Today, I’m sitting down with Mark Fithian and Jeff Rosenberg, the founders of Wide Open, a consultancy built to solve the hardest problems in customer experience.

Their story is a masterclass in what I call the 'Inside Game'. Mark and Jeff made the decision to leave the corporate track under circumstances that would make most people freeze: Mark was in his early 40s, had just bought a house, and had a new child at home.

But they realized that staying safe meant misaligning with who they were. In our conversation, Mark mentions that if his kids sat in on a business meeting today, they would actually recognize him. Their values aren't just 'stage props'—they are the engine of their business.

And that integrity has a massive ROI. Because they focused on maximizing client success rather than just dollars , they’ve reached a point where they spend almost no time looking for the next project—their clients simply keep bringing them new problems to solve.

We also discuss how their differences as partners gave them the confidence to strike out on their own, and their principles for integrating AI into customer-facing solutions.

It’s time to answer the call

How To Contact Mark and Jeff

Website: https://www.thisiswideopen.com/

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

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

Email: [email protected] [email protected]

How To Contact David

Website: www.zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

Today, I’m sitting down with Mark Fithian and Jeff Rosenberg, the founders of Wide Open, a consultancy built to solve the hardest problems in customer experience.

Their story is a masterclass in what I call the 'Inside Game'. Mark and Jeff made the decision to leave the corporate track under circumstances that would make most people freeze: Mark was in his early 40s, had just bought a house, and had a new child at home.

But they realized that staying safe meant misaligning with who they were. In our conversation, Mark mentions that if his kids sat in on a business meeting today, they would actually recognize him. Their values aren't just 'stage props'—they are the engine of their business.

And that integrity has a massive ROI. Because they focused on maximizing client success rather than just dollars , they’ve reached a point where they spend almost no time looking for the next project—their clients simply keep bringing them new problems to solve.

We also discuss how their differences as partners gave them the confidence to strike out on their own, and their principles for integrating AI into customer-facing solutions.

It’s time to answer the call

How To Contact Mark and Jeff

Website: https://www.thisiswideopen.com/

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

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

Email: [email protected] [email protected]

How To Contact David

Website: www.zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, we sit down with Joe Budzinski, founder of Sales Nimbus, to trace his fascinating journey from a classically trained musician to a tech entrepreneur building his own SaaS platform.

Joe shares how the discipline of the viola and the grit of door-to-door sales shaped his unique approach to business leadership and innovation.

Joe discusses his early life in music, specifically how learning the viola—a "slow learning curve instrument"—taught him that getting 1% better each week compounds over time. He draws a parallel between the iterative process of rehearsing music and the Agile methodology used in software development.

Grit and The School of Hard Knocks: After pivoting away from a pre-med path, Joe cut his teeth doing commission-only, door-to-door sales in tough Philadelphia neighborhoods. He explains how facing rejection, "eating what you kill," and navigating dangerous areas taught him resilience and how to build a team.

Corporate Lessons & Agile Transformation: Joe details his transition to the corporate world at IBM, where he moved from being a "rule follower" to embracing Agile methodology. He compares his traditional "classical" mindset to discovering the "jazz" of Agile working styles, which transformed how he approaches productivity and leadership.

The Entrepreneurial Trap: Now the founder of Sales Nimbus, a digital marketing agency for tech startups, Joe opens up about the common trap of founders trying to do everything themselves. He shares how he is currently pivoting from a service-based agency to building Nimbus OS, an automated "CMO in a box" SaaS product designed to solve scalable marketing challenges

How To Contact Joe

Website: https://salesnimbus.com/

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

Email: [email protected]

How To Contact David

Website: www.zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

Today, I’m sitting down with Mark Fithian and Jeff Rosenberg, the founders of Wide Open, a consultancy built to solve the hardest problems in customer experience.

Their story is a masterclass in what I call the 'Inside Game'. Mark and Jeff made the decision to leave the corporate track under circumstances that would make most people freeze: Mark was in his early 40s, had just bought a house, and had a new child at home.

But they realized that staying safe meant misaligning with who they were. In our conversation, Mark mentions that if his kids sat in on a business meeting today, they would actually recognize him. Their values aren't just 'stage props'—they are the engine of their business.

And that integrity has a massive ROI. Because they focused on maximizing client success rather than just dollars , they’ve reached a point where they spend almost no time looking for the next project—their clients simply keep bringing them new problems to solve.

We also discuss how their differences as partners gave them the confidence to strike out on their own, and their principles for integrating AI into customer-facing solutions.

It’s time to answer the call

In today's episode, we dive into the creative journey of Aric Cheston, a designer and artist from Austin, Texas. 

What is most amazing about Aric, and I’ve known him for over a decade, is that Aric is so committed to his internal scorecard in making career decisions that continuously favor excitement and enjoyment over money. 

There’s always a lot we can learn about ourselves from what excites us during our formative years, and Aric shares his childhood passion for world-building with action figures, which laid the foundation for his career in design. 

We'll explore his pivotal moments, from working with BMW to embracing the convergence of art and technology. Like some other designers I know, Aric has jumped into AI coding with both feet. In this episode, he gives us his insights on the future of education with AI, and shares how AI closes the gaps to allow those with creativity to move faster from idea to implementation to bring their visions and ideas to life. 

Connect with Aric:

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

How To Contact David

Website: www.zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, we sit down with Dave Scott, a veteran product leader and "adrenaline junkie" who walked away from a comfortable corporate executive career to reclaim his professional agency. Dave shares how he broke out of the "execution trap" to pursue fractional consulting, mountain bike racing, and authoring his upcoming book, Product at a Distance.

• Escaping the Execution Trap: Dave explains how senior roles often shift from high-level problem solving to mere execution and politics, prompting his need for a "mental shake-up".
• The "Multiple Lives" Philosophy: Embracing the idea that life is too short to stay on one path; Dave advocates for "scaring yourself" by pivoting into new industries and challenges.
• Product at a Distance: Insight into Dave’s upcoming book, which provides frameworks for making distributed product teams operate as if they are co-located.
• The Power of Agency: Why having the courage to "pick the fork in the road" leads to deeper professional satisfaction and even "unexpected happiness" in daily life.
• AI as a Thought Partner: How Dave uses a suite of AI tools to research, build his business, and even design his website at 10x speed.

Dave discusses his framework for a centered life, which requires three critical anchors:

1. Mental Challenge: Solving problems where you don't yet know the path from A to B.
2. Physical Challenge: Pushing boundaries through endurance sports like mountain bike racing and skiing.
3. Spiritual Balance: Finding a centering practice—whether through meditation or community—to anchor your decisions.

Dave Scott is a product executive with over 20 years of experience at companies ranging from Intuit to seed-funded startups. He is a former leader at the global innovation firm Frog Design and currently serves as a fractional consultant and author.

Connect with Dave: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Dave Scott - Bay Area Software Executive

How To Contact David

Website: www.zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

Opening music is Flowers Shower by Devakant. You can hear this and more music by Devakant on Spotity.

Today’s guest is Karena Bell, Founder and CEO of Profitlinz, a boutique, specialized, global advisory firm that helps mid-sized and large enterprises unlock hidden profits, boost efficiency, and leverage AI for measurable results. 

In this conversation, Karena shares her transformative journey from a corporate career to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, creativity, and resilience.

Karena discusses the role of mentorship, the impact of AI on business, and the necessity of fostering a culture of feedback and collaboration. Karena highlights the significance of intuition in decision-making and the value of building a community of fellow business owners. Karena also shares advice for navigating a successful journey.

How To Contact Karena

Website: Https://ProfitLinz.com

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

Email: Karena@ ProfitLinz.com

How To Contact David

Website: www.zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

The intro song is Flowers Shower by Devakant and is available to listen in full on Spotify

Todays guest is Doug Fritz, Founder and Executive Chairman of F2 Strategy. In this conversation, Doug shares his life journey from a challenging childhood labeled as learning disabled to becoming a successful entrepreneur and co-founder of F2 Strategy. He discusses how he relied on his own resilience, adaptability, and the support of his parents in shaping his confidence to create his own journey to success.

Doug reflects on his experiences in Russia, the challenges he faced in New York, and how a move to San Francisco transformed his outlook. He elaborates on the journey of finding the sweet spot for F2, the importance of building a team of experts, and the values that underpin his success. You’ll also hear about the magic of table 15 at Ozumo restaurant in San Francisco. 

Doug concludes with advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in pursuing their passions and the value in embracing the journey of self-discovery.

How To Contact Doug

Website: www.zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

How To Contact David

Website: www.zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

The opening song, Flowers Shower, is by Devakant whose music you can find on Spotify.