Welcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the successes and challenges of the system in action. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan.

Let's dive in!

In this episode, Ryan sits down with Beth Rusert, EOS Implementer, former communications executive, and someone who spent decades watching organizations fail not because of bad strategy, but because of broken internal communication. Beth shares why internal communication is one of the most undervalued functions in any organization, what genuine alignment actually looks like versus what it looks like when a team is just pretending, and why the failure to have tough conversations early always costs more than the conversation itself. She also gets into the difference between a team and a family, how to know when a culture fit issue is coachable versus when it's time to move on, and why EOS gave her the language for things she'd been doing her whole career without realizing it.

If you lead a team, own a business, or have ever avoided a hard conversation longer than you should have this one is for you.

Timestamps

03:00 The Value of Internal Communications

07:07 Good Internal Communication Defined

12:43 Team vs. Family Culture

16:25 The Art of Tough Conversations

20:00 Navigating Culture Shifts and Expectations

32:15 Effective Leadership and Sales

37:16 Leadership Beyond Subject Matter Expertise

46:08 Tiger Teams for Process Improvement

49:20 Signs of Organizational Misalignment

Guest Links

https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/beth-rusert/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethrusert/

Welcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the successes and challenges of the system in action. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan.

Let's dive in!

In this episode, Ryan reunites with Eliot Wajskol — EOS Implementer, former Global 1000 executive advisor, and one of only two guests to appear on the show twice — for a deep, debate-worthy conversation about the question every business leader eventually has to answer: what's more important, strategy or execution?

Eliot breaks down what strategy actually means at the leadership team level, why a room full of people with five different pictures in their minds is essentially five different companies, and how great strategic decisions are fundamentally acts of elimination. He shares how he diagnoses whether a leadership team is truly ready to have strategic conversations, the three signals that tell him someone doesn't belong at the table, and why he thinks EOS is really an execution operating system in disguise. Ryan and Eliot also get into the power of speed, the danger of diluting focus, and Ryan's experiment of giving every team member just one rock per quarter.

Whether you're running your first quarterly or rethinking your entire leadership structure, this one will make you think differently.

Timestamps

03:43 Foundational Strategy Ingredients

09:52 Team Readiness for Strategy

18:39 The Chief Decider Role

26:59 Internal vs. External Talent

36:03 Translating Strategy to a Plan

40:08 EOS as an Execution System

43:26 Strategy vs. Execution: Which Matters More?

49:30 The Undervalued Role of Speed

51:49 The Power of One Rock

Guest Links

https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/eliot-wajskol/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliotwajskol/

https://www.eliotwajskol.com/

https://www.instagram.com/eliotwajskol/

https://fiftypages.life/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnWpXZeu9xENVfvtvoIsyfzxV9ueGyFaCqDF_oVb7sL1CCT8K6Cp2Ccmb2Rl0_aem_0k0Szq-_nZXtuiLIxprlZw

Welcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the system's successes and challenges. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan.

Let's dive in!

In this episode, Ryan sits down with Mike Yoder, EOS Implementer, lifelong integrator, and self-described number 2 guy. Mike's path took him from corporate giants like Siemens to painting houses at 25 to building a $1M barcode label business, before EOS gave him the language to understand who he actually was. Mike shares a leadership framework rooted in one simple truth: care for the person you're leading. But there's a catch. He draws a sharp line between being kind and being nice, and the difference will make you rethink every tough conversation you've been avoiding.

If you're an entrepreneur who's ever felt stuck, wondered if you're the right person in the right seat, or just wants to lead your team better, this one's for you.

Timestamps

04:20 The Leap to Entrepreneurship

08:47 The Integrator Revelation and EOS

11:56 Lessons from Big and Small Companies

21:28 Foundational Principles of Leadership

25:32 Kindness vs. Niceness in the Workplace

33:38 Becoming Your Best Self

37:16 Developing Leaders and Attitude

Guest Links

https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/mike-yoder/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeyoder-e4g/

Phone: (816)922-9546

Welcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the system's successes and challenges. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan.

Let's dive in!

In this episode, Wayne Smith joins us from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he is building one of the most unique EOS practices in the world. Wayne spent years as an auditor and strategist spanning 40+ countries, leading teams from 15 different nationalities across Paris, Beijing, London, Africa, the Middle East, and everywhere in between. He then walked away from a PE-backed CEO role in Honolulu in the middle of COVID to become the first EOS Implementer based in Hawaii.

Wayne breaks down what it actually takes to build trust across cultures, why 8 out of 10 companies he works with see leadership team changes in the first six months, and what is uniquely challenging about bringing EOS into Southeast Asia. This is one of the most globally minded conversations we have had on this show.

Timestamps

05:40 Leading Diverse Teams and Cultural Nuances

09:19 Experiential Learning and Talent Development

19:59 Counteracting the 'Fill-It-Now' Mindset

31:04 Discovering and Implementing EOS

25:34 Expanding EOS Globally and EO Membership

43:51 Cultural Nuances in EOS Implementation

Guest Links

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.waynesmith.coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wlsmith76/

EOS Worldwide: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/wayne-smith/

Welcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the successes and challenges of the system in action. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan.

Let's dive in!

In this episode, Justin Maust brings the kind of energy you feel before he even starts talking and the kind of honesty most people never share out loud. Justin is an expert EOS Implementer, a speaker, a trainer, a coach, and a guy who spent years chasing a 10-year target so hard that he nearly lost himself in the process. He sold two companies, pivoted his entire vision, and came out the other side with more clarity and more to give than ever before.

In this conversation, Justin opens up about what burnout actually feels like when you are someone who never stops running, why the things you are best at can become your biggest blind spots, and what happens when you finally stop trying to do it your own way. This one is raw, personal, and packed with the kind of wisdom that only comes from living it.

Timestamps

01:12 Justin’s Vision Board and Mentors

07:23 Recognizing Burnout

15:09 Lessons from a Changed 10-Year Target

19:28 Chasing Impact vs. Money

25:51 Surrendering to a Higher Purpose

31:28 The Power of Discipline

44:39 Impact of Deletion on Presence

49:06 Discovering and Honing Unique Abilities

53:59 The Mallard Duck vs. Eagle Philosophy

Guest Links

EOS Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/justin-maust/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin.e.maust/

https://www.entrelegacygroup.com/

Welcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the system's successes and challenges. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan.

Let's dive in!

In this episode, Julie Markee brings one of the most distinctive perspectives we have had on this show. With a chemical engineering degree from the University of Washington, Julie sees the session room the way an engineer sees a broken production line. She is watching body language, listening for what is not being said, tracking who is leaning in and who is rotating away, and always working her way down to the true root cause.

What she's discovered: 80% of the time, when you get to the real root cause of the biggest issues holding a leadership team back, it is a people problem. Not a process. Not a strategy. A person. And that is exactly why those conversations are so hard to have in the room. In this conversation, she breaks down what a healthy leadership team actually looks like, how to know when you have truly hit the root cause of a problem, and why she once refused to write down a rock for a client that had missed it quarter after quarter until they finally understood what was really in the way.

This one is full of practical tactical insights from start to finish.

Timestamps

04:03 Early Entrepreneurial Spirit

06:51 Corporate and Process Engineering

11:10 Transition to Sales and Management

18:13 Engineering Mindset in EOS Sessions

29:21 Navigating People Issues in the Room

39:51 Identifying the True Root Cause

45:39 The Power of Clarity Breaks

Guest Links

https://www.keyprocessinnovations.com/

EOS Worldwide: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/julie-markee/

Blog: Cooped Up Thoughts: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/coop-d-up-thoughts-6994345214492504064/

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

Welcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the successes and challenges of the system in action. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan.

Let's dive in!

In this episode, Matthew Abrams joins us for an honest and heartwrenching conversation about what actually happens before, during, and after a business fails. Matthew started a company in his 30s with a co-founder, two visionaries with no integrator and no framework for productive conflict, and watched it fall apart from the inside. What came after changed everything about how he leads, coaches, and shows up in his relationships.

In this conversation, Matthew breaks down why conflict avoided is opportunity lost, what the four phases of business death actually look like, why most entrepreneurs skip the most important ones, and why the most powerful thing a leader can do is stop trying to manage their way out of grief and just be with it.

This episode goes places most business podcasts never go. And that is exactly why you should listen.

Timestamps

05:15 Navigating Business Conflict and Self-Doubt

08:10 Identity, Failure, and Personal Growth

13:11 The Four Phases of Grieving Business Death

22:56 Conflict as a Vehicle for Growth

37:54 Conflict in Business Settings

41:04 Identifying Emotions and Needs

44:50 Transforming Tension to Traction

56:42 Inviting Genius: The Book

Guest Links

InvitingGenius.com Preorder Now! Publish Date: August 4, 2026

EOS Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/matthew-abrams/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-abrams-8389547/

Welcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed to give you a rare glimpse into the successes and challenges of the system in action. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan.

 

Let's dive in!

 

Dr. Jason Motes is not an EOS Implementer. He is not here to talk about rocks or L10s or accountability charts. He is here because he is one of the most intentional leaders Ryan has ever been around, and he also happened to be Ryan's boss in the Navy.

What started as two old colleagues catching up turned into one of the most honest conversations about leadership, service, and what it actually means to pour into the people around you. Jason opens up about his philosophy on authentic leadership, why the strengths that got you to the top are the same ones that will eventually derail you, and why there is no such thing as a healthy culture in an underperforming organization. He also gets into blind spots, dark behaviors, feedback, morning routines, and the legacy he is quietly building one person at a time.

Timestamps

04:36 The Hitchhiker's Story

14:46 Creating Cohesion & Trust

25:02 Delivering Difficult Decisions

31:49 Authenticity and Blind Spots

38:00 Physical & Mental Resilience

41:57 Addictive Personality & Decompression

45:07 Nonfiction Reading for Leaders

55:06 Leadership Legacy and FEPPA

01:01:54 Fixing Teams & Accountability

Guest Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjasonmotes/

https://www.validitea.org/

https://academyleadership.com/motes/

Welcome to Confessions of an Implementer, a podcast by Talent Harbor. We share unique stories of implementers and the companies they've transformed, giving you a rare glimpse into the system's successes and challenges. I'm your host, Ryan Hogan.

Let's dive in!

In this episode, Coach Bob Shenefelt joins us for one of the most honest and wide-ranging conversations we have had on this show. Bob grew a distribution company from $200K to $5 million in a couple of years with no systems in place, watched it spiral out of control, and came out the other side with a life philosophy that has helped hundreds of visionaries find purpose beyond the business. He breaks down why most visionaries should not be running sales, why the three-year picture is the visionary's playground, what his 3-3-1 daily routine looks like, and what it actually means to let go of the vine.

If you are a visionary, an EOS Implementer, or someone trying to figure out who they are beyond what they do, this episode is for you.

Timestamps

01:29 Visionaries in the Sales Seat

08:36 Life Beyond the Business

19:15 Daily Routine for Visionaries: The 3-3-1

26:48 The Power of the 3-3-1 Framework

34:25 Visionary vs. Integrator Dynamics

45:01 Visionaries in L10s and Integrator Trust

46:39 Forced Visionary Absence

50:10 Owner's Box vs. Visionary Role

Guest Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-shenefelt/

https://www.imatter.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYAU2b3ysP1M6PZ9mBorVyQ

https://www.facebook.com/bobshenefelt/

https://www.amazon.com/Unscatter-Chatter-Elevate-Expand-Impact-ebook/dp/B0BHXLV1YH?ref_=ast_author_mpb

https://www.instagram.com/imatterrevolution/