The Executive and The Mystic

What does it mean to have enough—and what if true wealth is about far more than a number?

In the first guest conversation of Season 2 of The Executive & The Mystic, Fred LeFranc and Kristina Wiltsee sit down with Brandon Hatton, founder and CEO of Conscious Wealth®, to explore money, meaning, community, and the inflection points that shaped his life.

Brandon shares his path from teacher and world traveler to Merrill Lynch and ultimately Conscious Wealth, where wealth expands beyond money to include relationships, health, purpose, and community. Together, they explore money memories, scarcity and abundance, intuition, nourishment, and why success cannot be reduced to someone else’s formula.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How Brandon’s inflection points shaped Conscious Wealth
• Why travel became a practice for becoming a better leader
• How early money memories can shape scarcity or abundance
• Why financial wealth is only one dimension of a wealthy life
• How intuition and the head-heart-gut connection guide decisions
• Why family conversations about money matter
• What nourishment and community have to do with wealth
• Why listening to your body can support better decisions
• Why there is no guaranteed formula for success

About Our Guest:

Brandon Hatton is founder and CEO of Conscious Wealth® and author of Conscious Wealth: Money, Investing, and a Financial Awakening for the Person Who Has It All.

Connect with Brandon:

Website 👉 https://www.consciouswealth.com/

LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonthatton/

Instagram 👉 @consciouswealth

Free Conversation Card Game 👉 https://mcusercontent.com/6bca12b9ab3131a6451679c69/files/855aac43-4abb-4b29-485f-f2044f38e441/BH_Flash_Cards_for_Cutting.pdf

Connect With Us:

Email 👉 [email protected]

Helpful Links:

YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveandMysticPodcast

Website 👉 https://www.theexecutiveandthemystic.com/

LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-executive-the-mystic-video-podcast/

Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/theexecutiveandthemystic/

TikTok 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@tetm_podcast

Results Through Strategy 👉 https://resultsthrustrategy.com/

Life Alchemist 👉 https://www.kriswiltsee.com/

What if the tension you’re trying to resolve is actually the thing that has something to teach you?

In this episode of The Executive & The Mystic, Fred LeFranc and Kristina Wiltsee explore the power of paradox: two opposing ideas that can both be true at the same time. Rather than forcing a choice between one side or the other, they examine what can emerge when we learn to stay in the tension.

Through three leadership paradoxes—control vs. surrender, safety vs. candor, and certainty vs. humility—Fred and Kristina explore how paradox shows up in leadership, relationships, decision-making, and personal growth.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why some paradoxes cannot be resolved—only inhabited
• What it means to “stay in the fire”
• How control and surrender can coexist
• Why surrender is not the same as giving up
• How leaders can release control while still taking responsibility
• Why safety and candor are both necessary for healthy teams
• The difference between being a nice leader and a kind leader
• Why certainty can become an ego trap
• How humility, curiosity, and trust strengthen leadership
• How to recognize when you have become the bottleneck

Timestamps:

00:56 Alignment, balance, coherence & paradox

02:03 Why paradox does not have to be resolved

05:13 “Stay in the fire” and let something new emerge

07:40 Control vs. surrender

17:52 Releasing control as a leader

28:35 Safety vs. candor

31:24 Resilience and difficult conversations

38:54 Certainty vs. humility

43:26 Bottlenecks, delegation, and trust

45:23 Principles vs. practices

47:26 Why difficult, paradoxical questions matter

49:28 Choosing both the Executive and the Mystic

Connect With Us:

Have a question, reflection, or leadership challenge you’d like Fred and Kristina to explore in a future episode?

Email us at [email protected]

Helpful Links:

Watch on YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveandMysticPodcast

Visit 👉 https://www.theexecutiveandthemystic.com/

Follow us on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-executive-the-mystic-video-podcast/

Follow us on Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/theexecutiveandthemystic/

Find us on TikTok 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@tetm_podcast

Results Through Strategy 👉 https://resultsthrustrategy.com/

Life Alchemist 👉 https://www.kriswiltsee.com/

What happens when life changes the plan—or when you know a change needs to happen, but you keep putting it off?

In this episode of The Executive & The Mystic, Fred LeFranc and Kristina Wiltsee explore transitions in all their forms: planned changes, unexpected disruptions, external delays, and the self-induced delays that happen when fear, uncertainty, or attachment keep us from moving forward.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The difference between planned, unplanned, and delayed transitions
• Why even planned changes can feel completely unexpected once they arrive
• How transitions can reshape identity, priorities, and the roles we play
• What leaders can learn from stepping into a new role under pressure
• Why we sometimes delay changes we already know we need to make
• How fear and comfort can keep us waiting for an external “pressure cooker”
• The role of courage and coherence in making difficult decisions
• Why external delays may create opportunities we cannot see yet
• How catastrophizing can make one possible outcome feel inevitable
• The balance between taking action and surrendering to what unfolds
• How presence can help us loosen our attachment to a specific outcome

Timestamps:

00:56 Planned, unplanned, and delayed transitions

02:41 When change arrives without warning

03:30 Parenthood as a planned—and completely unplanned—transition

06:13 Transition as transformation

10:46 Stepping into an unexpected leadership role

14:04 External delays vs. self-induced delays

16:07 Fear, resistance, and waiting for change

18:19 Courage, coherence, and taking action

20:41 Procrastination and the “pressure cooker” of change

22:45 When outside circumstances delay the plan

23:50 Can an external delay actually be a gift?

25:08 Catastrophizing, scenarios, and choosing your response

26:04 The balance between surrender and action

29:25 Presence, perspective, and releasing attachment to outcomes

31:28 Finding value even when the outcome changes

Connect With Us:

Have a question, reflection, or leadership challenge you’d like Fred and Kristina to explore in a future episode?

Email us at [email protected]

Helpful Links:

Watch on YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveandMysticPodcast

Visit 👉 https://www.theexecutiveandthemystic.com/

LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-executive-the-mystic-video-podcast/

Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/theexecutiveandthemystic/

TikTok 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@tetm_podcast

Results Through Strategy 👉 https://resultsthrustrategy.com/

Life Alchemist 👉 https://www.kriswiltsee.com/

What if the same laws that explain work, time, decision-making, and productivity also apply to your personal growth and spiritual life?

In this episode of The Executive & The Mystic, Fred LeFranc and Kristina Wiltsee explore classic business mental models and laws, including Parkinson’s Law, Hofstadter’s Law, Hanlon’s Razor, the Pareto Principle, the Peter Principle, Hick’s Law, Goodhart’s Law, the Dunning-Kruger Effect, Occam’s Razor, Chesterton’s Fence, and Brooks’ Law.

Together, they look at how these principles show up in business, leadership, project management, team dynamics, personal development, and even spiritual growth.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why work expands to fill the time available
• Why everything takes longer than expected, even when you plan for it
• How Hanlon’s Razor can help leaders avoid assuming bad intent
• How the Pareto Principle applies to clients, effort, and results
• Why people can be promoted beyond their current competence
• How too many choices create decision fatigue
• Why metrics can become dangerous when they become the goal
• How limited knowledge can lead to overconfidence
• Why the simplest explanation is often the best starting point
• Why you should understand a system before removing part of it
• Why adding people to a late project can make it even later

Timestamps:

00:55 Why mental models matter in business and life

02:20 Parkinson’s Law: work expands to fill the time available

05:06 Hofstadter’s Law: everything takes longer than expected

09:29 Hanlon’s Razor: don’t assume bad intent too quickly

16:13 Pareto Principle: the 80/20 rule

19:03 Peter Principle: promotion and competence

24:59 Hick’s Law: too many choices slow decisions

30:01 Goodhart’s Law: when metrics become the goal

33:57 Dunning-Kruger Effect: overconfidence and expertise

36:50 Occam’s Razor: start with the simplest explanation

38:35 Chesterton’s Fence: understand before removing

42:33 Brooks’ Law: adding people to a late project

Connect With Us:

Have a question, reflection, or leadership challenge you’d like Fred and Kristina to explore in a future episode?

Email us at [email protected]

Helpful Links:

Watch on YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveandMysticPodcast

Visit 👉 https://www.theexecutiveandthemystic.com/

Follow us on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-executive-the-mystic-video-podcast/

Follow us on Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/theexecutiveandthemystic/

Find us on TikTok 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@tetm_podcast

Results Through Strategy 👉 https://resultsthrustrategy.com/

Life Alchemist 👉 https://www.kriswiltsee.com/

What is the difference between influence and manipulation?

In the Season 2 premiere of The Executive & The Mystic, Fred LeFranc and Kristina Wiltsee open a new season with a powerful conversation about influence, leadership, and the subtle ways people shape decisions.

Together, they explore the line between ethical influence and manipulation, especially in leadership settings where outcomes matter and people are often being guided toward a decision, behavior, or perspective. From priming and choice architecture to rumor control, emotional context, and “assembled context,” this episode looks at the tools leaders use—consciously or unconsciously—to move people.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why influence is part of leadership
• Where influence can cross the line into manipulation
• How priming shapes the emotional context of a conversation
• Why “you’re not going to like this” can set people up for anxiety
• How leaders can telegraph intent before a crucial conversation
• What choice architecture is and how contrast shapes decision-making
• Why clearing the space matters when rumors or tension are present
• How assembled context can guide someone to a conclusion
• Why intention matters, but impact matters too
• The ethical test for influence: who truly benefits?
• How leaders can support growth without controlling outcomes

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction & welcome to Season 2

00:42 Why influence vs. manipulation matters

01:38 NLP and the ethics of understanding people

03:07 Priming and how leaders set context

05:25 Telegraphing intent in crucial conversations

07:50 Choice architecture and contrast

12:27 Getting ahead of rumor and clearing the space

17:58 Assembled context and planted conclusions

23:45 The ethical test for influence

24:55 Developing people without controlling them

29:48 Who benefits? Influence vs. manipulation

35:04 Final thoughts and closing

Connect With Us:

Have a question, reflection, or leadership challenge you’d like Fred and Kristina to explore in a future episode?

Email us at [email protected]

Helpful Links:

Watch on YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveandMysticPodcast

Visit 👉 https://www.theexecutiveandthemystic.com/

Follow us on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-executive-the-mystic-video-podcast/

Follow us on Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/theexecutiveandthemystic/

Find us on TikTok 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@tetm_podcast

Results Through Strategy 👉 https://resultsthrustrategy.com/

Life Alchemist 👉 https://www.kriswiltsee.com/

If Season One asked whether wisdom has a place in business and leadership, Season Two takes the conversation further. Hosts Fred LeFranc and Kristina Wiltsee sit down with leaders, founders, and practitioners who are working to integrate personal growth, inner wisdom, and conscious leadership into the realities of building, leading, and living. Along the way, Fred and Kristina continue their own conversations about influence, integrity, and the challenges that come with putting inner work into practice. This season explores what it really looks like to lead with intention—without losing sight of who you are or why the work matters. Subscribe and join us as we go deeper into the intersection of wisdom, leadership, and real life.

🔗 Helpful Links:

Watch on YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveandMysticPodcast

Visit 👉 https://www.theexecutiveandthemystic.com/

Follow us on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-executive-the-mystic-video-podcast/

Follow us on Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/theexecutiveandthemystic/

Find us on TikTok 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@tetm_podcast

Results Through Strategy 👉 https://resultsthrustrategy.com/

Life Alchemist 👉 https://www.kriswiltsee.com/

In this Season 1 finale of The Executive & The Mystic, Fred LeFranc and Kristina Wiltsee explore emotional intelligence and why it has been the quiet foundation beneath so many of their conversations this season.

Using Daniel Goleman’s emotional intelligence framework, Fred and Kristina break down the four dimensions of EQ: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Together, they explore how emotional intelligence helps leaders move from reaction to choice, regulate stress, read the room, practice empathy, and navigate conflict with clarity.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why emotional intelligence is foundational to leadership
• The four dimensions of emotional intelligence
• How self-awareness creates space between reaction and response
• Why leaders must learn to observe their thoughts, feelings, and behavior
• How self-management helps regulate stress and emotional triggers
• The difference between sympathy and empathy
• Why empathy requires courage
• How to read the room without slipping into hypervigilance
• Why relationship management matters in conflict and team dynamics
• How emotional intelligence supports kind leadership
• What Fred and Kristina learned from Season 1
• What’s coming next in Season 2

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction & episode topic

01:45 Emotional intelligence as the Season 1 throughline

02:47 The four dimensions of emotional intelligence

03:04 Self-awareness and the observer state

08:01 Practices for building self-awareness

10:09 Moving from reaction to choice

12:30 Self-management and nervous system regulation

17:01 Social awareness, empathy, and reading the room

23:44 Hypervigilance vs. healthy awareness

25:54 Relationship management and group resonance

31:10 Crucial conversations and kind leadership

35:08 Season 1 reflections, Season 2 invitation, and closing

Connect With Us

Have a question, reflection, or leadership challenge you’d like Fred and Kristina to explore in Season 2?

Email us at [email protected]

Presented by Results Through Strategy (RTS)

________________________________________

Watch on YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveandMysticPodcast

Visit 👉 https://www.theexecutiveandthemystic.com/

Follow us on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-executive-the-mystic-video-podcast/

Follow us on Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/theexecutiveandthemystic/

Find us on TikTok 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@tetm_podcast

Results Through Strategy 👉 https://resultsthrustrategy.com/

Life Alchemist 👉 https://www.kriswiltsee.com/

In this episode of The Executive & The Mystic, Fred LeFranc and Kristina Wiltsee explore Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and why this framework remains one of Fred’s most-used tools for understanding organizational health.

Fred breaks down the five essential functions of a healthy team: trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results. Together, he and Kristina explore how these elements show up in real companies, what happens when they break down, and why culture is often the difference between a team that can overcome challenges and one that collapses under pressure.

From vulnerability-based trust to artificial harmony, zinger cultures, commitment gaps, and unclear accountability, this conversation offers a practical look at how teams move from dysfunction to alignment.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• Why culture is the secret weapon of strong organizations
• The five key functions of healthy teams
• Why trust must be vulnerability-based to be effective
• How “zinger cultures” damage psychological safety
• The difference between conflict and confrontation
• Why artificial harmony is dangerous for teams
• How commitment turns conversation into action
• The difference between responsibility and accountability
• Why KPIs and standards must be clear and visible
• How shared results differ from individual success
• Why celebrating wins helps teams build momentum

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction & episode topic

01:37 Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions framework

03:32 Using assessments to understand culture

05:53 Vision, purpose, and organizational alignment

08:32 Trust and vulnerability-based leadership

15:24 Zinger cultures and psychological safety

20:01 Fear of conflict and artificial harmony

23:27 Conflict resolution, mirroring, and clarity

28:56 Commitment and moving from discussion to action

32:29 Accountability, KPIs, and clear standards

43:55 Results, shared success, and celebrating progress

49:13 Applying the model to build healthier teams

Connect With Us

Have a question, reflection, or topic you’d like Fred and Kristina to explore in a future episode?

Email us at [email protected]

Helpful Links

YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveandMysticPodcast

Visit 👉 https://www.theexecutiveandthemystic.com/

LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-executive-the-mystic-video-podcast/

Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/theexecutiveandthemystic/

TikTok 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@tetm_podcast

Results Through Strategy 👉 https://resultsthrustrategy.com/

Life Alchemist 👉 https://www.kriswiltsee.com/

In this episode of The Executive & The Mystic, Fred LeFranc and Kristina Wiltsee explore ego in leadership—not as something inherently bad, but as something that can either support growth or distort judgment when it gets out of alignment.

Together, they unpack three common ego traps leaders fall into: the certainty trap, the avoidance trap, and the gravity trap. From leaders who believe they must have all the answers, to those who avoid conflict in the name of being “nice,” to leaders whose teams spend more time managing their mood than managing the business, this conversation offers a grounded look at how ego shapes culture, communication, and decision-making.

Fred and Kristina also explore the difference between healthy confidence and ego out of shape, why kind leadership requires accountability, and how the heart, mind, and gut can work together to help leaders respond with clarity instead of reacting from old patterns.

This episode closes with a deeper discussion of ego death—not as self-erasure, but as the necessary process of letting go of outdated identities so something more authentic can emerge.

In This Episode

• Why ego is not inherently bad
• The danger of the certainty trap
• The difference between dialogue and debate
• How avoidance creates bigger problems
• The difference between being nice and being kind
• Why accountability is essential to healthy leadership
• How a leader’s mood can become a gravity trap for the team
• How to use the heart, mind, and gut as a leadership check-in
• What ego death really means in leadership and personal growth

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction & framing ego in leadership

02:19 Defining ego and why it is not inherently bad

04:51 The certainty trap

06:42 Why leaders should speak last

11:34 The avoidance trap: nice vs. kind leadership

14:12 Responsibility, accountability, and expectations

17:28 Conflict management and communication clarity

22:40 The gravity trap: when teams manage the leader’s mood

28:34 Naming harmful behavior without judgment

34:28 Heart, mind, and gut check for leaders

45:20 Ego death and letting go of false self-image

50:23 Moving through ego death and choosing growth

Helpful Links

YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveandMysticPodcast

Visit 👉 https://www.theexecutiveandthemystic.com/

LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-executive-the-mystic-video-podcast/

Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/theexecutiveandthemystic/

TikTok 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@tetm_podcast

Results Through Strategy 👉 https://resultsthrustrategy.com/

Life Alchemist 👉 https://www.kriswiltsee.com/

What if forgiveness wasn’t about the other person at all? In this episode of The Executive & The Mystic, Fred LeFranc and Kristina Wiltsee explore forgiveness as one of the most powerful—and misunderstood—practices in both leadership and life.

Rather than framing forgiveness as approval or reconciliation, they reframe it as a deeply personal act of release—one that clears emotional and cognitive load, restores clarity, and allows leaders to show up at their best.

From personal stories to leadership applications, this conversation explores how holding onto resentment impacts performance, relationships, and decision-making—and how letting go creates space for growth, connection, and transformation.

You’ll also learn a simple but powerful framework rooted in the Hawaiian practice of Ho’oponopono that can be applied in moments of tension, conflict, or internal struggle.

In This Episode:

• Why forgiveness is not about condoning someone else’s actions
• How holding onto resentment impacts your performance and well-being
• The concept of forgiveness as “releasing stored energy”
• How emotional and cognitive load affect leadership clarity
• The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation
• Why introspection and forgiveness are deeply connected
• How forgiveness applies in business, leadership, and relationships
• A practical framework for letting go of internal friction
• How forgiveness supports resilience, clarity, and long-term performance

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to forgiveness as a leadership practice

01:50 Forgiveness as a release—not approval

03:00 The cost of holding onto resentment

05:02 Personal story: forgiveness and emotional release

07:15 What forgiveness actually is (and what it’s not)

10:02 Cognitive and emotional load explained

12:09 Trauma bonds and letting go

13:02 Ho’oponopono: the four-step forgiveness practice

17:09 Applying forgiveness to healing and personal growth

24:26 Forgiveness in business and leadership contexts

29:24 Forgiveness as a leadership tool for performance and clarity

31:02 A practical framework for real-time application

33:05 Final thoughts: forgiveness as an ongoing practice

This episode is presented by Results Through Strategy (RTS)

Helpful Links:

YouTube 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveandMysticPodcast

Visit 👉 https://www.theexecutiveandthemystic.com/

LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-executive-the-mystic-video-podcast/

Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/theexecutiveandthemystic/

TikTok 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@tetm_podcast

Results Through Strategy 👉 https://resultsthrustrategy.com/

Life Alchemist 👉 https://www.kriswiltsee.com/