What if the mindset that made you successful is also the mindset quietly pushing you toward burnout?

High achievers are rewarded for going, doing, achieving, and hustling, but leadership advisor, Keynote speaker, and bestselling author Mairin Moore Cane says there is a hidden cost when your identity and self-worth become tied to performance. You stop appreciating what you’ve already accomplished, failures start feeling personal, and slowing down can feel almost impossible. For Mairin, that pattern eventually became impossible to ignore. After years of pushing herself, people pleasing, and trying to show up for everyone else, chronic illness forced her from running nine miles a day to spending three years largely bedridden.

In this episode of The Learn-It-All™ Podcast, Damon sits down with Mairin to explore the mindset shift high achievers and leaders need to make before burnout forces it for them. Mairin shares how to recognize when ambition has become misalignment, why knowing your values matters more than constantly proving yourself, and how her Root, Realign, and Rise framework helps people move through failure, pressure, identity shifts, and difficult seasons without letting those moments define them. Damon and Mairin also unpack authentic leadership, creating psychologically safe and connected teams, learning to say “I don’t have the answer,” and why some of the strongest leaders stop pretending they have everything figured out.

If you’re navigating leadership burnout, performance-based self-worth, people pleasing, chronic stress, or the pressure to constantly achieve, this conversation offers a more sustainable way to succeed without losing yourself in the process.

📘 Get a FREE copy of The Learn-It-All Leader Book: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3ingcx2pp5

In this episode, you’ll learn...

1. The warning signs that you’re living out of alignment, including saying yes when something inside you wants to say no, constantly trying to fit in, and ignoring the feeling that something isn’t authentic
2. Why strong leadership does not mean having every answer, and how Mairin learned to tell her team, “I don’t have an answer,” while inviting them to figure out the next step together
3. How leaders can create safer, more connected teams by admitting their own weak points, understanding where employees are struggling, and taking two minutes to genuinely ask, “How are you doing?”
4. How the Root, Realign, and Rise framework helps you separate a difficult circumstance from your identity, return to what is true, realign around your values, and use adversity as a foundation for what comes next
5. Why Mairin sees failures as “launching points into the next pivot,” and how learning to move before you have everything figured out can build stronger leaders and more resilient teams
6. Why becoming matters more than appearing perfect, and how difficult seasons can deepen your roots instead of proving that you are failing
7. How gratitude, intentional pauses, and acknowledging what you have already accomplished can interrupt the constant pressure to rush toward the next goal

Timestamps

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:12 The hidden danger of tying self-worth to achievement
• 02:35 Why high performers struggle to slow down
• 05:48 The moment Mairin realized achievement wasn’t enough
• 08:41 Where the need to please everyone really began
• 10:48 The warning signs you’re losing yourself
• 12:36 Why control can quietly run your life
• 14:28 The leadership lesson she learned from having no answers
• 15:37 How to rewrite your identity as a leader
• 19:33 What business failure taught Mairin about resilience
• 23:37 How great leaders make failure feel safe
• 25:46 The two-minute habit that builds stronger teams
• 27:50 The Root, Realign, and Rise framework
• 33:18 What happens when you stop resisting who you’re becoming
• 34:54 Why Mairin doesn’t want her old life back
• 37:48 You don’t have to be whole to lead
• 38:47 The story that brought Mairin to tears
• 40:51 Finding purpose in the pain
• 42:13 Damon’s challenge: Are you really showing up?

About Mairin Moore Cane

Mairin Moore Cane is a leadership advisor, keynote speaker, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and host of the Root, Realign, Rise™ Podcast. After more than two decades of leading businesses through growth, uncertainty, difficult decisions, and major transitions, Mairin now helps leaders navigate pressure, strengthen resilience, and make clearer decisions without losing themselves in the process. Her work centers on authentic leadership, identity, performance under pressure, and the belief that you don’t have to have everything resolved before you can lead well. She is also the author of Rooted, Not Rushed: Healing, Reclaiming, and Rising in a World That Told You to Shrink.

Resources and Mentions

Rooted, Not Rushed book: https://www.amazon.com/ROOTED-NOT-RUSHED-Healing-Reclaiming/dp/1968250751

Mairin Moore Cane’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mairinmoorecane/

Root, Realign, Rise™ Podcast: https://mairinmoorecane.com/podcasts/

Mairin Moore Cane’s Website: https://mairinmoorecane.com/

Podcast Contact Information:

Website: www.learnit.com

Email: [email protected]

Subscribe to the Learn-It-All Podcast: Youtube I Apple I Spotify

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A million users in three months. Then the hardest three months of his life.

Colin Hodge, author of Outrageous Startup Growth, walked away from Microsoft and spent the next decade learning how to build a truly sustainable business — reaching a total of 100 million users in his career. But in between came an App Store ban, a major lawsuit, a co-founder's burnout, and a 3 AM breakdown that put his resilience to the test.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why understanding people beats better technology
• How to build empathy without becoming “soft”
• The Method Mindset technique for thinking like your customers
• How to grow through adversity and burnout
• Why removing all friction from your product can backfire
• The bias that shows up in nearly every negotiation
• How to keep your work human in the age of AI

Topics discussed:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:51) Tech Isn’t Everything

(02:24) Why He Left Microsoft

(09:23) The Taboo Founder Trait

(11:02) The Method Mindset Technique

(15:38) When Your People Burn Out

(19:54) Empathy Without Going Soft

(21:37) Bang with Friends Origin Story

(26:07) 1M Users in Three Months

(30:04) Banned By Apple & Sued By Zynga

(32:47) Surviving Rock Bottom

(37:51) Sustainable Growth

(41:00) Good Friction vs. Bad Friction

(47:26) The Bias That Saves Thousands

Connect with Colin Hodge:

https://linkedin.com/in/ckbhodge

https://colinhodge.substack.com

https://instagram.com/ckbhodge

https://facebook.com/colin.hodge

Resources Mentioned:

Outrageous Startup Growth: Uncovering the Secrets of User Psychology to Scale Your Success by Colin Hodge

About the Guest:

Colin Hodge is a startup founder and national bestselling author who has led companies and growth teams responsible for over 100 million users.

He currently is co-owner of DOWN, a top 10 dating app in the US with millions in annual revenue – built on the growth principles and lessons shared in this book.

He achieved a successful exit for DOWN (then later reacquiring it) and 17Live, the top live-streaming video company in Asia. While chief growth officer at 17Live, Colin led data-driven initiatives in growth, global expansion, and marketing, then launched the platform in the United States as the first US CEO.

Let us know your key takeaways from the episode!

And remember, great leaders aren't born. They're always in the making.

New episodes of The Learn-It-All Podcast with Damon Lembi every week.

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLearnItAllPodcast?sub_confirmation=1

Get your FREE copy of The Learn-It-All Leader: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3ingcx2pp5

Upskill yourself and your team with Learnit: https://www.learnit.com

Follow Damon Lembi:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonlembi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damonlembi

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

Companies are spending billions of dollars on AI tools, and most of them still aren't seeing the ROI they expected.

In this episode of the Learn-It-All™ podcast, Damon Lembi, CEO of Learnit, sits down with Christa Hill, Learnit's Chief AI Learning Officer, to share what they're actually hearing behind the scenes.

After going through 100+ calls with the leaders responsible for AI adoption, they pulled the three questions that come up again and again and answer them with actionable advice.

🚀 Get your team into the top 3% of AI users in North America in about four weeks with Learnit's AI Kickstarter: https://www.learnit.com/lp/ai-skills-program

Thanks to our sponsor, P3•EDU: https://p3edu.com/

In this episode, you will learn:

• Who's actually in the room when companies make AI decisions
• Why the "AI strategist" role is suddenly showing up everywhere
• Whether you need training, consultants, or both
• The right way (and the wrong way) to build an AI pilot team
• Why voice, not typing, is the biggest unlock people find in AI training

Topics discussed:

00:00 Introduction

00:51 Sponsor Shoutout: P3EDU

01:30 Who's Actually in the Room for AI Decisions

02:56 The Rise of the AI Strategist Role

04:23 Training or Consultants? Why the Answer Is Both

07:22 Do AI Pilot Programs Actually Work?

09:19 Naysayers vs. Early Adopters: Building the Right Team

13:08 The Real Mindset Shift Behind Adoption

13:37 Voice Over Typing: The Biggest Aha Moment

16:06 Free AI Training for Your Team

About the Guest:

Christa Hill is the Chief AI Learning Officer at Learnit, where she leads the AI Kickstarter program and teaches AI literacy to leaders and teams. She's in live classrooms most of the week, helping organizations move from first exposure to real adoption — and helping leaders navigate the human side of change: fear, resistance, and "what's in it for me?"

Follow her on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christajhill/

Great leaders aren't born. They're always in the making.

New episodes of the Learn-It-All™ podcast with Damon Lembi every week.

📘 Get a FREE copy of The Learn-It-All Leader Book: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3ingcx2pp5

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLearnItAllPodcast?sub_confirmation=1

Upskill yourself and your team with Learnit: https://www.learnit.com

Follow Damon Lembi:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonlembi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damonlembi

What if promoting your best salesperson is one of the fastest ways to create a struggling sales manager? Being great at selling and being great at leading require completely different skills.

In this episode of The Learn-It-All™ Podcast, Damon sits down with inside sales expert and author Lynn Hidy to explore why top-performing salespeople often struggle after transitioning into leadership roles. Lynn explains why new managers must stop trying to clone their best rep, define what leadership looks like for them, and understand that their success is now measured through the performance of others. She also shares the questions every salesperson should ask before accepting a promotion and introduces her “puzzle box” framework for building a clear sales leadership vision.

Damon and Lynn also discuss why effective sales coaching must focus on the person behind the number. Great leaders uncover what quota, commission, or President’s Club actually represents to each salesperson and use that motivation to drive consistent performance. Lynn breaks down her Bell Curve Manifesto, revealing why the overlooked 68% in the middle may offer the greatest opportunity for growth in the sales team. You’ll also learn how AI is changing customer expectations, why listening and storytelling matter more than ever, how to handle toxic top performers, and why celebrating resilience and small wins helps inside sales teams stay motivated.

📘 Get a FREE copy of The Learn-It-All Leader Book: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3ingcx2pp5

In this episode, you’ll learn...

1. Why great salespeople often struggle as first-time sales managers when they assume everyone should sell exactly the way they did
2. The questions high performers should answer before accepting a leadership promotion, including whether they want their success to depend on other people’s success
3. How Lynn’s “picture on the puzzle box” framework helps sales leaders define how they want to show up and align their team with the organization and its customers
4. Why coaching to numbers creates a motivational disconnect, and how repeatedly asking “What does that get you?” reveals the real goal behind President’s Club, quota, or commission
5. How the Bell Curve Manifesto redirects leadership attention toward the overlooked 68% who are hitting goal inconsistently or performing well without being treated like rock stars
6. Why resilience deserves to be celebrated through small wins, productive activity, frustration bingo, and even contests that reward hearing “no”

Timestamps

• 00:00 Introduction
• 03:46 Three questions to ask before accepting the promotion
• 07:32 From sales hero to hero maker
• 09:45 Leadership and management are not the same
• 12:09 The expectations most new leaders never clarify
• 14:04 What is the picture on your puzzle box?
• 17:41 What customers still need from human salespeople
• 21:11 Stop coaching the number and coach the person
• 23:35 The annoying question that reveals real motivation
• 26:36 How to measure a salesperson’s true value
• 30:02 What to do with a toxic top performer
• 36:33 The biggest opportunity hiding in the middle
• 41:58 Where sales leaders can find more time
• 44:21 How often should you coach each salesperson?
• 47:07 When a sales team becomes too big to lead
• 48:10 Why the player-coach model breaks down
• 50:24 The sales job changed. Many teams did not.
• 51:48 Why frustration deserves to be celebrated
• 55:24 What successful sales leadership should feel like
• 57:04 Damon’s challenge for every sales leader

About Lynn Hidy

Lynn Hidy is an inside sales expert, trainer, coach, consultant, and founder of UpYourTelesales.com. With 30 years of sales experience, she helps inside sales leaders build engaged, high-performing teams without trying to clone their best salesperson. She is also the author of Mastering Inside Sales Leadership, a practical guide that helps new and experienced managers define their leadership vision, understand what motivates each team member, focus on the behaviors and results that matter, and become hero makers rather than heroes.

Resources and Mentions

Mastering Inside Sales Leadership Book: https://masteringinsidesalesleadership.com/

Lynn Hidy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnhidy/

UpYourTelesales Website: https://upyourtelesales.com/

Simplify Inside Sales: https://upyourtelesales.com/2021/07/22/simplify-inside-sales/

Go For No!: https://www.goforno.com/

Podcast Contact Information:

Website: www.learnit.com

Email: [email protected]

Subscribe to the Learn-It-All Podcast: Youtube I Apple I Spotify

Follow Damon Lembi: Linkedin I Instagram I Facebook I X

By the time you picked your career, you probably only knew about 5% of the opportunities out there. No wonder so many of us end up in the wrong one.

According to bestselling author Tom Rath, millions of people die with their greatest contributions locked inside them. He makes the case that a few key changes can unlock your full potential, make you a better leader, and build purpose into your day.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why most people end up in the wrong career
• The daily question that keeps you focused on what matters
• Why chasing your own happiness is the wrong goal
• How to find the right career and build purpose into your day
• How the leaders can bring out the best in their teams

Topics discussed:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:47) Why Most People Choose Wrong

(05:54) Stop Promoting the Wrong People

(07:13) How His Health Shaped His Mindset

(12:21) One Question to Ask Daily

(15:53) The Happiness Mistake

(17:23) Help People See Their Greatness

(23:23) Don't Specialize Too Early

(25:43) Rethinking Purpose

(27:59) Stop Sleepwalking Through Your Day

(32:05) Your Role as a Leader

(35:09) Boost Your Productivity

(36:59) How to Find Your Path

Connect with Tom Rath:

https://tomrath.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/trath/

https://x.com/TomCRath

https://www.facebook.com/authortomrath

https://www.instagram.com/tomrath_author

Resources Mentioned:

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink

About the Guest:

Tom is an author and researcher who studies how careers impact health and wellbeing. He has written 12 books that have sold more than 10 million copies and made hundreds of appearances on global bestseller lists.

Tom's first book, How Full Is Your Bucket?, was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. His book StrengthFinder 2.0 was listed as Amazon's top-selling non-fiction book of all time. Tom's other bestsellers include Strengths Based Leadership, Wellbeing, Eat Move Sleep, and Are You Fully Charged?

Tom is currently co-founder and CEO of CareerSight. He previously led Gallup's workplaces business and served as a Senior Scientist. Tom was also a Vice-Chair of the VHL cancer research organization. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania, where he has also been a guest lecturer.

Let us know your key takeaways from the episode!

And remember, great leaders aren't born. They're always in the making.

New episodes of The Learn-It-All Podcast with Damon Lembi every week.

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLearnItAllPodcast?sub_confirmation=1

Get your FREE copy of The Learn-It-All Leader: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3ingcx2pp5

Upskill yourself and your team with Learnit: https://www.learnit.com

Follow Damon Lembi:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonlembi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damonlembi

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

How do you stand out and build a thriving online business when there are already thousands of competitors in your exact niche? When Kyle Pew first searched the Udemy platform to launch his online courses, he typed in keywords like "Excel" and discovered over a thousand courses already existing in his space. It was discouraging, and he initially wondered if he was just going to waste his time. Yet, instead of walking away, he took the leap, tested the waters with smaller courses, and ultimately built a student base of nearly 2.5 million learners.

In this episode of The Learn-It-All™ Podcast, Damon sits down with Kyle Pew, Microsoft Certified Trainer and Udemy Instructor Partner, to unpack the mindset shift and operational strategy required to scale an e-learning empire from scratch. Kyle shares the raw reality of his first six months, detailing how he balanced a nine-to-five job while delivering massive value to students who only paid $10 for a course. You will discover why separating yourself from the crowd means refusing to "record and forget" your digital products, and how continuous feedback cycles can completely transform your career.

Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur trying to gain traction in a crowded market, a corporate leader trying to motivate a discouraged team, or a professional wondering if Microsoft Excel is still relevant in the age of AI, this conversation offers a masterclass in consistency, deep listening, and outcome-based professional development.

📘 Get a FREE copy of The Learn-It-All Leader Book: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3ingcx2pp5

In this episode, you’ll learn...

1. Why entering a market with more than 1,000 competitors can reveal exactly how to stand out, especially when others have stopped listening, improving, and showing up for their customers.
2. How Kyle built early momentum by treating every low-cost student like a long-term relationship, answering questions daily and delivering far more support than the course price promised.
3. Why real learning begins when people connect a skill to an immediate problem, rather than simply completing a list of topics and hoping the knowledge sticks.
4. How to separate useful criticism from empty negativity, identify repeated feedback, and turn uncomfortable comments into practical improvements without allowing them to drain your confidence.
5. Which human skills will become even more valuable as AI changes tools like Excel, including judgment, context, curiosity, data analysis, and the ability to connect information across teams.
6. Why Kyle’s biggest measure of success is not millions of students or hundreds of thousands of reviews, but building a career that allows him to be present for the moments his family will remember.

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Episode preview and introduction
• 01:34 – The discouraging search that nearly stopped Kyle before he began
• 02:36 – From teaching Excel to designing video games and back again
• 04:26 – The six-month signal that proved his side project could work
• 05:34 – Why giving students more than they paid for changed everything
• 06:29 – The opportunity Kyle found inside 1,000 competing courses
• 09:11 – Eight hours of unusable footage and the lesson it forced him to learn
• 10:42 – How to learn from criticism without letting it consume you
• 13:19 – What teaching millions revealed about how people actually learn
• 15:11 – The listening habit that makes leaders and instructors more effective
• 18:50 – Why checking every box can still produce the wrong outcome
• 21:22 – How AI is changing Excel without making human skills irrelevant
• 24:07 – Using ChatGPT as a sounding board instead of surrendering your judgment
• 26:18 – How learning creates confidence only when you put it into practice
• 28:21 – Staying grounded after teaching more than two million students
• 29:25 – The advice from Kyle’s father that shaped his definition of success
• 32:08 – The surreal moment the student counter reached one million
• 33:03 – What to do when you keep trying, and nothing seems to be working
• 33:46 – The legacy Kyle wants to leave beyond courses, reviews, and revenue
• 34:50 – Damon’s challenge to show up, listen closely, and keep learning

About Kyle Pew

Kyle Pew is a world-class Microsoft-certified trainer and entrepreneur who has taught nearly 2.5 million students globally on the Udemy platform. With over two decades of classroom and digital training experience, Kyle previously specialized in live instruction environments in the San Francisco area, including several years as a premier instructor at Learnit. He also brings a diverse creative background to his educational methodology, having graduated from the Art Institute of San Francisco's media arts and animation program before working in game design for Electronic Arts (EA). Today, he focuses full-time on creating dynamic online courses, managing a massive global learning community through active Q&A facilitation, and helping professionals build the workplace skills necessary to advance their careers.

Resources and Mentions

Kyle Pew’s Website: https://www.officenewb.com/

Kyle Pew’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OfficeNewb

Microsoft Excel Course: https://www.udemy.com/course/microsoft-excel-2013-from-beginner-to-advanced-and-beyond/

Podcast Contact Information:

Website: www.learnit.com

Email: [email protected]

Subscribe to the Learn-It-All Podcast: Youtube I Apple I Spotify

Follow Damon Lembi: Linkedin I Instagram I Facebook I X

If your AI spend outweighs the returns, it's probably not the tool. It's how you're using it.

Julie Stone is the Chief Learning Officer at TTEC, where she's led the AI transformation of a global workforce spanning more than 20 countries. She shares where most leaders go wrong with AI adoption, and how to fix your AI strategy before it costs you another year of growth and your team's trust.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The most expensive mistake companies make with AI
• Where AI improves your work — and where it doesn't
• What to do with team members who resist AI

How to lead through change without losing your team's trust

Topics discussed:

(00:00)Introduction

(00:54) AI Leadership Mistake

(03:48) Get Team Buy-In

(06:23) Why Your Team Fears AI

(10:02) The Employee Contract

(13:28) AI for Human Connection

(17:27) Turn AI Into a Daily Habit

(21:02) Why the AI Revolution is Different

(25:32) Lead Through Change

(28:43) The Real Edge: Human Skills

(31:28) 3 Things That Build a Thriving Culture

(32:12) When Your Team Resists AI

(34:46) Long-Term AI Training

(36:24) Reframing AI Failure

(38:23) Avoiding Work Slop

(40:34) Confident Leaders in the AI Era

Connect with Julie Stone:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-stone-talent-leader/

https://www.julieastone.com/

Resources Mentioned:

Superteams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams by Ron Friedman

About the Guest:

Julie is an enterprise executive at heart, with experience as an enterprise operator inside complex global organizations. She builds and deploys workforce strategies, AI-powered learning ecosystems, and leadership frameworks inside the world’s most complex organizations. Today, she advises CEOs and leadership teams on how human and agentic teams drive enterprise performance, resilience, and long-term value creation.

Great leaders aren't born. They're always in the making.

New episodes of The Learn-It-All Podcast with Damon Lembi every week.

📘 Get a free copy of The Learn-It-All Leader: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3ingcx2pp5

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLearnItAllPodcast?sub_confirmation=1

Upskill yourself and your team with Learnit: https://www.learnit.com

Follow Damon Lembi:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonlembi
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damonlembi

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

#LearnItAll #DamonLembi #Leadership #LeadershipPodcast

Are you letting fear of discomfort hold you back from your next massive career breakthrough?

In this episode of The Learn-It-All™ Podcast, Damon sits down with D1 swim team captain, model, and MBA candidate Andreea Dragoi to discuss how elite athletic training builds a high-performance mindset that business schools simply cannot replicate. Andreea dives deep into how her upbringing in Romania fueled her relentless, fearless drive to think outside the box, try new things, and never take "no" for an answer.

Together, Damon and Andreea unpack why high-performance habits like waking up at 5:30 AM to dive into a cold pool translate into invaluable business assets. Andreea shares practical mental strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome as a young leader, blocking out the superficial "noise" of social media, and learning to "focus on your lane" to ensure long-term success.

If you are looking to build learning agility, break out of your comfort zone, or understand how to lead highly ambitious team members, this episode will provide the ultimate playbook for athletic discipline and professional growth.

📘 Get a FREE copy of The Learn-It-All Leader Book: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3ingcx2pp5

In this episode, you’ll learn...

1. Why doing what makes you uncomfortable can open doors that staying safe never will.
2. How to train your mind to “enjoy the pain” and push past the psychological barriers that tell you to stop.
3. Why being coachable means accepting feedback you may not want to hear and actually applying it.
4. How ambitious people can lose their edge when life gets too comfortable, and how to reconnect with the reason you started.
5. Why confidence comes from repeatedly putting yourself in situations that scare you, not waiting until you feel ready.
6. How to stay focused on your own lane when social media makes everyone else’s life look perfect.

Timestamps

• 00:00 Episode preview and introduction
• 00:57 The fearless mindset behind Andreea Dragoi’s success
• 02:23 The two people who shaped her drive
• 03:16 Moving to America alone at 18
• 05:28 What American culture could learn from Romania
• 08:12 The brutal discipline of a D1 swimmer
• 09:04 How to become 1% better every day
• 11:26 The difference between learn-it-alls and know-it-alls
• 13:31 The race she lost before it even ended
• 15:50 Turning rejection into your next opportunity
• 17:12 How sports built her confidence beyond the pool
• 18:03 Two tricks for performing under pressure
• 19:49 How an introvert learned to own the room
• 20:55 Why companies keep hiring former athletes
• 22:44 What ambitious young employees need from leaders
• 23:35 The leadership style that kills motivation
• 25:14 How Andreea uses AI to work smarter
• 29:54 Why everyone needs to learn how to sell
• 30:27 Advice for an eight-year-old with big dreams
• 31:19 The truth about imposter syndrome
• 32:15 Why we care so much about other people’s opinions
• 33:00 The social media reality nobody wants to admit
• 34:20 The hunger that keeps high performers moving
• 35:35 Damon’s challenge: Get uncomfortable and take the risk

About Andreea Dragoi

Andreea Dragoi is a Division 1 varsity swimmer and captain at San Jose State University, currently completing her accelerated MBA program. Born and raised in Romania, Andreea moved to California at the age of 18 to pursue both her academic and athletic passions. In addition to her athletic achievements, Andreea has successfully navigated roles in modeling and pageantry. She is a passionate advocate for learning agility, leveraging artificial intelligence in marketing, and encouraging the next generation of leaders to push past their comfort zones.

Resources and Mentions

Andreea Dragoi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreea-dragoi-270377235/

Andreea Dragoi’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dragoi_andreea/?hl=en

Andreea Dragoi’s Website: https://andreeadragoi.com/

Podcast Contact Information:

Website: www.learnit.com

Email: [email protected]

Subscribe to the Learn-It-All Podcast: Youtube I Apple I Spotify

Follow Damon Lembi: Linkedin I Instagram I Facebook I X

Getting stuck at $2 or $3 million isn't a market problem. It's a blind spot problem.

Bryan Clayton, founder of GreenPal, escaped the trap so many founders fall into — becoming the biggest obstacle to their own growth — and scaled his first company past $10M.

In this episode, you will learn:

• What helped Bryan break through a years-long plateau in the business
• The hiring mistake that cost him years
• How to get brutally honest feedback on demand.

His story will help you stop being the bottleneck and turn AI into your biggest advantage.

Topics discussed:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:39) Constructive Dissatisfaction

(01:51) The Hidden Blind Spot

(03:03) Know-It-All vs. Learn-It-All

(06:45) Start Here With AI

(09:47) Breaking The $3M Plateau

(11:57) The Hiring Mistake That Cost Years

(14:03) Why You Hate Your Culture

(15:52) Resisting Feedback

(20:21) Ask AI to Roast You

(23:35) Selling The Business

(26:21) Life After The Exit

(29:59) Starting Over At Zero

(33:01) 3 Things to Do in the Early Days

(36:16) Finding A Blue Ocean

(41:11) Going Into New Markets

(43:50) The Road To A Million

(45:44) Advice For Stuck Founders

Connect with Bryan Clayton:

• https://www.yourgreenpal.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/bryanmclayton/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-clayton-a96b33214/

Resources Mentioned:

• 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘭: 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶 by John Warrillow
• 𝘌𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦 𝘖𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘜.𝘚. 𝘕𝘢𝘷𝘺 𝘚𝘌𝘈𝘓𝘴 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘪𝘯 by Jocko Willink
• 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 by Renée Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim

About the Guest:

Bryan Clayton started mowing lawns as a teenager with a push mower. Twenty years later, he’s the CEO of GreenPal — the app Entrepreneur Magazine calls the Uber for lawn care.

Before GreenPal, Bryan built one of Tennessee’s largest landscaping companies growing it to over $10 million a year before selling it.

Now he’s doing it again — this time with technology. GreenPal connects 300,000 homeowners with reliable lawn pros, handling thousands of jobs every day all over the US.

Bryan’s on a mission to bring AI into one of the oldest industries out there — helping small lawn care businesses use data and automation to compete like big companies.

From pushing a mower to building a $30 million tech platform, Bryan’s story is all about grit, adaptation, and how old-school hard work can thrive in a high-tech world.

Great leaders aren't born. They're always in the making.

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This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

#LearnItAll #DamonLembi #Leadership #LeadershipPodcast

What do you do when you are the youngest, least experienced person in the room, but you are still asked to lead? It is a terrifying reality that many young leaders and entrepreneurs face early in their careers. The instinct is to jump in and prove you have everything under control, but true leadership requires a completely different approach.

In this episode of The Learn-It-All™ Podcast, Damon sits down with leadership expert, professor, and former nuclear submarine officer Jon Rennie to break down how to successfully lead people who know more than you.

Drawing from his high-stakes military background on a nuclear submarine and his experience running eight manufacturing companies, Jon shares why the ultimate answer to your team's problems already exists within the four walls of your organization, if you are humble enough to look for it. Jon and Damon discuss how to break down corporate silos by getting out of the corner office, why you must establish high relational trust to survive a crisis, and how to practically lead just like playing chess or the guitar.

Whether you are a corporate executive trying to cut through the management filter or a solo entrepreneur hiring your very first employees, this conversation provides an actionable roadmap to shifting your perspective from being a "non-useful body" to a highly respected, resilient leader.

📘 Get a FREE copy of The Learn-It-All Leader Book: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3ingcx2pp5

In this episode, you’ll learn...

1. Why the best way to earn respect when your entire team is older and more experienced than you is to remain present, observe carefully, and get up to speed quickly so you don't become a liability.
2. How to eliminate "us vs. them" mentalities between salary and hourly workers by forcing managers to work side-by-side on the shop floor to face reality and see the true root causes of operational problems.
3. Why senior leaders must resist the urge to immediately hand over answers, and instead use coaching questions to let employees struggle, learn through failure, and build authentic ownership.
4. Why building deep, authentic relationships during normal times gives leaders the leverage and leeway they need to keep their teams motivated and unified when unexpected disruptions hit.
5. Lessons from the Navy submarine community on creating an onboarding culture of positive peer pressure and strict accountability where every single person actively adds value to the mission.

Timestamps

• 0:00 Introduction
• 0:55 What to do when your team knows more than you
• 2:04 How young leaders earn respect fast
• 3:38 Why proving yourself can backfire
• 5:46 The “us vs. them” culture hiding in your business
• 6:54 Fridays on the Floor: the habit that changed everything
• 9:28 The management mistake that keeps problems hidden
• 11:45 How to get honest ideas from the front line
• 14:57 Respect is not soft leadership
• 16:55 The union story that did not end perfectly
• 18:21 What corporate leadership misses that submarines get right
• 20:43 Why nobody wants to be a NUB
• 23:36 Leadership is learned by doing, not reading
• 24:36 How to let future leaders fail safely
• 28:14 What changed most in Jon’s leadership style
• 30:03 The danger of becoming a know-it-all
• 31:28 How great leaders find signal in the noise
• 34:30 Why hard times build another gear
• 35:57 What resilient leaders actually do in a crisis
• 38:10 The fastest way to start rebuilding trust
• 40:49 Why fake plastic leaders lose the room
• 41:37 What younger leaders understand about BS
• 44:27 If your team goes quiet, pay attention
• 45:13 The future needs leaders who can handle messy people
• 46:57 Where to connect with Jon Rennie
• 47:36 Damon’s challenge: listen, learn, lead

About Jon Rennie

Jon is a former U.S. Navy submarine officer who later led eight manufacturing businesses for three global companies over a 22-year corporate career. In 2016, he founded AccuGrid Technologies, a manufacturing company serving the electric utility industry, and now serves in a strategic leadership role. Jon teaches business and leadership at Thales College and hosts the globally ranked Deep Leadership podcast, which sits in the top 1.5% worldwide.

Resources and Mentions

You Have To Watch book: https://www.amazon.com/You-Have-Watch-Journal-Following/dp/B09XJFFJ6H

All in the Same Boat book: https://www.amazon.com/All-Same-Boat-Organization-Submariner/dp/B0942FWMKK

Jon Rennie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonscottrennie/

Jon Rennie’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DeepLeadershipPodcast

Jon Rennie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonsrennie/

Jon Rennie’s X: https://x.com/jonsrennie

Podcast Contact Information:

Website: www.learnit.com

Email: [email protected]

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