Cut The Tie | Own Your Success

Cut The Tie Podcast with Donna Chiacchia

What happens when you stop chasing clients and instead let them come to you? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Donna Chiacchia, founder of 1 Advantage Consulting, to explore her journey from ballet to boardroom to entrepreneurship. Donna shares how discipline, resilience, and a powerful mindset shift—“I’m the flower, the clients are the bees”—changed how she ...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Pasha Knish

What does it take to walk away from a traditional path—college degree, steady career—and instead double down on entrepreneurship? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Amazon seller and agency founder Pasha Knish to explore what it means to define success for yourself and keep going no matter how many times you fail.

From hustling in Brooklyn as a teenager to building...

What happens when years in corporate America teach you how to make money—for someone else’s business—but leave you wondering if you could do it for yourself? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Steve Chiama, a business coach with ActionCOACH Western Fairfax, to talk about scaling companies, pricing correctly, and cutting the tie to the false security of corporate jobs.

Steve shares how he shifted from...

What happens when your creative passion won’t leave you alone, even as you juggle work, consulting, and family responsibilities? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich reconnects with Rich Cruz—organizational development consultant, podcaster, and cartoonist—who is turning his lifelong love of art into something bigger than just a side project.

From a career in marketing to organizational psychology consulting, Rich has alw...

What happens when your side hustle becomes more than just a hobby? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Danielle Turner, a travel agent specializing in Disney experiences, fitness apparel founder, and full-time professional who’s proving that betting on yourself doesn’t require an MBA—it just requires passion and persistence.

After being laid off from her dream corporate job, Danielle turned some of the har...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Mike Swenson

What do you do when your lifelong dream career takes a sudden turn—and leads you somewhere better than you imagined? In this episode, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Mike Swenson, a retired PR executive, former journalist, and creator of the CrisisTrak system.

Mike’s journey started with a childhood dream of being a broadcaster, shifted into politics when he became press secretary to the Kansas go...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Iesha Westmoreland

What if the key to your business growth isn’t a new marketing tactic, but learning how to truly communicate? In this episode, Thomas Helfrich talks with Iesha Westmoreland, a conflict resolution and communication specialist who helps businesses bridge communication gaps between leaders, employees, and customers.

From being groomed for mindful speech at a young age to professionally coaching...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Rob Lee

What happens when you start a business with no corporate background, no MBA, and no plan—just the willingness to figure it out? In this grounded and inspiring episode, Thomas Helfrich talks with Rob Lee, CEO and co-founder of Swift Passport and Visa Services. Rob shares how he and his wife built a thriving travel document company from scratch, overcame black mold illness and a pandemic shutdown, and ...

How do you know when it’s time to leave a “comfortable” role for something that will truly stretch you? In this engaging episode, Thomas Helfrich talks with Stefanee Clontz, Director of Operations at The Hydra+, a growing med spa brand in metro Atlanta. Stefanee shares how she cut the tie to a stagnant role, embraced a massive challenge, and grew into a leader managing multiple locations and an expanding list of wellness services.

F...

How do you grow a business when the “safe” path is making you feel stuck? In this candid and energizing episode, Thomas Helfrich welcomes back Amanda Fischer, a marketing strategist, agency founder, and stand-up comedian who’s spent 15 years helping companies focus less on fluff and more on revenue.

Amanda shares how she cut the tie to traditional business development roles and turned three job offers into her first three clients. S...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Ben Wolff

What if the biggest tie holding you back isn’t your job, your routine, or your comfort zone—but a habit you thought was helping you cope? In this honest and energizing episode, Thomas Helfrich talks with Ben Wolff, a former McKinsey consultant who walked away from the predictable path to build one of the most unique hotel brands in America.

Ben is now the founder behind Onera and Buya, two wildly cr...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Karolyn Denson Landrieux

What if success wasn’t measured by money, status, or stuff—but by peace, presence, and purpose? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich sits down with Karolyn Denson Landrieux, co-founder and CEO of Landrieux Wineries, to explore how she redefined success after moving to France and launched a fast-growing champagne import business without sacrificing joy.

Karolyn shares h...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Marc Perea

What do you do when the six-figure salary, the house, and the retirement plan still leave you unfulfilled? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Marc Perea—CEO of Thaea and founder of the MikroTik management platform—to explore the journey from comfortably miserable to purposefully aligned.

Marc shares how a racquetball friendship turned into an entrepreneurial deep-dive, h...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Don Manigly
What happens when you hit the ceiling with your current approach and need to think bigger? In this dynamic episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich welcomes Don Manigly, VP and Director of Creative Development at Boathouse Pictures, an independent motion picture studio that specializes in both production and strategic distribution.

Don dives into the critical importance of not just creating gr...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Alice Ksendzova

What does it look like when you start chasing success before you're old enough to drive?

In this inspiring episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Alice Ksendzova, a 15-year-old entrepreneur already working across multiple startups—from Amazon tools to YC-backed AI companies. With wisdom well beyond her years, Alice shares how she’s cutting through the noise of teenage life...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Corrine Ishio

What happens when being a top performer becomes a trap?

In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Corrine Ishio, founder of My Working Soul, a company built on the radical idea that “talent is built, not found.” After a high-achieving career in corporate HR, Corrine made the leap into entrepreneurship—redefining what it means to lead, hire, and build trust in the AI era.

Corr...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Scott Morris

What happens when your people don’t know what success looks like—or why their work matters?

In this powerful episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Scott Morris, founder and CEO of PropulsionAI. After 25 years in the aerospace industry, including 20 in C-level roles, Scott saw firsthand how unclear roles lead to disengagement, low productivity, and unnecessary turnover.

So he built...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Rai Cornell
In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Rai Cornell, founder of Cornell Content Marketing, to unpack what it really takes to build a business that reflects who you are—and supports the life you actually want.

From freelancing burnout to scaling an agency, Rai shares hard-won lessons on money, mindset, mental health, and identity. This episode is a must-listen for anyone...

Cut The Tie Podcast with Ric “Mystro” Holcomb
What do you do when the image you've crafted no longer fits the person you're becoming? In this episode of Cut The Tie, host Thomas Helfrich talks with Ric “Mystro” Holcomb—a creative voice, coach, and guide for people ready to tell the truth about who they really are.

From hiding behind elaborate presentations and control to finding clarity through stillness, Mystro shares...