108. The Journey, Not the Destination: John Golden on Authentic Leadership and Self-Awareness
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
Release Date: 09/09/2025
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...
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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...
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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...
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117. From Experiments to Empowering Creatives: Kacper Staniul on Purpose, Curiosity, and Building What Matters
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
In this episode of What’s the Point?, I talk with Kacper Staniul, founder and CEO of MyArchitectAI, about how purpose often reveals itself not through a single calling—but through curiosity, experimentation, and the discipline to keep building. Kacper’s journey began far from startups and artificial intelligence. As a university student in Poland studying materials science, he admits he had little sense of direction. What changed everything was exposure to the internet and the realization that learning wasn’t limited to formal education. That discovery sparked curiosity, and curiosity...
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116. The Fight Within Us: Gavin Lance Topp on Purpose, Sobriety, and Becoming a Man
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
In this episode of What’s the Point?, I sit down with Gavin Lance Topp, a former professional boxer whose life has been shaped as much by the battles outside the ring as the ones inside it. Gavin’s story is a powerful exploration of purpose, identity, and the fight within us all. Growing up in Australia and moving often as a child, Gavin found structure and validation in boxing. What began as an outlet for rage and energy became a disciplined pursuit that carried him from amateur fights to becoming the Australian Junior Middleweight Champion and eventually earning a world ranking. But as...
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115. From Struggle to Sustainability: How Purpose Takes Shape with Vanessa Thompson
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
In this episode of What’s the Point?, I’m joined by Vanessa Thompson, whose story is a clear reminder that purpose doesn’t usually arrive fully formed. More often, it takes shape slowly—through struggle, uncertainty, and hard-earned clarity. Vanessa shares her journey through seasons of instability and questioning, moments where the path forward wasn’t obvious, and how those experiences ultimately reshaped how she thinks about work, success, and sustainability. We talk about how easy it is to chase outcomes without pausing to ask whether the life we’re building is actually...
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114. Painting the World Our Children Will Inherit: Purpose, Art, and Community with Cbabi Bayoc
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
In this episode of What’s the Point, I sit down with artist Cbabi Bayoc, a painter, muralist, illustrator, and author whose work is rooted in one powerful idea: painting the world he wants his children—and all of our children—to thrive in. Cbabi shares how his art has always been about people. Faces. Emotion. Community. From his early days studying at Grambling State University to drawing caricatures at Six Flags, he learned to observe humanity closely, to listen, and to let people teach him through their reactions. What could have been discouraging moments became lessons in humility,...
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113. Grit, Grace, and Becoming: How Tracy Spears Found Strength Through Truth, Belonging & Leadership
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
When you sit down with someone who has lived a big life, you can feel it instantly. That’s exactly what happened in today’s conversation with Tracy Spears—author, speaker, leadership coach, and co-founder of the Exceptional Leaders Lab. Her story is one of grit earned the hard way, grace discovered over time, and the lifelong work of becoming who we actually are. Tracy’s journey begins in a trailer park in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where early messages about work ethic, worthiness, and performing for belonging shaped her worldview. She openly shares how one sentence from her father in third...
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112. Healing Our Relationship With Nature: Purpose, Restoration, and Hope with Tim Christophersen
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
In this episode of What’s the Point, I sit down with Tim Christophersen, one of the world’s leading voices in nature restoration and conservation, to explore what really drives us as humans and how we find meaning in our relationship with the natural world. Tim’s journey is a powerful human story of growth, purpose, and responsibility — and it’s bigger than politics, bigger than hot-button climate debates, and deeper than soundbites. Tim shares how his love of nature began as a young boy walking through forests in Germany with his grandfather, quietly building the foundation for a...
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111. Finding Meaning Through Resilience and Kindness with Noemi Beres
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
In this episode of What’s the Point, I sit down with Noemi Beres, a woman whose life story is a powerful reflection of resilience, kindness, and purpose. From growing up in Hungary in a modest but deeply loving family, to becoming an entrepreneur, connector, and creative force, Noemi shares what keeps her going and how she discovered what truly matters. Noemi opens up about her childhood, shaped by hardworking parents and the strong values of Eastern Europe. She shares how her family’s history — stories of survival, perseverance, and hope — gave her the foundation to keep going, even...
info_outlineIn this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis welcomes John Golden—strategist, podcaster, martial arts practitioner, and Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer at Pipeliner CRM. John’s story stretches from growing up in Ireland to building a career in the U.S. that blends sales leadership, publishing, and purpose-driven business.
Through their conversation, John emphasizes why embracing the journey matters more than obsessing over the destination. He shares how self-awareness, core values, and non-negotiables can guide decisions, why comparison is a trap, and how authenticity is the only way to lead effectively.
From his 1,600+ podcast interviews to his decades in sales, John also shares powerful lessons about preparation, humility, and what it means to leave a lasting legacy. This is a rich, thought-provoking dialogue about human nature, leadership, and living with intentionality.
🗝️ Key Takeaways
- Embrace the Journey: Success isn’t about an overnight win—it’s about learning from every step, even the missteps.
- Self-Awareness First: Before chasing goals, know your strengths, triggers, and true fit
- Non-Negotiables Matter: Having clear values helps avoid distractions and wasted effort
- Preparation Wins in Sales: Top performers always do their homework—it’s the ultimate respect for the client
- Authentic Leadership: True leaders model values, act with humility, and elevate others without pretending leadership is just “being nice”
- Legacy Over Noise: The real point is the impact you leave on those closest to you, not chasing global applause
.
LINKS:
Connect with Bill:
- bill@brandingpillars.com
- www.brandingpillars.com
- www.brandingforresults.com
- IG - @wcellis
- Facebook - @CoachBillEllis
- LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/wcellis
- Book: Women Who Won
CONTACT INFO:
- Name: John Golden
- Email: john.golden@pipelinersales.com
- Website: https://www.pipelinersales.com/
- SOCIAL MEDIA:
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SalesPOP
- X: https://twitter.com/RealSalesPOP
- X: @JohnGoldenFRR
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johngolden/
- Sales POP! Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sales-pop-podcasts/id1455305326
Quick Episode Summary:
- 00:00 – Meet John Golden: strategist, podcaster, and sales leader
- 02:00 – From Ireland to San Diego: why embracing the journey matters
- 06:30 – Self-awareness and core values as the foundation of clarity
- 10:30 – Building your list of non-negotiables
- 14:00 – Podcasting lessons: consistency, purpose, and value over vanity
- 18:30 – Human nature insights: what the Maasai warriors can teach us about silence and observation
- 24:00 – Martial arts lessons: humility, competing with yourself, and long-term discipline
- 30:00 – Why comparison is destructive in life and sales
- 33:00 – The power of preparation: a cautionary sales story
- 38:00 – Debunking myths: salespeople are made, not born
- 40:00 – Purpose-driven leadership beyond metrics
- 46:00 – Flaws, scars, and the beauty of imperfection
- 48:00 – John’s answer to “What’s the Point?”