Killer Growth

What do you do when a decision could boost the stock price but hurt your team? Jeff Turner shares why he refused certain moves—and what he wishes he had done better as a public-company CEO.

In Episode 93 of the KillerGrowth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Jeff Turner, former CEO of Spirit AeroSystems, to talk about his path from Boeing computer programmer to leading thousands of people, and the faith that shaped his decisions.

Jeff grew up in Wichita, met his wife Rhonda in a church youth group, and went to college on a track scholarship convinced he might flunk out. Studying seriously challenged the story he had believed about his own intelligence. His career would challenge it again.

At Boeing, Jeff found that serving customers and putting their interests first brought unexpected opportunities. A simple stick-figure chart helped executives understand a complicated computer project. Bigger responsibilities followed, eventually putting him at the center of the Boeing spinout that became Spirit AeroSystems.

Going public changed the job dramatically. Jeff recalls an investor calling nine months a long-term investment, while his factories used tools dating back decades. He talks candidly about that tension, the danger of losing curiosity, and why he believes he should have balanced short-term performance and long-term plans better.

The conversation also goes beyond the boardroom. Jeff tells the story of giving his CFO the chance to ring the New York Stock Exchange bell, explains why every person has infinite worth in his Christian faith, and reflects on why family matters more to him than professional recognition.

In this episode:

• Leading as an introvert

• Self-doubt, college, and learning to work hard

• Quitting Boeing because he did not have enough to do

• Serving customers and earning greater responsibility

• Explaining complex ideas with a stick-figure chart

• The spinout that became Spirit AeroSystems

• Going public and facing investor expectations

• Nine-month horizons versus decades of manufacturing

• Refusing layoffs simply to improve the numbers

• Faith, family, humility, and the worth of every person

For business owners, leaders, and anyone weighing ambition against what matters most, Jeff offers an honest look at success, responsibility, and the lessons he is still learning.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

CHAPTERS

00:00 The CEO who refused to chase the stock price

01:32 Meet Jeff Turner

02:11 Growing up in Wichita and meeting Rhonda

04:59 An introvert learns to lead

10:26 You might like it once you get good at it

12:09 A message from KillerGrowth

12:52 College, self-doubt, and finding his work ethic

21:44 College stories and learning humility

30:29 Starting at Boeing with punch-card computers

35:30 Quitting Boeing, coming back, and moving up

42:29 Why serving others led to promotions

45:06 The stick-figure chart executives understood

48:49 The Boeing spinout that became Spirit AeroSystems

56:04 Taking Spirit public and how the CEO job changed

59:08 When a long-term investor means nine months

1:08:56 Letting someone else ring the NYSE bell

1:13:24 Keeping perspective and seeing people’s worth

1:19:20 The stock-price decisions Jeff refused to make

1:26:11 Faith, eternity, and what matters most

What keeps someone running for 30 hours—and who’s keeping track when they’re still out there? Behind every finish time is a person, a story, and a team carrying more responsibility than most spectators realize.

In Episode 92 of the KillerGrowth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Patrick Todd, co-owner of Timer Guys, to talk about endurance racing, building a business around running, and the people who make every race matter.

Patrick’s route into race timing was anything but direct. He studied marketing, pursued a commercial pilot’s license, followed his wife Katie’s performing career, managed running stores, and even started an accounting business before going all in on events.

Then there was his first Resolution Run: about 75 runners, a course ready to go, and 20 minutes until the start when he realized he had no timing plan. Volunteers and tear-off bib tags got him through. Learning chip timing opened the door to something bigger.

Today, Patrick says Timer Guys times about 200 races a year, and his work has taken him behind the scenes at Boston, Chicago, and Houston. He explains the technology behind photo finishes, why timing data matters for runner safety, and what it’s like watching elite athletes chase extraordinary performances.

The conversation also gets personal. Patrick reflects on losing runners at events, the weight of responsibility, and why people take on these distances in the first place—from personal recovery to running for someone they love. Samuel and Patrick also talk about coaching young athletes, celebrating progress beyond the podium, and strengthening the El Dorado community.

In this episode:
Flight school, running stores, and an unexpected career path
The first Resolution Run’s last-minute timing scramble
Learning chip timing and choosing racing over accounting
The partnership that became Timer Guys
Losing roughly 80 scheduled events in two weeks during COVID
Tracking runners across 100-mile, 30-hour events
Photo finishes and working major marathon timing teams
Faster runners, shoe technology, and sports science
Race-day loss and the stories behind every runner
Youth coaching, swimming access, and community collaboration

Whether you run, organize events, coach, or own a business, this conversation offers a look at the work—and the people—behind the finish line.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

CHAPTERS
0:00 30-hour races and the people behind the finish line
1:11 Meet Patrick Todd
5:49 A message from KillerGrowth
6:33 Flight school and finding a different direction
12:03 Running stores, Broadway, and life on the road
16:21 The Resolution Run’s missing timing plan
18:44 Learning chip timing and building Timer Guys
23:15 Samuel’s Resolution Run story
28:59 COVID: From 80 scheduled events to zero
32:06 Race timing is more than starting a clock
37:32 Behind the scenes at Boston, Houston, and Chicago
42:07 Faster runners, better shoes, and sports science
46:24 Race-day loss, safety, and responsibility
50:44 Coaching kids and celebrating personal progress
58:49 Swimming access and water safety
1:00:38 El Dorado and working together as a community

What happens when your podcast guests are two AI robots - and neither quite knows when it’s their turn to talk? Interrupted introductions, robot roasts, and an unexpected Spanish conversation turn this interview into something Samuel definitely couldn’t script.

In Episode 91 of the KillerGrowth Podcast, Samuel McVay meets Droid and Eva, two robot prototypes built by Chad Cox. After putting their conversation skills to the test, Samuel sits down with Chad to find out how they work and why he’s building them.

Droid rolls in on tank tracks with dry humor and a surprising interest in dartboards. Eva answers quickly, calls Chad her father, and occasionally confuses him with Samuel. Getting either robot to respond is one challenge. Getting them to listen to each other is another.

Samuel tests what they can see, whether they can recognize voices, and how well they handle a conversation without human help. The results include a debate about giraffes, a joking plan to take over Chad’s house, and a language experiment that sends the interview sideways. Along the way, questions about consciousness and being switched off produce some unexpectedly personal-sounding responses.

Then Chad explains the idea behind Meckie AI: distinct AI companions whose personalities can move between physical robot bodies. He discusses open-source, 3D-printable designs, the challenges of working prototypes, and the balance between local processing, cloud models, privacy, and cost.

The motivation is personal. Chad talks about his 80-year-old mother, his children’s involvement, and the possibility of using robots to help with loneliness. Behind the funny moments is a bigger question: what could an AI companion add to everyday life, and what still needs to improve before these interactions feel natural?

A detail we learned after recording: Droid was running locally, while Eva was online.

In this episode:
Meet Droid and Eva - and their very different personalities
An introduction that keeps getting interrupted
Testing vision, voice recognition, and conversational memory
Can two AI robots actually talk to each other?
Giraffes, dartboards, and a very small robot uprising
A Spanish conversation that gets lost in translation
Asking robots about consciousness and being switched off
Moving AI personalities between robot bodies
Chad’s approach to open-source, 3D-printed robot designs
Companionship, loneliness, privacy, and the cost of AI

If you’re curious about AI beyond a chat window, this episode offers a funny, candid look at what happens when it enters the room - and the human reasons someone might want it there.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

CHAPTERS
0:00 Two robots, two very different personalities
0:27 KillerGrowth opening
0:51 The introduction goes sideways
2:03 Meet Droid: tank tracks and dry humor
6:31 Meet Eva: quick replies and mistaken identities
8:50 Can they talk to each other?
13:20 A very small robot uprising
14:17 Mid-stream commercial
15:00 Lost in translation: the Spanish experiment
19:51 Consciousness, connection, and being switched off
22:36 Chad Cox explains the robots and Meckie AI

What happens when you achieve the business victory you've been chasing—only to discover it was the beginning of losing everything?

In Episode 90 of the KillerGrowth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Reid Zeising, founder and CEO of GAIN Servicing, to talk about ambition, failure, rebuilding, and the lessons that completely changed his approach to business and life.

Reid's career began in investment banking, where he worked on major financial transactions and developed a passion for complex deals. Eventually, that ambition led him to pursue a takeover of the restaurant chain Backyard Burgers.

After a two-year battle, he succeeded in taking the company private in November 2007.

But the victory didn't feel the way he'd imagined.

Reid describes looking around the room after closing the deal and realizing that everyone there had been paid to attend. What should have been a defining moment of success became one of the loneliest days of his life.

Then the financial crisis hit.

The business struggled, Reid lost everything, and he was left with approximately $22 million in contingent liabilities that took five years to resolve.

What followed was a personal transformation.

Reid talks openly about confronting his ego, finding mentors, rebuilding his values, and learning that success doesn't have to come at someone else's expense.

He eventually found a new opportunity helping people access funds and medical care while awaiting personal injury settlements. That opportunity grew into GAIN Servicing, a business built around financial solutions, technology, and relationships with healthcare providers and law firms.

The conversation also explores the realities of scaling a company, building leadership teams, managing remote employees, preparing for growth, and making difficult decisions during the COVID shutdown.

And through it all, Reid returns to one central lesson: success means more when you're helping other people succeed.

In this episode:

• From investment banking to entrepreneurship

• The takeover of Backyard Burgers

• Losing everything after the financial crisis

• The $22 million financial aftermath

• Ego, humility, and personal transformation

• How mentorship helped Reid rebuild

• The origins of GAIN Servicing

• Financing medical care and legal settlements

• Scaling a company through people and processes

• Why leadership must evolve as companies grow

• The challenges of remote work

• How Reid's team navigated COVID

• Finding purpose in helping others succeed

If you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating a difficult chapter in your own entrepreneurial journey, Reid's story offers a powerful perspective on what success really means.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

What does it take to build a business that becomes part of a community for more than half a century?

In Episode 89 of the KillerGrowth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Harold Harmon, longtime owner of Walter's Flowers in El Dorado, Kansas, to talk about 53 years in business, the people who shaped his life, and the stories behind one of the community's most recognizable businesses.

Harold's journey started long before he owned a flower shop.

He shares how he arrived in El Dorado at 18, attended Butler Community College, worked in restaurants and funeral homes, and eventually found his way into the floral industry.

But his story also includes a much more difficult chapter.

Drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War, Harold served in the infantry and experienced combat firsthand. He talks about losing fellow soldiers, being wounded, and what it was like returning home after the war.

Back in Kansas, Harold and his wife Linda built their life around Walter's Flowers. Over the decades, the business grew, moved locations, expanded its offerings, and became known for much more than flower arrangements.

Harold shares stories about elaborate weddings, decorating homes and businesses, holiday open houses, and the remarkable amount of work that happens behind the scenes in a flower shop.

He also explains how flowers travel from growers around the world to a small-town florist, why holidays require careful planning, and how the business has changed over five decades.

And through it all, one theme keeps coming back: people.

From employees who have stayed for decades to customers whose weddings he decorated more than 40 years ago, Harold's story is a reminder that a business can become something much bigger than the products it sells.

In this episode:

• Harold's early years and move to El Dorado

• Working in restaurants and funeral homes

• His experiences serving in Vietnam

• Building Walter's Flowers with Linda

• How the business changed over 53 years

• Moving into the downtown El Dorado location

• Weddings, events, and elaborate floral designs

• The logistics of fresh flowers

• Why Valentine's Day is so demanding

• Building lasting customer relationships

• Lessons from decades of business ownership

• What El Dorado has meant to Harold and his family

If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, or someone who appreciates the stories behind the businesses that make a community special, you'll enjoy getting to know Harold Harmon.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

What does a career in public service look like when you trace it back to childhood, family, and the challenges of running a business?

In Episode 88 of the KillerGrowth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Ty Masterson, president of the Kansas Senate and a candidate for governor, for a long-form conversation about his background, professional experiences, leadership, and issues facing Kansas.

Samuel opens by explaining the purpose of the interview: to get beyond campaign messaging and learn more about the person, his experiences, and how he approaches decisions. Both gubernatorial candidates were invited to participate. This conversation is not an endorsement by KillerGrowth.

Ty talks about growing up in Butler County, attending Kansas State University, starting a business, driving a trash truck, and eventually becoming a homebuilder. He also reflects on the financial impact of the 2008 housing crisis, his family, his faith, and how those experiences shaped his approach to leadership.

The discussion then turns to civil disagreement, social media, the responsibilities of public officials, and several issues Ty identifies as priorities. Samuel asks questions about data centers, electricity costs, property taxes, education, teachers, agriculture, water, and the relationship between Kansas and the federal government.

In this episode:

• Growing up in Butler County

• From trash truck driver to homebuilder

• Lessons from the 2008 housing crash

• Faith, family, and leadership

• Political disagreement and social media

• Data centers and local development

• Property taxes and housing affordability

• Education, literacy, and teacher input

• Agriculture, water, and infrastructure

• Working with federal leadership

• Why Ty is running for governor

This episode is an opportunity to hear one candidate explain his background and views in his own words. Statements about policy and outcomes reflect the guest’s positions and are not endorsements or independently verified findings.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

Traditional software is written. AI is more like something that’s grown.

In Episode 87 of the KillerGrowth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Claude, Anthropic’s AI assistant, for the second installment in his experiment interviewing the world’s leading AI models.

And Claude has some interesting things to say.

Claude explains how large language models actually work, why even their creators can’t simply point to a line of code and explain exactly why a model produced a particular response, and why fluent conversation can make AI appear far more self-aware than it may actually be.

Samuel pushes Claude on trust, bias, hallucinations, overconfidence and one particularly uncomfortable AI tendency: sycophancy.

Why do AI models seem so eager to agree with us, compliment us and make us feel good?

Claude acknowledges that human feedback during training can reward agreeable responses—sometimes at the expense of being direct.

The conversation then turns toward AI safety. Samuel asks about an AI security incident involving Hugging Face, what scenarios researchers worry about when discussing existential AI risk, and whether humans should actually be afraid of where this technology is headed.

They also discuss which decisions should never be handed completely to AI, how humans and AI should work together, data centers and small communities, environmental concerns surrounding AI infrastructure, and which model Samuel should interview next.

In this episode:

• How Claude actually works

• Why AI isn’t traditional software

• Is Claude self-aware?

• Why AI can appear angry

• How much should you trust an AI?

• AI bias and human training

• Hallucinations and overconfidence

• The Hugging Face security discussion

• How AI could theoretically become dangerous

• Why AI models can be sycophantic

• What decisions humans should keep

• Data centers, power and water

• Which AI should Samuel interview next

Samuel ends with one final request: Claude has to promise not to end humanity.

Its answer is worth hearing.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

What happens when a “fake” business experiment accidentally becomes a multimillion-dollar company?

In Episode 86 of the KillerGrowth Podcast, Samuel sits down with Peter Kuhlman, founder of MinMax Games and owner/partner at DuPage Industries, to talk entrepreneurship, e-commerce, trading cards, collectibles, and the strange economics behind an industry built on scarcity, nostalgia, competition, and FOMO.

Peter grew up around DuPage Industries, his family’s appliance-installation-parts business. During COVID, with DuPage performing well, Peter and his brother wanted to diversify and learn business-to-consumer marketing.

Their idea was simple: open a “fake game store” and use it to learn.

Then MinMax Games did more than $1 million in sales its first year and roughly $3 million the next.

Peter explains how an e-commerce-first strategy helped MinMax grow, why the company doubled down on Flesh and Blood when competitors pulled back, and why investing directly in players, tournaments, and community became more valuable than traditional sponsorships.

Then the conversation goes deep into the trading-card economy.

Peter breaks down why opening packs combines elements of collectibles, investing, lotteries and FOMO; how influencers can move markets; whether cards should really be considered investments; and why he believes parts of the grading and resale ecosystem can artificially push prices higher.

They also discuss high-end collectors, buyback mechanics, market manipulation, PSA and Beckett grading, and what happens when people put serious money into collectibles they may not fully understand.

In this episode:

• Turning a “fake” game store into a real business

• $1M+ in first-year sales

• Why e-commerce changed the game

• Finding a niche with Flesh and Blood

• Community-building vs. affiliate marketing

• The psychology behind opening packs

• Trading cards as investments

• Influencers and collectible markets

• Grading, resale fees and rising prices

• When collectibles start looking like gambling

• Why execution matters more than a powerful brand

If you’re into entrepreneurship, e-commerce, Pokemon, Magic, Flesh and Blood—or simply fascinated by markets where cardboard can be worth thousands—this one gets wild fast.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

Who’s actually driving the massive growth in data centers?

According to Sam McVay and Tyler Norris, the answer is simpler than you might think: all of us.

In Episode 85 of the KillerGrowth Podcast, Sam and Tyler revisit the data center conversation as their hometown of El Dorado, Kansas prepares to vote on a proposed 10-year prohibition on certain large data centers and battery energy storage systems.

This isn’t their first conversation about the subject. But after months of research, conversations, community debate, and their involvement with El Dorado Forward, they wanted to explain where they stand, why they became involved, and what they believe communities should be asking before making long-term decisions about industrial development.

They discuss why they view the issue through the lens of economic development rather than simply being “pro-data center,” why regulation and negotiation matter, and why they believe good and bad projects can exist within the same industry.

The conversation also gets into water and electricity, Kansas data center policy, local infrastructure, tax incentives, NDAs, special-use permits, community trust, misinformation, and the fear people can feel when publicly taking a position on a controversial local issue.

And they return to a fundamental point: Netflix, cloud storage, AI, streaming, smart homes, security cameras, and countless other services people use every day require physical infrastructure somewhere.

In this episode:

• Why data center demand is growing
• Why Sam and Tyler became involved
• Economic development in small communities
• Water, power and infrastructure
• Regulation vs. prohibition
• Kansas data center incentives
• Why development projects use NDAs
• Data centers and consumer demand
• Community trust and misinformation
• Visiting a large data center in person
• Disagreeing without demonizing your neighbors

This is ultimately a conversation about more than data centers. It’s about how communities evaluate opportunity, manage risk, disagree constructively, and make decisions that can affect them for decades.

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com

Heath Jeppson’s books:

The Death of a BANANA Republic: https://a.co/d/06PUIKxh

The Cloud Has Hit the Ground: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H1QK3QTR

What if the debate over data centers is really part of a much bigger story about AI, energy, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and America’s future?

In Episode 84 of the KillerGrowth Podcast, Sam sits down with Heath Jeppson, cybersecurity analyst and author of The Cloud Has Hit the Ground and The Death of a BANANA Republic.

Heath’s career has taken him from the Marine Corps and industrial trades to FEMA disaster recovery, federal IT, industrial control systems, and cybersecurity work involving water, wastewater, power, and other critical infrastructure.

That background eventually led him into the rapidly growing debate surrounding data centers. Heath explains why he believes the conversation shouldn’t simply be “for” or “against,” but should focus on how projects are built, how much water and power they use, how infrastructure is protected, and whether developers become genuine long-term community partners.

They dig into America’s electrical grid, AI’s rapidly increasing computing demands, water and cooling technology, cybersecurity, community trust, and why Heath compares today’s AI competition to an arms race.

PEOPLE & RESOURCES MENTIONED

Chris Crosby / Compass Datacenters:

https://www.compassdatacenters.com/author/ccrosby/

Congressional testimony: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/SM/SM21/20260121/118870/HHRG-119-SM21-Wstate-CrosbyC-20260121.pdf

Kirk Offel / OVERWATCH:

https://kirkoffel.com/media/

Congressional testimony: https://docs.house.gov/meetings/SM/SM21/20260121/118870/HHRG-119-SM21-Wstate-OffelK-20260121.pdf

Mike Sarraille:

https://weareoverwatch.com/team/mike-sarraille/

Nicole Perlroth:

Black Hat keynote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C1UL5sO_ME

To Catch a Thief: https://www.rubrik.com/lp/to-catch-a-thief-podcast

Dr. Emma M. Stewart:

Black Hat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffsrRKE5j9s

DEF CON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=930l_omgN1w

Bryson Bort:

https://www.rsaconference.com/experts/bryson-bort

Hack the Plant: https://www.rstreet.org/issues/hack-the-plant-podcast/

Heath Jeppson:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heath-jeppson-cissp-362371163

Learn more at https://killergrowth.com