The most repeated advice in entrepreneurship is wrong. Ryan Hanley built the fastest-growing small commercial insurance agency in the country, sold it for 8 figures in under two years, and says attaching your identity to your work isn't the problem — it's the only reason you'll ever build something worth keeping.

Ryan breaks down why the "stay balanced, don't tie your identity to your business" narrative is what keeps most people soft and mediocre — and why the emotional extremes of building something real are a signal, not a warning. He shares the exact moment a PE firm called him into a meeting and shut down his entire business overnight, firing 24 of his 26 employees on the spot while the agency was doing $500K in sales that same month. He explains the "Reality OS" — the system he uses with clients to strip out beliefs, feelings, and best practices and let actual results dictate every decision. And he makes the case that "act as if" — borrowed from Jordan Peterson — is the most practical identity framework for any ambitious person who doesn't feel like the version of themselves they're trying to become yet.

Connect with Ryan Hanley:

• Website: ryanhanley.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan_hanley/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanhanley/
• Podcast: ryanhanley.com

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John Elbing is a business storytelling consultant and the creator of the Storybuilding method. He helps organizations flip the script by building their brand story from the customer’s standpoint rather than from inside the organization. He works with leadership and marketing teams to align messaging, sharpen positioning, and make marketing decisions easier. He is the bestselling author of Storybuilding, a practical book that gives teams clear tools to create stories that truly resonate.

John's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elbing/

John's Website: https://standpoint.ch

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Katie Anderson is a global leadership consultant, keynote speaker, and award-winning author who helps leaders elevate people, align with purpose, and build cultures of continuous learning that drive innovation and sustainable performance.

She is the author of the Shingo Award-winning international bestseller Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn and host of the transformational leadership podcast Chain of Learning®.

A Stanford graduate and Fulbright Scholar, she has lived and worked across seven countries, including 18 months in Japan learning from Toyota leaders. Katie has inspired tens of thousands of leaders across 20+ countries to lead with intention, develop capability, and create cultures where both people and performance flourish.

Websites: KBJAnderson.com, ChainOfLearning.com, LI https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson/

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Buy my new book: https://www.elangelfand.com/talkdeeper

John O’Sullivan is the founder of Changing the Game Project and co-host of the Way of Champions Podcast, a leading coaching and leadership show with hundreds of episodes and millions of downloads. A former Fordham University soccer captain and professional player with the Wilmington Hammerheads, he has coached at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels and now works with athletes of all ages in Bend, Oregon. Through bestselling books such as Changing the Game, Every Moment Matters, The Champion Teammate, The Champion Sports Parent, and Is It Wise to Specialize?, as well as his widely viewed TEDx talk “Changing the Game in Youth Sports,” John has become one of the most influential voices in rethinking youth sports around joy, development, and character. He has advised organizations such as the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, US Soccer, USA Swimming, Ireland Rugby, and the Australian National Rugby League, and in 2025 he testified before the U.S. House of Representatives on the crisis in American youth sports. Today, through his speaking, online courses, and Way of Champions coach certification, John helps parents, coaches, and leaders build transformational environments that put the needs of children back at the center of sport.

In this episode, John and I talk all about best practices for maximizing the success of athletes, how the best athletes think, how the best athletes act, and everything in between.

Changing the Game Project: https://changingthegameproject.com/dt_team/john-osullivan/?utm_source=chatgpt.comWay of Champions Podcast:https://changingthegameproject.com/podcast/

Shawn Dill is an entrepreneur, author, and business coach who helps service-based professionals grow and scale their businesses. He is the CEO of The Specific Chiropractic Centers and co-author of the bestselling book None of Your Business. Shawn is also a sought-after speaker focused on business growth, leadership, and mindset.

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Lisa Bodell, CEO of FutureThink and bestselling author of Kill the Company and Why Simple Wins, inspires leaders to transform work to unlock true potential and find deeper fulfillment.

Ranked among the Top 50 Speakers Worldwide, she motivates over 100,000 people a year across organizations like Google, Citi, and Novartis. With her bold, no-nonsense approach to simplification, Lisa delivers radical insights and actionable tools to fuel extraordinary success.

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Mick is the host of the #2 podcast on Apple Podcasts, Mick Unplugged. It's top 1 in education and self-improvement. 28,000+ 5-star reviews on Spotify. He averages over 1,000,000 plays/month. He is a leader, CEO, author, and visionary. In this episode we talk about leading, what it means to be a leader, what Mick means by modern leadership, and much, much more.

FOLLOW MICK ON: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mickunplugged/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MickUnpluggedPodcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/ Website: https://www.mickhuntofficial.com Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/

[00:00] Introduction and Mick's achievements [02:15] The essence of good leadership: Presence and understanding [05:30] The importance of consistency and discipline [08:45] Leadership fundamentals vs. nuance [12:00] Embracing the mundane for success [15:20] Building systems and processes [18:45] The role of mindset in achieving success [22:00] Modern leadership vs. traditional leadership [25:30] Key actions to become a world-class leader [28:45] Book recommendations for aspiring leaders [31:00] Mick's upcoming book and its insights [34:15] Encouraging open communication and feedback [37:30] Closing thoughts and where to find Mick online

#Leadership #ModernLeadership #Podcast #MickHunt

Matt is the CEO of Modern Health, a mental health benefits company valued at $1.1 Billion. Matt has more than twenty years of leadership experience across the benefits, health insurance, health technology, and business services sectors. His expertise spans corporate development, strategic planning, and the development and execution of growth strategies. Matt is deeply passionate about his work and has a distinguished track record of building companies into industry leaders.

Check out our first episode! ⁠Click Here ⁠

Gary Schoeniger, author, entrepreneur, and speaker, is a global leader in entrepreneurial mindset education and professional development.

As the founder and CEO of the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative, he co-developed the Ice House Entrepreneurial Mindset Programs, recognized by the UN, Vatican, and European Commission. Gary co-authored Who Owns the Ice House? Eight Life Lessons from an Unlikely Entrepreneur, an international bestseller, and his latest book is The Entrepreneurial Mindset Advantage. His work emphasizes redefining entrepreneurship by focusing on mindset and behaviors that unlock human potential, making entrepreneurship accessible to diverse communities worldwide.

Phil Daru is a world renowned strength and conditioning coach and is the founder of Daru Strong, a brand dedicated to helping one’s performance, life, longevity, personal growth, and becoming the best versions of themselves. For years, Phil has worked with some of the most elite athletes and fighters in the world such as: Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Dustin Poirier, Jr. Dos Santos, King Mo Lawal, Tecia Torres, Colby Covington and over 80 Pro fighters each week. Phil’s resume also includes World renowned celebrities, NFL players, World Champion Boxers, UFC fighters and Olympic athletes. For over 10 years, Phil has been training the top athletes because of his ability to improve performance such as power, strength, speed, agility, mobility, and endurance.His resume includes World renowned celebrities, NFL players, World Champion Boxers, UFC fighters and Olympic athletes. When it comes to combat sports training along with strength and conditioning, Phil is truly the best in the industry.  Phil and his methodologies have been seen on ESPN, Fox Sports, The Luke Thomas Podcast, Spike TV, The Schmo, Fighters Only Magazine, UFC embedded, Mark Bell’s Power Podcast, Espn +, Elliott Hulse’s Strength Camp, The NFL Network, Joe Defranco’s Industrial Podcast Show and in many books around the world. By watching, listening and following Phil’s training methods, you will be able to truly dominate all of your training goals at the most elite level.