Finding Peak with Ryan Hanley

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Watch the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gToRCbu1TU&feature=youtu.be

Your retention problem isn't product. It's not customer success. It's sales.

Mark Roberge was the 4th employee at HubSpot and took them from $0 to IPO as their founding CRO. Now he's a Harvard Business School professor, co-founder of Stage 2 Capital, and author of The Science of Scaling.

In this conversation, Mark and I break down why most founders get the scaling question wrong, how to build compensation plans that kill coasting, the one interview technique that reveals a salesperson's ceiling, and the brutal math behind knowing when you're actually ready to scale.

I also share the story of selling my own company to the wrong buyer and the single question I wish I'd asked before signing.

📕 Get Mark's book — The Science of Scaling: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Scaling-Revenue-Mark-Roberge/dp/1394319428?crid=22UCQRNP4S7YF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Qxj01_3bTKh5XUmjBuP195shFFDdU5k0H4fLxhAl-AHCsZYwMfsJbvo7y90kLkGzDiU_eZfqUAKf0lmy3CqR_mCtsDoypaWijwEwPqSWnrrlHzC5mD_1Tm7GZfFCfrrIYPfieKgbV7vSxDwxgI9KXVnJtu2kjcjQjEbAcJJjWVERH_b7YY0Udf8KT-KKi2ykLJBNjmd1hmNqxCBsehBdUCewluLw-q-gmqOz0vwNHco.RUat-91UZKZivu1hq32qC3YOnYs3iJ2d-SZl3T-270g&dib_tag=se&keywords=mark+roberge&qid=1774452029&sprefix=mark+roberg,aps,155&sr=8-3&linkCode=sl2&tag=findingpeak-20&linkId=279ef5c76a5ff31d9191d8c74297335d&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

🔗 Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markroberge/

🔗 Stage 2 Capital: https://www.stage2.capital

Subscribe to Finding Peak for frameworks that actually work: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe

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Full transcript, clips, and more: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast/former-hubspot-cro-on-the-math-nobody-uses-to-scale-mark-roberge

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Contrarian takes on power, leverage, and influence in the age of AI: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe

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You've been told your whole life that passion and drive are the keys to success.

What if they're actually the biggest risks to your mental health?

In this episode of Finding Peak, I sit down with Dr. Guy Winch — internationally renowned psychologist, 3x TED Talk speaker (35M+ views), and bestselling author of Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life.

We go deep on the uncomfortable truth about overworking, the hidden dangers of being "driven," and why your passion might be slowly amputating parts of your personality — one by one.

If you've ever felt like work is hijacking your life, or if you've experienced that crushing emptiness after achieving a massive goal (like selling a company), this conversation is your wake-up call.

We cover:

→ Why passion and drive are actually psychological risk factors

→ The "scurvy" of the modern entrepreneur (and how to avoid it)

→ Why you feel depressed after a big win — and how to prepare for it

→ How to stop work from invading your personal time

→ The difference between automatic coping and intentional problem-solving

→ Why action creates passion — not the other way around

→ How Gen Z's short-term thinking is creating a mental health crisis

Stop grinding yourself into the ground. It's time to build a life that actually sustains you.

This is the way.

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📘 Get Dr. Guy Winch's book, Mind Over Grind: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Over-Grind-Break-Hijacks/dp/1668069334?crid=1257T1JXKCX75&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Ugcc_6_4cAhK30rwqU4qp509UW6qGA4hEONC8Oi4Hq-zfBfp7rZCRyjtKt3O9TXAhOREat-7HU-ogAr2prH0tDH3tbRi8bxoWohMRNNmhbGAnGhfOVmit8edqcEIBMTxjgczytV7JubCbr8ITAxOUNv-ShJYFxhQvF9s4JKSTYBnTKbCPQZagD9DlgV9KU-9Cx5nNRCWuAASId4bnyreNAsVssgATHgkWPOkI_0ByGo.BaYHDL6nAZKdwfZvhizPmAySIjmHvipWbetgg7aclYI&dib_tag=se&keywords=mind+over+grind&qid=1773927370&sprefix=mind+over+grind,aps,210&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl2&tag=findingpeak-20&linkId=0b4bfeb32667d3d14268132ddb5debc2&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

🌐 Learn more about Dr. Winch: https://www.guywinch.com/

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Contrarian takes on power, leverage, and influence in the age of AI: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe

Full transcript, clips, and more: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast/why-your-passion-is-destroying-your-life-and-how-to-fix-it

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Join 15,000+ leaders getting the frameworks, tools, and contrarian thinking they need to thrive in the age of AI: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe

You've been using AI wrong. It's not just for writing emails. It's for building your own software.

In this episode, Austin Armstrong (Founder of Syllaby.io, author of Virality) breaks down the "vibe coding" revolution — how anyone, even if you don't know a single line of code, can build custom apps, automate their business, and create new revenue streams using AI agents.

Austin also reveals why he intentionally cannibalized his own successful marketing agency to go all-in on AI, and he breaks down his exact START framework for going viral on purpose.

If you want to stop paying for bloated SaaS tools and start building your own solutions, you need to watch this.

In this episode:

• How to "vibe code" your own software for under $200
• The START framework for strategic virality (and why most people blow it on the first two steps)
• Why doing a "time audit" is the best AI strategy you can implement today
• How Austin built a $60K internal tool that now generates 95% profit margins
• The build vs. buy decision — and why the math has completely changed

• Syllaby: https://syllaby.io/
• Book (Virality ): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G7MWKXXN?bestFormat=true&k=virality+austin+armstrong&crid=25RG89RVJBGBX&sprefix=virality+austin&linkCode=sl2&tag=findingpeak-20&linkId=221b08c66b07badb91c7e83b3e42d274&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Full transcript, clips, and more: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast/how-to-build-your-own-ai-software-without-knowing-how-to-code

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley

You're making money, but you're missing your life.

George Rivera scaled his e-commerce business to $20 million, but he was working 80-hour weeks and missing his son's childhood. He was "cash rich and time poor." Then, he made a radical shift. Two years later, his business hit $50 million, and he never worked more than 30 hours a week.

In this episode of Finding Peak, George breaks down his "Buyback Time Formula." We discuss the exact steps to stop being the bottleneck in your business, why "delegating" is actually ruining your company, and the harsh reality of how we train our families to ignore us.

If you're tired of the grind and want your life back without sacrificing growth, this is the blueprint.

In this episode, we cover:

• The wake-up call that changed George's life (and Ryan's vulnerable moment)
• Why you are "cash rich but time poor"
• The difference between delegating and transferring ownership
• How to audit your calendar and eliminate $50/hr tasks
• The "Absence Rehearsal Test" to prep your business for your vacation
• Why your kids don't care about your money

• Website: https://buybacktimeformula.com/home

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Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley

Full transcript, clips, and more: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast/the-buyback-time-formula-how-to-work-30-hours-double-revenue

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Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley

You're building a world-changing product.

You've obsessed over every feature, every line of code, every pixel. Your sailboat is perfect.

So why isn't anyone buying it?

Because you're selling the wrong thing.

Chris Van Dusen is a venture investor who has built and sold multiple 8-figure companies. He's seen thousands of pitches. He knows why most founders fail.

And he's about to give you the one piece of advice that changes the entire game.

It's a secret the best founders know and the rest of the world misses. Stop selling the sailboat. Start selling the wind.

This isn't just a podcast. It's a strategy session that will change how you think about your business forever.

This is the way.

- Hanley

🎙️ Listen to audio version of the podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley

GUEST: Chris Van Dusen

Chris is the Managing Partner at Solyco Capital, an "accidental entrepreneur," and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who applies the principles of the mat to the boardroom.

► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismvandusen/

► Solyco Capital: https://www.solycocapital.com/

Full transcript, clips, and more: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast/this-venture-investors-best-advice-sell-the-wind-not-the-sailboat

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Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley

At 27 years old, Raheel Siddiqui weighed 405 pounds. His doctor looked him dead in the eye and said he wouldn't make it to 40. Most people would have folded. Raheel went to war.

What followed wasn't a diet plan. It was a complete identity overhaul.

He lost 200 pounds. His father died in his arms during the journey. He blew out two discs in his spine. He fought through years of IVF to have a son. And through every single wall that came at him, he kept going.

This conversation goes deep into the mindset that separates people who talk about change from people who actually change.

Raheel breaks down his Wallbreaker Method, explains why your family deserves the best version of you (not the comfortable version), and delivers one of the most raw, honest conversations we've ever had on this show.

If you're carrying extra weight, extra excuses, or extra BS in your life, this is the episode that ends that.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raheelthespeaker/
• Website: https://www.raheelthespeaker.com/

Connect with Ryan Hanley: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley

Full transcript, clips, and more: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast/he-was-told-hed-be-dead-by-40-then-he-lost-200-pounds-raheel-siddiqui

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Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast

Finding Peak podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley

Sean Swarner is the only person in history to be diagnosed with two different terminal cancers, lose a lung, and go on to climb Mount Everest and complete the Explorer's Grand Slam.

His story is not just inspiration—it's a tactical guide to dismantling your own perceived limits.

At 13, doctors gave him 3 months to live. At 16, they gave him 14 days. He was read his last rites. He survived. Then he started living.

In this conversation, Sean deconstructs the mindset that allowed him to redefine what is humanly possible. You will learn the difference between success and fulfillment, how to build resilience that lasts, and why your greatest competitive advantage is everything you've already survived.

This is not a story about surviving. It's a story about how to truly live.

Website: https://www.seanswarner.com/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan_hanley

Full transcript, clips, and more: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast/the-man-who-died-twice-then-climbed-everest-sean-swarner

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast

Finding Peak podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley

The American Dream is dead. It’s been replaced by a rigged, K-shaped economy where the rich get richer, and you get screwed.

Your grocery bill is skyrocketing. A simple dinner out costs a fortune. And young people are forced to gamble on meme coins just to feel like they have a shot.

This isn’t an accident. It’s by design.

In this episode, I sit down with NYT bestselling author Carol Roth, who exposes the truth about the Federal Reserve, the coming financial reset, and what you can do to protect yourself.

We reveal:

• Why the Fed is a “legalized fraud” and how they’re devaluing your money.
• The “YOLO Economy” and why young people have lost all faith in the system.
• The broken social contract: why cheaters are winning and rule-followers are losing.
• How to survive the affordability crisis and the coming debt spiral.
• Practical steps to hedge against inflation with gold and smart investments.

If you’re tired of being played and want to learn how to win in a rigged system, this episode is a must-watch.

This is the way.

• Website: https://www.carolroth.com/
• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/caroljsroth
• Book, "You Will Own Nothing": https://www.amazon.com/You-Will-Own-Nothing-Financial/dp/0063304937?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yMSo37APPvLyRB_29jifZCmROz2m4J5VIDgUUkQXaZ0yz6NrjUNiDOpdtxrMhQ3IriJ48A9CfvVxWdBrZae58JoQnCeLZFFAClUM9LGWYu8ceQWGOSnPZdawQ2p_S0Vkp_M3wxTJxEDlZ0Lpjn9rvbyt1a2G6TyYHeYXXOiDqE1g1O9koOCuBMtkzvk9J4eU9PSf48XdOYEKlcmGpZne61qTiidc_R_grsxxKNdMqP8.9bMrVenUt1-reLHacJvZyqR2ScyBI_DVrPqQ1lxIlw8&qid=1771798096&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl2&tag=findingpeak-20&linkId=9ade77f4016e3cbbc9ff0a1e6058fa90&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Full transcript, clips, and more: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast/the-fed-is-a-fraud-how-to-survive-the-coming-financial-reset

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Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast

Finding Peak podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley

Have you ever looked around and felt like the world is going insane?

Why do smart, successful people fall for ideas that have no receipts? Why do we stand and applaud things we don't actually believe?

The answer is a mix of fear, laziness, and a deep-seated need to belong. And breaking free requires a level of courage most people never develop.

In this episode, I sit down with courage expert and author Margie Warrell to dissect the psychology of groupthink and the cowardice that allows bad ideas to fester. We explore why your brain is wired to play it safe and how to build the mental fortitude to think for yourself.

I also share a raw, personal story about a major business failure that brought my own worst behaviors roaring back, and the humbling lesson I learned about the difference between being "fixed" and being managed.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The biological reason you choose comfort over growth (and how to override it).
• How to use "grace" as a strategy to stay in the fight after a setback.
• Why the fear of being cast out of the tribe is as powerful as the fear of death.
• A simple framework for judging ideas: "Show me the receipts."
• How to lead with consistent values when the world demands you follow trends.

If you're ready to stop borrowing opinions and start building your own, this conversation is your blueprint. Watch now.

• Website: https://margiewarrell.com/
• Book, The Courage Gap: https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Gap-Five-Steps-Action/dp/1119422253

Full transcript, clips, and more: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast/why-smart-people-believe-stupid-things-margie-warrell

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Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast

Finding Peak podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley

Celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson — who has sculpted the bodies of A-list celebrities and professional athletes for over 30 years — joins me to unpack the raw, unfiltered truth about what it takes to win at life. The secret? It's sexy to try.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gunnarfitness/

This isn't your typical fitness podcast.

We go deep on the mindset of refusing to go quietly into the night, the brutal realities of ego and power that derail careers, and the non-negotiable responsibility of being physically prepared to protect your family.

We cover everything from the "Tenth of a Second" rule for achieving elite performance to the two paths men face after divorce — and how to ensure you're on the one that leads up.

If you're ready to stop limping toward the finish line and start fighting for every inch, this episode is for you.

This is the way.

Full transcript, clips, and more: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast/gunnar-peterson-its-sexy-to-try

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