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Stay On Course: Ingredients for Success

Stay On Course: Ingredients for Success

Written by: Julie Riga
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 🎙️ Stay On Course: Ingredients for Success

With Julie Riga — Leadership Coach, Author, Entrepreneur

Are you a high-achiever shifting from doing it all to leading it all?

Are you a CEO, team leader, or side-hustler who's thriving outwardly but struggling inwardly with clarity, confidence, or control?

This podcast is for you.

On Stay On Course: Ingredients for Success, best-selling author and ICF-certified leadership coach Julie Riga uncovers the mindset shifts, leadership lessons, and deeply personal stories that fuel growth, transformation, and abundance.

Julie is the daughter of Ennio Riga, famed Italian chef to the stars—who dazzled Hollywood legends like Frank Sinatra and Joan Rivers with his charm and culinary genius. Through his legacy, Julie learned the power of discipline, storytelling, and faith—and now she blends that with over 20 years of experience in corporate leadership, pharma, and entrepreneurship to help others navigate the messy middle of leadership.

💡 What You’ll Discover:
  • How to shift your identity from solo doer to empowered leader
  • The key ingredients of executive presence, confidence, and purpose-led leadership
  • Practical tools for delegation, decision-making, and scaling without burnout
  • Faith-infused insights on leading when life feels uncertain or overwhelming
  • Real stories from guests who have stayed on course through every kind of obstacle
  • Why believing in yourself—and having just one person believe in you—can change everything

Whether you're leading a team for the first time, growing a side hustle into a real business, or simply trying to lead yourself better, this podcast will help you unlock the clarity, calm, and courage to move forward with intention.

From leadership training to mindset coaching, from resilience strategies to legacy-building—you’ll find it here, with heart.

📍 Tune in now.

📌 Visit beforeilead.com and julieriga.com

🔗 Connect with Julie: linkedin.com/in/julieriga

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Episodes
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    Oct 22 2025
    No Followers Needed: How to Build a Six-Figure UGC BusinessGuest: Megan Collier, Content Creator & UGC CoachHost: Julie RigaAbout This EpisodeJulie sits down with Megan Collier, who built a six-figure User Generated Content (UGC) business in just 14 months starting with only 200 followers. Megan now helps GenXers and Boomers launch successful UGC careers, and she's here to break down exactly how everyday people can get paid by brands without any influencer status.What is UGC?User Generated Content (UGC) is when creators get paid by brands to create short-form video content (typically 30-60 seconds) without posting to their own social media. Instead, brands use this authentic content for their own ads, emails, websites, and marketing channels.In This Episode, We Talk About:The three essential ingredients for UGC success (hint: talent isn't one of them)Why age is actually an asset in this industry, not a barrierHow Megan landed her first deal within 10 days and what she did to make it happenThe exact step-by-step process to get started, even if you've never created content beforeWhat equipment you actually need (spoiler: probably less than $50)Real student success stories, including a 52-year-old who made $11,500 in 63 daysHow to price your work so you're not leaving money on the tableWhy brands are desperately searching for GenX and Boomer creators right nowThe biggest mistakes new creators make and how to avoid themWhether UGC will survive in an AI and metaverse worldWhy This MattersIf you've ever thought "I'm too old for social media" or "I don't have enough followers to work with brands," this episode will completely change your perspective. Megan proves that the barrier to entry has never been lower, and the demand has never been higher.Who Should ListenGenXers and Baby Boomers looking for flexible incomeAnyone intimidated by traditional influencer marketingPeople seeking a side hustle with low upfront investmentAnyone who's ever wanted to work with brands but thought they needed thousands of followers firstGuest BackgroundMegan Collier discovered UGC in August 2022 while working full-time and needing a flexible side hustle. Within 14 months, she scaled her UGC business to replace her six-figure corporate income. Now she helps everyday people unlock this valuable income stream through her coaching platform.Connect with Megan CollierTikTok: @megan_ugcInstagram: @Megan_UGCWebsite: https://www.megancollierugc.comYou don't need followers, fancy equipment, or years of experience to start earning with UGC. You just need a willingness to learn, the confidence to know your worth, and the ability to have fun with it.🎧 Subscribe to Stay On Course wherever you listen to podcasts 💡 Share this episode with anyone exploring a new income stream or creative pursuitTo learn more about Julie Riga and her mission to help you stay on course and lead with confidence and clarity, visit:🌐 www.julieriga.com 🌟 Explore transformative coaching sessions at julieriga.com/lead 🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julierigaI'm Julie Riga—a leadership coach, speaker, certified trainer, author, voice actor, and proud host of the Stay On Course podcast. With over 20 years of experience in the pharma, biotech, and life sciences industries, I specialize in empowering high-achieving professionals to lead with clarity, purpose, and resilience.I work with:CEOs, Founders, and Executives who want to lead with authenticity and impactC-suite leaders and senior managers looking to improve executive presence and public speakingEntrepreneurs and business owners navigating growth, leadership challenges, and career fulfillmentHR and operations leader
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  • Three Ingredients for Building Unbreakable Resilience: Lessons from a Firefighter's Journey

    Three Ingredients for Building Unbreakable Resilience: Lessons from a Firefighter's Journey
    Jan 14 2026
    Three Ingredients for Building Unbreakable Resilience: Lessons from a Firefighter's Journey

    Guest: Gary Roberts - 20-Year Firefighter & Founder of Neurovus

    Host: Julie Riga


    Overview

    Julie sits down with Gary Roberts, a 20-year Fort Lauderdale firefighter who transformed personal tragedy into mission. After losing his daughter to an opioid overdose on her 27th birthday, Gary created Neurovus, an AI-powered mental health platform combining biometrics, voice-driven AI, and evidence-based therapies to provide support before crisis hits.

    Gary shares three essential ingredients for building unbreakable resilience: consistency, continuous learning, and mental toughness. Whether you're an entrepreneur, leader, or anyone overcoming obstacles, this episode offers actionable insights on moving forward when life knocks you down.


    Three Ingredients for Building Unbreakable Resilience: Lessons from a Firefighter's Journey


    About Gary Roberts

    Gary is a 20-year veteran firefighter and founder of Neurovus. His journey includes breaking nearly every bone in his body, being stranded in Florida with nothing, building multiple fitness studios, and facing devastating loss. As a hazmat special operations team member, Gary combines fitness discipline, firefighting mental toughness, and compassionate understanding from profound personal loss.

    Fun Fact: Despite being a fitness professional, Gary's favorite food is strawberry cheesecake!


    The Three Ingredients for Resilience

    1. Consistency: Moving the Needle Forward

    • Do one thing daily to create momentum
    • Take one step at a time (staircase principle)
    • Track progress visually
    • Focus on the end result, not difficulty

    2. Continuous Learning: Every Experience is Education

    • Treat failures as curves to overcome, not mistakes
    • Listen more than you speak
    • Build partnerships through genuine curiosity
    • Learn from every experience

    3. Mental Toughness: Work Through What You Don't Want to Do

    • Physical and mental fitness work together
    • Focus on post-completion feelings
    • The 100 pull-ups principle: if you can do one, you can do 100
    • Practice breathing techniques for decompression
    • Teach loved ones to ask for "help" not present "problems"

    First Responder Reality

    Gary reveals harsh truths: no formal mental health training, "suck it up" culture, 24/7 alertness, constant worst-case thinking, high divorce rates, and PTSD indicators. First responders live in perpetual readiness, impacting home life.


    Key Quotes

    "It's not how hard you get punched down, it's how many times you get back up."

    "Think of the end result first, not what you're doing to get there."

    "Resilience becomes part of you, not an obstacle to overcome."


    The Neurovus Solution

    Innovative platform using biometric integration, voice-driven AI, and evidence-based therapies for proactive mental health support—designed for first responders and high performers.


    Connect with Gary

    Website: www.neurovus.com

    Instagram: @GRoberts_PIR

    Email: garyroberts@neurovus.com


    Key Takeaways
    1. Consistency beats intensity
    2. Learn from failures
    3. Mental and physical health connect
    4. Visualize end results
    5. Resilience is built through persistence
    6. Your story determines outcomes
    7. Seek help before crisis
    8. Take one step at a time


    Legacy: Honoring Gary's daughter and Julie's father, whose teaching "seven times down, eight times up" captures resilience.


    🎧 Subscribe to Stay On Course


    #StayOnCourse #Resilience #MentalToughness #FirstResponders #Leadership
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  • Charting New Territory, Building Legacy, and Becoming the Voice Before the Stage with Julie Riga

    Charting New Territory, Building Legacy, and Becoming the Voice Before the Stage with Julie Riga
    Jan 10 2026

    This episode marks an exciting milestone for the podcast. After launching in 2022, the show has officially begun charting on Apple Podcasts, and the momentum is just getting started. The focus for this year is clear and ambitious becoming a Top Ten podcast in the Entrepreneurship category.

    Listeners are invited into the Before I Lead community on Skool, a free space designed for small business owners who want greater visibility, stronger leadership skills, and real connection. The community offers weekly networking and conversations centered on growing and leading a business with intention.

    The heart of the podcast is learning directly from small business owners and experts who share their real world ingredients for success. Topics include marketing, sales, lead generation, podcasting, social media visibility, and using speaking as a powerful accelerator for business growth.

    This episode also highlights the importance of visibility through podcasting and stages both local and virtual, along with a behind the scenes look at attending Podfest in Orlando to deepen conversations around podcast monetization and audience growth.

    Rooted in legacy, the podcast continues to honor the influence of Julie’s father, Ennio Riga, whose mentorship and impact shaped generations. His legacy inspires the mission to help others share meaningful messages that create transformation.

    The episode closes with insight into the Before I Speak program, which supports emerging speakers in building confidence, presence, and a powerful internal story before stepping onto any stage.

    This podcast exists to educate, inspire, and equip listeners to grow intentionally, lead boldly, and stay on course as they build businesses and legacies that matter.





    To learn more about Julie Riga and her mission to help you stay on course and lead with confidence and clarity, visit:

    🌐 www.julieriga.com

    🌟 Explore transformative coaching sessions at www.beforeilead.com

    🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julieriga

    I'm Julie Riga—a leadership coach, speaker, certified trainer, author, voice actor, and proud host of the Stay On Course podcast. With over 20 years of experience in the pharma, biotech, and life sciences industries, I specialize in empowering high-achieving professionals to lead with clarity, purpose, and resilience.

    I work with:

    • CEOs, Founders, and Executives who want to lead with authenticity and impact
    • C-suite leaders and senior managers looking to improve executive presence and public speaking
    • Entrepreneurs and business owners navigating growth, leadership challenges, and career fulfillment
    • HR and operations leaders seeking strategic development tools and confidence coaching

    Many of my clients come to me when they feel stuck, overwhelmed, or out of alignment. They’re looking to:

    • Boost leadership clarity and overcome self-doubt
    • Develop executive presence and master public speaking
    • Reignite their purpose and unlock their full potential
    • Balance career ambition with personal fulfillment
    • Stay resilient in high-pressure environments

    Whether you're a tech founder, a service-based business owner, or a corporate executive ready to elevate your leadership game, my programs—including Before I Lead, Before I Speak, Before I Sell, and Before I Calendar—are designed to help you take action, grow sustainably, and leave a lasting legacy.

    Discover your purpose. Stay on Course. Leave a Legacy.
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    16 mins
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