The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast

Seventeen years ago, four strangers decided to build something almost no one commits to: a mastermind group that outlasts the businesses, marriages, and identities its members walk in with. In Part 2, Dwayne sits back down with three of the four, Curt Cronin, Michael Grandjean, and Sam Hazledine (missing Keiron McCammon)to unpack what actually kept the group alive that long, and what it cost them to get there.In this episode:Why Curt distinguishes a mentor ("shape me in their likeness"), a coach ("hold a container and ask me questions"), and a consultant ("give me the answer") as three completely different relationships and why conflating them causes frictionSam's case for why "in business, generally speaking, the coaches are not the ones who are successful at business" and what that selection bias means for anyone hiring oneCurt's math on the actual hours he has left with his teenage daughter based on their current visiting cadence, and how that number changed how he shows up for herWhy Sam believes selection, who's in the room, matters more than structure, using the analogy that "date night doesn't work if you're married to the wrong person"The origin story: how Curt, Michael, and Sam actually formed the group after meeting through Tony Robbins' Platinum Partners program, and why Tony himself turned down an invite to joinMichael's take on the single biggest shift that took the group from well-meaning to effective: bringing in real structure and prepEpisode Timestamps:00:00 Mentorship Mindset00:35 Podcast Intro01:38 Creating Your Reality04:21 Beyond Tactics to Mindset07:14 Accountability and Growth10:03 Aligned Vision Matters15:21 Belief and Creation21:27 Finding Great Mentors25:12 Mentor vs Coach28:52 Coaching Limits in Business30:51 Curiosity Over Assumptions34:12 Resetting Miscommunication36:29 Courageous Conversations at Work38:51 Building Trust With Windshield Time39:58 Starting a Mastermind Group41:22 Structure Prep and Standards43:36 Finding the Right People47:00 Origin Story and Commitment51:50 Speaking to the Fifth Person52:54 Parting Shots and Farewell59:50 Podcast Outro and DisclaimerLINKS TO PREVIOUS EPISODES:https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/2-from-navy-seal-to-entrepreneur-the-transformative-journey-with-curt-cronin/https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/24-part-1-curiosity-change-embracing-growth-and-discovery-with-curt-cronin/https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/25-part-2-unlocking-potential-from-beyond-the-comfort-zone-with-curt-cronin/https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/5-beyond-achievement-unlocking-fulfillment-with-dr-sam-hazledine/https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/121-collapse-courage-and-comeback-with-michael-grandjean/https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/122-forgiving-yourself-and-rebuilding-after-failure-with-michael-grandjean/Follow The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast for more conversations like this one, and catch Part 1 of this mastermind episode if you haven't yet.Connect with Dwayne KerriganFacebookInstagramLinked InWebsiteDisclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Seventeen years, six men, and one rule: no advice allowed. On this panel, three members of Dwayne Kerrigan's mastermind group, the "Honey Badgers", pull back the curtain on the framework that's carried them through startups, exits, burnout, and grief, and explain why the group that changes them most is the one that refuses to tell them what to do.In this episode:Curt Cronin breaks down "dynamic subordination," the Navy SEAL handoff principle the group uses to know who leads and who steps back in a crisisSam Hazledine explains why "nature abhors a vacuum" is the real reason humans default to giving advice, and why it usually backfiresMichael Grandjean opens up about losing everything and the one thing that got him through it: learning to forgive himselfDwayne and the group unpack the "event, meaning, emotion, behavior, result" chain and how the stories we attach to events quietly run our livesSam introduces the idea of becoming a "mindful steward" instead of a "benevolent dictator" as a business scalesThe group previews Dwayne's upcoming Founders Council program, built on the same gestalt-style mentorship modelAbout the guests: Curt Cronin is a former U.S. Navy SEAL turned entrepreneur and a founding member of the Honey Badgers mastermind group. Michael Grandjean spent 30 years in construction for the Department of Defense and the U.S. government before rebuilding his career after a period of significant personal and financial loss. Sam Hazledine is a physician based in New Zealand and founder of a medical staffing, technology, and research business. All three have been meeting with Dwayne Kerrigan as part of the same mastermind group for 17 years.Episode Timestamps:00:00 Brotherhood Origins01:10 Meet The Honey Badgers02:06 Sam Hazledine Introduction03:19 Mike Grandjean and Curt Cronin Introductions05:04 How the Mastermind Group Formed07:07 Why the Group Works10:06 Beyond Advice Gestalt Feedback16:05 Trust and Safe Space20:07 Dynamic Subordination Explained23:21 Scaling Leadership Mindful Steward28:53 Enough More and Seasons31:41 Stuck In The Middle32:16 Paying The Price33:34 Forgive Yourself35:14 Pain Versus Suffering38:25 Blind Spots And Truth42:26 Power Of Story49:38 Intimacy And Proximity54:31 Mastermind Framework58:31 Proximity Is Power01:02:57 Closing And Next WeekFollow The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast for Part 2 of this conversation, and find Curt Cronin, Michael Grandjean, and Sam Hazledine's own episodes in the show's back catalog.Links to Previous Episodes: https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/2-from-navy-seal-to-entrepreneur-the-transformative-journey-with-curt-cronin/https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/24-part-1-curiosity-change-embracing-growth-and-discovery-with-curt-cronin/https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/25-part-2-unlocking-potential-from-beyond-the-comfort-zone-with-curt-cronin/https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/5-beyond-achievement-unlocking-fulfillment-with-dr-sam-hazledine/https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/121-collapse-courage-and-comeback-with-michael-grandjean/https://www.dwaynekerrigan.com/122-forgiving-yourself-and-rebuilding-after-failure-with-michael-grandjean/Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan: Connect with Dwayne KerriganFacebookInstagramLinked InWebsiteDisclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

FlyGuys CEO Joe Stough returns for Part 2 of this conversation on scaling technology companies through operational excellence, culture, and AI.Joe breaks down the four-element operational excellence management system he built plus the cultural foundation of the golden rule and iron sharpens iron and explains how the company's AI data infrastructure platform now serves seven industries through one configurable pipeline.If you're building a company that needs to scale past its current ceiling, this episode is a playbook.In this episode:Joe walks through FlyGuys' four-element Operational Excellence Management System (OEMS) — leadership, individual development, incident learning, and continuous improvement — built on a fifth "element zero": culture.He unpacks FlyGuys' five cultural principles: the golden rule, iron sharpens iron, goal zero, raving fans, and one for all and all for one.Joe details the Waitr acquisition that used almost all of the company's post-SPAC cash within two weeks of going public — a transaction later written down by $190 million.He explains how FlyGuys' AI data infrastructure platform now serves seven verticals (construction, solar, asset management, agriculture, public safety, insurance, and telecom) through one configurable pipeline.Joe shares his networking philosophy — prioritizing "vision alignment" over job titles, including the mid-level ExxonMobil manager who opened the door to a multi-year enterprise contract.He gives direct advice for business owners bringing AI into their operations: don't skip the architecture expertise, and pair AI orchestration with real industry knowledge.Episode Time Stamps: 00:00 Iron Sharpens Iron Culture00:28 Podcast Intro and Recap01:29 Scaling Lessons and AI Risks03:21 Pricing and Org Costs Trap06:47 Operational Excellence Foundation10:15 Mapping the Process Day One13:33 Defects and Incident Learning15:12 Customer Journey Method18:53 Culture Principles Element Zero24:55 OEMS Elements Breakdown28:20 How It Became Intentional30:43 Can OE Reduce Failures32:46 Waitr Acquisition Mistake37:16 Waitr Deal Fallout38:56 Mentor Sam Smolik41:17 Networking Beyond Titles44:05 Vision Alignment Story47:43 Risk and Diversification53:22 Platform for Complexity57:20 Vertical Workflow Examples01:04:56 Agentic AI and Scaling01:12:48 Final Scaling Playbook01:18:32 Closing and Where to FindResources Mentioned: Interpersonal Technology: The Art and Science of Personal and Professional Effectiveness by James A. Gwaltney (Author)https://a.co/d/06TD2z2RThe Power of Goal ZERO: A Practical Leadership Guide for Achieving Superior Performance by Sam Smolik (Author)https://a.co/d/06CjUZI2The Daily Pursuit of Excellence: The 4 Keys to Achieving Superior Performance by Sam Smolik (Author)https://a.co/d/03YXAfrQAbout Joe Stough: Joe Stough is CEO of FlyGuys, an AI data infrastructure platform serving industries including construction, solar, agriculture, insurance, and public safety. He previously served as President and COO of Waitr, and earlier built Impact, an operational excellence and safety management software adopted by ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total, and Koch Industries. Stough sits on the board of directors of Ducks Unlimited alongside his mentor Sam Smolik, author of Daily Pursuit of Excellence and Goal Zero, whose influence shaped FlyGuys' operational excellence system.Connect with Joe Stough: https://flyguys.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-stough/https://www.linkedin.com/company/flyguys.io/Connect with Dwayne KerriganFacebookInstagramLinked InWebsiteDisclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Joe Stough built a piece of software that ExxonMobil, Shell, and ConocoPhillips ran their worldwide safety operations on and he says none of it would have worked without a psychological framework he almost let disappear along with the mentor who created it. In this episode, he traces the throughline of intentional culture across three very different companies.In this episode:How Joe's early experience running Dynamic Systems International shaped the fundamentals he built his next company, Syntex, on — starting with hiring a lawyer on day oneThe Interpersonal Technology framework — eight personality styles built on Carl Jung's archetypes — that Joe credits for turning daily blowups with his first CFO into a working partnershipHow Joe's Impact software went from one language in one country to twenty-four languages in a hundred and eighty countries in a single year, landing ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and Shell as worldwide clients within six monthsSelling Syntex to IHS in 2010 in an all-cash deal — and being pulled back to the office six months into "retirement"Why Joe took over teaching the Interpersonal Technology program himself after his mentor, Dr. James Gwaltney, passed away in 2016How FlyGuys runs an "Uberized" marketplace of over 22,000 drone pilots delivering data instead of rides or foodTime Stamps:00:00 Intentional Culture Mindset00:40 Podcast Welcome and Guest Intro04:58 FlyGuys Business Model Explained09:00 From Syntex to Waitr to FlyGuys14:40 Early Failure Lessons Learned20:09 Finding Mentors and First Investor25:22 Interpersonal Technology Origin Story31:25 Eight Personality Styles Overview35:36 Thinking vs Feeling36:17 Choicing and Dreaming Spectrum37:12 Organizer vs Presenter Styles38:06 Building Teams and Culture39:38 Hiring for Strength Balance40:50 Mentor Legacy and IP Story48:47 Culture as Career Thread52:35 Syntex Sale and Return54:23 Global Data and Safety Index01:00:20 Waitr Origin and Hypergrowth01:04:53 Scaling Lessons and Replatforming01:06:56 Wrap Up and Next EpisodeAbout Joe Stough: Joe Stough is CEO of FlyGuys: a drone data collection company operating an Uberized marketplace with more than 22,000 pilots across the U.S. He founded Syntex in 1995, building the Impact software platform into what became a dominant operational excellence system used by companies including ExxonMobil, Shell, and ConocoPhillips, before selling the company in 2010. He later served as President and COO of Waitr, taking the food delivery company public on Nasdaq via SPAC in 2018. Joe now holds the intellectual property rights to the Interpersonal Technology framework and personally teaches it to leadership teams; he has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, and Entrepreneur Magazine, and sits on the board of Ducks Unlimited.Connect: Follow The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast for Part 2 of this conversation, and connect with Joe Stough and FlyGuys to learn more about the Interpersonal Technology program.Connect with Joe Stough: https://flyguys.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-stough/https://www.linkedin.com/company/flyguys.io/Resources Mentioned: Interpersonal Technology: The Art and Science of Personal and Professional Effectiveness by James A. Gwaltney (Author)https://a.co/d/06TD2z2RThe Power of Goal ZERO: A Practical Leadership Guide for Achieving Superior Performance by Sam Smolik (Author)https://a.co/d/06CjUZI2The Daily Pursuit of Excellence: The 4 Keys to Achieving Superior Performance by Sam Smolik (Author)https://a.co/d/03YXAfrQConnect with Dwayne KerriganFacebookInstagramLinked InWebsiteDisclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

At 500 knots each, two F-16s point straight at each other with less than a second to react, one of them upside down. That's the moment Michelle "Mace" Curran walks Dwayne through in Part 2 of this conversation, and it's just the entry point into a masterclass on what she calls "the space between": the pause between feeling fear and deciding what to do with it.In this episode:The near head-on collision during a Thunderbirds training pass, closing at roughly 1,000 mph, missing by what she believes was inches and the split-second decision-making that got both pilots through itWhy Michelle earned her call sign "Mace" (Mach at Circle Entry) by accidentally breaking the sound barrier on her second flight in Japan, and how she turned it into a badge of honorThe physical disruptor, wiggling her toes, that a flight instructor taught her to break out of over-control and hypervigilance, and the neuroscience behind why it worksWhy the Thunderbirds' hiring process (40 applicants, 3 spots, a 12-officer interview panel) weighs personality, composure, and preparation over raw technical skillHer "bubble" routine in her third year with the Thunderbirds, strict self-care boundaries that helped her show up better in a public-facing roleWhy she sees fear as a signal, not a stop sign, and how that reframe applies as much to a hard business call as it does to flying a fighter jetTime Stamps:00:00 Competence Over Noise00:33 Welcome Michelle “Mace” Curran01:32 Imposter Syndrome Pivot02:53 Bravery And Fear Reframed07:20 The Space Between12:03 Near Miss Decision Making14:54 Physical Disruptors Tool21:56 Fear Signals In The Body23:29 High Performance Discipline29:01 Hiring For Team Traits33:39 Thunderbirds Selection Process36:20 Prep Under Pressure37:13 Working Interview Signals38:32 Downtime Reveals Drive39:31 Bias and Perception Checks41:15 Women in Fighter Aviation47:13 Media Noise and Unity50:58 Leading for Bigger Impact54:56 Self Care for Performance59:06 Where to Find Michelle01:00:09 Call Sign and Failure Lessons01:04:19 Final ThanksMichelle "Mace" Curran is a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who flew as a Thunderbirds lead solo and trained the incoming opposing solo pilot during her tenure on the team. Over a 13-year military career she flew combat missions and instrument approaches in extreme conditions, including a station in Misawa, Japan. She is now a keynote speaker and author of the children's book Upside Down Dreams and its sequel centered on fighter pilot call signs, and has written a book exploring fear and decision-making under pressure. She also runs corporate workshops and speaks widely on high performance, fear, and leadership.Connect with MichelleWebsite: https://macecurran.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mace_curranLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macecurran/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/macecurran/Connect with Dwayne KerriganFacebookInstagramLinked InWebsiteDisclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.