Libsyn Directory

Episode 289 Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations with Michael Erath

Release Date: 11/07/2025

Episode 298 Driving Change with Howard Pearl (Part 2)

Relationships & Revenue Podcast

John continues his conversation with Howard Pearl. They discuss how hard times are not our enemies, but opportunities to grow stronger and more compassionate and why mistakes are some of our best teachers. In Part 1, they talked about the importance of the right workplace culture, and how trust, respect, and integrity are the backbone of any successful organization. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - How true gratitude changes everything [01:05] - Turning problems into teachers [04:37] - Howard’s plans on writing a book [07:01] - Why failure is actually good [10:25] - Howard’s...

Episode 297 Driving Change with Howard Pearl (Part 1)

Relationships & Revenue Podcast

John talks with Howard Pearl — CEO of CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services), longtime C-Suite executive with over three decades of leadership experience, Harvard Business School OPM alumnus, serial entrepreneur and turnaround specialist. CARS is a nonprofit organization that helps other nonprofits raise money by running vehicle donation programs for them. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [00:55] - Howard’s bio and backstory [04:04] - Framework for building the right workplace culture [08:41] - Business success is all about relationships [10:56] - The mindset of...

Episode 296 Get Seen and Catapult Your Career with Lorraine K. Lee

Relationships & Revenue Podcast

John talks with Lorraine K. Lee — speaker, trainer, entrepreneur, founding editor at LinkedIn, first editor at Prezi, LinkedIn Learning and Stanford Continuing Studies instructor, founder of RISE Learning Solutions, and author of Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [01:03] - Lorraine’s bio and backstory [04:29] - What LinkedIn was like in the early days [05:48] - Leaving LinkedIn for Prezi [07:09] - Getting laid off and the reality of layoffs [08:40] - What prompted Lorraine to start public...

Episode 295 From the Silver Screen to Self-Discovery with Walker Kimberly Brandt (Part 2)

Relationships & Revenue Podcast

John continues his conversation with Walker Kimberly Brandt. In this episode, they discuss how forgiveness sets you free, improvisational cooking, and Walker’s journey from acting and modeling to speaking and coaching. In Part 1, Walker shares her backstory, her faith journey, and why her book AWAKEN: Discovering Yourself Through the Light of Your Innocence is so important to her. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Part 1 recap [01:18] - Forgiveness is for you, not them [02:56] - AM vs FM radio analogy [04:33] - Finding your inner frequency & listening to your true...

Episode 294 From the Silver Screen to Self-Discovery with Walker Kimberly Brandt (Part 1)

Relationships & Revenue Podcast

John talks with Walker Kimberly Brandt — actress, model, spokesperson, voiceover artist, coach, speaker, entrepreneur, author of AWAKEN: Discovering Yourself Through the Light of Your Innocence, and loving wife and mom. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [03:27] - God is the greatest artist [06:58] - John and Walker’s daily gratitude habit [08:52] - Walker’s background [09:38] - Meaning of “Discovering Yourself Through the Light of Your Innocence” [12:07] - What is pain? [14:29] - Flip how you see pain [16:17] - How Viktor Frankl and Nelson Mandela reframed...

Episode 293 Reaching the $5 Trillion Market of Liberty Spenders with Kurt Luidhardt (Part 2)

Relationships & Revenue Podcast

John and Kurt continue their conversation. In this episode, they discuss how strong relationships help in both business and family life, why it’s important for entrepreneurs to be good on camera, the value of personal branding, and how Kurt’s company uses data to help businesses and political campaigns. In Part 1, they talked about Kurt’s journey into political campaigns, how he built a successful fundraising company, and Liberty Spenders. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Recap of Part 1 [01:22] - Advice to entrepreneurs about being camera-ready [04:00] - “You are the...

Episode 292 Reaching the $5 Trillion Market of Liberty Spenders with Kurt Luidhardt (Part 1)

Relationships & Revenue Podcast

Episode 292 Reaching the $5 Trillion Market of Liberty Spenders with Kurt Luidhardt (Part 1) John talks with Kurt Luidhardt — CEO of The Prosper Group (an Inc. 500 fastest-growing company) and founder of Mustard Seed Interactive, expert in Liberty Spenders market segment, author of Liberty Spenders: How to Reach the $5 Trillion Market of High-Value, Conservative or Faith-Based Clients to Grow Your Business, loving husband and father. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [01:11] - A little talk about sports and celebrity news [05:04] - Kurt’s bio and backstory [08:23]...

Episode 291 Focus & Flow States with Steven Puri (Part 2)

Relationships & Revenue Podcast

John and Steven continue their discussion. They talk about why relationships matter so much in life and business, not just with others, but also with yourself. Steven explains how social media steals your time, why staying true to your goals is so important, and how the Sukha app helps people focus and get into a flow state. In Part 1, Steven shared his journey to Hollywood and leaving it all behind, starting over from scratch, and building The Sukha Company. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Importance of relationships in life and business [01:02] - The value of having a good...

Episode 290 Focus & Flow States with Steven Puri (Part 1)

Relationships & Revenue Podcast

John talks with Steven Puri — 3x CEO, former Vice President of Production at 20th Century Fox and Executive Vice President at DreamWorks during the eras of major films like Braveheart, Independence Day, Se7en, Transformers and Star Trek. Steven is also Founder & CEO of The Sukha Company, which helps people overcome procrastination & distraction so they can be focused, happier & healthier, and is a caring husband and father. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro [00:57] - Steven’s bio [01:33] - The challenges of starting businesses [04:27] - How Steven began his...

Episode 289 Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations with Michael Erath

Relationships & Revenue Podcast

John talks with Michael Erath — entrepreneur, business coach, speaker, founder of Next Level Growth, author of Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations: Take Your Business and Your Life to the Next Level, The Path to the Pinnacle: Using Customized Business Operating Systems to Drive Growth, Rise: The Reincarnation of an Entrepreneur, and husband, father, and grandpa. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Intro and Michael’s bio [01:21] - Michael’s backstory [03:19] - Betrayed by his business partner and how he navigated that [07:50] - Implementing EOS (Entrepreneurial...

More Episodes

Listen to this episode to learn more:

[00:00] - Intro and Michael’s bio

[01:21] - Michael’s backstory

[03:19] - Betrayed by his business partner and how he navigated that

[07:50] - Implementing EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) in his new business

[10:33] - Ideal client of Next Level Growth

[13:37] - Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations

[15:43] - #1: Great People

[16:21] - #2: Inspiring Purpose

[17:07] - #3: Optimized Playbooks

[17:44] - #4: Culture of Performance

[19:15] - #5: Growing Profits and Cash Flow

[20:52] - Figuring out your personal purpose vs. the company purpose

[22:46] - How pain helped John and Michael discover their purposes

[26:57] - What is quarterly calibration and why Michael uses it

[33:27] - Three key questions for managers/leaders to ask

[34:33] - Employees can also give feedback to their managers/leaders

[38:25] - Traits of a great leader

[40:19] - Role of Michael’s faith in his business

[42:33] - Hard times help people grow stronger

[45:46] - Michael’s definition of success

[47:03] - #1 weekly habit

[50:31] - How Michael invests in his growth

[54:28] - Best way to reach out to Michael

[57:13] - Closing thoughts

NOTABLE QUOTES:

“If money is the only reason you’re in business, that’s the reason you’re gonna go out of business.”

“Most of our frustrations between people is a result of unclear expectations.”

“If you treat profit and cash as a byproduct, that’s all it ever will be.”

“If you believe in your purpose, you need to be intentional about growing your profits and cash flow.”

“Leadership is about relationships. You have to be an empathetic listener to build relationships.”

“You don’t get stronger by not working out. You actually have to tear the muscle in order to build it up.”

“Paint a picture of what a successful life looks like for you as an individual, and then build the systems and structures into your life.”

“Marry the right partner, because at the end of the day, if you marry someone who’s a great partner for you, they support you and help you and make you almost unstoppable.”

“Do your research on your coach, and if the person you want to coach you doesn’t have at least one coach, don’t hire that person.”

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business by Gino Wickman (https://a.co/d/fJcDVGl)
Already Whole: Unlock The Eight Keys to Emotional Freedom and Inner Peace by Elijah Kai (https://a.co/d/5OSoZYu)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

https://askmichaelerath.com/

https://nextlevelgrowth.com/

https://pinnaclebusinessguides.com/guide/Michael-Erath/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelerath1/

https://www.facebook.com/michael.erath.2025

https://www.youtube.com/@nextlevelgrowth

Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations: Take Your Business and Your Life to the Next Level (https://a.co/d/g95AUrg)

The Path to the Pinnacle: Using Customized Business Operating Systems to Drive Growth (https://a.co/d/91e0ZJB)

Rise: The Reincarnation of an Entrepreneur (https://a.co/d/8zkIGxi)

https://fiveobsessions.com/

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