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Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Scott?s book: Conscious Accomplishment

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2025-12-01
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EP 116: Why Inner Work Belongs at Work: Work?Life Integration, Conscious Leadership, Values-Aligned Staffing

Work?Life Integration, Conscious Leadership, and Values-Aligned Staffing are at the heart of this conversation with entrepreneur, Scott Britton. Scott shares how he went from Princeton, Forbes 30 Under 30, and a startup sold to Salesforce to realizing that no amount of achievement could fix the feeling of being reactive, stressed, and out of sync inside his own life.

He talks about the moment he began treating his reactions as data instead of flaws, and how that simple shift helped him see the patterns driving his stress and decision-making. Scott walks through his ?freedom log? practice that any conscious leader can start using immediately, the difference between emotions and long-running patterns, and how everyday triggers at work can become practical entry points for awareness instead of something to hide or power through. Work stops being separate from inner growth and starts to become one of the most honest places to see what is actually going on inside you.

Scott also shares how this path led to his book Conscious Accomplishment and to Conscious Talent, a staffing company that connects talent with companies committed to both professional excellence and inner work. For founders and leaders who feel like they have ?outgrown? the company they built, his story offers a grounded look at what it means to bring more of your inner life into how you hire, lead, and shape culture.

In this conversation, you?ll hear about:

The point where external success stopped working for Scott and what he noticed next How he uses the ?freedom log? to track triggers and unpack the stories underneath them Why work can be one of the most powerful places for real inner growth Practical ways to bring more authenticity into leadership without blowing up your culture overnight How Conscious Talent supports values-aligned staffing for leaders who care about both results and inner development

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

05:09 Scott Britton?s Turning Point and Inner Shift

07:55 How Business Becomes a Spiritual Dojo

17:51 Emotional Awareness Tools for Leaders

18:45 Why Scott Created Conscious Talent

31:30 Values-Aligned Hiring and Modern Leadership

Links

Connect with Scott Britton:

Learn more about Scott's Projects:

ConsciousTalent.com

https://linktr.ee/scottbritton

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

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2025-11-24
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EP 115: A Better Way to Say Thanks: Authentic Employee Appreciation and Corporate Gifting

Appreciation can lift a team or quietly erode it, and Sarah Lockwood breaks down why the difference often comes down to whether people feel genuinely seen.

In this solo episode, she explains why the usual holiday scramble for company gifts rarely creates the connection leaders intend and why Thanksgiving offers a clearer moment for gratitude that feels personal instead of performative. Sarah shares how a simple note or a small, thoughtful gesture can shift how someone experiences their work, and she challenges leaders to consider what their gifts say about their culture. A day of rest signals care, a learning budget signals curiosity, and a mismatched gift signals a gap between stated values and lived values. She also covers the practical side of appreciation with tools like Goody that let teams choose their own gift while still giving leaders room to add a personal message.

Sarah closes by reminding listeners that recognition works best as a steady habit. Even one specific thank you can strengthen trust, and she encourages leaders to pause, notice one meaningful contribution, and send a message that proves someone?s effort didn?t go unseen.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Art of Meaningful Employee Appreciation 01:25 Why Thanksgiving Is the Perfect Moment for Team Appreciation 04:05 The Power of Specific and Authentic Gratitude 06:10 Choose Gifts That Reflect Your Company Values 07:02 A Practical Tool for Personalized Corporate Gifting (Goody) 08:09 Make Recognition a Habit, Not a Holiday Task

Links:

Goody

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Connect with Nataly on LinkedIn

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2025-11-17
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EP 114: How Great Leaders Reframe Fear: Nataly Kogan on Building a Possibility Mindset

The story you tell yourself as a leader becomes the culture your team lives in, and Nataly Kogan shows how to rewrite that story with agency, awareness, and action.

Sarah sits down with Nataly Kogan for a grounded conversation about entrepreneurship, business, and wellbeing?how the way we think shapes the way we lead. Nataly shares how to ?talk back to your brain,? a practice that helps quiet fear, interrupt unhelpful patterns, and create space for better choices. They discuss how mindset ripples through an organization, shaping how teams respond to uncertainty and whether they lean toward anxiety or possibility.

Nataly offers simple tools to help leaders edit their thoughts and reframe challenges as creative prompts. What story are you telling your team right now?and is it one that invites courage, clarity, and connection? This episode is a reminder that leadership starts in the mind, but it comes to life through the stories we choose to share.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Nataly Kogan on Entrepreneurship and Wellbeing

04:15 Why Confidence Follows Action

07:06 The Power of Agency in Times of Change

09:07 How to Talk Back to Your Brain

14:24 Reframing Negativity and Building Constructive Beliefs

18:04 From Obstacles to Possibilities

26:01 The Edit Your Thoughts Practice

34:01 Creating a Culture of Possibility in Business

42:56 Leading with Clarity, Courage, and Humanity

Connect with Nataly Kogan: Visit Nataly Kogan?s Website

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Visit the Loving Your Business website

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2025-11-10
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EP 113: The Secret to Loving Your Business - Even When It?s Driving You Crazy

When your business becomes your identity, resentment follows.

Entrepreneur and author Debbie King shares how she rebuilt her company, and herself, by separating self-worth from success metrics. Her framework, ?the model,? links circumstance, thought, feeling, action, and result, revealing how the stories we tell ourselves drive outcomes. Facts are neutral; meaning is optional. Which thoughts support the kind of results and wellbeing you actually want in your business?

She explains how founders can interrupt unhelpful thinking through quick ?thought downloads,? turning frustration into clarity instead of self-criticism. When results are viewed as data, not verdicts, entrepreneurship becomes a practice of learning and refinement.

Debbie also connects mindset to enterprise value. Every recurring pain point signals a risk: ?no time? often means founder dependence; ?too many mistakes? signals missing systems; low pricing power points to weak differentiation. Simplifying offers and building repeatable structures creates freedom, for both the owner and the company.

Her ?future self? exercise ties mindset to strategy: put your goal in the result line, then ask what your future self believes and does to make it happen. Growth follows identity. When wellbeing and business align, entrepreneurship becomes sustainable, and success starts to feel like something worth keeping.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Identity Trap: When Business Becomes You

03:35 Rebuilding an Unsellable Business

05:38 The Model: Thoughts Create Results

17:46 Founder Mindset Shifts

25:27 Future Self Framework

32:06 Hidden Risks in Your Business

34:51 Systems That Scale

39:44 Data Over Drama

Connect with Debbie King:

Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

https://sifted.eu/articles/founder-mental-health-2024

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2025-11-03
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EP 112: Why HALF of Founders Want to Quit their Startups (Replay)

?It can be difficult for people to know who they can speak to about it,? says Amy Lewin, of entrepreneurs who are unhappy in their own companies. Amy is the Editor at Sifted, a media platform focused on Europe?s startup ecosystem and she joins The Conscious Entrepreneur podcast to discuss a survey Sifted recently posed to a number of entrepreneurs, the vast majority of whom reported experiencing poor mental health, high stress and even a strong desire to leave their businesses within the coming year. Though these figures may seem alarming, they merely shed light on common struggles and pressures felt by entrepreneurs which are so often swept under the rug for fear of looking weak or needing to maintain an ultra positive mindset in order to see their businesses succeed. On today?s episode Amy will reveal more of the survey?s findings as well as what venture capitalists (VCs) can do to support entrepreneurs, in whom they, after all, have a vested interest.

The survey highlights the importance of a community in an entrepreneur?s life. Family and friends share the entrepreneur?s burden, while simultaneously being unable to relate. Professional networks of like-minded contemporaries can go a long way toward making isolated individuals feel heard and connected, as well as ease the mental health stigma.

Today, Amy shares the common regret shared among most entrepreneurs and why quitting might be the best thing they could do for their careers.

Quotes

?It was just a real sign of the personal toll?and not just even on the founders, but on their family, on their friends, on their colleagues?just another reminder that building startups is really tough.? (4:48 | Amy Lewin) ?Whenever we publish stories about that personal side of company building at Sifted, we get the most amazing response. People love knowing that they?re not the only ones. And I think sometimes, startup culture is so much that you?ve got to be optimistic. You?ve got to believe that your company can be the one in 100 that?s going to really make it. You hear from so many people that your idea is never going to work and you have to believe in it yourself and I think when times are really hard it can be difficult for people to know who they can speak to about it.? (6:27 | Amy Lewin) ?That attitude that?s going to be out there from some corners that if you are struggling in any way then you are weak and that you?re not in it for the long term, which I obviously don?t believe, but is obviously what some people still think.? (13:04 | Amy Lewin) ?Encourage founders to go on holiday. Encourage them to have a personal life. These things are important. We all need to recharge our batteries and ?visionaries do,? too. There?s that famous saying that comes from the VC world: ?I?ve never seen a company go bust because the founder took a week off, but I have seen plenty of companies go bust because the founder didn?t.?? (18:26 | Amy Lewin and Alex Raymond)

Links

Connect with Amy Lewin:

Connect with Alex Raymond:

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Website: https://consciousentrepreneur.us/

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2025-10-27
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EP 111: Honest Conversations, Compassionate Leadership, and Real Accountability with Marc Lesser

Traditional leadership models tend to choose between kindness and clarity. Zen teacher and executive coach Marc Lesser argues that?s a false dichotomy.

In this episode, Sarah sits down with Marc to unpack the concept of compassionate accountability ? or in Marc?s preferred language, alignment with caring. It?s the core of modern Entrepreneurship and Business leadership: setting clear expectations while staying deeply connected to the humans you work with. Instead of defaulting to micromanagement or passivity, leaders can choose high standards and high trust at the same time, the key to building high performing teams without sacrificing wellbeing.

Marc shares why psychological safety isn?t just a cultural ideal, it?s a metric that correlates directly with business performance. Referencing Google?s Project Aristotle, he explains how teams perform better when leaders normalize mistakes, invite real feedback, and resist the urge to appear infallible. A strong team culture isn?t born from rigid systems or motivational slogans, it comes from leaders modeling vulnerability and follow-through. If you?ve ever wondered how to hold people accountable with compassion, this episode is your roadmap.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Marc Lesser & Compassionate Accountability

02:51 What Compassionate Accountability Looks Like in Leadership

07:19 Misconceptions About Accountability and Compassion

13:14 Vulnerability as a Leadership Strategy

15:02 Google?s Psychological Safety Study & Business Impact

20:01 Emotional Intelligence and Business Performance

24:51 Turning Breakdowns Into Breakthroughs

29:21 How to Hold People Accountable With Compassion

32:05 Leadership Lessons From the Zen Monastery Kitchen

34:06 Prioritizing Joy and Humanity in High-Performing Teams

36:21 Daily Habits to Build Clarity and Trust

Connect with Marc Lesser:

Visit Marc?s website

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

The Conscious Entrepreneur website

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn

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2025-10-20
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EP 110: Don?t Feed the Critic. Train the Coach: How to Rewire Negative Self-Talk and Lead Better

Entrepreneurship demands resilience, but too many founders rely on pressure and self-criticism as their fuel. Mike Robbins joins Sarah Lockwood to unpack why most business leaders treat self-worth as a scoreboard metric, praising achievement while ignoring wellbeing. He draws a clear line between recognition (results-based approval) and appreciation (inherent value), making the case that positive self-talk is foundational to sustainable leadership.

Mike shares how losing his professional baseball career forced him to confront a brutal truth: he had spent years chasing success without ever appreciating himself along the way. His philosophy of self-compassion isn?t about lowering standards, it?s about upgrading your mindset from harsh critic to effective coach. Entrepreneurs don?t need more pressure; they need healthier internal leadership.

The discussion then turns to feedback, another place where leaders misinterpret signals. Instead of defaulting to defense or shame, Mike suggests receiving feedback with curiosity rather than judgment. That small shift turns critique into growth material instead of evidence of failure.

This conversation reframes business success as an inner game as much as an external one. When wellbeing and performance are treated as allies rather than opposites, leaders become both more effective and more human.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Entrepreneurs Struggle with Self-Talk

01:14 The Leadership Mindset Shift

05:41 Mike Robbins? Baseball Story and the Cost of Self-Judgment

09:34 How to Build Self-Compassion Without Losing Your Edge

14:07 Receiving Feedback Without Crumbling or Getting Defensive

18:37 How to Ask for Better Feedback (and Actually Grow from It)

22:05 Balancing High Performance with Humanity in Leadership

24:10 Evolving as Entrepreneurs Beyond Grit Alone

Links

Connect with Mike Robbins:

Visit Mike Robbin?s Website

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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2025-10-13
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EP 109: Bootstrapped, Purpose-Driven, and On Fire: The Product Invention of LavaBox

Born on whitewater, built in an ammo can, Lavabox is Josh Thurmond?s proof that instinct and grit can power a bootstrapped business that gives back and keeps rivers wild.

What does it take to move from a design patent invention built in your garage to a product company trusted by tens of thousands? How do entrepreneurs balance protecting profits with opportunities for scale? And why might wellbeing and values be just as important as growth when inventing a new product and leading a business?

Josh shares how his background as a river guide shaped his entrepreneurship?reading the rapids, trusting instincts, and steering through uncertainty with purpose. He explains why he turned down multi-million-dollar deals, chose to stay 100% independent, and built Lavabox around authenticity, customer input, and community impact.

This episode offers a candid look at the entrepreneurship of product companies, what it really takes to bootstrap from idea to invention while protecting both your business and your wellbeing.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Josh Thurmond and LavaBox

03:16 The Birth of a Design Patent Invention

06:19 Patent Challenges and Market Strategy

10:25 Turning Down Multi-Million Dollar Deals

14:10 Bootstrapping and Financing a Product Company

19:00 Building a Lifestyle Brand and Company Culture

26:11 Giving Back Through Protect Our Rivers

27:46 Resilience and Advice for Entrepreneurs

Links

Connect with Josh Thurmond:

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn

Visit LavaBox Portable Campfire

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

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2025-10-06
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EP 108: The Simplest (and Cheapest) Way to Keep Your Best People

Employee recognition might sound obvious, but why do so many leaders miss it in practice? Dr. Bob Nelson joins Sarah Lockwood to explains why low-cost recognition ideas often matter more than paychecks or perks when it comes to real employee motivation.

How do you create loyalty from day one with a new hire? What?s the difference between a generic end-of-year award and genuine recognition that lands in the moment? And how can asking employees for their ideas spark both engagement and business growth?

Dr. Nelson brings decades of research and real-world examples to these questions, offering workplace culture tips that work whether you?re leading a small team or a global workforce. He shows that recognition doesn?t have to be expensive, but it does have to feel thoughtful and consistent if you want it to change company culture.

This episode reminds us that company culture is built in the small choices leaders make each day to notice, acknowledge, and value the people doing the work.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Employee Recognition Matters

01:52 Common Misconceptions About Recognition

04:07 Onboarding Tips That Build Loyalty

05:52 How Employees Want to Be Recognized

07:45 Low-Cost Recognition Ideas That Work

09:07 Involving Employees in Decision-Making

10:02 Real Examples of Employee Ideas Driving Growth

14:06 The Role of Leadership in Company Culture

16:10 Recognition for Remote and Global Teams

21:28 Continuous Development and Retention

Connect with Dr. Bob Nelson: Visit Dr. Bob Nelson?s Website

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

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2025-09-29
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EP 107: 10X Accountability Updates From Alex Raymond

Alex Raymond, founder of Amplify and creator of the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit, returns to share what?s happened since he set a bold goal on stage: turning Amplify into a $3M business in two years. Inspired by Dr. Benjamin Hardy?s ?10x Is Easier Than 2x? and ?The Science of Scaling,? Alex explains how ?pathways thinking? has shifted his focus from incremental tasks to operating as if the goal is already achieved.

One of the biggest shifts? Writing his first book, ?The Growth Department.? Alex opens up about the discipline, support, and courage it takes to codify his ideas into something meaningful, rather than just another business book. He also shares how building a mastermind after the summit has created accountability, momentum, and a community committed to thinking bigger together.

This conversation raises questions every founder faces: Are you running your business from a place of scarcity or scale? What would change if you truly operated from your goal, not just toward it?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction and Big Goals

01:25 Pathways Thinking and 10X Growth

02:40 Writing The Growth Department

04:27 Book Timeline and Value Creation

09:58 Delegation and Building Scalable Structures

12:56 Mastermind Group and Accountability

14:53 Using AI as a Thinking Partner

16:28 Community, Momentum, and Entrepreneur Wellbeing

20:50 Lessons from Podcasting and Entrepreneurship

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Visit AMplify

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Connect with Sue on LinkedIn

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2025-09-22
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EP 106: From Pushy to Magnetic: How ?Never Ask for the Sale? Flips Sales Culture

Sue Heilbronner, serial entrepreneur and conscious leadership executive coach, believes the strongest businesses are built when sales feel less like chasing and more like alignment. Joining Sarah Lockwood in this episode, she introduces the idea of ?passionate ambivalence,? a values-based sales mindset that pairs genuine enthusiasm for your work with the ability to detach from any single outcome.

How do you recognize when a client is the right fit? Sue points to conscious client qualification as the key. By asking clear, sometimes disqualifying questions, you invite the kind of honesty that builds trust from the very start. She also shares her perspective on pricing strategy, reminding entrepreneurs that protecting your time and holding your value are essential parts of sustainable growth.

This episode invites you to reflect on your own sales mindset. Are you creating relationships rooted in clarity and confidence, or relying on pressure and persuasion? What would shift if you treated sales as a mutual process instead of a one-sided pitch?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Radical Mindset Shift in Sales

02:07 Passionate Ambivalence Explained

04:15 Contrarian Sales Mindset vs. Traditional Selling

06:04 Never Ask for the Sale: Practical Examples

10:12 Startup Fundraising and Playing Small

15:08 Pricing Strategy and Early Sales Lessons

19:22 Fit Calls and Client Qualification

27:08 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs in Sales

Connect with Sue Heilbronner:

Hey Sue

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Connect with Brianna on LinkedIn

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2025-09-15
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EP 105: How Giving Back Shapes Great Leaders with Snooze COO Brianna Borin

Philanthropy can change the way we think about business when it?s treated as part of the culture rather than an afterthought. How does a company grow stronger when it gives back to the community that supports it? And how can service outside of work shape the kind of leader someone becomes?

Sarah Lockwood talks with Brianna Borin, Chief Operating Officer of Snooze A.M. Eatery, about the lessons she has learned from nearly two decades of weaving community impact into her work. Brianna shares how Snooze?s early days of volunteering at the Denver Rescue Mission set the tone for a company-wide approach that now includes programs like the Changemaker initiative and long-term partnerships with organizations such as Urban Peak. She also reflects on her own leadership development through board service, youth mentorship, and global volunteer experiences that have deepened her sense of personal satisfaction and purpose.

Listeners can learn more about supporting youth experiencing homelessness through Urban Peak?s Urban Nights Kicks & Culture Sneaker Ball at urbanpeak.org/urban-nights. Brianna also recommends Tommy Spaulding?s books, The Heart-Led Leader and The Gift of Influence, which have shaped her vision of philanthropy and leadership. Her story and these resources show how integrating service into business not only builds stronger communities but also creates deeper fulfillment for leaders and their teams.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Philanthropy and Service as a Business Value

02:03 Brianna Borin?s Journey with Snooze A.M. Eatery

06:57 Community Impact Through Grassroots Service

08:50 Partnering with Urban Peak to Support Youth

12:44 The Changemaker Program and Local Giving

18:36 Leadership Development Through Philanthropy

28:45 Lessons from the Global Youth Leadership Academy

34:03 Time, Treasures, and Talent as a Service Framework

Connect with Brianna Borin:

Snooze A.M. Eatery

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

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2025-09-08
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EP 104: Success, Life Satisfaction & Service

True fulfillment as an entrepreneur often begins the moment you step outside yourself and give back.

Sarah Lockwood shares a personal reflection on her uncle, Ralph Junker, who quietly gave blood every two weeks for nearly twenty years. It was never mentioned at his funeral or in his obituary, yet it may have been the most defining part of his legacy. What does it mean when the most meaningful acts of service in a life are the ones done quietly, without recognition? And how might those same choices shape who we become as leaders?

This episode invites you to look at philanthropy not as a grand gesture but as a steady practice that creates life satisfaction, perspective, and connection. Inward work like meditation and journaling has its place, but service pulls us into the lives of others and reminds us that leadership is rooted in humanity.

Sarah offers a challenge worth sitting with: what if giving back became a rhythm in your life and your business? It doesn?t have to start big. Maybe it?s a volunteer day, matching donations for your team, or simply stepping in when someone in your community needs help. However it looks, those choices ripple outward, shaping stronger leaders, more grounded teams, and a legacy that speaks louder than words.

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Connect with Peggy on LinkedIn

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2025-09-01
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EP 103: Right-Sizing with Care: Layoffs, Furloughs, and Rehiring Best Practices

Layoffs, furloughs, and rehiring after downsizing are decisions that press on both the head and the heart.

Sarah Lockwood talks with Peggy Shell, the CEO of Creative Alignments, about the reality of leading a team through moments when survival means making choices no leader wants to make. Peggy shares how her company moved from furloughs to layoffs during an economic downturn and what it took to carry the weight of those decisions while still protecting the future of the business. How do you take care of the people who stay after you?ve had to let others go? How much truth should you share when your team is already anxious?

Peggy explains how transparency and steady communication built trust, even in the midst of layoffs, and why she chose approaches like covering health insurance, offering transition periods, and helping people find new roles. She also reflects on the uneasy process of hiring again after downsizing and the challenge of moving forward with confidence when past decisions still weigh heavy.

This episode encourages entrepreneurs to look closely at how layoffs, furloughs, and rehiring after downsizing affect more than just headcount. These moments test the culture of a company, the trust between leaders and their teams, and the resilience of a business when pressure hits. Peggy?s story shows how the choices a leader makes in these situations leave a lasting mark on both the people and the direction of the business.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction and Initial Layoffs

02:16 Fear of Rehiring and Economic Uncertainty

05:31 Conscious Leadership and Transparency in Layoffs

08:01 Furloughs vs. Layoffs

10:09 Handling Layoffs with Compassion and Support

11:14 Retaining A Players and Addressing Survivor Guilt

14:17 Lessons Learned and Building a Stronger Business

16:21 Innovation and Reimagining Company Culture

17:12 Final Takeaways for Leaders

Connect with Peggy Shell:

Creative Alignments

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Book: ?The Strength of Talent?

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2025-08-25
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EP 102: Talent Density: Your New KPI for Culture, Productivity & Profit

Annual reviews are broken, and leadership coach Mike Goldman, author of ?The Strength of Talent? has a different way to think about performance management that puts people growth at the heart of profit growth.

Joining Sarah Lockwood in this episode, Mike questions why so many organizations still rely on outdated HR metrics and rigid systems like annual reviews or quarterly reviews when so few leaders believe they make a real impact. He introduces the idea of ?talent density,? a measure of the gap between high and low performers, and explains why it?s a sharper way to understand organizational health. He walks through his five-step framework that calls for clear expectations, honest assessments done as a team, real leadership accountability, and a balance between productivity and culture fit.

How often do we keep a top producer who quietly undermines the culture? Where is ?good enough? quietly slowing the roles that drive a company forward? Mike shares strategies leaders can start using right away, even without company-wide adoption, and explains why a slow, thoughtful rollout builds trust and lasting results. This episode challenges the way performance management is typically done and offers a grounded approach to helping both people and the business grow stronger.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Talent Density Explained

01:51 People Growth Drives Profit

03:55 Assessing Performance Beyond Annual Reviews

06:25 Leadership Accountability for People Growth

08:01 Broken Performance Management System

09:17 Quarterly Talent Assessment Meeting (QTAM)

11:14 Talent Density Indicator (TDI) Overview

14:40 Culture Fit as a Performance Metric

18:45 Roles Where Good Enough Fails

23:06 Applying the System as a Middle Manager

29:01 Change Management and Rollout Strategy

Connect with Mike Goldman:

Website

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Website

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Website

Instagram

YouTube

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2025-08-18
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EP 101: Burnout and Toxic Culture: What to Do When It?s Affecting You or Your Team

Burnout can take root fast when company culture overlooks early warning signs, and Cait Donovan offers insight into how leaders can spot and address it before it damages the entire organization.

Sarah Lockwood speaks with Cait, the host of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast and the founder of BurnBOLD, about what burnout looks like in real time and why it often signals deeper issues inside a company. How can a leader tell when a team is just under pressure versus when something is fundamentally off? Which behaviors start small but slowly erode trust and workplace wellness until they create a toxic culture?

Cait explains why leaders must deal with their own burnout first because when a leader is running on empty, the strain spreads. From there, she walks through ways to identify whether the problem lies in a single pocket of the organization or across the culture as a whole, and how to respond in each case. She shares approaches that shift the tone of a workplace, like starting ?positive gossip? to strengthen psychological safety or aligning the company?s stated values with what actually happens day to day.

This episode looks at personal habits such as perfectionism, people-pleasing, hyper-independence that often come from old patterns and quietly shape relationships and performance at work. Cait shows how becoming aware of these tendencies can help leaders change the environment for themselves and their teams. She offers a thoughtful and detailed look at how burnout develops, what fuels a toxic culture, and how workplace wellness can be protected through intentional choices in leadership and company culture.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Real Costs of Burnout

01:31 WHO Definition and Key Signs of Burnout

02:46 Individual Burnout vs. Cultural Problems

04:07 How Leaders Should Address Burnout

06:10 Four Indicators of a Toxic Workplace

08:42 Effective Interventions to Reduce Burnout

09:20 Building Trust Through Positive Gossip

11:30 Aligning Company Values With Culture

12:44 Burnout Risk Factors and Protection Factors

16:42 Why Leaders Must Address Their Own Burnout First

21:16 Hidden Patterns That Increase Burnout Risk

26:39 Case Study: Reducing Urgency to Boost Productivity

Links

Connect with Cait Donovan:

Initial Call with Cait

FRIED. The Burnout Podcast

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Instagram

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2025-08-11
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EP 100: Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders - Part 3: Honesty With Yourself

Telling yourself the truth might be the most radical leadership skill you?ll ever develop.

In part three of the Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders series, Sarah Lockwood is joined by Beck Sydow and Marina Suholutsky for a conversation about the power of radical self-honesty in leadership. They explore how self-awareness for leaders isn?t just about introspection but a foundational strategy for building resilient businesses, leading aligned teams, and navigating high-stakes decisions with integrity.

Beck and Marina reveal how easy it is for entrepreneurs to hide from their own truths, especially when fear, ego, or pressure to perform take over. They unpack how avoidance and overcompensation often mask deeper insecurities and explain why facing those hidden parts with compassion is key to true emotional self-regulation. When leaders name what?s really going on without judgment, they create space for better decisions, stronger relationships, and more authentic leadership.

This episode offers a powerful reframe: self-honesty isn?t weakness, but actually one of the most courageous and transformative skills you can build.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Radical Self-Honesty Is a Leadership Skill

02:56 How Your Relationship with Yourself Shapes Your Leadership

04:49 Embracing All Parts of Yourself to Build Self-Awareness

06:03 Coping Mechanisms That Lead to Dishonest Leadership

10:03 The Hidden Relief in Facing Hard Truths

14:07 Practicing Compassionate Accountability

17:59 Sovereignty, Self-Honesty, and Emotional Self-Regulation

21:32 Practical Tools to Strengthen Self-Honesty

25:02 Emotional Mastery for Leaders

Links

Connect with Beck Sydow:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/

HumanKind Business Leaders: https://www.humankindbusinessleaders.com/

Connect with Marina Suholutsky:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-suho/

PurposeBuilt: www.purposebuilt.io

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-08-04
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EP 99: Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders - Part 2: Interrupt Fear With Curiosity

Curiosity is the leadership skill that helps you regulate your nervous system, interrupt fear loops, and make conscious choices in real time.

This episode is part 2 of the Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders series, where Sarah Lockwood is joined again by Marina Suholutsky, the founder of PurposeBuilt, and Beck Sydow, the founder of HumanKind Business Leaders, to discuss how curiosity plays an important role in nervous system regulation and managing emotions. They break down how fear contracts our experience and narrows our view, while curiosity invites expansion and presence. When leaders learn to pause and ask questions like ?What else is true?? or ?What story am I telling myself right now??, they create access to agency, opening up space to shift out of reactivity and into conscious, grounded response.

Marina and Beck offer tools that don?t require time away from work or structured rituals. These moments of emotional awareness can happen mid-meeting, mid-sentence, or mid-meltdown. Whether it?s noticing your peripheral vision, softening your tone, or naming what?s happening in the room, curiosity becomes a live practice that leaders can use to stay connected to themselves and others. The discussion also explores how modeling this curiosity builds team trust and strengthens leadership presence. For founders who want to lead with more ease and intention, this episode is an invitation and a toolkit.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Curiosity as a Tool for Emotional Mastery

01:24 Using Curiosity to Shift from Fear to Possibility

02:55 How Curiosity Regulates the Nervous System

04:32 Interrupting Autopilot Responses with Better Questions

06:12 Building Agency Through Conscious Choice

09:59 Real-Time Techniques for Managing Emotions

12:34 Somatic Practices for Curiosity and Expansion

15:23 Leading with Curiosity in High-Stakes Moments

16:48 Asking Open-Ended Questions That Invite Collaboration

19:31 Why Curiosity Reflects True Leadership Confidence

Links

Connect with Beck Sydow:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/

HumanKind Business Leaders: https://www.humankindbusinessleaders.com/

Connect with Marina Suholutsky:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-suho/

PurposeBuilt: www.purposebuilt.io

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-07-28
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EP 98: Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders - Part 1: Fear and Suffering

Fear isn?t the enemy of great leadership. Ignoring it is.

How often do you walk into a meeting already bracing for impact? Or catch yourself shrinking back in a moment where you meant to lead with clarity? Sarah Lockwood sits down with Beck Sydow, the founder of HumanKind Business Leaders, and Marina Suholutsky, the founder of PurposeBuilt, for a conversation on emotional self-regulation, fear in business, and the kind of inner work that makes better leadership possible.

They explore how fear lives in the body, how it shows up in the boardroom, and why most founders are still operating from old survival patterns without realizing it. You?ll hear why simply pushing through isn?t a strategy and how learning to notice your internal state (tight shoulders, shallow breath, reactive thinking) can open the door to more aligned decisions. Beck and Marina walk through tools for getting out of autopilot, including body scans, self-inquiry, and what they call ?active choice,? the skill of pausing just long enough to shift out of fear and back into presence.

This doesn?t just explain why inner work matters. It shows you how to begin. Whether you?re leading a team, building a company, or trying to show up more fully for your own vision, this is the kind of episode that gets under the surface and invites you to lead from a deeper, steadier place.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Emotional Self-Regulation in Leadership

02:19 Why Fear and Suffering Matter for Founders

05:03 How the Amygdala Shapes Fear in Business

06:08 Welcoming Fear as a Tool, Not a Threat

10:08 Tools for Recognizing and Naming Fear

14:06 The Leadership Power of Softening and Owning Fear

18:13 Making Active Choices to Lead with Awareness

Links

Connect with Beck Sydow:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/

Humankind Business Leaders: https://www.humankindbusinessleaders.com/

Connect with Marina Suholutsky:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-suho/

PurposeBuilt: www.purposebuilt.io

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-07-21
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EP 97: Invest Like You Mean It: Making Capital a Force for Good with Jennifer Kenning

Where does your money sleep at night, and is it working for the kind of world you want to live in?

Jennifer Kenning was managing the wealth of high-net-worth families by day and volunteering with unhoused communities in Los Angeles by night. That contrast raised a question that?s stuck with her ever since: What if capital could be a force for good, without giving up returns? Now the CEO and co-founder of Align Impact, Jennifer leads a registered investment advisory firm managing over $750 million.

Jennifer joins Sarah Lockwood to talk about values-based investing, conscious capitalism, and how we can all, regardless of portfolio size, be more intentional about where and how our money is working. Jennifer explains why impact investing isn?t charity, how ESG works (and where it falls short), and the practical steps anyone can take to align their investments with their values. She shares examples of funding solutions in climate change, affordable housing, sustainable agriculture, and why investing in women and underrepresented founders creates ripple effects that go far beyond profit. She also reflects on her leadership as the outgoing president of EO Colorado, the power of servant leadership, and how Align?s commitment to being a B Corp shapes the way they do business.

If you?re an entrepreneur rethinking how your capital is allocated, or simply curious about whether your investments align with your intentions, Sarah and Jennifer?s conversation will help you take a more conscious, empowered role in shaping your financial impact.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Jennifer Kenning?s Path to Impact Investing 03:15 Breaking the Myth: Do Values-Based Investments Sacrifice Returns? 07:34 How Align Measures Real-World Impact 10:29 Aligning Your 401(k) and Business Capital With Your Values 18:07 Why Align Impact Became a Certified B Corp 22:11 Bringing an Impact Lens to EO Colorado 25:15 Leading Peers and Evolving as a Servant Leader 30:05 Defining the Hopeful Pioneer and Investing for 2030 35:45 Staying Grounded: Purpose, Practice, and Long-Term Vision 38:06 Advice for Founders Committed to Conscious Capitalism

39:39 Empowerment Through Financial Awareness

Links

Connect with Jennifer Kenning:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennkenning/ Website: https://www.alignimpact.com/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/ Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-07-14
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EP 96: The Succession Plan That Didn?t Stick: A Founder?s Return to the CEO Seat

A carefully planned CEO exit unraveled and what came next reshaped how one founder leads for good.

When Chris Schwalbach stepped away from the CEO seat at AVL Growth Partners, he had a clear plan, a strong successor, and years of preparation behind him. But even with all that in place, something didn?t sit right. The business started to wobble, and Chris found himself wondering if he?d made a mistake. What do you do when the leadership transition you spent years building starts to crack? How do you know when it?s time to step back in?

Joining Sarah Lockwood, Chris shares the real story behind his succession planning journey, from the slow handoff to the unexpected return, and what he learned about himself in the process. He talks openly about the shame he felt stepping back in, the inner work that helped him move through it, and the version of leadership he brings to the table now. If you?re thinking about founder exit planning or wrestling with what it means to let go, this episode offers a thoughtful look at what happens when plans shift and perspective deepens.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Chris Schwalbach?s CEO Exit and Return

02:06 Founding AVL Growth Partners and the Original Vision

04:07 Hitting Growth Ceilings and Planning a Leadership Transition

10:05 The Inner Journey: Failure, Trust, and Self-Doubt

17:12 Becoming CEO 2.0: Leading with Clarity and Confidence

22:00 Managing Team Expectations During a Leadership Transition

28:10 Reflecting on Progress: Using the Gap and the Gain

30:07 Personal Habits That Support Founder Mental Health

37:47 Lessons in Succession Planning and Self-Trust

Links

Conscious Entrepreneur Previous Episode with Chris Schwalbach:

https://consciousentrepreneur.us/chris-schwalbach-the-conscious-handover-embracing-change-at-the-top

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Connect with Chris Schwalbach:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cschwalbach/

Website: https://avlgrowth.com/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-07-07
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EP 95: Massive Revenue Growth & Operational Excellence Unpacked?Actionable Lessons from Jesse Pujji

Jesse Pujji reveals how he builds wildly successful companies from scratch by doubling down on talent, distribution, and the power of bootstrapping.

In this episode, Sarah Lockwood sits down with the serial founder and investor behind Gateway X, a venture studio that launches and scales high-performing companies without venture capital. Jesse shares how he went from Goldman Sachs and McKinsey to building Ampush, one of Facebook?s earliest and most effective performance marketing agencies, which grew to manage over $1 billion in ad spend for top brands like Uber, Peloton, and Dollar Shave Club. That experience became the foundation for how he now builds high-performance teams and scalable businesses through bootstrapping.

Jesse breaks down the core principles that drive his companies: hiring exceptional talent, obsessing over sales and distribution, and staying rooted in profitability from day one. He shares the origin stories of ventures like GrowthAssistant, which connects startups with offshore marketing talent, and explains how each business at Gateway X is shaped by a unique unfair advantage and the right operating partner, not a VC-funded roadmap. From his two-farm model for sourcing ideas and people to his frameworks for knowing when to walk away from a failing project, Jesse offers a rare look into what it really takes to scale without VC.

This is a must-listen for founders ready to trade the unicorn myth for real traction, culture-driven leadership, and sustainable growth on their own terms.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Jesse Pujji?s Entrepreneurial Journey from Ampush to Gateway X

05:01 Core Principles for Bootstrapping and Scaling Without VC

08:48 How GrowthAssistant Scaled to $20M in Revenue

13:32 The Two-Farm Model: Matching Ideas with the Right People

15:00 Knowing When to Kill an Idea and Move On

16:02 Inside Aux: Translating Marketing for Private Equity

21:09 Why Sales and Distribution Matter More Than Product

22:14 The Power of High Performance Teams

27:02 Building Profitable Companies with Operational Rigor

34:30 Managing Attention, Energy, and Leadership Across Startups

38:48 Conscious Leadership and the Value of Coaching

Links

Dave Kashen - Startup CEO Coach

Book - The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: https://a.co/d/j4uKz9A

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Connect with Jesse Pujji:

Website Gateway X: https://www.gateway.xyz/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessepujji/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-06-30
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EP 94: From $50 Tasks to $50K Thinking: How to Buy Back Your Time

Most entrepreneurs aren?t drowning in work because they lack ambition. They?re stuck doing too much of the wrong kind of work.

Sarah Lockwood talks with Julie Johnston, the founder of Rhino Squad, about what it looks like to operate from your zone of genius. They unpack the mindset traps that keep founders stuck in the weeds and walk through how small shifts in delegation can lead to major changes in time management and business growth.

Julie shares what she?s learned helping leaders hire and work with virtual assistants, especially from the Philippines, and how a global workforce can unlock more freedom, better output, and stronger team culture. Are your top people doing high-value work? What could your business look like if they were?

Julie encourages founders to think big and recognize where VAs can support every part of your organization from revenue driving activities to business operations - VAs can do much more than confirm appointments, reschedule meetings or manage your inbox (although that ?s a great place to start if you haven?t yet)! If you?ve been hesitant to delegate or unsure where to start, Sarah and Julie?s conversation will help you rethink how you?re spending your time and what it?s really costing you.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet Julie Johnston and Rhino Squad

02:03 Mindset Shifts for Effective Delegation

06:53 Maximizing Time with Virtual Assistants

10:50 Building a Supportive Team Culture

14:01 10X Thinking and Global Workforce Strategy

24:17 Julie?s Conscious Entrepreneurial Journey

29:49 Core Values Behind Rhino Squad

Links

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Connect with Julie Johnston:

Website: www.rhinosquad.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhinosquad_virtualassistants/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhinojulie/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-06-23
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EP 93: Fractured Attention vs. Deep Work: Team Productivity Expert Jenna Piché on Fixing ?Busy? Culture

Most teams aren?t drowning in work. They?re drowning in distractions.

Sarah Lockwood is joined by Jenna Piché, the founder of First Light Time Management Coaching, for a timely conversation about team productivity, deep work, and sharpening your leadership focus. With the year halfway over, it?s a good moment to stop and ask: Are you making real progress on the goals you set in January or just staying busy?

Jenna shares why so many leaders unintentionally build cultures where busyness is rewarded, and why that?s such a dangerous trap. When everything feels urgent, it?s easy to lose sight of the work that actually moves the needle. What signals are you sending to your team about what matters? Are people clear on what to focus on or are they stuck reacting all day?

They also discuss the psychology of productivity and procrastination, including what?s actually going on in your brain when you put off the hard stuff. And they talk through what it looks like to shift into a culture that values deep work and gives people the space to do their best thinking.

If your team?s attention feels fractured (or maybe your own), Jenna offers a smart reset. The kind that helps you see where time is leaking out of your day, and how to fix it before the second half of the year slips by.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Reflecting on Goals and Productivity

02:53 Misaligned Priorities and the Myth of Busyness

06:14 Creating a Culture of Focus

09:00 Identifying Misalignment in Teams

14:55 Overcoming Procrastination and Fear

18:05 Shifting Mindsets for Deep Work

21:00 Building a Supportive Team Culture

23:56 Setting Seemingly Impossible Goals

Links

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Connect with Jenna Piche:

Fractured or Focused Attention Assessment: https://eencclvnukx.typeform.com/to/dMYQ67rp

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennapiche/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstlightcoach/

Website: https://firstlighthealth.co/womens-health-and-focus-coaching

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hivecast.fm/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-06-16
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The Conscious Entrepreneur - Trailer

The Conscious Entrepreneur is the podcast where founders come to sharpen their edge from the inside out - building businesses that are sustainable, aligned, and actually work for their life. It?s about becoming the kind of leader your business needs you to be, and doing it with clarity, connection, and purpose.

We don?t buy into hustle culture. And burnout? It?s not a badge of honor. Here, we believe thriving businesses are built by thriving people.

Hosted by Sarah Lockwood, The Conscious Entrepreneur is where growth starts within.

2025-06-15
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EP 92: The 10X Implementation Circle: Putting Inspiration To Work

Most entrepreneurs say they want to think bigger, but only a few actually build the systems, community, and habits that make those impossible goals inevitable.

Fresh off the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit, Sarah Lockwood and Alex Raymond came home with more than just notes. They came home with decisions. In this episode, they talk through what shifted for them, what they?re already doing differently, and how the right kind of environment can shake you out of survival mode fast.

Alex shares how Dr. Ben Hardy?s session pushed him to commit publicly to growing AMplify into a $3M business in two years. Sarah walks through the behind-the-scenes changes she?s making at HiveCast right away, from automating scattered processes to freeing up time for the kind of work that actually moves things forward. They both reflect on the deeper mindset work sparked by the event, including what it means to lead with intention and how to shrink the timeline between vision and execution.

One of the biggest pieces of post-summit momentum is the launch of the 10X Implementation Circle, which is a year-long, founder-only group for serious entrepreneurs who want accountability, structure, and real community while working toward their boldest goals. Didn?t make it to the summit this year but want in on what?s next? Apply here ??www.consciousentrepreneur.us

Listen for:

00:00 Post-Summit Reflections and Key Takeaways

01:43 Dr. Ben Hardy on Impossible Goals and Time as a Tool

05:43 Alex Raymond?s $3M Business Commitment

07:06 Rethinking Priorities and Delegating for Impact

10:41 Nervous System Regulation with Marina and Beck

13:07 Entrepreneurial Mindset with Dr. Michael Freeman

17:33 Inside the 10X Implementation Circle

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Website: https://hivecast.fm

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hivecast.fm/

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-06-09
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EP 91: Meet the New Host of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast

Most podcasts talk tactics, but The Conscious Entrepreneur turns the spotlight inward.

This episode marks a new beginning for The Conscious Entrepreneur as Alex Raymond passes the mic to Sarah Lockwood, the show?s new host. They reflect on the recent summit in Boulder and the kind of conversations that matter most to this community, the ones that don?t just skim the surface.

Sarah shares why she raised her hand to take on this role and what keeps her so invested in the work. As the CEO of HiveCast, she?s helped hundreds of founders launch and grow their podcasts. But here, she?s stepping into something more personal: creating space for honest conversations about the fears, habits, and thought patterns that shape the entrepreneurial journey.

What happens when we stop comparing our beginnings to someone else?s highlight reel? How do we keep showing up when the pressure to hustle never really lets up? Sarah and Alex unpack these questions and more, with a shared belief that the real growth happens behind the scenes, in community, through vulnerability, and with a little less pretending.

Alex isn?t disappearing; he?ll still be around. But with Sarah at the helm, the podcast enters a new season, one built around thoughtful interviews, lived experience, and ideas you?ll actually want to take back into your life and work.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Welcome and Summit Recap

01:04 Meet the New Host: Sarah Lockwood

02:30 Sarah?s Entrepreneurial Journey

05:12 The Story Behind HiveCast

08:37 Why Podcasting Matters

17:52 Rethinking Hustle Culture

20:31 Habits and Inspiration for Entrepreneurs

23:40 What?s Next for the Show

Links

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-06-02
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EP 90: Guard Your Joy

Guarding your joy while leading high-stakes work is not optional. It is the only way to last.

Dr. David Johns sits down with Alex Raymond for a conversation on what it means to lead without losing yourself. What keeps you grounded when the work feels endless? How do you stay in the fight without letting it consume you?

Drawing from his journey, from growing up in Inglewood to serving in the Obama White House and now leading the National Black Justice Coalition, Dr. Johns shares how his leadership is shaped by purpose, community, and a deep sense of responsibility. He talks about centering the voices that are too often excluded, especially in education, and calls out the difference between performative gestures and true accountability. He reflects on the emotional cost of this work, the need for spaces that restore rather than drain, and why joy is something worth protecting at all costs. The episode also touches on his podcast, Teach the Babies, and his belief that love and dignity must be foundational in any conversation about democracy and schooling.

For entrepreneurs trying to lead with both heart and backbone, Alex and Dr. Johns? conversation is a reminder that you don?t have to choose between ambition and integrity, and that doing the hard thing doesn?t mean doing it alone.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet Dr. David Johns

01:58 Who Are You Beneath the Work?

05:14 Purpose, Passion, and Leadership Philosophy

07:10 Centering the Most Marginalized

11:13 Guarding Your Joy and Protecting Your Peace

14:44 The Power of Community

21:18 What It Means to Nourish Yourself

23:48 Why He Launched Teach the Babies

27:10 Education, Democracy, and the Fight for Equity

30:52 Real Allyship vs Performative Action

36:36 From Ally to Accomplice

Links

Connect with David Johns:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrdavidjohns/

Website: https://nbjc.org/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-05-26
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EP 89: Mood Follows Action

Happiness isn?t a finish line; it?s the system you build every day to actually enjoy being alive.

Brian Dubow had the career, the money, the validation, and none of it made him feel fulfilled. So he stepped off the path, studied the science of happiness, and rebuilt his life from the inside out. In this episode, he joins Alex Raymond to share what he learned along the way and how entrepreneurs can stop chasing success and start creating lives that feel good to live.

Brian breaks down the ?MAGIC? framework (mindfulness, activity, gratitude, inspiration, and connection), and explains how simple daily habits can have a bigger impact than any external win. Could feeling better have less to do with getting more, and more to do with doing less of what drains you? Is your energy, not your output, the real measure of progress?

Alex and Brian?s conversation also touches on the role of discipline in happiness, why mood follows action, and how small systems can keep you aligned when the pressure ramps up. For anyone who?s ever looked successful on paper but felt off inside, this episode offers a reset and a practical way forward.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Brian?s Journey from Corporate to Happiness Coaching

08:23 The Science Behind Happiness

10:17 Happiness as a Choice and the Power of Discipline

13:32 Redefining Happiness: Enjoying the Passage of Time

18:00 Mood Follows Action and the Role of Systems

19:35 The MAGIC Framework Explained

21:00 Mindfulness and Managing Distractions

24:10 Movement and Physical Energy

29:03 Rewiring Your Mind with Gratitude

37:09 Finding Daily Inspiration

42:41 The Power of Meaningful Connection

Links

Connect with Brian Dubow:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-dubow/

Website: https://hitofhappiness.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-05-19
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EP 88: What to Expect at The 2025 Conscious Entrepreneur Summit

Most entrepreneurs want exponential growth. Few pause long enough to ask what?s quietly getting in the way.

In this episode, Alex Raymond shares what?s ahead for the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit, happening May 28th and 29th in Boulder, Colorado. This is the one event built entirely around the well-being of entrepreneurs, and it?s designed for those who are serious about scaling both their business and their inner capacity to lead.

Sarah Lockwood, the founder of HiveCast and longtime member of the community, joins Alex to ask the questions many potential attendees are already thinking. Is it worth stepping away from the day-to-day? What?s different about this event? And how does a theme like ?10x Growth? apply to someone who isn?t chasing vanity metrics?

They walk through what to expect, from the small, curated outdoor workshop with Dr. Benjamin Hardy to the larger summit day packed with speakers like Michael Freeman, Brad Feld, and Rachel Romer. The lineup covers both the internal and external work of growth, with plenty of space for connection, reflection, and actual momentum.

If you?re ready for clarity, challenge, and community, all in one place, this is why the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit belongs on your calendar: https://consciousentrepreneur.us/#tickets

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Conscious Entrepreneur Summit Overview

02:32 How the Agenda Is Personalized

04:04 Theme of the Year: 10x Growth

06:16 Dr. Benjamin Hardy Workshop and Keynote

12:06 Regulating the Nervous System for Growth

14:23 Michael Freeman on 10x Personal Growth

16:06 Fireside Chat with Brad Feld

18:13 Rachel Romer?s Story of Resilience

20:26 Jim Dieters on Building Boldly

22:58 Expressive Movement with Shine Living Community

26:31 Tickets, Community Dinners, and Integration

Links

The Conscious Entrepreneur Summit: https://consciousentrepreneur.us/

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-05-12
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EP 87: The Entrepreneur?s Mental Balance Sheet

Building a business is one thing; holding your vision steady through growth, pressure, and uncertainty is something else entirely.

Alex Raymond sits down with John Sampogna, the co-founder and CEO of Wondersauce, to talk about what the entrepreneurial journey really demands once the excitement wears off. John shares how he built a 100-person agency, why he created a ?mental balance sheet? to manage the emotional costs of leadership, and what he learned from selling his company while staying true to its original vision. How do you scale without losing yourself in the process? How do you know when a business opportunity is truly right for you, not just financially but personally?

John also digs into the realities of leadership that rarely get talked about: why bottlenecks are your best feedback loop, why approachability matters more than you think, and why a thriving business culture starts with making space for mistakes. He challenges entrepreneurs to rethink what scale really means in the age of AI and shares why lasting success depends on more than just growth metrics.

If you are building a business and want to do it with intention, resilience, and clarity, this conversation will give you a much-needed shift in perspective.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:14 Holding a Long-Term Vision Through Growth and Uncertainty

03:49 Selling Wondersauce and Choosing the Right Partner

09:01 How the Founder Role Changes After Acquisition

10:02 Navigating Earn-Outs, COVID, and the Rise of AI

12:10 Building a Mental Balance Sheet for Emotional Resilience

15:00 Scaling a Business Without Burning Out

19:25 Bottlenecks as a Signal for Operational Change

22:05 Creating Psychological Safety and Strong Leadership

25:59 Smart Marketing and True Differentiation for Entrepreneurs

32:44 How AI Is Redefining the Idea of Scale

Links

Connect with John Sampogna:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsampogna/

Website: https://www.wondersauce.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-05-05
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EP 86: Being A Dumb-Ass Is Your Superpower

Real leadership isn?t being the smartest person in the room. It?s creating the kind of culture where people feel safe enough to say, ?I don?t know.?

In this episode, Alex Raymond talks with Garry Ridge, the former CEO of WD-40 and the author of ?Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It.? Garry shares how a moment of ?jumping in to fix it? early in his career completely reshaped his approach to leadership. That shift, from problem-solver to coach, set the foundation for one of the most admired cultures in business, with 93% employee engagement and a company-wide commitment to learning and accountability.

Garry explains why admitting what you don?t know isn?t weakness but the beginning of trust. He unpacks the idea of ?dumbassery? as a leadership superpower, and why removing fear in the workplace creates room for growth, innovation, and genuine connection. What can happen when you stop calling things failures and start treating them as learning moments? What will change when your company values are more than just words on a wall?

This episode offers ideas for leaders who want to build purpose-driven companies without losing their people, or themselves, in the process. From the power of clearly ranked values to the surprisingly effective ?Maniac Pledge,? Garry provides a framework for creating a workplace where people feel safe, supported, and proud to contribute.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:13 Learning Moments and Redefining Failure

05:25 ?I Don?t Know? as a Leadership Superpower

07:28 Psychological Safety and People-First Cultures

14:16 Purpose, Values, and the Will of the People

21:44 Purpose Beyond Product and Real Accountability

33:19 Leading with Love

Links

Connect with Garry Ridge:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge/

Website: https://thelearningmoment.net/

Website Quiz: https://thelearningmoment.net/quiz/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-04-28
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EP 85: Nobody Cares About Your Crappy Little Startup

Building a business with purpose will push you to grow in ways you probably didn?t expect. What happens when your ambition outpaces your timing? Or when your team starts breaking down and you realize the real issue starts with you?

In this episode, Alex Raymond talks with Brian Dally, the co-founder and CEO of Groundfloor, a fintech company that gives everyday investors access to real estate debt. Brian shares what he learned from starting too early, betting on the wrong timelines, and eventually paving the way for a market that wasn?t quite ready for him.

Brian also opens up about a turning point in his leadership when a blowout between two teams during a family ski trip forced him to confront the culture he had helped create. That moment led to a reset, not just in how the company operated, but in how he saw himself as a leader.

What do you do when your company hits a wall? How do you stay committed when the cost of building starts to feel personal? Brian reflects on his spiritual life, his leadership missteps, and the values that guide him today. He also shares the habits that keep him steady like hiking Colorado trails, practicing mindfulness, and checking in with the people who matter most.

If you?re building something ambitious, this conversation will make you think more deeply about the kind of person you?re becoming in the process.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:07 Early Challenges of Launching Groundfloor

05:55 The Cost of Being Early

08:10 Lessons from Republic Wireless

12:09 Personal Growth Through Leadership

14:45 Faith, Vulnerability, and Inner Work

16:48 How Company Culture Broke and Got Rebuilt

23:05 Big Goals, Ambition, and Opportunity Cost

30:59 Real-World Impact on Customers

34:02 Habits That Keep Brian Grounded

Links

Connect with Brian Dally:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/

Website: https://groundfloor.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-04-21
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EP 84: A Look Inside the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit

Most entrepreneurs think they need a new growth strategy. What they actually need is a better relationship with themselves.

In this episode, the tables turn as Sarah Lockwood, the founder of HiveCast, interviews Alex Raymond about the upcoming Conscious Entrepreneur Summit, happening May 28?29 in Boulder, Colorado. Now in its fourth year, the summit offers something most business events miss entirely: a chance to work on the person behind the company.

Alex shares how the idea for the summit came from countless conversations where founders showed up to talk about strategy but ended up revealing stress, fear, and self-doubt. What if those internal struggles are actually the bottleneck in your business? And what would happen if you had space to name them, examine them, and move through them?

This year?s summit features Dr. Benjamin Hardy, the author of 10x is Easier Than 2x, leading a small-group workshop on the psychology of exponential thinking. Dr. Michael Freeman, a leading voice in entrepreneur mental health research, will speak on how entrepreneurship can become a path for deep personal growth.

Sarah and Alex also talk about what makes this event feel so different. The connections are real. The conversations go deep quickly. And the room is full of people who are serious about growth, not just in revenue, but in clarity, confidence, and capacity.

If you?re the kind of founder who wants to scale your business without losing yourself in the process, The 2025 Conscious Entrepreneur Summit might be exactly what you?ve been looking for. Get your tickets now and don?t miss your chance to join the exclusive 10x Workshop with Dr. Benjamin Hardy. Seats are limited!

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Sarah Lockwood on the Conscious Entrepreneur Community

04:45 The Origin of the Summit and Why It Matters

08:20 Personal Growth as a Business Strategy

13:00 Big Ideas from Past Speakers

15:55 Ben Hardy and 10x Thinking

24:15 Why In-Person Connection Still Wins

26:50 Founder Well-Being with Dr. Michael Freeman

29:00 JV vs Varsity Thinking for Entrepreneurs

35:20 Who the Summit Is For

Links:

Dr. Srikumar Rao on The Conscious Entrepreneur: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-conscious-entrepreneur/id1708478000?i=1000641708365

Gay Hendricks on The Conscious Entrepreneur: ??https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-conscious-entrepreneur/id1708478000?i=1000630685954

Touched by Fire Publication: https://michaelafreemanmd.com/Research_files/Are%20Entrepreneurs%20Touched%20with%20Fire%20(pre-pub%20n)%204-17-15.pdf

The Conscious Entrepreneur Website: https://consciousentrepreneur.us/

Benjamin Hardy Website: https://www.benjaminhardy.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Website: https://amplifyam.com/ Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/

Website: https://hivecast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-04-14
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EP 83: From Sales Leader to CEO: Mark Kosoglow?s Leap into Entrepreneurship

Most outbound sales strategies rely on volume and noise. Mark Kosoglow is betting on something different: relevance, proof, and actually caring about the people on the other end.

Mark helped scale Outreach to over $230 million in revenue as its first sales hire. Now he?s a first-time founder and CEO at Operator, a startup built inside the GTM Fund, where he?s rethinking what outbound should look like and calling out what?s broken. What happens when you stop chasing reply rates and start focusing on provable business problems? How do you build a company without tying your self-worth to the outcome?

In this episode, Mark sits down with Alex Raymond to talk through the emotional ups and downs of entrepreneurship, the decision to say yes to starting something new after being fired, and how ?work hard and have fun? became the filter he uses to make decisions. He shares lessons from working alongside leaders like Manny Medina and the Chu Brothers, his take on building authentic company culture, and why he treats the CEO role like a sales role: listening first, solving second.

If you?re tired of the spray-and-pray approach to sales or wondering how to stay grounded while building something ambitious, this conversation will land.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Mark Kosoglow: From Outreach to Operator

03:16 Lessons from Catalyst and Customer Success

06:56 Why Outbound Is Broken

13:46 The ?Great Ignore? and Rethinking Sales Math

17:43 Starting Inside a Venture Fund

21:24 Hiring, Delegating, and Lessons from Past Leaders

27:36 Leading Through the Emotional Highs and Lows

35:20 Daily Habits, Book Recommendations

Links

Connect with Mark Kosoglow:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkosoglow/

Website: https://www.operator.ai/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-04-07
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EP 82: Winning the Cookie Wars: Bennett Maxwell?s Playbook for Growth and Resilience

Surviving a lawsuit, scaling a franchise, and losing 125 pounds all pointed Bennett Maxwell toward one surprising realization: his nervous system had more influence than he ever imagined.

Bennett joins Alex Raymond to talk through the chaos and clarity that came with building Dirty Dough. When Crumble, a billion-dollar competitor, sued him over sprinkles and box shapes, he could have folded. Instead, he went bold. His response?cheeky billboards and viral content?caught fire and helped fuel the sale of 450 franchises in just two years.

But what happens after the adrenaline fades? What if growth brings a whole new kind of pressure? Bennett shares how success forced him to confront his health, his identity, and his relationship to stress. He talks about selling his first company, hitting his financial goal, and realizing he still felt miserable. That moment led to a full-body reset from gastric sleeve surgery to daily meditation to red-light therapy and vagus nerve stimulation. He even carved out half his workweek to focus on his mental and physical state.

This episode raises a bigger question: can you really lead well if your nervous system is fried? Bennett?s story is a reminder that personal growth and business growth aren?t separate, and that sometimes the most strategic move is stepping back.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:37 Mental Resilience and the Power of Detachment

03:37 Franchising Dirty Dough

05:52 The Cookie Wars with Crumble

08:06 Handling Stress During the Lawsuit

10:32 Decision-Making and Personal Mission Statement

14:52 Raising Capital During the Lawsuit

17:07 Importance of Surrounding Yourself with the Right People

21:06 Consciousness and Physical Health

23:34 Focusing on the Nervous System

28:19 Using Tools to Optimize Mental Health

30:10 Importance of Regulating the Body

32:24 Experience with Ketamine and Psychedelics

Links

Connect with Bennett Maxwell:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennett-maxwell-703717126/

Website: https://bennettmaxwell.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-03-31
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EP 81: Breaking Free from the Struggle

Most entrepreneurs think they?re chasing success. Could they actually be addicted to the struggle?

Alex Raymond is joined by Dr. Nona Djavid, the founder of eLIVate Club, to discuss why so many business owners feel stuck in cycles of burnout, even when they seem to be thriving. Dr. Djavid built a successful business, but instead of feeling fulfilled, she found herself exhausted and trapped. That realization changed everything. She wasn?t chasing success; she was hooked on the struggle.

Why does overwork feel normal? And how do you break free from it? Dr. Djavid explains how subconscious beliefs and nervous system patterns keep entrepreneurs locked in hustle mode, even when they know there?s a better way. She shares a four-step framework to shift from burnout to real, lasting success, starting with setting an unreasonable vision and ending with bold, aligned action.

For anyone tired of grinding toward the next milestone, Alex and Dr. Djavid?s discussion offers a different path. Success doesn?t have to come at the cost of exhaustion.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:36 Entrepreneurs Addicted to Struggle

05:00 Personal Story: Nona?s Closet Breakdown

07:00 Realization: Scarcity and Worthiness

09:07 Identifying Scarcity in Life

11:22 The Role of the Nervous System

16:36 Four Steps to a Quantum Leap

33:09 Taking Unreasonable Actions

36:11 Addressing Common Objections

38:02 Areas Where People Get Stuck

40:24 Belief for Entrepreneurs: Worthiness and Enough-ness

Links

Connect with Dr. Nona Djavid:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nonadjavid/

Website: https://www.elivate.me/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-03-24
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EP 80: How Entrepreneurs Can Succeed Without Burning Out

Entrepreneurship can feel like a lonely grind, but it doesn?t have to be. Dave Parker, the CEO of the Entrepreneurs? Organization, knows firsthand what it takes to build, scale, and sometimes close a business. In this episode, he joins Alex Raymond to share what separates successful founders from those who get stuck?breaking down product-market fit, the power of timing, and why self-awareness matters more than most people think.

A key takeaway? Forum, EO?s peer-driven support system, offers entrepreneurs a space to be real about the highs and lows without the noise of unsolicited advice. Dave opens up about his own mental health journey and why having the right people around you can make or break your ability to keep going. He also challenges the idea of failing fast, arguing that knowing when to walk away is just as important as knowing when to push through.

For founders navigating uncertainty, this episode is a reminder that resilience isn?t just about grinding harder, but about making better decisions, leaning on the right community, and staying clear-eyed about what actually works.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:31 Product-Market Fit

05:01 Five Components of Product-Market Fit

10:20 Timeless Advice from Mentors

15:09 Timing and Market Conditions

18:09 Importance of Clear Communication

20:09 Solving Complex Problems

25:00 EO?s Mission and Growth Goals

28:48 Personal Mission and Vision

30:30 Entrepreneurship is Lonely but Doesn?t Have to Be

34:20 Dealing with Burnout and Mental Health

38:00 Importance of Forum in EO

40:02 Self-Awareness as a Key Mindset Shift

Links

Connect with Dave Parker:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveparker/

Website: https://eonetwork.org/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-03-17
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EP 79: Impossible Goals: How 10X Thinking Unlocks Exponential Growth

Most entrepreneurs play it safe with their goals, but Dr. Benjamin Hardy makes a bold case: setting ?impossible? goals is the fastest way to scale. Is aiming for something that feels out of reach exactly what forces clarity, focus, and exponential growth?

In this episode, Alex Raymond sits down with Dr. Hardy, an organizational psychologist and bestselling author, to discuss the mindset shift behind 10X growth. Why do so many entrepreneurs stay stuck in slow, incremental progress? According to Dr. Hardy, the problem isn?t effort. It?s the way we set goals. Most people aim for what feels achievable, which keeps them trapped in the same patterns. A true 10X goal demands a different way of thinking, working, and making decisions.

The discussion touches on why scaling requires accountability and brutal honesty. Dr. Hardy introduces a game-changing concept called ?raising the floor,? eliminating distractions, letting go of tasks that don?t drive results, and narrowing your focus to what truly moves the needle. He also explains why urgency matters. A distant, 10-year goal won?t push you to make bold moves today, but setting a 3-year deadline forces better decisions and a clearer path forward.

Along the way, Dr. Hardy shares examples of entrepreneurs who made massive leaps by shifting their focus. He also previews his upcoming workshop at the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit in Boulder, Colorado, where he?ll break down the science of scaling and help attendees build a strategy for exponential success.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:33 Challenges in Scaling for Entrepreneurs

04:05 Systems Dynamics and Business Goals

06:13 Accountability and Economic Models

08:27 Raising the Floor Concept

09:20 Selective Attention and Goal Framing

11:05 Strategy and Eliminating Non-viable Options

12:45 Time as a Strategic Tool

14:52 Future-Driven Decision Making

17:54 Avoiding Distractions and Making Hard Decisions

19:03 Self-Honesty and Ambition to Scale

23:49 Personal Story: Overcoming Sunk Cost Fallacy

26:03 Letting the Future Drive the Present

28:42 Identity and Entrepreneurial Growth

30:13 Practical Steps to Create a Bigger Vision

35:44 Specializing and Focusing on a Niche

41:08 Preview of Conscious Entrepreneur Summit

Links

Connect with Benjamin Hardy:

Website: https://www.benjaminhardy.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-03-10
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EP 78: Why 10X Growth Starts Within

Most entrepreneurs assume growth means doing more. More effort. More complexity. More stress. But what if scaling 10X was easier than doubling your efforts?

Alex Raymond digs into the bold idea behind 10X Growth, inspired by 10X is Easier Than 2X by Dan Sullivan and Ben Hardy. He challenges the trap of incremental thinking and explains why real success comes from eliminating distractions, simplifying decisions, and focusing on what truly moves the needle. If most of your results come from a small fraction of your efforts, what would happen if you let go of everything else?

Alex also explores the psychology of growth, including the concept of ?the gap and the gain.? Many entrepreneurs measure success by how far they have left to go instead of recognizing the progress they have already made. Before next week?s conversation with Ben Hardy, Alex shares a preview of the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit, where Hardy will lead a deep dive into the 10X mindset.

If you?ve been grinding toward growth and feeling stuck, this episode offers a different path. One where doing less leads to far greater results.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

02:00 The Inner Game of 10x Growth

03:42 The Trap of Incremental Thinking

04:49 The 80/20 Rule and Eliminating Low-Impact Tasks

08:02 Unique Ability and Zone of Genius

09:04 Delegation and Focusing on High-Impact Activities

12:05 Case Studies and the Cumulative Effect of Focus

14:02 The Mindset Shift for 10x Growth

16:18 The Gap and the Gain Concept

18:05 Living in the Gain vs. Living in the Gap

21:37 Overcoming Scarcity Mindset

24:44 Physical and Mental Signs of Scarcity vs. Abundance

26:04 Summary of Key Themes: 10x vs. 2x

28:01 The Courage to Focus on Unique Ability

29:46 Implementing the Gap and the Gain

30:18 Scarcity vs. Abundance Thinking

31:00 Immediate Action Steps for 10x Thinking

36:38 Final Thoughts on 10x Growth

Links

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-03-03
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EP 77: Why Spirituality Matters for Entrepreneurs

Pain and curiosity are two of the greatest forces for growth. Dr. Anna Yusim, a psychiatrist and spiritual teacher, shares how entrepreneurs can use both to tap into intuition, break free from limiting patterns, and build a more fulfilling path.

Her journey from Stanford and Yale-trained psychiatry to a deeper exploration of spirituality and Kabbalah wasn?t planned. It started through unexplainable moments with patients and a dream that shifted everything. In this episode, she challenges the idea that success is purely external, showing how personal growth and self-awareness shape the way entrepreneurs lead, create, and navigate uncertainty.

Are you growing because of past pain, or are you choosing growth before hardship forces your hand? Dr. Yusim breaks down the difference and offers insights on intuition, purpose, and the inner roadblocks that often hold entrepreneurs back. She also explores the importance of community in a world where loneliness is at an all-time high and explains how spirituality?and for some, even psychedelics?can be powerful tools for transformation.

Alex Raymond and Dr. Yusim?s discussion is a reminder that business isn?t just strategy and execution. The inner work matters just as much.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Exploring the Intersection of Spirituality and Entrepreneurship

09:07 Embracing Growth: The Spiritual Path of Entrepreneurship

13:13 Challenges in Balancing Professional Success and Personal Relationships

15:06 Exploring Inner Emptiness and Its Impact on Relationships

17:06 Navigating the Human Condition: Addressing Inner Voids and Mindset Shifts

20:48 Transforming Mindset: A Holistic Approach

23:49 Holistic Approaches to Changing Thoughts: Biological, Psychological, Social, and Spiritual

24:38 Shifting Perspectives: Reducing Stigma Around Mental Health in Entrepreneurship

28:56 Finding Purpose and Building Community in Entrepreneurship

33:23 Understanding and Addressing Burnout: A Medical Perspective

36:26 Psychedelics and Mental Health: Exploring Benefits and Spiritual Connections

Links

Connect with Anna Yusim MD:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annayusim/

Website: https://annayusim.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-02-24
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EP 76: The Science of Peak Performance and Purpose with Jamie Wheal

Entrepreneurs chase optimization, but what happens when that?s not enough?

Jamie Wheal joins Alex Raymond to talk about flow, resilience, and the deeper search for meaning in leadership. He challenges the idea that personal optimization is the ultimate goal, suggesting it?s only the first step. The real work is in navigating uncertainty, making an impact, and staying grounded through Hedonic Engineering?a way to keep motivation high even when the path ahead isn?t clear.

Jamie shares how flow states unlock creativity and why great teams embrace dynamic subordination, letting the most capable person take the lead at any moment. He also reflects on the Bhagavad Gita?s lessons on purpose, reminding entrepreneurs that leadership isn?t about control, but about clarity, adaptability, and knowing when to step forward or step back.

If the pressure to perform feels overwhelming, Alex and Jamie?s discussion offers a unique view on leading with purpose and keeping your footing when everything shifts around you.

Quotes

?I think it?s really important that we don?t end up in the kind of late stage neoliberal fetishization of infinite individual perfect ability for a price. And we actually just realized, Hey, Shaolin temple style, train your body and mind, right? Push it to its limits so that you can hone it and direct it to those things of most meaning and significance and impact. Otherwise, we?re all just trapped little monkeys in the machine.? (04:25 | Jamie Wheal) ?Business leaders are in varying degrees and intensities themselves. It requires a very strong center for you to be able to enter the melee and not lose your own footing.? (07:51 | Jamie Wheal) ?You don?t want to get stuck in a model or a mode simply because you think it?s groovier or more enlightened. And again, Silicon Valley leadership culture has kind of now permeated, has kind of become the default norms, which is, I?m a level five leader, a la Jim Collins. I?m a little Yoda behind the scenes. I want to make everyone feel empowered and heard, and our collective intelligence will win the day. Maybe, it depends.? (17:17 | Jamie Wheal) ?Small is beautiful. It?s a timeless text, but I?d super encourage folks to just give themselves permission to do a beautiful thing in the world at a high quality or standard that is satisfying to you and the people you serve. And just have that as one other option, at least, versus just chasing the series.? (55:39 | Jamie Wheal)

Links

Connect with Jamie Wheal:

https://www.flowgenomeproject.com/

https://jamiewheal.substack.com/

https://www.recapturetherapture.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-02-17
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EP 75: Worry Doesn?t Serve You

Success isn?t supposed to feel like a grind. The real challenge is knowing when to let go and step into what feels effortless.

Alex Raymond sits down with Ret Taylor, the co-founder and former co-CEO of Ned, to talk about the moment he knew it was time to walk away. After years of building a wellness company with a mission he believed in, Ret found himself stuck in the day-to-day demands of running a business that no longer felt right. A banking crisis forced him to make a decision, but his real breakthrough came when he stopped pushing and started surrendering.

Inspired by Michael Singer?s teachings, Ret learned to let go of fear and lean into what felt natural. That shift led him to Foria, a company that shared Ned?s values, and gave him the space to step fully into his zone of genius.

Join Alex and Ret?s discussion to be reminded that the path forward isn?t always about working harder but about knowing when to trust the pull toward something better.

Quotes

?What if it?s not supposed to be hard? What if it?s supposed to be easy, like it was for me the last two retreats I did? And I had this big realization that I?ve been idolizing the wrong things. I should be idolizing, and I want to idolize those who don?t work so hard, those for whom it comes easy, and those that really surrender to their paths and move with confidence in them.? (13:08 | Ret Taylor) ?I?m meant to be with people outdoors, sharing my passion for nature, sharing my expertise that I?ve gathered over the last 25 years, and helping people heal and thrive with them. Ned, my business, has done that for hundreds of thousands of people.? (17:21 | Ret Taylor) ?My mantra has become: ?Worry doesn?t serve me.? It just doesn?t. It doesn?t help to worry. It?s this thing left over from prehistoric days when there actually were things to worry about.? (21:30 | Ret Taylor) ? I just feel much more fulfilled and very, very grateful. I?m grateful for those learnings, grateful to Josh, my best friend, for the opportunity, for Finian, and for you, for the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit. It all came together at the right time for me.? (31:22 | Ret Taylor)

Links

Connect with Ret Taylor: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rettaylor/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

2025-02-10
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EP 74: The Paradox of Success: Wil Schroter on Founders and Fulfillment

Success won?t fix what you think it will?and Wil Schroter, founder of Startups.com, explains why so many entrepreneurs hit major milestones only to feel more lost than ever.

Wil has built, sold, and acquired multiple companies, yet he?s seen countless entrepreneurs hit their biggest milestones only to feel more lost than ever. He sits down with Alex Raymond to talk about why financial wins don?t fix deeper struggles and how chasing an exit can leave founders grappling with purpose, identity, and unexpected disappointment.

Wil shares what he?s learned from working with thousands of entrepreneurs?why they conflate success with happiness, why scaling too fast can backfire, and how to build something sustainable without losing yourself in the process. He also gets personal, talking about the non-negotiables that keep his life in balance.

If you?re constantly pushing toward ?someday,? this episode might change how you define real success.

Quotes

?Everything we thought was going to get cured, doesn?t change at all. In fact, it actually gets worse. Now, when people hear that, they?re like, ?Oh, I?m so sorry that you made a million dollars. I?m so sorry your life is worse.? It?s not that easy. Yes, it?s improved safety, but it hasn?t changed purpose.? (09:16 | Wil Schroter) ?The value of anything is the fact that you don?t have it. And once you get it, once you get that success, you realize that it didn?t change any of the things you were expecting it to. And it?s really depressing, which is ironic.? (11:55 | Wil Schroter) ?If you are unhappy on a canoe, you?re not gonna be happy on a yacht. You?re the same person just on a more expensive boat.? (14:13 | Wil Schroter) ?It feels very lonely, and that is kind of the worst part about the founder journey. It is incredibly alienating. That?s something that we?ve tried to kind of unpack for a very long time?to tell founders we?re in the business of showing you you?re not alone.? (26:32 | Wil Schroter)

Links

Connect with Wil Schroter:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilschroter/

Website: https://www.startups.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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2025-02-03
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EP 73: Personal Branding for Conscious Leaders

Why do the most thoughtful leaders hesitate to share their stories online? Justin Nassiri, the founder and CEO of Executive Presence, believes those voices are exactly what the world needs. In this episode, Justin joins Alex Raymond to break down how leaders can use LinkedIn to build authentic personal brands that amplify trust and authority without losing their true selves.

From navigating discomfort with social media to creating content that genuinely reflects your voice, Justin shares strategies for standing out in the noisy world of online platforms. He explains why personal branding should be more about creating meaningful connections and making your expertise visible to those who need it most.

If you're an entrepreneur who?s looking to build a genuine presence on social media, join Alex and Justin as they share tips on creating and repurposing content, and staying consistent with your message.

Quotes

?The people listening who are least interested in [establishing a personal brand], the world probably needs to hear from them the most.? (03:29 | Justin Nassiri) ?Authenticity sells. And I think that, when I work with a CEO, oftentimes they?re like, ?Who do I need to be? I?m all of these things, but who do I need to be online?? And my kind of biased reaction is, ?We need to present you in the highest fidelity possible online.?? (08:25 | Justin Nassiri) ?When that one person has the courage to be vulnerable, almost all the heads around the room nod like, ?Oh yeah, I know that.? It?s almost like this person having the courage to voice something has put a name on something everyone else is feeling, but now it?s out there, so it?s almost like a sense of relief, and then that person sharing realizes they?re not alone and it creates connection.? (10:03 | Justin Nassiri) ?You can?t, in the long term, build a personal brand or reputation or executive brand that is in conflict with who you are. I think eventually the truth will come out.? (13:15 | Justin Nassiri) ?If you reveal what?s important to you, if you talk about the things that you know and where you?re an authority, you actually have experience, or more importantly, you just share your own experience like, ?Hey, I made a mistake in my first company with this. I really regret it but here?s what I learned, I hope you benefit as well.? That?s just a way of giving visibility into why you do the things that you do and what you know about where your expertise is.? (13:46 | Justin Nassiri)

Links

Connect with Justin Nassiri:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinnassiri/

Website: https://executivepresence.io/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

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2025-01-27
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EP 72: From Dirty Laundry to Clean Leadership: Ajay Prakash on Scaling Rinse with Resilience

Entrepreneurship throws constant challenges, but Ajay Prakash has mastered staying grounded through resilience, psychological safety, and a no-excuses approach to leadership.

In this episode, Ajay, the co-founder and CEO of Rinse?a company transforming the laundry and dry cleaning industry with a tech-driven approach?joins Alex Raymond to reflect on how he?s built Rinse into a national brand over 11 years while navigating setbacks like revenue losses and the pressures of scaling. As a leader, how do you keep a team motivated when the stakes are high? Ajay believes transparency, trust, and a culture of openness are key to keeping people engaged and innovative.

Ajay also touches on the importance of managing energy, avoiding burnout, and staying excited about your work. Tune in to this episode if you?re looking for real-world strategies to stay resilient and lead with purpose.

Quotes

?My mom always used to say, it?s not about the ?what IF??, it?s about the ?what NOW?? You can?t control these things that are happening to you, but you can control how you respond and how you react.? (08:50 | Ajay Prakash) ?The number one mentality for the entrepreneur is this run-through-walls mentality?where there?s going to be a roadblock in front of you? You can sit there and say, ?Oh, there?s a wall, I can?t do anything about it,? or you can try to get through it, get around it, get over it.? (10:57 | Ajay Prakash) ?As a CEO, you have to evolve for the needs of the business and for the scale and stage of the business. For me, it?s been encapsulated by shifting my focus over the years from execution to enablement and acceleration.? (12:33 | Ajay Prakash) ?You have to be okay asking for help because a lot of times people will go on this journey and try to be alone? But there are a lot of people who have been through it who would be happy to just share the mistakes they made, because why should you make the same mistake I made if I can help you out?? (30:11 | Ajay Prakash)

Links

Connect with Ajay Prakash:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprakash03/

Website:https://www.rinse.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

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2025-01-20
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EP 71: Rethinking Happiness

Happiness isn?t a destination. For Peter Teuscher, it?s the feedback guiding your choices, beliefs, and the way you see the world. But what does that really mean, and how can we shift our understanding of happiness from something we chase to something we cultivate every day?

Peter, an executive coach and the author of ?Rethinking Happiness,? shares how his own journey?from outward entrepreneurial success to inner fulfillment?led him to redefine happiness as a deeply personal and practical state of being. Why do so many of us feel stuck in the cycle of ?I?ll be happy when??? And how can we break free from beliefs that no longer serve us?

Through his insights, Peter offers a roadmap for creating more joy in life, from building small daily habits to challenging the stories we tell ourselves. If you?d like to learn more about how happiness fits into the entrepreneurial grind, this episode will leave you inspired to rethink what truly matters and how to align your choices with the life you want.

Quotes

?One of my coaching mottos is: awareness allows change. Happiness is a major component, and much of it comes down to changing the way we habitually believe and think.? (03:43 | Peter Teuscher) ?Happiness is this feedback that either the way I?m thinking about the world or the actions and choices that I?m making are really not on track or not in alignment with my values or the needs that I have.? (06:33 | Peter Teuscher) ?We have this inner emotional guidance system that will, whether you call it your intuition or your instincts, when you have certain outcomes, you?ll feel emotions, disappointment or happiness or joy or satisfaction.? (07:28 | Peter Teuscher) ?Sometimes we?ll believe something despite the facts. But a lot of times our beliefs are those things that we can?t necessarily prove one way or another, or we don?t have enough information to, so we just develop this belief about something. And so instead of asking yourself, is this belief true? I ask people to consider if this belief is useful.? (15:50 | Peter Teuscher) ?Happy people tend to make better decisions that tend to be better citizens, neighbors, partners in relationships, because that happiness is this feedback that they?re on the right track and that they?re making the right choices.? (36:50 | Peter Teuscher)

Links

Connect with Peter Teuscher:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-teuscher-7480257/

Website: https://www.peterteuscher.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

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2025-01-13
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EP 70: Giving Private Equity a Human Touch

?Some would say they manage people. We like to think we lead hearts, and that if we tap into the power of the heart, then the mind and the hands and the effort comes much more powerfully thereafter,? shares Ryan Heckman, Olympic athlete turned private equity investor and co-founder of Rallyday Partners, a firm transforming private equity with a deeply human-centered approach.

In this episode, Ryan joins Alex Raymond to discuss how Rallyday Partners is challenging the traditional stigma of private equity as a necessary evil. Ryan explains how his experiences as both a CEO and an investor shaped the firm?s mission to prioritize purpose and people over mere financial returns. Their approach includes building meaningful connections with founders, fostering personal and professional growth for employees, and redefining leadership to focus on hearts rather than assets.

Ryan also shares insights into Rallyday Partner?s unique methodologies, including purpose-driven strategies, leadership development, and organizational culture tailored to the vision of each founder. As a proponent of Conscious Capitalism, Ryan introduces the Colorado chapter launch aimed at promoting stakeholder-centric business practices.

This episode invites you to rethink private equity and consider a model where purpose and profit work hand in hand. How can businesses grow sustainably while creating fulfilling experiences for everyone involved? Ryan?s vision provides a compelling answer.

Quotes

"How could we make private equity a source of goodness and not a necessary evil? That was a very fundamental question that we asked." (04:04 | Ryan Heckman) ?There's two problems with saying you manage assets for a living. First of all, management is a primitive form of leadership. It's as if to say that your role in the world is to manage something, not lead something. The difference is leadership is earned. Management is more of a compliance relationship.? (04:49 | Ryan Heckman) ?Some would say they manage people. We like to think we lead hearts, and that if we tap into the power of the heart, then the mind and the hands and the effort comes much more powerfully thereafter.? (05:46 | Ryan Heckman) "We have an expression here that we use all the time, which is that the objective is professional, but the journey is personal." (20:18 | Ryan Heckman) ?Purpose is what catalyzes discretionary effort. It's what attracts great talent. Meaningful work and being part of meaningful work is what really drives the human heart to do extraordinary things.? (21:46 | Ryan Heckman) "The first job in leadership development is to make sure that people feel the pride in themselves first, that they feel like they deserve to grow." (30:12 | Ryan Heckman)

Links

Connect with Ryan Heckman:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-heckman-906a2530/

Website: https://rallydaypartners.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

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2025-01-06
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EP 69: Billionaire Wellness for Entrepreneurs

?With an improved healthspan, cognitively, people are on their game. They?re in flow with their business. They?re able to be much more productive.? For Dr. Fred Grover Jr., the Chief Medical Officer of Phi Longevity, this is more than a vision?it is a measurable goal. By prioritizing proactive, integrative health strategies, Dr. Grover points out that optimizing physical and mental well-being goes beyond extending life; it?s about thriving in every area of work and life. Entrepreneurs, he explains, can unlock extraordinary creativity, leadership, and resilience when they prioritize their health as much as their business goals.

In this episode, Alex Raymond is joined by Dr. Grover and Steve Pinedo, the co-founder and CEO of Phi Longevity, to discuss why health is an important foundation for effective leadership and sustainable business success. Together, they introduce the Foundational Five?a holistic wellness framework centered on nutrition, movement, sleep, regenerative self-healing, and cutting-edge therapies.

By treating health like a business?tracking key metrics and focusing on impactful strategies?this episode reveals how to boost performance, extend longevity, and enhance mental clarity. It?s a call to shift from a reactive to a proactive approach to wellness, offering entrepreneurs practical steps to take control of their health and future-proof their lives.

Quotes

?In the allopathic traditional world, you?re looking at a 10-minute visit that just doesn?t provide an ample amount of time to address prevention other than say, ?Okay, it?s time for your mammo, time for your PSA, time for your colonoscopy.? And that?s about all they?re able to tackle.? (05:46 | Dr. Fred Grover Jr.) ?With an improved healthspan, cognitively, people are on their game. They?re in flow with their business. They?re able to be much more productive.? (06:28 | Dr. Fred Grover Jr.) ?Wellness is just critically important because medical science has delivered a number of great innovations that have allowed us to live longer and really long, potentially fulfilling lives. But because of a lot of our unhealthy lifestyles, we?re living a lot of our end of our years in a very debilitated state. And the only way we can really counteract that is through proactive medicine and proactively taking care of ourselves.? (03:02 | Steve Pinedo) ?What are those numbers that you manage your health to? And what are those key performance indicators for your health, for cardiovascular health, for body composition? What is your percentage of muscle? What is your percentage of fat? How are they changing over time? So you have to sort of think about this more systematically about what those numbers are, and then work with a team to think about what are the modalities that you can employ and control to address those.? (11:30 | Steve Pinedo)

Links

Connect with Steve Pinedo and Dr. Fred Grover Jr., MD:

https://www.philongevity.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond: