Coffee with Jon - Think Big. Get Unstuck. Grow Your Business

Gregg Castano founded News Direct Corp, a disruptor in the newswire industry, in 2019. A 32-year industry veteran, Mr. Castano combined his in-depth industry knowledge with innovative thinking and the use of cutting-edge technology to address the unmet needs of comms professionals today. The result was a new content and news distribution model that empowers clients with a streamlined, intuitive workflow, facilitates seamless collaboration, targets relevant market segments and provides actionable performance reporting. Prior to founding News Direct Corp., Mr. Castano had a distinguished 32-year career at Business Wire. After Berkshire Hathaway acquisition of Business Wire in 2006, Mr. Castano was appointed Co-Chief Operating Officer, and ultimately promoted to President in 2009. Mr. Castano graduated from Fordham University in New York City with a BA in Communications. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Gregg Castano: Website: https://newsdirect.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/newsdirectcorp?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggcastano/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewsDirectCorp/

Ryan Kugler was the President and Co-Owner of DVA, Inc, one of the nation's largest distributors of excess inventory. Ryan was born in Chicago, Illinois and moved to Los Angeles shortly thereafter. Right from the start, Ryan took a strong interest in film and everything surrounding the medium. At the age of 13, Ryan made his way onto several studio lots with the intent of soaking it all up. On one particular day, Ryan found himself at Paramount and stumbled onto the set of the hit TV show, Cheers. He soon met the entire cast. When asked by Ted Danson about his interest in TV and films, Ryan replied, "I want to be a Director." It was then that Mr. Danson made him an offer too good to pass up. Ryan was to write and direct his own short-movie in which Mr. Danson and several other Cheers cast members would appear. Several months later, Ryan made good. He directed his first short film, "The Question," right there on the Paramount Lot, starring none other than Ted Danson, Kirsty Alley, Woody Harrelson and George Wendt. Soon thereafter, Ryan began working for DVA, Inc. on his summer breaks, and when he completed his schooling, he relocated to Florida to work full-time in the sales division at DVA, Inc. After learning the ropes, he soon moved up to Buyer, and eventually followed that by getting promoted to VP of Purchasing. With his unique blend of creative intuition and operational strength, as well as his exceptional skills in sales, Ryan founded the Closeout Division of DVA, Inc., making DVA, Inc. the largest buyer of closeouts in the Entertainment industry — and selling to the largest retailers across the United States. In 1998, Ryan opened up offices in Los Angeles to specifically serve the Movie Studios, Music Labels, and Game Publishers. Since then, he has developed relationships with all of the major studios, labels and publishers, helping them with their inventory issues that arise as well as servicing over 350 retail accounts with 25,000 storefronts. With an account base of over 350 companies, including such retailers as Best Buy, Target, Sear/Kmart, Pep Boys, Staples and more, Ryan has built and grown the Division to 30+ employees, selling over 20 million units per year and generating $20+ million in annual sales. As a public face for the entertainment industry as well as the overstock world, Ryan routinely appears on both National TV and in print. He has appeared on the CBS Early Show, ABC7 News in Los Angeles, and on the KTLA Prime Time News. Ryan has also been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Business Journal, Moviemaker Magazine and the New York Times. Ryan has continually lent his voice and vast knowledge of the entertainment industry to conferences and seminars as well as to students. Most recently, Ryan spoke to postgraduates at the Peter F. Drucker & Masotoshi Ito Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. He also spoke to current students at Art Center College of Design. In addition to speaking at seminars and conferences, Ryan also hosts film seminars which provide practical, real-world advice to filmmakers, actors, producers and anyone else who wants to succeed in the movie production and distribution industry. Ryan recently completed work co-authoring a book with best-selling author Eric Sherman, detailing the ins and outs of film distribution business. As ever, Ryan remains very busy with all of these endeavors, while also fulfilling his desire to help the community. He is the Executive Director of the Say No to Drugs Race for twelve years running, and serves on the Toluca Lake city council. When asked what he considers his greatest strength, Ryan responded with a few key principles, saying: "Be nice to everyone, always return phone calls, and stay in communication with everyone. Try your hardest to make anything happen." In 2014, Ryan created three new companies: A5 Events, Ideal Content and Plan B Distribution. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Ryan Kugler: Website: aplanb.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ryanjkugler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/?trk=homepage-basic_signin-form_submit Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myidealcontent

Nolan Garrett is the Founder and CEO of Intrinium, a firm dedicated to providing clients with comprehensive consulting and managed services in security solutions and information technology. Voted Best Place to Work Inland Northwest for three consecutive years, Intrinium has distinguished itself as a leader in IT solutions and workplace culture. Nolan is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and the Information Systems Security Association, among other organizations. With CIO and CISO experience and a background that includes multimillion-dollar cybersecurity transformations, Nolan provides specialized insight for businesses large and small in a variety of industries. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Nolan Garrett: Website: https://www.nolangarrett.co Twitter: https://twitter.com/nolan_garrett LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolangarrett/

Stephanie Scheller is The Impact Authority. After studying human psychology for more than a decade and building her business from scratch to walk away from her job in less than five months, she has worked with more than 2500+ companies and is dedicated to helping small business owners understand how to create their greatest impact. Using the violin to tap into the human subconscious, Stephanie breaks down the psychology behind sales, marketing and people management to simplify implementation and accelerate growth. She is a TEDx speaker, a two-time best-selling author, an award-winning entrepreneur and the founder of Grow Disrupt, a company that designs and produces application-focused educational and inspirational events for small business owners. In her downtime, you'll find Stephanie playing on the violin, out in the Texas Hill Country with her horse, or in the garage painting endlessly. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Stephanie Scheller: Websites: www.TheStephanieScheller.com and www.TheStephanieScheller.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/SuccessSteph Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/successsteph/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniescheller Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuccessSteph

Deanna Singh, Founder/Chief Change Agent of the social-impact holding company, Flying Elephant, is known for giving audiences the tools and courage to imagine, activate, and impact the world. She is a trailblazer and dynamic speaker who is at the forefront of social change. She is an accomplished author, educator, business leader, and champion for marginalized communities. Singh earned a degree in Urban Studies from Fordham University, a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University, and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is the author of the forthcoming book, Actions Speak Louder, which will be published by Penguin Random House in May 2022. Watch her TED Talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/deanna_singh_we_all_have_the_power_to_build_bridges Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Deanna Singh: Website: deannasingh.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannasingh1/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannasingh/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/purposefulhustle/

Bob Doyle is best known as a featured expert in the film and book "The Secret." He now focuses his coaching and training on Neuro Plasticity and your ability to rewire your brain so that you literally become the person who creates the results you want in life without having to adopt any unusual belief system. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Bob Doyle: Website: http://boundlessliving.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/bobdoyle?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobdoyleshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetbobdoyle/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/boundlessliving

Paula Thomas, Host of "Let's Talk Loyalty With over twenty-five years blue-chip marketing experience, Paula is now an award-winning podcaster, hosting weekly interviews for her show "Let's Talk Loyalty", the world's first podcast for loyalty marketing professionals. As an expert loyalty practitioner, her clients have included Telefonica O2 Priority, Electric Ireland and Allied Irish Bank as well as Avios – the global points currency for some of the world's top airlines. She is a former judge for the "Loyalty Magazine Awards", a founding member of the Customer Strategy Network of loyalty practitioners, and she is the author of the book "Driving Loyalty in Convenience Retail". She holds an MBA from Ireland's top University and is a "Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional." Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Paula Thomas: Website: www.LetsTalkLoyalty.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulat/

Donna Griffit, Corporate Storyteller, has worked globally for over 17 years with Fortune 500 companies, Start-Ups and investors in a wide variety of industries. She has consulted and trained clients in over 30 countries, helping them create, edit and deliver verbal and written presentations, pitches and messages. Donna has the ability to magically spin raw data into compelling stories that captivate audiences and drive to results. Through her guidance clients have raised over a billion dollars. To learn more, visit DonnaGriffit.com Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Donna Griffit: Website: donnagriffit.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/donna_grif LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnaabraham/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Donna.Griffit.Corporate.Storyteller

Punit Dhillon's extensive experience led him to co-found and serve as President and CEO of OncoSec Medical Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCS), a biotechnology company pioneering new technologies to fight cancer. Since moving on from this role, he has worked in various management capacities and helped to raise $500M for several companies, working together to reach essential milestones. His experience spans corporate finance, M&A, integration, successful in-licensing of key intellectual property, strategy implementation, international corporate transactions, and collaborations with leading universities and key opinion leaders. Today, Punit is the chairman and CEO of SKYE Bioscience Inc., a public pharmaceutical company. He also serves on the board of directors of other life science companies and acts as an advisor and consultant in several capacities to different life science organizations. He is the creator of Torpedo Publishing, a publishing imprint serving to connect, inspire, and educate future game changers looking to positively impact the world. Punit is the recipient of the Most Admired CEO award by the San Diego Business Journal in 2017, the BIOCOM Catalyst Award in 2018, the BASS Community Impact Award (SFU Beedie School of Business) in 2018, and has been recognized as a finalist for Ernst & Young's Annual Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Punit Dhillon: Website: www.skyebioscience.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/PunitDhillon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/punitdhillon/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/punit-dhillon/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/punit.dhillon27

Tom Bailey is the founder of Succeed Through Speaking and he spent the first 25 years of his life becoming an expert at AVOIDING public speaking, presenting, and being in front of groups of people. However, since overcoming his life-limiting fear of speaking and presenting he has experienced first-hand how people can succeed through speaking. He now helps other Entrepreneurs, Experts, Coaches and Consultants use speaking to raise their profile and gain new clients. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Tom Bailey: Website: https://www.succeedthroughspeaking.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/succeedthroughspeaking/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombailey-speakingcoach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tomkbailey1