If The Public Only Knew- Behind Every Success, a Story Worth Telling

If The Public Only Knew- Behind Every Success, a Story Worth Telling

By Gary SinderbrandBusinessEntrepreneurship
Download on the App Store

If The Public Only Knew- Behind Every Success, a Story Worth Telling episodes

  • Jordana Cole: Scaling Human-Centered Leadership with AI Coaching

    Most companies say they care about engagement, but keep running the same broken playbook. Jordana Cole reveals how she’s using AI coaching to tackle burnout, stagnant surveys, and “check-the-box” training at the root.


    In this episode, Gary and Jordana Cole discuss:

    • Nonlinear career path into learning and development
    • Intrapreneurship and building scrappy, high-impact L&D programs
    • Why traditional training fails to create lasting behavior change
    • Using AI to scale coaching, engagement, and organizational insight
    • The vision and mechanics behind Shift Well and AI coach “Clara”


    Key Takeaways:

    • Lasting impact from training only happens when people apply what they’ve learned in real contexts, not when they passively consume content in a classroom.
    • Focusing on behavior change, enablement, and adoption is far more powerful than simply “delivering learning” as an abstract objective.
    • Employee engagement problems are ecosystem problems; solving them requires aligned actions at the individual, manager, and organizational levels.
    • AI can massively extend the reach of coaches and L&D leaders by providing personalized, on-demand support at scale while freeing HR and managers to focus on higher-value work.
    • Ethical, well-designed AI coaching that respects privacy and human motivation can help people set better goals, build new habits, and connect personal well-being to business outcomes.


    "We need a sense of autonomy. We need a sense of belonging and we need a sense of competence."  — Jordana Cole


    About Jordana Cole: As a recognized Leadership Coach, Consultant, Workshop Facilitator, and Learning and Development Strategist, Jordana Cole is renowned for empowering leaders to transform behaviors that unlock team potential and drive business results. With a background leading teams and L&D strategy within non-profit, higher education, financial services, e-commerce, and tech industries, she excels at bridging the gap between HR and business units, drawing upon advanced education in the psychology of well-being.


    Over the past 10 years, she has led internal, enterprise global L&D programs across industries and organizational sizes—from start-ups to Fortune 500s—tailoring methods to diverse leader and client needs. Her expertise spans strategic design and delivery, client relationship management, coaching, and workshop facilitation, where she is known for “making magic” with limited resources and building scalable, sustainable approaches from scratch.


    Tech-savvy and adaptable, Jordana is proficient in various learning management systems, virtual learning tools, and online application systems, ensuring seamless delivery of coaching and development programs in both in-person and virtual environments.


    With a passion for cultivating leadership excellence and fostering environments where leadership skills and results flourish, she is committed to partnering with individuals and organizations that want to spark behavioral change and unlock more of their potential.


    Connect with Jordana Cole:  

    Website: https://ignitedbyjordana.com/ | https://www.shiftwell.ai/ 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordana-cole-mapp-pcc-a8445a8/ 


    TEDx Talk: “What to Do When You Don’t Know What’s Next” — coming soon.



    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://archematch.com/

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


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

    37 min
  • Aaron Coe: Turning Nonprofit Fundraising into Powerful Storytelling

    Your nonprofit can raise more money without chasing more donors—simply by changing your story. In this episode, you’ll learn how radically clear messaging, strategic partnerships, and collective impact can transform the way you fund your mission.


    In this episode, Gary and Aaron Coe discuss:

    • Journey from music business to nonprofit leadership
    • Storytelling is the core of effective fundraising
    • Competing for donor attention and breaking through noise
    • Collective Impact Alliances and donor-driven collaboration
    • Donor relationships, due diligence, and political/human dimensions of giving


    Key Takeaways:

    • Most organizations don’t suffer from a pure fundraising problem; they struggle to tell a clear, compelling story that quickly communicates who they help and how.
    • In a marketplace flooded with messages, clarity is a competitive advantage. Vague nuance loses, while “painfully clear” communication wins attention and dollars.
    • Donors increasingly care more about the cause than the institution, which is fueling the rise of collaborative alliances where multiple organizations align around a shared objective.
    • Sustainable fundraising is rooted in genuine relationships, where donors feel like essential partners in solving a problem, not mere transactions, writing checks.
    • Even as government funding shifts, human beings consistently step up in times of real need, creating opportunities for innovation, diversified funding, and new partnerships across sectors.


    "A philanthropic cause wins when they're able to develop a community of people around the cause who are dedicated to helping eradicate whatever problem they're trying to solve."  — Aaron Coe


    About Aaron Coe: Aaron B. Coe, Ph.D., is a visionary leader, strategist, and CEO of Future City Now, a consultancy dedicated to empowering mission-driven organizations with strategies that transform potential into significant impact. Aaron specializes in clarifying vision, crafting compelling campaigns, and cultivating immersive experiences that inspire meaningful action.


    With a proven track record of guiding nonprofit organizations, faith-based ministries, and educational institutions toward breakthrough results, Aaron’s leadership centers around one core belief: organizations don't face fundraising challenges; they face storytelling challenges. Leveraging his expertise in narrative-driven fundraising, Aaron has helped clients collectively raise millions in revenue, amplify their missions, and achieve sustainable growth.


    His innovative approach is rooted in decades of experience in leadership roles across nonprofit, educational, and faith sectors. Aaron’s background includes significant involvement with major campaigns and strategic projects, such as the Museum of the Bible’s Generations Membership Campaign, Passion Conferences’ global initiatives, and illumiNations' Twelve Verse Challenge, among others.


    A sought-after speaker, author, and consultant, Aaron holds a Ph.D. In Applied Theology and regularly lectures on strategic leadership, fundraising, and organizational sustainability. His thoughtful insights and practical methodologies have positioned him as a trusted advisor for CEOs, Chief Development Officers, and Chief Marketing Officers seeking transformative results.


    Aaron's passion extends beyond professional excellence; he is deeply committed to nurturing next-generation leaders, advocating for thoughtful stewardship of resources, and championing ambitious dreams that shape communities worldwide.


    Connect with Aaron Coe:  

    Website: https://www.futurecitynow.com/ 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-coe-51b64010b/ 



    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://archematch.com/

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


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

    34 min
  • Chris Volk: Why Great Business Models Matter More Than Money

    What if everything you think you know about risk, real estate, and raising capital is backwards? In this episode, a three-time REIT founder who went from $15,000 to $10 billion in assets breaks down business models, AI, private markets, and how to think about risk like a real operator, not a textbook.


    In this episode, Gary and Chris Volk discuss:

    • Evolution of REITs and “shadow banking” business models
    • How to raise large-scale capital from a standing start
    • AI, tech, and the challenge of monetizing powerful tools
    • What risk really is vs. what business school teaches
    • Public vs. private markets, leverage, and investor alignment


    Key Takeaways:

    • The hardest part of building big companies today isn’t finding money; it’s assembling a strong leadership team, a real problem to solve, and a robust business model that can be optimized.
    • Breakthrough technologies like search or AI only become enduring businesses when someone figures out how to monetize them with a clear, durable model.
    • Many operating companies are better off renting real estate than owning it, using specialized landlords as a form of smarter, more flexible financing.
    • Risk is fundamentally about downside and margin for error, not short‑term price volatility—high leverage isn’t automatically dangerous if it’s structured with a real cushion.
    • Private vehicles and alternatives often hide more leverage, higher fees, and lower disclosure than their public counterparts, which can quietly raise risk even as they appear “less volatile.”


    "My whole thing in my career has been to convince people that they're better off having a landlord than a banker."  — Chris Volk


    About Chris Volk: Christopher (Chris) Volk is a veteran real estate finance entrepreneur, investor, and three‑time public company CEO who has helped reshape how operating companies use real estate capital. Over several decades in the REIT world, he has taken three companies public, including one he helped grow from just $15,000 of his own money into a platform with more than $10 billion in assets, ultimately attracting Berkshire Hathaway as its largest shareholder. Known as a “business model junkie,” Chris pioneered using net lease REITs as a form of “shadow banking,” financing mission‑critical real estate for operating companies so they can deploy their own capital into higher‑return opportunities.

    Today, as Chairman of Ten (Tenant) Corporation and a member of multiple boards, he writes and speaks extensively on valuation, capital formation, risk as “margin for error,” and why many businesses are better off with a landlord than a banker.


    Connect with Chris Volk:  

    Website: www.christopherhvolk.com 

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisvolk2278 



    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://archematch.com/

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


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

    53 min
  • David Henzel: Building Businesses and Lives From Love, Not Fear

    A shy, introverted engineer who couldn’t stand public speaking now leads a global “Love, Not Fear” alliance and a portfolio of impact-driven companies. In this episode, you’ll hear how re-framing every decision through love instead of fear transformed his life, leadership, and the way he builds businesses and relationships.


    In this episode, Gary and David Henzel discuss:

    • Unconventional path from struggling student to serial entrepreneur
    • Life-altering impact of his wife’s breast cancer diagnosis
    • Applying business principles (roles, values, mission) to family life
    • “Love, Not Fear” as a framework for decisions, sales, and culture
    • Building conscious, self-managed, stakeholder-focused companies


    Key Takeaways:

    • Major life shocks can become powerful catalysts to reassess your path, redefine success, and shift from chasing money to pursuing meaningful impact.
    • Borrowing tools from business, like roles and responsibilities, vision, mission, and core values, can dramatically reduce friction and increase harmony at home.
    • Reframing decisions from fear (“What will they think of me?”) to love (“How can this help them?”) can completely change your relationship with public speaking, sales, and leadership.
    • Hiring and developing people for culture, values, and mission alignment—not just skills—creates environments where employees think and act like intrapreneurs.
    • Conscious, stakeholder-focused business models and shared ownership structures may be a key part of the future of work, narrowing the wealth gap while increasing performance and engagement.


    "Every decision in life, you either make it from a place of love or a place of fear."  — David Henzel


    About David Henzel: David Henzel is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Love Not Fear, an alliance devoted to helping people and organizations make decisions from a place of love instead of fear. Starting his career as a shy, introverted engineer who bounced through 14 schools and struggled with authority, he stumbled into entrepreneurship and went on to build and exit multiple successful companies in e‑commerce, SaaS, and services.


    A life‑changing chapter began when his wife was diagnosed—twice—with breast cancer. That wake‑up call pushed him to rethink what success meant, sell his existing business, and focus on work that creates real impact. Along the way, he discovered that applying business tools—clear roles, responsibilities, vision, mission, and core values—to family life dramatically reduced conflict and increased alignment at home.


    Today, David runs a portfolio of conscious companies, including a BPO firm (LTVplus), a marketing agency (Shortlist), a recruiting company (LNF People), a coaching and cohort platform (UpCoach), and a retreat center in Bodrum, Turkey—where he now lives. Across all of them, his mission is consistent: build self‑managed, values‑driven organizations where people act like intrapreneurs, grow personally and professionally, and where money is the side effect of truly providing value.


    Connect with David Henzel:  

    Website: https://lovenotfear.com/ 

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

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


    Register new Love Not Fear account: https://app.lovenotfear.com/register?vi=70435a1d-453a-45cd-b022-4aa800dbc47d 


    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://archematch.com/

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


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

    40 min
  • Kevin Mays: Lead Yourself First Before You Lead Anyone Else

    Most founders think the problem is their team or the market, Kevin Mays says it’s their own thinking. In this episode, he reveals how “founder syndrome,” outdated mental software, and comfort zones quietly cap your business and your life.


    In this episode, Gary and Kevin Mays discuss:

    • Leaving the traditional engineering/corporate path
    • Motorcycle journey, breakdown, and transformative “nothing to lose” moment
    • Consciousness, cognition, and leading yourself first
    • Founder syndrome and the limits of control in leadership
    • Balancing wealth, vision, and a truly fulfilling life


    Key Takeaways:

    • Life-changing clarity often comes when you realize you have nothing to lose and full responsibility for what happens next.
    • Much of adult behavior is driven by unconscious patterns and “software” installed in childhood, not genuine free will.
    • Successful founders frequently sabotage their own companies by clinging to control instead of empowering the high-caliber leaders they hire.
    • True leadership mastery rests on presence, self-awareness, clear intention, and a compelling vision that guides decisions.
    • Money alone cannot fill inner emptiness; aligning clients, work, and relationships with your values creates far deeper satisfaction.


    “Most of us think we're operating out of a place of free will, and the reality is, there are deeply ingrained patterns that are driving us more than we know.”  — Kevin Mays


    About Kevin Mays: Dr. Kevin Mays is a leadership coach, speaker, author, and strategist dedicated to helping leaders grow with cohesion, clarity, and purpose. With years of experience guiding executives and teams, Dr. Mays blends research-based insight with practical application to create meaningful, lasting change.


    Grab a copy of The Vision Mastery Playbook for FREE: https://vision.maysleadership.com/ 


    Pre-Order the book Lead Yourself First: https://leadyourselffirst.maysleadership.com/ 


    Connect with Kevin Mays:  

    Website: https://maysleadership.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kevin-mays/ 


    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://archematch.com/

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


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

    40 min
  • Tony Loyd: Life Is Short, Play Big, Love Hard

    Is your leadership built for a sprint or for a rock-tumbler world that never slows down? In this episode, Tony Loyd breaks down how to endure as a leader when your health, marriage, and career all get stress-tested at once.


    In this episode, Gary and Tony Loyd discuss:

    • Early career in nuclear health physics and radiation protection
    • Pivot from technical expertise to learning, development, and human performance
    • Intrapreneurship at John Deere and building John Deere University
    • Major life pivots: retirement, social entrepreneurship, divorce, and lung cancer
    • Creation of the Endurance Leadership framework and legacy-focused IP


    Key Takeaways:

    • A career path rarely follows a straight line; seemingly unrelated experiences can compound into a unique and powerful leadership perspective.
    • Technical expertise can be a gateway into deeper work on human behavior, systems thinking, and organizational performance.
    • Intrapreneurial initiatives, like building a university inside a 150-year-old company, can turn cost centers into value-generating engines when they’re aligned with sustainable, profitable growth.
    • Life shocks such as divorce and a cancer diagnosis can act as clarifying moments, pushing you to focus urgently on what you’re truly here to do.
    • Enduring as a leader in a “rock tumbler” world of constant churn requires a mindset more like an endurance athlete than a short-distance sprinter, supported by intentional practices, frameworks, and community.


    “If you take the mindset of an endurance athlete and you put together that with your leadership experience, you end up with endurance leadership.”  — Tony Loyd


    About Tony Loyd: Tony Loyd is a former Fortune 500 executive, endurance athlete, and lung cancer survivor who helps executive teams build what he calls Endurance Leadership—resilience that’s backed by science and forged through real-world experience. His unconventional career began in nuclear health physics and evolved into learning and development, human performance improvement, and senior leadership roles at companies like John Deere, Medtronic, and Buffalo Wild Wings. At John Deere, he helped launch John Deere University, an intrapreneurial venture that transformed a traditional cost center into a value-generating learning platform.


    After taking early retirement, Tony turned his focus to social entrepreneurship, launching the Social Entrepreneur podcast and authoring the Amazon #1 bestselling book Crazy Good Advice: 10 Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs. A divorce and a lung cancer diagnosis—followed by surgery that removed 25% of his lungs—became a defining pivot point. He adopted the personal motto, “Life is short, play big, love hard,” and set out to pour his remaining time and energy into helping leaders endure and thrive in what he describes as a “rock tumbler” world.


    Today, through Culture Shift Advisors and the emerging Culture Shift Institute, Tony delivers keynotes, workshops, and executive coaching grounded in his Endurance Leadership framework, which integrates neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and habit formation. He’s training leaders to get “100% out of 75%” by staying calm under pressure, clarifying purpose, navigating change, and sustaining performance over the long haul—without relying on hype or quick fixes.


    Connect with Tony Loyd:  

    Website: https://tonyloyd.com | https://cultureshift.com  

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

    Facebook: https://facebook.com/tony.loyd    

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

    Threads: https://www.threads.net/@anthonyloyd  

    Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/37585002  

    YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tonyloyd  

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealtonyloyd  



    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://archematch.com/

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


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

    33 min
  • David Homan: Orchestrating Connection in a Transactional World

    What if your real superpower isn’t your resume, but the way you connect people? Composer‑turned‑super‑connector David Homan reveals how he turned a life in music into a global network that runs on trust, empathy, and radical intentionality.


    In this episode, Gary and David Homan discuss:

    • Early musical influences and creative process
    • Visualizing music, emotion, and narrative in composition
    • From composer to “connector of connectors”
    • Designing intentional, trust-based networking communities
    • Technology, AI, and the future of relationship-building (SOAR)


    Key Takeaways:

    • A creative path can evolve from one medium to another; skills developed in music, like sensing emotion and narrative, can later translate into building human networks and communities.
    • The real magic in music and in relationships is intentionality: when every choice is made to create a specific emotional experience, people feel as if they were “meant” to encounter it in that moment.
    • Many so-called networking events fail because they reward surface-level status games; designing spaces around generosity, asking for what you need, and mutual trust creates far more powerful outcomes.
    • Relationship value quietly underpins almost everything important in business—deals, fundraising, political support—yet the people who specialize in making those connections are often undervalued and under-recognized.
    • Technology and AI can’t automate trust, but they can augment thoughtful humans by organizing relationship data, amplifying authentic connectors, and helping purposeful communities scale without losing their core values.


    “Everyone was in an ecosystem. By dominating it, they were limiting themselves.” — David Homan


    About David Homan: David Homan is the founder and CEO of Orchestrated Connecting, a global community built on the power of authentic relationships. He also leads Orchestrated Opportunities, hosts the Orchestrated podcast, composes classical music, and somehow still finds time to be a dad from middle-class roots to some of the most private circles in the world.


    Connect with David Homan:  

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

    Website: https://www.instagram.com/the_connection_orchestrator/ 



    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://archematch.com/

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


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

    51 min
  • Doug Brown: Leveraged Selling and the Power of the Ideal Right-Fit Client

    In this episode, Gary and Doug Brown discuss:

    • Early entrepreneurial lessons and leverage in selling
    • Military discipline, resilience, and leadership applied to business
    • Identifying and pursuing the “ideal right-fit buyer.”
    • Fixing broken sales models in financial services and advisory practices
    • Relationship-based selling, follow-up systems, and mindset “thermostat.”


    Key Takeaways:

    • Long-term success in sales comes from focusing on the “ideal right-fit buyer,” not trying to sell to everyone who can fog a mirror.
    • Time is as important a currency as money; every client you accept consumes emotional, operational, and relational bandwidth.
    • The depth and quality of a client relationship are often determined by how you run the first real meeting and whether you focus on understanding their “why,” not just selling a product.
    • Systematic follow-up and genuine personal care can turn individual clients into multi-six-figure (or more) relationship assets over time.
    • Income and performance are capped by an internal “thermostat” of identity and beliefs; unless that mind flow is raised, people will unconsciously self-sabotage back to their comfort level.


    “Our presentation of value has no value to the other person unless they perceive it as value to them.”  — Doug Brown


    About Doug Brown: Doug C. Brown is a revenue growth strategist and founder of CEO Sales Strategies, where he helps companies and entrepreneurs systematically win their ideal right-fit clients. A lifelong entrepreneur, he began selling in his father’s industrial machinery business as a child, learning early the power of leverage and margins.

    After 12 years in the U.S. Army, Doug built and scaled multiple businesses and has been involved in 37 ventures over his career. His success in sales led him to work with marketing legend Jay Conrad Levinson and business strategist Chet Holmes, eventually becoming President of Sales and Training for the Chet Holmes organization.

    When Tony Robbins partnered with Chet Holmes, Doug led training and sales for their joint venture, helping thousands of entrepreneurs and significantly boosting company revenues. Today, he focuses on helping CEOs, founders, and advisors grow high-revenue, relationship-driven businesses through better client selection, systems, and mindset.


    Connect with Doug Brown:  

    Website: https://ceosalesstrategies.com/ | https://vibitno.com/ 

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dougcbrown123/ 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougbrown123/ 

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



    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://betterpathtraining.com/

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


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

    1 hr 3 min
  • Morag Barrett: Why Relationships, Not Strategy, Make or Break Leaders

    In this episode, Gary and Morag Barrett discuss:

    • Nonlinear career path from banking to executive coaching
    • The missing “who” in business success
    • Building intentional leadership habits that stick
    • Founder-to-CEO transition and letting go of control
    • The power of allies and friendships at work


    Key Takeaways:

    • Technical brilliance and a great business idea are never enough; the real differentiator is who you are as a leader and how you relate to people.
    • Sustainable leadership change comes from small, repeatable habits that can survive chaos, not from one-off “aha” moments in a workshop or keynote.
    • Founders often struggle when they try to carry everything alone; the shift to treating leadership as a team sport is essential for scale and sanity.
    • Many leaders underestimate how their everyday behavior shapes culture, especially under stress, and fail to see the ripple effects they create across their teams.
    • Professional success is tightly linked to the depth and health of your work relationships; without trusted allies at work, leaders become isolated, vulnerable, and less effective.


    “If you're not willing to do something different yourself, then nothing will change.” — Morag Barrett


    About Morag Barrett: Morag Barrett is the CEO of SkyeTeam, a global leadership development and executive coaching firm dedicated to helping leaders and teams thrive through stronger relationships and meaningful connections. With a career that began in banking and evolved through senior roles in executive development for global telecoms, she brings a rare blend of commercial savvy and human-centered insight to her work.

    She has coached more than 20,000 leaders worldwide, from high-growth founders to Fortune 500 executives, and specializes in working with highly technical, engineering, and technology leaders who need to elevate their people and leadership skills. Morag is a sought-after keynote speaker on human connection and workplace relationships, known for her practical, no-nonsense approach to “taking the junior high out of the workplace.”

    Morag is the author of You, Me, We: Why We All Need a Friend at Work and How to Show Up as One and the newly updated second edition of Cultivate: The Power of Winning Relationships. Through her books, keynotes, and coaching, she equips leaders to build trust, break down silos, create allyship at work, and navigate change with clarity and confidence—proving that business success is powered by relationships, and success in life is fueled by connection.


    Connect with Morag Barrett:  

    Website: https://skyeteam.com/ 

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

    Blog: https://skyeteam.com/blog/ 


    Listeners are invited to complete their complimentary Ally Mindset Profile: https://www.skyeteam.cloud/youmewe 


    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://betterpathtraining.com/

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


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

    39 min
  • Patrick Thean: Building Rhythm for Execution and Joy

    In this episode, Gary and Patrick Thean discuss:

    • Patrick’s career journey
    • Decision-making and career inflection points
    • Entrepreneurship and building software companies
    • Execution, leadership, and helping CEOs succeed
    • Succession, roles, and designing a sustainable leadership life


    Key Takeaways:

    • Choose people over positions. Major career decisions were made based on the people involved and the joy of working with them, rather than purely on role, technology, or salary.
    • Execution beats strategy. Companies usually don’t fail because of bad ideas; they fail because they can’t reliably execute. Leading indicators, early warning systems, and clear commitments are essential.
    • The biggest challenges in business are team dynamics, trust, and alignment, not the engineering or technical issues. Healthy teams can turn average ideas into outstanding results.
    • Overthinking blocks progress. Intelligence and experience can create paralysis by analysis. You don’t need to know every step—have a direction, then take the next concrete step (start the company, do the interview, launch the podcast).
    • Sustainable leadership requires succession and focus. Long-term success depends on developing successors, narrowing your role to your highest-value work, and creating space to think instead of constantly operating in crisis mode.


    "Execution is the main reason why most companies fail, not because they don't have strategy, not because they don't know what to do, but they can't deliver on their commitments." — Patrick Thean


    About Patrick Thean: Patrick is an award-winning entrepreneur, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and a leading expert on strategy execution. He is the creator of the Think Plan Do® process and co-founder of Rhythm Systems®, where he coaches CEOs and executive teams on leadership, strategic planning, and accountability. His methods have helped thousands of leaders dramatically improve execution and, in many cases, significantly increase company valuations.

    Previously, he founded and led Metasys, Inc., which ranked 151st on the Inc. 500 and earned him Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award (North Carolina). His tools and frameworks have been taught in the EO/MIT Entrepreneurial Masters Programme and at Cornell University. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Cornell and has been happily married for over thirty years, actively supporting his wife and two daughters as they pursue their dreams.


    Connect with Patrick Thean:  

    Website: https://www.rhythmsystems.com/  

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


    To get in touch with Gary:

    Website: https://betterpathtraining.com/

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


    Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

    39 min

About If The Public Only Knew- Behind Every Success, a Story Worth Telling

From the publisher's feed

If the Public Only Knew is a podcast that takes you beyond the headlines and surface-level success stories to uncover the real journeys behind today’s most influential CEOs, founders, and…