The Partnership Playbook: Lead with Clarity, Partner for Leverage, Reclaim Time

My thoughts on leading in light of the devastating events at Bondi Beach in Australia on 14 December 2025.Learn more at philhsc.com

Are you building partnerships that actually work or just deals that eventually die?Damon Lembi, CEO of Learnit, shares 30+ years of lessons from growing a 2-million-learner business and surviving the dot-com bust. In this episode: Learn the “Ideal” framework to pressure-test any partnershipDiscover the biggest growth mistake Damon made—and how he’d fix itReframe training as your most powerful revenue unlock, not a costListen now to reimagine how partnerships and growth really scale.New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Subscribe to the Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault)Find me on LinkedInThe Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts.PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

Are you leading from presence or from a body that’s in quiet panic while you hold the room together?Most CEOs underestimate the emotional load of leadership. This episode reframes emotional steadiness as an executive skill, not a personality trait, and gives you the tools to build it.In this episode, you’ll learn how to:Use breath, grounding, and cognitive tools to regulate your emotional state in real timeIdentify emotional triggers before they appear so you can stay ahead of escalationSeparate facts from the stories your nervous system creates under pressureIf you want to lead with more clarity, consistency, and emotional steadiness—and set the tone for company-wide growth and leadership—press play and step into the version of you your team already believes in.New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Subscribe to the Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault)Find me on LinkedInThe Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts.PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

What would happen to your company’s growth engine if GTM, Product and Partnerships finally spoke the same language?Most companies struggle because their core functions operate on different maps, different clocks, and different definitions of success. This episode gives GTM leaders the clarity and structure to unify the business, restore operational calm, and accelerate growth and leadership maturity.In this episode, you’ll learn how to:Build a shared operating system that aligns GTM, Product, and Partnerships around one North StarCreate a unified customer journey and ownership model that removes friction and increases execution speedEstablish a rhythm and language that transforms cross-functional chaos into predictable, confident growth  If you’re a GTM leader who wants to drive growth with more clarity and more leadership control, listen to this episode and reshape how your company moves.New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Subscribe to the Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault)Find me on LinkedInThe Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts.PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

What happens when you treat partnerships like internal rituals not just external deals?In this episode, JobAdder CEO Martin Herbst shares how to lead with trust, simplify strategy, and build partnerships that actually scale.Here’s what you’ll learn:Why internal partnerships must come before external onesHow to avoid complexity and accelerate value in partner dealsThe discipline of saying “no” to grow the right wayMartin and Phil break down actionable frameworks, partnership psychology, and growth tactics that work in the real world.🎧 Listen to unlock how partnership becomes your best bet for sustainable growth.New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Subscribe to the Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault)Find me on LinkedInThe Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts.PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

What happens to growth when your business scales faster than the leaders running it?Every CEO eventually feels it: managers who were strong at 10 people struggle at 30, directors quietly absorb pressure they don’t want to reveal, and culture begins to crack under the weight of rising expectations. Leadership doesn’t automatically scale just because the company does and ignoring that gap slows growth more than any external threat.In this episode:Learn how to identify when your leadership team is stallingUnderstand the three levers CEOs must pull to accelerate leadership growthWalk away with a practical framework to lift your leaders to the next altitudeListen to learn how leadership growth becomes the engine of sustainable growth and resilient leadership.New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Subscribe to the Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault)Find me on LinkedInThe Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts.PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

What if slowing growth isn’t a market issue but a system issue inside your GTM motion?This episode breaks down the four symptoms slowing your revenue momentum and gives you simple, practical ways to regain clarity, control, and confidence.Build a pipeline based on truth, not hopeRemove buyer risk faster than you add valueUse partners to restore momentum and accelerate growthYour next level of growth and leadership starts by removing motion masquerading as progress. Listen to the episode to reset your team’s rhythm and create leverage fast.New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Subscribe to the Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault)Find me on LinkedInThe Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts.PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

What if your biggest growth unlock was… gratitude?In this episode, David Homan shares how relationship orchestration, not transactions, is the core ingredient to partnership growth.You’ll learn: How to turn relationships into non-linear growth enginesA 5-principle framework that outperforms traditional networkingThe biggest mistake people make after saying thank you (and how to fix it)🎧 If you're building anything with or through people, this conversation is non-negotiable.New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Subscribe to the Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault)Find me on LinkedInThe Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts.PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

What if your leadership effectiveness had less to do with discipline… and everything to do with how well you manage your energy?When energy drops, CEOs don’t just feel tired — they lose clarity, emotional steadiness, strategic judgment, and the ability to lead partnership-driven growth with intention.Make sharper, calmer decisions by aligning your physiology with the outcomes you expectBuild a repeatable energy system that fuels creativity, communication, and long-term growthRemove hidden drains that quietly erode confidence, presence, and partnership momentumListen now to learn how to lead with regulated energy and create lasting partnership-led growth across your team and company.New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Subscribe to the Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault)Find me on LinkedInThe Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts.PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

What if the biggest threat to your company’s growth isn’t bad decisions — but slow ones?Every CEO knows the drag created when decisions stall. That gap between information and action quietly erodes trust, slows execution, and creates cultural drag. In this episode, Phil unpacks Jeff Bezos’s decision framework — refined in conversation with Adam Grant — and shows how increasing your decision velocity drives partnership alignment, organizational clarity, and sustained growth.Learn how to use a simple 2x2 matrix to categorize decisionsIncrease your speed without increasing riskReduce friction inside your leadership team and accelerate executionListen now to build decision velocity, strengthen partnership rhythm, and drive faster, healthier growth across your organization.New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Subscribe to the Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault)Find me on LinkedInThe Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts.PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

How I deliver value to you starts today.New episodes Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Subscribe to the Wednesday Partnership Newsletter (and get immediate access to my Frameworks Vault)Find me on LinkedInThe Partnership Playbook is the podcast for leaders who want to grow with clarity, create leverage through partnerships, and lead their teams with meaning. Each episode gives you practical insights drawn from two decades of building and backing companies, coaching CEOs, and closing high-value partnerships across industries. You’ll learn how to scale yourself as a leader, choose partners that help you grow faster, and turn trust, alignment, and first wins into momentum that lasts.PS - Have a CEO guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

What if your next big growth opportunity is a new relationship?Too many founders chase transactions and miss out on the power of long-term partnerships. In this episode, Scott Kelly, investor and media collaborator, reveals how he vets founders, why “trust but verify” matters, and the subtle language that separates good deals from bad ones.You’ll walk away with:A simple heuristic for evaluating partnerships before the contractA mindset shift that turns cold outreach into recurring opportunityReal stories of how long-game collaboration drives business growthListen now to level-up your partnership strategy and unlock compounding growth.New episodes Monday, Wednesday and Friday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Get 100 proven partnership tactics to earn trust and drive growth through high-value partnershipsFind me on LinkedInBook a 1:1 CallThis podcast explores business growth through strategic partnerships for sales and marketing leaders, emphasising revenue growth and supply chain management by closing high-value partnerships, identifying the right partners, and building strong relationships based on trust, mutual value, and insights gained from reverse engineering partnerships.PS - Have a guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

What if the way you run meetings is quietly capping your global growth?In this episode, discover how Rumi.ai founder Ramsey Pryor is rewriting the go-to-market playbook through partnerships and AI-driven meeting memory. You’ll learn:Why “brand doesn’t travel” — and what founders can do before launching abroad.How to turn meeting chaos into a recall system that powers decision-making.The true meaning of partnership as a force multiplier for growth.🎧 Tune in to learn how partnership and growth come alive when context, culture, and technology align.New episodes Monday, Wednesday and Friday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Get 100 proven partnership tactics to earn trust and drive growth through high-value partnershipsFind me on LinkedInBook a 1:1 CallThis podcast explores business growth through strategic partnerships for sales and marketing leaders, emphasising revenue growth and supply chain management by closing high-value partnerships, identifying the right partners, and building strong relationships based on trust, mutual value, and insights gained from reverse engineering partnerships.PS - Have a guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

Are your suppliers helping you grow or just filling orders?If you're treating vendors like fixed-line costs instead of future-shaping partners, you're holding back growth, agility, and margin.In this episode, you’ll discover:How to assess your current supplier relationships across 12 critical partnership elementsThe 3 maturity levels—Baseline, Growth, and Strategic—and what shifts each one unlocksPractical moves to transform a vendor into a co-invested growth partnerWant to build partnerships that scale your business—not just service it?Listen now and get the “From Vendor to Partner” framework here.Thanks to Fiverr for sponsoring this episode! Use this link and the code PHILHSC10 to get 10% off your first Fiverr order.New episodes Monday, Wednesday and Friday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Get 100 proven partnership tactics to earn trust and drive growth through high-value partnershipsFind me on LinkedInBook a 1:1 CallThis podcast explores business growth through strategic partnerships for sales and marketing leaders, emphasising revenue growth and supply chain management by closing high-value partnerships, identifying the right partners, and building strong relationships based on trust, mutual value, and insights gained from reverse engineering partnerships.PS - Have a guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

Why do some partnerships crumble over small issues while others grow stronger from them?In this episode you’ll learn:The 4-step framework to repair any partnership issue without blame or confusionHow to prevent small missteps from derailing big opportunitiesWhy system fixes—not apologies—are your fastest path to partnership growthListen now to turn a miss into momentum—and make your partnerships unbreakable.Get the MISS Principle download here.Thanks to Fiverr for sponsoring this episode! Use this link and the code PHILHSC10 to get 10% of your first order with Fiverr.New episodes Monday, Wednesday and Friday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Get 100 proven partnership tactics to earn trust and drive growth through high-value partnershipsFind me on LinkedInBook a 1:1 CallThis podcast explores business growth through strategic partnerships for sales and marketing leaders, emphasising revenue growth and supply chain management by closing high-value partnerships, identifying the right partners, and building strong relationships based on trust, mutual value, and insights gained from reverse engineering partnerships.PS - Have a guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

What if the key to partnership-driven growth isn't strategy—but curiosity?Whether you're leading a team, selling under pressure, or building a movement, this episode with Ryan Hawk will flip your assumptions. From his journey through sports, sales, podcasting, and publishing, Ryan unpacks how commitment, standards, and relationships drive real results.In this episode, you'll learn:Why your curiosity is the most underused business advantageHow to lead former peers without losing trust—or momentumA simple mindset shift to attract high-quality partnershipsStop dabbling. Start building a life—and business—of lasting impact. 🎧 Listen now to learn how partnership and growth truly scale.New episodes Monday, Wednesday and Friday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Get 100 proven partnership tactics to earn trust and drive growth through high-value partnershipsFind me on LinkedInBook a 1:1 CallThis podcast explores business growth through strategic partnerships for sales and marketing leaders, emphasising revenue growth and supply chain management by closing high-value partnerships, identifying the right partners, and building strong relationships based on trust, mutual value, and insights gained from reverse engineering partnerships.PS - Have a guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

Struggling to turn freelancer hires into real growth outcomes?Learn how to craft a brief and milestone system that aligns external talent with your growth agenda.Discover how to vet freelancers like you vet partners—beyond cost and platform badge.Get the framework to manage freelancer engagements as high‑velocity experiments, so you scale faster and smarter. Ready to turn your freelancer hires into growth allies? Listen now.This episode is sponsored by Fiverr.Get 10% off your first order (Use code PHILHSC10 at checkout)Read: 15 Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring Online FreelancersNew episodes Monday, Wednesday and Friday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Get 100 proven partnership tactics to earn trust and drive growth through high-value partnershipsFind me on LinkedInBook a 1:1 CallThis podcast explores business growth through strategic partnerships for sales and marketing leaders, emphasising revenue growth and supply chain management by closing high-value partnerships, identifying the right partners, and building strong relationships based on trust, mutual value, and insights gained from reverse engineering partnerships.PS - Have a guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

What makes a partnership actually work?Too many companies chase logos, launch press releases, and declare “partner-first”—only to find out later it didn’t move the needle. Adrienne Coburn shares how to build partnerships that fuel growth, not just optics.In this episode, you’ll learn:How to structure partnerships around mutual tension and trustWhy internal selling is ongoing, and how to do it wellThe step-by-step difference between performative and revenue-generating partner programsIf you’re serious about using partnerships to drive real growth, this episode is your playbook.🎧 Listen now to build partnerships that matter.New episodes Monday, Wednesday and Friday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Get 100 proven partnership tactics to earn trust and drive growth through high-value partnershipsFind me on LinkedInBook a 1:1 CallThis podcast explores business growth through strategic partnerships for sales and marketing leaders, emphasising revenue growth and supply chain management by closing high-value partnerships, identifying the right partners, and building strong relationships based on trust, mutual value, and insights gained from reverse engineering partnerships.PS - Have a guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

Why do some partnerships fall flat even after a perfect pitch?In this episode, Rob Matzkin shares the overlooked truths behind sustainable growth through partnerships and you’ll learn:Why transparency—not just incentives—drives referral successHow to identify red flags in stalled partnerships before they failThe unscalable dinner party tactic that created 2,000+ meaningful connectionsWhether you lead partnerships or just want smarter deal flow—this one’s a game changer.🎧 Listen now to rethink how partnership drives growth.New episodes Monday, Wednesday and Friday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Get 100 proven partnership tactics to earn trust and drive growth through high-value partnershipsFind me on LinkedInBook a 1:1 CallThis podcast explores business growth through strategic partnerships for sales and marketing leaders, emphasising revenue growth and supply chain management by closing high-value partnerships, identifying the right partners, and building strong relationships based on trust, mutual value, and insights gained from reverse engineering partnerships.PS - Have a guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.

What if the key to game-changing partnerships isn’t strategy but emotional mastery?Too many founders enter negotiations armed with data and ambition but unprepared for emotional dynamics that make or break deals.In this episode you’ll learn:Renita Kalhorn's practical system (FAST) to anticipate emotional landmines in dealsHow to reframe “practice” as the most underused leadership advantageA high-integrity method for negotiating with power—even if you’re the smaller playerIf “growth mindset” is more than a buzzword for you, this episode will change how you partner for growth.🎧 Listen now to discover the partnership advantage hidden in emotional intelligence.New episodes Monday, Wednesday and Friday.More from Phil Hayes-St Clair:Get 100 proven partnership tactics to earn trust and drive growth through high-value partnershipsFind me on LinkedInBook a 1:1 CallThis podcast explores business growth through strategic partnerships for sales and marketing leaders, emphasising revenue growth and supply chain management by closing high-value partnerships, identifying the right partners, and building strong relationships based on trust, mutual value, and insights gained from reverse engineering partnerships.PS - Have a guest recommendation for the show? Share this link with them.