What does it actually take to win the "championship" of your life? In this episode, David Zemanek sits down with serial entrepreneur Paul Pluschkell to deconstruct a career built on intense energy, radical unlearning, and a refusal to sacrifice the things that matter most.

Paul isn't your typical tech executive. He’s a builder who admits that if he weren't in software, he’d be a carpenter—someone who finds soul-level satisfaction in looking back at the end of the day to see exactly what he created. From the "back nine" of his career, Paul shares the hard-won wisdom of a life lived at the intersection of high-stakes execution and deep humanity.

• The Family Time Boundary: How Paul structured a decade of his career to pause work every afternoon from 3-6pm to coach his four children, proving that professional success doesn't have to come at the cost of being a present father.

• The Courage to Unlearn: Why the "playbooks" of yesterday are becoming obsolete in the age of AI, and why leaders must be willing to "forget 80% of what they know" to avoid getting "Checked" by the future.

• The Anatomy of a Loss: Why Paul remembers every pitch of a lost World Series game with perfect clarity, and how he uses the pain of failure to fuel a "quick-learning" nature that identifies the truth before it gets expensive.

• Culture is Earned, Not Installed: A raw look at why company culture is simply a reflection of how you act every day, and why there are no shortcuts to building a team that holds up under pressure.

• The Athlete’s DNA: How growing up in team sports taught a self-proclaimed "average athlete" that over-preparation and durability are the ultimate equalizers in any arena.

How To Contact David Z

Website: https://zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

How To Contact Paul

Website: epicdx.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/paulpluschkell

Email: [email protected]

#TheHumanAdvantage #LeadershipIntuition #CreativeLeadership #AuthenticSuccess #HumanityInTech #SerialEntrepreneur #AIEvolution #ProductMarketFit #AgileLearning #TheArchitectMindset #FamilyFirst #WorkLifeIntegration #BuilderMindset

In this powerful and deeply transparent episode, I sit down with Al Adamsen, a trailblazer in People Analytics and the leader of Adaptive Futures. Al shares his remarkable journey from an introverted "lone wolf" to a global voice on employee experience, leadership, and the rapidly evolving future of work.

We dive straight into the pressing realities of the AI revolution, exploring how artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the nature of work and the impending "societal shock" that professionals and business leaders must prepare for over the next decade.

But this conversation goes far beyond corporate strategy. Al opens up about overcoming profound personal trauma, the life-changing impact of deep self-awareness, and how he transformed his pain into a purpose-driven mission: creating safe spaces for people to show up as their best, authentic selves.

Whether you are Fortune 500 exec all the way to solopreneur, Al's practical frameworks on treating emotions as data, mastering your daily energy, and cultivating a bulletproof sleep routine will leave you inspired and ready to take action.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Surviving the AI Societal Shock: Why the workforce needs to brace for massive shifts in employment and how leaders can responsibly integrate AI without spreading fear.

• Energy as Your North Star: Practical ways to build elasticity into your day, ruthlessly cut out energy drains like commuting, and find your optimal flow state in nature.

• Modern Stoicism: Why the popular advice to "trust your gut" is flawed, and how to use your emotions as valuable data rather than the ultimate decision-maker.

• Healing Through Serving: Al’s incredibly vulnerable story of transforming severe trauma into a career dedicated to compassion, empathy, and elevating the human experience at work.

• Mastering the Bookends of Your Day: The exact morning and evening habits—including a strict, technology-free sleep sanctuary—that fuel sustainable high performance.

How To Contact David Z

Website: https://zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

How To Contact Al

Website: aladamsen.com

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

Email: [email protected]

Hashtags:

#FutureOfWork #PeopleAnalytics #ArtificialIntelligence #LeadershipDevelopment #EnergyManagement #EmployeeExperience #HRTech #Stoicism #MindfulLeadership #MentalHealthAtWork #CareerGrowth

In this episode, we dive deep into the career of David Sherwin, a renowned graphic designer, UX design leader, and author of the best-selling book Creative Workshop. David shares his transition from editorial publishing to user experience (UX) design at leading innovation firms like frog, and major companies like LinkedIn, offering a masterclass in how to stay curious and committed to your craft over decades.

Key Topics Covered:

• The Pull vs. Push Career Path: Why being "yanked" into leadership roles often requires a radical shift in skill sets—moving from delivering design to operating a company.

• The Art of Feedback & Critique: Why building an "etiquette" for receiving client feedback is critical for ensuring the quality of your work.

• Building High-Performing Teams: Insights into David’s work with his partner, Mary Sherwin, on design collaboration, culture work, and their toolkit, Team Words, designed to turn groups into cohesive teams.

• Future of Design & AI: David discusses the human "edge" in artificial intelligence, specifically how humans excel at pre-visualization and intentionality while AI handles lower-order tasks.

• Overcoming Limiting Beliefs: A candid look at David’s journey through long COVID, relearning cognitive skills, and finding a sustainable balance between consulting, mentorship, and art.

Whether you are a senior designer looking to move into management, an entrepreneur planning your first startup runway, or a creative professional interested in sustainability and mission-critical health systems, this episode provides the roadmap for a meaningful, impact-driven career.

How To Contact David Z

Website: https://zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

How To Contact David S

Website: https://askthesherwins.com

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

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, we dive deep into the career of David Sherwin, a renowned graphic designer, UX design leader, and author of the best-selling book Creative Workshop. David shares his transition from editorial publishing to user experience (UX) design at leading innovation firms like frog, and major companies like LinkedIn, offering a masterclass in how to stay curious and committed to your craft over decades.

Key Topics Covered:

• The Pull vs. Push Career Path: Why being "yanked" into leadership roles often requires a radical shift in skill sets—moving from delivering design to operating a company.

• The Art of Feedback & Critique: Why building an "etiquette" for receiving client feedback is critical for ensuring the quality of your work.

• Building High-Performing Teams: Insights into David’s work with his partner, Mary Sherwin, on design collaboration, culture work, and their toolkit, Team Words, designed to turn groups into cohesive teams.

• Future of Design & AI: David discusses the human "edge" in artificial intelligence, specifically how humans excel at pre-visualization and intentionality while AI handles lower-order tasks.

• Overcoming Limiting Beliefs: A candid look at David’s journey through long COVID, relearning cognitive skills, and finding a sustainable balance between consulting, mentorship, and art.

Whether you are a senior designer looking to move into management, an entrepreneur planning your first startup runway, or a creative professional interested in sustainability and mission-critical health systems, this episode provides the roadmap for a meaningful, impact-driven career.

Successful careers are built on successful systems, successful mindsets, and the ability for us to take care of the first and most important relationship - the one we have with ourselves.

Andrew Hartman, Founder and CEO of Time Boss doesn't just deliver success for his clients, his helps them find the peace of mind to excel at their best.

This episode is a must for anyone trapped in the cycle of believing they have to do and deliver everything to the point of burnout. Andrew's story is a hero's journey of taking back ownership of time and also our own peace of mind.

How To Contact David

Website: https://zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

How To Contact Andrew

Website: https://timeboss.us

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

Email: [email protected]

A look into the mindset of an Ironman triathlete and entrepreneur, and why Bruce views failure as a "natural part of life" and a prerequisite for success.

Bruce Sinclair specializes in helping private equity firms and companies increase their value through the strategic application of AI. Bruce recently finished a new book focused on AI for executives and investment professionals, and is the author of IoT Inc.

How To Contact David

Website: https://zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

How To Contact Bruce

Website: https://aioperatingpartners.ai/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-a-sinclair/

Email: [email protected]

In a landscape crowded with theorists, Jeff Roberts brings a track record of real impact. Jeff founded the firm after five tenures as a mid-market CIO.  In total across three decades of IT leadership, he has led dozens of M&A transactions and digital transformations, turning IT organizations into profit centers. Named an Exceptional Leader to Follow in Innovation, he has mentored over 20 future C-level executives.

Jeff and I discuss his path from corporate to forming his own venture.

How To Contact David

Website: https://zenten.io

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

Email: [email protected]

How To Contact Jeff

Website: https://innovationvista.com

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

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, I 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

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]