Nick Barba: From Full Page Thrasher Ads to Saving Lives Without BS
Spirit of the Deal
Listen the hell up because we’re done playing small. Most people spend their lives marinating in their own excuses, waiting for a permission slip from the universe that isn’t coming. They think "getting your shit together" is a slow, painful crawl through a desert of boredom. It’s not. It’s a quantum leap fueled by the realization that you are the one standing in your own goddamn way. In this episode of The Spirit of the Deal, Brandon G. Handley sits down with Nick Barba—a man who was once so committed to his own destruction he landed a full-page ad in Thrasher just to prove he could...
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Expand Your Bandwidth
Spirit of the Deal
The deal isn't closed by force; it's closed by clarity. Most enterprise leaders are currently white-knuckling the steering wheel, treating AI like a basic search engine while their competitive advantage evaporates. This episode shifts the perspective: AI is not just a tool; it is a mech suit for your mind designed to expand your capacity and regulate your output. We navigate the transition from manual friction to bio-electric leverage. You will learn how to move beyond simple queries to engage AI as a strategic thought partner. This allows you to iterate faster, fail forward in private, and...
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Your strategy is fine. Your hardware is the problem. W Dr. Ron Stotts
Spirit of the Deal
The Diagnostic: Why Your "Success" Hardware is Glitching Out Most high-performers think they have a strategy problem. They don't. They have a system failure. In this session of Spirit of the Deal, systems architect Ron Stotts breaks down why your current "success" is actually a high-speed collision with a glass ceiling. Stotts isn't here to hold your hand or talk about your "journey"; he’s here to tell you that the survival hardware you installed as a child is currently sabotaging your quarterly returns. The Biological Bottleneck The central insight is simple: You are grinding yourself into...
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Upgrading Your Executive Operating System
Spirit of the Deal
The new year has arrived, and with it, the predictable surge of "system noise." While the rest of the world is busy scrubbing the movie screen with Windex—trying to fix external results through sheer force and 3:00 AM ice baths—we are going into the projection booth. In this episode, we diagnose why most high-performers are trying to run enterprise-level software on fried hardware. The "Spirit of the Deal" isn't about finding your inner peace; it’s about system maintenance. We are bridging the gap between the boardroom and biology. If your nervous system is screaming "unsafe" during a...
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The ROI of Coherence: Translating Inner Signals into Strategic Clarity W/Michael McAdams
Spirit of the Deal
The deal isn’t closed by force; it’s closed by clarity. In the high-stakes environment of global enterprise, we are trained to monitor external metrics: ROI, market volatility, and competitive leverage. However, most leaders are operating with significant internal friction, drowning out the very signals they need to navigate complex terrain. Michael McAdams, author of An Angel Told Me So, joins the show to reframe our understanding of guidance and high-performance coherence. This episode is a masterclass in expanding your internal bandwidth to receive the strategic intelligence already...
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From Commercialism to Connection: Redefining the Holiday Experience
Spirit of the Deal
summaryIn this conversation, Brandon G Handley reflects on the true spirit of Christmas, emphasizing the importance of giving and creating meaningful experiences. He discusses his journey towards embracing the holiday season positively, moving away from commercialism. Handley also shares insights on how AI has influenced his creativity and the development of new tools for personal growth, including a gamified approach to self-improvement. He encourages listeners to embrace the spirit of giving and to explore new ways to track their goals and habits in the coming year. takeaways The spirit of...
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Glenn Poulos - Compounding Voltage
Spirit of the Deal
Stop hiding behind the glass screen. Your nervous system knows the difference between a pixel and a handshake, and so does your client’s. In a world sedated by the comfort of remote work, we are seeing a massive System Error in how deals get done. You cannot test drive a private jet on Zoom. If you want the signature, you need to be in the room where the oxygen is. In this episode, we sit down with Glenn Poulos, a veteran operator who doesn’t just play the game; he writes the code. With forty years of tenure and multiple eight-figure exits, Glenn isn’t offering fluff. He is offering a...
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Your Subconscious Thinks Success Is A Threat: Prove It Wrong
Spirit of the Deal
Let’s be honest for a second. Most people aren’t selling from their vision; they’re selling from survival. That tightness in your chest or that hesitation before you pick up the phone? It isn’t a flaw—it’s biology. Your brain is wired to protect you first and expand you second. But here’s the hard truth: you cannot stay in survival mode and expand at the same time. When your income is tied to your safety, your creativity flatlines, your risk tolerance vanishes, and you suffocate the deal before you even walk into the room. In this episode, we are stripping down the "hustle...
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The ROI of a Radical Yes.
Spirit of the Deal
Summary In this conversation, Chris Dyer shares insights on leadership, company culture, and the importance of saying yes to opportunities. He discusses his current projects, including AI in social media management and environmental initiatives in the wine industry. Dyer emphasizes the significance of positive leadership and the seven pillars that contribute to a thriving workplace culture. He reflects on his personal growth journey and the transformative power of embracing new experiences. Takeaways Successful people do not focus on their weaknesses. The spirit of the deal is about shrinking...
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The Hero’s Journey Isn’t Fiction, It’s Your Business Blueprint
Spirit of the Deal
Honest Overview Let’s cut the small talk and get straight to the marrow. Brandon Handley isn’t just wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving; he’s handing you the blueprint to your own evolution. We’re sitting here discussing the Hero’s Journey—not because we’re writing a screenplay, but because it is the undeniable architecture of high-stakes sales, addiction recovery, and relentless personal growth. You think you’re just hitting a wall in your business? You think that burnout is random? It’s not. It’s a pattern. Campbell identified it, Hollywood monetized it, but you? You have to...
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This week on Spirit of the Deal, we're diving deep with Laura Dionisio, a powerhouse coach who helps high achievers break free from "soul-sucking" success. Ever feel like you're climbing the ladder only to realize it's leaning against the wrong wall? Laura’s been there, and she’s here to guide you through a career pivot that feels not just successful, but genuinely *good*.
We’re talking about:
- The "speed dating" of our intro: Get ready for rapid-fire insights into what makes Laura tick.
- Alchemizing stubbornness: Discover how a shadow trait became her superpower in sales and life.
- The ultimate sales question: Learn how Laura flips the script to get clients to ask themselves the *real* question.
- From aerospace to alignment: Laura shares the courageous leap she took from a stable corporate career to building her dream business, Lead Intact.
- Embodying your future self: We explore the neuroscience and mindset shifts required to truly step into the identity you desire.
- The "cha-cha" childhood and its impact: How a nomadic upbringing shaped Laura's global perspective and innate resilience.
- The spirit of the deal, redefined: Laura breaks down her "Why, What, How" framework and how it applies to every exchange.
If you're ready to ditch the burnout, reclaim your career, and build a life with purpose and passion, this episode is your blueprint. Get ready to be inspired, challenged, and aligned.
Honest Overview
Laura Dionisio brings a powerful perspective on career transitions, rooted in her own journey from eighteen years in corporate engineering to becoming a purposeful career coach. The core insight is that true success isn't about climbing a ladder, but about aligning your career with what actually feels good and brings you joy. She emphasizes ditching the "shiny but soul-sucking" versions of success that society often pushes.
The emotional stakes here are high. For so many high achievers, there's a gnawing feeling of misalignment, a sense of "is this all there is?" Laura experienced this herself, leading to a period of "reverse bedtime procrastination" and a profound sense of being out of sync with her own needs. Her decision to leave a long, established corporate career for her own business, Lead Intact, was a massive leap of faith. She highlights the relief and liberation that came with finally aligning her actions with her inner truth.
Key takeaways from the conversation include:
- The Power of Embodiment: Laura, like many in the "Spirit of the Deal" community, understands that visualizing success isn't enough; you have to embody your future self. This means not just seeing it, but feeling it and acting from that place.
- Stubbornness as a Strength: She candidly shares her "shadow trait" of stubbornness, which she's powerfully alchemized into determination. When faced with doubt, her stubbornness kicks in, pushing her forward, often against the odds.
- "Are You Worth It?": The boldest sales conversation takeaway is the question, "The program's worth it, are you worth it?" This flips the script, forcing potential clients to confront their own self-worth and readiness to invest in themselves.
- Cultural Resilience and Adaptability: Her "cha-cha childhood," moving between the Philippines and the US multiple times, built incredible resilience and an open-mindedness to different ways of being. This has translated into her coaching, allowing her to be deeply understanding of diverse perspectives.
- The "Why" and "What" of the Deal: Laura's framework for "Spirit of the Deal" centers on understanding the intention behind any exchange – the "why" (your core motivation) and the "what" (your desired outcome), as opposed to just the "how" (the transaction itself).
- Leaving the Spreadsheet Behind: Her significant career pivot was the first time she didn't create a spreadsheet. This signifies a move from purely logical, data-driven decisions to trusting her intuition and inner knowing.
The conversation powerfully illustrates how embracing your authentic identity, even when it means defying expectations and societal norms, leads to a more energized, aligned, and ultimately, more successful life and career. It's about doing the brave work of excavating your own truth and then building your life from that foundation.