Headsmack: Conversations with Misfits

Headsmack: Conversations with Misfits

The Headsmack Podcast with host Paul Povolni invites you to listen in on conversations with misfits, mavericks and trailblazers. Join us as we explore the life of difference-makers and those who have stumbled, fumbled and then soared. Be inspired as they candidly share their journeys and the aha moments that changed everything.

Episodes

February 9, 2026 66 mins

Dr. Charles M. Russo has spent decades inside the U.S. Intelligence Community learning how to think clearly when the stakes are high—and certainty is impossible.

From Desert Storm to post-9/11 intelligence work, Russo has lived inside environments where bad thinking costs lives. In this conversation, he breaks down what critical thinking actually means, why truth is often confused with perspective, how bias distorts decision-making,...

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Brandon Triola almost threw away his creative dream before it began. Now he's on a mission to save every creative professional from making the same mistakes he did.

As the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Forrest.co, a global brand and marketing consultancy serving B2B tech companies, Brandon has spent the last 15 years building award-winning brands for bestselling authors and publishing giants like Thomas Nelson and Ba...

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Mark MacDonald brings 40 years of ministry, marketing, and communication experience to this powerful conversation about church branding and effective communication.

Most churches today aren't known for anything meaningful in their communities. They're speaking a language their audience doesn't understand, building websites that confuse rather than clarify, and creating content that sounds like everyone else. Mark MacD...

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Heather Russo, wealth strategist and founder of Generation One, transforms how high achievers think about money. 

Starting with $25 monthly IRA contributions at 18 and overcoming $217,000 in debt, she discovered that traditional financial advice from experts like Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey was keeping people stuck in cycles of scarcity. 

In this powerful conversation, Heather exposes the fundamental flaws in conventional retirement p...

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Bob Hamp is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, author, and founder of Think Differently Academy, and in this episode he delivers one of the most paradigm-shifting conversations ever featured on Headsmack.

Blending neuroscience, change theory, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and kingdom theology, Bob explains why most personal growth fails, why religion often produces shallow solutions, and how true life change happens...

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Martha Krejci transformed from GoDaddy tech executive to million-dollar entrepreneur after a single video changed everything—her daughter's first steps, captured while she sat in another corporate meeting. 

As co-founder of Sales-Driven Local and the Martha Krejci Company, she's mastered the art of organic business growth without paid advertising. 

In this powerful episode, Martha shares her framework for building sustainab...

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Marty Neumeier is the internationally recognized author who literally wrote the book on brand strategy. His work The Brand Gap has been read by 25 million people, and Zag was named one of the top 100 business books of all time. After decades helping giants like Apple, Google, and Adobe build legendary brands, he's now disrupting the publishing industry itself with a bold new approach to bringing stories to market.

In this episo...

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August 1, 2025 87 mins

Kevin Murphy went from barely graduating high school in the Bronx to painting the cover of a Rolling Stones album and building a global art education empire. 

Founder of Art Academy Schools and Evolve Artist, Kevin shares the raw, inspiring journey behind his evolution from construction worker to internationally recognized fine artist and educator. In this conversation, Kevin unpacks how tenacity, clarity, and brutal commitment crea...

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In a world where everyone’s shouting, silence equals irrelevance. Bill Harper knows this better than anyone. With over 36 years in the brand and marketing trenches — and more than $2.5B in client revenue to prove it — Bill has cracked the code for challenger brands to dominate markets already flooded with competition.

In this episode, Bill shares the power of positioning, why no one buys the best product, and how to win by saying wh...

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From Homeless to Nine Figures: What Damion Lupo Learned the Hard Way

Damion Lupo isn’t your average entrepreneur. With over 70 companies under his belt and multiple 9-figure ventures, he’s built wealth, lost it all, and built again—stronger.

In this episode, Damion dives deep into what makes or breaks a business. He shares how chasing money nearly destroyed him, why trust is the fastest path to scale, and how embracing failure is the...

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Entrepreneurs struggle to scale because they rely on tactics, funnels, and closers instead of systems and human connection. Many feel like sales just “isn’t them.”

Imagine having a sales machine that works whether you’re online or not. Imagine building a team that sells with heart. Imagine finally getting back your time—and your confidence.

This episode delivers the blueprint. Jim Padilla unpacks how to stop selling and start solving...

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Atiba De Souza is your secret weapon when your team is underperforming. 

As a CEO strategist and team productivity expert, Atiba transforms struggling organizations into high-performing machines using AI-powered systems and proven leadership frameworks. 

In this electrifying episode, Atiba breaks down the difference between AI tools, agents, and employees—and why every business leader needs to rethink their org chart NOW. 

From his 19...

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“They told me to go home and die. Instead, I built a business and beat cancer—twice.”

Globally recognized YouTube strategist and high-performance coach Owen Hemsath joins The Headsmack Podcast to share how stage 4 cancer, twice diagnosed, didn’t stop his mission—it reshaped it. 

From building 6- and 7-figure YouTube channels to abandoning chemotherapy for a holistic path, Owen reveals the real ROI of purpose, presence, and priorities...

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Henry Kaminski Jr. is a force in hospitality branding, with 16+ years in the creative industry and a story that reads like a movie script. 

After losing $300K overnight when Hurricane Sandy wiped out his top clients, Henry reinvented himself—landing Russell Brunson as a branding client, helping launch ClickFunnels, and becoming a thought leader in personal branding. 

As former CMO for celebrity chef Fabio Viviani’s hospitality group,...

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Jamie Rowe, lead vocalist of Nashville-based hard rock band Kalamity Kills, joins Paul to talk about breaking molds, surviving dark nights, and launching one of the most important rock songs of the year—“Starry Skies (988).” 

A former frontman of Guardian, Rowe shares his powerful journey from Christian rock stardom to forming a band that blends modern energy with authentic heart. 

This episode dives into the struggles behind the sce...

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James Barnard knows logos—and how to turn design into a powerful business.

As an award-winning logo and visual identity designer, James went from burnout to booked out by mastering not just the craft, but the business of design. 

With over a million followers and a global client base, James is one of the most trusted voices in branding today. 

In this episode, we dive into the biggest mistake that nearly ended his business, the viral ...

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Brian Dixon is a bestselling author, publisher, and online business strategist helping everyday messengers write their book and grow their business.

In this episode of the Head Smack Podcast, Brian shares his unexpected path from aspiring rockstar to middle school teacher, to charter school founder, and ultimately to co-founder of Hope Writers

He walks us through the 5 essential steps to building—not just writing—a transformational...

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From Pajama Jeans to Pagewheel: What Holly Homer Can Teach Us About DIY Entrepreneurship

Holly Homer didn’t plan to start a business—she just needed an outlet from the chaos of motherhood. Her journey from sending long Saturday morning emails to a friend to building KidsActivities.com and Pagewheel is proof that success starts with showing up.

She used her life as content, leaned into her mess, and built one of the most beloved paren...

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Nikhil Sai went from broke dropout to marketing phenom, generating over $500 million in client results and interviewing more than 100 millionaires on The Nikhil Sai Show

In this electrifying episode of The Headsmack Podcast, Nikhil shares how he built a global business from scratch, why pricing is everything, and the “inversion funnel” strategy that turns cold leads into five-figure clients. 

If you’re an entrepreneur, coach, or ag...

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Stop Overthinking, Start Earning: Ivy Malik’s Creative Business Wake-Up Call

In this powerful Headsmack episode, Ivy Malik breaks down the emotional and strategic roadblocks that hold creative entrepreneurs back. 

Drawing on her experience as a restaurateur and coach, she shares how to turn undervaluation into empowerment. 

You’ll learn why positioning matters, how to shift from referrals to marketing, and how to confidently present y...

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