Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths.

Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths. is where personal stories meet the realities that rarely make it into public conversation. Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis , each episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the experiences, turning points, and lessons that shape leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. Together, they uncover not only the human journey, but also the untold truths within industries like technology, healthcare, science, sports, and business. Through thoughtful conversations and genuine curiosity, they challenge assumptions, spark new perspectives, and reveal the insights that often stay behind closed doors. If you're curious about what drives meaningful work, resilient people, and lasting impact, you're in the right place.

Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths. is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 12 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths., a business show with 12 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #12

  The Hidden Cost of Pushing Through with Kelly Roman

  Sep 15, 202631 minS1

  What if being high-performing does not mean you are performing at your best? In this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths. , Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis sit down with Kelly Roman, co-founder and CEO of Fisher Wallace Labs, to explore the intersection of mental health, human performance, and brain stimulation technology. Kelly shares his unconventional path from studying English literature at Harvard to leading a medical device company focused on depression, anxiety, and insomnia. He talks about his own experience with depression, the hidden impact mood and sleep issues can have on even highly productive people, and why someone can appear to be functioning well while still carrying a significant burden. The conversation also explores the stigma surrounding mental health treatment, particularly among generations and professions where asking for help can be viewed as weakness. Kelly discusses how his father's experience influenced his perspective and why accessible, non-drug approaches may help some people overcome barriers to seeking care. Kelly also takes Deanna and Jeffery inside the unusual journey of building Fisher Wallace Labs, from navigating changing FDA regulations and funding research through early product sales to the company's broader vision for mental health treatment, prevention, and human performance. Connect with Kelly Roman Fisher Wallace Labs: fisherwallace.com LinkedIn: Kelly Roman Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths. Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success - the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel. Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. Enjoyed the conversation? Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories. Connect with Deanna Instagram: @deannabrowntoday LinkedIn: Deanna Brown Connect with Jeffery Instagram: @jefferyddavis LinkedIn: Jeffery Davis ️ Credits Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis Editor: Krissi Burdette "Halo Balance" Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: FDMKMRW0NYPIF1A9 ⚖️ Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

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  Episode #11

  The Human Side of Financial Advice with Brian Vendig

  Sep 8, 202630 minS1

  What happens when financial advice becomes more about gathering assets than understanding the person behind them? Brian Vendig, President and Chief Investment Officer of MJP Wealth Advisors, joins Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis for a conversation about entrepreneurship, independence, trust, and the changing financial advisory industry. Brian's path into wealth management was anything but direct. After working in public accounting, venture capital, and corporate finance at Xerox, he made the leap into the independent advisory firm founded by his father-in-law. Eventually, Brian and his wife became business partners and purchased the firm, navigating the complexities of family, succession, and ownership along the way. Today, MJP Wealth Advisors manages nearly $2 billion in assets while remaining independently owned. Brian shares why he believes growth is necessary to remain competitive, but also why scale should not come at the expense of relationships. He discusses the consolidation happening across wealth management, the potential conflicts created by corporate ownership, and why clients should understand who their advisor ultimately answers to. The conversation also explores AI and technology. Brian sees technology as an important tool for improving productivity, research, and service, but believes advisors cannot hide behind screens. Trust still requires communication, collaboration, and a real understanding of the person sitting on the other side of the table. At the center of Brian's approach is a simple goal: help people make better choices. Connect with Brian Vendig LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianvendig/ MJP Wealth Advisors: https://www.mjpwealthadvisors.com/ Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths. Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success - the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel. Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. Enjoyed the conversation? Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories. Connect with Deanna Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannabrowntoday LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannachristinebrown/ Connect with Jeffery Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefferyddavis/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffery-continuumpro/ Credits Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis Editor: Krissi Burdette "Halo Balance" Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: FDMKMRW0NYPIF1A9 Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

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  Episode #10

  The Human Side of Financial Advice with Mike Finn

  Sep 1, 202628 minS1

  What happens when a financial advisor leaves the security of an established firm to build a practice around his own vision? In this episode, Deanna and Jeffery sit down with financial advisor Mike Finn to talk about the decision to bet on himself, why he chose to focus on business owners in construction, HVAC, and electrical trades, and what he’s learning as he builds a firm from the ground up. Mike also pulls back the curtain on an industry that can be difficult for consumers to navigate. Not all financial advisors work the same way, offer the same services, or even get paid the same way, and that lack of transparency can make it difficult to know exactly what you’re getting. The conversation also turns to AI and the future of financial advice. Could financial advisors eventually become obsolete? Mike believes technology will continue to change the industry, but there’s still something important about having a human on the other side of the conversation, especially one willing to challenge your thinking instead of simply reinforcing it. And for anyone considering making a leap of their own, Mike offers a lesson he learned personally: you’re probably never going to feel 100% ready. In this episode: • Why Mike left an established career path to build his own practice • The realities of betting on yourself as a business owner • Why specialization matters in financial planning • What consumers may not realize about financial advisors and compensation • How AI is already changing financial services • The risk of false confidence when AI doesn’t challenge your assumptions • Why Mike believes the human side of financial advice still matters • Getting comfortable being uncomfortable when building something new Connect with Mike Finn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfinncfp/ https://www.neponsetriverwealth.com/ Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths. Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success- the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel. Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. Enjoyed the conversation? Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories. Connect with Deanna Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannabrowntoday LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannachristinebrown/ Connect with Jeffery Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefferyddavis/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffery-continuumpro/ ️ Credits Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis Editor: Krissi Burdette “Halo Balance” Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: SIS9RNTFYTH5E3KF ⚖️ Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

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  Episode #9

  What if Mental Health Started With Prevention with Dr. Shivam Dubey

  Aug 25, 202630 minS1

  What if we taught people how to understand their mental health before they reached a crisis? Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis sit down with Dr. Shivam Dubey, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and founder of Mighty Champions, to challenge a mental healthcare model that too often begins after someone is already struggling. Drawing from his experience treating patients, Shivam shares why he believes self-awareness and mental health education should begin much earlier. From patients arriving in emergency rooms believing they’re having heart attacks only to discover they’re experiencing panic attacks, to the core beliefs we develop throughout our lives, he asks: What could we be teaching people before they reach a breaking point? The conversation explores stress and the body, the beliefs and identities we carry, physician burnout and moral injury, and Shivam’s vision for bringing preventive mental health education into communities around the world. In This Episode Moving mental healthcare from treatment toward prevention How stress can manifest physically Self-awareness as a foundational mental health skill How core beliefs shape the way we see ourselves Why our thoughts and experiences are not our identity Moral injury and physician burnout Shivam’s vision for preventive mental health education Resources Mighty Champions Program: https://www.mightychampions.org/#team Know Thyself Assessment: https://knowthyself-test.vercel.app/ Fellowship in Preventive Mental Health Education - Application Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQ-cxNOmPD98Vkpd9FDmY9PsgEBUdZZa47TAhLkFou94L4Kg/viewform Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths. Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success- the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel. Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. Enjoyed the conversation? Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories. Connect with Deanna Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannabrowntoday LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannachristinebrown/ Connect with Jeffery Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefferyddavis/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffery-continuumpro/ ️ Credits Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis Editor: Krissi Burdette “Halo Balance” Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: ZMYZZ0ZYVA5QJIKN ⚖️ Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

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  Episode #8

  Building What Science Couldn't See with Han Cao

  Aug 18, 202630 minS1

  Han Cao arrived in the United States for graduate school with $50 in his pocket and little experience speaking conversational English. He learned by immersion, watching CNN during the day and Johnny Carson at night, teaching biology labs, and eventually stepping far outside his own discipline. That willingness to enter unfamiliar rooms became a defining part of his career. A molecular biologist by training, Han found himself working alongside electrical engineers, physicists, computer scientists, and other disciplines at Princeton. At those intersections, new ideas emerged. He went on to found Bionano Genomics and develop technology that allowed researchers to map the genome in ways that previously weren't possible. Today, Han is Co-Founder, President and CEO of Dimension Genomics, where he is taking on another challenge: understanding changes within individual cells, including extrachromosomal circular DNA (ecDNA) associated with aggressive cancers, cancer relapse, and drug resistance. In this episode: How Han learned English through immersion Why crossing disciplines can lead to unexpected breakthroughs The technology behind mapping the human genome Why ecDNA matters in cancer research Starting over after building and losing control of a company Why “junk in, junk out” takes on new meaning when AI enters medicine The role immigrants play in science, entrepreneurship, and innovation About Han Cao, Ph.D. Han Cao, Ph.D. is Co-Founder, President and CEO of Dimension Genomics Inc., where he is developing technology to better understand somatic genomic changes and their role in disease. He previously founded Bionano Genomics and helped pioneer genome-mapping technology using nanofluidics. Connect with Han / Dimension Genomics https://dimensiongen.com/ Thank you for joining us for this episode of Authentic Conversations: Real Stories. Hidden Truths. Hosted by Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis, this podcast explores the stories behind success - the pivots, setbacks, reinventions, leadership lessons, and defining moments that rarely make the highlight reel. Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. Enjoyed the conversation? Leave a rating or review and share the episode with someone who would appreciate it. Your support helps more listeners discover these stories. Connect with Deanna Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannabrowntoday LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannachristinebrown/ Connect with Jeffery Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefferyddavis/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffery-continuumpro/ ️ Credits Hosts: Deanna Brown and Jeffery Davis Editor: Krissi Burdette “Halo Balance” Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: CV4ZSVSKTX55EDDE ⚖️ Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. This podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other professional advice.

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