Tenacity with Sonia C.

Latest Episodes:

Women in Tech Leadership: Listening Louder Than You Speak with Meeky Hwang Sep 25, 2025

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What does it take to lead in tech, especially when you don’t fit the mould?

In this episode, Sonia sits down with Meeky Hwang, co-founder and CEO of Ndevr, a WordPress development agency trusted by global brands like Bloomberg, Forbes, and Sony. But this isn’t a conversation about code, it’s about the quiet power of resilience, leadership, and building a business as a woman in a male-dominated industry.

Meeky shares her real, raw story, from accidentally starting a company to buying out a co-founder and learning to let go (even when it hurts). You’ll hear how she built credibility with major clients not by being the loudest in the room but by being the most consistent. Plus, she opens up about burnout, journaling, impostor syndrome, and what founders can do when they feel stuck or alone.

You’ll learn:

Why being “quiet” can be a superpower in leadership
The hardest decisions she’s had to make as a founder
What to do when scaling feels impossible
How community and honesty can fuel long-term resilience

Whether you’re an early-stage founder or deep in the trenches, this episode reminds you that you don’t have to have it all figured out, you have to keep showing up.

Website: https://www.soniacouto.com/Podcast

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How This Founder Built a $30B AI Startup That’s Disrupting Finance with Alexander Harmsen Sep 18, 2025

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What does it take to build an AI startup that manages over $30 billion in assets and challenges everything we know about investing?

In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, Sonia sits down with Alexander Harmsen, founder of PortfolioPilot.com, a next-gen AI financial advisor transforming how we manage money, risk, and decision-making. A serial entrepreneur, YC alum, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Alexander previously founded and soldIris Automation, worked on NASA’s Mars Helicopter, and raised over $30M in venture capital.

You’ll learn:

How AI is disrupting traditional financial advising
Why founders struggle with financial decision-making, and how tech can help
Lessons from scaling two AI startups, raising capital, and going through Y Combinator
The psychology behind investor mistakes, and how PortfolioPilot corrects them

Whether you’re building a startup, investing in tech, or looking to understand where AI in finance is headed next, this episode delivers actionable insights and founder wisdom.

🎧 Tune in to learn what it really takes to scale a high-impact AI company

Website: https://www.soniacouto.com/Podcast

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Becoming AI-Literate: Why Every Professional Needs This Skill Now with Nicole Hilgenkamp Sep 11, 2025

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AI isn’t here to replace you, it’s here to require more of you. In this conversation, I sit down with Nicole Hilgenkamp, an AI literacy advocate and people-first leader who made a mid-career pivot into AI while managing large teams and raising three daughters. We get honest about what “AI-literate” means, why prompting is a skill (not a hack), how to use agents to augment your team, and the guardrails every company needs before rolling out AI. We also talk about resistance at work, building internal champions, and the messy middle of change for leaders and schools that haven’t caught up yet.

You’ll learn:

How to move from “I tried ChatGPT once” to consistent, outcome-driven use
Simple ways leaders can set AI policy, protect privacy, and keep a human in the loop
How to get your team to adopt AI (community of practice, super users, small wins)
Why asking better questions beats copying other people’s prompts
A people-first framework for piloting AI across your org

If you’re a founder, manager, or creative trying to make AI a daily edge, not a threat, this one’s for you.

Website: https://www.soniacouto.com/Podcast

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Scaling a Franchise with Focus: The MADabolic Playbook with Brandon Cullen Sep 04, 2025

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After a career-ending concussion pushed him off the ice, former pro hockey player Brandon Cullen reinvented himself as the co-founder of MADaboli, the strength-driven interval training franchise built for high performers. What started as one studio has grown to 45+ locations nationwide, with a vision rooted in strength, structure, and accountability.

In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, Brandon shares how the athlete mindset translates into entrepreneurship, the hard lessons of scaling a franchise, and why focusing on a clear niche beats chasing the masses. We dig into partnership dynamics, daily founder struggles, and the principle of “the disciplined pursuit of less” that keeps him focused through every growth stage.

Whether you’re a founder hitting a wall or an entrepreneur trying to scale with intention, this conversation will challenge you to double down on clarity, consistency, and courage.

This episode is brought to you by Konverge: https://www.konverge.com/

Website: https://www.soniacouto.com/Podcast

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Autism, AI & Authenticity: Building a Superpower from Perceived Weakness with Founder Murielle Ungrich Aug 28, 2025

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In this powerful episode, Sonia sits down with Murielle Ungricht, an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and founder of the AI-powered coaching platform Nuumani, for a raw and inspiring conversation on turning perceived weaknesses into your greatest strengths.

Murielle shares her journey from building web development businesses in the early 2000s to launching Nuumani, a startup merging AI and human connection to democratize coaching. She opens up about how autism has shaped her leadership style, startup strategies, and commitment to authenticity, even when it meant breaking from conventional paths.

We dive deep into:

How Murielle bootstrapped and validated her AI startup
The emotional and strategic hurdles of building in the AI era
Why embracing neurodivergence became her superpower
The mindset shifts needed to escape burnout and unlock momentum
The story behind her book Get Unstuck! and her 10 years of coaching

Whether you’re an unconventional founder, stuck, or searching for the courage to lead differently, this conversation is a must-listen.

Website: https://www.soniacouto.com/Podcast

IG Channel: https://www.instagram.com/tenacitywithsoniac/

IG Host: https://www.instagram.com/techiesoniac

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@techiesoniac

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TenacitywithSoniaC

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Each Level Has Its Own Devil: The Truth About Scaling Up with Devan Gonzalez Aug 21, 2025

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What does it really take to grow from solopreneur to CEO of a franchise? In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, fitness entrepreneur Devan Gonzalez breaks down the gritty, behind-the-scenes reality of scaling a business, without losing your sanity or your standards.

Devan went from personal trainer to 6-figure business owner by 20, and now leads Strive 11 Fitness, a disruptive no-class-time fitness franchise. Sonia and Devan dive into the real challenges of building operational systems, hiring the right leadership team, and designing a business that can scale without the founder in every room.

🔑 In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Devan validated a bold new fitness model
Why most founders sabotage their own scale
What it really means to lead vs. micromanage
Devan’s $8K CRM mistake, and the lesson behind it

Whether you're leading a team, planning a franchise, or stuck in solopreneur mode, this episode delivers hard-won insights on leadership, process, and founder growth.

Hit play and learn why every level of growth comes with new devils, and how to outsmart them.

This episode is brought to you by: https://www.konverge.com

Website: https://www.soniacouto.com/Podcast

IG Channel: https://www.instagram.com/tenacitywithsoniac/

IG Host: https://www.instagram.com/techiesoniac

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@techiesoniac

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TenacitywithSoniaC

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Why You Should Dream Ridiculously Big with Ceinwen Garcia Aug 14, 2025

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How do you go from being a successful real estate entrepreneur to the founder of a movement? In today’s episode, I sit down with Ceiwen Garcia, a leader, community builder, and visionary behind The Boss Network. With nearly two decades in the real estate world, Ceinwen has pivoted into creating extraordinary spaces for connection, growth, and empowerment, especially for women, but everyone is welcome in her ecosystem.

In this heartfelt conversation, you’ll hear Ceinwen reflect on the transformative moments that led her from Kelowna realtor to award-winning entrepreneur, why she believes “the people are her why,” and how she navigated burnout, self-doubt, and mistakes with grace and grit. She gives us a raw, unfiltered look at how to build community, step into purpose, and not just dream big, but dream ridiculously big.

Whether you’re a founder, a creative, a caregiver, or someone searching for your next bold chapter, this conversation is for you. It’s a reminder that fulfillment isn’t just about what you build but who you lift up along the way. Get ready to feel seen, empowered, and prepared to start your next chapter.

https://www.ceinwen.ca, https://www.thebossnetwork.ca ceinwen@ceinwen.ca

This episode is brought to you by: https://www.konverge.com

Website: https://www.soniacouto.com/Podcast

IG Channel: https://www.instagram.com/tenacitywithsoniac/

IG Host: https://www.instagram.com/techiesoniac

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@techiesoniac

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TenacitywithSoniaC

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniacouto/

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From a Soccer Injury to Real Estate Millions: The Reinvention Story with Jacopo Iasiello Aug 08, 2025

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What happens when your childhood dream is ripped away, and you’re forced to start over at 17?

In this episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, we dive into the extraordinary reinvention story of Jacopo Iasiello, CEO of Luxury and Wealth Group. Jacopo shares the raw, behind-the-scenes journey of building wealth from scratch, from a career-ending soccer injury to launching a jewelry business at 18 and eventually closing over 350+ real estate deals.

We talk about:

-The mindset shift that helped him pivot from athlete to entrepreneur

-His bold move to Africa to source diamonds, and what it taught him about trust and timing

-The $1 million mistake that nearly broke him, and how he bounced back

-Why doesn’t he believe in “burning the boats”

-His M.P.B.E. method for staying grounded while scaling

If you’re building something and feel stuck, burned out, or ready to quit, this episode will remind you that reinvention is always possible.

Website: https://healthyrichandhappy.com

This episode is brought to you by: https://www.konverge.com

Website: https://www.soniacouto.com/Podcast

IG Channel: https://www.instagram.com/tenacitywithsoniac/

IG Host: https://www.instagram.com/techiesoniac

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@techiesoniac

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TenacitywithSoniaC

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The Space Between: Where AI, Intuition, and Innovation Meet with Mona Bavar Jul 31, 2025

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In this soulful and thought-provoking episode of Tenacity with Sonia C, Sonia sits down with Mona Bavar, founder of BlueApples.ai and DLISH to explore how the future of creativity is being shaped at the intersection of AI, intuition, and innovation.

Mona shares her journey from finance to founding a luxury gifting company and an AI consultancy, revealing how tech tools helped her rediscover her creativity and reframe storytelling as a deeply human act. The conversation unpacks the myths around AI replacing creativity, why authenticity matters more than ever, and how founders can build brands with real resonance, not just noise.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, burned out, or disconnected from your “why,” this episode is a powerful reminder that imagination isn’t lost in adulthood, it’s just waiting to be reawakened.

Key themes:

Using AI as a creative catalyst, not a crutch
The role of founder vulnerability in building unforgettable brands
How to stay grounded in an era of algorithmic overwhelm
Why stepping back can sometimes move you forward

Tune in to rediscover the power of soul, story, and strategy in your entrepreneurial journey.

This episode is brought to you by: https://www.konverge.com

Follow our host: @techiesoniac

Follow our IG channel: @TenacitywithSoniac

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If You Don’t Have Revenue, It’s a Hobby”: Startup Truths with Anthony Franco Jul 24, 2025

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In this unfiltered episode, Sonia sits down with Anthony Franco, a serial founder with six successful exits, to dismantle the myths around startup success. From the dreamer trap to overbuilding features no one asked for, Anthony shares hard-won lessons that every founder needs to hear.

They unpack:

-Why execution beats ideas (even in the age of AI)

-What founders get wrong about funding and MVPs

-The myth of “just hire a salesperson” for growth

-How burnout is often a signal you’re not winning, and what to do about it

Whether stuck in the idea phase, building in silence, or chasing VC validation, this episode is a gut-check every early-stage founder needs. Because, as Anthony puts it, “Entrepreneurs sell. Everything else is a hobby.”

This episode is brought to you by: https://www.konverge.com

Follow our host: @techiesoniac

Follow our IG channel: @TenacitywithSoniac

Listen or watch more episodes: https://soniacouto.com/podcast

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