Anything But Typical

Discover the story of Mark McLean’s impressive journey from early influences to leading a multi-billion-dollar company. Learn how culture, relationships, humility, and strategic growth propel organizations through transitions and challenges.

Main topics:

Building a career in insurance and financial services, rooted in mentorship and family lessons

Navigating growth: from founding to billion-dollar company, merger, and acquisitions

The importance of company culture, relationships, and core values in long-term success

Personal resilience through life's challenges including health, family, and entrepreneurial pivots

Timestamps:

00:00 - Defining what takes Mark McLean out in public

00:29 - Interests beyond work: sports, golf, and family

01:54 - The role of sports and family fun in shaping his values

02:40 - Favorite golf locations and social activities

03:10 - Humble introduction and the significance of titles

04:13 - Career overview: from Senior Managing Principal to Senior VP

06:46 - The importance of faith, family, and friendships in reputation

07:49 - The influence of Jeff Warner and mentorship connections

08:42 - Early motivations: lessons from family and mentors

09:30 - Growing up in Florence, South Carolina, and early career influences

11:12 - College journey, changing majors, and love for insurance

12:42 - Industry insights: relationship building, trust, and reputation

15:36 - Industry trends, industry change, and mentorship in risk management

17:45 - Industry challenges, trust, and business growth

20:04 - Licensing, early sales experiences, and building business foundations

22:02 - The role of creativity and relationship management in success

23:11 - Industry evolution and personal insights into trend anticipation

24:46 - Handling life’s challenges, family, and career pivots

25:36 - The importance of good culture and team alignment

27:24 - Transition from employment to entrepreneurship: the leap into owning and growing businesses

32:51 - Building Turnkey Benefits, sale, and subsequent ventures

36:16 - Growth from 25 to 170 employees, industry innovation

40:54 - Navigating partnership changes, relationships, and success

44:11 - Transition into digital organizations, culture, and values

50:46 - Building a unified message, controlling quality and trust

54:45 - Personal experiences: family, loss, and professional resilience

56:55 - Adapting to industry and market changes post-Obamacare

58:26 - Balancing growth, personal life, and company focus

62:22 - About joining One Digital, the corporate culture, and long-term vision

66:00 - The role of private equity, strategic capital, and maintaining independence

70:01 - The secret sauce: company culture as a competitive advantage

73:51 - Leadership values: integrity, humility, and people first

77:08 - The importance of intentional culture, talented leadership, and long-term vision

78:45 - Family, blended families, and parenting insights about nurturing strong values

79:03 - Final thoughts — being discerning, strategic, and building legacy

Resources:

Connect with Mark McLean

OneDigital

In this episode, Stacey Brown Randall shares her inspiring journey from business failures to becoming a trusted referral expert, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and intentional branding. Discover her tactics for building meaningful relationships, protecting your IP in the age of AI, and shifting the traditional mindset around referrals.

Key topics:

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome & Stacey’s background: from embarrassment to branding

02:07 – What others might say about Stacey at her kids’ baseball game

03:29 – The importance of being on brand and intentional with style choices

04:34 – Stacey’s book: Generating Business Referrals Without Asking & Referable Client Experience

05:49 – The pivotal moment: learning from her first business failure

06:46 – The evolution from corporate America back to entrepreneurship

07:16 – Why entrepreneurship is in her blood and the desire for control and freedom

08:32 – How Stacey’s lifestyle aligns with her brand values

09:23 – Defining success beyond revenue: family, fulfillment, and authenticity

10:13 – The yearly reset ritual to realign goals and priorities

11:12 – How setbacks and life surprises shape her resilience and business approach

12:26 – The importance of understanding your true “why”

13:51 – Navigating businessduring life changes and market shifts 14:19 – Developing her core strategies: referrals, client experience, and new client acquisition

15:50 – Lessons from her first HR consulting firm & the value of scaling

16:47 – Why she returned to corporate America before launching her second business

17:13 – Recognizing opportunity in necessity & the power of strategic niche selection

18:55 – Building a productivity coaching business through genuine relationships

20:19 – Transitioning into her current focus: referral systems and relationship building

22:08 – Overcoming the early hype and misconceptions around referrals

23:29 – The three-legged stool approach: referrals as a separate, relationship-based pillar

24:54 – Humanizing referral conversations and avoiding gimmicks

26:16 – Tracking referral sources accurately and avoiding self-referrals

27:57 – Finding your niche and leveraging your personal network for referrals

29:26 – Creating scalable programs that meet clients where they are

30:56 – Adjusting business models based on market preferences

32:41 – Protecting your IP in a digital age & AI considerations

36:46 – Authentic connection strategies: permission, intentionality, and specificity

38:19 – The evolution of her business offerings & online vs. in-person strategies

41:23 – Teaching clients how to get referrals without asking directly

44:47 – Moving away from traditional “ask for referrals” tactics

47:31 – Reframing referrals as part of the core relationship-building process

49:35 – The “Go-Giver” mindset & serving genuinely for the long term results

51:52 – Strategic introductions & the importance of context & permission

54:36 – How true referrals differ from word-of-mouth buzz or accidental introductions

56:08 – The importance of data in understanding referral dynamics

57:23 – Overcoming objections to referral strategies and unlearning misconceptions

58:52 – The influence of books and podcasts on long-term trust-building

62:19 – Planning future content and strategic themes for ongoing growth

63:21 – The process of writing her latest book & foundational referral strategies

66:01 – Combining book, podcast, and relationship-building for sustained growth

67:32 – Diversifying client acquisition channels to reduce risk

68:22 – The “why” behind her entrepreneurial drive: from freedom to meaningful impact

70:49 – Lessons from setbacks: blessings in disguise and resilience

73:00 – Protecting your business in the AI era: authentic human connection matters

76:21 – Ensuring confidentiality & IP protection in today’s digital world

77:55 – The future of AI: leveraging tools without compromising core values

78:48 – The irreplaceable role of human emotion & intuition

79:33 – Final thoughts & how to connect with Stacey

Resources & Links:

Generating Business Referrals Without Asking by Stacey Brown Randall

Referable Client Experience by Stacey Brown Randall

Roadmap to Referrals Podcast

Stacey Brown Randall on LinkedIn

Stacey’s Website

In this episode, hosts sit down with Stephen Phelan, Chief Spiritual Integration Officer at Faith-Driven Entrepreneur, to unpack a powerful idea: what if business wasn’t just about profit—but about people?

Stephen shares the story behind Movement Mortgage and how a bold vision during the 2008 financial crisis led to a company built on love, purpose, and impact. From redefining leadership to transforming communities through education and service, this conversation challenges the way we think about success in business.

If you’ve ever wondered how faith, purpose, and entrepreneurship can actually work together—this one hits deep.

Brief summary of show:

Jamie Ledford, President of Golf Pride, shares his journey from growing up in

Walla Walla, Washington, to leading a global brand. Through stories of farm life, mentorship,

international experiences, and career pivots, Jamie reflects on leadership, humility, and the importance

of people in shaping both personal and professional success. This episode explores how life’s

unexpected turns often lead to the most meaningful opportunities.

Key topics discussed & time stamps:

• Early life in Walla Walla and farm influences (00:08)

• Lessons from Jamie’s grandfather and work ethic (00:10)

• Leadership mindset and desire to lead (00:22)

• Career pivots and unexpected opportunities (00:25)

• International experience in Italy and global perspective (00:32)

• Consulting, Starbucks, and business growth strategies (00:38)

• Transition into Callaway and Golf Pride (00:45)

List of resources mentioned in episode:

• Golf Pride

• AT Kearney Consulting

• Johns Hopkins SAIS

Calls to action:

• Follow the Anything But Typical Podcast

• Share this episode with a friend or colleague

What can Navy SEAL training teach you about leadership, business, and life?

In this episode of Anything But Typical, Gary and Ben sit down with retired Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander Tim Cruickshank, founder of Bone Frog Coffee Company, to break down the mindset, discipline, and team-first philosophy that shaped his journey.

Tim shares how elite military training—including BUD/S and combat deployments—built the mental toughness and adaptability he now uses as an entrepreneur. More importantly, he reveals how his business was born out of a deeper mission: honoring fallen teammates and supporting Gold Star families.

This episode is a powerful conversation on leadership, resilience, entrepreneurship, and what it truly means to put others first—in business, family, and life.

BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training) is one of the most intense military training programs in the world, designed to push candidates mentally and physically. It focuses heavily on teamwork, resilience, and mental endurance, with extremely high attrition rates.

Navy SEALs develop mental toughness by breaking overwhelming challenges into smaller time increments (like 30 seconds at a time), controlling their mindset, and learning to operate under extreme stress and discomfort.

Key leadership lessons include:

Tim’s approach:

A purpose-driven business builds deeper customer loyalty by aligning its mission with impact. In this case, giving back to Gold Star families and honoring fallen heroes creates emotional connection and long-term brand trust.

Navy SEAL mindset, leadership lessons, mental toughness, entrepreneurship journey, purpose-driven business, startup advice, team culture, business leadership, resilience training, Bone Frog Coffee, veteran-owned business

Instagram: @trustbgw

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Calls to action:

“I’ve been poor before. That doesn’t bother me.” – Cathy Maday

“I closed the biggest deal of my life playing Candy Crush on my phone over Zoom… I could do this in my sleep at this point.” — Lauren Goodell

“I’d like people to say this guy lived life with no regrets.” – George El-Hage