n this episode of Beyond the Horizon, Matt Franchina sits down with David Yardley for a masterclass in systems, scale, and responsible leadership. From breaking down the difference between commodity and specialty coffee to managing 120+ employees, David explains what it really takes to build something sustainable. This isn’t just about coffee — it’s about eliminating mission creep, auditing your systems before they break, and learning how to “see around two corners” as a leader.

In thisepisode of Beyond the Horizon, host Matt Franchina sits down with Pastor Michael Dow of Habitation Church and founder of Burning Ones. What begins as a conversation about house churches and biblical community quickly turns into a gripping testimony of radical transformation.

In this episode of Beyond the Horizon, host Matt Franchina sits down with Ben Cook, founder of Hangar 24 Brewery, pilot, sailor, and lifelong entrepreneur. Ben shares the unlikely journey from backyard homebrewing at a small airport to building one of Southern California’s most recognizable craft breweries. Along the way, they dig into leadership, faith, friction, and what it really takes to build a business that lasts decades. From managing resistance to change, to aligning incentives in business, to finding meaning beyond growth, this conversation blends entrepreneurship, spirituality, and hard-earned wisdom in a grounded, real-world way.

In this episode of Beyond the Horizon, host Matt Franchina sits down with Mikey Taylor — professional skateboarder turned entrepreneur and current Mayor of Thousand Oaks — for a deep, unfiltered conversation about identity, faith, leadership, and responsibility. Mikey opens up about transitioning out of a legendary skateboarding career, navigating the loss of identity that followed, and how entrepreneurship became a new proving ground. The conversation goes far beyond business, touching on faith, public scrutiny, fatherhood, political pressure, and what it truly means to lead when the stakes are real. From facing online attacks and death threats to learning how to surrender control, this episode is an honest look at purpose, conviction, and living authentically in public life.

In this episode of Beyond the Horizon, host Matt Franchina sits down with Sina Azari, strategic business coach, author, and multi-business operator, for a wide-ranging conversation on time creation, leverage, AI, leadership, and living life by design. The episode kicks off with the creation of brand-new AI-generated intro music live in the studio, then dives deep into how high performers multiply their impact by delegating, leveraging technology, and focusing only on the highest and best use of their time.

Timestamps 00:00 – Creating AI intro music live in the studio 04:00 – Official welcome to Beyond the Horizon 05:30 – Creating time and space instead of chasing hours 07:00 – The “168 hours” mindset and delegation at scale 10:15 – The 4 rules for the highest and best use of your time 12:00 – Humans vs AI: why technology is winning 15:55 – The 51 Laws and compounding productivity 18:10 – Missionaries vs mercenaries in leadership 19:00 – Episode sponsor: Policy Engineer Insurance Solutions 24:00 – Fitness discipline, reps vs weight, and consistency 27:30 – Living life by design vs by default 29:00 – How habits predict your future 32:10 – Interest vs commitment explained 36:00 – Building, scaling, and exiting businesses 37:30 – The Tom Ferry story and walking in the right shoes 42:50 – Small moments that change everything

In this episode of Beyond the Horizon, host Matt Franchina sits down with Nicky, founder of Fuerza Pilates Studio, to explore how Pilates has become a critical performance and longevity tool for NFL players and elite athletes. Nicky shares how she built a private, high-performance Pilates business, why professional athletes are moving away from traditional training methods, and how she’s scaling her expertise toward a bigger long-term vision.

In this episode of Beyond the Horizon, we sit down with Bryan Anderson, a 15-year 911 dispatcher and manager with the San Diego Fire Department, to unpack the weight of life-or-death calls, leadership under pressure, and the human side of emergency response. Bryan shares powerful stories from behind the headset, what it takes to stay calm when others are panicking, and how compassion and adaptability save lives in moments of crisis. He also opens up about his personal journey—losing over 260 pounds naturally after reaching nearly 600 pounds—and reflects on identity, coping, and rebuilding a healthier relationship with life, food, and purpose.

In this episode of Beyond the Horizon, Matt shares six truths for 2026 that will remain true no matter where you’re coming from or what last year looked like. From growing closer to God, to being intentional about memories, health, money, and purpose, this conversation is about living with intention and design instead of drifting through another year. If you’re setting goals, resetting habits, or simply asking what really matters in 2026, this episode is meant to encourage you to look further and live beyond the horizon you’ve known.

In Episode 15 of Beyond the Horizon, we complete the situational leadership series by shifting from the explorer’s journey to the leader’s responsibility. This episode breaks down how great leaders guide people through growth without crushing confidence or creating confusion. Using the Situational Leadership model (D1–D4 / S1–S4), we explore how leadership must evolve as people move from excitement, to discouragement, to competence, and finally to ownership. Whether you’re leading a team, a family, a business, or simply influencing those around you, this episode offers a practical framework for meeting people where they are — and helping them grow into leaders themselves.

In this episode of Beyond the Horizon, we kick off Part 1 of a two-part series on Situational Leadership by focusing on the Explorer—anyone starting something new. Using the proven leadership framework developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, this episode breaks down the four developmental stages (D1–D4) that everyone experiences when pursuing a new goal, career, or calling. From early excitement and self-doubt to earned confidence and true ownership, this conversation offers practical guidance, real-life examples, and mindset shifts to help you push through discouragement, stay committed, and finish what you start.