When Dan Pontefract started thinking about the future of work, he realized we weren’t just getting older, we were getting it wrong. And that changes everything. In this conversation, I sit down with author and speaker Dan Pontefract to explore a powerful idea: the future of work isn’t young or old, it’s gray. And most organizations are wildly unprepared. Dan … Read More
An unexpected leadership lesson from 30,000 true believers
Earlier this year my beloved Yankees made their first trip of 2026 to Fenway Park to play the rival Boston Red Sox. And while the Yankees swept that 3-game series, the Boston fans provided an incredible example of The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams as they irrationally and erroneously chanted “YANKEES SUCK!” throughout the weekend set. Clarity is Non-NegotiableAbsolutely … Read More
The Culture Advantage with Billy Jenkins and Brandon Hughes
It’s not often you find two leaders who care as much about how their teams feel as what their teams achieve, but that’s exactly what stood out in this conversation. In this episode, I sit down with Billy Jenkins and Brandon Hughes, Directors of Branch Operations at Credit Union 1, to explore what it really looks like to build strong, … Read More
This is how leaders sabotage themselves
In just 9 words, and without even realizing it, the woman behind the counter summed up why so many people aren’t as effective as they could be. I was seated across the lobby, reading Lord of the Flies, when the coordinator behind the desk started making calls to confirm appointments and collect some diagnostic information. I wasn’t eavesdropping. Quite the … Read More
The Power of Community in Business with Megan Militello
She walked away from a business she built, and found something bigger on the other side. In this conversation with Megan Militello, CEO of the Alaska Manufacturing Association and former founder of Elevated Oats, we talk about what it really looks like to build something meaningful, and when to let it go. Megan has a rare ability to see systems, … Read More
This is how you upgrade the way your people think
When I was in elementary school I had a teacher who fundamentally changed the way I see the world. The teacher in question, Mr. H, would periodically bring interesting examples of science and technology to share with the class. I don’t specifically remember any of them, but they always felt like school had stopped and we were doing something fun … Read More
The Invisible Work That’s Wearing You Out with Liane Davey
It isn’t the workload that’s breaking people. It’s everything else. In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Liane Davey to unpack a problem almost every leader feels but can’t quite name: the invisible weight that makes work harder than it should be. She calls it thoughtload and once you hear it, you’ll see it all around you. We dig … Read More
The sneaky reason most meetings are the worst
I hate black and white movies. And it’s for the dumbest reason imaginable. The thing I hate isn’t the absence of high-fidelity color, it’s that every black and white movie seems like the same movie to me. If I sat down to watch a black and white movie and every scene was followed by a scene from a different black … Read More
The Unbeatable Approach to Difficult Conversations That No One Is Talking About: In Conversation with Charlie Leonelli
Some of the hardest conversations you’ll ever have…stop being so hard the moment trust walks into the room. In this episode, I mix it up with Charlie Leonelli from MAC Federal Credit Union for something a little different. We skip the normal interview – because we’ve already done that – and just riff on an idea that shows up in … Read More
Ignoring Your Haters is Not The Answer
Ignoring your haters is not the answer. Here’s why: In March of 2025 my daughter and I winged our way thousands of miles across the country to catch a few Yankee spring training games in Tampa, Florida. The vibe at these spring games was absolutely delicious. The crowds were so much smaller than regular season games in the big stadiums … Read More
The Power of Shoulder-to-Shoulder Leadership with Tlisa Northcutt
This episode is proof that you don’t need a detailed map to have a fulfilling career if you lean into curiosity, meaningful relationships, and a mission bigger than yourself. This week, I sit down with Tlisa Northcutt, President of the University of Alaska Foundation, to explore what it really looks like to grow into leadership over time. We talk about … Read More
It’s not the size that matters, it’s how often you use it
The first time I saw it I knew I loved it. And I knew I had a problem. Late last year I replaced my truck and decided that it was time to put a topper on the load bed. When I picked it up from the installer I was in love. It looked great and was going to solve a … Read More
You Can’t Automate What You Can’t Explain with Shelly Thomas
When today’s guest realized most companies were automating chaos instead of clarity, they decided to fix it. In this conversation, I check in with Shelly Thomas, the founder of Building Beta, to unpack what’s actually happening with AI inside organizations right now. Not the hype. Not the buzzwords. The real work. Shelly brings a rare mix of engineering rigor and … Read More
I Probably Shouldn’t Be Telling You This
I probably shouldn’t be telling you this… For the record: whatever you say to an employee you lead about another employee you lead after saying those seven words is a truly bad idea. In fact, if you ever hear those words coming out of your mouth about any topic at all, just stop talking. The problem for many leaders is … Read More
Authentic Curiosity with Joe Sprague
What do you call it when the work you do and the thing you love are so tangled together you can’t quite tell them apart? In this conversation, I sit down with Joe Sprague, former CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, to explore what it actually takes to lead at the highest levels, and why his love of aviation made his career … Read More
The invisible work of leadership
A couple months back I spent about 3 days fully wiped out with the flu. I just had zero juice in the tank. And for reasons not fully clear, even to me, I spent a lot of time watching old episodes of Matlock. A couple things struck me as I took this nostalgic trip back to my youth: It’s not … Read More
