Million Dollar Relationships

What if you never made a cold call, never sent a cold email, and still built a global agency with 140 clients across four continents? In this episode, Joel Strauss, founder of Strauss Communications, shares how being fired at the start of Covid with zero clients led to building a boutique PR agency that has now worked with over 140 companies across four continents. Almost every single one came through a relationship. Joel's story has three chapters: starting the business, scaling it, and saving it. Each one hinged on a personal relationship at exactly the right moment. Including the meeting in Madrid that pulled his agency back from the brink after October 7th changed everything overnight.   [00:03:30] What He Does and Who He Serves Runs Strauss Communications, a boutique PR agency for tech startups Services cover organic media coverage, content, and social media 95% of clients are tech companies; most are referred through relationships [00:04:30] How He Got Into PR Idealized politics; left after nearly two years deeply unhappy Quit, traveled South America, then went on a boys' trip to Montreal Met his brother's former roommate who connected him to a PR firm in Tel Aviv He packed up everything in New York and moved within two weeks [00:06:00] The Introduction That Started Everything His brother's former roommate saw a fit between his background and the agency The firm had political and tech clients; Joel had just enough experience to be relevant That one connection opened the door to a new industry and a new country Every step of his career since traces back to that trip to Montreal [00:07:00] What Inspires Him Gets a bird's eye view of tech across fintechs, AI, semiconductors, and more Works directly with founders, CMOs, and CEOs of innovative companies Has helped companies go from unknown to dominant positions in their markets [00:08:30] Client Impact A niche plywood replacement client started getting people knocking on their door from PR alone Several clients successfully raised investment rounds after investors cited media coverage All contracts are month to month; some clients have stayed for over three years Retaining clients through results rather than contracts is the proof of delivery [00:11:30] Starting the Business: The Boss Who Fired Him Was called into a hearing to be fired at the start of Covid Kept his cool and told his boss he understood and didn't take it personally That same boss became a mentor and referred several of his first clients Joel's wife co-founded the business with him; their relationship has been foundational [00:13:00] Scaling the Business: A Former Colleague A former colleague he stayed close with over the years eventually joined his team That person brought in key client relationships that led to major results The companies he helped raise in the US all came through this one relationship Maintaining cordial connections over time is what made it possible [00:13:30] Saving the Business: The Madrid Meeting After October 7th, Israeli tech clients sent staff into reserve duty overnight Lost half the client base almost overnight A founder from South America emailed out of nowhere; they met in Madrid by chance That relationship became a client and turned the company around [00:17:00] Vision Going Forward Wants to scale without sacrificing service quality Growing through relationships rather than cold outreach remains the core model Using AI to handle busy work so the team has more time with clients Boutique, high-quality, and relationship-driven is the identity they will not trade away [00:19:30] What Makes Them Different Most agencies charge $15,000 to $25,000 a month and put junior staff on accounts At Strauss Communications, senior people handle everything Contracts are month to month; they have to earn it every single time That pressure is what keeps the work sharp and the results consistent [00:20:00] Why He Started His Own Agency Was hired in-house at a tech company and told to bring in expensive PR firms It was him landing TechCrunch and Reuters; the firms were getting paid for his work Saw the gap and built an agency that actually delivered at the senior level [00:23:30] Thinking Broader Than Coverage Most agencies just pitch placements; Strauss Communications thinks strategically Also offers white papers and content with both PR and marketing value Measurable deliverables make it easier for marketing teams to justify the spend A webinar built from one piece of content recently generated 150 sign-ups [00:25:00] Final Word: Relationships Are a Cultural Advantage Noticed that relationship building is more open in Israel and Spain than in the US In the US, getting to the CEO requires going through several gatekeepers first Being of service and being known for it builds a reputation that compounds over time   KEY QUOTES "Every step of my story is intimately intertwined with personal relationships." - Joel Strauss "A lot of good and innovation can happen when people are more open to giving of themselves and giving their time." - Joel Strauss CONNECT WITH JOEL STRAUSS Website: https://www.strausscomms.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelstrauss1   Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe! Find me on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher

What if the most valuable business lessons you ever learned came not from a classroom, but from a farm? In this episode, Robbie Shoults, third-generation owner of Bear Creek Smokehouse, shares the story of an 83-year family legacy built on smoked meats, hard work, and two simple rules passed down from his grandfather and father: show people how to do it, don't just tell them, and it doesn't cost any more to make it taste good. What started in 1943 with 600 day-old turkey poults and a little smokehouse in East Texas is now a nationally recognized brand sold at Walmart, Publix, and Kroger, with over 50 premium products shipping across the country. And the fourth generation is already on the floor.   [00:04:00] How It All Started Grew up on the farm; farming and ranching have been in the family for generations His great-grandfather told his grandfather: I'll give you that land if you'll go work it His grandfather rode a horse 15 miles every day to work the land [00:05:30] The Family History His grandfather cleared timber with crosscut saws and mules Started planting cotton and corn, raised hogs and cattle, and sold vegetables to grocery stores Coming out of the Depression and World War II, things were hard; feeding the family was a daily struggle [00:07:00] The Turkey Decision That Changed Everything A great uncle told his grandfather: you can put more pounds of gain on a turkey per pound of feed In 1943 they brought in 600 day-old turkey poults with no prior experience Ladies from town would come out with roasting pans and pick the bird that would fit [00:09:00] From Turkeys to a National Brand Worked with Texas A&M to develop curing and smoking recipes; the business took off Expanded from turkeys into hogs, sausage, bacon, and a full product line Now supplies salt pork to over 2,000 Walmarts and Publix stores on the East Coast [00:10:00] The Bear Creek General Store Built a 17,000 square foot general store in 2018; calls it the finest tourist trap in Texas Offers hand-dipped ice cream, homemade fudge, a pit room, and Texas Longhorns out front Visitors come from across the globe to experience a true slice of East Texas life [00:13:00] What Inspires Him: Keeping the Legacy Alive His job is to keep building on what granddad and dad started His son Hunter is the fourth generation running daily operations at the plant His role is telling the story; Hunter's role is running production [00:16:00] The Relationships That Changed Everything: Dad and Granddad Neither had a college education; what they taught on the farm can't be taught in a classroom Passion, endurance, and perseverance are what make a business thrive year after year He would not be where he is without the foundation they laid [00:18:00] What His Grandfather Taught Him About Leadership His grandfather worked alongside his team in the field every single day He was never a supervisor; he was a leader who showed people how to do it Robbie has done every single job on the property; that shapes how he leads today [00:19:30] What His Father Taught Him About Quality His dad said: it doesn't cost any more to make it taste good His dad said: everything you produce comes down to one single bite Those two rules apply to product quality, customer service, and how you treat people [00:21:00] Final Word: Treat People Right Treat people the way you want to be treated; that principle runs through everything Products are available online at bearcreeksmokehouse.com and ship directly to your door The Bear Creek Bottom Bliss cookbook includes five generations of family recipes, Bible verses, and Texas tall tales   KEY QUOTES "It doesn't cost more to make it taste good." - Robbie Shoults, quoting his father "Everything that you produce out of this processing plant is gonna be reduced down to one single bite." - Robbie Shoults, quoting his father "The things that they taught us out here on the farm can't be taught in a university, in a classroom." - Robbie Shoults CONNECT WITH ROBBIE SHOULTS Website: https://www.bearcreeksmokehouse.com Facebook: @BearCreekSmokehouse Instagram: @bearcreeksmokehouse YouTube: @BearCreekSmokehouse TikTok: @bearcreeksmokehouse   Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe! Find me on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher

What if the person who saw your gift before you did was the same one who dared you to use it? In this episode, Jamie Dykstra, nonfiction book ghostwriter and former corporate finance professional, shares how a career 180 brought her from spreadsheets to storytelling. She didn't plan to become a ghostwriter. She planned to take a few months off after leaving corporate and go back. She never went back. What changed everything was a mentor who saw a writer in a finance executive, refused to accept her excuses, and told her to just start a blog. That blog became a copywriting business, and that copywriting business became the ghostwriting practice she runs today, helping purpose-driven leaders scale their impact through books.   [00:04:20] What She Does and Who She Serves Nonfiction book ghostwriter focused on business and leadership Serves executives, entrepreneurs, and purpose-driven leaders Helps clients tell their story in their voice without writing a word themselves [00:05:20] How Ghostwriting Actually Works Process starts with outlining, goal setting, and deep-dive interviews Interviews become the raw material for the manuscript Client reviews, gives feedback, and ends up with a publishable book [00:07:00] Why Leaders Need a Ghostwriter A book is not a small thing; most leaders don't have the time or bandwidth Leaders often share their message informally but never capture it in a lasting format Many resist writing a book because they don't want it to feel like an ego move A book isn't about building you up; it's a channel to serve a mission bigger than yourself [00:08:20] What Inspires Her Loves the scalability of books; one reader can change another person's life Doesn't need recognition; she knows what she signed up for If one person's life changes because of a book she worked on, that is enough [00:11:00] Client Impact: Bob Whalen and Employee Ownership Ghostwrote Beyond Your Ownership for Bob Whalen, an advocate for employee ownership The book became a tool people use to introduce the concept to clients and teams Books create awareness for things people don't know exist that create good in the world [00:15:00] The Relationship That Changed Everything Degrees in accounting and finance; started as a model developer in corporate finance A senior VP noticed she was in the wrong role and offered her a new one That leader became a mentor who helped her stand confidently in her own abilities When Jamie left corporate and felt lost, the same person told her she was really good at writing [00:17:20] From Blog to Business The mentor refused her excuses and listed every reason she was good enough Told her to just start a blog and see what happens That blog became a copywriting business, which became her ghostwriting practice She could have gone back to corporate; she chose to build something of her own [00:19:40] Your God-Given Ability Is Not Difficult for You Most people dismiss their natural gifts because they feel too easy The thing that jazzes you most is usually the thing you are best at Others can see our gifts before we can; a trusted voice can unlock everything Don't assume something isn't worthwhile just because it comes naturally to you [00:21:20] Paying It Forward Through Leadership While still in corporate, managed a team using everything her mentor had taught her Most proud of the impact she had on people through leadership during that season Because of what she received, she was able to give it forward to others on their journeys [00:23:20] Final Word: Don't Put Yourself in a Box Went from accounting and finance to ghostwriting; most people take their gifts for granted It is never too late to follow your God-given talents Her whole business started with one small blog; it always starts with one step   KEY QUOTES "A book is a way that purpose-driven leaders are able to scale their impact. That's what fires me up. The ripple effects." - Jamie Dykstra "Don't put yourself in a box. Don't ever assume it's too late to follow your God-given talents and make the impact you want to make." - Jamie Dykstra CONNECT WITH JAMIE DYKSTRA

What if one celebrity client could permanently change the trajectory of your entire career? In this episode, Dr. Catrise Austin, celebrity dentist turned brand authority strategist, shares how a bold move at a New York restaurant in the 1990s launched a career that would land her in hip hop history. She introduced herself to Isaac Hayes over dinner, became his dentist, went to the Oscars and Grammys, got a publicist through a barter deal, and eventually transformed Cardi B's smile on national television. The Cardi B episode aired as a season premiere on Love and Hip Hop, the song Bodak Yellow went number one, and TMZ ran the story. Her business tripled overnight. What she built over 30 years wasn't just a celebrity dental practice. It was a masterclass in how relationships compound when you protect them the way most people protect money.   [00:04:20] What She Does and Who She Serves Brand authority strategist helping entrepreneurs become the go-to in their industries Uses the FAME Formula to help clients climb the authority ladder Works across dental, medical, corporate, and entrepreneurial spaces [00:05:20] How She Got Here Two years after dental school, moved to New York and started networking Hit comedy clubs in the 90s and befriended a young Kevin Hart and Tracy Morgan Comedians opened for music acts; she started meeting people in the music industry Realized she could be the dentist to the stars and started passing out flyers at celebrity hotspots [00:07:40] The Night That Started Everything: Isaac Hayes Walked up to Isaac Hayes at P. Diddy's restaurant and gave him her elevator pitch He had never seen a dentist like her; he invited her to sit down for dinner She left with his phone number and his promise to become her first celebrity client That one bold move launched her career as a celebrity dentist [00:11:00] What Isaac Did Next Sent his assistant to vet her office before committing Once convinced, put her in his entourage and took her to the Oscars and Grammys Introduced her to Denzel Washington's wife, who gave her a home phone number she was too scared to call Encouraged her to get a publicist; her mom had a card for Eddie Murphy's publicist Terri Williams [00:13:00] The Publicist Who Changed the Game: Renee Foster Terri Williams loved the story but charged $50,000 a month; she referred her to Renee Foster Renee didn't have a dentist; they bartered services In exchange for cleanings, Renee got her on the Today Show and Good Morning America That third-party visibility put her on the map in a way self-promotion never could [00:15:40] What Inspires Her: The Power of a Smile Had terrible teeth growing up; her mom sacrificed as a single parent to get her braces Wearing braces for a year changed her confidence completely and made her want to become a dentist Seeing a smile transformation and knowing firsthand how it feels is the greatest feeling in dentistry The smile is your business card, your mood ring, and the first thing people notice about you [00:19:20] The Relationship That Etched Her in History: Mona Scott-Young Music executive Mona Scott-Young managed P. Diddy, LL Cool J, Missy Elliott, and 50 Cent They bonded after receiving an award together; Mona sent her the biggest music acts of the era Each high-profile referral added credibility and trust with the general public Fast forward to 2016: Mona was producing Love and Hip Hop on VH1 [00:21:40] Cardi B and the Billboard Number One Cardi B joined Love and Hip Hop with a big personality but teeth she was constantly mocked for Because of her relationship with Mona, Dr. Austin got the call to do the smile makeover The transformation aired as the season premiere and Cardi later referenced it in Bodak Yellow The song hit number one on Billboard; TMZ ran the story and her business tripled overnight [00:25:40] How She Protects Relationship Capital People constantly ask her to introduce them to Cardi B; she never asks Cardi for anything Her rule: only make introductions that further the relationship with both parties She lost friends over refusing to make introductions; she has no regrets Treat clients like family; that is the foundation of everything she has built [00:31:20] Client Impact: Omarosa's Mother Omarosa insisted her New York dentist fly to California to do her mother's smile makeover for a Discovery Channel show Her mother's teeth needed significant work; Dr. Austin coordinated four additional dentists Any Beverly Hills dentist could have done it; Omarosa's loyalty to their relationship made it happen Giving someone's mother a confident smile was one of the greatest honors of her career [00:35:00] Final Word: Bring Back the Personal Touch Learned from Terri Williams's book The Personal Touch to go beyond digital communication Pick up the phone, write a personal note, send a postcard when traveling The small things nobody else is doing anymore are what make you stand out Honor your clients; treat them like family and they will never leave   KEY QUOTES "You don't have to be the best at what you do to get the opportunities. Sometimes it's the best known that gets all the opportunities." - Dr. Catrise Austin "I am so protective of the relationship I don't ask for anything. If I asked her for something, she would know this is a big deal, because I don't ask." - Dr. Catrise Austin CONNECT WITH DR. CATRISE AUSTIN Website: https://www.celebritybrandingusa.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-catrise-austin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celebritybrandingusa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCatriseAustin   Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe! Find me on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher

What if one person noticing something in you changed the entire trajectory of your life? In this episode, Samyr Laine, Haitian-American Olympian, attorney, and managing partner of Freedom Trail Capital, shares how a high school track coach who noticed a kid with leaping ability in gym class set off a chain of events that led to the Olympic Games, a call from the president of Haiti, boardrooms with Jay-Z and the NFL, and a venture fund investing at the intersection of culture, lifestyle, and influence. Samyr was user number 14 on Facebook, roommates with Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard, and has built one of the most unusual and compelling careers in venture capital. But none of it traces back to a famous name or a prestigious institution. It traces back to Coach Burks, who saw something and said something.   [00:06:00] What He Does and Who He Serves Managing partner of Freedom Trail Capital, a consumer-focused venture fund Invests at the intersection of culture, lifestyle, and influence Raising a $50 million first fund with investments across baby care, hair care, pet care, and beverages [00:07:40] What Inspires Him Driven by the pursuit of excellence in whatever role he is in Meets with founders even when he can't invest; every conversation teaches him something Reads nonfiction constantly to learn how others persevere Measures progress in bite-sized steps just like he did as an Olympic athlete [00:13:00] How He Got Here After Harvard, got a master's at UT Austin then attended Georgetown Law Competed professionally in track and field for 10 years including the 2012 London Olympics Represented Haiti at seven world championships and three Pan American Games Started his real career as legal counsel in DC before moving into sports business [00:14:00] From Sports Law to Roc Nation Started his real career as legal counsel for the Washington Wizards, Capitals, and Mystics Was happy in sports law when a recruiter called with an offer he couldn't refuse Jay-Z was looking for someone to handle operations at Roc Nation Left the sports world for a completely new chapter as an operator [00:15:40] From Roc Nation to Westbrook Left Roc Nation after a couple of years and joined Westbrook Inc as SVP of Operations Helped oversee Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's entire media and production enterprise Moved to lead their consumer product division covering brands, licensing, and IP monetization Worked with talent ranging from Pelé and Patrick Mahomes to DJ Jazzy Jeff [00:19:40] The Vision for Freedom Trail Capital Goal is to move from fund one to fund two to fund three Wants to be the tip of the spear for culturally relevant consumer brands Mission is to prove talent-backed businesses work when paired with discipline and rigor Model: find scalable, defensible businesses then add the right person of influence [00:23:40] The First Relationship That Changed Everything: Coach Burks Got cut from his track team in eighth grade; came back junior year to find a new coach Coach Burks noticed his leaping ability in gym class and introduced him to the triple jump Had no idea what the triple jump was; just wanted to be a sprinter That one introduction led him to the 2012 London Olympics and seven world championships [00:25:40] The Second Relationship: Desiree Perez of Roc Nation Working under Desiree shaped the pace, discipline, and operating style he carries today She put him in boardrooms with Facundo Bacardi and Roger Goodell of the NFL Was in the early rooms when Roc Nation partnered with the NFL on Super Bowl halftime entertainment The people he met in her orbit opened doors he could never have reached on his own [00:27:40] What Coach Burks's Introduction Made Possible Chose to represent Haiti at the Olympics; the Haitian team had six athletes, the US had nearly 600 After qualifying for the finals, received a personal call from the president of Haiti Town squares across Haiti filled with thousands watching the Olympic triple jump final He now sits on the board of a school and orphanage in Haiti; it all started with one introduction [00:33:00] The Value of One Right Relationship One right relationship can pay dividends for decades in ways you never expected His introduction to the triple jump led to the Olympics, which still opens doors today Every stop was about gaining skills and being more useful at the next one One introduction can be worth as much as a check   KEY QUOTES "Your network and your relationships, man, it cannot be overstated how valuable it is." - Samyr Laine "The value of one right relationship. Sometimes it's gotta be at the right time. But the value of one right relationship is tremendous." - Samyr Laine CONNECT WITH SAMYR LAINE Website: https://www.freedomtrail.capital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samyrlaine Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samyrlaine   Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe! Find me on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher

What if the most important shift you could make as a leader isn't learning more, but learning to hear what's already being said? In this episode, Guy Legare, clinical psychologist, executive leadership coach at Inperium, and lifelong student of listening, shares one of the most quietly powerful stories you will ever hear on this podcast. It begins in 1990 in New Brunswick, Canada, with a man named James who had been admitted to a psychiatric facility 43 times in 25 years, and ends with a breakfast conversation about Kentucky Fried Chicken that changed the entire direction of Guy's career. Guy has spent 45 years obsessed with one question: how do I recognize the impact I am having on people so I can change it as quickly as possible? From a chance encounter with psychologist Herb Lovett, to a four-day conversation with a woman named Beth who became his soul sister, to 22 years of partnership with Ryan Dewey Smith at Inperium, every pivotal moment in Guy's life has come through a relationship he couldn't have planned.   [00:04:00] What He Does and Who He Serves Executive Director of Person Driven Clinical Solutions, retiring at the end of June 2026 Executive Leadership Coach at Inperium for 22 years Dedicated 45 years to helping organizations build cultures of feedback and listening [00:06:00] How He Got Here Dreamed of becoming a chemist; dropped out when it turned out to be boring Found a job supporting people with physical disabilities in Quebec City Watched a psychologist reframe situations in a way that stopped everyone cold Went back to school, became a psychologist, and never looked back [00:10:40] James and the 3AM Epiphany In 1990 was working with James, a man with 43 psychiatric admissions in 25 years After six months, James was getting more frustrated; the team assumed he was getting sick again Woke up at 3AM and realized the team might be the problem, not James Showed up unannounced at 8AM and asked James if their efforts had been frustrating him [00:15:40] "That Took You Long Enough to Figure It Out" James leaned back, smiled, and said exactly that after six months of 70 to 90 hour weeks His requests were simple, human, and completely outside the clinical framework The frustration disappeared the moment they followed what James was actually asking for [00:16:00] What Six Months of 90-Hour Weeks Actually Taught Him Was working 70 to 90 hours a week; none of it was landing the way he thought His belief that he was helping made it impossible to see that he wasn't The same pattern repeated with 10 or 11 other people; the lesson became undeniable [00:20:20] James's Two Requests He didn't want the crisis line; calling it meant police, the ER, and months in a facility He wanted Bob, a familiar face who could remind him they had been through it before The psychiatric facility was closing; Bob could move into the community and keep doing the work he loved [00:25:00] What Changed When They Finally Listened The minute the team followed what James was asking for, the frustration stopped He was still struggling with voices; what disappeared was his frustration with the helpers Admissions got shorter and further apart; he stopped losing his apartment every time [00:27:00] The Lesson That Never Left No matter how certain you feel, check with the person you are trying to help Helpers must systematically verify their impact; it is now an evidence-based practice If someone tells you that you missed something, that feedback is a gift [00:28:00] The Relationship That Changed Everything: Herb Lovett Met Herb at a two-day training in New Brunswick in the early 1990s Herb said: "The day I realized I was my client's biggest problem, they all started to do better" That sentence has guided Guy's work for 45 years Herb introduced him to Dr. Beth Bero in Pennsylvania, which changed everything again [00:29:00] The Soul Sister: Dr. Beth Bero Met Beth through Herb; described it as meeting a long-lost soul sister They talked nonstop for four days about the work they were both passionate about Everything Guy knows about conflict, group work, and team dynamics came from her A one-year contract became two, then three; he met his wife and never left Pennsylvania [00:33:20] The Thunderbird Framework at Inperium Uses a leadership framework inspired by the USAF Thunderbirds The Thunderbirds fly within one inch of each other and debrief after every show without rank Applying the same principle at Inperium: honest, rank-free debriefing to identify and correct drift The goal is not blame; it is to keep inching closer to where the team needs to be [00:35:40] Inperium's Vision and Guy's Role Going Forward Inperium has grown from 8 organizations in one state to nearly 30 across 21 states Guy articulates and practices the leadership framework across the full network Runs the Inperium Leadership Series to build trust and alignment across affiliates Everything the executive team learns is designed to be adapted by affiliate CEOs too   KEY QUOTES "The day I realized as a psychologist I was my client's biggest problem, they all started to do a whole lot better." - Herb Lovett, as shared by Guy Legare "If someone tells you that you missed something, the feedback they're giving me is a gift." - Guy Legare CONNECT WITH GUY LEGARE Website: https://www.inperium.org Leadership Profile: https://www.inperium.org/leadership/guy-legare LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-legare-3aa1b437   Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe! Find me on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher

What if one person putting their neck out for you was all it took to change the entire trajectory of your life? In this episode, Nas Vou, founder of Do It Digital and host of CEO Insights, shares how a journey that started at McDonald's at age 14 led him from chronic illness and corporate sales in Australia to running a growth-focused digital agency from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Along the way, one man at Coca-Cola put his reputation on the line for a young, ambitious kid without a degree, and nothing was ever the same after that. Nas didn't get the role he applied for at first. He got the one below it. Then he got the one he originally wanted. Then he built a career on the back of what that one referral made possible. Today he helps B2B companies sign clients using high-converting funnels and outbound strategies, and he still sends thank-you messages to the man who made it all possible.   [00:04:00] What He Does and Who He Serves Founder of Do It Digital, helping B2B companies sign clients Specializes in outbound strategies, sales funnels, and lead generation Hosts CEO Insights podcast on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple [00:05:00] From McDonald's to the Mediterranean Started working at 14; wanted his own money and his own destiny Got sick with glandular fever and chronic fatigue early in his career Cut his teeth in sales; discovered he was naturally wired for people Spent the last eight years transitioning from coaching into agency work [00:07:00] Client Impact: From Website to Strategic Partner Started with a single website project for a consultant Client kept giving more projects as trust grew They became full strategic partners, serving the client's own clients A transactional project turned into a friendship, a partnership, and a network [00:10:20] Why Referrals Should Never Lead with Commission Leading with "send me referrals and I'll pay you" is the wrong message Referrals work because you want to deepen the relationship, not make money Your reputation travels with every person you refer Only refer people whose character and competence you can stand behind [00:13:40] The Relationship That Changed Everything: Ashon Cohen Was 19 with no degree when he asked Ashon, a Coca-Cola rep, to help him get an interview Ashon put his name and reputation on the line to get Nas in the door Nas got the role and bought a house at 22 He credits that one referral for the entire trajectory that followed [00:17:00] What That Referral Made Possible Coca-Cola gave him world-class sales training and professional development That career momentum opened doors that would have taken years otherwise He still messages Ashon on LinkedIn to say thank you His belief: sometimes all you need is one person to give you a chance [00:21:40] When the Student Is Ready Serendipity in relationships happens when you are ready to receive it Trust of character plus trust of competence equals zero friction People who have been in the right rooms think about relationships differently Values alignment is what makes connections last across distance and time [00:26:00] One 26-Minute Conversation, Four Incredible People Had Craig Ballantyne on his podcast; one conversation led to four connections Kevin was the fourth or fifth person to come from that single introduction Geography stopped mattering once shared values were in place Podcasts and communities are how you scale one-to-one relationship building [00:29:00] Closing Thought: Deepen What You Already Have Ask yourself: how can you deepen the relationships you already have? Moving countries showed him how quickly you can lose the networks you relied on Consistent conversations keep connections alive across distance and time   KEY QUOTES "Trust of character and trust of competence. When those two trusts are there, there's zero friction and things can just flow." - Nas Vou "Without people, nothing really matters. As long as humans are around, people will always need people." - Nas Vou CONNECT WITH NAS VOU Website: https://www.doitdigital.agency LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nasvou Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nas.vou   Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe! Find me on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher

What if the most powerful word you could say in your business and your life is the one you've been afraid to use? In this episode, Dana Skaggs, psychotherapist, podcaster, and keynote speaker, shares how nearly two decades in private practice and a very personal journey with her mother's mental illness led her to become one of the most passionate voices on boundaries in the country. They call her the Queen of Boundaries, and she didn't ask for the title. She just kept showing up for people who were burning out, avoiding conflict, and slowly disappearing from their own lives. Dana's keynote, Becoming the CEO of Your Mental Boardroom, is built on a simple truth: you already know you should set boundaries. The real question is why you aren't. And that question is exactly where her work begins.   [00:04:00] What She Does and Who She Serves Psychotherapist with a master's in clinical psychology and nearly 20 years in private practice Host of Phoenix and Flame podcast, built to help people feel less alone Keynote speaker on boundaries and burnout for high performers and organizations [00:05:40] What Inspires Her: Watching People Become Free Loves watching clients go from trapped and overwhelmed to stronger and liberated You stop hoping others won't harm you; you start creating your own safety The people-pleasing tap dance ends; you can only keep your own peace [00:06:00] The High Performers She's Fighting For High performers keep giving until their gas tank runs dry She's seen them on FMLA, in the ER, sick before work every morning They're talented and creative; they just never learned to say no Her mission is to reach them before burnout does [00:07:00] The Keynoting Business Taking Shape Did her first major keynote at a national convention in Dollywood Has since spoken for chambers of commerce and young professionals groups Signature talk: Becoming the CEO of Your Mental Boardroom: Banishing Burnout with Boundaries Heart's desire is to reach more organizations, teams, and women's groups [00:11:20] Why Boundaries Make You Better at Your Job Boundaries don't give people permission to slack; they keep people performing long term Work affects home and home affects work; they are not separate Healthy boundaries in both areas lift both; the reverse is equally true [00:16:00] Client Impact: From Isolation to Thriving A client was about to quit her job; coworkers were taking advantage and she had no tools to respond At home she was avoiding her father and had drifted from all her friends Small application assignments helped her find her voice at work and at home She didn't quit; coworkers changed, her father's behavior improved, and she found a new friend group [00:22:00] The First Relationship That Changed Everything: Yolanda Harris A podcast guest told Dana she needed to meet Yolanda Harris, a branding expert for keynote speakers Yolanda took her through a full rebranding process three years ago Dana told her it felt like every other word was Russian; Yolanda never let go Her patience helped Dana see herself as a keynote speaker for the first time [00:25:00] The Second Community: MicDrop Workshop and Jess Ekstrom Was accepted into MicDrop Academy, described as the Navy SEALs of the speaking world Jess Ekstrom leads with a heart specifically for women who speak Being around giants in the field accelerated Dana's growth [00:25:40] The Relationship That Shaped Everything: Her Mother Her mother's mental illness dominated and enmeshed the entire family Dana grew up believing her mother's moods were her fault and her responsibility to fix Her aunt gave her a boundaries book by Cloud and Townsend in 1992; it felt like magic That moment became the foundation of everything she does today [00:33:40] Final Word: Baby Steps and Grace Entrepreneurship is jumping off a cliff and figuring out the parachute on the way down Baby steps taken consistently create real change That is not just encouragement; it is a boundary lesson   KEY QUOTES "You become stronger, you become safe. You are not hoping that someone else isn't gonna try to harm you. We learn how to create our own safety, and then we become liberated." - Dana Skaggs "You can't keep someone else's peace. You can only keep your own." - Dana Skaggs CONNECT WITH DANA SKAGGS Website: http://www.danaskaggs.com Boundary Quiz: http://www.danaskaggs.com/quiz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danabskaggs-speaker Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dana.b.skaggs   Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe! Find me on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher

What if the boldest thing a nonprofit could do isn't fight to survive alone, but choose to grow together? In this episode, Jay Deppeler, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Inperium, shares how a 25-year journey through the health and human services sector led him to one of the most revolutionary models in nonprofit leadership. Imperium now operates across 20 states with 34 affiliates and more than $800 million in revenue, all without erasing a single organization's identity or mission. Jay didn't start in boardrooms. He started as a 19-year-old psychology student working with traumatized kids in a residential treatment facility, wondering why the systems around them weren't better. That question never left him. And when he met Ryan Dewey Smith in 2016, it found its answer.   [00:04:40] What He Does and Who He Serves Senior EVP and Chief Development Officer at Inperium, a nonprofit-supporting organization Inperium strengthens health and human service nonprofits without eroding their mission or local identity Affiliates gain scale, infrastructure, and capital while keeping their name, vision, and values [00:05:40] How He Got Here Started as a 19-year-old psychology student working with traumatized kids in a residential treatment facility Saw 84 kids at full capacity with interventions he felt weren't robust enough Pursued a master's in counseling psychology at Lehigh University to go deeper into the work Realized the people he was helping were supported by nonprofits that needed to be stronger at the systems level [00:09:00] Building Edison Court Became president and CEO of Edison Court in 2012 and led its first ever strategic plan Faced a major funding shift from program funding to fee-for-service and later managed care Tried and failed to recruit other nonprofits to grow together; ego and identity concerns blocked every attempt Decided to raise his hand and look for a larger partner instead; that partner was Inperium [00:11:20] Meeting Ryan Dewey Smith Met Ryan in August 2016 in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania Ryan introduced the concept of affiliation as distinct from merger or acquisition Affiliating organizations keep their mission, vision, and values while gaining back office support Jay was persuaded immediately; eight months later Edison Court became Inperium's third affiliate [00:13:00] What Affiliation Actually Looks Like Within three months of affiliating, Edison Court opened its first facility outside its home county Went back to organizations that had said no and showed them what was possible; they all came in Helped the Children's Home of Reading, on the brink of insolvency after 150 years, with a $400,000 loan to make payroll That organization restructured, re-strategized, and is now flourishing [00:17:40] The Relationship That Changed Everything: Ryan Dewey Smith Without Ryan's vision, Jay believes Edison Court would not have survived the funding shifts Ryan's energy and audacity know no bounds; he never runs from a problem He gives his leadership team full latitude to leverage their unique skills His can-do attitude was transformative in 2016 and remains so today [00:21:40] When Everyone Ran for the Hills In 2024 an organization with $300 million in revenue lost $26 million over two fiscal years Their bank was calling a $22 million line of credit on May 31st; cash would run out by early July That put 3,800 employees and 35,000 people supported by the organization at serious risk Inperium was the only organization that stepped in with a $25 million line of credit [00:25:40] The Federally Qualified Health Center The organization had a federally qualified healthcare center that couldn't affiliate under Inperium's governance structure Losing it would have left thousands of underserved people in Philadelphia without healthcare Jay brokered a deal with a local healthcare center to underwrite a new 501c3 and reapply for the federal grant Within seven days of recording, they will be a fully operational new federally qualified health center [00:29:00] Affiliation Is a Strategy, Not a Surrender Boards resist affiliation because they fear losing their identity; Inperium lets them keep it Affiliation is not concession; it is a strategic pivot to deal with the realities of the world For-profit businesses do this constantly; nonprofits tend to leave their pragmatic hats at the door No money, no mission; no margin, no mission; the work has to be run like a business   KEY QUOTES "Affiliation isn't concession. Affiliation isn't giving up. Affiliation is a strategy to pivot and deal with the realities of the world." - Jay Deppeler "If you have no money, you have no mission. If you have no margin, you have no mission." - Jay Deppeler CONNECT WITH JAY DEPPELER Website: http://www.inperium.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaydeppeler   Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe! Find me on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher

What if the connection that changes everything isn't the one you're chasing, but the one you almost overlooked? In this episode, Ron Nussbaum, Marine Corps veteran, founder of BuilderComs and Buildable Labs, and host of Construction Champions Podcast, shares how a knee injury in a swamp ended his military career and accidentally launched one of the most impactful entrepreneurial journeys in the construction industry. Ron didn't set out to build software. He set out to solve a problem nobody else was solving: the communication chaos that costs construction companies money, trust, and time every single day. And the relationships he built along the way, not the money, not the marketing, are what made it all possible.   [00:03:40] What He Does and Who He Serves Founder of BuilderComs, the messaging-first communication platform for construction teams Also runs Buildable Labs, a custom software firm built around each company's unique systems Hosts Construction Champions Podcast, one of the biggest in the industry [00:06:40] How He Got Here: From the Marines to Construction Planned to be a career Marine; a knee injury on a night training op ended that instantly Spotted a foreman-in-training ad on Craigslist and waited two weeks before applying The owner, an 82nd Airborne vet, hired him on the spot He had never swung a hammer on a house in his life [00:08:20] Finding His People on the Job Site Found the brotherhood and camaraderie he had lost when he left the Marines Knew he was behind in skill; outworked everyone instead Went from running a jackhammer to running an eight-figure business with 150 employees [00:11:40] Client Impact: The Veteran Who Almost Quit Was working with an Army veteran transitioning into a new line of business The week before the breakthrough, the client was ready to shut everything down Ron's message: stay at it, trust the vision, execute the plan Two weeks ago the client texted: first sale, all cash, $90,000 [00:15:20] The Relationship That Changed Everything Was pushed by a room of people to start the podcast even though he didn't feel called to it Used the podcast to finally get the attention of a major name in construction SaaS After recording, that person said: "You're real. What can I do for you?" He opened doors and a network Ron could never have accessed on his own [00:18:00] The Adjacent Relationship Principle The person who changes your life is rarely the one you're closest to It's usually someone adjacent to a relationship you've already invested in A woman he had met with weekly for three years made the introduction that mattered most Organic introductions from real relationships beat any marketing budget [00:23:00] Dinner and Dreams: How to Show Up Most people come into conversations asking what they can get The right approach: pitch a vision, listen 25 minutes out of 30, make your five minutes count The goal is to be what someone talks about at dinner and dreams about at night [00:28:20] The Ripple That Saved a Business The SaaS founder's belief in Ron kept him going through a season of serious doubt That validation led to a customer who told someone about the podcast That person and their partner were about to shut down; the podcast pulled them back Ron had no idea until they wrote to thank him; he later had them on as guests [00:32:20] Impact Is a Long-Term Play BuilderComs launched four and a half years ago with one goal: fix communication in construction Impact has to be genuine; people see through it the moment things get hard Ron has never taken outside capital; he will not let someone else's agenda drive his mission [00:37:20] Send the Ripple Anyway The person you connect two people with is probably not the one who will change their life It's the connection after that one that does it Ron sends introductions even when he has no logical reason; just a feeling In order for ripples to come back to you, you have to be sending them out   KEY QUOTES "When you have calls with people, it's not about closing anything. It's about dinner and dreams. You want that call to be what they talk about at dinner and what they dream about at night." - Ron Nussbaum "Every relationship I've built, it hasn't necessarily been the person I'm closest to that makes the greatest impact. It's the adjacent connection that changes everything." - Ron Nussbaum "In order for the ripples to come back your way, you have to be sending ripples somewhere." - Ron Nussbaum CONNECT WITH RON NUSSBAUM Podcast: http://www.constructionchampionspodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-nussbaum Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronwesley.nussbaum   Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe! Find me on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher

What if the business idea that found you was better than any you could have planned? In this episode, Brad Robins, serial entrepreneur, sports marketing veteran, and co-founder of Kitchen Blockers, shares the story of how a pickleball to the face on a drive back from Cincinnati sparked one of the most unexpected entrepreneurial adventures of his life. At 66, Brad had planned to retire. Instead he built the world's largest eye safety protection company for pickleball, now selling in 45 countries, in just 14 months. Brad's career has taken him from the Apple Computer launch team to bringing Facebook to Canada, to advising Olympic athletes and philanthropists on personal branding. But the story that shaped all of it starts with a father who was pushed into the wrong life, and a son who watched closely and went the opposite direction.   [00:05:00] What He's Working On Now Co-founder of Kitchen Blockers, the world's largest eye safety protection company for pickleball Sells in 45 countries; became category leader in just 14 months Official lensless eyewear partner of USA Pickleball, the national governing body [00:06:00] How Kitchen Blockers Was Born Got hit in the eye at a tournament and realized almost nobody was protecting their vision on court Named the product after the kitchen line, where most eye injuries happen Called a military engineering relative who had designed helmets and eyewear; had prototypes in motion within weeks [00:09:20] Early Proof and Global Growth Ran a small test campaign in Canada; generated strong return on advertising spend Expanded to the US market and scaled rapidly Sold close to 50,000 pairs of HeadSnap with no reported eye injuries from ball impact [00:10:00] The Brand Mission: Changing the Face of Pickleball Brand positioning: change the face of pickleball Mantra: love the product or not, please put something on your eyes Applauds competitors who also promote eye safety; the goal is category awareness, not just market share Serving players from 8 to 80; no narrow demographic, no restrictions [00:12:20] Why the Sport Is More Dangerous Than People Think Most injuries are not from hard drives but from deflections and ricochets off a partner's paddle Coordination levels vary wildly on the same court because anyone can play with anyone Targeting ophthalmologists and youth programs to change safety habits from the ground up [00:16:00] What Inspires Him: A Completely Open Runway Was part of the Apple Computer launch team and helped bring Facebook to Canada First product in his career where nobody can argue against the premise For the first time, he executes his own creative vision without needing anyone's approval [00:20:20] The Vision Going Forward Seeking the right global partner to scale impact and reach more players faster Wants to make pickleball eyewear a form of artistic expression Believes eye protection should eventually be mandated the way it was in squash [00:25:40] Why Pickleball Is Unlike Any Other Sport Anybody can play with anybody across all ages and fitness levels Pulls up to any community court and plays with total strangers Describes it as speed dating where everyone leaves happy The joy of pickleball is in the connection, not the outcome [00:28:40] The Relationship That Changed Everything: His Father His father was pushed by the family to become a lawyer; his uncle, a Supreme Court judge, ordered it Brad's father was deeply unhappy in law; his real joy was building things and sailing Brad went the opposite direction; built a life around engaged passion and creative expression [00:32:40] The Intern Who Landed His First Client Volunteered at an advertising agency and did every task no one else wanted On his lunch hour, pitched a prospective client independently and came back with a new account Has lived by that principle ever since: create your own path, don't wait for permission [00:37:00] Kill Them with Kindness Lives by two rules: never take a backward step and kill them with kindness Has been actively focused on showing appreciation to people for 12 years Three strangers at Costco said he was the only person who had smiled at them all day There is not a person on earth who gets too much appreciation   KEY QUOTES "Relationships are the keys to everything." - Brad Robins "Kill them with kindness. There is not a person on the face of this earth that gets too much appreciation." - Brad Robins CONNECT WITH BRAD ROBINS Website: https://www.kitchenblockers.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinspartnership Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Kitchen-Blockers/61554179590995 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kitchenblockers TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kitchenblockers   Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe! Find me on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher

What if the best business mentor you never had wasn't a person at all? In this episode, Chris Gilmour, educator, wilderness guide, course creator, and resilience consultant, shares how a fascination with wildlife tracking in his early twenties led him to one of the most unique and meaningful careers imaginable. Over two decades, Chris has taught thousands of people how to grow food, navigate the wild, and build resilience, not as a doomsday prepper, but as a practical, grounded human being who understands that nature has been solving complex problems long before we arrived. His work sits at the intersection of ecology, emergency preparedness, and ancestral wisdom, and it all traces back to one man: John Young, who taught Chris to track deer and inadvertently taught him how to see the patterns that run through everything.   [00:03:40] What He Does and Who He Serves Educator, wilderness guide, and resilience consultant Helps individuals and organizations reconnect with nature and build resilience Works with businesses, municipalities, and hospitals on preparedness and resilience audits [00:04:40] Where It All Started Got into wilderness guiding in his early twenties Became obsessed with reading wildlife tracks, weather patterns, and birdsong Those skills taught him pattern recognition and how to connect the dots in complex systems [00:06:00] Reconnecting People with the Land Humans have lost a deep connection to the land that shaped us for thousands of years Ancestral skills still train our brains and bodies in ways that matter today Time in nature calms the nervous system and restores balance amid constant tech and noise [00:07:00] Holistic Preparedness Not doomsday prepping; a practical, non-fear-based approach to an uncertain world Helps individuals, communities, and organizations adapt to extreme weather, pandemics, and financial disruption Bridges emergency management expertise with ecology for a uniquely holistic angle [00:08:20] Resilient Design Lives on a small homestead, growing food and balancing land-based living with consulting work Applies sustainable agricultural thinking to how businesses and individuals hold up under pressure What makes a food system locally resilient also makes a business resilient to disruption [00:09:40] What Inspires Him: Million Dollar Relationships Sitting alone in a hotel restaurant at 10pm on a work trip, had a profound epiphany Realized no amount of money would make him stop doing this work Sent Kevin an email that same night after thinking about what a million dollar relationship really means Confirmed he is living his life's purpose and would not trade it [00:14:40] How He Helps People Who Feel Overwhelmed Most people either ignore the anxiety or spiral into extreme prepper mode; neither works Humans are born survivors; reframing that story is the first step Audits organizations, maps every vulnerability, then finds the low-hanging fruit Small proactive steps create immediate relief; you sleep better when you've done something [00:19:20] Client Impact: The Young Man Who Came Full Circle Worked with at-risk youth in his early guiding days, taking young offenders into the wilderness One young man with a severe alcohol problem resurfaced years later in a very dark place Chris used his network to land him a summer job with a park warden in remote backcountry He is now seven years sober, a father, and works with at-risk youth through nature connection [00:24:00] The Relationship That Changed Everything: John Young A friend introduced Chris to John Young in his early twenties John is an author, TED speaker, and founder of schools focused on land connection Chris went to learn tracking but John was really teaching pattern recognition and systems thinking That foundation led Chris to study emergency management and eventually consult with hospitals and municipalities [00:27:40] What John Planted That Grew into Everything John introduced the idea that culture can be designed intentionally That sparked Chris's obsession with patterns across healthy cultures, communities, and ecosystems The pattern thinking John taught is the foundation for every client conversation Chris has today [00:31:20] What Being a Tracker Really Means Tracking started as reading animal prints; it became something far bigger Now it means tracking ripples across time, culture, business, and human relationships The mission is applying ancient pattern wisdom to the most complex modern challenges Healthy humans, ecosystems, and businesses all share the same resilience patterns   KEY QUOTES "I realized that if I had millions of dollars in the bank, I would still be sitting here working on my notes to go serve this community. That relationship is literally worth more than a million dollars to me." — Chris Gilmour "John taught me to track deer. That led me down this deep rabbit hole that basically led to how I do my work today." — Chris Gilmour "Healthy humans are more resilient. Healthy ecosystems are more resilient. Healthy businesses are more resilient. How do we put those all together? That's my sacred question." — Chris Gilmour CONNECT WITH CHRIS GILMOUR

What if everything you were meant to build was already waiting on the other side of a door you almost never opened? In this episode, Jeremy Barker, founder and CEO of Murphy Door, shares the origin story behind one of the most inventive brands in home design. Murphy Door now controls roughly 92% of global search for hidden doors, ships a door every six minutes, and has served everyone from homeowners building Barbie rooms to the creators of the John Wick experience in Las Vegas. Jeremy didn't start as a businessperson. He was a full-time firefighter paramedic who wanted to build a hidden theater room for his daughters on a tight budget. That creative problem turned into a multi-million dollar company, a patented ladder brand, a real estate portfolio, and a peer review software platform. At the center of all of it is a man who almost missed everything because he used to burn the bridges other people were trying to build for him.   [00:03:40] What He Does Founder and CEO of Murphy Door, a Utah-based manufacturer of hidden-door furniture and experiential design Also created Murphy Ladder, a patented collapsible ladder, and Purebrand, a peer-powered customer review platform Holds a growing portfolio of commercial real estate and hotels Ships a door every six minutes; Murphy Door owns roughly 92% of global search for hidden doors [00:04:20] How Murphy Door Started Was a full-time firefighter paramedic trying to build a small hidden theater room for his daughters Couldn't find anyone making the door hardware he needed, so he designed his own hinges Sold the hinges as a side business while still fighting fires; grew to $5 million in revenue by 2016 His wife pointed out he was working 520 hours a month; he left full-time firefighting to focus solely on the business [00:08:00] What Inspires Him Loves helping businesses create immersive experiences, not just products Built the hidden door systems for the John Wick experience in Las Vegas for Lionsgate Gets to work with everyone from 8-year-olds wanting a Barbie room to 70-year-olds building speakeasies and humidors Feels like Forrest Gump every day: sitting across from people he has admired for years and wondering how he got there [00:12:20] The Relationship That Changed Everything: John Porter John Porter was the state president of his local LDS congregation who took a liking to Jeremy despite Jeremy not being a churchgoer He saw something in Jeremy that Jeremy couldn't see in himself and provided the financial backing to help him get there Jeremy openly admits he used to burn bridges, take personal credit for everything, and dismiss the role others played in his success Two bankruptcies and a period of serious depression were what finally shifted his perspective on relationships [00:15:00] How He Pays It Forward Looks for opportunities every day to give, ideally in ways that help the most people with the same amount of effort Helped bring PulsePoint software to his county in Utah, which notifies all first responders of nearby cardiac arrests so anyone can run and help Also supports drug rehabilitation efforts and various community programs Believes giving money is the lazy version of giving; giving time is the real currency [00:21:00] The Vision: Murphy Door as a Manufacturing Laboratory Sees Murphy Door not as a door company but as a laboratory for the future of domestic manufacturing and mass customization Because they source domestic commodities and manufacture locally, their inventory tail is essentially zero This allows full customization: customers choose wood type, handle, size, swing, and finish with delivery in around 30 days Believes tariffs are important because they push companies to manufacture closer to home, reducing logistics waste and supply chain vulnerability [00:26:00] Taking Care of People First Murphy Door employees receive 100% health, dental, and vision coverage, 4% 401k match, tuition reimbursement, maternity leave, and five weeks off Operates on an inverted pyramid: employees come first, customers come second Learned the hard way that happy employees produce happy customers; he was doing it backwards for years Murphy Door holds a 4.9 Google rating across hundreds of reviews [00:33:40] What Every One-Star Review Is Really Worth Doesn't believe in one-star or five-star reviews as true measures of quality Sees every one-star as a 360-degree review opportunity to understand the full experience that led someone there Prefers customers call him directly before leaving a bad review; he will take the call and fix it Created Purebrand specifically to help businesses get more honest, actionable, and complete customer feedback [00:36:20] Founder Fallout: The Book Published a book called Founder Fallout covering 100 questions to ask before taking on a business partner or splitting equity Designed for entrepreneurs who have a great idea and a good friend but haven't asked the hard questions yet Includes a workbook for sitting down with a current or future partner Available on Amazon; his uncle said he should have read it before getting married   KEY QUOTES "Murphy Door owns about 92% of the world's search of hidden doors right now. We became the category, which you always dream of." — Jeremy Barker "As much as you hunt for growth in work, you should hunt just as much for the opportunity to give." — Jeremy Barker "I put my employees first and my customers second. It's really hard to have super happy customers if you have super unhappy employees." — Jeremy Barker CONNECT WITH JEREMY BARKER

What if the people nobody believed in turned out to be the ones worth believing in most? In this episode, Michael Thomas, CEO of ConnectIDD and former 14-year CEO of My Possibilities, shares how nearly 20 years in the disability space has brought him to one clear conviction: we are at a tipping point. Adults with disabilities are running Ironmans, graduating from purpose-built college campuses, and landing jobs at companies that actively seek them out. The systems are finally starting to catch up. Michael built a 16-acre, 72,000 square foot campus for higher learning in North Texas from the ground up, led a $30 million capital campaign to make it happen, and is now channeling everything he learned into ConnectIDD, a disability empowerment agency helping organizations across the country do the same. At the center of all of it are two mentors who shaped not just his career, but the kind of leader he became.   [00:03:40] What He Does and Who He Serves Runs ConnectIDD, a disability empowerment agency that plugs into organizations looking to grow their impact Works with nonprofits, foundations, and businesses serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities Leads complex projects like capital campaigns, program launches, and organizational growth strategies Every engagement is individualized; there is no one-size-fits-all approach [00:06:40] How He Got Here Grew up around disability; his sister, mother, grandmother, and uncle all share a genetic condition Spent time as a kid at Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, a specialized children's hospital Started college in music therapy, switched to philosophy when the program was cut, and found his way to the Muscular Dystrophy Association right out of college A fraternity mentor pointed out that the volunteer work he loved, Special Olympics and fundraising events, was actually a career [00:09:40] What Inspires Him: Rooting for the Underdog His father instilled a lifelong habit of rooting for the underdog in any situation People with disabilities are the quintessential underdogs; systems were never designed to elevate them A father in Florida recently led 16 adults with autism and Down Syndrome to complete an Ironman The fuel in the tank is watching expectations get shattered and systems finally start to change [00:13:00] Client Impact: The Garden Foundation in Las Vegas Engaged with the Garden Foundation, led by an exceptional founder who built it for her sister and others like her They had a waiting list for services but were limited by space; helped them identify and acquire a property in Las Vegas The property includes a house and a renovated 16,000 square foot office space with a view over the city The ribbon cutting is in 10 days; they are now serving more people with plans to grow further [00:15:20] We Are at the Disability Tipping Point Twenty years ago nobody talked about inclusive housing or actively hiring people with autism Today companies recognize the talent and loyalty of employees with disabilities Educational campuses, workforce development programs, and inclusive residential communities are now being built across the country His hope: by the time he retires, inclusion is simply the norm and not the exception [00:17:20] The First Relationship That Changed Everything: Linda Smith Linda Smith spent 40 years as chief development officer of Opportunity Village in Las Vegas, named the Mother Teresa of the Desert by the governor of Nevada Her son was born with Down Syndrome and was denied US citizenship not because of immigration but because of his disability She raised more than half a billion dollars for people with disabilities over her career She took Michael under her wing, showed him what intentional relationship building looks like, and has been in his corner for 16 to 17 years since [00:20:20] The Second Relationship: Larry Solomon Larry Solomon was vice president of Human Resources at Dr. Pepper and husband of the founder of My Possibilities Michael joined the organization at 26 and needed refining; Larry was the professional coach who helped him get there The core lesson Larry instilled: take care of your people because they take care of people He was a behind-the-scenes mentor whose influence shows up in everything Michael does today [00:22:40] The Impact: A 16-Acre Campus for Higher Learning Young adults with disabilities were being parked in day programs watching Disney movies; they wanted college and nobody was building it Michael led the vision to build a university-style campus for adults with disabilities in North Texas Linda came out to speak to the board; Larry's coaching drove the professional execution; the team delivered The campus now sits on 16 acres with 72,000 square feet of educational space, offering college-style programs tailored to each person's goals [00:28:40] Go Find Real Community The most important thing missing right now is the ability to truly connect and find community Humans are communal by nature; as we have become less connected, stress, depression, anxiety, and suicide have all risen Real community means being able to say "I'm not well" to people who genuinely care about you His 11-year-old twin sons are already better at communicating emotion than most adults; the younger generation may be the teachers here   KEY QUOTES "I think we're at the disability tipping point. Twenty years ago, nobody talked about inclusive housing communities for people with disabilities." — Michael Thomas "We have to take care of our people because they take care of people. It doesn't make any sense not to lean into the support of your team." — Michael Thomas "A lot of therapy wouldn't be needed if we still had community. We would just go talk with people that care about us." — Michael Thomas CONNECT WITH MICHAEL THOMAS

What if the worst thing that ever happened to you turned out to be the very thing that made you unstoppable? In this episode, Aaron Hale, retired Army Staff Sergeant, EOD Team Leader, speaker, podcaster, real estate investor, and small business owner, shares one of the most extraordinary stories of resilience you will ever hear. In 2011, an IED blast in Afghanistan took his eyes. Four years later, bacterial meningitis took what was left of his hearing. He is now both blind and deaf, and he just ran 205 miles across Kenya and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, believed to be the first blind-deaf person to ever accomplish that feat. Aaron doesn't call himself a victim. He calls his injuries divine direction. And through his podcast, speaking, and the way he shows up every single day, he is busy proving that the story of your struggle can become the blueprint for someone else's survival.   [00:04:20] Just Back from Africa: The Seed to Summit Trek Ran 205 miles from Mombasa, Kenya to the base of Mount Kilimanjaro over nine days Climbed the tallest peak in Africa, completing a full seed to summit expedition Believes he is the first blind-deaf person to ever accomplish this Fulfilled a plan made 11 years earlier, interrupted by the meningitis that stole his hearing [00:06:20] What He Does Now Speaker, podcaster, real estate investor, and co-owner of Extra Ordinary Delights, an artisan chocolate company Calls himself an excuse killer; uses adversity as fuel, not an anchor Hosts the Point of Impact podcast to show people how to become their best selves [00:09:00] Blind, Deaf, and Still Showing Up Lost his eyes in an IED blast in 2011 while serving as an Army EOD technician Bacterial meningitis in 2015 took the rest of his hearing and destroyed his inner ear balance Uses a cochlear implant connected directly to his auditory nerve to communicate [00:12:20] How He Got Here: From Navy Chef to Army Bomb Technician Got asked to leave college, joined the Navy, and became a chef to a three-star admiral in Italy Left cooking, joined the Army, and became an EOD bomb technician Was on his third deployment when the IED blast happened, just days after seeing his firstborn son turn one [00:14:40] The Relationship That Changed Everything: Kyle Kyle, a fellow EOD team leader, was injured two weeks before Aaron and was already at Walter Reed when Aaron arrived He wheeled into Aaron's room, made him feel the beard he had grown out of defiance, and cracked jokes about his condition He was at full spirit just two weeks after losing a leg That moment showed Aaron he had no excuse to quit; warriors up and down those halls were all still fighting [00:19:20] What Inspires Him: The Gift of a Story In the military, relationships mean survival; you trust the people on your left and right with your life After his injury, he felt like he lost that brotherhood, but it transformed into something new He was given the gift of a story and the ability to flick the light switch on for others Getting to help someone see their situation differently is both altruistic and deeply personally rewarding [00:22:40] The Relationships That Opened the World: Eric Weihenmayer and Lonnie Bedwell Began searching online for blind people living actively: blind plus outdoors, blind plus fitness, blind plus anything Found Eric Weihenmayer, the first blind person to climb all seven summits; went climbing with him in the Peruvian Andes at 19,000 feet Found Lonnie Bedwell, the first blind person to kayak the entire Grand Canyon solo; went kayaking with him too These men took his thinking from a peephole to a bay window; he had been thinking far too small [00:26:00] What That Perspective Unlocked Registered for four marathons before ever running longer than a 10K Three of those qualified him for the Boston Marathon, which he ran in 2015 In 2023 became the first blind-deaf person to finish Badwater 135, the toughest foot race on Earth [00:29:40] The Impact He Got to Make: Kilimanjaro with 25 Friends When he arrived at Kilimanjaro, 25 friends, family, and associates had come to be part of the climb Many had never done anything like it; his story inspired them to say yes A close friend from his military real estate mastermind, someone he had spoken with weekly for years, climbed it right alongside him [00:31:00] Aaron's Marathon Training Day Reached out to Team Red, White and Blue for help training for his first marathon They organized a weekly Sunday run called Aaron's Marathon Training Day, open to anyone at any pace Week after week more people showed up; it outgrew him and became a full community movement He got to be the catalyst; it kept snowballing long after it needed him to carry it   KEY QUOTES "The difference between a rut and a grave is how long you lay there. I did not want to get stuck on the couch." — Aaron Hale "Someday the story of your struggle may be the blueprint for somebody else's survival." — Aaron Hale "We can't control the blast, but we can control the next step. And almost always, we can't accomplish the impossible without a team." — Aaron Hale CONNECT WITH AARON HALE

What if the business relationship that challenged you the most was also the one that taught you the most? In this episode, Latif Hamilton, CEO of SpiritHoods and founder of The Growth Operative, shares the story behind one of the most creative and resilient brands in fashion e-commerce. Over 16 years, SpiritHoods has generated more than $55 million in revenue, won multiple PETA Libby Awards, and built a cult following that includes artists like Doja Cat and Justin Bieber, all while donating 10% of net profits to animal conservation. This episode isn't just about building a brand. It's about what Latif learned when a complementary business partnership forced him to grow in directions he never would have chosen on his own. And it's about the hard-won lessons around inventory, cash flow, transparency, and the kind of character-driven business that earns customers for life.   [00:04:20] What He Does and Who He Serves CEO of SpiritHoods, a faux fur animal-inspired apparel brand, and founder of The Growth Operative consultancy The Growth Operative focuses on e-commerce companies in the $1 to $10 million revenue range Offers a mix of doing the work and educating clients; the goal is never to leave clients dependent Covers SEO, creative marketing, email infrastructure, product development, and design [00:06:40] Why He Fired His Agencies Fired his ad, SEO, and email marketing agencies after repeatedly damaging experiences with all three The problem was not always the agencies; it was going into those relationships without foundational knowledge Ad agencies are incentivized to run more ads, not make them efficient Understanding your own business fundamentals is what gives you real financial freedom [00:11:00] What Inspires Him Loves blowing people's minds with nuances they didn't know existed in their own business SpiritHoods ranks top three for "faux fur coat," a keyword with hundreds of thousands of monthly searches Transparency matters: he is not a gatekeeper and shares everything that benefits the client Character and morality are the lens he uses when choosing who to work with [00:13:40] How SpiritHoods Started Left a remodeling business after the 2008 crash and started researching product-based opportunities A friend wore a faux fur hat made for Burning Man out to dinner and had the most incredible night of his life The three founders wrote the business plan that same night, including the 10% giveback to endangered animals Was in Guatemala working with sea turtles when the call came: get home, there's a trade show in three weeks [00:17:40] The Trade Show That Launched Everything Flew back early and walked into a buttoned-up Vegas fashion trade show as a group of playful young hooligans Their booth was full of stuffed animals and energy while everyone else was stiff and serious Did $40,000 at that first show with only samples and no production locked in Energy and group comradery drew people in; the fun stood out in a room full of pretension [00:19:20] Navigating Tariffs, Fashion's Hard Season, and the Pivot Products are made in Asia and cannot realistically be manufactured elsewhere; tariffs are hitting hard Saw the writing on the wall two years ago and began deliberately downsizing SpiritHoods to stay nimble Major fashion conglomerates have filed for bankruptcy; the sector is under serious pressure Pivoted to consulting full-time, applying 16 years of hard-earned e-commerce knowledge to help other brands [00:22:40] The Content Rule: Entertain or Educate, Nothing Else Every piece of content must sit on a pillar of entertainment or education If you are only reaching out to sell, you are not providing value and you will lose people Giving 150% value, paid or not, is how cult-like brand loyalty is built SpiritHoods items retailed for $120 and later resold on eBay for $2,000; that is what real desirability creates [00:24:40] The Black Friday Story: Transparency That Built a Tribe Realized mid-sale that body suits were discounted too low after customers had already purchased at a higher price Standard practice would be to quietly deepen the discount without telling anyone; they chose not to Manually refunded every previous buyer the difference, which was harder and more costly to do The result was a flood of loyalty emails from customers saying: this is exactly why we love SpiritHoods [00:30:40] The Relationship That Changed Everything: His Former Business Partner Met his ex-partner through a domestic faux fur supply relationship that grew into a full business partnership His partner ran a $50 million B2B company; finance-driven, analytical, and strong-willed They were opposing ends of the entrepreneurial spectrum, which caused friction and created enormous learning They parted amicably, and the lessons in finance, international operations, and inventory thinking shaped everything after [00:33:20] What the Dichotomy Taught Him His partner's rigid, finite thinking protected the bottom line in ways creative thinking alone never could Latif built the brand; his partner built the business infrastructure Artists like Doja Cat and Justin Bieber found and bought SpiritHoods without ever being approached The tension between their styles was uncomfortable in the moment and invaluable in hindsight [00:35:40] The Real Impact: Inventory Turnover and Cash Flow Discipline After the split, Latif blended his partner's financial lens with his own SEO knowledge to build a smarter product system Too much inventory ties up cash; that is one of the top reasons businesses fail As a creative and founder, cutting a product you love is hard; doing it anyway is essential You have to look at your inventory with a critical eye, not an emotional one [00:39:00] What the First Big Knockoff Taught Him Did $1 million in year one and $4 million in year two on the back of celebrity buzz and pop culture momentum Then got knocked off; sales dropped and they had no playbook for what came next That moment forced them to actually become entrepreneurs; the real learning began when the easy ride stopped Challenges are not obstacles to success; they are the education required for it [00:41:40] Scrutiny Is a Year-Round Practice Financial discipline, like meditation, must be built before you need it When things are going well, the temptation to relax on inventory and cash flow is exactly when you can't afford to Keep the same critical eye in a strong year as you do in a hard one How you narrate what you're experiencing is one of the most powerful variables in your outcome   KEY QUOTES "Nobody understands your business better than you do. When you outsource without understanding the fundamentals, you're losing." — Latif Hamilton "Businesses don't go out of business because they're bad businesses. A lot of times they go out of business because they don't have enough cash flow, and that money is tied up in inventory." — Latif Hamilton "Short discomfort, long-term growth. Do the right thing even when it costs you, and it pays dividends." — Latif Hamilton CONNECT WITH LATIF HAMILTON

What if uncertainty isn't the problem — it's that you haven't learned to tell the difference between what can change and what can't change? In this episode, Daniel Burrus, one of the world's leading futurists and a New York Times bestselling author of seven books, shares the framework he has used for four decades to predict technological change with remarkable accuracy. From describing Netflix in 1993 to advising the Department of Defense and Fortune 500 companies on AI strategy, Daniel has built a reputation as someone who doesn't just see what's coming; he teaches others how to see it too. As CEO of Burrus Research and creator of the Anticipatory Organization model, Daniel's work has one core goal: help people find certainty in an uncertain world so they can make bold moves, presolve problems, and shape their own destiny. And in an age where AI is reshaping every industry, that ability has never been more valuable.   [00:04:40] What He Does and Who He Serves Runs Burrus Research, a firm monitoring global innovations across AI, robotics, genetics, fiber optics, and more Has been doing this work for four decades, starting out as a biology and physics teacher Serves Fortune 500 companies, the Department of Defense, and entrepreneurs worldwide Works as a translator: takes complex technology trends and makes them actionable for anyone [00:05:20] The Science of Certainty Uncertainty causes hesitation; certainty drives bold moves and big decisions Accurately predicted Netflix, Amazon, and smartphones in his 1993 book Techno Trends Has authored seven books including New York Times bestseller Flash Foresight and Amazon number one bestseller The Anticipatory Organization His goal is not just to share trends but to teach a repeatable process anyone can use [00:08:20] Hard Trends vs. Soft Trends All trends fall into two categories: hard trends based on future facts that cannot be changed, and soft trends based on assumptions that may or may not happen Hard trends let you see disruptions before they hit and presolve problems before they occur Soft trends are changeable; if you don't like one, you can influence it The litmus test: can this trend be stopped or changed? If not, it is a hard trend [00:13:40] The Three Categories of Hard Trends Technology is a hard trend category: wireless went from 3G to 4G to 5G and will keep accelerating Demographics is a hard trend category: 10,000 Americans turn 70 every single day and that is not reversing Government regulation around areas like cybersecurity is a hard trend category regardless of the current political climate Combining two hard trend categories, like demographics and technology, is how low-risk, high-reward innovations are born [00:15:00] Billion-Dollar Ideas Hidden in Hard Trends There is currently no easy-launch boat trailer designed for aging seniors, despite a massive and growing market of older boaters An exoskeleton designed for seniors could prevent the falls that lead to broken hips, one of the leading causes of death in older adults A small Bluetooth sensor attached to a shoe and linked to a hearing aid could warn seniors of steps, obstacles, and uneven surfaces All three ideas are grounded in demographic hard trends that are already certain [00:25:40] The Skip It Principle: Your Problem Is Not Your Problem Whatever you think your biggest problem is, that is not it; you are working the wrong problem Drill down by asking why two or three times until you find the real, solvable problem underneath A drug company CEO thought he needed 2,000 PhD researchers; the real problem was unsolved molecular challenges, solved by crowdsourcing solutions globally online The makers of Jaws couldn't make the shark look real, so they skipped that problem and showed the shark's perspective instead; the rest is cinema history [00:33:00] AI: Hard Trend, Not a Threat AI getting more powerful is a hard trend; it cannot be stopped or reversed AI gets you 80% of the way to any task fast, but the human 20% is where trust, relationships, creativity, and judgment live Letting AI do everything makes you obsolete; using it to eliminate busy work frees you to do higher-level, more meaningful work Think of AI as a magnifier, not a replacer [00:36:40] What AI Means for CPAs and Every Other Industry Has been contracted by the global accounting association AICPA to map out what 2040 looks like for the profession Tax preparation and auditing will be fully automated, but CPAs will not disappear; their role will shift to anticipatory problem solving and trusted advisory No industry will be decimated; every industry will be redefined and reinvented The mistake is waiting to be replaced; the opportunity is reinventing yourself now with a more consultative, forward-looking skill set [00:43:00] Shape Your Own Destiny Ask yourself what parts of your current work are repetitive and could be handled by AI Use hard trends to identify what your future role needs to look like, and start learning those things now Download his free 25 Tech Trends Report at www.25techtrendsreport.com Download his free AI Strategy Report, with top AI tools across categories and real company case studies, at www.aistrategyreport.com   KEY QUOTES "When you're uncertain, you hesitate. When you have high levels of certainty, you write the big check, you make the bold move." — Daniel Burrus "AI is not good at establishing trust. AI is not good at relationships. You gotta remember that this is a machine." — Daniel Burrus "There is more opportunity right now than any other time in history to not just change, but transform every business, product, service  and career." — Daniel Burrus CONNECT WITH DANIEL BURRUS

What if everything you've been chasing is already one relationship away? In this episode, Dr. Froswa' Booker-Drew, PhD, shares how over 30 years of community work across Dallas, Texas and the nation shaped her into one of the most sought-after voices on social capital, relational leadership, and community development. As President and CEO of Soulstice Consultancy, she helps health systems, philanthropic organizations, and institutional leaders connect more deeply with the communities they serve. Froswa' didn't stumble into this work. She built it, role by role, relationship by relationship, from the State Fair of Texas to World Vision US programs to keynote stages at the United Nations and the US State Department. And at the center of it all is a conviction she returns to again and again: relationships are currency, and the right ones change everything. She shares the story of the man who hired her while she was visibly pregnant and on the verge of bed rest, kept her job for months, and became one of the most formative figures of her career.   [00:03:40] What She Does and Who She Serves Runs three buckets of work: community engagement strategy, organizational culture and internal social capital, and executive coaching Serves health systems, large institutional organizations, and philanthropic groups Has been doing this work since 1995 and returned to full-time consulting four years ago Rooted in a spiritual belief system, her work always connects leaders to purpose before strategy [00:07:20] What Inspires Her: Watching Organizations Finally Get It Loves the moment organizations shift their strategy and start hitting targets they couldn't reach before Does GIS mapping to help clients identify communities they hadn't thought to connect with Helped design a workforce program for a health system where participants now graduate, get livable wage jobs, and support their families The ripple effect of her work reaches people she may never meet, and that drives her every day [00:09:20] Client Impact: Doubling and Tripling Nonprofit Budgets Worked with organizations connecting into rural and urban communities where they previously couldn't gain participation After a year of training and strategy work, those organizations hit their participation targets Helped design a support services ecosystem around a workforce program, connecting nonprofits to grant writers and partners Several of those nonprofits went on to double or triple their budgets and scale their staffing and infrastructure [00:12:00] Making Money and Doing Good Are Not Mutually Exclusive Pushes back on the idea that profit and community impact are in tension Believes generosity and thriving business can coexist, pointing to the biblical model of Boaz as an example Giving is not just financial; time, talent, and testimony are all resources to steward You can make your community better, profit, take care of your family, and help others all at the same time [00:15:40] The Relationship That Changed Everything: Dr. Terry Flowers Met Dr. Flowers while pregnant and interviewing for a role, after another interview was shut down the moment she disclosed her pregnancy Dr. Flowers offered her the job knowing she was pregnant, then held the position for her through months of bed rest At St. Philip's School and Community Center, she learned program development, budget management, relationship building, and community strategy He gave her one instruction whenever she brought a new idea: figure it out and make it happen [00:17:40] A Mentor Who Never Left Left St. Philip's in 2005 but Dr. Flowers remains in her life as a mentor to this day A former student painted her portrait, which now hangs on the wall at the school His daughters are still in her life; she had dinner with one of them just recently She credits his investment of time and wisdom as the foundation for everything she does now [00:20:20] Paying It Forward: The Story of Misha Met a young woman named Misha at a speaking event in Dallas and committed to being accessible, because she remembered being shut out early in her own career Brought Misha on as a volunteer, hired her, and took her along to World Vision and then the State Fair of Texas Misha eventually became a VP and hired Froswa' as a consultant, then brought her into a new project she had been building for years That morning, Misha was texting her about an upcoming event, still leaning on her wisdom and knowledge [00:23:20] Relationships Are Currency Tells entrepreneurs directly: you don't have a money problem, you have a relationship problem The right relationships give access to everything you need Real networking is not passing out cards; it is thinking about how to serve people well In an AI-driven world, relationships and trust are the most durable currencies anyone can build   KEY QUOTES "You don't have a money problem. You have a relationship problem. You get the right relationships, you'll get access to what you need." — Dr. Froswa' Booker-Drew "Anything that you want is usually connected to people. So build relationships and love people well." — Dr. Froswa' Booker-Drew CONNECT WITH DR. FROSWA' BOOKER-DREW

What if the most valuable investment you could make isn't in your business, but in the people around it? In this episode, Lyndsay Dowd shares how nearly 30 years in sales and leadership, including 23 decorated years at IBM, led her to found Heartbeat for Hire, a consultancy helping executives build cultures that actually drive results. She didn't take the easy route to get there. She got fired six months after leaving IBM, sat with the shame of it for a month, and then asked herself three questions that changed everything. Today Lyndsay coaches C-suite executives, delivers bold keynotes, hosts a top 2.5% globally ranked podcast, and runs a live leadership show on LinkedIn. Her message is simple but radical: the best leadership tool you have is your humanity. Lyndsay shares how one unexpected LinkedIn connection led to a Harvard lecture, a Times Square billboard, and a personal board of advisors that keeps her grounded as an entrepreneur.   [00:03:40] The IBM Years, the Exit, and the Firing That Changed Everything Spent 23 of her 25 corporate years climbing the ranks at IBM, leading broken and first-of-a-kind businesses Left for a new opportunity and was fired just six months later, a total shock for someone known as the person you call to do the hard stuff I sat with shame for a full month before asking: what am I good at, what do I love, and how can I help people the most? Those three questions led to the founding of Heartbeat for Hire [00:05:40] What Heartbeat for Hire Does Coaches individual leaders and C-suites on modern leadership Delivers keynotes, has published two books, hosts a top-ranked podcast and a live LinkedIn show Also runs LinkedIn and storytelling workshops for executives [00:06:00] What Inspires Her: The Gap Between Bad and Great Leaders When she asks a room who has had a bad leader, a hundred percent of hands go up instantly Far fewer hands rise when she asks who has had a great leader Her mission: show the world what good leadership looks and feels like Good leadership is not complicated; it is small behavioral changes in language and awareness [00:09:00] Client Impact: Humanizing the CFO-Turned-CEO Worked with a CEO who admitted: I think people respect my work, but I don't think they like me Coached her to welcome every new employee publicly on LinkedIn, a seven-second action with an outsized impact Taught her to speak about her company the way she would over cocktails, not in boardroom monotone Core lesson: introduce the personal; leaders no longer need to separate work identity from human identity [00:14:20] Power Skills: Why Trust Is Your Currency Rejects the term "soft skills" and calls them power skills instead Trust is the foundational currency of leadership; fracturing it in front of others reverberates far and wide Safe spaces unlock inspiration, risk-taking, and people's best work How a leader handles failure, their own and their team's, is just as important as how they celebrate wins [00:16:00] The Relationship That Changed Everything: Scott McGregor and the Outlier Project Noticed one man kept showing up across all her LinkedIn connections and set up a coffee chat; that man was Scott McGregor His community, the Outlier Project, brings together roughly 800 entrepreneurs, veterans, athletes, and leaders choosing to live extraordinary lives Has since brought over 70 people into the community herself [00:17:00] What the Outlier Project Unlocked Opportunities flowed from the community: a Harvard lecture, a Times Square billboard, and appearances on over 100 podcasts Her entire personal board of advisors is made up of Outliers, the people she calls when she doubts herself The community solved the loneliness of entrepreneurship when family and friends couldn't understand what she was building Members share best practices on podcasting and speaking, and get direct access to legends like Guy Kawasaki every week [00:19:40] The Mavericks and Hustlers: Her Most Memorable Leadership Moment A leader who promoted her twice asked: how do you want to run the business? And meant it She took that autonomy back to her team and launched a storytelling program: explain what you sell with zero jargon, as if speaking to a retired school teacher The first story sparked immediate collaboration, with salespeople realizing they had solutions their clients were already asking for The program grew to 500 attendees per call, and that team still calls her years later to talk about it [00:24:20] Lead with Heart Because Results Depend on It Leadership done well isn't about feeling good; it's about generating results Her storytelling team crushed their numbers quarter after quarter because they had trust and psychological safety Churn-and-burn leadership signals to your team that burnout is expected, and they will follow your model Simple reminder: take a breath before reacting, and always lead with heart   KEY QUOTES "I don't call them soft skills. I call them power skills. Creating trust and creating psychological safety is a power skill, and the best leaders understand that trust is your currency." — Lyndsay Dowd "When you become somebody's leader, you become the topic of dinner conversation. So you better be thinking about every move you make." — Lyndsay Dowd "If you wanna 10x your results, start leading with heart. That's the big difference maker." — Lyndsay Dowd CONNECT WITH LYNDSAY DOWD

What if every client you've ever landed traced back not to a cold email, but to a conversation you had years ago with someone you genuinely cared about? In this episode, Don Martelli shares how a career that began in the newsrooms of the Boston Globe evolved into a mission-driven PR and strategic communications consultancy built entirely on relationship equity. As CEO of the PR Bunker, Don works exclusively with health and human services organizations, nonprofits, and healthcare and education clients whose work makes a real difference in people's lives. Don spent over 25 years in PR, strategic communications, and marketing across agencies of every size, growing one from $1.5M to $6-8M in revenue before deciding to burn the boat and build something of his own. Six years into running the PR Bunker, he hasn't made a cold call or chased an RFP since, and he has no plans to start. Don shares how three men shaped everything he knows about showing up, slowing down, and paying it forward in business.   [00:03:40] From Reporter to PR Guy: What Don Does and Who He Serves CEO of the PR Bunker, a mission-driven PR and strategic communications agency Former journalist at the Boston Globe covering business and politics Serves nonprofits, healthcare, and human services organizations with one filter: do they have a big heart? Work centers on storytelling across media, marketing, and donor engagement channels [00:05:00] Why He Finally Started His Own Company Spent years growing agencies for other people, including taking one from $1.5M to $6-8M in revenue Tried and failed to buy the agency he helped build Reached a crossroads in his mid-to-late forties and asked: what have I actually built that's mine? Had one honest conversation with his wife, burned the boat, and launched the PR Bunker six years ago [00:06:40] The Impact That Keeps Him Going Partnered with Hearth, a Boston nonprofit fighting elder homelessness Pitched a reporter a story about Lisa, a formerly homeless woman who now works for the organization Turned that one story into a 2.5-week marketing campaign that generated $225,000 in anonymous donations This is the kind of full-circle storytelling that drives everything he does [00:08:00] 100% Word of Mouth: How Don Builds Business No cold calls, no cold emails, no RFPs Built entirely on networking, one-on-one conversations, and what he calls "relationship equity" Every interaction is about asking: how can I help you? Who do you want to meet? Treats his network not as a stack of business cards but as a living, monetizable asset [00:12:00] The First Relationship That Changed Everything: Peter Morrissey Don's first PR boss after leaving the Boston Globe, one of the OGs of Boston PR Taught Don the fundamentals: how to dress, how to read a room, how to pitch a story Helped Don understand what a media pitch was and how to manage his own workflow and accountability [00:13:40] "Efficiency Over Speed": The Sticky Note That Stuck Don made a major mistake at work and Peter walked over, wrote four words on a sticky note, and put it on his screen: efficiency over speed Don didn't fully grasp it in his twenties but carried it with him his entire career Now passes that same note and story on to every person he mentors Has since stuck the same note on the desks of people under him when he sees rushed, sloppy work [00:16:40] His Father: The Original Pay-It-Forward Guy Lost his father at just 56 years old At the wake, the funeral home had to extend hours by 90 minutes because of how long the line was That moment revealed how many lives his father had quietly touched through service, generosity, and community Realized he was cut from the same cloth — his father had the attributes of both Peter and Ed [00:17:40] Batman and Robin: Ed Caso and the Art of the Story Ed Caso was the number two at Peter's agency — the hardened complement to Peter's nurturing style Taught Don the discipline of knowing what is and isn't news Much of Don's crisis communications work today traces directly back to what he learned from Ed Peter and Ed together were like Batman and Robin: different styles, one outcome [00:19:20] Full Circle: Passing the Torch Half an hour before recording, received a call from a former mentee named Evan Evan had spent five years building his network, launched his own successful company, and called Don just to say thank you The lesson Don passed on was the same one Peter gave him: "efficiency over speed" and "your network is your net worth" Also mentoring a 22-year-old named Elijah, who just hit $2M in revenue before graduation by focusing exclusively on relationship-based selling   KEY QUOTES "Efficiency over speed. I sat on that. And I said, "What does it really mean?" — Don Martelli "Your network is not this thing where you collect business cards that sit in your desk drawer. It's really an asset. It's a part of your business." — Don Martelli CONNECT WITH DON MARTELLI

What if the key to transforming an entire organization started with the same foundation you learned in kindergarten? Marcia Martin is one of the most prolific influencers in thought leadership over the last 40 years. Renowned as a top transformational trainer and executive coach worldwide, she has provided training for global organizations in over 20 countries. Her clients include Capital One, Warner Bros., InterContinental Hotels, American Cancer Society, Chase Bank, Allianz, McCain Foods, Evian Water, Danone Group, and Hard Rock International. A pioneer of the human potential movement, Marcia served as Vice President and Board Member of Erhard Seminars Training, now known as the Landmark Forum, helping grow its graduate base from inception to millions within a decade. She has consulted for LifeSpring, Robbins Research, Jack Canfield Seminars, Wealth Dynamics, and the Money and You Seminars, and notably organized the film shoot of The Secret: Law of Attraction with Executive Producer Rhonda Byrne. Her memoir, Sex, Power and Transformation, is available now on Amazon.   [00:04:00] At the Birth of the Human Potential Movement Marcia was present at the very beginning of the human potential movement in San Francisco in 1971 Left the University of Washington at 20 for a spiritual quest during the era of the flower children and Haight-Ashbury Apprenticed with her aunt, a clairvoyant healer and esoteric astrologist, who taught her to go inward for answers That training shaped her core belief: answers come from within, not from outside of yourself [00:06:00] Werner Erhard and the EST Years Attended Werner Erhard's very first guest seminar and recognized his message as aligned with what her aunt had taught her Joined the team and became Senior Vice President of EST, helping grow it from 30 people to over 800,000 graduates Was responsible for marketing, sales, training guest seminar leaders, and filling all events Learned both what to do and what not to do by watching how fame and wealth changed people up close [00:11:00] Organizing the Film Shoot for The Secret Co-created the Transformational Leadership Council with Jack Canfield, bringing together top thought leaders and coaches Received a call from Rhonda Byrne, an Australian TV producer, asking to film the group for what became The Secret Ended up organizing the entire film shoot, squeezed into a tiny borrowed office at her country club in Aspen, Colorado Rhonda's skill in editing made the cramped shoot look cinematic [00:19:00] The Night Werner Put Her in Front of 2,500 People Marcia started out speaking to guests on the edge of a bed in a bedroom; groups grew to 20, then 50, then hundreds The day of a major 2,500-person event, Werner told her she would be leading it instead of him She refused, panicked, and was furious; her largest audience to that point had been 150 people His advice: find one person in the crowd, look at them, and remember how much you love them [00:24:00] Empowerment Over Micromanagement Werner's decision to trust Marcia with that event became the defining lesson of her leadership philosophy Most senior executives she works with today are micromanagers who unwittingly signal they don't trust their people Her belief: if a leader is micromanaging, it is not just a lack of trust in others but a lack of trust in themselves True empowerment means giving people room to make mistakes and grow into their potential [00:27:00] The ABCs of Leadership: Her Three-Day Transformation Marcia's flagship offering is a three-day intensive for senior leadership teams of entrepreneurial organizations Covers leadership, championship performance, communication mastery, relationships, confidence, mindset, and causing action Mentored by Buckminster Fuller, Peter Drucker, Jerry Weintraub, and Werner Erhard; she now passes those lessons on   KEY QUOTES "So many human beings look outside of themselves to find answers. We haven't been taught how to go within and connect with our own higher power." - Marcia Martin "Werner was smart enough to give me the room and the empowerment to get it done. He didn't micromanage me, he trusted me and he made a good bet on me." - Marcia Martin "I've figured out the concepts, the fundamentals, the ABCs of leadership and championship performance, and put them together in a way that is fun." - Marcia Martin CONNECT WITH MARCIA MARTIN

What if the frustration of a college student with a phone bill became the seed of a company serving 10 million people? Derek Ting is a multifaceted entrepreneur and filmmaker, known as the co-founder and CEO of telecom company TextNow, offering free mobile services, and also as an actor, director, and writer of action films like Agent Recon, starring alongside Chuck Norris. A native of New York with roots in Hong Kong, he splits his time between LA and HK, blending tech innovation with entertainment.. In this episode, Derek shares the relationships that shaped his path, from a mother who sacrificed to give him access to the right environment, to a sixth-grade friend who introduced him to computers and investing, to the one investor who said yes when everyone else said no. His story is a masterclass in building something meaningful from the ground up.   [00:03:00] Who Is Derek Ting? Co-founder and CEO of TextNow, a free phone service app Started the company 16 years ago as a college student tired of paying for phone service Currently serves 10 million monthly users [00:04:00] The Birth of TextNow The first iPhone charged separately for texting, calling, and data; Derek saw a better way Aha moment: users were turning iPod touches into phones because they couldn't afford service Recruited a college classmate to build out the full product; he became co-founder [00:05:20] Phone Service Is a Necessity, Not a Luxury Many users had no other way to communicate with friends and family You need a phone number to book a doctor's appointment or apply for a job That realization turned a texting app into a much bigger mission [00:07:40] From Hobby to Business: The Early App Store Days The iPhone SDK let anyone, including college students, build and sell software for the first time First app: a daily recipe app for a dollar; then a lemonade stand video game TextNow grew from that same spirit of building things to solve his own problems [00:12:40] Cashflow Crisis and the Last Door He Knocked On Reinvested everything into carrier infrastructure, wiping out profit, then ran out of cash Knocked on every VC door in Canada in 2011 and collected rejection after rejection Remembered a man whose niece was a customer and who had mentioned he was a VC Reached out, met him at a conference, played it cool, and closed the deal; he is still a shareholder today [00:17:40] Where TextNow Is Headed Mission from day one: make phone service completely free The flywheel: more free value drives more users, more advertisers, and more revenue to fund more features Customer base is diverse: young people, those in financial rough patches, anyone needing a second line [00:20:40] The Relationship That Started Everything: His Mom Derek's biggest influence is his mother, a Hong Kong immigrant who prioritized his education above everything She stretched her finances to move him from public to private school in sixth grade That decision changed his peer group and opened doors he never would have found otherwise [00:22:00] The Sixth-Grade Friend Who Sparked It All At private school Derek met a friend who was already building computers and buying stocks in sixth grade He learned about technology and economics simply by spending time around him Without that friendship, Derek believes he would never have ended up in tech or business   KEY QUOTES "Phone service is expensive and it's actually not a luxury. It's a necessity. You need it to get a doctor's appointment, to apply for a job." - Derek Ting "I was running out of doors to knock on. The last door I knocked on became the door that worked out." - Derek Ting CONNECT WITH DEREK TING

What if a near-death experience was the thing that finally showed you what your life was really for? Tino Dietrich is a visionary entrepreneur, Inc. 500 honoree, and certified Mindvalley coach with a track record of building and scaling global businesses. As the founder and CEO of SNYDER Americas, he is spearheading the U.S. expansion of a premium German-engineered golf ball brand, disrupting the industry with innovation and precision. Tino also leads the Dietrich Institute, a coaching and consulting powerhouse dedicated to empowering high-achieving professionals to master personal growth, build thriving relationships, and leave lasting legacies. A former collegiate golfer at Syracuse University, Tino combines discipline, resilience, and strategic insight to inspire others to overcome adversity and create purpose-driven lives. His upcoming book, a heartfelt tribute to his late mother, explores themes of resilience, legacy, and living with intention.   [00:04:20] Who Is Tino Dietrich? Serial entrepreneur, Inc. 500 honoree, and certified Mindvalley coach based in the U.S. after relocating from Germany 13 years ago Founder and CEO of SNYDER Americas and the Dietrich Institute Coaches entrepreneurs and business owners to become better versions of themselves, with a focus on relationships and family Believes the challenges we face are determined by the choices we make, and that the right people help us make better ones [00:06:40] The ICU Moment That Changed Everything After contracting COVID, Tino's health rapidly deteriorated while his family recovered Was rushed to the emergency room, then the ICU, and placed on an ECMO machine to oxygenate his blood A priest was called to read him his last rites; that was the moment he realized how serious things were In the ICU, he reflected and realized he had been missing his purpose, focused on building companies but not on why He begged for a second chance to make a first impression and got it, returning home days later [00:10:20] Finding Purpose After a Near-Death Experience After surviving COVID, Tino lost 90 pounds and radically reassessed his life Realized his purpose was to coach entrepreneurs and business owners who had been in similar situations Focused his work on relationships, marriage, and family, noting that the divorce rate among entrepreneurs is even higher than the national average His mission: slow down the divorce clock and help people turn their houses into homes Recognized he had been living in a house, not a home, and that his family helped him turn that around [00:18:00] The People Who Shape You: Positive and Negative Tino credits a wide collection of people, not just one, for shaping who he is Learned in the hospital that some people who appear to be friends are not Believes you must understand what you truly want, not what others want for you, before you can see clearly who belongs in your life Is grateful for both the people who helped him and those who did not; both shaped his direction His late mother, a single mom who rose from selling curtains on a market stall in Hamburg to becoming one of the most influential people in the German steel industry in the seventies and eighties, was his greatest inspiration [00:21:00] The Mentor Who Unlocked His Path After college, Tino was introduced to a mentor who had become Chief Marketing Officer for Danone (then BSN), responsible for Eastern European expansion Tino told him he was not a marketing person; the mentor replied that this proved Tino did not yet know what marketing was, and insisted he come work for him Tino worked in marketing for three months, then went on to Colgate Palmolive in Mexico in finance The experience changed his trajectory: he returned to Syracuse and majored in international marketing and management That mentor later became his business partner; Tino credits him with opening his eyes to his own strengths and purpose [00:26:20] Ikigai and the Concept of Purpose Tino connects his near-death clarity to the Japanese concept of ikigai: the intersection of what you are good at, what the world needs, and how you can make it happen Believes everyone has unique talents, but most people never slow down enough to identify them Encourages listeners to dig deeper into ikigai as a framework for living with intention The most important relationship in your life is the one you have with yourself; everything else changes when that one improves   KEY QUOTES "The challenges we face are determined by the choices we make. And the people who helped me through the different phases of my life helped me to make some very good choices." - Tino Dietrich "The most important relationship in your life is the one you have with yourself. If you understand that and you work on that, things will begin to change around you." - Tino Dietrich CONNECT WITH TINO DIETRICH

What if the most powerful business strategy you could ever use isn't a strategy at all, but a lifelong commitment to showing up for people? Frank Carone is a seasoned legal and political strategist and the founder of Oaktree Solutions, where he guides businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs through complex challenges at the intersection of law, regulation, and politics. With over three decades of experience as a lawyer and litigator, Frank has built a reputation for navigating the most intricate corridors of power in New York and beyond. Frank served as Chief of Staff to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a role he describes as one of the greatest privileges of his life. He co-authored Everyone Wins!: The Ultimate Guide to Optimize Your Business Relationships and Achieve Financial Freedom, with an expanded second edition releasing in early 2025, and sits on the boards of the Central Park Conservancy and the Museum of Modern Art. A proud Brooklyn native, Marine Corps veteran, and father of two, Frank shares the relationship principles and pivotal people who shaped everything he has built, from a napkin idea in a Brooklyn neighborhood to the halls of New York City government.   [00:04:00] Who Is Frank Carone? Founder of Oaktree Solutions, navigating law, regulation, and politics for businesses and nonprofits 31 years as a lawyer and litigator, plus decades in politics and government Served as Chief of Staff to NYC Mayor Eric Adams Co-authored Everyone Wins! with Russ Prince to make relationship-building learnable [00:05:20] Oaktree Solutions: Navigating Legal, Regulatory, and Political Complexity After 31 years as a lawyer and litigator, Frank found his greatest value at the intersection of law, regulation, and politics Most industries are highly regulated; clients need someone who can interpret, navigate, and advocate across all three environments Oaktree Solutions workshops problems and creates value for both paying clients and the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors Frank's approach: don't limit access to those who can afford it; some of the most important relationship seeds are planted pro bono [00:08:00] Deep Listening as a Business Strategy Frank makes it a habit to understand clients' business objectives, fears, obstacles, and past experiences, not just their goals Listening takes patience and requires setting aside ego; the point is to extract information that leads to the best service When clients feel genuinely heard, they return on a routine basis and refer others without prompting Giving people the gift of feeling seen, heard, and understood is one of the most powerful things a relationship-builder can do [00:12:00] Growing Up in Brooklyn: The Roots of Grit and Credibility Grew up in Canarsie, Brooklyn, where grit and credibility were non-negotiable Sold newspapers, flowers, and candy on the el train as a boy; later sold his comic book collection to help fund law school His father taught him to learn from both successes and failures Coach Bobby Napo challenged him to aim higher than a civil service job [00:15:40] The Marine Corps and the Art of Perseverance Received a Marine Corps recruiter's call meant for his younger brother and ended up applying himself Was disqualified due to childhood asthma; Captain Samuels fought the appeal alongside him and won Graduated from Officer Candidate School as a second lieutenant Marine training reframed his standards: bar exam prep in a library felt easy by comparison [00:17:40] Frank Seto and the Decision That Changed Everything Frank Seto was a family friend and future assemblyman who let a young Frank sell Christmas trees outside his home Frank turned to him when choosing between an honorable discharge and a law firm partnership offer Seto's advice: whatever decision you make will be the right one That single sentence removed regret from Frank's decision-making permanently; he has never looked back since [00:20:40] The Relationship That Moved a City: Mayor Eric Adams Eric Adams came to Frank's office as Brooklyn Borough President asking for his support in a mayoral run Frank activated political, labor, and business relationships to build the campaign coalition Adams was far behind in the polls; the campaign turned it around through relationship capital None of it would have been possible without decades of trust built in advance [00:24:20] Brother Anthony and the Power of Long-Term Loyalty Frank's assistant Jen has been with him for 20 years across multiple businesses His brother Anthony joined his mortgage banking venture from day one When Frank left for City Hall, Anthony gave up his own firm to hold the client base together Anthony now runs Oaktree Solutions as CEO [00:26:40] Credibility, Authenticity, and Playing the Long Game Credibility and authenticity are the two words Frank returns to again and again You cannot have credibility without authenticity; it is the baseline Real credibility means admitting when you are wrong and pivoting when you have to His advice: do not burn bridges, admit mistakes, and embrace relationships rather than just collecting them [00:29:00] Russ Prince and the Everyone Wins Framework Frank cold-emailed Russ Prince after seeing his name in a book foreword; Russ responded in seconds They connected immediately and Russ has workshopped problems with Frank ever since Together they co-authored Everyone Wins! to make relationship-building accessible to anyone Frank's belief: building million dollar relationships is a learnable process, not a personality trait   KEY QUOTES "The skillset necessary to build million dollar relationships that stand the test of time can be learned." - Frank Carone "I don't think you could have credibility without authenticity. Authenticity may be the line in the sand. In order to have real credibility, you need authenticity." - Frank Carone "None of us are really here on an island. Most people's success comes through a collection of relationships. So embrace them, don't just collect them and push them aside." - Frank Carone CONNECT WITH FRANK CARONE

What if the secret to saving a mission wasn't a merger but building something big enough to protect it? In this episode, Ryan Dewey Smith shares how frustration with traditional merger models led him to incorporate Inperium on January 12, 2016, from a firehouse office in Reading, Pennsylvania. What started as a bold experiment in nonprofit consolidation has since grown into a constellation of 34 companies across 20 states, approaching $1 billion in annualized revenue and serving roughly 300,000 people a month. Inperium operates as a behind-the-scenes parent organization providing capital, HR, IT, finance, and general administrative services at scale, driving costs down so that affiliated organizations can invest more into the people they serve. Ryan honors Jay Depper, his Chief Development Officer and the man whose early belief in the model set the trajectory for Inperium's first five years. Met through a broker just nine months after incorporation, Jay came in as a potential affiliate CEO and stayed as a partner. Their relationship survived a three-year disconnection following a post-COVID disagreement, was restored over four days in Ryan's home, and has since produced four new deals in a single year.   [00:03:46] What Inperium Does and Who It Serves Aggregator and orchestrator of behavioral health and human service organizations across four primary service areas Currently 34 companies across 20 states serving roughly 300,000 people a month Behind-the-scenes parent providing capital, HR, IT, finance, and G&A at scale so affiliated organizations can invest more into the people they serve [00:05:34] How Ryan Got Into This Work Started his first company in 1993 in the intellectual and developmental disability space and grew it for nearly two and a half decades to $65M in revenue Hit a crossroads where rising costs were outpacing their ability to serve their population Explored traditional mergers and acquisitions in 2014 and 2015; found every option reduced autonomy and stripped organizations of community standing Created Inperium as an alternative: scale the back office, protect the mission, keep the culture [00:08:11] Incorporated January 12, 2016 Organizations keep their own boards, cultures, leadership, assets, contracts, and community standing Philanthropic dollars stay with the organizations rather than being absorbed by a parent Just over 10 years later: nearly $1 billion in revenues, 34 companies, 20 states [00:09:04] What Inspires Ryan Most Every new partner added to the constellation drives costs down for existing partners and brings new subject matter expertise, geography, and service acumen Serves populations that are in most cases underserved with limited alternatives Calls it "impact squared" and then some [00:10:13] Saving Resources for Human Development Last major transaction closed December 2025: Resources for Human Development, founded 1970, on the brink of insolvency with bank loans called and 1,800 jobs at risk In six months, Inperium recapitalized the business, retired the debt, and moved it into tax-exempt public municipal markets Reduced general and administrative costs from nearly 25 cents on the dollar to 9 cents on the dollar Organization is now solvent, growing, and expanding into new geographies [00:13:25] The Relationship That Changed Everything: Jay Depper Met Jay Depper in September 2016, just nine months after incorporation, through broker Kevin Fee Jay was CEO of Edison Court in Bucks County, PA; affiliated with Inperium and spent the next four years building the model together Jay's early adoption and belief in the concept set the trajectory for Inperium's first five years of growth After COVID, the two disagreed on direction and Jay resigned; they disconnected personally and professionally for three years [00:15:30] Four Days That Rebuilt a Partnership Over a year ago, Ryan brought Jay to his home for a four-day in-person meeting to unpack everything before agreeing to move forward Jay returned as full-time Chief Development Officer; together they consummated four deals in the year since his return Ryan describes their dynamic as "an unstoppable force" in developing Inperium [00:16:27] Scaling to $2-3 Billion: The Vision Plan to expand from four to roughly ten total services verticals including higher education and arts Goal is to drive back office costs to 5 or 6 cents on the dollar at that scale, down from 9 cents today Agnostic to size, geography, and services; evaluates all comers and starts with yes [00:20:14] First Deal Outside Pennsylvania Inperium started Pennsylvania-centric; first out-of-state deal closed in New Jersey, followed by Raleigh, North Carolina North Carolina was the epiphany: proof of concept beyond the Commonwealth, now operating in 20 states Nothing preventing expansion to all 50 states; already has 13 companies in Pennsylvania alone collaborating across service spaces   KEY QUOTES "People are paying attention. People are showing that there's proof in this concept. That was an epiphany for me that this is bigger than just Harrisburg to Philadelphia." - Ryan Dewey Smith "Our assets remained ours. Our contracts remained ours. Our legacy was insulated from a business combination. That's what I did." - Ryan Dewey Smith "We start with yes. Our business is built around adding business partners that are accretive to our constellation." - Ryan Dewey Smith CONNECT WITH RYAN DEWEY SMITH

What if the most important relationship in your business isn't with your biggest client but with the person sitting right next to you in the leadership seat? In this episode, Clayton Stenson shares how 17 years of working alongside visionary entrepreneurs became the foundation for his life's work: helping Visionary/Integrator duos build healthier partnerships so their companies can scale without costing them their families or their sanity. Clayton is the founder of Unity Guides, a fractional integrator, and a coach who has spent the last four years helping visionary entrepreneurs and their second-in-command learn to understand each other, communicate better, and stop the quiet resentment that ends partnerships and careers. He also spent seven years as a pastor, giving him a front-row seat to the human side of leadership: the pride, the blind spots, and the breakthroughs. Clayton honors four people who shaped his journey: the church pastor-turned-visionary who gave him his first leadership opportunity and introduced him to faith; the second visionary who handed him the book Traction and trusted him to run a company; and two long-time friends, James and Dwayne, who showed up as sounding boards, believers, and emergency intervention callers whenever Clayton was about to walk away from everything he had built.   [00:02:37] Fractional Integrator and V/I Duo Coach Does two things: fractional integrator/COO for EOS companies at $5-20M revenue Coaches visionary entrepreneurs and their second-in-command on their working relationship Runs webinars, workshops, and programs to help the V/I Duo work better together Eight years in the integrator role; four years coaching the V/I relationship [00:04:28] How Clayton Got Into This Work Never went to school for business; has a phys ed degree Fell into an integrator-type role naturally by solving whatever the organization needed Kept getting more responsibility and influence as he solved structural and operational problems Second visionary handed him the book Traction and formally gave him the integrator seat [00:06:43] Took a Company From 0.2% to 4.4% Profitability Company was $8M revenue, 20 employees, just 0.2% profitable Promoted to integrator and began self-implementing EOS Within 12 months improved profitability to 4.4%, a strong benchmark in commercial construction Zero turnover during the transition; people engaged and excited for the changes [00:08:34] What Drives Clayton Most Spent seven years wanting to quit every month under his first visionary, feeling unseen and misunderstood That experience drives him to help integrators avoid the same pain Believes healthy leaders create healthy teams, which ripples out to families and communities Not about profitability; it's about the people [00:11:00] The V/I Relationship Is Like a Marriage Visionaries: idea-driven, sales-focused, big-picture thinkers and relationship builders Integrators: logical, process-oriented, detailed, strong at running day-to-day operations Friction between them is normal but must be navigated intentionally Most companies running on EOS deal with this dynamic regularly [00:13:00] First Transformational Relationship: The Church Pastor-Visionary Pastor of his church became his first visionary and gave him his first office job Through that relationship, Clayton came to faith Was given leadership responsibility he hadn't yet earned and rose to it Seven challenging but transformative years that made everything else possible [00:15:04] Second Transformational Relationship: The Second Visionary Introduced Clayton to the book Traction and the Entrepreneurial Operating System Trusted Clayton completely: "I suck at this stuff. I know you'll be good at it" Left Clayton to run the company while he went to fix another struggling business Taught him that costly mistakes are just "tuition," lessons that change you permanently [00:18:00] James: Ten Years of Biweekly Coffee Met every second week for coffee for ten years through multiple job changes and life seasons Some nights all about James; next week all about Clayton, true mutual support Developed depth of relationship that still feels effortless even when months pass Currently in discussions about potentially buying businesses together [00:19:30] Dwayne: The Guy Who Wouldn't Let Clayton Quit Long-time friend with a similar role who has been a consistent sounding board for a decade When Clayton texted "I think I'm gonna get a job," Dwayne responded: "No. Emergency intervention meeting. What are you doing tonight?" Talked Clayton back from the edge multiple times in the hardest early seasons of his business Also in discussions about potentially working together [00:22:00] Iron Sharpens Iron: A Coaching Breakthrough Integrator came to Clayton frustrated and ready to give up on his visionary Clayton recognized his own story in what the integrator was describing Went straight to his visionary, apologized, and owned it; relationship began to shift immediately Visionary called Clayton the following week asking him to coach them together [00:28:04] Where to Find Clayton and What He Offers Website: theunityguide.com Active on LinkedIn and quick to respond Launching a podcast specifically interviewing people about the V/I relationship Webinar for integrators: The Silent Struggle of the Integrator from Frustration to Fulfillment [00:29:48] The Power of Critical Thinking in Relationships Took a Critical Thinking course in university that changed how he processes people and situations Believes ability to see the other side of a situation is becoming rare and it's costing relationships Challenge: before reacting, ask why this person might be showing up this way Good questions asked with humility solve more problems than unsolicited advice ever will   KEY QUOTES "In my experience, your company, the people in your company, become like the leaders. If I can help create healthier leaders and healthier relationships at the top, it creates healthier people throughout the organization, which then ripples out to the families and communities those people live in." - Clayton Stenson "A lot of problems can be solved just by humbling ourselves, listening, and asking good questions." - Clayton Stenson CONNECT WITH CLAYTON STENSON

What if the person who transformed your entire career is also someone you haven't spoken to in seven years? In this episode, Ryan Ellefsen shares how he helps businesses take credit cards, lower processing fees, and protect their revenue as VP of EasyPay Direct, a merchant services company he recently joined after 20 years in the industry. EasyPay serves coaches, consultants, speakers, and internet marketers,  processing payments for names like Tony Robbins, Grant Cardone, and Frank Kern across 34 US locations. Ryan built his career expertise under the mentorship of Steve Thorne, CEO of NMR (National Marketing Resources), eventually rising from Processing Manager to VP and co-building what became Platinum Payment Systems. Today, Ryan is known for his transparent, relationship-first approach to merchant services — always insisting on a face-to-face conversation before onboarding any client, no matter how small. Ryan honors Steve Thorne, the man who hired him at $70,000/year when he was making $23,400 as a Spanish teacher in Utah. Phil Smith introduced Ryan to Steve while both were in an MBA program, and Steve believed in Ryan enough to bring him into NMR, where Ryan spent 10 transformative years climbing from Processing Manager all the way to VP. Under Steve's roof, Ryan co-built a merchant processing company that eventually merged into Platinum Payment Systems.   [00:03:41] Reconnected Through a Mutual Friend Kevin and Ryan originally met years ago at Genius Network Recently reconnected via mutual friend Anthony Simon through an email introduction Neither realized in the intro email that they already knew each other [00:03:51] VP of EasyPay Direct: What He Does and Who He Serves Merchant services company helping businesses accept credit cards and get funding Specializes in the coach, consultant, speaker, author, and internet marketing space Serves major names like Tony Robbins, Grant Cardone, and Frank Kern Recently joined after 20 years in the industry; he and CEO Brad Weimert were friendly competitors for two decades [00:05:04] EasyPay vs. PayPal: The Key Difference PayPal is better for card-present transactions like retail stores EasyPay specializes in card-not-present, high-risk: coaching, big-ticket packages, phone sales High-risk means future fulfillment over time, high-ticket pricing, sold over the phone Premier company in the country for internet marketing and coaching businesses [00:07:55] What Inspires Ryan Most: Giving People a Fair Deal Has an affinity for the person being ripped off by hidden fees Philosophy: everybody can win — a 10-year relationship beats a 6-month windfall Sometimes helps small businesses where he makes almost nothing — and loves it Tries to learn something from every single conversation [00:13:02] How EasyPay Lowers Your Rates Over Time EasyPay has its own gateway to manage multiple banks from a single login Uses Level 3 Advantage and tokenization to lower interchange rates Can lower interchange by up to 75 basis points (0.75%) EasyPay's margin stays fixed; all savings go directly to the client [00:18:40] The Industry's Dirty Secret: Watch Your Statements Processors can legally raise your rates by burying notice in statement fine print Not calling to cancel is considered acceptance of new terms They raise rates 5 –10 basis points at a time. Visa changes rates every six months and they go up more often than down [00:26:15] Started as a Spanish Teacher Making $23,400 a Year Graduated college, went on a church mission to South America from 1991 to 1993 Came back, majored in Spanish teaching, played sports, had fun First teaching job in Utah in 1997 paid $23,400/year Started a carpet cleaning business in school that eventually made 10x his teaching salary [00:28:00] Phil Smith Introduces Ryan to Steve Thorne Met Phil Smith in his MBA cohort Phil introduced him to Steve Thorne, CEO of NMR (National Marketing Resources) in Kearney, Missouri Steve hired Ryan as Processing Manager at $70,000/year nearly triple his teaching salary His bonus in year two was bigger than his entire teaching salary [00:29:05] Ten Years at NMR: From Manager to VP Progressed from Processing Manager → Director → Managing Director → VP NMR and sister company PMI did infomercial production for Dean Graziosi, Anthony Morrison, and others Did hundreds of millions in coaching and big-ticket event sales Ryan pitched starting a merchant processing company; Steve challenged him to make it a million-dollar idea. [00:30:31] When a Great Relationship Fractures Ryan and Steve haven't spoken in seven years following a lawsuit Ended in a no-fault settlement — neither side got what they wanted Ryan still considers Steve one of the best, most honest people he's ever met "If he ever catches wind of this podcast… I would welcome that" [00:35:20] What Steve's Mentorship Still Looks Like Today After the split, became VP of a digital marketing company within 6 months Core lesson from Steve: how to treat people with genuine sincerity "Nobody who's ever met Steve Thorn dislikes Steve Thorn" Attributes his versatility and confidence across industries entirely to Steve's tutelage   KEY QUOTES "My philosophy is that everybody can win. If you can set up a relationship that makes some money for the next 10 years, that's way better than a relationship that makes you a whole bunch of money for six months." - Ryan Ellefsen "Steve Thorn transformed my life. If he hadn't given me that opportunity, I wouldn't be where I am today and I wouldn't have what I have today." - Ryan Ellefsen "Nobody who's ever met Steve Thorn dislikes Steve Thorn. He's sincere. He's a good guy and he just knows how to treat people. And so I learned a lot from him in that regard." - Ryan Ellefsen CONNECT WITH RYAN ELLEFSEN

What if workplace conflict is not something to avoid, but the very path to healing and high performance? In this episode, Susan Winchester shares how a 36-year corporate HR career evolved into a purpose-driven executive coaching and consulting practice focused on emotional intelligence, leadership effectiveness, and workplace healing. Susan served in senior HR leadership roles for global organizations including Kellogg's, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Rockwell Automation, and Applied Materials. After retiring from corporate life at 60, she transitioned into her own consulting and executive coaching practice, helping C-suite leaders and organizations transform workplace dynamics through her proprietary frameworks. Susan reveals how two key relationships profoundly changed the trajectory of her career, leadership style, and personal growth. [00:02:40] From Corporate CHRO to Purpose-Driven Consultant • 36.5-year career in corporate HR and consulting • Served as Chief HR Officer in Fortune 150 organizations • Successfully hired and mentored her successor before retiring • Retired at 60 and transitioned into consulting by design [00:08:00] The Crossroads Meditation • Attended a VIP retreat in Ibiza • Faced a decision between scaling a digital business or starting a boutique consulting practice • Realized she wanted to work with people she genuinely respected and enjoyed • Within weeks, former colleagues reached out with opportunities [00:10:40] Helping Leaders Shift Identity • Coaches executives in large corporations, private equity firms, and universities • Helps leaders recognize how childhood programming shows up at work • Reduces anxiety, overthinking, and perfectionism patterns • Focuses on leadership capability and performance optimization [00:13:40] The Relationship That Changed Everything: Celine DeCosta • Finished writing Healing at Work but was afraid to publish it • Invested in a 90-minute Story Clarity Intensive • Discovered her purpose was bigger than her fear • Published the book after years of hesitation [00:23:20] 4,000 Weeks and Redefining Time • Introduced to Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman • Realized an 80-year life equals roughly 4,000 weeks • Shifted from seeing time as pressure to seeing it as precious • Became more intentional about family, friendships, and experiences [00:27:00] Rethinking Wealth and Utility • Influenced by Die with Zero by Bill Perkins • Began focusing on life experiences over accumulation • Prioritized giving while alive • Shared wealth intentionally with family [00:29:00] The Second Transformational Relationship: Ken Wright • Met Ken Wright through the Human Synergistics Lifestyles Inventory • Received early feedback about perfectionism that later proved true • Learned advanced leadership and organizational frameworks [00:37:00] The Power of Right Relationships • Credits mentors for holding a bigger vision for her than she held for herself • Learned that growth requires uncomfortable feedback • Discovered that emotional healing improves performance • Built a career rooted in gratitude and intentional evolution KEY QUOTES "A lot of our workplace conflict is unresolved history asking to be healed." - Susan Winchester "There is a conscious healing career path, and there is an unconscious wounded career path. Most of us don't realize which one we're on." - Susan Winchester "Perfectionism looks like excellence from the outside. Inside, it can be desperation." - Susan Winchester CONNECT WITH SUSAN WINCHESTER

What if honesty is the only sales strategy you ever needed? In this episode, Kevin sits down with Don Williams, founder of Don Williams Global and a sales and leadership coach with over 30 years of experience. Don works primarily with founder-led businesses under $100 million, helping them grow their top line fast. He started selling at 19, became the top rep out of 450 within months, and has since worked with more than half of the Fortune 500. His core belief has never changed: the foundation of all sales and leadership is trust, and the only way to build it is to be trustworthy. The relationship that transformed Don's life: a man he met in downtown Fort Worth at a meeting he knew was never going to close. Don was so impressed that before leaving he looked at the man and said, we are not doing business today, and I think that's the right thing. But I've only told a couple of people this in my life: you and I, someday, somehow, some way, we will work together and do great things. Two years later the man called. They spent nearly a decade doing significant work in the insurance industry, and at one point Don bought a house from his sight unseen simply because he trusted him completely. Their paths diverged, then reconnected again, and Don now expects them to be a near-household name in AI within the next 18 months. Twenty-five years, two business chapters, and a third just getting started.   [00:02:31] Noah Rosenfarb: The Introduction Behind This Episode Noah Rosenfarb introduced Kevin and Don, telling Don simply that Kevin has your vibe. Don says he and Kevin are like brothers from other mothers. Both agree it worked because Noah already had deep trust with each of them. [00:04:00] What Don Does: Helping Businesses Bring More Money in the Door Don spent 30 years with Fortune 500 companies before shifting to founder-led businesses. He helps clients raise their top line, which solves about half of all business problems. He took one client from the edge of bankruptcy to $1.5 million in 2025, projecting $5 million this year. [00:05:20] What Inspires Him: Helping People Who Help People Don describes himself as a giver whose mission is to help people who help other people. He only takes on work that feeds that personal mission. The bigger the ripple, the better. [00:08:00] Build the Best Team, Not a Team That Looks Like You Don used to hire people who thought and worked exactly like him, and says that was a mistake. The best teams have diverse viewpoints, thought patterns, and skill sets, like a football team. A leader's only two jobs are to cast the vision relentlessly and then go get the best people to make it real. [00:12:20] The Origin Story: A 19-Year-Old with a 67% Closing Rate Don dropped engineering when a part-time sales job out-earned his future degree. Within months he was the top rep out of 450 with a 67% closing rate, double the company average. He credits brutal honesty: people buy from someone who tells the truth. [00:15:57] The Foundational Principle: Be Trustworthy Don sold 17 houses in his first month in real estate, every one on the first visit. Trust is the foundational skill of all sales and leadership. Do what you say you will do and you will stand out. [00:17:40] The Google Stat Nobody Acts On The first vendor to speak with a customer wins the deal 71% of the time. If no one answers, they call the next business on the list. Answering the phone is one of the easiest ways to beat the competition. [00:19:00] The Client Results That Rock His World A client on the edge of bankruptcy closed 2025 at $1.5 million and is projecting $5 million this year. Don loves working with highly intelligent people who are sometimes low on emotional intelligence. All influence happens at the emotional level: the brain might veto something crazy, but the heart gets what the heart wants. [00:22:26] The Relationship That Changed Everything Don met a man at a meeting he knew would never close and told him they would work together someday. Two years later the man called, and they spent nearly a decade in the insurance industry together. Twenty-five years on they are building something in AI that Don expects to make them a near-household name. [00:24:40] The Business He Gave Away at 5 O'Clock Don opened a second business to support a sick friend, then gave the whole operation away when his friend passed. At 5 PM he told Dave it would be his at 5:01 or gone forever, and gave it away for free. Don buried Dave at the National Cemetery in Dallas this year and says no bank balance replaces relationships that mean something. [00:37:07] Final Thought: You Are Stronger Than You Think All success in life starts with how you see yourself. Your reality will follow your thoughts. His favorite quote, from Christopher Robin: you are far better, far smarter, and far stronger than you think.   KEY QUOTES "The foundational skill of all influence, whether it's leadership or sales, is trust. And if you want to build trust, be trustworthy. Do what you say you're gonna do. That will shock people, because they're not used to it." - Don Williams "Google stats say that the first potential vendor, the first potential service provider that speaks with the customer, wins the deal 71% of the time." - Don Williams "All your business success and all your awards and all those commas on your bank account won't make any difference if you don't like who you are and if you don't have relationships with people that mean something." - Don Williams CONNECT WITH DON WILLIAMS

What if the content you created in 2006 is still making you money today? In this episode, Kevin sits down with Mary Ann Bautista and Matthew Pierce, co-founders of Turbo Rank, in the first-ever two-guest interview on the show. With 30 years of direct response marketing behind them across TV, radio, and podcasting, they now specialize in helping mid-market businesses turn YouTube into a discoverable, revenue-generating channel. What makes their story remarkable is that they built Turbo Rank without ads, without outside funding, and without starting from zero. A client relationship they started together in 2006 never stopped generating revenue, giving them the foundation to launch on their own terms. Mary Ann speaks about a relationship that changed everything: Mary Lou, a radio salesperson she met in the early 1990s. A chain of casual introductions through Mary Lou's sister led to the client Mary Ann has worked with since 2006, the one that funded houses, put kids through college, and laid the groundwork for Turbo Rank. Matthew speaks on the relationship that changed everything: a voiceover artist he hired and became friends with, who casually mentioned Matthew to a large client one day. That single unrequested referral turned into 10 years of work across 40 franchise markets.   [00:03:28] Ryan Guthrie: The Introduction Behind This Episode Ryan Guthrie connected Kevin with Mary Ann and Matthew, and Kevin calls it an automatic yes. Both sides agreed immediately because the trust was already there through Ryan. This is also the first time Mary Ann and Matthew have been interviewed together. [00:04:56] What They Do: YouTube Organic Optimization YouTube is the second largest search engine and most businesses do not know how to use it properly. They work with brands already active on YouTube in the $10 million to $500 million revenue range. They help clients get found, grow owned audiences, and turn YouTube into a direct sales channel. [00:07:40] What Inspires Them: Results You Can Actually See Matthew loves building an owned audience on YouTube rather than renting someone else's attention. Mary Ann points to a client they took to over 50% view duration in just eight weeks. Both say watching a client's eyes open wide at their 30-day progress meetings never gets old. [00:11:08] How They Met: A Fake Sales Call on a Friday Afternoon Matthew sold radio at CBS and used fake sales calls to Mary Ann's agency as an excuse to leave early on Fridays. They became friends, and when Matthew started his own agency, Mary Ann was one of his first clients. She brought him a restricted health and wellness account, and they started experimenting with YouTube together in 2006. [00:13:40] The Client They Have Had Since 2006 That original account grew into over 60 YouTube channels, most still driving orders today. They learned the real craft of YouTube optimization by pushing hard to serve that one account well. Two years ago they spotted a gap in the organic YouTube space and launched Turbo Rank together. [00:16:07] The Client Win They Are Most Proud Of A competitor blogger was ranking above a client's own product name with inaccurate negative content. Turbo Rank pushed the negative results down and put the client's videos in top positions in about four months. Revenue share deals from work done years ago still fund Turbo Rank today and let them launch without outside capital. [00:21:32] Mary Ann's Million Dollar Relationship: Mary Lou Mary Lou was a radio salesperson at KCBS who became a genuine friend over four or five years. She introduced Mary Ann to her sister, who made a casual elevator introduction to a key contact at a major company. That chain led to Mary Ann's most significant client relationship, one that has lasted over 30 years. [00:23:20] Matthew's Million Dollar Relationship: The Voiceover Artist A voiceover artist Matthew hired stayed in touch long after the job was done. Without being asked, he mentioned Matthew to a large client he was working with. That one casual mention turned into 10 years of work across 40 franchise markets. [00:25:35] Empowering People to Outgrow You Matthew recognized a team member was destined for bigger things and pushed him toward better opportunities. Mary Ann then hired that same person at her agency, where he stayed four or five years before moving to LA and thriving. Both believe holding people back hurts everyone, and open communication is the foundation of their culture. [00:32:14] Final Thought: YouTube Is Not Optional Anymore Every month you delay means competitors get further ahead. 60 to 65% of people search after seeing an ad, and if you are not ranking, you paid for that lead to go to a competitor. Turbo Rank offers a free mini audit and quick fix report for qualified brands at turborank.co.   KEY QUOTES "YouTube is the second largest search engine. People go to YouTube to find out how to do stuff. It is a social network. People go to YouTube to connect. It is one of the most powerful things your business can do right now." - Matthew Pierce "My very best clients are employees of former clients. They remember you, they know how hard you work, they know the value you brought, and you're the first call when there's a need." - Mary Ann Bautista CONNECT WITH MARY ANN AND MATTHEW

What if the connection that saves your life was nine years in the making, and you had no idea it was coming? In this episode, Scott Rammage shares how a chain of relationships built over nearly a decade led him to the doctor who restored his health when no one else could. Scott is the owner of HireVP, a virtual professionals agency that recruits, places, and fully supports experienced overseas staff for business owners across the U.S. and Australia. He spent 17 years learning the hard way what it costs to try to do everything yourself, losing money and time with his family in the process, before building a business model designed to give other entrepreneurs the freedom he struggled so long to find. HireVP has grown entirely through referrals and relationships, with zero advertising spend. Scott lives in Dallas with his wife and sons. The relationship that transformed Scott's life: Carl, an executive coach who mentioned his brother almost in passing at the end of their first meeting. That brother was a functional neurologist, one of only 300 in the world with that specialty. Months later, when a mysterious neurological episode left Scott non-functional for weeks and regular doctors had no answers, Carl made the call. His brother took Scott from barely functional to nearly fully recovered in four days. The chain that led to Carl stretched back nine years through three other people, starting with a client Scott met in the fitness industry.   [00:02:44] George Rivera: The Introduction Behind This Episode George Rivera connected Kevin and Scott, and Kevin calls any intro from George an automatic yes. Both agree a trust-based introduction beats every other way of meeting someone. It is proof that the right relationship cuts through instantly. [00:03:43] What Scott Does: HireVP and the Freedom He Was Chasing Scott runs HireVP, placing and supporting experienced virtual professionals for business owners. They go beyond typical VA services by staying involved with both sides long-term. It is all driven by Scott's mission to give owners the freedom he spent 17 years chasing himself. [00:04:42] Why He Does It: The Price He Paid First Scott started his first business in 2004 while still teaching full-time. He spent 17 years making costly mistakes and robbing his family of time and attention. His greatest joy now is shortening that learning curve for other owners. [00:07:55] The Origin of HireVP: Hold My Beer A contractor told Scott he needed a VA, then said he would never succeed with one. He took it as a challenge, went all in on overseas hiring, and had three full-time VAs within three months. A colleague asked to borrow one, Scott charged a rate, and a business was born. [00:11:40] The Breaking Point That Built a Better Model Scott lost 70% of recurring revenue almost overnight after buying out his business partner. His 17-year-old son told him he just wished his dad would finally get paid what he was worth. He charged a doctor $500 to find and train a VA just for her, knocked it out of the park, and kept getting referrals. Seeing clients fail after placement showed him full support was the missing piece, and HireVP was born. [00:16:40] The First VA, Nine Years Later His very first VA still works for him and is now at university in Florida, with Scott sponsoring her. When asked why she enrolled, she said she wanted to bring more value back to the company. He calls this kind of impact the thing that feeds him every day. [00:21:40] Carl's Brother: The Connection That Saved His Life Scott hired executive coach Carl, who mentioned his brother, a functional neurologist, almost as an afterthought. Months later Scott was falling without tripping, slurring words, and freezing mid-step, with doctors finding nothing wrong. Carl helped run the business for six weeks, then connected Scott with his brother, who had him nearly fully recovered in four days. The doctor told Scott there are only 300 practitioners with that specialty in the world. [00:26:40] What He Learned About How He Is Wired The neurologist showed Scott that his drive to fix everyone's problems is the same thing that built his businesses. Learning to manage that wiring rather than be destroyed by it has been a major personal shift. He now sees it as his duty to pass on hard-won lessons so others move through similar things faster. [00:32:22] Final Thought: Play the Long Game Networking well is a superpower, but most people try to force it too fast. His advice: slow down to speed up, and focus on the relationship, not what it might bring you. Someone recently messaged him about a podcast from three years ago that had already sent two paying clients his way.   KEY QUOTES "I get no better satisfaction in business than helping other business owners really achieve that little bit of freedom from the chaos they created when they started." - Scott Rammage "Don't just make a connection. Your goal with that connection should be leaving that person with something that will improve their life. No reciprocity. Have a goal of giving only, and that will absolutely work." - Scott Rammage "Slow down to speed up. Just start meeting people and don't try to push the relationship for a connection. Push the relationship for a relationship." - Scott Rammage CONNECT WITH SCOTT RAMMAGE

What if losing everything was actually the beginning of your greatest chapter? In this episode, Jeff Martinovich shares an extraordinary story of building and losing a billion-dollar wealth management firm and then fighting his way back from federal prison. Jeff is the founder and former CEO of MICG Investment Management, which grew to over $1 billion in assets and 100 associates in Newport News, Virginia. After the 2008 financial crisis triggered regulatory scrutiny, Jeff refused three federal plea offers, went to trial against the U.S. government, and was sentenced to 14 years in prison. But that wasn't the end. Representing himself with a number-two pencil and a manual typewriter from the prison law library, Jeff filed over 500 motions, had trial court decisions reversed five times, and got two federal judges removed, walking free nearly seven years early. Today he advises 19 companies, speaks to CEO groups worldwide, and is the author of When Not If: A CEO's Guide to Overcoming Adversity, published by Forbes Books in January 2024. Jeff lives in Norfolk, Virginia with his wife Ashley and their young children. The relationship that transformed Jeff's life: his wife Ashley. She had worked in his mortgage company years before his conviction, and about a year and a half into his prison sentence, she sent him a love letter out of the blue, saying she had always loved him and would stand by him until they won. She then drove seven hours each way to visit him once a month for seven years in what Jeff describes as a horrific prison visiting room. On the day he was released, she was waiting at the front gates to bring him home. They are now married with a young daughter, Carly, a miracle Jeff says he never deserved and considers his greatest motivation.   [00:03:40] Kurt and Kristen LudHart: The Introduction That Started It All Kevin credits Kurt and Kristen LudHart for connecting him with Jeff Jeff agrees on the power of trust-based introductions cutting through surface-level noise Demonstrates how the right relationships open doors quickly and authentically [00:04:43] What Jeff Does Today: Rebuilding After Ruin Now works with a portfolio of 19 companies, helping CEOs and management teams grow Has a team of experienced advisors; also runs a law firm and investment funds Focused on helping owners create secure jobs, community impact, and charity support Describes the last five years as a full business resurrection [00:08:02] The Backstory: Air Force Academy to Billion-Dollar Firm Attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, served at Langley Air Force Base during the First Gulf War Got his MBA at night while at Langley, then entered finance as a rookie cold-calling stockbroker Built MICG Investment Management in Newport News, VA to over $1 billion in assets and 100 associates Grew to include three hedge funds, a mortgage company, insurance company, and real estate firm [00:08:48] The 2008 Crisis and the Government Comes Knocking The 2008 financial crisis triggered regulatory crackdowns on approximately 2,000 second-tier firms MICG was too large to avoid the radar and too small to write a $200 million check to make regulators move on Jeff was offered three federal plea deals and refused all three Sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after a five-week trial [00:11:20] The Prison Law Library and 500 Motions Sent to a violent prison in New Jersey, not the minimum-security facility typical for white-collar cases Began helping other inmates with their cases, filing over 300 motions for others Through this service, taught himself federal criminal law entirely by doing Filed over 500 motions in his own case using a number-two pencil and a manual typewriter [00:12:50] The Three Pillars That Got Him Through Physical: committed to 1% improvement every day, weights and running the track, not just for protection but for endorphins and the energy to stay proactive Intellectual: read 26 classics from the prison library and discovered a love of literature he never would have found otherwise Spiritual: read the Bible front to back multiple times; got into yoga and meditation to channel his anger into something productive Key mindset: treat adversity like a marathon, not a sprint, because it will take way longer than you think [00:18:26] The Academy Roommate: From Prison to $8 Million Exit Air Force Academy roommate flew out on Jeff's second day home from prison Had several struggling companies and needed someone he could trust completely Jeff and a team of Academy basketball and rugby teammates merged four losing companies Sold to California private equity two years later for $8 million Jeff's deep pride: these men had visited him in prison when he had nothing, and this was his way of giving back [00:20:32] Ashley's Love Letter: The Relationship That Changed Everything About a year and a half into his sentence, Jeff received a love letter from Ashley, a former employee She wrote that she had always loved him and would stand by him no matter what Drove seven hours each way to visit him once a month for seven years Was waiting at the front gates the day he was released and brought him home [00:24:20] The 12-Man Room: Jumping on Tony's Back Describes a late-night prison confrontation: a large inmate named Tony began brutally beating a smaller Guatemalan man over commissary pricing Jeff had spent months helping Tony with legal paperwork to get him transferred to a minimum-security camp In the middle of the night, Jeff ran across the room and jumped on Tony's back, screaming that he was about to ruin his transfer Tony came to his senses, went back to bed, everyone survived [00:27:11] The Book and the Mission: When Not If Forbes Books published When Not If: A CEO's Guide to Overcoming Adversity in January 2024 Amazon #1 bestseller; available on Amazon and at jeffmartinovich.com Two halves: 20 lessons on how to prepare before a black swan event, and 20 lessons on what to do differently once it arrives Jeff's goal: help business leaders avoid the mistakes he made on the way up and survive the ones they can't prevent [00:30:06] Final Message: You Can Get Through Anything Life doesn't throw curve balls, it throws bazookas, and Jeff lost everything down to zero Message to anyone going through something terrible: you can get through anything, you just have to get through it Believes God gives incredible rewards on the other side of the tunnel for those who endure Humbled by how many people share their own terrible stories after his speeches, proving everyone carries something [00:32:57] Own Your Story: Turning Disadvantages Into Advantages 99% of people run and hide after catastrophic public failures; Jeff chose the opposite At the start of every meeting, he tells his story directly before anyone can Google it This transparency consistently attracts trust, admiration, and deeper connection Malcolm Gladwell's principle in action: turn disadvantages into advantages   KEY QUOTES "Don't run away. Own your story. Be as transparent and strong as you can. And when you own your story, it becomes the thing that attracts incredible people to you." - Jeff Martinovich "I literally lost a billion-dollar firm and everything down to 0.00. But what I want to give other people is hope and inspiration. You can go through anything as long as you get through it. You just gotta get through it." - Jeff Martinovich "The more people I help, the more the universe takes care of us. I learned that even in prison. The day I got home, I just started helping as many people as possible, mostly at 5 AM for free, and it has just exploded into all these blessings." - Jeff Martinovich CONNECT WITH JEFF MARTINOVICH

What if success isn't about pushing harder but allowing yourself to be pulled toward your purpose? In this episode, Seth Streeter shares how he helps people navigate major life transitions and discover their inspired life purpose as co-founder of Mission Wealth, a wealth management firm he started 25 years ago that now manages $14 billion in assets for 4,600 families across 34 US locations. Seth has been a financial advisor for 34 years, specializing in guiding clients through major life events while helping them live more fulfilling lives through assessments across 12 dimensions of wealth. After going through divorce and the financial crisis, Seth realized he was achieving traditional success but wasn't fulfilled, leading him to spend an introspective year attending retreats, meditating, and traveling to India. In the last eight years, Seth has led purpose-driven retreats for over 2,000 people, including nine-day retreats in Bhutan where leaders trek in the Himalayas and stay with monks. Seth spoke at Davos with Deepak Chopra on conscious leadership and leads the purpose community for YPO. Seth reveals the relationship that transformed his life: Joe Bosco, owner of an Italian restaurant in Fort Collins, Colorado where Seth worked as a dishwasher through high school. When Seth was looking at colleges and his parents wanted him to attend Colorado State, Joe Bosco said "you should check out Santa Barbara, California" because he went there for horse shows. Seth had never heard of Santa Barbara but applied to UCSB because of Joe Bosco and spent 27 years there, founding Mission Wealth, having his children, serving on 10 nonprofit boards, starting sustainable future.org, and doing a TED Talk, all because Joe Bosco suggested he check out UC Santa Barbara. Seth also credits Chip Conley, founder of MEA, as a mentor who showed him how to move from his head to his heart.   [00:03:40] Led Two Nine-Day Purpose Retreats in Bhutan In Asia for most of the trip Had 25 leaders in each group trekking in Himalayas Stayed overnight at monasteries, lived with monks Contemplated purpose individually, within companies, within world at large [00:04:40] Mission Wealth: 25 Years and $14 Billion Co-founded Mission Wealth 25 years ago Independent registered investment advisory firm 34 locations across US, manages just under $14 billion in assets About 4,600 families, team of 200 advisors and professionals [00:05:20] Started Leading Retreats Eight Years Ago In last eight years started leading retreats and coaching For different companies, leaders, different groups of people Takes paid time off to do it, spends vacations leading retreats About 2,000 people have gone through in-person programs [00:06:00] The 13 Inches From Head to Heart Great quote: "furthest distance many travel in lifetime are 13 inches from head to heart" As financial guy, had heart in what he did, loved helping people solve problems This work feels more intimate, more meaningful Really helping people give themselves permission to be best version of who they want to be [00:08:00] Started in Financial Services Right Out of College Right out of college, needed a job Was in student government at UC Santa Barbara, thought he'd be entrepreneur Dad was in government, mom was teacher, brother was police officer Family said "you need a job with benefits, security, and paycheck" [00:09:00] Went Through His Own Tough Journey Went through divorce, financial crisis, bumps in life Realized success script needed to be rewritten Was working hard but wasn't fulfilled, wasn't content Achieving success in traditional way materially but didn't feel fulfilled [00:09:20] The Introspective Year That Changed Everything Decided to do whole introspective year Went to retreats, read self-help books, listened to podcasts Got into meditation, went to India, did all these "woo" things That year opened up whole new framework for living [00:10:20] Push Energy vs Pull Energy As entrepreneur, had lot of push energy: building vision, growing team, charging hill Used that in Ironman, marathons, running nonprofits After personal reflection, started to adopt pull energy approach More of allowance, trusting doors close and open for reason [00:11:20] Speaking at Davos With Deepak Chopra Was asked to speak at panel in Malibu with five people Woman from Finland asked if he'd been to Davos, offered to get him in Three months before event, confirmed: Thursday with Deepak Chopra on Conscious Leadership in Era of AI Couldn't have pushed way into that opportunity, was being open and available [00:14:40] 12 Dimensions of Wealth Talk about wealth not just in financial sense but across 12 dimensions Impact families are having, quality of relationships, physical health, intellectual growth Seeing families grow true wealth feels very rewarding Lead purpose community for all of YPO [00:15:00] The Success Script and Grind Mentality Lot of people followed success script, did what they were taught Worked hard in school, career, moved through ranks or started company Rinsed and repeated grind mentality to get ahead Now 40, 50, or 60 saying "is this all there is?" [00:17:00] Woman Going Through Divorce Woman in mid-50s going through divorce Two daughters just graduated high school, going to East Coast for college Husband ended 30-year marriage right at same time From financial standpoint she was fine, but really struggling with identity [00:18:00] Converting Husband's Office Into Studio She loved working with single women's nonprofits, domestic shelters Also loved skincare, always did facials for daughters Helped her convert former husband's office into studio Became licensed aesthetician, did facials for women in community including free ones for women through tough times [00:19:20] The Inspired Life Purpose Exercise Had someone at retreat who was CEO, just exited food tech company in New York Did exercise called Your Inspired Life Purpose Four circles: innate gifts, skills, passion, what world needs most Look at how those four circles intersect [00:20:00] Paul's Life Manifesto CEO named Paul came up with amazing idea during exercise Went to room that night, wrote his life manifesto Next morning: "I was up most of the night, I now have life manifesto" Wanted to change food systems of North America leveraging technology [00:20:40] Started a Blog, Got Recruited by Patagonia Paul decided to start blog writing about his vision Just couple months later, recruiter read one of his blog posts Interviewed for new position Became head of Patagonia's Food Provision Company [00:24:00] Invested Heavily in Relationships Since High School Always had lunch meetings 12 to 1, five days a week at same restaurant Would book with clients, teammates, or people in community City council members, students, nonprofit leaders, business leaders Every single day asking: who is this person, what makes them tick, how can I support them? [00:25:00] Working at Italian Restaurant in Fort Collins Worked at Italian restaurant through high school to pay bills Was bus boy, dishwasher, had all the jobs Owner was Joe Bosco, owned restaurant in Fort Collins and one in Casper, Wyoming Was thinking about colleges, parents would pay for Colorado State [00:25:40] "You Should Check Out Santa Barbara" Wanted to do something different, applied to UCLA and Berkeley Joe Bosco said "you should check out Santa Barbara, California, they have university there" Used to go there for horse shows Had never even heard of Santa Barbara at the time [00:26:00] Chose UCSB Because of Joe Bosco Applied to UCSB, packet looked amazing, university on coast Ended up choosing UCSB as his university because of Joe Bosco Spent 27 years in Santa Barbara, half of his adult life Founded company there, had children there, on 10 nonprofit boards [00:31:00] Meeting Ashley Brilliant Mom was sixth grade teacher, had cartoons called Pot Shots by Ashley Brilliant in classroom Going through tough time in Santa Barbara, Ashley's cartoons spoke to him three days in row Wrote thank you note to Mr. Brilliant He replied, met for lunch at Chinese restaurant [00:32:00] The Fortune Cookie Message After meal, got fortune cookies Ashley's note said: "Finally, the answer you've been looking for is sitting across from you" Seth's said: "If at first it's a no, it may become a maybe" Decided to help Ashley start building business around his cartoons [00:34:40] Service Trip to Honduras Took son on service trip to Honduras, worked at orphanage Security guard had wooden leg, very archaic piece of wood with hinge 34 years old, probably made $2 a day, couldn't get new leg Decided to get him a leg [00:35:40] Getting Him a $10,000 Leg Took almost a year but got friend who was Paralympic athlete involved Got him fancy $10,000 leg that was molded and fit for him Had to get it down there strategically because shipping would mean it gets stolen He sent FaceTime video: first time he'd been able to slow dance with wife since car accident 10 years prior   KEY QUOTES "A lot of people followed the success script, worked hard in school and career, rinsed and repeated this grind mentality. Now they're 40, 50, or 60 saying 'is this all there is? I now have success, but there's a creative in me that hasn't been out to play.'" - Seth Streeter "The furthest distance many of us travel in our lifetimes are the 13 inches from our head to our heart. This work feels more intimate and meaningful because it's really helping people give themselves permission to be the best version of who they want to be." - Seth Streeter "I had a lot of push energy as an entrepreneur. But I started to adopt a pull energy approach, more of an allowance, trusting that when a door closes it closes for a reason, when it opens for a reason. I was being pulled to where I was supposed to be." - Seth Streeter CONNECT WITH SETH STREETER 

What if buying a home isn't a transaction but a deeply emotional transition that reveals who you're becoming? In this episode, Scott Harris shares how he helps people navigate the emotional journey of finding their dream homes as the founder of Magnetic Real Estate, a boutique residential real estate brokerage in Manhattan. Scott has been a residential real estate agent in New York City for almost 23 years and has sold over $2 billion in real estate. Growing up as a child of divorce, he moved back and forth between his parents' houses approximately 500 times before turning 18, and when he started helping people buy homes, he realized he was healing the damage of being from a broken home himself. He nearly burned out in 2014 while building a team, emerging wiser with the realization that real estate is much more than a transaction. His innovative approach, The Magnetic Method, ensures clients attract homes that help them reach the fullest expression of who they're meant to be. Scott firmly believes real estate agents are doing sacred work, and he wrote "Pursue Your Home" to change the narrative around buying a home. Scott reveals the relationship that transformed his career: Howie Cusack, his mentor at a booking agency in Boston when Scott left college wanting to be in the music business while performing as a singer in a boy band acapella group. Howie took Scott on as an intern and trained him for six years, teaching him how to manage crazy artists, put complicated deals together, and navigate producing concerts and booking tours. Scott toured approximately 100,000 miles a year in an RV performing about a thousand shows opening for bands like NSYNC, working from dial-up internet as the original work-from-home person. When Scott moved to New York and got into real estate, he realized he was armed with incredible skills from Howie, plugging right into the business from day one. This foundation equipped Scott to deal with level-11 insane moments, like when a client called the night before a $7 million closing asking to borrow $350,000 in closing costs, and Scott channeled Howie's ballsy presence from when a reggae act pulled out a chainsaw demanding payment and Howie said "get your butt on stage, you know you're gonna get paid."   [00:05:20] Founder of Magnetic Real Estate Boutique residential real estate brokerage firm in Manhattan, New York City Been residential real estate agent in New York for almost 23 years Serves people buying and selling real estate in New York Connects with people all over the globe [00:07:40] Child of Divorce: Moving 500 Times Child of divorce, moved back and forth between parents until age 18 Did the math: moved about 500 times between their houses Started on rental side of business in New York, felt very transactional Got into sales and got such satisfaction from helping people buy homes [00:08:00] Healing Through Helping Others Find Home Finally put two and two together When helping people find homes, also doing work to heal damage of being from broken home himself When he bought home with his wife, it was same work To have a place that's really yours changed his life [00:09:20] Helping People Through Tough Things One of first sales: helping older Italian woman who was divorcee find home after bad divorce Got call from estate attorney representing Maurice Sendak's estate (wrote "Where the Wild Things Are") His estate went to serve organizations that helped kids Satisfying to know they were helping many people when they sold the apartment [00:12:00] Real Estate Agents Are Doing Sacred Work Firmly believes real estate agents are doing sacred work, really important work Some of most important work there is If people change the way they think about themselves and what they're doing, changes whole tenor Need to bring whole self into relationship with buyers and sellers [00:15:20] Started in Music Business as Intern When first left college, wanted to be in music business Also was singer and performer Got job as intern at booking agency (represents bands or talent buyer like clubs/colleges) Introduced to Howie Cusack in Boston [00:16:00] Learning to Sell Bands and Put Tours Together Real estate is competitive and hard, but go try to sell bands to bookers at clubs Or to college kids probably smoking weed half the time on phone calls Really hard to put tours together for bands Had amazing mentor in Howie, worked together for better part of six years [00:16:40] Producing Concerts is Multifaceted Producing concerts is so multifaceted Putting bands on road, booking tours, all those things All skills from working with Howie influenced way he plugged right into real estate business Right out of the gate, made huge impact on his life [00:17:40] Touring 100,000 Miles a Year Working phones from RV while doing 60,000 or 100,000 miles of touring a year Really grateful to Howie for making huge impact Had RV, went all around country performing at venues Boy band version of acapella group (like contemporary Pentatonix) with beatbox [00:18:20] Opening for NSYNC and Doing 1,000 Shows 23 to 24 years ago Opened for bands like NSYNC Did about 1,000 shows together when he was there Credits experience for making him appreciate giving back [00:18:40] Everyone's Got a Story Been to so many little towns: upstate New York, Indiana, Ohio, eastern seaboard, California Meet people living their lives, get to know them Everyone's got story to tell What's their superpower? Everybody's got something they're uniquely awesome at [00:21:00] The $7 Million Townhouse Crisis Represented songwriter (very well known, wrote popular songs in 60s and 70s) Made a lot of money, but also crazy deal maker Night before buying $7 million townhouse, calls Scott Even though told him 50 times about closing costs, didn't register he'd have to spend $350,000 [00:22:00] Get Your Butt On Stage Howie looks him right in eye: "Get your butt on stage. You know you're gonna get paid. Get outta my face with that" Scott inhabiting this ballsy guy Client asking for money Scott didn't have sitting around At closing table, client did significant gymnastics to make it happen [00:24:00] Free Resources at Pursue Your Home Bunch of free resources so people can get flavor of what's in book Go to pursueyourhome.com Can take assessment to learn your own communication style Strongly encourages people to take time to be prepared before jumping in [00:26:00] Surround Yourself With People Who Care Need to surround yourself with team who really cares about you Family and friends that support you, cheer you on, in trenches with you If there are people in your life that secretly want you to fail, leave them on outside of this conversation Important to surround yourself with feeling where people see you and hear you   KEY QUOTES "I firmly believe that real estate agents are doing sacred work, really important work. We're doing some of the most important work that there is. If people change the way they think about themselves and what they're doing, it changes the whole tenor of the dynamic." - Scott Harris "Everybody's got something they're uniquely awesome at. If you prejudge them, you miss it. You miss that moment. If you can just be with somebody, you end up learning a lot." - Scott Harris "Finding a home is one of the most stressful things people go through because it is so deeply important to our existence. The word for human and the word for home are the same route. You can't untangle those two things." - Scott Harris CONNECT WITH SCOTT HARRIS 

What if the extraordinary results you're chasing are hiding in the ordinary daily tasks you're overlooking? In this episode, Dr. Lani Jones shares how she helps mid-career professionals navigate the "what's next?" question through psychology-informed business coaching. Lani is a clinical psychologist who works in the leadership space, doing one-on-one coaching with professionals asking "I've checked all the boxes, where do I go from here?" while also working with organizations on culture and clarity. She started her career in a hospital setting as part of an interdisciplinary team before opening a private practice, but COVID became the unexpected catalyst when evaluation needs dropped while therapy demand skyrocketed, and she began working with entrepreneurs and executives on leading through crises and balancing professional ambition with caregiving. Lani's innovative approach centers on deep-dive calendar audits that reveal what's truly important versus what's done out of obligation, helping seasoned professionals reclaim agency they've forgotten they have. Her biggest win was helping a C-Suite executive who achieved her life's goal but was miserable, and after 18 months she was loving work again simply by claiming her agency and rebuilding her calendar. Beyond her professional achievements, Lani champions the motto "the extraordinary abides in the ordinary." Lani reveals the relationships that transformed her business: three powerhouse women she met in a mastermind group for testing psychologists around 2018-2019, who after the mastermind ended gelled so deeply that one said "I think we need to meet in person," leading to yearly gatherings where they show up so vulnerably that if two end up in the same city there's a text guilting the others to fly in even for 36 hours. These women became her biggest champions who championed her pursuit of coaching saying "pursue this, it's okay to transition out of clinical work," and because Lani had all her cheerleaders behind the scenes giving her business advice while personally supporting her, she could show up powerfully for an early coaching client, a founder drowning without systems who couldn't afford mentorship. She worked with her pro bono, introducing her to key people and helping her handle burnout, leading to Lani's realization that it wasn't just about these three women but about the broader relationship ecosystem she'd built over years where she could say "let me share my people with you."   [00:03:20] Clinical Psychologist in Leadership and Business Space Works as consultant and coach with mid-career professionals One-to-one coaching with those asking "what's next? I've checked boxes, had success—where do I go from here?" Works with organizations and leadership teams on culture, clarity, evaluation procedures Does workshops and trainings [00:04:20] Started Career in Hospital Setting Worked with variety of medical professionals as part of interdisciplinary team Focused on diagnostic side: evaluation and testing Moved to opening private practice during COVID [00:04:40] COVID Changed Everything By happenstance started working with group of entrepreneurs and executives Covering topics: leading through pandemic, going through reorg while dealing with divorce Climbing corporate ladder while being caregiver at home Talking about dual roles [00:05:00] Merging Business and Psychology Being business owner herself, loved talking all things business Using psych expertise to address people-related challenges Coaching was way to merge love of both business and psychology Help people maximize impact and show up as best selves in all spheres [00:05:40] The Need Shifted Dramatically Stay-at-home mandates, children in schools at home Need for evaluations drastically dropped off Need for therapy greatly increased What she'd been doing totally unexpectedly shifted [00:07:40] C-Suite Client Success Story Woman came to her, been in C-Suite about a year C-Suite was her entire goal—everything she'd done was for this Year in, I was not very happy, asking "is this it? Is this what it's supposed to feel like?" Crisis moment: "What do I do now?" [00:08:20] Deep Dive Calendar Audit First step with all clients: calendar audit Can say such and such is important, but calendar reflects what truly is Spend week or two doing deep dive: mindless scrolling, transport times, all the things Start peeling back layers in all spheres [00:08:40] What's on There Out of Obligation? What's under obligation or guilt? What did you really want to say no to but said yes to? Seasoned professionals often forget how much agency they have in a situation [00:09:00] The Big Win: Nothing Externally Changed By end of their time together, she was really loving things again Nothing significantly changed externally: same role, two elementary age kids, married Started claiming her agency, taking more control Peeling away guilt and "shoulds" [00:09:40] Rebuilding Calendar to Bring Life Rebuilt calendar to things that brought her life, things she wanted to say yes to Even within job position, had more flexibility than she was claiming Structured schedule to maximize deep think time Had flexibility in when and how she was taking meetings [00:12:40] Met in Mastermind Group When first starting practice, sought out business mentor Was in mastermind group—all testing psychologists in private practice Very specific niche, all virtual across the country [00:13:00] Four Women Really Gelled Together At end of mastermind, herself and three women really gelled One said "I think we need to meet in person" Met up in person number of years ago for first time Have yearly gathering somewhere in world, one plays host [00:13:20] Guilting Each Other to Fly In If two end up in same city, there's text message Guilting other ones to fly in even for 36 hours to be with them Powerhouse business owners [00:13:40] Biggest Champions and Cheerleaders Been some of her biggest champions and cheerleaders Shown up in this space so vulnerably and authentically Few weeks ago, sitting on beach in Florida talking life, talking business What's going great? What's hard? [00:15:40] Early Coaching Client: Founder Drowning One of early coaching clients was a founder couple years in Didn't quite have systems in place that she needed This was her first business, felt like she was drowning Not in financial position to take on business mentor or coach [00:16:00] Working Together Pro Bono Made agreement to work together Started working with her on both personal and professional life Getting business systems in place Introduced her to number of key people with expertise outside of hers [00:16:40] Had Cheerleaders Behind the Scenes Because had all her cheerleaders behind scenes Who were giving her all amazing business advice and expertise Personally supporting her Was able to show up in very similar way for this client [00:17:40] Broader Relationship Ecosystem Wasn't only these three women Was the broader relationship ecosystem she shared with client So many other key players was able to introduce her to All that relationship equity over the years [00:20:20] The Extraordinary Abides in the Ordinary One of her mottos: "The extraordinary abides in the ordinary" As entrepreneurs and business owners, we want the big shiny things Want to run after really big successes or goals Actually the seemingly mundane or just ordinary daily tasks [00:20:40] Relationships Take Time to Build Even relationship building: sending the text, doing the follow up, grabbing the coffee Can't alter time—time is what it is, for better or worse Sometimes it's fast, sometimes it's slow Relationships take time to build, they're not overnight   KEY QUOTES "The extraordinary abides in the ordinary. Sometimes as entrepreneurs and business owners, we want the big, shiny things, but it's actually the seemingly mundane, ordinary daily tasks of relationship building, sending the text, doing the follow up that creates big results." - Dr. Lani Jones "Our calendar actually reflects what truly is important to us. We can say such and such is important, but how are we spending our time? Seasoned professionals often forget how much agency they have in a situation." - Dr. Lani Jones "Relationships take time to build. They're not overnight. Don't get in that rapid pace of 'I'm not where I need to be.' Just do the daily tasks, do the ordinary, and you're gonna see the big results." - Dr. Lani Jones CONNECT WITH DR. LANI JONES 

What if we don't know what to do with broken hearts the way we know what to do with broken bones? In this episode, Jeanne Foot shares how she helps individuals and families navigate mental health, addiction, and trauma recovery through The Recovery Concierge. Jeanne is the founder of this boutique mental health, addiction, and trauma navigation agency that provides innovative concierge services tailored to unique needs of individuals, families, and the entertainment industry. With a focus on mental health and addiction recovery, her team's holistic approach encompasses assessments, counseling, and continuous support, ensuring a comprehensive pathway to sustainable recovery. Her journey into this work wasn't by choice - it chose her. Growing up in 1960s London with childhood trauma, sexual abuse, and the death of her baby sister, Jeanne fell into substances at a young age as her only tool for emotional regulation. After getting sober and spending seven years frozen in emotional pain, she had an epiphany: no one's coming to save you. She dove into everything from peak performance to trauma healing, creating the proprietary method she uses today with clients. Jeanne reveals two relationships that transformed her: her father, who mentored her in the family insurance business in her early twenties when she didn't want to go to university, teaching her that sales is about guiding people through a process (not coercing them), that you win on price but lose on price, and instilling values of ethics, integrity, kindness, vulnerability, and transparency that shape everything she stands for today and carry through to their third-generation family business; and Dr. Anthony Levitt, Chief of Brain Sciences at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto with over 10,000 employees, a brilliant psychiatrist who gave agency to people who weren't clinically trained, wanting to learn from lived experience rather than taking a top-down approach, asking Jeanne to chair a grassroots pilot program in 2012 that has now served thousands of families and become a leader in the industry both nationally and internationally, and who admitted "we're failing people, we need to do better" when others would hide that they don't know what to do.   [00:04:20] Founder of The Recovery Concierge Boutique mental health, addiction, and trauma navigation agency Matches people to right services and bespoke treatment plans Uses invitational, compassionate, non-stigmatizing approach to intervention Been doing this work 30 years informally, 15 years professionally [00:05:40] Growing Up in 1960s London "Children should be seen and not heard" environment in middle class family Baby sister died when Jeanne was four years old Stepbrother sexually abused her, grew up with tremendous trauma Fell into substances at very young age as only coping mechanism [00:06:40] The Critical Juncture: Seven Years Sober Seven years into sobriety, thought "if this is all my life's gonna be, I don't want any part" Frozen in her body, life picture perfect on outside but empty inside In so much emotional pain despite having everything externally [00:07:20] The Epiphany: No One's Coming to Save You Had an epiphany: "There's no one who's coming to save you. You better figure this out yourself" Dove into everything: peak performance, emotional healing, trauma, addiction, mental health Created proprietary method mixing optimal tools that became foundation for her work [00:08:20] Her Children: The Catalyst for Change Children became more important to her than herself Wanted to do things differently than her family had done Made sacrifices in her early thirties (early 1990s) to choose them [00:09:40] The Volunteer Visit That Changed Everything Looking for place to volunteer, wanted to be of service and reduce suffering Someone pointed her to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto Had no idea what she was doing, just felt she wanted to help [00:10:00] The Town Hall Meeting with Dr. Anthony Levitt Met Dr. Anthony Levitt, Chief of Brain Sciences at Sunnybrook Hospital (10,000+ employees) He was examining why parents were taking children to US for mental health treatment Parents shared their stories, Dr. Levitt said: "We're gonna do something about this right now" [00:10:40] Building the Plane While Flying It Dr. Levitt asked Jeanne to chair the pilot program Lived experience informed program with clinical expertise Did everything: secured philanthropy funding, hired people, visited every stakeholder, defined metrics [00:11:20] He Gave Us Agency Dr. Levitt gave them agency despite being brilliant psychiatrist Felt he could learn from people who had been in trenches and failed by system Jeanne worked across from him 30 hours a week for free because so in love with the work [00:13:00] We Don't Know What to Do with Broken Hearts Know what to do with broken hearts (cardiology) or broken bones Don't know what to do with broken hearts (emotional)—very nuanced, non-prescriptive process Need to meet client where they're at, not use top-down approach [00:14:20] Rapport Is Number One Indicator of Success Rapport is #1 indicator of success, not therapeutic expertise If you don't have rapport with someone, you can't go anywhere Client from 40 years ago still calling because of implicit trust: "I've got my people" [00:16:00] Learning from Her Father First person who changed her life was her father His ethics, sense of humor, values shaped who she became Father was fantastic mentor when she joined family insurance business in 1980s [00:17:00] Sales Is About Guiding People in a Process Father taught her sales is about guiding people, not coercing them Showing them a process: either they want it or they don't He taught her about ethics—have to have benchmark of morality in business [00:19:20] Third Generation of Client Relationships Into third generation with client acquisitions in insurance business Values come from within structure of family and organization Clients saying: "We've been dealing with these people for long time, continue that" Father's lesson: "You win on price, you lose on price" [00:22:40] Dr. Anthony Levitt: Beautiful Humility Gave agency to people who weren't clinically trained, wanted to learn from them Admitted "we're failing people, we need to do better" instead of defending system Such beautiful humility about him wanting to learn [00:23:40] Grassroots Organization Still Going Strong Since 2012 Built organization that's served thousands of families Has funding, clinical research, evidence-based outcomes Leaders not just nationally but internationally with this model of care Dr. Levitt's philosophy: "The government leads by following" [00:25:20] Lives Saved Through Being There Been in situations where had she not been there in right moment, person wouldn't be here today Meets people in their darkest moments, sometimes requires heavy lifting Testimonials from family members: "You literally saved my daughter's life" [00:26:20] Compassionate Persistence Everyone does it in their own timeline, have to respect that Not top-down authoritarian approach—some people need more time "Compassionate persistence": stay with them until they get what they need [00:28:20] Triggers Are Learning Opportunities Closer relationships trigger us most, but triggers can be good thing Learning opportunities to do better, show up differently People we love most can be most challenging, but they're opportunities for beautiful learning [00:28:40] 100% Personal Responsibility Have to take 100% responsibility, each of us—no 50/50 When we take personal responsibility, we put control in our hands We build walls to protect our hearts, but can't let anything good in either Being seen, validated, heard for what we need is important part of healing   KEY QUOTES "We know what to do with broken hearts in cardiology, but we don't know what to do with broken hearts." - Jeanne Foot "Rapport is the number one indicator of success. People think it's therapeutic expertise—it's not. If you don't have rapport with someone, you can't go anywhere." - Jeanne Foot "Triggers can be a good thing. They can be learning opportunities for us to do better, to show up differently. We all have blind spots, and the people we love the most sometimes can be the most challenging in our relationships." - Jeanne Foot CONNECT WITH JEANNE FOOT 

What if charitable giving opens you up to a new world of purpose and meaning you didn't know you had access to? In this episode, John Bromley shares how he helps donors navigate and participate comfortably in the giving world as a "charity banker." John is the founder and CEO of Charitable Impact, Canada's first fully online donor-advised fund, which has facilitated over $1.5 billion in charitable donations since its inception in 2011. Growing up in a family deeply engaged in philanthropy, John was inspired by his father, renowned charity lawyer Blake Bromley, to pursue a career in creating impact. He began in corporate finance with PwC and RBC Capital Markets before transitioning to the charitable sector in his mid-to-late twenties, where he recognized the need for a simpler, more effective giving platform. John's innovative approach has earned him recognition as a TEDx speaker, a "Forty Under 40" honoree, and recipient of the CEO Community Leadership Award. Committed to cultivating generosity, John continues to empower individuals and organizations to make meaningful change through philanthropy. Beyond his professional achievements, he is a dedicated community leader, soccer coach, and proud father of two. John reveals the relationship that transformed him: his father Blake Bromley, one of the global pioneers of charity law and finance in Canada, who taught John everything he needed to know to become a charity banker not through formal education but through osmosis during car rides to sports games every weekend, where John thought he was tuning out boring workplace talk but was actually absorbing years of expertise that no textbook could teach, leading to John's realization in his late twenties that his dad possessed unique knowledge that became the foundation for Charitable Impact and John's ability to help donors go from thinking about $200,000 gifts to creating private foundations with $15 million.   [00:05:00] I'm a Charity Banker Acts like private banker to donors (individuals or organizations) Gives access to knowledge about how to go about giving Brings tools and team members to help Founder and CEO of Charitable Impact (donor-advised fund) [00:05:40] How a Charity Bank Works People give money in, get tax receipt right away Can determine how to use those charity dollars to create impact they want Role is entrepreneur who founded it, gives vision and mission There because people with great hearts, minds, deep wallets never had anywhere to go for neutral advice [00:06:40] Inspired by Seeing Others Become Inspired Charitable giving opens people to new world of purpose and meaning About investing time, talent, and money into things you care most about Having impact with your time, talent, and money Coached soccer for years, grateful for opportunity to do it [00:07:40] Getting More Out Than You Put In Really good donors get more out of it than they think they put in First time doing anything, you're not gonna be whiz kid Takes time and focus People who learn to have joy and gratitude become best donors [00:10:40] Making Intentional Giving Part of Everyday Life Vision at Charitable Impact: make intentional giving part of everyday life Quantum of money isn't as important Type of cause they choose isn't important to him Like banker shouldn't care what specific stocks someone chooses [00:11:40] From Sporadic to Intentional Giver Inspired when someone goes from not being giver to proactive giver From only reacting to being asked for money to building giving into their life Whether using time, talents, and/or money Like fitness banker trying to get people off couch [00:14:00] Be Open to Help Blessed to have had many encounters with people who had material impact If talking to younger self: you've gotta be open to help and feedback Don't have to accept it all, but have to listen to it One person stands out head and shoulders above everyone else [00:14:40] Didn't Recognize Until Almost 30 Key mentor in his life was his father Didn't recognize dad played that role until almost 30 Not just because dad was good dad who loved and nurtured him Where do you learn what you need to know to become a charity banker? [00:15:20] One of Two Serious Pioneers Father was one of arguably two serious pioneers of charity law and finance in Canada In charity nerd community (very small), dad is known globally He's one of global experts in the space Here he is, just my dad [00:16:00] The Career Change Conversation Graduated university, started in corporate finance and investment banking Left after several years, not being culture fit Started interacting with dad about changing career mid-to-late twenties Accidental pathway led to realizing dad knows stuff you can't read online [00:17:20] Learning from Osmosis Played ton of sports growing up, every weekend dad took him to games Dad yapping about charity stuff going on in his workplace John thinking: in one ear out the next, boring Now realise: how much did I learn from osmosis? [00:19:20] The $15 Million Superpower Dad's superpower: donor comes in thinking $50-100K, maybe $200K Two months later, leaving with private foundation with $15 million in it Rooted in relationship development and expertise John has had few scenarios where this happened [00:20:20] Seeing Beyond the Barriers People come in wanting to make giving part of how family does things Starting with what sounds like relatively low money Shifting how they think about it, making large structured contributions Growth mindset in philanthropic advisory space [00:22:40] Increasing Access to Participation Mission: increase access to participation in and benefit people feel from giving Not about going from 200K to 15 million About going from never giving to starting to give $100 a month It's the action to participate and start that matters [00:24:00] Like Building a Bank Banks might make more money off high net worth clients But banks don't exist without tens of thousands of small depositors Real interest is helping people get in and stay in game Regardless of money or causes they want to create impact for [00:26:00] The Workshop That Changed Everything Kevin started family foundation in 2008 to avoid big tax bill Friend Jeff Ziegler told him to start foundation and get 501(c)(3) status Went to workshop in 2009, heard foundation owners talking about what they're doing Wanted to start experiencing that [00:26:40] Jamaica Orphanage and Family Sponsorship Kevin's foundation supports Jamaica orphanage, visits every year Gives each of four older kids access to foundation debit card They choose family through food bank or church to sponsor Buy what kids want and need, groceries [00:27:20] I Wish This Was My Job Oldest daughter after first year: "I wish this was my job all the time" So incredibly rewarding for them Take kids to Jamaica orphanage, they experience what those kids are like On bus ride back, kids saying "we got it really good, Dad" [00:28:20] Three Beliefs at Charitable Impact Everyone has something in world they want to create change for Everyone has something to give toward creating that change (time, talent, treasure) When you give, you get something in return This third belief is under-focused on [00:29:40] Selfish Reasons to Give How do you learn you have it well if not exposed to these things? Creates opportunity, learning, meaning, and purpose in your own life It's not just about benefiting community No one focuses on this, but they should [00:30:00] You Don't Stay in Jobs You Don't Like Do you live in a house you hate? Probably not Eat foods you hate? Play sports you don't like? Of course not - you do things you enjoy Important to see philanthropy that way [00:32:40] Intention vs. Action Intention is critically important, big fan of intention But it's action, doing stuff in real world that creates change Can't just think about it Philanthropy is like exercise or eating well - you have to actually do it [00:33:20] You Don't Have to Be Perfect Don't have to work out hours every day Can be incremental, small part of who you are But you actually have to do something When you do, you get something in return [00:33:40] The One Thing They Don't Regret Seasoned philanthropists, particularly as they get older Never heard anyone regret spending time, talent, money on things they care about Partly because of how much they get out of it By so doing [00:34:20] Being in Control of Where Money Goes Can choose instead of paying it all in taxes Give to organization or something you believe in and want to support Take proactive step and give it there instead We can totally choose that [00:36:00] Dad, Thank You and I Love You John gives shout out to his father Thanks him for everything Says "I love you" Beautiful moment honoring his dad   KEY QUOTES "Charitable giving opens them up to this new world of purpose and meaning. It's really about investing your time and talent and money into the things that you care most about, that you love." - John Bromley "Really good donors get more out of it than they think they put in. The people who learn to have joy and gratitude from giving become the best donors." - John Bromley "When you give, you get something in return. It's about creating opportunity and learning and meaning and purpose in your own life." - John Bromley CONNECT WITH JOHN BROMLEY 

What if community is currency and you can never truly be broke? In this episode, Eric Farewell shares how he helps founders grow their businesses while staying grounded in purpose, presence, and resilience. Eric is an entrepreneur, author, and somatic business coach who has built industry-shaping brands like Aviator Paramotor and National STOL. He's a devoted husband and father of three whose journey through loss, injury, and burnout led him to redefine what success truly means. Eric retired at 35 (four years ago) after 26 years of building businesses since age 13. In his book Farewell to Normal and through his coaching with the Royals Mastermind, Eric helps founders cut their efforts by at least 50% while doubling revenue. His work week is usually about 90 minutes, allowing him to be deeply present with his family and use the wisdom of his experience instead of the abilities of his brain. Eric moved halfway across the country to be closer to his community in Texas, specifically the Front Row Dads mastermind. He's on the board of Rising Man, which specializes in Native American style rites of passage for men and boys. Eric reveals the relationships that transformed him: his wife, who for 16 years of marriage has reminded him he's a good man and makes good decisions, keeping him from the brink more times than he can count when their marriage was in crisis before they found therapy and somatic work; his first mentor Alex Ozzi, whom he met at an internet marketing conference at age 13 and followed puppy dog style, moving to California and living in his garage from ages 13 to 21, learning that having a mentor who's where you want to go is absolutely imperative; and his Front Row Dads community in Texas (especially Jason Bro who challenges him more than anyone and gives him more love from another man than he's ever received), teaching him that community is currency and you need mentors, coaches you pay way too much for, and community that builds you up and holds you accountable when you fail.   [00:03:40] Retired at 35 Retired four years ago at age 35, been building businesses since age 13 This is not first retirement but this one actually took For him, addiction to producing was tied directly to childhood abuse and trauma Four years ago realized he didn't need to be the best worker to matter anymore [00:04:20] Serving Entrepreneurs Who Want More Stepped down as CEO, moved halfway across country from companies two years ago Work week is usually about 90 minutes, using wisdom of experience instead of abilities of brain Serves entrepreneurs and founders who are waking up spiritually Goal: Cut efforts by 50%, increase revenue by double (some reduce hours 70-80%) [00:05:40] Legacy Is Relationships Most proud of clients reducing hours 70-80% while increasing revenue Legacy is not money in bank account, it's relationships with people and family Marriage was in crisis (relationship is over, how do we cut things apart) Found therapy and somatic work, now have best relationship he can imagine [00:07:00] The Hardest Year but the Happiest Hardest year in at least last nine years (financially, emotionally, death in family) Got dozed in February, tariffed in April, had to lay off half of team Production truck and trailer flipped in Montana, caught fire, burned to ground Because of the work he's done, genuinely the happiest he's ever been [00:08:20] Started Selling Airplanes on the Internet Started in 1999 selling airplanes on this new thing called the internet ADHD kids not designed to build airplanes, so sold them instead Turned into hundreds of airplanes sold over next five years Became internet marketing career, retired from that at 23 [00:09:00] Flying as First Form of Therapy Flying was first taste of perspective shift (like Burning Man or therapy for others) Astronauts call it the overlook effect Built para motor flight school, manufacturing business, media company, aircraft racing series Many clients will never go to therapy, but flying is great tool for them [00:09:40] Losing His Brother Changed Everything Seven years ago lost his brother at age 22 (had three-month-old son) Brother was first employee at Aviator Huge wake up call about what really mattered Had been chasing constantly moving goalposts (million, 5 million, 10 million, 25 million) [00:10:20] Logo Tattooed on Bodies Worldwide Logo tattooed on ton of bodies all over the world Clients call it a family, vociferous fans, massive fans Racing series has one part-time employee and 1600 volunteers For-profit business with volunteers who believe in mission and love community [00:10:40] Why Do I Work a Hundred Hours a Week? Started journey looking inward at why he does this Would work 100 hours a week then crash every three months into fever Got vasectomy, was back on field working 24 hours later Worked that way because that's where he felt loved [00:11:20] Presence Is the Core of Everything Realized presence is the core of everything Presence is the absence of fear, love's antithesis of fear Presence is truest version of love you can give yourself and world Everything else good in life is byproduct of choice to be deeply present [00:13:00] Living with the Pain For 22 years used alcohol as primary numbing agent for pain Broken back twice, five radiated discs, broken vertebrae (was test pilot) Haven't had drink in almost two weeks, got curious about living with discomfort Doesn't want anything that ties him to fear, so sitting in the pain [00:16:40] Wife Kept Him from the Brink Number one most valuable relationship is his wife For 16 years of marriage, reminds him he's a good man who makes good decisions Her guidance and encouragement kept him from brink more times than he can count Marriage went from crisis to best relationship through therapy and somatic work [00:17:00] Following Alex Ozzi at 13 At 13 got first mentor, went to internet marketing conference, met Alex Ozzi Followed him puppy dog style, begged to make coffee, carry briefcase Ended up moving to California, living in his garage Followed him conference to conference from ages 13 to 21 [00:17:20] The Three Things You Need Mentor who is where you want to go, who's lived life you want to live Coach you pay way too much money to (makes it uncomfortable so you follow through) Community that builds you up and holds you accountable when you fail Those three things are absolute must [00:18:20] Moving to Texas for Community Moved halfway across country because community is in Texas Found mastermind called Front Row Dads (John Broman) focused on family Came to Texas with family, realized more friends here than Florida Five weeks later moved here to double down on having men who challenge him [00:18:40] Jason Bro Gives More Hell Than Anyone Jason Bro (CEO at Ma) gives more hell than anyone else Eric's met Also gives more love than Eric's ever received from another man Deeply present, engaged, challenges the crap out of him Wants relationships that challenge him to be best version and pick him up [00:22:00] Cooking for Everyone Grew up in French restaurant, started working there at age seven Worked every position from line cook to dishwasher to bartender At Aviator, if you're learning to fly, you ate meal Eric prepared first day At National STOL, cook for 100-200 people three meals a day (all volunteers) [00:22:40] The Moment He No Longer Had to Carry the Energy Sat down for lunch at Aviator with about 30 people Someone sat next to him and asked "So what do you do here?" They didn't know he was founder or CEO That's the moment he no longer had to carry energy of whole organization [00:23:00] Community Is Currency From Preston Smiles and Garin Jones (Garin Oay): "Community is currency" So many people fear going broke, not having enough, failing Problem is fear based on tangible idea that universe is finite (it's not) When you have community, you can't ever truly be broke [00:23:40] Millions Lost This Year Father-in-law hung himself, business suffered massively from canceled contracts and tariffs Millions and millions of dollars lost this year Yet in community, realized he's building coaching program with incredible people Doesn't do social media marketing, no interest in being that person ever again [00:24:40] Asking for Withdrawals Community only becomes currency when you ask for support Garin said: "You're not asking for help. Biggest bridges are suspension bridges, need support" Each of us in different places in lives, can offer different levels of support In mastermind, do ton of testing (Gene Keys, Human Design, Enneagram, Kolby, Working Genius) [00:25:00] Partnering People's Genius If someone is high quick start and another is high fact finder, partner them Quick start can temper fact finder, fact finder can challenge quick start Same thing exists in relationships All you have to do is ask for support because rising tide lifts all ships [00:26:00] Michael Dash Asked Where He Could Help Michael Dash asked where he could help Eric said he loves being on podcasts if Michael has any friends That was an invitation Michael offered Not natural for Eric, he'd rather give support (then he's in control, can't be turned down) [00:27:00] Jesse Elder's Lesson on Giving Jesse pointed out: when you give to someone who appreciates it, amazing feeling But by not allowing others to give to you, you're depriving them of same experience It's stealing from them Can't have one-sided relationship, there must be reciprocity [00:30:00] The 65-Foot Boat Experience Client Michael concerned about how he'd contribute to Kevin's event Two days later called back with idea: offer 65-foot boat for Seattle water experience Could have been time when Kevin said "you don't need to do that" Would have been worst thing for Michael who put two days of thought into it [00:32:20] The Truth of the Last Year Wrote second book, realized first 10 chapters sounded like hero's journey Wrote afterward about reality: all the hardships of last year These things are still hard, difference is capacity to be present with them Learning that level of intimacy changes every relationship [00:33:00] Most Masculine Thing You Can Do Learning to ask in way that's not demeaning of masculinity or polarity Most masculine thing: truly open visor and show what's inside Show your fear, show your pain, be with someone and let them see They can hold it [00:34:00] The Royals Mastermind Group for men and women who want to step into their king or queen energy Not overwhelmed, not living in fear or anxiety Deeply present with all that is End goal: businesses that work to support us, build legacies that matter [00:35:00] The Deeper Relationship There may be deeper relationship you've overlooked: relationship with yourself While outside relationships deeply important, they help us see reflections of ourselves Relationship we carry for who we are, for honoring our challenges is most difficult There's deeper layer of connection to self   KEY QUOTES "Community is currency. So many people fear going broke, not having enough, that they will fail. The problem is we have this fear based on this tangible idea. The universe is finite. And it's not. The universe is infinite. When you have community, you can't ever truly be broke." - Eric Farewell (quoting Preston Smiles and Garin Jones) "You're not asking for help. The biggest bridges in the world are suspension bridges. They need support from others, and each of us are in different places in our lives and can offer different levels of support." - Garin Jones (shared by Eric Farewell) "If you are not allowing others to pour into you the way you pour into them, it's a one-sided relationship. There is no reciprocity, and that's the deepest part of a relationship." - Eric Farewell CONNECT WITH ERIC FAREWELL 

What if your 11% success rate means you're absolutely crushing it? In this episode, Paul Kirchoff shares how he helps small growth businesses and their leaders accelerate success through EPX Global, a breakthrough AI-centric acceleration platform and ecosystem. As an avid entrepreneur, investor, and global adventurer, Paul is the founder and CEO of EPX Global, where members around the world drive faster business success, max out amazing experiences, and push individual performance to new levels. Paul is also the Founder and CEO of DominoOne, an impact accelerator and crowdsourced problem-solving platform. Paul built two marketing software/agency companies and multi-billion dollar business units at Dell Computer Corporation as an early employee. He's a member of the 113-year-old Explorers Club, DJs electronic music, wrote a corporate thriller novel (giving proceeds to cancer research), and made a film about racism. Paul is developing frontier-level expertise in operationalizing artificial intelligence across the enterprise in every department. Paul reveals two relationships that transformed him in ways nobody has ever answered this question before: a Mongolian eagle hunter he met in the far eastern corner of Mongolia, an older gentleman who had zero knowledge of America, spoke no English, and lived in a yurt with horses and golden eagles as pets, teaching Paul about authentic human connection beyond labels and systems, which became the core culture he built into his technology platform where single moms are valued equally with astronauts; and a police officer who arrested him at 32 after a casual happy hour (though Paul was sober), leading to community service at a center for the deaf and blind where he spent weeks rewinding VHS tapes while listening to thought leaders teach cutting-edge SEO and digital marketing, which gave him the advanced knowledge to start his marketing agency that became successful and sold 13 years later, ultimately leading to his trip to Mongolia and the realization he needed to build EPX Global.   [00:04:00] What Paul Does at EPX Global Tech veteran CEO with many startups, sold companies, shut down companies Early employee at Dell Computer Corporation before anyone in Austin knew who Michael Dell was Built EPX Global as AI-centric ecosystem for small growth businesses and their leaders Heavy artificial intelligence expertise helping companies accelerate success, health, and experiences [00:05:00] Making Everything Go Faster Helps accelerate time to best performance unique to genetics on health side Helps companies accelerate success with AI, connections, and knowledge Makes sure people don't forget to dance under the Milky Way because life is short [00:06:00] Living in Service of Others Used to be financial goals and status symbols when younger, none of that matters now Addicted to a blank sheet of paper, gifted to solve or invent anything Respect for fellow humans (all a unit of one on their own unique journey) Living in service of others by replicating himself with technology [00:07:00] Building a Top Marketing Agency Built and sold one of top demand generation agencies in world Controlled front page of Google, Facebook called asking how they converted traffic Always on cutting edge of deploying technology in marketing (technical + psychology) [00:08:20] AI Systems for Every Business Size Wanted to build AI systems for small businesses (missing factor for 10x resources) Also doing business transformation consulting for billion-dollar companies Helping bigger companies go from where they are to AI-first operations [00:09:20] The 60% Revenue Increase Every Month Networking ecosystem connects people to solutions for health, happiness, business, capital People battling depression got connected to biohacking guys, transformed their lives One client company 60-70% higher revenue every single month with zero change to headcount [00:11:00] Being the X Factor AI systems deployed handle support, become AI salesperson, become AI marketing team Small businesses can grow beyond traditional chains with 10x resources All about being X factor in people's lives or facilitating X factor with someone else [00:14:00] The 11% Success Rate Discovery Expert guest on platform said his success rate is 14% (very successful guy) Paul did the math on his own attempts, came out to 11% success rate Entrepreneurs put enormous pressure on themselves, need different perspective [00:16:00] Trust in an AI World Real meaningful relationships becoming more and more valuable with AI Building networking assistant governed by user (uses your reasoning to find value) Human connection and that magnetic field around our hearts makes us who we are [00:19:40] When Social Media Became Entertainment Facebook, Instagram, TikTok devolved into micro entertainment channels (not networking) Feeds filled with ads and sponsored posts, no actual networking EPX Global has no ads, every connection based on merit of what you want [00:20:20] Photorealistic Fake Content AI video (Sora, Veo) can create photorealistic content that's completely fake Consumer backlash coming for authenticity in connections Business will embrace AI efficiency (hyper-efficient usually wins) [00:23:00] Two People, No Names Never anyone Paul looks up to or admires or wants to be like who affected his life Been blessed to meet incredible people (Pope, Richard Branson's Island, etc.) Two people come to mind that transformed everything Both people Paul has no idea where they are or their names [00:24:20] Far Eastern Mongolia Was entrepreneur working 14 hours a day for decade plus, one-trick pony success Knew needed to desperately change something, chose adventure Took group to far eastern corner of Mongolia to ride horses with eagle hunters Met older gentleman in yurt who had zero knowledge of America or United States [00:25:40] The Man with Golden Eagles Man spoke zero English, wore fox neck tie, had pet golden eagles (40 pounds) Paul realized this is furthest from his life as tech guy (opposite side of life) Both excited to meet each other as new friends with zero in common [00:27:00] Single Moms and Astronauts Brought that spiritualness and core value into network he built Despite super achievers (swimming oceans, skiing Everest, gold medals), none of that matters Single mom raising five good kids might be more impressive than astronaut [00:27:40] The Saturday Night Traffic Stop At 32, coming out of casual happy hour, got pulled over Told officer honestly: "I had two drinks over last hour, I'm clearly fine" Officer said he seemed like nice guy but made him do sobriety test Got arrested and taken downtown (was actually sober, officer kept saying he was nicest person) [00:28:40] Community Service for the Deaf and Blind Offered to do community service to get charge expunged Chose center for deaf and blind, job was rewinding VHS tapes in warehouse Asked supervisor if he could listen to music, supervisor said yes [00:29:20] SEO Lessons in His Ears Instead of music, put in thought leaders teaching SEO and digital marketing For weeks on end, hours a day, learning cutting-edge techniques from pioneers After that, was so advanced in knowledge that led to starting agency Agency became successful and powerful, sold it 13 years later [00:30:00] The Chain of Events If officer hadn't arrested him, wouldn't have had that learning experience Wouldn't have had confidence to start agency that got him burnt out Wouldn't have gone to Mongolia and realized need to build network [00:31:00] In the Canyon Before the Summit At the time was devastated, seemed horrible (younger without perspective) Now incredibly grateful it happened When in the canyon, you're about to go to the summit [00:32:20] When Identity Gets Wrapped Up Greatest risk to mental health is when identity tied to something other than happiness If identity wrapped up in labels (AI whisperer, top guy), devastated when things go wrong Separate identity from accomplishments to stomach any ups and downs [00:38:00] The Leader in the Back AI exercise: meditate on what you look like as future leader Paul's image: crowd moving down valley, Paul in the back (slightly bigger) Leader in back can move crowds (not showing off Maserati or boat) [00:39:00] A Multitude of Miracles However someone gets through life (good/bad parents, heartbreak, etc.) shapes them Everyone made it to this one moment in time (mathematically massive miracle) When you respect everyone like that, you operate without ability to judge or be judged [00:39:40] Operating Without Fear When you don't judge or feel judged, you operate without expectations Without expectations means without fear of future negative ramifications Can be yourself, be present, love everybody, still compete   KEY QUOTES "I did the math and my success rate is like 11%. And I feel like I'm fairly successful, right? I've learned to not really give a shit about what your definition of success is." - Paul Kirchoff "There's zero in common, zero knowledge about each other. And it was one of the most remarkable moments because it shows you this level of connection that's possible when you drop labels and systems and passports and everything else." - Paul Kirchoff "If that guy wouldn't have arrested me, I wouldn't have started an agency, wouldn't have gotten burnt out, wouldn't have gone to Mongolia, and wouldn't be on this call today." - Paul Kirchoff CONNECT WITH PAUL KIRCHOFF 

What if hearing God speak to you in the last row of a church saved you from losing everything? In this episode, James Brown shares how he helps professional service business owners scale their businesses without sacrificing their lives through Business Accelerator Institute and Perseverance Squared. After launching his first business in 1994 and rapidly expanding to $8M in annual revenue, James transitioned to coaching in 2014 and has now guided over 450 business owners to significant growth. He launched Small Law Firm University, growing it to $3 million in revenue within a year, and developed a CMO program generating an additional $2 million annually. James holds a Business degree from Lindenwood University (1989) and JD from St. Louis University (1993). In 2009, he was selected as one of America's Top 20 Premier Experts and featured in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek. James believes all businesses have the same seven working parts, and the only difference is what they sell. James reveals three relationships that transformed him: his wife Sherry, whom he's known since age three when they met in her mom's beauty salon, who believed in him when everyone else said he couldn't achieve his dreams and stood by him through 41 years including his darkest moments; his mentor Darrell Castle, a Memphis-based lawyer who taught him to reject the "cookie cutter" approach and build a business on his own terms, showing him that all businesses share seven working parts regardless of what they sell; and God, whom he encountered in March 2015 after hitting rock bottom (drinking excessively, making terrible choices, nearly losing everything) when a random stranger invited him to church where he heard God speak to him in the last row as the only white person in an all-Black congregation, completely transforming his perspective and leading him to sell his law firm to help other business owners build lives of purpose.   [00:04:20] What James Does at Business Accelerator Institute Helps owners of professional service businesses scale predictably and profitably Focuses on building businesses that serve owners, not the other way around Has helped over 450 business owners achieve this transformation [00:05:20] The Defining Moment with His Wife Second year in business, struggling financially, client asked for refund Wife said: "At the end of the day, you do what's right and everything else will follow" That statement still resonates 30 years later and drives his mission to help more people [00:07:20] How Clients Find Him Primarily word of mouth and brand touches through Interview Valet (on 40 podcasts this year) Results speak for themselves without traditional marketing Recent client: 69-year-old Alabama lawyer practicing 50 years, never broke $500K, just hit $1M this year [00:11:00] The Unorthodox Path to Success Known wife Sherry since age three, met in her mom's beauty salon Parents married at 16, kicked James out at 19 when he announced marriage Told his whole childhood he was "too heavy" to do things, couldn't play sports Made varsity football first year as junior, played four years (nobody in family graduated college) [00:12:40] Working His Way Through Law School Got job at General Motors assembly line, 6 AM to 2:30 PM, went to school 4 PM to 11 PM for 10 years Right before graduating law school, GM announced plant closure Sent out 300 resumes, got zero responses with three kids (ages 5, 2, and 1) Forced to start business by necessity, not by choice [00:14:00] Meeting Mentor Darrell Castle Lawyers conditioned that marketing is "beneath them" Darrell taught him to look at business differently, be different Showed him all businesses have same seven working parts (only difference is what they sell) Set up business around not working past 4:30 PM from day one [00:15:40] Building the $8M Law Practice First rule: Business open till 7 PM and Saturdays, but James wasn't there Hired people and built systems so business ran without him Grew to $8 million annually with offices in four different states [00:16:40] The Dark Years: Getting Too Big for His Britches Started making bad choices despite success (never drank until his 40s) First drink was Irish car bomb followed by 10 kamikaze shots Started spending money on wrong things, went to strip clubs, cheated on wife Wife and him separated, she went on cruise with daughter [00:18:20] The Divine Encounter That Changed Everything March 2015: Drunk at wine bar, random stranger invited him to church next morning Went to that church by himself Sunday morning, sat in last row Only white person in all-Black church, heard God speak to him Never saw that stranger again (believes he was an angel) [00:19:40] The Wake-Up Call Wife told him: "God gives you hints, and if you don't listen, at some point He's going to slap you across the face" Nearly lost everything (wife, business, all going downhill) That March 2015 moment was most influential person: God Decided to sell law firm and start helping other business owners [00:20:20] The Leap of Faith Worked for another company making $330,000 a year coaching business owners 2018: At conference in Jacksonville, told them he was leaving, called wife from airport Goal: Get nine private clients in 60 days to replace income (took nine days) First year did just under $1 million in business [00:22:40] The Catalyst Moments After coaching calls, often sits there thinking "who was that guy?" Works with business owners from $250K to $100M annually Stopped questioning who he is to coach $100M business owners Been blessed with certain gifts and has faith they will continue [00:24:00] The Lesson of Not Labeling Setbacks Example: Payroll in two days is $15K, only $1K in operating account Freaking out keeps you from being creative and finding solutions Takes everything as exactly as it's meant to be and learns from it [00:27:40] The Live Event Revelation $10M, $50M, $100M business owners at tables with under-$500K owners Big business owners worried they wouldn't learn from "smaller" ones $50M and $100M owners took just as many notes (smaller businesses still nimble and innovative) Realized everyone can gain something from each other regardless of revenue size [00:30:00] When Is Enough, Enough? Just turned 60, my wife asked "when is enough, enough?" The Mastermind member asked: "What's your goal?" Answer: "To help people" "How many people on the planet? Are you ever gonna run out of people to help?" Never gonna run out (also volunteers through Red Cross deploying to disasters) [00:32:00] Building Business Accelerator Institute Can only work with so many people one-on-one before hitting bandwidth Goal: Give business owners Harvard-level business degree without Harvard-level dollars Over 55 four-week courses addressing all seven parts of business $249/month, includes two-hour open office hours every Wednesday [00:35:00] Final Wisdom: You're the Average of the Five Don't pay attention to what other people say, surround yourself with people who inspire you "You're the average of the five people you hang out with the most—and it's true" Example: Son played goalie since age 5, adapted performance to level of teammates around him Hang around like-minded individuals who inspire you to go where you want to go   KEY QUOTES "At the end of the day, you do what's right and everything else will follow." - Sherry Brown "All businesses have the same seven working parts. Literally the only thing that's different is what we sell. The concept of running a very successful business and scaling it is simple. I'm very intentional with that word. I'm never gonna say it's easy, but the concept is simple." - James Brown CONNECT WITH JAMES BROWN 

What if witnessing 10 deaths in 23 years changed your view on life? In this episode, Kyle Skalisky shares how he helps teams build cultures of trust, respect, and accountability through his company Wyld Sky Aerospace and Management Consulting. After 23 years as a fighter pilot (F-15, F-16 aggressor, and F-18 in operational flight tests) and 15 years in the aerospace industry doing flight tests, Kyle recently stepped down as president and CEO of Check Six Aero Solutions to focus on giving back. His book "A Skyless Traveled: A Maverick Life of Leadership, Resilience, and the Pursuit of Purpose" shares lessons learned from the cockpit about building exceptional teams. Kyle believes good teams need three things: character (how people treat those who can do nothing for them), competence (people who can get the job done and are willing to learn), and commitment to the mission. He also wrote the book for his six and four-year-old sons, wanting to leave something showing what their father did for 50 years before they were born. Kyle reveals three relationships that shaped him: meeting President Ronald Reagan at his Air Force Academy graduation in 1984, whose speech about being solution-oriented rather than a naysayer set the tone for his career; his parents who married at 16, had six kids by 29, and just celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary teaching him dedication and never giving up on people; and his best friend Malibu, a talented pilot who died at 30 when he hit the ground during a Red Flag exercise. Witnessing 10-11 deaths in 23 years of flying changed Kyle's perspective—he stopped worrying about what people thought and started pursuing what brought joy, realizing that if no one will remember it in five years, it's just not that important.   [00:04:20] From CEO to Giving Back Recently stepped down as president and CEO of Check Six Aero Solutions Now runs Wyld Sky Aerospace and Management Consulting Wrote book "A Skyless Traveled: A Maverick Life of Leadership, Resilience, and the Pursuit of Purpose" Serves wonderful wife Dr. Kyra Carpenter and two boys Wilder (6) and Colt (4) [00:06:00] Why Write the Book Experience is great but people never get opportunity to pass it on to next generation All people's stories are wonderful, wishes more could tell them Wants to lift up next generation that will follow Wrote book for his 6 and 4-year-old boys as older father [00:06:40] Leaving a Legacy Doesn't know how long he gets to be with boys growing up Wanted to leave something showing 50 years before they were born Show what their father did and what he believed in Pass message down to true legacy: children and family [00:07:20] Growing Up in Wenatchee, Washington Parents married at 16, had six children by 29 Didn't have much but knew wanted to do something bigger Didn't fly on airplane until 17 years old, senior in high school First flight was to Air Force Academy physical at Whidbey Island [00:08:00] The First Flight That Changed Everything Had state playoff baseball game that afternoon across state Local orchardist Jim Wade flew him in Cessna 172 Flying over Cascade Mountains, seeing Mount Rainier was transformative Changed into uniform in car, was third batter, hit three-run homer off future major leaguer [00:09:00] Air Force Academy and Finding His Passion Second time flying was leaving for US Air Force Academy (only way to get to college) Got exposed to things small town guy never traveled beyond family station wagon Found passion for flying airplanes at young age Stumbled into it with no idea it would be 23 years as fighter pilot [00:10:00] Fighter Pilot Career Flew F-15 operationally around the world for 23 years Was F-16 aggressor (adversary/bad guy that trains combat pilots) Did exchange tour with US Navy, flew F-18 in operational flight tests Retired after 23 years, went to Raytheon [00:10:40] Entrepreneurial Years Owned Great Harvest Bread company franchise (had a bakery) Co-owner of pro indoor football league team in Spokane Taught him when it's your own money, think more about spending it Helped when managing other people's money at Raytheon and Mitsubishi [00:13:20] Proudest Moment: The Team That Didn't Need Me At Raytheon, experimental R&D test airplane transitioning from single customer Customer said they don't want exclusive use anymore, won't pay for it Five year task to redefine mission, vision, create new organization After five years: "This team doesn't need me anymore, they can do this without me" [00:14:40] From One Program to 15 Had to go out and advertise capability to other Raytheon programs Restructured team to support multiple test projects instead of just one Asset went from supporting one program to 15-16 programs Worth billions of dollars in sales to Raytheon [00:15:40] Mitsubishi: Six Months of Success Mitsubishi trying to certify new regional jet, program having problems Took over program management and flight test team Program for previous 5 years never met schedule or been on budget Within first month, for next 6 months straight met schedule and under budget [00:17:00] Refocusing the Team Just through refocusing team, aligning tasks to priorities Giving people clear idea of what they did and why important to mission Aligned the focus and became best flight test team in business Better than Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, Embraer or any large OEMs [00:19:00] Character, Competence, and Commitment Good teams have people full of character (how they treat those who can do nothing for them) Team needs competence (people who can get job done, willing to learn and improve) Third C is commitment to what they're doing Finding right people with all three is when you will succeed [00:21:20] Meeting President Ronald Reagan Air Force Academy graduation 1984, Reagan handed him diploma Speech that day embodied how Kyle wanted to live his life Not enough to be naysayer pointing out everything wrong Have to be person who can bring forward solutions [00:22:40] Reagan's Impact Shaped views about what was valuable throughout life Optimistic but understood reality, charismatic but not fake Had guiding principles but willing to change Genuinely liked people (important for any leader) [00:24:00] His Parents' Influence Parents are who really had impact on who he became Never made it feel like they gave up something for kids Felt true blessing was getting to have kids in their lives Father was athlete of year, worked morning job, bartended at night while in college [00:25:40] 72 Years Together Parents both 88 years old, just had 72nd wedding anniversary Even when times are hard, don't give up on people, work through it Father didn't become major league player but channeled into coaching Oldest brother became professional baseball player with Philadelphia Phillies [00:27:00] Learning to Live in the Moment Finding joy means learning to live in the moment Let go of past but learn lessons, don't let it define you Don't be so focused on future that you forget what's in front of you Take opportunities that may take you on detour in life [00:28:20] Losing Malibu Best friend Jim "Malibu" Reynolds was academy graduate, talented flyer Designed and built own aerobatic airplane, flew in air shows Made mistake on range in Red Flag exercise, hit ground and died at 30 Changed Kyle at 30 years old, realized it can all end very quickly [00:29:40] 10 Deaths in 23 Years Saw at least 10-11 deaths in 23 years of flying Changed how he looked at things and approached them Before worried about everything, how people thought of him Now: if no one will remember in 5 years, it's just not that important [00:33:00] The Squadron Bar Ritual Friday nights not just about drinking, it's a ritual Chance to bond with people going through similar experience Way to relax, find friendship and bonding in non-retribution way Learned more in one-on-one conversations than formal meetings   KEY QUOTES "I wrote a book because I have those six and four-year-old boys. I am an older father and I don't know how long I get to be with those boys growing up. I wanted to leave something to show for those 50 years before they were born, what their father did and what I believed in." - Kyle Skalisky "Good teams have people full of character. You can't define that on a resume. It's how people treat those who can do nothing for them. But you also have to have competence. Then the third C is commitment." - Kyle Skalisky CONNECT WITH KYLE SKALISKY 

What if your journey from poverty to six countries was shaped by stepping stones of relationships? In this episode, Ghazenfer Mansoor shares how Technology Rivers helps health tech companies build HIPAA compliant software products and helps healthcare service businesses 10x their operations through AI and technology. With a computer science background and experience building a recruitment SaaS company, Ghazenfer started Technology Rivers with one core philosophy: build it right the first time. Too many founders hire developers and end up with never-ending products that keep building but never launch. His team focuses on helping startups with limited money build the right MVP so they can get traction, get customers, and secure more funding. The work creates a double bottom line: supporting businesses solving world problems while creating opportunities and livelihoods for people across six countries. He reveals that his journey wasn't shaped by one person, but by stepping stones of relationships. Growing up in Pakistan in poverty, mentors and friends guided him toward education and opportunities that eventually brought him to the US. Coaches, entrepreneurial groups like EO, and books like "Who Not How" all shaped his direction. The most powerful story? Exchanging business cards at a conference. Months later, that person called about a project. Over six years, that one card exchange generated close to $2 million in business.   [00:05:20] What Technology Rivers Does Software development business serving health tech companies primarily Started helping all verticals but gradually focused just on health tech Help companies build HIPAA compliant software products Work with healthcare service businesses, help them 10x operations through AI and technology [00:06:00] Build It Right the First Time Wanted to fix problem of never-ending products that keep building but never launch Companies hiring developers with products that are never ending Founders have limited money, need to build right MVP to get traction and funding Help startups build products right the first time so they're not broke if it doesn't work [00:08:00] Creating Double Bottom Line Impact Help companies create solutions that solve world's problems Every founder working with them is solving something, changing the world Also creating opportunities for people supporting those projects Team in six different countries, many in growing economies, creating livelihoods [00:10:20] AI is the Biggest Shift Started career in early web, but AI is even much bigger shift Mind blowing how things are moving, but also creating opportunities Much easier now for people who want to create companies and solutions AI not just solving existing problems but bringing new problems to solve [00:12:00] Journey Shaped by Series of Relationships Not just one person, journey shaped by series of relationships as stepping stones Growing up in Pakistan, mentor guided him to take risky opportunity That opportunity created by colleague in same company Friend said "you have to do your master's degree" when Ghazenfer only had diploma [00:13:00] From Poverty to Possibility Friend showed the path, arranged meeting, pushed toward higher education Was in poverty, didn't have means for education People supported along the way giving opportunities on jobs or introducing to something Each opportunity helped get to next step [00:13:40] Coming to the United States Would not have been in US without those opportunities Friend introduced to recruiter who was recruiting for company in US Coach helped see certain things in way he hadn't seen before Entrepreneurial groups (EO, Vistage forums) helped shape journey [00:14:40] Books That Shaped Direction "The Great Game of Business" by Jack Stack - partnership made based on this book "Who Not How" by Dan Sullivan - amazing book "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" by Marshall Goldsmith "How to Win Friends and Influence Others" by Dale Carnegie [00:15:40] Taking the Leap Created own podcast, started speaking engagements Wrote first book "Beyond the Download: How to Build Mobile Apps That People Love, Use, and Share Every Day" Now writing another book All these people contributed to growth, wouldn't be fair to point to just one person [00:19:20] Clients as Partners and Coaches Client gave guidance and tips that helped do things in certain way Coaching came directly from client to team: "If you do it this way, this would help me" Relationship with clients has always been as partners Client guided in terms of how to do things, shaped development effort [00:22:00] Co-Creation is Key Software development and product development can only work if co-creating Not about giving instructions and just doing it Believe in co-creation as collaborative effort Client comes with idea, have to discuss, brainstorm, come up with right way [00:23:40] Challenging in a Positive Way Someone said "you would challenge our client's business approaches" Don't challenge their decision, communicate and make sure they hear alternate options Challenge in positive way: "Have you thought about this alternate option?" Show three ways of doing something with one recommendation [00:24:40] Three Options, One Recommendation Not making decision for client, letting client make decision Giving enough information to make the decision If only give one option and it doesn't go well, it's a problem Software products need that product approach with enough guidance and information [00:27:00] The Power of Physical Business Cards At conferences, people say "Who uses cards nowadays?" Challenge: Once you leave a conference, how do you remember who you connected with? If just connect on LinkedIn, no reference left when you have thousands of contacts Physical cards are cheaper and provide tangible reminder [00:27:40] The $2 Million Card Exchange Years ago at conference, sitting with someone, exchanged cards Few months later, guy called: "We were on same table, you gave me your card" Working on global software project, needed help Got that project, then partner introduced them to another company [00:28:40] Six Years of Business from One Card After six months of work, got another project, then another one Over six years timeframe, got close to $2 million in business From that one card exchange From that point, focused on improving quality of card and keeps bunch with him [00:29:20] Cards Keep You Top of Mind Cards are cheap but provide reminder when back at home or office In sales they talk about follow ups: be in front of people at right time Traditional way but works for Ghazenfer Still keeps bunch with him all the time [00:36:20] Be the Go-To Person Book "Networking is Not Working" by Derek Coburn resonated Want to be go-to person for anything - even if someone needs a plumber Are you the person who's connected to many that friends always call? If you are that person, makes huge difference   KEY QUOTES "Software development, product development can only work if you are co-creating something. If the clients are giving instructions, then we're just like everybody else, then we are not really doing our work. We believe in co-creation." - Ghazenfer Mansoor "You wanna be the go-to person for anything. If somebody even needs a plumber, who do they call? Are you the person who's connected to many that your friends are always calling you?" - Ghazenfer Mansoor (quoting Derek Coburn) CONNECT WITH GHAZENFER MANSOOR 

What if a simple LinkedIn message could get you on the phone with decision-makers immediately? In this episode, Jason Fishman shares how DNA has worked on over 500 investment crowdfunding campaigns that have collectively produced nine figures of capital. His agency specializes in investor marketing and user acquisition, helping brands raise capital through Reg CF, Reg A+, and Reg D filings. Jason's mission stems from a sobering statistic: nine out of ten businesses fail in their first year, and nine out of ten that survive fail the next year. Many of them fail because they're undercapitalized. By using his digital marketing skillset to bring the right investors to marketing funnels and measure actual conversion and return on ad spend, Jason helps companies that are having trouble meeting new investors access the capital they need to survive and thrive. He reveals how he met his business partner Tim Martinez at a 2009 conference after almost skipping a workshop. Jason waited in line 10-15 minutes just to talk to Tim, and that conversation eventually led to co-founding DNA together. Jason also shares his LinkedIn outreach strategy: send 25 invitations per day with customized messaging, look for a 20% acceptance rate, and include a scheduling link by message three. This simple tactic helped DNA connect with FINRA regulated portals and build the strategic partnerships that became instrumental to their success.   [00:05:20] DNA: Investor Marketing and User Acquisition Focused on investor acquisition, targeting investors with advertising and outreach Worked on over 500 deals that collectively produced nine figures of capital Campaigns in 2025 alone have surpassed $100 million raised altogether Helps brands that are having trouble meeting new investors [00:06:20] Why Jason Does This Work Nine out of ten businesses fail in first year, nine out of ten that survive fail the next year Many fail because they're undercapitalized Can use digital marketing skillset to bring right investors to marketing funnel Measure conversion, return on ad spend, total transactional value [00:07:20] Background in Ad Tech Part of social gaming startup in Los Angeles, played role in capital raise Raised over $3 million in seed capital, created countless versions of deck Company merged with advertising network, started working with Fortune 500s Quickly found fundraising was common part of conversation [00:08:20] First Campaign: $2.83 Million First campaign through Reg D 506(c) which allows solicitation of accredited investors Able to target high net worth, high household income audiences with advertising Raised $2.83 million on first campaign for Rayon Solar back in 2015 Reg CF (Regulation Crowdfunding) went into effect May 2016 [00:09:00] The Filings Available Today Can raise up to $5 million on Reg CF campaign Up to $75 million on Regulation A+ campaign (hoping for $150 million soon) Important to have specialization and niche as marketing agency Fell into this area, succeeded, kept getting introductions [00:11:00] What Inspires Jason Most Stat that nine out of ten businesses fail is not acceptable Part of LA accelerator community, works with universities and founders Want to make sure right eyeballs are on their products, companies, brands Funding could be make or break for them [00:12:00] Watching Companies Grow Watch clients' teams grow, their offices, their equipment, market share Seen groups go from $20 million valuations to $3.5 billion valuations Part of Crowdfund Professional Association working on tax credit for investors Would put Regulation Crowdfunding on tax form for every American [00:15:40] Meeting Tim Martinez in 2009 Met at SR Action Sports Retail conference in San Diego Almost didn't attend workshop, last minute walked into "50 Ways to Promote Your Skate Shop" Tim was professional skateboarder, worked in snow/skate/surf sports world 50-100 business owners taking notes on everything Tim said [00:16:20] Waiting in Line 15 Minutes Had to wait in line 10-15 minutes to talk to Tim after presentation First thing Tim asked: "How old are you?" (Tim few years older) Hit it off, had great discussion Tim said "I'm in Hollywood, you're in Hollywood, why don't we grab coffee sometime?" [00:17:00] The Path to Partnership Started pulling Tim into projects at agency, later worked for Tim's agency When Jason was at ad network, Tim asked if interested in starting new firm Tim was consulting companies with no idea about digital marketing Created DNA together, Tim has brought in countless introductions since [00:19:00] Don't Be Bashful Don't let self-doubt and little thoughts stop you ("maybe I'm too young or he's busy") Everyone wants to talk to speakers, why stick around? But Jason did Speakers are there for a reason, looking to have outcome for their time They're thought leaders, experts, probably things you can do together [00:20:40] How Tim Led to Crowdfunding Wouldn't have been possible without relationship with Tim Tim's relationship with Fundable introduced them to Reg D campaigns After success, Tim had friend in film industry with crowdfunding company That partner brought them to first Reg CF campaign in May 2016 [00:25:20] Building Strategic Partnerships Building strategic partnerships has been instrumental to success Would tell founder to incorporate into business plan, marketing plan, model Went to great lengths because saw how effective it was LinkedIn outreach in 2017-2018 got DNA on phone with portals right and left [00:26:00] The LinkedIn Strategy Can send 25 invitations per day from your profile Search by company, job title, company size, industry, zip code Send message with invitation, look for 20% or higher acceptance rate By message three, add scheduling link to streamline booking process [00:27:00] Customized Outreach Have very clear call to action, very visible opportunity on how to connect Every founder, if not every professional, should be doing this Start manually, really customize messaging Build relationships with people who can introduce you to target audience [00:30:00] Do More Don't think "I have a few relationships, I'll hit my goal" It's all about driving enough traffic at high enough conversion rate 50,000 visits per million raised at 2% conversion rate and $1,000-$2,000 average investment Engage experts, talk to people, do not be bashful   KEY QUOTES "It's all about relationships. Your net worth is your network. Some people say it the other way around. Your network is your net worth." - Jason Fishman "Whether they're on television or a billionaire or leading a workshop or whatever it may look like, don't be afraid to go up to 'em and talk to 'em. There's no telling what it could look like 16 years into that relationship." - Jason Fishman "Building strategic partnerships has been instrumental to the success of our business, and it's something I would tell a founder to incorporate into their business plan, marketing plan, and their model." - Jason Fishman CONNECT WITH JASON FISHMAN 

What if the contract you didn't get was actually the answer to your prayer? In this episode, Eric Collett shares how he helps entrepreneurs and executives optimize their brain health to function at an elite level. His work goes upstream, identifying the trajectory decades before diseases like Alzheimer's show symptoms, because most people don't realize that Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases generally start decades before the first symptoms appear. Eric's team has developed the Enhance Protocol, helping clients improve brain function by 20-30% so they can learn faster, understand new technologies more rapidly, find words faster, have more stable mental health, and prevent cognitive decline to stay in the game longer. He reveals losing what would've been his biggest contract in Arizona. After two weeks of silence following a handshake agreement, he prayed: "If it's not the right thing, please don't let it happen." The CEO called to say they'd met nurse practitioner Randy Vawdrey who could actually reverse cognitive decline. Eric told them "You should work with Randy, that's a huge opportunity." Months later, Randy called to collaborate. They met at 6pm and talked until after midnight going through a Bible-sized stack of research. Within six months, Eric asked Randy to become his business partner, a relationship that put him through an intentional crash course in med school for years.   [00:05:20] Optimal Brain Health is Required Believes optimal brain health required for optimal results in business and life Brain is like hardware, everything we're learning and striving to do is like software Loading new software on crummy old dysfunctional hardware never gets great results Good brain health needed for better relationships, better business [00:06:00] Improving Brain Function by 20-30% Team developed organized system to identify root cause issues affecting brain performance Make specific recommendations, track objectively Help people improve brain function by 20-30% Can learn faster, understand new technologies more rapidly, find words faster, have more stable mental health [00:07:20] Who They Serve All ages: younger people with traumatic brain injuries, people in 30s with brain fog People 50-80 noticing things aren't what they used to be Especially focus on entrepreneurs and executives who want to function at elite level Most people miss opportunity to quantify it objectively instead of just guessing [00:10:00] Gary Plummer: From Doorknob to Stage Gary Plummer played linebacker for San Francisco 49ers, won Super Bowl ring Shortly after retiring, couldn't remember how to install doorknob (had done many times) Could go from zero to fighting mad at drop of hat, had to isolate from people Wouldn't drive on freeways, wouldn't travel without handler to meet at airport [00:11:20] The Transformation Eric's team helped take Gary's cognitive scores from 58th percentile to 86th percentile Several years later, now above average overall on tests Got to watch Gary step on stage at Forever Young Foundation event in Arizona Had quit speaking because he would lose train of thought, now presenting confidently [00:13:40] Alzheimer's Starts Decades Before Symptoms Nationally recognized expert, spoken in 39 of 50 states to healthcare professionals Alzheimer's and diseases like Parkinson's generally start decades before first symptoms We've grown up in "sick care system" that waits till you have serious problem 40-95% of Alzheimer's cases believed to be preventable [00:18:00] Think of Your Brain as a Boat When things are good, riding high in water, moving at top speed When not good, starting to take on water Common for people to get forgetful as they get older, but that's not normal, that's evidence of disease Brain health is never about one thing, it's multifactorial (80-100 things) [00:19:20] One Client: 68th to 99th Percentile Client is 42 years old, wrote LinkedIn article about experience Went from 68th percentile in cognitive functioning to 99th percentile Getting better results in life and business today Has lot more assurance he's changed trajectory for tomorrow [00:20:40] The Contract I Didn't Get Early 2017, started A Mind For All Seasons as solopreneur Opportunity to work with Arizona company designing memory care program for entire portfolio Met with owners, left with handshake agreement, supposed to get contract in couple days Couple days turned into more than two weeks [00:22:00] The Prayer Prayed: "I want this to happen, this would make my year" "If it's not the right thing, please don't let it happen" "I promise I will be grateful, I may not understand it, but I can be grateful in all things" Within day or two, CEO called [00:22:20] Meeting Randy Vawdrey CEO said they met nurse practitioner with advanced training in neurodegenerative diseases Randy had done fellowship with Dr. Bredesen at UCLA, Buck Institute for Research on Aging Dr. Bredesen's 2014 paper "Reversal of Cognitive Decline" showed 9 out of 10 patients with remarkable improvement Company said "We can't afford both Randy and you, we're going to work with Randy" [00:23:40] "You Should Work With Randy" Eric told them "You should, that's a huge opportunity, no one's doing that" They suggested "You should call Randy, he lives in Idaho like you do" Eric thought "I'm not gonna call Randy, I don't have time, I just lost biggest contract" Hustled for couple months [00:24:20] Randy Called Randy called out of the blue, said company wanted him to train staff "I'm a clinician, I don't do that, I want to explore collaborating" Eric was driving through Randy's part of state next week, said "Why don't we get together?" Went to Randy's house at 6pm, was there till after midnight [00:25:00] The Bible-Sized Stack of Research Randy brought out huge Bible-sized stack of research, slammed it on coffee table Started going through footnotes of the footnotes, what he'd learned with real patients Eric left 100% recognizing they could make far bigger difference Had agreement to split the contract, neither would make much money [00:25:40] "Will You Be My Business Partner?" Within six months Eric said "Randy, what are we doing dating? We need to work together" "Will you be my business partner? Let's go all in on this" All these years later still working together, still innovating Randy put Eric through intentional crash course in med school [00:26:00] The Education Every Friday and Monday morning at 7am for a few years, met for hour or two Randy taught Eric how to read labs, physiology and science behind everything Continued teaching ever since "Short of my own family, he has done more to affect my life than any human on the planet" [00:27:40] The Vision: Impact a Million Lives Current goal: impact another million lives in next two to three years Eight billion people on planet, everybody has brain, everybody needs optimal brain health Majority of Americans not metabolically healthy Alzheimer's nicknamed "diabetes of the brain" [00:32:40] Social Engagement Reduces Cognitive Decline From research standpoint, being more socially engaged reduces risk of cognitive decline Not only better in business and more joy in life, it's better for your brain Prioritizing relationships and being connected matters deeply for cognitive and mental health   KEY QUOTES "Diseases like Alzheimer's disease, which I'm a nationally recognized expert in. I've literally talked in 39 of the 50 states to healthcare professionals. Most people don't realize that Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's generally start decades before the first symptoms ever show up." - Eric Collett "I prayed and I literally said, I want this to happen. This would just make my year. If it's not the right thing, please don't let it happen, and I promise that I will be grateful. I may not understand it, but I can be grateful in all things." - Eric Collett "Being more socially engaged actually reduces the risk of cognitive decline. So not only are things better in business, and not only do you have more joy in life, it's actually better for your brain." - Eric Collett CONNECT WITH ERIC COLLETT 

What if feeling like you only had a stick on the battlefield was the moment God showed you the sword? In this episode, Francis Piché shares his declaration: to create the best men's group in the world for conscious men who want to establish something beyond their own life. The Knight Club isn't just about mission, it's about working on that mission together with brothers who share the heroic code (humility, excellence, respect, optimism, integrity, and courage). His vision? Chapters around the world where men can travel to Paris, London, Barcelona, or Sydney and know they'll connect with people like them who they can do life and business with. Francis was inspired by a recent trip to Scotland where he felt deeply connected to the knighthood and brotherhood, realizing this is his next chapter. He reveals the dark night in Orange County when he felt so powerless that ending it all seemed like the only option. Financial debt, feeling worthless in a place full of luxury cars, unable to even talk to a woman because his self-esteem was on the floor. After rejecting his friend's money in anger, he told his brother Jason he felt like all he had on the battlefield was a stick, not even a sword. That conversation saved his life. Later, Francis asked for the photo of the bright star he'd seen that night. The star's name? Sisaph, which means "the sword of the giant." God had the story for him all along. Francis also shares how his sales mentor Bob Smith told him after selling his entire year's quota in six months: "What do you mean 150%? Your goal is 200%. That's how successful people think."   [00:07:06] The Knight Club Declaration Declaration: Create the best men's group in the world for conscious men, men of faith Men who want to establish something beyond their own life, creating a legacy Rising together in ups and downs, working on mission together Differentiator: Not only thinking about mission, working on it with Thinking Into Results program [00:08:40] The Vision: Chapters Around the World Vision inspired by recent Scotland trip, felt connected to knighthood and brotherhood Imagine chapters everywhere: Paris, London, Barcelona, Sydney, South America Connect with people like you who share the heroic code Can do life and business with them, have great time traveling [00:09:20] The Heroic Code Humility, excellence, respect, optimism, integrity, and courage All guys in group embody these attributes, you can rely on this Creating retreats for men, sometimes incorporating women together Traveling, connecting great people, business owners, dreamers who want to make difference [00:11:40] Am I Alive While I'm Alive? Best friend died last year out of nowhere at 47 Asked himself: "Am I alive while I'm alive? Am I having a bold life?" Bold means: Brave, Original, Loving, and having Dedication to a cause/mission Purpose of life: be fully alive, being free, helping others, making a difference [00:17:00] The Dark Night in Orange County Two-three years ago, perfect storm: waiting for clients not responsive, deeply in debt Felt not good for own clients, business not showing up, felt powerless and meaningless Saw beautiful woman at hookah bar but too scared to talk, she left in McLaren Friend Simon teased "Be a man, why don't you talk to her?" hitting self-esteem to floor [00:19:20] The Stick on the Battlefield Rejected friend's money with gesture he felt, was rejecting own friend and self "What's the point? Why am I here? I'm not even a man" Only reason didn't consider ending it: didn't want burden of bringing body back to parents Friend Jason had long conversation, wouldn't let him give up [00:21:00] The Sword of the Giant Told Jason: "If I was on battlefield right now, all I have is a stick, not even a sword" After conversation felt reignited, asked for photo of bright star from that night Looked up name of star: Sisaph, which means "the sword of the giant" "God had that story for you. You're the giant, you're the star. Remember this." [00:22:20] The Power of Brotherhood Moment of reawakening the giant within Not just support in bad times, also celebrating good times All have ceilings, all have pressure (next exit, firing employees, etc.) Requires new identity to go to next level [00:24:40] The Godfather's Wisdom At 16, godfather gave birthday card: "Don't choose job for paycheck" "Do what makes your heart come alive, otherwise you'll be poor all your life" Chose multinational job for $55K over $30K small organization that offered travel Was miserable for four years, flames diminished every day [00:26:20] Found the Card 20 Years Later At 36, found the card and realized: "He was right" Associated being successful with getting all that, which is a lie If you have enough of your why and excitement, you'll go through challenges Purpose of living: to be fully enlivened [00:27:20] Bob Smith: The Sales Mentor Week before starting new job at Xerox, fiancée said "I want to cancel the wedding" Three months before wedding, she left next day, "house of cards collapsed" Sales coach Bob Smith at bootcamp helped him recreate himself Bob's lesson: "Seven things to be a successful salesperson... #7 most important: Have fun" [00:29:00] "You Can Do Anything You Want" After bootcamp, thanked Bob for the week Bob put hand on shoulder, piercing eyes: "I've watched you this week" "You can do anything you want in your life. It's just up to you" Gave permission to go for it [00:29:40] Sold Entire Year in Six Months Won rookie of the year, at six months sold whole year's quota Told Bob "My goal now is 150% for President's Club" Bob: "What do you mean 150%? Your goal is 200%. That's how successful people think" Ended at 167% of plan, almost best in entire company, second place [00:37:20] Are You Alive While You're Alive? Friend passed away from running, something burst in heart, died at 47 Life is precious, not just at 65-80, but now Mission: make sure fully playing game, not playing small Other friend with cancer chose date, said: "Never let anyone or anything sway you from who you really are"   KEY QUOTES "The name of the star was Sisaph, which means the sword of the giant. All along, while you're at your lowest point, God had that story for you. You're the giant, you're the star." - Francis Piché "You can do anything you want in your life. It's just up to you." - Bob Smith (to Francis) CONNECT WITH FRANCIS PICHÉ 

What if the most powerful communicators aren't the most polished ones? In this episode, Dia Bondi shares how watching a three-day communication skills class transformed her life. She had no resume to support her desire, but she made the ask that changed everything: "Will you apprentice me?" That mentor said yes, and 25 years later, she's still helping leaders speak powerfully from who they truly are. Dia's work goes beyond messaging to something deeper: helping clients articulate what they have to say before figuring out how to say it. She's coached VC-backed founders past Series B, VP-level executives, and even helped Rio de Janeiro win the right to host the 2016 Olympics (a $7 billion decision) without ever knowing who referred her. Dia reveals the six attributes of the most compelling communicators: they make the choice to be big in big moments, they know how to make strategic asks, they absolutely know their voice, they've got killer setups for their asks, they bridge their voice to the business really well, and they prep on purpose by actually talking through what they'll say.  She shares the story of a founder who created a 40-minute story to invite existing customers to help inform what gets built next. That task drove $10 million of value in the business. Dia also explains why the most powerful moment in her career might have been her first deal that included both cash and shares, because once she did it once, she now had the confidence and understanding to recreate it over and over again.   [00:08:20] The Ask That Changed My Life Watched three-day communication skills class about storytelling in business Had no resume to support desire to do that work Asked if he would apprentice her, and he did 25 years later still finds it compelling because it truly moves the needle for people [00:10:20] What You Have to Say vs. How to Say It Messaging is "how do I say it?" but Dia lives in the step before that "What is it that you have to say?" Until a leader can articulate things that feel innate but aren't obvious, can't create the message First articulate what you have to say, then figure out how best to express it [00:12:00] The 40-Minute Story Worth $10 Million Former client needed to invite existing customers to participate in informing product development Put together compelling story bridging what founder has to say with story of business Set up really killer ask, 40-minute story to set up that ask Client secured participation needed, will drive about $10 million of value in business [00:17:20] The First Deal With Shares Introduction to blockchain company working directly with founders First time setting up deal that included both cash and shares It paid off, and importantly gave confidence and understanding Once you do it first time, now have opportunity to do it over and over because it's in your radar [00:20:00] Helping Rio Win the Olympics bid Got a request over the internet: "We heard you're good, can you give us a call?" Turned out to be production team working on Rio's bid for 2016 Olympics $7 billion decision, got to work in those teeny tiny rooms where stories get crafted Still doesn't know who referred her, but knows what part of work it came from [00:24:40] Six Attributes of Powerful Communicators One: Make choice to be big in big moments (not about being polished or showboat) Two: Know how to make strategic asks and use asking strategically Three: Absolutely know their voice and can give good feedback to creative collaborators Four: Got killer setups for the asks they make of partners [00:27:20] The Last Two Attributes Five: Bridge their own voice to the business really well Six: Prep on purpose by actually talking through it, not just thinking about it One founder's pregame routine: end call, go downstairs, change shirt, wash face, drink water If he did that six times in day, he'd go through six shirts [00:30:00] Kevin's $16.1 Million Conversation 2003, owned cleaning and restoration company with website producing $15,000/month Mentor Joe Polish: "Come speak at event, document what you do into a course" Had never spoken publicly before, invested in Speaker's Bootcamp training Made $35,000 in course sales that day, but that wasn't the big win [00:32:40] The Real Big Win Over next 12 years sold $16.1 million worth of that course All because of one conversation: "Why don't you come down and speak?" Brought energy, joyfulness, willingness to share with generosity When you're invited, say yes   KEY QUOTES "I made the ask that changed my life. That gentleman brought me in and let me watch his class. I asked if he would apprentice me, and he did." - Dia Bondi "The most compelling communicators make the choice to be big in big moments. And that's never about being a showboat." - Dia Bondi CONNECT WITH DIA BONDI 

What if saying your goals out loud, got you an email introducing you to your hero? In this episode, Cliff Ravenscraft shares how he walked away from a family insurance agency (started by his grandfather in 1937) where he was next in line to lead, all because of a podcast about the TV show Lost. After building an audience of 60,000 subscribers and receiving over 500 handwritten letters from people whose lives were transformed, Cliff realized his real calling wasn't selling insurance or being a pastor. It was teaching people how to use their voice to create content that matters. He's since helped over 40,000 people launch podcasts, but discovered something critical: nine out of ten failed because they skipped the first seven steps of building an online business. Step eight? Create content and build your audience. Everything else comes first. Cliff reveals the four-step formula that led to a $3 million relationship: believe it's possible, write it down, tell others, and work the plan as it becomes available. He also shares why his first year as a full-time entrepreneur, working 14-hour days seven days a week for $11,000, ended with a 24-hour podcast marathon and two weeks in the hospital where he almost died.   [00:05:00] Helping 40,000 People Launch Podcasts Left very lucrative career in family insurance agency started by grandfather in 1937 Went out to teach people how to launch podcasts Helped more than 40,000 people in the world launch a podcast Published over 4,800 podcast episodes across 55+ shows in 20 years [00:11:20] The First Year That Almost Killed Him First year full-time: 12-14 hours a day, seven days a week, not one day off first nine months Didn't receive single personal paycheck, just earned enough to pay business expenses End of year brought home $11,000 net personal income after taxes Celebrated with 24-hour podcast marathon, ended with two weeks in hospital [00:13:20] Why Nine Out of Ten Podcasters Fail In 2012, more than 50 of top 100 business podcasts were Cliff's clients But nine out of ten failed to ever see sustainable profit or any income Created 11-step framework for building online business Step number eight: create content and build audience (first seven steps were missed) [00:14:40] The Workshop That Changed Everything In 2017 stopped teaching podcasting, started coaching through what people missed One person earned no income before workshop, within two weeks secured $5,000/month recurring Coaches charging $50/hour walked out charging $300/hour "This is what fires me up" [00:16:40] Choose an Audience With Money Most people fail to choose audience that has money Ideal customer must have money, be aware of problem, willing to pay to solve it "I've got entire audience of tens of thousands and none of them have any money" Must validate they will pay before you create website, logo, podcast content [00:20:00] The Two Conditions At 18, convinced life would be devoted to ministry with servant's heart Parents asked him to work in insurance office because of computer skills Told parents: "You will never expect me to get insurance license" "If I'm offered opportunity to pastor church, I must get your full blessing to leave" [00:24:20] Top 10 Out of 14,000 Insurance Agents Year 2000, top 10 out of 14,000 agents with Grange Life Insurance Top 50 out of 48,000 agents with Auto Owners Life Insurance Sold 30-100 policies per month selling term life insurance All while competing against people selling permanent life (much higher premiums) [00:25:40] The Lost Podcast Changed Everything 2005, started podcasting as hobby about TV show Lost By third episode had 27,000 subscribers around the world Audience grew to over 60,000 subscribers Wooden inbox with over 500 handwritten letters: "Because of something you said, my life will never be the same" [00:28:00] Reaching Hundreds of Thousands Within 18 months reaching hundreds of thousands through seven different podcasts Producing seven to fifteen podcast episodes per week People's lives being transformed "I wonder what life would be like if I could do this for a living" [00:30:40] Testing the Four Step Formula Heard four-step formula: believe it's possible, write it down, tell others, work the plan Decided to test it with specific goal: meet Dan Miller and Leo LaPorte Didn't want to just meet at conference and be forgotten Wanted to tell them their influence and have them not forget meeting him [00:32:40] Forty Minutes After Hitting Publish Recorded podcast episode explaining formula and his goal Hit publish, 40 minutes later got email from Andy Troub (the connector) "I happen to be working on a project with Dan Miller. He's already aware of who you are" "Would you like me to introduce you?" [00:34:00] From Hero to Consulting Client One week later, Dan Miller was guest on Cliff's podcast After the interview, Dan asked "Can I schedule a consulting call with you?" Cliff told Dan audio quality was terrible, people can't make themselves listen Dan: "I really appreciate how honest you are. What do you recommend?" [00:35:00] The Weekend in Franklin, Tennessee Dan said order duplicate of everything in studio, ship to house "Come spend weekend with me, stay in guest room, help me build podcast studio" Dan started telling massive audience about Cliff Ravenscraft Cliff was booked solid for years because of that relationship [00:36:00] The Michael Hyatt Introduction Dan told Michael Hyatt (CEO Thomas Nelson Publishing) podcast was #1 marketing tool Dan did email introduction to Michael Hyatt Within a week, Cliff was in Franklin staying in Michael's guest room Setting up Michael's podcast studio [00:37:40] $3 Million in Revenue Between Dan Miller and Michael Hyatt relationships alone Can trace at least $3 million in revenue to those two Also met Leo LaPorte, both goals from four-step formula checked off Tested formula over and over, it worked every time [00:40:20] The 10-Step Formula Over time developed 10-step formula (includes four steps plus six others) Six other steps where you don't have to wait for plan to become available Ask series of questions that will give you next step Email cliff@cliffravenscraft.com with subject "10 step formula" for free video   KEY QUOTES  "I've got an entire audience of tens of thousands of people and none of them have any money, and none of them will buy any of my products and services. This is why you're creating content year after year with no real income." - Cliff Ravenscraft "Forty minutes after I published that episode, I got an email from Andy Troub saying Dan Miller is already aware of who you are, he's been having trouble with his podcast, would you like me to introduce you?" - Cliff Ravenscraft CONNECT WITH CLIFF RAVENSCRAFT 

What if restoring impossible relationships just required knowing what's on the other side? In this episode, Greg Stephens shares how 24 years as a master trainer for Crucial Conversations taught him that breakthroughs aren't permanent until they're practiced over and over. That realization led him to shift from training to coaching, creating a six-month program where executives and emerging leaders have conversations they never thought possible. His specialty? Seeing relationships like some people see music, orchestrating conversations where people show up as their best. Greg also reveals why his mentor Bill Solomon intentionally made his welding job miserable before college, teaching him the resilience he'd need to push through Baylor surrounded by wealthy students. Most powerfully, he explains "emotional accounting": why putting off a Friday conversation until Monday doesn't just ruin your weekend, it costs you exponentially more on the back end.   [00:04:44] What Alignment Resources Does Company goal: everyone eats at the trough (trainers train, coaches coach, sales people sell, speakers speak) Greg's specialty lives in areas of difficult relationships, everyone has at least one Works with relationships that seem impossible Application of Crucial Conversations tools for talking when stakes are high [00:05:40] Twenty-Four Years Teaching Crucial Conversations Was master trainer in Crucial Conversations, taught it for 24 years starting in 2001 Before the book was written, it was called "Path to Dialogue" then "Dialogue Smarts" One of first master trainers, stayed until January this year when he released his book Got to travel the world, train on stage, do keynote talks [00:06:00] Why Breakthroughs Need Practice People would take class, have great experience, have aha breakthrough moments Found that breakthroughs aren't permanent until they're practiced over and over If you want permanence around a breakthrough, you've gotta go do something That piece was lacking, so decided to shift business to coaching [00:06:20] The Six Month Coaching Program About six month program, 20 different weeks Teaching executives and emerging leaders (ages 21-28) Wanted to teach younger generation what executives said "I wish I'd learned this 20, 30 years ago" Most people say "I've had a coach before, this is nothing like it" [00:07:00] Building Up and Completing Relationships Build people up in relationships, let them go back and improve, clean up, or complete relationships Complete doesn't mean never see person again (could, but doesn't have to) Can work next to person and have completed relationship around an issue It just doesn't show up for you anymore because you know where you stand, said what you need to say [00:07:40] The Skills Most People Don't Have Coaches and mentors say "you need to go have this conversation," but how? There are skill sets you need, the application of them, and how to make adjustments People talk about psychological safety but don't know how to create it What to do when your emotions take hold or other person's emotions take hold [00:08:20] How to Really Listen When You Disagree How do you begin to really listen when you disagree with everything being said? How do you get on the right topic? Most people don't know how to dissect and break down conversations Greg helps dissect it and break it down for people [00:08:40] Executives on Retainer Some executives don't want to learn all skill sets, just want someone to do it for them Working with groups on retainer where they call when they have big problem They lay out background, what they've done, then Greg lays out plan for conversation Role plays exactly what might happen, clients say "it was like you were right there" [00:10:00] When People Don't Show Up as Their Best Sometimes people have breakdown, don't show up as their best, come back saying "I really blew it" Great learning point, it needed to be this way Limiting belief: thinking it's over when conversation goes badly When you know these skills, you can go back over and over and reset [00:11:20] What Drives Greg Most Watching people restore relationships they thought were just not possible Worked with police captains on issue, individual conversations showed no one thought it could be done Scheduled for four sessions, had breakthrough after first session One person took responsibility for their part, allowed everyone else to take responsibility [00:13:00] It's Still Hard Even With Skills People say "you have the skill, you should be able to do it" Greg still doesn't like having difficult conversations Doesn't want to have the conversation, but wants what's on the other side "Stop looking at the conversation right now. Let's look at what you want beyond that." [00:14:00] Work is Easy, Personal is Hard When working with businesses, always eventually get to their personal lives Those are the much more difficult conversations Work is easy, we all want to make more money and enjoy work Hardest ones are family businesses with so much emotion and unspoken hierarchy [00:16:00] Bill Solomon Changed Everything Gentleman who wrote forward to Greg's book, had heart transplant before writing it Bill told Greg "I'm so glad you asked me to write the forward because I couldn't stop writing" Two months later Bill had book of his own called "Losing Control" (in his seventies) Was the person who pointed Greg toward something more in his life [00:17:20] The Welding Job That Taught Resilience Bill gave Greg job before college as welder's helper (Bill was CFO of company) Told the guys "You're gonna like this guy I'm bringing in, but treat him like crap" "Tear him down every day. Make him feel stupid. You're gonna begin to like him. Make it hard on him." Never told Greg this was happening [00:18:20] Breaking the Golden Handcuffs Wouldn't have business today without Bill Solomon Getting through Baylor, getting great job, then getting out of job and breaking golden handcuffs Starting own business in 1999, none of that would've happened Bill took interest, made it difficult on purpose, said "you're gonna be a great leader one day" [00:21:40] Greg Reynolds Called Every Day After Greg's divorce, Greg Reynolds called him every day for three months All he said was "How you doing today? How you doing today?" One of hardest times Greg ever went through Showed Greg the power of that, he's done same thing for friend of his [00:22:20] Taking Interest in People If you really want to take interest in a person, find out what they're doing every day Every one of these gentlemen shaped how Greg mentors others Having conversations he never would've had, saying what he never would've said Taking interest like Bill Solomon did, being there like his coaches [00:24:40] "What Do You Want to Do?" Woman was looking at situation from the past when she didn't have skills Now she does have skills "Question isn't what they want or what I want to do. It's what do you want to do?" She got quiet: "I want to have the conversation." [00:25:00] Over 20 Resets to Stay on Track They practiced again, she went and had conversation Wrote amazing email about how each time she had to stop herself and come back Get conversation back on track by sharing your best intent Had to do that more than 20 times [00:28:20] Investing Upfront vs. Costing on Back End If you add skillset and knew how to address it, you'd say "I'm not wasting my weekend" Have conversation, no matter what outcome, it's out of you Have entire weekend to problem solve whatever that was and learn about what you did Used time wisely by investing upfront rather than it costing you on back end [00:31:40] Marcus Newcomb Connection Marcus Newcomb is special person, they hit it off Greg has gotten to meet so many great people networking and marketing his book Kevin is "the real deal"   KEY QUOTES "Breakthroughs aren't permanent until they're practiced over and over. So if you want permanence around a breakthrough, you've gotta go do something." - Greg Stephens "If you really want to take interest in a person, find out what they're doing every day." - Greg Stephens "My life is built on the shoulders of all my friends and people in my life that have shown me so much." - Greg Stephens CONNECT WITH GREG STEPHENS 

What if the book you're writing is actually about the story holding you back? In this episode, Amanda Johnson shares how twenty years of helping entrepreneurs write books revealed something most people never see: the reason you can't finish your book usually has nothing to do with time, organization, or writing skills. It's the old stories you're carrying that keep one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake. Amanda's work goes far beyond traditional book coaching. She creates what she calls "story saving" experiences where high-achieving entrepreneurs finally see the truth they've been avoiding. She tells the remarkable story of a social worker writing a "choose your own adventure" book about high-conflict divorces who spent 18 months unable to get one character right. Amanda kept trying to show her client she was writing her own husband, but the truth wasn't safe enough to see yet.  After a decade of watching hybrid publishing houses destroy clients' carefully-built brands with covers that would "completely disrupt trust," Amanda's 19-year-old entrepreneurial son suggested while she cursed in the kitchen: "Mom, how about we just build a publishing house?" Now, with her son as business partner and youngest sister as creative designer, Amanda runs Saved By Story, a boutique hybrid publisher where every detail honors the transformational work her clients have done.    [00:03:40] Entrepreneurial DNA Raised with entrepreneurial grandparents, it's in her DNA Accounts for rebellious spirit: entrepreneurs see problems and think "I could fix that" Thought she was going to be a Christian journalist at end of high school Got to university, asked to be part of honors program (classic books program) [00:04:40] Learning to Think Critically Four and a half years wrestling with great ideas and stories that formed civilization Hadn't been taught how to think critically or feel greatly Halfway through decided: I want to get to teens before they're in college alone and disconnected Became a history teacher to help teens think critically and wrestle with big ideas [00:05:40] Bouncing Out of the System Got classroom with all gang bangers, drug dealers, kids nobody else wanted first semester "What is the logic here? Send the newbie to barely survive?" Did it for six months, gave absolute best Realized couldn't give it her all every day and show up as good mom for toddler [00:06:20] The Online Writing Program Friend of family starting online writing instruction program "You have teaching credential, writing chops, can do it anytime when your kid is sleeping" Helped build curriculum, got really great results Went to networking events to share the program [00:07:00] The Side Business That Changed Everything Female entrepreneurs said "I don't want you to teach me to write, I need you to fix what I've written" Opened side business helping people get clear on message, audience, and engagement Quickly found story was the answer Story was also the answer to why most people weren't finishing their books [00:08:40] The Retreat Model Today Mostly retreat and community model for busy, wildly successful individuals They need time away, good excuse to say "I'm out for three days, seven days" They know how to focus and achieve goals, but book always gets pushed to back burner All of a sudden five or ten years have gone by [00:09:20] Authorship is Lonely Like Entrepreneurship Not every entrepreneur writes book to establish authority Entrepreneurs can be very lonely working from home without water cooler experiences Gets exacerbated when someone decides to write: Who am I to write? How does one do this? Having community where everybody's in same soup moves people much more quickly [00:10:40] Two Types of Clients First type (15-20%): "I need this done in three months and published in another three" Example: Client franchising business in six months, needed book published first Wrote book in less than three months, published in another three months These clients know how to block time and make it happen [00:12:40] The Choose Your Own Adventure Book Works in high conflict divorces, helps judge sort out what's best for kids Wanted to write choose your own adventure for her career Family with parents and two children, both parents get three options each All sound amazing but only one actually is best, shows destination of each choice [00:13:40] Writing the Husband Character Writing family quite unfairly, good for women but men would say "What? She didn't do anything" Couldn't get one character right, Amanda realized she was writing her husband We write what we know Readers said "No way would I put this in front of male reader, this has to be changed" [00:15:20] Breaking Generational Patterns Didn't have enough safety in herself, writing character out helped her see truth Realized all the stuff in marriage was generational Has been able to break that generational story for her own kids This is the book "You Can't Make This Story Up" [00:16:00] Fifteen Years of Seeing People Stuck Could have been wounded story or something they didn't want to talk about Sometimes they'd been dimmed in childhood or got in trouble when they got visible One foot on gas, one foot on brake even though it's for great cause and fulfilling purpose Had to figure out what the brake was [00:16:40] After That Story, Everything Changed After 15 years of stories, decided to help other creatives and entrepreneurs learn about being stuck It's not just "not organized" or "not right time" or "I'm not good writer" Those are ego's convenient way of keeping us from changing the real story That lady worked for two or three years and still rewriting it three or four years later [00:17:20] Do It In Community If our souls know that hard work is coming, of course there's resistance Answer: Write it, process it first, do it with partner who knows what you're up to Do it in community because communal experience really accelerates it [00:19:40] The 12 Month Program Structure Seven days together quarterly in person in cozy Airbnb (not conference settings) First three days: story saving work (not therapy but sort of feels like it) One day: go to spot together or do something fun in nature, let everything recalibrate Three days of work: goal is to get first chapter at first retreat [00:22:40] It's Always About Relationships When trying something new, doesn't want to do all the tasks "Where are the people? It's all for me. It's always been about relationship, not the actual to-dos" First person who changed everything: Ursula Lameris, sales coach [00:24:40] Learning From an Extrovert Connection was so natural to Ursula but not natural to Amanda (introvert) Put it in the book, had fun for five or six years in same neighborhood Made game out of networking: "Today I'm gonna sell this many contracts for you" Both experienced each other's work, just created relationships [00:25:20] Making Networking a Game Would go to networking meetings and talk each other up "Oh you need to talk to Amanda. Oh you need to talk to Ursula" That's how they both built really amazing businesses in a few years [00:28:00] Ten Years of Saving Self-Published Authors After 10 years helping individuals self-publish, people started looking at hybrid publishing Needed imprint for their position, status, industry Would try different hybrid houses, then call Amanda to come save it Couldn't believe what she was seeing [00:29:20] The 19-Year-Old's Solution Son said: "Mom, how about we just build a publishing house? We'll just figure it out" He was 19 years old Always been an entrepreneur, was hustling people at garage sale at age three or four Amanda: "I don't really have time, but if you want to, I'll partner with you" [00:30:00] Saved By Story Publishing House Son is business partner, youngest sister is creative designer Boutique hybrid publishing house A lot of people who do writing process eventually move through publishing Do education and empowerment for people ready to publish without giving all power away [00:30:40] The Bigger Impact Vision More of what's already doing, bigger impact on personal side Narrative resilience work that happens when people write in community Gets to end of retreats thinking "There are only few people in this room" Dream: expanding transformational work through personal brand, speaking, facilitation [00:31:00] Narrative Tools for Every Arena Take narrative tools and skills and infuse them into places that need them Education system, mental health space Pretty much every other arena could benefit from narrative resilience right now [00:32:00] Free Content at Foreshadows Website: savedbystory.house Forward slash foreshadows has whole bunch of free content Helps anyone at any stage from "I have an idea" to "Am I on right track for publishing?" [00:33:00] Tell Your Family How to Support Figure out how to make people around you feel safer while on amazing adventure Most family members really want to support, but if we don't tell them how, they don't know how   KEY QUOTES "We're made to belong. We're made to be in a community. And the way that we do that and have for millennia is by figuring out how to be reciprocal." - Amanda Johnson "Most of our family members really want to support, but if we don't tell them how, then they don't know how." - Amanda Johnson CONNECT WITH AMANDA JOHNSON 

What if losing half your business in a betrayal led you to make $120,000 in 60 days on a platform everyone ignores? In this episode, Anthony Simonie shares how being adopted by his grandparents literally saved his life and how that experience shaped everything from his approach to entrepreneurship to his decision to adopt both of his children, Miles and Daisy. After his nine-month-old son Miles stopped breathing and Anthony performed CPR not knowing if his son would survive, his business partner exploited that crisis by drawing up a fraudulent amendment that gave away half of Anthony's half of their seven-figure business. That betrayal could have crushed him. Instead, it led Anthony to discover LinkedIn's hidden goldmine. Within 30 days, he generated $60,000 in new business plus $60,000 in recurring revenue, for $120,000 total. He did it again the next 30 days with the exact same numbers, proving it wasn't luck but a duplicatable system. Now, having helped over 1,000 clients leverage LinkedIn to build databases of affluent prospects, land strategic partnerships, and get booked on podcasts, Anthony has turned relationship-building into a science. Anthony reveals why his five-foot-tall Italian grandmother's persistence shaped his entrepreneurial DNA, how his daughter Daisy (his niece whose parents both committed suicide within five months) is now thriving, and why Tim Tebow's words hit him like a lightning bolt: "You can be successful without having any significance."   [00:05:40] Raised by Grandparents, Saved by Adoption Adopted and raised by grandparents, literally saved Anthony's life Grandparents stepped up when they should've been enjoying retirement Both of Anthony's kids (Miles and Daisy) are adopted because adoption was a blessing for him Five-foot-tall Italian grandmother wouldn't let anyone leave without a meal, haircut, and promise to go to church [00:07:00] Learning Entrepreneurship at Craft Shows Grandmother was an artist making ceramic and wooden crafts Anthony helped her set up and break down at craft shows Watched her overcome challenges as they came She taught persistence and perseverance that stuck with him forever [00:08:00] The Pharmaceutical Sales Path Finished high school, walked onto college baseball team (paid for school for couple years) Became pharmaceutical sales rep like his stepdad, seemed like helping people Got job at Schering-Plough, did well but wasn't happy Started learning pharmaceutical goods may not be so good for us [00:10:00] The Foreclosure Cleaning Business Buddy said "We've got this little side business cleaning out foreclosed properties" At first thought "I don't think I wanna clean houses" Had moment of "I'm just done" with corporate job Started business, expanded from Missouri to Los Angeles (brother in charge), then Phoenix [00:11:00] The Dan Kennedy Event That Changed Everything Same friend took him to Dan Kennedy marketing event in St. Louis Eyes opened watching people make money helping others understand their business Friend said "Why don't we do it together, you be the face" Anthony had already turned cleaning business into real business with systems [00:11:40] First Year: Over $1 Million Partnered up, grew business in first year to over $1 million Had to learn everything: copywriting, email, webinars, buying traffic At first loved the money, but then started receiving messages from people he was helping "You saved my marriage. You helped save me from losing my home." Hundreds of them. [00:12:40] When It Became More Than Money First time felt complete: "This is so much more than just the money" People appreciate you, like you for what you're doing to help them Attorneys, physicians, everyone was losing businesses during that time Learning how to make income by doing something in large demand that people didn't know existed [00:15:40] Losing Everything Was the beginning of everything falling apart Used to a certain quality of life, now worried about son and business blows up Lost interest in the business, couldn't do it anymore, business died Partner had franchised business to double dip, his franchise failed too [00:17:20] LinkedIn Saves the Day Anthony: "LinkedIn? Are you trying to help me get a job? I'm not looking for a job" Took skills he'd learned and applied them to LinkedIn platform Created an offer, first 30 days sold $60,000 plus $60,000 recurring = $120,000 Thought maybe he got lucky, then did exact same thing next 30 days with same numbers [00:18:20] Helping Over 1,000 Clients Realized he had something duplicatable Close circle started asking what he was doing, started sharing it Years later, helped over 1,000 clients leverage LinkedIn Building databases of affluent prospects, referral partnerships, getting on podcasts, strategic partnerships [00:19:00] Every Successful Entrepreneur Has Been Crushed You're gonna have ups and downs in business If you have fortitude to stick it out and learn from challenges, you grow When you talk to people at measurable level of success, all have been through steep challenges Sometimes way worse than Anthony's experiences [00:23:40] Not An Agency, Highly Customized Not a one-size-fits-all agency approach Very highly customized and specific strategy depending on who you are, what you offer, who you serve Usually at capacity, takes on one or two new clients per month Recently launched "done with you" program to teach people how to run the play themselves [00:28:40] The God Thing Anthony and Jill were thinking about adopting again Friend sent invitation to dinner for adoption agency Right during that timeframe, all the tragedy happened with Daisy "It was a God thing... put on our hearts for specific reason: to step up and take care of Daisy" [00:30:40] Tim Tebow's Words: Success Without Significance At mastermind, got to watch Tim Tebow speak One thing stuck: "You can be successful without having any significance" Never heard it phrased that way before If all entrepreneurs adopt that mindset, we can change the world better than any politician [00:32:20] Starting the Real Estate Fund Works with lots of real estate syndicators and operators Asked: How else can I serve these people outside of helping them make more money? Started real estate fund to protect capital and provide hedge against inflation Helps people grow their capital while protecting it [00:35:00] Nobody Is Self-Made Doesn't believe anybody's self-made When people say "I'm a self-made millionaire" they're not being honest Even just your mother deciding to go through with birth, that person helped you There's abundance of opportunity, money, success out there for everybody [00:40:20] Remember Why You Do What You Do We live in world that's so distracted, separated, at odds Take time every day and remember why you do what you do, who you do it for What's the purpose, what's the passion, how does it impact world around us Entrepreneurs can change the world, but it starts under our own roof [00:42:40] Turn Off The News for 30 Days Challenge: Turn off news for next 30 days Watch how your mind clears up and you start focusing on things that matter You'll become more productive, have more pep in your step If you're business owner, you need that clarity to continue with what you're compelled to do   KEY QUOTES "You can be successful without having any significance." - Tim Tebow (as shared by Anthony) "I don't believe anybody's self-made. Even just your mother deciding to go through with the birth, that person helped you." - Anthony Simonie "We as entrepreneurs can change the world in my humble opinion, but that starts with us. It starts under our own roof." - Anthony Simonie CONNECT WITH ANTHONY SIMONIE 

What if Forrest Gump taught a six-year-old how to never worry about money again? In this episode, Jerremy Newsome shares how watching Forrest Gump at age six sparked a question that changed everything: "What does it mean to not have to worry about money?" That question led him to pick blackberries door-to-door, earning $1,500 that his dad matched to buy $3,000 worth of Apple stock in 1995. While those shares would be worth $39 million today, Jerremy sold them in 2000 for $12,000. That early win, and the lesson from selling too soon, ignited a 20-year journey mastering liquid markets. Now Jerremy helps people understand stocks, options, crypto, and other "liquid markets" using what he calls "second grade math" to achieve financial freedom. He shares the story of Jordan, a police officer making $80,000 a year who recently made more in one month trading than his entire monthly salary. But Jerremy's impact goes beyond teaching trading. When he stood up at a Vail event and matched $40,000 in donations for blind and special needs children learning to ski, he didn't just change those kids' lives. He turned a skeptic named Preston Brown into a lifelong friend and business ally. Jerremy reveals how meeting his wife at a Tony Robbins event, connecting with business partner Brittany Turner through Instagram, and operating from abundance instead of scarcity has created a life where impact matters more than income.   [00:04:00] The Forrest Gump Moment That Changed Everything At age six, watching Forrest Gump with his dad and brother when Lieutenant Dan "invested in some kind of fruit company" Growing up poor, hearing someone didn't have to worry about money was a huge paradigm shift Asked his dad what investing meant, learned about Apple as a computer company Dad gave every excuse: "I don't have time, I'm not smart enough, I don't have enough money" [00:05:20] Picking Blackberries to Buy Apple Stock Dad said "If you bring me some money, I'll match it dollar for dollar" Jerremy's favorite quote: "It's not your resources, it's your resourcefulness" Picked blackberries, sold them door-to-door for a dollar a bag in summer 1995 Made $1,500, dad borrowed from uncle to match, bought $3,000 of Apple at exact bottom [00:06:00] The $39 Million Lesson Those shares today worth about $39 million Sold them in 2000 for $12,000 when family moved from Georgia to Florida Dad called it "the best investment, the best trade I'd ever make my whole life" Got $12,000 at age 12 and has been studying markets "like a heathen" ever since [00:07:00] From History Teacher Dream to Teaching Financial Freedom Wanted to be history teacher since fourth grade, teacher said "You don't get paid any money" Has blend of entrepreneur spirit and teacher spirit Loves learning unique things and teaching them simply because that's how he learns Teaches "liquid markets": stocks, options, crypto, futures, bonds, gold, silver, commodities [00:08:00] Making Complex Things Simple What motivates him: helping people understand complex subjects and explaining them easily When someone learns something and it clicks, that energizes him more than anything Teaches "second grade math to how to become financially free as quick as possible" If you have access to internet, you have access to income once you have knowledge and tools [00:09:20] Jordan the Police Officer's Transformation Started working with Jordan 7-8 months ago, police officer in Northern California making $80,000/year Jordan said police officers are massively undertrained, don't have equipment/knowledge for wide array of situations Last month Jordan made more trading than his monthly salary Made $12,000 net on $60,000 account (20% return in one month) [00:11:20] From Scarcity to Abundance Jordan paying off debts, taking wife and kids to Disneyland Using money to feel abundant, taste prosperity, be in place of creation versus fear Most people find themselves in scarcity when it comes to money The opportunity to create income exists every single day in the stock market [00:12:20] Giving People Choices and Freedom Jordan now realizes he has choices and options For entrepreneurs doing $500K-$3M, you're in the swamp: making enough to do well but not enough to be free Mindset shift from "I have to work to make money" to "I get to create to attract more value" Making (grinding energy) versus attracting/receiving/creating (different energy) [00:15:40] Two People Who Changed Everything His wife: Met at Tony Robbins UPW event November 4, 2012 in Orlando Brittany Turner: Reached out via Instagram in February 2020 through mutual connection Both have helped him heal, expand, and step into greatness [00:16:00] Meeting His Wife at Tony Robbins Boss said "you really should go to this Tony Robbins event called UPW" Met his wife at Unleash the Power Within in Orlando Took 12 years to figure it out, got married about five years ago Have three boys together, she's helped him expand and step into greatness [00:17:00] The Brittany Turner Partnership Needed real estate specialist for his Money Grows on Trees conference Sent Brittany Turner video via Instagram DM in February 2020 In coming-up-on-six-year relationship: organizations built, purpose stepped into, islands, investments, opportunities Alignment with someone who brings joy, understanding, and awareness of more into your life [00:18:40] The Web of Million Dollar Connections Brittany introduced him to Ané Gupta (relationship specialist) Ané introduced him to Chuck Hogan who ran Your Best Life mastermind Chuck's mastermind had three main members: Chuck, Dean, and Preston Brown Got asked to speak at event in Vail, Colorado in February 2022 [00:19:40] The $80,000 Donation That Changed a Relationship Organization helping blind and special needs kids learn to ski said "$5,000 would change our whole life" Preston Brown admittedly didn't like Jerremy before they met Jerremy stood up and said "I will match every donation given today" Room raised over $40,000, Jerremy matched $40,000 for $80,000 total to Little Champions [00:21:00] From Skeptic to Lifelong Friend Preston came up afterwards, gave hug: "You are my guy, that reminded me of Christ" "Between me and you, we'll be friends for life" Preston has given so much business, referrals, opportunities since Coming to Vegas this weekend with 40 entrepreneurs for "radical business" [00:23:00] When Making More Money Ceases to Inspire Kevin: Once family needs are met, making more money ceased to inspire him Having conversations with entrepreneurs, making introductions that lead to big deals, that's what inspires It's not the revenue, it's the impact Les Brown taught Jerremy: "Your income is directly tied to your impact" [00:25:40] Connecting with Jerremy Name spelled J-E-R-R-E-M-Y (stands for Jerry + Me, his dad's name was Jerry) Newsome: N-E-W-S-O-M-E.com All social media platforms, look for blue verified check mark Broke to Woke podcast with Brittany Turner (six seasons, 24 episodes, season seven coming) [00:27:00] Ask For More Awareness of what's possible comes by asking for more It's okay to want more so you can offer more, provide more, give more God is the God of infinite, receiving more doesn't take away from anyone else "Those who knock, door is opened" - ask for more and change your awareness   KEY QUOTES "It's not your resources, it's your resourcefulness. That's probably what entrepreneurship is." - Jerremy Newsome "If you have access to the internet, you have access to income once you have the knowledge and the skills and the tools." - Jerremy Newsome "The secret to living is giving, and one of the best things to give is the gift of a relationship." - Jerremy Newsome "Your income is directly tied to your impact. You wanna make more, figure out a way to impact more." - Les Brown (quoted by Jerremy) CONNECT WITH JERREMY NEWSOME