The Relentless Pursuit of Winning Podcast

🔥 Excerpt When you give yourself the space to fully process and be present with all of it, every breakdown has the potential for a breakthrough." ⚡ TL;DR Dr. Camille Preston—business psychologist, author of Living Real, and founder of AIM Leadership—joins Rick Meekins to unpack what it means to lead and live authentically in the midst of compounded crises. From grief and burnout to self-love and leadership, Camille challenges the illusion of success and explores how embracing intensity, presence, and vulnerability can transform both leaders and organizations. 📄 Show Notes We live in a world that celebrates busy. Hustle harder. Stay on. Move faster. But when the plates you've been spinning all come crashing down—when your company's growing and your parent's sick, or your next promotion coincides with your kid needing you more than ever—what then? That's where Dr. Camille Preston lives and leads. In this episode of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, Camille and I dive deep into what she calls living real—the art of showing up fully, especially when life feels impossibly complex. She shares her personal crucible: five deaths in five months that forced her to stop, feel, and rebuild from the inside out. That season taught her that every breakdown hides the seed of a breakthrough if we're willing to slow down and metabolize the grief instead of boxing it up for later. Camille unpacks her concept of shallowing—the modern epidemic of emotional avoidance and curated highlight reels—and contrasts it with reeling, the return to depth, connection, and presence. We talk about loneliness as a health crisis, leadership as an act of love, and how dysregulated leaders create dysregulated organizations. The conversation hits hard on the cost of chronic stress. Founders are great at crisis mode—it's what built their companies—but few realize that constant activation erodes creativity, culture, and clarity. Camille offers a radical yet practical antidote: pause, breathe, feel, connect. Send a "love bomb." Step into the sun. Shake off what you're carrying. Her examples—from Navy SEALs using neurogenic tremoring to executives reclaiming early-morning solitude—illustrate that presence isn't luxury; it's leadership infrastructure. We also confront self-love—why it's not indulgence but the cornerstone of effective leadership. When leaders truly love themselves, they unlock capacity to love their teams, families, and missions without burnout or resentment. Camille's own journey from self-criticism to acceptance—learning to embrace her intensity rather than apologize for it—underscores the message: your wholeness is your competitive advantage. Whether you're a founder facing compounded crises, an executive trying to hold it all together, or just someone tired of pretending everything's fine, this episode is your permission to live real. ✅ Key Takeaways • Compounded crises are invitations to grow, not proof of failure. • Shallowing disconnects us; reeling restores depth, presence, and empathy. • Dysregulated leaders create dysregulated organizations—self-care is strategy. • Intensity, when embraced, becomes intimacy; authenticity breeds connection. • Self-love amplifies leadership impact—it's the renewable fuel of resilience. • Micro-shifts matter: sunlight, breathwork, or a "love bomb" can reset the system. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Living Real 02:53 Navigating Compounded Crises 06:29 The Illusions of Success 10:19 The Importance of Self-Care 14:57 Shallowing vs. Reeling in Relationships 19:42 The Power of Connection and Love Bombs 23:21 Shifting from Success to Authenticity 25:29 Navigating Transitions: The Role of a Relationship Doula 29:08 Embracing Intensity: From Self-Criticism to Self-Acceptance 31:34 Purpose and Alignment: Discovering What Drives Us 34:57 The Journey to Self-Love: Overcoming Self-Criticism 39:53 Practicing Self-Love: Mindfulness and Body Awareness 44:42 Living Real: Insights from the New Book 🎁 Giveaway Dr. Camille Preston is giving away a signed copy of Living Real: Reclaiming Depth in a Shallow World plus early-beta access to AIM Leadership's upcoming mobile app for conscious leadership. To enter:  1. Follow @DrCamillePreston and @AIMLeadership on LinkedIn.  2. Comment "I'm ready to live real" on her latest post about the RPOW episode. The first 10 participants will receive the book and app invite.  

🔥 Excerpt "Referrals aren't the icing on the cake—in a lot of businesses, they are the cake." ⚡ TL;DR Bill Cates—best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the renowned "referral coach"—joins Rick Meekins to dissect the intersection of money, mindset, and business growth. From challenging the scarcity myth to reframing referrals as the foundation of sustainable revenue, this episode explores how founders can build wealth, relevance, and credibility through generosity and strategic relationship-building. 📄 Show Notes I've met plenty of founders who treat referrals as happy accidents. Bill Cates sees them as an operational advantage. He's been teaching professionals and entrepreneurs how to master introductions and relationships for over three decades. His work proves that the most cost-effective, high-conversion growth engine isn't paid ads or outbound—it's trust. We started with his backstory: from touring drummer to serial entrepreneur to author of six books on relationship marketing. The through-line is relevance. Bill's success wasn't built on trend-hopping; it's been about solving the next problem his last success created. That's how he evolved from Unlimited Referrals to Radical Relevance and now The Hidden Heist. The Hidden Heist takes a hard look at money—what it is, what it isn't, and why most of us have been operating from lies we never thought to question. Bill calls out the false belief that money is a zero-sum game: that if you win, someone else loses. He reframes money as current—literally, a flow of energy that grows when you help others win. It's not a slogan; it's economics in motion. When you understand that, you stop fighting over slices of pie and start building bigger ones. We also dug into how anxiety shapes our money behavior. Some founders "under-water" their money tree—they avoid their numbers, stay reactive, and hope optimism covers the gaps. Others "over-water" it—checking accounts daily, letting fear dictate every move. Either way, it's scarcity wearing different outfits. Bill's point is simple: learn how money works. Compounding, value creation, and long-term consistency will outperform adrenaline and avoidance every time. His approach to referrals mirrors that philosophy. Referrals aren't luck; they're the by-product of relevance. When you solve critical problems for the right people, introductions follow naturally. Bill reminded me that the referral process isn't an add-on—it's the framework for building a business people want to talk about. We closed on three principles that anchor both money and leadership:  1. Fatigue makes cowards of us all. Most bad decisions start with exhaustion, not ignorance.  2. Only fight honorable battles. Winning arguments rarely wins relationships.  3. Don't believe everything you believe. Audit your assumptions—they may be holding your business hostage. Bill's story is a case study in evolution: staying relevant, serving generously, and thinking long-term. If you're serious about building a company that grows through trust and alignment, this episode delivers the blueprint. ✅ Key Takeaways • Referrals aren't icing—they're infrastructure. Build systems to earn introductions deliberately. • Money is current, not scarce. The more value you create, the more flow you attract. • Under- and over-watering your money tree both lead to burnout; learn balance. • Compounding beats timing. Consistent action compounds across both finance and relationships. • Relevance requires evolution—solve the next problem your last win created. • Audit beliefs regularly. Outdated stories about money and success limit scale. 👤 Bio Bill Cates is an internationally recognized author, speaker, and business growth strategist known as "The Referral Coach." With over 30 years of experience, he has built and sold publishing companies, written six books, and coached thousands of professionals on building thriving relationship-based businesses. His latest book, The Hidden Heist, explores the mindset shifts that unlock financial abundance and personal freedom. 🎁 Giveaway Bill Cates is offering listeners free access to his Ordinary Millionaire Guide—a concise roadmap to building wealth through compounding and disciplined investing. Visit TheOrdinaryMillionaire.com and download the guide to start building your financial foundation today. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Bill Cates and His Journey 03:53 The Importance of Staying Relevant 06:49 The Power of Referrals 09:31 Money Mindset and the Hidden Heist 12:10 How Beliefs Shape Financial Behavior 17:41 Scarcity vs. Abundance Thinking 23:43 Breaking Stereotypes About Wealth and Poverty 24:27 Money as Energy and Flow 28:22 Anxiety and the Money Tree 37:47 How Money Works: Compounding and Consistency 42:19 Life Lessons and Final Reflections 46:01 New Chapter  

🔥 Excerpt "Anything can be fixed financially. Anything. Sometimes it's just within the company—making small tweaks to how you're charging, what you're not charging for, where your money's going—and then laying it out so you have a plan." — Lillia Sanders ⚡ TL;DR Fractional CFO Lillia Sanders joins me to talk about rebuilding from the ground up—personally and financially—and what every founder needs to know to protect profits, make data-driven pricing decisions, and stop running blind. We dig into the discipline behind clean books, the courage to raise rates, the realities of embezzlement, and how AI can now flag what to push, what to pause, and what to fix. 📄 Show Notes Most founders don't avoid their numbers because they're lazy—they avoid them because they're afraid of what they'll find. Lillia Sanders understands that fear. After being embezzled by her spouse, losing everything, and escaping a violent marriage while pregnant with two small children, she rebuilt her life with nothing but her skill and a laptop. That same grit now fuels her work as a Fractional CFO helping business owners see—and fix—what's really happening in their finances. In this episode, Lillia and I get into the hard truths of money management. She shares why knowledge is protection—how every missed category, every "miscellaneous" line item, and every unmonitored subscription can quietly drain your business. We talk about recovering from financial trauma, pricing for who you've become instead of who you were, and how founders can use simple frameworks to bring order to chaos. From there, we explore practical tactics: cleaning up books, tightening cash flow, and building Profit-First style allocations that keep owners paid and businesses solvent. Lillia also shows how AI is transforming financial visibility—automating cash-flow insights, flagging errors, and spotlighting hidden opportunities. This one is equal parts strategy and survival. Whether you're fighting to get out of the red or fine-tuning growth, Lillia proves that financial clarity isn't just possible—it's liberating. ✅ Key Takeaways  • "Anything can be fixed financially." Start by facing the numbers.  • Kill the "miscellaneous" bucket—clarity begins with clean categories.  • Automate invoicing and collections to shorten cash-flow cycles.  • Price for who you are now, not for who you were when you started.  • Revisit your allocations: pay yourself, pay your taxes, and set profit aside first.  • Review financials quarterly; monthly if you're scaling fast.  • Audit products and services—if it's not profitable twice in a row, pivot or cut it.  • Use AI tools to identify margin drag, subscription waste, and revenue opportunities.  • Founders who don't understand their numbers are liabilities in their own companies. 👤 Bio Lillia, founder of Skillia Business Solutions, brings a unique blend of resilience and expertise to her work. As a single mom, she rebuilt her life and business from scratch while raising three young children, overcoming homelessness, and recovering from embezzlement. These experiences shaped her compassionate, judgment-free approach to helping companies take control of their finances. With decades of experience, Lillia specializes in Fractional CFO services—helping business owners understand profit margins, identify where money is lost, and streamline bookkeeping for clarity and control. She prepares companies for growth, sustainability, or sale by reducing stress, tightening systems, and turning financial challenges into long-term success stories. 🎁 Giveaway Lillia is offering two tools to help founders protect and strengthen their profits: The Profit Protection Plan — a free PDF outlining five key checkpoints to stop financial leaks and reclaim cash flow. 30-Minute Financial Report Analysis — a complimentary one-on-one review of your books to identify blind spots, fix errors, and leave with actionable next steps.👉 Access both in the show notes and start protecting your profits today. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction and background 03:43 The impact of financial knowledge 06:13 Overcoming personal challenges 09:10 Building a business from adversity 14:35 Growth and evolution of the business 19:48 Navigating client relationships and pricing 23:03 Understanding financial oversight 27:22 Cost allocation and budgeting strategies 31:43 Strategic financial planning for growth 37:44 Evaluating financial performance 39:23 The role of AI in financial management 42:37 Inspiring financial confidence 47:02 Outro  

🔥 Excerpt "You have to assume the vision—but don't take those assumptions as facts. Test them. That's where you learn to fail fast." ⚡ TL;DR Author and product builder Kingsley Maunder joins me to dismantle the romance of "big ideas" and replace it with a system founders can actually use: start with the problem, define success and failure lines, ship the smallest thing that solves the biggest pain, and iterate on evidence—not ego. We unpack bleeding-edge vs. table-stakes features, why messaging misses are data (not drama), and how to prioritize a roadmap with impact, confidence, and effort. 📄 Show Notes Innovation isn't a brainstorm—it's a process. In this conversation, Kingsley and I get precise about how founders de-risk new products and keep incumbents from eating their lunch. We start where too many teams skip: the market's actual problem. Kingsley's framework forces you to name the audience, the job-to-be-done, how they solve it today (yes, "Excel" and "WhatsApp" count as competitors), and exactly why your approach is different enough to make someone change behavior. From there, we move into disciplined execution: define your green line (success criteria) and your red line (stop criteria) before you build. Then build the smallest version that solves the largest pain, put it in real hands, and let usage, signups, and conversations with early adopters shape the next sprint. We also tackle timing and temperament. Being first to market can mean you're also first to fund the education budget for everyone else. Sometimes the second mouse gets the cheese. The antidote: ship fast, learn faster, and don't get emotionally welded to v1. When competitors add something that becomes an industry expectation, match it. Otherwise, keep your eyes on your users and push your unique advantage. Kingsley walks through practical tools: lightweight analytics to watch behavior, customer advisory boards for qualitative truth, and the ICE method (Impact, Confidence, Effort) to stack your backlog. We talk product life cycles, too—plan to replace yourself before the market does. AI has shortened cycles and lowered build costs; that's not a reason to chase shiny objects—it's a reason to test assumptions weekly. If you're a founder juggling vision with reality, this episode gives you a working cadence: hypothesize, test, measure, decide. Relentlessly. ✅ Key Takeaways Start with the problem, not the product. Define the target user, their current workaround, and your differentiator. Draw two lines before you ship: the green line (success metrics) and the red line (failure threshold). Hold yourself to both. Build the MVP that solves the biggest pain—then learn from early adopters. Let analytics + feedback drive iteration. Use ICE to prioritize: highest Impact, high Confidence, lowest Effort wins the next sprint. Match competitors only when a feature becomes table stakes; otherwise, double down on what makes you different. Treat messaging as a testable asset. If you're above the red line but below the green, iterate copy and channels before rebuilding product. Plan the successor while the current product is peaking. Replace yourself before someone else does. Vision stays stubborn; details stay flexible. Persevere with evidence, not attachment. 👤 Bio Kingsley Maunder is the author of The SALT Test: How to Take an Innovative Product from Idea to Scale. A veteran of multiple startups—including two exits and a third that raised $180M—he's built products used by brands like Disney, EA Sports, and Meta. His work blends hands-on product leadership with a rigorous, test-what-you-assume approach to de-risking innovation. 🧭 Chapters 03:06 The Drive Behind Problem Solving 04:52 Defining Innovation: Big Ideas vs. Iterative Solutions 07:03 Creating Competitive Advantage through Innovation 09:23 Understanding Your Target Market's Needs 11:24 The Challenge of Educating Consumers 12:53 Strategies for Launching New Products 16:11 Developing a Minimum Viable Product 18:10 Measuring ROI and Development Costs 19:36 Knowing When to Pivot or Change Direction 23:48 Iterating Messaging and Channels 24:56 Vision vs. Details: The Bezos Approach 25:43 The Importance of Evidence in Progress 26:52 Managing Emotional Ties to Ideas 28:47 Failing Fast: The Key to Success 29:56 Prioritizing Feedback for Development 31:10 Chasing Competitors vs. Innovating 33:38 Innovating for the Future: Anticipating Needs 37:26 Planning for Product Life Cycles 41:04 Bringing Innovative Ideas to Market  

🔥 Excerpt What if the way you speak—or the identity you cling to—isn't the problem? Speech therapist and coach James Burden unpacks stuttering, ego, and the surprising power of letting go to actually win. ⚡ TL;DR James Burden—speech therapist and founder of Stuttering Blueprint—joins me to challenge the myths around stuttering, reframe it through a neurodivergence lens, and trace how a season of personal upheaval (divorce, burnout, a brain tumor) led him to a different definition of success: inner peace. We dig into radical self-acceptance, "white-knuckle fluency," meditation, and why chasing money often repels it. 📄 Show Notes I brought James on to talk stuttering, communication, and confidence—and we went much deeper. James has spent nearly two decades helping people who stutter communicate with authority without pretending fluency is the goal. He argues the real blocker isn't dysfluency; it's the story we attach to it—myths about intelligence, nerves, or "not being enough." Then we take the left turn. James walked through a two-year crucible—marriage ending, financial strain, burnout, and a brain tumor—that forced a hard reset. He went searching for the trappings of success and stumbled into meditation, shadow work, and a ruthlessly simple truth: peace beats performance. When he stopped gripping for status and started allowing, life opened—reconciliation with his ex, a humble home by the beach, and a calmer way of working with clients. If you've ever white-knuckled your way through leadership—over-controlling your speech, your image, your outcomes—this conversation will hit home. The takeaway isn't "give up ambition." It's master the inner game so ambition doesn't own you. ✅ Key Takeaways  Stuttering ≠ incompetence. The problem is often the shame narrative, not the speech pattern. Confidence changes how others receive dysfluency. "White-knuckle fluency" backfires. The harder you force smooth speech, the more tension—and the more stutter—you create. Reframe as neurodivergence. Seeing stuttering as a normal human variation reduces stigma and opens healthier goals: presence, clarity, connection. Avoidance kills opportunity. Speaking less to "stay safe" shrinks roles, revenue, and reach. Exposure with self-acceptance expands capacity. Letting go creates space. Chasing money/status often repels both. Build inner peace; outcomes tend to follow. Shadow work is the work. You don't meditate to feel bliss—you sit with the parts you spend energy hiding. Integration > image. Redefine winning. If the "why" behind your goals is peace, engineer for peace first. The rest is execution. 👤 Bio James Burden is a speech-language pathologist and the founder of Stuttering Blueprint, a coaching practice that helps people who stutter build presence and communicate with confidence—without pretending fluency is the finish line. After 17+ years in the field and a personal crucible that reoriented his definition of success, James champions radical self-acceptance, practical communication tools, and the inner work that makes leadership sustainable. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Stuttering and Communication Challenges 03:40 The Journey of a Speech Therapist 06:30 Understanding Neurodivergence and Stuttering 09:15 The Myths Surrounding Stuttering 11:48 Overcoming Stuttering: Confidence and Acceptance 14:48 The Impact of Stuttering on Personal and Professional Life 17:23 The Shift in Perspective: Happiness vs. Success 20:13 Finding Purpose Through Adversity 23:57 The Pursuit of Success and Stress 28:11 Synchronicity and Inner Peace 32:38 Redefining Success: From Ego to Inner Peace 37:08 The Journey of Letting Go 41:43 What Does Winning Mean? 43:59 RPOW Clip Outro Mobile.mp4 44:09 NEWCHAPTER Links: https://www.instagram.com/stuttering_blueprint/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-burden-36525759/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553115650878&sk=followers https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@james_stutteringblueprint⁩  https://stutteringblueprint.com Book a free call: https://www.stutteringblueprint.com/call-ig  

🔥 Excerpt "If I don't trust you, I won't buy from you." We go straight at the hard stuff: building trust at scale, using AI without losing the plot, and what happens when life redlines—and then resets your purpose. ⚡ TL;DR Sales enablement pioneer and keynote speaker Roderick Jefferson joins me to break down go-to-market enablement, why trust and empathy still close deals, and how to use AI as a productivity force multiplier—without outsourcing your judgment. We also get personal: his near-death stroke, the wake-up call that reordered his priorities from work–life to life–work, and the four pillars that got him back on stage. 📄 Show Notes Founders live in the red. We call it "pace." Roderick Jefferson calls it a warning light—and he's earned the right. He coded on a hospital bed, flatlined, came back, and rebuilt his life on a different operating system: faith, family, friends, and fun. Not fluffy words—hard choices. In this conversation, we get two tracks that intersect:  Go-to-market enablement done right. Roderick helped shape the function at Siebel, eBay, HP, Oracle, Salesforce, and Marketo. The fix: stop worshiping "sales" in isolation. Align marketing, BDRs, AEs, SEs, and Customer Success around consistent messaging, repeatable process, and revenue-focused metrics. Coach managers to be leaders. Certify what "good" sounds like. Use AI like Excel—scale smart work, don't flood the internet with mediocrity.  Life–work balance. He had his stroke in his sleep—98% don't wake up. Speech center hit. Left side paralyzed. His wife diagnosed the stroke over FaceTime and walked him through the protocol. He learned to listen, not just hear. He made a deal with himself (and his family): be present, or don't bother. That clarity now powers his consulting and his new book, The Stroke of Success (pre-sale opening soon). We get into prompt engineering, onboarding vs. "everboarding," building customers for life, and the simple truth that hasn't changed since door-to-door: if I don't trust you, I won't buy from you. AI can generate content; it can't generate trust. ✅ Key Takeaways  Trust is the real funnel. If they don't trust you, they won't talk. If they won't talk, they won't buy. Enablement is go-to-market, not "sales only." Align marketing → CS; certify consistency; coach managers to lead. AI is Excel, not autopilot. Use it to fill gaps, accelerate onboarding/everboarding, and personalize at scale. Measure revenue impact, not butts-in-seats: speed-to-productivity, win rate, cycle time, expansion/retention. Life–work beats work–life. Presence is a strategic choice; otherwise success becomes an expensive ego trip. Four F's as a leadership framework: faith, family, friends, fun. Guard them—or the redline will decide for you. 👤 Guest Bio Roderick Jefferson is the CEO of Roderick Jefferson & Associates, a fractional revenue enablement leader and keynote speaker with three decades across Siebel, eBay, HP, Oracle, Salesforce, and Marketo. He builds cross-functional, revenue-focused enablement that scales—from onboarding to certification to manager coaching. A stroke survivor and former elite athlete, he champions life–work balance and practical AI as a productivity amplifier. His forthcoming book, The Stroke of Success, chronicles the playbook that brought him back—on stage and on mission. 🔗 Resources & Links Book: The Stroke of Success — pre-sale link (as available) Website: roderickjefferson.com Free Resources (Resources → eBooks): Onboarding to Everboarding Harnessing Collective Intelligence Supercharge Your Sales Team with AI (checklist) 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 04:58 The Journey Through Adversity 08:46 Finding Purpose and Balance 12:21 Faith and Resilience 15:56 The Role of Support Systems 19:24 Sales Enablement and AI Integration 24:50 Building Customers for Life 26:12 The Role of AI in Sales 27:46 AI as a Productivity Tool 29:11 The Human Element in Sales 30:15 Navigating AI-Generated Content 32:07 Ethics and Skepticism in AI 35:36 The Stroke of Success: A Personal Journey 40:32 The Importance of Kindness 41:49 RPOW Clip Outro  

🔥 Excerpt "You can chase adrenaline or you can build a life that matters. One keeps you entertained. The other keeps you proud." 📄 Show Notes I don't often meet someone who literally ran toward war just to see what he was made of. John Graham did—and then spent the next few decades turning that raw hunger for danger into disciplined service and leadership. In this conversation, we trace his arc from Algerian border crossings and frontline diplomacy in Vietnam to a mid-storm bargain with God in the Gulf of Alaska, and ultimately to a life committed to peace, justice, and building courageous humans. John's through-line is simple and inconvenient: if you don't define what your life means, every decision will feel risky, shallow, or both. He breaks down how founders can take smart risks (not performative ones), do a ruthless inventory of their actual capabilities, and anchor ambition in service so setbacks become speed bumps—not sinkholes. We get into the moments that rewire a leader: ordering a firing squad—and realizing he no longer believed in the game he was playing; prying the "plywood off his heart" to become a better father, citizen, and operator; and co-leading the Giraffe Heroes Project to showcase people "sticking their necks out" for something bigger than themselves. We finish with practical counsel for founders who are tired of hollow wins: build meaning first, then scale it. That's how you win relentlessly without losing yourself. ✅ Key Takeaways  Define meaning before you scale; purpose tightens decision filters. Risk ≠ recklessness: map the terrain, assess capacity, weigh risk–benefit—then move. Anchor in service so walls become speed bumps. Remove the emotional "plywood" blocking empathy and clarity. Humor is a resilience tool—get flattened, learn, get back on the horse. Model courage publicly; stories multiply courage inside your company. 👤 Bio John Graham is a former U.S. Foreign Service officer, mountaineer, and global adventurer who redirected a life of high-stakes risk toward high-impact service. He helped advance anti-apartheid efforts at the United Nations, co-leads the Giraffe Heroes Project—spotlighting people "sticking their necks out" for the common good—and is the creator of Badass Granddad, a fast-growing series offering short, hard-won life lessons to younger audiences. He's the author of multiple books on courage and service and continues to mentor the next generation of leaders. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction & John's Background 05:38 Lessons From the Sea: Toughness, models of manhood, and early risk 09:50 Running Toward the Fire: Wars, revolutions, and the cost of adrenaline 14:39 Vietnam Reckoning: Power, orders, and a crisis of character 19:24 From Danger to Direction: Leaving the old script behind 19:49 Survival in the Gulf of Alaska: The typhoon, the bargain, the rescue 23:13 "Live or Die": A commitment to service 24:31 Giraffe Heroes Project: Turning courage into a movement 26:21 Reaching the Next Generation: Badass Granddad and practical wisdom 27:33 Smart Risk for Founders: Terrain, capacity, and risk–benefit clarity 34:31 Changing the Operating System: From armor to empathy 39:47 Meaning Over Metrics: Building a life—and company—you respect 41:50 The Relentless Part: Humor, resilience, and getting back on the horse 43:03 RPOW Clip Outro 43:13 New Chapter Tease  

🔥 Excerpt "You're never going to feel confident enough until you just do it. Act first—the confidence follows." ⚡ TL;DR RN-turned-founder Lauren Bensakovich joins me to break down how she built a boutique healthcare recruiting firm on an abundance mindset, disciplined outreach, and zero-nonsense personalization. We get into masterminds, automation (used intelligently), coaching candidates with integrity, and how AI helps—but doesn't replace—high-stakes recruiting 📄 Show Notes Abundance isn't a hashtag. It's a way of operating. In this episode, I sit down with Lauren Bensakovich—Founder & Managing Director of Lauren Recruiting Group—to unpack how she scaled a boutique firm placing hospital leaders across the U.S., starting in the chaos of 2020. We talk about the real levers: getting your head right, investing in a mastermind early, using automation without sounding like a robot, and why personalization is the only way you stand out when buyers are numb to outreach. Lauren walks through her Sales Navigator + voice-note playbook, the "two to three touches then move on" rule, and the long game of relationships over pitch-slaps. We also get tactical on AI. Lauren shows how she uses tools like AI note-takers and custom prompts to build interview guides that actually prepare candidates—while making the case for why AI isn't replacing executive-level recruiters any time soon. (Chipotle's "Avocado" might hire cashiers; it's not placing a hospital CEO.) If you're building a services firm—or leading any team where trust, speed, and discernment matter—this conversation is a blueprint: mindset, mastery, and measured execution. And yes, do the thing. The confidence shows up after. ✅ Key Takeaways  Abundance is an operating system: share playbooks, raise the bar, and business comes back tenfold. Personalization wins: automate for scale; earn trust with human voice notes, context, and restraint. Two–three touches, then release: persistence is good; pestering kills deals and reputation. Coach with integrity: sometimes the right move is telling a candidate "this isn't your role." AI is a force multiplier, not a replacement: use it for notes, prep, and drafts—keep humans for judgment. Build your runway: six–twelve months of expenses or a 9-to-5/5-to-9 plan reduces desperate decisions. First placement fast: momentum compounds—prioritize activity to land the first win quickly. Diversify income streams: recruiting + coaching + digital products (and in her case, real estate) = resilience. 👤 Bio Lauren Bensakovich is the Founder & Managing Director of Lauren Recruiting Group, a boutique firm specializing in placing healthcare leaders in hospitals nationwide. An RN by training with an MBA in Executive Leadership, she launched the firm in 2020 and has since become known for high-integrity search, candidate coaching, and practical use of AI to improve process—without losing the human touch. 🎁 Giveaway Lauren's "Tell Me About Yourself" Worksheet—a three-step, plug-and-play guide to nail the most common interview opener and set the tone for the entire conversation. How to get it: DM Lauren on LinkedIn and ask for the "Tell Me About Yourself PDF." 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction & Lauren's Journey into Recruiting — From RN to recruiter to founder. 03:45 Taking the Leap: Entrepreneurship, Mindset & Coaching — Why masterminds and mindset matter most. 09:14 Recruiting with Personalization vs. Automation — The Sales Navigator + voice-note strategy. 14:39 Abundance Mindset and Building Relationships — Give first, share knowledge, watch it return tenfold. 21:05 Successes, Challenges & Realities of Executive Recruiting — Wins, losses, and the lessons in between. 26:20 Authenticity, Coaching Candidates & Perseverance — Why honesty creates long-term trust. 31:52 Diversifying Income Streams & Starting a Recruiting Business — Real estate, coaching, and financial runways. 34:21 AI's Role in Recruitment & The Future of Work — How to leverage tools without losing the human edge.  

🔥 Excerpt If your self-talk is running the company, you're not. Dave Robinson shows how to rewrite the story, downshift your nervous system, and make better decisions—on the field, in the boardroom, and at home. ⚡ TL;DR I sat down with coach Dave Robinson to unpack "story work"—a practical blend of CBT, NLP, journaling, and breath work that helps founders resolve old narratives, regulate physiology, and get their edge back. We cover how language shapes performance, why chronic stress wrecks decision-making, and a simple path to move from survival mode to a state where you can actually lead. 📄 Show Notes Founders don't fail from a lack of effort—they stall from a lack of resolution. In this conversation, Dave Robinson makes that painfully clear. He coaches top performers using story work: write the story down, read it aloud, change the words, change the state, and close the loop so it stops bleeding into everything else. We dig into the mechanics. Words drive breath; breath drives physiology; physiology drives perception and choices. If your language is conflict-heavy, your breath will be shallow and fast, and your brain will default to fight/flight. That's not when you make quality, long-horizon decisions. Dave walks through how he sequences sessions—self-talk first, identity second, then the "heavy furniture" stories—so leaders turn the corner in weeks, not years. He also tackles the "woo-woo" stigma around breath work with straight physiology: long exhales to offload CO₂, access parasympathetic, and store memories properly. The result: more composure, better memory consolidation, cleaner handoffs between work and home, and performance that holds under stress. We close on the punchline: abracadabra—"with my word I create." Leaders cast spells all day. Change the words, change the outcomes. ✅ Key Takeaways Map the language → state chain. Conflict language up-regulates; architect language down-regulates. Close loops, don't orbit them. Resolution beats rumination. Title the story, process it, breathe it down, and put a bow on it. Breathe like a leader. Low, slow, rhythmic breathing with longer exhales unlocks calm, memory, and better judgment. Sequence matters. Self-talk and identity first, then the heavy stories. Momentum makes the hard work doable. Compartmentalize without suppressing. Process the life stuff so it stops hijacking decisions and relationships. Raise the tide company-wide. Teams taught the model row in sync, raising organizational performance. 👤 Bio Dave Robinson is a Richmond-based coach and lifelong entrepreneur. After starting in fitness, he moved full-time into mindset coaching in 2017. His "story work" blends CBT, NLP, journaling, and breath work to help clients resolve sticky narratives, regulate physiology, and perform under pressure. He works with founders, teams, and pro athletes, delivering intensives and year-long programs, plus corporate workshops. 🎁 Giveaway Dave Robinson is giving away a free "Story Work Starter Session" to the first 10 listeners who reach out. This one-on-one session will walk you through the fundamentals of story work—rewriting one limiting narrative, practicing breath integration, and leaving with a practical tool you can use immediately. Here's how to claim it: Follow Dave Robinson on Instagram or LinkedIn. Send him a direct message with the phrase: "I heard you on the RPOW Podcast—I'm ready to rewrite my story." Be one of the first 10 to respond, and Dave will personally schedule your free session. 👉 Find Dave at @daverobinsoncoaching or on LinkedIn by searching "Dave Robinson Story Work." 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Getting to Know Dave Robinson 08:22 The Importance of Breath Work 15:54 Finding Resolution and Healing Through Story Work 29:52 Managing Stress and Creating a Restful State 39:01 The Influence of Words and Stories 39:06 New Chapter  

🔥 Excerpt "If you're still 'trying tactics' and calling it strategy, you're losing ground. In this episode, we translate force multiplication, the anvil-and-hammer, and commander's intent into a practical marketing playbook you can deploy by Monday." ⚡ TL;DR Army veteran and former CIO/CMO Lee Pepper joins Rick Meekins to unpack how battlefield strategies translate directly into business growth. From repurposing content like force multiplication to wargaming competitor moves, this episode delivers a disciplined, no-fluff blueprint for marketing that actually drives revenue. 📄 Show Notes Most leaders don't have a marketing problem—they have a strategy problem disguised as "channel hopping." In this conversation, I sit down with Lee Pepper—Army veteran, behavioral health executive, and author of Never Outmatched—to break down military tactics that work just as well in the boardroom as they do in the field. We cover how force multiplication turns one piece of content into a multi-platform machine, why commander's intent is the antidote to micromanagement, and how the anvil-and-hammer strategy keeps you from cutting the very investments that drive conversion. Lee also shares the importance of wargaming, the danger of buying tools without training, and why pivot speed is the moat that keeps you alive in shifting markets. If you're tired of vanity metrics and tactic-chasing, this episode arms you with tested frameworks that align teams, protect budgets, and create scalable wins. ✅ Key Takeaways Force multiplication: repurpose one core asset into many channels, multiplying reach without multiplying cost. Commander's intent: set the mission, constraints, and goals—then let your team execute. Micromanagement is attrition. Anvil-and-hammer: don't cut the "expensive" holding force that enables your real conversion strike. Tie marketing to business KPIs: focus on calls, demos, revenue—not likes or impressions. War-game quarterly: model competitor plays and pre-plan your counters. Operational readiness: tools fail without training, support, and ownership. Pivot by day 30–45: own the miss, redeploy, and move. Speed of learning wins. Partner across the enterprise: marketing should solve Finance and HR problems too. 👤 Bio Lee Pepper is an Army veteran turned enterprise operator who served as CIO and CMO across behavioral health companies before writing Never Outmatched. His work translates battlefield strategy—force multiplication, commander's intent, anvil-and-hammer—into modern marketing systems that drive revenue. He volunteers with the Veterans Treatment Court in Nashville and speaks nationally on leadership, go-to-market, and organizational readiness. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Military Marketing Strategies 01:03 Lee Pepper's Background and Transition to Marketing 03:26 Force Multiplication in Marketing 06:09 Setting Commander's Intent for Business Success 09:25 Tying KPIs to Business Outcomes 10:35 The Anvil and Hammer Strategy 15:55 The Importance of Competitive Intelligence and War Gaming 17:36 Operational Readiness in Business 19:40 Evaluating New Technologies 20:44 Leadership and Team Dynamics 22:05 Learning from Historical Figures 23:43 The Importance of Pivoting 26:20 Staying Ahead of Competitors 27:45 Cognitive Biases in Marketing 29:34 Building Strategic Alliances 31:12 Fostering Company Culture 33:21 The Journey of Writing a Book 36:59 New Chapter / Close  

🔥 Excerpt "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is—you only sell once. Here's how to stack the deck before you take the first meeting." ⚡ TL;DR Ex-Navy officer and two-time founder Anand Narayan lays out a clean, no-nonsense exit playbook: plan a year out, engineer EBITDA (don't wish for it), strip personal spend from the P&L, systemize operations so the business runs without you, and negotiate with aligned incentives—not desperation. 📄 Show Notes Most founders don't lose on price—they lose on preparation. That's why I brought on Anand Narayan, a Navy-trained nuclear propulsion officer turned two-time founder who has lived the exit on both sides: the hard way (a lawsuit after selling a $65M staffing firm) and the right way (a cleaner, better exit after building an $8M digital services company). Today he's helping owners engineer founder-friendly exits through Kenobi Capital. Translation: stop negotiating with hope and start selling a business that runs without you. We start with the uncomfortable truth: you only sell once (maybe twice), while buyers negotiate for a living. If you show up unprepared, you're a mark. Anand's first rule is timing—give yourself a year. Not to daydream, to engineer EBITDA. That means cleaning the P&L like you're staging a house: strip personal expenses (phones, travel, the "business" Tesla), tighten cost of goods sold so margins actually reflect reality, and present revenue intelligently. "Sales" is a mushy bucket; "Fortune 500 recurring revenue vs. project revenue" is a narrative buyers will pay for. We dig into working capital as a valuation lever. Too many owners pay every invoice the day it hits and wait forever to collect receivables. That starves the business and scares buyers. Put your AP/AR on rails—scheduled payments, incentive terms for faster collection—so cash conversion looks like a system, not a vibe. When lenders underwrite deals and buyers model payback, that discipline quietly increases what they're willing to pay. Then there's transferability. Buyers don't purchase your heroics; they purchase your systems. If client relationships live in your head (or in someone's text history), your multiple just shrank. Move the pipeline into a real CRM—top accounts, last touch, stage probabilities, win/loss. On delivery, instrument your work: project management and billing that show utilization, throughput, and quality. Automate payroll, benefits, and compliance so the operation isn't one HR complaint away from chaos. You want the buyer's CFO to look at your data room and say, "Plug-and-play." Legal is where smart founders get cheap and pay dearly. Anand's caution is blunt: use M&A counsel, not your friendly corporate generalist. Term sheets that sparkle up front can hide "gotchas" in the earnout, reps and warranties, post-close adjustments, or payment schedules. If the fine print assumes you'll keep rowing harder for less money, it's not a great deal—it's a leash. Price matters, but terms pay. We also talk buyer types. A family office that wants steady cash flow prizes clean, boring excellence and will pay for it. A private equity group may love a "messy but promising" story—great for them, not for you—because they can buy low and fix it. If your company is under-systematized with personal spend everywhere, a financial buyer sees upside you haven't captured and will discount accordingly. The fix is obvious: capture it before they do. Anand's model is deliberately owner-aligned. He's not out to buy your business for a bargain; he's building an exit accelerator that helps you prepare, package, and negotiate from strength. Think checklists, an exit attractiveness scorecard, even a one-page canvas to force decisions about stakeholders, your post-exit life, and how much of your identity is tied up in the company. If you can't answer those questions now, you'll answer them under pressure later—usually for less money. My takeaways are simple: start early, clean the financials, operationalize everything, and get real counsel. Stage the house so the first walk-through sells the story before you open your mouth. If an offer "too good to be true" shows up in your inbox tomorrow, you'll be ready to test it against a well-run process rather than emotion. That's how founders stop getting played at the finish line—and actually walk away with the check they deserve. 👤 Bio Anand Narayan is a Navy veteran and two-time founder who scaled and exited companies in staffing and digital services. He now leads Kenobi Capital, helping owners maximize exit value with aligned incentives and operational rigor.  🎁 Giveaway / Resources Exit Attractiveness Scorecard (free 5-minute assessment).  Exit Attractiveness Canvas (self-guided planning tool).  "Exit By FORCE" accelerator overview (for founders who want a structured path to market).  ✅ Key Takeaways Plan your exit 12 months out; engineer EBITDA before buyers arrive. Clean books beat clever ad-backs. Remove personal spend early. De-risk operations: CRM for pipeline, PM/billing for delivery, automation everywhere. Use real M&A attorneys. The wrong counsel is the most expensive "savings" you'll ever make. Multiples reward scale, quality of revenue, and transferability—not founder heroics. If an offer dazzles but the fine print smells off, step back. Terms write the story. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction & Anand's Background 07:33 The Expensive Mistake: Use M&A Lawyers, Not Generalists 14:05 Clean Up the Books: Personal Spend, Working Capital, and EBITDA 27:54 Make It Run Without You: Automation, CRM, and Delivery Visibility 42:06 Final Playbook & Free Tools for Sellers  

🔥 Excerpt "I want everybody to have that moment—where they take the first bite of the thing that lights them up, and just close their eyes and go... wow. That's what I live for." ⚡ TL;DR Rachel Petzold—founder, storyteller, and self-proclaimed Product Whisperer—joins me on the RPOW podcast to talk about how intuition, storytelling, and soul-aligned business can transform not just your brand, but your life. From corporate trauma to startup healing, we unpack the power of voice, vision, and vulnerability in a world desperate for meaning. 📄 Show Notes Let's face it—most founders talk about storytelling like it's another checkbox on the marketing plan. Rachel Petzold lives it. In this conversation, we dig into what it means to really find your voice and use it to drive both profit and purpose. Rachel shares her journey from corporate product leader to founder of Laborio—a community built to help the laid off, overlooked, and burnt out rediscover what lights them up. But what really sets Rachel apart is her ability to see what's unspoken. She doesn't just build brands—she tunes into your energy, finds the core of your value, and helps you whisper that story back to the world in a way that sticks. We talk about:  • Her journey from layoffs at Nike and Starbucks to launching her own practice  • How intuition and emotional intelligence give her a competitive edge  • The difference between a product and a person—and how the story connects them both  • Why people avoid their gifts (and what it looks like when they finally claim them)  • The origin story of Laborio and the unemployment epidemic no one's addressing  • What it means to "delight" people in business—and why it's non-negotiable for her If you've ever struggled with owning your voice or explaining your value, this is the episode you didn't know you needed. ✅ Key Takeaways  • Your story starts where your intuition lights up.  • We often avoid the thing that will bring us the most joy—start there.  • Don't just chase roles—chase resonance. If it doesn't light you up, it won't light up anyone else.  • The job market isn't broken; our systems of access and storytelling are.  • The magic is in the moment people feel something. That's what makes stories memorable.  • Helping others isn't always about money—it's about presence, attention, and meaningful action. 👤 Bio Rachel Petzold is a product leader turned storytelling powerhouse. After three layoffs in four years, she turned her career upside down and founded Laborio—a platform built to support professionals navigating layoffs, burnout, and business reinvention. Known as "The Product Whisperer," Rachel is a master at aligning passion, purpose, and positioning through deep listening and intuitive storytelling. She's worked with brands like Nike, Starbucks, and countless small businesses, but her real superpower is helping people find what lights them up—and teaching them how to share it. 🎁 Giveaway Rachel is offering a storytelling workshop bundle (normally $500–$1,000) to anyone who donates a $99 membership to Laborio on behalf of someone in need. You'll get:  1. A "core clarity" session to explore your voice, story, and soul-alignment  2. A follow-up to activate your insights and refine your message 100% of your donation goes toward supporting someone experiencing hardship. Here's how:  • Donate a $99 Laborio membership  • Email Rachel at rechel@laborio.us  • Receive two sessions + help someone rebuild from the ground up 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Product Whisperer 02:42 The Journey to Becoming a Product Whisperer 07:11 Intuition and Emotional Intelligence in Product Development 10:41 The Importance of Storytelling in Business 15:55 Claiming Your Superpower: The Product Whisperer Journey 20:46 Transitioning from Corporate to Entrepreneurship 22:04 Navigating Life's Challenges 23:52 Building a Supportive Community 26:05 Understanding Unemployment Trends 29:46 Finding Unique Job Opportunities 33:48 Creating a Safe Space for Healing 37:53 Engaging with the Community

🔥 Excerpt If your résumé screams "winning" and your soul feels empty, this one's for you. Dean Forbes breaks down what it takes to live aligned—spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically—so success finally feels like success. ⚡ TL;DR I sat down with Dean Forbes—entrepreneur, coach, and founder of the Maverick Men of Color Brotherhood—to unpack why so many high performers are "winning on paper" and quietly disintegrating. Dean lays out the Maverick Method (spiritual clarity, mental toughness, emotional fortitude, physical tenacity) and shows how conviction, congruence, and brotherhood turn achievement into integration. If you've outgrown the grind and you're ready to operate at peace, press play. 📄 Show Notes I brought Dean Forbes into the studio because too many top producers are burning daylight building empires that don't fit their soul. Dean's lived the arc: Wall Street, big-brand leadership, multiple seven-figure ventures—and the quiet emptiness that came with chasing the next rung. What's different now? Conviction and congruence. He finally got obedient to the inner compass and aimed his life at purpose, not optics. Dean breaks down the Maverick Method, the operating system he's practiced for two decades: Spiritual Clarity: Know who you are and why you're here. Alignment isn't a mood; it's a mandate. Mental Toughness: Boundaries, decisions, and discipline. Say "no" more often and mean it. Emotional Fortitude: Master your state so you can steward relationships—at home and in the boardroom. Physical Tenacity: Treat the body like the engine it is. When the temple's strong, everything else holds. We also name a problem most founders won't: disintegration—that gap between external success and internal collapse. You're delivering results, but the cost is your peace, your presence, and your purpose. Dean's answer is both countercultural and simple: create a space where men of color can be fully seen, challenged, and celebrated—without performance masks. That's the Maverick Men of Color Brotherhood: practice over theory, accountability over posturing, love and empathy over bravado. We go straight at the "level the playing field" conversation without getting stuck in outrage theater. Facts matter. Dialogue matters. But before you can lead change, you need oneness—with God, yourself, your family, your craft. Integration precedes impact. We touch fatherhood, modeling conviction for your kids, and why the first step is the hardest—and every step after that gets lighter because your faith compounds. We also talk storytelling and education: partnering with creators who surface lost history and culture, and why narrative is a lever for societal shift. If you're done performing success and ready to live it, this episode is your reset. ✅ Key Takeaways Integration > Accumulation: If achievement costs your peace, you're not scaling—you're disintegrating. The Maverick Method works in sequence: Spiritual clarity anchors mental toughness, which stabilizes emotions, which your body then sustains. Conviction is a force multiplier: You only need it for the first move. After that, evidence compounds faith. Boundaries are strategic assets: "No" creates the margin for purpose. Brotherhood is infrastructure: Men of color need a tested, judgment-free arena for truth, challenge, and celebration. Lead with facts, then dialogue: Truth without relationship hardens; relationship without truth coddles. Fitness is leadership hygiene: Treat training like a daily executive briefing for your nervous system. Model what you preach at home: Your kids remember how your decisions felt more than what you said. Leveling the field isn't division: It's building equal launch platforms so excellence can do its job. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Energy Boost 02:25 Dean Forbes: Background and Journey 03:54 The Call to Purpose and Impact 06:24 Understanding Divine Purpose 08:11 Navigating Relationships and Conviction 11:52 The Journey of Sacrifice and Growth 14:55 Immediate Loss vs. Long-term Gains 16:46 Staying Convicted in Your Path 19:38 The Maverick Method Explained 22:36 Addressing Disintegration in Men of Color 26:31 Creating a Safe Space for Men of Color 29:05 The Importance of Brotherhood and Community 31:36 Addressing Racial Bias and Divisiveness 33:01 Navigating Personal and Societal Challenges 39:09 Striving for Social Change and Equality 41:07 Understanding Identity and Contribution 43:34 Building Bridges Through Truth and Dialogue 47:15 The Role of Media in Education 51:49 An Invitation to Join the Brotherhood

🔥 Excerpt "If you're not sure what your superpower is, ask those around you—because everybody else knows." ⚡ TL;DR Sales strategist Kristie K. Jones joins me to map the path from unexpected layoffs to intentional leadership. We dig into superpowers, proactive career design, and how founders can stop playing "accidental VP of Sales" and build a real revenue engine—starting with the first rep, a playbook, and a culture of accountability. 📄 Show Notes I brought Kristie K. Jones into the studio because too many founders and sales pros are stuck in reaction mode—job hunting, hiring, even "strategy" dictated by whatever pings their inbox. Kristie doesn't live there. After getting laid off from a SaaS leadership role, she built Sales Acceleration Group and doubled her income in year one by doing what she teaches now: identify your superpowers, design your ideal company profile, and make the market meet you where you're strongest. We break down the difference between strengths and superpowers—and why the latter require deliberate reps, coaching, and pressure testing. Kristie's example: years as a competitive racquetball player gave her a wicked tennis slice… then hours "at the wall" made it automatic under pressure. Translate that to sales: if this, then that. Build mental memory so discovery, negotiation, and expansion aren't guesswork. For job seekers and quota carriers, Kristie calls out a common failure pattern: you run crisp outbound for your pipeline, then treat your own career like an inbound-only funnel. Instead, define your ICP—role, selling motion, industry, buyer persona, deal size, cycle length, and leadership style—and pursue companies where your superpower compounds. For founders, we get practical. Hiring Sales Rep #1 is the riskiest move you'll make—and no, an experienced IC is not your de facto head of sales. Before you hand over the "baby," document how revenue actually happens without your Rolodex. Build the playbook. Clarify expectations, activity math, and consequences. Then coach the art of sales—discovery, listening, psychology—because the science (tools, data, AI) won't carry a weak conversation over the line. We also talk interviewing "professional interviewees," why inbound leads are rarely your ICP, when to hire junior talent, and how to use the founder as an evangelist while an IC team executes a repeatable motion. If you're a founder trying to step out of the sales seat—or a rep aiming for the top 10%—this conversation will save you months of flailing and a few bad hires. ✅ Key Takeaways  • Turn strengths into superpowers with deliberate practice, coaching, and pressure tests.  • Run your career like a pipeline: define your Ideal Company Profile and pursue it proactively.  • Before hiring Rep #1, extract and document your process beyond your personal network.  • Don't hire an IC and expect a VP; leadership designs the system, ICs run the motion.  • Build accountability with clear activity math, skill coaching, and stated consequences.  • Teach the art of sales (discovery, listening, psychology); the science is table stakes.  • Treat inbound with skepticism; outbound is how you target true ICP.  • Juniors can work—if you commit to training, feedback, and a clear path. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Sales Acceleration and Personal Journey 03:37 Understanding Superpowers in Sales 06:26 The Importance of Proactive Career Management 09:08 Leveraging Generosity as a Superpower 11:52 Identifying Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) 14:45 Finding the Right Sales Role—Fit, Industry, Persona 17:27 Proactive Job Searching vs. Reactive Applications 20:15 Building Effective Sales Teams for Startups 22:58 Realistic Expectations for First Sales Hires 23:51 Sales Leadership vs. Individual Contributors 25:28 Extracting the Founder's Sales Playbook 27:16 Inbound vs. Outbound—Targeting True ICP 27:55 Interviewing Sales Pros: Buyer Beware 31:01 Creating an Accountability Culture in Sales 34:38 Hiring Junior Reps: Risks and Requirements 38:21 The Book: Selling Your Way In 42:41 Free Resource: How to Hire Rock Star Talent 44:39 Closing Thoughts: Get Quiet, Get Aligned, Take the Risk

🔥 Excerpt "I love you just the way that you are—and I love you too much to leave you there." That's not just a quote—it's the DNA of Hallelujah Johnson's approach to storytelling, innovation, and self-discovery. ⚡ TL;DR Digital storyteller Hallelujah Johnson joins Rick Meekins to break down how she made history—launching the world's first AI-assisted, feature-length animated film produced entirely on an iPhone. From former hand model and American Idol contestant to creative tech trailblazer, Hallelujah takes us on a candid journey of personal growth, cultural reclamation, and unapologetic excellence. This isn't just about film—it's about legacy, leadership, and stepping into your genius with audacity. 📄 Show Notes What happens when you combine vision, grit, AI, and a cracked laptop screen in the middle of Nowhere, Texas? You get Sovereign—the world's first full-length animated feature produced by a single creator using AI tools and a smartphone. In this special launch edition of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, I sit down with the bold and brilliant Hallelujah Johnson—founder of InHale Studios—to talk about what it really takes to turn a wild idea into a world-shifting reality. Spoiler alert: it's not the tech that makes it great. It's the intention behind every frame, chant, and soundbite. We dive into Black fatherhood, the power of ancestral storytelling, and how Sovereign isn't just a movie—it's the first chapter in an entire universe built to elevate Black excellence across time and genre. Hallelujah didn't just make a film. She launched a movement. And she's just getting started. ✅ Key Takeaways  You don't need a Hollywood budget to make a masterpiece—just a phone, some grit, and a deep why.  AI is not a shortcut; it's an amplifier. Human input still drives excellence.  Great stories start with honesty. Hallelujah's creative process was rooted in unfiltered self-truth.  Black fatherhood deserves more than survival narratives—it's time to depict legacy, wisdom, and sovereignty.  Creativity and entrepreneurship require sacrifice—sometimes that means burning the boats and going all in.  Innovation is spiritual. When you surrender to the process, the story tells you what it wants to be. 👤 Bio Hallelujah Johnson is a digital storyteller, strategist, and founder of InHale Studios. A former singer-songwriter and hand model (yes, those McDonald's ads), she pivoted from music to marketing and now leads a new wave of animated filmmaking rooted in Black history, AI innovation, and narrative excellence. She is the creator of Sovereign, the first AI-enhanced, iPhone-produced animated feature film—and she's building an entire cinematic universe to follow. 🎁 Giveaway Hallelujah Johnson is offering private screenings of Sovereign to educators, community leaders, and organizations looking to bring transformative Black storytelling to their audiences. Here's how to request access: Connect with Hallelujah on LinkedIn: Hallelujah Johnson Send a direct message: "I heard you on RPOW—I'd love to host a Sovereign screening." She'll personally follow up to coordinate a time. You can also visit inhale-studios.com to sign up for updates on public release and distribution plans. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Sovereign and Hallelujah Johnson 03:24 Hallelujah's Journey in Storytelling and Film 06:01 The Inspiration Behind Sovereign 07:14 Exploring Black Fatherhood in Sovereign 08:43 Distribution Plans and Future Projects 11:23 The Role of Dreams in Creativity 13:48 The Production Process and Use of AI 17:14 Showcasing Sovereign: A Journey Through Time 18:30 The Creative Process Behind the Film 21:26 Overcoming Challenges and Responsibilities 22:19 Lessons Learned and Personal Growth 26:20 A Message of Self-Acceptance and Potential 38:30 New Chapter  

🔥 Excerpt "You can't outwork your thought habits. If your inner wiring says 'scarcity,' your calendar and pricing will obey." ⚡ TL;DR I sit down with strategist and author Amy Kemp to dismantle the grind-equals-growth myth. We get into subconscious thought habits, why self-worth sets your rates (not hours), the energy of money, and how boundaries let founders earn like CEOs while living like humans. If you're stuck on the hamster wheel, this episode hands you the off-ramp—and a better map. 📄 Show Notes I opened this episode expecting a tidy chat about "money mindset." Amy Kemp handed me a field manual for founders who are done hustling for significance and ready to build on worth. We started where most entrepreneurs live—on the hamster wheel—measuring progress by hours worked and problems survived. Amy didn't coddle it. She went straight to the wiring: the subconscious habits that quietly set your prices, fill your calendar, and cap your ceiling. She told a story about a former educator who launched a consulting practice with elite skill and scarcity scripts: "work more to earn more," "security lives in the paycheck," "retirement is a cliff." Using Habit Finder, they surfaced the real friction—fear dressed up as prudence and an identity welded to output. When she priced for outcomes instead of hours and detached safety from her bank balance, her income tripled while her workload shrank. No funnel magic. Cleaner beliefs, cleaner behavior. Amy's north star is a simple triangle: get paid what your market contribution is worth, protect a life you actually want, and align the work with who you're built to be. Or as she puts it: work like a teacher (structure and boundaries), earn like a CEO (compensation matches impact). Businesses, she reminds us, are hungry, greedy little bastards—they'll take everything you feed them. So say no to the 6 p.m. "perfect fit" and mean it. Her money model is memorable: picture cash like the ocean—tides rise and fall, storms come and go. If you're clinging to a board, your peace disappears with every dip. Step onto shore—claim safety and identity independent of the balance—and you stop grasping. Then money moves. Clear the clogs (resentment loops, bad co-signs), fix the leaks (perfectionism, over-functioning partnerships), and stop bleeding by the hour. Price the value created. Creation, the way Amy works it, is a loop: access the feelings you think money will buy—contentment, freedom, alignment—now. Take the smallest inspired step. Pause, read the return, adjust, repeat. It's pickleball strategy: drive, don't sprint blindly to the kitchen, and let feedback guide your footwork. The punch line: you can build big on survival, but you won't want to live there. Personal growth precedes durable business growth. Upgrade the beliefs, enforce the boundaries, and let the numbers follow. If you want a mirror for your own wiring, Amy's offering the Habit Finder assessment free; start there, then change one thing you'll actually protect ✅ Key Takeaways • Your price should reflect market value created, not hours logged. • Scarcity is a habit, not a circumstance—change the habit and the numbers follow. • Money moves toward clarity, value, and clean energy; it flees resentment and clutching. • Boundaries are a growth strategy: "work like a teacher, earn like a CEO." • Upgrade partnerships or agreements that force you to over-function. • Access the feelings you think money will buy (safety, freedom, fulfillment) now—then act from that state. • Personal growth first, business growth second—so it lasts. • Replace "I need to do more" with "What belief is driving this behavior?" 👤 Bio Amy Kemp is a strategist, coach, and author of I See You. She helps leaders identify and rewire the subconscious thought habits that cap their income, impact, and quality of life. A former sales and business leader (and one-time teacher), Amy now works 1:1 and in small groups using Habit Finder to translate inner shifts into measurable business outcomes. She's a wife, mom of three, and—on most afternoons—somewhere near a pickleball court. 🎁 Giveaway Free "Habit Finder" Assessment + 44-page results report. See exactly where your thinking patterns are helping—or hijacking—your growth. How to get it:  1. Go to AmyKemp.com and click "Habit Finder."  2. Complete the assessment (about 10–15 minutes).  3. Get your full results by email—immediately. Pro tip: Do it before you rework pricing or packages; you'll make cleaner decisions. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Money Mindset 02:50 Understanding Subconscious Habits 05:31 The Value of Contribution 08:21 Breaking Free from Scarcity Mindset 11:06 The Energy of Money 13:38 Releasing Negative Money Blocks 16:38 Transforming Relationships with Money 19:34 The Power of Self-Worth 22:05 Shifting Perspectives on Income 25:28 Living Authentically and Fulfillment 26:32 The Power of Feelings Over Money 29:10 Inspired Action and Business Growth 32:06 The Balance of Work and Energy 36:02 Shifting from Survival to Thriving 38:39 Boundaries in Business and Life 41:21 The Importance of Personal Growth 43:53 Free Resource: The Habit Finder

🔥 Excerpt We don't experience the world—we experience our thinking about the world. Once you spot the difference, stress stops running the show.   ⚡ TL;DR Executive coach and author Tracey Gazel joins me to dismantle the myths founders carry about stress, mindfulness, and "hustle." We break down a practical, three-tier framework (physiology → mental training → social dynamics) to recognize triggers, exit burnout, and operate from calm, high-quality thinking—no cushion, no sabbatical, no drama.   📄 Show Notes If you're a high-achieving founder, you've probably convinced yourself stress is the price of admission. Tracey Gazel would like a word. In this episode, we unpack why most of us live in our heads 95% of the time, what that costs in decision quality, and how to get back to the only place strategy actually works—the present moment. Tracey and I get tactical. We walk through her "stress slide"—the early physiological tells (tight jaw, fists, that familiar knot near the shoulder blade) that precede lousy choices—and how a 30-second pause shifts you out of fight-or-flight and back into the prefrontal cortex, where composure and judgment live. She differentiates mindfulness (observing thoughts) from meditation (quiet mind) and explains why you don't need a perfect practice to access a quiet mind on demand. Music, a brisk walk, even a bike ride can be legitimate "meditations" if they shelve the noise. We also talk burnout triage: sleep by cycles (6.0 or 7.5 hours beats a guilty, broken eight), gentler mornings, and short, structured resets throughout the day. The rule is simple: the feeling state you're in is a dashboard—if you're anxious or irritable, you're not doing your best thinking. Don't brute-force it. Step away, reset, and return with better cognition. Finally, Tracey maps her three-tier leadership framework: Physiology—sleep, hydration, oxygen, morning cadence. Mental training—understand the mechanics of thought; you're the thinker—choose which thoughts get airtime. Social—triggers, communication, listening, and culture—where your inner game shows up externally. If you want fewer 2 a.m. spirals and more decisive execution, this one will pay for itself by next Tuesday.   ✅ Key Takeaways • Use the dashboard: your feeling state signals thinking quality—low state, pause; high state, proceed. • Catch the stress slide early to avoid escalation and poor decisions. • Shelf the problem to solve it: step away to engage default-mode creativity; then decide. • Sleep by cycles, not guilt: 6.0 or 7.5 hours; protect a calm morning ramp. • Train selection, not suppression: you can't stop 50k+ thoughts/day—choose which ones you entertain. • Lead from presence: composure is a competitive advantage that cascades into culture and execution.   👤 Bio Tracey Gazel is an executive coach, consultant, speaker, and author who helps driven high-achievers build mental clarity and calm composure under pressure. A former healthcare leader based near Vancouver, she blends mindfulness, neuroscience, and practical leadership coaching to upgrade decision quality for senior executives and founder-led teams.   🎁 Giveaway Unlock Focus, Calm & Clarity (free audio) + access to The Focus Lab (Tracey's free monthly drop-in). How to get it: Connect with Tracey Gazel on LinkedIn with a quick "RPOW listener" note. Request the "Unlock Focus, Calm & Clarity" audio and the next Focus Lab date. Show up once; leave with a cleaner head and a practical reset routine.   🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:59 The Journey to Executive Coaching 04:43 Understanding Mindfulness and Meditation 10:04 The Stress Slide and Its Indicators 12:21 Recognizing and Recovering from Burnout 15:48 Techniques Beyond Meditation for Mental Clarity 19:37 Creating Space for Innovative Thinking 21:00 The Three-Tier Framework for Personal Growth 26:23 Understanding the Mind and Its Habits 30:28 Finding Balance: The Importance of Breaks 34:41 Transformative Client Stories and Lessons Learned 38:22 Choosing to Live Fully in the Present 42:15 Outro

🔥 Excerpt "Winning feels great—but it's not just about results. It's about doing something hard, pushing through resistance, and being proud of who you became in the process." ⚡ TL;DR Entrepreneur, author, and multi-discipline competitor Lloyd Ross joins me from the Goldilocks zone of Australia to break down what it really means to pursue winning across life and business. From training for a 100km ultra marathon in 8 weeks to building four companies from the ground up, Lloyd reveals the frameworks, rhythms, and mindset shifts that have helped him chase big goals—without burning out or losing his soul in the process. We talk faith, focus, banana bread, burnout, and why speed isn't always the answer. 📄 Show Notes What do a bestselling author, ultra-marathoner, network marketer, educator, real estate investor, laundromat owner, and banana bread master all have in common? One man: Lloyd Ross. And yes—you read that right. In this episode of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, I sit down with Lloyd, an Australian entrepreneur who's made a habit of doing hard things—on purpose. Whether it's training for a 100km ultra marathon with just eight weeks of prep, building multiple 7-figure companies from the ground up, or becoming a bodybuilding champion while writing books on time freedom, Lloyd's path is anything but ordinary. But here's what makes this conversation matter: it's not just about achievement. It's about alignment. Lloyd breaks down how he wins without subscribing to the toxic hustle culture that tells us more hours equals more value. He's shifted from "go go go" to building rhythm—intentionally designing his life around energy, faith, and sustainable excellence. We talked about how he protects his time, stays focused, and uses faith not just as a belief system, but as a tactical compass in both business and life. We also get personal—about burnout, fatherhood, faith, the myth of productivity, and why winning isn't about glory. It's about identity. It's about who you become when no one's watching. One of my favorite moments? Lloyd describing the quiet victory of being alone in a locker room after a brutal boxing match, holding a trophy, and realizing—without fanfare—that he'd become someone he was proud of. If you're in a season of pushing, questioning, or redefining what success looks like for you—this episode will hit different. We get into:  • Why "winning" isn't toxic—it's essential, when done right  • The key difference between being overwhelmed and being disorganized  • How Lloyd bakes banana bread with the same intensity he brings to business  • How to train your brain to love the process—not just the outcome  • Why he threw hustle culture in the bin after turning 40  • His personal method for balancing ambition with peace (hint: it involves Jesus, long walks, and saying "no") This conversation is raw, real, and refreshing. No BS. No fluff. Just a deep dive into the kind of mindset that builds real momentum—and lasts longer than your latest dopamine hit. ✅ Key Takeaways  • Winning is a teachable, repeatable habit—start with small victories and stack them.  • Fall in love with the process. Results matter, but the journey builds character and capacity.  • Shorter timelines = higher focus. Set audacious but achievable goals with real deadlines.  • Build rhythm, not rigidity. Your soul needs time to catch up to your body.  • Don't store ideas in your head. Get organized, delegate, and automate to protect your bandwidth.  • Rest is part of the strategy. Even God took a day off—so should you.  • Structure creates freedom. Disorganization often masquerades as overwhelm. 📚 Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:18 Journey from Law to Entrepreneurship 05:10 Pursuit of Winning: Achievements and Goals 10:16 Training and Accountability in Physical Challenges 14:35 Mindset for Business Success 19:43 Navigating Unexpected Challenges in Business 21:57 Resilience in Business Recovery 26:38 Finding Balance and Avoiding Burnout 31:09 Creating Rhythm in Life and Work 34:52 Shifting from Time-Based to Performance-Based Work 39:27 The Role of Faith in Business Decisions 42:18 The Importance of Organization and Celebrating Wins 47:28 RPOW Clip Outro Mobile.mp4 47:33 New Chapter

🔥 Excerpt "Most people talk at their prospects instead of with them—and then wonder why they don't close. The win is in the listening." ⚡ TL;DR Sales strategist and author Leslie Venetz joins Rick Meekins to rip the curtain off outdated, tone-deaf selling tactics and rewire your thinking around what it takes to actually win in modern B2B sales. From AI-fueled noise to signal-based selling, Leslie shares a fresh, fiercely practical approach that's grounded in trust, personalization at scale, and earning the right to close. Whether you're tired of being ghosted or struggling to build real pipeline, this episode delivers a blueprint that works.   📄 Show Notes Sales isn't broken—but the way most people are doing it definitely is. In this episode of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, I sit down with Leslie Venetz—founder of the Sales-Led GTM Agency and longtime sales leader—to dissect why traditional outbound methods are falling flat in today's B2B landscape. Spoiler: it's not because people hate being sold to. It's because most sellers forgot how to earn trust, speak like humans, and build real relationships. Leslie's approach is a refreshing departure from the templated nonsense clogging inboxes. She breaks down how sales leaders and founders can ditch the spam tactics and start building profitable pipelines rooted in listening, alignment, and relevance. We get into: Why "buy my thing" messaging is killing your brand The dangers of obsession with outcomes instead of execution What personalization actually looks like in a world of AI How micro-campaigns can sharpen your targeting and increase win rates The difference between social selling and social posting—and why it matters Leslie also shares her 9-step outbound blueprint (yes, it's in the book), plus a mindset shift that every founder and sales leader needs to make if they want to win without burning trust. If your team is struggling with outbound that gets ignored, if your pipeline is full but your win rate is low, or if you're just sick of feeling like sales has become a bad word—this is the conversation you didn't know you needed. This isn't theory. This is practice. Smart, strategic, and unapologetically focused on results.   ✅ Key Takeaways Sales is still a people game. The tech is here, but relationships still win. Signal-based selling is the future—leverage buyer triggers, not gimmicks. Personalization at scale means small, smart lists with shared context, not creepy DMs. Listening to understand (not to respond) is your best sales weapon. A good sales process doesn't feel like selling—it feels like helping. Multi-channel engagement (phone, email, social) is table stakes—use the one they prefer. You're not just building pipeline—you're building trust.   👤 Bio Leslie Venetz is the founder of Sales-Led GTM Agency, where she helps B2B SaaS and service organizations build profitable, repeatable outbound strategies. With over 15 years of sales experience across enterprise, startup, and player-coach roles, she now teaches sales teams how to sell with purpose, clarity, and zero cringe. Her first book Outbound That Converts drops August 5th and is packed with tactical frameworks and mindset shifts that actually work in today's noisy market.   🎁 Giveaway Leslie is offering over $400 in bonuses for those who preorder her new book Outbound That Converts. Here's what you get: Exclusive templates for outbound messaging Bonus micro-campaign worksheets Access to a private book launch training Behind-the-scenes look at the 9-step sales blueprint 👉 To claim your bonus: Preorder the book at salesledgtm.com/book Enter your receipt code to unlock your bonuses Get ready to start selling with confidence and clarity   🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Guest Background 09:52 The Importance of Sales in Business 18:07 Challenges in Modern Sales Practices 26:41 Effective Sales Strategies and Techniques 34:43 Personalization in Sales Messaging 41:00 Creating Ideal Customer Profiles 44:57 New Chapter

🔥 Excerpt "AI doesn't fix a broken marketing engine—it just lets you do more of the wrong stuff, faster."   ⚡ TL;DR Marketing strategist Tim Fitzpatrick joins Rick Meekins to break down the essential components of a high-performing marketing engine. From nailing down strategy to bridging the sales–marketing gap, this episode delivers a no-nonsense blueprint for founders who are tired of random tactics and ready to build a system that actually works.   📄 Show Notes Let's be real: most founders jump straight into tactics—websites, ads, social media—without a clue whether any of it fits together. It's like bolting parts onto an engine without knowing what kind of car you're building. In this episode of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, I sit down with Tim Fitzpatrick of Rialto Marketing to unpack what a real marketing engine looks like—and how to build one that doesn't break down the second the market shifts. Tim's been in the trenches—running a wholesale distribution business, launching marketing initiatives, and working hands-on with B2B service companies. He doesn't pull punches when it comes to the nonsense people chase in the name of "growth."   We talk about how to stop treating AI like a magic fix, how to define and refine your ideal client profile, and why so many founders are buried under noise instead of traction. You'll learn how to build alignment across your team, avoid brand confusion, and create a message that actually lands with your audience. If your marketing feels like guesswork—or worse, a black hole of effort with no ROI—this episode will give you the clarity to fix it.   ✅ Key Takeaways AI can't fix broken fundamentals—strategy must come first. Strategy, planning, and leadership must work together for your marketing to perform. "Know, like, and trust" isn't fluff—it's the first mile of your customer journey. Don't chase visibility without clarity—refine your ICP using your current client base. Build a message playbook to align marketing, sales, and customer service. Stop renting your audience—email is still king, and it's one of the only channels you own. Your podcast is a marketing tool—not your identity. Be clear about what you actually do. AI is an accelerator, not a strategist. Use it to scale clarity, not create confusion. Complexity kills growth. The best marketing engines are simple, aligned, and repeatable.   📚 Chapters 📌 00:00 Introduction to Marketing Dynamics 📌 04:44 Defining Real Marketing 📌 05:52 Understanding Marketing Strategy 📌 08:45 Refining Target Markets 📌 13:38 Adapting to Market Changes 📌 15:08 Bridging Sales and Marketing Gaps 📌 21:28 The Customer Journey Revisited 📌 23:40 Understanding the Customer Journey 📌 26:17 Effective Business Strategies in a Competitive Market 📌 27:14 Navigating Marketing Channels for B2B Success 📌 30:05 The Role of Content and Networking 📌 31:03 Balancing Personal Branding and Business Identity 📌 34:58 The Impact of AI on Marketing and Content Creation 📌 46:40 The Importance of Marketing Fundamentals 📌 51:16 New Chapter     👤 Bio Tim Fitzpatrick is the founder of Rialto Marketing, where he helps B2B service providers escape the marketing maze by building systems that work. With a background in wholesale distribution and over a decade in marketing, Tim's superpower is creating strategic clarity, executing with precision, and helping founders stop chasing tactics that don't deliver. He's based in Denver and, when he's not helping businesses grow, you'll find him skiing, mountain biking, or soaking up Colorado's mountain air.