Donald Thompson isn't just the Board Chair of Walk West-he's a masterclass in how to scale yourself across multiple ventures without burning out. In this episode, we dive into his journey from selling Jolly Ranchers in fifth grade (and getting suspended for it) to leading a global consulting practice, coaching executives, investing in entertainment talent, and still finding time to catch Duke basketball games once in awhile.

Donald breaks down the real secret to entrepreneurship: it's not about having the best idea—it's about building the best team. We talk about the hard lessons of delegation, why keeping your promises is the ultimate career hack, and how to vet people you're thinking about hiring (hint: make them demonstrate their skills first).

He also shares why "find great people and let them shine" is his entire business philosophy, how your personal brand becomes your most valuable asset, and the one book he rereads every other year that shapes how he thinks and leads. If you've ever wondered how successful people manage to do it all, this conversation is your blueprint.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Book: Underestimated: A CEO’s Unlikely Path to Success
• Connect with Donald: linkedin.com/in/donaldthompson
• Donald's website: donaldthompson.com
• Walk West: walkwest.com

Support the show

🔗 My Links:

• Email story ideas to AllUpInYourBusinessPod@gmail.com
• Follow / DM on Instagram: www.instagram.com/allupinyourbusinesspod
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@AllUpInYourBusinessPod

Become a Supporter of the show for as little as $3 and get exclusive access to shows early, special interviews, and updates from guests! Support the show here

In this episode, I sit down with Kristen Jacoby (KJ), the powerhouse behind Social to Social and a full-time real estate agent crushing it in Raleigh. KJ opens up about her journey from playing D1 field hockey to building a thriving real estate career while still in college, and her brave move to Raleigh in 2023 that changed everything.

We dive deep into the real story behind Social to Social - how a viral TikTok turned into 27 events in just 7 months, bringing thousands of people together in the Raleigh community. KJ gets vulnerable about battling depression during her first eight months in Raleigh, dealing with online hate, and why she vlogs her life.

From sauna epiphanies to champagne tower disasters, KJ shares the unfiltered truth about building a business from scratch with zero event planning experience. If you've ever felt stuck overthinking your business idea or wondered how to make real friends as an adult in a new city, this episode is for you.

Kristen Jacoby (KJ):

• Instagram: @kristennjacoby (her personal/real estate account)
• TikTok: @kj

Social to Social Events:

• Instagram: @socials.social (main account - she notes this is the ONLY official account, all others are fake)

Support the show

🔗 My Links:

• Email story ideas to AllUpInYourBusinessPod@gmail.com
• Follow / DM on Instagram: www.instagram.com/allupinyourbusinesspod
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@AllUpInYourBusinessPod

Become a Supporter of the show for as little as $3 and get exclusive access to shows early, special interviews, and updates from guests! Support the show here

It is nonprofit week! In this episode, I’m sitting down with Heather Thompson. She’s the Vice President of the Realtor Giving Network (RGN), but honestly, she’s more of a professional gap-filler for our community. Heather is here to debunk the "nonprofit myth" and show how Raleigh Realtors are doing way more than just closing deals - they’re out here furnishing homes for families, saving women and children in need, and hauling AC units and space heaters to seniors.. It’s a raw, heart-on-your-sleeve conversation about why philanthropy is basically just a "marketplace for love" and why a wicker dollhouse might be the most meaningful thing in the room.

The Top 4 Things

• Nonprofits are Real Businesses: Heather breaks down why working for a nonprofit isn't just "sweet charity" work-it’s a professional sector that employs 10% of the US workforce.
• The "Unrestricted" Gold Mine: We talk about why "unrestricted funds" are the liquid gold of the nonprofit world, allowing organizations to actually pay the light bill and handle emergency needs.
• Home Security & Survival: A heavy but necessary look at the reality of transitional housing, including why lamps have to be next to doors and why a simple rubber-tipped stick is a vital safety tool for mothers in crisis.
• The Realtor Power: How 10,000 local realtors have turned into an emergency response team that delivers window AC units to seniors within 24 hours of a call for help.

Resources

• Realtor Giving Network Website: www.rrarrgivingnetwork.org
• Other nonprofits mentioned:
  • The Green Chair Project: https://www.thegreenchair.org/
  • The Women’s Center:https://www.womenscenterraleigh.org/
  • Oak City Cares: https://oakcitycares.org/
  • CASA (Kings Ridge): https://www.casanc.org/
  • The Hope Center at Pullen: https://hopecenteratpullen.org/

Support the show

🔗 My Links:

• Email story ideas to AllUpInYourBusinessPod@gmail.com
• Follow / DM on Instagram: www.instagram.com/allupinyourbusinesspod
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@AllUpInYourBusinessPod

Become a Supporter of the show for as little as $3 and get exclusive access to shows early, special interviews, and updates from guests! Support the show here

In this episode, I’m getting all up in the business of Joe Arnao, the founder of 4W Strategic Consulting and host of The Real Joe Show. Joe has spent over 20 years in real estate, but he’s doing something completely different now—acting as a "brokerage matchmaker" and high-level coach. We talk about why agents often pick the wrong office, how to find your actual value, and the "embarrassing" gym moment that taught him his biggest lesson about mindset during a market crash.

The Top 4 Things We Talk About:

• The Real Estate Matchmaker: Why Joe built an assessment to help agents figure out where they actually belong (and why the brokerage should pay for it, not the agent).
• The "Three-Year Itch": How Joe identifies the signs of career boredom and turns that energy into leadership and coaching.
• Scripted vs. Natural: We dive into the debate of using scripts in marketing and why being "brave enough to stumble" is actually a brand strategy.
• The BNI Philosophy: Why helping others make money is the fastest way to ensure you’re successful, too.

Resources 🔗

• Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joearnao1/
• Listen to Joe’s Podcast: The Real Joe Show

Support the show

🔗 My Links:

• Email story ideas to AllUpInYourBusinessPod@gmail.com
• Follow / DM on Instagram: www.instagram.com/allupinyourbusinesspod
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@AllUpInYourBusinessPod

Become a Supporter of the show for as little as $3 and get exclusive access to shows early, special interviews, and updates from guests! Support the show here

In this episode, I’m sitting down with my friend and boss, Javier Leiva. He’s the creator of the hit podcast Pretend, where he spends his time interviewing con artists, cult leaders, and undercover feds. We talk about what happens when a "true story" is actually a total fantasy, how he cornered a famous con man in a Vegas hotel, and why he’s so deep in this world that he actually blurred his house off Google Street View.

The Top 4 Things We Talk About:

• The $800 Confrontation: How Javier tracked down the world’s most famous con man at a conference just to call out his lies with a giant microphone.
• Stage Fright to Stardom: The surprising reason Javier started the show—it actually came from being too scared to talk to his own team at work.
• "Street View" Paranoia: Why Javier is so deep in the world of con artists that he literally erased his home from Google Earth.
• Podcasts vs. Netflix: Why massive streamers like Hulu and Netflix are treating indie podcasts like a "testing ground" for their next big documentaries.

Resources 🔗

• Pretend Podcast on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/pretendpod
• Pretend Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/pretendradio/home
• Listen to Pretend: Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/2vaCjR7UvlN9aTIzW6kNCo?si=d1f5a09e011146e9 Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pretend/id1245307962

Support the show

🔗 My Links:

• Email story ideas to AllUpInYourBusinessPod@gmail.com
• Follow / DM on Instagram: www.instagram.com/allupinyourbusinesspod
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@AllUpInYourBusinessPod

Become a Supporter of the show for as little as $3 and get exclusive access to shows early, special interviews, and updates from guests! Support the show here

Let’s be real: if a business looks perfect on Instagram, someone is probably lying to you. I’m Kayleigh Bain, and I’m obsessed with the stories people don't put in their press releases. All Up in Your Business is where I sit down with local founders, non-profit leaders, and total badasses to talk about the messy, complicated, and usually hilarious reality of building something from scratch. No filters, no fluff—just the real stuff that connects us.

In This Episode: Erica Rooney

For the very first episode, I’m joined by my friend and total powerhouse, Erica Rooney. She’s an author, speaker, and the founder of Her Collective, but she’s also the first person to admit that even "machines" have their breaking points.

The Top 4 Things We Talk About:

• The TikTok Meltdown: Erica tells the story of the one reel that almost took her out (and why I loved seeing her finally "crack").
• Leaving the C-Suite: Why she walked away from a massive corporate career to start something that actually matched her values.
• The Podcast-to-Book Pipeline: How she used her own podcast as a research tool to write a book endorsed by Mel Robbins.
• Tyra Banks & Signs from the Universe: That one time she got a call to interview a finance icon and met Tyra Banks in her very first week of business.

Connect with Erica:

• LinkedIn: Erica Anderson Rooney
• Web: ericaandersonrooney.com
• Community: joinhercollective.com
• Instagram: Erica | HER Collective

Support the show

🔗 My Links:

• Email story ideas to AllUpInYourBusinessPod@gmail.com
• Follow / DM on Instagram: www.instagram.com/allupinyourbusinesspod
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@AllUpInYourBusinessPod

Become a Supporter of the show for as little as $3 and get exclusive access to shows early, special interviews, and updates from guests! Support the show here

Welcome to the All Up In Your Business Podcast with your host, Kayleigh Bain!

How many times have you wondered about the story behind your favorite local spot? Every Wednesday, Kayleigh—founder of Honeygin Marketing and a champion of authentic storytelling—deep dives into the stories of local and small business owners, thought leaders, and non-profits in Raleigh, Durham, and beyond.

Expect candid conversations about:

• Where the idea for the business came from
• The origin of the name
• Hard lessons learned along the way
• Advice for new entrepreneurs

Tune in to celebrate the incredible stories you don’t often hear.

Now, let’s get All Up In Your Business!

Support the show

🔗 My Links:

• Email story ideas to AllUpInYourBusinessPod@gmail.com
• Follow / DM on Instagram: www.instagram.com/allupinyourbusinesspod
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@AllUpInYourBusinessPod

Become a Supporter of the show for as little as $3 and get exclusive access to shows early, special interviews, and updates from guests! Support the show here