Miranda Johnson's entrepreneurial intuition first sparked in middle school when a teacher suggested she'd make a good secretary. Her response? "No, I'm going to be Miranda Queen instead of Burger King." That early confidence blossomed into a remarkable business journey spanning construction, transportation, and now leadership development.

From her earliest days selling candy in school hallways and braiding hair for cash, Miranda displayed an innate talent for sales and reading people. By age 20, she was securing direct contracts with major builders, eliminating middlemen and maximizing profits. Later, she built a transportation company with over 20 trucks, even obtaining her commercial driver's license along the way.

After 15 years in transportation, Miranda made the difficult decision to sell her trucks and focus on her family. This pivot led to the creation of Mirage Collective, a leadership community built around her mantra: "Authenticity is the new blue check." The platform provides entrepreneurs with powerful tools to showcase their businesses, sell products, and connect with a global community.

Throughout our conversation, Miranda emphasized that "consistency is the ruler that measures results." When entrepreneurs feel like quitting, it's typically because inconsistency has made it impossible to gauge progress. She advocates starting with three fundamental areas: watching your words, guarding your mind, and prioritizing health. Working out, she shared, is her therapy—creating the mental clarity needed for business success.

Her book "The Pain Principle" explores how temporary discomfort leads to long-term growth, while her upcoming "Lead Loud: 11 Commandments of the Next Gen Leader" will further expand her leadership philosophy. Miranda and her husband are also launching "Couples and Entrepreneurship," addressing the unique challenges business owners face in maintaining strong relationships.

Ready to build your business without sacrificing your authenticity or family life? Miranda's journey offers a roadmap for success that values consistency, community, and alignment. Connect with her on LinkedIn or at www.mirageoco.org to learn more about joining her leadership community.

What happens to mental health when independence is lost? Steve Lamonaco, President and CEO of Thrive Behavioral Science, pulls back the curtain on the often-overlooked psychological challenges facing nursing home residents and their families.

Drawing from his remarkable journey spanning four decades in elder care—from nursing assistant to CEO—Steve shares how his firsthand experiences shaped Thrive's innovative approach to providing psychiatric and psychological services to over 9,000 elderly patients monthly across Florida's nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

The conversation takes a deep dive into the profound adjustment disorders many seniors face when entering long-term care. "Nobody sits back and says 'I can't wait to get to the nursing home,'" Steve notes, highlighting how depression and anxiety often accompany the loss of independence, financial control, and familiar routines. Particularly moving is his insight into the parallel suffering of caregivers left at home, whose own routines and mental health frequently deteriorate after placement decisions.

Steve's perspective is uniquely valuable because he bridges clinical understanding with administrative expertise as a licensed nursing home administrator. This dual perspective allows him and his team to create systems that effectively address resident needs while helping facilities maintain compliance and quality measures—reaching far more seniors than traditional approaches.

Beyond professional insights, Steve shares personal reflections that reveal his deep commitment to this work, including his habit of working 80+ hour weeks and not taking a vacation since 2004. His advice to aspiring healthcare administrators emphasizes humility, continuous learning, and genuine empathy for both residents and staff.

Want to learn more about supporting elderly mental health or connect with Steve's team? Visit www.thrivebehavioralsciences.com or find Thrive Behavioral Sciences on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Caitlyn Whitmoyer shares her journey from burnout as an educational consultant to becoming a wellness coach and entrepreneur helping educators find freedom and balance through holistic health practices.

• Owner of Hand in Health Wellness, helping educators find their pathway to freedom
• Co-founder of Thread Education, bringing well-being into schools to strengthen culture
• Defines holistic health as multidimensional, addressing spiritual, relational, financial, and vocational wellness
• Experienced severe burnout and health issues that led to her career transformation
• Offers Access Bars therapy, a technique involving gentle touch on 32 points on the cranium
• Teaches mindfulness as simply being present rather than complicated practices
• Prefers "work-life harmony" over "work-life balance"
• Uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help clients build neuroplasticity
• Growing Thread Education to secure district contracts and expand impact
• Working with Reach University to help fast-track education degrees

Connect with Caitlyn on Instagram @Hand.in.health_wellness and @Thread_edu or visit their websites.