Moments To Momentum

Scott Abbott

"Moments to Momentum, with Scott Abbott" is a fun, informative and inspirational podcast - featuring insightful conversations, with successful leaders from a wide-spectrum of demographics and vocations - that share their most meaningful situations, stories and events (i.e. “moments”), that they have experienced. Furthermore, how those big moments produced "momentum," that helps them succeed in their profession, and life. By having leaders share their most significant experiences - along with the lessons and advice learned - listeners gain their own “moments to momentum," as they enjoy and benefit from our guests’ personal experiences, insights and recommendations. According to one fan of the show, "Listening to Scott's podcast, feels like your eavesdropping (in a legit way ;) on a private conversation that combines the best components of a great first date, job interview and therapy session. Love it!" read less
Society & CultureSociety & Culture
Episode 85: Clint Mitchell
Sep 14 2022
Episode 85: Clint Mitchell
Clint Mitchell is CEO and co-owner of Estridge Homes, one of the largest home builders and residential real estate developers in the Indianapolis market. Since 1967, Estridge Homes has developed many of the top-selling neighborhoods in the state, totaling nearly 9,000 homes and over 50 neighborhoods. Prior to being named CEO in 2021, Mitchell led the company in areas of sales, marketing, land acquisition and development, product development, and investor relations. Clint was previously SVP of Business Development for Mainstreet Capital, responsible for the market selection and healthcare operator relationships for the company's real estate development business. Previously at Mainstreet, Clint led Acquisitions and Corporate Development for the company's affiliated publicly traded REIT, Healthlease Properties, until its sale to Welltower in 2014. He was involved with Mainstreet since 2010 in the areas of business development, acquisitions, and debt capital raising. Outside of work, Clint enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and two daughters, who are both off at college. He has competed in multiple Ironman, marathon, and endurance trail races. He enjoys all types of outdoor activities including hiking, snow skiing, and mountain biking. In this fun and insightful episode, Clint talks about growing up in a farming family, how getting his start at Angie’s List led him to meet Bill Oesterle, surviving the financial crash of the 2000s, how he got his start in real estate, his commitment to endurance sports, his long journey to becoming CEO of Estridge Homes, networking and creating deep relationships, having intellectual curiosity, the story of how his company responded to Covid in early 2020.  Learn more about Estridge Homes Connect with Clint on LinkedIn
Episode 84: Mark McFatridge
Aug 31 2022
Episode 84: Mark McFatridge
Mark McFatridge is the Founder & CEO of Quade Executive Peer Group. He has over 25 years of professional experience and has played a prominent leadership role everywhere he’s served.  His background includes serving as the Chief Executive Officer and board member for both public and privately held companies. Mark has led divisions of large companies and accumulated a portfolio of his own privately held companies. As an organizational specialist, Mark has excelled at turning around companies performing below their potential.  His most recent example was leading the exit of a privately held company for an 800% increase in value only three years after taking over as Chief Executive Officer.   McFatridge is the proud father of two University of Mississippi graduates who are on their own personal and professional journeys.  His partner for life, Deb, a Butler grad and former member of an executive peer group herself, has played a variety of roles throughout Mark's life including best friend, cheerleader, ass kicker, sidekick, partner and guiding light.  The McFatridge family journey has been filled with successes and failures like most families.  Throughout it all that journey has been done together. In this fun and insightful episode, Mark talks about community banking, culture, the importance of listening to understand not to respond, the story behind his nickname, self-awareness, surrounding yourself with good people, and a moment when overcame imposter syndrome and realized that we had the ability to be the leader he thought he could be.    Connect with Mark on LinkedIn Learn more about Quade Executive Peer Group Sponsors: Ninety.io Straticos Buy your copy of Level-UP To Professional: Second Edition
Episode 83: Scott Eckart
Aug 17 2022
Episode 83: Scott Eckart
Scott Eckart is the Owner and Lead Advisor at West Point Financial Group. His passion for connecting with people is what makes him such a natural at helping people design the life they aspire to live. His thorough process helps to provide a path for his clients to take their vision of the future and translate it into a blueprint that can be implemented in an organized and systematic fashion. “I love seeing people make progress toward their goals,” says Scott. Scott draws on years of experience as a business consultant to help people better articulate their goals and take the necessary steps to accomplish them. His practice focuses on the needs of closely held business owners and pre-retirees, helping those clients to proactively take control of their personal, legacy, tax and gift resources. In addition, Scott volunteers his knowledge of personal finance to provide financial literacy education to children and young adults. Having benefited from strong mentors and role models in his formative years, Scott works to pay their gift forward by acting as an advisor and instructor to others. Outside of work he is an avid reader and outdoor enthusiast. On many weekends Scott can be found tending to his garden. He and his wife, Elsa, reside in Zionsville, Indiana, and enjoy spending time with their children, granddaughter and grandson. In this fun and insightful episode, Scott talks about becoming an accidental entrepreneur, financial planning, leading by influence, getting your hands dirty, the reason behind the answer to what his super power would be, embracing change, accountability, the power of friendship, and a moment while going through a business divorce that he realized that life is a classroom.  Learn more about West Point Financial Group Connect with Scott on LinkedIn  Sponsors: Ninety.io Straticos Buy your copy of Level-UP To Professional: Second Edition
Episode 81: Emil Ekiyor
Aug 3 2022
Episode 81: Emil Ekiyor
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Emil Ekiyor left his family (7 sisters and two brothers) in Lagos, to pursue an education in Daytona Beach, Florida. Emil participated in Basketball, soccer, and football in high school and received a full athletic scholarship to attend the University of Central Florida, where he was named captain of the football team. After an outstanding college career, Emil went on to play six years in the National Football League with the Tampa Bay Bucs, Atlanta Falcons, and Oakland Raiders. Upon retiring from the NFL, Emil started several businesses in the USA. In addition, he worked with U.S. and Sub-Saharan Africa companies, to expand and take advantage of the rapid growth in Sub-Saharan imports and exports. Emil also served as the National Executive Director for the GEO Foundation, a nonprofit organization that partners with local community leaders to start, support, and manage high-quality K-12 charter schools. Currently, Emil is the founder and CEO of InnoPower, an organization that leverages seed-stage impact investing to drive innovation and accelerate economic productivity in Black communities in Indiana, and Sub-Saharan Africa. InnoPower also invests in businesses and real estate that helps generate wealth in and for Black Communities. In this fun, enlightening and impactful episode, Emil talks about leaving Nigeria to come to America by himself at a young age, getting a scholarship to play football at the University of Central Florida, playing in the NFL, becoming a high school football coach at Warren Central, starting his company InnoPower to figure out how to develop talent in a different way, eliminating the funk of failure, the importance of having people around you to call you out when you need it, and a haunting moment he experienced during his football coaching tenure, that still impacts him today.  Connect with Emil on LinkedIn  Learn more about Innopower
Episode 78: Joel Kirk
Jun 8 2022
Episode 78: Joel Kirk
Joel Kirk is a New York City theatre director and producer who specializes in the development of new plays and musicals. He has worked with New World Stages, Playwrights Horizons, NYMF, The Lark, New Dramatists, Sheen Center, Hudson Guild Theatre, Wide Eyed Productions, WorkShop Theatre, to name a few. Recently he worked with Tony Award Winner Reed Birney and Tony Award Nominee Sydney Lucas on the play CHANGEOVER. He has guest directed for NYU'S Grad Playwriting Program, Ball State University, and Fordham University's Playwriting Program. He is the Chairman/CEO of Joel Kirk Productions. Joel recently launched a non-profit called Discovering Broadway Inc. The New York Times wrote that "Discovering Broadway brings actors and writers to Central Indiana for weeklong retreats to workshop their new musicals." The vision of the organization is to make Indiana the first stop on Broadway's journey. Discovering Broadway Inc. has currently programmed new musicals based on the major motion pictures of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and EVER AFTER.  In this fun and exciting episode, Joel talks about the Indianapolis 500, growing up in Carmel, bringing Broadway to central Indiana, silver linings of the pandemic, Enneagram types, a hilarious story about how he met his girlfriend, having a "just ask" mentality, and a moment in 2018 when a song on a playlist changed his life. Learn more about Joel  Connect with Joel on LinkedIn Sponsors: Ninety.io Straticos Buy your copy of Level-UP To Professional: Second Edition
Episode 77: Crystal Givens
May 25 2022
Episode 77: Crystal Givens
Crystal Givens is the president and chief executive officer of Starfish Initiative, a leading youth organization in Indianapolis that inspires, encourages, and prepares motivated high school students for success through one-on-one mentoring. Under her direction, Starfish Initiative is becoming a best-in-class mentoring organization that is effective in fulfilling its mission and better prepared to face current and future challenges. Crystal’s transformational initiatives include financial stabilization efforts, modernization of programs, and expanding the reach of Starfish Initiative services.  Crystal is a longtime champion of children and families. She began her career as an early childhood teacher. She then went on to serve in multiple roles at Early Learning Indiana, the state’s oldest and largest early education non-profit, ending as Vice President of Statewide Support after nearly two decades. Crystal’s leadership then expanded to a national level when she took on a role at Child Care Aware® of America. There she led efforts to deliver rapid response to educators, families, and others during the height of the pandemic.  A native of Indianapolis, Crystal is a proud graduate of Indianapolis Public Schools. She earned her bachelor’s degree in child development from Indiana State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. Crystal believes in the power of education and is an advocate for lifting others as we climb.  In this fun and insightful episode, Crystal talks about growing up as an Indiana girl, the purpose behind Starfish Initiative, the importance of mentors, how to make a proper PB&J, commitment devices, the power of journaling, having a heart of service, and a moment after receiving her undergraduate degree where she felt an immense amount of responsibility and duty to be a role model for young women of color.    Learn more about Starfish Initiative Connect with Crystal on LinkedIn Sponsors: Ninety.io Straticos Buy your copy of Level-UP To Professional: Second Edition
Episode 76: Nate Feltman
May 11 2022
Episode 76: Nate Feltman
Nate Feltman is co-owner of the IBJ Corporation, publisher of the Indianapolis Business Journal, the Indiana Lawyer and the Court & Commercial Record. Nate also is the CEO of NJF Consulting, LLC, which provides acquisition and business consulting services. From 2010 - 2017, Nate was President, CEO and co-owner of Home Health Depot, Inc. (HHD) and its subsidiary, Genesis Healthcare Services, LLC, providers of complex rehabilitation mobility equipment, hospice, respiratory and home medical equipment. During his tenure, HHD grew from one location in Indianapolis, to 20 locations in 6 states, and from 30 employees to 240 employees, while quadrupling revenue.  Nate was also a partner with the law firms Faegre Baker & Daniels and Ice Miller, in Indianapolis, and Altheimer & Gray in Chicago, where his practice focused on representing public and private companies with their merger and acquisition activities, as well as advising local governments on public-private partnerships and economic development strategies. Before his U.S. legal experience, Nate spent nearly four years in Moscow, Russia (1994-1998) with the international law firms Baker & McKenzie and Steptoe & Johnson, where he represented companies seeking to do business in Russia. Appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels, Nate served as Secretary of Commerce for the State of Indiana and CEO of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation from 2006-2008.  In this fun and insightful episode, Nate talks about his childhood fascination with the Cold War, a life-changing study abroad trip to the Soviet Union, the impact of losing his best friend, his affection for Mitch Daniels, his love for the band Crash Test Dummies, the importance of using the “Ben Franklin” method for weighing pros and cons, urging young people to find their passions, engaging with your community and colleagues, and two risky moments that led to huge opportunities in his life.  Connect with Nate on LinkedIn Learn about the IBJ
Episode 74: Arvetta Jideonwo
Apr 13 2022
Episode 74: Arvetta Jideonwo
Arvetta Jideonwo has a distinguished history of leading and organizing high-performing teams in the non-profit sector. She has worked with nationally recognized organizations and has extensive executive-level experience in non-profit management, fundraising, and grant development. She is currently a Faculty Member at the IUPUI Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and the Executive Director and Head of Social Impact at The CREA Foundation.  Arvetta has an extensive level of expertise in the philanthropic sector, with 20+ years of executive experience, within a variety of leadership roles across the fields of healthcare, human services, as well as K-12 education and higher ed. As the chief philanthropic leader at CREA, she oversees administration and strategic investments through grant and scholarship initiatives, in CREA communities throughout the nation.  Arvetta is a Certified Fund Raising Executive and earned a Bachelor’s in Community Health from Indiana State University – School of Health Sciences, and a Master’s in Health Administration from Indiana University - School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Arvetta is also currently a Non-Profit Leadership Candidate in Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Executive Education. In this fun and insightful episode, Arvetta sings the National Anthem, talks about the CREA Foundation, going on a yacht for the first time, quilting, finding your “VIP” (values, interests, passions), why everyone deserves an opportunity, and a moment at 17 years old with a school counselor during her senior year, that taught her the lesson of overcoming someone else’s opinion about what she could or could not do. Connect with Arvetta Learn more about CREA
Episode 70: Ann Murtlow
Feb 17 2022
Episode 70: Ann Murtlow
Since joining United Way of Central Indiana (UWCI) as its President & CEO in 2013, Ann D. Murtlow has built on United Way’s long-time commitment to education, financial stability, health and basic needs. UWCI has made significant progress in aligning programs, community partnerships, direct service agencies and public policy advocacy to create outcomes for people in need.  Prior to United Way of Central Indiana, Ann had a 30-year career in the global energy industry. Ann began her career at Bechtel Power Corporation, one of the world’s leading engineering and construction firms. She joined AES Corporation headquarters in Arlington, Virginia in 1987 to lead the environmental permitting activities for new power stations in the U.S. and abroad. In 1997, Ann moved to AES Corporation’s regional office in London, England where she led business development and operations in 22 northern and central European countries. In 2002, she became the President & CEO of IPALCO Enterprises, Inc. and its subsidiary, Indianapolis Power & Light Company. She currently serves on the boards of Evergy, Inc. (NYSE: EVRG) and Wabash National Corporation (NYSE: WNC). She was honored to serve on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago from 2007 to 2012. She was also recognized as one of Women Inc. Magazine’s 2019 Most Influential Corporate Board Directors and as one of Indiana Commission for Women’s 2020 Torchbearer Award Winners. Ann received her Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University in 1982. She is a National Association of Corporate Directors Board Leadership Fellow. In this fun and insightful episode, Ann discusses her official retirement from the United Way of Central Indiana, a recent transformational $25 Million gift from MacKenzie Scott to the organization, the importance of diversifying your assets, prioritizing your health, having a support group, the fallacy of work-life balance …especially for professional women, the difference between mentors and coaches, and a few big moments that have impacted her personal and professional life.  Connect with Ann on LinkedIn Learn more about United Way of Central Indiana  Sponsors: Talevation Ninety.io Straticos Buy your copy of Level-UP To Professional: Second Edition
Episode 69: Jeb Banner
Feb 2 2022
Episode 69: Jeb Banner
Jeb is the CEO and a Founder of Boardable. He spent most of his 20s playing music and avoiding adulthood. Everything began to click when he discovered eBay in 1999. After building a couple of successful businesses in the auction space, he took what he learned from growing those businesses with online marketing to start SmallBox in 2006. SmallBox evolved over the years from a marketing agency into a strategic consultancy that helps mission-driven organizations with branding and design. In 2018, he left SmallBox to join the board management software company Boardable as its full-time CEO. In 2020 Boardable closed its Series A raising $8m to invest in team and product. Boardable currently serves over 1,000 nonprofits around the world and continues to grow quickly. Along the way, he has been involved as a founder or investor with a number of other businesses and nonprofits including Springboard Marketing, The Speak Easy, Musical Family Tree, Joyful Noise Recordings, Gravy Lab, Boardable, Adproval, Ripley's Auctions, and Brain Twins. He also serves or has served, on the boards of several Indy-area nonprofits including The Speak Easy, Musical Family Tree, Big Car, United Way of Central Indiana, ProAct, and the Indiana Independent Venue Alliance. Jeb’s personal mission is to create meaningful work for talented people who share his desire to use business as a force for good. He lives on the north side of Indianapolis with his wife Jenny and 3 beautiful daughters. In his spare time, he plays and records music, collects vinyl records, forages mushrooms, and cooks as much as possible. In this fun and insightful episode, Jeb talks about being a creative at heart, the impact of listening to Alan Watts alone in the woods, the impetus behind starting Boardable, having a beginner’s mindset, leadership, and an “aha moment” in his late 20s, when he realized that it’s ok to say “I don't know.” Connect with Jeb on LinkedIn Learn more about Boardable Sponsors: Talevation Ninety.io Straticos Buy your copy of Level-UP To Professional: Second Edition