The Relentless Pursuit of Winning Podcast
You didn't start your business with the dream of doing okay, earning second place or just getting by. You came to WIN. There are no participation trophies in business. There are only winners and losers. It is up to you to pick the lane. Over the next 40 minutes, our job is to educate, equip and inspire you to pursue extraordinary goals that make the journey of winning worthwhile. So Hold on... Buckle your seat belt And Let's go! Welcome to your Relentless Pursuit of Winning Podcast If you enjoy the show, please like, subscribe and hit the bell to get updates when we drop an episode and share with others who might enjoy it.
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Not Just HR: How to Build an Employee Retention Culture
01/29/2026
Not Just HR: How to Build an Employee Retention Culture
đĽ Excerpt Culture isn't an assembly of perks or policies. It is how people experience leadership when things get uncomfortable. ⥠TL;DR TJ Butler shares how founders build an employee retention culture by taking responsibility for leadership behaviors, communication rhythms, and people systems that scale. This episode explores the benefits of Fractional HR, why retention is rarely an HR problem and how culture lives or dies at the top. đ Show Notes Employee retention culture should be part of every company's growth strategy. It is something you either build intentionally or pay for later through turnover, burnout, and missed growth. In this conversation, TJ Butler and I dug into how and why so many founders misdiagnose retention issues as HR problems when they are really leadership signals. We discussed how an employee retention culture forms long before policies or handbooks. Leaders should think about retention before they make their first hire. Employee retention shows up during interview questions, through the onboarding process, and is revealed by how well team members communicate issues and opportunities. TJ shared how weak communication, unclear expectations, and overloaded founders quietly push good people out the door. An observation worth noting: employee retention culture is shaped by how leadership responds when things get difficult. When growth accelerates, when roles blur, and when pressure rises, culture either stands up to the pressure or fails miserably. This episode is for founders who want to scale and are exploring ways to keep their company stabled throughout. If you are seeing turnover, disengagement, or quiet frustration, the answer is rarely more rules. It is usually more clarity, better leadership presence, and systems that respect people as humans. That is where an employee retention culture actually lives. â
Key Takeaways ⢠Employee retention culture normally starts with leadership behavior ⢠High turnover often signals overload or unclear expectations at the top ⢠Hiring for values and coaching ability protects culture as teams grow ⢠Consistent onboarding and early feedback prevent slow disengagement ⢠Retention improves when people feel heard before problems escalate ⢠A seasoned HR expert is the key to addressing concerns before they become problems đ¤ Bio TJ Butler is the founder of 45 Solutions and brings over 20 years of experience in human resources and HR leadership. He works alongside founders to strengthen culture, reduce turnover, and build people systems that support sustainable growth. đ Host Info Rick Meekins ( https://rickmeekins.com) is a serial entrepreneur, strategic business disruption advisor, podcast guest, and host of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning Podcast, where he explores what it actually takes to build, lead, and sustain meaningful businesses. With over 30 years of experience working alongside founders and leadership teams, Rick focuses on helping companies develop and implement disruptive advantages and developing platforms to explore and distribute human insight. Interested in working together, having Rick speak, or partnering with the show? Start here: (https://rpowpodcast.com/contact/) đ§ Chapters 00:00 Why retention is not just HR 02:30 How founders accidentally create turnover 06:00 Culture signals during growth 10:45 Hiring, onboarding, and early trust 16:00 Leadership responsibility and hard conversations 22:30 Scaling without burning people out 28:00 Servant leadership in practice 34:00 When the CEO is part of the problem 40:00 Building systems that hold culture
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Pride, Grace, Ten Deployments, One Mission | Marc Fitzwater
01/27/2026
Pride, Grace, Ten Deployments, One Mission | Marc Fitzwater
đĽ Excerpt âMotivation will go away. Discipline is doing the work even when you donât want to.â ⥠TL;DR Marc Fitzwater, retired Green Beret and founder of I-68 Consulting Group, shares how pride refined by grace, discipline over motivation, and unwavering service shape leadership, entrepreneurship, and community impact long after military service ends. đ Show Notes Protector begins as a calling. It's not just a title. Marc Fitzwater joined me carrying the quiet authority of someone who has lived under pressure for decades. Ten deployments shaped his understanding of responsibility, discipline, and grace, but they did not define the end of his service. They clarified its direction. Marc built I-68 Consulting Group to empower everyday people to become protectors of what matters most. The work is not about gear or bravado, but rather about developing confidence earned through disciplined training, honest feedback, and community. Marc and his cadre train with intention, keeping standards high and growth responsible, because trust is built person by person. We talked about entrepreneurship the same way Marc approaches leadership in the field. Set clear intent. Learn continuously. Stay humble enough to adapt. Faith carried him through the stress of buying land, navigating months of bureaucracy, and carrying financial weight before the facility produced revenue. Grace was not theoretical. It was lived daily through uncertainty. I think you'll agree with me and appreciate Marcâs clarity. Service does not end when the uniform comes off. It evolves. Pride becomes stewardship. Discipline replaces motivation. Mission remains. â
Key Takeaways ⢠Pride anchored in service creates lasting leadership ⢠Grace sustains builders through pressure and uncertainty ⢠Discipline outlasts motivation in business and life ⢠Community strengthens confidence and accountability ⢠Grow at a pace that protects standards and culture ⢠Service continues long after formal roles end đ¤ Bio Marc Fitzwater is the founder of I-68 Consulting Group and a retired Green Beret with 23 years of service, including 16 years in Special Forces and 10 deployments. He now leads defensive training, situational awareness, and security consulting focused on empowering everyday protectors. đ Host Info Rick Meekins (https://rickmeekins.com) is a serial entrepreneur, strategic business disruption advisor, podcast guest, and host of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning Podcast, where he explores what it actually takes to build, lead, and sustain meaningful businesses. With over 30 years of experience working alongside founders and leadership teams, Rick focuses on helping companies develop and implement disruptive advantages and developing platforms to explore and distribute human insight. Interested in working together, having Rick speak, or partnering with the show? Start here: (https://rpowpodcast.com/contact/) đ§ Chapters 00:00 Welcome and mission framing 00:41 Marcâs transition from service to entrepreneurship 02:13 Why community impact matters 05:13 Building confidence through disciplined training 09:08 Military autonomy and civilian leadership 11:29 Laying a strong foundation before scaling 14:01 Business planning, mentors, and learning fast 16:05 Designing training with purpose 19:35 Standards, culture, and collaboration 23:02 Word of mouth and experience-driven growth 24:36 Valkyries, Ares, and community events 27:21 Fundraising and continued service 28:34 Buying land, stress, and grace under pressure 32:13 Leadership built on trust and intent 36:11 Mistakes, lessons, and resilience 40:03 Gratitude, faith, and family 44:24 Advice for builders and future leaders
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When Strengths Sabotage: Personality, Emotional Intelligence, Comebacks with Dr. Greg Stewart
01/23/2026
When Strengths Sabotage: Personality, Emotional Intelligence, Comebacks with Dr. Greg Stewart
đĽ Excerpt âPut down the microscope and pick up the mirror.â ⥠TL;DR Dr. Greg Stewart shares how emotional intelligence shapes leadership, marriage, and personal recovery by helping you name negative emotions, measure what is actually at stake, and do the inner work before you try to fix the people around you. đ Show Notes Emotional intelligence is not a soft skill. It is the line between a leader who grows and a leader whose strengths start doing damage. In this conversation, Dr. Greg Stewart and I talk about what happens when identity and worth get tied to outside validation, and how that shows up as inflated reactions in leadership and at home. We get practical about emotional intelligence through a simple discipline: notice the negative emotion, assess what is truly at risk, and then ask why the reaction feels bigger than the moment. Greg points to three common drivers: lies we believe, identity wounds that make things personal, and unresolved trauma. We also talk leadership in the real world. Emotional intelligence means you lead yourself first, pursue teachability on purpose, and reduce blind spots by inviting feedback before problems force the lesson. Along the way, Greg shares a framework for marriage and partnership that centers safety, pursuit, and mature responsibility, without turning your spouse into your source of worth. Emotional intelligence shows up again when life hits you. Gregâs concept of scheduling the minimum helps leaders stay relentless without burning out by protecting the non negotiables that keep your life aligned. â
Key Takeaways Emotional intelligence starts by naming the emotion and separating signal from inflation If it feels personal, check your identity and worth before you confront the moment Teachability is a leadership practice, not a personality trait Feedback reduces blind spots when you invite it early and handle it with humility Schedule the minimum in the priorities that keep you grounded so you can sustain the pursuit đ¤ Bio Dr. Greg Stewart is a licensed counselor, executive coach, author, and former pastor whose work focuses on emotional intelligence, personality, leadership development, and relational health. Learn more at drgreggstewart.com. đ Giveaway To go deeper, Dr. Greg Stewart is offering a free resource for RPOW listeners. This tool is designed to help you slow reactions, identify whatâs really at stake, and lead yourself with greater clarityâbefore emotions hijack your decisions at work or at home. If this episode resonated, this resource will help you turn insight into practice. Get it at đ§ Chapters 00:01 Welcome and why this conversation matters 00:51 Gregâs journey from ministry to counseling and leadership work 05:30 The wake up moments that forced change 07:45 âI make your worldâ and the identity shift 11:37 Need versus want in relationships and leadership 17:15 Marriage, roles, and responsibility without losing yourself 27:11 Negative emotions as data, not direction 33:24 Leadership, validation, and the danger of taking it personally 36:30 Lead yourself first and pursue feedback to reduce blind spots 46:24 A practice to move from reaction to reflection 50:28 Staying relentless by scheduling the minimum 53:32 Where to find Gregâs books and work đ Host Info Rick Meekins (https://rickmeekins.com) is a serial entrepreneur, strategic business disruption advisor, podcast guest, and host of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning Podcast, where he explores what it actually takes to build, lead, and sustain meaningful businesses. With over 30 years of experience working alongside founders and leadership teams, Rick focuses on helping companies develop and implement disruptive advantages and developing platforms to explore and distribute human insight. Interested in working together, having Rick speak, or partnering with the show? Start here: #emotionalintelligence #leadership #eq #personality #selfawareness #marriage #executivecoaching #rpowpodcast #relentlesspursuitofwinning
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Lead People: Mindset, Mission, and Momentum with Jordan Modiano
01/20/2026
Lead People: Mindset, Mission, and Momentum with Jordan Modiano
đĽ Excerpt "You do not manage people, you lead people." ⥠TL;DR Jordan Modiano and I talk about what it means to lead people while running multiple missions at once. We break down fear versus anxiety, how values guide decisions when the answer is not obvious, and why clear communication protects teams from speculation. Jordan also shares how his daughter inspired Races for Autism and why founders have to build support systems that keep the plates spinning without losing themselves. đ Show Notes Lead people. That is the thread Jordan Modiano kept pulling on, whether we were talking business, nonprofit work, or raising a daughter on the autism spectrum. For founders, this is not theory. It is how culture gets built in the middle of real constraints, real responsibility, and real emotion. Jordan draws a clean line between fear and anxiety. Fear is tied to something present and real. Anxiety grows in imagined outcomes. When founders treat anxiety like a fact, they start making smaller decisions than their mission requires. His practice is simple and grounded: name the worst case, decide what you will do if it happens, then move. We also spent time on leadership versus management. You manage processes, schedules, finances, and inventory. You lead people with communication, accountability, and trust. Jordan described what he calls insane communication because silence creates speculation, and speculation turns negative fast. When people know the why, they stop waiting to be told and start thinking for themselves. One story stayed with me. A team member was working through the details to secure a van so associates could get to a one-day job site. Jordan could have taken over. Instead, he coached her through the process and later showed her the impact she created. That is how you lead people without turning them into task runners. Jordanâs values are not wall art. They are decision tools. Doing the right thing even when nobody is looking protects trust inside the team. It also becomes the standard your people carry into their next chapter. If you want to lead people at scale, you have to teach judgment, not just execution. â
Key Takeaways ⢠Lead people by teaching the why, not only the what ⢠Treat anxiety as a signal, not a verdict ⢠Use clear communication to remove speculation ⢠Build accountability that feels fair and consistent ⢠Develop people through ownership, coaching, and reflection ⢠Let values guide decisions when the contract answer feels incomplete ⢠Practice kindness before judgment, especially with invisible challenges đ¤ Bio Jordan Modiano is a business owner, leadership speaker, and nonprofit founder focused on helping people find purpose, strengthen teams, and build momentum through values-driven leadership. He supports employers and job seekers through Express Employment Professionals and leads Races for Autism. đ Host Info Rick Meekins (https://rickmeekins.com) is a serial entrepreneur, strategic business disruption advisor, podcast guest, and host of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning Podcast, where he explores what it actually takes to build, lead, and sustain meaningful businesses. With over 30 years of experience working alongside founders and leadership teams, Rick focuses on helping companies develop and implement disruptive advantages and developing platforms to explore and distribute human insight. Interested in working together, having Rick speak, or partnering with the show? Start here: https://rpowpodcast.com/contact/ đ§ Chapters 00:00 Fear versus anxiety and why it matters 01:51 Who Jordan is and how he helps people 03:15 Racing, autism advocacy, and building Races for Autism 05:00 Starting before you feel ready and learning fast 07:10 Naming the worst case and moving with clarity 09:51 Legacy thinking and leaving the place changed 11:46 Compassion, autism, and reframing challenges 15:44 Priorities, self-care, and having good people 18:37 Leadership versus management and communication standards 20:41 Developing people through ownership and coaching 28:27 Integrity, values, and doing the right thing 33:14 Closing message on judgment and kindness #leadpeople #leadership #management #integrity #teamculture #communication #founders #autismawareness #nonprofit
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Discovered: The Holy Grail of Marketing with Greg Licciardi
01/15/2026
Discovered: The Holy Grail of Marketing with Greg Licciardi
đĽ Excerpt âThis framework lowers risk because it starts with knowing exactly who your offering is for and why it matters.â ⥠TL;DR Greg Licciardi joins the show to unpack the Holy Grail of Marketing, a disciplined framework designed to help founders reduce risk, stop wasting marketing dollars, and build clarity around their unique selling proposition. The conversation explores white space, message clarity, timing, brand purpose, and the importance of maintaining human connection as AI becomes more prevalent in marketing execution. đ Show Notes The Holy Grail of Marketing is not about tactics first. It is about discipline, clarity, and understanding where your business truly belongs in the market. In this conversation, I sat down with Greg Licciardi to explore why so many founders struggle with marketing and how a holistic framework can change that trajectory. What stood out to me most was Gregâs insistence that the Holy Grail of Marketing begins with knowing the right customer and the right problem. Marketing is not noise. It is the act of distilling your message until it clearly reflects an unmet need and a unique selling proposition that actually delivers. We discussed white space and how founders often overlook it because they rush to promote features instead of conveying meaning. The Holy Grail of Marketing forces you to slow down, align message with timing, environment, and intent, and recognize that every pillar must hold or the entire effort collapses. Greg also shared why this framework reduces risk. When your message, audience, and delivery are aligned, marketing becomes an investment rather than a gamble. The Holy Grail of Marketing creates structure in a space that often feels chaotic, especially for early-stage and growth-focused founders. As AI accelerates execution, we discussed why authenticity and emotional connection cannot be automated away. The Holy Grail of Marketing keeps the human element intact, ensuring technology supports the message rather than replacing it. This episode is for founders who want marketing that actually works, respects capital, and builds long-term relevance. â
Key Takeaways ⢠Marketing starts with clarity, not channels ⢠White space exists where real needs are unmet ⢠Every marketing pillar must align to avoid wasted spend ⢠A strong, unique selling proposition lowers risk ⢠AI should support strategy, not replace human judgment đ¤ Bio Greg Licciardi is a marketing executive, educator, and author of Holy Grail of Marketing. He has taught marketing for over a decade, worked with global brands, and currently serves as Vice President of Partnerships at the Association of National Advertisers. đ Host Info Rick Meekins ([https://rickmeekins.com](https://rickmeekins.com)) is a serial entrepreneur, strategic business disruption advisor, podcast guest, and host of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning Podcast, where he explores what it actually takes to build, lead, and sustain meaningful businesses. With over 30 years of experience working alongside founders and leadership teams, Rick focuses on helping companies develop and implement disruptive advantages and developing platforms to explore and distribute human insight. Interested in working together, having Rick speak, or partnering with the show? Start here: [https://rpowpodcast.com/contact/](https://rpowpodcast.com/contact/) đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and background 03:21 What marketing really is 09:34 Holy Grail of Marketing framework 11:41 Unique selling proposition and audience clarity 18:20 Common marketing challenges 19:54 Value of the framework 21:49 Using AI responsibly 23:40 Workshops and engagement #holygrailofmarketing #rpowpodcast #relentlesspursuitofwinning #marketingframework #foundermarketing #brandstrategy
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Built for This: The Entrepreneurial Mindset with Marcel Clarke
01/13/2026
Built for This: The Entrepreneurial Mindset with Marcel Clarke
đĽ Excerpt Never cheat yourself. If you value what you create you need to get paid accordingly. ⥠TL;DR Marcel Clarke shares how an entrepreneurial mindset is built through ownership, disciplined pricing, systems, and long term thinking. From franchises to commercial cleaning, real estate development, and investing, this conversation centers on responsibility, discomfort, and building assets that last. đ Show Notes Entrepreneurial mindset is not motivational language. It is the discipline to own outcomes, price work honestly, and build systems that hold up under pressure. Marcel Clarke lives this reality across multiple businesses, and our conversation stayed grounded in what actually works. Marcel walked through using a franchise as a learning environment rather than a permanent destination. He treated it as a way to understand systems, customer experience, accountability, and execution. Once the lessons were learned, he moved on to build his own brand with higher standards and tighter control. We spent time on pricing because this is where many founders compromise themselves. Marcel was direct. If you deliver excellence, you charge for it. Volume without margin creates stress, turnover, and fragile businesses. A strong entrepreneurial mindset prioritizes profit, sustainability, and respect for the people doing the work. Real estate became a natural extension of that thinking. Marcel explained the limits of rehabs and the shift toward development, holding assets, and letting time compound value. The goal is not quick wins but durable ownership that supports future generations. We also talked investing and wealth. Marcel reinforced that money sitting idle loses ground. Learning how markets work, doing due diligence, and keeping capital productive are part of the same entrepreneurial mindset that drives business decisions. This episode is for builders who want clarity instead of hype and results instead of shortcuts. â
Key Takeaways 1. An entrepreneurial mindset starts with full ownership of decisions and consequences. 2. Systems protect quality, margins, and team stability. 3. Pricing reflects self respect and business reality. 4. Fewer profitable clients outperform high volume with weak margins. 5. Long term assets outperform short term transactions. 6. Due diligence reduces risk and sharpens judgment. 7. Money must stay productive to protect purchasing power. đ¤ Bio Marcel Clarke is a generational entrepreneur, real estate developer, and investor with experience spanning commercial cleaning, real estate development, and market investing. He is the author of Hiding in Plain View. đ Host Info (https://rickmeekins.com) is a serial entrepreneur, strategic business disruption advisor, podcast guest, and host of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning Podcast, where he explores what it actually takes to build, lead, and sustain meaningful businesses. With over 30 years of experience working alongside founders and leadership teams, Rick focuses on helping companies develop and implement disruptive advantages and developing platforms to explore and distribute human insight. Interested in working together, having Rick speak, or partnering with the show? Start here: https://rpowpodcast.com/contact/ đ§ Chapters 00:00 Never cheating yourself and pricing value 01:54 Defining entrepreneurship through ownership 07:07 Learning systems through franchise ownership 12:54 Building a premium commercial cleaning business 16:28 Customer relationships and accountability 19:42 Transitioning into real estate development 21:47 Legacy thinking and holding assets 24:32 Rehab lessons and portfolio building 27:55 Family entrepreneurship and financial discipline 30:04 Due diligence and investment decisions 32:23 Stock market fundamentals and long term investing 39:03 Writing Hiding in Plain View 40:14 Final mindset principles #EntrepreneurialMindset #Entrepreneurship #BusinessOwnership #WealthBuilding #RealEstateEntrepreneur #RPOWPodcast
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How the Wisdom of Ignorance Builds Real Innovation Alan Gregerman
01/06/2026
How the Wisdom of Ignorance Builds Real Innovation Alan Gregerman
đĽ Excerpt âThe less I know about something, the more I can create a breakthrough.â ⥠TL;DR Alan Gregerman explains how innovation is fueled not by having all the answers, but by knowing where certainty limits progress. We explore curiosity, fast experimentation, leadership humility, and how founders can build innovation systems that stay relevant as the future unfolds. đ Show Notes Wisdom of Ignorance is not about lacking intelligence. It is about recognizing that real innovation often begins where certainty ends. In this conversation, Alan Gregerman reframes what it means to lead, build, and create value in a world that refuses to stand still. As founders, we are taught to value expertise, preparation, and confidence. Alan does not dismiss those things, but he challenges the hidden cost of overreliance on what we already know. The Wisdom of Ignorance shows up when leaders are willing to suspend certainty long enough to see opportunities that expertise alone can obscure. We talked about why most ideas are already out in the world, borrowed from someone elseâs thinking or inspired by nature, and why innovation rarely starts inside a conference room. Curiosity requires movement. Presence requires attention. Innovation demands both. Alan shared a grounded approach to building without betting the entire business. Protect the core. Run experiments beside it. Ship an 80 percent idea, put it in front of the people you want to serve, and let them help shape what comes next. Some ideas earn their place. Others quietly fall away. That is not failure. That is learning doing its job. Leadership sits at the center of all of this. Cultures of innovation do not emerge from suggestion boxes. They emerge when leaders clarify purpose, model curiosity, practice humility, respect ideas from unexpected places, stay future focused, and maintain a healthy awareness that someone else is always trying to do it better. The Wisdom of Ignorance becomes an advantage when founders stop pretending to have every answer and start building systems that learn faster than the market changes. That is how real innovation takes root. â
Key Takeaways Innovation starts with clear purpose, not more ideas Curiosity must be practiced intentionally, not assumed Ship the 80 percent idea and let customers shape the rest Treat experiments as learning, then decide quickly Lead with humility so innovation can come from anywhere đ¤ Bio Alan Gregerman is the founder of VentureWorks, an innovation consulting firm based in Washington, DC. He advises organizations on new ideas, products, and growth strategies, and is the author of The Wisdom of Ignorance. đ Host Info is an entrepreneur, strategic advisor, and host of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, where he explores what it actually takes to build, lead, and sustain meaningful businesses. With over 30 years of experience working alongside founders and leadership teams, Rick brings a systems-oriented perspective to growth, strategy, and execution. Interested in working together, having Rick speak, or partnering with the show? Start here: đ§ Chapters 00:00 Innovation, value, and the risk of customer drift 03:55 Curiosity as the real starting point for innovation 06:40 Why most ideas begin outside the building 09:35 Problem solving and serendipity 12:28 Rediscovering wonder and presence 15:20 Focus, purpose, and choosing what to build 23:17 Why perfect slows progress 26:28 Creating a culture of innovation 27:25 Leadership behaviors that unlock innovation 32:51 Experimentation and portfolio thinking 39:31 The Wisdom of Ignorance in action 44:47 Relentless pursuit of winning 46:19 Curiosity, service, and building what matters #WisdomOfIgnorance #Innovation #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #RPOWPodcast
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The Owner's Mindset: How to Scale Without Burnout With Ral West
12/30/2025
The Owner's Mindset: How to Scale Without Burnout With Ral West
đĽ Excerpt "If you want to stay in charge of your business and if you want to be hip deep in the day to day details, keep just giving orders and do not let them think for themselves." ⥠TL;DR Ral West shares how she and her husband scaled a Alaska to Hawaii travel business into eight digit revenue, stepped back from daily operations, and later sold to Alaska Airlines. She breaks down six principles that helped them scale without burnout: systems, measurement, leverage, culture, team alignment, and customer delight. đ Show Notes Owner's Mindset is not a slogan. It is the shift that lets a founder build a company that runs with clarity, accountability, and calm. Ral West lived that shift the hard way, starting in Alaska, building a travel business that eventually chartered wide body jets, and carrying tens of thousands of passengers a year. Growth came fast, and so did the pressure. What stayed with me is how Owner's Mindset shows up when things go wrong. A mechanical issue creates a delay, the clock is ticking on crew limits, families need diapers and formula, and the team needs a plan that does not rely on the owner showing up to save the day. Ral built systems that made care repeatable, then backed her people with clear cultural principles, shared incentives, and permission to make decisions. We also talked about the long arc. Owner's Mindset takes time. It took years of learning, training, and tightening the loop between what the business promises and what the business delivers. The result was a business that could run without constant firefighting, and a life that did not require sacrificing everything to keep the wheels turning. Owner's Mindset is how you scale without losing yourself. â
Key Takeaways ⢠Build systems that make execution repeatable, especially under pressure ⢠Measure what truly drives decisions, then review it on a steady cadence ⢠Use leverage through delegation, automation, partnerships, and mentorship ⢠Define culture on purpose and reinforce it through behavior and incentives ⢠Align the team around shared goals so the whole business pulls together ⢠Move from customer satisfaction to customer delight through thoughtful detail đ¤ Bio Ral West is a longtime entrepreneur who co built and scaled an Alaska based travel company that chartered flights to Hawaii and grew to eight digit annual revenue before being acquired by Alaska Airlines. Today she teaches founders a practical framework for stepping into the owner role through systems, measurement, leverage, culture, team, and customer delight. She also publishes the LinkedIn newsletter REL Success Principles and shares business lessons on YouTube. đ Host Info Rick Meekins is an entrepreneur, strategic advisor, and host of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, where he explores what it actually takes to build, lead, and sustain meaningful businesses. With over 30 years of experience working alongside founders and leadership teams, Rick brings a systems-oriented perspective to growth, strategy, and execution. Interested in working together, having Rick speak, or partnering with the show? Start here: https://rpowpodcast.com/contact/ đ§ Chapters 00:00 Building a Purposeful Company Culture 13:56 Delighting Customers Beyond Expectations 19:31 The Importance of Team Empowerment 24:56 The Journey of Growth and Adaptation 30:24 Lessons Learned from Experience 35:46 Embracing Change and Future Opportunities #OwnersMindset #ScaleWithoutBurnout #Entrepreneurship #BusinessSystems #Leadership #TeamAlignment #CustomerExperience #Operations
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Out of the Wreckage Unshakable Personal Growth Dave Sanderson
12/23/2025
Out of the Wreckage Unshakable Personal Growth Dave Sanderson
đĽ Excerpt You cannot be in fear and gratitude at the same time. ⥠TL;DR Dave Sanderson reflects on surviving the Miracle on the Hudson and how that moment reshaped his leadership, faith, and approach to personal growth. We explore mindset management, mentorship, reframing disruption, and why gratitude anchors execution during uncertainty. đ Show Notes Personal growth begins when control disappears, and that reality framed my conversation with Dave Sanderson. Dave took me inside the Miracle on the Hudson, from the impact to the freezing water to the shared mission that formed among strangers. What stood out was not drama, but clarity. Crisis revealed what mattered and what no longer did. Dave described personal growth as a discipline shaped before disruption arrives. Managing internal dialogue, focus, and physical state allowed him to stay present when fear had every reason to take over. That same discipline shows up for founders when conditions change faster than plans. Leadership becomes the act of creating steadiness without certainty. We talked about mentorship and the shift from asking how to asking who. Dave explained how progress accelerated once he stopped trying to carry everything alone. Personal growth expanded when he built outcomes alongside people aligned to the mission instead of forcing answers in isolation. We closed on gratitude as an operating posture. Daveâs conviction was simple and grounded. Gratitude interrupts fear. When leaders practice gratitude daily, personal growth continues even when the next step is unclear and the path feels unfinished. â
Key Takeaways ⢠Personal growth requires managing mindset before managing outcomes ⢠Disruption signals a threshold rather than a collapse ⢠Asking who creates momentum where isolation slows progress ⢠Focused execution depends on a clear personal flight plan ⢠Gratitude removes fear from leadership decisions đ¤ Bio Dave Sanderson is a speaker, author, and leadership advisor best known as the last passenger off Flight 1549 during the Miracle on the Hudson. His work centers on personal growth, mentorship, execution, and faith grounded leadership. đ Giveaway Dave is offering a free digital download of his Moments Matter magazine. Each issue shares real stories of pivotal life moments from leaders, entrepreneurs, and survivors, including insights from Daveâs own journey. Visit DaveSandersonSpeaks.com, navigate to the store, and download the magazine at no cost. đ Host Info Rick Meekins is an entrepreneur, strategic advisor, and host of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, where he explores what it actually takes to build, lead, and sustain meaningful businesses. With over 30 years of experience working alongside founders and leadership teams, Rick brings a systems-oriented perspective to growth, strategy, and execution. Interested in working together, having Rick speak, or partnering with the show? Start here: đ§ Chapters 00:00 Uncertainty and personal growth 02:26 Inside the Miracle on the Hudson 05:35 Leadership under immediate pressure 12:18 Returning to life after trauma 14:14 Managing mindset in unstable conditions 18:47 Identifying distinct advantage 21:35 Leadership as certainty creation 22:40 Reframing disruption as growth 25:21 Mentorship and legacy 28:10 Faith and gratitude in adversity 33:31 Scaling execution with intention 37:49 Books, freedom, and long-term impact
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Unstoppable Emotional Mindset Alchemy | JM Ryerson
12/15/2025
Unstoppable Emotional Mindset Alchemy | JM Ryerson
đď¸ Episode Title Unstoppable Emotional Mindset Alchemy | JM Ryerson đĽ Excerpt Be yourself, take off the mask, play full out. You only have one life to give. ⥠TL;DR JM Ryerson shares how performance mindset drives revenue growth, leadership clarity, and personal endurance. We unpack the align, believe, choose framework, a three question method to break self limiting beliefs, and practical rhythms that protect health, relationships, and culture while teams scale. đ Show Notes Performance mindset is the quiet engine behind every founder story I respect. JM came into the studio with calm conviction and a simple message that landed hard for me. Take off the mask. Play full out. One life. As we talked, I kept hearing the same theme. Most ceilings are built in our own mind. JM brought Henry Fordâs line into the room and made it practical. Whether you think you can or you cannot, you are right. Then he made it actionable with three questions that founders can run anytime the internal story gets loud. Is it true. Why do I believe it. How is it showing up in my life. That performance mindset lens creates clarity fast because it forces honesty without drama. What hit me next was how he applies performance mindset inside companies. He starts with alignment, commitment, and teamwork in a single visible page that keeps the whole organization focused. Then he works the belief gap that keeps teams playing small. Around ninety days the habits start to stick. Around one hundred eighty days the impact becomes obvious. At one year the company recognizes its own growth and its own new identity. That focus on stable habits connects with how we build infrastructure that holds up even when the founder steps back. We also went straight at the grind culture. JM said rise and grind turns people into dust. I felt that because I lived it as a restaurant owner. Long hours, no life, a body that felt heavy, and a spirit that felt squeezed. JMâs work life harmony framing matters because founders need performance mindset that sustains the whole person. He even gave a simple practice. A small daily block that feeds mind, body, and soul so leaders can pour into others without running empty. Then we talked leadership roles. Founders can build the product and still struggle to run the company day to day. JMâs approach starts with permission and truth delivered with care. Put the right people in the right seats, empower them, and let the visionary stay in the zone where they create the most value. That is performance mindset with humility and it scales culture without breaking people. By the end, the episode felt like a call to live awake. No mask. No playing small. A cleaner mindset, a healthier rhythm, and a team that can win together. â
Key Takeaways Performance mindset improves results when you challenge beliefs with is it true, why do I believe it, how is it showing up. Alignment becomes real when the whole company can see the goal and the commitments in one place. Growth sticks through habits that hold for ninety days, then deepen through the next cycle. Work life harmony protects endurance when mind, body, and soul get daily attention. Scaling requires letting go so others can lead in their strengths while the founder stays in their best role. đ¤ Bio JM Ryerson is a performance and mindset coach who has built and sold three companies in financial services. He helps leaders strengthen culture, sales, leadership, and performance so organizations grow with clarity and healthy momentum. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Creating energy and choosing attitude 01:46 Mindset and the Henry Ford principle 05:38 The three questions that break limits 11:20 Alignment and belief inside teams 14:57 Performance habits that prevent burnout 18:55 Work life harmony and sustainable output 22:05 Recognizing burnout and righting the ship 26:14 Empowering teams to scale 30:32 Founder role clarity and hard conversations 34:12 Writing a book for legacy 39:17 Prioritizing ideas and focus 41:29 Support systems and gratitude 43:22 Living authentically and without regret #performancemindset #leadership #founder #mindset #companyculture #burnoutprevention #growthstrategy #salesleadership #rpows
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Productivity, Purpose and Founder Energy with Alex Dripchak
12/11/2025
Productivity, Purpose and Founder Energy with Alex Dripchak
đĽ Excerpt âWe shape our days by how we divide our thoughts, and that division decides the impact we leave.â ⥠TL;DR Alex Dripchak joins me to explore how founders can anchor productivity in purpose. We cover his transition into a nonprofit that teaches life skills to young adults, the systems he uses to stay energized, his approach to mind share, and his view of AI as a supportive tool rather than a driver. His insights offer founders a grounded path for aligning daily work, long term purpose and meaningful contribution. đ Show Notes When Alex stepped into the studio, I wanted to understand what moves someone to step out of a comfortable corporate lane and build a nonprofit that exists to prepare students for real life. As he talked about his calling, I could hear the conviction. He described a pull that kept returning, something he felt responsible to honor. He shared the moment it began. At fifteen, he opened a retirement account at his fatherâs urging. That single act gave him a sense of financial footing that many of his peers never had. Years later, after meeting a colleague focused on helping college students, he could not shake the thought that these skills should reach every young adult. That idea grew into a curriculum of courses on financial wellbeing, networking, negotiation, meta learning and more. His desire is simple: fewer young adults entering life wishing someone had taught them earlier. As we walked through the operational side of his nonprofit, I asked how he manages the weight of a day job, a foundation, advising, writing and family. He brought the conversation straight to intentional energy. He calls the gym his source of renewal. He chooses the time of day when most people fade and uses that moment to restore his strength. He then described what he calls sanctified spaces. When he sits in certain chairs, he only works. If he needs to send a personal message, he stands. That habit trains his mind to enter focus as soon as he enters that space. It reminded me how much founders benefit from creating environments that support clarity and deep work. We explored mind share as well. Alex watches his thoughts with unusual honesty. He divides them into pleasure, pain, provision and purpose. When something begins to pull too much attention, he redirects it to protect the space he needs for meaningful work. That level of self awareness is a through line in how he operates. We also stepped into AI. Alex has advised an AI company for years and has seen the tools evolve from simple summarizers into assistants that track sentiment and surface insights in real time. He values the efficiency but keeps the responsibility for judgment on the human side. It is a posture I believe founders must hold as these tools become more present in daily work. As we closed, Alex shared the statement that guides his life. He aims to do things in a thoughtful and thorough manner so others can thrive. It is the heart of his nonprofit, his writing and his daily choices. It aligns closely with the kind of leadership we speak to here at RPOW. â
Key Takeaways Purpose expresses itself through consistent inner pull. Energy sources fuel sustainable contribution. Sacred work spaces reduce friction and support deep focus. Mind share shapes a founderâs effectiveness more than time alone. AI is most powerful when paired with human judgment. Giving first builds trust that strengthens relationships and opportunities. đ¤ Bio Alex Dripchak is a sales leader, author and nonprofit founder focused on preparing young adults with practical life and career skills. Through courses on financial wellbeing, networking, negotiation, productivity and personal purpose, he equips students to enter life with confidence and clarity. His upcoming book reveals one hundred practices that help leaders organize their energy around meaningful contribution. đ Giveaway Readers of Alexâs upcoming book can submit their top five practices they plan to apply for a chance to receive a quarterly five hundred dollar award that supports purposeful action. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Welcome and opening 02:00 The moment his calling took shape 04:10 Building a curriculum for real life 07:05 Operational structure and team 10:20 Storytelling and value for founders 12:30 The current state of AI 18:15 Networking and candidate pathways 21:50 Differentiation in a changing environment 27:20 Productivity, performance and purpose 30:10 Energy sources and renewed focus 34:00 Managing mind share 39:30 Balancing roles with intention 40:55 Purpose and the societal gap 42:50 Giving first and book details
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Building Digital Belonging and Strong Online Communities with Todd Nilson
12/09/2025
Building Digital Belonging and Strong Online Communities with Todd Nilson
đĽ Excerpt âCommunity is sacrifice. You put a little of yourself into it so people can find belonging that makes their hearts grow.â ⥠TL;DR In this episode I sit down with community strategist Todd Nilson to explore what it really takes to build digital spaces that feel human, safe, and alive. Todd shares how his journey from recruiter and lifelong gamer to community architect shaped the way he designs online environments that fight loneliness and deepen belonging. We walk through how to plan a community, enroll early champions, set healthy guidelines, and think clearly about monetization so founders can use community as a long term asset, not a quick campaign. đ Show Notes When I invited Todd Nilson into the studio, I expected a conversation about technology and platforms. What I experienced was a masterclass on belonging. Todd opened by sharing his path into the community world. Performing arts, journalism, tabletop games and early social media all pointed him toward one big question. How do we create spaces where people feel seen and connected. That curiosity became a career in designing online communities that feel cozy, purposeful, and human. He described the loneliness he sees in the world and how thoughtfully designed communities give people a place to land. One example that stayed with me was a large quit smoking and vaping community he helps support. Members tell him they are alive because that space exists. They find practical tools, emotional support, and grace when they slip. Hearing that reminded me why our work with founders has to reach beyond revenue into real human outcomes. We then dug into the work behind communities that thrive. Todd talked about sacrifice as the core of community building. You invest time, attention, and care before the benefits show up. That means clarifying the purpose of the space, talking directly with the people you want to serve, and shaping a clear journey for their first thirty days. Todd walked me through a simple way for founders to think about community strategy. Start with a very specific niche. Speak with early members and let their needs inform programming, events, and even platform choice. Invite a small group of committed people first, your willing co conspirators, and build momentum with them before opening the doors wider. We also talked about norms and safety. Todd sees community guidelines as a form of hospitality. When expectations are clear and modeled by early members, people relax and share more freely. That is where deeper stories, richer learning, and real loyalty begin to form. Finally, we explored monetization. Todd encouraged founders to treat community as a long term program that supports the entire customer life cycle. That can include membership fees, courses, or premium circles inside a broader space. The key is to charge in ways that keep the community sustainable while honoring the value people receive. For founders who aim to build stable, sustainable companies with a real sense of connection around the brand, Todd offers both vision and practical next steps. â
Key Takeaways Digital communities can ease loneliness and create powerful belonging when designed with empathy and intention. Community building requires sacrifice, consistent presence, and clear purpose before results appear. Early members set the tone, so recruit people who love the mission and will show up often. Thoughtful guidelines and modeled behavior create safety, which opens the door to deeper conversation and trust. Monetization works best when it sustains the space and aligns with the long term value members experience. đ¤ Bio Todd Nilson is a community strategist and founder of Clocktower Advisors. For more than fifteen years he has helped organizations design, launch, and manage online communities that deepen connection for customers, employees, and mission driven groups. His work spans tech firms, nonprofits, education initiatives, and large behavior change communities focused on health and wellbeing. đ§ Chapters 00:01 Welcome and why Toddâs work matters 02:24 From journalism and performance to digital community 06:20 Online connection and the future of belonging 12:24 Games, storytelling, and the spark for community work 18:00 Leaving agency life and launching Clocktower Advisors 21:54 Impact stories and saving lives through community 24:18 What it really takes to keep a community alive 26:47 Designing a founder community from idea to experience 34:05 Guidelines, norms, and healthy responsibility 40:37 Monetization models and making community sustainable 44:03 Final advice for founders on playing the long game
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From Chaos to Clarity: Engineering Business Success with Adi Klevit
12/02/2025
From Chaos to Clarity: Engineering Business Success with Adi Klevit
đĽ Excerpt "If you want your freedom, the way to achieve that freedom is by having good systems." ⥠TL;DR I talk with process consultant and industrial engineer Adi Klevit about turning growing businesses from chaos to clarity. She explains how to map and document processes, build a culture that actually uses them, capture the founderâs sales approach, and use technology on top of clear workflows so the company scales without burning out the owner. đ Show Notes I open this conversation with a question I hear from founders all the time. The business is growing, so why does it still feel so chaotic. That tension sits at the center of what Adi Klevit does every day. Adi is an industrial engineer and founder of Business Success Consulting Group. Her focus is simple. She helps growth stage companies create, document, and implement processes so they can grow with intention. She and her team act like engineers inside the business. They learn how work really gets done, map it, and then help the team turn that map into everyday practice. Early in the episode, Adi explains why process matters from the very beginning. Even a small company benefits when the founder starts to capture basic steps. As the team grows into ten people and beyond, this becomes vital. Processes move from a nice idea to the structure that supports vision, hiring, sales, and delivery. She walks me through how she maps a process. Start with the point where value begins. Define the input and the final outcome. Lay out each major step and each decision. Once the team can see the whole flow on a screen or board, they finally share the same picture. At that point improvement becomes practical. Measurement plays a central role in her work. Adi gives the example of a service company that tracked customer callbacks. Each callback had a real cost. Extra drive time, lost billable work, and a hit to trust. Once the finish process was documented and followed, callbacks dropped and capacity opened up. We spend time on culture as well. Writing procedures is one stage. Living by them is another stage. Adi uses an eight step rollout that starts with mindset. Leaders explain the why, choose a single platform as the source of truth, and make sure every team member reads and signs onto the playbook. Daily coaching then brings those documents into real conversations and decisions. One part I really enjoyed was her take on creative firms. Many creative founders resist structure, yet agencies that grow well lean on strong systems and a solid operator. Adi described how a visionary can keep creative energy while an operations leader stewards process, training, and tools. We also talk about technology. Adi sees software as something that comes after process. First you clarify what should happen, then you choose tools that support that path. She shared how clear process maps helped a client select one platform that covered the entire customer journey, guided by real workflows instead of shiny features. Near the end, we dig into founder led sales. Many owners feel their sales style is pure instinct. Adiâs team sits with them, listens, and pulls out sequences, questions, and promises that can become a teachable playbook. That shift lets a founder share the load with a sales team without losing the quality of the sales conversation. Throughout the stories, a theme keeps showing up. Good systems give founders time with family, space to think, and confidence to grow. Adi closes by inviting leaders to start their system journey now. Every step they document today becomes part of the freeway that carries the company toward the future they want. â
Key Takeaways Documented processes turn growth into something sustainable Clear maps expose bottlenecks, errors, and wasted effort Culture and coaching keep procedures alive in daily work Technology works best when it follows proven workflows Capturing founder knowledge unlocks true scalability đ¤ Bio Adi Klevit is an industrial engineer and founder of Business Success Consulting Group. She and her team help growth stage companies design, document, and implement practical systems so they can scale, improve profitability, and give founders greater freedom. đ Giveaway Download Adiâs free ebook on increasing profitability through systematization at successreplicated.com. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Meeting Adi and setting the stage 02:04 Why processes matter for founders 04:39 When to start serious process work 06:27 Scaling through clear workflows 09:08 Mapping and measuring key processes 13:01 Rolling out a usable playbook 18:06 Processes inside creative firms 23:22 Turning founder sales into a system 25:05 Aligning technology with process 29:14 Real world ROI and impact stories
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Intrinsic Worth, Infinite Time with Dr. Ravi Iyer
11/25/2025
Intrinsic Worth, Infinite Time with Dr. Ravi Iyer
đĽ Excerpt âA healer is someone who can walk into a room and create a space where everyone feels empowered and full of possibility.â ⥠TL;DR In this episode I sit with Dr. Ravi Iyer, a physician, researcher, and teacher who has spent his life asking one question: how do you make life work when it does not seem to work. We explore awareness as the real seat of identity, why time is a mental construct, how attention turns the world on for us, and why founders exhaust themselves by living through mental models instead of direct experience. Ravi shares practical disciplines that help leaders experience infinite time in the present, clean up their word in business, and build companies where every interaction honors people and creates space for growth. đ Show Notes When I invited Dr. Ravi Iyer onto The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, I expected a smart conversation about leadership and maybe a few stories from medicine. What I received was a new operating system for how founders can live their lives and lead their companies. Ravi opens by reminding me that what we live and experience is entirely a product of where our attention goes. As he walks me through a simple exercise of looking at the boundary of the microphone in front of me, I feel something shift. That boundary did not exist for me until I placed my attention on it. In that moment, I experience what he means when he says our world is created inside the space of our awareness. From there he traces his own journey. Growing up in India, studying medicine, moving into basic research, then landing at Harvard and later into community practice and hospice leadership. Every move came from one question, repeated for decades. How does life work, and how do you make life work when it does not. That question took him from frogs and earthworms all the way to the inner world of human beings at the end of life. In hospice, Ravi realized that the most powerful medicine he could offer was not another procedure. It was helping people shift identity from body to awareness, so they could experience themselves as whole while the body failed. That level of presence and grounding is exactly what founders need when a business feels like it is breaking down instead of scaling. Ravi guides me through another layer of the conversation. He shows how time appears only as records in memory or expectations about the future. Every experience happens now and vanishes as soon as it is felt. What we call time is a story our meaning making mind builds so we can feel some control. When we chase that story, we feel we never have enough hours. When we give full attention to the next true action in front of us, time opens up. The next step reveals itself only after we complete the current one. For founders who feel buried in calendars, tasks, and shifting priorities, that insight lands hard. Ravi does not stay in the clouds though. He brings it straight into daily structure. He rates his calendar, physical workspace, email, and even the bathroom sink on a simple scale and keeps moving each area toward order. Cleaning the sink after he uses it, even in a restaurant, becomes a discipline that trains him to clean up the messes he makes in life and business. Then he turns to something every growth minded leader should hear. Business is not made of dollars and cents. It is built from transactions that begin with people acknowledging each other and keeping their word. When life gets in the way of a commitment, honoring the word means owning the miss, cleaning up the impact, and giving a new clear commitment. That simple practice lowers the hidden friction inside a company and calms the nervous system of everyone involved. As he speaks, I keep seeing our RPOW clients in my mind. We help founders build stable, sustainable companies with the infrastructure, systems, and culture that let growth happen without constant firefighting. Raviâs lens gives that work a deeper foundation. If a founder can see themselves as the space within which the company exists, they gain both humility and authority. Every interaction, every email, every calendar block becomes an expression of attention and care. By the end of the conversation, I feel both expanded and grounded. Ravi gives me language and practices that touch vision, operations, and soul all at once. For any founder who wants to lead with clarity, keep their word, and experience infinite time in the middle of daily pressure, this episode offers a way of being, not just another set of tips. â
Key Takeaways Attention creates your lived world. Train your awareness so you can choose what becomes real for you as a founder. Time is experienced as memory and expectation. Focus on the next honest action and let the path reveal itself. Mental models help you navigate, yet they become cages when you stop returning to fresh experience. Simple disciplines such as cleaning your space, managing your calendar, and clearing email are spiritual training for leadership. Business runs on people keeping and honoring their word. Cleaning up broken commitments reduces hidden friction in the company. See yourself as the space within which your company exists. That identity shift supports wiser decisions and calmer execution. đ¤ Bio Dr. Ravi R. Iyer is a physician, researcher, and leadership guide who has spent decades exploring how life works and how to make life work when it seems to fail. His career spans basic research at Harvard, community medicine, hospice leadership, and coaching leaders who face complex human and organizational challenges. Raviâs work centers on attention, awareness, and integrity in action, helping people experience themselves as whole and powerful in every season of life and business. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Ravi Iyer 02:34 From Mumbai to Harvard and community practice 05:25 What it really means to heal 07:59 When life and systems stop working 09:32 Soul, awareness, and direct experience 14:14 How attention shapes time 17:03 Navigating pressure and feeling of not enough time 22:07 Human perception and the meaning making mind 23:48 Menus, meals, and the trap of mental models 26:14 Learning from everyday experience 29:18 Practicing presence in real life 35:50 Structures that help life and business work 43:52 Final guidance for founders
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Breaking the Playbook: Faith as the Founderâs Edge
11/18/2025
Breaking the Playbook: Faith as the Founderâs Edge
đĽ Excerpt âEither I will win, I will learn, or I will transform.â ⥠TL;DR Frances Strickland joins me to explore value, pricing, clarity, and faith in business. She outlines how structure, leadership, and flow reveal the hidden leaks that keep founders from predictable profitability. We talk about defining an ideal customer, practicing value based pricing, and selling in a way that honors both the buyer and the work. Frances shares stories about financial pressure, reinvention during COVID, and spiritual nudges that shaped her offers and networking strategy. At its core, this conversation is about identity, belief, and staying aligned when the numbers feel tight. đ Show Notes Bringing Frances onto the Relentless Pursuit of Winning opened a conversation that blended strategy with conviction. She helps business owners uncover the places where time, energy, and cash slip through the cracks. Her frame of structure, leadership, and flow gives founders a clear path toward predictable profitability and the freedom to reinvest and support their teams with confidence. We moved into the work of defining the ideal customer. Frances guides clients through an exercise centered on presence and empathy. She invites them to see who stands before them, what they face, and how their lives shift after the work. Only then does she translate the vision into outcomes a buyer recognizes. Pricing becomes easier once founders understand the years of experience and frustration they save their clients. Frances helps entrepreneurs step out of fear based pricing and hold their value with clarity. Selling, in her view, is an act of safety. People want to feel understood. She listens closely before connecting their pain to the specific outcomes her work delivers. Faith and resilience run through Frances story. When COVID ended her corporate role, she lived through financial strain while holding to the belief that the work placed in her heart was not meant to fail. She reframed failure as winning, learning, or transforming. That mindset allowed her to pivot when her offers and networking approach no longer felt right. Through reflection and prayer she refined her model and chose fewer, more aligned rooms that supported mutual value. We closed with a reminder that stays with me. To thine own self be true. Founders do not need every customer. They need aligned customers who value the transformation they bring. Discernment and faith carry the business through the harder seasons. â
Key Takeaways ⢠Predictable profitability grows from aligned structure, leadership, and flow ⢠Emotional clarity strengthens the ideal customer profile ⢠Value based pricing begins with understanding what clients avoid or gain ⢠Effective selling creates a sense of safety ⢠Faith reframes setback into growth ⢠Strategic networking focuses on aligned relationships đ¤ Bio Frances Strickland is a strategist who helps small and medium sized businesses reach predictable profitability through structure, leadership, and flow. With more than thirty years of experience, she brings insight, purpose, and human centered leadership to every engagement. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Entrepreneurship, purpose, and faith 02:29 Structure, leadership, and flow 06:17 Revenue and cash flow leaks 10:27 Ideal customer clarity 14:58 Recognizing and pricing value 19:51 Selling through safety 25:02 Moving through discouragement 27:20 Reframing failure 27:58 Faith and belief 30:16 Faith shaped growth 32:38 Financial pressure and reserves 35:21 Direction and clarity 39:43 Strategic networking 41:36 Outreach and development 43:01 Staying true to yourself
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From IBM to Independent: John Gallagherâs Leadership Leap
11/11/2025
From IBM to Independent: John Gallagherâs Leadership Leap
đĽ Excerpt âPeople change when the pain of remaining the same is greater than the pain of the change itself.â ⥠TL;DR John Gallagher left a secure corporate role at IBM to build a purpose-driven coaching practice rooted in faith, intentionality, and transformation. In this episode, we unpack his journey from executive leadership to entrepreneurship â exploring how feedback, surrender, and alignment with purpose shaped his lifeâs work. John and Rick discuss leading with integrity, building Kingdom impact through business, and finding harmony between faith, work, and personal growth. đ Show Notes Some leaders are built in the boardroom; others are refined in the fire of transformation. John Gallagher is both. After a 25-year career in operations, manufacturing, and consulting â including a decade at IBM â John reached a pivotal crossroads. A performance review delivered with truth and grace set off a chain reaction that changed everything. What began as an uncomfortable wake-up call became a defining moment of humility, growth, and redirection. When IBM downsized during COVID, John faced another decision: chase comfort or trust Godâs call. He chose faith â and founded Growing Champions, an executive coaching and performance consultancy designed to inspire, encourage, and equip leaders to move from âgood enoughâ to uncommon. We dig into what that really means â from how to measure love and hospitality in business, to how leaders can bring faith and strategy together without losing credibility or heart. John shares his own defining encounter in a grocery store checkout line that changed his life, reignited his faith, and set him on a mission to make his work his ministry. He breaks down his âsix Fâsâ of life balance â faith, family, fitness, finances, friendship, and fun â and how reflection, accountability, and small, consistent actions (#StopEatingFrenchFries) can create extraordinary transformation. His approach is part performance science, part spiritual discipline â built on the conviction that excellence only happens on purpose. If youâve ever wondered how to reconcile faith and ambition, or how to turn hard lessons into leadership breakthroughs, this conversation is your roadmap. â
Key Takeaways Feedback delivered with truth and grace can become the turning point for growth. Change requires pain â but avoiding it costs more in the long run. Faith and business arenât separate; when aligned, they multiply impact. Purpose begins with your âso thatâ â the reason you do what you do. Reflection creates momentum. Evaluate, adjust, and repeat. Excellence only happens on purpose â one small habit at a time. đ¤ Bio John Gallagher is the Founder and CEO of Growing Champions, an executive coaching and consulting firm helping leaders reach their full potential through intentional growth and faith-based principles. A former IBM executive with 25 years in leadership, operations, and consulting, John now focuses on equipping others to move from good to uncommon through mindset, strategy, and purpose-driven action. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to John Gallagher 01:55 Journey into Executive Coaching 04:03 The Impact of Feedback and Personal Growth 06:28 Faith and Purpose in Business 11:13 Understanding Kingdom Impact 15:18 Personal Transformation and Surrender 18:49 Aligning Faith and Work Life 25:03 Building Lasting Habits for Change 26:17 Overcoming Lifeâs Distractions 27:21 Purposeful Reflection 31:42 Finding and Aligning with Purpose 35:49 Coaching vs. Self-Help 37:53 Real-Life Transformations 41:35 Investing in Kingdom Impact 43:53 Recognizing the Need for a Coach 48:47 Final Thoughts
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Living Real in a Shallow World: Dr. Camille Preston on Resilience, Self-Love, and Leadership through Crisis
11/04/2025
Living Real in a Shallow World: Dr. Camille Preston on Resilience, Self-Love, and Leadership through Crisis
đĽ Excerpt When you give yourself the space to fully process and be present with all of it, every breakdown has the potential for a breakthrough.â ⥠TL;DR Dr. Camille Prestonâbusiness psychologist, author of Living Real, and founder of AIM Leadershipâjoins Rick Meekins to unpack what it means to lead and live authentically in the midst of compounded crises. From grief and burnout to self-love and leadership, Camille challenges the illusion of success and explores how embracing intensity, presence, and vulnerability can transform both leaders and organizations. đ Show Notes We live in a world that celebrates busy. Hustle harder. Stay on. Move faster. But when the plates youâve been spinning all come crashing downâwhen your companyâs growing and your parentâs sick, or your next promotion coincides with your kid needing you more than everâwhat then? Thatâs where Dr. Camille Preston lives and leads. In this episode of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, Camille and I dive deep into what she calls living realâthe art of showing up fully, especially when life feels impossibly complex. She shares her personal crucible: five deaths in five months that forced her to stop, feel, and rebuild from the inside out. That season taught her that every breakdown hides the seed of a breakthrough if weâre willing to slow down and metabolize the grief instead of boxing it up for later. Camille unpacks her concept of shallowingâthe modern epidemic of emotional avoidance and curated highlight reelsâand contrasts it with reeling, the return to depth, connection, and presence. We talk about loneliness as a health crisis, leadership as an act of love, and how dysregulated leaders create dysregulated organizations. The conversation hits hard on the cost of chronic stress. Founders are great at crisis modeâitâs what built their companiesâbut few realize that constant activation erodes creativity, culture, and clarity. Camille offers a radical yet practical antidote: pause, breathe, feel, connect. Send a âlove bomb.â Step into the sun. Shake off what youâre carrying. Her examplesâfrom Navy SEALs using neurogenic tremoring to executives reclaiming early-morning solitudeâillustrate that presence isnât luxury; itâs leadership infrastructure. We also confront self-loveâwhy itâs not indulgence but the cornerstone of effective leadership. When leaders truly love themselves, they unlock capacity to love their teams, families, and missions without burnout or resentment. Camilleâs own journey from self-criticism to acceptanceâlearning to embrace her intensity rather than apologize for itâunderscores the message: your wholeness is your competitive advantage. Whether youâre a founder facing compounded crises, an executive trying to hold it all together, or just someone tired of pretending everythingâs fine, this episode is your permission to live real. â
Key Takeaways ⢠Compounded crises are invitations to grow, not proof of failure. ⢠Shallowing disconnects us; reeling restores depth, presence, and empathy. ⢠Dysregulated leaders create dysregulated organizationsâself-care is strategy. ⢠Intensity, when embraced, becomes intimacy; authenticity breeds connection. ⢠Self-love amplifies leadership impactâitâs the renewable fuel of resilience. ⢠Micro-shifts matter: sunlight, breathwork, or a âlove bombâ can reset the system. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Living Real 02:53 Navigating Compounded Crises 06:29 The Illusions of Success 10:19 The Importance of Self-Care 14:57 Shallowing vs. Reeling in Relationships 19:42 The Power of Connection and Love Bombs 23:21 Shifting from Success to Authenticity 25:29 Navigating Transitions: The Role of a Relationship Doula 29:08 Embracing Intensity: From Self-Criticism to Self-Acceptance 31:34 Purpose and Alignment: Discovering What Drives Us 34:57 The Journey to Self-Love: Overcoming Self-Criticism 39:53 Practicing Self-Love: Mindfulness and Body Awareness 44:42 Living Real: Insights from the New Book đ Giveaway Dr. Camille Preston is giving away a signed copy of Living Real: Reclaiming Depth in a Shallow World plus early-beta access to AIM Leadershipâs upcoming mobile app for conscious leadership. To enter: 1. Follow @DrCamillePreston and @AIMLeadership on LinkedIn. 2. Comment âIâm ready to live realâ on her latest post about the RPOW episode. The first 10 participants will receive the book and app invite.
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The Hidden Heist of Success: Bill Cates on Money, Mindset, and the Power of Referrals
10/28/2025
The Hidden Heist of Success: Bill Cates on Money, Mindset, and the Power of Referrals
đĽ Excerpt âReferrals arenât the icing on the cakeâin a lot of businesses, they are the cake.â ⥠TL;DR Bill Catesâbest-selling author, keynote speaker, and the renowned âreferral coachââjoins Rick Meekins to dissect the intersection of money, mindset, and business growth. From challenging the scarcity myth to reframing referrals as the foundation of sustainable revenue, this episode explores how founders can build wealth, relevance, and credibility through generosity and strategic relationship-building. đ Show Notes Iâve met plenty of founders who treat referrals as happy accidents. Bill Cates sees them as an operational advantage. Heâs been teaching professionals and entrepreneurs how to master introductions and relationships for over three decades. His work proves that the most cost-effective, high-conversion growth engine isnât paid ads or outboundâitâs trust. We started with his backstory: from touring drummer to serial entrepreneur to author of six books on relationship marketing. The through-line is relevance. Billâs success wasnât built on trend-hopping; itâs been about solving the next problem his last success created. Thatâs how he evolved from Unlimited Referrals to Radical Relevance and now The Hidden Heist. The Hidden Heist takes a hard look at moneyâwhat it is, what it isnât, and why most of us have been operating from lies we never thought to question. Bill calls out the false belief that money is a zero-sum game: that if you win, someone else loses. He reframes money as currentâliterally, a flow of energy that grows when you help others win. Itâs not a slogan; itâs economics in motion. When you understand that, you stop fighting over slices of pie and start building bigger ones. We also dug into how anxiety shapes our money behavior. Some founders âunder-waterâ their money treeâthey avoid their numbers, stay reactive, and hope optimism covers the gaps. Others âover-waterâ itâchecking accounts daily, letting fear dictate every move. Either way, itâs scarcity wearing different outfits. Billâs point is simple: learn how money works. Compounding, value creation, and long-term consistency will outperform adrenaline and avoidance every time. His approach to referrals mirrors that philosophy. Referrals arenât luck; theyâre the by-product of relevance. When you solve critical problems for the right people, introductions follow naturally. Bill reminded me that the referral process isnât an add-onâitâs the framework for building a business people want to talk about. We closed on three principles that anchor both money and leadership: 1. Fatigue makes cowards of us all. Most bad decisions start with exhaustion, not ignorance. 2. Only fight honorable battles. Winning arguments rarely wins relationships. 3. Donât believe everything you believe. Audit your assumptionsâthey may be holding your business hostage. Billâs story is a case study in evolution: staying relevant, serving generously, and thinking long-term. If youâre serious about building a company that grows through trust and alignment, this episode delivers the blueprint. â
Key Takeaways ⢠Referrals arenât icingâtheyâre infrastructure. Build systems to earn introductions deliberately. ⢠Money is current, not scarce. The more value you create, the more flow you attract. ⢠Under- and over-watering your money tree both lead to burnout; learn balance. ⢠Compounding beats timing. Consistent action compounds across both finance and relationships. ⢠Relevance requires evolutionâsolve the next problem your last win created. ⢠Audit beliefs regularly. Outdated stories about money and success limit scale. đ¤ Bio Bill Cates is an internationally recognized author, speaker, and business growth strategist known as âThe Referral Coach.â With over 30 years of experience, he has built and sold publishing companies, written six books, and coached thousands of professionals on building thriving relationship-based businesses. His latest book, The Hidden Heist, explores the mindset shifts that unlock financial abundance and personal freedom. đ Giveaway Bill Cates is offering listeners free access to his Ordinary Millionaire Guideâa concise roadmap to building wealth through compounding and disciplined investing. Visit TheOrdinaryMillionaire.com and download the guide to start building your financial foundation today. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Bill Cates and His Journey 03:53 The Importance of Staying Relevant 06:49 The Power of Referrals 09:31 Money Mindset and the Hidden Heist 12:10 How Beliefs Shape Financial Behavior 17:41 Scarcity vs. Abundance Thinking 23:43 Breaking Stereotypes About Wealth and Poverty 24:27 Money as Energy and Flow 28:22 Anxiety and the Money Tree 37:47 How Money Works: Compounding and Consistency 42:19 Life Lessons and Final Reflections 46:01 New Chapter
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âAnything Can Be Fixedâ: Lillia Sanders on Profit Protection, Pricing Power, and AI-Driven Clarity
10/21/2025
âAnything Can Be Fixedâ: Lillia Sanders on Profit Protection, Pricing Power, and AI-Driven Clarity
đĽ Excerpt âAnything can be fixed financially. Anything. Sometimes itâs just within the companyâmaking small tweaks to how youâre charging, what youâre not charging for, where your moneyâs goingâand then laying it out so you have a plan.â â Lillia Sanders ⥠TL;DR Fractional CFO Lillia Sanders joins me to talk about rebuilding from the ground upâpersonally and financiallyâand what every founder needs to know to protect profits, make data-driven pricing decisions, and stop running blind. We dig into the discipline behind clean books, the courage to raise rates, the realities of embezzlement, and how AI can now flag what to push, what to pause, and what to fix. đ Show Notes Most founders donât avoid their numbers because theyâre lazyâthey avoid them because theyâre afraid of what theyâll find. Lillia Sanders understands that fear. After being embezzled by her spouse, losing everything, and escaping a violent marriage while pregnant with two small children, she rebuilt her life with nothing but her skill and a laptop. That same grit now fuels her work as a Fractional CFO helping business owners seeâand fixâwhatâs really happening in their finances. In this episode, Lillia and I get into the hard truths of money management. She shares why knowledge is protectionâhow every missed category, every âmiscellaneousâ line item, and every unmonitored subscription can quietly drain your business. We talk about recovering from financial trauma, pricing for who youâve become instead of who you were, and how founders can use simple frameworks to bring order to chaos. From there, we explore practical tactics: cleaning up books, tightening cash flow, and building Profit-First style allocations that keep owners paid and businesses solvent. Lillia also shows how AI is transforming financial visibilityâautomating cash-flow insights, flagging errors, and spotlighting hidden opportunities. This one is equal parts strategy and survival. Whether youâre fighting to get out of the red or fine-tuning growth, Lillia proves that financial clarity isnât just possibleâitâs liberating. â
Key Takeaways ⢠âAnything can be fixed financially.â Start by facing the numbers. ⢠Kill the âmiscellaneousâ bucketâclarity begins with clean categories. ⢠Automate invoicing and collections to shorten cash-flow cycles. ⢠Price for who you are now, not for who you were when you started. ⢠Revisit your allocations: pay yourself, pay your taxes, and set profit aside first. ⢠Review financials quarterly; monthly if youâre scaling fast. ⢠Audit products and servicesâif itâs not profitable twice in a row, pivot or cut it. ⢠Use AI tools to identify margin drag, subscription waste, and revenue opportunities. ⢠Founders who donât understand their numbers are liabilities in their own companies. đ¤ Bio Lillia, founder of Skillia Business Solutions, brings a unique blend of resilience and expertise to her work. As a single mom, she rebuilt her life and business from scratch while raising three young children, overcoming homelessness, and recovering from embezzlement. These experiences shaped her compassionate, judgment-free approach to helping companies take control of their finances. With decades of experience, Lillia specializes in Fractional CFO servicesâhelping business owners understand profit margins, identify where money is lost, and streamline bookkeeping for clarity and control. She prepares companies for growth, sustainability, or sale by reducing stress, tightening systems, and turning financial challenges into long-term success stories. đ Giveaway Lillia is offering two tools to help founders protect and strengthen their profits: The Profit Protection Plan â a free PDF outlining five key checkpoints to stop financial leaks and reclaim cash flow. 30-Minute Financial Report Analysis â a complimentary one-on-one review of your books to identify blind spots, fix errors, and leave with actionable next steps.đ Access both in the show notes and start protecting your profits today. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and background 03:43 The impact of financial knowledge 06:13 Overcoming personal challenges 09:10 Building a business from adversity 14:35 Growth and evolution of the business 19:48 Navigating client relationships and pricing 23:03 Understanding financial oversight 27:22 Cost allocation and budgeting strategies 31:43 Strategic financial planning for growth 37:44 Evaluating financial performance 39:23 The role of AI in financial management 42:37 Inspiring financial confidence 47:02 Outro
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Fail Fast, Win Relentlessly: Kingsley Maunder on Assumptions, MVPs, and Real Innovation
10/14/2025
Fail Fast, Win Relentlessly: Kingsley Maunder on Assumptions, MVPs, and Real Innovation
đĽ Excerpt âYou have to assume the visionâbut donât take those assumptions as facts. Test them. Thatâs where you learn to fail fast.â ⥠TL;DR Author and product builder Kingsley Maunder joins me to dismantle the romance of âbig ideasâ and replace it with a system founders can actually use: start with the problem, define success and failure lines, ship the smallest thing that solves the biggest pain, and iterate on evidenceânot ego. We unpack bleeding-edge vs. table-stakes features, why messaging misses are data (not drama), and how to prioritize a roadmap with impact, confidence, and effort. đ Show Notes Innovation isnât a brainstormâitâs a process. In this conversation, Kingsley and I get precise about how founders de-risk new products and keep incumbents from eating their lunch. We start where too many teams skip: the marketâs actual problem. Kingsleyâs framework forces you to name the audience, the job-to-be-done, how they solve it today (yes, âExcelâ and âWhatsAppâ count as competitors), and exactly why your approach is different enough to make someone change behavior. From there, we move into disciplined execution: define your green line (success criteria) and your red line (stop criteria) before you build. Then build the smallest version that solves the largest pain, put it in real hands, and let usage, signups, and conversations with early adopters shape the next sprint. We also tackle timing and temperament. Being first to market can mean youâre also first to fund the education budget for everyone else. Sometimes the second mouse gets the cheese. The antidote: ship fast, learn faster, and donât get emotionally welded to v1. When competitors add something that becomes an industry expectation, match it. Otherwise, keep your eyes on your users and push your unique advantage. Kingsley walks through practical tools: lightweight analytics to watch behavior, customer advisory boards for qualitative truth, and the ICE method (Impact, Confidence, Effort) to stack your backlog. We talk product life cycles, tooâplan to replace yourself before the market does. AI has shortened cycles and lowered build costs; thatâs not a reason to chase shiny objectsâitâs a reason to test assumptions weekly. If youâre a founder juggling vision with reality, this episode gives you a working cadence: hypothesize, test, measure, decide. Relentlessly. â
Key Takeaways Start with the problem, not the product. Define the target user, their current workaround, and your differentiator. Draw two lines before you ship: the green line (success metrics) and the red line (failure threshold). Hold yourself to both. Build the MVP that solves the biggest painâthen learn from early adopters. Let analytics + feedback drive iteration. Use ICE to prioritize: highest Impact, high Confidence, lowest Effort wins the next sprint. Match competitors only when a feature becomes table stakes; otherwise, double down on what makes you different. Treat messaging as a testable asset. If youâre above the red line but below the green, iterate copy and channels before rebuilding product. Plan the successor while the current product is peaking. Replace yourself before someone else does. Vision stays stubborn; details stay flexible. Persevere with evidence, not attachment. đ¤ Bio Kingsley Maunder is the author of The SALT Test: How to Take an Innovative Product from Idea to Scale. A veteran of multiple startupsâincluding two exits and a third that raised $180Mâheâs built products used by brands like Disney, EA Sports, and Meta. His work blends hands-on product leadership with a rigorous, test-what-you-assume approach to de-risking innovation. đ§ Chapters 03:06 The Drive Behind Problem Solving 04:52 Defining Innovation: Big Ideas vs. Iterative Solutions 07:03 Creating Competitive Advantage through Innovation 09:23 Understanding Your Target Marketâs Needs 11:24 The Challenge of Educating Consumers 12:53 Strategies for Launching New Products 16:11 Developing a Minimum Viable Product 18:10 Measuring ROI and Development Costs 19:36 Knowing When to Pivot or Change Direction 23:48 Iterating Messaging and Channels 24:56 Vision vs. Details: The Bezos Approach 25:43 The Importance of Evidence in Progress 26:52 Managing Emotional Ties to Ideas 28:47 Failing Fast: The Key to Success 29:56 Prioritizing Feedback for Development 31:10 Chasing Competitors vs. Innovating 33:38 Innovating for the Future: Anticipating Needs 37:26 Planning for Product Life Cycles 41:04 Bringing Innovative Ideas to Market
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James Burden : Neurodivergent and Unapologetic
10/07/2025
James Burden : Neurodivergent and Unapologetic
đĽ Excerpt What if the way you speakâor the identity you cling toâisnât the problem? Speech therapist and coach James Burden unpacks stuttering, ego, and the surprising power of letting go to actually win. ⥠TL;DR James Burdenâspeech therapist and founder of Stuttering Blueprintâjoins me to challenge the myths around stuttering, reframe it through a neurodivergence lens, and trace how a season of personal upheaval (divorce, burnout, a brain tumor) led him to a different definition of success: inner peace. We dig into radical self-acceptance, âwhite-knuckle fluency,â meditation, and why chasing money often repels it. đ Show Notes I brought James on to talk stuttering, communication, and confidenceâand we went much deeper. James has spent nearly two decades helping people who stutter communicate with authority without pretending fluency is the goal. He argues the real blocker isnât dysfluency; itâs the story we attach to itâmyths about intelligence, nerves, or ânot being enough.â Then we take the left turn. James walked through a two-year crucibleâmarriage ending, financial strain, burnout, and a brain tumorâthat forced a hard reset. He went searching for the trappings of success and stumbled into meditation, shadow work, and a ruthlessly simple truth: peace beats performance. When he stopped gripping for status and started allowing, life openedâreconciliation with his ex, a humble home by the beach, and a calmer way of working with clients. If youâve ever white-knuckled your way through leadershipâover-controlling your speech, your image, your outcomesâthis conversation will hit home. The takeaway isnât âgive up ambition.â Itâs master the inner game so ambition doesnât own you. â
Key Takeaways Stuttering â incompetence. The problem is often the shame narrative, not the speech pattern. Confidence changes how others receive dysfluency. âWhite-knuckle fluencyâ backfires. The harder you force smooth speech, the more tensionâand the more stutterâyou create. Reframe as neurodivergence. Seeing stuttering as a normal human variation reduces stigma and opens healthier goals: presence, clarity, connection. Avoidance kills opportunity. Speaking less to âstay safeâ shrinks roles, revenue, and reach. Exposure with self-acceptance expands capacity. Letting go creates space. Chasing money/status often repels both. Build inner peace; outcomes tend to follow. Shadow work is the work. You donât meditate to feel blissâyou sit with the parts you spend energy hiding. Integration > image. Redefine winning. If the âwhyâ behind your goals is peace, engineer for peace first. The rest is execution. đ¤ Bio James Burden is a speech-language pathologist and the founder of Stuttering Blueprint, a coaching practice that helps people who stutter build presence and communicate with confidenceâwithout pretending fluency is the finish line. After 17+ years in the field and a personal crucible that reoriented his definition of success, James champions radical self-acceptance, practical communication tools, and the inner work that makes leadership sustainable. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Stuttering and Communication Challenges 03:40 The Journey of a Speech Therapist 06:30 Understanding Neurodivergence and Stuttering 09:15 The Myths Surrounding Stuttering 11:48 Overcoming Stuttering: Confidence and Acceptance 14:48 The Impact of Stuttering on Personal and Professional Life 17:23 The Shift in Perspective: Happiness vs. Success 20:13 Finding Purpose Through Adversity 23:57 The Pursuit of Success and Stress 28:11 Synchronicity and Inner Peace 32:38 Redefining Success: From Ego to Inner Peace 37:08 The Journey of Letting Go 41:43 What Does Winning Mean? 43:59 RPOW Clip Outro Mobile.mp4 44:09 NEWCHAPTER Links: https://www.youtube.com/ Book a free call:
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The Comeback Code: Resilience, Reinvention, and Results with Roderick Jefferson
09/30/2025
The Comeback Code: Resilience, Reinvention, and Results with Roderick Jefferson
đĽ Excerpt âIf I donât trust you, I wonât buy from you.â We go straight at the hard stuff: building trust at scale, using AI without losing the plot, and what happens when life redlinesâand then resets your purpose. ⥠TL;DR Sales enablement pioneer and keynote speaker Roderick Jefferson joins me to break down go-to-market enablement, why trust and empathy still close deals, and how to use AI as a productivity force multiplierâwithout outsourcing your judgment. We also get personal: his near-death stroke, the wake-up call that reordered his priorities from workâlife to lifeâwork, and the four pillars that got him back on stage. đ Show Notes Founders live in the red. We call it âpace.â Roderick Jefferson calls it a warning lightâand heâs earned the right. He coded on a hospital bed, flatlined, came back, and rebuilt his life on a different operating system: faith, family, friends, and fun. Not fluffy wordsâhard choices. In this conversation, we get two tracks that intersect: Go-to-market enablement done right. Roderick helped shape the function at Siebel, eBay, HP, Oracle, Salesforce, and Marketo. The fix: stop worshiping âsalesâ in isolation. Align marketing, BDRs, AEs, SEs, and Customer Success around consistent messaging, repeatable process, and revenue-focused metrics. Coach managers to be leaders. Certify what âgoodâ sounds like. Use AI like Excelâscale smart work, donât flood the internet with mediocrity. Lifeâwork balance. He had his stroke in his sleepâ98% donât wake up. Speech center hit. Left side paralyzed. His wife diagnosed the stroke over FaceTime and walked him through the protocol. He learned to listen, not just hear. He made a deal with himself (and his family): be present, or donât bother. That clarity now powers his consulting and his new book, The Stroke of Success (pre-sale opening soon). We get into prompt engineering, onboarding vs. âeverboarding,â building customers for life, and the simple truth that hasnât changed since door-to-door: if I donât trust you, I wonât buy from you. AI can generate content; it canât generate trust. â
Key Takeaways Trust is the real funnel. If they donât trust you, they wonât talk. If they wonât talk, they wonât buy. Enablement is go-to-market, not âsales only.â Align marketing â CS; certify consistency; coach managers to lead. AI is Excel, not autopilot. Use it to fill gaps, accelerate onboarding/everboarding, and personalize at scale. Measure revenue impact, not butts-in-seats: speed-to-productivity, win rate, cycle time, expansion/retention. Lifeâwork beats workâlife. Presence is a strategic choice; otherwise success becomes an expensive ego trip. Four Fâs as a leadership framework: faith, family, friends, fun. Guard themâor the redline will decide for you. đ¤ Guest Bio Roderick Jefferson is the CEO of Roderick Jefferson & Associates, a fractional revenue enablement leader and keynote speaker with three decades across Siebel, eBay, HP, Oracle, Salesforce, and Marketo. He builds cross-functional, revenue-focused enablement that scalesâfrom onboarding to certification to manager coaching. A stroke survivor and former elite athlete, he champions lifeâwork balance and practical AI as a productivity amplifier. His forthcoming book, The Stroke of Success, chronicles the playbook that brought him backâon stage and on mission. đ Resources & Links Book: The Stroke of Success â pre-sale link (as available) Website: roderickjefferson.com Free Resources (Resources â eBooks): Onboarding to Everboarding Harnessing Collective Intelligence Supercharge Your Sales Team with AI (checklist) đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 04:58 The Journey Through Adversity 08:46 Finding Purpose and Balance 12:21 Faith and Resilience 15:56 The Role of Support Systems 19:24 Sales Enablement and AI Integration 24:50 Building Customers for Life 26:12 The Role of AI in Sales 27:46 AI as a Productivity Tool 29:11 The Human Element in Sales 30:15 Navigating AI-Generated Content 32:07 Ethics and Skepticism in AI 35:36 The Stroke of Success: A Personal Journey 40:32 The Importance of Kindness 41:49 RPOW Clip Outro
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Run Toward the Fire: John Graham on Risk, Meaning, and a Life of Service
09/23/2025
Run Toward the Fire: John Graham on Risk, Meaning, and a Life of Service
đĽ Excerpt âYou can chase adrenaline or you can build a life that matters. One keeps you entertained. The other keeps you proud.â đ Show Notes I donât often meet someone who literally ran toward war just to see what he was made of. John Graham didâand then spent the next few decades turning that raw hunger for danger into disciplined service and leadership. In this conversation, we trace his arc from Algerian border crossings and frontline diplomacy in Vietnam to a mid-storm bargain with God in the Gulf of Alaska, and ultimately to a life committed to peace, justice, and building courageous humans. Johnâs through-line is simple and inconvenient: if you donât define what your life means, every decision will feel risky, shallow, or both. He breaks down how founders can take smart risks (not performative ones), do a ruthless inventory of their actual capabilities, and anchor ambition in service so setbacks become speed bumpsânot sinkholes. We get into the moments that rewire a leader: ordering a firing squadâand realizing he no longer believed in the game he was playing; prying the âplywood off his heartâ to become a better father, citizen, and operator; and co-leading the Giraffe Heroes Project to showcase people âsticking their necks outâ for something bigger than themselves. We finish with practical counsel for founders who are tired of hollow wins: build meaning first, then scale it. Thatâs how you win relentlessly without losing yourself. â
Key Takeaways Define meaning before you scale; purpose tightens decision filters. Risk â recklessness: map the terrain, assess capacity, weigh riskâbenefitâthen move. Anchor in service so walls become speed bumps. Remove the emotional âplywoodâ blocking empathy and clarity. Humor is a resilience toolâget flattened, learn, get back on the horse. Model courage publicly; stories multiply courage inside your company. đ¤ Bio John Graham is a former U.S. Foreign Service officer, mountaineer, and global adventurer who redirected a life of high-stakes risk toward high-impact service. He helped advance anti-apartheid efforts at the United Nations, co-leads the Giraffe Heroes Projectâspotlighting people âsticking their necks outâ for the common goodâand is the creator of Badass Granddad, a fast-growing series offering short, hard-won life lessons to younger audiences. Heâs the author of multiple books on courage and service and continues to mentor the next generation of leaders. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction & Johnâs Background 05:38 Lessons From the Sea: Toughness, models of manhood, and early risk 09:50 Running Toward the Fire: Wars, revolutions, and the cost of adrenaline 14:39 Vietnam Reckoning: Power, orders, and a crisis of character 19:24 From Danger to Direction: Leaving the old script behind 19:49 Survival in the Gulf of Alaska: The typhoon, the bargain, the rescue 23:13 âLive or Dieâ: A commitment to service 24:31 Giraffe Heroes Project: Turning courage into a movement 26:21 Reaching the Next Generation: Badass Granddad and practical wisdom 27:33 Smart Risk for Founders: Terrain, capacity, and riskâbenefit clarity 34:31 Changing the Operating System: From armor to empathy 39:47 Meaning Over Metrics: Building a lifeâand companyâyou respect 41:50 The Relentless Part: Humor, resilience, and getting back on the horse 43:03 RPOW Clip Outro 43:13 New Chapter Tease
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Built for Impact: Business, Balance, and the Abundance Mindset with Lauren Bencekovich
09/16/2025
Built for Impact: Business, Balance, and the Abundance Mindset with Lauren Bencekovich
đĽ Excerpt âYouâre never going to feel confident enough until you just do it. Act firstâthe confidence follows.â ⥠TL;DR RN-turned-founder Lauren Bensakovich joins me to break down how she built a boutique healthcare recruiting firm on an abundance mindset, disciplined outreach, and zero-nonsense personalization. We get into masterminds, automation (used intelligently), coaching candidates with integrity, and how AI helpsâbut doesnât replaceâhigh-stakes recruiting đ Show Notes Abundance isnât a hashtag. Itâs a way of operating. In this episode, I sit down with Lauren BensakovichâFounder & Managing Director of Lauren Recruiting Groupâto unpack how she scaled a boutique firm placing hospital leaders across the U.S., starting in the chaos of 2020. We talk about the real levers: getting your head right, investing in a mastermind early, using automation without sounding like a robot, and why personalization is the only way you stand out when buyers are numb to outreach. Lauren walks through her Sales Navigator + voice-note playbook, the âtwo to three touches then move onâ rule, and the long game of relationships over pitch-slaps. We also get tactical on AI. Lauren shows how she uses tools like AI note-takers and custom prompts to build interview guides that actually prepare candidatesâwhile making the case for why AI isnât replacing executive-level recruiters any time soon. (Chipotleâs âAvocadoâ might hire cashiers; itâs not placing a hospital CEO.) If youâre building a services firmâor leading any team where trust, speed, and discernment matterâthis conversation is a blueprint: mindset, mastery, and measured execution. And yes, do the thing. The confidence shows up after. â
Key Takeaways Abundance is an operating system: share playbooks, raise the bar, and business comes back tenfold. Personalization wins: automate for scale; earn trust with human voice notes, context, and restraint. Twoâthree touches, then release: persistence is good; pestering kills deals and reputation. Coach with integrity: sometimes the right move is telling a candidate âthis isnât your role.â AI is a force multiplier, not a replacement: use it for notes, prep, and draftsâkeep humans for judgment. Build your runway: sixâtwelve months of expenses or a 9-to-5/5-to-9 plan reduces desperate decisions. First placement fast: momentum compoundsâprioritize activity to land the first win quickly. Diversify income streams: recruiting + coaching + digital products (and in her case, real estate) = resilience. đ¤ Bio Lauren Bensakovich is the Founder & Managing Director of Lauren Recruiting Group, a boutique firm specializing in placing healthcare leaders in hospitals nationwide. An RN by training with an MBA in Executive Leadership, she launched the firm in 2020 and has since become known for high-integrity search, candidate coaching, and practical use of AI to improve processâwithout losing the human touch. đ Giveaway Laurenâs âTell Me About Yourselfâ Worksheetâa three-step, plug-and-play guide to nail the most common interview opener and set the tone for the entire conversation. How to get it: DM Lauren on LinkedIn and ask for the âTell Me About Yourself PDF.â đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction & Laurenâs Journey into Recruiting â From RN to recruiter to founder. 03:45 Taking the Leap: Entrepreneurship, Mindset & Coaching â Why masterminds and mindset matter most. 09:14 Recruiting with Personalization vs. Automation â The Sales Navigator + voice-note strategy. 14:39 Abundance Mindset and Building Relationships â Give first, share knowledge, watch it return tenfold. 21:05 Successes, Challenges & Realities of Executive Recruiting â Wins, losses, and the lessons in between. 26:20 Authenticity, Coaching Candidates & Perseverance â Why honesty creates long-term trust. 31:52 Diversifying Income Streams & Starting a Recruiting Business â Real estate, coaching, and financial runways. 34:21 AIâs Role in Recruitment & The Future of Work â How to leverage tools without losing the human edge.
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Words, Breath, Results: Dave Robinson on Story Work for Leaders
09/11/2025
Words, Breath, Results: Dave Robinson on Story Work for Leaders
đĽ Excerpt If your self-talk is running the company, youâre not. Dave Robinson shows how to rewrite the story, downshift your nervous system, and make better decisionsâon the field, in the boardroom, and at home. ⥠TL;DR I sat down with coach Dave Robinson to unpack âstory workââa practical blend of CBT, NLP, journaling, and breath work that helps founders resolve old narratives, regulate physiology, and get their edge back. We cover how language shapes performance, why chronic stress wrecks decision-making, and a simple path to move from survival mode to a state where you can actually lead. đ Show Notes Founders donât fail from a lack of effortâthey stall from a lack of resolution. In this conversation, Dave Robinson makes that painfully clear. He coaches top performers using story work: write the story down, read it aloud, change the words, change the state, and close the loop so it stops bleeding into everything else. We dig into the mechanics. Words drive breath; breath drives physiology; physiology drives perception and choices. If your language is conflict-heavy, your breath will be shallow and fast, and your brain will default to fight/flight. Thatâs not when you make quality, long-horizon decisions. Dave walks through how he sequences sessionsâself-talk first, identity second, then the âheavy furnitureâ storiesâso leaders turn the corner in weeks, not years. He also tackles the âwoo-wooâ stigma around breath work with straight physiology: long exhales to offload COâ, access parasympathetic, and store memories properly. The result: more composure, better memory consolidation, cleaner handoffs between work and home, and performance that holds under stress. We close on the punchline: abracadabraââwith my word I create.â Leaders cast spells all day. Change the words, change the outcomes. â
Key Takeaways Map the language â state chain. Conflict language up-regulates; architect language down-regulates. Close loops, donât orbit them. Resolution beats rumination. Title the story, process it, breathe it down, and put a bow on it. Breathe like a leader. Low, slow, rhythmic breathing with longer exhales unlocks calm, memory, and better judgment. Sequence matters. Self-talk and identity first, then the heavy stories. Momentum makes the hard work doable. Compartmentalize without suppressing. Process the life stuff so it stops hijacking decisions and relationships. Raise the tide company-wide. Teams taught the model row in sync, raising organizational performance. đ¤ Bio Dave Robinson is a Richmond-based coach and lifelong entrepreneur. After starting in fitness, he moved full-time into mindset coaching in 2017. His âstory workâ blends CBT, NLP, journaling, and breath work to help clients resolve sticky narratives, regulate physiology, and perform under pressure. He works with founders, teams, and pro athletes, delivering intensives and year-long programs, plus corporate workshops. đ Giveaway Dave Robinson is giving away a free âStory Work Starter Sessionâ to the first 10 listeners who reach out. This one-on-one session will walk you through the fundamentals of story workârewriting one limiting narrative, practicing breath integration, and leaving with a practical tool you can use immediately. Hereâs how to claim it: Follow Dave Robinson on Instagram or LinkedIn. Send him a direct message with the phrase: âI heard you on the RPOW PodcastâIâm ready to rewrite my story.â Be one of the first 10 to respond, and Dave will personally schedule your free session. đ Find Dave at or on LinkedIn by searching âDave Robinson Story Work.â đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Getting to Know Dave Robinson 08:22 The Importance of Breath Work 15:54 Finding Resolution and Healing Through Story Work 29:52 Managing Stress and Creating a Restful State 39:01 The Influence of Words and Stories 39:06 New Chapter
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War Room Wisdom: Battle-Tested Marketing for Founders with Lee Pepper
09/09/2025
War Room Wisdom: Battle-Tested Marketing for Founders with Lee Pepper
đĽ Excerpt âIf youâre still âtrying tacticsâ and calling it strategy, youâre losing ground. In this episode, we translate force multiplication, the anvil-and-hammer, and commanderâs intent into a practical marketing playbook you can deploy by Monday.â ⥠TL;DR Army veteran and former CIO/CMO Lee Pepper joins Rick Meekins to unpack how battlefield strategies translate directly into business growth. From repurposing content like force multiplication to wargaming competitor moves, this episode delivers a disciplined, no-fluff blueprint for marketing that actually drives revenue. đ Show Notes Most leaders donât have a marketing problemâthey have a strategy problem disguised as âchannel hopping.â In this conversation, I sit down with Lee PepperâArmy veteran, behavioral health executive, and author of Never Outmatchedâto break down military tactics that work just as well in the boardroom as they do in the field. We cover how force multiplication turns one piece of content into a multi-platform machine, why commanderâs intent is the antidote to micromanagement, and how the anvil-and-hammer strategy keeps you from cutting the very investments that drive conversion. Lee also shares the importance of wargaming, the danger of buying tools without training, and why pivot speed is the moat that keeps you alive in shifting markets. If youâre tired of vanity metrics and tactic-chasing, this episode arms you with tested frameworks that align teams, protect budgets, and create scalable wins. â
Key Takeaways Force multiplication: repurpose one core asset into many channels, multiplying reach without multiplying cost. Commanderâs intent: set the mission, constraints, and goalsâthen let your team execute. Micromanagement is attrition. Anvil-and-hammer: donât cut the âexpensiveâ holding force that enables your real conversion strike. Tie marketing to business KPIs: focus on calls, demos, revenueânot likes or impressions. War-game quarterly: model competitor plays and pre-plan your counters. Operational readiness: tools fail without training, support, and ownership. Pivot by day 30â45: own the miss, redeploy, and move. Speed of learning wins. Partner across the enterprise: marketing should solve Finance and HR problems too. đ¤ Bio Lee Pepper is an Army veteran turned enterprise operator who served as CIO and CMO across behavioral health companies before writing Never Outmatched. His work translates battlefield strategyâforce multiplication, commanderâs intent, anvil-and-hammerâinto modern marketing systems that drive revenue. He volunteers with the Veterans Treatment Court in Nashville and speaks nationally on leadership, go-to-market, and organizational readiness. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Military Marketing Strategies 01:03 Lee Pepperâs Background and Transition to Marketing 03:26 Force Multiplication in Marketing 06:09 Setting Commanderâs Intent for Business Success 09:25 Tying KPIs to Business Outcomes 10:35 The Anvil and Hammer Strategy 15:55 The Importance of Competitive Intelligence and War Gaming 17:36 Operational Readiness in Business 19:40 Evaluating New Technologies 20:44 Leadership and Team Dynamics 22:05 Learning from Historical Figures 23:43 The Importance of Pivoting 26:20 Staying Ahead of Competitors 27:45 Cognitive Biases in Marketing 29:34 Building Strategic Alliances 31:12 Fostering Company Culture 33:21 The Journey of Writing a Book 36:59 New Chapter / Close
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From Chaos to Close: Anand Narayan on Founder-Friendly Exits
09/04/2025
From Chaos to Close: Anand Narayan on Founder-Friendly Exits
đĽ Excerpt âIf it looks too good to be true, it probably isâyou only sell once. Hereâs how to stack the deck before you take the first meeting.â ⥠TL;DR Ex-Navy officer and two-time founder Anand Narayan lays out a clean, no-nonsense exit playbook: plan a year out, engineer EBITDA (donât wish for it), strip personal spend from the P&L, systemize operations so the business runs without you, and negotiate with aligned incentivesânot desperation. đ Show Notes Most founders donât lose on priceâthey lose on preparation. Thatâs why I brought on Anand Narayan, a Navy-trained nuclear propulsion officer turned two-time founder who has lived the exit on both sides: the hard way (a lawsuit after selling a $65M staffing firm) and the right way (a cleaner, better exit after building an $8M digital services company). Today heâs helping owners engineer founder-friendly exits through Kenobi Capital. Translation: stop negotiating with hope and start selling a business that runs without you. We start with the uncomfortable truth: you only sell once (maybe twice), while buyers negotiate for a living. If you show up unprepared, youâre a mark. Anandâs first rule is timingâgive yourself a year. Not to daydream, to engineer EBITDA. That means cleaning the P&L like youâre staging a house: strip personal expenses (phones, travel, the âbusinessâ Tesla), tighten cost of goods sold so margins actually reflect reality, and present revenue intelligently. âSalesâ is a mushy bucket; âFortune 500 recurring revenue vs. project revenueâ is a narrative buyers will pay for. We dig into working capital as a valuation lever. Too many owners pay every invoice the day it hits and wait forever to collect receivables. That starves the business and scares buyers. Put your AP/AR on railsâscheduled payments, incentive terms for faster collectionâso cash conversion looks like a system, not a vibe. When lenders underwrite deals and buyers model payback, that discipline quietly increases what theyâre willing to pay. Then thereâs transferability. Buyers donât purchase your heroics; they purchase your systems. If client relationships live in your head (or in someoneâs text history), your multiple just shrank. Move the pipeline into a real CRMâtop accounts, last touch, stage probabilities, win/loss. On delivery, instrument your work: project management and billing that show utilization, throughput, and quality. Automate payroll, benefits, and compliance so the operation isnât one HR complaint away from chaos. You want the buyerâs CFO to look at your data room and say, âPlug-and-play.â Legal is where smart founders get cheap and pay dearly. Anandâs caution is blunt: use M&A counsel, not your friendly corporate generalist. Term sheets that sparkle up front can hide âgotchasâ in the earnout, reps and warranties, post-close adjustments, or payment schedules. If the fine print assumes youâll keep rowing harder for less money, itâs not a great dealâitâs a leash. Price matters, but terms pay. We also talk buyer types. A family office that wants steady cash flow prizes clean, boring excellence and will pay for it. A private equity group may love a âmessy but promisingâ storyâgreat for them, not for youâbecause they can buy low and fix it. If your company is under-systematized with personal spend everywhere, a financial buyer sees upside you havenât captured and will discount accordingly. The fix is obvious: capture it before they do. Anandâs model is deliberately owner-aligned. Heâs not out to buy your business for a bargain; heâs building an exit accelerator that helps you prepare, package, and negotiate from strength. Think checklists, an exit attractiveness scorecard, even a one-page canvas to force decisions about stakeholders, your post-exit life, and how much of your identity is tied up in the company. If you canât answer those questions now, youâll answer them under pressure laterâusually for less money. My takeaways are simple: start early, clean the financials, operationalize everything, and get real counsel. Stage the house so the first walk-through sells the story before you open your mouth. If an offer âtoo good to be trueâ shows up in your inbox tomorrow, youâll be ready to test it against a well-run process rather than emotion. Thatâs how founders stop getting played at the finish lineâand actually walk away with the check they deserve. đ¤ Bio Anand Narayan is a Navy veteran and two-time founder who scaled and exited companies in staffing and digital services. He now leads Kenobi Capital, helping owners maximize exit value with aligned incentives and operational rigor. đ Giveaway / Resources (free 5-minute assessment). (self-guided planning tool). ââ accelerator overview (for founders who want a structured path to market). â
Key Takeaways Plan your exit 12 months out; engineer EBITDA before buyers arrive. Clean books beat clever ad-backs. Remove personal spend early. De-risk operations: CRM for pipeline, PM/billing for delivery, automation everywhere. Use real M&A attorneys. The wrong counsel is the most expensive âsavingsâ youâll ever make. Multiples reward scale, quality of revenue, and transferabilityânot founder heroics. If an offer dazzles but the fine print smells off, step back. Terms write the story. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction & Anandâs Background 07:33 The Expensive Mistake: Use M&A Lawyers, Not Generalists 14:05 Clean Up the Books: Personal Spend, Working Capital, and EBITDA 27:54 Make It Run Without You: Automation, CRM, and Delivery Visibility 42:06 Final Playbook & Free Tools for Sellers
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Storytelling! Profit, Purpose, and the Power of Letting Go with Rachel Petzold
09/02/2025
Storytelling! Profit, Purpose, and the Power of Letting Go with Rachel Petzold
đĽ Excerpt âI want everybody to have that momentâwhere they take the first bite of the thing that lights them up, and just close their eyes and go... wow. Thatâs what I live for.â ⥠TL;DR Rachel Petzoldâfounder, storyteller, and self-proclaimed Product Whispererâjoins me on the RPOW podcast to talk about how intuition, storytelling, and soul-aligned business can transform not just your brand, but your life. From corporate trauma to startup healing, we unpack the power of voice, vision, and vulnerability in a world desperate for meaning. đ Show Notes Letâs face itâmost founders talk about storytelling like itâs another checkbox on the marketing plan. Rachel Petzold lives it. In this conversation, we dig into what it means to really find your voice and use it to drive both profit and purpose. Rachel shares her journey from corporate product leader to founder of Laborioâa community built to help the laid off, overlooked, and burnt out rediscover what lights them up. But what really sets Rachel apart is her ability to see whatâs unspoken. She doesnât just build brandsâshe tunes into your energy, finds the core of your value, and helps you whisper that story back to the world in a way that sticks. We talk about: ⢠Her journey from layoffs at Nike and Starbucks to launching her own practice ⢠How intuition and emotional intelligence give her a competitive edge ⢠The difference between a product and a personâand how the story connects them both ⢠Why people avoid their gifts (and what it looks like when they finally claim them) ⢠The origin story of Laborio and the unemployment epidemic no oneâs addressing ⢠What it means to âdelightâ people in businessâand why itâs non-negotiable for her If youâve ever struggled with owning your voice or explaining your value, this is the episode you didnât know you needed. â
Key Takeaways ⢠Your story starts where your intuition lights up. ⢠We often avoid the thing that will bring us the most joyâstart there. ⢠Donât just chase rolesâchase resonance. If it doesnât light you up, it wonât light up anyone else. ⢠The job market isnât broken; our systems of access and storytelling are. ⢠The magic is in the moment people feel something. Thatâs what makes stories memorable. ⢠Helping others isnât always about moneyâitâs about presence, attention, and meaningful action. đ¤ Bio Rachel Petzold is a product leader turned storytelling powerhouse. After three layoffs in four years, she turned her career upside down and founded Laborioâa platform built to support professionals navigating layoffs, burnout, and business reinvention. Known as âThe Product Whisperer,â Rachel is a master at aligning passion, purpose, and positioning through deep listening and intuitive storytelling. Sheâs worked with brands like Nike, Starbucks, and countless small businesses, but her real superpower is helping people find what lights them upâand teaching them how to share it. đ Giveaway Rachel is offering a storytelling workshop bundle (normally $500â$1,000) to anyone who donates a $99 membership to Laborio on behalf of someone in need. Youâll get: 1. A âcore clarityâ session to explore your voice, story, and soul-alignment 2. A follow-up to activate your insights and refine your message 100% of your donation goes toward supporting someone experiencing hardship. Hereâs how: ⢠Donate a $99 Laborio membership ⢠Email Rachel at rechel@laborio.us ⢠Receive two sessions + help someone rebuild from the ground up đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Product Whisperer 02:42 The Journey to Becoming a Product Whisperer 07:11 Intuition and Emotional Intelligence in Product Development 10:41 The Importance of Storytelling in Business 15:55 Claiming Your Superpower: The Product Whisperer Journey 20:46 Transitioning from Corporate to Entrepreneurship 22:04 Navigating Lifeâs Challenges 23:52 Building a Supportive Community 26:05 Understanding Unemployment Trends 29:46 Finding Unique Job Opportunities 33:48 Creating a Safe Space for Healing 37:53 Engaging with the Community
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Maverick Men of Color: Bridging the Divide
08/28/2025
Maverick Men of Color: Bridging the Divide
đĽ Excerpt If your rĂŠsumĂŠ screams âwinningâ and your soul feels empty, this oneâs for you. Dean Forbes breaks down what it takes to live alignedâspiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physicallyâso success finally feels like success. ⥠TL;DR I sat down with Dean Forbesâentrepreneur, coach, and founder of the Maverick Men of Color Brotherhoodâto unpack why so many high performers are âwinning on paperâ and quietly disintegrating. Dean lays out the Maverick Method (spiritual clarity, mental toughness, emotional fortitude, physical tenacity) and shows how conviction, congruence, and brotherhood turn achievement into integration. If youâve outgrown the grind and youâre ready to operate at peace, press play. đ Show Notes I brought Dean Forbes into the studio because too many top producers are burning daylight building empires that donât fit their soul. Deanâs lived the arc: Wall Street, big-brand leadership, multiple seven-figure venturesâand the quiet emptiness that came with chasing the next rung. Whatâs different now? Conviction and congruence. He finally got obedient to the inner compass and aimed his life at purpose, not optics. Dean breaks down the Maverick Method, the operating system heâs practiced for two decades: Spiritual Clarity: Know who you are and why youâre here. Alignment isnât a mood; itâs a mandate. Mental Toughness: Boundaries, decisions, and discipline. Say ânoâ more often and mean it. Emotional Fortitude: Master your state so you can steward relationshipsâat home and in the boardroom. Physical Tenacity: Treat the body like the engine it is. When the templeâs strong, everything else holds. We also name a problem most founders wonât: disintegrationâthat gap between external success and internal collapse. Youâre delivering results, but the cost is your peace, your presence, and your purpose. Deanâs answer is both countercultural and simple: create a space where men of color can be fully seen, challenged, and celebratedâwithout performance masks. Thatâs the Maverick Men of Color Brotherhood: practice over theory, accountability over posturing, love and empathy over bravado. We go straight at the âlevel the playing fieldâ conversation without getting stuck in outrage theater. Facts matter. Dialogue matters. But before you can lead change, you need onenessâwith God, yourself, your family, your craft. Integration precedes impact. We touch fatherhood, modeling conviction for your kids, and why the first step is the hardestâand every step after that gets lighter because your faith compounds. We also talk storytelling and education: partnering with creators who surface lost history and culture, and why narrative is a lever for societal shift. If youâre done performing success and ready to live it, this episode is your reset. â
Key Takeaways Integration > Accumulation: If achievement costs your peace, youâre not scalingâyouâre disintegrating. The Maverick Method works in sequence: Spiritual clarity anchors mental toughness, which stabilizes emotions, which your body then sustains. Conviction is a force multiplier: You only need it for the first move. After that, evidence compounds faith. Boundaries are strategic assets: âNoâ creates the margin for purpose. Brotherhood is infrastructure: Men of color need a tested, judgment-free arena for truth, challenge, and celebration. Lead with facts, then dialogue: Truth without relationship hardens; relationship without truth coddles. Fitness is leadership hygiene: Treat training like a daily executive briefing for your nervous system. Model what you preach at home: Your kids remember how your decisions felt more than what you said. Leveling the field isnât division: Itâs building equal launch platforms so excellence can do its job. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Energy Boost 02:25 Dean Forbes: Background and Journey 03:54 The Call to Purpose and Impact 06:24 Understanding Divine Purpose 08:11 Navigating Relationships and Conviction 11:52 The Journey of Sacrifice and Growth 14:55 Immediate Loss vs. Long-term Gains 16:46 Staying Convicted in Your Path 19:38 The Maverick Method Explained 22:36 Addressing Disintegration in Men of Color 26:31 Creating a Safe Space for Men of Color 29:05 The Importance of Brotherhood and Community 31:36 Addressing Racial Bias and Divisiveness 33:01 Navigating Personal and Societal Challenges 39:09 Striving for Social Change and Equality 41:07 Understanding Identity and Contribution 43:34 Building Bridges Through Truth and Dialogue 47:15 The Role of Media in Education 51:49 An Invitation to Join the Brotherhood
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From Laid Off to Leading: The Power of Doing the Right Things with Kristie Jones
08/26/2025
From Laid Off to Leading: The Power of Doing the Right Things with Kristie Jones
đĽ Excerpt âIf youâre not sure what your superpower is, ask those around youâbecause everybody else knows.â ⥠TL;DR Sales strategist Kristie K. Jones joins me to map the path from unexpected layoffs to intentional leadership. We dig into superpowers, proactive career design, and how founders can stop playing âaccidental VP of Salesâ and build a real revenue engineâstarting with the first rep, a playbook, and a culture of accountability. đ Show Notes I brought Kristie K. Jones into the studio because too many founders and sales pros are stuck in reaction modeâjob hunting, hiring, even âstrategyâ dictated by whatever pings their inbox. Kristie doesnât live there. After getting laid off from a SaaS leadership role, she built Sales Acceleration Group and doubled her income in year one by doing what she teaches now: identify your superpowers, design your ideal company profile, and make the market meet you where youâre strongest. We break down the difference between strengths and superpowersâand why the latter require deliberate reps, coaching, and pressure testing. Kristieâs example: years as a competitive racquetball player gave her a wicked tennis slice⌠then hours âat the wallâ made it automatic under pressure. Translate that to sales: if this, then that. Build mental memory so discovery, negotiation, and expansion arenât guesswork. For job seekers and quota carriers, Kristie calls out a common failure pattern: you run crisp outbound for your pipeline, then treat your own career like an inbound-only funnel. Instead, define your ICPârole, selling motion, industry, buyer persona, deal size, cycle length, and leadership styleâand pursue companies where your superpower compounds. For founders, we get practical. Hiring Sales Rep #1 is the riskiest move youâll makeâand no, an experienced IC is not your de facto head of sales. Before you hand over the âbaby,â document how revenue actually happens without your Rolodex. Build the playbook. Clarify expectations, activity math, and consequences. Then coach the art of salesâdiscovery, listening, psychologyâbecause the science (tools, data, AI) wonât carry a weak conversation over the line. We also talk interviewing âprofessional interviewees,â why inbound leads are rarely your ICP, when to hire junior talent, and how to use the founder as an evangelist while an IC team executes a repeatable motion. If youâre a founder trying to step out of the sales seatâor a rep aiming for the top 10%âthis conversation will save you months of flailing and a few bad hires. â
Key Takeaways ⢠Turn strengths into superpowers with deliberate practice, coaching, and pressure tests. ⢠Run your career like a pipeline: define your Ideal Company Profile and pursue it proactively. ⢠Before hiring Rep #1, extract and document your process beyond your personal network. ⢠Donât hire an IC and expect a VP; leadership designs the system, ICs run the motion. ⢠Build accountability with clear activity math, skill coaching, and stated consequences. ⢠Teach the art of sales (discovery, listening, psychology); the science is table stakes. ⢠Treat inbound with skepticism; outbound is how you target true ICP. ⢠Juniors can workâif you commit to training, feedback, and a clear path. đ§ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Sales Acceleration and Personal Journey 03:37 Understanding Superpowers in Sales 06:26 The Importance of Proactive Career Management 09:08 Leveraging Generosity as a Superpower 11:52 Identifying Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) 14:45 Finding the Right Sales RoleâFit, Industry, Persona 17:27 Proactive Job Searching vs. Reactive Applications 20:15 Building Effective Sales Teams for Startups 22:58 Realistic Expectations for First Sales Hires 23:51 Sales Leadership vs. Individual Contributors 25:28 Extracting the Founderâs Sales Playbook 27:16 Inbound vs. OutboundâTargeting True ICP 27:55 Interviewing Sales Pros: Buyer Beware 31:01 Creating an Accountability Culture in Sales 34:38 Hiring Junior Reps: Risks and Requirements 38:21 The Book: Selling Your Way In 42:41 Free Resource: How to Hire Rock Star Talent 44:39 Closing Thoughts: Get Quiet, Get Aligned, Take the Risk
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