In this episode of The Diligent Leader Podcast, hosts Holly Basta and Kalie Jakovics sit down with Rachel Hack — a leader in recruiting, entrepreneurship, community involvement, and local storytelling in Annapolis. Rachel shares her journey from building a career in recruiting to becoming a trusted connector in the Annapolis business community. As a leader with Splash Recruiting, Events Committee Chair for the Greater Annapolis Design District (GADD), and Content Coordinator for Stroll Eastport, Rachel has built her work around one common theme: creating meaningful connections.

In this episode, hosts Kalie Jakovics and Alex Fakeri sit down with Mark Hanna to discuss leadership, community banking, and the importance of building lasting relationships in today’s evolving financial landscape. As CEO & President of The Bank of Glen Burnie, Mark shares insights from his professional journey, lessons learned throughout his leadership career, and how community banks continue to play a vital role in supporting local businesses and strengthening communities.

In this episode, hosts Kalie Jakovics and Holly Basta sit down with Rochelle Hemingway, CEO of Slay to Success, Air Force veteran, and leadership coach, to explore how leaders can build a powerful personal brand, show up with confidence, and lead with purpose. With over 30 years of military leadership experience, Rochelle shares how she transformed adversity into impact—developing her signature SLAY framework and helping leaders, especially women and veterans, transition into their next chapter with clarity and confidence.

In this episode, we sit down with Barbara Ashe, National Director & Founder of the Veterans Institute for Procurement (VIP) and Executive Vice President of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, to explore how the VIP program is transforming opportunities for veteran-owned businesses.