Libsyn Directory

105. Begin With WE: Kyle McDowell on Crushing Workplace Dysfunction and Leading with Principle

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

Release Date: 07/24/2025

127. The Long Game: Susan Friedmann on Purpose, Publishing, and Staying Excited About Life

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, I sit down with Susan Friedmann, founder of Aviva Publishing and Marketing, to talk about longevity — not just in business, but in life. What does it take to stay engaged with something over time without becoming stale, stuck, or disconnected from yourself? Susan has spent decades helping nonfiction authors bring their books into the world, but what stood out most in our conversation wasn’t simply publishing. It was her honesty about passion, reinvention, and recognizing when something no longer fits. She reflects on starting in the trade show...

126. Choosing a Life Before You’ve Lived It | Alex Dworsky & Gabriel DeSanti from Staj

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

How do you choose a career before you’ve really lived life? That’s the question at the center of this conversation with Alex Dworsky and Gabriel DeSanti, co-founders of Staj. Most of us are asked to decide what we want to do at 18, 20, or 22 — long before we’ve had enough experience to truly understand what those choices mean. And while some people land in the right place, many others find themselves years into a path that no longer fits. Alex shares her experience inside corporate America, where careers often follow a predictable path shaped by expectations, environment, and...

125. Andi Simon: The Stories We Believe—and Why They Make Change So Hard

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis sits down with Andi Simon—corporate anthropologist, author, and founder of Simon Associates—to explore a deceptively simple question: Why is it so hard to see what’s right in front of us? Andi has spent decades studying how people think, behave, and—most importantly—how they make meaning. From working with banks and healthcare systems to helping leaders navigate transformation, she’s seen the same pattern over and over again: People don’t resist change because they lack information.They resist change because of the stories they...

124. The Price of Change: David Schnurman on Choice, Family, and What Really Matters

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis sits down with David Schnurman to explore a question many of us quietly carry: what do we think will happen when we change our lives? Change often begins with hope. A new job, a new city, a new path — we imagine it will give us clarity, fulfillment, or relief from whatever feels unresolved. But as David reflects throughout this conversation, change doesn’t always deliver exactly what we think we’re buying. Together, Bill and David explore the deeper motivations behind the choices we make. Family expectations, personal responsibility,...

123. Built to Serve: Omar Ritter on Leadership, Discipline, and Living With Purpose

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, I sit down with Omar Ritter for a conversation about discipline, leadership, and what it really means to live with purpose. Omar’s story is rooted in challenge. He reflects on the moments that shaped him — not just professionally, but internally. We talk about early lessons in responsibility, learning how to carry weight, and what it means to choose growth instead of comfort. Throughout our conversation, a theme keeps surfacing: discipline. Not the loud kind. Not the performative kind. But the quiet, daily commitment to becoming someone you can...

122. Ron Kmetovicz: What We Carry Forward About Money, Work and Independence

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis sits down with Ron Kmetovicz—engineer, entrepreneur, investor, and author of Ghost Money: The Pathway to Financial Independence. This conversation isn’t about getting rich quickly. It’s about what quietly sustains a life. Ron reflects on growing up in an entrepreneurial farm family in Pennsylvania, working in early Silicon Valley labs during major technological shifts, and building a career grounded in confidence rather than accumulation. He shares the philosophy behind “ghost money”—multiple revenue streams paired with minimal...

121. Remember You’re Dying: Annie Dike on Change, Courage, and Finding Meaning Without Tidy Answers

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

Welcome to What’s the Point? — the show where we explore what shapes us, what changes us, and what gives our lives meaning over time. In this episode, I’m joined by Annie Dike — a writer whose life has moved through wildly different worlds: a complex early life in Clovis, New Mexico, a career in law, years living and working at sea, and a steady commitment to writing as a way of making sense of experience. Annie begins in Clovis — a place she once wanted to escape, but later came to appreciate for what it gave her: creativity, closeness with her brother, and a tough kind of...

120. Building Something That Holds: Loryn and Edo Nalic on Partnership, Perseverance, and Belonging from Balkan Treat Box

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s The Point?, I sit down with Loryn Nalic and Edo Nalic, partners in life and work and the force behind Balkan Treat Box, Telva, and the Ridge Room in St. Louis. Their story isn’t just about building award-winning restaurants. It’s about displacement, resilience, trust, and what happens when two people commit to solving problems together instead of letting adversity define them. Edo shares what it was like growing up in Bosnia during war, fleeing to Germany, living with uncertainty, and eventually coming to the United States alone. Loryn reflects on a very...

119. From Survival to Self-Respect: Jason Van Ruler on Healing Old Patterns

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, I sit down with Jason Van Ruler for an honest conversation about healing, responsibility, and the quiet work of becoming someone you can respect. Jason shares parts of his story that began in instability—growing up in a chaotic environment, learning early how to survive, and internalizing beliefs about worth that followed him into adulthood. Like many of us, he found himself repeating familiar patterns, even when they no longer served him. We talk about the turning point that came when Jason realized that awareness alone wasn’t enough. Wanting change...

118. The Secure Leader: How Attachment Shapes Trust, Leadership, and Purpose with Dr. Jaime Goff

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, host Bill Ellis sits down with Dr. Jaime Goff, founder of The Empathic Leader, LLC and author of The Secure Leader, for a powerful conversation on how our earliest emotional experiences quietly shape the way we lead. Drawing from her background in psychology, higher education leadership, and executive coaching, Dr. Goff explains how attachment patterns formed in childhood influence trust, control, communication, and emotional regulation in adulthood—especially in leadership roles. She shares personal stories from her own journey, including growing up...

More Episodes

What if the real problem in corporate culture isn’t the strategy—but the absence of shared principles? In this powerful episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis welcomes bestselling author, speaker, and former Fortune 10 executive Kyle McDowell. Kyle pulls back the curtain on what’s broken in today’s organizations—and how The 10 WEs framework can shift the culture from dysfunction to excellence. With nearly 30 years of experience leading massive teams, Kyle’s message is as bold as it is simple: begin with WE. Whether you’re leading thousands or just trying to be a better teammate, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership, courage, and culture.

Kyle McDowell is a leadership coach, keynote speaker, and the author of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller Begin With WE: 10 Principles for Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence. After nearly three decades in corporate leadership roles—including at some of America’s biggest firms—Kyle now helps organizations dismantle dysfunction by putting people over ego and mission over metrics. His trademarked philosophy, The 10 WEs, is redefining how leaders create buy-in, accountability, and authenticity across every level of business.

Episode Highlights & Key Takeaways:

Begin With WE: Kyle introduces his leadership framework and why starting with a unified vision creates cultures of excellence.
From Fortune 10 to Full-Time Purpose: Kyle opens up about his decision to leave corporate life and step into his calling as a thought leader.
The First WE Principle: "We do the right thing. Always." Kyle shares why this one idea is the cornerstone for trust, safety, and transformation.
Courageous Candor: Kyle talks about moving past polite silence in the workplace and building teams that speak truth with respect.
The Power of Modeling: Leaders can’t just talk the talk—they must model behavior and create an environment of accountability.
It’s Not Soft, It’s Strong: Kyle breaks down why vulnerability and empathy in leadership are not weaknesses but the ultimate strengths.
One-on-One Moments Matter: Leadership isn’t about stage presence—it’s about the impact you have in your next conversation.

Kyle McDowell’s message is a wake-up call for leaders everywhere: Culture isn’t someone else’s job—it’s yours. His “10 WEs” offer more than a framework; they’re a mirror. One that reflects the kind of leader you are—and the one you’re capable of becoming. If you’re tired of watching dysfunction win, this episode will inspire you to lead with courage, clarity, and a whole lot more WE.

Connect with Bill:

Links for This Episode:

Quick Episode Summary:

0:00 – Bill introduces Kyle and his mission to rewire corporate leadership
1:08 – Kyle shares his background, from leading tens of thousands to walking away from it all
3:44 – The origin of Begin With WE and how the “10 WEs” came to life
6:10 – The core dysfunctions Kyle saw over and over—and why no one was solving them
9:29 – “We do the right thing. Always.” Why principle-driven leadership builds unstoppable trust
13:00 – How Kyle’s team of 15,000 began to adopt a shared belief system
15:50 – What vulnerability in leadership really looks like—and how it unlocks deeper performance
18:45 – Kyle breaks down his journey from fear to courage in leaving a secure corporate life
22:00 – “We own our mistakes.” Why authenticity, not perfection, makes great leaders
24:55 – Leaders who hide behind silence—and how to bring truth back into the room
29:10 – Why great leadership is personal, not positional
31:30 – The message behind his book and how The 10 WEs can transform any team
33:45 – Kyle shares the moment he knew he was living out his calling
36:00 – The ripple effect of cultural change—from the break room to the boardroom
39:00 – Why Kyle believes impact, not income, is the true measure of success
41:00 – Final thoughts from Kyle on what it really means to lead with purpose

Subscribe & Share:
Know someone frustrated with toxic work culture or looking to grow as a leader? Share this episode and help spread Kyle’s mission to bring principle-driven leadership to every workplace. Subscribe to What’s the Point? for more conversations that cut through the noise and help you live—and lead—with purpose.

TOPICS