Leading Under Pressure with Fighter Pilot Precision — Christian “Boo” Boucousis, CEO of Afterburner

In this episode of How To Ride A Roller Coaster, David Ezell is joined by Christian “Boo” Boucousis, CEO of Afterburner and author of the Amazon best-seller The Afterburner Advantage. Boo and his team have spent 30 years bringing the mindset and precision of fighter pilots into business — helping over 3,500 organizations and 2 million leaders execute with clarity, speed, and confidence under pressure.

From the cockpit to the boardroom, Boo shares how leaders can turn overwhelm into focused execution, build alignment in high-speed environments, and create consistent performance without burnout through his Flawless Leadership framework.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:
• How to apply the fighter pilot model — Plan, Brief, Execute, Debrief — to your business and life
• Why high-performing leaders rely on iteration over instinct
• The difference between motivation and mission clarity
• How to lead with intention and adaptability in fast-changing environments

Whether you’re leading a team, growing a company, or simply trying to perform better under pressure, Boo’s frameworks will give you the tools to thrive in complexity and move with purpose.

Learn more about Boo:

🔗 Website
📘 The Afterburner Advantage
🤖 Ask Boo’s AI Agent

In this episode, David Ezell sits down with Jake Isham, filmmaker-turned-brand strategist and creative director behind Creative MIND Studios, who’s helped founders and entrepreneurs turn their stories into empires.

With over 1 billion views across the content he’s created for names like Grant Cardone, Callaway, 5.11 Tactical, and Travis Mathew, Jake has mastered the art of blending storytelling with strategy. He shares how to build authority online, what most people get wrong about content, and how to create digital shows that make you unforgettable.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur building your personal brand or a leader trying to connect through storytelling, this conversation will reshape how you think about content, trust, and visibility in 2025.

We talk about:

• How to turn your story into authority

• What it takes to stand out online in 2025

• Behind the scenes of creating content for billion-view brands

• Why every founder should think like a filmmaker

In this episode of How To Ride A Roller Coaster, David Ezell sits down with Doug C. Smith of ceosalesstrategies.com, a globally recognized Sales Revenue and Profit Growth Expert. Doug has helped companies like Intuit, CBS, and Procter & Gamble generate nearly a billion dollars in revenue through his proven Double Your Sales Methodology.

David and Doug dive into the heart of sales — relationships. They explore why putting the customer first is the key to long-term success, how to sell with integrity even before your product or service is fully built, and why trust and connection always outperform slick tactics.

Doug also shares insights from his time leading sales training with Tony Robbins and Chet Holmes, building over 35 businesses, and creating Vibitno, a powerful sales automation platform designed to help sellers capture lost opportunities and double their sales.

If you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, or independent seller who wants to grow revenue while building lasting relationships with your customers, this episode is packed with strategies you can put into action right away.

Mindset vs Metrics — How Anders Hansen Turned Inner Game Into $12M in Revenue

Join me for a powerful conversation with Anders Hansen, founder of Real Magic LLC, who has built a business generating over $12 million in revenue in just 7 years, including multiple $1 million+ months. But what really sets Anders apart isn’t just the numbers—it’s how he thinks.

In this episode, we dig into:

• Mindset over Method — Why your inner beliefs and self-image often determine what’s possible in your business more than marketing, systems, or strategy.

• The Proctor Legacy — How working with the legendary Bob Proctor shaped Anders’ approach to transformation, leadership, and scaling.

• Turning Points & Breakthroughs — The pivotal mindset shifts that allowed Anders to leap past “ceiling thinking” and plateauing, and how you can apply them too.

• Practical Tools for Mental Mastery — Actionable habits, rituals, and frameworks that Anders uses to stay grounded, ambitious, and focused—even under pressure.

• From Mindset to Million-Dollar Months — The bridge between mindset work and measurable revenue growth—and why many entrepreneurs get stuck trying to scale without first upgrading how they think.

Whether you’re a founder, business leader, or entrepreneur hungry for growth (financial, personal, or both), this episode will challenge you to examine the beliefs that are helping—and holding you back. Anders shows that the difference between where you are and where you want to be may not be a better plan, but a bolder mindset.

Follow Anders here: https://www.andershansen.com/en/

Anders on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/theandershansen

In this episode of How To Ride A Roller Coaster, David sits down with Michael Jacobson, CEO of French Florist, to dive into his incredible journey from buying the company from his uncle to transforming it into one of the most recognized names in the floral industry.

Michael shares how he jumpstarted growth by tackling the “low-hanging fruit” first—stopping the bleeding, fixing operational inefficiencies, and implementing policies that set the foundation for long-term success. He also reveals how French Florist stands out in a crowded market by obsessing over the customer experience and embracing a European-inspired approach to flowers: they shouldn’t be reserved for special occasions—they’re for everyday moments.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a creative, or someone passionate about building standout brands, this episode is packed with insights on leadership, scaling, and redefining industry norms.

In this episode, I'm joined by Adrienne Wilkerson—co-founder and CEO of Beacon Media + Marketing—to unpack how she transformed a humble graphic design startup into an award-winning, Inc. 5000-recognized digital marketing agency. From realizing early on that she’d make a better boss than an employee to pioneering digital marketing services in Alaska and beyond, Adrienne shares the mindset, grit, and strategic pivots that shaped Beacon’s journey. Beacon Media + MarketingDigital Web Solutions

We dive deep into:

• Finding and owning your niche: Why Adrienne focused on serving healthcare professionals and how that clarity has driven Beacon’s success Beacon Media + Marketing.

• Building a purpose-driven brand: How staying “people-first” grounded Beacon’s culture and fueled its growth—from flexible work practices to “whole person” support systems that have redefined workplace culture in a meaningful way Digital Web Solutions.

• Embracing adaptability: How being early adopters of social media and digital marketing shaped the agency—and why the willingness to pivot remains Beacon’s superpower Digital Web Solutions.

• Turning AI into an ally: Adrienne’s framework for leveraging AI as a “copilot”—enhancing, not replacing, human creativity and strategy Digital Web Solutions.

If you're an entrepreneur, marketer, or brand-builder navigating growth, leadership, or the evolving digital landscape, this episode is packed with real talk, actionable insights, and a side of inspiration.

In this episode of How To Ride A Roller Coaster, David sits down with Christina Richardson, founder of Foundology, a membership community built to support founders on the rollercoaster journey of entrepreneurship.

Together, they dive into the very real and often overlooked topic of founder burnout—how to recognize the early warning signs, what practical steps to take before it derails you, and how stress shows up differently for different people. Christina shares insights from her own experience and from the work she's doing at Foundology, where community and accountability are at the core of the solution.

If you’re building something and feeling the weight of it all, this conversation is for you.

Links:

Christina on LinkedIn

Foundology

Learn more about Clutch City

In this episode of How to Ride a Roller Coaster, David sits down with Bo Burlingham — acclaimed author of Small Giants and founder of the Small Giants Community. Bo shares the inspiration behind his now-classic book and the updates made in its latest edition, reflecting how the world of entrepreneurship has evolved over the years.

Together, they dive deep into the heart of what separates good companies from truly great ones — not by size, but by soul. Bo opens up about the tough questions only founders can answer: How do you balance growth with values? What does it mean to protect your culture as you scale? And how do you stay grounded when the future is uncertain?

Whether you're running a growing startup or dreaming about building something meaningful, this episode offers timeless insights on leadership, purpose, and what it really means to choose the road less taken.

Links:

In this episode, David chats with Rithesh Menon — founder of InCall IQ, a fast-growing AI company that’s transforming how businesses understand their customer conversations.

Rithesh shares the unexpected way he launched InCall IQ, inspired by ideas from Cody Sanchez and a deep curiosity about why so many potential customers drop off during calls. Together, we dig into how his platform helps companies go beyond surface-level analytics to answer questions like:
• Why didn’t this lead convert?
• Was it a pricing objection? A product mismatch? Lack of insurance coverage?

With InCall IQ, Rithesh is helping teams take the guesswork out of call outcomes using conversational intelligence — and he's doing it without a traditional tech founder background.

This episode is a must-listen for aspiring founders, operators, and anyone looking to turn insight into action.

Show links:

• Rithesh on LinkedIn

• InCall IQ

• Book (Buy Then Build)

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In this episode, David sits down with Elina Panteleyeva, founder of Dood Woof, to talk about how she built a passionate following in the doodle dog community—before ever launching a product. Elina shares how she tapped into niche groups, truly listened to the needs of her audience, and used those insights to shape both her brand and her business. They also dive into the importance of building in community, surrounding yourself with fellow entrepreneurs, and why creating demand before supply can change everything.

Show links:

Elina on LinkedIn

Dood Woof

Book mentioned

_________________________________________________

⇩ START YOUR OWN PODCAST ⇩

Learn how to podcast like a pro! Learn both the basics and advanced systems to set you up for future success. Get started today: ⁠http://tinyurl.com/jjjkryr2⁠

_________________________________________________

WATCH ON YOUTUBE. BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE, LIKE AND LEAVE A COMMENT

YOUTUBE: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvgM8abmf_UcPYuWxJ4EpbA⁠

_________________________________________________

⇩ SOCIAL MEDIA ⇩

INSTAGRAM: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/realdavidezell/⁠

FACEBOOK: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/david.ezell.9659/⁠

LINKEDIN: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidezell/⁠

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