Resilience

In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Marcia explains why her son asking, “Mom, can I see you more?” pushed her to start the O’Connor Group, why she was willing to risk losing the house to gain more control of her life, and how early money lessons became a commitment to cash reserves and payroll security. She also opens up about letting go as a founder, the emotional weight of selling a company, EO and EOS, mentoring women through ShadowHer, vulnerability in leadership, and the importance of building a business that can eventually run without you.

In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Momin opens up about losing half his clients overnight, maxing out credit cards, borrowing money to hire a bankruptcy attorney, and ultimately refusing to sign the papers.

How can one mentor change the trajectory of a kid’s life? For Tyler Hines, basketball mentorship began with his own experience of losing his identity after his parents divorced. In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Tyler shares how anger, bad grades, sibling pressure, and one teacher’s decision to invest in him helped redirect his life.

What turns a 16-year-old facing life or the death penalty into a community leader fighting to keep kids alive? Edwin Desamour’s story shows how prison, fatherhood, purpose, and The Lighthouse became the foundation for a life of service.
Viewer discretion is advised. This episode includes conversations about murder, incarceration, suicide, depression, gun violence, childhood trauma, death, and exploitation.
In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall talks with Edwin Desamour, Executive Director of The Lighthouse in Philadelphia, to trace the path from a teenage conviction to a life dedicated to serving others. Edwin opens up about being charged with first-degree murder at 16, serving eight and a half years in prison, being incarcerated alongside his father, becoming a father while behind bars, and later receiving a pardon.
The conversation explores The Lighthouse, youth programs, boxing, violence prevention, fatherhood, prison reentry, nonprofit politics, Latino and Puerto Rican history, human trafficking prevention, and why Edwin believes purpose is the difference between survival and destruction.

Chapters:
02:01 Meet Edwin Desamour
02:35 The Lighthouse and Its Mission
05:52 Facing Life and Death at 16
08:19 Conviction, Pardon, and Accountability
16:31 Prison With His Father
27:38 Release, Family, and Coming Back From the Dead
33:07 Why Purpose Defeats the System
49:01 Talking a Kid Out of a School Shooting
52:28 Nonprofit Politics and “Poverty Pimping”
59:01 The Lighthouse, Affordability, and Belonging
01:01:02 MIMIC, Street Legends, and Life Skills
01:06:33 The Exodus Road and Human Trafficking Prevention
01:09:06 Fatherhood, Street Smarts, and Book Smarts
01:13:35 Losing His Son and Breaking Generational Patterns
01:23:36 Wind Therapy, Grief, and What Comes Next

Hidden Foundations is a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and investor Kendall Schoenrock, examining how family systems, early adversity, and childhood dynamics quietly shape high-performing adults. Each conversation uncovers the “invisible wiring” behind resilience, ambition, leadership, and grit — told through candid stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and leaders.

Guided by the thesis that strength is forged early at home, the show uses a consistent framework to explore emotional environments, money narratives, family roles, conflict patterns, and early challenges. Every episode delivers at least one practical, repeatable insight for parents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how greatness is built long before it’s visible.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://hiddenfoundations.com/#newsletter

Learn more or connect with Kendall:
Website: https://kendallschoenrock.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schoenrock/
SilverRock Ventures: https://silverrockventures.com/about-us/
YouTube: youtube.com/@HiddenFoundationsPod
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VKN6BBbuVxNDl4zKh4E3O?si=0c56c9aebfaf402e
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-foundations/id1895154229

#HiddenFoundations #EdwinDesamour #TheLighthouse

In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall sits down with William “Bill” Brandmeyer, founder of ShareWaves, to explore how youth sports, family business, recovery, faith, and honest parenting shape a person’s capacity for life. Bill shares why he believes kids need safe tension, why an easy life can create softness, and how sports can teach children discipline, teamwork, humility, grit, and resilience. The conversation also covers pay-to-play youth sports, play equity, the mission behind ShareWaves, his recovery journey, the boss who helped save his life, the Brandmeyer family business, generational wealth, family pressure, and why honesty may be the most important hidden foundation a parent can give a child.

Viewer discretion is advised. This episode includes sensitive conversations about alcoholism, suicide threats, family instability, and difficult parent-child dynamics.

In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall sits down with Alexandra Bojarski-Stauffer, architect, triathlete, and founder of Emerald Hive Design, to explore how childhood responsibility, financial instability, and emotional survival shaped the way she leads today. Alexandra shares how a childhood drafting board sparked her love of architecture, why roadblocks as a woman in architecture pushed her to start her own firm, and how becoming a caretaker for her parents forced her to grow up fast. The conversation also covers therapy, vulnerability, Team USA triathlon, mental resilience, visualization, business ownership, community, and the hidden family patterns that shaped Alexandra’s operating system.

Chapters
00:00 Cold Open: Pressure, Architecture, and Caretaking
01:04 Meet Alexandra Bojarski-Stauffer
01:35 Discovering Architecture at Age Four
03:22 Starting Her Own Firm After Career Roadblocks
09:55 Money, Family Instability, and Becoming the Caretaker
18:44 Therapy, Survival Mode, and Emotional Growth
25:10 Triathlon, Grit, and Competing With Team USA
37:32 Business Advice, Architecture, and Community Lessons

Hidden Foundations is a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and investor Kendall Schoenrock, examining how family systems, early adversity, and childhood dynamics quietly shape high-performing adults. Each conversation uncovers the “invisible wiring” behind resilience, ambition, leadership, and grit — told through candid stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and leaders.

Guided by the thesis that strength is forged early at home, the show uses a consistent framework to explore emotional environments, money narratives, family roles, conflict patterns, and early challenges. Every episode delivers at least one practical, repeatable insight for parents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how greatness is built long before it’s visible.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter: https://hiddenfoundations.com/#newsletter

Learn more or connect with Kendall:
Website: https://kendallschoenrock.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schoenrock/
SilverRock Ventures: https://silverrockventures.com/about-us/
YouTube: youtube.com/@HiddenFoundationsPod
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VKN6BBbuVxNDl4zKh4E3O?si=0c56c9aebfaf402e
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-foundations/id1895154229

#HiddenFoundations #AlexandraBojarskiStauffer #WomenInArchitecture

In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall sits down with Barrett Widell and Christina Boschetti of Widell and Boschetti to explore how two very different childhoods, careers, and creative paths became one business partnership. What started as a chance meeting at a Philadelphia park turned into a design firm built on trust, risk, resilience, and a shared instinct to keep moving forward.

In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall Schoenrock sits down with Archie Menezes to explore the life experiences that shaped his resilience, leadership, and entrepreneurial mindset. Archie shares how a…

In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall Schoenrock sits down with former MLS soccer player Kortne Ford for a powerful conversation about childhood trauma, physical abuse, grief, resilience, career-ending injuries,…