We are taking a quick break from your regularly scheduled weekly episode so we can share with you a new podcast. On First Check, Venture Capitalist Tim McLoughlin ( Cofounders Capital ) is taking lessons learned and his expertise in investing to level up current investors and get future investors ready to write their First Check. Donald Thompson is the first guest, and we’re sharing just a few minutes of that conversation with you here. to hear the rest of it, you’ll need to head to First Check ...
Mar 03, 2021•7 min•Season 3Ep. 72
Substantial Media, LLC. is on a mission to amplify positive stories within Black and Brown communities. By letting creativity run free, their contributors create multimedia content that brings attention to important issues at local, state and national levels. That kind of vision deserves recognition and support, so DT has devoted himself to Substantial's mission by joining them as an investor and board member. On this episode, Substantial Media CEO Greg Hedgepeth and Substantial Magazine Editor-...
Feb 24, 2021•51 min•Season 3Ep. 71
In this solo episode, Donald reflects on what Black History Month means to him, what CEOs should share during this month regardless of their political beliefs, and why he's investing in a new company that's focused on amplifying the true superheroes of our communities. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Thompson , who was recently named to the Forbes Next 1000 List . Music for this episode provided by Jensen Ree...
Feb 17, 2021•17 min•Season 3Ep. 70
While there are no longer laws that segregate our country, Ken Lewis has noticed something - the corporate boardrooms don't look much different than what they did in the 1950's. Find out what we can do to change that. Ken Lewis has been a practicing attorney for 33+ years, and represents clients in mergers, acquisitions, and sales of businesses, and in the formation of strategic alliances at Nexsen Pruet, LLC . The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversi...
Feb 10, 2021•35 min•Season 3Ep. 69
JouleBug CEO Grant Williard is on a mission to make sustainability both fun and profitable. For starters, saving the planet is as simple as following your grandma's advice. Download the JouleBug app | in the Apple Store | on Google Play The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Thompson . Music for this episode provided by Jensen Reed from his song, “You Can’t Stop Me”. The Donald Thompson Podcast is edited and produce...
Feb 03, 2021•38 min•Season 3Ep. 68
Sepi Saidi immigrated to this country as a female, in the south, in a male-dominated field (engineering), coming from one of the most polarizing countries in the world. She shouldn't have had a chance. And yet, this May she'll celebrate 20 years at her company SEPI, Inc - a company that now has over 200 employees in 7 locations. Find out how she did it and what her giveback is. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald...
Jan 27, 2021•34 min•Season 3Ep. 67
In Keith Pigues' book, Winning with Customers , he poses the question, "Do your customers make more money doing business with you?" When Keith asks that of his consulting clients at Luminas Strategy , that simple question rocks their world and quickly spotlights what needs to be changed. Today, Keith talks to DT about being a leader, building companies with a focus on diversity and inclusion, and how we fight through this pandemic. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, ...
Jan 20, 2021•39 min•Season 3Ep. 66
What is the role of the Raleigh Chamber in affecting vulnerable communities in the Triangle? What about diversity and inclusion? Economic development? Education? Transportation? The leader of the Chamber - CEO Adrienne Cole - joins the Donald Thompson Podcast to explain its mission. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Thompson . Music for this episode provided by Jensen Reed from his song, “You Can’t Stop Me”. Th...
Jan 13, 2021•35 min•Season 3Ep. 65
John Murphy is an executive coach who thrives on building winning teams and making the most out of his clients' careers. Today he talks about the fallacy of time management, why you need to win in the job you're in, and why an Irishman living in France is helping clients in North Carolina. John's Podcasts: Winning Teams A Life and a Living The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Thompson . Music for this episode prov...
Jan 06, 2021•37 min•Season 3Ep. 64
Creative Allies CEO Amie Thompson is a natural introvert who has developed into a leader. She's a natural workaholic who has learned how to delegate while allowing others to fail. And in 2020, she has led Creative Allies through the pandemic to offer a more well-rounded small business solution package to their clients. Oh, and she's Donald's sister (which means you'll want to stick around to the end for some hilarious sibling stories!). The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, men...
Dec 29, 2020•42 min•Season 3Ep. 63
On this solo episode, Don reflects on the tension and chaos of 2020, and gives tips on how to make 2021 explosive (in a good way). The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Thompson . Music for this episode provided by Jensen Reed from his song, “You Can’t Stop Me”. The Donald Thompson Podcast is edited and produced by Earfluence . For more on how to engage your community or build your personal brand through podcasting...
Dec 23, 2020•11 min•Season 3Ep. 62
Ryan Vet started his entrepreneurial journey as a 9-year-old selling newspapers. But not a paper route - his OWN newspapers that he created, printed, and distributed. Since then Ryan has started everything from coffee shops to technology companies, and he's had time to be a podcaster, speaker, and author. His accomplishments are impressive, but at 31, his career is just getting started. Cracking the Millennial Code, by Ryan Vet The Dental Experience Podcast The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted ...
Dec 16, 2020•41 min•Season 3Ep. 61
Larry Long Jr is a master of the sales process - he's energetic, he's prepared, he knows how he can help his clilents, and works hard at being the best. And now, he's giving back - in educating others on how to become better sales professionals, and to his community. Larry's weekly motivational minute The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Thompson . Music for this episode provided by Jensen Reed from his song, “You...
Dec 09, 2020•43 min•Season 3Ep. 60
Jenna Wilson has experienced the good and bad in corporate culture, and she's on a mission to improve employee relations, scale culture, and create a lasting impact on organizations through effective communication, with her new company Career Civility . Jenna and Donald Thompson talk about how that can be done in such a tense time while mostly working from home. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Thompson . Musi...
Dec 02, 2020•47 min•Season 3Ep. 59
Just about every day, Don gets asked for coffee or a virtual coffee from rising entrepreneurs so they can ask him advice on how to grow their companies or if their ideas have value. And even though he has no time for it, he quite often says yes. Well, we recorded one of those conversations, with Malik McCray, CEO of Simpliworks who graduated from NC State with a BS in Business and Management, Entrepreneurship focus in 2019. Malik’s business is off and running, and he had some great questions for...
Nov 18, 2020•29 min•Season 3Ep. 58
Adam Klein is the Director of Strategy at Capitol Broadcasting and the Chief Strategist at American Underground coworking collaborative in Durham NC. Today Adam and DT talk about how to build diversity and community in entrepreneurship, and how COVID-19 has impacted the startups at American Underground. Click here to sign up for the Holidays Headaches: Dealing with Relatives Who Just Don't Get It webinar being held Thursday, Nov. 19 at 12 p.m. EST. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk W...
Nov 11, 2020•42 min•Season 3Ep. 57
Walk West and JLL have collaborated on The 5 Pillars of Next Generation Leadership. Today, Donald Thompson and JLL's Kimarie Ankenbrand and Nakira Carter talk multigenerational, multicultural, and transparent leadership, and so much more. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Thompson . Music for this episode provided by Jensen Reed from his song, “You Can’t Stop Me”. The Donald Thompson Podcast is edited and produ...
Oct 28, 2020•38 min•Season 3Ep. 56
Today we’re going to give you something a little bit different. As we listen to this podcast, themes tend to pop up. DT and his guests talk about leadership, entrepreneurship, investing and handling the stress and chaos of normal life. But 2020 has been anything but normal. In March, COVID-19 put us all on a two week pause, a pause that has now lasted 33 weeks with no end in sight. In May, the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests throughout the United States amplified the systemic raci...
Oct 21, 2020•33 min•Season 3Ep. 55
This episode is a replay of a special live edition of the Donald Thompson Podcast. Don had a chance to talk with Levitate ’s Jesse Lipson, and we shared it on Facebook Live , twitter , and Youtube . On the show, Jesse shares advice for entrepreneurs based on his experience in running Sharefile – which he bootstrapped and sold to Citrix for almost a hundred million dollars – and his experience running his new company, Levitate. We’ll be doing more of these live episodes, so be sure to check out D...
Oct 15, 2020•58 min•Season 3Ep. 54
Tim Humphrey is the VP of the Chief Data Office at IBM. As a high ranking executive at a Fortune 50 company, Tim has a unique perspective on what employers need to provide in a time of social and racial unrest. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Thompson . Music for this episode provided by Jensen Reed from his song, “You Can’t Stop Me”. The Donald Thompson Podcast is edited and produced by Earfluence . For more...
Oct 07, 2020•47 min•Season 3Ep. 53
DJ Joe Bunn was recently featured in the New York Times with the headline, " Some Wedding Vendors Face Fallout After Speaking Up on Social Issues ." He never speaks up on politics, but in the case of Black Lives Matter, it wasn't about politics - he felt a pull to do what is right. And he wasn't concerned about the consequences to the empire he has spent 20+ years to build. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Tho...
Sep 30, 2020•42 min•Season 3Ep. 52
Kristen Mullins from Slice Pie Company has been all over the place - on MSN, USA Today, on Startup Stage , Cary Magazine 2020 Movers and Shakers , winning Blue Ribbons at the NC State Fair...just everywhere. On today's show, find out how it all started, and what inspired Kristen to leave her comfortable life of being in Corporate America and take a risk on herself. Also, Kristen has recently been knocked down - with the pandemic and then the downtown Raleigh riots that damaged her popup shops - ...
Sep 23, 2020•28 min•Season 3Ep. 51
See if you can follow this career path. Jarrett Nobles has gone from legendary DeMatha High to FAMU to event planning to Edward Jones to the Houston Astros to Duke MBA to a startup to the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Chargers, and some other stops along the way. He's moved 10 times (10!) since graduating high school. Jarrett is all about the hustle, actively helping his network, and building brand loyalty for his team, his clients, and his connections. The Donald Thompson Podcast is ho...
Sep 16, 2020•34 min•Season 3Ep. 50
In April 2020, Courtney Canfield saw a layoff coming a mile away. Like many, she lost her job because of COVID-19. But instead of sitting around, Courtney made something out of nothing - and now she's running a successful business while becoming a pet influencer (yes, a pet influencer!). On the show today, Courtney talks to Don about her journey, then starts asking Don questions about how to build a successful marketing agency. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, inve...
Sep 09, 2020•49 min•Season 3Ep. 49
How can virtual reality (VR) be used to identify unconscious bias in the workplace? How can it be used to enhance empathy for patients and have a better understanding of their symptoms? Mike McArdle is the founder and Chief Product Officer of Lucid Dream VR , based in Durham NC, and today he talks about how virtual reality has gone way beyond just being an amazing experience. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald T...
Sep 02, 2020•31 min•Season 3Ep. 48
Kendrall Felder is a former Duke football player, has an MBA from Duke, and is now the Global Head of Centralized Services (IT) at Cisco. Impressive right? But Kendrall faced long odds to get to this point. Teenage mother. Drug dealer father. Abuse in the home. At 15, Kendrall was out on his own trying to find a place to live. And despite his odds, Kendrall forged his own path to greatness. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Cons...
Aug 26, 2020•38 min•Season 3Ep. 47
Sometimes the journey to success means getting knocked down and figuring out how to get back up again. And for today’s guest, it means navigating the hotel industry in the middle of a worldwide pandemic that has devastated the market. John Erhart is the founder and CEO of Inn Flow , a hotel management platform that consolidates all hotel operational needs into one comprehensive solution. Obviously, the hotel industry isn’t in a great spot right now, but Inn Flow is handling this situation the wa...
Aug 19, 2020•31 min•Season 3Ep. 46
The TLS Agency represents entertainers and athletes, and they'll do what it takes to provide their clients with the best direction for their careers. On the show, Cicero Leak, Tristian Turner, and Chuck Stinson talk about how it all got started, what it's like to work with celebrities, representing athletes in the new landscape where amateurs can profit off their likeness, being black in America, and what it's like to have "the talk" with your kids - and that doesn't mean about the birds and bee...
Aug 12, 2020•42 min•Season 3Ep. 45
On episode 2 of Z-Notes, Ciera Thompson is joined by three genz-ers to discuss the importance of diversity in the workplace, new ideas on brand loyalty, and why their generation is more fiscally responsible than millennials. Cassidy Leovic (21) is an RBT for children with Autism and will be starting a graduate program in the fall for applied behavior analysis. Diana (18) was a nationally-ranked, state champion track and field athlete and the founder and President of her high school's Black Stude...
Aug 07, 2020•36 min•Season 3Ep. 45
It's not as complicated as you think. The Donald Thompson Podcast is hosted by Walk West CEO, mentor, investor, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant Donald Thompson . Music for this episode provided by Jensen Reed from his song, “You Can’t Stop Me”. The Donald Thompson Podcast is edited and produced by Earfluence . For more on how to engage your community or build your personal brand through podcasting, visit Earfluence.com . High Octane Leadership is hosted by The Diversity Movement CEO and e...
Aug 05, 2020•12 min•Season 3Ep. 44
