Leading Under High Stakes (Michael Franzese)

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As the year comes to a close, we’re wrapping up with our annual Best Of episode, highlighting the most impactful conversations from this past year on To The Point Home Services. With over 50 episodes released this year, we handpicked moments that stood out the most, conversations that challenged perspectives, delivered hard truths, and reinforced what really matters in business and life.

This year’s overarching theme? Reputation over revenue. People over profits. Leadership over ego.

From legendary industry leaders to raw, emotional stories of resilience, this episode is packed with insights every contractor, entrepreneur, and business owner needs heading into 2026.

🔑 Key Topics & Takeaways:

• The power contractors have to change lives, not just their own, but their employees’, families’, and communities

• Why words matter and how leadership communication shapes culture

• Navigating tough markets with mindset, discipline, and accountability

• Entrepreneur vs. integrator thinking and why scaling requires both

• Leadership lessons from unexpected places, including a former mob boss

• Graduating from an employee mindset to a true CEO mindset

• The importance of accountability, ownership, and operational excellence

• A powerful and emotional story of resilience through unimaginable loss

• Why visibility and personal branding are becoming non-negotiable for leaders

⏱️ Timecodes:

00:00 – Intro & Best Of overview

01:00 – Reputation over revenue & people-first leadership

01:40 – Ken Goodrich: The power of operators and leadership ownership

06:30 – Chad Peterman: Enjoying the journey & mindset during hard seasons

10:55 – Jeff Dudan: Entrepreneur vs. integrator & return on time

16:40 – Michael Franzese: Leading in high-stakes environments

21:30 – Ishmael: CEO accountability, reviews, and real growth

31:30 – Charlie Sanders: Resilience, loss, and leadership through tragedy

46:55 – Leadership visibility & personal brand going into 2026

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 (U.S.)

📣 Call to Action:

If this episode resonated with you:

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👉 Comment with your biggest takeaway from this year

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🎧 Thanks for listening—and here’s to finishing strong and heading into 2026 with clarity, purpose, and momentum.