The Enlightened Executive

Have you ever wondered why you're not landing that coveted piece of business?

You have the expertise, the results and the reputation. Yet the biggest opportunities still seem to go to someone else.

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm sits down with Michael Roderick, former Broadway producer and CEO of Small Pond Enterprises. Michael says the doors that matter most often open because of what people say about you when you're not in the room. In this conversation, you'll discover:

• The simple three-letter framework behind why some ideas get shared while others are forgotten
• Why remembering more starts with focusing on less
• How some of the most generous leaders may be quietly pushing people away
• The "triple threat" thinking talents, and which one drives you
• Two moves you can make this week to become more referable

If you're an executive or entrepreneur who wants your expertise to open bigger doors, this episode is for you.

What if the exhaustion you keep pushing through is not a time management problem, but a message you have stopped listening to?

In this episode, Susan Drumm sits down with Iris van Ooyen, a Dutch life transformation mentor, keynote speaker, and author of Radiant: How to Have All the Energy You Need to Live a Life You Love, to talk about why so many high achievers look successful on the outside while quietly running on empty.

Iris shares her own burnout story at 24, the moment a naturopath told her she had four hours of real energy a day and was running the rest of her life on willpower, and the pattern she calls being comfortably miserable, unhappy enough to notice and not quite unhappy enough to change anything.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why looking successful does not mean feeling okay

• How to find your signal spot, the first physical sign your body gives you before burnout hits

• Why being comfortably miserable is more dangerous than an outright crisis

• A simple daily energy inventory for spotting what drains you and what restores you

• How grounding yourself helps you set boundaries that actually hold

This is a candid conversation for executives, founders, and high achievers who want to lead with more energy, clarity, and self-awareness, without waiting for a health scare to force the change.

Learn more about Iris van Ooyen and her book Radiant at irisvanooyen.com, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, self-awareness, and unlocking your potential.

Success is easier to measure than ever. Revenue targets, exits, titles, promotions, the markers are clear and constant.

So why do so many leaders still feel like it's not enough?

In this episode, Susan Drumm sits down with Lynne Twist, bestselling author, founder of the Soul of Money Institute, and co-founder of the Pachamama Alliance, along with Sara Vetter, CEO of the Soul of Money Institute, to explore why scarcity, not ambition, is often the hidden force driving leaders to keep moving the goalpost, and why the leaders who thrive are the ones who learn to recognize it.

Together, they discuss why your money story is not the same as your money facts, how even the most successful people can stay stuck in a cycle of never enough, and why appreciation, gratitude, and a purpose bigger than yourself are becoming the real markers of leadership maturity.

In this episode, you'll learn

• Why the lie of scarcity shapes even the most successful leaders
• How to tell the difference between your money story and your money facts
• Why more rarely feels like enough, even for billionaire CEOs
• A simple practice that interrupts scarcity thinking in real time
• How building a purpose bigger than yourself changes what enough means

This conversation is for executives, founders, and growth-oriented leaders who want to lead from sufficiency instead of fear, no matter how much they've already achieved.

Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work. It can generate ideas, analyze information, and make expertise more accessible than ever before.

So what will set exceptional leaders apart?

In this episode, Susan Drumm sits down with bestselling author, business strategist, and Hall of Fame speaker Jay Baer to explore how AI is reshaping leadership and why the leaders who thrive will be the ones who strengthen the uniquely human capabilities technology cannot replace.

Together, they discuss why expertise is no longer enough, how pattern recognition helps leaders make better decisions, and why self-awareness, curiosity, and judgment are becoming the defining leadership skills of the future.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why AI is changing the definition of leadership

• How pattern recognition creates a competitive advantage

• Why judgment matters more than expertise

• The role of curiosity in staying relevant as a leader

• How self-awareness helps leaders recognize blind spots and make better decisions

This conversation is for executives, founders, and growth-oriented leaders who want to lead with greater clarity, adaptability, and confidence in an AI-powered world.

What if self-doubt is not your greatest obstacle, but your greatest advantage?

In this episode, Susan Drumm sits down with entrepreneur, investor, and innovation expert Abhi Golhar to challenge one of leadership's biggest myths: that great leaders are always certain. Instead, they explore how self-doubt can become a powerful tool for making better decisions, driving innovation, and leading with greater clarity.

Together, they discuss why certainty can become a hidden liability, how moments of doubt often signal growth, and why the most effective leaders replace the need to have all the answers with a willingness to ask better questions. They also share practical strategies for turning hesitation into insight and uncertainty into momentum.

This conversation is especially relevant for executives, entrepreneurs, and high-performing leaders navigating change, complexity, and the pressure to always appear confident.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why self-doubt can become a leadership advantage

• How certainty can limit better decision-making

• The difference between fear that holds you back and doubt that helps you grow

• Why self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership

• How curiosity leads to stronger teams, better strategies, and greater innovation

This is a powerful conversation for executives, entrepreneurs, and growth-minded leaders who want to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and resilience during times of uncertainty.

Success can be one of the most dangerous moments for a high-performing team.

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm speaks with Jake Thompson, founder of Compete Every Day, about how leaders can recognize when a winning team starts to drift into comfort, busyness, or complacency.

Jake shares why strong results can sometimes hide weakening standards, how comparison pulls leaders away from their own game, and what executives can do to keep teams hungry without creating unhealthy pressure.

You'll learn simple practices to reset focus, reinforce accountability, and help your team play to its standard—not just the scoreboard.

Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

AI is changing how we work, create, and lead. But as technology gets faster, the most valuable leadership skills may be the most human ones: creativity, judgment, authenticity, and reinvention.

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm speaks with Jason Miller about how leaders can stay relevant in an AI-driven world. Jason shares why it's risky to become too one-dimensional, how to build a unique "talent stack," and why putting your ideas into the world before you feel fully ready can become a powerful growth practice.

Together, Susan and Jason explore what it takes to break old patterns, develop a distinct point of view, and lead with more creativity and courage as the future of work continues to evolve.

Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

AI is not just changing how we work. It is changing how customers think, decide, trust, and relate.

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm speaks with marketing strategist, futurist, and author Mark Schaefer about how AI is reshaping customer behavior and what leaders need to understand now.

They explore the risks of cognitive offloading, the importance of protecting human judgment, and why trust, curiosity, and agency may become even more valuable in an AI-driven world.

You'll learn how AI is influencing customer decisions, why leaders must protect critical thinking, what "cognitive surrender" means for teams and organizations, and how brands can build trust in an AI-shaped marketplace.

The opportunity is not to reject AI. It is to use it with discernment.

Listen now to learn how leaders can stay relevant, trusted, and human in the age of AI.

Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

What if one small act of kindness could create a ripple effect far beyond what you imagined?

In this episode, Susan Drumm sits down with entrepreneur Braxton Kilgo to explore how a simple mission grew into a business, a movement, and a model for meaningful leadership. Braxton shares his journey from small-town beginnings to building a purpose-driven brand centered on human connection, service, and impact. Together, they unpack what leaders can learn about scaling a mission without losing its heart, why discernment matters as much as vision, and how trust becomes the foundation for lasting influence.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that enlightened leadership is not just about strategy or performance. It is about building something real enough that people can feel it, believe in it, and carry it forward.

What if the success you built is no longer setting you free?

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm sits down with investor, entrepreneur, and Fulfillionaire founder JP Newman to explore a truth many high achievers quietly wrestle with: external success does not always create internal fulfillment.

JP shares his journey from chasing financial milestones to redefining wealth through a more meaningful lens—one that includes purpose, people, presence, and play, not just prosperity.

Together, Susan and JP unpack why so many leaders confuse achievement with freedom, how ambition can become a hidden trap, and what it takes to create a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.

This conversation is for executives, entrepreneurs, and growth-minded leaders ready to move beyond performance alone and lead from deeper alignment.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why success can start to feel like a cage

• The emotional drivers underneath ambition

• Why money alone does not create fulfillment

• A broader definition of wealth for leaders

• How self-awareness shapes both life and leadership