Beyond the Draft

Daniel Alfon has been on LinkedIn since February 2004 and has trained thousands of entrepreneurs and podcast hosts on how to use the platform authentically. He's the author of Build a LinkedIn Profile for Business Success.

In this episode, Daniel explains why a smaller, more intentional network often outperforms a bigger one, why exposure on LinkedIn is overrated, and what business owners over 40 get wrong when they chase what's popular instead of what's actually right for their business.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. Why "reduce your network" can triple your net worth
2. Why exposure is overrated on LinkedIn
3. What to measure instead of follower count
4. Common mistakes entrepreneurs over 40 make on LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH DANIEL ALFON:

Website: danielalfon.com

After twenty years in the pharmaceutical industry, Dave Gulas co-founded EZDC 3PL, a logistics company built on personalized service and speed. He also hosts the Beyond Fulfillment Podcast.

In this episode, Dave shares the moment he knew he was ready to build something of his own, why founder-led selling builds trust that scaled sales teams often can't, and how messy action beats waiting for a perfect plan.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

Leaving a twenty-year pharma career to build EZDC 3PL

Why founder-led selling builds real trust

Competing with big-box logistics through responsiveness

Lessons from hosting his own podcast

CONNECT WITH DAVE GULAS:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davegulas

Website: ezdc3pl.com

David Story is the author of the Omega series, fiction rooted in real-world human trafficking and the limits of the legal system, and the host of the podcast The Secret World of Human Trafficking.

In this episode, David shares why he writes vigilante justice in gray spaces instead of simple heroes and villains, how he approaches portraying victims' pain responsibly, and a misconception about trafficking he wishes more people understood.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. Why David's characters live in moral gray areas
2. Responsibly portraying real victims in fiction
3. Common misconceptions about how trafficking actually works
4. What he hopes readers take away from the Omega series

CONNECT WITH DAVID STORY:

Website and social links available on his profile

Dave Bookbinder is a business valuation expert with thirty years of experience, author of three books including A Valuation Toolbox for Business Owners and Their Advisors, and host of Behind The Numbers.

In this episode, Dave explains why the gap between what leaders say about their people and what shows up on the balance sheet still exists, how human capital drives premium valuations, and why culture isn't "soft," it's a value driver.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. The gap between "people are our greatest asset" and the balance sheet
2. How human capital drives premium valuation
3. When owners should start thinking about enterprise value
4. Why culture is a real value driver, not a nice-to-have

CONNECT WITH DAVE BOOKBINDER:

Website: newroi.com

Known as the Untangle Doctor, Dr. Marcia Ruben is an executive coach, organizational consultant, and author of The Neuroscience of Leadership: Rewire. Untangle. Lead., a #1 new release on Amazon.

In this episode, Marcia explains how she got the nickname Untangle Doctor, what "Thought Knots" are and how they quietly undermine even experienced leaders, and what untangled leadership actually feels like from the inside.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. How Marcia became known as the Untangle Doctor
2. What Thought Knots are and how they sabotage leaders
3. The most common pattern holding leaders back
4. What untangled leadership feels like from the inside

Connect With Dr. Marcia Ruben:

Book link: bit.ly/4dRAJDi

What if the path to your purpose doesn't begin in childhood?

What if your greatest calling arrives at 27... or even later?

In this inspiring episode of Beyond the Draft, musician, author, and meditation teacher Clementine Moss shares the remarkable journey behind her memoir From Bonham to Buddha and Back.

From discovering the drums later in life to realizing that meditation and music were teaching her the very same lesson, Clementine opens up about fear, identity, creativity, and learning to trust the unfolding of life.

During our conversation, she explains why music isn't just about mastering technique, it's about getting out of your own way and allowing life to move through you.

One of the most touching moments comes as we discuss turning 27, a season many people experience as a time of uncertainty and transition. Clementine shares the life-changing advice that encouraged her to choose one thing, commit to it every day for three years, and trust that clarity would follow.

This episode is for anyone who feels behind in life, afraid they've missed their chance, or is searching for the courage to begin again.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

1. Why it's never too late to discover your purpose.
2. How meditation and music teach the same life lesson.
3. The hidden fear that keeps many people from expressing themselves.
4. Why age 27 can become a powerful turning point.
5. The importance of choosing one path and trusting the process.
6. How presence, not perfection, unlocks creativity.

Why your calling often finds you before you fully understand it.

CONNECT WITH CLEMENTINE MOSS:

Website: clementinemoss.com

Book: From Bonham to Buddha and Back

If you've ever wondered whether you're too late to become who you're meant to be, this conversation is your reminder that the journey unfolds exactly when you're ready to walk it.

If today's episode reminded you that passion and peace can coexist, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Derek Rydall's journey began not in spirituality, but in technology, as a coder deeply immersed in systems and logic. That curiosity eventually led him from computers to consciousness, through time living in a monastery, a career as a screenwriter, and a near-death experience that cracked him open to something far deeper than achievement or optimization. Today, he's the bestselling author of Emergence, The Abundance Project, and his newest book, A Whole New Human: Ten Ways We Must Evolve to Survive and Thrive in the AI Age, and the host of the Emergence podcast, with millions of downloads worldwide.

In this episode, Derek explains why he believes the greatest danger of AI isn't technological disruption, it's human obsolescence, as we've spent decades outsourcing our intuition, creativity, and meaning. He opens up about the moment his curiosity shifted from how systems work to what's actually driving them beneath the surface, and how the profound loss of his son shaped the way he now teaches people to find meaning through their own hardest moments.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. - Derek's journey from coder to consciousness teacher
2. - Why AI's real threat is human obsolescence, not job loss
3. - What we've been quietly outsourcing from ourselves for decades
4. - How personal loss shaped his understanding of transformation
5. - Identifying your "core wound" and turning it into your greatest strength
6. - The first step to take if you feel lost, behind, or afraid of the future

CONNECT WITH DEREK RYDALL:

Claim the Whole New Human Activation Kit: https://derekrydall.com/wholenewhuman/

If today's episode shifted something in you, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to become a whole new human.

Some of life's most defining moments never make it into the final story, they live in the drafts.

In this episode of Beyond the Draft, Imma sits down with Faye for an honest conversation about resilience, purpose, and the unseen chapters that shaped who she is today. Together, they explore the challenges she faced, the lessons she learned through adversity, and how choosing to keep moving forward transformed her life.

This isn't just a conversation about success, it's about the messy, uncertain, and deeply human journey behind it.

If you've ever questioned your path, struggled to start over, or wondered whether your setbacks could become part of your purpose, this episode is for you.

In this episode, you'll discover:

1. Why our hardest seasons often become our greatest teachers.
2. How resilience is built one decision at a time.
3. The power of embracing your unfinished story.
4. Practical insights for moving forward with courage and purpose.

Your story isn't defined by the first draft. Sometimes, the most beautiful chapters are written after everything falls apart.

Listen now and join the conversation.

At just 19 years old, Michael Carbonneau stepped into entrepreneurship without money, without shortcuts, and without anyone handing him a blueprint. Through years as a general contractor, financial advisor, and now business coach, he discovered that most entrepreneurs don't fail because they lack ambition, they fail because they lack structure. Today, through Coaching by Rosewood, he helps entrepreneurs move beyond hustle, think like CEOs, and build businesses that actually work.

In this episode, Michael shares why hustle alone eventually leads to frustration instead of freedom, what it really takes to become a CEO before the business grows, and why the failures entrepreneurs try to hide are often their greatest teachers. He also opens up about what true entrepreneurial freedom looks like, and what practical steps can help you build a business that serves your life instead of consuming it.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. - Why hard work alone isn't enough to build a sustainable business
2. - The internal shift required to think and operate like a CEO
3. - The failure that changed the trajectory of Michael's business
4. - Building a business that's profitable, sustainable, and aligned with your life
5. - What Michael would tell his 19-year-old self before starting the journey

CONNECT WITH MICHAEL CARBONNEAU:

Coachingbyrosewood.netlify.app

If today's episode reminded you that success is about becoming the person capable of building something that lasts, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with an entrepreneur who needs to hear it.

After thirteen years as a working actor in New York City, Amber Petty walked away, went through a major depressive episode, and eventually built a business that's made $900,000 in five years, all by teaching creatives to lean into their weirdness instead of hiding it. She's the founder of the Weirdness Way and the Weird Sisterhood, and she's on a mission to prove that marketing doesn't have to feel gross, and it definitely doesn't have to mean blending in.

In this episode, Amber shares which skill from her acting career turned out to be the most unexpectedly useful tool for building a business, what her battle with perfectionism actually taught her, and why she believes "weird" is the key ingredient to standing out in a market full of people trying to sound like everyone else. She also opens up about why she built her business around email marketing and community instead of chasing social media.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. The unexpected business skills Amber learned from thirteen years of acting
2. How perfectionism led to burnout, and what came after
3. Why "weird" is a competitive advantage, not a liability
4. Building a business without relying on social media
5. Amber's Weirdness Way program and the Weird Sisterhood community

Connect with Amber Petty:

Join the Creative Control Club: https://amber-petty.newzenler.com/f/creativecontrol/

If today's episode gave you permission to be a little weirder in your own business, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.