Proof Talks

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What happens after you finally finish a manuscript — but have no idea how to publish it?

In this episode of Proof Talks, host Ashley Smith sits down with T.A. Thompson, a commercial insurance professional and first-time published author, to unpack the winding path that brought his dystopian thriller, The Mark, into the world.

T.A. had dreamed of writing since he was nine, but raising a family and building a career came first. When he eventually completed an earlier manuscript and queried between 75 and 100 literary agents, the result was rejection after rejection. Years later, unwilling to give up on the goal, he returned to writing and chose a different route: self-publishing.

T.A. shares what happened when his first publishing provider failed to deliver the quality he expected, how he found the right editor by looking locally, why human collaboration still mattered to him in the age of AI, and what he learned about Amazon publishing, book formats, print on demand, marketing, and creative control.

This isn’t a frictionless “follow your dream” story or a definitive publishing formula. It’s a candid account of learning an unfamiliar industry, making difficult decisions, asking for help, and finally putting a long-held creative ambition into the world — while continuing to work full time.

Ashley & T.A. Discuss:

• Why raising a family and building a career delayed — but didn’t erase — T.A.’s writing ambitions
• What he learned from querying between 75 and 100 literary agents
• Why seeing someone else self-publish encouraged him to try again
• The mistake he made when choosing his first publishing provider
• How he found the right professional editor and why communication mattered
• Where AI does — and doesn’t — fit into his writing process
• Publishing through Amazon, including Kindle, hardcover, paperback, and print-on-demand options
• What it feels like to promote your own work when selling yourself doesn’t come naturally
• How podcast appearances became part of his book-marketing strategy
• The trade-offs between self-publishing, traditional publishing, and creative control
• How T.A. defines realistic success — and the bigger outcome he still dreams about
• His advice for professionals who have been postponing their own creative ambitions

For anyone carrying a book — or another meaningful idea — they have never quite brought to life, T.A.’s message is refreshingly direct: you have to stop procrastinating and do it.

Connect with T.A. Thompson

🌐 Website and free first three chapters: https://tathompsonwriter.com
📖 Buy The Mark on Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1969818484

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Bringing a Long-Held Idea to Life
01:29 T.A. Thompson’s Dystopian Novel, The Mark
02:42 From Commercial Insurance to Fiction
05:31 Query Letters, Literary Agents, and Rejection
08:51 Choosing Self-Publishing
10:45 His First Publishing Mistake
13:24 Why the Human Editor Mattered
15:54 Launching a Book on Amazon
17:46 Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, and Print on Demand
21:35 Promoting a Book When Selling Feels Uncomfortable
22:44 What T.A. Would Do Differently
24:32 Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing
26:10 Defining Success as a First-Time Author
31:03 Advice for Aspiring Authors
33:13 Who The Mark Is For
34:19 Where to Find T.A. Thompson and The Mark

Episode Topics

Self-publishing • How to publish a book • First-time author • Book publishing • Literary agents • Query letters • Author rejection • Professional book editing • Human editors and AI • Amazon self-publishing • Kindle publishing • Print on demand • Book marketing • Podcast marketing • Traditional publishing • Creative control • Dystopian fiction • Writing while working full time • Creative ambition

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About the Podcast
Proof Talks explores the real stories, decisions, and lessons behind professional judgment. Through candid conversations, each episode unpacks a real-world scenario with experienced practitioners across business, leadership, technology, and beyond to better understand how complex decisions are made — and what others can learn from them.

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@Proof_Talks

About the Host
Proof Talks is hosted by AI Visibility Strategist and speaker Ashley Smith. As founder of Show Your Proof, Ashley helps experienced professionals turn their real-world expertise into visible online proof so they can become more discoverable, trusted, and recommended by search engines and AI tools.

Learn more:
🌐 showyourproof.co
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashleysmithnow
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@ShowYourProof

Send us Fan Mail

A leader can be trusted, supportive, and genuinely well-liked — and still become the bottleneck holding a team back.

In this episode of Proof Talks, host Ashley Smith sits down with leadership coach and executive trainer Dale Turnbull to explore what happens when a leader’s natural strengths no longer match what a growing team needs.

Dale shares the story of an experienced senior leader who had built strong relationships and made himself highly available to — and responsible for — his team. Over time, that support created an unintended culture of dependence: decisions kept coming back to him, employees hesitated to take initiative, and the organization’s growth began to demand a different way of leading.

Drawing from more than 12 years of leadership training and coaching — and his experience training more than 800 people and directly managing 300 — Dale explains how he helped the leader recognize the pattern without diminishing the strengths that had made him successful.

Ashley & Dale Discuss:

• How a well-liked leader can unintentionally become a bottleneck
• The difference between supporting a team and creating dependence
• How Dale diagnosed the leadership pattern beneath the performance problem
• Why raising a leadership blind spot requires trust and careful communication
• How a leader’s identity can affect their willingness to change
• How shifting company culture and maturity impact business and leadership needs
• What teams need as they move toward greater initiative and accountability
• Why an effective leadership style may need to evolve as an organization grows
• How unrecognized blind spots can limit a leader’s own professional growth
• The 7 Positions of Leadership™ and the value of leadership flexibility

Good leadership isn’t about abandoning the qualities that made you successful. It’s about recognizing when your team needs something different — and expanding your ability to respond.

Connect with Dale Turnbull

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/daleturnbull
🌐 Company website: https://leadadaptimpact.com
✍️ Take The 7 Positions of Leadership™ assessment: https://7-positions-of-leadership.base44.app/

Episode Timestamps

00:00 When Every Decision Comes Back to the Leader
01:31 How Leadership Becomes a Bottleneck During Growth
03:50 The Well-Liked Leader Whose Team Depended on Him
06:43 How Dale Diagnosed a Culture of Dependence
09:27 Raising a Leadership Blind Spot Without Creating Defensiveness
13:47 Motivation, Resistance, and Leadership Identity
18:08 Moving a Team From Dependence to Accountability
21:19 When Company Growth Requires a Different Leadership Style
24:34 How Leadership Blind Spots Can Limit Your Own Growth
27:59 The 7 Positions of Leadership™ by Dale Turnbull Explained
31:56 Leadership Assessment and Where to Connect With Dale

Episode Topics

Leadership • Leadership development • Leadership styles • Adaptive leadership • Team development • Team accountability • Employee empowerment • Leadership blind spots • Organizational growth • Management development • Executive coaching • Workplace communication • Team performance • High-performing teams • Leadership assessment • Company culture • The Seven Positions of Leadership • Professional growth • Business Growth • Career Growth 

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About the Podcast
Proof Talks explores the real stories, decisions, and lessons behind professional judgment. Through candid conversations, each episode unpacks a real-world scenario with experienced practitioners across business, leadership, technology, and beyond to better understand how complex decisions are made — and what others can learn from them.

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@Proof_Talks

About the Host
Proof Talks is hosted by AI Visibility Strategist and speaker Ashley Smith. As founder of Show Your Proof, Ashley helps experienced professionals turn their real-world expertise into visible online proof so they can become more discoverable, trusted, and recommended by search engines and AI tools.

Learn more:
🌐 showyourproof.co
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashleysmithnow
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@ShowYourProof

Send us Fan Mail

Expertise can make someone excellent at their work.
It doesn’t necessarily teach them how to build a business around it.

In this episode of Proof Talks, host Ashley Smith sits down with business strategist, online business coach, and certified executive coach Jeanne Omlor to explore why talented coaches, consultants, fractional executives, and other service professionals can struggle to turn what they know into consistent clients.

Jeanne shares how she took her own coaching business online at 54 while navigating debt and raising two children as a solo parent — reaching $1 million in revenue within a year and a half. She also reflects on her work with an executive coach who came to Jeanne with one client after investing significantly in her professional training — and went on to build a full roster of high-ticket engagements.

While her client’s experience provides one example, the conversation ranges more broadly across the mindset, judgment, and actions Jeanne believes help skilled professionals make the leap from expertise to entrepreneurship.

Ashley & Jeanne Discuss:

• Why expertise doesn’t automatically translate into a viable business
• What Jeanne looks for before agreeing to work with a new client
• Why coachability, grit, and a willingness to do the work matter
• The value of following a proven process before trying to modify it
• What experienced professionals often underestimate when leaving corporate life
• Why staying busy, posting content, and building an audience aren’t necessarily the same as acquiring clients
• How Jeanne distinguishes productive business-building activity from background “fluff”
• Why “If not now, when?” continues to shape her approach to entrepreneurship

Whether you’re leaving corporate life, developing a coaching or consulting practice, or trying to create momentum in an existing service business, this conversation offers a candid look at the work between having valuable expertise and building a business around it.

Connect with Jeanne Omlor

🌐 Website: https://jeanneomlor.com
⭐ Client Results: https://jeanneomlor.com/reviews
💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jeanneomlor
▶️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jeanneomlortv5071

Episode Time Stamps

00:00 Why expertise doesn’t automatically create clients
01:24 Jeanne’s path from debt to a million-dollar online business
05:20 How one executive coach built a high-ticket client roster
10:02 Coachability, grit, and choosing the right clients
14:42 Recognizing the early signs of client success
17:35 Mindset support without the “coachy” jargon
20:15 Spotting untapped professional potential on LinkedIn
24:08 From corporate executive to fractional entrepreneur
28:25 Why content and busy work don’t necessarily bring in clients
30:47 How to know whether you’re ready to build a business
33:22 “If not now, when?” — taking the first step
33:57 Where to connect with Jeanne Omlor

Episode Topics

Entrepreneurship • Business Coaching • Executive Coaching • Consulting • Client Acquisition • Organic Marketing • Business Strategy • Fractional Executives • Career Transition • Coachability • Professional Expertise • Online Business • Service-Based Businesses • LinkedIn Marketing

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About the Podcast
Proof Talks explores the real stories, decisions, and lessons behind professional judgment. Through candid conversations, each episode unpacks a real-world scenario with experienced practitioners across business, leadership, technology, and beyond to better understand how complex decisions are made — and what others can learn from them.

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@Proof_Talks

About the Host
Proof Talks is hosted by AI Visibility Strategist and speaker Ashley Smith. As founder of Show Your Proof, Ashley helps experienced professionals turn their real-world expertise into visible online proof so they can become more discoverable, trusted, and recommended by search engines and AI tools.

Learn more:
🌐 showyourproof.co
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashleysmithnow
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@ShowYourProof

Send us Fan Mail

Many businesses don't stop growing because they run out of opportunity.

They stop growing because everything still depends on the founder.

In this episode of Proof Talks, host Ashley Smith sits down with EOS Implementer and business advisor Murray Smith to explore what it really takes to build a business that can grow beyond its owner.

Drawing from his work helping leadership teams improve execution, accountability, and communication, Murray shares the story of a creative agency founder who transformed a business that relied almost entirely on him into one that continued to thrive while he stepped away for five weeks.

While the conversation follows one creative agency's transformation, the principles Murray shares apply to founder-led businesses across virtually every industry. He works with organizations that have outgrown the way they operate, helping leadership teams move beyond firefighting, create greater accountability, and build the confidence to let go without sacrificing growth. Whether you lead a professional services firm, technology company, construction business, or family enterprise, the challenges — and the leadership lessons — are remarkably similar.

Ashley & Murray Discuss:

• Why founder dependence quietly limits business growth
• The leadership shift required to stop wearing every hat
• How accountability and healthy communication create stronger teams
• Why systems should support people — not replace them
• How EOS helps leadership teams execute with greater clarity and consistency
• What is EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) all about and who is it for?
• What it takes to build a business that continues to grow without depending on its founder

Whether you're a founder, business owner, CEO, executive, or leadership team member, this conversation offers practical insights into delegation, accountability, organizational health, and building a company that becomes stronger as leadership is shared.

Murray also explains why many businesses struggle to execute despite having great ideas, how leadership teams can create genuine accountability, and why letting go is often one of the most difficult — and most important — steps toward sustainable growth.

Connect with Murray Smith

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/murraydsmith
🌐 Grip 6 Company Website: https://grip6.com.au
🔎 Founder Case Study: https://grip6.com.au/eos-redfined-a-geelong-business-owners-life

Episode Time Stamps

00:00 Why Founder-Dependence Limits Growth
01:45 Meet Murray Smith
04:52 An EOS Creative Agency Case Study
09:24 Diagnosing Founder Dependence
12:33 Building a Business That Can Run Without You
17:49 Coaching Leaders Through Letting Go
21:02 Systems, Accountability & Succession
25:08 The Five-Week Founder Vacation Test
27:23 When Leadership Teams Change
29:25 Where to Learn More About EOS, EOS Implementers, and Murray Smith
30:58 Final Advice & Closing Thoughts

Episode Topics

Founder-Led Business • Business Growth • Leadership Development • EOS • Entrepreneurial Operating System • Founder Dependence • Organizational Health • Accountability • Leadership Teams • Business Systems • Company Culture • Delegation • Team Communication • Organizational Alignment • Business Strategy • Executive Leadership

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About the Podcast
Proof Talks explores the real stories, decisions, and lessons behind professional judgment. Through candid conversations, each episode unpacks a real-world scenario with experienced practitioners across business, leadership, technology, and beyond to better understand how complex decisions are made — and what others can learn from them.

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@Proof_Talks

About the Host
Proof Talks is hosted by AI Visibility Strategist and speaker Ashley Smith. As founder of Show Your Proof, Ashley helps experienced professionals turn their real-world expertise into visible online proof so they can become more discoverable, trusted, and recommended by search engines and AI tools.

Learn more:
🌐 showyourproof.co
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashleysmithnow
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@ShowYourProof

Send us Fan Mail

Everyone is talking about AI.

Far fewer organizations stop to ask what business problems they're actually trying to solve.

In this episode of Proof Talks, host Ashley Smith sits down with Senior Cybersecurity and AI Consultant Brian Beck to explore why successful AI adoption isn't primarily about implementing new technology — it's about aligning strategy, people, and business priorities.

Drawing from his work advising executive teams on AI, cybersecurity, and digital transformation, Brian shares how organizations can move beyond the pressure to "do something with AI" and instead design an intentional implementation strategy that scales.

He works closely with mid-sized companies serious about turning vague innovation ideas into practical business outcomes. Through real client scenarios, he shares what often gets missed when teams move too quickly from excitement to tools — and why successful AI adoption begins with understanding existing workflows, identifying risk, and defining what success actually looks like.

Ashley & Brian Discuss:

• Why AI isn't an IT project — it's a leadership strategy
• The question every leadership team should answer before investing in AI
• How executive alignment determines whether initiatives succeed or stall
• How governance, cybersecurity, and business strategy intersect and shape AI decisions
• Why successful adoption depends more on leadership, communication, and culture than technology
• How to move from AI experimentation to measurable outcomes

Whether you're a business owner, CEO, executive, board member, technology leader, or simply trying to understand AI's role inside a modern organization, this conversation offers practical insights into leadership, governance, risk, and the strategic decisions that separate successful AI implementation from expensive experimentation.

Brian also explains why so many AI initiatives stall, how leadership teams can avoid common mistakes, and why smart and responsible adoption begins long before choosing tools. 

Connect with Brian Beck

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/brianbeck73
🌐 Proxurve Solutions Company Website: https://proxurve.com

Episode Time Stamps

00:00 Why "We Need AI" Isn't a Strategy
01:32 Meet Brian Beck
02:50 "Think of Me as the Concrete Guy"
04:17 Where AI Strategy Really Begins
10:50 A Real AI Adoption Case Study
17:04 Why AI Is a Leadership Challenge
20:58 Governance, Risk & Cybersecurity
25:15 What AI Consulting Actually Looks Like
31:01 Measuring Successful AI Adoption
33:26 AI, Data Centres & Public Perception
39:23 Final Advice & Closing Thoughts

Episode Topics

Artificial Intelligence (AI) • AI Strategy • AI Adoption • AI Leadership • Executive Leadership • Business Strategy • Digital Transformation • Cybersecurity • AI Governance • Organizational Change • Executive Alignment • Technology Leadership • Microsoft Copilot • Claude AI • Risk Management

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About the Podcast
Proof Talks explores the real stories, decisions, and lessons behind professional judgment. Through candid conversations, each episode unpacks a real-world scenario with experienced practitioners across business, leadership, technology, and beyond to better understand how complex decisions are made — and what others can learn from them.

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@Proof_Talks

About the Host
Proof Talks is hosted by AI Visibility Strategist and speaker Ashley Smith. As founder of Show Your Proof, Ashley helps experienced professionals turn their real-world expertise into visible online proof so they can become more discoverable, trusted, and recommended by search engines and AI tools.

Learn more:
🌐 showyourproof.co
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashleysmithnow
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@ShowYourProof

Send us Fan Mail

Most leadership failures don't begin with bad decisions.
They begin with good people staying quiet.

In this episode of Proof Talks, host Ashley Smith sits down with capital project leader and author Cristian Gonzalez to explore why silence is so often mistaken for alignment — and how organizations can create cultures where people speak up before small problems become expensive mistakes.

Drawing from more than two decades leading complex industrial projects across North America and the Caribbean, Cristian shares a real-world refinery case study that fundamentally changed how he thinks about leadership, communication, and decision-making.

Ashley & Cristian Discuss:

• Why silence is often a warning sign — not agreement
• How productive disagreement leads to better decisions
• What leaders can do to encourage honest conversations
• Why "bringing the bad news early" is one of the healthiest habits a team can develop
• The simple question that helps teams find clarity before making important decisions

Whether you lead a company, manage projects or mergers, or simply want to build stronger teams, this conversation offers practical lessons on communication, trust, and professional judgment.

Connect with Cristian Gonzalez

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/cygonzalez
🌐 Website: https://cristianygonzalez.com
📘 Book: What Everyone Knew: Inside the Failures Organizations See Coming and Don't Stop https://cristianygonzalez.com/whateveryoneknew 

Episode Time Stamps 

00:00 When agreement isn't real
01:29 Meet leadership expert Cristian Gonzalez
03:47 Why silence in organizations is a warning sign
06:02 The refinery incident that changed Cristian's perspective
10:40 Why productive disagreement leads to better decisions
15:20 Creating a culture where people feel safe to speak up
20:20 When leadership teams disagree
25:23 One question every leader should ask
27:50 How to start changing organizational culture
32:10 Learn to respond instead of react
33:47 Cristian Gonzalez’s book + where to connect

Episode Topics

Leadership • Organizational culture • Decision-making • Productive disagreement • Communication • Executive leadership • Capital projects • Engineering leadership • Change management • Team alignment • Organizational performance • Professional judgment • Workplace safety • Risk management • Leadership and risk • Corporate governance • Corporate culture 

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About the Podcast
Proof Talks explores the real stories, decisions, and lessons behind professional judgment. Through candid conversations, each episode unpacks a real-world scenario with experienced practitioners across business, leadership, technology, and beyond to better understand how complex decisions are made — and what others can learn from them.

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@Proof_Talks

About the Host
Proof Talks is hosted by AI Visibility Strategist and speaker Ashley Smith. As founder of Show Your Proof, Ashley helps experienced professionals turn their real-world expertise into visible online proof so they can become more discoverable, trusted, and recommended by search engines and AI tools.

Learn more:
🌐 showyourproof.co
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashleysmithnow
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@ShowYourProof

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to Proof Talks.

Some of the smartest people you'll ever meet aren't the loudest.

They're the professionals, operators, business owners, and subject matter experts who've spent years — sometimes decades — building expertise, solving problems, and navigating complex decisions.

Proof Talks is a series of conversations designed to unpack that expertise through stories, case studies, lessons learned, and practical takeaways from people who've been there.

No hype. No predictions. No polished scripts.

Just real conversations with experienced people who understand the nuance, challenges, opportunities, and judgment that rarely make it into headlines or social feeds.

In this short trailer, host Ashley Smith introduces the show and what listeners can expect from future episodes.

Subscribe and follow along for new conversations with leaders, operators, entrepreneurs, and experts from a wide range of industries.

Real expertise, unpacked.

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About the Podcast
Proof Talks explores the real stories, decisions, and lessons behind professional judgment. Through candid conversations, each episode unpacks a real-world scenario with experienced practitioners across business, leadership, technology, and beyond to better understand how complex decisions are made — and what others can learn from them.

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@Proof_Talks

About the Host
Proof Talks is hosted by AI Visibility Strategist and speaker Ashley Smith. As founder of Show Your Proof, Ashley helps experienced professionals turn their real-world expertise into visible online proof so they can become more discoverable, trusted, and recommended by search engines and AI tools.

Learn more:
🌐 showyourproof.co
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashleysmithnow
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@ShowYourProof