Jeffrey Klubeck, a professor and author, shared insights on his unique approach to fostering accountability through the "integrity game." We explored how integrating integrity into our daily lives and business practices can lead to more genuine and non-threatening forms of accountability. Klubeck humorously describes his method: "I lead with integrity and humor... to get us into this accountability conversation," emphasizing that conventional approaches often trigger defensiveness rather than fostering genuine responsibility.A key focus of our discussion was the misconception surrounding the concept of integrity. Klubeck pointed out, "We all claim to have integrity because we all judge ourselves by our intentions, but we all judge others to be without integrity because they're falling short of our expectations." This highlights the common bias where individuals assess their own integrity based on intentions rather than actions, a central theme Klubeck challenges in his teachings.The podcast also dove into the practical application of Klubeck's ten-point model of integrity, which addresses everything from personal purpose to the impact of our actions on others. He described the model as a system that encourages reflection and alignment between one's words and actions, noting, "Each of the ten points on the model become ten content doors to knock on, because each of them are an endless journey of content behind each door, each topic."Listeners can expect to gain a deeper understanding of how shifting our perspective on integrity and accountability can improve not only personal growth but also enhance professional environments. Klubeck’s approach invites us to "play the integrity game," which he argues is crucial for developing a more aligned, responsible, and fulfilling life.Through engaging and playful discussion, this episode provides valuable takeaways for anyone looking to bridge the gap between their aspirations and their real-world actions, emphasizing the importance of integrity as the foundation for genuine accountability.

Alex Duta is a dynamic entrepreneur hailing from the Chicagoland area, who has woven resilience and strategic vision into his career trajectory. In our conversation, we explored his unique backstory starting from his parent's migration from communist Romania to establishing their new lives in America. Alex shares, "The coolest part of what I think they did with both me and my brother was that they built the best children for the world." This foundational principle deeply influenced his entrepreneurial journey.Alex began his career path at a young age, challenging traditional norms by starting a snow removal business as a teenager and later co-founding a successful damage restoration company. He reflects on the misperception of youth as a barrier, stating, "The fact that I was 16, I thought it was one of my disadvantages, um, and actually turned out to be my superpower." His story is a testament to the power of redefining perceived weaknesses as strengths.Our discussion also covered the critical mindset shifts that have shaped his approach to business and personal growth. Alex’s belief in the value of big dreams resonates through his work, "your dream... should be big enough for other people's dreams to fit within it." He emphasizes the importance of envisioning a future that accommodates not just personal ambitions but also the aspirations of others.Moreover, Alex shared his holistic perspective on life balance, which he redefined following a severe health scare during the COVID-19 pandemic. He advocates for a balanced approach to life's pillars—wealth, health, love, and spirituality—suggesting that "you can actually have it all, and you can go 110% on all of them."Listeners will find valuable insights on resilience, the interplay between personal values and business success, and the profound impact of nurturing balanced life pillars. Alex’s journey illustrates that with the right mindset, youthful energy can indeed be a formidable force in entrepreneurship.

Anne Brown is the CEO of Gazelle Global, and we spoke about the potential and challenges of venturing into entrepreneurship. During our discussion, Anne reflects on her experiences as a founder and leader, emphasizing the empowerment and responsibility that come with being your own boss. She notes, "Once you are in control of your own destiny, I think life becomes easier because you make the success of your life or you don't, but it's all on you."In this insightful conversation, Anne explores differences between working for someone else and steering your own company. She shares her journey from leaving a stable job in 1993 to establishing and nurturing Gazelle Global and later a global translation business. Highlighting the uncertainty in current job markets, she mentions, "There's a distinct unstable situation in working for other people these days. But if you have your own business, I think it's a more attractive situation."Anne's personal takeaways provide a candid look into the psychological shift required for successful entrepreneurship. She talks about the benefits of industry associations for support and leadership, advocating for community engagement and giving back, citing her involvement with organizations like the Market Research Education Foundation.Listeners will find inspiration in her encouragement to embrace leadership roles and build a fulfilling work environment. "Your leadership skills will come into play. Your empathy will come into play. Your courage will come into play," Anne asserts, illustrating the holistic growth accompanying entrepreneurship.This episode is a compelling narrative for anyone contemplating the leap into starting their own business, offering practical advice and heartfelt encouragement from a seasoned entrepreneur.

Robin Hills is an emotional intelligence coach who joined us to explore the intricate dance between artificial intelligence (AI) and emotional intelligence (EI). During our conversation, Robin delved into how these two fields intersect and impact 21st-century entrepreneurship, emphasizing the unique qualities that define human intelligence.Robin explains, "Emotional intelligence is the way in which we combine our thinking with our feelings to make good quality decisions and build up authentic relationships." He posits that while AI may excel in data processing and pattern recognition, it lacks the inherent human capacity to forge deep relationships and make ethically grounded decisions. He asserts, "Artificial intelligence systems cannot make judgments and decisions based on values and ethics."Throughout his career, beginning in pharmaceutical sales and extending into emotional intelligence coaching, Robin has observed firsthand the transformative power of EI in both personal and professional contexts. He recounts his experiences in sales, where he realized that doctors who managed their emotions better were also more effective and approachable in their professional roles. This revelation sparked his passion for EI: "It wasn't until I'd been through a number of job role changes and redundancies that I came across this construct that is emotional intelligence and felt that really that this was the big gateway to my future."Robin also discussed the broader implications of EI in business networking and resilience. He emphasizes the importance of reciprocity in relationships: "It's what is it that I can give into this relationship in order that I can get something out of it?" Moreover, he challenges conventional views on resilience, stating, "Resilience is nothing to do with bouncing. What resilience has got to do with is understanding that life really does not go in the way in which you want it to go at all times."Listeners can expect to glean insights into building emotional resilience, the crucial role of EI in navigating the complexities of modern entrepreneurship, and how to enhance their emotional intelligence to better prepare for the future. As Robin continues to develop courses integrating EI with topics like risk management, he remains committed to helping others harness their emotional skills to face the challenges of a rapidly evolving world.By integrating EI into every aspect of life and business, Robin believes we can all lead more fulfilled and successful lives. "The future needs to be dominated by human beings, and we can make the difference to the world, because we are human beings, we have emotions," he concludes, offering a powerful reminder of our distinct human capabilities in an increasingly automated world.

Phyllis Quinlan is a seasoned professional coach who brings her extensive experience in healthcare to the fore in addressing some of the most pressing challenges faced by caregivers today. Our conversation dives into the intricate dynamics of caregiver burnout, the conflation of healthcare's business aspects with caregiving, and the crucial role of emotional intelligence in maintaining a healthy workplace.Phyllis's journey started when a nurse reached out to her, suffering from what Phyllis later recognized as "empathy fatigue, caregiver fatigue, or what we now label as burnout." This encounter marked a turning point, pushing her to specialize in helping caregivers overcome burnout. Phyllis explains, "I really started to throw myself fully into learning as much about burnout, about caregiver fatigue, empathy fatigue, as much as I possibly could."The conversation explores how the pressures of aligning the day-to-day business operations of healthcare with the inherently altruistic mission of caregiving create a ripe environment for professional burnout. Phyllis notes, "Professional caregivers, again, doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, start to confuse the business of healthcare with the practice of their profession. And they will not align."A significant part of our discussion revolves around addressing disruptive workplace behaviors, such as bullying and chronic incivility, which can exacerbate the loss of mission in caregiving professionals. Phyllis stresses the importance of a concerted effort to tackle such issues, warning, "You never tackle someone who's dealing in or behaving in chronically uncivil manners, or are actually engaging in bullying, alone."Moreover, we explore the solutions Phyllis advocates for overcoming these challenges. She highlights the necessity of self-care and emotional resilience for caregivers, asserting, "The fact that they have chosen with bravery to live their life heart open allows them to feel all the good and all the not so good, but in that, they have to have self-compassion for themselves."Key takeaways from this episode include the understanding that professional caregiving is not just a job but a calling, the critical role of emotional intelligence and resilience in combating burnout, and the urgent need for healthcare leaders to foster a supportive and healthy work environment. Phyllis eloquently concludes that the goal is "to help [caregivers] regain a perspective where there are, where they are reconnecting with mission and purpose and not getting all lost in the weeds of the business of healthcare."This conversation offers invaluable insights into the complexities of caregiving, the pitfalls of healthcare administration, and the pathways to maintaining compassion amidst professional challenges.

Justin Hanover, a veteran entrepreneur in the fitness industry, shares his journey from opening a gym at 19 to leading a top coaching agency, Fitness Revolution. Our conversation unveils his approach to transforming fitness businesses through strategic guidance and innovative solutions.Justin's experience spans across pivotal areas such as gym management, business coaching, and marketing strategy. He emphasizes the role of effective systems in achieving business growth, explaining, “We’ve nailed it down to 26 different core systems that fit within the core foundations of business.” This structured approach has guided over 4000 fitness business owners towards sustained success.A significant part of our discussion focused on the power of outbound marketing. Justin has perfected using LinkedIn and email platforms to not only attract clients but also engage them meaningfully, driving substantial revenue growth. His insights into these strategies are particularly invaluable for any fitness business looking to leverage modern digital channels effectively.Moreover, Justin's commitment to client success is evident through his leadership at Fitness Revolution. He shares success stories, like transforming a client's business from $10,000 to over $100,000 monthly, showcasing the direct impact of tailored coaching and precise problem identification.Listeners will gain from Justin's holistic view of business development, emphasizing not just the what, but the how and why behind successful fitness enterprises. As he puts it, “It’s about understanding where you’re at, what needs to happen to move you forward, and then keeping your identity intact.”This episode is essential for anyone in the fitness industry aiming to refine their business model, enhance client engagement, or scale operations effectively. Justin's blend of practical advice and motivational anecdotes serves as a beacon for aspiring and established fitness entrepreneurs alike.

Priscilla McKinney is an entrepreneur with a keen interest in the dynamics of collaboration. In our discussion, we explored the misconceptions and the transformative potential of true collaboration in the workplace. McKinney, the author of Collaboration is the New Competition, shares insights from her journey and the lessons learned about fostering genuine collaborative environments.The conversation kicks off with McKinney reflecting on the pivotal experiences in early education that shape our attitudes toward collaboration. She notes, “It happened to most of us around the fifth grade,” pointing out the flawed approach of forced group work that continues into our professional lives. This backdrop sets the stage for her to introduce a practical framework for effective collaboration, which she details in her book.McKinney outlines three essential elements for successful collaboration: mutual stakes, openness, and a collective drive to win. She argues, “Collaboration requires everyone involved has something to lose and something to gain,” challenging the traditional mix of unevenly matched team members that often leads to unequal work distribution and dissatisfaction.Beyond theoretical concepts, McKinney brings real-world applicability to the discussion. Drawing from her experiences in market research and as a speaker, she illustrates how industries often fail at self-marketing despite their expertise in advising others. Her transition into market research highlighted these inconsistencies and fueled her advocacy for collaboration over competition.One of the most compelling aspects of our conversation was McKinney's critique of the American entrepreneurial spirit. She suggests that the lone ranger mentality often hinders more than it helps, saying, “It can be lonely at the top... that’s a choice, and it’s a choice you don’t have to make.” This leads into her broader thesis that collaboration, when executed with intention and understanding, can lead to more significant accomplishments than going it alone.The episode is rich with takeaways, particularly McKinney's call to shift from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance, which she believes is crucial for true collaboration. As she puts it, “Behaviors don’t change until attitudes change,” emphasizing the need for a fundamental shift in how we approach challenges and opportunities for cooperation.Listeners will leave with a nuanced understanding of collaboration, equipped with strategies to reimplement it within their teams and organizations effectively. McKinney's insights are not just theoretical; they are a call to action for anyone looking to elevate their collaborative efforts and, by extension, their entire organizational culture.

Nader Sabry is a strategist, innovator, and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in exponential organizational growth. In our conversation, we explored the nuanced world of growth sciences—a field that moves beyond traditional growth hacking to embrace a more structured approach that Fortune 500s, unicorns, and startups at various levels are now adopting. Sabry explains, "It's called the growth sciences... it originates from something even more popularly known as growth hacking, which has shifted from essentially hacking to an actual science."We explored Sabry's journey from launching one of the world's first Internet service providers to advising some of the most innovative governments and corporations on their growth strategies. His insights reveal how understanding and applying the principles of growth sciences can transform organizations. Sabry's experiences offer a vivid illustration of how the right mindset and strategic approach can lead to monumental successes—and sometimes notable failures—from Silicon Valley to Dubai.A significant portion of our discussion focused on the practical applications of growth sciences. Sabry highlighted the importance of creating customized growth strategies that are not just copied from successful examples but are instead tailored to the unique conditions and capabilities of each organization. He passionately advocates for this personalized approach: "The number one thing that clients come to me with is we're benchmarking our competitors and we want to beat them on this metric... What if there was a metric that nobody else is measuring or a metric that nobody else is utilizing in a much different way?"Listeners will find valuable takeaways in Sabry's emphasis on the importance of not just following but understanding and innovating beyond standard practices. He challenges the conventional wisdom with his approach to solving growth dilemmas and navigating corporate egos. His statement, "There's this thing called the boardroom ego... The only thing in front of you is experimentation," encapsulates his philosophy of questioning and redefining the norms to discover new paths to growth.From this episode, you'll gain insight into how to identify and apply growth principles effectively, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to think about growth in ways that are both scientifically sound and creatively freeing. Sabry's call to action, "create your own formula," serves as a powerful reminder of the potential each person has to influence and reshape their environment through innovative thinking and strategic action.Join us to uncover how you can leverage the growth sciences to not just participate in but actively shape the future of business and innovation.

Britt Gottschalk is the CEO and a dynamic creator of change, thriving in the challenging world of health data management. We explored her extensive career, which spans from waste management to management consulting, highlighting her 'figure-it-out' mentality and her role as a jack of all trades. Britt's current focus is on empowering individuals to control and benefit from their health data, a mission that bridges her passion for problem-solving with her entrepreneurial spirit.Britt began her career in corporate America, leveraging her dual master's degrees in business administration and industrial organizational psychology. Her initial roles involved navigating the complexities of process improvement and project management, where she quickly learned the harsh realities of corporate structures. "You think that coming fresh out of grad school, everybody's going to listen to my ideas. I know what's going on, and you don't know anything. You really don't know anything," Britt reflects on her early career experiences, underscoring the steep learning curve and resistance to change she faced.The transition from consulting to entrepreneurship was driven by Britt's frustration with the status quo and her desire to solve significant problems. She shares, "I really did start a business out of being disgruntled. I was very upset with the way that things were going, and I didn't feel like things were going to get any easier." This pivotal moment led her to launch her first business during the COVID-19 pandemic, which focused on aiding teams with remote work transitions.Britt's second venture, Genome, emerged from her realization of the dire need for integrated and accessible health data. She explains the genesis of Genome, "The healthcare industry is worth trillions of dollars here in the US, and they're not broke. It's a matter of figuring out how to get the money from the outcomes they're developing from data that's already being collected on us and looping in the consumer into that process." This model not only addresses data accessibility challenges but also compensates individuals for their data contributions, thus democratizing the economic benefits of medical research.Throughout the interview, Britt highlights the crucial balance of sustainability and innovation required to scale a tech startup successfully. Her insights into securing investments and managing cash flow are invaluable for any aspiring entrepreneur. "You have to make sure that you are sustainable, getting revenue as much as possible, as quickly and as much as possible based on what you know," she advises, sharing the lessons learned from both her businesses.The episode is packed with enlightening discussions about the intersections of biotechnology, healthcare, and entrepreneurship. It provides a deep dive into how visionary leadership can harness the power of health data to revolutionize medical research and patient care while also offering a pathway for individuals to participate in and benefit from their own data.Listeners will come away with a profound understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the evolving landscape of health data, inspired by Britt Gottschalk's relentless pursuit of innovation and equity in healthcare.

Blake Reichenbach is a Product Manager at HubSpot, focusing on the Content AI Platform, and the founder of Howdy, Curiosity, an innovative online nonfiction bookstore and learning community. With a rich background in higher education, marketing, and the SaaS industry, Blake brings a wealth of expertise and a unique perspective to his roles. His professional journey at HubSpot has been marked by leading pivotal initiatives such as the modernization of Trust and Safety infrastructure through advanced machine learning integrations while managing multiple high-priority corporate objectives.In our conversation, we explored the nuanced challenges and triumphs of nurturing entrepreneurial endeavors alongside a career. Blake shared insights from his journey, emphasizing the lack of support for non-traditional, part-time entrepreneurs. "There weren't ways for people like me to connect with mentors and to connect with other people who had been down the path I was going down," he explained, highlighting the initial isolation he felt.The discussion also touched on the transformative potential of combining professional stability with entrepreneurial passion. Blake detailed his evolution from a discontented academic advisor to a fulfilled product manager and side-project entrepreneur. His transition was not just a career change but a complete lifestyle overhaul, facilitated by strategic learning and creative exploration. "I knew nothing about building my own business...and really, the only skill set that I had relevant to my entrepreneurial journey at that time was the skill set I was using as a writer," Blake recounted, illustrating the humble beginnings of his entrepreneurial path.Blake is particularly passionate about fostering a community that supports "the curious professional." He has created Howdy, Curiosity, a platform designed to cater to those balancing full-time jobs with creative and entrepreneurial projects. This initiative aims to build "support and accountability systems for folks who are working on creative and entrepreneurial projects in their free time."His journey underscores that entrepreneurship doesn't always require risking everything. It can be a stable, incremental pursuit that complements an existing career. "It's the projects we pursue on the side that are the most rewarding and can lead to the most significant long-term growth for ourselves, both personally and professionally," he shared, providing a fresh perspective on what it means to be an entrepreneur today.Key Takeaways:Entrepreneurship as a Part-Time Pursuit: The conversation sheds light on the often overlooked path of part-time entrepreneurship, proving that one can pursue entrepreneurial ventures without giving up the stability of full-time employment.The Value of Community: Blake emphasizes the critical role of supportive communities for part-time entrepreneurs, illustrating how such networks can provide the necessary resources and mentorship to thrive.Leveraging Corporate Skills for Personal Projects: Blake's journey demonstrates how skills acquired in a corporate setting can be effectively translated into managing and growing personal projects, enriching both professional and personal aspects of life.Listeners will leave this episode inspired by Blake’s resilience and innovative approach to entrepreneurship, equipped with practical insights into balancing passion projects with professional responsibilities.