10 Lessons Learned

10 Lessons Learned (Part 2) with Ali Parnian: Leadership Burdens, Building Community, and Starting with Impact

In part two of Ali Parnian’s 10 Lessons Learned, Ali and the host discuss lessons six through ten: how the most capable leaders often feel isolated and quietly carry heavy burdens, including caregiving for aging parents and family entitlement to money, and how a “know-it-all” persona can limit growth and innovation. Ali shares how humanity advances when exceptional, purpose-driven people find each other, and explains that if you can’t find the community you need, you can build it—drawing from his experience creating diverse music events and later curating a giver-minded network of accomplished, humble “human unicorns.” They emphasize replacing judgment with curiosity, shaped by Ali’s experience as an immigrant, and conclude that starting with the impact you want to create leads to sustainable success. Ali also shares ImpactDelivered.com and details a Human Unicorn Summit in Arizona on May 13.

Episode Notes

00:27 Part 2: Welcome Back

00:43 Lesson 6: The Strongest Leaders Often Carry the Heaviest Burdens

05:27 Lesson 7: Humanity Advances When Exceptional People Find Each Other

07:16 Lesson 8: If You Can't Find the Community You Need, Build It

15:02 Lesson 9: Don't Judge, Get Curious

20:30 Lesson 10: Start With the Impact. Success Always Follows

23:16 Outro & Credits

Host Diana White interviews Ali Parnian, founder of ImpactDelivered, who shares his background from investment banking to DJing, helpinggrow his family’s business, and later consulting leaders on scalingorganizations. Reflecting on what he’d tell his 30-year-old self, Aliemphasizes living with more balance and not taking work so seriously. Heexplains Lesson 1, “money replenishes, time does not,” describing how realizinghe had limited summers left with his kids pushed him to prioritize experiences overincome and status. In Lesson 2, he argues most leaders have a business strategybut no life strategy, and encourages building life first and designing abusiness to support it. Lessons 3–5 define success as control of your time withthe people you choose, distinguish money from freedom, and frame health andrelationships as the highest-compounding investments. The episode ends byteasing Part 2.00:00 Part 1- Ali Parnian - Build the community you need00:04 Introduction03:50 Lesson 1: Money Replenishes, Time Does Not10:41 Lesson 2: Build Your Life First, Then Build Your Business18:20 Lesson 3: Success Is Doing What You Want With the People You Want21:58 Lesson 4: Having Money Is Very Different From HavingFreedom22:57 Lesson 5: Health and Relationships Are Your GreatestInvestments

Vincent Van den Broeck shares how surviving a near-fatal accident and coma rebuilt his mindset, resilience, and success.In this episode of 10 Lessons Learned, host Siebe Vanderzee interviews Brussels entrepreneur and restaurateur Vincent Van den Broeck. After surviving a near-fatal collision in October 2024 that resulted in severe fractures and major brain trauma—leaving him in a coma for weeks—Vincent underwent three months of intensive rehabilitation. In this conversation, he details how he transformed a devastating tragedy into a daily mission anchored in perspective, gratitude, disciplined non-negotiables, and mental toughness.Exploring the core principles behind his book, Everything Feels Impossible Until It’s Done, Vincent breaks down practical strategies for personal growth, financial freedom, daily habits, and self-improvement. Discover how to build a resilient mindset, surround yourself with an empowering circle, and construct a life aligned with your true goals—even when facing seemingly impossible obstacles.

Episode Notes

00:00 - Vincent Van den Broeck: Surviving a Near-Fatal Crash

04:50 - Lesson 1: Why Health Is Your Ultimate Foundation

06:43 - Lesson 2: How to Do What Feels Impossible

09:41 - Lesson 3: Stop Finding Yourself—Start Building Yourself

12:17 - Lesson 4: Protecting Your Only Nonrenewable Asset: Time

15:17 - Lesson 5: Financial Freedom & Creating Real Choices

20:01 - Lesson 6: The Circle of People That Shapes Your Destiny

22:50 - Lesson 7: Why Consistency Always Beats Intensity

24:31 - Lesson 8: Shifting Perspective to Overcome Adversity

27:29 - Lesson 9: Finding Deep Purpose Through Service

30:30 - Lesson 10: Designing a Life Aligned With Your True Goals

Host Siebe Vanderzee interviews career strategist Curt Sassak, a former award-winning chef who lived and workedin seven countries and reinvented his life around age 40 after losing passion,feeling bored despite “success on paper,” and turning to excessive alcohol.Curt explains how identity can outlive its usefulness, and how COVID—while he was running a wine and spirits company—pushed him to become “unf*ckwithable” by building skills, hiring coaches, and creating more self-sufficiency. He shareslessons including the Jurassic Park effect (repeating the same career move expecting a different result), the Olive Garden effect (looking polished externally while feeling empty), the Blockbuster Video effect (what made you successful can keep you stuck), treating career transitions like a recipe with interdependent ingredients, and that staying put can be the biggest career risk. He also discusses self-awareness, overthinking, and using AI as a thinking partner rather than for judgment calls.

 00:00 Curt Sassak - Career -WIP

09:15 Lesson 1: The Jurassic Park Effect

11:38 Lesson 2: The Olive Garden Effect

13:21 Lesson 3: The Blockbuster Video Effect

17:13 Lesson 4: The Recipe Effect

24:43 Lesson 5: The Biggest Career Risk

Annet Monster has worked across corporate and government roles in Europe, Africa, and the US for over two decades, developing a deep understanding of how change and culture shape behavior. This experience allows her to support, motivate, and inspire others in meaningful and practical ways.

Two years ago, she started her own business as a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer. She is also a Behavior Change Specialist, and NLP Master Practitioner.Through her work, she guides clients in building sustainable habits that enhance both their health and mindset.

Herapproach blends evidence-based practices with practical, real-life strategies.

Authenticity and a growth mindset are at the heart of how she connects with others, creating environments where people feel empowered to share, collaborate, and grow." 

 Episode Notes

00:00 Annet Monster - The Key To Happiness Is To Detach

06:59 Lesson 1: Respond vs. React

10:42 Lesson 2: Don't Judge, Be Curious

13:50 Lesson 3: When Nothing Goes Right, Go Left

16:33 Lesson 4: When You Learn, Teach

21:05 Lesson 5: No Pain, No Gain

24:06 Lesson 6: Travel, Travel, Travel

28:41 Lesson 7: You Become Who You Surround Yourself With

31:41 Lesson 8: Your Cravings Reveal Something Deeper

34:52 Lesson 9: The Key to Happiness is to Detach

37:14 Lesson 10: Quality of Life = Quality of Thoughts

Host Robert Hossary interviews Matt Formston, a blind Australian surfer, cyclist, author and Order of Australia recipient, about his book “Why Not?” and 10 lessons learned. Matt recounts being diagnosed at age five with macular dystrophy and later struggling through bullying, illness, losing sport, a friend’s suicide, and a decade of rebuilding his identity. He explains key frameworks: using “why not” to break down problems; shifting consciously between strategy and execution; treating values as standards with clear consequences; conducting a confronting “bullshit audit” of unfiltered behaviour; building capacity by choosing the hard way; making the future “already real” through sensory visualization and self-identity; using empathy to understand people without lowering standards; “owning every hat” with focused time and context-specific behaviours anchored by consistent values; separating diversity from inclusion and avoiding quotas; and a trust formula—trust = standards × consistency × time—as both foundation and amplifier of performance.

Episode Notes

00:00 Matt Formston - Why Not?

04:54 Lesson 1: Why Not?

08:09 Lesson 2: Two Gears, One Engine

10:59 Lesson 3: Standards Without Consequences Are Just Wishes

15:36 Lesson 4: The Bullshit Audit

19:46 Lesson 5: The Hard Way Is The Easy Way

22:50 Lesson 6: The Future Is Already Real

27:24 Lesson 7: Empathy Is A Superpower

33:34 Lesson 8: Own Every Hat

39:28 Lesson 9: Diversity And Inclusion Need A Divorce

46:06 Lesson 10: Trust, The Bedrock And The Amplifier

10 Lessons Learned with Zoe Fragou: Negotiation, Strengths, Consistency & Speaking Up

Guest: Zoe Fragou

Zoe Fragou is an Organisational Psychologist with an MSc in Human Resources Management, a clinical psychologist license, a diploma in Business Coaching & Mentorship and a Certificate in Agile Leadership.

At the moment, she is a PhD Candidate at Panteion University and her research is mainly focused on the psychometrics of the corporate culture.

Alongside her academic interests, she is operating professionally in the full spectrum of her science, taking over projects of culture transformation, employee training and development, business coaching, personal branding, public speaking, and writing, for both private and corporate clients globally.

 Zoe shares her 10 lessons: everything is a negotiation; everyone is a mess; focus on strengths; don’t swipe issues under the carpet; pettiness stalls careers; be the person you needed when younger, including negotiating harder and addressing the pay gap; connections matter; stop starting and start finishing; consistency is showing up; and always be the last to speak. She emphasizes speaking up clearly about needs and learning from every conversation. 00:00 Zoe Fragou - Stop starting, start finishing05:56 Lesson 1: Everything is a negotiation08:04 Lesson 2: Everyone is a mess. Some hide it better11:12 Lesson 3: Focus on your strength15:39 Lesson 4: Don't sweep it under the carpet19:00 Lesson 5: Pettiness stalls your career20:51 Affiliate Break20:51 Lesson 6: Be the person you needed when you were younger26:37 Lesson 7: All we have is the connections that we make28:24 Lesson 8: Stop starting and start finishing31:05 Lesson 9: Consistency is about showing up32:11 Lesson 10: Always be the last one to speak

About Conan Higgins

Dr. Higgins is an international business attorney, crisis leadership consultant, and Amazon #1 Bestselling author who has spent his career operating where most people only theorize.

Before embarking on his illustrious academic journey, Conan served as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller with U.S. Air Force Special Operations—including parachuting into enemy-held territory in Iraq—earning two Bronze Stars for Valor across combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. After more than 25 years of military service, he became a Washington State Trooper and SWAT team leader before transitioning to international crisis management, where he oversaw projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars across six continents, from the Middle East and Eastern Europe to West Africa and Latin America.

Today, Conan serves as President and General Counsel of TSI Legal Enterprises, advising clients on complex international transactions, defense contracting, and export control compliance. He has consulted for the Government of Qatar, contributed to the World Bank/IMF's "Doing Business" report covering 189 economies, and held leadership positions in the American Bar Association's international law committees. His book, The Maverick's Blueprint: Crisis Leadership for an Unstable World, distills decades of operational experience into practical frameworks for leaders facing high-stakes decisions. He also writes the Princess Gumdrop children's book series—proof that even operators have a softer side.

Episode Notes

00:00 Conan J. Higgins - WIP

10:17 Lesson 1: The Signal Was Always There

14:10 Lesson 2: The Plan Dies on First Contact

15:59 Lesson 3: Calm Is Contagious

17:31 Lesson 4: Crisis Does Not Build Character

18:59 Lesson 5: Decide Who You Are Before the Phone Rings

23:03 Lesson 6: Give People a Job

27:45 Lesson 7: Train for the Day, Not for the Drill

31:24 Lesson 8: Relationships Are the Only Currency That Compounds

34:20 Lesson 9: Read the Room Before You Read the Brief

36:17 Lesson 10: Authority Is Not the Same as Judgment

About Elena Colmenero

Elena Colmenero is a People & Culture executive, organizational transformation leader and executive mentor with more than 25 years of international experience helping leaders, teams and organizations navigate growth, reinvention and change.

As leaders move into bigger roles with larger budgets and responsibilities, they can become increasingly disconnected from what’s really happening on the front line and across the organization. The speaker explains how executives often receive filtered or biased perspectives from a shrinking circle of trust, losing a true pulse on both business and organizational realities. They argue it’s strategically valuable to stay connected at all levels—listening directly to people and hearing what they have to say—because many insights gained from lengthy HR surveys could be learned quickly through simple conversations. Maintaining open ears, an open mind, and relationships throughout the organization provides practical insight, new ideas, and meaningful perspective that goes beyond merely addressing internal “noise.”

Episode Notes

00:00 Intro

07:57 Lesson 1: The People Are the Work

11:48 Lesson 2: Stop Talking, Start Hearing

14:33 Lesson 3: Loyalty Is Not Obedience

19:08 Lesson 4: Talent Needs Witnesses

22:17 Lesson 5: Authentic Doesn't Mean Unfiltered

27:17 Lesson 6: Power Does Not Change People, It Reveals Them

31:46 Lesson 7: The Climb Doesn't End When You Reach the Top

36:23 Lesson 8: Not Every Promotion Is Progress

38:54 Lesson 9: History Is Borrowed Experience

42:49 Lesson 10: Impact Is Not What You Control

About Our Hosts

Diana White has over 30 years in sales and retail experience, leading stores with revenues of over 10 million and a staff of 200. Consumer psychology, marketing, operations, and leadership are just a few of her skillsets. Seeing a need for startup and operations assistance within the local business community, Diana established D.E.W. Business Solutions, LLC, to provide consulting to small businesses. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Small Business Administration from Northern Arizona University, holds a green belt in Lean Six Sigma, and is a certified Agile Scrum Master. She is committed to helping businesses and non-profits as well as the community at large.

Siebe Van Der Zee is President of Vanderzee & Associates, Executive Search & Coaching. He has served as an international management consultant for over 25 years. For 28 years, Siebe has served as Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Arizona. He holds a Master's Degree in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management and he is a current member of the International Leadership Council at GPEC (Greater Phoenix Economic Council).

Robert Hossary has been involved in the not for profit/charity sector for the past 12 years. Robert also has an excellent knowledge in international business. Since 2011 - 2018, Robert was the General Manager for the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (AmCham) and helped advise many Australian and US companies about their international expansion requirements. Prior to that, Robert was Regional Vice President for the Americas for a technology manufacturer. He has also worked in Taiwan with responsibility for Asia Pacific and the Middle East. With a background in Technology, Transport, Fashion and Healthcare, Robert has a wealth of experience to share.

Episode notes:

00:00 Special - International Lessons

00:21 Introduction

02:33 Guests' International Backgrounds

08:04 Biggest Challenges Working Abroad

16:14 What Is Culture?

17:45 Accepting an International Position

21:29 Family Considerations

26:56 Being a Citizen of the World

30:04 Empathy Through Cross-Cultural Experience

36:22 How to Acclimate to a Dominant Culture

42:48 Final Advice & Takeaways