loader from loading.io

Finish Lines & Bottom Lines: A Conversation on Sobriety, Triathlons, and Family Business | Adam Hill

Built to Finish

Release Date: 07/30/2025

Core Turnaround Strategy — Telling the Truth, Fixing the Core, and Saving Companies with Walter Simson show art Core Turnaround Strategy — Telling the Truth, Fixing the Core, and Saving Companies with Walter Simson

Built to Finish

“If you can’t admit you need a turnaround, you’re probably not going to make it.” In this episode of Built to Finish, Steven Pivnik sits down with Walter Simpson, a veteran business turnaround consultant with 40 years of experience and more than 60 middle-market company turnarounds under his belt. Walter is the author of the newly released book Core Turnaround Strategy: The Indispensable Restructuring Guide, which challenges conventional wisdom around fixing distressed companies. Rather than starting with layoffs and cost-cutting, Walter advocates for something far more fundamental:...

info_outline The Magic of CEO Effectiveness: Scaling, Exiting, and Leading at the Next Level with Jim Schleckser show art The Magic of CEO Effectiveness: Scaling, Exiting, and Leading at the Next Level with Jim Schleckser

Built to Finish

“At a certain point, the business doesn’t need a harder-working founder — it needs a more effective CEO.” In this episode of Built to Finish, Steven Pivnik sits down with Jim Schleckser, a seasoned entrepreneur, CEO coach, and trusted advisor to hundreds of founders who are scaling companies, navigating complexity, and preparing for successful exits. Jim has grown and exited multiple businesses himself and now serves as the Founder and CEO of The CEO Project, a peer advisory organization designed exclusively for growth-minded CEOs. Leaders seek Jim out when they hit the ceiling of...

info_outline Primal Truths: What Evolutionary Psychology Teaches Us About Leadership, Power, and Relationships with Tim Ash show art Primal Truths: What Evolutionary Psychology Teaches Us About Leadership, Power, and Relationships with Tim Ash

Built to Finish

“We are not broken as humans — we’re living in a culture that ignores how we actually evolved.” In this episode of Built to Finish, Steven Pivnik sits down with Tim Ash, renowned expert in evolutionary psychology, persuasion, and human behavior, for a wide-ranging and unapologetically honest conversation about what truly drives leadership, relationships, and modern society. Tim is a best-selling author, international keynote speaker, and founder of a digital marketing agency that helped create over $1.2 billion in value for global brands including Google, Expedia, and Nestlé....

info_outline Redefining Wealth Management: A Human-Centric Approach to Financial Success | Lisa Kirchenbauer show art Redefining Wealth Management: A Human-Centric Approach to Financial Success | Lisa Kirchenbauer

Built to Finish

In this episode of the Built to Finish podcast, Steven Pivnik sits down with Lisa Kirchenbauer, Founding Partner and Senior Advisor at Omega Wealth Management, to unpack what really happens before and after a liquidity event. Recognized by Newsweek and Money.com, Lisa shares how her firm has challenged the traditional, investment-first wealth management model for more than 25 years — putting life planning, psychology, and human behavior at the center of financial decision-making. Together, Steven and Lisa explore the hidden realities founders face after “winning the game,” including loss...

info_outline Closing the Courage Gap: From Fearful Mind to Brave Heart | Margie Warrell show art Closing the Courage Gap: From Fearful Mind to Brave Heart | Margie Warrell

Built to Finish

info_outline Recapping a Year of Audacious Goals: Lessons Learned from Everest and TEDx with Steven Pivnik show art Recapping a Year of Audacious Goals: Lessons Learned from Everest and TEDx with Steven Pivnik

Built to Finish

info_outline The Proceeds Waterfall: Mapping Every Penny of Your Business Exit with Steven Pivnik show art The Proceeds Waterfall: Mapping Every Penny of Your Business Exit with Steven Pivnik

Built to Finish

info_outline From Pioneering Patents to Thinkers360: Nick Evans on the Future of Tech and Thought Leadership show art From Pioneering Patents to Thinkers360: Nick Evans on the Future of Tech and Thought Leadership

Built to Finish

info_outline Don't Wait for Perfect: Why Your Personal Brand Needs an Imperfect Start with Matt LeBris show art Don't Wait for Perfect: Why Your Personal Brand Needs an Imperfect Start with Matt LeBris

Built to Finish

info_outline Paul Pacun on Capital Velocity and Cash Flow Discipline show art Paul Pacun on Capital Velocity and Cash Flow Discipline

Built to Finish

info_outline
 
More Episodes

Adam Hill, a professional EOS implementer, international keynote speaker, and CEO of the nine-figure family business, Hill Brothers Chemical Company, shares his incredible journey from a decade-long struggle with alcoholism and anxiety to becoming a world-championship qualifying Ironman triathlete. He details the turning point that led him to sobriety in 2012 and how the principles of community and mentorship in Alcoholics Anonymous became a blueprint for his success in endurance sports and business. Adam explains how he applied the same resilience and systematic approach to revitalize his century-old family company, implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to overcome a period of decline and lead it to unprecedented growth and profitability.

Takeaways:

  • The Turning Point of Hitting Rock Bottom: Adam's journey to sobriety began in 2012 after a blackout drunk driving incident, which he considers his rock bottom. This moment forced a choice between self-destruction and seeking help, highlighting that recovery is possible even from the darkest of places.
  • The Power of Community and Mentorship: After getting sober, Adam immersed himself in the community of Alcoholics Anonymous, attending a meeting every single day for his first year. He learned the value of having mentors who have walked the path before and a cohort of peers going through similar struggles, a model he later applied to his triathlon training and business leadership.
  • Applying a Systematic Approach to Audacious Goals: To tackle the goal of completing an Ironman, Adam hired renowned coach Mark Allen and followed a structured training method. This success reinforced his belief in systems, which he later brought to his family's business by implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to solve deep-rooted issues and drive growth.
  • Using Systems as the "Bad Cop": In a family business, making tough decisions about personnel who may be relatives or longtime employees is emotionally charged. Implementing a system like EOS can depersonalize these difficult conversations by focusing on objective metrics, core values, and the greater good of the organization, making the system, not the leader, the arbiter of performance.
  • From Negative to Positive Engagement: Adam consciously decided to stop engaging with negativity on social media and instead began posting a daily pun or dad joke in 2015. This simple, creative act shifted his mindset, fostered a positive online community, and improved his overall well-being by replacing negative inputs with fun and creativity.
  • Achieving Massive Business Growth Through EOS: After his first year as CEO saw the company barely break even and the second year resulted in a loss, Adam implemented EOS. Within two years, the company's revenues grew by 50%, transforming it into a nine-figure business with sustainable profitability and its best-ever financial standing.


Quote of the Show:

  • “A lot of times, we immerse ourselves in the negativity of the world. And one of the best ways that we can get out of that is to stop engaging with the negativity and just do something creative and fun every day. And that drives us to the change that we wanna make in the world.”


Links:


Ways to Tune In: