BUILDERS with Alex Snider

What if the very expertise that built your business is the exact same thing making it harder to communicate it clearly?

Many founders believe that if we just keep pushing - working harder, achieving more, scaling faster - eventually we’ll outrun the internal doubts, insecurities, and unresolved stories that follow us.

But what if the opposite is true?

In this episode of BUILDERS, I am so excited to sit down with Kyle Gray; founder, author, story strategist, and host of The Story Engine Podcast. Kyle works with high-performing founders, coaches, and experts who have already built meaningful businesses… but struggle to communicate their expertise in a way that truly lands.

Not because they lack knowledge. But because they’re too close to it.

When we get really good at something, we often make it harder to explain. We overcomplicate it. We wander. We try to prove our expertise instead of communicating it, and the stories that elaborate it, clearly.

Here’s what we unpack in this episode:

00:00 – 08:46 | How Your Expertise is Ruining Your Influence

We dive right into why presence matters just as much as polish when you're growing a business and showing up as a leader. Kyle explains why high-performing founders struggle to communicate. Turns out, your brilliance actually makes it harder to simplify your message! We talk about why trying to "outwork" a communication problem usually just results in stepping on your team's toes and getting C-minus results.

08:47 – 24:13 | From Chronic Illness to Superpower

Kyle shares the deeply personal story of his battle with an autoimmune condition, and how a coach told him his illness was actually his superpower. It’s a literal goosebumps moment about how the parts of ourselves we think are "trash" are often exactly what sets us apart and allows us to connect with the people who need our help the most.

24:14 – 34:07 | The Life Cycle of Stories: Too Soon vs. Too Late

We unpack why audiences crave presence over perfection. Plus, Kyle breaks down his "Life Cycle of Stories" framework. We talk about the danger of telling a story that's "too soon" versus "too late", and the fine line of emotional resonance and control required to make it land intentionally with your audience.

34:08 – 47:44 | The Big Lie We Believe About Success

We completely nerd out on a scale metaphor for success. So many of us think we can just add more money and achievement to one side of the scale to avoid dealing with our shame or grief. Kyle explains why expanding our capacity for pain and vulnerability is what actually brings true abundance, and why you simply cannot out-succeed your problems.

47:45 – 54:35 | The Authority Story Framework

Want to know exactly how to structure the first 3 to 5 minutes of your signature talk to make people tune in to listen? Kyle gives us a masterclass on his 3-act play.

54:36 – End | Storytelling as a Mirror & Martial Art

We talk about the massive knock-on effects of finding your story. Kyle shares an incredible example of a that completely redesigned his life to come into alignment. And forget memorizing the perfect script. Kyle explains why great speaking is a flexible martial art, allowing you to adapt your story's framework to whoever is standing in front of you, whether they are clinicians, biohackers, or CrossFit gym owners.

This episode is for the builder who:

• Knows their expertise is strong - but struggles to communicate it clearly when it matters most.

• Has built success through intelligence and effort - but senses the next level requires presence, clarity, and deeper self-awareness.

• Is building something meaningful and wants to communicate that vision in a way that truly resonates.

Because the ability to tell your story well isn’t just a speaking skill.

It’s a leadership skill.

Connect with Kyle:

Builders, let’s talk about power. 🎧

Not the performative kind. Not the “manifest harder” kind. The structural kind.

In this Season 3 episode of BUILDERS, I sit down with Eleanor Beaton - founder of Safi Media and host of the Woman Owned Podcast - to unpack one of the most quietly dangerous scaling traps in entrepreneurship: When women don’t have structure… they become the structure.

This conversation is about infrastructure, operating systems, money, power, and why mindset is rarely the real bottleneck.

We go deep on what actually allows a business to move beyond self-employment and into something scalable, sustainable, calm, and valuable.

No hype or hearsay. Tried and tested truths from her own experience and helping hundreds of women-owned businesses scale.

In this episode, we explore:

00:00 – 12:00 | Structure Creates Freedom

Eleanor shares Safi Media’s mission to double the number of women-led companies scaling past $1M by 2030. We unpack her core belief: structure creates freedom. When infrastructure is missing, founders overfunction. And over time? They burn out. They resent the business. Or they pivot prematurely because boredom feels like misalignment.

12:00 – 18:00 | Coaching vs. Operating Systems

We draw a clear line between coaching as a tool and over-coaching as a crutch. Eleanor breaks down why inquiry and raising standards matter- but why most advisory for women over-indexes on confidence and under-indexes on systems. We talk about the “barbie-fication” of entrepreneurship and how focusing on the person over the process quietly stalls scale. Mindset isn’t irrelevant. It’s just rarely the root constraint.

18:00 – 25:30 | Boring Businesses, Real Wealth

Predictability beats excitement. Every time. We unpack what actually creates enterprise value and why topline growth without replicability isn’t an asset- it’s exhaustion with better branding. As Eleanor says, “You know what lights me up? A fuck ton of money in the bank.” Not for ego. For stability. For leverage. For protecting your team.

25:30 – 35:00 | The Visionary Myth & The Operator Reality

Is it beneath a visionary to care about operations? We challenge the false binary of visionary vs. integrator - especially in bootstrapped companies. Most founders must build the first draft of their operating spine. Hiring someone to fix undefined chaos isn’t delegation. It’s avoidance. If you eat what you kill, you don’t get to skip this stage.

35:00 – 41:30 | Money, Power & Structural Access

Eleanor shares a powerful story about starting her first business alongside a male peer. Same starting point. Different guidance. Different outcomes. She was directed toward self-improvement. He was introduced to capital, acquisitions, and operators. This is the structural reality behind why many women-led businesses plateau. It’s not a lack of ambition. It’s a difference in access, introductions, and infrastructure.

41:30 – 55:00 | Health, Wealth & Standards

We close with a conversation about health, burnout, and scaling without sacrificing your nervous system. Eleanor shares how a fast-scaling company tripled revenue and burned out nearly the entire team in the process. Growth without standards is reckless. She shares what real boundaries look like inside Safi Media, the non-negotiables that keep her team focussed and functional.

Scaling isn’t just about velocity. It’s about the standards you refuse to violate in pursuit of it.

This episode is for the founder who is tired of being the all-in-one operating system.

The one who knows they're capable of more - but knows they need to calm the chaos to scale.

Because Wealthy Leadership isn’t endless hustle.

• It’s infrastructure.
• It’s power-aware design.
• And it’s building a company that doesn’t demand your entire existence to survive.

Connect wirh Eleanor:

Builders, this one goes deep. 🎧

In this episode, I sit down with Christian LeFer, CEO of Instant Nonprofit, for a wide-ranging conversation about justice, bureaucracy, leadership awakening, and what it actually means to build impact at the convergence of cause and commerce.

Christian has helped start thousands of nonprofits, redesigned a broken approval process, and built a company rooted in emotional intelligence, culture, and conviction.

This conversation isn’t about charity optics.

It’s about alignment.

Power.

Process.

And learning when to push - and when to pause.

In this episode, we explore:

00:00 – 09:00 | Justice, Special Olympics & Becoming a Builder

Christian shares how growing up with a developmentally disabled sister shaped his deep sense of justice and service.

09:00 – 16:00 | Bureaucracy, 501c3s & The “Love Letter to a Bureaucrat”

Why is starting a nonprofit often harder than starting a business? Christian breaks down the friction inside the 501c3 process and how he engineered dramatically faster IRS approvals by designing applications that made agents’ lives easier.

16:00 – 24:00 | High EQ as Competitive Advantage

We explore why emotional intelligence is not a “soft skill” but a strategic lever. From turning refunds into raving fans to listening without defensiveness and validating customers instead of hiding behind policy, Christian shares how empathy builds trust — and how trust compounds into long-term advantage.

24:00 – 31:00 | Breakdown, Shadow Work & The Inner Rebuild

This is the chapter most founders don’t talk about. Business strain. Relationship strain. Identity strain. Christian opens up about the personal collapse that forced him to confront unresolved trauma, self-talk, and misalignment. Out of that awakening came a powerful leadership principle: as within, so without.

31:00 –37:00 | Culture as a Safe Container

Why does safety fuel creativity? We unpack how vulnerability - done intentionally -strengthens teams, and how building a culture of acceptance creates the psychological safety required for innovation.

37:00 – 44:00 | Wealthy Leadership: Throttle Up vs. Throttle Back

Christian reflects on the shift from grinding harder to allowing space. We explore persistence versus patience, structure as a path to freedom, and optionality as a true form of wealth.

44:00 – 51:00 | Conviction, Discourse & Leading in a Fractured World

The conversation widens to culture and society. Christian shares his views on free speech, capitalism, and institutional trust — and why leaders can’t afford to retreat from difficult conversations. Wealthy Leadership isn’t just about revenue; it’s about participating in shaping the world you want to live in.

51:00 – 1:02:00 | How Nonprofits Fit into Smart Business Strategy

We break down what a 501c3 actually is and how nonprofits can strategically complement for-profit companies.

1:02:00 – End | Process Over Tools & Building Anti-Fragile Systems

We close with a discussion on why process is king. Christian shares how clear articulation of strategy drives alignment, and why systems that grow stronger under stress -inspired by Antifragile - are essential for long-term resilience.

This episode is for Builders who:

• Want to integrate impact into their business model
• Care about culture as much as cash flow
• Feel the tension between force and flow
• Believe leadership is both internal and external

This is a thoughtful, grounded conversation between two operators who believe business can be both profitable and principled.

🔗 Connect with Christian LeFer:

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/InstantNonprofit

Builders, this one goes deep. 🎧

In this episode, I sit down with Eric Berman - Founder/CEO of Speakeasy Mastermind- for a wide-ranging conversation about ownership, follow-through, community, and what it actually means to build success that lasts.

Eric has been building companies since the early days of the internet. He’s helped scale platforms, worked alongside names like Brian Tracy and Jack Canfield, lived through near-IPO highs and market-crash lows, and spent decades inside the agency world.

This conversation isn’t about hype. It’s about what you learn when you’ve been in the arena long enough to see the patterns.

We talk about the invisible cost of agency life, why most entrepreneurs underestimate follow-through, and how community becomes a strategic advantage, not a “nice to have”- as the game gets more complex.

In this episode, we explore:

00:00 – 13:00 | Becoming a Builder & The Crash

Eric’s early path into entrepreneurship, why building from nothing lit him up, and the reality of the "IPO that never happened"- being weeks away from a massive exit and watching it disappear.

13:00 – 24:20 | Resilience & The Pivot

How to navigate the aftermath of a market crash. We unpack resilience, identity, and why skills can’t be taken away, even when money can. Plus, how Eric pivoted to working with legends like Brian Tracy.

24:20 – 36:00 | “I Am Responsible”

The mindset that changed how Eric leads, navigates setbacks, and builds trust with clients and teams. Radical ownership as a leadership unlock.

36:00 – 48:00 | The Agency Trap

The realities of service businesses, capped upside, and the moment Eric realized he’d been climbing the “wrong ladder”. Why the agency model often traps founders in a cycle of revenue without asset value.

48:00 – 52:30 | Follow-Through as a Superpower

Why high follow-through is rarer than vision - and why it quietly separates builders who scale from those who stall.

52:30 – 59:30 | Asset Equity & Redefining Success

Why Eric is shifting from clients to partners, plus a candid look at fatherhood, presence, and how his definition of success has evolved.

59:30 – End | Speakeasy & The Power of Community

How Speakeasy Mastermind was born, why entrepreneurship is lonelier than we admit, and why in-person community matters more than ever in an AI world.

This episode is for Builders who:

• Are successful - but questioning the game they’re playing

• Feel the tension between growth and alignment

• Want leverage, ownership, and freedom- not just revenue

• Know community matters, but haven’t found the right room yet

This is a grounded, honest conversation between two operators who’ve seen enough cycles to know what actually matters.

🔗 Connect with Eric Berman:

🎧 What's it like to build an 8 Figure business, not just in your 20's but while you're still a full time student?

What do you need to understand for "working for your future" to be a path to deeper alignment instead of conflict?

In this episode of BUILDERS, I sit down with Adam Shaw and asked him these questins and more! Adam is an 8-Figure Founder, prolific venture builder, General Partner and future dad who shared openly about what it means to lead boldly without breaking yourself (or your relationships) in the process.

We dive into the real tension between identity and ambition, the importance of harmony, and the "surfboard" analogy for leadership in life and business.

This episode is for the builder who’s tired of defaulting to hustle and ready to lead with wholeness.

In this episode, we explore:

✅ 00:00 – 20:00 | The Board Game of Business & Building to 8-Figures as a Student

Adam shares his journey from "gaming" paintball systems as a kid to building an 8-figure supply chain business in his 20s. We discuss seeing business as a "chessboard" and why curiosity, not just hustle is the ultimate lever for growth.

✅ 20:00 – 32:00 | Founders, Funders, and "Strategic Money"

Why you shouldn't just chase a cheque. Adam breaks down the mission of Founders & Funders, why in-person community is making a comeback, and the shift founders must make from visionary to operator.

✅ 32:00 – 46:00 | Redefining Ambition & The Cost of Success

With a baby on the way, Adam and Alex get real about the "fire" of obsession. They discuss therapy, the transition to fatherhood, and why setting boundaries often makes the business more successful, not less.

✅ 46:00 – 56:00 | Married, Co-Founding, and Staying Sane

Adam digs into what it really looks like to build in business and life with your spouse. We cover the specific communication rules that save relationships (handling the "business partner" vs. "spouse" hats) and why your partner is your most important mentor.

✅ 56:00 – 01:16:00 | Harmony vs. Balance (The Surfboard Metaphor)

Why the myth of static balance is outdated. Why the "surfboard" metaphor for leadership makes more sense in practice. Adam shares how he navigates emotional surges and the importance of environment.

✅ 01:16:00 – 01:26:00 | Hiring Intrapreneurs & The "Airplane Test"

How do you spot a team member who thinks like an owner? Adam reveals his hiring strategy: looking for passion over resumes and finding people who pass the "airplane test".

✅ 01:26:00 – 01:45:00 | Visibility, Ageism, and Confidence

Adam opens up about the reality of being the youngest person in the room and dealing with ageism. Alex shares her own stories of repeatedly being the youngest. A powerful segment on the interplay of confidence and competence.

✅ 01:45:00 – End | Focus Filters + The Reverse Pitch

We close with the "reverse pitch" model changing the VC game, followed by rapid-fire insights on game changing decisions and what strategy done right feels like.

This episode is for the builder who:

• Wants to build with their partner without burning it all down
• Is ready to stop chasing balance and start riding the waves
• Believes culture is built moment by moment, not once a year at offsite
• Feels the cost of pushing too hard… and is ready to lead from a new paradigm

🔗 Connect with Adam:

What if leading your company didn’t mean carrying it all on your back?

What if culture wasn’t something you “fix” in a crisis - but something you build with intention, energy, and clarity from day one?

In this episode of BUILDERS, I’m joined by Anne Robie - exec whisperer, leadership HR consultant, and the go-to speaker and strategist for people-first growth that actually scales.

She’s sat in the C-suite, coached founders mid-meltdown, and helped teams rebuild trust after the wheels came off - and she’s here to talk about the messy, necessary, human side of building companies that last.

We dive deep into:

• How to lead without losing yourself
• What it means to build trust that doesn’t need micromanaging
• Why your “people problems” are almost always “leadership signals”
• And how tools like Enneagram, boundaries, and brave conversations can shape a business where people want to stay

This one’s for the founders who are done with performative culture and ready to lead from the inside out.

In this episode, we explore:

✅ 00:00 – 14:00 | The Guru of Corporate WooWoo

Anne shares how she earned her unique title and the journey of integrating her "yoga weekend self" with her "tough guy" corporate persona. We discuss the myth of "bringing your whole self to work"- why we don't need the "Cheeto-eating" version of you, but rather the most important parts - and how getting fired was the catalyst for true alignment.

✅ 14:00 – 29:00 | The Enneagram, User Manuals & The Platinum Rule

Why standard personality tests often fail and why the Enneagram is the superior tool for building empathy by revealing the why behind what people do. Anne breaks down how to stop homogenizing talent and treating people how they want to be treated (The Platinum Rule).

✅ 29:00 – 35:00 | Escaping the "Broski" Dynamic: Intentional Culture at Scale

The chaos of a three-person startup doesn't scale. We explore the critical transition from founder-led adrenaline to structured values, and why you must contain dysfunctional early-stage dynamics between co-founders before it leaks out and damages the wider team culture.

✅ 35:00 – 43:00 | Cord Cutting, Boardroom Breathwork & Slowing Down Practical "woo woo" tools for high-stakes business. Anne shares a story about shifting the energy in a tense board meeting with a breathing exercise and explains techniques to reset your nervous system and body between back-to-back meetings.

✅ 43:00 – 57:00 | Strategic HR vs. "The Person Who Answers Phones"

Why a CEO needs a polarity of Finance and People perspectives to make the best decisions. We define "Strategic HR"—sitting at the table as a business person first rather than just handling operations—and discuss why leadership’s willingness to invest in onboarding is the number one predictor of an employee's success,.

✅ 57:00 – End | Rapid Fire: The "No Assholes" Rule

Anne reveals the decision that changed everything, her definition of strategy as "effervescence," and the one absolute boundary she sets for taking on new clients

This episode is for the founder who:

• Feels the weight of being “the emotional engine” of their business
• Wants to hire (and keep) people who care as much as they do
• Is ready to stop managing chaos and start designing culture
• Believes leadership should feel real - not robotic

🔗 Connect with Anne:

WHAT COMES AFTER FLOW: Nervous System Strategy, AI Leverage & The Long Game with Caleb Jennings Part 2 of 2

What happens after the breakdown?

In Part 2 of this raw and tactical conversation, Caleb Jennings and Alex Snider shift gears... from mindset and identity to building frameworks, nervous system-led leadership, and AI as a co-founder.

This episode moves from the esoteric to the executable. It’s where flow meets infrastructure, trauma meets tech, and legacy meets long-game strategy.

If Part 1 was the why - this is the how.

In this episode, we explore:

✅ 00:00 – 02:51

Part 1 Recap

A recap of Part 1, revisiting Caleb’s journey from elite athletics to systems thinking, and reframing the breakdown as a transition point - setting the context for why Part 2 moves from flow into structure, regulation, and long-term leadership.

✅ 04:00 – 30:00

Defining success, satisfaction, and wealthy leadership

How Olympians and billionaires demonstrate that ordinary thinking and behavior don’t lead to extraordinary outcomes.

From PMI and humanized metrics to redefining success on your own terms, Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, multi-passionate builders, energy management, routine as freedom, Human Design, and the shift from frustration to satisfaction as a performance signal.

✅ 30:00 – 49:50

Failure, trade-offs, and perspective:

Using frustration as feedback, failure as a spectrum, structure over force, scaling laws, stoicism vs hedonism, and making conscious trade-offs in health, business, and life through better metrics and perspective.

✅ 49:50 – 01:07:13

Scaling Young and Raw & leverage in business:

Moving the “free line,” organic growth experiments, Apple features, distribution leverage, and knowing when to pivot or shut things down with integrity.

✅ 01:07:13 – 01:29:26

Health optimization, biohacking, and the path to AI & supplements:

Foundational breathwork, sleep, trauma healing, peptides and recovery, over-optimization vs basics, and how Caleb’s biohacking work evolved into high-ticket consulting, AI-enabled growth, and mineral-based supplements.

✅ 01:30:07 – 02:01:30

AI as a co-founder, ethical scaling, and legacy leadership:

Using AI for compliance, contracts, and prompt architecture; scaling with integrity in wellness and e-commerce; and closing reflections on community, humility, long-term thinking, and what it really means to build an epic life.

This episode is for founders ready to scale sustainably - leaning into their nervous system, not working against it.

🎧 Catch up on Part 1 for the origin story and mindset rewire

then 📲 Listen to Part 2 on your favorite platform

Connect with Caleb Jennings:

What do martial arts, minerals, and marketing experiments have in common?

For Caleb Jennings, they’re all part of a bigger system: building a life - and a business - in flow.

In Part 1 of this powerful two-part episode, Caleb shares the deeply personal and wildly practical mindset shifts that laid the groundwork for his recovery from a broken back, identity confusion, and over-optimization.

From muscle hacking to Human Design to the 'Trim Tab Effect,' this conversation is anything but surface-level. It’s a deep dive into the operating system behind sustainable success. One that includes the nervous system, but also redefines how founders think about habits, health, identity, and intuition.

This one’s for anyone obsessed with optimization… and ready for a deeper form of alignment.

In this episode, we explore:

✅ 00:02:20 – 00:09:21 From gold medals to systems thinking: Caleb’s evolution from championship martial arts and snowboarding to entrepreneurship - driven by his core operating system: “Less Friction, More Flow.”

✅ 00:14:00 – 00:23:20 The architecture of identity: Why “embracing your weird” is a competitive advantage, how to split-test your habits like a marketer, and using The Alter Ego Effect to engineer a new self-image.

✅ 00:25:40 – 00:30:25 The muscle-hacking experiment: How floating, minerals, and growth factors helped Caleb gain 40 lbs of muscle naturally - and how it relates to the concept of “Identity Lag” (why you might feel clumsy after any quantum leap).

✅ 00:35:02 – 00:40:00 The “Trim Tab Effect”: How a tiny rudder on the Titanic teaches us about leverage - and why health is the ultimate business multiplier.

✅ 00:53:56 – 01:00:53 Humans as time travelers: The story behind Caleb’s iPod engraving, and a masterclass on managing the drivers of anxiety & depression to lead from the now.

✅ 01:22:23 – 01:31:56 The esoteric edge: Why “millionaires don’t believe in astrology, but billionaires do.” How he uses Human Design and astro-cartography to time launches, build teams, and outmaneuver competitors who ignore the "woo."

You’ll walk away with a radically expanded view of what it means to scale like a prolific builder and why real transformation starts inside your operating system.

🎧 Part 2 coming next week: Rebuilding From Burnout, AI as a Co-Founder, and the Future of Nervous System-Led Leadership

Connect with Caleb Jennings:

What happens when your highlight reel no longer tells the whole truth?

In this raw, real, and revealing episode, I sit down with brand strategist, outdoorsman, and serial entrepreneur Seth Spears - a man who helped scale one of the world’s most-read wellness platforms, built values-driven companies with his family, and still found himself asking: “Is this what success is supposed to feel like?”

This conversation is a masterclass in tenacity, trade-offs, ego, identity, and redefining success on your own term.

Seth’s journey isn’t linear - it’s circuitous by design. From being homeschooled and voraciously self-educated… to early digital marketing and SEO in the Wild West days… to co-building WellnessMama into a category-defining platform… to stepping back, letting go of ego, and navigating the personal cost of growth.

We talk about building companies with your wife, what happens when ambition reshapes relationships, and why what got you here won’t get you there - in business or in life. This episode is about Wealthy Leadership in its truest form - not just money, but freedom, health, alignment, presence, and choosing your seasons intentionally.

In this episode, we explore:

✅00:00 – 13:00 | Becoming a Builder: From homeschooled rebel to digital marketing pioneer - and how stepping back to position his wife as teh face of the brand required he drop his ego.

✅13:00 – 22:00 | Polarity, Power, and Partnership: How shifting business roles impacted his marriage - and why personal dynamics matter in scaling with family.

✅22:00 – 31:00 | Redefining Success: Surfing analogies, seasonal balance, and the hard truth that “having it all” isn’t real - but owning your pace is.

✅31:00 – 50:00 | Burnout, Trade-offs & the Myth of Optimization: The comfort crisis, hustle epigenetics, and why growth often requires discomfort by design.

✅50:00 – 1:18:00 | Entrepreneur vs. Business Owner: The identity trap of hustle culture, redefining what “winning” looks like, and how travel expands leadership perspective.

✅1:18:00 – 1:37:00 | Legacy Tension: Navigating roots vs. wings, family vs. freedom, and how to build a life that fits the season you're in now.

✅1:37:00 – End | Rewilding, Rapid Fire & the $250K Lesson: Building a passion project, trusting intuition, and the CEO hire that changed everything.

We also dive into Rewild Gear, Seth’s passion project with his brother rooted in conservation, craftsmanship, and reconnecting with nature - a reminder that not every business has to be optimized for scale to be meaningful.

What happens when a father of four, a franchise veteran, and an expert CMO collide with a unique private equity opportunity?

You get Leigh Feldman - a leader on a mission to turn cooking into confidence and business into community impact. As CEO of Youth Franchise Brands, Leigh is scaling companies like Young Chefs Academy and Flour Power Cooking Studios while rewriting the rules of franchising, leadership, and success.

But Leigh’s work is about more than business. It’s about teaching confidence through cooking, instilling STEM and entrepreneurial skills in the next generation, and building businesses that become true community assets.

This conversation is packed with frameworks, stories, and quotable moments on leadership, franchising, and redefining success on your own terms.

In this episode we dive into:

✅ The journey from agency life to private equity - and the lessons that stuck

✅ The Three Deep, Three Wide, Three High framework for building lasting client relationships

✅ The STOP method: how to cut through miscommunication and align teams fast

✅ Why franchising is really about empowering owners, not selling dreams✅ The parallels between martial arts belts and teaching kids kitchen skills in a progression model

✅ Why most new franchisees fail - and how to avoid under-capitalization

✅ What franchisors get wrong about “one-size-fits-all” support (and what to do instead)

✅ The North Star question: Is it important because it’s measured, or measured because it’s important?

✅ Why community reputation and relationships matter more than ads or campaigns

✅ What success looks like on Leigh’s terms - and what happened when he reverse-UNO'd that question back to Alex

This episode will expand how you think about leadership, growth, and building businesses that truly matter.

👋 Connect with Leigh:

Jesse P. Gilmore is the Founder of Niche In Control and the creator of the Scalable Agency Accelerator™ + Leverage for Growth® Method - a system that’s helped over 500+ agency owners break free from the founder trap and build businesses that scale without consuming their lives.

But Jesse’s journey to wealthy leadership wasn’t a straight line.

After burning out in three businesses built on hustle and long hours, he stepped into Corporate America, where he learned about systems, leadership, and scalability that lead him to see how freedom could be created.

That experience, combined with his entrepreneurial lessons, became the backbone of the framework he now teaches agency owners around the world. This conversation is raw, tactical, and deeply personal.

From lucid dreams that sparked his entrepreneurial path, to losing $60K in 3 months while transitioning his business model, to redefining freedom as choice - Jesse brings a mix of humility, candour, and hard-won wisdom.

In this episode, we unpack:

🔥 Why working harder is one of the most dangerous myths in entrepreneurship

🔥 The shift from operator to CEO - and the 3 roadblocks that keep agency owners stuck

🔥 How time freedom (not financial freedom) is the true unlock for growth

🔥 The “trifecta of chaos” every founder faces - and how to prioritize health, family, and business without losing yourself

🔥 Why proof of concept beats perfection (and how to validate your next offer fast

🔥 The power of internal vs. external locus of control in navigating setback

🔥 Why scalable offers - not more leads- are the real key to sustainable agencies

🔥 How AI is disrupting the agency model - and where the biggest opportunities lie

🔥 Jesse’s vision to impact 1M entrepreneurs and the new Scalable Agency Accelerator.

If you’re building an agency - or any business that you want to scale sustainably - Jesse’s insights will challenge the way you think about freedom, leadership, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.

👋 Connect with Jesse:

🔗 Website - https://www.nicheincontrol.com

🔗Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessepgilmore/

🔗Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@nicheincontroltv

🔗 The Agency Owner's Guide to Freedom: Take Back Your Life, Control Your Time, and Transform Your Agency - https://www.amazon.com/Agency-Owners-Guide-Freedom-Transform/dp/B0CK3XGBLM

🔗 Join the Scalable Agency Accelerator launch event on November 11 - https://go.nicheincontrol.com/launch

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If you’re new here, I’m Alex—Strategic Growth Architect, keynote speaker, podcast host and creator of The CEO Recode.

Kate Buck Jr. has been called the Godmother of Social Media — and for good reason. In 2010, she launched her course, Social Media Pro, and was featured nationally on Fox News as one of the very first six-figure social media managers. Since then, she has trained over 50,000 social media professionals worldwide, and her client list includes many top direct response marketers such as Keala Kanae, Perry Belcher, Mark Moss and Russell Brunson.

If you’ve followed a “social media manager training” in the last decade, odds are it traces back to her.

But Kate’s story isn’t just about social media. It’s about building freedom, burning things down to rebuild better, learning to protect energy as much as profit and not waiting to live the life of your dreams. From early days selling custom MySpace layouts to running HTB Media and leading Social Media Pro, Kate has reinvented herself again and again - always with a sharp eye for what’s next.

In this conversation, we dive deep into strategy, operations, leadership, and the raw reality of building a business in an industry that reinvents itself every few years. Kate brings candor, wisdom, and fire to a conversation that will challenge how you think about building both your business and your life.

In this episode, we explore:

🔥 How Kate became the “godmother of social media”

🔥 What she learned working with Russell Brunson, Ryan Deiss, Perry Belcher, and other industry giants

🔥 The tension between being a full-time content creator vs. a full-time entrepreneur (and how to bridge the gap)

🔥 Why she burned down her business — and rebuilt it for freedom

🔥 The trade-offs she refuses to make anymore after a health wake-up call

🔥 Why community isn’t optional for entrepreneurs (and how her Golden Girls mastermind became a lifeline against isolation)

🔥 How expansion and contraction phases show up in life and business — and why saying “no” is power

🔥 What it really takes to lead teams as a translator between visionaries and operators

🔥 Why “know, like, trust” hasn’t changed — but why “more is more” is the new social media reality

🔥 The uncomfortable truth about going viral (and why hiding behind safe content won’t cut it anymore)

🔥 Her biggest non-negotiables when working with clients - and why boutique beats assembly line every time

Kate’s blend of experience, vulnerability, and straight talk will leave you thinking differently about leadership, marketing, and the business you’re building.

👋 Follow Kate @katebuckjr or Social Media Pro @socialmediapro on the platform of your choice!

Stef Vassos is the Founder of Broad World Consulting - a boutique consultancy built to make high-level marketing strategy accessible to entrepreneurs who can’t (and shouldn’t) spend thousands a month on agency retainers.

Her journey to entrepreneurship is anything but linear. From Quiksilver in California, to multi-media events in West-Africa and Hearst Magazines in London; Stef spent 15 years shaping campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands before realizing her deepest impact came when she helped small businesses win.

Today, through her own consultancy Broad World, she gives start-ups, small businesses, and professionals direct access to her CMO brain - no fluff, no jargon, just clear action steps they can actually implement.

But this conversation isn’t just about marketing. It’s about adventure, motherhood, the flinch moments that test us, and building a business that works for your life (not the other way around).

In this episode, we dive into:

✨ How a dog adoption (yes, really) became the catalyst for her leap into entrepreneurship

✨ The truth about working in Ghana, London, and Vancouver — and what global culture taught her about leadership

✨ Why motherhood fundamentally rewired her ambition and her definition of success

✨ Why trying to “do it all” in marketing is the fastest path to burnout (and what to do instead)

✨ Why snack-sized content > saying everything in one post

✨ The real difference between branding and marketing — and why both matter

✨ The mindset shift that helped her trade hustle for flow

✨ What entrepreneurs most often get wrong about strategy - and how to fix it

✨ How failure, ego, and choice shape the path of every builder

Stef’s story is raw, refreshing, and packed with insights for anyone looking to grow their business without losing themselves in the process.

👋 Connect with Stef:

🎧 BUILDERS Season 3 | Episode 11

Meghan Houle is a former luxury retail executive turned Forbes Ranked Executive Recruiter, career coach, podcast host, and now Tech Founder & CEO of CONCÈ — a concierge-style recruitment platform designed to make hiring smarter, more human, and more efficient for both brands and professionals.

After climbing the ladder in the fast-paced fashion world, Meghan hit a personal breaking point. Her success on paper masked deep burnout, toxic leadership environments, and the gut feeling that she was meant for more.

So she left.

And built something better.

Now, through her companies and her podcast Pivot with Purpose, Meghan helps leaders rewrite the narrative around work, worth, and what's possible — without the performative BS.

This conversation is a masterclass in boundaries, personal brand, career reinvention, and how to build a team with both courage and care.

In this episode, we dive into:

🔥 Why burnout is often a brand problem, not a productivity one

🔥 How to spot red flags in leadership culture before you say yes

🔥 The personal cost of toxic ambition (and how to recover from it)

🔥 Why your resume doesn’t tell your real story — and what does

🔥 How to build a personal brand that’s true, not just polished

🔥 The shifts that helped her go from overworked exec to aligned entrepreneur

🔥 What corporate taught her — and what she had to unlearn

🔥 Why career pivots are identity work first, strategy second

🔥 Her 3-step framework for helping leaders reinvent with clarity and confidence

🔥 The mindset it takes to walk away from a “dream job” that’s killing you

🔥 The biggest roadblocks leaders face in recruiting (and retaining) top talent

🔥 How CONCÈ is revolutionizing the recruitment experience for both brands and top talent

This episode will leave you rethinking your relationship with work, leadership, and what you allow in the name of success.

👋 Connect with Meghan:

ROB HARRISON is a former military engineer turned entrepreneur, sales consultant, and community architect. Today, he’s the co-founder of Magnifyde, an outsourced sales agency, and the founder of PDC Fitness Club that is reimagining Playa del Carmen as a wellness destination.

But this conversation isn’t just about building brand or sales.

- It’s about reinvention.

- It’s about resilience.

And it’s about what happens when you stop asking “what’s next?” and start building what you actually believe in.

From engineering submarines to launching a fitness community in paradise… Rob’s story is anything but linear - and packed with lessons on clarity, conviction, and calling your shot.

In this episode, we explore:

🔥 The moment Rob realized he was hiding behind a version of success that wasn’t actually his

🔥 Why sales training should start with identity, not tactics

🔥 How his solo morning workouts became PDC Fitness Club - and why community will outpace content in the long run

🔥 The military lessons that shaped how he thinks about operations, leadership, and adaptation

🔥 Why “being the person you said you’d be” is the best brand strategy you’ll ever use

🔥 How to bridge the gap between how you’re seen and who you actually are

🔥 Why revenue isn’t the most valuable signal when you're misaligned

🔥 The risks of staying in rooms you’ve outgrown - and how to leave with integrity

🔥 How Magnifyde blends high-performance and high-conviction sales - and why founders can’t outsource clarity

🔥 The role of creative constraint in brand-building (and life-building)

This conversation will challenge you to rethink what you’re building, how you’re selling, and whether the game you’re playing is one you even want to win..

Whether you're a founder, fitness coach, or creative leader - Rob’s story will remind you that your best work doesn’t come from perfect strategy. It comes from owning who you are - and letting the rest magnify from there.

👋 Connect with Rob:

KEN PROCTOR is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and founder of The Grey Point Group. After selling his own company, Ken shifted into coaching leaders across organizations from $2M to $2B, helping them build cultures that people want to be part of - not just work at.

But this conversation goes BEYOND team performance or company culture.

• It’s about listening with intent.
• Challenging with care.
• And creating the kind of leadership that makes people feel seen — and significant.

Through personal stories, sharp frameworks, and decades of lived wisdom, Ken shows us why the best leaders ask better questions, tell the truth, and never forget who they’re building for.

🔥 The surprising story of an NBA star’s autograph that shaped Ken’s entire leadership philosophy

🔥 The moment one particular comment changed Ken’s leadership path - and led to selling his house to launch a company built on values

🔥 Why most leaders “bat at the leaves instead of digging at the roots” — and how to fix it

🔥 The one question that transformed client retention

🔥 What happens when you stop hijacking conversations and start making people feel significant

🔥 Why every apology needs 3 specific ingredients - and how most leaders dilute them

🔥 Ken’s “Foundational Five” - the 5 universal things every human craves (and every leader should give)

🔥 The metric that matters most to Ken when measuring culture health (hint: it’s not a dashboard)

🔥 What to ask instead of “How was your weekend?” to actually build trust and connection

🔥 How Ken helps leaders build cultures people will literally break down walls to be part of

This episode is packed with leadership truths, sharp tactical takeaways, and questions that will stay with you long after the episode ends.

If you're ready to scale your company and your impact without sacrificing your integrity or connection - this one’s for you.

Becket Fusik is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Titan, a network that builds, funds, and scales ventures committed to truth, freedom, and a more relational world. With Titan Zero, their new platform, they are changing the game with a proprietary product designed to merge consciousness, technology, and leadership at scale.

But Becket’s story didn’t start with venture studios or high-level partnerships. At 10 years old, he tried to buy a food truck. In high school, he was knocking on doors selling websites. Since then, he’s built companies, failed forward, and discovered the leadership truths that now fuel Titan’s mission: building businesses where relationships come before transactions.

This conversation is wide-ranging and deeply honest - from early entrepreneurial experiments to facing perfectionism, claiming your space, and building companies rooted in values. Becket doesn’t just talk growth - he talks about what makes leadership meaningful, sustainable, and human.

In this episode, we dive into:

✨ Why relationships > transactions is Titan’s core business philosophy

✨ Becket’s earliest entrepreneurial lessons — from food trucks to $300 websites

✨ The two foundational leadership truths he learned the hard way

✨ How failure and the reset of 2020 reshaped his path and brought spirituality back into business

✨ The role of mentors in merging values, vision, and business integrity

✨ Why claiming your space is essential for leaders — and harder than it sounds

✨ The trap of perfectionism and how it almost cost Becket his freedom (and how he overcame it)

✨ Debunking the myth of a “one-size-fits-all” leader — and what it really takes to lead authentically

✨ The surprising leadership superpower Becket discovered in a dream (and how it reshaped how he confronts fear and shame)

✨ Giving always creates more — how generosity is a strategic growth hack

✨ How Titan Zero is making the synthesis of consciousness and technology accessible for more entrepreneurs

✨ Why influence rooted in service and integrity beats manipulation every time

✨ Tactical tips: hire earlier than you think, leverage AI as an amplifier not a crutch, and create authentic content at scale

Becket reminds us that entrepreneurship is more than just growth and profit — it’s about building relational infrastructure for the future. You’ll leave this episode rethinking what it means to scale with integrity, give without losing, and lead with courage.

Find Becket and Titan here:

Jason Lee is a man with a plan - and it’s not just about building wealth. It’s about building a life of purpose and impact through relationships.

As Vice President of Exponent Prosperity Advisors, Jason doesn’t just help entrepreneurs manage their money - he helps them design legacies.

Think of him as your general contractor for a prosperous life. He brings the blueprint, calls in the crew, and ensures every aspect of your financial strategy works together to support the life you want to lead - now and in the decades ahead.

But Jason’s story didn’t start with wealth management. From a bodybuilder chasing the traditional markers of masculinity to hitting rock bottom, rediscovering purpose through faith, and becoming a deeply relational leader, Jason shares the messy, miraculous pivots that shaped who he is today.

This episode is about legacy-building - beyond the spreadsheets. It’s about becoming the kind of leader your future self (and your family) will thank you for.

In this episode, we explore:

🔥 Why wealth-building without a strategy is like building a mansion without a general contractor

🔥 The problem with hiring “subcontractor” advisors - and what real wealth integration looks like

🔥 What Jason learned from blue-collar millionaires (and why deconstruction matters just as much as growth)

🔥 How his lowest point led him to faith, mentorship, and a new definition of success

🔥 The power of building relationships before you need them - and why Jason’s network is his net worth

🔥 Why success business owners don’t simply chase tax loopholes - they zoom out and look at the full story

🔥 The myth of infinite scale: how too many assets can start to own you

🔥 Masculinity, identity, and leadership - and how Jason's perspective on “being a man” changed

🔥 What founders should prioritize first (hint: profit less revenue less hustle)

🔥 Why discernment, not desperation, should guide who you work with - in life and business

🔥 How “sacred pace” and strategy without panic transformed how he leads himself and others

This is one of those episodes that will stay with you - especially if you're in the thick of building something that matters.

Whether you’re a first-gen founder or a seasoned entrepreneur questioning what’s next, Jason brings grounded wisdom, tactical clarity, and a whole lot of heart.

🎧 Get ready to think differently about growth, legacy, and how you measure success.

Connect with Jason:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonleeexponent/

📧 Email: jlee@exponentx.net

🏢 Exponent Prosperity Advisors: www.exponentx.net

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If you’re new here, I’m Alex—Strategic Growth Architect, keynote speaker, podcast host and creator of The CEO Recode.

Owais Qureshi is the founder and principal of Visual Cue - a brand consultancy that helps mid-market companies clarify who they are, what they stand for, and why people should care.

But this episode isn’t just about brand strategy. It’s about redefining success, making bold pivots, and the leadership required to build a business that delivers real value - inside and out.

In this raw and story-rich conversation, Owais shares his journey from almost pursuing healthcare to accidentally growing a B2B portfolio that became the launchpad for Visual Cue.

We dig deep into legacy, leadership, client experience, and the non-negotiables that separate thriving companies from those just surviving.

This one’s packed with insights that will challenge your assumptions and help you build with more clarity, integrity, and long-term impact.

In this episode, we explore:

🔥 Why your brand is not your logo - and how perception drives enterprise value

🔥 The real ROI of brand: emotional monopolies, faster decisions, and higher lifetime value

🔥 Why unspoken expectations lead to premeditated resentments (and what to do instead)

🔥 The $500K mistake: what a failed hire taught him about leadership, vetting, and standards

🔥 Anti-complacency as a leadership policy - and why growth demands constant reinvention

🔥 How being a third-generation entrepreneur shaped his view of resilience and success

🔥 Why scaling starts with process - not just landing bigger clients

🔥 What really matters to employees and clients (hint: it’s probably not what you think)

🔥 How brand clarity connects directly to your exit multiple

🔥 The leadership move he makes in every client meeting that tells him everything he needs to know

This conversation will challenge you to look at your business with fresh eyes - and equip you with the mindset and tools to scale with intention, clarity, and purpose.

👋 Connect with Owais:

Rob Hong isn’t just building a consultancy - he’s building a leadership model rooted in discernment, trust, and long-term thinking.

As the Founder of Sapling Financial Consultants, Rob leads a 30-person firm specializing in financial modeling, data analytics, digital transformation, and due diligence.

But this conversation goes far beyond spreadsheets. It’s about building a company - and life - that reflects your values, even when the market isn’t on your side.

Rob shares what it really means to lead with clarity, scale responsibly, and bet on the future when the reward isn’t immediate.

We cover bold moves, quiet discipline, and the gritty nuance of leadership that doesn’t chase status - it builds substance.

In this episode, we unpack:

🌱 The decision that changed everything - and the realities of scaling a high-performing consulting team

🌱 How Rob and his partner (in business and life) manage boundaries, tech habits, and "leaving work at work"

🌱 The 3 pillars of a sustainable consulting business - and why building ahead of demand is an act of faith

🌱 The overlooked difference between profitability and cash flow - and what often befalls leaders who miss this nuance

🌱 Building a sales engine from scratch in a relationship-based industry - and teaching upsell and long-term value creation inside your team

🌱 The internal work required to grow with your company - and how advisory boards and peer groups helped Rob evolve

🌱 The hidden risks of avoiding hard conversations - and why upholding standards protects your entire culture

🌱 Why success (for Rob) is about having the freedom to walk away from any deal, any time, on principle

🌱 Why leadership isn’t about perfection - it’s about integration, iteration, and owning your growth

This is a grounded, high-impact conversation with one of the most quietly intentional leaders we’ve had on the show. Rob proves that sustainable success doesn’t come from hustle or hype - it comes from clear thinking, deliberate moves, and values you actually live by.

🎧 You’ll leave this episode with new insight into how to scale, lead, and stay aligned in seasons of big growth.

Connect with Rob:

Marcylle Combs is not your typical healthcare entrepreneur. She’s a registered nurse turned multi-business founder who built, scaled, and sold multiple 8-figure healthcare companies - all while raising five kids and redefining what leadership looks like for women in business.

Now, as a speaker, leadership coach, author, and host of the podcast 50% with Marcylle Combs, she’s on a mission to build the next generation of leaders - especially women - through radical authenticity, friendship-driven management, and unapologetically bold moves.

This episode goes deep into decades of wisdom from a woman who never took a business class, bought her first company without a dollar to her name, and built an empire by betting on herself and her people.

We talk authenticity, scrappy growth, leadership legacy, and why Marcylle believes hiring your friends might just be the smartest move you’ll ever make.

In this episode, we explore:

🔥 The bold mindset shift that launched her entrepreneurial journey - and why the best business class might be life itself

🔥 How she scaled multiple 7- and 8-figure companies with zero formal business training

🔥 Why friendship management is her secret weapon - and how to do it right

🔥 How to lead through values, not just KPIs - especially in healthcare and service industries

🔥 Why focus is the #1 entrepreneurial superpower in a distracted world

🔥 The truth about failure: what you should measure and when to walk away

🔥 Why knowing who you are is more important than knowing what to do

🔥 Her unconventional take on hiring - and why culture fit isn’t just a buzzword

🔥 The real difference between leading with your head and leading with your heart

🔥 What AI means for leadership, privacy, and building better teams in 2025 and beyond

🔥 Why she’s on a mission to become the top voice in women’s leadership - and what’s next

You’ll walk away from this conversation feeling grounded, lit up, and equipped to lead with courage - whether you’re building from scratch or scaling your next chapter.

Get Marcylle's book:

Tamar Lyons is the Founder of Lyons Digital Marketing, a boutique social media agency specializing in helping service-based entrepreneurs leverage organic social media marketing to become unstoppable brands.

Tamar’s journey from the television industry to entrepreneurship is rooted in her passion for storytelling and authenticity.

Tamar now focuses on combining data-driven strategy with the human side of marketing. Her leadership journey is one of resilience, bold pivots, and an unwavering commitment to designing a life and business that's 'anything but mediocre'.

In this episode, we dive deep into:
✨ The moment Tamar realized entrepreneurship could give her freedom — and the pivotal conversation that changed everything
✨ Building a business by outsourcing responsibility, not just tasks — the true key to scaling sustainably
✨ How social media can serve as your business’s most powerful storytelling tool (if you avoid the common traps)
✨ Why authenticity cannot be outsourced — and how to maintain it while scaling your marketing
✨ Storytelling: not a trend but an ancient human need — and why it's still your strongest marketing asset
✨ The real impact of AI on social media marketing — efficiency booster or authenticity killer?
✨ Vanity metrics vs. true business growth — how to focus on what really drives revenue
✨ Leadership lessons from scaling: trusting your team and letting go of being the only “expert”
✨ How Tamar intentionally designed her business for location freedom — and the trade-offs that come with it
✨ The role community and intentional networking played in her personal and business growth
✨ How she’s pivoting again to what's next

Alexander Booth is the founder of Huckleberry Consulting and GetCSM.com, two companies changing how customer success is built, delivered, and scaled for modern businesses.
Before stepping into entrepreneurship, Alexander spent over a decade climbing the corporate ladders at Microsoft and Amazon - eventually becoming a trusted builder of high-performing customer success teams.

Jeremy Jenson is not your typical CEO. As the founder of Encore Search Partners - a $13M direct hire executive search firm - Jeremy has spent the last decade mastering the art of strategic growth, culture curation, and personal reinvention.

But this episode isn’t just about business. It’s about falling down and getting back up. It’s about redefining success as a father, leader, and legacy builder.

From flooding his house during a personal rock-bottom moment to proposing on live TV to the woman he 'recruited' via LinkedIn — Jeremy brings his signature blend of boldness, vulnerability, and unapologetic ambition to this deeply honest conversation.

We talk identity, leadership, fatherhood, and why success with no purpose is just noise.

In this episode, we explore:
🔥 Building a business by reverse engineering desire — and life by design
🔥 The moment $77K in water damage sparked a life overhaul
🔥 How fatherhood transformed his leadership philosophy
🔥 Why success is a moving target — and how to keep evolving with it
🔥 His unconventional approach to recruiting... and relationships
🔥 Why your company’s culture is only as strong as what you tolerate
🔥 The #1 trait that separates B players from A players in his firm
🔥 The mistake of perfectionism — and why presentable > perfect
🔥 The dark side of influence and how to audit your inputs
🔥 Why leaders must embody the values they expect from others
🔥 Why AI won’t replace recruiters who use this unique and proven approach

You’ll leave this conversation fired up, re-centered, and equipped with bold insights to build your life and business with intention.

Sydney is a social impact leader, researcher, and advocate for gender equity and social justice on a global scale. She is currently the Senior Social Impact Manager at Shopify where she champions education programs for underrepresented youth in tech and entrepreneurship with partners around the world.

Before joining Shopify, she held leadership positions at Elevate and YWCA Canada. She is also a member of the Equal Futures Network Advisory Committee and the Reach Alliance Advisory Council. Sydney brings an intersectional feminist lens to all her work informed by her proud Afro-Caribbean heritage. She recently co-authored a chapter on financial inclusion in a book called Cash Transfers for Inclusive Societies: A Behavioral Lens.

In this episode we discuss:
💸 The incredible role models that helped shape her social justice path
💸 The surprising moment she realized she could make a career in social impact
💸 The wide range of roles that you might not expect to be fundamentally 'impact focussed'
💸 Misconceptions that can actually hinder progress if context isn't factored into the impact equation
💸 The role her worst bosses played in shaping her unique and intersectional leadership style
💸 What you must understand to successfully work across diverse contexts and teams
💸 Why traditional academia can be considered anti-innovation and outdated
💸 What she learned administering and 'technolog-izing' cash transfer programs in various countries
💸 How she really 'does it all' having a full time job, authoring research papers, speaking tours and community mentoring

*TW this episode includes mentions of abuse and sexual assault

Aalia is an International Multiple-Award Winning Novelist, Filmmaker, Impact Investor, Executive Producer and host of the award-nominated social good talk show, UNSUGARCOATED with Aalia. She is a survivor of multiple traumas which she has alchemized into empowerment by sharing her raw, unvarnished experiences and enabling others to do so as well.

Aalia's incredible, and at times heart-wrenching, journey inspired her to create such a powerful event bringing together leaders and storytellers to share their secrets on converting adversity into success.

She believes that artists are pioneers of the human mind with great potential and responsibility to positively influence society through proper representation and accountability.

In this episode, we discuss:
- not fitting in and being homeless at 14
- being so shy and afraid of conflict that it landed her in jail
- how her battles with cancer helped her understand the power of community
- translating traumas into purposeful novels, documentaries, and conferences
- her journey through the music industry, movie industry and into production
- her experience with personal development inspired her to curate her own events that tackle the realities faced in society today
- creating a movement of empowerment by giving light to attendees who then take it out into the world and share with others
- being an entrepreneur in your 20s vs in your 40s and beyond

Willo has been called an Oracle, an Alchemist, a Liberator, and a Doula for Hatching Big Ideas. Her experienced guidance and masterful facilitation of individuals and groups is rooted in compassionate commitment, conscious mindset/behaviour rewiring, and channeled energy transmissions.

As a seasoned creative entrepreneur, Willo has continually faced her fears, followed her heart, and founded over half-a-dozen businesses. Through speaking, coaching, and writing, she serves as a dynamic catalyst for high-profile leaders and rapidly evolving spiritual visionaries. Whether your genius is to love, heal, inspire, transform, teach, or ignite a revolution… now is the time!

Willo Sana joined us to talk about her new book ‘Double Down on Your Genius: Own Your Gifts, Align Your Actions, and Flourish in Your Calling’, which released in early 2024!

*TW: This episode discusses mental health and suicide.

Mike Hayles, the founder of TekConnected and Courageous Resolve (formerly Men's Mental Health Retreat) https://www.courageousresolve.org/jointhecommunity is a multi-faceted guy, with an early military career and 20 years in the construction business before making the leap into Digital Entrepreneurship and Non-Profits.
Mike gets very real in this episode about his journey both business and personal, philanthropic initiatives and more. This one is close to my heart as there are many important men in my life who’ve struggled with their mental health and I am so grateful they’ve opened up about it and accepted support in their own ways. I would be extra grateful if you'd share this one with as many people as possible.

In this episode, we discuss: - Running away from your problems - "Succeeding" over and over, but feeling lost - 'Submarining' and other coping mechanisms - What 'released the pressure' and saved his life - The impact of Brotherhood and checking in - The 3 Pillars and people that changed his life

Investing always comes with a level of uncertainty and risk, but in a recession when the NASDAQ has dropped 30% Year to Date, is it a good time to invest in Tech and VC? How are expectations and valuations changing? And what about new markets and opportunities to ‘do good’ via impact investing? It’s enough to make anyone’s head spin.

In this final episode of Season 1 we are joined by Christián Quiñónez Sol to talk about the changing landscape of investor expectations and how up and coming markets fit into the current economic equation.

FUN FACT: This was recorded the day that he and his partner’s at Innogen Capital launched their 3rd fund!

As the co-founder  and managing partner of Innogen Capital Ventures, Christián brings an unparalleled expertise not only on managing investment risk and portfolios, but also the opportunities present in up and coming markets and uncharted territories such as LATAM and Central America.

Whether you’re an investor, founder or simply curious about what’s new in the entrepreneurial and social impact world, this conversation is for you. It’s full of perspectives and considerations that could open your eyes to a wealth of ideas and opportunities including:

Near Term Profitability as a Winning Feature for Capital Raise in Current Climate

Mission for His Term as Chair of the Board of Central American Private Capital Association

MultiCountry Sandboxes; Removing Barriers & Creating a Launchpad for Tech and Ecosystem Growth in Central and LATAM

LATAM as De Facto Impact Investing; Focus on Underserved Populations

Central America as One of Last Uncharted Territories for Venture Cap

You can connect with Christián on LinkedIn and check out Innogen’s website for more information:

We’ve all got questions on just what these uncertain times mean for financial strategy. Getting to know your options is vital to be able to make informed decisions and maybe even launch that new business idea you’ve been mulling over. After all, great businesses are built in recessions!

On today’s episode we are joined by Edward Nisanov to talk about the hidden fortune that exists inside your business… could you be leaving thousands on the table?

As the CEO of Nisanov Tax Group, he has a strong passion and track record working closely with business leaders to help them keep more of their hard earned money via effective tax strategies. 

Who doesn’t want that?! 

Tune into this practical conversation that could change your bottom line with insights including:

Is Cash Still Trash, or is it King Now?

Creative Ways to Invest and Seize Business Opportunities while Maintaining Liquidity

Edward’s 30% Rule of Thumb for Strategic Budgeting

What’s a Safe ‘Runway’ of Operating Expenses to Weather Economic Storms

Are You Leaving Cash on the Table? Tax Deductions and More… 

You can connect with Edward via all platforms and check out Nisanov Tax’s website to engage their services:

Fundraising as a startup or venture fund has never been ‘easy’, but throw in a recession and that uphill journey just turned icy and extra treacherous. If you’re an investor, do you lock up your wallet and wait? As a founder, is it futile or has the game simply shifted slightly? 

In this episode we are joined by David Charbonneau to talk about expectations, experiences and essentials for raising capital in an increasingly difficult economic environment.

As the founder and managing partner of Boreal Ventures, he is in the trenches of this recession alongside his investors, portfolio company leaders and pitching founders on a daily basis.

Whether you’re an investor or founder looking to ‘break into’ or ‘get out alive’, this conversation is for you. We covered a wide range of perspectives and practical considerations that could change the way you navigate the coming year.

Patient Capital and Outsized Returns, the Nature of VC

Slower Deals and a Return to a Market that Favours Investors

Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution 

Relationship Building and Establishing a Rapport with Funds is Vital to the Process

Gone is the Growth at All Costs Mentality

Best Entrepreneurs are Generals Building an Army of A Players

You can Connect with David on LinkedIn:

Gone are the days of a single career path for life, the average person will change careers 5-7 times during their working life.

But change is stressful and jobs are an integral part of our identity and security. So when you feel it's time for a change, how do you know you’re ready, decide on timing and most importantly, evaluate what you want to do next? 

In this episode we are joined by Beckie Thain-Blonk to talk about when you feel the itch to move on from your current corporate role, and the process of charting a new course and tackling all the internal and external obstacles that often come up along the way.

Beckie and I both share our journeys through management consulting, founding and selling startups, and making big leaps into the unknown to do what you love in both the corporate and entrepreneurial space.

And Beckie shares how she has leveraged all of this to help ambitious professionals market themselves as top candidates so they can land incredible jobs that excite and challenge them.

Your Why

Your Mental Well Being & Mindset

How to Evaluate What’s Next 

Intrapreneurship vs Entrepreneurship

Why a Coach is so Important to the Transition Process

You can find Beckie on LinkedIn and join our email lists to get the Discover Your Skills worksheet as well as 5 Tips for Strategic Planning to Generate Tangible Results  

A provocative perspective on outcome drivers in tough times.

Most of us know that to generate uncommon results, we need to act in uncommon ways… but we’re also evolutionarily programmed to see threats and focus on survival. So how can you swim against the tide in order to find opportunities where everyone sees only challenges? 

In this episode we are joined by Kena Paranjape to talk about how to peel away from the crowded gloomy group think of recessionary times in order to find and create unbelievable opportunities.

This conversation went DEEP! I love Kena’s quintessential entrepreneurial journey from a side hustle creating the ‘perfect robe’ while being VP merchandising for Houseplant to helping women define their authentic life and journey beyond the successful career.  

If you’re finding yourself surrounded by negative news, limitations and generally sucked into the doom and gloom this conversation is for you. We talk about how we’ve both overcome the odds, multiple times, and what we think allowed us to do that including:

Your Bubble: sometimes having a difficult internal circumstance can galvanize and insulate you

Going All In: deciding what you want and committing to your ’mission’ without a fallback 

Assigning Meaning: our experiences are shaped by the meaning we assign, how to shape your own narrative rather than taking on the fear or meaning of the masses

Catching the Adventure rather than Hanging onto Past: when things are disrupted you have the opportunity to explore possibility

Your Personal Brand: all the skills, experience and wisdom that aren’t on your LinkedIn

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You can find more from Kena and All You Are via LinkedIn, Instagram and her website:

Value proposition is the name of the game in lean times 

It makes sense that ROI becomes even more critical as companies start making cutbacks. So how do you determine where to invest, get that message across and keep vital initiatives moving forward? Like it or not, it starts with your stakeholders…

In this episode we are joined by John Williams to talk about how the principles of Change Management can help stop transformation from stalling, or even kick start it, in the face of uncertainty.

We had some tech issues recording this episode so we’ve included more comprehensive show notes, check those out if you need some clarifications (thanks for your patience!).

Change management’s focus on the ‘people’ side of transformation projects - human behaviour and its challenges (the Swiss Cheese 🧀 Problem)

How an objective and experienced practitioner supporting change management is vital due to the process heavy nature, stakeholder management complexity and ability to foresee and mitigated risks from experience

The risk of significant loss on the project investment or even operational risk introduced by a lack or misalignment of adoption 

The importance of WHY from the leadership level downwards (the Battlecry 🤺to Rally Around)

Key success factors from initiation to execution such as a business case document articulating the ROI and risk factors defining the value and impact, stakeholder alignment and resource allocation including champions, superusers, change agents 

Understanding your different stakeholder groups, what drives them, what you need from each group and how to incentivise each to ensure successful outcomes (Execs 🧑‍💼from the Rest 🧑‍🏫🧑‍🏭🧑‍💻🧑‍🔧)

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You can find more from John and connect on all things change management via LinkedIn or email:

Is your snacking habit or daily coffee sign of something deeper that’s holding you and your business back?

We all know what we ‘should’ be doing, but so many of us struggle to provide ourselves with the optimal conditions for success. This is no truer anywhere than entrepreneurship where there are very few guide rails, tons of stress and occasionally a reticence to conform. 

In this episode we are joined by Charmaine Horn to talk about how taking control of your health and habits can create better and more sustainable business results.

As a former "Carbaholic" who used sugary and carby foods to deal with the stress of her Registered Nursing job until being diagnosed with prediabetes in 2017, Charmaine understands the power of habits and the journey to a new reality. 

We covered some powerful stuff that you can leverage TODAY, to change your trajectory:

The signs that indicate you might have suboptimal habit or coping mechanism

The emotional, physical, financial impacts of our unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms.

The few seconds it takes to interrupt unconscious patterns and habits… so you can reduce stress, stay focussed and improve health and business results.

Creating that few-second pause to:

feel your feelings, how to have a connection with your body, bring awareness to your body and the signs to look for, and do a nervous system regulation technique (examples included!)

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Charmaine Horn, BSN, RN, EFTMP-C, is a Registered Nurse, Certified Holden Qigong Instructor, and Certified Master EFT Practitioner. After working 8 years as a psychiatric nurse, she realized that the psychiatric medications she gave to her patients rarely seemed to help improve her patients' symptoms long-term. She left her nursing job in 2020 to pursue new modalities and holistic methods to help people heal from emotional and mental health issues. Then in 2022, after going through her own physical and emotional setbacks, she discovered Qigong. After practicing Qigong daily to help herself heal from debilitating knee pain, grief, anxiety, depression, and more challenges she was facing, she became a Certified Qigong Instructor and Certified Master EFT Practitioner to help people everywhere reduce their stress levels and live their best lives.

You can find more from Charmaine on her Instagram, website and YouTube channel.

The world of entrepreneurship and M&A are generally regarded as the wild west, but today’s guest has one of the wildest tales I’ve personally encountered in startup world.

From driving a limo and sleeping in his car to becoming the President of SISU which sold for $100M in a $1B transaction, John has seen and done more than most and his ability to articulate the salient takeaways is phenomenal.

In this episode John Figueiredo joins us to talk about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of taking a business from product market fit to $101M annual revenue, JayZ as Chief Visionary Officer and an IPO in less than 4 years!

What a PHENOMENAL conversation 🔥

There is no way to sum this up succinctly, we spoke on so many vital concepts and behind the scenes of growing and selling a company (while going public!!).

Building Tangible Skills & Intrapreneurship: the path to successful entrepreneurship 

Asymmetric Risk and the Statistics of Success: what reviving Hotel California and dominating the cannabis industry have in common

Doom to Domination in 6 months: the trials, tribulations and innovations to out manoeuvre companies with significantly more capitalization and monopolize the industry - ‘Your margin is my opportunity’ ~ Jeff Bezos  

Game Changing Business Models: how understanding stakeholders and creating innovative win-win opportunities 

Swimming with Sharks: Preparing to sell, from courtship and happy times to the tightrope walk of purchase and sale agreement, audit processes and negotiating with Jay Z’s management team

Lessons Learned: from corporate structures and tax implications to the 5 principles of building a great mission driven business 

I am going to be listening to this episode multiple times because it has just so many nuggets of insight and information. 

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You can find more from John and connect on all things AI, technology, business growth and the economy via LinkedIn or Instagram as well as check out his new venture Plaito’s website:

What makes a successful business leader?

There’s a lot of debate, especially in our rapidly changing times where there is an evolving dichotomy between old school and new school approaches. But what if there were core ingredients regardless of your work and leadership style that generate true success? And just how can we all leverage those to propel us forward in even the most challenging times?

In this episode we are joined by François de Neuville to talk about Self Mastery’s role in business success.

After a decade as a commando-paratroopers Platoon Leader, surviving a tsunami and earthquake while rescuing a child and embarking on a life of paragliding pilot adventures, humanitarian and natural disaster volunteerism, and digital nomading, Francois knows a thing or two about high performance, high stress environments and resilience.

We covered so much ground around leadership, business growth, teams and the role and impact of self mastery with powerful takeaways including:

• There is no shortcut to success.

• Power of commitment; what are you willing to struggle for?

• The way you do anything, is the way you do everything.

• If you aren't showing up as your best across all areas of life, how can you expect your business & team to be the best.

• Vulnerability & humility as traits of successful leaders.

You find François on LinkedIn and check out his website and incredible book