What if the best way to build your future is to start with the end in mind?

In this episode of the Notable Men Podcast, host Laura Ezzell sits down with leadership consultant, author, and Build It Backwards founder Daniel Feiman to explore why the most successful organizations don't simply react to change—they intentionally design the future they want and work backwards to achieve it.

Daniel Feiman, MBA, CMC®, is the Founder and Managing Director of Build It Backwards, an internationally recognized consulting and training firm specializing in strategy, finance, leadership development, and succession planning. Over the past three decades, he has consulted organizations in 31 countries, taught leadership and business strategy at the university level, and worked with companies including Apple, Dell, Hilton Hotels, Credit Suisse, Mattel, and many others. He is also the author of four books and creator of the Build It Backwards framework, helping organizations develop stronger leaders and build businesses that thrive for generations.

In this conversation, Daniel shares:

• Why great leaders start with the future they want to create
• The philosophy behind the Build It Backwards framework
• How proper planning creates better leadership and stronger organizations
• The difference between leadership, management, succession, and transition planning
• Why hiring for culture and long-term potential matters more than hiring for technical skills alone
• The leadership lessons Daniel learned from entrepreneurship and business failure
• How to make confident decisions when information is incomplete
• Why mentoring future leaders is one of a leader's greatest responsibilities
• How organizations can develop leadership pipelines instead of constantly replacing talent
• Why character matters more than titles
• The importance of creating value that exceeds client expectations
• How leaders can build organizations that continue succeeding long after they're gone

CONNECT WITH DANIEL FEIMAN

Linkedin:

www.linkedin.com

Websites:https://www.builditbackwards.com

https://www.imcusa.org/

Books: 

THE Book on...BUSINESS From A to Z: The 260 Most Important Answers You Need to Know (The Build It Backwards series)

The Book on...Succession Planning Systems: The 30 Secrets To Leadership Development

The Book On Improving Productivity By Fair Means Or Foul (The Build it Backwards Series 1)

Atdhe Trepça built an international media company by asking strangers one simple question: Are you happy?

What began as a documentary project quickly became something much larger. Traveling the world with a camera, Atdhe discovered that behind every answer was a deeply personal story about purpose, resilience, identity, loss, gratitude, and what it truly means to live a meaningful life. Those conversations have since grown into one of the world's largest positivity-driven storytelling platforms, reaching tens of millions of people every month.

An Albanian-American filmmaker and entrepreneur, Atdhe is the founder and CEO of Happy Productions, a documentary-focused media company helping nonprofits and mission-driven organizations tell stories that inspire action. What started as a one-person operation has grown into an international team serving clients across the United States and Kosovo while proving that meaningful storytelling and business success can go hand in hand.

In this thoughtful conversation with host Laura Ezzell, Atdhe shares how consistency became the foundation for building a global audience, why authentic human stories continue to outperform manufactured content, and what entrepreneurship has taught him about resilience, creativity, and long-term growth. He also explains why happiness is less about circumstances than the choices we make every day.

This episode explores the questions many founders, creators, and leaders wrestle with: What makes people genuinely happy? How do you build a business around purpose without compromising authenticity? What separates content that people scroll past from stories that stay with them? Why do so many entrepreneurs struggle through years of uncertainty before finding momentum? And what happens when you stop creating for algorithms and start creating work you genuinely believe in?

In this conversation, Atdhe shares:

• Why happiness is a choice—even in life's most difficult seasons
• The one habit that helped grow a platform to more than five million followers
• How authentic storytelling creates lasting human connection
• Why consistency matters more than chasing viral moments
• The lessons entrepreneurship teaches that no classroom can
• How Happy Productions evolved from a passion project into an international media company
• Why nonprofits should view video as a long-term growth strategy instead of a one-time expense
• The difference between project thinking and building a sustainable content engine
• How to create content that continues delivering value long after it's published
• Why creators produce their best work when they make something they genuinely want to experience themselves
• How storytelling builds trust in an increasingly digital world
• Why some of the happiest people have endured life's greatest hardships

What makes this episode different is Atdhe's perspective on success. While many conversations about entrepreneurship focus on scaling businesses, increasing revenue, or growing audiences, Atdhe continually returns to something much simpler: meaningful work begins with meaningful questions. His journey demonstrates that purpose and profitability are not competing goals—they can strengthen one another when authenticity remains at the center.

This conversation is for entrepreneurs, filmmakers, nonprofit leaders, creators, and anyone building something that matters. It is for people navigating uncertainty, searching for purpose, or wondering how to create work that leaves a lasting impact. Most of all, it is a reminder that sometimes the simplest questions lead to the most profound answers.

Connect with Atdhe

Happy Productions: www.happyproductions.me

In this episode of the Notable Men Podcast, Laura Ezzell sits down with leadership coach, executive advisor, and self-leadership expert Ben Robins.

Before becoming a coach, Ben led EMEA operations for a global consulting firm, working with some of the world's most recognized companies, including Google, Meta, and Amazon. His career has taken him across continents and industries, from cattle ranching in Australia to teaching in South Korea to leading international business teams. Today, he works with founders, executives, and business owners to help them navigate growth, pressure, and high-stakes decision-making through the lens of self-leadership and psychology.

In this conversation, Ben shares why leadership challenges are often deeply personal rather than purely operational, how identity shapes performance, and what happens when successful people outgrow the stories they've been carrying for years. He explores the connection between self-awareness, emotional regulation, and leadership effectiveness, offering practical insights for anyone seeking greater clarity, confidence, and alignment.

In this conversation, Ben shares:

• Why pressure reveals the leadership patterns already operating beneath the surface
• The hidden stories and identities that influence decision-making
• How micromanagement often stems from fear rather than strategy
• Why high performers are especially vulnerable to burnout and self-imposed pressure
• The connection between self-awareness and leadership effectiveness
• How identity shapes confidence, communication, and executive presence
• Why imposter syndrome persists even among highly accomplished leaders
• The role emotional regulation plays in leadership under pressure
• Why external success doesn't always create internal fulfillment
• How leaders can define success on their own terms instead of following someone else's blueprint
• The importance of updating your identity as you grow
• Why meaningful leadership begins with leading yourself first

This is a thoughtful conversation about leadership, identity, self-awareness, and the internal work required to create sustainable success. Ben offers a powerful reminder that leadership isn't just about strategy, performance, or results—it's about understanding who you are and learning to lead from that place with intention.

If you've ever felt stuck between where you are and who you want to become, this episode will challenge you to look beyond tactics and focus on the beliefs, patterns, and stories shaping your leadership journey.

Connect with Ben

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-robins-coaching/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ben-Robins

Instagram: @benrobins__
Website: www.ben-robins.com

For listeners: www.ben-robins.com/podcast 

In this episode of the Notable Men Podcast, Laura Ezzell sits down with bestselling author, brand strategist, and C-level marketing leader Anthony Reeves.

Anthony has spent more than 20 years helping build some of the world’s most recognized brands, holding senior leadership roles at Amazon, Airbnb, LVMH, WPP, Publicis, and Kohler Co. But beyond the corporate titles, his story is rooted in resilience, identity, and learning how to grow without losing yourself in the process.

Raised in the Australian Outback, Anthony shares how hardship, isolation, and First Nations wisdom shaped his perspective on leadership, creativity, and progress. From navigating toxic workplaces and corporate pressure to understanding belonging, innovation, and the dangers of AI-driven sameness, this conversation explores what it truly means to stay extraordinary in a world designed to make people average.

In this conversation, Anthony shares:

• Why staying in “Explorer State” is critical for leaders and companies

• How small changes can create extraordinary growth and innovation

• The resilience lessons he learned growing up in the Australian Outback

• Why progress matters more than perfection

• The difference between transformative leadership and toxic authority

• What Amazon taught him about decision-making and performance

• The personal moment that led him to walk away from corporate pressure

• Why alignment and company principles matter more than strategy alone

• His perspective on diversity, belonging, and unconscious bias in leadership

• Where companies go wrong when adopting AI

• How leaders can scale without drifting into mediocrity

• Why understanding who you are is the foundation of meaningful growth

This is a thoughtful and deeply personal conversation about leadership, resilience, identity, innovation, and the courage to evolve without compromising what makes you unique.

If you’ve ever felt pressure to play it safe, conform, or keep up with the noise around you, this episode is a reminder that meaningful growth comes from exploration — not imitation.

Connect with Anthony

Anthony Reeves Website

Anthony Reeves on Linkedin

Anthony Reeves on Tiktok

Anthony on Instagram

In this episode of the Notable Men Podcast, Laura Ezzell sits down with adventurer,

endurance athlete, expedition leader, and founder of True Summit, Oliver Browne.

Oliver’s journey is one of radical reinvention.

After a successful career in professional polo, he found himself stuck in a world that looked

successful on the outside but felt deeply misaligned on the inside. Overweight, unhappy, and

disconnected from purpose, Oliver made a decision that changed everything — beginning a

transformation that eventually led him from finance offices in Zurich to Mount Everest, Atlantic

Ocean rowing races, and leading extraordinary expeditions around the world.

In this conversation, Oliver shares:

● The moment climbing Kilimanjaro changed the trajectory of his life

● What people misunderstand about extreme adventure

● Recovering from COVID on Everest and returning to compete weeks later

● Why “the true summit” is becoming the best version of yourself

● How discomfort reveals character and builds resilience

● Balancing fatherhood, business leadership, and global expeditions

● Why transformation happens slowly — and why most people quit too early

● The future of luxury adventure travel and meaningful human connection

This is a powerful conversation about identity, purpose, fear, reinvention, and the courage to

pursue a life that genuinely excites you.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, this episode is a reminder that growth begins the moment you stop

standing still.

Links:

Oliver Browne (@lettersfromoliver) • Instagram photos and videos

Oliver Browne - Founder & CEO, True Summit Adventures | Luxury Adventure Travel Alpinist | Adventurer | Atlantic Rower truesummitadventures.com | LinkedIn

www.truesummitadventures.com

Welcome to Notable Men conversations with founders, executives, and leaders across business, culture, and performance.

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