The Reboot Podcast

For many founders, the ups and downs of the startup rollercoaster feel like a natural component of the entrepreneurial journey, but what happens when the ride becomes too much and what’s best for you, and the company, is to walk away? In this episode of the Reboot Podcast, Jerry sits down with Fritz Brumder, co-founder and former CEO of Brandlive. Fritz speaks candidly about his exit as CEO, describing how the process was simultaneously painful and relieving, and admits to the uneasiness that comes with the question, “what’s next for me?”. Jerry notes what happens when we merge our sense of self with an external entity and reminds Fritz that with the formation of his new company, Zipcan, he has been given a beautiful opportunity to rethink the way he wants to relate to work and to design his second act of life. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Follow our step by step guides: - How To: Leave a Review on Your Computer: - How To: Leave a Review on Your iPhone: Never miss an episode! Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all our episode releases.

Along the entrepreneurial journey there comes a time and place for all leaders where we lift our heads from the fog of busyness to find ourselves on an unknown path. Knowing where we are isn’t exactly where we intended to be, we look to the past for clues to how we’ve landed in this spot. For many, this is the integral moment in which we come to realize that our internal and external selves have fallen out of alignment. Our guest on this episode of the Reboot Podcast is Shizu Okusa, Founder & CEO of Wellthy & Co. Feeling stagnant and unsure, Shizu looks to Jerry for support and clarity in discerning the best future for her company and herself. Like most leaders in a position of power, Shizu feels the pull of responsibility to her investors and employees to, “Do the right thing.” As the conversation develops, Jerry aids Shizu in unpacking how intergenerational familial trauma may have manifested as a set of subroutines, directly influencing how she shows up in leadership and life. Shizu begins to acknowledge the ways in which the shoulds of the past and the anxieties of the future limit herself from fully stepping into the now. Jerry reminds Shizu that radical self-inquiry is the catalyst for unraveling the unconscious threads that dictate our lives, the key to alignment between inner and outer, and the driving force for strengthening purpose and meaning. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Follow our step by step guides: - How To: Leave a Review on Your Computer: - How To: Leave a Review on Your iPhone: Never miss an episode! Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all our episode releases.

For this podcast release, Jerry sits down with David Sax to chat about his latest book, "The Soul of an Entrepreneur: Work and Life Beyond the Startup Myth." In their conversation, David outlines how the archetype of the hero entrepreneur has been glorified by Silicon Valley and illustrates how this particular prescriptive formula for startup success can be limiting and exclusionary for under-represented groups. David addresses how romanticizing the startup myth stymies creation and limits what businesses receive funding. Jerry and David chat about the freedom and risk associated with any entrepreneurial venture and consider the importance of smaller businesses and the immense value they provide their local communities. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Follow our step by step guides: - How To: Leave a Review on Your Computer: www.reboot.io/leave-itunes-review-via-computer/ - How To: Leave a Review on Your iPhone: www.reboot.io/leave-itunes-review-via-iphone/ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all our episode releases. www.Reboot.io/signup

What is psychological safety and why is it so important for the success of our teams? In this clip, Reboot Coaches Andy Crissinger and Ali Schultz, share what we can learn from horses about group dynamics and highlight some best practices for leaders looking to cultivate psychological safety in their teams and workplaces.   Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Follow our step by step guides:   - How To: Leave a Review on Your Computer: www.reboot.io/leave-itunes-review-via-computer/   - How To: Leave a Review on Your iPhone: www.reboot.io/leave-itunes-review-via-iphone/   Never miss an episode! Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all our episode releases. www.Reboot.io/signup

Joining Jerry on this episode of the Reboot Podcast is Leslie Feinzaig, Founder & CEO of the Female Founders Alliance, whose mission is to accelerate the success of venture-scale, women and non-binary founded companies. In this conversation, Leslie shares how attempting to lead and manage her team amongst the fallout of a global pandemic has led her to shift her thoughts to family in distant countries. The granddaughter of Holocaust refugees and a Costa Rican native, Leslie left her country of origin when greater opportunities opened up abroad. Now a naturalized citizen of the United States, Leslie admits to feeling out of place and unwanted in her adopted home. In hearing her story, Jerry reminds Leslie that in turbulent times, often the best gift we can give ourselves is to search for and connect to a greater sense of purpose. For Leslie, the question “Why do I do what I do?” leads her back to family —past, present and future. Jerry encourages Leslie to remember the sacrifices of her ancestors (as well as her own) and to draw on that connection as a source of strength and inspiration. In connecting to her past and holding her wishes for the future, Leslie comes to realize her purpose will see her through this challenging present. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Follow our step by step guides: - How To: Leave a Review on Your Computer: - How To: Leave a Review on Your iPhone: Never miss an episode! Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all our episode releases.

On this episode of the Reboot Podcast, Jerry hosts a conversation with David Hieatt, co-founder of Hiut Denim Company. In this exchange, David recounts how the sale of his first company left him feeling listless and ungrounded. He shares how he regained his sense of purpose after founding Hiut, a company that revived the denim industry in the small town of Cardigan, Wales. David describes the difficult process of temporarily closing the factory due to COVID-19 and how these past few months have given him the space to reaffirm the company’s values and solidified the importance of taking care of not only the people of his organization but the community as a whole. Jerry and David acknowledge the value of servant leadership, remark on the beauty of team building, and consider what happens when your company grows you. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Follow our step by step guides: - How To: Leave a Review on Your Computer: - How To: Leave a Review on Your iPhone: Never miss an episode! Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all our episode releases.

Erine Gray, founder of Aunt Bertha, shares his journey of growing up poor and struggling with insecurities. Jerry Colonna and Erine discuss the importance of loving your inner critic for compassionate leadership. Topics include childhood experiences, faith, insecurities, and self-love.

Chris Vandenbrink, Director of the peer group program at Reboot, teams up with Andy Crissinger to explore the often-overlooked skill of inquiry in leadership. They discuss how shifting from answer-giving to question-asking can transform team dynamics. The duo highlights the power of open-ended questions in fostering honest dialogue and psychological safety. By embracing a culture of inquiry, leaders can enhance collaboration, promote critical thinking, and create resilient teams ready to tackle challenges together.

Regina Smith is the Executive Director for Mission Integration at Naropa University and a specialist in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Amanda Aguilera is a trainer and consultant focusing on power dynamics. They delve into the transformative nature of conflict, urging listeners to embrace it as a catalyst for growth. Their discussion covers the intersection of power dynamics and racial equity, emphasizing the need for critical conversations to address societal imbalances. They advocate for love and community as essential pillars for social transformation, reshaping how we view and navigate conflict.

In this release, Jerry sits down with leading diversity and inclusion expert Jennifer Brown to explore her latest book, ​How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive. In this conversation, recorded at the beginning of 2020, Jennifer reveals why inclusive leadership is not only risky, but often uncomfortable, and why discomfort is necessary for individual and organizational growth. Jerry and Jennifer analyze why true inclusivity requires removing the barriers to belonging in the workplace and share that when those with whom we work feel a true sense of belonging, trust and productivity increase within an organization. They examine the power of pronouns, make the distinction between allyship and advocacy, confront the ways in which our biases direct us, and describe why leadership without inclusivity is not true leadership. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Follow our step by step guides: - How To: Leave a Review on Your Computer: www.reboot.io/leave-itunes-review-via-computer/ - How To: Leave a Review on Your iPhone: www.reboot.io/leave-itunes-review-via-iphone/ Never miss an episode! Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all our episode releases. www.Reboot.io/signup