

The Conscious Entrepreneur
Alex Raymond
The Conscious Entrepreneur is the podcast where founders come to sharpen their edge from the inside out - building businesses that are sustainable, aligned, and actually work for their life. It’s about becoming the kind of leader your business needs you to be, and doing it with clarity, connection, and purpose.
We don’t buy into hustle culture. And burnout? It’s not a badge of honor. Here, we believe thriving businesses are built by thriving people.
Hosted by Sarah Lockwood, The Conscious Entrepreneur is where growth starts within.
We don’t buy into hustle culture. And burnout? It’s not a badge of honor. Here, we believe thriving businesses are built by thriving people.
Hosted by Sarah Lockwood, The Conscious Entrepreneur is where growth starts within.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 6, 2025 • 37min
EP 109: Bootstrapped, Purpose-Driven, and On Fire: The Product Invention of LavaBox
Born on whitewater, built in an ammo can, Lavabox is Josh Thurmond’s proof that instinct and grit can power a bootstrapped business that gives back and keeps rivers wild.
What does it take to move from a design patent invention built in your garage to a product company trusted by tens of thousands? How do entrepreneurs balance protecting profits with opportunities for scale? And why might wellbeing and values be just as important as growth when inventing a new product and leading a business?
Josh shares how his background as a river guide shaped his entrepreneurship—reading the rapids, trusting instincts, and steering through uncertainty with purpose. He explains why he turned down multi-million-dollar deals, chose to stay 100% independent, and built Lavabox around authenticity, customer input, and community impact.
This episode offers a candid look at the entrepreneurship of product companies, what it really takes to bootstrap from idea to invention while protecting both your business and your wellbeing.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Josh Thurmond and LavaBox
03:16 The Birth of a Design Patent Invention
06:19 Patent Challenges and Market Strategy
10:25 Turning Down Multi-Million Dollar Deals
14:10 Bootstrapping and Financing a Product Company
19:00 Building a Lifestyle Brand and Company Culture
26:11 Giving Back Through Protect Our Rivers
27:46 Resilience and Advice for Entrepreneurs
Links
Connect with Josh Thurmond:
Connect with Josh on LinkedIn
Visit LavaBox Portable Campfire
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
Visit HiveCast
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
The Conscious Entrepreneur
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram
Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Sep 29, 2025 • 24min
EP 108: The Simplest (and Cheapest) Way to Keep Your Best People
Employee recognition might sound obvious, but why do so many leaders miss it in practice? Dr. Bob Nelson joins Sarah Lockwood to explains why low-cost recognition ideas often matter more than paychecks or perks when it comes to real employee motivation.
How do you create loyalty from day one with a new hire? What’s the difference between a generic end-of-year award and genuine recognition that lands in the moment? And how can asking employees for their ideas spark both engagement and business growth?
Dr. Nelson brings decades of research and real-world examples to these questions, offering workplace culture tips that work whether you’re leading a small team or a global workforce. He shows that recognition doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does have to feel thoughtful and consistent if you want it to change company culture.
This episode reminds us that company culture is built in the small choices leaders make each day to notice, acknowledge, and value the people doing the work.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Why Employee Recognition Matters
01:52 Common Misconceptions About Recognition
04:07 Onboarding Tips That Build Loyalty
05:52 How Employees Want to Be Recognized
07:45 Low-Cost Recognition Ideas That Work
09:07 Involving Employees in Decision-Making
10:02 Real Examples of Employee Ideas Driving Growth
14:06 The Role of Leadership in Company Culture
16:10 Recognition for Remote and Global Teams
21:28 Continuous Development and Retention
Connect with Dr. Bob Nelson:
Visit Dr. Bob Nelson’s Website
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
Visit HiveCast
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
The Conscious Entrepreneur
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram
Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Sep 22, 2025 • 24min
EP 107: 10X Accountability Updates From Alex Raymond
Alex Raymond, founder of Amplify and creator of the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit, returns to share what’s happened since he set a bold goal on stage: turning Amplify into a $3M business in two years. Inspired by Dr. Benjamin Hardy’s “10x Is Easier Than 2x” and “The Science of Scaling,” Alex explains how “pathways thinking” has shifted his focus from incremental tasks to operating as if the goal is already achieved.
One of the biggest shifts? Writing his first book, “The Growth Department.” Alex opens up about the discipline, support, and courage it takes to codify his ideas into something meaningful, rather than just another business book. He also shares how building a mastermind after the summit has created accountability, momentum, and a community committed to thinking bigger together.
This conversation raises questions every founder faces: Are you running your business from a place of scarcity or scale? What would change if you truly operated from your goal, not just toward it?
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction and Big Goals
01:25 Pathways Thinking and 10X Growth
02:40 Writing The Growth Department
04:27 Book Timeline and Value Creation
09:58 Delegation and Building Scalable Structures
12:56 Mastermind Group and Accountability
14:53 Using AI as a Thinking Partner
16:28 Community, Momentum, and Entrepreneur Wellbeing
20:50 Lessons from Podcasting and Entrepreneurship
Connect with Alex Raymond:
Visit AMplify
Connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
Visit HiveCast
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
The Conscious Entrepreneur
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram
Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Sep 15, 2025 • 34min
EP 106: From Pushy to Magnetic: How ‘Never Ask for the Sale’ Flips Sales Culture
Sue Heilbronner, serial entrepreneur and conscious leadership executive coach, believes the strongest businesses are built when sales feel less like chasing and more like alignment. Joining Sarah Lockwood in this episode, she introduces the idea of “passionate ambivalence,” a values-based sales mindset that pairs genuine enthusiasm for your work with the ability to detach from any single outcome.
How do you recognize when a client is the right fit? Sue points to conscious client qualification as the key. By asking clear, sometimes disqualifying questions, you invite the kind of honesty that builds trust from the very start. She also shares her perspective on pricing strategy, reminding entrepreneurs that protecting your time and holding your value are essential parts of sustainable growth.
This episode invites you to reflect on your own sales mindset. Are you creating relationships rooted in clarity and confidence, or relying on pressure and persuasion? What would shift if you treated sales as a mutual process instead of a one-sided pitch?
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Radical Mindset Shift in Sales
02:07 Passionate Ambivalence Explained
04:15 Contrarian Sales Mindset vs. Traditional Selling
06:04 Never Ask for the Sale: Practical Examples
10:12 Startup Fundraising and Playing Small
15:08 Pricing Strategy and Early Sales Lessons
19:22 Fit Calls and Client Qualification
27:08 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs in Sales
Connect with Sue Heilbronner:
Hey Sue
Connect with Sue on LinkedIn
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
HiveCast
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
The Conscious Entrepreneur
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram
Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Sep 8, 2025 • 36min
EP 105: How Giving Back Shapes Great Leaders with Snooze COO Brianna Borin
Philanthropy can change the way we think about business when it’s treated as part of the culture rather than an afterthought. How does a company grow stronger when it gives back to the community that supports it? And how can service outside of work shape the kind of leader someone becomes?
Sarah Lockwood talks with Brianna Borin, Chief Operating Officer of Snooze A.M. Eatery, about the lessons she has learned from nearly two decades of weaving community impact into her work. Brianna shares how Snooze’s early days of volunteering at the Denver Rescue Mission set the tone for a company-wide approach that now includes programs like the Changemaker initiative and long-term partnerships with organizations such as Urban Peak. She also reflects on her own leadership development through board service, youth mentorship, and global volunteer experiences that have deepened her sense of personal satisfaction and purpose.
Listeners can learn more about supporting youth experiencing homelessness through Urban Peak’s Urban Nights Kicks & Culture Sneaker Ball at urbanpeak.org/urban-nights. Brianna also recommends Tommy Spaulding’s books, The Heart-Led Leader and The Gift of Influence, which have shaped her vision of philanthropy and leadership. Her story and these resources show how integrating service into business not only builds stronger communities but also creates deeper fulfillment for leaders and their teams.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Philanthropy and Service as a Business Value
02:03 Brianna Borin’s Journey with Snooze A.M. Eatery
06:57 Community Impact Through Grassroots Service
08:50 Partnering with Urban Peak to Support Youth
12:44 The Changemaker Program and Local Giving
18:36 Leadership Development Through Philanthropy
28:45 Lessons from the Global Youth Leadership Academy
34:03 Time, Treasures, and Talent as a Service Framework
Connect with Brianna Borin:
Snooze A.M. Eatery
Connect with Brianna on LinkedIn
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
HiveCast
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
The Conscious Entrepreneur
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram
Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Sep 1, 2025 • 4min
EP 104: Success, Life Satisfaction & Service
True fulfillment as an entrepreneur often begins the moment you step outside yourself and give back.
Sarah Lockwood shares a personal reflection on her uncle, Ralph Junker, who quietly gave blood every two weeks for nearly twenty years. It was never mentioned at his funeral or in his obituary, yet it may have been the most defining part of his legacy. What does it mean when the most meaningful acts of service in a life are the ones done quietly, without recognition? And how might those same choices shape who we become as leaders?
This episode invites you to look at philanthropy not as a grand gesture but as a steady practice that creates life satisfaction, perspective, and connection. Inward work like meditation and journaling has its place, but service pulls us into the lives of others and reminds us that leadership is rooted in humanity.
Sarah offers a challenge worth sitting with: what if giving back became a rhythm in your life and your business? It doesn’t have to start big. Maybe it’s a volunteer day, matching donations for your team, or simply stepping in when someone in your community needs help. However it looks, those choices ripple outward, shaping stronger leaders, more grounded teams, and a legacy that speaks louder than words.
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
HiveCast
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
The Conscious Entrepreneur
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram
Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Aug 25, 2025 • 17min
EP 103: Right-Sizing with Care: Layoffs, Furloughs, and Rehiring Best Practices
Layoffs, furloughs, and rehiring after downsizing are decisions that press on both the head and the heart.
Sarah Lockwood talks with Peggy Shell, the CEO of Creative Alignments, about the reality of leading a team through moments when survival means making choices no leader wants to make. Peggy shares how her company moved from furloughs to layoffs during an economic downturn and what it took to carry the weight of those decisions while still protecting the future of the business. How do you take care of the people who stay after you’ve had to let others go? How much truth should you share when your team is already anxious?
Peggy explains how transparency and steady communication built trust, even in the midst of layoffs, and why she chose approaches like covering health insurance, offering transition periods, and helping people find new roles. She also reflects on the uneasy process of hiring again after downsizing and the challenge of moving forward with confidence when past decisions still weigh heavy.
This episode encourages entrepreneurs to look closely at how layoffs, furloughs, and rehiring after downsizing affect more than just headcount. These moments test the culture of a company, the trust between leaders and their teams, and the resilience of a business when pressure hits. Peggy’s story shows how the choices a leader makes in these situations leave a lasting mark on both the people and the direction of the business.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction and Initial Layoffs
02:16 Fear of Rehiring and Economic Uncertainty
05:31 Conscious Leadership and Transparency in Layoffs
08:01 Furloughs vs. Layoffs
10:09 Handling Layoffs with Compassion and Support
11:14 Retaining A Players and Addressing Survivor Guilt
14:17 Lessons Learned and Building a Stronger Business
16:21 Innovation and Reimagining Company Culture
17:12 Final Takeaways for Leaders
Connect with Peggy Shell:
Creative Alignments
Connect with Peggy on LinkedIn
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
HiveCast
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
The Conscious Entrepreneur
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Aug 18, 2025 • 33min
EP 102: Talent Density: Your New KPI for Culture, Productivity & Profit
Annual reviews are broken, and leadership coach Mike Goldman, author of “The Strength of Talent” has a different way to think about performance management that puts people growth at the heart of profit growth.
Joining Sarah Lockwood in this episode, Mike questions why so many organizations still rely on outdated HR metrics and rigid systems like annual reviews or quarterly reviews when so few leaders believe they make a real impact. He introduces the idea of “talent density,” a measure of the gap between high and low performers, and explains why it’s a sharper way to understand organizational health. He walks through his five-step framework that calls for clear expectations, honest assessments done as a team, real leadership accountability, and a balance between productivity and culture fit.
How often do we keep a top producer who quietly undermines the culture? Where is “good enough” quietly slowing the roles that drive a company forward? Mike shares strategies leaders can start using right away, even without company-wide adoption, and explains why a slow, thoughtful rollout builds trust and lasting results. This episode challenges the way performance management is typically done and offers a grounded approach to helping both people and the business grow stronger.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Talent Density Explained
01:51 People Growth Drives Profit
03:55 Assessing Performance Beyond Annual Reviews
06:25 Leadership Accountability for People Growth
08:01 Broken Performance Management System
09:17 Quarterly Talent Assessment Meeting (QTAM)
11:14 Talent Density Indicator (TDI) Overview
14:40 Culture Fit as a Performance Metric
18:45 Roles Where Good Enough Fails
23:06 Applying the System as a Middle Manager
29:01 Change Management and Rollout Strategy
Connect with Mike Goldman:
Website
Book: “The Strength of Talent”
LinkedIn
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
Website
LinkedIn
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
Website
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Aug 11, 2025 • 30min
EP 101: Burnout and Toxic Culture: What to Do When It’s Affecting You or Your Team
Burnout can take root fast when company culture overlooks early warning signs, and Cait Donovan offers insight into how leaders can spot and address it before it damages the entire organization.
Sarah Lockwood speaks with Cait, the host of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast and the founder of BurnBOLD, about what burnout looks like in real time and why it often signals deeper issues inside a company. How can a leader tell when a team is just under pressure versus when something is fundamentally off? Which behaviors start small but slowly erode trust and workplace wellness until they create a toxic culture?
Cait explains why leaders must deal with their own burnout first because when a leader is running on empty, the strain spreads. From there, she walks through ways to identify whether the problem lies in a single pocket of the organization or across the culture as a whole, and how to respond in each case. She shares approaches that shift the tone of a workplace, like starting “positive gossip” to strengthen psychological safety or aligning the company’s stated values with what actually happens day to day.
This episode looks at personal habits such as perfectionism, people-pleasing, hyper-independence that often come from old patterns and quietly shape relationships and performance at work. Cait shows how becoming aware of these tendencies can help leaders change the environment for themselves and their teams. She offers a thoughtful and detailed look at how burnout develops, what fuels a toxic culture, and how workplace wellness can be protected through intentional choices in leadership and company culture.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Real Costs of Burnout
01:31 WHO Definition and Key Signs of Burnout
02:46 Individual Burnout vs. Cultural Problems
04:07 How Leaders Should Address Burnout
06:10 Four Indicators of a Toxic Workplace
08:42 Effective Interventions to Reduce Burnout
09:20 Building Trust Through Positive Gossip
11:30 Aligning Company Values With Culture
12:44 Burnout Risk Factors and Protection Factors
16:42 Why Leaders Must Address Their Own Burnout First
21:16 Hidden Patterns That Increase Burnout Risk
26:39 Case Study: Reducing Urgency to Boost Productivity
Links
Connect with Cait Donovan:
Initial Call with Cait
FRIED. The Burnout Podcast
LinkedIn
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
LinkedIn
HiveCast
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
LinkedIn
Instagram
The Conscious Entrepreneur
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Aug 4, 2025 • 26min
EP 100: Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders - Part 3: Honesty With Yourself
Telling yourself the truth might be the most radical leadership skill you’ll ever develop.
In part three of the Emotional Self-Regulation for Leaders series, Sarah Lockwood is joined by Beck Sydow and Marina Suholutsky for a conversation about the power of radical self-honesty in leadership. They explore how self-awareness for leaders isn’t just about introspection but a foundational strategy for building resilient businesses, leading aligned teams, and navigating high-stakes decisions with integrity.
Beck and Marina reveal how easy it is for entrepreneurs to hide from their own truths, especially when fear, ego, or pressure to perform take over. They unpack how avoidance and overcompensation often mask deeper insecurities and explain why facing those hidden parts with compassion is key to true emotional self-regulation. When leaders name what’s really going on without judgment, they create space for better decisions, stronger relationships, and more authentic leadership.
This episode offers a powerful reframe: self-honesty isn’t weakness, but actually one of the most courageous and transformative skills you can build.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Why Radical Self-Honesty Is a Leadership Skill
02:56 How Your Relationship with Yourself Shapes Your Leadership
04:49 Embracing All Parts of Yourself to Build Self-Awareness
06:03 Coping Mechanisms That Lead to Dishonest Leadership
10:03 The Hidden Relief in Facing Hard Truths
14:07 Practicing Compassionate Accountability
17:59 Sovereignty, Self-Honesty, and Emotional Self-Regulation
21:32 Practical Tools to Strengthen Self-Honesty
25:02 Emotional Mastery for Leaders
Links
Connect with Beck Sydow:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/
HumanKind Business Leaders: https://www.humankindbusinessleaders.com/
Connect with Marina Suholutsky:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-suho/
PurposeBuilt: www.purposebuilt.io
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockwoodsarah/
Website: https://hivecast.fm
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-entrepreneur/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_entrepreneur_summit/
Website: http://www.consciousentrepreneur.us
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm