Founder Unfiltered - What Founders Think But Never Say

Bradley Jacobs welcomes Ash Seddeek, founder of Mivante and fractional Organizational Change Management Advisor, who has worked with executives at Cisco, Uber, and Google. This conversation explores the psychological barriers that hold fractional consultants back from reaching their full potential, centered around the powerful Marianne Williamson quote: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."Ash reveals how limiting beliefs—often rooted in fear of success, losing relationships, or leaving behind proven expertise—prevent professionals from expanding their practices. The discussion covers practical strategies including the "meeting with self" framework, the Own It-Win It-Crush It model for fractional consultants, and how to reframe business development from "sales" to problem-solving conversations. Ash emphasizes the importance of vulnerability with clients, creating referenceability through exceptional work quality, and building a community of fellow professionals to combat isolation. Whether you're struggling with perfectionism, avoiding business development, or transitioning from corporate to fractional work, this episode provides actionable wisdom for pushing past fear and letting your light shine.Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/00:00 Introduction and Ash's background01:05 Our deepest fear: powerful beyond measure02:34 Fear of losing relationships through success04:01 Uncovering subconscious limiting beliefs05:40 The Friday meeting with self practice07:13 Pushing boundaries vs. playing it safe08:59 Learning from failure and giving permission10:13 Perfectionism and self-worth from accomplishment11:15 Fear of success: losing relationships12:21 Parental expectations and success14:32 Other fears beyond losing relationships16:00 Giving up proven expertise for the unknown17:21 Corporate support system vs. going solo19:12 Own It-Win It-Crush It framework20:22 Business development is mandatory, not optional21:22 Reframing sales as conversations23:05 Companies have problems to solve24:52 Looking for problems vs. doing sales25:23 Who are you not to be brilliant?27:28 Playing small doesn't serve the world28:36 Showing vulnerability with clients30:23 Inviting clients into vulnerability31:18 Letting your light shine liberates others32:16 The ripple effect of showing up big33:02 Actionable steps: the reset framework36:27 Finding your mastermind group37:07 How to connect with Ash37:38 The importance of working with a coach

Bradley Jacobs welcomes Cole VanDeWoestyne, co-founder of Inboxing Engine, a leading email marketing and consulting firm that helps experts, coaches, and consultants scale past $3 million through direct response marketing. Cole shares powerful insights about the untapped potential of email marketing, revealing how one client transformed their business from $250K to $1.2M annually by implementing strategic email sequences.The conversation explores the counterintuitive approach of nurturing leads for three weeks before making any sales pitch, the "pressure cooker" email strategy that sends 5-6 emails daily during launch periods, and why most businesses leave money on the table by not properly monetizing their email lists. Cole emphasizes the importance of focusing on one specific niche rather than being a jack-of-all-trades, and shares practical advice for fractional executives on building and growing their email lists through lead magnets and consistent outreach.The discussion also covers overcoming the fear of rejection, the importance of planning your day the night before, and why taking action trumps perfectionism every time. Cole's philosophy of helping people genuinely means you can never truly bother someone with your offers.Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/00:00 - Introduction and guest background00:32 - What is Inboxing Engine and why email marketing01:38 - The untapped goldmine of email marketing02:27 - Warm email lists vs. cold outbound clarification03:20 - The difference between successful and struggling email campaigns05:25 - The "secret sauce" of email strategy revealed08:28 - Why sharing knowledge doesn't hurt business10:06 - Reconciling high intent leads with nurture sequences11:38 - The "pressure cooker" email strategy explained15:18 - Buy or unsubscribe - no middle ground16:45 - Managing negative responses and rejection18:59 - Getting started with email lists and lead magnets20:16 - How Cole became a podcast guest through simple outreach21:40 - Simple outreach that actually works23:35 - Learning to embrace rejection from early experiences25:56 - Dating parallels and overcoming fear of approach27:36 - Why you can't bother people if you genuinely help them28:44 - Choosing your niche through consultative questioning32:02 - Avoiding the "business card email" approach33:16 - Planning your day the night before for maximum productivity36:38 - The danger of busy work vs. needle-moving activities39:10 - The Lovable landing page example - making it simple41:02 - Contact information and pricing structure43:36 - Closing thoughts and final words

In this engaging conversation, Bradley Jacobs interviews Georgi Fiedler, founder of HireTrainInspire, about her journey as a fractional Chief of Staff. Georgi explains how she helps CEOs break free from the daily grind by serving as a GPS for small to mid-sized businesses, guiding founders through people, processes, and systems that transform tribal knowledge into transferable value. Starting her business in 2016 to be present for her family, Georgi shares how she built her practice through relationships, integrity, and an abundance mindset. She discusses her business evolution, from saying yes to everything initially to developing a unit-based pricing model and building a seven-person team serving clients with retainers ranging from $500 to $11,000 per month. Georgi emphasizes the importance of doing great work as marketing while still following up with clients through quarterly reviews to highlight accomplishments.Learn More: Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/Connect with Georgi Fiedler: https://hiretraininspire.com00:00 Introduction to Georgi Fiedler and HireTrainInspire00:55 What a fractional Chief of Staff does02:11 The journey to clarity in business messaging03:26 How trial and error leads to business evolution04:04 Saying yes to opportunities in early business stages05:23 Finding excitement in solving problems for clients06:13 Current business structure and service delivery model10:21 Team size and client pricing model13:09 Building a business around family needs16:13 From accidental entrepreneur to choosing entrepreneurship19:58 Creating opportunities through relationships and partnerships23:18 The importance of integrity in business24:28 What abundance mindset means in practice28:00 Why great work is the best marketing but not enough30:19 Dealing with imposter thoughts in business34:07 Viewing challenges as opportunities for growth36:13 How to connect with Georgi Fiedler36:35 Final advice: say yes and evolve often

In this value-packed episode, Bradley Jacobs breaks down the five key actions fractional executives must take to leverage LinkedIn effectively for client acquisition. Bradley shares proven strategies based on his own successful practices that have helped him build a network of over 22,000 followers. He emphasizes the importance of a well-optimized profile that clearly communicates what you do and who you serve, developing a focused content strategy aligned with your target audience's pain points, and consistently showing up on the platform. Bradley explains why adding new connections weekly and engaging with people who interact with your content creates a snowball effect of thought leadership and client inquiries. He also addresses the mindset challenges that prevent many executives from seeing results, encouraging patience and persistence in building meaningful relationships through content, even when metrics don't immediately reflect success.Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/00:00 Introduction to maximizing LinkedIn for fractional executives01:08 Action #1: Optimize your LinkedIn profile03:05 Action #2: Develop a customer-focused content strategy05:47 Action #3: Show up consistently on LinkedIn07:59 Action #4: Add new connections every week10:22 Action #5: Engage with people who interact with your content12:05 Bonus tip: Maintaining the right mindset for LinkedIn success14:00 Closing thoughts and call to action

I sat down with John Assaraf, someone who has built five multimillion dollar companies, written 18 books including two New York Times bestsellers, and appeared in 14 movies including The Secret. But none of that is why I wanted him on the show.I wanted to know what actually happened in his brain the day everything changed. John dropped out of high school after 10th grade, was working for $1.65 an hour in a factory, and by his own account was heading toward jail or worse. Then at 19, one conversation with a mentor named Alan Brown shifted the entire trajectory of his life, not because of a single piece of advice, but because it forced John to choose between being interested in his goals and being committed to them.We go deep on what it actually took to rewire his identity from the inside out, the belief work he still does every single day at 65, and why fear of success is just as dangerous and far less talked about than fear of failure. John breaks down the neuroscience of prediction, why your brain is constantly trying to keep you safe from embarrassment and rejection, and how he taught himself to turn fear into fuel using tools any founder can practice. We also get into why consistency beats intensity, what he's doing today with AI to run 80 percent of his business, and the daily non negotiables that have kept his mindset sharp for over four decades.If you have ever felt like you know what to do but cannot get yourself to actually do it, this conversation is for you.Build your founder brand with Mylance: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/00:00 Intro to Founder Unfiltered00:21 Meet John Assaraf01:32 The $1.65 an hour years02:20 The lunch that changed his life04:21 The 1980 goal setting guide05:32 Interested versus committed06:50 A mentor says yes08:03 Rewiring identity from scratch09:26 Creating new beliefs on day one11:30 Reading and feeling the vision daily12:15 Reverse engineering the sales goal13:01 The cold call script14:15 First deals and first wins16:00 The exceptional life blueprint today17:20 Understanding the brain's mechanics18:32 Two paths after the opportunity19:14 Sick and tired of being sick and tired21:25 Escaping the old environment22:52 Owning your gifts without arrogance24:17 The podcast mistake that humbled him25:48 Fear of success explained26:17 The brain's prediction loop28:21 What fear of success is protecting29:57 Self regulating the nervous system31:23 Practice versus reacting in the moment32:59 The hardest part of business today34:05 Bradley's own avoidance pattern35:04 Understanding your role on the team36:57 Disappointment avoidance in sales37:59 Separating rejection from self worth39:22 Changing the meaning changes the feeling41:09 Daily non negotiable practices43:18 Consistency before complexity44:34 Relearning to walk after surgery45:20 Where to find John Assaraf