OneSharpSword

Grateful, but Ambitious — Leadership Lessons with Kapil Agrawal

In this powerful episode of One Sharp Sword, host Dr. Wayne Pernell sits down with Kapil Agrawal, a strategic leader whose career spans top companies like Uber, Capital One, and SnapLogic. From his small-town beginnings in India to Silicon Valley boardrooms, Kapil’s story is a masterclass in balancing gratitude with ambition — and leading with confidence and empathy.

Together, they unpack what it means to be “grateful, but ambitious,” embracing discomfort as a signal of growth and learning how humility, optimism, and authenticity fuel long-term success.

🎯 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

💬 Key Takeaway:
True leadership isn’t about perfection — it’s about progress. Gratitude grounds you. Ambition drives you. And empathy connects you.

From Law to Leadership: Building a Culture of Growth with Mark Schwartz  

In this episode of One Sharp Sword, host Dr. Wayne Pernell sits down with Mark Schwartz, CFO, attorney, and transformation leader, to explore how authentic leadership and curiosity create lasting organizational growth.  

Mark’s career journey spans finance, corporate law, and large-scale manufacturing and supply chain transformation — leading companies from single-site operations to billion-dollar enterprises. Now, as CFO of a private equity–backed machine learning company in the retail supply chain space, he’s helping consumer brands recover lost revenue and drive efficiency through transparency and trust.  

In This Episode, You’ll Learn: 
     ●   How to lead through complex change and transformation  
     ●   Why culture always wins over blame 
     ●   The power of perspective in leadership communication  
     ●   Lessons from scaling manufacturing operations to global success  
     ●   How curiosity, clarity, and collaboration redefine high-performance leadership  

Key Takeaway: True leadership isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about creating alignment, learning from mistakes, and inspiring your team to grow.

In this episode of One Sharp Sword, Dr. Wayne Pernell welcomes Elena Leonova, a global product executive and entrepreneur whose work in platform product management bridges technology and humanity. Elena reminds us that even in the most technical roles, “there’s a human side to everything we do — that matters.” Her approach brings people and purpose into spaces often dominated by systems and code.

Dr. Pernell highlights Elena’s rare enthusiasm for coaching — a leader who doesn’t just endorse it, but embodies its transformative impact. Elena shares how coaching helped her “become more of herself,” a shift that reshaped her leadership and deepened her connection to her work and team.

Born and raised in Ukraine, Elena’s journey took her from studying math and physics to leading major global tech initiatives at eBay and beyond. Her story captures courage, curiosity, and the power of self-reinvention. Today, she’s building OneRank.io and writing a book on Platform Product Management, offering insights into how scalable ecosystems are built — and how true leadership always starts with people first, then process, then product.

In this episode of One Sharp Sword, Matt Schalsey and host, Dr. Wayne Pernell, dive into the mindset and mechanics of high-performance leadership, exploring how clarity fuels extraordinary outcomes. They discuss how leaders can elevate their presence, align actions with purpose, and stay grounded through rapid growth.

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On this episode of One Sharp Sword, podcast host, Dr Wayne Pernell, engages with his guest, Christine Barnhart, to explore the evolution of leadership in supply chain consulting, highlighting the need for adaptability, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic integration of AI in logistics. 

Christine is brilliant as she shares lessons from her journey in balancing technology with human-centered decision-making in order to drive transformation.

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Kristin Oelke is the CMO of Brightrose Ventures. She helps companies get back on track when things get messy.

On our podcast today, we dive into what “messy” is and how to get out of it.
We also talk about
   ●   Curiosity
   ●   Finding Purpose
   ●   And how to be unafraid to try new things and Ask For Help!

She notes that in organizations, you need to be looking at building culture by contributing to it, while also discerning what your leadership values are and whether you’re aligned with those values.

Such a great interview with very human insights. Check it out!

What does a data geek and chief data analytics officer have to teach us about leadership? You’d be surprised!

Marcos Martins brings amazing insight about his path from Brazil to leading wonderful teams in the U.S. He says he has a passion for solving problems and that the data tells the story.

He invites the question of whether we ever have all the information we need - “we never have everything, but maybe you have enough.”

He positions his success on several key factors -
   ●   Problems can be solved (See problems as puzzles)
   ●   For each goal list, be determined to deliver to your stakeholders and to learn something new
   ●   Get in partnership with your team members and become more likable and trustworthy
   ●   Stay flexible, adaptable, persistent, and consistent

Marcos can be found on LinkedIn and welcomes the connection.

Natalie Ruiz didn’t wake up one day and decide to become the CEO of AnswerConnect, an answering service firm dedicated to staying human. Nope.

She was looking for what she describes as an easy, non-burnout, job. She started with the company as a temp and 20 years later is running it. Her journey began by telling the truth to the then-CEO about what she saw as obstacles to excellent service delivery. Well, he asked and she didn’t hold back.

Conversations grew from there and the rest are leadership lessons you’ll find along the way.

Listen here and check out AnswerConnect.com

Leadership lessons come from a wide array of experiences. When a man well versed with service and protecting consumers found that his industry was shifting, he carved his own niche.

Meet Sean Hicks, the CEO and co-owner of New Leaf Service Contracts.
Service contracts can be interesting? They can. But that’s not what we talk about here. It’s the man who sees them through to the companies who present them that’s pretty interesting.

Watch what Sean and I have to say about leadership, culture, and service.

Check out this podcast.
And check out what Sean and his team offer at www.NewLeafSC.net

In this powerful episode of One Sharp Sword, Dr. Wayne Pernell welcomes leadership veteran Rich Bledsoe, whose journey from vocational school tinkerer to senior vice president of a multinational corporation is anything but ordinary. Rich shares how growing up with limited means helped shape his drive for excellence, both professionally and personally. He talks about embracing opportunity, even when it veers from your plan, and how mentorship—both received and given—has been a key factor in his leadership evolution. Through personal stories about guiding his children, repositioning team members to thrive, and confronting his own growth edges, Rich reveals what it really means to lead with purpose and clarity.

The conversation also dives into pivotal coaching moments between Wayne and Rich, including how to navigate difficult relationships at the executive level, lean into your strengths, and develop a leadership philosophy grounded in integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement. Rich reflects on learning piano in retirement, making peace with being a “field general,” and his commitment to lifting others through mentorship. Whether you're an emerging leader or a seasoned executive, this episode delivers timeless lessons about growth, humility, and redefining excellence at every stage of life.