Illianna Milldrum is the Communication and Engagement Specialist for the City of Loveland Public Works Department, where she serves as a vital community link between city projects and the public by delivering timely, transparent information about government initiatives and infrastructure. In her nearly three years with the city, Illianna has contributed to Loveland's award-winning communications efforts, supporting a municipality of over 75,000 residents and helping nurture a high level of community engagement and trust. Originally from Austin, Texas, she brings eight years of experience in communications, advertising, and event planning, and is passionate about leveraging both technology and authentic human connection within her work.

Every city project comes with noise — detours, dust, and frustration — but beneath it all is something deeper: trust. How do you communicate in a way that keeps a community informed without losing their confidence along the way?

For Illianna Milldrum, the key lies in remembering that communication starts with humanity. Drawing from her experience as a public-facing communicator, she explains that every project impacts real people, and the goal is to meet them where they are with honesty and presence. Whether it involves delivering hard truths early or simply showing up and listening, she's found that transparency builds credibility, and ultimately, stronger community support.

In this episode of Own Your Next, Jennifer McPherson is joined by Illianna Milldrum, Communication and Engagement Specialist for the City of Loveland Public Works Department, to discuss building public trust through transparent communication. They explore balancing honesty with community expectations, managing communication during disruptive projects, and leveraging internal collaboration. Illianna also shares insights on using AI while keeping the human touch.

Phil Lockwood is the Co-founder of ABC Trips, where he designs bespoke travel experiences for families and adventurers, drawing on his extensive background as a professional traveler, travel advisor, and content creator. Under his leadership, ABC Trips has curated unique journeys in over 40 countries across all seven continents and built an engaged global audience of more than 700,000 YouTube subscribers in a few years. Phil's expertise comes from real-world exploration with his family, turning their adventures into insightful video content and inspiring others to prioritize meaningful, personalized travel.

Some people spend years waiting for the "right time" to start living the life they actually want. But what if the only thing standing in the way is the decision to begin?

For Phil Lockwood, the key lies in shifting from "one day" thinking to "day one" action. Drawing from decades of experience building businesses and later redesigning his life around travel, he explains that fulfillment doesn't come from waiting for perfect conditions, but from choosing priorities and acting on them now. That shift led him to trade routine for adventure, creating a life centered on family, exploration, and meaningful experiences. The result is a powerful reminder that the life you want often starts with a single, intentional decision.

In this episode of Own Your Next, Jennifer McPherson is joined by Phil Lockwood, Co-founder of ABC Trips, to discuss designing a life centered on travel and freedom. They explore turning family adventures into a business, why curated experiences matter more than bookings, and how travel reshapes perspective. Phil also shares advice on making the mindset shift from "one day" to "day one."

Brent Weaver is the CEO of E2M, a company specializing in white-label digital services to help agencies scale through web development, digital marketing, AI solutions, and fractional account management. Under Brent's leadership, E2M has expanded its offerings and now serves a global client base, empowering hundreds of agencies to grow profitably and confidently. A digital agency entrepreneur who started building websites as a teenager, Brent is passionate about connecting people and empowering business owners to achieve their dreams through technology.

The way agencies are built and scaled is shifting faster than most leaders can keep up. With AI accelerating everything from operations to creativity, the real question becomes: how do you grow without becoming the bottleneck?

Brent Weaver believes the answer lies in rethinking how work gets done and who (or what) does it. Drawing from his experience as a longtime agency leader and ecosystem builder, he explains that AI isn't about replacing people but expanding what's possible, giving teams near-infinite capacity to execute. He compares it to having a tireless assistant that can scale instantly, freeing up human energy for higher-level thinking and creativity. The result is a new kind of agency model where growth is no longer capped by time but by imagination.

In this episode of Own Your Next, Jennifer McPherson is joined by Brent Weaver, CEO of E2M, to discuss how AI is transforming agency growth and operations. They explore why agency owners become bottlenecks, how fractional account management unlocks scale, and where AI creates new competitive advantages. Brent also talks about building community through Vistara and how leaders can stay ahead in an AI-first world.