Bradley Solomon is an Independent Educational Consultant at Solomon College Advising, a San Francisco-based counseling service dedicated to guiding students and families through the college admissions process. Students work closely with Bradley on pre-college planning, including developing a college list, editing college essays, and completing applications. After a successful career as a trial attorney with the California Attorney General's Office, Bradley decided to focus on guiding families through the college application process. He graduated with honors from the UCLA College Counseling Certificate Program and interned at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory High School and with private counselors at College Admission Coach.

The college admissions journey can be overwhelming, filled with questions about grades, extracurriculars, and essays. Families often wonder when it’s the right time to start planning and how students can position themselves for success. With acceptance rates shrinking and competition rising, how will students and parents navigate this high-stakes process without losing balance?

According to Bradley Solomon, a seasoned college counselor with years of experience guiding families, the best time to start planning is the first day of high school. He highlights that every decision — from course selection to summer activities — can significantly impact a student's application acceptance. Critical strategies are building strong teacher relationships, taking on meaningful extracurriculars, and maintaining focus on a few key activities rather than overloading themselves. These choices, combined with early college visits, not only enhance applications but also inspire students to strive for their best while staying organized and focused.

In this episode of the Pillar6 Podcast, Roman Polnar sits down with Bradley Solomon, Independent Educational Consultant at Solomon College Advising, to discuss how families can approach the college planning process with confidence. They explore practical advice for each high school year, strategies for creating a strong application, and the importance of a well-balanced college list. Bradley also shares tips for reducing stress, maintaining balance, and finding the best college fit for every student.

• Roman M. Polnar on LinkedIn
• Pillar6 Advisors
• Bradley Solomon on LinkedIn
• Solomon College Advising: Website | Free Consultation
• College Confidential
• The College Tour
• Forbes America’s Top Colleges
• College Kickstart
• CollegePlannerPro

Matt Strain is the Founder and Principal at The-Prompt.ai, a consultancy dedicated to helping businesses adopt and integrate AI tools to enhance productivity and drive innovation. With a strong background in technology, leadership, AI and a knack for making complex technology accessible, Matt works with companies across industries to adopt AI and create practical, effective solutions. He has been featured in prominent publications like The New York Times and Forbes and frequently shares insights on using AI as a strategist, educator, creative partner, and consultant.

In an era when artificial intelligence is increasingly woven into both professional and personal realms, knowing how to leverage its capabilities can make a huge difference. Can AI be more than just a tool? Can AI be a creative partner in shaping ideas, creating solutions and enhancing our productivity?

According to Matt Strain, an AI strategist and consultant, AI isn’t just a faster and better search engine; it’s a dynamic partner capable of sparking new idea, unlocking capabilities and creating efficiencies with ease.

Matt highlights that AI's real value shines when it’s used beyond search or summarizing data, but rather by challenging our thinking and expanding our capabilities. By treating AI like a creative collaborator, users can unlock solutions that may have otherwise gone unexplored. This approach enables professionals and everyday users alike to broaden their capabilities, saving time on routine tasks while expanding their possibilities.

In this episode of the Pillar6 Podcast, host Roman Polnar sits down with Matt Strain, Founder and Principal at The-Prompt.ai, to discuss how AI can be harnessed as a creative partner in both work and life. They explore practical applications that save time, how to integrate AI for business strategies, and ways to use it as a tool for innovation. Matt also shares advice on overcoming common AI fears and misconceptions.

• Roman M. Polnar on LinkedIn
• Pillar6 Advisors
• Matt Strain on LinkedIn
• The Prompt
• The Prompt Pillar6 Podcast Resources
• The Prompt AI Fundamentals

Andy Cahill is a Leadership Development Consultant and an Associate Partner at KONU, an international boutique consultancy for leadership development and change management. As a transformative coach, he works with purpose-driven leaders and entrepreneurs to help them make a positive difference in the world. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed science-fiction novel Gradient and the host of The Wonder Dome podcast.

We are constantly faced with life's complexities, and without the proper tools, navigating through all the difficulties can be challenging and may even lead to despair. One way to overcome this is by letting go of things that no longer serve a purpose in our lives.

Andy Cahill, a seasoned consultant in leadership development, advocates for incorporating mindful practices to enhance conscious living. To achieve this, Andy recommends heightening your awareness of your immediate environment and taking the time to make well-informed decisions. He further emphasizes the importance of taking control of your life by carving out time for rest and slowing down, as this can play a pivotal role in facilitating effective adaptation to changes in your professional or personal life.

In this episode of the Pillar6 Podcast, Roman Polnar interviews Andy Cahill, a Leadership Development Consultant and an Associate Partner at KONU, about strategies for managing life's complexities. They also discuss the need for conscious living, how to embrace change, and tips for slowing down.

• Pillar6 Advisors
• Roman M. Polnar on LinkedIn
• KONU 
• Andy Cahill on LinkedIn
• Gradient by Anders Cahill 
• Adaptive Leadership Network
• Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization (Leadership for the Common Good) by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey
• The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow
• The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
• The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Michael Koehler is the Founder and CEO of KONU, an international boutique consultancy for leadership development and change management. Michael also teaches leadership as an Adjunct Lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education and hosts the On The Balcony podcast, where he inspires change agents, executives, and others passionate about personal development.

According to studies, most people love change if it is in their favor. In organizations, people may be reluctant to change due to ineffective leadership or the fear of loss. 

It's essential for the company's visionary leader to implement strategies that inspire teams to embrace change. Employees may fear losing control, their status, or their sense of connection with others. Engaging and communicating effectively with your team encourages positive change. Identify all potential losses that may occur and help them overcome their fears.

In this episode of the Pillar6 Podcast, Roman Polnar interviews Michael Koehler, the Founder and CEO of KONU, about change management strategies. They also discuss Michael's adaptive leadership framework, the difference between authority and leadership, and tips for overcoming loss.

• Pillar6 Advisors
• Roman M. Polnar on LinkedIn
• KONU
• Michael Koehler on LinkedIn
• Adaptive Leadership Network
• The Wexner Foundation
• On The Balcony podcast
• Leadership Without Easy Answers by Ronald A. Heifetz
• Out of the Shadows: Reimagining Gay Men's Lives by Walt Odets

Laura Renner is the Founder and Managing Director of Freedom Makers, a virtual assistant agency supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs with admin support. Freedom Makers pairs companies with qualified, versatile, and experienced military spouses. Laura, a former Public Affairs Officer for the US Air Force, is passionate about connecting talented military spouses with motivated small business owners. As a small business owner, she understands the stress associated with running a business and the challenge of being a military spouse struggling to build a career when assignments can change at a moment’s notice.

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, lifestyle businesses have increased in popularity. As a result of global lockdowns, remote work is becoming normalized — allowing people the flexibility to work from anywhere. Military spouses who often forego career opportunities due to the unpredictability of active duty assignments and transfers have benefited from the accessibility to remote positions. Are military spouses the answer for small business owners looking to outsource specialized work?

Finding the ideal virtual assistant is a challenge for many business owners. Confidentiality, trust, and discipline are key skills required when hiring an assistant, but finding the right person can be an arduous task. According to Laura Renner, the environment that military families live in helps them to stay organized, making them an asset for entrepreneurs.

In this episode of the Pillar6 Podcast, Roman Polnar interviews Laura Renner, the Founder and Managing Director of Freedom Makers, to discuss how utilizing military spouses as virtual assistants can help build your lifestyle business. Laura shares why military spouses are ideal candidates for virtual assistant roles, what criteria to consider when hiring an assistant, and why lifestyle businesses utilize virtual assistants.

• Roman M. Polnar on LinkedIn
• Pillar6 Advisors
• Laura Renner on LinkedIn
• Freedom Makers
• Patricia De Fonte on LinkedIn
• "Estate Planning with Patricia De Fonte" on the Pillar6 Podcast
• Fiverr
• Upwork
• Michael Hyatt on LinkedIn
• Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
• Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History by Bruce Cumings
• Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
• Books by Andre Dubus

Crystal Shanks is the CEO and Certified Business Coach at Run Right Business Consulting, where business and executive coaches help entrepreneurs and executives thrive through professional and personal development. Run Right’s coaching program is uniquely personalized for each person and focuses on core needs, including marketing, sales, operations, leadership, financial mastery, career advancement, and mindset. Crystal has coached thousands of owners and businesses worldwide to generate maximum profits and substantial results for nearly 15 years.

People hire business coaches and consultants for various reasons, including having a sounding board, gaining accountability, and helping with business challenges. They provide valuable support and guidance to leaders wanting to propel themselves to another level of success. However, to effectively support clients, consultants must ask a bevy of questions to identify pain points.

With 14 years of coaching executives and leaders under her belt, Crystal Shanks is no stranger to the business world. If you’re looking to elevate yourself or grow your business, her advice is to work with a business coach and be ready to be vulnerable and connect on an emotional level. Coaches can unveil barriers blocking your potential to reach your goals, so you must be willing to share to get to the heart of things. When you commit to the process, the walls will break and clear a path to determine what’s holding you back and the measures you can take to move forward.

In this episode of the Pillar6 Podcast, Roman Polnar interviews Crystal Shanks, CEO and Certified Business Coach at Run Right Business Consulting, to discuss the influence of executive coaching on business growth. She shares what motivates people to work with a business coach, inspirational case studies about past clients, and the differences between a business coach and a life coach. Plus, Crystal offers a special homework assignment as a first step toward growing your business.

• Pillar6 Advisors
• Roman M. Polnar on LinkedIn
• Crystal Shanks on LinkedIn
• Run Right Business Consulting
• Yelp Reviews for Run Right Business Consulting
• ProVisors
• The Art of Closing the Sale: The Key to Making More Money Faster in the World of Professional Selling by Brian Tracy

Brad Stroh is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Achieve, a digital personal finance company helping people plan for their future. Formerly known as Freedom Financial, Achieve offers innovative customized financial solutions including financial education, home equity loans, personal loans, and debt resolution.

Inflation makes it difficult for Americans to pay for their most basic needs. As prices continue to increase, so is the cost of borrowing. Taking a loan from the bank is an option, but it only helps until you have to pay it back — and getting out of debt is an arduous process. What can you do to shift your financial narrative?

Solving your financial problems starts when you take control of your finances. One way you can do this is by increasing your financial literacy. Brad Stroh helps his clients get out of debt and achieve financial freedom by creating customized solutions. He also advises them to make a budget, create an emergency plan, and find an accountability partner.

On this episode of the Pillar6 Podcast, Roman Polnar sits down with Brad Stroh, the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Achieve, to talk about consumer lending and tips for getting out of debt. Brad also discusses how he maintains his company’s culture, the areas Achieve's impacted, the challenges he’s faced, and the business mistakes he’s made.

• Pillar6 Advisors
• Roman M. Polnar on LinkedIn
• Brad Stroh on LinkedIn
• Achieve
• Dr. Jeremy Weisz on LinkedIn
• John Corcoran on LinkedIn
• Rise25
• Andrew Housser on LinkedIn
• Achieve MoLO
• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins
• Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (Good to Great, 2) by Jim Collins and Jerry I Porras
• Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl