What does it take to turn a struggling organization into a high-performing team? For retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Mark Towne, the answer begins with trust.

From a difficult childhood and an unexpected journey into military service to a 34-year Army career, Mark's experiences shaped his understanding of what meaningful leadership requires.

When he inherited a battalion struggling with poor performance and a toxic leadership culture, Mark learned that operational improvements alone wouldn't solve the problem. By prioritizing trust, accountability and the development of his people, the organization climbed from last to first among eight battalions in just two years.

In this episode of Anything But Typical, Mark joins Gary and Ben to discuss the difference between management and leadership, the importance of putting values into action, building trust across different backgrounds and the principles behind his book, Build Trust First: Your Source Code for Leadership That Truly Matters.

A conversation for business owners and leaders who want to build stronger teams and make a lasting difference in the lives of the people they serve.

Connect With Mark

Website: https://vetsleadership.com

Book: Build Trust First: Your Source Code for Leadership That Truly Matters

LinkedIn — Mark Towne

Garth Moulton went from getting laughed out of investor meetings to co-founding Jigsaw, a groundbreaking sales intelligence company eventually acquired by Salesforce.

In this episode of Anything But Typical, Garth joins Gary Frey and Ben McDonald to share the realities of building Jigsaw, raising capital, navigating investor pressure, and creating a community that became the foundation of the company's success.

He also reflects on the decisions he'd make differently, what he learned from the Salesforce acquisition, and why he chose to protect time with his family rather than let entrepreneurship consume his life.

It's an honest conversation about building a business, learning from difficult decisions, and defining success on your own terms.

Resources and Links

• Garthbridge Website: https://www.garthbridge.com/

• Connect with Garth Moulton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garthmoulton

• Anything But Typical Podcast: https://anythingbuttypical.podbean.com/

• Follow Anything But Typical on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anything-but-typical-podcast

Subscribe for more real stories from entrepreneurs and business leaders, including the challenges and lessons behind their success.

#AnythingButTypical #Entrepreneurship #BusinessLeadership #Salesforce

Michael Schindler had a successful career, a beautiful home, and the outward signs of financial stability. Then, after leaving a high-paying job, he found himself with just $14 in his pocket.

A $17 lunch bill, an unexpected act of generosity, and a meeting with a future business partner became part of a turning point in how he viewed himself and his relationships with others.

But Michael's search for identity started much earlier.

After leaving the U.S. Navy, he went through 14 jobs trying to find the sense of purpose he'd once found in military service. Along the way, he discovered how much of his identity had become tied to external success.

In this episode of Anything But Typical, Michael joins Gary Frey and Ben McDonald to discuss the personal challenges behind his professional journey and the leadership principles he developed from those experiences.

They explore ego, mentorship, accountability, and why some of the most important decisions leaders make have little to do with money.

Michael also introduces his approach to decision-making through VUCA Max and Human 10.0, including practical ways to identify your priorities and navigate uncertainty.

It's a conversation about what happens when success stops being enough, and how to build a life that reflects what actually matters to you.

#AnythingButTypical #Leadership #Entrepreneurship

In this engaging interview, Matt Zinman shares his journey from entrepreneurship to developing the innovative MindRev app, designed to combat overthinking and burnout. Discover insights on leadership, resilience, and the power of self-kindness, along with practical strategies for mental well-being and scaling impact.

Key Topics

•The story behind MindRev and its mission to tame overthinking

•The importance of resilience and perseverance in entrepreneurship

•Practical strategies for managing burnout and depression

•The role of self-kindness and earned confidence in mental health

•Insights on scaling a tech startup with AI guidance

Resources MindRev App - https://mindrev.app

Website - https://mattzinman.com

What if laughter wasn’t just a reaction to something funny, but an intentional tool for changing your mindset, strengthening culture, and navigating difficult moments?

In this episode of Anything But Typical, Gary and Ben sit down with Kim Coleman, a laughter strategist, laughter yoga instructor, TEDx speaker, keynote speaker, and performer. Kim shares how her background in theater, education, writing, stand-up comedy, and improvisation ultimately led her to recognize the power of intentional laughter.

Kim explains that she wants people to remember her as someone who listens, makes others feel comfortable, and helps them laugh. For her, laughter is something that can be intentionally introduced into everyday life to help shift your mindset and change the atmosphere around you.

• Why laughter can be an intentional part of your daily routine

• How leaders influence the emotional atmosphere of their workplace

• Using humor to create connection and make people feel more comfortable

• How Kim’s theater and improvisation background shaped the way she reads people and communicates

• Kim’s journey through writing, stand-up comedy, and laughter yoga

• Giving yourself permission to experience difficult moments instead of forcing positivity

• Why failure and bombing on stage can become powerful opportunities to learn

• How business owners can become more comfortable experimenting, failing, and trying something new

• Using music, art, meaningful objects, and relationships to intentionally influence your mindset

• Why the people you surround yourself with can have such a major impact on your energy

• Learning to take yourself a little less seriously

Kim also shares an important lesson from her own difficult seasons: sometimes the right response isn’t trying to make someone laugh. It’s listening, being present, and meeting them where they are.

For entrepreneurs and leaders, Kim encourages creating intentional moments throughout the day that help reduce stress and bring more joy into both work and life. She also emphasizes being willing to experiment and recognizing that failure is often where some of the biggest lessons are found.

The conversation ends with a simple challenge: find small things—music, people, art, memories, routines, or even laughter itself—that you can intentionally place into your day to help move your mindset in the direction you want it to go.

LinkedIn: @KimColeman Instagram: @kcolemanlaughs

Christian Klender’s career has taken him from software engineering and professional motorsports to building Watches of Charlotte.

In this episode of Anything But Typical, Christian shares how he broke into racing, helped build McLaren’s presence in Charlotte, and eventually made the jump into entrepreneurship.

We also talk about turning a passion for watches into a business, building trust with customers, raising capital, managing risk, and why sustainable growth matters more than simply getting bigger.

In This Episode:

• Breaking into professional motorsports • Working with IndyCar, NASCAR, and McLaren • Leaving the stability of a traditional career • Building Watches of Charlotte • Turning a passion into a profitable business • Building trust in high-value sales • Managing risk, investors, and growth • Staying grounded through career and life transitions

Learn more about Christian: WatchesofCharlotte.com Instagram: @WatchesofCharlotte

William McKee didn’t set out to become an entrepreneur. His path moved through engineering, technology, philosophy, travel, teaching, and eventually into building Knowmad Digital Marketing.

In this episode of Anything But Typical, William McKee joins Gary Frey and Ben to share how curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to keep evolving helped shape both his life and his business.

The conversation explores William’s early exposure to technology, the unconventional journey that led him into entrepreneurship, and what it has taken to keep Knowmad relevant through decades of change. From the early days of the internet to SEO, digital marketing, and now AI, William explains why staying curious has become one of his greatest advantages.

He also opens up about the realities of business growth, including costly pivots, finding the right support system, working alongside another visionary, building stronger processes, and learning when to step back and let the team operate in their strengths.

Resources Mentioned

Knowmad Digital Marketing, EO Accelerator, HubSpot, Marketing AI Institute / SmarterX, Charlotte Business Exchange, and EOS.

Connect With William McKee

Learn more about Knowmad Digital Marketing at www.knowmad.com. You can also find William McKee on LinkedIn by searching for William McKee in Charlotte.

About Anything But Typical

Anything But Typical shares real stories from entrepreneurs—not just the wins. Subscribe and share for more conversations about entrepreneurship, leadership, growth, and everything that happens along the way.

**Episode Summary:** Erin Vogel, semi-retired sports car racing driver and founder of AE Victory Racing, shares her journey from growing up in a family of racing pioneers to becoming a team owner on a mission to create opportunities for women in motorsports. She discusses overcoming imposter syndrome, navigating a male-dominated sport, the messy transition from driver to team owner, and the leadership lessons learned along the way — including the importance of delegation, building culture, and embracing failure as fuel for growth.

Where to Find Erin ---

**Connect with Erin:**

- Instagram: @ErinVogelRacing and @AEVictoryRacing

- TikTok: @AEVictoryRacing

- Website: www.aevictoryracing.com