In this episode of The Inner Entrepreneur, Paul sits down with leadership coach, speaker, author, and recovery advocate Dr. Liz Dubois-Erskine to explore the hidden pressures that shape leadership, identity, confidence, and success. Drawing on her work with high-performing leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives, Liz shares why so many capable people feel held back—not by a lack of skill or ambition, but by the stories they carry about who they are allowed to be.

About the guest:

Dr. Liz Dubois-Erskine is a leadership coach, speaker, podcast host, and author focused on helping leaders break through internal barriers that limit their impact. https://drlizdubois.com/

About the host:

Paul Ryan is CEO of Temple Group and host of The Inner Entrepreneur Podcast.

pauljryan.net

"Pressure doesn't create character—it reveals it."

"For many women, insecurity feels like protection. For many men, insecurity feels like an obstacle."

"The goal isn't to become fearless. The goal is to move forward anyway."

"Authentic leadership begins when you stop performing and start being yourself."

"The stories that once protected us often become the very things that hold us back."

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In this episode, Paul sits down with leadership author and culture-change advocate Kyle McDowell to unpack a hard truth: many “successful” corporate environments are quietly toxic—and leaders often help create the very dysfunction they later complain about. 

Kyle shares how, after decades in senior Fortune-level roles leading tens of thousands of people, he hit a point of apathy, burnout, and personal cost that forced a reckoning. The turning point wasn’t a new strategy—it was a new way of leading: human connection, real accountability, and the courage to stop rewarding fear-based results-at-all-costs leadership.

About the Guest

Kyle McDowell is a leadership speaker, consultant, and author of Begin With We, best known for his “10 We’s”—a set of behavioral principles designed to build cultures of accountability, trust, and excellence. 

https://kylemcdowellinc.com/

About the Host

Paul Ryan is a CEO, 8-figure business owner, mentor, and podcaster.  https://pauljryan.net/

Work With Paul

 You can book a discovery call with Paul here:

 👉 https://calendly.com/inner-entreprene...

Paul Ryan is a CEO, 8-figure business owner, mentor, and host of The Inner Entrepreneur Podcast.

👉 https://pauljryan.net/

You can book a discovery call with Paul here:

https://www.pauljryan

In this episode of The Inner Mentor Series, Paul shares the remarkable story of how, as a young man in his twenties, he won his dream car—a brand-new red Mercedes.

For months he had visualised owning the car. He had a photograph of it pinned to the wall of his tiny office and spent countless hours imagining what it would feel like to drive it. Then, against all odds, he won one.

But what happened next surprised him.

Within days, Paul realised that the Mercedes wasn't what he really wanted.

What he wanted was something much deeper: to become the kind of person who could afford a Mercedes, rather than simply own one by chance.

This episode explores the difference between having and becoming, the power of intention, visualisation, identity, and why the future you create is often shaped by the person you choose to become.

Whether you're building a business, pursuing financial freedom, improving your health, or strengthening your relationships, this conversation offers a simple practice that can help bring greater clarity and focus to the direction of your life.

In this episode of The Inner Entrepreneur, Paul chats with Bron Watson about resilience, healing, adversity, and the life-changing lessons that emerged from two cancer diagnoses.

Bron Watson is a nurse educator, entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of The Serenity Project. 

Paul Ryan is a CEO, 8-figure business owner, mentor, and host of The Inner Entrepreneur Podcast.

👉 https://pauljryan.net/

You can book a discovery call with Paul here:

👉 https://www.pauljryan.net/

In this bitesize episode, Paul sits down with entrepreneur and author Fred Joyal to challenge one of the biggest myths about confidence: that you need it before you act. Drawing on his journey from painful introversion to building and leading a nationwide business for nearly three decades, Fred explains why boldness isn’t a personality trait — it’s a learnable skill built through action, discomfort, and repetition.

The conversation explores why so many people hesitate to speak up, put themselves forward, or fully express who they are — and how that hesitation quietly limits careers, relationships, and fulfilment. From the confidence crisis facing younger generations to the comfort-seeking traps adults fall into, Fred breaks down why bold action must come first, how small low-stakes courage rewires behaviour, and why the regret people carry later in life is rarely about what they did — but what they never tried.

About the Guest

Fred Joyal is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and author of Boldness: How to Go from Under-Confident to Charismatic in 90 Days. He founded and led a nationwide advertising and referral business for dentists for nearly three decades, serving as CEO for 27 years before its successful exit.

About the Host

Paul Ryan is an eight-figure CEO, mentor, and host of The Inner Entrepreneur Podcast. 

Work With Paul

Paul works with seasoned entrepreneurs helping them clarify what’s next and align their life and business around what truly matters.

🔗 Book a discovery call with Paul: https://pauljryan.net

In this Inner Mentor episode, Paul reflects on a remarkable true story of courage and sacrifice. When skydiving instructor Dave Hartsock realised that a catastrophic parachute failure would end in disaster, he made a split-second decision to place himself between his student and the ground, absorbing the full impact and leaving himself paralysed. Years later, when asked if he would do it again, his answer was simple: "Absolutely."

But this episode is not really about skydiving. It is about the quieter forms of self-sacrifice that many of us make every day. Paul explores how people often abandon their own dreams, intuition, values, and desires in order to gain approval, avoid disappointment, or live up to the expectations of others. While most of us will never be called upon to make a heroic life-or-death sacrifice, many spend years sacrificing themselves in far less visible ways.

Drawing on lessons from philosophy, personal development, and his own life experience, Paul challenges the belief that putting yourself first is selfish. Instead, he explores the difference between selfishness and self-care, and argues that the greatest service we can offer the world is to become the fullest expression of who we truly are. This episode is a reminder to trust your own inner voice, honour your values, and have the courage to live your life according to your own truth.

"The greatest contribution you can make isn't becoming somebody else. It's becoming fully yourself."

Paul Ryan is a CEO, 8-figure business owner, mentor, and host of The Inner Entrepreneur Podcast.

👉 https://pauljryan.net/

You can book a discovery call with Paul here:

https://www.pauljryan.net/

In this episode of The Inner Entrepreneur, Paul chats with David Homan to explore what it really means to be a "super connector" and why relationships—not transactions—are often the hidden force behind opportunity, fulfilment, and success. 

Drawing from his own journey of arriving in New York with no influential network and building a global community spanning thousands of people across dozens of countries, David shares how generosity, curiosity, vulnerability, and trust can transform both business and life.

David Homan is a composer, classical pianist, entrepreneur, speaker, and author of Orchestrating Connection. He is the founder of a global community of connectors spanning multiple countries and industries, helping people build meaningful relationships rooted in trust, generosity, and service. 

About the Host

Paul Ryan is a CEO, 8-figure business owner, mentor, and host of The Inner Entrepreneur Podcast.

👉 https://pauljryan.net/

You can book a discovery call with Paul here:

👉 https://www.pauljryan.net/

In this bitesize episode, Paul sits down with clinical psychotherapist and author Dr. Colman Noctor to explore what’s really happening beneath the surface of modern mental health—particularly for children, teenagers, and young adults. 

Drawing on nearly 30 years of clinical experience, Colman explains why anxiety has dominated the last decade, and why loneliness is now emerging as a serious and growing issue. 

They unpack how technology, the loss of unstructured play, and the erosion of community have left many young people without the foundational social skills previous generations absorbed naturally through everyday connection.

About the Guest:

Dr. Colman Noctor is a clinical psychotherapist who has worked extensively with children, adolescents, and young adults for almost three decades.  http://colmannoctor.com/

About the Host: 

Paul Ryan is a CEO, 8-figure business owner, mentor, and podcaster. https://pauljryan.net/

Work With Paul:

Paul works with seasoned entrepreneurs to clarify what’s next and align their life and business to what matters most.

In this Inner Mentor episode, Paul reflects on an unexpected conversation

What began as a routine journey—headphones on, laptop open, focused on work—turned into a powerful reminder about life, ageing, success, and what truly matters. 

You can book a discovery call with Paul here:

👉 https://www.pauljryan.net/

In this episode Paul chats with entrepreneur, adventurer, and founder of Wayfinders, Mike Brcic.

After building and scaling a successful adventure travel business, Mike found himself facing a question that many entrepreneurs eventually encounter: What happens when you achieve everything you thought you wanted and still feel something is missing? 

The conversation explores the tension between external success and inner fulfilment, why so many entrepreneurs continue chasing “more” long after they have enough, and how discomfort often becomes the doorway to transformation. 

Mike shares the lessons he learned from scaling a business that was no longer aligned with who he was becoming, and why he believes the most important question we can ask is not “What should I do?” but “Is this right for me?”

Mike Brcic is the founder of Wayfinders: https://www.mikebrcic.com/

Paul Ryan is a CEO, 8-figure business owner, and host of The Inner Entrepreneur Podcast, helping high performers create true wealth—purpose, prosperity, and freedom—through mentorship and meaningful conversations.

👉 https://pauljryan.net/

You can book a discovery call with Paul here:

👉 https://www.pauljryan.net/