poor decisions when emotion overrides judgment

How to slow down, regain clarity, and make better decisions amid uncertainty

Why financial achievement alone is not a complete measure of success

How family, fulfillment, purpose, and personal growth reshape the definition of a meaningful life

The work Andy does through Resolve Advisory with business owners, investors, and individuals navigating consequential decisions and conflict

Andy also discusses his work with Resolve Advisory, where he helps clients navigate issues involving capital, ownership, leadership, relationships, conflict, significant assets, and uncertainty.

Guest: Andrew “Andy” Akers
Hosts: Dr. Mosongo Moukwa and Valorie Smith
Podcast: Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast

Connect with Andy Akers and learn more about Resolve Advisory:
🌐 https://resolve-advisory.com
💼 LinkedIn: Search for Andrew Akers (A-K-E-R-S) and send him a direct message.

If this conversation gave you a fresh perspective on business, leadership, decision-making, or success, please like, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with an entrepreneur who would benefit from it.

What happens when the life you planned is no longer an option?

In this episode of the Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast, Dr. Mosongo Moukwa and Valorie Smith sit down with Ron Nussbaum—U.S. Marine veteran, entrepreneur, author, host of the Construction Champions podcast, and co-founder of Ask a Shop Owner.

Ron shares how he went from BMX racing and basketball dreams to serving as an infantry Marine, including deployment to Iraq. After leaving the military without a clear next path, he took a chance on a Craigslist construction job—even though he had no construction experience—and found the mission, camaraderie, and opportunity he had been searching for.

The conversation goes far beyond construction. Ron breaks down a leadership truth every entrepreneur needs to hear:

You cannot scale past unresolved problems—you only scale them bigger.

He explains how hiring struggles, weak training, unclear expectations, and culture breakdowns often trace back to ownership and management. Rather than blaming employees or applying temporary fixes, leaders must examine the root cause, check their ego, and build systems that allow people to succeed.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Ron transitioned from the Marines into entrepreneurship and construction

Why construction can offer extraordinary opportunity for people willing to show up and learn

The mindset shift from chasing material success to building a peaceful, meaningful life

Why the real source of many “employee problems” starts with leadership

How to identify root causes instead of putting band-aids on business issues

Why hiring faster will not solve a broken culture or unclear systems

The leadership question Ron uses in difficult meetings: “Is the problem in this room?”

How Ask a Shop Owner uses real-world business-operator insights to help small-business owners build actionable plans

Ron also shares the vision behind Ask a Shop Owner, an AI-powered platform designed to give entrepreneurs, skilled-trades professionals, and shop owners practical, on-demand guidance when they face real business challenges. The platform is built around insights gathered from thousands of business owners, entrepreneurs, and operators—not simply generic internet answers.

If you are building a company, leading a team, hiring employees, navigating a career change, or trying to create a life that feels successful on your own terms, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Ron Nussbaum on LinkedIn, and explore his work with Ask a Shop Owner and Construction Champions

What happens when you go from the pinnacle of corporate leadership to losing total control of your life in seconds In this powerful episode of The Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast, hosts Dr. Mosongo Moukwa and Valorie Smith sit down with José Pereira, former CEO of Citgo Petroleum.

After spending over 35 years building a distinguished career in the oil and gas industry, José’s life took a dramatic turn during a 2017 business trip to Venezuela. Arrested alongside five executive colleagues as part of the Citgo 6, José spent 1,775 days (nearly five years) held hostage in a dungeon before his unexpected release in October 2022.

In this intimate conversation, José goes beyond the news headlines to share how stripped-away titles, power, and freedom forced him to confront ego, rediscover his faith, and unlock an unbreakable inner strength[6]. He details the daily survival routine inside a 100-square-foot cell, the letters smuggled in trash cans that became his published book, and how he turned trauma into a global mission of leadership, resilience, and purpose.

Relevant Links & Resources

Official Website & Platform: Visit Jose Connect: https://joseconnect.com

In this presentation at the Navajo Nation Special Diabetes Program Nutrition Summit, program supervisor Kenan Barlo introduces keynote speaker Mei Liu, founder of the Lotus Health Foundation and non-profit partner of Rochester Clinic.

Drawing from her work in Rochester, Minnesota, Mei Liu explores how evidence-based lifestyle medicine aligns with Diné cultural traditions and ancient wisdom to promote community wellness.

Key Highlights & Topics Covered:
The Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine: An introduction to a whole-person health framework encompassing whole-food plant-based nutrition, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, passion or purpose, and positive social connections.

Addressing Root Causes of Chronic Disease: How targeted lifestyle interventions address underlying root causes behind conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and cardiovascular disease to prevent, manage, and reverse illness.

Honoring Indigenous Ancient Wisdom: Connecting modern medical research with traditional cultural values, including the Diné philosophy of hózhǫ́ (walking in balance, harmony, and beauty) and traditional food practices such as blue corn mush prepared with cedar ash.

Interactive Community Reflections: Reflections from summit attendees sharing traditional stories, intergenerational teachings, and local approaches to physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Learn more at https://healingstepstowellness.com

In this inspiring episode of The Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast, hosts Dr. Mosongo Moukwa and Valorie Smith dive deep with LaWanna Bradford—an award-winning strategic architect, media personality, five-time international best-selling author, and recipient of the 2023 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Behind her stellar professional accomplishments lies a profound, deeply personal story of resilience and survival. LaWanna opens up about crawling out of a financial abyss after the 2008 mortgage crisis, navigating a high-stakes lawsuit with Chase Bank where she successfully represented herself, overcoming a painful divorce, and surviving a cancer diagnosis.

Through her unique R3 Authority Ecosystem (Refocus, Reframe, Reconnect), LaWanna shares actionable wisdom on how leaders can navigate major life disruptions, silence negative thinking, design their own "life blueprint," and step into their true power.

This conversation is a masterclass on how "seeds of greatness" germinate during life's most difficult moments, and how entrepreneurs can build sustainable communities that leave a legacy for generations to come.

Connect with LaWanna: Listeners can reach out, explore her strategic advisory services, and follow her journey by visiting her official website: https://LaWannaBradford.com