Live Lead Last Podcast

In this episode of the Live Lead Last podcast, James welcomes longtime friend and leadership coach Dave Kush, founder of Framework Planning. Dave’s journey from Fortune 500 success to ministry leadership—and now to equipping leaders through coaching and team development—offers a clear reminder: effectiveness without health is a recipe for failure.

Together, James and Dave explore the power of relational intelligence, the hidden cost of stress on leadership, and what it takes to build teams people actually want to follow. If you’ve ever felt the tension between high capacity and personal health, this conversation will give you practical tools and honest encouragement to lead with clarity, presence, and intention.

What You’ll Learn

• Why success without health is failure in disguise
• How stress exposes leadership blind spots—and how to grow through them
• The two components of a truly successful team: health + effectiveness
• Practical ways to be a more present leader and listener
• The role of trust, alignment, and communication in high-performing teams
• How the Five Voices framework builds stronger relationships and better culture
• Why relational intelligence is the leadership currency for 2025 and beyond

Connect with Dave Kush

• Framework Planning
• LinkedIn: @davekush
• Instagram: @davekush

Links & Resources

• Free 5-Day Leadership Reset → liveleadlast.com/reset
• Five Voices Assessment (Free Tool) 

Connect with Me

• LinkedIn: @thejamesduvall
• Instagram: @thejamesduvall
• Website: www.liveleadlast.com
• Schedule a Call 
• Weekly email list → Text GROW to 66866

Subscribe & Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps us reach more leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators who want to live with intention, lead with integrity, and leave a lasting legacy.

Disclaimer

Show Notes may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission that helps keep the mics on!

What if your greatest leadership limitation isn’t mindset—it’s your metabolism?

In this episode, James sits down with Dr. Paul Kolodzik, a dual board-certified emergency and preventive medicine physician, to explore why metabolic health is the often-overlooked foundation of sustainable leadership. With over 30% of Americans now pre-diabetic, this is more than a personal health crisis—it’s a leadership one.

Dr. Paul shares how continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), GLP-1 medications, and simple lifestyle shifts are helping leaders reverse chronic conditions, regain energy, and stay sharp for the long haul. Whether you’re a high performer managing stress or an entrepreneur trying to outwork exhaustion, this conversation reframes health as a strategic advantage.

If you’ve ever wondered how your nutrition, sleep, and schedule are silently shaping your influence—this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn / Key Points:

• Why metabolic dysfunction is one of the most common, least addressed barriers to long-term leadership
• The overlooked leadership cost of poor blood sugar regulation
• What continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are—and why you may want one even if you’re not diabetic
• How GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro are being used to treat obesity, insulin resistance, and even alcohol cravings
• The surprising link between muscle mass, insulin sensitivity, and cognitive performance
• A better way to think about nutrition: less guilt, more data
• Why processed foods and seed oils are sabotaging your energy without you realizing it
• Three simple interventions anyone can start: strength training, intermittent fasting, and glucose awareness

🔗 Links & Resources

• Dr. Paul Kolodzik’s Website: https://www.metabolicmds.com
• Get a CGM (No Prescription Required): https://www.cgm-doctor.com
• Book: The Continuous Glucose Monitoring Revolution
• Dr. Paul’s Podcast: The Second Opinion Podcast

🧭 Live Lead Last Resources

• Free Leadership Reset → www.liveleadlast.com/reset
• Weekly email list → Text “GROW” to 66866
• Free 5 Voices Assessment

🎧 Connect with Me:

• Website: www.liveleadlast.com
• LinkedIn: @thejamesduvall
• Instagram: @thejamesduvall
• Schedule a Call w/ James

Subscribe & Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps us reach more leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators who want to live with intention, lead with integrity, and leave a lasting impact.

DISCLAIMER

Show Notes may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission that helps keep the mics on!

What if leader performance, focus, and resilience could be trained—physiologically? In this episode, aerospace engineer–turned–inventor Mark Fox (former Space Shuttle chief engineer) unpacks the science and application of PEMF therapy and vagus nerve stimulation—including real-world outcomes on anxiety, PTSD, sleep, HRV, and focus for both people and pets. We explore why heart rate variability (HRV) is a key resilience metric and how portable tools like Vibe and VegaVibe help leaders regulate on the go—no shocking, buzzing, or freezing required.

What You’ll Learn / Key Points

• PEMF 101: What it is, how it differs from general EMF, and why low-frequency energy can be therapeutic.
• Energy → Biology → Behavior: Charging cell membranes and supporting ATP can translate to less pain, better sleep, calmer focus.
• Vagus Nerve Basics: Why vagal tone matters for decision-making and recovery—and how stimulation can raise HRV.
• The HRV Edge: Mark’s team saw a 35% average HRV increase in one hour in recent testing.
• Protocols that Matter: Brain balancing, anxiety/PTSD, inflammation, and how to think through protocol selection.
• Measure What You Want to Improve: Use wearables to track sleep, HRV, blood sugar, BP; evaluate changes over 30 days.
• Practical Use: Pocket-sized PEMF you can wear while working, traveling, or resting.

Links & Resources

• Resona Health (Mark’s company): https://resona.health
• Vibe (PEMF device) and VegaVibe (vagus nerve pendant): Available via Resona Health
• eBook: What on Earth Are We Doing to Our Health? (Mark Fox)

Live • Lead • Last Resources

• 5-Day Leadership Reset (Free)
• Rooted – Weekly Email: Text GROW to 66866
• Free 5 Voices Assessment

Connect with Me

• LinkedIn: @thejamesduvall
• Instagram: @thejamesduvall
• Website: www.liveleadlast.com
• Schedule a Call 

Subscribe & Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps us reach more leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators.

DISCLAIMER

Show Notes contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission that helps keep the mics on.

Whether you're leading a team through a tense meeting or walking into the office on a quiet Monday, you're always showing up as a leader. In this episode, James Duvall explores how your presence—especially when no one’s applauding—teaches people what kind of leader you are. He unpacks the patterns that shape your leadership reality, shares a framework to break out of default mode, and challenges you to lead with greater intention. Because your team isn’t following your intentions… they’re responding to your presence.

What You'll Learn / Key Points

• How leadership is shaped more by presence than intention
• The impact of your unconscious tendencies and repeated patterns
• Why unexamined leadership creates unintended consequences
• How to apply the Know Yourself to Lead Yourself framework
• Real-world examples of default leadership behaviors and their fallout
• The top five excuses leaders use to avoid personal growth
• Why elite leaders actively seek feedback and invest in self-awareness
• Four key questions to reflect on your leadership presence this week

Links & Resources

• Start the Free 5-Day Leadership Reset → www.liveleadlast.com/reset
• Schedule a Call with James → www.liveleadlast.com

Connect with Me

• LinkedIn: @thejamesduvall
• Instagram: @thejamesduvall
• Website: www.liveleadlast.com
• Schedule a Call: liveleadlast.com
• Weekly Email List: Text GROW to 66866

Subscribe & Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps us reach more leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators who are ready to live with integrity, lead with intention, and build a legacy that lasts.

DISCLAIMER: Show Notes contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission that helps keep the mics on!

In this mind-expanding conversation, I’m joined by Phillip Jackson—entrepreneur, futurist, and co-founder of Future Commerce—for a deep dive into how culture and commerce are colliding in ways that redefine leadership.

We talk about everything from AI-driven consumer habits to the new psychology of identity-based shopping, and what it means for you as a leader in business, ministry, or the nonprofit world. Phillip also shares why leaders must embrace creativity, foresight, and humility to stay grounded and relevant.

If you're ready to future-proof your leadership and build something that lasts, this episode is your next step.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why today’s consumers shop not for function, but for identity
• How leaders can navigate the rising influence of AI in decision-making
• The difference between stress and distress—and why it matters
• How Phillip built a media company at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and community
• Why strong leadership requires creative foresight—not just operations
• What the “multiplayer brand” means and how it’s transforming customer relationships
• Practical ways leaders can raise their ceiling so others can rise higher

Links & Resources:

• Explore Future Commerce → https://www.futurecommerce.com
• Get the Journals and Future Commerce Merch
• Five Day Leadership Reset → https://www.liveleadlast.com/reset
• Five Voices Marriage Course → https://www.liveleadlast.com/marriagecourse
• 📬 Weekly Rooted Email → Text GROW to 66866

Connect with Philip:

• instagram.com → @futurecommerce
• twitter.com → philwinkle
• tiktok.com → futurecommerce
• LinkedIn → philwinkle

Connect with Me:

• LinkedIn → @thejamesduvall
• Instagram → @thejamesduvall
• Website → www.liveleadlast.com

Subscribe & Review:

If this episode encouraged you, please take 30 seconds to subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps more leaders discover the show and live with purpose.

Disclaimer:

This post contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission that supports the production of this show.

When life brings you to a full stop, it can also be the moment that launches your most meaningful work. In this episode, James Duvall sits down with tech entrepreneur, music innovator, and family man Robert Wells to unpack a journey woven with resilience, creativity, and faith.

From a rare illness at 16 that led him to music, to coding through the dot-com boom, to launching the music business OS ARELIA, Rob shares how aligning your work with purpose—not just profit—creates impact that lasts. You’ll also hear the origin story of Hope Lane, the family band that’s inspiring lives worldwide, and Rob’s hard-earned lessons on entrepreneurship, leadership, and staying grounded while building big.

Whether you’re leading a team, launching a company, or creating art, this conversation will fuel your courage to take risks, embrace failure, and stay anchored in your “why.”

What You’ll Learn / Key Points

• Why resilience is forged through failure, not by avoiding it
• The surprising connection between music, coding, and entrepreneurship
• How to align your business with a clear mission and purpose
• Why delegation is a founder’s best friend—and how to master it
• How the Agile mindset can sharpen focus and accelerate progress
• Practical ways to stay healthy, grounded, and inspired while leading
• The story behind Aurelia: empowering musicians to run their business in one place
• How a family moment turned into Hope Lane, a platform for hope and encouragement

Robert's Links:

• Website/Linktree
• Instagram  
• LinkedIn 
• Product: ARELIA Music Business OS — Free for artists, musicians, and managers

Live Lead Last Links:

• 5-Day Leadership Reset 
• Get Rooted Weekly Email → Text GROW to 66866
• Free 5 Voice Assessment

Connect with Me:

• LinkedIn → @thejamesduvall
• Instagram → @thejamesduvall
• Website → www.liveleadlast.com
• Schedule a Call → Book here
• Weekly Email → Text GROW to 66866

Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps more leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators discover the show.

DISCLAIMER: Show notes contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps keep the mics on and the conversations flowing.

In this episode of Live Lead Last, James sits down with neuroscience coach and former entrepreneur George Haymaker II to unpack the deep connection between the brain, identity, and lasting personal transformation. George shares his powerful journey from decades of addiction to a life of purpose, and how the science of neuroplasticity can help anyone—leader or not—rewire destructive patterns, overcome limitations, and build a new future.

Whether you’re battling burnout, stuck in unhelpful habits, or simply ready to grow, George’s story and practical insights will help you see change through a different lens: it’s not about willpower—it’s about becoming the person you were created to be.

What You’ll Learn / Key Points

• Why lasting change begins with identity, not just behavior modification.
• The brain’s resistance to change and how to work with it instead of against it.
• How early life experiences and trauma can wire patterns that follow us into adulthood.
• Practical steps to design and live into a new identity using neuroplasticity.
• Why daily habits must align with your values to create sustainable transformation.
• The power of visualizing and emotionally connecting to your future self.
• Encouragement for anyone who feels “too far gone” to change.

Links & Resources

• George Haymaker → www.georgehaymaker.com – Book a free discovery call.
• 5-Day Leadership Reset → liveleadlast.com/reset
• Get Rooted Weekly Email → Text GROW to 66866
• Previous Episode – Rewiring Your Inner Dialogue for Growth
• Free 5 Voice Assessment

Connect with Me

• LinkedIn → @thejamesduvall
• Instagram → @thejamesduvall
• Website → www.liveleadlast.com
• Schedule a Call → Book here
• Weekly Email → Text GROW to 66866

Subscribe & Review

If this conversation encouraged or challenged you, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast. Your feedback helps more leaders live with purpose, lead with impact, and leave a legacy that truly lasts.

DISCLAIMER

This episode contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission that helps keep the mics on—thank you for supporting the show.

What if the biggest ceiling on your life isn’t your circumstances—but your story?

In this episode, James Duvall breaks down why the beliefs we carry—many we never consciously chose—determine how we live, lead, and show up every day. You’ll learn how to spot the false narratives that hold you back and replace them with powerful, truth-rooted declarations that reshape your future from the inside out.

This isn’t self-help fluff. It’s soul-aligned leadership strategy.

James shares a practical five-step framework for building personal declarations that rewire your thinking, retrain your focus, and reinforce the leader you're becoming. Whether you feel stuck, scattered, or just ready for more alignment, this episode offers a mindset reset that could shift everything.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why most leaders don’t have a capacity problem—but a belief problem
• The subtle difference between “inhibition” and “prohibition” in leadership
• How inherited beliefs shape your leadership without your permission
• The neuroscience behind why daily declarations actually work
• 5-step framework for writing personal declarations that stick
• Why your legacy is built in the dark—long before it’s seen in the spotlight
• How to align your words with your purpose, identity, and future

Free Downloads & Tools

• Declaration Builder PDF – Walkthrough to create your own declarations
• 5-Day Leadership Reset 
• 5 Voices Assessment

Weekly Email

• Rooted Weekly Leadership Insights → Text GROW to 66866

 Recommended Reading

• Hustle by Joshua Medcalf

Connect with Me

• LinkedIn: @thejamesduvall
• Instagram: @thejamesduvall
• Website: www.liveleadlast.com
• 💬 Schedule a Call

Subscribe & Review

If this episode helped you lead with more intention and clarity, would you take a moment to subscribe and leave a review? Your feedback helps us reach more leaders who are ready to live well, lead strong, and leave a legacy that lasts.

DISCLAIMER: Show Notes contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, we will earn a small commission that helps us keep the mics on!

Leadership today is loud, fast, and often soul-draining. But what if your greatest impact doesn’t come from doing more—but from living more rooted?

In this episode, James Duvall sits down with author, coach, and Replenish founder Lance Witt for a conversation every leader needs. With over four decades of experience in ministry and leadership development, Lance shares why health isn’t a side topic—it’s the foundation. Together, they explore what it looks like to lead from a healthy soul, not hustle.

You’ll learn how to build sustainable rhythms, spot red flags of burnout, and why self-care isn’t selfish—it’s stewardship. Plus, Lance unpacks his 5-part Sabbath framework, his thoughts on terminal niceness in leadership, and how the One Life Process helps leaders find clarity in every season.

What You'll Learn

• Why hustle culture is quietly eroding leadership from the inside out
• How to recognize red flags of emotional depletion and burnout
• What “terminal niceness” is—and why it sabotages your culture
• Why your calendar reveals more than your intentions
• How to establish a life-giving, restorative Sabbath rhythm
• The power of differentiation: leading without needing validation
• The core questions behind Lance’s One Life Process
• How to rediscover joy, clarity, and margin in the season you're in

Links & Resources

Lance Witt’s Work

• Replenish: Leading from a Healthy Soul
• Your ONE Life: Own It. Live It. Love It
• High-Impact Teams: Where Healthy Meets High Performance
• Replenish Coaching & Events

James Duvall Resources

• Live Lead Last 5-Day Leadership Reset (Free)
• FREE 5 Voices Assessment
• Rooted: Weekly Leadership Insights → Text GROW to 66866

Books Mentioned

• Leading on Empty – Wayne Cordeiro
• Fierce Conversations – Susan Scott
• Crucial Conversations – Patterson, Grenny, McMillan
• Sacred Rest – Saundra Dalton-Smith
• All My Knotted-Up Life – Beth Moore
• Steps – John Ortberg
• Into Thin Air – Jon Krakauer
• The Hero Code – William H. McRaven

Connect with Me

• LinkedIn: @thejamesduvall
• Instagram: @thejamesduvall
• Website: www.liveleadlast.com
• 💬 Schedule a Call

Subscribe & Review

If this episode helped you lead with more intention and clarity, would you take a moment to subscribe and leave a review? Your feedback helps us reach more leaders who are ready to live well, lead strong, and leave a legacy that lasts.

DISCLAIMER: Show Notes contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, we will earn a small commission that helps us keep the mics on!

Get the FREE 5-Day Leadership Reset

In this episode of Live Lead Last, James sits down with coach and culture-builder Masi Willis to unpack what it means to truly transform as a leader. From her nonlinear career journey—spanning ministry, movie production, and major live events—to launching The Mason Effect, Masi shares how knowing yourself deeply is the foundation for building thriving cultures at work and beyond.

They explore the metaphor of the greenhouse, the crucial difference between default and designed culture, and the vital role of self-leadership. Masi shares vulnerable stories from her own journey, insights into her MILE framework, and powerful moments of transformation she’s witnessed in organizations.

Whether you’re leading a team of hundreds or just starting your own entrepreneurial path, this conversation will challenge you to cultivate environments where people—and you—can truly flourish.

What You’ll Learn / Key Points

• Why leadership always starts with self-awareness and self-leadership
• How your voice order (Five Voices) shapes your work and life
• The "greenhouse" metaphor for building intentional, healthy organizational cultures
• How to spot and address "weeds" that choke growth in your team
• Why transformation requires moving beyond inspiration and motivation
• The power of pruning, evolving, and consistently tending to your organizational "garden"
• Masi’s M.I.L.E.™ framework for transforming individuals and teams: Mirror, Implement, Leverage, Evolve
• Practical ways to stay rooted personally while leading others

Links & Resources

• Masi’s Masterclass → Level Up Leadership
• Five Voices Assessment → FREE
• 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less by Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy
• Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

Connect with James:

• Instagram: @thejamesduvall
• LinkedIn: @thejamesduvall
• Website: www.liveleadlast.com

Connect with Guest :

• Website: www.masiwillis.com 
• LinkedIn: masiwillis
• Instagram: @masiwillis
• Email: [email protected]

Subscribe & Review:

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners seeking to become leaders worth following.

DISCLAIMER: Show Notes contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, we will earn a small commission that helps us keep the mics on!