Exceptional Companies Podcast

What happens when your identity gets wrapped in the wrong things — a job, a sport, even your business — and life rips them away? In this episode, Tanner Johnson shares how losing everything he thought defined him forced him to rebuild his life, his work, and his faith from the ground up. It’s the kind of conversation that makes you ask: what am I actually building my life on?

What happens when an attorney refuses to treat clients like case numbers?

In this episode, I sit down with a lawyer who walked away from big-firm comfort to build something radically personal. Why did he leave a secure path? What did he see behind the scenes that pushed him out? And how is he winning cases the big shops couldn’t touch?

This conversation might change how you think about “personal injury law.”

What happens after you sell the business that defined your identity? When the grind finally ends, and the silence sets in—who are you without it? In this episode, I sit down with Ian Noble, a second-generation business owner who went from burnout to breakthrough, and discovered that real freedom doesn’t come from control—it comes from letting go.

What if solving society’s biggest problems didn’t start with money or policy—but with a table? In this episode, I sit down with Stu Davis of COSILoveYou to unpack how churches, businesses, and community leaders are reshaping Colorado Springs through partnership, faith, and action. Can listening be the most powerful leadership tool we have? And what happens when we stop trying to fix everything—and start stewarding what we already have?

What if the secret to closing more deals isn’t about selling harder—but listening better?

What if your brand has nothing to do with your logo, and everything to do with how people feel when they meet you?

In this episode, I sat down with H.B. Pasley—a musician turned business advisor—to talk about authentic connection, trust, and why the best business strategy might just start with a conversation that isn’t about business at all.

What if the culture inside your company is working against you—and you don’t even know it?

Heather Smith thought she’d made it in corporate leadership, until she realized success without impact felt hollow. In this episode, we talk about the truth behind company culture: why values on a wall mean nothing, how systems shape behavior, and what happens when you look behind you as a leader… and no one’s following.

What does it take to build something that lasts 120 years—and still feels worth coming back to? What if the key to generational success isn’t control, but letting go? In this episode, Jen Livsey shares how her family built a ranching legacy across five generations, why she believes in raising kids “worthy of empire,” and how faith, failure, and family shape her leadership. If you’re building a business meant to outlive you… this one’s for you.

What if the key to scaling your business isn’t more hours… but more energy?

Most entrepreneurs sprint like they’re in mile one of a marathon—until burnout catches them. In my latest conversation with Alan Briggs, we explored why the real currency of leadership is energy, not time, and how tools like the “to-don’t list,” sabbaticals, and scorecards at home can transform the way you lead.

So here’s the question: if you had the courage to rest, what might actually grow?

What if buying a business isn’t the shortcut you think it is? In this episode, I sat down with Will Fry of Main Shares to ask the hard questions: Who shouldn’t buy a business? Why do so many “dream deals” turn into five-year holes? And what does it really take to succeed on Main Street when the hype says it’s easy? We go deep on capital, culture fit, and the one thing you must know before signing a personal guarantee. Would you still chase acquisition if you knew the truth?

What does it take to turn a hobby into an arena packed with 7,500 fans? How do you balance family when you’re on the road announcing 25 rodeos a year? And why does serving people—before profit—end up being the most powerful growth strategy of all? In this week’s episode, I sat down with my friend Jay Dial to uncover the story behind Triple J Rodeo, the lessons he learned from bull riding to business building, and the hard truths about community, sponsorship, and success.