In this episode of the Parallel Entrepreneur, Innovation Series, Mark Cleveland and Johnny Anderson sit down with Amy Henderson, Director of Infrastructure at HCA Healthcare Physician Services.

Amy operates at the intersection of technical viability and business outcomes, aligning talent, technology, and data to drive enterprise growth inside one of the largest healthcare systems in the country.

But this conversation isn’t just about infrastructure.

It’s about what it really takes to connect strategy to execution. To build teams that understand both the financial model and the human one. And to develop workforce pipelines that strengthen an entire region.

Amy also reflects on her decade of service with the Nashville Technology Council, including her time as Board Chair, where she helped advocate for technology-focused workforce development across Tennessee, from K-12 to career changers.

This episode explores:
• Why strategic alignment is a leadership discipline
• Operating technical teams inside financial guardrails
• Building culture while scaling enterprise systems
• Workforce development as a long-term investment
• The role Nashville plays in shaping tech leadership

If you care about the future of enterprise leadership — especially where technology meets execution — this conversation is worth your time.

About Amy Henderson

Amy Henderson is Director of Infrastructure at HCA Healthcare Physician Services, where she aligns talent, technology, and data to drive enterprise performance in complex healthcare environments. With a focus on connecting technical strategy to business outcomes, she builds high-performing teams that operate with both financial discipline and cultural strength. Amy also served for a decade on the Nashville Technology Council Board, including as Chair, where she championed workforce development across Tennessee’s tech ecosystem.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/henderson-amy/

About the Hosts

Mark A. Cleveland
Managing Director at Kensington Park Capital, entrepreneur, M&A advisor, and host of the Parallel Entrepreneur Network
https://www.linkedin.com/in/macleveland/

Johnny Anderson
Nashville tech leader, GNTC board member, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center, and host of The Impodsters™
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyonbrand/

Links & Resources

👉 Learn more about the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC):
https://www.wcs.edu/secondary/entrepreneurship-innovation-center-eic

👉 Join the Parallel Entrepreneur Network:
https://www.parallelentrepreneur.com/#about-me

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders building aligned systems across business, education, and community.

👍 If this episode resonated, leave a comment or share it with someone shaping the future of leadership.

Chapters
00:00:00 The intersection of tech viability and business goals
00:00:41 Episode introduction + Amy’s leadership focus
00:01:07 Amy’s role at HCA Healthcare Physician Services
00:01:54 Aligning talent, tech, and data inside enterprise systems
00:02:48 Operating to a financial model while scaling teams
00:03:39 Building culture within infrastructure organizations
00:04:28 Why workforce development matters in Tennessee
00:05:27 Serving on the Nashville Technology Council
00:06:18 Developing talent pipelines from K-12 to career changers
00:07:32 Leadership lessons from board service and enterprise growth
00:08:36 Episode close

In this episode of The Parallel Entrepreneur – Innovation Series, Mark Cleveland and Johnny Anderson sit down with Meg Chamblee, Executive Vice President for Tennessee at UDig.

Meg launched UDig’s Nashville office in 2020 and has grown it more than 10x, building not just a market presence, but a reputation rooted in trust, partnership, and long-term relationships.

But this conversation goes far beyond growth metrics.

Meg shares how Nashville’s tech community has evolved, why organizations like Women in Technology of Tennessee (WiTT) matter more than ever, and what it really looks like to lead with both excellence and inclusion.

As a past president of WiTT and a board leader at the Greater Nashville Technology Council (GNTC), Meg has helped shape the ecosystem that supports emerging leaders, especially women navigating technology careers in Middle Tennessee.

This episode explores:
• Why community is a strategic advantage in Nashville
• How WiTT is creating access, confidence, and opportunity for women in tech
• The power of real relationships in building sustainable growth
• What enterprise clients actually need from digital transformation partners
• How leadership evolves as companies scale
• Why investing in people outlasts investing in hype

If you care about technology, leadership, and building something that lasts in this city, this conversation is for you.

Learn more about WiTT: https://www.wittn.org/

Connect with Meg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megchamblee/

About Meg Chamblee
Meg Chamblee is Executive Vice President for Tennessee at UDig, a technology consulting firm that designs and builds custom digital workflows and experience solutions for enterprise clients. She founded and leads UDig’s Nashville office, which has grown more than 10x since 2020.

Meg is a past president of Women in Technology of Tennessee (WiTT), serves on the board of the Greater Nashville Technology Council (GNTC), and co-founded the ELITE (Emerging Leaders in Technology) program. She has been recognized as an NBJ 40 Under 40 honoree and is a longtime advocate for building inclusive leadership pipelines across Middle Tennessee.

About the Hosts

Mark A. Cleveland
Managing Director at Kensington Park Capital, entrepreneur, M&A advisor, and host of the Parallel Entrepreneur Network
https://www.linkedin.com/in/macleveland/

Johnny Anderson
Nashville tech leader, GNTC board member, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center, and host of The Impodsters™
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyonbrand/

Links & Resources

👉 Learn more about the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC):
https://www.wcs.edu/secondary/entrepreneurship-innovation-center-eic

👉 Join the Parallel Entrepreneur Network:
https://www.parallelentrepreneur.com/#about-me

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders building aligned systems across business, education, and community.

👍 If this episode resonated, leave a comment or share it with someone shaping the future of leadership.

Chapters
00:00:00 The reality of being the only woman in the room
00:00:52 Episode introduction + framing Meg’s leadership
00:01:01 Meg Chamblee, UDig, and launching Nashville
00:01:47 Why relationships drive real growth
00:02:03 Nashville’s tech ecosystem and connection culture
00:03:00 The impact of WiTT in Nashville
00:04:02 Community as the foundation for scaling
00:05:00 Leadership lessons from growing a market
00:06:01 Investing in people and showing up to serve
00:07:00 Board service, volunteer leadership, and long-term impact
00:07:42 Episode close

Great experiences don’t happen by accident. They’re designed.

In this episode of The Parallel Entrepreneur – Innovation Series, Mark Cleveland and Johnny Anderson sit down with Suzi Earhart, CCXP, a Customer Experience and Organizational Change executive who believes better experiences begin with intentional design, empathy, and mutual understanding — and end in measurable business results.

Suzi started her career in computer science before realizing something foundational: technology alone doesn’t create great outcomes. People, process, and technology must work together. And if they aren’t aligned around the customer, trust quietly erodes.

This conversation goes beyond surface-level CX talk. We explore how leaders unintentionally design from the inside out, how unconscious bias limits true “outside-in” thinking, and why deciding between human, assisted, or self-service interactions is one of the most strategic trust decisions a company makes.

In this episode, we discuss:
- Why incentives today are tied to identity and belonging
- The challenge of truly thinking “outside-in”
- How culture and bias distort customer-centered design
- The difference between human, assisted, and automated experiences
- Why innovation requires structured change management
- Assessing whether employees are truly set up to deliver quality
- How aligned CX creates both financial and relational wealth

At just over 12 minutes, this episode delivers practical insight for founders, operators, and leaders responsible for shaping experience at scale.

About the Guest

Suzi Earhart, CCXP is a Customer Experience and Organizational Change executive based in Denver, Colorado. She is passionate about improving experiences through intentional design, empathy, and mutual understanding — outcomes she believes must ultimately be proven in business results.

Beginning her career in Computer Science, Suzi quickly recognized that sustainable innovation requires alignment across people, process, and technology. Her work focuses on helping organizations think like their customers, challenge unconscious bias, and intentionally decide when to use human, assisted, or self-service models.

She holds certifications in change management and has led initiatives including:
- Strategic and technology roadmaps
- Journey mapping and Voice of the Customer systems
- Service delivery redesign
- Organizational change management programs
- Governance system creation
- Employee capability and “do-ability” assessments

Throughout her career, she has remained committed to servant leadership and mentoring — helping others reach their full potential while building systems that deepen trust and results.

Connect with Suzi here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzi-earhart-ccxp-220663/

About the Hosts

Mark A. Cleveland
Managing Director at Kensington Park Capital, entrepreneur, M&A advisor, and host of the Parallel Entrepreneur Network
https://www.linkedin.com/in/macleveland/

Johnny Anderson
Nashville tech leader, GNTC board member, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center, and host of The Impodsters™
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyonbrand/

Links & Resources

👉 Learn more about the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC):
https://www.wcs.edu/secondary/entrepreneurship-innovation-center-eic

👉 Join the Parallel Entrepreneur Network:
https://www.parallelentrepreneur.com/#about-me

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders building aligned systems across business, education, and community.

👍 If this episode resonated, leave a comment or share it with someone shaping the future of leadership.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Incentives, Identity & Brand Association
00:00:49 Episode Introduction
00:01:41 Suzi’s Background: Tech, People & CX
00:02:00 Why Innovation Demands Change
00:04:01 Brand as Identity & Belonging
00:05:01 The Full Customer Ecosystem
00:06:00 Designing Platforms Customers Struggle With
00:07:00 Fitting Into the Fabric of Customers’ Lives
00:09:00 “Our Customers Don’t Understand”
00:10:01 Perspective, Bias & Trust Decisions
00:12:01 Innovation as Intentional Design

In this Innovation Series episode of Parallel Entrepreneur, hosts Mark Cleveland and Johnny Anderson sit down with Dr. Jeremy Qualls, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC) and College, Career & Technical Education at Williamson County Schools.

Jeremy leads one of the most compelling early-stage entrepreneurship models in the region—where students don’t just learn about innovation, they practice it. Inside the EIC, high school students launch real businesses, products, and services while earning academic credit and developing leadership skills that typically come much later in life.

During the conversation, Jeremy shares examples of how this model comes to life, including:

• Anthony Beckett, founder of Markify → http://Markifyapp.com
• Abigail Goddard, National Program Champion and creator of Spikey First → http://Spikeyfirst.com

These stories reflect what the EIC is built to do: help students move from ideas to execution, and from confidence to ownership.

Under Jeremy’s leadership, the EIC has grown from 70 students to more than 500 applicants, secured over $17 million in grants, and built a mentor network of 100+ business and community leaders—all focused on developing entrepreneurial thinkers early.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why entrepreneurship is a mindset, not a job title
• How leadership development changes when it starts earlier
• What founders can learn from education systems—and vice versa
• Why culture and coaching matter more than curriculum
• How community partnerships create real-world opportunity

CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Entrepreneurship as the Heartbeat, Not a Track
00:00:50 Building the Future of Work Before It Starts
00:01:00 Jeremy Qualls and the Vision Behind the EIC
00:01:45 Rethinking Traditional Career & Technical Education
00:02:15 From Ideas to Action: National Pitch Competitions
00:03:10 Teaching Business Plans, Ownership, and Real Skills
00:04:10 Why Culture and Coaching Matter More Than Curriculum
00:05:20 Discovering What’s Possible: The Markify Story
00:06:30 Giving Students Real Responsibility Early
00:07:35 Mentorship, Trust, and Community Partnerships
00:08:50 When Student Ideas Become Real Businesses
00:10:05 Scaling Leadership Development Inside a System
00:11:40 What Schools and Founders Can Learn From Each Other
00:13:10 Building Confidence Before Credentials
00:14:30 Why Starting Earlier Changes Everything
00:15:40 Final Reflections on Leadership and Opportunity

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Dr. Jeremy Qualls is the Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC) and College, Career & Technical Education for Williamson County Schools. A leadership strategist, coach, and educator with more than two decades of experience, Jeremy has built a people-first model for developing entrepreneurial thinkers and future leaders. Under his leadership, the EIC has grown from 70 students to more than 500 applicants, secured over $17 million in grants, and built a mentor network of 100+ business and community leaders. His work focuses on cultivating culture, ownership, and leadership at every level.

ABOUT THE HOSTS
Mark A. Cleveland — Managing Director at Kensington Park Capital, entrepreneur, M&A advisor, and host of the Parallel Entrepreneur Network.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/macleveland/

Johnny Anderson — Nashville tech leader, GNTC board member, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the EC, and host of The Impodsters™.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyonbrand/

👉 Join the Parallel Entrepreneur Network: https://www.parallelentrepreneur.com/#about-me
👉 Subscribe for more stories from entrepreneurs who thrive across multiple ventures—and live aligned lives.
👍 Like this episode? Leave a comment or share it with someone who leads across lanes.

👉 Join the Parallel Entrepreneur Network: (link below)
👉 Subscribe for more Innovation Series conversations with builders and operators.
👍 Like this episode? Leave a comment or share it with someone who’s ready to make AI practical.

#ParallelEntrepreneur, #InnovationSeries, #EntrepreneurshipEducation, #LeadershipDevelopment, #FutureOfWork

Why do AI initiatives often stall? What does it take to build AI strategies that scale inside real businesses? What does responsible, human-centered AI look like in practice?

In this episode of The Parallel Entrepreneur – Innovation Series, Mark Cleveland sits down with Jon Hilton, Shareholder-in-Charge of the LBMC AI Practice, to address these questions.

Jon brings a rare mix of experience, enterprise data science, large-scale digital transformation, and leadership forged through military service. From this conversation with John, you'll learn:

- Where AI strategy usually breaks down
- How to move from pilots to production without chaos
- Why clarity beats complexity every time
- The leadership mindset required to scale AI responsibly
- This conversation is for executives, founders, and operators who want results, not hype.

CHAPTERS:

00:00:00 AI Isn’t a Technology Problem — It’s a Leadership Problem
00:00:40 Introducing Jon Hilton: Leading AI Practice at LBMC
00:01:47 The Strategy Disconnect: Executives vs. Employees
00:02:40 West Point + Combat Tours: Leading Through Fear, Chaos & Uncertainty
00:03:55 Building the Veterans Tech Peer Group in Nashville
00:04:57 Military Technology + Nashville: What’s Being Built and Why It Matters
00:06:27 The AI Tool Explosion: Don’t Chase Tools — Define the Problem
00:08:25 AI’s Expanding Attack Surface: Scams, Security & New Risks
00:09:42 “In Absence of Orders, Attack”: Courage and Forward Motion in AI
00:10:24 Avoiding Paralysis: Deliberate Action Without Rushing
00:12:03 Bringing People Along: Sentiment, Trust & Internal Buy-In
00:12:55 Leveraging Veterans Well: What Corporate Leaders Need to Understand
00:13:31 Translating Military Experience to Corporate Value (Network + Skills)
00:15:10 Closing Thanks & Service Appreciation

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Jon Hilton helps organizations turn AI from an experiment into a scalable capability. As Shareholder-in-Charge of LBMC’s AI Practice, he works with leadership teams to define practical AI strategies, identify where automation and intelligence actually create value, and build systems that can scale responsibly across the organization. A data scientist by training with experience at ExxonMobil and EY, Jon brings a disciplined, execution-first perspective shaped by enterprise environments and military leadership. His work focuses on helping leaders make better decisions about when to use AI, where to apply it, and how to do so without creating risk, chaos, or wasted investment.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-hilton/

ABOUT THE HOSTS
Mark A. Cleveland — Managing Director at Kensington Park Capital, entrepreneur, M&A advisor, and host of the Parallel Entrepreneur Network.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/macleveland/

Johnny Anderson — Nashville tech leader, GNTC board member, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the EC, and host of The Impodsters™.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyonbrand/

👉 Join the Parallel Entrepreneur Network: https://www.parallelentrepreneur.com/#about-me
👉 Subscribe for more stories from entrepreneurs who thrive across multiple ventures—and live aligned lives.
👍 Like this episode? Leave a comment or share it with someone who leads across lanes.

In this special Innovation Series episode of Parallel Entrepreneur, hosts Mark Cleveland and Johnny Anderson sit down with Shauna Sprague, an AI strategist, architect, and TEDx speaker with 20+ years of experience helping Fortune 500 organizations navigate technology transformation.

Shauna is known for helping leaders move beyond the AI hype and into confident execution—building clear roadmaps, designing intelligent workflows and agents, and scaling automation responsibly. She’s led AI initiatives across 49 business units and brings hands-on experience with tools like AWS, Power BI, Zapier, n8n, and LangChain.

In this episode:
• Why most people aren’t afraid of AI — they’re just overwhelmed by it
• How to move from curiosity to confident AI execution (without getting lost in buzzwords)
• The “automate the mundane” mindset that gives teams time back for meaningful work
• A parent-friendly AI hack: photo → sports schedule → fully automated calendar
• The first practical tools to start with, even if you don’t have a big budget or deep technical expertise
• When to use workflows, automation, RPA, and when it’s time for AI agents
• Why working at the top of your skill set is becoming the new competitive advantage
• How to scale AI responsibly,and why human-centered, inclusive AI matters

Shauna brings clarity, humility, and a deep sense of purpose to a topic that feels overwhelming for a lot of teams. If your organization has been circling AI wondering where to start, this conversation will help you take the next step ,with confidence.

Chapters:
00:00:00 “Eliminate the task — make yourself valuable”
00:01:13 Introducing Shauna Sprague + what this episode is about
00:02:45 Shauna’s core idea: automate the mundane, protect the human work
00:03:34 The parent use-case: photo → sports/school schedule → calendar automation
00:04:02 Daily AI assist: meeting digest + LinkedIn “who I’m meeting with” rundown
00:05:33 Why resistance is normal (and how skeptics become champions)
00:05:52 The low-cost starting point: RPA tools for ~$20/month
00:06:09 When teams “graduate” to agents (LangChain / LangGraph)
00:06:41 Working at the top of your skill set (sales example: stop the busywork)
00:07:50 The empowering question: “Where do I start with AI?”
00:08:15 First recommendation: Zapier + plug-and-play automations
00:08:40 Practical example: Gmail automation + VIP alerts (and filtering sales emails)
00:09:13 Time back unlocks creativity (resources aren’t the limiter anymore)
00:10:02 Upskill move: build something in n8n + become the hero
00:10:26 Closing thought: “They don’t lay off valuable people”

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Shauna Sprague is an AI strategist, architect, and TEDx speaker with 20+ years in technology innovation. She has led AI and automation initiatives across 49 business units, built intelligent workflows and agents, and developed AI personas that streamline operations and increase efficiency. She’s also a board member, STEM advocate, and champion for inclusive innovation.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunasprague/

ABOUT THE HOSTS
Mark A. Cleveland — Managing Director at Kensington Park Capital, entrepreneur, M&A advisor, and host of the Parallel Entrepreneur Network.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/macleveland/

Johnny Anderson — Nashville tech leader, GNTC board member, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the EC, and host of The Impodsters™.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyonbrand/

👉 Join the Parallel Entrepreneur Network: https://www.parallelentrepreneur.com/#about-me
👉 Subscribe for more stories from entrepreneurs who thrive across multiple ventures—and live aligned lives.
👍 Like this episode? Leave a comment or share it with someone who leads across lanes.

👉 Join the Parallel Entrepreneur Network: (link below)
👉 Subscribe for more Innovation Series conversations with builders and operators.
👍 Like this episode? Leave a comment or share it with someone who’s ready to make AI practical.

#ShaunaSprague #ParallelEntrepreneur #InnovationSeries #AILeadership #PracticalAI #AIStrategy #Automation #AIForBusiness #FutureOfWork #HumanCenteredAI #InclusiveAI #DigitalTransformation #NashvilleTech #Entrepreneurship #LeadershipPodcast

In this special Innovation Series episode of Parallel Entrepreneur, hosts Mark Cleveland and Johnny Anderson sit down with Rod McDaniel, CEO of S3 Recycling Solutions and Board Chair of the Greater Nashville Technology Council.

Rod’s journey, from growing up in public housing in Nashville to leading a nationally recognized, mission-driven tech recycling company, is a powerful example of what community, purpose, and leadership can create.

In this episode:
• Why community is Nashville’s greatest strength
• How mobility, transit, and opportunity are deeply connected
• What’s fueling Nashville’s new leadership renaissance
• How to use “dead time”, traffic, commutes, swims, for growth
• Why passion outside of work strengthens culture inside it
• How companies relocating to Nashville are shaking things up
• The surprising role of musicians, artists & creators in tech culture
• The city’s collaborative DNA, and how to protect it

Rod’s story is as grounded as it is extraordinary, and this conversation is filled with the kind of insight that only comes from someone who’s built a life on purpose, service, and second chances.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introducing Rod McDaniel: Competitive Drive & Entrepreneurial Roots
00:01:10 Early Lessons from Sports, Discipline & Team Culture
00:03:05 Learning to Win Without Burning Out
00:05:00 First Ventures and the Reality of Risk
00:07:15 Navigating Failure, Pressure & Self-Doubt
00:09:40 Building Confidence Through Repetition and Trust
00:12:05 Leadership Beyond the Title
00:14:30 Accountability, Standards & Personal Ownership
00:17:00 What Real Grit Looks Like Over Time
00:19:20 Building Teams That Actually Work
00:21:45 The Importance of Culture Before Scale
00:24:10 Why People Matter More Than Process
00:26:30 Decision-Making Under Uncertainty
00:29:00 Growth, Patience & Long-Term Thinking
00:31:25 Lessons Learned the Hard Way
00:33:40 Balancing Ambition with Perspective
00:36:00 Redefining Success at Different Stages
00:38:30 Community, Connection & Giving Back
00:41:00 Nashville’s Role in Shaping Leaders
00:43:20 Creating Impact Beyond Business
00:45:40 Advice for Founders in the Middle
00:48:10 Staying Grounded While Scaling
00:50:30 Final Reflections on Leadership & Legacy

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Rod McDaniel is CEO of S3 Recycling Solutions, a 5x Inc. 5000 company and Best Place to Work honoree. A native Nashvillian and community advocate, Rod has driven more than 3,000% revenue growth, speaks nationally on sustainability and leadership, and serves on major boards including the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and Nashville Technology Council.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rod-mcdaniel-7478729/

ABOUT THE HOSTS
Mark A. Cleveland — Managing Director at Kensington Park Capital, entrepreneur, M&A advisor, and host of the Parallel Entrepreneur Network.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/macleveland/

Johnny Anderson — Nashville tech leader, GNTC board member, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the EC, and host of The Impodsters™.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyonbrand/

👉 Join the Parallel Entrepreneur Network: https://www.parallelentrepreneur.com/#about-me
👉 Subscribe for more stories from entrepreneurs who thrive across multiple ventures—and live aligned lives.
👍 Like this episode? Leave a comment or share it with someone who leads across lanes.

#RodMcDaniel #S3Recycling #NashvilleTech #LeadershipPodcast #MissionDrivenBusiness #CommunityLeadership #EntrepreneurStory #Inc5000 #SustainabilityTech #FaithAndBusiness #PurposeDrivenLeadership