Beyond the Corporate Ladder

What does it really take to build a business while working a full-time career?
In this episode of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, Stephen Lee-Thomas sits down with Wondella Payne, a certified paralegal and business consultant who helps aspiring entrepreneurs launch their businesses while continuing to work their day jobs.
Wondella shares how she leveraged nearly two decades of legal experience into a consulting business, discusses balancing entrepreneurship with a full-time career, and explains why success is more than simply making more money.
What You'll Learn
Why you don't have to quit your job to become an entrepreneur
How to turn existing career skills into a business
Common mistakes new business owners make
Why AI is a powerful tool, but not a replacement for expertise
Building passive income over time
Defining success on your own terms
Chapters
[00:00] Introduction
[01:03] Meet Wondella Payne
[03:08] Why She Started Her Business
[05:25] Balancing Corporate and Entrepreneurship
[08:55] Helping Entrepreneurs Launch Businesses
[12:25] Growing a Business Since 2018
[14:15] AI's Impact on Small Business
[17:10] Defining Success
[18:45] Building Passive Income
[19:45] Final Advice for Future Entrepreneurs
 
If you're considering launching your own business while maintaining career stability, this episode offers practical advice and encouragement.
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Thinking about leaving your corporate job to start a business?
In this episode of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, Stephen Lee-Thomas sits down with entrepreneur and recruiting expert Darren Tompkins to discuss what it really takes to make the leap into entrepreneurship.
From setting an exit strategy to hiring your first employees, Darren shares practical lessons learned from building his own recruiting company after years in corporate America.
What You'll Learn
When it's time to leave your W-2 job
Why hiring too early can hurt your business
How virtual assistants can create time freedom
The biggest hiring mistakes founders make
Why failure is part of every entrepreneur's journey
Chapters
[00:00] Introduction
[01:12] Darren's background
[04:40] When businesses should hire
[09:10] Knowing when to scale
[12:30] Leaving your W-2 job
[16:05] Building a lifestyle-first business
[19:30] Using virtual assistants effectively
[22:10] Why entrepreneurs must embrace failure
[24:20] Final advice
If you're building a business or preparing to make the leap from corporate life, this episode offers actionable advice to help you grow intentionally.
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Artificial Intelligence is changing business faster than ever, but what does that really mean for leaders and HR professionals?
In this episode of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, Stephen Lee-Thomas sits down with Heather Mallette, Founder & CEO of The Decision Line, to discuss how AI is transforming Human Resources from a transactional department into a strategic business partner.
Heather shares why successful AI adoption isn't about replacing people, it's about empowering leaders, improving decision-making, and building organizations that are ready for the future.
From leadership development and organizational culture to trust, change management, and practical AI implementation, this conversation offers valuable insights for business owners, executives, HR professionals, and anyone leading teams through change.
What You'll Learn
Why AI won't replace effective leadership
How HR has evolved into a strategic business function
The biggest mistakes organizations make when adopting AI
How to introduce AI without creating resistance
Why trust is the foundation of successful change
How strong leaders prepare their teams for the future
Why career growth comes from experience, not titles
The importance of organizational culture in long-term success
Chapters
[00:00] Introduction
[01:05] Meet Heather Mallette
[03:12] How HR Has Changed Over the Last 25 Years
[07:15] Why HR Deserves a Seat at the Leadership Table
[10:28] AI Will Redefine Leadership
[15:18] How Companies Should Adopt AI
[20:45] Organizational Readiness & Building Trust
[25:12] Career Growth Through Stretch Assignments
[29:42] The Future of AI, Leadership & Work
[32:15] Culture Is What Leaders Reward
[34:10] Where to Connect with Heather
About Heather Mallette
Heather Mallette is the Founder & CEO of The Decision Line and a strategic HR leader with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations improve leadership, people operations, and business performance through thoughtful AI implementation.
Connect with Heather
LinkedIn: Heather MalletteInstagram: @heyitsheathermEmail: heathermallette@yahoo.com
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What happens when entrepreneurship becomes a vehicle for healing, empathy, and purpose?
In this episode of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, Stephen Lee-Thomas sits down with Shabana Serang entrepreneur, nonprofit founder, podcast host, and creator of the Mercy Mindset movement.
Shabana shares her deeply personal journey growing up as the daughter of immigrants, watching her father work tirelessly to build a better life, and how those experiences inspired her mission to “spread mercy with every bite.”
The conversation explores:
Purpose-driven entrepreneurship
Mental health and vulnerability
Building businesses rooted in compassion
The power of self-awareness and self-compassion
Balancing motherhood, mission, and personal healing
Using food as a force for community impact
Shabana also opens up about her own struggles with mental health, entrepreneurship, and learning to navigate life through mercy and transparency.
What You’ll Learn
Why healing and entrepreneurship can coexist
How empathy can shape business leadership
The real meaning of “mercy mindset”
How purpose-driven businesses can create social impact
Why vulnerability matters in leadership
Chapters
[00:00] Introduction[01:12] Shabana’s immigrant family story[03:18] Healing through food and Mercy Mediterranean[06:02] Creating Miracles for Mercy[08:11] Entrepreneurship, sacrifice, and balance[11:07] Mental health, self-awareness, and transparency[15:08] Current projects and future vision[16:42] What mercy really means[17:45] Final thoughts and where to connect
Connect with Shabana
Website: https://miraclesformercy.com
CTA
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What separates great leaders from average managers?
In this episode of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, Stephen Lee-Thomas sits down with senior healthcare executive Russell Meadows to discuss leadership, team building, decision-making, and navigating complexity in high-pressure environments.
Russ shares lessons from decades in healthcare leadership, including how he built high-performing teams, solved operational challenges, and led through massive organizational change. From Medicare operations to mentorship, this conversation is packed with practical leadership insights for professionals at every stage of their career.
If you’re leading people, growing your career, or trying to navigate complexity with confidence, this episode delivers actionable wisdom grounded in real-world experience.
What You’ll Learn
Why calm leadership creates better outcomes
How strong leaders build trust-based teams
The importance of delegation and accountability
Lessons from healthcare leadership and Medicare operations
How to simplify complexity during organizational change
Why patience and mastery matter in career growth
Timestamps
[00:00] Introduction[01:22] Russell Meadows’ healthcare background[04:15] Solving problems through leadership[07:02] Building trust-based teams[10:15] Delegation and executive decision-making[14:20] Navigating healthcare industry changes[17:45] Leadership, retirement, and future planning[20:10] Advice for younger professionals[22:15] Final reflections and mentorship
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What happens when you’ve done everything “right” in your corporate career… but still feel disconnected from fulfillment?
In Episode 9 of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, Stephen Lee-Thomas sits down with Rachel Cotter Davis to explore leadership, burnout, organizational change, and the deeply personal journey of career reinvention.
Rachel shares insights from her experience as a senior director in change enablement and organizational effectiveness, discussing what it really takes to lead through uncertainty while staying authentic in high-pressure corporate environments.
This conversation goes beyond career strategy and into identity, growth, resilience, and redefining success on your own terms.
What You’ll Learn
How burnout often signals deeper career misalignment
The emotional side of leadership transitions
Why organizational change is ultimately about people
How high performers redefine success beyond titles
The role of authenticity in effective leadership
Practical lessons for navigating reinvention and uncertainty
Chapters
[00:00] Introduction
[01:42] Rachel’s corporate background
[05:10] Navigating leadership and organizational change
[09:28] Burnout and identity shifts
[14:06] Reinvention beyond corporate success
[18:45] Authentic leadership and vulnerability
[23:12] Building fulfillment outside traditional career paths
[27:01] Final advice for professionals in transition
 
Want to share your side of the story? Book a Call here!

What would you do if you had no plan, but knew your life needed to change?
In this episode of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, Stephen Lee-Thomas sits down with Dwight Dillon-Seminario, who shares his journey from professional musician to entrepreneur helping others build passive income and reclaim their time.
After a major life shift, Dwight made a bold decision, he quit without a backup plan and leaned into uncertainty. What followed was a decade-long journey of growth, rejection, and building a system that now helps others create more freedom in their lives.
This episode is a deep dive into action-taking, mindset, and what it really takes to reinvent your life.
What You’ll Learn
Why taking action beats having a perfect plan
The real role of coachability in success
How to overcome fear and rejection
What it takes to build passive income
Why clarity matters just as much as action 
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction02:15 Dwight’s background and career shift06:30 Quitting with no plan12:00 Learning through rejection and action18:40 The role of grit and discipline23:10 Building passive income systems28:00 Coachability and growth mindset31:30 Advice for early-stage professionals 
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In Episode 7 of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, we talk leadership, growth, and multifamily real estate with Corey Muldrow, who has scaled his portfolio to over $100M+ in assets under management. Corey shares his journey from healthcare and anesthesia practice to becoming a full-time multifamily investor and operator alongside his wife, Candice. Together, they discuss how their journey began with a single-family rental purchased while planning their wedding, and how that first investment eventually led to large multifamily acquisitions of up to 270 units. They also share what it takes to scale a vertically integrated real estate business with a team of over 30 employees. Corey and Candice dive into leadership evolution, building systems that empower teams, balancing business with family life, and how busy professionals can begin investing passively in real estate. This episode is packed with practical insights for professionals who want to move beyond the corporate ladder and build long-term wealth. What You’ll Learn: -How Corey and Candice scaled from single-family homes to $100M+ in multifamily assets -The leadership shift from micromanaging tasks to empowering outcomes -Why passive real estate investing offers a powerful “return on energy” Episode Highlights: [00:00:00] – Introduction to Corey & Candice Muldrow [00:02:35] – How their first rental property started their real estate journey [00:06:50] – Transitioning from single-family to multifamily investing [00:08:20] – Scaling from 17 units to 270 units [00:11:30] – Leadership lessons from growing a 30+ person team [00:15:10] – Running a business as a husband-and-wife team [00:18:20] – Systems for protecting marriage while scaling a company [00:20:30] – Productivity strategies and the “big rocks” framework [00:23:00] – Advice for new investors and entrepreneurs [00:25:10] – Passive investing and the concept of “return on energy” [00:27:40] – The next real estate cycle and upcoming opportunities Ways to Connect with Corey Muldrow: Website: https://mgroupcapital.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreymuldrow/ Email: corey@mgroupcapital.com Want to be featured at my show? Apply here: https://beyondthecorporateladder.com/podcast-guest-booking