🔥 Excerpt

If your résumé screams “winning” and your soul feels empty, this one’s for you. Dean Forbes breaks down what it takes to live aligned—spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically—so success finally feels like success.

⚡ TL;DR

I sat down with Dean Forbes—entrepreneur, coach, and founder of the Maverick Men of Color Brotherhood—to unpack why so many high performers are “winning on paper” and quietly disintegrating. Dean lays out the Maverick Method (spiritual clarity, mental toughness, emotional fortitude, physical tenacity) and shows how conviction, congruence, and brotherhood turn achievement into integration. If you’ve outgrown the grind and you’re ready to operate at peace, press play.

📄 Show Notes

I brought Dean Forbes into the studio because too many top producers are burning daylight building empires that don’t fit their soul. Dean’s lived the arc: Wall Street, big-brand leadership, multiple seven-figure ventures—and the quiet emptiness that came with chasing the next rung. What’s different now? Conviction and congruence. He finally got obedient to the inner compass and aimed his life at purpose, not optics.

Dean breaks down the Maverick Method, the operating system he’s practiced for two decades:

• Spiritual Clarity: Know who you are and why you’re here. Alignment isn’t a mood; it’s a mandate.
• Mental Toughness: Boundaries, decisions, and discipline. Say “no” more often and mean it.
• Emotional Fortitude: Master your state so you can steward relationships—at home and in the boardroom.
• Physical Tenacity: Treat the body like the engine it is. When the temple’s strong, everything else holds.

We also name a problem most founders won’t: disintegration—that gap between external success and internal collapse. You’re delivering results, but the cost is your peace, your presence, and your purpose. Dean’s answer is both countercultural and simple: create a space where men of color can be fully seen, challenged, and celebrated—without performance masks. That’s the Maverick Men of Color Brotherhood: practice over theory, accountability over posturing, love and empathy over bravado.

We go straight at the “level the playing field” conversation without getting stuck in outrage theater. Facts matter. Dialogue matters. But before you can lead change, you need oneness—with God, yourself, your family, your craft. Integration precedes impact.

We touch fatherhood, modeling conviction for your kids, and why the first step is the hardest—and every step after that gets lighter because your faith compounds. We also talk storytelling and education: partnering with creators who surface lost history and culture, and why narrative is a lever for societal shift.

If you’re done performing success and ready to live it, this episode is your reset.

✅ Key Takeaways

• Integration > Accumulation: If achievement costs your peace, you’re not scaling—you’re disintegrating.
• The Maverick Method works in sequence: Spiritual clarity anchors mental toughness, which stabilizes emotions, which your body then sustains.
• Conviction is a force multiplier: You only need it for the first move. After that, evidence compounds faith.
• Boundaries are strategic assets: “No” creates the margin for purpose.
• Brotherhood is infrastructure: Men of color need a tested, judgment-free arena for truth, challenge, and celebration.
• Lead with facts, then dialogue: Truth without relationship hardens; relationship without truth coddles.
• Fitness is leadership hygiene: Treat training like a daily executive briefing for your nervous system.
• Model what you preach at home: Your kids remember how your decisions felt more than what you said.
• Leveling the field isn’t division: It’s building equal launch platforms so excellence can do its job.

🧭 Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Energy Boost 02:25 Dean Forbes: Background and Journey 03:54 The Call to Purpose and Impact 06:24 Understanding Divine Purpose 08:11 Navigating Relationships and Conviction 11:52 The Journey of Sacrifice and Growth 14:55 Immediate Loss vs. Long-term Gains 16:46 Staying Convicted in Your Path 19:38 The Maverick Method Explained 22:36 Addressing Disintegration in Men of Color 26:31 Creating a Safe Space for Men of Color 29:05 The Importance of Brotherhood and Community 31:36 Addressing Racial Bias and Divisiveness 33:01 Navigating Personal and Societal Challenges 39:09 Striving for Social Change and Equality 41:07 Understanding Identity and Contribution 43:34 Building Bridges Through Truth and Dialogue 47:15 The Role of Media in Education 51:49 An Invitation to Join the Brotherhood

🔥 Excerpt

“If you’re not sure what your superpower is, ask those around you—because everybody else knows.”

⚡ TL;DR

Sales strategist Kristie K. Jones joins me to map the path from unexpected layoffs to intentional leadership. We dig into superpowers, proactive career design, and how founders can stop playing “accidental VP of Sales” and build a real revenue engine—starting with the first rep, a playbook, and a culture of accountability.

📄 Show Notes

I brought Kristie K. Jones into the studio because too many founders and sales pros are stuck in reaction mode—job hunting, hiring, even “strategy” dictated by whatever pings their inbox. Kristie doesn’t live there. After getting laid off from a SaaS leadership role, she built Sales Acceleration Group and doubled her income in year one by doing what she teaches now: identify your superpowers, design your ideal company profile, and make the market meet you where you’re strongest.

We break down the difference between strengths and superpowers—and why the latter require deliberate reps, coaching, and pressure testing. Kristie’s example: years as a competitive racquetball player gave her a wicked tennis slice… then hours “at the wall” made it automatic under pressure. Translate that to sales: if this, then that. Build mental memory so discovery, negotiation, and expansion aren’t guesswork.

For job seekers and quota carriers, Kristie calls out a common failure pattern: you run crisp outbound for your pipeline, then treat your own career like an inbound-only funnel. Instead, define your ICP—role, selling motion, industry, buyer persona, deal size, cycle length, and leadership style—and pursue companies where your superpower compounds.

For founders, we get practical. Hiring Sales Rep #1 is the riskiest move you’ll make—and no, an experienced IC is not your de facto head of sales. Before you hand over the “baby,” document how revenue actually happens without your Rolodex. Build the playbook. Clarify expectations, activity math, and consequences. Then coach the art of sales—discovery, listening, psychology—because the science (tools, data, AI) won’t carry a weak conversation over the line.

We also talk interviewing “professional interviewees,” why inbound leads are rarely your ICP, when to hire junior talent, and how to use the founder as an evangelist while an IC team executes a repeatable motion. If you’re a founder trying to step out of the sales seat—or a rep aiming for the top 10%—this conversation will save you months of flailing and a few bad hires.

✅ Key Takeaways

 • Turn strengths into superpowers with deliberate practice, coaching, and pressure tests.  • Run your career like a pipeline: define your Ideal Company Profile and pursue it proactively.  • Before hiring Rep #1, extract and document your process beyond your personal network.  • Don’t hire an IC and expect a VP; leadership designs the system, ICs run the motion.  • Build accountability with clear activity math, skill coaching, and stated consequences.  • Teach the art of sales (discovery, listening, psychology); the science is table stakes.  • Treat inbound with skepticism; outbound is how you target true ICP.  • Juniors can work—if you commit to training, feedback, and a clear path.

🧭 Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Sales Acceleration and Personal Journey 03:37 Understanding Superpowers in Sales 06:26 The Importance of Proactive Career Management 09:08 Leveraging Generosity as a Superpower 11:52 Identifying Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) 14:45 Finding the Right Sales Role—Fit, Industry, Persona 17:27 Proactive Job Searching vs. Reactive Applications 20:15 Building Effective Sales Teams for Startups 22:58 Realistic Expectations for First Sales Hires 23:51 Sales Leadership vs. Individual Contributors 25:28 Extracting the Founder’s Sales Playbook 27:16 Inbound vs. Outbound—Targeting True ICP 27:55 Interviewing Sales Pros: Buyer Beware 31:01 Creating an Accountability Culture in Sales 34:38 Hiring Junior Reps: Risks and Requirements 38:21 The Book: Selling Your Way In 42:41 Free Resource: How to Hire Rock Star Talent 44:39 Closing Thoughts: Get Quiet, Get Aligned, Take the Risk

🔥 Excerpt

“I love you just the way that you are—and I love you too much to leave you there.” That’s not just a quote—it’s the DNA of Hallelujah Johnson’s approach to storytelling, innovation, and self-discovery.

⚡ TL;DR

Digital storyteller Hallelujah Johnson joins Rick Meekins to break down how she made history—launching the world’s first AI-assisted, feature-length animated film produced entirely on an iPhone. From former hand model and American Idol contestant to creative tech trailblazer, Hallelujah takes us on a candid journey of personal growth, cultural reclamation, and unapologetic excellence. This isn’t just about film—it’s about legacy, leadership, and stepping into your genius with audacity.

📄 Show Notes

What happens when you combine vision, grit, AI, and a cracked laptop screen in the middle of Nowhere, Texas? You get Sovereign—the world’s first full-length animated feature produced by a single creator using AI tools and a smartphone.

In this special launch edition of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, I sit down with the bold and brilliant Hallelujah Johnson—founder of InHale Studios—to talk about what it really takes to turn a wild idea into a world-shifting reality. Spoiler alert: it’s not the tech that makes it great. It’s the intention behind every frame, chant, and soundbite.

We dive into Black fatherhood, the power of ancestral storytelling, and how Sovereign isn't just a movie—it’s the first chapter in an entire universe built to elevate Black excellence across time and genre. Hallelujah didn’t just make a film. She launched a movement. And she’s just getting started.

✅ Key Takeaways

•  You don’t need a Hollywood budget to make a masterpiece—just a phone, some grit, and a deep why.
•  AI is not a shortcut; it’s an amplifier. Human input still drives excellence.
•  Great stories start with honesty. Hallelujah’s creative process was rooted in unfiltered self-truth.
•  Black fatherhood deserves more than survival narratives—it’s time to depict legacy, wisdom, and sovereignty.
•  Creativity and entrepreneurship require sacrifice—sometimes that means burning the boats and going all in.
•  Innovation is spiritual. When you surrender to the process, the story tells you what it wants to be.

👤 Bio

Hallelujah Johnson is a digital storyteller, strategist, and founder of InHale Studios. A former singer-songwriter and hand model (yes, those McDonald’s ads), she pivoted from music to marketing and now leads a new wave of animated filmmaking rooted in Black history, AI innovation, and narrative excellence. She is the creator of Sovereign, the first AI-enhanced, iPhone-produced animated feature film—and she's building an entire cinematic universe to follow.

🎁 Giveaway

Hallelujah Johnson is offering private screenings of Sovereign to educators, community leaders, and organizations looking to bring transformative Black storytelling to their audiences.

Here’s how to request access:

1. Connect with Hallelujah on LinkedIn: Hallelujah Johnson
2. Send a direct message: “I heard you on RPOW—I’d love to host a Sovereign screening.”
3. She’ll personally follow up to coordinate a time.

You can also visit inhale-studios.com to sign up for updates on public release and distribution plans.

🧭 Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Sovereign and Hallelujah Johnson 03:24 Hallelujah's Journey in Storytelling and Film 06:01 The Inspiration Behind Sovereign 07:14 Exploring Black Fatherhood in Sovereign 08:43 Distribution Plans and Future Projects 11:23 The Role of Dreams in Creativity 13:48 The Production Process and Use of AI 17:14 Showcasing Sovereign: A Journey Through Time 18:30 The Creative Process Behind the Film 21:26 Overcoming Challenges and Responsibilities 22:19 Lessons Learned and Personal Growth 26:20 A Message of Self-Acceptance and Potential 38:30 New Chapter

🔥 Excerpt “You can’t outwork your thought habits. If your inner wiring says ‘scarcity,’ your calendar and pricing will obey.”

⚡ TL;DR I sit down with strategist and author Amy Kemp to dismantle the grind-equals-growth myth. We get into subconscious thought habits, why self-worth sets your rates (not hours), the energy of money, and how boundaries let founders earn like CEOs while living like humans. If you’re stuck on the hamster wheel, this episode hands you the off-ramp—and a better map.

📄 Show Notes I opened this episode expecting a tidy chat about “money mindset.” Amy Kemp handed me a field manual for founders who are done hustling for significance and ready to build on worth. We started where most entrepreneurs live—on the hamster wheel—measuring progress by hours worked and problems survived. Amy didn’t coddle it. She went straight to the wiring: the subconscious habits that quietly set your prices, fill your calendar, and cap your ceiling.

She told a story about a former educator who launched a consulting practice with elite skill and scarcity scripts: “work more to earn more,” “security lives in the paycheck,” “retirement is a cliff.” Using Habit Finder, they surfaced the real friction—fear dressed up as prudence and an identity welded to output. When she priced for outcomes instead of hours and detached safety from her bank balance, her income tripled while her workload shrank. No funnel magic. Cleaner beliefs, cleaner behavior.

Amy’s north star is a simple triangle: get paid what your market contribution is worth, protect a life you actually want, and align the work with who you’re built to be. Or as she puts it: work like a teacher (structure and boundaries), earn like a CEO (compensation matches impact). Businesses, she reminds us, are hungry, greedy little bastards—they’ll take everything you feed them. So say no to the 6 p.m. “perfect fit” and mean it.

Her money model is memorable: picture cash like the ocean—tides rise and fall, storms come and go. If you’re clinging to a board, your peace disappears with every dip. Step onto shore—claim safety and identity independent of the balance—and you stop grasping. Then money moves. Clear the clogs (resentment loops, bad co-signs), fix the leaks (perfectionism, over-functioning partnerships), and stop bleeding by the hour. Price the value created. Creation, the way Amy works it, is a loop: access the feelings you think money will buy—contentment, freedom, alignment—now. Take the smallest inspired step. Pause, read the return, adjust, repeat. It’s pickleball strategy: drive, don’t sprint blindly to the kitchen, and let feedback guide your footwork.

The punch line: you can build big on survival, but you won’t want to live there. Personal growth precedes durable business growth. Upgrade the beliefs, enforce the boundaries, and let the numbers follow. If you want a mirror for your own wiring, Amy’s offering the Habit Finder assessment free; start there, then change one thing you’ll actually protect

✅ Key Takeaways • Your price should reflect market value created, not hours logged. • Scarcity is a habit, not a circumstance—change the habit and the numbers follow. • Money moves toward clarity, value, and clean energy; it flees resentment and clutching. • Boundaries are a growth strategy: “work like a teacher, earn like a CEO.” • Upgrade partnerships or agreements that force you to over-function. • Access the feelings you think money will buy (safety, freedom, fulfillment) now—then act from that state. • Personal growth first, business growth second—so it lasts. • Replace “I need to do more” with “What belief is driving this behavior?”

👤 Bio

Amy Kemp is a strategist, coach, and author of I See You. She helps leaders identify and rewire the subconscious thought habits that cap their income, impact, and quality of life. A former sales and business leader (and one-time teacher), Amy now works 1:1 and in small groups using Habit Finder to translate inner shifts into measurable business outcomes. She’s a wife, mom of three, and—on most afternoons—somewhere near a pickleball court.

🎁 Giveaway

Free “Habit Finder” Assessment + 44-page results report. See exactly where your thinking patterns are helping—or hijacking—your growth. How to get it:  1. Go to AmyKemp.com and click “Habit Finder.”  2. Complete the assessment (about 10–15 minutes).  3. Get your full results by email—immediately. Pro tip: Do it before you rework pricing or packages; you’ll make cleaner decisions.

🧭 Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Money Mindset 02:50 Understanding Subconscious Habits 05:31 The Value of Contribution 08:21 Breaking Free from Scarcity Mindset 11:06 The Energy of Money 13:38 Releasing Negative Money Blocks 16:38 Transforming Relationships with Money 19:34 The Power of Self-Worth 22:05 Shifting Perspectives on Income 25:28 Living Authentically and Fulfillment 26:32 The Power of Feelings Over Money 29:10 Inspired Action and Business Growth 32:06 The Balance of Work and Energy 36:02 Shifting from Survival to Thriving 38:39 Boundaries in Business and Life 41:21 The Importance of Personal Growth 43:53 Free Resource: The Habit Finder

🔥 Excerpt

We don’t experience the world—we experience our thinking about the world. Once you spot the difference, stress stops running the show.

⚡ TL;DR

Executive coach and author Tracey Gazel joins me to dismantle the myths founders carry about stress, mindfulness, and “hustle.” We break down a practical, three-tier framework (physiology → mental training → social dynamics) to recognize triggers, exit burnout, and operate from calm, high-quality thinking—no cushion, no sabbatical, no drama.

📄 Show Notes

If you’re a high-achieving founder, you’ve probably convinced yourself stress is the price of admission. Tracey Gazel would like a word. In this episode, we unpack why most of us live in our heads 95% of the time, what that costs in decision quality, and how to get back to the only place strategy actually works—the present moment.

Tracey and I get tactical. We walk through her “stress slide”—the early physiological tells (tight jaw, fists, that familiar knot near the shoulder blade) that precede lousy choices—and how a 30-second pause shifts you out of fight-or-flight and back into the prefrontal cortex, where composure and judgment live. She differentiates mindfulness (observing thoughts) from meditation (quiet mind) and explains why you don’t need a perfect practice to access a quiet mind on demand. Music, a brisk walk, even a bike ride can be legitimate “meditations” if they shelve the noise.

We also talk burnout triage: sleep by cycles (6.0 or 7.5 hours beats a guilty, broken eight), gentler mornings, and short, structured resets throughout the day. The rule is simple: the feeling state you’re in is a dashboard—if you’re anxious or irritable, you’re not doing your best thinking. Don’t brute-force it. Step away, reset, and return with better cognition.

Finally, Tracey maps her three-tier leadership framework:

1. Physiology—sleep, hydration, oxygen, morning cadence.
2. Mental training—understand the mechanics of thought; you’re the thinker—choose which thoughts get airtime.
3. Social—triggers, communication, listening, and culture—where your inner game shows up externally.

If you want fewer 2 a.m. spirals and more decisive execution, this one will pay for itself by next Tuesday.

✅ Key Takeaways

• Use the dashboard: your feeling state signals thinking quality—low state, pause; high state, proceed.

• Catch the stress slide early to avoid escalation and poor decisions.

• Shelf the problem to solve it: step away to engage default-mode creativity; then decide.

• Sleep by cycles, not guilt: 6.0 or 7.5 hours; protect a calm morning ramp.

• Train selection, not suppression: you can’t stop 50k+ thoughts/day—choose which ones you entertain.

• Lead from presence: composure is a competitive advantage that cascades into culture and execution.

👤 Bio

Tracey Gazel is an executive coach, consultant, speaker, and author who helps driven high-achievers build mental clarity and calm composure under pressure. A former healthcare leader based near Vancouver, she blends mindfulness, neuroscience, and practical leadership coaching to upgrade decision quality for senior executives and founder-led teams.

🎁 Giveaway

Unlock Focus, Calm & Clarity (free audio) + access to The Focus Lab (Tracey’s free monthly drop-in).

How to get it:

1. Connect with Tracey Gazel on LinkedIn with a quick “RPOW listener” note.
2. Request the “Unlock Focus, Calm & Clarity” audio and the next Focus Lab date.
3. Show up once; leave with a cleaner head and a practical reset routine.

🧭 Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

01:59 The Journey to Executive Coaching

04:43 Understanding Mindfulness and Meditation

10:04 The Stress Slide and Its Indicators

12:21 Recognizing and Recovering from Burnout

15:48 Techniques Beyond Meditation for Mental Clarity

19:37 Creating Space for Innovative Thinking

21:00 The Three-Tier Framework for Personal Growth

26:23 Understanding the Mind and Its Habits

30:28 Finding Balance: The Importance of Breaks

34:41 Transformative Client Stories and Lessons Learned

38:22 Choosing to Live Fully in the Present

42:15 Outro

🔥 Excerpt “Winning feels great—but it’s not just about results. It’s about doing something hard, pushing through resistance, and being proud of who you became in the process.”

⚡ TL;DR Entrepreneur, author, and multi-discipline competitor Lloyd Ross joins me from the Goldilocks zone of Australia to break down what it really means to pursue winning across life and business. From training for a 100km ultra marathon in 8 weeks to building four companies from the ground up, Lloyd reveals the frameworks, rhythms, and mindset shifts that have helped him chase big goals—without burning out or losing his soul in the process. We talk faith, focus, banana bread, burnout, and why speed isn’t always the answer.

📄 Show Notes What do a bestselling author, ultra-marathoner, network marketer, educator, real estate investor, laundromat owner, and banana bread master all have in common? One man: Lloyd Ross.

And yes—you read that right.

In this episode of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, I sit down with Lloyd, an Australian entrepreneur who’s made a habit of doing hard things—on purpose. Whether it’s training for a 100km ultra marathon with just eight weeks of prep, building multiple 7-figure companies from the ground up, or becoming a bodybuilding champion while writing books on time freedom, Lloyd’s path is anything but ordinary.

But here’s what makes this conversation matter: it’s not just about achievement. It’s about alignment.

Lloyd breaks down how he wins without subscribing to the toxic hustle culture that tells us more hours equals more value. He’s shifted from “go go go” to building rhythm—intentionally designing his life around energy, faith, and sustainable excellence. We talked about how he protects his time, stays focused, and uses faith not just as a belief system, but as a tactical compass in both business and life.

We also get personal—about burnout, fatherhood, faith, the myth of productivity, and why winning isn’t about glory. It’s about identity. It's about who you become when no one’s watching. One of my favorite moments? Lloyd describing the quiet victory of being alone in a locker room after a brutal boxing match, holding a trophy, and realizing—without fanfare—that he’d become someone he was proud of.

If you’re in a season of pushing, questioning, or redefining what success looks like for you—this episode will hit different.

We get into:  • Why “winning” isn’t toxic—it’s essential, when done right  • The key difference between being overwhelmed and being disorganized  • How Lloyd bakes banana bread with the same intensity he brings to business  • How to train your brain to love the process—not just the outcome  • Why he threw hustle culture in the bin after turning 40  • His personal method for balancing ambition with peace (hint: it involves Jesus, long walks, and saying “no”) This conversation is raw, real, and refreshing. No BS. No fluff. Just a deep dive into the kind of mindset that builds real momentum—and lasts longer than your latest dopamine hit.

✅ Key Takeaways  • Winning is a teachable, repeatable habit—start with small victories and stack them.  • Fall in love with the process. Results matter, but the journey builds character and capacity.  • Shorter timelines = higher focus. Set audacious but achievable goals with real deadlines.  • Build rhythm, not rigidity. Your soul needs time to catch up to your body.  • Don’t store ideas in your head. Get organized, delegate, and automate to protect your bandwidth.  • Rest is part of the strategy. Even God took a day off—so should you.  • Structure creates freedom. Disorganization often masquerades as overwhelm.

📚 Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background 03:18 Journey from Law to Entrepreneurship 05:10 Pursuit of Winning: Achievements and Goals 10:16 Training and Accountability in Physical Challenges 14:35 Mindset for Business Success 19:43 Navigating Unexpected Challenges in Business 21:57 Resilience in Business Recovery 26:38 Finding Balance and Avoiding Burnout 31:09 Creating Rhythm in Life and Work 34:52 Shifting from Time-Based to Performance-Based Work 39:27 The Role of Faith in Business Decisions 42:18 The Importance of Organization and Celebrating Wins 47:28 RPOW Clip Outro Mobile.mp4 47:33 New Chapter

🔥 Excerpt

“Most people talk at their prospects instead of with them—and then wonder why they don’t close. The win is in the listening.”

⚡ TL;DR

Sales strategist and author Leslie Venetz joins Rick Meekins to rip the curtain off outdated, tone-deaf selling tactics and rewire your thinking around what it takes to actually win in modern B2B sales. From AI-fueled noise to signal-based selling, Leslie shares a fresh, fiercely practical approach that’s grounded in trust, personalization at scale, and earning the right to close. Whether you’re tired of being ghosted or struggling to build real pipeline, this episode delivers a blueprint that works.

📄 Show Notes

Sales isn’t broken—but the way most people are doing it definitely is.

In this episode of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, I sit down with Leslie Venetz—founder of the Sales-Led GTM Agency and longtime sales leader—to dissect why traditional outbound methods are falling flat in today’s B2B landscape. Spoiler: it’s not because people hate being sold to. It’s because most sellers forgot how to earn trust, speak like humans, and build real relationships.

Leslie’s approach is a refreshing departure from the templated nonsense clogging inboxes. She breaks down how sales leaders and founders can ditch the spam tactics and start building profitable pipelines rooted in listening, alignment, and relevance.

We get into:

• Why “buy my thing” messaging is killing your brand
• The dangers of obsession with outcomes instead of execution
• What personalization actually looks like in a world of AI
• How micro-campaigns can sharpen your targeting and increase win rates
• The difference between social selling and social posting—and why it matters

Leslie also shares her 9-step outbound blueprint (yes, it’s in the book), plus a mindset shift that every founder and sales leader needs to make if they want to win without burning trust.

If your team is struggling with outbound that gets ignored, if your pipeline is full but your win rate is low, or if you’re just sick of feeling like sales has become a bad word—this is the conversation you didn’t know you needed.

This isn’t theory. This is practice. Smart, strategic, and unapologetically focused on results.

✅ Key Takeaways

• Sales is still a people game. The tech is here, but relationships still win.
• Signal-based selling is the future—leverage buyer triggers, not gimmicks.
• Personalization at scale means small, smart lists with shared context, not creepy DMs.
• Listening to understand (not to respond) is your best sales weapon.
• A good sales process doesn't feel like selling—it feels like helping.
• Multi-channel engagement (phone, email, social) is table stakes—use the one they prefer.
• You’re not just building pipeline—you’re building trust.

👤 Bio

Leslie Venetz is the founder of Sales-Led GTM Agency, where she helps B2B SaaS and service organizations build profitable, repeatable outbound strategies. With over 15 years of sales experience across enterprise, startup, and player-coach roles, she now teaches sales teams how to sell with purpose, clarity, and zero cringe. Her first book Outbound That Converts drops August 5th and is packed with tactical frameworks and mindset shifts that actually work in today’s noisy market.

🎁 Giveaway

Leslie is offering over $400 in bonuses for those who preorder her new book Outbound That Converts.

Here’s what you get:

• Exclusive templates for outbound messaging
• Bonus micro-campaign worksheets
• Access to a private book launch training
• Behind-the-scenes look at the 9-step sales blueprint

👉 To claim your bonus:

1. Preorder the book at salesledgtm.com/book
2. Enter your receipt code to unlock your bonuses
3. Get ready to start selling with confidence and clarity

🧭 Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background

09:52 The Importance of Sales in Business

18:07 Challenges in Modern Sales Practices

26:41 Effective Sales Strategies and Techniques

34:43 Personalization in Sales Messaging

41:00 Creating Ideal Customer Profiles

44:57 New Chapter

🔥 Excerpt

“AI doesn’t fix a broken marketing engine—it just lets you do more of the wrong stuff, faster.”

⚡ TL;DR

Marketing strategist Tim Fitzpatrick joins Rick Meekins to break down the essential components of a high-performing marketing engine. From nailing down strategy to bridging the sales–marketing gap, this episode delivers a no-nonsense blueprint for founders who are tired of random tactics and ready to build a system that actually works.

📄 Show Notes

Let’s be real: most founders jump straight into tactics—websites, ads, social media—without a clue whether any of it fits together. It’s like bolting parts onto an engine without knowing what kind of car you’re building. In this episode of The Relentless Pursuit of Winning, I sit down with Tim Fitzpatrick of Rialto Marketing to unpack what a real marketing engine looks like—and how to build one that doesn’t break down the second the market shifts.

Tim’s been in the trenches—running a wholesale distribution business, launching marketing initiatives, and working hands-on with B2B service companies. He doesn’t pull punches when it comes to the nonsense people chase in the name of “growth.”

We talk about how to stop treating AI like a magic fix, how to define and refine your ideal client profile, and why so many founders are buried under noise instead of traction. You’ll learn how to build alignment across your team, avoid brand confusion, and create a message that actually lands with your audience.

If your marketing feels like guesswork—or worse, a black hole of effort with no ROI—this episode will give you the clarity to fix it.

✅ Key Takeaways

• AI can’t fix broken fundamentals—strategy must come first.
• Strategy, planning, and leadership must work together for your marketing to perform.
• “Know, like, and trust” isn’t fluff—it’s the first mile of your customer journey.
• Don’t chase visibility without clarity—refine your ICP using your current client base.
• Build a message playbook to align marketing, sales, and customer service.
• Stop renting your audience—email is still king, and it’s one of the only channels you own.
• Your podcast is a marketing tool—not your identity. Be clear about what you actually do.
• AI is an accelerator, not a strategist. Use it to scale clarity, not create confusion.
• Complexity kills growth. The best marketing engines are simple, aligned, and repeatable.

📚 Chapters

📌 00:00 Introduction to Marketing Dynamics

📌 04:44 Defining Real Marketing

📌 05:52 Understanding Marketing Strategy

📌 08:45 Refining Target Markets

📌 13:38 Adapting to Market Changes

📌 15:08 Bridging Sales and Marketing Gaps

📌 21:28 The Customer Journey Revisited

📌 23:40 Understanding the Customer Journey

📌 26:17 Effective Business Strategies in a Competitive Market

📌 27:14 Navigating Marketing Channels for B2B Success

📌 30:05 The Role of Content and Networking

📌 31:03 Balancing Personal Branding and Business Identity

📌 34:58 The Impact of AI on Marketing and Content Creation

📌 46:40 The Importance of Marketing Fundamentals

📌 51:16 New Chapter

👤 Bio

Tim Fitzpatrick is the founder of Rialto Marketing, where he helps B2B service providers escape the marketing maze by building systems that work. With a background in wholesale distribution and over a decade in marketing, Tim’s superpower is creating strategic clarity, executing with precision, and helping founders stop chasing tactics that don’t deliver. He’s based in Denver and, when he’s not helping businesses grow, you’ll find him skiing, mountain biking, or soaking up Colorado’s mountain air.

🔥 Excerpt

“Grant money is free-ish. You get the funds, but you better have the paperwork to back it up—because if you don’t, you’ll pay it back, with interest. Grants are a game, and Crystal Petry plays to win.”

⚡ TL;DR

Grant strategist Crystal Petry shatters the myth that founders can’t access grant funding. She unpacks where the real opportunities are for both for-profit and nonprofit businesses, what it takes to win in the competitive grant game, and why most founders fail before they even apply. If you think grants are only for charities or academic research, this episode will change your perspective—and maybe your growth plan.

📄 Show Notes

Let’s get honest: most business owners have heard “there are no grants for businesses” so many times, they stopped looking. Crystal Petry is here to call BS.

Crystal is a grant writer, trainer, and operational strategist who’s seen the inside of more grant proposals—and funding wins—than most founders realize exist. She doesn’t just research grants; she trains entrepreneurs and nonprofits to do it themselves, and she’s made a career out of winning funding for people who thought it wasn’t possible.

We dig into the tactical side: how grants really work, the single biggest mistake founders make when applying, and why most people get themselves disqualified before the application even gets to the review table. Crystal talks about her journey from broadcast media to nonprofit operations, how she became obsessed with the power of grants, and why it’s a game of “competitive matchmaking”—not just paperwork.

You’ll learn what kinds of grants exist for businesses and nonprofits, how specific you have to get about your funding needs, what it takes to handle multiple funding streams, and why the right kind of help is non-negotiable if you want to scale without stepping on a landmine.

We also cover the legal and operational realities: get sloppy with the rules, and you’ll pay the price—sometimes literally. But get it right, and you can fund salaries, growth, and even your impact goals for years at a time.

If you’re building a business, launching a nonprofit, or just tired of bootstrapping, this episode is your crash course in grant funding—minus the delusion.

✅ Key Takeaways

• Grants are real for businesses. There are grants for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. The myth is busted.
• Specificity wins. “I want a grant” gets you nowhere. Know your need, your numbers, and your mission before you even Google.
• Paperwork is make or break. Most grant applications are lost on technicalities—wrong font, missed details, sloppy record-keeping.
• Grant money is ‘free-ish’. If you misuse funds, you pay it back. Sometimes with interest. Worst case: legal charges.
• Grant management is a skill. Multiple funding streams? You’ll need operational discipline and—ideally—a pro to help keep you out of the weeds.
• Ask the right questions, early. The most successful grant projects start the conversation long before you need the cash.
• Founders must know their capacity. Don’t chase more funding than you can realistically handle; the blowback can kill your business.

👤 Bio

Crystal Petry is a grant writer, researcher, and trainer obsessed with helping founders and nonprofits unlock real funding opportunities. With a background in broadcast media and nonprofit operations, Crystal now runs Crystal Petry Consulting, where she helps organizations win grants, manage compliance, and build operational muscle for long-term growth. She’s trained hundreds of leaders on the art and science of grants and is launching a virtual grant writing boot camp to empower founders to secure their own funding.

🎁 Giveaway

Crystal Petry is giving away a seat in her upcoming Virtual Grant Training Boot Camp (August 21, 2025)—an intensive, hands-on session designed to empower you to research, write, and secure grants for your business or nonprofit.

How to enter:

1. Visit Crystal Petry Consulting and register for her mailing list.
2. Mention “RPOW Podcast” in your message or registration form.
3. The first 5 listeners to sign up will get free access to the August 21st session (or apply it to any future quarterly boot camp if you miss the cutoff).

Crystal’s boot camp takes you step-by-step through real grant applications, answers your toughest questions, and gets your proposal 85%+ done before you leave. No theory—just actionable tactics and tools to get funded.

🧭 Chapters

🟦 00:00 Introduction to Grants and Misconceptions

🟦 05:49 Crystal's Journey into Grant Writing

🟦 10:19 Finding the Right Grant

🟦 14:38 The Importance of Early Conversations

🟦 17:12 Grants for For-Profit Organizations

🟦 19:17 Understanding Grant Requirements and Disqualifications

🟦 22:23 Understanding Grant Funding Dynamics

🟦 26:16 The Importance of Grant Management

🟦 28:57 Finding the Right Grant Writer

🟦 31:43 Compensation Models for Grant Writers

🟦 40:26 Empowering Through Grant Writing Workshops

🔥 Excerpt

“You either have big dreams, or you work for someone who does. There’s no third lane. Decide which one you’re in.”

⚡ TL;DR

Cliff Beach—musician, author, and creative entrepreneur—joins Rick Meekins to dismantle the starving artist myth and expose the real numbers behind betting on yourself. From building a creative career without starving, to managing energy and priorities as you age, Cliff shares why investing in your health isn’t just smart, it’s mandatory if you want to scale anything that matters. If you’re tired of burning out while chasing “success,” this episode is your blueprint for making hustle sustainable.

📄 Show Notes

Let’s kill the fantasy: you don’t have to be broke to be creative, and you don’t have to burn out to build. Cliff Beach, LA-based musician and digital marketing exec, shares the system he built for greenlighting projects, keeping his creative spark alive, and staying healthy enough to actually enjoy the wins.

We get brutally honest about the real cost of ignoring your health in pursuit of growth—how stamina, clarity, and autonomy are non-negotiable if you want to play the long game. Cliff unpacks how he pivoted from a feast-or-famine creative life to a disciplined, sustainable one, with side hustles, published books, and a 50+ pound weight loss to show for it.

We cover creative thinking for non-creatives, the impact of mentorship, and the hard truth that ideas mean nothing without execution. And if you’re still looking for the right moment to invest in your well-being, Cliff will convince you: the ROI is exponential, both for your business and your life.

✅ Key Takeaways

• Creativity is the ultimate competitive advantage.
• Greenlight your own projects—don’t wait for permission.
• Your health is the multiplier for everything else.
• Start and finish: Most people won’t. Winners do.
• Find mentors who think as big as you do, and don’t be afraid to leave the rest behind.
• Scarcity is a mindset—abundance is a discipline.
• Building for autonomy means structuring your life so you’re not dependent on anyone else’s approval.
• The time will pass anyway—start investing in yourself now.

👤 Bio

Musician and Author Cliff Beach has been performing live for more than 20 years. His single “Confident” was featured on Spotify’s All Funked Up and Funk Drive playlists with over 1M+ streams. He is the host of the Deeper Grooves Podcast and Deeper Grooves on 885FM. Cliff is the author of Side Hustle & Flow, which chronicles his musical journey while still working a day job. He’s written for Beautytap, Pepperdine, and Rock Star Life, and is the winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest Grand Prize, 3 World Songwriting Awards, 5 Global Music Awards, a California Music Video & Film Award, an Elite Music Award, and has been nominated for 4 LA Music Awards, 1 Hollywood Music & Media Award, and 1 Independent Music Award (among others). His music has recently been featured on the CW, HBO MAX, and in a BMW spot. He was nominated for a World Entertainment Award for his audiobook Side Hustle & Flow and has just released the follow-up audiobook, Side Hustle & Flow: Shape Up.

🎁 Giveaway

Ready to level up your health, hustle, and creative output?

Welcome to Side Hustle & Flow: Shape Up—the new audiobook and your blueprint for building sustainable energy, focus, and results. As a special bonus for podcast listeners, Cliff is offering the exclusive Quick Start PDF Guide absolutely free. This isn’t just another checklist—it’s a proven framework to kickstart your journey toward better health, higher energy, and real progress, even if you’re short on time.

How to claim your free guide:

1. Click Download Now
2. Fill out your contact information
3. Get instant access to the Quick Start PDF—your first step to hustling harder, healthier, and smarter

Don’t settle for burnout or endless grind. Get the same actionable strategies Cliff used to win awards, scale his creative career, and outpace burnout.

Download your free guide now.

🧭 Chapters

00:00 Rick & Cliff’s Musical Roots: Berklee and Beyond

03:00 Purpose, “Ikigai,” and the Case for Creative Autonomy

07:30 The Structure of Creativity in Business

10:30 Greenlighting Your Own Projects

13:30 Ideas, the Universe, and Execution

16:50 Starting, Finishing, and Why Most People Don’t

19:40 Metaphysical Leaps, Faith, and Big Vision

22:10 Saying Yes to Opportunity (Even When You’re Not Ready)

29:00 Health, Energy, and Outrunning Your Ambitions

31:00 Abundance, Scarcity, and the Growth Mindset

35:00 Mentorship, Big Thinking, and Building Your Board

40:00 Closing Wisdom: Work for Your Dreams—or for Someone Else’s