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Cut The Tie Podcast with Jeff Burningham

Jeff Burningham has lived on the front edge of success. Serial entrepreneur. Venture investor. Builder of billion-dollar businesses. A candidate for governor. A life defined by scale, momentum, and achievement.

Then the stage collapsed.

In this episode of Cut The Tie, Jeff shares how stepping away from business and politics forced him inward and why the rise of artificial intelligence has clarified what truly matters next. As machines take over more of what humans used to do, Jeff argues that the real work ahead is learning how to be.

This is a conversation about wisdom, presence, identity, and why the future will not be decided by smarter technology alone but by whether humans evolve alongside it.

About Jeff Burningham

Jeff Burningham is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and former candidate for Governor of Utah. He has founded and sold multiple companies across real estate and technology and has been an early investor in several high-growth businesses.

Jeff is the author of The Last Book Written by a Human, a reflection on humanity, wisdom, and the choices we face as artificial intelligence accelerates faster than our cultural and emotional frameworks.

In this episode, Thomas and Jeff discuss:

• Why Jeff ran for governor and what the pandemic revealed
• The “stage of success” and why it eventually falls apart
• Becoming a human being instead of a human doing
• Defining success as living in non-resistance to what is
• Why attachment to outcomes quietly drains meaning
• AI as a mirror reflecting humanity back to itself
• Why wisdom, not intelligence, is the real bottleneck
• How love becomes the only fuel that doesn’t burn out

Key Takeaways

• Doing more does not create fulfillment
  Presence matters more than productivity.
• Success without wisdom feels hollow
  Achievement alone cannot carry meaning.
• AI forces a human reckoning
  As machines advance, character and awareness matter more.
• Outcomes are tools, not identities
  You can pursue results without being owned by them.
• Growth often begins with deconstruction
  Sometimes the stage must collapse to reveal what’s real.

Connect with Jeff Burningham

🌐 Website: https://jeffburningham.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-burningham-15a01a7b/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich
📧 Email: [email protected]
🚀 Instantly Relevant: https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Matthew Person

What if most performance problems aren’t people problems at all?

In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Matthew Person, founder of Town Square Advisors, to challenge one of the most common assumptions in leadership: that disengagement, underperformance, or turnover is the fault of the employee.

Drawing on experience as an entrepreneur, executive, investment banker, and acquirer of businesses, Matthew explains why misalignment, not incompetence, is usually the real issue. He introduces the thinking behind the Square Management System, a practical framework for intentionally designing organizations that balance trust, autonomy, and accountability.

This conversation is for leaders who are tired of chasing culture trends, managing by exception, or feeling trapped between innovation and control.

About Matthew Person

Matthew Person is the founder of Town Square Advisors and the creator of the Square Management System. He has worked across small businesses, large enterprises, and acquisitions, giving him deep insight into what creates sustainable value inside organizations.

Matthew is the author of the forthcoming book The Culture of Alignment, which outlines a structured, actionable approach to building high-trust, high-performing teams by aligning people, systems, and decision-making.

In this episode, Thomas and Matthew discuss:

• Why labeling people as “bad employees” misses the real issue
• How misaligned systems create disengagement over time
• The flaw in copying “best places to work” cultures
• What organizational alignment actually looks like in practice
• Balancing constraint and freedom inside teams
• Why empowered micro-decisions increase speed and trust
• Designing companies people can succeed inside

Key Takeaways

• Most performance issues are system failures
  People struggle when environments are misdesigned.
• Culture must be intentional, not copied
  What works for one company may fail in another.
• Alignment creates trust and momentum
  Clear boundaries allow teams to move faster together.
• Autonomy needs structure to work
  Freedom without direction leads to chaos.
• Right people need the right box
  Fit matters more than labels.

Connect with Matthew Person

🌐 Website: https://townsquare-advisors.com/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdperson/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich
📧 Email: [email protected]
🚀 Instantly Relevant: https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

Support the show

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Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

https://www.youtube.com/@cutthetie

Send us Fan Mail

Cut The Tie Podcast with Reid Chong

What happens when you finally stop long enough to ask yourself the question most people avoid?

In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Reid Chong to unpack the moment he realized fear, not lack of ability, was the real thing holding him back. After years in software sales and multiple failed attempts at building something of his own, Reid hit a breaking point that forced him to confront a simple but uncomfortable question: What am I actually afraid of?

That moment led to selling his condo, packing his life into storage, and spending 18 months traveling the world. Along the way, Reid redefined success away from titles and income and toward freedom, time ownership, and living without constant guilt.

This conversation is for high performers who look successful on paper but feel restless, boxed in, or stuck waiting for clarity that never seems to come.

About Reid Chong

Reid Chong is a former software sales professional turned entrepreneur and consultant. He now helps small businesses automate operations using AI and smart systems, focusing on simplifying technology so owners can reclaim time and reduce friction.

After stepping away from the traditional career path, Reid rebuilt his life around intentional action, systems thinking, and freedom. His work today sits at the intersection of technology, efficiency, and personal ownership.

In this episode, Thomas and Reid discuss:

• The moment Reid asked himself, “What am I so afraid of?”
• Why fear thrives when it stays vague and unnamed
• Selling everything without a perfect plan
• How travel reshaped Reid’s definition of success
• Freedom as time ownership without guilt
• Stacking small wins to rebuild confidence
• Why systems matter more than motivation

Key Takeaways

• Fear keeps power when it stays undefined
  Naming it creates forward motion.
• Action creates clarity, not the reverse
  Waiting to feel ready keeps you stuck.
• Freedom is being able to step away without guilt
  Time only matters if you can enjoy it.
• Momentum is built through small, repeatable wins
  Progress compounds when you keep showing up.
• Systems outperform willpower
  Structure carries you when motivation fades.

Connect with Reid Chong

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reid-chong07/
🌐 Website: https://www.getateam.ai/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich
📧 Email: [email protected]
🚀 Instantly Relevant: https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Dr. Ron Stotts

What happens when life forces you to confront everything you believe about success, control, and identity? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Dr. Ron Stotts to explore the moment that permanently altered his path and became the foundation for his work with leaders around the world.

Ron shares the near-death experience that stopped him in his tracks and set him on a journey of deep inner work, healing, and self-awareness. Together, they unpack why many high-achieving executives eventually feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected despite outward success, and how fear-driven leadership quietly undermines both performance and fulfillment.

This conversation is especially relevant for leaders who have accomplished much, yet feel called toward something deeper, more meaningful, and more aligned.

About Dr. Ron Stotts

Dr. Ron Stotts is the founder of Ron Stotts International, where he works with senior executives and high-impact leaders to help them evolve into conscious, authentic leaders. With a PhD in psychology and decades of experience guiding top leaders across industries, Ron specializes in helping clients move beyond fear-based leadership into clarity, compassion, and whole-brain thinking.

His work has supported leaders overseeing organizations worth millions and billions of dollars, creating lasting impact not only inside companies but across families, communities, and society.

In this episode, Thomas and Ron discuss:

• The defining moment that forced Ron to choose life and a new path
• Why traditional success eventually stops working for high performers
• How unresolved fear shapes leadership behavior and decision-making
• The hidden cost of control-based leadership
• Whole-brain thinking and conscious awareness in leadership
• Healing the past to unlock present clarity and performance
• Why purpose and service create lasting impact beyond business

Key Takeaways

• Transformation begins when avoidance ends
  Real change starts by facing what we fear most.
• Fear-driven leadership has a ceiling
  What once fuels success eventually becomes the constraint.
• Inner clarity drives outer performance
  Self-awareness replaces force, burnout, and constant effort.
• Whole-brain thinking creates better leaders
  Logic without emotional awareness limits growth and connection.
• Purpose does not retire
  Impact continues as long as curiosity and service remain alive.

Connect with Dr. Ron Stotts

🌐 Website: https://www.ronstotts.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ron-stotts/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich
🌐 Website: https://cutthetie.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
🚀 https://instantlyrelevant.com

Support the show

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Shannon Coulter

What happens when an idea fails before the world is ready for it? And what happens when you carry that failure for years? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Shannon Coulter to explore what it really takes to return to a calling you never stopped believing in.

Shannon shares her journey from corporate America to entrepreneurship, the painful pause after her first venture didn’t work, and the mindset shift that allowed her to come back stronger, clearer, and more grounded. They discuss why play matters, how technology has reshaped childhood and adulthood, and why success rooted in impact lasts longer than success rooted in approval.

This conversation is especially relevant for founders and executives who feel they waited too long, failed once already, or are carrying old narratives that no longer serve them.

About Shannon Coulter

Shannon Coulter is the creator of Planet FASSA, a platform designed to help families and communities move kids from tech-centered childhoods back to play-centered ones. Drawing from her background in corporate wellness campaigns and behavior change communications, Shannon blends psychology, habit formation, and rewards-based systems to encourage healthier offline behavior.

She is also the founder of Break the Chain, a coaching program that helps adults reclaim focus, intentionality, and time in a screen-driven world. Shannon’s work is rooted in impact, joy, and helping people reconnect with who they are meant to be.

In this episode, Thomas and Shannon discuss:

• Why failure should never become your identity
• The long-term cost of tech-centered childhoods
• Cutting ties with old labels and other people’s expectations
• The difference between being right and being happy
• Why play builds better adults, not just happier kids
• How to return to an idea after years away without repeating past mistakes
• Redefining success as impact rather than validation or metrics

Key Takeaways

• Failure is an event, not a definition
  If you tie your identity to failure, you never fully stand back up.
• Impact outlasts approval
  Success rooted in helping people endures longer than success rooted in recognition.
• Play builds resilience and leadership
  What kids learn through play shows up decades later in adulthood.
• Timing matters, but belief matters more
  If you cannot stop dreaming about something, it is not finished.
• Being happy beats being right
  Growth accelerates when ego steps out of the way.

Connect with Shannon Coulter

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/s-s-coulter-a437b86/

🌐 Website: https://sscoulter.com
🎙️ Upcoming Podcast: The Joy of Living

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich
🌐 Website: https://cutthetie.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
🚀 https://instantlyrelevant.com

Support the show

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Greg Roche

Most executives think about networking only after something breaks. A missed promotion. A reorg. A quiet signal that their seat is no longer secure. In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Greg Roche to explain why waiting is the most expensive mistake professionals make.

Greg shares his transition from a 20+ year corporate HR career into building his own consulting business, and the exact moment he knew it was time to cut the tie. They explore why compensation and retention are often misunderstood by leadership, how networking quietly creates career insurance, and why the best exits are planned long before you need them.

This conversation is especially relevant for senior leaders who feel stuck, passed over, or uneasy about their long-term role inside large organizations.

About Greg Roche

Greg Roche is the founder of Retention and Rewards Partners, where he helps organizations understand employee compensation, engagement, and retention through a practical, data-informed lens. With more than two decades of corporate HR experience across healthcare, real estate, and cybersecurity, Greg now works with companies on a fractional and consulting basis.

He is also the creator of The Introverted Networker, where he teaches professionals how to grow strong networks without cold outreach, awkward events, or performative networking.

In this episode, Thomas and Greg discuss:

• Why compensation is often a company’s largest unmanaged expense
• The hidden signals executives miss before being passed over
• How age, politics, and reorgs quietly limit upward mobility
• Why networking works best before you need a job
• Fractional consulting as an alternative to corporate leadership roles
• The freedom that comes from detaching your identity from one employer
• How to make yourself “top of mind” without selling or spamming

Key Takeaways

• If you wait until you need your network, you waited too long
  Strong networks are built in calm seasons, not crisis moments.
• Retention problems are usually pay and clarity problems
  Employees leave when they don’t understand their value or future.
• Fractional work creates leverage and emotional distance
  You can give clearer advice when your identity isn’t tied to internal politics.
• Being passed over is often a signal, not a failure
  Ignoring it keeps you stuck longer than necessary.
• Your network is career insurance
  The right connections create options before you feel trapped.

Connect with Greg Roche

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregsroche/
📘 Website: https://www.retentionandrewards.com/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich
🌐 Website: https://cutthetie.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
🚀 https://instantlyrelevant.com

Support the show

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Adi Klevit
Most founders say they want scale, freedom, and leverage. Few are willing to do the unsexy work that actually makes it possible. In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Adi Klevit, founder of Business Success Consulting Group, to break down why undocumented processes quietly limit growth, automation, and exit potential.

Adi shares how cutting the tie to conventional thinking helped her move from strategy consulting into building a specialized process consulting firm that works with companies from early growth through nine-figure scale. They unpack why AI, automation, and systems only work when the underlying workflows are clear, repeatable, and transferable.

This episode is essential listening for founders who feel stuck inside their business, leaders preparing for scale, and executives who want their company to work without constant personal involvement.

About Adi Klevit

Adi Klevit is the founder and CEO of Business Success Consulting Group, a firm specializing in process documentation, optimization, and implementation for growing companies. With a background in industrial engineering and management consulting, Adi helps organizations turn tribal knowledge into scalable, transferable systems.

Her team works across industries to help businesses reduce errors, shorten training time, improve consistency, and prepare for automation, growth, and exit. Adi is also the host of the Systems Simplified podcast, where she explores process, leadership, and the future of work.

In this episode, Thomas and Adi discuss:

• Why automation fails without documented processes
• Turning tribal knowledge into repeatable systems
• Cutting ties with “the way it’s always been done”
• Process as the foundation for AI and scale
• How documentation increases valuation and exit readiness
• Why founders stay trapped inside their businesses
• The future of work, AI, and human connection

Key Takeaways

• If it isn’t documented, it isn’t scalable
  Automation and delegation both start on paper.
• Process protects growth and margins
  Undocumented work creates errors, delays, and burnout.
• AI amplifies clarity, not chaos
  Bad processes automated only create faster problems.
• Founders must replace themselves to scale
  Systems allow businesses to run without constant oversight.
• Process increases freedom and valuation
  Well-documented companies are easier to grow, sell, or step away from.

Connect with Adi Klevit

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adiklevit
🌐 Website: https://bizsuccesscg.com
📘 Free Resource: https://successreplicated.com
🎧 Podcast: https://www.systemssimplifiedpodcast.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich
🌐 Website: https://cutthetie.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
🚀 https://instantlyrelevant.com

Support the show

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Cut The Tie Podcast with Maggie Langley

What if success is not something you reach someday, but something you practice every day? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Maggie Langley, founder and CEO of OfficeHound, to explore what it really means to build a business without burning out or losing yourself in the process.

From leaving a traditional career path to building a remote social media agency that serves clients around the world, Maggie shares how cutting ties with distraction, unrealistic expectations, and overcomplication allowed her to build a business that supports her life rather than consumes it. This conversation is especially relevant for solopreneurs and small business owners who feel overwhelmed by social media, technology, and the pressure to constantly “do more.”

About Maggie Langley

Maggie Langley is the CEO and founder of OfficeHound, a social media agency built to support business owners who want consistency and clarity without being consumed by online platforms. Originally from the UK, Maggie launched her business in London in 2009 before relocating to rural Iowa, proving that meaningful businesses can be built from anywhere.

With a background as an executive assistant, Maggie brings a systems-first mindset to social media, focusing on simplicity, affordability, and protecting business owners from distraction. She is also the creator of OfficeHound’s Social for Social Good initiative, which donates to overdose prevention efforts through client referrals.

In this episode, Thomas and Maggie discuss:

• Why distraction is the real enemy of modern business owners
• Cutting ties with careers that no longer fit your life
• Why social media should support your business, not consume it
• The danger of chasing vanity metrics instead of real relationships
• Building a business that is sustainable, repeatable, and team-driven
• How success is created through daily focus, not distant goals

Key Takeaways

• Success is lived, not postponed
  Waiting for a future milestone creates dissatisfaction in the present.
• Distraction quietly destroys momentum
  Focus is the most valuable asset a business owner has.
• You do not need more content, just clearer messaging
  Repeating the right message beats chasing trends.
• Vanity metrics do not build businesses
  Meetings and relationships matter more than views and likes.
• Your business should fit your life, not the other way around
  Design systems that work without constant personal involvement.

Connect with Maggie Langley

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/officehounds/
🌐 Website: https://officehounds.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich
🌐 Website: https://cutthetie.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
🚀 https://instantlyrelevant.com

Support the show

https://www.youtube.com/@cutthetie

Send us Fan Mail

Cut The Tie Podcast with Rome Madison

What happens when you’ve reached the C-suite, survived restructurings, layoffs, and corporate chaos, yet still feel pulled toward something more? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Rome Madison to unpack why high-performing executives struggle to act on the entrepreneurial visions that never seem to leave them alone.

Rome shares his journey from corporate leadership in publicly traded life sciences companies to cutting the tie and building a confidence-driven consulting business. Along the way, they explore identity after sports, imposter syndrome at the highest levels, and why most capable people stay stuck not because they lack ability, but because they lack clarity, confidence, and strategy.

This conversation is a wake-up call for executives who know they are capable of more but have not yet made the move.

About Rome Madison

Rome Madison is a life sciences consultant, confidence coach, and former C-suite executive with more than two decades of experience in precision medicine, genomics, and healthcare strategy. He has led sales organizations, launched startups, and navigated companies through restructuring, bankruptcy, and acquisition.

After cutting ties with corporate leadership, Rome founded a consulting and coaching platform focused on helping executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations activate confidence, sharpen strategy, and move faster toward meaningful goals. He is also the host of the Genetics for Healthcare podcast and creator of the Everyday Star Power confidence framework.

In this episode, Thomas and Rome discuss:

• Why successful executives hesitate to act on entrepreneurial ideas
• Identity loss after sports, titles, and corporate roles
• Imposter syndrome at the highest levels of performance
• Confidence as a system, not a personality trait
• The three pillars of confidence: acceptance, skill, and strategy
• Why slowing down is often the fastest way forward

Key Takeaways

• Your dream does not disappear if ignored
  Opportunities move on to those willing to act.
• Titles and accolades are not identity
  True confidence starts after roles are stripped away.
• Confidence is built, not inherited
  Acceptance, skill, and strategy create momentum.
• Any strategy beats no strategy
  Progress requires direction, not perfection.
• Slowing down unlocks clarity
  Focused thinking outperforms constant motion.

Connect with Rome Madison

🌐 Website: https://iwantmorenow.com
🎧 Podcast: https://geneticsforhealthcare.com

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genomicsellingsolutions/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich
🌐 Website: https://cutthetie.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
🚀 https://instantlyrelevant.com

Support the show

https://www.youtube.com/@cutthetie