Sophie Zollmann is the founder of FMD Strategic Partners and a champion for fiercely independent practices in healthcare, legal, and financial services. Raised on a pig farm in Belleville, Illinois, Sophie's work ethic was built long before she ever stepped into business. She's been an entrepreneur for over 25 years across multiple industries and a poker player for nearly as long. When she lost everything in 2019, she rebuilt from the ground up. No safety net. No shortcuts. Just grit and strategy.
Today, Sophie levels the playing field between independent, human-centered practices and the PE-backed corporate machines trying to swallow them whole.
Through FMD Strategic Partners, she provides fractional marketing departments that give independent practices access to enterprise-level strategy, leadership, and execution without the million-dollar overhead.
Her mission is clear: the practices that serve our communities deserve to be seen, heard, and chosen. Because in business, as in poker, it's only gambling if you're guessing.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- How to beat corporate-owned firms without losing your unique independent identity.
- Why fractional marketing is the ultimate "power play" for service providers.
- That "Marketing Gambling" ends the moment you start leading with data and gut instinct.
- How to rebuild a six-figure brand even after losing everything overnight.
- Why your childhood "grit" is your greatest competitive advantage in a corporate world.
- How to scale your legacy without selling out to corporate interests.
- That being an "unapologetic CEO" means refusing to shrink yourself for others' comfort.
- Why remote leadership was the secret weapon Sophie used before it was mainstream.
- How independent healthcare and service providers can reclaim their market share.
- That true business strategy is about playing the long game, not just the next hand.
about the show
Next Level CEO is a high-impact business educational series hosted by Daymond John, designed to spotlight the world’s most elite and insightful entrepreneurs.
In each episode, Daymond’s handpicked expert CEOs, founders, and industry leaders who’ve built powerful brands, scaled successfully, and led with vision, share their story and expertise. From disruptive startups to billion-dollar empires, Next Level CEO gives viewers a front-row seat to the real strategies, mindset shifts, and leadership moves behind business excellence.
This is what works.
It’s a rare look inside the minds of those who’ve actually built something that lasts.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking to grow, a business owner ready to level up, or a leader who’s hungry to learn from the best, Next Level CEO delivers the playbook from those who’ve already won.
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