Flex Forward

In this episode, Nic Espanet sits down with Francina “Frankie” Ashok, a global IT consulting leader with over 17 years of experience. Frankie shares her journey from overcoming personal challenges like stuttering and self-doubt to leading complex technology initiatives and working with executive-level teams.
She dives into the importance of pushing beyond your comfort zone, staying relevant in a rapidly evolving tech landscape, and developing strong communication and relationship-building skills. Frankie also opens up about dealing with imposter syndrome and how storytelling and personal branding have helped her grow in confidence.
The conversation highlights the value of mentorship, continuous learning through books and podcasts, and maintaining a growth mindset through small, consistent habits. Frankie also emphasizes the importance of understanding the “why” behind your work and keeping the customer at the center of everything you do.
 
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In this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, host Nic Espanet sits down with Dr. Stephanie Byerly—an anesthesiologist, women-centered coach, and transformational speaker—who is helping women redefine success from the inside out.
Stephanie shares her unique journey from a 25-year medical career in academic anesthesiology to becoming a coach focused on women’s leadership, identity transformation, and trauma-informed growth. She explains why traditional coaching methods often fall short for women and introduces the concept of the “Achiever Operating System”—a hidden framework that drives high-performing women to succeed externally while feeling disconnected internally.
The conversation dives deep into how identity—not just mindset—must shift for real transformation to occur. Stephanie also opens up about her personal experiences with trauma and how understanding the nervous system can unlock powerful healing and faster personal growth.
Listeners will walk away with a deeper understanding of how subconscious patterns shape behavior, why many women feel “stuck” despite success, and how to begin creating a new story rooted in power and possibility.
 
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In this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, host Nic Espanet sits down with David Reid—CEO and President of Red M and CTO/CMO at NOV. David shares his fascinating career journey from working in a repair shop to becoming a global technology and marketing leader in a multi-billion-dollar company.
Along the way, he discusses innovation, leadership, and why understanding yourself may be the most important skill for long-term success. David also talks about his nonprofit work raising awareness about human trafficking and how communities can get involved in fighting a problem that often hides in plain sight.
This conversation blends leadership insights, personal growth strategies, and meaningful social impact.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
David’s 34-year journey from a workshop employee to global executive
How creativity and long-term thinking helped him stand out in a competitive industry
The leadership philosophy that focuses on people, not just performance metrics
Why self-awareness is critical for professional growth
How understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and “allergies” can improve your career
The mission behind Red M and the fight against human trafficking
How communities and businesses can help raise awareness and protect vulnerable people
 
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What does it take to build a thriving business in sports nutrition? In this episode, Amy Goodson joins Nic Espanet to share how she built a career helping athletes perform at their best while also growing multiple businesses in the nutrition space.
Amy Goodson is a sports dietitian, nutrition communications consultant, speaker, author, and entrepreneur. She has worked in sports nutrition for 20 years and has supported athletes from peewee sports all the way to the professional level. In this conversation, Amy talks about how she got started in sports nutrition, what she learned from working with teams and organizations across many levels of competition, and why she is passionate about expanding access to nutrition support.
Amy also shares lessons from her journey as a business owner. She opens up about the learning curve of starting and scaling a business without formal business training, the importance of continuing education, and how books, podcasts, and mastermind groups helped her grow. She and Nic also discuss marketing, mentorship, passive income, diversification, and why understanding business basics matters for healthcare professionals and service-based entrepreneurs.
This episode is full of practical insights for dietitians, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, coaches, and anyone interested in building a mission-driven business. Amy also explains how her company helps athletes and fitness enthusiasts connect with registered dietitians through insurance-based services, making nutrition support more accessible to more people.
 
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Entrepreneurs often build successful businesses but quietly sacrifice their time, family life, and personal freedom in the process. In this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast with Nic Espanet, serial entrepreneur George Rivera shares a powerful story about redefining success—not just through revenue, but through time, presence, and family connection.
George has spent more than 30 years in business, beginning in direct response marketing in the mid-1990s and eventually building a highly profitable online business in the nutritional supplement industry. But even with a $20 million company, George found himself burned out and disconnected from the moments that mattered most.
The turning point came during a conversation with his father, who was battling cancer. His father shared a simple but powerful message: “Don’t miss Leo’s games. I missed too many of yours.” That moment forced George to confront the reality that he was repeating the same pattern—working tirelessly to provide for his family while unintentionally being absent from their lives.
Determined to change course, George began restructuring his business and delegating responsibilities. Instead of doing everything himself, he focused only on the areas where he added the most value. By empowering his team with clear decision-making authority and removing himself from daily operational tasks, George was able to reclaim his time without sacrificing business growth.
 
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In this episode of The Flex Forward Podcast, Nic Espanet sits down with Gabe Arrington, co-founder and CEO of Hire a Piranha and an active duty Air Force senior officer preparing for retirement. Gabe shares his unique journey from flying five different aircraft and completing over 270 combat missions to co-founding a cutting-edge XR company focused on mental wellness and mindfulness.
Gabe explains how his background in military innovation led to the development of Pilot Training Next, a groundbreaking program that used VR, AR, AI, biometrics, and data analytics to cut pilot training time in half—saving the Air Force billions of dollars. That same innovative mindset now fuels Hire a Piranha’s mission: helping students and adults quickly reset their minds through immersive, calming XR experiences.
Unlike other virtual reality platforms built for stimulation and entertainment, Hire a Piranha focuses on calming meditation. By combining specialized visuals and acoustics, their headset helps users reach a meditative state in just two to five minutes. Schools in Kentucky are already using the system, especially in special education classrooms, allowing students to reset and return ready to learn. Expansion into Colorado and university pilots are already in motion.
 
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What does it really mean to “adapt or die” in today’s AI-driven world? In this episode, Nic Espanet sits down with Paul Byrne, software engineering consultant, entrepreneur, and author, to talk about artificial intelligence, leadership, failure, and what it takes to stay relevant in rapidly changing industries.
Paul is the President and Founder of Razorio, a software engineering consultancy specializing in e-commerce and SaaS platform development. He also leads Refactored Group, where his team develops proprietary products including Automatic FFL and a newly announced B2B messaging platform called Kenzie.
A major theme of this conversation is AI and how it’s reshaping business. Paul shares how his company uses custom-built AI agents to preserve institutional knowledge, automate workflows, and assist developers. These AI agents can create tickets, analyze large codebases, and support teams in real time. But he also cautions against over-reliance on automation, sharing lessons from companies that prioritized AI efficiency over human connection and damaged their brand in the process.
 
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What does it really take to build success the right way? In this episode, Nic Espanet sits down with Dr. Terry Flood to talk about leadership, failure, networking, and why continuous improvement matters more than perfection.
Dr. Terry Flood is a retired military veteran, entrepreneur, and founder of Integrated Services and Solutions. After serving 17 years in the military, including three deployments to Afghanistan, Terry transitioned into helping businesses bring their ideas to life. He specializes in helping companies secure grants and government contracts, develop innovative solutions, and build sustainable paths forward.
In this conversation, Terry shares his philosophy on collaboration and ownership. Rather than handing people a step-by-step formula, he guides them to develop their own plan. As he explains, success happens when people steer their own ship — with the right support and awareness along the way.
Terry discusses the importance of truly listening, asking clarifying questions, and creating a common language so ideas are clearly understood by all stakeholders. He emphasizes that knowledge alone is not enough. Just like reading books about swimming won’t teach you how the water feels, growth requires action, repetition, and a willingness to fail.
 
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What happens when a personal health crisis turns into a mission to help others live healthier, happier lives? In this episode, Ruchika Gupta shares how her own postpartum health struggles led her to build an AI-powered wellness platform designed to make personalized coaching accessible and affordable for everyone.
Ruchika is the Founder and CEO of The Unlimited, formerly known as Health Click Away. After experiencing a high-risk pregnancy and significant health challenges, she struggled with weight gain, body pain, low self-esteem, and the emotional toll of feeling judged by appearance. When traditional methods didn’t work, she began tracking her habits and discovered how difficult it was to measure nutrition accurately—especially with Indian foods that often lack calorie transparency.
That frustration became the spark for innovation.
The Unlimited is an AI-based marketplace that bridges the gap between intention and action. The app allows users to track water intake, steps, and meals, and connect with experts including nutritionists, dietitians, yoga instructors, fitness trainers, and physical therapists. Users can access AI-driven guidance or choose personalized human coaching at affordable rates.
 
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In this heartfelt and inspiring episode, Nic Espanet sits down with Stephanie Belz—an occupational therapist, cancer survivor, writer, and passionate child safety advocate. Stephanie opens up about how her battle with cancer became the wake-up call that propelled her into a life filled with purpose and impact. From serving as a board member of a global digital child safety organization to writing for Houston Moms and exploring leadership opportunities, Stephanie shares how she balances career, motherhood, and mission-driven work.
She also discusses the importance of networking, dressing for success, and simply showing up for people with authenticity. Her story is proof that small connections can lead to powerful transformations.
 
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