I Have Some Questions...

This reaction episode offers a reflective deep dive into the most resonant themes from Erik’s conversation with Sam Bennett—improviser, coach, and author of Start Right Where You Are. Erik explores the real-world value of improv training, redefines creativity through a leadership lens, and shares how Sam’s abundance mindset reminded him that leadership isn’t about having all the ideas—it's about creating space for others to bring theirs.

🎯 Top Insights from the Interview

• Improv is leadership in action: Practicing real-time response to others builds flexibility, confidence, and presence.
• Creativity ≠ artistry: You don’t have to be artistic to be creative. Creativity is problem-solving with your unique lens.
• Encouragement through wisdom: Sam’s insights didn’t just hype you up—they grounded you in what's possible with others.
• Let go of control, amplify contribution: Hire well, set direction, then let people run in the right direction.
• Leadership is cultural translation: LinkedIn Learning gave Sam access to global audiences—proof that wisdom can cross borders with the right medium.

🧩 The Personal Layer

Erik reflects on how Sam’s definitions challenged his own. Once convinced he wasn't creative, Erik shares how a friend helped him break that belief—and how Sam’s distinctions helped deepen that reframe. As a father, he’s also rethinking the power of the arts in his daughters’ lives—not for performance, but for building confidence, emotional intelligence, and collaborative muscles that last a lifetime.

🧰 From Insight to Action

• Enroll in or try an improv class—yes, even (especially) if you're a leader.
• Rethink how you define “creative”—in yourself and your team.
• Watch how others respond to your energy in meetings; are you collaborative or controlling?
• Practice the art of "one idea is enough"—start somewhere and build together.
• Challenge someone you lead to find their zone of genius—and give them room to run.

🗣️ Notable Quotes

“You don’t need a great idea to start—you just need one idea. The good part comes from building it with others.” — Erik (on Sam’s insight)

“Leadership isn’t about control—it’s about direction and trust.” — Erik

“Encouragement isn’t hype. It’s the quiet clarity of seeing what’s possible in other people.” — Erik

“My kids don’t need to become artists. But if they can learn to improvise with others? They’ll be unstoppable.” — Erik

In this deeply human, laugh-out-loud insightful conversation, Erik sits down with the brilliant and hilarious Sam Bennett—actress, writer, leadership coach, and improv-trained creativity wizard. They explore the subtle power of curiosity, how theater prepares us for leadership, and why treating people like you actually like them is the secret to better business and better life.

Together, they unpack how creative problem-solving isn’t just for artists, how improv is a masterclass in self-trust, and how to navigate high-stakes conversations with grace, humor, and impact.

👤 About the Guest

Sam Bennett is the author of multiple bestsellers including Start Right Where You Are and Get It Done. She’s also a powerhouse course creator with over 2 million students on LinkedIn Learning and an improvisational theater veteran from her early days at Second City. Sam’s work helps people move from chaos to clarity by activating their creativity and deepening their leadership presence—without the burnout.

🧭 Conversation Highlights

• How Sam’s time at Second City shaped her leadership lens
• The difference between being funny and being present
• Why you don’t need a “good” idea—you just need an idea
• The underused magic of improv for teams, parents, and CEOs alike
• Sam’s one-line business book: “Treat them like you like them.”
• How to navigate hard conversations with calm, curiosity, and kindness
• Why theater is one of the best trainings for leadership available
• The subtle difference in tone that changes the impact of your words

💡 Key Takeaways

• Improv is leadership training: Learning to respond without a script builds real-time adaptability and authentic presence.
• Creativity ≠ artistry: Everyone is creative—creativity is simply solving problems in a way only you could.
• Presence beats perfection: Listening well and showing up fully often matter more than having the “right” answer.
• Disarming tension starts with curiosity: Replace defensiveness with questions, and you’ll often shift the whole energy.
• Service jobs teach emotional intelligence: Everyone should spend time in customer service—it’s where empathy, patience, and presence get forged.

❓ Questions That Mattered

• “What if you just treated them like you liked them?”
• “What would you do if you were me?”
• “What happens when we stop trying to be impressive—and start trying to be present?”
• “How do highly creative people make decisions?”
• “What if creativity isn’t about having the best idea—but about building something together?”

🗣️ Notable Quotes

"Treat your clients like you like them. Treat your business like you like it. Treat yourself like you like yourself.” — Sam

“You don’t have to have a good idea to write a book. You just need to have an idea. The good part will emerge through doing.” — Sam

“Health is flow. Love, information, breath, blood, money—it all needs to move.” — Sam

“Anything you do just for the money is never worth the money.” — Sam

“You don’t need to have the right answer. You need to have the right presence.” — Erik Berglund

🔗 Links & Resources

• Sam’s Books: https://therealsambennett.com/books
• Sam’s LinkedIn Learning Courses: Sam on LinkedIn Learning
• Erik’s shoutout to F3 Nation: https://f3nation.com
• Sam’s creativity programs & newsletter: https://therealsambennett.com

This episode is a bold challenge to the myth that leaders need to have all the answers. Erik breaks down the real reason many leaders avoid tough conversations—and how a single mindset shift can radically reduce stress, spark better performance, and create more self-sufficient teams. This is about turning pressure into presence, and questions into your most powerful leadership tool.

❓ The Big Question

What if your best move as a leader wasn’t saying something smart—but asking something better?

💡 Key Takeaways

• Stop solving everything yourself: You're not a bottleneck. You’re a facilitator.
• Open-ended questions change the game: They create clarity, agency, and alignment.
• Closed-ended questions kill conversations: Stop asking "did you…" and start asking "how could you…"
• Asking buys time: In high-stakes moments, good questions give you room to think.
• Empowered teams perform better: When people create their own solutions, they own the outcomes.

🧠 Concepts, Curves, and Frameworks

• Open-Ended vs Closed-Ended: Use the "Five W’s + H" (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How) to unlock thinking.
• Visual Anchor Technique: Write those five words down and put them in your workspace as a reminder.
• The “Curse of Knowledge” Trap: When you know the answer, it’s harder to ask a great question—don’t fall for it.
• Leadership Reframe: Your value isn’t in having all the answers—it’s in drawing the best ones out of others.

🔁 Real-Life Reflections

• Erik shares how leading a team he didn’t have technical answers for became his best leadership lesson.
• He reflects on how solving everything for his team created bottlenecks—and how asking saved time and built trust.
• He acknowledges how hard it can be to not answer when you think you know the fix, but how powerful it is when you don’t.

🧰 Put This Into Practice

• Write down the words: Who, What, When, Where, How. Put it in front of you. Use it daily.
• Before you “fix” something, ask one open-ended question first.
• Practice flipping closed questions (e.g., “Did you try…?” → “How might you try…?”)
• In your next 1:1, speak 30% less—ask 3x more questions.
• Watch how people shift when they’re invited to think, not just comply.

🗣️ Favorite Quotes

“You don’t need the perfect plan. You need the right question.”

“We love our own ideas. If you can make it theirs, they’ll probably do it.”

“Asking a question buys you time—and raises the ceiling of possibility.”

“You’re not supposed to be the genius with all the answers. You’re supposed to unleash the genius in the room.”

“Write it down: who, what, when, where, how. That’s your new leadership toolkit.”

🧠 Erik’s Take

In this reflection, Erik unpacks his recent interview with Peter Awad—a powerful, purpose-driven conversation that left him wanting more time. The episode explored how discovering your “why” is far less about lightbulb moments and far more about long-haul self-inquiry. Erik doesn’t just review their dialogue—he reveals how his own journey mirrored Peter’s, including the patience, pain, and pattern-recognition it took to step away from sales leadership and into entrepreneurship with intention.

This one’s a heartfelt reminder: clarity doesn’t come quickly—but the right questions will carry you there.

🎯 Top Insights from the Interview

• Purpose Isn’t Found—It’s Grown
  Erik and Peter both took 18–24 months to identify their calling. Purpose reveals itself through long reflection and intentional action.
• The Right Questions Matter More Than Answers
  Six core questions shaped their journeys—from “What are your superpowers?” to “What experiences do you want to have?”
• Self-Awareness Is the First Door
  Becoming aware of what others consistently notice, compliment, or ask you about is the starting point for discovering your “why.”
• You Don’t Think Your Way Into It
  Insight comes through action. These aren’t theoretical exercises—you find clarity by testing, failing, adjusting, and learning.
• Misalignment Feels Like a Bloody Forehead
  If you’re constantly frustrated or stuck, that’s often a sign you're living out of sync with your deeper purpose.

🧩 The Personal Layer

Erik’s admiration for Peter’s depth and clarity is matched by his own raw honesty about how long it took him to figure out what really mattered. He shares how coaching, entrepreneurship, and a relentless curiosity pulled him out of misalignment—and how asking the right questions (again and again) became a lifeline. There’s humility here, but also fire: a call for listeners to stop waiting for lightning and start building their own storm.

🧰 From Insight to Action

Want to start clarifying your purpose? Try this:

1. Write down your answers to these 3 questions:
   • What skills do I want to develop?
   • What experiences do I want to have?
   • What responsibilities do I want to carry?
2. Then answer Peter’s 3:
   • What are my superpowers?
   • What do I want the work to look like?
   • What incentives matter most to me?
3. Look for patterns: What shows up across both sets?
4. Listen to what people naturally come to you for.
5. Give yourself time. This is a journey, not a pop quiz.

🗣️ Notable Quotes

🔗 Links & Resources

• Learn more about Peter's work at White Stone Coach
• Text White Stone to 55444 to get Peter’s Free Resource!

In this powerful conversation with coach and entrepreneur Peter Awad, Erik digs into what happens when high-achieving people drift through life without a clear why. Together, they explore the subtle decay that comes from comfort, the courage it takes to pursue voluntary discomfort, and why most people wait too long to ask the deeper questions. This isn’t a surface-level chat about purpose—it’s a raw, practical breakdown of what real transformation demands.

👤 About the Guest

Peter Awad is the founder of White Stone Coach, a coaching organization dedicated to helping leaders uncover their deeper purpose and align their actions with their true identity. A man of faith, grit, and clarity, Peter brings decades of entrepreneurial experience and a fierce commitment to growth through discomfort. His work is grounded, compassionate, and full of challenge—exactly the kind of presence you want when you’re ready to stop coasting and start becoming.

🧭 Conversation Highlights

• Why comfort is so dangerous for a competent leader
• The power of identifying your unconscious vs. conscious competencies
• Why discovering your superpowers isn’t about ego—it’s about stewardship
• How “cutting the ends off the ham” became a metaphor for unexamined life choices
• Why old dogs can learn new tricks (but only if they’re willing to suck first)

💡 Key Takeaways

• Coasting is not neutral—it’s decay in slow motion
• Your natural gifts don’t exempt you from the hard stuff
• Voluntary discomfort is the gateway to personal and spiritual evolution
• Self-awareness starts with noticing your “knee-jerk no”
• Growth requires doing things you’re bad at—on purpose

❓ Questions That Mattered

• What happens when someone is highly competent but disconnected from their purpose?
• Why does it take hardship for us to wake up to the life we actually want?
• How can leaders distinguish between inherited expectations and their true calling?
• What’s the role of discomfort in discovering your why?
• How do we discern when to stay in the fight versus pull the ripcord?

🗣️ Notable Quotes

• “It’s terrifying when people are just doing what they’ve always done. Is that your calling—or just your conditioning?” — Peter Awad
• “You don’t stumble into your next tier by coasting. Growth lives in friction.” — Peter Awad
• “We’re never better salespeople than when we’re convincing ourselves not to do something uncomfortable.” — Erik Berglund
• “Your vision has to be greater than your dissatisfaction.” — Peter Awad
• “Some things you’re avoiding are the exact doorway into your next level.” — Peter Awad

🔗 Links & Resources

• Learn more about Peter's work at White Stone Coach
• Text White Stone to 55444 to get Peter’s Free Resource!

In this solo episode of I Have Some Questions..., Erik goes straight into the heart of what most leaders avoid: hard conversations. If you've ever dreaded giving feedback, delayed the tough talk, or spiraled into overthinking how it'll be received — this one’s for you. Erik breaks down why we avoid these conversations and offers a simple, repeatable framework to make them easier, more human, and more effective.

❓The Big Question

How can leaders approach hard conversations in a way that actually makes them easier and more productive?

💡Key Takeaways

• The dread of a tough conversation usually stems from fear of the other person’s reaction, not the topic itself.
• You can’t control their reaction, but you can control the setting and your words.
• Preparation includes asking your people ahead of time: “How do you prefer to receive tough feedback?”
• Body language and tonality are crucial — especially in virtual settings.
• The 3-part enrollment process (what’s in it for them, your intention, ask for permission) can open the door to trust and accountability.

🧠 Concepts, Curves and Frameworks

• Rules of Engagement: Pre-agreed ways to give and receive feedback. Ask before you need them.
• The Enrollment Model:
  1. What I want for you – Frame the benefit from their POV.
  2. What I want to do – Reveal your intentions clearly.
  3. Ask Permission – Invite them into the conversation.
• Flipping the Frame: Your feedback isn’t just about fixing problems — it’s a gift that could unlock their next level. Not sharing it? That’s the real disservice.

🔁 Real-Life Reflections

• Ever sat on a hard conversation so long it got harder? Erik calls it out: the longer you wait, the worse it gets.
• He shares a moment when his own boss’s unclear intentions made him defensive — and why transparency matters.
• From body language on Zoom to soft tonality in voice, Erik highlights how subtle cues can shift everything.

🧰 Put This Into Practice

• This week, identify one conversation you’ve been avoiding.
• Draft an opening using the Enrollment Model:
  • What’s in it for them?
  • What’s your intention?
  • How will you ask permission?
• Try this: Next 1:1, ask your team, “How do you want me to give you feedback when it’s hard to hear?”

🗣️ Favorite Quotes

After an energizing and raw conversation with Chris Jones, Erik reflects on what it actually means to be relentless—and why so few of us live that way. In this solo reflection, Erik opens up about his own honest recognition that he’s notrelentlessly wired, at least not by default, and explores what it takes to become someone who is.

This isn’t just a pep talk. It’s a tactical, psychological dive into the challenge of pursuing anything with obsession—and the discomfort required to even discover what’s worth chasing in the first place. Erik distills the biggest ideas from the interview and shares how you can start experimenting with your own “relentless vector.”

🎯 Top Insights from the Interview

• Relentlessness is an exclusive behavior. To pursue something relentlessly is to not pursue a thousand other worthy things.
• Finding your “why” isn’t easy. Most of us struggle not because we lack willpower—but because we lack clarity on what truly matters.
• Stress is a crucible. Most people only discover what lights them up when they're pushed to the edge.
• Alignment is energy. If you're drained, it might not be because you're weak—but because you're misaligned.
• Pursuit beats potential. Wanting to be relentless isn’t enough. You’ve got to live into discomfort and notice what gives you energy back.

🧩 The Personal Layer

Erik shares candidly: “I’m not relentless.” That realization isn't a shameful one—it’s a mirror. This episode becomes a meditation on self-honesty, the complexity of identity (entrepreneur, father, husband, friend), and the deep need to live an aligned life. Through his own lens, Erik invites listeners into a more spacious, strategic way of thinking about ambition.

He reflects on the tension between knowing what you could do and figuring out what you should—a tension that often requires stress, stillness, and sharp reflection to resolve.

🧰 From Insight to Action

Here’s how to start discovering what’s worth being relentless about:

• Block two hours. Go to a coffee shop with a blank page. Write until something strikes a nerve.
• Ask better questions. What do I want? What would I pursue even if it failed?
• Recruit an ally. Find someone who knows your energy patterns better than you do.
• Chase challenge. Stress and strain often point toward passion. Don’t avoid them—study them.
• Reflect backward. Look at moments you didn’t want to do something, but came out energized. That’s your breadcrumb trail.

🗣️ Notable Quotes

🔗 Links & Resources

• Visit Chris’ Website relentlesschrisjones.com
• Connect with Chris on LinkedIn
• Buy Chris’ book Relentless AF on Amazon

What does it really take to become relentless—and why is fun an essential part of the formula? In this candid, high-energy conversation, Erik sits down with best-selling author and EOS coach Chris Jones, a leader who’s navigated failure, burnout, and massive business pivots to find the intersection of intensity and joy. Together, they explore how clarity, courage, and self-awareness shape the path to excellence—and what keeps most people stuck in average.

👤 About the Guest

Chris Jones is a multi-time entrepreneur, best-selling author of Relentless AF: An Entrepreneur's Disaster to Success Story, and a master EOS Implementer. Over the last decade, he’s led more than 600 full-day sessions and worked with 75+ leadership teams to build clarity, systems, and traction. Chris is also a father, husband, and high-performance coach who blends intense drive with intentional fun.

🧭 Conversation Highlights

• How Chris redefined “relentless” to include fun—and rewrote his book to match
• The real reason most people settle for average (and how to know if you are)
• What the pursuit of clarity actually looks like—and why biking doesn’t count
• How exclusion is the hidden key to excellence
• Why 10x growth requires deep, personal letting go
• What Chris learned from losing 70% of his business overnight
• Parenting, ego, and identity in the journey of reinvention
• Why leaders who don’t take clarity breaks stay stuck

💡 Key Takeaways

• Fun isn’t the opposite of drive—it’s fuel for it. Chris’s journey to blend passion and play led to a more sustainable and magnetic leadership style.
• Excellence requires exclusion. You have to say “no” to good things in order to say “hell yes” to the great ones.
• Relentlessness without clarity is just busyness. Without a North Star, all that effort won’t move you toward meaning.
• You can’t discover what to be relentless about without exploration. Sampling, stress, and reflection reveal alignment.
• Leaders who don’t build in space for clarity will never break out of the lizard brain. Great decisions require margin and mindset.

❓ Questions That Mattered

• What does it actually mean to be relentless?
• Is relentlessness a natural trait—or can it be learned?
• Why do some people keep going while others give up?
• Can you be relentless about something you don’t love?
• How do you create clarity without a sabbatical?
• What’s the hidden cost of trying to do it all?
• Why do so few people know what they really want?

🗣️ Notable Quotes

🔗 Links & Resources

• Visit Chris’ Website relentlesschrisjones.com
• Connect with Chris on LinkedIn
• Buy Chris’ book Relentless AF on Amazon

In this episode, Erik drops the hammer on one of leadership’s biggest illusions: that great teams are discovered, not developed. He challenges listeners to let go of the fantasy of “perfect hires” and instead master the craft of building greatness from within. From training and development to retention and real-time coaching, Erik lays out a clear, repeatable path to elevate every player on your team—starting now.

❓ The Big Question

What if your job isn’t to find great people—but to build them?

💡 Key Takeaways

• You likely didn’t hire a team of rock stars—but you can still build one.
• Training, development, and retention are the three levers that turn potential into performance.
• If you’re the best performer on your team, you’re not done leading yet.
• Feedback loops don’t have to be awkward—they just need rhythm.
• 60-Second Coaching is the most underutilized leadership tool in your back pocket.

🧠 Concepts, Curves, and Frameworks

• The 3-Part Talent Flywheel:
  1. Training (knowledge + tools)
  2. Development (application + feedback)
  3. Retention (alignment + purpose)
• 60-Second Coaching Script:
• “Thanks for bringing this to me. I have a few ideas, happy to share—but you’re closer to it than I am. What’s your take?”
• The Development Timing Curve: Pre-action coaching > post-action correction
• Feedback Mechanisms:
  • Observed feedback
  • Requested feedback
  • Problem-solving invitations

🔁 Real-Life Reflections

• Erik recounts his early leadership role with 16 direct reports and a three-bullet job description—where talent development was literally job #1.
• He calls out the corporate myth that we can sniff out greatness in an interview, especially when we don’t even run the full hiring process.
• A powerful reminder: talent leaves not just for more money, but for better alignment.

🧰 Put This Into Practice

1. Assess your rhythm: How often are you giving meaningful developmental feedback?
2. Practice 60-Second Coaching: Build the muscle by using it in low-stakes moments.
3. Set a feedback cadence: Weekly, monthly, or quarterly—pick one and stick to it.
4. Shift from solving to scaling: Stop giving answers. Start leveling up others' thinking.
5. Get ahead of the moment: Coach before action, not just after mistakes.

🗣️ Favorite Quotes

In this recap, Erik distills the key leadership insights from his conversation with Dr. Ian Beaty, highlighting the gap between technical skill and leadership ability. He reflects on the all-too-common failure point: we promote people because they’re good at something, not because they’ve been trained to lead. Erik explores how this creates a cycle of unprepared leaders who are under-equipped and over-pressured—and why humility and rebellion are often the antidote.

🎯 Top Insights from the Interview

• Success ≠ Leadership Readiness: Being great at a skill doesn’t automatically translate into being great at leading others who do that skill.
• Training Is the Missing Piece: The military models this well—every promotion requires training. In contrast, most companies offer none.
• Rebellion Is a Leadership Virtue: Being a good leader often means being willing to challenge the system, not just follow it.
• Pressure Creates Ego: Newly promoted leaders often feel the need to have all the answers. This squashes collaboration and curiosity.
• Humility Fuels Growth: Ian’s unique journey—from enlisted mechanic to doctorate-holder—underscores how humility is the bridge between mistakes and mastery.

🧩 The Personal Layer

Erik relates deeply to the challenge of being promoted without preparation. He reflects on how easy it is to assume a title grants wisdom, and how hard it is to ask for help without feeling like a fraud. The conversation brought him back to key moments in his own leadership where he struggled with ego, pressure, and the desire to appear competent. That rawness created a resonance with Ian’s story—and a deeper respect for the discipline of leadership.

🧰 From Insight to Action

• Audit Your Promotions: Look at who you’ve elevated recently—did you train them to lead, or just hope they’d figure it out?
• Normalize Reps, Not Just Results: Like the military or pro sports, leadership should involve practice and feedback, not just real-time performance.
• Celebrate the Rebels: Identify the respectful disruptors on your team and find ways to empower, not suppress, their insights.
• Build Humility Habits: Create spaces for leaders to say “I don’t know” without losing credibility.
• Design Your Own Development Path: Don’t wait for your organization—seek the reps, feedback, and frameworks you need.

🗣️ Notable Quotes

🔗 Links & Resources

• Visit Dr. Ian’s Website www.ianbeaty.com
• Connect with Dr. Ian on LinkedIn