As leaders, it's easy to get caught up in the pursuit of success and recognition. We can become so focused on protecting our image and maintaining control that we lose sight of what truly matters — authenticity, connection, and empowering those around us.

In this episode, Adam Hill sits down with entrepreneur James Bates as he shares his powerful journey of embracing authenticity and overcoming the challenges of pride and insecurity. His story is a testament to the transformative power of self-awareness and the courage to be true to yourself, even in the face of adversity.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[17:13] Empowering visions through technology

James expresses his passion for using technology to enable and empower people's visions and missions, seeing himself in the "people business" rather than just the technology business.

[22:57] Embracing authenticity in fatherhood

After his divorce when his son was two ywars old, James Bates became a more authentic and intentional father, prioritizing a deep bond with his son over perfection.

[32:12] Overcoming the pitfalls of pride

James reflects on how his pride and insecurity previously led him to damage relationships and fail to lead with integrity, as he prioritized results and protecting his own identity over truly serving and empowering the people around him.

[35:50] Businesses should have IT that actually cares about their mission. 

James was motivated to start his IT services company Data Path because he saw a need for businesses, schools, and organizations to have IT support that truly cared about and aligned with their mission and goals, rather than just focusing on the technology itself.

[40:44] James’ strategic budgeting system

James developed the "80/10/10 rule" - where 80% of any raise or additional income would go towards paying down debt, 10% would go to savings, and 10% would be used to increase their lifestyle.

[42:53] Authenticity leads to transformation.

James’ anger and need for control previously caused him to treat people poorly when mistakes were made, as he had let his identity become too tied to the success of his business. But he has since learned to let go of that anger and control through a journey of authenticity and self-awareness.

[44:38] How his perspective shifted after facing adversity

James shares how his thyroid cancer diagnosis in 2022 was a profound wake-up call that helped him instantly reprioritize his life, relationships, and what truly matters most.

[48:19] Establishing a culture of mentoring

While James Bates believes coaching can be done on a larger scale, he has found that deep, personalized mentorship is what truly transforms individuals and creates lasting impact.

[57:34] Leave a legacy of impact

James believes that your legacy should be – How are you going to impact people along the way? 

Resources Mentioned:

www.mydatapath.com 

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Ready to be an outlier?

In this episode, Rodman Schley shares his insights on developing an "outlier mindset" and aligning your purpose, passions, and actions to achieve exceptional success. Rodman discusses his entrepreneurial journey, including launching over 25 businesses, and the importance of finding your "sacred checklists" to guide your decisions.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a career professional, or someone seeking more purpose, this episode offers valuable insights to help you unlock your full potential and become an outlier in your own unique way.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[07:26] Outliers come in many forms.

An outlier mindset doesn't necessarily mean you have to be an entrepreneur, as there are many ways to be an outlier. The key is finding your passion and aligning your actions with that passion.

[09:31] The path to outlier success 

Align with your purpose and passion to become an exceptional outlier, as doing what you don't want leads to average results.

[10:40] Prioritize purpose over profits.

Putting profits before your true passions and values can lead to unfulfilling business ventures that ultimately drain you.

[14:43] Define your “sacred checklist” for purposeful living

Rodman developed "sacred checklists" to identify his key priorities in life, which he uses to guide his decisions and ensure he is aligning his actions with his core purpose.

[28:06] Start a side hustle to fund your passion.

If you're not financially ready to fully commit to your entrepreneurial or outlier pursuits, start it as a side hustle while using your current job to finance and support your passion project until it can replace your primary income.

[44:12] Invest in knowledge to accelerate your success.

Invest in gaining knowledge from experts and leaders in your field in order to shorten your learning curve and accelerate your path to success.

Resources Mentioned:

www.gorodman.com 

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Uncover the secrets of wealth-building with entrepreneur Aaron West. In this episode, real estate professional Aaron West opens up about his remarkable journey from humble beginnings to closing over $120 million in real estate sales.

Discover Aaron's strategies for mastering money mindset, setting impactful goals, and leveraging the transformative power of generosity. His insights will inspire you to redefine your relationship with wealth and unlock your full potential.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[12:01] Mastering the art of negotiation

Nobody thinks they're a salesperson. But everybody's a salesperson, and we negotiate all of the time.

[14:31] Overcoming a scarcity mindset

Aaron reveals he was a "recovering spending-aholic" who thrived in instability and would find ways to spend any money he had, as he was afraid of the stability that saving money would bring.

[18:36] The concept of ownership sinks stewardship

If you are given a large sum of money, your natural tendency as a spender or saver will take over, but if you view the money as being held in stewardship for someone else, it changes your mindset and approach to managing that wealth.

[20:00] The power of stewardship

The key to building wealth and changing one's mindset is to create a sense of stewardship over one's money, rather than viewing it as solely one's own.

[27:13] Cultivate insane curiosity

Developing a sense of "insane curiosity" has made him more open to other people's perspectives, leading to greater calmness and depth in his interactions compared to his previous tendency to be "an inch wide and a mile deep" in conversations.

[34:40] Generosity opens doors.

Aaron emphasizes the transformative power of generosity and philanthropy, stating that they have opened more doors and created more opportunities in his life than anything else.

[40:46] A leader empowers members to achieve their vision.

Understand what each team member's goals are and then build an environment so large that they can achieve their own vision within it. If a team member ever outgrows the world he has created, it is his fault for not making that world big enough.

Resources Mentioned:

The Secrets Of Going From A 7 Figure Net Worth to 8

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Craving a life-changing adventure? 

Join Adam Hill as he sits down with Matt Scoletti who takes us on an exhilarating ride from addiction to adventure. Learn how he transformed his life through ultra-marathons, American Ninja Warrior, and founding Savage Adventure Camps.

Discover the power of resilience and community in turning obstacles into opportunities. Whether you're battling your own demons or seeking inspiration, this episode offers a roadmap to transforming adversity into your greatest strength. 

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[08:20] Matt’s mirror moment became his catalyst for change.

At 27, Matt hit rock bottom, realizing his lifestyle of heavy drinking would lead to jail or death, sparking a transformative decision to change his life completely.

[21:24] How journaling paved the way to transformation

Matt's journey to sobriety began with journaling, which revealed a pattern of negative thoughts and hangovers, leading to a powerful moment of self-reflection.

[28:08] Matt’s transition from bottle to barbell

Matt's journey into bodybuilding began as part of his recovery from alcoholism, leading to success in physique competitions, which then paved the way for his appearance on American Ninja Warrior.

[36:28] Honoring tragedy through endurance

Inspired by a tragic synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, Matt decided to run the Pittsburgh marathon wearing an 11-pound weight vest to honor the victims. 

[41:26] Challenges build champions.

When facing difficulties, there's often more strength in reserve than we realize, as evidenced by Matt's experiences in extreme endurance events where he discovered hidden reserves of resilience and grit.

[45:03] The truth frees you.

Sharing your truth, even when it's uncomfortable or embarrassing, can be incredibly freeing and often inspires others by showing them they're not alone in their struggles.

Resources Mentioned:

www.mattscoletti.com 

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Discover how neuroscience and positive psychology can transform your leadership style. In this episode, Adam Hill speaks with Jackie Insinger, a leading expert in neuroscience and positive psychology in business leadership. 

Jackie shares her innovative approach to leadership, blending cutting-edge research with practical strategies. Learn how to create psychological safety, harness cognitive diversity, and manage workplace anxiety. 

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[10:42] We have this universal desire to be seen and understood.

People use various ways to express their identity and seek recognition, even through seemingly trivial comparisons like breakfast foods or TV characters.

[21:32] Positivity unlocks your brain’s problem-solving potential.

Adopting a positive mindset activates brain regions responsible for creative problem-solving and opportunity recognition.

[29:53] Master anxiety through a schedule “worry hour” 

Schedule a dedicated "worry hour" to fully focus on anxious thoughts to reduce constant presence throughout the day and allow for greater productivity and peace of mind during other times.

[33:41] The platinum leadership mindset

Jackie encourages shifting from the golden rule to the platinum rule - treating others as they wish to be treated. Leaders need to understand and cater to individual team members' unique needs, preferences, and motivations for more effective relationships and improved team performance.

[36:43] Creating psychological safety for your team

Jackie highlights a common leadership pitfall where leaders assume they've created psychological safety for their team based on their own definition, potentially overlooking the diverse needs and perceptions of individual team members.

[38:40] Cognitive diversity is key to dynamic team performance

Jackie warns against creating a homogeneous team culture that attracts only similar personalities. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of cognitive diversity - the variety in how people see the world, their perspectives, strengths, and skill sets.

[45:15] The importance of setting boundaries and self-care in leadership

Setting boundaries and practicing self-care are essential for effective leadership, helping leaders maintain their well-being and model healthy behaviors for their teams.

Resources Mentioned:

Spark Brilliance

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Discover the power of making business personal with Kiley Peters, a trailblazing entrepreneur and advocate for women in business. In this inspiring episode of Flow Over Fear, Kiley shares her journey from self-doubt to success, offering valuable insights for aspiring and established entrepreneurs alike.

Learn how to overcome fears, redefine success on your own terms, and build the life you've always wanted through entrepreneurship. This is a must-listen if you’re looking to take their business to the next level!

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[03:37] Cultivating self-belief is key to overcoming societal pressures and self-doubt.

Overcoming societal pressures and self-doubt requires cultivating self-belief and surrounding yourself with supportive relationships to achieve success in entrepreneurship and personal growth.

[05:23] Self-belief and support in overcoming societal pressures

Women face significant societal pressures during childhood and adolescence. Therefore, self-belief and a strong support system are crucial for overcoming these challenges.

[08:59] Entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint.

It's okay to take breaks, reassess, and choose your path, whether continuing or changing course.

[19:19] Intentional living fuels creativity and personal growth

Kiley emphasizes intentional living, highlighting how dedicated time for self-reflection and personal activities fosters creativity and generates new ideas for business and life.

[25:28] Breakthroughs come after breakdowns.

Embracing difficult challenges leads to significant breakthroughs, while avoiding them hinders growth and progress.

[32:18] Make business personal and create meaningful connections.

Make business personal by creating authentic connections, valuing individual experiences, and aligning your practices with personal values to foster meaningful relationships and drive success.

[34:14] Level up your business from paycheck to purpose.

Kiley challenges entrepreneurs to elevate their goals beyond survival, creating a life and career aligned with personal values and aspirations.

[37:13] Take the time to do the internal work.

Create space to get clear on who you are, what you want, and how you define success.

Resources Mentioned:

www.kileypeters.com  

RAYNE IX

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Want to get better at making important decisions and quiet the voices of fear and doubt? In this episode, Adam Hill sits down with sports executive and bestselling author Paul Epstein. Paul shares insights from breaking revenue records in the NFL and outlines his framework for making better decisions faster through gaining clarity, building confidence, and acting with conviction based on your core values. 

Listen as Paul discusses his personal journey developing confidence and how he now helps others embed more confidence in their daily lives through intentional processes and systems. Walk away with practical tools to navigate difficult decisions, quiet the voices of fear and doubt, and take action aligned with your true self.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[04:19] Support others through shared experiences. 

Drawing on past lessons, we can best support others facing similar challenges.

[08:10] Prioritize imperfect actions over outcome.

We are naturally afraid both of the unknown and of chances we didn't take. Prioritizing action over outcome through focusing on progress through imperfect steps rather than results.

[11:38] The 4 C’s of Better Decisions Faster

Paul outlines the 4 C's of decision making as Clarity, Confidence, Conviction. And Courage – and each C builds upon the previous one in a natural progression.

[14:29] Tackle your Most Valuable Decisions (MVDs)

Paul notes we make 35,000 daily decisions but should focus on the few "Most Valuable Decisions" or MVDs with greater impact.

[15:26] Evaluate you MVD with the head-heart-hands equation

Identify your Most Valuable Decision or MVD. Then check in with your head (mindset), heart (authenticity), and hands (action) regarding that decision using his equation.

[19:25] Confidence = Values x Action

Your level of confidence increases based on how frequently values are lived out through actions over time.

[29:34] The practical power of values over purpose

Paul asserts that while a "why" is important, values provide a more concrete way to guide daily decisions and actions.

[43:03] Stop drifting on default, and start living and operating by design. 

Make choices in a deliberate, purposeful manner aligned with your true values and priorities.

Resources Mentioned:

www.paulepsteinspeaks.com 

Take Paul’s Confidence Quiz

Better Decisions Faster: Unshakable Confidence When You Need It Most

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Want to learn how to lead with love instead of fear? In his interview with Adam Hill, former Air Force officer and speaker Patrick Yanke shares how focusing on virtues like forgiveness, gratitude, and humility can help you overcome struggles and lead others effectively. 

Patrick draws on his experience in the military and faith to discuss how we can all practice "sacrificial leadership" by putting others first - even in difficult times. Don't miss this insightful conversation on rising above challenges through a servant's heart. 

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[08:53] Where leadership begins

Patrick quotes William Penn saying "No man is fit to command another who could not command himself." Where true leadership begins is being able to follow others doing things the right way.

[10:34] Why we will always have poor people

We will always have poor people so that we have opportunities to practice love. The poor give us a chance to choose to love others through helping and serving those in need.

[11:49] It was the question on authority that brought him back to faith.

Patrick nearly lost his faith during a family crisis but later found his way back to rebuilding his Catholic faith from the ground up, taking on the zealousness of a religious convert or "revert".

[17:46] Shame is a gift.

Patrick viewed the feeling of shame over sin as a gift because it helps one recognize their sin and turn back to God in repentance. When we turn around, there is no place where God is not with us. 

[23:53] Our job is forgiveness.

Patrick discusses how anger turns bad as wrath, explaining God says vengeance is His, not ours to carry - our job is forgiveness.

[26:39] Love vs. fear: The heart of servant leadership

Patrick contrasts fear, which is selfish, and love, which is unselfish and about helping others complete the mission as a servant leader through ensuring the work gets done while also showing love to the people doing it.

[29:02] The servant leader CARES.

Patrick shares that his acronym for servant leadership is CARES, standing for Communication, Commitment, Responsibility, Evolution, and Service.

[33:00] Does love require sacrifice? 

Yes, it does. Because in true love, you're giving up something of yourself for someone else. 

[42:04] Without free will, there’s no love.

Patrick explains that without free will, there could be no love, because for there to be true love requires the ability to freely choose to love others.

[43:06] How to lead ourselves

Recognize emotions and associated virtues/vices. Discipline negative emotions through virtues. Pray daily prayers incorporating virtues. And humbly seek God's will over personal wants.

Resources Mentioned:

www.yankeacademy.com 

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Did you know it's not possible to simply choose happiness after extreme trauma? In the latest Flow Over Fear podcast, Cheryl Hunter shares why recovery is actually a gradual climb, not a single leap. 

After surviving a horrific kidnapping and rape, Cheryl found healing through small steps like tolerating difficult emotions for just moments longer each time. Discover her insights on the incremental process of overcoming the deepest darkness. 

Cheryl also shares her harrowing yet hopeful story of abduction, recovery, and her mission to give voice to those overcoming adversity. Be inspired by her journey from victim to victor, made possible through embracing and sharing her experience.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[04:26] Cheryl's terrifying teenage abduction in France

As a teenager, Cheryl was abducted after arriving in France seeking to become a model, and was tortured by her kidnappers before managing to escape for her life.

[14:16] Overcoming Cheryl’s captivity of the mind

Cheryl describes how after escaping her physical captivity, she felt captive to her own thoughts of being "ruined" if anyone discovered what happened, as well as thoughts of revenge against her kidnappers. 

[18:53] The dangerous downward spiral of "why me?"

Cheryl's mother had taught her that the question - "why me?" - leads down a slippery slope into an even darker mental space.

[20:00] Simply choosing happy doesn’t work after trauma

Cheryl explains that when in the depths of hell after extreme trauma, it's too dense a transition to just choose happiness. Instead, take incremental baby steps.

[25:32] Healing from trauma requires baby steps, not a single leap

Cheryl explains that overcoming trauma is an incremental process of climbing rungs of a ladder, not an impossible leap from hell to happiness.

[30:41] Be the author of your experience

Cheryl reflects that embracing adversity allows seeing potential gifts by authoring the experience as something chosen despite all, involving speculation on possible upsides.

[35:36] The power of sharing your story

Cheryl realized not sharing her own trauma story was partly why it took so long to get her overcoming adversity message out, and had to learn to share it in a way that left people feeling triumphant, not concerned.

[44:02] Own your fears and share them beautifully

Fear is just another hurdle we can own as part of ourselves and share about beautifully

Resources Mentioned:

Cheryl’s TEDx Talk: Wabi Sabi: The Magnificence of Imperfection

www.CherylHunter.com 

www.MagnifyYourMessage.com 

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Ready to get unstuck in life? In this episode, Adam Hill sits down with life coach Jen Bee who shares how she overcame adversity through small, consistent actions. Learn how changing your identity with habits can lead to lasting success. 

Hear Jen's powerful story of taking the leap from corporate to coaching, and discover the Five Pillars of Growth framework for sustainable wellness in body, mind and spirit. Tune in now for practical tools to make positive changes in your life.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[03:46] The impact of her father’s imprisonment on her life

Jen's journey began with her father incarcerated for 12 years in Cuba for opposing Fidel Castro, shaping her early life as the daughter of immigrants and a political prisoner with feelings of not fitting in.

[22:01] It’s not about perfection – but about showing up

Personal growth is not about perfection but rather about showing up through small, consistent actions over time.

[25:00] Start with 1%

Jen advocates starting with 1% to achieve growth, emphasizing small incremental steps can lead to big results over waiting for perfection.

[28:48] It starts with your why

Change starts internally with understanding your "why"and not by immediately taking external actions, as meaningful and sustainable change comes from within.

[33:58] Get unstuck from unsustainable cycles

People often get stuck in unsustainable cycles chasing after comparisons in areas like money, fame, social media likes or weight, rather than focusing on redefining success in a holistic, sustainable way.

[34:53] Adopt the athlete mentality

Taking on an "athlete mentality" can help you achieve wellness through habits matching who you want to be, focusing more on consistency than fleeting results.

[42:57] Jen’s five-pillar framework for sustainable progress

Resources Mentioned:

www.growwithjenbee.com 

Atomic Habits by James Clear

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